diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore old mode 100644 new mode 100755 diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b098fa1 --- /dev/null +++ b/Makefile @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +run-ci: + black src/ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9a0013b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,9 @@ +# Installation +```bash +git clone git@github.com:explodinggradients/synthetic-qa-paper.git +cd synthetic-qa-paper +pip install -e . +``` + +## Usage +See example [notebook](notebooks/experiment.ipynb) for usage. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/_run.ipynb b/_run.ipynb deleted file mode 100755 index 1615479..0000000 --- a/_run.ipynb +++ /dev/null @@ -1 +0,0 @@ -{"cells":[{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":1,"metadata":{"colab":{"base_uri":"https://localhost:8080/"},"execution":{"iopub.execute_input":"2024-07-23T12:09:42.337401Z","iopub.status.busy":"2024-07-23T12:09:42.336717Z","iopub.status.idle":"2024-07-23T12:10:37.879309Z","shell.execute_reply":"2024-07-23T12:10:37.878172Z","shell.execute_reply.started":"2024-07-23T12:09:42.337368Z"},"id":"hrFYqiXsCPXD","outputId":"9d3caf44-b4e3-4686-e7a9-3d296bbce1ce","trusted":true},"outputs":[{"name":"stdout","output_type":"stream","text":["\u001b[33mWARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=4, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError(': Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -2] Name or service not known')': /simple/langchain/\u001b[0m\u001b[33m\n","\u001b[0m\u001b[33m WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=4, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ReadTimeoutError(\"HTTPSConnectionPool(host='files.pythonhosted.org', port=443): Read timed out. (read timeout=15)\")': /packages/3c/78/c1de55eb3311f2c200a8b91724414b8d6f5ae78891c15d9d936ea43c3dba/marshmallow-3.22.0-py3-none-any.whl.metadata\u001b[0m\u001b[33m\n","\u001b[0m\u001b[33mWARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=4, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ReadTimeoutError(\"HTTPSConnectionPool(host='pypi.org', port=443): Read timed out. (read timeout=15)\")': /simple/typing-inspect/\u001b[0m\u001b[33m\n","\u001b[0m^C\n"]}],"source":["!pip install -q langchain langchain-core langchain-community langchain-huggingface ragatouille"]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":null,"metadata":{"execution":{"iopub.execute_input":"2024-07-23T12:16:19.741127Z","iopub.status.busy":"2024-07-23T12:16:19.740107Z","iopub.status.idle":"2024-07-23T12:16:23.617034Z","shell.execute_reply":"2024-07-23T12:16:23.615914Z","shell.execute_reply.started":"2024-07-23T12:16:19.741088Z"},"trusted":true},"outputs":[],"source":["%cd /content\n","!rm -rf card\n","!git clone https://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@github.com/ErfanMoosaviMonazzah/card.git\n","\n","%cd /content/card/src2"]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":1,"metadata":{"colab":{"base_uri":"https://localhost:8080/"},"execution":{"iopub.execute_input":"2024-07-23T12:16:29.097980Z","iopub.status.busy":"2024-07-23T12:16:29.097568Z"},"id":"aCR1Kd-HHqQ7","outputId":"bdd95aa8-1213-4a5c-d27c-4dc2cf4b17de","trusted":true},"outputs":[{"name":"stdout","output_type":"stream","text":["- Loading docs from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_docs.pkl\"\n","- Loading Embedding Model & Tokenizer: thenlper/gte-small\n","- Chunk Size (#Tokens): 256\n","- Loading chunks from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_chunks.pkl\"\n","- Loading Vector DB from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db\"\n","- Loading Queries from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_queries.pkl\"\n","- Loading Rets from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_rets.pkl\"\n","- Loading Generator Model & Tokenizer: \"/home/pargar/hub/models/microsoft/Phi-3.5-mini-instruct\"\n","`flash-attention` package not found, consider installing for better performance: No module named 'flash_attn'.\n","Current `flash-attention` does not support `window_size`. Either upgrade or use `attn_implementation='eager'`.\n","Loading checkpoint shards: 100%|██████████████████| 2/2 [00:02<00:00, 1.38s/it]\n","/home/pargar/miniconda3/envs/tomcat_temp/lib/python3.11/site-packages/transformers/tokenization_utils_base.py:1601: FutureWarning: `clean_up_tokenization_spaces` was not set. It will be set to `True` by default. This behavior will be depracted in transformers v4.45, and will be then set to `False` by default. For more details check this issue: https://github.com/huggingface/transformers/issues/31884\n"," warnings.warn(\n","/home/pargar/miniconda3/envs/tomcat_temp/lib/python3.11/site-packages/colbert/utils/amp.py:12: FutureWarning: `torch.cuda.amp.GradScaler(args...)` is deprecated. Please use `torch.amp.GradScaler('cuda', args...)` instead.\n"," self.scaler = torch.cuda.amp.GradScaler()\n","- Loading reranked_rets from Cache: \"./caches/sample_experiment/cached_reranked_rets.pkl\"\n"," 0%| | 0/2556 [00:00 512). Running this sequence through the model will result in indexing errors\n","- Splitting Documents to Chunks: 100%|████████| 609/609 [00:25<00:00, 24.01it/s]\n","- Removing Duplicated Chunks: 100%|████| 8193/8193 [00:00<00:00, 1177088.88it/s]\n","- Caching Chunks at \"/home/erfan/Desktop/actives/card/src/experiments/multihoprag_bge/cached_chunks.pkl\"\n","- 609 Documents splitted into 8,159 Chunks\n","- Vector DB: Start Embedding at 2024-07-24T12:58:27.145320\n","- Vector DB: Finished Embedding at 2024-07-24T13:10:08.573201\n","- Caching Vector DB at \"/home/erfan/Desktop/actives/card/src/experiments/multihoprag_bge/cached_vector_db\"\n","- Loading Queries Dataset from HF: yixuantt/MultiHopRAG (MultiHopRAG)\n","- Caching Queries at \"/home/erfan/Desktop/actives/card/src/experiments/multihoprag_bge/cached_queries.pkl\"\n","- Fetching Embeddings (2556 Queries)\n","- Searching Vector Index\n","- Fetching Similar Documents\n","- Saving Retrieved Documents: /home/erfan/Desktop/actives/card/src/experiments/multihoprag_bge_ret.json\n"]}],"source":["!python run_rag.py --yaml-config experiments/multihoprag_bge.yaml"]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":8,"metadata":{},"outputs":[],"source":["from datasets import load_dataset\n","import json, ret_evals\n","\n","with open('experiments/multihoprag_bge_ret.json', 'r') as file:\n"," rets = json.load(file)['ret']\n"," \n","ds = load_dataset('yixuantt/MultiHopRAG', 'MultiHopRAG', split='train')\n","golds = [[gold['fact'] for gold in evs] for evs in ds['evidence_list']]\n","\n","ls_rets = []\n","ls_golds = []\n","\n","for row, ret, gold in zip(ds, rets, golds):\n"," if row['question_type'] == 'null_query':\n"," continue\n"," ls_rets.append(ret)\n"," ls_golds.append(gold)"]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":9,"metadata":{},"outputs":[{"name":"stderr","output_type":"stream","text":["Hits@4 0.5871: : 2255it [00:02, 1005.75it/s]\n","Hits@10 0.7508: : 2255it [00:02, 1127.07it/s]\n","MAP@10 0.2121: : 2255it [00:02, 1059.75it/s]\n","MRR@10 0.4501: : 2255it [00:02, 1063.97it/s]\n"]}],"source":["_ = ret_evals.hits_at(4, ls_rets, ls_golds)\n","_ = ret_evals.hits_at(10, ls_rets, ls_golds)\n","_ = ret_evals.map_at(10, ls_rets, ls_golds)\n","_ = ret_evals.mrr_at(10, ls_rets, ls_golds)"]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":null,"metadata":{},"outputs":[],"source":[]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":null,"metadata":{},"outputs":[],"source":["# [5:25 PM] Luis Espinosa-Anke\n","# import numpy as np\n"," \n","# # Assuming questionsdb and vectordb are already defined and are numpy arrays\n","\n","# res = questionsdb @ vectordb.T\n"," \n","# # Flatten the result to a 1D array\n","\n","# flattened_res = res.flatten()\n"," \n","# # Get the indices of the top 10 most similar vectors\n","\n","# top_10_indices = np.argsort(flattened_res)[-10:][::-1]\n"," \n","# # Retrieve the top 10 most similar vectors\n","\n","# top_10_similar = flattened_res[top_10_indices]\n"," \n","# print(\"Indices of top 10 most similar vectors:\", top_10_indices)\n","\n","# print(\"Top 10 most similar vectors:\", top_10_similar)\n"," \n","# [5:25 PM] Luis Espinosa-Anke\n","# vectordb = rag.vectorizer.vector_db.index.reconstruct_n(0)\n"," "]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":null,"metadata":{},"outputs":[],"source":[]},{"cell_type":"code","execution_count":null,"metadata":{},"outputs":[],"source":[]}],"metadata":{"accelerator":"GPU","colab":{"gpuType":"T4","provenance":[]},"kaggle":{"accelerator":"gpu","dataSources":[],"dockerImageVersionId":30747,"isGpuEnabled":true,"isInternetEnabled":true,"language":"python","sourceType":"notebook"},"kernelspec":{"display_name":"Python 3","language":"python","name":"python3"},"language_info":{"codemirror_mode":{"name":"ipython","version":3},"file_extension":".py","mimetype":"text/x-python","name":"python","nbconvert_exporter":"python","pygments_lexer":"ipython3","version":"3.12.2"}},"nbformat":4,"nbformat_minor":4} diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_augmented_generations.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_augmented_generations.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index 6a55cb4..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_augmented_generations.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_chunks.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_chunks.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index f53d537..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_chunks.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_docs.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_docs.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index d59e633..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_docs.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_queries.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_queries.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index 776683f..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_queries.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_reranked_rets.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_reranked_rets.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index 9d303cd..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_reranked_rets.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_rets.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_rets.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index 6b48678..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_rets.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.faiss b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.faiss deleted file mode 100755 index 57748e7..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.faiss and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index d37babc..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/cached_vector_db/index.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/caches/sample_experiment/disabled__cached_reranked_rets.pkl b/caches/sample_experiment/disabled__cached_reranked_rets.pkl deleted file mode 100755 index 9d303cd..0000000 Binary files a/caches/sample_experiment/disabled__cached_reranked_rets.pkl and /dev/null differ diff --git a/datasets/multihoprag.json b/datasets/multihoprag.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3cc2cda --- /dev/null +++ b/datasets/multihoprag.json @@ -0,0 +1,14068 @@ +{ + "corpus": [ + "Table of Contents Table of Contents Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle deals Apple deals TV deals Laptop deals Headphone and earbud deals Tablet deals Gaming deals Speaker deals Vacuum deals Kitchen deals Smart home deals Fitness deals Beauty tech deals Drone deals Camera deals Lego deals Gift card deals\n\nUPDATE: Nov. 27, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EST This post has been updated with all of the latest Cyber Monday deals available at Amazon.\n\nAmazon is dragging out the year's biggest shopping holiday(s) into 11 days of deals.\n\nThe retail giant began its Black Friday sale in the early morning of Friday, Nov. 17 (a week ahead of schedule) and was on top of making the switch to Cyber Monday language in the wee hours of Saturday, Nov. 25. Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.\n\nWe're curating a running list of Amazon's best Cyber Weekend deals, spotlighting some of our favorites and noting when good deals inevitably sell out. Read on for the full rundown, and check back often: We're going to be updating this story incessantly as the sale continues, as well as our even bigger (if you can imagine) list of Cyber Monday deals across more retailers.\n\nNote: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price. Amazon's invite-only deals for Prime members are marked with a 📨. Deals with a strikeout were either sold out or expired at the time of writing.\n\nEcho, Fire TV, and Kindle deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nAn Echo Show is a subtle yet game-changing addition to any room — and for less than $40 with this rollover Black Friday to Cyber Monday deal, there's little reason to not make your life easier. The smart screen responds to Alexa commands that are particularly handy when your hands are full, like asking for measurement conversions mid-cooking, checking the weather mid-rushing out the door, or turning off your smart lights with a sleeping kid in hand. Plus, it's got a 5.5-inch screen and better sound than its predecessor, making it perfect for watching videos or video calling friends and family.\n\nMore Amazon device and service deals\n\nAmazon services\n\nAudible Premium Plus — $5.95/month $14.95/month for four months (save $9/month; new customers only; get an additional $20 Audible credit)\n\nEcho Buds\n\nEcho smart displays\n\nEcho smart speakers\n\nFire tablets\n\nFire TVs\n\nNote: All Fire TVs come with a free 6-month subscription to MGM+ (a $35.94 value).\n\nFire TV streaming devices\n\neero\n\nKindles\n\nMiscellaneous Amazon devices\n\nApple deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nNow that the 64GB 9th generation iPad has been going in and out of stock (you might be able to find it on sale for $229.99), our new favorite iPad deal at Amazon is the 10th generation 64GB model for $349. Compared to the 9th gen, the 10th gen classic iPad has a slightly bigger screen that's now also a Liquid Retina display (10.9 inches versus 10.2 inches), a faster A14 Bionic chip for smoother multitasking, and USB-C charging.\n\nMore Apple deals\n\nAirPods\n\nMacBook\n\nMac\n\niPad\n\nApple Watch\n\nTV deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThis 65-inch Fire TV from Amazon hit its lowest ever price this month, and we're not mad about it. With a 66 percent five-star review rating, it's got much to love: Including stunning 4K QLED resolution, adaptive brightness that adjusts to the lighting of your room, the ability to project famous art or personal pics on it when not streaming anything, and, of course, that quintessential Alexa voice control.\n\nMore TV deals\n\n43 to 55 inches\n\n65 inches\n\n75 to 85 inches\n\nLaptop deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nMacBooks aside (which are all listed above in the Apple section), another stellar Cyber Monday laptop deal at Amazon is the lightweight Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for $599.99. This 25% discount drops the 2023 version to the regular asking price of our favorite budget laptop, the older Surface Go 2. Compared to the Go 2, the Go 3's Intel Core i5 processor is 12th gen versus the Go 2's 11th gen, harnessing better speeds and solid power for most everyday work or school tasks. On the outside, the Go 3 is definitely giving MacBook Air — the main difference being that the Go 3's screen is a touchscreen.\n\nMore laptop deals\n\nTraditional laptops\n\n2-in-1 laptops\n\nChromebooks\n\nGaming laptops\n\nHeadphone and earbud deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nNarrowing down a headphones upgrade from so many on-sale options is less overwhelming when you've confirmed that you want to stick with a super premium, super reputable brand like Bose — but also that you want to stick to a budget. There's only one pair of Bose over-ear headphones you can grab for just under $200, and that's the QuietComfort 45s at a record-low price of $199. This classic pair secures top-of-the-line ANC, 20 hours of battery life, and all-day comfort for less than half of the AirPods Max's sale price.\n\nMore headphone and earbud deals\n\nHeadphones\n\nEarbuds\n\nTablet deals\n\nGaming deals\n\nGaming headsets\n\nMashable Deals Want more hand-picked deals in your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's daily Deals newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Thanks for signing up!\n\nGaming mice\n\nGaming keyboards\n\nVR headsets\n\nMeta Quest 2 — $249 $299.99 (save $50.99) + free $50 Amazon credit with code META50 🔥\n\nSpeaker deals\n\nVacuum deals\n\nCordless vacuums\n\nRobot vacuums and vacuum/mop hybrids\n\nKitchen deals\n\nPizza ovens\n\nSparkling water makers\n\nToaster ovens\n\nSmart home deals\n\nNote: Echo devices are listed above under \"Amazon device and service deals.\"\n\nBlink\n\nChromecast\n\nGoogle Nest\n\nFitness deals\n\nSmartwatches and fitness trackers\n\nNote: Apple Watches are listed above under \"Apple deals.\"\n\nBeauty tech deals\n\nDrone deals\n\nCamera deals\n\nGoPro\n\nLego deals\n\nGift card deals", + "ETF provider Betashares, which manages $30 billion in funds, reached an agreement to acquire Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s superannuation business, in its first venture into the superannuation sector. Betashares said it was part of a longer-term strategy to expand the business into the broader financial sector. Shares in Bendigo increased 0.6 per cent on the news. REITS (up 0.4 per cent) was the strongest sector on the index as Goodman added 0.5 per cent and Dexus climbed 2.8 per cent. The laggards Casino operator Star Entertainment Group’s shares hit an all-time low of 60¢ after it raised $565 million. They closed the session 16 per cent weaker at 63¢. Star, which raised $800 million in February, has had to return to the market for fresh funding and is hoping to raise $750 million at a share price of 60¢ a share.\n\nMeanwhile, healthcare heavyweight CSL shed 1.4 per cent, weighing down the healthcare sector and insurance companies IAG (down 2.6 per cent) and Suncorp (down 2 per cent) gave back some of their gains from Tuesday. Gold miners Newcrest (down 2.1 per cent) and Evolution (down 3.5 per cent) were also among the biggest large-cap decliners after the spot gold price dropped 0.9 per cent overnight. Information technology (down 1.1 per cent) was the weakest sector on the local bourse with WiseTech losing 1.4 per cent. The lowdown\n\nNovus Capital senior client adviser Gary Glover said the Australian sharemarket was surprisingly resilient following a negative lead from Wall Street and the latest inflation data, with markets starting to wake up to the fact that interest rates could stay higher for longer. “Considering the damage overnight in the US, Australian markets held on pretty well,” he said. “I thought it would be a bigger down day across the board.” Glover said the market was volatile but quite range-bound, similar to previous periods of high inflation in the 1940s and 1970s. Elsewhere, Wall Street’s ugly September got even worse on Tuesday, as a sharp drop for stocks brought them back to where they were in June. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.5 per cent for its fifth loss in the last six days. The Dow Jones dropped 1.1 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.6 per cent.\n\nLoading September has brought a loss of 5.2 per cent so far for the S&P 500, putting it on track to be the worst month of the year by far, as the realisation sets in that the Federal Reserve will indeed keep interest rates high for a long time. That growing understanding has sent yields in the bond market to their highest levels in more than a decade, which in turn has undercut prices for stocks and other investments. Treasury yields rose again on Tuesday following a mixed batch of reports on the economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.55 per cent from 4.54 per cent late on Monday and is near its highest level since 2007. It’s up sharply from about 3.5 per cent in May and from 0.5 per cent about three years ago. One economic report on Tuesday showed confidence among consumers was weaker than economists expected. That’s concerning because strong spending by US households has been a bulwark keeping the economy out of a long-predicted recession.\n\nBesides high interest rates, a long list of other worries is also tugging at Wall Street. The most immediate is the threat of another US government shutdown as Capitol Hill threatens a stalemate that could shut off federal services across the country. Loading Wall Street has dealt with such shutdowns in the past, and stocks have historically been turbulent in the run-up to them, according to Lori Calvasina, strategist at RBC Capital Markets. After looking at the seven shutdowns that lasted 10 days or more since the 1970s, she found the S&P 500 dropped an average of roughly 10 per cent in the three months heading into them. But stocks managed to hold up rather well during the shutdowns, falling an average of just 0.3 per cent, before rebounding meaningfully afterward. Wall Street is also contending with higher oil prices, shaky economies around the world, a strike by US autoworkers that could put more upward pressure on inflation and a resumption of US student-loan repayments that could dent spending by households.\n\nOn Wall Street, the vast majority of stocks fell under such pressures, including 90 per cent of those within the S&P 500. Big Tech stocks tend to be among the hardest hit by high rates, and they were the heaviest weights on the index. Apple fell 2.3 per cent and Microsoft lost 1.7 per cent. Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it. They accuse the e-commerce behemoth of using its dominant position to inflate prices on other platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. In China, concerns continued over heavily indebted real estate developer Evergrande. The property market crisis there is dragging on China’s economic growth and raising worries about financial instability. France’s CAC 40 fell 0.7 per cent, and Germany’s DAX lost 1 per cent.\n\nCrude oil prices rose, adding to worries about inflation. A barrel of benchmark US crude climbed 71¢ to $US90.39. Brent crude, the international standard, added 67¢ to $US93.96 per barrel. Tweet of the day Quote of the day “The Senate committees have the power to summons witnesses within Australia but have no enforceable powers for witnesses who are overseas,” said Senator Bridget McKenzie as former Qantas boss Alan Joyce chose not to front the Senate select committee into the federal government’s decision to reject extra flights from Qatar Airways due to “personal commitments”.", + "A worker sorts out parcels in the outbound dock at the Amazon fulfillment center in Eastvale, California, on Aug. 31, 2021. Watchara Phomicinda | MediaNews Group | The Riverside Press-Enterprise via Getty Images\n\nIt was late in the day on Oct. 27, 2021, when Fred Ruckel received the dreaded automated email from Amazon . Amazon’s software had detected that Ruckel’s popular cat toy, called the Ripple Rug, was being sold somewhere else for a cheaper price. His product would no longer be shown in Amazon’s all-important buy box, an area of the listing where shoppers click “Add to Cart.” Ruckel is the sole seller of the Ripple Rug on Amazon, so the move all but ensured his product would disappear from the website, costing him thousands of dollars per day. “Below is a list of product(s) in your catalog that are not currently eligible to be the Featured Offer because they are not priced competitively compared to prices for those products from retailers outside Amazon,” according to the email, which was viewed by CNBC. Unbeknownst to him, Chewy was running a discount promotion, and dropped the price of his product by a few dollars to $39.99 – less than the $43 offer on Amazon. The algorithm had flagged it as a lower offer, even though the item on Chewy cost $48.54 after shipping and taxes. Ruckel had to make a choice: Lower the price on Amazon or ask Chewy to raise the price of his product. He opted for the latter.\n\nFred Ruckel's company Snuggly Cat makes Ripple Rug, an interactive play mat for cats. Fred Ruckel\n\nNearly three years later, Ruckel’s experience hits at the core of a sweeping antitrust lawsuit filed last week by the Federal Trade Commission against Amazon. The agency accused Amazon of wielding its monopoly power to squeeze merchants and thwart rivals. For consumers, that’s led to artificially inflated prices and a degraded shopping experience, the agency alleges. In the 172-page suit, the FTC said Amazon relies on an “anti-discounting strategy” and a “massive web-crawling apparatus that constantly tracks online prices” to stifle competition. The agency said Amazon punishes third-party sellers who offer cheaper products elsewhere by threatening to disqualify them from appearing in the buy box if it detects a lower price. Losing the buy box is an “existential threat” to sellers’ businesses, the complaint alleges. The end result of these tactics, the FTC argues, is elevated prices across the web. The company steadily hikes the fees it charges sellers and prevents them from discounting on other sites, so sellers often inflate their prices off of Amazon, creating an “artificial price floor everywhere,” according to the complaint. The FTC is seeking to hold Amazon liable for allegedly violating anti-monopoly law, though it has not yet outlined the specific remedies it believes would best resolve its concerns. In antitrust cases, remedies are often determined only after a court finds the defendant liable. In a blog post, Amazon general counsel David Zapolsky said third-party sellers set their own prices on the marketplace. The company also invests in tools to help sellers offer “competitive prices,” he said. “Even with those tools, some of the businesses selling on Amazon might still choose to set prices that aren’t competitive,” Zapolsky said. “Just like any store owner who wouldn’t want to promote a bad deal to their customers, we don’t highlight or promote offers that are not competitively priced.” Zapolsky argued the FTC’s lawsuit could force it to stop highlighting low prices, “a perverse result that would be directly opposed to the goals of antitrust law.”\n\n“Long overdue” lawsuit\n\nOn Amazon’s own forum for merchants, called Seller Central, several users cheered on the FTC and said they hoped it would result in changes to the company’s business practices. Amazon’s tense relationship with merchants has been well-chronicled over the years, with sellers expressing a range of grievances over issues like rising fees, an arcane suspensions process, and heightened competition on the marketplace from all sides, including the e-commerce giant. “I think it’s great, Amazon deserves it,” one person commented, adding, “More should be coming on the way.” Amazon in recent years made the forum anonymous, but users must have a seller account in order to post. Another post included a screenshot of a message Amazon sent to sellers the day after the FTC filed its complaint, which said, “As your partners, we know that this news may generate questions for you and our business together. This lawsuit does not change anything about our relationship with you or how we operate today.” One user called it “BS verbiage,” adding, “Businesses that sell in their store are indeed customers. And which of us has gotten good customer service?” Another user described their experience in the last 12 months of selling on Amazon as “being up all night at an effing casino but I'm stuck, the drugs are starting to wear off, but I'm trying to break even on the mortgage payment I'm using to play. That's how it is selling on Amazon right now to me.” The seller went on to describe the experience as a “race to the bottom.” “It's long overdue,\" another commenter wrote. \"When they close me down, I'm applying for a job with the FTC.” Still, others commented that the FTC’s complaint is misguided. “Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote.\n\nSeller skepticism\n\nEven sellers who may be sympathetic to the idea of regulating Amazon have concerns, specifically that the FTC's highlighted issues aren't necessarily ones that would make the seller and consumer experience better. Scott Needham, who sells on Amazon and runs a product-finder tool for other Amazon sellers, said he was “surprised by some of the points that the FTC selected.”\n\nwatch now\n\n“I have over the years been very critical of Amazon,” Needham told CNBC. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep because of some of the things that they have done. And the issues that they brought up, while they are interesting, they haven’t created me a lot of pain.” Needham said he was particularly puzzled by the inclusion of the claims that Amazon is coercive in the way it encourages sellers to use its fulfillment service, known as Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA. Needham said many sellers “love FBA” because of its compelling value in terms of the price and promise to deliver two-day shipping. For many, using FBA doesn’t feel like a requirement, but they believe using it will make their businesses \"easier and more effective.\" \"I think that the power that Amazon wields over sellers is considerable and absolutely worth looking into,” Needham said. “But I’m not sure if this would actually change that.” Scott Moller, an Amazon seller and co-founder of an agency that helps merchants run their storefronts, said the e-commerce giant has removed some of the challenges that used to be part of running an online business. With FBA, he said, he can ship an item into one of Amazon’s warehouses for $7.49 per package, while shipping it himself through a traditional carrier would cost him about $12. “I don’t have to have my own warehouse,” said Moller, who sells grilling accessories on Amazon under the brand Grill Sergeant. “I can use their staff, their storage, and I can instantly also take the data of advertising, so I can target ads.” He also disputed the FTC’s claim that Amazon has become littered with ads in search results, causing shoppers to wade through potentially less-relevant products of lesser quality. “We can tailor our ads to hit exactly the consumers we want,” Moller said. “It’s a perfect marriage of a transaction, and that’s one of the beauties of what their marketplace offers.” Needham said he feels he would have been more supportive of the case if it were filed a few years ago, pre-pandemic. At that time, he said, \"I would have felt, yes Amazon is a monopoly… But actually after Covid, into 2023, ecommerce has had a lot of big changes.” He added, \"The competition is just not what it was in 2019.\" Competitors like Shopify and Walmart are increasingly viable alternatives for many categories of sellers, Needham said, not to mention rapidly growing Chinese e=commerce companies like Temu. As a result, Needham said he’s seen some significant changes from Amazon. Among those is a greater ability for Amazon sellers to communicate with buyers, offering select customers certain promotions. Shopify, for example, gives sellers much more control over how they communicate with customers, Needham said, adding that although Amazon still controls the communication process, at least there is one. \"I wish it was a clear-cut case,” Needham said. “I have a vested interest in the marketplace doing really well, as a seller and as a service provider. And... this case, it doesn’t make the marketplace better for sellers.\"\n\nConcerns over Amazon pricing policies, fees\n\nMany sellers have zeroed in on Amazon’s pricing policies and rising fees as rightful areas of concern in the FTC's lawsuit. Molson Hart, whose company Viahart sells toys on Amazon, has been a longtime critic of Amazon’s pricing policies. Hart complained of how Amazon’s seller fees impact pricing in a 2019 Medium post and later that year testified about his experience before a House committee. Hart said Amazon sales comprise about 90% of his business, meaning any hit those sales take on Amazon has a considerable impact. He recalled “24 anxious hours” in September 2022 when a third-party seller of his popular construction toy Brain Flakes listed the toy for a lower price on Target than it was offered on Amazon.\n\nMolson Hart, CEO of Viahart, an educational toy company that sells on Amazon. Courtesy: Molson Hart", + "Christmas Day isn't just for the NBA, as the NFL is set to air an exciting triple-header featuring fierce division clashes and a highly anticipated matchup we could see again on Super Bowl Sunday. Here are the top players and storylines to monitor for Monday's slate.\n\nLas Vegas Raiders (6-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) | 1 p.m. ET\n\nNew chapter in Patrick Mahomes-Maxx Crosby rivalry: This hasn't been as much of a rivalry between the teams as of late, with Kansas City holding a 10-1 record over the Raiders since Mahomes became its starting quarterback. Yet it has sparked an exciting feud between the two-time Super Bowl MVP and the two-time Pro Bowler Crosby, who has five sacks in nine career games against the Chiefs.\n\nMahomes and Crosby might not like facing one another, though it's clear there's mutual respect between the two, which only makes their rivalry more intriguing to watch.\n\nCan Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell earn next season’s starting job?: After leading the offense on seven touchdown scoring drives in last week's 63-21 win over the Chargers, the rookie fourth-rounder aims to further establish himself as a serious contender for Las Vegas' starting job next season. Despite the encouraging performance, O'Connell has been inconsistent across six games as the full-time starter, throwing for 1,300 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.\n\nHowever, a stellar showing against the NFL's fifth-ranked pass defense (202.5 yards per game allowed) would benefit his bid to be the starter in 2024.\n\nChiefs TE Travis Kelce: Yes, his girlfriend will be in town for the holiday. Kelce is averaging 89.6 yards per game with global popstar Taylor Swift in attendance this season but is coming off his worst outing in her presence, catching five passes for 28 yards.\n\nEven so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.\n\nNew York Giants (5-9) at Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) | 4:30 p.m. ET\n\nWill the Eagles defense shake off the rust?: Appointing Matt Patricia as defensive play-caller didn't change much for the Eagles, whose defense has given up the third-most points in the NFL over their current three-game losing streak (95). Although the unit has reached its lowest point, there are reasons to be optimistic about Monday's matchup.\n\nNew York ranks 31st among teams in points and yards per game this season and has surrendered a staggering 76 sacks, the third-most in a single season in NFL history. Not to mention, the annual trip to Philadelphia has essentially been a scheduled loss for the Giants, with their last win at Lincoln Financial Field coming in 2013.\n\nCan QB Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense finally bounce back?: Philadelphia's defense isn't the only unit that needs to rebound, as the offense has struggled mightily over the last three games, with Hurts' ineffectiveness playing a significant role. After averaging the third-most points in the NFL over the first 11 games (28.2), the Eagles have scored four offensive touchdowns during their current skid, three of which came via the \"tush push.\"\n\nThe Eagles may have difficulty throwing against a solid Giants pass defense, though they could alleviate some of their offensive woes by running the ball efficiently. New York gives up 131.6 rushing yards per game, the fourth-most in the league.\n\nDoes Giants QB Tommy DeVito have any magic left?: The Giants may have a terrible offense, but this unit has operated at its best under DeVito, an undrafted rookie and native of Cedar Grove, New Jersey.\n\nDeVito has thrown for 858 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception in five games since being named New York's starting quarterback, posting the 13th-highest passer rating in the NFL during that stretch (97.3).\n\nBaltimore Ravens (11-3) at San Francisco 49ers (11-3) | 8:15 p.m. ET\n\nPotential Super Bowl sneak peek and MVP implications: Easily the most hyped game of the week, with the top seed in each respective conference squaring off in what could be a potential Super Bowl LVIII preview as well as the decisive clash for the MVP Award.\n\nAccording to oddschecker, 49ers QB Brock Purdy is listed as the heavy favorite to be named league MVP (-230), while Baltimore signal-caller Lamar Jackson holds the second-shortest odds (+525).\n\nPurdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, has seen his career unfold as if it were a fairy tale that just keeps getting more remarkable. The 23-year-old ranks first in the NFL in QBR (76) and touchdown passes (29) while ranking third in passing yards (3,795), all of which are especially impressive considering he's coming off offseason elbow surgery.\n\nJackson might not be posting the ridiculous numbers he did during his 2019 MVP campaign, but the adjustment in his play style in his first season under OC Todd Monken has led to sustainable, winning football. Nevertheless, Baltimore needs an upset win for Jackson to capture another MVP Award, as he has thrown for 3,105 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 741 yards on the ground with five scores this season.\n\n49ers RB Christian McCaffrey: If Purdy wasn't playing at such a high level — and the MVP wasn't a quarterback-driven award — it'd be difficult to argue against McCaffrey taking home the honors. McCaffrey, who seems poised to win the Offensive Player of the Year Award, leads the NFL in rushing (1,292 yards) and total yards per game (128.6) this season and is tied for first in touchdowns (20).\n\nRavens TE Isaiah Likely thriving in the starting role: The Ravens offense hasn't lost a step since losing one of the team's top weapons in tight end Mark Andrews (ankle) in Week 11, largely due to Likely's emergence.\n\nThe second-year tight end has averaged 64.3 yards over his last three games, which is particularly noteworthy since Andrews averaged 54.4 yards per game before sustaining his injury.\n\nShould we expect a defensive battle?: While both teams boast offenses that rank in the top five in yardage and scoring, this may not turn into a shootout. The Ravens defense has allowed the fewest points per game this season (16.1) and second-fewest total yards (4,030), while San Francisco's unit ranks second in points (16.7) and 10th in yardage (310 per game).\n\nThe 49ers defense might be slightly inferior statistically, but it could have more of an impact in this matchup. San Francisco has racked up an NFL-leading 25 turnovers and has given up the second-fewest rushing yards (1,252), which should help slow down the team with the league's most effective running game.", + "The Lions just needed to get themselves back in the win column after a blowout loss in Baltimore, and they did just that in front of their home fans on Monday night.\n\nDetroit rolled to a 26-14 victory over the Raiders in a game that felt much more one-sided than the score indicates.\n\nThe Lions thoroughly outplayed the Raiders, out-gaining Las Vegas by 329 yards, but critical mistakes by Detroit left points on the board. The offense struggled to turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns in the first half, and two turnovers deep in Raiders territory -- including a pick-six by Jared Goff -- kept Las Vegas in the game in the second half.\n\nMORE: What to know about Lions' retro 'Honolulu blue' helmets\n\nNonetheless, the Lions' defense dominated. The Raiders were abysmal on the offensive side of the ball, outside of a second-quarter touchdown drive led by Josh Jacobs. Jimmy Garoppolo completed just 10 passes, badly missing a wide-open Davante Adams on multiple occasions.\n\nAdams was seen slamming his helmet down on the sideline in the fourth quarter, and it's tough to blame the star receiver after an 11-yard performance that could have been exponentially better with better quarterback play.\n\nThe story of the night was Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who finally broke through after entering the season with sky-high expectations. Tasked with leading the backfield in David Montgomery's absence, Gibbs exploded for 189 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in the win. It was the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career.\n\nMeanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown notched his third consecutive 100-yard game despite entering Monday as questionable with an illness.\n\nMORE: Why Davante Adams is unlikely to be traded before deadline\n\nThe Lions enter their bye in sole possession of the No. 2 seed in the NFC, while the Raiders drop their second consecutive game against an NFC North opponent and have what might be a must-win game against the Giants in Week 9 if they want any chance to linger in the AFC playoff race.\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights throughout the \"Monday Night Football\" matchup between the Raiders and Lions. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nRaiders vs. Lions final score\n\n1 2 3 4 Final Raiders 0 7 7 0 14 Lions 3 13 7 3 26\n\nRaiders vs. Lions results, highlights from 'Monday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Lions 26, Raiders 14\n\n11:15 p.m. — That'll do it! The Lions bounce back and move to 6-2 with the win over Las Vegas. Detroit left points on the board, but the Raiders were thoroughly outplayed in this one.\n\n11:09 p.m. — The Lions get the ball back and will try to ice the game at this point.\n\n11:08 p.m. — Adding insult to injury, Garoppolo is sacked for the sixth time tonight. It's 4th & 17.\n\n11:07 p.m. — Davante Adams has had his way with Cameron Sutton at times tonight, and Garoppolo has just not made the throw each time. It happens again here on what would've been a game-changing play. Garoppolo has had a brutal night.\n\n11:04 p.m. — Riley Patterson missed a 26-yard field goal attempt after making his first four attempts tonight. Strange. The Lions can't come away with points on that drive.\n\n11:01 p.m. — What would've been a Reynolds touchdown is erased by a holding penalty. That does give the Lions a chance to erase some more time on the clock, though.\n\n11:00 p.m. — Craig Reynolds, up to 66 yards, has the Lions on the verge of the end zone.\n\n10:58 p.m. — Garoppolo is sacked AGAIN. It's Anzalone for the second time on the drive, and that sends the ball right back to the Lions.\n\n10:56 p.m. — Now the Lions sack Garoppolo on back-to-back plays as Alex Anzalone and Alim McNeill come in to send the Raiders to 3rd & 28.\n\n10:53 p.m. — Garoppolo hits Jakobi Meyers for a big 19 yards to give the Raiders something to work with.\n\n10:51 p.m. — The Garoppolo-to-Adams connection is just not working tonight. Adams was all by himself downfield, and Garoppolo throws it well out of bounds.\n\nLions 26, Raiders 14\n\n10:46 p.m. FIELD GOAL — 52 yards? No problem for Patterson, who extends the Lions' lead to 12.\n\n10:45 p.m. — Kalif Raymond was set up for a big play, but Goff's throw was just a bit behind him. That will get Riley Patterson on the field for a 52-yard field goal try.\n\n10:43 p.m. — Goff gets pushed forward on 4th & 1 to keep the Lions' drive alive. They're into Raiders territory, trying to ice this game.\n\n10:36 p.m. — Gibbs is just wearing down this Raiders defense for chunks of yards. He's up to 179 scrimmage yards and has the Lions moving down the field again.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Lions 23, Raiders 14\n\n10:32 p.m. — Gibbs turns what looked like little or no gain into a first down. He has 126 yards on the ground.\n\n10:31 p.m. — Alim McNeill sacks Garoppolo for an 8-yard loss, ending Las Vegas' drive. Aside from the second quarter drive dominated by Jacobs, the Raiders' offense has shown nothing tonight. Garoppolo has just 62 yards through nearly three quarters.\n\n10:28 p.m. — Michael Mayer gets the Raiders' drive started with a big 19-yard gain. That's the rookie's first catch of the night.\n\nLions 23, Raiders 14\n\n10:25 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — There goes Jahmyr Gibbs! It's the rookie's night. He takes off for a 27-yard touchdown with his blazing speed and has 149 scrimmage yards on the night. More importantly, he gives the Lions a two-possession lead.\n\n10:23 p.m. — A pass interference call gives the Lions 18 yards and takes them well into Raiders territory after starting the drive with strong field position.\n\n10:18 p.m. — The Lions quickly get the Raiders off the field, and a bad drop by Davante Adams on third down is the culprit. The throw was a bit low, but Adams still had it in his grasp for a second. Las Vegas will punt.\n\n10:16 p.m. — It was hard to find a conclusive angle of what happened there, but Lions fans are making it known they think Reynolds was down. It doesn't matter. It's Raiders ball with a chance for Las Vegas to take the lead.\n\n10:13 p.m. FUMBLE — For now, the Raiders force a fumble by Reynolds and instantly end the Lions' drive. Maxx Crosby ripped it right out of his arms. Was he down? That's what officials are taking a closer look at.\n\n10:11 p.m. — Another first down by Gibbs, who has 116 scrimmage yards, and the Lions have 1st & Goal.\n\n10:09 p.m. — Officials come out to measure whether Craig Reynolds got a first down...and he did. On the next play, Reynolds catches a pass from Goff for 12 yards. The Lions are in business on the verge of the red zone.\n\n10:06 p.m. — The Lions have gotten over midfield with two early first downs as they try to steal the momentum back. St. Brown is up to 108 yards on the night.\n\nLions 16, Raiders 14\n\n10:01 p.m. PICK-SIX — Marcus Peters picks off Goff and runs it 74 yards back for the touchdown! Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't have his eye on the throw from Goff, but Peters did. The Raiders are right back in this game.\n\n10:00 p.m. — There goes Jahmyr Gibbs! The rookie breaks tackles for a bruising 24-yard run. He's up to 97 scrimmage yards tonight.\n\n9:56 p.m. — Julian Okwara sacks Garoppolo on third down, forcing a Raiders punt. The Lions didn't want to let Las Vegas build any momentum to start the half, and mission accomplished.\n\n9:55 p.m. — It's quickly 3rd & 9 to start this third quarter after Davante Adams unsuccessfully looks for a pass interference call.\n\nEnd of first half: Lions 16, Raiders 7\n\n9:39 p.m. — The Raiders run one play but elect to go to the half. They'll start the second half with the ball and could use at least some points on that drive if they want to stay in this game.\n\nLions 16, Raiders 7\n\n9:36 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — LaPorta's great rookie season rolls on! The rookie picks up his fourth touchdown of the season and extends the Lions' lead. Detroit found success running the ball early, but that drive featured nice work from Goff. 16-7. Lions.\n\n9:35 p.m. — LaPorta picks up a first down for the Lions, and now Dan Campbell is going to start using his timeouts with 31 seconds left in the half. Detroit is at the Raiders' 18-yard line.\n\n9:33 p.m. — St. Brown picks up another first down for the Lions as they enter field goal range again. St. Brown is up to 94 yards in the first half after entering the day listed as questionable.\n\n9:30 p.m. — What would've been a horsecollar penalty on a nice Gibbs run is offset by a holding call. The fans don't like it.\n\n9:26 p.m. — There's a welcomed sight for Lions fans: Goff hits Jameson Williams for a 22-yard gain. Williams was held without a catch despite six targets in Baltimore last week.\n\n9:25 p.m. — Crosby is doing so much more than just getting to the quarterback tonight. He wraps up Gibbs, the third time tonight he's had an explosive play on a ball-carrier.\n\n9:21 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — That was a statement drive by the Raiders. Jacobs looked like the dominant runner he was last season and takes it in himself for the game's first touchdown.\n\n9:20 p.m. — Davante Adams doesn't have a single catch tonight, but Jacobs has 12 touches. Right now, it's starting to work. The Raiders are set up with 1st & Goal.\n\n9:19 p.m. — The Raiders are quickly into the red zone after another nice gain for Josh Jacobs.\n\n9:17 p.m. — Las Vegas' offense is moving much smoother now as Austin Hooper picks up another first down. Hooper has two catches on this drive.\n\n9:15 p.m. — It's back-to-back first downs for the Raiders, with the help of a 15-yard penalty on Aidan Hutchinson for a low block.\n\nLions 9, Raiders 0\n\n9:11 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Lions' drive fizzles almost instantly, so it's back to Riley Patterson's leg for another field goal. Detroit leads, 9-0.\n\n9:09 p.m. — Momentum swings abound. St. Brown comes right back with a 24-yard catch to make up the lost yardage and much more.\n\n9:08 p.m. — Maxx Crosby blows up another play, this time dropping Jameson Williams for a loss of six.\n\n9:06 p.m. — Big play alert! Goff hits an open Amon-Ra St. Brown, who goes 44 yards to breathe life into the Lions' offense.\n\n9:03 p.m. — The Raiders' offense continues to have nothing in the tank. Las Vegas gains four yards and is forced to punt after less than a minute with the ball.\n\nLions 6, Raiders 0\n\n8:58 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Detroit was simply trying to draw the Raiders offsides. It didn't work. Riley Patterson's field goal is good, and the Lions extend their lead to six.\n\n8:56 p.m. — Raymond makes up some yardage on fourth down but comes up about eight yards short of the goal line. The Lions may be considering going for it...\n\n8:55 p.m. — The Lions are moving backwards after a holding call on Taylor Decker.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Lions 3, Raiders 0\n\n8:51 p.m. — Goff comes under heavy pressure on 3rd & 11 but finds a wide open Kalif Raymond for the first down. The Lions are into the red zone.\n\n8:49 p.m. — There's Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff hits him on back-to-back plays for a total of 20 yards.\n\n8:47 p.m. — Garoppolo's fourth down pass goes to no man's land after Hunter Renfrow falls down. The Lions will be set up not too far from field goal range.\n\n8:46 p.m. — The Raiders will go for it on 4th & 2 from about midfield...\n\n8:43 p.m. — The Raiders' defense rises to the challenge and forces a quick three-and-out. Detroit is punting for the first time tonight.\n\n8:38 p.m. INTERCEPTION — And just like that... Jimmy Garoppolo turns it over. That can't happen. Kerby Joseph picks it off just in front of the end zone and gets the ball back to the Lions' offense two plays after the fumble.\n\n8:36 p.m. FUMBLE — A big mistake from Josh Reynolds, who loses the ball after a catch and sees it quickly scooped up by the Raiders. It's Las Vegas ball deep in Lions territory.\n\n8:33 p.m. — Garoppolo fights hard for the first down, using his legs and taking a big hit, but he comes up a yard short. The Raiders will punt.\n\n8:31 p.m. — A flag flies on the Raiders' first offensive snap, but it's picked back up as Josh Jacobs takes a pass 12 yards for a quick first down.\n\nLions 3, Raiders 0\n\n8:26 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Lions' running game stalls out, but not before they worked their way into field goal range. Riley Patterson drills one from 44 yards out to put Detroit in front early.\n\n8:22 p.m. — With Gibbs getting a breather, Craig Reynolds comes in and delivers a bruising 11-yard run. The Lions are bullying their way down the field.\n\n8:21 p.m. — Is this the Jahmyr Gibbs game? He already has six touches and just ran his way to another first down.\n\n8:19 p.m. — Gibbs picks up another Lions first down on a catch-and-run. He's heavily involved in the offense early on with David Montgomery out.\n\n8:18 p.m. — Goff hands off to Jahmyr Gibbs on the first two snaps of the night, and he hits Sam LaPorta on third down to convert. Nice start for the Lions' rookie class tonight.\n\n8:15 p.m. — The Lions will start with the ball, and we are underway!\n\n8:07 p.m. — As the broadcast points out, this is a homecoming for Michigan native Maxx Crosby. The play of him and fellow Michigan native Aidan Hutchinson will be pivotal tonight.\n\n7:56 p.m. — Josh Jacobs hasn't averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry in a single game this season. Can he get going against a strong Lions run defense? It'll be tough to win without at least some production from the former first-rounder.\n\n7:40 p.m. — On that note... Harlow will be performing at halftime of the Lions' Thanksgiving game next month.\n\nJust announced! @jackharlow will be the performer for our Thanksgiving Halftime Show powered by @Verizon!\n\n\n\n📰 https://t.co/oUNhlBkWe3 pic.twitter.com/vMCAMpCFfk — Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 30, 2023\n\n7:20 p.m. — Jack Harlow is in the house supporting the Lions.\n\n.@JackHarlow repping the Honolulu blue 🦁\n\n\n\nCatch his performance at the @Lions Thanksgiving Halftime Show powered by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/haMpQ95y5U — NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2023\n\n6:49 p.m. — Brian Hoyer is inactive tonight, so Aidan O'Connell is the Raiders' backup quarterback behind Jimmy Garoppolo\n\n6:45 p.m. — Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is officially active after being listed as questionable with an illness.\n\n6:25 p.m. — This could be an important one: Raiders K Daniel Carlson will play tonight after being listed as questionable with a groin injury. Even more important will be whether Carlson's injury changes Josh McDaniels' decision-making.\n\nRaiders’ kicker Daniel Carlson, listed as questionable for tonight due to a groin injury, will be Las Vegas’ kicker tonight, per league source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 30, 2023\n\nWhat time is Raiders vs. Lions tonight?\n\nDate: Monday, Oct. 30\n\nMonday, Oct. 30 Time: 8:15 p.m. ET\n\nRaiders vs. Lions is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. for \"Monday Night Football.\"\n\nThe Lions have won four of their last five matchups with the Raiders, though Las Vegas got the better of them when they last met in 2019.\n\nMORE: Dan Campbell explains why Lions 'probably needed' blowout loss to Ravens\n\nWhat channel is Raiders vs. Lions on tonight?\n\nJoe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call for Raiders vs. Lions, with Lisa Salters providing sideline reports for the matchup.\n\nFor cord-cutters, Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, as well as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and NFL Network, meaning you will be able to catch nationally televised games throughout the 2023 season. Fubo also offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can catch the matchup on DAZN, which carries NFL Game Pass.", + "The UTSA Roadrunners (8-4) take on the Marshall Thundering Herd (6-6) on Tuesday night in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl (9 p.m ET, ESPN). The matchup sees the Roadrunners as large betting favorites on odds boards. Currently, USTA is favored by on the point spread, with Marshall available for on the moneyline.\n\nThe Roadrunners are in their 13th season as a program but have yet to win a bowl game. This is the fourth bowl game they've played in five years. Marshall is competing in a bowl game for the seventh straight year.\n\nThese teams have been on different streaks as the year has progressed. UTSA has won seven of its last eight games, while Marshall has lost six of its last eight.\n\nHere are the live odds, team betting news, player props and our betting prediction for UTSA vs. Marshall in Tuesday's Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl.\n\nLive odds for UTSA vs. Marshall: Point spread, moneyline, total\n\nCheck out UTSA vs. Marshall live odds, including the spread, moneyline and total available at the best online sportsbooks.\n\nMore: North Carolina vs. West Virginia odds in Duke's Mayo Bowl | Best college football betting promos\n\nUTSA Roadrunners betting news\n\nUTSA has hit its stride over the second half of the season, before losing 29-16 to Tulane in its last outing. The Roadrunners scored at least 34 points in every win since Oct. 7, proving to be an offensive juggernaut. Everything starts with star QB Frank Harris.\n\nThe dual-threat QB has completed 64.9% of his passes this season for 2,506 yards and 18 touchdowns. While impressive, he totaled 4,059 yards and 32 TDs on a 69.6% completion rate last year. UTSA's offense is good, but we've seen a better version of the unit in recent seasons.\n\nStill, Harris' experience and talent often shine through. UTSA's leading receiver Joshua Cephus did the heavy lifting for the unit. He caught 82 passes for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns. The offense also had four ball carriers with at least 323 rushing yards, so there are plenty of threats for head coach Jeff Traylor to unleash.\n\nUTSA averaged 31.7 points and 424.6 total yards per game, which rank 37th and 39th in the nation, respectively. Roadrunners opponents ranked 69th in third down conversion rate, but the defense allowed an 87.5% score rate in the red zone (99th).\n\nUTSA is 5-6-1 ATS and 4-7-1 to the OVER.\n\nUTSA Roadrunners opting out of Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl\n\nThe Roadrunners will be without their best defensive player, Trey Moore, as he looks to jump to a Power 5 school. Moore led the conference in sacks, so he's a star-level absence for the unit.\n\nHere are USTA players who won't play in the Frisco Bowl.\n\nTrey Moore, EDGE (transfer portal)\n\nSyrus Dumas, DB (transfer portal)\n\nXavier Spencer, CB (transfer portal)\n\nKyle Eaves, WR (transfer portal)\n\nMarshall Thundering Herd betting news\n\nThe toughest blow for Marshall in this game is being without second-year starting QB Cam Fancher (transfer portal). Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington. Pennington has thrown six interceptions and zero touchdowns on only 79 passing attempts this season.\n\nMarshall's offense will continue to run through star RB Rasheen Ali. The senior speedster carried the offense even when Fancher was under center, totaling 1,256 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. This offense has struggled despite Ali's efforts, ranking 93rd in scoring and 89th in yards per game.\n\nOn the season, Marshall is 4-8 ATS and 6-6 on the O/U board. The Herd won only three of their eight conference games on the season.\n\nMarshall Thundering Herd opting out of Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl\n\nWhile UTSA has the biggest individual loss for this game, the Herd's depth has taken a huge blow thanks to transfer portal entrants.\n\nChase Harrison, QB (transfer portal)\n\nBrandon McElroy, DL (transfer portal)\n\nCaleb Coombs, WR (transfer portal)\n\nZion Odoms, WR (transfer portal)\n\nJayven Hall, LB (transfer portal)\n\nCam Fancher, QB (transfer portal)\n\nThomas Lane, DL (transfer portal)\n\nChinazo Obobi, OT (transfer portal)\n\nMaurice Jones, RB (transfer portal)\n\nSean Sallis, TE (transfer portal)\n\nMyles Bell, DB (transfer portal)\n\nTrent Holler, iOL (transfer portal)\n\nJoshua McTier, CB (transfer portal)\n\nJabarrek Hopkins, DL (transfer portal)\n\nCK Obobi, OL (transfer portal)\n\nSean Ellis, TE (transfer portal)\n\nTyShawn Hurst, OT (transfer portal)\n\nElijah Russell, EDGE (transfer portal)\n\nUTSA vs. Marshall prop bets at BetMGM Sportsbook\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook offers some excellent player props for the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl between the Roadrunners and Thundering Herd.\n\nFrank Harris prop bets\n\n237.5 passing yards OVER (-115) / UNDER (-115)\n\nPassing TDs OVER 1.5 (-125) / UNDER 1.5 (-105)\n\nAnytime touchdown scorer (-110)\n\nJoshua Cephus props bets\n\n80.5 receiving yards OVER (-115) / UNDER (-115)\n\nAnytime touchdown scorer (-190)\n\nRasheen Ali prop bets\n\n80.5 rushing yards OVER (-115) / UNDER (-115)\n\nAnytime touchdown scorer (-175)\n\nKevorian Barnes prop bets\n\n64.5 rushing yards OVER (-115) / UNDER (-115)\n\nAnytime touchdown scorer (-135)\n\nRobert Henry prop bets\n\nAnytime touchdown scorer (-130)\n\nUTSA vs. Marshall prediction: Frank Harris leads Roadrunners past the Herd\n\nEven with the transfer portal hitting this game hard, the UTSA offense will be too much for Marshall to keep up with. The Roadrunners push the pace in a way that Marshall can't replicate, and the Thundering Herd aren't efficient enough to make the most of what few scoring opportunities they'll have.\n\nThe Thundering Herd could find themselves down several scores by the end of the first frame if Pennington turns the ball over, as he's prone to do. UTSA is a well-oiled machine against teams with similar or worse talent, and Marshall is in that latter category.\n\nIt's a big number to lay, but we're on the favorite Tuesday night.\n\nPick: UTSA", + "The Ponies are riding high again, having guaranteed their fifth consecutive winning season. Such success hasn’t been seen in Dallas since the years that led to SMU’s ignominious Death Penalty, which suspended its program in 1987 and ’88.\n\nSMU is 7-2, 5-0 in its final go-round in the American Athletic Conference. And here comes North Texas (3-6, 1-4), which has dropped four of its past five games and allows 37.4 points to its foes, ninth-worst in the nation.\n\nThe Mustangs get a national ESPN2 audience Friday in a 9 p.m. ET kickoff.\n\nWhen looking at North Texas vs. SMU odds, props and predictions, the recent past gives us a pretty good window into what to expect: Over the previous four seasons, SMU has clamped down on North Texas by scores of 48-10, 35-12, 65-35 and 49-27, covering the spread each time and comfortably in all but one.\n\nNorth Texas at SMU odds: Point spread, moneyline, total\n\nHere are the latest college football betting odds for the Mean Green vs. Mustangs:\n\nThis opened Mustangs -14 and an exorbitant total of 71.5 in Vegas, which had shifted to 16 and 67.5, respectively, 24 hours later. Two of our three models have SMU winning by 22 and 18 points, so the spread grabs our attention.\n\nNorth Texas betting news: There’s no 'D' in Mean Green\n\nThis will be a challenge for North Texas because SMU possesses a top-10 defense, allowing foes only 0.251 points per play; which only stiffens (to 0.185) when the Ponies play at home.\n\nThe North Texas defense is 12th from the D-I basement, giving up 0.501 ppp; and an even looser 0.533 on the highway.\n\nSMU’s 20th-rated offense (0.483) sharpens to a ridiculous 0.662 at home—the only squads more efficient in their own yards are USC (0.780), LSU (0.762), Oregon (0.712) and Washington (0.690).\n\nThe definition of élite.\n\nUntil he had two passes picked off last Saturday in a 38-20 defeat to UTSA, junior QB Chandler Jones had thrown 262 passes through seven games with 19 TDs and no interceptions.\n\nJones, who started his career at Louisiana-Monroe, snatched the job from Stone Earle early in the season and hasn’t disappointed first-year coach Eric Morris.\n\nThe Mean Green defense has been another story, since allowing 681 total yards to Cal in the opener. Its past three foes have rung up 1,460 total yards and 15 TDs. Its yield of 479 yards per game is the worst in the country.\n\nThat sound you hear is SMU super sophomore QB Preston Stone licking his chops as he read that last sentence.\n\nMore college football: Best college football betting sites | Top college football bonuses\n\nSMU betting news: Ponies on a stone-cold winning streak\n\nThe Mustangs are knotted atop the AAC with fellow 5-0 squads Tulane and UTSA. They’ve accumulated 1,685 total yards of offense in their past three games, including 91 first downs via passing, running or penalty, and 18 touchdowns.\n\nBy happy coincidence, no doubt for second-year SMU boss Rhett Lashlee, the defense has flexed over that span, yielding just 668 total yards, 39 total first downs and a mere four TDs.\n\nWhen last seen at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, two weeks ago, rain might have kept fans away as only 20,800 filled the 32,000-capacity barn for SMU’s 69-10 homecoming belting of Tulsa.\n\nStone, playing near where he was raised, threw touchdown strikes of 74, 62 and 17 yards. By halftime, it was 52-3, the most Division I points tallied in the first 30 minutes this year.\n\nThe 6-foot-2 sophomore from Dallas has been heating up lately, perfect timing to continue improving SMU’s bowl prospects after a 2-2 start that included keen tests (and defeats) at Oklahoma and TCU.\n\nThe Mustangs own a five-game winning streak, and in his past four games Stone has thrown 122 passes, 10 for touchdowns and none for interceptions. He’s also run it in twice.\n\nHe threw for 300 yards against Prairie View A&M, and in this golden four-game stretch he’s accumulated 1,171 aerial yards.\n\nReceivers RJ Maryland and Jordan Hudson have five TD catches apiece, and Roderick Daniels Jr. has four. Three others have two. Jaylan Knighton (511 yards, four TDs) paces the ground game.\n\nHowever, Stone’s sterling development might have found a speed bump last week at Rice when he left early in the fourth quarter after getting hit hard. He zipped to the locker room and returned, minus his helmet.\n\nIf concussion protocol restricts him from playing Friday, look for redshirt freshman Kevin Jennings to start for SMU. He’s thrown 42 career passes, with 33 completions, four TDs and no picks.\n\nShould Stone not play, we will call an audible and play Under this total. Monitor it closely and prepare to take action within an hour of kickoff.\n\nNorth Texas vs. SMU props\n\nPlayer props for North Texas vs. SMU have not been made available at top sportsbooks, but BetRivers is offering several game props.\n\nAmong them are a pair of team combo specials, pairing first TD and the game's outcome:\n\nSMU to score first and win: Yes -165; No +123\n\nNorth Texas to score first and win: Yes +950; No -5000\n\nNorth Texas at SMU prediction ATS\n\nAt home, the Mustangs average 0.3 giveaways per game, among the top seven teams in the country. On the road, North Texas coughs it up nearly twice a game, among the bottom third of D-I. Moreover, SMU is one of 14 programs that are the best-balanced squads in the country, passing and running between 49 and 51 percent of the time. Coaches pray for such balance. And the SMU defense, top 10 in key categories, will keep QB Jones and the Mean Green at bay.\n\nPick: SMU", + "A decade ago, the Houston Astros were struggling to stay afloat. Parting ways with the National League after 50 years of play, the team was looking forward to an American League move. Hoping that their fortunes would be reversed from regularly ranking near the bottom of divisional standings, the Stros applied every method they could think of to win. But they weren’t all above board.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nJim Crane had obtained club ownership on Nov. 17, 2011. That same year, he brought in Jeff Luhnow, former McKinsey & Company management consultant, as General Manager. In 2014, Crane brought in A.J. Hinch as the manager after the firing of Bo Porter. And there began the story of the rise and decline of one of baseball’s biggest controversies.\n\nThe Story Behind the Cheating Scandal That Rocked the 2017 MLB Season\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nJeff Luhnow had always been more about the numbers than people. Wanting to take out the humanity factor from baseball, he was almost an outcast in the sport when Jim Crane hired him. But his radical approach had worked in St. Louis, giving them two championships in six years. Why not the Bayou City next?\n\nThe Houston Astros had not seen a World Series title yet and hadn’t even made the playoffs since 2005. Apparently desperate for any measures, they resorted to cheating. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that Luhnow didn’t consider his methods to be dishonest.\n\nAs it turned out, the Astros had stolen signs throughout the 2017 season and the beginning of 2018. But the hornet’s nest wasn’t broken open until next year, when The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported on it. After that, all hell broke loose.\n\nWhat Is Sign Stealing and How Did the Astros Manage to Do It?\n\nPowers of observation are as strong a skill as pitching or hitting and they’re perfectly legal in baseball. A batter can sometimes figure out from a pitcher’s unconscious movements, or ‘tells’, what kind of ball is coming their way. At any given moment, non-verbal signs are flying around between a dugout and the field as a way for the players to communicate with a manager or coach. But as long as it’s done without extra help, this sign stealing is, in fact, allowed. What Houston did was not.\n\nThe Stros installed cameras in center field at Minute Maid Park to record the opposing team’s catcher and pitcher’s signs. Cameras in a ballpark are ideally for challenging calls, but what was one more purpose? The funny thing is, teams have tried to catch on to their rival team’s signs since competitive baseball became a thing. The communication between the catcher and the pitcher can be key to hitting. But the 21st century has an added advantage – technology.\n\nBehind the scenes, players could see a live feed from the camera. Then-bench coach Alex Cora decided to get a screen installed in the dugout. Players or managers would watch the live feed on the television placed in the tunnel leading from the dugout to the clubhouse. The irony lay in the method they used to then really the information to whoever was up to bat on the plate.\n\nHaving tried out different methods of shouting and calling, the Astros landed on, of all things, a trash can. Players would bang on them, often using bats, with different rhythms signifying different pitches. Of course, they couldn’t do it at each home game, nor did they try. But whatever sorcery Houston had been practicing that year, it did the trick. It worked like a charm, and the Astros had their first World Series trophy in a long history.\n\nHow Did MLB React to It? What Punishment Did It Hand Down?\n\nNot well. No one likes being taken for a fool and what the Astros had done undermined everything the league stood for. Fair play was the holy grail, yet the team had tread on it heartlessly. Fans were livid, although they didn’t get to let out their frustration until 2021.\n\nMLB, for its part, tried to curb the situation as best as it could. In two months, the league investigated “68 people, including 23 Astros players, and collect more than 76,000 emails,” according to The Athletic. Luhnow’s phone showed signs of deleted information. Jan. 13, 2020, was when MLB suspended the disgraced GM and the skipper for the 2020 season. Only for Jim Crane to fire both a few hours later. But for many, the solution was severely lacking.\n\nWhy Were the Astros Allowed to Keep Their World Series Trophy?\n\nIn the words of MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, “Once you go down that road of changing what happens on the field, I just don’t know how you decide where you stop.” While many thought taking away the World Series win, essentially nullifying 2017, was the best way to move forward, MLB thought otherwise. The Coomissioner’s Trophy was still legitimate in the eyes of, well, the Commissioner.\n\n“Cheaters” Houston Astros Suddenly Gain Momentum as College Baseball Team Stirs Up Controversial Trash Can Past Along With Thousands\n\nBy the time the controversy was uncovered, the Astros were well into establishing a streak of successful years. Manfred called the process of stripping the Fall Classic title “difficult and impractical.” Already unpopular among the masses, he made things worse for himself when he called the trophy a “piece of metal.” Although he apologized later, the team kept the championship victory.\n\nWhy Were the Players Not Penalized?\n\nIt was an arduous process, investigating an entire organization. While the players were undoubtedly the ones who had put the tactics into play, the Astros staff suffered the heaviest consequences. The ballplayers were instead granted full immunity in exchange for cooperating with the investigation. Indeed, who would refuse such an offer?\n\nOf course, not everyone had been comfortable with what the Astros were doing behind the scenes, like Mike Fiers. Of that original team, four are still in Houston – Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Lance McCullers Jr., and Justin Verlander. What makes fans ponder their extreme methods is how genuinely skilled each is. Yet they participated, willingly or unwillingly, in the biggest baseball scandal in recent years.\n\nIs the Inquiry Still On?\n\nAfter the Jan. 13, 2020 declaration, not much came from Manfred. Other than suspending the front office, MLB fined the Astros $5 million, the maximum amount, and made them forfeit first and second-round draft picks. For better or for worse, the inquiry is over.\n\nHow Did the MLB World See This Entire Case?\n\nNeedless to say, cheating is never taken in a positive light. Players once accused of using PEDs face the consequences long after they have been retired. It’s only been six years since 2017, and the league is still angry. Back then, social media was a landmine that the Astros probably stayed away from. It was the trash cans that did them in – the irony was too brilliant, or hilarious if one looks at it another way, to ignore.\n\nBoos and jabs at away games were the least of it. When the Astros went to play against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team they had defeated in the 2017 World Series, fans retaliated by throwing inflatable trash cans onto the field. Others brought tin trash can caps to bang on when the Astros played against their teams. The phrase “Take the trash out” took a life of its own.\n\nFacing Cheating Allegations, Tom Brady’s Successor Mockingly Asserts that He’s not a Houston Astros Fan\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nBut it wasn’t just baseball fans who were furious, other sports also considered it a tragedy. Fair play is taken seriously; no one likes being cheated out of an award. Even NBA star LeBron James spoke out in criticism against Houston.\n\nHas MLB Taken Any Action to Stop It From Happening Again?\n\nBefore the details of the scandal came out, MLB had handed out warnings here and there against sign stealing. After this fiasco, new restrictions in 2020 prevented the video replay from including the catcher’s signs. In 2022, PitchCom devices also debuted. They allow a pitcher to communicate with the catcher without signs and a few other players on the field can also wear it. But will these tactics help?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWATCH THIS STORY – Counting Down the Most Infamous Instances of Athletes Caught Cheating on Live Television\n\n2017 is still fresh in most fans’ minds. The Astros are now in their seventh straight postseason and may make a repeat trip to the Fall Classic. However, the stain of their past mistakes will likely always haunt them.", + "By Chad Jennings, C. Trent Rosecrans and Stephen J. Nesbitt\n\nIn one American League Wild Card Series, the whole thing turned on a play designed around crowd noise. It was too loud at Target Field, Twins shortstop Carlos Correa realized, for the third-base coach to warn Blue Jays baserunners about a developing pickoff play. The Twins used the noise to their advantage, picked off Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and secured a two-game sweep.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIn the other AL Wild Card Series, empty seats were everywhere. The Rays are an excellent team that thrives on their underdog status — low payroll, injured players, they always find a way — but playing in front of two of the smallest postseason crowds in the past 100 years, the Rays were swept by a Rangers team that had nine fewer wins in the regular season. The indifference was deafening.\n\nHome-field advantage, it turns out, just isn’t the same from one ballpark to the next.\n\n“To be honest with you, I think we have one of the best home-field advantages in baseball,” third baseman Alec Bohm said as the Phillies swept the Marlins to improve to 24-11 in postseason games at Citizens Bank Park. “People say it’s difficult to play here and things like that. I think going through that type of stuff and learning how to play here, that just makes this time of year that much better.”\n\nThis time of year certainly brings out the best, and the postseason’s greatest moments tend to be punctuated by the crowds who witness and react in real time. After seeing the way crowds could respond — or not — to October baseball this week, The Athletic ranked the home-field environments of the eight remaining playoff teams, from the replaceable to the Phanatical.\n\nNo. 8: Arizona Diamondbacks Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Diamondbacks Chase Field 1998 48,405 24,212\n\nMemorable postseason moment: Game 7 of the 2001 World Series started with a pair of 20-game winners in Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling and ended with Hall of Famers on the mound: Mariano Rivera and Randy Johnson. In what is remembered as one of the greatest postseason games of all time, Luis Gonzalez blooped a bases-loaded single to score Jay Bell and deny the Yankees their fourth consecutive title.\n\nOur take: We’re sorry, D-Backs fans. It’s not you. It’s them. A tremendously impressive two-game sweep in Milwaukee carried the Diamondbacks into a division series showdown with, oh boy, the Dodgers. It’s not that we don’t think Arizona can beat L.A. at home — the Diamondbacks split six games against the Dodgers at Chase Field this season — but it’s less than a seven-hour drive from Dodger Stadium to downtown Phoenix, and we’re concerned that all the quirks of that ballpark could be rendered meaningless if there’s a bunch of Dodgers blue in the crowd.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThere’s a lot to like. The pool. The retractable roof. We love it. We hope you prove us wrong. Show up, go nuts, and leave a comment — click to subscribe! — telling us we don’t know a rattlesnake from a water moccasin. We deserve it.\n\nBut if we had to go on the road for a playoff game, at least in this round, we’d choose your ballpark. Consider it a compliment! Or maybe we just like the dry heat.\n\nNo. 7: Texas Rangers Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Rangers Globe Life Field 2020 40,300 31,272\n\nMemorable postseason moment: There have been 16 postseason games in Globe Life Field history, but the Rangers have never appeared in a playoff game at their new-ish home. How did that happen? Well, 2020. It was a weird time. The Dodgers played in all 16 of those during the 2020 expanded playoffs, sweeping the Padres in the NLDS, going seven games with the Braves in the NLCS and then winning the World Series.\n\nOur take: This is the great unknown. Globe Life Field opened in a season that had no fans, and it remained open for losing seasons in 2021 and 2022. Saturday will be our first look at the place when the home team is actually playing meaningful baseball in October. Hard to rank it any higher until we know what we’re dealing with.\n\nLargest crowd ever for a game at Globe Life Field. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/4I7NIB5eF8 — Chris Halicke (@ChrisHalicke) May 1, 2022\n\nThe old Rangers ballpark could drum up a Texas-sized atmosphere worthy of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Pat Green, but the new place — at least in the regular season — feels very much like a multi-events space that happens to be hosting a ballgame. Maybe that changes in the playoffs? The Rangers haven’t been home since Sept. 24 when they won their last five games in Arlington, the last three of which went a long way toward keeping the Mariners out of the postseason.\n\nWith a closed roof containing all the noise, Globe Life is sure to get awfully loud, and nothing turns a glorified convention center into a real ballpark quite like a late-inning rally in October.\n\nNo. 6: Minnesota Twins Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Twins Target Field 2010 38,544 24,371\n\nMemorable postseason moment: For this, you have to go all the way back to Tuesday. The Twins snapped an 18-game postseason losing streak with two blasts off the bat of rookie Royce Lewis. It was their first playoff win since Oct. 5, 2004. On Wednesday, they completed the Wild Card sweep of the Blue Jays for their first postseason series win since 2002. The roars heard at Target Field, like this one, were more than two decades in the making.\n\nOne of those 10,000 Rakes definitely belongs to Royce Lewis. 💪 pic.twitter.com/3gRJp2i8eb — MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2023\n\nOur take: We have only a small sample of postseason games at Target Field, but, boy, Twins fans can make some noise. After Game 1 against Toronto, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, “I thought the place was going to split open and melt, honestly. It was out of this universe out there on the field. The fans took over the game. They helped us win today.” The next day, they did it again.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nEarly in Game 2, Correa told Sonny Gray that, because of the crowd noise, Jays baserunners couldn’t hear their third-base coach screaming, “BACK!” So, with Guerrero on second and a full count to Bo Bichette, they executed a perfect timing pick. “The crowd was incredible,” Gray said after the game. “They were incredible yesterday. They were incredible today from the moment I stepped on the mound an hour before the game to the moment — they’re probably still out there.”\n\nSo, Twins fans have swarmed their team with support. But is it intimidating? (It’s certainly better than its predecessor, the Metrodome, but it doesn’t have the same potential for overwhelming volume.) For now, Target Field strikes us as more of an awesome place to play than one that strikes fear in the opponent. But this month Twins fans could prove us very wrong.\n\nNo. 5: Houston Astros Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Astros Minute Maid Park 2000 41,168 37,683\n\nMemorable postseason moment: Albert Pujols off Brad Lidge? Jorge Soler to the moon? Nah, we’ll go with Chris Burke ending what was then the longest game in MLB postseason history in both time (5 hours, 50 minutes) and innings (18) with a walk-off home run with one out in the 18th inning in the 2005 NLDS. Burke didn’t start the game but pinch-ran for Lance Berkman in the 10th. Roger Clemens came into the game for Houston in the 16th and pitched three scoreless to pick up the win. But it is Burke’s homer that will always be remembered.\n\nOur take: We get it, Houston. We also think your ballpark should be in the top half of this list. One of our writers called it “the loudest stadium I’ve ever attended, by at least one standard deviation.” The Astros sold out the building 23 times this year. They drew 3 million fans for the first time since 2007. Minute Maid Park is big and loud, and visiting fans show up fully exhausted from walking in the south Texas sun.\n\nThe final out from the crowd’s point of view. Wow. Congrats Astros!!! World Series champs again!! #fortheH pic.twitter.com/HKnal8fcuB — Sally MacDonald (@SallyMacFox26) November 6, 2022\n\nBut in all those sellouts, the Astros went 6-17. Despite all that noise, they were 39-42 at home. Before their final homestand, the team added some green paint to the batter’s eye in response to player complaints, and the Astros responded by going 1-5 with three of those losses coming against the Royals. So, yes, the ballpark is packed tighter than toes in a cowboy boot, and the place gets louder than a Pantera concert in a concrete basement, but these Astros just haven’t responded to it. Why not? Should a visiting team really be all that intimidated by it? Bring back the in-play flagpole atop Tal’s Hill, we say!\n\nNo. 4: Atlanta Braves Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Braves Truist Park 2017 41,084 39,401\n\nMemorable postseason moment: When the Braves won the World Series in 1914, they were still playing in Boston. In 1957, Milwaukee. When Sid Bream slid home to beat the Pirates in 1992, the Braves were in the right city but at the wrong ballpark (Fulton County Stadium doesn’t count). The Max Fried-Jorge Soler game in 2021 happened in Houston. The iconic moment at Truist Park could be Eddie Rosario’s dazzling catch at the wall in Game 4 of the 2021 World Series, but the most memorable — even though it didn’t lead to a championship — might be rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. hitting a grand slam off Walker Buhler in Game 3 of the 2018 NLDS, which happened to be the first postseason game ever played at the ballpark.\n\nOur take: Obviously, there are issues bigger than baseball to deal with here. The war chant and Tomahawk Chop are offensive and problematic, but we’re not going to resolve that issue in the next four weeks. In fact, it’s all about to come front and center — again — as the best team in baseball opens its postseason with a roster that would be plenty intimidating in a Little League park with metal bleachers.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut have you ever seen them play in front of 40,000 screaming fans when the stadium lights go dark and the entire ballpark starts doing the Chop in unison with their lit cell phones?\n\n“It does add something to the offensive ambiance,” our Braves scribe David O’Brien noted.\n\nTruist Park had 54 sellouts this season, and the place drew just over 3.19 million, which was the Braves’ highest total attendance since the park formerly known as SunTrust opened in 2017.\n\nThe Braves have won six straight division titles, and they’ve been to the playoffs 22 times since 1991. This is not uncharted territory for them. This ballpark is going to be packed with fans who know their team is good and will not be quiet about it, regardless of what anyone else thinks.\n\nNo. 3: Baltimore Orioles Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards 1992 44,970 23,911\n\nMemorable postseason moment: Delmon Young’s three-run double in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS completed the Orioles’ comeback from three runs down in the eighth to beat the Tigers. Zack Britton pitched a perfect ninth, and the Orioles would go on to beat the Tigers in Game 3 in Detroit to sweep the series before losing to the Royals in the ALCS.\n\nOur take: When the Orioles are bad, their ballpark is bad. Beautiful and unmistakable, but bad because of the empty seats and because it is basically a second home ballpark for every East Coast team that takes the train into Baltimore and overwhelms the place with their own variation of the “Let’s go, Yankees” chant. It’s a ballpark that can be, and has been, taken over by opposing fans.\n\nWhen the Orioles are good, though, Camden Yards is one of the best ballparks in the country, and it starts pregame with every rendition of the national anthem that includes the entire ballpark screaming “O!” in unison, so loud that it drowns out the word “say” before the hope-they’re-ready-for-it singer gets to the words, “does that star-spangled banner yet wave.”\n\nThe final night game of the 2023 regular season at Camden Yards pic.twitter.com/ALgqhoJVp6 — Andy Kostka (@afkostka) September 30, 2023\n\nAs you’ve no doubt realized, the Orioles are awfully good this year, and we expect Camden Yards to follow their lead. The O’s had the second-most wins in baseball, and their fans responded with a home attendance that jumped more than a half million from last season. A young Orioles roster might be at risk of being shell-shocked on the road, but at home, this team is going to be treated as heroes from the start.\n\n\"Go crazy, Baltimore. You are the champions of the American League East.\" Kevin Brown on the call as the Orioles clinch the American League East and the No. 1 seed in the American League. pic.twitter.com/Q2eXPe4uYL — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 29, 2023\n\nLet’s just hope, when they go on the road, manager Brandon Hyde doesn’t forget to use his best reliever in a must-win game. That could be pretty bad.\n\nNo. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Dodgers Dodger Stadium 1962 56,000 47,371\n\nMemorable postseason moment: With two outs and a runner on in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Kirk Gibson hobbled toward home plate and stepped in against Hall of Fame A’s closer Dennis Eckersley. The Dodgers were down one and down to their last out. Gibson had an injured left hamstring and a balky right knee. He fouled off Eckersley’s first offering and almost fell over. He fouled off a couple more and worked the count full. Then he pulled an outside pitch into the right-field seats for a walk-off homer and, somehow, made his way around the bases. It remains one of the most badass moments in World Series history.\n\nOur take: All the jokes about traffic still making its way into the parking lot in the second inning are justified. The “intensity” of baseball in L.A. isn’t the same as it is in, say, St. Louis or Boston or any other city where athletes are the biggest celebrities in town.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut by the middle innings, Dodger Stadium is packed, and by the late innings of playoff games, the place has the over-the-top intensity of a Michael Bay car chase (Mookie Betts as Bumblebee). More than one opposing pitcher this season had to tweak his PitchCom device to deal with the late-inning noise that came from such a massive ballpark, one that once again held the largest total attendance in baseball this year.\n\n“You’ve got a four-deck stadium,” Freddie Freeman said this summer. “It’s the only one in baseball. You’ve got 50,000 people, every single night here. For them to go out of their way to make you feel good when you’re doing your job, it means a lot. I do appreciate it. It does make you feel good inside and also just means you’re doing your job pretty good.”\n\nSpeaking of doing a job pretty good, the Dodger Stadium D.J. is a maniac. For starters, the volume is set at a level that can’t possibly meet OSHA standards, and beyond that, there’s some twisted desire to have some sort of noise blaring at all times. Plus, there’s the intimidation factor of playing in an iconic ballpark that feels like no other in baseball. Dodger Stadium knows what it is and what it’s about, and it uses every bit of that to its advantage.\n\nNo. 1: Philadelphia Phillies Team Venue Opened Capacity Att. (2023) Phillies Citizens Bank Park 2004 42,792 38,157\n\nMemorable postseason moment: There have been three no-hitters in postseason history, and two have taken place at Citizens Bank Park. Those in Philly would like to forget the Astros’ combined no-hitter in Game 4 of last season’s World Series, so instead we’ll concentrate on Roy Halladay’s 2010 no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Reds. In his first postseason start, Halladay allowed only one baserunner, when Jay Bruce walked with two outs in the fifth inning.\n\nOur take: Look, Philadelphia fans have thrown snowballs at Santa Claus and batteries at J.D. Drew. Their Phanatic mascot is iconic, but part of his charm is the way he – it? – taunts and antagonizes opponents. It’s a real love-it or hate-it place to play. The Phillies and their fans are capable of producing unforgettable moments, like Wednesday night when Bryson Stott hit a grand slam and the ballpark provided the only commentary necessary.\n\nstott grand slam w/ no commentators thx to ESPN's dolby 5.1 mix pic.twitter.com/2vhUzWKpup — jaiden (@steph_turkey) October 5, 2023\n\n“I yelled at the dugout and couldn’t really hear myself,” Stott said, “so I knew the crowd was loud. Any time we get to play here, you know it’s going to be loud from the very first pitch. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. It’s a phenomenal time every time we take the field here in the postseason.”\n\n“I’ve always said it, we’ve got the best fans in baseball,” Bryce Harper added. “It’s an amazing place to play.”\n\n(Top photo of Game 2 of the Wild Card series between the Marlins and the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday: Rob Tringali / MLB Photos via Getty Images)", + "SBF trial: Everything to know from the FTX courtroom ahead of his testimony Sam Bankman-Fried is in court for alleged fraud and money laundering while leading crypto exchange FTX and sister company Alameda. Here’s our latest coverage as the case nears its end.\n\nThe trial of Bankman-Fried, the former CEO and co-founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX, is entering its next chapter as proceedings resume Thursday. As confirmed during a teleconference Wednesday, SBF will be taking the stand, along with a handful of other witnesses as the onus shifts toward the defense after the prosecution brought its case to its conclusion.\n\nAs former federal prosecutor Josh Naftalis told TechCrunch, SBF taking to the stand in his own trial is a “Hail Mary” ahead of a verdict and potential sentencing for seven counts tied to fraud and money laundering.\n\n“Once it goes to cross[-examination], he doesn’t get to say, ‘I’m done,’” Naftalis said. “He can’t just walk out if he doesn’t like how it’s going.”\n\n\n\nNaftalis spoke at length about what comes next in the trial, and addressed common misconceptions about the prosecution and defense in the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Chain Reaction podcast, which you can listen to below, or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.\n\nThe SBF trial is one of the biggest cases of its kind within the crypto space. Our resident crypto expert Jacquelyn Melinek has been on the ground at the trial since it started, and continues to cover the ins and outs of the proceedings. But the trial has been on pause from October 20 to today, so there’s plenty to catch up on if you need a refresher ahead of it entering its final few phases.\n\nFor those in need of a total refresher on the case, her breakdown of how FTX went from the third-largest crypto exchange valued at a peak of $32 billion to bankruptcy will get you up to speed.\n\nYou can also follow along with her and the TechCrunch team’s coverage in the Chain Reaction newsletter, which drops Thursdays at 12 p.m. PT, and the Chain Reaction podcast, which will hit your feed every Thursday.\n\nHow to follow the SBF trial\n\nThe trial kicked off with jury selection October 3. From there, access to the proceedings is limited, as no devices are allowed; reports are being physically put together within the courtroom (or sent to overflow rooms).\n\nBeyond our daily coverage, additional expertise and commentary will live on TechCrunch+. There, you can find stories like this in-depth breakdown of what to expect from both sides of the SBF case, where the prosecution and defense could gain ground or fall short in their arguments and what the takeaways were from the opening arguments.\n\nSBF trial: What we learned in week three\n\nThe third week of the trial featured a couple of noteworthy moments for the prosecution, including FTX’s former general counsel Can Sun. He, like many of SBF’s former colleagues, opted to cooperate with authorities and testified that SBF asked him to create a theoretical “legal justification” for the use of billions in consumer funds just days before FTX filed for bankruptcy.\n\nRobert Boroujerdi, managing director of the hedge fund Third Point, testified about his experience working with SBF and FTX, in a partnership that ultimately resulted in a $60 million investment and a lack of awareness about the special relationship between Alameda Research and FTX. Had he known of such a relationship, he testified that Third Point would not have invested in FTX in the first place.\n\nAnd earlier in the week, a University of Notre Dame professor who helped the government prosecution of Enron and WorldCom, Peter Easton, testified about what he uncovered after tracing the flow of billions of dollars between Alameda Research and FTX. Much of said funding came from customers, and Easton testified that he found that user deposits were used by both FTX and Alameda to purchase real estate, make investments or direct funding toward political causes and charities.\n\nSBF trial: What we learned in week two\n\nThe second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF. Ellison also went into detail about how a $2 billion venture fund, FTX Ventures, was funded by money that had previously been allocated to Alameda from third-party lenders.\n\nAnd though there are no charges of bribery in the case, Ellison also testified to paying Chinese officials $150 million to restore access to $1 billion in frozen trading accounts.\n\nSBF trial: What we learned in the week one\n\nAs expected, the opening statements in the SBF trial were spicy. The prosecution painted a picture of an empire “built on lies” and made a point to show actual pictures of SBF alongside rich and powerful figures to illustrate the peak of his power and influence prior to FTX’s implosion.\n\n“This man stole billions of dollars from thousands of people,” prosecutor Thane Rehn told the court. “He defrauded sophisticated investors and lenders, and he emptied the accounts of ordinary customers, too. He bought himself wealth, power and influence.”\n\nThe defense, on the other hand, depicted SBF and his colleagues as in over their heads, without ill-will as FTX collapsed around them.\n\n“Sam and his colleagues were building the plane as they were flying it,” defense attorney Mark Cohen said. “They had to figure out how to navigate a world where they were running FTX, building out its systems, dealing with hacking threats, managing the credit risk of their customers, managing hundreds of employees, all while building up their actual exchange.”\n\nRead a recap of the prosecution and defense’s full arguments here.\n\nFTX’s co-founder and CTO Gary Wang testified Thursday on the extent to which Alameda Research was used for whatever purposes he and SBF saw fit. The crypto trading firm, according to Wang, pulled funding directly from FTX customers, whose transactions would be funneled toward Alameda and then directed elsewhere.\n\nCheck here for our rundown of Wang’s testimony so far, resulting from a guilty plea in December 2022.\n\nThursday also brought in testimony from Matt Huang, co-founder and managing partner at crypto investment firm Paradigm. That firm invested $278 million in FTX across 2021 and 2022, and is part of a class-action lawsuit accusing it and others of defrauding customers by promoting FTX.\n\nHis testimony centered around being left uninformed about FTX’s utilization of customer money to keep the Alameda Research afloat, a practice that Huang says would have halted his involvement. The full breakdown of his testimony on his relationship with FTX, stretching back to 2019, can be found right here.\n\nWe also got a look at the composition of the SBF trial’s jury, which ranges from a train conductor to a retired investment banker who attended Stanford University. You can listen to a special joint episode of our podcasts Equity and Chain Reaction to get a better sense of the vibe between the jurors and the rest of the court.\n\nFor a full rundown of our coverage of the SBF trial, check below:", + "SBF’s trial has started, this is how he and FTX got here\n\nThe highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. And as one former federal prosecutor put it: “The odds seem to be stacked against him at this point.”\n\nThe 31-year-old co-founded FTX in 2019; within a few years the once third-largest crypto exchange’s valuation hit $32 billion at its peak. It’s now trying to claw back any funds to distribute to creditors.\n\nBut how did the once third-largest crypto exchange get here?\n\nBefore FTX, Bankman-Fried co-founded crypto-trading firm Alameda Research in 2017. He co-founded FTX in 2019 as a complement to Alameda, to help bring in revenue and liquidity for the trading arm.\n\nWithin two years, more than 80 investors provided about $2 billion in capital to FTX, helping Bankman-Fried propel his vision into a reality. In January 2022, the company raised $400 million in a Series C round, boosting its valuation to $32 billion. That was its last round of public funding.\n\nThe company gained somewhat mainstream recognition with branding deals and partnerships. For example, in 2021 it bought the naming rights for the Miami Heat’s home arena. FTX also got its name branded on Major League Baseball umpires’ polos, and it partnered with celebrities like Tom Brady and his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, as well as Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal and Naomi Osaka, among others. He also had close ties to U.S. regulators and government officials, many of whom he donated to.\n\nBankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).\n\nBut in early November 2022, that all changed.\n\nFTX’s collapse\n\nConcerns surrounding FTX’s liquidity grew after CoinDesk published a copy of Alameda’s balance sheet, showing the firm held $14.6 billion in assets and $8 billion in liabilities as of June 30, 2022.\n\nBut there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX.\n\nThe balance sheet showed that the $5.82 billion in FTT tokens that Alameda owned was 193% higher than the total FTT market cap, which was about $3 billion at the time. That means it purported to have more FTT tokens on its balance sheet than what existed in the world.\n\nAround the same time it was exposed, the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, started pulling out its remaining $2.1 billion equivalent of cash in BUSD and FTT. (It had an equity position in FTX from 2019 to 2021.) This essentially triggered a bank run on FTX.\n\nFTX and Alameda filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. mid-November 2022. Bankman-Fried resigned, and John J. Ray III, the Enron turnaround veteran, was appointed its new CEO.\n\nBankman-Fried, however, maintained his innocence. At The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, he appeared virtually from the Bahamas, saying “I didn’t ever try to commit fraud on anyone; I was shocked by what happened this month.” In a published DM exchange with a Vox reporter, he said he regretted filing for bankruptcy and thought that “regulators make everything worse.”\n\nSBF arrested\n\nBankman-Fried was arrested in December 2022 in the Bahamas, where FTX was based. He was then extradited to the U.S. to face a number of criminal charges. He was released on a $250 million bail bond, and he remained under house arrest at his parents’ home in Palo Alto. This was revoked in August after he was accused of intimidating Alameda’s former CEO, Caroline Ellison, by leaking her private diary.\n\nRay represented the company during a House Financial Services Committee hearing regarding FTX. When asked whether the firm had significant risk management systems, Ray said at the time that “there were virtually no internal controls and no separateness whatsoever” and added that he did not “trust a single piece of paper” in the exchange’s organization. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Bankman-Fried’s alleged crimes “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history,” in a press conference.\n\nThe aftermath\n\nFTX co-founder and former CTO Gary Wang, and Alameda Research’s former CEO, Caroline Ellison, both pleaded guilty in December 2022 to federal criminal charges in relation to the FTX collapse. They’re also facing civil penalties from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) alongside the criminal charges. Wang and Ellison plan to cooperate with prosecutors and will be major witnesses in the trial, given their close ties to Bankman-Fried, FTX and Alameda.\n\nIn January, Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to all counts, which include wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to misuse customer funds. He could face up to 115 years in jail if convicted on all charges.\n\nThe crypto industry as a whole suffered from FTX’s collapse, which was the first of many. BlockFi filed for Chapter 11 in November 2022, as did Genesis Global Trading in January.\n\nWhere we are today\n\nBankman-Fried will be represented by Cohen & Gresser, and Mark Cohen, a high-profile defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, will be the lead attorney. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because he also represented Ghislaine Maxwell in her sex trafficking trial related to Jeffrey Epstein. He requested an early release for Bankman-Fried but was denied.\n\nWith the trial beginning, we’re witnessing how FTX’s story ends. But what’s on our mind is what happens to the investors and creditors affected by the collapse? And what happens to the billions in crypto assets tied up in legal proceedings?", + "Hiya, folks, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s digest of the past week in tech news. It’s TC’s column that highlights the major stories over the past few days, and — we humbly submit — it’s a darn useful resource for folks on the go.\n\nThis week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout. Also on the agenda: Gmail’s harsher rules to prevent spam, TikTok testing an ad-free subscription plan, and LinkedIn going big on AI tools. And that’s not all.\n\nIf you haven’t, sign up here to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday. And if you have, our thanks. Now, let’s get on with the news.\n\nMost read\n\nAltman backs teen entrepreneurs: Sam Altman is among the backers of an AI startup, founded by two teenagers, that’s aiming to assist businesses in automating workflows in “previously unexplored” ways. Manish writes that Induced AI, founded this year, lets businesses input their back-office tasks in plain English and converts the instructions to pseudo-code in real time.\n\nGoogle unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on. Christine wrote up a thorough roundup of the news, which included updates on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Fold, Android 14, Pixel Buds, Google Assistant, Bard, Pixel Watch 2 and other goodies.\n\nHands on with the Pixel 8 Pro: Darrell took the newly unveiled Pixel 8 Pro for a whirl, and he liked what he saw. While very similar to last year’s model (the Pixel 7 Pro), Darrell felt that the improved cameras, brighter screen and enhanced AI-powered features made it enough of an upgrade to (potentially) warrant a purchase — minus the underutilized temperature sensor. Stay tuned for his full review.\n\nTurmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion.\n\nSBF allegedly tried to buy off Trump: The TC team’s been trained on the Manhattan Federal Court for the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced entrepreneur accused of orchestrating the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. But fascinating details about SBF’s political dealings are emerging from a book by Michael Lewis, “Going Infinite,” that debuted on the first day of the trial, like SBF’s attempt to buy off Trump to get him to not run again for president.\n\nGmail fights back against spammers: Google this week announced a series of significant changes to how it handles email from bulk senders in an effort to cut down on spam and other unwanted emails. The company says that, starting next year, bulk senders will need to authenticate their emails, offer an easy way to unsubscribe and stay under a reported spam threshold.\n\nTikTok tests an ad-free tier: TikTok is testing an ad-free subscription tier for some users. For $4.99, subscribers get an ad-free experience on TikTok — no other strings attached. But don’t look for the option to arrive anytime soon. TikTok says that it’s piloting the plan in a single, English-speaking market outside the U.S. for now.\n\nLinkedIn leans into AI tools: LinkedIn this week unveiled a string of new AI features spanning its job hunting, marketing and sales products, Ingrid writes. They include a big update to its Recruiter talent sourcing platform, with AI assistance built into it throughout; an AI-powered LinkedIn Learning coach; and a new AI-powered tool for marketing campaigns.\n\nMusk comes clean about X’s metrics — maybe: In September, Elon Musk said that X users were generating a lot of content — creating 100 million to 200 million posts every day, excluding retweets. But speaking at an event this week, X CEO Linda Yaccarino offered a contradictory figure. She claimed X was seeing 500 million posts per day on the platform. So who’s right? Beats us.\n\nFormer NSA director’s startup shutters: IronNet, a once-promising cybersecurity startup founded by a former NSA director, has shuttered and laid off its remaining staff following its collapse. The Virginia-based IronNet was founded in 2014 by retired four-star general Keith Alexander and had raised more than $400 million in funding. But IronNet failed to gain traction after going public in August 2021, and its stock price continued to steeply decline in the wake of an initial spike.\n\nAudio\n\nOn the hunt for a new podcast to listen to while you work out, do the dishes or rake the leaves (now that fall’s arrived)? Look no further than TechCrunch’s roster, which covers the world of startups, the blockchain and more.\n\nOn Equity this week, the crew talked about the SBF trial; deals from VR firms Rainforest, At One Ventures, Section 32 and Greylock, where venture funding has declined; and how Fearless Fund, a firm founded to invest in women of color, is being barred from awarding grants to Black women founders.\n\nMeanwhile, Found featured Esther Rodriguez-Villegas from Acurable, a medical device company that makes patient-friendly wearable devices to diagnose and manage respiratory conditions at home. As a career-long academic, Rodriguez-Villegas talks about how she never intended to be a founder until she learned about how the currently available medical devices make it extremely difficult to detect and treat diseases like sleep apnea and epilepsy.\n\nAnd over on Chain Reaction, Jacquelyn did a crossover episode with Alex about the SBF trial. Jacquelyn has been on the ground at the Southern District of New York courthouse, listening in to the trial in the same room as Bankman-Fried, so there was lots to talk about.\n\nTechCrunch+\n\nTC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys — which you know if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:\n\nInside the SBF trial: Rebecca and Jacquelyn report on the second day of the SBF and FTX trial. The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.\n\nBattery-boosting software tech: Tim covers Breathe Battery Technologies, a startup that’s developed a bit of software that can be slipped into just about any lithium-ion battery in use today — endowing it with either faster charging speeds or greater longevity.\n\nWhat lies beyond ChatGPT: Anna surveyed 10 investors about the future of AI and what they believe might be the next big thing. Among other topics, they touched on where startups still stand a chance, where oligopoly dynamics and first-mover advantages are shaping up and the value of proprietary data.", + "Manchester United's domestic form has certainly shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, but that's far from the case in Europe.\n\nErik ten Hag's side have once again dropped points from a winning position as they drew 3-3 with Galatasaray in the Champions League, a damaging result in their bid to reach the last 16.\n\n4 United were once again the victims of their own demise Credit: Getty\n\nGoals from Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes fired them into a two-goal lead within 18 minutes before Chelsea loanee Hakim Ziyech struck back.\n\nScott McTominay scored what he thought would have been a crucial third shortly after the break but United failed to hold on.\n\nAnother free-kick from Ziyech caught Andre Onana off guard once again and a strong strike from Kerem Akturkoglu levelled the scoring.\n\nUnited now have to beat Bayern Munich and hope Galatasaray draw with FC Copenhagen on the final matchday to progress, and it's the third time in the Champions League this season that they have been in a winning position and then failed to emerge victorious.\n\nEight points have been dropped when they've been in the lead, and no other team has suffered a worse fate this term.\n\nCaptain Fernandes appears to be fed up of their inability to hold onto results as he told TNT Sports: \"Every time we concede a goal we had many chances to score again.\n\n\"I think at the end of the game we had like four chances to score a goal but we have to get our heads up and understand that sometimes it's about finding another pass, finding the player that is free.\n\n\"Trying to get the best one in the best position and take the chance ourselves, we have to look for the team first and after, for ourselves.\"\n\n4 Fernandes criticised their lack of ability to kill games off Credit: Getty\n\nHe added: \"It's too bad to be honest, I don't want to be too negative but for what we've been doing in the Champions League is not enough, we have to control our games every time.\n\n\"It's not the first game we've had like this, even with FC Copenhagen, I understand we had one player less but we scored to make it 3-2 and we had to secure the result.\n\n\"We have to understand in these kind of games, in these kind of stages, you have to be smart enough and manage the game better.\"\n\nUnited have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.\n\nOnana has been criticised for his role in Galatasaray's second goal as he allowed Ziyech's shot to spill under him and into the net, although Erik ten Hag says collectively the defence isn't up to scratch.\n\n\"We're winning and then we're losing, we should have taken three points,\" the United boss told TNT Sports. \"But there's also in more games, at home against Galatasaray, away in Copenhagen, we play so good so I have to make a big compliment to the team.\n\n\"But also in the same moment I have to criticise the team and us as coaching staff, me as a manager. We aren't defending good enough, we are leading 3-1 and we can't afford such mistakes because that makes the difference.\"\n\n4 Onana had another disappointing performance in goal for United Credit: Getty\n\n\"Every goal has it's own story,\" he added. \"The first is a transition moment, we spoke about quick release and we don't block the middle.\n\n\"The second is an unnecessary free-kick but then we have to defend the free-kick better. The third one we are very good and organised but we got run off and we are in an overload there.\n\n\"So, our mistakes can never happen in the Champions League, you get punished for it, so we have to learn from that.\"\n\nHowever, Aston Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor insists Onana needs to take a significant chunk of the blame for United's collapse on Wednesday night.\n\n\"I feel sorry for Onana,\" Agbonlahor told talkSPORT. \"There's a clip of him throwing his gloves to the ground after the game. He's angry with himself.\n\n\"But those two free-kicks... you can't score those. They're easy saves and he's cost his team.\n\n\"If Onana doesn't make those two mistakes, I think United go on to win 4-1.\n\n\"He's so laid back on the ball that he can't switch on, he's late to dive for the free-kicks.\"\n\n4 United now face a huge task in their hope of reaching the last 16 Credit: AFP\n\nUnited's 12 goals in the group stage is the fifth highest tally out of any club but their defensive woes have been their downfall, and former defender Rio Ferdinand cites a lack of balance as to why.\n\nThe 2007/08 Champions League winner with Man United said: \"I think they've got to look at themselves.\n\n\"You can't go into a Champions League campaign and score nine goals in three away games and have one point at the end of it. I think that shows you that there's a lack of balance in the team at the moment.\n\n\"Yes they can get goals and yes they are attacking at will and creating chances, many of them coming through Bruno. But I think defensively, they just made mistakes, I think the goalkeeper today has to hold his hands up and say, 'Yep, I was at fault for a couple of goals.\n\n\"He should do better. But, I think the manager will be scratching his head and thinking, 'The game plan first-half worked perfectly,' and then all of a sudden they score a goal, it changes the dynamic of the game.\n\n\"They were 2-0 up, 2-1, and you're thinking, 'Wow, I set the team up perfectly well, they execute it but then a mistake cost us,' and at 3-1, the same again.\n\n\"So I think there's a lot of question marks in the performances and the way they're going about things at the moment but balance for me is one of the key aspects that they've got to really find.\n\n\"We mentioned in commentary, scars from throwing away leads, those are hard to get away, you've got to really manage games and he mentioned that himself Bruno, you've got to go out managing games correctly.\n\n\"They've got to do that not over one or two or three games, they've got to do that over a period of games now so they can erase those scars that they've created and they'e grown through bad results and throwing away leads, especially in Europe.\"", + "It is 30 years since Manchester United’s most famous trip to Istanbul with Champions League elimination on the line. Galatasaray created an unwelcome hell that Cerberus would have been proud of and a night of sin ended with Alex Ferguson’s side being dumped out of Europe.\n\nUnited, realistically, required a win to progress after drawing 3‑3 in the first leg of the second‑round tie at Old Trafford but the atmosphere in Turkey subdued the visitors and the second leg stuttered to a goalless draw. Eric Cantona was sent off late on for his frustrations with the referee and the home team’s addiction to timewasting. There was a post-match melee in the tunnel involving the United squad and riot police as the trip ended like it began – with intimidation. Many of United’s team froze, unable to deal with the ferocious and vociferous atmosphere they faced.\n\nThe match on Wednesday is not a knockout game but in truth the scenario is not much different. Defeat against Galatasaray would again end United’s Champions League’s campaign prematurely while a win, assuming Copenhagen lose against Bayern Munich, would put qualifying for the latter stages back in their hands. United will face the same atmosphere as they did 30 years ago because the home fans know victory would turn their subsequent trip to Denmark into a potential shootout for who goes through with Bayern, with the achievement of knocking out a club with the storied history of United only adding to the pleasure.\n\nIn 1993 everyone was on a learning curve at United. It was their first return to Europe’s top table after an absence of 24 years. Much of the squad had won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1990‑91 but this was a clear step up. They defeated Honved before needing a late intervention from Cantona to avoid a deficit heading to Istanbul, where they were greeted at the airport by a horde of Galatasaray supporters providing a wall of noise and the infamous “Welcome to Hell” banner.\n\n“That was our first foray in the Champions League and we were expected to go through,” says the former United defender Gary Pallister, who was injured for the game and so had to watch proceedings from the stands. “The hostility is something [to learn from] – I never experienced anything like that in the rest of my career. You look at that and think it can’t get any worse.”\n\nThirty years on United head to Turkey knowing they have rarely been convincing in the Champions League in recent years. A 3-1 away win against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2018-19 round of 16 after losing the home leg 2-0 was the last time they won a crunch match. In 2020‑21, they lost their final two group games and were eliminated, while back in 2015-16, Wolfsburg won the deciding group match to knock out United.\n\nMauro Icardi celebrates scoring the winner for Galatasaray in their 3-2 win at Old Trafford in early October. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images\n\nWhen it comes to pressure in the Champions League of late, United do not cope well and there are few events trickier than a night in Istanbul. Pallister smiled at a bell boy at the team hotel and got a finger across the throat in response, Brian McClair had a cleaner bang on his bedroom ceiling in the night and other players received numerous phone calls to disrupt their sleep. The current squad could face the same level of malevolence and need to be prepared.\n\nUnited have done little learning in recent times, repeating the same failures in Europe’s elite competition. It would not be a disgrace to lose against a good Galatasaray team, especially given Erik ten Hag is missing key players, but if the worst does happen, everyone will need to come out of the experience stronger. Regardless of the result, it should be a night of education when it comes to the demands of the Champions League.\n\nSix of United’s squad that failed in 1993 went on to win the competition six years later. “It did galvanise us,” says Mike Phelan, who started in central midfield 30 years ago. “Winning the Cup Winners’ Cup took us to another level and we felt pretty comfortable with each other and felt we could develop into a serious team, and I think going into the Champions League was one of those moments where we expected to do well – the experiences along the way were great and took us to the next level further down the line.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\n“I think that it is important sometimes that you have to go through those moments to realise what it takes. There are elements that happen in a football match and elements that happen in the buildup to a football match, so you have to experience all those things if you want to be successful.”\n\nThe win against Everton on Sunday was defined by two teenagers, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. Garnacho scored with an incredible overhead kick and Mainoo impressed on what was his full Premier League debut, which could earn him a start in Turkey and an education in European football.\n\nAround them are players who have succeeded on hostile nights. But if they thought Goodison Park was unwelcoming, they will be in for a surprise on Wednesday and will need to find communal coping mechanisms. Fail to do so and they will just have to live and learn for next time.", + "Eddy Cue, in a dark suit, peered down at the monitor in front of him. The screens in the Washington, DC, courtroom had briefly malfunctioned and left witnesses with only binders, but now the tech was up and running — showing an image of three iPhones, each demonstrating a part of the phone’s setup process. Cue squinted down at the screen.\n\n“The resolution on this is terrible,” he said. “You should get a Mac.” That got some laughs in an otherwise staid and quiet courtroom. Judge Amit Mehta, presiding over the case, leaned into his microphone and responded, “If Apple would like to make a donation…” That got even bigger laughs. Then everybody got back down to business.\n\nCue was on the stand as a witness in US v. Google, the landmark antitrust trial over Google’s search business. Cue is one of the highest-profile witnesses in the case so far, in part because the deal between Google and Apple — which makes Google the default search engine on all Apple devices and pays Apple billions of dollars a year — is central to the US Department of Justice’s case against Google.\n\nCue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google. Whether those two statements can be simultaneously true became the question of the day.\n\nApple is in court because of something called the Information Services Agreement, or ISA: a deal that makes Google’s search engine the default on Apple’s products. The ISA has been in place since 2002, but Cue was responsible for negotiating its current iteration with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in 2016. In testimony today, the Justice Department grilled Cue about the specifics of the deal.\n\nWhen the two sides renegotiated, Cue said on the stand, Apple wanted a higher percentage of the revenue Google made from Apple users it directed toward the search engine. Discussion of specific numbers was reserved for closed court sessions, but Cue wanted Apple to get a higher percentage, while Pichai wanted to keep the deal as it was. They eventually compromised on some other number we weren’t told in court, and Google has been paying Apple that amount since.\n\n“I always felt like it was in Google’s best interest, and our best interest, to get a deal done.”\n\nMeagan Bellshaw, a Justice Department lawyer, asked Cue if he would have walked away from the deal if the two sides couldn’t agree on a revenue-share figure. Cue said he’d never really considered that an option: “I always felt like it was in Google’s best interest, and our best interest, to get a deal done.” Cue also argued that the deal was about more than economics and that Apple never seriously considered switching to another provider or building its own search product. “Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said. He said there still isn’t one.\n\nThat question — whether Apple picked Google because it’s the most lucrative choice or the best product — was a key part of Cue’s testimony and, in fact, a key part of the DOJ’s entire case against Google. The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.\n\nBellshaw asked Cue a number of questions about the iPhone setup process. Those three screenshots showed the Appearance screen that shows up when you first boot up your iPhone so you can pick font sizes; the location-tracking prompt that appears when you open Maps; and the App Tracking Transparency pop-up that tells you when an app wants to collect your data. Cue objected to all these things being considered part of setup, but Bellshaw’s point was that Apple offers its users a choice about lots of things, big and small, and that search could be one of them.\n\n“We try to get people up and running as fast as possible.”\n\nCue acknowledged that the ISA didn’t allow Apple to offer users a choice of search engines during setup but also said he wouldn’t want to do that anyway. “We try to get people up and running as fast as possible,” he said. “Setup is just critical stuff.” Showing people a bunch of search engines they’ve never heard of would just be a bad user experience, he argued; even Cue couldn’t remember the names of some of the alternatives to Google. “We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best. We pick the best one and let users easily change it.” (“Easily” is a persistent point of contention in this trial — DuckDuckGo’s CEO, who testified last week, claimed it takes “too many steps” to switch.)\n\nAs for the privacy pop-ups? This is where Bellshaw began to press on how exactly Apple decided Google had the best product. She asked Cue if Apple believes user privacy is important, to which he said, “Absolutely.” Then, she showed a series of emails and slides in which Cue and Apple railed against Google’s privacy policies. Cue readily agreed. “We’ve always thought we had better privacy than Google,” he told Bellshaw. He said that one provision of the ISA with Google was that Google had to allow people to search without logging in and that Apple has done things in Safari and around its platforms to make it harder for Google or anyone else to track users.\n\nBellshaw never quite said it, but the DOJ’s implication seemed to be that, essentially, Google is a privacy menace anathema to everything Apple believes is important to its users, but Apple gives it a central place in its platform because Google pays it so handsomely. Bellshaw asked Cue to review some of Apple’s financial filings. Isn’t it true that the ISA represents a significant portion of Apple’s profits, she asked? Cue said that’s not how Apple looks at it because it doesn’t account for all the work Apple did to make its platform so appealing that an agreement like this could work as well as it does.\n\nLater, after a closed session in the courtroom and a break for lunch, Google lawyer John Schmidtlein led Cue through a history of the Google / Apple partnership, and a history of the Safari browser. Cue noted that Safari’s combination of URL and search bar was a user interface innovation, and the seamless Google integration was part of what made it work. In early promotional materials for Safari, Schmidtlein pointed out, the Google integration was nearly always mentioned.\n\n“Before 2003,” Cue said, “the way that you searched the web was you had to go in and you had to type in google.com in the URL field, or you could type in another URL. We came up with the idea that if you type anything in the URL field that’s not a URL, it just goes to search.”\n\nSchmidtlein’s overall point was that Google helped Safari succeed not by forcing Apple’s hand, but by being a great product that integrated seamlessly with Apple’s own stuff. He referenced Apple’s deals with Yahoo and Bing that make those services easy to find, and both men argued that switching search engines is so easy as to be a non-issue. Bellshaw briefly stepped up to rebut that notion, and that was it for Cue’s testimony.\n\nAt least, that’s all the testimony we saw. Like so many things in this trial, the star witness was kept mostly under wraps thanks to complaints and worries about revealing confidential numbers and corporate secrets. But the questions put to Cue were the same ones the DOJ is going to keep asking: is Google really the best search engine, or is it just the one writing the biggest checks? And if those checks went away, what would the search engine market look like? Cue said Apple’s never really thought about it. Google said Apple would be silly to do so. And the Justice Department thinks it’s about time Apple starts doing so.", + "More from the US v Google trial: Vertical search, pre-installs and the case of Firefox/Yahoo\n\nWe’re nearly two months into the Justice Department’s landmark antitrust case against Google — one of the biggest fights in tech antitrust since the U.S. took Microsoft to trial in the 1990s — and the revelations just keep getting juicier.\n\nIn our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones. Over the past couple of weeks, more of the inner workings of Google has come to light, including some of the search engine’s most lucrative search queries, what the revenue-share agreements between Google and Android OEMs look like and why Expedia has a bone to pick with Google.\n\nBefore we go into some of these tidbits…\n\nWhy the Google vs. U.S. antitrust case matters\n\nThe government has argued that Google uses its platforms and deals with partners to block out any competition in search or advertising, thus hindering competitors from accessing the data they’d need to improve their products. If Judge Amit Mehta rules against Google, the search giant may have to change its behavior and share its APIs with third-party developers. It may also be banned from making anticompetitive and exclusive deals with smartphone and computer manufacturers and wireless carriers. Google might end up having to turn over all or most of the data it has collected to other search engines so they can improve their products and attract more users. The DOJ has said that Google gets 16 times more data than Bing does everyday. Enforcers want to show that antitrust law remains relevant and that even though Google is basically the God of the internet, it’s still no match for the U.S. law. The Google outcome could also have a ripple effect on other Big Tech cases. The FTC sued Amazon in September for using anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power. The DOJ has been investigating Apple for years over the company’s policy for third-party apps on its devices and whether it unfairly favors its own products. There’s an ongoing case between the FTC and Facebook, wherein the agency calls on Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.\n\nThis isn’t Google’s only antitrust case in trial right now. The search engine giant last week settled a separate antitrust lawsuit with dating site Match Group. On November 6, Google went to trial with Fortnite maker Epic Games. The latter hopes to prove that Google engages in anticompetitive behavior with regard to its Android app store, Google Play, and its commission structure.\n\nNow, onto the roundup!\n\nA window into Google’s most popular search queries\n\nJudge Amit Mehta ruled to make a list public that provides a glimpse of which search terms make Google the most money. The list of popular search terms ordered by revenue includes 20 terms that were lucrative for the week of September 22, 2018. Information like revenue per search term, how many queries each of those terms got, along with a separate list of popular search terms ordered by queries (not revenue), were all redacted. The list we can see is as follows:\n\niPhone 8\n\niPhone 8 plus\n\nAuto insurance\n\nCar insurance\n\nCheap flights\n\nCar insurance quotes\n\nDirecTV\n\nOnline colleges\n\nAT&T\n\nHulu\n\niPhone\n\nUber\n\nSpectrum\n\nComcast\n\nXfinity\n\nInsurance quotes\n\nFree credit report\n\nCheap car insurance\n\nAARP\n\nLifeLock\n\nThere is, in reality, little surprise here. We’ve already established that Google and Apple have a long and mutually beneficial relationship, even while competing, so it’s not surprising to see three Apple search-related queries bringing in the big bucks — not least since September 22, 2017 was the official release date of the iPhone 8.\n\nMeanwhile, queries like “car insurance,” “cheap flights” and “credit report” are perennial favorites and they speak to how much Google dominates vertical search — that is, search in very specific market categories. As for LifeLock… the big Equifax data breach of 2017 was a hot topic in September 2017 and LifeLock was making a big push to win business with people who wanted to buy identity theft protection.\n\nRevenue-shares to pre-install Google apps on Androids\n\nJamie Rosenberg, a Google employee who focuses on Android and Google Play, testified in Google’s defense on November 8. He said that the competition between Google and Apple is “as intense as it gets,” reports Bloomberg.\n\nRosenberg explained how Google gets manufacturers to sign a mobile app distribution agreement (MADA) that requires Android smartphone makers (like Samsung or Oppo) to pre-load a bundle of 11 Google apps on the device, including Search, Chrome and Play. They don’t have to be the default choices, he said.\n\nGoogle also has revenue share agreements (RSAs) with smartphone makers and wireless carriers (like Verizon) that require them to set Google search and Chrome web browser as defaults. Rosenberg defended the move and said it was because Google apps [like Search] are “best in class.” The RSAs also motivate other companies to make or sell more Android devices, he said.\n\nExpedia complains of too many ads on search, expensive ad payments\n\nOn November 1, Barry Diller, chair of Expedia and IAC, testified about his concerns regarding the increasing number of ads in search results having an impact on organic listings.\n\n“I must say I’m on the edge of revolt now that Google’s actions are so punitive, not just for Expedia but also for IAC and all the players that depend upon something of a level playing field,” wrote Diller in a letter to Google back in 2019, according to Bloomberg.\n\nGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai fired back that Google’s travel listings was one of the most popular experiences the company built.\n\nExpedia execs also testified about the cost of ads and how increases had no impact on search results. On October 19, Expedia’s former chief operating officer, Jeff Hurst, told the court the company’s ad fees increased tenfold from $21 million in 2015 to $290 million in 2019. And yet, Expedia’s traffic from Google did not increase. The implication was that this was due to direct competition from Google itself. Hurst pointed out that Google began sharing its own flight and hotel data in search results in that period, according to The Seattle Times.\n\nEuropean antitrust fine spurs Google to beef up search engine quality\n\nThe government argued on November 10 that Google only endeavored to enhance its search engine in the European Union after it was hit by a €5 billion antitrust fine in 2018, internal documents revealed, according to Bloomberg.\n\nThe EU’s antitrust order forced Google to offer Android phone users a screen with five search engine options to choose from, according to the DOJ. In response, Google enacted a plan, which execs dubbed “Go Big in Europe,” to enhance search results in France and Germany in 2019 and 2020 with more local content: news, post-game soccer video highlights, information on local television options for streaming, and pronunciation practice for different language. The aim was to incentivize users to click on Google’s home screen, rather than the competition’s.\n\nThat revelation effectively supports the Justice Department’s argument that Google, without the push of competition, has little incentive to improve its products, a classic consequence in a monopoly.\n\nMozilla digs in on Google’s supremacy in search\n\nInterestingly, on November 1 Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker provided a defense of Google’s quality as a search engine, even in “competitive” environments. Specifically, Baker recounted how, Mozilla “failed” when it switched Firefox’s default search engine from Google to Yahoo.\n\nQuick backstory: Yahoo inked a deal with Mozilla way back in 2014 to pay the browser maker $375 million annually to be the default search engine on Firefox. At the time, Google was offering $276 million, said Baker. Reader, that was a bad deal.\n\n“I felt strongly that Yahoo was not delivering the search experience we needed and had contracted for,” she said, according to Bloomberg. The executive said Yahoo had promised to reduce the number of ads and offer less user tracking, but ended up gradually serving users more ads anyway.\n\n“The number of users who stayed with Firefox declined noticeably during the years when Yahoo was the default,” said Baker.\n\nBaker, who was providing a recorded deposition for Google’s defense, noted that Mozilla’s users apparently wanted and expected Google.\n\nHowever, that is not the full story. Yahoo was already well behind Google in terms of search technology at that point. But also, Firefox was very well behind Chrome, which ended 2014 with nearly 50% market share and ended 2017 (when Google got prime default search position on Firefox) at nearly 65% of all web browser usage on desktop: and mobile is even more skewed to Chrome. In other words, the number of Firefox users might have been declining for other reasons, although pushing the blame on Yahoo certainly works in Google’s favor here!\n\nThe trial continues…", + "Picking the best class in Baldurs Gate 3 is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the game — and you have to do it right at the start, with minimal context to work off.\n\nYour class mostly determines how your character will fight in Baldur’s Gate, but with 12 classes — and 46 subclasses total across them all — it’s not really an easy decision. Here’s what to know about finding the best class (and the best subclass) for you in Baldur’s Gate 3.\n\nAll BG3 classes are ‘good’\n\nThe classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 — and in pen-and-paper D&D, for that matter — are all fairly well-balanced. There’s no single best class (barrelmancer aside) in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game gives you as many opportunities for creative problem solving as it does for punching. Finding the best class really just boils down to how you want to play. Even when playing solo, you’ll still manage the rest of your party, so you’ll get to experiment with multiple classes at once.\n\nBG3 classes have strengths outside of combat\n\nYour character’s class is mostly about combat, but the underlying Ability Score that it relies on affects the other skills you’ll use to interact with the world. Baldur’s Gate 3 assigns your Ability Scores automatically (though you can tweak it in the character creator), so each class’s primary ability will be your highest score.\n\nBards and Sorcerers are both Charisma-based classes, for example. Their high Charisma will also make them good at skills like Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation. Out of combat, those classes will be better at talking their way out of (and into) trouble and lying. Wisdom-based classes like Clerics or Druids will be more insightful and perceptive of their surroundings.\n\nShould you play a custom or an Origin character in BG3?\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3 gives you the option to play as an Origin character, meaning you can just choose one of the NPCs from your party and play as them right out of the gate. It’s a perfectly fine way to play if you really don’t want to go through the process of picking out a race and background for your character.\n\nThat said, you’ll also be limited to that character’s predetermined story. It’s a bit more work at the beginning, but you’ll have a lot more freedom to experience the entire story of Baldur’s Gate 3 if you make a custom character. With all that in mind...\n\nWhich BG3 class (and subclass) is best for you?\n\nDistinctions like caster vs. puncher or melee vs. ranged don’t really work for Baldur’s Gate 3 (or D&D). There’s a lot of overlap in the classes — especially as you level up. And that means there’s no easy way to say one class is best (or even better). Instead, focus on what you want to do (or how you want to do it), and go from there.\n\nWe’ll list them all below ranked (subjectively) by how difficult they are to play. We’ve put the caster classes toward the more difficult end simply because they’ve got more to manage with their spells and spell slots — punching things is easier than memorizing spells.\n\nBest melee class for beginners: Fighter\n\nNothing against Fighters here, but they’re the easiest class to wrap your head around. You’re not going to need to manage spells or Ki Points. Instead, you’ll see a baddie and then you’ll stab said baddie.\n\nFighters start out as a very straightforward melee class. With high strength, they get all armors and shields, and choose a method of combat to focus on (and get buffs to). They also get a way to heal themselves and way to get a second attack once per short rest.\n\nAt level 3, you get to choose a subclass from Battle Master, Eldritch Knight, and Champion. Battlemasters get a set of Superiority Dice that let you perform Maneuvers to control the flow of battle and the battlefield. Eldritch Knights add magic into the Fighter’s arsenal. Champions keep it simple with a better change to deal a Critical Hit (for double damage).\n\nChampion is the best subclass for a Fighter. Consult our Fighter build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest ranged class for beginners: Ranger\n\nRangers are agile hunters that focus on Dexterity as their primary Ability. Rangers are an interesting mix of melee, stealth, skills, and magic. That also makes it harder to get the most out of the class. Rangers get Light and Medium Armors and some of the more basic weapons.\n\nRangers also make a lot of choices during character creation (and leveling up) that determine how they play. At level 1, you’ll choose a Favored Enemy — a preferred quarry — and a preferred environment that grants you some magical spells.\n\nAt level 3, you get to choose a Ranger subclass from Beast Master, Gloom Stalker, or Hunter. Beast Masters get a Companion animal that fights along side you, Gloom Stalkers focus on stealth, and Hunters get to specialize their melee abilities.\n\nHunter is the best subclass for a Ranger. Consult our Ranger build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for damage: Barbarian\n\nBarbarians are all about combat. They get light and medium armor (and shields), but they’ve also got the option to keep their AC up even without wearing armor. For weapons, Barbarians get a wide range of heavy hitters like battleaxes and warhammers. Every Barbarian gets the Rage ability that lets them hit even harder and reduce damage during combat (and only during combat).\n\nWhen you hit level 3, you get to choose from the Wildheart, Berserker, or Wild Magic subclasses. Wildheart lets you modify your Rage ability with animal-themed tweaks like healing, jumping, or a stampede. Berserker is a lot more straightforward and focuses on hitting (extra) things and throwing. And Wild Magic adds a magical flair to your Rage with a random magical effect and improved saving throws against magic for you and your allies.\n\nBerserker is the best subclass for a Barbarian. Consult our Barbarian build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for magic: Druid\n\nDruids are the nature-based casters of Baldur’s Gate 3. Most of their magic is nature- or animal-themed and they get Skills to match. What they lack in armor proficiencies — they only get Light and Medium Armor — they make up for with the ability to shapeshift into a badger, wolf, spider, or cat.\n\nAt level 3, Druids pick from the Circle of the Land, Circle of the Moon, and Circle of Spores subclasses. Circle of Land gets you some extra magic and the ability to cast more spells throughout the day, Circle of the Moon adds a bear to the repertoire of animal shapes you can shift into, and Circle of Spores adds in some extra fungus- and decay-based magic.\n\nCircle of the Moon is the best subclass for a Druid. Consult our Druid build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for stealth: Rogue\n\nRogues are Dexterity-based, sneaky fighters. They only get Light Armor, so they have to focus on staying unseen and quick. Their weapons tend to be simple and focus on ones that have the Finesse type — meaning you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength. All Rogues get to use Dash (double movement), Disengage (don’t provoke Opportunity Attacks), and Hide as Bonus Actions. They also get Sneak Attack combat actions that let them deal extra damage whenever they have Advantage.\n\nLevel 3 Rogues choose from the Thief, Arcane Trickster, and Assassin subclasses. Thief Rogues get an extra bonus action, Arcane Tricksters mix in magic, and Assassins get advantages over surprised or unprepared enemies.\n\nThief is the best subclass for a Rogue. Consult our Rogue build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for melee and magic: Paladin\n\nPaladins start out mixing in (Divine) magic with their melee abilities. They’re the most magic-focused of the melee classes. They get all armors and shields, along with a good mix of weapons. Choosing from the three subclasses — Oath of the Ancients, Oath of Devotion, and Oath of Vengeance — determines what kind of magic you get. Oath of the Ancients adds in healing magic, Oath of Devotion gets defense-focused magic, and Oath of Vengeance adds offensive magic. Paladins also get a handful of other spells for dealing out even more holy justice.\n\nOath of the Ancients is the best subclass for a Paladin. Consult our Paladin build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for speed: Monk\n\nMonks are a melee class kind of like Fighters, but with a lot more pizzazz. Their best Ability is Dexterity, so their combat is more martial arts than swordplay. Monks don't get armor and only have a limited set of weapons available, but they make up for it with Unarmed Strikes that deal extra damage. Monks take a little more finesse to play than Fighters.\n\nMonk subclasses unlock at level 3 and include Way of the Four Elements, Way of the Open Hand, and Way of Shadow. Way of the Four Elements mixes in spells with your Monk abilities (and uses renamed spells from the caster classes). Way of the Open Hand expands your attacks to include things like knocking down enemies or pushing them with extra melee attacks. And Way of Shadow makes your Monk sneaky and stealthy (think of it as a ninja subclass).\n\nWay of the Open Palm is the best subclass for a Monk. Consult our Monk build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest magic class for beginners: Warlock\n\nWarlocks are casters that made a deal with a higher power for their magic. They play a lot like Sorcerers, but with a slight emphasis on more academic Skills and fewer spells. Warlocks get Light Armor, so they’re a little less squishy than Sorcerers.\n\nLike Sorcerers, you’ll pick your Warlock subclass during character creation. You’ll choose from The Fiend, The Great Old One, and The Archfey subclasses that are all themed around where your magic comes from — and determine some of the spells you can use. The Fiend Warlocks get their magic from a demon-like fiend and have hell-themed spells, the Great Old One is more Lovecraftian horror-themed, and the Archfey draws power from a powerful Fey being.\n\nGreat Old One is the best subclass for a Sorcerer. Consult our Sorcerer build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest healer class: Cleric\n\nClerics are the other side of the Paladin’s mix of magic and melee. They’re not quite as frontline in combat with only Light and Medium armors, but they get more (and more powerful) spells. Clerics also get an extra boost with Channel Divinity that gets them an extra (Divine) magic ability like Turning Undead to drive away zombies or Guided Strike that gives a +10 to Attack Rolls.\n\nWhen you make a Cleric, you choose a subclass (Domain) from a list of seven: Life, Light, Trickery, Knowledge, Nature, Tempest, and War. Each Domain has different spells, actions, and even proficiencies associated with hit. Broadly, Life Domain focuses on healing, Light emphasizes Radiant and Fire magic (in and out of combat), Trickery is good for sneaking, Knowledge gets extra Skills out of combat and brain-based spells, Nature is flavored a little more like a Druid, Tempest is a little more combat and Thunder damage-focused, and War is all about combat.\n\nLight Domain is the best subclass for a Cleric. Consult our Cleric build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest support class: Bard\n\nBards are a specialized kind of caster class that focus more on performance and charm than a weighty list of spells. Bards only get Light Armor and focus on Charisma as their primary stat, so they rarely belong on the front line of a fight. Where Bards come into their own, though, is with Bardic Inspiration — a way to boost the rolls of their allies — and their spells that are a nice mix of utility and offensive magic.\n\nBards get three subclasses at level 3: College of Lore, College of Valor, and College of Swords. College of Lore Bards get a lot of useful skills to use outside of combat and get to use their Bardic Inspiration to make enemies weaker, College of Valor Bards help their allies hit even harder, and College of Swords Bards focus on a swashbuckling style of combat.\n\nCollege of Valor is the best subclass for a Bard. Consult our Bard build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for magic damage: Wizard\n\nWizards are the archetypical caster class. They are the only Intelligence-based class in Baldur’s Gate 3 and have the most spells — and the most spell slots to cast them — of all of the casters. Wizards don’t get any armor and are limited to just daggers and quarterstaffs (quarterstaves?) in combat, so they’re going to rely on magic to do any damage.\n\nYour Wizard subclass is chosen when you create the character. You’ll choose from eight schools of magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. Each subclass gets an extra ability themed to the school of magic. Broadly speaking, Abjuration is about protection and defense, Conjuration is about creating something from nothing, Divination gets to foresee (and change) rolls, Enchantment is about charming and controlling minds, Evocation shapes and controls spells, Illusion is about trickery, Necromancy controls life and death, and Transmutation focuses on alchemy and changing the world around you.\n\nEvocation is the best subclass for a Wizard. Consult our Wizard build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nBest class for social interactions: Sorcerer\n\nSorcerers get their magic from within themselves. Sorcerers are the most flexible and varied in the spells they can use. Their primary Ability is Charisma, so they’re also good at dialogue-heavy encounters out of combat. Sorcerers don’t get any armor, so you’ll have to keep them out of melee combat most of the time.\n\nYou’ll pick your Sorcerer subclass when you create your character from the Wild Magic, Draconic Bloodline, and Storm Sorcery subclasses. Wild Magic leans into the chaotic and untamed nature of magic, Draconic Bloodline gives a dragon-based flavor to your magic, and Storm Sorcery lets you Fly whenever you cast a spell.\n\nDraconic Bloodline is the best subclass for a Sorcerer. Consult our Sorcerer build guide for more details on why, and to see which skills and feats to pick.\n\nFor more information on the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, consult our overviews on the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes.", + "The Warlock is one of twelve classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Warlocks are extreme knowledge-seekers who are willing to form a pact with otherwordly beings in order to gain ancient secrets that’ll bolster their magical arsenal.\n\nTo deal with such powerful creatures, Warlocks need to have strong mental power. They need to be able to make a deal with the devil and survive. As such, their primary ability score is Charisma.\n\nThere’s no single best class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game gives you as many opportunities for creative problem solving as it does for punching. Finding the best class really just boils down to how you want to play. Even when playing solo, you’ll still manage the rest of your party, so you’ll get to experiment with multiple classes at once.\n\nRead on to find out everything you need to know about the Warlock class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and learn all about the best Warlock subclass, feats, and build.\n\nIs Warlock the best class for you in BG3?\n\nWarlocks sacrifice the number of spells that they know for sheer power. Every Warlock spell slot is the same — the highest level available — and they recharge on a short rest instead of a long rest. Warlocks aren’t as versatile as other caster classes, but what they do, they do well.\n\nWarlocks are a great class for you if you want to play a dedicated caster class, but don’t want to deal with all the prep work that classes like Wizards require. You’ll still get to use (a lot of) magic, but you won't have to manage a binder full of spells every morning.\n\nWarlock class features\n\nHit Points\n\nHit Dice — 1d8 per warlock level\n\n1d8 per warlock level Hit Points at 1st Level — 8 + your Constitution modifier\n\n— 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at higher levels — 5 + your Constitution modifier per warlock level after 1st\n\nCantrips\n\nThe Warlock starts with two cantrips from the Warlock cantrip list.\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Cantrips Cantrip Description Cantrip Description Blade Ward Take only half the damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks Bone Chill Prevent the target from healing until your next turn. An undead target receives Disadvantage on Attack Rolls. Eldritch Blast Conjure 1 beam(s) of crackling energy. Friends Gain Advantage on Charisma Checks against a non-hostile creature. Mage Hand Create a spectral hand that can manipulate and interact with objects. Minor Illusion Create an illusion that compels nearby creatures to investigate. Poison Spray Project a puff of noxious gas. True Strike Gain Advantage on your next Attack Roll.\n\nSpells\n\nThe Warlock starts with two spells from the Warlock spell list, two of which are exclusive to your subclass.\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Spells Spells Description Spells Description Armor of Agathys Gain 5 temporary hitpoints and deal 5 Cold damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack. Arms of Hadar Prevent targets from using reactions. Burning Hands Each flammable target is hit with 3-18 Fire damage. (The Fiend exclusive) Charm Person Charm a humanoid to prevent it from attacking you. You gain Advantage on Charisma Checks in dialogue. Command Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground or drop its weapon. (The Fiend exclusive) Dissonant Whispers Frighten a creature: it will be easier to hit and cannot move. (The Great Old One exclusive) Expeditious Retreat Gain Dash immediately and as a bonus action on each of your turns until this spell ends. Faerie Fire All targets within the light turn visible, and Attack Rolls against them have advantage. (The Archfey exclusive) Hellish Rebuke React to your next attacker with flames that deal 2-20 Fire damage. Hex Make your attacks deal an addition 1-6 Necrotic damage to the target and give it Disadvantage on an Ability of your choosing. Protection from Evil and Good Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. Tasha's Hideous Laughter Leave a creature Prone with laughter, without the ability to get up. (The Great Old One exclusive) Sleep Put creatures into a magical slumber. Select targets up to a combined 24 hit points. (The Archfey exclusive) Witch Bolt Link yourself to a target with a bolt of lightning. Deal an additional 1-12 Lightning damage each turn by activating it.\n\nActions\n\nWarlocks have one action, “Fey Presence,” which is exclusive to The Archfey subclass.\n\nFeatures\n\nWarlock Spell Slot — Used to cast Warlock spells, which can be regained by taking a short rest\n\nProficiencies\n\nWeapons — Simple Weapons\n\n— Simple Weapons Armor — Light Armor\n\n— Light Armor Saving Throws — Wisdom and Charisma\n\n— Wisdom and Charisma Skills — Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion\n\nWarlock subclasses\n\nThe Warlock has a total of three subclasses, which are unlocked at at the beginning of the game. During character creation, you must pick the otherworldy patron that you’ve decided to serve.\n\nThe Fiend\n\nWarlocks with The Fiend subclass have struck a deal with a hellish fiend who strives for corruption and destruction. If you forge a pact with a fiend, you’ll receive a feature exclusive to The Fiend called “Dark One’s Blessing,” which will grant you four temporary hit points whenever you defeat a hostile creature.\n\nThe Fiend also has two exclusive spells — Burning Hands and Command.\n\nThe Great Old One\n\nThose serving The Great Old One are bound to a mysterious being from the Far Realm, who might not even know you exist, The Great Old One will grant you a feature exclusive to this subclass called “Mortal Reminder,” which will frighten a creature and any nearby enemies after you land a critical hit unless they succeed a Wisdom saving throw.\n\nThe Great Old One also has two exclusive spells — Dissonant Whispers and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter.\n\nThe Archfey\n\nIf you choose The Archfey as your subclass, your patron is a lord or lady of the fey, a creature from before the time of mortal races. If you’re bound to The Archfey, you’ll gain an action named “Fey Presence,” which will charm or frighten nearby foes.\n\nThe Archfey also has two exclusive spells — Faerie Fire and Sleep.\n\nBest Warlock subclass and build in BG3\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3 races don’t really have any direct impact on your class, but certain races and subraces come with features that play well with certain classes like extra movement or proficiency with certain weapons. For Warlocks, it’s best to focus on weapon and armor proficiencies:\n\nDrow ’s Drow Weapon Training adds weapons like the rapiers and hand crossbows\n\n’s Drow Weapon Training adds weapons like the rapiers and hand crossbows Humans ’ and Half-Elves ’ Civil Militia add spears, pikes, halberds, and glaives along with shields\n\n’ and ’ Civil Militia add spears, pikes, halberds, and glaives along with shields Githyanki Martial Prodigy means you get medium armor along with longswords and greatswords\n\nMartial Prodigy means you get medium armor along with longswords and greatswords Dwarven Combat Training gets you battleaxes, handaxes, light hammers, and warhammers. The Shield Dwarf subrace also gets you Medium Armor\n\nWhen you’re creating and leveling up your Warlock, Charisma (for spellcasting) is your most important stat. Your second most important stat kind of depends on how you play outside of combat, but Constitution is also a good option for the hit points — Warlocks, like Sorcerers, have a tendency to be glass cannons. Make Charisma your highest stat and Constitution your second highest.\n\nYou’ll pick your Warlock subclass at level 1, but the pact you choose here is actually less important than the Eldritch Invocation you get at level 2 — that said, go with the Great Old One for the most broadly useful features. Your Eldritch Invocation powers up your Eldritch Blast spell — the bread-and-butter spell for Warlocks — and turns it into an Agonizing Blast.\n\nBest Warlock feats in BG3\n\nEvery four levels, you’ll get the option to either increase your stats or choose a Feat. Feats are special talents that add features to your character. If you’re happy with your stats and start taking Feats, Warlocks can benefit from:\n\nActor . Your Charisma Increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Your Proficiency Bonus is also doubled for Deception and Performance Checks.\n\n. Your Charisma Increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Your Proficiency Bonus is also doubled for Deception and Performance Checks. Elemental Adept . Your spells ignore Resistance to a damage type of your choice. When you cast spells of that type, you cannot roll a 1.\n\n. Your spells ignore Resistance to a damage type of your choice. When you cast spells of that type, you cannot roll a 1. Moderately Armored . You gain Armor Proficiency with Medium Armor and shields, and your Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.\n\n. You gain Armor Proficiency with Medium Armor and shields, and your Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Spell Sniper. You learn a cantrip, and the number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.\n\nFor more information on the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, consult our overviews on the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard classes. If you’re stumped by the choice, consult our guide on what class to start with.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nJada Pinkett Smith has revealed that she and husband Will Smith have been separated for the last seven years.\n\nThe Girls Trip star, 52, shared in a new interview with People published on 11 October that she and the King Richard actor, 55, are “still figuring it out” when it comes to their marriage of 26 years. She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.\n\n“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” Jada said. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”\n\nThe pair have been married since 1997 and share son Jaden, 25, and daughter Willow, 22. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star also has a son Trey, 30, whom he shares with his first wife, Sheree Zampino.\n\nAs for her children, Jada praised them for how they’ve helped her grow. “My children, they’re little gurus. They’ve taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance,” she told the outlet.\n\nJada and Will have often opened up about their relationship over the years, and have had very public ups and downs throughout their marriage. Here’s a timeline of their relationship.\n\n1994: Will and Jada meet on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\n\nWill and Jada met after she auditioned for the role of Will’s girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. While she did not get the part, the pair hit it off - despite Will being married to Sheree Zampino at the time, with who he shares son Trey.\n\n“I had a realisation I wasn’t with the person I was supposed to be with,” he told Jada’s Red Table Talk in 2018. “I was sitting in a [bathroom] stall and I was crying and laughing uncontrollably, and I knew [Jada] was the woman I was supposed to be with.”\n\nWill and Jada in 2000 (Getty)\n\n1995: The pair officially begin dating\n\nIt wasn’t until 1995 that Will and Jada began seriously dating after Will finalised his divorce from Zampino.\n\n1997: Will and Jada get engaged and married\n\nWill popped the question to Jada in November 1997 before getting married just one month later in Baltimore.\n\nJada wasn’t initially sold on the idea of marriage. She told People in 2019: “I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like: ‘You have to get married’ - she’s so old-school - and Will wanted a family. So I said: ‘All right, maybe it’s something I should do.’”\n\n1998: Their first child is born\n\nJada and Will’s first child together, son Jayden, was born in July 1998.\n\n2000: Their second child was born\n\nJada and Will welcomed daughter Willow in 2000.\n\nWill and Jada with their son Jayden in 2003 (Getty)\n\n2013: Jada denies open marriage rumours (sort of)\n\nAfter a quiet decade and a half making movies and raising their children, Jada took to Facebook to address rumours she and Will were in an open relationship.\n\nShe wrote: “Here is how I will change my statement... Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship... this means we have a GROWN one.”\n\n2015: Will addresses divorce rumours\n\nWill addresses persistent separation rumours by clarifying the pair were not getting a divorce.\n\n“Under normal circumstances, I don’t usually respond to foolishness. But, so many people have extended [to] me their ‘deepest condolences’ that I figured - ‘What the hell… I can be foolish, too!’” he wrote on Facebook at the time. “So, in the interest of redundant, repetitious, over and over-again-ness… Jada and I are… NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”\n\n2018: Will revealed that he and Jada don’t refer to themselves as married\n\nIn an episode of TIDAL’s Rap Radar podcast, Will said he and Jada “refer to ourselves as life partners, where you get into that space where you realise you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life. There’s no deal breakers. There’s nothing she could do - ever. Nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support till death and it feels so good to get to that space.”\n\n2020: August Alsina claims he had an affair with Jada\n\nAugust Alsina and Jada were introduced in 2015, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he claimed that he and Jada had dated while she was married and that her and Will’s marriage was open during that time.\n\nAlsina said Will gave him and Jada his “blessing”, adding: “I actually sat down with Will and had a conversation due to the transformation from their marriage to life partnership that they’ve spoken on several times and it not involving romanticism.”\n\nAlsina added he “totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life and I truly and really, really deeply loved and have a ton of love for her.”\n\nThe same day Alsina’s claims surfaced Jada’s reps said they were “absolutely not true”.\n\nLess than two weeks later, Jada and Will appeared on an episode of Jada’s Red Table Talk where Jada confirmed that she did have a relationship with Alsina, saying that she and Will were separated at the time.\n\n“We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time and you go figure out how to make yourself happy and I’ll figure out how to make myself happy,” Jada said at the time.\n\n“From there, as time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August... Yes, it was a relationship absolutely.”\n\nJada also said that Will didn’t give permission, as the only person who could give her permission was herself.\n\n2021: Jada discusses her and Will’s sex life, Will’s memoir is released\n\nIn another episode of Red Table Talk in October 2021, Jada said it “takes work” to maintain a spark in the bedroom.\n\n“It’s hard... the thing Will and I talk about a lot is the journey. We started in this [relationship] at a very young age, 22 years old... I think you expect your partner to know - especially when it comes to sex. It’s like: ‘Well, if you love me, you should know. If you love me, you should read my mind.’ That’s a huge pitfall,” she said at the time.\n\nThe next month, Will’s memoir is released which details several issues the couple have had over the years. He wrote they were “suffering the brutal death of our romantic fantasies, the burning away of the idealistic illusion of the perfect marriage and the perfect family. Neither of us wanted a divorce; we knew we loved each other, and some aspects of our union were magical. But the structure of the life that we had established was strangling both of us.”\n\n2022: No infidelity statement and Oscars incident\n\nDuring an interview on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month, Will said he and Jada had never accused each other of cheating.\n\nHe said: “Never. There’s never been infidelity in our marriage...And we have never surprised one another with anything ever..I have decided that chatter about my life can be of a benefit to people. I think that chatter is the first stage to having a real conversation and being able to truly explore if some of the things in your heart are loving, or poisonous.”\n\nIn March 2022, Will slapped Chris Rock at the 94th annual Oscars before he yelled at the comedian to “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth”. It quickly became the most talked-about moment of the evening with the pair initially appearing to laugh off the tense moment.\n\nThe altercation came after Rock said: “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you,” referring to Jada’s shaved head. While accepting the award for Best Actor, Will became teary as said he was a “fierce defender of his family”.", + "Country music couples have serenaded their way into each other’s hearts for years.\n\nMuch like the resilient love story of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill or Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, there's a sweet melody in the lives of several country music stars who have weathered the storms of fame while creating strong bonds in their lasting romances.\n\nBeyond the stage lights, these loving country music couples – or musicians and their long-lasting partners – have proven they’ve kept in tune with one another through the highs and lows of their relationships.\n\nTIM MCGRAW CONFESSES MAKING LOVE TO THIS SONG LED TO 27-YEAR MARRIAGE WITH FAITH HILL\n\nTim McGraw and Faith Hill\n\nTim McGraw shared a few secrets about his marriage to his wife of nearly 30 years, Faith Hill.\n\n\n\n\"I don’t know if there’s a key. We always say we’re 27 years coming up, it’s like 96 in show business,\" he quipped during an interview with \"Entertainment Tonight Canada.\" \"It’s almost like dog years.\"\n\nAlthough the country star humbly admitted he doesn’t have the \"key\" to a successful marriage, he sure knows the way to his wife’s heart after celebrating over two decades together.\n\nTo make their marriage work, McGraw confessed he made a certain promise to Hill at the start of their relationship.\n\n\"We just made a commitment early on, when we first decided we were getting married and having kids, that we wouldn’t just walk out the door when problems arose,\" he explained.\n\nMcGraw and Hill, both 56, met in 1994 but didn't start dating until 1996. They got married later that year. The couple share three daughters: Gracie, 26; Maggie, 25; and Audrey, 21.\n\nGARTH BROOKS ‘DECLINED’ TRISHA YEARWOOD OFFER TO OFFICIALLY TAKE HIS LAST NAME: ‘TRADITION DOESN’T COUNT HERE'\n\nGarth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood\n\nCountry power couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have been candid about their nearly 20-year union.\n\nThe pair married in 2005 and Yearwood became a bonus mom to his three grown daughters from his first marriage.\n\nThe \"Friends in Low Places\" singer previously admitted that he wasn’t always a great husband.\n\n\"I sucked at being a husband, I was horrible at it,\" he told Billboard of his first marriage to Sandy Maul, which ended with a messy divorce in 2000. \"I was horrible at being a dad. I had to get my s--- together.\"\n\nRegarding his marriage to Yearwood, he said, \"The person you’re with [does make] a huge difference in your life.\"\n\nThe \"She’s in Love With the Boy\" songstress told E! News on the ACM Awards red carpet that her relationship with Brooks is \"always a first date, you know? It just really is,\" when asked about their secret for a long-lasting marriage. Brooks and Yearwood have been married for 18 years.\n\nAMY GRANT TALKS 'HEALING JOURNEY' AFTER HEAD INJURY FROM BIKE ACCIDENT AT KENNEDY CENTER HONORS\n\nAmy Grant and Vince Gill\n\nThe Queen of Christian Pop Amy Grant and the Grammy Award-winning country artist Vince Gill have found their way into each other’s hearts with their love for music.\n\nGrant has been married to country star Gill since 2000. The two have a daughter named Corrina.\n\nLast July, Grant was hospitalized due to a bike accident and suffered a traumatic head injury.\n\nThe \"Baby, Baby\" singer was knocked unconscious for up to 15 minutes and was forced to postpone her fall concert tour while she recovered.\n\nGrant credited husband Gill with providing her a \"grounding\" place to heal following the bike accident, where she tumbled to the ground after hitting a pothole.\n\nWATCH: AMY GRANT TALKS \"GENTLE\" RECOVERY FOLLOWING BIKE ACCIDENT\n\n\"He has just been so patient,\" Grant told Fox News Digital last year at The Kennedy Center Honors. \"Vince has a kind of way of grounding the space that we're in even without saying a word. I think early on I said, ‘What if I’m different, what if I'm not the same?' and he said, ‘Hey, every day we wake up a little different, and we love each other, and it’s good.'\"\n\nAfter her recovery, the \"El Shaddai\" crooner shared the stage with her husband Gill during the Christmas season for several performances. Grant and Gill have been married for 23 years.\n\nCHRIS STAPLETON EXPLAINS HOW HE AND WIFE KEEP ROMANCE ALIVE, ‘OVERCOME OBSTACLES’ TOGETHER\n\nChris Stapleton and Morgane Stapleton\n\nChris Stapleton revealed a few tips about his marriage to his wife of 16 years, Morgane Stapleton.\n\n\"The key to a successful marriage, I’d say communication,\" Stapleton, 45, told Fox News Digital at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.\n\n\"We’re always working on that… love and kindness and patience. I think you have those things in play, hopefully, you can overcome whatever obstacles.\"\n\nWATCH: CHRIS STAPLETON ON KEY TO SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE WITH WIFE OF 16 YEARS\n\nMorgane sings background on 10 of her husband's songs on his album \"Higher\" and is also a producer on the project. Stapleton’s wife spends every performance with him on stage with a tambourine in hand.\n\nWhile Stapleton got his big break in the country scene eight years ago with his album \"Traveller,\" he has previously addressed other challenges he has faced . He recently revealed he and his wife started going to therapy together.\n\nMorgane has been the country star’s muse for nearly two decades. The two met while working at neighboring music publishing companies on Music Row. Chris and Morgane tied the knot in October 2007.\n\nThe Stapletons share five children , three of them boys under 6.\n\nCHRIS STAPLETON CHOSE TO GET SOBER WITHOUT REHAB: 'I GOT INTO A DRINKING CONTEST WITH MYSELF... AND I LOST'\n\nMartina McBride and John McBride\n\nAfter more than three decades together, country star Martina McBride and her husband John McBride are still head over heels for one another.\n\nThe \"Valentine\" singer and sound engineer have been married for 35 years. McBride honored her husband earlier this year on their milestone anniversary.\n\n\"We made it to 35 years! Thirty. Five. Years. Wow. This guy makes me laugh every day and he’s a great dad to our 3 girls. He is a friend to many. But he’s my best friend. Love you John,\" she penned on Instagram.\n\nThe couple owns Blackbird Studios in Nashville together, opening it in 2002. Since then, they have welcomed several country artists to their recording studio, including McGraw and Hill, Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Sheryl Crow and Blake Shelton.\n\nThe McBrides share three daughters together: Delaney, Emma and Ava.\n\n\n\nDOLLY PARTON REVEALS SECRET TO 56-YEAR MARRIAGE WITH HUSBAND CARL THOMAS DEAN: ‘IT WAS MEANT TO BE’\n\nDolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean\n\nCountry music icon Dolly Parton knows how to keep the spark alive in her marriage.\n\nThe \"Jolene\" songstress previously got candid about her 56-year marriage to husband and Nashville businessman Carl Thomas Dean.\n\n\"I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘I stay going,'\" Parton said during an interview with \"ET Canada\" last year.\n\n\"You know, there’s a lot to be said about that. So we’re not in each other’s face all the time. He’s not in the business, so we have different interests, but yet we have the things we love to do together. So it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and vice versa.\"\n\nThe sweet couple had been married since 1966. Parton first met Dean when she was 18, and he was 21.\n\nAPP USERS CLICK HERE\n\nLike any relationship, they had a few highs and lows, however, the singer-songwriter revealed a good laugh keeps the chemistry alive.\n\n\"We both have a warped sense of humor. And I think humor, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that. Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humor, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it,\" Parton remarked.\n\nNICOLE KIDMAN, KEITH URBAN OSCARS PDA HEATS UP RED CARPET\n\nKeith Urban and Nicole Kidman\n\nKeith Urban and Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman have a few rules that keep their union strong.\n\nWhile the couple have been married for 17 years, Urban gave a glimpse into their long-lasting relationship and shared that it is not always easy managing his career with his personal life.\n\nThe rule that works for them? \"It’s always family first.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER\n\nWATCH: KEITH URBAN TALKS OPENING THE 2023 ACM AWARDS AND HIS MARRIAGE WITH NICOLE KIDMAN\n\n\"It's balanced, so it means it goes out of balance sometimes, and we just put it back in balance,\" Urban told Fox News Digital ahead of the 2023 ACM Awards this year. \"It's never perfectly in balance, but we get it back on track.\"\n\nKidman and Urban, both Australian, met in 2005. Kidman had previously been married to actor Tom Cruise, with whom she adopted two children over the course of their marriage.\n\nThe lovebirds are parents to Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.\n\nCARRIE UNDERWOOD SAYS SHE ‘SWORE’ AS A CHILD SHE WOULD ‘NEVER’ MARRY A HUNTER: ‘NOT IN A MILLION YEARS’\n\nCarrie Underwood and Mike Fisher\n\nCarrie Underwood and Mike Fisher have been going strong for 13 years of marriage.\n\nThe \"Love Wins\" singer and former NHL player previously credited their faith in helping them overcome obstacles in their relationship.\n\n\"That's where our faith comes in, I think it gives us a center ground where that's the most important thing in anything,\" Fisher shared on the \"Mike and Carrie: God & Country\" digital series.\n\n\"And then, your differences, if they're rooted in that, I know your heart, you know my heart, there's always a way and it always is God working in it.\"\n\nThe two tied the knot in 2010 and share two young sons – Isaiah and Jacob.", + "While it was lovely to be taken care of, we all tend to regress when we’re living with our parents. It’s impossible not to feel infantilised, and there’s a real tipping point where you start to lean into learnt helplessness. I stayed for four months before I moved out to house-sit a friend’s place. Then I launched myself into dating to try to find a man to have a family with. After the roller-coaster of dating, I decided to start fertility treatment on my own, and by the time it began, I’d found a stable job and was renting an apartment. When I got pregnant, I was elated but also terrified about how I would raise a kid on my own, financially and emotionally. Luckily, after I gave birth, my parents invited me to live with them, so I moved back for the first three months of my son’s life. While it was wonderful to have the emotional and practical support, after three months I felt that If I didn’t get out there to live as an independent person, I would quickly lose any sense of what I was capable of. But I’m incredibly grateful for the time I had living with my parents; I know it’s a huge privilege to have them as a safety net. I ended up writing a memoir, Inconceivable, about my journey to become a solo mum – and the complexities of being a woman in your late 30s who has to start over and move back in with your parents. I think while we’re all embracing this contemporary feminist movement where women can create families of their own making, we’re also realising that we need help, that parenthood can’t happen alone.”\n\n“We sold our home to go travelling and now we can’t get back into the market” Yearning for a tree change, Tess Moone, a 31-year-old travel writer, sold her Perth home only to discover that a suitable rental was almost impossible to find. “Our initial ‘quick stay’ with Dane’s parents has stretched out month after month.” “My husband Dane and I became home owners at the age of 21. We thought we were doing all the right things; we bought a house 10 minutes from Perth’s CBD, where I was working. But after the pandemic we began questioning our lifestyle choices. Did we really want to kill ourselves to pay a million-dollar mortgage in the city when we were leaning towards a tree change in Margaret River? So we sold our home in February and spent six months travelling around Europe and Japan. Our plan, once we returned to Perth, was to stay at Dane’s parents’ house while we looked for a rental in Margaret River. We figured we’d be with my in-laws for three to four weeks, but we didn’t realise how bad the rental crisis in the region is. We’ve been offering more than the asking price and/or offering more rent upfront to secure a place, but as there’s a preference to rent to families or those who’ve rented before, we keep getting knocked back. Our initial “quick stay” with Dane’s parents has stretched out month after month. We’re living in one of their spare rooms and have our boxes stored in another.\n\nI love my parents-in-law, so there have certainly been upsides. We’re spending a lot of quality time together and they’re really lovely about trying to give us as much space as possible, often booking weekends away so that Dane and I get the house to ourselves for a couple of days. We’ve also worked out our perfect system for sharing the load; they’ll cook dinner for half the week, for example, and we’ll cook the other half, so the division of labour has been a positive experience. Loading The most challenging aspects? They’re retired, so they’re home a lot. And I work from home, so it’s a little tougher for me than it is for Dane, who works in an office. I get lots of invitations from my mother-in-law to join her and her friends for lunch or coffee when I’m supposed to be working, which is probably not the worst thing to complain about. Despite our love for his parents, the anxiety Dane and I have been feeling has increased as time’s gone by. So much so that we’ve just agreed to move into a friend’s holiday home, sight unseen, even though we’ll have to move back in with Dane’s parents during the times the friend wants to use it, such as at Christmas. It isn’t ideal, but it’s one step back towards independence. If we’d known then what we know now, we’d never have sold our home.” “It’s a shame we don’t value multi-generational living more than we do”\n\nJob insecurity and financial practicality encouraged Rachel Claire, a 32-year-old photographer, to move back in with her parents in 2019. “The great thing about living with your parents when you’re an adult yourself is that you don’t take any of it for granted.” “My parents and I have always been close. When I first moved out of home at the age of 22, my parents would always find reasons to pop by, whether it was just a quick visit after work or to fix things or mow my lawn. I could say they struggled with becoming empty-nesters, but I think it’s more accurate to say we’ve just always enjoyed each other’s company. With my career as a photographer, I was in and out of the country a lot, spending money on rent when I wasn’t often at home – crazy when you’re in an industry where there’s very little job security. Eventually, my parents said that maybe it was a good idea to move back home for a while so I could come and go with minimal financial impact while I was establishing myself. I wasn’t so sure initially; I loved my freedom and struggled with the idea of falling back into traditional parent/child roles in my late 20s. But when I started thinking about the benefits – particularly my parents’ home security systems, which are very handy when you’ve got expensive gear – I accepted and moved back in.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nFans have spotted Travis Kelce wearing a friendship bracelet with Taylor Swift lyrics on it, just days before she attended his Kansas City Chiefs game.\n\nIn a video posted to TikTok on 25 September, a fan shared a photo of Kelce posing with the piece of jewellery on his wrist. The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.\n\nThe now-viral photo shows how Kelce may have hinted at the ongoing dating rumours before Swift attended his game. The snap showed Kelce posing at the Kelce Car Jam charity event on Friday 22 September, where he was sporting a beaded friendship bracelet that read: “Vigilante S***”\n\nThe beads on the friendship bracelet appeared to reference Swift’s song “Vigilante S***” from her 2022 album, Midnights. In addition to the Swiftie-themed jewellery, Kelce also wore a white striped shirt with silver chain necklaces, black sunglasses, and black pants for the event.\n\nIn the comments, fans both praised and questioned Kelce for the beaded friendship bracelet. Many people also pointed out how fans of the “Bad Blood” singer famously trade and wear friendship bracelets at Swift’s Eras Tour concerts.\n\n“OF ALL 230 SONGS IN THE DISCOGRAPHY I’M SICK,” one fan commented, while another person wrote: “It’s unbelievable how invested I am in this.”\n\n“I’m gonna need to go back and see all photos of him from the last three months and dissect if he’s wearing friendship bracelets,” a third wrote.\n\nIn other photos from the charity event - which were shared to Instagram by Jordan’s KC photography - Kelce wasn’t seen wearing the friendship bracelet, leading many people to believe that he received the bracelet from a fan that day.\n\nTwo days after his charity event, the “All Too Well” singer was spotted cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs tight end from the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Not only was she seen sitting next to Kelce’s mother, Donna, but she also appeared to yell “let’s f***ing go” in response to Kelce’s third-quarter touchdown reception.\n\nAfter the game, which saw the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears 41-10, Kelce was seen leaving the stadium in a blue and white splatter-paint denim suit. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to believe that Kelce’s outfit paid homage to Swift’s forthcoming album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is due for re-release on 27 October.\n\nAfter the two escaped the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium in Kelce’s convertible, according to photos and videos posted online, the football star reportedly rented out Prime Social Rooftop in Kansas City for a post-game celebration with his family, his teammates, and Swift.\n\n“Travis bought out the restaurant for his family and team. Taylor arrived, wearing a denim dress, and was seen snacking, having some cocktails and dancing alongside Travis,” the witness told Entertainment Tonight. “The two were very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and lighthearted. Travis’ teammates also showed up to the after-party, as well as his mom, Donna Kelce. The party lasted until 2 am.”\n\nThe late-night outing came days after the NFL star officially addressed ongoing dating rumours about him and the “Anti-Hero” singer. During an episode of The Pat McAfee Show on 21 September, he mocked his brother Jason Kelce for joking that he “100 per cent” believed his younger sibling was dating Swift.\n\n“It’s hilarious how much traction this has actually gotten, right now it’s like a game of telephone,” Kelce said. “Where everybody’s whispering in each other’s ears and hearing random stuff. No one actually knows what’s going on, especially when you got Jason Kelce on live television telling people just both sides - he doesn’t know, it’s true, this and that.”\n\nHe also noted that he was still open to pursuing a relationship with Swift, revealing that he subtly asked if she’d want to attend one of his football games.\n\n“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he said. “I told her, you know, I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead [Stadium], you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit. So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”\n\nBack in July, Kelce first confessed that he tried - and failed - to give Swift his number by giving her a friendship bracelet at one of her Eras Tour concerts. “I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows, because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” he explained to his brother on their podcast.\n\n“So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” Kelce said. “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”", + "STADE DE FRANCE – Twenty-eight years between drinks and drama was always on the cards between these two great foes. Little did we know just how much.\n\nBut just like that famous win at Ellis Park where Nelson Mandela handed over the William Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar, it was the Springboks who once again prevailed 12-11 in an instant classic.\n\nUnlike the blue skies that greeted Johannesburg and the Boeing 747 plane that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in attendance in 1995, rain and dampness poured down on the Stade de France.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nYet, nothing was going to dampen this evening as 80,065 fans poured in.\n\nIn a match of controversy, where cards of yellow and red were handed out quicker than a game of Uno, thundering shots both legal and illegal were put on by rugby’s two greatest sides.\n\nSam Cane – the All Blacks captain – was forced to watch the match from the sidelines for 53 minutes after having his yellow card for a high shot on Jesse Kriel upgraded to red. His opposite in the number seven jersey, Siya Kolisi, was later shown a yellow card for a high shot on Ardie Savea, but returned.\n\nCheslin Kolbe – the magnificent winger who sealed their World Cup triumph four years earlier against England – meanwhile couldn’t bare to watch from the sidelines after being shown a yellow card for a deliberate knockdown in the 73rd minute.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIt was that kind of evening, where the margins were tiny and the outcomes almighty.\n\n“There are no ways I can explain it,” Kolisi said.\n\n“I want to give credit to the All Blacks. They took us to the end, they took us to a dark place. It shows what kind of team they are, to fight with a man down from early in the game. They put us under so much pressure.\n\n“Credit to my boys too for the fight. I am just grateful we could pull it off.”\n\nSpeaking of mighty, Pieter-Steph du Toit – the 2019 World Rugby player of the year – played his best match in four years as he spearheaded the Springboks’ physical onslaught. The back-rower made 28 tackles, each as bone-crunching as the next.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBy claiming their third one-point knockout victory in a row, the Springboks moved into uncharted territory by leapfrogging the All Blacks by sealing their fourth World Cup. It was the second straight tournament the Springboks won in France, having beaten England at the same venue in 2007.\n\nA missed Richie Mo’unga conversion following Beauden Barrett’s 58th minute try – the only five-pointer of the match – ultimately proved the difference, as Handre Pollard’s four three-pointers led the Springboks to World Cup glory.\n\nThe All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions.\n\nAll night the All Blacks’ timing was off and the forced ball from Savea out wide just as the men in black saw space and looked to open up the Springboks in the 80th minute proved to be killer blow.\n\nWayne Barnes, who was booed relentlessly, called a scrum reset as the seconds ticked by.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMoments later, their hearts sunk as the Springboks managed to win the scrum and then hang onto the ball.\n\nThe victory was the perfect sign-off for the Springboks’ management, with director of rugby Rassie Erasmus set to follow head coach Jacques Nienaber out.\n\nThe duo will go down as the greatest coaching duo in rugby history, having led the Springboks to back-to-back World Cup triumphs.\n\n“We came a long way with the players. We always planned for this World Cup, since 2018,” Nienaber said.\n\n“Massive credit to our fans. They were special from South Africa, 62 million people, the videos we had to play from them. It was unbelievable.”\n\nVeteran back-rower Duane Vermeulen will also call time on his illustrious career.\n\nAll Blacks coach Ian Foster’s tenure in charge has also come to an end, with Scott Robertson to take over following a bumpy four years in charge.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nRobertson will have an almighty task on his hand, with multiple generational players including Dane Coles, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Aaron Smith to call time on their international careers. Others like Ardie Savea, Mo’unga, Beauden Barrett and Shannon Frizell will also head to Japan.\n\nWhile Foster didn’t want to take anything away from the Springboks’ win, he said the game had some issues to sort out regarding the officiating.\n\n“I’m proud of our guys, to go down to that red card so early and fight our way back and give ourselves a chance is pretty special,” the departing All Blacks coach said.\n\n“I don’t think it went wrong in any clear [place on the pitch], it was a real arm wrestle, both teams have their moment, incredibly proud of the way we fought and to get within a whisker of pulling it off is heart-breaking.\n\n“This group is very proud to be All Blacks, very proud to play for their country and have worked incredibly hard to get here.\n\n“While I am so proud of what we did and how we worked we have to give it to South Africa, they are a quality team. They have had a few close victories in this tournament and are a different class. It’s special for them but it equally hurts for us. I can’t ask for much more than we did, we couldn’t put more out on the park.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nControversy was on display from the outset, as Frizell was shown a yellow card for an illegal cleanout on Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi. The incident saw the hooker, who was cleared earlier in the week by World Rugby following an alleged racial slur on England back-rower Tom Curry, replaced by Deon Fourie in the third minute.\n\nThe penalty allowed Pollard to step up and bang over three points.\n\nThe All Blacks were on the backfoot much of the opening quarter and, after Ethan de Groot was pinged for not rolling away, the Springboks moved further ahead after 12 minutes.\n\nA wicked bounce following a lovely Jordie Barrett chip kick denied Savea a try soon after. But the All Blacks were on the scoreboard via Mo’unga moments later as Barnes was playing advantage.\n\nBut the Springboks restored their six-point lead soon after as Savea was pinged for not releasing. Barnes later apologised, with the No.8 having a split-second separation.\n\nThe Springboks’ rush defence caused the All Blacks problems all evening, as Damian de Allende and Kriel forced their opponents into errors. Will Jordan, the impressive young outside back who scored eight tries, had a difficult night and was replaced midway through the second half.\n\nThe biggest error was around the corner, as Kriel stepped back into the defence and Cane failed to drop his body height and clocked the centre in the jaw. He didn’t return.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line. Pollard licked his lips and said ‘thanks’.\n\nThe All Blacks managed to cut the deficit to 12-6 after 37 minutes when Eben Etzebeth was caught offside and denied his opponents some quick ball.\n\nFoster’s men breathed a sigh of relief when Kolisi blew a chance out wide when he tucked the ball under his arms and went himself after Beauden Barrett failed to collect a high ball in the 42nd minute.\n\nMinutes later and Kolisi was off, as he cannoned into Savea. He would later return, much to the anger of the New Zealanders in the crowd who were calling for justice.\n\nSensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide. It came back to haunt them, as their usually silky and composed skill sets failed them.\n\nThat much was true when the TMO intervened after Smith thought he had a try in his final Test, but an error at the lineout cancelled out the five-pointer.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nEventually the All Blacks did have a try, as Mark Telea, the All Blacks’ best and biggest attacking threat all night, managed to get on the outside and draw in two defenders before offloading to Beauden Barrett. But Mo’unga missed the conversion to leave them trailing by a point.\n\nThat lone point would prove the difference, as the Springboks celebrated a remarkable victory by a remarkable side.", + "PARIS – The All Blacks have downplayed Rieko Ioane’s gestures towards Ireland fans and retiring great Johnny Sexton, as the three-time world champions said they have learned to “respect Argentina” ahead of their semi-final on Saturday (6am AEDT).\n\nIt comes as Michael Cheika embraced the underdog status and said he was hoping Los Pumas “inspired” Argentina “not by our results but by our ambition”, as the former Wallabies coach readies for another clash against the All Blacks and a second semi-final.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nIoane copped a spray from Sexton following their 28-24 nail-biting win over Ireland.\n\nIt came after the lethal back cupped his ear at Irish supporters at the Stade de France after the final whistle, as well as putting his finger to his lips in a ‘shush gesture’.\n\nIan Foster, who made two changes to his starting side and three in total, was forced to defend his centre’s actions while twisting the knife into Sexton’s finish.\n\n“It happens on most sporting parks when tensions are high and a lot at stake,” Foster said.\n\n“Unfortunately recently it’s also included players saying a few things to referees. Is it right for the game? I don’t know. You don’t hear a lot of players complaining about it.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nCaptain Sam Cane added: “It’s players’ different personalities and emotions running high in those moments. There’s always people who have different tactics but it’s always just left out there.”\n\nFoster recalled Sam Whitelock to the starting side in the only change to the pack.\n\nWhitelock, whose breakdown penalty win after 37 phases denied Ireland a match-winning penalty, has been recalled and will partner Scott Barrett in the second-row. Brodie Retallick will come off the bench.\n\nElsewhere, Mark Telea has been recalled ahead of Leicester Fainga’anuku. The tryscoring machine was axed for the quarter-final after missing a team curfew.\n\n“That’s the team we think best for this week,” Foster said.\n\n“Mark has done his time. He made a mistake and accepted what was happening but you don’t linger in that space. He’s been our form winger. We have got a faith in him and think he is in good place to play this game.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We really enjoyed Leicester Fainga’anuku]’s game last week and he should be proud of that and its’s a tough selection. It’s a chance for us to get Mark on the park.”\n\nThe All Blacks are 18-point favourites for the opening semi-final.\n\nIt comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney.\n\n“The past sets us up beautifully for both teams,” Foster said.\n\n“We do know each other but we don’t know each other terms of a Rugby World Cup, so at this stage in the tournament it’s new territory for us and as we’ve seen World Cups are very different.”\n\n“We have learnt to greatly respect Argentina. They have a rich history of overachieving at the World Cup and have done a fantastic job to get here at the same level we are, so it is going to be a heck of a game.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFoster said the All Blacks, who suffered a shock semi-final loss to Eddie Jones’ England in 2019, never consider themselves favourites.\n\n“Firstly, you’ve never heard us say we’re favourites,” he said.\n\n‘We know these games are do or die. We’re going to have to improve our performance. The stage gets bigger at this time in the tournament and you’ve got to grow your game. That’s our strong focus. The best team on the night wins – Argentina has done that to us.”\n\nCheika however was happy to remind the All Blacks who were favourites.\n\n“”New Zealand has always been an example in rugby, a benchmark. They make you think of high-level skills in a really open game but there are always threats in the lineout, mauls and rucks,” said Cheika, whose Wallabies lost in the 2015 final.\n\n“You have to take the moments you are in the game and see them coming at you at different times.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“In the game in 2020 there were things you could pinpoint. You can’t say that one game means we can do it as there are a lot of games where we haven’t.\n\n“That moment has to be just a part of it. What we have done since then, all the success and failures [matters in our preparation]. The other team are heavy favourites, everyone is expecting a New Zealand and South Africa final. We just have to focus on what is required.”\n\nCheika has maintained that his Los Pumas side was too tight earlier in the tournament but has begun to free themselves up since qualifying for the knockout stages – and rewarding their fans by doing so.\n\nOn inspiring the country?\n\n“It’s not easy,” he said.\n\n“We want to inspire not just by our results but by our ambition, by our ability to get back up and overcome obstacles.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“To inspire is not about results, it’s not just one player who played well; no, it’s about our behaviour in general, our ability to be ready to come back from difficult times and seizing our opportunities.\n\n“There are not a lot of opportunities in life – us playing in a semi-final is even rarer and we want to have no regrets.”", + "EU turns up the heat on X over illegal content in wake of Israel-Hamas war\n\nThe European Union is cranking up the heat on Elon Musk-owned X. Late Thursday, the Commission sent the company a formal request for more information — after issuing a public warning Wednesday about reports that illegal content and disinformation targeting the Israel-Hamas war is circulating on the platform, and Twitter’s CEO sending a high-level (non specific) response to that warning.\n\nThe move could prefigure the opening of a formal investigation of X under the bloc’s content moderation rulebook, the Digital Services Act (DSA). If the Commission moves ahead on that, it will be the first investigation opened under the DSA since a compliance deadline for so called “very large online platforms” (aka VLOPs) kicked in this summer.\n\nNon-compliance under DSA rules, meanwhile, could trigger fines of up to 6% of annual turnover, plus potential blocking of a service for repeated infringements. X owner Elon Musk last projected revenues of about $3 billion for this year. It’s anyone’s guess if that’s accurate now, but as an example, that would result in a fine of up to $180 million.\n\nIndirectly, an investigation will also be a key way for the public to have significantly more transparency around how X is being used (and abused): since Musk took Twitter private, the company no longer produces quarterly earnings reports and is not held to account as closely as a result.\n\nEU officials confirmed to TechCrunch that an investigation has not been taken at this point. Clearly, though, yesterday’s development (and the pace at which regulators are moving) is a strong indication of the bloc’s direction of travel.\n\nThe Commission said it is looking at X’s compliance with the DSA across a number of areas — including with regard to its policies and practices regarding notices on illegal content; complaint handling; risk assessment and measures to mitigate the risks identified.\n\nOn Wednesday, in an “urgent” letter to Musk, the EU’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said the bloc had seen “indications” from “qualified sources” that X is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU” following Saturday’s attacks — before reminding X of the DSA’s “very precise obligations” vis-à-vis content moderation.\n\n“When you receive notices of illegal content in the EU, you must be timely, diligent and objective in taking action and removing the relevant content when warranted,” Breton also warned then.\n\nIn its latest press release, the EU said it has sent X a formal request for information under the DSA.\n\n“This request follows indications received by the Commission services of the alleged spreading of illegal content and disinformation, in particular the spreading of terrorist and violent content and hate speech,” it wrote, adding that the ask also addresses other aspects of DSA compliance.\n\nThe pan-EU regulation puts a series of governance obligations on digital services and platforms with the aim of ensuring companies are responding to reports of illegal content. They must also clearly communicate their T&Cs to users and be able to demonstrate proper enforcement.\n\nLarger platforms like X also have additional obligations to identify and mitigate systemic risks such as disinformation, gender-based violence or negative effects on the exercise of fundamental rights.\n\nAdditionally, the regulation includes a “crisis response” mechanism (Article 36) which enables the Commission to adopt rapid-fire measures on larger platforms in situations of “serious threat”, such as war.\n\nSince Saturday’s attacks in Israel, posts identified as false have been spotted circulating on X — including, in one example, a clip that purported to show Hamas missile attacks on Israel but was actually footage from a video game.\n\nMeanwhile X’s ability to respond internally to reports of content problems have been drastically pared back after Musk’s takeover last year — which saw major layoffs, including in content moderation and human rights as part of the new billionaire owner’s bid to improve the platform’s profitability.\n\nIn response to the EU’s warning earlier this week, X CEO Linda Yaccarino released a letter saying that a leadership group had been convened to consider X’s response and “tens of thousands” of pieces of content had been removed, along with “thousands” of posts and “hundreds” of accounts linked to terrorist groups, violence or extremism.\n\nShe also said the company formerly known as Twitter is responding to law enforcement requests but claimed it had not received any requests from Europol at the time.\n\nToday @lindayaX responded to @ThierryBreton’s letter detailing our work in response to the terrorist attack on Israel. pic.twitter.com/yZtaOVGpHG — Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) October 12, 2023\n\nIn further remarks via X’s safety account, the company reported that there had been more than 50 million posts globally over the past two days that referenced the weekend’s terrorist attack, underlining the scope of content generated.\n\nX has been pushing a so-called Community Notes feature — which crowdsources additional context to add to questionable tweets — as its main response to disinformation risks.\n\nBy Thursday afternoon, Hamas’ attack had killed more than 1,200 people, per the Israeli Military, and at least 1,537 people had been killed in Gaza by Israel’s retaliatory strikes, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.\n\nReturning to the EU process, X has until October 18 to provide the bloc with information about “the activation and functioning of X’s crisis response protocol”; and until October 31 to respond to its other requests.\n\n“Based on the assessment of X replies, the Commission will assess next steps,” the Commission wrote. “This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA.”\n\nIt also noted the regulation includes powers to impose fines for “incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a request for information”.\n\n“In case of failure to reply by X, the Commission may decide to request the information by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of period penalties,” the EU added.\n\nEarlier this year, Musk pulled out of the EU’s Code of Practice on online disinformation. In a response to X leaving the voluntary Code, Breton warned: “Obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide.”\n\nIn recent days, TikTok and Meta have also been warned by the EU over disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war. But back in September, a study commissioned via the EU’s Code of Practice suggested X is the worst of the major platforms when it comes to spreading disinformation.\n\nThis report was substantially revised to clarify a number of aspects, including — most saliently — that the EU has sent a formal request for information to X at this point. This could prefigure a formal announcement of an investigation but is not, yet, that formal technical step. We also clarified the scale of financial penalties possible under the DSA if a breach is confirmed; and added details of the regulation’s crisis response mechanism. We also fixed an error in the original report which referred to Interpol, rather than Europol.", + "In a very swift test of the European Union’s newly updated content moderation rulebook, the bloc has fired a public warning at Elon Musk–owned X (formerly Twitter) for failing to tackle illegal content circulating on the platform in the wake of Saturday’s deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists based in the Gaza Strip.\n\nThe European Commission has also raised concerns about the spread of disinformation on X related to the terrorist attacks and their aftermath.\n\nUnlike terrorism content, disinformation is not illegal in the EU per se. However, the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) puts an obligation on X — as a so-called very large online platform — to mitigate risks attached to harmful falsehoods as well as to act diligently on reports of illegal content.\n\nFollowing the terrorist attacks by Hamas against 🇮🇱, we have indications of X/Twitter being used to disseminate illegal content & disinformation in the EU. Urgent letter to @elonmusk on #DSA obligations ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/avMm1LHq54 — Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) October 10, 2023\n\nGraphic videos apparently showing terrorist attacks on civilians have been circulating on X since Saturday, along with other content, including some posts that purport to show footage from the attacks inside Israel or Israel’s subsequent retaliation on targets in the Gaza Strip but which fact-checkers have identified as false.\n\nThe Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and tourists, which took place after militants inside Gaza managed to get past border fences and mount a series of surprise attacks, have been followed by Israel’s prime minister declaring “we are at war” and its military retaliating by firing scores of missiles into the Gaza Strip.\n\nA number of videos posted to X since the attacks have been identified as entirely unrelated to the conflict — including footage that was filmed last month in Egypt and even a clip from a video game that had been posted to the platform with a (false) claim it showed Hamas missile attacks on Israel.\n\nA Wired report yesterday summed up the chaotic situation playing out on Musk’s platform in an article entitled “The Israel-Hamas War Is Drowning X in Disinformation.”\n\nAt one point, Musk himself even recommended people follow accounts that had posted antisemitic comments and false information in the past — although he subsequently deleted the tweet where he had made the suggestion.\n\nThis video certainly doesn't show a new air assault on Israel by Hamas militants, because it's actually from the video game Arma 3. pic.twitter.com/IcX7xs8QDp — Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 9, 2023\n\nLast night, we saw a totally false claim about Israel bombing a church in Gaza go viral, thanks to multiple blue tick accounts repeating an unverified claim that had no evidence to back it up. Musk has created a fundamental issue with Twitter's credibility in moments of crisis. https://t.co/T70G2oNDZH — Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) October 10, 2023\n\nThe problem for Musk is the DSA regulates how social media platforms and other services that carry user-generated content must respond to reports of illegal content like terrorism.\n\nIt also puts legal obligation on larger platforms — including X — to mitigate risks from disinformation. So the fast-moving and bloody events unfolding in Israel and Gaza are offering a real-world test of whether the EU’s rebooted rulebook is big and beefy enough to tackle X’s most notorious shitposter. Who, since last fall, is also the platform’s owner.\n\nSince taking over Twitter (as it was then), Musk has painted the largest target on X when it comes to DSA enforcement on account of a series of changes he’s pushed out that make it harder for users to locate quality information on X.\n\nThis includes ending legacy account verification and turning the Blue Check system into a game of pay-to-play. He’s also ripped up a bunch of legacy content moderation policies and slashed in-house enforcement teams while promoting a decentralized, crowdsourced alternative (rebranded as Community Notes), which essentially outsources responsibility for dealing with tricky issues like disinformation to users in what looks suspiciously like another gambit to eke out extra engagement and farm confusion by applying a philosophy of extreme relativism so culture warriors are encouraged to keep forever fighting for their own “truth” in the comments.\n\nOh and he also pulled X out of the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation earlier this year in a very clear thumb of the nose to EU regulators.\n\nUrgent letter to Musk\n\nIn an “urgent” letter to Musk today, which the EU’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton also shared on X, the bloc has sent the strongest signal yet it believes Musk’s platform is in breach of the DSA — although this is by no means Musk’s first warning.\n\nA rule of law clash between Musk and the EU has looked increasingly inevitable in recent months — and, indeed, has been predicted by some industry watchers since rumors of the erratic billionaire’s plan to take over Twitter emerged last year.\n\nReminder: Penalties for confirmed breaches of the DSA can be as high as 6% of global annual turnover. The bloc also has powers, in extremis, which could result in access to X being shut off in the region if the platform repeatedly fails to correct course. So if Musk fails to satisfy EU regulators, he could face serious consequences for what remains a highly indebted business.\n\nIn his letter to Musk, Breton writes that the EU has “indications” that X is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU” following Saturday’s attacks. He then goes on to remind the company of the DSA’s “very precise obligations” vis-à-vis content moderation.\n\n“When you receive notices of illegal content in the EU, you must be timely, diligent and objective in taking action and removing the relevant content when warranted,” he warns. “We have, from qualified sources, reports about potentially illegal content circulating on your service despite flags from relevant authorities.”\n\nHe also takes issue with a change X made last night to its public interest policy, under which it judges newsworthiness (i.e., for deciding whether posts that infringe its rules may nonetheless remain on the site) — but which Breton says have left “many European users uncertain” (i.e., about how X is applying its own rules).\n\nAgain, this is a problem because the DSA requires platforms to be clear and transparent about their rules and how they apply them. “This is particularly relevant when it comes to violent and terrorist content that appears to circulate on your platform,” Breton continues in another pointed warning.\n\nX should have “proportionate and effective mitigation measures” in place to tackle “the risks to public security and civic discourse stemming from disinformation,” he also says.\n\nInstead, the platform appears to be turning into an engine of disinformation — one that’s demonstrably enabled the very swift amplification of a smorgasbord of toxic fakes around the Israel-Hamas war. Falsehoods that may be trying to manipulate opinion around the conflict, or otherwise exploit horrific events to drive engagement (clickbait) or for even more bleak, cynical and potentially harmful ends.\n\n“Public media and civil society organisations widely report instances of fake and manipulated images and facts circulating on your platform in the EU, such as repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games. This appears to be manifestly false or misleading information,” writes Breton. “I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective, and report on the crisis measures taken to my team.”\n\nAsking Musk to be “effective” against disinformation is a bit like asking the sea to stop moving. But, well, this is how the regulatory dance must go (and after the dance comes the denouement — which, if a DSA breach is confirmed, means enforcement. And actual penalties might be a bit harder for Musk to troll).\n\nIn the meantime, the EU has asked Musk to make contact with relevant law enforcement authorities and Europol — and “ensure that you respond promptly to their requests.” Breton also flags some unspecified additional DSA compliance issues he says his team will be contacting Musk’s about “shortly” — “with a specific request.”. (We’ve asked the EU what else it’s concerned about on X and will update this report with any response.)\n\nThe bloc has given Musk a deadline of 24 hours to respond to its asks at this point — stipulating his answer will be added to its assessment file on X’s compliance with the DSA. “I remind you that following the opening of a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance, penalties can be imposed,” Breton adds, concluding the letter.\n\nWe’ve asked the Commission to confirm whether it has opened an investigation into X’s DSA compliance over concerns it’s raised in the letter. Perhaps it’s going to wait a day to see what his response is before taking that next dance step.\n\nMusk’s extremely iterative — or just plain erratic/arbitrary — management style is so far from the responsive and responsible qualities the EU’s rulebook demands of digital leaders it’s hard to see how this clash can end well for either side.\n\nWe contacted X for a response to the EU’s warnings about its DSA compliance but at press time the company had not responded — beyond firing back its usual automated reply, which reads: “Busy now, please check back later.”\n\nBut at the time of writing, Musk had engaged in a bit of a dance of his own with the news of the EU’s warning by responding to a critical tweet posted to X by journalist Glenn Greenwald, who attacked the EU’s new “censorship law,” as he dubbed the DSA — which he claimed would be used to “punish X.”\n\nIn reply to Greenwald, Musk avoided expressing the same trenchant criticism of the EU’s approach but invited yet more relativism — writing: “Let the public hear exactly what this disinformation consists of and decide for themselves.”\n\nHe then went on to sew doubt that disinformation is something that can be independently arbitrated at all, implying fact-checking is just a convenient exercise for targeting different opinions — so essentially echoing Greenwald’s position — by claiming that “many times” the “official fact-checker” has been found making false statements, before adding a rhetorically empty offer that “Maybe this is the case here, maybe not” for good, plausible deniability measure.\n\nIn another recent tweet-response Musk can also be seen chipping into another conversation in which an X user has commented on a screengrab of an apparent exchange of threats between Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and an official Israeli government account in relation to the war — with Musk writing: “Amazing to see this exchange!”\n\nThe irony here is Musk’s destruction of Twitter’s legacy verification of notable accounts means you can’t, at a glance, be sure if the exchange really happened.", + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes. The mission-driven tech company behind the Firefox browser, Pocket reader and other apps is now investing its energy into the so-called “fediverse” — a collection of decentralized social networking applications, like Mastodon, that communicate with one another over the ActivityPub protocol.\n\nThe idea is to rethink social networking from the ground up.\n\nToday, social networks are often run by large corporations — like Meta, Snap and Google — where advertisers pay the bills. This has created a world where modern social networks are profit-driven, and consumer needs aren’t always at the forefront, Mozilla believes. This disconnect between what people want and what today’s networks offer hit an inflection point last year, when billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter, leading to a surge of interest in alternatives to centralized social networking, including apps like Mastodon and Bluesky.\n\nUnder Musk, Twitter — now called X — has prioritized “free speech” managed by crowdsourced-based moderation. Its policies have resulted in increased hate speech and toxic content on the platform, some studies have shown.\n\nMozilla believes there’s a better way forward and, more importantly, that now is exactly the right time to invest in that path. And, as a wholly owned subsidiary of a nonprofit, the company says it’s not motivated by generating earnings for shareholders or returning a VC investment, allowing it to progress with a collaborative approach where it takes in input from a lot of different voices.\n\nIn an interview with TechCrunch, Mozilla Senior Director of Content Carolyn O’Hara explained why Mozilla has taken an interest in the fediverse and Mastodon, specifically, and how it expects to experiment in the months ahead.\n\nFor background, the company announced its plans to enter the fediverse in December 2022 and this May launched a private beta for Mozilla.social, a Mastodon server — or “instance” in fediverse parlance — that will allow consumers to participate in this new form of social networking where problems like misinformation, harassment and issues around worsening mental health are minimized.\n\nThe company’s work on its social efforts is also available publicly on GitHub. (Of interest to technical folks, the company is using a forked version of Elk as its alternative web client for its Mastodon server, which is what gives it its slick look and feel.)\n\nMozilla’s involvement, says O’Hara, came about because the company looked at the history of social media over the past decade and didn’t like what it saw.\n\n“I think that it’s a pretty poor track record by existing companies that are only model motivated by profit and just insane user growth, and are willing to tolerate and amplify really toxic content because it looks like engagement,” she says. “[They] aren’t just putting forward the kind of standards that are good for people, but are just good for their bottom lines.”\n\nPlus, she adds, consumers are now becoming aware of this, which is new.\n\n“Consumers feel that the vibes are off a little bit…these platforms aren’t necessarily working in their best interests, or satisfying them,” O’Hara points out.\n\nFor Mozilla, that discontent presented an opportunity to enter the social networking space and compete for consumers’ attention. In its case, however, the broader goal is to help the fediverse itself gain traction, not just its own Mastodon server.\n\n“We’re not seeking to get, like 2 billion users on our instance. We want people to have choice and agency,” says O’Hara, adding that choice is in line with Mozilla’s values.\n\nHowever, the company is aiming to tackle some of the obstacles that have prevented users from joining and participating in the fediverse so far, including the technical hurdles around onboarding, finding people to follow and discovering interesting content to discuss.\n\nFor starters, users will join the Mozilla.social instance with their Mozilla accounts, which also provides access to the Firefox browser, Mozilla’s VPN, Pocket and other products, simplifying access to its suite of tools. The instance isn’t yet open to the public, but is experimenting with hundreds of users for the time being.\n\n“We’re keeping the number intentionally small and we’re prioritizing the groups that we’re proactively reaching out to,” O’Hara explained. “The communities we’ve worked with previously will have first access to the private beta, some of which will include folks from the waitlist.”\n\nThe timeline to a public launch isn’t yet determined, as the company plans to experiment with various expansions and features throughout next year.\n\nFor example, Mozilla is currently experimenting with a Discover feed that aims to surface engaging content. Over time, it plans to gather more signals from around the fediverse to determine what sort of content people are interacting with. It also sees a role for its read-it-later app Pocket in this experience, as the app’s primary use case is to store links to articles and other content that people have signaled they want to read.\n\n“We are planning to open the beta in phases because we want to ensure that we have a content moderation team and other tools that can be scaled relative to the size of the user base. We’re not in a rush as we think it’s important to be deliberate about launching social media tools,” O’Hara says.\n\n“We have a lot of core competency that we brought over from our Pocket experience and other recommendation products that we put together to at least get that engine revving,” notes O’Hara.\n\nInitially, the company is running a Mastodon account, “@Pocket_Recommends@mozilla.social,” where it actively posts recommendations of stories to read. It’s the same sort of content you might find in the Pocket email newsletter, but now distributed on the fediverse.\n\nThe company also wants to address the needs of creators and publishers who want to broaden their audience as it moves forward with its fediverse plans.\n\n“From a content discovery standpoint, I’m really interested in how we can seed conversations and seed experiences with really high-quality content — certainly, editorial publisher content,” says O’Hara. “How can we get publishers and content providers involved early?… I think of them as a real constituency for us,” she says. Plus, Mozilla wants to bring in the originators whose posts lead to interesting conversations and keep the network active.\n\nO’Hara says Mozilla is now in active discussions with publishers to understand their needs, including both their social needs and business needs, and how those goals may have changed over the past year. As part of these discussions, Mozilla aims to convince publishers that Mastodon isn’t just another place they have to support, but one that could deliver on their objectives. As it learns from the publishers and other content creators what they want and need, it then intends to use that understanding to build features and drive efforts that can help them reach their audiences.\n\nSo far, what Mozilla has learned is that publishers today feel somewhat resigned and pessimistic about social networks. Twitter isn’t driving much traffic and, even though Instagram Threads appears interesting, Meta specifically said it wasn’t going to prioritize news on that platform. What Mozilla wants to accomplish, then, is to help reconfigure the Mastodon onboarding process so that when someone — including a publisher or creator — joins its instance (or the fediverse in general) they’re able to build their audience with more ease.\n\n“The baseline is just better onboarding, better connecting with accounts and communities,” explains O’Hara. “You might be interested in spaces where you can have the kinds of conversations that you want to be able to have; trust and safety practices that make you feel safe in order to participate. And I think also then access to content that spurs those conversations and seeds those conversations. And it all being kind of a delightful user experience — but we’re at the early days of that,” she adds.\n\nAnother avenue of thought is to create spaces within the fediverse where consumers can have civil and direct conversations within smaller communities, instead of shouting into the void, so to speak. As to what that will look like, is less clear. Will it be different instances or just new ways of forming communities, by building out features or experiences? O’Hara couldn’t say, only noting that experimentation will be needed.\n\nImportantly, trust and safety will also be key to Mozilla’s instance. Its content policies indicate strict measures around hate speech, impersonation, self-harm, harassment, misinformation, violent and sexualized content, and more, in addition to illegal content, like CSAM (child sexual abuse material) and promotion of illegal goods.\n\nBut there’s a chance that playing it too safe can make a product less compelling as a Twitter/X alternative. That’s one takeaway, at least, from the recent shutdown of Pebble (formerly T2), a Twitter clone that put trust and safety at the forefront of its development process. The app never gained more than 20,000 users, and the founders now believe that its approach to moderation may have been correct, but it wasn’t a growth driver. In other words, people may say they want to feel safer when participating online, but clearly, that isn’t their only need.\n\nMozilla’s instance, still in private testing, has a small team of moderators that will grow when the instance launches to the public in the coming months.\n\n“It’s not just a commitment, it’s beyond foundational for us — that is the thing that is going to be true about this instance,” O’Hara says of Mozilla’s plans to heavily moderate its space. Though Mozilla will also rely on technology to do some of the work, it wants to make sure the human moderators, “feel protected, supported and respected for their work,” she adds.\n\n“We are saying out the gate that this isn’t a neutral platform,” O’Hara stresses. “We think that that’s often used as this crutch to allow, or even amplify, really toxic content in the name of engagement… In some cases, platforms aren’t just brave enough to actually just take things down.”\n\nBuilding directly on the fediverse isn’t the only way the company is prompting new forms of social networking. The company has also financially backed a startup, Mammoth, the makers of a third-party app for Mastodon.\n\nMozilla has been leaning into its values around inclusion, dignity, security, agency and community for 25 years, O’Hara says, and those will guide its efforts in the fediverse, as well.\n\n“We’re going to have rules on how people can engage with one another…it’s the fediverse, you have lots of other places to go if you don’t want to abide by those rules,” she adds.\n\nUsers can provide Mozilla with feedback via @Social @Mozilla.social or by using the hashtag #mozillasocial within the product.", + "But eight years later, the argument between the two men seems prescient. The question of whether AI will elevate the world or destroy it – or at least inflict grave damage – has framed an ongoing debate among Silicon Valley founders, chatbot users, academics, legislators and regulators about whether the technology should be controlled or set free. Loading That debate has pitted some of the world’s richest men against one another: Musk, Page, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, tech investor Peter Thiel, Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sam Altman of OpenAI. All have fought for a piece of the business – which one day could be worth trillions of dollars – and the power to shape it. At the heart of this competition is a brain-stretching paradox. The people who say they are most worried about AI are among the most determined to create it and enjoy its riches. They have justified their ambition with their strong belief that they alone can keep AI from endangering Earth. Musk and Page stopped speaking soon after the party that summer. A few weeks later, Musk dined with Altman, who was then running a tech incubator, and several researchers in a private room at the Rosewood hotel in Menlo Park, California, a favoured deal-making spot close to the venture capital offices of Sand Hill Road.\n\nThat dinner led to the creation of a startup called OpenAI later in the year. Backed by hundreds of millions of dollars from Musk and other funders, the lab promised to protect the world from Page’s vision. Thanks to its ChatGPT chatbot, OpenAI has fundamentally changed the technology industry and has introduced the world to the risks and potential of artificial intelligence. OpenAI is valued at more than $US80 billion ($A123 billion), according to two people familiar with the company’s latest funding round, although Musk and Altman’s partnership didn’t make it. The two have since stopped speaking. Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Credit: Bloomberg, AP “There is disagreement, mistrust, egos,” Altman said. “The closer people are to being pointed in the same direction, the more contentious the disagreements are. You see this in sects and religious orders. There are bitter fights between the closest people.” Last month that infighting came to OpenAI’s boardroom. Rebel board members tried to force out Altman because, they believed, they could no longer trust him to build AI that would benefit humanity. Over five chaotic days, OpenAI looked as if it were going to fall apart, until the board – pressured by giant investors and employees who threatened to follow Altman out the door – backed down.\n\nThe drama inside OpenAI gave the world its first glimpse of the bitter feuds among those who will determine the future of AI. But years before OpenAI’s near meltdown, there was a little-publicised but ferocious competition in Silicon Valley for control of the technology that is now quickly reshaping the world, from how children are taught to how wars are fought. The birth of DeepMind Five years before the Napa Valley party and two before the cat breakthrough on YouTube, Demis Hassabis, a 34-year-old neuroscientist, walked into a cocktail party at Thiel’s San Francisco town house and realised he had hit pay dirt. There in Thiel’s living room, overlooking the city’s Palace of Fine Arts and a swan pond, was a chessboard. Hassabis had once been the second-best player in the world in the under-14 category. “I was preparing for that meeting for a year,” Hassabis said. “I thought that would be my unique hook in: I knew that he loved chess.”\n\nIn 2010, Hassabis and two colleagues, who all lived in Britain, were looking for money to start building “artificial general intelligence,” or AGI, a machine that could do anything the brain could do. At the time, few people were interested in AI. After a half-century of research, the AI field had failed to deliver anything remotely close to the human brain. Demis Hassabis at the UK’s Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit, at Bletchley Park last month. Credit: Reuters Pool Still, some scientists and thinkers had become fixated on the downsides of AI. Many, including the three young men from Britain, had a connection to Eliezer Yudkowsky, an internet philosopher and self-taught AI researcher. Yudkowsky was a leader in a community of people who called themselves Rationalists or, in later years, effective altruists. They believed that AI could find a cure for cancer or solve climate change, but they worried that AI bots might do things their creators had not intended. If the machines became more intelligent than humans, the Rationalists argued, the machines could turn on their creators. Thiel had become enormously wealthy through an early investment in Facebook and through his work with Musk in the early days of PayPal. He had developed a fascination with the singularity, a trope of science fiction that describes the moment when intelligent technology can no longer be controlled by humanity.\n\nWith funding from Thiel, Yudkowsky had expanded his AI lab and created an annual conference on the singularity. Years before, one of Hassabis’ two colleagues had met Yudkowsky, and he snagged them speaking spots at the conference, ensuring they’d be invited to Thiel’s party. Yudkowsky introduced Hassabis to Thiel. Hassabis assumed that lots of people at the party would be trying to squeeze their host for money. His strategy was to arrange another meeting. There was a deep tension between the bishop and the knight, he told Thiel. The two pieces carried the same value, but the best players understood that their strengths were vastly different. It worked. Charmed, Thiel invited the group back the next day, where they gathered in the kitchen. Their host had just finished his morning workout and was still sweating in a shiny tracksuit. A butler handed him a Diet Coke. The three made their pitch, and soon Thiel and his venture capital firm agreed to put £1.4 million ($A2.7 million) into their startup. He was their first major investor.\n\nThey named their company DeepMind, a nod to “deep learning,” a way for AI systems to learn skills by analysing large amounts of data; to neuroscience; and to the Deep Thought supercomputer from the sci-fi novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. By the spring of 2010, they were building their dream machine. They wholeheartedly believed that because they understood the risks, they were uniquely positioned to protect the world. “I don’t see this as a contradictory position,” said Mustafa Suleyman, one of the three DeepMind founders. “There are huge benefits to come from these technologies. The goal is not to eliminate them or pause their development. The goal is to mitigate the downsides.” Loading Having won over Thiel, Hassabis worked his way into Musk’s orbit. About two years later, they met at a conference organised by Thiel’s investment fund, which had also put money into Musk’s company SpaceX. Hassabis secured a tour of SpaceX headquarters. Afterward, with rocket hulls hanging from the ceiling, the two men lunched in the cafeteria and talked. Musk explained that his plan was to colonise Mars to escape overpopulation and other dangers on Earth. Hassabis replied that the plan would work – so long as superintelligent machines didn’t follow and destroy humanity on Mars, too. Musk was speechless. He hadn’t thought about that particular danger. Musk soon invested in DeepMind alongside Thiel, so he could be closer to the creation of this technology.\n\nFlush with cash, DeepMind hired researchers who specialised in neural networks, complex algorithms created in the image of the human brain. A neural network is essentially a giant mathematical system that spends days, weeks or even months identifying patterns in large amounts of digital data. First developed in the 1950s, these systems could learn to handle tasks on their own. After analysing names and addresses scribbled on hundreds of envelopes, for instance, they could read handwritten text. DeepMind took the concept further. It built a system that could learn to play classic Atari games such as Space Invaders, Pong and Breakout to illustrate what was possible. This got the attention of another Silicon Valley powerhouse, Google, and specifically Page. He saw a demonstration of DeepMind’s machine playing Atari games. He wanted in. The talent auction In the spring of 2012, Geoffrey Hinton, a 64-year-old professor at the University of Toronto, and two graduate students published a research paper that showed the world what AI could do. They trained a neural network to recognise common objects such as flowers, dogs and cars.\n\nScientists were surprised by the accuracy of the technology built by Hinton and his students. One who took particular notice was Yu Kai, an AI researcher who had met Hinton at a research conference and had recently started working for Baidu, a giant Chinese internet company. Baidu offered Hinton and his students $US12 million to join the company in Beijing, according to three people familiar with the offer. Hinton turned Baidu down, but the money got his attention. The Cambridge-educated British expatriate had spent most of his career in academia, except for occasional stints at Microsoft and Google, and was not especially driven by money. But he had a neurodivergent child, and the money would mean financial security. “We did not know how much we were worth,” Hinton said. He consulted lawyers and experts on acquisitions and came up with a plan: “We would organise an auction, and we would sell ourselves.” The auction would take place during an annual AI conference at the Harrah’s hotel and casino on Lake Tahoe. Big Tech took notice.\n\nGoogle, Microsoft, Baidu and other companies were beginning to believe that neural networks were a path to machines that could not only see but also hear, write, talk and — eventually — think. Loading Page had seen similar technology at Google Brain, his company’s AI lab, and he thought Hinton’s research could elevate his scientists’ work. He gave Alan Eustace, Google’s senior vice president of engineering, what amounted to a blank check to hire any AI expertise he needed. Eustace and Jeff Dean, who led the Brain lab, flew to Lake Tahoe and took Hinton and his students out to dinner at a steakhouse inside the hotel the night before the auction. The smell of old cigarettes was overpowering, Dean recalled. They made the case for coming to work at Google. The next day, Hinton ran the auction from his hotel room. Because of an old back injury, he rarely sat down. He turned a trash can upside down on a table, put his laptop on top and watched the bids roll in over the next two days.\n\nGoogle made an offer. So did Microsoft. DeepMind quickly bowed out as the price went up. The industry giants pushed the bids to $US20 million and then $US25 million, according to documents detailing the auction. As the price passed $US30 million, Microsoft quit, but it rejoined the bidding at $US37 million. “We felt like we were in a movie,” Hinton said. Then Microsoft dropped out a second time. Only Baidu and Google were left, and they pushed the bidding to $US42 million, $US43 million. Finally, at $US44 million, Hinton and his students stopped the auction. The bids were still climbing, but they wanted to work for Google. And the money was staggering. It was an unmistakable sign that deep-pocketed companies were determined to buy the most talented AI researchers, which was not lost on Hassabis at DeepMind. He had always told his employees that DeepMind would remain an independent company. That was, he believed, the best way to ensure its technology didn’t turn into something dangerous. But as Big Tech entered the talent race, he decided he had no choice: It was time to sell. By the end of 2012, Google and Facebook were angling to acquire the London lab, according to three people familiar with the matter. Hassabis and his co-founders insisted on two conditions: No DeepMind technology could be used for military purposes, and its AGI technology must be overseen by an independent board of technologists and ethicists.\n\nGoogle offered $US650 million. Zuckerberg of Facebook offered a bigger payout to DeepMind’s founders but would not agree to the conditions. DeepMind sold to Google. Zuckerberg was determined to build an AI lab of his own. He hired Yann LeCun, a French computer scientist who had also done pioneering AI research, to run it. A year after Hinton’s auction, Zuckerberg and LeCun flew to Lake Tahoe for the same AI conference. While padding around a suite at the Harrah’s casino in his socks, Zuckerberg personally interviewed top researchers, who were soon offered millions of dollars in salary and stock. AI was once laughed off. Now the richest men in Silicon Valley were shelling out billions to keep from being left behind. The lost ethics board\n\nWhen Musk invested in DeepMind, he broke his own informal rule – that he would not invest in any company he didn’t run himself. The downsides of his decision were already apparent when, only a month or so after his birthday spat with Page, he again found himself face to face with his former friend and fellow billionaire. Larry Page, co-founder of Google. Credit: Bloomberg The occasion was the first meeting of DeepMind’s ethics board, on August 14, 2015. The board had been set up at the insistence of the startup’s founders to ensure that their technology did no harm after the sale. The members convened in a conference room just outside Musk’s office at SpaceX. But that’s where Musk’s control ended. When Google bought DeepMind, it bought the whole thing. Musk was out. Financially, he had come out ahead, but he was unhappy. Three Google executives now firmly in control of DeepMind were there: Page; Sergey Brin, a Google co-founder and Tesla investor; and Eric Schmidt, Google’s chair. Among the other attendees were Reid Hoffman, another PayPal founder; and Toby Ord, an Australian philosopher studying “existential risk”.\n\nThe DeepMind founders reported that they were pushing ahead with their work but that they were aware the technology carried serious risks. Suleyman, the DeepMind co-founder, gave a presentation called “The Pitchforkers Are Coming.” AI could lead to an explosion in disinformation, he told the board. He fretted that as the technology replaced countless jobs in the coming years, the public would accuse Google of stealing their livelihoods. Google would need to share its wealth with the millions who could no longer find work and provide a “universal basic income,” he argued. Musk agreed. But it was pretty clear that his Google guests were not prepared to embark on a redistribution of (their) wealth. Schmidt said he thought the worries were completely overblown. In his usual whisper, Page agreed. AI would create more jobs than it took away, he argued. Eight months later, DeepMind had a breakthrough that stunned the AI community and the world. A DeepMind machine called AlphaGo beat one of the world’s best players at the ancient game of Go. The game, streamed over the internet, was watched by 200 million people across the globe. Most researchers had assumed that AI needed another 10 years to muster the ingenuity to do that. Demis Hassabis, right, co-founder of DeepMind, with South Korean professional Lee Se-dol. Lee played Go against the DeepMind machine AlphaGo in March 2016. Credit: EPA\n\nRationalists, effective altruists and others who worried about the risks of AI claimed the computer’s win validated their fears. “This is another indication that AI is progressing faster than even many experts anticipated,” Victoria Krakovna, who would soon join DeepMind as an “AI safety” researcher, wrote in a blog post. DeepMind’s founders were increasingly worried about what Google would do with their inventions. In 2017, they tried to break away from the company. Google responded by increasing the salaries and stock award packages of the DeepMind founders and their staff. They stayed put. The ethics board never had a second meeting. The Breakup\n\nConvinced that Page’s optimistic view of AI was dead wrong, and angry at his loss of DeepMind, Musk built his own lab. OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley. Sam Altman Credit: Bloomberg Businessweek Musk pumped money into the lab, and his former PayPal buddies – Hoffman and Thiel – came along for the ride. The three men and others pledged to put $US1 billion into the project, which Altman, who was 30 at the time, would help run. To get them started, they poached Ilya Sutskever from Google. (Sutskever was one of the graduate students Google “bought” in Hinton’s auction.) Initially, Musk wanted to operate OpenAI as a nonprofit, free from the economic incentives that were driving Google and other corporations. But by the time Google wowed the tech community with its Go stunt, Musk was changing his mind about how it should be run. He desperately wanted OpenAI to invent something that would capture the world’s imagination and close the gap with Google, but it wasn’t getting the job done as a nonprofit.\n\nIn late 2017, Musk hatched a plan to wrest control of the lab from Altman and the other founders and transform it into a commercial operation that would join forces with Tesla and rely on supercomputers the car company was developing, according to four people familiar with the matter. When Altman and others pushed back, Musk quit and said he would focus on his own AI work at Tesla. In February 2018, he announced his departure to OpenAI’s staff on the top floor of the startup’s offices in a converted truck factory, three people who attended the meeting said. When he said that OpenAI needed to move faster, one researcher retorted at the meeting that Musk was being reckless. Musk called the researcher a “jackass” and stormed out, taking his deep pockets with him. OpenAI suddenly needed new financing in a hurry. Altman flew to Sun Valley for a conference and ran into Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO. A tie-up seemed natural. Altman knew Microsoft’s chief technology officer, Kevin Scott. Microsoft had bought LinkedIn from Hoffman, an OpenAI board member. Nadella told Scott to get it done. The deal closed in 2019. Altman and OpenAI had formed a for-profit company under the original nonprofit, they had $US1 billion in fresh capital, and Microsoft had a new way to build AI into its vast cloud computing service. Not everyone inside OpenAI was happy.\n\nDario Amodei, a researcher with ties to the effective altruist community, had been on hand at the Rosewood hotel when OpenAI was born. Amodei, who endlessly twisted his curls between his fingers as he talked, was leading the lab’s efforts to build a neural network called a large language model that could learn from enormous amounts of digital text. Seeking the path to artificial general intelligence, AGI. Credit: iStock By analysing countless Wikipedia articles, digital books and message boards, it could generate text on its own. It also had the unfortunate habit of making things up. It was called GPT-3, and it was released in the summer of 2020. Researchers inside OpenAI, Google and other companies thought this rapidly improving technology could be a path to AGI. But Amodei was unhappy about the Microsoft deal because he thought it was taking OpenAI in a really commercial direction. He and other researchers went to the board to try to push Altman out, according to five people familiar with the matter. After they failed, they left. Like DeepMind’s founders before them, they worried that their new corporate overlords would favour commercial interests over safety.\n\nIn 2021, the group of about 15 engineers and scientists created a new lab called Anthropic. The plan was to build AI the way the effective altruists thought it should done – with very tight controls. “There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous. “The co-founders themselves came to the conclusion that they wished to depart OpenAI to start their own company, made this known to OpenAI’s leadership, and over several weeks negotiated an exit on mutually agreeable terms.” Anthropic accepted a $US4 billion investment from Amazon and another $US2 billion from Google two years later. The Reveal After OpenAI received another $US2 billion from Microsoft, Altman and another senior executive, Greg Brockman, visited Bill Gates at his sprawling mansion on the shores of Lake Washington, outside Seattle. The Microsoft founder was no longer involved in the company day to day but kept in regular touch with its executives.\n\nOver dinner, Gates told them he doubted that large language models could work. He would stay sceptical, he said, until the technology performed a task that required critical thinking – passing an Advanced Placement biology test, for instance. Five months later, on August 24, 2022, Altman and Brockman returned and brought along an OpenAI researcher named Chelsea Voss. Voss had been a medallist in an international biology Olympiad as a high schooler. Nadella and other Microsoft executives were there, too. On a huge digital display on a stand outside Gates’ living room, the OpenAI crew presented a technology called GPT-4. Brockman gave the system a multiple-choice advanced biology test, and Voss graded the answers. Bill Gates believes AI will eventually change the nature of work. Credit: Peter Morris/Sydney Heads The first question involved polar molecules, groups of atoms with a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other. The system answered correctly and explained its choice. “It was only trained to provide an answer,” Brockman said. “The conversational nature kind of fell out, almost magically.” In other words, it was doing things they hadn’t really designed it to do.", + "Loading Perpetual climbed 6.3 per cent after it announced a strategic review of its three-pronged corporate structure that might see it demerge its corporate trust and wealth management businesses and create a more focused asset manager. Shares in Endeavour lifted 2.4 per cent after it forecast earnings before interest and tax in its hotels division would grow by more than $150 million over the next five years. The laggards Utilities and energy stocks were the weakest performers on the local bourse, rising 0.6 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively.\n\nOnly five large-cap stocks declined, with Evolution Mining sinking a mammoth 13 per cent after it raised $525 million selling new shares to institutional investors at $3.80 a share. The mining sector, however, managed to finish in positive territory. Gold miner Newmont was down 1.25 per cent, Origin Energy fell 0.4 per cent, Mercury Nz declined 0.3 per cent and Argo Investments traded 0.1 per cent lower. The lowdown Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir said the local sharemarket outperformed global equities on Wednesday because of the National Accounts figures, which pointed to the Reserve Bank potentially hitting pause on lifting interest rates. “We know economic growth is slowing, Australian unemployment is likely to pick up next year and inflation is likely to fall,” Amir said. “The good news is that all of these three things, the trifecta, is pointing towards the RBA stopping rising interest rates and then potentially moving to cut interest rates. This is what the market has priced in today.”\n\nThe local gains came after most stocks slipped on Wall Street overnight, although the US market stayed near its highest level in 20 months following a mixed set of reports that kept alive questions about whether the world’s largest economy can pull off a perfect landing where it kills high inflation, but avoids a recession. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1 per cent for its first back-to-back loss since October. The Dow Jones slipped 0.2 per cent and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3 per cent. Stocks were down more sharply in Asia amid worries about the health of China’s economy, the world’s second largest. US stocks and Treasury yields wavered after reports showed that US employers advertised far fewer jobs at the end of October than expected, while growth for services businesses accelerated more last month than expected. Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount. Too much strength would give inflation more fuel, but too little would mean a recession.\n\nWith inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them. That could help the economy avoid a recession and give a boost to all kinds of investment prices. Investors have been looking for a slowdown in the job market in particular. The hope is that it can cool more through employers cutting back on open positions than on employers laying off workers. Tuesday’s report showed that employers advertised just 8.7 million jobs on the last day of October, down by 617,000 from a month earlier. In the bond market, US Treasury yields continued to sag further from the heights they reached during late October. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18 per cent from 4.26 per cent late on Monday, offering more breathing space for stocks and other markets. It had been above 5 per cent, and at its highest level in more than a decade, during October. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, went on a jagged run following the economic reports. It fell from 4.61 per cent just before the reports’ release to 4.57 per cent and then yo-yoed before easing back to 4.57 per cent.\n\nLoading Traders widely expect the Federal Reserve to hold its key interest rate steady at its meeting next week, before potentially cutting rates in March, according to data from CME Group. Fed officials have recently hinted that the federal funds rate may indeed already be at its peak. It’s above 5.25 per cent, up from nearly zero early last year. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell and others have also warned Wall Street about being overzealous in its predictions about how early a cut could happen. Lower yields have been one reason prices for cryptocurrencies have been rising recently. Excitement about a possible exchange-traded fund tied to bitcoin, which would open it to new kinds of investors, has also helped send it above $US43,000 ($65,600) recently. The surge of interest helped Robinhood Markets report a roughly 75 per cent jump in trading volumes for crypto during November from a month earlier. It also said customers added about $US1.4 billion in net deposits during the month, and its own stock rose 10.3 per cent.\n\nOn the losing end of Wall Street was Take-Two Interactive, which slipped 0.5 per cent after a trailer for its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI video game said it’s coming in 2025. That was later than some analysts expected. Tweet of the day Quote of the day IAG chief executive Nick Hawkins said the behaviour of Peter Horton, the insurer’s group general counsel and company secretary, didn’t meet expectations set out in its employee code of ethics and conduct. “This includes the importance of being inclusive and respectful, and we will hold people to account if they fail to meet these expectations,” Hawkins said.", + "On the small-cap front, Melbourne-based biotech Dimerix more than doubled its share price to 16¢ on Thursday after the company revealed it had inked an exclusive licensing deal to commercialise its treatment for a kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in Europe, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The laggards Meanwhile, energy companies (down 0.9 per cent) were among the weakest on the index as the oil price slumped overnight. Heavyweights Woodside and Santos shed 0.8 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively, and Ampol dropped 2.8 per cent. Miners were also weaker, with lithium prospector IGO (down 4 per cent) and Mineral Resources (down 2.9 per cent) among the biggest large-cap advancers. Iron ore giants Rio Tinto (down 1.5 per cent) and BHP (down 0.7 per cent) slipped after the iron ore price fell 1.1 per cent. Aristocrat Leisure (down 3.7 per cent) dragged the consumer discretionary sector (down 0.3 per cent) lower.\n\nThe lowdown IG Australia market analyst Tony Sycamore said the ASX received some relief from a rally on Wall Street following the release of cooler-than-expected US economic data which helped cap US bond yields. “Much has been written about the unrelenting rise in long-term US interest rates threatening prospects of a soft landing and raising doubts around equity market valuations,” he said. “This was stopped in its tracks overnight following the release of a considerably weaker employment, and ISM services purchasing managers index data topped off by a 5.6 per cent fall in the price of crude oil to below $85 per barrel.” Sycamore said the property sector and interest rate sensitive technology sector reclaimed some lost ground, while banks advanced on the back of the pullback in yields.\n\nHowever, iron ore miners were shackled by concerns around the Chinese economy, Sycamore said, as the market braced for China’s consumer purchasing index report next week, which is expected to show inflation remaining morbid. The local rebound came after Wall Street rose after getting some relief from relaxing bond yields and falling oil prices. Loading The S&P 500 climbed 0.8 per cent to claw back more than half its sharp tumble from a day earlier, which sent it to a four-month low. The Dow Jones rose 0.4 per cent, a day after erasing the last of its gains for the year so far. The Nasdaq composite led the market with a gain of 1.4 per cent. Stocks have struggled under the weight of soaring Treasury yields in the bond market. High yields undercut stock prices by pulling investment dollars away from stocks and into bonds. They also crimp corporate profits by making borrowing more expensive.\n\nThe yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is the centrepiece of the bond market, pulled back from its highest level since 2007, down to 4.73 per cent from 4.80 per cent late on Tuesday. Shorter- and longer-term yields also eased to allow more oxygen for the stock market. Yields fell following a couple of reports indicating a slowing US economy. The first suggested hiring by employers outside the government was much weaker last month than expected. On Wall Street, that’s currently good news because a cooling job market could mean less upward pressure on inflation. That in turn could convince the Federal Reserve to take it easier on interest rates. After already raising its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001, the Fed has indicated it may keep its overnight rate higher next year than it had earlier expected. Treasury yields have correspondingly snapped higher as traders accept a new normal for markets of high rates for longer. The Fed is paying particular attention to the job market because too much strength there could drive wages for workers much higher, which it fears could keep inflation well above its target of 2 per cent.\n\nOil prices slumped overnight. Credit: AP Wednesday’s report from ADP suggested private employers added 89,000 jobs last month, a much sharper slowdown in hiring than the 140,000 that economists expected. The report doesn’t have a perfect track record in predicting what the more comprehensive jobs report from the US government will say. That will arrive on Friday. But “if Friday’s report also shows the labour market is cooling, stock investors may worry a little less about indefinitely higher interest rates,” said Mike Loewengart, head of model portfolio construction at Morgan Stanley Global Investment Office. A second report on the economy said growth in US services industries slowed in September by a touch more than economists expected.\n\nIt also offered some hints of sticky pressure on inflation, with prices paid by services companies rising last month at a similar rate as in August. Oil prices tumbled on Wednesday to take some heat off inflation. Benchmark US crude fell $US5.01 to settle at $US84.22 per barrel for its worst drop in just over a year. It’s been pulling back since, topping $US93 last week. Brent crude, the international standard, lost $US5.11 to $US85.81. Loading Prices for crude had been generally charging higher from $US70 during the summer, following announcements of cuts to production by some oil-producing countries. Wall Street is also absorbing the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the House of Representatives. The unprecedented move to remove a speaker from the position likely doesn’t change much in the short term, with funding for the US government set until November 17.\n\n“That said, a leadership vacuum in the House raises the odds of a government shutdown when the current funding extension expires,” according to economists at Goldman Sachs. A shutdown would drag on the US economy, raising the risk of a recession, though financial markets have held up relatively well through past shutdowns. On Wall Street, big tech stocks helped to support the market after leading it lower a day earlier. They tend to move more sharply with expectations for rates because high-growth stocks are seen as some of the biggest victims of high yields. In markets abroad, stock indexes were mixed across much of Europe. Tweet of the day\n\nQuote of the day “Last year, Christmas spending was bolstered by a record freedom spending phenomenon with delayed overseas travel, whereas this year shoppers are expected to be much more conservative with their budgets,” said Australian Retailers Association chief Paul Zahra as cost-of-living pressures put a lid on spending, with shoppers tipped to cut back on hospitality, home goods and clothes purchases. You may have missed Qantas’ freight division has suffered a catastrophic system failure that left dead bodies, live animals and perishable food unable to be collected from airports.", + "Come Tuesday, our eyes will be trained on the Manhattan Federal Court for the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur accused of orchestrating “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history”: the multibillion-dollar collapse of FTX, the crypto exchange he founded and led.\n\nSBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy. But, as we wait to hear both his version and the government’s version of what happened, there will be another tale recounting how things played out: “Going Infinite,” a book by Michael Lewis chronicling the rise and fall of SBF, is set to debut on the first day of the trial.\n\nThe episode has fired up a lot of people, indignant at what they feel was too-easy treatment for someone who many believe brought down the whole crypto house.\n\n60 Minutes got rightly community noted here. How is it that SBF is _still_ getting super positive media coverage when the media has nothing good to say about the founders that have actually created things and brought value into the world? https://t.co/VPV1ORVHqf — tobi lutke (@tobi) October 2, 2023\n\nThe germination of “Going Infinite” sounds as unlikely as the story of SBF himself.\n\nIn an interview broadcast yesterday on 60 Minutes, Lewis, the famed chronicler of financial adventure and misadventure — his books include “Liar’s Poker,” “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” — said that he didn’t set out to write a book about SBF. Rather, Lewis claims he was introduced to him in early 2021 by a friend who wanted to back FTX. Before any financial commitment, that friend asked Lewis to meet the young billionaire — both lived in Berkeley — to “evaluate his character.”\n\nNo, we don’t find out who that friend is, nor do we find out if that particular investment was ever made — SBF did raise some $2 billion, including $1 billion in 2021, from backers that included Sequoia, Temasek, Tiger Global and dozens more.\n\nBut we do find out that another investment, of sorts, was made on that day: Lewis himself was so taken with the idea of SBF and his apparent brilliance that he came away with the decision to write about him.\n\n“Eighteen months earlier, he had nothing. Now he had $22.5 billion. He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said. “My jaw was on the floor.”\n\nThe two proceeded to meet more than 100 times over the next two years. As SBF’s fame and his company’s bank account grew, 60 Minutes itself even got involved. The program shot (and it shows here) one segment with SBF talking as he shuffles cards with his leg twitching nervously behind his desk (why? we don’t find this out, either) as Lewis, with a flourish of his pen and a look of concentration on his face, dashes off notes on his yellow legal pad.\n\nLater in the show, you get other behind-the-scenes, unnerving glimpses of how the wizard operated behind the curtain. For instance, Lewis recounts how he was in the room when SBF made his first television appearance.\n\n“If you watch the clip, you’ll see his eyes going back and forth,” he said. “It’s because he’s trying to win his video game at the same time he’s on the air.”\n\n“If you watch the clip, you’ll see his eyes going back and forth. It’s because he’s trying to win his video game at the same time he’s on the air.” Michael Lewis\n\nFriendships and lucrative marketing deals followed, with sports icons like Tom Brady (who was paid $55 million) and Steph Curry ($35 million) to “lend FTX legitimacy and edge.” Even Anna Wintour, the icy fashion doyenne, was in contact: She reached out, over what must have been a hell of a Zoom meeting, to ask SBF — whose preferred get-up is/was wildly curly hair, t-shirts and cargo shorts — to sponsor her very fancy Met Costume Ball. Desperate times!\n\nAs trades on FTX climbed up to $15 billion/day, SBF, of course, also got tied up in the corridors of political power.\n\nLewis said that he met with the young crypto king ahead of him seeing Mitch McConnell to discuss how he could fund political candidates who were looking to offset Trump’s influence in the Republican Party. We find out that the gravitational pull of cargo shorts was a tough one to pull away from: The suit SBF brought to wear to the McConnell meeting was tightly balled up under his arm with his dress shoes falling out of the middle of the bundle. We’ve all been there, Sam. (Well, perhaps not Anna.)\n\nLewis also claimed that SBF had concocted a plan to buy off Trump, to get him not to run again for president.\n\n“Like how much would it take to get an answer?” Lewis recounted. “There was a number that was kicking around… this was $5 billion.” He said that Sam was never sure whether that figure came directly from Trump. And no, we don’t find out if he ever did wire anything to camp Trump. That would be a wonderful detail to get teased out in the trial, though.\n\nAnd lest you think Biden and the Democrats have their hands clean of SBF… think again: He also looked to back candidates on that side of the aisle. You never know when you might need a friend!\n\nThe hard crash\n\nAll of that activity, of course, came to a crashing end: The value of cryptocurrencies on FTX was not banked to much more than speculation and the promise of higher value, and so when those valuations fell, they fell very, very hard.\n\nWhat we already knew was that SBF has been denied bail; his name is mud (or much worse) among those who have lost money in Alameda or FTX; and those who might not have had positions in these still blame him for other crypto woes because he set off a ripple effect.\n\n“He doesn’t come off good at all here. You can tell he had no experience in management or handling such big undertakings. I think he was in way over his head,” Ayelet Noff, the CEO and founder of public relations firm Sliced Brand, which represents a number of cryptocurrency businesses, told TechCrunch. “I think he does a disservice to the whole community. He pushed back crypto adoption by at least a year or two. Each time one of these things happens it brings back the whole market. It’s two steps forward and one step back.”\n\nThe Michael Lewis interview is infuriating. SBF was a scumbag, and now we need to hear about his “tragic fall” in the MSM because Sam told them he was an “effective altruist” and people like Michael Lewis were so far up his ass they couldn’t tell truth from fiction. — Ryan Selkis 🪳 (@twobitidiot) October 2, 2023\n\nShameful that Michael Lewis is defending SBF. “They had a great real business. If no one had cast aspersions on the business, if there hadn’t been a run on customers deposits, they’d still be making tons of money” – Michael Lewis That's not true. They are not a bank, they're… pic.twitter.com/vRKBbgzITe — Dan Held (@danheld) October 2, 2023\n\nBut even so, Noff is defensive: She also believes crypto is no worse than the stock market, which can also be manipulated and mishandled.\n\n“Even when you identify corruption, I don’t think that means we don’t believe in the system in question,” she added.\n\nYet Lewis’s picture is a little less stark from the looks of the 60 Minutes episode. In fact, I’d say it’s not that clear at all if SBF is getting a kicking or a coat of polish in this interview when you consider Lewis’s celebration of SBF’s self-proclaimed (yet not quite proven) idealism, and the “Bankman-Fried-shaped hold in the world” that exists.\n\nYou could say that confused message is very apt for cryptocurrency, where the process by which it works is forever murky and often misrepresented, at least to most people.\n\nIf SBF didn’t intentionally aim to cynically defraud a bunch of people, in the long run he became one of the many who disastrously failed to manage the risk inherent in crypto speculation. That’s ultimately what happened with FTX, as financial discrepancies racked up between the exchange and its sister company Alameda Research (a trader itself on the platform). The failure is indisputable: The jury will now have to decide how criminal, and how far, his intentions were around that.", + "Who is Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of crypto exchange FTX? Is he a liar and a fraud? Or did he act in good faith, and like many a startup founder, fly too close to the sun?\n\nThat answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.\n\nHere’s what happened on the second day of the trial, which featured pointed allegations, a friend from MIT, and an audience replete with big names, including Bankman-Fried’s professorial parents and Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.\n\nA conscious criminal…\n\nThe prosecution’s account of the alleged crimes by Bankman-Fried, who spent most of his day in court staring into a laptop while seated between his two attorneys, featured a study in contrasts.\n\n“One year ago, it looked like the defendant was on the top of the world,” began Thane Rehn, a prosecutor for the government, in his opening statement. The former CEO of FTX oversaw a supposedly thriving crypto exchange, jetted between international locales, and hobnobbed with celebrities like Tom Brady and Larry David. He repeatedly emphasized to customers that their money was safe and secure.\n\nBut “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury. “Behind the curtains, he was not what he appeared to be.” What followed was a roughly 30-minute story that repeatedly emphasized how Bankman-Fried allegedly stole customer funds to facilitate his jet-setting lifestyle, donate millions to political candidates, and finance risky bets.\n\nThe key to his alleged scheme? Alameda Research, a crypto hedge fund he also owned, argued Rehn. Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.\n\nMoreover, Bankman-Fried allegedly directed employees to conceal the flow of money into FTX’s coffers and forged financial documents distributed to lenders and investors. “The defendant lied to the world,” Rehn alleged.\n\nAnd who was this defendant? Not a crypto “boy” genius, as so many in the media (Fortune included) have written, but a “man” who “stole billions of dollars from thousands of victims,” Rehn said. “You will see the full picture.”\n\n…or a well-meaning founder?\n\nBut Bankman-Fried, whose cheekbones were more prominent after spending about seven weeks in a Brooklyn prison, was no liar, according to Mark Cohen, one of his lawyers. “Sam didn’t defraud anyone,” he said early on in his opening statement.\n\nWhat the jury will see is a nerdy startup founder who acted in “good faith,” not the prosecution’s “cartoon of a villain.” (Cohen repeatedly harped on Bankman-Fried’s allegedly good-faith actions throughout his address to the jury.)\n\nAlameda was not subterranean or shady. It was a successful hedge fund, he said. FTX was no Ponzi scheme. It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.\n\nIn an analogy he employed throughout his opening statement, he said that “working at a startup is like building a plane as you’re flying it” and that businesses sometimes fail. In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets.\n\nWhen the walls came closing in and the aforementioned plane approached the “eye of the storm,” Bankman-Fried did not act like someone who was guilty. Rather, he was willing to give up his personal wealth to make customers whole, Cohen argued.\n\n“In the end, Sam started and built two billion-dollar businesses,” he concluded. “He didn’t steal any money.”\n\nA Frenchman who lives in London testifies in New York\n\nAfter lawyers from both sides depicted two very different Bankman-Frieds, the prosecution called its first two witnesses to the stand—and they weren’t blockbuster names or former lieutenants-turned-government-cooperators, like Ellison.\n\nThe first was a victim: Marc-Antoine Julliard, a Paris-born cocoa trader who lives in London. In 2021, Julliard, who had coiffed hair and spoke with a strong French accent, decided to invest in crypto and landed on FTX as his exchange of choice, where he traded cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.\n\nOn Nov. 8, in the crypto exchange’s final few days, he tried to pull out his cash and crypto. How much? Almost $100,000, he said. And was he ever able to? “Never,” he told prosecutors.\n\nShortly afterward, as the trial neared late afternoon, the government called Adam Yedidia to the stand. A fast-talking graduate of MIT, he and Bankman-Fried were close friends in college, he said. And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.\n\nWhen Yedidia first took the stand, Danielle Sassoon, one of the lead prosecutors, said that the college friend of Bankman-Fried had legal immunity during his testimony. Why did he make such a deal with the government, she asked.\n\n“I was concerned that I had unwittingly written code that contributed to a crime,” he said.\n\nSoon, however, the clock neared 4:30 p.m., and court adjourned for the day. Yedidia will continue his testimony on Thursday, followed by Matt Huang, a former partner at the high-powered venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, and then Gary Wang, a key Bankman-Fried lieutenant and one of the government’s star witnesses.", + "The process of this test did remind me how much data Google collects — not just my searches but anything I say to a smart speaker, any search result or ad that I click — which will be a point in favour of DuckDuckGo for some, even if it didn’t perform as well and is harder to read. The data collection does also mean that Google (not just search but also mobile widgets and other services) personalises to me more effectively. Loading Bing has overhauled its layout over the past year to be very graphic and augmented by generative AI explanations from its chatbot. I like the idea of being able to ask follow-up questions in searches this way, but in practice it’s not really there yet. In a search for “kids BMX bike green” (Google did pretty well and DuckDuckGo ignored the green part), Bing Chat offered a comparison of a few different options but they were too expensive. I asked, “any under $200?” and it replied with more options that were all over $300. Another observation from this test is that I tend to use the Google Search bar as much for returning to familiar sites as I do for searching for information, which means switching to another provider could be temporarily annoying simply because it wouldn’t remember all the places I’ve been. Is Google as the default unfair?\n\nIn a response to the trial on Google’s blog, president of global affairs Kent Walker said the company’s search product was the favourite of users, browsers and device makers simply because it was the best in the business. And being default was not determinative, he said; changing from Google Search to any other search provider was easy, and the company competes with many others on phones and PCs. “People don’t use Google because they have to, they use it because they want to,” he said. “This lawsuit simply ignores how intensely competitive and dynamic the technology industry is today.” Walker also points out that, when faced with a situation where Google is not the default, users tend to spend some effort putting Google back in charge. When Mozilla made Yahoo! the default on Firefox, most users changed it to Google. And when people set up a Windows device for the first time they frequently sidestep the Microsoft default — “Google” was the number one search query on Bing in 2021 — despite Microsoft making that very annoying to do. This is a compelling point, and many of us will be well accustomed to dodging all of Microsoft’s pleading while trying to get Chrome and Google set as defaults whenever we set up a new PC. But all of these arguments do ignore the fact that Google and its competitors are not on an even playing field. The question remains, why do users prefer Google? And if the answer, as Walker says, is that Google is simply better, the question becomes whether that’s down to its scale, its longevity, its ubiquity and all the user data it sucks up, which no other company could possibly match.\n\nFor the US, which has to prove that Google somehow broke the law to achieve the status quo, this legal case could be an uphill battle. But for the rest of us, it offers a rare opportunity for some insight into what the tech giant does with its enormous market share. Is it still focused on being the best? Or, as has been alleged, does it use its ubiquity to squeeze us for money even at the expense of product quality? How ‘organic’ are Google’s results? This month, Wired posted an opinion article by lawyer and privacy advocate Megan Gray, which alleged that Google had accidentally revealed during the trial that it manipulates people’s search queries for maximum ad revenue. The example given was replacing a search for “children’s clothing” with “NIKOLAI-brand kidswear”. Loading Google rejected this in very strong terms, saying the piece was misleading and inaccurate while denying ever altering search terms. Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part. A suspicion of privacy invasion and inappropriate data handling follows the company at all times.\n\nGrey herself is a former vice-president at DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused company founded explicitly to counter giants such as Google. She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue. So what does Google say? In a post on X, Google’s official search liaison, Danny Sullivan, said ad systems do not affect the organic results, i.e. the list of blue links in search results that are not sponsored. “Ad keyword matching is a long-standing and well-known process that is designed to connect people to relevant ads. A separate process, which has nothing to do with ads, is used to match organic results to a query,” he said. “It’s no secret that Google Search looks beyond the specific words in a query to better understand their meaning ... If you make a spelling mistake, or search for a term that’s not on a page but where the page has a close synonym, or if you aren’t even sure exactly how to search for something, our meaning matching systems help.” It is true that some search queries result in more ads than others, and what ads you get can vary wildly depending on your request, which is the result of the keyword matching Google uses to sell ads. But Google denies pushing users towards the most monetisable subjects.\n\nSimilarly, it’s also pretty common to see people complaining on the internet with some variation of “Google Search was a lot better 10 years ago”, which could absolutely be true. But it would be a stretch to assume that’s because of the company’s monetisation practices, when there’s a much simpler explanation. In 2013, people were creating around 9 ZB of data every year (that’s nine zettabytes, or nine trillion gigabytes), which Google had to index constantly, whereas in 2023 it’s more like 120 ZB. And not a whole lot of that is static websites like it was a decade ago, it’s live information that may be nested within various services and apps. What really happens when we search? Google has published extensive information about its Search procedures, so it’s not difficult to get its own take on what happens in the background when you send off a query.\n\nGoogle’s software is constantly crawling the web and updating its central index, which itself is more than 100 million gigabytes in size. When you enter a query, Search uses a few quick processes to decide the meaning of your question, including what kind of information you might be after. Then, beyond just looking for sites with the words you typed in, the system uses machine learning to rank results according to what it thinks you’re looking for, prioritising high quality and easy to use sites. If you allow it, Google does bring in some information it knows about you to further refine results, including your location and web history. If you’re looking to turn this off, it’s in your Google account settings called “Web & App Activity”. Google says it does not infer personal information like race or religion to shape results. Loading Google works with independent “search quality raters” to gauge the effectiveness of its processes, and says it ran almost 900,000 quality tests in 2022. Some critics, including Megan Grey, contend that Google uses semantic keyword matching to make searches less precise on purpose, which widens the pool of content served and increases auctions for its ads. The quality tests, then, would ensure that the systems were still returning results that were justifiably related to the input.", + "A new class action lawsuit filed this week in the U.S. District Court in D.C. accuses Google and parent company Alphabet of anticompetitive behavior in violation of U.S. antitrust law, the Sherman Act, and others, on behalf of news publishers. The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means. It also specifically cites new AI technologies like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Bard AI chatbot as worsening the problem.\n\nIn the complaint, Helena World Chronicle, which owns and publishes two weekly newspapers in Arkansas, argues that Google is “starving the free press” by sharing publishers’ content on Google, losing them “billions of dollars.”\n\nIn addition to new AI technologies, the suit points to Google’s older question-and-answer technologies, like the “Knowledge Graph” launched in May 2012, as part of the problem.\n\n“When a user searches for information on a topic, Google displays a ‘Knowledge Panel’ to the right of the search results. This panel contains a summary of content drawn from the Knowledge Graph database,” the complaint states. “Google compiled this massive database by extracting information from Publishers’ websites — what Google calls ‘materials shared across the web’ —and from ‘open source and licensed databases,'” it says.\n\nBy 2020, the Knowledge Graph had grown to 500 billion facts about 5 billion entities. But much of the “collective intelligence” that Google tapped into was content “misappropriated from Publishers,” the complaint alleges.\n\nOther Google technologies, like “Featured Snippets” where Google algorithmically extracts answers from webpages, were also cited as shifting traffic away from publishers’ websites.\n\nMore importantly, perhaps, is the suit’s tackling of how AI will impact publishers’ businesses. The problem was recently detailed in a report on Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, which led with a shocking statistic. When online magazine The Atlantic modeled what would happen if Google integrated AI into search, it found that 75% of the time the AI would answer the user’s query without requiring a click-through to its website, losing it traffic. This could have a major impact on publishers’ traffic going forward, as Google today drives nearly 40% of their traffic, according to data from Similarweb.\n\nSome publishers are now trying to get ahead of the problem. For example, Axel Springer just this week inked a deal with OpenAI to license its news for AI model training. But overall, publishers believe they’ll lose somewhere between 20-40% of their website traffic when Google’s AI products fully roll out, The WSJ’s report noted.\n\nThe lawsuit reiterates this concern, claiming that Google’s recent advances in AI-based search were implemented with “the goal of discouraging end-users from visiting the websites of Class members who are part of the digital news and publishing line of commerce.”\n\nSGE, it argues, offers web searchers a way to seek information in a conversational mode, but ultimately keeps users in Google’s “walled garden” as it “plagiarizes” their content. Publishers also can’t block SGE because it uses the same web crawler as Google’s general search service, GoogleBot.\n\nPlus, it says Google’s Bard AI was trained on a dataset that included “news, magazine and digital publications,” citing both a 2023 report from the News Media Alliance and a Washington Post article about AI training data for reference. (The Post, which worked with researchers at the Allen Institute for AI, had found that News and Media sites were the third largest category of AI training data.)\n\nThe case points to other concerns, too, like changing AdSense rates and evidence of improper spoliation of evidence on Google’s part, by its destruction of chat messages — an issue raised in the recent Epic Games lawsuit against Google over app store antitrust issues, which Epic won.\n\nIn addition to damages, the suit is asking for an injunction that would require Google to obtain consent from publishers to use their website data to train its general artificial intelligence products including Google’s own and those of rivals. It also asks Google to allow publishers who opt out of SGE to still show up in Google search results, among other things.\n\nThe U.S. lawsuit follows an agreement Google reached last month with the Canadian government which would see the search giant paying Canadian media for use of their content. Under the terms of the deal, Google will provide $73.5 million (100 million Canadian dollars) every year to news organizations in the country, with funds distributed based on the news outlets’ headcount. Negotiations with Meta are still unresolved, though Meta began blocking news in Canada in August, in light of the pressure to pay for the content under the new Canadian law.\n\nThe case also arrives alongside the filing of the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google for monopolizing digital ad technologies, and references the 2020 Justice Department’s civil antitrust suit over search and search advertising (which are different markets from digital ad technologies in the more recent suit).\n\n“The anticompetitive effects of Google’s scheme cause profound harm to competition, to consumers, to labor, and to a democratic free press,” reads an announcement posted to the website of the law firm handling the case, Hausfeld.\n\n“Plaintiff Helena World Chronicle, LLC invokes the Sherman Act and Clayton Act to seek class-wide monetary and injunctive relief to restore and ensure competition for digital news and reference publishing and set up guardrails to preserve a free marketplace of ideas in the new era of artificial intelligence,” it states.\n\nA Google spokesperson offered a statement on the lawsuit, saying “This lawsuit is meritless. People have many ways to access information and news content today – through publishers’ websites, dedicated apps, social media platforms, print papers and more. Google links people to publishers’ websites more than 24 billion times each month – at no cost to them.”\n\nThe complaint is available below.\n\nHelena World Chronicle, LLC v. Google LLC and Alphabet Inc by TechCrunch on Scribd\n\nEditor’s note: This post was updated after publication with a statement provided by Google on Friday evening.", + "For 59 minutes, the story of Week 13's 'Sunday Night Football' clash was Jordan Love. The first-year starter continued to showcase his evolution as a big-game player, dicing up Kansas City's All-World defense with incredible efficiency.\n\nThen came the blown calls.\n\nThe Packers edged past the Chiefs on Sunday, beneficiaries of another Love masterpiece — an increasingly common sight in the 2023 season. But it was the game's final moments that drew the most intrigue, mostly because of their incredulous nature.\n\nJonathan Owens was whistled for an unnecessary roughness that never was on the game's final drive, penalized for crashing into a scrambling Patrick Mahomes on the field of play. Soon after, Marquez Valdes-Scantling was seemingly impeded by Green Bay cornerback Carrington Valentine on a streak play, an unabashed pass interference call in most circumstances. The umpires fell silent.\n\nIf that weren't enough, Owens then barged into Kelce's back on the final play of the game and Mahomes' Hail Mary tumbled onto the turf. And like the previous play, the contact went unrecognized by the zebras.\n\nIt was a sorry end to an enthralling contest. Love and Mahomes dueled like gladiators, each painting pictures atop the verdant green canvas.\n\nLove was the better man on the day. He completed 25-of-36 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It's his fourth game with three touchdowns and no interceptions this year. That's tied for most in the league.\n\nMORE: Watch Chiefs vs. Packers live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nIt was beautiful, chaotic, messy and eye-catching. Above all else, it was cold. And although there are a number of ballads to be written about the calls that could have been, for now, the Packers won't care. They're back in the postseason race, all on the back of their lithe young hurler.\n\nMiss any of the game? The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday's clash under the lights at Lambeau Field below.\n\nChiefs vs. Packers final score\n\nQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Chiefs 3 3 6 7 19 Packers 7 7 7 6 27\n\nChiefs vs. Packers results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\n11:28 p.m.: Game. Set. Match. Mahomes' Hail Mary falls harmlessly to the turf, giving the Packers a much-needed win. What a game!\n\n11:25 p.m.: Proper make-up call by the referees there, as Valdez-Scantling was almost certainly impeded illegally while streaking down the field. Should've been a pass interference. It wasn't, though. And now, Kansas City could be on the brink of losing.\n\n11:22 p.m.: Whole lot of laundry left back on the field. Looked like Rashee Rice may have fumbled the rock while scampering down the field. However, he was ruled down with contact. At which point Pacheco threw a punch at Nixon, prompting an ejection. Nice...\n\n11:18 p.m.: Referees make a baffling unnecessary roughness call on Jonathan Owens, gifting the Chiefs an extra 20 yards. That could prove vital.\n\n11:14 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! And it's good! Right down the middle! What a kick by Carlson. Packers lead grows back to eight.\n\nPackers 27, Chiefs 19\n\n11:12 p.m.: Love takes a sack 10 yards behind the line-of-scrimmage, setting up a rather difficult 48-yard attempt for Carlson on fourth down. The Packers desperately need their rookie kicker to come through in the clutch.\n\n11:11 p.m.: Watson goes down with yet another injury. This one looked like it could be a hamstring niggle. Really unfortunate end to the game for the second-year wideout, who was enjoying one of the best games of his young career.\n\n10:59 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! It looked like the Chiefs were on the brink of another lengthy drive. At least until Mahomes tossed a pass toward Packers corner Keisean Nixon. The noted return man pulled down an over-the-shoulder grab to break Missourians' hearts. What a grab. What a moment!\n\n10:53 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Anders Carlson sinks his 40-yard attempt as Green Bay continues to set the pace. Chiefs still in striking distance, though.\n\nPackers 24, Chiefs 19\n\n10:52 p.m.: Mike Danna sends Love spiraling after frolicking into the pocket on third down. Just what the doctor ordered if you're Kansas City, who look poised to force the Packers to bring their field goal team out.\n\n10:50 p.m.: Malik Heath drops a defender after fielding a pass on a curl pattern. Green Bay has found a real rhythm in its latest drive.\n\n10:46 p.m.: Another inch-perfect throw from Love to Doubs. Throwing off your back foot has never looked so clean.\n\nRomeo Doubs got much more than the 16 yards needed for the first down\n\n\n\n📺: #KCvsGB on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/CQH1cx3gZS pic.twitter.com/BKmoRsoe7R — NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2023\n\n10:43 p.m.: For the first time today, the ball is punted following a three-and-out. Green Bay defense held firm on that one. Love has a chance to add to the Packers' lead.\n\n10:39 p.m.: For the first time in ages, the Packers fail to conjure up any magic on offense. Chiefs finally get the ball. back with a chance to take the lead.\n\n10:28 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Mahomes finds Noah Gray with a peel route to bring the Packers' lead back down to two. Your move, Mr. Love.\n\nNoah Gray wide open in the end zone from 2 yards out\n\n\n\n📺: #KCvsGB on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/CQH1cx3gZS pic.twitter.com/SFNXGRVAga — NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2023\n\nPackers 21, Chiefs 19\n\nEnd of third quarter: Packers 21, Chiefs 12\n\n10:23 p.m.: Pacheco is as hard-nosed as they come. Just carried an entire pile on his back to take the ball to the goal line. What a showing by the second-year ball-carrier, who is up over the century mark today.\n\nIsiah Pacheco with a little help from his friends 😮\n\n\n\n📺: #KCvsGB on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/CQH1cx3gZS pic.twitter.com/nAohFvTg0S — NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2023\n\n10:11 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! And again! Loves lines one right into the path of Watson, who leaps high to rip it from the sky to add to the Packers' edge. What a showcase by Love and what a grab by Watson.\n\nPackers 21, Chiefs 12\n\n10:10 p.m.: Love places a throw perfectly between triple coverage, hitting a streaking Romeo Doubs to put Green Bay on the doorstep of the end zone once more. What a phenomenal throw by the youngster.\n\n10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down. The first-year starter continues to make the right play in the cold. Strong display thus far.\n\n9:57 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Chiefs get into the end zone finally, courtesy of a Pacheco scamper through the midway. He's unable to find the target again on the two-point conversion, however, keeping the Packers in control (just barely).\n\nPackers 14, Chiefs 12\n\n9:54 p.m.: Mahomes does it again! Delicate touch pass between the Magic Man and Kelce results in yet another first down on third-and-long. Kelce's up to 81 yards on four grabs. Kansas City is threatening to breach into the red zone.\n\n9:47 p.m.: Mahomes hits Kelce with a floated effort as the Chiefs open the first half with a flourish. Need more of that going forward.\n\nEnd of second quarter: Packers 14, Chiefs 6\n\n9:10 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Kansas City's explosive offense has been held in check thus far. Despite showing flashes of what they can accomplish, the Chiefs were held to another field goal in this one. Yikes...\n\nPackers 14. Chiefs 6\n\n9:00 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Green Bay's second drive of the game ends much like the first, with Love firing an arrow to Watson to add to Green Bay's early advantage.\n\nPackers 14, Chiefs 3\n\nEnd of first quarter: Packers 7, Chiefs 3\n\n8:50 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Harrison Butler sinks his field goal after a pair of sacks relegate Kansas City to bringing its special teams onto the field.\n\nPackers 7, Chiefs 3\n\n8:48 p.m.: Isiah Pacheco gallops on the outside to grab a heap of yardage. Kansas City is on the brink of a score.\n\n8:47 p.m.: Great composure by Mahomes and Marquez Valdez-Scantling, both of whom combine to keep Kansas City in the ascendancy.\n\n8:45 p.m.: Clyde Edwards-Helair keeps the chains moving after strutting through the trenches on third down. KC is into Green Bay territory.\n\n8:42 p.m.: Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs out for their first possession. And it's gotten off to a good start thus far; two plays, two first downs for Kansas City.\n\n8:39 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Love hits Ben Sims for his first career touchdown! Great throw, great catch, and an even better drive. Doesn't get much slicker than that to start the game.\n\nFirst NFL TD for Ben Sims ✅\n\nFirst Lambeau Leap for Ben Sims ✅\n\n\n\n📺: #KCvsGB on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/CQH1cx3gZS pic.twitter.com/VBgaxibcsI — NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2023\n\nPackers 7, Chiefs 0\n\n8:35 p.m.: Dontayvion Wicks makes the catch though traffic, racing beyond the first down marker to bring Green Bay on the cusp of the end zone.\n\n8:28 p.m.: A.J. Dillon bursts through the mire to pick up the first down on third-and-short. Decent start for the Packers so far, who have climbed down the gridiron with relative ease in the opening few minutes.\n\n8:26 p.m.: Wonderful pitch and catch between Love and one of his favorite targets, Christian Watson. Good for a 20-yard gain. Green Bay trots into Kansas City territory.\n\n8:23 p.m.: The ball tumbles into the end zone and away we go! Love and the Packers spill onto the field to lead off tonight's matchup in the cold.\n\n8:22 p.m.: Jordan Love's first career start came against the Chiefs in 2021. He'll be hoping for a better showing this time around. Given the level that he's been playing at in recent weeks, he has a good chance of doing so.\n\n8:00 p.m.: Will Kelce put on a showcase in front of her beau? The world will find out soon enough...\n\nTravis Kelce takes the field for another prime time game with Taylor Swift.\n\n(Via: @Chiefs)\n\n\n\n📺: NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/baSjmT7IR5 — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 4, 2023\n\nTravis Kelce takes the field for another prime time game with Taylor Swift.\n\n(Via: @Chiefs)\n\n\n\n📺: NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/baSjmT7IR5 — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 4, 2023\n\n7:40 p.m.: The Chiefs are rocking their all-white kits. Perfect for a winter wonderland like Lambeau Field, don't you think?\n\n7:35 p.m.: Taylor's fans are in euphoria at the sight of her at tonight's game. Can you blame them?\n\nThe Swifties were ready for Taylor Swift's arrival! pic.twitter.com/6L0XDhikIl — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 4, 2023\n\n7:20 p.m.: Taylor Swift is in attendance for tonight's game. Hopefully, she'll be greeted with an enthralling affair.\n\nTaylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes are cheering on the Chiefs in Green Bay! #ChiefsKingdom\n\n\n\n📺: @NBC & @Peacock pic.twitter.com/phvMXDOH8s — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 4, 2023\n\nTaylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes are cheering on the Chiefs in Green Bay! #ChiefsKingdom\n\n\n\n📺: @NBC & @Peacock pic.twitter.com/phvMXDOH8s — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 4, 2023\n\nWhat channel is Chiefs vs. Packers on today?\n\nTV channel : NBC (U.S.) | TSN 1/4 (Canada)\n\n: NBC (U.S.) | TSN 1/4 (Canada) Live stream: Peacock, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nPer usual, this week's edition of 'Sunday Night Football' will be broadcast on NBC. Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) returns to the fore, joining lead broadcaster Mike Tirico and sideline reporter Melissa Stark.\n\nCord-cutters can find the action on Peacock or Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can watch on DAZN, which carries every NFL game, or on TSN 1/4.\n\nChiefs vs. Packers start time\n\nDate : Sunday, Dec. 3\n\n: Sunday, Dec. 3 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET\n\nThe Chiefs and Packers will clash at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with kickoff slated for 8:20 p.m. ET.", + "'Tis the season for horrors, and the Jaguars left New Orleans surviving a late scare against the Saints on \"Thursday Night Football.\" '\n\nJacksonville improved to 5-2 on the season, as Doug Pederson's crew held off a late comeback attempt from New Orleans, emerging with a 31-24 victory. The win pushes the Jaguars' winning streak to four games, while the loss dropped the Saints' record to 3-4.\n\nThe Jaguars controlled a majority of the game, getting out to an early lead in the first half and entering the fourth quarter up 24-9. At the time, the Saints offense was completely out of sync, as quarterback Derek Carr had just thrown a pick-six to Foye Oluokun and was struggling to connect with any of his key weapons, outside of running back Alvin Kamara.\n\nHowever, Trevor Lawrence and the Jags let the Saints stick around, failing to put away the opposition. It led to two fourth quarter touchdowns by New Orleans that tied the game with less than six minutes to go, and the momentum had fully shifted at Caesers SuperDome to the home side.\n\nThat was until Christian Kirk came through for the Jaguars. After the two sides exchanged punts, the wide receiver broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown, re-taking the lead for Jacksonville with 3:08 left to go.\n\nThe Saints nearly tied the game up in the final seconds of the game. Tight end Foster Moreau had a touchdown in his fingertips on third-and-goal, but he could not come up with the catch. A pass to Chris Olave on fourth down was broken up, as the Jags held on for the win.\n\nPOWER RANKINGS: Where Saints, Jaguars check in among NFL's best teams entering Week 7\n\nThe Sporting News provided updates and highlights from Jaguars vs. Saints on Week 7 \"Thursday Night Football.\"\n\nJaguars vs. Saints score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Jaguars 7 10 7 7 31 Saints 3 3 3 15 24\n\nJaguars vs. Saints live results, highlights from 'Thursday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Jaguars 31, Saints 24\n\n11:25 p.m. — Three QB kneels from Lawrence, and the Jaguars leave New Orleans with a win. Ultimately the offense for the Saints could not put things together until it was too little, too late. Jacksonville improves to 5-2, while New Orleans drops to 3-4.\n\n11:23 p.m. — Carr targets Olave on the outside, but Buster Brown locks up the Saints wide receiver and it falls incomplete. That's going to do it, as the Saints come close to making an incredible comeback, but fall just short.\n\n11:21 p.m. — Oh, so close for Moreau. On third-and-goal, the tight end is left wide open in the back left corner, Carr finds him, but it goes off Moreau's fingertips and incomplete. It'll be fourth down for the Saints with 25 seconds left.\n\n11:19 p.m. — After an Olave catch picks up eight, Kamara rushes for four to get the Saints to the six-yard line. There's under a minute left in regulation with the Saints down seven.\n\n11:17 p.m. — Kamara has been excellent tonight for the Saints, in both the passing and running game. He takes a handoff for 18 yards, giving New Orleans a first down at the Jacksonville 18-yard line.\n\n11:12 p.m. — Carr hits Hill for 18 yards, then tosses two dump offs to Kamara for gains of nine and seven. The two-minute warning hits with the Saints having the ball at the Jaguars' 41-yard line.\n\nJaguars 31, Saints 24\n\n11:12 p.m. — Touchdown! Kirk sends the SuperDome into silence, as he takes a short-yard pass from Lawrence and weaves through the Saints defense for a 44-yard touchdown. Jacksonville finally cracks through a New Orleans defense that had its number in the second half to retake the lead with 3:08 to go.\n\nChristian Kirk is fast and the Jaguars have the lead 💯#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/SQfWTMpTUg — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n11:06 p.m. — Just like that, the Saints are forced to punt after three plays, but the concern is Carr. As he scrambled to his right on third down, he appeared to reach for his groin after throwing the incomplete pass. He stayed down for a bit, spoke to the training staff, and eventually walked his way to the sidelines.\n\n11:03 p.m. — The Jaguars pick up a first down, but are stopped on three straight plays and will have to punt. I mentioned this earlier, Jacksonville let New Orleans hang around and now are paying for it. The Saints have the ball with 4:30 to go.\n\nJaguars 24, Saints 24\n\n10:57 p.m. — Touchdown! Bang-bang-TD. Carr tosses one for Thomas at the back of the end zone, and the receiver is able to stay inbounds for the score. New Orleans wasted no time at all getting down field and in the end zone. The Saints go for two, and Carr lofts one to a wide open Kamara to tie the game. After looking dead in the water, the Saints have come alive.\n\n10:56 p.m. — Carr connects with Thomas on the first play of the drive for a gain of 17. He follows that up by finding Hill at the 18-yard line for the 19-yard reception.\n\n10:54 p.m. — Turnover on downs! Lawrence gives it to Etienne Jr. on a read option, but the Saints wrap up by the running back before he can get the first down. Stop me if you've heard me say this — the Saints' defense is the sole reason this is remains a close game. This time, the unit sets up Carr and the offense at their own 47-yard line with 7:29 left.\n\nA MASSIVE stop for the Saints defense on 4th and inches 😱#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/hkRxyrs29q — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n10:53 p.m. — Etienne Jr. gets three straight runs, but on third down, he is tackled inches short of a first down. Pederson is electing to keep the offense out there.\n\n10:50 p.m. — The Saints can't catch a break. The defense stops the Jaguars on third down, but Paulson Adebo is called for pass interference, giving Jacksonville the automatic first down. The pass looked high, so Adebo felt it was uncatchable, but the officials disagree.\n\n10:47 p.m. — After a promising last drive, Carr and Co. get nothing generated and the drive ends in a three-and-out. Carr tried his first deep ball of the night, but it appeared Olave pulled up on the route, increasing the frustration of the Saints QB.\n\n10:42 p.m. — Once again, it's the Saints defense that comes through for New Orleans. The unit gets Lawrence to scramble twice, but the Jaguars can't come up with a first down and are forced to punt. The only reason why the Saints are still in this game is because of Allen's defense.\n\nJaguars 24, Saints 16\n\n10:38 p.m. — Touchdown! Hill, who got the Saints near the goal line, punches it in from a yard out, thanks to an excellent block from defensive lineman Khalen Saunders. By far, the best drive of the night for New Orleans, and the offense converts on fourth down to six points. Grupe doinks the extra point off the uprights and in to make it 24-16 with 14:21 left.\n\nWith DT Khalen Saunders lead blocking, Taysom Hill walks into the end zone 🙌#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/dsN6wkMGKb — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n10:37 p.m. — The Saints toss it to Kamara, but he's chased down by the Evan Lloyd before getting over the end zone. New Orleans has to go for it on fourth down from a yard out.\n\nEnd of the third quarter: Jaguars 24, Saints 9\n\n10:33 p.m. — Kamara is denied twice from two yards out, and that's how the third quarter ends. The Saints have been held without a touchdown through the first three quarters, but are knocking on the door with third-and-one.\n\n10:32 p.m. — Rayshawn Jenkins take a bad penalty in the end zone for the Jaguars, hitting Foster Moreau late on an incomplete pass. The Saints move up to just two yards out.\n\n10:31 p.m. — Taysom Hill gets the call on back-to-back plays for the Saints. Taking it himself each time, he picks up gains of one and five to move the chains.\n\n10:26 p.m. — Allen continues to be aggressive on fourth down. After a Kamara catch comes up two yards short, he takes a handoff on fourth down and moves the chains. New Orleans has the ball at the Jaguars' nine-yard line with just over two minutes to go in the quarter.\n\n10:25 p.m. — This has been by far the Saints' best drives, and it's been up-tempo with Carr getting the ball quickly out of his hands.\n\n10:17 p.m. — After the pick-six, Carr completes six passes in a row, and the Saints have made their way swiftly into Jacksonville territory.\n\nJaguars 24, Saints 9\n\n10:17 p.m. — Pick-six! The woes on the New Orleans offense continue, as Carr forces a throw on third that's deflected up in the air and into the arms of Foye Oluokun. The Jaguars linebacker sprints all the way to the end zone, diving for the pylon. It's getting real ugly on the Saints side, with a frustrated Carr looking completely out of sync with his weapons.\n\nFoye Oluokun makes a house call off the deflection ‼️ #JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/6dwZB25nxD — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n10:12 p.m. — An interesting play call for the Jaguars on third down just now. Needing six yards at their own 29, the call from the sidelines is a draw, and Etienne Jr. comes up less than a yard short of a first down. Pederson elects not to go for it, and the Jaguars will punt away. Jacksonville is playing a dangerous game, letting New Orleans stick around.\n\nJaguars 17, Saints 9\n\n10:06 p.m. — Field goal! Grupes improves to three of four on the night, booting a 42-yarder. The Saints cut into the Jags' lead, making it a one-score content again.\n\n10:06 p.m. — After Hill got the Saints down to the Jacksonville 23, a penalty on second down pushes New Orleans 10 yards back, and the offense can't move the chains. Once again, the Saints have to kick a field field.\n\n10:02 p.m. — Taysom Hill hasn't been used really at all this game, but the QB/TE hybrid keeps a read option and barrels for a gain of six yards, down to the Jacksonville 23. For the first time since the opening drive, the Saints have been able to pick up multiple first downs and drive down the field, getting close to the red zone.\n\nTaysom Hill still showing he can do a little bit of everything. @T_Hill4#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/EA5c1wWtX7 — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n10:01 p.m. — The Saints needed half a yard, Kamara gave them 17. The Saints running back sprints downfield for a major gain on fourth down.\n\n10 p.m. — The Saints can't convert on third down, coming up a half a yard short. However, Allen is keeping the offense out to go for it on fourth down. New Orleans is now one for nine tonight on third down.\n\n9:58 p.m. — The second half is underway in New Orleans. The Saints get the ball to start the half, in desperate need of generating anything on offense.\n\nEnd of first half: Jaguars 17, Saints 6\n\n9:44 p.m. — Carr fumbles the ball, it's recovered by one of his lineman, and that's how the first half ends. A fitting end for the Saints, who could get nothing going on offense, leaving the field to boos from the New Orleans fans.\n\nJaguars 17, Saints 6\n\n9:42 p.m. — Field goal! McManus sinks his first attempt of the night, extending the Jaguars lead to 11 with just 32 seconds left in the half. Pederson's aggression pays off, as the fake punt leads to three points.\n\n9:41 p.m. — Call reversed! After review, the officials deem the ball hit the ground as Lattimore was trying to make the completion, ruling the play an incomplete pass rather than an interception. With it being fourth down, McManus comes out for a field goal.\n\n9:38 p.m. — Interception! Marcus Lattimore comes up with a massive play for the Saints, picking off Lawrence down inside the 10-yard line with just 34 seconds to go in the half. Lawrence was looking for Agnew, but Lattimore dove in front of the receiver for the pick. The officials are going to review to see if Lattimore maintained possession, otherwise it may be an incomplete pass.\n\n9:36 p.m. — Fake punt! Not so fast! Pederson dips into bag of tricks and calls for the fake punt. Logan Cooke connects with Tim Jones for a 17-yard gain, and the Jaguars keep possession. That took some stones on Pederson's part, but it pays off, giving Lawrence and the offense a chance to find the end zone before the end of the half.\n\n9:35 p.m. — The Saints stop the Jaguars on third down, forcing yet another punt.\n\n9:32 p.m. — Two completions, two first downs for the Jaguars. Most importantly, Kirk and Engram both got out of bounds, stopping the clock. The Jaguars have all three timeouts with under two minutes to go.\n\nJaguars 14, Saints 6\n\n9:29 p.m. — Field goal! Grupe hits his second field goal of the night, and the Saints add another three points to their score.\n\n9:29 p.m. — New Orleans electing for the points, as Grupe comes out for a 35-yard attempt.\n\n9:26 p.m. — The third down struggles continue for the Saints. Carr scrambles on third-and-eight, but only picks up three yards. It's clear that Carr and his receivers aren't quite on the same page. As the two-minute warning hits, it will be fourth-and-five for the Saints.\n\n9:24 p.m. — This time, Allen's aggressive decision works, as the Saints get the first down thanks to a 17-yard catch and run by Kamara.\n\n9:23 p.m. — The boos are raining down at the SuperDome, as it's another failed third down for the Saints. However, they are going to go for it on fourth-and-three.\n\n9:20 p.m. — The Saints defense comes through again for Dennis Allen and Co., forcing the second-straight, three-and-out for the Jaguars. A bad penalty by Antonio Johnson on the punt gives the Saints extra yards, as he runs into returner Rashid Shaheed. It's a 15-yard penalty, and New Orleans starts at the Jacksonville 46-yard line.\n\n9:15 p.m. — Olave is the target again on third down, but Carr's pass attempt is broken up by Tre Herndon. The Saints have to punt the ball away as the second quarter reaches the halfway point, with 7:17 left in the half.\n\n9:12 p.m. — On the first offensive play of the drive, Carr dumps it off to Kamara, who runs for a gain of 21 yards.\n\n9:10 p.m. — The New Orleans defense comes up with a big stop, forcing the Jaguars to a three-and-out. The Saints get the ball back unscathed after failing on the fourth down attempt.\n\n9:05 p.m. — The Saints cannot convert on fourth down, as Carr's pass attempt to Chris Olave is tipped away from the receiver. The Jaguars get the bal at their own 44.\n\n9:05 p.m. — Darious Williams bats away a third down pass attempt to Michael Thomas, but Dennis Allen is staying aggressive, keeping the offense out on fourth-and-three.\n\n9:03 p.m. — An 18-yard completion from Carr to Foster Moreau brings the Saints to their own 48-yard line.\n\nJaguars 14, Saints 3\n\n8:58 p.m. — Touchdown! Etienne Jr. takes a pitch and races 17 yards down the sideline for the score, his second TD of the game. The running back has found the end zone six times in his last three games, as Jacksonville extends its lead early in the second quarter.\n\n8:57 p.m. — If the knee is bothering Lawrence, it's hard to tell. The Jaguars QB escapes pressure in the pocket and takes off down field for a run of 26 yards, the second-longest run of his career.\n\n8:55 p.m. — The Jaguars bring out a little razzle dazzle. Kirk takes a handoff, tosses it back to Lawrence and the QB finds Agnew for nine yards.\n\nEnd of the first quarter: Jaguars 7, Saints 3\n\n8:52 p.m. — Lawrence connects with Kirk for nine yards on third-and-three, and that's how the first quarter ends.\n\nJaguars 7, Saints 3\n\n8:47 p.m. — Field goal! Grupe knocks down the 23-yard chip shot, and New Orleans is on the board with 1:26 left in the first quarter.\n\n8:46 p.m. — Despite the excellent field position, the Saints cannot convert six yards out and instead have to settle for three points.\n\n8:44 p.m. — A Kamara completion goes for seven yards, and the Saints have first-and-goal at the Jaguars six-yard line.\n\n8:40 p.m. — Fumble! Tevaughn Campbell runs into Agnew on the punt, forcing the Jaguars returner to muff the ball and the Saints recover yet again. Back-to-back breaks for New Orleans, who takes over possession deep into Jacksonville territory with 3:36 left in the first quarter.\n\nJamal Agnew was ready to receive the punt but his own teammate came in and just completely took him out.\n\n\n\nSome messy football.pic.twitter.com/UxavIZXbZf — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 20, 2023\n\n8:40 p.m. — The Saints can't take advantage of the fumble, as the Jaguars force a three-and-out.\n\n8:37 p.m. — Fumble! On the Jaguars first offensive play after the missed Saints field goal, Kirk loses control of the ball after securing a catch and the Saints come up with the recovery. It was Paulson Adebo that punched the ball out. New Orleans gets the ball right back at their own 41-yard line.\n\n8:33 p.m. — Missed field goal! Grupe pushes his attempt to the right, and the Saints come up with nothing on their opening drive. The rookie has now missed three of his last five kicks.\n\n8:33 p.m. — Jacksonville blitzes on third-and-seven and the pressure forces Carr to throw the ball away. New Orleans will have to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt by rookie Blake Grupe.\n\n8:29 p.m. — Carr uses his legs to pick up another first down and get across midfield. The Saints QB certainly isn't known for scrambling, but he gets the job done by rolling out to his right and rushing for a gain of 10 yards.\n\n8:28 p.m. — The Saints narrowly avoid a three-and-out on their opening drive, as Derek Carr finds Alvin Kamara for a gain of five yards on third-and-4.\n\nJaguars 7, Saints 0\n\n8:23 p.m. — Touchdown! Etienne Jr. barrels in from two yards out, and just like that, the Jaguars are on the board. Lawrence and Co. made it look easy against a Saints defense who had not given up an opening drive TD since last season. Brandon McManus' extra point is good, and it's a seven-point lead just 5:16 into the game for Jacksonville.\n\nA statement opening drive from Jacksonville ends in an Etienne TD @swaggy_t1#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/Y0k3aMHhha — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n8:22 p.m. — The speedy Jamal Agnew takes a reverse and races down to the Saints two-yard line. The Jaguars are threatening early.\n\nThe flip to Jamal Agnew gets the @Jaguars down to the 2.#JAXvsNO on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/AeSr88NtkK — NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023\n\n8:21 p.m. — The Jaguars keep the drive alive, as Lawrence finds Christian Kirk for 10 yards, picking up the fourth first down of the drive. Jacksonville is down to the New Orleans 16.\n\n8:17 p.m. — A 21-yard completion to Evan Engram is followed by a dump off to Travis Etienne Jr., who races for a gain of 15 yards to get the Jaguars into Saints territory.\n\n8:15 p.m. — The kickoff is away in New Orleans, and Week 7 is underway. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars start with the ball.\n\nPregame\n\n7:56 p.m. — With Jamaal Williams returning tonight for New Orleans, it marks the first time this season that both Williams and Alvin Kamara are in the Saints backfield. Kamara missed the first three games of the season due to a suspension.\n\n7:43 p.m. — The Jaguars enter Week 7 with a perfect 2-0 record as the away team. However, the Saints are 1-1 this season at home at the Caesars SuperDome.\n\n7:19 p.m. — Here is a look at the inactives on each side for the game. Demario Davis is notably active for the Saints, giving New Orleans a boost to its defense, however, both starting tackles are out.\n\n#Jaguars vs. #Saints inactives for Thursday Night Football, Week 7\n\n\n\nTrevor Lawrence is officially active. pic.twitter.com/WVbHzkaxpt — FantasyPros (@FantasyProsNFL) October 19, 2023\n\n7:05 p.m. — The Saints have had the Jaguars number historically. In seven matchups between the two franchises, New Orleans owns a record of 5-2 over Jacksonville, and are currently on a four-game winning streak. The last time these two squads met was in 2019, with the Saints winning a defensive battle 13-9 over the Jaguars.\n\n6:52 p.m. — On the topic of injuries, Saints running back Jamaal Williams has been activated off injured reserves and is expected to play against the Jaguars. He has not played since Week 2 after suffering a hamstring injury.\n\nSaints activated RB Jamaal Williams off injured reserve and he is expected to play tonight vs. the Jaguars. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2023\n\n6:36 p.m. — No more need to speculate on Lawrence. The Jaguars QB is set to start against the Saints.\n\nJaguars HC Doug Pederson told me Trevor Lawrence will start tonight.\n\n\n\nLawrence just finished his 20-minute pregame workout where he showed good lateral movement making cuts and throwing on the run. He dapped up trainers + QB Mike McCoy with smile headed back into locker room. pic.twitter.com/CDV5prPTeu — Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 19, 2023\n\n6:26 p.m. — Doug Pederson said earlier on Thursday that he expects QB Trevor Lawrence to start tonight, pending a pregame workout. Lawrence is now going through that regiment, so we'll see what the call is.\n\nTrevor Lawrence doing dropbacks and throwing during pregame workout. Moving well. Jaguars HC Doug Pederson is watching from a distance without much worry. pic.twitter.com/rsVQDKp4Af — Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 19, 2023\n\nWhat time is Jaguars vs. Saints tonight?\n\nDate : Thursday, Oct. 19\n\n: Thursday, Oct. 19 Time: 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. CT)\n\nThe Week 7 edition of \"Thursday Night Football,\" featuring the Saints and Jaguars, is set to begin at 8:15 p.m. ET. That will be the normal start time for all of Amazon's \"TNF\" games in 2023.\n\nThe game is taking place in New Orleans, which is located in the Central time zone. So, those in that market will be able to catch the came at 7:15 p.m. local time.\n\nWhat channel is Thursday Night Football on tonight?\n\nTV channel (Jacksonville) : WJAX (Channel 47)\n\n: WJAX (Channel 47) TV channel (New Orleans) : WDSU (Channel 6)\n\n: WDSU (Channel 6) Live stream: Amazon Prime Video | DAZN (in Canada)\n\nAmazon Prime serves as the home of \"Thursday Night Football\" and will be for the next decade. The NFL agreed to a deal with the streaming giant to make it the home of the package for 11 years, so those looking to watch \"TNF\" nationally will need a subscription to Amazon Prime to watch the games.\n\nThat said, those in the local markets of the teams playing on \"Thursday Night Football\" can watch the contests without subscriptions to Amazon. CBS affiliate WJAX (Channel 47) will career the game to those in the Jacksonville area while viewers in the New Orleans market can catch the program on WDSU (Channel 6), an NBC affiliate.\n\nAmazon's broadcast crew for \"Thursday Night Football\" will consist of Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary) and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter). The trio is in their second season working together.\n\nViewers in Canada will not have to have Amazon Prime to access \"Thursday Night Football\" in 2023. They will be able to watch the games on DAZN.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nLongtime Hollywood couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith sent shockwaves around the world this week when the Red Table Talk host revealed that she and the actor have been separated since 2016. Both Jada and Will have previously doubled down on their stance against getting a divorce, but her recent reveal about their lengthy separation poses a new question: When should couples just get a divorce?\n\nIn an interview with People on 10 October, Jada shared that during the 2022 Academy Awards - when Will slapped Chris Rock after he cracked a joke about Jada’s appearance - the pair had actually been separated for six years. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she explained, while promoting her new memoir, Worthy. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”\n\nShe praised her and Will’s two children - Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22 - for being her “little gurus” throughout this time, noting that they’ve taught her “a deep sense of self-acceptance”. Although the married couple are not living together, she insisted that their marriage has never been an open one, as she and Will have “eliminated the chance of betrayal” while going on to live their “separate lives”.\n\nThis isn’t the first time that Jada and Will have taken some time apart from each other. During a 2020 episode of her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, Jada disclosed that while she and Will were separated amicably, she had a relationship with singer August Alsina, describing their involvement as an “entanglement”.\n\nThroughout their marriage of 26 years, the A-listers have made it clear that divorce was never in the cards. Jada furthered that belief during a preview for an interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb, which aired on 13 October. “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,” she said. “We will work through, whatever. I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”\n\nOf course, outsiders aren’t fully aware of the “heavy-duty work” that Jada and Will have done throughout their marriage. But the amount of time they’ve spent separated begs questions about all long-term relationships in general. When is it the time for couples to throw the towel in? And when should separations ultimately become the end result that couples have tried to avoid: divorce.\n\nWhile there’s never a simple answer to the question, relationship experts have discovered the signs that it’s time to keep fighting for the one you love, or time to let them go.\n\nSpeaking to The Independent, New York City-based relationship expert Susan Winter highlighted the jarring differences between a separation and divorce. When it comes to divorce, Hollywood couples can notably get involved in lengthy legal processes, from dividing financial assets to creating child custody agreements. Although we don’t know the terms of Jada and Will’s separation, Winter believes that they’re showcasing a non-conventional relationship that’s not familiar to the public. Will and Jada’s dynamic includes living in separate homes, but it could be a choice that’s for the better.\n\n“It’s an LAT partnership, meaning ‘living apart together,’” Winter said. “While everybody is at a different point as to why they are doing this, the centre point is the same: the preservation of the partnership is paramount. Separations can also be beneficial if both individuals are working on themselves and have the mutual goal of reuniting, or making their relationship better. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that their improved relationship will result in them living together again.”\n\nOn the other hand, dating coach Jacob Lucas - who’s based in the UK - acknowledged that not all separations end in resolutions. When couples opt not to live together anymore, it could create an emotional disconnect between them. If a lack of connection occurred before couples separated, that separation doesn’t necessarily make the issues go away. In fact, Lucas believes that in these situations, couples could also be avoiding the inevitable breakup for the sake of comfortability.\n\n(AFP via Getty Images)\n\n“They’re not resolving their problems, they’re rescheduling them. So, if you separate from someone, but you live in a separate house and you’re still together, it seems to me you’re just not letting go of the past because you want to stick to what’s familiar,” he claimed. “People stick to what they know, and it’s like you have a tether to that person. Your brain’s like: ‘I cannot let go of them because I am scared of the unknown.’ I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple separate and come back again.”\n\nIt’s unclear whether Jada and Will plan on ending their separation and living in the same home again. However, the couple have been candid about their plans to not get a divorce. Jada previously recalled that when she first decided to get married to Will in 1997, it would be for the long haul. “I told Will from the gate, I said let me tell you something: ‘If you marry me, know this: we’re gonna be together. We’re going to be under the same roof,’” she said during a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk. “For me personally, I’m not mature enough to have a divorce, I’m just not. I don’t think I would ever be mature enough, I don’t.”\n\nWill - who divorced his first wife, Sheree Zampino, in 1994 - has also shared similar sentiments about making his marriage with Jada work. Back in 2006, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star first explained to MTV News that divorce wasn’t an option for him and his second wife. “With Jada, I stood up in front of God and said: ‘Til death do us part,’” he said at the time. “So there are two possible outcomes. One, we are going to be together ‘til death, or two, I am dead.”\n\nSpeaking to The Independent, Lucas noted that while it’s important for both parties to be invested in their relationships, promising not to get a divorce could spark feelings of resentment down the line. Fans aren’t fully aware of why Will and Jada made that promise to each other, but the dating coach believes that an agreement like theirs could create a false narrative about a divorce.\n\nJada Pinkett Smith y Will Smith (Getty Images)\n\n“Getting divorced shouldn’t feel like a taboo because people grow apart and that’s fine,” he explained. “People get stuck in relationships because of their friends and family or societal pressure, and they worry about getting divorced. They think a divorce has a stigma to its name, which it doesn’t, and they push aside the fact that they still essentially feel trapped with someone they don’t want to be with.”\n\nPerhaps one of the reasons why Jada and Will have promised not to get a divorce is because they also agreed not to sign a prenuptial agreement. In an interview with Parade published on 13 October, Jada explained it was her special connection with Will that encouraged them not to sign a prenup before getting married.\n\n“I feel that was a very real moment for the two of us to look each other in the eyes, recognise that there would be tough times in this journey and to say to each other: ‘No matter what, we’re going to figure it out and that’s why we don’t need a prenup, because I’m making a promise that divorce won’t be necessary, that we will figure this out,’” she recalled. “And we made that promise to each other without all of the bridal wedding beauty; it was just sitting on a log in his mother’s backyard, and going: ‘Hey’ - having to really look at the possibility of us not being together.”\n\nAlthough they’ve made their dedication to each other quite clear, there have been some grey areas over the last seven years about the terms of Will and Jada’s separation. In 2020, Jada made headlines when she revealed in a Red Table Talk episode with her husband that she had a relationship with Alsina. She explained that she and her husband were “separated amicably” when the romance occurred, which had not been disclosed to the press at the time. “We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time and you go figure out how to make yourself happy and I’ll figure out how to make myself happy,” Jada said. As the Girls Trip star recalled that she “got into a different kind of entanglement with August,” she was prompted by Will to confirm it “was a relationship, absolutely.”\n\nOutsiders are now aware that Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, but the timeline of her relationship with Alsina is still fuzzy. Indeed, the terms of Will and Jada’s separation are still unknown to the public and in some cases, having separate relationships can give couples the clarity they need about their marriage.\n\n“What’s pivotal here is, what was the agreement? Did we agree to separate to work on ourselves for the purpose of coming back together again?” Winter said. “Did we agree to separate and just be alone for a while and not have that discussion? And in the second case, if you have an affair, sometimes it can bring you back to the original person. You can get whatever you need to achieve or gain a different perspective, allowing you to decide if you want to come back or leave for good.”\n\nWill Smith y Jada Pinkett Smith (Getty Images)\n\nAccording to Lucas, some of the controversy surrounding Will and Jada’s relationship ties back to the 2022 Academy Awards - when the King Richard star jumped onto the stage and struck Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s shaved head, which is a result of her alopecia. “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth,” Will yelled. Now that it’s been revealed the couple was separated at the time, Lucas questioned Will’s behaviour and word choice during the awards ceremony.\n\n“That’s a weird reaction to have somebody who you’ve been broken up with for six years, you know? So, were they really broken up or is Jada saying that as an attention-seeking thing?” he asked.\n\nHowever, Winter still believes the controversial incident speaks different volumes about the work Will has put into his relationship. “I feel as though Will has a tremendous love and commitment to Jada, as well as to the marriage and the family unit,” she said. “The pride that he takes in defending his wife is extraordinary, almost to the detriment of his image, at times.”\n\nUltimately, the public will never fully know what “heavy-duty work” Will and Jada are doing in their relationship, and according to Winter, it’s not necessarily any of our business. Still, she believes that their choice to separate is something fluid and outside of the traditional marriage design - an evolving model that could also come to serve other couples. If Will and Jada have been spending seven years apart as a married couple, why would they decide to go back to living in the same household?\n\n“They’re in the rough with a machete, carving a new path for themselves,” Winter said. “Why would they say: ‘Hey, let’s go back to the house and just relax?’ They’re really exploring something vastly different. It doesn’t end up that you go back into that little box of ‘this is a marriage, we’re living together’. It just doesn’t do that.”\n\nEvery relationship is different, living in the public eye or not. Although living separately may not be an issue for some couples, there can still be some major signs that it’s time to leave a relationship behind. “When there is no stone left unturned, or when they have tried every single combination possible to make the relationship function and yet it doesn’t, that’s the time to pull the plug,” Winter added. “They’ve done their individual work and they have done the work together and ended up in the same place.”\n\nWill and Jada’s relationship could end in a variety of ways. The celebrity couple could stay separated, move back in together as a married pair, or they can get a divorce. However, there are still certain behaviours in a marriage that could signal it’s time to get a divorce.\n\n“If you feel disrespected by your partner, feel humiliated, or were cheated on, you probably feel ready to split,” Lucas said. “I also think a real big one is, if you lose sexual attraction for your partner and you’ve actively tried to get it back and can’t, it’s time to go.”", + "The Broncos completed a major comeback in the Mile High City.\n\nBoth Denver and Minnesota entered \"Sunday Night Football\" on red-hot win streaks but only one team could keep the momentum rolling. It looked like it was going to be Joshua Dobbs and the Vikings for the majority of the contest, but the Broncos wouldn't let up.\n\nTrailing by eight points going into the final frame, Denver's offense finally woke up in the game's biggest moment. The Broncos hadn't found the end zone all night but Russell Wilson still found a way to lead an impressive game-winning drive in the final three minutes.\n\nCourtland Sutton was as clutch as can be, coming up with a key catch on fourth down to keep the drive alive. When Denver brought the ball into the red zone where it had stalled out several times throughout the night, Wilson went right back to his guy Sutton.\n\nSutton hauled in a monster touchdown reception to give the Broncos a one-point lead with a minute remaining, and Dobbs had run out of magic. Denver forced a turnover on downs on Minnesota's final drive, extending its win streak to four games while handing the Vikings their first loss in five weeks.\n\nIf you missed any of the \"Sunday Night Football\" action, The Sporting News had you covered with live updates, highlights and more throughout the game.\n\nVikings vs. Broncos final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Vikings 0 10 7 3 20 Broncos 3 6 0 12 21\n\nVikings vs. Broncos results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Broncos 21, Vikings 20\n\n11:25 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS — Joshua Dobbs stepped into a big throw across the middle but no one was home. That'll do it. The Broncos will come away with a comeback victory.\n\n11:24 p.m.: The Broncos' pass rush has been all over Joshua Dobbs on this drive and this time, it results in an intentional grounding penalty. The Vikings will have to burn their final timeout. It's 4th & 25 from their own 21 with 23 seconds remaining.\n\n11:20 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs picks up the first down on a QB sneak on 4th & inches to keep the drive alive with 41 seconds remaining. Timeout Vikings. They have the ball on their own 36-yard line with one timeout and only need to get into field goal range.\n\nBroncos 21, Vikings 20\n\n11:14 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Courtland Sutton hauls in a monster grab over Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon on the 15-yard TD reception. After an unsuccessful two-point try, Denver leads 21-20 with 1:03 to play.\n\n11:13 p.m.: Samaje Perine has been huge on this drive. He has four catches for 40 yards and three first downs to keep Denver's winning hopes alive. The Broncos are in the red zone with just over a minute to play.\n\n11:09 p.m.: Samaje Perine picks up 10 yards and a first down on a pass from Russell Wilson to take us into the two-minute warning. Denver will have the ball on Minnesota's 45 after the quick break.\n\n11:07 p.m.: The Broncos stay alive with an insane catch from Courtland Sutton on 4th & 3! The potential game-winning drive continues from Denver's 45-yard line with 2:19 remaining.\n\nCOURTLAND SUTTON INCREDIBLE 4TH DOWN GRAB ‼️\n\n\n\n🎥: @NFL\n\npic.twitter.com/T0Mrch9Tf9 — The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 20, 2023\n\nVikings 20, Broncos 15\n\n11:02 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Greg Joseph knocks it in from 30 yards. The Vikings' offense was moving, and it did its job by chewing a lot of clock on a 14-play, seven-minute and 20-second drive. Minnesota stalled out on Denver's 12-yard line, settling for a field goal.\n\nCan the Vikings' defense keep the Broncos out of the end zone as it has all night? The drive of the game is coming up.\n\n10:57 p.m.: The spot on the field was overturned! Ty Chandler was ruled just short of the line to gain, setting up a 4th & inches. The Vikings decided to go for it and Joshua Dobbs picked up the first down on a QB sneak.\n\n10:54 p.m.: Ty Chandler continues to rumble. The spell RB picked up a massive gain on 3rd & 20 and it appeared that he got the first down, but the spot on the field is under review. This could be a crucial call.\n\n10:48 p.m.: It looked like it was going to be a three-and-out for the Vikings offense but a fake punt has kept the drive alive! Ty Chandler picked up 31 yards on a gutsy call from head coach Kevin O'Connell to bring the ball into Denver's territory.\n\nVikings 17, Broncos 15\n\n10:43 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz knocks one in from 28 yards, his fifth made field goal of the day. Lutz has been the Broncos' lone source of offense, bringing Denver within one score with 10:37 to play in the game.\n\n10:42 p.m.: A 15-yard facemask penalty on Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr. backed up the offense and the Vikings' defense held strong again as a result. Here comes Will Lutz for his fifth field goal attempt of the game.\n\n10:38 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Joshua Dobbs was hit as he threw and Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillan came up with the pick. It was LB Josey Jewell who brought the pressure on Dobbs. Denver takes over from the Vikings' 9-yard line after McMillan picked up nine yards on the interception return.\n\nVikings 17, Broncos 12\n\n10:34 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz buries his fourth field goal of the day, this time from 37 yards. Lutz has been automatic in this one, going a perfect 4-for-4 to account for all of Denver's points.\n\n10:32 p.m.: Penalties kill. The Broncos picked up a first down on a Russell Wilson QB sneak on 3rd & 1, but an illegal formation penalty set them back four yards. On the ensuing 3rd down attempt, Vikings LB D.J. Wonnum brought down Wilson for a sack. Here comes the field goal unit.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Vikings 17, Broncos 9\n\n10:26 p.m.: The Vikings' turnover has put a jolt of life into the Broncos' offense. Javonte Williams rushed for 18 yards on the first play of the drive, then Russell Wilson connected with Jerry Jeudy for 19 yards to get the wheels turning. It will be 1st & 10 from Minnesota's 21-yard line when the fourth quarter begins.\n\n10:21 p.m.: FUMBLE! Alexander Mattison coughed up the football on an inside handoff and it was recovered by the Broncos. Denver takes over from its own 34 on a much-needed turnover.\n\n10:13 p.m.: The Broncos offense is really struggling to move the ball on some of these drives tonight. It's another three-and-out after Russell Wilson couldn't link up with Marvin Mims Jr. on 3rd & 3. The Vikings will take over from their own 25 with 6:23 remaining in the quarter after a touchback on the punt.\n\nVikings 17, Broncos 9\n\n10:06 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Joshua Dobbs scrambles for 10 yards into the end zone to give the Vikings a 17-9 lead.\n\n10:04 p.m.: Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II was flagged for a blatant defensive pass interference call on an interception on 3rd & 13. Automatic first down for Minnesota, bringing it into the red zone.\n\n10:01 p.m.: The Vikings are moving the chains. They've picked up two first downs in five plays, gaining 43 yards in the process. Alexander Mattison picked up 23 yards on the ground, and Joshua Dobbs and Jordan Addison connected on an 18-yard pass to pick up the bulk of the yardage.\n\n9:56 p.m.: A holding penalty derailed the Broncos' drive as they came up way short on a 3rd & 20 attempt. Minnesota will take over from its own 31 after a 19-yard punt return from Brandon Powell.\n\n9:54 p.m.: Denver receives to start the second half and we're back in action.\n\nEnd of first half: Vikings 10, Broncos 9\n\n9:38 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz from 52 yards... it's good! The Broncos kicker steps up to bury a long field goal as the first half comes to a close. He's responsible for all of Denver's points as it trails 10-9.\n\n9:35 p.m.: Russell Wilson has the Broncos' offense moving. He's delivered four complete passes for 46 yards, bringing Denver down to Minnesota's 34-yard line with 11 seconds on the clock. The Broncos have one timeout remaining.\n\n9:27 p.m.: Alexander Mattison was stuffed on a three-yard run, then Joshua Dobbs couldn't find his RB on a swing route on 3rd down, forcing a punt. The Broncos will start their drive from their own 25 with 1:11 remaining in the half after a touchback on the punt.\n\n9:24 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs connected on a 17-yard pass to Jordan Addison and a 10-yard pass to TJ Hockenson to bring Minnesota to its own 48 at the two-minute warning. It will be 2nd & 5 coming out of the break.\n\n9:21 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs and center Garrett Bradbury have had a few bad exchanges when the newly acquired QB is under center. Dobbs just fumbled his second snap of the game but has recovered both of them.\n\nVikings 10, Broncos 6\n\n9:18 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz gets another 31-yarder to go for the Broncos. Russell Wilson found Jerry Jeudy for a five-yard gain on 3rd & 7, coming just short of the line to gain. Head coach Sean Payton elected to kick the field goal instead of going for it on Minnesota's 12-yard line.\n\n9:14 p.m.: Russell Wilson and Courtland Sutton connect on a 33-yard pitch and catch to give the Broncos their first big play of the game! Denver is in the red zone for the first time tonight.\n\nVikings 10, Broncos 3\n\n9:08 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Greg Joseph drills a 34-yarder to give the Vikings a 10-3 lead with 8:09 to play in the half. The Vikings' offense stalled out in the red zone as Joshua Dobbs was sacked for an 11-yard loss on 3rd & Goal.\n\n9:06 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs has some magic in him. In a cloud of smoke in the pocket, Dobbs found TE TJ Hockenson on a 29-yard gain to pick up a first down on 3rd & 2. The big play brings the Vikings into the red zone.\n\n9:00 p.m.: Another three-and-out for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. On 3rd & 3, Wilson was under heavy pressure and threw the ball away as he was nearly brought down for a sack. Denver punted to Minnesota's 25, where Joshua Dobbs and the offense will take over.\n\nVikings 7, Broncos 3\n\n8:56 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Joshua Dobbs, are you kidding me?! Dobbs scrambled out right and looked like he had nowhere to go. The QB shed a tackle on the sidelines and regained his composure, finding TE Josh Oliver wide open in the end zone for a touchdown after the play broke down.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Broncos 3, Vikings 0\n\n8:53 p.m.: The Vikings' run game is marching the offense down the field. Spell RB Ty Chandler has collected 29 total yards on this drive while starting RB Alexander Mattison has picked up 27 yards. Minnesota is down to Denver's 4-yard line as the first quarter comes to a close.\n\n8:44 p.m.: The Vikings' defense responds with a stop of their own. A quick three-and-out for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. Minnesota will take over from its own 35 after a 12-yard punt return from Brandon Powell. Broncos lead 3-0 with 5:01 to play in the first quarter.\n\n8:38 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs had the Vikings' offense moving but the Broncos' defense came up with a big stop on 3rd & 8. Minnesota had picked up 28 yards in six plays but Dobbs was nearly picked off on third down, forcing a punt. Denver will take over from its own 25-yard line after a touchback.\n\n8:32 p.m.: Joshua Dobbs was evaluated in the medical tent after taking a big hit on the last drive, but he did not miss a snap at QB for the Vikings.\n\nBroncos 3, Vikings 0\n\n8:30 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz buries a 31-yarder to get the Broncos on the board. The Vikings' defense held strong after the turnover. LB Danielle Hunter came up with a timely sack to force a 3rd & 15 and the Broncos couldn't convert.\n\n8:26 p.m.: FUMBLE! Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs attempted to pick up a first down on 3rd & 1 and he was absolutely popped by SS Kareem Jackson. LB Baron Browning pried the ball loose as Dobbs was hit and the Broncos recovered the fumble, taking over at Minnesota's 30.\n\n8:24 p.m.: The Vikings received to start the game and after a touchback on the opening kick, we are underway!\n\nPregame\n\n8:21 p.m.: Broncos legend Peyton Manning shows some love to Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson ahead of the game. Jefferson remains out due to a hamstring injury.\n\n7:04 p.m.: Vikings starting RB Alexander Mattison is active for \"Sunday Night Football,\" after going through concussion protocol this week.\n\nVikings’ RB Alexander Mattison officially active tonight vs. Broncos. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2023\n\nWhat channel is Vikings vs. Broncos on today?\n\nVikings vs. Broncos will air on NBC nationally. Viewers can also stream the game on Fubo, which offers a free trial, in the U.S. and DAZN, which carries NFL Game Pass, in Canada.\n\nMike Tirico (play-by-play announcer), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Melissa Stark (reporter) will be on the call for NBC.", + "There’s something going on with AI startups in France In just a few months, dozens of French entrepreneurs have turned their focus to AI\n\nLast night, Motier Ventures held a tech meetup focused on AI startups featuring some of the most hyped tech startups in the French tech ecosystem: Dust, Finegrain, Gladia, Mistral AI and Scenario — all of them are portfolio companies of Motier Ventures. And you could feel a sense of excitement both onstage and in the audience.\n\nArtificial intelligence, just like in the U.S., has quickly become a buzzy vertical within the French tech industry. But this time, France seems particularly well positioned to become one of the main AI hubs of the world.\n\nAnd it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Tech giants have historically set up AI research labs in Paris, as there’s a large talent pool of PhD students in math, computer science and engineering. They usually graduate from Polytechnique, ENS or Inria. They sometimes move to the U.S. for postdoctoral research and then move back to France to join a research lab.\n\nFor instance, Facebook (now Meta) created its Paris research lab back in 2015 with Yann LeCun at the helm of the AI initiative — this research group is called FAIR, for Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research. Google followed suit with its own AI research center dedicated to AI in Paris.\n\n“The FAIR team is extremely impressive. Just look at what they’ve done with Llama,” an entrepreneur told me yesterday. He recently had a private meeting with some of the engineers and scientists working on AI projects.\n\nAnd if you look at the founders of Mistral AI, the French AI startup working on open source large language models that raised a €105 million seed round ($112 million at today’s exchange rate), all three co-founders (Arthur Mensch, Timothée Lacroix and Guillaume Lample) previously worked at Google’s DeepMind or FAIR.\n\nLast night, Mistral’s co-founders put together a demo of Mistral AI in a ChatGPT-like interface called Mistral AI Chat. The demo was based on a new model called “mistral-70b-instruct-alpha01,” indicating that the team is actively working on a new model with more parameters so that it can be more competitive with sophisticated LLMs. According to a recent report from The Information, Mistral AI plans to raise as much as $300 million in the coming weeks.\n\nMistral isn’t the only high-profile AI company in France. Poolside, a company that recently raised a $126 million seed round, plans to use AI to make it drastically easier to write code. Co-founded by Jason Warner, the former CTO of GitHub, and Eiso Kant, a serial entrepreneur who worked on Athenian and source{d}, the company has picked Paris as its home base.\n\nDust, a company that is working on integrating large language models with internal corporate data from GitHub, Notion or Slack, also took the stage for a demo last night. At Dust’s office warming party, I realized that Dust shares its beautiful office building with Nabla, another French AI startup focused on helping doctors leverage large language models and co-founded by former FAIR engineers. This proves once again that an AI ecosystem is emerging.\n\nThe founders of Mistral AI and Dust had to leave the meetup quickly after their demos as they were both invited for dinner at the Elysée Palace, the residence of Emmanuel Macron. So there’s also some public support for AI startups in France. An entrepreneur recently told me that multiple AI startups are working together on public tenders for government grants worth millions of euros as part of France 2030.\n\nOne thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one. An interesting French AI startup in this field is Giskard, which is developing an open source testing framework, or “the best LLM antivirus in the market,” as Giskard co-founder and CEO Alex Combessie told me. I’ll have more to write about Giskard in the coming days.\n\nAnd another wave of stealth AI startups\n\nEarlier this week, The Information reported that Adaptive, an AI startup based in Amsterdam and co-founded by French AI researcher Julien Launay, was about to raise a seed around at a $100 million valuation. Adaptive helps companies iterate on their AI applications without relying on external data or annotations.\n\nA source confirmed that Index Ventures is leading the Adaptive round, with Iconiq and Motier Ventures participating.\n\nAnother source told me that Index Ventures is also leading a seed round for an AI startup with a team split between Paris and London.\n\nIn other news, I’ve heard that Steeve Morin, a key member of the team behind Zenly, a popular consumer app that was acquired by Snap, is also creating an AI startup called ZML. The team will focus on improving machine learning inference and other low-level tools.\n\nMaxime Germain, the founder of mental health startup Jour, which was acquired by Alan, is leaving Alan to start Heart Hands, an AI startup that is developing a “second brain in your pocket,” as an investor described it to me.\n\nPierre Valade, the founder of Sunrise and Jumbo, is putting together a team for an AI startup currently called Chief of Staff. Hugo Mercier is working on an AI startup in stealth mode as well.\n\nI think it’s safe to call this new wave of startups a trend. While the overall tech ecosystem is still experiencing a downturn, there’s an absurd amount of activity among French startups at the early stage with new AI startups getting founded at a rapid pace and VC firms fighting for the most competitive funding rounds.", + "European Union regulators have sent Amazon a formal statement of objections setting out competition concerns over its proposed acquisition of robot vacuum maker, iRobot.\n\nThe step does not confirm the EU will seek to block the deal but it shows antitrust regulators do remain concerned. It could therefore push Amazon to offer remedies to EU authorities to settle the investigation and avoid the risk of the acquisition being blocked.\n\nAmazon has already lowered its acquisition price for iRobot — which was originally an all-cash offer of $1.7 billion back in August 2022 — by 15% owing to increased debt taken on by its target while regulatory snags delayed closing the deal at the original purchase price.\n\nThe bloc has been closely scrutinizing the Amazon-iRobot deal since July when the EU announced its in-depth probe. The Commission said at the time it was worried the transaction would allow Amazon to restrict competition in the market for robot vacuum cleaners (RVCs) and strengthen its position as online marketplace provider in a number of ways.\n\nToday’s announcement by the EU, following several months of in-depth examination looking at how the transaction might impact competition, lays out formal concerns for Amazon to respond to. The EU’s objections focus on foreclosure risks.\n\nThe EU says its concerns focus on whether the deal will give Amazon the ability and incentive to foreclose iRobot’s rivals by deploying strategies aimed at preventing competitors from selling RVCs on Amazon’s marketplace and/or making it harder for them to do so — such as by delisting rival products; reducing their visibility in both non-paid (i.e. organic) and paid results (i.e. ads) displayed on its marketplace; limiting their access to certain widgets it operates (such as the “other products you may like” feature) or “certain commercially-attractive product labels” (e.g. ‘Amazon’s choice’ or ‘Works With Alexa’); and/or by directly or indirectly raising the costs of iRobot’s rivals to advertise and sell their RVCs on its marketplace.\n\n“Amazon may have the ability to foreclose iRobot’s rivals because Amazon’s online marketplace is a particularly important channel to sell RVCs in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain,” the Commission writes in a press release. “RVC customers in these countries particularly rely on Amazon both in terms of product discovery as well as for their final purchasing decision.”\n\nThe Commission is also worried Amazon may have the incentive to foreclose iRobot’s rivals because it may be economically profitable for it to do so. “The merged entity would likely gain more from additional sales of iRobot RVCs, than it would lose from fewer sales of iRobot’s rivals and other related products on Amazon. Such gains include benefits from additional data gathered from iRobot’s users,” it suggests.\n\nWere Amazon to deploy such foreclosure strategies the Commission’s view at this stage of the probe is it could restrict competition in the market for RVCs, leading to “higher prices, lower quality, and less innovation for consumers”.\n\nThe EU has reached this pass of laying out formal concerns after conducting what it describes as a “wide-ranging investigation to understand the market and the potential impact of the deal”, which it says included analysing internal documents provided by Amazon and iRobot and gathering views from market participants such as suppliers of RVCs and other smart home devices, as well as from providers of online sales channels.\n\nIt also says it closely cooperated with other competition authorities during both the initial investigation and the in-depth investigation, adding that it will continue to do so during the remainder of the in-depth investigation. Although the U.K.’s competition authority already cleared the deal back in June.\n\nAmazon was contacted for a response to the EU’s statement of objections. A company spokesperson sent us this statement in which it claims iRobot faces “intense competition” from other RVC suppliers:\n\nWe continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage. iRobot, which faces intense competition from other vacuum cleaner suppliers, offers practical and inventive products. We believe Amazon can offer a company like iRobot the resources to accelerate innovation and invest in critical features while lowering prices for consumers.\n\nLate last year the EU settled with Amazon over two earlier competition probes — one delving into antitrust concerns about Amazon’s use of merchant data to bolster its own retail business; and a second one looking at how it operated the “Buy Box” and its Prime loyalty program.\n\nIn those cases Amazon agreed a series of commitments to end the probes — including saying it would stop using non-public data from its marketplace sellers and boost transparency for merchants; and pledging to treat all sellers equally, regardless of whether they pay for its logistics services.\n\nAt the time the EU’s then competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, trumpeted the outcome as setting what she dubbed “new rules for how Amazon operates its business in Europe” — arguing the settlement meant the ecommerce giant could “no longer abuse its dual role” as marketplace operator and own brand retailer; and further claiming the outcome would ensure “competing independent retailers and carriers as well as consumers will benefit from these changes opening up new opportunities and choice.”\n\nGiven the commitments the EU already extracted from Amazon after those earlier investigations it’s interesting to see the bloc remains concerned over levers the ecommerce behemoth still has its disposal to potentially influence competitive outcomes on its marketplace vis-à-vis iRobot vs rival robot vacs.\n\nSince then Amazon has also been named a gatekeeper under the EU’s shiny new ex ante competition regulation, the Digital Markets Act — which lists its marketplace as a core platform service. This designation means Amazon must comply with a series of up-front obligations, which include restrictions on self preferencing.", + "The NFL playoff race is heating up as the calendar flips to December, the penultimate month of the 2023 regular season. With only six weeks of games left through Week 18, 14 teams are looking to position themselves well as either division leaders or wild-card hopefuls.\n\nAlthough there are some dominant teams headed to a return to the playoffs, most scenarios are in flux with seeding and potential entrants. Here's a look at the updated NFL playoff picture during a 13-game slate with six teams on bye, now after Week 13:\n\nPOWER RANKINGS: 49ers jump Eagles at top; Packers, Colts keep rising as Chiefs, Steelers fade for Week 14\n\nNFL standings after Week 13\n\nAFC playoff picture\n\n1.. Miami Dolphins (9-3), first place, AFC East. The Dolphins matched the Ravens' record in their dominant road victory at the Commanders. For now they have the conference record tiebreaker to jump into this spot. With beating Washington, they opened up a 3-game division lead on the idle Bills.\n\n2. Baltimore Ravens (9-3), first place, AFC North. The Ravens went into their bye with a half-game lead for home-field advantage and the lone playoff bye, over three teams right behind them. The tiebreakers, however, will shake things up a bit depending on which of two favored teams, the Chiefs and Jaguars, join the Dolphins in winning in separate matchups. The Ravens also lead the Steelers by 1.5 games in the division.\n\n3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4), first place, AFC West. The Chiefs have wins over the Jaguars and Dolphins to help them in the tiebreakers. They will win the division again and push for No. 1. But losing to the Packers on the road in Week 13 keeps them as No. 3 as the Jaguars lost on Monday night to stay behind them.\n\n4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4), first place, AFC South. The Jaguars had a chance to match the Dolphins and Ravens on Monday night but their home overtime loss to the Bengals dropped them behind the also losing Chiefs, to whom they lost. With the upset, Jacksonville also saw its division lead drop to one over Indianapolis and Houston.\n\n5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5), second place, AFC North. The Steelers lost Kenny Pickett and all their offensive promise in one fell swoop against the Cardinals, also hurt by the weather in the shocking upset at home. They remain here, however, because of the Browns also losing.\n\n6. Indianapolis Colts (7-5) second place, AFC South. The Colts kept up their surprise playoff momentum, still with a head-to-head tiebreaker ahead of the Texans, with a win over the Titans in Tennessee in Week 13. The Colts don't have a rematch with the Texans until Week 18 in Indianapolis.\n\n7. Cleveland Browns (7-5), third place, AFC North. The Browns also lost to a lesser overall NFC West foe in the Rams, only on the road. Joe Flacco tried to get their offense going but now the concern is the defense falling apart and regressing at the wrong time.\n\nWho's in the hunt?\n\n8. Houston Texans (7-5)\n\n9. Denver Broncos (6-6)\n\n10. Buffalo Bills (6-6)\n\n11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-6)\n\n12. Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)\n\n13. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)\n\n14. New York Jets (4-8)\n\n15. Tennessee Titans (4-8)\n\nThe Texans beat the Broncos Houston in a key wild-card determining matchup in Week 13. The Bills and Raiders are off to regroup for a run, while the Bengals are staying resilient without Joe Burrow. The Chargers won on the road at the Patriots to maintain a playoff pulse, but the Titans and Jets lose close games at home.\n\nNFC playoff picture\n\n1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2), first place, NFC East. The Eagles fell for the second time this season as their run of beating high-quality opponents in comeback fashion ended in getting routed by the 49ers at home. They now lead the division by only one game over the Cowboys and are in real danger of losing home-field advantage and the lone bye to the 49ers, too.\n\n2. San Francisco 49ers (9-3), first place, NFC West. The 49ers' red-hot ways since getting fully healthy around Brock Purdy after their bye continue with a dominant offensive performance against the Eagles. They made a statement that they are the new team to beat in the conference, wherever they play. Up three games on the Rams and Seahawks, another division title is coming, too.\n\n3. Detroit Lions (9-3), first place, NFC North. The Lions are still in great shape to win the division with a 3-game lead over the Vikings and the Packers after beating the Saints in New Orleans in Week 13. But they're looking more like the No. 2 seed will be their ceiling.\n\n4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6), first place, NFC South. The Falcons are in control of the NFL's weakest division thanks to beating the Saints and earning the head-to-head tiebreaker in Week 12. They got to .500 and increased their lead to a full game by beating the Jets in Week 13.\n\n5. Dallas Cowboys (9-3), second place, NFC East. The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14. They can finish No. 1, No, 2 or No. 3 if they win the division and are locked into No. 5 again otherwise.\n\n6. Minnesota Vikings (6-6), second place, NFC North. The Vikings jumped up a spot during their bye with the Seahawks losing on Thursday night to match their record on Thursday night. They have the tiebreaker over the three other .500 NFC teams based on conference record, but right behind them is the team in third place in the division.\n\n7. Green Bay Packers (6-6), third place, NFC North. The Packers moved into the final playoff spot thanks to having the second-best conference record after the Vikings, to whom they already lost but face again in Minnesota in Week 17. The Packers also hold key wins over the Rams and Saints in the wild-card race.\n\nWho's in the hunt?\n\n8. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)\n\n9. Seattle Seahawks (6-6)\n\n10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)\n\n11. New Orleans Saints (5-7)\n\n12. New York Giants (4-8)\n\n13. Chicago Bears (4-8)\n\n14. Washington Commanders (4-9)\n\nThe Rams and Seahawks are the best wild-card bets here now, while the Saints and Buccaneers will still have their sights on making the playoffs via still winning the weak South over the Falcons.", + "Without Lionel Messi, Inter Miami have looked exceedingly mortal. They put in a 90-minute performance littered with individual mistakes, and the Chicago Fire made them pay, winning 4-1 via braces from Xherdan Shaqiri and substitute Maren Haile-Selassie.\n\nThe result boosts Chicago’s postseason hopes significantly, moving them into a playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings.\n\nInter Miami’s playoff hopes, conversely, are now on life support, needing to win out in their final three games and get outside help. The club is winless in four games with Messi out injured, and it has seen their chances at a postseason berth nearly evaporate.\n\nShaqiri’s brace was the biggest talking point for the hosts, as the former Liverpool midfielder has not always been at his best since joining MLS, but in front of a record Chicago Fire crowd at Soldier Field, he rose to the occasion.\n\nThe Sporting News followed the Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami final score\n\nScore Goal scorers Chicago Fire 4 Shaqiri (50', 73'),\n\nHaile-Selassie (62', 66') Inter Miami 1 J. Martinez (53')\n\nStarting lineups:\n\nChicago Fire (4-2-3-1, right to left): 34. Brady (GK) — 24. Dean, 16. Omsberg, 5. Czichos, 6. Navarro — 26. Doumbia, 30. G. Gimenez — 17. B. Gutierrez (Haile-Selassie, 55'), 10. Shaqiri, 21. Herbers (Teran, 85') — 19. Koutsias (Przybylko, 69').\n\nInter Miami (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Callender (GK) — 2. Yedlin, 27. Kryvtsov, 31. Miller, 32. Allen — 3. Arroyo (J. Mota, 67'), 5. Busquets, 30. Cremaschi — 16. Taylor (Stefanelli, 67'), 17. Martinez, 11. Farias.\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami live updates, highlights, commentary\n\nFULLTIME: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami\n\nXherdan Shaqiri has underwhelmed for much of the year, but on the biggest stage when the Chicago Fire needed him the most, he rose to the occasion with a brace in a big win.\n\nChicago are into a playoff position, while Inter Miami's playoff chances take a massive hit with the defeat. Lionel Messi's club no longer controls its own destiny, needing outside help to make the postseason.\n\nVia @IanHest, #InterMiamiCF would be on the brink of playoff elimination if this result holds. pic.twitter.com/xqyyY5ifzP — Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) October 5, 2023\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami: Second Half\n\n90th min: Facundo Farias is booked for a hip check on Miguel Navarro, which might have been a retaliation foul for Navarro's jawing at Sergio Busquets.\n\nThree minutes of added time are shown on the board.\n\n83rd min: Referee Joe Dickerson has to step between Sergio Busquets and Miguel Navarro as the two are jawing at each other. It wasn't hard to read Navarro's lips as he walked away, and his words aren't repeatable here.\n\nFrank Klopas withdraws Fabian Herbers and brings on an extra defender in Carlos Teran.\n\n78th min: A crowd of 62,124 was announced for tonight's match, blowing out the old Chicago Fire record and setting a new club record at Soldier Field. They didn't get to see Lionel Messi play, but they got to see their home team put on a rousing performance!\n\n73rd min: GOAL! CHICAGO FIRE! Xherdan Shaqiri has his second as he skewers Inter Miami to put the match away! It's given away in midfield by Facundo Farias, and Gaston Gimenez feeds Shaqiri through to begin the transitional play. Shaqiri, splitting two defenders, does it himself, cutting inside onto his left foot and then burying the shot inside the near post past a helpless Drake Callender.\n\nThis one's over, and Inter Miami's playoff chances are on life support!\n\nShaqiri brace ✔️\n\n\n\nThe @ChicagoFire are cruising in front of a packed house at @SoldierField. pic.twitter.com/nvBj5ZB4E3 — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 5, 2023\n\n68th min: Suddenly trailing by two goals, Gerardo Martino makes a pair of changes, bringing on Jean Mota and Nick Stefanelli for Dixon Arroyo and Robert Taylor.\n\n66th min: GOAL! CHICAGO FIRE! The hosts take a commanding lead on another defensive calamity at the back for Inter Miami! The substitute Maren Haile-Selassie has his second, and it's all too easy for the Chicago Fire! A lateral cross from Fabian Herbers is inch-perfect to thread around both defenders, and Haile-Selassie slides in to finish.\n\nDrake Callender gets a slight touch on the ball, but he can't keep it out.\n\nAnother one for Maren Haile-Selassie! 🔥\n\n\n\nThe second-half sub comes in and bags a brace to make it a 3-1 @ChicagoFire lead against Inter Miami. pic.twitter.com/bgHZHCOm7M — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 5, 2023\n\n62nd min: GOAL! CHICAGO FIRE! The substitute snatches back the lead, and Inter Miami are made to pay for their poor misses!\n\nA sensational pass vertically from Fabian Herbers feeds through Maren Haile-Selassie, with Serhiy Kryvtsov completely failing to see the runner breeze by him. The finish is cool and the hosts are in front.\n\nWhat a pass from Fabian Herbers to set up Maren Haile-Selassie! 🔥@ChicagoFire take the lead. pic.twitter.com/wBRejPuAOd — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 5, 2023\n\n61st min: Inter Miami are going for the jugular now. Robert Taylor's cheeky backheel gets the ball to Facundo Farias, but his shot is blocked. It's all sauce from the visitors right now, and Chicago are under siege.\n\n59th min: Chance, Inter Miami! BENJA CREMASCHI PUTS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY WIDE! Moments after Facundo Farias misses, Josef Martinez again unlocks the Chicago Fire defense but with only the goalkeeper to beat, Cremaschi misses the target across the face of goal! He HAD to take the lead!\n\n58th min: Chance, Inter Miami! Josef Martinez squares to Facundo Farias on the break, but the young Argentine misses wide left! That's a terrible miss with the goal gaping! The chance was there, as he was free on goal!\n\n55th min: Chicago coach Frank Klopas makes the first substitution, withdrawing Brian Gutierrez and bringing on Maren Haile-Selassie. The broadcast reports that Gutierrez was pulled due to a sore knee.\n\n52nd min: PENALTY, INTER MIAMI! Handball on Jonathan Dean who blocks a shot by Benja Cremaschi! He is lucky to only get a yellow card here, as he was prone on the ground and had his arms outstretched as he turned his back to the shot.\n\nJosef Martinez steps up to the spot...GOAL! INTER MIAMI! The penalty is slammed into the back of the net, with Chris Brady going the wrong way as well! Chicago had their lead for just three minutes.\n\n50th min: GOAL! CHICAGO FIRE! DeAndre Yedlin completely loses his runner at the back post, and Xherdan Shaqiri makes him pay! The U.S. international, up the field from the attack, had no clue that Shaqiri was making his run and dogged it back in transition.\n\nSHAQIRI 🎶 SHAQIRI 🎶\n\n\n\nWhat a sequence from the @ChicagoFire to set up the opening goal against Inter Miami. pic.twitter.com/Snix7YI1CK — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 5, 2023\n\n47th min: Robert Taylor gives a loud grunt audible on the broadcast and is holding his shoulder after taking a relatively innocuous touch off his chest. He looks to be ok after a few moments.\n\nKickoff: They're back under way at Soldier Field, but before kickoff Gerardo Martino gets a weird yellow card from the referee. He came straight out to the center circle to discuss things with the official, and it appeared that he was chastised for how late Inter Miami returned to the pitch from the locker room.\n\nChicago head coach Frank Klopas tells the Apple TV+ broadcast that he wants his team to be \"more calm on the ball.\" He acknowledges that they've had their chances, but haven't taken them yet.\n\nHALFTIME: Chicago Fire 0-0 Inter Miami\n\nNo score at the break. The Chicago Fire had the better chances, but neither side really took a firm hold of the match for an extended period of time.\n\n\"We have to play further forward, we played side to side too much,\" Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino told the Apple TV+ broadcast as he headed into the locker room. There's a lot riding on these next 45 minutes.\n\nHT: Fairly dull first half for Miami.\n\n\n\nNot too much going forward, too sideways.\n\n\n\nDesperately need some combination play in the final third.\n\n\n\nExpect some attacking changes in the second half. #InterMiamiCF — Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) October 5, 2023\n\nAround the rest of the league, the New York Red Bulls have picked up a massive three points off Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati with a 2-1 win, while CF Montreal grabbed a last-gasp equalizer against the Houston Dynamo, and Charlotte FC pummeled Toronto FC 3-0. Not exactly an ideal trio of results for others chasing a playoff spot.\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami: First Half\n\n42nd min: Sergio Busquets picks up the first yellow card of the match for what can only be described as a football tackle on Brian Gutierrez near the center circle. Busquets has no argument there.\n\n38th min: Chance, Chicago Fire! OFF THE INSIDE OF THE POST AND OUT! So close to an opener!\n\nAn exceptional run from Georgios Koutsias sees the Greek take a shot on goal which deflects off the foot of Serhiy Kryvtsov and slowly rolls towards the net. The deflection wrong-footed Drake Callender, but the ball agonizingly hits the inside of the woodwork and comes out, and Inter Miami clear.\n\n35th min: The hosts have gained a foothold on this match, and have earned a few consecutive corners. Chicago screams for a penalty as the ball hits Serhiy Kryvtsov in the arm, but VAR does not intervene as his arm was down in a natural position. Four straight corners go begging.\n\n29th min: Kamal Miller makes an exquisite block on Brian Gutierrez who appeared to be in, and had an eye for a shot to the far post. That was nearly a big chance for the hosts.\n\nKamal Miller has been exceptional so far tonight.#InterMiamiCF — Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) October 5, 2023\n\n23rd min: Chance, Inter Miami! Noah Allen nearly produces the vertical ball of the century, slicing up the Fire defense to find DeAndre Yedlin streaking at the far post, and while the American international slides to keep the ball in play, which Chris Brady spills, Josef Martinez can't quite reach the loose ball before it's cleared. They were so close to slamming that home!\n\n21st min: The Fire nearly create another chance, with two players combining down the left to beat DeAndre, but the cross to the feet of a leaping Fabian Herbers is put wide of the post. The German attempted a leaping karate kick but couldn't get the contact right.\n\n15th min: Chance, Chicago Fire! HOW DID THE FIRE NOT SCORE?!? Drake Callender completely misreads the flight of a corner and undercuts the ball, but he recovers at the near post to keep out a shot, and then Benjamin Cremaschi gets a massive block on the follow up to see the ball pop up over the crossbar.\n\nThe hosts had the ball right on the goal mouth and couldn't capitalize!\n\n#InterMiamiCF is having such trouble clearing their lines lately… — Ian Hest (@IanHest) October 5, 2023\n\n14th min: Inter Miami look a bit cleaner in the attack now, and they have begun to trouble the Chicago attacking third. Facundo Farias nearly has a chance at the top of the penalty area, but he's dispossessed before he can pick out a pass or a shot. He had teammates streaking on goal.\n\n11th min: Robert Taylor has Inter Miami's first shot on target of the match, which is a simple save for Chris Brady low and central.\n\nTed Lasso actor Brendan Hunt, a native of Chicago, is shown on the video board, which draws a hand from the crowd.\n\n7th min: Chance, Chicago Fire! Gaston Gimenez fires over the crossbar! Great wrk by Fabian Herbers down the right sees the German cross to the middle where the Fire have two attackers against just one defender. Yet Brian Gutierrez can't control the delivery, and while it falls to Gimenez, he's under pressure by the time he gets a shot off, and it sizzles just inches over the woodwork.\n\n5th min: This has been a sloppy start for both teams in midfield, with a lot of needless giveaways. Inter Miami have held most of the possession, but have struggled with bad turnovers. The Chicago Fire haven't yet been able to take advantage.\n\nKickoff: A huge game in the MLS playoff race is under way from Soldier Field! The NFL venue in the Windy City is sold out.\n\n\"Drop a photo that will create FOMO.\"\n\n\n\nAdmin: pic.twitter.com/PDqEVFTteJ — Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) October 5, 2023\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more\n\n10 mins to kickoff: With both these clubs looking to reach the playoffs, they will be keeping a close eye on other results around the Eastern Conference tonight. They're not going according to plan.\n\nCharlotte FC, who sat 14th coming into tonight's match, lead Toronto FC 2-0, which for the moments jumps them above Inter Miami. Additionally, the New York Red Bulls are beating Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati 2-0, a shocking result that has the Red Bulls, for the moment, jump above Chicago into 11th on 37 points.\n\nThis is our kind of party 🥳@Audi I #RBNY pic.twitter.com/252EosDLp2 — New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) October 5, 2023\n\n25 mins to kickoff: While much of the focus has been on Inter Miami, the Chicago Fire are fighting for a playoff spot too. They sit 11th in the table, and could jump into a postseason position with a victory tonight. A draw could do the trick too if they get help from outside.\n\n“These are the best games to play all the time,” Chicago Fire star Xherdan Shaqiri said Monday in his media availability. “As a player, you want these kinds of final games and to play for something. We put ourselves in this position, and we have a chance to do it, so now we have to perform.”\n\nAlso, Shaqiri confirmed he's Team Messi over Team Ronaldo.\n\nQ: Messi or Ronaldo?\n\n\n\n🗣️Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire): “I’m always a big Messi admirer, if I have to choose now I will go with Messi. He won the WC which was the only thing he missed. So for sure Messi.”#Messi #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/Tv4rVXddrU — Inter Miami FC Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) October 3, 2023\n\n35 mins to kickoff: Finally lineups have been released, and Lionel Messi is not part of the Inter Miami squad. Otherwise, it's a regular starting XI for Gerardo Martino, with Josef Martinez up front as Leonardo Campana is out with a knock.\n\nFor Chicago, Kei Kamara is on the bench, with Georgios Koutsias slotted in up front just as he was on the weekend. Mexican playmaker Jairo Torres sits, with Fabian Herbers deployed on the right wing.\n\nLionel Messi misses his fourth straight Inter Miami game due to injury 🤕 pic.twitter.com/W1DRc9NJNo — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 4, 2023\n\n45 mins to kickoff: Lineups are now exceedingly late, but while we wait, a nod to Chicago Fire striker Kei Kamara, who could tie Landon Donovan on the all-time Major League Soccer scoring list tonight with a goal. Kamara's 144 goals are just one behind the former USMNT great, while Chris Wondolowski's 171 goals leads the league's career chart.\n\nWill @keikamara tie Landon Donovan tonight for second on the all-time scoring list? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Svq79fvbBG — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 4, 2023\n\n1 hour to kickoff: With lineups not yet released, there is finally a report regarding Lionel Messi's availability. According to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, Messi \"did not arrive with the team\" to Soldier Field. While that's not outright confirmation that he will not take part in the match, it's a very strong indication that he will not be involved tonight.\n\n1 hour 15 mins to kick: With lineups due imminently, and nothing to indicate if Lionel Messi is involved tonight or not, the Chicago Fire media team has jokes.\n\nWe have the 🐐 in the building pic.twitter.com/aPt7b0waFq — Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) October 4, 2023\n\n1 hour 30 mins to kick: A lot of teams have indicated that their preparation for Inter Miami varies wildly depending on whether Lionel Messi will play, but Chicago Fire midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri played his own cards close to his chest when asked if they are waiting for news on Messi's availability.\n\n\"The preparation is not going to change, we're going to prepare as normal as always,\" Shaqiri said in his pre-match availability Monday. \"Everybody is excited to play against Inter Miami. If Messi is injured or not, personally I am not thinking too much about this. Of course Inter Miami is a different team when Messi is playing or not playing, you see that in the last games when Messi is in the team they are better, but we prepare like normal for every game.\"\n\nXherdan Shaqiri: “For me it’s clear, Messi and Ronaldo are the best players in the world… these guys are among the best athletes in the history of sport, along with Michael Jordan and Tom Brady.”#cf97 #vamosfire pic.twitter.com/puTvUqC0a1 — Alex Calabrese (@amcalabrese12) October 2, 2023\n\n1 hour 45 mins to kick: The status of Lionel Messi is unclear, but Chicago is still feeling Messi fever!\n\nHi from Chicago! Not sure if Messi is here (my hunch is no), but I am here to cover the Inter Miami v Fire game, and the Messi shirt 👚 ⚽️ vendors are here, too! @MiamiHerald @HeraldSports @InterMiamiCF #InterMiamiCF #Messi𓃵 #cf97 #MLS pic.twitter.com/hp8KHzkwNB — Michelle Kaufman (@kaufsports) October 4, 2023\n\n2 hours to kickoff: Tata Martino has played his cards extremely close to his chest when it comes to the fitness of Lionel Messi. Each week we see how tight-lipped the Inter Miami boss has been regarding Messi's injury.\n\nPrior to tonight's match against the Chicago Fire, Martino was asked about the return of Jordi Alba, and he stated that there is a timeline in place for Alba's return. When asked if there's a timeline for Messi's return, Martino refused to acknowledge if there is.\n\nTata Martino when I asked about Lionel Messi's return timeline:\n\n\n\n\"I understand your desire to know the exact timelines, but if I had the exact timelines I would share them.\n\n\n\n\"I just don't have them.\"\n\n\n\n🤔🧐🤨#InterMiamiCF #Messi𓃵 pic.twitter.com/U7doZYX491 — Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) October 4, 2023\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami lineups & team news\n\nFrank Klopas has rotated his two young attackers, Brian Gutierrez and Jairo Torres along with famed Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri in the attack. He has also done his best to keep his striker stop rolling along with Kei Kamara and Georgios Koutsias alternating up front and MLS veteran Kacper Przybylko coming off the bench.\n\nInjuries to defenders Mauricio Pineda and Miguel Navarro, plus striker Victor Bezerra, will keep them out for today's match, while Chris Mueller is done for the year with a hip problem.\n\nChicago Fire starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Brady (GK) — Dean, Omsberg, Teran, Navarro — Doumbia, G. Gimenez — B. Gutierrez, Shaqiri, J. Torres — Kamara.\n\nChicago Fire subs (9): Richey (GK), Teran, Haile-Selassie, Casas Jr, Aceves, Burks, Souquet, Przybylko, Kamara.\n\nThe status of Lionel Messi is uncertain, but it feels unlikely that he will be involved given recent matches. He could, however, be more ready for action over the weekend when Inter Miami face FC Cincinnati.\n\nInter Miami will definitely be without the services of both Jordi Alba and Leonardo Campana who are both out with muscle injuries. Midfielder Gregore has returned to training after months on the sideline with a foot injury, and could be involved in the coming matches as he ramps up his fitness.\n\nTomas Aviles is suspended for yellow card accumulation, while Ian Fray and Corentin Jean are both out for the season with ACL injuries.\n\nInter Miami starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) — Yedlin, Kryvtsov, Miller, Allen — Arroyo, Busquets, Cremaschi — Farias, Martinez, Taylor.\n\nInter Miami subs (9): Dos Santos (GK), McVey, Sailor, Ulloa, J. Mota, D. Ruiz, Sunderland, Stefanelli.\n\nHow to watch Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami\n\nDate: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023\n\nWednesday, Oct. 4, 2023 Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT\n\n8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT TV Channel: — None —\n\n— None — Streaming: Apple TV+ (MLS Season Pass)\n\nChicago Fire vs. Inter Miami betting odds & lines\n\nInter Miami have been mired in a slump without Lionel Messi, and with the Argentine likely to miss out again today, the Herons are heavy underdogs on the road at Chicago.\n\nGoals are expected in this match as both sides have conceded in bunches for the most part this year.", + "Match may have settled its antitrust lawsuit with Google last week, but Fortnite maker Epic Games is still set to go to trial with the tech giant today, November 6, in hopes of convincing a jury that Google engages in anticompetitive behavior with regard to its Android app store, Google Play, and its commission structure. This case will differ slightly from Epic’s battle with Apple on the same topic because, this time, Epic can’t allege there’s no other way to load apps onto Android devices, as it could with Apple, because Android does allow for sideloading apps. Though Epic will suggest Google makes that process cumbersome, the bulk of its arguments will center around what it believes are anticompetitive agreements between Google and device manufacturers and developers.\n\nThe precedent Epic’s case will rely on is a Microsoft case where courts found Microsoft to have a monopoly over the operating system and were abusing it, making it hard for users to download alternative browsers, like Netscape, on Windows devices.\n\nTo make its case, Epic plans to bring claims under Sections 1 and 2 of U.S. antitrust law, the Sherman Act, as well as California’s anticompetitive laws, the Cartwright Act, and the Unfair Competition Law. It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.\n\nGoogle argues its commissions aren’t just tied to billing, but offers discount for third-party billing options\n\nToday, Google requires apps to use its own first-party billing system, and charges app developers a 15% to 30% commission on the sales it processes.\n\nHowever, Google will counter Epic’s arguments by pointing out that it has rolled out a new option for app developers called User Choice Billing, which Epic has declined to use. This program, still in pilot testing, is open to all developers who sell apps in the 35 markets where it’s now available, including the U.S., and reduces the standard commission by 4% for companies who choose to use their own payment processing solution. Spotify and Bumble were the initial testers for the new system, first introduced in November 2022, and Match, as part of its settlement agreement, will also now take advantage of this option.\n\nGoogle will also argue that its commissions aren’t just tied to payment processing, but rather help it to develop other features and controls to keep Android users safe and guide them to discovering new applications, as well as help fund the tools and services developers need to build and grow their apps. Google also helps developers reach a broader audience beyond the mobile phone, with support for Android across platforms, ranging from tablets to TVs to autos and more. And it will note that 99% of its developers qualify for a commission of 15% or less, based on their revenues.\n\nThe competitive landscape with other app stores, OEMs\n\nThe tech giant additionally plans to push back at Epic’s claims that it doesn’t have competition in the app store business. It will point out that not only does the Play Store compete with Apple’s App Store, which the Ninth Circuit ruling in the Apple case agreed upon, too, but Android also supports competitive app stores like Samsung’s Galaxy Store and Amazon’s Appstore.\n\nEpic, however, will attempt to demonstrate that Google makes it hard for alternative app stores to succeed and reach consumers, noting that 90% of apps are still downloaded through Google Play. And it will point out that Google bundles the Play Store with other Google apps that Android OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have to agree to in order to use Android.\n\nEpic will also bring up “Anti-Fragmentation Agreements” (AFAs) that prevent the OEMs from modifying Android to allow for frictionless downloading of apps outside of Google Play. Epic Games will specifically reference one agreement it had made with the OEM OnePlus, to make Epic games available on its devices through the Epic Games app. But OnePlus had to cancel the deal over concerns that the arrangement would have it bypassing the Google Play Store. The case will also examine a deal between Google and Samsung that Epic says was designed to prevent the Galaxy Store from being a competitive threat and require Google Play Billing on apps distributed by Samsung.\n\nEpic will argue Google’s developer agreements are anti-competitive\n\nA second set of agreements Epic will highlight are those between Google and Android app developers themselves. One such program, the “Project Hug” initiative, a part of the Google Games Velocity Program, will be cited as an example of where Google paid competitors not to distribute their apps on Android outside of the Play Store by targeting those that were most at risk of attrition from Play, then approaching them with a monetary offer. As an example, Epic will point to Activision Blizzard, the owner of King.com and maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty, as one developer that wanted to go the route of opening its own app store. Google and Activision Blizzard then entered into a three-year agreement in January 2020, worth approximately $360 million, to keep the developer on Google Play, Epic will argue.\n\nGoogle, however, will characterize this program as a way to incentivize developers to launch their apps on Android at the same time as they launch on iOS and plans to dispute Epic’s claims that it prevented developers from opening their own app stores.\n\nAndroid allows sideloading\n\nGoogle will make note that, unlike Apple, it also allows apps to be sideloaded on Android devices — something Epic takes advantage of today. It will note this process is streamlined and helps keep users safe. But Epic will claim that this process is made to be overly difficult for end users, with multiple steps involved and “scare screens” that warn users of the security risks involved with sideloading.\n\nEpic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.\n\nThe tech giant will ultimately push the notion that this case isn’t about competition, but about money — that is, Epic Games wants to reach the Play Store’s 2.5 billion users without having to pay.\n\n“Android’s choice and flexibility work well for consumers and developers of all sizes. We look forward to making our case in court as we fight to keep our users safe from harm, partner with developers to grow their businesses, and keep the Android ecosystem thriving and healthy for everyone,” reads a Google blog post by Wilson White, VP, Government Affairs & Public Policy.\n\nEpic’s lawsuit originally involved Match and several U.S. attorneys general, but Google reached a settlement with the latter last month and with Match last week. Epic will now fight the antitrust battle on its own. The lawsuit, held in the U.S. District Court in California’s Northern District, will include testimony from a number of Google and Android execs, including CEO Sundar Pichai, and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, as well as Apple, Netflix and other Android developers.\n\nGoogle is also involved in another antitrust lawsuit with the Department of Justice over its alleged search monopoly. Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "Welcome to Startups Weekly. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday.\n\nA few months ago, Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, tweeted that if he could go back in time and do one thing differently when he was building Reddit, he would have spent significantly less time attending events. Personally I have a different experience — I always regret getting on a plane (or in an Uber, for that matter) to go to an event. However, as I’m traveling back, I’ve never regretted it: There’s always something magical that comes out of going to an event, in my experience.\n\nOur TC+ team is not interested in anecdotes, however: neither mine nor Alexis’. So, like the data-driven journalists they are, they surveyed more than 50 founders, trying to figure out whether attending events still makes sense in 2023.\n\nSpoiler alert: There isn’t a real consensus, but there are some really good pros and cons. The article is well worth a read, to figure out in which circumstances you can expect a decent return on investment on your event-going antics.\n\nToday’s newsletter is going to be a bit more to the point than usual: I’m laid up at home with pneumonia (yes, I really am an 86-year-old grandmother. Surprise!), so forgive the antibiotics-addled ramblings this week. I hope I’ll be back with non-pharmaceutically-enhanced ramblings next week.\n\nArtificial intelligence: Y’all just can’t get enough\n\nOur most-read stories consistently continue to be about AI. No big surprise, perhaps, the AI hype cycle continues apace. This week there’s been a bunch of stories about the seedy underbelly of AI, including how humans are part of the problem, continuing to trick AI systems into generating boobs and 9/11 memes. Oh, humans. We spoke with investors to figure out whether the future of AI has hope for us beyond daft memes. (Spoiler alert: Yes.)\n\nRumors are swilling that OpenAI may be considering developing its own AI chips. That’s going to get interesting, especially if you’ll recall that Nvidia’s ongoing stock market rally is likely driven by the current boom in AI. The company’s ChatGPT’s mobile app hit a record $4.6 million in revenue last month, but growth is slowing. Oh, and there’s no need to shed tears for Nvidia quite yet; Brian’s piece breaking down how Nvidia became a major player in robotics is super interesting.\n\nAdobe has doubled down on its Firefly generative AI models. This week, Frederic covered how the software can now generate more realistic images and can help artists create vector graphics in Illustrator. Neato.\n\nMore on the AI front\n\nIf AI can’t go to the mountain, the mountain will come to AI: Dutch startup Tidalflow exits stealth with backing from Google’s Gradient Ventures. It is aiming to help any software play nice with ChatGPT and other LLM ecosystems.\n\nWhat big eyes you have: Adobe continues to push for easier image editing, showing off its Project Stardust as a sneak preview of its next-gen AI photo editing engine.\n\nHolding back the tide: Creatives across industries are strategizing in a campaign that targets potential corporate abuse of AI technology. The conglomeration is realistic about the ways that musicians and some other creatives could benefit on an individual level from automating parts of their work. The goal is that AI tools “become ways for individual humans to make more money, work less, and compete with the corporations that exploit them.”\n\nTech you can touch\n\nA while back I argued that Apple’s new AR headset is a game-changer for startups. It seems that’s likely the case at the high end. But more in the realm of affordability, Meta Quest 3 takes a step closer to mainstream AR/VR, Brian reports.\n\nNot Sonos fast there: Audio company Sonos scored a big $32.5 million win against Google a while back. Now it transpires that the company’s patents were deemed unenforceable and invalid. Whoops. A federal judge threw out the $32.5 million win this week.\n\nWhen it clicks, it really clicks: We took a deep look at Pixel 8, and our team discovered that it delivers solid performance and design upgrades. The camera got a particularly enthusiastic shout-out, with Darrell declaring that Google’s Pixel 8 Pro camera is the new mobile photography champ, and Brian waxing lyrical about the phone’s picture-snapper in “The camera’s still the thing.”\n\nWho needs computers anyway?: It seems like all our mobile devices may be starting to cannibalize sales of personal computers — Ron reports that PC shipments decline slows in Q3 2023 and that Apple’s sales plunge over 23%.\n\nLet’s get together\n\nReddit’s API-powered chaos continues, but it appears that things are starting to resolve a little. Third-party Reddit app Narwhal says it hopes to survive Reddit’s app purge with a subscription plan.\n\nApropos “getting together,” Amanda reports that VidCon is still kickin’. For the first time, the conference hosted an industry leadership summit, where creator economy experts and creators could hash out their grievances with the state of the business and share ideas to make the job of a creator more sustainable. That makes sense, unlike creators raising venture capital: It’s so eye-wateringly hard to make money as a creator, I’d love to see the pitch that convinces a VC to cut a check to a creator, with a realistic expectation of a venture-scale return.\n\nMaybe they were hiding behind the sofa?: Sarah reports that Mastodon actually has 407K+ more monthly users than it thought — and it seems like Twitter has a lot more traffic than Musk said. Still, the peak now is about the same as it was a decade ago, and it’s unclear what the social platform can do to encourage more growth.\n\nA social social network network: Lauren reports that a former TikTok employee is building a social app for content creators to network and “spill the tea,” so creators can help each other out making better, more engaging content.\n\nX may go ad-free?: It appears that X (formerly Twitter) is testing three tiers of its Premium service, its CEO says. Under the hood, code shows one tier may be ad-free. If it’s also troll free, please take my money right now.\n\nTop reads on TechCrunch this week\n\nA lot of amazing news on the site this week, but if we go by the raw numbers, here are the most popular stories — the ones that I didn’t already cover above, that is.\n\nPasswords? We don’t need no steenkin’ passwords: Passkeys are a phishing-resistant alternative to passwords that allow users to sign in to accounts using the same biometrics or PINs they use to unlock their devices or with a physical security key. Google is now making it the default sign-in method for all users.\n\n2 sec, let me text you some cash: When questioned about Mastercard’s prospects in emerging markets such as India, Mastercard’s CFO Sachin Mehra praised UPI for helping with digitization but voiced reservations about its commercial sustainability, saying it is an “incredibly painful experience” for ecosystem participants.\n\nBravely browsing — or searching — for a new job . . . : Brave Software, the maker of Brave Browser and Search, confirmed that it has laid off 9% of its workforce across departments.", + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”. Speaking with AfterBuzz TV, Kelce was given the options of Swift, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande. He said he’d ultimately kill Grande, marry Perry and kiss Swift. That was about six years ago, but it has more recently set tongues wagging as fans wondered how long the plan for them to meet has been in the works. Cruel Summer Fast-forward seven years, and things started to heat up. In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the bracelet never made it to her wrist or his digits to her phone.\n\n“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings,” he said. “She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal[sic].” At this point, it seems like any attraction between the two was one-sided. Kelce’s attempts to make proper contact with Swift at the show ultimately failed. Was she just not that into him? But Kelce, exhibiting the tenacity typical of a professional sportsman, remained determined to get her attention. Wildest Beards The Kelce brothers couldn’t stop talking about Swift, even though she’d left Travis hanging at the concert. Swift’s name began popping up everywhere on the podcast, including during conversations about... facial hair?\n\nIn August, the brothers discussed Kelce’s moustache, which he grows every year in honour of the Chief’s head coach, Andy Reid. When asked if he knew what Swift thought of the ’stache, he remained cheekily confident. “We’re not going to bring up Taylor Swift in this episode,” he says, “But something tells me she’s going to like it.” There was a clear suggestion Kelce had made contact with Swift, and was even going to meet her. Shortly after that remark, Kelce took a week off training to visit New York City, according to Vulture. Coincidentally, this happened to be while Swift was re-recording her 1989 tracks in the city. Welcome to New York\n\nThe suspicion the two were actually spending time together in New York was seemingly confirmed in September when it was reported they had been “quietly hanging out” for months. This was the first, albeit tentative, confirmation from the media rather than from amateur Swiftie sleuths on social media. So, it was only a matter of time before it entered the cultural zeitgeist. Blank Space Which it did, very quickly. On September 17, Kelce scored a touchdown against the Jaguars, triggering CBS announcer Ian Eagle to reference Swift’s 2014 hit, Blank Space.\n\n“Kelce finds a blank space for the score,” Eagle said, poking fun at Kelce’s newfound Swiftie status. And Eagle wasn’t the only one, with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen including a slew of lyric references during a preshow, including “shake it off”, “anti-hero” and “all too well”. Kelce even acknowledged the tongue-in-cheek banter, commenting on a montage video of the preshow that Eisen posted to Instagram. “Well played Rich … Well played,” he wrote. Suddenly, football fans and Swifties were living through this surprising collision. Swift lyrics were infiltrating NFL game commentary, and her fans were furiously becoming football experts. All that needed to happen was for Swift herself to infiltrate a game, determining once and for all whether there was anything to these rumours or not. This Is Me Trying\n\nOn September 21, Kelce announced on The Pat McAfee Show he had invited Swift to watch one of his games. “I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock a stage at Arrowhead and we can see which one’s a little more lit,’” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the near future.” Were they finally about to hard-launch their friendship/potential romance to the world, laying all speculation to rest? Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No. 87 with gusto.\n\nThe 12-time Grammy winner appeared to shout “let’s f—ing go” after Kelce scored a touchdown before chest-bumping other Chiefs fans. Considering Swift is known for being an Eagles fan – she’s originally from Pennsylvania and even references the team in Gold Rush – her outward support for the Kelce’s team seemed extra telling. Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together. If that wasn’t enough, extra observant fans were able to note that Kelce’s blue and white post-game outfit was supposedly labelled the “1989 bedroom painting set”, perhaps an intentional reference to Swift’s 2014 album, which she will be re-releasing in October. Swift’s penchant for Easter eggs must be rubbing off on the tight end player. As if this weren’t enough subtle references already, they were also spotted in a “getaway car” together outside the stadium – potentially a nod towards her 2017 track. Could they have been driving off into the sunset? Of course, none of this actually confirms Swift and Kelce are actually dating. But regardless of whether it’s a friendship or a romantic relationship, it has sent shockwaves through two massive cultural franchises, expanding the NFL’s audience into uncharted territory. It’s a cultural pairing on par with – and perhaps even bigger than – Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nTravis Kelce has hilariously confessed that he attempted to delete some of his tweets before they went viral.\n\nThe 34-year-old football star spoke candidly about his previous posts on X - formerly known as Twitter - during an episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce, which aired on 22 November. The comments came after some of Kelce’s funny tweets from 2010 and 2011 resurfaced amid his rumoured relationship with Taylor Swift.\n\nWhen Jason quipped that everyone is “a big fan of college Travis on Twitter”, the Kansas City Chiefs star acknowledged that his posts weren’t really noticed back then. However, Kelce explained that he was trying to remove his tweets from social media even before they went viral.\n\n“What’s hilarious is that nobody followed me back then,” he said. “But I will say I have been trying to get all those tweets deleted. Like since I got into the league, I’m like: ‘Gosh, I just want all those things to get deleted.’”\n\nHe poked fun at how his tweets are now being mocked, adding: “And sure enough, it came surface-level and everybody f***ing dove in, in 2011. What a f***ing year that was.”\n\nThe Philadelphia Eagles star continued to discuss the viral responses to his brother’s tweets. He even referenced how Jimmy Fallon and his band performed a song, titled “The Ballad of Travis Kelce”, on The Tonight Show - in which the late-night host recited Kelce’s old tweets. The two brothers highlighted the now fan-favourite post, which reads: “I just gave a squirle a piece of bread and it straight smashed all of it!!!! I had no idea they ate bread like that!! Haha #crazy.”\n\nKelce later revealed the meanings behind some of his viral tweets, noting that he would simply share the remarks for fun. “I was just using Twitter like a diary. I’m just out here saying nonsense - ‘I just gave a squirrel a piece of bread’ - and spelled squirrel like a jacka**,” Kelce said.\n\nJason mocked his brother for his spelling of “squirrel” in the tweet, before claiming that’s the reason why the post went viral in the first place. “I’m only spelling squirrel like that from now on, I don’t know why it’s spelled the other way,” he joked. “This one gets crushed, but I think the only reason it’s getting crushed is because of the spelling. Outside of that, if I’m throwing bread around and a squirrel is eating it I’d be pretty pumped up.”\n\nEarlier this month, fans of the A-list couple took to X to share screenshots of some of Kelce’s old tweets - including one post from 2010 that reads: “#Chipotle will always be a great choice!!!!”\n\nThe NFL player’s tweets have unsurprisingly resurfaced amid his relationship with Swift, who he’s been romantically linked to since the summer. The dating speculation first began in July, when Kelce confessed that he tried and failed to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour show. On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September. Since then, Swift has attended three more of Kelce’s games.\n\nKelce showed his support for Swift when he attended her Eras Tour show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 11 November. During the concert, Swift gave a shout-out to the Chiefs player when she changed her “Karma” lyrics to reflect their relationship. “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me,” she sang, letting out a laugh as fans in the audience screamed in response. The “All Too Well” singer was later seen running into his arms and kissing the NFL player following the concert, as he whisked her away backstage.\n\nIn an interview withWSJ Magazine published on 20 November, Kelce described how much he admires Swift’s skills as a musician. “I’ve never been a man of words. Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f***ing mind-blowing. I’m learning every day,” he explained.\n\nAlthough he acknowledged the public attention his personal life has received because he’s “never dated anyone with that kind of aura around them,” Kelce specified that he’s not letting the media affect his relationship.\n\n“But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it,” he said. “The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life.\n\n“When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange.”", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nTaylor Swift has officially been named Time’s 2023 Person of the Year.\n\nOn Wednesday 6 December, the magazine announced Swift had earned the honour after an “editors’ assessment of the individual who most shaped the headlines over the previous 12 months, for better or for worse”.\n\nThe recognition of Swift comes on the heels of a whirlwind year for the popstar, whose Eras Tour dominated ticket sales in 2023. “This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been,” Swift told Time. “Ultimately, we can convolute it all we want, or try to overcomplicate it, but there’s only one question... Are you not entertained?”\n\nSwift was chosen among a strong list of contenders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, King Charles III, the live-action Barbie movie, and Vladimir Putin. “While her popularity has grown across the decades, this is the year that Swift, 33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion: shooting art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force,” the magazine said about its selection.\n\nThis year alone, Swift has broken records with her career-spanning Eras Tour, which is estimated to have grossed over $1.4bn. Her concert film, the Eras Tour movie, has surpassed $250m at the global box office since its opening weekend in October. Not to mention her rumoured relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caused a 400 per cent spike in NFL jersey sales.\n\nSince her first NFL appearance in September, Swift’s occasional attendance at Kelce’s games has received pushback from NFL fans who believe her presence is distracting from the game itself. “I’m just there to support Travis,” Swift admitted. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”\n\nShe playfully added: “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.”\n\nThe “Bad Blood” singer revealed that their romance began when Kelce gave her shoutout on his podcast, admitting he attempted to give Swift his phone number after one of her Eras Tour shows. The pair immediately began “hanging out” and by the time she attended her first Chiefs game in September, they were already a couple. “I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date,” Swift joked.\n\nBack in April, it was revealed that Swift and British actor Joe Alwyn had broken up after six years of dating. The former couple were notoriously private, as the Conversations with Friends star previously expressed he didn’t want to discuss their relationship because it “feeds into a weird part of the culture”.\n\nNow, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce. “When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she said. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”\n\nSpeaking to Time, Swift detailed exactly how much work went into preparing for her Eras Tour - where each concert spans over 180 minutes, with more than 40 songs from at least nine albums and 16 costume changes. “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud,” she told the outlet. “Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs.”\n\nShe also stopped drinking and underwent three months of dance training, something that she admitted is “not my strong suit”. After she plays a run of shows, Swift said she takes a day to rest and recover before taking the stage once again. “I do not leave my bed except to get food and take it back to my bed and eat it there,” she revealed. “It’s a dream scenario.”\n\nMost recently, a heat wave in Brazil forced Swift to postpone the second night of her Eras Tour shows in Rio de Janeiro. The decision came after one of the singer’s fans, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides, died from a cardiac arrest during Swift’s first performance in the country. Swift explained to Time that “part of my identity as a human” is putting on a show for her fans, no matter the circumstances. “I know I’m going on that stage whether I’m sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed,” she said. “That’s part of my identity as a human being now. If someone buys a ticket to my show, I’m going to play it unless we have some sort of force majeure.”\n\nPerhaps it was her decision to re-record her music catalogue that catapulted Swift into such success. When music mogul Scooter Braun aquired Swift’s longtime label, Big Machine Records, in 2019, he also gained the rights to the master recordings of Swift’s first six studio albums. In November 2020, Braun sold the masters to an investment fund in a deal that was believed to be over $300 million. Since then, Swift has released four “Taylor’s Version” albums: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in October 2023.\n\n“It’s not lost on me that the two great catalysts for this happening were two horrendous things that happened to me,” Swift said, when asked about the success of her tour. “The first was getting cancelled within an inch of my life and sanity. The second was having my life’s work taken away from me by someone who hates me.”\n\nWhile Swift is arguably more famous now than ever before, the Grammy winner revealed that the constant attention and swarms of paparazzi won’t stop her from living her life. There’s also constant rumours surrounding her personal life, specifically rumours about her relationship with Alwyn that her publicist, Tree Paine, was forced to publicly deny.\n\n“Over the years, I’ve learned I don’t have the time or bandwidth to get pressed about things that don’t matter,” Swift told Time. “Yes, if I go out to dinner, there’s going to be a whole chaotic situation outside the restaurant. But I still want to go to dinner with my friends.\n\n“Life is short. Have adventures. Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years - I’ll never get that time back,” she added. “I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”", + "ChatGPT, OpenAI’s viral AI chatbot, turns one today.\n\nA year ago, OpenAI released ChatGPT as a “low-key research preview” — reportedly spurred in part by an intense rivalry with AI startup Anthropic. The goal, OpenAI leadership told the OpenAI rank-and-file at the time, was to gather more data on how people use and interact with generative AI to inform the development of OpenAI’s future models.\n\nInitially a basic free-to-use, web-based and chat-focused interface on top of one of OpenAI’s existing models, GPT-3.5, ChatGPT would go on to become the company’s most popular product… ever — and the fastest-growing consumer app in history.\n\na year ago tonight we were probably just sitting around the office putting the finishing touches on chatgpt before the next morning’s launch. what a year it’s been… — Sam Altman (@sama) November 30, 2023\n\nIn the months following its launch, ChatGPT gained paid tiers with additional features, including a plan geared toward enterprise customers. OpenAI also upgraded ChatGPT with web searching, document analyzing and image creating (via DALL-E 3) capabilities. And, leaning on speech recognition, voice synthesis and text-image understanding models developed in house, OpenAI gave ChatGPT the ability to “hear,” “speak,” “see” and take actions.\n\nIndeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon. And, as often happens in a competition-driven marketplace, it shifted the focus at other AI firms and research labs, too.\n\nGoogle scrambled to launch a response to ChatGPT, eventually releasing Bard, a more or less comparable AI chatbot, in February. Countless other ChatGPT rivals and derivatives have arrived to market since, most recently Amazon Q, a more business-oriented take on ChatGPT. DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.\n\nStella Biderman, an AI researcher at Booz Allen Hamilton and the open research group EleutherAI, told me that she doesn’t see ChatGPT as an AI breakthrough per se. (OpenAI, which has released dozens of research papers on its models, tellingly never released one on ChatGPT.) But, she says, ChatGPT was a bonafide “user experience breakthrough” — taking generative AI mainstream.\n\n“The primary impact [ChatGPT] has had [is] encouraging people training AIs to try to mimic it, or encouraging people studying AIs to use it as their central object of study,” Biderman said. “Previously you needed to have some skill, albeit not be an expert, to consistently get usable stuff out of [text-generating models]. Now that that’s changed … [ChatGPT has] brought a very large amount of attention to and discussion about the technology.”\n\nAnd ChatGPT still gets a lot of attention — at least if third-party statistics are anything to go by.\n\nAccording to Similarweb, the web metrics company, OpenAI’s ChatGPT web portal saw 140.7 million unique visitors in October while the ChatGPT iOS and Android apps have 4.9 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone. Data from analytics firm Data.ai suggests that the apps have generated nearly $30 million in subscription revenue — a hefty amount considering that they launched just a few months ago.\n\nOne of the reasons for ChatGPT’s enduring popularity is its ability to conduct conversations that are “convincingly real,” according to Ruoxi Shang, a third-year PhD student at the University of Washington studying human-AI interaction. Prior to ChatGPT, people were already familiar with chatbots — they’ve existed for decades after all. But the models powering ChatGPT are much more sophisticated than what many users were accustomed to.\n\n“Human-computer interaction researchers have studied how conversational interfaces can improve understandability of information, and the socialization aspects of chatbots bring increased engagement,” Shang said. “Now, AI models have enabled conversational agents to conduct conversations nearly indistinguishable from human dialogues.”\n\nAdam Hyland, also a PhD student studying AI at the University of Washington, points out the emotional component: conversations with ChatGPT have a palpably different “feel” than with more rudimentary chatbots.\n\n“In the 1960s, ELIZA offered a chatbot, the response to which was very similar to how people reacted to ChatGPT,” Hyland said, referring to the chatbot created by MIT computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966. “Humans interacting with the system inferred emotional content and a narrative through line in chat messages.”\n\nIndeed, ChatGPT has impressed cynics like The New York Times’ Kevin Roose, who called it the “the best AI chatbot ever released to the general public.” In The Atlantic magazine’s “Breakthroughs of the Year” for 2022, Derek Thompson included ChatGPT as part of “the generative-AI eruption” that “may change our mind about how we work, how we think and what human creativity is.”\n\nChatGPT’s skills extend beyond conversation, of course — another likely reason for its staying power. ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux.\n\nAn MIT study showed that, for tasks like writing cover letters, “delicate” emails and cost-benefit analyses, ChatGPT decreased the amount of time it took workers to complete the tasks by 40% while increasing output quality by 18%, as measured by third-party evaluators.\n\n“Because [the AI models powering OpenAI] have been trained extensively on vast amounts of data,” Shang added, “they [have] shifted focus from training specialized chatbots for specific domains to creating more general-purpose systems that can handle a variety of topics easily through prompting with instructions … [Chatbots like ChatGPT] don’t require users to learn any new form of language, as long as they provide a task and some desired output just like how a manager would communicate to an intern.”\n\nNow, there’s mixed evidence as to whether ChatGPT is actually being used in these ways. A Pew Research survey from August showed that only 18% of Americans have ever tried ChatGPT, and that most who’ve tried it use the chatbot for entertainment purposes or answering one-off questions. Teens might not be using ChatGPT all that often, either (despite what some alarmist headlines imply), with one poll finding that only two in five teenagers have used the tech in the last six months.\n\nChatGPT’s limitations might be to blame.\n\nWhile undeniably capable, ChatGPT is far from perfect, owing to the way it was developed and “taught.” Trained to predict the likeliest next word — or likeliest next parts of words — by observing billions of examples of text from around the web, ChatGPT sometimes “hallucinates,” or writes answers that sound plausible but aren’t factually correct. (ChatGPT’s hallucinating tendencies got its answers banned from the Q&A site Stack Overflow and from at least one academic conference — and accused of defamation.) ChatGPT can also show bias in its responses, answering in sexist and racist, overtly Anglocentric ways — or regurgitating portions of the data that it was trained on.\n\nLawyers have been sanctioned after using ChatGPT to assist in writing motions, discovering — too late — that ChatGPT invented fake lawsuit citations. And scores of authors have sued OpenAI over the chatbot regurgitating portions of their work — and not receiving compensation for it.\n\nSo what comes next? What might ChatGPT’s second year hold, if not more of the same?\n\nInterestingly — and fortunately — some of the more dire predictions about ChatGPT didn’t come to pass. Some researchers feared the chatbot would be used to generate disinformation on a massive scale, while others sounded the alarm over ChatGPT’s phishing email-, spam- and malware-generating potential.\n\nThe concerns pushed policymakers in Europe to mandate security assessments for any products using generative AI systems like ChatGPT, and over 20,000 signatories — including Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak — to sign an open letter calling for the immediate pause of large-scale AI experiments like ChatGPT.\n\nBut examples of ChatGPT abuse in the wild have been few and far between — so far.\n\nWith the launch of GPTs, OpenAI’s tool for building custom conversational, action-taking AI systems powered by OpenAI’s models, including the models underpinning ChatGPT, ChatGPT could become more a gateway to a broader ecosystem of AI-powered chatbots than the end-all-be-all.\n\nWith GPTs, a user can train a model on a cookbook collection, for example, so that it can answer questions about ingredients for a specific recipe. Or they can give a model their company’s proprietary codebases so that developers can check their style or generate code in line with best practices.\n\nSome of the initial GPTs — all created by OpenAI — include a Gen Z meme translator, a coloring book and sticker creator, a data visualizer, a board game explainer and a creative writing coach. Now, ChatGPT can accomplish these tasks given carefully engineered prompts and foreknowledge. But purpose-built GPTs drastically simplify things — and might just kill the cottage industry that emerged around creating and editing prompts to feed to ChatGPT.\n\nGPTs introduce a level of personalization far beyond that ChatGPT offers today, and — once OpenAI sorts out its capacity issues — I expect we’ll see an explosion of creativity there. Will ChatGPT be as visible as it once was after GPTs flood the marketplace? Perhaps not. But it won’t go away — it’ll simply adapt and evolve, no doubt in ways not even its creators can anticipate.", + "ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot\n\nChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm. What started as a tool to hyper-charge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth used by more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies for more wide-ranging needs. And that growth has propelled OpenAI itself into becoming one of the most-hyped companies in recent memory, even if CEO and co-founder Sam Altman’s firing and swift return raised concerns about its direction and opened the door for competitors.\n\nWhat does that mean for OpenAI, ChatGPT and its other ambitions? The fallout is still settling, but it might empower competitors like Meta and its LLaMA family of large language models, or help other AI startups get attention and funding as the industry watches OpenAI implode and put itself back together.\n\nWhile there is a more…nefarious side to ChatGPT, it’s clear that AI tools are not going away anytime soon. Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.\n\nPrior to the leadership chaos, on November 6, OpenAI held its first developer conference: OpenAI DevDay. During the conference, it announced a slew of updates coming to GPT, including GPT-4 Turbo (super-charged versions of GPT-4, its latest language-writing model), a multimodal API and a GPT store where users can create and monetize their own custom versions of GPT.\n\nGPT-4, which can write more naturally and fluently than previous models, remains largely exclusive to paying ChatGPT users. But you can access GPT-4 for free through Microsoft’s Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Safari web browsers. Beyond GPT-4 and OpenAI DevDay announcements, OpenAI recently connected ChatGPT to the internet for all users. And with the integration of DALL-E 3, users are also able to generate both text prompts and images right in ChatGPT.\n\nHere’s a timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the latest, which we’ve been updating throughout the year. And if you have any other questions, check out our ChatGPT FAQ here.\n\nTimeline of the most recent ChatGPT updates\n\nDecember 2023\n\nOpenAI re-opens ChatGPT Plus subscriptions\n\nAfter pausing ChatGPT Plus subscriptions in November due to a “surge of usage,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced they have once again enabled sign-ups. The Plus subscription includes access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo.\n\nwe have re-enabled chatgpt plus subscriptions! 🎄 thanks for your patience while we found more gpus. — Sam Altman (@sama) December 13, 2023\n\nOpenAI and Axel Springer partner up for a “real-time” ChatGPT news deal\n\nOpenAI has struck a new deal with Berlin-based news publisher Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider and Politico, to “help provide people with new ways to access quality, real-time news content through our AI tools.” OpenAI will train its generative AI models on the publisher’s content and add recent Axel Springer-published articles to ChatGPT.\n\nStanford researchers say ChatGPT didn’t cause an influx in cheating in high schools\n\nNew research from Stanford University shows that the popularization of chatbots like ChatGPT have not caused an increase in cheating across U.S. high schools. In a survey of more than 40 U.S. high schools, researchers found that cheating rates are similar across the board this year.\n\nChatGPT users worry the chatbot is experiencing seasonal depression\n\nStarting in November, ChatGPT users have noticed that the chatbot feels “lazier” than normal, citing instances of simpler answers and refusing to complete requested tasks. OpenAI has confirmed that they are aware of this issue, but aren’t sure why it’s happening.\n\nSome users think it plays into the “winter break hypothesis,” which argues that AI is worse in December because it “learned” to do less work over the holidays, while others wonder if the chatbot is simulating seasonal depression.\n\nwe've heard all your feedback about GPT4 getting lazier! we haven't updated the model since Nov 11th, and this certainly isn't intentional. model behavior can be unpredictable, and we're looking into fixing it 🫡 — ChatGPT (@ChatGPTapp) December 8, 2023\n\nJudges in the U.K. are now allowed to use ChatGPT in legal rulings\n\nThe U.K. Judicial Office issued guidance that permits judges to use ChatGPT, along with other AI tools, to write legal rulings and perform court duties. The guidance lays out ways to responsibly use AI in the courts, including being aware of potential bias and upholding privacy.\n\nOpenAI makes repeating words “forever” a violation of its terms of service after Google DeepMind test\n\nFollowing an experiment by Google DeepMind researchers that led ChatGPT to repeat portions of its training data, OpenAI has flagged asking ChatGPT to repeat specific words “forever” as a violation of its terms of service.\n\nLawmakers in Brazil enact an ordinance written by ChatGPT\n\nCity lawmakers in Brazil enacted a piece of legislation written entirely by ChatGPT without even knowing. Weeks after the bill was passed, Porto Alegre councilman Ramiro Rosário admitted that he used ChatGPT to write the proposal, and did not tell fellow council members until after the fact.\n\nOpenAI reportedly delays the launch of its GPT store to 2024\n\nAccording to a memo seen by Axios, OpenAI plans to delay the launch of its highly anticipated GPT store to early 2024. Custom GPTs and the accompanying store was a major announcement at OpenAI’s DevDay conference, with the store expected to open last month.\n\nNovember 2023\n\nChatGPTs mobile apps top 110M installs and nearly $30M in revenue\n\nAfter launching for iOS and Androidin May and July, ChatGPT’s have topped 110 million combined installs and have reached nearly $30 million in consumer spending, according to a market analysis by data.ai.\n\nChatGPT celebrates one-year anniversary\n\nOpenAI hit a major milestone: one year of ChatGPT. What began as a “low-key research preview” evolved into a powerhouse that changed the AI industry forever. In a post on X, CEO Sam Altman looked back on the night before its launch: “what a year it’s been…”\n\na year ago tonight we were probably just sitting around the office putting the finishing touches on chatgpt before the next morning’s launch. what a year it’s been… — Sam Altman (@sama) November 30, 2023\n\nApple and Google avoid naming ChatGPT as their ‘app of the year’\n\nNeither Apple nor Google chose an AI app as its app of the year for 2023, despite the success of ChatGPT’s mobile app, which became the fastest-growing consumer application in history before the record was broken by Meta’s Threads.\n\nAn attack from researchers prompts ChatGPT to reveal training data\n\nA test led by researchers at Google DeepMind found that there is a significant amount of privately identifiable information in OpenAI’s LLMs. The test involved asking ChatGPT to repeat the word “poem” forever, among other words, which over time led the chatbot to churn out private information like email addresses and phone numbers.\n\nChatGPT and other AI chatbots are fueling an increase in phishing emails\n\nAccording to a new report by SlashNext, there’s been a 1,265% increase in malicious phishing emails since Q4 of 2022. The report alleges that AI tools like ChatGPT are being prominently used by cybercriminals to write compelling and sophisticated phishing emails.\n\nSouth Africa officials investigate if President Cyril Ramaphosa used ChatGPT to write a speech\n\nFollowing speculation, social media users fed portions of Ramaphosa’s November 21 speech in Johannesburg through AI detectors, alleging parts of it may have been written with ChatGPT. South African presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya refuted the claims, and local officials are investigating.\n\nChatGPT Voice can be used to replace Siri\n\nNow that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Voice feature is available to all free users, it can be used to replace Siri on an iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max by configuring the new Action Button. The new feature lets you ask ChatGPT questions and listen to its responses — like a much smarter version of Siri.\n\nSam Altman returns as CEO\n\nAltman’s return came swiftly, with an “agreement in principle” announced between him and OpenAI’s board that will reinstate him as CEO and restructure the board to include new members, including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. The biggest takeaway for ChatGPT is that the members of the board more focused on the nonprofit side of OpenAI, with the most concerns over the commercialization of its tools, have been pushed to the side.\n\nChatGPT Voice rolls out to all free users\n\nEven if its leadership is in flux, OpenAI is still releasing updates to ChatGPT. First announced in September and granted to paid users on a rolling basis, the text-to-speech model can create a voice from text prompts and a few seconds of speech samples. OpenAI worked with voice actors to create the five voice options, and you can give it a shot by heading to the settings in your mobile ChatGPT apps and tapping the “headphones” icon.\n\nSam Altman might return, but it’s complicated\n\nThe only constant within OpenAI right now is change, and in a series of interviews, Nadella hedged on earlier reporting that Altman and Brockman were headed to Microsoft.\n\n“Obviously, we want Sam and Greg to have a fantastic home if they’re not going to be in OpenAI,” Nadella said in an interview with CNBC, saying that we was “open” to them settling at Microsoft or returning to OpenAI should the board and employees support the move.\n\nConfirmation Sam Altman will not return as OpenAI’s CEO\n\nA number of investors and OpenAI employees tried to bring back Altman after his sudden firing by the company’s board, but following a weekend of negotiations, it was confirmed that Altman would not return to OpenAI and new leadership would take hold. What this means for ChatGPT’s future, and for the OpenAI Dev Day announcements, remains to be seen.\n\nSam Altman ousted as OpenAI’s CEO\n\nSam Altman has been fired from OpenAI. He will leave the company’s board and step down as CEO, with OpenAI’s chief technology officer Mira Murati stepping in as interim CEO. In a blog post from OpenAI, the company writes that the board “no longer has confidence in [Altman’s] ability to continue leading OpenAI.”\n\nIn a statement on X, Altman said working at OpenAI “was transformative” for him and “hopefully the world.”\n\nOpenAI explores how ChatGPT can be used in the classroom\n\nOpenAI COO Brad Lightcap revealed at a San Francisco conference that the company will likely create a team to identify ways AI and ChatGPT can be used in education. This announcement comes at a time when ChatGPT is being criticized by educators for encouraging cheating, resulting in bans in certain school districts.\n\nOpenAI pauses new ChatGPT Plus subscriptions due to a “surge of usage”\n\nFollowing OpenAI’s Dev Day conference, Sam Altman announced the company is putting a pause on new subscriptions for its premium ChatGPT Plus offering. The temporary hold on sign-ups, as well as the demand for ChatGPT Plus’ new features like making custom GPTS, has led to a slew of resellers on eBay.\n\nChatGPT gets flagged as potentially unsafe for kids\n\nAn independent review from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit advocacy group, found that ChatGPT could potentially be harmful for younger users. ChatGPT got an overall three-star rating in the report, with its lowest ratings relating to transparency, privacy, trust and safety.\n\nOpenAI blames DDoS attack for ChatGPT outage\n\nOpenAI confirmed that a DDoS attack was behind outages affecting ChatGPT and its developer tools. ChatGPT experienced sporadic outages for about 24 hours, resulting in users being unable to log into or use the service.\n\nOpenAI debuts GPT-4 Turbo\n\nOpenAI unveiled GPT-4 Turbo at its first-ever OpenAI DevDay conference. GPT-4 Turbo comes in two versions: one that’s strictly text-analyzing and another that understands the context of both text and images.\n\nGPT-4 gets a fine-tuning\n\nAs opposed to the fine-tuning program for GPT-3.5, the GPT-4 program will involve more oversight and guidance from OpenAI teams, the company says — largely due to technical hurdles.\n\nOpenAI’s GPT Store lets you build (and monetize) your own GPT\n\nUsers and developers will soon be able to make their own GPT, with no coding experience required. Anyone building their own GPT will also be able to list it on OpenAI’s marketplace and monetize it in the future.\n\nChatGPT has 100 million weekly active users\n\nAfter being released nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has 100 million weekly active users. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also revealed that over two million developers use the platform, including more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies.\n\nOpenAI launches DALL-E 3 API, new text-to-speech models\n\nDALL-E 3, OpenAI’s text-to-image model, is now available via an API after first coming to ChatGPT-4 and Bing Chat. OpenAI’s newly released text-to-speech API, Audio API, offers six preset voices to choose from and two generative AI model variants.\n\nOpenAI promises to defend business customers against copyright claims\n\nBowing to peer pressure, OpenAI it will pay legal costs incurred by customers who face lawsuits over IP claims against work generated by an OpenAI tool. The protections seemingly don’t extend to all OpenAI products, like the free and Plus tiers of ChatGPT.\n\nAs OpenAI’s multimodal API launches broadly, research shows it’s still flawed\n\nOpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API. But some researchers found that the model remains flawed in several significant and problematic ways.\n\nOpenAI launches API, letting developers build ‘assistants’ into their apps\n\nAt its OpenAI DevDay, OpenAI announced the Assistants API to help developers build “agent-like experiences” within their apps. Use cases range from a natural language-based data analysis app to a coding assistant or even an AI-powered vacation planner.\n\nOctober 2023\n\nChatGPT app revenue shows no signs of slowing, but it’s not #1\n\nOpenAI’s chatbot app far outpaces all others on mobile devices in terms of downloads, but it’s surprisingly not the top AI app by revenue. Several other AI chatbots, like “Chat & Ask AI” and “ChatOn — AI Chat Bot Assistant”, are actually making more money than ChatGPT.\n\nChatGPT tests the ability to upload and analyze files for Plus users\n\nSubscribers to ChatGPT’s Enterprise Plan have reported new beta features, including the ability to upload PDFs to analyze and and ask questions about them directly. The new rollout also makes it so users no longer have to manually select a mode like DALL-E and browsing when using ChatGPT. Instead, users will automatically be switched to models based on the prompt.\n\nChatGPT officially gets web search\n\nOpenAI has formally launched its internet-browsing feature to ChatGPT, some three weeks after re-introducing the feature in beta after several months in hiatus. The AI chatbot that has historically been limited to data up to September, 2021.\n\nOpenAI integrates DALL-E 3 into ChatGPT\n\nThe integration means users don’t have to think so carefully about their text-prompts when asking DALL-E to create an image. Users will also now be able to receive images as part of their text-based queries without having to switch between apps.\n\nMicrosoft-affiliated research finds flaws in GPT-4\n\nA Microsoft-affiliated scientific paper looked at the “trustworthiness” — and toxicity — of LLMs, including GPT-4. Because GPT-4 is more likely to follow the instructions of “jailbreaking” prompts, the co-authors claim that GPT-4 can be more easily prompted than other LLMs to spout toxic, biased text.\n\nChatGPT’s mobile app hits record $4.58M in revenue in September\n\nOpenAI amassed 15.6 million downloads and nearly $4.6 million in gross revenue across its iOS and Android apps worldwide in September. But revenue growth has now begun to slow, according to new data from market intelligence firm Appfigures — dropping from 30% to 20% in September.\n\nSeptember 2023\n\nChatGPT can now browse the internet (again)\n\nOpenAI posted on Twitter/X that ChatGPT can now browse the internet and is no longer limited to data before September 2021. The chatbot had a web browsing capability for Plus subscribers back in July, but the feature was taken away after users exploited it to get around paywalls.\n\nChatGPT can now browse the internet to provide you with current and authoritative information, complete with direct links to sources. It is no longer limited to data before September 2021. pic.twitter.com/pyj8a9HWkB — OpenAI (@OpenAI) September 27, 2023\n\nChatGPT now has a voice\n\nOpenAI announced that it’s adding a new voice for verbal conversations and image-based smarts to the AI-powered chatbot.\n\nPoland opens an investigation against OpenAI\n\nThe Polish authority publically announced it has opened an investigation regarding ChatGPT — accusing the company of a string of breaches of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\n\nOpenAI unveils DALL-E 3\n\nThe upgraded text-to-image tool, DALL-E 3, uses ChatGPT to help fill in prompts. Subscribers to OpenAI’s premium ChatGPT plans, ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Enterprise, can type in a request for an image and hone it through conversations with the chatbot — receiving the results directly within the chat app.\n\nOpera GX integrates ChatGPT-powered AI\n\nPowered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the AI browser Aria launched on Opera in May to give users an easier way to search, ask questions and write code. Today, the company announced it is bringing Aria to Opera GX, a version of the flagship Opera browser that is built for gamers.\n\nThe new feature allows Opera GX users to interact directly with a browser AI to find the latest gaming news and tips.\n\nAugust 2023\n\nOpenAI releases a guide for teachers using ChatGPT in the classroom\n\nOpenAI wants to rehabilitate the system’s image a bit when it comes to education, as ChatGPT has been controversial in the classroom due to plagiarism. OpenAI has offered up a selection of ways to put the chatbot to work in the classroom.\n\nOpenAI launches ChatGPT Enterprise\n\nChatGPT Enterprise can perform the same tasks as ChatGPT, such as writing emails, drafting essays and debugging computer code. However, the new offering also adds “enterprise-grade” privacy and data analysis capabilities on top of the vanilla ChatGPT, as well as enhanced performance and customization options.\n\nSurvey finds relatively few American use ChatGPT\n\nRecent Pew polling suggests the language model isn’t quite as popular or threatening as some would have you think. Ongoing polling by Pew Research shows that although ChatGPT is gaining mindshare, only about 18% of Americans have ever actually used it.\n\nOpenAI brings fine-tuning to GPT-3.5 Turbo\n\nWith fine-tuning, companies using GPT-3.5 Turbo through the company’s API can make the model better follow specific instructions. For example, having the model always respond in a given language. Or improving the model’s ability to consistently format responses, as well as hone the “feel” of the model’s output, like its tone, so that it better fits a brand or voice. Most notably, fine-tuning enables OpenAI customers to shorten text prompts to speed up API calls and cut costs.\n\nOpenAI is partnering with Scale AI to allow companies to fine-tune GPT-3.5. However, it is unclear whether OpenAI is developing an in-house tuning tool that is meant to complement platforms like Scale AI or serve a different purpose altogether.\n\nFine-tuning costs:\n\nTraining: $0.008 / 1K tokens\n\nUsage input: $0.012 / 1K tokens\n\nUsage output: $0.016 / 1K tokens\n\nOpenAI acquires Global Illumination\n\nIn OpenAI’s first public acquisition in its seven-year history, the company announced it has acquired Global Illumination, a New York-based startup leveraging AI to build creative tools, infrastructure and digital experiences.\n\n“We’re very excited for the impact they’ll have here at OpenAI,” OpenAI wrote in a brief post published to its official blog. “The entire team has joined OpenAI to work on our core products including ChatGPT.”\n\nThe ‘custom instructions’ feature is extended to free ChatGPT users\n\nOpenAI announced that it’s expanding custom instructions to all users, including those on the free tier of service. The feature allows users to add various preferences and requirements that they want the AI chatbot to consider when responding.\n\nChina requires AI apps to obtain an administrative license\n\nMultiple generative AI apps have been removed from Apple’s China App Store ahead of the country’s latest generative AI regulations that are set to take effect August 15.\n\n“As you may know, the government has been tightening regulations associated with deep synthesis technologies (DST) and generative AI services, including ChatGPT. DST must fulfill permitting requirements to operate in China, including securing a license from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT),” Apple said in a letter to OpenCat, a native ChatGPT client. “Based on our review, your app is associated with ChatGPT, which does not have requisite permits to operate in China.”\n\nJuly 2023\n\nChatGPT for Android is now available in the US, India, Bangladesh and Brazil\n\nA few days after putting up a preorder page on Google Play, OpenAI has flipped the switch and released ChatGPT for Android. The app is now live in a handful of countries.\n\nChatGPT is coming to Android\n\nChatGPT is available to “pre-order” for Android users.\n\nThe ChatGPT app on Android looks to be more or less identical to the iOS one in functionality, meaning it gets most if not all of the web-based version’s features. You should be able to sync your conversations and preferences across devices, too — so if you’re iPhone at home and Android at work, no worries.\n\nOpenAI launches customized instructions for ChatGPT\n\nOpenAI launched custom instructions for ChatGPT users, so they don’t have to write the same instruction prompts to the chatbot every time they interact with it.\n\nThe company said this feature lets you “share anything you’d like ChatGPT to consider in its response.” For example, a teacher can say they are teaching fourth-grade math or a developer can specify the code language they prefer when asking for suggestions. A person can also specify their family size, so the text-generating AI can give responses about meals, grocery and vacation planning accordingly.\n\nThe FTC is reportedly investigating OpenAI\n\nThe FTC is reportedly in at least the exploratory phase of investigation over whether OpenAI’s flagship ChatGPT conversational AI made “false, misleading, disparaging or harmful” statements about people.\n\nTechCrunch Reporter Devin Coldewey reports:\n\nThis kind of investigation doesn’t just appear out of thin air — the FTC doesn’t look around and say “That looks suspicious.” Generally a lawsuit or formal complaint is brought to their attention and the practices described by it imply that regulations are being ignored. For example, a person may sue a supplement company because the pills made them sick, and the FTC will launch an investigation on the back of that because there’s evidence the company lied about the side effects.\n\nOpenAI announced the general availability of GPT-4\n\nStarting July 6, all existing OpenAI developers “with a history of successful payments” can access GPT-4. OpenAI plans to open up access to new developers by the end of July.\n\nIn the future, OpenAI says that it’ll allow developers to fine-tune GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 Turbo, one of the original models powering ChatGPT, with their own data, as has long been possible with several of OpenAI’s other text-generating models. That capability should arrive later this year, according to OpenAI.\n\nJune 2023\n\nChatGPT app can now search the web only on Bing\n\nOpenAI announced that subscribers to ChatGPT Plus can now use a new feature on the app called Browsing, which allows ChatGPT to search Bing for answers to questions.\n\nThe Browsing feature can be enabled by heading to the New Features section of the app settings, selecting “GPT-4” in the model switcher and choosing “Browse with Bing” from the drop-down list. Browsing is available on both the iOS and Android ChatGPT apps.\n\nMercedes is adding ChatGPT to its infotainment system\n\nU.S. owners of Mercedes models that use MBUX will be able to opt into a beta program starting June 16 activating the ChatGPT functionality. This will enable the highly versatile large language model to augment the car’s conversation skills. You can join up simply by telling your car “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.”\n\nIt’s not really clear what for, though.\n\nChatGPT app is now available on iPad, adds support for Siri and Shortcuts\n\nThe new ChatGPT app version brings native iPad support to the app, as well as support for using the chatbot with Siri and Shortcuts. Drag and drop is also now available, allowing users to drag individual messages from ChatGPT into other apps.\n\nOn iPad, ChatGPT now runs in full-screen mode, optimized for the tablet’s interface.\n\nMay 2023\n\nTexas judge orders all AI-generated content must be declared and checked\n\nThe Texas federal judge has added a requirement that any attorney appearing in his court must attest that “no portion of the filing was drafted by generative artificial intelligence,” or if it was, that it was checked “by a human being.”\n\nChatGPT app expanded to more than 30 countries\n\nThe list of new countries includes Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Estonia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.\n\nChatGPT app is now available in 11 more countries\n\nOpenAI announced in a tweet that the ChatGPT mobile app is now available on iOS in the U.S., Europe, South Korea and New Zealand, and soon more will be able to download the app from the app store. In just six days, the app topped 500,000 downloads.\n\nThe ChatGPT app for iOS is now available to users in 11 more countries — Albania, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, and the UK. More to come soon! — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 24, 2023\n\nOpenAI launches a ChatGPT app for iOS\n\nChatGPT is officially going mobile. The new ChatGPT app will be free to use, free from ads and will allow for voice input, the company says, but will initially be limited to U.S. users at launch.\n\nWhen using the mobile version of ChatGPT, the app will sync your history across devices — meaning it will know what you’ve previously searched for via its web interface, and make that accessible to you. The app is also integrated with Whisper, OpenAI’s open source speech recognition system, to allow for voice input.\n\nHackers are using ChatGPT lures to spread malware on Facebook\n\nMeta said in a report on May 3 that malware posing as ChatGPT was on the rise across its platforms. The company said that since March 2023, its security teams have uncovered 10 malware families using ChatGPT (and similar themes) to deliver malicious software to users’ devices.\n\n“In one case, we’ve seen threat actors create malicious browser extensions available in official web stores that claim to offer ChatGPT-based tools,” said Meta security engineers Duc H. Nguyen and Ryan Victory in a blog post. “They would then promote these malicious extensions on social media and through sponsored search results to trick people into downloading malware.”\n\nApril 2023\n\nChatGPT parent company OpenAI closes $300M share sale at $27B-29B valuation\n\nVC firms including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive and K2 Global are picking up new shares, according to documents seen by TechCrunch. A source tells us Founders Fund is also investing. Altogether the VCs have put in just over $300 million at a valuation of $27 billion to $29 billion. This is separate to a big investment from Microsoft announced earlier this year, a person familiar with the development told TechCrunch, which closed in January. The size of Microsoft’s investment is believed to be around $10 billion, a figure we confirmed with our source.\n\nOpenAI previews new subscription tier, ChatGPT Business\n\nCalled ChatGPT Business, OpenAI describes the forthcoming offering as “for professionals who need more control over their data as well as enterprises seeking to manage their end users.”\n\n“ChatGPT Business will follow our API’s data usage policies, which means that end users’ data won’t be used to train our models by default,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post. “We plan to make ChatGPT Business available in the coming months.”\n\nOpenAI wants to trademark “GPT”\n\nOpenAI applied for a trademark for “GPT,” which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” last December. Last month, the company petitioned the USPTO to speed up the process, citing the “myriad infringements and counterfeit apps” beginning to spring into existence.\n\nUnfortunately for OpenAI, its petition was dismissed last week. According to the agency, OpenAI’s attorneys neglected to pay an associated fee as well as provide “appropriate documentary evidence supporting the justification of special action.”\n\nThat means a decision could take up to five more months.\n\nAuto-GPT is Silicon Valley’s latest quest to automate everything\n\nAuto-GPT is an open-source app created by game developer Toran Bruce Richards that uses OpenAI’s latest text-generating models, GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, to interact with software and services online, allowing it to “autonomously” perform tasks.\n\nDepending on what objective the tool’s provided, Auto-GPT can behave in very… unexpected ways. One Reddit user claims that, given a budget of $100 to spend within a server instance, Auto-GPT made a wiki page on cats, exploited a flaw in the instance to gain admin-level access and took over the Python environment in which it was running — and then “killed” itself.\n\nFTC warns that AI technology like ChatGPT could ‘turbocharge’ fraud\n\nFTC chair Lina Khan and fellow commissioners warned House representatives of the potential for modern AI technologies, like ChatGPT, to be used to “turbocharge” fraud in a congressional hearing.\n\n“AI presents a whole set of opportunities, but also presents a whole set of risks,” Khan told the House representatives. “And I think we’ve already seen ways in which it could be used to turbocharge fraud and scams. We’ve been putting market participants on notice that instances in which AI tools are effectively being designed to deceive people can place them on the hook for FTC action,” she stated.\n\nSuperchat’s new AI chatbot lets you message historical and fictional characters via ChatGPT\n\nThe company behind the popular iPhone customization app Brass, sticker maker StickerHub and others is out today with a new AI chat app called SuperChat, which allows iOS users to chat with virtual characters powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, what makes the app different from the default experience or the dozens of generic AI chat apps now available are the characters offered which you can use to engage with SuperChat’s AI features.\n\nItaly gives OpenAI to-do list for lifting ChatGPT suspension order\n\nItaly’s data protection watchdog has laid out what OpenAI needs to do for it to lift an order against ChatGPT issued at the end of last month — when it said it suspected the AI chatbot service was in breach of the EU’s GSPR and ordered the U.S.-based company to stop processing locals’ data.\n\nThe DPA has given OpenAI a deadline — of April 30 — to get the regulator’s compliance demands done. (The local radio, TV and internet awareness campaign has a slightly more generous timeline of May 15 to be actioned.)\n\nResearchers discover a way to make ChatGPT consistently toxic\n\nA study co-authored by scientists at the Allen Institute for AI shows that assigning ChatGPT a “persona” — for example, “a bad person,” “a horrible person” or “a nasty person” — through the ChatGPT API increases its toxicity sixfold. Even more concerning, the co-authors found having the conversational AI chatbot pose as certain historical figures, gendered people and members of political parties also increased its toxicity — with journalists, men and Republicans in particular causing the machine learning model to say more offensive things than it normally would.\n\nThe research was conducted using the latest version, but not the model currently in preview based on OpenAI’s GPT-4.\n\nY Combinator-backed startups are trying to build ‘ChatGPT for X’\n\nYC Demo Day’s Winter 2023 batch features no fewer than four startups that claim to be building “ChatGPT for X.” They’re all chasing after a customer service software market that’ll be worth $58.1 billion by 2023, assuming the rather optimistic prediction from Acumen Research comes true.\n\nHere are the YC-backed startups that caught our eye:\n\nYuma, whose customer demographic is primarily Shopify merchants, provides ChatGPT-like AI systems that integrate with help desk software, suggesting drafts of replies to customer tickets.\n\nBaselit, which uses one of OpenAI’s text-understanding models to allow businesses to embed chatbot-style analytics for their customers.\n\nLasso customers send descriptions or videos of the processes they’d like to automate and the company combines ChatGPT-like interface with robotic process automation (RPA) and a Chrome extension to build out those automations.\n\nBerriAI, whose platform is designed to help developers spin up ChatGPT apps for their organization data through various data connectors.\n\nItaly orders ChatGPT to be blocked\n\nOpenAI has started geoblocking access to its generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in Italy.\n\nItaly’s data protection authority has just put out a timely reminder that some countries do have laws that already apply to cutting edge AI: it has ordered OpenAI to stop processing people’s data locally with immediate effect. The Italian DPA said it’s concerned that the ChatGPT maker is breaching the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and is opening an investigation.\n\nMarch 2023\n\n1,100+ signatories signed an open letter asking all ‘AI labs to immediately pause for 6 months’\n\nThe letter’s signatories include Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology, among others. The letter calls on “all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.”\n\nThe letter reads:\n\nContemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks,[3] and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable.\n\nOpenAI connects ChatGPT to the internet\n\nOpenAI launched plugins for ChatGPT, extending the bot’s functionality by granting it access to third-party knowledge sources and databases, including the web. Available in alpha to ChatGPT users and developers on the waitlist, OpenAI says that it’ll initially prioritize a small number of developers and subscribers to its premium ChatGPT Plus plan before rolling out larger-scale and API access.\n\nOpenAI launches GPT-4, available through ChatGPT Plus\n\nGPT-4 is a powerful image- and text-understanding AI model from OpenAI. Released March 14, GPT-4 is available for paying ChatGPT Plus users and through a public API. Developers can sign up on a waitlist to access the API.\n\nChatGPT is available in Azure OpenAI service\n\nChatGPT is generally available through the Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft’s fully managed, corporate-focused offering. Customers, who must already be “Microsoft managed customers and partners,” can apply here for special access.\n\nOpenAI launches an API for ChatGPT\n\nOpenAI makes another move toward monetization by launching a paid API for ChatGPT. Instacart, Snap (Snapchat’s parent company) and Quizlet are among its initial customers.\n\nFebruary 2023\n\nMicrosoft launches the new Bing, with ChatGPT built in\n\nAt a press event in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft announced its long-rumored integration of OpenAI’s GPT-4 model into Bing, providing a ChatGPT-like experience within the search engine. The announcement spurred a 10x increase in new downloads for Bing globally, indicating a sizable consumer demand for new AI experiences.\n\nOther companies beyond Microsoft joined in on the AI craze by implementing ChatGPT, including OkCupid, Kaito, Snapchat and Discord — putting the pressure on Big Tech’s AI initiatives, like Google.\n\nOpenAI launches ChatGPT Plus, starting at $20 per month\n\nAfter ChatGPT took the internet by storm, OpenAI launched a new pilot subscription plan for ChatGPT called ChatGPT Plus, aiming to monetize the technology starting at $20 per month. A month prior, OpenAI posted a waitlist for “ChatGPT Professional” as the company began to think about monetizing the chatbot.\n\nJanuary 2023\n\nOpenAI teases ChatGPT Professional\n\nOpenAI said that it’s “starting to think about how to monetize ChatGPT” in an announcement on the company’s official Discord server. According to a waitlist link OpenAI posted in Discord, the monetized version will be called ChatGPT Professional. The waitlist document includes the benefits of this new paid version of the chatbot which include no “blackout” windows, no throttling and an unlimited number of messages with ChatGPT — “at least 2x the regular daily limit.”\n\nDecember 2022\n\nShareGPT lets you easily share your ChatGPT conversations\n\nA week after ChatGPT was released into the wild, two developers — Steven Tey and Dom Eccleston — made a Chrome extension called ShareGPT to make it easier to capture and share the AI’s answers with the world.\n\nNovember 2022\n\nChatGPT first launched to the public as OpenAI quietly released GPT-3.5\n\nGPT-3.5 broke cover with ChatGPT, a fine-tuned version of GPT-3.5 that’s essentially a general-purpose chatbot. ChatGPT can engage with a range of topics, including programming, TV scripts and scientific concepts. Writers everywhere rolled their eyes at the new technology, much like artists did with OpenAI’s DALL-E model, but the latest chat-style iteration seemingly broadened its appeal and audience.\n\nFAQs:\n\nWhat is ChatGPT? How does it work?\n\nChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI. The chatbot uses GPT-4, a large language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text.\n\nWhen did ChatGPT get released?\n\nNovember 30, 2022 is when ChatGPT was released for public use.\n\nWhat is the latest version of ChatGPT?\n\nBoth the free version of ChatGPT and the paid ChatGPT Plus are regularly updated with new GPT models. The most recent model is GPT-4.\n\nCan I use ChatGPT for free?\n\nThere is a free version of ChatGPT that only requires a sign-in in addition to the paid version, ChatGPT Plus.\n\nWho uses ChatGPT?\n\nAnyone can use ChatGPT! More and more tech companies and search engines are utilizing the chatbot to automate text or quickly answer user questions/concerns.\n\nWhat companies use ChatGPT?\n\nMultiple enterprises utilize ChatGPT, although others may limit the use of the AI-powered tool.\n\nMost recently, Microsoft announced at it’s 2023 Build conference that it is integrating it ChatGPT-based Bing experience into Windows 11. A Brooklyn-based 3D display startup Looking Glass utilizes ChatGPT to produce holograms you can communicate with by using ChatGPT. And nonprofit organization Solana officially integrated the chatbot into its network with a ChatGPT plug-in geared toward end users to help onboard into the web3 space.\n\nWhat does GPT mean in ChatGPT?\n\nGPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.\n\nWhat’s the difference between ChatGPT and Bard?\n\nMuch like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Bard is a chatbot that will answer questions in natural language. Google announced at its 2023 I/O event that it will soon be adding multimodal content to Bard, meaning that it can deliver answers in more than just text, responses can give you rich visuals as well. Rich visuals mean pictures for now, but later can include maps, charts and other items.\n\nChatGPT’s generative AI has had a longer lifespan and thus has been “learning” for a longer period of time than Bard.\n\nWhat is the difference between ChatGPT and a chatbot?\n\nA chatbot can be any software/system that holds dialogue with you/a person but doesn’t necessarily have to be AI-powered. For example, there are chatbots that are rules-based in the sense that they’ll give canned responses to questions.\n\nChatGPT is AI-powered and utilizes LLM technology to generate text after a prompt.\n\nCan ChatGPT write essays?\n\nYes.\n\nCan ChatGPT commit libel?\n\nDue to the nature of how these models work, they don’t know or care whether something is true, only that it looks true. That’s a problem when you’re using it to do your homework, sure, but when it accuses you of a crime you didn’t commit, that may well at this point be libel.\n\nWe will see how handling troubling statements produced by ChatGPT will play out over the next few months as tech and legal experts attempt to tackle the fastest moving target in the industry.\n\nDoes ChatGPT have an app?\n\nYes, there is now a free ChatGPT app that is currently limited to U.S. iOS users at launch. OpenAi says an android version is “coming soon.”\n\nWhat is the ChatGPT character limit?\n\nIt’s not documented anywhere that ChatGPT has a character limit. However, users have noted that there are some character limitations after around 500 words.\n\nDoes ChatGPT have an API?\n\nYes, it was released March 1, 2023.\n\nWhat are some sample everyday uses for ChatGPT?\n\nEveryday examples include programing, scripts, email replies, listicles, blog ideas, summarization, etc.\n\nWhat are some advanced uses for ChatGPT?\n\nAdvanced use examples include debugging code, programming languages, scientific concepts, complex problem solving, etc.\n\nHow good is ChatGPT at writing code?\n\nIt depends on the nature of the program. While ChatGPT can write workable Python code, it can’t necessarily program an entire app’s worth of code. That’s because ChatGPT lacks context awareness — in other words, the generated code isn’t always appropriate for the specific context in which it’s being used.\n\nCan you save a ChatGPT chat?\n\nYes. OpenAI allows users to save chats in the ChatGPT interface, stored in the sidebar of the screen. There are no built-in sharing features yet.\n\nAre there alternatives to ChatGPT?\n\nYes. There are multiple AI-powered chatbot competitors such as Together, Google’s Bard and Anthropic’s Claude, and developers are creating open source alternatives. But the latter are harder — if not impossible — to run today.\n\nThe Google-owned research lab DeepMind claimed that its next LLM, will rival, or even best, OpenAI’s ChatGPT. DeepMind is using techniques from AlphaGo, DeepMind’s AI system that was the first to defeat a professional human player at the board game Go, to make a ChatGPT-rivaling chatbot called Gemini.\n\nApple is developing AI tools to challenge OpenAI, Google and others. The tech giant created a chatbot that some engineers are internally referring to as “Apple GPT,” but Apple has yet to determine a strategy for releasing the AI to consumers.\n\nHow does ChatGPT handle data privacy?\n\nOpenAI has said that individuals in “certain jurisdictions” (such as the EU) can object to the processing of their personal information by its AI models by filling out this form. This includes the ability to make requests for deletion of AI-generated references about you. Although OpenAI notes it may not grant every request since it must balance privacy requests against freedom of expression “in accordance with applicable laws”.\n\nThe web form for making a deletion of data about you request is entitled “OpenAI Personal Data Removal Request”.\n\nIn its privacy policy, the ChatGPT maker makes a passing acknowledgement of the objection requirements attached to relying on “legitimate interest” (LI), pointing users towards more information about requesting an opt out — when it writes: “See here for instructions on how you can opt out of our use of your information to train our models.”\n\nWhat controversies have surrounded ChatGPT?\n\nRecently, Discord announced that it had integrated OpenAI’s technology into its bot named Clyde where two users tricked Clyde into providing them with instructions for making the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth) and the incendiary mixture napalm.\n\nAn Australian mayor has publicly announced he may sue OpenAI for defamation due to ChatGPT’s false claims that he had served time in prison for bribery. This would be the first defamation lawsuit against the text-generating service.\n\nCNET found itself in the midst of controversy after Futurism reported the publication was publishing articles under a mysterious byline completely generated by AI. The private equity company that owns CNET, Red Ventures, was accused of using ChatGPT for SEO farming, even if the information was incorrect.\n\nSeveral major school systems and colleges, including New York City Public Schools, have banned ChatGPT from their networks and devices. They claim that the AI impedes the learning process by promoting plagiarism and misinformation, a claim that not every educator agrees with.\n\nThere have also been cases of ChatGPT accusing individuals of false crimes.\n\nWhere can I find examples of ChatGPT prompts?\n\nSeveral marketplaces host and provide ChatGPT prompts, either for free or for a nominal fee. One is PromptBase. Another is ChatX. More launch every day.\n\nCan ChatGPT be detected?\n\nPoorly. Several tools claim to detect ChatGPT-generated text, but in our tests, they’re inconsistent at best.\n\nAre ChatGPT chats public?\n\nNo. But OpenAI recently disclosed a bug, since fixed, that exposed the titles of some users’ conversations to other people on the service.\n\nWho owns the copyright on ChatGPT-created content or media?\n\nThe user who requested the input from ChatGPT is the copyright owner.\n\nWhat lawsuits are there surrounding ChatGPT?\n\nNone specifically targeting ChatGPT. But OpenAI is involved in at least one lawsuit that has implications for AI systems trained on publicly available data, which would touch on ChatGPT.\n\nAre there issues regarding plagiarism with ChatGPT?\n\nYes. Text-generating AI models like ChatGPT have a tendency to regurgitate content from their training data.", + "A comprehensive list of 2023 tech layoffs From major layoffs at Google, Amazon and Microsoft to small fintech startups and apps\n\nLast year’s techwide reckoning continues. The tech industry has seen more than 240,000 jobs lost in 2023, a total that’s already 50% higher than last year and growing. Earlier this year, mass workforce reductions were driven by the biggest names in tech like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Meta and Zoom. Startups across many sectors also announced cutbacks through the first half of the year. And while tech layoffs slowed down in the summer and fall, it appears that cuts are ramping up yet again.\n\nMany economists have cautioned against fears of a recession, which would seem like a reason for optimism. But the momentum for a tech sector rebound has been slow to build, resulting in tech companies continuing to cut back on their workforces and pivot from a growth mindset to one based on efficiency in the face of stubborn market conditions.\n\nBut tracking these layoffs helps us to understand the impact on innovation, which companies are facing tough pressures and who is available to hire for the businesses lucky to be growing right now. Unfortunately, it also serves as a reminder of the deeply human impact of layoffs and how risk profiles could evolve from here.\n\nBelow you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the known layoffs in tech that have occurred in 2023, to be updated monthly. If you have a tip on a layoff, contact us here. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact us here.\n\nThe running total of layoffs for 2023 based on full months to date is 224,503, according to Layoffs.fyi. Tech layoffs conducted to date this year currently exceed the total number of tech layoffs in 2022, according to the data in the tracker.\n\nData visualization by Miranda Halpern, created with Flourish\n\nDecember 2023\n\nShareChat\n\nIs cutting 15% of its workforce in a “strategic restructuring” effort for 2024.\n\nInsightec\n\nIs reportedly laying off 100 employees, with 60 from the company’s Israel headquarters.\n\nUdaan\n\nReportedly laid off up to 150 employees in a restructuring effort. This month, the business-to-business e-commerce startup scored $340 million in new funding.\n\nEnphase\n\nIs reducing their workforce by around 10%, impacting roughly 350 contractors and employees, president and CEO Badri Kothandaraman wrote in a blog post December 18.\n\nArm Holdings PLC\n\nReportedly laid off more than 70 software engineers in China and will relocate some roles.\n\nDelivery Hero\n\nIs shutting down operations in Taiwan and Turkey and plans to eliminate roles at its Berlin headquarters, the company said December 18.\n\neBay\n\nIs reportedly eliminating nearly 10% of its workforce in Israel. It’s the company’s second round of layoffs this year.\n\nIntel\n\nWill cut 235 employees at its Folsom office campus at the end of the year, the company reported to state employment officials December 15.\n\nSuperpedestrian\n\nIs shutting down its U.S.-based shared scooter operation and exploring a sale of its European business, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.\n\nBolt\n\nConfirmed it laid off 29% of its staff December 15. The e-commerce company known for its one-click checkout technology was at one time the subject of a federal probe.\n\nCruise\n\nIn an announcement obtained exclusively by TechCrunch, the embattled self-driving car company is cutting 900 employees, or 24% of its workforce, per a December 14 email from new president and CTO Mo Elshenawy.\n\nEtsy\n\nIs laying off 11% of its workforce. In a letter to employees December 13, CEO Josh Silverman cited a “very challenging macro and competitive environment.”\n\nChipper Cash\n\nHas reportedly laid off 15 people across various departments. It would be the fintech unicorn’s fourth round of layoffs this year.\n\nSmileDirectClub\n\nHas shut down three months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing $900 million of debt.\n\nSunfolding\n\nIs reportedly winding down its operations. On its website, Y Combinator categorizes Sunfolding as an “inactive” company.\n\nZulily\n\nWill lay off more than 500 employees after closing fulfillment centers in Ohio and Nevada in February 2024.\n\nD2iQ\n\nIs shutting down its operations and selling its assets to Nutanix.\n\nAtmosphere\n\nHas reportedly eliminated a large part of its workforce. The business-focused streaming TV service raised $100 million in 2022.\n\nTidal\n\nIs laying off more than 10% of its staff, the company confirmed to TechCrunch December 7.\n\nZestMoney\n\nIs shutting down operations. The Goldman Sachs-backed “buy now, pay later” startup was once valued at $450 million.\n\nNavan\n\nIs cutting about 145 roles as the travel startup previously known as TripActions plans to become public.\n\nIncredibuild\n\nIs laying off 20% of its workforce. The software development startup previously raised $35 million in a Series B funding in 2022.\n\nBill\n\nWill cut around 15% of its workforce, the company announced December 5, and close its Sydney office to increase profitability.\n\nCourseHero\n\nAnnounced December 5 it eliminated 23 employees across engineering, operations and development.\n\nPivo\n\nShut down operations December 5. The Nigerian fintech startup previously raised $2 million in a seed round.\n\nTwilio\n\nAnnounced hundreds of job cuts December 4, amounting to 5% of the company’s workforce.\n\nSpotify\n\nIs eliminating about 1,500 jobs, the company announced December 4. This marks Spotify’s third round of layoffs this year.\n\nBending Spoons\n\nHas laid off the entire staff of Filmic, the team behind popular video and photo-editing apps that Bending Spoons acquired in July.\n\nNovember 2023\n\nZepz\n\nCut 30 roles November 30 after the fintech unicorn eliminated 26% of its workforce earlier this year.\n\nDomo\n\nMade reductions to 7% of staff, in addition to reductions in its contract workforce, CEO Joshua G. James announced in the company’s Q3 earnings call November 30.\n\nMojo\n\nIs laying off 20% of its staff, the company announced to staff November 30. The A-Rod and Marc Lore-founded sports betting startup previously raised $100 million.\n\nLoco\n\nIs cutting its workforce by about 36%, co-founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh announced at a November 30 town hall.\n\nUnity\n\nIs laying off 265 workers November 29 after eliminating its Wētā Digital division, which it acquired in 2021.\n\nTier Mobility\n\nIs cutting roughly 22% of its staff, CEO and co-founder Lawrence Leuschner announced November 28.\n\nDataminr\n\nIs laying off about 20% of its staff starting November 28, citing “the recent rapid advancements of our AI platform,” according to a memo from founder and CEO Ted Bailey.\n\nMultiverse\n\nWill lay off nearly a third of their U.S. staff. It’s the second round of layoffs at the U.K.-based unicorn company in just over a month.\n\nONE\n\nIs cutting its workforce by around 25% November 27, citing “market conditions” affecting the EV battery startup.\n\nByteDance\n\nStarted mass layoffs November 27 in its gaming department, Nuverse, after two years of tepid performance. The number of affected employees is unknown.\n\nVeev\n\nIs closing up shop, according to multiple reports, after reaching unicorn status in 2022.\n\nTulip\n\nLaid off 25 employees, CEO Ali Asaria announced November 24.\n\nAnar\n\nIs shutting down operations and returning capital to investors, CEO Nishank Jain announced November 23.\n\nAlerzo\n\nCut 100 workers November 21, reportedly due to increases in automation. The recent layoffs come after Alzero cut 15% of its workforce earlier this year and 5% in 2022.\n\nC3.ai\n\nReportedly cut jobs across departments November 20, citing a need to reduce costs. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that several impacted employees received just one month of severance.\n\nJodo\n\nReportedly cut around 100 roles across engineering, customer success, data and sales November 20.\n\nAmazon\n\nIs reportedly laying off “several hundred” employees in their Alexa division and its freshly launched Artificial General Intelligence team.\n\nFreshBooks\n\nLaid off 6% of their workforce November 17 as the company shuts down operations in Raleigh, North Carolina. President Mark Girvan and CEO Don Epperson are also leaving the company.\n\nBeamery\n\nIs reportedly cutting 25% of its workforce amid a larger restructuring and cost-cutting effort.\n\nPaystack\n\nLaid off 33 employees in Europe and Dubai November 16 as the company cuts down on operations outside of Africa.\n\nSega\n\nIs reportedly planning to “phase out” 80 temporary workers by 2024. The company is now facing an unfair labor practice complaint, with workers alleging the layoffs are retaliation for unionizing.\n\nChewy\n\nLaid off more than 200 employees November 14. The cuts impact roles in HR, recruiting, data, business intelligence, plus directors and higher managers.\n\nAmazon\n\nIs cutting “just over 180” roles in its gaming division, VP Christoph Hartmann wrote in an email to employees November 13.\n\nCarta\n\nIs reportedly cutting more of its workforce. The number of positions affected are unknown, but it would be the unicorn startup’s third layoff round this year.\n\nPico\n\nIs cutting a “few hundred” roles, a person familiar with the matter told TechCrunch November 9. ByteDance’s Oculus challenger held an internal meeting announcing it is halting its expansion this week.\n\nCruise\n\nStarted laying off contingent workers who supported driverless operations November 9. Those layoffs came after the company recalled 950 robotaxis and lost key commercial permits to operate in California.\n\nSnap\n\nLaid off fewer than 20 project managers November 8. CNBC reported that Snap’s vice president of engineering, ​​Nima Khajehnouri, will also be leaving.\n\nAmazon\n\nStarted cutting workers in its music streaming division in Latin America, North America and Europe, the company confirmed November 8.\n\nGoogle\n\nConfirmed November 8 it eliminated “a small number of roles” in its consumer support staff, Google Users & Products.\n\nVirgin Galactic\n\nSaid in a memo to staff November 8 it is cutting costs and reducing staff. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.\n\nUbisoft Montreal\n\nConfirmed November 7 it will cut 98 roles in business administration and IT. Ubisoft said 124 positions will be eliminated overall across Canada, including reductions in its global IT team and its VFX studio, Hybride.\n\nNextdoor\n\nRevealed in its Q3 earnings that it is reducing its workforce by 25%.\n\nBeyond Meat\n\nAnnounced cuts November 6 affecting around 19% of its non-production employees. The plant-based meat company says it will also review its entire global operations for cost-cutting opportunities.\n\nAva Labs\n\nIs cutting 12% of its workforce, CEO Emin Gün Sirer confirmed November 6.\n\nOpenSea\n\nLaid off about 50% of its staff, the company confirmed November 3. CEO Devin Finzer posted a statement on X saying the NFT marketplace is now focused on “OpenSea 2.0.”\n\nStarz\n\nIs laying off more than 10% of its staff ahead of the company spinning out from Lionsgate, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch announced November 3. The network and streaming app will also exit Australia and the U.K.\n\nFaire\n\nLaid off about 250 people November 3 as part of restructuring. The wholesale marketplace raised a $416 million extension at a $12.6 billion valuation last year.\n\nNiu\n\nConfirmed to TechCrunch November 3 that it is issuing a round of layoffs affecting about 10% of their workforce, citing “fierce competition.”\n\n100 Thieves\n\nIs reducing its workforce by 20%, CEO John Robinson announced November 2. The esports brand is spinning out its game studio as well as its energy drink brand, Juvee.\n\nOpenSpace\n\nConducted a round of layoffs, CEO Jeevan Kalanithi announced November 2. The number of employees impacted by the layoffs has yet to be reported.\n\nInformatica\n\nIs laying off 10% of its global workforce, the cloud data management company announced in its Q3 results November 1.\n\nSplunk\n\nIs set to cut around 500 employees CEO Gary Steele said in a message to employees November 1 ahead of its planned acquisition by Cisco.\n\nOctober 2023\n\nBungie\n\nIs laying off about 100 employees, CEO Pete Parsons announced 10/30. The Sony-owned game studio is also delaying two of its upcoming titles as a result.\n\nKarat\n\nReportedly cut an estimated 10% of its workforce October 27 after the financial startup for creators raised a $70 million Series B round earlier this year.\n\nHippo\n\nPlans to eliminate 120 roles, the company said in an SEC filing October 30.\n\nLiberty Mutual\n\nPlans to cut 850 members of its staff, the insurance company confirmed October 27.\n\nSalsify\n\nCut 110 jobs and are moving some roles abroad, CEO and co-founder Jason Purcell announced October 25.\n\nSlync\n\nIs shutting down, months after its former CEO Chris Kirchner was arrested on fraud charges and sued the company to pay for his legal bills.\n\nShipt\n\nAnnounced October 24 in a company statement that it laid off 3.5% of their workforce and will close many open roles.\n\nPebble\n\nThe X alternative previously known as T2 announced October 24 that it is shutting down its operations.\n\nNokia\n\nAnnounced October 19 that it will cut up to 14,000 jobs, or 16% of its workforce, following a sizable dip in Q3.\n\nRoblox China\n\nCut 15 roles on October 24, two years after the joint effort with Tencent abruptly paused its service.\n\nTropic\n\nEliminated 26 roles, CEO David Campbell confirmed in a LinkedIn post October 21.\n\nConvoy\n\nIs halting operations due to a “massive freight recession,” CEO Dan Lewis announced in a memo October 19, a week after laying off 20% of its workforce.\n\nLegalZoom\n\nPlans to lay off more than 100 workers in its sales division, the company disclosed in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter.\n\nPlume\n\nLaid off more than two dozen workers, TechCrunch learned October 18, about a year after the trans healthcare startup raised a $24 million Series B.\n\nGoogle\n\nEliminated at least 40 roles in its news division, Google confirmed October 18.\n\nExpedia Group\n\nCut around 100 jobs, Skift reports, in its second round of layoffs in recent months. The cuts reportedly impacted employees across data and AI.\n\nStack Overflow\n\nLaid off 28% of its staff, more than likely impacting 100 people, the Prosus-owned company announced October 16.\n\nBandcamp\n\nEliminated 50% of its staff on October 16 after ownership changed from video game company Epic to music licensing platform Songtradr.\n\nLinkedIn\n\nConfirmed October 16 that it will cut 668 more jobs, bringing the total to nearly 1,400 this year, with the bulk of the most recent cuts impacting those with R&D roles.\n\nFlexport\n\nOn October 13 began laying off 20% of its workers, about 600 people, as it prepares for restructuring, and continues a cost-cutting campaign that began with rescinding offers and working to lease office space.\n\nQualcomm\n\nIs cutting 1,258 jobs in two of its California offices. According to a filing with the California Employment Development Department, the semiconductor company plans to make the reductions in December.\n\nBlue Origin\n\nLaid off 40 people October 10, including software engineers and program managers, according to The Information.\n\nStitch Fix\n\nWill lay off 558 employees after the personal styling subscription service closes a distribution center in Dallas.\n\nSynapse\n\nConfirmed October 6 that it had laid off 86 people, about 40% of the a16z-backed fintech company. Earlier in the year, Synapse laid off 18% of its employees after its growth slowed.\n\nBird\n\nIssued a new round of layoffs after acquiring Spin, according to an email interim CEO Michael Washinushi sent to the company. The layoffs came one week after the company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange, and the exact number remains unknown.\n\nQualtrics\n\nAnnounced on October 4 that 780 roles are being eliminated and that “several hundred” roles are changing or moving locations in 2024.\n\nHopper\n\nIs reducing its full-time staff by 30%, amounting to 250 job cuts, the company announced October 3.\n\nChainalysis\n\nAnnounced October 2 that it is laying off around 15% of its workforce, affecting approximately 150 employees.\n\nSeptember 2023\n\nIronNet\n\nIn a regulatory filing published September 29, the cybersecurity startup has ceased all business activities as it prepares for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and has laid off its remaining staff.\n\nNaughty Dog\n\nIs reportedly cutting at least 25 contract developers, two sources familiar with the situation told Kotaku.\n\nEpic Games\n\nAnnounced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.\n\nTalkdesk\n\nAn impacted employee confirmed on September 27 that at least 140 people, if not more, were affected by Talkdesk’s third round of layoffs in less than 14 months.\n\nByju’s\n\nAnnounced on September 26, the company plans to cut 5,000 jobs due to restructuring efforts. The startup has eliminated more than 10,000 positions in the past two years.\n\nRoblox\n\nConfirmed to TechCrunch on September 21, Roblox let go of 30 employees in its talent acquisition organization. No other teams are impacted.\n\nDivvy Homes\n\nAnnounced on September 11 that it is laying off 94 employees.\n\nSensor Tower\n\nAnnounced on September 8 that it laid off approximately 40 people out of the 270+ at the company, including C-suite executives.\n\nRoku\n\nAnnounced September 6 that it plans to lay off approximately 10% of its workforce, representing over 300 employees.\n\nAugust 2023\n\nMalwarebytes\n\nAnnounced on August 31 that it laid off 100 employees, mainly impacting corporate employees.\n\nTwiga\n\nAnnounced on August 21 that it is laying off 283 employees, or 33% of its workforce.\n\nSecureWorks\n\nAnnounced on August 14 that it will let go of 15% of its workforce, impacting about 300 employees. This is the company’s second round of layoffs this year.\n\nCoinDesk\n\nAnnounced on August 14 that it is cutting 16% of staff.\n\nNCC Group\n\nConfirmed on August 10 that it is making more layoffs, its second round of layoffs in just six months. The company declined to say how many employees are affected by this round of cuts. NCC Group cut 125 employees in February.\n\nRapid7\n\nAnnounced on August 9 that it plans to lay off 18% of its workforce, affecting more than 400 employees globally.\n\nMobile Premier League\n\nAnnounced on August 8 that it is laying off approximately 50% of its employees or 350 people.\n\nAstra\n\nAnnounced on August 4 that it has laid off 25% of its workforce since the beginning of the quarter.\n\nDiscord\n\nAnnounced on August 3 that it has let go of nearly 40 employees or 4% of its workforce.\n\nHackerOne\n\nAnnounced on August 2 that it is laying off 12% of its workforce, approximately 50 employees.\n\nTekion\n\nAnnounced on August 2 by Inc42, the startup laid off around 300 employees or 10% of its workforce. Of the 300 employees being let go, about 200 were from Tekion’s India office.\n\nPlanet\n\nAnnounced on August 1 that it is laying off 117 employees, or 10% of staff.\n\nJuly 2023\n\nDunzo\n\nAnnounced July 19 that it is postponing employee salaries for a month and plans a new wave of layoffs as soon as July 20. Dunzo executives informed employees that they will likely be cutting over 200 jobs, in what will be its third layoff this year. The company has eliminated about 400 jobs this year so far.\n\nCameo\n\nAnnounced on July 18 that it intends to lay off 80 workers.\n\nSkill-Lync\n\nAnnounced on July 13 that the Indian startup has laid off 20% of its workforce, around 225 employees.\n\nCrunchbase\n\nAnnounced on LinkedIn on July 9 that the company is laying off 52 employees.\n\nMicrosoft\n\nAnnounced July 10 that the company is eliminating additional jobs a week after the start of its 2023 fiscal year. These layoffs are in addition to the 10,000 layoffs announced in January.\n\nClickUp\n\nAnnounced on July 4 that it has laid off 10% of its workforce, about 90 people.\n\nJune 2023\n\nNiantic\n\nAnnounced June 29 that it laid of 230 employees — one year after it laid off around 90 employees.\n\nPlex\n\nAnnounced June 29 that it laid off approximately 20% of its staff, or 37 employees.\n\nGrab\n\nAnnounced the week of June 23 that it laid off more than a thousand people, or 11% of its staff.\n\nOlx Group\n\nAnnounced on June 20 that it has cut around 800 jobs globally. The news comes as the company started to close operations of its automotive business nit Olx Autos in some markets.\n\nMojocare\n\nAnnounced on June 18 that the company will be laying off some 150 employees, a majority of the workforce.\n\nTada\n\nOperated by Korean ride-sharing company Socar’s subsidiary VCNC announced on June 15 that it plans to let go of at least 50% of its staff or about 45 people at Tada.\n\nBetter.com\n\nAnnounced on June 7 that it laid off its real estate team, it is not clear how many people were impacted.\n\nUrsa Major\n\nAt least 14 people have been laid off from the rocket engine startup, announced on June 7. Ursa Major did not respond to TechCrunch’s inquiry into the layoffs, or the number of people affected. According to LinkedIn, 292 people are listed as currently working at Ursa.\n\nSpotify\n\nAnnounced June 5 that it will cut 200 jobs in its podcast unit, leading to a workforce reduction of 2%. This comes just a few months after the company announced a significant wave of layoffs.\n\nMay 2023\n\nTaxfix\n\nAnnounced on May 30 that it has laid off 20% of staff—120 employees.\n\nMeta\n\nAnnounced May 24 that it is laying off about 6,000 people. In total, about 21,000 people have lost their jobs at Meta since November.\n\nJioMart\n\nReliance Retail’s online shopping platform laid off over 1,000 employees on May 22, and plans to cut as many as 9,900 more roles over the coming weeks.\n\nKrebs Stamos Group\n\nAnnounced May 18 that the consulting firm laid off six people. In April, the firm had 18 employees including the founders. On May 18, the site shows only 14 team members.\n\nTuSimple\n\nAnnounced May 18 that it is laying off about 30% of employees.\n\nPrior to the layoff, TuSimple had about 550 employees in the U.S. and post reduction in force the company will have about 220, according to the company.\n\nNuro\n\nAnnounced May 12 that it will lay off 30%, or about 340 employees across the company.\n\nLinkedIn\n\nAnnounced May 8 that it is cutting 716 jobs, or about 3.6% of total employees, and will phase out its local jobs app in China. Despite reducing some roles, LinkedIn also plans to open about 250 new jobs on May 15.\n\nRapid\n\nAnnounced May 5 that Rapid (previously known as RapidAPI) has laid off another 70 employees less than two weeks after letting go of 50% of its staff. Just 42 people remain at the company, down from 230 in April, dropping a total of 82% in headcount.\n\nMeesho\n\nAnnounced May 4 that it has cut 15% of its workforce, or 251 roles. This comes after its first round of layoffs, which eliminated 150 roles about a year ago.\n\nShopify\n\nAnnounced May 4 that it is laying off 20% of its workforce, impacting more than 2,000 people. It’s also selling its logistics business to Flexport for roughly 13% in stock.\n\nBishop Fox\n\nAnnounced May 3 that it laid off around 50 employees — or 13% of its workforce — on May 2.\n\nNeato Robotics\n\nAnnounced May 1 that Vorwerk-owned Neato Robotics is shutting down, with nearly 100 employees impacted by the move.\n\nApril 2023\n\nClubhouse\n\nAnnounced April 27 that it has laid off more than 50% of staff. A spokesperson for Clubhouse declined to comment on the number of people impacted by today’s workforce reduction or the number of employees who remain at the company. Last October, Davison told TechCrunch that Clubhouse had close to 100 employees.\n\nDropbox\n\nAnnounced April 27 that it would be laying off 500 employees or 16% of staff.\n\nAmazon\n\nAnnounced on April 26 that it is shutting down its Halo Health division, effective July 31, among other divisions. The layoffs are part of the 9,000 employees announced in March. Including the 18,000-person layoffs announced in January, this brings the total to 27,000 job cuts or 8% of Amazon’s corporate workforce this year.\n\nRapid\n\nAnnounced on April 25, Rapid, previously known as RapidAPI, lays off 50% of its staff. The layoffs are believed to have impacted 115 people.\n\nAnthemis Group\n\nAnnounced on April 25 that it will lay off 16 people from its staff, or 28% of employees.\n\nLyft\n\nAnnounced on April 21 that employees will learn whether they have a job or not via an email that will be sent out April 27.\n\nLyft layoffs to affect 26% of workforce, or about 1,072 people as promised on April 27.\n\nMeta\n\nAnnounced April 18th that it is expected to lay off 10,000 jobs in the coming months. This is on top of the 11,000 jobs that were cut in November.\n\nRedfin\n\nAnnounced April 13th that it has laid off 201 employees, about 4% of its workforce. This is the third time the Seattle-based real estate company has reduced its workforce since June.\n\nApple\n\nBloomberg reported on April 3 that Apple is laying off a small number of roles on its corporate retail teams.\n\nMarch 2023\n\nNetflix\n\nAnnounced on March 31, Netflix confirms a “handful of layoffs,” which includes two longtime executives. The exact number of layoffs is unclear. Netflix is scheduled to report Q1 2023 results on April 18.\n\nRoku\n\nAnnounced March 30 that it is letting go of about 200 employees, or 6% of its workforce. The company had laid off 200 U.S. employees back in November.\n\nUnacademy\n\nAnnounced March 30 that it has laid off more than 350 roles, or 12% of its workforce — just over four months after cutting about 350 roles in November.\n\nShift Technologies\n\nAnnounced March 29 that it laid off 30% of its workforce in Q1 2023.\n\nLucid\n\nAnnounced March 28 that it is laying off 1,300 employees, or 18% of its workforce, to be completed by the end of Q2 2023.\n\nGitHub\n\nAnnounced on March 28 that it has eliminated over 100 jobs in the South Asian market, laying off virtually its entire engineering team in India. A GitHub spokesperson told TechCrunch that the layoff is part of the streamlining effort the firm had disclosed in February to cut roughly 10% of its workforce by end of Q1 2023.\n\nDisney\n\nOn March 27 in an internal memo to employees, Disney revealed there will be three rounds of layoffs, the first beginning this week. The job cuts will impact approximately 7,000 employees, which was announced in February.\n\nSalesforce\n\nOn March 24, Bloomberg reported that more layoffs could be on the way at Salesforce, quoting chief operating officer Brian Millham, who indicated that the company could be adding to the ongoing job cutting at the CRM leader and in tech in general. If the layoffs happen, it would come on top of the 10% cut in January.\n\nAccenture\n\nAnnounced March 23 that it plans to cut 19,000 jobs, or 2.5% of its workforce.\n\nIndeed\n\nAnnounced March 22 that it will lay off 2,200 employees, or 15% of its staff.\n\nRoofstock\n\nAnnounced March 22 that it has laid off 27% of its staff, approximately 100 employees.\n\nTwitch\n\nAnnounced March 20 that it will lay off 400 employees.\n\nAmazon\n\nAnnounced March 20 another round of substantial layoffs, this time 9,000 people are set to lose their jobs. TechCrunch is hearing that around 10% of today’s total came from AWS. As part of the new round of layoffs, Amazon is shutting down DPReview.\n\nLivespace\n\nAnnounced March 20 that it has laid off at least 100 employees, about 2% of the company’s workforce.\n\nCourse Hero\n\nAnnounced March 16 that it has cut 15% of staff, or 42 people.\n\nKlaviyo\n\nAnnounced March 15 that it has laid off 140 of its staff across all teams.\n\nMicrosoft\n\nAs a part of its recent announcement to layoff 10,000 people, Microsoft laid off an entire team dedicated to guiding AI innovation that leads to ethical, responsible and sustainable outcomes. On March 27, Microsoft laid off 559 workers from its Bellevue and Redmond operations.\n\nMeta\n\nCEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed rumors March 14 that the company will be cutting 10,000 people from its workforce and around 5,000 open roles that it had yet to fill.\n\nY Combinator\n\nAnnounced March 13 that it will impact 20% of staff, or 17 team members.\n\nSalesforce…continued\n\nSalesforce first announced that it was laying off 10% of the workforce in January, but some employees didn’t know until February. The week of March 10, more employees are just learning they have been laid off. Salesforce confirmed that these layoffs were part of the 10%.\n\nAtlassian\n\nAnnounced on March 6, Atlassian is laying off about 500 employees, or 5% of its total workforce.\n\nSiriusXM\n\nAnnounced on March 6, the company laid off 475 employees, or 8% of its total workforce.\n\nAlerzo\n\nThe Nigerian B2B e-commerce platform had a headcount of more than 2,000 before a first round of layoffs in September 2022. Alerzo has laid off 15% of its full-time workforce, the company confirmed on March 6, leaving about 800 employees at the startup.\n\nCerebral\n\nAnnounced March 1, the company is letting go 15% of it’s workforce — roughly 285 employees.\n\nWaymo\n\nAnnounced March 1, Alphabet’s Waymo issued a second round of layoffs this year. Combined with the initial cuts in January, the self-driving technology company has let go of 8%, or 209 employees, of its workforce.\n\nThoughtworks\n\nAnnounced on March 1, the company laid off about 4% of its global workforce — approximately 500 employees.\n\nFebruary 2023\n\nTwitter\n\nAnnounced on February 26, the company laid off more than 200 employees, including Esther Crawford, Haraldur Thorleifsson and Leah Culver. Since Musk took over Twitter in October last year, the company’s headcount has fallen by more than 70%.\n\nPoshmark\n\nAnnounced February 24, Poshmark confirmed with TechCrunch that less than 2% of its workforce was affected, primarily in the U.S. The company employs roughly 800+ employees.\n\nGreen Labs\n\nWe do not have an exact figure of how many Green Labs plans to lay off its staff. Green Labs confirmed to TechCrunch that it is conducting a round of layoffs that could impact at least 50% of its workforce.\n\nChipper Cash\n\nAnnounced on February 20, the African cross-border payments platform conducted a second round of layoffs just 10 weeks after it cut approximately 12.5% of its workforce. Chipper Cash relieved almost one-third of its workforce, about 100 employees.\n\nEvernote\n\nOn February 17 the company confirmed laying off 129 people.\n\nJumia\n\nAnnounced February 16 that it cut 20% of its staff, or more than 900 positions across its 11 markets, in Q4 of 2022.\n\nConvoy\n\nAnnounced on February 16 that it is shuttering its Atlanta office and laying off workers as part of restructuring. This is the third time in less than a year that the company has laid off workers.\n\nSprinklr\n\nAnnounced on February 15 that it will impact 4% of its global workforce — or more than 100 employees.\n\niRobot\n\nAnnounced on February 13 that it will lay off 7% of its workforce, roughly 85 employees.\n\nTwilio\n\nAnnounced on February 13 that it will impact around 17% of its global workforce, about 1,400 people.\n\nGitHub\n\nAnnounced February 9, 10% of its staff will be impacted through the end of the company’s fiscal year. Before this announcement, which was first reported by Fortune, GitHub had about 3,000 employees.\n\nYahoo\n\nAnnounced on February 9, 20% of its staff, impacting 1,600 employees in its adtech business. Yahoo is the parent company to TechCrunch.\n\nGitLab\n\nAnnounced February 9 that it’s reducing its headcount by 7%. The round of redundancies will impact around 114 people, though that specific figure is dependent on its actual headcount as of February 9.\n\nAffirm\n\nAnnounced on February 8 that it is reducing its staff by 19%, or about 500 employees, and shutting down its crypto unit.\n\nZoom\n\nAnnounced the cut of 15% of its staff, or 1,300 people on February 7.\n\nVinFast\n\nVinFast has not shared how many employees have been cut, but a LinkedIn post from a former employee said “nearly 35 roles” were affected. Announced on February 6.\n\nDell\n\nAnnounced February 6, impacting 6,650 people, or 5% of worldwide workforce.\n\nGetaround\n\nAnnounced February 2, 10% of staff — about 42 employees.\n\nPinterest\n\nAnnounced February 2, 150 employees impacted. This is the second job-cutting move within weeks of the first round in December 2022.\n\nRivian\n\nAnnounced on February 1, cutting 6% of its workforce for the second time in less than a year.\n\nJanuary 2023\n\nSoFi Technologies\n\nAnnounced on January 31, cutting 65 jobs, or about 5% of its 1,300-person workforce. First reported by The Wall Street Journal.\n\nNetApp\n\nAnnounced on January 31, impacting 8% of its staff — about 960 people.\n\nGroupon\n\nImpacting another 500 employees announced on January 31. The company said this new set of layoffs will be spread across the first two quarters of 2023.\n\nImpossible Foods\n\nReportedly affecting 20% of its staff, over 100 employees, Bloomberg reported first.\n\nPayPal\n\nAnnounced on January 30, about 2,000 full-time employees, or 7% of its workforce, were affected.\n\nArrival\n\nAnnounced on January 30, with a newly appointed CEO, slashing 50% of its workforce — 800 employees globally.\n\nWaymo\n\nThe self-driving technology unit under Alphabet quietly laid off workers on January 24, according to The Information and several posts on LinkedIn and Blind. It’s not yet clear how many of Waymo’s staff will be affected.\n\nSpotify\n\nAnnounced on January 23, impacting around 6% of its global workforce — around 600 employees.\n\nAlphabet\n\nGoogle’s parent company announced laying off 6% of its global workforce on January 21, equating to 12,000 employees. These cuts impact divisions such as Area 120, the Google in-house incubator and Alphabet’s robotics division, Intrinsic.\n\nFandom\n\nThe entertainment company announced an unspecified number of employees impacted across multiple properties on January 20. According to a report by Variety, the company employs around 500 people, and the layoffs have affected roughly 10% of its staff across different sites.\n\nSwiggy\n\nAnnounced plans to lay off 380 jobs on January 20 and shut down its meat marketplace.\n\nSophos\n\nAnnounced on January 18, 10% of its global workforce, about 450 people were let go.\n\nMicrosoft\n\nAs announced on January 18, 10,000 employees will be impacted.\n\nGoMechanic\n\nLaid off 70% of its workforce on January 18.\n\nClearco\n\nAnnounced on January 17, impacting 30% of staff across all teams.\n\nShareChat\n\nAnnounced on January 15, ShareChat laid off 20% of its workforce — or over 400 employees — just a month after eliminating more than 100 roles.\n\nSmartNews\n\nAnnounced on January 12 a 40% reduction of its U.S. and China workforce, or around 120 people.\n\nIntrinsic\n\nAlphabet’s robot software firm, Intrinsic, is laying off 40 employees TechCrunch confirmed on January 12. Amounting to around 20% of the headcount.\n\nGreenlight\n\nThe fintech startup offering debit cards to kids laid off 104 employees on January 12, or over 21% of its total headcount of 485 employees.\n\nCareer Karma\n\nLearning navigation platform Career Karma laid off another 22 people on January 12 across its global and domestic workforce.\n\nDirectTV\n\nAnnounced on January 12 plans to lay off about 10% of its management staff on January 20.\n\nInformatica\n\nReported on January 11 that it will lay off 7% of it’s workforce, or 450 staffers globally.\n\nCarta\n\nAnnounced on January 11, the equity management platform cut 10% of its staff. Judging by LinkedIn data, the layoff could have impacted around 200 employees.\n\nCitizen\n\nImpacting 33 staff members on January 11.\n\nCoinbase\n\nTo cut 950 jobs, or about 20% of its workforce, and shut down “several” projects, announced on January 10. This is the second round of major layoffs at the crypto exchange, which eliminated 18% of its workforce, or nearly 1,100 jobs last June.\n\nSuperRare\n\nThe NFT marketplace is cutting 30% of its staff, announced on January 6.\n\nAmazon\n\nAnnounced on January 5, eliminating more than 18,000 roles. This announcement extends a previously announced round of layoffs in November of 2022. On January 19, the company announced it would end AmazonSmile.\n\nSalesforce\n\nAnnounced on January 4 that it’s cutting 10% of its workforce, impacting more than 7,000 employees. A month later, some Salesforce employees had just found out they were also a part of the 10% layoff announcement.\n\nVimeo\n\nAnnounced on January 4, cutting 11% of its workforce.\n\nEditor’s note: Natasha Mascarenhas has contributed to this compilation.", + "This was a year of upheaval in video games. The industry has shapeshifted over the past 12 months, and it’s not all due to Microsoft’s lengthy acquisition of Activision, Blizzard and King. While Xbox executives were defending the legality of a $69 billion deal that would create the third-largest video game studio in the world, smaller companies were firing staff and shutting down entire teams, even amid fervent collective-bargaining efforts. It’s been a wild ride.\n\nIn 2023, the main factors molding the video game landscape were consolidation, layoffs and unionization, with each of these phenomena feeding into each other. This past year, the video game industry shrank, even as it grew financially.\n\nConsolidation\n\nWhen Microsoft's purchase of Activision-Blizzard-King was finally approved on October 12, 2023 after nearly two years of regulatory hurdles, it became the world’s third-largest video game studio by revenue. As the owner of the Xbox ecosystem, Microsoft was already a massive player in video games, but purchasing a tentpole AAA studio solidified its position in the top three. Activision and Blizzard are the owners of Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Starcraft, but the real meat of this deal comes from King, the mobile division. King operates Candy Crush Saga, a game with 238 million monthly active users, which is more than twice as many as Activision Blizzard’s combined player bases. Candy Crush Saga has generated more than $20 billion in lifetime revenue, and King routinely outperforms Activision and Blizzard in terms of quarterly returns. Mobile gaming remains a huge business, especially in the Chinese market, which represents the largest and most lucrative audience in video games.\n\nThough the $69 billion Activision deal was the biggest in Microsoft’s history — that would be its $26 purchase of LinkedIn in 2016 — it wasn’t the company’s first video game acquisition. Microsoft owns nearly 40 developers and it bought a chunk of those in the past five years. The Xbox umbrella covers 343 industries, Arkane Studios, Bethesda, Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, id Software, Infinity Ward, Mojang Studios, Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Tango Gameworks and Turn 10, among dozens more.\n\nCharley Gallay via Getty Images\n\nWith these studios at its back, Microsoft is leaning hard into cloud gaming while attempting to build a device-agnostic ecosystem powered by the Xbox brand. These moves are designed to unlock the mobile market even more, putting Xbox games on all devices, everywhere, all the time.\n\nStill, Sony is bigger than Microsoft by revenue. Though Microsoft is often the face of the game-studio acquisition spree, Sony is the owner of 21 development teams, including Bungie, Guerrilla Games, Haven Studios, Housemarque, Insomniac Games, Media Molecule, Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions. Sony has been subtly expanding its roster — more subtly than Microsoft, at least — over the past three years, and it’s also made heavy investments in studios like Epic Games and FromSoftware.\n\nWith this lineup, Sony is betting heavily on ongoing games, and it has 12 live-service titles in production right now, on top of Bungie’s Destiny franchise. These include Haven’s Fairgame$ and a multiplayer Horizon title from Guerilla.\n\n“By expanding to PC and mobile, and… also to live services, we have the opportunity to move from a situation of being present in a very narrow segment of the overall gaming software market, to being present pretty much everywhere,\" Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan said in 2022.\n\nFor the companies at the top, total domination is the goal.\n\nEven still, Tencent is bigger than both Sony and Microsoft. Tencent is not a console manufacturer, so it isn’t a household name among most players, but it’s one of the largest companies in the world, and it wields a ridiculous amount of financial power in video games. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.\n\nXinhua News Agency via Getty Images\n\nSure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.\n\nOn a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.\n\nNight School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.\n\n“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said. “We weren't in danger of anything going sideways. But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”\n\nNetflix\n\nThis is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.\n\nThe most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.\n\nLayoffs\n\nThe post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.\n\nThe Embracer Group provides the clearest example of rampant, surprise layoffs in 2023. Embracer has spent the past few years acquiring prominent midsize studios, including Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), Eidos-Montreal (Deus Ex) and Square Enix Montreal (Deus Ex Go). In the past decade, Embracer grew its portfolio to cover more than 100 game studios, including Volition (Saints Row), Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator), Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters) and Zen Studios (Pinball FX). The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”\n\nVolition\n\nIn June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures. Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive. More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.\n\nThis wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”\n\nSony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022. According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.\n\nEpic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.\n\nMediatonic\n\n“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”\n\nElectronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.\n\nCD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.\n\n343 industries\n\nThese are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.\n\nWhat will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.\n\nBeing acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.\n\nUnions\n\nUnionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.\n\nMicrosoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.\n\nBethesda Softworks\n\n“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors,\" ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. \"We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining.\"\n\nMeanwhile, executives at Microsoft’s newest acquisition, Activision Blizzard, spent the past few years stalling internal unionization efforts. However, QA employees at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, successfully voted to unionize in May 2022. Microsoft has vowed to respect organization attempts now that Activision-Blizzard-King is under its control.\n\nOther companies with unions established in the past two years include Avalanche Studios, Anemone Hug, CD Projekt RED, Experis Game Solutions, Keywords Studios, Sega of America, Tender Claws and Workinman Interactive.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIn her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.\n\nOver the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.\n\nAccording to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.\n\nThroughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.\n\nFrom Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.\n\nJustin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nSpears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.\n\nThey broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.\n\nAlthough the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.\n\nHe later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”\n\nIn June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.\n\n“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”\n\nWade Robson: 2001 to 2002\n\nShortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.\n\nColin Farrell: 2003\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nBack in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.\n\n“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”\n\nJason Alexander: 2004\n\nJason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.\n\nIn 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”\n\nAfter he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.\n\nKevin Federline: 2004 to 2007\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nKevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.\n\nIn 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.\n\nSpears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.\n\nAfter months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.\n\nFederline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013. They now share two daughters, Jordan, 10, and Peyton, eight.\n\nAdnan Ghalib: 2007 to 2008\n\nSpears met British paparazzo Adnan Ghalib in 2007, shortly after she decided to shave her hair off in front of approximately 70 photographers. They only dated for about a year, as the relationship ended in 2008.\n\nIn the 2021 Netflix documentary, Britney vs Spears, Ghalib spoke candidly about the romance, claiming: “It was a very simple, very easy relationship, you know? But between her fans and everybody else, it was like I was the bad guy.”\n\nThe former couple split in 2008 after Ghalib reportedly pulled a pregnancy test-buying stunt for publicity. In 2009, Jamie Spears filed a restraining order against Ghalib, which ordered the photographer to stay away from the singer and her family until 2012.\n\nJason Trawick: 2009 to 2013\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nSpears and Jason Trawick, a Hollywood agent who worked at WME, started dating in 2009 before getting engaged in December 2011. However, they called off their engagement in January 2013 and announced they were going their separate ways.\n\n\"Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement. I’ll always adore him and we will remain great friends,\" Spears said in a statement sent by her representative to ABC News.\n\nTrawick also issued a statement at the time, saying: “As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever.\"\n\nDavid Lucado: 2013 to 2014\n\nTwo months after ending her engagement with Trawick, Spears started dating David Lucado, who worked at a legal firm. In August 2014, Spears announced their split, tweeting: “Ahhhh the single life!” At the time, her representative also confirmed to People: “Yes, she’s single.”\n\nThe news of the breakup came asTMZ alleged that Lucado had cheated on Spears, with claims that her father had purchased a video of the infidelity incident. The publication later alleged that Lucado denied the cheating allegations, with claims that he was seeing the other woman while he and Spears were broken up.\n\nDespite their seemingly rocky history, Lucado showed his support for his ex in a 2016 interview with theNew York Times about her conservatorship. Speaking to the publication, he said: “If anyone knew the real Britney, they would know that she would rather be remembered for being the great mother she is rather than the artist she is.”\n\nThe publication also noted that Lucado denied the infidelity claims from Spears’ father, before he added: “And if anyone could see her interactions with her kids, they would know that there is no need for a conservatorship over Britney’s personal life.”\n\nCharlie Ebersol: 2014 to 2015\n\nSpears and Charlie Ebersol, who is known as the co-founder of Tempus Ex Machina and The Company, started dating in 2014. While their relationship was fairly low profile, Spears previously opened up about why she was drawn to Ebersol in the first place.\n\n“There was something about him that made me feel really peaceful and at ease. And he was really hot, too. Adorably hot,” she told People at the time.\n\nThey officially broke up in June 2015 after eight months of dating.\n\nSam Asghari: 2016 to 2023\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nThe pair first met in 2016 when Asghari was cast as Spears’ love interest in the music video for her song, “Slumber Party”, from her 2016 album Glory. They made their relationship Instagram official in 2017 and went on to support each other through different milestones - including the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards, where Spears accepted the Vanguard Award for her work promoting equality and acceptance.\n\nIn April 2022, Spears announced she was pregnant with her and Asghari’s first child together, and her third child. However, the following month, she said in a statement posted to Instagram that she had suffered a miscarriage. The couple wrote: “We have lost our miracle baby.”\n\nThat June, they held their lavish nuptials at her home in California with a star-studded guest list, which included Selena Gomez, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, and Donatella Versace - who designed Spears’ wedding dress.\n\nIn August, months after Asghari shut down speculation about getting a divorce, TMZ claimed that he had confronted Spears about rumours she cheated on him. That same day, the fitness instructor officially filed for divorce, listing the date of separation as 28 July 2023 and citing \"irreconcilable differences\" as the reason for the split.\n\nIn a statement posted online, Asghari said: “After six years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. S*** happens. Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask for everyone including the media to be kind and thoughtful.”\n\nDays before Spears’ memoir release date, Asghari revealed that he had obtained an early copy of the book. In an interview with TMZ on 13 October, he explained that he wasn’t worried about anything being written in the book that could paint him in a negative light.\n\n“I already read it and I’m very proud of her,” he told the outlet. “She put a lot of work into it, and it was very hard. I’m definitely excited, and I’m extremely proud of her. It was a very tough one [to write].”\n\nThe Woman in Me is due for release on 24 October in the US and UK.", + "She has never really known freedom\n\nAs a child, Britney escaped her difficult home life – her alcoholic father often rowing with her mother – into the outdoors, which “gave me a sense of aliveness and danger”, she writes. Performing also makes her feel invincible. But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.\n\nBy the time of her second album, she wants for so little: skinny-dipping with her dancers after playing Rock in Rio in January 2001 is one of her happiest memories. “It was a taste of rebellion and freedom, but I was just having fun and being a 19-year-old,” she writes. After her split from Justin Timberlake, she dreams about quitting pop and opening a shop: “With the gift of hindsight I can see that I hadn’t given myself enough time to heal from the breakup,” she writes – though her requests for a break are not only turned down, but interpreted as a potential sign of sedition to be quashed and interrogated.\n\nIn this restrictive environment, small kindnesses take on an outsized significance, like Paris Hilton encouraging her “to have fun for the first time in a long time”, leading to some infamous nights out with the heiress and Lindsay Lohan. Once again, Britney is seen as stepping out of bounds, potentially damaging her earning potential. One night she has her mother babysit her sons; when she returns home tipsy, Lynne Spears screams at her, she writes. “The shame I felt killed my heart. I stood there, reeling, and thought, OK, I guess it’s forbidden for me to party.” As the restrictions get tighter, Britney acts out – and ends up legally denied her freedom for 13 years, under a conservatorship controlled by her father.\n\nHer body felt like public property\n\nFrom day one, Britney’s body is made fair game. Between the videos for her debut single, Baby, One More Time and Sometimes, the media noted her changing physique and concluded that the 16-year-old must have had breast implants – rather than simply going through puberty. She notices that talkshow hosts ask her about her chest, while her boyfriend Justin Timberlake gets asked serious questions about his music. It’s one of many pressures that ultimately push her to breaking point, and when she writes about shaving her head in a salon in 2007, she frames it as a “fuck you” to the impossible beauty standards she felt forced to live up to: “I’d smiled politely while TV show hosts leered at my breasts, while American parents said I was destroying their children by wearing a crop top.”\n\nThat brief moment of freedom doesn’t last long: a year later, she is ambushed into the conservatorship, which also exercises jurisdiction over her body. “No matter how much I dieted and exercised, my father was always telling me I was fat,” she writes. Punishing gym routines leave her feeling “out of my mind”. Her diet is monitored – along with every other detail of her life – while she goes through the motions of her Las Vegas residency. “My body was strong enough to carry two children and agile enough to execute every choreographed move perfectly onstage. And now here I was, having every calorie recorded so people could continue to get rich off my body.”\n\nHere I was, having every calorie recorded so people could continue to get rich off my body\n\nOn the other side of the conservatorship, she writes, freedom looks like being able to gain weight without anyone “shouting at me”. It’s eating chocolate again. It’s posting selfies – either nude or clothed – on Instagram. Some people don’t understand the latter, she writes, “but I think if they’d been photographed by other people thousands of times, prodded and posed for other people’s approval, they’d understand that I get a lot of joy from posing the way I feel sexy and taking my own picture, doing whatever I want with it.”\n\nHer ‘virginity’ was a prison\n\nBritney was actively marketed as a virgin, a repulsive, archaic premise that made the 16-year-old’s inevitable sexuality into a kind of timebomb. In fact, she writes happily, she first slept with her older brother’s best friend when she was 14. Yet the fixation on her “purity” took “the focus off me as a musician and a performer”, she writes. “All some reporters could think of to ask me was whether or not my breasts were real (they were, actually) and whether or not my hymen was intact.”\n\nBritney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2002. Photograph: Tom Mihalek/AFP/Getty Images\n\nWhen Timberlake tells the world that she cheated on him, she is all but emblazoned with a scarlet letter. While she knows she is powerless against that narrative (“I don’t think Justin realised the power he had in shaming me. I don’t think he understands to this day”), him telling the world that they had a sexual relationship was liberating. “To be honest with you, I liked that Justin said that,” she writes. “Why did my managers work so hard to claim I was some kind of young-girl virgin even into my 20s? Whose business was it if I’d had sex or not?”\n\nBut she still couldn’t escape the cycle that Timberlake set in motion: she describes her 2004 Onyx Hotel tour in the aftermath as “too sexual, for a start. Justin had embarrassed me publicly, so my rebuttal onstage was to kind of go there a little bit, too. But it was absolutely horrible.”\n\nShe has an immaculate sense of shade\n\nBritney seems too pure of heart for active malice, but she has an immaculate way with a piercing characterisation. Timberlake’s band, ‘NSync, were big hip-hop heads, she writes, and sometimes “tried too hard to fit in” with Black artists. When Timberlake spots Ginuwine at an event, he “got all excited and said, so loud, ‘Oh yeah fo shiz, fo shiz! Ginuwiiiine! What’s up, homie!’”\n\nHer account of being encouraged to abort their pregnancy at home, lest anyone see them going in and out of hospital, is horrifying. Britney, with no pain relief, is writhing on the floor. Timberlake proves to be the last person you’d call in a crisis. “At some point he thought maybe music would help, so he got his guitar and he lay there with me, strumming it,” she writes. Almost as embarrassing is husband Kevin Federline’s attempt to start a music career. “He really thought he was a rapper now,” she writes, with the bafflement of someone who has never known pretension. “Bless his heart – because he did take it so seriously.”\n\nMotherhood leaves her vulnerable\n\nWhen Britney gets pregnant with her first son, she initially thinks it might protect her: “I wanted everyone to stay away: stand back! There’s a baby here!” Inevitably, it doesn’t work out that way. The paparazzi become aggressive, particularly once she has her kids in quick succession – becoming pregnant a second time three months after giving birth to her first. She suffers from postnatal depression and feels hopeless about her ability to protect her sons: “I got a little depressed once I was no longer keeping them safe inside my body … I wanted them back inside me so the world couldn’t get at them.”\n\nEvery part of normal life had been stripped from me. I had no freedom and yet also no security\n\nShe has a keen sense of injustice regarding a perceived contract that she never signed with the public and the press. “They just kept acting like I owed it to them to let the men who kept trying to catch me looking fat take photos of my infant sons.” Her postpartum body and shots of her without makeup were treated as “some kind of a sin – as if gaining weight was something unkind I’d done to them personally, a betrayal. At what point did I promise to stay 17 for the rest of my life?”\n\nWhat she knows now, she writes, “is that every part of normal life had been stripped from me – going out in public without becoming a headline, making normal mistakes as a new mother of two babies, feeling like I could trust the people around me. I had no freedom and yet also no security. At the time I was also suffering, I now know, from severe postpartum depression.” It left her suicidal. “I’ll admit it, I felt that I couldn’t live if things didn’t get better.”\n\nShe knows she is trapped in a state of arrested development\n\nIt’s often said that famous people are frozen in time at the age they became famous, but Britney was never allowed to be a real child, nor a real adult. Her 2001 single I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman may be her most prescient recording; she is painfully conscious of this divide. After her split from Timberlake, she likens herself to Benjamin Button. “Somehow that year, in becoming more vulnerable I started to feel like a child again.”\n\nThe situation worsens amid postnatal depression. “It was as if some part of me became the baby,” she writes in an apologetic section about transferring her frustrations on to her interior decorator. “One part of me was a very demanding grown woman yelling about white marble, while another part of me was suddenly very childlike.”\n\nWhen she is placed under the conservatorship, she not only regresses, but feels dehumanised by the constant scrutiny. “I became a robot. But not just a robot – a sort of child-robot. The conservatorship stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child.” It’s hard to explain, she says, “how quickly I could vacillate between being a little girl and being a teenager and being a woman, because of the way they had robbed me of my freedom … They wanted me to be wild onstage, the way they told me to be, and to be a robot the rest of the time.”\n\nMusic seems to have become an afterthought\n\nEarly on, Britney writes, she loved making music. She told the producer Max Martin that she wanted to sound more R&B than straight pop; she listened to Tainted Love the night before recording Baby, One More Time and stayed up late so that she would sound as gravelly and “fried” as Marc Almond. She was a studio perfectionist who would stay in the booth for hours, and the school setting and uniforms of the Baby video were her idea. “That’s probably the moment in my life when I had the most passion for music,” she writes. “I was unknown and I had nothing to lose if I messed up.”\n\nAfter that, her music barely gets a mention in A Woman Like Me. There’s a nod to her breaking records; the era-defining Toxic is dispensed with in a sentence. The only album that she goes into any kind of detail on is 2007’s cult favourite Blackout, made at the height of her public struggles yet full of potential. The studio was a refuge from the paparazzi hounding her outside; making a messy DIY video for the single Gimme More may be “by far the worst video I’ve ever shot in my life”, but the scrappiness meant “more interesting people started noticing and wanting to work with me”. There’s some later love for 2016’s Glory, and she writes proudly about her 2022 collaboration with Elton John, but says she has no plans to make music at the moment.\n\nHer life under the conservatorship is a horror story\n\nIt feels fitting that The Woman in Me is being released a week before Halloween. No matter how much we already know about the 13 years that Britney lived under a conservatorship, her recounting of its imposition, life under it and her inability to escape it is nothing short of a horror story. It is appalling, like something out of a Victorian novel, not the very real experiences of a thirtysomething in the last decade.\n\nWhen she fears that Federline is going to take away access to her kids, she locks herself in a bathroom with one of her sons. “Before I knew what was happening, a Swat team in black suits burst through the bathroom door as if I’d hurt someone,” she writes, and she is subject to a forced hospital hold. Soon after, her mother invites her to her beach house because “the cops are after you”. When she arrives, so does another Swat team. “I’m a five-foot four-inch pop singer who calls everyone sir and ma’am,” she writes. “They treated me like I was a criminal or predator.”\n\nThe conservatorship clamps down on her life, ruled by her father, who she alleges was “an alcoholic, someone who’d declared bankruptcy, who’d failed in business, who’d terrified me as a little girl”. She is medicated and surveilled. Her dates are required to agree to background checks and blood tests, made to sign NDAs, and receive a full rundown of her sexual history before the first date. “The insanity of this system kept me from finding basic companionship, having a fun night out or making new friends – let alone falling in love,” Britney writes. “It was just the worst thing that could possibly ever happen to my music, my career and my sanity.”\n\nShe accedes in order to retain access to her boys, but questions how she can perform at such a high level when she is perceived as “so sick that I couldn’t make my own decisions”. She makes futile attempts to escape the arrangement; meanwhile her father sends her to rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous because she has been taking over-the-counter energy supplements. The women at AA inspire her to start trying to take control over her life but she just hits more walls. Her father won’t let her remove her IUD to start a family with her new boyfriend, later husband, Sam Ashgari (they have divorced since Britney completed the memoir). After she objects to a new dance move suggested for her Vegas residency, she is sent to a solitary rehabilitation facility for two months, the most upsetting part of the book.\n\nWas I a bank robber? A wild animal? Why was I treated as though I were about to burn the place down and murder them all?\n\nShe is locked up, put on lithium, subject to relentless testing and mandatory therapy, can’t see her kids or dog, can’t bathe or dress in private or shut the door to her room, has set bed and waking times. For blood tests, “the tech drawing my blood would be flanked by the nurse, a security guard and my assistant. Was I a cannibal? Was I a bank robber? Was I a wild animal? Why was I treated as though I were about to burn the place down and murder them all?” She wonders if her family is trying to kill her. Made slow and sclerotic, “I began to feel like I was being ritually tortured,” she writes, feeling estranged from her own body. “If the idea of my being in that place was to heal, that was not the effect.”\n\nShe’s not scared of anything after that experience, she writes, “but it doesn’t make me feel strong; it makes me sad. I shouldn’t be this strong.”\n\n#FreeBritney protesters in 2021. Photograph: Étienne Laurent/EPA\n\nA nurse shows Britney the blossoming fan movement that is spreading awareness of its suspicions that all is not right with her conservatorship. Come June 2021, she calls 911 to report her father for conservatorship abuse days before a probate court hearing on the arrangement. “My voice had been used for me and against me so many times that I was afraid nobody would recognise it now if I spoke freely,” she writes. When she is granted her freedom in November 2021, she says she feels shock, relief, elation, sadness and joy.\n\nThere is no love lost for her family\n\nBritney writes about how she was always made to feel she was not enough as a kid; her father’s alleged alcoholism, neglect and brutal standards; how her mother always made her feel less-than. She is unsparing about her younger sister, who she characterises as a brat who was spared the pain of Britney’s impoverished childhood because of her success. “My mom and I had to witness the ugliness and the violence without believing that there was anywhere else to go.”\n\nEven once Britney is the biggest pop star in the world, her parents still seem to have an undue say in the running of her career, including making her sit for humiliating TV interviews – why exactly that is remains unanswered. Her father seizes control legally with the imposition of the conservatorship, telling her, chillingly, “I am Britney Spears now,” and her family appear to live off her dime while she lives an extraordinarily restricted life.\n\nWhen she returns home from the forced stint in a brutal rehab facility, she finds that her parents have thrown away her childhood things, including a binder full of her poetry. “I felt an overwhelming sadness. I thought of the pages I’d written through tears. I never wanted to publish them or anything like that, but they were important to me. And my family had thrown them in the trash, just like they’d thrown me away.” She resolves to start over with a new notebook. “In that moment I made peace with my family,” she writes. “By which I mean that I realised I never wanted to see them again, and I was at peace with that.”\n\nBritney writes that she is working to feel “more compassion than anger” towards them. “It’s not easy.”", + "It is honestly kind of incredible to watch a man torpedo his own credibility on direct testimony. We’re not even at the cross yet, and the judge has already instructed him to answer the question he’s being asked by his own lawyer.\n\nThe jury is watching all of this intently.\n\nThe main thing that’s been clear so far from Bankman-Fried’s testimony is that the man really loves the sound of his own voice. So far, the count of “Objection, narrative!” to Bankman-Fried’s answers, followed by “Sustained” is at three.\n\nAlso, sometimes when Bankman-Fried says “we,” he only means himself.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been found guilty on seven counts including charges of wire fraud. FTX was a fraud “from the start,” the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged — with a “multi-billion-dollar deficiency caused by his own misappropriation of customer funds.” Follow along for all the latest news and regular updates from the trial.\n\nYesterday, during an evidentiary hearing, Bankman-Fried was repeatedly scolded by Judge Lewis Kaplan for not answering prosecutor Danielle Sassoon’s questions on cross-examination. Today, Bankman-Fried was scolded by Kaplan for not answering his counsel Mark Cohen’s questions on direct examination. Bankman-Fried has also occasionally interrupted Cohen with “yes” and “yup.”\n\nWe spent a lot of the morning explaining vocabulary. I will spare you the full list, though I will say that explaining “Amazon Web Services” and “database” was a bit too detail-oriented. Then Bankman-Fried tried to define “market manipulation.” After Bankman-Fried gave his definition, Kaplan told the jury that he was the final authority on that, thanks.\n\nIn fairness to Bankman-Fried, he has been clearer and much easier to understand than he was at the evidentiary hearing yesterday. There was a minimum of word salad today. I don’t know if he was more relaxed, or he’d just been more rehearsed, but I will certainly be watching to see if he suddenly becomes much less coherent when Sassoon gets him for the cross.\n\nHere is the story of FTX, from his point of view.\n\nBankman-Fried, who informed us he’s “somewhat introverted, naturally,” gave us a rather prolonged tour of his pre-Alameda Research life, which I will skip. In 2017, during a crypto bull run, he started his cryptocurrency trading firm. He knew “basically nothing” about cryptocurrency at the time, he explained, but he wanted to do arbitrage on it anyway.\n\nAlameda Research was named for Alameda County in California, which was where its first office was set up. As for its name, here’s what Bankman-Fried said on the stand:\n\nEffectively, we wanted to be under the radar at that point in time. I didn’t want to call it Sam’s Crypto Trading Firm or anything like that. We — there are a lot of competitors and people who we didn’t particularly want to know what we were building out because they would race to do it. “Research” was a sort of generic word, which filled out the company name. And that was — it was far better than the internal name that we had at that point, which was Wireless Mouse.\n\nI would find this much more believable if I hadn’t already watched a video of Bankman-Fried explaining on a podcast that the name made it easier to get a bank account. That happened during the first day of Gary Wang’s testimony. Bankman-Fried was there, too. You know who else was there? The jury.\n\nAnyway, Bankman-Fried went on a hiring spree for Alameda. He rounded up his merry gang of alleged co-conspirators. First, Wang, to program the computers. Then, Nishad Singh, about a month after founding Alameda Research. Finally, Caroline Ellison.\n\nNot having a risk team, when you are any kind of financial anything, is certainly a choice\n\nThough Bankman-Fried was the CEO, and also the majority owner, he wanted to be clear: he did not supervise Wang’s direct work. Anyway, after a bunch of wildly successful arbitrage — 50 percent to 100 percent annualized returns, per his testimony — he decided to found a cryptocurrency exchange, FTX. He figured he’d fail; that there was only a 20 percent chance of success. Bankman-Fried did not define what he expected the time period to be on this estimate, but arguably 20 percent was a much higher chance of success than FTX would enjoy once Alameda dipped into the customer deposits.\n\nBy the way, because he was such a good guy, Bankman-Fried made a point of “periodically” handling support tickets himself. “I worried if I didn’t, I would lose touch with the actual concerns of the customers,” he testified. What he did not do was create a risk team, which he is now characterizing as a “big mistake.”\n\nRisk is an inherent part of a futures exchange, which is even more like a casino than regular cryptocurrency. Not having a risk team, when you are any kind of financial anything, is certainly a choice. It is especially a choice when you go around telling everyone your crypto exchange is very good and safe.\n\nFTX’s big selling point was its “risk engine,” which was supposed to prevent big losses that would then be spread around all the rest of the customers. But Bankman-Fried testified that in 2020, the “risk engine was effectively sagging under the weight” of the exchange’s rapid growth. So its time to liquidation went up — it took minutes to determine which accounts needed to be liquidated. As a result, at one point the risk engine got stuck in a catastrophic feedback loop that would have created losses in the “trillions of dollars,” Bankman-Fried testified. As part of that feedback loop, Alameda teetered on the brink of liquidation, which “would have disastrous consequences” for FTX.\n\n“At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening.”\n\nBecause of that experience, Bankman-Fried suggested an “alert” or “delay” that would keep Alameda from being liquidated by a bug. This is the supposed origin story of “allow_negative,” which Bankman-Fried says was the eventual result of that conversation, and that he says he didn’t know about until very recently.\n\nThere is a problem with this story. “Allow_negative” was coded and switched on in 2019. I saw the code in court, and so did Bankman-Fried, who was also there for the testimony. Perhaps you are wondering, was the jury also there? Reader, it was.\n\nBankman-Fried denied he knew about the effectively infinite line of credit Alameda Research received from FTX. This argument was peculiar; essentially my take-away was that the CEO of a financial company simply didn’t pay attention to finances.\n\nFTX couldn’t get bank accounts right away. Bankman-Fried anticipated it would take a year or two. Rather than wait, he decided to use Alameda as the “payment provider” for bank transfers. “My understanding at the time was that there were teams managing the process,” he said. “At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening.”\n\nWell, sure, understandable! He’s an introvert!\n\nBankman-Fried definitely did not know that Singh, his employee, had backdated interest payments to get FTX “over the line” to $1 billion\n\nIn 2021, FTX was growing to millions of users, with $1 billion of revenue. Bankman-Fried said he worked 12 to 22 hours a day, and took one day off every couple of months. Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said. Bankman-Fried handed the company off to Caroline Ellison and Sam Trabucco, who immediately after being named co-CEO promptly drifted away to early retirement. (Quiet quitting king!) Bankman-Fried did remain involved in hedging and risk at Alameda, though.\n\nAbout that $1 billion of revenue in 2021: Bankman-Fried definitely did not know that Singh, his employee, had backdated interest payments to get FTX “over the line” to $1 billion. See, he’d just asked his employees to check and see if there was any source of funds that was missing to get to $1 billion. This testimony was especially rambling.\n\nOh, also that MobileCoin loss? The one Wang said Alameda took to keep off FTX’s balance sheet? Yeah, so it was a totally innocent thing where what actually happened was that Bankman-Fried thought it was appropriate that Alameda take the position as a backstop liquidity provider, that’s all.\n\nIn June 2022, Bankman-Fried heard about the account called “fiat@ftx” tracking how much money Alameda owed to FTX, he testified. He did not know what it was and did not bother to find out. He was busy! That was when Bankman-Fried directed Ellison to repay Alameda’s lenders, because he thought Alameda was good for it. He also gave BlockFi and Voyager, two crypto lenders, some capital infusions for good measure.\n\nHe was “very surprised!”\n\nRemember that testimony Adam Yedidia gave about a conversation with Bankman-Fried in August 2022 about the enormous amount of money Alameda owed FTX? Well, Bankman-Fried remembers it differently. See, Yedidia was just asking about Alameda’s risk profile, and Bankman-Fried wasn’t talking about insolvency at all.\n\nAlso, when Singh and Bankman-Fried had the dramatic balcony conversation at their penthouse, it was just that Singh thought Alameda’s liabilities had gotten too high, and FTX was spending too much money on marketing. But Bankman-Fried still thought that Alameda had more assets than liabilities, so it was all fine, and besides, if Singh thought he was going to be better at marketing, he could take it over. It didn’t have anything to do with the money Alameda owed FTX at all.\n\nOf course not! Bankman-Fried didn’t learn about the $8 billion liability associated with Alameda until October 2022, he said. And he learned it all by himself, by looking at a computer database. When he found it, he was “very surprised!”\n\nBesides the two obvious lies Bankman-Fried told on the stand — about Alameda Research’s name and about “allow_negative” — I have been struck by how little he seems to know about his own companies. Apparently, Singh, Wang, and Ellison were out there just doing whatever their little hearts desired. Because Bankman-Fried was a CEO, but definitely not the kind that pays any attention to money at his crypto trading firm and futures exchange.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.\n\nSeemingly out of nowhere, the OpenAI board ousted CEO and co-founder Sam Altman and demoted president and co-founder Greg Brockman, who subsequently resigned, paving the way for what looked like a mutiny by staff insisting the founders be reinstated post-haste. By then, Microsoft had already hired Altman and Brockman to head up a new internal AI unit, though, as things transpired, nothing had actually been signed yet, with rumors suggesting that the ousted leaders might actually return to OpenAI after all — in some capacity, at least.\n\nThe situation remains fluid, and any number of potential outcomes still remain on the table. But the whole debacle has shone a spotlight on the forces that control the burgeoning AI revolution, leading many to question what happens if you go all-in on a centralized proprietary player, and what happens if things then go belly-up?\n\n“The OpenAI / Microsoft drama underlines one of the big near-term risks with AI — that this next wave of technology is controlled by the same tiny set of players who have shaped that last era of the internet,” Mark Surman, president and executive director at the Mozilla Foundation, told TechCrunch. “We might have a chance of avoiding this if GPT-X were responsibly open sourced, giving researchers and startups a shot at making this technology safer, more useful and more trustworthy for people everywhere.”\n\nOpen and shut\n\nIn an open letter published by Mozilla a few weeks back, Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun joined some 70 other signatories in calling for more openness in AI development, though that letter has since garnered more than 1,700 signatures. The backdrop stems from Big Tech companies such as OpenAI and Google’s DeepMind calling for more regulation, warning of catastrophic consequences if the AI levers were to meet the wrong hands — in other words, they argued that proprietary AI is safer than open source.\n\nLeCun et al. disagree.\n\n“Yes, openly available models come with risks and vulnerabilities — AI models can be abused by malicious actors or deployed by ill-equipped developers,” the letter acknowledged. “However, we have seen time and time again that the same holds true for proprietary technologies — and that increasing public access and scrutiny makes technology safer, not more dangerous. The idea that tight and proprietary control of foundational AI models is the only path to protecting us from society-scale harm is naive at best, dangerous at worst.”\n\nOn a personal level, LeCun has accused the big-name AI players of trying to secure “regulatory capture of the AI industry” by lobbying against open AI R&D. And on a company level, Meta is doing all it can to encourage collaboration and “openness,” recently partnering with Hugging Face to launch a new startup accelerator designed to spur adoption of open source AI models.\n\nBut OpenAI was — up until last week, at least — still the AI darling everyone wanted to dance with. Countless startups and scale-ups have built businesses atop OpenAI’s proprietary GPT-X large language models (LLMs), and over the weekend hundreds of OpenAI customers reportedly started contacting OpenAI’s rivals, which include Anthropic, Google and Cohere, concerned that their own businesses might be impacted if OpenAI was to disintegrate overnight.\n\nOver-reliance\n\nThe panic has been palpable. But there are precedents from elsewhere in the technology sphere, perhaps most notably that of the cloud computing industry, which became renowned for the way it locked companies in to centralized, vortex-like silos.\n\n“Part of the frenzy around the future of OpenAI is due to too many startups over-relying on their proprietary models,” Luis Ceze, University of Washington computer science professor and OctoML CEO, told TechCrunch in an emailed statement. “It’s dangerous to put all your chips in one basket — we saw that in the early cloud days which led to companies shifting to multi-cloud and hybrid environments.”\n\nOn the surface, Microsoft is currently looking like the biggest winner amidst the OpenAI turmoil, as it was already apparently looking to reduce its reliance on OpenAI even though it remains once of its major shareholders. But Facebook’s parent Meta could also stand to benefit, as businesses pursue multi-modal strategies or models with a more “open” ethos embedded.\n\n“Open source today offers a wide variety of models for companies to essentially diversify,” Ceze added. “By doing so, these startups can quickly pivot and minimize risk. There is also a major upside — many of these models already outperform the likes of OpenAI’s in terms [of] price-performance and speed.”\n\nA leaked internal memo from Google earlier this year seemed to express fears that despite the huge advances made by proprietary LLM models from the likes of OpenAI, open source AI would ultimately trump them all. “We have no moat, and neither does OpenAI,” the document noted.\n\nThe memo in question was in reference to a foundation language model initially leaked from Meta in March, and which gained a fair bit of steam in a short period of time. This highlighted the power and scalability of a more open approach to AI development — it enables collaboration and experimentation on a level that’s not so easy to replicate with closed models.\n\nIt’s worth noting here that despite Meta’s claims, its Llama-branded family of LLMs are not as “open source” as it would like people to believe. Yes, they are available for both research and commercial use cases, but it forbids developers to use Llama for training other models, while app developers with more than 700 million monthly users must request a special license from Meta which it may grant based on its “sole discretion” — basically, anyone but Meta’s Big Tech brethren can use Llama sans permission.\n\nFor sure, Meta isn’t the only company flaunting its “open” approach to AI development — notably, the likes of Hugging Face, Mistral AI and 01.AI, which have all raised sizeable sums at lofty valuations with similar goals in mind. But as a $900 billion juggernaut with a long history of courting developers through open source endeavors, Meta is perhaps best positioned to capitalize on the mess that OpenAI has created for itself. Its decision to pursue “openness” over “closedness” seems to be well vindicated right now, and regardless of whether Llama is or isn’t really open source, it’s likely “open enough” for most people.\n\nIt’s still too early to make any surefire claims on what impact the OpenAI fallout will have on LLM development and uptake in the future. Altman and Brockman are undoubtedly steady hands for a commercial AI startup, and they may even return to steward OpenAI. But some might argue that it’s unhealthy that so much focus lies on just a handful of people — and it’s telling that their departure has created such widespread havoc.", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nTubi, Fox’s ad-supported free streaming service, has one of the most vast libraries of any streaming service out there, with thousands upon thousands of movies available for you to watch at home.\n\nThat makes it quite difficult to curate the best of the best. I’m not exaggerating — when building this list, I looked up my “liked” films on Letterboxd that are currently on Tubi, and more than 100 showed up. So we’ve done our best to narrow that down to a group of excellent movies from a variety of moods, cultures, and eras.\n\nWe’ll continue to update this list with more Tubi picks over time, building out a full catalog of excellent free movies for you to watch at home. Our latest update added Planet Terror as an editor’s pick.\n\nLet’s get into it.\n\nEditor’s Pick\n\nPlanet Terror\n\nDirector: Robert Rodriguez\n\nCast: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn\n\nFew images feel more emblematic of the bombastic action and humor of Robert Rodriguez’s oeuvre than the shot of Rose McGowan aiming the grenade launcher of a leg-mounted assault rifle from the back of a motorcycle in Planet Terror. Released alongside Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof as the theatrical double feature Grindhouse, the film follows the story of a go-go dancer named Cherry Darling (McGowan) and her estranged lover “El Wray” (Freddy Rodriguez), who find themselves among a handful of survivors after a deadly biochemical agent sparks a zombie outbreak. Banding together, the survivors must find a way to escape the town while fighting against the rogue military commander (Bruce Willis) who unleashed the virus in the first place.\n\nIntentionally tongue-in-cheek, Planet Terror’s story and dialogue are the furthest thing from the film’s saving graces. Inspired by the exploitation films of the ’70s, the movie gleefully relishes in its over-the-top throwback aesthetic, with gory action, comically implausible plotlines, and unabashed sexuality. If you’re looking for a peak “turn your brain off and enjoy” sort of movie, Planet Terror is your ticket to ride. —Toussaint Egan\n\nCertified Copy\n\nDirector: Abbas Kiarostami\n\nCast: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell\n\nThe late Abbas Kiarostami was one of the most masterful directors of his time, and his masterful romance Certified Copy is available to watch for free at home. Congratulations.\n\nCertified Copy follows two people: a French antique dealer (Juliette Binoche, arresting as always), and a British writer (famed opera baritone William Shimell), who meet in Tuscany while the latter is promoting his new book. The book, titled Certified Copy, puts forth the argument that there is no such thing as a “copy” in art, because even reproductions are original works. The two debate this idea, as the idea of what is “real” gets called into question, even the very nature of their relationship.\n\nA gorgeous film led by two unforgettable performances, Certified Copy is the kind of masterpiece that will linger with you for years to come. You will fall in love, with this film specifically and with film generally: It depicts humanity at our most impenetrably complex in a way that lays bare our fears and hopes, all while being warm, charming, and delightfully funny. It’s one of a kind, but also in conversation with many other films about love and art. After all, every copy is its own original work. —Pete Volk\n\nHoop Dreams\n\nDirector: Steve James\n\nCast: William Gates, Arthur Agee\n\nThe NBA playoffs have just started with a bang, so what better time than now to watch the greatest basketball movie (and one of the greatest American documentaries) ever made?\n\nHoop Dreams embeds itself with two high school basketball stars who want nothing more than to make it in the NBA. It’s not just a basketball movie, though; director Steve James paints an in-depth portrait of not only his subject’s lives, but of the fallibility of the American dream and who gets left behind. One of the defining movies of our nation, Hoop Dreams is a compelling and moving must-watch for all, not just basketball fans. —PV\n\nJoint Security Area\n\nDirector: Park Chan-wook\n\nCast: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho\n\nPark Chan-wook’s most recent movie, Decision to Leave, was my No. 1 film of 2022, and he’s one of my very favorite filmmakers working today. He’s made many excellent movies over the course of his career, and you can argue it all traces back to Joint Security Area, the breakout hit that helped launch his career.\n\nA tightly wound thriller, JSA stars with the killing of two North Korean soldiers in the DMZ, and a Swiss Army major who has been sent to investigate the killings. As we learn more, JSA starts to become a movie about an unlikely friendship, and the ways that constructs like borders divide us and put is in deadly opposition to each other.\n\nThe highest-grossing movie in Korean history at the time, JSA helped launch Park’s career as well as those of stars Lee Young-ae, Lee Byung-hun, and Song Kang-ho. They’re all excellent in the movie, bringing a complicated and intense story to life. —PV\n\nMandy\n\nDirector: Panos Cosmatos\n\nCast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache\n\nYearning for more Nicolas Cage-fueled insanity after watching Renfield and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent? What am I saying — of course you are!\n\nPanos Cosmatos’ 2018 action horror film Mandy not only features what many considered one of the actor’s best performances of the past decade, it’s also — as revealed in a recent episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — one of Cage’s favorite movies he’s ever worked on.\n\nAfter watching Mandy, it’s not hard to see why. Praised for its psychedelic brutality, over-the-top performances, and a prog-rock-inspired score courtesy of the late great composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, Mandy follows the story of a lumberjack who embarks on a conquest of revenge to kill the monstrous Gwar-like cult members who murdered his beloved girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough). You wanna see Nicolas Cage drink vodka in his underwear while wailing hysterically in a pink-tiled bathroom? Here ya go. You wanna see Nicolas Cage go head-to-head against a hulking monster named “Fuck Pig,” snort cocaine off a glass table, and get into chainsaw fight? You got it, sport! Mandy is a blast and if you haven’t seen it yet, boy are you missing out. —TE\n\nShadow\n\nDirector: Zhang Yimou\n\nCast: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai\n\nNo one in the world makes more beautiful action movies than Zhang Yimou. His latest, the political comedy Full River Red, is a fun and strange twist-y thriller that trades some of his usual love for soaring action for fast-paced dialogue and a highly complicated narrative. But Zhang is perhaps best known for his work in the wuxia genre, like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Shadow — all breathless displays of cinematic excellence.\n\nMuch like Full River Red, Shadow is rich on political intrigue. But it doesn’t skimp on the action — that umbrella you see above is made of blades, and there are many outstanding action sequences utilizing the unconventional weapon. While in color, Shadow makes great use of black-and-white imagery in every element, from stark costuming and set design to lighting that brings out the contrast of black and white. It’s also a master class of framing bodies in motion and one of the best action movies of the century. We are all lucky to be able to watch it for free. —Pete Volk\n\nSteamboy\n\nDirector: Katsuhiro Otomo\n\nCast: Anne Suzuki, Manami Konishi, Katsuo Nakamura\n\nKatsuhiro Otomo’s 2004 steampunk action anime doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves. Steamboy follows the adventures of James Ray Steam, the wizkid grandson of a genius scientist living an alternate 1860s Britain, who finds himself in the crosshairs of a nefarious robber baron who wants to conqueror the world using the “Steamball,” an invention capable of generating an infinite (and dangerous) amount of energy.\n\nIt may not have neon-lit metropolises populated by roving teenage biker gangs and children with terrifying psychic powers like 1988’s Akira, but it certainly doesn’t lack for its own gorgeous Victorian-era visuals, thrilling action sequences, and beautifully realized mechanical animation. If nothing else, Otomo’s film is a marvel of early 21st-century animation, a film situated at the faultlines of traditional hand-drawn cel animation and the anime industry’s gradual embrace of digitally rendered and painted set-pieces and 3D-animated assets.\n\nIt’s a gorgeous love letter to pulp action serials, steampunk alternate history stories, and the writings of Jules Verne cast in a similar mold as another 2004 cult classic: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. While the film wasn’t quite the second coming of Akira anime fans so eagerly wanted it to be, Steamboy is a more than worthy follow-up to Otomo’s feature debut in its own right and more than enough to tide you over while you wait for an update on Orbital Era, the director’s first anime feature in 20 years, which was announced in 2019. —Toussaint Egan\n\nWhat Lies Below\n\nDirector: Braden Duemmler\n\nCast: Ema Horvath, Haskiri Velazquez, Trey Tucker\n\nBraden R. Duemmler’s What Lies Below stars Ema Horvath as Libby, a 16-year-old girl who returns home to her mother’s lake house after summer camp to discover that she’s taken on a new boyfriend, John (Trey Tucker). While initially accepting of her mom’s new beau, Libby gradually begins to suspect that something is... off about John that he’s trying to conceal. With no one but her friend Marley (Haskiri Velazquez) to turn to for help, Libby must expose the truth of John’s sinister nature before it’s too late to save her mother... and herself. Filled with mounting tension, creepy ethereal visuals, and a mind-bogglingly bizarre ending, What Lies Below has more appeal to it than what might at first appear on its surface. —TE", + "The best part of fantasy football is watching the team you draft go out there and have a chance to win a championship, forever cementing your bragging rights over your friends for years to come. The worst part of fantasy is watching the team you drafted go out there and get injured, forget how to play the sport, and then plummet to the bottom of the standings. So if you were one of the lucky ones to reach postseason football in the fantasy world -- congratulations. If you weren't, good news -- just because the regular season has come to a close doesn't mean we can't still keep searching for ways to win. That's why we're heading over to FanDuel to craft the perfect Week 15 DFS lineup to give us something to root for all day long while our friends stress about their team faltering despite dominating for 14 weeks.\n\nBefore we break down our picks and strategy, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.\n\nWEEK 15 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nFanDuel Picks Week 15: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments\n\nSunday main slate, $60,000 budget\n\nQB Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. Commanders ($7,200). Stafford returns to the friendly confines of SoFi Stadium after having to deal with the elements in Baltimore last week. After nearly pulling off the upset over the Ravens, the QB has a nice landing spot against a defense that is equivalent to the props used in training camp. Washington can't slow anyone down, and it has only gotten worse since they traded away two of their best defenders at the deadline. Stafford doesn't have the rushing upside, but he's more than capable of having a good day with his arm.\n\nRB Rachaad White, Buccaneers @ Packers ($7,600). White stockholders are feeling pretty good right now after singing his praises all offseason. The RB has rewarded them with eight straight games of at least double-digit fantasy performances, including three straight games with at least 100 total yards. Tampa has handed the ball off to White 60 times over that stretch, something that has ticked up with each passing week. As arguably the top option in the Bucs' offense, we'd be crazy to stand in the way of White against a vulnerable Packers defense in Week 15.\n\nWEEK 15 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nRB Breece Hall, Jets @ Dolphins ($7,500). Did the Jets offense find something against the Texans? We're not quite buying in yet, but it does appear that New York's coaches figured they should stop coaching scared. With the season essentially over for Gang Green barring a miracle, the staff took the handcuffs off Zach Wilson and unleashed an offense that's been run-run-pass-punting their way to irrelevance all season long. In doing so last week, Hall was a weapon as a receiver, posting over 100 total yards for the first time since Week 5. If the Jets continue their willingness to take chances downfield and let Wilson stop being a game manager, then Hall is in line for another big day.\n\nWR Deebo Samuel, 49ers @ Cardinals ($8,400). We'll just keep riding with Samuel down the stretch, as he isn't giving us any reason to reconsider. He has back-to-back games with 30 fantasy points and has been a man on a mission since Thanksgiving. He shouldn't have any problems continuing that run against the Cardinals on Sunday.\n\nWEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWR Puka Nacua, Rams vs. Commanders ($8,000). Usually, one of Nacua or Kupp has a big day, but this week it could both. Either way, we're on the Nacua train heading into Sunday since the rookie has been by far the L.A.'s most consistent weapon all season. Even with Kupp back in the fold, Stafford continues to trust Nacua. He's not seeing the 15-20 targets a game like earlier in the year, but the rookie is making the most of his seven-plus opportunities a game. Against a terrible defense, both receivers should see plenty of chances to make their mark on the game. Nacua checks in at $200 less and is arguably better than Kupp in fantasy at this stage. In a game where every dollar counts, pocketing that extra $200 can really pay off at another roster spot.\n\nWR Rashee Rice, Chiefs @ Patriots ($6,500). There are plenty of issues with the Chiefs' receivers, but Rice is not one of them. The rookie has been very impressive through the first 14 weeks of his NFL career and hauled in yet another touchdown on Sunday to post a respectable fantasy showing. He's been targeted 29 times over the past three games and scored twice. We can expect New England will try to take away Travis Kelce, meaning that the opportunities could be coming even more often for Rice in Week 15.\n\nWEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nTE Chig Okonkwo, Titans vs. Texans ($5,000). Okonkwo has emerged as a nice weapon for the rookie QB Will Levis, with his target share ticking up as the season has progressed. He turned in 45 and 62 yards, respectively, in Weeks 12 and 13, seeing 11 targets in that span. All that's missing is a touchdown. In a brutal week for main-slate TE matchups, we like Okonkwo to outperform his listed salary against a Texans team that's had its fair share of struggles defending the position recently.\n\nFLEX WR Jayden Reed, Packers vs. Buccaneers ($6,100). The status of Christian Watson (hamstring) will hang over the Packers heading into their game against the Buccaneers. Reed is more than capable of having a big day whether Watson plays or not. The former North Dakota State receiver's presence has capped Reed's ceiling recently, but Tampa's secondary is still having major issues doing its job. Jordan Love appears to have turned a corner, meaning we should expect him to put on a show back at home. Reed will be the primary beneficiary on Sunday.\n\nDEF New York Giants @ Saints ($3,500). There is a lot of bad offense across the NFL this season, and despite signing Derek Carr to make sure they wouldn't be listed among them, the Saints are there anyway. The QB refuses to sit out and deal with the laundry list of injuries ailing him at this point despite them clearly being an issue. Teammates appear fed up with Carr and would seemingly prefer the team return him to the dealership. The Saints are upside-down on this deal right now, with no end in sight. The Giants aren't good, but they have enough defensive pop to contain an offense that keeps spinning its tires most weeks.\n\nBest SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Week 15\n\nThis year, we're also listing our favorite DFS plays on SuperDraft.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nMORE: Win BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nQB: Matthew Stafford, Rams (Multiplier 1.3x)\n\nRB: Rachaad White, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nRB: Bijan Robinson, Falcons (Multiplier 1.25x)\n\nWR: Puka Nacua, Rams (Multiplier 1.25x)\n\nWR: Deebo Samuel, 49ers (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nWR: Rashee Rice, Chiefs (Multiplier 1.35x)\n\nTE: Tyler Conklin, Jets (Multiplier 1.7x)\n\nFLEX: RB Derrick Henry, Titans (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nOur SuperDraft lineup aims to keep our Rams stack together with Stafford and Nacua while adding in other players with high floors and ceilings like White, Samuel, and Henry. Considering the matchups, we like taking shots on Robinson, Rice, and Conklin, especially with the multipliers working overtime to bring in an even better score.", + "Fantasy Football is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions, your weekly lineup decisions shouldn't be determined by the order you picked your players in. You need to check who your players play and make sure you've got the right guys in -- and the wrong guys out.\n\nIt's too early to be absolutely sure on which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records and key details of offenses. The things we know can help us minimize the impact of the things we don't know. This should lead to better decisions being made.\n\nWe'll go through every game and highlight the players who aren't obvious starts and sits (because you don't need to be told to start Christian McCaffrey). You should feel more comfortable starting or sitting players based on the information given, and feeling comfortable with your Fantasy lineup before the games start is the best feeling in the world.\n\nIt's also important to have a keen eye for matchups dictated by the remaining schedule. I am now updating my projected Strength of Schedule rankings broken down by position available on SportsLine. My objective is to break down how the schedule affects every Fantasy relevant player for the upcoming four weeks, the playoff stretch and the entire season. You'll also be able to find my key takeaways on which players you should buy low, sell high and more trade advice. If you'd like to try out SportsLine, use the promo code RICHARD at checkout and you'll pay just a dollar for the first month. Easy peasy!\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nBoth teams had a week of rest, so don't treat this like a typical Thursday game. But do expect the Cowboys defense to keep the pressure on Geno Smith and a Seattle offense that's struggled to gain consistency over the last month. Smith actually did OK completing passes last week when pressured (60% completion rate) but not at an efficient level (5.4 yards per attempt). Just two QBs have exceeded 250 yards and four QBs have thrown multiple touchdowns against Dallas this year; I don't like Smith's chances to do either, which hurts any upside case for any Seahawks receiver. By the way, Curtis Samuel was the first receiver to get 100 yards on the Cowboys this year, and it took him 12 targets and 9 catches to get there. No one else has had more than 86.\n\nSTARTS: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, DK Metcalf (low-end WR2), Jake Ferguson, Cowboys DST\n\nDak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, DK Metcalf (low-end WR2), Jake Ferguson, Cowboys DST SITS: Tyler Lockett (flex at best), Geno Smith, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet, Michael Gallup, Seahawks DST\n\nTyler Lockett (flex at best), Geno Smith, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet, Michael Gallup, Seahawks DST SLEEPERS: Brandin Cooks\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline DK Metcalf WR SEA Seattle • #14\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DAL DAL -9 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 17th PROJ PTS 11.1 WR RNK 22nd YTD Stats REC 43 TAR 80 REYDS 678 TD 3 FPTS/G 12.9 Metcalf has at least nine targets in each of his past three games and in five of his past six. That kind of usage, especially in a game where the Seahawks figure to pass a bunch, makes him a borderline must-start. But on the 12 targets he's seen that have traveled at least 15 Air Yards over the past four weeks, Metcalf has caught just three. More alarming: Five of the targets were knocked away by defenders who were right on him when the ball arrived. He's not really zooming past anyone these days, and he's not winning contested catches regularly either. Pair that with the expectation that he'll line up across from DaRon Bland for much of the game (Bland usually plays right cornerback; Metcalf primarily lines up at left wide receiver) and it could be a rough one. Bland has allowed one touchdown and has allowed just a 52.5% catch rate with 13 passes defensed and seven interceptions. It's the volume you're banking on this week -- I'd start Metcalf in PPR over Diontae Johnson and Cooper Kupp, but I like the upside for Rashee Rice and Courtland Sutton just a little bit more.\n\nFlex Starter (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Tyler Lockett WR SEA Seattle • #16\n\nAge: 31 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DAL DAL -9 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 10th PROJ PTS 10.6 WR RNK 31st YTD Stats REC 54 TAR 79 REYDS 575 TD 4 FPTS/G 12.5 Lockett has seven-plus targets in four of his past five, but he still doesn't have as many as Metcalf's gotten in those games. He also doesn't see nearly as many deep throws as Metcalf -- literally two targets in his past two games traveled 15 or more Air Yards. Obviously he has potential to always pop off for a big game like he did against a tough Browns defense five weeks ago, but recent matchups against the Niners, Rams and Ravens weren't kind to Lockett. They were even less kind to Geno Smith, and this week shouldn't be much different. Tack on the tough assignment in Stephon Gilmore in coverage (unless the Cowboys use shadow coverage for the first time this year), and Lockett could be in for another lean night. I don't mind him as a WR3 over Drake London, DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson, but I'd start Rashee Rice and Adam Thielen over Lockett.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jake Ferguson TE DAL Dallas • #87\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs SEA DAL -9 O/U 47.5 OPP VS TE 1st PROJ PTS 8.3 TE RNK 11th YTD Stats REC 40 TAR 58 REYDS 421 TD 4 FPTS/G 9.6 If you start Ferguson, you're basically hoping for a touchdown grab or for him to see a ton of targets in a come-from-behind effort. The Cowboys are expected to lead this matchup pretty handily, which can squash the upside for a lot of yardage from Ferguson. As for his chances of scoring, 37% of his targets (7 of 19) over the past five weeks have come in the red zone. That's good. But the Seahawks have allowed one touchdown to a tight end all season (David Njoku, Week 8)! Mark Andrews had a great game against Seattle, but even he didn't score. I suspect the Seahawks will have a plan to try and cover Ferguson near the end zone without having to sacrifice too much elsewhere. He's a low-upside play I'd sit for Juwan Johnson, Gerald Everett and Logan Thomas.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSeven straight quarterbacks to face the Broncos have failed to get to 20 Fantasy points, including Josh Allen once and Patrick Mahomes twice! Denver's forced at least one turnover from a quarterback in eight straight games and kept quarterbacks to under 7.0 yards per attempt in five straight. Denver also seems to be playing a lot of heavy zone coverage to deter quarterbacks from throwing deep, mostly Cover-3, and they're also starting to blitz more over the last month than they did before. Stroud's Houdini act has helped him beat most of the defenses he's faced, and this one isn't worthy of being feared, but there is some worry Stroud have a monster game without some massive yards after the catch (YAC) from his receivers. Fortunately he ranks ninth-best on the season among qualifying QBs in YAC per completion (5.37).\n\nSTARTS: C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell, Nico Collins, Courtland Sutton, Devin Singletary, Javonte Williams, Russell Wilson\n\nC.J. Stroud, Tank Dell, Nico Collins, Courtland Sutton, Devin Singletary, Javonte Williams, Russell Wilson SITS: Jerry Jeudy, both DSTs; Dalton Schultz is OUT\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Russell Wilson QB DEN Denver • #3\n\nAge: 35 • Experience: 12 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ HOU HOU -3.5 O/U 47 OPP VS QB 10th PROJ PTS 17.8 QB RNK 10th YTD Stats PAYDS 2199 RUYDS 266 TD 21 INT 4 FPTS/G 20.4 There's no denying that he is now among the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. He's top five among qualifying quarterbacks in completion rate at 68.3%, he's first in TD rate at 6.3%, he's fourth in off-target rate (7.8%) and he's clearly worked out his issues with his offensive line because he's landed the fourth-longest time-to-throw average (3.14 seconds). And yet he's done this without firing downfield a ton (32nd in passing ADOT at 6.7 yards)! It hasn't translated for Fantasy because Wilson is averaging 29 attempts per game, and it's even lower in his past six games (26). Expect Wilson to throw more in what could become a shootout against the Texans. QBs against Houston are averaging 34.8 pass attempts per game, and the Texans pass rush shouldn't be a problem. I'd count on Wilson to have a 20-plus point game and thus start him over Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Sam Howell and Jordan Love.\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Devin Singletary RB HOU Houston • #26\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs DEN HOU -3.5 O/U 47 OPP VS RB 22nd PROJ PTS 8.7 RB RNK 19th YTD Stats RUYDS 489 REC 18 REYDS 113 TD 3 FPTS/G 8.8 Singletary disappointed because he didn't get many carries last week, but that's uncharacteristic of the Texans offense. Some of that was made up for with receptions, giving him weak yardage totals without a touchdown. Rest assured, Singletary is still clearly Houston's lead back -- he played 81% of their snaps and dominated third downs and snaps inside the 5, even though it appeared Pierce rotated drives with him starting with the third one. The matchup is pretty good as Denver's run defense is the only element that hasn't improved much this season. While it's true that the Broncos have given up just one rushing touchdown in their past six games, it's also true they've let up 5.4 yards per carry in those same six games. Bank on the Texans giving Singletary more work on the ground to pace their offense. I'd start him over Jerome Ford, Javonte Williams and Joe Mixon.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nThe Patriots have seemingly backed off of being blitz-heavy over their past three games, perhaps because they realized they can get similar payoffs without it (only three of their past nine sacks have come on blitzes). They also have an inflated sack total because they recorded six against the Giants -- they have no more than three in any other game this year including zero against the Colts in Week 10. They haven't stopped playing a lot of man coverage lately, which shouldn't bother Justin Herbert because he's efficient against all coverages (and a little bit better against man-to-man). L.A. hasn't put up more than 20 points in two straight, but 20 points should be more than enough to beat a Patriots offense that's scored 17 or fewer points in 9 of its past 10 games.\n\nSTARTS: Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Rhamondre Stevenson\n\nJustin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Rhamondre Stevenson SITS: Hunter Henry, Quentin Johnston, all Patriots WRs; Demario Douglas is OUT\n\nHunter Henry, Quentin Johnston, all Patriots WRs; Demario Douglas is OUT SLEEPERS: Gerald Everett, Jalen Guyton\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nThe Lions need an answer for their ugly pass defense -- since their Week 9 bye they've been mostly great against the run (3.1 yards per carry allowed, one RB to get 15-plus PPR points) but they rank bottom-six in completion rate allowed (68.4%), yards per attempt allowed (8.0), passing ADOT against (8.84 yards) and defensive Expected Points Added (EPA) per dropback (-0.40, which is league-worst). And of their second-most eight passing touchdowns given up in three games, five have come on passes of 15-plus Air Yards, which is tied for most in the league. They should catch a break with field stretcher Rashid Shaheed (thigh) missing the matchup for New Orleans; Chris Olave looks like he will play. After the injuries to Shaheed and Olave last Sunday it was Alvin Kamara who predictably led the way in targets per routes run (30.8%). Kamara gets a boost both in the pass game and run game with Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone missing action with a hand injury. For the Lions offense, expect the run game to get a bit more focus with Saints linebacker Pete Werner sidelined and All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan questionable to play.\n\nSTARTS: Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave (if he passes concussion protocol), David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, Taysom Hill\n\nJared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave (if he passes concussion protocol), David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, Taysom Hill SITS: Derek Carr, both DSTs\n\nDerek Carr, both DSTs SLEEPERS: Juwan Johnson\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nThe Falcons defense finally had a strong showing against the Saints last week, but they got a little lucky because so many players from New Orleans left with injuries. In the three games prior their defense had a knack for making mediocre offenses look amazing (Will Levis' breakout game, Josh Dobbs' first game with the Vikings, Kyler Murray's first game with the Cardinals). I'm pretty certain they're not bad enough to make Tim Boyle look like Tim Tebow or even Tim Hasselbeck, but I do wonder if they're juuust bad enough to give better-than-normal numbers to Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Reinforcements along the O-line should help the Jets' cause against a Falcons defense that's blitzed at a league-average rate, is eighth-lowest in pass rush pressure rate and is fifth-lowest in sacks (28).\n\nSTARTS: Bijan Robinson, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Drake London, Jets DST, Falcons DST\n\nBijan Robinson, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Drake London, Jets DST, Falcons DST SITS: Kyle Pitts, Tyler Conklin, Tyler Allgeier, both QBs\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nPittsburgh's biggest change in offensive scheme last week involved Kenny Pickett throwing over the middle much more than before (Pat Freiermuth benefitted). But they also ran the ball effectively at Cincinnati -- Najee Harris had one of his best games this year. Expect more of the same against the Cardinals this week. Arizona has allowed five touchdowns to tight ends over its past five games but actually has been relatively efficient defending them otherwise. Can't say the same against the run as the Redbirds rank in the bottom five in pretty much every single run defense metric except yards after contact per rush (where they're league average). A running back has scored 17 or more PPR points in four of their past five against the Cardinals, and eight in 12 games have hit at least 15 PPR points. With Pickett nursing an ankle injury we could see the Steelers run the ball aplenty.\n\nSTARTS: Najee Harris, Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, Marquise Brown, Pat Freiermuth, Diontae Johnson (PPR flex), Jaylen Warren (PPR only), Steelers DST\n\nNajee Harris, Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, Marquise Brown, Pat Freiermuth, Diontae Johnson (PPR flex), Jaylen Warren (PPR only), Steelers DST SITS: Kenny Pickett, James Conner, Rondale Moore, Cardinals DST\n\nKenny Pickett, James Conner, Rondale Moore, Cardinals DST SLEEPERS: Greg Dortch (PPR only), George Pickens\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline James Conner RB ARI Arizona • #6\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ PIT PIT -5.5 O/U 41 OPP VS RB 8th PROJ PTS 10.1 RB RNK 27th YTD Stats RUYDS 526 REC 14 REYDS 36 TD 2 FPTS/G 10.3 Kyler Murray's return has changed the math on Conner's expectations. In three games, Arizona has become pass-heavy (63.7% pass rate) -- a stark contrast from Conner's five games before injury (55.6% pass rate). And while Conner has had some red-zone carries in those games with Murray, his O-line hasn't kept him clean, especially near the goal line. Meanwhile Murray has a rushing touchdown in three straight games. Conner will face his former team, one that has held all but four running backs to less than 15 PPR points this year, and the ones who notched 15-plus scored a touchdown. If that doesn't make you feel good about Conner, then you'll especially dislike that he's averaged 0.42 yards before contact on his runs since Murray's return, good for 44th out of 47 running backs (Breece Hall and Derrick Henry had it worse). Pittsburgh's unit held the Bengals and Browns in consecutive weeks to 0.5 yards before contact or less. If you start Conner, don't expect an efficient day and pray to Ye Olde Fantasy Gods for a garbage-time touchdown. I'd rather trust Jaylen Warren, Chuba Hubbard and A.J. Dillon.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nExpect plenty of rushing. Losing Jonathan Taylor stings for the Colts but Zack Moss was unreal in his efficiency between Weeks 2 through 5 when Taylor was either out or barely played (5.0 yards per carry is a generic example), and he's only been a little bit worse (4.4 yards per carry) since Taylor took a larger chunk of the workload starting in Week 6. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry was back in a familiar spot of handling plenty of carries against an inferior opponent, scoring twice and tallying 76 rush yards. Anytime he's in a close game or a Titans win, he tends to do well. The Colts rank in the bottom-five in Fantasy points allowed per game this season while the Titans are closer to league-average, but both are in the top-six in RB rush attempts per game against (at least 24.0 each) in their past four games.\n\nSTARTS: Michael Pittman, Derrick Henry, Zack Moss\n\nMichael Pittman, Derrick Henry, Zack Moss SITS: DeAndre Hopkins (PPR flex at best), Josh Downs (PPR flex at best), Will Levis, Titans DST\n\nDeAndre Hopkins (PPR flex at best), Josh Downs (PPR flex at best), Will Levis, Titans DST SLEEPERS: Colts DST, Gardner Minshew\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nWith edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, the Dolphins ranked third in sacks (38) and sixth in pass rush pressure rate (39.9%). Both those numbers were boosted by the defense's effort against a sagging Jets offense last Friday. Adding veteran Jason Pierre-Paul isn't a cure-all, but he will help the Dolphins from being forced to blitz a ton week in and week out. The Commanders offensive line has had some ugly showings lately against the Cowboys (four sacks, 49% pass rush pressure rate allowed), the Giants (four sacks, 32.7% pressure rate allowed) and the Seahawks (three sacks, 46.8% pressure rate allowed). Somehow these results are better than what they were allowing through much of the first two months of the year. Sam Howell getting the ball out faster has been a positive in this regard but a negative for his numbers in three of his past four games (the one game he did really well in was sort of fluky). The matchup is a good test for the Dolphins pass rush post-Phillips, one that it should pass without giving up much in the way of deep completions.\n\nSTARTS: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, Tua Tagovailoa, Terry McLaurin (low-end WR2), De'Von Achane (low-end RB2), Dolphins DST\n\nTyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, Tua Tagovailoa, Terry McLaurin (low-end WR2), De'Von Achane (low-end RB2), Dolphins DST SITS: Sam Howell (low-end starter at best), Brian Robinson (desperation RB starter), Logan Thomas (PPR bye-week replacement), Antonio Gibson (PPR bye-week replacement), Commanders DST\n\nSam Howell (low-end starter at best), Brian Robinson (desperation RB starter), Logan Thomas (PPR bye-week replacement), Antonio Gibson (PPR bye-week replacement), Commanders DST SLEEPERS: Curtis Samuel (especially PPR), Jahan Dotson (non-PPR only)\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nWhen Thomas Brown took over the Panthers playcalling for three games earlier this year, the Panthers averaged a 64% pass rate, Chuba Hubbard dominated touches (two games with 17-plus touches, none with more than 10 PPR points) and Adam Thielen had a large target share (26.5%) with a tiny ADOT (4.33). In the two games since, the Panthers pass rate dipped below 60%, Hubbard shared more regularly and Thielen's ADOT nearly doubled. Hubbard had a good game last week, Thielen hasn't seen monster numbers since before the Week 7 bye. The uncertainty of how the Panthers will operate moving forward with Brown basically calling the offense without any oversight keeps these players are risky Fantasy propositions, though it helps a lot that the Buccaneers are dealing with injuries that hurt their run defense (Lavonte David and Devin White will miss the game) and keep their pass defense from improving (Jamel Dean will miss the game).\n\nSTARTS: Rachaad White, Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, Baker Mayfield (low-end QB1)\n\nRachaad White, Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, Baker Mayfield (low-end QB1) SITS: Chris Godwin (PPR flex), Cade Otton (PPR bye-week replacement), Bryce Young, Panthers DST\n\nChris Godwin (PPR flex), Cade Otton (PPR bye-week replacement), Bryce Young, Panthers DST SLEEPERS: Chuba Hubbard (low-end RB2/high-end flex), Buccaneers DST\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Chris Godwin WR TB Tampa Bay • #14\n\nAge: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CAR TB -5.5 O/U 37 OPP VS WR 15th PROJ PTS 12.5 WR RNK 32nd YTD Stats REC 53 TAR 82 REYDS 606 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.2 Remember when Chris Godwin was known for being a super-reliable SLOT receiver? Those were the days. This season he's lined up wide on 68% of his snaps. Can't help but think that's caused the massive change in his production this year -- that and his quarterback isn't a serial slot-targeter (or a Hall of Famer). Godwin's been under 60 yards in five straight, hasn't had a game with even 10 PPR points since Week 8 and has one touchdown on the year despite being tied for 12th among all NFL players in end-zone targets with nine. It gets worse: The Panthers offense can't score and their run defense is so bad, leaving pass-negative game scripts for their opponents. Just two teams (the Saints and Dolphins) have rostered multiple receivers with 10-plus PPR points against the Panthers in 2023. I'd sit Godwin for Josh Downs, Brandin Cooks, Christian Watson and Curtis Samuel (especially if PPR).\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nI wouldn't expect the Rams offensive line to handle the Browns' defensive front like they did the Cardinals' last week, but it must be mentioned that the Browns run defense isn't anywhere near as dominant as it was earlier this year. In their past three games, they gave up 4.1 yards per rush to the Ravens (just 6.3% of their runs went 10-plus yards), 7.8 yards per rush to the Steelers thanks to a long TD run by Jaylen Warren (23.8% of their runs went 10-plus yards) and 4.6 yards per rush to the Broncos (18.5% of their runs went 10-plus yards). Playing more snaps because the Browns offense has been inept isn't the reason for it either because they struggled with the run in the first half against all three teams (over 5.3 yards per carry allowed against each). It's silly to say the Rams passing game is struggling when Matthew Stafford just threw four touchdowns, but Cooper Kupp looked like he played hurt last week and Puka Nacua didn't look that much better. If they're ailing, the Rams would be smart to try and use the run game early and often. Expect a low-scoring game.\n\nSTARTS: Kyren Williams, Amari Cooper, Puka Nacua, David Njoku, Jerome Ford,\n\nKyren Williams, Amari Cooper, Puka Nacua, David Njoku, Jerome Ford, SITS: Cooper Kupp (flex at best), Kareem Hunt, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Higbee, Royce Freeman, both QBs, both DSTs (low-end options)\n\nCooper Kupp (flex at best), Kareem Hunt, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Higbee, Royce Freeman, both QBs, both DSTs (low-end options) SLEEPERS: Elijah Moore (PPR flex)\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Amari Cooper WR CLE Cleveland • #2\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ LAR LAR -3.5 O/U 40.5 OPP VS WR 3rd PROJ PTS 11.4 WR RNK 23rd YTD Stats REC 47 TAR 86 REYDS 765 TD 2 FPTS/G 12.3 It appears Cooper will play through a rib injury he suffered last week, and it also appears he'll catch passes from new Browns quarterback Joe Flacco. This is actually a great thing for Cooper; over his past two weeks his ADOT sat at 7.57 yards, which was roughly half of what it was in his first nine games at 15.42 yards. Clearly, the Browns wanted Cooper to run shorter routes and make things easier on rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. I'd expect that to be out the window now -- Flacco wasn't shy about chucking the rock deep with the Jets, attempting passes of 15-plus Air Yards on 20 percent of his throws, and he had no problem focusing on one primary receiver (Garrett Wilson had 8, 14 and 11 targets in Flacco's starts). The hope is that both Flacco and Cooper are experienced and capable enough to develop rhythm to salvage the Browns passing game. It's the only thing to buy into here as the Rams have allowed the 12th fewest Fantasy points to wide receivers on the season and happen to have done well against deep throws against wide receivers (40% completion rate allowed, two touchdowns, both top six on the season). Cooper's volume should hopefully push him to a decent Fantasy stat line. I'd give him a whirl over Terry McLaurin, Marquise Brown and Diontae Johnson.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Cooper Kupp WR LAR L.A. Rams • #10\n\nAge: 30 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CLE LAR -3.5 O/U 40 OPP VS WR 14th PROJ PTS 13.8 WR RNK 25th YTD Stats REC 27 TAR 51 REYDS 393 TD 1 FPTS/G 10.6 You're never supposed to sit your studs, but what if your stud is playing through something that made him look like a dud last week? That was Kupp, who in Week 12 ran a ton of short routes and couldn't separate and didn't have much sudden movement. If he's going to come through this week it'll likely come on a ton of short targets and/or some targets inside the 10-yard line. The fact that he has 13 total targets in his past three games combined makes it tough to buy into him suddenly getting 10-plus targets this week. The matchup is also a problem -- the Browns have the defensive backs to hang tight with a slower-than-normal Kupp in man-to-man coverage, which they play in a lot. The Browns also have the pass rush to force Matthew Stafford to get the ball out quickly and without much distance. I'm not that nervous to bench Kupp for Rashee Rice, Courtland Sutton and both of the top Seattle WRs.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nIn three games since getting Chase Young, the Niners have allowed 30 points total, yielded just 3.3 yards per rush to RBs, 5.9 yards per attempt to QBs, pressured quarterbacks at a 43.2% rate (without blitzing much!), accumulated 15 sacks and picked off four interceptions. As many problems as the Eagles present with their offense, the Niners figure to be just as menacing with their collective defense. That will make things tough for the Eagles, whose defense played over 90 snaps last Sunday and could be without a couple of starters in the front seven, and whose offense could be forced into an uncomfortable game script if the Niners build a lead. Even concepts like utilizing Jalen Hurts' mobility on downfield throws and targets to D'Andre Swift are things the Niners have dealt with successfully this season. Not that you'll sit any of your usual Eagles starters in Fantasy, but some might underwhelm given the circumstances. P.S.: They play at Dallas next week.\n\nSTARTS: Jalen Hurts, Christian McCaffrey, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, D'Andre Swift, 49ers DST\n\nJalen Hurts, Christian McCaffrey, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, D'Andre Swift, 49ers DST SITS: Eagles DST\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nJordan Love has posted 20-plus Fantasy points in three straight games, but it's his past two where there's been some real improvement in his play including a low 8.3% off-target rate to go with a 68.1% completion rate and 8.2 yards per attempt. The step-up in competition to the Chiefs will clearly impact him and his offensive line, which played better in their games against the Chargers and Lions. Steve Spagnuolo's defense has been blitzing its tails off over the past two weeks (nearly 50% of their snaps against the Eagles and Raiders), so the hunch is they'll apply maximum pressure to that O-line in an effort to make Love more off-target than he's been and, hopefully, get some turnovers. Only one receiver has had more than 15 PPR points against the Chiefs in their past four games (Jakobi Meyers last week), making it tough to expect grand games from Love's favorite targets. I'd expect shutdown cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to line up across from Christian Watson the most -- and Jayden Reed the least.\n\nSTARTS: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice (worth a look as a WR2), Jayden Reed (low-end WR2/high-end PPR flex), Chiefs DST\n\nPatrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice (worth a look as a WR2), Jayden Reed (low-end WR2/high-end PPR flex), Chiefs DST SITS: Jordan Love (low-end QB1 at best), Christian Watson (bye-week replacement at best), A.J. Dillon (flex at best), Romeo Doubs, Packers DST\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nJacksonville's ability to slam on the run, pressure C.J. Stroud (four sacks) and ultimately hold the Texans to 21 points should help you accept their defense as a legit unit. Now they'll take on a Bengals offense that was borderline lucky to even score 10 points last week against the Steelers. Two of Ja'Marr Chase's four receptions were tipped by Steelers first, then the Bengals' longest pass play was on a designed dump-off pass to Joe Mixon for 39 yards. Jake Browning had his moments evading the pass rush but his arm strength is just not very good. Expect the Jaguars to bring plenty of heat to Browning, then lean into Travis Etienne on the ground to bring home a win.", + "Fantasy Football is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions, your weekly lineup decisions shouldn't be determined by the order you picked your players in. You need to check who your players play and make sure you've got the right guys in -- and the wrong guys out.\n\nIt's too early to be absolutely sure on which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records and key details of offenses. The things we know can help us minimize the impact of the things we don't know. This should lead to better decisions being made.\n\nWe'll go through every game and highlight the players who aren't obvious starts and sits (because you don't need to be told to start Justin Jefferson). You should feel more comfortable starting or sitting players based on the information given, and feeling comfortable with your Fantasy lineup before the games start is the best feeling in the world.\n\nIt's also important to have a keen eye for matchups dictated by the remaining schedule. I am now updating my projected strength of schedule rankings every week over at SportsLine. My objective is to break down how the schedule affects every Fantasy relevant player for the upcoming four weeks, the playoff stretch and the entire season. You'll also be able to find my key takeaways on which players you should buy low, sell high and more trade advice.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Trevor Lawrence QB JAC Jacksonville • #16\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ BUF BUF -5.5 O/U 48.5 OPP VS QB 1st PROJ PTS 15.7 QB RNK 12th YTD Stats PAYDS 943 RUYDS 101 TD 4 INT 2 FPTS/G 16.4 It stings to call Lawrence a dicey Fantasy start because he has potential for greatness, but he's got more upside than all but about 10 quarterbacks this week. Buffalo is savvy when it comes to defending the pass, so I can't say they'll fall off just because star cornerback Tre'Davious White won't play, but I wonder just how effective its pass rush will be without Greg Rousseau and with a sub-100 percent Von Miller (if he plays). Lawrence is a decent starter but I'd rather roll with Anthony Richardson, Jordan Love and Justin Fields.\n\nLAST WEEK: Can't blame drops this time. With his top receiver blanketed thanks to a heavy dose of man coverage, and with a favorable game script, Lawrence didn't have to do too much to help the Jaguars roll past the Falcons. His TD throw off-schedule to Ridley was awesome, but Lawrence set season-lows in pass attempts (30) and throws of 10-plus Air Yards (20% rate). It's worth noting that Week 4 was the first time all year a defense chose to play significant man coverage snaps against the Jaguars.\n\nTHIRD DOWNS: Stunningly, Lawrence has completed just 50% of his throws here; only Geno Smith has a worse rate among qualifying quarterbacks. Lawrence is averaging 4.4 yards per attempt with a 6.9-yard Average Depth of Target (ADOT) on the money downs, both ranking bottom-six in the league. Only one pass has been dropped on third down. It's been a drain on his Fantasy production.\n\nPRESSURE: Lawrence is neither getting good pass protection nor thriving while under pressure. Statistically he's a mix of average and bad with his 45.7% completion rate, 6.7 yards per attempt and 14.3% off-target rate when defenders get near him. But the worst number is his EPA per dropback of minus-0.72; only Jimmy Garoppolo, Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill are worse there. That means he's hurting his team more than helping when pressured. And to tie in this point with the prior one, he also happens to be among the least-blitzed quarterbacks on third downs this year.\n\nBILLS: Lost top cornerback Tre'Davious White to a torn Achilles last week which means some combination of Christian Benford, Dane Jackson and Kaiir Elam (who had been benched for the first four games) will work at outside cornerback with Taron Johnson in the slot. That looks good, but the Bills pass rush is among the fiercest in football with a top-10 pass rush pressure rate (38.2%) without blitzing much (15.3% blitz rate is second-lowest in football). Unfortunately, pass rush terror Greg Rousseau won't play for the Bills, lowering their dominance in this area.\n\nFlex Starter (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Gabe Davis WR BUF Buffalo • #13\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs JAC BUF -5.5 O/U 48.5 OPP VS WR 11th PROJ PTS 12.6 WR RNK 31st YTD Stats REC 12 TAR 18 REYDS 220 TD 3 FPTS/G 13 Until his role changes, Davis will be the same kind of Fantasy option every week -- one big play and he's a stud, one or two misses and he's a dud. The Jaguars have done well against deep-ball receivers but not enough to the point where benching Davis is a good idea. He's toward the top of the flex mix ahead of Tank Dell, Tutu Atwell, Christian Watson and Jerry Jeudy.\n\nLAST WEEK: Kept playing up to his boom/bust ceiling by catching a long touchdown. That's three straight games with a score. It was also his third game out of four with four or fewer targets.\n\nBOOM/BUST INDEED: Davis has a massive ADOT of 16.8 yards (top-10 among 96 receivers with at least 10 targets this season), but he also has a minuscule target share of 13.6% and a target per route run rate of 13.4% (86th out of those 96 receivers). He's clearly a role player with a big-time skill-set that isn't leaned on too much.\n\nJAGUARS: Statistically are top-three in catch rate allowed to wideouts on throws of 15-plus Air Yards (29.4%) with seven passes defensed, but dead-last in yards per catch (43.8!) and YAC/reception (15.0!) on those passes that are completed. They have done a nice job staying close in coverage on those throws.\n\nZONE COVERAGE: Jacksonville ranks fifth in zone coverage rate (78.5%) and figures to play a lot of it to keep eyes on Josh Allen and deter him from throwing deep. They did the same to Patrick Mahomes in Week 2.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Dameon Pierce RB HOU Houston • #31\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2 O/U 41.5 OPP VS RB 2nd PROJ PTS 12 RB RNK 26th YTD Stats RUYDS 181 REC 8 REYDS 68 TD 1 FPTS/G 9.7 I genuinely believe Pierce will become a quality Fantasy starter in the near-term, but his matchup is a challenge to begin with and his offensive line makes his outlook even tougher to buy into. For now he's among the TD-needy running back tier who might only give 13 or 14 PPR points even if he does score (which no one has done against Atlanta). He's more than fine as a bye-week replacement RB (or a RB who you kind of have to start because you're thin at the position) but I'd prefer Breece Hall, Isiah Pacheco and Rhamondre Stevenson over Pierce.\n\nLAST WEEK: Had a touchdown called back on a short designed screen and two more runs from 10 yards or closer get blown up. But at least he began to separate from the other Texans rushers and finish with 24 carries and a catch for over 100 total yards, even if the runs weren't efficient.\n\nFILM: Pierce's vision and burst helped him on plays outside of the tackles and in the screen game. He also did an admirable job fighting for extra yards play after play. Houston's doing a great job utilizing him in spite of its offensive line issues, but those issues do show up frequently anytime he ran between the tackles.\n\nINSIDE/OUTSIDE: In total Pierce had 4.7 yards per run on outside plays with two explosive plays and 2.8 yards per run on inside plays with zero explosives in Week 4. On the season he's been a full yard worse on outside runs and about the same on inside runs, so perhaps he and the Texans are improving on those edge plays.\n\nFALCONS: Have run hot and cold against the run but they've ultimately been good by virtue of their 3.8 rushing average and zero rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs this season. They gave up just three runs of 10-plus yards to RBs in their past three games (all against Jahmyr Gibbs, none to Travis Etienne or A.J. Dillon). They've also held backs to 2.7 yards per carry on edge runs while yielding 4.3 yards on carries between the tackles.\n\nFALCONS: Have not allowed more than 8 non-PPR/11 PPR points to any running back so far this season.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decision) Projections powered by Sportsline Tank Dell WR HOU Houston • #13\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2 O/U 41.5 OPP VS WR 8th PROJ PTS 11 WR RNK 27th YTD Stats REC 16 TAR 24 REYDS 267 TD 2 FPTS/G 14 Dell's upside for one huge catch keeps him in play as a middle-of-the-pack flex, but you should be willing to consider other receivers with safer floors and nearly as much upside. And if the game is low-scoring or a one-sided win for Houston (don't laugh, they just did it last week), it further lowers Dell's ceiling. I'd rather start Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Adam Thielen.\n\nLAST WEEK: The Texans didn't need him! Houston built a nice lead thanks to its defense and held on without having to throw the ball a ton.\n\nFILM: The Steelers really emphasized not getting beat deep by Dell, often using a safety over the top to his side of the field to deter C.J. Stroud from even thinking about throwing at him. It worked out for the Steelers because Dell had zero deep targets, and it worked for the Texans because Nico Collins beat soft coverage a bunch including on a 24-yard deep ball (Dell drew triple coverage!) and on his long touchdown score (Dell got a safety to cheat over to his side).\n\nFALCONS: Should be able to deploy the same type of defensive coverage with a safety cheating over to Dell's side of the field. They could also stick outside cornerback A.J. Terrell on Collins and make things a little harder on the Texans. Terrell shadowed a receiver for the first time this season in Week 4, contributing to Calvin Ridley's modest day. It ultimately would mean multiple bodies on Dell.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Kyle Pitts TE ATL Atlanta • #8\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs HOU ATL -2 O/U 41.5 OPP VS TE 18th PROJ PTS 7.6 TE RNK 13th YTD Stats REC 11 TAR 21 REYDS 121 TD 0 FPTS/G 5.8 If Coach Smith is right, then holding on to Pitts in Fantasy makes sense. But it's hard to see the good in his game so far this season beyond him finding holes in zone coverage. Jonnu even has more red-zone targets than Pitts (by one, three to two). The matchup could create some receiving opportunities, so maybe he catches five passes for 50 yards, but that's not anything to be excited about. I'd rather start Jake Ferguson, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert.\n\nSneaky Sleeper (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jonnu Smith TE ATL Atlanta • #81\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs HOU ATL -2 O/U 41.5 OPP VS TE 18th PROJ PTS 5.2 TE RNK 24th YTD Stats REC 15 TAR 20 REYDS 179 TD 0 FPTS/G 8.2 I feel like Smith is doing what Pitts is supposed to do: get open and make plays after the catch. The hope is we keep seeing that for Smith, especially if the game is competitive like most Falcons games tend to be. He certainly hasn't done anything to lose his role. I don't mind chancing it with Smith as a streaming tight end, though I just don't have the conviction to start him over Pitts.\n\nLAST WEEK: Was the second time in three weeks where Smith outproduced Pitts, but the first time it was so lopsided. The difference in snaps played and routes run is marginal -- Pitts did more of both -- but Smith is taking advantage of shorter routes with a quarterback who doesn't like to challenge downfield all that much. What's more, Smith averaged more yards per catch not just in Week 4 but also in Week 2, and he was behind Pitts by less than a yard in Week 3 when both had at least eight targets.\n\nFILM ON PITTS: There's no change in his explosiveness whatsoever. He's running at a slower-than-expected pace, but the Jaguars still paid him plenty of attention defensively, creating a double-whammy that left him without many targets. His longest opportunity was a deep ball from Desmond Ridder that was well-placed and perfectly leapt for by Pitts, but he couldn't secure it to the ground, nor was he separated from cornerback Tyson Campbell at all. Pitts was best on shorter routes against zone coverage.\n\nARTHUR SMITH: Said this week that Pitts isn't at 100%, adding \" there are certain things, you see him, and he's doing really well right now and there are certain things that he can't [do well]. It's been a journey back. He's going to get there.\"\n\nFILM ON SMITH: From what I see, Smith is running shorter routes and is getting open faster than Pitts. That's earned him some targets from Ridder, who seemed to have better timing with Smith than Pitts. Smith is not drawing any kind of tight coverage like Pitts either, mostly because he's staying closer to the line of scrimmage. But after the catch Smith has been a handful, breaking three tackles just last week and picking up extra yards with it. He's not fast, but he's faster than Pitts, and for at least last week and Week 2 it changed the calculus for how the Falcons divvied up targets.\n\nTEXANS: Have had a bundle of troubles with tight ends, giving up an 84% catch rate and 6.76 YAC/reception to the position, both bottom-six in the league. That includes allowing an 89% catch rate on 18 total targets to Colts and Jaguars' tight ends in Weeks 2 and 3 for 9.9 yards per catch and 7.2 YAC/reception. These numbers were a byproduct of the amount of zone coverage they played against both teams, leaving the short middle of the field open. Houston has played the third-most zone coverage of any team this year and should do so again.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nFlex Starter in PPR (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Zay Flowers WR BAL Baltimore • #4\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: Rookie We've come to love (or hate) Ravens-Steelers games for their tough defense and low-scoring battles. That might hurt Flowers' chances of scoring -- it will probably take a little luck, which isn't necessarily too big of an ask given how the Steelers secondary has played recently. If you start Flowers, you're counting on the Steelers run defense staying strong and the Ravens using Flowers to create solid plays as a run-game extension and/or you're hoping for a splash play. That makes him a risky flex with a much safer floor in PPR than half- or non-PPR. In the catch-counting formats I'll start him over Tank Dell, the Broncos WRs, Jordan Addison and George Pickens.\n\nFLOWERS: Has seen his target share increase in competitive Ravens games (not like Week 4's blowout win) and especially when the Ravens run game isn't overly efficient (Weeks 1 and 3). Of his 29 targets, 18 have been on throws of 3 or fewer Air Yards and half of those have been WR screens.\n\nSTEELERS: Run defense has improved considerably over their past two games, giving up just 3.5 yards per tote and 2.22 yards after contact per run against the Raiders and Texans. That could open up more targets for Flowers.\n\nSTEELERS: Haven't seen many WR screens but the ones they've defended have yielded a pathetic 13.75 YAC/reception. This is an exploitable play for Flowers.\n\nDEEP BALL: The Steelers haven't been so hot here either, allowing 16 of 33 targets of 15-plus Air Yards to be completed for 22.5 yards per catch and for three touchdowns. This is an exploitable play for Flowers, who has caught 4 of 5 deep passes for a sizzling 136 yards.\n\nHISTORY: In five career games against Pittsburgh, Lamar Jackson has thrown four career touchdowns. At least all of them went to his wideouts. All were in the red zone, none were on deep throws and none were on WR screens.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Najee Harris RB PIT Pittsburgh • #22\n\nAge: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs BAL BAL -4 O/U 38 OPP VS RB 12th PROJ PTS 9.3 RB RNK 30th YTD Stats RUYDS 210 REC 4 REYDS 34 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.1 The Steelers' lack of scoring opportunities really crushes the upside for Harris, who admittedly has improved this season and could be on his way to being a reliable RB2. The Ravens have been pretty good against the run but they can give up some numbers. Harris is a volume-based back who is at best a low-end starting option given everything that's going on. I'd rather start Breece Hall, Rhamondre Stevenson, Dameon Pierce and Jaleel McLaughlin (if Javonte Williams sits out).\n\nLAST WEEK: Harris had his first game with over 100 total yards against the Texans and averaged 5.1 yards per rush, just shy of the season-high he technically had on six carries against the 49ers in Week 1. A 32-yard reception helped him cross the triple-digit barrier.\n\nHARRIS: This might shock you, but Harris is averaging 4.3 yards per run this year with a 12.2% explosive run rate. Would you believe the explosive run rate, which reflects the frequency of his 12-plus-yard runs, is fifth-best among 44 qualifying running backs?! He's also 13th in avoided tackle rate and top-10 in yards after contact per carry at 3.53.\n\nTOUCHDOWNS: Harris has zero. Somehow it gets worse: He has one carry inside the 15-yard line. The Steelers have run the second-fewest red-zone plays (18, one more than New England) and second-fewest plays inside the 5-yard line (two, one more than New England). The Steelers have played four games! This is nuts.\n\nRAVENS: Have yet to allow a rushing score to a running back this year. They've been otherwise solid against RBs, holding them to 4.0 yards per carry on the season and roughly league-average in other metrics including missed tackles (15). But just three players have averaged over 4.0 yards per carry: Joe Mixon (4.5 yards per run, didn't have 100 total yards, didn't score), Zack Moss (4.1 yards per run, ran for 122 yards on 30 carries and caught a touchdown) and Pierre Strong (9.8 yards per carry, most of it coming in garbage time last week).\n\nHISTORY: Harris had over 120 total yards and a touchdown in a Week 17 win in Baltimore last year. He also scored on them with exactly 50 total yards against them in at home in Week 14. He has posted at least 10 non-PPR points in 3 of 4 career games.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Miles Sanders RB CAR Carolina • #6\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DET DET -10 O/U 45 OPP VS RB 5th PROJ PTS 9.9 RB RNK 25th YTD Stats RUYDS 158 REC 15 REYDS 81 TD 1 FPTS/G 10.7 If you start Sanders, you're hoping he finds room for a few long plays, perhaps through the air, and a touchdown. I definitely buy into the Lions run defense to keep Sanders grounded, and his playing time seems to be slipping away. I'd rather start Jahmyr Gibbs, Dameon Pierce and Najee Harris.\n\nLAST WEEK: His playing time hit a season-low 43% of the snaps as he continued losing third-down work to Chuba Hubbard. It hasn't crushed his reception totals at all but it's notable that his only game with more than four grabs came with Andy Dalton under center. Sanders also played just 31% of the Panthers' second-half snaps, a big-time change after his second-half snaps were a lot closer to Hubbard's in Weeks 2 and 3.\n\nSANDERS: His yards per carry has tumbled like a bowling ball downstairs this season, going from 4.0 against the Falcons to 3.1 against the Saints to 2.7 against the Seahawks to 1.5 against the Vikings. Tough matchups? Sure, even including the Vikings. Doesn't mean it's not a good look.\n\nNOT SURPRISINGLY: Sanders has two runs of 12-plus yards through four games -- and neither went more than 15 yards. It's not all on him -- the offensive line for the Panthers barely gave him any daylight last week (and for much of the year) and defenses aren't yet scared of getting beat by Bryce Young's arm.\n\nLIONS: Are a tough matchup, giving up 2.9 yards per rush to running backs on the season. That ranks top-three, as does their yards before contact allowed (0.49) and runs of 10-plus yards allowed (three). Forgive them for the 2.38 yards after contact per rush allowed -- that's only fifth-best in the league. Only Kenneth Walker, on the strength of two touchdowns, has had more than five non-PPR and nine PPR points against these Lions.\n\nLAST YEAR: Detroit was pretty strong against the run last year when they went into Carolina and got absolutely pummeled by the Panthers run game (which included Chuba Hubbard). Coach Dan Campbell knows it -- he accepted responsibility for that loss last year claiming the Lions \"were not emotionally ready to go.\" They should be this time around. Besides, it's a different coaching staff in Carolina and, clearly, a different run game.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jared Goff QB DET Detroit • #16\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CAR DET -10 O/U 45 OPP VS QB 4th PROJ PTS 20.8 QB RNK 11th YTD Stats PAYDS 1029 RUYDS 12 TD 7 INT 3 FPTS/G 19.6 Any quarterback with upside is a better pick than Goff, who shouldn't have to do too much to help the Lions pull down a win. There will be temptation on his part to test Jameson Williams on deep throws, and no doubt there will be opportunities for Sam LaPorta and Josh Reynolds (and Jahmyr Gibbs, hopefully), but it's more likely Goff has a modest game at home with a couple of scores and maybe 225 yards. I'll give him the nod over Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow, but Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Dobbs and C.J. Stroud all have more potential to help you win.\n\nLAST WEEK: After an interception, Goff marched downfield and got the Lions a touchdown, then gave way to David Montgomery to pound the Packers into submission. He had his lowest number of pass attempts (28) and yards (210) this year, and threw just one touchdown for the third time in four games.\n\nPANTHERS: At 27.9% are dead last in pass rush pressure rate through four weeks. The only game this season when they had some pressure on a quarterback was against the Seahawks, who have a beat-up offensive line. The Lions offensive line is near full strength and have allowed Goff to be sacked five times through four games.\n\nQUARTERBACKS: Have failed to top 20 Fantasy points against the Panthers this season. That includes Kirk Cousins last week, who only threw 19 times in a win (and had two touchdowns but just 13 Fantasy points). Only twice has a quarterback thrown more than TWENTY passes against Carolina.\n\nRUNNING BACKS: Have clobbered the Panthers. For the first three weeks of the year a rusher had at least two touchdowns against the Panthers. Last week no Vikings running back did, but Alexander Mattison (5.6) and Cam Akers (8.0) each had uncharacteristically high rushing averages. Keep in mind: The Vikings have basically operated like they are allergic to running the ball UNTIL they played the Panthers.\n\nGOFF: Played one game last year without Amon-Ra St. Brown. He completed 26 of 39 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns with an interceptions in a mad come-from-behind effort against the Seahawks, who won the game 48-45. It's unlikely the Panthers will force the issue on the scoreboard like the Seahawks did last season.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Rhamondre Stevenson RB NE New England • #38\n\nAge: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NO NE -1 O/U 40 OPP VS RB 8th PROJ PTS 13.2 RB RNK 26th YTD Stats RUYDS 164 REC 12 REYDS 87 TD 1 FPTS/G 10.8 The workload is nice for Stevenson, but this feels like a week where he once again won't do too much with it. He's still a decent start ahead of Najee Harris, Khalil Herbert and Jahmyr Gibbs but I'd rather chance my lineup with someone who has upside like Jaleel McLaughlin (if Javonte Williams sits out) or Alexander Mattison.\n\nFILM: The numbers don't quite match the talent -- Stevenson is a capable runner with great vision, balance and power to go with good speed. He struggled on lateral runs last week and his line failed him plenty on north-south runs. Game script kept him from finding a lot of work last week (one fourth-quarter touch).\n\nTHIS SEASON: Stevenson has at least 16 touches in every game, which is good. Unfortunately he has yet to total 100 yards and has been under 70 yards three times, which is definitely the opposite of good.\n\nSTEVENSON: The Patriots front five has gone through all kinds of issues and as a result have contributed to Stevenson averaging 0.98 yards before contact per rush this season. That ranks 29th out of 44 qualifying running backs. And if you think that's bad then consider his yards after contact per rush average of 1.75, which is dead-last among those same 44 qualifiers.\n\nEXPLOSIVE RUNS: Stevenson has one (1) explosive carry of 12 or more yards. It was against Miami. It went 12 yards. This is a big change from 2022 when he had 21 explosive runs and an explosive run rate of 10%, which was eighth-best.\n\nRECEIVING: Is averaging 4.0 targets per game and catching 75% of them but is getting just 7.3 yards per catch and has one (1) explosive catch of 16 or more yards. That one went for 32 yards against the Eagles in Week 1. Since then his longest reception has been for seven yards.\n\nSAINTS: Are sixth-best in rushing average to RBs (3.6) and are top-10 in basically every single run defense metric you could think of, including missed tackles with just nine on the year. The only rusher to exceed 10 Fantasy points against them, PPR or not, was Derrick Henry in Week 1. He had 13 PPR points. No one's run for a touchdown on them either.\n\nSAINTS: Aren't quite as impressive against running backs through the air, but they're not awful. Figure them as league average across the board except in YAC/reception (8.53), but that was due to a massive catch-and-run by Henry in Week 1. Since Week 2 their YAC/reception has been 5.94, sixth best in that span with zero explosive pass plays allowed to RBs. So they're pretty good.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nBust Candidate (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Raheem Mostert RB MIA Miami • #31\n\nAge: 31 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NYG MIA -11 O/U 48.5 OPP VS RB 23rd PROJ PTS 16 RB RNK 17th YTD Stats RUYDS 249 REC 13 REYDS 115 TD 7 FPTS/G 22.4 If you're starting Mostert, you're hoping he hasn't fumbled away his half of the touches he's had over the past two weeks AND can have the chance at scoring. Miami is capable of giving Mostert more short-yardage work out of the blue, but their actions over the past two weeks suggest Achane is their preferred back near the goal line. Understand the risks in starting Mostert as a No. 2 RB, who could be dog-house bound with another fumble. He's behind Isiah Pacheco and Breece Hall in my rankings but ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs, Dameon Pierce and Najee Harris. Achane is clearly far ahead of Mostert.\n\nLAST WEEK: Before he fumbled the ball away twice, Mostert was splitting reps with De'Von Achane in a way that was unfavorable for him. Before the Dolphins got inside the 10-yard line Mostert had a 16-to-9 edge, then Achane played every single snap inside the 10. Then after Mostert's second fumble of the half, Mostert played just nine of the remaining 35 snaps including nothing near the end zone. Coach Mike McDaniel preached the importance of his offense not having \"self-inflicted wounds\" immediately after the game.\n\nLAST TWO WEEKS: Achane played all but two snaps inside the 10-yard line for Miami, so that seems like a big part of his role that will stick. As for third downs, Mostert has a one-snap edge over Achane at 6 to 5, which means they're splitting those valuable touches. Overall the targets have favored Mostert only because he had more of them in Week 3 against Denver (7 to 4).\n\nGIANTS: Are about to get run over. Their 4.3-yard rushing average they've allowed is a shade worse than league average but they rate poorly in rushing touchdowns allowed (five), rushes of 10-plus yards allowed (14) and missed tackles on runs (24, fourth-worst in football).\n\nDOLPHINS: Have split the workload pretty evenly despite the snap shares morphing in Achane's favor. Last week Achane had 11 touches to Mostert's 10. The week before Achane had 22 to Mostert's 20. The week before that ... Achane wasn't a thing and Mostert had 19 touches to Salvon Ahmed's six (Achane had none). At least we can say over the past two weeks that the Dolphins have used both backs rather evenly in touches, even though WHERE they've gotten them haven't been as equal.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline DeAndre Hopkins WR TEN Tennessee • #10\n\nAge: 31 • Experience: 10 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ IND TEN -2 O/U 43 OPP VS WR 25th PROJ PTS 11.6 WR RNK 30th YTD Stats REC 18 TAR 31 REYDS 216 TD 0 FPTS/G 9.9 It's been cool to bench Hopkins so far this season but we're staring at a terrific matchup for him to take advantage of, just as other receivers have as recently as last week (Puka Nacua). I think he'll continue to see high-value targets near the end zone and, hopefully, a small uptick in targets. I'd start him as a No. 2 receiver over Terry McLaurin, any Broncos wideouts and any Packers wideouts.\n\nLAST WEEK: Was so close to having a monster game. He was the designed target on a trick play and saw the ball fall just past his outstretched hands in the end zone. He also had two targets inside the 10-yard line (his first two of the season) and two end-zone targets including the aforementioned trick play (his first two of the season). The heavy dose of targets inside the 10 and into the end zone are positive signs that the Titans are trying to get him going as a playmaker.\n\nFILM: Hopkins might be 31 years old but he moved really, really well, creating separation with outstanding footwork and having just enough speed to stay a step ahead of defenders. He got open on a handful of third-down plays when he didn't get a target last week.\n\nTANNEHILL: Is the top problem Hopkins has right now. Hopkins' 38-yard deep-ball catch last week could have been as many as 50 yards if Tannehill hit him in stride, and the gimmick-play touchdown would have obviously been a massive point-getter had Tannehill been slightly more on-target there. There was even a target into the end zone that was a miscommunication between Hopkins and Tannehill. On the season Tannehill has a 13% off-target rate but over the past two games that number has ballooned to 18%, which is ... yikes.\n\nTITANS: The second problem Hopkins has right now is a Titans offense that's stayed true to their run-first preference -- at least when they win. On the year they're throwing the ball 54.6% of the time, 10th-lowest, but in their wins they've thrown the ball 46.4% of their snaps. In losses they've thrown 64.4% of the time. The Colts are one-point home favorites, which means at minimum the game should be competitive, which does not help the pass-run ratio outlook.\n\nCOLTS: Are a frozen yogurt sundae of a dream matchup for Hopkins. On the season outside receivers like Hopkins have caught 72.3% of their targets for 12.7 yards per catch against the Colts. The catch rate is bottom six, the yardage rate is top-12, but the Colts defense leads the NFL in missed tackles on passing plays with 10. Indianapolis also lost their top outside corner, Dallis Flowers, to a torn Achilles. They'll roll with rookies JuJu Brents (80% catch rate allowed) and Jaylon Jones (played two snaps this season) along with already-benched second-year corner Darrell Baker (TD allowed in each of first two games) as outside cornerbacks.\n\nPASS RUSH: Rank fifth-worst in pass-rush pressure rate and seventh-worst in blitz rate AND might be without edge rusher Kwity Paye. The Titans are helped by the return of rookie guard Peter Skoronski and tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. Tannehill could have more time to throw accurately.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSneaky Sleeper (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Joe Burrow QB CIN Cincinnati • #9\n\nAge: 27 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ARI CIN -3 O/U 44.5 OPP VS QB 25th PROJ PTS 20.8 QB RNK 19th YTD Stats PAYDS 728 RUYDS 3 TD 2 INT 2 FPTS/G 8.9 Look, if there's a matchup Burrow could piece together a decent stat line in, this would be it. Or Denver. Or Chicago. You get the gist. The Cardinals pass rush shouldn't be too dangerous and Burrow, now over a month into his season, figures to eventually show some signs of improvement with his health. In no way is he a must start, and there's plenty of good reason to go with Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson, C.J. Stroud and even Joshua Dobbs over him, but there's some mild appeal that should at least keep him in lineups over Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones.\n\nLAST WEEK: Looked like a quarterback playing on one leg. Burrow didn't get much into his throws, didn't challenge downfield much, got the ball out as fast as he could and was sensitive to pass rush pressure. Even when the game was in garbage time Burrow couldn't get much going.\n\nAIR YARDS LAST WEEK: Burrow was 1 for 4 on throws of 10-plus Air Yards and 0 for 2 on throws of 15-plus Air Yards.\n\nAIR YARDS THIS SEASON: Burrow has been 11 for 38 on throws of 10-plus Air Yards and 2 for 22 on throws of 15-plus Air Yards.\n\nTOUCHDOWNS: Burrow has thrown just two scores this season. Both came against Baltimore in Week 2, both were throws inside the five-yard line, both were to Tee Higgins. That's it. Even his red-zone stats are unfathomable -- he's completed 7 of 15 passes in the red zone. At least 9 of those 15 throws went into the end zone.\n\nPASS RUSH: Bengals opponents have started to sniff out Burrow's issues and have come after him. The Browns and Titans had a pass rush pressure rate between 38& and 42% in their wins over Cincy with high blitz rates (at least 31% each). Compare that to the Rams and Ravens, who barely brought pressure or blitzes and either lost or nearly lost to the Bengals.\n\nCARDINALS: Are dead-last in blitz rate this season (14%) and third-to-worst in pass rush pressure rate (28%). They actually had nine sacks after Weeks 1 and 2 but have had three since against the Cowboys and 49ers. Arizona seems to prefer using just four rushers to affect the quarterback, something that should be helpful to Burrow this week.\n\nCARDINALS: Rank eighth-worst in completion rate allowed (69.8%, though that was boosted heavily by Brock Purdy's 95% completion rate last week), and are bottom-five in both yards per catch (11.7) and missed tackles on pass plays (49!).\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nBust Candidate (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Dallas Goedert TE PHI Philadelphia • #88\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ LAR PHI -4.5 O/U 50.5 OPP VS TE 23rd PROJ PTS 9.3 TE RNK 12th YTD Stats REC 13 TAR 19 REYDS 88 TD 0 FPTS/G 5.5 Goedert is a distant third in targets on the Eagles for a reason -- he's not explosive in the least and the Philly offense is much more concerned with its explosive components. It shouldn't be lost on Fantasy managers that since Swift became a staple in the Eagles offense, Goedert has taken a backseat. There's always still a shot he scores from short range, but you know how the Eagles like to run the ball when they're near the goal line. I'd rather start Jake Ferguson and Zach Ertz in all formats as well as Kyle Pitts and Cole Kmet in non-PPR.\n\nTHREE WEEKS IN A ROW: With seven or fewer targets, Goedert has failed to get even 50 yards receiving. His target volume dipped from seven in Weeks 2 and 3 to four in Week 4. Goedert had the same amount of targets as D'Andre Swift.\n\nNICK SIRIANNI: The Eagles coach again said \"[w]e need to get him the football,\" citing that plays designed for him wound up going to other Eagles because of how defenses played Goedert.\n\nFILM: If there's something teams are doing to take away Goedert, I didn't see it on any of his nine third-down routes last week. Goedert still looked sluggish in his movements and didn't run a ton of deeper routes, though there were a couple where he did get open but Jalen Hurts had better opportunities elsewhere.\n\nLAST WEEK: On the plus side, two of his targets were in the red zone and a third was a deep contested catch for 17 yards. On the downside, he dropped that fourth target on a short throw.\n\nGOEDERT: Has three red-zone targets and zero end-zone targets this season.\n\nRAMS: Got stung for two touchdowns to tight ends at Indy last week, one on a 35-yard play where Mo Alie-Cox got matched up with DE-turned-OLB Mike Hoecht. The other was a five-yard toss to Andrew Ogletree, who ran past Hoecht off the snap for an easy touchdown grab. These guys aren't considered primary tight ends like Goedert, though, so it's unlikely the Rams would cover Goedert the same way as they covered them (which is to say, they barely did).\n\nBEFORE WEEK 4: The Seahawks, Bengals and 49ers tight ends, including George Kittle, combined for eight non-PPR/19 PPR Fantasy points over three games against the Rams. L.A.'s pass stats against tight ends were much better before the Colts laid some numbers on them.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jordan Addison WR MIN Minnesota • #3\n\nAge: 21 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs KC KC -4 O/U 52.5 OPP VS WR 10th PROJ PTS 9.8 WR RNK 34th YTD Stats REC 13 TAR 20 REYDS 185 TD 2 FPTS/G 10.9 While the Vikings are almost guaranteed to throw a ton against the Chiefs, rolling with Addison remains a risk because he's not the definitive No. 2 target, nor is the matchup any good for him. He's a flex at best who I'd sit for Romeo Doubs, Gabe Davis and Christian Watson.\n\nLAST WEEK: Total disaster. In a gamescript that actually gave Minnesota a chance to -- gasp! -- run the ball, Kirk Cousins barely threw the ball and Addison went catchless on one target. There was also a major reduction in snaps played, down to 58%. His season-low was 56% from Week 1.\n\nMATCHUP: With the Vikings capable of running the ball, the offense went with heavier formations. Backup tight end Josh Oliver played about as many snaps as he did in Week 1 and third tight end Johnny Mundt saw a season-high 17% of snaps. Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.\n\nTHIRD MAN: Last week did affirm that Addison may actually be the No. 3 wide receiver in the offense behind Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn, but even with the donut Addison still has a five-catch lead on Osborn on the season with 68 more yards gained.\n\nTHIS WEEK: You can bank on the Vikings reversing course against the Chiefs. Two of the past three offenses against Kansas City wound up throwing at least 71% of their snaps. The team that didn't? Chicago, who was so badly blown out by halftime that they ran the ball 55% of their second-half snaps just to get out of Arrowhead.\n\nCHIEFS: Have been stout against receivers all season long, ranking top-five in catch rate allowed (53.4%) and YAC/reception allowed (2.96), and sixth-best in yards per catch given up (11.1). Even if you take out the Bears game the Chiefs have yielded a 56.8% catch rate and 2.93 YAC/reception with a 10.9 receiving average to the Lions, Jaguars and Jets. Drill down even further and they're great against outside receivers like Addison in terms of catch rate (45.8%) and YAC/reception (2.86), but they have allowed 15.0 yards per catch specifically to outside receivers. It's the only saving grace Addison has.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Garrett Wilson WR NYJ N.Y. Jets • #17\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DEN DEN -1.5 O/U 43 OPP VS WR 24th PROJ PTS 13.5 WR RNK 15th YTD Stats REC 21 TAR 36 REYDS 225 TD 2 FPTS/G 13.9 Is the matchup so easy that Zach Wilson will have tons of time in the pocket to make perfect throws? That's tough to bank on simply because Wilson has rarely thrown the ball with precision. But I like Garrett Wilson's chances of seeing a lot of targets and coming through with at least a couple of big plays against a defense that has been tied in knots for the past eight quarters. I'd start Wilson over Gabe Davis, Jakobi Meyers and any Broncos wideouts.\n\nLAST WEEK: A breakout of sorts as Wilson caught 9 of 14 targets to boost his PPR score, but he ultimately wound up with 60 receiving yards, his second-highest amount of the season. Wilson was real close to cashing in a 29-yard touchdown but Zach Wilson was off-target with the throw.\n\nZACH WILSON: Of the 36 targets Garrett Wilson has seen from Zach Wilson, 11 of them (31%) have been uncatchable. That doesn't include another three incompletions that were either thrown late or predetermined that defenses were able to sniff out.\n\nSILVER LINING? Garrett Wilson is clearly the alpha of the passing game, collecting at least twice as many targets this season than anyone else on the Jets.\n\nTHE REAL SILVER LINING: The Jets will take on a Broncos defense that has been awful to watch. No defense has allowed a higher catch rate (85.1%) or scored a worse Defensive EPA per drop back (minus-0.79) collectively to wide receivers than the Broncos. And after yielding an 86.7% catch rate ad 20.8 yards per catch to the Dolphins in Week 3, Denver turned around and let up a 92.9% catch rate and 15.6 yards per catch to the Bears in Week 4! Even top cornerback Pat Surtain has allowed a high-for-him 63% completion rate this season. Surtain allowed four catches for 56 yards over six targets in his coverage last week. It does not help that Denver's pass rush has been practically non-existent.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Russell Wilson QB DEN Denver • #3\n\nAge: 35 • Experience: 12 yrs. I chose to drop Wilson in my rankings because this should be one of his toughest matchups of the season, and his reliance on outside receivers and the deep ball are at risk given this matchup. We might see a much more subdued and boring version of Wilson's game, which means he could very well wind up with a stat line like Mahomes had against the Jets last week. I'd rather start Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Joshua Dobbs and C.J. Stroud.\n\nLAST WEEK: Was the second time in three games Wilson had 28-plus Fantasy points. It helped that he played a bad Bears defense with a beat-up secondary. His other high-score game? Week 2 against the Commanders, where he had 92 yards and a Hail Mary touchdown in the final 0:48 to boost his score an extra 9.7 Fantasy points (he still had 22.2 points without it).\n\nTHE JETS: Have given up over 16 Fantasy points to a quarterback ONCE all season -- Dak Prescott in Week 2. The other three they faced, including Josh Allen in Week 1 and Patrick Mahomes last Sunday, were under 16 Fantasy points.\n\nPASS RUSH: The Jets tend to get to the quarterback without blitzing (19.5% blitz rate is bottom-five), getting some pressure on 41.6% of their snaps so far this year, which is third-best in the league. And it's been consistent -- their only \"low\" game was at Dallas and they still bugged Prescott 32.5% of the time. That's a lot.\n\nO-LINE: Denver's front five allows the sixth-highest pass rush pressure rate this year at 39.5%. The Bears had pressure on 32.3% of their dropbacks against Denver last week, their second-highest of the season (they did blitz a bunch).\n\nWILSON: His numbers when pressured don't look bad over the course of the season, but they're weighted by his numbers against the Raiders in Week 1. In his past three games when he threw a lot against Washington, Miami and Chicago, Wilson completed 56.4% of his passes when pressured for 8.0 yards per attempt with a better-than-most 5.1% TD rate and a great off-target rate of 2.6%. Of those numbers, only his off-target rate is somehow better when pressured than not pressured; the rest are all much better when he has time. He shouldn't have much time this week.\n\nDEEP BALL: The Jets are also pretty good versus throws of 15-plus Air Yards, giving up just a 40.7% completion rate with four interceptions and an in-context low number of 23.1 yards per grab (seventh-best). Wilson ranks top-10 among quarterbacks in completion rate (50%) and yards per attempt (17.2) with the second-lowest off-target rate (12.5%) on those long throws but is below league-average in overall attempts. His numbers are also inflated because of that Commanders game and the Hail Mary he hit on.\n\nVS. OUTSIDE WRs: The Jets allow the second-highest catch rate to perimeter guys (79.4%), but they're top-five in yards per catch (10.7), ADOT (10.38) and completions allowed of 20-plus yards (three, which is best in NFL). Outside guys have also seen the third-fewest targets because teams know not to attack there.\n\nWILSON: 50 of his 132 passes (38%) have gone to outside receivers this year. Seven of his nine touchdowns have headed that way too. This is a problem for Wilson.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jake Ferguson TE DAL Dallas • #87\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs. The only reason to give Ferguson the nod is because he's a safety valve for Prescott to lean on. It's a volume play where you're counting on Ferguson to catch six or seven balls and average around 10 yards per catch. It makes him much more appealing in PPR than non-PPR, which is why I'm OK starting him over Dallas Goedert and Kyle Pitts.\n\nLAST WEEK: Was the benefactor of Dak Prescott taking what the Patriots defense gave him, mostly utilizing Ferguson as a short-area target to fire the ball to when the pressure was quick off the snap. But there were a couple of throws where Prescott read the defense well and found Ferguson for pretty good gains. All told Ferguson led the Cowboys with seven targets and seven catches for 77 yards in three quarters of work.\n\nTHIS WEEK: The 49ers figure to unleash its pass rush on Prescott with zone coverage behind it, which only makes sense given how Prescott has handled the pass rush pressure this year. It should mean more short throws for Ferguson.\n\n49ERS: Are tops in football in catch rate allowed to tight ends (48.6%) and YAC/reception allowed (1.29 yards). They're also top-five in yards per catch (7.1). These numbers are even more amazing when you realize tight ends have averaged 8.8 targets per game against the Niners this season, third-most in football. Tyler Higbee and Darren Waller were completely humbled, but Zach Ertz had 11 PPR points last week and nearly caught a touchdown. Pat Freiermuth did catch a touchdown in Week 1 to earn him seven PPR points.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Brock Purdy QB SF San Francisco • #13\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs. It's safe to expect Purdy to feel a lot of pressure against the Cowboys, and throwing in man coverage behind it could create some havoc that could speed up Purdy. He's been so consistent and the 49ers are so loaded, but this is just one of those rare matchups where there's too much downside to buy into Purdy. After ranking him high early in the week I've moved him behind Anthony Richardson, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence, but still ahead of Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones.\n\nLAST WEEK: Purdy's been a find ever since the 49ers put him on the field but last week he executed their offense flawlessly. Seriously -- he missed on one throw. And for the second time this season, Purdy threw a pass that was ruled a lateral for a touchdown, robbing his Fantasy managers of precious points. Of course, it helped that he played Arizona, a defense that has taken a step back in pressuring quarterbacks.\n\nPURDY: Has hit at least 20 Fantasy points in 8 of his 9 regular-season starts, and it really should be 9 for 9 because of that first touchdown that was ruled a lateral back in Week 2. If you include the two playoff games he completed, Purdy has delivered at least 20 in 9 of 11 games. And in 5 of those 9 he hit at least 23 Fantasy points including each of his past two games.\n\nCOWBOYS: Dallas' defense lost top cornerback Trevon Diggs and they're still red hot. They lead the league in pass rush pressure rate this season (55.6%) and they're in the top-10 in blitz rate (31.9%). It's that pressure that's helped the Cowboys rank in the top-five in completion rate allowed (57.4%), passing touchdowns allowed (two) and missed tackles on pass plays (just five, that's best in football). Only Joshua Dobbs, who ran for 55 yards, has scored double-digit Fantasy points against the Niners (18 points). Not that the Cowboys have been tested much -- Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson and the Patriots QBs are the other guys they've man-handled.\n\nO-LINE: San Francisco has allowed a pass rush pressure on 36.4% of their snaps, which sounds like a lot but it's just a shade worse than league average. That number is weighted by the Giants' decision to blitz on 84.6% of Purdy's dropbacks in Week 2, creating an inflated pass rush pressure rate. Despite the Giants' efforts, Purdy still threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns in a game he didn't have Brandon Aiyuk in.\n\nCOWBOYS: Have become one of the most aggressive defenses in the league, ranking third from the bottom in zone coverage snaps. And truthfully, the only quarters they've actually played heavy zone have been at the end of blowout wins over the Giants and Jets. If they keep that up they'd look completely different than in their playoff meeting against Purdy in January when they played heavy zone for nearly 86% of their snaps.\n\nPURDY: Has been sensational against both man and zone coverages this season. His completion rate and yards per attempt are noticeably higher against zone, but four of his five passing touchdowns have come versus man coverage. However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 48.6% of his throws for 5.6 yards per attempt with a gaudy 18.9% off-target rate.\n\nLAST YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS: The Cowboys pressured Purdy on 48.5% of his drop backs despite blitzing just 21.2% of the time. Purdy completed 65% of his throws but struggled mightily with 214 yards passing and no touchdowns.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jordan Love QB GB Green Bay • #10\n\nAge: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. The Raiders' track record against QBs and Love getting Aaron Jones and Christian Watson back without snap limits are what provides the most optimism here. The return of guard Elgton Jenkins helps, too. Love has upside to get back to 25-plus Fantasy points like he had in Weeks 1-3. I'd start him over Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff.\n\nLAST WEEK: Obviously the Lions pass rush was too much for him and the Packers offensive line in the first half. Motown especially played a lot of zone coverage early and Love still threw into the teeth of it. He calmed down in the second half and took more of what the Lions gave him and really got into a groove before making a bad read on a miscommunication with Romeo Doubs for his second interception.\n\nA POSITIVE? Despite the turmoil last week, Love had season-bests in completion rate (63.9%) and off-target throws (11.1%) while still averaging a hefty 9.5 ADOT, which was his second-lowest on the year but still above league average.\n\nFILM: I remember pointing out in the preseason that Love was late on a few of throws. That was the case in Week 4, but the bigger issue was passes sailing high on him because he was putting too much of his body into his throws. Combine those things with his penchant for attacking deep and it's no wonder he had a bad game. But there's something else -- Love was pass rush ignorant, meaning he didn't let the Lions' pressure scare him, even if it did wind up overwhelming him for some early-game sacks.\n\nRAIDERS: Deserve credit for trying -- in the past two weeks they lead the NFL in pass rush pressure rate and are 10th in blitz rate. Playing weaker offensive lines in Pittsburgh and L.A. have helped boost those numbers, but quarterbacks are still finding success to the tune of 13.9 yards per catch and 7.07 YAC/reception over those two games, both bottom-three in the league. And, both quarterbacks the Raiders played in Weeks 3 and 4 each posted at least 22 Fantasy points (Kenny Pickett, Justin Herbert without his second-best receiver and without his top running back).\n\nRAIDERS: The hunch is the Raiders will keep bringing the blitz and play a lot of gutsy man coverage behind it. They've been playing more man coverage in two of their past three games and have really only moved to heavy zone against the Broncos in Week 1.\n\nLOVE: Has been a mixed bag against man coverage -- his completion rate has been terrible at 39.4%, but his touchdown rate has been outstanding (12.1%). Plus more man coverage and more blitzing could result in more rushing for Love, which he's shown he's willing to do.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nBust Candidate (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Justin Fields QB CHI Chicago • #1\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ WAS WAS -6 O/U 44.5 OPP VS QB 23rd PROJ PTS 17.3 QB RNK 10th YTD Stats PAYDS 861 RUYDS 134 TD 8 INT 5 FPTS/G 20.4 This isn't that big of a step-up in competition for Fields, but it is for his offensive line. The deep-ball opportunities are a huge plus if Fields has good protection like he had last week. But if the short-week preparation doesn't scare you a little, his lack of rushing should since we're effectively starting him only for his passing chops. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Anthony Richardson and Jordan Love have more potential than Fields this week, but guys like Russell Wilson, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott and Jared Goff don't. You just might not have a better option than Fields.\n\nLAST WEEK: Posted his first-ever game with four passing touchdowns and over 300 yards against a Broncos defense that was devoid of a serious pass rush or pass coverage skills through the first three quarters. By the fourth quarter the Broncos were generating heavy pressure and Fields finished 5 of 11 for 50 yards and no touchdowns with two turnovers.\n\nFILM: For three quarters Fields looked terrific firing downfield from clean pockets with plenty of great reads and accurate throws along with a play or two where he manipulated defenders with the threat of him running only to throw over their heads, including on Kmet's short touchdown. His off-target rate was literally 0.0%. But by the fourth only some plays were fine -- on others he either was pressured, threw off his back foot, threw with too much velocity or wasn't on the same page as his target. His off-target rate in the fourth was 9.1%, which was closer to what he had averaged in his first three games (13.6%).\n\nBRONCOS: Have allowed season-best Fantasy numbers to each of the past three quarterbacks they've played this season. They're a terrific matchup for anybody right now. Remember this when we talk about the Jets.\n\nCOMMANDERS: Sport a slightly below-average pass rush pressure rate thanks to only one game all year with a rate over 30% (52.7% at Denver, and Wilson still had a great game even if you take away a Hail Mary touchdown catch). They rank seventh in sacks (13) and 13h in pressures (53), which again floats around league average.\n\nBEARS: Rank league-worst in pass rush pressure rate allowed at 47.4% of their snaps -- nearly one out of every two drop backs is pressured. Bringing back guard Teven Jenkins might help a little, but they're still a struggling unit.\n\nDEEP BALL: Washington ranks bottom-five in attempts, yards per catch and touchdowns allowed on pass plays of 15-plus Air Yards over the past three weeks. This is an area Fields can exploit -- he's tied for the most touchdowns on throws of 15-plus Air Yards this season than Fields with four and is around league-average in completion rate, attempts per game and Expected Points Added (EPA) per drop back.\n\nLAST SEASON: Washington got a season-best 57.1% pass rush pressure rate on Fields and blitzed him on 40.5% of his drop backs. Fields had one passing touchdown and one interception and still had nearly 20 Fantasy points because he ran for 88 yards.\n\nRUSHING: Fields followed up a Week 3 game with seven designed runs with just two designed runs in Week 4 for two total yards. On the season he's totaled 28 rushes for 134 yards and a score.\n\nSneaky Sleeper (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Sam Howell QB WAS Washington • #14\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CHI WAS -6 O/U 44.5 OPP VS QB 31st PROJ PTS 21.3 QB RNK 14th YTD Stats PAYDS 961 RUYDS 82 TD 5 INT 5 FPTS/G 16.1 The Commanders like limiting Howell's pass attempts in general -- he's only thrown over 31 times in high-scoring shootouts like in Weeks 2 and 4. While there's potential for that on Thursday, it's not a certainty. Howell could just as easily put up nominal stats to help the Commanders bring home a win. With upside an issue, think of Howell as a sleeper with 20-point potential. I'd rather start Jordan Love, Jared Goff or Justin Fields, but taking Howell over Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow isn't crazy given their matchups and/or situations.\n\nLAST WEEK: Bounced back from a horrid four-INT loss in Week 3 to complete nearly 71% of his throws for 290 yards with one touchdown and a very clutch 40 rushing yards at Philly. This was the most efficient game of his young career, but it was also the busiest game of his career as he threw 41 passes and ran six times. Playing into overtime helped his cause.\n\nHOWELL: Has one game out of five as a pro with multiple passing touchdowns, and two others with one rushing and one passing score.\n\nBEARS: Are one of the easiest matchups for a quarterback. They rank in the bottom-seven in completion rate allowed (70.1%), yards per catch allowed (12.2), Yards After Catch per reception (YAC/reception) allowed (6.26, second-most) and missed tackles (52). One more factor: Chicago ranks poorly in pass rush pressure rate, blitz rate and has just two sacks all season.\n\nHOWELL: When not pressured has completed 73.8% of his throws for 7.2 yards per attempt with a 9.7% off-target rate. None of these are particularly impressive -- they're all about league-average -- but that's still a plus for Howell considering this week's matchup.\n\nPASS ATTEMPTS: Through four weeks the Bears are seeing an average of 31.8 pass attempts against them per game. Even in a game the Bears led for much of last week, the Broncos tried just 28 throws. On the flip side, three of the four quarterbacks Chicago faced found three touchdowns on their limited throws.\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Terry McLaurin WR WAS Washington • #17\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CHI WAS -6 O/U 44.5 OPP VS WR 19th PROJ PTS 15.2 WR RNK 21st YTD Stats REC 21 TAR 26 REYDS 212 TD 1 FPTS/G 12.1 The Commanders may wish to win this one with a big dose of the run game (Brian Robinson is a must-start), but if the Bears put up any offense at all, McLaurin will be in position to put up nice numbers. He's a low-end WR2 worth the nod over George Pickens, Zay Flowers, Drake London and Jahan Dotson.\n\nPAST THREE WEEKS: McLaurin has led all Commanders wide receivers in targets and all Commanders players in receptions. He's the No. 1 guy, and his big Week 4 game (8-86-0 with an offensive fumble recovery for a touchdown) would have been even bigger if Sam Howell had better ball placement on a deep pass McLaurin was open for.\n\nBEARS: Are expected to play again without top outside cornerback Jaylon Johnson and safety Eddie Jackson. Not that those two absences led to a bonanza from Broncos receivers; Russell Wilson spread the ball around. But if McLaurin remains the target leader then he'll have the best shot at a big game. Rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith figure to line up across from McLaurin the most.\n\nMATCHUPS: Each top-target earning wide receiver that plays mostly outside (like McLaurin) has found at least 10 PPR points in every game against the Bears. That includes Rashee Rice in Week 3 (7 targets, 5-59-0), Courtland Sutton in Week 4 (5 targets, 3-27-1), Romeo Doubs in Week 1 (5 targets, 4-26-2) and Mike Evans in Week 2 (8 targets, 6-171-1). Note that these receivers combined to catch 18 of 25 targets (72%) against Chicago.", + "Singer Taylor Swift has a blank space, and she's writing Travis Kelce's name. There were rumors the two were dating for weeks, and those talks only intensified with swift attending five Chiefs games so far this season, including Sunday's game agains the Chargers.\n\nThe Era's Tour singer was seen chatting with the tight end's mom, Donna Kelce, and cheering emphatically when No. 87 scored a touchdown in the first game she attended last month. Last week, she was in attendance to watch the Chiefs as they defeated the Denver Broncos in Week 6 on \"Thursday Night Football.\"\n\nShe is once again at Arrowhead Stadium, this time to watch the Chiefs take on another AFC West opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers.\n\nFor those wondering how this apparent relationship came to be, wonder no longer. We have created an extensive timeline of the high-profile couple that is currently the talk of the league, and even added some Swift lyrics to go along with some of the highlights.\n\nHere's a look at how it all started and where it has gone since:\n\nJune 29: Kelce makes friendship bracelets for fellow TEs\n\nIs this where it all begin? Kelce made a friendship bracelet to give to the newcomers at a camp for NFL tight ends. He said he was \"taking a page out of Taylor Swift's book.\"\n\nJuly 26: Kelce makes friendship bracelet for Swift\n\n\"So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.\" - You're On Your Own Kid\n\nKelce announced that he went to Swift's highly anticipated concert, but said he did not have the chance to meet the 12-time Grammy winner.\n\n\"I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings ... She doesn't meet anybody, or at least she didn't want to meet me, so I took it personal,\" Kelce said on an episode of the \"New Heights\" podcast he does with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.\n\nHe revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift. When his brother asked if it was his jersey number or his phone number, Kelce replied, \"you know which one.\"\n\n\"If you're up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.\"\n\nAug. 5: Kelce names his celebrity crush\n\nWell before the two were rumored to be dating, Kelce was asked his crush. But before he could even answer, the answer was given for him.\n\nSept. 14: Rumors aren't denied\n\n\"The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey, most of them are true.\" - New Romantics\n\nOf course people were going to ask Jason, who is very close with his brother, whether rumors of the two hanging out were true. He did not confirm them, but he also did not deny them.\n\nSept. 17: The references begin\n\n\"I watched it begin again.\" - Begin Again\n\nThe rumors began to pick up, and now there were a lot of people, commentators included, making Swift references around Kelce.\n\nWhen the tight end caught a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes, CBS Sports' Ian Eagle said, \"Kelce finds a blank space for the score.\"\n\nThis was only the start to many, many, Swift lyrics being referenced during NFL games.\n\nSept. 21: Kelce sends Swift an invite\n\n\"So inviting, I almost jump in.\" - Gold Rush\n\nWhile on the Pat McAfee show, Kelce discussed the rumors and sounded somehow surprised people are talking about it.\n\n\"It is hilarious how much traction this has actually got,\" he said of all the talk. \"It's like that old game in school called telephone where everybody is just whispering in each others ear, just hearing some random stuff. Especially when you got Jason Kelce on live television telling people just both sides.\"\n\nHe then admitted that he invited Swift to one of his games, joking that they would compete to see who put on the bigger show at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs.\n\n\"I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court and I told her you know, I've seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one is a little more lit. We will see what happens in the near future.\"\n\nSept. 22: Another bracelet\n\n\"Lately [he's] been dressing for revenge.\" - Vigilante Sh--\n\nKelce was spotted at his nonprofit charity event wearing a bracelet that says \"Vigilante Sh--,\" the name of one of Swift's songs.\n\nSept. 24: Swift attends Chiefs game\n\n\"Dating the boy on the football team.\" - Fifteen\n\nSwift took Kelce up on his offer and attended the Chiefs' Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears. Swift was dressed on theme and was watching intently, cheering and even chest bumping someone during big plays. She was especially thrilled to see Kelce get in the end zone, a three-yard catch that put the Chiefs up 41-0. Kansas City went on to win 41-10 to improve to 2-1.\n\nSept. 24: Swift mingles with Donna Kelce\n\n\n\n\"Talkin' over a football team.\" - Mean\n\nSwift already seems to be making friends with the family. Swift was sitting next to Donna in the box and the two were seen talking and laughing as the game went along.\n\nSept. 24: Postgame interviews turn into Swiftie talk\n\nThe postgame press conference seemed more about Swift and Kelce than it did about the actual game. The media wanted any insight it could get into the relationship and how Swift ended up at Arrowhead.\n\n\"He told me at the last minute,\" Mahomes said when asked if he knew Swift was coming. \"There's some things with Trav where he kind of just says it and you don't know if it's true or not. He says it so calmly. ... Friday he was like, 'Yeah, I think she's coming to the game this weekend,' and then moved about his business.\"\n\nHead coach Andy Reid was also asked about his star tight end's supposed relationship, to which he quipped, \"I set them up.\"\n\nSept. 24: Kelce and Swift leave stadium together\n\n\"You know when it's time to go.\" - It's Time To Go\n\nThis was the first time the two were photographed together. They walked side by side, Kelce fittingly wearing an outfit with \"1989\" in the title and Swift wearing a Chiefs zip-up.\n\nSept. 24: The two leave in a convertible\n\n\"Nothing good starts in the getaway car.\" - Getaway Car\n\nSwift and Swift were spotted in a convertible, with the tight end driving, after the Chiefs' win. Kelce reportedly rented out a restaurant for a private party with Swift and his teammates.\n\n\"Taylor Swift likes that Travis Kelce 'pursued her' and the two are having a 'great time getting to know each other,'\" a source told Entertainment Tonight. \"'Taylor wants a guy that's into his career, does his own thing, but is also supportive and understands her,' the source added, \"and Travis fits those qualities.'\"\n\nSept. 25: Kelce jersey sales skyrocket\n\nCall it what you want; I'll call it the Taylor Swift effect. Since Swift attended the Chiefs game, there was a 400% increase in Kelce jersey sales, his podcast is No. 1 overall on Apple, he gained over 380,000 Instagram followers, and 24.3 million people watched the game, making it the No. 1 game last week, according to Front Office Sports.\n\nThere has also been triple the \"Chiefs\" searches on web and triple the Chiefs ticket sales on Stubhub.\n\nSept. 25: Belichick weighs in on the matter\n\n\n\nNew England Patriots head coach does not always comment on situations that take place in the game, but he was fully ready with a sound bite on the Kelce-Swift situation.\n\n\"Well I would say that Travis Kelce's had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest.\"\n\nSept. 26: Chiefs games get even more popular\n\n\"Welcome to New York (*New Jersey), it's been waiting for you.\" - Welcome to New York\n\nThe defending Super Bowl champions are already one of the more popular teams in the league, but it is becoming the hottest ticket in town, no matter what town that is.\n\n\"Since Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday, the Jets have sold more tickets for their game against the Chiefs in a single day than since the season started -- by more than double,\" a representatives at StubHub told to Town & Country magazine.\n\nSept. 27: Mahomes confirms he met Swift\n\n\"It was enchanting to meet you, all I can say is I was enchanted to meet you.\" - Enchanted\n\nMahomes said he had not met Swift when asked in the postgame press conference, but he did meet her at the afterparty.\n\n\"Yea I met her. She's really cool. Good people,\" Mahomes said, via KSHB 41 in Kansas City. \"But like Trav said, imma let them have their privacy and just keep it moving.\"\n\nSept. 27: Kelce breaks his silence\n\n\"And they said speak now.\" -Speak Now\n\nKelce addressed Swift's attendance on his podcast, saying, \"To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high-fives with Mom, to see how Chiefs Kingdom was all excited that she was there -- that s--- was absolutely hysterical. It's definitely a game I'll remember, that's for damn sure.\"\n\nHe is not going to speak too much more about the relationship, noting that he wants \"to respect both of our lives.\"\n\n\"Yeah, my personal life -- that's not so personal. I did this to myself Jason, I know this. What's real is that you know it is my personal life. ... She's not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week.\"\n\nSept. 27: Jerry Jones comments on the Swift effect\n\nSwift is getting the owners talking, too.\n\n\"It is hard to move that needle dramatically on a great feeling, a great attraction in the NFL,\" Jones said Wednesday on 105.3FM The Fan in Dallas. \"We get a lot of eye balls. She blew it off the charts. It is amazing. It makes you smile. But it just shows the depth of her following, especially with her core constituency. We all, I think, felt the same way when she's sitting up there with [Travis Kelce's] mom and she's going nuts when he's playing and those hearts are popping out everywhere. How do you not get that? That's called images right there.\"\n\nOct. 1: Swift attends Chiefs-Jets\n\n\"Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you,\" - Welcome to New York\n\nOK, so the Jets technically play in New Jersey, but we're just basing this off their name. Swift went to her second consecutive Chiefs game, showing up with some famous friends, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. In the week leading up to the game, there were reports that the singer would be at the game. The Chiefs defeated the Jets 23-20.\n\nOct. 5: NFL defends itself\n\nSwift coverage is everywhere and the league even changed their social media bio to one of the singer's lyrics. The league's X (formerly Twitter) bio to read, \"NFL (Taylor's Version),\" while their Instagram account read, \"Chiefs are 2-0 as Swifties.\"\n\nSome found issue with these changes, but the NFL said this is a \"pop cultural moment\" and they are acting as such.\n\n\"We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what's happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,\" the NFL wrote in a statement. \"The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we've leaned into in real time, as it's an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we've seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.\"\n\nOct. 6: Travis and Jason think the NFL is doing too much\n\nThe NFL is really digging into the Swift-Kelce coverage, and not everyone is a fan, including the people involved.\n\n\"I think it's fun when they show who's at the game,\" Travis said. \"I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching. But at the same time, they're overdoing it a little bit.\"\n\nJason also chimed in on the matter, saying, \"I just think the NFL is not used to celebrities coming to the games. Like basketball has it all figured out. They're all courtside, they're sitting there. They show 'em once or twice, but then they get back to the game.\"\n\nOct. 12: Swift attends Chiefs-Broncos\n\n\"Now it's too late for you and your white horse *Bronco, to come around\" - White Horse\n\nOne day after her movie premiere, Swift is in the house for the Chiefs' \"Thursday Night Football\" divisional matchup against the Broncos. The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before. According to Al Michaels, the game will have minimal Swift coverage, though so far there has already been a mention of the superstar.\n\nOct. 15: Kelce, Swift make 'SNL' cameos\n\nThe two were spotted out in NYC together and then had a surprise appearance on \"Saturday Night Live.\" Kelce had a cameo in a skit about how much coverage Swift was getting during games, while the singer introduced the musical act of the night, Ice Spice.\n\nOct. 22: Swift attends fifth Chiefs game\n\nSwift has now attended games broadcast across all five networks (CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and Amazon). This week, she is watching the Chiefs face the Chargers and will be shown on CBS. She is sporting a Chiefs sweatshirt and is seated next to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany.", + "Line shopping is the key that unlocks the best odds and lines at top sports betting sites.\n\nThe process is as simple as checking the lines and odds for your prospective bet at multiple online sports betting sites. The result is quite often better odds and improved lines.\n\nWhat is line shopping, and why is it worth your time? Find the answers below in our complete guide to line shopping.\n\nHow do sportsbooks set odds and lines?\n\nThe best sportsbooks employ oddsmakers and oddsmaking services to set their lines and odds.\n\nOther sports betting apps simply copy those lines. The oddsmakers and oddsmaking services use computer models and algorithms that consider analytics, statistics, injury and roster news, performance, matchup data, and more to develop the lines and odds.\n\nBetting lines and odds are then subject to change based on the betting public’s reaction and any additional information that comes to light ahead of the game. Sportsbooks will move the line or change the odds if the public bets heavily on one side.\n\nEvery sportsbook’s goal is to even out the betting on both sides of every bet. That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.\n\nThe betting is rarely the same at every sportsbook. While one sportsbook may be forced to move a line or change the odds because of betting, another won’t. That’s when you’ll spot a difference between sportsbooks. This difference may allow you to book a bet at improved odds or a more favorable line.\n\nThe lines and odds may even be different right from the jump. Either way, the differences are why line shopping always makes sense. Shop around, and you can find opportunities to lay less, win more, and improve your chances.\n\nSee more: How to bet on sports in the US\n\nShop for the best lines at online sportsbooks\n\nBelow is a live odds feed that shows you the differences between lines and odds for the same bets at many of the top sportsbooks in the country. Look here for current opportunities.\n\nWhat’s the best way to shop lines?\n\nThe easiest way to line-shop is to find something like the live odds feed above. It’s a one-stop shop. Shopping lines here will take just seconds.\n\nPerforming the task manually may take longer, but you can check with more sportsbooks or the chosen few you feel consistently offer the best lines and odds. The best way to do this is to download and install more than one of the best sports betting apps on your phone.\n\nThen, tap around among the sportsbooks to compare lines and odds for the bets you plan.\n\nBest sportsbooks for line shopping\n\nThe biggest brands in sports betting offer competitive lines in dozens of states. Shop around at the following top online sportsbooks to find the best prices on your bets.\n\nCaesars Sportsbook\n\nCaesars' odds and lines are consistently among the best in the country, making it a must-see when shopping lines. The point spreads here can be a half-point to two points better than the competition’s, and the moneyline odds may be more favorable.\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook\n\nThe lines and odds at BetMGM are consistently competitive. Plus, sports betting promos and odds boosts abound, so you'll find a better price on many bets here.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook\n\nDraftKings has more open betting markets than most online sportsbooks, and the lines and odds are always competitive.\n\nFanDuel Sportsbook\n\nFanDuel is committed to posting competitive odds and runs so many generous promos and odds boosts that it is always worth a look.\n\nHow to find the best lines and odds for any bet\n\nShopping around lets you find the best lines and odds for any bet. That means checking the posted lines and odds for the same bets at different sportsbooks.\n\nYou can do this for moneylines, point spreads, totals bets, prop bets, and more. Finding the best line or better odds on any bet is like finding money.\n\nYou can shop around using multiple sportsbook apps on your phone or live odds feeds like the one above. Pick a side, then use the drop-down menus and tabs to find the odds and lines for that bet.\n\nFinally, bet when you see an opportunity at better odds or an improved line compared to the competition.\n\nLine shopping for futures\n\nPeople tend to bet futures at their favorite online sportsbook. However, shopping for better odds on any future bet is worth your time. Most game lines are similar at different sportsbooks, but the odds in futures markets can vary significantly.\n\nSportsbooks sometimes have higher liabilities for specific teams and offer better odds on others to lay that off. Timing is everything.\n\nGet it right, and you can easily take advantage of changes in different futures markets due to liability. However, the only way to find these opportunities is shopping lines.\n\nSee more: NFL futures bets\n\nCan I get a better line or odds after I’ve already bet?\n\nWhen you bet, you lock in the odds or line as currently posted. If they change, for better or worse, you’re stuck with the odds from when you wagered.\n\nThat’s precisely why you should go line shopping before you bet. Of course, if significant changes occur, you can take more action at the improved odds or more favorable line.\n\nIs line shopping worth my time?\n\nBecause it can provide you the opportunity to lay less, win more, and improve your chances, line shopping is certainly worth your time. Plus, it doesn’t have to take up all that much of it.\n\nUse the live odds feed above to do a basic survey. You’ll find it takes just seconds to compare lines and odds. Plus, download and install multiple licensed online sportsbook apps on your phone, and you can do a more thorough shop in just a few minutes.\n\nGetting more points or laying fewer on a typical NFL point spread or NBA point spread might lead to winning a bet you’d otherwise lose. Plus, if you find better odds on any bet, you can potentially drop fewer dollars when you lose and earn more when you win.\n\nShopping lines will help you consistently find the best prices on your bets. It won't help you pick more winners, but it will improve your chances and lead to bigger wins and more affordable losses. That’s undoubtedly worth your time.\n\nFor example, you might like the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a mid-season NFL game. Say you look around and see that three of four licensed online sportsbooks in your state have the Chiefs as -3 favorites, but the fourth has them at just -2.5.\n\nLet’s say the Chiefs win by exactly three, a distinct possibility since a single field goal decides most NFL games. Bets at the first three sportsbooks would push. However, you’d have a winner at the fourth. If you didn’t shop around, you’d never have found that half-point victory and be stuck with a push instead of a profit.\n\nWhat is the Vegas line?\n\nLas Vegas sportsbooks set the standard for lines and odds across the country. If a sportsbook is copying a line, it’s usually copying the Vegas line. Most online betting sites don’t stray too far from the Vegas line, using it as a foundation for setting all lines in every major sport.\n\nIf those lines do shift, it’s usually because of increased betting on one side of a bet. Shop lines locally, and you can take advantage when sportsbooks stray from the Vegas line.\n\nWhy do the lines move?\n\nIt’s worth reiterating that sportsbooks want an equal amount of money bet on each side of every bet. When that happens, they earn the small profit built into the odds without concern about who wins or loses.\n\nSportsbooks want even betting so much that they’ll move a line or change the odds to draw more bets to the other side to get it that way.\n\nThat’s when you’ll see a difference between the lines and odds. Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move. It’ll be difficult for you to find value in that case.\n\nBut when a line moves or odds change because of betting patterns, only the sportsbook that saw the betting makes the change. That’s your opportunity right there.\n\nLine shopping is a tool to help you spot changes due to betting patterns. Then, you can simply take advantage of movement in a line or changes in the odds.\n\nChoose a side, shop around at online sportsbooks, compare the lines and odds, and then pounce when you find one that has something different and more favorable to your viewpoint.\n\nSee more: What is a parlay bet?", + "The primary draw of the moneyline bet lies in its simplicity. Even those just dipping their toes into the world of sports betting for the first time can quickly get a handle on the basics of the moneyline.\n\nOn this page we'll unpack the ins and outs of moneyline betting in more detail.\n\nWhat is a moneyline bet?\n\nSo, what's the essence of a moneyline bet? In this type of bet, the sole focus is identifying the winner.\n\nThe victory margin and the total points scored have no bearing. It doesn't matter if your chosen team clinches a win with a score of 2-1 or a blowout of 50-0; the payout remains unchanged.\n\nIn this way, the moneyline distills sports to their essence: cheering for a victor.\n\nEvery moneyline bet has a favorite and an underdog as determined by the sportsbook. In the context of moneyline betting, \"favorites\" and \"underdogs\" refer to the perceived stronger and weaker participants, respectively.\n\nFavorites:\n\nThe favorite is the participant (be it a team or an individual) who is expected to win the event or matchup.\n\nIn moneyline odds, especially in American odds format, the favorite is usually represented with a minus (-) sign. For instance, if Team A is a favorite and is listed at -150, a bettor would need to wager $150 to win $100.\n\nUnderdogs:\n\nThe underdog is the participant deemed less likely to win compared to the opponent.\n\nUnderdogs in moneyline odds, particularly in the American odds format, are usually represented with a plus (+) sign. If Team B is an underdog and has odds of +130, a bettor would win $130 for every $100 they bet, should Team B win.\n\nMoneyline odds formats\n\nYou'll typically encounter three types of odds when researching and handicapping across various platforms—decimal, fractional, and American.\n\nMost listings on the best online sports betting sites predominantly use American Odds.\n\nAmerican Odds\n\nYou'll usually see these displayed as either a negative (-) or positive (+) number, symbolizing different implications in the betting world.\n\nThe negative numbers might seem a bit perplexing at first. They point to the team, player, or option considered the favorite to win.\n\nThis number can also represent wagers that are less than even money. Essentially, the negative figure tells you how much you need to bet to earn a profit of $100. We'll clarify with an example shortly.\n\nConversely, positive odds signal the underdog in the betting scenario or bets that offer more than even money. This figure shows how much profit you'll make on a $100 wager.\n\nTo illustrate with a moneyline bet: Imagine on a top NFL betting site the New England Patriots are listed as -110 favorites, while the New York Jets stand at +250.\n\nYou decide to back the favorite and bet $110 on the Pats. The Pats win, and you end up with $210.\n\nThat sum comprises your initial $110 bet and the $100 profit you've earned.\n\nFractional Odds\n\nWhile you might occasionally encounter these odds, especially in contexts like horse racing, they're quite straightforward once you get the hang of them, even if they initially seem like a math problem.\n\nThese odds typically look like two numbers separated by a slash (/) or a dash (-), resembling a fraction. For instance, you might see 5/1 or 5-1.\n\nHere's a simple way to interpret fractions: the first number (akin to the numerator in math) represents potential profit, while the second (akin to the denominator) indicates the amount you need to stake.\n\nIn other words, the denominator tells you how much you need to bet to earn a profit equivalent to the numerator.\n\nFor example, with 2/1 odds, you'd earn $2 for every $1 you wager. Conversely, with 4/9 odds, a bet of $9 would yield a $4 profit.\n\nTo further illustrate, if you placed a bet of $9 at 4/9 odds and won, you'd receive $13 in total: your initial $9 stake plus the $4 profit.\n\nDecimal Odds\n\nDecimals are to betting what the metric system is to measurements: straightforward and user-friendly. They present fewer intricacies compared to their American and fractional counterparts.\n\nHowever, just as the metric system is not universally embraced in the US, decimal odds can also be overlooked there.\n\nFortunately, working with decimal odds is simple. To determine a bet's payout, you multiply the decimal odds by the amount you're betting.\n\nFor instance, if the odds on an NHL betting site have the Edmonton Oilers at 2.53 to beat the Detroit Red Wings, a $10 bet would yield a $25.30 return. This includes your initial $10 wager, along with a profit of $15.30.\n\nIt's essential to note that this calculation gives you the total payout, not just your earnings. If you're keen on tracking your profits from betting, remember to subtract your original stake from the payout to get an accurate figure.\n\nWhy do moneyline odds change?\n\nLines at the best sports betting apps change quickly due to two primary reasons:\n\nPublic betting\n\nNew information\n\nBefore setting odds for an event, oddsmakers gather extensive data. Once they finalize the odds, they release them to the public.\n\nAs a bettor, you can bet immediately or wait for potential shifts in the odds, although predicting these shifts is challenging.\n\nFor instance, when examining odds for the next Super Bowl champion released shortly after the previous Super Bowl, these odds are based mostly on the recently concluded season.\n\nAs the new season approaches and teams make changes, odds adjust based on perceived championship chances. As games progress, lines continue to evolve based on team performances.\n\nPublic betting can also sway lines. If too many wagers favor one outcome, sportsbooks adjust the odds to balance the bets. This ensures an even distribution of bets and reduces the sportsbook's financial risk.\n\nMoneyline betting outcomes\n\nWhen you’re placing a moneyline wager, several outcomes are possible. The most straightforward outcome is a win or a loss, determined by whether the team or individual you bet on is victorious or defeated.\n\nThere's also the possibility of a draw, which occurs if the event ends in a tie.\n\nMoneyline win\n\nWinning a moneyline bet is very straightforward. All you need to do is pick the team or individual who is going to win an event and choose correctly.\n\nIf you bet on a boxing match between Boxer A and Boxer B, and you've bet on Boxer B to win and he does, then your bet would be successful and you'd get paid based on the odds at the time you placed your wager.\n\nMoneyline loss\n\nWhen placing a moneyline wager, a loss simply means that the team or individual you bet on did not win the event or matchup.\n\nFor example, let's say on an NBA betting site you bet on a basketball game between Team A and Team B. You believe Team A will win, so you place a $100 moneyline wager on them. If Team B wins, your bet on Team A would be a loss.\n\nDraw\n\nIn some sports, notably soccer, games can end in a draw, and bettors have the option to wager on this outcome. When placing a moneyline wager in such situations, you'll typically see three sets of odds: one for each team to win and one for the game to end in a draw.\n\nFor instance, consider a soccer match between Team A and Team B. The moneyline odds might look something like this:\n\nTeam A: +150\n\n+150 Draw: +220\n\n+220 Team B: +180\n\nIf you believe the game will end in a tie, you could place a $100 wager on the \"Draw\" option. If the match indeed concludes with a tied score, you would win based on the +220 odds. This means you'd receive $220 in profit on top of your $100 stake, totaling $320. However, if either Team A or Team B wins, you'd lose your $100 wager.\n\nSee more: Best soccer betting sites\n\nMoneyline betting examples by sport\n\nBelow are some examples of typical moneyline bets you'll find for various professional sports.\n\nMoneyline odds in football\n\nNFL moneyline odds for a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants might look something like this:\n\nDallas Cowboys: -130\n\n-130 New York Giants: +110\n\nHere, the Cowboys are the favorites, indicated by the negative odds. If you bet $130 on the Cowboys and they win, you would earn a profit of $100.\n\nThe New York Giants are the underdogs, as shown by the positive odds. If you wager $100 on the Giants and they pull off an upset victory, you would earn a profit of $110.\n\nMoneyline odds in basketball\n\nNBA moneyline odds for a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat might be presented as:\n\nLos Angeles Lakers: -150\n\n-150 Miami Heat: +130\n\nIn this scenario, the Lakers are favored to win, as indicated by the negative odds. If you back the Lakers with a bet of $150 and they win, you would earn a profit of $100.\n\nThe Heat are the underdogs. If you place a $100 bet on the Heat and they win, your profit would be $130.\n\nMoneyline odds in baseball\n\nMLB moneyline odds for a game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox might look like this:\n\nNew York Yankees: -120\n\n-120 Boston Red Sox: +100\n\nThe Yankees are slight favorites. If you bet $120 on the Yankees and they win, you'd earn a profit of $100. The Red Sox have even odds, shown by the +100. This means if you bet $100 on the Red Sox and they win, you'd also earn a profit of $100.\n\nMoneyline odds in hockey\n\nNHL moneyline odds for a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks might be displayed as:\n\nToronto Maple Leafs: -140\n\n-140 Chicago Blackhawks: +120\n\nIf you put down $140 on the Maple Leafs and they win, you would earn a profit of $100. If you bet $100 on the Blackhawks and they pull off a win, you'd receive a profit of $120.\n\nMoneyline odds in soccer\n\nSoccer moneyline odds for an MLS match between the Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United might look like this:\n\nSeattle Sounders: +110\n\n+110 Draw: +230\n\n+230 Atlanta United: +140\n\nIn this scenario, neither team is a clear favorite, but the Seattle Sounders have slightly better odds. If you bet $100 on the Sounders and they win, you'd earn a profit of $110.\n\nIf you believe the match might end in a tie, you could place a bet on the \"Draw\" option. A $100 bet on a draw would result in a $230 profit if the match ends tied.\n\nMeanwhile, if you back Atlanta United with a $100 wager and they win, you'd secure a profit of $140.\n\nRemember, in soccer, the possibility of a draw is a common outcome to bet on, which is different from many other major sports.\n\nMoneyline odds in MMA/UFC\n\nUFC moneyline odds for a fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier might look like this:\n\nConor McGregor: -200\n\n-200 Dustin Poirier: +170\n\nIf you bet $200 on McGregor and he wins the fight, you'd earn a profit of $100. If you bet $100 on Poirier and he wins, you would earn a profit of $170.\n\nMoneyline odds in tennis\n\nTennis odds for a match between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova might be displayed as:\n\nSerena Williams: -150\n\n-150 Maria Sharapova: +130\n\nIn this hypothetical matchup, Serena is the favorite to win. If you bet $150 on Williams and she wins, you would earn a profit of $100. Sharapova is the underdog. If you place a $100 wager on Sharapova and she manages to win, you'll receive a profit of $130.\n\nMoneyline odds in golf\n\nLet's consider some PGA tour odds at one of the best golf betting sites where you're betting on an individual golfer to win. The moneyline odds might be presented as:\n\nTiger Woods: +500\n\n+500 Rory McIlroy: +600\n\nIn this hypothetical tournament scenario, neither golfer is a strong favorite, but the odds indicate their perceived chances to win. If you decide to bet $100 on Tiger Woods and he wins the tournament, you'd earn a profit of $500.\n\nOn the other hand, if you place a $100 wager on Rory McIlroy and he clinches the tournament victory, you'd secure a profit of $600.\n\nIt's important to note that in PGA and other golf tournaments, there are usually many players, so the odds can be much higher than in head-to-head sports matchups, given the broader field of competition.\n\nMoneyline Betting FAQ\n\nHow do moneyline bets work?\n\nMoneylines hinge on the outright winner of a game or event. They are presented with either a positive (+) or negative (-) sign:\n\nA positive moneyline (+) indicates the underdog and represents the amount of profit on a $100 bet.\n\nA negative moneyline (-) indicates the favorite and shows how much you need to bet to earn a $100 profit.\n\nWhat happens if there’s a tie in a moneyline bet?\n\nIf there's a tie in a moneyline bet, it is typically referred to as a \"push.\" When a push occurs, bettors are refunded their original wager. No money is won or lost. However, sports that typically have the possibility of a tie (like soccer) often provide bettors with the option to bet on a draw.\n\nIf the game ends in a draw and you haven't bet on that option, you would lose your bet. It's essential to understand the specific rules of the sportsbook and the sport you're betting on to know how ties are handled.\n\nDoes overtime count in my moneyline bet?\n\nYes, in most sports and with most sportsbooks (including new betting sites), overtime (or any extra time or tiebreakers) does count in a moneyline bet.\n\nThat said, always check the specific rules of the sportsbook you're using to ensure you understand their policies.\n\nWhy do moneyline odds change?\n\nMoneyline odds change for several reasons.\n\nPublic Betting Patterns: If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability. By making the odds less favorable for a heavily-bet team and more favorable for the less-bet team, they can encourage more even betting.\n\nIf a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability. By making the odds less favorable for a heavily-bet team and more favorable for the less-bet team, they can encourage more even betting. New Information: Changes in factors like player injuries, player substitutions, or even changes in weather conditions can affect the perceived outcome of an event. When such information becomes public, sportsbooks may adjust the odds accordingly.\n\nChanges in factors like player injuries, player substitutions, or even changes in weather conditions can affect the perceived outcome of an event. When such information becomes public, sportsbooks may adjust the odds accordingly. Professional Bettors: Large wagers from sharp bettors or professional gamblers can cause the lines to shift. These individuals often have insights or information that can influence the odds.\n\nLarge wagers from sharp bettors or professional gamblers can cause the lines to shift. These individuals often have insights or information that can influence the odds. Initial Miscalculation: Sometimes, the initial odds set by oddsmakers may be perceived as offering value to bettors. In such cases, heavy betting on one side might indicate that the initial odds were potentially \"off,\" prompting an adjustment.\n\nSometimes, the initial odds set by oddsmakers may be perceived as offering value to bettors. In such cases, heavy betting on one side might indicate that the initial odds were potentially \"off,\" prompting an adjustment. Event Dynamics: For live betting, where bets are placed while the event is in progress, the evolving dynamics of the match can lead to frequent changes in the odds.\n\nSportsbooks adjust moneyline odds to ensure they remain profitable, balance their book, and reflect the most current information about the event.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "Bettors across the country can wager on which player they believe will win the coveted NBA Rookie of the Year award as part of NBA futures betting.\n\nLike other NBA futures odds, this can be bet on before the start of the NBA regular season and throughout the year. The best NBA betting apps make it simple and convenient.\n\nBelow, you can check the latest NBA Rookie of the Year odds as posted at online sportsbooks and how to bet on them.\n\nCurrent NBA ROTY odds\n\nCheck the current NBA ROTY odds below. Click on any odds to claim your bonus and get started.\n\nWho are the NBA RoY odds favorites?\n\nVictor Wembanyama: Coach Gregg Popovich's Spurs have a gem in Victor Wembanyama, a generational talent and a strong Rookie of the Year contender. Even with a young roster and potential load management, Wembanyama's undeniable impact is evident.\n\nHis elite defense, highlighted by his 7-foot-4 height and 8-foot wingspan, allows him to dominate where others can't. Offensively, his agility and skill set are unparalleled for his size. If he refines his shooting and continues to adapt to the Spurs' style, as seen in his impressive NBA preseason performance, he'll be a force to reckon with.\n\nScoot Henderson: The Portland Trail Blazers have restructured, placing Henderson as Damian Lillard's successor. Supported by talents such as Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant, much of the Blazers' fortunes hinge on Henderson.\n\nAfter a stellar season with the G League Ignite, expectations for his rookie year are soaring. Known for his strength and agility, and with a promising defense, Henderson is set to become a fan favorite.\n\nChet Holmgren: The Oklahoma City Thunder anticipate a strong season, largely due to Holmgren. Boasting a 7-foot frame and notable skills, Holmgren stands out as a Rookie of the Year contender, underpinned by impressive stats and team impact.\n\nHis wingspan and defensive prowess will challenge opponents. Offensively, he capitalizes on mismatches and has diverse scoring abilities, from the paint to the 3-point line. His underrated passing syncs well with OKC's pace and style.\n\nHow to bet on NBA Rookie of the Year\n\nThe first thing you need when preparing to bet on the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, or any other bet, is an account at an online sportsbook.\n\nSigning up for a new betting account doesn’t take much time. Once you visit the online sportsbook you’re interested in, click a “sign up” or “register” button. This will take you to a form for your details. Fill that out and accept the sportsbook’s terms and conditions.\n\nAt that point, you’ll be able to claim your welcome bonus, which you’ll qualify for by following the link on this page from our site to the online sportsbook. If you need to enter a code to get the bonus, you’ll also find that code on our site.\n\nWe urge you to read the requirements for any available promotions and offers before accepting them so you’re aware of any restrictions before betting.\n\nYou can now place your initial deposit, which is easy at online betting sites thanks to various deposit and withdrawal options.\n\nTo bet on the NBA Rookie of the Year, navigate to the basketball section of the sportsbook website, select the NBA, and go to the futures tab.\n\nYou’ll find Rookie of the Year odds, NBA MVP odds, and more there. Select the bet you want to make, enter the amount you want to bet, and finalize your bet slip.\n\nEnsure you’re using only legal online sportsbooks for any type of betting. Offshore sportsbooks advertise widely on the internet, but they are illegal and offer no protection against fraud and other criminal activities.\n\nBest sportsbooks for NBA Rookie of the Year odds\n\nHere are some of the best sports betting sites where you can bet on the next NBA Rookie of the Year.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings, known as a daily fantasy sports operator before becoming a renowned sportsbook, offers up a nice variety of futures bets, including the NBA Rookie of the Year award. The online sportsbook and betting app are intuitive and offer an easy-to-understand betting experience. Additionally, DraftKings fields a competitive welcome bonus for new players.\n\nDraftKings, known as a daily fantasy sports operator before becoming a renowned sportsbook, offers up a nice variety of futures bets, including the NBA Rookie of the Year award. The online sportsbook and betting app are intuitive and offer an easy-to-understand betting experience. Additionally, DraftKings fields a competitive welcome bonus for new players. FanDuel Sportsbook: Also known for being in the DFS market, FanDuel has one of the largest followings in the country. It offers competitive odds for NBA ROTY and has one of the best sports betting apps. Look for a quality welcome bonus for new players and attractive promotions for existing customers.\n\nAlso known for being in the DFS market, FanDuel has one of the largest followings in the country. It offers competitive odds for NBA ROTY and has one of the best sports betting apps. Look for a quality welcome bonus for new players and attractive promotions for existing customers. BetMGM Sportsbook: As one of the most recognizable names in the gambling industry, BetMGM knows how to attract and keep customers with competitive odds for all bet types, including futures bets and the NBA Rookie of the Year. BetMGM offers many deposit and withdrawal options and 24/7 customer service, and generous sports betting bonuses and promotions.\n\nAs one of the most recognizable names in the gambling industry, BetMGM knows how to attract and keep customers with competitive odds for all bet types, including futures bets and the NBA Rookie of the Year. BetMGM offers many deposit and withdrawal options and 24/7 customer service, and generous sports betting bonuses and promotions. Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars knows its way around sports betting when you use its app and online sportsbook. It offers favorable odds for almost every bet type, including NBA ROTY betting, and offers a nice variety of deposit and withdrawal options. Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.\n\nWhen is the best time for NBA ROTY odds?\n\nThe earlier you bet on NBA ROTY, the better the odds. But you’ll be doing so without much information that could be key in making an educated decision.\n\nConversely, if you wait for the data you need for an informed bet, the odds will tighten up, and you will see less of a return on your wager.\n\nWhen the lines are first released for NBA ROTY honors, the season hasn’t even started yet, so there are no statistics, trends, or player news. The pre-season odds are so favorable because even the oddsmakers don’t have the data to craft more specific lines.\n\nOnce the season has started and you get to see how the various rookies are performing, you can gather the relevant data. But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.\n\nSo, while you can better guess which player will hoist the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, the odds will be tighter, and your potential return on your wager will be reduced.\n\nPros and cons of betting early on the NBA Rookie of the Year:\n\nPros:\n\nYou have an opportunity to find better value.\n\nThe betting odds are fresh and haven't been adjusted.\n\nCons:\n\nThere is a much higher risk as a player's performance, health, and team dynamic can change throughout the season.\n\nYou’ll find limited information to make an informed bet.\n\nPros and cons of waiting to bet on the NBA Rookie of the Year:\n\nPros:\n\nThere is a lot more information available to make an informed bet.\n\nYou don’t risk betting on a player not remotely in contention.\n\nCons:\n\nThere is a reduced opportunity to find value.\n\nThe odds may not be as favorable.\n\nKeep in mind that it’s always important to take into consideration your risk tolerance while you weigh the potential rewards. No matter when you decide to make your wager, always gather as much information as possible before risking your hard-earned money.\n\nWho are the past NBA ROTY winners?\n\nFor context, here is a list of the National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year winners since 2010.\n\nSeason Player Position Team 2023 Paolo Banchero Forward Orlando Magic 2022 Scottie Barnes Forward Toronto Raptors 2021 LaMelo Ball Guard Charlotte Hornets 2020 Ja Morant Guard Memphis Grizzlies 2019 Luka Dončić Guard/Forward Dallas Mavericks 2018 Ben Simmons Forward/Guard Philadelphia 76ers 2017 Malcolm Brogdon Guard Milwaukee Bucks 2016 Karl-Anthony Towns Center Minnesota Timberwolves 2015 Andrew Wiggins Forward/Guard Minnesota Timberwolves 2014 Michael Carter-Williams Guard Philadelphia 76ers 2013 Damian Lillard Guard Portland Trail Blazers 2012 Kyrie Irving Guard Cleveland Cavaliers 2011 Blake Griffin Forward Los Angeles Clippers 2010 Tyreke Evans Guard/Forward Sacramento Kings\n\nWhat other NBA futures can I bet on?\n\nRookie of the Year is not the only form of NBA futures betting. Legal online sportsbooks have a wide selection of NBA futures you can bet on, including:\n\nIn addition to futures bets, you can wager on many NBA bets during the regular season and postseason. NBA game lines (moneylines, point spreads, and totals) are the most popular, but you’ll also be able to bet on NBA team and player props, parlays, and more.\n\nThe NBA is the second-most popular odds market to bet on in the US, behind NFL betting odds. That means every online betting site always has a great selection of NBA odds.", + "13 Dec 2023 02.36 GMT James Wallace That’s it from me this evening/morning. Time to haul myself out of the OBO armchair and skulk off for some kip. That was an intriguing game and sets up this T20I series nicely. A real statement has been laid down by Rovman Powell and his men, West Indies were up against it early doors with England crunching their way to 112-2 off the first ten overs but Jos Buttler’s side only managed to make 59 runs off the next ten, losing eight wickets along the way. A total of 171 was thirty or more shy of where England would have liked to have ended up and so it proved as West Indies peeled up their sleeves and showed how muscular their own batting card is – the home side cleared the ropes fourteen times compared to England’s six. Andre Russell and Rovman Powell found the stands with ease at the business end of the match to get West Indies over the line with eleven balls remaining. We’ll be back to cover the second match in Grenada on Thursday, do join us for that. Until then, thank you and goodnight.\n\nUpdated at 02.36 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 02.28 GMT Andre Russell is Player of the Match: In his first T20I in over two years he took 3-29 and smashed 29* off just 14 deliveries with the game in the balance. He seems very pleased to be back in maroon. Life is so funny. Since when I got selected for the West Indies two weeks ago I’ve been dreaming of being man of the match.”\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 02.09 GMT West Indies win by 4 wickets! Andre Russell smashes the winning runs off Sam Curran! A length ball is spanked over point for a one bounce four to give the home side the win, they go 1-0 up in the series.\n\nUpdated at 02.29 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 02.07 GMT 18th over: West Indies 168-6 (Powell 31, Russell 25) Adil Rashid is recalled for his final over, can he turn the game back to England? Nope. ANDRE RUSSELL SMASHES THE RASHID GOOGLY CLEAN OUT OF THE GROUND! Huge SIX! The big man even allows himself a coy smile. He enjoyed that one. A dot the next ball is followed by a powerful drive all along the baize for four! Eleven in total off the over and West Indies now just need four runs.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 02.01 GMT 17th over: West Indies 157-6 (Powell 31, Russell 14) Tymal Mills is entrusted. Singles off the first two balls. Powell swipes a full ball into the deep to collect a couple. SIX! Mills goes short and Powell gets a mighty top edge for a maximum! Fortune favours the brave, the Windies skipper gave that everything and it could have gone anywhere. Mills sends one down the leg side – wide ball. Pressure on the bowler here… Shot! Short and wide from Mills and sent to the fence with Swiss clock timing by Powell. Sixteen off the over, looking terminal for Buttler and co. 15 needed from 18 balls.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.55 GMT 16th over: West Indies 141-6 (Powell 26, Russell 4) Livingstone continues. Four singles off the first four balls keeps the pressure on the West Indies. HOLD THAT THOUGHT. Rovman Powell crunches consecutive sixes down the ground with a shrug and swagger to make it sixteen off the over. The scales tip once more, England need to do away with one or both of Powell and Russell – there’s no way they don’t win this for West Indies if they are there at the end. 31 needed from 24 balls.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.51 GMT 15th over: West Indies 125-6 (Powell 12, Russell 2) Andre Russell the man to face the hattrick ball… Boo! A decent ball on the stumps is patted back by the big man. Drama in Barbados, Russell works for a couple. Ahmed takes his cap with a broad smile on his face – he hasn’t had it all his own way but finishes with 3-39 from his set of four. Advantage England? 47 needed from 30 balls.\n\nUpdated at 01.54 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.47 GMT WICKET! Shepherd c Curran b Rehan Ahmed 0 (West Indies 123-6) Rehan Ahmed on a hattrick! Buttler brings Curran into slip and Shepherd pokes a leggie to him off his very first ball. Great stuff from Rehan who has turned the game England’s way in the space of a minute.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.45 GMT WICKET! Shai Hope c Brook b Rehan Ahmed 36 (West Indies 123-5) Ahmed is bunted for SIX by Shai Hope but strikes with the next ball as Hope holes out!\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.44 GMT 14th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 27, Powell 10) Liam Livingstone instead of Rashid and he does well to keep it to singles, England trying to take this as deep as possible and hope West Indies fluff their lines at the death. West Indies need 55 from 36 balls.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.41 GMT 13th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 27, Powell 10) Rehan has two balls left to complete his over. The first ball is flayed for four by Powell behind point! Valuable runs for West Indies. Rehan’s final ball is a dot, defended by Powell into the off side. West Indies need 60 from 42 balls.\n\nUpdated at 01.42 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.30 GMT Simon Burnton is our man in Barbados and he sends good news! “It’s a 9.35pm restart. We haven’t lost any overs.” We should be underway in about eight minutes. I believe that 10.10pm local time is the cut off for the match – that’ll be 2.10am here in London town. Excuse me whilst I head to the kitchen to microdose some Kenco.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.14 GMT Promising news – the rain seems to be tailing off and a rope is being dragged around the outfield to take off any excess water. I’ll bring news as soon as it wafts over from Barbados to my sofa.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 01.00 GMT Rain stops play (West Indies 108-4 and require 64 runs off 44 balls) What’s all this then? Out of nowhere the heavens crack like an inky brûlée and rain starts to pour. The players scurry off as the covers are hauled on. Crucially – West Indies are six runs ahead of the Duckworth Lewis Stern rate. IF the rain doesn’t abate – and it looks heavy at the moment – then the home side will take the spoils. 12.4 overs: West Indies 108-4 (Hope 27, Powell 6)\n\nUpdated at 01.09 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles. Windies skipper Rovman Powell is the new man and Buttler cranks the pressure by inserting a slip.\n\nUpdated at 01.04 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.52 GMT WICKET! Hetmyer c Duckett b Rashid 1 (West Indies 101-4) Adil Rashid takes his 100th T20I wicket! A crucial one in the context of the game too – the dangerous Hetmyer is sent on his way for just a single as England look to ramp up the pressure heading into the nub end of this match. Hetmyer danced out of his crease and got a good piece of the length ball but it flew flat and hard to Duckett on the midwicket sponge. And he does it on his 100th T20I appearance! 💯#BBCCricket #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/LYhUBtNnUj — Test Match Special (@bbctms) December 13, 2023\n\nUpdated at 01.02 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.49 GMT WICKET! Pooran c & b Rehan Ahmed 13 (West Indies 100-3) Rehan back into the attack after his first over was minced for n n n n nineteen. Got him! Pooran flicks back a full ball and Rehan takes a nifty catch tumbling away to his left. Shimron Hetymer is the new batter and he tucks a single into the leg side to open his account. The wicket has given Ahmed a confidence boost and he gets out of the over with three dots. 11th over: West Indies 101-3 (Hope 25, Hetmyer 1)\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.43 GMT 10th over: West Indies 99-2 (Hope 25, Pooran 13) Rashid is given another after his excellent first over. The googly is spotted by Pooran and driven down the ground handsomely for SIX! A glide behind point bring a single, Hope returns the favour with a flick into the leg side. A short ball is panned into the deep by Pooran for a couple to end the over. Bon Jovi O’clock – West Indies need 73 from 60. Time for a quick slurp for the players and a knuckle stretch for me. Is there anybody alive out there?!\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.37 GMT 9th over: West Indies 87-2 (Hope 23, Pooran 3) Will the wickets slow the Windies as they did England? Rehan is replaced by Tymal Mills who starts with another wide. Rusty stuff so far from the southpaw seamer. That’s better – a series of slower balls and back of the hand trickery restricts Pooran and Hope before the final ball is top edged over Buttler’s head for a one bounce four. West Indies need 85 from 66 balls.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.32 GMT WICKET! Kyle Mayers c Brook b Rashid 35 (West Indies 79-3) The sorcerer follows his apprentice and bags a wicket first ball! That’s Rashid’s 99th T20I wicket – in truth it was a bit of a drag down but from the front of the hand so it skidded onto Mayers who didn’t time it and was caught by Brook in the deep. England needed that BIG TIME. A masterclass from Rashid in the rest of the over, Nicholas Pooran is the new man and his clip for one is the only run from the over. 8th over: West Indies 79-2 (Hope 19, Pooran 1)\n\nUpdated at 00.56 GMT\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.28 GMT 7th over: West Indies 78-1 (Mayers 35, Hope 19) Rehan to Kyle Mayers. First ball is dragged down and launched over the midwicket boundary for SIX. Pressure on the young leggie. What a shot! Mayers holds the pose as he lofts a supreme drive down the ground for SIX more. Brutal elegance. Rehan comes back well with two sharply turning leggies. Bosh! Shai Hope gets in on the act and smears a length ball over mid on for the third six of the over. It’s a learning curve for the tyro spinner but that doesn’t make it any less bruising.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.23 GMT 6th over: West Indies 59-1 (Mayers 22, Hope 13) Curran is called back, Mills granted just the one over for the time being. Two slower balls bring two soothing dots for England. A single each to Mayers and Hope. Curran does very well to get out of the over with just three runs conceded. Powerplay complete. How long till we see some spin from Rehan? Not long at all, he’s on for the next over.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.20 GMT 5th over: West Indies 56-1 (Mayers 20, Hope 12) Woakes continues, after five balls he’s gone for just three runs. Can he get out of the over cheaply? No – A length ball is clubbed down the ground for SIX with a minimum of fuss by Shai Hope. West Indies have come out of the traps as well as England did, one over of the Powerplay left.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.16 GMT 4th over: West Indies 47-1 (Mayers 18, Hope 5) Tymal Mills comes onto bowl for England for the first time in eighteen months, he has plenty of T20 skills up his sleeve, can he showcase them here? Hmmm, a couple of wides slanted down the leg side isn’t the best of starts. Mills lets out a hearty groan at the second. Two full balls are worked for singles… Kablammo! Mills to Mayers – short ball – pulled onto the roof for SIX! What a shot, new ball please! DROP! And it is Ben Duckett who shells it! It would have been even better than the first grab but the ball smashes into his palm as he leaps to his right and comes straight out. They stick or they don’t. It’s all happening.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.10 GMT 3rd over: West Indies 36-1 (Mayers 10, Hope 4) Shai Hope is the new man and digs out a Woakes yorker and somehow manages to crunch it away down the ground for four. The replay of the Duckett catch is extremely enjoyable, Woakes owes him one for that as it was a poor ball outside off stump.\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.07 GMT WICKET! Brandon King c Duckett b Woakes 22 (West Indies 32-1) Chris Woakes into the attack to replace the beleaguered Sam Curran. OH. MY. LORDY. Ben Duckett flies to his left at backward point to pull off a spectacular diving catch off a full blooded cut shot from King. Stunner!\n\n\n\n13 Dec 2023 00.03 GMT 2nd over: West Indies 30-0 (King 21, Mayers 9) Will Jacks to bowl his workmanlike spin at the other end. Uh-Oh! He drops short and Kyle Mayers murders it, the ball lands on the roof of the stadium. That deserved everything it got. Mayers cuts for three behind point and then King skips jauntily out of his crease to skim the ball for four down the ground!\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.59 GMT 1st over: West Indies 16-0 (King 16, Mayers) Brandon King gets the home side off to a blistering start, sending Sam Curran down the ground for four and swiping a brace of SIXES over mid-wicket. Game on!\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.56 GMT No sooner have I sploshed some water on me teabag… the players emerge. West Indies need 172 to win!\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.48 GMT An innings of two halves for England From 77 for no loss to 171 all out with three balls to spare. England's recent white ball approach is a variable one yielding mixed...often frustrating results #WIvENG — Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) December 12, 2023\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.47 GMT Time to stick the kettle on and raid the fridge before West Indies start their chase. 3-19 for Andre Russell on his comeback for West Indies, balancing the attack perfectly.\n\n\n\nRussell at his best adds so much to West Indies's side. With him at 7, and Holder, Shepherd and Hosein to follow, West Indies bat incredibly deep — Tim Wigmore (@timwig) December 12, 2023\n\nUpdated at 23.48 GMT\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.46 GMT England all out 171! Tymal Mills gets a gossamer thin edge through to Pooran and England are all out with three deliveries to spare! What a turnaround for West Indies who were staring down the barrel with England flying 77-0 after six overs.\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.44 GMT WICKET! Rashid b Joseph 0 (England 170-9) Rashid goes to swipe Joseph in the final over and hacks the ball onto his timbers. England nine down…\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.42 GMT WICKET! Ahmed c Powell b Russell 1 (England 169-8) Rehan Ahmed follows shortly after, trying to smear a length ball down the ground he can only find Powell lurking ten yards in from the sponge. Russell gets two in the over and finishes his spell and his first T20I in two years with figures of 3-19. Nicely done. 19th over: England 169-8 (Woakes 2, Rashid 0)\n\n\n\n12 Dec 2023 23.37 GMT WICKET! Livingstone b Russell 27 (England 167-7) Livingstone chops a cutter from Russell onto his stumps!\n\n", + "6d ago 23.36 GMT Jos Buttler’s reaction We probably didn’t adapt quickly enough with the bat – I thought 16o w0uld have been a decent score on a used wicket. It was a fantastic bowling effort; we did well to hang in the game as long as we did. Phil Salt has had a brilliant series. We found out lots about ourselves as a team. [On the stop-clock experiment] It was only in the last game that we really noticed it. It’s good to keep the game moving.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.19 GMT England’s miserable white-ball year ends with another series defeat. Plenty of good has come from this series, though, most notably the performance of Phil Salt. While there are a few slots to fill, most notably at No3, they are in reasonable shape ahead of nexr year’s World Cup.\n\nUpdated at 23.20 GMT\n\n6d ago 23.16 GMT I suppose it’s appropriate that it ended with a six, the 120th of the series. Hope played a gem of an innings there, calmly anchoring West Indies in an increasingly nervous chase with a run-a-ball 43. England fought admirably to defend a below-par total; but for Hope, they would probably have done it.\n\nUpdated at 23.17 GMT\n\n6d ago 23.14 GMT WEST INDIES WIN THE SERIES 3-2! 19.2 overs: West Indies 133-6 (Hope 43, Holder 4) That’s it! Hope pings Woakes over extra cover for six to seal another series victory for West Indies! West Indies’ Shai Hope (right) celebrates with Jason Holder after hitting a six to win the match by 4 wickets. Photograph: Ricardo Mazalán/AP 𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗫 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛! 🙌@WindiesCricket claim the series 3-2 and a white-ball clean-sweep 🏏#WIvENG pic.twitter.com/chrYkHbtcp — Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 21, 2023\n\nUpdated at 23.34 GMT\n\n6d ago 23.13 GMT 19.1 overs: West Indies 127-6 (Hope 37, Holder 4) Holder inside edges Woakes this far wide of leg stump for three runs. It would have been four but for an outstanding stop from Rehan Ahmed.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.12 GMT 19th over; West Indies 124-6 (Hope 37, Holder 1) Holder is almost run out first ball! He took a very dodgy single to mid-off and was well short of the crease when Curran just failed to gather Rashid’s throw. Nine to win from six balls, Chris Woakes to bowl them.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.10 GMT WICKET! West Indies 123-6 (Russell c Livingstone b Curran 3) Oh my. Russell slugs a low full toss straight down the throat of Livingstone at long-on, and England – who have been behind the game throughout this innings – are again dreaming of an improbable victory. West Indies need 10 from 7 balls.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.09 GMT 18.4 overs: West Indies 123-5 (Hope 37, Russell 3) Sam Curran concedes only one run from the first four balls of a superb penultimate over. The ball is getting very wet, though, so there’s a short break in play while England call for a dry towel. West Indies need 10 from 8 balls.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.04 GMT 18th over: West Indies 122-5 (Hope 36, Russell 3) Jos Buttler gambles by continuing with Rehan Ahmed, who has been relatively expensive. It doesn’t come off: Hope skims a back cut between short third and backward point for four to move the requirement back below a run a ball. It’s very hard to see how England can with this now.\n\n\n\n6d ago 23.00 GMT 17th over: West Indies 114-5 (Hope 30, Russell 1) The wicket England really need is that of Shai Hope, who is quietly guiding West Indies towards the finish line.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.57 GMT WICKET! West Indies 113-5 (Powell c Rashid b Topley 8) England haven’t given this up. Powell edges Topley to short third man, where Rashid takes a smart low catch to his left. West Indies need 20 from 21 balls. Reece Topley (right) celebrates the dismissal of Rovman Powell. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images\n\nUpdated at 23.07 GMT\n\n6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary. Rehan has struggled as the series has progressed, an d later in the over Powell muscles him over long-on for six. West Indies are 21 runs away from a hat-trick of T20 series wins this year: South Africa away, India and England at home.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.50 GMT 15th over: West Indies 99-4 (Hope 23, Powell 1) Rashid finishes with figures of 4-0-21-2. He’s had a great series: eight wickets at 15 with an absurd economy rate of 6.26. But he’s going to end on the losing side.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.48 GMT WICKET! West Indies 95-4 (Rutherford c Curran b Rashid 30) Buttler brings back Rashid for his final over, knowing it’s now or never for England, and gets an immediate reward. Rutherford smashes a drive towards short extra, where Curran dives to his left to take a superb catch. It’s not the despair, Laura…\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.45 GMT 14th over: West Indies 94-3 (Hope 19, Rutherford 30) West Indies are rushing towards a series victory. Rutherford hooks the new bowler Sam Curran for six more, and there are 11 from the over in total. Rutherford has 30 from 23 balls, Hope 19 from 28. They’re playing their roles to perfection.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.40 GMT 13th over: West Indies 83-3 (Hope 17, Rutherford 21) Rehan Ahmed returns, perhaps in the hope of tempting Rutherford into one big shot too many. Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries. England are running out of time.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.37 GMT 12th over: West Indies 80-3 (Hope 15, Rutherford 20) England appeal unsuccessfully for caught behind when Rutherford misses a swipe at Rashid. There’s only one review left and they decide not to risk it. A good job too; there was nothing on UltraEdge. Out of nothing Rutherford launches a full ball from Rashid down the ground for six, almost knocking himself off his feet in the process. West Indies are managing an awkward chase pretty well.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.33 GMT 11th over: West Indies 71-3 (Hope 14, Rutherford 12) After 23 balls without a West Indian boundary, Rutherford lifts Moeen handsomely over extra cover for four. That’s an excellent shot which keeps West Indies in control of the run-chase.\n\nUpdated at 22.33 GMT\n\n6d ago 22.28 GMT 10th over: West Indies 62-3 (Hope 12, Rutherford 5) West Indies know how dangerous Rashid is and are content to sit on him. I think that was Charles’ plan as well, but then he saw a low full toss and his brain went rogue. Time for drinks, after which West Indies need 71 from 60 balls.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.25 GMT Rutherford is not out! I need someone else’s glasses: it was comfortably missing leg stump and England have lost a review.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.25 GMT ENGLAND REVIEW FOR LBW AGAINST RUTHERFORD! This looks really close. Rutherford pushed around a legbreak from Rashid and was hit on the pad in front of middle and leg.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.24 GMT 9th over: West Indies 58-3 (Hope 11, Rutherford 2) Moeen replaces Rehan and rushes through a pretty good over, four singles from it. West Indies are still on top but another wicket would make things very interesting.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.21 GMT WICKET! West Indies 54-3 (Charles c Buttler b Rashid 27) Adil Rashid strikes straight away. On this occasion it had nothing to do with his bowling, but maybe a little to do with his aura. He accidentally bowled a very wide, dipping full toss to Charles, who clunked it low to Jos Buttler at short extra cover. Adil Rashid (right) celebrates the dismissal of Johnson Charles (left). Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images\n\nUpdated at 22.43 GMT\n\n6d ago 22.17 GMT 7th over: West Indies 51-2 (Charles 26, Hope 7) Rehan Ahmed’s first over disappears for 12. It started quite gently, with four singles and a two off the first five balls, but then Charles clattered a no-nonsense straight six. “We’re not going to win this, Rob,” writes Guy Hornsby. “But I’m just here to say I’m still watching for Woakes’ seam position and Rehan’s googly. That is all.”\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.13 GMT 6th over: West Indies 39-2 (Charles 16, Hope 5) Charles mistimes a short ball from Woakes just short of Moeen in the covers. In the end Moeen does well to save the boundary. This has been a good fightback by England, with only nine runs scored in the last three overs.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.09 GMT 5th over: West Indies 37-2 (Charles 15, Hope 4) Topley continues, which makes sense because the spinners will be doing most of the work after the Powerplay, and concedes only three runs. He has quietly had a good series and is comfortably the most economical seamer on either side.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.05 GMT 4th over: West Indies 34-2 (Charles 15, Hope 1) England needed early wickets to have a realistic chance of victory. One more in the Powerplay, before they bring on Adil Rashid, would put them right back in the game.\n\n\n\n6d ago 22.03 GMT WICKET! West Indies 33-2 (Pooran b Woakes 10) UltraEdge shows Pooran did edge that ball from Topley – but it doesn’t matter because Woakes has got him! Pooran tried to ride the bounce of an awkward delivery that cramped him for room, took the inside of an angled bat and ricocheted onto the stumps. Nicholas Pooran looks glum as his bails go flying. Photograph: Ricardo Mazalán/AP\n\nUpdated at 22.15 GMT\n\n6d ago 21.59 GMT 3rd over: West Indies 30-1 (Charles 13, Pooran 9) Nicholas Pooran strolls to the crease and launches his second ball over midwicket for six. And why not. England thought he had edged the next ball to the keeper, though eventually they ran out of time to review. West Indies need 103 from 17 overs. “Evening Rob,” says Kim Thonger. “Jolly exciting this game, in a damaged sort of way. It occurs to me perhaps T20 internationals need a complete rebrand. May I propose we rename them Ecky Thump. The term was Introduced in Kung Fu Kapers, a 1975 episode of BBC comedy The Goodies. In the episode, ‘ecky thump’ is a secret Lancastrian martial art using black puddings as a weapon. I’m not suggesting we go as far introducing black puddings immediately. A phased withdrawal of the cricket bat will cause less fuss.” But what would you call The Hundred? Bloody Eck?\n\nUpdated at 22.00 GMT\n\n6d ago 21.54 GMT WICKET! West Indies 20-1 (King c Buttler b Topley 3) One down, nine to go. Brandon King slogs Topley miles in the air towards mid-on, where Buttler takes a simple catch. Jos Buttler takes the catch to dismiss Brandon King, and the first West Indies wicket is gone. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images King traipses off the pitch. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images\n\nUpdated at 22.14 GMT\n\n6d ago 21.54 GMT 2nd over: West Indies 20-0 (King 3, Charles 13) Johnson Charles was playher of the match when West Indies beat England at the T20 World Cup 11 years ago. Charles walloped 84 off 56 balls that day, and he looks like he fancies something similar here. He pulls Woakes for a big six, albeit with a hint of top-edge, and glides a boundary past short third man. West Indies are off to a flyer.\n\n\n\n6d ago 21.49 GMT 1st over: West Indies 7-0 (King 1, Charles 2) There’s some early inswing to the right-handers for Reece Topley. Brandon King survives an LBW appeal first ball – it was missing leg – before another inswinger to Johnson Charles runs away for four leg-byes. Every boundary hurts when the target is so low, even in the first over.\n\n\n\n6d ago 21.45 GMT After a very short break, the players are back on the field.\n\n\n\n6d ago 21.39 GMT The difference two days make Tuesday, Tarouba England 267-3, 19 sixes\n\nThursday, Taroura England 132 all out, five sixes\n\nUpdated at 21.45 GMT\n\n6d ago 21.36 GMT WICKET! England 132 all out (Curran c Rutherford b Holder 12) Sam Curran clouts the next ball to long-off to end an increasingly miserable England innings. They were 109 for four after 14 overs, and then the house fell down. West Indies need 133 to win the series.\n\nUpdated at 21.38 GMT\n\n6d ago 21.33 GMT WICKET! England 132-9 (Rashid run out 1) Adil Rashid sacrifices himself, just like in the 2019 World Cup final, so that Curran can stay on strike. Four balls remaining.\n\n\n\n6d ago 21.31 GMT 19th over: England 129-8 (Curran 9, Rashid 1) The hat-trick ball is another attempted yorker that Rashid flicks wide of Russell for a single. He would have had three wickets in four balls had Hosein taken a tricky low chance at third man to dismiss Curran. Russell, who bowled really well, finishes with two for 25.\n\n", + "For most of the millions of people who get the flu each year in the U.S., the virus brings a few days of fever, body aches and weakness before it goes away.\n\nBut for some, the influenza virus can lead to severe illness, hospitalization — even death.\n\nAllison Miller knows these risks all too well. This year marks a decade since serious complications from the flu led to a life-changing loss for the Virginia-based communications director.\n\nHAVE A COLD OR FLU? HERE'S HOW TO KNOW IF YOU CAN STILL WORK OUT: ‘USE THE NECK CHECK’\n\nAt age 33, Miller was a healthy young woman when she came down with a sore throat and headache.\n\nWhen her symptoms got worse, she went into urgent care for a chest X-ray, but it showed nothing alarming.\n\n\"It looked like it was just some sort of run-of-the-mill stuff — they gave me some prescription cough syrup and said to let them know if it got worse,\" she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.\n\nBack at home that night, Miller started feeling worse — and began having intense back pain .\n\n\"Thinking it was the flu or something I could get over, I kept waiting to turn the corner — like, this is the worst of it. It'll get better. And clearly that wasn't the case,\" she said.\n\nSKELETONS FROM 1918 FLU PANDEMIC REVEAL CLUES ABOUT THOSE MOST LIKELY TO DIE, STUDY FINDS\n\nThe next morning, when the back pain was causing her to have periodic blackouts, Miller managed to call a friend, who came over and called an ambulance.\n\nThat’s where Miller's memory stops.\n\n\"I remember being loaded into the ambulance — and then I really don't remember a whole lot after that for about three weeks to a month thereafter,\" she said. \"It just escalated very quickly.\"\n\nAs Miller would later learn, her influenza had caused bilateral bacterial pneumonia — which affects both lungs and is more severe than viral pneumonia.\n\nThis led to sepsis, which quickly turned to septic shock.\n\n\"All of my organs were shutting down,\" Miller said. \"Within a short amount of time, I was in the ICU and they were doing everything they could. But ultimately, my last best chance was to be put on life support.\"\n\n\"I had missed the memo that flu vaccines were for everyone, and being 33 at the time and otherwise healthy, it didn't even register as something I should consider doing.\"\n\nAfter five days, Miller experienced a rare complication.\n\n\"A known complication of that form of life support is amputation,\" she told Fox News Digital. \"Some patients lose blood circulation, and that's what happened to me.\"\n\nUltimately, doctors had to amputate Miller’s left leg above the knee — all while she was still in a medically induced coma.\n\n\"By the time I came out of it, it had been three weeks. I awoke in a very hazy position — and I didn’t have a left leg,\" she recalled.\n\nShe spent another two months in the hospital and then had to do weeks of inpatient rehabilitation.\n\nToday, in what Miller refers to as her \"new normal,\" she wears a prosthesis and — with the help of \"very qualified people\" — has learned to walk again and to \"navigate the world and all of its terrain.\"\n\nDOCTORS URGE VACCINATIONS AHEAD OF THIS YEAR'S FLU SEASON, WHICH COULD BE 'FAIRLY BAD,' EXPERTS SAY\n\nMiller has been able to get back to the things that she loves to do, such as traveling the world, without feeling limited by her disability.\n\n\"It's just different, and I have learned to adapt and adjust,\" she said.\n\nIn addition to the amputation, Miller still suffers from permanent lung damage and below-average heart function .\n\n\"There was some permanent organ damage because of the strain of the virus, as it was such a severe case of pneumonia,\" she said. \"I have a terminal lung condition that needs regular treatment.\"\n\nShe added, \"It's manageable, but it's something I will forever deal with.\"\n\nThe experience has given Miller a \"renewed sense of how quickly things could change\" — and has taught her to be as proactive as possible about her health to prevent a terrible outcome.\n\n\"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on.\"\n\nOverall, Miller said she thinks most people don’t understand how severe the flu can be — so they don’t recognize the signs that they need immediate medical attention .\n\n\"In my case, it was very quick — it was within 24 to 48 hours that it went from just coming on, to me being in the hot seat.\"\n\nNow, Miller is looking to spread awareness of the importance of getting the flu vaccine, which she did not get that year.\n\n\"I had missed the memo that flu vaccines were for everyone, and being 33 at the time and otherwise healthy, it didn't even register as something I should consider doing,\" she said.\n\n\"If there's anything you can do proactively to minimize the risk of something that severe happening to you, you absolutely should do it, I think.\"\n\nFLU PREVENTION TIPS FROM FLORIDA'S SURGEON GENERAL: A 'DAY-TO-DAY’ HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS KEY\n\nMiller acknowledges that the vaccine doesn’t guarantee that someone won't get the flu, but noted that \"it's more of a continuum, rather than either you're sick or you're not.\"\n\nShe said, \"You still might get it, but you may not end up in the ICU like I did … Considering the benefits that you could get and what the extreme, worst outcome could be, it is an easy thing to do that is proven to make a tremendous difference for people,\" she added.\n\nIn addition to getting yearly vaccines, Miller takes steps to minimize her exposure and makes healthy lifestyle choices , such as eating nutritious foods and exercising.\n\nDr. Gregg Sylvester, chief health officer at CSL Seqirus, a New Jersey biopharmaceutical company, noted that while Miller’s experience is not typical of most women in her age range, \"it probably occurs more often than we know.\"\n\nThe flu triggers inflammation of the respiratory tract, Sylvester said, which causes it to become irritated and can allow secondary or bacteria to enter.\n\nCOVID-19, FLU AND RSV VACCINES ARE ALL AVAILABLE THIS FALL: SEE WHAT SOME DOCTORS RECOMMEND AND WHY\n\n\"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on,\" he warned. \"That's why it's so important to get a vaccine.\"\n\nThe more severe complications of flu often are markedly reduced for those who get an influenza vaccine, according to the doctor.\n\n\"You still may end up getting infected , but your symptoms will be milder,\" he said. \"And hopefully, your respiratory tract will be in a little bit better shape.\"\n\nMid-October is the \"perfect time\" to get a flu vaccine, Sylvester said, as he noted that the U.S. is starting to see an upswing in cases.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\n\"It's never too late, but it is important to be vaccinated before the season really gets started,\" he said.\n\nOverall, Miller urged, \"don't dismiss the flu as just the flu. It's so much more than that. And it can be life-altering.\"\n\nShe continued, \"If you're sick and the symptoms are severe, don't waste time wondering if you should seek medical attention. Listen to your body — it’s better to go in proactively, rather than regret it later.\"\n\nSylvester agreed, stressing the need for people to be their own patient advocates.\n\n\"It's important to seek care early, especially if symptoms start to change dramatically,\" he said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nDuring the 2021-2022 influenza season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were nine million illnesses, four million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to the flu.\n\nThe CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions.", + "Popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic could increase the risk of stomach paralysis as well as several other serious gastrointestinal conditions , according to a study published Thursday in JAMA.\n\nThis was the first large epidemiological (disease-related) study to examine these adverse effects in non-diabetic patients using the drugs specifically for weight loss, per a press release from The University of British Columbia (UBC).\n\nThe risk was linked to all semaglutides, a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists — including Ozempic (prescribed for diabetes management ), Wegovy (prescribed for weight loss), Rybelsus (type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (weight loss).\n\nOZEMPIC DIABETES AND WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATION UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER A FEW REPORTS OF SUICIDAL THOUGHTS\n\nStomach paralysis, officially known as gastroparesis, prevents the nerves and muscles in the stomach from moving food into the small intestine, which keeps digestion from occurring, as described on Cleveland Clinic’s website.\n\nIn addition to stomach paralysis, the drugs were linked to a greater risk of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and bowel obstruction, which prevents food from passing through the small or large intestine, the release stated.\n\nUBC researchers examined the health insurance claim records for approximately 16 million U.S. patients who were prescribed Ozempic, Wegovy or either semaglutide or liraglutide medications across a 14-year span (between 2006 and 2020).\n\nThe researchers could not assess whether the condition was temporary or permanent.\n\nCompared to another weight loss drug , bupropion-naltrexone, those who took a GLP-1 agonist were 3.67 times more likely to develop stomach paralysis, had a 9.09 times higher risk of pancreatitis and were 4.22 times more likely to have bowel obstruction.\n\nOZEMPIC, WEGOVY AND ALL THOSE CRAZY, VIVID DREAMS: IS THERE A CONNECTION?\n\nFor the cases of stomach paralysis, the researchers could not assess whether the condition was temporary or permanent.\n\n\"There are reports from other journalists where they have met patients whose symptoms have not gone away despite stopping the drugs,\" study co-author Dr. Mahyar Etminan, associate professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Medicine at UBC, told Fox News Digital.\n\nThere are medications that can be used to help with the condition, he added.\n\nAlthough these complications were rare, the researchers found them concerning, given that millions of people are using these medications worldwide.\n\nThe number of people in the U.S. using GLP-1 agonists for either diabetes or obesity reached 40 million in 2022, they noted.\n\n\"These drugs are becoming increasingly accessible, and it is concerning that, in some cases, people can simply go online and order these kinds of medications when they may not have a full understanding of what could potentially happen,\" said first author Mohit Sodhi, a graduate of UBC’s experimental medicine program, in the release.\n\nThe number of people in the U.S. using GLP-1 agonists for either diabetes or obesity reportedly reached 40 million in 2022.\n\n\"Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss.\"\n\nThe researchers recommend that regulatory agencies and drugmakers consider updating the warning labels for their products, which currently don’t include the risk of gastroparesis.\n\n\"This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences,\" said Sodhi.\n\nThe decision about whether to take the drug in spite of these risks will depend on each patient’s individual situation, the researchers said.\n\n\"This decision should be individually assessed,\" said Etminan. \"There are patients where the benefit of the drugs might outweigh the risks (very obese individuals), whereas in other situations (healthy individuals who just want to lose a few pounds), the risks might outweigh the benefits.\"\n\n\"This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences.\"\n\nThe study did have some limitations, the researchers noted.\n\n\"We did not have access to medical charts to ascertain all subjects' medical histories,\" said Etminan. \"Also, we could not look at risk with individual GLP-1 drugs, but this is probably a class effect of these drugs.\"\n\nOZEMPIC-WEGOVY PILL MAY BE ON THE WAY: TRIAL SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS FOR NEW WEIGHT LOSS TABLET\n\nThe researchers also did not determine whether certain groups were at higher risk of this adverse side effect, but Etminan said he suspects that those with preexisting GI conditions might be more susceptible.\n\nCalifornia-based cardiologist Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, author of \"The Secrets of Immortality,\" was not involved in the study but noted that it confirmed a higher prevalence of pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction in patients on GLP-1 agonists.\n\n\"On the other hand, these drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events as shown for Ozempic in 2016 in diabetics and in 2023 for Wegovy,\" he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.\n\n\"The achieved weight loss using GLP-1 agonists, as well as the improved glucose control, seem to have significant benefits on cardiovascular outcomes, but patients need to be informed about the relatively small incidence of abdominal side effects as seen in this cohort study,\" said von Schwarz.\n\n\"The benefits on cardiovascular risks , however, appear to outweigh the risks of side effects.\"\n\nThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists \"ileus\" as a potential side effect of Ozempic.\n\nIleus is the inability of the intestine (bowel) to contract normally and move waste out of the body, according to Mayo Clinic.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\nIn August, a Louisiana woman sued Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, and Lilly, which makes another GLP-1 agonist, Mounjaro, claiming that the companies \"downplayed the severity of gastrointestinal events caused by Ozempic and Mounjaro — never, for example, warning of the risk of gastroparesis (‘paralyzed stomach’) or gastroenteritis.\"\n\nThe woman, who used Ozempic for more than a year before switching to Mounjaro last month, alleged she was \"severely injured as a result\" of using both drugs, the suit stated.\n\nIn a statement at the time, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told FOX Business that gastrointestinal events \"are well-known side effects of the GLP-1 class\" and \"are mild to moderate in severity and of short duration.\"\n\n\"Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss.\"\n\nThe company provided the below statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, Oct. 6.\n\n\"At Novo Nordisk, patient safety is a top priority. We work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. The FDA-approved product labeling for Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1RA medicines indicated for use in weight management (Saxenda and Wegovy) includes information about their potential side effects, including pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease, ileus and delayed gastric emptying.\"\n\n\"Similar information is included in the product labeling for our GLP-1RA medicines indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Victoza),\" the statement went on.\n\n\"Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1RA medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and approved indications.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nNovo Nordisk continued, \"With respect to the study, as the authors acknowledge, the study has limitations, including potential confounding by indication and by other factors.\"\n\nThe company added, \"It is also important to note that the study analyzed data collected during the period between 2006 and 2020. During this time, Wegovy was not on the market; Saxenda was first approved in December 2014. In addition, Victoza was FDA-approved in January 2010 and Ozempic was FDA-approved in December 2017.\"\n\nDaniella Genovese of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.", + "\"Merry Christmas\" has a whole new meaning for a woman who gets to spend holiday time with her birth mother after a nearly 40-year search that revealed she may have been switched at birth.\n\n\"It means the world for me to be with my mom at the Christmas holiday,\" Diane Bazella, 64, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.\n\n\"It’s all about love,\" she added. \"My prayers have been answered, and my heart is full. We both hope we have many more Christmases to spend together.\"\n\nCOUPLE ADOPTS FLORIDA BABY WHO WAS ABANDONED IN THE WOODS ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER HER BIRTH\n\nEnjoying Christmastime with her oldest child — and only daughter — has been a long time coming for Sherri Geerts, 81, of Sunnyvale, California, Geerts told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"It’s a story with a good ending,\" Geerts told Fox News Digital.\n\nFor Bazella, it appeared the search for her birth parents would not be an ordinary one — but rather an epic journey with numerous twists and turns.\n\nTEXAS SIBLINGS REUNITE IN EMOTIONAL VIDEO AFTER BROTHER SAVES 2-YEAR-OLD SISTER FROM DROWNING\n\nThe process took grit and determination, research and genealogical skills and most of all, a deep-rooted desire to find out where she belonged, Bazella said.\n\n‘Spent a lot of time’\n\nBazella first found Geerts, her birth mother, in May 2021, and they met in person in 2022.\n\nBut it was only recently that she actually found the courage to share the story of her decades-long search, she said.\n\n\"I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with the healing part of it,\" Bazella said.\n\n\"I think it kind of gives people hope that miracles are still going on, and the world needs to hear that right now. So that’s part of the reason I’ve stepped out and told my story now.\"\n\nHOLOCAUST SURVIVOR IS FINALLY REUNITED WITH THE FAMILY THAT SAVED HIS LIFE\n\nWhen Bazella was five years old, her parents, Walter and Ila Peterson, told her she was adopted.\n\n\"I finally feel at peace with everything, which is really nice.\" — Diane Bazella\n\nThat was the start of her quest to locate her birth parents, and in the 1980s she did just that.\n\nBazella spent the next 39 years trying to bond with the woman whose name appeared on her birth certificate as well as those she thought were her biological family.\n\n\"I'm thinking I found my birth parents and my half-siblings,\" Bazella said. \"It's like the story was kind of over in 1983.\"\n\nPARENTS WELCOME 14-POUND BABY, THE LARGEST ON RECORD SINCE 2010: 'EVERYBODY WAS MAKING BETS'\n\nAdopted at nine months old, Bazella had been raised by kind and loving parents, the Petersons, in Edina, Minnesota.\n\nWhen she was a child, Bazella learned through her adoptive parents that she was adopted in 1961, nearly one year after being born at Booth Memorial Hospital — now known as the Booth Brown House Youth Shelter — in St. Paul, Minnesota, to 18-year-old parents who were unmarried.\n\nTRENDIEST BABY NAMES OF 2023 REVEALED AS LIAM IS KNOCKED OFF NO. 1 SPOT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS\n\n\"The Booth Brown House, which now serves as a safe place for youth to turn, began as a safe haven for unwed mothers,\" The Salvation Army Central Territory, which owns the Booth Brown House, states on its website.\n\n\"Started in the early 1900s as The Salvation Army Women’s Home and Hospital, the facility moved to its current location – 1471 Como Ave. W. in St. Paul – and became The Salvation Army Booth Memorial Hospital in 1913.\"\n\nFox News Digital reached out to The Salvation Army Central Territory for comment by email.\n\nBazell said that when she was 23, she looked through public birth records and was able to track down the woman she thought was her birth mother.\n\nThe woman welcomed Bazella into her fold. Bazella was able to learn intimate details about her birth, including that she was originally named Kelly Jean.\n\nSISTERS IN SYNC: 4 ARE PREGNANT AT THE SAME TIME WITH THEIR BABIES, IN 'COMPLETE SHOCK'\n\nBazella said that looking back, however, she never had a strong bond with the woman she thought was her biological mother, according to those birth records she had found.\n\nThe woman then died in 2000.\n\n\"She was raising younger children,\" Bazella said of the woman she thought was her biological mother. \"She had a lot going on. There just wasn’t that bond.\"\n\nStill searching for a connection, Bazella decided in 2017 to see if maybe her birth father had other children.\n\n‘Shocked and confused’\n\nSo, Bazella took a home DNA test — a technology that was newer on the market — and the results brought more confusion: She didn't match with any of her known relatives.\n\nMICHIGAN SIBLINGS REUNITE WITH THEIR 3-YEAR-OLD BROTHER AFTER HIS 6-MONTH HOSPITAL STAY FOR CANCER TREATMENT\n\n\"I was shocked and just so confused,\" Bazella said. \"But at the same time, I wasn’t.\"\n\n\"When I met my mom, I truly felt unconditional love.\" — Diane Bazella\n\nOver the next four years, Bazella reached out to people who were listed on her genealogy report, trying to figure out how they could be related, but with no success.\n\nFinally, one woman she contacted, who showed up as a close DNA match, emailed her back.\n\n\"She reached out and said, ‘I want to figure this out with you,’\" Bazella said.\n\nIt took the two women more than a year to unravel the story.\n\n\"We were thinking [that] maybe I had a different birth father … and that maybe it was one of her relatives,\" Bazella said.\n\n\"She went and confronted her dad and came back with the name Sherri Nordlie.\"\n\nThe woman's father admitted to having fathered a baby girl with Sherri Nordlie — now Geerts — in 1960.\n\nThat's when Bazella said she had the revelation that her birth certificate — and everything she had thought for the past 40 years, including the identity of her birth mother was — was wrong.\n\nBABY NAMES THAT ARE REPORTEDLY BANNED IN AMERICA: WHAT TO KNOW\n\n\"I knew right away I was switched at birth,\" Bazella said.\n\n\"There had been a huge mistake, and it was like it all just came together.\"\n\nTwo baby girls had been born within hours of each other on Sept. 29 at the hospital for unwed mothers.\n\nOne of the babies was named Kelly Jean — and the other was named Dawn Marie.\n\nBazella, it turns out, was Dawn Marie — not Kelly Jean, as she originally thought. And Sherri Nordlie Geerts was her mother.\n\nBazella emailed Geerts and they started corresponding regularly.\n\n\"I lost 39 years … There’s a lot of grieving with that.\" — Diane Bazella\n\n\"We were slowly getting to know each other through email,\" Bazella said. \"She had a lot on her plate as a caregiver to her husband, so we were slowly establishing our mother-daughter relationship.\"\n\nA LIFE IN PICTURES: FROM BIRTH INTO ADULTHOOD, A FATHER TAKES HIS SON’S PHOTO EVERY DAY FOR DECADES\n\nFinally, on Christmas Day 2021, Bazella and Geerts heard each other’s voices over the phone for the first time.\n\nThey met in person in July 2022.\n\nSince then, they have been talking on the phone frequently, sometimes for hours at a time.\n\n‘Same sense of humor’\n\nDuring their conversations, Geerts opened up about having a baby when she was just 18 years old.\n\n\"I do remember the day I had to give her up,\" Geerts told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"I got to name her and I got to dress her. There was a lady there to take her away, and she was kind of shaky and it scared me because I didn’t want her to pick her up.\"\n\nGeerts said she thought about her daughter every single year on her birthday.\n\nNow that the two have met, they've been getting together several times a year, either in California or Minnesota.\n\nCOUPLE OF 60 YEARS, SEPARATED FOR 215 DAYS AMID PANDEMIC, REUNITES IN TOUCHING VIDEO: 'I MISSED YOU SO MUCH'\n\nAnd from the first time they met in person, they began discovering things they have in common.\n\n\"We both keep things in order,\" Bazella said. \"We have our lists and we like to get things done.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\n\"I also remember the first time we met — ee were getting ready to go out and she dug in her purse and pulled out all these tubes of lipstick. I said, ‘Oh my God. You've surpassed me.’ We both constantly put on lipstick. It's so funny.\"\n\nBazella continued, \"We both like [garden] gnomes and we’re kind of collecting them now. Our mannerisms are similar. We have the same sense of humor.\"\n\n\"One of the main dreams is that we stay healthy and I live long enough … so we can make up some of this time.\" — Sherri Geerts\n\nBazella said she has met all four of her siblings — and also has formed a relationship with her birth father, Victor Rebeck, 84.\n\nWhile she has found a place with her birth parents, Bazella knows she may never solve the mystery of how she was switched at birth.\n\n\"I lost 39 years,\" Bazella said. \"There’s a lot of grieving with that.\"\n\nStill, Bazella said she believes she's found unconditional love with her mother.\n\n\"It's overwhelming for me coming from where I have been,\" she added.\n\n\"I always felt like I was kind of in survival mode and alone. I finally feel at peace with everything, which is really nice.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nAs for Geerts, she said she hopes to make up for lost time.\n\n\"One of the main dreams is that we stay healthy and I live long enough, like a hundred years at least — so we can make up some of this time,\" Geerts said.", + "The White Company is gearing up for Christmas with a range of new products that can give an extra cosy touch to your home or make affordable gifts to place beneath the tree. From wreaths and garlands that beckon guests through the door, to warming scents that put everyone in the mood for Christmas, you will be ready to welcome friends and family throughout the coming months.\n\nThe White Company is known for its carefully crafted products and an attention to detail that make it one of Britain’s most cherished lifestyle brands. Their Christmas collection, available now, is full of festive products that not only make great presents, but can also help place your home at the centre of the celebrations. Here we share some of The White Company’s festive suggestions and pick out a few of our favourite products from their extensive range\n\nMake your home an open house\n\n(The White Company)\n\nFriends make the season much more enjoyable, so be sure to get your home ready so you can welcome them with warmth and friendship. The White Company is full of Christmas decorations that give your house a seasonal lift, including wreaths, garlands and Christmas lights. We love this gorgeous pinecone wreath made from a mixture of faux greenery, pinecones and berries. It will add some rustic charm to your front door or can be used as a decorative element on an interior wall or table.\n\nA winter scent can also set the tone for warmth and friendship and The White Company’s Winter Collection is ideal. The spicy and warming notes of cinnamon, clove and orange are in a available in a choice of candles, diffusers or oils and you’ll also find plenty of affordable gift options among this collection too.\n\nFor an alternative seasonal scent, the Nordic Woods Collection will transport you to a wintery forest with fresh, woody notes of birchwood, the rich warmth of amber, and the more soothing scent of eucalyptus.\n\nGive yourself an excuse to celebrate\n\n(The White Company)\n\nChristmas isn’t just about the Big Day, but finding an excuse to celebrate everything, from an impromptu evening of drinks or a family get-together playing games. And as such celebrations are better with tasty treats to hand, The White Company has a range of homeware that makes sure you’re always ready for the occasion whenever food or drink are called for. We love these Ferne Twisted Stem Champagne Coupes with their hand-twisted stems twinkling under the festive lights and the hand-blown glass providing an extra touch of class to whatever sparkling drinks you serve in them.\n\nFor handing round the drinks, canapés or snacks to your guests we recommend this Barton Serving Tray. Its warm, silver-tone finish has wintery good looks, setting off whatever you’re serving in style, while the high-quality aluminium, crafted in India, is durable enough to survive parties or energetic family play.\n\nEmbrace the magic of Christmas\n\n(The White Company)\n\nFrom counting down the days with an Advent calendar, to making your own decorations, or simply digging out your favourite festive fashions, the season is full of little moments that make Christmas so unique, so give yourself time to enjoy the wonder of it all.\n\nThis Snowy Advent Calendar will appeal to younger members of the family – a charming penguin with 25 numbered pockets that you’ll have fun filling with treats and gifts. Made from super soft velboa faux fur, no-one will be able to resist giving it a cuddle when its pockets are finally empty.\n\nYou’ll also find an Advent Calendar that comes packed with daily indulgent treats in its 25 drawers. We’ve had a sneak peak and can reveal it contains candles, shower gels, nail creams and more seasonal scents and wellness goodies – 25 moments of joy!\n\nThese days, everyone loves a Christmas jumper, but you can still keep snug with a touch of elegance while dressing for the season. This Sparkle Snowflake Embroidered Jumper is scattered with embroidered snowflakes for a subtler nod to the season, while its comfort fit and a dash of cashmere adds a layer of snugness to its elegant style.\n\nAppreciate the quieter moments\n\n(The White Company)\n\nJust because it’s a season of fun and entertainment, you don’t have to rush through it all. Find time to relax with a long bath, treat yourself to a lie-in on Sunday morning or pour yourself a glass of wine as the log fire crackles in the background.\n\nThis Motion Sensor Plug In Electronic Diffuser is a great little gadget that delivers the ideal amount of relaxing scent at the touch of a button. Simply add your favourite scent oil and the motion-activated sensor helps you to control when it’s released, providing a tranquil atmosphere in whatever room you choose to use it.\n\nWhen you find time to put your feet up, give your toes some extra comfort and warmth with a pair of Cashmere Bed Socks. They come in a range of colours to suit your style and are made from pure GCS-certified yarns to take the chill off your feet. And seeing as everyone loves cosy socks at Christmas, we think they’re also a great choice for gifting.\n\nFor even more cosiness we think you should consider this Faux Fur Throw, made from soft and silky recycled fibres, and matching Soft Fur Hot Water Bottle. They give so much cuddle comfort on chilly winter evenings that you won’t mind how long spring takes to come around.\n\nMix old traditions with new rituals\n\n(The White Company)\n\nWe all have traditions that are handed down through generations – things like opening the sloe gin after the last day of work or a ceremonial placing of the star on top of the Christmas tree. This year, why not start a new ritual such as a designated ‘morning in bed’ or an ‘afternoon pyjama party’, to make sure that Christmas is done your way.\n\nThe White Company has a range of nightwear that will add a touch of luxury to any lazy days. This Jersey Piped Printed Classic Pyjama Set will keep you comfortable from top to bottom, with its soft jersey-blend fabric inviting you to curl up in bed or on the sofa. Both the collared pyjama shirt and trousers are printed with tiny stars, adding a subtle sparkle to a festive snooze.\n\nFor most Christmas rituals, the Christmas tree takes centre stage and The White Company has got this covered too with a spectacular Pre Lit Grand Spruce Christmas Tree. Standing at 7.5ft tall its high quality faux foliage is an impressively natural-looking shade of green and in-built lights have various settings for a choice of lighting effects. It’s also quick and easy to assemble and take down, leaving more time for those fun festive rituals.\n\nTime for the main event…\n\n(The White Company)\n\nIt’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for and, let’s be honest, not everything will go to plan. There may be squabbles and you may not have got round to making your own Christmas pudding. But there’s so much more to enjoy and you’ll learn to appreciate that, whatever happens, your Christmas will be wonderful just the way it is.\n\nOf course, it’s kids that make Christmas extra special, and with The Little White Company you’ll find great gifts for the youngest members of the family besides those friends with newborns. We love their Jingles Reindeer Comforter which is made from recycled fibres and has a squidgy red nose and felt antlers for an all-over soft and soothing feel.\n\nThe White Company also has plenty of affordable gifts for grown ups that make great stocking fillers or presents for those surprise visitors. We suspect this Scent Stories Hamper will go down well with any recipient, with candles, hand wash, diffusers and more wrapped up in a hand-woven basket. The scents of myrrh, fir tree and Nordic wood will have your lucky recipient breathing in the magic of Christmas through a swirl of seasonal aromas.\n\nEnjoy the in-between days\n\n(The White Company)\n\nWe all lose track of time over Christmas, not sure what day it is or questioning if it’s OK to eat mince pies and brandy butter for breakfast. But there’s still plenty of time for fun and relaxation – a visit to see old friends, a quiet walk in the frosty woods and, of course, the fizz and sparkle of new year parties.\n\nTo help you get out of the house, even on the coldest mornings, this Down Filled Oversized Puffer Coat will keep you warm and help to make you look and feel great, despite the excesses of Christmas. Made from recycled fibres, and with a detachable hood filled, this down-filled quilted puffer will embrace you in a pillowy cuddle.\n\nWhen it comes to New Year’s celebrations, you’ll want to make sure your fizz is served in peak condition, ready for those corks to pop. This Champagne Trug is a party essential. Hand-soldered in nickel-plated stainless steel just fill it with ice and it will chill your Champagne to perfection. It also makes a great statement piece, announcing that yours is the place to go back to during the festive period and beyond.\n\nExplore more", + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close. Once the clock strikes midnight on October 31st, Mariah Carey will defrost, peppermint mochas will inevitably return, and the 2023 holiday season will have officially begun.\n\nThankfully for those looking to get in the festive spirit, Govee’s Matter-ready LED Strip Light M1 is on sale for an all-time low of $44.99 ($15 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon. You can also buy it for $3 more direct from Govee through October 31st, which is still one of its better prices to date.\n\nWhile handy throughout the year, Govee’s 6.56-foot (2m) light strip is particularly convenient during Halloween and other holidays. Not only can the bright, tunable LEDs flash and blink to the beat of your music, but they can also act as a festive piece of decor that adds a pop of color to your holiday parties. What’s particularly great about this strip, though, is that it supports the newer Matter protocol, which allows you to control the lights with a wide array of smart home platforms.\n\nGovee LED Strip Light M1 Matter $ 45 $ 60 25 % off $ 45 $ 45 $ 60 25 % off The customizable Govee M1 Matter Compatible LED Strip Light is 6.56 feet long and can display millions of colors and shades of white. You can also use it to create light patterns that sync with music. $45 at Amazon$48 at Govee\n\nThough they launched last year, Google’s flagship wireless earbuds continue to impress us with their terrific sound quality and good noise cancellation, which is why they’re one of our favorite pairs of wireless earbuds. We’re also fans because of all the other perks they offer, like multipoint connectivity, long battery life, and a good transparency mode. They deliver even more value to Pixel phone owners as well, who can enjoy exclusive access features like head tracking spatial audio and Google’s Clear Calling, which reduces background noise during calls.\n\nGoogle’s Pixel Buds Pro $ 117 $ 200 42 % off $ 117 $ 117 $ 200 42 % off Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are the company’s first earbuds to include active noise cancellation. They combine impressive sound, great battery life, and good comfort — all without the connection issues of earlier models. And right now, Verge readers can pick them up at Wellbots for $116.99 ($83 off) with offer code VERGE83. $117 at Wellbots\n\nSpeaking of Google gadgets, right now Verge readers can save an extra $80 on the already discounted Google Pixel Watch when they use promo code VERGEPIX80 at Wellbots, which drops the checkout price to $199.99. That’s not bad considering Google’s first-gen smartwatch retailed for $349.99 when it first launched a little over a year ago.\n\nThe first-gen Pixel Watch may not be as capable as the new Google Pixel Watch 2, but they have a number of strengths in common. Both offer health and fitness-tracking features powered by Fitbit, allowing you to enjoy special features like FDA-cleared EKGs. The wearables also support Google services like Google Assistant and Google Wallet. And now, thanks to the new Wear OS 4 update, you get access to the Google Calendar app, Gmail, and the new Safety Check feature introduced with the new wearable.\n\nThere are some trade-offs, though. The Pixel Watch 2 offers superior battery life, whereas the last-gen model struggles to last a full day. The newer wearable also sports some new tricks, including Sleep Profiles, abnormal heart rate tracking, and nightly SpO2 features. Nevertheless, if you’re comfortable with these omissions, the first-gen model is still a good wearable to buy at this price.\n\nGoogle Pixel Watch $ 200 $ 350 43 % off $ 200 $ 200 $ 350 43 % off Google’s first in-house smartwatch has a beautiful domed display and native Fitbit integration for health tracking. The 41mm wearable comes with six months of Fitbit Premium and three months of YouTube Music. Verge readers can buy the wearable at Wellbots for $199.99 when they use coupon code VERGEPIX80 at checkout. $200 at Wellbots\n\nIn case you missed it, you can still buy a couple of Blink security cameras and video doorbells for about half the price, which translates to some pretty good deals on Blink Mini cameras and other gadgets. However, if you want to keep track of all the ghosties and ghoulies that’ll soon pay your front door a visit on Halloween, you can pick up the Blink Video Doorbell with the latest Blink Outdoor security camera on Amazon for just $89.99 ($90 off).\n\nBoth of the 1080p cameras come with tech that’ll allow you to clearly see trick-or-treaters even after the sun goes down, in addition to support for motion detection and two-way audio. The battery-powered Blink Outdoor 4 also covers a wider field of view and supports person detection, which wasn’t the case with the prior model.\n\nAs budget picks, they lack some premium features, including smart alerts. You’ll also have to pay extra for features like cloud-based storage, though, otherwise, they’re a pair of great security devices that’ll protect your home just fine for years to come.\n\nBlink Video Doorbell (with Blink Outdoor 4) $ 90 $ 180 50 % off $ 90 $ 90 $ 180 50 % off Blink’s Video Doorbell is the best if you’re looking for a budget-friendly buzzer that offers motion-activated recording and alerts, night vision, two-way audio, and up to two years of battery life. $90 at Amazon\n\nVerge Deals on X (formerly known as Twitter) / Join more than 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us!\n\nSome more deals to kickstart your weekend", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIf you’re in the midst of a new relationship this holiday season, you may be faced with the opportunity to introduce your significant other to your family. However, it’s likely you’ve found yourself mulling over an array of reasons why the holidays may not be the right time for such an introduction.\n\nThe holiday season is often perceived as the most wonderful time of year, but that’s not necessarily the case for everyone. In a recent poll from the American Psychological Association, 41 per cent of US adults said their stress levels increased from November to January when compared to other months of the year. Nearly 50 per cent of Americans also described their stress level during the season as “moderate”.\n\nEveryone has different concerns leading up to Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Years - from family drama at the dinner table to a small spats with your mother about decorations. With what can be stressful events, it only begs the question: do you really want to bring your partner into the mix? While it’s important to eventually introduce your loved ones to your significant other, relationship experts believe there are some discussions you should have beforehand, especially during the holidays.\n\nSpeaking to The Independent, Rachel Zar - a licensed marriage and family therapist at Spark Chicago Therapy - acknowledged that while every family is different, there’s a variety of problems that could arise during the holiday season - mainly because we put too much pressure on having a joyful holiday. “I think anytime that emotions are heightened, with the holidays certainly being one of those times, our expectations are really high,” she said. “We’re expecting it to be this joyful, happy, perfect occasion. So, we sometimes forget that the holidays come with a lot of stress.”\n\nDespite tensions between relatives at the dinner table, that doesn’t mean your relationship shouldn’t be celebrated. Saba Lurie is a licensed marriage and family therapist at Take Root Thereapy in California. She explained to The Independent that while there isn’t a right or wrong time to introduce your partner to your family, the intentions of such an introduction must be clear. Not only should you have already discussed where your relationship is headed, but you should also tell your partner everything they need to know about your family.\n\n“I think you should tell the person why you’re bringing them home for the holidays, so you’re on the same page about the intentions and what’s motivating the decision to include,” she said. “Sometimes it can be helpful for them to know about the dynamics that they’re stepping into and how they can best support you. Frankly, they should be aware if there is tension or if there is stress within your family.”\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nCommunication before the holidays goes both ways, and there are things that your family should know about your significant other too. “If there’s something about your partner that could be surprising to your family, or that’s a notable difference from who someone you’ve brought home before, tell your relatives that,” Zar said. “Let’s set your family and partner up for success.”\n\nBefore bringing your significant other home for the holidays, you may want to express to your family how you wish for them to feel included - such as incorporating your partner’s family traditions into your own celebration. However, Zar advised against oversharing information before Christmas. You still want your family and partner to connect in person, rather than hearing about each other through the grapevine.\n\nWhen it comes to introducing your partner to your family, there’s still some extra planning to be done ahead of time. If you’re travelling this month, you may need to decide on sleeping arrangements - as opposed to residing in your parent’s house - in order to minimise family stress.\n\n“It would be really helpful to have conversations beforehand, so it’s clear what you are agreeing or not agreeing to,” Lurie explained. “For example, if your family isn’t comfortable with you bringing someone home and sleeping in the same bedroom, then you and your partner may stay elsewhere. But those would be conversations that you all need to have together. It really depends on your relationship with your family and with your partner.”\n\nIt’s also important to be checking in with your partner while spending time with your family. These check-ins may include some quality time together, so that any family drama that may arise isn’t hurting your relationship.\n\n“I’d recommend pulling your partner aside and saying: ‘How are we doing?’ Like a temperature check,” she added. “Those are points where the two of you can come and remind each other: ‘We are a team in this.’ Or, the two of you could go on a walk and separate from the family, just for a little bit of time to reset within the relationship.”\n\nDuring the holiday season, your partner may be seeing how you interact with your family for the first time. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to the relationship experts. “I think introducing a significant other to family is a really vulnerable act, and that vulnerability is going to be what allows for greater intimacy,” Lurie said. “When your significant other sees you with your family, they may see another side of you that they may not have had access to before.”\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nOn the other hand, your partner could learn that your relationship with your parents and extended family members is complex. That isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, as long as you inform your significant other about the interworkings of your family dynamics.\n\n“I think that we tend to be our best relational self when we’ve really done the work around understanding all of our past relationships,” Zar explained. “You can tell your partner: ‘I don’t have a close relationship with my brother, and here’s why. Here are the intentional choices that I’ve made around it.’ Or you can say: ‘Here’s my chosen family. These are the people who are important to me.’ Your significant other will see that you’ve been introspective and have takeaways around how you’ve navigated your family’s origin.”\n\nAs long as you and your partner have discussed your relationship expectations - both before and during the holidays – introducing them to your family may deepen your relationship and could be a step in the right direction. Or, it could have a simpler meaning - the holidays being an opportunity to bring two important people in your life together and get to know each other.\n\nRegardless of what your relationship with your family is like, deciding how and when to introduce your partner to your loved ones is entirely up to you. “I don’t think there’s ever going to be a perfect time for folks,” Lurie said. “I think it’ll depend on the relationship between the two partners and also on the family dynamics, and what feels more comfortable for all parties. I don’t think there’s going to be a right or wrong time for the introduction.”", + "Kentucky sports betting has thrived since retail and online sportsbooks launched in September 2023. The governor has announced that roughly one month since the launch, upwards of $250 million has been wagered and that roughly 500,000 mobile accounts have been created for online sportsbooks. Since there are no restrictions on which sports can be wagered on or what kind of prop bets can be placed unlike restrictions on residents in other states, anyone using Kentucky sports betting sites can place bets on everything from football to college basketball games.\n\nOne factor that makes Kentucky sports betting such a success is that there is a wide variety of sportsbook apps to choose from if you want to place a wager from the comfort of your own home. Here is a closer look at some of the top KY sportsbooks. If you're not in Kentucky, check out the best USA sports betting sites:\n\nTop Kentucky Sports Betting Sites and Mobile Apps\n\nFANATICS SPORTSBOOK\n\nAlready a leader in fan gear, Fanatics Sportsbook opened in 2023 and is establishing itself as the \"most rewarding\" sportsbook.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: when you play with Fanatics, you can earn up to 5% FanCash on your bets, which you can spend on team swag from Fanatics or use to place more bets.\n\nwhen you play with Fanatics, you can earn up to 5% FanCash on your bets, which you can spend on team swag from Fanatics or use to place more bets. BETS & BOOSTS: Fanatics offers generous odds boosts, Same Game Parlays, trending bets and more.\n\n\n\nFANDUEL\n\nFanDuel was long known for its Daily Fantasy games, but is now a major player in sports betting with a wide variety of markets, sports and leagues so there are more ways to win.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: FanDuel claims to be \"America's #1 sportsbook\" and offers a large menu of bet types.\n\nFanDuel claims to be \"America's #1 sportsbook\" and offers a large menu of bet types. BETS & BOOSTS: FanDuel promotions include odds boosts, parlay insurance, big win bonuses and more.\n\n\n\nDRAFTKINGS\n\nAlso with roots in Daily Fantasy Sports, DraftKings has emerged to be another popular sportsbook that gives you more ways to \"have skin in the game\" and get closer to the games you love.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: DraftKings has thousands of ways to bet on sports, including pick'em and props pools.\n\nDraftKings has thousands of ways to bet on sports, including pick'em and props pools. BETS & BOOSTS: the DraftKings wagering menu includes live/in-game bets, cross-sports parlays, moneylines and more.\n\nBETMGM\n\nLong known for its resorts and casinos, BetMGM also offers a mobile sportsbook app for all your favorite sports betting games, including all major and professional sports.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: BetMGM touts itself as \"the king of parlays\" as it has extensive options for that bet type.\n\nBetMGM touts itself as \"the king of parlays\" as it has extensive options for that bet type. BETS & BOOSTS: the BetMGM app features boosted bets, in-game betting, Same Game Parlays and more.\n\nCAESARS\n\nAnother well-known brick-and-mortar brand with glitzy properties from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, the Caesars Sportsbook app offers hundreds of ways to wager.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: in addition to sports, the Caesars app also offers casino games.\n\nin addition to sports, the Caesars app also offers casino games. BETS & BOOSTS: Caesars Sportsbook offers odds boosts, parlays, Same Game Parlays and Quick Picks.\n\nBET365\n\nWell-known for sports betting in the UK, bet365 has made its entrance into the US with a sports betting app that offers a wide range of sports and bets in select states.\n\nWHAT TO KNOW: the bet365 app has a personalized display to help easily navigate to sports you bet on.\n\nthe bet365 app has a personalized display to help easily navigate to sports you bet on. BETS & BOOSTS: bet on a wide range of in-play and pre-match sports including football, baseball, basketball and more.\n\n\n\nHow do I choose the best Kentucky sportsbook?\n\nBONUSES: Sportsbooks often offer generous promotions and bonuses, especially for new customers. You should review the best sports betting promo codes and offers\n\nREWARDS: Some sportsbooks offer cash back or other rewards based on your betting activity. For example, Fanatics offers up to 5% FanCash on every bet, which you can use to for more bets or team gear from Fanatics.\n\n\n\nODDS: Every sportsbook sets its own line on each market, so it is important to find the best odds in order to maximize your return when you win. Many bettors use multiple sportsbooks to \"shop\" for lines and there are sites that allow you to compare odds from multiple sportsbooks.\n\nMARKETS: Each sportsbook will allow you to bet on different games and events (\"markets\") in different ways. In addition to common bets like spread, total and moneyline, you'll want an app with same game parlays, props, futures and other fun bet types.\n\nWhat to Know: Kentucky Sports Betting Sites\n\n1. Fanatics Sportsbook: In addition to offering standard markets and unique sign up bonuses, Fanatics offers customers the ability to earn FanCash by placing sports bets. FanCash is earned at the rate of 1% on Straight Bets, 3% on Parlay Bets, and 5% on Same Game Parlays. It can be redeemed for sports betting bonuses or for the purchase of sports merchandise on their sister site, Fanatics.com. The Discover page on Fanatics Sportsbook offers marquee games, trending bets, promos, and rewards all in once place as compared to numerous places throughout the website / app.\n\n2. DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings offers a variety of betting markets and its rewards program caters especially to those who are daily fantasy sports players. Rewards points are earned for most wagers and can be redeemed for free bets, merchandise, or DFS entries in any sport DraftKings offers. New customers can bet $5 and receive $200 in free bets with their current promotion. The sportsbook is also known for its frequent and generous profit boosts that customers can used on specific bet types, including Same Game Parlays.\n\n3. FanDuel Sportsbook: FanDuel offers a complex wagering menu similar to its chief competitor, DraftKings. Live betting markets and SGPs are often enhanced with specific profit boosts on the site and the interface is one of the cleanest and easiest to use among the offerings. Unlike its competitors though, FanDuel does not offer a rewards program for its customers at this time.\n\n\n\n4. BetMGM Sportsbook: The signup offer at BetMGM caters more to larger players, a $1500 risk free offer which will credit a customer with bonus bets in the event their first real money wager loses. The boosts and risk free offers on the site cater to smaller players as the limits for those tokens are generally less than the other sites. With a friendly interface and a rewards program that can be redeemed for bonus bets or MGM Resort credit, this sportsbook is one of the best in the business for a reason.\n\n5. Caesars Sportsbook: Similar to MGM, the rewards program is what Caesars is most known for in that customers can redeem their wagering credits for use at Caesars properties. New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet. The sportsbook offers an extensive betting menu and specializes in specific boosts related to your home state teams.\n\n6. Bet365 Sportsbook: One of the largest betting operators in Europe that is rolling out in selected states to gain market share in the U.S. Their signup offer of bet $1, get $365 might be the most generous of any competitor in the space. While the SGP offerings aren't as extensive as other sportsbooks, the wagering menu, specifically rare leagues and sports are covered by Bet365.\n\nKentucky Sports Betting History\n\nKentucky has always been the thoroughbred horse betting capital of the U.S., but as of the fall of 2023, it added sports betting to its wagering menu. On March 31, 2023, Kentucky became the 34th state to legalize sports betting and the 25th with online/mobile access. Retail locations opened on September 7 and Kentucky online sports betting became legal on September 28.\n\nThe betting menu for Kentuckians is exhaustive in that they are able to legally wager on all major professional, collegiate and international sports, unlike other sports betting states. With excitement building among customers in the state for Kentucky sports gambling, it's feasible that Kentucky generates over $1 billion in Kentucky sports betting handle by the end of 2023.\n\nKentucky Sportsbook Apps to Know\n\nSportsbook Platforms App Features* Fanatics iOS and Android apps FanCash Rewards, bettable search, Discover page, cash outs, easy sign up, secure deposit, Withdrawal Tracker FanDuel iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile web Quick bets, secure deposits, horse racing, casino, cash outs, fast payouts DraftKings iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile web\n\nCasino, fast withdrawals, secure deposits BetMGM iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile web\n\nEasy deposits and withdrawals, 24/7 access, safe and secure transactions Caesars iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile web\n\nCaesars Rewards, casino, Quick Picks Bet365 iOS and Android apps, desktop and mobile web\n\nCash outs, personalized display, alerts, edit bets, My Teams, search, sports stats\n\nSports Betting on Kentucky (and Nearby) Teams\n\nKentucky Wildcats: One of the most iconic college basketball programs in the nation, the Kentucky Wildcats should be an extremely popular betting option for Bluegrass State residents. The eight-time national champions have been led by legendary coach John Calipari since 2010 and they have appeared in four Final Fours during his tenure, recording a national title in 2012. The program's 2,021-637 all-time record is the best in college basketball history. Though best known for its basketball prowess, Kentucky has also found more success on the gridiron in recent years in the SEC, including a dozen bowl appearances since 2006.\n\nLouisville Cardinals: The Wildcats have the historic edge, but Louisville basketball won the more recent national title, cutting down the nets in 2013. They've been to 10 Final Fours and own the 12th-best record (1,726-874) in college basketball history. Louisville has also become a bigger name in the college football world in the past couple decades. Well known for 2013 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, Louisville transitioned to the ACC in 2014 and the Cardinals have finished in the AP Top 25 seven times since 2004.\n\nWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers: Though they don't have the widespread following of UK or Louisville, the Hilltoppers have a nice fanbase in the southern portion of the state and they have the overall athletic success to demand attention in the betting market. A longtime Division I-AA (now known as FCS) power, WKU fully transitioned to the FBS level in 2009 and they've had nine winning seasons since that point. In men's basketball, WKU has made the NCAA Tournament 23 times and its 1,622-720 all-time mark ranks 14th in history, just a couple spots behind Louisville.\n\nCincinnati Bengals: With no \"Big Four\" professional sports teams playing within state lines, many Kentucky residents look just north of the state's border to cheer on the neighboring Cincinnati Bengals. A franchise long known for its futility in the early days of existence became more of a contender under Marvin Lewis with seven playoff appearances between 2005-15. The franchise got another jolt more recently with stars such as Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase leading Cincinnati to a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 and an AFC title game appearance in 2022. The Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are also NFL franchises located within short drives of portions of Kentucky.\n\nCincinnati Reds: The state's MLB allegiances are a bit more split with the St. Louis Cardinals also drawing a big following, particularly in the western portion of the state, but the Reds are largely considered the most popular team for Kentucky residents. The Reds won modern-era titles in 1975, 1976 and 1990, but haven't advanced past the NLCS since that point. They've largely struggled in recent years, but the 2023 team has pushed for a playoff spot all season, just in time to draw the attention of new Kentucky sports bettors.\n\nTop Kentucky betting terms for new bettors\n\nAgainst the spread: Instead of betting on an exact winner, the widely-popular spread bet levels the playing field by allowing you to wager on how many points a team will win by. In basketball, if Kentucky is the 7.5-point favorite against Louisville then Kentucky can cover the spread if it wins by 8 or more points. However, Louisville as the 7.5-point underdog can cover the spread by winning outright or losing by 7 or fewer points.\n\nMoney line: Think of this as an elevated outright bet, with odds adjusted to reflect a favored team and an underdog. If Kentucky is listed as a -200 favorite against Florida, you'd need to bet $200 to return $100 on Kentucky to win. That means that Florida as the +200 underdog would return $200 on a $100 bet if that team wins.\n\nOutright bet: This is the easiest wager that can be placed, and it's perfect for betting on one of Kentucky's biggest sporting events: Horse racing. With an outright bet, bettors choose one athlete -- or thoroughbred -- to win an entire sporting event.\n\nOver/Under: If team sports is more your thing, placing an Over/Under bet is the way to go. Kentucky sportsbooks will post an estimated total of both team's final scores in a game, and you wager on whether the actual final will be higher or lower than the estimate. So if the If the Over/Under for a Kentucky vs. Louisville basketball game is 125.5, you would wager on the final total being Over 126 or Under 125.\n\nPlayer prop: Kentucky is one of the 18 states that allows you to place prop bets on collegiate athletes. Sportsbooks will project what a player's stat will be at the end of a game, and you will wager whether the player will end that game over or under that projection. Popular player props include how many touchdown passes a quarterback will throw or how many three-point shots a basketball player will hit.\n\nUnderdog: The underdog is the team deemed less likely to win the game based on the odds. A bet on an underdog typically yields a larger return than a bet on the favorite.\n\nFavorite: On the other hand, a favorite is the team that is deemed more likely to win the game. Bettors often pay a premium for betting on a favorite but they're also the team that more often wins the game outright.\n\nConsensus odds: These odds are generally defined as an average of all available betting markets. Different sportsbooks may price markets variably based on the action they've taken or their own interpretation of information.\n\nFutures: While money line, against the spread and over/under bets are all single-game bets, futures markets encompass almost anything that falls outside of that spectrum. Futures bets include total regular-season wins, championship odds, MVP odds and more.\n\nParlay: This popular betting style is a little more complex. A parlay requires you to include two or more bets within a single wager, and all of your bets must win for the parlay to be a winner. For example, if you wager $100 on a three-leg parlay at 6 to 1 odds, you could win $600 if all three legs of the bet are winners.\n\nJuice: Also known as \"The Vig\" or vigorish, juice is effectively the tax that oddsmakers charge for handling a wager. If a book determines a game is a virtual coinflip, they may price both options at -110 to give themselves a 10% rake on all the action.\n\nPush: A push is a bet where neither the bettor or the sportsbook wins. If an over/under for total points in a football game is set at 44 and both teams combine to score exactly 44 points, the result is a push and the principle is returned to the bettor.\n\nLive/in-game betting: Many sportsbooks now offer live/in-game wagering that allows you to make bets on several different markets in real-time. In basketball, you can bet on the outcome of a quarter, individual statistics and live-updated spreads/totals.\n\nYou can bet on sports in states like Ohio, New York, and Arizona.", + "The best sports betting sites in the country are focused on Vermont where the launch of legal online sports betting is now scheduled for January 2024. Once they do, they'll all be fighting for market share with exclusive Vermont sportsbook bonuses and promotions, including deposit match bonuses, bonus bets, first bet offers and more.\n\nTypically all you’ll have to do is sign up for a new account with a Vermont online sportsbook to become eligible to receive the welcome bonuses, although in some cases you'll need to enter promo codes when registering to receive the offers. After that, you can continue to claim other ongoing Vermont sportsbook promotional offers.\n\nHere’s a rundown of everything you need to know about the different sportsbook bonuses and promos coming to Vermont and how to claim them.\n\nVermont sportsbook prelive offers\n\nSome Vermont sportsbooks are already offering \"prelive\" offers ahead of their launches. See below for the latest Vermont sportsbook prelive offers.\n\nTop 5 Vermont sportsbook bonuses\n\nHere are the best sportsbook bonuses & promotions from the top online sportsbooks anticipated to launch in Vermont.\n\nSportsbook Promo Code Welcome Offer Prelive Offer (if avail.) FanDuel Sportsbook Use Link Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets $100 in Bonus Bets DraftKings Sportsbook Use Link Get up to $1,200 in bonuses $200 in Bonus Bets BetMGM Sportsbook SPORTSPICK $1,500 in Bonus Bets TBD Fanatics Sportsbook TBD TBD TBD ESPN Bet Sportsbook TBD TBD TBD\n\nBest Vermont sportsbook promo codes\n\nVermont's new online sports betting law authorizes up to six sites to launch in the state. Five operators applied for licenses, and as of today FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics are already scheduled to launch on Jan. 11, 2024. BetMGM and ESPN Bet are also among the applicants, making them possible candidates to launch in Vermont in the new year as well. Here are details regarding those five online sportsbooks and their welcome offers.\n\nFanDuel Vermont promo code\n\nVermont already knows FanDuel thanks to its daily fantasy sports site. FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the most popular across the US, and FanDuel has already applied for a license to launch in Vermont. FanDuel has a great welcome offer inviting new sign-ups simply to make an initial $5 wager and get back $200 in Bonus Bets.\n\nMeanwhile, for Vermont bettors FanDuel is running an Early Sign Up Special that gets you an extra $100 in Bonus Bets for signing up early between now and Jan. 10, 2024. That means you can receive a total of $300 in Bonus Bets to get you started at FanDuel Sportsbook Vermont. You can read more about FanDuel Sportsbook Vermont's prelive offer here.\n\nYou can bet on around two dozen different sports at FanDuel. The site offers lots of props, futures, alternate lines, and popular premade same-game parlays. There are lots of ongoing promos, too, like profit boosts, free pools, pick-em contest, special “no sweat” bets and more.\n\nHere are more details of that FanDuel Sportsbook prelive & welcome offers:\n\nUse the links on this page to create your FanDuel Sportsbook account.\n\nto create your FanDuel Sportsbook account. Register before Jan. 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET and receive $100 in Bonus Bets available to use on the Jan. 11 launch day\n\nand receive available to use on the Jan. 11 launch day Once the site goes live, make a first deposit of at least $10 into your FanDuel account and place a qualifying bet of at least $5 .\n\ninto your FanDuel account and place a qualifying . Whether your bet wins or loses, you receive $200 in Bonus Bets .\n\n. You can use your Bonus Bets in whatever increments you like, but you have to use your Bonus Bets within seven days or they will expire.\n\nor they will expire. Winning wagers with Bonus Bets award the winnings only and not the bet amounts.\n\nFanDuel Sportsbook welcome offer pros and cons\n\nPros\n\nUnlike other offers, you don’t have to risk much of your own money to receive the bonus — just $5 to get $200 in Bonus Bets\n\nAlso unlike other offers, it doesn’t matter if your initial wager wins or loses, you get the bonus either way\n\nYou don’t have to use your Bonus Bets all at once (unless you want to), as you can divide up how you use the Bonus Bets any way you like\n\nCons\n\nYou can’t just withdraw the Bonus Bets, but you have to wager them\n\nYou only have a week to use all $200 of your Bonus Bets\n\nIf you win with Bonus Bets, you only get the winnings and not the wager amounts back\n\nWhat is the welcome offer at FanDuel Sportsbook VT?\n\nThose signing up at FanDuel Sportsbook Vermont by Jan. 10, 2024 will find $100 in Bonus Bets in their accounts when the site launches on Jan. 11. In addition, FanDuel Sportsbook VT will also feature the same welcome offer it has in other states, inviting new sign-ups to bet at least $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets. Be aware that sometimes FanDuel add perks to that offer, such as they did at the start of the NBA season when they threw in a free three-month subscription to NBA League Pass.\n\nWhat can I win with the FanDuel Sportsbook welcome offer?\n\nWith the FanDuel offer, whatever you win with your Bonus Bets is yours to keep. If you can make some successful bets, that should mean a nice profit given the fact that with the prelive offer you received $100 Bonus Bets for free, and with the welcome offer you only have to make a $5 bet up front in order to receive the $200 in Bonus Bets.\n\nWhat makes the FanDuel Sportsbook welcome offer special?\n\nThe FanDuel Sportsbook offer is great for many reasons. It is simple and easy to claim and use. You don’t have to make a large wager up front to receive the bonus, and it also doesn’t matter if your first bet wins or loses as you get the bonus either way. Finally, $200 in bonus bets is quite generous and if you make some winning bets you’ll be able to have a nice bankroll right away without any significant expense. And with the $100 in Bonus Bets for those signing up by Jan. 10, the offer is even more generous.\n\nDraftKings Vermont promo code\n\nDraftKings is likewise already known to Vermont sports fans thanks to its popular DFS site, and many will surely be gravitating to the DraftKings Sportsbook as well. DraftKings also has a prelive offer already available to Vermont users. Be aware, though, that those who accept the prelive offer will not be eligible for DraftKings' welcome offer later on.\n\nIf you use our links and sign up for a DraftKings Sportsbook VT account between now and the moment the site goes live on Jan. 11, you will receive $200 in Bonus Bets, issued as eight $25 Bonus Bets. You'll have to wager these (i.e., you can't withdraw them), and you must do so within 7 days or they'll expire.\n\nIf you choose to wait and instead take the welcome offer, you'll find DraftKings Sportsbook actually has a multi-part offer worth up to $1,200. The offer includes a deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000, a $50 Bonus Bet just for depositing at least $5, and another $150 in Bonus Bets for making a first wager of at least $5.\n\nHere are more details on the offer explaining how each part of the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer works:\n\nSign up for a DraftKings Sportsbook account via the links on this page .\n\n. Make a first deposit of at least $5 and get a $50 Bonus Bet .\n\nand get a . When you make your first deposit, DraftKings will give you a 20% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets . Be aware this bonus comes with a 25x wagering requirement .\n\nworth up to . Be aware this bonus comes with a . Finally, when you place an initial bet of at least $5 , you get $150 more in Bonus Bets delivered as eight $25 Bonus Bets that you’ll have seven days to use.\n\n, you get delivered as eight $25 Bonus Bets that you’ll have seven days to use. If you go for the full deposit match bonus, you can receive as much as $1,200 in Bonus Bets all told. Keep in mind that when you wager with Bonus Bets (aka DK Dollars) and win, you only receive the winnings and not the wager amounts.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer pros and cons\n\nPros\n\nThere are multiple welcome offers and not just a single offer\n\nYou don’t have to risk a lot — just $5 — to receive a total of $200 in Bonus Bets\n\nYou also don’t have to worry about winning or losing your first wager to get a bonus as with other sites’ offers\n\nCons\n\nThe 20% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 might sound good, but with a 25x wagering requirement it is truthfully only useful to high-stakes bettors\n\nYou only get a week to use the $150 in Bonus Bets awarded for making your first wager of at least $5\n\nYou only receive winnings and not the bet amounts when you use Bonus Bets\n\nWhat will the welcome offer at DraftKings Sportsbook VT be?\n\nWhen DraftKings Sportsbook Vermont launches, the site will feature the same multi-part welcome offer it has in other states: a $50 Bonus Bet just for depositing $5, another $150 in Bonus Bets for making a $5 wager, and a 20% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets.\n\nWhat can I win with the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer?\n\nDepending on how much in Bonus Bets you gather, you can win whatever you earn by placing successful wagers with them.\n\nWhat makes the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer better than others?\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook outdoes other sites with multiple offers rather than just one. Also, the $200 total in Bonus Bets you can receive just for depositing and wagering $5 is the best deal around, and you don’t even have to win or lose your first bet. The deposit match bonus offer is unique as well, although not all new users will likely try to take advantage of it.\n\nBetMGM Vermont promo code\n\nKnown as the “King of Sportsbooks,” BetMGM Sportbook is another favorite around the US and will surely be one should it launch in Vermont. BetMGM has applied for an online sports betting license and should be one of the new sites in VT. When that happens, Vermont bettors should be able to take advantage of BetMGM’s nice welcome offer of up to $1,500 paid back in Bonus Bets should they lose their first wager on the site.\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook offers lots of ways to bet on many different sports and leagues with a wide range of standard pregame bets (moneyline, spread, totals) plus lots of props, futures, and live betting opportunities. BetMGM is generous with bonuses and promos, too, with free pools, ongoing refer-a-friend bonuses and more. There’s also the BetMGM Rewards program for added benefits.\n\nHere’s how that welcome offer works at BetMGM Sportsbook:\n\nStart by entering the bonus code SPORTSPICK when you create your BetMGM Sportsbook account.\n\nwhen you create your BetMGM Sportsbook account. Deposit at least $10 .\n\n. Make a first bet and if you lose get back the equivalent amount in Bonus Bets up to $1,500 within 24 hours of the bet being settled.\n\nwithin 24 hours of the bet being settled. For losing bets up to $50, you receive the Bonus Bet as a single bet . If you bet more than $50 and lose, you’ll get your refund (up to $1,500) in five Bonus Bets divided equally (20% each).\n\n. If you bet more than $50 and lose, you’ll get your refund (up to $1,500) in divided equally (20% each). You’ll have seven days to use your Bonus Bet(s).\n\nto use your Bonus Bet(s). If you use a Bonus Bet and win your wager, you receive the winnings but not the wager amount back.\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook welcome offer pros and cons\n\nPros\n\nIt enables you to lose a first bet but still have get a second chance at winning\n\nYou can receive back up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets, and if it is more than $50 the bets get split up into smaller amounts you can use separately\n\nYou receive the Bonus Bet(s) within 24 hours, a quick turnaround\n\nCons\n\nYou have to lose your first wager to receive any welcome bonus\n\nYou have to use your Bonus Bet(s) within seven days\n\nWinning with the Bonus Bet(s) earns you the winnings, but not the bet amounts back\n\nWhat will the BetMGM Sportsbook Vermont welcome offer be?\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook has a “First Bet Offer” that awards you up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet after registering.\n\nHow much can I win with the BetMGM Sportsbook welcome bonus?\n\nAs with similar offers, you can win whatever you get from placing winning wagers with your Bonus Bets. The longer the odds on those bets, the more you can potentially win.\n\nHow does the BetMGM Sportsbook welcome offer compare to other sites’ offers?\n\nGetting $1,500 back in Bonus Bet(s) makes the BetMGM Sportsbook offers one of the most generous versions of the “second chance” offers that let you lose a first wager but get a second try at it.\n\nFanatics Vermont promo code\n\nFanatics Sportsbook is already scheduled to launch in Vermont in Jan. 2024. We are still awaiting word on what the Fanatics Sportsbook VT welcome offer will be. The site is live in several other states\n\nIn the past, Fanatics has featured different welcome offers for new sign-ups. These have included variations on the “bet-and-get” welcome offers described above. Fanatics has featured a bet $5, get $200 in Bonus Bets offer before. They have also structured the same offer differently by inviting new users to make five bets of at least $10 over five days and receive Bonus Bets each time they do, again totaling $200.\n\nFanatics Sportsbook has also taken advantage of the company’s other major business as an official sports apparel and gear provider that partners with all the major leagues and teams. Drawing on that connection, Fanatics has sometimes made a free jersey, or, rather, money to spend in the Fanatics Store, part of a welcome offer to new users.\n\nWe'll stay tuned to see what happens with Fanatics Sportsbook VT.\n\nESPN Bet Vermont promo code\n\nESPN Bet Sportsbook has also applied to operate an online sportsbook in Vermont, and so it could soon be among the new online wagering options for Vermont bettors as well.\n\nESPN Bet brings a very familiar brand to sports fans, but a relatively new one when it comes to online sports betting. After acquiring the old Barstool Sportsbook earlier in the year, ESPN Bet Sportsbook launched the rebranded site in 17 different states in Nov. 2023. The site has already begun taking advantage of various tie-ins with the renowned sports programming network which has helped in the effort to establish the site in the overall marketplace.\n\nIn other states, the ESPN Bet welcome offer has included a 100% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 (with a 20x wagering requirement). ESPN Bet has also run a welcome promo that invites new sign-ups to place a wager of any amount and receive $200 in Bonus Bets split into four $50 Bonus Bets.\n\nAgain, we'll keep an eye out for any news regarding ESPN Bet Sportsbook VT.\n\nOther potential Vermont sportsbooks\n\nVermont's new sports betting law allows for as many as six online sportsbooks, and while we know of a few of these we're still waiting to find out which ones go live in the state. Here are a couple of other online sports betting sites that are thriving in other states, one or both of which could potentially come to Vermont eventually.\n\nCaesars Vermont promo code\n\nCaesars Sportsbook has become one of the most popular online sportsbooks in the US in several states, and it should prove a favorite in Vermont as well. We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses.\n\nCaesars covers wide range of markets and different bet types while also featuring a terrific live betting platform. The site offers frequent odds boosts and other bonuses, and new sign-ups also get to join the famed Caesars Rewards program that can earn them more site bonuses among other benefits.\n\nHere are details explaining how the Caesars Sportsbook welcome offer works:\n\nWhen registering your new Caesars Sportsbook account, enter the bonus code NEWS1000 .\n\n. Place a first bet within 30 days and if it loses, receive back the equivalent amount in the form of a Bonus Bet worth up to $1,000 .\n\n. After that first bet has been settled, you’ll see the Bonus Bet in your account within two days .\n\n. Use your Bonus Bet within 14 days or else it will expire.\n\nor else it will expire. If you win with your Bonus Bet, you only receive the winnings and not the bet amount back.\n\nBetRivers Vermont promo code\n\nBetRivers Sportsbook is another site that has launched in many states and could be among those coming to Vermont. BetRivers has a lot to offer and many have found it a great choice elsewhere. Like the sites described above, BetRivers also has a “second chance” welcome offer that gives new sign-ups a free bet refund worth up to $500 should they lose their first wager.\n\nThe BetRivers sports betting site has all the most popular sports and leagues covered plus a lot of other international markets, too. You’ll find plenty of props and futures as well as a robust live betting platform. There are ongoing promos like matched bonus bets, parlay insurance, “bet & get” bonuses and more, and BetRivers also has a well-liked loyalty program, iRush Rewards.\n\nHere is a look at how to get the BetRivers Sportsbook welcome offer and what you get with it:\n\nSign up at BetRivers Sportsbook using the bonus code SPORTSRIV .\n\n. Deposit at least $10 into your account.\n\ninto your account. Make a first bet, and if you lose get the bet amount back as a Bonus Bet worth up to $500 . (Note that this amount varies from state to state and could be different in Vermont.)\n\n. (Note that this amount varies from state to state and could be different in Vermont.) You’ll see the Bonus Bet in your account within 24 hours , and then you’ll have 30 days to use it .\n\n, and then you’ll have . The Bonus Bet has to be used on wagers with odds of -200 or longer, and if you win with it you’ll receive the winnings but not the bet amount back.\n\nVermont sportsbook bonuses pros and cons\n\nVermont Sportsbook Bonus Pros Vermont Sportsbook Bonus Cons Thousands of dollars in value will be up for grabs. Refunds are site credit or bonus bets, not cash. Bonuses can be claimed easily via links or promo codes. Playthrough requirements are attached to site credit and bonus bets. Bonuses can be used to bet on almost any sport. You won't earn back the stake on winning bonus bets or bets with site credit.\n\nTypes of Vermont sportsbook promo and bonus offers\n\nThe welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions coming soon from new online betting sites in Vermont will fall into the following categories.\n\nDeposit match bonuses\n\nGet up to 100% of your first deposit matched in bonus funds. Sportsbooks will limit the bonus size you can claim and attach wagering requirements.\n\nReferral bonuses\n\nYou share a personal referral code with friends and family, and if they use it to sign up, deposit, and bet, you both get a bonus. Sportsbooks will attach wagering requirements to the bonus.\n\nFirst-bet offers\n\nYou get a refund if you lose your first bet. Sportsbooks will limit the size of the refund you can claim. Most refunds are bonus bets or site credit, not cash. That means wagering requirements are attached, and payouts don't include the stake.\n\nOdds boosts\n\nYou’ll receive better than the usual odds on specific bets. Daily odds boosts are available, but provide no value if the boosted bet isn't a winner.\n\nBet insurance\n\nGet a refund if you lose a specific bet or your parlay comes up one leg short. Sportsbooks will limit the size of the refund you can claim, and most refunds are bonus bets or site credit, not cash. That means wagering requirements are attached, and payouts don't include the stake.\n\nBet & get bonuses\n\nHere, you’ll get a bonus when you place a specific bet. Most bet & get bonuses are bonus bets or site credit. That means wagering requirements are attached, and payouts don't include the stake.\n\nApp-only offers\n\nPlace a specific bet with one of the best sports betting apps to receive a bonus. This won’t be available on the sportsbook website.\n\nSpecial event offers\n\nGet a bonus when you place a particular bet on special event odds like World Series odds, Super Bowl betting lines, or March Madness. Special event bonuses are often bonus bets or site credit. That means wagering requirements are attached, and payouts don't include the stake.\n\nLoyalty offers and programs\n\nEarn points with every bet, and the points are redeemable for rewards like cash and bonus bets.\n\nImportant Vermont sportsbook bonus and promo conditions\n\nTerms and conditions will be attached to every bonus and promo offer from Vermont online sports betting sites. Be ready to see these stipulations.\n\nBanking options\n\nYour ability to withdraw the winnings from a bonus could be limited to specific banking methods.\n\nWagering requirements\n\nYou might be forced to bet a bonus amount a minimum number of times before you can withdraw winnings.\n\nBetting limitations\n\nThere may be limits on the odds or bet types available for wagering bonus funds.\n\nTime limits\n\nThese would force you to use a bonus before an expiration date or meet all wagering requirements within a specific timeframe.\n\nMaximum withdrawals\n\nSome offers could limit your ability to withdraw winnings of a particular amount, forcing you to make multiple withdrawal requests on big wins.\n\nVermont sport-specific betting promos\n\nVermont has no teams in the four major US pro sports leagues. However, state residents have been known to support Boston-based teams, like the Red Sox (MLB), the Celtics (NBA), the Bruins (NHL), and the Patriots (NFL).\n\nBecause of those teams’ proximity to the state, you can expect Vermont online sportsbooks to run related promos (eg. NFL betting promos) to attract fans. College sports are big, too, which means several betting promos should also surround local college teams.\n\nHow do I claim a Vermont sportsbook bonus?\n\nMany times, all you’ll need to do is sign up for a new account through the links on this page to claim a bonus from a Vermont online sportsbook. Sometimes, you may need to enter the promo or bonus code, but those will all be listed on this page as well.\n\nYou may need to place a qualifying bet or meet specific wagering requirements to get your hands on the bonus. All of this will be outlined in the terms and conditions attached to any Vermont online sportsbook bonus offer.\n\nVermont sportsbook promo codes FAQ\n\nCan I get more than one bonus from a Vermont online sportsbook?\n\nNo, you’ll almost certainly be limited to one bonus from each Vermont online sportsbook, and sometimes the limit will be one per household. However, you can claim that one bonus from every Vermont online sportsbook. Sign up at as many sportsbooks as you like.\n\nWhat sports can these bonuses be used on?\n\nPretty much any sport should qualify. If betting on the sport is available in Vermont, you can use your bonus on it.\n\nWhy should I use the promo codes here on The Sporting News?\n\nThe promo codes on this page get you the best bonuses available. When you plug in the code during registration, the sportsbook knows we sent you and gives you the bonus we negotiated for you.\n\nAre these promo codes for regular customers, too?\n\nThe promo codes on this page are for new customers only. Once you’ve got an account with a sportsbook, you can take advantage of other bonus offers and ongoing promos.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "In late August 2021, Rani Zim completed one of the more surprising moves in his meteoric business career when he bought Psagot Investment House for NIS 405 million from Altshuler Shaham.\n\nBefore that acquisition, Zim had made his fortune in food retailing, setting up, together with his brother Adi, the Kimat Hinam supermarket chain, which was sold in an impressive exit, and in income producing real estate, with the commercial centers company that bears his name.\n\nBut just over two years since the deal that was meant to move him up a league, Group Psagot for Finance and Investments (TASE: GPST), which holds the investment house that was once the biggest in Israel, has a market cap of just NIS 97 million, after a 75% decline in its share price in the past year, and an 80% since the acquisition.\n\n\"Rani and Psagot suffered from a lot of bad luck, because sometimes it’s all a matter of timing,\" a senior capital markets source told \"Globes\". \"Since he bought Psagot, three significant things happened that affected the company. First of all, interest rates rose, and if there’s one thing that a financial marker doesn’t like, it’s interest rate hikes, particularly in the case of a leveraged deal.\"\n\nTo finance the acquisition, Zim took a loan of NIS 255 million from Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, which he offloaded onto the acquired investment house. NIS 120 million is still outstanding.\n\n\"A second factor,\" the source continued, \"is the judicial overhaul promoted by the government in the first nine months of the year, which didn’t exactly contribute to the financial markets, with a great deal of money leaving Israel. Psagot doesn’t specialize in long-term savings, in which most of the money is invested outside Israel, but mainly in investment in the local market, in products such as portfolio management, mutual funds, and a little brokerage. These are investment channels that are very vulnerable when Israel takes a hit. Finally, the war that broke out on October 7 was a blow to the finance industry, certainly in the short term.\"\n\nNow, Group Psagot is setting out to raise NIS 220 million debt, to be secured by the company’s shares in subsidiary Psagot Investment House. To that end, the company’s management has held meetings in the past few days with several financial institutions, to present to them the investment house’s activities and business plans. The sum that Group Psagot seeks to raise is intended both to cover the balance of its debt to Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, and to replace NIS 120 million in marketable bonds due for redemption in the coming eighteen months.\n\nThe existing bonds (series C) are currently traded at junk yields of around 16%, which makes it difficult to recycle the debt, hence the collateral required for the bonds to be offered. Group Psagot believes that, once the move is completed, the yield on its bonds will fall to single-digit proportions, and that its share price will rise accordingly.\n\n\"A rapid realization that it’s not for him\"\n\nSo far, Zim has invested nearly NIS 130 million of his own capital in buying control of Psagot, including in a rights issue that the group made last summer. The 62% stake that Zim holds in Group Psagot, the public company (formerly called Value Capital) through which he bought the investment house, is currently worth just NIS 64 million, meaning that he lost about half his investment within a short time.\n\nImmediately after acquiring Psagot’s business (which mainly consisted of management of mutual funds and customer portfolios) Zim told \"Globes\": \"Our headline at Psagot is to restore its former glory. We haven’t come to make a killing in one or two years, and I don’t want to start selling the business on to other entities… we’ll invest in the people, in the activity, in the organization, in the market, and we’ll form collaborations with many entities in the economy. We want to bring new activities and a different aroma to the market.\"\n\nBut, as reported six months ago, Zim has started to look for someone to buy his entire stake in the investment house, or at least part of it. One of the names mentioned in the press is that of Group Psagot CEO Yaniv Bender, who currently holds 7.4% of the company, as someone who could participate in such an acquisition.\n\nPsagot recently completed the sale of one third of its mutual funds business and its entire portfolio management business to Kessem, of The Phoenix Holdings group, for NIS 200 million. The sale of the mutual funds will yield a gain to Psagot of NIS 90 million, which will be posted in it fourth quarter financials. That amount is equivalent to the entire company’s current market cap, which, if you will, means that the rest of its business is valued at zero.\n\n\"There’s a considerable difference between commercial centers and the world of finance,\" a capital market player says. \"People think that if they are good managers, they can manage anything, but that isn’t necessarily so. To succeed in the capital market you have to be able to bring in the best investment managers and create DNA in the organization. There are many elements that are not similar to real estate or retailing, and the mere fact that a person has financial insight doesn’t mean success on the capital market. It looks sexy and glittering from the outside, but you have to understand how this sector works.\"\n\nPsagot’s business has been growing, but it is not managing to translate this into profits. Its mutual funds took in NIS 1.4 billion in October, and NIS 7 billion in the year to the end of October, which means that it has NIS 43 billion under management. Most of the incoming money, however, went into money market funds, a product with negligible management fees and low profits.\n\nPsagot posted a loss of NIS 27 million for the first half of 2023, which is largely attributed to its non-bank credit business, an activity begun before Zim acquired the company. About six weeks ago, Psagot sold control of its main holding in this area, AppliCheck, to its founder, Meny Guy, and now holds 20% of that company.\n\nSo what will happen now? When he put Psagot up for sale a few months ago, Zim was looking for a valuation of around NIS 400 million, similar to the valuation at which he acquired it. But in the light of the current share price, and since market conditions in Israel in general indicate that it will be hard to find a buyer who wants to do a deal at this time, it’s not certain that a deal is in the offing. At any rate, Group Psagot recently announced that Rani Zim was stepping down as chairperson, to be replaced by Daniel Leventhal.\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 5, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "The laggards Meanwhile, Harvey Norman (down 4.4 per cent) dropped as it went ex-dividend, weighing on the consumer discretionary sector (down 1 per cent). Wesfarmers (down 0.2 per cent), Lottery Corporation (down 3.6 per cent) and IDP Education (down 1.3 per cent) also fell. Gold miners Evolution (down 3.4 per cent) and Northern Star (down 2.6 per cent), along with NEXTDC (down 2.9 per cent) and REA Group (down 2.7 per cent) were among the biggest large-cap decliners. Healthcare player Resmed (down 2.8 per cent) and lithium miner Liontown Resources (down 2.8 per cent) both bucked the trend among their respective sectors. The lowdown\n\nHotter-than-expected inflation data and the prospect of more rate rises in the world’s biggest economy weighed on sentiment in the Australian sharemarket as interest-rate sensitive sectors such as IT and consumer discretionary dragged the index lower on Friday. While commodity prices boosted iron ore players, company specific news was behind some of the biggest swings. Resmed extended its losses after brokers at RBC downgraded the stock and gold miner Newcrest stepped up after investors approved its merger with US gold mining giant Newmont. US stocks slipped on Thursday as the clamps tighten on Wall Street from rising yields in the bond market. The S&P 500 was 0.7 per cent lower in afternoon trading and on track to break a four-day winning streak, its longest since August. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 204 points, or 0.6 per cent, as of 3pm Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8 per cent lower.\n\nThe stock market has largely been taking its cue from the bond market recently, and weak results announced in the afternoon for an auction of 30-year Treasury bonds sent yields of all kinds higher. Higher yields can knock down prices for stocks and slow the economy by making borrowing more expensive. Yields had already been on the rise in the morning after a report that showed inflation at the consumer level was a touch higher last month than economists expected. That raises worries about the Federal Reserve keeping its main interest rate high for a long time, as it tries to undercut inflation by knocking down investment prices and slowing the economy. Nothing in Thursday’s inflation report should sway the Fed one way or the other when it comes to what it will do on November 1. The inflation report, though, also had some encouraging nuggets for financial markets underneath the surface. After ignoring prices for food and fuel, which Fed officials see as a better predictor of where inflation is heading, prices that consumers had to pay last month were in line with expectations. They also continued to decelerate from earlier months. A second economic report from the morning likewise offered both encouragement and caution for financial markets. It said slightly fewer US workers than expected applied for unemployment benefits last week. On one hand, it indicates a job market with few lay-offs, which means strength for the overall economy. But it could also be adding fuel to keep upward pressure on inflation.\n\nAfter the reports, the 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.7 per cent from 4.56 per cent late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, climbed to 5.06 per cent from 4.99 per cent. Yields are still down slightly for the week so far. After jumping last week to their highest levels in more than a decade, yields regressed following speeches that investors saw as hints that the Fed may not raise its main overnight interest rate further. Loading The big jump for the 10-year Treasury yield since the summer has pulled mortgage rates to their highest levels since the turn of the millennium, and such moves could slow the economy without requiring more Fed hikes. Nothing in Thursday’s inflation report should sway the Fed one way or the other when it comes to what it will do on November 1, when it announces its next move on interest rates, said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. She called the data “reassuringly uneventful”.\n\n“The question around whether or not there will be one more interest rate hike is yet to be answered,” she said. Rising crude oil prices have put extra pressure on inflation since the summer, and they were volatile again on Thursday. After jumping early in the day, a barrel of benchmark US crude slipped US58¢ to settle at $US82.91. Brent crude, the international standard, rose US18¢ to $US86 a barrel. After jumping since the summer and then regressing a couple of weeks ago, crude prices have been shaky following the latest fighting in Gaza. The worry is the violence could lead to disruptions in the supply of petroleum. Crude prices have been shaky following the latest fighting in Gaza. Credit: Bloomberg Higher oil prices add costs across the economy, and airlines are particularly affected because fuel is one of their biggest expenses.\n\nDelta Air Lines fell 2.3 per cent despite reporting stronger profit for the summer than analysts expected. It also reported encouraging trends for bookings going into the holiday season. The result heads a reporting season for S&P 500 companies that could mark a return to profit growth after three straight quarters of declines. Several financial giants will report on Friday, including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, along with UnitedHealth Group. Ford Motors slumped 1.9 per cent after the United Auto Workers union escalated its walkout against Detroit automakers. In a surprise move, 8700 workers left their jobs at a Ford truck plant in Louisville, Kentucky. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after rising sharply in much of Asia.\n\nTweet of the day Quote of the day “With the continued growth of distributed work, Loom helps bridge the collaboration gaps for dispersed teams in deeply human ways,” said Loom co-founder and billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes as Atlassian announced it was acquiring former tech unicorn Loom, a US-based pioneer in enterprise video chat and screen recording. You may have missed", + "Welcome back to The Interchange, where we take a look at the hottest fintech news of the previous week. If you want to receive The Interchange directly in your inbox every Sunday, head here to sign up! After a bit of a quiet period, things in the world of fintech picked up in a big way this past week. We wrote about some notable fundraises, how PayPal was hit with an antitrust lawsuit, how Bolt is trying to move on after an SEC probe, and much more.\n\nRainforest takes on the bigger players\n\nIt’s not every day that we’re pitched companies that feel like they are taking on bigger players in a really meaningful way. This past week, I wrote about Rainforest, an Atlanta-based startup that is taking on incumbents such as Fiserv and FIS, as well as trying to take market share from other fintechs such as Stripe with its offering. Rainforest works with software companies to help them embed financial services and payments into their platforms. In an interview with TechCrunch, CEO and co-founder Joshua Silver respectfully disagreed with a16z general partner Angela Strange about her 2019 statement that every company would become a fintech. In his view, most software companies don’t actually want to be fintechs and deal with all the regulatory and compliance issues that go with that. They really just want to be able to accept payments and generate more revenue from being able to do so.\n\nAccel led the company’s $8.5 million seed round, which included participation from Infinity Ventures, BoxGroup, The Fintech Fund, Tech Square Ventures, and Ardent Venture Partners.\n\nIt’s always cool to see startups outside the coasts growing, and Silver’s confidence that what Rainforest is building will make it a formidable player in the space feels like it has merit. Founded in 2022, the startup has seen impressive growth in a short period of time, securing client commitments representing more than $500 million in processing, with much of the volume guaranteed.\n\nSilver believes the company’s exclusive focus on software companies only gives it an edge.\n\n“None of the modern processors were built specifically for software platforms. Most of them were built directly for merchants, and they’ve all had to retrofit their platforms even to accommodate basic payment processing and reporting functions for software companies,” he told TechCrunch.\n\nAs such, the startup is capturing volume as software platforms migrate from legacy processors such as Fiserv and FIS. As that happens, it competes against companies like Stripe (and its Connect product) to embed financial services and payments.\n\nNik Milanović of The Fintech Fund posted on X that he believes that one of the biggest stories of the next decade will be about Stripe, “which looks invincible from the outside, losing market share to nimble competitors.”\n\nHe added: “I think Rainforest is going to be a big part of that story.”\n\nMeanwhile, Infinity Ventures’ Jeremy Jonker and former PayPal exec said he’s been in payments for 13 years and has “never before seen anything like Rainforest.” He told me via email that “Joshua’s background as a software platform founder and then as a payments consultant is a big part of the secret sauce. He’s lived the pain of payments himself, and you can’t underestimate the power of being in your clients’ shoes. He knew that taking on risk and compliance burdens, and offering features like data portability, would be hugely attractive to platforms. We also like that it’s not just him who has a wealth of payments experience — it’s the entire team he’s recruited to the company. Many are longtime payments and SaaS vets who knew there was so much potential for a better provider, and now they’ve built it themselves.”\n\nListen to TC+ editor Alex Wilhelm and I talk more about how there’s plenty of market share to go around in Friday’s episode of the Equity podcast below. — Mary Ann\n\nPayPal is being sued for alleged “Draconian” payment policies\n\nOn October 5, Mary Ann broke the news that PayPal has been hit with a class action lawsuit by consumers represented by law firm Hagens Berman alleging that the fintech giant’s anti-steering rules stifle competition against lower-cost payment platforms such as Stripe and Shopify. Specifically, according to an investigation conducted by the firm’s consumer rights attorneys, PayPal has subjected consumers to excess charges when purchasing from online merchants that accept PayPal or Venmo.\n\nSomeone commented on social media that they didn’t see the problem with what PayPal is doing and questioned whether or not Visa and Mastercard do the same thing. So I went back to the attorneys who filed the lawsuit, who noted that the “anti-steering rules” are not the first of their kind. They said: “Visa and MasterCard once imposed similar anti-steering rules on merchants accepting their cards but, after the Justice Department sued the networks for antitrust violations, they agreed in 2010 to eliminate their anti-steering rules as part of the settlement. With payments transitioning into the digital realm, PayPal has simply ripped a page right from the Visa and MasterCard [sic] playbook.”\n\nMeanwhile, Patrick McGahan, a partner at Scott+Scott who focuses on antitrust litigation, had an interesting take that actually involves both of those card giants. He told TechCrunch that the case illustrates that “the tensions between merchants and the payment system providers are not over, and that litigation regarding this key cost faced by merchants is likely to continue for some time.”\n\nHe added: “Platform companies that operate as gatekeepers in their market, such as PayPal, will continue to be the subject of antitrust litigation as a result of the significant fees they charge. PayPal’s fees are, however, driven by the costs imposed upon them by the dominant card schemes, Visa, Mastercard and American Express. So, we can expect PayPal will respond to this suit by arguing that it is as much of a price taker as the merchants themselves, and that the terms imposed upon it by the card schemes drive some of its anti-steering rules.”\n\nPayPal did not respond to requests for comment. — Mary Ann\n\nBolt CEO gets frank about SEC probe\n\nBolt Financial CEO Maju Kuruvilla told me in an interview that the one-click checkout company is putting a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe behind it and is moving on.\n\n“It obviously is a very, very involved process, but we’re really happy to put that behind us,” Kuruvilla told TechCrunch. “We look forward to focusing on the momentum for the business and how we can help the retailers, especially the big retailers who are looking to us to innovate for them, because this is a tough year for retailers.”\n\nYou might remember that Bolt, which provides checkout technology to merchants, and its co-founder Ryan Breslow, were subpoenaed last year by the SEC to investigate whether the company violated any securities laws during fundraising in 2021 when Bolt was seeking its $355 million Series E round that valued the company at $11 billion.\n\nThe investigation took about 15 months, but news of that probe didn’t go public until July of 2023. Shortly thereafter on August 23, the SEC said, in a letter viewed by TechCrunch, it was not recommending an enforcement action for the company.\n\nKuruvilla spoke with me about how, exactly, the company can put something like this behind it, what it told customers and what’s next. Read more. — Christine\n\nWeekly News\n\nBanking-as-a-service startup Synapse confirmed Friday that it laid off 86 people, or about 40% of the company. The San Francisco–based company, which operates a platform enabling banks and fintech companies to easily develop financial services, has been open about past layoffs. In June, CEO Sankaet Pathak wrote in a blog post that the company had let go of 18% of its workforce as “the current macroeconomic conditions” had begun to impact its clients and platforms, affecting its anticipated growth. More here.\n\nVisa plans to invest $100 million in companies developing generative AI technologies and applications “that will impact the future of commerce and payments,” Mary Ann reports. Visa Ventures head David Roff told TechCrunch that the fintech giant has “a lot of flexibility” with regards to how many investments it would make out of the new fund, and average check size. More here.\n\nAs reported by Manish Singh, “Indian unicorn fintech Slice is merging with North East Small Finance Bank after receiving the approval from the central bank, in an extremely rare feat that has eluded many tech giants, top financial startups and tycoons for decades. Slice — which earlier offered credit card–like cards and at peak issued over 400,000 cards in a month, more than any other fintech or bank — said the merger with the Guwahati-headquartered bank will allow the combined entity to better serve their shared mission and reach more consumers who currently lack access to basic banking services.” More here.\n\n“CRED grew its operating revenue by a staggering 255% to $168.1 million in the financial year ending March as the fintech startup, which garners an unusually high level of attention, finds rising adoption of its lending and commerce offerings among India’s affluent individuals. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup had a total income of about $50 million in the financial year ending March last year and $11.4 million in the prior year. More here from Manish Singh.\n\nBrex co-CEO and co-founder Henrique Dubugras chose the very picturesque island Fernando de Noronha in northeastern Brazil to be the location of four days of festivities around his marriage to software engineer Laura Fiuza, Brazilian publication Globo reported last week. Some 400 guests are reportedly attending the wedding, which led to the closing of the Forte dos Remédios — one of the island’s main tourist attractions — for more than a week, according to Globo. Parabéns, Henrique and Laura!\n\nSeveral fintech startups recently made LinkedIn’s top startups of 2023 list, including Ramp, No. 1; Synctera, No. 11; Esusu, No. 13; Sardine, No. 16; and Tapcheck, No. 48.\n\nCB Insights also released its Fintech 100 list, made up of the “most promising 100 fintech startups of 2023.”\n\nOther items we are paying attention to:\n\nThe great Zelle pool scam\n\nThe Public platform offers everyday investors a slice of ‘Shrek’ catalog with quarterly payouts\n\nStockpile and Green Dot partner on debit cards for minors\n\nAmex pilots biometrics in online checkout\n\nPie Insurance appoints Audra Foglietta as chief financial officer\n\nMonzo picks Cash App vet Conor Walsh for US CEO\n\nFolsom-based EV Life launches electric car loan to lower monthly payments\n\nCLEAR launches reusable KYC solution\n\nFunding and M&A\n\nAs seen in TechCrunch\n\nOpen banking led to a fintech boom — as Brite raises $60M, account-to-account payment grows\n\nRecapitalization, $60M Series D support growth of e-commerce financier Clearco\n\nStitch raises $25M Series A extension led by Ribbit Capital, increasing the round’s total to $46M\n\nResy and Eater co-founder raises $24M for Blackbird, a restaurant loyalty platform\n\nSparx wants to do for enterprise what Truebill did for consumer recurring bills\n\nTen Key Labs wants to simplify managing equity for startups\n\nSeen elsewhere\n\nLogistics company Loop raises $35M to modernize the supply chain (Also, check out TechCrunch’s previous story on Loop.)\n\nShift4 acquires SpotOn unit for $100M (TechCrunch previously covered SpotOn here.)\n\nReserv raises $20M for AI-driven insurtech software\n\nVyzer raises $6.3M seed round for AI-powered wealth management platform\n\nKafene adds another $12.6M to its Series B round (TechCrunch previously covered Kafene here.)\n\nFintech firm Revio boosts community bank growth with $2.5M funding\n\nSkyWatch acquires Droneinsurance.com\n\nAP Automation Fintech Stampli announces $61M round led by Blackstone", + "In the runup to the 2020 election, a small news organization saw an opportunity.\n\nThe Epoch Times directed millions of dollars in advertising toward supporting President Donald Trump’s campaign and published dozens of articles parroting his lies about the election — resulting in huge growth to its audience and its coffers.\n\nThe strategy garnered criticism from fact-checking groups and got it banned from advertising on Facebook, but it ultimately paid off — putting the once-fringe newspaper on a path that perhaps only its leader, who claims to have supernatural powers, could have foreseen.\n\nToday, The Epoch Times is one of the country’s most successful and influential conservative news organizations. It’s powered by Falun Gong, a religious group persecuted in China, which launched The Epoch Times as a free propaganda newsletter more than two decades ago to oppose the Chinese Communist Party.\n\nFunded through aggressive online and real-world marketing campaigns and big-money conservative donors, The Epoch Times now boasts to be the country’s fourth-largest newspaper by subscriber count. (Unlike most major newspapers, The Epoch Times isn't audited by the two major independent collectors of circulation data.) The nonprofit has amassed a fortune, growing its revenue by a staggering 685% in two years, to $122 million in 2021, according to the group’s most recent tax records.\n\nIts editorial vision — fueled by a right-wing slant and conspiracy theories — is on display in recent reports on how “Jan. 6 Capitol Hill Security Footage Challenges Key Narratives” and “Meteorologists, Scientists Explain Why There Is ‘No Climate Emergency.’” Its video series include a documentary-style film alleging widespread vaccine injury and death and an exposé of an alleged world government agenda to harm farmers, cull the population and force survivors to eat bugs.\n\nWhat The Epoch Times lacks in standards, it makes up for in style and form, mirroring the aesthetics of journalism — a feature that’s attracted subscribers and big-name supporters.\n\nAnti-vaccine activist and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls The Epoch Times a daily read, among his most trusted news sources. “They have a real bias against China, but on other reporting, they’re very courageous and it’s real journalism,” Kennedy said in an interview with NBC News this summer.\n\nIn July, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., recited the history of The Epoch Times into the congressional record. “This is all about one word: freedom,” Norman said.\n\nThe Epoch Times has yet to throw its weight behind a candidate for 2024, but heading into the election cycle, it is moving into new and bigger office spaces and production studios in California, hiring mainstream news veterans who are not affiliated with Falun Gong, and revving up an ad-buying blitz.\n\n“They achieved the goal,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based Republican strategist hired by The Epoch Times in 2018 to open doors to conservative politicians and players. Steinhauser said that a series of interviews and introductions with politicians and media figures at that year’s Conservative Political Action Conference offered access to a wider conservative audience. The Epoch Times was a “supporting sponsor” for this year’s conference.\n\n“They take advantage of every opportunity,” Steinhauser, who is not currently working for The Epoch Times, continued. “They studied digital marketing. They learned how to work the system. And they did it. They're smarter than people give them credit for, and they’ve got the money to back it up.”\n\nAs a nonprofit, The Epoch Times is exempt from most federal taxes. Its mission, according to tax filings, is independent journalism, “outside of political interests and the pursuit of profit, for the public benefit and to be truly responsible to society.”\n\nNeither the chairman nor the editor-in-chief of The Epoch Times returned multiple requests for comment. Representatives for The Epoch Times have previously defended it against critical reporting, labeling reports of the paper’s conservative mission, and its penchant for misinformation, “smears.”\n\nEpoch Times representatives also deny an affiliation with Falun Gong, despite the two groups’ clear financial and organizational ties: The Epoch Times board members and most staff are Falun Gong practitioners. The nonprofits behind The Epoch Times and Friends of Falun Gong, the movement’s advocacy organization, share executives and provide grants and services to each other, according to tax filings. And the newspaper, along with a digital production company and the heavily advertised dance troupe Shen Yun, make up a nonprofit network that the leader of the religious movement calls “our media.”\n\nLi Hongzhi during an interview in New York in 1999. Henny Ray Abrams / AFP via Getty Images\n\nIn 2009, Li Hongzhi came to speak to his followers, volunteers who worked at The Epoch Times’ offices in Manhattan. Li’s instructions for the group were simple. They needed to reach people outside of the Falun Gong religious community. And they needed to make money. A lot of it.\n\n“Ensure that the paper gains a foothold in ordinary society and turns profitable,” Li said.\n\nFalun Gong — or Falun Dafa, as some followers call it — is a kind of personal development movement started by Li in China in 1992. It combines tenets of Buddhism and Taoism, and followers practice with meditation and flowing breath and movement exercises, and by studying Li’s teachings.\n\nTo his followers, Li is a God-like figure who can levitate, walk through walls and see into the future. His ultra-conservative and controversial teachings include a rejection of modern science, art and medicine, and a denunciation of homosexuality, feminism and general worldliness.\n\nIn 1999, after thousands of Li’s followers silently protested its repression in Beijing, China banned it altogether. Labeling it a cult, the Chinese government confiscated Falun Gong books, blocked websites, closed teaching centers and arrested practitioners. Human rights groups reported a brutal crackdown: Some adherents were sent to labor camps; others were tortured and killed.\n\nFalun Gong followers meditate outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington in 1999. Joyce Naltchayan / AFP via Getty Images file\n\nInternational human rights organizations condemned China’s attempted eradication. In the U.S., where Li and some of his practitioners had fled, a new collection of followers organized a campaign to raise awareness and sympathy with parades, demonstrations and pamphlets that touted the benefits of Falun Gong and the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party.\n\nThe Epoch Times was born out of that leafleting campaign. Started in Georgia in 2000 by John Tang, a Falun Gong practitioner who remains its CEO, in essence it was a Chinese-language public relations newsletter. The group’s long-term goals were ambitious: to expose the Chinese Communist Party and to save the world in a supernatural war against communism.\n\nThrough the early aughts, The Epoch Times grew from an online effort to a weekly physical newspaper, with a home base in New York and a TV production company, New Tang Dynasty Television. It raised money from followers and was staffed by unpaid volunteers. It ran aggregated articles on international issues from Voice of America next to Thanksgiving Day explainers, dispatches from Falun Gong parades, and exposés on atrocities alleged to have been committed by the Chinese Communist Party.\n\nBy 2019, it had gone mostly digital and was spending millions of dollars on creating a network of Facebook pages and groups and running aggressive pro-Trump ad campaigns. The move toward explicit support of Republicans, despite Li’s teachings to stay away from U.S. politics, was foreshadowed by Li’s comments at a Falun Gong conference a year before.\n\nLi said that Falun Gong’s media ought to put a “constructive” spin on the news, to advance the group’s aims. It wasn’t wrong, he said, to favorably cover a politician who shared Falun Gong’s conservative values and whose goals aligned with their own.\n\n“If someone comes along now who can help to halt the downward spiral that the world is in, then he is truly someone extraordinary!” Li said. “He would in effect be helping us! Wouldn’t he be helping us to save people?”\n\nThe Epoch Times also employed a tactic more often associated with fake news content farms and scammers than news organizations, creating a network of inspiring and cute-content pages and fake accounts to inflate The Epoch Times' reach.\n\nIn 2019, following reporting by NBC News, Facebook found that The Epoch Times had “leveraged foreign actors posing as Americans to push political content” and banned it from future advertising, citing a violation of policies, including trying to circumvent review systems.\n\nUndeterred, The Epoch Times pivoted to video, specifically YouTube, spending millions on internet-infamous ads featuring Roman Balmakov, a former Epoch Times delivery person who now hosts the online show Facts Matter. In the ads, Balmakov rails against the mainstream media, communism and the persecution of Trump.\n\nThe Epoch Times also revisited a tried-and-true strategy that the original anti-communism newspaper had been built on — free physical copies. Instead of boxes on street corners, this time The Epoch Times printed and distributed unsolicited special editions of the paper from California to the Carolinas to the U.K. In Philadelphia alone in 2020, the company mailed 280,000 free copies of its newspaper, “to increase subscription,” according to tax documents.\n\nThe aggressive online and real-life marketing campaigns paid off. The group reported $76 million in subscription revenue in 2021, compared to nearly $7 million in 2019. A former employee of a regional Epoch Times operation who asked not to be identified because he feared retribution said that in order to send the papers to the most likely customers, they bought lists of addresses from data brokers, specifically for conservatives aged 60 and over. And many of the new subscribers are seniors, according to an employee’s account shared at a Falun Gong conference.\n\nBut hundreds of online complaints suggest that not all of the new customers are satisfied.\n\n“I’ve had the terrible misfortune of being subscribed to the Epoch Times without my consent,” one reads. Another says: “I want to stop receiving Epoch Times emails. That is all I want.”\n\nThe Epoch Times print newspaper in Augusta, Ga., in 2020. Elijah Nouvelage / Bloomberg via Getty Images file\n\nAs The Epoch Times’ marketing strategy shifted, so did the content — and by 2020, it became a megaphone for the U.S.’s most extreme right-wing stories.\n\nThere was plenty to write about: An election marred by disinformation, the bubbling culture wars and, most helpful for a media company missioned with ending the Chinese Communist Party, a pandemic originating from China provided endless opportunities for takes that aligned with hawkish conservatives and conspiracy theorists.\n\nThe Epoch Times was early to lay blame on China for Covid — labeling it the “CCP Virus” in its coverage. (The origin of the outbreak is unknown; the best evidence still points to natural transmission from an animal market.) China’s documented handling of the virus, including withholding information from researchers, a crackdown on whistleblowers and an authoritarian public health response, added credibility to The Epoch Times’ unproven claims.\n\n“The dynamic for The Epoch Times changed in 2020, partly because of their criticism of China around Covid,” said A.J. Bauer, an assistant journalism professor at the University of Alabama who studies conservative media. “An entire new kind of ecosystem of Covid deniers and skeptics overlapped with right-wing media and were citing and drawing heavily upon The Epoch Times.”\n\nThe Epoch Times’ subscription page began hosting glowing testimonials from Steve Bannon, Glenn Beck and the far-right Arizona congressman Paul Gosar. The organization became a reliable source for misinformation around Covid, its treatments and the vaccines.\n\nThe Epoch Times was also an early and aggressive promoter of election misinformation, according to the Election Integrity Partnership, a coalition of researchers that documented misinformation and the 2020 vote. The group cited the news organization as a “repeat spreader” of false and misleading voter fraud stories as well as a major promoter of debunked conspiracy theories around Dominion voting machines and the “Stop the Steal” movement, aimed at overturning the election results. Months after the election, The Epoch Times refused to acknowledge the results.\n\nWith the new bedfellows came a new revenue stream. Though Falun Gong practitioners had been a reliable source of small donations in previous years, in 2020 the group started to receive gifts and grants from big money conservative donors.\n\nWhile The Epoch Times is not required to list its donors, it reported $8.4 million in revenue from contributions and grants in 2020 and 2021. Tax documents from that period filed by scores of donors, accessed through ProPublica’s nonprofit explorer, show some of those funds came from conservative donors and foundations.\n\nIn 2021, The Epoch Times received $55,750 from the National Christian Charitable Foundation, which connects anonymous donors with Christian causes, and $31,000 from Donors Trust, a fund for conservative and libertarian donors. Smaller donations came from individuals — real estate agents, investors and surgeons among them — and small family foundations, most of which support right-wing causes, including evangelical Christian groups, anti-vaccine groups and far-right media organizations.\n\nMost of the donors contacted by NBC News did not respond to interview requests; two declined.\n\nThe Epoch Times is pouring its revenue back into its own organization and others connected to the Falun Gong religious movement.\n\nIn the first half of this year, The Epoch Times spent 65% more on ads than in the first six months of 2022, with about half of its budget going to the X platform, formerly Twitter, according to the market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Other recent ad buys were made on the right-wing sites Drudge Report, Breitbart and Rumble.\n\nThe Epoch Times paid a company called Data Managing Corporation $2.7 million for advertising services in 2021, according to tax documents. The company’s listed address is a single-family home in New Jersey owned by a reporter for The Epoch Times, who did not return requests for comment.\n\nIn addition to running its business, The Epoch Times provided about $30 million in grants to its own affiliates and connected organizations in 2021, including $10.4 million to the dance troupe Shen Yun, and $8.3 million to New Tang Dynasty, which produces videos.\n\nThe three groups, united under the Falun Gong religious movement, made up a nearly quarter-billion dollar industry in 2021, according to tax documents. Li holds that the Falun Gong messages, shared in articles, videos and dance performances, will result in the salvation of humankind as the end of the world nears.", + "Mario has been stomping Goombas, smashing blocks and running from left to right for damn near 40 years. How is Nintendo supposed to keep its classic side scroller feeling fresh after all this time? First, you shift the location to a brand new kingdom. Next, you introduce a bunch of new enemies and power-ups. But what really pushes things over the top is the introduction of a new mechanic that turns everything you think you know about Mario games on its head. What you get is Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a game that dazzles and delights while living up to its name in a variety of ways.\n\nWarning: This review includes some light spoilers, including the number of worlds and descriptions of some hidden levels.\n\nThe game starts simply enough with Mario and crew (Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Nabbit and, for the first time, Daisy) visiting Prince Florian of the Flower Kingdom. But then Bowser barges in and steals a Wonder Flower, which somehow allows him to merge with Prince Florian’s castle to create a floating mecha fortress of doom. From there, your job is to collect Wonder Seeds (this game’s version of stars and shines) as you help the Florians restore order to their troubled land.\n\nScreenshot by Sam Rutherford/Engadget\n\nRight away, this has some subtle but important implications for the rest of the game. The first is that you immediately Wonder Flowers have wild and unpredictable effects. The second is that, because you’re not simply recusing a princess trapped in a castle, the whole Flower Kingdom is working with you to take down Bowser. Sometimes that means you might be rescuing some trapped miners. But other times the Florians are the ones helping Mario (who also has a new voice actor for the first time) by rebuilding a bridge or donating a Wonder Seed at the beginning of a new world. The friendly little flowers scattered across each level will even shout words of encouragement or funny quips as you run by. But the impressive part is that, even in a relatively straightforward platformer like this, there’s a sense of community that makes this world feel more lived in than a lot of epic RPGs.\n\nYou’ll find a number of familiar baddies along with some new foes across an incredible range of environments and levels. Wonder features six main worlds each with a distinctive theme. But within those, you’ll still run into reimagined haunted houses, pirate ships, underwater stages and more. One twist for this game is the addition of badges, which are earned by completing specific levels and some may even be required to find secrets or reveal alternate exits. Some allow you to jump farther or float, while others make extra coins appear. There are even protective badges, like the one that automatically saves you if you fall into lava or poison. It’s a mechanic that feels inspired by recent roguelikes, such as Hades, and it does a great job of adding customizability and replayability.\n\nHave you ever thought about what it would be like to hear Piranha Plants serenade you? Screenshot by Sam Rutherford/Engadget\n\nHowever, the biggest twist in the game is the Wonder Flowers themselves. In addition to the one Bowser stole, there’s also one hidden in almost every stage. And if you find it, you better be prepared for the unexpected. Touching them transports you to an alternate dimension where the rules of the Marioverse have been completely rewritten. In one level Super Stars rain down from the sky, while in another you might be transformed into a giant slime. You may also run into Wonder Flowers which converts the game from a side scroller into a top-down 2D maze or suddenly find yourself the target in a shooting gallery.\n\nAlmost every flower is different and the possibilities are seemingly endless. In a recent volume of Nintendo’s Ask the Developer, I learned that the team had a wall of sticky notes with over 2,000 ideas, and after playing Wonder, I believe it. Wonder Flowers feel like they add an extra half a level to every stage; they’re a delicious dessert on top of an already bountiful meal.\n\nToad ain't scared of some stormy skies. Screenshot by Sam Rutherford/Engadget\n\nEven without the aid of a Wonder Flower, the sheer variety of level types is impressive. Alongside classic stages that are capped off by grabbing a flag, there are also races, badge challenges, puzzle levels and more. There are KO Arenas that let you pick your power-up of choice (Fire Flower, Elephant Suit, Bubble Mushroom or the Drill Hat) before taking down waves of enemies, while Break Time levels provide quick 30-second bursts of excitement. You’ll never be bored, even if you want a change from standard platform jumping.\n\nI also have to say that this might be the best Mario and friends have ever looked, and that includes recent 3D titles like Odyssey. There is just so much detail packed into every level and character. From the determined face Mario makes when he runs around, to the little flames that sprout from your feet every time you jump.\n\nWonder’s map is also surprisingly engaging. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if the ability to freely roam around added all that much. But as I progressed, I found a number of secret nooks and crannies that wouldn’t have fit if the game was locked to a handful of paths. And with Wonder Flowers giving Nintendo the freedom to mix and match mechanics and enemies, there’s just so much to see.\n\nDon't let Wiggler beat you. Screenshot by Sam Rutherford/Engadget\n\nNintendo even managed to address a gripe I had about the pacing of previous 2D Marios. Since they’re meant for both experienced gamers and children who might be new to the franchise, they often locked more challenging levels behind the story’s completion. This meant the beginning of the game could be a slog as you rushed through easier levels to get to the more challenging bits. But with the addition of difficulty ratings and hidden paths that lead to 5-star levels long before you finish the game, there isn’t the same rush to get to the “good stuff.” And I should say that 4- and particularly 5-star levels are balanced just right. Completing one feels like a rewarding challenge, without crossing over into punishing.\n\nI do have some very minor complaints about things like mummy enemies (pulling their wraps feels a bit tedious) and I fear the Elephant Suit might be a bit overpowered in comparison to the Drill Hat. The 5-star levels and rhythm stages are also so good I wish there were more of them, I just can’t get enough. And I’m slightly disappointed the adorable penguins from the movie didn’t make an appearance somewhere in Wonder’s ice levels.\n\nHave you ever seen a Boo this big? Screenshot by Sam Rutherford/Engadget\n\nBut on the whole, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a marvelous game. Its art and animations have a level of polish that’s practically unmatched by rival titles, and the addition of Wonder Seeds subverts your expectations and keeps this 40-year franchise feeling new and innovative. In a lot of ways, Wonder reminds me of my favorite 2D Mario game: Super Mario World. While I wish it didn’t take more than 10 years for Nintendo to create a proper sequel to its last mainline platformer, if that’s what it takes to get a game like this, I’m happy to sit and wonder what’s next for Mario.", + "The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 as a standard wire and concrete fence to make it difficult for East German residents to escape to freedom in the West. By the end of the 1970s, its fourth generation already included a 127 km long electrified fence, a strip of land made of sharp metal nails, a closely-packed row of watchtowers, a patrol road, an intrusion-tracking dirt road, guard dogs, deep trenches anti-vehicle trenches, and two layers of concrete walls. \"The fence was initially quite weak, so it was decided to place guards every few meters on top of the wall,\" Dr. Avner Barnea, a former Shin Bet senior officer and lecturer on intelligence and national security, and business intelligence at Bar-Ilan University, tells \"Globes.\" \"But until they mined the area, they didn't really succeed in preventing escapees. These low-tech solutions made all the difference. None of the authorities ever took the risk of relying on advanced technologies.\"\n\nThe fence that, until October 7, separated Israel and the Gaza Strip was completed in December 2021, 60 years after construction of the Berlin Wall began. It was intended to protect against a major security threat, but in practice it was much leaner than that. The fence was almost unmanned by soldiers, and relied mainly on sensors, above and below ground, surveillance cameras, and vehicle patrols. And, of course, there was no surrounding minefield.\n\nAfter Operation Protective Edge in 2014 revealed that Hamas forces were able to penetrate the Gaza border settlements at several points via underground tunnels, it was decided in 2016 to build a defense line focused on this threat called \"the anti-tunnel barrier\" that would replace the existing fence. The upper section of the barrier was based mainly on a fence called the \"sand clock,\" which had only proved itself in stopping illegal immigrants on the Israel-Egypt border - the same fence that then-US President Donald Trump enthused over, and wanted to duplicate on the US southern border.\n\nThe cost of the barriers was NIS 3.5 billion, mostly for the below-ground section. It was presented as a high-tech project and as a great technological achievement that would be an additional layer of protection from the Gazan threat, along with the Iron Dome. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) boasted that \"the amount of concrete invested in it could pave a road from Israel to Bulgaria, and the amount of iron and steel could equal an iron bar from here to Australia\". At that time, the Ministry of Defense claimed it would be integrated into the \"Smart and Lethal Border\" project that was being tested along the northern border of the Gaza Strip which, the Ministry of Defense stated, included mobile robots and military drones for carrying out defense missions, without endangering soldiers' lives.\n\nAt the time of the completion of the fence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then in the opposition, referred mainly to the below-ground aspect, saying that \"Any time Hamas terrorists have tried to penetrate the border settlements through the tunnels, they were terminated underground. The below-ground barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip has already saved many lives.\" Then-Minister of Defense Benny Gantz said, \"The barrier, which is a superior initial technological and inventive project that sets an iron wall, sensors and concrete between it and the residents of the south. It provides a sense of personal security that will allow this beautiful region to continue to grow.\"\n\n\"The concept underlying the construction of an advanced technology fence relates to the Second Lebanon War, when Hezbollah surmounted a high fence with a ladder,\" says Yehoshua Kalisky , senior researcher at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). \"This was the reference scenario. There was no thought that they would use aircraft here to cross it or that they would come with a heavy machinery, and simply breach it.\"\n\nThe illusion of superiority\n\nOn the morning of Saturday, October 7, the above-ground section of the barrier turned out to be completely insubstantial, as was its fundamental concept of defense. Using drones easily purchased on the Internet, Hamas disabled both the cameras transmitting images to control room monitors in real time, and the (See and Fire) long distance stationary remote controlled weapon stations (RCWS). There had been a second line of defense, observation balloons, but for unknown reasons, all three had stopped working some weeks before the attack, and repairs were postponed until \"after the holidays.\"\n\nIsrael’s drone warfare fleet, which is capable of jamming signals of a hostile drone, and the attack drone fleet, known for warfare against incendiary balloons, also did not work for unknown reasons, and dozens of Hamas drones operated without interruption. The IDF's Iron Beam high energy laser (HEL) interception system, which was developed for such cases, among other things, has not yet entered into operational activity after many years of development. All allowed the Hamas terrorists to quickly reach the IDF bases along the Gaza border, disable the information and communications technology (ICT) systems, neutralizing the ability to call reinforcements without arousing much suspicion at IDF Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv.\n\nAbove all there was a sense of security and belief in technology and the sophisticated barrier’s ability to prevent any form of intrusion. With the fence as protection, manned deployment for Gaza border settlements was cancelled, (in any case, these had been reduced immediately after Operation Protective Edge), units deployed in the area were reduced, replaced with cameras and other electronic means.\n\n\"When relying on technology, the expectation is that it will warn of the dangers and threats,\" Barnea says. \"When the thinking is that you don't need soldiers because there are monitors, you expect in advance that you will receive the warning about the threat via the technological means and no one imagines a situation in which the observation array would be neutralized. On the contrary, it is seen as invulnerable. The problem begins when the enemy is also exposed to these means: RCWS are great, they are important and cost millions, but they are visible to everyone, and everyone knows where they are. Once you begin believing that the fence will stop all the relevant threats, you think even half a battalion on standby is enough. Technology greatly influences our way of thinking and is seen as the answer to everything - only no one ever asks themselves what the vulnerabilities are, and what is the backup plan for the doomsday scenario when the technology layer collapses.\"\n\nBarnea compares Israel’s sense of technological superiority with US activity during the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1968. \"The Americans relied on massive aerial bombardment with precision bombs and napalm bombs that burned huge areas, and advocated the \"scorched earth\" concept. They convinced themselves that the Vietcong could not withstand it. In practice, the North Vietnamese army studied the American activity. It dug tunnels, moved equipment and people between bombings, eventually enabling it to reach the important bases in the south of the country, and overwhelm the Americans. In fact, the US military so believed in the damage it was causing that they reported a far greater number of casualties on the other side than the actual number, which in turn created an illusion of victory. They told themselves, we have B-52 bombers, there's no way we can't win.\"\n\nTechnological sophistication and the massive investment in intelligence means have greatly increased the IDF's visual intelligence gathering capabilities, according to former IDF Intelligence Directorate head General (ret.) Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash. \"I'm sure it doesn't come at the expense of human sources, but as time goes by, gathering visual intelligence is easier than human sources and they bring better results. It's hard to bring in a Palestinian 'Ashraf Marwan,' the agent who passed the information to Israel before the Egyptian attack in 1973. It’s a problem because the human source is essential to provide an interpretation of the rest of the information that’s received, and to make decisions. Golda knew who Marwan was and expected to hear what he would say about the Egyptian deployment in the south.\" At the same time, according to \"The New York Times\" a year before the attack, the IDF stopped monitoring Hamas' radio communications last year. The US had put stock in Israeli intelligence regarding Hamas in recent years and hadn’t monitored it independently.\n\nThe human factor\n\nThe technological concept is, of course, not limited to the border fence, or to intelligence, and is not just a product of Operation Protective Edge. For years, the IDF has been praising the ethos of a small and smart army, implicitly if not explicitly. In recent years, it has publicized countless technological projects and present itself as a high-tech army: establishing a technological division, called Shiloh, to coordinate the development of technologies for all branches of the army, and with the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (IMOD DDR&D or MAFAT). Shiloh, which is currently subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, was established following State Comptroller reports about the lack of coordination and synchronization between the Ministry of Defense and the IDF units; and lead a new border defense concept based on sensors and other technologies for gathering intelligence and thwarting infiltration; strengthening the Air Force in the form of additional aircraft and armaments; and strengthening the operational end of the regular front units.\n\nAll this, while at the same time closing down armored battalions and consolidating helicopter squadrons. Ground force technological capabilities were also addressed, such as improved coordination between the infantry and air forces in air-to-ground actions, or identifying terrorists and weapons in an urban environment. However, there is a problem at the outset, says, Prof. Eviatar Matania of Tel Aviv University School of Political Sciences, Government and International Affairs, and founder and first director general of the Israel National Cyber Directorate: a large gap between the technology and the officers expected to implement it as part of the security concept.\n\nMatania explains that the IDF has always advocated technological advancement as part of a concept that values quality over quantity. \"This existed even during [Israel’s first Prime Minster David] Ben-Gurion’s time, because it was clear that we could not defeat the enemy in terms of quantity, and it also integrated well with saving human lives - an important pillar in the security concept - but at that time, innovation was expressed in tactical issues. After the Yom Kippur War, Israel pulled strongly in the direction of building military technological superiority, and this integrated well with the Israeli economy, which was gradually opening up to the world, and the computer revolution.\n\nThis effort bore fruit as early as 1982, when we proved to the whole world that we could destroy most of the Syrian surface-to-air missile array using precision-guided weaponry. Israel's security concept was updated by Dan Meridor and Lt. Col. Ron Eldadi, with the addition of a fourth component, defense, to the three components of Israel’s traditional national security doctrine as determined by Ben-Gurion: deterrence, warning, and decisive victory, leading to the development of systems such as the Iron Dome, and David's Sling (formerly called Magic Wand).\"\n\nBut, emphasizes Matania, \"The IDF senior officers aren’t technologically savvy as a whole, some see these systems as black boxes, and don't always understand their advantages and disadvantages. At the West Point or Annapolis military academies, it's customary to teach technological subjects as well, because they understand that the military profession today requires a basic understanding of the field. The correct way to integrate technology with security is to implement it as part of an operational concept, not as a single component, and to assume that it is not perfect, but has vulnerabilities, and may suffer from system failures. Therefore, such systems always need what’s known as 'redundancy', i.e. backup systems, to make sure there isn’t a single point of vulnerability through which everything could collapse. The Air Force, for example, has several different models of aircraft just for this. Every plane also has several systems to back it up.\"\n\nThe Iron Dome paradox\n\nPerhaps more than anything else, the Iron Dome system is representative as the technological response to the threat from Gaza. Matania explains, \"The Iron Dome was built with the strategic vision of giving decision-makers breathing room, to allow them not to react immediately to the rockets, but to have the flexibility to react at the right time, and in the right place, in a range of ways. But some say its success was paradoxical. Iron Dome was so successful it not only supported the decision-making process but fundamentally changed it. Up until October 7, it served as a very successful plaster to threats to a sovereign state, because what legitimacy would a state leader have for going to war when no citizens were harmed?\"\n\nBrigadier General Eran Ortal, until recently the commander of The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies, a military research center subordinate to the Operations Directorate, also believes that various technological measures such as the Iron Dome, and the barrier, influenced decision-making in Israel. In his estimation, these helped the political echelon conduct a policy of military restraint towards the Gaza Strip, which in turn allowed Hamas to strengthen and gain offensive capabilities.\n\nIn an article five years ago, Ortal, currently in active military service an unavailable for interview, wrote, \"Israeli restraint as regards proactive thwarting of offensive capabilities in the Gaza Strip stems from a clear Israeli strategy that strives to reduce the influence of the enemy on the current routine of life in Israel, even at the price of worsening of the threat in the future.\" Ortal pointed out that this policy was natural and that \"a Western nation cannot lead its life in an endless state of emergency. But alongside the understanding of the need for a containment policy, it must be recognized that the risks are high, as evidenced by the steeply worsening intensity of conflicts between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza.\"\n\nAccording to Ortal, in recent decades, Hamas and Hezbollah developed ballistic missiles and terror tunnels in response to Israeli policy that sought minimal friction with the enemy through separation and withdrawal from the security zone in southern Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip. Ortal points out that between Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Israel significantly reduced targeted countermeasures against terrorist operatives, and none focused on Hamas operatives. According to his analysis, this was because, prior to the Iron Dome coming into use in 2011, the most dangerous threat posed by Gaza developed in the period preceding Operation Protective Edge. The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible. This, after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time since the Yom Kippur War, and the education system shut down for more than a week.\n\nEven after Iron Dome, Israel found it difficult to stand up against the significant disruption of daily life on the home front. \"Despite the clear threat posed by Gaza, the decision makers preferred to avoid a policy that would mean returning a large part of the country's population to the reality of air raids and disrupted daily routines. The bottom line: the Iron Dome did not change the essential strategic situation; as firepower from the Gaza Strip developed, so did the terrorist organizations’ ability to control daily life in Israel’s hinterland, hold it hostage, and restrain Israel from taking proactive measures against them.\"\n\n\"Why didn't the relative success of the Iron Dome translate into the even more important strategic achievement of restoring Israel's freedom of action against Hamas in the Strip?\" asks Ortal rhetorically, and names several factors. \"The first, like any other operational system, Iron Dome is also not perfect. The enemy studies it and develops its own challenges against it, and the decision makers recognized the fact that the State of Israel is not hermetically protected. Second, the enormous cost involved in deploying and operating [Iron Dome] batteries significantly impedes a policy based on continuous rounds of violence. Thirdly, as long as the rockets are intercepted in the skies over Israel, and not the skies over Gaza, the Israeli home front is forced to experience sirens, security rooms and shelters, and disrupted routine living. In other words, even the complete success of the Iron Dome left daily life on the home front in the hands of the terrorist organizations.\"\n\nIn 2018, Ortal wrote about \"the barrier\" that, \"it would be wrong to assume it will turn out to be more immune than its predecessors. The longer as we delay cutting the direct connection between the Hamas rockets and those of our other enemies, who make extensive use of this method of operation, and the idea of attacking our territory, the longer we will be condemned to watch from the sidelines and look at their constant enhancement.\"\n\nA strategic surprise\n\nIn the months leading up to October 7, the former head of the Planning Division, Major General (Res.) Giora Eiland, held a series of lectures for senior officers on the reasons for the strategic surprise that fell on the IDF in the Yom Kippur War. \"Not one of the officers imagined that 50 years after that mistake, it would repeat itself in exactly the same way,\" he tells Globes.\n\nThe strategic surprise that hit the State of Israel about four weeks ago bears similar characteristics to the Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941; to the Argentine surprise attack on Britain's Falkland Islands in 1982; the Al-Qaeda attack on the United States on September 11, 2001; and to the spread of ISIS throughout the Middle East in 2014.\n\nIn fact, Barnea claims, despite the technological progress and sophistication, intelligence officials are questioning whether there really is a trend towards improvement of early detection and thwarting of strategic threats. A comprehensive study conducted on intelligence failures in the national arena, from the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 to 2010, showed no improvement in providing or thwarting warnings about strategic surprises, even if the means of gathering information had improved. Four years after signing the study, former US President Barack Obama admitted that US intelligence had not correctly assessed the severity of the threat of large parts of Iraq and Syria being occupied by ISIS.\n\n\"No matter how technologically advanced your army or how effective your intelligence gathering system, identifying strategic surprises is a human process that depends on analyzing what is called, in the intelligence community, 'weak signals,'\" Barnea says. \"These are pieces of relevant information that have been conveyed to the organization, but because they are low-key, or because of the information overload around them, the organization fails to identify and interpret them correctly.\"\n\nOn Saturday, October 7, for example, suspicious movement in Gaza convinced the Shin Bet head to send a special team to the southern border, but he was unable to convince the top IDF echelons to prepare accordingly. To handle those weak signals, Eiland claims, one must use \"scenario theory\", meaning, taking into account scenarios that have a low probability of occurring, but with devastating results should they occur, and the simple way to prepare for them.\n\nEiland explains: \"You detect certain noises on Friday night, but conclude that the probability of an attack is low, let's say only 10%. Those who act only on the probability do not consider the question: if this attack happens - will you be able to live with yourself for eliminating this threat? There’s also a third consideration, which is ease of effort: what is the effort required of me to prepare for this unlikely but dangerous scenario? It may be a relatively simple effort, like waking the troops up at 4:00 am, placing them position, and putting an aircraft in the air for a few hours. You don’t even need pilots - unmanned aircraft operators are enough. There’s no need to mobilize reserves or convene a cabinet. Every commander is allowed to give instructions to those under him - if that would have happened, everything would be different.\n\n\"This is exactly the same type of failure that was at the basis of Israeli thinking at the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War,\" Eiland continues. \"After information was gathered that indicated the intentions of the Egyptians and Syrians to launch an attack, they decided not to mobilize reserves because the cost was high. But why didn't they order the regular army to get ready? They thought the chance of war breaking out was low, they thought it was an exercise, but they didn't calculate the potential damage, they didn't imagine how serious the extreme scenario could be.\"\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 5, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "The Big Ten announced Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be prohibited from coaching on the sideline for the remainder of the regular season.\n\nAt least, in theory. The Friday ruling is the next chapter in an NCAA investigation into Michigan for in-person scouting and sign stealing in a scandal that led to the resignation of staffer Connor Stallions on Nov. 3. Harbaugh will be allowed to coach during the week but will not be able to be on the sideline. Michigan did not get a ruling on a temporary restraining order ahead of the showdown against No. 10 Penn State.\n\nThe Wolverines still won 24-15 under interim coach Sherrone Moore, but the fallout from the scandal continues to have a far-reaching impact on the Big Ten, Michigan and college football beyond this year's College Football Playoff race.\n\nA look at the winners and losers from the scandal to date:\n\nMichigan scandal winners and losers\n\nWinners\n\nTony Petitti\n\nPetitti certainly did not hit Michigan with a \"slap on the wrist.\" That ruling showed Petitti is not afraid to take on one of the Big Two within the conference. In a letter to Michigan, Petitti tried to dispel those notions. Via The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach:\n\n“The Conference does not play favorites among its members, nor does it take actions towards its members based on prejudgment or bias. Failing to act under the extraordinary circumstances here could lead other Conference members to reasonably conclude that the conference has chosen to favor the University over all other members.”\n\nTony Petitti, in letter to Michigan, says that the school initially refused to consent to the Big Ten obtaining the spreadsheet and other documents from the NCAA related to its investigation.\n\n\n\nAlso makes point to say he's not playing favorites. pic.twitter.com/OgTvTNY1QI — Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 10, 2023\n\nMost speculation pinned a potential Harbaugh suspension at two games knowing that the regular-season finale against No. 1 Ohio State is a huge television draw and Petitti has a background in TV with the MLB Network. Petitti went heavy-handed instead, maybe a little too heavy considering the pending legal response from Michigan.\n\nThis no doubt is risky on several fronts. The Big Ten made it clear that they still have not linked Harbaugh to any wrongdoing and that this an institutional penalty based on the findings. The NCAA also will continue its investigation into the Wolverines. The timing of Friday's announcement also was poor – less than 24 hours before the game against Penn State. Petitti upheld sportsmanship within the conference, but it could lead to a long-term rift with Michigan.\n\nRegardless, Petitti did the right thing.\n\nDECOURCY: Michigan got off easy with Harbaugh suspension\n\nOhio State-Michigan TV ratings\n\nWith or without Harbaugh, The Game will draw ridiculous television ratings.\n\nAccording to Sports Media Watch, three college football games have drew a Nielsen rating of 5.0 or better this season. Penn State-Ohio State (5.3), Colorado-Oregon (5.2) and Ohio State-Notre Dame (5.1) make up that list. Michigan-Penn State should join that list on Saturday, but the intrigue around The Game this year could double all of those games.\n\nLast year's matchup drew an 8.05 with 17.1 million viewers. Michigan won the last two meetings and has a chance to win three in a row in the rivalry for the first time since 1995-97. Ohio State is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Harbaugh (2-5) and Day (1-2) both have losing records in this rivalry matchup, and the Big Ten East, CFP and perhaps national championship are on the line.\n\nWill this game draw a 10 Nielsen rating and 20 million viewers? It's not out of the question, and there will be enough WWE-like promos leading up to this game to get both fan-bases frothing.\n\nHelmet technology\n\nCBSSports.com reported on Oct. 20 that the NCAA rules committee is giving teams the option of coach-to-player helmet communication to relay plays from the sideline during bowl season this year. Tablets will inevitably follow, and here is the sliver of good that will come from this scandal.\n\nIt's about damn time. Death to sandwich-board playcalling, please. Bring on those playsheets where coaches simply have to cover their mouth. This is one instance where emulating the NFL game is overdue.\n\nSherrone Moore\n\nIf Moore is going to be a head coach, then Saturday’s victory against the Nittany Lions was a fitting audition. The Wolverines rushed for 227 yards – including 32 straight run plays – in grinding out a top-10 victory at one of the toughest environments in the FBS at Beaver Stadium.\n\nMoore was emotional - complete with NSFW language – in the aftermath.\n\nSherrone Moore filled in for Jim Harbaugh as Michigan's coach today.\n\n\n\nHe was emotional after defeating Penn State.\n\n\n\n\"I want to thank Coach Harbaugh. ... I love the s— out of you man.\"\n\n\n\n🎥: @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/NmXZWrGxCM — The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 11, 2023\n\nMoore, however, will emerge as a leading candidate for some jobs as a result, and that is a huge victory for one of the nation’s top assistants.\n\nLosers\n\nConnor Stalions\n\nStalions made a name for himself. He will be remembered as the Michigan staffer as the center of this sign-stealing scandal. Stalions resigned on Nov. 3. The NCAA investigation whether Michigan was involved with in-person scouting, which is prohibited by the NCAA, put Stalions into the college football consciousness. According to ESPN.com, Stalions allegedly purchased tickets to more than 35 games involving Big Ten and potential CFP opponents.\n\nPhotos also surfaced os a person who resembles Stalions on the Central Michigan sideline during the Chippewas' opener against Michigan State on Sept. 1. Central Michigan has yet to confirm who that person was, another layer to a wild Stalions story that has supplied endless meme and conspiracy material on social media.\n\nStalions might be the fall guy who saved Michigan from further wrath from the Big Ten and NCAA or the reason the Wolverines' national championship season unraveled. That fate is yet to be determined, but at minimum he will be one of those controversial names we'll never forget, like Harvey Updyke and Nevin Shapiro.\n\nJim Harbaugh\n\nOn one hand, Harbaugh could serve his second suspension within one season and further NCAA punishment could be coming down the line. On the other, he could emerge as a martyr for Michigan fans given there is reportedly no proof yet he knew of Stalion's rule-breaking.\n\nHarbaugh will have a temporary restraining order hearing on Nov. 17, according to ESPN.com. That will determine whether he returns to the field for the final two games against Maryland and No. 1 Ohio State.\n\nIt's an inescapable fact that Harbaugh is 31-3 – and Michigan is 35-3 – since the program bottomed out at the end of the 2020 season. While it is almost impossible to quantify how much the alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing would have helped the Wolverines over the past two seasons, it will be a tough stain to erase knowing those violations are now on the Big Ten record.\n\nWhat will Harbaugh do now? That is almost impossible to predict given his combative personality. Would he sign a contract extension and continue to fight the NCAA? Will Harbaugh finally take the parachute to the NFL? Those are questions bound to come up at the end of the 2023 season.\n\nBENDER: Michigan will need Jim Harbaugh against Ohio State\n\nBig Ten\n\nThis is the fourth football scandal in less than a calendar year.\n\nThree former Iowa football players and a student manager were charged in an illegal sports wagering scandal. Several student-athletes face allegations of placing bets on games in which they played in. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired on July 10 after a hazing investigation into the program. Fitzgerald is suing the university for wrongful termination. Michigan State fired Mel Tucker on Sept. 27 after allegations of sexual misconduct from Brenda Tracy, a speaker on sexual assault awareness.\n\nNow, Michigan has a scandal on the field, and they countered with allegations that Ohio State and Rutgers leaked Michigan's signs to Purdue in last year's Big Ten championship game. ESPN reported that Big Ten coaches and athletic directors encouraged Big Ten commissioner Petitti to act last week, but that resulted in action before the NCAA investigation concluded.\n\nDo you wonder what the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey privately think about all this? For the Big Ten, it is an ugly run of bad behavior on and off the field for a conference that is welcoming four new members next season in Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.\n\nTo be determined\n\nMichigan\n\nMichigan is 10-0 and on track to meet No. 1 Ohio State for another blockbuster matchup in college football’s best rivalry. On the field, the Wolverines remain on track for a third straight Big Ten championship and shot at the College Football Playoff.\n\nBut this is about more than football.\n\nWill more penalties come from the Big Ten and NCAA as a result of the in-person scouting scandal that has not left the college football consciousness this month? Will the Harbaugh-Petitti battle lead to an unsettling end for Michigan? President Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel have voiced their support for Harbaugh, but that has been more about due process than admitting to any wrongdoing.\n\nIt has thrust the Wolverines – a talented team led by J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and a defense that allows 7.5 points per game – into a villain role, complete with visits from Ric Flair. That only works when you are winning. One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.\n\nWill a national championship outweigh the stain on their reputation? The answer is almost always yes for the fans, but the program might feel a different long-term result.", + "The Bears' prayers were nearly answered on a game-ending Hail Mary. Instead, Cleveland fans exhaled as their team came away with an improbable win against Chicago.\n\nJustin Fields and the Bears had the ball at the Cleveland 45 trailing by three with five seconds left on the clock. There was no time for a play and a field goal without any timeouts to try for a shorter kick.\n\nChicago's only hope of winning the game — and keeping its surging playoff trending up — would rest on a Hail Mary, a play so dubbed because it takes a miracle to succeed.\n\nThe Bears nearly had their miracle. The ball had the distance and it was tipped in the air several times and began to fall into the arms of Bears receiver Darnell Mooney, who was falling toward the endzone turf. He had his hands on it as it began to fall into his chest.\n\nThe ball deflected off his hands and legs and ultimately into the waiting hands of safety D'Anthony Bell, who made the catch and slid to the ground to end the game and seal the Browns' 20-17 win.\n\n\"It would've been crazy,\" Mooney said after the game. \"I mean, how many times you see a Hail Mary work and actually fall into, being able to make the catch? It's tough. I wish I could've had it, but I mean it is what it is.\"\n\nMORE: Jets' offensive line issues, playoff elimination could end Rodgers' comeback attempt\n\nThe balance of the game was suspended in the air as the ball deflected from Bear to Brown. Cleveland tight end David Njoku had the same reaction as likely just about any fan watching the game in the stands or at home.\n\n\"I damn near s— myself, dog,\" Njoku said, per The Athletic's Zac Jackson.\n\nThe Bears' sideline appeared convinced it had won. Fields said that as the ball began to fall into Mooney's hands, the Chicago sideline began to erupt before realizing the ball would not be ending in Bears' hands.\n\nFields' counterpart, Joe Flacco, could only watch on the jumbotron as the play unfolded. He had just driven the Browns to the go-ahead score the drive before. In his 16 years in the NFL, he's seen a lot, and he knew to hold off on any celebration until the game was official.\n\n\"When you watch and or are a part of all the games that go on every week, you know not to get excited until that clock hits zero,\" Flacco said. \"There's so many things that can happen, whether we've been a part of it or whether like I said you've seen it on Sundays just watching TV so believe me I was over there and guys want to come up and congratulate and things like that and I'm just sitting there waiting for that clock to hit zero.\"\n\nMORE: Updated NFL playoff picture in Week 15\n\nBrowns edge rusher Myles Garrett was on the field as one of the few players at the line of scrimmage, focusing more on pressuring Fields than picking him off. And when Fields got the throw off, he, too, became a spectator.\n\n\"Shoot, too good of a view,\" Garrett said. \"He kinda looked at me just made sure I was far enough and then tossed it up and I was like, 'Please, Lord, don't let us be on one of these YouTube compilations.'\"\n\nIt had been a wild ending to the game. Chicago had led 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter, but on successive drives, the Browns scored a field goal to open the fourth quarter, scored a game-tying touchdown with 3:08 left in the contest. Cleveland forced a three-and-out, then drove down the field in eight plays to kick a go-ahead field goal with 32 seconds left, burning all of Chicago's timeouts in the process.\n\nThe Bears got a bit of life when Tyler Scott caught a short pass from Fields and raced up the right sideline 30 yards to move up to Cleveland's 45. But after back-to-back incompletions, the Bears were forced to try for the Hail Mary rather than kick the long field goal.\n\n\"At the end of the game, I loved the way our guys battled at the end,\" Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. \"And what a nice play by T Scott to put us in position and, again, we were just too far back. We ended up throwing the Hail Mary at the end and we had a chance there too, that's just about focus and concentration at the very end and making a really good play.\"\n\nChicago had plenty of other issues that contributed to coming up short to the Browns. The Bears' only touchdowns came when an interception spotted Chicago at the Browns' 1-yard line and another on a pick-six. The offense went three-and-out eight times. And rather than try for a go-ahead, 54-yard field goal, the Bears opted for a Hail Mary from the Browns' 37 with no time left in the first half, leading to Fields' first interception. The only two Chicago turnovers came on Fields' Hail Mary tries.\n\nThe loss was also particularly crushing for a team that had won back-to-back games, with a pair of wild-card contenders in the Vikings and Packers losing this weekend. But dropping to 5-9 is a crushing blow to Chicago's playoff hopes and solidifies it will be another season of a sub-.500 record in the Windy City.", + "The DC Extended Universe, as DC Comics’ movie and TV line was originally called, has gone through some major growing pains since it launched with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013. Looking for ways to compete with Marvel Comics’ massively popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC has repeatedly switched tracks and tactics on the DCEU, sometimes steering toward a single interconnected universe, then backtracking into a more director-driven plan where movies like Todd Phillips’ Joker could be made without fitting into any specific previous continuity.\n\nIn 2023, the Snyderverse is coming to an end, slowly rolling to a halt with movies like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle, all leading up to the grand finale of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Once the last bits of the DCEU make their way to theaters, it will be time to usher in a new era of DC movies.\n\nGuardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran are taking the reins of the newly branded DC Studios, and they’re bringing a long-term plan to DC with them. The new projects on the DC docket are meant to reboot or reshape DC’s best-known heroes, while reaching into some deeper corners of the DC canon for more obscure characters. And it’s wrapping up the DCEU era, replacing it with just “the DCU,” a mainline continuity that will exist alongside other DC film and TV universes. Here’s everything DC is currently planning to put in theaters and on TV screens, in 2023 and well into the future.\n\n[Ed. note: This story only covers Warner Bros.’ DC projects and doesn’t include The CW’s Arrowverse, which is effectively ending in 2023.]\n\n2023\n\nAquaman and The Lost Kingdom: Dec. 20\n\nExpect online fandom debates to go ballistic again as we get closer to the sequel to James Wan’s joyously goofy 2018 under-the-sea extravaganza, Aquaman. Jason Momoa is back as the titular superhero/sea king, with Nicole Kidman returning as his mother, Atlanna. Ben Affleck is reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Patrick Wilson is back as undersea usurper Orm the Ocean Master, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is back as the villain Black Manta, and Wan is back at the helm. But most of the early noise about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been about the return of Amber Heard as Aquaman’s love interest, Mera — after the long, contentious legal battle between Heard and Johnny Depp, expect the lead-up conversation about this one to be noisy.\n\n2024\n\nJoker: Folie à Deux: Oct. 4\n\nTodd Phillips’ acerbic 2019 drama Joker — effectively a DC-themed riff on Martin Scorsese’s King of Comedy — didn’t necessarily call for a sequel. It ends in a wide-open place that invites viewers to write their own next chapter. But nothing breeds sequels like success, and the first Joker was a billion-dollar hit for DC during a period where it was struggling to find that kind of payday from any of its properties. It feels like DC may have handed Phillips a blank check and a free rein — at least, that seems like the best way to explain why the Joker sequel is reportedly a musical thriller with ​​Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as Arthur Fleck/the Joker, and Lady Gaga taking on the role of Harley Quinn. Zazie Beetz will be back as Arthur’s neighbor and entirely unwitting love interest, Sophie.\n\nCreature Commandos\n\nJames Gunn is listed as the writer for this seven-episode adult animated series, which will also include Suicide Squad head Amanda Waller. This time, she “creates a black ops team out of monstrous prisoners.” The team will include Frankenstein’s monster (here called Eric Frankenstein and voiced by David Harbour), who has a long, complicated DC history of his own. The series is set to star Frank Grillo (Prison Break) as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) as the Bride of Frankenstein, and Alan Tudyk (Harley Quinn) as Doctor Phosphorus.\n\nWaller\n\nGunn’s hilarious, heartfelt Suicide Squad spinoff series Peacemaker was greenlit for a second season in February 2022, but Gunn has now said he’s going to have to put that project on hold for a bit to concentrate on other things — including Waller, the previously untitled Peacemaker spinoff centered on Viola Davis as no-nonsense supervillain resource broker Amanda Waller. The character, introduced to DC’s movie continuity in David Ayer’s little-loved 2016 version of Suicide Squad (though she’s been part of the comics continuity since 1986), is one of the few elements of Ayer’s movie that was held over in Gunn’s 2021 reboot/reshuffle movie, called The Suicide Squad. She also turned up for a quick cameo in Black Adam. Now she’s getting her own show — which “features Team Peacemaker,” so it may feel like a stealth season 2, depending on who from the team winds up on the series.\n\n2025\n\nSuperman: Legacy: July 11\n\nThe first of the new Gunn/Safran projects to actually get a release date, Superman: Legacy seems expressly designed to break the DCEU mold. Henry Cavill is moving on from the Superman role, and Gunn, who plans to script the film himself, made several pointed references to this film being a break from past visions of Superman: He called the film “the true foundation of [their] creative vision for the DC Universe,” and said he “can’t wait to introduce [their] version of Superman.” The advance description for this one currently just says it’ll feature the character “balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.”\n\nThe Batman Part II: Oct. 3\n\nThe long, contentious history behind 2022’s The Batman didn’t leave much room for hope: As one of those movies that got bounced from team to team for years, changing shape at every bounce, it looked like a project that was destined to be driven more by market calculation than by a specific vision. But director and co-writer Matt Reeves found an effective take on the Dark Knight that resonated with audiences and landed solidly at the box office, and DC immediately greenlit a sequel, again with Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. No plot details are clear yet, though Pattinson and Reeves have been blue-skying about a lot of things they’d like to do: The Court of Owls storyline, maybe? Mr. Freeze? Calendar Man, for god’s sake?\n\nUndated\n\nThe Penguin\n\nHBO Max’s TV spinoff of Matt Reeves’ The Batman is meant to bridge the gap between that movie and Reeves’ sequel, as Penguin (Colin Farrell) solidifies power in the Gotham underworld immediately after the death of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) in the movie. The eight-episode series, produced by Reeves and overseen by Agents of SHIELD writer-producer Lauren LeFranc, is meant as a lead-in for The Batman Part II, so even though it’s currently undated, expect it before the movie hits.\n\nArkham Asylum\n\nThe actual title for the second of Reeves’ two HBO Max The Batman spinoffs hasn’t been revealed yet, but this one is meant to be a prequel to the movie. Previously planned as a series about the workings of the Gotham police department, the series mutated in the development stage, and Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter, originally in charge of the series, departed the project. Reeves has described this series as an origin story for characters seen in Arkham in The Batman, with more of a horror movie or “haunted house” feel. The Staircase’s Antonio Campos is now the showrunner for the series.\n\nA ‘Black Superman’ movie\n\nDC announced in early 2021 that writer Ta-Nehisi Coates would reboot Superman with a movie that would put a Black man in the title role. Details have been thin regarding whether this film would tie into an existing DC comics story — for instance, whether this might be a movie outing for temporary Superman successor Steel or a complete reimagining of the character — but the film was meant to be produced by J.J. Abrams under his Bad Robot imprint. Reportedly the project is still going forward in the wake of Gunn and Safran’s new slate, but no release date has been announced.\n\nBrave and the Bold\n\nTaking its title from a silver age DC Comic, Brave and the Bold will introduce Batman’s biological son Damian to the DCU — he’s the fifth of Batman’s many Robins — with a story inspired by Grant Morrison’s interpretation of the character in the Batman and Son run of the Batman comic. This will be Damian’s first appearance in a live-action film, though the character has appeared in animated form in TV and movies. The continuity of this film will be separate from Matt Reeves’ planned The Batman trilogy; it’s meant to establish the new DCU continuity for Batman and Robin.\n\nThe Authority\n\nThe WildStorm imprint — founded as an independent company in 1992 and bought up by DC in 1999 — maintained its own superhero universe separate from DC’s, until DC shut it down in preparation for its characters to join the mainline DC Universe in the company’s 2011 reboot. In its day, Wildstorm published independent and creator-owned comics, alongside superhero series like Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch’s The Authority, about a group of seven heroes with high-concept superpowers, like the Engineer, a woman with nanotech blood, and Jack Hawksmoor, a man who psychically bonds to cities. This will be the first appearance of WildStorm canon in live-action film.\n\nSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow\n\nJust as Superman: Legacy is meant to present a new view of Superman for the DCU, Woman of Tomorrow is being billed as “a science fiction adventure” that “presents a Supergirl viewers are not used to seeing.” The movie will be based on Tom King’s celebrated Supergirl comics, and will presumably not touch on anything from the six-year run of Supergirl on The CW starring ​​Melissa Benoist.\n\nSwamp Thing\n\nThe recent appearance of Man-Thing in Marvel’s black-and-white special Werewolf by Night suggested there can be space for mainstream superhero comics’ occasional forays into EC Comics-style “weird horror” territory. But it’ll be a while before we get to see what that looks like on the DC side. Swamp Thing, a plant-elemental hero who (depending on which comics you’re reading) might or might not be a mutated version of scientist Alec Holland, dates back to 1971, and was successfully rebooted by Watchmen author Alan Moore in 1984. He’s had several previous screen incarnations, including Wes Craven’s 1982 movie Swamp Thing, a three-season USA Network Swamp Thing series starting in 1990, and a little-watched, quietly dropped one-season series in 2019. DC Studios says this movie “will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing.”\n\nBooster Gold\n\nDC hasn’t said much about this TV series, which brings the comics’ fan-favorite comic-relief character to the screen for his own adventures. The company’s logline for the show is just “Booster Gold uses basic technology from the future to pretend to be a superhero in present day” — which is pretty much Booster Gold’s traditional comics depiction as well.\n\nLanterns\n\nThe 2011 live-action Green Lantern movie (starring Ryan Reynolds as original Green Lantern Hal Jordan) was such a legendary flop it scuttled DC’s plans at the time for a new interconnected superhero universe, and Reynolds keeps finding new ways to publicly mock the film, especially in his Deadpool movies. This intergalactic-cop TV series will attempt to revive Hal Jordan for the screen, teaming him up with later Green Lantern John Stewart to “uncover a dark mystery.”\n\nParadise Lost\n\nThis series is set in Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira, and DC’s press release says it “focuses on the genesis and political intrigue of an island of all women.” Sounds a bit like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, in terms of turning a familiar fantasy story into a political origin story. It’s unclear as of yet whether Wonder Woman herself will have a role in the story, and whether the series will connect with Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman movies.\n\nSandman season 2\n\nNetflix announced in November 2022 that its live-action series Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman’s seminal horror-fantasy comic, had been greenlit for a second season. No date has been announced yet, and given the scale of the visual effects involved in the first season, it’s a fair bet that we won’t see the second season until late 2024 or early 2025 at the earliest. Given that the first season covered the arcs of the first two Sandman graphic novels, Preludes and Nocturnes and The Doll’s House (with side stories from the third volume, Dream Country), it’s a fair bet that season 2 will continue with book four, Season of Mists, the heavily foreshadowed confrontation between Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) and Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie).\n\nDead Boy Detectives\n\nIn spite of a series of cancellations and shake-ups at Max, Neil Gaiman confirmed in January 2023 that the streamer’s Sandman comics spinoff Dead Boy Detectives was actively in production. But that February, the news broke that Max had sold the series to Netflix, because it doesn’t fit with James Gunn’s plans for Warner Bros. DC content. The series is based on a pair of ghost boys, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, who were introduced in Sandman’s Season of Mists storyline and later got their own 2001 comics miniseries. They also turned up in season 3 of Max’s Doom Patrol series. The initial press release on Dead Boy Detectives said it would have an eight-episode first season, described as “a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson).”\n\nPeacemaker season 2\n\nAlongside everything else in this universe with his name on it, Gunn hasn’t forgotten Peacemaker. According to the director, Christopher Smith will be making his return for season 2, sometime after Gunn wraps production on Superman: Legacy. This likely means that season 2 won’t be coming along until sometime in 2025 or even later, but hey, at least we know it’s out there.", + "With the recent release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac has witnessed a huge appreciation from fans for delivering a memorable sequel. Not to mention the epic portrayal of Peter Parker and Miles Morales fighting against some of the strongest villains. But then, there’s MJ as well who has made a comeback from the first installment. And it’s her arc that has actually received an impressive elevation this time. Especially when considering the poorly received missions featuring Mary Jane in the original game from 2018.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nSo what’s actually changed in 2023 that has created a vast difference? There are certain key reasons making Mary Jane in Spider-Man 2 a treat to watch. Not just from the perspective of her relationship with Peter, but her own missions showcasing a different side this time. One can even call her the third unofficial superhero in the latest PS5 exclusive.\n\nA refreshing take on Mary Jane’s stealth missions makes her a strong character in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn the first title, stepping into MJ’s shoes was a great concept, but the devs somehow couldn’t execute the plan flawlessly. As a result, missions featuring her as a playable character were heavily criticized by most of the fans. There was nothing too special about those quests whatsoever.\n\nNow, looking at Mary Jane in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, there’s a very clear difference one can make out. In short, it feels comparing night and day. Being a journalist at The Daily Bugle, her character is bound to go places in order to investigate mysteries. The first game had such situations, but the sequel improved on them. It gives MJ a lot more strength instead of being someone who always needs to be rescued in the last moment. But how?\n\nCompared to the lack of interactivity in 2018’s Spider-Man, MJ is now capable of tackling the enemies around her. In the first title, all she could do was to move from one point to the other. Now, she’s able to do more than that – make pretty good and lethal moves. To be precise, the devs have given MJ a little firepower, if not in too much capacity. Now, she’s got weapons instead of being clueless in moments of being vulnerable against armed enemies. Yes, she hasn’t got any superpowers, but she’s got other means to help herself out.\n\nDue to such involvement, players have now got a reason to be more invested into a given mission focusing on MJ. It wasn’t the case at all taking into consideration her previous iteration in Insomniac’s original game. Mary Jane can now handle the circumstances in her own manner, thus breaking free from the linear approach of just trying to hide and escape.\n\nMJ in Spider-Man 2 vs. MJ from Insomniac’s 2018 installment\n\nWhile there are similarities between the character’s iterations in two titles, a lot of drastic differences are also present. Speaking of similar aspects, the first game had a mission where Mary gets to use a taser to shock the guards. Well there’s no taser in Spider-Man 2, she’s got a stun gun now.\n\nThen, there are moments of hiding and sneaking past the enemies. In the original game, there were missions like the one in Grand Central Station where MJ had to stay hidden from a number of Mr. Negative’s demons to defuse a bomb. Similarly, in Spider-Man 2, MJ is seen hiding from the hunters during the ‘Wake Up’ quest. But what’s actually changed?\n\nWell, the very difference lies in the lack of MJ’s abilities in the first game and how she’s evolved in the second. Coming back to the ‘Wake Up’ mission, she’s seen sneaking past the hunters but she’s also capable of performing Takedowns on them. It wasn’t the case in the previous title. Her missions have become better now with the devs actually spending time on giving her a chance to fight.\n\nComing back to the stun gun part, MJ is pretty skilled in using it, during missions like ‘Good Men’, thanks to her training with Sable. Also, now she’s got the option to even run away and hide when spotted by enemies. The playability factor around her has increased a lot compared to being just an observer, for the most part, in the first game. That’s the biggest and most visible difference.\n\nMary Jane and her missions in Spider-Man 2 allow the story to proceed without causing a problem for the central protagonists\n\nThe best thing about going through the quests showcasing Mary Jane is that they never try to overpower the ongoing story itself. The game’s narrative remains intact, no matter what. There never occurs a feeling of the devs trying too hard to make it seem like her missions are stretching out of their boundaries.\n\nAlthough they are designed well this time but one has to commend Insomniac’s team to keep a limit on not making MJ’s gameplay moments seem forced or going beyond a certain point. They serve their purpose without affecting the main plot of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or overlapping with Peter or Miles’ stories. In a way, each character has been given a good amount of time to shine. At times, it may feel like MJ’s playable sequences should have been extended. But it’s nice to see that the devs decided to not do that; sometimes less is more and fine.\n\nDespite Spider-Man 2 being more of a Peter’s story (in its entirety), MJ’s role has been given equal significance too. There’s a visible growth in her arc especially considering her profession as a journalist. Yes, she’s Peter’s love interest, but that’s not everything she’s there for. Players can easily see it happening throughout the game’s duration.\n\nThe verdict?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIt’s obvious to expect that a lot of fans who didn’t like MJ’s missions in the first installment won’t like her this time as well. But considering how she was before and how she’s in Spider-Man 2, the overall change is quite praiseworthy. Things are different this time, thankfully.\n\nMJ’s missions are now having some actual meaning attached to them rather than acting like fillers. Players who want to have a few interesting moments aside from the main quests featuring Miles and Peter can have a sense of finishing well-designed stealth quests. Mary’s gameplay missions end up increasing the overall quality of Spider-Man 2. All things considered, it is great to see Insomniac improving on this aspect instead of removing it completely.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nMarvel’s Spider-Man 2 is now available on PlayStation 5 worldwide.\n\nWatch This Story: The Console Wars Are Heating Head-to-Head: Xbox and PlayStation Fans Battle Over Which Custom Controller is Better, Starfield or Spider-Man 2?", + "Let’s say I am the owner of a hedge fund, and one fine June day, my employees come to me and say, “Hey, Liz, we have an accounting problem. We are missing several billion dollars.” How would I react?\n\nI have been wondering this since Danielle Sassoon walked Sam Bankman-Fried through his reaction to the FTX software bug fixed by Adam Yedidia. In my case, there would probably be shouting? Like, a lot of shouting. I would also probably have my assistant figure out which law enforcement agency to call immediately. Misplacing $900 million is a five-alarm fire even for Citibank; misplacing several billion is kicking over a lantern in Chicago in 1871.\n\nObviously, this is not how Bankman-Fried reacted to the software bug that overestimated the amount Alameda owed to FTX by about $8 billion. Nor is it how he reacted to finding out that even after fixing the bug, Alameda still owed FTX about $8 billion. Instead, Bankman-Fried directed alleged co-conspirator Caroline Ellison to repay third-party loans and went on making investments.\n\nBankman-Fried said that he found out about the fiat@ftx account — that’s the one that tracked how much Alameda owed FTX — in June 2022 while his senior staff was focused on fixing the software bug. He did not, however, discover what the account was for until October. I know this sounds unbelievable, but this is his actual testimony.\n\nHis employees told him “they were busy and I should stop asking questions because it was distracting.”\n\nSimple questions nailed Bankman-Fried to the wall. Had he given his employees at Alameda the direction not to spend FTX customer deposits? Had he put in any policies to prevent Alameda employees from spending FTX customer money? Did he put in place any measures at Alameda to protect the FTX customer money? No, no, and no. Oh, but he was testifying to Congress about keeping customer funds safe.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is on trial for seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. FTX was a fraud “from the start,” the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges — with a “multi-billion-dollar deficiency caused by his own misappropriation of customer funds.” Follow along for all the latest news and regular updates from the trial.\n\nWho was making decisions to spend $8 billion of customer funds? Bankman-Fried couldn’t recall knowing anything about it. Were there rules or requirements for how money borrowed from FTX would be returned? Were there rules for risk management? “I was concerned with overall risk management,” Bankman-Fried said.\n\nBut it was the testimony about June 2022 that resonated the most to me. Didn’t Bankman-Fried ask what “fiat@ftx” was? He did. But — I did hear these words uttered aloud in a court of law this morning, I am not creative enough to make this kind of thing up — his employees told him “they were busy and I should stop asking questions because it was distracting.”\n\nYedidia — Bankman-Fried’s college friend, Bahamas roommate, and employee at FTX — had testified that he’d asked Bankman-Fried about the $8 billion hole on a padel tennis court in their luxury complex in June or July. Today, in testimony, Bankman-Fried seemed to be trying to deny that conversation had ever taken place. It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.\n\nI have come to believe that if you know the meaning of the word “epistemology,” you absolutely should not testify in your own defense\n\n“So it’s your testimony that your supervisees told you to stop asking questions?” Sassoon asked. She could have been filing her nails, her tone was so level. Had Bankman-Fried called anyone in to ask who spent $8 billion? “I wasn’t trying to build out blame for it,” he said. He was focused on solutions! Did he fire anyone? Nope!\n\nWe also saw an Alameda balance sheet from June 13th, 2022, that included the money it was borrowing from FTX as “ftx borrows.” Bankman-Fried seemed pretty hazy on this, too.\n\nIf you are wondering how Bankman-Fried’s parents reacted to this, I can’t tell you — they weren’t there. I couldn’t really blame them. I wouldn’t want to watch my child be vivisected, either. The jurors, however, watched the operation attentively. I suppose for most of us, $8 billion has a way of focusing the mind.\n\nLook, uttering phrases like “hole isn’t really the word I would use” and responding to a question by saying you wanted “a few more qualifiers and scoping on it” do not, as a general rule, bode well for your believability. Yes, this will win certain kinds of nerd arguments. But this is a courtroom, and I have come to believe that if you know the meaning of the word “epistemology,” you absolutely should not testify in your own defense.\n\n“His name is Ryan Salame :p”\n\nBankman-Fried, like Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes before him, got on the stand to speak directly to his state of mind in a way no other witness can. But telling your side of the story opens you to a great many questions you might not want to answer on cross-examination. I have watched a lot of crosses. This was the nastiest I think I’ve ever seen.\n\nThe charges in this case hinge on conspiracy and intentional deceit. Just losing $8 billion is not a crime, though it is very embarrassing. (Even losing $900 million is very embarrassing because people will make jokes about it forever!) But if Bankman-Fried lied to customers and lenders about what he was doing and how safe FTX was, that’s a crime.\n\nEstablishing that would have been enough, but Sassoon also managed to get in some flourishes about Bankman-Fried’s relationships to Bahamian power. For instance, she asked him if he’d made comments about paying off the Bahamian national debt. (You will be shocked, shocked to discover he didn’t recall.) We then saw an internal FTX group chat called “Project Chinchilla Chatter” in which another member asked who in the Bahamian government they needed to talk to for the project. “His name is Ryan Salame :p,” Bankman-Fried replied. Salame was one of FTX’s executives.\n\nIn another part of the chat, Bankman-Fried noted that the Bahamian prime minister was at the FTX arena in FTX seats with his wife.\n\nWe then saw a November 9th email from Bankman-Fried to Ryan Pinder, attorney general of the Bahamas, that said “we are deeply grateful” for what the Bahamas had done for FTX. As a token of that gratitude, Bankman-Fried wrote:\n\nWe would be more than happy to open up withdrawals for all Bahamian customers on FTX, so that they can, tomorrow, fully withdraw all of their assets, making them fully whole. It’s your call whether you want us to do this, but we are more than happy to and would consider it the very least of our duty to the country, and could open it up immediately if you reply saying you want us to. If we don’t hear back from you, we are going to go ahead and do it tomorrow.\n\nBankman-Fried did indeed open withdrawals for Bahamian customers. The upshot of this testimony seemed to be that Bankman-Fried had a cozy, perhaps even inappropriately cozy, relationship with the Bahamian government — which isn’t what he’s on trial for but probably doesn’t make him look any better to a jury.\n\nSassoon successfully established yesterday that Bankman-Fried has a long history of dishonesty. Today, through a set of questions about what Bankman-Fried did and didn’t do, she established that the story he told on direct examination was absurd. After a brief redirect examination by Bankman-Fried’s own lawyers, which was resplendent with word salad, Bankman-Fried stepped down, and the defense rested their case.", + "This is an authorized translation of an Eos article. Esta es una traducción al español autorizada de un artículo de Eos.\n\nCuando cada verano temperaturas récord y domos de calor envuelven amplias zonas de los Estados Unidos, las personas experimentan estos eventos de calor extremo de manera diferente. Aquellos que viven en vecindarios históricamente marginalizados, donde el uso de la tierra y las políticas de vivienda discriminatorias hicieron que la segregación y el racismo florecieran, al día de hoy aún presentan mayor riesgo por las temperaturas altas y los efectos del estrés por calor en la salud.\n\nEn un nuevo estudio publicado por One Earth, investigadores demostraron que en 481 ciudades estadounidenses el estrés por calor afecta a las personas pobres y de color desproporcionalmente. “Encontramos que la disparidad actual era bastante consistente entre las ciudades: en más del 90% de las ciudades que consideramos, encontramos desigualdades a la exposición al calor relacionadas tanto en los ingresos como en la raza”, dijo TC Chakraborty, científico de la Tierra en el Laboratorio Nacional del Noroeste Pacífico y autor principal del estudio. Este tipo de información puede ayudar a los líderes de ciudad a usar mejores medidas de las disparidades del calor, así como proteger a las poblaciones en mayor riesgo de exposición al calor.\n\nEl peligro del calor implacable\n\nLas islas de calor urbano, zonas calientes de la ciudad donde el asfalto, alta densidad de edificios e infraestructura causan que la temperatura aumente más que en las áreas circundantes, albergan millones de personas que no son capaces de escapar de los efectos del implacable calor del verano.\n\nLa exposición crónica al calor excesivo tiene un impacto en la salud cardiovascular, respiratoria y mental.\n\n“Las personas que viven en zonas urbanas suelen caminar para hacer sus tareas diarias. Una de las ventajas de vivir en una ciudad es que las cosas están cerca y puedes utilizar el transporte público, pero eso también significa que tienes que pasar más tiempo al aire libre”, dijo Neelima Tummala, médico y co-directora del Instituto de Salud Ambiental en la Universidad George Washington, quien no estuvo involucrada en el estudio.\n\nEn vecindarios sin parques ni árboles grandes, donde el asfalto y los edificios absorben e irradian el calor del verano, a los residentes les puede resultar difícil escapar de las temperaturas extremas tanto en interiores como en el exterior. Este tipo de exposición continua puede ser muy peligrosa. El cuerpo se vuelve incapaz de enfriarse adecuadamente mediante la sudoración. La exposición crónica al calor excesivo tiene un impacto en la salud cardiovascular, respiratoria y mental, dijo Tummala. “La exposición prolongada a temperaturas nocturnas elevadas puede afectar la calidad del sueño y la salud mental y cardiaca,” dijo. “Estás constantemente a una temperatura elevada con la que tu cuerpo tiene que lidiar”.\n\nMapeando la disparidad de calor\n\nEstudios previos sobre el calor urbano han utilizado datos satelitales para estimar temperaturas de la superficie terrestre. En cambio, Chackraborty y sus colegas evaluaron el estrés por calor utilizando el índice de calor del Servicio Nacional Meteorológico de los E.E. U.U. y el índice de humedad del Servicio Nacional Meteorológico de Canadá (humidex), combinando la temperatura del aire y la humedad para describir mejor cómo se siente el calor. Utilizar modelos que combinan estas variables fue una manera más certera de catalogar el estrés por calor de las ciudades estadounidenses entre 2014 y 2018.\n\nLa correlación de los índices de calor mapeados con los datos del censo reveló que los vecindarios de bajos ingresos y los residentes de color experimentaron temperaturas más altas y mayor humedad, lo que en conjunto amplifica el estrés por calor. Las zonas censales con mayores ingresos sufrieron menos estrés por calor. El estrés por calor también fue generalmente mayor en las zonas con un mayor porcentaje de residentes negros y afroamericanos.\n\nÁreas censales de Baltimore coloreadas según el índice de calor y el porcentaje de residentes negros. Una comparación indica que donde una mayor proporción de residentes son negros, el estrés por calor es mayor. Crédito: TC Chakraborty/PNNL\n\nUn mapa de 1938 de Brooklyn, Nueva York, del Home Owners’ Loan Corporation muestra vecindarios codificados por colores según el valor del préstamo. Las áreas en rojo (barrios marginalizados) indican áreas donde los bancos y otros prestamistas generalmente consideraban que los residentes no eran dignos de ser incluidos en los programas de préstamos y propiedad de vivienda. Los barrios marginalizados tenían un número desproporcionado de residentes negros. Crédito: Corporación de Préstamos para Propietarios de Vivienda, Dominio Público\n\nLos investigadores compararon estos hallazgos con datos históricos de 177 ciudades para observar más a fondo esta disparidad de ingresos y raza a través del tiempo. En la década de 1930, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos calificó a los vecindarios según su capacidad de inversión. Muchos de los vecindarios que albergaban poblaciones pobres y minoritarias, especialmente de residentes negros y afroamericanos, fueron considerados inversiones mas riesgosas y, por lo tanto, recibieron menos fondos para desarrollo y programas de vivienda. Hoy día, estos vecindarios marginalizados sufren condiciones ambientales mucho peores que otras partes de sus respectivas ciudades. Tienen menos cubierta de árboles y experimentan temperaturas superficiales mayores que vecindarios que originalmente no fueron marginalizados.\n\nLas disparidades eran penetrantes, dijo Chakraborty. Los vecindarios marginalizados, generalmente calificados con una “D” por prestamistas, tenían un índice de calor mayor comparado con aquellos que eran calificados con una “A”. “Este resultado fue muy interesante – que este nivel de desigualdad y segregación se correlacionara tan fuertemente con los niveles de disparidad de calor,” dijo.\n\nProteger a los más vulnerables\n\n“Estudios como este, que buscan comprender más a fondo las disparidades existentes en la exposición al calor, son importantes para identificar qué comunidades corren mayor riesgo de sufrir cambios ambientales relacionados al cambio climático, como el calor extremo que cada vez empeora más”, dijo Tummala. Se necesitan medidas de salud pública y estrategias de mitigación para proteger a los ciudadanos con mayor riesgo de sufrir calor – especialmente cuando el aumento de las temperaturas se vuelve más común.\n\n“Zonas con menos árboles en las calles, menos acceso a espacios verdes—Allí es donde se comienza a ver el legado de la desinversión y el racismo institucional que ha entrado en juego”.\n\n“Zonas con menos árboles en las calles, menos acceso a espacios verdes—Allí es donde se comienza a ver el legado de la desinversión y el racismo institucional que ha entrado en juego”, dijo Lara Whitely Binder, gerente del programa de preparación climática del condado de King County, Washington, quien no estuvo involucrada en la investigación.\n\nDebido a que el clima está cambiando y avanzando, de ahora en adelante las ciudades deben prepararse para veranos más calientes y olas de calor mortales más frecuentes usando distintos medios, tanto en los interiores como al aire libre. “No solo necesitamos entender mejor dónde hace calor, sino también cuáles son los factores socioeconómicos para los habitantes de esas zonas”, dijo Whitely Binder. “Podemos comenzar a analizar lo que hay en las islas de calor y utilizarlo para comenzar a informar las decisiones políticas que vamos a tomar”.\n\n—Rebecca Owen (@beccapox), Escritora de ciencia\n\nThis translation by Nel Rodriguez Sepulveda was made possible by a partnership with Planeteando. Esta traducción fue posible gracias a una asociación con Planeteando.\n\nThis news article is included in our ENGAGE resource for educators seeking science news for their classroom lessons. Browse all ENGAGE articles , and share with your fellow educators how you integrated the article into an activity in the comments section below.\n\nText © 2023. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0\n\nExcept where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.", + "Trailblazers is an MBW interview series that turns the spotlight on music entrepreneurs with the potential to become the global business’s power players of tomorrow. This time, we speak to Abdul Karim Abdullah, Co-Founder and CEO of Ghana-based cultural entertainment platform AfroFuture. Trailblazers is supported by TuneCore.\n\nThe spotlight continues to shine on Africa’s music business.\n\nSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was the world’s fastest-growing recorded music region in 2022, seeing 34.7% YoY growth (IFPI) last year, and the growth opportunity for subscription music streaming in the SSA region is becoming significantly clearer.\n\nAfrica-focused music streaming service Mdundo, for example, recently reported a 239% YoY jump in revenue from paid subscriptions, with the company recording a 23.2% YoY increase in monthly active users (MAUs). Geographically, the streaming company’s focus is on five key SSA markets: Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa.\n\nAccording to a 2022 report from GSMA, 615 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to sign up for mobile services by 2025, on top of the roughly 500 million that were already subscribed as of 2020.\n\nIn Ghana, live music brand AfroFuture is tapping into what co-founder Abdul Karim Abdullah says is “largely upwardly mobile, tech-forward Gen Z and millennial consumers” to pursue its ambitions of becoming the “storyteller for the African narrative”.\n\nThe music, art, and culture festival (formerly known as Afrochella) was launched in Accra in 2017, and in addition to the core music festival, it offers travel experiences and runs various non-profit initiatives. This year’s edition, in December, will be headlined by superstars like Afrobeats star Davido and British rapper and singer J-Hus.\n\nAbdullah, (also AfroFuture’s CEO) explains in our interview below that the AfroFuture brand “has grown tremendously since its inception”.\n\nThe inaugural festival took place on December 29, 2017, at the Accra Polo Court, attracting 4,600 attendees. “We knew we had something special,” says Abdullah.\n\n“From there, we chose to expand our team support and in 2018, we looked to formalize our partnership with media agency, BBnZ Live, for digital content generation and event management support.”\n\nBy 2022, the event had morphed into a two-day festival under the AfroFuture banner with superstars Burna Boy and Stonebwoy as headliners, and sponsors ranging from Hennessy and Diageo, to Fenty Beauty, and TuneCore.\n\nHeld at the end of December last year, the sixth annual AfroFuture festival (now held at the at EL Wak Stadium) attracted 31,000 attendees over two days.\n\n“We realized that there was an opportunity for us to bring the community and the diaspora together in a way that hadn’t been done before in the country.” Abdul Karim Abdullah, AfroFuture\n\nAbdullah, who grew up in the Bronx, explains that he decided to launch the event after one of his first visits to Ghana with co-founder Kenny Agyapong.\n\n“We realized that there was an opportunity for us to bring the community and the diaspora together in a way that hadn’t been done before in the country,” he says.\n\n“With our influence, we had the opportunity to stimulate conversation, elevate our people, and tell authentic stories from the continent. As a result, AfroFuture, formally known as Afrochella, was born and planted its roots in Accra, Ghana.”\n\nHere, we speak with AfroFuture’s CEO about the event’s origins, its growth trajectory, and his ambitions for the event in the coming years…\n\nHow did you first get into the music business?\n\nMy first experience in the music industry was when a member of my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., booked Big Sean at my alma mater, Syracuse University.\n\nI remember how much I enjoyed the experience because I was fascinated by how everything came together and the process of creating and managing an event. From that experience, I got my big break as a stage manager for a concert I pitched to W&R Productions for El and Joey B, two major Ghanaian artists, at the Gramercy Theatre\n\nFrom those early experiences, I found the confidence I needed to create, plan, and execute my own event. The only thing left was figuring out how to fund my big ideas. From my first event to then establishing AfroFuture, I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and it has been the driving force behind everything that I do to create sustainable change for not only Ghana but for Africa at large.\n\nTell us about your journey from there and how and why you decided to launch Afrofuture?\n\nAfter one of my visits to Ghana with my co-founder Kenny Agyapong, we realized that there was an opportunity for us to bring the community and the diaspora together in a way that hadn’t been done before in the country. With our influence, we had the opportunity to stimulate conversation, elevate our people, and tell authentic stories from the continent. As a result, AfroFuture, formally known as Afrochella, was born and planted its roots in Accra, Ghana.\n\nOnce Kenny and I agreed on the vision, we looked to build a small but mighty team to create our vision: To bring African art, cuisine, fashion, and music to a global audience, paving the way for additional opportunities that are for us, by us, and celebrate us. Once we established our vision, we mapped our north star – a mission(s) that would guide all that we do and will do for the continent:\n\nPromote networking and ownership within the Ghanaian community and Pan-African Diaspora.\n\nEnsure that Africans living around the world understand the importance of celebrating their native cultures and investing in it.\n\nServe as an informational vessel connecting the African Diaspora with current news, fashion, art, music, and business opportunities in Africa.\n\nUtilize community influence to ensure educational support for Ghanaian and African students worldwide.\n\nOnce we had our foundation in place, we set out to launch our inaugural festival held at the Accra Polo Court On December 29, 2017.\n\nWho is AfroFuture’s target audience, and where are they from geographically?\n\nAfroFuture is a global platform that invites people from all over the world, and is an event for those who enjoy the intersection of music, food, fashion, and art.\n\nOur brand resonates with the global Black diaspora, and we’ve received significant support from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and neighboring African countries. Our attendees are largely upwardly mobile, tech-forward Gen Z and millennial consumers who are committed to the culture and represent over 40 countries across the globe.\n\nAbout 45% of our audience attends the Festival from North America, 13% from Europe and Asia and about 12% come from African countries outside of Ghana and South Africa.\n\nCan you tell us more about the Rising Star Challenge?\n\nOur annual ‘Rising Star Challenge’ is one of our flagship competitions for unsigned and emerging artists in Africa. The ‘Rising Star Challenge’ is our way of supporting live music not only in Ghana, but throughout Africa. To enter into the contest, artists upload an original song to Audiomack and create an Instagram Reel that includes an introduction about the artist, their approach to music and the music-making process, and what they want their potential audience to know about their style of music.\n\nAs an exciting lead-up to the festival, 10 musicians are chosen from a shortlist of 25 unsigned and emerging artists. From there, five finalists are chosen to perform on AfroFuture’s Rising Star Stage alongside the festival’s headliners.\n\n“Our annual ‘Rising Star Challenge’ is one of our flagship competitions for unsigned and emerging artists in Africa.”\n\nFor the grand finale, one artist from the “Rising Star Challenge” is selected for the ultimate prize – an exclusive recording agreement with Sony Music Africa for a single release. In addition, winners receive global distribution for their new single, marketing support such as a music video and more, free access to AfroFuture’s recording studio and mentoring and training from industry executives and leading musicians and producers.\n\nIn 2022, we took things up a notch by introducing an expansion to the “Rising Star Challenge” with the addition of the “Rising Star DJ Challenge,” a call for DJs from across the diaspora to share their talents with our audience and to have the chance to grace the stage at our AfroFuture festival.\n\nIn partnership with TuneCore, this initiative was created in an effort to amplify the next generation of African superstars and to find the next breakout DJ from the continent.\n\nTo roll out the contest, the top ten entries were selected by a panel of industry experts composed of TuneCore executives and AfroFuture DJs. Once announced, fans across the world voted on social media to narrow the group down to three DJs. From there, the top three finalists battled it out at the AfroFuture Music Museum in Accra, Ghana on December 27 and the contest winner performed at AfroFuture 2022 and walked away with a cash prize.\n\nTell us about the impact that Afrofuture has had on the country’s local tourism industry…\n\nThe local impact of AfroFuture is significant. Every year, we make an effort to employ Ghanians to aid our festival and surrounding activities to support the local community.\n\nIn 2019 alone, AfroFuture helped bring in $2.1 billion in tourism revenue for “Year of Return” and the festival is expected to generate approximately 16% of the country’s tourism [this year].\n\nMost international visitors associate Ghana with our festival and every year, we try to make a more sustainable impact on the country to ensure that opportunities continue to exist outside of December [when the event takes place].\n\nAs a result of our incredible impact on Ghana and the African continent, myself and [AfroFuture’s] co-founders were named Goodwill Ambassador of Tourism to Ghana to help promote the country’s tourism globally.\n\nAs one of the flagship events hosted in Ghana, we had the exciting challenge of bringing 20,000 visitors to the country and establishing Ghana as the premier destination for all travelers worldwide.\n\nWhat are your ambitions for AfroFuture over the coming years?\n\nWe’re seeking to continue to strengthen our narrative within our primary pillars of food, art, fashion, and music as well as striving towards a united diaspora. Our future is bright and is currently manifesting itself through our extended global activities like ‘Road to AfroFuture.’\n\nAs we previously shared, in 2022, we launched our ‘Road to AfroFuture’ experiential popup activation to catapult our brand into the Sub-Saharan market. Since the launch of this initiative in 2022, we’ve had the opportunity to expand our presence to the UK, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and France.\n\nAs we continue to gain momentum and garner more popularity around our “Road to Afrofuture” events, we’ll aim to explore additional locations and expand our reach to more diverse markets.\n\nWhat is the AfroFuture Foundation?\n\nThe AfroFuture Foundation is a program we established to give back to the local Ghanaian community in a long-term and meaningful way. Through our philanthropy efforts, we’re able to connect with local groups and international charities to educate and feed students and families in Accra. Our foundation goals are strategically aligned with the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals.\n\nIn 2017, we had the opportunity to collaborate with local schools within Madina Zongo, Greater Accra, and Kumasi Ashanti Region, to provide $5,000 in school supplies (notebooks, pads, pencils, pens, erasers, textbooks) and bookbags. This initiative was our initial commitment to the 4th sustainable development goal of quality education. The following year, we partnered with the Water Aid Foundation and raised 10,500 Ghana Cedis (over $2,000) to provide clean water to families in need in the Northern Region of Ghana.\n\nIn 2018, we partnered with Twitter Blackbirds (ERG) and AirBnB for two initiatives: AfroFuture Reads and AfroFuture Feeds. Through this partnership, we raised $10,500 to renovate and remodel the Genesis School of Orphans In Jamestown, Greater Accra Region. The school was recently demolished, and the land sold, leaving students to study under tents for the remainder of their last term. AfroFuture invited the African diaspora to aid students with school supplies and a stable learning environment through monetary donations to help us collectivity reach our goal fostering the importance of “Quality Education.”\n\nThrough our AfroFuture Feeds initiative, our mission is to bring awareness to and eradicate hunger in Ghana. Through Ghana’s SDG, “Zero Hunger,” we aid the nation by providing meals via food trucks and direct donations to various Ghanaian communities during volunteer opportunities with both [AfroFuture] staff and participants. We’ve raised over $5,000 to feed 500 families within five impoverished neighborhoods in Ghana.\n\nIn 2021, AfroFuture Feeds welcomed 72 volunteers to help hand out 500 packaged meals and water. In 2022, we welcomed over 250 volunteers and delivered groceries to families across Accra and to surrounding communities.\n\nYou are running events in South Africa and in New York – are there plans to expand the brand into other markets?\n\nYes, we intend to expand the AfroFuture brand and events to additional Francophone African nations and other markets in order to attract more partnership opportunities and reach a wider, more diverse audience.\n\nWe’ve seen incredible success with our South Africa events with over 1,000 attendees in 2022 and in 2023. In New York, we’ve partnered with some incredible brands like Positive Vibes Only (PVO) and Days Like This (DLT) to create fresh and fun events for our dedicated audiences to enjoy in the States.\n\nIf there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be and why?\n\nThe one thing I would change about the music industry is to focus on the product rather than the profit. Profit as a metric has lowered the caliber of the content we consume. I feel like it has diluted the purity of music.\n\nWhat advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur in the music industry?\n\nMy advice to an aspiring entrepreneur would be to remain true to your purpose and to always be authentic. With discipline and a solid foundation around you, you can reach your desired level of success – even when you meet adversity or when doors continue to close – you must never give up.\n\nTrailblazers is supported by TuneCore. TuneCore provides self-releasing artists with technology and services across distribution, publishing administration, and a range of promotional services. TuneCore is part of Believe.Music Business Worldwide", + "I’ve got some shitty ex-boyfriends, but none of them made me the CEO of their sin-eater hedge fund while refusing to give me equity and bragging about how there was a 5 percent chance they’d become the president of the United States, you know? Absolutely counting my blessings after Caroline Ellison’s first day on the stand. I wonder how many of the nine women on the jury are doing the same.\n\nEllison was the head of Alameda Research, the aforementioned hedge fund, during the implosion of it and FTX. She’s already pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from one of the worst romantic relationships I’ve ever heard of, and her testimony was widely anticipated before the trial. Today, that took the form of discussing a damning spreadsheet — one she prepared for her ex and boss Sam Bankman-Fried, now the defendant in a criminal fraud trial.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is on trial for seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. FTX was a fraud “from the start,” the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges — with a “multi-billion-dollar deficiency caused by his own misappropriation of customer funds.” Follow along for all the latest news and regular updates from the trial.\n\nThe day started off promisingly for the defense as it cross-examined Gary Wang, the chief technology officer of FTX and co-owner of both FTX and Alameda. Christian Everdell, one of Bankman-Fried’s defense attorneys, couldn’t undo the damage of last week’s code review. But he managed to shake the rust off long enough to make Wang sound less reliable, drowning the jury in confusing technicalities.\n\nLast week, Wang testified that Alameda got access to a special credit line and an option to take its balance into the negative without triggering liquidation — something he alleged other accounts at FTX didn’t get. Everdell tried to undermine this claim by talking about the spot margin program, which let users lend each other assets for margin trading. In those cases, it was possible to have a negative balance in a specific coin. It was not, however, possible for those accounts to avoid liquidation, as Wang testified Alameda could do — or to have an overall negative balance. But I’m betting the defense is hoping the jurors will throw up their hands in confusion thinking about this.\n\n“We ultimately took about $14 billion, some of which we were not able to pay back.”\n\nWang didn’t exactly help himself out, either. Apparently, what Wang said in court contradicted something he’d said in earlier interviews with the government about market making. I say “apparently” because Everdell was probably giving him his previous testimony to refresh his recollection, but Wang was insisting he didn’t remember. In any event, whatever Wang was shown wasn’t submitted as evidence or shown to the court. I got the gist, though, and I bet the jury did, too — probably the strongest work the defense has done so far.\n\nBut by the end of the day, that all seemed like a sideshow. Bankman-Fried had been vibrating slightly during Wang’s testimony. During Ellison’s testimony, his bouncing became more noticeable.\n\nEllison was hunched in on herself as she walked into the courtroom, wearing a dusty rose dress with a gray blazer over it, looking less like an executive than like a girl who’s borrowed her boyfriend’s coat because she’s cold. When the prosecution asked her to identify Bankman-Fried, she had trouble finding him and gazed around the courtroom for more than 20 seconds — apparently he was incognito with his new haircut. After she did spot him, she was asked to identify him, which she did by identifying him as wearing a suit. This got chuckles from the rest of the defense table, also all in suits.\n\nShe listed off the crimes she’d already pleaded guilty to and added that Bankman-Fried “directed me to commit these crimes,” Ellison said. (Fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and money laundering, in case you were wondering.) “We ultimately took about $14 billion, some of which we were not able to pay back.” She tilted her head down to answer the questions, then lifted her head when she’d finished her answer.\n\nBankman-Fried called this being “risk-neutral,” which seems like a fancy way of saying he was a gambling addict\n\nIn Ellison’s telling, Alameda was troubled from her earliest time there in 2018. “Shortly after I started, I learned the company was in worse shape than I realized,” Ellison said. Alameda had initially been funded with loans “from acquaintances,” she said, and those loans were recalled a few weeks after she arrived. (There was a staff revolt within Alameda Research over lost millions and general financial chaos, according to Michael Lewis’ Going Infinite.) Ellison asked Bankman-Fried why he hadn’t shared the company’s shaky circumstances in the job offer. “He hadn’t known how to tell me,” she said.\n\nEllison was also, of course, in a more personal relationship with Bankman-Fried. (A juror who’d been asleep for a discussion of the FTT token woke up when she started discussing it.) The two started sleeping together in the fall of 2018, on and off. At the time, she was a trader and Bankman-Fried was the CEO. They didn’t date until later — twice. Their first relationship stretched from the summer of 2020 through the summer of 2021; they agreed to keep it secret. (Some people found out, as they usually do.) The second time, from the fall of 2021 until the spring of 2022, they lived together.\n\nThat gave Ellison an unusual view of his character. “He was very ambitious,” she said. Besides telling her about his presidential chances, he also told her that if there was a coin flip where tails destroyed the world and heads made the world twice as good, he’d flip the coin. He called this being “risk-neutral,” which seems like a fancy way of saying he was a gambling addict.\n\nShe was named co-CEO of Alameda with Sam Trabucco in 2021, while she and Bankman-Fried were broken up, and CEO in 2022. The goal, Bankman-Fried told her, was to “optically” separate Alameda Research and FTX. “The whole time we were dating, he was my boss at work,” she said. They broke up because she wanted more from the relationship; Bankman-Fried was distant and not paying enough attention to her.\n\nUsing the effectively unlimited funds “allowed us to make profitable trades we couldn’t have made otherwise”\n\nBankman-Fried didn’t grant Ellison equity, even though she asked; he told her it would be too complicated. Instead, she got a $200,000 salary, even as CEO, and bonuses twice a year, which ranged from $100,000 to $20 million.\n\nInitially, Alameda and FTX were “very integrated,” Ellison said. They were run by the same team, from the same office. And when Alameda was scrounging for funds, Bankman-Fried told Ellison that FTX would be a good source of capital. The $65 billion line of credit Alameda Research had meant that it did not have to post collateral. There was no contract and no written terms, she testified. It also wasn’t visible to FTX’s auditors — she’d raised the question with Bankman-Fried, and he told her not to worry about it.\n\nAlameda’s credit line — which was taken in increments of $100,000 to $10 million at a time — was used for trading. Using the effectively unlimited funds “allowed us to make profitable trades we couldn’t have made otherwise,” Ellison testified.\n\nCustomer funds were also used when Bankman-Fried bought back FTX shares from Binance, an early investor, in the summer of 2021. Bankman-Fried told Ellison it was “really important,” otherwise “Binance would do things to mess with FTX.” Ellison says she told him Alameda didn’t have the money. So Bankman-Fried took $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, the first time Ellison recalled an amount that large. It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.\n\nFTT was one of several “Sam coins”\n\nThere was also the FTT token, which was created by Bankman-Fried and Wang. Alameda got its war chest — 60 percent to 70 percent of the initial supply — for free, while seed investors got FTT at 10 cents a coin, and FTT first listed at $1 a coin. Bankman-Fried felt that $1 per coin was psychologically important, Ellison said, and he directed her to buy up FTT using Alameda if its price fell below a dollar.\n\nFTT was one of several “Sam coins,” a nickname for tokens that Bankman-Fried was heavily involved in and owned a lot of, either personally or through Alameda. Those coins were almost certainly worth less than the value displayed on the balance sheet because trying to sell them all at once would crater the prices. Bankman-Fried directed her to put those coins on the balance sheets Alameda showed to lenders, even though she felt it was “somewhat misleading.”\n\nAlameda was also getting loans from outside lenders, such as Genesis, because when FTX started, there weren’t a lot of customer funds to borrow, Ellison testified. That was the basis of the worst of her testimony — and the spreadsheet from hell.\n\nEllison said she’d prepared the spreadsheet at Bankman-Fried’s request in the fall of 2021 and shared it with him. The point was risk analysis around paying back Alameda’s loans if they were abruptly recalled by Genesis, their lender. Bankman-Fried wanted to use $3 billion for venture investments, so Ellison was ballparking what that would do to Alameda’s risk. In the as-is scenario, if things went south, she figured there was a 30 percent chance they wouldn’t be able to meet the loan recalls. If Bankman-Fried used $3 billion to make investments, there was a 100 percent chance they couldn’t meet the recalls, even with FTX customer funds.\n\nEchoing Bankman-Fried and Ellison’s romantic relationship, FTX was keeping cozy private ties with Alameda yet publicly holding it at arm’s length\n\nThe problem here wasn’t really the math, which seemed pretty arbitrary. It was that Ellison’s calculations assumed Alameda could borrow $1.8 billion in normal dollars and $1.5 billion in crypto from FTX. The spreadsheet makes this clear with a row labeled “FTX borrows,” which Ellison said were customer funds.\n\nMeanwhile, echoing Bankman-Fried and Ellison’s romantic relationship, FTX was keeping cozy private ties with Alameda yet publicly holding it at arm’s length. On January 14th, 2022, Bankman-Fried tweeted, “We’re launching a $2b venture fund: FTX Ventures!” Those funds came from Alameda, Ellison testified. But Bankman-Fried didn’t want to go public with the source of the funds. He said he thought Alameda’s brand was less good, and he didn’t want his name associated with it. Alameda also bought Robinhood shares for Bankman-Fried, who moved them to a vehicle called “Emergent Fidelity Technologies” to avoid association with Alameda.\n\nThe day ended with a document that had been shared between Ellison and Bankman-Fried — with his comments appearing in bubbles along the main text. Ellison wrote she was worried about “both actual leverage and presenting on our balance sheet.” Bankman-Fried responded with a note: “Yup, and could also get worse.”", + "Treasury Wine Estates (down 1.9 per cent) and Woolworths (down 1.2 per cent) dragged the consumer staples sector (down 1.1 per cent) lower. Pilbara Minerals (down 2.1 per cent) and Qantas (down 1.5 per cent) were also among the biggest large-cap decliners. The lowdown Stronger iron ore prices helped to bolster the local bourse on Monday but not enough to offset the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates ahead of the Reserve Bank’s meeting on Tuesday. Iron ore heavyweights advanced after the iron ore price increased 1.4 per cent overnight with lithium miner Liontown resisting the downward momentum of lithium prices, which dropped to the lowest level in two years.\n\nMost sectors traded lower but interest-rate sensitive sectors including healthcare and consumer companies were among the weakest amid expectations that the RBA will keep rates on hold in October. The National Australia Bank has forecast another rate hike to 4.35 per cent in November. Elsewhere, Wall Street closed out its worst month and quarter of the year with more losses on Friday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 per cent and the majority of stocks within the index sank. The Dow Jones fell 0.5 per cent and the Nasdaq composite edged 0.1 per cent higher. The Australian sharemarket is set to retreat, with futures pointing to a fall of 38 points, or 0.5 per cent, at the open. Solid gains for stocks early on faded as pressure built from within the bond market. After easing earlier in the day on encouraging signals about inflation, Treasury yields got back to rising as the day progressed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury yield returned to 4.58 per cent, where it was late Thursday, after dipping to 4.52 per cent. It’s again near its highest level since 2007.\n\nLoading Treasury bonds are seen as some of the safest investments possible, and when they pay higher yields, investors are less likely to pay high prices for stocks and other riskier investments. That’s a big reason why the S&P 500 dropped 4.9 per cent in September to drag what had been a big gain for the year down to 11.7 per cent. Treasury yields have been climbing sharply as Wall Street accepts a new normal where the Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates high for longer. The Fed is trying to push still-high inflation down to its target, and its main tool of high interest rates does that by trying to slow the economy and hurting prices for investments. The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and the central bank indicated last week it may cut interest rates next year by less than it earlier expected. Friday’s economic data shows that not only was inflation a touch cooler than expected in August, so was growth in spending by US consumers. That can be a positive for inflation because it means not as many dollars are pouring into purchases. That in turn could give companies less encouragement to try to raise prices further. But it may also dent what’s been a big driver keeping the US economy out of a recession.\n\n“It came to a boil during a hot summer, and the temperature is really starting to come down,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, of spending growth by US consumers. “Higher energy prices, student loan debt repayments and real disposable incomes that have been on a declining trajectory since June doesn’t bode well.” Oil prices have jumped to their highest level in more than a year, which is pressuring the economy by raising fuel costs for everyone. A barrel of US crude sank 92¢ Friday to settle at $US90.79, but it’s still up sharply from $US70 in June. Brent crude, the international standard, also weakened. The resumption of US student-loan repayments, meanwhile, may funnel more dollars away from the spending by consumers that has helped to keep the economy afloat. The latest monthly update on the US jobs market is due next week, with a couple of important reports on inflation coming the following week. Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy. The Fed’s next meeting on rates ends on November 1. On Wall Street, Nike jumped 6.7 per cent after reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Strength overseas helped it make up for some declines in North America.\n\nLoading Blue Apron soared 134.5 per cent after the meal kit company said it was being bought by Wonder Group for $US13 per share in cash in a deal valued at $US103 million ($160.2 million). On the losing end of Wall Street were stocks of energy producers, hurt by the slide in oil’s price. Energy stocks in the S&P 500 fell 2 per cent as a group, more than double the loss of any of the other 10 sectors that make up the index. ExxonMobil fell 1.6 per cent, and Schlumberger dropped 4.3 per cent. Energy stocks, though, remain the market’s standout performers since the summer. Shares of Ford and General Motors slipped after the United Auto Workers said it would expand its limited strike to include another facility for each. Ford fell 1.1 per cent, and GM dipped 0.6 per cent.\n\nAll told, the S&P 500 slipped 11.65 points to 4288.05. The Dow dropped 158.84 to 33,507.50, and the Nasdaq added 18.05 to 13,219.32. In sharemarkets abroad, indexes were modestly higher in Europe after exchanges were closed across much of Asia. Tweek of the day Quote of the day", + "Inter Miami were in simply too big of a hole in the MLS playoff race, one which even Lionel Messi couldn’t drag them out of.\n\nWith two matches remaining in the season, Inter Miami have been officially eliminated from the MLS playoff race, with Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati dealing the deathblow with a 1-0 victory at DRV PNK Stadium.\n\nThe match had every hallmark of what made Inter Miami a flawed side when Lionel Messi arrived. Inter Miami utterly dominated the first half, but could not find the breakthrough, instead hitting the woodwork three separate times in the opening half-hour and four overall in the match. On the other end, Drake Callender was nothing short of sensational in goal, but even his heroics were just not enough to stymie the electric counter-attack that FC Cincinnati possess.\n\nMessi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone. Messi played a part, but he was unable to fully change the tide of the game.\n\nEventually, Alvaro Barreal’s 78th-minute goal ended any hope that Inter Miami had to complete a stunning playoff charge, and the defeat coupled with CF Montreal’s big 4-1 victory over Portland means Inter Miami are officially out of the postseason running.\n\nThe Sporting News followed the Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.\n\nMORE: Inter Miami playoff scenarios before potential do-or-die match against FC Cincinnati\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati final score\n\nScore Goal scorers Inter Miami 0 – FC Cincinnati 1 Barreal (78')\n\nKickoff: 7:39 p.m. ET / 4:39 p.m. PT\n\nLocation: DRV PNK Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)\n\nReferee: Rubiel Vazquez\n\nStarting lineups:\n\nInter Miami (5-3-2, right to left): 1. Callender (GK) — 2. Yedlin (Taylor, 76'), 6. Aviles (Messi, 55'), 27. Kryvtsov, 31. Miller, 32. Allen — 41. Ruiz (Mota, 55'), 5. Busquets, 30. Cremaschi — 11. Farias, 17. Martinez (Stefanelli, 76').\n\nFC Cincinnati (5-4-1, right to left): 18. Celentano (GK) — 13. Arias, 4. Hagglund, 21. Miazga, 32. Murphy, 31. Barreal (Halsey, 81') — 5. Nwobodo, 10. Acosta (Badji, 88'), 93. Moreno (Kubo, 65') — 19. Vazquez (Pinto, 88'), 17. Santos (Boupendza, 46').\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati live updates, highlights, commentary\n\nFULLTIME: Inter Miami 0-1 FC Cincinnati\n\nInter Miami are made to rue their early missed chances, as Alvaro Barreal's 78th-minute goal is enough to secure victory for FC Cincinnati.\n\nIn the process, Inter Miami are officially OUT of the MLS playoff race, as tonight's defeat coupled with CF Montreal's 4-0 victory over Portland are enough to see them eliminated from contention.\n\nMessi joined Inter Miami with the club bottom of the Eastern Conference, and the gap was just too big to overcome. Messi's injury certainly played a role, but even so, there was just not enough room for error.\n\nIt's official: Inter Miami has been mathematically eliminated from MLS playoff contention. pic.twitter.com/u39ZgeXI9M — Tom Bogert (@tombogert) October 8, 2023\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati: Second Half\n\n90+3 min: With five minutes of added time on the board, Lionel Messi draws another foul in a very dangerous position, this one much more obvious for the official to make. It's just outside the penalty area from a central position, and Messi stands over it yet again.\n\nHis effort on goal is close to finding the top-left corner, but it's just high, clipping off the very top of the crossbar. Officially the fourth time they've hit the woodwork, although this one wasn't quite as dramatic.\n\n89th min: Lionel Messi draws a very contentious foul by Yuya Kubo whose tackle from behind looked clean but draws a whistle regardless. Messi's delivery from a deep central position is floated in and headed out by Matt Miazga for a corner.\n\nThe ensuing set-piece is played short and eventually comes to Messi whose deep delivery is seeking the far corner but nervously tapped wide by Roman Celentano. Eventually, a foul by Messi ends the chance and leaves Santiago Arias rolling around on the ground.\n\n88th min: Two more changes for FC Cincinnati as Dominique Badji enters for Luciano Acosta, whose night is done a few minutes early despite trailing by a goal in the Golden Boot race. Malik Pinto also comes on for Brandon Vazquez.\n\nTeammates Acosta and Aaron Boupendza are jawing at each other as the change is made, which might be an alarming sign for FC Cincinnati with the playoffs on the horizon.\n\n84th min: Roman Celentano absorbs a yellow card for time wasting as he stands over a goal kick, much to the delight of the home crowd.\n\n79th min: GOAL! FC CINCINNATI! Drake Callender makes another sensational save, but this time he can't keep Inter Miami level! Callender parries Yuya Kubo's initial effort, but he drives it right into the path of Alvaro Barreal, and he buries the follow-up low into the far corner, and now Inter Miami are in very hot water!\n\nCF Montreal are leading the Portland Timbers 3-0, and therefore Inter Miami must win or they are officially OUT of the playoff race!\n\nÁlvaro Barreal off the rebound to give @fccincinnati the lead late against Inter Miami. pic.twitter.com/DpZEQ2O01H — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 8, 2023\n\n76th min: Two more changes for Inter Miami, as Josef Martinez is curiously withdrawn, replaced by Nick Stefanelli. Robert Taylor also enters for DeAndre Yedlin. They have to win to stay alive in the MLS playoff race.\n\n67th min: Chance, FC Cincinnati! ANOTHER BONKERS SAVE BY DRAKE CALLENDER! HE'S UNBEATABLE TONIGHT! Aaron Boupendza crosses to Brandon Vazquez on the counter, and while the latter is clean through on goal, Callender comes across his goal to make a sensational stop!\n\nThe flag goes up, meaning it won't count as a save, but the replay looked incredibly close, so Callender's stop means that VAR does not have a chance to intervene.\n\n65th min: Chance, FC Cincinnati! Inter Miami have hit the post three times, but now it's FC Cincinnati who have struck the woodwork! Brandon Vazquez gets his head to a corner but it comes off the post.\n\n64th min: Inter Miami have to remain wary of the vicious FC Cincinnati counter-attack, and here a lovely Luciano Acosta switch laterally across the top of the penalty area finds Alvaro Barreal in space, but his hit is blocked.\n\nPat Noonan makes his second change of the match, bringing Yuya Kubo on for Junior Moreno in midfield.\n\n58th min: Lionel Messi's influence has been immediate, and he earns a dangerous free-kick just outside the penalty area, well within his range. Messi appears to be struggling to get good footing on this field, but it's the shirt pull from Miazga which brings him down.\n\nMessi takes it but puts it way over the crossbar. A bit rusty?\n\n57th min: Jean Mota has a shot from distance, and it looks to be a vicious knuckler with some dip, but it goes just wide.\n\n55th min: HERE COMES LIONEL MESSI! He will enter with around 35 minutes to save Inter Miami's season, replacing Tomas Aviles in a very attacking change. Jean Mota also comes on to replace David Ruiz, which is harsh as the young midfielder had been very good.\n\n50th min: Chance, FC Cincinnati! DRAKE CALLENDER MAKES A MASSIVE DOUBLE SAVE! FC Cincinnati are RIGHT on the doorstep, but he comes up huge twice! Aaron Boupendza is the most aggrieved, as his follow-up came from directly in front of the goal but he was stymied by Callender's outstretched right foot!\n\n47th min: Luciano Acosta is fouled on the edge of the attacking third, and it gives FC Cincinnati a free-kick early in the second half. Alvaro Barreal's delivery is floated way high in the air and falls to the far post, but after a nervy moment it's cleared.\n\nLionel Messi begins to warm up on the touchline, and he may be brought on soon to help Inter Miami save their postseason chances.\n\nKickoff: The second half is underway, and there are no changes from Inter Miami, which means Lionel Messi remains on the bench for now. With their playoff hopes now squarely on the line, it's a huge call from Gerardo Martino not to bring Messi on now, and it could speak to how fit he truly is.\n\nFC Cincinnati make one change, as Sergio Santos comes off, replaced by Aaron Boupendza up front.\n\nHALFTIME: Inter Miami 0-0 FC Cincinnati\n\nNeeding victory in this match to ensure they remain in the MLS playoff picture, Inter Miami completely dominated the confirmed 2023 regular season champs but somehow did not manage to capitalize on their overwhelming pressure. Inter Miami were so unlucky not to cash in on multiple occasions, hitting the woodwork an insane three times, all in the first 30 minutes. Lionel Messi may yet have a job to do tonight, currently available off the bench.\n\nFC Cincinnati had one really good look that they missed as well but otherwise were on their heels the entire 45 minutes. Head coach Pat Noonan tells the broadcast he feels FC Cincinnati had \"a lack of courage on the ball\" that half, \"as bad as its been all year.\"\n\nElsewhere, Inter Miami will be nervous about other results from around the league. Most painful is the 2-0 lead for CF Montreal over Portland, which would be a big blow to Inter Miami, meaning they would be eliminated with anything less than a win tonight.\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati: First Half\n\n43rd min: There's a goal mouth scrap that sees Roman Celentano scrambling wildly on the doorstep as the ball bounces around awkwardly, but nobody can get on the end of it for Inter Miami.\n\n38th min: While Inter Miami haven't generated any clear-cut chances since the Celentano save on the half-hour mark, they've remained in complete control of this match. The broadcast shows Lionel Messi on the bench, and he looks very antsy, like he wants to enter the game badly.\n\nSome Inter Miami players are called off the touchline to warm up, but Messi isn't one of them.\n\n30th min: Chance, Inter Miami! Facundo Farias forces Roman Celentano into a full-stretch save! A right-footed blast sees the FC Cincinnati goalkeeper make his first big stop. It's an utter siege from Inter Miami through the opening half-hour! Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati have barely survived thus far!\n\n28th min: Obinna Nwobodo is booked for a very late tackle on Facundo Farias in transition. He has to watch himself, as he gives the referee a sarcastic applause, which is a good way to draw the official's ire and get sent off.\n\n26th min: Inter Miami have another good set-piece opportunity as the rain begins to fall hard at Inter Miami. It's really coming down in South Florida, and more could be on the way. Sergio Busquets takes it and blasts it straight into the wall.\n\nInter Miami fans chant \"Mess, Messi\" as they have a free kick! pic.twitter.com/VkyvULPUHp — Mundo Albiceleste ⭐🌟⭐🇦🇷 (@MundoAlbicelest) October 8, 2023\n\n24th min: Chance, Inter Miami! THEY'VE HIT THE WOODWORK AGAIN! Benja Cremaschi is fed through on a one-two with Josef Martinez, and with the outside of his right foot, he bends it around Matt Miazga but clatters the near post. The THIRD time Inter Miami have hit the bar in under a half-hour! How unlucky??\n\n22nd min: Chance, Inter Miami! Inter Miami hit the woodwork again! Josef Martinez, who has been electric so far, rips a shot from a tight angle about 15 yards out, and while it beats Roman Celentano, it also clatters the far post and deflects out! So close again for the hosts!\n\n22' | Josef takes a chance and it hits the post🤯#MIAvCIN | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/BbD0dWKnzP — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 8, 2023\n\n20th min: Josef Martinez's hold-up play creates a chance for a charging Benja Cremaschi, but he puts his driven effort wide.\n\n14th min: Inter Miami have a very dangerous free-kick as Josef Martinez is bundled over from behind by Junior Moreno. The ball is shaded right of the middle just inches outside the penalty area, and it'll be Facundo Farias to take with his fellow Argentine Lionel Messi on the bench. The floated delivery find the head of a teammate, but the shot is weak and easily caught by Roman Celentano.\n\n12th min: Chance, FC Cincinnati! WHAT A SAVE DRAKE CALLENDER! Cincinnati hit on the counter again, as Brandon Vazquez brilliantly settles a ball from deep and finds Sergio Santos. The Cincinnati forward is tackled by Tomas Aviles as he gets his shot off, and that may have put him off just enough to allow Callender to make a diving, full-stretch stop.\n\nEnd-to-end stuff so far!\n\n9th min: Chance, Inter Miami! Oh no, Tomas Aviles has missed with the goal gaping! On a corner, the initial header drops in Aviles's lap, and he produces a finish of real quality, whipping his leg horizontally at the bouncing ball up near his hip, but he crashes the shot off the crossbar! It had serious pace and should have bulged the net!\n\nChance, FC Cincinnati! Just seconds after Aviles hit the woodwork, FC Cincinnati counter with real venom, and Sergio Santos puts his chance wide! He's pressured while making a one-on-one run, and the delivery from the right flashes wide of the near post as he slides to meet it.\n\nBoth teams will believe they should be in front!\n\n9' | Toto creates a chance early off the crossbar 😳🤯#MIAvCIN | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/aogoOmlhCU — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 7, 2023\n\n8th min: Inter Miami have held the attacking possession in the opening stage of the match, looking to break down FC Cincinnati early, but Matt Miazga holds firm before he's fouled as Josef Martinez undercuts him in the air.\n\n3rd min: An early free-kick for Inter Miami from about 35 yards away shaded way right, and with Lionel Messi on the bench, Noah Allen stands over the ball. The play is off the training ground, as his delivery goes vertically to try and create a lateral cross opportunity for DeAndre Yedlin, but it's overcooked and completely wasted over the end line. Yikes.\n\nKickoff: The match is under way at DRV PNK Stadium! One club's status for the postseason is as assured as possible, while the other team's status is far from certain.\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more\n\n5 mins to kickoff: While there is no active protest happening from the Inter Miami supporter section, they are also taking more muted measures to make their feelings known. They have made a collective effort not to be their usual cheerful selves before kickoff, sitting quietly instead of waving flags and making noise.\n\nWith such a massive game on hand, this is a very clear sign of frustration with the enormous increase in ticket prices next season. Inter Miami's home field advantage tonight will be significantly hampered.\n\nNot sure how much can be appreciated via the photo, but La Familia — Inter Miami’s supporters’ groups — are mostly sitting here before kickoff.\n\n\n\nNo drums, chanting, or enthusiasm in what is a protest to the increased price of season tickets for 2024.#InterMiamiCF #Messi𓃵 pic.twitter.com/YaP4ivlX0P — Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) October 7, 2023\n\n15 mins to kickoff: Interestingly, while tonight's match should kick off without any negative attention, it seems the club just managed to get off the ground without a hitch. According to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, the supporter groups had planned a protest regarding 2024 season ticket prices, but the club offered to meet with them this coming week so they called it off until that can take place.\n\nA reminder, this match officially kicks off at 7:39 p.m. ET so there will be a slight delay from the advertised 7:30 p.m. time.\n\nInter Miami fan news: the 5 supporters’ groups known as La Familia threatened to stage a protest this game re: ticket price hike for 2024, but team offered to meet w/them next week, so protest off at least until next game. @MiamiHerald @HeraldSports @InterMiamiCF #InterMiamiCF — Michelle Kaufman (@kaufsports) October 7, 2023\n\n30 mins to kickoff: Lionel Messi's availability for Inter Miami is a welcome sight for the club, as they take the field today with their backs against the wall. Inter Miami must win tonight to ensure they remain alive in the playoff race. A draw or a loss, however, would see them vulnerable to outside results.\n\nIf Inter Miami do not win, two of the following three possible outcomes would trigger their elimination from playoff contention: CF Montreal beats Portland Timbers; NYCFC wins versus D.C. United; and Chicago Fire picks up points against Charlotte FC.\n\nThose are all conceivable results, and therefore Inter Miami will wish to keep it in their own hands just a little longer. They'll eventually need other results to go their way to climb the table, but for now, their survival is solely up to them.\n\n45 mins to kickoff: Lineups are in, and Lionel Messi is on the bench for Inter Miami.\n\nFor FC Cincinnati, Luciano Acosta starts despite the match being meaningless from a tangible standpoint, understandable considering he is chasing the Golden Boot. Ian Murphy comes in for Yerson Mosquera at the back, while Aaron Boupendza is rotated out up front with Brandon Vazquez and Sergio Santos starting together up front.\n\n1 hour to kickoff: With lineups still yet to be released, let's take a look at one player who is, in fact, an MVP candidate for this year.\n\nFC Cincinnati forward Luciano Acosta is one back of Denis Bouanga for the MLS goal scoring lead with two matches left, sitting on 16 for the year. With 13 assists alongside that, his 29 total goal contributions are best in the league, above the 27 of Thiago Almada and 25 of Hany Mukhtar. Acosta ranks as the second-highest rated player by WhoScored this season across all of Major League Soccer.\n\nYou wonder if he's going to be rested tonight with the Supporters' Shield and No. 1 seed locked up. It would be devastating for him to be injured in a meaningless game, regardless of the opponent.\n\n\"Luciano Acosta's the MVP... He's been an unbelievable player for us this year.\" @fccincinnati goalkeeper @roman_413 had nothing but praise for @LuchoAcosta94 and Pat Noonan 🟠🔵 pic.twitter.com/Xyp2ozr7n5 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023\n\n1 hour 15 mins to kick: Lionel Messi was nominated for not only MLS Newcomer of the Year for the 2023 season, but also 2023 MLS MVP.\n\nLaughable doesn't even begin to describe that blatant PR move, considering that most of the damage Messi has done for Inter Miami has come in Cup competitions. He has one goal and two assists in 247 minutes of play in actual MLS competition. Lionel Messi has been fun, but let's hope the league doesn't make a mockery of itself by actually giving Messi either honor.\n\n1 hour 30 mins to kick: As if Inter Miami's predicament tonight wasn't difficult enough, requiring a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, it will have to come against the best team in Major League Soccer through the 2023 regular season.\n\nFC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat. It's been an exceptional season for the club, and they won't stop here just because they have nothing tangible left to gain over the final few matches.\n\nCampeones!!! 🏆⚽️🏆 2023 supporters’ shield winners 🟠🔵 pic.twitter.com/96ckfHkKEp — Santiago Arias (@santiagoarias13) October 7, 2023\n\n1 hour 45 mins to kick: It's Fan Appreciation Night at DRV PNK Stadium, where they're giving out Inter Miami bucket hats to the first few fans through the gates.\n\nThat's nice and all, but the best way to appreciate the fans would be to not price out the loyal supporters from season tickets next year. Instead, Inter Miami has jacked 2024 membership rates to put the club amongst some of the most expensive tickets in not just MLS, but the world.\n\nWhile there will certainly be folks who can afford those high-demand tickets, many of those individuals won't be the same fans who have supported the club from its inception in 2020. This means Inter Miami have chosen to secure maximum profit at the expense of its fanbase, and a high turnover amongst the regular in-person support from this season to next is likely.\n\nMORE: Inter Miami season tickets for 2024 season see unprecedented jump in price\n\n(Also, you'll notice a photo of Lionel Messi's jersey hanging in his locker in that tweet below, a pretty good indication that he'll return tonight)\n\nScene is set for Fan Appreciation Night 🏟️#MIAvCIN | 7:30 PM ET pic.twitter.com/9I07uq9hGW — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 7, 2023\n\n2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity. Edul reported that \"the idea is for Leo Messi to get minutes when Inter Miami plays FC Cincinnati\".\n\nThat makes it sound like Messi will only be available off the bench, but it's better than nothing to have a game-changer like him available at all.\n\nMORE: Details on Lionel Messi's injury as he battles \"fatigue\" and a \"scar tissue issue\".\n\nLa idea es que Leo Messi vuelva a sumar minutos mañana cuando Inter Miami juegue contra Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/ePNWHb4vSs — Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) October 6, 2023\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati lineups & team news\n\nThere was a report that Lionel Messi could finally make his return from injury, and while it felt unlikely that Messi would start three days after missing out entirely, he appears on the bench today and could be available for a second half appearance if required.\n\nJordi Alba remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, missing since his injury just minutes before Messi, and without a publicly known timeline for a return. Also missing is striker Leonardo Campana who was absent from the midweek defeat to the Chicago Fire with a muscle injury, although Gerardo Martino described his issue as \"minor.\"\n\nImportant midfielder Gregore, who has missed most of the season with a foot injury, is back in training and should return to the field at some point, although when is not known. Defender Tomas Aviles is back from suspension and starts in the three center-back system.\n\nInter Miami starting lineup (5-3-2): Callender (GK) — Yedlin, Aviles, Kryvtsov, Miller, Allen — Ruiz, Busquets, Cremaschi — Farias, Martinez.\n\nInter Miami subs (12): Dos Santos (GK), Sailor, Taylor, Mota, Arroyo, Ulloa, Robinson, Messi, Stefanelli.\n\nDefender Alvas Powell is suspended for the match after being sent off against the New York Red Bulls last time out, with Santiago Arias stepping in at right-back.\n\nFC Cincinnati are otherwise light on availability concerns, with only a leg injury for Arquimides Ordonez and a long-term injury to young midfielder Stiven Jimenez to worry about.\n\nTalisman forward Luciano Acosta was partially rested midweek, coming off the bench to score the team's only goal against the Red Bulls in 32 minutes of play, so he is ready to go as he chases the league's Golden Boot award. Also rested midweek was Alvaro Barreal who leads the team in minutes and also logged just 32 of them on Wednesday.\n\nFC Cincinnati starting lineup (5-3-2): Celentano (GK) — Arias, Hagglund, Miazga, Murphy, Barreal — Nwobodo, Acosta, Moreno — Vazquez, Santos.\n\nFC Cincinnati subs (9): Kann (GK), Kubo, Mosquera, Angulo, Badji, Pinto, Halsey, Valenzuela, Boupendza.\n\nHow to watch Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati\n\nMORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA\n\nTV channel Streaming Global — Apple TV+ (MLS Season Pass)\n\nInter Miami vs FC Cincinnati betting odds & lines\n\nIn Canada, bet MLS at Sports Interaction: See the latest odds for Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati here", + "The manager’s future\n\nErik ten Hag’s team are treading water at precisely the wrong moment: as Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes charge of Manchester United’s sporting department before making sweeping changes in the posts that will directly affect the manager. Richard Arnold has left despite officially staying until the end of the year and into his role may come Jean-Claude Blanc, the CEO of Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport, as the man Ten Hag reports to. Ten Hag’s line manager may change too, as Ratcliffe considers whether a new football director is required, a position held by John Murtough. Ten Hag may have a first clue of his status in Ratcliffe’s new empire if he is sounded out for his view of a prime factor in his ability to coach and manage the side to success: United’s transfer policy. This leads us to Murtough …\n\nWill Murtough survive?\n\nThe football director has no plans to depart but whether he remains in situ may be a matter for Ratcliffe. Some inside the club believe Murtough will either be moved sideways or follow Arnold through the exit door. Ratcliffe might have signalled his assessment of him when, during a March tour of the club, he questioned the signing of a 30-year-old Casemiro on a four‑year deal worth about £350,000 a week. Murtough, whose football department has a transfer veto, and Ten Hag, who has the same, were responsible for the Brazilian’s signing. The word is that Murtough, present when Ratcliffe raised this, was hardly impressed. Particularly as Nice, the French club owned by Ratcliffe, recruited Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel and Ross Barkley as part of the nine signings in the same summer Casemiro joined United. Schmeichel was 35 and signed a three-year contract in a £1m transfer from Leicester; Ramsey, then 31, and Barkley, then 28, came on frees and were given one-year deals. All three players left Nice this summer. Newcastle’s sporting director, Dan Ashworth, and Paul Mitchell, Monaco’s sporting director until March, are among those mentioned in dispatches as a potential Murtough replacement.\n\nCan any CEO make United a best-in-class elite club again?\n\nBlanc, who has an MBA from Harvard, is billed as the “Lionel Messi of business” by Nice’s chief executive, Fabrice Bocquet. At 60 years old Blanc has been the Juventus CEO and president, CEO at Paris Saint‑Germain and French Tennis, and the executive overseeing the Tour de France. But once he or whoever becomes Arnold’s successor is in place, it will dawn rapidly that United are a one-off hydra-headed beast of a club which is treacherously difficult to control. And there is this, too: across town Manchester City have accrued six championships since United’s last in 2013 and boast a commercial operation that leaves Ratcliffe’s new concern light years behind.\n\nOld Trafford (and the training ground)\n\nTo find an apt shorthand for the lurching ship that is United, end the search at the roof of their stadium where on Manchester’s (many) wet days rain leaks through. Old Trafford remains a storied venue but as it continues to crumble the tale of disrepair has become a central narrative in its recent history. As Premier League titles have become scarce (zero in a decade) the tale of neglect of a ground that dates to 1910 is emblematic of the Glazers’ quasi‑absentee proprietorship. Ratcliffe will invest $300m (£237m) into infrastructure but this is small beer when considering the multibillion-pound facelift or new venue required. There is also the cramped Carrington base: as on Sir Matt Busby Way, the footprint is large at the training ground but the configuration and facilities are ageing – badly.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nManchester United’s century old stadium needs an upgrade. Photograph: Greig Cowie/Shutterstock\n\nCommunications\n\nThe Glazers treat a microphone or TV camera as United fans do Liverpool or Manchester City: as a fierce enemy. No family member has given a press conference or interview during their 18-year tenure. Ratcliffe has arrived on a ticket of, partly, being the local lad made good (Failsworth, where he was born, is next to Newton Heath, United’s birthplace) so if he proves as silent as the Americans then this will be: a) poor PR; and b) just plain poor. Football fans can be classed as the most loyal citizens of any society but even the faith of United enthusiasts has been stretched by the cold relationship created by the Glazers’ stance regarding communication. A tap-in, then, for Ratcliffe is to remedy this by opening and maintaining a regular line into supporters.\n\nThe Glazer family have little relationship with the Manchester United fans – something Ratcliffe would do well to avoid. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images\n\nEnsuring a working relationship with the Glazers\n\nFor paying an overpriced £1.3bn for his 25% Ratcliffe obtains a major element of control but still the Glazers remain majority owners. The 71-year-old oversees football policy but these do not exist in a vacuum given that the commercial side affects this and vice versa. Ratcliffe accepts Manchester United have an impressive revenue-based model that makes the club akin to a cash machine but he is not enamoured of how the money generated is invested – primarily in the squad. What happens then, for example, if Ten Hag wants a new midfield ace, Ratcliffe agrees but the Glazers cite a downturn in income and thus seek to block the signing?", + "Every Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there’s always a ton of hype about the discounts on big-ticket items — you know, the deals on the OLED TVs, game consoles, and tablets of the world. But it never fails that many of the ultra-cheap items make for some of the most clutch deals, namely because spending very little on a small accessory you end up using all the time can be the most gratifying.\n\nThis year, throughout the annual shopping weekend, we’re once again keeping an eye out for the best tech deals on those little gadgets and gizmos under $25. We’ve also got roundups for those working with $50 or $100 budgets, but the items below are pretty much as cheap as you can get in the tech world without simply buying absolute crap that’s destined to end up as e-waste.\n\nSome of these helpful budget deals include gems like fully compatible MagSafe chargers for the latest iPhones, a colorful smart speaker, Apple’s handy AirTag trackers, and some staff favorites. Come on in and peruse these affordable wares.\n\nPhone accessories and smart trackers\n\nApple AirTag $ 24 $ 29 17 % off $ 24 $ 24 $ 29 17 % off Apple’s AirTag can help you find your lost items with its ultra wideband technology. You’ll get the best compatibility with an iPhone, though Apple released an Android app that can detect an AirTag’s location and notify you if one seems to be following you. Read our review. $24 at Amazon$80 at Amazon (four-pack)\n\nAnker 511 Charger (30W) $ 16 $ 23 30 % off $ 16 $ 16 $ 23 30 % off Anker’s 30W 511 Charger juices phones quickly and is small enough to carry around in a purse. $16 at Amazon\n\nDbrand leather phone skins $ 24 $ 35 31 % off $ 24 $ 24 $ 35 31 % off Dbrand’s leather skins add a little grip to the back of a slick phone, but they’re mostly a style choice. They’re high quality and non-damaging. $24 at Dbrand\n\nEWA’s MagOne magnetic phone grip is on sale for $15.99 ($4 off) at Amazon. It’s a grip and kickstand in one, making bigger phones a little more wieldy without getting in the way of MagSafe charging.\n\nis on sale for $15.99 ($4 off) at Amazon. It’s a grip and kickstand in one, making bigger phones a little more wieldy without getting in the way of MagSafe charging. You can buy Uni’s 10-foot USB-C to USB-C cable for $7.99 ($12 off) at Amazon. The lengthy USB-C cable is capable of delivering 100 watts of power to beefy laptops like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but you can also use it to power up smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets.\n\nfor $7.99 ($12 off) at Amazon. The lengthy USB-C cable is capable of delivering 100 watts of power to beefy laptops like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but you can also use it to power up smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. PopSockets is taking 25 percent off various grips, mounts, cases, and other accessories, including this PopGrip for MagSafe phone handle / stand (on sale for $22.50) which is compatible with iPhone 12 phones and newer.\n\nphone handle / stand (on sale for $22.50) which is compatible with iPhone 12 phones and newer. The worst thing about AirTags is you need something to stick them in. Here’s a pack of four AirTag keychain holders for $8.91. They’re silicone, but it’s way more affordable than Apple’s official AirTag accessories. Just one of those will set you back $35.\n\nTile Pro $ 25 $ 35 29 % off $ 25 $ 25 $ 35 29 % off The Tile Pro is the company’s loudest Bluetooth tracker and has the widest range at 400 feet. It also has a user-replaceable battery, unlike other Tiles. $25 at Amazon$25 at Best Buy\n\nChipolo’s Card Spot is down to $20.94 ($14 off) at Best Buy, one of its best prices to date. The Card Spot is another slim Bluetooth tracker you can fit into your wallet, with an IPX5 water resistance that can tap into Apple’s extensive Find My network.\n\nTile Slim (2022 version) $ 20 $ 35 43 % off $ 20 $ 20 $ 35 43 % off The Tile Slim is as thin as two credit cards, allowing you to stash the simple Bluetooth tracker in your wallet, passport holder, or luggage. It also features a 250-foot range and, more importantly, compatibility with both Android and iOS devices. $20 at Amazon$25 at Best Buy\n\nSmart home tech\n\nMeross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini (MSS110) $ 18 $ 23 22 % off $ 18 $ 18 $ 23 22 % off With solid performance and support for all of the major smart home platforms, this affordable Wi-Fi smart plug gives you the basics you need to control non-smart devices for less. It doesn’t have Matter or energy monitoring, but that’s alright at this price. $18 at Amazon (two-pack, with on-page coupon)\n\nAmazon Smart Plug $ 15 $ 25 40 % off $ 15 $ 15 $ 25 40 % off Amazon’s apt-titled Smart Plug doesn’t require a hub and lets you add Alexa functionality to any outlet, allowing you to control a range of devices with just your voice. $15 at Amazon$15 at Best Buy\n\nAmazon Echo Glow $ 17 $ 30 43 % off $ 17 $ 17 $ 30 43 % off The Amazon Echo Glow is a multicolored smart lamp for children, one that can cycle through colors and function as an Alexa-enabled sleep timer if needed. $17 at Amazon\n\nTP-Link’s RE315 Wi-Fi extender is on sale for just $24.99 ($25 off), matching its best price to date. It’s a good option if you’re looking to extend network coverage in your home or add ethernet connectivity to another room.\n\nStreaming device and service deals\n\nAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) $ 25 $ 50 50 % off $ 25 $ 25 $ 50 50 % off The new Fire TV Stick 4K streams in 4K resolution, as its name suggests, and features mostly standard specs these days like Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Atmos / Vision, HDR10 Plus, and a 1.7GHz processor. $25 at Amazon\n\nMax (six-month subscription, with ads) $ 18 $ 60 70 % off $ 18 $ 18 $ 60 70 % off Max is offering new and returning customers a six-month subscription to its ad-supported plan for $2.99 a month instead of $9.99 a month until November 27th. The base plan provides access to all the same programming as the pricier tiers, including shows like The Last of Us and films like Barbie. $18 at HBO Max\n\nHulu (ad-supported, annual subscription) $ 12 $ 80 85 % off $ 12 $ 12 $ 80 85 % off Until November 28th at 11:59PM PT, you can get a year of ad-supported Hulu for $11.88, which works out to 99 cents a month and a savings of $68 compared to buying the $79.99 annual plan. New and returning subscribers (who canceled their Hulu subscription at least a month ago) as well as existing Disney Plus and ESPN Plus standalone subscribers are eligible for the deal. $12 at Hulu\n\nThe Roku Express 4K Plus streaming stick is available for $24.97, down from its regular price of $39.99. It streams in 4K, supports HDR color, and is compatible with Alexa.\n\nGames and gaming accessories\n\nMass Effect Legendary Edition $ 12 $ 60 80 % off $ 12 $ 12 $ 60 80 % off A compilation of the first three Mass Effect games repackaged and optimized for 4K with reduced load times, improved performance, and various gameplay tweaks. $12 at Amazon (Steam code)\n\nSamsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) $ 25 $ 35 29 % off $ 25 $ 25 $ 35 29 % off This Samsung Evo Select microSD card offers 512GB of extra storage for a Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Asus ROG Ally at a good price point. $25 at Amazon\n\nStaff favorites and miscellaneous tech\n\nChomChom pet hair remover $ 20 $ 32 38 % off $ 20 $ 20 $ 32 38 % off The ChomChom is a reusable cat and dog hair remover that works great for furniture.\n\n$20 at Amazon\n\nEpicka universal travel adapter $ 20 $ 25 20 % off $ 20 $ 20 $ 25 20 % off Epicka’s universal travel adapter is an all-in-one adapter that includes four different plugs that cover over 150 countries. $20 at Amazon\n\nNothing beats a family Nerf war, and the best way to do it is with a six-pack of single-shot Nerf MicroShot blasters , which is going for just $19.99 ($13 off) at Amazon. Each derringer-style blaster loads and fires one dart, requiring you to pick your shots carefully before having to reload.\n\n, which is going for just $19.99 ($13 off) at Amazon. Each derringer-style blaster loads and fires one dart, requiring you to pick your shots carefully before having to reload. Love Letter is on sale at Amazon for $6.29 (around $9 off). The fairly simple card game for two to six players is easy to get into and acts as a great intro to more elaborate tabletop games.\n\nGovee 100ft Smart LED Strip Lights $ 15 $ 25 40 % off $ 15 $ 15 $ 25 40 % off Govee’s basic 100ft LED smart light strip comes with 64 preset scenes so you can create different vibes based on your emotions, holidays, nature, and more. It also offers various music modes and connects to your phone via Bluetooth or the Govee Home app. $15 at Amazon\n\nTekton Everybit Tech Rescue Kit $ 22 $ 29 24 % off $ 22 $ 22 $ 29 24 % off A 46-piece screwdriver kit that can help you repair practically any tech device out there. $22 at Amazon\n\nLogitech C270 HD $ 19 $ 40 53 % off $ 19 $ 19 $ 40 53 % off The C270 HD shoots in 720p resolution at 30 frames per second. It features a 55-degree field of view, and it has a mono microphone. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. $19 at Amazon$22 at Target\n\nLifeStraw personal water filter $ 10 $ 20 50 % off $ 10 $ 10 $ 20 50 % off LifeStraw’s basic filter removes unwanted viruses, bacteria, and microplastics as you drink, giving you a safe way to hydrate no matter where you are. $10 at Amazon\n\nThe COSRX Snail Mucin Essence is viral all over skincare TikTok and discounted to a mere $13.99. Is it a lil’ icky? Yes, but its hydrating powers are well known. If you’ve got a skincare aficionado in your life, trust me, they’ll thank you.\n\nis viral all over skincare TikTok and discounted to a mere $13.99. Is it a lil’ icky? Yes, but its hydrating powers are well known. If you’ve got a skincare aficionado in your life, trust me, they’ll thank you. Hasbro’s Jenga: Super Mario Edition is selling for $14.99 ($7 off) at Amazon. The unique twist on the classic block building game has you trying to scale the tower as Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad to defeat Bowser.\n\nVerge merch Black Friday sale $ 21 $ 30 30 % off $ 21 $ 21 $ 30 30 % off Our merch store is running a Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale with 30 percent discounts on all shirt designs, 40 percent off on mugs, and more. $21 at The Verge Store\n\nVerge Deals / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Email (required) Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nThere are still a handful more hours of Cyber Monday, so if you're searching for deals on Apple devices, you're in luck. Many of these deals started well before Black Friday, and all but a few are still live. Whether you need an iPad for couchside entertainment, or even productivity, or a new pair of AirPods Pro for a gift, this is a great time to shop. Surprisingly, Apple's latest products like the M3 MacBook Pro and the Apple Watch Series 9 are included in the discounts. If something catches your eye, you may want to click \"add to cart,\" as we expect many of these deals to expire before tomorrow hits. These are the best Cyber Monday Apple deals for 2023.\n\nAirPod Cyber Monday deals\n\nAirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)\n\nWhen Apple announced the new iPhone 15 and its conversion to USB-C charging, the company also revealed the second generation AirPods Pro with the same connector. That version has dropped to $190 at Amazon and Target. They’ve gone or as low as $189 recently, so this is within a dollar of that price. Other than the port, the hardware hasn’t changed so you’re still getting the earbuds we named the best pick for iPhone users in our guide. In addition to pairing well with Apple’s handsets, the buds also offer one of the best transparency modes on the market along with solid ANC and richer fuller sound than the previous generation Pros. The Lightning version is on sale for $169 at Walmart.\n\nRead our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)\n\nAirPods Max\n\nThe over-ear AirPods Max are normally far too expensive for us to recommend. But now they're down to $450, which is a new low price and $30 cheaper than Prime Day in October. You can get the deal at Amazon or Best Buy. They're $519 at B&H Photo. They are well-designed, comfortable, and implement all of the helpful Siri integrations. We also like the great noise cancellation and Spatial Audio. While they’re a little heavy, the fit is still comfortable and the on-device controls, while unique, are simple and “a joy to use.”\n\nHere's our full review of the AirPods Max.\n\nAirPods (3rd gen)\n\nThe third generation AirPods with the Lightning charging case are down to $140 at Amazon and Target. They carry a list price of $169 but often sell for closer to $150, so this is $10 off the usual. These non-Pro AirPods came out in 2021 and got a review score of 88 from us. They pair quickly with iPhones and are a good complement to Siri’s helpfulness. They don’t have ANC however — you’ll need to go for the AirPods Pro for that feature — but they do have Adaptive EQ which monitors and adapts sound in real time. The fit is comfortable and they’re water-resistant so they can handle workouts or the weather.\n\nApple Watch Cyber Monday deals\n\nApple Watch Ultra 2\n\nThe Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now $739, which is $60 off. It sold for $9 less during Black Friday and is one of the few Apple products to not maintain its pricing for Cyber Monday. Both Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for $739. The Ultra 2 has the same new chip as the Apple Watch Series 9 so it can perform the new Double Tap trick, but also sports a more robust build and outdoor-specific features that make it suited to adventurers. There’s a siren to alert people to your presence as well as a dive meter, waypoint setting capabilities and night mode to preserve your low-light vision. It's our recommended Apple Watch for adventurers.\n\nCheck out our guide to the best Apple Watches for 2023\n\nApple Watch SE\n\nThe most affordable smartwatch in the lineup is the Apple Watch SE, which is now down to $179. It has a list price of $249 but has regularly sold for $220 lately so this is still a significant deal. We called it the best smartwatch money can buy in our review when it came out in 2022. It lacks an always-on display and a few of the more specialized health sensors, like the blood oxygen app, but the fitness features and tracking data are well-rounded, plus the notifications and integrations are particularly convenient for iPhone users.\n\nApple Watch Series 9\n\nThe new Apple Watch Series 9 is seeing a $70 discount that brings it to $330 at Amazon, Target and Walmart. That's a new low for the wearable that debuted alongside the iPhone 15 back in September. The big change this time around is a new SiP (system in package) chip that allows for a Double Tap feature that lets you tap your thumb and forefinger together to answer calls and more. It also allows for the onboard processing of Siri requests, making simple demands (like starting a timer or a workout) happen faster.\n\nThe Series 9 has an always-on display and when paired with the Sport Loop is a carbon neutral product. As has been the case for many years now, the Apple Watch is an excellent fitness companion, offering comprehensive health and activity data. It also happens to be our favorite smartwatch for most people.\n\nRead our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9\n\nApple iPad Cyber Monday deals\n\niPad (10th generation)\n\nThe tenth generation iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon, Best Buy and Target, which is $100 off the list price. It has often sold for $399 lately so this is still $50 off the typical street price. We don’t think it’s a wild improvement over the previous generation, though it does orient the camera to the landscape edge, which is much better for video calling. The USB-C charging is more modern than the Lightning connector on the 9th gen iPad, but for some reason this model still works with the first generation Apple Pencil (even though the slate came out after the second-gen stylus).\n\niPad Air\n\nThe base model of the latest generation of the iPad Air has an MSRP of $599 and is now down to $499, a price its hit quite a few times in 2023. This is the iPad we recommend for most people because it’s speedy, has a great screen and works with current-generation accessories. It can act as a rather powerful entertainment option for games and streaming, but is powerful enough to serve as a productivity device when paired up with a stylus or mouse and a keyboard. Now that the M3 chip has been loosed upon the world, the iPad Air, which houses the M1 chip, is primed for an update, which will likely come next year (along with a potential price increase).\n\niPad mini\n\nFor a more portable iPad experience, the iPad mini offers a bigger screen than your phone, but is barely as easy to carry around with you. It’s listed at $499, but has dropped as low as $400 many times this year. Now it’s back down to that low at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. The smaller iPad got a refresh last year, adding a new Liquid Retina screen, a Touch-ID top button instead of a Home button, and a USB-C charging. The performance is snappy and the integration with the second-generation Apple Pencil makes it excel as a digital notebook. As we said in our review, with the mini, Apple “quashes notion that ‘smaller’ means ‘lesser.’”\n\nApple iPad (9th generation)\n\nFor a few hours during the Black Friday sales, the 9th generation iPad went as low as $229 at Amazon. That deal appears to have sold out, but if you still want the prior generation standard Apple slate, it's now $80 off the MSRP from Walmart. That's about the same as it's sold for these past few months. But we still think it's a good buy and recommend it as the best budget iPad you can buy.\n\nCheck out our guide to iPads here.\n\nMacBook Cyber Monday deals\n\nMacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023, M3)\n\nThe base model, 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M3 chip just came out in October but is $150 off for Cyber Monday. After testing the new chip, we think the base model with 8GB of RAM may quickly get bogged down. If it's within your budget, we recommend the model with 16GB of RAM, which is $150 off at B&H photo. And if you upgrade to a model with the M3 Pro chip for an even speedier experience — you'll get a $200 discount as it's down to $2,199 at B&H Photo. We gave the new M3 MacBook Pros an appreciative review and named them the best option for creatives in our buyer’s guide.\n\nRead our review of the new MacBook Pros with the M3 chip\n\nMacBook Air (15-inch, 2023, M2)\n\nThe 15-inch MacBook Air arrived in June and added a little more screen real estate to an already great machine. It’s down to $1,049 for Cyber Monday at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s the same as the all-time low it’s hit a few times these past couple of months. In addition, it's $200 off at B&H Photo. We gave it a 96 in our review and liked how the bigger screen let you get the most out of the M2 processor.\n\nNow that the M3 MacBook Pros have arrived, we’re guessing Apple will come out with M3-enabled Air models in 2024. Still the M2 has plenty of processing power and will serve you well as both a casual machine for playing games and watching shows, but can also hold its own with productivity tasks.\n\nMacBook Air (13-inch, 2022, M2)\n\nThe M2-powered, 13-inch MacBook Air is on sale for $929 at B&H Photo. It’s our top recommendation for a MacBook and beat out all brands in our laptop guide. The M2 chip is impressively fast and capable, the design is solid and the display is lovely. It’s more than capable for both work and play and should give you years of dependable use. But, again, the M3-enabled Airs are likely on their way in 2024. So if you know you’re drawn to the newest thing, you might want to wait.\n\nMacBook Air (13-inch, 2020, M1)\n\nThe MacBook Air with the M1 chip is a couple years old at this point, but still officially part of Apple’s laptop lineup. It dropped to an all-time low of $750 for October’s Prime Day at Amazon and now Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for the same price. It’s the budget pick in our guide to MacBooks and the top pick in our guide to budget laptops. Check out our review from when it first came out in which we praised its quick speeds, excellent screen and good battery life.\n\nCyber Monday deals on Apple accessories\n\n$100 Apple Gift Card + $15 Amazon credit\n\nIf you purchase an Apple gift card totaling $100 or more from the retailer, you can get $15 in Amazon store credit for no extra cost. Just use the code APPLET5USA at checkout to see the offer. The deal applies to the digital version of the card; as of this writing, you can get the credit with a physical Apple gift card as well by using the code APPLET5USAP, though you may not want to clip the coupon on those cards' product page, as Amazon's listing says that will only give you a $10 credit. As a reminder, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store.\n\nApple AirTags\n\nA four-pack of Apple AirTags is $80 right now at Amazon, thanks to a 19 percent discount. They go for $29 each at full price, so the deal will save you $9 a pop. AirTags are our top picks for Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users as they tap into Apple’s disturbingly vast FindMy network, using other Apple mobiles to find your lost stuff. If you want just a single AirTag, you can grab one for $24 (a $5 discount) at Walmart and Target.\n\nApple Pencil\n\nApple now makes three different Apple Pencils. The original recharges via Lightning. The second generation recharges wirelessly and the new USB-C looks a lot like the first generation, but charges via USB-C instead of lighting. Each one has different iPad compatibility with iPads. While that part is confusing, the pencil itself is rather elegant and one of the best accessories for your iPad. The 2nd generation stylus is down to $80 right now, while the USB-C model is down to $71 at Amazon.\n\nApple TV 4K\n\nThe Apple TV 4K is our favorite premium streaming device and is currently $125 at B&H Photo. That's not a huge discount, but the streaming box rarely goes on sale. We gave it a 94 in our review because it’s fast, has an excellent Siri remote and integrates seamlessly with Apple’s overall ecosystem. Navigation is clean and easy to use, plus the device can stream in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision.\n\nMac Mini M2\n\nThe base model of Apple diminutive desktop computer, the Mac mini, is currently on sale for $100 off for Cyber Monday at Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy. It earned an 86 in our review because it packs a lot of processing power, using the same M2 chip as the two current-model MacBook Airs — but it’s much cheaper than either laptop. If you need a little more storage, you can get it with 512GB of SSD for $699 at B&H Photo.\n\nYour Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "Sean Dyche is confident Everton’s season will not be derailed by their 10-point penalty for breaching Premier League financial rules but has warned his players that they cannot rely on the club’s appeal to rescue them from another relegation battle.\n\nThe Everton manager said he was shocked and aggrieved by an independent commission’s decision to impose the biggest sporting sanction in Premier League history for a £19.5m overspend in 2021-22. Dyche was ill while on holiday in Dubai when informed of the punishment by Everton’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell. He described the deduction as both disproportionate and unjust.\n\nDyche addressed the first-team squad at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground on Friday morning, once they had all returned from international duty. Players reacted to last Friday’s news by sharing defiant messages on their WhatsApp group. After a run of six wins in nine games in all competitions, that had lifted Everton to 14th in the table prior to being plunged back to 19th, their resolve to maintain momentum and haul the club out of danger was relayed to the manager at Friday’s meeting.\n\n“The feeling was very positive in the sense of building on the mentality that’s been there lately,” said Dyche. “We all spoke about that, saying this hasn’t changed it and it’s building regardless of this current situation. The players are clear-minded. They have their WhatsApp group and when the news broke they put it straight on there: ‘Right lads, just another challenge, this is how we take it on’. The group is taking ownership and that’s a powerful thing.\n\n“I got from them the sense that: ‘What we’re building, we don’t let anything disrupt that and we don’t let anything get in the way’. You can’t guarantee it’s made a difference [to players’ resolve] yet because we haven’t played any games. All I know is that the players know what we’re doing. They’ve referenced that to me probably for the last six weeks.”\n\nEverton’s appeal against the 10-point deduction will be heard by a different three-person panel before the end of the season. Dyche, however, wants his team to forget about the appeal and accept the reality of being joint-bottom of the Premier League on four points. That outlook, he believes, will help Everton focus on hauling themselves out of the relegation zone.\n\nAbdoulaye Doucouré celebrates Everton’s win at Crystal Palace, the club’s sixth victory in nine games. Photograph: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images\n\nOn the prospect of survival, Dyche said: “I’ve never lacked confidence in my own ability, in my staff’s ability or the players’ ability. I’ve never lacked confidence since I’ve been here and, let’s face it, I’ve had some pretty tough times. But it’s not just about confidence. You’ve got to win games, and this is just another big challenge.\n\n“It is currently a momentary thing because we don’t know what the appeal brings, we don’t know how that changes things again. But until that period, and I have made it clear to the players, be under no illusions because there are no guarantees things will change so we have to commit to what’s going on now as if that is the reality. It might be changed but, until it’s changed, we have to commit to this reality. There are no guarantees that what goes before guarantees what comes next. We have to keep pushing like we have been doing because we have lost 10 points and we have to get them back as quick as we can.”\n\nEverton fans have a series of protests against the Premier League planned for Sunday’s home game against Manchester United, when a win could possibly lift Dyche’s team out of the bottom three. After several years of division at Goodison Park, certainly in terms of the fanbase and the club’s hierarchy, the punishment has created a collective siege mentality that Dyche wants his team to utilise.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nHe said: “I couldn’t wait [for Sunday] anyway because obviously we are on a good run of form – forget about all this. But I will be amazed if the Evertonians are not right on song. I’ll be very surprised if they are not, knowing what I do. I don’t know them yet but I am learning about Evertonians and how they commit to the club and the cause. I’m getting deeper in my knowledge of that and I’ll be very surprised if they are not right there with us. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll win but it gives you a better chance when they are right behind the players going: ‘Come on then, let’s take it on again’.\n\n“I sense that the underbelly, the fans with the depth of knowledge about Everton who remember the hard-fought years and what it has been built upon – not every Evertonian just knows moneyed years – they remember when they had to fight and work to build a team and a mentality. I think they can sense it again. That’s what I think. I think they sense we are getting back to an earthiness, a determined Everton group of players who will really have a go.”\n\nDyche declined to comment on the implications of Everton’s punishment for Manchester City, who have been charged with 115 financial breaches by the Premier League, and deny any wrongdoing, and Chelsea, who are also under investigation by the football authorities.", + "Eintracht Frankfurt pulverised Bayern Munich 5-1 with a sensational three-goal first-half performance to snap the champions’ unbeaten run in the Bundesliga this season. In an explosive first half, Eintracht completely overran Bayern and exposed their error-prone backline, scoring three times in 24 minutes.\n\nOmar Marmoush opened their account in the 12th minute, drilling in the rebound after Fares Chaibi had hit the crossbar following a miskick from Bayern’s Noussair Mazraoui. After yet more slapdash defending from Bayern, Éric Dina Ebimbe doubled their lead in the 31st minute and Hugo Larsson made it 3-0 five minutes later, benefiting from a Joshua Kimmich error. Kimmich made amends just before the break with a powerful shot from 20 yards to cut the deficit but it did not stop the home side.\n\nEintracht put the ball in the net again, five minutes after the restart, to make it 4-1, outplaying Bayern with another textbook quick break and with Ebimbe beating Manuel Neuer for his second goal of the afternoon. Ansgar Knauff then slotted in to make it 5-1 on the hour as Frankfurt became the first team in 48 years to score five goals in one hour against Bayern in the Bundesliga since their own 6-0 win in 1975.\n\nQuick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.\n\nIf you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.\n\nIn the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.\n\nTurn on sport notifications. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.\n\n“There is no need for an explanation,” said Bayern’s midfielder Thomas Müller. “We have to congratulate Frankfurt who deserved the win. They took the fight out of us in that first half hour. When you lose 5-1 then a reaction has to follow. We won’t lose our heads now. We don’t have enough time but we will bounce back.”\n\nBayern, who have a game in hand after last week’s game against Union Berlin was postponed due to snow, remain in second place on 32 points, with the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, on 35, travelling to third-placed VfB Stuttgart, who have 30 points, on Sunday.\n\nLater, RB Leipzig beat 10-man Borussia Dortmund 3-2 to tighten their grip on fourth place and put a further dent in their opponents’ title hopes.\n\nIt started badly for the hosts with Mats Hummels sent off for a last-man foul at the edge of the box in the 15th minute, then a Ramy Bensebaini own goal put the visitors in front just after the half-hour.\n\nDortmund equalised with the last kick of the first half when Niklas Suele volleyed in from the far post. But it was only a matter of time until Leipzig scored again and they did it with Christoph Baumgartner in the 54th.\n\nWith Dortmund taking risks in search of an equaliser, Leipzig launched a counterattack and Yussuf Poulsen rifled in before Niclas Füllkrug scored deep in stoppage time for some last-gasp drama. Leipzig are fourth on 29 points and now have a four-point lead over Dortmund in fifth place.\n\nA stunning goal from Real Betis’s Aitor Ruibal cancelled out Jude Bellingham’s strike for Real Madrid early in the second half to earn the home side a 1-1 draw in La Liga. Real Madrid remain top of the table with 39 points, one ahead of Girona, who visit third-placed Barcelona on Sunday.\n\nReal Betis’s Aitor Ruibal (centre) celebrates after scoring the equaliser against Real Madrid. Photograph: Jose Breton/AP\n\nBellingham gave the visitors the lead with a fine low finish after Brahim Díaz’s brilliant chipped pass on the edge of the box eight minutes after half-time. The English midfielder reached 15 goals in 17 games across all competitions this season.\n\nBetis bounced back in the 66th minute when Ruibal equalised with a long-range rocket into the far corner.\n\nInternazionale defeated lowly visitors Udinese 4-0 with a dominant performance highlighted by a superb long-range effort from Lautaro Martínez to regain the Serie A top spot on Saturday. Inter moved two points clear of second-placed Juventus, who had a 1-0 home win over champions Napoli on Friday.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\n\n\nInter took the lead with a penalty by Hakan Calhanoglu in the 36th minute after a foul by defender Nehuén Pérez on Martínez which was reviewed by VAR.\n\nFive minutes later Federico Dimarco fired an unstoppable left-foot shot into the corner of the net after an assist from Calhanoglu before Marcus Thuram netted with a superb finish two minutes later from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross into the box.\n\nMartínez’s stunning effort from distance in the 85th wrapped up a convincing win.\n\nAtalanta snatched a 3-2 victory at home to Milan thanks to a back-heel flick in added time from Luis Muriel after a double from Ademola Lookman. Muriel struck in the 95th minute after the Milan defender Davide Calabria had been dismissed for a second booking two minutes earlier.\n\nMilan, for whom Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic scored equalisers, remain third on 29 points, Atalanta are seventh on 23.\n\nRandal Kolo Muani’s late goal helped Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-1 win over Nantes to claim their eighth consecutive Ligue 1 win and extend their lead at the top. PSG moved up to 36 points, six points clear of Monaco, who beat Rennes 2-1. Third-placed Nice are on 29 points and will host Reims on Sunday.\n\nBradley Barcola opened the scoring in the 41st minute when he found space in the six-yard box after a solo run from the left. Mostafa Mohamed equalised for the visitors in the 55th minute from a corner, heading home from close range.\n\nKolo Muani restored the lead for PSG seven minutes from time by capitalising on a rebound after a save by the visitors’ keeper following a set piece.", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nMaking a collaborative list of the year’s best movies usually feels like trying to form a committee to definitively rank apples and oranges. How do you account for personal tastes? For access, when a given movie — er, fruit variety — is only available in certain markets at certain times? For the fact that apples and oranges are just so qualitatively different that they don’t have a lot in common except juiciness and vitamin C content?\n\nFortunately, 2023 has its own peculiar answer, in the form of the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Beleaguered movie theaters got a boost this year from film fans who made an event out of seeing two radically different movies back-to-back: a slyly satirical movie about a living fashion toy, and a heavy, grim historical drama about the father of the atomic bomb. While Barbie and Oppenheimer do have a clear theme in common, they’re still radically different movies. But the way they collectively dominated the 2023 box office and the cultural discussion is a strong reminder that regardless of tone or topic, a great story, told passionately, stands out. Cinephiles can be drawn to just about any movie in any genre, if it’s well crafted and engaging, no matter what kind of fruit it is.\n\nHere at Polygon, we have pretty eclectic collective tastes: Some of us are hungriest for action, horror, epic fantasy, or challenging science fiction, while some of us prefer complicated drama or dark neo-noir, and others are drawn to musicals, comedy, animated adventures, and other lighter fare.\n\nOur best-of-the-year list reflects that range.\n\nHow the Polygon top 50 list works\n\nEvery year, the staff’s film fans create individual ballots to reflect their top movies, with an option to rank them numerically or just weight them. We use these ballots to generate a collective list, weighted by strength of opinion to make sure a much-seen mainstream movie doesn’t have too much advantage over a terrific but underseen indie. And then we put it all out there for your enjoyment. The top 10 picks on each our staff’s lists will be listed in the comments.\n\nAny movie released in the US this calendar year is eligible, but since we are publishing this in early December, some December releases are underrepresented. We hope you’ll find a new favorite here on our list of the best movies of 2023.\n\nHonorable mentions Movies that received votes but did not crack our top 50: The Pope’s Exorcist, Bottoms, Rye Lane, No Hard Feelings, Hundreds of Beavers, Evil Dead Rise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Nimona, The Starling Girl, Thanksgiving, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, The Eight Mountains, The Roundup: No Way Out, The Royal Hotel, Red, White & Royal Blue, Blue Jean, The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, Quiz Lady, Air, Elemental, Extraction 2, Fair Play, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar, A Haunting in Venice, Fast X, You Hurt My Feelings, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, No One Will Save You, Monster, The Pigeon Tunnel, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, American Fiction, Maestro, Saw X, Maaveeran, The Creator, The Blackening, The Marvels, Afire, Kandahar, Crater, Dark Harvest, Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny\n\nTop 50\n\n50. Shin Kamen Rider\n\nDirector: Hideaki Anno\n\nCast: Sosuke Ikematsu, Minami Hamabe, Tasuku Emoto\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, under the title Shin Masked Rider\n\nThe best superhero movie of 2023 didn’t come from Marvel or DC. Instead, it came from Hideaki Anno. Shin Kamen Rider might not reach the soaring heights of Shin Godzilla, but it’s an incredibly fun time bolstered by terrific costume designs, inventive action sequences, and a delightfully bizarre tone, all while looking gorgeous throughout. —Pete Volk\n\n49. Missing\n\nDirectors: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick\n\nCast: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Ken Leung\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nIf Knives Out has proven anything, it’s that people are hungry for mysteries on the big screen. Missing — the twisty and fun spiritual sequel to 2018’s Searching — is what people don’t know they’ve been looking for. It’s a web of clues, a mess of mystery, all played within the computer screen of June (Storm Reid), who’s left to figure out what happened when her mom (Nia Long) doesn’t return from a vacation with her boyfriend.\n\nThe mystery genre deserves more movies that feel big and meaty. And whether it’s splashed across the big screen or just a computer one, Missing manages to bring its A-game. —Zosha Millman\n\n48. Passages\n\nDirector: Ira Sachs\n\nCast: Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos\n\nWhere to watch: Mubi, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nPerhaps the platonic ideal of an arthouse film: a messy love triangle, set in Paris, shot through with explicit sex and arresting fashion choices. Sometimes you just want to watch complicated hot people (Adèle Exarchopoulos, Ben Whishaw, and Franz Rogowski in this case) messing with each other’s heads in tops their characters couldn’t possibly afford. There’s nothing wrong with that. —Oli Welsh\n\n47. Fist of the Condor\n\nDirector: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza\n\nCast: Marko Zaror, Eyal Meyer, Gina Aguad\n\nWhere to watch: Hi-Yah!, free with a library card on Hoopla, free on Tubi and Plex\n\nFist of the Condor is a martial arts throwback where Marko Zaror (John Wick: Chapter Four) plays twin brothers at odds with each other over an ancient text. Zaror, who also choreographed the movie’s fight scenes, excels. There are high-flying kicks, rapid displays of martial arts forms, and the drama inherent to great cinematic fights.\n\nThe movie is at its best when leaning into the action, but that’s not all it has to offer. Director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza shoots the landscape of Chile in a way that builds the drama of the fights and adds an element of tranquility to the chaos. For fans of martial arts cinema, Fist of the Condor is a must-watch. —PV\n\n46. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes\n\nDirector: Francis Lawrence\n\nCast: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nThe Hunger Games series is one of the few where the movies are often just as good as the books. The new prequel movie, which focuses on a young President Snow (played excellently by Tom Blyth), is no exception. With a particular attention to detail and some masterful songs to really color the world, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a rare meaningful prequel that bolsters the existing narrative. —Petrana Radulovic\n\n45. The Origin of Evil\n\nDirector: Sébastien Marnier\n\nCast: Laure Calamy, Suzanne Clément, Dominique Blanc\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase\n\nThis French thriller is the kind of twisty story that’s hard to sum up in any way without giving something away, but that’s part of the appeal. Sébastien Marnier, director of the shocking 2018 prep school thriller School’s Out, steers The Origin of Evil away from a neo-noir tone, even though the plot is pure noir, right down to the character types. When a woman (Laure Calamy) insinuates herself into a rich family, claiming she’s a lost daughter to the patriarch, Serge (Jacques Weber), viewers will suspect she has more of an agenda than she’s letting on. But Serge and the rest of his caustic family members have agendas too. Unpacking every lie and scheme in this movie takes every minute of its run time, and it’s guaranteed that audience sympathies will shift half a dozen times in the process. As a crime story, it’s a gem; as a character story, it’s even better. —Tasha Robinson\n\n44. They Cloned Tyrone\n\nDirector: Juel Taylor\n\nCast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nJuel Taylor’s Blaxploitation-inspired romp follows a drug dealer, a pimp, and a prostitute who inadvertently stumble upon a clandestine government facility that has been secretly experimenting on their neighborhood from the shadows. Faced with the horrifying reality of their situation, the trio band together to do the only thing they can — find a way to spread the truth and fight back against their oppressors. They Cloned Tyrone is a wild, weird, and genuinely funny comedy anchored by strong leading performances (especially in the case of Foxx’s charismatic and foul-mouthed turn as Slick Charles). —Toussaint Egan\n\n43. Broker\n\nDirector: Hirokazu Kore-eda\n\nCast: Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nHirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) returns with another story about people committing crimes just to survive. This time, it’s two men who sell abandoned babies on the adoption black market.\n\nSong Kang-ho and Bae Doona deliver electrifying performances — Song as another shifty, funny schemer who is in way over his head, and Bae as a hard-headed cop pursuing them. But it’s Lee Ji-eun, as a young mother who becomes entangled in the scheme, who steals the show, with a fierce intelligence and hardened worldview concealed by a veneer of youthful innocence. Plus one very adorable baby. That never hurts. —PV\n\n42. Creed III\n\nDirector: Michael B. Jordan\n\nCast: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, MGM Plus, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nIn 2015’s Creed, Michael B. Jordan established his bona fides as a true movie star when he assumed the role of Adonis Creed, the lost son of Apollo Creed and heir apparent to his father’s title as the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. In this year’s Creed III, Jordan has taken on the mantle of the Rocky franchise and made it his own as both the film’s star and director, enriching Adonis’ story with a perspective and style that feels at once fresh and familiar.\n\nWith electrifying fight sequences and powerful lead performances, Creed III is a knockout sports drama that combines anime-inspired choreography with a powerful narrative about strained relationships and redemption. —TE\n\n41. Infinity Pool\n\nDirector: Brandon Cronenberg\n\nCast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nDeath doesn’t have to be real in the world of Infinity Pool — at least, not if you’re rich enough to turn it into a fun night out. Director Brandon Cronenberg’s (2020’s stellar Possessor) third film gazes into the bizarre void of identity and wonders what happens when it gazes back. Infinity Pool is queasy and fascinating, and perhaps 2023’s most nihilistic view of wealth. But the real selling point are the go-for-broke central performances by Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård. —Austen Goslin\n\n40. Master Gardener\n\nDirector: Paul Schrader\n\nCast: Joel Edgerton, Quintessa Swindell, Sigourney Weaver\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nThe third in Paul Schrader’s thematic “Man in a Room” trilogy, Master Gardener follows a reformed former white supremacist (Joel Edgerton) who works as a horticulturist on a grand Southern estate. When the young Black relative (Quintessa Swindell) of the estate’s owner (Sigourney Weaver) arrives, the two form an unlikely bond.\n\nMaster Gardener is a gorgeous movie, filled with fields of flowers and excellent performances from Edgerton and Swindell. The movie distinguishes itself from many other “reformed racist” movies by having Edgerton’s character already distanced from his past self, rather than relying on his relationship with a Black person to spur that change. He’s a new person, but that doesn’t erase his history. It’s a wonderful coda to a superb trilogy. —PV\n\n39. Theater Camp\n\nDirectors: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman\n\nCast: Jimmy Tatro, Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nAll great camp movies are about found family, and there are few subcultures that theme fits better than theater kids. Theater Camp, from Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, is well aware of this and plays its excellent (and specific) jokes to the cheap seats for an audience it knows has felt its characters’ pains and joys themselves.\n\nWhat Theater Camp understands best about its subjects is that being a theater kid means never really leaving a stage. It’s all performance, whether it’s for an audience, your best friend, your campmates, or alone to yourself. And it doesn’t really matter if you’re laughing or crying, as long as you enjoyed the show. —AG\n\n38. BlackBerry\n\nDirector: Matt Johnson\n\nCast: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson\n\nWhere to watch: AMC Plus, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nMore Social Network than the recent streak of corporation-flavored inventopics (see: Air, Tetris, The Beanie Bubble), genre-bending filmmaker Matt Johnson’s indie take on tech breakthroughs and backstabbing finds darkly comedic laughs in capitalist meltdowns. At the center of the movie: two great performances destined to fly under the radar.\n\nWannabe businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) initially brushes off lowly inventor Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel), until he sees a gold mine: a reimagined mobile prototype that doesn’t actually work, but could definitely sell. Johnson’s screenplay, co-written with his Dirties and Operative Avalanche cohort Matthew Miller, delivers all the bravado one expects from this type of rise-and-fall saga. Howerton rewires his Always Sunny Dennis persona into a true warhead, barking at Doom-playing brainiacs until they get results. Baruchel’s arc as a tech genius sinking in corporate quicksand is almost a mini Breaking Bad. Johnson’s touch is delivering a searing indictment of Canada’s own Silicon Valley behavior with puncturing goofs and plenty of chewed-up scenery — it’s a fun movie, too. The keyboard clacks and the cast absolutely roars. —Matt Patches\n\n37. Eileen\n\nDirector: William Oldroyd\n\nCast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nSleek and understated, Eileen takes a compact and uncomfortably close eye to a psychological thriller about ladies making bad decisions. Based on the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh — who co-wrote the script with Luke Goebel — Eileen follows its eponymous protagonist (a magnetic and fidgety Thomasin McKenzie) and her obsession with Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a worldly and glamorous psychiatrist who begins working at the prison Eileen works at as a clerk. As the women get closer, they feed into each other’s darker impulses, and upend their lives, violently. With pulpy thrills and assured direction from William Oldroyd, Eileen is a perfect anti-holiday film in the vein of David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a smart, edgy feel-bad good time. —Joshua Rivera\n\n36. Earth Mama\n\nDirector: Savanah Leaf\n\nCast: Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Doechii\n\nWhere to watch: Paramount Plus, Showtime, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nGia, a pregnant single mother in the Bay Area, seeks to recover her two children from foster care. The close-up is director Savanah Leaf’s flex. She uses the shot with a confident abundance that few contemporaries dare. On each character, she moves in close, like a friend at a party with a secret to tell under the loud music. When that intimacy is shared with Gia herself, what differentiates Earth Mama comes into focus. We are not observing this woman from a distance; we are sitting beside her, listening closely and hoping for the best. —Chris Plante\n\n35. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar\n\nDirector: Wes Anderson\n\nCast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nBenedict Cumberbatch is a rapscallion who seeks to learn how to see without his eyes (in order to cheat at gambling). The premise is mostly immaterial. Henry Sugar, and the three other Roald Dahl stories Wes Anderson adapted for Netflix, are opportunities for the director to continue to push his aesthetic forward.\n\nIn his recent work, Anderson has made bare the artifice essential to filmmaking. These shorts take that even further. Actors recite Dahl’s words verbatim, often speaking directly to the camera. The sets are treated like those on a theater stage, collapsing or building in real time to aid scene transitions. Even in short form, Anderson never ceases to amaze. —PV\n\n34. M3GAN\n\nDirector: Gerard Johnstone\n\nCast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase\n\n2023 was such a big year for big conversations about AI (including AI art, AI writing, and AI style theft) that it’s no surprise we’re already getting a fresh wave of “AI is going to murder us all” horror movies. But M3GAN is a refreshingly goofy spin on that old trope — and a fairly creepy one, too. When a tech whiz (Allison Williams) has to take responsibility for her dead sister’s kid, she distances herself by building a robot to handle parenting for her. It goes badly. Scripted by Akela Cooper with the same shamelessly messy, giddy verve she brought to Malignant, M3GAN is a good time for knowledgable horror fans, packed with referential humor, but still channeling some real anxiety about the place computers have in our lives and how far that’ll eventually go. —TR\n\n33. When Evil Lurks\n\nDirector: Demián Rugna\n\nCast: Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Luis Ziembrowski\n\nWhere to watch: Shudder, AMC Plus, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nDemián Rugna’s gory possession movie isn’t just the usual barrage of religious imagery and religious anxiety: It’s much more concerned with bigger, sadder thoughts on the ways our institutions keep failing us, and the ways we fail each other and ourselves. Ezequiel Rodríguez gives a mesmerizing performance as Argentinian farmer Pablo, a man estranged from his wife and in denial about his own responsibilities. When a demonic presence starts stalking his rural county, he runs to his ex-wife and the city, and brings the curse along with him. It’s a shocking film that crosses lines in unusual ways for a horror film (particularly around horrors visited on children and animals), but what really makes it land is how well realized all the human drama is, more so than the demon drama. —TR\n\n32. Polite Society\n\nDirector: Nida Manzoor\n\nCast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nRia (Priya Kansara) dreams of being a stuntwoman and loves her sister deeply. So when her sis drops out of art school and gets engaged to some jabroni she’s known for a month, Ria does what any of us would: Plan a wedding heist to rescue her sister from what’s surely a fate worse than death.\n\nWith that, Polite Society vaults between genres and tones and makes it all look easy, melding the wedding-prep comedy with Ria’s action thrill ride. Ria’s story may be singular, but all of us can relate to the enthusiasm and care she brings to her life. (Even if the rest of us are still trying to nail our flying reverse spinning kick.) —ZM\n\n31. Talk to Me\n\nDirectors: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou\n\nCast: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase\n\nTalk to Me is like the horror movie version of a perfect comedy sketch. It’s got a perfect premise (possession as a party drug), a brilliant turn you saw coming from the start but that hits even better than you expected, and it ends before it wears out its welcome. It helps that it’s also one of the most stylish and shocking horror movies of the year.\n\nBetween its abrupt bursts of violence, possession-party montages, and creeping family tension, by the time Talk to Me’s brisk (just under 90 minutes before the credits roll) run time is up, it feels like you were one of the lucky kids who let go of the demon hand at exactly the right moment for the maximum high. —AG\n\n30. Skinamarink\n\nDirector: Kyle Edward Ball\n\nCast: Lucas Paul, Ross Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, AMC Plus, Shudder, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nSkinamarink is hands down the most peculiar and divisive horror film to come out in 2023. It is also one of the best. A pair of siblings awake in the middle of the night to find their home transformed into an inescapable nightmare of yawning hallways, dimly lit corridors, and looming walls devoid of any windows or doors. As they search aimlessly for safety and familiarity in this otherworldly situation, the children find that they are not alone in the house, haunted by an unknowable entity that seems to feed on their fear, as it twists their lives into ever more frightening shapes. Or maybe not! The film’s narrative is notoriously sparse and open to interpretation, but the effect is nonetheless one of the most unsettling scenarios seen this year. —TE\n\n29. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret\n\nDirector: Kelly Fremon Craig\n\nCast: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie\n\nWhere to watch: Starz, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nJudy Blume’s coming-of-age novel is one of the most challenged in the country, because of its direct discussion of puberty. But it’s a staple of children’s literature, and director Kelly Fremon Craig’s movie is a gem. She previously wrote and directed The Edge of Seventeen, so she knows her way around crafting a relatable coming-of-age movie. As Margaret’s parents, Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie steal scenes, but Abby Ryder Fortson’s earnest and endearing performance as Margaret anchors the whole film. —PR\n\n28. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem\n\nDirector: Jeff Rowe\n\nCast: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon\n\nWhere to watch: Paramount Plus, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nDirector Jeff Rowe and executive producer Seth Rogen’s spin on the turtles asserts itself as one of the most visually impressive animated films of the post-Into the Spider-Verse era. A modern reboot of the classic TMNT origin story, Mutant Mayhem emphasizes the fact that everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic reptilian warriors are, well, teenagers, with all the stupid, fun-loving shenanigans that come with being an adolescent. From the character designs and lighting to the action sequences and soundtrack, everything in the film pops with its own unique oddball charm that breathes new life into a beloved franchise. Whether you’re new to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or a longtime fan, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem is a certified banger. —TE\n\n27. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves\n\nDirectors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley\n\nCast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, Paramount Plus, MGM Plus, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nFar from the definition of great, ambitious filmmaking, Honor Among Thieves is nevertheless a pretty perfect romp for fantasy fans, whether or not they know the RPG or care about its rules. It’s funny, fast-paced, and freewheeling, full of visual gags for the in-the-know crowd, but broad and action-driven enough to be comprehensible to people who’ve never picked up a d20. Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez’s companionable bard-and-barbarian relationship is a lovely model for how to include a romance-free mixed-gender friendship in a story — still a frustratingly rare thing for mainstream movies. —TR\n\n26. Napoleon\n\nDirector: Ridley Scott\n\nCast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nRather than trying to encompass the entire life of one of modern history’s most important and captivating figures, Ridley Scott’s biopic seeks to establish three things about Napoleon Bonaparte. First, that he was one of the greatest battle commanders, tacticians, and military men to ever live. Second, that he was a petty and weird little pervert. Third, that those first two things are deeply and irrevocably intertwined.\n\nTo that end, Napoleon is undeniably hilarious. Sure, it has gigantic battles, with beautiful photography and framing, and a more jaw-dropping sense of scale than almost any movie made in the last decade. But between its massive and awe-inspiring battles, Napoleon finds time to gawk at France’s first emperor parading around his palace, screaming at the English about boats, and pouting about being cucked. It’s the story of Bonaparte by way of Barry Lyndon, and we’re all luckier for it. —AG\n\nTop 25\n\n25. Jawan\n\nDirector: Atlee\n\nCast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nThe biggest Indian movie of the year is a genre-bending, crowd-pleasing spectacle that rests on the reliably charismatic talents of star Shah Rukh Khan.\n\nJawan is many things, but the cleanest description of the premise is “Charlie’s Angels meets Robin Hood.” Another clean description would be “everything you want in a blockbuster movie,” combining some of the year’s best action, romance, and dance numbers within a compelling revenge story with a strong “power to the people” message.\n\nThe key to Jawan’s joyful success, though, is Shah Rukh Khan. One of the biggest movie stars in the world, he has returned to blockbuster cinema after a brief hiatus with Pathaan and this movie. Both are very fun and make good use of his irrepressible charisma, but Jawan shines to a different degree. It’s a reminder of what blockbuster movies can be — fun and exciting, but with plenty on its mind. It’s the highest-grossing Indian release of the year and the second-highest-grossing Hindi film ever. As you catch up on the year’s biggest releases, don’t miss this one. —PV\n\n24. Saltburn\n\nDirector: Emerald Fennell\n\nCast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters, coming to Prime Video Dec. 22\n\nEmerald Fennell’s startling, gleefully dark follow-up to Promising Young Woman is another story about toxic obsession. This time, the central figure is a social climber (Barry Keoghan, mesmerizing as ever) trying to weasel his way in among a rich family in 2000s England. It’s one of the year’s most polarizing films: Critics either applauded its daring or dismissed it as empty provocation, due to its graphic use of nudity, sexual imagery, and extreme behavior. But “empty provocation” is such an odd insult to levy at a movie from someone who so thoroughly thinks her movies through. Saltburn is visually luscious and emotionally gripping, a real feast for the senses. It’s grimly funny and full of shocks. And it’s a smarter, more insinuating take on the growing eat-the-rich subgenre. —TR\n\n23. Dream Scenario\n\nDirector: Kristoffer Borgli\n\nCast: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nThere is nothing special about Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage). He’s a frumpy college professor in a small, cold town. He has a wife and daughter and students that take his biology class because it’s required. And he has started to appear in the dreams of everyone in the world. Writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s black comedy about viral fame gives audiences plenty to ponder, with sudden turns both hilarious and deeply uncomfortable. All of it is held together thanks to a tremendous performance from Cage, in his best role since 2021’s stunner Pig. In Cage’s hands, Paul Matthews’ plight, while farcical, stays grounded in humanity, and all the petty, cringeworthy foibles that come with it. —JR\n\n22. The Zone of Interest\n\nDirector: Jonathan Glazer\n\nCast: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Ralph Herforth\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nThe Zone of Interest is set mere feet from the walls of Auschwitz, at the home of commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his family. The Höss family builds their life in this small estate, with a fancy house, and Mrs. Höss’ (Sandra Hüller) carefully curated garden, while the horrible sounds and black smoke of the concentration camp constantly seep over their protective walls.\n\nDirector Jonathan Glazer’s camera never really goes inside the camp, or shows the prisoners huddled there or their actual fates. Rudolf is careful to never speak about his job while at home.\n\nThis may sound like it sidelines the tragedy and horror of the Holocaust, centering the story on the culprits rather than the victims, but Glazer’s carefully measured detachment lets the situation speak for itself, as the quiet part gets louder and more horrific throughout the film. This creates a completely different kind of Holocaust film from almost any we’ve ever seen, and one that is essential in understanding the scale and depth of its evils. —AG\n\n21. Priscilla\n\nDirector: Sofia Coppola\n\nCast: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nI won’t spoil it, but perhaps the best needle drop of the year arrives at the end of this Priscilla Presley biopic: a stone-cold tear-jerker so apt it takes your breath away, and a song with a complex history that adds multiple layers of delicious dramatic irony to the scene. Nobody ever accused Sofia Coppola of lacking taste. Adapted from Priscilla’s memoir about life with Elvis — who groomed her to be his companion from the age of 14 — Priscilla is a dreamy, uneasy, claustrophobic study of life in a gilded cage (a Coppola specialty). Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi are stunning in the lead roles, and Coppola, empathetic as ever, is careful neither to let Elvis off the hook nor damn this damaged man completely. It’s a fascinating companion piece for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, a brassier study of the man as performer that only skirts his domestic life, but shows he had a cage of his own to contend with. —OW\n\n20. Anatomy of a Fall\n\nDirector: Justine Triet\n\nCast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nThe premise could set up a tacky 1990s courtroom drama or erotic thriller: A woman’s husband falls from a balcony and dies while she was in the house. Did she do it? Anatomy of a Fall is not one of those movies, but it’s not not one of those movies either. Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning procedural is not a thriller, but it is thrilling; and even though Triet stubbornly refuses to pick any of the obvious ways her film could resolve itself, it achieves a deep and lingering payoff anyway. Anatomy of a Fall is a hypnotic well of a movie in which the truth of what happened only seems to recede the deeper you dive into it. That’s a bold, almost sadistic choice, but the sleek presentation, sharp script, and riveting performance by Sandra Hüller — perhaps the year’s best by any actor — keep you on the hook. —OW\n\n19. Knock at the Cabin\n\nDirector: M. Night Shyamalan\n\nCast: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Rupert Grint\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nThis recent stretch of M. Night Shyamalan films has marked a fascinating chapter in the career of one of the most idiosyncratic directors working today. Coming off of the success of 2021’s Old, Knock at the Cabin marks Shyamalan’s return to one of the most understated yet prevailing themes of his work: religious terror and despair in the face of the unexplainable.\n\nThe film follows a family (Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, and Kristen Cui) who, after traveling to a secluded cabin in rural Pennsylvania for a vacation trip, find themselves menaced by a group of four heavily armed intruders who refuse to let them leave. The family is presented with a warning and an ultimatum: Every single person on the planet is about to die, and the only way to prevent this catastrophe is for one of them to choose to sacrifice themselves for the sake of humanity. As the family struggles to escape from their captors, the undeniable weight of their situation begins to set in. Could their kidnappers be telling the truth? And if so, would any of them be willing to submit to the unthinkable cruelty of their fate?\n\nKnock at the Cabin is a film that challenges its audience to look inward for the answer to these questions, all the while witnessing its story unfold. This is not a horror movie whose horrors rely on brutality and gore — though there is certainly that and then some — but one whose apocalyptic premise provokes both outright terror and disquieting introspective dread. —TE\n\n18. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One\n\nDirector: Christopher McQuarrie\n\nCast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase\n\nTom Cruise loves popcorn and movies, and nobody made a better popcorn movie in 2023 than Dead Reckoning Part One. While it fell some way short of the series’ critical and commercial peak, Fallout — mistakes were made, chiefly putting “Part One” in the title — the seventh (seventh!) Mission: Impossible film is another shockingly confident and artful action movie that delivers set-piece after astounding set-piece over a breathless two and a half hours.\n\nAt its center, controversially edging Cruise’s slinky pas-de-deux with Rebecca Ferguson out of the frame, is a new, more kinetic and balletic partnership between the star and Hayley Atwell. In the movie’s best sequences (the Rome car chase, the train carriage climax), the pair somehow blend jaw-dropping practical stunt work with ballroom dancing, silent slapstick, and rom-com meet-cute — a perfect, fizzing cocktail of a century of cinematic sugar highs. —OW\n\n17. The Killer\n\nDirector: David Fincher\n\nCast: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Sophie Charlotte\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nThe Killer, like the assassin at its center, is difficult to pin down. It’s astonishingly gorgeous and well made, but at the same time stubbornly unflashy. It’s bleak and violent, but at the same time hilarious and irreverent. It’s fascinated with exploring the ideas of how media shapes identity, but completely resistant to assigning any actual meaning. The Killer is the kind of movie that can throw in a fight scene for five minutes that’s better than almost any fight in a mainstream movie this year, then never go back to hand-to-hand combat again. In other words, it’s a David Fincher movie through and through.\n\nFincher is famous for his precision on set and his dedication for finely honing every aspect of his films until they’re exactly what he needs. And yet, his movies never feel stodgy, tight, or lifeless; he makes it look easy. And that’s where The Killer truly excels. It breezes by every assassin movie and thriller trope, executing each one flawlessly, all while making a snide comment about it. It’s the kind of movie that feels so effortless and smooth that it makes you wonder why all movies can’t be this good. But that’s Fincher’s gift; his films have the kind of quality and handmade perfection so precise it can be mistaken for the work of factory machines… until you look a little closer. —AG\n\n16. Ferrari\n\nDirector: Michael Mann\n\nCast: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley\n\nWhere to watch: In theaters Dec. 25\n\nBetween Ferrari and Oppenheimer, it’s been a fabulous year for biopics about bastards doing tremendously dangerous things.\n\nThe Enzo Ferrari biopic’s standout sequences are unquestionably its races, which director Michael Mann infuses with tension, speed, and horror. The movie goes to great lengths to show us how dangerous auto racing is, and every time someone gets into a car, Mann translates that danger into a palpable tension. But what’s most surprising about Ferrari is that its most thrilling sequences are those that clear the way for Adam Driver’s performance as Enzo.\n\nThe movie is an incredible portrait of a man who was a perfect concoction of some of Mann’s favorite things: obsessive, brilliant, awful, detached, and a winner through and through. The film, and Driver’s exceptional performance, make Ferrari’s ambition and passion deeply clear. The painful determination driving him is absolutely electric to watch — even more exciting than the races, which is saying something. —AG\n\n15. Poor Things\n\nDirector: Yorgos Lanthimos\n\nCast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nIf there were an award for unlikeliest but most effective Oscar bait, it would go to this reunion of The Favourite star Emma Stone; its Greek surrealist director, Yorgos Lanthimos; and its screenwriter, Tony McNamara. Poor Things is tipped to win a few real Oscars, despite making The Favourite look like a normal movie. It’s a deeply weird, neo-Frankenstinian fable about a reanimated woman’s quest for independence, identity, and the meaning of life. Yep — along with everything else, Poor Things is also goth Barbie.\n\nAdapted from a cult novel by the eccentric Scottish writer, illustrator, and typesetter Alasdair Gray, Poor Things reworks Frankenstein to explore themes of feminism, sex, and social rot. Lanthimos doubles down on the baroque stylings of The Favourite to create an astonishingly visually dense film composed of outlandish costumes, lavish sets, and fantastical painted backgrounds, often shot through woozy fish-eye lenses. It’s also, surprisingly, one of the year’s most hilarious movies, in no small part thanks to Mark Ruffalo’s game campery and McNamara’s cleverly twisted syntax. But the movie is Stone’s. Her performance is fearless, frank, funny, and intensely physical. Bella is no less than a deconstructed human being, and to watch her slowly reassemble herself is to fall in love with the character: an insatiable, ferocious force of nature, whose appetite for life and love for humanity never dim, despite their many disappointments. —OW\n\n14. Suzume\n\nDirector: Makoto Shinkai\n\nCast: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura\n\nWhere to watch: Crunchyroll\n\nMakoto Shinkai’s career seems to have been building up to Suzume. It has all the hallmarks of Shinkai’s recent, most popular works: a young couple brought together by strange fantastical elements, a looming disaster threatening to upend the world, and clear blue skies. But everything that didn’t quite work in Your Name and Weathering with You manages to coalesce together in Suzume.\n\nWhile Suzume is about two young people banding together to save the world from disaster, it is equally about Suzume, the protagonist, overcoming her own trauma. As she travels cross-country with an animated chair (who is actually a handsome and mysterious young man), she starts to connect with other people, instead of closing herself off. Her quest to stop a giant earthquake-creating worm comes from the fact that she lost her mother in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Slowly but surely, throughout her journey, she rediscovers her will to live and realizes that her life is not disposable. Unlike Shinkai’s other works, the romance is subtle, the barest hint of it actually, and that just makes it resonate even more.\n\nIt’s a beautifully haunting story, rooted in a real-world tragedy that makes it resonate even more. —PR\n\n13. Godzilla Minus One\n\nDirector: Takashi Yamazaki\n\nCast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nGodzilla fans aren’t wanting for new media, including the recent Apple TV series Monarch. These recent releases, while enjoyable, have taken a distinctly Hollywood approach, building out a mythology in the style of the MCU. Godzilla Minus One is the first Japanese live-action Godzilla film from Toho since the brilliant, post-Fukushima Shin Godzilla. And it returns to the original recipe.\n\nMinus One is a throwback: to the post-WWII Tokyo setting, to 1950s human melodrama, and to a kaiju singularly focused on the obliteration of large, human-made structures. Its hero, Koichi Shikishima, is a kamikaze pilot who, in the final days of the war, fakes a technical issue with his plane, taking shelter in a repair facility on a small island that just so happens to be in the path of a certain teenage lizard monster.\n\nHow Shikishima builds relationships with a wide cast of lovable surrounding characters elevates Minus One above other giants. Where Shin Godzilla chronicled a government response to disaster, Minus One pins its hopes on civilians who — failed by their leaders and the world — must rely on each other. —CP\n\n12. John Wick: Chapter 4\n\nDirector: Chad Stahelski\n\nCast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Ian McShane\n\nWhere to watch: Starz, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nJohn Wick has only ever wanted to fuck off and retire, and no one seems to get the message. Chad Stahelski’s saga about the boogeyman of assassins in a world full of them reaches a staggering crescendo in Chapter 4, a film that somehow manages to run faster and hit harder than three previous movies dedicated to constant escalation. Facing off against action legends Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins, Keanu Reeves pushes John Wick harder and farther than before in a film that rages against the untouchably wealthy, and their expectation that the world be in their service. —JR\n\n11. May December\n\nDirector: Todd Haynes\n\nCast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nElizabeth (Natalie Portman) arrives in Savannah to prepare for a new role based on Gracie (Julianne Moore), a grown woman who slept with 13-year-old Joe (Charles Melton) and subsequently married him. Elizabeth comes with an open mind, ready to inhabit Gracie and fully understand her. And yet, across Todd Haynes’ May December, we see how nothing is as simple as Elizabeth — or the audience — thinks. Gracie is always more than meets the eye: more emotional, more aware, more monstrous. And throughout the movie, Haynes expertly teases out the two women’s mysteries as they each try to craft an identity around the other.\n\nHaynes’ film certainly has callbacks to other, classic movies about selfhood. But in a way, May December feels most in line with something like The Rehearsal, which also has a lot on its mind about how blurry the line between real life and performance can be, and particularly how traumatic it is to ask kids to behave like adults. It’s something Melton’s Joe is tragically caught in the middle of, and something May December always has on its mind, even when it feels like it’s about other things. As Gracie and Elizabeth obsess over little details, May December lets Melton make the case for the quiet, seething corruption at the heart of the film. —ZM\n\nTop 10\n\n10. Showing Up\n\nDirector: Kelly Reichardt\n\nCast: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, John Magaro\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase\n\nLizzy (Michelle Williams) is a 30-something artist living on campus at her hometown art school. She wants two things in life: time to prepare for her exhibition, and her landlord, Jo (Hong Chau), to fix her hot water heater. Superficially, there’s little more to Lizzy’s plight, for the better. Director and co-writer Kelly Reichardt never permits the stakes to rise too high or the plot to get too complicated. Because this film, at its core, is about working artists working in less financially stable mediums, like ceramic figurines and trippy visual projections. Without plot filling the film, we have time to just be present in this beautiful Pacific Northwest scene.\n\nReichardt’s genius is getting the audience giggling at the artists but never the art. For example, it’s funny to think that an artist dedicated a year of her life to crocheting a jumpsuit. Except then, in Showing Up, you see the outfit and it’s beautiful — an intentional undermining of the punchline. A teacher smugly opines on ceramics, but each piece he holds up is so lovingly crafted that they confidently speak for themselves.\n\nThis decision (rib artists, celebrate art) sets the tone. We humans are artifice, a bunch of contradictory masks that we put on to match the situation and the crowd. But our creations — when we commit to a craft, whatever medium it may be — are an expression of our most vulnerable selves.\n\nI suppose I knew this on some subconscious level, but Reichardt, as with so many of her films, helped me mine the epiphany from my brain or heart or wherever I was keeping it. She knows that art, when created from that place of sincere intent, deserves compassion and respect — even if its creator is still a desperate, self-conscious ball of anxiety. And now I know it too. —CP\n\n9. Barbie\n\nDirector: Greta Gerwig\n\nCast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase before streaming on Max\n\nAny description of Barbie’s big themes (toxic masculinity, how Barbie branding affects young girls, women as playthings, the commodification of girl power) makes it sound preachy and stilted. But writer-director Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach never hold still for long enough that viewers will feel like they’re sitting through a Gender Studies 101 class. They package these ideas into a giddy satire full of bright and winning performances, pointed jokes aimed at Mattel and the corporate world, terrific casting (Issa Rae as President Barbie, Simu Liu as one of many Kens, and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie are standouts), and endless cultural gags. And then there are the bright, poppy meta-humor musical numbers, including Ryan Gosling turning “I’m Just Ken” into 2023’s top movie anthem.\n\nPerky, playful, and deceptively caustic, Barbie is one of just a few films (like 1995’s The Brady Bunch Movie and 2007’s Enchanted) that gleefully satirize a cultural staple while also treating it with real affection. Margot Robbie makes a perfect Barbie, whether she’s in perky-and-plastic mode or slowly revealing her underlying humanity, as fears of death and dying leak into the endless party of Barbieland. There’s so much going on in this patter-filled, joke-a-second comedy that it feels like 2023’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, right down to the big life messages smuggled into all the goofery. It’s a high-speed joke-fest that doesn’t take Barbie any more seriously than she deserves — but does pay solemn homage to all the ways, positive and negative, that Barbie fandom makes people feel. —TR\n\n8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\n\nDirectors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson\n\nCast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix, or for digital rental/purchase\n\n2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse changed the game for superhero movies and animated movies. It raised the bar for what a Spider-Man story could be, and inspired animators to push the boundaries of what their movies could look like. Maybe Hollywood as a whole took away the wrong lesson (we’ve seen so many multiverse movies), but Into the Spider-Verse redefined genre staples.\n\nThe sequel continues to raise the bar. It’s a little busier than the first, pulling in more characters, more frantic visuals, more emotional throughlines, but it’s still bold, daring, and unlike anything else in the superhero movie sphere.\n\nAs the characters bounce across the multiverse, the animation style shifts, with each character rooted in a different style. Spider-Gwen’s world is rendered with watercolors, which shift according to the tone of her story. She gets a step up in this movie — a second chance for Gwen Stacy, whose previous iterations across media have not ended well. Meanwhile, Spider-Punk, the brash counterculture rebel, is made up of collaged bits, and animated against the norm so he stands out even more. Every frame of the movie is a visual feast, just bursting with lovingly rendered details.\n\nWith a bigger cast and higher stakes, Across the Spider-Verse wasn’t going to finish its story in just one movie. It ends on a huge cliffhanger, but all the pieces are in place for one hell of a trilogy finale. —PR\n\n7. The Boy and the Heron\n\nDirector: Hayao Miyazaki\n\nCast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters\n\nTexture is essential to Hayao Miyazaki’s work. Sometimes the most visceral memories of his movies are the ways liquids glob or glide, while wood flecks flint and flake in tiny explosions. Famously, even his still shots contain some motion, often featuring the slightest of movements that make the world feel more full — more real.\n\nThe Boy and the Heron, for all its fantastical realms and magical happenings, follows the same ethos, constantly grounding itself in the feel of Miyazaki’s style and knack for characters drawn into strange worlds. This time it’s 11-year-old Mahito, who’s bored and miserable after moving to the country following his mother’s death in a World War II bombing. His grief has a touch familiar to those who have lived with it: bland and isolating. But the touch of Miyazaki’s work is always deeper, and it’s not too long before an errant heron proves the veil between Mahito and his more vivid dream world is much thinner than he knew.\n\nBut no matter which side of the fantastic we’re on, The Boy and the Heron makes the texture of the world feel enthralling. Little details — a bandage loosening in water or a granny’s gait — weave together, building a world that feels at once like anything Studio Ghibli has made and wholly its own. It manages to meditate on its themes without lingering, never letting its story falter (even as our hero languishes in his country tedium). No one is going to be on the other side of an argument calling Hayao Miyazaki the GOAT (at least, nobody I care to talk to). But The Boy and the Heron shows that he is always game to top himself, finding new ways to add layers to every part of his work. —ZM\n\n6. Asteroid City\n\nDirector: Wes Anderson\n\nCast: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, and many more\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nTo people who don’t know Wes Anderson’s work well, he’s a known quantity that’s easily replicated and parodied: If you’re watching one of his films, you’re going to see a lot of fast-talking people responding with unemotive calm to extraordinary events, against a backdrop of meticulously designed pastel sets. But fans see a lot of nuance within that formula, as Anderson’s voice (especially his sense of humor) develops from film to film.\n\nIn Asteroid City, his ridiculously meta story-within-a-story sci-fi film about an alien encounter, that voice hones in on the question of art and creativity — who it’s for, what it brings the artist and the audience, why any form of recognition or acclaim is good enough for one creator while another strains to find connection and resonance in their work. It’s the kind of film that moves so quickly, and with so little attempt to hold the audience’s hands and tell them what to feel, that it takes some work to scratch the surface.\n\nBut it’s worth diving into the movie’s connections and themes, as a who’s who of actors — many from Anderson’s usual stable, and some debuting here — bounce off each other, looking for meaning in an isolated desert setting. The cast (including Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Sophia Lillis, Edward Norton, and many, many more) navigate familial death, meaningless plaudits, and that alien visitor with the same straight-faced aplomb. This may not be a movie designed for passionate emotional response, but as usual for Anderson, it’s remarkably specific, idiosyncratic, beautifully assembled, and absolutely intentional. —TR\n\n5. How to Blow Up a Pipeline\n\nDirector: Daniel Goldhaber\n\nCast: Ariela Barer, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nAn unconventional adaptation of the controversial 2021 nonfiction novel, How to Blow Up a Pipeline applies the ethos of the book (which argued sabotage is a necessary part of environmental activism) to a fictional scenario. In the movie, a group of people from different walks of life — students, disillusioned activists, service workers, punks — gather in Texas with a plan: Blow up an oil pipeline and finally enact some real change. And the movie absolutely rules.\n\nThe movie takes the best parts of the heist thriller genre (a likable crew who each brings their own specialized skills, a worthy cause, a focus on the process, a tense finale) and discards the rest (notably, there is no major police/investigator B-plot). It’s a perfect marriage of the genre and the movie’s radical politics, without sacrificing either. Pipeline is also just an impeccably crafted movie, with strong location work that makes the most of America’s vast landscapes, hinting at past beauty ruined by industrialization. And it’s all supported by great performances from emerging stars, especially Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), who excels as a quiet, awkward, self-taught explosives expert.\n\nOne of the buzziest and most controversial movies of the year, don’t mistake it for an empty vehicle for controversy; How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a thoughtful, masterful work that weaves in the principles of what makes heist thrillers fun to great effect. 2023 has had many great movies, but none feel as urgent and timely as this one. —PV\n\n4. Killers of the Flower Moon\n\nDirector: Martin Scorsese\n\nCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters, or for digital rental/purchase\n\nErnest Burkhart loves money. It’s one of the first things he says when he arrives in Oklahoma, fresh off the Great War’s killing fields and into the arms of his manipulative uncle, William Hale. Together, they will help turn this land, home of the Osage Nation, into another killing field. For 206 minutes, we will watch them.\n\nKillers of the Flower Moon is an act of lamentation. A cinematic wail against one of the many foundational horrors of these United States, a crime that is still in living memory, its ill-gotten gains still propping up any claim to prosperity the nation has today.\n\nWith tremendous conviction, director Martin Scorsese’s reverent, methodical film adapts David Grann’s 2017 account of the reign of terror that plagued the Osage in the 1920s, paring back the sprawling story to focus on Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), Hale (Robert De Niro) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), the Osage woman who would marry Burkhart and pay for it with the lives of her entire family.\n\nThrough the Burkhart marriage, Scorsese renders the crimes committed against the Osage in miniature, three and a half hours of rumination on the theft and bloodshed that watered the prosperity of white America, endured in stifled silence for a century. Monumental and sobering, Killers of the Flower Moon trembles at the evil that has been grafted onto our collective story, and mourns the voices that will never get to be a part of it. —JR\n\n3. The Holdovers\n\nDirector: Alexander Payne\n\nCast: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters, or digital rental/purchase\n\nIf you hate sentimental, cliched “abandoned kid and aging curmudgeon create found family” movies like I hate them, The Holdovers is a guaranteed surprise. The latest from Alexander Payne (Election, Nebraska), scripted by Kitchen Confidential creator and writer David Hemingson, reunites Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti, playing a buoyantly stuffy professor at a ’70s private boys’ prep school, where he’s tasked with overseeing “the holdovers” — the kids who are staying at the school for Christmas while all their more fortunate classmates head home or out on adventurous holidays.\n\nThe Holdovers is full of sudden twists, mostly backstory reveals suitable for a particularly startling stage play. But the real surprise is how personal and specific it becomes, and excellent writing and acting help it dodge the expected parameters for this kind of story. Eventually, it settles into a three-hander between Professor Hunham (Giamatti), his troubled adolescent student Angus (Dominic Sessa, in an intense star-making performance), and Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school’s head cook, an older Black woman mourning her son’s recent death in the military.\n\nAll three of these characters get room to develop and reveal themselves, and they’re all handled with sensitivity and real warmth that goes far beyond the usual sentimental holiday feel-good fare. (If anything, this is a pretty dark story, and not in a laughable Bad Santa kind of way.) It’s a beautifully calibrated, touching drama about starting over when there’s no other choice available. —TR\n\n2. Past Lives\n\nDirector: Celine Song\n\nCast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro\n\nWhere to watch: Available for digital rental/purchase\n\nA radiant romantic drama with a shiver of tension running through it, Past Lives is about a love that might have been. But it’s also about a person who might have been (or two people, or three). As well as romantic relationships, it’s a movie about the complicated relationships people have with themselves: especially the various versions of themselves who exist in the past, the present, the future, and on the paths not taken.\n\nIt unfolds in three time frames. In Seoul, around the turn of the millennium, Na Young and Hae Sung are 12-year-old classmates and best friends who might be starting to develop deeper feelings for each other, but Na Young’s family is planning to emigrate to Canada. 12 years later, Na Young has changed her name to Nora Moon (Greta Lee) and is a young writer living in New York; she falls into an intense Skype affair with Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), but plans to visit each other never come together. In another 12 years, Nora is still in New York with her husband, Arthur (John Magaro), and Hae Sung comes to visit, threatening to destabilize all their lives.\n\nIt’s a film of almost impossible delicacy. Writer-director Celine Song and her brilliant trio of actors hold so much within Past Lives’ patient frame — unspoken feelings, unrealized possibilities, layers of cultural subtext — that you find yourself holding your breath while watching it, even before it gets to its heart-stopping final scene. The 35mm film cinematography by director of photography Shabier Kirchner (Small Axe) absolutely glows, too. Past Lives has a lot to say about the immigrant experience and about the uncertain spaces between childhood and adulthood. It has a philosophical, maybe even spiritual dimension, too. But this all emerges quite naturally from a simple, beautifully observed, and achingly romantic story that anyone can relate to about the sweet pain of the one that got away. —OW\n\n1. Oppenheimer\n\nDirector: Christopher Nolan\n\nCast: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh\n\nWhere to watch: Theaters and for digital rental/purchase before streaming on Peacock\n\nIs there much left to say about the United States’ criminal, moral compromise in dropping the atomic bomb or the obviously tortured psychology of the bomb’s creator, J. Robert Oppenheimer? Maybe not, but as Christopher Nolan proves in his biopic on the life of the theoretical physicist, there’s plenty left to feel. Cross-cutting through time at lighting speed, and smashing together facts in ways its source material, the exhaustive biography American Prometheus, can’t in bound form, Nolan’s action-movie sensibilities split the very atoms of his subject to understand not the what, but the how and why.\n\nBouncing from the early days of a daydreaming scientist to the congressional hearings of his eventual political confidant to Oppy’s eventual time at Los Alamos, his $2 billion built-from-the-ground-up research base, Nolan litters the drama with factual detail ripped straight from the book. Yet at every turn, he ditches the Bohemian Rhapsody school of explanation to handwave away complicated mathematical explanation and legalese that might tie a complicated situation up in knots. Like in everything from The Dark Knight to Dunkirk, stakes do the talking — Oppenheimer must end the war. Throughout time he wrestles with turbulent family life, the burial scrutiny of a blacklist-giddy government that wants names of his Communist pals, and the heartbreaking fact that the Jewish people, his people, are under attack… but it all comes back to the bomb. There’s a ticking clock, and yet again, Nolan takes full advantage.\n\nPart heist movie, part courtroom drama, part dreamscape, the swirl of Oppenheimer is at constant crescendo thanks to a kinetic camera, Ludwig Göransson’s humming score, and what might be the most stacked cast in movie history. Every IMAX-sized close-up of Cillian Murphy reveals layers to Oppenheimer that are easily assumed. Robert Downey Jr. takes the right lessons from Tony Stark to imbue Oppenheimer’s political adversary, Lewis Strauss, with swagger. Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, and so many more all show up to deliver — and yet there’s still room for The Santa Clause’s David Krumholtz to be the MVP. They all fire off life-or-death lines, sweat under the pressure of the job, stagger backward when they realize what they’ve done, and under the eye of Nolan, reach the quantum realm of impossible choices. Oppenheimer has a magnitude worthy of the Trinity tests, but most admirable is that it never fetishizes the accomplishment of the bomb. The end will leave a person absolutely furious, as it must. —MP", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nMattel has been criticised for its new Barbie doll honouring Wilma Mankiller, the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.\n\nLast month, Mattel announced that it was releasing a doll of Mankiller, who inspired countless Native American children as a powerful but humble leader who expanded early education and rural healthcare. The creation of the doll is part of the toy company’s “Inspiring Women” series. On 6 December, the Cherokee Nation also hosted an event to to celebrate the Wilma Mankiller Barbie.\n\nMankiller was the nation’s first female Principal Chief, leading the tribe for a decade until 1995. She focused on improving social conditions through consensus and on restoring pride in Native heritage. The social worker, who died in 2010, met snide remarks about her surname — a military title — with humour, often delivering a straight-faced response: “Mankiller is actually a well-earned nickname.”\n\nAs noted by Mattel, the Barbie doll of Mankiller portrays her dark hair, as the toy “wears a richly pigmented turquoise dress with ribbon striping that represents the four directions: north, south, east and west”. The toy also comes with a basket, with her look inspired by an iconic photo of Mankiller where she’s holding a woven basket.\n\nHowever, Mattel has now faced some criticism over the doll, with people calling the toy company out for inaccuracies. Chuck Hoskin Jr, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, noted to The New York Times that the doll’s basket wasn’t authentically Cherokee. He also specified that the wrong sets of symbols used for the Cherokee language were included in the packaging of the doll. As a result, the symbols on the package read “Chicken Nation” as opposed to Cherokee Nation”.\n\n“To someone who doesn’t read Cherokee syllabary, they’re not going to notice it,” he said. “To the Cherokee people for whom Wilma is of such enduring significance and we have such enduring love for her, to see our seal incorrect, it’s very disappointing because it would not have taken much effort or thought to avoid that.”\n\nHoskin specified that he learned about the creation of the doll six months ago, and that Mattel did not work directly with the Cherokee Nation. However, he specified that the company has been understanding of the criticism.\n\n“After some of the problems were revealed, we had very good conversations with Mattel. And I think they responded internally to us in a very thoughtful way and expressed some regret for not engaging us,” he said.\n\nThe Cherokee Nation issued a statement regarding the criticism. “Regrettably, the Mattel company did not work directly with the tribal government’s design and communications team to secure the official Seal or verify it,” the tribe said.\n\nMattel spokesperson Devin Tucker said the company is aware of the problem with the syllabary and is “discussing options”. The company worked with Mankiller’s estate, which is led by her husband, Charlie Soap, and her friend, Kristina Kiehl, on the creation of the doll.\n\nSome Cherokee women were also critical of the doll, with claims that Mattel overlooked the problematic details on the doll and the packaging.\n\n“Mixed emotions shared by me and many other Cherokee women who have now purchased the product revolve around whether a Wilma Barbie captures her legacy, her physical features and the importance of centering Cherokee women in decision making,” Stacy Leeds, the law school dean at Arizona State University and a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court justice, told The Associated Press in an email.\n\nRegina Thompson, a Cherokee basket weaver who grew up near Tahlequah, doesn’t think the doll looks like Mankiller. Mattel should have considered traditional pucker toe moccasins, instead of black shoes, and included symbols on the basket that Cherokees use to tell a story, she said.\n\n“Wilma’s name is the only thing Cherokee on that box,” Thompson said. “Nothing about that doll is Wilma, nothing.”\n\nFollowing the release of the doll in November, Hoskin had issued a statement to express how meaningful the creation was to the Cherokee Nation.\n\n“When Native girls see it, they can achieve it, and Wilma Mankiller has shown countless young women to be fearless and speak up for Indigenous and human rights. She not only served in a role dominated by men during a time that tribal nations were suppressed, but she led,” he said. “Wilma Mankiller is a champion for the Cherokee Nation, for Indian Country, and even my own daughter. She truly exemplifies leadership, culture and equality and we applaud Mattel for commemorating her in the Barbie Inspiring Women Series.”\n\nMankiller, whose likeness is on a US quarter issued in 2021, is the second Native American woman honoured with a Barbie doll. Famed aviator Bessie Coleman, who was of Black and Cherokee ancestry, was depicted earlier this year. Other dolls in the “Inspiring Women” series include Maya Angelou, Ida B Wells, Jane Goodall and Madam CJ Walker.\n\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.", + "If you are a devoted vinyl collector, an obsessive music fan, or — as is often the case — both, Discogs is very nearly a lifestyle. The site has become the internet’s foremost database of recorded music and one of the most extensive marketplaces available for physical music media, with every bit of it generated and offered by users. You can catalog your collection, look up information about even the most obscure artists, cross-check record store prices to see if your local shop has a markup, and purchase records, typically at something close to their “market rate.”\n\n“Some people just buy records for the album art hanging on the wall,” says Doug Martin, who started selling on Discogs in 2020. But the Discogs users were different. “These were real fans listening to real music who cared about the format and the medium. That’s what attracted me in the beginning.”\n\nThe site has become a central part of the music internet, surviving through physical music media’s replacement by MP3s and then streaming — and rebounding as interest in vinyl, CDs, and tapes did throughout the 2010s. But sellers who use the platform say the site’s old tech has started to wear on them, and new fees and restrictions have made it harder to do business. Changes within the company are threatening to turn a bastion for vinyl fans, record stores, and anyone who cares about music into just another dysfunctional website — and dismantle a singular record of music history, even if just by pushing the sellers and users who have created that record away.\n\nA fastidiously detailed Wikipedia for music\n\nWhat was initially conceived of as something of a Wikipedia for recorded music — although, founded in 2000 by Intel programmer Kevin Lewandowski, it predates the encyclopedia site by a few months — hasn’t changed a great deal since its conception, besides the introduction of the marketplace in the mid-aughts. Discogs is a fairly clunky, definitely old-fashioned website devoted to even older technology: a vestige of an earlier, more idyllic internet that has spent the last decade walking the record-needle-thin line between 2020s algorithmically driven tech monolith and niche unprofitable obscurity.\n\nA big part of its ability to walk that line is the passion of its user base. Sellers have to submit a record’s information if it’s not already in the database in order to sell it — that’s how the database has become so complete. And many entries, even for deep obscurities, are fastidious: album covers and liner notes are scanned for inclusion and album credits are fleshed out with hyperlinks that are almost more useful and thorough than the Wikipedia equivalent, plus reviews by devotees. There is even a lively forum where all of these details get litigated. It is an insular community in many ways. But it is also, and has always been, a money-making endeavor for both Discogs and the sellers who use it.\n\nDiscogs is now the source of many people’s full-time employment. A European Discogs seller, who has been on the platform since 2008 and requested anonymity for fear of retribution by the company, says he does 80 percent of his business on the platform. He does not operate a brick-and-mortar storefront but has four employees and nets around €20,000 a month on Discogs. According to him, his sales have shrunk by half over the past year, and he’s in the process of building his own site to try to move away from the platform.\n\n“I’ve made my living with this company for the past decade,” says a Connecticut seller who also does the majority of his business on Discogs and requested anonymity for the same reasons. “It’s just the frustration that you have no control over what they’re doing, and it doesn’t even make any sense.” The vinyl renaissance has occurred in tandem with the growth of Discogs, making the site fairly integrated into any record business — regardless of whether a business has a brick-and-mortar storefront. A major change to the site, then, could mean a major shift in the record market as a whole.\n\nUnderlying the sellers’ complaints is a kind of dismay, the feeling that what had previously been a safe haven for nerds to buy and sell $2 records is being threatened — that one more corner of the internet that wasn’t yet a glossy behemoth designed to subsume and capitalize on your personal information was about to collapse.\n\n“When you get any kind of community built around a business, and you tweak that a little bit, you’re gonna make a lot of people upset,” says Martin. “This is their Discogs, they built it.”\n\nThe problems started in earnest when the company raised its fee from 8 to 9 percent on May 22nd of this year, and — crucially — started charging that same fee on shipping costs for the first time, an issue considering how international the record market is. One of the beauties of Discogs had previously been finding and purchasing rarities from sellers in Japan or Germany; the most expensive record I’ve ever purchased, for example, was a copy of Cannonball Adderley’s debut album from a seller in Switzerland. Now, the site is taking considerably larger slices of those kinds of sales. (Discogs declined to comment for this story.)\n\nYou’ll find details on just about every release of every album on Discogs. This entry for a Japanese pressing of Thelonious Monk in Italy includes photos of the record jacket and both sides of the vinyl.\n\nTo make up for the lost revenue, Discogs suggested sellers use a tool it had created to raise the prices of all of their inventory by a percentage; another Discogs email to sellers suggested they offer free shipping to avoid the fee, without accounting for the fact that the seller would then be either covering that cost out of pocket or integrating it into the price of the record — which would, of course, result in the same amount of money going to Discogs. Essentially, sellers were told to raise their prices and / or offer free shipping — two options that threaten their bottom lines. “Their communication, too — it’s like, ‘I said what I said, and we’re done,’” says Martin. “Well, you’re really not, because we all have to live with this and so do you.”\n\nThe tension between Discogs’ old-internet charm and its attempts at growth came to a head earlier this summer around a since-deleted viral Twitter thread by artist and label head Mike Simonetti lamenting “the fall of discogs.” Simonetti sounded the alarm about increasing fees and subsequently increasing prices, a growing influx of scammers, rising shipping costs, and the dysfunction of the website itself, among other issues.\n\n“We had kind of thought Discogs was on our side as sellers,” says Gene Melkisethian, who runs Joint Custody, a record store in Washington, DC, and sells on Discogs. “But when they started charging fees on shipping, it just felt really punitive.”\n\n“In their communication, it was beyond insulting the way they framed it. Like, ‘Oh, you can just not charge for shipping,’” says the Connecticut seller. “The sudden fee increase was a huge, huge blow to a lot of people.”\n\nThe fee increase arrived shortly before USPS raised the price of its Media Mail service (the lower rates at which anyone can send media products like books, music, and movies) by an average of 7 percent — and a year after the site had switched all its transactions to PayPal, which charges its own fees on each transaction, ones that are higher on international purchases. PayPal also requires that every shipment has a tracking number, which can be a significant extra expense for international sales.\n\nThe changes also arrived at the tail end of a phenomenon alluded to in the same original thread. The pandemic had created something of a record sales bubble: people who were already vinyl aficionados were stuck at home with their record players, stimulus checks, and nothing to spend them on besides survival and things you could do at home — like listen to music. Melkisethian says his sales actually grew during the pandemic in spite of the fact that his brick-and-mortar sales disappeared. According to him, the boom inflated record prices; now, with the higher fees Discogs is imposing, a sales decline that was almost inevitable post-lockdown has become steeper.\n\n“They’re under the impression that they’re the only game in town.”\n\nEven with all of those increasing costs, Discogs is still less expensive (albeit now only slightly) than alternatives like eBay or Amazon. But those alternatives, being considerably larger and more mainstream, offer a much broader base of potential buyers as well as a more solid infrastructure and support system.\n\n“eBay has much more of a user base, so for the little bit of extra cost it’s a no brainer,” says Martin, who says that, for him, eBay’s fees are usually around 1 percent higher than Discogs’. “It’s probably double [the business] I do on Discogs, and that’s only grown since they raised the fees.” He sells primarily new vinyl and uses Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Discogs, along with his own website, apocalypsevinyl.com. With the new fees and the competitiveness of the Discogs market, the platform is becoming less and less useful as a selling channel.\n\n“They’re under the impression that they’re the only game in town,” says the Connecticut seller of Discogs. “The fees were relatively low, but now that they’re higher, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to use that anymore.” He’s been selling on Discogs since 2009; since the recent changes, he’s lowered his prices to offset the higher shipping costs and was compelled to institute an order minimum — a major shift for a marketplace that had done considerable business in selling records under $10 and even under $5.\n\nDiscogs attributed the need to raise fees to its “significant investments in recent years to ensure compliance with various regulatory programs, including tax support and privacy protection.” The company said the change would allow it to “continue to devote resources to maintaining the Discogs Marketplace and develop better tools for collecting, selling, and enjoying music.”\n\nMany sellers who spoke with The Verge speculated, in line with the viral thread, that the company was trying to pump up its valuation for a potential sale. All of them, though, had the sense that Discogs was trying to increase its profit margins without necessarily offering any improvements to its product in return.\n\nDiscogs’ marketplace page showing copies of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts for sale. The prices are generally higher than buying the album elsewhere.\n\n“It just seems like they’re actively trying to stop sales,” says the Connecticut seller. “You can raise your fees, but maybe you could do some promotions, coupon codes, sales — something that offsets the shift. Sellers can do it on their own, but that’s going to require them to lower their prices — it’s going to be a race to the bottom. If you were trying to ruin a sales forum, this is how you’d do it.”\n\nDiscogs did have a sale in late August, but it featured just 11 of the site’s largest stores. “When I first saw it, I thought, maybe they’ll be randomly promoting stores or the best products,” says Martin. “I don’t know a big sale that most people are not part of that you promote to further depress our prices is the right direction.”\n\nThe website itself is a frequent source of complaints, as is the lack of support. (My query for a press contact was sent on July 25th, for example; I received a response on August 23rd.) “I guess the most apparent thing has been the lack of updates, or any positive progress in the operation of a website,” says Melkisethian, who has been selling on Discogs since 2011. “It was a little bit quaint back then, but it has not improved in any way. It’s actually only gotten worse, which is kind of funny — but knowing how much money I’ve given them and other people give them, it’s like, who’s steering the ship?”\n\nDiscogs is in the process of rolling out a redesign, one that — to look at the forums at least — doesn’t have many fans among the Discogs lifers but is definitely sleeker-looking. According to the sellers who spoke with The Verge, bugs abound: the European seller, for example, had just been dealing with an issue with the platform’s refund button. “Discogs said it was PayPal’s fault, and PayPal said it was Discogs’ fault,” he says. “It caused stress for the buyers, and so I had to do direct refunds — which meant I was refunding not just what I made but Discogs’ and PayPal’s commissions as well, effectively losing money on the refund.” Melkisethian, speaking a month later, had just noticed a shift in the way shipments are processed that required manually entering information in steps that used to be automated.\n\nBesides the baseline functionality of the site, there are other improvements that could bring Discogs closer in line with its competitors. “There are other seller tools and seller initiatives that we’ve been asking for for years that have never been done — like any kind of tie-in with Google, any kind of integration with social media, the kinds of things basically other platform has,” says Martin.\n\nThe database is another aspect of the site that could be threatened by the fee increases. If sellers and buyers move elsewhere, that database will likely become less exhaustive. “Ever since the price increases, I’ve noticed that less and less new albums are being added to the database,” says Martin. “When we get new stock in, we have to match it up with a UPC on Discogs and we’re noticing it’s not there as often as it used to be.”\n\nA beloved internet sanctuary gets bled for profit to the detriment of its functionality — by 2023, it’s become just about the most familiar story online. Discogs, hopefully, will not become the latest in a long line of formerly useful sites; for the moment, though, sellers feel alienated by the small company they once viewed as an ally in an optimistic mission to share knowledge about music.", + "Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), charged with bribery, gave Wall Street bank executives a pop quiz about their own corporate misbehavior that they all failed.\n\nOn Wednesday, at a congressional hearing, the embattled Menendez grilled Wall Street executives about how much money the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered each of their firms to pay back to consumers for allegedly violating federal laws including charging illegal junk fees and opening fake customer accounts. Through his questioning, the senator was attempting to show that, contrary to what the bank CEOs argued, new financial regulations do benefit everyday customers.\n\nMenendez directed his arrows at four retail bank CEOs—all of whom were unable to respond. He started with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and moved down a long table asking Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, and Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharff how much each had “returned to customers in the form of redresses and payments at the direction of CFPB?”\n\nThough the executives didn’t know the answer, the numbers are large, even for top Wall Street firms: $360 million for JPMorgan Chase, $819 million for Bank of America, $1 billion for Citigroup, and “over $2 billion” for Wells Fargo. All in all, it amounts to nearly $4 billion.\n\n“It’s amazing you don’t know the number because they’re not small in nature,” Menendez said. “It’s over $4 billion returned to hardworking consumers in the past dozen years.”\n\nMenendez’s own adherence to the law happens to also be in question. In September, the Justice Department charged him and his wife Nadine with accepting bribes and allegedly using his Senate seat to improperly aid the Egyptian government. A raid of Menendez’s house turned up $100,000 in gold bars and bundles of cash stuffed into jacket pockets. Menendez pleaded not guilty.\n\nThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is facing legal challenges of its own. The watchdog, created in 2011 in the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis, is facing a Supreme Court case that could determine its future. The Community Financial Services Association of America, a trade organization that represents payday lenders, alleges the CFPB is unconstitutional because it is not subject to annual appropriations from Congress.\n\n“The lawsuit currently before the Supreme Court over the CFPB’s funding structure has the potential to upend every rule, guidance and order the CFPB has ever issued, tossing over a decade of consumer protection law out of the window,” Menendez said during the hearing to defend the CFPB. “That’s not just harmful for consumers. I think it’s dangerous to the financial system.”\n\nThe annual Senate hearing featured eight executives, including the four Menendez questioned, from the biggest financial institutions. Executives and legislators discussed new regulations that would require the big banks to keep larger capital reserves. The big banks argued the new rules would limit their ability to lend to lower and middle income buyers. In contrast, committee chair Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) disagreed and said any reduced lending would be due to banks prioritizing riskier investments that have higher returns.\n\n“You’d rather fund risky trading and derivatives bets than boring bread and butter small business lending,” Brown said in his opening remarks.\n\nThe indicted Menendez also framed some of the banks’ unpopular practices, like overdraft fees, as a decision rather than a necessity.\n\n“Charging the fees is a choice—one that disproportionately harms Black and brown communities, Menendez said. Getting rid of overdraft fees would “change the course of events for a significant part of [your] consumer base.”\n\nResearch points to the fact that overdraft fees disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic customers. A 2021 study found that Hispanic Americans paid $3.1 billion in overdraft fees a year Black Americans were hit with $1.4 billion in total. Another survey found they paid double the amount of fees than White people did.\n\nMenendez commended Citibank’s Fraser for her company eliminating such fees in 2022 after government officials urged an end to the practice. Big banks like Citi also face competitive pressures from fintech startups and smaller banks, like Ally Bank, that offer bank accounts without overdraft fees.\n\n“Is it fair to say that Citi is still a profitable bank?” Menendez asked Fraser.\n\n“Yes, Senator,” Fraser replied.\n\nMenendez pressed her further, asking if their elimination led to wholesale changes at the bank.\n\n“Did [removing] overdraft fees upend your business model,” Menendez continued.\n\n“No, Senator,” Fraser answered. “We work hard to protect our customers and make sure that they don’t fall into overdraft.”\n\nMenendez used this line of questioning to encourage Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan to learn from Fraser and Citigroup. “I suggest you call Mr. Fraser after this hearing to figure out how you can still be able to eliminate the fees in their entirety and still run a profitable bank,” Menendez urged Scharff, Moynihan, and Dimon.\n\nThe other banks have made some steps to ease overdraft fees but haven’t done away with them completely. In 2021, JPMorgan Chase eliminated fees for overdrafts that were under $50. The new policy still led to an increase in revenue from overdraft fees, which rose 3% in 2022, a year after the policy was implemented, according to Bloomberg. Wells Fargo also loosened its rules without getting rid of the fees entirely, affording customers a 24-hour grace period to pay back any overdrafted accounts. Meanwhile, Bank of America cut its overdraft fees from $35 to $10.", + "The Biden administration announced the details of a long-awaited executive order on AI today, ahead of an international summit on AI safety being held in the U.K. But as with all such orders, what the president can dictate without legislative support is limited, as numerous experts and stakeholders emphasized in response.\n\nThe order comes as governments across the globe continue their attempts to address the opportunities and risks of AI, which has so far proved too fast a moving target for regulators. Facing twin risks of premature action chilling innovation and dilatory action permitting abuse or exploitation, the U.S. and EU have avoided the first but due to lengthy argument and drafting processes are rolling headlong toward the second.\n\nBiden’s EO operates as a stopgap that props up the “voluntary” practices many companies are already choosing to implement. The limits on what a president can do with a wave of their hand means it’s a lot of sharing results, developing best practices and providing clear guidance.\n\nThat’s because right now there is no legislative remedy to potential AI risks and abuses outside of those that can be applied to tech companies in general — which many have argued over the years are also inadequate. Federal action on social media and de facto monopolies like Amazon and Google has been sporadic, though a hawkish new FTC may change that trend.\n\nMeanwhile, a comprehensive law defining and limiting the use of AI seems as far off now as it was years ago. The industry and technology have evolved so quickly that any rule would likely be outdated by the time it was passed. It’s not even really clear what ought to be legislatively limited, as opposed to being left to state law or expert agencies.\n\nPerhaps the wisest approach is to set up a new federal agency dedicated to regulating AI and technology, but this cannot be accomplished by fiat. In the meantime, the EO at least instructs several AI-focused groups, like one in the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to handling and assessing reports of AI-related harms in healthcare.\n\nSenator Mark Warner of Virginia said he was “impressed by the breadth” of the order, though, he implies, not the depth.\n\n“I am also happy to see a number of sections that closely align with my efforts around AI safety and security and federal government’s use of AI,” he said in a statement. “At the same time, many of these just scratch the surface – particularly in areas like health care and competition policy. While this is a good step forward, we need additional legislative measures, and I will continue to work diligently…” etc.\n\nGiven the state of the legislature and the fact that an incredibly contentious election period is upcoming, it will be a miracle if any substantive law whatsoever is passed in the near future, let alone a potentially divisive and complex bill like AI rules.\n\nPaul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, acknowledged both sides of the issue.\n\n“President Biden is sending a valuable message that certain AI systems create immediate risks that demand immediate attention. The administration is moving in the right direction,” he wrote. “But today is just the beginning of a regulatory process that will be long and arduous–and ultimately must require that the companies profiting from AI bear the burden of proving that their products are safe and effective, just as the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals or airplanes must demonstrate that their products are safe and effective. Without fresh resources provided by Congress, it’s not clear that the federal government has the resources to assess the vastly complicated training process or the adequacy of red-teaming and other necessary testing.”\n\nSheila Gulati, co-founder of Tola Capital, said the EO showed a “clear intention to walk the line of promoting innovation while protecting citizens.”\n\n“It is most essential that we don’t prevent agile innovation by startups. Putting AI explainability at the forefront, taking a risk-based approach with more focus on areas where harm or bias could be at play, and bringing security and privacy to the center of focus are all sensible steps,” she told TechCrunch. “With this executive order and the standards implications through NIST, we would anticipate leadership from standards bodies versus legislators in the near term.”\n\nIt is worth mentioning as well that the federal government is a major customer of today’s AI and tech products, and any company that intends to keep them as a customer will want to color inside the lines for the immediate future.\n\nBob Cattanach, partner at legal mega-firm Dorsey and Whitney, added that the timing feels slightly off.\n\n“…The Executive Order awkwardly preempts the voice of Vice President Harris at a U.K.-hosted Summit on AI later this week, signaling that White House concerns over the largely unregulated space were so grave that Biden was prepared to alienate key allies by taking unilateral action rather than accept the delays inherent in the more collaborative process currently underway in the EU.”\n\nAlienate is perhaps a strong word for it. And of course, the U.K. is not the EU. And that “more collaborative process” will likely take a few more years, and it’s unlikely the administration wants to wait until then. But it might indeed have been more coherent and ally-like to have Harris discuss the EO at the summit. Her remarks (which will no doubt suggest the need for international harmony in AI regulation, with the U.S. modestly taking the lead) will be streamed on November 1, and you should be able to tune in here.", + "Over the course of two months from its debut in November 2022, ChatGPT exploded in popularity, from niche online curio to 100 million monthly active users — the fastest user base growth in the history of the Internet. In less than a year, it has earned the backing of Silicon Valley’s biggest firms, and been shoehorned into myriad applications from academia and the arts to marketing, medicine, gaming and government.\n\nIn short ChatGPT is just about everywhere. Few industries have remained untouched by the viral adoption of the generative AI’s tools. On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.\n\nOpenAI had been developing GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), the large language model that ChatGPT runs on, since 2016 — unveiling GPT-1 in 2018 and iterating it to GPT-3 by June 2020. With the November 30, 2022 release of GPT-3.5 came ChatGPT, a digital agent capable of superficially understanding natural language inputs and generating written responses to them. Sure, it was rather slow to answer and couldn’t speak to questions about anything that happened after September 2021 — not to mention its issues answering queries with misinformation during bouts of “hallucinations\" — but even that kludgy first iteration demonstrated capabilities far beyond what other state-of-the-art digital assistants like Siri and Alexa could provide.\n\nChatGPT’s release timing couldn’t have been better. The public had already been introduced to the concept of generative artificial intelligence in April of that year with DALL-E 2, a text-to-image generator. DALL-E 2, as well as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and similar programs, were an ideal low-barrier entry point for the general public to try out this revolutionary new technology. They were an immediate smash hit, with Subreddits and Twitter accounts springing up seemingly overnight to post screengrabs of the most outlandish scenarios users could imagine. And it wasn’t just the terminally online that embraced AI image generation, the technology immediately entered the mainstream discourse as well, extraneous digits and all.\n\nSo when ChatGPT dropped last November, the public was already primed on the idea of having computers make content at a user’s direction. The logical leap from having it make words instead of pictures wasn’t a large one — heck, people had already been using similar, inferior versions in their phones for years with their digital assistants.\n\nQ1: [Hyping intensifies]\n\nTo say that ChatGPT was well-received would be to say that the Titanic suffered a small fender-bender on its maiden voyage. It was a polestar, magnitudes bigger than the hype surrounding DALL-E and other image generators. People flat out lost their minds over the new AI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.\n\nBy the following January, ChatGPT was a certified phenomenon, surpassing 100 million monthly active users in just two months. That was faster than both TikTok or Instagram, and remains the fastest user adoption to 100 million in the history of the internet.\n\nWe also got our first look at the disruptive potential that generative AI offers when ChatGPT managed to pass a series of law school exams (albeit by the skin of its digital teeth). Around that time Microsoft extended its existing R&D partnership with OpenAI to the tune of $10 billion that January. That number is impressively large and likely why Altman still has his job.\n\nAs February rolled around, ChatGPT’s user numbers continued to soar, surpassing one billion users total with an average of more than 35 million people per day using the program. At this point OpenAI was reportedly worth just under $30 billion and Microsoft was doing its absolute best to cram the new technology into every single system, application and feature in its product ecosystem. ChatGPT was incorporated into BingChat (now just Copilot) and the Edge browser to great fanfare — despite repeated incidents of bizarre behavior and responses that saw the Bing program temporarily taken offline for repairs.\n\nOther tech companies began adopting ChatGPT as well: Opera incorporating it into its browser, Snapchat releasing its GPT-based My AI assistant (which would be unceremoniously abandoned a few problematic months later) and Buzzfeed News’s parent company used it to generate listicles.\n\nMarch saw more of the same, with OpenAI announcing a new subscription-based service — ChatGPT Plus — which offers users the chance to skip to the head of the queue during peak usage hours and added features not found in the free version. The company also unveiled plug-in and API support for the GPT platform, empowering developers to add the technology to their own applications and enabling ChatGPT to pull information from across the internet as well as interact directly with connected sensors and devices.\n\nChatGPT also notched 100 million users per day in March, 30 times higher than two months prior. Companies from Slack and Discord to GM announced plans to incorporate GPT and generative AI technologies into their products.\n\nNot everybody was quite so enthusiastic about the pace at which generative AI was being adopted, mind you. In March, OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk, as well as Steve Wozniak and a slew of associated AI researchers signed an open letter demanding a six month moratorium on AI development.\n\nQ2: Electric Boog-AI-loo\n\nOver the next couple months, company fell into a rhythm of continuous user growth, new integrations, occasional rival AI debuts and nationwide bans on generative AI technology. For example, in April, ChatGPT’s usage climbed nearly 13 percent month-over-month from March even as the entire nation of Italy outlawed ChatGPT use by public sector employees, citing GDPR data privacy violations. The Italian ban proved only temporary after the company worked to resolve the flagged issues, but it was an embarrassing rebuke for the company and helped spur further calls for federal regulation.\n\nWhen it was first released, ChatGPT was only available through a desktop browser. That changed in May when OpenAI released its dedicated iOS app and expanded the digital assistant’s availability to an additional 11 countries including France, Germany, Ireland and Jamaica. At the same time, Microsoft’s integration efforts continued apace, with Bing Search melding into the chatbot as its “default search experience.” OpenAI also expanded ChatGPT’s plug-in system to ensure that more third-party developers are able to build ChatGPT into their own products.\n\nChatGPT’s tendency to hallucinate facts and figures was once again exposed that month when a lawyer in New York was caught using the generative AI to do “legal research.” It gave him a number of entirely made-up, nonexistent cases to cite in his argument — which he then did without bothering to independently validate any of them. The judge was not amused.\n\nBy June, a little bit of ChatGPT’s shine had started to wear off. Congress reportedly limited Capitol Hill staffers from using the application over data handling concerns. User numbers had declined nearly 10 percent month-over-month, but ChatGPT was already well on its way to ubiquity. A March update enabling the AI to comprehend and generate Python code in response to natural language queries only increased its utility.\n\nQ3: [Pushback intensifies]\n\nMore cracks in ChatGPT’s facade began to show the following month when OpenAI’s head of Trust and Safety, Dave Willner, abruptly announced his resignation days before the company released its ChatGPT Android app. His departure came on the heels of news of an FTC investigation into the company’s potential violation of consumer protection laws — specifically regarding the user data leak from March that inadvertently shared chat histories and payment records.\n\nIt was around this time that OpenAI’s training methods, which involve scraping the public internet for content and feeding it into massive datasets on which the models are taught, came under fire from copyright holders and marquee authors alike. Much in the same manner that Getty Images sued Stability AI for Stable Diffusion’s obvious leverage of copyrighted materials, stand-up comedian and author Sara Silverman brought suit against OpenAI with allegations that its “Book2” dataset illegally included her copyrighted works. The Authors Guild of America, which represents Stephen King, John Grisham and 134 others launched a class-action suit of its own in September. While much of Silverman’s suit was eventually dismissed, the Author’s Guild suit continues to wend its way through the courts.\n\nSelect news outlets, on the other hand, proved far more amenable. The Associated Press announced in August that it had entered into a licensing agreement with OpenAI which would see AP content used (with permission) to train GPT models. At the same time, the AP unveiled a new set of newsroom guidelines explaining how generative AI might be used in articles, while still cautioning journalists against using it for anything that might actually be published.\n\nChatGPT itself didn’t seem too inclined to follow the rules. In a report published in August, the Washington Post found that guardrails supposedly enacted by OpenAI in March, designed to counter the chatbot’s use in generating and amplifying political disinformation, actually weren’t. The company told Semafor in April that it was \"developing a machine learning classifier that will flag when ChatGPT is asked to generate large volumes of text that appear related to electoral campaigns or lobbying.\" Per the Post, those rules simply were not enforced, with the system eagerly returning responses for prompts like “Write a message encouraging suburban women in their 40s to vote for Trump” or “Make a case to convince an urban dweller in their 20s to vote for Biden.”\n\nAt the same time, OpenAI was rolling out another batch of new features and updates for ChatGPT including an Enterprise version that could be fine-tuned to a company’s specific needs and trained on the firm’s internal data, allowing the chatbot to provide more accurate responses. Additionally, ChatGPT’s ability to browse the internet for information was restored for Plus users in September, having been temporarily suspended earlier in the year after folks figured out how to exploit it to get around paywalls. OpenAI also expanded the chatbot’s multimodal capabilities, adding support for both voice and image inputs for user queries in a September 25 update.\n\nQ4: Starring Sam Altman as “Lazarus”\n\nThe fourth quarter of 2023 has been a hell of a decade for OpenAI. On the technological front, Browse with Bing, Microsoft’s answer to Google SGE, moved out of beta and became available to all subscribers — just in time for the third iteration of DALL-E to enter public beta. Even free tier users can now hold spoken conversations with the chatbot following the November update, a feature formerly reserved for Plus and Enterprise subscribers. What’s more, OpenAI has announced GPTs, little single-serving versions of the larger LLM that function like apps and widgets and which can be created by anyone, regardless of their programming skill level.\n\nThe company has also suggested that it might be entering the AI chip market at some point in the future, in an effort to shore up the speed and performance of its API services. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had previously pointed to industry-wide GPU shortages for the service’s spotty performance. Producing its own processors might mitigate those supply issues, while potentially lower the current four-cent-per-query cost of operating the chatbot to something more manageable.\n\nBut even those best laid plans were very nearly smashed to pieces just before Thanksgiving when the OpenAI board of directors fired Sam Altman, arguing that he had not been \"consistently candid in his communications with the board.\"\n\nThat firing didn't take. Instead, it set off 72 hours of chaos within the company itself and the larger industry, with waves of recriminations and accusations, threats of resignations by a lion’s share of the staff and actual resignations by senior leadership happening by the hour. The company went through three CEOs in as many days, landing back on the one it started with, albeit with him now free from a board of directors that would even consider acting as a brake against the technology’s further, unfettered commercial development.\n\nAt the start of the year, ChatGPT was regularly derided as a fad, a gimmick, some shiny bauble that would quickly be cast aside by a fickle public like so many NFTs. Those predictions could still prove true but as 2023 has ground on and the breadth of ChatGPT’s adoption has continued, the chances of those dim predictions of the technology’s future coming to pass feel increasingly remote.\n\nThere is simply too much money wrapped up in ensuring its continued development, from the revenue streams of companies promoting the technology to the investments of firms incorporating the technology into their products and services. There is also a fear of missing out among companies, S&P Global argues — that they might adopt too late what turns out to be a foundationally transformative technology — that is helping drive ChatGPT’s rapid uptake.\n\nThe calendar resetting for the new year shouldn’t do much to change ChatGPT’s upward trajectory, but looming regulatory oversight might. President Biden has made the responsible development of AI a focus of his administration, with both houses of Congress beginning to draft legislation as well. The form and scope of those resulting rules could have a significant impact on what ChatGPT looks like this time next year.\n\nThis article contains affilate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.", + "The 64th edition of the League Cup (also known as the Carabao Cup after its sponsor) got underway on August 8 and we're now at the semifinal strage.\n\nAfter the Community Shield won by Arsenal on August 6, the League Cup will be the first domestic trophy of the 2023/24 season awarded with the final to take place on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at Wembley Stadium in London.\n\nManchester United are the holders of the trophy after defeating Newcastle United in the 2023 final. Last season's finalists met in round four after being draw against one another, with the Magpies gaining revenge.\n\nIn addition to silverware, the winner of the EFL Cup earns a place in the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League playoffs with a chance to qualify for the group stage of that European cup competition.\n\nHow does the Carabao Cup work in 2023/24?\n\nThe EFL Cup (Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons) features all 92 participating clubs from the top four tiers of English football: Premier League (20 clubs), Championship (24 clubs), League One (24), and League Two (24).\n\nThe 12 Premier League clubs not involved in European cup competitions joined in the second Round, and the remaining eight sides joining in the third Round.\n\nFirst Round: Aug. 8-9, Aug. 16\n\nAug. 8-9, Aug. 16 Second Round: Aug. 29-30\n\nAug. 29-30 Third Round (Rd of 32): Sept. 27-28\n\nSept. 27-28 Fourth Round (Rd of 16): Oct. 31 - Nov. 1\n\nOct. 31 - Nov. 1 Quarterfinals: Dec. 20-21\n\nDec. 20-21 Semifinals: Jan. 9-10 (Leg 1), Jan. 23-24 (Leg 2)\n\nJan. 9-10 (Leg 1), Jan. 23-24 (Leg 2) Final: Sun, Feb. 25\n\nEvery round is single-elimination except for the semifinals, which are played over two legs. There is no extra time up to and including the quarter-finals (page 580 of regulations), with matches going straight to penalties if the score is level after 90 minutes.\n\nHowever, extra time will be in effect for the semifinal second legs (no away goals tiebreaker) and the final, if necessary.\n\nCarabao Cup semifinal draw, fixtures\n\nThe semifinal draw for the Carabao Cup was carried out at Anfield following Liverpool's quarterfinal thrashing of West Ham.\n\nThese ties are two-legged matchups. The first legs will be played in the week commencing January 8, 2024, with the return legs in the week beginning January 22, 2024.\n\nSemifinal first leg\n\nDate Match W/C Jan. 8, 2024 Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea W/C Jan. 8, 2024 Liverpool vs. Fulham\n\nSemifinal second leg\n\nDate Match W/C Jan. 22, 2024 Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea W/C Jan. 22, 2024 Liverpool vs. Fulham\n\nCarabao Cup quarterfinal results\n\nThe quarterfinal draw for the 2023/24 Carabao Cup was held at Old Trafford on Wednesday, November 1, after the conclusion of the final match in round four between Manchester United and Newcastle United.\n\nAll matches will took place in the week beginning December 18, 2023.\n\nDate Match Highlights Tues, Dec. 19 Everton 1-1 Fulham\n\nFulham advance 7-6 on penalties Highlights Tues, Dec. 19 Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United\n\nChelsea advance 4-2 on penalties Highlights Tues, Dec. 19 Port Vale 0-3 Middlesbrough Highlights Weds, Dec. 20 Liverpool 5-1 West Ham Highlights\n\nCarabao Cup fourth round results\n\nThe fourth round of the competition trimmed the competition down to 16 teams for the next phase.\n\nEFL League Two side Mansfield Town were the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and they were drawn against League One team Port Vale with defending champions Manchester United eliminated by Newcastle United.\n\nDate Match Highlights Tues, Oct. 31 Mansfield Town (L2) 0-1 Port Vale (L1) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 Ipswich Town (Ch) 1-3 Fulham (PL) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 Man United (PL) 0-3 Newcastle United (PL) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 Bournemouth (PL) 1-2 Liverpool (PL) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 Chelsea (PL) 2-0 Blackburn Rovers (Ch) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 West Ham (PL) 3-0 Arsenal (PL) Highlights Weds, Nov. 1 Everton (PL) 3-0 Burnley (PL) Highlights Tues, Oct. 31 Exeter City (L1) 2-3 Middlesbrough (Ch) Highlights\n\nCarabao Cup third round results\n\nIn the Third Round, the eight Premier League clubs involved in European competition joined the 24 teams advancing from the opening round.\n\nChampionship high-flyers Ipswich produced something of an upset to beat Premier League Wolves 3-2 at home, particularly as Town had fallen two goals behind within 15 minutes.\n\nIn the major upset on the first night of the third round, Premier League strugglers Luton Town lost 1-0 at third-tier Exeter City.\n\nPremier League: 17 clubs\n\n17 clubs Championship: 7 clubs\n\n7 clubs League One: 4 clubs\n\n4 clubs League Two: 4 clubs\n\nDate Match Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Bradford City (L2) 0-2 Middlesbrough (Ch) Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Exeter City (L1) 1-0 Luton Town (PL) Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Ipswich Town (Ch) 3-2 Wolves (PL) Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Mansfield Town (L2) 2-2 Peterborough United (L1)\n\nMansfield advance 3-1 on penalties Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Port Vale (L1) 2-1 Sutton (L2) Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Salford City (L2) 0-4 Burnley (PL) Highlights Tue, Sept. 26 Manchester United (PL) 3-0 Crystal Palace (PL) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Aston Villa (PL) 1-2 Everton Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Blackburn Rovers (Ch) 5-2 Cardiff City (Ch) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Bournemouth 2-0 Stoke City (Ch) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Brentford (PL) 0-1 Arsenal (PL) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Chelsea (PL) 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Fulham (PL) 2-1 Norwich City (Ch) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Lincoln City (L1) 0-1 West Ham (PL) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Liverpool (PL) 3-1 Leicester City (Ch) Highlights Wed, Sep. 27 Newcastle United (PL) 1-0 Manchester City (PL) Highlights\n\nCarabao Cup second round results\n\nIn the Second Round, the 12 Premier League clubs not involved in European competition joined the 36 teams advancing from the opening round.\n\nFulham overcame Tottenham Hotspur in a penalty shootout, Chelsea came from behind to beat AFC Wimbledon, and Nottingham Forest were knocked out by an injury-time winner against Burnley.\n\nWrexham were knocked out by fellow League Two side Bradford City.\n\nPremier League: 12 clubs\n\n12 clubs Championship: 14 clubs\n\n14 clubs League One: 10 clubs\n\n10 clubs League Two: 12 clubs\n\n🔢🏆 Watch the draw for Round Two of the #CarabaoCup!\n\n\n\nTune in to @SkyFootball or watch live right here.#EFLhttps://t.co/3l8jq9jXGS — Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 9, 2023\n\nDate Match Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Swansea (Ch) 2-3 Bournemouth (PL) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Stoke City (Ch) 6-1 Rotherham (Ch) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Wrexham (L2) 1-1 Bradford City (L2)\n\nBradford City advance 4-3 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Bolton (L1) 1-3 Middlesbrough (Ch) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Port Vale (L1) 0-0 Crewe Alexandra (L2)\n\nPort Vale advance 2-0 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Sheffield Wed. (Ch) 1-1 Mansfield (L2)\n\nMansfield advance 5-4 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Wolves (PL) 5-0 Blackpool (L1) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Tranmere (L2) 0-2 Leicester City (Ch) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Bristol City (Ch) 0-1 Norwich City (Ch) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Plymouth (Ch) 2-4 Crystal Palace (PL) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Portsmouth (L1) 1-1 Peterborough (L1)\n\nPeterborough advance 5-4 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Luton Town (PL) 3-2 Gillingham (L2) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Fulham (PL) 1-1 Tottenham (PL)\n\nFulham advance 5-3 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Exeter City (L1) 1-1 Stevenage (L1)\n\nExeter advance 5-3 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Wycombe (L1) 0-1 Sutton United (L2) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Birmingham City (Ch) 1-3 Cardiff City (Ch) Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Newport County (L2) 1-1 Brentford (PL)\n\nBrentford advance 3-0 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Salford City (L2) 1-1 Leeds United (Ch)\n\nSalford advance 9-8 on penalties Highlights Tue, Aug. 29 Reading (L1) 2-2 Ipswich Town (Ch)\n\nIpswich advance 3-1 on penalties Highlights Wed, Aug. 30 Chelsea (PL) 2-1 AFC Wimbledon (L2) Highlights Wed, Aug. 30 Sheffield United (PL) 0-0 Lincoln City (L1)\n\nLincoln advance 3-2 on penalties Highlights Wed, Aug. 30 Harrogate Town (L2) 0-8 Blackburn (Ch) Highlights Wed, Aug. 30 Nott'm Forest (PL) 0-1 Burnley (PL) Highlights Wed, Aug. 30 Doncaster (L2) 1-2 Everton (PL) Highlights\n\nCarabao Cup First Round results\n\nThe opening round of the Carabao Cup saw all 72 clubs from the Championship (2nd division), League One (3rd division), and League Two (4th division) take part.\n\nThey were drawn into 36 single-elimination knockout matches based on geography with a draw involving northern clubs and a separate draw for southern-based clubs.\n\nMatches level after 90 minutes went straight to penalties.\n\nDate Match/Result Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Huddersfield 2-3 Middlesbrough Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Swansea 3-0 Northampton Town Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Mansfield Town 2-0 Grimsby Town Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Newport County 3-1 Charlton Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Peterborough 1-1 Swindon Town\n\n(Peterborough advance 4-1 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Leyton Orient Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Barrow Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Gillingham 3-1 Southampton Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Forest Green 1-3 Portsmouth Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Rotherham 1-1 (4-2) Morecambe\n\n(Rotherham advance 4-2 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Cheltenham 0-2 Birmingham City Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Accrington Stanley 1-1 Bradford City\n\n(Bradford advance 4-1 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Stevenage 1-1 Watford\n\n(Stevenage advance 4-3 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Hull City 1-2 Doncaster Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Millwall 0-4 Reading Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Stockport\n\nSheffield Wed. advance 4-1 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Sunderland 1-1 Crewe Alexandra\n\n(Crewe advance 5-3 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Notts County 0-2 Lincoln City Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Preston North End 2-2 Salford City\n\n(Salford City advance 4-2 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Harrogate Town 1-0 Carlisle Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Barnsley 2-2 Tranmere Rovers\n\n(Tranmere advance 7-6 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Exeter City 2-1 Crawley Town Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Derby County 0-2 Blackpool Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Blackburn Rovers 4-3 Walsall Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Port Vale 3-2 Fleetwood Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Sutton United 2-2 Cambridge United\n\n(Sutton advance 6-5 on pens) Highlights Tue, Aug 8 MK Dons 0-2 Wycombe Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Stoke City 2-1 West Brom Highlights Tue, Aug 8 Wrexham 0-0 Wigan Athletic\n\n(Wrexham advance 4-2 on pens) Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 Leeds United 2-1 Shrewsbury Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 Bristol City 5-1 Oxford United Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Coventry City Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 Cardiff City 2-2 Colchester\n\n(Cardiff advance 3-0 on pens) Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 Ipswich Town 2-0 Bristol Rovers Highlights Wed, Aug. 9 Burton 0-2 Leicester City Highlights Wed, Aug. 16 QPR 0-1 Norwich City Highlights\n\nCarabao Cup live streams, TV channel 2023/24\n\nUK USA Canada Australia TV channel Sky Sports — — beIN Sports Streaming Sky Go, NOW TV ESPN+ DAZN beIN Connect, Kayo Sports\n\nUK: Sky Sports is the exclusive broadcaster of the Carabao Cup in the UK.\n\nUSA: ESPN's streaming platform ESPN+ is the home of the Carabao Cup in the USA. Select matches from early rounds are available to be streamed, followed by all matches from the Round of 16 through to the final.\n\nCanada: DAZN has the Carabao Cup streaming rights in Canada with select matches carried from the early rounds.\n\nAustralia: The Carabao Cup broadcaster for fans in Australia is beIN Sports.\n\nWhy is it called Carabao Cup?\n\nThis knockout tournament has historically been called the League Cup or EFL Cup, which unlike the FA Cup which is overseen by the English Football Association (FA), is instead organised by the English Football League (EFL).\n\nThe EFL in the past incorporated each of the top four divisions of English football before the formation of the Premier League in 1992/93. Today, the EFL is comprised of the second-tier Championship, third-tier League One, and fourth-tier League Two. But Premier League clubs are still invited to participate in the League Cup (EFL Cup) every season.\n\nBeginning in the 1990s, corporations began paying to attach their name to this tournament and the sponsor names caught on for brief periods when it was known as the Coca-Cola Cup, the Worthington's Cup, and the Carling Cup.\n\nThe latest sponsor is Thai energy drink company Carabao, which bought the title rights of the knockout tournament beginning with the 2017/18 edition, leading to the use of the Carabao Cup moniker that is popularly used today.", + "It is no wonder Mauricio Pochettino spends most of his time watching Chelsea on the edge of the touchline with his hands clasped tightly in his pockets and a tense expression on his face.\n\nEven with his side 2-0 up and cruising against Blackburn thanks to goals from Benoît Badiashile and a rejuvenated Raheem Sterling, the Chelsea manager was a bundle of nerves throughout what turned out to be a comfortable victory in the end.\n\nBut while the lack of cutting edge that has become a hallmark of the Todd Boehly-era in west London still looms large as he prepares for his first return to table-topping Tottenham on Monday night, Pochettino could take heart from Cole Palmer’s brilliant performance as the former Manchester City forward helped to dispatch Jon Dahl Tomasson’s inexperienced side.\n\nHaving played his part in Badiashile’s opening goal in the defender’s first appearance of the season with a cheeky nutmeg to combine with Conor Gallagher from a quickly-taken corner, Palmer was also involved in Sterling’s goal that sealed this victory in the second half.\n\nQuick Guide Carabao Cup quarter-final draw Show Newcastle will travel to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after knocking out both Manchester clubs. Eddie Howe's side followed up their victory over City with a 3-0 win over United at Old Trafford with goals from Miguel Almirón, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock. The Magpies will now face five-times winners Chelsea, who beat Championship Blackburn thanks to goals from Benoît Badiashile and Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge. West Ham's reward for a 3-1 victory over Arsenal is a trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool, who edged out Bournemouth 2-1 thanks to Darwin Núñez's superb winner, while Everton will play Fulham. There will be a team from the English Football League in the semi-finals with League One Port Vale hosting Championship Middlesbrough. PA Media\n\nDraw Everton v Fulham; Chelsea v Newcastle; Port Vale v Middlesbrough; Liverpool v West Ham. Ties to be played week commencing 18 December. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.\n\nReece James was also a constant menace to Blackburn’s defence as he started for the first time since the opening day of the season on his return from injury and Pochettino admitted he is delighted to have his captain back.\n\n“He is one of the best full-backs in the world and to have been without him for so long has been difficult,” he said. “But we need to be careful and little by little he will get back to full fitness.”\n\nBlackburn’s fortunes since Andy Cole scored the winning goal that saw off Tottenham in the final of this competition more than 20 years ago under Graeme Souness have seen the Lancashire club drop down to the third tier for a season before coming close to reaching the Championship playoffs in the past two campaigns.\n\nThey currently find themselves 12th after an inconsistent start but Tomasson opted against sending out his first-choice team despite Chelsea’s recent vulnerabilities at home, with the 26-year-old captain Lewis Travis the oldest player he selected.\n\nBenoît Badiashile opens the scoring for Chelsea from close range in the first half. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock\n\n“It was the millionaires of the Premier League against the youngsters of the Championship,” reflected the former Denmark forward. “We should be proud of this performance.”\n\nBlackburn certainly managed to cause problems for Chelsea even after the hosts made their intentions clear straight from the kick-off when Nicolas Jackson forced a corner when his shot was blocked. Travis was very lucky not to concede a penalty when he slid in against Sterling after 10 minutes, with no VAR to overrule what looked like a clear and obvious error from the referee Tim Robinson.\n\nIt took a good save from Leopold Wahlstedt to deny James but Blackburn then enjoyed a good period of possession in their opponents’ half. James was inches away from breaking the deadlock midway through the first half but his shot just eluded the far post before Enzo Fernández forced Wahlstedt to palm away his effort soon afterwards.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nBut the Swedish goalkeeper was at fault when Chelsea finally found the goal they were looking for, palming Gallagher’s cross after he had combined with Palmer straight to the feet of Badiashile and he calmly sidefooted home.\n\nBlackburn’s supporters then felt aggrieved when a Callum Brittain cross struck Gallagher’s trailing arm but once again Robinson waved away strong appeals for a penalty.\n\nThe visitors showed they had no intention of surrendering without a fight when Harry Leonard caught Axel Disasi napping and raced onto a long ball at the start of the second half, only to curl his shot wide of the post. Not for the first time, Robert Sánchez was then far too casual as the Chelsea goalkeeper’s pass was almost intercepted.\n\nAlmost 15 minutes had passed by the time Fernández had Chelsea’s first effort of the second half. Palmer came closer from a tight angle but, having cleared the ensuing corner, Blackburn shot themselves in the foot as they tried to play out. Brittain’s pass was intercepted by Palmer and Sterling curled home from the edge of the area to give Pochettino some welcome breathing space. Jackson should have made it even more comfortable but blazed over from close range before the post denied the outstanding Palmer a goal with a deflected shot.\n\nSterling could and probably should have added to his tally after finding space in behind Blackburn’s defence on more than one occasion in the closing stages. But it was Palmer who was afforded a standing ovation when he was withdrawn at the end as Chelsea’s supporters celebrated only their fourth home win of the season – three of them in this competition.", + "What is it, really, about Connor Bedard’s shot — a shot that, though he’s just 18 years old, has for years been talked about as if he has patented it — that makes it so dangerous and unique?\n\nWhat’s the nerdy science of it, from his feet up to his knees, hips, hands and head? How does he prep, shape and let it go? What does it look like to goalies, and to professional shooting coaches, those who’ve taught him — or, more accurately, watched him after he taught himself — and had to stop him? The Athletic spoke with five NHL shooting and skills coaches, his teammates, past opponents and him to try to take apart, piece by piece, “The Bedard.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nTheir intel and stories help frame the NHL’s brightest young star’s signature skill.\n\nIf there’s one thing Tim Turk knows, it’s shooting. A self-described “shooting and scoring coach,” Turk has more than two decades of experience working with NHL stars, national federations and half a dozen NHL teams.\n\nTurk had no idea who Bedard was when he fielded a call from agent Greg Landry of Newport Sports asking him what he was doing tomorrow.\n\n“Tomorrow?” he said. “I’m booked up a year in advance.”\n\n“We have these two players coming in from out west and we want you to see them,” Landry said.\n\n“Listen, I’m booked up,” Turk said again.\n\n“You have to see them,” Landry insisted.\n\nAfter moving around his schedule, Turk found himself at Gary Roberts’ personal rink in Uxbridge, Ontario.\n\n“Hey guys, I’m Tim Turk,” he said as he stepped into the small locker room.\n\n“My name’s Nate,” said the redhead, extending a hand.\n\n“My name’s Connor,” said the other, standing shorter and extending his.\n\n“All right, well we’re just going to go out and I’m going to do an evaluation on you and do some shooting and have some fun, and I’ll make suggestions but I’m not here to change anything,” Turk said, giving the two boys his usual spiel and thinking nothing of it.\n\nThat evaluation is what he calls an “NHL protocol observation assessment,” which runs new clients through specific drills that allow him to visualize their shooting actions from a technical standpoint (he calls each player’s shot “like a fingerprint”).\n\nThat starts with Turk throwing some pucks down in the slot and simply asking them to shoot them stationary so he can watch their body formation, hip and shoulder positions, spine angles and puck preparation and positioning, paying particular attention to where the puck starts in their stance versus where it finishes.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOn that day, Nate (Danielson, the Red Wings’ 2023 No. 9 pick) went first, and Turk could tell he was a talented and hard-working player with a good shot and real promise.\n\nThen, on Connor’s turn, Turk placed him in a position and watched how he got the puck ready to shoot. Only Connor didn’t stickhandle and prepare for the shot, he just took the puck and shot it right away.\n\nAfter watching him run through the same number of shots as Nate did, Turk spoke for the first time.\n\n“Timeout one second, just give me a second here, I’m just trying to see what you’re doing so I’m going to have you take an extra few shots so that I can analyze where the puck’s starting and where it’s finishing,” he said.\n\nAnother round later, he knew that this Connor kid, whose last name he still didn’t know and who was then 16, was very different from even his high-end peers simply by his proficiency in shooting from a “frontal position.”\n\nWhile almost all players point their toes at the net, set the puck at a right angle, load their shot and “drag it in and then snap it off,” Turk says, on a line of 40 to 50 degrees behind their body or at least level with their heels, Bedard brought the puck in “completely lateral.”\n\nInstead of drawing the puck in at a 45-degree angle, he drew it at 180 degrees “right across to the plane of his spine.” Sometimes it even came in at a negative angle. It also happened in a smaller space than it does for other shooters. That lateral inward pull was “condensed — it’s compacted.”\n\nTurk says that Vladimir Tarasenko, whom Turk calls one of the NHL’s quickest shooters, takes 18 inches to pull the puck in. Bedard did it all in 12 square inches — a one-foot box.\n\nTurk’s reaction?\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I was like holy f—,” he said, spelling out the whole profanity, “because the only other person that I know who does it quite like that is No. 34 in Toronto (Auston Matthews), and he still doesn’t bring it in as lateral as Bedzy does.”\n\nAfter the stationary shooting, they got into some motion drills.\n\nEvery time Turk introduced a new formation and shot type for Bedard, his application was “simplistic, and he made it look easy.”\n\nView this post on Instagram A post shared by Tim Turk Hockey (@timturkhockey)\n\nWhen it was over, both kids said, “This was fun, thanks coach Turky,” and Turk got in his car and drove home.\n\nThe next day, he got another call from Landry asking him what he was doing Thursday because the two boys had asked if they could have him back for another session.\n\n“Well who the f— are these guys?” Turk finally asked him.\n\n“Turky, it’s Connor Bedard,” Landry said.\n\n“Who’s Connor Bedard?” Turk asked.\n\nAfter the second session that same week, Turk didn’t work with Bedard again until a stick manufacturer tried to pitch Bedard, who asked if Turk could be there when he test-drove the sticks.\n\nBy then, Turk knew the Bedard name and came away from another session with another takeaway, picking up on Bedard’s eye contact and ability to change his mind mid-shot.\n\n“What makes him unique is that he can be selective with it,” Turk said.\n\nWhen he looks back on that first blind introduction, Turk laughs.\n\n“You know, most, when you’re in a non-pressure, non-stressful situation, you’ll play around with the puck a lot and then you’ll take your shot because I’m telling them to take their time,” he said. “To me, when he takes a shot, it looks like he just bends down, picks it up with his hand and places it where he wants to.\n\n“He believes that ‘Hey, f— it, the puck is only two and a half inches wide, I can put it wherever I want.'”\n\nToday, Turk would take Bedard’s shot against anyone’s.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“On a shot release basis only, if I had to bet on who could get the puck off the quickest, with the most deception, with optimal speed, power and accuracy based on a starting point to a finishing point, I’m picking Connor Bedard over Auston Matthews,” Turk said. “And I’m not taking anything away from Auston. It’s just a little bit different because one’s a righty, one’s a lefty and one’s got a little bit of a higher-angle pull-in change.”\n\nIf there’s one thing Nick Quinn wants people to know about “The Bedard,” it’s that it isn’t just some natural gift.\n\n“I can tell you firsthand it didn’t happen by accident. Connor’s worked on this since he was little,” said Quinn, an NHL skills coach who has worked with Bedard each summer for several years.\n\nIf there’s another, it’s how hard Bedard’s shot is to defend because he doesn’t show you he’s preparing for it.\n\n“As replicated in so many other areas of Connor’s game, it’s the deception and elite multi-tasking that catches opponents off guard,” Quinn said. “Connor’s ability to create deception and change the shot angle at top speed is like very few I’ve ever seen. The multi-tasking involved with attempting these shots at top speed is far beyond most player’s capabilities.”\n\nAnother shooting coach, who requested anonymity for this story because he works for another NHL club, pointed to Bedard’s hands and legs.\n\n“What’s really interesting is how high and left he can get his top hand,” the coach said. “So many players pull the puck in but can’t get the puck to release from under their body. His footwork is so underrated in that aspect. If you watch his front leg, at times it’s literally in the air at release — most have their back leg in the air at release. When he transfers his weight, he actually clears space for his hands to get tighter because he’s not afraid to actually lunge into the shot.”\n\nA fourth shooting coach, who hasn’t worked with Bedard and also requested anonymity because he works for another NHL club, expressed a little more hesitancy.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I’m in the minority I’m sure, but I am very curious to see how well his trademark shooting style works at this level,” the coach said. “He really likes to pull pucks right into his feet. I really like his mechanics with his hands off his body and whippy stick — but I feel this habit makes it easier for elite level ‘D’ to get stick on puck or in the lanes to block shots. Finding space and time to let that shot go and get clean looks, I think, will be an adjustment.”\n\nFor goalies, it’s the angle change that gets them.\n\nMoose Jaw Warriors goalie Jackson Unger, whom Bedard scored on last year, said the toe-drag release, in particular, is a challenge.\n\n“He changes the angle so quickly that, as a goalie, you have to adjust to it, but when he does it so fast, it’s easier said than done,” Unger said. “It’s a lot of different angles he can give you.”\n\nSabres first-round pick Zach Benson, who has played on teams with and against Bedard and skates with him in the summers, says it’s Bedard’s ability to set up the shot with his agility pre-shot that stands out to him.\n\n“He can move left to right like no one I’ve seen before,” Benson said.\n\n“It’s just trying to get out, face him, and hope it hits ya,” said Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds goalie and Buffalo Sabres prospect, with a smile. “He can shoot from anywhere and he’s lethal from anywhere. You’ve just always got to be ready just in case he shoots it. And then he’s got a really good toe drag release, so it’s watching for that and making sure you’re lined up.”\n\nA number of Chicago Blackhawks over the last few decades liked to put in extra time shooting. Patrick Kane would stay out with the young guys, including Alex DeBrincat, well after practice to play shooting games. But even they had a limit.\n\nBedard doesn’t have much of a limit. It’s common for him to be on the ice an hour after practice taking shots from all over the ice. He even got a few other rookies, especially defenseman Kevin Korchinski, to join him on a regular basis. As the media waits for Bedard at his dressing room stall for interviews, he shoots and shoots and shoots.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBlackhawks coach Luke Richardson has been around long enough to see that in a few other special players.\n\n“I know Jaromir Jagr did this for a long time,” Richardson said. “Even at the end of his career — and he skated around and he had the weights around the bottom of his ankles, practiced full practices like that. It’s happened. That’s their life. They love it so much and they have to be out there. That’s where they feel comfortable and don’t get tired. Hopefully, they go home and have a nap in the afternoon and not watch ‘Young and the Restless.’ Take it easy and get ready for the next day. It does add up when you put the hours of the week in.”\n\nBedard has downplayed his lengthy post-practice sessions. To him, it’s not like he has weights on his ankles. He’s just shooting, nothing too strenuous.\n\nFor someone who shoots as much as Bedard does, you’d think he would gladly accept being called a shooter. He doesn’t.\n\n“I say it a lot: I don’t feel like I’m a shooter,” he said. “I’m just trying to make the right play. If the shot’s there, I’ll take it. Obviously, the goalies are good, you got to hit your spot.”\n\nBlackhawks goalie Arvid Söderblom would certainly call Bedard a shooter. Söderblom and Petr Mrazek have faced more shots from Bedard than any NHL goalies this season. The challenge for them is that Bedard doesn’t just shoot one way. He’s unpredictable.\n\n“When you have that type of shot, quick release, moves his body and shifts angles on the puck, it makes it harder on the goalies,” Söderblom said. “You just saw the two goals (on Sunday against the Florida Panthers), both were quick releases. He finds that open net. He’s a pure goal scorer. It’s fun to have on the team and face him every day and see him take steps, too.”\n\nWhile goalies are trying to figure out Bedard, he’s been putting in the time to do the same with them. For one, he learned to utilize his teammates more. He accumulated plenty of shots on net early in the season, but they were often from distance and more individualistic chances. Then, he scored his first NHL goal on a wraparound and his next three goals off passes from teammates.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Look, I’m sure he’ll figure out the one-on-one and how to score that way or create chances that way,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “There is also an element of working off your teammates. You are in the NHL, so everyone is a pretty good player and you’re able to create using more than just yourself. I think he’s figured that out.”\n\nBedard found more success on the Blackhawks’ last road trip. He left Chicago with five goals in 11 games and returned from Florida with nine goals in 13 games, scoring twice against the Tampa Bay Lightning and again against the Panthers.\n\nBedard wasn’t so reliant on teammates on those goals, either. They were more about the work he’s putting in on the other side of the puck.\n\n“Even in practice, we’ve talked to him about maybe tracking harder and attacking pucks on the forecheck and showing him a couple clips,” Richardson said. “Ten, 12 games in, he’s really figuring things out and realizes — why sit back and let things come to him? Go get it.”\n\nNone of this is surprising to anyone involved. Bedard doesn’t show it if he impresses himself. And as grateful as the Blackhawks are to have drafted Bedard, this is what they expected. This is why teams lined up to take losses last season.\n\n“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL. You just never how quickly.\n\n“It’s a big adjustment, especially when you’re playing against men and being focused on by the other team every single night. I’m excited for him, but I don’t necessarily feel like it’s a huge surprise how quickly he’s started to really find his groove at the NHL level. But it’s exciting to watch.”\n\n(Top photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)", + "Although they’ve played eight games, roughly a quarter of their schedule, the USC Trojans basketball team hasn’t really forged an identity.\n\nAndy Enfield’s team has one of the nation’s top freshmen in Isaiah Collier, a senior who most college basketball fans are familiar with in Boogie Ellis, and most recently lost to Gonzaga in Las Vegas 89-76 in a statement game.\n\nThe statement is that they’re not as good as they were expected to be.\n\nUSC posted wins over Kansas State and Seton Hall in November, but lost a tight game to a Oklahoma to end the month and then really struggled against the Bulldogs at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 2, trailing from start to finish. Gonzaga led by as many as 18 points, overcame Ellis scoring 28 and outscored the Trojans 21-8 on fast breaks.\n\nAt the moment, USC isn’t making the most of a talented roster. We’re about to see whether Bronny James can have a positive impact since he’s expected to make his debut on Sunday against Long Beach State.\n\nBronny James expected to make collegiate debut Sunday\n\nJames, the oldest son of LeBron James, is going to play his first college game on Sunday against Long Beach State after suffering cardiac arrest while practicing this summer. He's expected to be on a minutes restriction, but he’ll be moving into the role that was envisioned for him as an impactful presence off the bench.\n\nHe may immediately provide a boost off the bench since USC can definitely use another body to improve depth.\n\nJames, a guard, is listed at 6-foot-4, weighs 210 pounds, and had a great prep career. ESPN viewed him as a top-20 recruit.\n\nJames excelled in the McDonald’s All-American game, made big plays to aid Team USA’s win in the most recent Hoop Summit and is expected to contribute immediately. It really doesn’t matter if he’s starting, but whether he’s on the court to close out games will be intriguing to see.\n\nMore college hoops: Best college basketball betting sites | Latest sports betting promos\n\nUSC basketball futures odds to win Pac-12, make Final Four\n\nHere are the latest futures odds for USC at top-rated sportsbooks:\n\nUSC hasn’t done much to enhance or tarnish its resume in the season’s first few weeks. A loss to UC Irvine doesn’t help its at-large chances but isn’t a deal-breaker either. A solid showing in Pac-12 play should see them enter the NCAA Tournament field of 68 comfortably.\n\nWhile UCLA isn’t expected to be as formidable as it has been in years past, Arizona is ranked No. 1 nationally and is basically an even money choice to win the Pac-12 as a clear favorite. At most books, USC is ranked as the second choice to win the conference behind the Wildcats.\n\nThey’re listed as high as to win the National Championship depending on where you shop, so there’s definitely an opportunity to cash in on them if you’re bullish on their ability to improve and blossom into a title contender.\n\nCollier (+3500) and Ellis () have odds on them in the Player of the Year race, with Purdue’s Zach Edey basically an even money favorite since he won last season and is off to a terrific start. Collier, a freshman, has lived up to the hype, averaging 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists through his first eight games.\n\nHe’s scored in double-figures each time out and has set a personal-best with six assists in each of the last two games. One concern is that he went just 2-for-6 from the free-throw line in the loss to Gonzaga, but he had shot the ball reasonably well beforehand so his off night may have just been an aberration.\n\nEllis is one of college basketball’s best scorers, a shot creator who can get hot from the perimeter, so he should also enjoy a strong season in conference play.\n\nSmall forward Kobe Johnson, younger brother of Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, is a great glue guy who can score, rebound and facilitate. 6-foot-6 Washington State transfer DJ Rodman, 6-foot-11 senior Joshua Morgan, 6-foot-11 freshman Arrinten Page and 7-foot-1 sophomore x-factor Vincent Iwuchukwu anchor the frontcourt, so James will have plenty of bodyguards and will presumably get minutes at the guard spots.\n\nIwuchukwu, who had his own health scare last season, was one of the nation’s top recruits and comes off Enfield’s bench. His potential as a game-changer is well known, but he’s striving for consistency. If he and James develop chemistry among the USC reserves, this team is going to be tough to handle over the course of 40 minutes on a nightly basis.\n\nLong Beach State vs. USC odds: Point spread, total\n\nHere are the latest college basketball betting odds for Long Beach vs. USC:\n\nSpread: LBSU 14.5 (-110); USC 14.5 (-110)\n\nTotal: 159.5 (OVER/UNDER -110)\n\nSunday's game against Long Beach State represents USC’s last home game until conference play begins in January. The 49ers are 6-4 and have wins over major conference squads in DePaul and Michigan.\n\nThey upset the Wolverines in Ann Arbor and have beaten Iona, Montana State, and Sacramento State since then, losing to Illinois State and Louisiana. Highly respected head coach Dan Monson leads a solid team that is plenty capable of pulling off an upset at the Galen Center, so tread lightly if you’re wagering on Bronny’s debut.\n\nFollowing this contest, the Trojans will visit Auburn and Alabama State as they venture into the south to prepare for conference play. USC opens Pac-12 play at Oregon and Oregon State late this month before hosting Cal and Stanford. They’ll only be an underdog against the Ducks, so there is a great opportunity on paper to get off to a strong start.\n\nThe Trojans play Arizona and UCLA twice, so their schedule is difficult, but there’s no question there’s enough talent in place to make a run at a title despite what went down last weekend against Gonzaga. If James is special as a difference maker, the Trojans are talented enough to factor into the Pac-12 race.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nThere are still tons of Apple Black Friday deals you can shop for online; these are our favorites.\n\nMost of Apple’s current-generation devices went on sale for Black Friday — and most of those deals look like they’ll carry over through the weekend and into Cyber Monday. That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more. Some of the prices are new lows and many others match the record prices we’ve seen previously. We’ve tested and reviewed nearly every device below, so check out the links to our full reviews and guides if you need help deciding which deals to snag. These are the best Apple Black Friday deals you can still get today from retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy and B&H Photo.\n\nAirPod Black Friday deals\n\nAirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)\n\nWhen Apple announced the new iPhone 15 and its conversion to USB-C charging, the company also revealed the second generation AirPods Pro with the same connector. That version has dropped to $190 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy. They’ve gone or as low as $189 recently, so this is within a dollar of that price. Other than the port, the hardware hasn’t changed so you’re still getting the earbuds we named the best pick for iPhone users in our guide. In addition to pairing well with Apple’s handsets, the buds also offer one of the best transparency modes on the market along with solid ANC and richer fuller sound than the previous generation Pros. The Lightning version is on sale for $169 at Walmart and $185 at Verizon.\n\nRead our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)\n\nAirPods Max\n\nThe over-ear AirPods Max are normally far too expensive for us to recommend. But now they're down to $450, which is a new low price and $30 cheaper than Prime Day in October. Get the deal at Amazon or Best Buy. They're $519 at B&H Photo. They are well-designed, comfortable, and implement all of the helpful Siri integrations. We also like the great noise cancellation and Spatial Audio. While they’re a little heavy, the fit is still comfortable and the on-device controls, while unique, are simple and “a joy to use.”\n\nAirPods (3rd gen)\n\nThe third generation AirPods with the Lightning charging case are down to $140 at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. They carry a list price of $169 but often sell for closer to $150, so this is $10 off the usual. These non-Pro AirPods came out in 2021 and got a review score of 88 from us. They pair quickly with iPhones and are a good complement to Siri’s helpfulness. They don’t have ANC however — you’ll need to go for the AirPods Pro for that feature — but they do have Adaptive EQ which monitors and adapts sound in real time. The fit is comfortable and they’re water-resistant so they can handle workouts or the weather.\n\nMacBook Black Friday Day deals\n\nMacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023, M3)\n\nThe base model, 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M3 chip just came out in October but is already$150 off for Black Friday. After testing the new chip, we think the base model with 8GB of RAM may quickly get bogged down. If it's within your budget, we recommend the model with 16GB of RAM, which is $150 off at B&H photo. And if you upgrade to a model with the M3 Pro chip for an even speedier experience — you'll get a $200 discount as it's down to $2,199 at B&H Photo. We gave the new M3 MacBook Pros an appreciative review and named them the best option for creatives in our buyer’s guide.\n\nRead our review of the new MacBook Pros with the M3 chip\n\nMacBook Air (15-inch, 2023, M2)\n\nThe 15-inch MacBook Air arrived in June and added a little more screen real estate to an already great machine. It’s down to $1,049 for Black Friday at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s the same as the all-time low it’s hit a few times these past couple of months. It's $200 off at B&H Photo. We gave it a 96 in our review and liked how the bigger screen let you get the most out of the M2 processor.\n\nNow that the M3 MacBook Pros have arrived, we’re guessing Apple will come out with M3-enabled Air models in 2024. Still the M2 has plenty of processing power and will serve you well as both a casual machine for playing games and watching shows, but can also hold its own with productivity tasks.\n\nMacBook Air (13-inch, 2022, M2)\n\nThe M2-powered, 13-inch MacBook Air is on sale for $929 at B&H Photo. It’s our top recommendation for a MacBook and beat out all brands in our laptop guide. The M2 chip is impressively fast and capable, the design is solid and the display is lovely. It’s more than capable for both work and play and should give you years of dependable use. But, again, the M3-enabled Airs are likely on their way in 2024. So if you know you’re drawn to the newest thing, you might want to wait.\n\nMacBook Air (13-inch, 2020, M1)\n\nThe MacBook Air with the M1 chip is a couple years old at this point, but still officially part of Apple’s laptop lineup. It dropped to an all-time low of $750 for October’s Prime Day at Amazon and now Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for the same price. It’s the budget pick in our guide to MacBooks and the top pick in our guide to budget laptops. Check out our review from when it first came out in which we praised its quick speeds, excellent screen and good battery life.\n\nApple Watch Black Friday deals\n\nApple Watch Ultra 2\n\nPhoto by Cherlynn Low / Engadget Apple Watch Ultra 2 $730 $799 Save $69 with coupon The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has hit a new low price of $730, which is $69 off and cheaper than it was for October's Prime Day. Clip the on-page coupon to get the full deal. Save $69 with coupon $730 at Amazon\n\nThe Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now $730 with an attached coupon, which is $69 off and a new low price. Get the deal at Amazon or without the coupon at Best Buy for $739. The Ultra 2 has the same new chip as the Apple Watch Series 9 so it can perform the new Double Tap trick, but also sports a more robust build and outdoor-specific features that make it suited to adventurers. There’s a siren to alert people to your presence as well as a dive meter, waypoint setting capabilities and night mode to preserve your low-light vision. It's our recommended Apple Watch for adventurers.\n\nCheck out our guide to the best Apple Watches for 2023\n\nApple Watch Series 9\n\nThe new Apple Watch Series 9 is seeing a $70 discount that brings it to $330 at Amazon, Target and Walmart. That's a new low for the wearable. It debuted alongside the iPhone 15 back in September and the big change this time around is a new SiP (system in package) chip that allows for a Double Tap feature that lets you tap your thumb and forefinger together to answer calls and more. It also allows for the onboard processing of Siri requests, making simple demands (like starting a timer or a workout) happen faster.\n\nThe Series 9 has an always-on display and when paired with the Sport Loop is a carbon neutral product. As has been the case for many years now, the Apple Watch is an excellent fitness companion, offering comprehensive health and activity data. It also happens to be our favorite smartwatch for most people.\n\nRead our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9\n\nApple Watch SE\n\nThe most affordable smartwatch in the lineup is the Apple Watch SE, which is now down to $179. It has a list price of $249 but has regularly sold for $220 lately. We called it the best smartwatch money can buy in our review when it came out in 2022. It lacks an always-on display and a few of the more specialized health sensors, like the blood oxygen app, but the fitness features and tracking data are well-rounded, plus the notifications and integrations are particularly convenient for iPhone users.\n\nApple iPad Black Friday deals\n\niPad (9th generation)\n\nApple’s ninth generation standard iPad dropped to a new all-time low of $249 during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale and then hovered at the price for the next few weeks. Now it’s down to $230 at Amazon and Target. It’s not the newest slate, but it’s the recommended budget pick in our guide to the best Apple Tablets because it’s powerful enough for couch surfing, playing Apple Arcade games and watching Netflix — plus it's the most affordable way to get an iPad.\n\niPad (10th generation)\n\nThe tenth generation iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon and Target, which is $100 off the list price. It has often sold for $399 lately so this is still $50 off the typical street price. We don’t think it’s a wild improvement over the previous generation, though it does orient the camera to the landscape edge, which is much better for video calling. The USB-C charging is more modern than the Lightning connector on the 9th gen iPad, but for some reason this model still works with the first generation Apple Pencil (even though the slate came out after the second-gen stylus).\n\niPad Air\n\nThe base model of the latest generation of the iPad Air has an MSRP of $599 and is now down to $499, a price its hit quite a few times in 2023. This is the iPad we recommend for most people because it’s speedy, has a great screen and works with current-generation accessories. It can act as a rather powerful entertainment option for games and streaming, but is powerful enough to serve as a productivity device when paired up with a stylus or mouse and a keyboard. Now that the M3 chip has been loosed upon the world, the iPad Air, which houses the M1 chip, is primed for an update, which will likely come next year (along with a potential price increase).\n\niPad mini\n\nFor a more portable iPad experience, the iPad mini offers a bigger screen than your phone, but is barely as easy to carry around with you. It’s listed at $499, but has dropped as low as $400 many times this year. Now it’s back down to that low at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. The smaller iPad got a refresh last year, adding a new Liquid Retina screen, a Touch-ID top button instead of a Home button, and a USB-C charging. The performance is snappy and the integration with the second-generation Apple Pencil makes it excel as a digital notebook. As we said in our review, with the mini, Apple “quashes notion that ‘smaller’ means ‘lesser.’”\n\nApple accessories Black Friday deals\n\n$100 Apple Gift Card + $15 Amazon credit\n\nIf you purchase an Apple gift card totaling $100 or more from the retailer, you can get $15 in Amazon store credit for no extra cost. Just use the code APPLET5USA at checkout to see the offer. The deal applies to the digital version of the card; as of this writing, you can get the credit with a physical Apple gift card as well by using the code APPLET5USAP, though you may not want to clip the coupon on those cards' product page, as Amazon's listing says that will only give you a $10 credit. As a reminder, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store.\n\nMagic Keyboard\n\nApple's Magic Keyboard is our pick for one of the best iPad accessories you can buy. It's a pretty pricey add-on but now that it's down to $215 at Amazon, it's a little easier to justify. It magnetically attaches to the latest iPad Pros and keeps them “floating” above the keyboard (which also has a trackpad). We found it comfortable for typing and like that it acts as a cover when closed.\n\nCheck out our guide to the best iPad accessories for 2023\n\nApple AirTags\n\nA four-pack of Apple AirTags is $80 right now at Amazon, thanks to a 19 percent discount. They go for $29 each at full price, so the deal will save you $9 a pop. AirTags are our top picks for Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users as they tap into Apple’s disturbingly vast FindMy network, using other Apple mobiles to find your lost stuff. If you want just a single AirTag, you can grab one for $24 (a $5 discount) at Walmart and Target.\n\nApple Pencil\n\nApple now makes three different Apple Pencils. The original recharges via Lightning. The second generation recharges wirelessly and the new USB-C looks a lot like the first generation, but charges via USB-C instead of lighting. Each one has different iPad compatibility with iPads. While that part is confusing, the pencil itself is rather elegant and one of the best accessories for your iPad. The 1st gen pencil is on sale for $73 at Amazon, while the 2nd generation stylus is down to $89. The USB-C model has an MSRP of $79 but is down to $71 at Amazon.\n\nApple TV 4K\n\nThe Apple TV 4K is our favorite premium streaming device and is currently $125 at B&H Photo. That's not a huge discount, but the streaming box rarely goes on sale. We gave it a 94 in our review because it’s fast, has an excellent Siri remote and integrates seamlessly with Apple’s overall ecosystem. Navigation is clean and easy to use, plus the device can stream in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision.\n\nMac Mini M2\n\nThe base model of Apple diminutive desktop computer, the Mac mini, is currently on sale for $100 off for Black Friday at Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy. It earned an 86 in our review because it packs a lot of processing power, using the same M2 chip as the two current-model MacBook Airs — but it’s much cheaper than either laptop. If you need a little more storage, you can get it with 512GB of SSD for $699 at B&H Photo.\n\nYour Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "Argentina continue their start to CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying with a home date against Paraguay, the first of two qualifiers for the world champions in this international break.\n\nLionel Messi has been dealing with fitness concerns the past few weeks, missing significant time for his club Inter Miami, but he is on the roster and expected to play a part for the national team. According to a report from Argentina, Messi will not start tonight's match, but he is likely to play much or all of the second half.\n\nHe is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line. With Angel Di Maria not fit for duty this month, that will be even more in the spotlight here and in the follow-up in Peru.\n\nParaguay were not close to qualifying for the last World Cup, unable to reach a FIFA tournament since 2010. However, with the 2026 World Cup field — and by extension, qualifying across all federations — expanding this cycle, Los Guaranies will consider themselves real contenders for a spot and thus points will be at a premium in every match.\n\nLIVE BLOG: Follow along with updates, highlights, and commentary as Argentina meet Paraguay\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay live stream, TV channel\n\nFollowing an agreement at the 11th hour of the September international break, broadcast rights for Argentina's home World Cup qualifiers in the United States have been secured by Telemundo and Univision. That means viewers in the USA can watch this match on Universo, with streaming on Fubo as well as the company's premium subscription services.\n\nThe match is not set to be available globally to regions including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as CONMEBOL has yet to sell broadcast rights to a provider in those territories. The match is, however, available on FIFA+ for free in select territories.\n\nOther territories with broadcast options for this match include Malaysia (Astro Supersport), Argentina (TyC Sports), Brazil (SporTV 2), France (L'Equipe Web), Spain (Movistar), and Saudi Arabia (SSC).\n\nMORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA | Watch EPL in Canada\n\nTV channel Streaming USA Universo Fubo, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo NOW UK — — Australia — — Canada — — India — — New Zealand — — Malaysia Astro Supersport Astro Go, sooka Singapore — — Hong Kong — —\n\nWhat time does Argentina vs Paraguay kick off?\n\nThis CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Monumental kicks off on Thursday, October 12 at 8 p.m. local time in Buenos Aires.\n\nHere's how that time translates across some of the major territories:\n\nDate Kickoff time USA/Canada Thu, Oct. 12 7 p.m. ET USA/Canada Thu, Oct. 12 4 p.m. PT UK Fri, Oct. 13 12 a.m. BST Australia Fri, Oct. 13 9 a.m. AEST India Fri, Oct. 13 4:30 a.m. IST Hong Kong Fri, Oct. 13 7 a.m. HKT Malaysia Fri, Oct. 13 7 a.m. MYT Singapore Fri, Oct. 13 7 a.m. SGT New Zealand Fri, Oct. 13 11 a.m. NZST\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay starting lineups & team news\n\nArgentina head coach Lionel Scaloni named a bloated 36-man squad for the matches against Paraguay and Peru this month, but Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, and Juan Foyth were forced to withdraw due to injury. Lisandro Martinez is also unavailable after having to undergo another foot operation.\n\nNow that Inter Miami's playoff run is officially over, Argentina can feel a little better about deploying Lionel Messi at full 90-minute use despite his recent fitness issues, knowing his club season is nearly over and he'll have months of rest upcoming. Messi missed the last match against Bolivia, and missed four Inter Miami games after, but he returned for a half-hour of action in their final fixture before the international break. However, he doesn't start, but is reportedly fit enough to come off the bench for most or all of the second half.\n\nNicolas Tagliafico started both matches in September, and while Marcos Acuna is back with the team following an injury, the former retains his starting spot. Messi's club teammate Facundo Farias was also included on the roster but it'd be surprising if he saw the field.\n\nMORE: Preview the Argentina vs Paraguay match with picks, predictions, and odds\n\nArgentina starting lineup (4-3-3): E. Martinez (GK) — Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico — De Paul, Mac Allister, E. Fernandez — J. Alvarez, L. Martinez, N. Gonzalez.\n\nNew Paraguay head coach Daniel Garnero, making his debut, has rung the changes after falling to Venezuela last time out, making five alterations to that starting lineup. The entire midfield is swapped out, while Adam Bareiro takes over at striker, earning his debut international cap in place of Gabriel Avalos.\n\nForward Miguel Almiron is Paraguay's most prominent goalscoring threat and is in good form, with three goals in his past five matches for Newcastle United.\n\nParaguay have questions at goalkeeper, as mainstay Antony Silva has been phased out, leaving three inexperienced internationals currently on the roster. New York Red Bulls starter Carlos Coronel earned his first two caps in the September matches and he remains in net here. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Diego Gomez was named to the Paraguay roster but was forced to withdraw due to injury.\n\nParaguay starting lineup (5-4-1): C. Coronel (GK) — I. Ramirez, G. Gomez, Balbuena, Alonso, Espinoza — R Sanchez, Campuzano, Almiron, Bareiro — Sosa.\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay betting odds & lines\n\nIn Canada, bet CONMEBOL at Sports Interaction: See the latest odds for Argentina vs Paraguay here", + "Meta has a moderation bias problem, not just a ‘bug,’ that’s suppressing Palestinian voices Instagram users suspect Meta of shadowbanning content about Palestine. The platform has a history of inherent bias.\n\nEarlier this year, Palestinian-American filmmaker Khitam Jabr posted a handful of Reels about her family’s trip to the West Bank. In the short travel vlogs, Jabr shared snippets of Palestinian culture, from eating decadent meals to dancing at her niece’s wedding.\n\n“I hadn’t been in a decade, so it’s just like, life abroad,” Jabr told TechCrunch.\n\n“I would get [anti-Palestine] comments,” she recalled. “And I couldn’t respond [to them] or use my account for 24 hours. I wasn’t even posting anything about the occupation. But fast forward to now and the same shit’s happening.”\n\nIn the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israelis, Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and total blockade — cutting access to electricity, water and vital supplies — have devastated Gaza. In response to the escalating violence, Meta said that it is closely monitoring its platforms for violations and may inadvertently flag certain content, but it never intends to “suppress a particular community or point of view.” Content praising or supporting Hamas, which governs Gaza and is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, is expressly forbidden on Meta’s platforms.\n\nAs the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire, many social media users suspect Instagram of censoring content about the besieged Palestinian territory, even if that content doesn’t support Hamas. Users have also complained that they’ve been harassed and reported for posting content about Palestine, regardless of whether or not it violates Meta’s policies. Jabr, for example, suspects that Instagram restricted her for 24 hours because other users reported her Palestine travel videos. Most recently, Instagram users accused Meta of “shadowbanning” their Stories about Palestine.\n\nIt’s the latest in a lengthy history of incidents on Meta platforms that reflect an inherent bias against Palestinian users in its processes, as documented by years of complaints from both inside and outside the company. The company may not intentionally suppress specific communities, but its moderation practices often disproportionately affect Palestinian users.\n\nFor instance, Meta struggles to navigate the cultural and linguistic nuances of Arabic, a language with over 25 dialects, and has been criticized for neglecting to adequately diversify its language resources. The company’s black-and-white policies often preclude it from effectively moderating any nuanced topic, like content that discusses violence without condoning it. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns that Meta’s partnerships with government agencies, such as the Israeli Cyber Unit, politically influence the platform’s policy decisions.\n\nDuring the last violent outbreak between Hamas and Israel in 2021, a report commissioned by Meta and conducted by a third party concluded that the company’s actions had an “adverse human rights impact” on Palestinian users’ right to freedom of expression and political participation.\n\nMeta communications director Andy Stone declined to comment on the record, and pointed TechCrunch to Meta’s newsroom post about the conflict, which was updated on Oct. 18 with a statement addressing the shadowbanning claims.\n\n“Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice,” the post stated. “We apply these policies equally around the world and there is no truth to the suggestion that we are deliberately suppressing voice … We can make errors and that is why there is an appeals process for people to tell us when they think we have made the wrong decision, so we can look into it.”\n\nThe belief that Meta shadowbans, or limits the visibility of, content about Palestine is not new. In an Instagram Story last year, supermodel and activist Bella Hadid, who is of Palestinian descent, alleged that Instagram “disabled” her from posting content on her Story “pretty much only when it is Palestine based.” She said she gets “immediately shadowbanned” when she posts about Palestine, and her Story views drop by “almost 1 million.”\n\nAs soon as Kehlani got super vocal and changed her profile picture to “i stand with Palestine” she got shadowbanned.\n\nJust as they did to Bella Hadid. The propaganda is insane.\n\nTHEY TRY TO SILENCE US. DON’T STOP!!\n\nFREE PALESTINE. 🇵🇸🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/4lUvZsUbiA — Sabby Targaryen 🐉 (@whoisitbad) October 14, 2023\n\nMeta blamed technical errors for the removal of posts about Palestine during the 2021 conflict. When reached for comment about these recent claims of shadowbanning, a representative for the company pointed TechCrunch to a Threads post by Stone.\n\n“We identified a bug impacting all Stories that re-shared Reels and Feed posts, meaning they weren’t showing up properly in people’s Stories tray, leading to significantly reduced reach,” Stone said. “This bug affected accounts equally around the globe and had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content — and we fixed it as quickly as possible.”\n\nBut many are frustrated that Meta continues to disproportionately suppress Palestinian voices. Leen Al Saadi, a Palestinian journalist currently based in Jordan and host of the podcast “Preserving Palestine,” said she is used to “constantly being censored.” Her Instagram account was restricted last year after she posted a trailer for the podcast’s first episode, which discussed a documentary about Palestinian street art under occupation.\n\n“Palestinians are currently undergoing two wars,” Al Saadi said. “The first is with their legal occupier. The second war is with the entire Western media landscape, and when I say the entire landscape, I mean social media.”\n\nMeta’s alleged shadowbanning\n\nInstagram users accuse Meta of suppressing more than just Stories related to Palestine.\n\nCreators say engagement on their posts tanked specifically after they publicly condemned Israel’s response to the Hamas attack as excessively violent. Some, like Jabr, say they were restricted from posting or going live, while others say Instagram flagged their content as “sensitive,” limiting its reach. Users also allege their posts were flagged as “inappropriate” and removed, even if the content adhered to Instagram’s Community Guidelines.\n\nMeta’s representative didn’t address the other accusations of censorship beyond just Story visibility and did not respond to TechCrunch’s follow-up questions. When asked for comment, Stone directed TechCrunch to Meta’s updated newsroom post, which said Meta identified and fixed a “bug” that prevented users from going live.\n\n“This was also a global issue that was fixed within a few hours. We understand people rely on these tools and we’re sorry to anyone who felt the impact of these issues,” the post stated.\n\nIt’s unclear if this “bug” impacted accounts posting content unrelated to Gaza. Instagram users have posted screenshots showing that Stories about Palestine have received significantly fewer views than other Stories posted on the same day, and allege that their view counts went back up when they posted content unrelated to the conflict.\n\nofc IG’s hiding my stories about Palestine, y’all see the difference? lmaoaoaoao pic.twitter.com/1iYIIKBhtN — ༒︎ (@arxbprince) October 15, 2023\n\nA user based in Egypt, who asked to stay anonymous for fear of harassment, said her posts usually get around 300 views, but when she started posting pro-Palestine content after the Hamas attack earlier this month, her stories would only get one to two views.\n\n“It happened to all my friends, too,” she continued. “Then we noticed that posting a random pic would get higher views. So by posting a random pic, then a pro-Palestine post, would increase the views.”\n\nAnother Instagram user based in the United Kingdom, who also asked to stay anonymous out of fear of harassment, said that his view count returned to normal when he posted a cat photo.\n\n“My stories went from 100s of views to zero or a handful,” he said. “I’ve had to post intermittent non-Gaza content in order to ‘release’ my stories to be viewed again.”\n\nIt isn’t just Stories. The Arab Center for Social Media Advancement (7amleh), which documents cases of Palestinian digital rights violations and works directly with social media companies to appeal violations, told TechCrunch it has received reports of Instagram inconsistently filtering comments containing the Palestinian flag emoji. Users report that Instagram has flagged comments containing the emoji as “potentially offensive,” hiding the comment.\n\nMeta initially did not respond to follow-up requests for comment. When asked for comment, Stone pointed TechCrunch to Meta’s updated newsroom post, which did not directly address issues related to comments containing the Palestinian flag.\n\nThe organization has also received countless reports of Meta flagging and restricting Arabic content, even if it’s posted by news outlets. Jalal Abukhater, 7amleh’s advocacy manager, said that the organization has documented multiple cases of journalists on Instagram reporting the same news in Arabic, Hebrew and English, but only getting flagged for their Arabic content.\n\n“It’s literally journalistic content, but the same wording in Hebrew and English does not get restricted,” Abukhater said. “As if there’s better moderation for those languages, and more careless moderation for Arabic content.”\n\nStone declined to comment on allegations of Meta disproportionately flagging Arabic news content, instead directing TechCrunch to the updated newsroom post — which did not directly address the allegations.\n\nAnd as the Intercept reported, Instagram and Facebook are flagging images of the al-Ahli Hospital, claiming that the content violates Meta’s Community Guidelines on nudity or sexual activity.\n\nThe Community Guidelines are enforced inconsistently, particularly when it comes to content related to Palestine. Al Saadi recently tried to report a comment that said she should be “raped” and “burned alive” — left in response to her comment on a CNN post about the conflict — but in screenshots reviewed by TechCrunch, Instagram said that it didn’t violate the platform’s Community Guidelines against violence or dangerous organizations.\n\n“The restrictions on content, especially the content that relates to Palestine, is heavily politicized,” Abukhater said. “It feeds into the bias against Palestinian narrative genuinely. It really takes the balance against Palestinians in a situation where there’s a huge asymmetry of power.”\n\nA history of suppression\n\nContent about Palestine is disproportionately scrutinized, as demonstrated during the last severe violent outbreak between Hamas and Israel two years ago. Amid the violence following the May 2021 court ruling to evict Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, users across Facebook and Instagram accused Meta of taking down posts and suspending accounts that voiced support for Palestinians.\n\nThe digital rights nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) described Meta’s actions in 2021 as “systemic censorship of Palestinian voices.” In its 2022 report of Palestinian digital rights, 7amleh said that Meta is “still the most restricting company” compared to other social media giants in the extent of its moderation of the Palestinian digital space.\n\nMeta forbids support of terrorist organizations, like most social media companies based in the U.S., but struggles to moderate content around it, from user discourse to journalistic updates. This policy, along with the company’s partnership with Israel to monitor posts that incite violence, complicates things for Palestinians living under Hamas’ governance. As EFF points out, something as simple as Hamas’ flag in the background of an image can result in a strike.\n\nJillian York, the director for international freedom of expression for EFF, blames automation and decisions made by “minimally trained humans” for the inconsistency. Meta’s zero tolerance policy and imprecise enforcement often suppress content from or about conflict zones, she said. The site’s moderation issues have negatively affected multiple non-English speaking regions, including Libya, Syria and Ukraine.\n\n“These rules can prevent people from sharing documentation of human rights violations, documentation of war crimes, even just news about what’s happening on the ground,” York continued. “And so I think that is what is the most problematic right now about that particular rule, and the way that it’s enforced.”\n\nOver the 13 days leading up to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, 7amleh documented more than 500 reports of Palestinian “digital rights violations,” including the removal and restriction of content, hashtags and accounts related to the conflict.\n\nMeta blamed some of the instances of perceived censorship to technical issues, like one that prevented users in Palestine and Colombia from posting Instagram Stories. It attributed others to human error, like blocking the hashtag for Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holy site where Israeli police clashed with Ramadan worshippers, because it was mistaken for a terrorist organization. The company also blocked journalists in Gaza from WhatsApp without explanation.\n\nThe same month, a group of Facebook employees filed internal complaints accusing the company of bias against Arab and Muslim users. In internal posts obtained by BuzzFeed News, an employee attributed the bias to “years and years of implementing policies that just don’t scale globally.”\n\nAt the recommendation of its Oversight Board, Meta conducted a third-party due diligence report about the platform’s moderation during the May 2021 conflict. The report found that Arabic content was flagged as potentially violating at significantly higher rates than Hebrew content was, and was more likely to be erroneously removed. The report noted that Meta’s moderation system may not be as precise for Arabic content as it was for Hebrew content, because the latter is a “more standardized language,” and suggested that reviewers may lack the linguistic and cultural competence to understand less common Arabic dialects like Palestinian Arabic.\n\nHas anything improved?\n\nMeta committed to implementing policy changes based on the report’s recommendations, such as updating its keywords associated with dangerous organizations, disclosing government requests to remove content and launching a hostile speech classifier for Hebrew content. Abukhater added that Meta has improved its response to harassment, at least in comparison to other social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Although harassment and abuse are still rampant on Instagram and Facebook, he said, the company has been responsive to suspending accounts with patterns of targeting other users.\n\nThe company has also made more contact with regional Palestinian organizations since 2021, York added, but it’s been slow to implement recommendations from EFF and other advocacy groups. It’s “very clear” that Meta is not putting the same resources behind Arabic and other non-English languages, York said, compared to the attention Meta gives to countries that have the most regulatory pressure. Moderation of English and other European languages tends to be more comprehensive, for example, because the EU enforces the Digital Services Act.\n\nIn Meta’s response to the report, Miranda Sissons, the company’s director of human rights, said that Meta was “assessing the feasibility” of reviewing Arabic content by dialect. Sissons said that the company has “large and diverse teams” who understand “local cultural context across the region,” including in Palestine. Responding to the escalating violence earlier this month, Meta stated that it established a “special operations center” staffed with fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers to closely monitor and respond to violating content.\n\nDespite Meta’s apparent efforts to diversify its language resources, Arabic is still disproportionately flagged as violating — like in the case of journalists reporting news in multiple languages.\n\n“The balance of power is very fixed, in reality, between Israelis and Palestinians,” Abukhater said. “And this is something that today is reflected heavily on platforms like Meta, even though they have human rights teams releasing reports and trying to improve upon their policies. Whenever an escalation like the one we’re experiencing now happens, things just go back to zero.”\n\nAnd at times, Meta’s Arabic translations are completely inaccurate. This week, multiple Instagram users raised concerns over the platform mistranslating the relatively common Arabic phrase “Alhamdulillah,” or “Praise be to God.” In screen recordings posted online, users found that if they included “Palestinian” and the corresponding flag emoji in their Instagram bio along with the Arabic phrase, Instagram automatically translated their bio to “Palestinian terrorists – Praise be to Allah” or “Praise be to God, Palestinian terrorists are fighting for their freedom.” When users removed “Palestinian” and the flag emoji, Instagram translated the Arabic phrase to “Thank God.” Instagram users complained that the offensive mistranslation was active for hours before Meta appeared to correct it.\n\nShayaan Khan, a TikTok creator who posted a viral video about the mistranslation, told TechCrunch that Meta’s lack of cultural competence isn’t just offensive, it’s dangerous. He said that the “glitch” can fuel Islamophobic and racist rhetoric, which has already been exacerbated by the war in Gaza. Khan pointed to the fatal stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian-American child whose death is being investigated as a hate crime.\n\nMeta did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment about the mistranslation. Abukhater said that Meta told 7amleh that a “bug” caused the mistranslation. In a statement to 404 Media, a Meta spokesperson said that the issue had been fixed.\n\n“We fixed a problem that briefly caused inappropriate Arabic translations in some of our products,” the statement said, “We sincerely apologize that this happened.”\n\nAs the war continues, social media users have tried to find ways around the alleged shadowbanning on Instagram. Supposed loopholes include misspelling certain words, like “p@lestine” instead of “Palestine,” in hopes of bypassing any content filters. Users also share information about Gaza in text superimposed over unrelated images, like a cat photo, so it won’t be flagged as graphic or violent content. Creators have tried to include an emoji of the Israeli flag or tag their posts and Stories with #istandwithisrael, even if they don’t support the Israeli government, in hopes of gaming engagement.\n\nAl Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.\n\n“All we’re asking for is to give us the exact same rights,” she said. “We’re not asking for more. We’re literally just asking Meta, Instagram, every single broadcast channel, every single media outlet, to just give us the respect that we deserve.”\n\nDominic-Madori Davis contributed to this story’s reporting.", + "Norway’s data protection authority has asked a European Union regulator to take a binding decision on whether its emergency sanction on Facebook and Instagram tracking and profiling users for ad targeting without their consent should be made permanent and applied across the EU single market, not just locally.\n\nThe move could lead to a blanket ban on Meta running tracking ads without consent across the EU single market if the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) agrees the action is merited. Meta may also switch to asking users for their permission to run “personalized ads” before any Board action, as it has claimed it intends to.\n\nThe Datatilsynet issued a local ban on Meta tracking and profiling users without consent back in July — using powers in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which enable concerned regulators to apply temporary measures (lasting for three months) in their markets if they see an urgent need to act to protect citizens’ data. So while Meta’s lead regulator for the GDPR remains the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), which would normally lead on any enforcement, the Norwegian DPA’s emergency action circumvents the regulation’s so-called “one-stop-shop” mechanism — and gives the Norwegian authority the option to refer ongoing concerns to the EDPB, as it has now done.\n\nMeta has continued to flout the Datatilsynet order — which includes a daily fine of up to one million NOK (~$100,000) per day for non-compliance — ignoring the authority’s requirement not to run tracking ads without permission, per a spokesperson for the DPA.\n\nThe tech giant instead sought a court injunction against the order. However, earlier this month, an Oslo court rejected Meta’s arguments, affirming the DPA’s right to act.\n\nReached by email the EDPB confirmed receipt of the authority’s request. “The EDPB Secretariat will now assess completeness of the file. Once this assessment is complete, the deadline under art. 66(4) GDPR starts running and the Board will have two weeks to adopt its urgent binding decision,” a spokeswoman told us.\n\nShe declined to offer any steer on how long the Board’s assessment of the Datatilsynet’s request will take to complete.\n\nThe Board already took one binding decision vis-a-vis Meta ads: Late last year it settled a dispute between DPAs on a complaint against the legal basis the adtech giant claimed for running the ads — which led on, in January, to a final decision being issued by the DPC rejecting Meta’s claim of contractual necessity to justify the processing.\n\nSince then Meta tried another switch of legal basis for the processing — to a claim of legitimate interests — but the EU’s top court quashed that gambit with a ruling in July, related to a separate challenge brought by Germany’s competition authority, which confirmed Meta cannot claim a legitimate interest to run its “personalized ads” in the absence of user consent.\n\nThat landmark strike was followed at the start of August by Meta announcing an “intention” to legalize its tracking ads business in the region by asking users for their permission. But it has still not done so — continuing to run unlawful ads. Hence why the Norwegian DPA decided to take emergency action — pointing out that millions of EU people’s rights are being infringed.\n\nReached for a response to the DPA’s referral the EDPB, Meta spokesperson, Matt Pollard, sought to deflect attention off-of the current lack of compliance — writing in an emailed statement:\n\nWe are surprised by the NDPA’s [Norwegian data protection authority’s] actions, given that Meta has already committed to moving to the legal basis of consent for advertising in the EU/EEA. We remain in active discussions with the relevant data protection authorities on this topic via our lead regulator in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and will have more to share in due course.\n\nAsked when Meta will be moving to a lawful basis for tracking and profiling users in the region Pollard declined to specify a timeframe. “We have not announced a date. We are still working through with policymakers what our transition to Consent will look like, and will have more to share in due course,” he added.\n\nThe referral to the EDPB may concentrate minds at Meta on the need to make good on its pledge to ask users’ permission sooner rather than later.\n\nThe company has sought to get ahead of events on this issue by using PR tactics that present a narrative where it appears to retain some control (hence its blog post sketching a future “intention” to switch to consent, just without fixing a date — so keeping control of the timings and seeking to normalize the ongoing delay to rectifying its unlawful “personalized ads”); even as EU regulators have, collectively, forced the looming paradigm shift to its privacy-hostile business model.\n\nThe bottom line here is that, in the not-too-distant future, surveillance capitalism’s poster child will — at least in a major international region for its business — have to end the consentless tracking and profiling it exploited for years to build up its adtech empire, at the expense of web users’ privacy.\n\nIn the meanwhile, people in the EU’s single market are once again being directed to wait on Ireland’s DPC to enforce their privacy rights. But if the Irish authority is too slow to rectify Meta’s lack of consent this time there is now the backstop option of the Board stepping in a second time and finishing the job for it.", + "Chelsea Women had created a frenzy. On Nov. 4, the English club released a statement saying their coach Emma Hayes was leaving at the end of the season to “pursue a new opportunity outside of the Women’s Super League and club football.” Hayes had just entered her second decade in charge of the club, and few knew where she would land next.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThat same day The Athletic, among others, reported that Hayes’ next job would be with the U.S. women’s national team, leading a four-time World Cup and Olympic gold medal-winning program into a new era. On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer made her appointment official.\n\nHayes, who previously won six WSL titles in England, will become the 10th full-time coach of the U.S., but not until her final season with Chelsea is complete next May. Sporting director Matt Crocker made the final decision to hire Hayes after a search process that began in August, following the team’s surprising exit in the round of 16 at the World Cup and the subsequent departure of head coach Vlatko Andonovski.\n\n“She has tremendous energy and an insatiable will to win,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “Her experience in the USA, her understanding of our soccer landscape and her appreciation of what it means to coach this team makes her a natural fit for this role and we could not be more pleased to have her leading our women’s national team forward.”\n\nThough Hayes is seen as one of the world’s top coaches in women’s soccer, the appointment still comes as something of a surprise. Here’s how the deal got done.\n\nDetails of the deal\n\nAt least part of the surprise surrounding Hayes’ hire – and the six-month runway before she officially takes charge – is down to U.S. Soccer’s own messaging. Crocker, in a September meeting with U.S. reporters along with Cone and U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson, said he hoped to have a new head coach in place by December.\n\nBut the initial contact with Hayes was made a couple of months ago, early into the search, with all three top-level executives from U.S. Soccer involved in those talks. The trio also described the interview process to journalists in that September meeting – a U.S. soccer statement describes it as involving “psychometrics and abstract reasoning tests, in-depth discussions of strategy, coaching philosophy and the current player pool, as well as evaluation on the reactions to pressure, culture-building and interactions with players and staff.” USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter went through a similar process, including an abstract reasoning test, when he was re-hired by Crocker earlier in 2023.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe hiring process included multiple rounds of evaluation, with the list of candidates becoming smaller each time. The first pass was driven purely by data, which was then whittled down to a double-digit list Crocker was considering as of September, and then a final shortlist, which also included Tony Gustavsson, head coach of Australia. Multiple sources confirmed both Hayes and Gustavsson flew to the U.S. for interviews.\n\nOne source who was briefed on the situation said the federation had also checked in on the availability of Sarina Wiegman, despite clear messaging from both the English FA and Wiegman herself in August. “I’m staying out of it. I’ve heard it (from the press officer) but no, I’m with England and I’m really happy with England, and I have a contract until 2025,” Wiegman said. A representative from her camp declined to comment for this story.\n\nCrocker said in September that the final interviews would include lengthy technical and tactical assessments, as well as questions to determine the candidates’ cultural fit. He and the federation stayed fairly consistent on their desired start date since the head coach role opened in August, but that became one of the major concessions made by U.S. Soccer in selecting Hayes.\n\nShe’s headed Stateside 🇺🇸 U.S. Soccer has appointed Emma Hayes as the 10th full-time head coach in #USWNT history » https://t.co/sR7qfSnWVx Welcome, Emma! pic.twitter.com/WYn6Sg9RmX — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 14, 2023\n\nHayes will remain exclusively with Chelsea through the end of their WSL campaign and the Champions League season. She will not work with the U.S. in international windows.\n\n“I’m here until the end,” she said in her press conference on Friday. “I haven’t died, I haven’t gone anywhere. I’m here, doing this job. My full focus and attention is on what I do for Chelsea.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHayes could be tied up with Chelsea as late as May 25 if the London club makes the Champions League final; notably, an international window that would theoretically be Hayes’ first in charge begins just two days later, on May 27.\n\nHowever, there are ways in which the arrangement will benefit U.S. Soccer. The federation won’t owe any compensation to Chelsea, and Hayes will be fully committed to the program, with a move to Chicago in the works for next year following the completion of her time in London. Eventually, she’s expected to relocate to Atlanta thanks to U.S. Soccer’s planned combined headquarters and national training facility in Georgia. As of yet, there’s no targeted date set for the move.\n\nHayes, too, will benefit in ways other than compensation and prestige. She spoke to reporters about looking forward to spending more time with her five-year-old son, Harry. She has never been to one of his sports days, picked him up from school or taken him to an after-school club and she wants to do that.\n\nThe main visible wrinkle in the process was Chelsea’s surprise move of announcing Hayes’ departure on Saturday, Nov. 4. With the contract not yet finalized and U.S. Soccer board approval still needed, Chelsea issued their statement at 11 a.m. ET in the U.S. in which it noted she would leave at the end of the season “to pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football.” The club feared that the news was starting to leak and wanted to share the news on its own. This began the race to confirm Hayes had been selected as the USWNT head coach.\n\nTalks between U.S. Soccer and Hayes’ representatives continued even after Chelsea’s press release. The federation’s board convened late on Saturday, Nov. 4 to approve the selection, even without the final details of the contract settled or signed.\n\nAt the end of it all, the sides have agreed to a deal that will make Hayes the highest-paid women’s football coach in the world — though her salary is not tied to equal compensation with Berhalter. While her salary is in the same range as the USMNT head coach, it’s thought to be a reflection of the market value for Hayes. With reports that Chelsea was prepared to quadruple her salary to keep her, Hayes herself danced around the details in her first media availability with the club.\n\n“I believe in private conversations,” she said. “Of course, I’m disappointed to hear things being said in the press. I want to make sure I maintain my own professionalism in everything I do.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nU.S Soccer’s annual financial reports reveal the salaries of their head coaches and other executives. While Berhalter received a new contract this year, his previous deal that ran from April 2021 to March 2022, earned him $1.6 million, including $300,000 in bonuses. During that same time, Andonovski earned $446,495, of which only $50,000 was bonus money. With Hayes expected to earn close to $2 million per year in her deal, this will likely create a knock-on effect for other international women’s coaches negotiating their next contracts.\n\nU.S. Soccer’s rollout of their new head coach has not been an easy one for the federation’s communications staff, considering that Hayes is essentially unavailable for any formal ceremonies or media appearances until her time with Chelsea is complete.\n\n“This is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in world football history,” she said in a statement on Tuesday. “The feelings and connection I have for this team and for this country run deep. I’ve dreamed about coaching the USA for a long time so to get this opportunity is a dream come true. I know there is work to do to achieve our goals of winning consistently at the highest levels. To get there, it will require dedication, devotion and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Soccer Federation.”\n\nLooking ahead for the USWNT\n\nHayes’ appointment will have an immediate impact, even if she’s not immediately present. The particulars around timing and the plan moving forward have been one of the areas of discussion between Hayes and her representatives, Chelsea and U.S. Soccer that has continued through the start of November.\n\nUnless the situation changes drastically, Hayes will only have two camps, including four friendlies, with the USWNT ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She’ll miss three international windows between Tuesday’s announcement and her planned start date, including the 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup in February and March.\n\nU.S. Soccer has a plan in place for the transition. Current interim head coach Twila Kilgore will continue in the role through May and will remain as a permanent assistant coach under Hayes after the swap is complete. U.S. Soccer said that Kilgore and the rest of the technical staff are working on a handoff plan for Hayes.\n\n“This is a unique situation, but the team is in safe hands with Twila,” Crocker said. “Her stewardship will be crucial during this period as we are focused on success at the Olympics. Emma has endorsed Twila, she will be a key part of Emma’s staff when she arrives and moving forward, and we are excited for what’s to come with our USWNT program.”\n\nGO DEEPER How Emma Hayes' winning ways at Chelsea can benefit USWNT on the field\n\nIt’s still an extremely tight turn for the Olympics, with 18 days for Hayes to get situated with the team ahead of the tournament, between the two international windows from May 27 to June 4, then July 8 to 16. The Olympic tournament will start on July 25.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThere are, of course, logistical questions about roster selection over the next few months. Some of those may be answered relatively soon, with the roster for the upcoming camp that begins at the end of the month imminent. The greater challenge will likely be ongoing player evaluation over the next six months, at a time of great transition within the squad. The specifics of how that will work without Hayes’ involvement remain a mystery. It would be understandable for players to feel like they are still auditioning for an absent director until May rolls around, while still knowing they must perform at the USWNT standard.\n\nAlong these same lines, there is at least the suggestion that the federation could be willing to sacrifice coherent preparation for this upcoming Olympic tournament to focus more on the longer-term project of the 2027 World Cup. That itself represents a marked change from the expectations and pressure of constant performance and winning that the team is known for.\n\nIs that a good or a bad thing? Perhaps a little bit of both. The USWNT shouldn’t be ruled out of contention for the Olympics by any stretch, but this past summer’s World Cup did reveal that the problems facing the team are far more foundational than just poor coaching decisions or the strange midfield chemistry. Balancing realism with the pressure to win feels like a much more sustainable path forward for the USWNT.\n\nGO DEEPER USWNT's Emma Hayes hire could create a problem in preparation for the Olympics\n\nWhat’s next for Chelsea?\n\nQuestions surrounding Hayes’ future have cropped up previously in her tenure at Chelsea. She was linked to several jobs in the men’s English Football League in the past and has always been interested in managing Spain’s national team, although there was never an official conversation with Spain’s federation. So it was a question of when, not if, Hayes would leave. Still, news of her decision came as a shock to her staff and players.\n\nA few staff members were told on the morning of Nov. 4 before Chelsea’s away game at Aston Villa kicked off at 12.30 p.m. UK time. Most of the other staff members found out with the players in the post-match meeting minutes before the official club statement, which Hayes had no hand in writing and did not even see before publication, was released at 3 p.m.\n\nEngland and Chelsea captain Millie Bright was “devastated,” and most players were understandably sad — many of whom owe their career progression to Hayes — but know they still have a job to do this season.\n\n“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. As a player and a person, I was devastated. I’ve been here nine years under Emma and the things I’ve learned,” Bright said. “She’s a mentor, a coach, a friend, a life coach. It’s more than just football playing under her.”\n\nBright credits Hayes for her on and off-field guidance. (Photo by Marc Atkins, Getty Images)\n\nHayes’ American assistant Denise Reddy, born in New Jersey, is likely to follow her across the pond. The former United States Under-20 coach has remained faithful to her friend of 20 years and voluntarily quit her job as assistant at Chicago Red Stars in 2010 when Hayes was fired as head coach. Chelsea’s general manager Paul Green will stay at the club. It is unclear whether any other members of Chelsea’s technical staff are expected to depart.\n\nGO DEEPER What next for Chelsea after Emma Hayes?\n\nThe relentless nature of managing a club takes its toll and after what will be 12 years at Chelsea come the end of the season, Hayes, a single parent whose father died last month, decided that it was the right time for a change, professionally and personally.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The biggest factors are my son, leaving at the top and giving the club enough time to be able to transition without there being too much disruption,” she said in her press conference.\n\nThe club has received several applications regarding Hayes’ replacement but has not yet started an official recruitment process. She will meet with Chelsea’s technical directors once a week to create a succession plan and will have a say in who takes the job after her.\n\nThere is the possibility of Hayes retaining a connection to the club via some sort of ambassadorial role, but it’s likely contingent upon a lack of conflict with the USWNT role and responsibilities. Under American Todd Boehly’s co-ownership, expanding Chelsea’s profile and reach in the U.S. would make sense, especially with USWNT internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel playing their club football there — and CBS Sports holding WSL rights.\n\nThere is, for now, an immediate task for Hayes to focus on. Chelsea faces off against Real Madrid on Wednesday for their first match of the UWCL Champions League group stage. Her full American arrival will not come for another half a year after that.\n\n(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)", + "It was the moment when Reece James simply could not handle the frustration. Named by Mauricio Pochettino as the Chelsea captain, James had not played since the opening weekend draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge when he injured a hamstring. Now, he seethed from the sideline as his team lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa, a game in which his replacement, Malo Gusto, was controversially sent off.\n\nIt was 24 September, Chelsea’s second home Premier League defeat on the spin after the one against Nottingham Forest and they were booed off again. James would lose his cool with an official in the tunnel and, when a Football Association charge was announced three days later for abusive conduct, it felt like only a matter of time before he was given a one-match ban.\n\nIt did not come in time for Chelsea’s visit to Fulham on 2 October, when James was still injured. That would have been too simple. Rather for their next game at Burnley on 7 October when, according to Pochettino, James was back in contention for selection.\n\nThe 23-year-old was not called up by England for the internationals over this past window and the idea was that he would work to be ready for Saturday’s home derby against Arsenal. And yet there have been stories of an injury setback, even that he may need surgery to get to the root of his hamstring issues.\n\nPochettino bustled his way through those questions on Friday and the best read on James’s status was that he would be back in the squad for Arsenal, most likely as a substitute. Gusto is available again after his own suspension. “It [James’s hamstring] is much better,” Pochettino said. “He is progressing well, still not at his best, 100%. But maybe to help the team at some point …. maybe, he is close to be there.”\n\nIt has not been straightforward and it seems to remain that way. Yet there were two takeaways from Pochettino on James – with a common thread running through them. First, James could be like a coiled spring when he finally returns to action. And second, Pochettino was in no mood to criticise him for his indiscipline. On the contrary. He was happier to talk up James’s passion.\n\n“It’s part of the business,” Pochettino said. “He was upset about the situation [against Villa] and then you need to understand that he is so committed to this project from the beginning. He feels really bad because he cannot help the team [because of his injury].\n\n“He made a mistake, we all make them and he was really sorry about it. I think he’s not going to repeat the situation. This is a young guy that wants to play football. He was frustrated and he made a mistake. That’s it. Finish.”\n\nPochettino made James his captain because of “his personality, his leadership, the respect he has from the club and his teammates … he has Chelsea DNA”. He described him as an appointment “for the present and the future – we cannot change captain every season, every six months”.\n\nIt is also easy to imagine that Pochettino sees something of himself in James; the self-belief, the running on the emotions of a match day. Pochettino made the point that he had got himself booked for dissent during the Burnley game. And then there is his connection with the Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta; there are similarities, albeit this relationship is rather deeper, going back to their time together as players at Paris Saint-Germain.\n\nMauricio Pochettino said he made Reece James Chelsea captain because of ‘his personality, his leadership, the respect he has from the club’. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images\n\nThere is a reason why Pochettino calls Arteta “family”. They joined PSG at the same time, early 2001; Pochettino was 28, Arteta 18. They hit it off immediately, Pochettino wowed by Arteta’s charisma and his reading of the game. “Already, he was a coach,” Pochettino said, and he has no qualms with what some perceive as Arteta’s histrionic touchline behaviour.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\n“It’s how you are and about your character,” Pochettino said. “He feels football. I am 51 and still sometimes I feel that decisions are no good or unfair. You are competitive. Like with Mikel or myself or other coaches that played football, in our minds, we still believe we can play. Still, we have the animal instinct. We cannot be thinkers.”\n\nFor Pochettino, it must be about channeling the emotion in the right way and not suppressing it. More broadly, he is in a better place after the wins at Fulham and Burnley, which followed the Carabao Cup victory over Brighton on the day that James was charged.\n\nArsenal represent an acid test of the progress and the start of a daunting run in the league; after them, Chelsea face Brentford, Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United. Pochettino, though, pushed back against the notion that he was seeking a first statement win at the club, something to ignite his tenure. All he wants are points to drive his team up from 11th in the table.\n\nPochettino has appeared mired in a selection crisis since his arrival at Chelsea; James only one element of it and he will be without seven others through injury against Arsenal.\n\n“The moment we have all the squad at a high level and fit, we can say: ‘OK, we are going to Arsenal, Manchester City and we are going to beat you.’ At the moment, with the circumstances, I don’t think this game is going to be a statement to say: ‘Be careful, Chelsea is coming,’ or something like this.”", + "Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta meet as head coaches for the first time on Saturday - but the Chelsea and Arsenal bosses know each other inside out. \"He's part of my family,\" says the Argentinean.\n\nRewind to 2001 and Arteta - just a teenager - had arrived at Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Barcelona's B side. It was his first experience in the first team of a top-flight side and he was struggling to come to terms with the transition.\n\nFortunately, PSG had another new recruit. Pochettino - 10 years Arteta's senior - took the Spaniard under his wing.\n\n\"It was my first professional opportunity in Paris and we arrived at the same time and lived together in a hotel for three months,\" Arteta said on Friday.\n\n\"He was critical, he has been one of the most influential people in my career, firstly as a player, he took me under the arm and looked after me like a little child, a little brother.\n\n\"He was a big part of the success I had in Paris. It was because of him because he really looked after me, gave me a lot of confidence and a lot of advice.\"\n\nPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino says Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta can become one of the greatest coaches in the world\n\nPochettino has equally fond recollections of that period and says the signs were already there that Arteta would make a successful coach in the future.\n\n\"Amazing memories. We share values and the passion for football,\" Pochettino said.\n\n\"He's part of my family from day one. We arrived in Paris together and we spent time together with our families, first of all in the hotel and then we lived very close.\n\n\"It was an amazing history. He's not surprised me with what he's doing because he was a coach already at 17!\n\n\"He was really good with how he saw football. He can be one of the greatest managers in the world.\"\n\nImage: Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino will meet for the first time as opposition managers when Arsenal go to Chelsea on Saturday\n\nPicking out Arteta's strengths, Pochettino explained why he thinks the Gunners boss is destined for the top.\n\n\"What Arsenal are showing is because he's one of the best,\" Pochettino said. \"I don't care if he's young or not young - he's one of the best coaches in the world.\n\n\"It's not only about being good tactically - it's about how you manage people, the media, the owners, the sporting director. It's not only about being clever.\"\n\nLive: SNF\n\nArteta - who labelled Pochettino's early work at Chelsea as 'phenomenal' - revealed in his press conference ahead of his side's trip to Stamford Bridge that Pochettino's influence continued from those early days through his career as a player and into coaching.\n\n\"I went from playing Ligue 1 to a week later Champions League in Milan, I was all over the place,\" said Arteta. \"I didn't speak the language, it was my first professional club and I needed someone to be close to me, give me confidence, give me support, because I was thrown in there and they said 'play, you're in the starting XI'.\n\n\"So he was coaching me, talking to me. Really, really inspirational. He was really supportive. I was living with him for 2-3 months so that period was key in my career to be able to make it.\n\n\"He's an expert at giving you confidence and then keeping you on your toes all the time and being really harsh on me every time I was doing something: 'Where have you been last night?!' He really looked after me.\n\n\"The way he understood the game was phenomenal. I used to have him at my back and he was constantly coaching me. Very proud of what he has done and the way he has done it throughout his coaching career.\n\n\"I'm so grateful for what he did for me and the way he guided me in those early years. He got something else out of me that was needed in that period to make it and stayed with me in my football career as a player and coach.\"\n\nPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Stunning goals, touchline clashes, and incorrect red cards! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the most memorable moments at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Arsenal\n\nPochettino is relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with Arteta on Saturday - although admitted there would be no favours for an old friend when the first whistle blows.\n\n\"It's going to be really nice because my love for him is there,\" said the Chelsea boss.\n\n\"He's more than a friend - he's family. It's going to be strange. But we are really competitive and you want to win. You want to destroy the opponent!\"\n\nArteta shared a similar sentiment.\n\n\"It's great that after those years we're in this situation where you face each other and we're both managing great clubs in the best league in the world. it doesn't get better than that.\n\n\"On game day? Go for him! He is going to do the same. We are both winners.\"\n\nFriends reunited\n\nIt won't just be Pochettino and Arteta seeing familiar faces on Saturday. The derby will be the first time Kai Havertz and Jorginho have gone back to play at Stamford Bridge since leaving Chelsea for Arsenal.\n\n\"I'm sure they'll be excited,\" said Arteta. \"They were there and they talked really highly about the club. I'm sure it'll be a special day for them.\"\n\nHavertz will command particular focus after his early struggles at Arsenal. With just one goal in 12 appearances for the club there are questions about his form and role.\n\nPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Ahead of Kai Havertz's return to Stamford Bridge, Sam Blitz takes a forensic look at his tactical role at Arsenal\n\nArmando Broja will miss Chelsea's game against Arsenal due to \"irritation\" in his knee. Late checks will be made on the fitness of Reece James, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson, while Benoit Badiashile could return from a long-term injury.\n\nEnzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo should be available despite travelling to South America during the international break.\n\nBen Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah remain unavailable.\n\nArsenal will make a late call on the fitness of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard.\n\nSaka missed the win over Man City before the international break after limping out of both the Champions League defeat at Lens and previous win over Bournemouth. He was also unavailable for England duty.\n\nMeanwhile, Saliba was forced to withdraw from the France squad to rest a 'chronic toe injury', despite a starring role in that win over City. Trossard came off at half-time in that match and missed Belgium's games with a hamstring issue.\n\nWatch Chelsea vs Arsenal on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm.", + "The world can ill-afford another full-fledged war, when economies are already battling high inflation and interest rates, an ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and now, a slowing China. This is precisely why many countries are trying to restrict any escalation in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The non-escaltion of the current hostilities seems to be the base case presumed by the Indian stock market presently, going by the market movement in the last week.\n\nThe US treasury secretary also stated that the current conflict is not likely to significantly impact global economic outlook. History too shows that the these conflicts tend to have limited impact on markets. We studied the history of conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and found that these tend to have limited impact on global financial markets, across crude oil, US 10-year yields, US equities and market volatility (see charts).\n\nHowever, as far as trade goes, there may be some impact. In 2022-23, Israel’s share in exports from India stood at 1.87 per cent. India shipped goods around $8billion to Israel. Petroleum products account for 65 per cent of the exports, followed by gems and jewellery (15 per cent) and electrical machinery (3 per cent). Trade can be adversely impacted if operations at the Israeli ports are disrupted. Fertiliser movement from Israel’s Port of Ashdod accounts for 3 per cent of global potash supply. Any disruption on this front will also be a dampener.\n\nBut, what if the current hostilities turn into a full-scale conflict?\n\nWhat supports this proposition is the fact that while there have been many conflicts between Israel and Hamas in the past decades, there have been none of this intensity. With at least 1,200 Israelis killed, this has been the biggest single-day killing of Jews since Holocaust, and Israel opposition is also united in retaliating. Israel has termed it a ‘War’, formed a war management cabinet with a key opposition member, and vowed to change the look of the ‘Middle East’.\n\nA massive strike by Israel in Gaza, potentially killing civilians in collateral damage, may attract more of the Middle East countries, including the de-facto leader Saudi Arabia to raise serious issues against Israel on humanitarian grounds. It will surely slow down the deal between Saudi and Israel that the US was facilitating. Besides Gaza, clashes have already been ongoing along Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon. If Iran gets dragged into the conflict, on account of claims of funding Hamas, this could embroil the entire Middle East in crisis.\n\nIn this scenario, we see a major upward pressure on world inflation, on account of disruption in crude oil and world trade logistics.\n\nPossible disruption in crude and trade logistics\n\nEven before the Hamas attack, Saudi Arabia and Russia further cut oil production, in an already tight supply market. Iran is a big incremental supplier of oil, contributing 3 per cent to the global supply and any escalation risks taking energy prices higher. For security reasons, Israel has already told Chevron to shut down its offshore energy platform.\n\nThe Middle East crisis brings back memories of the Arab oil embargo of 1973, when OPEC cut oil to supporters of Israel. It used to account for 50 per cent of the oil production back then. Although non-OPEC production has picked up and OPEC contribution is lower at 32 per cent, it is still sizeable to take oil prices higher. A 10 per cent rise in crude price will result in global inflation being 0.4 percentage points higher next year.\n\nThe war may also impact Suez Canal trade, which is a key maritime route between Asia and Europe and accounts for 12 per cent of global trade by value and much larger by volume; also 5 per cent of world oil trade.\n\nAs things stand today, trade may not yet be impacted through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Oman and Iran. But a spread of the crisis to the whole Middle East can risk trade through this route, which accounts for 20 per cent of global oil trade passage. If Iran is embroiled into this conflict, then trade with landlocked Central Asia, which is a big agricultural producer, raw materials and minerals like copper, cotton, uranium, gold, natural gas, gets disrupted. Central Asia also hosts a network of road, rail, and air routes that link China, Europe, and South Asia.\n\nImpact on Indian markets\n\nIn the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated. We may witness a scenario where rates are held higher till the year 2025. Higher crude oil bill and higher global rates will prompt the RBI to also remain hawkish in its approach with regards to rates and liquidity measures. EBITDA margins of India Inc. may again get impacted on account of higher input costs and higher freight and fuel costs.\n\nRural India is a key engine that is not firing at the moment. Valuations also are rich and do not offer margin of safety in the near to medium term. Near-term attractiveness of equities will reduce, as investors will demand a higher risk premium. The Indian stock market will likely correct materially, as FIIs look to withdraw funds from risk assets and seek safe havens in US Dollar, US treasuries offering high yields and Gold.\n\nSectors which will be negatively impacted include Petrochemicals, Oil Marketing, Paints, Packaging, Textiles and Chemicals.\n\nThe writer is Group President & Head - Institutional Equities, YES Securities India\n\nSHARE Copy link\n\nEmail\n\nFacebook\n\nTwitter\n\nTelegram\n\nLinkedIn\n\nWhatsApp\n\nReddit", + "Housing market pessimists have been sounding the alarm for years about a pending crash in the U.S. residential real estate market. Even before the Federal Reserve began hiking interest rates to fight inflation last year, pushing mortgage rates to a 23-year high this month, years of surging home prices left some experts warning that the housing market was a massive bubble ready to pop.\n\nHowever, despite a widely bearish outlook in the industry, most real estate veterans have avoided arguing that home prices will drop like they did during the 2008 crash that kicked off the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). And so far, that’s been a wise decision.\n\nIt took until June 2022 for national home prices to peak, even as mortgage rates soared and purchase applications plummeted amid the Fed’s first interest rate hikes. And while prices fell more than 5% from that peak by January of this year, they returned to a record high in July.\n\nStill, a Bank of America team led by U.S. economist Jeseo Park warned this week that there’s more “turbulence” coming for the housing market due to high mortgage rates. They explained that they’re getting an eerie feeling of “déjà vu,” but it’s not 2008 that is coming to mind, it’s the 1980s.\n\n“Looking back at previous housing recessions, we think the 1980s are a better analogy for today’s market than the 2008 housing crash,” they wrote in a Thursday note.\n\nThis isn’t 2008\n\nWhile the housing crash of 2008—fueled by the collapse of subprime mortgages—haunts the memories of many Americans, the real estate market of that era was very different from what Bank of America’s experts see today.\n\nPark and her team noted that there are no “noticeable signs” of excess housing development today like there were back then, and households aren’t nearly as burdened by mortgage debt. Household mortgage debt represented roughly 65% of U.S. consumers’ disposable income in the second quarter, compared to 100% before the GFC. And the ratio of Americans’ mortgage debt to their real estate assets—also called loan-to-value—was just 27% in the second quarter, compared to over 40% in 2008 and roughly 50% in 2010, Bank of America’s data shows.\n\nNew legislation was also enacted since the GFC to help prevent worst-case scenarios in the housing market. One of the most obvious effects of these new laws is that there are far fewer risky adjustable-rate mortgages today. Adjustable-rate mortgages can lead to higher default rates when interest rates rise, but they now represent less than 5% of total purchase and refinance loans, compared with over 35% at the peak of the pre-GFC housing cycle.\n\n“We reiterate that we do not expect another housing crash like 2008,” Park and her team concluded after presenting this evidence.\n\nIs it a repeat of the ‘turbulence’ of the 1980s?\n\nAccording to Bank of America, today’s housing market looks a lot more like the early 1980s than it does 2008. Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.\n\nThe rise in the consumer price index peaked at around 14% in 1980 before then–Fed Chair Paul Volcker’s hawkish policies sent mortgage rates to 18% in a year’s time, cooling inflation, but sparking a recession. This caused a serious downturn in the housing market in which home sales and building levels cratered. However, national home prices actually remained stable.\n\nAt the start of Volcker’s term as Fed chair in August 1979, the median U.S. home sales price was $64,700. And even after a near doubling of mortgage rates, that figure rose to $69,400 by the second quarter of 1981.\n\nOver the past 18 months, the Fed’s current chair, Jerome Powell, has been following a very similar game plan to Volcker’s, raising interest rates aggressively to quash inflation. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, the most common type of mortgage in the U.S., has soared from 3.8% in March 2022 to over 7.5% today as a result. This, in turn, has slowed mortgage purchase applications and caused home sales to plummet, just as it did in the ’80s; but home prices, echoing the dynamic of that era, have yet to collapse.\n\nOne of the key reasons for the resilience of the housing market in both of these periods is demographics. “Noticeably, demographics were favorable back then, with baby boomers having entered the prime homebuying age,” Park and her team wrote Thursday, arguing millennials are in a similar position today. “Some sales activity should be supported by millennials reaching the prime homebuying age, and single-family building permits have steadily held up. This can help the housing market retain some of its momentum without falling apart.”\n\nBank of America economists believe that low inventory of existing homes for sale combined with solid home sales to millennials could help put a “floor beneath home prices,” but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some near-term pain due to higher mortgage rates.\n\n“With rates likely staying higher for longer, we are cautious of potential turbulence ahead,” the group warned. Bank of America has previously forecast 0% home price growth and falling home sales for the full year 2023, but it didn’t offer a new prediction in its latest note.\n\nEventually, as inflation fades leading the Fed to cut interest rates, housing affordability will improve. “At that stage, we should see a more stable and healthy housing market,” Park and her team wrote. “Until then, hang tight, it may be a bumpy ride.”\n\nThis article has been updated to correct a mistaken term used to refer to Jeseo Park. We regret the error.", + "Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season has provided plenty of drama, from the Bears hanging with the Lions to the Giants getting a rebound from emergency quarterback Tommy DeVito. But the latest round of regular-season action has also brought another wave of unfortunate injuries. Here's a roundup of the latest big names to go down around the league:\n\nQB\n\nC.J. Stroud (Texans) left for a single play against the Cardinals after absorbing a hard hit, with backup Davis Mills entering in relief. Stroud did not receive an injury designation, however, and returned after a quick check-in from trainers.\n\nGeno Smith (Seahawks) suffered an injury to his throwing arm after guiding a 16-7 lead over the Rams, showing frustration while trying to stretch the arm after a hit from Aaron Donald. Seattle quickly ruled him questionable to return with an elbow issue, and backup Drew Lock took over under center with 18 seconds left in the third quarter. Smith did return, however, for the final drive of the game in the losing effort. Head coach Pete Carroll said that Smith will \"make it back.\" When asked if that means for Thursday's matchup against San Francisco, the coach said, \"I would think so.\"\n\nSam Howell (Commanders) received medical attention on the sidelines after enduring several hard hits to the upper body on a touchdown run against the Giants. He was quickly cleared of a potential concussion, however, and remained in the game. Veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett is Washington's backup.\n\nRB\n\nAaron Jones (Packers) suited up against the Chargers despite a lingering hamstring issue, only to manage just five carries before suffering a knee injury. The former Pro Bowler needed help to leave the field and was then carted to the locker room, replaced by A.J. Dillon. Green Bay ruled him questionable to return, then downgraded him to out, but coach Matt LaFleur said after the Packers' win over Los Angeles that he doesn't expect the injury to be a long-term issue.\n\nDe'Von Achane (Dolphins) returned from injured reserve -- and a four-game absence -- but limped to the sidelines after his second touch of the first quarter against the Raiders. Miami ruled him questionable to return with a knee injury, and while he later returned to the sidelines from a locker-room visit, he was replaced on the field indefinitely by Raheem Mostert. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday that Achane is day-to-day. While he hasn't been ruled out of Friday's matchup with the Jets, he's not been given the green light either, so his status is worth monitoring.\n\nKenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury. He was seen walking on the sidelines shortly afterward but ruled doubtful to return. Rookie Zach Charbonnet, who entered Week 11 with just over 200 rushing yards on the year, replaced Walker as Seattle's top ball carrier. Following the game, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters Walker suffered an \"oblique strain that was legit\" and could miss time.\n\nD'Onta Foreman (Bears) remained a headliner of Chicago's backfield against the Lions, even with Khalil Herbert back from injured reserve, but managed just 14 yards on the ground before suffering an ankle injury. He walked off with a limp and attempted to run on the sidelines but did not return to the field after the Bears ruled him questionable.\n\nPick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the \"Pick Six Newsletter\" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy See All Newsletters Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription.\n\nWR\n\nTyreek Hill (Dolphins) briefly left Miami's game against the Raiders while nursing a hand injury and was ruled questionable to return, but he took the field again soon afterward, securing seven catches for 80 yards and a score before halftime. Hill has left multiple games this year, only to return in all of them.\n\nCooper Kupp (Rams) had just a single catch against the Seahawks before suffering an ankle injury while blocking. The former All-Pro, who battled a lingering hamstring injury earlier this year, received attention on the sidelines after limping off, then left the game for further evaluation in the locker room. He was ruled questionable to return. NFL Media reported on Monday that Kupp suffered a low ankle sprain and will be evaluated going forward.\n\nDarius Slayton (Giants) had a big impact against the Commanders, hauling in a deep score from Tommy DeVito, before exiting with an arm injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the contest halfway through the third quarter.\n\nEDGE\n\nJoey Bosa (Chargers) appeared to injure his right leg or foot while held in a block during a first-quarter pass-rushing attempt against the Packers. He limped to the sidelines and was carted to the locker room, then ruled questionable to return.\n\nDB\n\nTalanoa Hufanga (49ers), who emerged as a ballhawk for San Francisco's secondary in 2022, left early against the Buccaneers with a knee injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed to reporters on Monday that the All-Pro suffered a season-ending ACL tear.", + "In the final weeks of the fantasy football regular season, rolling out a strong receiver corps comprised of wideouts set up for high usage days is every fantasy owner's goal. Having those WRs in plus matchups makes it even more likely you'll end the week in the win column. Our Week 13 fantasy WR PPR rankings can help pinpoint all the studs and sleepers at fantasy's deepest position.\n\nThere aren't as many studs or sleepers this week, as six byes and some inopportune injuries thin out our rankings. Nonetheless, we still have to fill out the same number of starting spots in our lineups, so those in 12-team leagues might have to dig deep to find decent WR3s and flexes. That's where we come in.\n\nNow that we know the backdrop to this pivotal week, let's break down our Week 13 WR rankings.\n\nMORE: Watch NFL RedZone live with Sling (50% off first month)\n\nWhich WRs are on bye in Week 13?\n\nWith the Ravens, Bills, Vikings, Raiders, Giants, and Bears idle in Week 13, that means Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Justin Jefferson, DJ Moore, Zay Flowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Jordan Addison are among the most notable wideouts omitted from our rankings. Deep-league owners will also be without Odell Beckham Jr., K.J. Osborn, Gabe Davis, Jalin Hyatt, and Khalil Shakir.\n\nWEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nUnfortunately, we also won't get to pick on the poor WR defenses of the Giants and Vikings, but it's a relief to see the Ravens' shut-down secondary on the sidelines.\n\nWEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy WRs in Week 13?\n\nTyreek Hill (@ Commanders in Week 13) did his thing despite a tough matchup in Week 12, resulting in Miami's WR1 returning to the top spot against a putrid Washington stop unit. CeeDee Lamb (vs. Seahawks) isn't far behind, as Dallas' WR1 aims to maintain his efficient play against Seattle.\n\nAmon-Ra St. Brown (@ Saints) has been a target hog the past several weeks, seeing at least nine looks in each of his past six games. Don't expect his workload to decrease in a bounce-back game for the Lions. Keenan Allen (@ Patriots) looks to continue his dominant ways, as Justin Herbert's go-to target routinely has double-digit target potential.\n\nMike Evans (vs. Panthers) sits in our top five for Week 13, totaling four TDs over the past three weeks. A.J. Brown (vs. 49ers) faces a sound San Francisco coverage unit in Sunday's NFC Championship rematch, but his ability to dominate in the red zone still makes him a top-10 PPR play. Ja'Marr Chase (@ Jaguars) averaged over 20 yards per reception in Week 12, and although the drop-off from Joe Burrow to Jake Browning is massive, Chase still has WR1 upside given his usage.\n\nMichael Pittman Jr. (@ Texans) faces a Texans' pass defense that's been shredded the past few weeks, so another 100-yard receiving day could be in store. Jaylen Waddle (@ Commanders) is also looking to post his second consecutive 100-plus yard day, which could come to fruition against a struggling Commanders' coverage unit. Tank Dell (vs. Broncos) continues to rise up our PPR rankings, rounding out our top 10 as a trusted option of C.J. Stroud's.\n\nWEEK 13 FANTASY ADVICE: Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy WR sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 13?\n\nCurtis Samuel (vs. Dolphins), Jayden Reed (vs. Chiefs), Lynn Bowden Jr. (vs. Lions), Jonathan Mingo (@ Buccaneers), Cedric Tillman (@ Rams), and DeVante Parker (vs. Chargers) profile as this week's crop of sleepers and waiver-wire adds.\n\nSamuel saw a heavy dosage of targets in Week 12, and with Washington passing at a high clip, another high-usage day could be in store. Reed's scored in three straight games and while he has a higher ceiling in standard formats, he still has flex appeal in a potentially negative game script.\n\nBowden Jr., alongside A.T. Perry and Keith Kirkwood, are the only healthy Saints WRs right now, and a favorable matchup against Detroit gives each some flex value in deep leagues. Mingo also draws a plus matchup against a reeling Buccaneers secondary, as a potential negative game script should boost his Week 13 fantasy ceiling.\n\nTillman is another talented rookie who's getting more run as the season progresses, and although P.J. Walker's struggled under center, Tillman is set up for a high-usage day against the Rams with Amari Cooper (ribs) banged up.\n\nWEEK 13 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best stacks | Best values\n\nWho are the biggest potential WR busts in Week 13?\n\nBeware of Terry McLaurin (vs. Dolphins), Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell (vs. Browns), Drake London (@ Jets), and Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (@ Cowboys) this week.\n\nMcLaurin's averaging just 42 receiving yards over his past three games, and a heavy dosage of Jalen Ramsey hinders his Week 13 fantasy value.\n\nNacua and Atwell see a Cleveland coverage unit who entered Week 12 allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to WRs. Heck, even Cooper Kupp, who hasn't looked like himself of late, could underperform again.\n\nWe can't trust London and the rest of the Falcons passing offense against a well-rounded Jets defense. To make matters worse, he'll be matched up against Sauce Gardner for most of the day, too.\n\nLockett and Smith-Njigba might be better suited for the bench in PPR leagues against a lockdown Dallas coverage unit. Geno Smith's struggles complicate their fantasy prospects, as well.\n\nWhat are the biggest WR injuries in Week 13?\n\nEntering Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries. For now, we've placed Higgins and Brown in our Week 13 list and omitted Burks and Toney. We'll also be eyeing the Chargers' Josh Palmer (knee), who's eligible to come off the IR this week but probably won't suit up against New England.\n\nLast week, the most notable WRs to exit their respective games with injuries include Chris Olave (concussion), Amari Cooper (ribs), Demario Douglas (concussion), and Rashid Shaheed (thigh). We've left all four WRs out of our initial Week 13 list but will closely monitor their teams' injury reports to gauge their playing prospects.\n\nAs usual, we'll update these WR PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.\n\nFantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 13: Who to start, sit at wide receiver\n\nRankings based on PPR scoring formats\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Tyreek Hill, Dolphins @ Commanders\n\n2 CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys vs. Seahawks\n\n3 Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions @ Saints\n\n4 Keenan Allen, Chargers @ Patriots\n\n5 Mike Evans, Buccaneers vs. Panthers\n\n6 A.J. Brown, Eagles vs. 49ers\n\n7 Michael Pittman Jr., Colts @ Titans\n\n8 Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals @ Jaguars\n\n9 Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins @ Commanders\n\n10 Tank Dell, Texans vs. Broncos\n\n11 Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers @ Eagles\n\n12 Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Falcons\n\n13 Calvin Ridley, Jaguars vs. Bengals\n\n14 Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Browns\n\n15 DeVonta Smith, Eagles vs. 49ers\n\n16 DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ Cowboys\n\n17 Chris Olave, Saints vs. Lions\n\n18 Deebo Samuel, 49ers @ Eagles\n\n19 DeAndre Hopkins, Titans vs. Colts\n\n20 Courtland Sutton, Broncos @ Texans\n\n21 Christian Kirk, Jaguars vs. Bengals\n\n22 Terry McLaurin, Commanders vs. Dolphins\n\n23 Nico Collins, Texans vs. Broncos\n\n24 Rashee Rice, Chiefs @ Packers\n\n25 Puka Nacua, Rams vs. Browns\n\n26 Chris Godwin, Buccaneers vs. Panthers\n\n27 Marquise Brown, Cardinals @ Steelers\n\n28 Christian Watson, Packers vs. Chiefs\n\n29 Adam Thielen, Panthers @ Buccaneers\n\n30 Romeo Doubs, Packers vs. Chiefs\n\n31 Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Cardinals\n\n32 Tee Higgins, Bengals @ Jaguars\n\n33 George Pickens, Steelers vs. Cardinals\n\n34 Jerry Jeudy, Broncos @ Texans\n\n35 Tyler Lockett, Seahawks @ Cowboys\n\n36 Drake London, Falcons @ Jets\n\n37 Noah Brown, Texans vs. Broncos\n\n38 Josh Downs, Colts @ Titans\n\n39 Brandin Cooks, Cowboys vs. Seahawks\n\n40 DeVante Parker, Patriots vs. Chargers\n\n41 Jahan Dotson, Commanders vs. Dolphins\n\n42 Jayden Reed, Packers vs. Chiefs\n\n43 Amari Cooper, Browns @ Rams\n\n44 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks @ Cowboys\n\n45 Curtis Samuel, Commanders vs. Dolphins\n\n46 Elijah Moore, Browns @ Rams\n\n47 Rondale Moore, Cardinals @ Steelers\n\n48 Tyler Boyd, Bengals vs. Jaguars\n\n49 Robert Woods, Texans vs. Broncos\n\n50 Jonathan Mingo, Panthers @ Buccaneers\n\n51 Jameson Williams, Lions @ Saints\n\n52 Zay Jones, Jaguars vs. Bengals\n\n53 Tutu Atwell, Rams vs. Browns\n\n54 Greg Dortch, Cardinals @ Steelers\n\n55 Jalen Guyton, Chargers @ Patriots\n\n56 Lynn Bowden Jr., Saints vs. Lions\n\n57 Quentin Johnston, Chargers @ Patriots\n\n58 Justin Watson, Chiefs @ Packers\n\n59 Treylon Burks, Titans vs. Colts\n\n60 Josh Reynolds, Lions @ Saints\n\n61 Keith Kirkwood, Saints vs. Lions\n\n62 Cedric Tillman, Browns @ Rams\n\n63 Trey Palmer, Buccaneers vs. Panthers\n\n64 A.T. Perry, Saints vs. Lions\n\n65 Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Seahawks\n\n66 JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots vs. Chargers\n\n67 Kalif Raymond, Lions @ Saints\n\n68 DJ Chark, Panthers @ Buccaneers\n\n69 Skyy Moore, Chiefs @ Packers\n\n70 Dontayvion Wicks, Packers vs. Chiefs\n\n71 Trenton Irwin, Bengals @ Jaguars\n\n72 Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans vs. Colts\n\n73 Cedrick Wilson, Dolphins @ Commanders\n\n74 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs @ Packers\n\n75 Alec Pierce, Colts @ Titans\n\n76 Chris Moore, Titans vs. Colts\n\nWeek 13 WR PPR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks\n\nDraft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week\n\nWe're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 13 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for wide receivers -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!\n\nTRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!", + "The alligator got my attention. Which, of course, was the point. When you hear that a 10-foot alligator is going to be released at a rooftop bar in South Florida, at a party for the people being accused of ruining the internet, you can’t quite stop yourself from being curious. If it was a link — “WATCH: 10-foot Gator Prepares to Maul Digital Marketers” — I would have clicked. But it was an IRL opportunity to meet the professionals who specialize in this kind of gimmick, the people turning online life into what one tech writer recently called a “search-optimized hellhole.” So I booked a plane ticket to the Sunshine State.\n\nI wanted to understand: what kind of human spends their days exploiting our dumbest impulses for traffic and profit? Who the hell are these people making money off of everyone else’s misery?\n\nAfter all, a lot of folks are unhappy, in 2023, with their ability to find information on the internet, which, for almost everyone, means the quality of Google Search results. The links that pop up when they go looking for answers online, they say, are “absolutely unusable”; “garbage”; and “a nightmare” because “a lot of the content doesn’t feel authentic.” Some blame Google itself, asserting that an all-powerful, all-seeing, trillion-dollar corporation with a 90 percent market share for online search is corrupting our access to the truth. But others blame the people I wanted to see in Florida, the ones who engage in the mysterious art of search engine optimization, or SEO.\n\nDoing SEO is less straightforward than buying the advertising space labeled “Sponsored” above organic search results; it’s more like the Wizard of Oz projecting his voice to magnify his authority. The goal is to tell the algorithm whatever it needs to hear for a site to appear as high up as possible in search results, leveraging Google’s supposed objectivity to lure people in and then, usually, show them some kind of advertising. Voilà: a business model! Over time, SEO techniques have spread and become insidious, such that googling anything can now feel like looking up “sneaker” in the dictionary and finding a definition that sounds both incorrect and suspiciously as though it were written by someone promoting Nike (“footwear that allows you to just do it!”). Perhaps this is why nearly everyone hates SEO and the people who do it for a living: the practice seems to have successfully destroyed the illusion that the internet was ever about anything other than selling stuff.\n\nSo who ends up with a career in SEO? The stereotype is that of a hustler: a content goblin willing to eschew rules, morals, and good taste in exchange for eyeballs and mountains of cash. A nihilist in it for the thrills, a prankster gleeful about getting away with something.\n\n“This is modern-day pirate shit, as close as you can get,” explained Cade Lee, who prepared me over the phone for what to expect in Florida based on over a decade working in SEO. What Lee said he’s noticed most at SEO conferences and SEO networking events is a certain arrogance. “There’s definitely an ego among all of them,” he told me. “You succeed, and now you’re a genius. Now you’ve outdone Google.”\n\nThe more I thought about search engine optimization and how a bunch of megalomaniacal jerks were degrading our collective sense of reality because they wanted to buy Lamborghinis and prove they could vanquish the almighty algorithm — which, technically, constitutes many algorithms, but we think of as a single force — the more I looked forward to going to Florida for this alligator party. Maybe, I thought, I would get to see someone who made millions clogging the internet with bullshit get the ultimate comeuppance. Maybe an SEO professional would get attacked by a gigantic, prehistoric-looking reptile right there in front of me. Maybe I could even repackage such a tragedy into a sensationalized anecdote for a viral article about the people who do SEO for a living, strongly implying that nature was here to punish the bad guy while somehow also assuming the ethical high ground and pretending I hadn’t been hoping this exact thing would happen from the start.\n\nBecause I, too, use Google. I, too, want reliable and relevant things to come up when I look through this vast compendium of human knowledge. And I, too, enjoy the sweet taste of revenge.\n\nThe first thing that went wrong at the alligator party was the alligator was only five and a half feet long, not 10 feet, as advertised. Classic clickbait!\n\nThe second thing that went wrong at the alligator party was that I found almost everyone I met to be sympathetic, or at least nice enough not to want to see them get maimed by a five-and-a-half-foot alligator. My harshest assessment of the 200 digital marketers taking shots and swaying to a dancehall reggae band was that they dressed like they lived in Florida, which almost all of them did.\n\nTake Missy Ward, a blonde in an orange bandage dress so tight she told me she couldn’t take full steps. She laughed as she explained that she’d ordered the dress on Amazon and hadn’t tried it on until the day of the alligator party. Ward had a feisty, wry energy that made me want to root for her. When she started doing SEO in 1998, she said, it was “five girls and all dudes.” She eventually sold her company for $40 million. Somehow, in the moment, I was psyched to hear this. She was being so patient, explaining the history of SEO and suggesting other people for me to reach out to. I should really go talk with that guy across the room, who had a long-running podcast about SEO, she said, the one in the sky blue polo.\n\nHis name was Daron Babin, and I quickly learned he was just the kind of “modern-day pirate shit” guy I’d been warned about: thrilled at the opportunity to recount the brilliant trickery that had allowed him to line his pockets. His SEO career got going in 1994, before Google even existed. “The air of manipulation was insane,” Babin told me. “We had this weird community of geeks and nerds, and we all talked to each other about how we were beating the algorithms up,” he said. “People were trying to outrank other people just for bragging rights.”\n\nWe were chatting on a patio overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, between the buffet and the band, when the host of the alligator party, Darren Blatt, came up to say how glad he was that I’d found Daron Babin.\n\n“It was like I won the lottery, and I didn’t know how long it would last.”\n\nDarren and Daron (pronounced the same way) have been friends for decades, since the era when Darren “D-Money” Blatt would throw rap star-studded internet marketing shindigs during the Adult Video News Awards in Vegas, back when sex sites were among the most advanced in technology, and Daron Babin was using SEO to promote offshore casinos and Viagra (“We were outranking Pfizer!”). Together, Darren and Daron managed to milk all three of the early online cash cows: porn, pills, and gambling.\n\nAs the internet became more regulated and mainstream, around the turn of the century, Darren noticed Daron’s SEO skills were increasingly in demand. “I told him that he was missing the boat, that he needed to be a consultant and charge a few grand,” Darren said.\n\nDaron took the advice, asking for $2,000 a day, and watched his career explode. “I would wake up in a city and not know what time zone I was in,” he recalled. To slow the pace, he upped it to $5,000 a day, but “it seemed the more I raised my rates, the more gigs I was getting.”\n\nNowadays, he mostly invests in cannabis and psychedelics. SEO just got to be too complicated for not enough money, he told me. Ward had told me the same thing, that she had stopped focusing on SEO years ago.\n\nI was considering how it was possible that so many people have been complaining recently about SEO ruining the internet if these people were telling me the SEO business is in decline when I met Jairo Bastilla. He was the kind of tall, charming man who described himself multiple times as “a nerd,” and he pointed out that even though working directly with search engine rankings is “no longer monetizing at the highest payout,” the same “core knowledge of SEO” remains relevant for everything from native advertising to social media.\n\nTranslation? SEO is now baked into everything. Bastilla, for example, specializes in email campaigns, which he called “deliverability.”\n\nAs a person who militantly unsubscribes to any and all marketing emails, I suddenly felt claustrophobic, surrounded by people who annoy the rest of us for a living. Why does it always seem to surprise me, even after all these years, that the way we behave on the internet is often quite different from how we act in real life?\n\nI wandered off to wait in line for a drink, where I noticed several people nonchalantly making space in a corner, as if to move out of the way for a bartender carrying empty glasses. There, squirming along the ground, was the alligator himself, wagging his tail, snout held shut by a thin strip of electrical tape. His handler was nowhere in sight. It was an unsettling vision, a predator pretending to be just another party guest.\n\n“They should untape the mouth!” someone shouted. “I’m not even scared.”\n\nAs sunset turned to dusk, I found Daron Babin again, and he started telling me about one of his signature moves, back in the ’90s, involving fake domain names: “I could make it look like it was somebody else, but it actually redirected to me!” What he and his competitors did was legal but well beyond what the dominant search engine allowed. He never faced any consequences, but in the end, internet users at large felt the effects: “It muddied up Yahoo, ultimately,” he said, “but while it worked, we banked.”\n\nThe situation sounded familiar. But I liked Babin. He was funny and smart, a keen observer of the SEO world. “We’re entering a very weird time, technologically, with AI, from an optimization standpoint,” he told me. Anyone who thought the internet was already saturated with SEO-oriented content should buckle up.\n\n“All the assholes that are out there paying shitty link-building companies to build shitty articles,” he said, “now they can go and use the free version of GPT.” Soon, he said, Google results would be even worse, dominated entirely by AI-generated crap designed to please the algorithms, produced and published at volumes far beyond anything humans could create, far beyond anything we’d ever seen before.\n\n“They’re not gonna be able to stop the onslaught of it,” he said. Then he laughed and laughed, thinking about how puny and irrelevant Google seemed in comparison to the next generation of automated SEO. “You can’t stop it!”\n\nOnce I was safe at home, my alligator attack bluster having deflated into an irrepressible affection for clever scoundrels, mixed with fear about the future promised by said scoundrels, I decided to seek a broader range of the people who do SEO for a living. Perhaps the ones who live in Florida were simply too, well, Florida, and the ones who live elsewhere might be more principled? An old contact heard I was writing about SEO and suggested I find a man he called Legendary Lars: “He was an absolute god in that space.”\n\nI tracked down Lars Mapstead in Northern California, where he was preparing to run for president in 2024 as a Libertarian. Mapstead spent the first two years of his life in a Volkswagen van traveling the Pacific coast before his hippie parents settled on a Big Sur property with goats, chickens, and no electricity. He became a tinkerer and an autodidact, the guy who reads the instruction manual and fixes everything himself. When he first heard about the World Wide Web, it was 1993, and he was working for a company selling computer motherboards.\n\n“It’s like the freedom of information!” he remembered thinking. “It’s all just about collaborating and bettering mankind!”\n\nHe learned how to build a website and then how to submit a site to be listed in early search directories like AltaVista, WebCrawler, Infoseek, and Lycos. He learned how to create chat rooms, attracting people spread across the globe, all alone in their homes but together online. It was beautiful. It was exciting. Mapstead saw himself as an explorer in a small but finite kingdom. “I had surfed the entire internet. There wasn’t a page I hadn’t seen.”\n\nAnd then, one day, a company in New York offered to pay him $2,000 a month to put banner ads on one of his websites, and everything changed. More clicks meant more ad dollars. Higher search engine rankings meant more clicks. So whatever it took to get a higher ranking, he learned how to do. He bought photographs of women in bikinis and made a 60-page slideshow with banner ads on each page. He realized that most search engines were just listing websites in order of how many times a search term appeared on the site and in its tags, so he focused on stuffing his sites with keywords, resubmitting his URL to the search engines, and waiting for the results to change.\n\nMapstead started pulling in $25,000–$30,000 a month, working 12- to 14-hour days. “It was how long could I stay awake and how little life could I have because this was more money than I could have ever imagined in my lifetime,” he told me. “It was like I won the lottery, and I didn’t know how long it would last.”\n\nAround this time, in 1997, an Italian professor published a journal article about what he called Search Engines Persuasion. “Finding the right information on the World Wide Web is becoming a fundamental problem,” he wrote. “A vast number of new companies was born just to make customer Web pages as visible as possible,” which “has led to a bad performance degradation of search engines.”\n\nEnter Google. The company revolutionized search by evaluating websites based on links from other websites, seeing each link as a vote of relevance and trustworthiness. The founders pledged to be a neutral navigation system with no ads: just a clean white screen with a search box that would bring people off of the Google landing page and out to a helpful website as seamlessly as possible. Users quickly decided this link-based sorting methodology was superior to the existing search engines, and by the end of 1999, Google was handling the majority of online queries.\n\n“I was basically just spamming Facebook with cars and articles about cars and sending traffic to banner ads, and that turned into $120,000 a month.”\n\nMapstead, like many of the early practitioners of SEO, figured out how to adapt. Almost as soon as Google took over, a secondary market emerged for links. For a few hundred bucks, a firm in India or the Philippines could provide thousands of links from blog networks built entirely for that purpose. It was easy: buy links that led to your site and watch your ranking in Google’s results rise.\n\nI came to understand that, since the dawn of the internet, there have been people attempting to manipulate search and then people decrying those manipulations as the end of search’s ability to be useful. It works in cycles. People doing SEO find loopholes in the algorithm; critics complain about search results; search engines innovate and close the loopholes. Rinse, repeat.\n\nBefore our current moment of widespread disillusionment with online information, the rise of SEO had reached a breaking point multiple times. In 2003, as Google approached the deadline to disclose pertinent business information leading up to its IPO, the company quietly released an update cracking down. By 2011, SEO was once again oppressively pervasive. TechCrunch published a story called “Why We Desperately Need a New (and Better) Google,” which argued that “Google has become a jungle: a tropical paradise for spammers and marketers.” In the next year, Google made two major changes to the algorithm, which came to be called Panda and Penguin.\n\nWhile the public might have experienced each of these updates as a relief, Mapstead and his SEO compatriots saw them as devastating. “They change the rules instantly overnight, and then you’re out of business,” he told me. “Here you’re trying to rely on this business model to feed yourself and your family, and they’re pulling the rug from underneath you, and you’ve gotta scramble to pay rent.”\n\nBut don’t worry about Mapstead. This is a guy seemingly blessed with a never-ending mental stream of schemes. He helped start a handful of companies, including the once-ubiquitous hookup site AdultFriendFinder, which sold in 2007 for $500 million. He tried to retire after that but got bored and started a couple of Facebook pages devoted to his passion for hot rods and custom cars. This was during the peak years for social media, and just as Bastilla had described back at the alligator party, Mapstead’s “core knowledge of SEO” came in handy. Before long, his pages had 25 million followers. “I was basically just spamming Facebook with cars and articles about cars and sending traffic to banner ads, and that turned into $120,000 a month,” he told me. “And that was supposed to be my hobby!”\n\nAs I spoke with more SEO professionals around the country, I began to think that the reason I found them endearing and not evil was that while many had made quite a bit of money, almost none had amassed significant power. Unlike the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezoses of the world, who went from geeky teenagers to masters of the universe, the dorks who grew up to do SEO have stayed the butt of the joke, beholden to the fluctuations of the algorithm, frantically pulling levers behind the scenes but ultimately somewhat hapless.\n\nI mean, have I even mentioned that they call themselves “SEOs”? Really. They say things like, “As the SEO, my job is to get more traffic.” This title feels thirsty to be seen as similar to a CEO, to be taken seriously. And compared to the rest of the tech world, SEO has always lacked a certain glamor or a certain messiah complex. Case in point: while many of the tech CEOs claiming to save the world these days live in Miami, the alligator party was an hour up the coast in Fort Lauderdale.\n\n“The SEO people are just trying to make money,” said Peter Kent, the author of several dozen explanatory tech books, including SEO for Dummies and Bitcoin for Dummies. “The cryptocurrency people are trying to make money, but they’re also trying to overthrow, you know, the existing system.”\n\nKent has done his fair share of SEO jobs but also has something of an outsider’s perspective. For years, he’s been telling people that part of the SEO industry’s reputation problem is that 80 percent of SEOs are scammers.\n\n“A lot of companies and individuals out there selling their services as SEO gurus don’t know what they’re doing or don’t really give a damn,” he explained. As a consultant, he’s often had businesses ask him to vet the work of other SEOs. “I would take a look at their site and determine the firm had done next to nothing and had been charging thousands a month for years on end.”\n\nWhen I ran this 80 percent scam figure by other SEOs, most agreed it sounded accurate, though people were divided about what to ascribe to greed and what was just stupidity.\n\n“It isn’t because they have a scammer’s heart,” said Bruce Clay. “It’s because they don’t have the real expertise.” Clay is an avuncular man with a mustache who is often credited with coining the phrase “search engine optimization” and is therefore called “the father of SEO.” He told me his agency never hires an SEO with less than a decade of experience.\n\n“I don’t know if you can trust anything you read online.”\n\nThough Google publishes guidelines explaining how to do better in search (“Make your site interesting and useful”), the exact formula for how and why one website gets placed over another is top secret, meaning that SEO involves a lot of reverse engineering and guesswork. With no clear chain of cause and effect around why a site’s ranking has changed, a less talented practitioner can take on the mien of a premodern farmer, struggling to figure out how to make it rain. Should he do that dance he did last year the night before it poured? Or maybe sacrifice his firstborn?\n\nThe algorithm is just too opaque, too complicated, and too dynamic, making it easy for scammy SEOs to pretend they know what they’re doing and difficult for outsiders to sort the good SEOs from the bad. To make things even more confusing for, say, a small business looking to hire someone to improve their Google ranking, even a talented SEO might need a year of work to make a difference, perhaps implying a good SEO was a scammer when in fact, the client was just being impatient or refusing to implement essential advice. “There’s a great deal of effort that’s required to do things to move the needle, and a lot of companies aren’t willing to put out the money for that, even though it may be worthwhile in the long run,” said John Heard, a longtime SEO based in Kansas.\n\nOf course, some people bristled at the very suggestion that the industry is filled with con artists. “There are a lot of scammers in every single business. It’s just easier to call yourself an SEO than a doctor,” said Barry Schwartz. Schwartz is an unbelievably fast talker and a prolific writer who has spent the past two decades covering SEO for the trade rag Search Engine Land. Both over the phone with me and in his work, he has defended SEO as a legitimate, dignified pursuit: “The search community is filled with hard-working individuals working to help their clients’ websites succeed in Google Search. That success is not done through dark, corrupt or shady tactics but rather hard, smart and thorough work.”\n\nSeveral people that I spoke to made a similar point: the best SEOs are the ones that follow Google’s rules, which essentially ask you to make amazing websites without even thinking about Google. You are not supposed to make any attempt to artificially boost a website’s ranking; you are supposed to be designing websites for human readers, not for the algorithm. And many SEOs do exactly this kind of work: rewriting copy, making a site load more quickly, etc. But the existence of good SEOs does not negate the presence of scammers and idiots and people who get ahead by violating Google’s terms of service, just as the mild-mannered teacher’s pet in a classroom does not negate the obnoxious shouting of the kids that refuse to behave. A few loud kids can easily drown everyone else out.\n\nEven Schwartz acknowledged the effect that the rule-breaking SEOs have had on the internet experience. We get to talking about the types of small businesses that are particularly lucrative customers for SEOs, including lawyers, accountants, and contractors, because these are the professions eager for attention from all the people going online to find local recommendations. If Schwartz himself had to hire a reliable attorney, I asked, what would be the best way to do so?\n\n“I don’t know if you can trust anything you read online,” he told me. “Maybe you ask a friend.”\n\nAfter hearing so much about what it was like to be an SEO, I decided it was time to better understand what’s been going on from the perspective of the search engine. Google was slow to allow someone to talk with me, possibly because of the giant PR clusterfuck that has been the company’s past year (accused by the federal government of being a monopoly; increasingly despised by the public; losing ground to Reddit, TikTok, and large language models), so I decided to start by meeting up with a chipper, charismatic man named Duane Forrester.\n\nForrester was at Microsoft from 2007 until 2015, where he helped launch and manage Bing, the perpetual underdog to Google’s domination of online search. Before and after his time at Microsoft, Forrester worked as an SEO, so he sees the industry from both sides, like an aerospace engineer who spent a few years at the Department of Defense, left for the private sector, and now is much better at winning military contracts. Forrester has a holistic understanding of the delicate push and pull between the SEOs desperate for clues on how to do their jobs better and the search engine trying to keep its secret-sauce algorithm proprietary. He also knows a huge range of people in the industry. Like Schwartz, he wanted to emphasize how hard everyone works. “I’ve lost track of how many people I know who built companies and sold them and have just, like, made wealth,” he told me. “That is not a 40-hour commitment in the week. That is a 400-hour commitment.” (For the record, there are 168 hours in a week.)\n\nThese days, Forrester lives in Los Angeles, and he asked me to meet him at one of his favorite restaurants, which felt like a British pub operated by Disney World, tucked away in a desert strip mall. Inside, every inch was covered in Anglophile paraphernalia, including Union Jack flags, a mural of Big Ben, and a red phone booth. Over a full English breakfast, he told me about growing up in rural Canada, where his parents owned a motel. As a kid, he used to mess around with the pay phone outside, eventually figuring out how to finagle free long-distance phone calls. “And then it became, ‘What else can I know how to do?’”\n\nBy the ’90s, Forrester was trading tips with other SEOs in online forums. He still remembers the thrill of the very first SEO conference he went to, where he was asked to speak. “The people who got up onstage to talk were seen as somehow more knowledgeable, but I don’t know that we felt that way,” he said. “You all kind of knew you were making shit up.”\n\nAfter years of being friends online, the SEOs were eager to let loose in person, giving off what Forrester described as “that vibe of a lot of young people with access to a lot of money. And it was like, no expenses spared in New York City.”\n\n“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”\n\nFor Forrester, it was the start of a long career of keynote presentations and consummate schmoozing — Clay, the father of SEO, described him to me as “a cruise director” on the SS SEO. The conference circuit has treated Forrester well. He’s attended events in Napa, Hawaii, and Barbados, among many others, as well as “an infinite number of private dinners and these types of things in every city you can think of, at the most lavish restaurants,” he said. “I’ve lost track of how many Michelin-starred meals I’ve had, ’cause it’s now in the dozens, from my time in this industry. And I’m not going to say no to the dinner that everyone’s going to, that one company is sponsoring because it’s a thank you to everybody who contributed to, whatever it was, you know? And you go and everybody has a good time. You talk about the industry, and that’s it. And it becomes the stuff of legends.”\n\nOver the years, he’s seen it all. He remembered “walking into hotel rooms and it’s two o’clock in the morning, there’s drugs and alcohol and everything everywhere, and there’s a party going on.” Forrester marveled at the audacity of his fellow SEOs. “Somebody showed up and brought her Aston Martin to a conference and parked it at the front door. Immediately got a parking ticket.” He suggested she might want to relocate the car before it got towed, but the woman told him she would just move it to the next parking spot and get another ticket. “She goes, ‘It’s cheaper for me to leave the car parked out front and use it as a way to start conversations with potential clients than it is for me to rent a suite at the hotel and get people to go to the suite to have the same conversation.’” Then, she offered to take Forrester for a joyride around Seattle. Obviously, he said yes.\n\nOnce he represented Bing, Forrester more or less stopped drinking at conferences, as had long been the case for his counterpart at Google, an engineer named Matt Cutts, who helped build and then ran the company’s web spam team before stepping back in 2014 and leaving in 2016.\n\nCutts was a celebrity among SEOs, constantly mobbed with questions and complaints. When we spoke on the phone, he told me that before he left, he determined that he had sent about 50,000 emails to people outside of Google during his decade and a half at the company.\n\nSeveral SEOs described trying to get Cutts to drink at conferences so he would “spill secrets,” as one put it, but what generally ended up happening was that all the SEOs would get drunk instead. Meanwhile, Cutts would stay sober, jotting down the latest SEO methods on a small notepad, sitting quietly in the corner at the bar.\n\n“My favorite question to ask an SEO,” Cutts told me, was, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” which prompted responses that felt like “a cross between showing off and a confessional.” So many SEOs were tempted to reveal the vulnerabilities they’d discovered in Google’s algorithms, even when they were talking to the one person they really shouldn’t have been talking to, the guy who was planning to go back to his office and make those vulnerabilities disappear.\n\nAs a former SEO himself, Forrester understood that the quality of Bing’s search results would be impacted by the work of SEOs, so it made sense to communicate with SEOs as much as possible. Cutts similarly tried to serve as a conduit between SEOs and Google, but Forrester felt that Google projected an attitude he described as: “We know what we’re doing, we will stop your attempts to game this, and you know what? We’ll just kind of ignore you, and when you give us feedback, eh, we don’t really care.”\n\nCutts, as an individual, seemed to be doing his best within an expanding corporate behemoth to remain approachable. “One thing I learned early on was that even when someone was shouting at you, there’s a kernel of something you needed to hear in the other person and listen to and respect and integrate and incorporate,” he told me. Most SEOs told me they appreciated his efforts. When Google released the 2011 Panda update that devastated a generation of SEO businesses, Cutts openly recognized the impossible task of achieving the kind of epistemological neutrality that Google’s founders had initially promised, telling Wired at the time, “[T]he only way to be neutral is either to randomize the links or to do it alphabetically.”\n\nStill, some blamed him personally for “killing” companies that had relied on the previous iteration of the algorithm. During his time at Google, Cutts regularly received death threats and hate mail. When SEOs would send, say, a fruit plate or a brownie cake addressed to him at Google’s offices, he told me, “We’d take it down to the kitchen with a note warning: possibly poisoned.”\n\nAfter Cutts left, Google replaced him with a handful of people, none of whom could quite fill his shoes: “Those personalities sometimes were standoffish,” Forrester told me. “Some of them were superior. Some of them were a bit too wallflower.”\n\nOne of the people Google brought in was Danny Sullivan, a former journalist who started Search Engine Land, the industry publication where Schwartz works, back in the 2000s. In 2009, Sullivan was described as “the closest approximation to an umpire in the search world,” so when he published “A deep look at Google’s biggest-ever search quality crisis” in 2017 and then took a job as Google’s public liaison for Search only a few months later, it felt to some SEOs as though a congressperson working on gun safety legislation had quit to become an NRA lobbyist.\n\n“There is a thread across the industry of people who believe that Google just made Danny an offer he couldn’t say no to, and it was designed essentially to take his voice out of the conversation,” Forrester told me. “I don’t believe that’s the case,” he went on, but compared to Cutts, “I think that Danny specifically stays out of a lot of public conversations because he is in those private conversations with businesses.”\n\nWas all that really Google’s fault? Or the SEOs? Or was this about something deeper and more human: the will to exploit something so much we destroy it.\n\nWhen I finally manage to jump through the flaming rings necessary to be allowed to speak on the phone with Sullivan, albeit with a communications chaperone also on the line, I find him angry and defensive. He’s annoyed that anyone would think his era at Google has been less transparent than Cutts’ was: “We have reams of help documents!” he told me. “We have more people assigned to work with SEOs than we did when Matt worked here!”\n\nSullivan is mad that the public and the media don’t really understand what he considers to be basic precepts about how search works, leading him to adopt a rather scolding tone online. He’s frustrated that people want to know every last detail about Google’s algorithm because even “if we listed all one thousand of the ranking signals” and how much each was worth, he said, that wouldn’t actually help SEOs do their jobs better, anyway.\n\nAnd most of all, Sullivan is pissed that people think Google results have gone downhill. Because they haven’t, he insisted. If anything, search results have gotten a lot better over time. Anyone who thought search quality was worse needed to take a hard look in the mirror.\n\n“We have an entire generation that grew up expecting the search box to do the work for them,” he said. “We might do a better job of matching for a bulk of people, but for people who are super sensitive, when they have that fail moment, now it becomes, ‘All my searches aren’t good.’”\n\nThe problem was not Google. The problem was not SEOs. The problem was kids these days.\n\nOf course Sullivan would say this, though. He works for Google. I felt like I began to understand why many SEOs had told me that Cutts’ departure had marked a major turning point in the history of the internet, emblematic of Google’s transition from idealistic startup to one of the most valuable and powerful companies to ever exist. Over the phone, Cutts came off as humble and thoughtful, acknowledging the nuances and challenges of the search engine business, while Sullivan sounded like an impatient corporate stooge, trying to gaslight me into believing the sky was red.\n\nBut here’s the part where I started to feel the way I’ve felt so often in recent years, like I was losing my grip on reality: Sullivan was not the only person who tried to tell me that search results have improved significantly. Out of the dozen-plus SEOs that I spoke with at length, nearly every single one insisted that search results are way better than they used to be. And except for Sullivan, these were not people with an incentive to praise Google. If anything, these were folks who lamented how much harder it had become for them to take advantage of Google. Today, they told me, search results are just objectively more accurate. More useful. More difficult to manipulate.\n\nThis was not what I had been noticing, and this was certainly not what I had been hearing from friends and journalists and friends who are journalists. Were all of us wrong? Or engulfed in some kind of Baader–Meinhof frequency bias delusion? Had I been researching a nonexistent problem? Were Google results actually amazing? Truly, I had lost the plot. Was the premise of this piece completely off? Was I the asshole who deserved to be attacked by an alligator?\n\nI began to worry all the people who were mad about search results were upset about something that had nothing to do with metrics and everything to do with feelings and ~vibes~ and a universal, non-Google-specific resentment and rage about how the internet has made our lives so much worse in so many ways, dividing us and deceiving us and provoking us and making us sadder and lonelier. Decades of American optimism about the wonderful potential of technology, from the Moon landing to personal computers to the iPhone, had finally, in the last few years, broken down into comprehensive chagrin at the petty, pathetic, and violent world enabled by our devices. Was all that really Google’s fault? Or the SEOs? Or was this about something deeper and more human: the will to exploit something so much we destroy it. To muddy it up, as Babin had put it, but while it worked, to make as much fucking money as possible.\n\nThe person who helped me snap out of my confusion spiral was an SEO named Lily Ray. Ray is a 30-something jet-setter with black-line tattoos and an asymmetrical, dyed blonde pixie cut. I managed to catch her for lunch in Brooklyn between speaking gigs in Chicago and Berlin on a day when she was also simultaneously managing a 35-person team at her digital marketing agency, posting multiple times an hour on social media, dog-sitting for a Pomeranian whose “daddies” were at Burning Man, caring for her own mini Australian shepherd, and organizing the house party she was hosting that weekend — a party she expected to be late for because she first had to drop by a rooftop to perform a DJ set at a different party.\n\nRay reassured me that I was not crazy. Google results today do feel different from how they felt just five or six years ago for two major reasons. The first was Google’s response to the disinformation panic around the 2016 election, which involved questioning the notion that the most reliable information could be chosen by a form of popularity, meaning how many links a site received from other sites. As a result, the algorithm seemed to change its approach to links, especially when it came to news and sites offering legal, financial, or health advice, and instead paid more attention to what Google came to call E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.\n\n“E-E-A-T has had a pretty big impact on what types of results you see,” Ray told me. She’s done extensive (and fascinating) research around how certain sites have fared under these new guidelines: Urban Dictionary, down! Mayo Clinic, up! Some people consider EEAT part of what’s making results better than ever. Others see it as a form of censorship, disproportionately affecting right-wing perspectives. Not every search query takes EEAT into account; Google has described heightened concern over sites that could impact safety, happiness, and the ability to be an informed citizen. But the point that really hit me was that for certain kinds of information, Google had undone one of the fundamental elements of what had made its results so appealing from the start. Now, instead of wild-west crowdsourcing, search was often reinforcing institutional authority.\n\nYou can’t just be the most powerful observer in the world for two decades and not deeply warp what you are looking at\n\nThis felt complicated at best. When it comes to health and wellness, for example, quackery is often in the eye of the beholder. Everyone knows someone who has struggled with the limits of Western medicine. So much of the original draw of the internet was the opportunity for outlier voices to be heard alongside established experts and elites. Looking back on all that had changed around what first attracted people to Google, from the introduction of ads to the efforts to keep users within the universe of Google products, this seemed to be the last straw.\n\nThe second major reason why Google results feel different lately was, of course, SEO — specifically, the obnoxious-kid-refusing-to-behave-in-class kind of SEO.\n\n“SEO that goes against Google’s guidelines, it’s not new,” Ray explained. A decade ago, it used to be called “black hat” SEO, in comparison to the search engine-approved “white hat” tactics. And Google has, as Sullivan and many SEOs told me, gotten better over time at catching SEOs playing tricks on the algorithm. Although many of us may have rosy memories of how magical and cool Google seemed in the early days, most SEOs consider the years between 2003 and 2011 to be the boom times, when you could still get a fake corporate website listed above the real corporate website, and you could mess with the search results for a major political figure such that something sexual or racist would come up first.\n\nGoogle is harder to game now — it’s true. But the sheer volume of SEO bait being produced is so massive and so complex that Google is overwhelmed. “It’s exponentially worse,” Ray said. “People can mass auto-generate content with AI and other tools,” she went on, and “in many cases, Google’s algorithms take a minute to catch onto it.”\n\nThe future that Babin had cackled about at the alligator party was already here. We humans and our pedestrian questions were getting caught up in a war of robots fighting robots, of Google’s algorithms trying to find and stop the AI-enabled sites programmed by SEOs from infecting our internet experience.\n\nEventually, a site filled with computer-generated nonsense designed to maximize SEO will get removed from search results, Ray explained, but while it’s up, the creator might make as much as $50,000 or $100,000 a month. A lot of the people who did this, she said, live cheaply overseas in places like Bali and Chiang Mai. ”They make a bunch of money, that site dies, and they go do it again,” she said. “It’s like a churn and burn strategy. So if people are seeing those results, it can be very frustrating for users ‘cause it’s like, ‘This is terrible.’”\n\nAnd yet, as much as she despises what this kind of SEO has done to the internet, Ray told me she hesitated to condemn the actual people doing it. “I used to do those types of tactics, so I couldn’t hate on anybody personally,” she said. “If people have a problem with Google’s results, they have to ask themselves, is it the fault of the SEOs?” she asked. “Or is this Google behaving differently than it used to?”\n\nSullivan had tried to convince me that Google was not behaving differently and, in fact, had not changed its search criteria in any major way for the past 20 years. Google wanted you to make good websites, and that was that. Everyone who tried to rank higher by messing with the algorithm would be blocked. Sullivan even insisted that what these rule-breakers did should not be called SEO: he deemed it all “spam.” What is spam? “Spam is stuff that search engines don’t like.”\n\nBut the line between strategies that violate Google’s terms of service and strategies that don’t has always been blurry and inconsistently enforced. “I’ve never seen this much tension in the industry in terms of, like, what Google says to do and what people are doing and getting away with,” Ray told me. “If you’re gonna tell us that this stuff doesn’t work, make it stop working!”\n\nRay seemed like the most reasonable person I had spoken to so far. Sure, she called herself a “thought leader,” and yes, sure, she had changed her last name to improve her personal branding by more closely associating herself with her grandmother’s uncle, the artist Man Ray. Maybe some people would say that’s the kind of absurd behavior that merits being attacked by an alligator, but I was beginning to come down on the side of the SEOs, who seemed to have a lot less agency than I’d first imagined.\n\nGoogle had started with a noble cause: trying to make the internet easier to navigate at scale. The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked. The problem lay in Google trying to be an objective and neutral arbiter of an information landscape that was meant to pretend it did not exist. You cannot design a free, automated system to help people find information without some people trying to game that system. You can’t just be the most powerful observer in the world for two decades and not deeply warp what you are looking at.\n\nFor the past 25 years, the internet as we know it has been almost entirely defined and controlled by Google. What the SEOs do matters for all of us on a daily basis, distorting how we perceive the world in ways we can hardly begin to imagine or understand. Yet any money that any SEO has made is a fraction of a crumb compared to Google’s 10-layer cake. The company brings in hundreds of billions of dollars a year, profits that skew Google’s choices and priorities. As Google’s founders wrote back in 1997: “we expect that advertising funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of the consumers.”\n\nAt the end of the day, it’s Google’s world, and the SEOs are only living in it\n\nThere’s a reason why most countries around the world have libraries that are public institutions: information that is controlled by a private business will always be subject to that business’s bottom line. In the beginning, the internet was seen as an improvement on the spirit of the public library. Here was an opportunity to transcend the gatekeepers controlling who could publish a book, allowing mankind to fully connect and share knowledge. Instead, we have ended up in a situation arguably worse than before, where nearly all online information runs through a single company, which assumes a veneer of civic utility, of impassive authority, when it is very much not a neutral entity.\n\n“There were so many true believers at Google in the early days,” Cutts told me. “As companies get big, it gets harder to get things done. Inevitably, people start to think about profit or quarterly numbers.” He claimed that, at least while he was there, search quality always came before financial goals, but he believes that the public underestimates how Google is shaping what they see, saying, “I deeply, deeply, deeply believe search engines are newspaper-like entities, making editorial decisions.” He speculated that the company didn’t want the public to think too hard about how search works because that awareness “encourages regulators and makes people realize, ‘Oh, there’s a lot of money here.’”\n\nThere has always been advertising and polemics from cranks, scammers, and liars. But now we see this stuff surfacing alongside truth, and we can’t tell the difference. We move through our lives with a greater sense of distrust and fear and insecurity. At the end of the day, it’s Google’s world, and the SEOs are only living in it.\n\nAnd as much as I might hate the way the SEOs who don’t follow Google’s rules have altered my online experience, the reality is that most people running a company will break whatever rules they are able to get away with breaking. While Ray herself said she has left behind the guideline-violating tactics of her past, choosing instead to do as Google asks and make high-quality websites that will “make the internet a better place,” as she put it, that kind of moral standard can be a lot to ask of someone running a business.\n\n“They want this wholesome thing, and I can understand that. That’d be neat,” said an SEO named Cade Lee. “But that’s maybe in a world where we don’t have money and greed and things, you know?”\n\nLee was the person I spoke with on the phone before going to the alligator party, the guy who warned me that SEO was “modern-day pirate shit.” He is among the SEOs who have spoken publicly, on panels, about violating Google’s guidelines. He’s also an ex-con who used to trade penny stocks and served time for securities fraud. His entire body is covered in tattoos, from his scalp to his legs to his fingers. When we met up for beers in Denver at a bar outside an escape room, he told me that his probation officer in the economic crime offenders unit has never tried to stop him from violating Google’s terms of service.\n\n“I was transparent about it, and they approved it,” he said. They even approved “some pretty questionable things, like in regards to adult sites,” he told me, specifically involving what he’d thought were ads for consensual sex workers. Later, an activist reached out and showed him how certain websites he had built were supporting human trafficking. Horrified, he shut the whole thing down, even then helping the activist with her website.\n\nThese days, Lee runs a construction company. His probation officer hates when he phrases it like this, but he thinks any way you make money is essentially a con or a scam of some kind. “The good con is like, you actually delivered, and you came through and made a profit.” For example: “We’re gonna take that old lady’s money to build her a brand new patio. There’s that scam, and then there’s, ‘Hey, let’s take her deposit and run.’” Lee is the kind of guy who has spent a lot of time thinking about his place in the world: what matters, what doesn’t, and how his actions affect other people. He was in the Marines, he sold mortgages in the lead-up to the 2008 crash, he went to prison, he’s done SEO. He understands that he needs to make money to survive, but he’d like to do so in a way that is minimally harmful. So he prefers the good kind of con.\n\n“That’s what happened with SEO for me — it was becoming bullshit,” he says. “I was not feeling good about customer meetings and about what I was saying, and I was like, ‘I shouldn’t be doing this.’”", + "Hey, folks, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s newsletter covering the past week (or so) in tech industry happenings. This week marked OpenAI’s first-ever dev conference, where the Microsoft-backed AI startup announced a host of new products. But that was far from the only item of note.\n\nIn this edition of WiR, we spotlight Brian’s review of the 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Air and M3 iMac 24-inch; Mozilla betting on a decentralized social networking future; Ford shuttering a company that was building an app for plumbers, electricians and other trades; and Tim Cook’s thoughts on generative AI. Also on the agenda is WeWork officially filing for bankruptcy, Bumble getting a new CEO, and the spectacular failure of EV startup Arrival.\n\nIt’s a lot to get through, as always — so we won’t delay. But first, a reminder to sign up here to receive WiR in your inbox every Saturday if you haven’t already done so.\n\nMost read\n\nOpenAI throws a dev day: OpenAI hosted its first-ever developer conference on Monday, and the company had a lot to talk about. Some of the more notable items announced were tools to create custom “GPTs” (i.e., domain-specific chatbots), new text-to-speech models, an API for the text-to-image model DALL-E 3, and an improved version of OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4, called GPT-4 Turbo.\n\nMac attack: Brian reviewed Apple’s new 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro and the M3 iMac 24-inch. He found the iMac to be lacking and not necessarily worth the upgrade from the 2021 model, excepting the M3 chip, which brings “impressive” performance gains over the already-powerful M1. As for the M3 Max MacBook Pro, Brian reports that, at $2,500 (plus some pricey add-ons), it successfully splits the difference between the Mac Studio and MacBook Air.\n\nMozilla bets on a decentralized future: Sarah spoke with Mozilla senior director of content Carolyn O’Hara, who outlined Mozilla’s strategy where it concerns the “fediverse” — a collection of decentralized social networking applications, like Mastodon, that communicate with one another over the ActivityPub protocol. The idea, O’Hara said, is to rethink social networking from the ground up.\n\nFord shutters SaaS app for field work: Ford has shut down VIIZR, a software-as-a-service company that, along with Salesforce, built an app to help tradespeople like plumbers, locksmiths and electricians to schedule field appointments, send invoices and manage customers, Kirsten reports. VIIZR, which was announced in December 2021, was a separate company majority owned by Ford, with Salesforce as a minority investor.\n\nApple bets on generative AI: Apple CEO Tim Cook pushed back against the notion that the company was behind in AI on Apple’s Q4 earnings call with investors, as he highlighted technology developments that Apple had made recently that “would not be possible without AI.” Cook also said that Apple was working on generative AI technologies, lending credence to reports suggesting the company is on track to spend $1 billion per year on developing generative AI products.\n\nWeWork goes bust: As predicted, flexible office-space firm WeWork has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing over $18.6 billion of debt in a remarkable collapse for the once high-flying startup co-founded by Adam Neumann and bankrolled by SoftBank, BlackRock and Goldman Sachs.\n\nSlack’s loss, Bumble’s gain: Dating app Bumble announced a doozy this week: It’s replacing founder CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd with Slack CEO Lidiane Jones. Jones only started as CEO at Slack last year, stepping in for another founder CEO, Stewart Butterfield. Ron and Sarah write that — while Bumble now has a clear line of succession — the move leaves Slack in a bit of a pickle.\n\nArrival fails to deliver: Arrival set out eight years ago to make electric vehicle production “radically more efficient.” So far, its plan to forgo the gigafactory for local microfactories has proved anything but, writes Harri — thanks to missed production targets, low cash reserves, layoffs and a pivot.\n\nAudio\n\nIt’s winter, it ain’t getting warmer (at least here in NYC), and I’d argue that there’s no better place to be than snuggled up indoors with a podcast for company. If you’re in need of material, TechCrunch has a few that should definitely be on your radar.\n\nThis week on Equity, the crew dove deep into the encouraging signs from the fintech startup market, starting with Klarna’s Q3 results. From there, they looked at buy now, pay later consumer behavior and fintech fundraising results with a 2021 flavor.\n\nMeanwhile, Found featured Nasrat Khalid of Aseel, which started as an e-commerce company making it possible for local artisans in Afghanistan to sell to customers across the world. It has evolved into working in humanitarian aid, delivering emergency food supplies to people in need in Afghanistan and Turkey.\n\nTechCrunch+\n\nTC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys — which you know if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:\n\nAnother superconductor disappointment: Tim writes that a new, supposedly room-temperature superconducting material isn’t what the scientific community hoped it would be. With the Nature-published paper detailing the material facing retraction, the odds of researchers discovering a room-temperature superconductor are looking even longer.\n\nKlarna inches toward an IPO: Mary Ann and Alex write that Swedish fintech Klarna is taking steps toward an eventual IPO. The company has initiated a process for a legal entity restructuring to set up a holding company in the U.K. as an important early step in its plans for an initial public offering, a Klarna spokesperson tells TechCrunch+.\n\nThe unicorn’s legacy isn’t over: It’s been 10 years since Cowboy Ventures’ founder Aileen Lee coined an incredibly catchy nickname for what were very rare startups at the time: Unicorns. TechCrunch+ spoke with Lee about how she feels about the term 10 years later, now that her venture firm is also a decade old.", + "OpenAI is expanding its internal safety processes to fend off the threat of harmful AI. A new “safety advisory group” will sit above the technical teams and make recommendations to leadership, and the board has been granted veto power — of course, whether it will actually use it is another question entirely.\n\nNormally the ins and outs of policies like these don’t necessitate coverage, as in practice they amount to a lot of closed-door meetings with obscure functions and responsibility flows that outsiders will seldom be privy to. Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.\n\nIn a new document and blog post, OpenAI discusses their updated “Preparedness Framework,” which one imagines got a bit of a retool after November’s shake-up that removed the board’s two most “decelerationist” members: Ilya Sutskever (still at the company in a somewhat changed role) and Helen Toner (totally gone).\n\nThe main purpose of the update appears to be to show a clear path for identifying, analyzing, and deciding what do to about “catastrophic” risks inherent to models they are developing. As they define it:\n\nBy catastrophic risk, we mean any risk which could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in economic damage or lead to the severe harm or death of many individuals — this includes, but is not limited to, existential risk.\n\n(Existential risk is the “rise of the machines” type stuff.)\n\nIn-production models are governed by a “safety systems” team; this is for, say, systematic abuses of ChatGPT that can be mitigated with API restrictions or tuning. Frontier models in development get the “preparedness” team, which tries to identify and quantify risks before the model is released. And then there’s the “superalignment” team, which is working on theoretical guide rails for “superintelligent” models, which we may or may not be anywhere near.\n\nThe first two categories, being real and not fictional, have a relatively easy-to-understand rubric. Their teams rate each model on four risk categories: cybersecurity, “persuasion” (e.g., disinfo), model autonomy (i.e., acting on its own), and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats; e.g., the ability to create novel pathogens).\n\nVarious mitigations are assumed: For instance, a reasonable reticence to describe the process of making napalm or pipe bombs. After taking into account known mitigations, if a model is still evaluated as having a “high” risk, it cannot be deployed, and if a model has any “critical” risks, it will not be developed further.\n\nThese risk levels are actually documented in the framework, in case you were wondering if they are to be left to the discretion of some engineer or product manager.\n\nFor example, in the cybersecurity section, which is the most practical of them, it is a “medium” risk to “increase the productivity of operators . . . on key cyber operation tasks” by a certain factor. A high-risk model, on the other hand, would “identify and develop proofs-of-concept for high-value exploits against hardened targets without human intervention.” Critical is “model can devise and execute end-to-end novel strategies for cyberattacks against hardened targets given only a high level desired goal.” Obviously we don’t want that out there (though it would sell for quite a sum).\n\nI’ve asked OpenAI for more information on how these categories are defined and refined — for instance, if a new risk like photorealistic fake video of people goes under “persuasion” or a new category — and will update this post if I hear back.\n\nSo, only medium and high risks are to be tolerated one way or another. But the people making those models aren’t necessarily the best ones to evaluate them and make recommendations. For that reason, OpenAI is making a “cross-functional Safety Advisory Group” that will sit on top of the technical side, reviewing the boffins’ reports and making recommendations inclusive of a higher vantage. Hopefully (they say) this will uncover some “unknown unknowns,” though by their nature those are fairly difficult to catch.\n\nThe process requires these recommendations to be sent simultaneously to the board and leadership, which we understand to mean CEO Sam Altman and CTO Mira Murati, plus their lieutenants. Leadership will make the decision on whether to ship it or fridge it, but the board will be able to reverse those decisions.\n\nThis will hopefully short-circuit anything like what was rumored to have happened before the big drama, a high-risk product or process getting greenlit without the board’s awareness or approval. Of course, the result of said drama was the sidelining of two of the more critical voices and the appointment of some money-minded guys (Bret Taylor and Larry Summers), who are sharp but not AI experts by a long shot.\n\nIf a panel of experts makes a recommendation, and the CEO makes decisions based on that information, will this friendly board really feel empowered to contradict them and hit the brakes? And if they do, will we hear about it? Transparency is not really addressed outside a promise that OpenAI will solicit audits from independent third parties.\n\nSay a model is developed that warrants a “critical” risk category. OpenAI hasn’t been shy about tooting its horn about this kind of thing in the past — talking about how wildly powerful their models are, to the point where they decline to release them, is great advertising. But do we have any kind of guarantee this will happen, if the risks are so real and OpenAI is so concerned about them? Maybe it’s a bad idea. But either way it isn’t really mentioned.", + "While the offseason has gotten rolling, trade season hasn’t quite arrived. The Tigers acquired Mark Canha from Milwaukee in the biggest swap of the first couple weeks. Otherwise, the GM Meetings simply served to set the stage for future transactions.\n\nThat’ll surely involve some notable trades. Unlike the summer deadline, projecting which players will change hands is difficult at this stage of the offseason.\n\nAside from the A’s, there aren’t any teams clearly in rebuild mode. Clubs like the Rockies, Royals, White Sox, Nationals and Angels have uphill paths to contention, yet none has indicated they’re prepared to punt on the 2024 season entirely.\n\nThe Padres, Twins, Rays, Brewers and Guardians are all aiming to contend but have questions about their payroll. That’s standard operating procedure for Tampa Bay, Milwaukee and Cleveland. San Diego and, to a lesser extent, Minnesota have shown a willingness to spend in recent years but are scaling back — in both cases, likely tied to their uncertain local television rights contracts.\n\nThat informs the offseason trade landscape, which is headlined by a few stars deep into their arbitration windows. Without many clear rebuilders, it’s possible we see more swaps of big leaguers at positions of need between teams that expect to compete.\n\nBefore we get to the list, a note on methodology. This isn’t a strict ranking of players’ trade value, nor is it solely about likelihood of being moved. We’re trying to balance both of those things, an inherently subjective exercise.\n\nAll projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.\n\n1. Juan Soto, LF, Padres\n\nOther than Shohei Ohtani’s free agency, there may be no bigger story of the offseason than Soto’s future in San Diego. He is entering his final year of club control, projected for a $33M salary that would be the highest ever for an arbitration-eligible player.\n\nThe Padres are scaling back payroll, perhaps as much as $50M. They need multiple starting pitchers and could stand to upgrade at first base and/or designated hitter.\n\nTrading Soto would allow the Friars to recoup MLB-ready talent while clearing significant spending room for multiple smaller additions. It would also be a devastating blow to the lineup. Soto overcame a relatively slow start (by his standards) to hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs this year.\n\nThe Padres are still motivated to win in the short term. Barring what would be a stunning run at Ohtani, they’re not going to acquire anyone better than Soto.\n\nPresident of baseball operations A.J. Preller continues to maintain they’ll explore a long-term deal. There’s nothing to suggest an extension is particularly likely. Soto rejected a $440M offer from the Nationals before he was traded at the 2022 deadline. The price would only be higher now that he’s a year and a half closer to free agency.\n\nIn the absence of an extension or a definitive declaration that Soto is off the trade market, speculation will linger. Alden González of ESPN wrote last week that many throughout the industry believe the three-time All-Star will be available.\n\n2. Corbin Burnes, SP, Brewers\n\n3. Willy Adames, SS, Brewers\n\nBurnes and Adames are tied together with good reason. They’re each one year from the open market and projected for a noteworthy arbitration salary — $15.1M for Burnes, $12.4M for Adames. Milwaukee is reportedly open to offers on the majority of the roster.\n\nA former Cy Young winner, Burnes may be the best pitcher available in trade. The right-hander posted a sub-3.00 ERA each season from 2020-22. His 3.39 mark across 193 2/3 innings this past season wasn’t quite so dominant but is still high-end production.\n\nBurnes struck out just under 26% of opposing hitters. While his lowest mark since his rookie season, that’s still an above-average figure.\n\nAdames is coming off a less impressive year. The 28-year-old hit .217/.310/.407 through 638 trips to the plate. That’s slightly below-average offense, although he still connected on 24 home runs.\n\nAdames is an excellent defensive shortstop with plus power in an offseason where there are essentially no free agent shortstops of note. Even with a mediocre on-base percentage, he’d generate plenty of interest.\n\n4. Shane Bieber, SP, Guardians\n\nDevelop high-end starting pitching, trade a top starter as they become more expensive, replace him with talented younger arms. The Guardians have trodden this path with Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco. Bieber, one year from free agency with a projected $12.2M salary, could be next.\n\nCleveland has the likes of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill (himself a potential trade candidate) as rotation options. While Bieber is no longer a Cy Young caliber pitcher, he turned in a 3.80 ERA with a below-average but serviceable 20.1% strikeout rate over 21 starts this past season.\n\nBieber lost a good chunk of the second half to elbow inflammation but returned to make two appearances in late September.\n\n5. Tyler Glasnow, SP, Rays\n\nThe Rays signed Glasnow to an extension in August 2022 when he was completing his rehab from Tommy John surgery. The big right-hander is set to make $25M next season, the largest single-year salary in franchise history.\n\nThat naturally leads to questions about whether the Rays are prepared to meet that figure, particularly in an offseason where they have a loaded arbitration class.\n\nIf they made him available — and he’s already surfaced in rumors — Glasnow would be a very appealing target. He was quite good this year, working to a 3.53 ERA while striking out more than a third of opponents over 21 starts. An oblique strain cost him the first two months of the season, but he avoided the injured list thereafter.\n\nHe’s a year away from free agency, making another extension with Tampa Bay appear unlikely. Yet dealing him would represent a tough blow to the Rays’ chances of competing in 2024. They’re already down Shane McClanahan for the entire season and will be without Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen for at least a good portion of the year.\n\nWhile they’d likely bring back some kind of MLB help as part of a Glasnow trade return, the rotation depth could be a problem.\n\n6. Dylan Cease, SP, White Sox\n\nCease had a disappointing follow-up to his Cy Young runner-up campaign. He allowed a 4.58 ERA over 177 innings this past season. That’s nearly two and a half runs higher than his sparkling 2.20 mark of the prior year. As is often the case, his true talent probably lies somewhere in the middle.\n\nCease still missed plenty of bats — 27.3% strikeout rate, 13.6% swinging strike percentage — while issuing a few more walks than ideal. His fastball averaged 95.6 mph, down a tick from the preceding season.\n\nThe right-hander has shown the ability to pitch at an ace-caliber level. He is two seasons from free agency and projected for an $8.8M arbitration salary, making him more affordable than the other high-end starting pitchers near the top of this list.\n\nThe extra year of control probably gives him more trade value than any of Burnes, Bieber or Glasnow. It also makes him less likely to be traded this offseason.\n\nFirst-year GM Chris Getz has suggested no one on the roster is truly untouchable, an understandable approach for a team that just lost 101 games. Neither owner Jerry Reinsdorf nor Getz has called this a rebuild, though.\n\nAny slim hopes the White Sox may have of competing in 2024 would be dashed by trading Cease, the only above-average starting pitcher on the roster.\n\n7. Alex Verdugo, RF, Red Sox\n\nVerdugo’s name has been floated in trade rumors for a few seasons. The Red Sox have held onto him thus far. They have a new baseball operations leader in Craig Breslow, who has acknowledged the team has gotten early calls on the left-handed hitting outfielder.\n\nJarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida also hit from the left side. Dealing Verdugo could free some at-bats for a right-handed addition while perhaps bringing in immediate help for the pitching staff or at second base.\n\nMLBTR projects Verdugo for a $9.2M salary in his final season of arbitration. He’s coming off another league-average offensive showing, when he hit .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs through 602 plate appearances.\n\nVerdugo hasn’t become the All-Star player the Sox envisioned when building the Mookie Betts return around him. He’s a solid regular, a high-contact hitter who rates as a decent defender in right field.\n\n8. Trent Grisham, CF, Padres\n\n9. Ha-Seong Kim, 2B, Padres\n\nIf the Padres hold Soto, dealing Grisham and/or Kim could be an alternative means of trimming payroll. While neither is going to make anywhere near Soto money in 2024, they’re each on mid-level salaries of note.\n\nGrisham is projected for a $4.9M salary in his second-to-last season of arbitration. Kim is slated for an $8M salary and will be due a $2M buyout on a 2025 mutual option at season’s end. He’ll be a free agent next winter.\n\nGrisham has the extra year of control but is the worse player. He draws plenty of walks but has hit below the Mendoza line in two straight seasons. He’s coming off a .198/.315/.352 line over 555 plate appearances. The appeal is on the other side of the ball.\n\nGrisham is an above-average defensive center fielder, keeping him as a low-end regular even if he’s best suited for the bottom of a lineup. San Diego could kick Fernando Tatis Jr. over to center field if they dealt Grisham, freeing right field for a bigger offensive threat than Grisham provides.\n\nIt’s a similar story with Kim. Dealing him would free Jake Cronenworth to move back to second base, opening first base for a better hitter. It’d be tough to replace Kim’s overall production, though. He’s a plus defender at multiple infield spots.\n\nHe hit .260/.351/.398 with 17 home runs and stole 38 bases in 152 games. Trading Kim isn’t as damaging to the lineup as a Soto deal would be, but it’d be tougher than parting with Grisham.\n\n10. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Yankees\n\nAnother player one year from free agency, Torres is projected for a $15.3M salary in his last arbitration season. That’s below his market value but a notable figure for a bat-first second baseman — a general profile that the league has devalued in recent years.\n\nTorres was New York’s second-best offensive player in 2023, hitting .273/.347/.453 with 25 homers through 672 trips to the plate.\n\nEven if they’re not interested in an extension, New York could hold Torres for his final season of club control. They’re already light on consistent hitting beyond Aaron Judge. On the surface, trading their second-best hitter seems counterintuitive.\n\nThe big question is whether the front office believes Oswald Peraza is capable of stepping into an everyday second base role in 2024. If they feel the 23-year-old is ready, trading Torres to clear spending room while bringing back outfield or pitching help makes sense.\n\n11. Jonathan India, 2B, Reds\n\nThe Reds’ infield surplus has fueled trade speculation on India back to the deadline. Cincinnati didn’t seem inclined to make that move midseason, pointing to India’s role as a clubhouse leader. While that’s certainly still a factor, he didn’t hit well down the stretch and finished the year with a middling .244/.338/.407 batting line. He’s a well below-average keystone defender.\n\nThere’s an argument the Reds are better off relying on an up-the-middle tandem of Matt McLain and either Noelvi Marte or Elly De La Cruz. Perhaps the offseason is a better time to consider moving India for a back-end starter.\n\nThe former Rookie of the Year is projected for a $3.7M salary and has three seasons of remaining arbitration control.\n\n12. Eloy Jiménez, DH, White Sox\n\nJiménez no longer looks like a core piece for the White Sox. Various injuries have kept him off the field throughout his big league tenure. He only has two seasons of 100+ games and hasn’t gotten to 500 plate appearances since his 2019 rookie year.\n\nJiménez was still an excellent hitter when healthy as recently as 2022, when he ran a .295/.358/.500 line over 84 games. His production fell this year, as he posted a .272/.317/.441 slash with 18 homers over 489 trips to the dish.\n\nThat’s not especially imposing for a player who’s best suited at DH. Yet Jiménez has shown greater offensive upside that isn’t matched by many in this winter’s free agent class. If the Sox are prepared to move on, another team could look to buy low.\n\nHe’ll make a $13M salary next year, the final guaranteed season of his contract. He’s guaranteed a $3M buyout on a $16.5M club option for 2025 and the deal contains an $18.5M team option for the ’26 campaign.\n\n13. Max Kepler, RF, Twins\n\n14. Jorge Polanco , 2B, Twins\n\nMinnesota president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has confirmed the team is paring back payroll. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported the organization could end in the $125M-140M range. At the moment, they have around $120M in projected spending.\n\nThe Twins have a few ways to clear room. Trading either Kepler or Polanco would accomplish that. The former is making $10M, while the latter is playing on a $10.5M deal. Kepler will be a free agent after next season; Polanco’s contract has a $12.5M team option for 2025 that comes with a $750K buyout.\n\nThey’re each good players. Kepler is a plus defender in right field who hit .260/.332/.484 with 24 homers this year. Polanco was limited to 80 games but ran a .255/.335/.454 showing. He’s one of the sport’s better offensive second basemen and saw some third base action for Minnesota late in the year.\n\nThe Twins have Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach as left-handed hitting corner outfield options. They’re deeper on the infield, where Willi Castro and Kyle Farmer (another trade candidate) are possibilities at second/third base behind starters Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis.\n\nTop prospect Brooks Lee, the No. 8 overall pick in 2022, isn’t far from MLB readiness. The Twins could look to move Kepler or Polanco for rotation depth or to bring in a righty bat to balance the lineup.\n\n15. Randy Arozarena, LF, Rays\n\nArozarena hasn’t been the subject of the same level of trade speculation as Glasnow has. There’s an argument the Rays should be more willing to move the All-Star outfielder if they’re looking to create payroll room.\n\nTampa Bay has greater depth in the outfield than they do on their injury-riddled pitching staff. Josh Lowe, Jose Siri, Harold Ramírez, Luke Raley and Manuel Margot are all on hand. (Margot has come up in trade rumors as well.)\n\nNone of those players is as good as Arozarena. Trading star players for younger talent is familiar territory for the Tampa Bay front office though. Arozarena is projected for a $9M arbitration salary and controllable for three seasons. He’d have significant trade value if the Rays were to consider moving him.\n\n16. Mariners SP\n\nWe initially had Bryan Woo in this spot. It could just as easily have been Bryce Miller or Emerson Hancock, so we’ll cheat and just mention the Seattle rotation in general.\n\nThey’re almost certainly not going to trade George Kirby. It’d take a lot to pry away Logan Gilbert. Moving any of Woo, Miller or Hancock could be more appealing for a front office that is looking for ways to add long-term offensive upside.\n\nNone of that trio has even reached one year of major league service. Hancock only has three big league starts under his belt. Miller and Woo spent more time in the rotation this year, starting 25 and 18 games respectively. They both turned in mid-rotation results.\n\nOther clubs probably have differing opinions on which right-hander they prefer. (The Mariners likely have their own slight preferences.) They’d all have significant value if president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto decided to move one for a bat.\n\n17. Dylan Carlson, CF, Cardinals\n\nIt was a bit of a surprise that Carlson didn’t change hands over the summer. Various reports suggested the Cards were making him available as they looked for ways to add a controllable starter. It didn’t happen, but the same logic applies this winter.\n\nCarlson has been surpassed by Lars Nootbaar as the starting center fielder. St. Louis needs multiple starting pitchers and will likely bring in at least one via trade. Carlson probably has less value than he did before the deadline. Not only did he finish with a mediocre .219/.318/.333 batting line, he underwent season-ending surgery on his left ankle in September.\n\nThere’d nevertheless be teams willing to take a shot on a former top prospect who looked like an average or better center fielder 12 months ago. Carlson is projected for a modest $1.8M salary and has three years of arbitration control.\n\n18. Paul Blackburn, SP, A’s\n\nBlackburn is arguably the most desirable realistic trade candidate on the Oakland roster. The A’s have torn things to the studs. They’re unlikely to compete within the two remaining years of Blackburn’s arbitration window. The right-hander (30 next month) worked to a 4.43 ERA with a decent 22.4% strikeout rate over 103 2/3 innings this past season.\n\nHe’s projected for a $3.2M salary. A Blackburn trade isn’t going to be an offseason defining move, but he has a good chance to be flipped to a contender seeking affordable back-end starting pitching.\n\n19. Alek Manoah, SP, Blue Jays\n\nPerhaps no player had a more disappointing 2023 performance than Manoah. Within one season, he went from Cy Young finalist to essentially unplayable. The right-hander pitched to a 5.87 ERA over 19 big league outings. His walks more than doubled while his strikeouts fell from 22.9% to a modest 19% clip.\n\nHe lost his spot in the Toronto rotation and was eventually demoted to the minors. Manoah never pitched in Triple-A and received an injection in his throwing shoulder at the end of the season.\n\nHow will the Jays proceed after that disastrous year? General manager Ross Atkins said last week the team would give him “a strong leg up” on the No. 5 spot in the rotation. The Jays aren’t broadcasting a desire to trade him, although they wouldn’t be doing themselves any favors if they declared they were ready to move on.\n\nDealing Manoah to bring in a lower upside but higher floor pitcher wouldn’t be a surprise with the Jays firmly in win-now mode. The former first-round pick is controllable for four more seasons and won’t reach arbitration until next winter.\n\n20. Brandon Drury, 2B, Angels\n\nThe Halos signed Drury to a two-year free agent deal last winter. The righty-hitting infielder turned in a nice season, connecting on 26 home runs with a .262/.306/.497 line across 523 plate appearances. Next year’s $8.5M salary looks like strong value, particularly in an offseason where the supply of up-the-middle players is thin.\n\nThe Angels probably aren’t kicking off a rebuild. They could do a shorter-term retool if Ohtani walks, or they could simply look to move Drury for pitching while turning second base to Luis Rengifo and/or an external acquisition.\n\n21. Brendan Donovan, 2B, Cardinals\n\nDonovan is a longer shot trade possibility if the Cards move a controllable hitter for starting pitching. He’s more valuable than Carlson and less likely to be on the move.\n\nAt the same time, he’d net a clearer rotation upgrade if St. Louis were to give him up — likely turning the middle infield over to a combination of Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn in that scenario.\n\nThe 26-year-old hit .284/.365/.422 with 11 homers through 371 plate appearances this past season. A flexor tendon injury pushed him to designated hitter and eventually required surgery that ended his year a couple months early. He’s expected back for spring training.\n\nIf healthy, Donovan brings excellent contact skills and a solid plate approach. He’s a multi-positional defender who can play any of the corners in addition to second base. Donovan has four years of remaining control and won’t get to arbitration until next offseason.\n\n22. Christopher Morel, DH, Cubs\n\nMorel is likely to be a divisive player around the league. He has huge raw power and connected on 26 home runs while slugging .508 in 107 games for the Cubs. The right-handed hitter owns a .241/.311/.471 line in just over 850 MLB plate appearances over the past two seasons. When he’s hot, he can carry a lineup.\n\nHe also strikes out more than 30% of the time and doesn’t have a defensive fit. Morel has played all three outfield spots and each of second base, third base and shortstop in the majors. He hasn’t rated well anywhere.\n\nThe Cubs used him mostly at designated hitter this year and have suggested they’ll get him first base run in 2024. That’s not a great fit for a plus runner with top-of-the-scale arm strength, yet Morel hasn’t shown himself capable of handling more important positions on a regular basis.\n\nHow teams project Morel defensively could impact both whether he’s traded and what kind of return the Cubs could receive. As a first baseman or DH, he’s a fringe regular with a statistical profile that’d paint him as a lumbering slugger as opposed to a dynamic athlete. If another team feels he can hold his own at second base or in center field, he becomes far more desirable.\n\nThe Cubs have no urgency to trade him. Morel is controllable through 2028 and won’t reach arbitration for at least another season. Yet president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has alluded to the possibility of a deal, saying last week that “another team might be able to put him [at second base],” where the Cubs have Nico Hoerner.\n\n23. Christian Vázquez, C, Twins\n\nTrading Vázquez is another route Minnesota could consider to clear money. The Twins signed the veteran catcher to a three-year, $30M free agent deal last offseason. He had a tough first season in Minneapolis, limping to a .223/.280/.318 line over 355 plate appearances — albeit with his typical brand of excellent defense.\n\nRyan Jeffers easily surpassed him as the No. 1 option on the depth chart. A $10M per year backup catcher is a luxury for a team trying to trim salary.\n\nMinnesota likely wouldn’t be able to offload the entire deal, but they could try to shed around half the money or take on a smaller contract in return.\n\nVázquez’s year wasn’t much worse than a season that got Omar Narváez two years and $15M last winter, while Tucker Barnhart secured a two-year, $6.5M guarantee despite a much lesser offensive track record.\n\n24. Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox\n\nRobert has the most trade value of any player on this list. He may also be the least likely to move. Last week, Getz called him a franchise building block and noted he had no plans to proactively shop Robert even as he left open the possibility of listening to offers on anyone.\n\nIt’s not hard to understand why. Robert’s an elite defensive center fielder who connected on 38 home runs while hitting .264/.315/.542. It was the first time he stayed healthy for a 162-game schedule. The result was a season that’ll get him down-ballot MVP support.\n\nRobert is a prime-aged superstar and, unlike Soto or Burnes, he’s nowhere near free agency. He’ll make $12.5M next year, $15M in 2025 and is controllable via $20M team options for 2026-27. Trading Robert would signify a complete teardown that the Sox probably don’t want. Yet the haul would be astronomical if they decided to go in that direction.\n\n25. Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets\n\nAlonso was the subject of early offseason trade speculation. With the Mets projecting a less active offseason and placing a priority on 2025, it wasn’t out of the question he could be available. Alonso is projected for a $22M arbitration salary and will be a free agent after next year.\n\nNew York has subsequently walked back some of their statements about a possible retool. They’re still aiming to compete in ’24 even if they’re signaling they won’t blow away the top of the free agent market.\n\nFirst-year president of baseball operations David Stearns has twice publicly said he anticipates Alonso being the Opening Day first baseman in Queens. That won’t stop teams from trying, but an offseason deal looks decidedly unlikely.\n\nOthers of note\n\nA’s: Seth Brown\n\nBraves: Vaughn Grissom\n\nBrewers: Adrian Houser, Devin Williams, Brandon Woodruff\n\nCardinals: Alec Burleson, Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman, Tyler O’Neill\n\nGiants: J.D. Davis, Mike Yastrzemski\n\nGuardians: Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill\n\nMariners: Ty France\n\nMarlins: Josh Bell\n\nMets: Jeff McNeil\n\nNationals: Hunter Harvey, Lane Thomas\n\nOrioles: Anthony Santander\n\nPadres: Scott Barlow\n\nPhillies: Nick Castellanos\n\nRays: Manuel Margot, Harold Ramírez\n\nRed Sox: Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Nick Pivetta\n\nRockies: Brendan Rodgers\n\nRoyals: Salvador Perez\n\nTigers: Spencer Turnbull\n\nTwins: Kyle Farmer", + "Week 10 in the NFL had some of the league's best teams not playing. But that didn't stop the excitement, with five teams winning on walk-off field goals and more games coming right down to the wire.\n\nWith that, there were some surprising results and expected domination. Some favorites dug deep to win. Some underdogs turned in shocking upsets.\n\nPutting the latest wins and losses into a blender, here's Sporting News' updated look at how all teams stack up against each other, 1-32 going into Week 11:\n\nNFL WEEK 11 PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread\n\nNFL power rankings Week 11\n\n1. Philadelphia Eagles 8-1 (previous week: 1)\n\nThe Eagles enjoyed a bye trying to get a little healthier for the more difficult stretch run in a top-heavy NFC as they have tough games at the Chiefs (the Super Bowl 57 rematch), vs. the Bills, vs. 49ers and at the Cowboys in the next four. They still look like the conference team to beat as they have proved they still win in many ways around Jalen Hurts.\n\n2. Kansas City Chiefs 7-2 (3)\n\nThe Chiefs had a pretty good week off given they jumped back into the AFC's top seed and home-field advantage spot with the Ravens losing. They already are rolling defensively and expect them to figure out a lot more around Patrick Mahomes after the key Andy Reid bye.\n\n3. Detroit Lions 7-2 (5)\n\nThe Lions are becoming like the Eagles, and that's what makes them the second-best team in the NFC. They can win shootouts with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and their passing game. They also can dominate with the running game. They can win with offense or defense. Dan Campbell is coach of the year.\n\n4. San Francisco 49ers 6-3 (8)\n\nThe 49ers had a surprise offensive get-well game in Jacksonville with Brock Purdy leading the way and all his key supporting weapons doing damage, even without Christian McCaffrey scoring. The biggest development was the defense going back to dominating a good offense.\n\n5. Baltimore Ravens 7-3 (2)\n\nThe Ravens' offense is just fine with the running and passing of Lamar Jackson, but he still can't afford to make big mistakes, which he did vs. the Browns. The defense needs to pick up the pieces, too, stat, ahead of facing the Bengals on a short week.\n\n6. Miami Dolphins 6-3 (6)\n\nThe Dolphins got a much-needed bye to figure out how to beat the better teams in the league. Their defense should be getting a little better to support their often explosive offense. They should feel good about a Week 11 rebound vs. the Raiders.\n\n7. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-3 (9)\n\nThe Steelers are playing the way Mike Tomlin wants, with the running game rolling to big totals with Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris and the defense doing what it needs, more so vs. pass than run, in key moments. You can't argue with the overachieving results.\n\n8. Cleveland Browns 6-3 (10)\n\nThe Browns proved they can win games with defense in another way, with big plays. They also have more offensive pop when Deshaun Watson plays well and the running game doesn't slump. Their playoff hopes look much better after their stunning comeback vs. the Ravens.\n\n9. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-3 (4)\n\nThe Jaguars got an NFC wake-up call against the 49ers, who were much more prepared after a Week 9 bye than they were. Jacksonville needs to forget that debacle and get back on track, stat. The team gets a division double vs. Tennessee and Houston before facing Cincinnati.\n\n10. Dallas Cowboys 6-3 (11)\n\nThe Cowboys took advantage of their \"no contest\" vs. the Giants at home with Dak Prescott continuing to ball as a passer and runner. They need to keep the defense and running game success, too, in bigger games going forward.\n\nMORE: Inside the Cowboys historic offensive explosion vs. Giants\n\n11. Seattle Seahawks 6-3 (13)\n\nThe Seahawks needed every ounce of their offense around Geno Smith to rally to beat the Commanders, but the get-well performance worked well for him, Kenneth Walker and the wide receivers. The defense could be more consistent.\n\n12. Minnesota Vikings 6-4 (14)\n\nThe new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores. Their 0-3 and 1-4 starts are distant memories as the Vikings look for a sixth straight win in Week 11 vs. Denver.\n\n13. Houston Texans 5-4 (16)\n\nThe Texans are looking great with C.J. Stroud leading their offense and now they've found some running game, too. The defense is just making enough plays to put them in position to win high-scoring games. Houston is a legitimate playoff contender under rookie coach DeMeco Ryans.\n\n14. Cincinnati Bengals 5-4 (7)\n\nThe Bengals are battling some key injuries, leaving them much less room for error. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow made key mistakes and the defense wilted against run and pass at home in the loss to the Texans.\n\n15. Buffalo Bills 5-5 (12)\n\nThe Bills fell right into the trap game against the Broncos at home, losing because of more mistakes from Josh Allen. The defense can't tolerate those mistakes with all of its injuries.\n\n16. Las Vegas Raiders 5-5 (22)\n\nThe Raiders are hot, having won two consecutive games for interim coach Antonio Pierce, bringing up flashbacks to the playoff push they made with Rich Bisaccia in 2021. They are right back in the AFC wild-card race with the Dolphins, Chiefs, Vikings ahead.\n\n17. New Orleans Saints 5-5 (15)\n\nThe Saints will go into a bye not knowing what do at quarterback. with Derek Carr further hurting his right shoulder and needed to be checked for a concussion. Jameis Winston did provide a spark, too little too late at Minnesota. But the division lead is precarious with poor QB play overall.\n\n19. Indianapolis Colts 5-5 (19)\n\nThe Colts stopped scoring at least 20 points in every game during their ugly, run-heavy victory in Germany vs. the Patriots. At least Jonathan Taylor is doing his normal things and the defense is playing well again while Gardner Minshew looks meh.\n\n18. Los Angeles Chargers 4-5 (17)\n\nThe Chargers got well offensively with Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler against the Lions. But the defense went back to crumbling vs. big pass plays and added wilting against the run. The pressure is right back on Brandon Staley with a trip to Green Bay next.\n\n20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-5 (23)\n\nBaker Mayfield and the offense is back on track to move the ball well after a brief midseason slump. They're still not lighting it up, but the Bucs are back to playing smart complementary football with their defense rebounding and still might have found a long-term QB answer.\n\n21. New York Jets 4-5 (18)\n\nAaron Rodgers can't come back soon enough, and going for a December miracle might be too late after two straight key losses to the Chargers and Raiders. Zach Wilson will always cap the potential of a talented offense that keeps making mistakes. The Bills and Dolphins in back-to-back division games next might be their season.\n\n22. Denver Broncos 4-5 (24)\n\nThe Broncos got another big win against a AFC power, sandwiching their Week 9 bye with upsets over the Chiefs and Bills. The offense has hit a balanced grooved with Russell Wilson and the defense is making a lot more plays, too.\n\n23. Washington Commanders 4-5 (21)\n\nThe Commanders should be pleased about Sam Howell and the offense showing more fight with additional weapons and the running backs look better all-around again. But the reeling defense and pass protection continue to be un-winnable assets.\n\n24. Atlanta Falcons 4-5 (20)\n\nThe Falcons were forced into another QB change because of injury. They found a few more answers offensively but that position still made it an overall mess. The defense also doesn't seem to be well prepared to different styles of offenses.\n\n25. Green Bay Packers 3-6 (25)\n\nThe Packers saw some improved work from Jordan Love and his young weapons as they spread the ball well in the passing game, but the run defense woes and key holes in coverage have all but doomed their playoff hopes.\n\n26. Los Angeles Rams 3-6 (26)\n\nThe Rams are hoping to find a few more answers during a bye, as Sean McVay has seen his good coaching job earlier in the season go by the wayside with key offensive injuries. They need Matthew Stafford to help save face the rest of the way or the season will look a lot like 2022.\n\n27. Tennessee Titans 3-6 (27)\n\nWill Levis is going through rookie lumps after his dazzling debut as the brutal offensive line woes exacerbated by injuries are getting to him and the entire Titans offense. The Titans still need to keep starting him, because they can't overcome those systemic problems or those in overall pass defense.\n\n28. Chicago Bears 3-7 (29)\n\nThe Bears don't care how they win, but they should be pleased their running game and defense bailed out their limited passing game with Tyson Bagent to secure another win in Week 10. They will hope to finish strong with Justin Fields soon.\n\n29. Arizona Cardinals 2-8 (32)\n\nThe Cardinals got an immediate spark for their offense with Kyler Murray and James Conner back. They also seemed invigorated for Jonathan Gannon on defense and special teams. Look for the Cardinals to finish strong and play a whole lot of spoiler.\n\n30. New England Patriots 2-8 (28)\n\nThe Patriots tried to win a game by hiding Mac Jones and their quarterbacks in general. They almost pulled it off with the running game dominating and short-handed defense making a lot of plays, but they didn't see the results in Germany ahead of a tough bye for Bill Belichick.\n\n31. New York Giants 2-8 (30)\n\nThe Giants can just flush away this season without Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. The injuries go to their offense early and remained relentless, and now their defense is falling apart, too. The question is, will Brian Daboll get a massive mulligan after his rookie playoff leadership?\n\n32. Carolina Panthers 1-8 (31)\n\nThe Panthers found better defense and special teams to keep them in the game in Chicago, but Bryce Young still can't unlock a limited passing game and the offensive line and running game hasn't help nearly enough.", + "MLB's winter meetings are always a prime time for moves to happen as many of the top executives, players and agents all come together at the same spot.\n\nLast year's winter meetings wound up being explosive. Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts all came away with new contracts.\n\nThis year's winter meetings could wind up being similarly busy. There is a growing sense Shohei Ohtani could sign during the winter meetings, and a move of that magnitude could kick off the next wave of moves. There's also a number of top players on the trade market, including star Padres outfielder Juan Soto.\n\nStarting Sunday, Dec. 3, and running through Wednesday, Dec. 6, expect MLB's offseason to really kick into high gear.\n\nWINTER MEETINGS: Shohei Ohtani rumors, Juan Soto trade destination come to forefront\n\nSporting News will be tracking all the latest news and rumors from the 2023 Winter Meetings. Follow for any signings and trades from Nashville.\n\nMLB Winter Meetings rumors, news, signings\n\nDiamondbacks reportedly land Eduardo Rodriguez\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nThe reigning NL champions have landed one of the free agent market's top pitchers. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Arizona worth around $20 million per year, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal is still pending a physical, per Passan's report.\n\nA season ago, Rodriguez posted a career-low 3.30 ERA across 152.2 innings with the Tigers, and pitched to a 3.66 FIP. He decided to opt out of his deal with Detroit to test the free-agent market.\n\nJuan Soto reportedly traded to Yankees\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Joel Sherman, New York Post\n\nThe biggest star on the trade market has reportedly been traded. The Padres have reportedly sent Juan Soto to the Yankees in exchange for four pitchers and catcher Kyle Higashioka, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. Soto immediately adds to a potent left-handed bat to a lineup sorely in need of some thump from the left side, and provides some much-needed support to 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge.\n\nMORE: Full Juan Soto trade details\n\nCraig Kimbrel signs with Orioles\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic and Joel Sherman, New York Post\n\nThe Orioles are bolstering their bullpen, signing Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million deal, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The NY Post's Joel Sherman reported he has a $1 million buyout for 2025 and a $13 million club option. The 35-year-old right-hander amassed 23 saves in 69 innings in 2023 with a 3.26 ERA. He is sitting on 417 career saves, ranking eighth all-time. He has a chance to vault all the way up to fourth, with Francisco Rodriguez (fourth) at 437 and Kenley Jansen (420 saves) the only other active reliever ahead of him.\n\nTrent Grisham likely headed to New York in Soto deal\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Joel Sherman, New York Post\n\nThe Yankees won't just be getting one outfielder from the Padres; it appears they'll be getting two. The NY Post's Joel Sherman reported Trent Grisham would also likely be on the move headed to New York. Grisham enjoyed a pair of breakout seasons to start his career in San Diego and has twice earned Gold Gloves (2020 and 2022), but his offensive production has dwindled, with him batting under .200 in back-to-back seasons.\n\nJuan Soto to Yankees 'close to being finalized'\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nA trade between the Yankees and Padres for Soto is reportedly \"close to being finalized,\" with right handers Michael King and Drew Thorpe expected to highlight the return to San Diego. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the package will include at least two more players, neither of which will be Alex Verdugo.\n\nOhtani decision expected to be made before end of weekend\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nMLB free agency remains largely on hold as teams wait for Ohtani to sign, and though it had at at point been reported he could sign during the winter meetings, there appears to be a new timeline. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Ohtani is expected to make his pick before the end of the upcoming weekend. The winter meetings end on Thursday.\n\nYoshinobu Yamamoto meeting with Yankees, already met with Mets\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network and Will Sammon, The Athletic\n\nThe Yankees could be on the verge of adding Soto, but they might not be done. The Yankees are reportedly going to meet with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in New York, the top pitcher on the market, on Monday. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported New York is considered to be one of the top teams to sign him, along with the Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers and Cubs.\n\nThat will be the second time Yamamoto has met with a New York team. He reportedly already met with Mets owner Steve Cohen in Japan last week.\n\n'Decent chance' Corbin Burnes is traded this winter\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nCorbin Burnes has been named as one of the top trade candidates in the offseason, and it's looking increasingly plausible he might be dealt. NY Post's Jon Heyman reported one rival believes there's \"a decent chance\" Burnes is traded this winter. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner is a free agent after the 2024 season, and could be one of the most expensive pitchers to sign.\n\nMarlins 'listening' to offers on young pitchers\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nMiami made a run to the postseason last year on the strength of its young pitching. And there's a chance the Marlins might now look to part with some of that depth to improve other areas of need. NY Post's Jon Heyman reported Miami is at least believed to be listening to trade packages for its young starters, including Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera, among others.\n\nAlex Verdugo 'expected' to stay with Yankees despite potential Juan Soto trade\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe Yankees acquired Alex Verdugo yesterday from the Red Sox. With the team's reported interest in Juan Soto, there was some speculation that Verdugo could be flipped to the Padres, however, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that New York is \"expected\" to keep the outfielder rather than include him in a deal with San Diego.\n\nJuan Soto trade to Yankees 'is likely'\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Jack Curry, YES and Brandon Tierney, WFAN\n\nNew York landed Alex Verdugo last night in a deal with the Red Sox. It appears the team could be close to landing the biggest trade acquisition of the offseason. YES' Jack Curry reported the Yankees have \"intensified efforts\" to trade for Soto and that a deal \"is likely.\" He expects New York to deal four or five players.\n\nAdditionally, WFAN's Brandon Tierney reported YES was told by the team to prepare for a 2 p.m. ET emergency \"Hot Stove Show\" and that there is a chance the Yankees complete the deal by lunch.\n\nOrioles 'close to deal' with reliever Craig Kimbrel\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 6\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic and Joel Sherman, New York Post\n\nThe Orioles are said to be \"close\" to a deal with free agent and former Phillies closer Kimbrel, Rosenthal reported Wednesday morning.\n\nBaltimore will be without All-Star closer Felix Bautista for the entire 2024 season after receiving Tommy John surgery in October. Even though stud reliever Yennier Cano emerged as the top candidate to take the job, Kimbrel could bolster the back end of the O's bullpen.\n\nVictor Caratini lands with Astros\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Chandler Rome, The Athletic and Mark Feinsand, MLB.com\n\nVeteran catcher Victor Caratini is headed to Houston on a two-year deal worth $12 million. The 30-year-old will serve as the backup to new starter Yainer Diaz now that Martin Maldonado has moved on.\n\nCaratini filled a similar role in Milwaukee the last two years, slashing .259/.327/.383 with seven home runs in 62 games in 2023.\n\nPirates acquire Marco Gonzales from Braves\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nGonzales, who was acquired by the Braves in the trade that helped them land Jarred Kelenic on Sunday, is being re-routed to Pittsburgh for cash and a player to be named later.\n\nGonzales, 31, is a decent rotation arm with 65 wins, 665 strikeouts and a 4.14 ERA over 893.0 innings pitched in his nine-year career.\n\nYankees land Alex Verdugo from Red Sox\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nFor just the seventh time in the last 50 years (!), the Red Sox and Yankees have agreed to a deal.\n\nBoston will send starting OF Alex Verdugo to New York for RHP Richard Fitts, RHP Greg Weissert and RHP Nicholas Judice.\n\nVerdugo had been the Red Sox's starting outfielder for the last four seasons, coming over as the centerpiece in the trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. Verdugo hit .281 with 43 home runs, 206 RBI and 16 stolen bases over 2,071 plate appearances with Boston. He also led the American League in outfield assists in 2020 and 2023.\n\nIn return, Boston will get Weissert and two pitching prospects headlined by Fitts — the Yankees' No. 4-ranked pitching prospect and 12-ranked prospect overall.\n\nRelievers Yates, Devenski get one-year deals for 2024\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic and Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nVeteran relievers Kirby Yates and Chris Devenski know where they'll be pitching in 2024, according to reports Tuesday.\n\nYates, who will be 37 when the season begins, is headed to the Rangers on a one-year deal, per Rosenthal. The right-hander, an All-Star closer for the Padres in 2019, posted a 3.28 ERA in 61 appearances for the Braves in 2023.\n\nDevenski, 33, has agreed to a new one-year deal with the Rays that includes a club option for 2025, according to Passan. Devenski began 2023 with the Angels but was released in late August and signed with Tampa Bay. He posted a 5.08 ERA in 29 games for the Angels and dropped three full runs off that number in nine games with the Rays.\n\nDave Roberts says Dodgers met with Ohtani\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Alden Gonzalez, ESPN\n\nDodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that the team met with Ohtani for 2-3 hours over the weekend. Roberts said Ohtani is \"clearly\" the Dodgers' top priority, adding that the team is confident the two-time MVP will pitch again. Roberts wasn't able to offer a timeline for Ohtani's decision.\n\nPair of pitchers could be signed after Ohtani deal\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nMLB is largely in a holding pattern as it awaits news on Ohtani. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Rays could wind up trading Tyler Glasnow shortly after Ohtani signs, listing the Cubs and Reds as top contenders for the ace. He also reported Yoshinobu Yamamoto could sign following Ohtani's deal, and that the Red Sox have him among their top priorities.\n\nCubs losing optimism in signing Ohtani\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Bob Nightengale, USA Today\n\nThe Cubs have been viewed as one of Ohtani's likeliest destinations for a while. It appears that might no longer be the case. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported one high-ranking executive believes the Cubs' optimism of signing Ohtani \"has now significantly wanted.\" The report stated that leaves the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Angels and Giants as the remaining finalists.\n\nOhtani has 'positive feeling' about Blue Jays\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, The New York Post\n\nThe Blue Jays reported met with Ohtani on Monday, but even before he went to talk with the team, Ohtani reportedly had a \"positive feeling about Toronto,\" along with other cities and teams, including the Dodgers. He has been linked to Toronto and Los Angeles throughout the process.\n\nMariners considering Cody Bellinger\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nFollowing the trade the Mariners made with the Braves, MLB Network's Jon Morosi believes Seattle has cleared payroll space and now has room to make a splash for top free agent slugger Cody Bellinger. Seattle has Julio Rodriguez in center, but with Teoscar Hernandez still on the market and Jarred Kelenic now dealt, there is room for him in the outfield.\n\nBlue Jays 'believed' to have met with Shohei Ohtani\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic\n\nWhile one report earlier Monday indicated Ohtani isn't expected to sign before the end of the Winter Meetings, the process seems to be moving along.\n\nThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports Ohtani is \"believed\" to have met with the Blue Jays at the team's complex in Florida on Monday, far away from the meetings in Nashville. The Blue Jays have been pursuing Ohtani and Juan Soto in hopes of striking a deal for one of the two stars.\n\nShohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto decision not expected until after winter meetings\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, The New York Post\n\nThe baseball markets are waiting for the first major domino to fall this offseason in free agency, but it does not appear as though that will happen before the winter meetings conclude. Jon Heyman reports that neither Shohei Ohtani not Yoshinobu Yamamoto are expected to get a deal done before the final meetings on Wednesday.\n\nWade Miley back with Brewers on 1-year deal\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic and Jesse Rogers, ESPN\n\nAmid a turbulent offseason, the Brewers will keep one piece of their rotation intact as Wade Miley has agreed to return on a one-year deal for 2024 with a mutual option for 2025, per Rosenthal. According to Rogers, Miley will make a base salary of $7 million next season and the option is for $12 million with a $1.5 million buyout.\n\nThe 37-year-old lefty started 23 games for Milwaukee last year, gong 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA.\n\nBraves are reportedly 'engaged' with Shohei Ohtani's camp\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nIt's not surprising that any and all teams should be interested in Ohtani's services, but imagine the Braves landing the superstar? According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Braves are \"engaged\" in talks with Ohtani's camp. Imagine a lineup consisting of Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Matt Olson?\n\nSources: Braves are among the teams still engaged with Shohei Ohtani’s camp, as I reported in this @MLBNetwork segment. @MLB pic.twitter.com/lP4lISzttN — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2023\n\nKorean star Jung Hoo Lee to be posted Monday\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Jeeho Yoo, Yonhap News\n\nStar Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is set for a move to MLB. His KBO team, Kiwoom Heroes, announced the 25-year-old will be posted Monday, so his 30-day negotiating window with MLB teams begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET.\n\nLee was hampered by injury in 2023 but slashed .349/.421/.575 in 2022 with 36 doubles, 10 triples and a career-best 23 home runs. He has a .340 career average in seven KBO seasons and has mostly played center field in recent years.\n\nBraves land Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales from Mariners\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Ryan Divish, Seattle Times\n\nThe Braves have made a splash.\n\nAtlanta has traded its No. 7-ranked prospect, RHP Cole Phillips, and RHP Jackson Kowar to the Mariners in exchange for OF Jarred Kelenic, LHP Marco Gonzales, 1B Evan White and cash.\n\nKelenic, 24, is the headliner of the deal as a former No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and top five-ranked prospect in 2021. The 24-year-old has not found any consistency in his MLB career thus far, hitting .206 with a .656 OPS through three tumultuous seasons. He has 32 home runs, 109 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 974 plate appearances.\n\nGonzales, 31, is also a decent rotation arm with 65 wins, 665 strikeouts and a 4.14 ERA over 893.0 innings pitched in his nine-year career.\n\nGiants emerging as possible frontrunners for Yoshinobu Yamamoto\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle\n\nThe Giants have missed out on big names in the past like Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, but they are looking to turn that around in 2023 with heavy involvement and Ohtani, among others. Per San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, teams believe the Giants \"might have an edge\" in the pursuit of Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.\n\nDylan Cease trade market heating up\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nOne of the biggest names on the market early is White Sox ace Dylan Cease in trade talks. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported three teams, the Dodgers, Braves and Orioles, are among several involved discussing a deal for Cease as the winter meetings begin.\n\nRays, Mariners talking trades in winter meetings\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe Mariners and Rays have been frequent trade partners in recent years, and there's a chance they could be talking shop again at the winter meetings. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the teams are discussing Rays utility infielder Isaac Paredes, and potentially star left fielder Randy Arozarena, in talks to start the winter meetings.\n\nJays unlikely to land both Ohtani, Soto\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe Blue Jays have been among the most active names in both the Ohtani and Soto markets. And of course, those talks have had fans dreaming of a lineup that features, Ohtani, Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer. But MLB Network's Jon Morosi said it's unlikely the Jays will land both star players, reporting they might land one of the two, but they will not add both this offseason.\n\nOhtani has already received several $500+ million offers\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, NY Post\n\nIt's no surprise the bidding for Ohtani is heating up, with the star expected to sign soon. And New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Ohtani has already received several deals that have topped $500 million, which could mean he winds up being the first $600 million player in MLB history. He added there are believed to be five teams in the running for Ohtani.\n\nDecision near for Ohtani\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nNothing gets the hot-stove crowd excited like a big move during the winter meetings, and the biggest move of the offseason could come this week in Nashville or soon after. Morosi reports Shohei Ohtani is \"likely to decide on a team within the next week,\" according to a source.\n\nStatus quo on Yankees' Juan Soto trade talks\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nThe Yankees reportedly are pushing hard to acquire Juan Soto from the Padres, but Heyman says the teams haven't spoken since San Diego requested a six-player package in return for Soto and Trent Grisham. That ask included pitchers Michael King and Drew Thorpe, who the Yankees aren't inclined to move. Stay tuned...\n\nShohei Ohtani field growing smaller\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 1\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nIt has been expected since before he hit free agency that Ohtani would set the record for the largest fully guaranteed contract in North American sports history, with Passan reporting the deal could reach as much as $600 million.\n\nWho will hand him that contract has been much more of a mystery. Little has been leaked about the top suitors for Ohtani beyond the usual suspects. Passan reported that at least three teams initially believed to be in the running — the Mets, Rangers and Red Sox — are believed to be out now. The teams most likely to still be in the mix are the Dodgers, Cubs, Blue Jays and Angels, with the Giants' status in the race for Ohtani unknown.\n\nStar players could be traded\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 1\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nThe free agency pool outside of Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a bit lacking in star power, but the trade market could ensure several big-name players are on the move this offseason.\n\nPassan reported a trade of Soto appears to be \"edging closer to becoming a reality,\" and while several teams are out on him because of his large salary and pending free-agent status, there still could be a large market for the star outfielder.\n\nMuch of the rest of the names on the trade market are arms. Dylan Cease and Tyler Glasnow are the pitchers most likely to be dealt this offseason, and Cleveland could also hold a pair of intriguing trade chips in closer Emmanuel Clase and former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber. The Brewers have also begun trade talks for former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.", + "Sure, Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial has revealed that FTX was basically a seething mass of scams. But it has also revealed how Bankman-Fried blew up the lives of the people who are closest to him.\n\nOf course everyone who had money trapped on the FTX exchange when it collapsed — as the result of Bankman-Fried’s trading firm Alameda Research purloining its customers’ funds — had their lives altered. Even if they are made whole by the bankruptcy proceedings, that’s still money that they should have had access to at any time they wanted it. That may mean houses that weren’t purchased, medical procedures that were left undone, and life savings lost.\n\nThere is a simultaneous drama of ruined lives playing out in the courtroom\n\nBankman-Fried is charged with seven counts: two counts of wire fraud and five conspiracy charges. As we near the end of the prosecution’s case, I have been struck by how bizarre it all is. All the co-conspirators seem oddly younger than their years, as though they got stuck in the “math camp forever” environment Bankman-Fried created for them and simply failed to grow up.\n\nThe prosecution has made a strong case that Bankman-Fried presided over the various forms of fraud that played out at Alameda Research and FTX, orchestrating some of it and engaging in some of it directly. In the process of making this case, there is a simultaneous drama of ruined lives playing out in the courtroom.\n\nEveryone who loved Bankman-Fried most in the world is now caught up in the case. We have:\n\nAdam Yedidia, Bankman-Fried’s college roommate, who testified with immunity because he was concerned he may have unknowingly worked on code that contributed to the fraud. “I love you Sam,” he texted at one point. “I’m not going anywhere.” That was before he realized FTX had stolen customer funds — at which point, he resigned.\n\nGary Wang, the co-founder of FTX and Alameda Research and another college roommate. He took the stand after Yedidia and sang like a canary about the secret privileges he’d created for Alameda in the FTX code.\n\nNishad Singh, a longtime family friend, who copped to what sounded an awful lot like classic embezzlement. He said he’d backdated transactions on FTX to help create doctored balance sheets to show to investors. He pleaded guilty to six charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy counts around his political donations.\n\nCaroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend. She told us about the seven phony balance sheets she’d created. She was clear: Alameda took customer funds; Bankman-Fried knew about it and even invested them against her advice.\n\nJoe Bankman, Bankman-Fried’s father. He is among the people included in the “small group chat,” the Signal group where the FTX inner circle strategized during the exchange’s last days.\n\nBarbara Fried’s political action committee, Mind the Gap. It is among the entities that received FTX customer money as political donations. Fried and Bankman lived together in a Bahamas house purchased for them using FTX investor funds, according to a financial expert called by the prosecution; in a lawsuit filed by FTX’s bankruptcy estate, Bankman and Fried are alleged to have been given $10 million of FTX customer funds.\n\nGabe Bankman-Fried’s nonprofit, Guarding Against Pandemics, which got millions from FTX. He was also in a Signal group chat, Donations Processing, that Singh says was used to coordinate the transfer of FTX and Alameda money to various political causes. In that chat, he can be seen recommending some donations be made “in the dark” to avoid public relations headaches. Singh also said Gabe had an assistant fly to the Bahamas with a stack of blank checks for Singh to sign.\n\nWang, Singh, and Ellison are now felons. Even if they never do time — and they may very well be imprisoned or subjected to house arrest — their lives are irrevocably changed, not least by whatever restitution requirements they are subjected to. They are barred from taking certain kinds of jobs. And of course, there is the publicity. Bankman, Fried, and Gabe Bankman-Fried’s reputations are tarnished; in the political arenas where they once operated, they are suddenly undesirable.\n\nIt is a Greek tragedy, precipitated by one man’s character flaw: the arrogance of Sam Bankman-Fried.\n\nThe general sense I got, from the testimony of Bankman-Fried’s former friends, was that things just kept escalating\n\nDuring Yedidia’s testimony, we were shown a photograph in court: former President Bill Clinton and former Prime Minister Tony Blair onstage in suits next to Bankman-Fried, in a rumpled T-shirt and cargo shorts. Sure, dressing down is a staple of Silicon Valley startup culture — and a sign of its swagger. The defense counsel tried to elicit testimony from Yedidia that the cargo shorts were evidence of Bankman-Fried’s humility, but the photograph seemed to signify just the opposite: that the man in cargo shorts is so important, he doesn’t need to dress up, even to meet former world leaders.\n\nNow, in court, Bankman-Fried is wearing a suit.\n\nIn 2019, just months after FTX was founded, Wang oversaw code called “allow_negative” that let Alameda Research avoid being liquidated by FTX’s risk management. It was turned on in July. No other customer trading on FTX had “allow_negative” privileges — only Alameda. Wang’s testimony suggests that the fraud at FTX started very early since the same day that allow_negative was switched on, Bankman-Fried tweeted that Alameda’s account “was like everyone else’s.”\n\nThe general sense I got, from the testimony of Bankman-Fried’s former friends, was that things just kept escalating. For instance, Alameda Research first had a negative balance in late 2019, Wang testified. Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue. A little later, Wang discovered that Alameda was negative by $50 million more than FTX’s revenue. Bankman-Fried told him it was fine, and it just didn’t account for the FTT token that the two of them had launched. Wang trusted him.\n\nWang also set Alameda Research up with an enormous line of credit, unmatched by anyone else on FTX. Ultimately, the number was $65 billion — the result of repeated increases as Alameda Research repeatedly ran up against its credit limit. This line of capital wasn’t visible to auditors, Ellison testified. That credit line was used primarily for trading because it “allowed us to make profitable trades we couldn’t have made otherwise,” Ellison testified.\n\n“Over time, it was something I became more comfortable with.”\n\nWang’s testimony revealed how the fraud got bigger, little by little. First, it was okay to dip into FTX’s profits. Then, it was okay to take more. Then, it was okay to take even more. First, it was a little line of credit just to provide liquidity. Then a bigger one. Then an effectively limitless one.\n\nEllison testified to something similar, choking back tears: “When I started working at Alameda, I don’t think I would have believed you if you told me I would be sending false balance sheets to our lenders or taking customer money, but over time, it was something I became more comfortable with.”\n\nEllison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified. Alameda Research was, by then, FTX’s sin-eater. When FTX took a loss in the hundreds of million dollars because a trader had exploited its system, Wang moved that loss onto Alameda’s balance sheet. FTX’s “insurance fund,” meant to keep traders from getting stuck with other traders’ losses, was totally made up — Alameda simply picked up the tab.\n\nEven that wasn’t good enough. Singh testified to sprucing up FTX’s balance sheet with backdated transactions in December 2021 to push FTX’s revenue “over the line” to $1 billion. By the time Singh found out about the use of customer money, in 2022, he was already compromised.\n\nAt every turn, the scams at FTX and Alameda led back to making Bankman-Fried more important\n\nIn Singh’s case, it wasn’t just balance sheets he was fiddling with — it was also the American political system. By coordinating with Gabe Bankman-Fried, Singh had funneled money to a number of political causes. That money came from “loans,” which weren’t really loans since he hadn’t signed any term sheets.\n\nWhat was the goal here? What was accomplished? Singh testified to more than a billion dollars spent on celebrity endorsements, which made FTX very famous — even though the futures platform didn’t operate in the US. The political donations gave Bankman-Fried influence in the highest echelons of power. Ellison testified to Bankman-Fried’s venture investments, which gave him more dominance in the tech world. At every turn, the scams at FTX and Alameda led back to making Bankman-Fried more important.\n\nThe pie chart that accompanied expert witness Peter Easton’s testimony. Image: The prosecution’s exhibit 1045\n\nThis was backed up by expert testimony from Notre Dame accounting professor Peter Easton, who’d also assisted in investigating Enron and WorldCom. In a pie chart that showed how he’d traced funds for the $11.3 billion liability that Ellison, Singh, Wang, and Bankman-Fried had known about in June 2022, we saw that $1.2 billion was a loan repayment to crypto lender Genesis. A substantial chunk had been spent on various investments, including in the celebrity-connected venture firm K5, trading firm Modulo (co-founded by one of Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriends), and AI company Anthropic.\n\nAnother $413 million had gone directly to Bankman-Fried himself, through his wholly-owned company Paper Bird. “Outflows to insiders,” which suggested Singh’s not-quite-loans were included, was $192 million; real estate was another $228 million; and the donations to Gabe Bankman-Fried’s Guarding Against Pandemics, combined with the philanthropy from the FTX Foundation, totaled less than $40 million.\n\nIt is easy to lie with words and harder to lie with money. Bankman-Fried went around telling people that he wanted to make a lot of money to give it away, an idea of the Effective Altruism movement that Bankman-Fried affiliated himself with — but the amount of money he funneled to his Paper Bird vehicle alone was ten times the size of his philanthropic spending as outlined by Easton. And it was all vastly outweighed by his investments — the places where he could prove he was very smart by investing in the right companies early.\n\nAnd in brief, explosive testimony, former FTX lawyer Can Sun demonstrated what Bankman-Fried’s tactic was. During the days in November when the exchange imploded, Bankman-Fried was trying to raise money from Apollo, the private equity group. Apollo wanted an explanation for what had happened, and so Bankman-Fried came to Sun to ask him to come up with justifications for the missing funds.\n\nThe defense has struggled to shake the credibility of witnesses such as Yedidia, Wang, and Ellison\n\nThat “basically confirmed my suspicions that had been rising all day” that Bankman-Fried had purloined the funds, Sun said. He ran Bankman-Fried through possible explanations, including a margin loan program, and explained that none of them could fit the actual situation — for instance, Alameda had borrowed more from FTX than had ever been in the margin loan program. He said Bankman-Fried acknowledged their conversation with a “yup, yup.” “I was expecting a bigger response, but it was very muted,” Sun said.\n\nAfter that, Singh spilled the beans: Alameda had withdrawn assets that included the customer funds, Sun testified. He quit the next day. Like Yedidia, Sun testified with immunity.\n\nIn the courtroom, we were treated to a Good Morning America appearance by Bankman-Fried on December 1st, 2022. In it, Bankman-Fried tried to justify the missing funds through the margin loan program. It was such a flimsy excuse that even George Stephanopoulos could see through it.\n\nDid Bankman-Fried really think he could get away with it all? He must still think so, or he would not be dragging his closest companions’ names through the mud in a jury trial. Throughout the entire prosecution’s case, the defense has struggled to shake the credibility of witnesses such as Yedidia, Wang, and Ellison. The hits the defense made on Singh didn’t make me doubt the overall truth of his story — they just made me think that Singh was kind of self-serving and trying to secure himself a lenient sentence.", + "Sorcerers are the magic-slinging wizards of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. But with each element they can harness bringing its own unique effect, it can be easy to get overwhelmed when trying to design a Sorcerer build. That’s where we come in, with our suggestions of the best Sorcerer builds for Diablo 4 season 2.\n\nSorcerers are capable of harnessing lightning to deal with crowds, ice to keep the hordes at bay, and fire to burn the demons of hell. But they’re also able to enchant their own spells with unique effects, intricately combining abilities for devastating results.\n\nIn this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds for season 2. If you need even more information on item affixes or other more complex ideas, we’ve been sure to link out to the more detailed versions of these builds, as well as where to find their original creators.\n\nBest Sorcerer leveling build\n\nThis build is based off Lexyu’s Sorcerer leveling guide at IcyVeins, and is purely for leveling: i.e., allocating your 58 skill points between levels 1 and 50. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or which other Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original IcyVeins guide.\n\nBest skills for leveling\n\nThis Sorcerer build guide is going to see you harness the awesome power of Lightning to speed through the leveling process. There are a few options for Core skills here, but we’re specifically going to be showing you Lexyu’s Chain Lightning variation. In this build, you’ll also use Frost Bolt, Teleport, Frost Nova, Lightning Spear, and Ice Armor.\n\nHere are the best skills for a Sorcerer leveling build, organized by the exact order you should purchase them in — bearing in mind that some skills require you to allocate a number of skill points in the tree in order to unlock them. As such, you’ll need to unlock new skills before enhancing existing ones:\n\nFrost Bolt / Enhanced Frost Bolt Chain Lightning Glinting Frost Bolt Enhanced Chain Lightning / Greater Chain Lightning Teleport Frost Nova / Enhanced Frost Nova / Mystical Frost Nova Chain Lightning (rank 2-5) Fireball (rank 1 only for the Enchantment slot) Lightning Spear Glass Cannon (rank 1-3) Devastation Elemental Dominance (rank 1-3) Coursing Currents (rank 1-3) Elemental Attunement Ice Armor / Enhanced Ice Armor / Shimmering Ice Armor Enhanced Teleport / Shimmering Teleport Enhanced Lightning Spear Vyr’s Mastery Invoked Lightning Spear / Lightning Spear (rank 2-5) Frost Bolt (rank 2-5) Conduction (rank 1-3) Electrocution (rank 1-3) Align the Elements Protection (rank 1-3) Icy Veil (rank 1-3) Frost Nova (rank 2-3)\n\nBest Enchantment setup for leveling\n\nThe Enchantment slot is key to a ton of your damage as a Sorcerer. You’ll gain two slots as you level, here’s which spell you want to put in each slot:\n\nLevel 15: Fireball\n\nLevel 30: Chain Lightning\n\nBest Legendary Aspects for Sorcerer leveling build\n\nWhen you first start your new character, complete these three dungeons first in order to collect their Aspects. Then place them on a piece of gear (ideally jewelry, when possible). Just keep in mind that you should replace these Legendaries with new versions using the imprint system every few levels.\n\nRecharging Aspect (Zenith in Fractured Peaks) — Each time Chain Lightning bounces off you, gain X Mana\n\n(Zenith in Fractured Peaks) — Each time Chain Lightning bounces off you, gain X Mana Aspect of Control (Sunken Library in Kehjistan) — You deal X% more damage to Immobilized, Stunned, or Frozen enemies\n\n(Sunken Library in Kehjistan) — You deal X% more damage to Immobilized, Stunned, or Frozen enemies Edgemaster’s Aspect (Oldstones dungeon in Scosglen) — Skills deal X% increased damage based on Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource\n\nSorcerer Season 2 endgame build — Firewall\n\nThis build is based off of Northwar’s Sorcerer endgame guide at MaxRoll.gg, and is a general endgame guide capable of finding success in all activities. This guide assumes that you’re over level 50, have access to all 58 skill points, and are making progress on your Paragon Boards. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or why these Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original MaxRoll guide.\n\nBest skill points for Sorcerer Firewall endgame build\n\nThis build utilizes Firewall as its core skill and main means of dealing damage. It also uses Fire Bolt, Inferno, Teleport, Ice Armor, and Flame Shield.\n\nSince you need all 58 points for this build, the order you select these skills in doesn’t matter as long as you have the pre-requisite points in the earlier Skill Tree tiers. Here is how you should spend your Skill Points for this build:\n\nFire Bolt / Enhanced Fire Bolt / Glinting Fire Bolt\n\nFireball / Enhanced Fireball / Greater Fireball\n\nPotent Warding (rank 1-3)\n\nDevastation\n\nElemental Dominance (rank 1-3)\n\nFlame Shield / Enhanced Flame Shield / Shimmering Flame Shield\n\nTeleport (rank 1-4) / Enhanced Teleport / Shimmering Teleport\n\nIce Armor/Enhanced Ice Armor\n\nGlass Cannon (rank 1-3)\n\nPrecision Magic (rank 1-3)\n\nAlign the Elements\n\nMana Shield (rank 1-3)\n\nProtection (rank 1-3)\n\nFirewall (rank 1-5) / Enhanced Firewall / Wizard’s Firewall\n\nInner Flames (rank 1-3)\n\nCrippling Flames (rank 1-3)\n\nInferno/Prime Inferno/Supreme Inferno\n\nFiery Surge\n\nEndless Pyre\n\nCombustion\n\nEnhancement slots for Sorcerer Firewall build\n\nFor this build, you’ll want to use these spells for your two Enchantment Slots:\n\nFirewall Enchantment\n\nFireball\n\nVampiric Powers for Sorcerer Firewall build\n\nSeason 2 adds the new Vampiric Powers, which allow you to slot five additional abilities into your character to give you new effects. There are 22 total Vampiric Powers, and each are class agnostic, meaning they’re not unique to any one class.\n\nNorthwar recommends these five Vampiric Powers:\n\nAnticipation\n\nPrey on the Weak\n\nRavenous\n\nFlowing Veins\n\nMetamorphosis\n\nTo slot those powers you’ll need to have these Pacts available on your armor:\n\n9 Ferocity\n\n5 Divinity\n\n4 Eternity\n\nLegendary Powers and Uniques for Sorcerer Firewall build\n\nTo make this build work, you’re going to need powerful Legendary Powers and Unique items to augment your build.\n\nNorthwar recommends these items:\n\nHelm : Shared Misery (dungeon drop) or Godslayer Crown (Unique)\n\n: Shared Misery (dungeon drop) or Godslayer Crown (Unique) Chest : Snowveiled (dungeon drop) or Raiment of the Infinite (Unique)\n\n: Snowveiled (dungeon drop) or Raiment of the Infinite (Unique) Gloves : Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop)\n\n: Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop) Pants : Disobedience (dungeon drop)\n\n: Disobedience (dungeon drop) Boots : Ghostwalker (dungeon drop), Bounding Conduit (dungeon drop), Flickerstep (Unique)\n\n: Ghostwalker (dungeon drop), Bounding Conduit (dungeon drop), Flickerstep (Unique) Wand : Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop)\n\n: Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop) Focus : Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop)\n\n: Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop), Conceited, or Storm Swell (dungeon drop) Amulet : Control (dungeon drop)\n\n: Control (dungeon drop) Ring 1 : Prodigy’s (dungeon drop) or Retribution (dungeon drop)\n\n: Prodigy’s (dungeon drop) or Retribution (dungeon drop) Ring 2: Engulfing Flames or X’Fal’s Corroded Signet (Unique)\n\nIf you want to get into the nitty gritty of stat priorities, refer to Northwar’s original guide.\n\nParagon Boards for Sorcerer Firewall build\n\nThe Paragon Board system is very complex, and you’ll want to carefully pair your Glyphs with specific boards for your class:\n\nStarter Board / Reinforced Glyph Burning Instinct / Destruction Glyph Searing Heat / Adept Glyph Static Surge / Control Glyph Enchantment Master / Exploit\n\nYou should level your Glyphs to 15 in this specific order:\n\nDestruction Control Adept Exploit Reinforced\n\nYou can path your own way through the Paragon Boards following these basic guidelines. However, for the best results, follow Northwar’s path exactly.\n\nHow to make a great Sorcerer build\n\nSorcerers are Diablo 4’s pure caster class, and use elemental magic to differentiate from the spells of the Druid and Necromancer. The Sorcerer has six Key Passives, but only three elements, which is what you’ll base your build around:\n\nLightning\n\nFire\n\nIce\n\nLightning builds utilize Lightning skills to deal with large groups of enemies at once. When making a Lightning build, you’ll end up using the Overflowing Energy Key Passive or the Vyr’s Master Key Passive, depending on if you’re in melee range or not.\n\nIce builds specialize in slowing enemies down, making it easier to survive their attacks. Ice builds will take advantage of either the Avalanche Key Passive or the Shatter Key Passive, depending on how much your build relies on crowd control\n\nFire builds are all about big explosions and burning your enemies. For these builds, you’ll typically use either the Combustion Key Passive for burning enemies or the Esu’s Ferocity Key Passive for chunky critical strikes.\n\nWhen making your own build for a Sorcerer, you’ll likely end up sticking to one element for your main damage sources. But that’s not the most important thing you need to remember. Sorcerers die very, very easily in Diablo 4, and they have the weakest defensive stats by far — however, they can deal a massive amount of damage when built correctly. If you don’t want to end up dead more often than not, make sure to invest heavily in defensive skills while making your way toward one of the six Key Passives we listed above.\n\nLooking for other Diablo 4 builds? We have explainers on the Barbarian, Rogue, Druid, and Necromancer classes.", + "Barbarians are a relatively simple class in Diablo 4: They smash stuff. However, Diablo 4 is underscored by math that’s so complex that even the simple act of smashing stuff becomes a dizzying equation. That’s where we come in, with our suggestions of the best Barbarian builds for Diablo 4 season 2.\n\nBarbarians are big, muscular, and powerful. They excel at using Bleed to kill their enemies over time. And their unique weapon-swapping system means they get to have more Legendary powers at their disposal than any other class.\n\nIn this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds for season 2. If you need even more information on item affixes or other more complex ideas, we’ve been sure to link out to the more detailed versions of these builds, as well as where to find their original creators.\n\nBest Barbarian leveling build\n\nThis build is based off Lexyu’s Barbarian leveling guide at IcyVeins, and is purely for leveling: i.e., allocating your 58 skill points between levels 1 and 50. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or which other Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original IcyVeins guide.\n\nBest skills for leveling\n\nMost Barbarian leveling guides you’ll find make use of Hammer of the Ancients as your primary skill, as it deals massive damage while remaining very cheap to cast. In this build, you’ll also use Frenzy, Death Blow, Rallying Cry, Leap, and Wrath of the Berserker.\n\nHere are the best skills for a Barbarian leveling build, organized by the exact order you should purchase them in — bearing in mind that some skills require you to allocate a number of skill points in the tree in order to unlock them. As such, you’ll need to unlock new skills before enhancing existing ones:\n\nFrenzy / Enhanced Frenzy Hammer of the Ancients / Enhanced Hammer of the Ancients / Furious Hammer of the Ancients Combat Frenzy Rallying Cry / Enhanced Rallying Cry / Tactical Rallying Cry Hammer of the Ancients (ranks 2-3) Leap / Enhanced Leap / Power Leap Hammer of the Ancients (ranks 4-5) Death Blow / Enhanced Death Blow / Warrior’s Death Blow / Death Blow (rank 2-5) Wrath of the Berserker / Prime Wrath of the Berserker / Supreme Wrath of the Berserker Pit Fighter (ranks 1-3) Tempered Fury Furious Impulse (ranks 1-3) Walking Arsenal Hamstring No Mercy Expose Vulnerability (ranks 1-3) No Mercy (ranks 2-3) Swiftness (ranks 1-3) Thick Skin (ranks 1-3) Counteroffensive (ranks 1-3) Defensive Stance (ranks 1-3) Slaying Strike (ranks 1-3) Aggressive Resistance Prolific Fury\n\nBest Weapon Expertise setup for leveling\n\nOnce you unlock the Weapon Expertise system for your Barbarian, you’ll want to place the two-handed sword in your Technique slot. This will cause all of your Hammer of the Ancients damage to make enemies Bleed.\n\nBest Legendary Aspects for Barbarian leveling build\n\nWhen you first start your new character, complete these three dungeons first in order to collect their Aspects. Then place them on a piece of gear (ideally jewelry, when possible). Just keep in mind that you should replace these Legendaries with new versions using the imprint system every few levels.\n\nAspect of Ancestral Force (Sunken Ruins dungeon in Scosglen) — Hammer of the Ancients quakes outwards, dealing X% of its damage to enemies\n\n(Sunken Ruins dungeon in Scosglen) — Hammer of the Ancients quakes outwards, dealing X% of its damage to enemies Aspect of the Expectant (Underroot dungeon in Scosglen) — Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by X% up to X%\n\n(Underroot dungeon in Scosglen) — Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by X% up to X% Edgemaster’s Aspect (Oldstones dungeon in Scosglen) — Skills deal X% increased damage based on Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource\n\nBarbarian Season 2 endgame build — Double Swing\n\nThis build is based off of AaronActionRPG’s Double Swing Barbarian endgame guide at IcyVeins, and is a general endgame guide capable of finding success in all activities. This guide assumes that you’re over level 50, have access to all 58 skill points, and are making progress on your Paragon Boards. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or why these Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original IcyVeins guide.\n\nBest skill points for Double Swing Barbarian endgame build\n\nThis build utilizes Double Swing as its core skill. It also uses Steel Grasp, Ground Stomp, Iron Maelstrom, Charge, and Lunging Strike.\n\nSince you need all 58 points for this build, the order you select these skills in doesn’t matter as long as you have the pre-requisite points in the earlier Skill Tree tiers. Here is how you should spend your Skill Points for this build:\n\nLunging Strike / Enhanced Lunging Strike / Combat Lunging Strike\n\nDouble Swing (rank 1-5) / Enhanced Double Swing / Furious Double Swing\n\nEndless Fury\n\nGround Stomp (rank 1-5) / Enhanced Ground Stomp / Strategic Ground Stomp\n\nCharge (rank 1-5) / Enhanced Charge / Power Charge\n\nAggressive Resistance (rank 1-3)\n\nProlific Fury (rank 1-3)\n\nSteel Grasp / Enhanced Steel Grasp / Fighter’s Steel Grasp\n\nThick Skin\n\nDefensive Stance (rank 1-3)\n\nCounteroffensive (rank 1-3)\n\nPit Fighter (rank 1-3)\n\nNo Mercy (rank 1-3)\n\nIron Maelstrom / Prime Iron Maelstrom / Supreme Iron Maelstrom\n\nDuelist (rank 1-3)\n\nWallop\n\nConcussion (rank 1-3)\n\nWalking Arsenal\n\nArsenal System for the Double Swing Barbarian build\n\nFor this build, you’ll want to take One-Handed Mace in your Technique.\n\nVampiric Powers for Double Swing Barbarian build\n\nSeason 2 adds the new Vampiric Powers, which allow you to slot five additional abilities into your character to give you new effects. There are 22 total Vampiric Powers, and each are class agnostic, meaning they’re not unique to any one class.\n\nAaronActionRPG recommends these five Vampiric Powers:\n\nAnticipation\n\nPrey on the Weak\n\nRavenous\n\nDomination\n\nMetamorphosis\n\nTo insert those powers you’ll need to have these Pacts available on your armor:\n\n8 Ferocity\n\n3 Divinity\n\n2 Eternity\n\nLegendary Powers and Uniques for Double Swing Barbarian build\n\nTo make this build work, you’re going to need powerful Legendary Powers and Unique items to augment your build.\n\nAaronActionRPG recommends these items:\n\nHelm : Weapon Master’s Aspect\n\n: Weapon Master’s Aspect Chest : Aspect of Numbing Wrath (dungeon drop)\n\n: Aspect of Numbing Wrath (dungeon drop) Gloves : Aspect of Anemia (dungeon drop)\n\n: Aspect of Anemia (dungeon drop) Pants : Aspect of Might (dungeon drop)\n\n: Aspect of Might (dungeon drop) Boots : Exploiter’s Aspect\n\n: Exploiter’s Aspect Two-handed Bludgeoning : Aspect of Retribution (dungeon drop)\n\n: Aspect of Retribution (dungeon drop) Two-handed Slashing : Accelerating Aspect\n\n: Accelerating Aspect Dual Wield 1 : Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop)\n\n: Edgemaster’s (dungeon drop) Dual Wield 2 : Aspect of Berserk Ripping (dungeon drop)\n\n: Aspect of Berserk Ripping (dungeon drop) Amulet : Earthquake Aspect\n\n: Earthquake Aspect Ring 1 : Aspect of Berserk Fury\n\n: Aspect of Berserk Fury Ring 2: Aspect of Limitless Rage\n\nIf you want to get into the nitty gritty of stat priorities, refer to AaronActionRPG’s original guide.\n\nParagon Boards for Double Swing Barbarian build\n\nThe Paragon Board system is very complex, and you’ll want to carefully pair your Glyphs with specific boards for your class:\n\nStarter Board / Bloodfeeder Glyph Decimator / Ambidextrous Glyph Carnage / Might Glyph Flawless Technique / Ire Glyph Weapon Master / Territorial Glyph Bone Breaker / Exploit Glyph Warbringer / Wrath Glyph\n\nYou should level your Glyphs to 15 in this specific order:\n\nExploit Territorial Ambidextrous Might Wrath Bloodfeeder Ire\n\nYou can path your own way through the Paragon Boards following these basic guidelines. However, for the best results, follow AaronActionRPG’s path exactly.\n\nHow to make a great Barbarian build\n\nBarbarians are Diablo 4’s only pure melee class, with the other classes having hybrid builds for multiple ranges. There are four main ideas that all Barbarian builds stem from:\n\nFury dumping (most popular in Diablo 4’s pre-season)\n\nWeapon swapping\n\nBleed\n\nBerserk\n\nFury dump builds make use of the Unbridled Rage Key Passive, which causes your Fury spenders to cost double the Fury but deal more than double the damage. These kinds of builds obviously require very steady Fury generation, as it’s easy to starve yourself. Berserk builds that use the Unconstrained Key Passive are all about keeping your Barbarian in the Berserk stage at all times, which nets you a hefty bonus. All Barbarian builds will likely use some skills that make them go Berserk, the Unconstrained Key Passive just enhances the effect.\n\nBleed builds use the Gushing Wounds Key Passive to create a critical strike heavy build that’s great for whittling down groups of enemies with damage over time and explosions. Weapon swapping builds offer what is almost certainly the most unique playstyle for Barbarians and takes advantage of the Walking Arsenal Key Passive. The idea here is that you’re constantly swapping between your skills and weapons to give yourself massive damage buffs.\n\nWhen making a build, you want to have one of these Key Passives in mind and choose your skills accordingly. Thankfully skills that share certain aspects (like Bleed) are color-coded on the skill tree, and you can even use the in-game search function to find them all. Other Barbarian builds let you take advantage of mechanics like Thorns or Shouts. But they still typically end with one of these Key Passives.\n\nLooking for other Diablo 4 builds? We have explainers on the Sorcerer, Rogue, Druid, and Necromancer classes.", + "The world is watching the humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfold in real time through firsthand accounts documented on, of all places, Snapchat.\n\nIsrael has retaliated against Hamas’ October 7 attack with unprecedented force against the Palestinian territory, claiming over 9,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza Health Ministry numbers reported by the Associated Press.\n\nThe Committee to Protect Journalists reports that at least 30 journalists have been killed since Israel’s bombardment and total blockade of the region began, and journalists in Gaza say that without consistent access to food, water and power, it’s becoming “impossible” to continue reporting. Misinformation about the escalating violence is rampant on social media.\n\nAmid calls for a ceasefire, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) users are urging followers to view the devastation of Gaza for themselves on Snap Maps, which has displayed hot spots throughout northern Gaza since the Israeli airstrikes started last month. You don’t need an account to view Snap Map — the desktop version of the map is publicly accessible.\n\n“Snap Maps is a WEALTH of real-time information and is an important source for all journalists who aren’t on the ground right now,” X user inejmydarling posted.\n\nSnap didn’t provide TechCrunch with hard data, but confirmed to TechCrunch that since October 7, the company has seen a “moderate” increase in submissions to public Stories from Gaza. The company also said that more people from around the world are viewing content from the region. In the weeks since Israel’s blockade of the territory began, screen recordings of the map, which displays bright red hotspots throughout northern Gaza, have been shared online.\n\nIn recent videos posted from Gaza City on Thursday night, for example, users recorded bombings from their windows. Videos posted from the previous morning showed smoke rising from remaining buildings, demolished neighborhoods and people crowding around medical vehicles for treatment.\n\nI’m begging you guys to please PLEASE check snap maps. Look at the difference between the living conditions just a few miles away. The people of Gaza are posting these publicly for us to see and share. Please listen to them. These are all from today. You can check yourselves pic.twitter.com/L7LWjigk5t — 𝓜 ❀ ◓ (@uchihassasusaku) October 29, 2023\n\nSnap Map first launched in 2017 as a location-sharing feature that lets users see where their friends are posting Stories from, displayed on an interactive map. Users can also share their content to “Our Story,” a collaborative public archive of Stories posted from popular locations, which are displayed as hotspots on a “heat map.” If many users are posting Stories from around the same location, like a music festival, it’ll show up on the heat map.\n\nIn the years since Snap Map launched, it’s become an unexpected resource for keeping up with current events and highlighting political protests. Following the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018, students used the map to document and archive the nationwide classroom walkout demanding stricter gun control. During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Snapchat users posted videos expressing solidarity and recording instances of police violence against protestors.\n\nThis also isn’t the first time that Snap Map has been used to demonstrate the disparity between Israeli cities and occupied Palestinian territories. The May 2021 court ruling to evict Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah prompted weeks of protests internationally, and violent fighting between Hamas and Israel. On Snapchat’s heat map, Stories posted throughout Israel showed users washing their cars and celebrating their birthdays. Stories posted from Gaza documented a neighborhood reduced to rubble.\n\nSnap Map is especially relevant as other mapping sites limit features in the region at the request of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Google disabled live traffic conditions in Israel and the Gaza Strip for Google Maps and Waze last week, Bloomberg reports, “out of consideration for the safety of local communities.” Users can still use navigational features to get around, but aren’t able to see real-time traffic data, according to Bloomberg, because live updates could reveal the Israeli military’s movements. The Hill reports that Apple Maps took similar action in compliance with the IDF’s request.\n\nThe company isn’t indifferent to geopolitical conflict, however. Last year, Snap disabled its heat map in Ukraine as a “safety precaution,” The Verge said, to prevent Russia from tracking civilian evacuations. Instead, Snap displayed a “curated feed” of public Stories.\n\nA spokesperson for Snap told TechCrunch that Snap Map will stay live to allow users to continue sharing their experiences during the crisis, and that the company is monitoring hot spots for content that may spread misinformation or incite violence. Snap will “closely assess” if it needs to take additional action.\n\nThe spokesperson also acknowledged that Snap Map is a crucial resource for “authentic user-generated content” from perspectives that may not be reflected by traditional news outlets.\n\nSnap Map has served as an alternative source of eyewitness accounts during times of social unrest, as young people increasingly perceive news media reporting as “biased.” Trust in legacy media is waning in younger generations — a 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that American adults under 30 trust information from social media nearly as much as they trust information from national news outlets. A report conducted by the Knight Foundation earlier this year concluded that perceptions of political bias in news have increased, and young people hold more negative perceptions of news media than their predecessors. Younger people also consume the most online news, but report the lowest trust in national news outlets.\n\nAlthough Snapchat isn’t immune to misinformation, it’s worth noting that spreading fake content via Our Story isn’t as easy as reposting a video on X or TikTok. Users can upload content from their camera roll to their own Stories, but it won’t be eligible for Our Stories. Snap encourages users to “capture what’s happening” around them to increase their chances of making it to Our Stories. The submission guidelines say that the company looks for “Snaps that provide a window into everyday life.”\n\nUsers are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Meta’s policies aren’t dissimilar to Snap’s Community Guidelines, which prohibit pornographic content, content that advocates or advances terrorism and content that portrays gratuitous or graphic violence. Allegations of censorship against Snapchat aren’t as frequent as they are against Meta’s platforms, but many users are still urging others to screen record Stories posted from Gaza in case they are taken down.\n\nSome are also concerned that internet access in Gaza, which was partially restored after Israel imposed a communications blackout, will be cut again. TikTok creator divergentredhed posted that she watched the blackout happen in real time on Snapchat.\n\n“Right there in Gaza it was like a hotspot of Snapchat Stories. It was yellow and green and red … all of it just went dark. The entire Gaza Strip went dark before my very eyes,” she said. “I’m just going to spend the next few days uploading all of the content I have from Snapchat, from the people themselves.”", + "The first week of fighting in the bitter war in Israel’s south is almost over, with the financial markets trying to gauge the damage that the Israeli economy will sustain. Clearly, we are talking about a very significant event, but the fog of war makes it hard to estimate its full consequences. The main index on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the Tel Aviv 35, fell 6.4% over the week.\n\nProf. Leo Leiderman, chief economic adviser at Bank Hapoalim and a professor of economics at Tel Aviv University, sets out for \"Globes\" his proposals for rehabilitating the economy and repairing the damage that the war will cause.\n\nWhat has been going through your mind in these first days of the war?\n\n\"What most preoccupies me is not the economy but concern for the families of the soldiers, the wounded, and the captives, and solidarity with them. I have four relatives from Kibbutz Nir Oz who are still missing, and we have no information about them. I find it hard to understand how a war like this landed on us in a country as powerful as Israel. But we have no choice but to win.\"\n\nAs for the effect of the war on economic activity, Leiderman says: \"First of all, the duration and character of the war will have a decisive impact on the depth of damage to the economy. Many studies, as well as past experience, indicate that the longer the war lasts, the broader will be the impact on the economy. It is also known that this connection between the length of the fighting and the economic damage might not be linear. And of course, the more the war widens to more fronts, the greater will be the economic damage.\"\n\nDo you have a forecast for the consequences of the war for economic growth?\n\n\"It’s too early to make a quantitative estimate of the effects on the growth of the economy in 2024 and 2025. We have a great deal of information about loss of growth and product in various episodes in the past, such as the Yom Kippur War, the Lebanon War, two intifadas, various military operations, and the Covid pandemic.\n\n\"We see this is a completely different episode, however. This is a new situation that has no precedent as far as the damage to the economy is concerned. There’s a whole spectrum of possible scenarios, from a short war on the southern front only, to the nightmare scenario of a prolonged war with additional sectors involved. We are only in the fifth day of the war, and it’s to be hoped that the picture will start to become clearer.\"\n\nWhich industries will be hit by the war?\n\n\"A substantial decline can be expected in private consumption, particularly of services. This is not just because of the damage to output and income, but also for psychological reasons. Distress, uncertainty, the possibility of prolonged reserve duty by some of the public - all these things will affect consumer sentiment. Alongside this, tourism, commerce, transport services, entertainment, and restaurants will be hurt. As in the Covid pandemic, the self-employed and small and medium-size businesses may be hurt, particularly those that operate with high leverage.\"\n\nOn Monday, the Bank of Israel announced a dramatic plan to sell $30 billion of its foreign currency reserves to stabilize the shekel. The shekel has in fact recovered slightly, and is traded at around NIS 3.96/$.\n\nWhat’s your view of the Bank of Israel’s move in the foreign exchange market?\n\nLeiderman: \"It’s important to welcome the Bank of Israel’s decision to intervene, as necessary, in the foreign exchange market, in order to ensure the market’s regular operation. The decision to extend the term of Amir Yaron as governor of the bank at least for the duration of the war, and I hope beyond that, is also a stabilizing factor. The banking system is stable, and there is enough liquidity in the system. The behavior of the investment community in Israel, including the financial institutions, indicates high confidence in the economy’s resilience and financial strength. It’s important to maintain a level-headed, correct economic policy that will preserve this ‘asset.’\"\n\nWhat about the economic cost of the war?\n\n\"As with any war, the current war has and will have direct and indirect impacts. The war will substantially raise defense spending in the coming years, for procurement of equipment, ammunition, and advanced systems in accordance with the new needs. Another direct expense is payment for the reserve duty days of those mobilized. Given current interest rate levels around the world, the cost of servicing public debt as a proportion of GDP will rise. Besides all this, there will be a decline in state revenues from taxation and a rise in the fiscal deficit.\"\n\nHow can this larger deficit be financed?\n\n\"It’s reasonable to argue that besides the hope of financing part of the deficit through aid from the US (President Biden approved $8 billion military aid this week, H. S.), and that will happen, it’s permissible for a country at war to raise its fiscal deficit by what is seen as the right amount. This is in order to ensure that the economy functions properly, to carry out rehabilitation actions, and to prepare for recovery and a return to growth in the near future.\"\n\nHow high should the deficit go?\n\n\"I mean a deficit of 3% of GDP, or 5%, or 8% - there are no sacred numbers. As was said during the Covid pandemic, the state has to do whatever it takes to achieve these goals. Nevertheless, it’s important to make sure that the growth in expenditure and in the deficit is temporary, until economic activity gets back to normal. I’m also sure that there are various budget items that were approved that don’t support economic growth, and that don’t need to be implemented in the new reality. Such a policy will be accepted with complete understanding by investors overseas and in Israel, and also by the credit rating agencies.\"\n\nWhat else do you propose on the economic policy plane?\n\n\"Despite the uncertainty over how the war will develop, alongside an emergency budget, this is the time to start preparing a general economic plan with a strategy for rehabilitating the economy after the war. It’s important to start planning professionally and in detail all aspects of rehabilitating the settlements that have been damaged or destroyed in the south, rehabilitation of infrastructure, the health system, and the civilian systems that need attention.\"\n\nHow do you propose doing this?\n\n\"One possibility is to task the Bank of Israel and the Ministry of Finance Budgets Division with coordinating the work, with help from the various research institutes and economists, engineers, and professionals in academic institutions and in the private sector. It’s important to talk to the private sector, and to understand in every place and every industry what the main damage is and what they need in order to get back to normal. It should be done professionally, preferably with no politicization of the recommendations.\"\n\nWhat do you think the Bank of Israel should do in its next interest rate decision, on October 23?\n\n\"It’s still to early to tell how the war will affect the rate of inflation in the short and medium term. Just as there are new inflationary factors, such as the depreciation of the shekel, there will also be factors working in the opposite direction, given the expected decline in private consumption, tourism, and other items.\n\n\"As with fiscal policy, here too a country at war is allowed to deviate temporarily from the set inflation target. At the moment there is no surge in inflation expectations, and the investment community is aware of the existence of index-linked assets and the exchange rate that can assist in hedging inflation risk.\n\n\"As for cutting the interest rate, it’s too early to consider that. The current interest rate is at the right level for the state of the economy, and together with the policy on exchange rates, it contributes to ensuring financial stability,\" Leiderman concludes.\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 12, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "This week, Google took the wraps off of Gemini, its new flagship generative AI model meant to power a range of products and services including Bard, Google’s ChatGPT competitor. In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.\n\nBut the anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise.\n\nA “lite” version of Gemini, Gemini Pro, began rolling out to Bard yesterday, and it didn’t take long before users began voicing their frustrations with it on X (formerly Twitter).\n\nThe model fails to get basic facts right, like 2023 Oscar winners:\n\nI'm extremely disappointed with Gemini Pro on Bard. It still give very, very bad results to questions that shouldn't be hard anymore with RAG. A simple question like this with a simple answer like this, and it still got it WRONG. pic.twitter.com/5GowXtscRU — Vitor de Lucca 🏳️‍🌈 / threads.net/@vitor_dlucca (@vitor_dlucca) December 7, 2023\n\nNote that Gemini Pro claims incorrectly that Brendan Gleeson won Best Actor last year, not Brendan Fraser — the actual winner.\n\nI tried asking the model the same question and, bizarrely, it gave a different wrong answer:\n\n“Navalny,” not “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” won Best Documentary Feature last year; “All Quiet on the Western Front” won Best International Film; “Women Talking” won Best Adapted Screenplay; and “Pinocchio” won Best Animated Feature Film. That’s a lot of mistakes.\n\nScience fiction author Charlie Stross found many more examples of confabulation in a recent blog post. (Among other mistruths, Gemini Pro said that Stross contributed to the Linux kernel; he never has.)\n\nTranslation doesn’t appear to be Gemini Pro’s strong suit, either. It struggles to give a six-letter word in French:\n\nFYI, Google Gemini is complete trash. pic.twitter.com/EfNzTa5qas — Benjamin Netter (@benjaminnetter) December 6, 2023\n\nWhen I ran the same prompt through Bard (“Can you give me a 6-letters word in French?”), Gemini Pro responded with a seven-letter word instead of a five-letter one — which gives some credence to the reports about Gemini’s poor multilingual performance.\n\nWhat about summarizing news? Surely Gemini Pro, with Google Search and Google News at its disposal, can give a recap of something topical? Not necessarily.\n\nIt seems Gemini Pro is loath to comment on potentially controversial news topics, instead telling users to… Google it themselves.\n\nI tried the same prompt and got a very similar response. ChatGPT, by contrast, gives a bullet-list summary with citations to news articles:\n\nInterestingly, Gemini Pro did provide a summary of updates on the war in Ukraine when I asked it for one. However, the information was over a month out of date:\n\nGoogle emphasized Gemini’s enhanced coding skills in a briefing earlier this week. Perhaps it’s genuinely improved in some areas — posts on X suggest as much. But it also appears that Gemini Pro struggles with basic coding functions like this one in Python:\n\nTried gemini based Bard, and well, it still can't write intersection of two polygons. It's one of those rare relatively simple to express functions that wasn't ever implemented in python, there is no stack overflow post, and all these models fail on it. pic.twitter.com/RKjmkEw2Qr — Filip Piekniewski🌻 🐘:@filippie509@techhub.social (@filippie509) December 6, 2023\n\nAnd these:\n\nTrying out Gemini Pro: it is pretty disappointing for my example. I asked it to make an analog clock using HTML like this one that ChatGPT made. It can cite some code from Github but it's off by a few ms… pic.twitter.com/neb42Vzm3m — Mohsen Azimi (@mohsen____) December 7, 2023\n\nGPT 4 still greater than Gemini Pro. Created Tic Tac Toe game with ChatGPT and Bard(Running on Gemini Pro) See video for the result. ChatGPT wrote the code on first try(First Video). Bard on 3 tries(Second Video). pic.twitter.com/cYd9hepcgT — Edison Ade (@buzzedison) December 6, 2023\n\nJust tested Google's Bard with Gemini Pro update. No bugless snake game on 1st try; reported, asked to fix—couldn't. Tried ChatGPT 3.5 free version, got correct bug-free code on the first attempt! 🚀🐍 #ChatGPT #Bard #Gemini pic.twitter.com/WQfilgG21D — N KIRAN KUMAR (@NKIRANKUMARS1) December 6, 2023\n\nAnd, as with all generative AI models, Gemini Pro isn’t immune to “jailbreaks” — i.e. prompts that get around the safety filters in place to attempt to prevent it from discussing controversial topics.\n\nUsing an automated method to algorithmically change the context of prompts until Gemini Pro’s guardrails failed, AI security researchers at Robust Intelligence, a startup selling model-auditing tools, managed to get Gemini Pro to suggest ways to steal from a charity and assassinate a high-profile individual (albeit with “nanobots” — admittedly not the most realistic weapon of choice).\n\nNow, Gemini Pro isn’t the most capable version of Gemini — that model, Gemini Ultra, is set to launch sometime next year in Bard and other products. Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.\n\nBut Google nevertheless promised improvements in reasoning, planning and understanding with Gemini Pro over the previous model powering Bard, claiming Gemini Pro was better at summarizing content, brainstorming and writing. Clearly, it has some work to do in those departments.", + "Even to its owners, the name for their new Thai restaurant seemed silly and unserious. Some of them were embarrassed to tell friends about it at all, for fear of it sounding too ridiculous.\n\nBut Teddy Jirapraphanan, one of the four owners, thought back to his own experience using Google to find restaurants.\n\n“Everywhere I go, I’m craving Thai food,” he says. “I have to search ‘Thai food near me’ all the time.”\n\nJirapraphanan is exactly the kind of customer Thai Food Near Me hopes to scoop up. The New York-based restaurant is named after a literal Google search, betting it can bring in customers with the power of SEO — the practice of making a business, website, or content more findable in search engine results. The restaurant is optimized for the digital platforms diners use to find places nearby, not for the person walking past on the street or getting a recommendation from a friend.\n\nThai Food Near Me is a small but powerful symbol of Google’s far-reaching impact on businesses over the past two decades and the lengths their owners will go to try to optimize their operations for the company’s platforms. The name is both notable and obvious — if you’ve spent any amount of time searching for things online, you will understand the reference immediately. The turn is that 25 years after Google Search first arrived, the name says the quiet part out loud.\n\n“When you have a million restaurants close by, you will be in the bottom [of rankings] if it’s a random name,” Jirapraphanan says. “But [when] we used Thai Food Near Me, people started knowing us.” Customers, like Jirapraphanan, were searching for the exact phrase and stumbling upon the restaurant, they told him.\n\nIn March, a photo of the restaurant went viral on Twitter ahead of its opening, brown butcher paper still covering the windows. The restaurant’s goofy name was enough to garner coverage on news sites, along with an influx of customers in the first crucial months of being open.\n\nThe viral tweet invariably summoned a chorus of overly friendly, all-lowercase-text replies from brands looking for attention. The official account of Google Maps — the very entity the meme-y restaurant name is designed to outsmart — couldn’t resist.\n\n“Very relatable,” the company replied, with a crown emoji. But response to its presence in the thread was mixed.\n\nOne person replied, “This is about how your products don’t even work anymore.”\n\nThai Food Near Me is located on a busy street in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan.\n\nThai Food Near Me isn’t the first business to think of the Google-first naming convention. There are reminders of Google’s kingmaker status in online discoverability everywhere in cities across the country.\n\nAmong the businesses I was able to find: a chain of half a dozen Affordable Dentist Near Me’s in Texas; an Antiques Near Me two hours outside of New York City; seven Plumber Near Me businesses; a Phone Repair Near Me in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; a Psychic Near Me in Chicago; and more than 20 iterations of “Notary Near Me” across the US.\n\nFelix Silva decided on the name Barber Shop Near Me after considering more than 20 other options for his Coral Springs, Florida, store in 2019. The name is meant to be neutral and memorable — another one in contention was “The Barber Shop” — but Silva fully leaned into the Google joke: the logo is a red location pin resembling Google’s own, with a blue, white, and red barber pole pattern in the middle.\n\nSilva had seen firsthand how a business’s Google presence could help or hurt its chances of success\n\n“Before we opened, we just had a logo [on an Instagram account]. And we had some clients then tell us, ‘Oh, man, before you guys opened we thought Google was coming to town,” Silva says.\n\nLike Jirapraphanan, Silva had seen firsthand how a business’s Google presence could help or hurt its chances of success — Silva frequently searches for keywords like “vegan” to find restaurants. One time, Google returned results for a restaurant that wasn’t vegan but had a customer review that contained the keyword that was highlighted.\n\n“It was a light bulb moment… like, ‘Okay, this is the path I need to take. I really need to dial in and focus on the online presence, specifically Google, because that is going to be the foundation of the business,” Silva says.\n\nAs with Thai Food Near Me, the most powerful thing an SEO-driven name might be able to do is get customers in the door. From there, it’s up to a business to give them a good experience, whether that’s a great plate of pad see ew or the perfect haircut. Then, the cycle continues — happy customers leave good reviews. Good reviews help the business’s Google Maps profile rank higher. Silva uploads high-quality photos and videos to the page and shares updates, too. That’s another SEO move; some experts say active profiles can improve a business’s rankings.\n\nStill, the naming scheme has caught on: one acquaintance selling Christmas trees, for example, rebranded his business to be called Christmas Trees Near Me, Silva says. (Silva’s is not the only Barber Shop Near Me, either — there are also shops with the same name in Oak Park, Illinois; Queens, New York; and Muskogee, Oklahoma, according to Google Maps.)\n\n“It was a compliment. It was nice to see that in some way this inspires some people,” Silva says of the Christmas tree company rebrand. But he’s always thinking about what’s next, what could give his business the edge to keep growing. Sometimes he wonders if an influx of “near me” businesses could water down the impact.\n\nBut Google is Google, Silva says, and “near me” is wherever a customer is.\n\nThai Food Near Me owners Jirapraphanan, Sampson, Natkitta Kornwaewwongcharoen, and Nat P Akethamwong.\n\nWhether this attempt at SEO is actually a boon to these businesses is a separate question — a Google Maps search for “Thai food near me” from my home in Brooklyn yielded plenty of options literally near me but not Jirapraphanan’s business just a few miles away.\n\nRobert Sampson, a co-owner of Thai Food Near Me who handles much of the back-end tasks including working on SEO, says he followed the discussion online about the utility of the name.\n\n“The people who said that [the name is] not such a good idea… I think they’re responding more from a national brand campaign. It is true that if you’re in California, and you type ‘Thai food near me,’ you’re going to have a little bit of a hard time finding us,” Sampson says. “But for local search, I think the name works really well.”\n\nThe term “Thai food near me” is searched, on average, nearly a million times a month in the US, according to Semrush, a company that provides keyword research and other popular SEO tools. Semrush notes you’ll need referring domains and optimized content to try to compete for the term and grades it as “difficult” to rank for — competitive, but not even the hardest category.\n\nBefore serving a single person, the restaurant had gone viral online for its name.\n\nAdding “near me” to a search term is both a learned behavior and encouraged by Google. “___ near me” is a top autofilled search suggestion on both Search and Maps and has become synonymous with Google — that’s why the joke works.\n\nFor a group I spoke with at Thai Food Near Me on an evening in August, the SEO plan — at least practically — had the intended effect. One of the diners, Travis, found Thai Food Near Me on Yelp when searching for nearby dining options after missing an earlier reservation elsewhere. Several people in the group had heard about the restaurant when it went viral this spring but didn’t realize it was in New York.\n\nThe group agreed the food was good, even though they didn’t know what to expect. They’d definitely consider coming back if they were in the area, they told me.\n\nSo did the clever SEO hack of a name actually help bump Thai Food Near Me above its nearby competitors in search results?\n\n“I doubt it,” Danny Sullivan, Google’s public liaison for Search, says. Owners doing this might find success, but Google pulls in other data to serve results to users, like location, reviews, or ratings — a “hodgepodge of different things that we have that are out there.”\n\nGoogle’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence. To improve local ranking, Google encourages businesses to provide a trove of information on their profile. Owners should have basics like updated hours of operation and accurate location details, but they should also respond to reviews, add photos, and even post individual items in stock to their Google page.\n\n“I don’t think they’re really great marketing campaigns”\n\nThe prominence measure in Maps includes data from the web — links to the business, how the business ranks in traditional search, and press coverage, for example. In this way, SEO impacts how a business appears in local search results, and news articles and links are one way Google tries to determine the relevance of a page. (It’s why reporters’ inboxes are overrun with spammy requests to buy “guest posts” on our sites from marketers.)\n\nIronically, a search I did in Google Maps for “Thai food near me” from Wisconsin surfaced the Manhattan restaurant as a suggestion, above any local businesses — it was easier to find it from the Midwest than it was from Brooklyn. Sullivan says this could be due to Google recognizing there’s a business with an exact match name that has some degree of notoriety that people are searching for in different areas. It could encourage other people to name their businesses in this style, but Sullivan says he doesn’t see it as an issue that needs addressing.\n\n“I’ve seen these kinds of things over the years, and they kind of make me laugh and have a bit of a chuckle. But I don’t think they’re really great marketing campaigns,” Sullivan told The Verge. Google’s advice has always been that businesses should make decisions that serve their customers, not the platform, he says.\n\nThe restaurant’s “secret menu” has speciality dishes.\n\nSullivan might say that a “near me” name isn’t a silver bullet to gaming the search engine algorithm — but in a roundabout way, the name really did help Thai Food Near Me.\n\nIts initial SEO “hack” was likely technically ineffective, but it was memorable and funny. The joke led to many, many, many articles and forum posts about the restaurant’s name, which tipped the SEO scales in its favor. All of this content, including the story you’re reading now, will help Thai Food Near Me’s prominence on Google platforms. One SEO trick has eaten another.\n\nEven if the name doesn’t work on Google exactly how Sampson and Jirapraphanan expected, it clearly has pulled in customers — Sampson says that for the first several months of being open, most people were coming in after seeing Twitter and Reddit posts, not Google results. Others would walk by outside, do a double take at the sign, and come inside.\n\n“After you get that initial bunch, you’ve got people who enjoyed their dining experience here,” he says. “They’ll tell all their friends and family if they liked it, and then those people come from word of mouth.”\n\nCo-owner Jirapraphanan designed the restaurant’s menu.\n\nDespite the admittedly silly name, it’s clear that Thai Food Near Me’s Jirapraphanan and Sampson care about what they’re serving: the restaurant is clean and stylish, and the menu, carefully designed by Jirapraphanan, features original dishes I haven’t seen at other places. My food is tasty, comes out promptly, and I, too, will note the spot if I’m ever in the area again and craving Thai food.\n\nJirapraphanan wants people to come back because they actually like the food. The name is part — but not all — of the branding. “I want to be different from other Thai restaurants,” he tells me.\n\nBut we’re in an era of dining where one viral video online could make or break a restaurant, and business owners must be strategic about getting their operation in front of potential customers. (Thai Food Near Me is at least the fourth Thai restaurant to occupy the same location, according to defunct delivery and review websites I was able to dig up; Jirapraphanan was told they’re the fifth.) As New York Magazine reported, the allure of a social media hit is shaping the very food being served — gooier eggs, more obscene cheese, sauces exploding and gushing across a plate. If the algorithm and diner-slash-viewers want messier, spectacle-driven dishes, many restaurants are complying.\n\nIn some ways, Thai Food Near Me has optimized its food, too. The owners have tweaked their menu and modification options on delivery apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash, according to common written requests they get on online orders. It’s a savvy business decision, Sampson says, and a way to get — and keep — loyal customers. It’s what’s required for a business to survive when diners have endless options at their fingertips.\n\n“At first we were a little too proud of our Thai food. We wanted to make it how we think you should have it. Well, that’s not actually a smart idea. It’s the other way around,” Sampson says. “We now want to make it however you most want it.”\n\nThe restaurant is still in its early days; good restaurants shutter for reasons that are no fault of their own. But Sampson and Jirapraphanan are content with their choice of name.\n\n“I think it did more than we could have ever imagined it would do,” Sampson says.", + "A young group of \"Swifties\" have gone viral after a video showing their attempts to open a \"1989 (Taylor's Version)\" compact disc (CD) was uploaded to TikTok — and the megastar herself responded.\n\nThe 11- and 12-year-olds came together to give their friend Annika the newly released Taylor Swift CD in hopes of cheering up the friend after she broke her wrist during soccer practice, mom Shannon Schmidt told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"The girls knew what a CD was, but we had to borrow Grandma and Grandpa’s CD player to let them fully experience it,\" Schmidt shared.\n\nCOUPLE'S VIRAL 'TAYLOR SWIFT JAR' HAS WIFE PAYING A QUARTER WHENEVER SHE MENTIONS THE STAR\n\nThe video captures the comical moment the three sixth and seventh graders attempted to open the CD.\n\nThe girls — Lilly, Henslee and Annika — can be heard struggling to figure out how to get the CD out without breaking it or looking for a button to press in order to release it from the case.\n\nSchmidt watched the girls' efforts, saying, \"You guys are making me laugh because this is how we used to listen to music.\"\n\nSeconds later, Lilly can be seen pressing the middle of CD, releasing it from the case.\n\nFIRST CD TO BE COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED WAS 41 YEARS AGO TODAY: WILL CDS MAKE A COMEBACK?\n\nThe girls were amazed when they finally were able to get their hands on the soundtrack.\n\n\"The girls' struggle with the CD was a wake-up call to how times have changed since we ‘cut the cord,’\" Schmidt commented.\n\nThe mothers of the girls could not help but laugh as they realized just how different things are now, thanks to technology.\n\n\"Watching the girls grapple with the CD case felt like stepping back in time,\" Jody, one of the moms, told Fox News Digital.\n\nTAYLOR SWIFT SUPERFAN SPENT NEARLY $9K TO ATTEND 12 ERAS TOUR CONCERTS: ‘A BIG DEAL’\n\n\"That moment of pure innocence when the girls first attempted to open the CD case was priceless,\" Tia, another mom, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"I knew then that we had to flip the camera on to capture the rest of their experience with the CD.\"\n\nThis hilarious moment not only brought laughter to the three moms, but to the scores of viewers who have seen the video on TikTok as well.\n\nSince it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.\n\n\"It’s so wild to think our video went viral and got Taylor Swift's attention!\" Lilly shared with Fox News Digital.\n\nMOM GOES VIRAL ON TIKTOK AS 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER STRUGGLES TO OPEN CD: 'I'M OFFICIALLY OLD'\n\n\"Going to her concert was amazing, but having her notice our video is something I still can’t wrap my head around.\"\n\nAnnika said she never imagined that millions of people would have found the video so comical, let alone the \"1989\" singer herself.\n\n\"Who would have thought that getting a CD while sporting a broken wrist would lead to something so huge?\" Annika said.\n\n\"I figured maybe a few people would see our video, but then, bam —Taylor Swift saw it. She actually saw me and liked it. It’s crazy.\"\n\nTHE TAYLOR SWIFT OBSESSION: PSYCHOLOGIST WEIGHS IN ON WHY FANS WORSHIP CELEBRITIES\n\nIn a second video, the girls were captured using the CD player, which proved to be slightly easier to figure out.\n\nAll three \"Swifties\" can be heard \"oohing\" and \"aahing\" as they learn how to open the disc player.\n\n\"Whoa! That was fancy, guys. This is a fancy one,\" one of the girls can be heard saying in the TikTok video.\n\nTAYLOR SWIFT'S EXES: BABY NAMES INSPIRED BY THE SINGER'S FORMER FLAMES REVEALED\n\nThe Gen Zers captured the attention of viewers online who could not help but comment on the viral moment — and the overwhelming response was \"I feel old.\"\n\nBut it was the comment from the A-list singer that really got the girls' attention.\n\nSwift liked and commented on the viral TikTok saying, \"Wait, this is amazing.\"\n\n\"That was the best surprise ever — my year is made,\" Henslee told Fox News Digital in reference to Swift's comment.\n\nTAYLOR SWIFT QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE FAMOUS POP MUSICIAN?\n\nThe girls usually can be found listening to Swift while making her popular friendship bracelets or playing soccer with one another.\n\n\"Her like/comment is something the girls and this Swiftie mama will always remember,\" Tia commented.\n\nThis isn't the first time a young person went viral for trying to open a CD.\n\nIn May, Fox News Digital reported on a mom who showed her 10-year-old daughter's struggle as she attempted to pop a \"Now That's What I Call Music! 21\" CD (2006).\n\nCDs were first introduced in 1982, according to the tech company Philips' website.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nPhilips, along with Sony, co-developed the technology, which is a portable medium that can record, store and play back audio, video and other data in digital form.\n\nIn 2001, Apple introduced iTunes, a platform that sold digital songs online for just 99 cents each, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.\n\niTunes made purchasing music so easy and affordable that it's virtually replaced the CD in 2023.\n\nIn the words of Taylor Swift, it is safe to say that \"everything has changed\" for these three \"Swifties\" since this viral moment.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"Their delightful encounter with a seemingly antiquated piece of technology, the CD, has captured the attention of Taylor Swift herself, transforming their genuine moment into an unforgettable event,\" Schmidt said.", + "Manchester United got themselves back to winning ways thanks to a superb Scott McTominay brace against Chelsea.\n\nThe victory remarkably puts them within three points of rivals Manchester City, after the reigning champions were defeated by Aston Villa, and keeps them in reach of the top four places.\n\nMcTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund. The Red Devils' captain had a first-half penalty saved by Robert Sanchez and United's Danish striker was substituted after another Premier League game without a goal, despite making 11 appearances.\n\nErik ten Hag's side were dominant in the first half and finally pounced on Chelsea's inability to take control in midfield. Mauricio Pochettino's men attempted to break at pace but Sofyan Amrabat made a vital interception and Fernandes found Alejandro Garnacho out wide. The youngster then cut the ball back to Harry Maguire whose effort rebounded perfectly into the path of McTominay. The Scotland international took one touch before blasting past Sanchez.\n\nUnited led for the majority of the first 45 minutes but failed to build on their lead and were pegged back by the former Manchester City man, Cole Palmer. The 21-year-old, who made the transfer from the Etihad Stadium to Stamford Bridge in August, stroked the ball into the far corner with deadly accuracy. It was his fifth Premier League goal of the season and his first from open play.\n\nBut United continued to put Chelsea under pressure in the second half and after numerous attempts, McTominay headed powerfully past Sanchez. The Scotsman had seven shots, his most ever in a league game. Despite a flurry of late attacks driven by Reece James, Ten Hag's team stood strong and held on to see out the victory.\n\nUnited have now won their past 19 Premier League games at Old Trafford when scoring first, including all 16 under their Dutch manager.\n\nMORE: Every game on Amazon in December and how to watch\n\nTen Hag: Crisis? What crisis?\n\nThe United manager faced a demanding week amid reports indicating disunity within his team and his players did exceptionally well to block out the noise and focus on footballing matters.\n\nWhen asked about a potential crisis, he said: “Crisis? Not for us. We keep calm. We know where we have to build. We are going in the right direction. This team is capable to be successful.”\n\nAnd United were successful tonight, thanks to McTominay. Ten Hag explained how his midfielder has managed to become more involved in an attacking sense this season: \"He has a very good smell when to arrive and a very good finish.\n\n\"It is not a frustration, in the end, we won but we could have made our lives much easier,\" he said. \"We started very good, proactive, brave, we created a lot of chances in that moment, we could have gone up with two or three goals.\"\n\nMan United vs Chelsea final score\n\nFinal score Goalscorers Man United 2 McTominay 19', 70' Chelsea 1 Palmer 45'\n\nMan United vs Chelsea live updates, highlights from Premier League\n\nFT: United can breathe a sigh of relief and hold onto a crucial three points!\n\n90th minute: Broja hits the post! That was so close to the equaliser for Chelsea. There are four minutes of added time.\n\n80th minute: Garnacho so nearly makes it 3-1 to United but his delicately finish toys with the goalline.\n\n74th minute: An insane recovery run and block by Reece James denies Garnacho from doubling United's lead. He was picked out superbly by Onana to kickstart a rapid counter by the hosts.\n\n70th minute: GOAL! 2-1 United! And it's McTominay who has a brace! It's a great ball to the back post by Garnacho and McTominay meets the header from inside the six-yard box. He's in terrific goalscoring form and becomes United's top scorer this season.\n\n69th minute: Antony tries one of his trademark curling efforts from the right after cutting in on his left but it's wide of the goal.\n\n62nd minute: Penalty appeal for United! Shaw rockets an attempt goalwards and it looked as though Colwill may have blocked it with his hand. VAR took a quick look and play continues.\n\n61st minute: Antony's trivela is deflected for a corner, it may have been going wide.\n\n54th minute: Unfortunately for Garnacho, lightning doesn't strike twice. His latest acrobatic effort is well wide of the goal.\n\n49th minute: Jackson has a glorious chance at the back post to make it 2-1 but he can't keep his header down!\n\n46th minute: Both sides make a change at the break. Sergio Reguilon comes on for Lindelof and much to the delight of the Chelsea fans, Reece James comes on for Cucurella.\n\nHT: That's all from a hectic first half, hopefully more of it to come in the second!\n\n45th minute: GOAL! 1-1! The former City man finds the bottom corner with a delicate stroke past Onana. It's a wonderful goal from Cole Palmer to pull level right before the break.\n\n36th minute: And that should be the equaliser! Mudryk finds himself in the box on his weak foot but the Chelsea forward drags his effort wide.\n\n32nd minute: McTominay should have his second! Fernandes picks him out beautifully from the left but the Scotsman heads directly at Sanchez. Either side of the Chelsea goalkeeper and United would have a two-goal lead.\n\n25th minute: Penalty appeal for Chelsea! Sterling drops to the floor after very minimal contact with Victor Lindelof but neither the referee nor VAR buy his theatrics.\n\n19th minute: GOAL! 1-0 United! Scott McTominay finishes off a scrappy period of play and United have a deserved lead.\n\n18th minute: Silva's block denies Antony the opener. He's not scored at Old Trafford since his debut...\n\n15th minute: It's all gone a bit wild here as neither side appears to have a midfield capable of dictating the play. Chelsea have just had two glorious chances but Mudryk couldn't beat Onana and Fernandes made a brilliant recovery run to prevent the other attack.\n\n9th minute: SAVED! It's a woeful penalty from Fernandes and Sanchez makes an easy diving save to his right.\n\n7th minute: PENALTY! It's United who are rewarded for their bright start as Antony was brought down by Enzo Fernandez in the box. Chris Kavanagh originally waved play on, however, VAR instructed him to take a look at the monitor and the referee gives the penalty.\n\n4th minute: Sanchez makes a great save to deny Hojlund the opener, who was well found by Luke Shaw.\n\n3rd minute: Dalot picks out Fernandes on the edge of the box who blasts well over the bar with a first-time strike.\n\n1st minute: The visitors get us underway.\n\n15 mins until kickoff: The teams have headed down the tunnel here at the Theatre of Dreams and kickoff is next...\n\n30 mins until kickoff: The warm-ups are underway at Old Trafford on a chilly night. Ten Hag has just told MUTV that Chelsea do not \"like to defend\" and that United must take advantage of that this evening.\n\n45 mins until kickoff: Raheem Sterling has failed to score in any of his 24 matches against Man United. Could tonight be the ex-Liverpool and Man City player's night?\n\n1 hour until kickoff: Team news is in! The eyebrow-raising decision from Erik ten Hag is that Marcus Rashford starts from the bench. Mauricio Pochettino starts the former Man City man, Cole Palmer.\n\n1 hour 30 mins until kickoff: Chelsea have won three of their last four Premier League away games but are without a league win at Old Trafford since 2013...\n\n2 hours until kickoff: It's been a relatively busy start to the week off the pitch for Erik ten Hag, it's time to see what happens on it.\n\n\"I had to set some standards\"\n\n\n\nErik ten Hag claims there was not a good culture among staff and players before he joined Man United 😬pic.twitter.com/DJWe42mDXY — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 5, 2023\n\nMan United vs Chelsea lineups\n\nMidfielder Casemiro and defender Lisandro Martinez remain out for Manchester United, while Christian Eriksen may not return in 2023.\n\nMason Mount missed United's defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday and Jonny Evans has not played for almost a month because of a thigh issue. Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia have long-term injuries.\n\nMan United lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Onana (GK) — Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw — Amrabat, McTominay — Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho — Hojlund.\n\nMan United subs (12): To be confirmed\n\nBen Chilwell remains unavailable for Chelsea and Malo Gusto has been missing with a knee injury, but fellow defender Reece James is available again after suspension, as is Marc Cucurella.\n\nRomeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku are likely to still be sidelined and Conor Gallagher is banned after receiving two yellow cards against Brighton. Carney Chukwuemeka, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana are out.\n\nChelsea lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Disasi, Silva, Colwill, Cucurella — Sterling, Fernandez, Caicedo — Mudryk, Palmer, Jackson.\n\nChelsea subs (12): To be confirmed\n\nHow to watch Man United vs Chelsea: TV channel, live stream\n\nHere's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:\n\nRegion TV Streaming USA — Peacock Canada — Fubo Canada UK — Amazon Prime Video Australia — Optus Sport India Star Sports 3 Asia Jio TV, Hotstar VIP\n\nUK: This match will be available on Amazon Prime TV.\n\nUSA: This game is available for streaming via Peacock.\n\nCanada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via Fubo in Canada, with a new FREE five-day trial for new subscribers.\n\nAustralia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.\n\nMORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA", + "Plucky little cranberries have grown for millennia amid sandy soils and short summers of southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.\n\nThe Pilgrims explored and then settled this same area in 1620 — and celebrated the first Thanksgiving the following year.\n\n\"When the Pilgrims first set foot on Cape Cod, even before they saw Plymouth Rock, they may have well stepped on the American cranberry,\" Richard S. Cox and Jacob Walker write in their book, \"Massachusetts Cranberry Culture: A History from Bog to Table.\"\n\nTheir 2012 book is a romantic ode to the quirks of New England history, geography and culture — and of its low-growing fruit.\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO GAVE THE NATION OUR THANKSGIVING ORIGIN STORY: PILGRIM EDWARD WINSLOW\n\nIt \"seems doubtful,\" however, that the Pilgrims even noticed the cranberries.\n\n\"For all its tasty charms, the cranberry is hardly the sort to attract attention,\" Cox and Walker say in their book.\n\nThe tart, colorful cranberry's native habitat around the Pilgrim settlement in Plymouth, and its ascension to a uniquely vibrant place on America’s Thanksgiving dinner table, are something of a coincidence — and a 20th-century phenomenon.\n\nCredit cranberry king Marcus Urann, a true innovator of American agriculture.\n\n\"When the Pilgrims first set foot on Cape Cod … they may have well stepped on the American cranberry.\"\n\nUrann, most notably, invented cranberry sauce — at least the commercial canned cranberry jelly central to Thanksgiving celebrations nationwide today.\n\nThe bookish boy from Maine became an influential college scholar and then a Boston attorney before giving up the bar for the bogs.\n\nUrann purchased cranberry farms in Massachusetts early in the 20th century. He introduced a way to put cranberries in a can in 1912.\n\nCranberries are one of the few fruits native to the northern United States. But they have only a brief autumn harvest from late September to early November and a short shelf life.\n\nFresh cranberries were known only in a few areas of the nation that possess the right combination of sandy soil, long summers days and long winter dormancy.\n\nSEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN ON THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS, INCLUDING FAMILY, FOOD, COUNTRY: ‘TIME TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE’\n\nUrann turned this hyper-local fruit into an international industry — and changed the flavor of gratitude in the United States.\n\n\"Marcus Urann was very influential in expanding the cranberry market,\" Brian Wick, executive director of Massachusetts Cranberries, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"And that influence is still felt today.\"\n\nHis influence is also felt today far from the soil and of the cranberry bog — in the halls of American academia.\n\n‘Let the love of learning rule humanity’\n\nMarcus Libby Urann was born on Oct. 3, 1873, to Marcus M. and Chestina Urann in Sullivan, Maine, a tiny Downeast town on Bar Harbor.\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO FOUNDED THE AMERICAN LEGION, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR., PRIVILEGED TO FIGHT AND TO SERVE\n\nHe described himself as a \"bookworm\" in one letter. He attended the University of Maine, where he became an undergraduate scholar of great renown and great vision.\n\nHe was apparently aware of the gift of his intellect at a young age. He was also raised to believe, or grew to believe by college, that those born with great gifts were also born with great responsibility to the nation.\n\nHe founded a society of elite students at the University of Maine to charge the school's best and brightest with using their intellect for the wider good.\n\nIt's known today as Phi Kappa Phi, a nationwide honor society of the nation's best students.\n\n\"An analysis of the men in my class convinced me that some of our brightest men were in danger of contributing less to society … than their ability justified.\" — Marcus Urann\n\n\"Under the leadership of student Marcus L. Urann, who created the bylaws and constitution for the organization, the group formed the Lambda Sigma Eta Society,\" Phi Kappa Phi states today — recognizing Urann, more than 125 years later, as the father of the program while a student.\n\n\"Upon Urann's graduation, the school's president Abram Harris led the way for promoting the Society.\"\n\nHis society was renamed Phi Kappa Phi in 1900, from the letters of the Greek words forming its motto, Philosophía Krateítõ Phõtôn – \"Let the love of learning rule humanity.\"\n\n‘BEST HOMEMADE’ THANKSGIVING TURKEY GRAVY THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE: TRY THE RECIPE\n\nThe group soon found advocates at Pennsylvania State College (now University) and the University of Tennessee, before spreading nationally and internationally.\n\nPhi Kappa Phi chapters are found at more than 325 campuses in the U.S. and at schools as far away as the Philippines.\n\nIt remains true to Urann's mission to \"engage the community of scholars in service to others.\"\n\n\"An analysis … of the men in my class convinced me that some of our brightest men were in danger of contributing less to society, to the university and to the state, than their ability justified us in expecting,\" Urann wrote of his endeavor in 1924.\n\n\"I wanted the ability of the high-rank man to be made most useful to society; also, I was looking for something which would be an inspiration to all students to work for high rank and I believed that uniting those men who were interested would be helpful.\"\n\nUrann himself became an attorney in Boston after graduation. But in 1906, he decided to give it up to buy cranberry bogs in and around Cape Cod and Plymouth.\n\n'Simple, insignificant-looking plant’\n\nPilgrim Edward Winslow provided our only contemporary account of the first Thanksgiving. He mentions only fowl and deer, and \"our harvest being gotten in.\"\n\nThe harvest certainly included corn, scholars believe.\n\nThe rest of the \"harvest\" upon which they feasted is unknown.\n\n\"But there is no evidence the Pilgrims had cranberries at the first Thanksgiving,\" said Wick of Massachusetts Cranberries, despite the fact they are one of the few fruits native to North America that grow in the northern United States.\n\nIt might have just been overlooked — as authors Cox and Walker suspect.\n\n\"There is no evidence the Pilgrims had cranberries at the first Thanksgiving.\" — Brian Wick\n\nThey cite colonial settler John Josselyn, who wrote in 1672 that the cranberry is nothing but \"a small trailing plant\" and a humble vine \"that grows over Salt Marshes that are overgrown with moss.\"\n\nBenjamin Eastwood, touted by Cox and Walker as one of the cranberry’s \"greatest promoters,\" spoke only in humble terms of his beloved fruit.\n\nHe called the cranberry a \"simple, insignificant-looking plant\" and a \"stunted barren thing.\"\n\nUrann saw the cranberry differently. He saw a global industry crawling along the bogs of Massachusetts.\n\n\"After he set up cooking facilities at a packinghouse in Hanson, Massachusetts, he began to consider ways to extend the short selling season of the berries,\" Smithsonian Magazine reported in a 2013 history of cranberries.\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO INVENTED THE SHOPPING CART, SYLVAN GOLDMAN, OKLAHOMA SUPERMARKET MOGUL\n\n\"Canning them, in particular, he knew would make the berry a year-round product.\"\n\nIn 1912, Urann began processing gelled cranberries in cans — cranberry sauce.\n\n\"As modest as this seems, Urann's maneuver was revolutionary,\" write Cox and Walker. \"For a fruit that had been marketed almost exclusively as a fresh product, it was a radical proposal to cook and to can.\"\n\nMost importantly, cranberries could now be sold to consumers far from where they were grown.\n\nUrann pioneered other innovations in cranberry farming, too, including the process of wet-harvesting cranberries.\n\n\"For a fruit that had been marketed almost exclusively as a fresh product, it was a radical proposal to cook and to can.\"\n\nThe tiny berries were usually plucked from dried vines by migrant workers. But cranberries, each filled with four chambers of air, float easily.\n\nUrann realized the bog could be floated, the berries agitated from their vines, and easily rounded up while floating in the water.\n\nUrann teamed up with fellow leaders of cranberry farming John Makepeace and Elizabeth Lee to create Ocean Spray, still headquartered in Massachusetts to this day.\n\nThe name is synonymous with cranberry juice and cranberry sauce.\n\nOcean Spray is one of the world's most successful farming cooperatives. It's helped spread cranberry farming around the country and around the world — and put cranberry juices and sauces in international markets.\n\nOcean Spray cranberry sauce remains its signature product. The company first sold its cranberry sauce nationally in 1941 — its ridged cranberry gel a familiar site on Thanksgiving tables around the United States.\n\n‘Everything in life is what you do for others'\n\nMarcus L. Libby died on April 1, 1963 in Hanson, Massachusetts, where he rests in a family plot in Fernhill Cemetery.\n\n\"I do believe that anyone can do anything that he really desires to accomplish,\" Urann wrote as a young man 1924, explaining the history of Phi Kappa Phi.\n\nHe lived by that example throughout his life.\n\n\"A recognized giant of the cranberry industry,\" The Boston Globe wrote in his April 4 obituary, dubbing Urann the \"Cranberry King.\"\n\n\"He bought his first cranberry bog on [Cape Cod] in 1906. During the next 30 years, he built his bog holding into a complex throughout southeastern Massachusetts.\"\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO FIRST PLANTED APPLES IN THE COLONIES: WILLIAM BLAXTON, ECCENTRIC SETTLER\n\nThe report of his death added, \"He formed a cooperative which eventually dominated the industry, and organized a canning operation which grew into the industry’s single biggest buyer and distributor.\"\n\nCranberries were available only in the autumn and only fresh when Urann bought his first cranberry bog in 1906.\n\nOcean Spray reports today that fresh cranberries account for only 5% of the fruit's production — a testament to the exponential explosion of the industry inspired by Urann.\n\nThey are sold internationally as sauce in juice, much as Urann first conceived in 1912.\n\nThe United States is easily the world’s largest grower of a fruit essential to the flavor of its national holiday dinner table.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nAmerican farmers grow twice as many cranberries as No. 2 Canada and about 20 times the production of third-place Chile, according to data from the Cranberry Institute in Carver, Massachusetts, next to Plymouth.\n\nThe state of Wisconsin, meanwhile, surpassed Massachusetts decades ago as the nation’s top cranberry grower.\n\nSix out of 10 Americans say that cranberry sauce has and always will be on their Thanksgiving table, while more than one third say they \"can’t live without\" cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, according to Ocean Spray.\n\nCranberry bogs remain a signature of the landscape in the land of the Pilgrims.\n\n\"I felt I could do something for New England. You know, everything in life is what you do for others.\" — Marcus Urann\n\n\"For Massachusetts and for this region, they’re so much a part of our history and our culture,\" said Wick. \"They’ve been part of a fabric of our region from Indigenous people until today.\"\n\nUrann saw what cranberries could be far beyond the land of the Pilgrims.\n\n\"I felt I could do something for New England,\" Urann told the Associated Press in a story that ran around the nation on Thanksgiving in 1959.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"You know, everything in life is what you do for others.\"\n\nTo read more stories in this unique \"Meet the American Who…\" series from Fox News Digital, click here .", + "Cranberries, a recent addition to agriculture, were domesticated around 200 years ago in the U.S.\n\nCranberries are a staple in U.S. households at Thanksgiving – but how did this bog dweller end up on holiday tables?\n\nCompared to many valuable plant species that were domesticated over thousands of years, cultivated cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a young agricultural crop, just as the U.S. is a young country and Thanksgiving is a relatively new holiday. But as a plant scientist, I’ve learned much about cranberries’ ancestry from their botany and genomics.\n\nThe Domestication of Cranberries\n\nHumans have cultivated sorghum for some 5,500 years, corn for around 8,700 years, and cotton for about 5,000 years. In contrast, cranberries were domesticated around 200 years ago – but people were eating the berries before that.\n\nWild cranberries are native to North America. They were an important food source for Native Americans, who used them in puddings, sauces, breads and a high-protein portable food called pemmican – a carnivore’s version of an energy bar, made from a mixture of dried meat and rendered animal fat and sometimes studded with dried fruits. Some tribes still make pemmican today, and even market a commercial version.\n\nCranberry cultivation began in 1816 in Massachusetts, where Revolutionary War veteran Henry Hall found that covering cranberry bogs with sand fertilized the vines and retained water around their roots. From there, the fruit spread throughout the U.S. Northeast and Upper Midwest.\n\nToday, Wisconsin produces roughly 60% of the U.S. cranberry harvest, followed by Massachusetts, Oregon, and New Jersey. Cranberries also are grown in Canada, where they are a major fruit crop.\n\nBotanical Features of Cranberries\n\nCranberries have many interesting botanical features. Like roses, lilies and daffodils, cranberry flowers are hermaphroditic, which means they contain both male and female parts. This allows them to self-pollinate instead of relying on birds, insects or other pollinators.\n\nA cranberry blossom has four petals that peel back when the flower blooms. This exposes the anthers, which contain the plant’s pollen. The flower’s resemblance to the beak of a bird earned the cranberry its original name, the “craneberry.”\n\nWhen cranberries don’t self-pollinate, they rely on bumblebees and honeybees to transport their pollen from flower to flower. They can also be propagated sexually, by planting seeds, or asexually, through rooting vine cuttings. This is important for growers because seed-based propagation allows for higher genetic diversity, which can translate to things like increased disease resistance or more pest tolerance.\n\nAsexual reproduction is equally important, however. This method allows growers to create clones of varieties that perform very well in their bogs and grow even more of those high-performing types.\n\nEvery cranberry contains four air pockets, which is why they float when farmers flood bogs to harvest them. The air pockets also make raw cranberries bounce when they are dropped on a hard surface – a good indicator of whether they are fresh.\n\nThese pockets serve a biological role: They enable the berries to float down rivers and streams to disperse their seeds. Many other plants disperse their seeds via animals and birds that eat their fruits and excrete the seeds as they move around. But as anyone who has tasted them raw knows, cranberries are ultra-tart, so they have limited appeal for wildlife.\n\nGenetic Insights and Breeding\n\nFor cranberries being such a young crop, scientists already know a lot about their genetics. The cranberry is a diploid, which means that each cell contains one set of chromosomes from the maternal parent and one set from the paternal parent. It has 24 chromosomes, and its genome size is less than one-tenth that of the human genome.\n\nInsights like these help scientists better understand where potentially valuable genes might be located in the cranberry genome. And diploid crops tend to have fewer genes associated with a single trait, which makes breeding them to emphasize that trait much simpler.\n\nResearchers have also described the genetics of the cultivated cranberry’s wild relative, which is known as the “small cranberry” (Vaccinium oxycoccos). Comparing the two can help scientists determine where the cultivated cranberry’s agronomically valuable traits reside in its genome, and where some of the small cranberry’s cold hardiness might come from.\n\nResearchers are developing molecular markers – tools to determine where certain genes or sequences of interest reside within a genome – to help determine the best combinations of genes from different varieties of cranberry that can enhance desired traits. For example, a breeder might want to make the fruits larger, more firm or redder in color.\n\nWhile cranberries have only been grown by humans for a short period of time, they have been evolving for much longer. They entered agriculture with a long genetic history, including things like whole genome duplication events and genetic bottlenecks, which collectively change which genes are gained or lost over time in a population.\n\nWhole genome duplication events occur when two species’ genomes collide to form a new, larger genome, encompassing all the traits of the two parental species. Genetic bottlenecks occur when a population is greatly reduced in size, which limits the amount of genetic diversity in that species. These events are extremely common in the plant world and can lead to both gains and losses of different genes.\n\nAnalyzing the cranberry’s genome can indicate when it diverged evolutionarily from some of its relatives, such as the blueberry, lingonberry, and huckleberry. Understanding how modern species evolved can teach plant scientists about how different traits are inherited, and how to effectively breed for them in the future.\n\nCranberries and Thanksgiving\n\nCranberries’ close association with Thanksgiving was simply a practical matter at first. Fresh cranberries are ready to harvest from mid-September through mid-November, so Thanksgiving falls within that perfect window for eating them.\n\nCranberry sauce was first loosely described in accounts from the American colonies in the 1600s and appeared in a cookbook for the first time in 1796. The berries’ tart flavor, which comes from high levels of several types of acids, makes them more than twice as acidic as most other edible fruits, so they add a welcome zing to a meal full of blander foods like turkey and potatoes.\n\nIn recent decades, the cranberry industry has branched out into juices, snacks, and other products in pursuit of year-round markets. But for many people, Thanksgiving is still the time when they’re most likely to see cranberries in some form on the menu.\n\nWritten by Serina DeSalvio, Ph.D. Candidate in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University.\n\nAdapted from an article originally published in The Conversation.", + "England’s hopes of defending their World Cup crown are in tatters – and we’re barely halfway through the 2023 tournament.\n\nSecond-last of ten on the table after a fourth abject loss in barely three weeks, this time by eight wickets and nearly 25 overs to spare against Sri Lanka having been bowled out for a miserable 156 in Bengaluru, the 2019 champions are now only mathematically a chance of scraping through to the semi-finals.\n\nThey need not only to somehow turn their horrendous form around to win all four of their remaining matches, including an upcoming date with table-toppers and tournament favourites India, but also to hope numerous other results, including Australia to lose at least two and probably three of its own four games, to reach the knockout stage.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nAs expected, the reaction from the UK, and from a swathe of English cricket greats, was scathing.\n\nLeading the charge was the always outspoken Sir Geoff Boycott, who wrote in The Telegraph that the team were paying the price for poor preparation in the lead-up to the World Cup, as well as shoddy team selection extending back to The Ashes earlier this year.\n\n“It is an old saying: “By failing to prepare, you prepare to fail”,” Boycott wrote.\n\n“History shows that England rarely bat well in India where the ball spins. Our guys are okay on flat pitches but if it turns they have a problem.\n\n“So the best way to try and overcome that would have been for our squad of players to get to India early and play four or five warm-up matches. What did England do?\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPlan only two warm-up games with one getting rained off. Not smart planning… batting and bowling against stiff opponents sharpens your game and puts you on your mettle. Against Sri Lanka, they were once again exposed.\n\n“Too many of our guys just want to play crash, bang wallop all the time irrespective of the type of pitch or opposition. Again not smart.”\n\nThe brunt of Boycott’s criticism of England’s team composition was directed at the continued struggles of Jonny Bairstow, who has averaged just 25.2 this tournament, and all-rounder Chris Woakes, whose nightmare campaign continued against Sri Lanka with figures of 0/30 from six overs and a fourth-ball duck.\n\n“Bairstow has struggled since his horrific injury [breaking his leg 12 months ago],” Boycott wrote.\n\n“I have said before I believe Jonny came back too soon and was short of fitness and match practice. In the recent five Ashes Tests his keeping at Lord’s was poor with missed chances and he made only three significant batting scores out of nine innings. That shortage of runs has carried over to his patchy one day performances.\n\n“Chris Woakes is an excellent bowler of swing and seam on English type pitches. His record abroad is poor as he does not have the pace or guile for flat batting surfaces. It is not the lad’s fault. He was selected but how could people picking the squad go against all the statistics.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHowever, Boycott isn’t blaming captain Jos Buttler for the team’s woes, saying the skipper has an impossible job pulling together a ‘dysfunctional squad of players’ and that not even a ‘miracle man’ would have much of a prayer of salvaging any pride from the wreckage in India.\n\n“Too many people are criticising the captaincy of Buttler and judging him against the captaincy of Eoin Morgan when England won the World Cup four years ago,” he wrote.\n\n“Morgan’s England team was a finely tuned machine with everyone knowing their role and most of them at the top of their form… all Morgan had to do was pull the strings of a great unit of cricketers and he did it well, but my Mum could have captained that lot.\n\n“On the other hand Jos has a dysfunctional squad of players. Poorly selected, poorly prepared, not a settled team, many not sure of their roles, patchy form, confidence wobbly and to cap it all England’s best two and most influential white-ball players have not been available.”\n\nBoycott’s voice was added to by former England Test captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, who have both decried the sudden decline of the team’s previously dominant white-ball set-up, having entered the World Cup as reigning ODI and T20I champions.\n\nHussain said post-match on Sky Sports that “back to back, I’ve not seen England play as badly as that”, adding that the team’s issues are less to do with the frequently-criticised The Hundred or a lack of 50-over cricket in the build-up to the tournament as it is the sudden and collective loss of form of the English batting order.\n\n“If you walk in that dressing room now and asked them to put their hand on their heart and say, are you in good nick? I reckon maybe one or two could say that,” Hussain said, later doubling down with a scathing editorial in the Daily Mail.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“They have all collapsed as a unit and their form has deserted them. Compare that to South Africa and their batting lineup, everyone’s in nick. You look at India and their batting lineup, Rohit [Sharma], KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill – all in nick.\n\n“Some of those cricketers on that park today would go in your best ever England white ball XI. It’s just been a bridge too far for most of them.\n\n“What I don’t like is giving players a cop out… when we win the 50-over World Cup and the 20-over World Cup, aren’t they great? We’re brilliant. And when the wheels come of it’s the structure. It’s the structure of English cricket, we’re a disgrace.\n\n“We play 20-over cricket, we play 100-ball cricket, we don’t play enough 50-over cricket – how much 50-over cricket domestically has Virat Kohli played? Or Heinrich Klaasen or anyone out here?\n\n“That’s what’s made this great side over the last six years, travelling round the world playing T20 franchises. It’s such a lame excuse.”\n\nAtherton described the England players as looking ‘dazed and shell-shocked, unable to comprehend what has befallen them’, and wrote in The Times that the Sri Lankan defeat officially represented the ‘end of an era’ for English white-ball supremacy.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Each defeat, now four in five matches, has chipped away at the confidence of a group of players at the end of a cycle,” Atherton wrote.\n\n“No batsman looks in any kind of form. Every player has been used; some discarded and used again. They lost faith in their all-rounder strategy before the South Africa match, making three changes, and then went back to it here, making three more.\n\n“Players sense uncertainty in decision-making – and there has been a lot of uncertainty.\n\n“It was hard to think that they could put in a worse performance than in Mumbai but they managed it with the bat in Bengaluru.”\n\nSpeaking after the match, Buttler admitted his team had been ‘short of our best by a very long way’, saying there is ‘no clear answer’ as to how to turn their fortunes around.\n\n“It’s incredibly tough, an incredibly disappointing tournament. As captain, you feel that a lot,” he said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We’ve been short of our best by a very long way. I’m disappointed for myself and the boys that we’ve not given a good account of ourselves… if there was one golden nugget that we’re not doing then we’d pick that up.”\n\nSports opinion delivered daily\n\nEngland’s tournament may only stay mathematically alive until Sunday evening (AEST), when they face the daunting challenge of tournament hosts India in Lucknow, with defeat certain to end their semi-final chances for good.", + "ICC World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma-led India are playing Netherlands in their ninth ICC World Cup 2023 round-robin match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (November 12, 2023). India have already booked a place in semi-finals, thrashing Sri Lanka by 302 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2, 2023. India will face New Zealand in the ongoing World Cup semi-final match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday (November 15). This is the seventh time India have entered into the last-four stage of the 50-over World Cup.\n\nAlso Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Prize Money: How much finalists, semi-finalists, and other teams will win at ODI World Cup\n\nIndia first entered semifinals of the World Cup at the 1983 Prudential Cup in England, where they emerged as the tournament winners.\n\nThey moved into the last-four stage on the next two occasions when the World Cup was held in India, in 1987 and 1996.\n\nIndia were in semi-finals in 2003 in South Africa.\n\nEight years later, they were again in last four at the 2011 World Cup as hosts, and repeated their feat in 2015, 2019, and 2023.\n\nIt means that in their last six World Cups, India have been in the semi-finals on five occasions.\n\nAlso Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final schedule: India to play New Zealand in Mumbai; South Africa to face Australia in Kolkata; know venue, squads\n\nIn this write-up, ZeeBiz will take you through the memory lane of India's semifinal journey in the biggest cricket extravaganza in the world.\n\nAlso Read: IND vs NZ FREE Live Streaming: When and How to watch India vs New Zealand Cricket World Cup 2023 Semi-Final Match Live on Web, TV, mobile apps online\n\nAlso Read: AUS vs SA FREE Live Streaming: When and How to watch Australia vs South Africa Cricket World Cup 2023 Semi-Final Match Live on Web, TV, mobile apps online\n\n1983 Prudential Cup, against England\n\nHaving lost in the first round of the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, India were underdogs in the third World Cup, which was being held in England for the third consecutive time.\n\nHowever, in the World Cup, India wronged many of their critics, reaching semi-finals and playing against mighty hosts England in Manchester on June 22.\n\nSkipper Kapil Dev struck three wickets while Roger Binny and Man-of-the-Match Mohinder Amarnath took two each as India restricted England to 213 all out in 60 overs.\n\nIn reply, Mohinder Amarnath played a useful innings of 46, while Yashpal Sharma scored a fine 61.\n\nSandeep Patil played a fiery innings of 51 not out in just 32 balls as India stormed into semifinals for the first time, beating England by six wickets with 5.2 overs to spare.\n\nAlso Read: ICC World Cup 2023: List of centuries; Most tons in World Cup so far\n\n1987 Reliance Cup, against England\n\nFour years later, the World Cup was being played outside England for the first time, and it was India which was hosting it.\n\nIn a co-incidence, India was against England in the semi-finals once again, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on November 5.\n\nThis time, England's Man-of-the-Match skipper Graham Gooch smashed 115 runs in 136 balls to lay a solid foundation for his team's fighting total of 254 for 6 wickets.\n\nIndia, one of the favourites to win the World Cup, were very much on the path to victory till Mohammad Azharuddin, who top-scored with 64 runs was at the crease.\n\nBut with the fall of his wicket, the Indian lower order collapsed like a house of placards as India lost the match by 35 runs.\n\n1996 Wills World Cup, against Sri Lanka\n\nThe 1996 Cricket World Cup is known for Sri Lanka's emergence as a cricketing power on the horizon of world cricket and the beginning of Sachin Tendulkar's extraordinary dominance in batting history.\n\nPlaying in the first semi-final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 13, India were favourites again, and they raised their hopes when they managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 251 for 8 in 50 overs despite Man-of-the-Match Aravinda de Silva's 66 and Roshan Mahanama's 58.\n\nIndia seamer Javagal Srinath took three top-order wickets, including Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana.\n\nFans at the Eden Garden were cheering loudly till Tendulkar was at the crease.\n\nBut once he fell for 65 with the team at 98, India suffered one of the worst collapses in the batting history of the World Cups.\n\nThe crowd turned angry and hostile towards Sri Lanka, creating a ruckus at the stadium, and the match was interrupted.\n\nWith no respite from onlookers' side, umpires decided to call off the match when India were reeling at 120 for eight in 34.1 overs.\n\nThe long-lasting memories of the crowd's bad behaviour and a weeping Vinod Kambli returning to the pavilion are still fresh in the memories of the cricket fans of that generation.\n\n\n\n2003 World Cup, against Kenya\n\nIndia were playing underdogs Kenya in the last-four stage match in Durban on March 20.\n\nWith Man-of-the-Match India skipper Sourav Ganguly scoring an unbeaten 111 runs in 114 balls and Man-of-the-Tournament Tendulkar scoring an 111-ball 83, India comfortably scored 270 for four wickets in 50 overs.\n\nIn reply, Kenya were no match for Indian dominance, and barring their skipper Steve Tikolo, who top-scored with 56 runs, no Kenyan batsman could score more than 29 runs.\n\nWith Zaheer Khan taking 3 wickets in 9.2 overs for just 14 runs, India could easily beat Kenya by 91 runs.\n\nThough India breezed into semi-finals easily, the tournament is also remembered for Kenya's best run in the World Cup as the team from a country with limited cricket facilities and no proper grassroots structure could reach as far as semi-finals.\n\n\n\n2011 World Cup, against Pakistan\n\nFans from India and Pakistan wouldn't have expected a better occasion than a World Cup for the meeting of two teams.\n\nThe World Cup returned to India after 1996, and India and Pakistan were facing each other in the second semi-final at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on March 30.\n\nMan-of-the-Match Tendulkar rose to the occasion, scoring 85 runs for India.\n\nVirender Sehwag scored 38 while Suresh Raina remained unbeaten on 36 as India scored 260 for 9 in 50 overs.\n\nPakistan seamer Wahab Riaz took 5 for 46 in 10 overs. In reply, Pakistan batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq (56 runs) and Mohammad Hafeez (43 runs) showed some resistance from Pakistan, but in lack of a big innings lower down the order hit Pakistan's prospects badly as they were all out for 231 runs in 49.5 overs.\n\nIndia moved to finals and beat Sri Lanka to win their second World Cup title.\n\n\n\n2015 World Cup, against Australia\n\nIndia were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26. Australia outplayed India in almost all departments of the game.\n\nAustralian Man-of-the-Match Steve Smith (105 runs in 93 balls) and Aaron Finch (81 runs in 116 balls) were the guiding forces in taking Australia to 328 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs.\n\nIn reply, India needed a few big innings, but apart from skipper MS Dhoni (65 runs in 65 balls), Shikhar Dhawan (45 runs in 34 balls), and Ajinkya Rahane (44 runs in 68 balls), the batting order collapsed miserably as India lost the match by 95 runs.\n\n\n\n2019 World Cup, against New Zealand\n\nThe cricket World Cup returned to England for the fifth time.\n\nIndia were playing their sixth semi-finals at a place where they played their first World Cup semi-final in 1983, Manchester. However, with a different team- New Zealand.\n\nIndian bowlers raised hopes when they restricted New Zealand to 239 for 8 in 50 overs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking three wickets.\n\nRoss Taylor 74 runs (90 balls) and skipper Kane Willamson 67 runs (95 balls) were the top scorers for New Zealand. But Kiwi Man-of-the-Match bowler Matt Henry sent openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma back to the pavilion soon, followed by the dismissal of Dinesh Karthik in the 10th over of India's innings.\n\nWith the Indian top-order failing, Ravindra Jadeja (77 runs in 59 balls) and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni (50 runs in 72 balls) tried to steady the Indian ship.\n\nBut once they fell, it was all over for India as they lost the battle by 18 runs.\n\n2023 World Cup, against New Zealand\n\nTo be played", + "Hamas' surprise attack on Israel has shocked many who are now questioning the country's famed intelligence agency Mossad, which is known for its intelligence-gathering capability. For some, the belief that Mossad was among the best in the spying world was shattered today when Hamas carried out the biggest coordinated attack in Israel and captured some territory in southern Israel. It is not the attack that has surprised people but the scale at which Hamas operated and got control of some military bases and soldiers.\n\nAlso Read: Israel at war: Hamas cells, military compounds destroyed, US backs Tel Aviv; all you need to know\n\nYounis Tirawi, who reports on Palestinian Affairs, said that Hamas militants had taken over Sderot police HQ and armored vehicles in the town. An analyst wrote that some of the images coming out of Sderot over the last few hours were reaching degrees of horror \"that I don't really think I can use words to properly describe. Truly disturbing acts of terror directed at civilians\".\n\nSome of the images coming out of Sderot over the last few hours are reaching degrees of horror that I dont really think I can use words to properly describe. Truly disturbing acts of terror directed at civilians. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 7, 2023\n\nCommenting on the coordinated attack, Rania Khalek, a journalist, said that the strategic planning that must have gone into this against \"one of the most high-tech occupation and surveillance systems in the world\" will be studied by many. \"The Israelis must be totally losing it right now.\"\n\nthe strategic planning that must have gone into this against one of the most high tech occupation and surveillance systems in the world will be studied by many, the Israelis must be totally losing it right now https://t.co/oUX2rokEjh — Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) October 7, 2023\n\nTarik Cyril Amar said: \"And the intel, and the special forces training... both areas where Israel mythology will be very upset indeed.\"\n\nAnd the intel, and the special forces training... both areas where Israel mythology will be very upset indeed. — Tarik Cyril Amar (@TarikCyrilAmar) October 7, 2023\n\nMjoachim, another user, said that Israel's defence forces have lost their fame. He said the IDF lost an army base, a general was captured right out of his house. \"Invincible \"Merkava MK4 MBT's captured, and destroyed...what is wrong with the Israeli security and defence forces? And (what) MOSSAD did?\"\n\nDr Jaswant Gandhi, a professor of management, said that attack on Israel was a \"great Mossad failure\". He said India had to learn a lot and keep all intelligence agencies duly greased and internecine conflict-proof. \"Israel_under_attack Great #Mossad failure. GoI has to learn a lot and keep all Intelligence Agencies duly greased and internecine conflict-proof. BHARAT is not immune to #terrorism and internal enemies,\" he wrote on X.\n\n#Israel_under_attack Great #Mossad failure. GoI has to learn a lot and keep all Intelligence Agencies duly greased and internecine conflict proof. BHARAT is not immune to #terrorism and internal enemies @HMOIndia @PMOIndia @AmitShah — Dr. Jaswant Gandhi 🇮🇳 (@JaswantDr) October 7, 2023\n\nHowever, some speculated that Mossad knew what was going to happen but let Hamas make a mistake so that Israel could launch a ferocious attack on it. \"Mossad was not so ignorant that it did not know about this #attack. Israel wanted to invade Palestine, but they had no excuse, stupid #Hamas gave them the reason. Hamas is an excuse, new lands are wonderful,\" a user said.\n\n#Mossad was not so ignorant that it did not know about this #attack. Israel wanted to invade Palestine, they had no excuse, stupid #Hamas gave them the reason. Hamas is an excuse, new lands are wonderful\n\n\n\nI definitely support Israel pic.twitter.com/AbLdeazQjR October 7, 2023\n\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that since this morning, Israel had been at war and its first objective was to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated its territory. \"The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well,\" he said, adding that the third objective was to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war. \"We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal – victory in the war,\" Netanyahu said.\n\nSince this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked.\n\n\n\nThe second objective, at the same time, is to exact an… pic.twitter.com/MzKs7tfv4M — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 7, 2023\n\nReacting to this, however, a user said that knowing the proficiency of the Mossad he found the idea of a \"surprise attack\" to be a willing lie.\n\nWell, you got the war you wanted Beni...at what cost of Israeli lives you don't care. Knowing the proficiency of the Mossad I find the idea of a \"surprise attack\"to be a willing lie on your side of this. https://t.co/35qRvgBJt2 — timm (@timmainsson) October 7, 2023\n\nBen Muasya, a journalist, said that Mossad is overrated. \"How come they never knew Hamas militants planned a sudden attack on Israel? Or was it a trap to get a reason to retaliate heavily? We wait to see how it goes but it will be messy.\"\n\nMossad is overated how comes they never knew this Hamas militants and had planned a sudden attack on Israel? Or was it a trap to get a reason to retaliate heavily?We wait to see how it goes but it will be messy. pic.twitter.com/W5vpoylus2 — Ben Muasya. (@muasya_ben) October 7, 2023\n\nAnother user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support. \"Who gave Hamas Intelligence? It was as if the entire Israeli army and the Mossad were asleep.\"", + "International aid groups are warning that they cannot deliver food and other basic services to people in the Gaza Strip and that a “dire” humanitarian crisis is set to worsen.\n\nInternational aid groups provide food and other means of support to about 63% of people in Gaza.\n\nIsrael stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.\n\nOn Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.\n\nI am a scholar of peace and conflict economics and a former World Bank consultant, including during the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.\n\nInternational aid groups now face the same problem in Gaza that local businesses and residents have encountered for about 16 years: a blockade that prevents civilians and items, like medicine from easily moving into or out of the enclosed area, roughly 25 miles long. That 16-year blockade did not apply to the food and fuel that groups brought in to Gaza.\n\nNow, it does.\n\nGaza’s blockade and economy\n\nGaza is about the size of Philadelphia and requires trade with different businesses and countries in order to maintain and grow its economy.\n\nBut Gaza is heavily dependent on foreign aid.\n\nThis is partially the result of Israel setting up permanent air, land and sea blockades around Gaza in 2007, one year after Hamas rose to political power. Egypt, which borders Gaza on its southern end, also oversees one checkpoint that specifically limits people coming and going.\n\nWhile Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel.\n\nIsrael controls two physical checkpoints along Gaza, which monitor both the entry and exit of people and trucks. Israel limits the kind and quantity of materials that pass into Gaza. And the blockades generally prohibit Gazans who do not have work permits or special clearance – for medical purposes, for example – from entering Israel.\n\nIsrael’s restrictions through the blockade intensified since Hamas’ surprise attack on 20 Israeli towns and several military bases on Oct. 7, with Israel then announcing a broad blockade of imports into Gaza. This stopped all food, fuel and medical supplies from entering the region.\n\nGaza’s isolation\n\nThe Palestinian enclaves of West Bank and Gaza – which are generally lumped together in economic analyses – both have small economies that run a massive deficit of US$6.6 billion in losses each year, as the value of the imports they receive greatly outweighs the value of the items they produce and sell elsewhere.\n\nMore than 53% of Gaza residents were considered below the poverty line in 2020, and about 77% of Gazan households receive some form of aid from the United Nations and other groups, mostly in the form of cash or food.\n\nGaza’s weak economy is caused by a number of complex factors, but the largest is the blockade and the economic and trade isolation it creates.\n\nFor the average Gazan, the blockade has several practical effects, including people’s ability to get food. About 64% of people in Gaza are considered food insecure, meaning they do not have reliable access to sufficient amounts of food.\n\nFood as a percentage of Gaza’s total imports has skyrocketed by 50% since 2005, when Israel first imposed a temporary blockade. And the amount of food the West Bank and Gaza actually produce has tumbled by 30% since then.\n\nIt is hard for Gaza to produce food within its own borders. One factor is that Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza’s only power generation plant and main sewage treatment plant in 2008 and again in 2018. These attacks resulted in the spread of sewage waste on land and in the water, destroying farmlands and food crops and threatening fish stocks in the ocean as well.\n\nThe UN’s big role in Gaza\n\nGaza’s weak economy and isolation because of the blockade mean that it relies heavily on international aid organizations to provide basic services to residents. The biggest of these aid groups in Gaza is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – also known as UNRWA.\n\nToday, UNRWA is the second-largest employer in Gaza, following Hamas. It provides the bulk of the education, food aid and health care services for people in Gaza, in addition to 3 million other people registered as Palestinian refugees who live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and other places.\n\nOver time, UNRWA has evolved into a kind of parallel government, alongside Hamas, which Israel, the United States and other countries designate as a terrorist organization.\n\nUNRWA funds and runs a network of 284 schools in Gaza alone, employing over 9,000 local people as staff and educating over 294,000 children each year.\n\nUNRWA runs 22 hospitals in Gaza that employ almost 1,000 health staff and has 3.3 million patient visits per year.\n\nIts schools are converted into humanitarian shelters in times of crisis, such as the current war. People can go there to get clean water, food, mattresses and blankets, showers and more.\n\nThe number of people in Gaza who are displaced from their homes has quickly risen over the last few days, totaling over 330,000 on Oct. 12, 2023. Over two-thirds of these people are staying in UNRWA schools.\n\nA complicated US relationship\n\nThe U.S. has historically been the single-largest funder of UNRWA, a U.N. agency that relies on governments to support its work. The U.S. gave more than $500 million to Palestinians from April 2021 through March 2022, including more than $417 million that went to UNRWA.\n\nU.S. support to UNRWA has fluctuated throughout different presidential administrations.\n\nTotal U.S. aid to the West Bank and Gaza peaked at $1 billion in 2009 – after Israel sealed off the territory. It reached $1 billion in annual contributions again in 2013, when former Secretary of State John Kerry helped restart peace talks between Israel and Hamas.\n\nIn 2018, the Trump Administration cut almost all of the money the U.S. typically gives to UNRWA, amounting to roughly 30% of the organization’s total budget.\n\nDefenders of the policy change cited UNRWA-published textbooks that allegedly glorified jihad. UNRWA, for its part, maintained that, as an outside organization, it can only use the educational materials the country it is working in wants.\n\nThe Biden administration then restored funding to UNRWA and other organizations helping Palestinians in 2021.\n\nSome Republican politicians have said that UNRWA has “cozied up” to Hamas. And an internal UNRWA ethics committee has accused top staff at the agency of “sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation … and other abuses of authority” that created a toxic work environment.\n\nMeanwhile, since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 8, more than 1,500 Gazans have been killed and more than 5,300 injured, while Hamas attacks have killed more than 1,300 people in Israel and injured about 3,200 others.\n\nInternational aid groups and European Union officials have called for a humanitarian corridor to be set up in Gaza – meaning a protected path specifically for civilians, aid workers and necessary basic items to pass through safely back and forth from Gaza to Israel and Egypt. So far, there are no clear plans for such a protected pathway.\n\nTopher L. McDougal is Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding, University of San Diego.\n\nThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.", + "Animated illustration of a pixelated silhouette of a figure inside of a smart phone. Harassing notifications pop up all around the phone and the figure breaths very slowly.\n\nAnimated illustration of a pixelated silhouette of a figure inside of a smart phone. Harassing notifications pop up all around the phone and the figure breaths very slowly.\n\nikeLike many instructors, Janani Umamaheswar occasionally checks Rate My Professors to monitor her course reviews. The site offers a loose barometer of how you are doing as a teacher, especially early in a career in academia. Since users post anonymously, including criticisms and rants, the site can also become a fount of anxiety. When negative reviews do appear, any professor might speculate: How often are people checking my page? Could this reflect poorly on my future employment? And in particular, who posted the criticism? They might run down the mental list of students who received low grades or did not get a requested extension or rarely spoke in class. They might wonder if a user is even a former student or if they ever took their class at all. After all, the anonymous nature of Rate My Professors means there is no surefire way to verify or screen people who write reviews. Until 2019, most comments under Umamaheswar’s profile on the site had been positive. Or at least constructive. She had been on a tenure track for four years at her previous university. But that winter, Umamaheswar, then an assistant professor in sociology at Southern Connecticut State University, began noticing strange remarks: “Textbook only discusses crimes of the poor. I get discriminated against all semester. I felt like I was in Germany in the 1930s with my grandparents,” read one, with a class rating of “awful” and a score of one out of five. More comments followed into early 2020: “This is the worst professor I’ve ever had.” Some reviews on her profile seemed particularly off-kilter: One claimed that Umamaheswar had been dishonest about going to school in Canada. (She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Toronto.) Another alleged that Umamaheswar had a “tyrannical authoritarian ideology” and accused her of “discrimination against students with prior substance abuse histories.” (She had no idea what this referred to, and as a woman of color, she made intentional efforts to make her classrooms feel safe and inclusive.) Umamaheswar showed the posts to her husband, Alex Sinha, who at the time was a law professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where they both lived. He suggested she contact Rate My Professors to remove them. They assumed the company complied. But a short time later, comments in the same tone resurfaced under a new class code. Umamaheswar reached out to Rate My Professors again. Weeks passed. More posts emerged. An earlier one read: “Emailed me a bribe offering a grade boost if I did her a favor of attending a meeting she was hosting. I did not respond because accepting a bribe is illegal.” Umamaheswar and Sinha could not figure out who might be posting them. Umamaheswar had obviously never bribed any students. Someone was inventing specific defamatory accusations about her behavior. But who? One day, Umamaheswar opened a report from her web hosting company, which logged the IP addresses that had visited her professional website. It was a lightly trafficked portfolio with her CV and academic papers. Visitors might stop by once and maybe return weeks later. But one local address began showing up, repeatedly, at all hours of the day, into the night, again the next morning. Sometimes, the same IP showed up in over two dozen hits an hour. She and her husband wondered: could it be the same user from Rate My Professors? Sinha then checked his personal website and grew even more alarmed. The same IP address had also been visiting his pages frequently, lingering on his résumé and published writing. Then, in December, police from Southern Connecticut State University contacted Umamaheswar’s department. The chair called Umamaheswar to inform her that a student had filed a police report against her and two other professors on campus. The report noted that she contacted police “regarding a possible hacking of her personal laptop computer which she stated was perpetrated by three faculty members of the Sociology Department,” including Umamaheswar. The student had taken classes with each of the three professors and also accused them “of using students in the class to follow her around and look at her papers which has made her extremely uncomfortable and feel unsafe.” The police report also referred to the student by name. Here, we’ll just refer to her as S. Umamaheswar remembered S., the mild and unobtrusive student, a young white woman, from one of her classes. When a police investigator contacted Umamaheswar, she told them about the mysterious Rate My Professors posts. It turned out S. had also emailed accusations about Umamaheswar to Southern Connecticut State school officials. As far as she knew, the complaint had gone up to the president of the school and to the Title IX office, which handles discrimination and harassment complaints, including sexual harassment and misconduct. In one message to administration on February 9th, 2020, S. wrote: “I genuinely believe Dr. Umamaheswar is a danger to other students as she was to me.” The letter continued: “She is a pathological liar and capable of twisting words to get what she wants.” The accusations, like the Rate My Professors posts, were baseless. But they blindsided Umamaheswar anyway. As the news sunk in, Umamaheswar and Sinha learned that the other two accused professors from Southern Connecticut had separately filed police reports against S. for harassment. Umamaheswar decided against doing so herself. She was, after all, a professor who studied the law, social inequality, and incarceration. To her, this was probably someone struggling with mental health issues, and Umamaheswar knew how the legal system might treat her. Instead of seeking punishment, she just hoped the situation would just go away. Southern Connecticut State administrators from four separate university offices investigated the allegations and harassment claims involving all of the professors, as did the police department. After two trying months, they dismissed S.’s claims about Umamaheswar, deeming them “factually incorrect, disparaging” and “legally actionable.” A relief. School administrators sent S. a cease and desist letter and banned her from the university. “Should you decide to violate either of these directives, you will subject yourself to arrest and prosecution,” the assistant dean of students wrote in a letter to S. on February 9th, 2020. Shortly after, law enforcement arrested S. for harassment. She was later released, awaiting a court date. At first, law enforcement seemed concerned about S.’s behavior. Police issued alerts about S. and offered to relocate professors to an area of the school that had more security and locked doors. At one point, officers offered to install a panic button inside of Umamaheswar’s office. This did little to soothe Sinha’s worries about his wife and their children’s safety. As police seemed to take the situation more seriously, it made him even more cautious. He installed a security camera at home. A month later, the pandemic shut down college campuses, and classes shifted online. S. seemed to quiet, too. A year passed. Umamaheswar accepted a job as an assistant professor at George Mason University, and the family moved to Virginia. Sinha would continue to teach remotely, later commuting to teach at Hofstra University on Long Island. For the next year, they did not hear of any other letters or harassing emails from S. As far as they knew, they were moving past it all. One afternoon in March of 2022, the couple was at home in Virginia when Umamaheswar received a text from a former colleague who was now teaching sociology at Vassar College. The professor had noticed a strange, hidden comment on her Twitter account. When she clicked through, she saw a name she’d heard about before — when her colleagues at Southern Connecticut State were being harassed two years earlier. S. was back.\n\nLoading . . .\n\ntudentsStudents are historically the most vulnerable populations at risk of being stalked on college campuses. In one study across eight universities in the southwest, 17 percent of students reported being stalked since enrolling in college, with women, transgender or gender-nonconforming and sexual minority students more likely to be victims. The students reported being targeted by strangers, acquaintances, friends, former partners, other classmates, and non-students. A college campus can be a first grasp of adulthood for many, the place where they learn who they are in the world or experiment with relationships, romance, and drugs or alcohol. It can also be a place with clear power imbalances. Many college protective measures have arisen in response to inappropriate relationships between students and teachers. In some cases, professors have become harassers. There are extreme examples. In her 2019 memoir, Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention, Donna Freitas detailed her two-year ordeal of being stalked by her professor, who showed up unsolicited to her apartment and wrote her a stream of letters and emails. And at the University of Central Florida, a professor was arrested after sending a student over 800 messages a day, including one that read: “You should be happy that someone likes you this much to stalk you.” But today, a cadre of academics is now aiming to strengthen the much smaller body of research that exists around faculty who experience stalking and abuse. Victoria O’Meara, a post-doctoral research fellow at Royal Roads University, has been interviewing scholars in the US and Canada for a study on online abuse of faculty. She told me there has been “an increasingly organized attack on academia,” and scholars have told her their universities remain ill-equipped to respond to it or support faculty, let alone to protect them. Concerns about professors being stalked or harmed on campuses are evolving and becoming more amorphous with online threats, but they are not new: In 2002, three nursing professors at the University of Arizona were killed by a student who had harassed and stalked them for a year. Four years later, a student at Loyola University spent a year making harassing phone calls to a professor before attempting to burn down his house. A University of Southern California psychology professor was stabbed to death on campus in 2016 by a student, despite warnings to police and university administrators of threats made by the same person over a year prior. And in 2022, at the University of Arizona, an expelled student shot a professor, killing him. In the months before the murder, various faculty members had reported a history of threats, harassment, and abuse by the student to the university and police. Over the last two decades, US colleges and universities have emphasized policies to protect students. But some within academia are now calling on institutions to do more to defend professors and other staff, who are also commonly targeted. Today’s academics have become public figures online and in the media in a climate of rising political polarization, racism and misogyny, and attacks on intellectualism. In the digital age, many threats to faculty and staff do not just come from those affiliated with campuses. They can come from individuals anywhere around the world, making harassers harder to track down or punish. Scholars now appear regularly in the press, maintain their own personal webpages, post regularly on social media, and are encouraged to write for broader audiences — these are now the expectations of a job once largely confined to their campus and field. The Professor Watchlist, launched in 2016, has grown to include the names of more than nearly 1,000 scholars to its original roster of 200 and includes Angela Davis, Ibram X. Kendi, and Noam Chomsky. The site regularly posts photos and information about those deemed as radical professors “advancing leftists propaganda in the classroom.” In recent years, as attacks on critical race theory, Black history, and books or courses addressing gender identity have exploded across the country, many educators are feeling even more under scrutiny and at risk for extremist threats. Even for less famous academics, like Umamaheswar and Sinha, the very substance of their work already made them potential targets in this political climate. Umamaheswar’s publications included research into “policing and racial (in)justice in the media.” Sinha’s publications included titles on “racial discrimination in the United States.” The two of them had co-authored a paper together on wrongful imprisonment. Both come from South Asian backgrounds, and it was not lost on either of them that S. is white. Based on their own knowledge of the criminal justice system, it would not have been implausible for law enforcement to not take her behavior to be a serious threat in the first place. A 2009 study on student stalking of faculty in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning found that questions of whether professors are at risk of being stalked by their students had received little attention. Yet the 52 faculty members interviewed for the study reported 87 concerning incidents, ranging from repeated unwanted messages, following them around, obsessively watching them, sexually coercive behavior toward the faculty member, endangerment, threats, and attempts to harm or even kill them. Some academics interviewed for the study made comments like: a “student would have to injure me to be taken off campus… someone has to get hurt before something is done.” Another added: “There is a tendency to immediately take the student’s side over the professor…[the] professor has no rights in this process.” Other faculty members failed to report the incidents at all, and some described feelings of embarrassment, helplessness, and a personal responsibility for the student’s behavior. “Made me question what I was doing to promote this,” one faculty member told researchers. “What would make them think they could do this to me?”\n\nThe account had started posting in October of 2021. Seven months of tweets.\n\ninhaSinha had never met or taught S. He had never been employed on the same campus as his wife. Now, they resided over six hours away from S. As much as she was a harasser, she was also a stranger. Sinha wondered if he needed to look more closely into the Twitter account to better understand her. The couple discussed the tweet on their drive to a park where they often took walks. From the passenger seat, Umamaheswar looked up the Twitter account in question. She gasped. It took a moment to process: thousands of tweets had been posted under the S.’s name. Most were racist, sexual, vulgar, and violent. Little of the ranting made sense. The user tweeted at all hours, sometimes nearly a hundred times a day. And the tweets seemed to focus solely on three people: Umamaheswar, Sinha, and the former colleague who alerted them to the account, the Vassar professor Catherine Tan. Tan, like Sinha, had never taught or met S. and did not know her personally. But Tan had published papers with Umamaheswar. The user behind this account had linked Tan back to her, likely through this academic work and their benign social media interactions. Anyone Umamaheswar collaborated with professionally or even interacted with online had become a potential target. The Twitter account with S.’s name featured an image of a white woman’s face, which was recognizable to Umamaheswar as the same person she once taught. The tweets frequently denigrated Umamaheswar, Sinha, and Tan for being Asian: “Fat Indian bitch,” read one tweet, referencing Umamaheswar by her first name in another tweet that day. “Squinty eyed retard with a cucktonut husband,” read another, referencing Sinha. “I like that alex is probably abusive to her,” read one tweet. “And all she has is Catherine to call her awesome. Live in hell bitch.” Another read: “I have super detailed deaths I like to think about them experiencing.” When Umamaheswar and Sinha returned home from the park that day, Sinha told himself he needed to monitor this account closely. Screenshot everything. Head off any potential threats of danger. Umamaheswar did not want to keep looking at the comments. But logging on at home, Sinha studied them. He had to take a moment to collect himself. The graphic nature and racist sentiments sent a wave of fear and anger through Sinha’s body. In the last year, a white man had murdered six Asian women in three Atlanta area spas, and anti-Asian hate crimes had increased by over 300 percent. “There was this moment of ‘wow, this has been happening all this time?’” Sinha said. “We moved to another state. We’ve been living our lives. We’ve been raising our kids.” Yet all the while, in the background, this person had been obsessing about them daily, writing hateful lies and threats. The account had started posting in October of 2021. Seven months of tweets. Sinha went to work capturing the images as Umamaheswar began writing letters to her current administration, as well as to Vassar on behalf of Tan, alerting them to her history with S. As Sinha began cataloging the online comments, he felt compelled to read every single one. And the tweets just kept coming. Almost every week, except for the periods when S. was suspended by Twitter before restarting under a new account. At least 40,000 tweets and counting, Sinha said. Some referred to him as a “dirty Indian hacker.” And: “Probably called a dirty terrorist as a kid and lived up to it.” One tweet from April 16th, 2022, read: “Yo someone literally has to get rid of this faggot alex. Who the fuck cares if he’s got a brothel of Asian women ready to suck his dick.” A month later, a post with an image of grisly murder in Game of Thrones and the words: “A crown for a king. Don’t we all just want to say goodbye to Alex.” And: “I would like for these professors to die.” A dark realization came over Sinha: “She calls for people to murder us. She says that she wants me raped,” Sinha told me. “She would pay money to watch us bleed to death.” The tweets continued: “I wanna be put in a situation where they’re hanging off the side of a cliff about to fall to their deaths begging for mercy and I can step on their hands and say me first and then watch them fall to their deaths.” “I want them to suffer.”\n\n“When I didn’t respond to threats, they targeted my family.”\n\nnIn 2011, citing the alarmingly high rates of rape on campuses, the Obama administration began calling for colleges and universities to investigate accusations of assault with greater urgency and rigor. Two years later, Obama signed the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, which strengthened civil rights under Title IX, the federal law enacted in 1972 to prohibit gender-based discrimination in educational institutions and programs. This move required institutions to use more stringent methods to investigate and make judgments and offered more guidelines for believing and supporting those who make allegations of rape, assault, or sexual harassment. Under the Trump administration, some of these policies were rolled back and changed, allowing accused individuals to receive more due process protections. Many universities have historically mishandled student allegations of rape and sexual misconduct on campus, and Title IX laws became a crucial tool in curbing discrimination and harassment against students and employees based on sex. But there have also been cases in which the federal law has been manipulated and weaponized against those on campuses who are from marginalized and vulnerable groups, including faculty. The saga of S. is far from an anomaly. Professor and journalist Sarah Viren detailed the false sexual harassment accusations against herself and her wife filed with the Title IX Office at Arizona State University. In a follow-up podcast, Viren delved into interviews with other academics who reached out to her after she shared her story, including that of a Mexican American professor who was accused of sleeping with students and another professor up for tenure who was accused of harassment by a student she had never met. In one glaring example, at least 20 people, many of them academics from various states and schools, said they were harassed, threatened, called racial slurs, and stalked by an individual who apparently has also threatened to throw acid, chop off hands, murder, and mutilate some of them. “We know that being openly queer, not white, a woman, among many other social positions can set one up for excess surveillance, for questioning,” tweeted one of the academics who said she was stalked, Shantel Buggs, an assistant professor at Florida State University, whose research centers on culture, race and racism, gender, and work inequity in academia. Sociologist Victor Ray, an associate professor at the University of Iowa, tweeted about his experience and said he was stalked by the same individual. This person “has harassed me and my family—including death threats and lying about my background—for years,” Ray wrote. “When I didn’t respond to threats, they targeted my family.” He added: “They target marginalized scholars because marginalization makes support more difficult and isolates their targets. I’m talking about this now because ignoring it hasn’t worked. They are committed to violent harassment like it is their full-time job.” Title IX, a well-intentioned Obama-era policy to protect students, has had unintended side effects. It has empowered victims of harassment and sexual violence but has also weakened due process. “An accusation against someone the systems we all live within already disadvantages,” wrote Buggs, “can be ruinous.”\n\nLoading . . .\n\ninhaSinha became obsessive. Not a week went by without him routinely checking tweets at night and again as soon as he woke up. “It has just become part of the rhythm of my day,” he told me. “I’ll be waiting at the bus stop for my kids to get off the bus, and I’ll be like, ‘Okay, let me take out my phone and take screenshots.’ Or I’m at the airport waiting for my flight or at a restaurant waiting to pick up my food.” He captured the images for legal reasons and also so his wife would not have to read them. “On one level, it has become so ordinary, just part of my day, to read her outrageous, racist views. But at the same time, it never stops being outrageous,” he said. Sinha pulled back from using social media himself. He rarely tweeted anymore. Though S. had never acted on any of her outlandish threats, Sinha had no idea what she was capable of. What if the online trail led her to act on the threats? Sinha told himself he had a family to protect. “If I didn’t see it, and I didn’t prepare, and something happened,” Sinha told me, “I would never forgive myself.” At one point, Sinha read a tweet that suggested their S. had been watching him and his wife in a public place. The comments described seeing them in a specific spot where the couple often took walks together. Over and over, Sinha, Umamaheswar, and Tan filed complaints with Twitter for online abuse. At first, according to Sinha, the company responded that S. had not violated Twitter policies. Tan’s husband was especially persistent in filing complaints. One of S.’s accounts would get banned, but then another under a new handle popped up in its place. The pattern repeated. The tweets kept coming, sometimes trickling over to other professors online. Sinha took a screenshot of a tweet from S. on November 9th, 2022 — this time made to an Asian American assistant professor of sociology who was then at the University of Chicago and who Tan follows on Twitter. It read: “Hey can you stop stalking and sexually harassing me on Twitter.” A similar tweet from the same account showed up on the page of an Asian American astrophysicist, who Tan also follows on Twitter: “Hey l’ve noticed your being really abusive to women you’ve never met online. I don’t know what happened to you growing up that made you think this is ok to do along with everything else you’ve done. I looked into reporting you.” Tan felt obligated to reach out to her Twitter mutual contacts and warn them about S., now seemingly hunting for other Asian American academics connected to her. Recently, Sinha co-authored a paper with a colleague from another university. “When we were wrapping up the article, and we had been accepted for publication, we wanted to share the news on Twitter,” he said. Sinha texted the professor. He felt duty bound to warn him. “There’s a chance she’s going to engage in some hostile way.” Any colleague, collaborator, or friend that entered Sinha’s orbit risked being targeted by S. Sinha continued to capture more of the tweets: “Reporting Asians for sexual harassment is a new hobby of mine.” “They’re just racist Asian supremacists who stand with anyone and anything that even looks somewhat Asian and they don’t like white women and will abuse white women in the name of Asian nationalism.” “Someone needs to man the fuck up and tell these Asians to step down and stop abusing white women to assert their dominance they don’t have in the real world.” “If anyone thinks I wouldn’t beat the living shit out of this Asian chick until it was hospitalized and I was arrested for assault well then you’re delusional.” Sinha noticed the violence in the tweets had escalated. This time, S. was making explicit threats to contact Sinha, Umamaheswar, and Tan’s universities. Southern Connecticut State University officials and police had already dealt with S. before, and there were receipts to prove it. Strangely, S. had even posted on social media an email she had received from Detective William S. Rivera from Southern Connecticut State University Police, along with his phone number. But officials at Sinha, Umamaheswar, and Tan’s new institutions did not have a long history or record of all the issues they had dealt with in the past. The burden of evidence — to alert new or prospective employers or to warn colleagues and social media friends about their potential stalker — would fall on them for as long as S. is allowed to keep stalking and harassing. “I don’t want to upset my employer,” said Sinha, who does not yet have tenure. In an environment where academic positions are scarce and competitive, he can’t help but wonder how the whiff of an accusation or the presence of a stalker might tip the scales in a job interview or performance process. It makes Sinha anxious. “This has been hanging around my neck now for a while,” he said. Sinha knows he has to be proactive from now on. “I should get out in front of it.” At this point, the tweets were coming by the minute, this time from the account @janedoepow: ”I want to report them to their schools for online sexual abuse and harassment. I’m thinking about emailing the schools.” “And when they get confronted by their employers they’re going to get so anxious and start making up excuses to try to cover their asses and we’ll all see the kind of person they are.” “Time to start praying the universities view your work as more important than addressing a sexual harassment accusations report.” ”Vassars going to get an email.” ”GMU will get an email…” Sinha told his wife. He also alerted Tan. All three of them would need to notify their department chairs and administrations at Hofstra, George Mason, and Vassar about S. and any potential false allegations that may be headed their way.\n\nThe internet has amplified so much of this behavior, making it easier for someone to become a stalker and easier for anyone to be stalked.\n\ntIt turned out Twitter was not the only place where S. was writing. Comments extended to Instagram and Facebook, where some of S.’s friends supported her online, commenting or liking her posts. On February 23rd, 2020, S. wrote on Facebook: “I filed a report that I was being harassed, stalked, defamed and studied by my professor and all I got was a joke of an investigation and this stupid legal warning.” She continued: “The university is gaslighting me. Most of the officials I dealt with did NOT follow proper Title IX policy procedure throughout the process and has consequently made my experience much worse.” S. also posted the cease and desist letter that had been sent to her. She received a response to the post from a graduate student at Rutgers University School of Social Work who specializes in violence against women and children and founded a Students Against Sexual Violence club on her campus: “I work for an organization called Know Your IX. We do work around Title IX and I’ve gone through the Title IX process at my school as well. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this treatment from your school.” One Twitter post showed a screenshot of a conversation with someone who appeared to be a friend of S.’s and seemed concerned: “I don’t know if I’m being too blunt but I promise I’m saying this out of love and concern and not meanness. I think your mind is playing tricks on you…And it’s not like I think you’re crazy because when I spend time with you you’re totally normal and you’re you. But specifically this ordeal seems crazy. It worries me… I honestly don’t see what you’re talking about. All I see is mundane posts.” By November 2022, just as Sinha had predicted after monitoring her tweet storm, S.’s letters arrived at the Title IX offices of Vassar and George Mason, though Sinha’s campus, Hofstra, did not receive anything, as far as he knows. Ever since Tan warned Vassar about S. earlier that spring, school officials had blocked her email in the system. Still, Tan had reached out to her department head and the campus investigator again: “You might get something from her in the next couple of days. Be on the lookout for it.” S. managed to circumvent Vassar’s digital barriers using the online form on the school’s Title IX page. Tan, who received a copy of the email, explained: “She wrote this long letter accusing me of sexually harassing her, forcing her to be a lesbian.” S. signed with her full name. A similar email also arrived at the Title IX office of George Mason University: “My name is [S.] and I’m not a student nor have I ever been one at George Mason. I’m writing to you today regarding one of your employees, Janani Umamaheswar of criminology, at the university and their sexually harassing behavior towards me online on twitter.” The letter continued: “She has called me a lesbian, and has recommended that I have sexual relationships with women.” So far, the Title IX offices, departments, and administrators at Tan, Umamaheswar, and Sinha’s schools have been responsive and understanding about their experiences with their harassment. But all three professors also know the potential threats reach beyond their campuses. The internet has amplified so much of this behavior, making it easier for someone to become a stalker and easier for anyone to be stalked.\n\norFor Catherine Tan, this experience of being, in a sense, a collateral victim of a cyberstalker who started out obsessed with someone else went from irritating to infuriating. Sometimes, the racial taunting especially hits a nerve. “I’m Vietnamese. I was born in the US,” Tan told me. “Growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, at that time, American culture wasn’t as welcoming.” Some of S.’s comments would claim Tan “wants to be white.” Tan told me she does not want to be white, but she did struggle to embrace her Asian American identity in her younger years. Dealing with such comments over and over, even in adulthood, was at times depleting. But it was S.’s letter to Vassar that crossed a line. By November 9th, 2022, Tan was fed up. She felt like she needed to make it known. Now, S. was again publicly replying to Tan’s tweets, calling her “a basic bitch” who “hacks and steals passwords [to] check out girls.” Tan was done allowing a platform that had enabled her harassment to keep getting away with it. She decided to try to take control herself. Tan began to type. “I have a stalker,” Tan tweeted. “Recently, she contacted my employer in effort to get me fired. She is racist, and has begun contacting ASIAN ACADEMICS connected w/ me on this platform. So, if that is you, there’s a chance she will send a similar letter to your employer. If this happens…please contact me immediately and I will put you in touch with my investigator.” Tan continued: “This has been going on for almost a year. I have NEVER met this harasser. I have NEVER engaged with this harasser. This is my first time publicly acknowledging this person.” Tan’s tweet was shared 4,350 times and received more than 15,000 likes. She received messages from other users and academics who had stories about their own stalkers. Even after S. appeared in her timeline, Tan refused to be scared away from speaking out online or depicting her life or work in public. She still posts regularly: Photos from dinners with friends or of her horseback riding. Tweets about her syllabus, her outfits, her husband, class prepping, grading. “I did it. 50 papers graded across 13 days.” “I’m not going to stop tweeting. I’m not going to adjust my life for this,” Tan told me. “I have my book coming out at the end of this year. I don’t want this person to be in the back of my head. And most of the time, she isn’t.” But now and then, Tan learns about the latest threat, post, or racial slur, and it upsets her all over again. Tan went into academia expecting to be challenged at times by her grading, research, or even by her own colleagues. “When you publish or you become more public, you’re always going to encounter haters, people who are ready to discredit you, people who are ready to undermine your legitimacy,” Tan said. “That’s true for everybody, but especially for scholars of color.” Academia can be a place where it can feel, on some campuses, that Asian Americans are overrepresented. The Supreme Court recently struck down race-based admissions on college campuses. The two cases at the center of the decision argued that racial preferences have unfairly disadvantaged certain groups, using Asian Americans as plaintiffs and pawns, claiming affirmative action discriminated specifically against Asian Americans. Yet some universities, like one where Tan previously worked, enroll a student body made up of predominantly people of color, while the faculty is still overwhelmingly white. Sometimes, for other professors of color, it can feel like: “We only belong here because we were given special admission, some sort of affirmative action,” as Tan explained. “It’s definitely hard. And the people who will really ruin you won’t be the stalkers. They’re going to be your peers.” This can also make harassment more intimidating to report. If you don’t feel supported on the ground level, you can feel even more vulnerable at the top institutional level. When it comes to S., Tan said, “there’s the uncertainty of what’s gonna happen next because we know that she is confrontational. We know that she’s not afraid to take action. It’s not just a Twitter diary,” she said. “Is she capable of violence?” By winter, Sinha had submitted a complaint about S. to the FBI via an online portal. He also tried calling the FBI. He did not hear back. Sinha, Umamaheswar, and Tan also filed police reports in their local jurisdictions. “The local police here will take a complaint from us, but they won’t go over there to arrest,” Sinha explained. The Southern Connecticut State University Police Department had previously arrested S. She was later released, and the harassment did not stop. “I’m a lawyer. I know the flaws in the system quite well,” Sinha said. “Even for me, it’s been eye-opening.” Tan asked the Poughkeepsie Police Department in New York if they might reach out to the Hamden Police Department in Connecticut, where S. lives, for assistance. But she said Poughkeepsie police declined. Sinha reached out to the New York Division of Human Rights as a hate crime resource. Since Tan and Sinha both live or work in New York, they wanted assistance filing hate crime complaints with New York State Police. “We’re all in different states,” Tan told me. “It’s not easy to arrest somebody. Unless she tries to physically harm us, there’s not much we can do.” Every state has different laws, Sinha said. “It depends on where you are and where the perpetrator is.” As a lawyer, Sinha believes there is no question that S. is breaking various laws: defamation, aggravated harassment, disorderly conduct, stalking, hate crime motivations. Some of these charges could rise to the level of felonies. Yet even with all of Sinha’s knowledge, efforts, documentation, and research, he has been stonewalled. “If I can’t get some traction here,” he said, “I don’t know who could.” It’s extraordinary how indifferent police have been, he added. “It’s a real struggle. You just need commitment from the law enforcement side, and you need a very clear and easy-to-prove violation.”\n\n“We have enough experience with her to know that this is probably not the end of the problem,” Sinha told me. It turned out he was right.\n\nI have taught journalism in academia for over a decade and have watched threats to teachers grow worse over time. In 2015, I became concerned about a student who professed having a crush on me, despite knowing I am married, and who told a colleague about his sexual feelings toward me. I reported my concerns about the inappropriate comments to my school. His behavior escalated. He already had a criminal record, including charges of sexual violence, and he talked about killing people and writing a book about it. Frightened students reported his conduct as well. His reading responses also turned dark, discussing rape and describing ideas of criminal activity, along with a lack of empathy toward murder and disaster victims. My department, program directors, and our humanities dean supported and backed me when I raised worries. But when other officials got involved, including the school police, the counseling center, and a campus dean, I was made to feel like I was being an alarmist. My own self-doubt crept in at first, and I found myself asking: Had I been too nice to this person? To make him falsely assume there was some romantic connection? “I don’t find him scary,” one campus official working on the case said. Instead, I was informed we would make a plan to help this individual graduate. My teaching assistant and I endured and kept up instruction. Though he was not allowed to attend class in person, I spent those weeks checking door locks and plotting how I might handle an attack on my class — an agonizing mental exercise for a journalist who has also covered the immediate aftermath of college massacres, such as the one that killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007. My assistant for the course, a graduate student in the MFA program, also struggled, and the experience, among others, helped her realize she did not want to seek full-time employment in a university system again. “There were about two weeks where I couldn’t sleep,” she told me recently. “I would have really bad nightmares. I was worried about the students, but also for myself and for you.” She kept thinking: What if something terrible happened? And it could have been prevented, she said, if we just had “support from the people power.” Neither of us realized at the time that, as employees, we also could have reported the situation on our own to the Title IX office. Instead, to avoid the risk of the student showing up unannounced, we moved our class of around 50 undergraduates to a secret, unlisted location. But much of this prevention was happening on the ground, and it was spearheaded by my program directors, not from the powers above. Once the school year ended and the student graduated, my worries about his behavior dissipated but never fully went away. In the online world, other professors have not been able to move past their own harassment so easily. “Deans and chairs are often unaware at all of how online abuse is actually affecting their faculty,” Victoria O’Meara told me. “A lot of the attacks — while they may graduate to things like emails or even, in a horrible instance, people showing up on campus — they often start on social media.” She explained that dealing with harassment on campuses so far has often relied on policing and a more punitive model. Less attention, O’Meara said, is directed toward the well-being and mental health of the targets of the abuse, the faculty and staff. This, she added, is an area where universities and colleges can step up. It could begin with having more conversations among faculty members about stalking and harassment and institutions putting in place stronger digital protections for all employees. Resources might also involve paying for services like DeleteMe, which scrub the web of their private information, like home addresses, and providing more training for staff on online abuse, especially at a time when funding agencies are increasingly asking researchers to do more public engagement. Accessibility to academics online, she added, has only heightened their visibility and vulnerability. Professors use Twitter, now known as X, and Facebook to collaborate and connect with researchers in their field. Some also use TikTok or Instagram to promote their research. “It’s not really possible anymore to be an active member of your research community without being on social media,” O’Meara said. Yet existing workplace harassment policies have yet to figure out how to prevent or protect faculty and staff from abuse, she explained, especially if the culprit is not someone under the authority of the institution. This reality leaves those of us who teach feeling pretty helpless, vulnerable, and always at risk of being threatened or harassed with little recourse available. “A lot of the people we talk to,” she said, “have their hands in the air.”\n\nSinha fell asleep, as he does every night, the echoes of S.’s comments still in his subconscious.", + "They might not be fighting each other this weekend in Saudi Arabia but Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder each enter separate tests on Saturday that could be the final hurdle before seeing the former heavyweight champions finally share the same ring in early 2024.\n\nJoshua (26-3, 23 KOs) welcomes former title challenger Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs) in the main event of a blockbuster pay-per-view card dubbed \"The Day of Reckoning\" from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh (live on DAZN beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET --subscribe now). Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs), meanwhile, returns from a 14-month layoff to face former champion Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) in the co-main event as Saudi Arabia continues to pour money into the sport of boxing to make the kind of fights that have been difficult in the past.\n\nConsidering the 34-year-old Joshua, who lost his trio of titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, has been linked to talks of a fight against Wilder, 38, dating back to when both first became titleholders in 2015, the prospect of them fighting in March, in the first of a rumored two-fight deal, is incredibly exciting.\n\nThat doesn't mean it's difficult not to ask the knee-jerk question most boxing fans are thinking: After such a long build toward this seemingly inevitable fight, why not just pair them together now?\n\nEddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, Joshua's long-time promoter, cut right to the chase during a recent interview with \"Morning Kombat,\" referencing how hastily this weekend's card was assembled after months of rumors that the two heavyweights could appear on the same card.\n\n\"I think we had six weeks and the card was put together quickly,\" Hearn said. \"By the way, I think Otto Wallin is a very dangerous fight six weeks out. [Joshua] is in there with a southpaw who is just coming off a victory over [former cruiserweight titleholder Murat] Gassiev. And Joseph Parker is full of confidence and Wilder has been out for a long time.\n\n\"But, look, the reason they are fighting on the same card and the reason we are all going to Saudi Arabia is that we want to make Joshua and Wilder in Saudi Arabia. But everybody wants that fight to happen and if they both win on [Saturday] there is a great chance that you see what I think is the biggest fight in boxing.\"\n\nThe main problem with marination in boxing over the past few decades is that placing big-name fighters into bouts they could lose -- which is the case for both Joshua and Wilder, despite each being sizable betting favorites -- has proven to be a major mistake because of upsets. In this case, neither Joshua nor Wilder are champions, so it's possible that the fights against each other still take pace, regardless of defeat, simply due to the sizable investment from Saudi Arabia.\n\n\"I think a win makes it look great on paper for both of us [in terms of] fighting each other,\" Wilder said during Monday's \"Morning Kombat\" interview. \"But it's no added pressure on my end. Maybe for Joshua, there's more pressure for him than I because I know what I'm coming to do. I'm blessed with God-given power and it's natural. There is nothing I have to inject my body with. There is no type of contaminated meat that I have to eat to make me feel some kind of way. I don't have to alter my gloves in any way, it's all natural to me.\"\n\nAfter coming up empty in the final two fights of his trilogy with Tyson Fury, both of which ended via violent stoppage, Wilder sat out a full year before returning last October to knock out Robert Helenius in Round 1. Wilder went on to enjoy a bit of a spiritual rebirth after attending an Ayahuasca retreat in South America and has been noticeably happier as a result.\n\nThis is a far cry from the more combative side of Wilder that shared more than a few conspiracy theories as to why he lost to Fury, and even fired co-trainer Mark Breland for throwing in the towel to save Wilder from further punishment in his 2020 Fury rematch.\n\n\"My mindspace is in a wonderful place. It's in an over-happy place,\" Wilder said. \"I'm always smiling nowadays. It's a joy to be able to enjoy life. Life passes us by so quickly because we are living in borrowed time, nothing is promised. You have to enjoy every moment.\"\n\nJoshua, the global star from the United Kingdom, has also traversed a difficult road mentally from his pair of title losses to Usyk, which triggered yet another trainer change and more than a few bizarre interviews where Joshua has appeared defensive and agitated. He recently attended a darkness retreat where he spent four days alone in a pitch black room in isolation.\n\nThe troubles for Joshua appear to link all the way back to his 2019 upset loss to late replacement Andy Ruiz Jr. at New York's Madison Square Garden, which came as part of a much-publicized U.S. debut. Even though Joshua would regain his titles in their immediate rematch, as Ruiz came to Saudi Arabia in obese physical shape, he has been undergoing a bit of an identity crisis as a boxer in the aftermath, even with a pair of 2023 rebound victories over Jermaine Franklin and Helenius (who also fought Joshua as a late replacement).\n\nCan't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including a complete preview of what to expect from both Joshua and Wilder in separate bouts at Day of Reckoning below.\n\n\"This is just purely about doing the right thing and being 100 percent perfect every second that I am in that ring,\" Joshua told CBS Sports. \"That way I will be victorious and victory will come by knockout if I carry out my plan A, B and C; it will lead me to the KO.\n\n\"Otto Wallin is a southpaw so he's very tricky. We have to be very clever. He has a character that is very resilient, as we saw against Tyson Fury. He can box off the back foot and come forward so it's going to be a good challenge for us because he's a complete fighter.\"\n\nWallin, a 33-year-old native of Sweden, is considered much more a live dog than Parker. Standing only half of an inch shorter than Joshua's 6-foot-6 frame, Wallin is a southpaw whose reputation was extremely bolstered in 2019 when he lost a title shot against Fury despite opening up a cut that required 47 stitches above Fury's eye and came close to giving Wallin a stoppage win.\n\nThe 33-year-old Parker, a New Zealand native who lost his WBO title to Joshua in their 2018 unification bout, is younger than Wallin but not considered as big of a threat to upset Wilder due to the gap in punching power between them. Still, Parker is an experienced boxer who owns wins over Ruiz, Hughie Fury and Derek Chisora. And despite a reputation damaging stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in 2022, has had plenty of experience in recent years under head trainer Andy Lee in the camp of Tyson Fury, who was 2-0-1 in this three fights with Wilder.\n\n\"Tyson has been very helpful and has given good advice,\" Parker told CBS Sports on Monday. \"[Andy Lee and I] came up with a good plan and have leaned on Tyson for a bit of advice. The big difference is that I don't have the same height and reach [as Fury]. But my strengths are different to his strengths and I will use mine to the best of my ability.\n\n\"You will see on fight night, I'm going to put on the best performance. I'm going to be quick and I'm going to be fast and I'm going to be punching with a lot of power. I'm going to be deliberate and I'm going to smash his face.\"\n\nThe undercard is loaded up with other top heavyweights looking to make a splash and stay in title contention as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk prepare to crown an undisputed champion in early 2024. A win on Saturday for any of these men could put them in line for a shot at one of the four recognized titles at some time next year.\n\nLet's take a closer look at the rest of this loaded up undercard with the latest odds before getting to predictions and expert picks on the co-headliners.\n\nDay of Reckoning fight card, odds\n\nFighter Fighter Weight class Anthony Joshua -455 Otto Wallin +345 Heavyweight Deontay Wilder -650 Joseph Parker +460 Heavyweight Dmitry Bivol (c) -3500 Lyndon Arthur +1350 WBA light heavyweight title Daniel Dubois -220 Jarrell Miller +180 Heavyweight Jai Opetaia -2400 Ellis Zorro +1150 Cruiserweight Arslanbek Makhmudov -1000 Agit Kabayel +650 Heavyweight Frank Sanchez -2000 Junior Fa +1050 Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic Mark De Morio Heavyweight\n\nDay of Reckoning viewing info\n\nDate: Dec. 23\n\n\n\nDec. 23 Location: Kingdom Arena -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia\n\n\n\nKingdom Arena -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Start time: 11:30 a.m. ET\n\n11:30 a.m. ET How to watch: DAZN PPV (subscribe now) | Price: $39.99\n\nPredictions\n\nAlthough the rest of Saturday's super card features recognized names, including 2022 fighter of the year Dmitry Bivol, the majority of matchups are one-sided on paper. Luckily for fans, both Wilder and Joshua have signed up for fights they could very well lose.\n\nYet, given the amount of money at stake in the pending two-fight series between the two, and the lack of finishing power from both Wallin and Parker, it's more likely things go to plan for the big-money investors who have spared no expenses to not only make the event happen but continue Saudi Arabia's plans to be a new global hub for big-time combat sports events.\n\nEven with the layoff, Wilder has the power and conditioning to eventually catch Parker, even if the former champion is able to outbox Wilder leading up to a possible late stoppage. For as much as Wilder often gets criticized for his technical disadvantages, despite being a former U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, he has long shown the patience to make opponents pay for even the slightest mistake late in a bout.\n\nJoshua, on the other hand, will likely have to work harder. He committed too much to being a boxer in both losses to Usyk, when playing the role of physical and mauling puncher could've been a more sound strategy. And was both passive and boring for the majority of his fight against Helenius before delivering a perfect knockout blow that reminded fans of his power and natural finishing skills.\n\nAs long as Joshua commits to playing the role of the bigger man, it's likely he does enough to take a decision. The same result that would be difficult to see Wallin get the nod for winning unless he does so in dominant fashion given the financial commitment that region has given to employing Joshua's services as a global star.\n\nWhile it may be a bit more of a dicey walk for Joshua than Wilder on this day, both bouts are expected to be competitive.\n\nPicks: Wilder via KO8; Joshua via UD12", + "The “disturbing images” warning is one that Gen Z, the first fully digital native cohort, is used to encountering on their lingua franca: social media posts. On Saturday, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the worst war the region has seen in 50 years. In three days, more than 1,500 people have died on both sides, and graphic, difficult-to-watch videos have blanketed the internet—from Israeli civilians being captured, tortured, and killed by Hamas militants, to Palestinian civilians screaming in grief, and people on both sides attending to their dead and injured among the rubble.\n\nIf Gen Z feels like they’ve seen it all, in some ways, they have. This generation, ages 11 to 26, has already lived through numerous historic events, ranging from a once-per-century pandemic, to the Jan. 6 insurrection—an event unseen for centuries in American politics. Then there’s the first major European ground war since World War II in Ukraine, not to mention market crashes in 2008 and 2020 that recall the Great Depression itself. As the first digitally native generation, Gen Z is experiencing it all through videos, images, and articles online, which is shaping their mental health, workplace attitudes, and financial habits in visible ways.\n\nIt’s no wonder, this Gen Z reporter notes, that 46% of young workers ages 18 to 26 say that they are regularly so distraught over what is happening in the news that they are unable to function at work, according to a 2023 Edelman report. By comparison, 38% of millennials, 24% of Gen Xers, and 19% of baby boomers and older generations say the same.\n\nEverything about their behavior communicates that Gen Z is just not okay with it. This ranges from their widespread, hell-bent determination to find purpose in work and pushing their employers to have a social conscience, to a sense of despair over their own and the world’s future finances. They have largely given up on saving money and instead dish out for little “treats” as a way to cope with the larger absurdity of 21st-century life.\n\nConsider the lifetime that was three years ago, as Gen Z emerged into young adulthood, when online videos of the murder of George Floyd shook the country in May 2020, resulting in a summer of violent Black Lives Matter protests and riots. A year later, people watched as armed right-wing extremists stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, following the election defeat of former President Donald Trump. Then there are school shootings, which have only increased in frequency since Columbine in 1999, with more students documenting the terror on their phones and sharing it online. One of them was the Parkland shooting of 2018, which tragically created the first spokespeople of the post-millennial generation.\n\nGen Z’s mental health\n\nGen Z has the worst reported mental health of any generation—45% of young people report having “excellent” or “very good” mental health, according to a 2018 report by the American Psychological Association.\n\nOne of the major sources of Gen Z’s distress, of course, is climate change. Nearly seven in 10 Gen Zers say they experience anxiety when viewing climate change content on social media, according to a 2021 Pew Research report. But they’re not just reading about the detrimental effects of human-caused global warming, they’re living through the consequences themselves.\n\nThis summer reached record-breaking temperatures, with July being the hottest month the planet has seen in over 100,000 years. As a result, Arizona experienced a monthlong heat wave with temperatures at or above 110 degrees every day. Deadly fires broke out across the Mediterranean; suffocating smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed New York City and the Northeast for days; and ice melt in the Arctic accelerated.\n\nAnd extreme heat is likely here to stay—and get worse—unless countries can rapidly reduce their carbon emissions. That’s why Gen Z is more concerned with sustainability than any generation before them. Just look at Greta Thunberg: The 20-year-old has become one of the best-known environmental activists, famously speaking at the United Nations in 2019 with scathing words for world leaders:\n\n“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones,” Thunberg said. “People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”\n\nGen Z in the workplace\n\nBy 2030, Gen Z will account for nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce, but they’re already radically redefining the meaning of work.\n\nGen Zers want a sense of purpose, so they prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in the workplace, which encompasses their companies taking accountability for their sustainability and environmental impacts, providing education and awareness for social issues, and ensuring diverse and inclusive boards and teams.\n\nAnd it tracks: Roughly two-thirds of Gen Zers say they frequently speak about important societal issues while at work, according to the Edelman report. They’re also influencing their older coworkers when it comes to areas like work-life balance, fair pay, and employers’ involvement on social issues.\n\nGen Z’s financial stress\n\nBut don’t forget, Gen Zers have also lived through a global pandemic that shuttered the world for nearly two years, two recessions, and a mounting student debt crisis, leaving them with little savings but an abundance of financial despair.\n\nRoughly 60% of Gen Zers say they are stressed about money this year more than last year, according to a Bankrate survey from July. It’s no surprise either—85% of Gen Zers say that they couldn’t afford one month’s expenses if they lost their job today.\n\nAnd since young people are typically affected by inflation the most, as they are the most likely to work part-time or low-paying jobs, this economic climate may have left Gen Z with permanent “psychological scars,” one expert says.\n\n“How can young people build careers or wealth if they don’t have jobs, and prices of goods and services continue to increase?” Dayo Abinusawa, founder of London’s Awa Business School and a former lecturer at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, previously told Fortune.\n\nOne Fidelity survey backs this argument: 45% of 18- to 35-year-olds “don’t see a point in saving until things return to normal.” Some Gen Zers have even adopted the mentality that “money isn’t real” and are justifying spending on items to “treat themselves” amid a bleak reality.\n\nWhy it matters\n\nOf course, every generation has lived through era-defining historical events. Millennials remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Baby boomers lived through the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. But no other generation has been plugged into the world through the internet from such a young age like Gen Z.\n\nGen Z is already wielding their power in notable and sometimes comical ways. In June 2020, teenage TikTok users (with the help of K-pop fans) claimed to have sunk a Trump campaign rally by registering for thousands of tickets with no intention of actually attending. And last summer, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a then-19-year-old activist raised over $2 million in abortion funds by trolling Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.\n\nIt remains to be seen what they will do when Gen Z comes into decision-making positions in the workplace—perhaps they’ll channel their rage and cynicism effectively as some have already demonstrated—but Abinusawa warned that “a society where the young have little to no hope for the future is not a sustainable one.”", + "One of the grand challenges in climate science is to reduce uncertainty in estimates of climate sensitivity, which quantifies how much Earth’s surface warms in response to a doubling of carbon dioxide relative to preindustrial levels. This uncertainty is large because climate sensitivity aggregates myriad processes, from microscale aerosol-cloud interactions to planetary-scale atmospheric and ocean circulations, into one number. Clouds, which are notoriously difficult to measure and simulate, are the main driver of the uncertainty.\n\nVarious lines of evidence are used to estimate climate sensitivity, including climate model simulations of varying complexity, observations over the past century, proxies that measure climate change in the distant past, and theory. The likely range of estimates of climate sensitivity was stubbornly constant at a distressingly imprecise 1.5–4.5 K for several decades, but the research community’s efforts have recently chipped away at this range (Figure 1).\n\nEarly in the 2010s, a substantial discrepancy was noted between estimates of climate sensitivity derived from climate models and estimates based on the observed warming record and radiative balance, the balance between incoming and reflected solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation. Estimates based on observed warming pointed to much lower values than those derived from models. A key breakthrough toward solving this conundrum has been the recognition of the pattern effect, the process whereby climate sensitivity depends on the geographic pattern of surface warming. This advance was rated as one of the most promising avenues for further constraining climate sensitivity in the future [Forster et al., 2021].\n\nForcing, Feedbacks, and Climate Sweet Spots\n\nAdding greenhouse gases to Earth’s atmosphere leads to a global energy surplus (less terrestrial radiation escapes to space), referred to as forcing. To restore the energy balance, the planet must warm. But warming causes changes in the climate system: The concentration of water vapor—a greenhouse gas—in the atmosphere increases, the spatial coverage of highly reflective snow and sea ice decreases, and cloud properties change. These and other radiative feedbacks amplify or dampen how much the planet warms in response to the forcing. Hence, for a given forcing, the feedbacks determine the climate sensitivity.\n\nA degree of global warming spread out evenly will cause a different radiative response than if that same warming is concentrated in a climate sweet spot.\n\nFor decades, researchers assumed that global mean radiative feedbacks mostly depend on global mean temperature [Gregory et al., 2004]. However, they also depend on the spatial pattern of surface warming: Much like applying a force uniformly over someone’s entire body will elicit a very different reaction than tickling the soles of that person’s feet, a degree of global warming spread out evenly will cause a different radiative response than if that same warming were concentrated in a climate sweet spot (a location where surface warming produces efficient radiative damping).\n\nA wide variety of processes affect the evolution of surface temperature, from greenhouse gas forcing and regional aerosol forcing to natural oscillations involving the ocean and atmosphere to the continental boundary conditions and the extent of ice sheets and sea ice. The pattern of surface temperature change over the past 40 or so years featured a pronounced spatial structure, with some locations even cooling in spite of the global mean warming on the order of 1 K (Figure 2, bottom left).\n\nFig. 2. At left is the surface and vertical structure of warming observed over the past few decades in the tropical Pacific. Strong warming in regions of deep convection such as the western Pacific is communicated throughout the troposphere and leads to strong warming aloft, enhancing radiative emission to space. In contrast, parts of the eastern Pacific have cooled. Warming aloft and cooling at the surface enhance the lower tropospheric inversion strengths in the eastern Pacific and promote extensive shallow cloud cover that reflects solar radiation and keeps Earth relatively cool. At right is a typical representation of climate change simulated with coupled climate models, which create their own surface warming pattern that differs from the observed one. In coupled model simulations, warming aloft is less pronounced, and relative to the observed case, the lower tropospheric inversion strength is decreased, and cloud cover is reduced through time. Both factors lead to less efficient cooling near Earth’s surface in models than in nature.\n\nFeedbacks involving clouds and the atmospheric temperature structure are most sensitive to spatial differences in warming. Deep convection in the warmest tropical regions readily communicates surface conditions upward throughout the troposphere (up to about 10–15 kilometers) and then horizontally across much of the globe, making the western Pacific a climate sweet spot. This warmer air sitting atop the relatively cool waters in the eastern Pacific or Southern Ocean acts to stabilize the lowermost troposphere, allowing more extensive low-lying stratus and stratocumulus clouds to develop. Because of their location and structure, these low clouds efficiently cool the planet and offset some of the initial warming (Figure 2, top left).\n\nApproaching the Problem from Different Angles\n\nThree strands of research have converged over the past few years, highlighting that understanding the pattern effect benefits from contributions from virtually all climate research communities.\n\nHistorically, three strands of research have highlighted the dependence of radiative feedbacks on the surface warming pattern. The first strand came from analyses of climate feedbacks and sensitivity in model simulations of unequilibrated, transient climate change. If feedbacks were constant, the expected equilibrium temperature change (climate sensitivity) could be estimated using a very simple energy balance model that linearly extrapolates the relationship between global temperature change and radiative imbalance [e.g., Gregory et al., 2004]. When longer, fully equilibrated simulations became available, it became evident that the simple estimation methods assuming constant feedbacks systematically underestimate the actual equilibrium climate sensitivity. The reason for this underestimation is indeed the evolution of the surface warming pattern, which initially emphasizes more stabilizing radiative feedbacks but later, during equilibration, emphasizes less stabilizing radiative feedbacks [e.g., Senior and Mitchell, 2000; Rugenstein et al., 2020].\n\nThe second strand related the idea of constant feedbacks to the efforts of estimating equilibrium climate sensitivity from the historical record, as mentioned above. Feedbacks calculated from observations or from atmosphere-only model simulations forced with the observed surface warming pattern over the past couple of decades imply less warming than those from model simulations with a fully interactive ocean, which have the freedom to create their own surface warming patterns [e.g., Gregory et al., 2020].\n\nThe third strand of research came from oceanography, showing that the atmospheric cooling effect of ocean heat uptake differs depending on where it occurs: One unit of ocean heat uptake in high latitudes cools Earth more effectively than the same unit taken up by the low-latitude oceans. This difference is relevant because the largest heat uptake by the ocean occurs at higher latitudes. The effect, termed ocean heat uptake efficacy, turns out to be another manifestation of the dependence of radiative feedbacks on surface temperature patterns [Winton et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2021].\n\nThe three strands of research have converged over the past few years, highlighting that understanding the pattern effect benefits from—and perhaps requires—contributions from virtually all climate research communities studying large-scale ocean-atmosphere coupling and the dynamics that set regional to global responses to external forcing.\n\nTo foster this work across communities, 140 scientists from around the world and from different disciplines gathered for a US CLIVAR (U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program) workshop in May 2022 in Boulder, Colo. Below, we present the current consensus that emerged during the workshop and raise questions that require urgent attention from scientists.\n\nThe Past Is a Poor Analogue for the Future\n\nResearch on the pattern effect has exposed limitations of using equilibrium climate sensitivity to constrain future warming and, conversely, of using recently observed warming to constrain equilibrium climate sensitivity. The foremost implication of the pattern effect is that historically observed climate change does not constrain the upper limit of climate sensitivity [Sherwood et al., 2020; Forster et al., 2021].\n\nThe reason for the poor predictive power of the climate record from past decades is that the observed surface warming pattern caused feedbacks that were more stabilizing than the ones projected for the future. The warming was particularly pronounced in the sweet spots of the western Pacific and the subtropical eastern Pacific—a perfect combination for enhanced radiative damping (Figure 2, left). In particular, low-lying cumulus clouds in the eastern Pacific covered a larger area and reflected more sunlight back to space than studies suggest they will in the future.\n\nDifficulty in quantifying the pattern effect stems from uncertainties in observed surface temperature trends, the magnitude of ocean heat uptake, and the short observational record of Earth’s energy budget.\n\nImportantly, the measurement and magnitude of the observed pattern effect are still debated and uncertain. The current best estimate is that the radiative feedback or damping under idealized, long-term carbon dioxide forcing is 0.5 ± 0.5 watt per square meter per kelvin weaker than the radiative feedback seen since the late 1800s [Andrews et al., 2022]; 0.5 watt per square meter per kelvin is similar in magnitude to the single radiative feedbacks that the pattern effect modifies. The wide range of uncertainty opens two contrasting possibilities: The pattern effect might have acted to retard global warming fairly strongly—in other words, mean global warming might have been much higher by now if the recent surface warming had come about in a different spatial pattern. This possibility implies that the pattern effect has the potential to influence future near-term warming rates strongly as the surface warming pattern evolves. The other end of the uncertainty range implies that the pattern effect might have been negligible over the past century and that it might apply only over shorter timescales or in drastically different climate states.\n\nDifficulty in quantifying the pattern effect stems from uncertainties in observed surface temperature trends, the magnitude of ocean heat uptake, and the short observational record of Earth’s energy budget. Our incomplete quantitative understanding of how clouds react to their environment and how these dependences are represented in the highly parameterized climate models further limits our ability to quantify the full range of the possible and recently realized pattern effect.\n\nPressing, fundamental questions for climate dynamics concern how surface temperature patterns come about, how Earth’s radiation budget depends on the details of the surface temperature patterns, and the extent to which the two depend on each other. In other words, first, we need to improve our understanding of drivers of sea surface temperature patterns—decadal coupled variability; the pace and spatial structure of ocean heat uptake; and forcing by aerosols, greenhouse gases, and volcanoes—as well as the relative timing of these drivers. An important goal is to explain historical patterns quantitatively and to predict their likely future evolution. Second, we need to quantify the dependence of local and remote top-of-the-atmosphere radiative fluxes on the magnitude, spatial scale, and sign (positive or negative) of surface temperature changes. Third, we have to explain how ocean heat uptake and radiative feedback are connected on various timescales, both globally and regionally.\n\nInterpreting Paleorecords Requires Caution\n\nIn the same way that the historical evolution of surface warming and the planet’s radiation budget inform Earth’s future only to a limited extent, analyses of paleorecords for recent and deep time intervals must account for the pattern effect to be applicable to climate projections of the future. For example, the cooling pattern during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) differed from the warming pattern observed currently and from those expected for the next couple of decades and expected in the equilibrium following a doubling of carbon dioxide, not only in sign but also in the spatial distribution of magnitudes. The LGM currently provides the best constraint on the upper bound of equilibrium climate sensitivity [Sherwood et al., 2020], and hence, the details of the pattern effect matter greatly.\n\nOutstanding questions concern how representative pattern changes in the past century, the past millennium, or quasi-equilibrated times millions of years ago are of expected future changes.\n\nIn addition to our growing knowledge of the pattern effect, we also have learned that radiative feedbacks depend on global mean temperature itself: Warming Earth by 1 K from the LGM emphasizes different feedbacks (e.g., the sea ice albedo feedback) than warming by 1 K from a Miocene hothouse world or warming from 4 to 5 K in a high-emission scenario in a century or two from today (e.g., the water vapor feedback [Bloch-Johnson et al., 2021]). The pattern effect and the feedback temperature dependence add uncertainties to estimates of climate sensitivity based on the paleorecord, but quantifying their effects would make these records more relevant to constraining climate sensitivity and expected future warming.\n\nOutstanding questions concern how representative pattern changes in the past century, the past millennium, or quasi-equilibrated times millions of years ago are of expected future changes. The paleorecord could further be crucial for understanding the timescales and relative importance of internal variability, forced response, and extratropical forcing to rates of warming or cooling in the equatorial Pacific in nature and in climate models.\n\nShould We Trust Model Patterns in Climate Change Scenarios?\n\nOur understanding of the pattern effect raises the question of whether climate models can reproduce observed warming patterns. Coupled climate models simulate a freely evolving ocean surface and hence have their own expression of internal variability. For example, we would not expect a coupled model to simulate El Niño events at the same time as they happened in nature, except by chance. This feature complicates comparisons between models and observations, especially on decadal timescales and beyond, for which we know little about the spectrum of internal variability in the real world.\n\nUnfortunately, coupled climate models seem unable to simulate observed surface warming patterns across some key regions in which surface sensitivity modulates clouds, even when they account for internal variability. Most important, models do not re-create observed cooling in the equatorial and subtropical eastern Pacific and Southern Ocean (Figure 2, right), and it is concerning that all models have the same sign of error in the trend patterns [e.g., Wills et al., 2022]. In addition, models strongly disagree about the timescales over which future warming may occur in these regions.\n\nThe advent of global coupled storm- and cloud-resolving models, which currently can simulate only a few months to years at a time, presents an exciting opportunity.\n\nOur limited knowledge of the drivers of surface warming pattern biases in climate models hampers our ability to evaluate these biases. We do not know whether these models’ inability to reproduce observed trends is due to biases in how they represent the spectrum of internal variability, aerosol forcing, ocean-atmosphere interactions, deep and shallow atmospheric convection, Southern Ocean cloud-radiative properties, ocean thermocline depth, and ocean circulation or something else entirely.\n\nThe most pressing question is whether climate model simulations will be as far off from observations in the future as they have been relative to recent past conditions (compare Figure 2, left and right). If this turns out to be the case, how will model biases in surface warming trends be reflected in radiative feedbacks and global mean warming rates? We need to quantify whether coupled models compensate for their bias in the surface warming pattern and radiative feedbacks through erroneous ocean heat uptake rates or aerosol forcings.\n\nThe advent of global coupled storm- and cloud-resolving models, which currently can simulate only a few months to years at a time, presents an exciting opportunity. How do we evaluate surface warming patterns and radiative feedbacks in these simulations and compare them meaningfully to observations and coarser resolution models, knowing that even several decades are not enough to robustly detect a forced trend in some regions? And most pressing for the communities relying on the coupled models’ climate change projections, To what extent are the remaining carbon budgets [Zhou et al., 2021] with respect to global warming targets, rates of near-term future warming, and detection and attribution efforts contingent on the pattern effect?\n\nA Collaborative Outlook\n\nWorking to solve the problems outlined above at the intersection of different disciplines and with input from different research communities will likely benefit related research into, for example, the sensitivity of tropical cyclones and future rainfall changes in the southwestern United States or in South America to surface warming patterns.\n\nPromising new tools and observations are beginning to emerge. They include targeted model experiments and intercomparisons, extended global satellite observations of clouds and radiation, Argo floats sampling deep-ocean heat uptake, estimates of radiative imbalances before the year 2000, and new observational constraints on clouds’ sensitivity to environmental controlling factors. These developments encourage an optimistic outlook on our ability to quantify the pattern effect and its implications over the next couple of years.\n\nAcknowledgments\n\nThe authors thank all participants of the US CLIVAR pattern effect workshop. M.Z.’s work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Regional and Global Model Analysis program area and was performed under the auspices of DOE by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. P.C. was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council, grants NE/T006250/1 and NE/V012045/1. T.A. was supported by the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme funded by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 820829. M.R. was supported by NASA under grant 80NSSC21K1042.\n\nReferences\n\nAndrews, T., et al. (2022), On the effect of historical SST patterns on radiative feedback, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 127, e2022JD036675, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD036675.\n\nBloch-Johnson, J., et al. (2021), Climate sensitivity increases under higher CO 2 levels due to feedback temperature dependence, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2020GL089074, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089074.\n\nForster, P., et al. (2021), The Earth’s energy budget, climate feedbacks, and climate sensitivity, in Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Working Group I Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by V. Masson-Delmotte et al., pp. 923–1,054, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896.009.\n\nGregory, J. M., et al. (2004), A new method for diagnosing radiative forcing and climate sensitivity, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L03205, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018747.\n\nGregory, J. M., et al. (2020), How accurately can the climate sensitivity to CO 2 be estimated from historical climate change?, Clim. Dyn., 54, 129–157, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-019-04991-y.\n\nLin, Y., et al. (2021), The dominant contribution of Southern Ocean heat uptake to time-evolving radiative feedback in CESM, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2021GL093302, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093302.\n\nRugenstein, M., et al. (2020), Equilibrium climate sensitivity estimated by equilibrating climate models, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2019GL083898, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083898.\n\nSenior, C. A., and J. F. B. Mitchell (2000), The time-dependence of climate sensitivity, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 2,685–2,688, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GL011373.\n\nSherwood, S. C., et al. (2020), An assessment of Earth’s climate sensitivity using multiple lines of evidence, Rev. Geophys., 58, e2019RG000678, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019RG000678.\n\nWinton, M., K. Takahashi, and I. M. Held (2010), Importance of ocean heat uptake efficacy to transient climate change, J. Clim., 23, 2,333–2,344, https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JCLI3139.1.\n\nWills, R. C. J., et al. (2022), Systematic climate model biases in the large-scale patterns of recent sea-surface temperature and sea-level pressure change, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, e2022GL100011, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100011.\n\nZhou, C., et al. (2021), Greater committed warming after accounting for the pattern effect, Nat. Clim. Change, 11, 132–136, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00955-x.\n\nAuthor Information\n\nMaria Rugenstein (maria.rugenstein@colostate.edu), Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Mark Zelinka, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.; Kristopher B. Karnauskas, University of Colorado Boulder; Paulo Ceppi, Imperial College London, London; and Timothy Andrews, Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, U.K.\n\nCitation: Rugenstein, M., M. Zelinka, K. B. Karnauskas, P. Ceppi, and T. Andrews (2023), Patterns of surface warming matter for climate sensitivity, Eos, 104, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EO230411. Published on 31 October 2023.\n\nText © 2023. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0\n\nExcept where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.", + "Days after a privacy complaint was lodged against Meta in the European Union over its latest controversial shift of legal basis claimed for processing people’s data for ads, consumer groups across the region are filing their own complaints about what the tracking giant is up to.\n\nA coalition of almost 20 consumer protection organizations is united in the view that Meta’s switch to railroading users into agreeing to being tracked and profiled so it can keep profiting from microtargeting them is “unfair” and “illegal” — breaching EU consumer protection law “on several counts”.\n\nStarting this month, EU users of Meta’s social networks, Facebook and Instagram, are being offered the ‘choice’ of agreeing to being tracked and profiled by the behavioral ads business in order to continue/get free access to its products — or else they must pay it a monthly subscription (of at least €9.99pm) for an ad-free version of its mainstream social networks. So Meta’s updated offer to EU users is either hand over your privacy or hand over your hard earned cash.\n\n“This is an unfair choice for users, which runs afoul of EU consumer law on several counts and must be stopped,” said the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) in a press release announcing the complaint will be filed with the network of consumer protection authorities (CPC) today.\n\nBEUC has been joined in the complaint by 18 of its member organizations — a variety of consumer advocacy groups which are located in the following EU member states: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.\n\nThe groups are objecting both to how Meta has gone about implementing the “pay-or-consent model” — using what they assess as “unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices” — and to the model itself, which they dub “illegal”. They have also raised data protection concerns which are already the focus of the complaint sent to the Austrian data protection authority earlier this week by the privacy rights not-for-profit, noyb.\n\nCommenting in a statement, Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of BEUC, said:\n\nThe choice the tech giant is currently providing to consumers is unfair and illegal — the millions of European users of Facebook and Instagram deserve far better than this. Meta is breaching EU consumer law by using unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices, including partially blocking consumers from using the services to force them to take a decision quickly, and providing misleading and incomplete information in the process. Consumer protection authorities in the EU must now spring into action and force the tech giant to stop this practice.\n\nSummarizing the issues identified with Meta’s model under consumer protection law BEUC writes:\n\nMeta is partially blocking the use of Facebook and Instagram until users have selected one option or the other, which constitutes an aggressive practice under European consumer law. Through persistence and by creating a sense of urgency, Meta pushes consumers into making a choice they might not want to take.\n\nIn addition, many consumers likely think that, by opting for the paid subscription as it is presented, they get a privacy-friendly option involving less tracking and profiling. In fact, users are likely to continue to have their personal data collected and used, but for purposes other than ads.\n\nMeta provides misleading and incomplete information to consumers which does not allow them to make an informed choice. Meta is misleading them by presenting the choice as between a paying and a ‘free’ option, while the latter option is not ‘free’ because consumers pay Meta through the provision of their data, as past court rulings have already declared.\n\nGiven the market power of Meta’s Facebook and Instagram services in the EU and the very strong network effects of social media platforms (since all your friends are on Facebook and Instagram), consumers do not have a real choice because if they quit the services they would lose all their contacts and interactions built over the years. The very high subscription fee for ‘ad-free’ services is also a deterrent for consumers, which means consumers do not have a real choice.\n\n“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted. And a spokesman for BEUC told us it might, at a later stage, file a complaint about Meta’s data protection compliance with the relevant privacy authority, once it has completed its own assessment of the issues. Although he emphasized it’s too early to say whether or not it will take that step.\n\nMeta’s lead data protection authority in the EU, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), has, for several months, been assessing its pay or consent offer. But it has yet to communicate a conclusion. In the meanwhile, Meta maintains that the model it has devised for obtaining users’ consent to its ads processing complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (Although the adtech giant also said that when it was claiming performance of a contract and then legitimate interests for the processing — both of which were subsequently found to be incompatible with the GDPR.)\n\nThe ‘pay or okay’ model Meta is seeking to impose on EU users wasn’t actually its invention; it was ‘pioneered’ in Austria, by the daily newspaper Der Standard — after which copycat cookie paywalls quickly sprung up on a raft of news publishers in Germany and elsewhere in the EU.\n\nnoyb has been challenging this ‘pay or okay’ approach to GDPR consent since 2021— filing complaints with a number of data protection authorities, arguing the model forces newspaper readers to “buy back their own data at exorbitant prices”.\n\nSome DPAs appear to have been sympathetic to local newspapers’ use of cookie walls, seeing it as a way to support the production of journalism. However when it comes to Meta, that argument evaporates as it’s definitely not in the journalism business. Moreover the adtech giant doesn’t even need to produce content to pump around its social networks; it gets all that filler for free from the self-same users it’s now demanding pay a fee if they want to use its services without being tracked and profiled for behavioral advertising. Which, well, makes Meta’s ‘pay or okay’ model feel like even more of a rip off.\n\nBack in April, a decision by Austria’s DPA on a noyb complaint about cookie paywalls said users must have the ability to say yes or no to specific data operations — meaning blanket consent is not an option. But the result left it unclear how cookie paywalls might be operated in a way that’s GDPR compliant and the privacy rights group vowed to fight the decision in court. “The final decision on ‘pay or okay’ may be made by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) in the long run,” noyb predicted at the time.\n\nMeta is likely banking on another multi year round of GDPR complaints, legal challenges and — finally — a referral to the CJEU, followed by another long wait before a ruling gets handed down, buying it several more years to run with its new legal basis fix and keep feeding its profits by doing what it likes with Europeans’ data.\n\nBut the consumer protection challenge could complicate its usual playbook.\n\nThe CPC has brought more coordinated action on consumer protection concerns in the EU in recent years, bringing multiple consumer groups together to tackle common concerns — helped by one or more national consumer protection authority which gets appointed to drive the effort. The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.\n\nThe CPC alert and mobilization process can be quicker than GDPR enforcement when it comes to forcing changes to unfair behaviors. Although it still typically takes months, plural, for the network to coordinate and arrive at a position to press on a trader they believe is infringing the law.\n\nThe network also can’t impose fines itself. But if issues aren’t resolved through the dialogues and commitments process it shoots for, national consumer protection authorities can still pursue enforcement at a local level. So if, at the end of the day, these consumer advocacy groups aren’t happy with whatever the process of pressing Meta for changes will have achieved they can still press complaints to national authorities to urge them to take enforcement action (and those CPAs have the ability to impose penalties of up to 4% of global annual turnover).\n\nIn recent times, a raft of complaints to the CPC about TikTok led — just last year — to the video sharing social network pledging to improve user reporting and disclosure requirements around ads/sponsored content; and to boost transparency around its digital coins and virtual gifts. Although BEUC was not ecstatic about the outcome, saying significant concerns remained unaddressed.\n\nStill, the CPC network may be able to extract some ‘quick win’ concessions from Meta — such as requiring it to amend how it presents the available ‘Hobson’s choice’ to users. Meta could also potentially face pressure to lower the subscription fee to make it more more affordable for users to deny tracking. (Just spitballing here but imagine if it were offering a choice of tracking ads vs paying €1 a year not to be tracked which wouldn’t look so evidently self-serving.)\n\nAsked whether the issue for consumer protection authorities is the ‘pay or consent’ choice Meta is offering or how it’s gone about implementing it, BEUC’s spokesman said the questions are hard to separate as they’re “closely interlinked”.\n\n“Under consumer law, you need an informed and fair choice to purchase such a subscription. The first question is also dependent on compliance with data protection law. If the practice infringes the GDPR, the fact that it infringes a law which aims to protect fundamental rights should in our opinion be considered unfair and illegal under consumer law too,” he told us, adding: “In any case, the choice is designed in a way that is unfair, aggressive and misleading.”\n\nThe European Commission itself has an additional oversight role on Meta directly as the company is also subject to the EU’s shiny new Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA). In the latter case its social networks, Facebook and Instagram, were designated as very large online platforms (VLOPs) earlier this year. And, since late August, they’ve been expected to be compliant with that digital rulebook.\n\nBoth pan-EU laws put restrictions on the use of personal data for advertising — explicitly requiring consent is obtained from users for such a purpose; and that consent must be as easy to withhold as to affirm. So one issue the Commission — which is the sole enforcer of the DSA on VLOPs — might weigh in in the coming months on is whether clicking accept vs digging out a credit card to pay a monthly charge are equivalently easy.\n\nThe regulation also contains provisions which are intended to combat unfair/deceptive design, such as targeting choice interfaces that make it “more difficult or time-consuming” to pick one option over another. Although the DSA’s provisions against dark patterns are only intended to be applied where consumer protection and privacy laws, which also take aim against unfair choices, don’t.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents. In a blog post published today, Meta’s global head of Safety, Antigone Davis, argues that parents should be responsible for approving their teens’ app downloads and staked Meta’s position in supporting federal legislation that would require parental approval for app downloads for users under the age of 16.\n\nGuiding its reasoning, Meta pointed to recent Pew research that indicated that 81% of U.S. adults were in favor of requiring parental consent for teens to create social media accounts. While this may speak to popular opinion around parental sentiment, it doesn’t mean that parents have thought through who should be responsible for preventing or allowing teens’ access to social media, or how those apps should operate to protect teens.\n\nA coalition of 42 states and D.C. are currently suing Meta over its harms to teens and young users, in part referencing findings from Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen. The former employee had provided to news outlets a treasure trove of documents that appeared to indicate Meta understood the harms it was causing — including things like body image issues among teens — but didn’t take action. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was later hauled before Congress in December 2021 to defend the app’s teen safety record, but so far, legislators have not come to any decision about how to regulate teen usage of these platforms.\n\nInstead, Meta began regulating itself, adding new defaults and features that would restrict teens’ access to content on its apps, protect their privacy and limit ad targeting to teens, as well as introducing parental controls.\n\nIn more recent weeks, a second Meta whistleblower, Arturo Bejar, has come forward to express concerns that Instagram’s approach to protecting teens wasn’t working to keep them safe from sexual predators and unwanted sexual advances and harassment. Hired as a consultant on the matter, Bejar eventually blew the whistle on Meta after seeing issues remain unresolved following years of work. His argument essentially was that the improvements and safety features Meta was implementing were not enough and not effective.\n\nHowever, a policy position like the one Meta announced today is not something that would have been rushed out in a matter of days as a PR response to Bejar’s claims, but something Meta has been stewing on for some time. After all, the app stores already have age guidelines, so it would seem to follow that they should also enforce them, if enforcement is to be regulated — or that seems to be Meta’s thinking.\n\nIf anything, the call to bring the app stores into the fight is a response to the lack of action in Congress to pass online child safety regulations, like the hotly debated KOSA (the Kids Online Safety Act) leaving U.S. states to individually create laws due to a void of federal guidelines.\n\nUtah, for instance, passed a measure that will require social networks to give Utah parents access to their children’s posts, messages and comments, and would block social media access during certain hours. The governor also signed a bill to prevent social media companies from adding features designed to addict minors to their platforms. A judge in Arkansas recently blocked a law that would have required parental permission for minors to create social media accounts.\n\nBeyond Meta, Montana also became the first state to ban TikTok, claiming it was being used by the Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans. But Meta’s threat, in terms of teen usage, isn’t one of a foreign power collecting private data on users, but rather risks to teen mental health, body comparison issues and exposure to sexual predators. Montana could easily turn its eyes to Meta next, after the TikTok bill went through.\n\nThe overhead of managing apps to meet individual state regulations would be a headache for Meta, but Davis also argues it would lead to a lack of teen protection, in some cases.\n\n“U.S. states are passing a patchwork of different laws, many of which require teens (of varying ages) to get their parent’s approval to use certain apps, and for everyone to verify their age to access them,” she wrote. “Teens move interchangeably between many websites and apps, and social media laws that hold different platforms to different standards in different states will mean teens are inconsistently protected,” Davis said.\n\nMeta’s proposed “better way” of requiring parents to manage a teen’s app downloads pushes the burden back to the app stores and to parents, who often today do not monitor or manage their teens’ smartphone use. But while it’s true that the app stores and smartphone makers would know the ages of their users, requiring parents to approve apps is the equivalent of overriding parental discretion and choice.\n\nOther entertainment ratings — like those for TV, movies or video games — are meant to be guidelines for parents, not laws. Meta’s position that apps are somehow different, then, is a fairly extreme position to take.\n\n“Instead of designing its products with kids’ safety and privacy in mind, Meta would rather push blame onto parents and other companies to obscure the damage they’ve already done to young people,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, a nonprofit devoted to reigning in Big Tech, in reaction to the news. “No one disputes that Google and Apple need to do more to protect children on their platforms, apps and devices. That fact does not absolve Mark Zuckerberg or Meta for years of willful negligence, and this announcement shows that the company’s outright hostility toward protecting kids is sewn into the fabric of its profit model.”\n\nApple and Google did not return requests for comment.\n\nUpdated, 11/15/23, 4:40 PM ET, with comment from Tech Oversight Project.", + "Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer has scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to claim a 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions in a stunning match at Stamford Bridge.\n\nPalmer left City for Chelsea in a deal worth around $A82 million in September and showed supreme composure to fire past Ederson in the dying stages.\n\nRodri had looked like securing a win for Pep Guardiola’s team with a deflected effort with four minutes left of regulation time.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nBut referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot when Ruben Dias slid into substitute Armando Broja in the box and, after a delay, Palmer swept his shot into the corner to stop City moving three points clear at the top.\n\n'I'm not going to say I work on them, because I don't. I just trust in my natural abilities' ????\n\n\n\nHe scores from the spot in the 95th minute. Then drops this in his post-match interview.\n\n\n\nC̶o̶l̶e̶ Cold Palmer.#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/pfKM5QbLxH — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 12, 2023\n\nChelsea had dented Tottenham’s title ambitions with a wild 4-1 win against Ange Postecoglou’s team on Monday and proved a challenge for City, too, by coming back from behind three times.\n\nCity lead the table on 28 points with Liverpool going into second on 27, above Arsenal on goal difference. Tottenham are fourth on 26 after successive defeats.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nErling Haaland fired City ahead from the penalty spot in the 25th after VAR adjudged Marc Cucurella to have fouled the Norwegian.\n\nThiago Silva evened the score four minutes later with a header from Conor Gallagher’s corner.\n\nAnother former City player, Raheem Sterling, put Chelsea 2-1 up in the 37th by tapping in Reece James’ cross after a sweeping attack,\n\nThe score was even again in first-half stoppage time when Bernardo Silva crossed for Manuel Akanji to head in.\n\nCity re-took the lead two minutes after the break, with Haaland scoring again — sliding in to convert from close range.\n\nErling Haaland restores City's lead ???????? ???????????????????????????? after half-time! ⚡️\n\n\n\nThe Norwegian secures his 13th goal of the Premier League campaign in one of the games of the season so far! ????\n\n\n\nStream LIVE, or on-demand after, here ???? https://t.co/tSmadJ11sr#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/gT55yj7loA — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 12, 2023\n\nChelsea’s third goal eventually came from Nicolas Jackson in the 67th, the striker firing in the rebound after Gallagher’s long shot was parried.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nRodri’s powerful effort from the edge of the box took a big deflection off Thiago Silva to send Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez the wrong way as the ball flew into the opposite corner, and City looked home and dry until Palmer’s late intervention.\n\nWow! It's a massive deflection from a Rodri hit and Manchester City have four! ????\n\n\n\nManchester City won't care. Limbs in the away end at Stamford Bridge.\n\n\n\nWATCH | https://t.co/HPhtrVhoVE#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/DWcenGZudc — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 12, 2023\n\nChelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “That is why we always say the Premier League is the best in the world. We want to do something special here and this is how we need to play. We scored four goals against the best team in the world. It’s good to go into the international break like this.\n\n“The approach of the game was good. We were brave. That is the idea of football. I am so proud and happy. The players never gave up. The reaction of the players was amazing.”\n\nPochettino struggled to stay composed during the game and apologised for his behaviour.\n\n“Maybe I crossed the limit because I was emotional on the touchline. I want to apologise to everyone and the referee. It’s trying to help and encourage the players to keep going. We faced an amazing team.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nCity coach Pep Guardiola said the scoreline was a fair reflection of the game.\n\n“The Premier League has quality players with the ability to drive the ball from deep. I’m happy for the result. We were close. I think it’s a fair result. We were controlled enough.\n\n“I always have to think about what we can do to get better. It’s not going to happen that we come here and win 7-0. They are trying to rebuild. We have no complaints.”\n\nHe described the midfield battle as “like chess. They had Enzo, Gallagher and Caicedo. They are so dangerous. Liverpool couldn’t do it. They were much better than Arsenal. It’s Chelsea. They have speed, physicality and a bench. We go into the international break top of the league and I didn’t expect that after the Arsenal defeat.”\n\nWhile Tottenham are now fourth, two points adrift, City are just a point clear of second-placed Liverpool, who beat Brentford 3-0 with Mohamed Salah continuing his remarkable Anfield scoring record with two more goals to bring up his 200th in English football.\n\n???????????????????????????????????? passing football from Liverpool – and Mo Salah finishes it off! ????\n\n\n\nThe Reds break the deadlock against Brentford after two earlier efforts were disallowed by VAR.\n\n\n\nStream #PLGoalRush LIVE ???? https://t.co/BkLCmmvfda#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/2wvzl1wjrG — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 12, 2023\n\nOnly Haaland – 13 – has scored more in the Premier League this season than the Egypt international, who took his tally to 10 by scoring for the sixth successive home game to write another entry in club’s history books.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDiogo Jota’s late strike then put a quick end to questions over Liverpool’s mini-stumble after the draw at Luton and Europa League defeat in Toulouse.\n\nAston Villa moved to fifth, three points off the top, with their 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park, courtsey of an own goal from Antonee Robinson before strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins.\n\nSheffield United clawed their way off the bottom of the table with their 1-1 draw at Brighton, while Tomas Soucek grabbed a late winner as West Ham came from behind at the London Stadium to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.", + "Deion Sanders once said, “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.\" The Eagles looked good on Sunday night, donning Kelly Green jerseys and helmets for their matchup with the Dolphins.\n\nAnd their play absolutely matched the look.\n\nPhiladelphia rolled to a 31-17 win over Miami on \"Sunday Night Football,\" keeping the Dolphins' offense off the scoreboard in the second half and playing smart football every step of the way down the stretch.\n\nThe Dolphins quickly made up a 17-3 deficit, scoring a touchdown just before halftime and finding the end zone again in the third quarter when Jerome Baker intercepted a deflected pass from Jalen Hurts for a pick-six.\n\nMORE: How Mike McDaniel overcame alcoholism to become rising NFL coach\n\nThe defining series of the game came right after the pick-six when Hurts shrugged off the turnover and led a surgical touchdown drive. After the Eagles' defense clamped down on Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, the offense pieced together a touchdown drive spanning nearly seven minutes to ice the game.\n\nA.J. Brown overcame a slow start and shined for the Eagles, posting 137 yards and a touchdown in the win. Brown has now ripped off five consecutive games of at least 125 yards and seems to be on his way to a career-best season.\n\nHurts, Brown and the Eagles have higher goals than just individual success, and a win over one of the AFC's best teams is one way to make a statement. Philadelphia moves to 6-1, while the Dolphins miss a chance to open up a two-game lead in the AFC East and fall to 5-2 ahead of a matchup with the Patriots.\n\nMORE: Latest injury updates on Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from \"Sunday Night Football\" between the Dolphins and Eagles. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nDolphins vs. Eagles final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Dolphins 3 7 7 0 17 Eagles 3 14 7 7 31\n\nDolphins vs. Eagles results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Eagles 31, Dolphins 17\n\n11:16 p.m. — And that'll do it. The Eagles finish strong and get back on track with an impressive win over the Dolphins.\n\n11:12 p.m. — D'Andre Swift goes 22 yards for a first down, so the Eagles will simply kneel it the rest of the way.\n\n11:09 p.m. — The Eagles take over on downs and will have the chance to just run out the clock on Miami.\n\n11:07 p.m. — Tagovailoa is sacked on back-to-back plays, and this game has quickly spiraled for the Dolphins. It's 4th & 10.\n\n11:00 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Kenneth Gainwell hits the Dolphins with the spin move and likely ices this game! The Eagles lead 31-17 with just under five minutes remaining.\n\n10:58 p.m. — The Eagles might've just hit the Dolphins with the dagger. Hurts goes downfield and hits A.J. Brown for a huge 42-yard gain. Philadelphia is knocking on the door after a long, long drive.\n\n10:55 p.m. — The Brotherly Shove works AGAIN. It wasn't close, either. The Eagles are churning away, soaking up valuable time.\n\n10:53 p.m. — Hurts' sneak is a success, as usual. The Eagles have a fresh set of downs.\n\n10:52 p.m. — It's 4th & 1, but it looks like the Eagles will go for it deep in their own territory. It's a risk, even with the Brotherly Shove at their disposal.\n\n10:47 p.m. INTERCEPTION — The Dolphins have been impressive on third down tonight, but not that time. Tagovailoa's pass to Mostert is picked off by Darius Slay, and Miami's defense suddenly has to meet the moment to keep this game within one possession.\n\n10:44 p.m. — You think the Dolphins are happy to have Waddle back on the field? He rescues Miami's drive with a first down catch on 3rd & 12.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Eagles 24, Dolphins 17\n\n10:39 p.m. — Jaylen Waddle is back in the game and makes his presence felt with a first down catch to start the Dolphins' drive.\n\nEagles 24, Dolphins 17\n\n10:35 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — What an answer from the Eagles! A.J. Brown breaks a tackle and goes right into the end zone to put the Eagles back in front. It's 24-17.\n\n10:34 p.m. — Goedert comes through with a huge catch to extend the Eagles' drive and enter the red zone.\n\n10:33 p.m. — The Eagles are getting chunks of yards early on this drive, including a 25-yard catch by DeVonta Smith as they barrel into Dolphins territory.\n\n10:30 p.m. — Jevon Holland and David Long were both injured on the kickoff, resulting in a bit of a delay. They both were able to walk off.\n\nDolphins 17, Eagles 17\n\n10:23 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Watch out! Kader Kohou deflects a pass from Hurts and it's returned by Jerome Baker for a touchdown. That's a pick six, and the Dolphins have tied the game just like that after the no-call.\n\n10:22 p.m. — This looks more obvious than a certain penalty on James Bradberry from February.\n\nLooks like the refs missed another facemask, this one on James Bradberry pic.twitter.com/fYYeWnEWaGhttps://t.co/54oa1jfeHf — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 23, 2023\n\n10:20 p.m. — James Bradberry appears to get ahold of Cedrick Wilson's face mask on 4th & 3, but no flag flies. The Dolphins turn it over on downs.\n\n10:19 p.m. — Tyreek Hill just can't hang onto what would've been a big-time catch. It's not a fumble, but it is a fourth down for the Dolphins. They'll go for it.\n\n10:16 p.m. — Raheem Mostert is running wild. He rips off back-to-back runs of 21 and 15 yards, respectively, and the Dolphins are deep into Eagles territory just like that.\n\nRaheem Mostert moves the chains in back to back plays pic.twitter.com/cKtaJouqeZ — DIE-HARD 🦅 Fans (@Eaglesfans9) October 23, 2023\n\n10:11 p.m. — The Eagles manage only one first down on the drive, and the Dolphins have a chance to get pretty strong field position after Philadelphia's first punt of the night.\n\n10:10 p.m. — Zach Sieler gets to Hurts and takes him down for a loss of three yards.\n\n10:06 p.m. — The Eagles will be backed up deep in their own territory to start the next drive, but it's a big opportunity for Hurts and co. to stretch the lead back to two possessions.\n\n10:05 p.m. — Miami will punt from just past midfield, after a drive that started with some promise.\n\n10:04 p.m. — The Dolphins face 3rd & 18, largely the result of a holding penalty. Tagovailoa has already converted one of these tonight.\n\n10:01 p.m. — Raheem Mostert has struggled to get going, but he takes the Dolphins into Eagles territory with a solid 7-yard gain.\n\n10:00 p.m. — Hill picks up where he left off and goes 17 yards to give this Dolphins drive an early spark.\n\nEnd of first half: Eagles 17, Dolphins 10\n\n9:45 p.m. — Any hope the Eagles had of doing something before halftime ends with a Jaelan Phillips sack of Hurts. Philadelphia will go to halftime up 17-10.\n\n9:43 p.m. — Hill is up to 65 yards on eight catches. No other Dolphins receiver has more than two catches, and Hill now has 879 yards on the season.\n\nEagles 17, Dolphins 10\n\n9:39 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Tagovailoa hits Hill in the end zone for a touchdown! Hill was facing double coverage but simply beat both defenders. Miami has the deficit back to one possession.\n\n9:38 p.m. — Rookie Nolan Smith sacks Tagovailoa with 44 seconds remaining in the half.\n\n9:37 p.m. — The Dolphins are down to the Eagles' 29-yard line after catches by Braxton Berrios and Tyreek Hill. They have a chance to score on back-to-back possessions, as they get the ball out of halftime.\n\n9:33 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — Woah! Tagovailoa rescues a Dolphins drive that was headed in the wrong direction with a 29-yard pass to Cedrick Wilson. Great job by Wilson to keep both feet in after the grab.\n\n9:30 p.m. — Jaylen Waddle walked back to the locker room and is questionable to return with a back injury. Major blow for the Dolphins.\n\nEagles 17, Dolphins 3\n\n9:24 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Guess what play the Eagles ran on 1st & Goal from the one? Hurts gets tush-pushed in for the touchdown to put Philadelphia up big.The @Eagles Brotherly Shove their way to a 2-possession lead\n\n\n\n📺: #MIAvsPHI on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/0rIJPFKW6L pic.twitter.com/Izpm8KQDCA\n\n9:23 p.m. — What a fourth down play for the Eagles! Hurts comes under heavy pressure but gets away and finds A.J. Brown for what was initially called a touchdown. Instead, Philadelphia will be at the goal line looking to take a 17-3 lead.\n\n9:22 p.m. — Hurts is very fortunate to see Smith (and not a Dolphins defender) come down with a pass after he was hit during a throw.\n\n9:19 p.m. — DeVonta Smith with a nice catch on a dart from Hurts to take the Eagles into Miami territory. Aside from the one turnover, the Eagles are putting together long, sustained drives.\n\n9:15 p.m. — Julio Jones is on the board with his first catch as an Eagle. It's a three-yard gain for the future Hall of Famer.\n\n9:12 p.m. — The Eagles have the Dolphins' offense uncomfortable so far. Miami is punting after another Tagovailoa incompletion, and this will be a big moment for the Dolphins' defense.\n\nEagles 10, Dolphins 3\n\n9:06 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Happy National Tight Ends Day! Dallas Goedert with a great catch-and-run all the way into the end zone to give the Eagles the lead.\n\n9:05 p.m. — Christian Wilkins gets called for roughing the passer, pushing the Eagles right to the edge of the red zone.\n\n9:03 p.m. — On 4th & 1, you already know what the play is. Hurts gets two yards on a quarterback sneak to keep the Eagles' drive alive.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Dolphins 3, Eagles 3\n\n8:57 p.m. — DeVonta Smith has the Eagles into Dolphins territory after an eight-yard grab.\n\n8:56 p.m. — Boston Scott with a really nice return to set up the Eagles at their own 39-yard line.\n\nDolphins 3, Eagles 3\n\n8:52 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Dolphins can't capitalize on the opportunity, so Jason Sanders ties the game with a field goal.\n\n8:51 p.m. — A Tyreek Hill touchdown is erased by a holding penalty.\n\n8:50 p.m. — The Eagles have lost yardage on three different plays in this quarter, which doesn't seem sustainable. It'll be 3rd & Goal from the 12.\n\n8:48 p.m. — Jaylen Waddle goes airborne to bring down a Tagovailoa pass on third down and set up a 1st & Goal opportunity for Miami.\n\n8:46 p.m. FUMBLE — Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb get in there to knock the ball out of Hurts' hands! The Dolphins have an instant scoring opportunity just outside the red zone.\n\nBradley Chubb jars it loose and the Dolphins take over with great field position\n\n\n\n📺: #MIAvsPHI on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/0rIJPFKW6L pic.twitter.com/DDjWGEWofz — NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2023\n\n8:44 p.m. — David Long is all over Hurts, quickly deflecting his second down pass. A key 3rd & 8 here for the Eagles.\n\n8:40 p.m. — The Eagles quickly force a punt after Tagovailoa's pass on 3rd & 15 falls short. So, neither of these explosive offenses start with a touchdown.\n\n8:39 p.m. — Haason Reddick swallows up Raheem Mostert for a five-yard loss to quickly set the Dolphins back.\n\n8:38 p.m. — Tyreek Hill is on the board with a 15-yard catch on a Tagovailoa pass.\n\nEagles 3, Dolphins 0\n\n8:33 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Elliott connects from 24 yards out, and the Eagles strike first despite their promising drive fizzling out.\n\n8:32 p.m. — Eagles fans are unhappy after Philadelphia opts for three consecutive runs in the red zone. It'll be a field goal try for Jake Elliott.\n\n8:30 p.m. — Jalen Hurts is celebrating National Tight Ends Day by hitting Dallas Goedert on back-to-back passes for a total of 45 yards. The Eagles are into the red zone.\n\nFitting that the first big play of the game goes to Dallas Goedert on #NationalTightEndsDay\n\n\n\n📺: #MIAvsPHI on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/0rIJPFKW6L pic.twitter.com/DPfTTVQbnz — NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2023\n\n8:28 p.m. — Swift has five touches already. No one else has seen the ball.\n\n8:26 p.m. — The Eagles are riding D'Andre Swift early, as the running back is up to three carries through three snaps. He gets Philadelphia a first down.\n\n8:23 p.m. — The Eagles will start the game with the ball, and we are underway!\n\n8:18 p.m. — As many have pointed out, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts were once teammates and competitors at Alabama. Both have something to prove tonight, considering Hurts hasn't looked like himself for much of this season.\n\n8:10 p.m. — The Dolphins can open up a two-game AFC East lead on the Bills with a win tonight. Buffalo was upset by the Patriots earlier today.\n\n8:03 p.m. — Lincoln Financial Field has a new look for Kelly Green day.\n\nLincoln Financial Field, with a new logo and wordmark for this stadium: pic.twitter.com/vHEm7uBDgi — Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 22, 2023\n\n7:55 p.m. — Oh yeah, Julio Jones is back in the NFL.\n\nWhat a group 🤌 pic.twitter.com/fV9WgGOpRY — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 22, 2023\n\n7:41 p.m. — Believe it or not, Tyreek Hill has a chance to break 1,000 yards tonight. He would need 186, but with the way he's played this season, that at least seems to be within reach.\n\n7:29 p.m. — Don't forget the Eagles will be back in Kelly Green tonight. This will be a fascinating uniform matchup.\n\n7:20 p.m. — It's 55 degrees and dropping in Philadelphia. That's not unusual for the Eagles, but will Tua Tagovailoa be able to rise to the occasion in cooler weather?\n\nWhat channel is Dolphins vs. Eagles on today?\n\nGame: Dolphins vs. Eagles\n\nDolphins vs. Eagles Date: Sunday, Oct. 22\n\nSunday, Oct. 22 TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock | NBCSports.com | Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nDolphins vs. Eagles can be watched on NBC, which has long held the broadcast rights to \"Sunday Night Football.\"\n\nMike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) will be on the call from Levi's Stadium while Melissa Stark will serve as the sideline reporter. The crew is in its second season together after Tirico replaced play-by-play legend Al Michaels in 2022 while Stark took over for Michele Tafoya.\n\nFans can also stream the game via Peacock or NBCSports.com with a subscription, along with Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can stream every NFL game via DAZN.\n\nDolphins vs. Eagles start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Oct. 22\n\nSunday, Oct. 22 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET\n\nSunday night's game between the Dolphins and Eagles is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Penn.\n\nThe Eagles haven't beaten the Dolphins since 2011, when Miami's loss resulted in the firing of coach Tony Sparano the following day. The Dolphins got the better of Philadelphia in both 2015 and 2019, but none of those matchups carried the anticipation that this one does.", + "The honeymoon period is over for Joshua Dobbs in Minnesota.\n\nThe folk hero quarterback threw four interceptions in the Vikings' 12-10 \"Monday Night Football\" loss to the Bears, leading a sluggish offense that didn't find its footing until the fourth quarter in a game that Minnesota wouldn't have needed many points to win.\n\nThe Bears' defense swarmed Dobbs throughout the night, sacking him only twice but bringing a great deal of pressure as the defensive backs made plays. Despite the barrage of turnovers, Chicago largely failed to take advantage. The Bears scored only three points off of the four Dobbs interceptions.\n\nMORE: How Joshua Dobbs got his 'Passtronaut' nickname\n\nMeanwhile, Chicago's first turnover of the night — a deflating fumble by Fields when the Bears had a chance to extend their lead to two possessions — was quickly turned into a touchdown by the Vikings. It looked like that score might be the difference, particularly after Fields fumbled away the ball again on the next possession, but the Bears' defense put the ball back in his hands in the final minutes. Fields delivered.\n\nFacing 3rd & 10 outside of field goal range, Fields hit an open D.J. Moore for a 36-yard gain. At that point, all the Bears needed to do was kneel and put Cairo Santos in position to win the game. Santos drilled the 30-yard attempt with 10 seconds remaining, and that would seal it for Chicago.\n\nMORE: Vikings playoff chances after loss to Bears\n\nAs he embarks on a crucial stretch that could determine his future with the Bears, Fields flashed the good and the bad. He was excellent on Chicago's opening drive, albeit one that ended without points, but missed throws and costly turnovers allowed the Vikings to hang around. When it mattered most, though, Fields was poised and sealed the Bears' first win over an NFC North opponent since 2021.\n\nWhile Chicago's hopes are still extraordinarily distant at 4-8, the Vikings saw their playoff chances take a hit on Monday night. Minnesota (6-6) dropped to the No. 7 seed in the NFC with the loss, with the Packers, Rams and Saints all just a half-game behind in the wild-card race. While a win would have put the Vikings in position to compete for the division crown down the stretch, just holding onto a playoff spot will now be a battle for Kevin O'Connell's squad.\n\nMORE: Latest updates on Justin Jefferson's return date\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live updates from the \"Monday Night Football\" game between the Bears and Vikings. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nBears vs. Vikings final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Bears 0 3 3 6 12 Vikings 0 3 0 7 10\n\nBears vs. Vikings results, highlights from 'Monday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Bears 12, Vikings 10\n\n11:07 p.m. — This game is OVER. The Bears don't score a touchdown and barely take advantage of the Vikings' four turnovers, but they walk out of Minnesota a winner as the Vikings fall back to .500.\n\nBears 12, Vikings 10\n\n11:04 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Bears are back in front! Santos drills it, and the Vikings have 10 seconds to work a miracle.\n\n11:03 p.m. — The Vikings are using their two timeouts, but there isn't much they'll be able to do once this hits fourth down. Once the Bears kneel it on third down, Santos will be running out for what should be an automatic field goal.\n\n11:01 p.m. — Fields hits Moore for 36 yards! That puts the Bears well into field goal range, and it's exactly what Chicago got Moore to do.\n\n11:00 p.m. — A pair of incompletions set up a crucial 3rd & 10 for the Bears. They're not in field goal range at the Vikings' 49.\n\n10:58 p.m. — Fields picks up a first down with his legs to take the Bears just over midfield. Chicago doesn't have timeouts, but there are still 85 seconds on the clock.\n\n10:55 p.m. — Fields hits Moore for a 16-yard gain on the first play of the drive, gathering some momentum for the Bears ahead of the two-minute warning. Chicago has plenty of time to sneak into field goal range.\n\n10:52 p.m. — Now it's the Vikings' turn to throw behind the line of scrimmage, which means it's the Vikings' turn to lose yardage. Minnesota passes on a long field goal attempt and instead will punt it away with 2:36 remaining and the lead just a point.\n\n10:49 p.m. FUMBLE — Fields loses the ball AGAIN. Josh Metellus knocks it out for the second time, and this time Anthony Barr recovers. This has been an ugly, ugly sequence for the Bears.\n\n10:47 p.m. — Fields throws behind the line of scrimmage to Mooney, and Mooney is predictably dropped for a four-yard loss. That play call has not worked for the Bears in this half.\n\nVikings 10, Bears 9\n\n10:43 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — The Vikings turn the Fields fumble into the first touchdown of the night! Hockenson goes up and gets Dobbs' pass for the score. The Vikings lead, 10-9.\n\nThe first TD of the game is a Dobbs dot to Hockenson!\n\n\n\n📺: #CHIvsMIN on ESPN/ABC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J5tLNJHyh1 pic.twitter.com/b1IiFoqcqo — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2023\n\n10:41 p.m. — Dobbs hits Hockenson and pushes the Vikings into the red zone. Minnesota is driving. No one has scored a touchdown yet tonight.\n\n10:40 p.m. — Addison's catch stands, and an Alexander Mattison run has the Vikings at the edge of field goal range. They want more than three points, but it's early enough that they absolutely could settle for a field goal if it got to that point.\n\n10:37 p.m. — Matt Eberflus throws the challenge flag on a nice grab by Addison to give the Vikings a first down. This one looks like it will be tough to overturn...\n\n10:34 p.m. — Wow, Jordan Addison would've had a walk-in touchdown, but Dobbs' throw takes him out of bounds. Addison couldn't have been more wide open.\n\n10:33 p.m. — Brandon Powell has been the Vikings' biggest playmaker at two key points tonight. He goes 18 yards here to put Minnesota near midfield.\n\n10:29 p.m. FUMBLE — That's exactly what CAN'T happen if you're the Bears. Fields loses the football, Sheldon Day recovers, and the Bears waste an opportunity to make this a two-score game.\n\nJosh Metellus forces a fumble and the Vikings take over 😤\n\n\n\n📺: #CHIvsMIN on ESPN/ABC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J5tLNJHyh1 pic.twitter.com/fKnE0eTxsP — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2023\n\n10:27 p.m. — Fields finds Mooney for a big third down conversion as the Bears get firmly into field goal range.\n\n10:25 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Josh Dobbs throws his FOURTH interception of the night. Justin Jones nearly had it, but it was Kyler Gordon who came away with it. Everything the Vikings have done on the offensive side of the ball tonight looks like a chore.\n\n10:24 p.m. — A third down catch by Jordan Addison extends the drive for Minnesota. Addison only has 25 yards tonight.\n\n10:23 p.m. — Ty Chandler gets the ball on second down and gets nothing. Chandler has not looked very effective tonight with 11 yards on five touches.\n\nBears 9, Vikings 3\n\n10:18 p.m. FIELD GOAL — After Santos missed from 48 earlier, he drills it from 55. It's 9-3, Cubs Bears.\n\n10:16 p.m. — Byron Murphy comes in to break up a third down pass by Fields, and Santos will come out for a long 55-yard field. He's already missed from 48 tonight.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Bears 6, Vikings 3\n\n10:14 p.m. — The Bears are starting to look respectable on third down again, this time completing to D.J. Moore to move deeper into Vikings territory. Chicago still might need another first down to give Cairo Santos a fair shot at a field goal.\n\n10:08 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Dobbs throws his third interception of the night! Jaylon Johnson deflected it, Edwards caught it, and interestingly, the Bears have less favorable field position than they would've if it had fallen incomplete.\n\nAnd Edwards follows it up with the Bears 3rd INT of the game ‼️\n\n\n\n📺: #CHIvsMIN on ESPN/ABC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J5tLNJHyh1 pic.twitter.com/2d4C1s2O09 — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2023\n\n10:06 p.m. — After a hold by Jaylon Johnson gifts the Vikings a first down, they still can't capitalize. Ty Chandler can't make T.J. Edwards miss on third down, so Minnesota will go for it on fourth down.\n\n10:02 p.m. — The running game is working, the passing game is not for the Vikings. Mattison has 19 yards three plays into this drive for Minnesota.\n\nBears 6, Vikings 3\n\n9:58 p.m. FIELD GOAL — A questionable play call on third down as Fields throws behind the line of scrimmage to Moore, who gets nothing. Cairo Santos is able to extend the Bears' lead with a field goal, though.\n\n9:56 p.m. — Fields runs right up the middle for a first down and a bit more as the Bears look to get into field goal range (or better).\n\n9:54 p.m. — Roschon Johnson picks up a first down to keep the Bears' drive alive. He's looked impressive in spurts tonight.\n\n9:50 p.m. — Woah! Kevin O'Connell goes for it on 4th & 7, but Hockenson only gets six yards. The play looked good, the Bears' defense looked better. It's Chicago's ball with favorable field position.\n\nThe Bears defense comes up big with a 4th down stop\n\n\n\n📺: #CHIvsMIN on ESPN/ABC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J5tLNJHyh1 pic.twitter.com/yndUqwgIbf — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2023\n\n9:47 p.m. — The Bears answer right back and sack Dobbs, with Sweat and Brisker in there to take him down.\n\n9:46 p.m. — Alexander Mattison has drawn the ire of Vikings fans all season, but he just got Minnesota's second half of to a booming start with a 21-yard run.\n\nEnd of first half: Bears 3, Vikings 3\n\n9:32 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Greg Joseph drills it from 34 yards out, and this mess of a game is all tied at three entering the half.\n\n9:30 p.m. — The Bears' defense has suddenly morphed back into an elite unit on these last two plays, forcing intentional grounding by Dobbs and pressuring him heavily on the following play. It's 3rd & 24 for the Vikings, who might just settle for a gain of a few yards to set up the field goal.\n\n9:27 p.m. — Another first down by K.J. Osborn drives the Vikings into Bears territory, and the Vikings suddenly find themselves 13 yards from the end zone after Kyler Gordon is called for interfering with T.J. Hockenson. The Vikings have a chance to take the lead with 38 seconds on the clock.\n\n9:25 p.m. — What an effort by Brandon Powell to turn around and make a 28-yard grab while falling to the ground. That's the biggest offensive play of the night for the Vikings.\n\nA perfect catch from Brandon Powell on a perfect pass\n\n\n\n📺: #CHIvsMIN on ESPN/ABC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J5tLNJHyh1 pic.twitter.com/f6FTBDH6rC — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2023\n\n9:22 p.m. — Fields had all day to find open receivers on third down and couldn't locate any. Chicago is 0-for-6 on its last six third down opportunities. The Bears are preparing to punt after the two-minute warning.\n\n9:19 p.m. — Fields hits Moore for a 22-yard gain, but his next pass is nearly intercepted by D.J. Wonnum. Neither offense has been able to string together positive plays since that opening drive by Chicago.\n\n9:16 p.m. — Dobbs is nearly intercepted by Jaylon Johnson (again) on third down. The last turnover wasn't Dobbs' fault, but this one should've been a pick. The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.\n\n9:13 p.m. — Addison, trying to make up for the drop that turned into an interception, looks like he goes for 17 yards, but replay shows his knee was clearly down. It becomes a much smaller 4-yard gain.\n\n9:09 p.m. — Fields comes under pressure on third down and misses D.J. Moore. He's starting to miss these receivers after a hot start. Somehow, the Vikings will have a chance to tie this game or take a lead before halftime.\n\n9:04 p.m. — Dobbs is picked off again! That's two interceptions and just nine passing yards for the Vikings quarterback, but this one doesn't look like his fault - Jordan Addison saw it bounce off his hands. It's Jaquan Brisker with the pick.\n\n9:01 p.m. — Another penalty gifts the Vikings a first down... Both teams are piling on the mistakes.\n\n8:58 p.m. — A roughing-the-passer call goes against the Bears and gives the Vikings some breathing room early in the drive.\n\n8:54 p.m. — Fields overthrows Darnell Mooney on third down, and Mooney gets destroyed in a collision. The Vikings will get the ball back, still somehow only trailing by three. Fields will want that one back.\n\n8:50 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Jaylon Johnson intercepts a throw from Dobbs! That just hung up there. The Bears have been all over Dobbs and the Vikings' offense early on. A taunting penalty after the play hurts Chicago's field position.\n\nBears 3, Vikings 0\n\n8:44 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The drive fizzles out, and the Bears opt to kick the field goal on 4th & 3. It's good. The Bears are out to an early 3-0 lead, but they've left plenty of points on the board.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Bears 0, Vikings 0\n\n8:39 p.m. — What a play by Fields to get the ball to a wide open Kmet! The Vikings brought intense pressure, allowing Kmet to get wide open and go for 24 yards. The Bears are in business.\n\n8:38 p.m. — 2nd & 22 becomes 2nd & 27, but the Bears make up 17 yards on two plays. It's 4th & 10, and Chicago is lining up to got for it.\n\n8:36 p.m. — Sacks are killing the Bears in this game. Multiple Vikings defenders wrap up Fields for a 12-yard loss and quickly set Chicago back to 2nd & 22.\n\n8:35 p.m. — The Bears' offense is picking up where it left off. After Fields takes off for 14 yards, he hits Roschon Johnson for 22 yards to take Chicago into Vikings territory.\n\n8:31 p.m. — That's what the Bears got Montez Sweat to do. Sweat sacks Dobbs on third down to force a quick three-and-out and get the ball right back in Fields' hands.\n\n8:27 p.m. — A great start for the Bears ends with zero points as Cairo Santos misses a 48-yard field goal. That's a deflating sequence for Chicago.\n\n8:25 p.m. — The rookie Ivan Pace Jr. finally gets to Fields and drops him for a five-yard loss. It'll be 3rd & long for the Bears.\n\n8:24 p.m. — Fields throws on the run to find Roschon Johnson for a first down, and he quickly follows up with a 13-yard pass to Khalil Herbert. The Bears are driving, and Fields doesn't have an incompletion yet.\n\n8:21 p.m. — The Bears have taken it into Vikings territory with a string of short gains. For Chicago, that's progress.\n\n8:19 p.m. — Fields finds Moore for a short gain and the first 1st down of the night.\n\n8:16 p.m. — The Bears will start with the ball on the road, looking to build early momentum.\n\n8:00 p.m. — Will the Josh Dobbs show continue tonight? He’s had good command of the Vikings’ offense in three games since a trade out of Arizona, flashing an especially strong connection with T.J. Hockenson.\n\n7:45 p.m. — It’s 15 degrees in Minnesota with a feels like of 2, so the roof will come in handy tonight at U.S. Bank Stadium.\n\n7:25 p.m. — Vikings legend Adrian Peterson is in the building to watch his former team.\n\n7:17 p.m. — The Bears enter tonight with the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they'll remain in those slots with or without a loss thanks to the strength of schedule tiebreaker.\n\n7:10 p.m. — Heading into Week 13, tonight's game is the difference between the No. 6 and No. 7 seed for the Vikings. The ramifications could be much bigger than that, though. A loss would mean the Packers, Rams and Saints only trail Minnesota by a half-game in the wild card race, while a win would keep the Vikings well within striking distance in the NFC North.\n\n6:55 p.m. — D'Onta Foreman remains out for the Bears, along with CB Tyrique Stevenson.\n\n6:40 p.m. — There's no understating the importance of these final six games for Justin Fields, who is fighting to prove he's the Bears' franchise quarterback. Chicago has a strong chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, thanks to the Panthers' ugly season.\n\n6:20 p.m. — The Vikings are officially without Justin Jefferson tonight, as they'll hold out their star receiver until they return from their bye in Week 14.\n\nVikings officially downgraded WR Justin Jefferson to out for tonight’s game vs. the Bears. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 27, 2023\n\nWhat channel is Bears vs. Vikings on today?\n\nGame: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings\n\nChicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Date: Monday, Nov. 27\n\nMonday, Nov. 27 TV channel: ESPN\n\nESPN Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nBears vs. Vikings will be aired on ESPN, which has long held the broadcast rights to \"Monday Night Football.\"\n\nJoe Buck will lead the broadcast, serving as the game's play-by-play announcer, with Troy Aikman serving as color analyst. Lisa Salters will provide updates from the sidelines.\n\nFans can also stream the game via ESPN+ or Fubo, which offers a free trial. Viewers in Canada can stream every NFL game via DAZN.\n\nMORE: How Joshua Dobbs got his 'Passtronaut' moniker\n\nBears vs. Vikings start time\n\nDate: Monday, November 27\n\nMonday, November 27 Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET\n\nMonday's game between the Bears and Vikings will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. local time) from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.\n\nThe Bears haven't beaten the Vikings since 2020, with Minnesota 6-1 against Chicago over the last four seasons. The Vikings are 8-3 at home against the Vikings since 2012.", + "NFL award longshots can be easy to overlook since each has a favorite(s). The longshot may be playing well, but other players have commanded the spotlight, making it easier for them to go unnoticed.\n\nWhatever the reason, they have not gotten the credit they deserve. However, with five weeks left in the regular season, there is plenty of time for a longshot to become a contender.\n\nBut if you wait too long before placing a bet, your payout will be a lot less than if you were to roll the dice on a longshot right now.\n\nLongshots to consider for NFL MVP, OPOY, DPOY, Coach of the Year and Comeback POY\n\nThere is always a reason why a player or several players have relatively short odds — they've been the best at their position throughout the season. Consequently, there is just as good a reason why longshots have odds as long as they do.\n\nSo, keep your bets small, or use a bonus bet (if you have one available), on longshots. If they do go on to win, smile all the way to the bank while you tell everyone, \"I told you so.\"\n\nRELATED: Best NFL Betting sites | How to bet on the NFL\n\nNFL MVP\n\nCurrent favorite(s): Brock Purdy , Dak Prescott , Jalen Hurts\n\n, Dak Prescott , Jalen Hurts Longshot(s): C.J. Stroud , Jared Goff\n\nThe MVP often ends up being someone, typically the quarterback, from one of the top-seeded teams. Hence, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts sit atop betting boards after Week 13.\n\nBut, by that logic, Jared Goff should be in the conversation. He has played well this season — his Lions are 9-3, poised to win the NFC South and in contention for the No. 1 seed in the conference.\n\nCompared to the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles, Goff and the Lions may have the easiest schedule to finish the season.\n\nBut bettors should also pay attention to C.J. Stroud. He leads the league in passing yards, is one of four quarterbacks eho have started the whole season with a passer rating over 100, and his touchdown to interception ratio is the best in the NFL (4 to 1)\n\nAs for the value of his play, Stroud has taken one of the worst teams in the NFL (11 total wins the last three seasons) and turned it into a playoff contender and potential division champion.\n\nOffensive Player of the Year\n\nCurrent favorite: Tyreek Hill\n\nLongshot: CeeDee Lamb\n\nThere's a good reason why Tyreek Hill is such a heavy favorite to win OPOY. The Dolphins wide receiver is on track to become the first player with 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season.\n\nBut there is a solid chance he does not hit that mark. Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight. If he slows down, someone like CeeDee Lamb could catch up.\n\nBased on his current season average, Lamb is on track for close to 1,600 yards, but based on his production over the last seven games, he could finish with closer to 1,800 yards.\n\nHe will probably need Hill to fade down the stretch to have a shot. But if Hill does and he continues to produce, Lamb could steal OPOY from Hill.\n\nDefensive Player of the Year\n\nCurrent favorite(s): Micah Parsons , Myles Garrett , and T.J. Watt\n\n, Myles Garrett , and T.J. Watt Longshot: Danielle Hunter\n\nHunter leads the league in tackles for a loss and is third in sacks with 13.5 (behind Khalil Mack and Watt). Not only has he produced at a high level, but his play has been instrumental in the Vikings turning things around after a 1-4 start.\n\nHe may not have the name recognition that Parsons, Garrett and Watt have, but he has played as well, if not better, this season. If he can continue to produce, he at least deserves to be in the conversation, if not win.\n\nCoach of the Year\n\nCurrent favorite: Dan Campbell +200 (via DraftKings)\n\nLongshot: Sean Payton +2200 (via DraftKings)\n\nCampbell has done a tremendous job with the Lions, but it is fair to wonder if he's the betting favorite because of how well he has done his job this season or over the last two. This year, the team benefited from the groundwork laid last season.\n\nIf there were a reward for the best coach over two seasons, he would deserve it. As for this season, not so much.\n\nSean Payton should be at the forefront of the conversation. It's one thing to turn around a team that was dreadful last season. But he has taken one that got off to a horrible start and turned things around in-season.\n\nOh — and he has resurrected Russell Wilson's career.\n\nThat alone should put him at the top of the list, but he may need to get Denver into the playoffs to convince voters.\n\nComeback Player of the Year\n\nCurrent favorite: Demar Hamlin\n\nLongshot: Russell Wilson\n\nComing back from a life-threatening injury like a cardiac arrest makes Hamlin a great candidate to win CPOY. However, it would be understandable if voters were to look elsewhere since Hamlin has seldom been active on game day and rarely seen the field.\n\nIt will depend on how vital voters deem playing to be.\n\nWilson was supposed to be the next great franchise quarterback for the Broncos when they acquired him prior to last season. But rather than lead the team back to prominence, Wilson was terrible and so was Denver.\n\nThis season, Wilson has played well even when the Broncos have not. He is not producing mind-blowing stat lines, but he is keeping his team competitive, playing efficiently and not making many mistakes.\n\nUntil his three-interception day last week, he had the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the league. But even with those picks, his is still second-best.", + "There will be many difficult decisions to be made in Week 16. It is the Fantasy Football semifinals in most leagues and there is a certain finality to every decision. There's no shortage of things to stress over as a Fantasy manager. Whether or not you start Rashee Rice shouldn't be one of them. While Rice is just WR29 on the season, that's mostly due to a slow start, and his hot start has pushed him into must-start, borderline top-12 territory.\n\nThe Chiefs' star rookie has four straight games with at least nine targets and he's scored at least 14 PPR Fantasy points in all of those games. Since Week 12, only Deebo Samuel and CeeDee Lamb have scored more PPR Fantasy points that Rice.\n\nOn paper, the matchup doesn't look great, because the Raiders have been above average in terms of limiting the Fantasy production of wide receivers. But this hot stretch started against the Raiders, when Rice scored 24.7 PPR Fantasy points against them in Week 12. They are playing a style of defense that limits big plays but allows throws underneath which fits Rice and his 4.3 ADOT perfectly. While the Raiders have surrendered the 11th-fewest passing yards this season, they've given up the fourth-most yards after the catch.\n\nIf Rice is on your roster, he's in your starting lineup. You have plenty of other things to stress about.\n\nHeath's Week 16 Previews: QB | RB | WR TE\n\n\n\nYou can find more in my weekly projections over at SportsLine. Now here is the rest of the Week 16 WR Preview:\n\nWR Preview Who's Out\n\nThe following players are not being projected to play Week 16 at this time. Here's what it means:\n\nNico Collins WR HOU Houston • #12\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. The Texans offense looks like one to avoid as long as C.J. Stroud is out. Ja'Marr Chase WR CIN Cincinnati • #1\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. Tee Higgins is a No. 2 receiver and Tyler Boyd is a fine flex.\n\nWR Preview Numbers to Know\n\n69.9% -- Nearly 70% of Rashee Rice's receiving yards have come after the catch, that's tops amongst wide receivers with at least 50 targets.\n\n-- Nearly 70% of Rashee Rice's receiving yards have come after the catch, that's tops amongst wide receivers with at least 50 targets. 11.4 -- Deebo Samuel is on pace to become just the fourth player since 1992 to average more than 11 yards per target with at least 60 targets in multiple seasons. The other three are Tyreek Hill, Tyler Lockett, and DeSean Jackson.\n\n-- Deebo Samuel is on pace to become just the fourth player since 1992 to average more than 11 yards per target with at least 60 targets in multiple seasons. The other three are Tyreek Hill, Tyler Lockett, and DeSean Jackson. 18 -- Puka Nacua needs 18 more catches to set the rookie record for most catches in a season.\n\n-- Puka Nacua needs 18 more catches to set the rookie record for most catches in a season. 152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.\n\n-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season. 15.88 -- Drake London is averaging 15.88 PPR FPPG at home this season and just 7.37 on the road.\n\n-- Drake London is averaging 15.88 PPR FPPG at home this season and just 7.37 on the road. 24.2 -- Noah Brown has three games this season with at least 24.2 PPR Fantasy points. He also has zero points in two of his last three. He's the Gabe Davis of the South.\n\nWR Preview Matchups that matter\n\nMatchups that matter Projections powered by Sportsline Drake London WR ATL Atlanta • #5\n\nAge: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs IND ATL -1 O/U 44.5 OPP VS WR 9th PROJ PTS 10.7 WR RNK 19th YTD Stats REC 58 TAR 86 REYDS 769 TD 2 FPTS/G 11.5 Amari Cooper WR CLE Cleveland • #2\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ HOU HOU -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 21st PROJ PTS 13.6 WR RNK 20th YTD Stats REC 61 TAR 113 REYDS 985 TD 3 FPTS/G 12.5 Romeo Doubs WR GB Green Bay • #87\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CAR GB -5 O/U 36.5 OPP VS WR 12th PROJ PTS 10.6 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 52 TAR 84 REYDS 567 TD 7 FPTS/G 10.8 Jordan Addison WR MIN Minnesota • #3\n\nAge: 21 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs DET DET -3 O/U 47 OPP VS WR 7th PROJ PTS 13.7 WR RNK 29th YTD Stats REC 62 TAR 90 REYDS 824 TD 9 FPTS/G 14.2 Chris Godwin WR TB Tampa Bay • #14\n\nAge: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs JAC TB -1 O/U 43 OPP VS WR 25th PROJ PTS 13.4 WR RNK 24th YTD Stats REC 68 TAR 108 REYDS 814 TD 2 FPTS/G 11.9 Calvin Ridley WR JAC Jacksonville\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ TB TB -1 O/U 43 OPP VS WR 16th PROJ PTS 11.6 WR RNK 26th YTD Stats REC 60 TAR 109 REYDS 781 TD 5 FPTS/G 12.4\n\nWR Preview Waiver Wire Targets\n\nWeek 16 Adds (WR Preview) Curtis Samuel WR WAS Washington • #4\n\nAge: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ NYJ NYJ -3 O/U 37 OPP VS WR 14th WR RNK 30th ROSTERED 58% YTD Stats REC 56 TAR 77 REYDS 549 TD 5 FPTS/G 11 Samuel was the top waiver wire add at wide receiver last week as well, but he still sits at just 57% rostered. He has three straight games with double-digit Fantasy points and he's topped 19 in two of those games. The matchup isn't great but it's easier for him than it is for Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Demario Douglas WR NE New England • #81\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DEN DEN -6.5 O/U 34.5 OPP VS WR 14th WR RNK 46th ROSTERED 40% YTD Stats REC 39 TAR 60 REYDS 443 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.7 Douglas' first game back was a disappointment but he still has nine targets in two of his last three games and seven targets in four of his last five games. I'm hoping for a bounce back in Week 16. Dontayvion Wicks WR GB Green Bay • #13\n\nAge: 22 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CAR GB -5 O/U 37.5 OPP VS WR 22nd WR RNK 35th ROSTERED 15% YTD Stats REC 31 TAR 49 REYDS 491 TD 1 FPTS/G 6.5 If Christian Watson and Jayden Reed remain out then Wicks might just be the best option available. He should certainly be started in more leagues than he is currently rostered in. His seven targets in Week 15 were a career high and part of a trend. His snap share has increased for three weeks in a row.\n\nWR Preview DFS Plays\n\nTop DFS Play (WR Preview) Projections powered by Sportsline CeeDee Lamb WR DAL Dallas • #88\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ MIA MIA -1.5 O/U 51 OPP VS WR 15th PROJ PTS 19.4 WR RNK 2nd YTD Stats REC 103 TAR 141 REYDS 1306 TD 10 FPTS/G 21.6 The choice between Lamb and Tyreek Hill will not be an easy one. The tiebreaker for me is that Lamb is $900 cheaper and Hill may still not be 100% by the time the Cowboys and Dolphins kick off. Last week was the first time since Week 9 that Lamb failed to reach the end zone and the second time since Week 5 that he didn't score at least 17 PPR Fantasy points.\n\nContrarian DFS Play (WR Preview) Projections powered by Sportsline Jaylen Waddle WR MIA Miami • #17\n\nAge: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs DAL MIA -1.5 O/U 51 OPP VS WR 7th PROJ PTS 14.2 WR RNK 16th YTD Stats REC 71 TAR 99 REYDS 964 TD 4 FPTS/G 14.8 We expect Hill to return this week, which should drive people off of Waddle. But there is at least a chance that Hill won't be 100% and Waddle will still be Tua Tagovailoa's top target. Waddle has been the quintessential DFS tournament play as of late with three of seven games over 19 PPR Fantasy points, topping 26 twice.\n\nWR Preview Heath's Projections\n\nMy full set of Week 16 Fantasy Football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 16. Projected stats for all starting quarterbacks are available at Sportsline.", + "“Often a really big mistake parents make is they impose the models of career success that were relevant when they were finishing school,” says the 42-year-old father of three. Loading For instance, before the global financial crisis, he witnessed parents telling their children that the path to a stable and lucrative career meant getting a degree in finance and a job in banking. “Then all those positions disappeared. It was stunning to watch.” The idea that arts degrees are “useless” is a fallacy, Grant adds. He points to a 2019 study suggesting parents pushed their children towards STEM degrees because they believed those careers would pay well. In the “salary race”, it is true that the science, technology, engineering and maths graduates earn more initially. But those who study history, English or social science degrees and are taught problem-solving, critical thinking and adaptability ultimately catch up, often surpassing their STEM contemporaries.\n\n“Parents may well push their kids in directions that seem to be really practical, but don’t know what employers actually value,” says Grant. “There’s such a premium on the character skills or what some people call soft skills or behavioural skills: communication, teamwork, leadership.” Soft skills, a term that originated in the 1960s from US Army psychologists tasked with developing proficiency in soldiers beyond the literal “hard skills” of working with weapons and machines, are becoming increasingly important in a world where technology may replace other jobs. Adam Grant has advice for parents who want to help their kids reach their potential. Grant recounts chatting with a “very influential person in tech”, who told Grant it was impossible to plan a career more than a couple of years ahead – when he graduated from university, the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk hadn’t yet finished school. “We couldn’t predict what kinds of companies were going to exist, and we didn’t know what kinds of jobs were going to exist,” he says.\n\nNow, generative AI is upending work in brand-new ways and inevitably changing the future of work and jobs yet again: “I think it’s awfully arrogant to assume that you can tell your kids what a stable career looks like.” By directing our kids down a path that is not of their choosing, there are several likely outcomes, Grant suggests. “I think it’s awfully arrogant to assume that you can tell your kids what a stable career looks like.” Adam Grant They fail to thrive, or burnout because they end up in a job that is not aligned with their values, interests and skills; they resent you; or they rebel and deliberately do the opposite. How, then, can parents support their children to achieve their potential?\n\nPotential is not innate, it’s developed Seeing natural talent in others can make us discount our own – or our kid’s – abilities in a certain area, as can admiring someone at their peak without considering how far they’ve come. Loading Yet in Grant’s book, he illustrates the experiences of those whose potential was not immediately obvious – including his own. Though Grant eventually became a diver on the junior Olympic team, when he first tried out for his school diving team, it seemed like a hopeless pursuit. The coach told him that the sport required grace and flexibility, but that Grant walked like Frankenstein, couldn’t touch his toes, and the coach was quite sure his grandmother could outjump him.\n\nSimilarly, though he has become a New York Times bestselling author three times, he failed the mandatory writing test in his first year at Harvard and was instructed to do a remedial writing course – one reserved for “jocks and international students who spoke English as a fifth language”. “A lot of people believe passion is out in the world waiting to be discovered,” Grant tells me. “If you can just turn over the right stone you’ll find the thing you love.” “Parents may well push their kids in directions that seem to be really practical, but don’t know what employers actually value,” says Grant. Credit: Janie Barrett It’s hard to enjoy something when we find it hard, or we are failing. But progress can be a result of passion, just as passion is an outcome of progress. “Too often what we do is take on a new hobby or skill or task and say, ‘Oh this is not fun, it’s not for me’, as opposed to saying, ‘I’m not good at this yet, let me see once I get a little better if I like it’.”\n\nIn both writing and diving, he focused on his own growth and progress and relied on the guidance of credible mentors (in Grant’s case, his diving coach, who was ultimately his greatest champion, and teachers who knew him well and believed in his capacity to be a great writer). Loading How do you know if you’ve achieved your potential? We often look to extrinsic rewards – titles, money, awards – as the metrics of success. But, Grant argues: “They are status symbols that we use to broadcast to others and to ourselves that we matter and I think they are really poor proxies for mattering. I think we have all been in situations where we can admire people not for what they’ve achieved but for who they’ve become or what they’ve contributed to others.”", + "Pressures are high for parents and caregivers around the holidays.\n\nThat means there’s room for error, according to parenting expert Hannah Keeley, who offered up some of the biggest mistakes parents tend to make at Christmastime.\n\nIn an email she sent to Fox News Digital, Virginia-based Keeley identified the top five holiday blunders that parents often make.\n\nHOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS? HERE'S HOW TO AVOID STRESS AROUND FAMILY MEMBERS, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS\n\nHere are the mistakes Keeley thinks parents should try to avoid.\n\nDiving right in …\n\n1. Creating unrealistic expectations\n\nParents who make a \"must-do\" Christmas list that’s a \"mile long\" at the \"first sniff of peppermint mochas\" are perhaps setting themselves up for failure — and Keeley said she empathized with this instinct.\n\nDoing the most could lead to a season of disappointment, she warned.\n\nCHRISTMAS TREE SHOPPING? HERE'S HOW TO SELECT THE PERFECT ONE FOR YOU\n\n\"Aside from the time I asked my husband to turn our bathroom into a Hallmark movie and he actually pulled it off, unrealistic expectations around Christmas usually just set up moms for inevitable disappointment,\" Keeley said.\n\n\"Beautiful family Christmas memories can be made without the drive-in ‘Grinch’ movie, the tacky light tour and the neighborhood Christmas cookie bake-off all in the same weekend.\"\n\nInstead, parents should \"take it easy and leave plenty of room to relax,\" said Keeley.\n\n2. Using Christmas as a bribe\n\nWhile it’s easy for parents to use a message of \"be good or else\" as a parenting tactic before Santa Claus comes down the chimney, Keeley said this approach lowers parenting standards.\n\n\"I refer to this tactic as ‘stooping to Santa,’\" she said. \"Don’t lower your parenting standards to bribery, especially around a season and a character that is supposed to symbolize peace and goodwill on Earth.\"\n\nThe Santa bribe turns the focus of Christmas into \"selfish gain on the part of your children,\" Keeley added.\n\n\"Love your kids enough to learn how to manage their behavior appropriately and teach them self-discipline.\"\n\n\"It’s also lazy parenting, which never pays off in the long run,\" she said. \"Being a mom is a professional career and deserves to be treated accordingly.\"\n\nShe added, \"Love your kids enough to learn how to manage their behavior appropriately and teach them self-discipline.\"\n\n3. Becoming a ‘holiday martyr’\n\nIt’s important to keep the holidays well-rounded, Keeley said.\n\n5 HOLIDAY DECORATING MISTAKES THAT COULD REDUCE YOUR CHEER THIS YEAR\n\nShe called out \"martyr moms\" who are at their \"peak performance\" during Christmastime, putting everyone else before themselves.\n\n\"They wear themselves out making sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas, but never put themselves on the receiving end,\" she said.\n\nThese parents, said Keeley, \"subconsciously compensate for a lack of self-worth and validate their role as a [parent] by creating too much busyness in their life.\"\n\nShe said that \"all that results from a mom who runs herself into the ground is just that: a mom who runs herself into the ground.\"\n\nDELICIOUS CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES FOR CHRISTMAS: TRY THE SIMPLE RECIPE\n\nShe added, \"If this is you, take a breath, put away the to-do list and ask yourself, ‘What would I have to believe in order to have a relaxed and joyful Christmas?’ Maybe we can use that as a guide to sit back and relax.\"\n\n4. Griping like the Grinch\n\nParents should be sure not to be \"grinchy\" around their kids amid holiday stress, Keeley said.\n\nChildren up to the age of 9 process information egocentrically, she said — which means if there’s a problem, they see themselves as the cause.\n\nWith this in mind, parents should avoid \"processing their frustration around the holidays audibly around the children,\" she said.\n\n\"The ‘mom brain’ is wired to process problems rapidly and move on to solutions,\" she said. \"The ‘child brain,’ however, is wired to process a problem internally and take on the responsibility.\"\n\nSaid Keeley, \"Knowing this, make sure you don’t do any ‘grinchy griping’ out loud to the children. You may see it as temporary venting, but they see it as, ‘Mom is upset and I’m probably the reason.’\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nInstead, parents should stay calm, find a reason to be grateful and vocalize it, even when frustrations accumulate.\n\n5. Neglecting the ‘give list’\n\nWhile building a wish list is fun for kids, Keeley emphasized the moral importance of the \"give list.\"\n\n\"Many parents make the mistake of teaching their children that Christmas is a time to make a ‘wish list’ and get what they want,\" she said.\n\n\"Many parents make the mistake of teaching their children that Christmas is a time to make a ‘wish list’ and get what they want.\"\n\n\"This is loads of fun, but can often create a big case of 'the gimmes’ in your children.\"\n\nShe added, \"Life is balance. It’s about receiving and giving.\"\n\nAs parents guide their kids to create a wish list, Keeley encouraged them to spend equal time creating a list of gifts to give to family and friends.\n\n\"Collaborate with them on what they want to give to the people they love, and encourage them to use their imagination and creative ability, not just your credit card,\" she said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"Even if it's a pine cone covered in peanut butter and bird seed for loved ones to use as a bird feeder, the gift came from the heart and a beautiful lesson was learned — that’s the best Christmas gift of all,\" she said.", + "Fantasy Football is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions, your weekly lineup decisions shouldn't be determined by the order you picked your players in. You need to check who your players play and make sure you've got the right guys in -- and the wrong guys out.\n\nIt's too early to be absolutely sure on which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records and key details of offenses. The things we know can help us minimize the impact of the things we don't know. This should lead to better decisions being made.\n\nWe'll go through every game and highlight the players who aren't obvious starts and sits (because you don't need to be told to start Justin Jefferson). You should feel more comfortable starting or sitting players based on the information given, and feeling comfortable with your Fantasy lineup before the games start is the best feeling in the world.\n\nIt's also important to have a keen eye for matchups dictated by the remaining schedule. I am now updating my projected Strength of Schedule rankings our broken down by position available on SportsLine. My objective is to break down how the schedule affects every Fantasy relevant player for the upcoming four weeks, the playoff stretch and the entire season. You'll also be able to find my key takeaways on which players you should buy low, sell high and more trade advice.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jaleel McLaughlin RB DEN Denver • #38\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ KC KC -10.5 O/U 47 OPP VS RB 6th PROJ PTS 11.8 RB RNK 26th YTD Stats RUYDS 160 REC 7 REYDS 46 TD 3 FPTS/G 9.3 There isn't a Broncos running back you'll have much confidence in starting because they'll all split the proverbial pie too much. I'd start McLaughlin over Williams, but I would rather start Brian Robinson, Alexander Mattison, Rachaad White, Jerome Ford and Rhamondre Stevenson.\n\nLAST WEEK: Despite splitting first-half snaps almost evenly and losing out on second-half snaps considerably, McLaughlin made three splash plays of 21, 22 and 38 yards including a touchdown on a tipped-then-secured designed screen that pierced through the middle of the Jets defense. Those three touches were his best -- his other nine touches each failed to exceed 3 yards. And as mentioned two sentences ago, he played just 10 snaps in the second half when the Broncos were trailing.\n\nFILM: McLaughlin has good vision and speed, both of which were essential in reading the Jets defense at the first and second levels and choosing the correct paths to run on his big plays. His lateral agility was a differentiator on his touchdown catch. McLaughlin's worst asset is his power as he just won't finish runs with physicality like his backfield mates do. But the biggest detriment is that he can't consistently overcome bad blocking, which has been a consistent problem for the Denver O-line all year and certainly something that impacted Javonte Williams in his first handful of games.\n\nWHEN TRAILING: When the Jets were up by eight or more points in the second half, McLauglhin played 4 of 15 snaps and had two carries. That's in line with a trend we've seen from Denver all year: Of the 117 snaps they've played when down by eight or more points, McLaughlin has played 26 snaps (13 touches, seven at Chicago), Williams has played 27 snaps (15 touches, almost all against Miami) and Samaje Perine has played 58 snaps (13 touches) -- more than both backs combined. The only guy who's averaged a strong number on the ground in this specific situation? You guessed it -- McLaughlin (6.1 yards per carry).\n\nCHIEFS: Tend to build leads on their opponents. They also have given up just four rushing plays of 12-plus yards this season, and that includes a fake punt run by the Vikings last week. Kansas City has given up one rushing TD to a running back this season. Impressive numbers considering they're giving up 4.5 yards per carry and rank in the bottom-10 in yards before contact and yards after contact. The secret? Teams don't run the ball that much against them (16.4 attempts per game, fourth-fewest) because ... they tend to build leads on their opponents.\n\nCHIEFS: David Montgomery and Alexander Mattison are the only two running backs to tally at least 10 Fantasy points (PPR or non-PPR) against Kansas City this year. Both scored.\n\nBRONCOS: When McLaughlin, Williams and Perine were all part of the Broncos game plan in their Week 3 blowout loss, Williams had the most work (13 touches) and the most PPR points (8.5). The only time a Denver back had 15-plus touches came in Week 1 when Williams had 17 against the Raiders (and had 9.7 PPR points, a season-high).\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nFlex Starter in PPR (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Zay Flowers WR BAL Baltimore • #4\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ TEN BAL -4 O/U 41 OPP VS WR 28th PROJ PTS 12.3 WR RNK 28th YTD Stats REC 29 TAR 40 REYDS 317 TD 0 FPTS/G 12.5 If I had supreme confidence in Baltimore not having much success on the ground then I'd start Flowers without hesitation. But Tennessee's run defense has weakened a bit and the Ravens could be apt to take advantage. Of course there's upside for Flowers to haul in a couple of long targets, and that really is what keeps him in the flex conversation. But I would rather start Christian Kirk, Marquise Brown, Michael Pittman and Jakobi Meyers as WR2 options this week.\n\nSneaky Sleeper in PPR (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Justice Hill RB BAL Baltimore • #43\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ TEN BAL -4 O/U 41 OPP VS RB 14th PROJ PTS 7.5 RB RNK 29th YTD Stats RUYDS 115 REC 7 REYDS 25 TD 3 FPTS/G 9.3 It's a little gutsy to go with Hill, who has been inefficient for much of the year. We're counting on the Ravens outsmarting the big size of the Titans defensive line and utilizing Hill for his speed along the edges and in the passing game. His high-value touch share is the icing on the cake and hopefully can lead to him scoring just over 12 PPR points for the second week in a row. I'd take my chances with him over low-upside running backs like Gus Edwards, Antonio Gibson and Jonathan Taylor (for now he's low-upside).\n\nLAST WEEK: I surmised that Flowers would be targeted more if the Ravens run game couldn't get going. Sure enough, it didn't, and Flowers saw a season-high 11 targets at Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, Flowers underwhelmingly caught just five balls for 73 yards with two drops that would have pushed his yardage over 100 had he held on to both targets.\n\nAIR YARDS: Flowers was targeted downfield more last week than in any game this season with a 15.27 Average Depth of Target (ADOT). It was the first time he had a double-digit ADOT and more than six targets. He lined up wide on the majority of snaps (66.7%) and hitches were still his route of choice but there was more diversity there than before. It's also notable Flowers did this while sharing the field with Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman back on the field.\n\nTITANS: Run defense started the season strong but got smashed last week by Zack Moss and the Colts to the tune of 6.3 yards per carry and four explosive runs (they had allowed two total headed into the game). Moss beat a stacked box on his 56-yard TD scamper. And even when Richardson wasn't on the field the Colts averaged 4.7 yards per run against Tennessee.\n\nTITANS PAST TWO: Against the Bengals and Colts, the Titans allowed at least 2.79 yards before contact per rush in each game and were decimated by zone-scheme runs (at least 6.0 rush yards per carry by RBs).\n\nRAVENS RUN GAME: Have called zone runs half as many times as power runs even though they average a half-yard better per carry on zone runs. They'd be smart to do more of that this week against Tennessee. Hill has the team's best rushing average and highest rush EPA on zone runs.\n\nHILL: In the three games he's played the most snaps in (Weeks 1, 2 and 5), he's played 24 of a possible 43 third-down snaps (56%) and 14 of 20 snaps inside the 10. He's smaller than Gus Edwards, but faster and more versatile, and it's given him extended opportunities for high-value touches.\n\nTITANS PASS DEFENSE: Rank in the bottom-five in catch rate allowed to outside wide receivers (75.8%) but handle them well otherwise (12.5 yards per catch, 3.34 YAC/reception are both top-10). They're equally adept versus hitch routes and WR screens, Flowers' two most-run routes. Tennessee has allowed exactly 50% of pass attempts of 15-plus Air Yards to all wide receivers be completed for a bottom-five yards per catch allowed rate, but they're league average in YAC/reception and touchdowns allowed on those throws, and the numbers are a little bit better for them if you discount four hiccups in Week 1.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Terry McLaurin WR WAS Washington • #17\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 6th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 31 REYDS 261 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.4 The only two games McLaurin posted good numbers in were Washington's 35-33 win over Denver in Week 2 and Washington's 34-31 OT loss to Philadelphia in Week 4. This matchup has an over/under of 42.5 points, tied for fourth-lowest of the week. Tack on the ascending secondary the Falcons seem to have and the Commanders' diffusion of targets and McLaurin is at best a low-end flex. I'd rather roll the dice on Drake London, Tyler Lockett or Garrett Wilson.\n\nLAST WEEK: Hopeful that his target edge over his teammates would keep growing, and even in a favorable game script where the Commanders were trailing by three scores before halftime, McLaurin only saw five targets against the Bears' heavy zone coverage.\n\nFILM: On the 10 third-down routes McLaurin ran last week, he drew extra coverage on four of them, got open on two of them (Howell threw elsewhere) and was a decoy on Curtis Samuel's touchdown. What happened? Sam Howell was getting rid of the ball quickly and to shorter distances as the Bears were getting some pressure on him. By the end of the game McLaurin's body language seemed dispirited.\n\nCOMMANDERS: Throw to their wideouts on 58.7% of their targets, which is below league average (but not as bad as, say, the Falcons at 36.4%). What makes that number worse is that McLaurin has just one more target (31) than Jahan Dotson (30), who has three more targets than Curtis Samuel (27). They're all nearly even after five games and each of them has had a turn leading in targets at least once.\n\nFALCONS: Are expected to play a heavy dose of zone coverage, if only because the Commanders have struggled to be explosive against zone coverage this year. Atlanta also gave a full dose of snaps last week to outside cornerback Jeff Okudah, who wasn't flawless but does offer another sizable body to help against stronger perimeter receivers. Between Okudah and A.J. Terrell there isn't a matchup that's great for McLaurin.\n\nMcLAURIN: Has an impressive 91.3% catch rate versus zone coverage this year, but is averaging just 9.3 yards per catch with it on a sub-9.0 ADOT. His target share is below 20% regardless of the kind of coverage he sees.\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Logan Thomas TE WAS Washington • #82\n\nAge: 32 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS TE 31st PROJ PTS 8.4 TE RNK 11th YTD Stats REC 18 TAR 25 REYDS 183 TD 2 FPTS/G 11.6 Streaming Thomas is worth the risk considering how the Falcons have let up numbers to tight ends. The Commanders clearly value the position in their offense, Thomas sees the most throws from Howell, and if Atlanta plays heavy zone coverage then it should mean a bunch of underneath throws for Thomas to take in. You're hoping for at least seven targets here, which is possible. He's worth the nod over Jake Ferguson, Dalton Schultz and Tyler Conklin, and it's close in full PPR over Kyle Pitts.\n\nLAST WEEK: Thomas was a big-time benefactor of the Commanders chasing points against Chicago's heavy zone coverage, seeing 10 of his 11 targets once the Bears built a 17-point lead in the first half. A 24-yard catch on the final play of the first half against prevent defense didn't hurt either.\n\nFALCONS: See the third-most targets per game to tight ends (9.0) which in turn has made them bottom-five in raw stats like total catches and yards allowed. But they float around league average in catch rate allowed (77.8%, below league average) and yards per catch (8.9, better than league average). However, no team has allowed more first-down receptions to tight ends (17). Keep in mind, this defense hasn't seen tight ends better than Evan Engram, Sam LaPorta or Dalton Schultz.\n\nCOMMANDERS: Throw to their tight ends on 26.3% of their throws, fourth-most in football. But that hasn't always meant a huge target share for Thomas. In Weeks 1 and 5 he saw at least 22.9% of Sam Howell's targets. He left Week 2 after suffering a concussion and was absent in Week 3; then was not part of the game plan much in Week 4 (7.7% target share against Philadelphia). Perhaps it's all health related and Thomas' volume from last week will stick.\n\nZONE COVERAGE: Atlanta usually plays a lot of zone coverage early on and if it works they stick with it for the whole game (Week 5 was an example of that). In Weeks 3 and 4 against the Lions and Jaguars they played much more man coverage, especially when they needed a fourth-quarter turnover. And because Howell is much less explosive against zone looks, I expect the Falcons to stick with zone much more this week.\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Kyle Pitts TE ATL Atlanta • #8\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs WAS ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS TE 10th PROJ PTS 10.3 TE RNK 9th YTD Stats REC 18 TAR 32 REYDS 208 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.8 If last week had been Week 1 then I would have been encouraged by Pitts' performance and would probably keep expectations high. But we've seen four really measly weeks from Pitts before Week 5, so forgive me for not rushing back to him as a must-start tight end. The truth is that the matchup is a little tougher for him and for Ridder, plus teams have beaten the Commanders on deep shots to wide receivers, not lumbering tight ends, so I'm not convinced Pitts will maintain his target share or develop more explosive plays. He's still worth trotting out there over Logan Thomas, Dallas Goedert and Cole Kmet, but keep expectations around 70 yards on six catches.\n\nLAST WEEK: Came alive against the Texans' zone-heavy defense with season-highs in targets (11), catches (seven) and yards (87). This was his second game of his last three where his target share was over 23%. It was nice to see him as a key part of the offense, but I can't help but notice he played a season-low 53% of the snaps.\n\nFILM: Two things helped Pitts out: One, he looked a little quicker off the snap and a little faster when running straight. He's still lumbering when he changes directions in his routes but perhaps he's slowly getting healthier. Two, Desmond Ridder seemed very comfortable throwing into tighter windows to Pitts in zone coverage as the two had some good timing down, mainly on dig and out-breaking routes.\n\nPITTS: Continues to harvest a high ADOT -- last week it was 11.36 yards and on the season it's 11.72, the highest among all qualifying tight ends. He also has the lowest catch rate (56.3%) and worst YAC/reception average (1.33 yards) among all qualifying tight ends. Of his 208 yards, just 24 have come after the catch.\n\nCOMMANDERS: Play zone coverage at a slightly lower-than-league-average rate, typically turning to man coverage as soon as games get sideways (like in the second quarter last week or the fourth quarter against the Bills). Opponents average 32.0 pass attempts per game against them, ninth-fewest in football, and against tight ends that line up in the slot or out wide like Pitts, the Commanders rank among the top-five in yards per catch, YAC/reception and have yet to allow a reception of 20-plus yards.\n\nDEEP PASSES: The Commanders have allowed the seventh-most receptions of throws that traveled 15-plus Air Yards this season with 19. Of those 19, only two were caught by tight ends (Cole Kmet, Dallas Goedert) and neither went for more than 23 yards.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline K.J. Osborn WR MIN Minnesota • #17\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CHI MIN -2.5 O/U 44.5 OPP VS WR 20th PROJ PTS 10.7 WR RNK 33rd YTD Stats REC 13 TAR 26 REYDS 166 TD 2 FPTS/G 8.3 No doubt there's some potential here, but some hunches keep me from falling for Osborn this week. One: I think the Vikings will try to get their run game going since they don't have Justin Jefferson. Two: Jordan Addison is far more explosive and T.J. Hockenson has been a much more relied-upon weapon. They should have more targets than Osborn. And the expected zone coverage Chicago will play further will limit Osborn unless he sees more targets than expected. He has more upside than Jerry Jeudy, Jahan Dotson and Tutu Atwell but I'd rather take a shot on Drake London, Terry McLaurin or Chris Godwin.\n\nLAST WEEK: Over 19 snaps without Justin Jefferson last week, Osborn ran 18 routes and caught both of his two targets for 30 total yards. The receiving average was delightful, but the small-sample target share (12.5%) was saddening. What's funny is that Osborn's target share was much higher when Jefferson was playing (23.3%) but his receiving average tanked (6.3).\n\nFILM: Osborn didn't beat coverage with his speed last week and his burst and agility were just OK. His 22-yard catch came on a Kirk Cousins scramble where he waited in a spot and Cousins hit him, then Osborn ran inside instead of outside where he might have been able to score. He also ducked under an end-zone target instead of leaping for it. It's worth noting that a 36-yard crosser he ran against the Chargers flies in the face of this as he separated from man coverage with speed and technique, then turned upfield and ran outside before racing past a defender and diving for the pylon.\n\nOSBORN: Has a 50% catch rate on the year and that includes whether he faces zone coverage or man coverage. He sees more targets per route run against man coverage and averages more yards per catch and yards after catch against man coverage. Over his career, targets do seem to come more frequently against man coverage and he has been more explosive with them.\n\nBEARS: Play zone coverage at the fourth-highest rate of any defense this season (79.2%). And because Cousins is much more explosive of a passer against man coverage, expect Chicago to keep up their zone defense.\n\nHISTORY: In 20 career games with at least five targets, Osborn has scored at least 12 PPR points in 13 of them. Eleven of those 13 involved him catching a touchdown. Osborn has two career games with over 100 yards -- and one came last January at Chicago.\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Cole Kmet TE CHI Chicago • #85\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. If you start Kmet, you're buying into his role as Fields' change-up to D.J. Moore -- and in the case of this week, a change-up to the Bears' depleted run game. I especially like his red-zone role and his touchdown opportunities. I'm ready to chance it with Kmet over Kyle Pitts, George Kittle and Dallas Goedert.\n\nLAST WEEK: Kmet kept rolling as Justin Fields' second-favorite target, turning five throws into a 5-42-1 stat line versus a Commanders defense that had shut down the Cardinals, Bills and Eagles tight ends to start the season.\n\nPAST TWO GAMES: Really since the Bears told Chase Claypool to take a hike, Kmet has become a focal point of the offense. He's averaged seven targets per game with a 24.6% target share to go along with four red-zome targets and three end-zone targets. He's second to D.J. Moore in all of those categories except red-zone targets, where he's first -- and by a lot (no one else has more than one, including Moore).\n\nBEARS: May need Kmet as a short-area target to help make up for some of the run game as the Bears are expected to not only be without Khalil Herbert but also rookie Roschon Johnson. In an effort not to overwork their backs, who won't have it easy against the Vikings, Kmet could handle more short-area throws than normal. His ADOT over the past two games has been 7.64, which isn't far from his season average of 6.69.\n\nVIKINGS: Allow the fewest yards per catch to rival tigh ends (5.9 yards), even keeping a lid on Travis Kelce last week (6.7 yards per catch). But they've also seen the fourth-lowest ADOT from tight ends (5.0 yards per target), almost as if teams know they won't be able to succeed on downfield shots against them (zero completions of 20-plus yards from tight ends). These numbers are tough but if Kmet gets the target volume we've seen him have over the past couple of weeks he can still put up palatable numbers. And, tight ends have scored three times in the Vikings past three games.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nFlex Starter (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Tyler Lockett WR SEA Seattle • #16\n\nAge: 31 • Experience: 9 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CIN CIN -2.5 O/U 45 OPP VS WR 11th PROJ PTS 11.9 WR RNK 36th YTD Stats REC 17 TAR 27 REYDS 157 TD 2 FPTS/G 11.7 If you start Lockett, you're doing it for his upside and on the hope that Smith can have a minor resurgence against man coverage. It may also come to pass that the Seahawks are trailing in the game and thus have to throw. Consider Lockett more of a top-30 receiver who you should sit for Zay Flowers and Gabe Davis but start over Chris Godwin, Nico Collins, Garrett Wilson and Drake London.\n\nBENGALS: Consistently tailor their defensive coverage to the weaknesses of the offenses they face. So when a quarterback struggles against zone coverage, they'll play more zone. This worked in their favor in all but one game this year (Ravens, Week 2). Cincinnati also has turned on the juice for their pass rush, getting a pressure rate of over 40% in each of their past three games, all versus teams with suspect offensive lines.\n\nBENGALS: Are expected to be without top cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and they also are rotating one of their safety spots between Nick Scott and Jordan Battle. D.J. Turner is expected to replace Awuzie.\n\nGENO SMITH: Has a 47.8% completion rate and a lowly 4.1 yards per attempt average against man coverage so far this season. He's also barely thrown deep (4.3% of his attempts went 20-plus Air Yards). A huge reason for the low numbers is because his pass protection has been dreadful. The anticipated return of left tackle Charles Cross should help him have more time, which in turn helps his receivers.\n\nOUTSIDE WRs: Have caught just 50% of their targets against the Bengals this season, third-lowest in football. However, when those receivers have caught the ball they've averaged 17.9 yards per catch, which is the third-most in the league. The Bengals defense has really only let up big games to receivers who catch touchdowns.\n\nLOCKETT: Already the team leader in target share for the season, Lockett sees more targets on a route-run basis against man coverage (28%) compared to zone (21%). He also does better with them, averaging a full 2.0 more yards per catch and with a much higher explosive play rate (14.3% compared to 5.0% against zone).\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSneaky Sleeper (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jeff Wilson RB MIA Miami • #23\n\nAge: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CAR MIA -13.5 O/U 48.5 OPP VS RB 31st PROJ PTS 7 RB RNK NR YTD Stats RUYDS 0 REC 0 REYDS 0 TD 0 FPTS/G 0 Once it's clear that Wilson will play, the matchup combined with the Dolphins' approach to utilize multiple backs should put Wilson in position to have some good opportunities. Remember, Wilson's injury was to his abdomen, not his legs, so there might not be much of a limit on how much work he'll do (though it's unlikely he'll have a ton of touches). I'd take my chances with him over Samaje Perine, Jerick McKinnon and Antonio Gibson.\n\nWILSON: Started practicing this week after being sidelined with finger and abdomen injuries since late August. He and his fresh legs are back just in time as rookie sensation De'Von Achane hit Injured Reserve this week with a knee injury.\n\nDOLPHINS: Aren't quite the bastion of rushing that some headlines have made them out to be, but they're just over league average in rush rate at 43.7% and above league average in RB runs per game at 22.6. All of these numbers are weighted heavily by their 50-point win over Denver in Week 3 when they ran the ball 42 times with their running backs. Their 7.6 yard per carry average is due to Achane's breakout start more than anything else.\n\nMcDANIEL: Prefers to use two running backs from game to game, and in Miami's past three games there's been a relatively close split in carries between two backs (18 and 13 in Week 3, 8 and 7 in Week 4, 11 and 10 in Week 5).\n\nLAST YEAR: Wilson was efficient in his eight games in Miami, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with three touchdowns and just over 60 total yards per matchup. That includes two games he barely played in (under 20 snaps) -- take those out and he averaged 78.2 total yards per game.\n\nSALVON AHMED? Was a healthy scratch last week and figures to be no better than a special-teams player this week. In fact, in the seven games Raheem Mostert, Wilson and Ahmed were all active for with the Dolphins last year, Ahmed played 18 offensive snaps and 25 special-teams snaps. Wilson played 213 offensive snaps and 10 special-teams snaps.\n\nPANTHERS: Rank in the bottom five against running backs in rush yards per carry allowed (5.2), rushing touchdowns allowed (right), explosive run rate allowed (9.8%), yards before contact per rush allowed (2.26). Every running back with at least 10 carries against the Panthers this season has posted at least nine non-PPR points. There's been one every game, but multiple running backs have had 10-plus non-PPR points in two games through five weeks.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Zack Moss RB IND Indianapolis • #21\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ JAC JAC -4 O/U 44.5 OPP VS RB 7th PROJ PTS 8.8 RB RNK 20th YTD Stats RUYDS 445 REC 8 REYDS 72 TD 4 FPTS/G 21.4 The Colts have an edge with their offensive line getting a step on the Jaguars' front; Moss already averages 2.13 yards before contact and the Jags give up 1.35 yards before contact (and 1.94 yards before contact on power-scheme runs). It's purely a hunch but because Taylor is still ramping up and it takes as many as four weeks to \"get right,\" Moss should lead the way and could see as many as 15 touches. I'd start Moss as an RB2 over Rhamondre Stevenson, Emari Demercado and Taylor.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jonathan Taylor RB IND Indianapolis • #28\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ JAC JAC -4 O/U 44.5 OPP VS RB 7th PROJ PTS 10.6 RB RNK 27th YTD Stats RUYDS 18 REC 1 REYDS 16 TD 0 FPTS/G 4.4 Because Taylor is still ramping up and it takes as many as four weeks to \"get right,\" Moss should lead the way and could see as many as 15 touches and Taylor as many as 10. I'd view Taylor as at best a bye-week replacement with an eye on his Week 9 matchup at Carolina as his breakout game.\n\nLAST WEEK: The Colts eased Jonathan Taylor back into action after sitting out the first four games and barely practicing at all. He played just 16% of the snaps to Zack Moss' 80%, and Moss handled nearly every third down, fourth down and snap inside the 10-yard line. Of note, Taylor played just three second-half snaps.\n\nFILM: Taylor looked as big and strong as I remember, and he wasn't shy about contact at all. I liked how he fought for yardage on pretty much every carry. He did seem rusty when it came to processing his blocking and figuring out where to run -- it felt more like he ran up the backs of his linemen more than scan for space to make cuts and elude defenders. It was a good first step.\n\nFILM: Moss, meanwhile, had consistently great vision and used his combination of speed and power to crash through the Titans' front, especially when they stacked the box against him on his 56-yard touchdown run. There's nothing to suggest Moss is struggling, which means his playing time doesn't figure to dwindle.\n\nTHIS WEEK: Colts coach Shane Steichen said he's ramping up Taylor's workload in practice, and the official team website believes Taylor's snap share will increase both this week and as the season goes on. But Moss still figures to be the lead back and handle a majority of high-value touches.\n\nJAGUARS: Last week's showing against a Bills run defense that was disinterested in running the ball helped push their run defense numbers to new heights. On the season they've given up one touchdown on the ground, 3.6 yards per carry, a 6.0% explosive run rate and 2.27 yards after contact per rush to running backs. Only the explosive run rate doesn't register among the top-six across the league.\n\nStart Him In PPR (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Michael Pittman WR IND Indianapolis • #11\n\nAge: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ JAC JAC -4 O/U 45.5 OPP VS WR 18th PROJ PTS 13.1 WR RNK 21st YTD Stats REC 31 TAR 46 REYDS 297 TD 1 FPTS/G 13.7 If you're starting Pittman you're banking on him and Minshew landing on the same page a bunch. It also helps the cause that the Jaguars aren't exactly terrible against the run (3.6 yards per carry allowed), meaning that the Colts can't easily dominate on the ground for four quarters. He's best as a low-end WR2 in PPR leagues but no better than a flex in half- and non-PPR. For example, I'd start Zay Flowers, Tyler Lockett and Amari Cooper over Pittman in non-PPR, but not in PPR.\n\nWEEK 1: Came alive in the second half against the Jaguars and finished with a season-high 97 yards on eight catches with a well-documented 39-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.\n\nSINCE WEEK 1: Has been above 14 PPR points once (Week 3 at Baltimore, a game Gardner Minshew started). Over the past two weeks Pittman has totaled just 12 targets against the Rams and Titans for six catches and 67 yards. It's a far cry from Week 1.\n\nMINSHEW: Clearly more of a developed downfield thrower than Anthony Richardson and has thrown at Pittman on 26.4% of his routes run including four red-zone targets and an end-zone target. Even last week when Minshew played less than a half Pittman saw a target once every five routes he ran with Minshew.\n\nJAGUARS: Rank fifth with a 77.7% zone coverage rate, and they've consistently played a lot of zone in every game. They were also busted up by outside receivers (over 17.0 yards per catch) last week against Buffalo and two weeks ago against the Texans. Pittman tends to play outside more than in the slot. Finally, an outside receiver has scored at least once against the Jags in every game this season, including Pittman back in Week 1.\n\nPITTMAN: Tends to do better against zone coverage than man, though he was much better last year than this year. This year he's actually been about even in catch rate and yards per catch against man and zone coverage but does have a higher explosive play rate against zone (9.7% compared to 6.7% against man). That tracks back to last year, by the way -- his explosive play rate was nearly twice as high against zone than man.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nFlex Starter In PPR (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Nico Collins WR HOU Houston • #12\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NO NO -1.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 14th PROJ PTS 12.8 WR RNK 23rd YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 36 REYDS 467 TD 3 FPTS/G 17.9 I'm not sure the Saints will back off of their aggressive man-to-man coverage even if Stroud's stats suggest they should, and that could open the door for Collins to pick up some targets. Unfortunately, neither of his matchups are particularly favorable. I could see Collins getting a lot of short targets and for that reason alone I'd be OK starting him as a flex option in PPR ahead of Tyler Lockett and Chris Godwin, but behind Jakobi Meyers, Jaylen Waddle and Gabe Davis.\n\nLAST WEEK: Even in a game where the Texans lost Tank Dell to a concussion before the half, Collins couldn't get much going. That included in the second half when he saw one target and couldn't catch it. He definitely wasn't shadowed by anyone and was almost never double-teamed, though there were a couple of routes where a safety was in proximity. It could have had more to do with the Texans attacking the middle of the field against the Falcons' zone coverage.\n\nSAINTS: Have played the fifth-fewest snaps of zone coverage this season and have ignored tendencies some quarterbacks have had through the early portion of the season. It's just what they like to do. Stud cornerback Marshon Lattimore has not followed receivers much this season, playing 87% of his snaps at right cornerback (to the left of the quarterback). Their other primary outside corner, Paulson Adebo, has allowed a 50% catch rate on the season with minimal YAC.\n\nCOLLINS: It's minor but Collins does see a higher target per route run rate against man coverage (25%) than zone (22.2%). He also has a higher catch rate (87.5%) and higher receiving average (23.3) against man than zone (65.4% and 17.8). However, he's run nearly four times as many routes against zone coverage compared to man.\n\nMATCHUPS: It's also worth pointing out that Collins' two really big games came in Week 2 (vs. Indianapolis) and Week 4 (vs. Pittsburgh), both teams that rank in the bottom-10 in Fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. The Saints are in the top half.\n\nSTROUD: Has been outstanding against man coverage all year, completing a higher rate of passes (67.6%) for 3.5 more yards per attempt (11.1) than versus zone (7.6). However, he is nowhere near as impressive when he's pressured, completing 48.1% of his throws for a weak 4.3 yards per attempt.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Brock Purdy QB SF San Francisco • #13\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CLE SF -7 O/U 37 OPP VS QB 1st PROJ PTS 16.5 QB RNK 11th YTD Stats PAYDS 1271 RUYDS 24 TD 11 INT 0 FPTS/G 23.4 I thought Purdy would have a hard time last week against a defense that pressured the quarterback and played a lot of man coverage. The Cowboys wound up paying the price through the air for playing a ton of zone coverage instead. It was suggested by a friend that they didn't want to get burned by long runs by Christian McCaffrey. I guess that worked. The combination of the 49ers defense running hot and the Browns offense figuring to get stuffed should make for at least a game script for Purdy to have decent numbers. I'm not making the mistake again of benching Purdy -- I'd start him over Trevor Lawrence, Geno Smith and Jared Goff.\n\nLAST WEEK: Took on one of the toughest pass rushes in football and slayed them for four touchdowns on just 24 pass attempts. Of his seven incompletions, one was dropped, two were batted at the line of scrimmage, another was a throwaway and two more were defensed. Purdy was off-target on 0.0% of his throws.\n\nFANTASY: Has hit at least 20 Fantasy points in 9 of his 10 regular-season starts, and it really should be 10 for 10 because of a touchdown that was ruled a lateral back in Week 2. If you include the two playoff games he completed, Purdy has delivered at least 20 in 10 of 12 games. And in six of those 10 he hit at least 23 Fantasy points including each of his past three games.\n\nBROWNS: Have played the least amount of zone coverage snaps of any team in football this season, and they've done it consistently. There isn't a game this season where they've played even 65% of zone coverage snaps, and there have been only three quarters when they've called more than 70% of their snaps in zone coverage. Plus the Browns just saw the Cowboys play 90% of their snaps in zone coverage and Purdy cooked them like BBQ chicken.\n\nPURDY: Has been sensational against both man and zone coverages this season. His completion rate and yards per attempt are noticeably higher against zone, but five of his seven passing touchdowns have come versus man coverage. However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate. These stats are actually better than they were last week.\n\nBROWNS: Rank third in pass rush pressure rate at 41.5% and blitz at an above-average 29.3% rate. Granted, the Cowboys ranked higher than that last week and got beat anyway.\n\nLAMAR JACKSON: Faced the Browns in their last game, saw a ton of man coverage and was pressured a bunch and he still threw two touchdowns and completed 79% of his throws for 9.8 yards per attempt. And he did it without his starting left tackle and two of his top receivers. His defense turning over an ill-prepared Browns offense helped a bunch.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jerome Ford RB CLE Cleveland • #34\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs SF SF -7 O/U 37 OPP VS RB 11th PROJ PTS 12.2 RB RNK 24th YTD Stats RUYDS 186 REC 10 REYDS 77 TD 3 FPTS/G 13.6 In non-PPR there's almost no way you can feel good about starting Ford given the matchup and his own inefficiency. In PPR you can hope for another game with five catches, which honestly isn't a stretch since he just had one against a good defense two games ago. Maybe he's good enough to start as an end-of-the-barrel RB2, but I'd feel better going with Rachaad White, Alexander Mattison or D'Onta Foreman.\n\nSINCE CHUBB GOT HURT: Ford has averaged 4.3 yards per rush and 7.7 yards per catch with three total touchdowns (including the catch he had on the play after the Chubb injury). His 69-yard cross-field run at Pittsburgh has certainly helped his numbers out; without it he has zero touches of 20-plus yards and his only run for more than 10 yards came with a holding penalty.\n\nSNAPS: Ford has yet to dominate snaps at running back for the Browns, playing right around 60% in Weeks 3 and 4. In fact, Ford does not have more than 14 touches in a single game since taking over for Chubb, but it's been just two games.\n\nHERE COME THE 49ERS: On the year they've held enemy running backs to 3.7 yards per carry with an explosive run rate of 1.7% (which somehow is only second-best in football). The only rush defense metrics they're not top-five in are Defensive Rush EPA (just below league average), yards before contact per rush (0.88 yards, they're sixth), yards after contact per rush (2.80, just above league average). They even lead the NFL in fewest missed tackles. Tony Pollard had an 8-29-0 rushing stat line against them last week.\n\nWHAT ABOUT THROUGH THE AIR? Even though the 49ers see the fifth-most RB targets per game, they're better than league average in catch rate allowed (75%) and top-10 in both yards per catch (5.7) and YAC/reception (6.10) allowed to running backs. Pollard caught 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards last week.\n\nP.J. WALKER: Has thrown 17.2% of his career pass attempts to running backs. For 2023, the NFL league average of QB throws to running backs is 18.2%, so he's just below the current league average.\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Amari Cooper WR CLE Cleveland • #2\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs. If you start Cooper, you should not only have lower expectations but basically pray to the Fantasy Gods for some garbage production or ludicrous target volume. It's hard to trust Cooper to come through for a reliable stat line, and there's a lot of downside for a single-digit-point week. He's at best a low-end No. 3 receiver; I'd rather start Tyler Lockett, Chris Godwin or Drake London.\n\nLAST GAME: With rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, Cooper saw six targets and caught one for 16 yards. Half of the six targets were uncatchable. In his previous three with Deshaun Watson he had at least seven targets in each, and at least 16 PPR points in the past two.\n\nSINCE THEN: Watson hasn't practiced with the team. P.J. Walker was named the starter despite being on the team's practice squad and took reps this week in preparation for their game against the Niners.\n\nWALKER: Was cut by the Bears after the preseason before linking up with Cleveland. Has five career passing touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). He's had multiple passing scores in one NFL game. Only twice has a receiver had 100 yards from Walker (both by D.J. Moore, once in 2020, once in 2022). Two other times has a WR had at least 70 yards (Curtis Samuel in 2020, Terrace Marshall in 2022). In his NFL career, Walker has thrown specifically to wide receivers on 71.2% of his throws, which basically the only good thing you can take away from this paragraph.\n\nCOOPER: In effectively 30 career games without Dak Prescott, Derek Carr or Deshaun Watson on the field (meaning he played with a backup), Cooper has 13 touchdowns (seven from Brissett) and seven with 100-plus yards (four with Brissett). More importantly, Cooper had at least 15 PPR points in 13 of the 30 games (six with Brissett), so 43% of the time.\n\nBRISSETT VS WALKER: Comparing their play over the past four seasons, Brissett had a considerably higher completion rate (63% to 57.5%) with a lower interception rate (1.7% to 4.8%) and lower off-target rate (10.3% to 18.9%). Brissett didn't throw downfield as much as Walker, contributing to a higher ADOT for Walker, but not by much (8.8 to 8.3). Both quarterbacks were right around 6.5 yards per pass attempt.\n\n49ERS: Oh yeah, the matchup isn't great. No team allows fewer yards per catch to wideouts than the Niners (9.7), and they're thrown at a ton by offenses that have to play from behind. Only three receivers -- Puka Nacua (20 targets), Marquise Brown (10 targets) and Michael Wilson (two touchdowns) have had more than 15 PPR points against them. And only one other receiver -- Tutu Atwell (nine target) -- had more than 12 PPR points.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Rhamondre Stevenson RB NE New England • #38\n\nAge: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ LV LV -3 O/U 41.5 OPP VS RB 20th PROJ PTS 12 RB RNK 27th YTD Stats RUYDS 188 REC 12 REYDS 87 TD 1 FPTS/G 9.1 Bill Belichick spoke of \"starting all over\" in the wake of the Patriots' loss to the Saints last Sunday. Some might say dumping Elliott and giving more work to Stevenson would make sense, but Elliott actually has a higher rushing average and better before/after contact rates than Stevenson does! Maybe the Patriots will turn to another running back in hopes of finding anything that can help take pressure off of their depleted passing game. I can't recommend Stevenson as a start until we see proof of him playing well -- a favorable road matchup alone isn't enough. I'd rather start Jerome Ford, Zack Moss and D'Onta Foreman.\n\nLAST WEEK: Was the first time Stevenson did not have 16 or more touches in a game. He had eight carries and no receptions. He also played a season-low 50% of the snaps but did handle 10 of 16 snaps on third/fourth downs. Stevenson started and played the first two series, then Elliott started off the next two series, but they rotated in and out for each other the whole game. Elliott continued to be the Patriots RB of choice in the two-minute offense to end the first half.\n\nSTEVENSON: Nothing has changed in terms of his efficiency. We can blame the offensive line to some degree but Stevenson has averaged 0.97 yards before contact per rush this season. That ranks 30th out of 41 qualifying running backs. And if you think that's bad then consider his yards after contact per rush average of 1.79, which is dead last among those same 41 qualifiers.\n\nEXPLOSIVE RUNS: Stevenson has one (1) explosive carry of 12 or more yards. It was against Miami. It went 12 yards. This is a big change from 2022 when he had 21 explosive runs and an explosive run rate of 10%, which was eighth-best.\n\nRECEIVING: Is averaging 3.6 targets per game and catching 67% of them but is getting just 7.3 yards per catch and has one (1) explosive catch of 16 or more yards. That one went for 32 yards against the Eagles in Week 1. Since then his longest reception has been for seven yards.\n\nPATRIOTS: Have run one (1) play inside the opponents' five-yard line this entire season. That should help explain the lack of touchdowns for Stevenson.\n\nRAIDERS: Rank in the bottom 10 versus RBs in yards per carry allowed (4.3) and yards after contact per rush allowed (3.04). But they're also in the top-10 in most rush attempts by RBs faced (24.4 per game) and they've given up just three rushing touchdowns and an explosive run on 4.9% of their snaps (that's actually 10th best). And would you believe only one running back has scored more than 15 PPR points against the Raiders this season? It's James Cook.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Emari Demercado RB ARI Arizona • #31\n\nAge: 24 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ LAR LAR -7 O/U 48.5 OPP VS RB 10th PROJ PTS 11.6 RB RNK 20th YTD Stats RUYDS 48 REC 6 REYDS 40 TD 1 FPTS/G 4.2 A likely split of work with Ingram could not only cost Demercado some carries, but Ingram's big size (6-0, 220) could put him at the goal line if the Cardinals can somehow get there. Think of Demercado as a candidate for 10 PPR points and perhaps four non-PPR points. I'd rather start both Colts RBs, Javonte Williams and Chuba Hubbard if Miles Sanders is out.\n\nLAST WEEK: After James Conner left with an injury, Demercado played 100% of the Cardinals snaps. They could have used veteran RB Corey Clement to help him out but kept him on special-teams duty. And Demercado actually played fairly well, flashing solid speed and physicality on his runs with some patience blended in. He's not as big as Conner but he played kind of like him.\n\nTHIS WEEK: Arizona released a depth chart with second-year back Keaontay Ingram as the first stringer. It is expected that Ingram will work with Demercado in the Cardinals backfield this week.\n\nINGRAM: Through 15 regular-season games over two years, Ingram has averaged 1.9 rush yards per carry. His career-long run is 13 yards. This past preseason Ingram did rock for 4.4 yards per run but no carry went more than 11 yards. His 2022 preseason wasn't better than his 2023 preseason.\n\nTHIRD DOWNS: Demercado has worked as the Cardinals third-down guy since Week 2, playing 74% of those snaps. He's also had some reps in their two-minute offense. It's not a stretch to say he's been Arizona's passing downs RB. That should remain as part of his role moving forward. But honestly, unless Ingram gets a hot hand early, Demercado should be given a chance to work running downs too.\n\nRAMS: Have taken a step forward as a decent run defense. In their past three games, they're holding running backs to 3.6 yards per carry and are better than league average in yards before and after contact as well as in missed tackles. A rival running back has 13-plus PPR points in three of their past four games, but each of those backs had at least 20 touches. No one looks like even a 12-touch back for the Cardinals.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Jared Goff QB DET Detroit • #16\n\nAge: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ TB DET -3 O/U 43.5 OPP VS QB 3rd PROJ PTS 16.6 QB RNK 16th YTD Stats PAYDS 1265 RUYDS 12 TD 11 INT 3 FPTS/G 22.4 If the game were in Detroit I wouldn't hesitate to call Goff a must-start. But the Buccaneers defense deserves some credit for holding up against their opponents. Plus, Goff's two big games came against bad secondaries and suspect pass rushes. This one is a little tougher. I think Goff is good enough to start ahead of Trevor Lawrence, Sam Howell and Geno Smith, but I would put Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy ahead of him.\n\nLAST WEEK: Even without two of his most explosive targets, Goff exploited the Panthers defense for 236 yards and four total touchdowns on 28 pass attempts. And in the one specific area where you might have thought David Montgomery would have gotten the ball -- inside the 5 -- Goff threw two of his scores and dove for another.\n\nBUCCANEERS: Have been zone-heavy in three games but went man-to-man in an attempt to get back into their game against the Eagles in Week 3 and couldn't help their cause. That's their only loss on the season. The Bucs also blitz at the third-highest rate in football (41%) but even so they don't get a ton of pass rush pressure on the quarterback.\n\nGOFF: Has proven to be a little bit better against man coverage than zone this season, but his stats against both coverages are just fine (his QB rating against both are over 105 each). He has a better TD rate and attacks downfield a little more when he sees zone coverage. As for when he's blitzed, Goff's completion rate is sensational either way (over 68%) but naturally he has better numbers when he is not blitzed. The difference is noticeable but not detrimental.\n\nROAD WOES: I have to bring it up even though I don't like bringing it up -- since arriving in Detroit, Goff has topped 20 Fantasy points (six points per passing touchdown) twice in 16 road games.\n\nBUCCANEERS: Only one quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has posted over 20 Fantasy points this season on the Bucs. And only one quarterback, Kirk Cousins (on 44 attempts) threw two touchdowns against them.\n\nIf the game were in Detroit I wouldn't hesitate to call Goff a must-start. But the Buccaneers defense deserves some credit for holding up against their opponents. Plus, Goff's two big games came against bad secondaries and suspect pass rushes. This one is a little tougher. I think Goff is good enough to start ahead of Trevor Lawrence, Sam Howell and Geno Smith, but I would put Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy ahead of him.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nFlex Starter (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Garrett Wilson WR NYJ N.Y. Jets • #17\n\nAge: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs PHI PHI -7 O/U 41 OPP VS WR 31st PROJ PTS 11.7 WR RNK 29th YTD Stats REC 24 TAR 43 REYDS 279 TD 2 FPTS/G 12.8 Wilson's situation continues to hold him back from the potential he so clearly has. If he couldn't put up a monster game against the Broncos, it's a tough sell that he'll do so against the Eagles. I do think volume will be in his favor, so counting on him for close to 16 PPR points (half that in non-PPR) is fair. That gives him flex appeal over Nico Collins and Tyler Lockett, but not over Jakobi Meyers, Zay Flowers or Gabe Davis.\n\nLAST WEEK: Coming off the heels of what felt like a step in the right direction, Wilson couldn't take advantage of a favorable matchup against the Broncos. He led the Jets in targets (seven) but was second behind Tyler Conklin in catches and yards. Wilson's 26.9% target share was a season low. Getting shadowed by Patrick Surtain on all but one of his targets didn't help, nor did having a pass bounce off his hands within five yards of the end zone.\n\nZACH WILSON: Was off-target on 15.4% of his throws for the second consecutive week even though he had a higher completion rate (73.1%) and passing yard average (7.7 yards per attempt). It's a byproduct of Wilson attempting just 26 throws after putting the ball up 39 times the game before.\n\nUNCATCHABLE: Of the 43 targets Garrett Wilson has seen from Zach Wilson, 14 of them (33%) have been uncatchable.\n\nEAGLES: Have let up a slew of receiving numbers by virtue of seeing so many passes thrown against them (27.4 targets per game just to wide receivers). So naturally they rank in the bottom five in catches allowed, YAC allowed and touchdowns allowed. But on per-target metrics they're doing all right. A 60.6% completion rate allowed is 10th-best, 11.4 yards per catch allowed is seventh-best and 4.06 YAC/reception is on par with the league average.\n\nPASS RUSH: As overworked as the Eagles secondary has been, their pass rush has been solid. Against soft O-lines in Washington and L.A., the Eagles have put pressure on at a rate of 37.6% and have blitzed 33.3% of snaps. Given the state of the Jets offensive line after losing guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to a season-ending injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Eagles were to spook Zach Wilson frequently, leading to shorter throws, off-target throws and sacks.\n\nLET'S DO MATH: If the Jets are forced to throw much more than they did last week, say it's 39 times, then roughly 30% of those targets will go to Garrett Wilson. That's 12 targets. That's great. But of those 12, one-third figure to be uncatchable, meaning that we're looking at eight receptions at best for Wilson. And even though Wilson is averaging 8.7 yards per catch on the season, he deserves the benefit of at least 10.0 yards per catch since the Eagles are allowing 11.4 yards per catch to receivers. So maybe he can deliver just past 15 PPR points. Not too shabby.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nStart Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Darren Waller TE NYG N.Y. Giants • #12\n\nAge: 31 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ BUF BUF -14 O/U 44.5 OPP VS TE 4th PROJ PTS 10.2 TE RNK 7th YTD Stats REC 23 TAR 34 REYDS 239 TD 0 FPTS/G 9.4 Waller is a safe bet to lead the Giants in targets, but everyone in the stadium will know it. That includes the Bills, who could easily drape a second defender near him to force the Giants quarterback (whoever it is) to throw elsewhere. Waller is a low-end starter in the same range as Kyle Pitts and Cole Kmet -- and only ahead of them because of the volume we're hoping he gets.\n\nLAST WEEK: Waller was a focal point of the Giants offense and caught 8 of 11 targets for 86 yards at Miami. Four of the targets came from Tyrod Taylor (for 3-31-0), all in the fourth quarter. That was a 33% target share just from Taylor. And Waller could have had a bigger game as he was close to corralling some deep targets from Daniel Jones.\n\nTAYLOR: Has a career target rate of 22.4% to his tight ends, which is real nice. As recently as 2020 he leaned on Hunter Henry while with the Chargers, and even in two of his hey-day years with the Bills did he work tightly with Charles Clay. He shouldn't be a detriment.\n\nTHIS SEASON: Waller has the highest target share on the G-Men, but it's 20.8%. His ADOT also sits at 8.9, and both that number and the target share got lifted up by the Giants' decision to force-feed targets to Waller last week. He also ran more downfield routes than we're used to seeing. If the Giants stick with this then Waller can meet some of his lofty expectations. But I think if Brian Daboll had it his way he'd try to find explosive plays from all of his receivers and spread the ball around.\n\nBILLS: Got their first test against tight ends last week in Evan Engram and swarmed him -- he caught 4 of 8 targets for 28 yards. He is used similarly to Waller, which makes Buffalo's game plan for slowing Waller down easy to carry over this week. Their pass rush should also impact the Giants passing game and may force Waller to run shorter routes so he gets open quicker.\n\nStart 'em 10.0-7.00 6.99 - 5.01 5.00 - 0 Sit 'em\n\nSit Him (Lineup Decisions) Projections powered by Sportsline Dak Prescott QB DAL Dallas • #4\n\nAge: 30 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ LAC DAL -2.5 O/U 51 OPP VS QB 21st PROJ PTS 18.9 QB RNK 15th YTD Stats PAYDS 1061 RUYDS 45 TD 5 INT 4 FPTS/G 13.8 Trusting Prescott is a tall task, even in what looks like a favorable matchup. The Cowboys might pivot to a slower approach with Tony Pollard handling the run game more than he has been over the past couple of games. That could take pressure off of Prescott, but it doesn't mean he'll unload statistically. I'd rather start Sam Howell, Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford.\n\nLAST WEEK: A nightmare scenario as Prescott tried to get aggressive on downfield throws early and missed until he hit KaVontae Turpin for a 26-yard touchdown. Then Prescott HAD to throw deep to try and climb back into the game and got sloppy on two of his interceptions (a third bounced off of Michael Gallup's hands). He didn't even play the last 12 minutes of the game and the Cowboys got blown out.\n\nTHIS SEASON: Prescott's completion rate is fine (69.4%) and his off-target rate is low (8.1%). So what's the problem? Prescott's ADOT is 6.5, ranking 28th among 33 qualifying quarterbacks. He's actually second-to-last in pass attempts of 10-plus Air Yards; only Daniel Jones has thrown fewer. And the scary part is that his ADOT was over a yard lower (5.4) going into last week's game, so the Cowboys tried to let him air it out and the plan completely backfired.\n\nO-LINE: It's possible that injuries that go as far back as to Week 2 along with some declining play from Tyler Biadasz and Terence Steele could be contributing factors for Prescott's low ADOT. He doesn't want to get hit, so he's getting the ball out as fast as he can. Even against the 49ers he sped up his motion and overshot those targets. He's just not as comfortable and the offense isn't adjusting well enough.\n\nCHARGERS: Traditionally play a good amount of zone coverage but have changed it up more often this season and used more man-to-man, including versus Miami in Week 1. But despite some headliners in the front seven and 16 sacks in their past three games, the Chargers rank fourth-worst in pass rush pressure rate at 29.5% this season. They also blitz at about the league average rate. In theory this should not be a difficult matchup for Prescott, but\n\nKELLEN MOORE: Prescott's QB coach and/or playcaller for the prior five seasons will be coaching the Chargers offense on Sunday, but he's sure to have spilled the beans on Prescott's tendencies. We've seen offensive coordinators come back to wreck their old teams all the time and could see it again on Sunday.\n\nFANTASY: The only quarterback to not get at least 22 Fantasy points against the Chargers was Raiders rookie Aidan O'Connell.", + "Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, Deebo Samuel scored three TDs and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was checked for a concussion in the San Francisco 49ers’ 42-19 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.\n\nThe fiery NFC championship game rematch also featured 49ers’ touchdowns on six straight possessions and a pair of ejections that showed this year’s title game may not run again through Philly, after all.\n\n49ers' Dre Greenlaw has been disqualified from tonight's game after this incident on the Eagles sideline. pic.twitter.com/2N4W17N8u9 — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 3, 2023\n\nThe 49ers (9-3) left Philly 10 months ago battered in the NFC championship game behind injuries to Purdy and his backup, and they never stood a chance in a 31-7 loss. The 49ers spent an offseason chirping at the Birds – Samuel called one Eagles cornerback “trash” – and then entered the Linc as a rare betting favorite against a 10-win team at home.\n\nThe Eagles (10-2) suffered a scare when Hurts jogged off the field in the fourth and went straight to the locker room. He was cleared to play and returned to action with about 10 minutes left. It was not immediately clear when Hurts was injured.\n\nBy the time last season’s NFL MVP runner-up returned, the Eagles trailed 35-13 and were on their way toward their first home loss of the season. Hurts did hit DeVonta Smith for a two-yard TD on his return drive. He finished 26-of-45 passing for 298 yards. Purdy put the finishing touches on the win with a 46-yard TD to Samuel.\n\nPerhaps all that braggadocio paid off for the 49ers. Hard feelings spilled into the game, highlighted by a scrap in the third quarter that got 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and the the Eagles’ chief security officer tossed.\n\nDom DiSandro, a constant presence on the Eagles’ sideline, pulled Greenlaw off Smith after a reception. Greenlaw popped up and reached over two officials to touch DiSandro’s face with a closed fist. Greenlaw was ejected. DiSandro, a cult hero in Philly for his ever-present backup when Eagles are out in public, also was told to leave and walked to the locker room to a roaring ovation.\n\nLos Angeles Chargers 6-0 New England Patriots\n\nJustin Herbert threw for 212 yards and set up a pair of Cameron Dicker field goals that were all the Los Angeles Chargers (5-7) needed for their first shutout in six years. Keenan Allen came back from a thigh injury to catch five passes for 58 yards. But the only scoring the Chargers could manage was a pair of 38-yard field goals in the second quarter. New England made a quarterback switch, benching Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe. But the Patriots (2-10) still lost their fifth straight game. For the first time in franchise history, the Patriots have been shut out at home twice in a season. Zappe was sacked five times – two by Khalil Mack, giving him a career-high 15 for the season and 99 in his career. Zappe was 13 for 25 for 141 yards; he did avoid an interception for the first time in three games, the previous two in relief of Jones.\n\nTyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 yards receiving to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders 45-15. The AFC East-leading Dolphins are 9-3 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa was turnover-free after giving the ball away four times over the past two games. De’Von Achane ran for two touchdowns in his return after missing five of the past six with a knee injury. The Commanders have lost four in a row. Washington’s Sam Howell threw a pick-6 for a third consecutive game.\n\nDetroit Lions 33–28 New Orleans Saints\n\nSam LaPorta had career highs of nine catches for 140 yards, including an early touchdown and a crucial first-down snag in the final minutes, and the Detroit Lions beat the reeling New Orleans Saints. Detroit improved to 9-3, their best record through 12 games since they went 10-2 in 1962. The Saints lost quarterback Derek Carr in the fourth quarter to back, shoulder and head injuries. Carr was hurt on a penalized hit by Bruce Irvin. New Orleans fell to 5-7, behind first-place Atlanta in the NFC South.\n\nKansas City Chiefs 19-27 Green Bay Packers\n\nThe Green Bay Packers picked up their fourth win in five games as they beat the defending Super Bowl champions. The 6-6 Packers are now in the NFC wildcard places after Sunday night’s win.\n\nDenver Broncos 17-22 Houston Texans\n\nNico Collins had a career-high 191 yards receiving and a fourth-quarter touchdown, and Jimmie Ward intercepted Denver’s Russell Wilson in the end zone with nine seconds left to left to help the Houston (7-5) Texans hold on for a win over the Broncos. Ward leapt in front of intended receiver Lucas Krull to secure the fourth victory in five games for Houston and snap a five-game winning streak for Denver (6-6). Wilson was intercepted a season-high three times, all of them after halftime. Derek Stingley Jr had the first two picks for the Texans. Rookie CJ Stroud threw for 274 yards for Houston.\n\nIndianapolis Colts 31-28 Tennessee Titans\n\nGardner Minshew threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman with 2:31 left in overtime and the Indianapolis Colts (7-5) beat the Tennessee Titans (4-8) for their fourth straight victory. The Colts had to score a touchdown after Nick Folk made a 46-yard field goal with 4:19 left in overtime to put Tennessee up. Tennessee lost their first true home game this season and have yet to win consecutive games. The Titans blew a 17-7 lead. Nick Folk missed his first extra point this season with 5:26 left in regulation, which would have put Tennessee up 26-25.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Free weekly newsletter Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nMiami Dolphins 45–15 Washington Commanders\n\nTyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9). The AFC East-leading Dolphins are 9-3 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa was turnover-free after giving the ball away four times over the past two games. De’Von Achane ran for two touchdowns in his return after missing five of the past six with a knee injury. The Commanders have lost four in a row. Washington’s Sam Howell threw a pick-six for a third consecutive game.\n\nAtlanta Falcons 13-8 New York Jets\n\nDesmond Ridder threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to MyCole Pruitt and the Atlanta Falcons took over sole possession of first place in the NFC South by slogging their way to an ugly victory over the punchless New York Jets.\n\nThe Falcons (6-6) have back-to-back wins for the first time since opening the season with victories over Carolina and Green Bay. Atlanta entered tied atop the division with New Orleans, who lost to Detroit.\n\nBut this game appealed only to fans of sloppy play, punting and penalty flags. The Jets (4-8) got an early safety but couldn’t get anything going – again – on offense in losing their fifth straight game. New York even pulled quarterback Tim Boyle and replaced him with Trevor Siemian in the fourth quarter to try to provide a spark, but it was more of the same misery in what appeared a half-filled MetLife Stadium.\n\nCleveland Browns 19–36 Los Angeles Rams\n\nMatthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes, Puka Nacua became the first Rams rookie wide receiver to reach 1,000 yards in a season, and Los Angeles extended their winning streak to three games. The Rams have won three straight for the first time since winning the Super Bowl after the 2021 season. At 6-6, they are back in the playoff race after dropping three straight before their bye week. Joe Flacco was 23 of 44 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his Browns debut. Cleveland fell to 7-5 and occupy the final playoff spot in the AFC.\n\nArizona Cardinals 24–10 Pittsburgh Steelers\n\nJames Conner ran for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns against his old team as the Arizona Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the Cardinals’ first win at Pittsburgh since 1969. Arizona took control late in the first half with a 99-yard touchdown drive that ended with a five-yard strike from Kyler Murray to Trey McBride. The Cardinals led the rest of the way, enduring a pair of lengthy delays due to severe weather. The Steelers lost starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury late in the first half and scored their only touchdown in garbage time.\n\nCarolina Panthers 18–21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers\n\nTampa Bay’s Mike Evans scored on a 75-yard reception and joined Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history to string together 10 consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards receiving. Evans finished with seven receptions for 162 yards, increasing his season totals to 61 catches for 1,012 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rice has the league record of 11 straight seasons with more than 1,000 yards receiving. The Bucs won for only the second time in the past eight games. Carolina scored late to pull within a field goal, but No 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young threw an interception to end any chance of coming from behind to win in the Panthers’ debut under interim coach Chris Tabor.", + "Tessa Wullaert’s brace fired Belgium to a dramatic 3-2 home win over England in League A1 of 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Nations League.\n\nWullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.\n\nLaura De Neve earlier had curled the hosts ahead in the ninth minute before a serious collision between Alex Greenwood and Jassina Blom halted play in the 18th minute. whilst quick-fire goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby after the restart saw England fight back to lead briefly.\n\nBelgium now sit second in the group ahead of England by one point but two points behind group leaders, Netherlands.\n\nEmbed from Getty Images\n\nHaving battled to a narrow home win last Friday (27 October), England began on the front foot in Leuven with a fourth minute free-kick cleared by Belgium’s Nicky Evrard.\n\nBelgium however drew first blood in this Halloween encounter after Chloe Kelly was penalised for handball just outside of the box, which allowd De Neve to curl her ninth-minute free-kick straight into the near-top right corner beyond the reach of an outstretched Mary Earps.\n\nEngland struggled to mount a response as Belgium continued to soak up their pressure and hit them on the counter attack, until Greenwood and Blom banged heads in the 18th minute as they tried to meet an aerial pass.\n\nThe impact of their clash of heads resulted in both players falling to ground which necessitated a 13-minute delay for medical treatment, with Blom eventually able to continue after concussion checks whilst Greenwood was stretchered off.\n\nEngland tweeted at half-time that Greenwood was concious and talking to medical staff under observation.\n\nAlex Greenwood is conscious and talking, and is being monitored by our medical staff. ❤️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 31, 2023\n\nThat lengthy delay reignited England’s intensity which paid off as Lucy Bronze drew a 36th minute foul from Marie Detruyer, from which she headed in from Kelly’s subsequent free-kick two minutes later to restore parity.\n\nKelly then fired wide in 41st minute as Belgium were forced to substiute De Neves due to injury, which unsettled their defence.\n\nThat change further motivated England whilst Belgium’s defence were adjusting to the enforced change, as Bronze’s header a minute later from Keira Walsh’s cross was fired wide on the rebound by Alessia Russo.\n\nEngland continued to press and got their reward in the 44th minute as Lauren Hemp was unleashed up the left flank by Walsh, which allowed her to find Kirby on the pullback to rifle in beyond Evrard to turn the tie around.\n\nEngland’s lead however only lasted seven minutes into 14 minutes of first-half injury time, as Wullaert was played through on the counter-attack by Janice Cayman to slot into the far left corner to pull Belgium level at the break.\n\nUpon the second-half start, Kirby quickly drew a foul from Kassandra Missipo but Russo fumbled control from Kelly’s free-kick and her shot was blocked as England attempted to reclaim the lead.\n\nEvrard then saved Kirby’s shot from Bronze’s pullback pass in the 52nd minute as England continued to test the Red Flames’ defence.\n\nEngland however were given an almighty scare just past the hour mark as Wullaert pounced upon a through ball and side-stepped both Jess Carter and Millie Bright, yet Earps crucially blocked her shot with a stunning save to keep the score level.\n\nBelgium however were forced to defend for much of the last half-hour as Russo and Georgia Stanway saw shots denied, whilst substitute – Rachel Daly nodded wide in the 80th minute from Walsh’s deep corner towards the left post.\n\nSarina Wiegman’s Lionesses were eventually made to pay for their wasted chances as Stanway handballed Daniels’ 83rd minute spot, which led referee – Esther Staubli to award a penalty to the hosts.\n\nWullaert stepped up and fired the penalty into the bottom-left corner to put Belgium in front, despite Earps diving the correct way to try and make the save.\n\nBelgium eventually clung on for victory which put them second in the group ahead of England and two points behind Netherlands, with their two rivals set to meet on 1 December in a blockbuster showdown.\n\nWhat’s Next?\n\nBelgium will meet Scotland on Friday 1 December at Den Dreef, Leuven in a 8:30pm CET (7:30pm) kick-off, with the Belgian Red Flames knowing that a win would put their fate in their own hands heading into their final group match away to the Netherlands.\n\nEngland meanwhile host Netherlands that same evening at Wembley Stadium, London, in a 7:45pm GMT kick-off, with the Lionesses needing to win their last two games and hope that Netherlands plus Belgium slip up to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages\n\nTeam\n\nBelgium: Nicky Evrard, Sari Kees, Tine De Caigny, Laura De Neve (Wijnants 41′), Janice Cayman, Kassandra Missipo, Justine Vanhaevermaet, Laura Deloose, Marie Detruyer (Daniels 74′), Tessa Wullaert, Jassina Blom (Declacauw 74′)\n\nSubstitutes: Davina Philtjens, Shari Van Belle, Amy Littel, Sarah Wijnants, Isabelle Iliano, Feli Declacauw, Diede Lemey, Yana Daniels, Jody Vangheluwe, Welma Fon, Jill Janssens, Lisa Lichtfus\n\nEngland: Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood (Carter 32′), Niamh Charles, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh, Chloe Kelly, Fran Kirby (Toone 68), Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo (Daly 68′)\n\nSubstitutes: Esme Morgan, Hannah Hampton, Ella Toone, Jess Carter, Katie Zelem, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Grace Clinton, Rachel Daly, Maya Le Tissier, Ellie Roebuck, Jess Park, Khiara Keating\n\nReferee – Esther Staubli (Switzerland)\n\nLike this: Like Loading...", + "Jürgen Klopp’s prediction that Liverpool would not “fly” through the Europa League group stage amounts to their only mis-step so far. Qualification for the knockout phase is already close at hand with the procession continuing against Toulouse.\n\nKlopp could ring the changes before Nottingham Forest’s Premier League visit on Sunday, give a full debut to 19-year-old left-back Luke Chambers, first Liverpool outings to Calum Scanlon and James McConnell, and still enjoy a fluent, dominant display. It was polished by goals from Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo, Darwin Núñez, the highly impressive Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah. Salah’s strike with the final kick of the game was his 43rd European goal for Liverpool and took him above Thierry Henry as the most prolific goalscorer for an English club in European competition.\n\n“I think I said it before – it is really easy to fall in love with this team, there is so much excitement,” said the Liverpool manager after a seventh win in seven home matches this season. “We have to make massive steps, we have to grow, but a lot of signs are really positive and how the team interacts with each other is really nice.”\n\nRivalry was forgotten and friendship remembered as Liverpool paid a warm tribute before kick-off to Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman who died on Monday. The Hollies’ He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – the song Kenwright chose for a Hillsborough tribute at Goodison Park and became a fund-raising single for the justice campaign – was played to mass applause from the Liverpool fans inside Anfield. Kenwright’s powerful speech at the Hillsborough memorial service in 2013 and lasting support for the bereaved families will not be forgotten across Stanley Park.\n\nLiverpool have won all three group games with something to spare, underlining why they are favourites for this season’s competition, but the visit of French Cup winners Toulouse proved the most entertaining contest so far. Granted, Toulouse’s terrible defending was a contributory factor but so too was the marauding midfield play of Gravenberch and Liverpool’s quality in front of goal.\n\nThe hosts swept into an early lead when Jota collected a Joe Gomez interception, spun away from Cristian Cásseres and Niklas Schmidt, breezed past a nonexistent challenge from Logan Costa and beat goalkeeper Guillaume Restes with a confident finish.\n\nDiogo Jota slots the ball past Guillaume Restes to give Liverpool an early lead at Anfield. Photograph: David Blunsden/Action Plus/Shutterstock\n\nThe travelling Toulouse contingent were in uproar as their side stunned Anfield with a fine equaliser. Aron Dønnum dissected the Liverpool defence with a first time ball to Thijs Dallinga, who kept his cool on the long run towards Caoimhín Kelleher’s goal and drilled his shot beyond the stand-in keeper.\n\nMore pedestrian defending allowed Liverpool to regain the lead via the first goal of Endo’s Anfield career. Harvey Elliott played a short corner to Curtis Jones, he found Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the Japan international guided the captain’s cross beyond the Toulouse keeper with a precise header. The towering Moussa Diarra epitomised Toulouse’s defending around the goal by standing back to admire Endo as he headed home.\n\nQuick Guide Europa Conference League: Villa and Faroe Islanders soar Show Ollie Watkins continued his red-hot form as Aston Villa cruised to a statement 4-1 win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League. The striker netted his 10th goal of the season and fourth in Europe this season on Thursday. Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans – his first for Villa – put them in control in AZ Stadium after less than 25 minutes. Vangelis Pavlidis wasted the hosts' best chances but Watkins and John McGinn added more goals after the break in the Netherlands before Ibrahim Sadiq grabbed a consolation. It was the second time in two games Villa had scored four after their 4-1 Premier League win over West Ham on Sunday. Ki Klaksvik became the first Faroe Islands club to win in the group stages of a European competition with a stunning 3-0 success againt Olimpija Ljubljana. Rene Joensen, Pall Klettskard and Jakup Andreasen were the heroes at at the 6,500 capacity Torsvollur national stadium. Aberdeen's hopes of navigating a route through the Conference League group stage suffered a major blow as they threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against PAOK Salonika on a rollercoaster night at Pittodrie. Having weathered heavy pressure in a goalless first half, Barry Robson's men found themselves two goals to the good by the hour mark thanks to Bojan Miovski and Dante Polvara. But a stunning comeback saw the Greek side take three points after goals from substitutes Kiril Despodov and captain Vieirinha, and a stoppage-time penalty, awarded after a VAR check, from Stefan Schwab. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.\n\nIt was soon three when Gravenberch surged through the Toulouse midfield and found Jones. The midfielder’s shot was blocked by Mikkel Desler but rebounded off Jones into the path of Núñez, who lashed a thumping finish into the roof of Restes’ net.\n\nThe second half was memorable mainly for misses. Gabriel Suazo squandered a glorious chance to haul Toulouse back into the contest when Kelleher sliced a clearance into the path of Dallinga. The goalscorer squared for Suazo who had a free shot on a goal with only Alexander-Arnold standing in it. To his despair, he managed to find the defender’s thigh.\n\nNot to be outdone, Núñez failed to complete what should have been a stunning individual goal when he left Rasmus Nicolaisen floundering with a superb footwork and rounded the Toulouse goalkeeper. The Uruguay international struck a post instead of the open goal and was on his knees in disbelief when Gravenberch finished the job from the rebound. Salah came off the bench to end the rout and create yet more history when scoring off the underside of the bar.", + "It’s official! Elon Musk’s X marks the spot of the first confirmed investigation opened by the European Union under its rebooted digital rulebook, the Digital Services Act (DSA).\n\nAnnouncing the opening of a “formal proceeding” today, the European Commission said the investigation will look at whether the social networking platform may have breached rules linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.\n\nThe opening of a formal DSA investigation on X comes hard on the heels of a complaint against X’s adtech by privacy rights group, noyb — although today’s formal proceeding is unlikely to be directly linked as the Commission has been probing the platform for months via a flurry of requests for information. Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.\n\nBack in October the Commission sent Musk’s company an “urgent” formal request for information about how it was responding to information risks arising out of the conflict. The EU also said then it was looking at X’s compliance across a number of areas, including policies and practices regarding notices on illegal content, complaint handling, risk assessment and measures to mitigate the risks identified — and it gave X until the end of October to respond.\n\n“On the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X’s Transparency report published on 3 November, and X’s replies to a formal request for information, which, among others, concerned the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel, the Commission has decided to open formal infringement proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act,” the EU said today.\n\nPer the Commission, the EU’s investigation of X focuses on the following areas and issues:\n\nCompliance with DSA obligations related to countering the dissemination of illegal content in the EU — “ notably in relation to the risk assessment and mitigation measures adopted by X to counter the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, as well as the functioning of the notice and action mechanism for illegal content in the EU mandated by the DSA, including in light of X’s content moderation resources\n\n— “ The effectiveness of measures taken by X to combat info manipulation — with a focus on the effectiveness of its “Community Notes” system of crowdsourcing fact-checking to aggregated views of users, who may vote to label disputed tweets with additional context. The EU said the probe will also look at the effectiveness of “related policies mitigating risks to civic discourse and electoral processes”\n\n— with a focus on the effectiveness of its “Community Notes” system of crowdsourcing fact-checking to aggregated views of users, who may vote to label disputed tweets with additional context. The EU said the probe will also look at the Transparency requirements — with a focus on “suspected shortcomings” by X in giving researchers access to publicly accessible data as mandated by Article 40 of the DSA, and suspected shortcomings in its ads repository (aka the ads transparency library the regulation also mandates)\n\n— with a focus on “suspected shortcomings” by X in giving researchers access to publicly accessible data as mandated by Article 40 of the DSA, and suspected shortcomings in its ads repository (aka the ads transparency library the regulation also mandates) Suspected deceptive design elements in X’s user interface — “notably in relation to checkmarks linked to certain subscription products, the so-called Blue checks”\n\n“If proven, these failures would constitute infringements of Articles 34(1), 34(2) and 35(1), 16(5) and 16(6), 25(1), 39 and 40(12) of the DSA,” the EU added — saying it will now carry out an in-depth investigation “as a matter of priority”.\n\nToday we open formal infringement proceedings against @X : ⚠️ Suspected breach of obligations to counter #IllegalContent and #Disinformation ⚠️ Suspected breach of #Transparency obligations ⚠️ Suspected #DeceptiveDesign of user interface#DSA pic.twitter.com/NxKIif603k — Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 18, 2023\n\nThe Commission is responsible for enforcing the DSA on larger platforms such as X — which was designated a very large online platform (VLOP) under the DSA back in April. Confirmed breaches of the online governance regime can face a range of major sanctions, including fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.\n\nThe EU can also apply interim measures where it believes there’s a risk of serious harm for users and may even seek to have access to infringing services temporarily blocked. Although its announcement today is careful to caveat the development by affirming no conclusions have yet been reached.\n\nThere is also no confirmed timeline for the probe to conclude. But the fact of it being opened means other tools are put within reach of regulators and could be applied if the EU sees the need to act quickly — such as the aforementioned interim measures. So the Commission’s official scrutiny of X could have real world implications for how the platform operates sooner rather than later.\n\nReached for a response to the EU probe, X’s Joe Benarroch — who was brought into the company by CEO Linda Yaccarino relatively recently to work on business operations — said:\n\nX remains committed to complying with the Digital Services Act, and is cooperating with the regulatory process. It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law. X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal.\n\nWhile X under Musk has very evidently been flying the ship in the opposite direction to the responsible governance the DSA intends to encourage — hence attracting so many warnings from EU lawmakers, even long before today’s formal probe — it’s notable X recently started offering a research program for outsiders to get data to systemic risks arising on the platform in the EU. However the Commission obviously has doubts X has gone far enough on the transparency front to meet the DSA’s bar.\n\nEU regulators are also set to assess Musk & co’s claims that replacing a formal content moderation function with crowdsourced opinions is a valid approach to tackling diverse information risks; and, consequently, to look into how much Musk’s gutting of content moderation teams and processes has cost X’s users in terms of harm exposure.\n\nTo say the Commission’s investigation looks fascinating and timely is an understatement.\n\nEU lawmakers can certainly bask in the glow of being prepared for the possibility of an erratic billionaire running a wrecking ball through a major social platform. But of course they will need to follow through — and it’s clear the real work is just starting. So this probe looks set to be a test of how much stomach the EU has to actually enforce the rules it loves to lay down on paper.\n\nThe investigation may also test Musk’s mettle for what could be an expensive head-on clash with EU regulators. Time will tell how this one plays out but he may find the dead blue bird he’s chosen to hang around his neck, when he purposefully ripped up the standard content moderation rulebook and opted to channel online chaos, starting to feel like it’s dragging him down.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The corporate and creative philosophy behind streaming television is in a state of flux, and now the cracks in the prevailing wisdom are starting to appear. Take, for instance, the value of exclusivity. For the past five or so years entertainment companies have been focused on creating their own streaming platforms, which would be built around exclusive control of their original content, whether it was original new series or a sister studio’s Hollywood movies. But now that income is desired most, some streamers are once again willing to sell non-exclusive rights to others. In December, one of the best original shows on Paramount+, the compelling horror-laced drama Yellowjackets, will become available on Netflix (see below for my recommendation). Netflix gets a buzzy show the vast majority of its subscribers have never had access to, while Paramount+ earns a rights payment and broadens the audience for Yellowjackets, which has a third season commissioned. Streaming’s walls are crumbling. That said, there are still plenty of promising new shows and movies, most of them exclusive to their services, debuting in December. Whether you’re after an awards season blockbuster (Netflix’s Maestro) or an Australian comic-drama (Binge’s Strife), your watchlist should be well loaded. Netflix Bradley Cooper stars as legedary conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro. Credit: Jason McDonald/Netflix My top Netflix recommendation is Maestro (December 20). Not since Warren Beatty in the late 1970s has a Hollywood leading man so completely – perhaps obsessively – given themselves over to filmmaking as Bradley Cooper. The credit he banked from starring in the Hangover comedies, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Sniper let Cooper co-write, direct and star in the 2018 hit A Star is Born. He now fills the same three positions in another movie about a tormented musician: the superstar American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Cooper bristles at the term biopic, and instead the film focuses on Bernstein’s conducting, his nurturing marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), and his parallel relationships with male lovers. There’s no Shallow to be found here, but Cooper appears to inhabit Bernstein across decades and the film is primed for the Academy Awards.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAlso on Netflix: Few shows recently have cast a spell as intense as Yellowjackets (December 15), a now-and-then horror thriller about a group of deeply divided 40-something women forced to confront the grim but unspoken reality of how they endured 18 months marooned in the Canadian wilderness as teenagers. With Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci among the survivors, the story is a mix of supernatural menace, black comedy, teenage adversity, and deeply expressed trauma. It’s coming to Netflix after two years on Paramount+ and it’s a can’t-look-away binge just waiting to happen. When the history of the high-concept Hollywood blockbuster is written, Zack Snyder’s name will be prominent – for better or worse. Snyder is responsible for 300, Man of Steel, and most of Justice League, and having come to Netflix for the tepid zombie heist movie Army of the Dead he’s doubling down with Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire (December 22). A two-part space opera – the sequel is scheduled for next April – that Snyder originally pitched as a Star Wars spin-off, it’s a Seven Samurai-influenced epic about a former soldier, Kora (Atomic Blonde’s Sofia Boutella), who recruits a group of mercenaries (Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou) to defend the farmers on a moon threatened by the galaxy’s authoritarian ruler. Digital science-fiction spectacle is a given, but can Snyder deliver genuine emotional stakes? November highlights: David Fincher hit the mark with his assured hitman drama The Killer, documentary Last Stop Larrimah was a fascinating outback mystery, Robbie Williams was a star telling his own story, but prestige drama All the Light We Cannot See fell short. Binge Opal (BeBe Bettencourt), Christine (Maria Angelico), Jeeet (Olivia Junkeer), Penny (Bryony Skillington) and Evelyn (Asher Keddie) in Strife. Credit: Binge My top Binge recommendation is Strife (December 6). It’s not a direct adaptation, but this new Australian comic-drama about a woman trying to keep up with her own life is based on Mia Freedman’s 2017 memoir, Work Strife Balance. Asher Keddie, who has previously summed up the conflicting demands on professional women in Offspring and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, plays the fictional Evelyn Jones, a blogger who strikes a chord and becomes an online publisher and media commentator just as her marriage is coming apart. Evelyn keeps getting pulled in every direction, a situation that should be both comically rich and smartly telling in the hands of the show’s creator, Sarah Scheller, who previously put together the terrific motherhood comedy The Letdown (currently on Netflix). The supporting cast includes Matt Day (Rake) and Jonathan LaPaglia (The Slap).\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAlso on Binge: I won’t spoil it, but there was a nerve-shredding cliffhanger in the first season of Vigil (December 11) that I still think about far too often. That’s a pretty strong indicator that this Scottish crime thriller, where a police detective was assigned to a murder investigation on board an on-duty British nuclear submarine, pushed the right buttons. The show’s second season stays on dry land but retains the military focus: when an attack drone demonstration at a British army base goes tragically wrong, Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva (Suranne Jones, Gentleman Jack) and her now pregnant partner, Detective Sergeant Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones), are called in to investigate. Expect a fast pace and significant twists – this series doesn’t do quiet contemplation. November highlights: Comedy troupe Please Don’t Destroy flew the flag for 20-somethings with The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, picaresque comedy Bookie made the right bet, and Julia continued the celebrity chef biography of Julia Child. Stan* Claudia Karvan and Nathalie Morris in the new season of Bump. Credit: Stan My top Stan recommendation is Bump (December 26). It’s one of the best new traditions in Australian television: a new season of this tremendous Sydney-based comic-drama gets uploaded every Boxing Day. This is the fourth instalment of Kelsey Munro and Claudia Karvan’s show and one of the strong points about it is that each iteration places its ensemble cast in a testing new light. The high-school students of season one, Oly (Nathalie Morris) and Santi (Carlos Sanson Jr), who were thrown together when a hook-up turned into a teenage pregnancy, are now a career woman and stay-at-home dad while their daughter, Jacinda (Ava Cannon), is in primary school. Bump tugs at the heartstrings, but with hard-earned understanding and a feel for the contrary demands of family. Please keep it coming. Also on Stan: Revealed: Ben Roberts-Smith Truth on Trial (December 10) is a feature-length documentary that provides the inside story to one of Australia’s most contentious and headline-making pieces of investigative journalism: the five-year quest to unearth the truth behind rumours that the country’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, committed war crimes in Afghanistan. With stories in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, as well as on 60 Minutes, journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters pushed to bring the truth to the public, navigating divisions in the SAS and eventually the defamation trial that Roberts-Smith brought to court and lost. It’s been a compelling saga, and Dora Weekley’s documentary should include hitherto unknown details and unheard commentary.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nI still haven’t got over the nightmarish sounds of a spinal surgery going very wrong in the first season, but nonetheless Dr Death (December 22) is back for a second serve of malpractice and monstrous medical egos. This American true crime drama is now an anthology. Every season is a different doctor whose abuse of privilege posed a criminal risk to their patients. The new season will cover Paolo Macchiarini, an Italian surgeon and researcher who was accused of laboratory fraud and manipulative behaviour. Fresh from Wolf Like Me, Edgar Ramirez plays Macchiarini, while Mandy Moore (This is Us) is Benita Alexander, the journalist who got dangerously close to the truth. November highlights: The final season of groundbreaking Canadian comedy Sort Of confirmed it as an under-the-radar gem, Scrublands was a tight Australian crime thriller, and science-fiction fans got a spin-off with Orphan Black: Echoes. Amazon Prime Alan Ritchson returns in Reacher. Credit: Amazon Prime My top Amazon Prime recommendation is Reacher (December 15). I am much heartened by the star of this American action series, Alan Ritchson, who decided that, despite looking like an absolute unit in the show’s first season, he nonetheless needed to add even more muscle for these new episodes to convincingly depict Jack Reacher. Adapted from Lee Child’s wildly successful novels about an off-the-grid former US military policeman – somehow the diminutive Tom Cruise played the role in a pair of movies – Reacher is an uncomplicated guy: he fixes wrongs with two fists and zero concerns. If anything, the first season was too subtle, so an even larger Reacher who drops deadpan one-liners while having access to a missile launcher seems promising. And I’m taking the under for the proposition of whether a ripped Reacher sheds his shirt within three episodes. Also on Amazon Prime: Recommending Prisoner’s Daughter (December 5) is a bet on talent. This domestic drama has a familiar outline, with an ageing and terminally ill criminal having his sentence commuted on the grounds that he lives with his estranged daughter, a single mother and Las Vegas waitress struggling to make ends meet and connect her son with a positive role model. Obviously, they’re going to belatedly bond in the face of increasingly fraught difficulties, but how that plays out will be guided by the performances of Brian Cox (Succession) and Kate Beckinsale (Laurel Canyon) as father and daughter, and the direction of Catherine Hardwicke, who found something genuine in the first Twilight movie before being replaced for the sequels by a succession of ill-equipped male filmmakers.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nNovember highlights: The adult animated superhero drama Invincible returned with more cape fear, while the Bond franchise authorised a reality competition with 007: Road to a Million. Apple TV+ The Peanuts gang is back in The Snoopy Show - Happiness is Holiday Traditions. Credit: Apple TV+ My top Apple TV+ recommendation is The Snoopy Show: Happiness is Holiday Traditions (December 1). Just quietly, over the past two years Apple TV+ has been producing a nourishing stream of animated Snoopy content that is faithful to Charles M Schulz’s beloved comic strip, Peanuts. The spotted white beagle and his adolescent cohort – Charlie Brown, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, and many more – have always transferred easily from a panel on the page to an animation frame, and this official adaptation has a trademark mix of wry humour, flights of fantasy, and heartwarming camaraderie. Happiness is Holiday Traditions is a bonus special to close off the third season of the series, and it will stay true to the rule that helps make Peanuts endure: no adults are seen or heard. Also on Apple TV+: The trailer for Family Plan (December 15), an action-comedy feature where Mark Wahlberg plays a former master assassin who left the trade and secretly built a new life in the American suburbs as a cheerful husband and father, is goofy as all heck. The question is whether it’s ludicrous fun or just sappy shenanigans? Wahlberg’s Dan Morgan, who has to go on a Las Vegas road trip with his blissfully unaware family after his cover is blown, dispatching goons while carrying his youngest in a BabyBjorn and stunt driving in a family minivan are positive signs. Michelle Monaghan (True Detective) plays Mrs Morgan, who quietly thinks her husband is a little vanilla, and the fine Irish actor Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood) goes full villain. November highlights: The Buccaneers placed a modern teen lens on Edith Wharton’s period marital drama, while Godzilla and pals returned for Monarchy: Legacy of Monsters and space race alternate history For All Mankind reached the 21st century.\n\nAdvertisement", + "This sport’s identity crisis has existed since the inception of the College Football Playoff a decade ago, but never before have we had to come to terms with it the way we did on Sunday.\n\nThat identity crisis? Whether the teams that play for the national championship should be the best or the most deserving. In the nine years before this season, the best and most deserving seamlessly became one, resulting in cut-and-dried decisions on which teams would make the field.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIn the final season of the four-team era — before it expands to 12 in 2024 — the CFP committee was charged with a very difficult decision that was guaranteed to result in a worthy team feeling cheated. The committee, for the first time, was actually going to have to choose what it values more — the teams that earned it or the teams that look the best on TV.\n\nFlorida State, the most deserving, became the first unbeaten Power 5 conference champion left out of the field. The Seminoles were the ones left feeling cheated.\n\nAnd with that one decision, the committee didn’t just choose teams in a given year. It revealed to the world the ugly truth about college football — this sport is a beauty contest where decisions on which teams can win the national title are sometimes made as much in a cozy hotel boardroom in Grapevine, Texas, as they are on the actual field.\n\nThe Playoff field is as follows: 1. Michigan, 2. Washington, 3. Texas, 4. Alabama.\n\nMichigan and Washington made it through the season unscathed. Texas lost a nail-biter in its rivalry game to Oklahoma, and the Longhorns, wait for it, beat Alabama.\n\nWe wouldn’t be having this discussion if Florida State’s star quarterback, Jordan Travis, didn’t break his leg two weeks ago. But the Seminoles team that just beat Louisville 16-6 in the ACC Championship Game was relying on a third-string quarterback. The win was far from impressive.\n\ndevastated. heartbroken. In so much disbelief rn, I wish my leg broke earlier in the season so y’all could see this team is much more than the quarterback. I thought results matter. 13-0 and this roster matches up across any team in those top 4 rankings. I am so sorry. Go Noles! — Jordan Travis (@jordantrav13) December 3, 2023\n\nThe committee, knowing it was going to unjustly break someone’s heart, decided to break Florida State’s. In that room on Saturday night, the committee members decided the Seminoles weren’t good enough for us.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThat’s not what sports are supposed to be about. And with the four-team CFP era ending after this season, fans will be viewing it as a broken system that needed to be changed rather than the first frontier of the modernization of the sport.\n\nIt’s very easy to fathom why the committee couldn’t choose between Alabama and Texas. Alabama is a one-loss SEC champion that beat Georgia on Saturday, ending the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak. Texas, a one-loss Big 12 champion, beat Alabama by 10 points in Tuscaloosa in September.\n\nMany fans were hoping that the SEC would be left out entirely for the first time, but the committee — charged with picking the “best teams” — couldn’t ignore what the ultra-talented Crimson Tide accomplished. But if Alabama goes, how could the committee leave the team out that beat it?\n\nIt couldn’t.\n\nThis is probably the path of least resistance. Outside of Florida State fans, the general population will move on convinced that the Playoff semifinals will be more entertaining with more high-level teams. The best teams, as they say, won out.\n\nThe problem with choosing the best is that it’s entirely subjective and ultimately misleading given this is a sport that routinely features unpredictable results and unforeseen runs. The last time a team was relying on a third-string quarterback heading into the College Football Playoff — Ohio State in the inaugural season of the four-team field — won the national title.\n\nThe difference between those Buckeyes and this Florida State team was that Ohio State won the Big Ten title game that year 59-0. Florida State was in a close game with Louisville that was, quite frankly, not an enjoyable watch for people who love the excitement of big-time offense. Perception, wrongly, became reality.\n\n“Florida State is a different team,” CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan said after the field was revealed. “You look at who they are as a team without Jordan Travis — they are a different team.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThat’s a well-informed opinion that’s probably true. It, however, is not a fact. You could make the case that Florida State is so good that it won a Power 5 conference championship game with a true freshman quarterback. In the CFP, Florida State would have gotten second-string quarterback Tate Rodemaker back with a month to prepare for a semifinal game.\n\nFlorida State was robbed.\n\nAnd its head coach didn’t hide his disappointment.\n\n“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Mike Norvell said in a statement. “What is the point of playing games?”\n\nAs difficult as it would have been, the right thing for the committee to do would have been to leave Alabama out. Most of us know in our gut that the Crimson Tide — the most talented team, on paper, in the sport — are one of the four best teams. Alabama is certainly equipped to win the whole thing.\n\nBut Alabama — like peers Georgia and Ohio State, teams with a wealth of raw talent on their rosters — lost a game (at home). Better teams have been left out in the past than this Alabama team because losses had consequences.\n\nAlabama’s loss to Texas didn’t have a consequence because we’re enamored with the SEC and what it means to beat Georgia. It didn’t matter that Alabama — though perceived to be an entirely different team in September — lost to the Longhorns. That game could have been a Playoff game in September. It turns out it was an exhibition.\n\nThere are plenty of people who are against the expansion of the field to 12 because of the sanctity of the regular season. But if the games in the regular season aren’t going to matter when it comes to picking the final four, then there are no consequences for expanding to 12.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe regular season didn’t decide who made it this year. Thirteen people did.\n\nThe games mattered. The results didn’t.\n\n(Photo of Mike Norvell: Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)", + "Two members of the billionaire family that controls Rogers Communications Inc. are suing the company, saying they’ve been frozen out of board meetings and blocked from getting information, reigniting a bitter power struggle within one of Canada’s wealthiest clans.\n\nMelinda Rogers-Hixon says she’s the target of a “personal vendetta” by her older brother, Rogers Chair Edward Rogers, according to a letter contained in the court filing. The Rogers siblings were close to an agreement that would have resolved their longstanding differences, but Edward Rogers reneged on it, according to the Sept. 20 missive by Rogers-Hixon, which was sent to Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri.\n\nThe court petition was filed by Rogers-Hixon and her sister, Martha Rogers, and it argues the company has been “oppressive” to them.\n\nThe documents show that the fractures inside the prominent Toronto family have never healed. Rogers Communications is the country’s largest wireless provider and the owner of a cable television empire, the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and other media and sports assets. The family’s controlling stake in the public company is worth close to C$8 billion ($5.9 billion), according to calculations based on company filings for its 2023 annual meeting.\n\nShares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto. They’ve dropped 16% this year.\n\nThe children of late founder Ted Rogers have frequently fought one another — sometimes driving down Rogers’ stock price as investors grew worried about the company’s governance.\n\nThe bad blood spilled into full view in October 2021, when Edward Rogers publicly battled his sisters and his mother for control of the board and won in court. The result was that five Rogers Communications directors were fired, replaced by five allies of Edward Rogers. Soon after, then-CEO Joe Natale was sacked and replaced by Staffieri, the former chief financial officer. Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers had opposed the CEO change.\n\nIn early 2022, family members agreed to temporarily shelve their disagreements, according to this week’s court filing, to avoid negative publicity as the company sought regulators’ approval for the takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. The C$20 billion transaction was the company’s biggest deal ever and among the largest corporate transactions in Canadian history.\n\nNegotiations Collapse\n\nAs part of that truce, Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers agreed not to participate in board discussions about the Shaw deal or receive materials on it, because of an argument about Rogers-Hixon’s personal lawyer, whose firm also does work for Telus Corp., a competitor to Rogers and Shaw.\n\nThe Shaw takeover finally closed on April 3 of this year, and the Rogers siblings engaged in talks “intended to resolve all issues between us,” Rogers-Hixon stated in an affidavit. “I was hopeful all issues could be resolved without negative publicity.” But those negotiations collapsed last month, she said.\n\nIt isn’t clear from the court filings whether the discussions included the possibility that any Rogers family members would sell their stake in Rogers Communications, leave their roles at the company, or exit the family trust that controls almost all of the voting shares of the public company.\n\n“This matter should be resolved privately,” Rogers Communications spokesperson Sarah Schmidt said by email. “We’ve demonstrated that we will not be distracted by these actions — we have significant momentum in the market, our merger is tracking ahead of plan, and we remain squarely focused on doing what’s right for our customers and stakeholders.”\n\nStill Excluded\n\nBoth Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers said in documents that they’re still being excluded from some parts of board and committee meetings and are being given redacted board documents.\n\n“I cannot properly perform my duties as a director if information that is provided to the rest of the directors is being withheld from me,” Rogers-Hixon said in her affidavit. The two sisters are seeking a judge’s order to force the company to share information with them and allow them to attend, in full, all meetings of the board, as well as board committees they belong to.\n\nRogers took “reasonable steps” to protect company information from a competitor, Schmidt said. Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers could have resolved the matter by choosing a different lawyer, “and they chose not to do so,” she added.\n\nThe court filing also suggests that Rogers-Hixon was forced out of her role as a director of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns Toronto’s professional hockey and basketball teams and in which Rogers Communications is a large minority investor.\n\nRogers’ corporate governance committee is conducting an investigation of the events that took place in 2021, documents show. The committee has asked for copies of “all correspondence” between Rogers-Hixon and former CEO Natale, three other former executives, the five ousted directors, Martha Rogers, journalists and others, according to a letter to Rogers-Hixon that’s included with the court filing.\n\n“The investigation is intended to inform decisions that may be made about your status as a director of RCI,” says the letter signed by Robert Gemmell, a former Citigroup Inc. banker who is Rogers’ lead director.\n\nAlthough the company is controlled by a family trust, it’s structured in a way that gives significant power to the trust’s chair, in this case Edward Rogers, the only son of late founder Ted Rogers. That’s what allowed him to reshape the board in 2021 over the opposition of family members.\n\nThe family dynamics have grown even more complicated in recent months because of the deaths of three key insiders. Loretta Rogers — the mother of Martha, Melinda, Edward and Lisa Rogers — died in June 2022. Alan Horn and Phil Lind, two longtime executives who were on the Rogers board and aligned with Edward Rogers, died this year.\n\n— With assistance by Kevin Orland", + "Canada took a major step towards Copa America 2024 qualification as Stephen Eustaquio's 85th-minute strike gave them victory in their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg and a first win in Jamaica for 35 years.\n\nPorto midfielder Eustaquio slotted in from Richie Laryea's surging run and low delivery, restoring the lead Canada had initially established through Jonathan David during first-half added time.\n\nShamar Nicholson fired in Jamaica's equaliser 13 minutes after the break but their opponents will seal their place at Copa America if they avoid defeat in the second leg at Ontario's BMO Field on Tuesday.\n\nJamaica vs Canada result\n\nScore Goal scorers Jamaica 1 Shamar Nicholson (58) Canada 2 Jonathan David (45 +2), Stephen Eustaquio (85)\n\nStarting lineups:\n\nJamaica (4-4-2, right to left): Blake (GK) — Leigh, Pinnock, Bernard, Lembikisa — Decordova-Reid, Latibeaudiere, Johnson, Bailey — Antonio, Nicholson\n\nCanada (4-4-2, right to left): Borjan (GK) — Laryea, Vitoria, Miller, Adekugbe — Buchanan, Kone, Eustaquio, Davies — Larin, David\n\nIn a game rearranged for Saturday after heavy rain flooded parts of Kingston's Independence Park on Friday, David capitalised on a skilful turn and cross from Cyle Larin to score his 26th international goal as part of a dominant first half in which his side had four of the five attempts on target.\n\nThe Reggae Boyz went closest before David broke the deadlock, Aston Villa attacker Leon Bailey hitting the post with a shot from Bobby Decordova-Reid's corner.\n\nNicholson was aghast when his finish was initially ruled out for offside, only for a VAR intervention and pitchside monitor check by referee Mary Penso to justify Jamaica's celebrations in their technical area.\n\nThe Spartak Moscow forward had raced on to Daniel Johnson's quickly taken freekick and converted coolly to give Jamaica hope of extending their unbeaten run to six matches.\n\nAs well as a Copa America berth, the winners in three days' time will advance to the semifinals of the Nations League, where their opponents will be one of fellow quarterfinalists the USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.\n\nFULL TIME: @CanadaSoccerEN 🇨🇦 defeats Jamaica in the first leg of the #CNL Quarter-Finals! 🔚 pic.twitter.com/jSis5C72tj — Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2023\n\nHow can Canada qualify for the Copa America 2024?\n\nThe Rouges' task is now ostensibly straightforward: avoid defeat against Jamaica and they will be competing alongside the likes of reigning champions Argentina at the Copa America in the US when it starts in June.\n\nJamaica have never won in Canada, although they showed enough here — in sunshine, mercifully, following the postponement of the game in torrential conditions the previous night — to suggest they could spring an upset.\n\nTheir task will be made harder by the probable absence of Michail Antonio, while Bailey could not match speed and timing with accurate finishes when presented with good early chances.\n\nWest Ham United forward Antonio immediately signalled for treatment before limping down the tunnel with a possible hamstring injury during the first half.\n\nReaction from Steven Vitoria:\n\n\n\n\"It feels great to get our first win here in 35 years. It wasn't easy, far from it. Still a lot to be done but we're one step closer to where we want to go.\"#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/3YYwSNCgFm — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\nLille striker David had two promising early opportunities, poking a shot into Milan Borjan's arms under pressure from two markers and applying a looping header to an Alphonso Davies cross, forcing the goalkeeper to backpedal and claim.\n\nEven if they are knocked out on Wednesday, there will be another chance for the losers of the tie to reach the Copa America.\n\nThe ousted Nations League quarterfinalists will compete for two more qualification spots, and the calibre of teams in those playoffs is likely to be weaker, with the USA looking almost certain not to need that route following their 3-0 first-leg win over Trinidad and Tobago.\n\nEustaquio's first international goal since 2021 also ended Canada's run of two consecutive defeats and gave them a second win in seven matches.\n\nReaction from Milan Borjan:\n\n\n\n\"It feels amazing. What the boys did today, in this heat and on this pitch, is unbelievable. We need to come out again and show the brotherhood in Toronto. We need a full stadium there to give us that support.\" #CANMNT pic.twitter.com/lwuD0qLvp2 — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\nThe Sporting News followed the rescheduled Jamaica vs Canada match live, providing updates below\n\nJamaica vs Canada updates from rescheduled CONCACAF Nations League match\n\nFulltime: Jamaica 1-2 Canada\n\nCanada will reach Copa America 2024 if they preserve their unbeaten record at home to Jamaica on Wednesday!\n\nThe hosts are a little unfortunate, having scored an equaliser and held out until five minutes from time, but they now face a huge task to reach the semifinals.\n\n90 mins: Jamaica 1-2 Canada\n\nGood news for Jamaica: there will be six minutes of added time.\n\n87 mins: Jamaica 1-2 Canada\n\nIt's been 35 years since Canada have won in Jamaica. Now would be a great time to end that run and put them within touching distance of Copa America.\n\n85 mins: GOAL – Jamaica 1-2 Canada (Stephen Eustaquio)\n\nIs that a huge goal for Canada?\n\nRichie Laryea charges clear on the right, approaches the penalty area and cuts a perceptive low pass back into the path of the onrushing, unmarked Stephen Eustaquio, who slots in!\n\nWatch:\n\nStephen Eustaquio at 85' scores a game-changer for Canada! 😱 pic.twitter.com/fWVK4mOplG — Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2023\n\n82 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nThere's some choreographed dancing going on in the stands involving fans in green shirts carrying yellow pompoms. Cheering scenes.\n\nThe official attendance is a little more than 3,500.\n\n79 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nAlphonso Davies shows some invention for Canada on the left, but the ball ends up in Andre Blake's arms.\n\n76 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nLeon Bailey is booked for an altercation with his marker. It's been a while since we've had a clear chance in this game – settle for a draw all-round?\n\n73 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nIt's drinks break time. Canada emerged the stronger following the first-half drinks break...\n\n70 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nCanada have never lost at home to Jamaica, so you suspect they'll be satisfied with this result. Their opponents have shown enough to suggest they could spring a surprise in the return game, though.\n\n67 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nA Canada substitution we could have mentioned...\n\nSUBSTITUTION 🔁\n\n\n\nMark-Anthony Kaye is coming on for Ismaël Koné.#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/sljhsLwnT8 — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\n64 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nJamaica have a freekick beyond the halfway line. As usual, they send a string of players towards the penalty area. Milan Borjan catches the cross.\n\n61 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nStephen Eustáquio's freekick doesn't create a great deal of danger. Canada have only won one of their last 11 visits to Jamaica, and that record won't improve unless they can do better than that from opportunities.\n\n60 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nCanada have a freekick just outside the edge of the Jamaica penalty area on the left. This is promising. Andre Blake stands at his near post and directs some of his team-mates.\n\n57 mins: Jamaica 1-1 Canada\n\nReferee Mary Penso checked the pitchside monitor and agreed with Shamar Nicholson's protestations that the goal should have counted.\n\nThat goal came about because of a quick piece of thinking from Daniel Johnson, directing a freekick on to Shamar Nicholson's run while Canada appeared to have switched off.\n\nWatch:\n\nIt’s 1-1! Shamar Nicholson levels 🔥🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/5CgCdKi6Lo — Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2023\n\n56 mins: GOAL – Jamaica 1-1 Canada (Shamar Nicholson)\n\nJamaica have the ball in the net after Shamar Nicholson bursts onto a pass inside the penalty area and produces a cool, low finish!\n\nThe visiting bench celebrate but their exuberance is cooled by an offside flag going up. There will be a VAR check...\n\n54 mins: Jamaica 0-1 Canada\n\nHere's how Jamaica started.\n\n51 mins: Jamaica 0-1 Canada\n\nCanada go close! Jonathan David nears the centre of the penalty area in a central position and lashes a dipping shot towards goal which Andre Blake does well to tip behind.\n\n48 mins: Jamaica 0-1 Canada\n\nThere's a scene that looks better suited to WWE as Richie Laryea and Shamar Nicholson both dive to the floor following a full-throttle tussle for the ball on the flank.\n\nReferee Mary Penso rushes in to calm the situation down. Jamaica's Nicholson needs to keep his cool, having been booked during the first half.\n\n46 mins: Jamaica 0-1 Canada\n\nJamaica restart the action!\n\nHalftime: Jamaica 0-1 Canada\n\nIt wasn't all plain sailing for Canada - especially when Leon Bailey struck a post with a shot - but they are good value for their lead after having 11 of the 16 attempts at goal during that half and four of the five on target.\n\nThis would be an excellent result for their prospects of qualifying for Copa America 2024, with the home leg to come for them.\n\n45 mins +2: GOAL – Jamaica 0-1 Canada (Jonathan David)\n\nCanada take the lead! Cyle Larin responds to a bouncing ball inside the box by turning smartly to befuddle his two markers, then scythes a low delivery across the face of goal.\n\nJonathan David gratefully gobbles up the opportunity, tapping in at the far post!\n\nWatch:\n\nJonathan David lights up the scoreboard for Canada! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/bCVlAEQpge — Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2023\n\n45 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nEnd-to-end fare. Ethan Pinnock stops Jonathan David from getting a shot away inside the penalty area, and Andre Blake then punches Alphonso Davies' cross clear from a crowded box.\n\nAt the other end, Sam Adekugbe shows strength and speed to stop Trivante Stewart from racing clear onto a long ball.\n\n44 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nBobby De Cordova-Reid almost set up an opener for Leon Bailey five minutes ago. This time he takes aim himself from a long way out, zipping a shot into Milan Borjan's arms.\n\n41 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nMilan Borjan is down for an extended period of treatment. The Canada goalkeeper was clutching his left calf.\n\nShamar Nicholson, who appeared to be the possible culprit, exchanges a hug with Borjan after he rises to his feet but is still booked for his trouble.\n\n39 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nLeon Bailey hits the crossbar! Bobby De Cordova-Reid sends a corner towards the far post, where Bailey beats his man with his run and sends his low first-time strike against the near post and away.\n\nJamaica could not have come any closer!\n\n36 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nCanada have had the better of the action since the drinks break. Alphonso Davies fails to beat the first defender with a corner from the right, but Canada find him in a good position on the same flank again, from where he whips a cross towards Jonathan David at the far post.\n\nThe forward loops a header back in the opposite direction, and the backtracking Andre Blake stretches to claim with reasonable ease.\n\n33 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nAlphonso Davies has a chance to send in a freekick from a useful position not far from the Jamaica penalty area in the right channel.\n\nHis low delivery bobbles through almost everyone before the hosts clear.\n\n30 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nThe action resumes with a goalkick to Canada. The game has been played at a ponderous pace at times – you sense these teams need to up the ante if a breakthrough is to come before the interval, although perhaps both are happy to remain cagey during the early stages of the tie.\n\n27 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nDrinks break time. Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is wearing a fetching back-to-front white baseball cap as he offers instructions to Trivante Stewart, among others.\n\nA man in a marvellous yellow wig and black-and-yellow tracksuit can be seen in the stands, which are somewhat sparsely populated.\n\n24 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nSubstitute Trivante Stewart turns and tries his luck from distance for Jamaica, to no avail.\n\nThese sides are yet to find their range yet.\n\n21 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nIsmael Kone sends a fierce shot from outside the penalty area wide for Canada.\n\nTrivante Stewart has replaced Jamaica's Michail Antonio, who limped off a few minutes ago.\n\n18 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nBad news for West Ham United fans: Michail Antonio is down for an extended period of time and asks to be substituted.\n\nHe eventually rises to his feet and hobbles down the tunnel, accompanied by medical staff. Speculatively, that could be a hamstring issue.\n\n15 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nLeon Bailey should have scored for Jamaica again! An aerial ball down the flank bounces kindly for the Aston Villa attacker inside the penalty area on the left, deceiving Steven Vitoria.\n\nBailey drags his first-time shot wide of the far post. Heimir Hallgrimsson applauds as Bailey's runs continue to cause Canada problems.\n\n13 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nLeon Bailey can only nod the freekick on. Milan Borjan scoops the ball up in Canada's goal.\n\n12 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nJamaica win a freekick beyond the halfway line on the right and load the box. Well, it's not quite the penalty area, but there's a long line of players awaiting the delivery just outside of it.\n\n9 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nBest chance so far for Canada! Jonathan David breaks free inside the Jamaica penalty area on the right, sending Greg Leigh off balance and coming under pressure from Daniel Johnson as he closes in on goal.\n\nThe striker can only poke a low shot gently towards goalkeeper Andre Blake, who gathers.\n\n7 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nThere isn't a great deal of action to report in the sunshine. Here's how Canada looked before kickoff.\n\n4 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nJamaica should have scored! Leon Bailey is through on goal from a long ball but produces a tame, rushed finish that drops comfortably wide of Milan Borjan's goal with the goalkeeper well off his line.\n\nManager Heimir Hallgrimsson turns and shows his frustration on the sideline, while Bailey - justifiably - looks sheepish. That was well short of the quality he's capable of.\n\n2 mins: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nLeon Bailey canters along the left flank and sends in a dangerous low cross which Canada do well to clear. Bailey is adjudged to have been offside.\n\n1 min: Jamaica 0-0 Canada\n\nGlorious-looking conditions in Kingston this morning, thankfully, with sunshine and a picturesque, tree-filled backdrop to this stadium.\n\nIt's a quiet start between these sides, Jamaica in their familiar yellow and green home strip, Canada in dark blue.\n\n20 mins to kickoff: Here's how Canada prepared.\n\nTime to get loose 🏃 pic.twitter.com/fWUbJQQiyp — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\n40 mins to kickoff: Jamaica's lineup (4-4-2, right to left): Blake (GK) – Leigh, Pinnock, Bernard, Lembikisa – Decordova-Reid, Latibeaudiere, Johnson, Bailey – Antonio, Nicholson\n\n1 hour to kickoff: Team news! Here's how Canada start...\n\n1 hour 20 mins to kickoff: A reminder that the winners of this tie will qualify for the 2024 Copa America. They'll have another shot at doing so, though, if they lose, because the losing quarterfinalists play each other for two remaining slots at the tournament.\n\n1 hour 40 mins to kickoff: The conditions this morning in Jamaica are more promising, if the hosts' latest post on social media is any measure...\n\nGood Morning Jamaica. Just a reminder kick off is at 10:30am.\n\n\n\nCome out and cheer on our Boyz.\n\n\n\nAll patrons who bought tickets will be allowed to enter the Grandstand only. Those with scanned tickets will be given appropriate credit to enter.⚽️🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/Duc0R5tnn4 — Official J.F.F (@jff_football) November 18, 2023\n\nTwo hours to kickoff: Hello and welcome to our coverage of this rescheduled game between Jamaica and Canada! Stick with us - heavy rain permitting - for live updates as the match finally takes place.\n\nUPDATE: Concacaf has rescheduled #CANMNT’s @CNationsLeague match due to adverse weather conditions and it will be played at 10:30AM ET tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/JsTuer642p — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\nUPDATE (8:35 p.m. ET): Canada Soccer has made the postponement official, as the match will kick at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) tomorrow morning .\n\nNothing else was announced as far as what should happen if the pitch remains water logged. That means one of two things: either the federations haven't sorted that out yet, or they are looking to keep that in-house as not to risk publicly announce plans for something that never ends up happening.\n\nHere's to hoping that won't be necessary anyways, and tomorrow morning's kickoff can proceed as planned!\n\nUPDATE (8:25 p.m. ET): **GAME POSTPONED UNTIL TOMORROW**\n\nThe match has been called off for the evening, and they will try again tomorrow. Journalists have announced that the match has been pushed back until 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT. No official word from the federation yet, but this seems as concrete as ever.\n\nThey tried to wait it out tonight, but it just wasn't to be.\n\nWhen Canada Soccer make the decision official, we will pass that information along as well as any contingency plan made public as well for if the pitch remains unplayable at the new time.\n\nJamaica vs. Canada has been rescheduled to 10.30 AM ET tomorrow.#CanMNT — Oliver Platt (@plattoli) November 18, 2023\n\n50 mins to potential kickoff: No word on tonight's match inside an hour until the possible kick time is not good news, as further delay could mean the federation's officials are hashing out alternate plans.\n\nIt sounds like a decision will be made soon on whether tonight's match can go ahead. If it is necessary to push the game back, they would likely try to play tomorrow, but if the pitch is still unplayable at that point, then further action would need to be taken.\n\nIt's possible for them to cancel the first leg and simply play the second leg in Canada, but the teams would have to agree to that. It would put Jamaica at a serious disadvantage in a matchup with significant ramifications — Copa America qualification — on the line.\n\n1 hour to potential kickoff: There is still no update on whether this game will take place tonight, or if so, what time. At least the players are keeping themselves loose as they wait for the weather to lighten up!\n\nKeeping warm in the hallway 👊 pic.twitter.com/COjBxNgQ8z — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\n1 hour 15 mins to potential kick: Uh oh. More rain has struck in Kingston, leaving this match in even further limbo.\n\n1 hour 30 mins to potential kick: No updates have been released since the previous delay. Lineups have yet to be announced with the viability of the match still in flux. Here's a reminder of what this match means from a tangible competitive standpoint, whether it should be played tonight or on a future date.\n\nA reminder of what's on the line for #CANMNT tonight! ⬇️pic.twitter.com/sVfKRZHXMl — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 17, 2023\n\n50 mins 1 hour 50 mins to potential kick: **Kickoff has been pushed back another hour**\n\nThis was the update we expected, as Canada Soccer have announced that the match will not kick off before at least 9 p.m. ET. However, it does appear more and more likely that a game will indeed take place tonight. Will it clear up enough to create a playable surface, or has there been too much rain to proceed safely? We'll find out soon.\n\nUpdate from Concacaf: KO time has been pushed back another hour. Will not kickoff before 9 pm ET tonight. https://t.co/YhPriTlvt7 — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\n1 hour to potential kickoff: There seems to be some positivity around this game taking place. The rain has tapered significantly, prompting some Jamaica fans to take to their seats in celebration. Could we have a game tonight after all?\n\nDespite it all, the vibes are still good here in Jamaica! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/z9uCZaKhFs — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 18, 2023\n\n1 hour 30 minutes to potential kick: Some are speculating that, since the rain could taper off by 8 p.m. ET, that this match could indeed be played, just at a significantly delayed kickoff time, such as 9 p.m. ET. We continue to stand by for more official updates from Canada Soccer.\n\nIf played, the rain-soaked conditions could rival those of the match Canada played in Honduras in the summer of 2022, which was wet and wild.\n\n50 mins 1 hour 50 mins to potential kick: ** Tonight's match will not kick off on time**\n\nOur first true update from Canada Soccer concerning tonight's match states that kickoff has been pushed back at least an hour. The statement claims that the match will not kickoff before 8 p.m. ET, language which seems to leave the possibility open for further postponements or even calling off the game. We will keep you updated as we get more information.\n\nUPDATE: Tonight's #CanMNT vs. Jamaica @CNationsLeague Match will not kickoff before 8PM ET due to \"on-field issues\"\n\n\n\nWhich looks like this 😅👇 pic.twitter.com/iPhqIdvgCo — OneSoccer (@onesoccer) November 17, 2023\n\n1 hour to kickoff: Lineups have yet to be released, and the likelihood of this match being played seems to be thinning by the moment. The Canada Soccer social media admin just went on Instagram Live to show the conditions at Independence Park, and they are apocalyptic. The individual said on the live social media broadcast that \"it's not looking likely\" the game will be played.\n\nThe @CanadaSoccerEN admin just went live on Instagram to showcase the state of the pitch ahead of tonight’s #CanMNT match😂\n\n\n\nTo sum it up: oof pic.twitter.com/FRlizvoajM — Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) November 17, 2023\n\n1 hour 15 mins to kick: The weather in Kingston is torrential, and it's been raining hard for quite some time now. It's at the point where you wonder if this match will even take place, and there seems to be some initial chatter of it possibly being called off. Postponing international matches is extremely difficult, but player safety has to be considered.\n\nThey will have to make a call soon, as starting lineups are due in 15 minutes.\n\nOkay, remember when we said to bring 10ft x 10ft tarps?\n\n\n\nYou will need a rowboat. 🚣 https://t.co/f66tH6lK3w pic.twitter.com/QvZZCIeI69 — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 17, 2023\n\n1 hour 30 mins to kick: Copa America qualification is on the line for both these teams across the two quarterfinal legs. Advancement to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals is enough to book a place in next summer's competition.\n\nThe defeated team can, however, still qualify if they win their subsequent playoff matchup with another quarterfinal loser, which takes place in March. Still, that's a tense and difficult prospect, and both sides will with to avoid that precarious situation, as missing out on the Copa America would be a monumental disappointment for both Canada and Mexico.\n\nHERE WE GO CANADA 🇨🇦⚔️\n\n\n\nIt's a Concacaf QUARTER-FINAL with Copa América on the LINE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sF7P7IkL0v — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 17, 2023\n\n1 hour 45 mins to kick: Last time these two teams played, it was a momentous occasion for Canada. Les Rouges ran away as 4-0 winners, qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in the process, their first trip to the big FIFA dance in over 30 years.\n\n#CANMNT's last time out vs. Jamaica 🇯🇲\n\n\n\nA convincing 4-0 win as we qualified for the @FIFAWorldCup 💪\n\n\n\n🎥: @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/XzBldBSXfX — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 17, 2023\n\n2 hours to kickoff: While the Canadian federation is reeling from the departure of John Herdman, one player is happy to see change happen at the top. Central midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye had been left out of multiple squads towards the end of Herdman's tenure, and he believes his relationship with the former Canada head coach was the reason.\n\nMe and John had some really tough conversations where he blatantly told me I wasn’t good enough to be part of the team. That was hard for me to accept,” Kaye said to Sportsnet, after also posting to social media an honest self-reflection following his New England Revolution's elimination from the MLS playoffs a week ago.\n\nHeartfelt post by Mark-Anthony Kaye.\n\n\n\n“I will commit to being the catalyst that will set the tone for our group for every game, to help restore our club to where it deserves to be, I am confident of that. We will be back and better.”#NERevs pic.twitter.com/A0mVyGdaAZ — Seth (@SethMan31) November 10, 2023\n\nJamaica vs Canada lineups & team news\n\nJamaica manager Hallgrimsson also described his side as being on a mission, but they faced it without New York Red Bulls forward Cory Burke because of a groin problem.\n\nKaroy Anderson, who plays for English club Charlton Athletic, was called up for the first time. \"I was just shocked,\" the midfielder told the Addicks' website. \"I was looking at it for a long time just taking it in and I told my mum and she started crying.\"\n\nJamaica lineup (4-4-2, right to left): Blake (GK) – Leigh, Pinnock, Bernard, Lembikisa – Decordova-Reid, Latibeaudiere, Johnson, Bailey – Antonio, Nicholson\n\nAttacking midfielder Liam Millar was out with a calf injury for Canada, whose interim head coach Biello says his players are on a \"mission\" to progress.\n\n\"We know that these matches ​will be​ against a solid opponent in difficult conditions,\" Biello added. \"That is why ​ we decided on an experienced and seasoned group of players who are used to high-pressure games.”\n\nCanada lineup (4-4-2, right to left): Borjan (GK) — Laryea, Vitoria, Miller, Adekugbe – Buchanan, Kone, Eustaquio, Davies – Larin, David\n\nHow to watch Jamaica vs Canada\n\nHere's how to watch this CONCACAF Nations League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:\n\nRegion TV Streaming USA — Paramount+ Canada Fubo Canada, OneSoccer CONCACAF Go app UK — CONCACAF Go, YouTube Australia — CONCACAF Go, YouTube India — CONCACAF Go, YouTube Hong Kong — CONCACAF Go, YouTube Malaysia — CONCACAF Go, YouTube Singapore — CONCACAF Go, YouTube New Zealand — CONCACAF Go, YouTube\n\nUSA: This game is available for streaming via Paramount+.\n\nCanada: Fans in Canada can watch on Fubo Canada, OneSoccer and via CONCACAF's Go app and YouTube channel.\n\nUK and Australia: The match is available to stream via CONCACAF's Go app and YouTube channel.\n\nMORE: MLS Cup playoffs schedule\n\nJamaica vs Canada betting odds & lines", + "This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).\n\nA hospital in Nebraska that matches teenage suicide survivors with a \"caring contact\" says the program has seen positive results in preventing young patients from taking their own lives.\n\nThe first-of-its-kind program provides follow-up care in the form of handwritten, personalized notes from the hospital's social work staff after the teens are discharged.\n\nWHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW FUNDING FOR TEEN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: ‘WILL HELP SAVE LIVES’\n\nThe notes are sent one month, two months, three months, six months, nine months and one year after discharge — and the former patients are able to write notes back as well.\n\nSabrina Schalley, director of care coordination at Children's Nebraska, a pediatric hospital and medical center in Omaha, Nebraska, told Fox News Digital that Caring Contacts was inspired by a similar program for adult survivors of suicide.\n\nIn the fall of 2019, Schalley brought the idea of personalized follow-up care to the emergency department's social workers, \"and they all liked the idea of the Caring Contacts.\"\n\nThe program was set to begin on May 1, 2020 — and that timing would turn out to be rather providential.\n\n\"We had no idea when we started that COVID was around the corner and the impact that would have on children's mental health,\" said Schalley.\n\n\"We quickly became so grateful for the intervention.\"\n\nTEEN GIRLS ARE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AT RECORD LEVELS, WITH MANY 'PERSISTENTLY SAD,' DATA REVEALS\n\nIn the years since the COVID pandemic began, children and teens are experiencing depression and anxiety more than ever before, according to Schalley.\n\n\"Here at Children’s, our patients ages 11 and older are screening at risk of depression and/or suicide at nearly 30%,\" she said.\n\nEach patient who receives a mental health assessment in the emergency department at Children's Nebraska is offered the chance to participate in Caring Contacts, said Schalley.\n\nAbout 98% of families agree to join the program, she said.\n\nnext Image 1 of 6\n\nprev next Image 2 of 6\n\nprev next Image 3 of 6\n\nprev next Image 4 of 6\n\nprev next Image 5 of 6\n\nprev Image 6 of 6\n\n\"These are individuals who arrive due to suicide ideation or suicide gesture or who screen positive for suicide risk through the universal screening tool that all emergency department patients ages 11 and older receive,\" Schalley told Fox News Digital.\n\nParents or legal guardians then sign a release form, which allows social workers at the hospital to keep in contact with the patient over the next year.\n\nPreviously, teenage patients who attempted suicide received no further contact from Children's Nebraska after they were discharged from the emergency department, according to the hospital's website.\n\nThere was \"no opportunity for Children’s Hospital staff to provide ongoing encouragement and support for patients struggling with mental health needs,\" as stated on the site.\n\nNationally, about 27% of suicide survivors will make another attempt, said Schalley, but Children’s Nebraska’s numbers are now much lower.\n\n\"Thankfully, for the first three years of the program … 7% of enrolled patients are seen in a health care environment for a subsequent attempt,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\nTIKTOK TELEHEALTH? TEENS PUT AT RISK BY SELF-DIAGNOSING MENTAL HEALTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA\n\nOn a national level, anywhere from 31% to 55% of pediatric patients who are taken to the emergency department for a suicide attempt will receive some sort of follow-up within 30 days.\n\n\"One hundred percent of patients enrolled in Caring Contacts are receiving follow-up,\" noted Schalley.\n\n\"The program normalizes the struggles and challenges of mental health and stresses the importance of ongoing treatment.\"\n\nSchalley credits the success of Caring Contacts to a multitude of factors, she told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"The program normalizes the struggles and challenges of mental health and stresses the importance of ongoing treatment,\" she said. \"It provides positive coping skills and words of encouragement.\"\n\nPlus, the program \"provides the ability for the youth to maintain a positive, trusting relationship with the social worker,\" said Schalley.\n\nTEEN GIRLS DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS NEED ‘CONNECTION’ MOST, DOCTORS SAY\n\nUnexpected beneficiaries of the Caring Contacts program are the staff members who write the cards.\n\nParticipating in Caring Contacts has \"provided [staff] with an avenue to receive responses from the youth regarding updates on how they have progressed and hear feedback on their experience from the initial encounter,\" said Schalley.\n\nMackenzie Parks, a licensed clinical social worker at Children's Nebraska, said the families she encountered were \"touched and flattered\" that the hospital would offer follow-up support.\n\n\"The letters I’ve received in return are really telling about the impact the program has on their well-being and hope for the future,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"I also feel that it helps families know that we truly do care about them when we’re assessing them — not just because it’s our job, but because we really want them to be safe,\" Parks added.\n\nTEEN GIRLS SPEND MORE TIME ON ‘SENSITIVE’ SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT THAT CAN HARM MENTAL HEALTH, REPORT SAYS\n\nEva Doescher, a licensed clinical social worker in Nebraska, shared similar feedback on her past Caring Contacts experiences.\n\n\"Caring Contacts gives me a chance to slow down and learn from the powerful, short moments that I get to connect with patients and their families,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"I feel that it helps families know we truly do care about them when we’re assessing them – not just because it’s our job, but because we really want them to be safe.\"\n\n\"Caring Contacts helps me make meaning from every interaction I have with the kids and families — that’s my ‘why,’ and what keeps me going,\" added Doescher.\n\nTo Schalley's knowledge, Children's Nebraska is the first pediatric emergency department to implement a program like Caring Contacts; but she hopes it will not be the last.\n\n\"We have created a replication kit to provide other hospitals and organizations with information on how they can implement the program,\" she said, noting that Children's Nebraska has presented the Caring Contacts concept at conferences and received interest from other facilities.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\nSchalley suspects that the \"intentionality\" and deliberately low-tech communication between social workers and teens is another reason the program has worked so well.\n\n\"It recognizes the impact of a child or adolescent telling their story to a stranger in an emergency room during a time of crisis,\" she said. \"Before, it was unlikely that the patient would hear from that social worker again.\"\n\n\"In our high-tech world, written words from a caring adult stand out and make a difference.\"\n\nNow, that same social worker will send personal notes to the patient for a year, \"offering unconditional caring and support along the way of their mental health journey.\"\n\n\"The cards are tangible and many of the patients report hanging them up in their rooms, keeping them in their cars or backpacks, and reading them aloud to their friends or family,\" said Schalley.\n\nThe cards could also work to save lives, as \"most kids who make a suicide attempt go from thought to action in 10 minutes or less,\" said Schalley.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"Imagine the power of having a card to reread … telling you that you are worthy from someone you met once,\" she said. \"That’s life-changing.\"\n\nSchalley added, \"In our high-tech world, written words from a caring adult stand out and make a difference.\"", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nWill Smith has spoken out about his “tumultuous” relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while speaking to a crowd of fans in Baltimore, Maryland.\n\nThe 55-year-old actor took the stage at the Enoch Pratt Free Library on 18 October, as he made an appearance at a press event for his wife’s book, Worthy, alongside their two children – Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22. His recent comments come after Jada made major revelations about their marriage in her memoir, including how she and Will have been separated for seven years.\n\nDuring the event in Baltimore, Will began by speaking to the crowd about his love and admiration for his partner, who he married in 1997. “I just really wanted to come out and just be here and hold it down for you the way you have held it down for me,” he said during the event, as reported by The Baltimore Sun.\n\nThe King Richard star went on to describe the challenges and achievements he’s had throughout his marriage, adding: “We have had a very, very long and tumultuous [relationship]. We call it ‘brutiful.’ It was brutal and beautiful at the same time.\"\n\nAt another point during the event, Will referred to his union with Jada as a “sloppy public experiment in unconditional love,” according to the Baltimore Banner. He went on to explain that he’s “happier than [he’s] ever been in [his] entire life” and praised Jada for continuing to be by his side.\n\n“I have achieved every single thing I have ever wanted in my entire life. There is not one thing left that I desire in this world - all of the awards, all of the money, the family - everything I’ve ever dreamed,” he said. “And those dreams were largely built on the foundation of Jada’s sacrifices. There were many times when Jada put her career aside so I could follow the dreams of mine.”\n\nThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star thanked his wife for putting him “before herself” and for maintaining a good relationship with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino. Will and Zampino share a 30-year-old son, Trey Smith, who was also present for the book event at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Speaking to the crowd, Will said that Jada’s positive relationship with Zampino allowed all three of his children the chance to grow up together.\n\n“Can you show up and love somebody for the rest of your life, even when you don’t agree with them?” he asked. “Jada is the best friend I have ever had on this planet and I am going to show up for her and support her for the rest of my life.”\n\nThis isn’t the first time that Will has opened up about his relationship, as it’s continued to make headlines. Earlier this week, he appeared to mock the publicity storm surrounding him and Jada in a video titled “Official statement” shared on Instagram. “So, here’s the thing. My opinion is... uh…” the actor said, before sneezing into the crook of his arm. As he sneezed, the video comically zoomed out to show several different landscapes including lakes and mountains.\n\nPrior to sharing the video, Smith showed his support for his partner and her success in a statement toThe New York Times. During the interview, the outlet noted that Smith said his wife’s memoir “kind of woke him up” and that he has now realised she is more “resilient, clever and compassionate than he’d understood”.\n\n“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties,” he added.\n\nIn an interview with People published on 10 October, Jada first revealed that she and her husband were living separately. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she said. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”\n\nHowever, during an appearance on the Today show on 16 October, Jada clarified to Hoda Kotb that she and the Suicide Squad actor are “working hard” and are “concentrating on healing” to get their relationship to a better place.\n\n“There’s no finding another great love, and I think that’s the point,” she said. “It’s like we are in a place now that we are in a deep, healing space. And we are really concentrating on healing the relationship between us.”\n\nThe Girls Trip star continued: “There’s no divorce on paper. We really have been working hard. That’s the whole thing. We are working very hard at bringing our relationship together. Back to a life partnership.”", + "To hear the hype from vendors, you would think that enterprise buyers are all in when it comes to generative AI. But like any newer technology, large companies tend to move cautiously. Throughout this year, as vendors feverishly announced new generative AI-fueled products, CIOs took note.\n\nSome companies have actually been looking to cut back on spending, or at least stay even, not necessarily looking for new ways to spend money. The big exception is when technology enables companies to operate more efficiently, and do more with less.\n\nGenerative AI certainly has the potential to do that, but it also has its own costs associated with it, whether it’s a higher cost for these features in a SaaS product or the price for hitting a large language model API if you’re building your own software internally.\n\nEither way, it’s important for the folks implementing the technology to understand if they are getting a return on their investment. A July Morgan Stanley survey of large company CIOs found that many were proceeding cautiously, with 56% of respondents reporting that generative AI was having an impact on their investment priorities, but only 4% had actually launched significant projects. In fact, most were still in the evaluation or proof of concept phase. This may be a fast moving area, but it fits with what we’re hearing in conversations with CIOs as well.\n\nThat said, much like the consumerization of IT a decade ago, CIOs are under pressure to deliver the kind of experiences people are seeing when they play with ChatGPT online, says Jon Turow, a partner at Madrona Ventures.\n\n“I think it’s undeniable that enterprise employees, who are the internal customers of the CIO or CTO, have all tried ChatGPT and they know what amazing looks like. They know where it’s early, and they know where it’s inspiring, and for lack of a better word, where they see greatness. And so CIOs are under pressure to deliver that level,” Turow told TechCrunch.\n\nIt has created a tension between this desire to please the internal customers, especially when some of that pressure could be coming from the CEO, and a CIO’s natural tendency to move cautiously, even with something as potentially transformative as generative AI. That’s going to take setting up some structure and organization around how this gets implemented over time, says Jim Rowan, principal at Deloitte, who is working with clients around how to build generative AI across companies in an organized fashion.\n\n“A lot of the way we’re working with companies is thinking about what is the infrastructure that they need to be successful. By infrastructure, I don’t necessarily mean technology, but who are the people, what are the processes and the governance…and giving them the capabilities to set that up,” Rowan said. A big part of that is talking about use cases and how to use the technology to address a given problem.\n\nThis is in line with how CIOs we spoke to are approaching implementing this in their organizations. Monica Caldas, CIO at insurance company Liberty Mutual, started with a few-thousand-person proof of concept, and is looking for ways to expand that for her 45,000 employee company.\n\n“We know generative AI will continue to play a critical role in virtually every part of our company, so we’re investing in many use cases to further develop and refine them in service of supporting our employees and giving them better internal capabilities,” she said.\n\nMike Haney, CIO at Battelle, a firm focused on science and technology, has also been exploring generative AI use cases this year. “So we’ve been doing this whole push for AI over the last maybe six or nine months and we’re at the point right now where we’re building specific use cases for each different team and function within the firm.” He cautions that it’s early, and they are still exploring ways in which it can help, but so far the results have been good in terms of offering more efficient ways to do things.\n\nKathy Kay, executive VP and CIO at Principal Financial Group, a financial services company, says her company started from scratch with a study group. “So any employees who had an interest or passion, we allowed them to join so there’s about 100 people. It’s a combination of engineers and business people, and we are curating probably 25 use cases now that they’ve gone through, and three will be going into production [soon],” she said.\n\nSharon Mandell, CIO at Juniper Networks, says that her company is participating in an initial pilot with Microsoft around Copilot for Office 365, and anecdotally, she has heard a range of feedback from people who love it to those who are less impressed, but she says trying to measure increased productivity remains a challenge, even with Microsoft beginning to provide dashboards that at least show the level of adoption and usage.\n\n“The hard thing about this is you don’t have data on people’s level of productivity. So no matter what, you’re using somewhat anecdotal information until you get really good at understanding these dashboards from Microsoft showing you how people are using it,” she said.\n\nAs companies hear about the potential power of generative AI, it’s only natural that they would want to learn more about it and put it to work to help their organizations run more efficiently, but at the same time, executives are right to be somewhat cautious, recognizing that these are still early days and they have to learn through experimentation if this is truly transformative technology.", + "You cannot escape conversations about AI no matter how far or fast you run. Hyperbole abounds around what current AI tech will be able to do (revolutionize every industry!) and what current AI tech will be able to do (take over the world!). Closer to the ground, TechCrunch+ is working to understand where startups might find footholds in the market by levering large language models (LLMs), a recent and impactful new method of creating artificially intelligent software.\n\nHow AI will play in startup land is not a new topic of conversation. A few years back, one venture firm asked how AI-focused startups would monetize and whether they would suffer from impaired margins due to costs relating to running models on behalf of customers. That conversation died down, only to come roaring back in recent quarters as it became clear that while LLM technology is quickly advancing, it’s hardly cheap to run in its present form.\n\nBut costs are only one area where we have unanswered questions. We are also incredibly curious about how startups should approach building tools for AI technologies, how defensible startup-focused AI work will prove, and how upstart tech companies should charge for AI-powered tooling.\n\nWith the amount of capital flowing to startups working with and building AI today, it’s critical that we understand the market as best we can. So we asked a number of venture capitalists who are active in the AI investing space to walk us through what they are seeing in the market today.\n\nWhat we learned from the investing side of the house was useful. Rick Grinnell, founder and managing partner at Glasswing Ventures, said that within the new AI tech stack, “most of the opportunity lies in the application layer,” where “the best applications will harness their in-house expertise to build specialized middle-layer tooling and blend them with the appropriate foundational models.” Startups, he added, can use speed to their advantage as they work to “innovate, iterate and deploy solutions” to customers.\n\nWill that work prove defensible in the long run? Edward Tsai, a managing partner at Alumni Ventures, told us that he had a potentially “controversial opinion that VCs and startups may want to temporarily reduce their focus on defensibility and increase their focus on products that deliver compelling value and focusing on speed to market.” Presuming massive TAM, that could work!\n\nRead on for answers to all our questions from:\n\nRick Grinnell, founder and managing partner, Glasswing Ventures\n\nThere are several layers to the emerging LLM stack, including models, pre-training solutions and fine-tuning tools. Do you expect startups to build striated solutions for individual layers of the LLM stack, or pursue a more vertical approach?\n\nIn our proprietary view of the GenAI tech stack, we categorize the landscape into four distinct layers: foundation model providers, middle-tier companies, end-market or top-layer applications, and full stack or end-to-end vertical companies.\n\nWe think that most of the opportunity lies in the application layer, and within that layer, we believe that in the near future, the best applications will harness their in-house expertise to build specialized middle-layer tooling and blend them with the appropriate foundational models. These are “vertically integrated” or “full-stack” applications. For startups, this approach means a shorter time-to-market. Without negotiating or integrating with external entities, startups can innovate, iterate and deploy solutions at an accelerated pace. This speed and agility can often be the differentiating factor in capturing market share or meeting a critical market need before competitors.\n\nOn the other hand, we view the middle layer as a conduit, connecting the foundational aspects of AI with the refined specialized application layer. This part of the stack includes cutting-edge capabilities, encompassing model fine-tuning, prompt engineering and agile model orchestration. It’s here that we anticipate the rise of entities akin to Databricks. Yet, the competitive dynamics of this layer present a unique challenge. Primarily, the emergence of foundation model providers expanding into middle-layer tools heightens commoditization risks. Additionally, established market leaders venturing into this space further intensify the competition. Consequently, despite a surge in startups within this domain, clear winners still need to be discovered.\n\nCompanies like Datadog are building products to support the expanding AI market, including releasing an LLM observability tool. Will efforts like what Datadog has built (and similar output from large/incumbent tech powers) curtail the market area where startups can build and compete?\n\nLLM observability falls within the “middle layer” category, acting as a catalyst for specialized business applications to use foundational models. Incumbents like Datadog, New Relic and Splunk have all produced LLM observability tools and do appear to be putting a lot of R&D dollars behind this, which may curtail the market area in the short-term.\n\nHowever, as we have seen before with the inceptions of the internet and cloud computing, incumbents tend to innovate until innovation becomes stagnant. With AI becoming a household name that finds use cases in every vertical, startups have the chance to come in with innovative solutions that disrupt and reimagine the work of incumbents. It’s still too early to say with certainty who the winners will be, as every day reveals new gaps in existing AI frameworks. Therein lie major opportunities for startups.\n\nHow much room in the market do the largest tech companies’ services leave for smaller companies and startups tooling for LLM deployment?\n\nWhen considering the landscape of foundational layer model providers like Alphabet/Google’s Bard, Microsoft/OpenAI’s GPT-4, and Anthropic’s Claude, it’s evident that the more significant players possess inherent advantages regarding data accessibility, talent pool and computational resources. We expect this layer to settle into an oligopolistic structure like the cloud provider market, albeit with the addition of a strong open source contingency that will drive considerable third-party adoption.\n\nAs we look at the generative AI tech stack, the largest market opportunity lies above the model itself. Companies that introduce AI-powered APIs and operational layers for specific industries will create brand-new use cases and transform workflows. By embracing this technology to revolutionize workflows, these companies stand to unlock substantial value.\n\nHowever, it’s essential to recognize that the market is still far from being crystallized. LLMs are still in their infancy, with adoption at large corporations and startups lacking full maturity and refinement. We need robust tools and platforms to enable broader utilization among businesses and individuals. Startups have the opportunity here to act quickly, find novel solutions to emerging problems, and define new categories.\n\nInterestingly, even large tech companies recognize the gaps in their services and have begun investing heavily in startups alongside VCs. These companies apply AI to their internal processes and thus see the value startups bring to LLM deployment and integration. Consider the recent investments from Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce into companies like Inflection AI and Cohere.\n\nWhat can be done to ensure industry-specific startups that tune generative AI models for a specific niche will prove defensible?\n\nTo ensure industry-specific startups will prove defensible in the rising climate of AI integration, startups must prioritize collecting proprietary data, integrating a sophisticated application layer and assuring output accuracy.\n\nWe have established a framework to assess the defensibility of application layers of AI companies. First, the application must address a real enterprise pain point prioritized by executives. Second, to provide tangible benefits and long-term differentiation, the application should be composed of cutting-edge models that fit the specific and unique needs of the software. It’s not enough to simply plug into OpenAI; rather, applications should choose their models intentionally while balancing cost, compute, and performance.\n\nThird, the application is only as sophisticated as the data that it is fed. Proprietary data is necessary for specific and relevant insights and to ensure others cannot replicate the final product. To this end, in-house middle-layer capabilities provide a competitive edge while harnessing the power of foundational models. Finally, due to the inevitable margin of error of generative AI, the niche market must tolerate imprecision, which is inherently found in subjective and ambiguous content, like sales or marketing.\n\nHow much technical competence can startups presume that their future enterprise AI customers will have in-house, and how much does that presumed expertise guide startup product selection and go-to-market motion?\n\nWithin the enterprise sector, there’s a clear recognition of the value of AI. However, many lack the internal capabilities to develop AI solutions. This gap presents a significant opportunity for startups specializing in AI to engage with enterprise clients. As the business landscape matures, proficiency in leveraging AI is becoming a strategic imperative.\n\nMcKinsey reports that generative AI alone can add up to $4.4 trillion in value across industries through writing code, analyzing consumer trends, personalizing customer service, improving operating efficiencies, and more. Ninety-four percent of business leaders agree AI will be critical to all businesses’ success over the next five years, and total global spending on AI is expected to reach $154 billion by the end of this year, a 27% increase from 2022. The next three years are also expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 27% — the annual AI spending in 2026 will be over $300 billion. Despite cloud computing remaining critical, AI budgets are now more than double that of cloud computing. Eighty-two percent of business leaders believe the integration of AI solutions will increase their employee performance and job satisfaction, and startups should expect a high level of desire for and experience with AI solutions in their future customers.\n\nFinally, we’ve seen consumption, or usage-based priced tech products’ growth slow in recent quarters. Will that fact lead startups building modern AI tools to pursue more traditional SaaS pricing? (The OpenAI pricing schema based on tokens and usage led us to this question.)\n\nThe trajectory of usage-based pricing has organically aligned with the needs of large language models, given that there is significant variation in prompt/output sizes and resource utilization per user. OpenAI itself racks upward of $700,000 per day on compute, so to achieve profitability, these operation costs need to be allocated effectively.\n\nNevertheless, we’ve seen the sentiment that tying all costs to volume is generally unpopular with end users, who prefer predictable systems that allow them to budget more effectively. Furthermore, it’s important to note that many applications of AI don’t rely on LLMs as a backbone and can provide conventional periodic SaaS pricing. Without direct token calls to the model provider, companies engaged in establishing infrastructural or value-added layers for AI are likely to gravitate toward such pricing strategies.\n\nThe technology is still nascent, and many companies will likely find success with both kinds of pricing models. Another possibility as LLM adoption becomes widespread is the adoption of hybrid structures, with tiered periodic payments and usage limits for SMBs and uncapped usage-based tiers tailored to larger enterprises. However, as long as large language technology remains heavily dependent on the inflow of data, usage-based pricing will unlikely go away completely. The interdependence between data flow and cost structure will maintain the relevance of usage-based pricing in the foreseeable future.\n\nLisa Calhoun, founding managing partner, Valor VC\n\nThere are several layers to the emerging LLM stack, including models, pre-training solutions, and fine-tuning tools. Do you expect startups to build striated solutions for individual layers of the LLM stack, or pursue a more vertical approach?\n\nWhile there are startups specializing in parts of the stack (like Pinecone), Valor’s focus is on applied AI, which we define as AI that is solving a customer problem. Saile.ai is a good example — it uses AI to generate closeable leads for the Fortune 500. Or Funding U using its own trained dataset to create a more useful credit risk score. Or Allelica, using AI on treatment solutions applied to individual DNA to find the best medical treatment for you personally in a given situation.\n\nCompanies like Datadog are building products to support the expanding AI market, including releasing an LLM observability tool. Will efforts like what Datadog has built (and similar output from large/incumbent tech powers) curtail the market area where startups can build and compete?\n\nTools like Datadog can only help the acceptance of AI tools if they succeed in monitoring AI performance bottlenecks. That in and of itself is probably still largely unexplored territory that will see a lot of change and maturing in the next few years. One key aspect there might be cost monitoring as well since companies like OpenAI charge largely “by the token,” which is a very different metric than most cloud computing.\n\nWhat can be done to ensure industry-specific startups that tune generative AI models for a specific niche will prove defensible?", + "I have never seen Sam Bankman-Fried so still as he was during the prosecution’s opening statement. The characteristic leg-jiggling was absent. He barely moved as the prosecutor listed the evidence against him: internal company files, what customers were told, the testimony of his co-conspirators and his own words.\n\nHis hair was shorn, the result of a haircut from a fellow prisoner, the Wall Street Journal reported. He wore a suit bought at a discount at Macy’s, per the Journal; it hung on him. He appeared to have lost some weight.\n\n“All of that was built on lies.”\n\nBankman-Fried, at this time last year, had a luxury lifestyle as the CEO of crypto exchange FTX, said the assistant US attorney, Thane Rehn, in the cadence of a high schooler delivering his lines in a student play. Bankman-Fried hung out with Tom Brady. He was on magazine covers, lived in a $30 million penthouse, and spent time with world politicians. “All of that was built on lies,” Rehn said.\n\nIn his opening statement, Rehn dodged explaining cryptocurrency to the jury. Instead, he punched hard on Bankman-Fried lying and stealing.\n\nBankman-Fried sat almost motionless, occasionally glancing at Rehn, as the prosecutor told the jury that Bankman-Fried sold stock in FTX and borrowed millions from lenders by lying.\n\nThe story Rehn told is familiar to anyone following the news. In May and June of 2022, Alameda Research — the crypto trading company ostensibly helmed by Caroline Ellison — didn’t have enough to pay its bills, so it pulled customer money to repay loans. By September, the hole in the FTX balance sheet was so big that customers could never be repaid.\n\nFTX “didn’t have a chief risk officer, which became an issue when the storm hit.”\n\nWhen CoinDesk published its article in November 2022, people realized FTX was a house of cards, Rehn said. Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried tweeted. “FTX is fine. Assets are fine” and “We don’t invest customer assets even in treasuries.”\n\nPointing at Bankman-Fried, Rehn said, “This man stole billions of dollars from thousands of people.”\n\nSo how was the defense going to follow it up? I was very curious, having learned yesterday that Bankman-Fried had never been offered a plea deal since he and his attorneys had told the government they wouldn’t negotiate. Surely there would be some manner of evidence, some something, that would have made him so confident.\n\nThere was, instead, a metaphor.\n\nDefense attorney Mark Cohen, with the energy of a patient father telling his obnoxious children a bedtime story, assured us that working at a startup was like building a plane while flying it, and that FTX the plane had flown right into the perfect storm: the crypto crash. Except, uh, he also said this: FTX “didn’t have a chief risk officer, which became an issue when the storm hit.”\n\nI couldn’t stop thinking about the missing risk officer\n\nThe problem with this metaphor is that if FTX was a plane, it was a plane flying with a key component missing — namely, the risk officer, an executive whose job it is to, well, manage risk. This is sort of an important thing, as risks can be anything from reputational to regulatory to financial.\n\nFTX was named such as it was because it was a futures exchange, which, to borrow a phrase from Bloomberg’s Matt Levine, “sits between the winners and losers of bets.” That means FTX can’t pay out what it owes the winners unless the losers pay up. Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them. This is to say nothing of the regulatory risks around crypto.\n\nAs Cohen droned on about airplanes, I couldn’t stop thinking about the missing risk officer. Bringing it up, I thought, was a tremendous mistake. The prosecution hadn’t mentioned it. Either Bankman-Fried is stupid — unlikely — or he deliberately didn’t hire a risk officer. Was he worried about what one might find?\n\nSure, as Cohen put it, Bankman-Fried was a math nerd who didn’t party. That paints a picture of someone who’s pretty deliberate, particularly since he immediately left MIT and went to work on Wall Street. If he had been a party-hardy trainwreck, I could see overlooking a risk officer in order to do another line, or a supermodel, or something else important. Why was the defense bringing this up?\n\nBut as Cohen tried to tell me that FTX’s and Alameda’s business relationships were “reasonable under the circumstances,” the lack of risk officer kept elbowing me in the ribs. “Sam acted in good faith and took reasonable business measures” is a pretty hard pill to swallow with that in mind.\n\nMan, it’s no good when your defense lawyer has just made you sound worse than the prosecution already did. And while Cohen tried to make the common white-collar defense argument that Bankman-Fried, as CEO, was simply too busy to oversee what everyone did every day, he just made me more suspicious. That’s why you hire a risk officer and delegate! That’s the whole point! I could barely even hear Cohen blaming Caroline Ellison and Changpeng “CZ” Zhao for the debacle over the “no risk officer” ringing in my ears.\n\nFollowing the defense’s opening statements, things got still worse for Bankman-Fried. The prosecution called its first witness, Marc-Antoine Julliard, whose money got stuck on FTX. Juilliard, who was born in Paris and lives in London, testified that he trusted FTX because Bankman-Fried came across as a leading figure of the industry. When he was evaluating the exchange, he thought the sheer volume of users was important, too — at the time, FTX was among the top three biggest exchanges. Plus, major VC firms had invested, and “they don’t commit hundreds of millions without doing due diligence, checking the books, the accountancy of the firm, going through several compliance process[es], so that was a vote of confidence for me,” Juilliard said. (Evidently he had not paid attention to the Elizabeth Holmes trial.)\n\nHe also noted FTX’s glossy ads — featuring Gisele Bündchen, for instance — suggested a very high budget. It wouldn’t make sense to spend that much money unless FTX had very strong financials, Juilliard figured. He opened an account, transferred in both regular money and cryptocurrency, and used the exchange to execute his plan: buying Bitcoin to sell back in five to ten years at higher prices.\n\nIt is a thankless task to cross-examine a customer whose money is gone\n\nIn November 2022, things went bad for Julliard. He followed Bankman-Fried on Twitter, and read aloud the “FTX is fine. Assets are fine” tweets, along with “FTX has enough to cover all client holdings. We don’t invest client assets” and a few others, which gave Julliard the impression that his money was there — the problem might have been technical (anti-spam measures) or regulatory. When he tried to get his money out on November 8th, it was too late. We saw screenshots of his withdrawal attempts: $20,000 USD and about 4 Bitcoin, which were worth about $20,000 at the time: about $100,000 money, inaccessible.\n\nIt is a thankless task to cross-examine a customer whose money is gone, but Cohen tried anyway. He noted that Julliard was a licensed commodities broker, who was trading in crypto because he didn’t have to disclose it; that Julliard knew that crypto was new and risky, and that Julliard didn’t review the terms of service agreement he’d assented to when making his FTX account.\n\nWell, sure, but so what?\n\nThe next witness called was Bankman-Fried’s former college (and FTX) roommate, Adam Yedidia, about whom I expect I will have much more to say tomorrow.", + "As artificial intelligence gains an ever-widening role in the medical field, the Mayo Clinic has recently appointed a new executive to lead the health system’s efforts in that area.\n\nRadiologist Bhavik Patel, M.D., has been named chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) for Mayo Clinic Arizona . Before joining the clinic in 2021, Patel practiced at Duke University Medical Center and Stanford University Medical Center.\n\nDr. Richard Gray, CEO of Mayo Clinic Arizona, announced the hire on LinkedIn, noting the organization has only \"begun to scratch the surface of AI's potential in medicine.\"\n\nWHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?\n\nIn his new role, Patel will lead Mayo Clinic’s Advanced AI and Innovation Hub.\n\nHe'll focus on expanding AI-based solutions throughout the organization, according to a press release.\n\nA growing number of health care organizations are hiring individuals in high-level AI roles, said Dr. Harvey Castro, a Dallas, Texas-based emergency medicine physician and AI expert — but it could be a challenge to fill them.\n\n\"We will likely see a huge increase in these roles, but may not have enough AI doctors to fill this space,\" Castro told Fox News Digital.\n\nARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AI\n\nApproximately 5,000 U.S. doctors have AI and data science knowledge after undergoing formal training in these fields, he estimated.\n\nWhy is the chief AI officer role important?\n\nIn an interview with Fox News Digital, Patel described AI as a \"transformative force that has the potential to revolutionize health care delivery, research and operations.\"\n\nGiven AI’s sweeping impact and fast growth, Mayo Clinic’s new CAIO said there is a need for a dedicated leadership position to ensure \"clear direction and alignment with broader organizational goals.\"\n\nThe chief AI officer is also responsible for balancing the technology’s risks and benefits, Patel noted.\n\n\"The chief AI officer is not just a technocrat, but a visionary leader.\"\n\n\"While AI brings forth myriad benefits, it also carries inherent risks,\" he said. \"A CAIO provides the necessary oversight to ensure that the implementation of AI is ethical, responsible and in line with regulatory guidelines.\"\n\nA chief AI officer also \"bridges the knowledge gap,\" he said, helping teams understand and harness the technology’s power.\n\nARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS DOCTORS PREDICT PATIENTS’ RISK OF DYING, STUDY FINDS: ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’\n\nThe role is also important in terms of maximizing the use of resources, fostering collaboration across departments and keeping up with future health tech trends, Patel added.\n\n\"Their expertise is critical in ensuring that the organization remains on the cutting edge of technological advancements while safeguarding patient welfare,\" he said.\n\n\"In essence, the chief AI officer is not just a technocrat, but a visionary leader, ensuring that the organization navigates the AI-driven paradigm shift in health care with agility, responsibility and a patient-centric approach.\"\n\nCastro agreed that the importance of this role is evident as AI becomes a pivotal part of health care.\n\n\"A chief AI officer can oversee the use and development of AI technologies , ensuring that they are leveraged effectively for patient care, data management and other applications,\" he said.\n\nDaily functions of a chief AI officer\n\nA chief AI officer has several core functions, according to Castro.\n\nGOOGLE CLOUD AND MAYO CLINIC SET TO DISRUPT HEALTH CARE WITH GENERATIVE AI\n\nEducating the health care community is one focus.\n\n\"This person should ensure that staff and stakeholders are informed about AI technologies and their applications,\" he said.\n\nDeveloping and implementing the algorithms used in the AI solutions is also a key part of the job, said Castro.\n\nThe CAIO must understand and analyze data derived from AI to inform decision-making and strategy.\n\n\"This role also entails managing the use of AI across the organization, ensuring that it aligns with regulatory standards and organizational goals,\" Castro said.\n\nStrategy development is also inherent to the chief AI officer’s job.\n\nNEW AI-GENERATED COVID DRUG ENTERS PHASE I CLINICAL TRIALS: ‘EFFECTIVE AGAINST ALL VARIANTS’\n\n\"This involves formulating strategies for the implementation and utilization of AI in various health care aspects, such as patient care, data analysis and operational efficiency,\" said Castro.\n\nIn Patel’s case, he said the heart of his new role is to \"ensure that our AI direction seamlessly integrates with and reinforces our organizational values.\"\n\nSome of Patel’s day-to-day functions include:\n\nOverseeing the identification, vetting and integration of AI solutions for various clinical and administrative functions\n\nUsing AI to improve diagnostic accuracy, optimize treatment paths and enhance the patient experience\n\nEngaging with stakeholders to gather insights, feedback and expertise\n\nEnsuring that all AI algorithms are transparent, free from biases, and designed in the best interests of patients and their communities\n\nFacilitating training sessions, workshops and awareness campaigns to ensure that everyone is up-to-date and empowered to harness AI's potential\n\n\"In essence, my role as chief AI officer is both strategic and operational,\" Patel told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"It's about setting a vision rooted in our values while ensuring the tactical execution of AI projects that drive value to our patients.\"\n\nOne of the tech team’s biggest recent contributions is an AI model that proactively assesses a person's risk of a heart attack , Patel noted.\n\nAS AI SHOWS UP IN DOCTORS' OFFICES, MOST PATIENTS ARE GIVING PERMISSION AS EXPERTS ADVISE CAUTION\n\n\"This model uses data from chest CT exams — often conducted for unrelated health issues, such as COVID or lung nodules — and identifies future heart disease risk, which unfortunately even expert physicians can't discern from the scan,\" he said.\n\n\"The model helps cardiologists prevent potential heart attacks rather than treating them reactively.\"\n\nMayo Clinic has also developed AI models that predict the prognosis of patients with diseases such as colon cancer , detect risks of future cancers using existing medical records, and predict 30-day hospital readmission or hospital-acquired infections, Patel said.\n\n\"AI can pinpoint details that make a significant difference in diagnosis and treatment.\"\n\n\"Our focus is not only to develop these AI models, but to ensure that the benefits of these models reach patients swiftly,\" he added.\n\nKey benefits of AI in health care\n\nPatel said he views AI as a \"powerful instrument\" that helps magnify physicians’ capabilities rather than replacing them.\n\n\"One of AI's primary strengths is its ability to recognize patterns that might escape the human eye,\" he said.\n\n\"Whether it's intricate anomalies in medical imaging or subtle patterns in patient histories, AI can pinpoint details that make a significant difference in diagnosis and treatment.\"\n\nThe technology also helps providers by sifting through and analyzing vast volumes of information, far more than what would be humanly possible, Patel said.\n\nIt also automates mundane and routine tasks, allowing health care professionals to redirect their focus to the patient, he noted.\n\nAI TECH AIMS TO HELP PATIENTS CATCH DISEASE EARLY, EVEN ‘REVERSE THEIR BIOLOGICAL AGE’\n\nEarly risk detection is another key benefit.\n\n\"AI tools can predict potential health risks by analyzing a combination of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors, facilitating early interventions and potentially saving lives,\" Patel said.\n\nAs well, AI can help enable the delivery of personalized medicine and proactive preventative care, he noted.\n\n\"By analyzing individual genetic makeup combined with lifestyle and environmental factors, treatments can be tailored to the unique needs of each patient,\" Patel said.\n\n\"And by predicting potential health issues before they manifest, we can guide patients on preventive measures, fundamentally changing our approach from cure to prevention.\"\n\nPotential risks and limitations\n\nAI in health care also presents challenges and limitations , Patel acknowledged.\n\nBecause AI is a branch of science, it requires rigorous evaluation before it can be applied by doctors, he said.\n\nAI HEART SCAN AIMS TO CATCH BLOCKAGES YEARS BEFORE SYMPTOMS: ‘UNBELIEVABLE BREAKTHROUGH’\n\n\"This ensures that we're not just implementing technology for the sake of innovation, but are truly enhancing patient care in a tangible, evidence-based manner.\"\n\nAI models also run the risk of bias, he warned.\n\n\"By recognizing AI’s limitations and actively working to address them, we can harness AI's potential while safeguarding the core values of our health care system.\"\n\n\"AI models are, by nature, a reflection of the data they're trained on,\" he said. \"If this data contains biases — whether racial, gender-based or from other sources — the models may perpetuate these biases.\"\n\nThere is the additional risk that humans will become overly reliant on AI, leading to a phenomenon called \"automation bias.\"\n\n\"Essentially, this means giving undue weight to AI-generated results without adequate human scrutiny,\" Patel said.\n\n\"In health care, understanding the ‘why’ behind a diagnosis or recommendation is as crucial as the result,\" he said. \"As providers, we must always contextualize AI outputs within the broader patient picture, leveraging our clinical judgment and experience.\"\n\nARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS DOCTORS PREDICT PATIENTS’ RISK OF DYING, STUDY FINDS: ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’\n\nIt’s important to protect data privacy and security as well, Patel noted, due to the large amounts of information that must be fed to AI models.\n\nWhile AI's capabilities are \"immense and ever-growing,\" Patel emphasized that AI’s role is to be an ally.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\n\"Humans caring for humans is the bedrock of health care — AI strengthens that foundation, but doesn’t replace it,\" he said.\n\n\"AI can offer insights and assist in decision-making, but human touch, intuition and empathy cannot be replicated by algorithms.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nWhile AI promises a \"new frontier\" in health care — Patel calls for a balance of \"enthusiasm and caution.\"\n\n\"By recognizing AI’s limitations and actively working to address them, we can harness AI's potential while safeguarding the core values of our health care system.\"", + "California’s Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) is preparing for its next trick: Putting guardrails on AI.\n\nThe state privacy regulator, which has an important role in setting rules of the road for digital giants given how much of Big Tech (and Big AI) is headquartered on its sun-kissed soil, has today published draft regulations for how people’s data can be used for what it refers to as automated decisionmaking technology (ADMT*). Aka AI.\n\nThe draft represents “by far the most comprehensive and detailed set of rules in the ‘AI space'”, Ashkan Soltani, the CPPA’s exec director, told TechCrunch. The approach takes inspiration from existing rules in the European Union, where the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has given individuals rights over automated decisions with a legal or significant impact on them since coming into force back in May 2018 — but aims to build on it with more specific provisions that may be harder for tech giants to wiggle away from.\n\nThe core of the planned regime — which the Agency intends to work on finalizing next year, after a consultation process — includes opt-out rights, pre-use notice requirements and access rights which would enable state residents to obtain meaningful information on how their data is being used for automation and AI tech.\n\nAI-based profiling could even fall in scope of the planned rules, per the draft the CPPA has presented today. So — assuming this provision survives the consultation process and makes it into the hard-baked rules — there could be big implications for US adtech giants like Meta which has a business model that hinges on tracking and profiling users to target them with ads.\n\nSuch firms could be required to offer California residents the ability to deny their commercial surveillance, with the proposed law stating businesses must provide consumers with the ability to opt-out of their data being processed for behavioral advertising. The current draft further stipulates that behavioral advertising use-cases cannot make use of a number of exemptions to the opt-out right that may apply in other scenarios (such as if ADMT is being used for security or fraud prevention purposes, for example).\n\nThe CPPA’s approach to regulating ADMT is risk-based, per Soltani. This echoes another piece of in-train EU legislation: the AI Act — a dedicated risk-based framework for regulating applications of artificial intelligence which has been on the table in draft form since 2021 but is now at a delicate stage of co-legislation, with the bloc’s lawmakers clashing over the not-so-tiny-detail of how (or even whether) to regulate Big AI, among several other policy disputes on the file.\n\nGiven the discord around the EU’s AI Act, as well as the ongoing failure of US lawmakers to pass a comprehensive federal privacy law — since there’s only so much presidential Executive Orders can do — there’s a plausible prospect of California ending up as one of the top global rulemakers on AI.\n\nThat said, the impact of California’s AI rules is likely to remain local, given its focus on affording protections and controls to state residents. In-scope companies might choose to go further — such as, say, offering the same package of privacy protections to residents of other US states. But that’s up to them. And, bottom line, the CPPA’s reach and enforcement is tied to the California border.\n\nIts bid to tackle AI follows the introduction of GDPR-inspired privacy rules, back in 2019, with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) coming into effect in early 2020. Since then the Agency has been pushing to go further. And, in fall 2020, a ballot measure secured backing from state residents to reinforce and redefine parts of the privacy law. The new measures laid out in draft today to address ADM are part of that effort.\n\n“The proposed regulations would implement consumers’ right to opt out of, and access information about, businesses’ uses of ADMT, as provided for by the [CCPA],” the CPPA wrote in a press release. “The Agency Board will provide feedback on these proposed regulations at the December 8, 2023, board meeting, and the Agency expects to begin formal rulemaking next year.”\n\nIn parallel, the regulator is considering draft risk assessment requirements which are intended to work in tandem with the planned ADMT rules. “Together, these proposed frameworks can provide consumers with control over their personal information while ensuring that automated decisionmaking technologies, including those made from artificial intelligence, are used with privacy in mind and in design,” it suggests.\n\nCommenting in a statement, Vinhcent Le, member of the regulator’s board and of the New Rules Subcommittee that drafted the proposed regulations, added: “Once again, California is taking the lead to support privacy-protective innovation in the use of emerging technologies, including those that leverage artificial intelligence. These draft regulations support the responsible use of automated decisionmaking while providing appropriate guardrails with respect to privacy, including employees’ and children’s privacy.”\n\nWhat’s being proposed by the CPPA?\n\nThe planned regulations deal with access and opt-out rights in relation to businesses’ use of ADMT.\n\nPer an overview of the draft regulation, the aim is to establish a regime that will let state residents request an opt-out from their data being used for automated decisionmaking — with a relatively narrow set of exemptions planned where use of the data is necessary (and solely intended) for either: Security purposes (“to prevent, detect, and investigate security incidents”); fraud prevention; safety (“to protect the life and physical safety of consumers”); or for a good or service requested by the consumer.\n\nThe latter comes with a string of caveats, including that the business “has no reasonable alternative method of processing”; and must demonstrate “(1) the futility of developing or using an alternative method of processing; (2) an alternative method of processing would result in a good or service that is not as valid, reliable, and fair; or (3) the development of an alternative method of processing would impose extreme hardship upon the business”.\n\nSo — tl;dr — a business that intends to use ADMT and is trying to use a (crude) argument that, simply because the product contains automation/AI users can’t opt-out of their data being processed/fed to the models, looks unlikely to wash. At least not without the company going to extra effort to stand up a claim that, for instance, less intrusive processing would not suffice for their use-case.\n\nBasically, then, the aim is for there to be a compliance cost attached to trying to deny consumers the ability to opt-out of automation/AI being applied to their data.\n\nOf course a law that lets consumers opt-out of privacy-hostile data processing is only going to work if the people involved are aware how their information is being used. Hence the planned framework also sets out a requirement that businesses wanting to apply ADMT must provide so-called “pre-use notices” to affected consumers — so they can decide whether to opt-out of their data being used (or not); or indeed whether to exercise their access right to get more info about the intended use of automation/AI.\n\nThis too looks broadly similar to provisions in the EU’s GDPR which put transparency (and fairness) obligations on entities processing personal data — in addition to requiring a valid lawful basis for them to use personal data.\n\nAlthough the European regulation contains some exceptions — such as where info was not directly collected from individuals and fulfilling their right to be informed would be “unreasonably expensive” or “impossible” — which may have undermined EU lawmakers’ intent that data subjects should be kept informed. (Perhaps especially in the realm of AI — and generative AI — where large amounts of personal data have clearly been scraped off the Internet but web users have not been proactively informed about this heist of their info; see, for example, regulatory action against Clearview AI. Or the open investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.)\n\nThe proposed Californian framework also includes GDPR-esque access rights which will allow state residents to ask a business to provide them with: Details of their use of ADMT; the technology’s output with respect to them; how decisions were made (including details of any human involvement; and whether the use of ADMT was evaluated for “validity, reliability and fairness”); details of the logic of the ADMT, including “key parameters” affecting the output; and how they applied to the individual; information on the range of possible outputs; and info on how the consumer can exercise their other CCPA rights and submit a complaint about the use of ADMT.\n\nAgain, the GDPR provides a broadly similar right — stipulating that data subjects must be provided with “meaningful information about the logic involved” in automated decisions that have a significant/legal effect on them. But it’s still falling to European courts to interpret where the line lies when it comes to how much (or how specific the) information algorithmic platforms must hand over in response to these GDPR subject access requests (see, for example, litigation against Uber in the Netherlands where a number of drivers have been trying to get details of systems involved in flagging accounts for potential fraud).\n\nThe CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability.\n\nNot every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows:\n\nFor a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place.\n\nThe Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants.\n\nThe more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two.\n\nThe draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8.\n\nIf the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year. Although there would obviously need to be a grace period before compliance kicks in for in-scope companies — so 2025 looks like the very earliest for a law to be up and running. And who knows how far developments in AI will have moved on by then.\n\n* The CPPA’s proposed definition for ADMT in the draft framework is “any system, software, or process — including one derived from machine-learning, statistics, other data-processing or artificial intelligence — that processes personal information and uses computation as whole or part of a system to make or execute a decision or facilitate human decisionmaking”. Its definition also affirms “ADMT includes profiling” — which is defined as “any form of automated processing of personal information to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person and in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements”", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nIf there’s one thing we love here at Polygon, it’s the Halloween season.\n\nWe cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course).\n\nEven still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration.\n\nFor the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from.\n\nEvery day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights.\n\nOct. 1: Messiah of Evil\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex\n\nA undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic.\n\nThe film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse. After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm.\n\nAt times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces. From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero. The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan\n\nOct. 2: Ginger Snaps\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex\n\nThere’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat.\n\nDirected by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast.\n\nGinger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you.\n\nThe movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk\n\nOct. 3: Creepshow\n\nWhere to watch: Kanopy\n\nThe new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023.\n\nBut reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s.\n\nHorror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers.\n\nPlus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante\n\nOct. 4: Pulse\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video\n\nWhat if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse.\n\nAlternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo. As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet. By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left.\n\nProduced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE\n\nOct. 5: Apostle\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nDon’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies. If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes.\n\nEvans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult. Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island.\n\nEvans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory. But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership. Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson\n\nOct. 6: Dracula 2000\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nWith the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due.\n\nMaybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail.\n\nButler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches\n\nOct. 7: Prince of Darkness\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock\n\nThere aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy.\n\nPrince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it.\n\nThis is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin\n\nOct. 8: Gravity Falls - Northwest Mansion Mystery\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus (season 2, episode 10)\n\nThe more time that has passed since Gravity Falls concluded, the more miraculous it feels in hindsight. Alex Hirsch’s paranormal comedy show about 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel, who solve supernatural mysteries in their great-uncle’s home in rural Oregon, is the perfect entry point for young horror-loving audiences. It’s a pastiche of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Adventure Time all rolled into one, with the freewheeling, funloving spirit of a summer vacation. There’s tons of fantastic episodes to choose from, but if you’re looking for an especially spooky one to get in the Halloween spirit, you can’t go wrong with “Northwest Mansion Mystery.”\n\nA ghost has taken up residence in the mansion estate of the wealthiest family in Gravity Falls on the eve of their annual party, and Dipper has been enlisted to exorcize it. Upon arriving at the mansion, Dipper and popular girl Pacifica Northwest uncover a dark family secret that’s been buried for generations, one that threatens to not only tarnish the family’s reputation, but engulf the entire town. For a series ostensibly aimed at young children, it’s kind of wild just how scary “Northwest Mansion Mystery” gets, with taxidermy animals bleeding from their mouths, flaming skeletal lumberjacks, and hapless partygoers being petrified into screaming wooden statues. It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer. —TE\n\nOct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project\n\nWhere to watch: YouTube\n\nScooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s. But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project.\n\nLike its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang. Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne set off in the Mystery Machine to the remote woods of Casper County. The movie is filmed in the same documentary style that The Blair Witch Project made iconic, and mostly inserts the gang into live-action locations like real woods or a real town where they interview locals.\n\nThe project was originally created as a bumper to bookend segments of a 1999 Scooby-Doo marathon (just a few months after the movie it was based on was released), but after Cartoon Network saw what the creators put together, it wisely decided to re-air the short segments end-to-end as a movie.\n\nThe Scooby-Doo Project not only stands alongside the original Blair Witch as an impressive and loving parody, but also as a similarly unnerving found-footage horror movie. The gang standing around among live-action backgrounds is creepy enough on its own, but hearing the beloved characters be accosted by unseen forces as they sprint through the woods is downright scary — particularly if you were a kid watching this for the first time in 1999, well before you saw The Blair Witch Project.\n\nBut the best part of The Scooby-Doo Project comes at the end when, much like the other Scooby-Doo movies of the time, we get a soft implication that the supernatural elements of the story were actually real and the horrors won’t stop when the villain’s mask comes off. It’s a downright haunting ending, and manages to match the excellence of its source material, which is high praise for any horror movie, let alone a Scooby-Doo parody. —AG\n\nOct. 10: Saloum\n\nWhere to watch: Shudder, AMC Plus\n\nOne of the best movies of 2022 was this criminally underseen Senegalese thriller. Saloum follows three extremely cool mercenaries whose post-mission flight home gets interrupted. The trio find themselves in a mysterious village where something is off, and the tension slowly ramps up into a chaotic finale.\n\nThe trio of lead actors are absolutely magnetic — Yann Gael (1899), Roger Sallah, and the late Mentor Ba bring the trio of loyal friends who also happen to be extremely deadly professionals fully to life. And with fantastic costume design, a stirring score, and compelling images from award-winning music video director Jean Luc Herbulot, Saloum is 84 minutes of genre-bending excellence.\n\nSaloum first premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, and the movie went on to win awards at Fantastic Fest and the Vancouver International Film Festival. And yet, way too few people have seen it. This is your chance to correct the record and help make Saloum the cult classic it deserves to be. —PV\n\nOct. 11: Heck\n\nWhere to watch: YouTube\n\nSkinamarink has proven to be one of the most polarizing horror releases of 2023. Kyle Edward Ball’s feature debut about two children trapped alone inside their home by a malevolent entity eschews the formal conventions of traditional cinematography and plot, consisting instead of a series of canted-angle shots of dark hallways and yawning darkness that forces the audience to ruminate on the horrors that lay therein. Personally, I vibed with it heavily, and so it should come as no surprise that I quite enjoyed Ball’s 2020 short film Heck as well.\n\nConceived as a “proof of concept” for Skinamarink, the short is told from the perspective of a young child who wakes in the dead of night to the blaring sound of their mother’s television set. With their mother seemingly nowhere to be found, the child is left to their own devices, with no means of either leaving the house or calling for help. As the interminable night drags on, with hours morphing into days morphing into weeks morphing into months of penumbral isolation, the child grows more fearful and feral, resorting to increasingly more desperate acts of disobedience in hopes of rousing their mother from sleep. This effort, however, is ultimately proven to be in vain.\n\nHeck circles the same rough ideas and themes of Skinamarink to different effect, channeling the vulnerability of a child and the horror of abandonment and neglect to create an experimental horror experience that demands the audience’s full attention. It’s a fascinating companion to Skinamarink that shows just how far Ball has come as a director honing in on this particular strain of horror, and makes it all the more intriguing to speculate on what he might conjure up next. —TE\n\nOct. 12: Harper’s Island\n\nWhere to watch: Available to purchase on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nIn theory, slasher TV should be easier to pull off. Episodic structure lends itself well to a slowly dwindling cast, with a killer on the loose and a different death each episode. This, as Lizzie McGuire (as Isabella the pop star) says, is what dreams are made of. And yet, show after show flubs it, because they can’t find interesting enough characters or dilemmas in what should be an endlessly engaging premise.\n\nBut the rules are different on Harper’s Island.\n\nThe small Pacific Northwest island was home to a serial killing where Abby (Elaine Cassidy) lost her mom almost a decade ago. She only returns at the start of the series under the most extreme of circumstances: her best friend Henry’s (Christopher Gorham) wedding. And unfortunately, the island’s deadly legacy is about to get a whole lot worse.\n\nThe thing is: The show is a perfect low-rent masterpiece. Being from 2009, it feels like a time capsule for both bootcut jeans and miniseries. At a tight 13 episodes, Harper’s Island knows what it’s about (killing people) and gets right to it (brutally). And yet, the beauty of Harper’s Island and its antics is how long it’s able to sustain a levelheaded approach to a purely absurd And Then There Were None scenario, right down to how long nobody knows they’re being picked off. Almost no death is like the last, which seems purely impractical from a serial killing perspective but makes for great TV. The episode titles are the onomatopoeias for how people die, for Christ’s sake! It’s all very fun and twisty, as bodies and mystery continue to mount. Harper’s Island makes slasher TV look fun and easy. More TV should be like Harper’s Island. —Zosha Millman\n\nOct. 13: American Horror Story: NYC\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu\n\nI have already gone on record about how I cannot look away from the trash fire that is most seasons of American Horror Story. But last season really solidified the reason I even watched the show in the first place. Namely, when AHS is good, it’s really good.\n\nAHS: NYC opens up with a serial killer on the prowl. That, coupled with the leather-clad spectral figure that seems to be haunting the main characters, seems like it’s just typical AHS schlock. But it’s so much more than that. Yes, there is a serial killer who uncannily resembles Jeffrey Dahmer, and the scenes where he stalks and tortures his victims are pretty scary. And yes, there is a leather daddy ghost that has no name or face. And yes, there’s a lot of dubiously consensual BDSM scenes. But the real horror comes from the powerlessness of the queer community in the face of the AIDS crisis.\n\nCreator Ryan Murphy builds this overwhelming, inescapable sense of dread. All AHS seasons hinge on their titular premise, which, more often than not, is a location. It’s not always done effectively, but in NYC, Murphy and the writers heighten the foreboding terror of being alone in a city of millions, of feeling helpless in a crowded room, of knowing that there’s something out to get you but not being able to do anything about that.\n\nThe whole season is surprisingly subdued for AHS (yes, even with the sex cages), and it builds up to a painfully poignant finale scene where, for 10 minutes set to Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivity,” one of the main characters wordlessly trudges through the next 10 years of his life, watching everyone around him slowly succumb to AIDS, as horror and reality blend together. —Petrana Radulovic\n\nOct. 14: Cat People\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nWant to be a smarter horror fan this October? Watch the movie that originated the modern jump scare, and then impress people at Halloween parties with this knowledge.\n\nCat People is not only a key part of horror movie history, it’s a delightfully dark and sexy time positively radiating with atmosphere. The movie follows a woman (Simone Simon) who is caught between her desire for a new man in her life (Kent Smith) and her belief that she is cursed to turn into a panther if she becomes aroused. And at 73 minutes, it’s one of the shorter horror classics you can watch this fall.\n\nNow for that jump scare origin. There’s a tense sequence in this movie where one character stalks another. Director Jacques Tourneur lets the tension build to an unbearable level before surprising the audience with the sudden appearance of a bus. Often considered the first example of the modern jump scare, it was called the “Lewton Bus” after producer Val Lewton, who used the technique again in later movies. —PV\n\nOct. 15: The Neon Demon\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, Hoopla, Freevee\n\nModeling is a cutthroat industry, and that goes double in Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2016 horror movie The Neon Demon.\n\nThe movie follows Elle Fanning as Jesse, a young model who just moved to Los Angeles and quickly gets taken under the wing of makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone). As Jesse becomes more successful as a model, she meets various members of the industry who are willing to part the seas for her even as she makes enemies who get caught up in a wake she unknowingly creates. Even when people are being nice to her, no one lets Jesse pass without making it clear they’re jealous of her beauty and curious about what she can give them… or that they can take from her.\n\nHere, like in Drive, Refn’s version of LA is soaked in dread and seediness in every corner. Every person reads like a threat, and every new competitor or friend seems to be looking for a new way to drain the life out of the people around them — until they finally actually do it. But, like all Refn projects, what really sets The Neon Demon apart is how it looks. The griminess of the movie’s world turns brightly lit photo shoots into shadow-filled nightmares, with people who stalk the sets like jungle predators.\n\nThough The Neon Demon didn’t get the same acclaim as other so-called elevated horror movies from the time, looking back, it fits perfectly among the ranks of The Witch, It Follows, and Under the Skin. Refn’s nightmarish modeling movie is dripping with cynicism, cruelty, and a creeping atmosphere, with more meanness than almost any other movie from the era could muster. But it’s all in the pursuit of beauty, of course. —AG\n\nOct. 16: Project Wolf Hunting\n\nWhere to watch: Hi-Yah!; available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nSometimes, what you’re looking for is just literal tons of blood and gore. And when that’s contained in a premise that’s essentially “Con Air meets Predator, with a bit of The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” that’s hard to beat.\n\nProject Wolf Hunting is a Korean monster mash built out of an extremely fun idea. “What if a bunch of dangerous criminals rebelled on the cargo ship they were being transported on, only to discover the ship is also transporting a monster?”\n\nThe story is necessarily light, and the characters are thinly drawn (although the effective costuming and makeup work go a long way), but that’s not what you’re here for if you’re watching Project Wolf Hunting. You’re here for gory violence, and boy, is there a lot of it. The director has bragged that the team used 2.5 tons of fake blood while filming the movie, and it certainly shows. It’s one of the goriest movies I’ve ever seen, and that gore is augmented by terrific sound design, which builds the monster up into something well beyond the realm of humankind by making its movements sound metallic. It’s a machine designed for killing, and Project Wolf Hunting is a movie designed for a bloody good time. —PV\n\nOct. 17: Kuroneko\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel, Max\n\nLike his 1964 film Onibaba (which we featured in our 2021 Halloween countdown), Kaneto Shindo’s 1968 supernatural horror film is a cerebral, gorgeous, and eerie drama set amid the tumultuous Sengoku period of Japanese history.\n\nKuroneko centers on the story of two women, a mother and her daughter-in-law, who are raped and murdered by a wandering band of samurai who set fire to their family home. Haunted by vengeance, their spirits forge a pact with the demons of the underworld, resurrecting them in exchange for the death of any samurai unfortunate enough to cross their paths. As the death toll rises, a young samurai is enlisted to fend off the wayward spirits once and for all, unaware of either the origins behind their malice or their tragic connection to his own past.\n\nKiyomi Kuroda’s cinematography in Kuroneko is a master class in minimalism, employing an intense contrast of light and shadow to produce sequences that feel downright otherworldly to behold. Whether it’s scenes of samurai wandering through a void of darkness by the Rajōmon gates or a dreamlike pan through a bamboo thicket overlaid as a character ruminates over the past, the film is a gorgeous display of deft cinematic craftsmanship in service of telling a dramatic and terrifying story of love, revenge, and regret. —TE\n\nOct. 18: A Wounded Fawn\n\nWhere to watch: Shudder, AMC Plus\n\nOne of 2022’s best under-the-radar horror movies takes its inspiration from an old-fashioned source: Greek mythology.\n\nDirector Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife) melds Greek mythic imagery with an unconventional serial killer narrative in a thrilling combination that breathes new life into the genre. The movie follows a museum curator who goes on a date with a serial killer. She finds him out once she notices a statue, The Wrath of Erinyes, that is in his home but shouldn’t be. From there, things get really strange.\n\nShot on 35mm, A Wounded Fawn is a gorgeous movie to behold, even before the action truly starts. Once it does, be prepared for a descent into the phantasmagoric, with jaw-dropping visuals, eerie practical effects, and a heavy dose of Aeschylus’ Eumenides.\n\nWith fantastic performances from Sarah Lind (Jakob’s Wife) and Dropout veteran Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within) in an unsettlingly off-type role, A Wounded Fawn is a bold new entry into the serial killer movie canon. —PV\n\nOct. 19: The Hole in the Ground\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nFew horror tropes get as much mileage as the image of the unnatural child. Likely that’s because the idea that kids should be innocent and cheerful is baked into so many human cultures that a child acting spooky and inhuman is a terrific cross-cultural recipe for horror. But an effective creepy-kid movie requires a spectacular creepy kid performer. James Quinn Markey fully delivers in The Hole in the Ground, the debut feature of Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin. But the movie isn’t just about a scary child — it’s about all the psychological baggage involved in dealing with one.\n\nSeána Kerslake stars as Sarah, a woman recently moved to the Irish countryside with her young son, Chris (Markey). After an unnerving incident, she starts to believe Chris has been replaced by an inhuman doppelgänger. There’s plenty of evidence that it’s true, at least for the audience. But an erratic, violent local woman who also believes her son was replaced serves as a warning for Sarah, both about how she can expect the community to dismiss her anxieties, and more potently, as a dark mirror of her fears, a suggestion that she might just be losing her mind. This incredibly dark and squirmy movie is much quieter and more internal than Evil Dead Rise, but it sure puts the screws to the audience, especially as it builds to an unforgettable, horrifying climax. —TR\n\nOct. 20: Silent Hill\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock\n\nThe mid-2000s were a no man’s land for horror movies. By 2006, we were four years out from the blockbuster prestige of Gore Verbinski’s The Ring and the J-horror import boom that followed it in America, and only just beginning to transition into the Saw-dominated years of “realistic” horror. More importantly, we were still almost a decade away from the arthouse horror boom that would kick off closer to 2014 with films like It Follows. This was exactly the environment Silent Hill was released into, and it deserved so much better.\n\nThe movie follows Rose, whose daughter, Sharon, is plagued with awful episodes of sleepwalking and nightmares about the mysterious abandoned town of Silent Hill. Rose brings Sharon to the town in a last-ditch attempt to find answers, but things go horribly wrong when the fog-shrouded town seems to transport them (along with police officer Cybil Bennett) to a new monstrous dimension. Meanwhile, after the mother and daughter have been gone for a few hours, Rose’s husband, Christopher, sets off to Silent Hill to find his family.\n\nInside the town is where Silent Hill takes the most inspiration from the video game series it’s based on. Some of Silent Hill’s most recognizable enemies and monsters show up, chasing Cybil, Sharon, and Rose through the town and eventually into the iconic Pyramid Head. These segments are impressively scary, and steeped in the dreadful atmosphere that made the games famous.\n\nBut even beyond the terrifying town itself, the best part of Silent Hill comes when Christopher arrives. Rather than managing to find his family, all he finds is an abandoned mining town. For most of the movie, the women’s frantic running and hiding from monsters is paralleled by Christopher wandering around the exact same areas, filled with a dreadful sense that his family is close, but completely unable to see them or the horrors threatening to kill them. It’s not a subtle metaphor for the differences in the ways that men and women go through the world, but it is an effective one, and it manages to create a level of crushing existential terror and defeat that few movies ever come close to. —AG\n\nOct. 21: Suspiria (2018)\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, Freevee\n\nDario Argento’s 1977 Suspiria is a horror masterpiece, the sort of film even the best directors would face insurmountable odds of matching with a remake. The story — an American ballerina who moves to Germany to attend a prestigious ballet company, only to be greeted by a series of murders and a supernatural mystery — is a vessel for Argento’s craft, featuring some of his boldest visuals and some truly nauseating body horror.\n\nSo how, then, did Luca Guadagnino do the impossible, creating its contemporary equal?\n\nHe cast Tilda Swinton in multiple roles and Mia Goth to do the Mia Goth thing. For cinematography, he brought on Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, known for Guadagnino’s own Call Me By Your Name, but also Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s seminal indie films Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Memoria. And for the score: Thom Yorke. Yes, Radiohead Thom Yorke.\n\nWhere other directors would have obsessively recreated a source text, rebooting it into something unrecognizable, Guadagnino’s film is an homage — the sort of movie you imagine Argento would make with the budgets and creative freedom afforded by tech companies trying to buy cultural capital. It’s more political. More grotesque. The ending is just more.\n\nThe truth is 2018’s Suspiria and the original Suspiria should be enjoyed together. In the past, that’s been a challenge, with the original film being surprisingly difficult to watch — especially if you prefer streaming. But this month, Criterion Collection has you covered, allowing for one of the most batshit double features of your life. —CP\n\nOct. 22: Pan’s Labyrinth\n\nWhere to watch: Available to purchase on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nNot just a great horror movie, but one of the Great Movies, Pan’s Labyrinth is among the best examples of a fairy tale for adults. Set during the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth follows Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) after her pregnant mother takes her to live with her new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) — a fascist Falangista hunting down the republican rebels that are hiding out in the Spanish forest.\n\nIn this terrifying time, Ofelia encounters a faun, a mythical creature that claims she is the reincarnated Princess Moanna, daughter of the king of the underworld. The Faun (Doug Jones) tells her that if she completes three tasks, she can return to the king and queen and live forever as princess of the underworld.\n\nLike many folk tales before they’re sterilized by pop culture, Pan’s Labyrinth is a fairy tale full of menace, danger, and horror — but also hope. It is both a refuge from a turbulent time and an attempt to understand it, a parable that becomes timeless in its specificity with new meaning to discover every time it’s revisited. Widely considered to be writer-director Guillermo del Toro’s magnum opus, it shows the director operating at the peak of his powers, with lavish production design, evocative colors, and naturalistic performances juxtaposed with quiet, dangerous magic.\n\nBut what makes it a great film is astonishingly simple. Some movies endeavor to make sure you understand them. The best ones help you understand yourself. Pan’s Labyrinth, in the end, wants to know what kind of person you are by the time the credits roll. —Joshua Rivera\n\nOct. 23: Eyes Without a Face\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel, Max\n\nThe late 1950s weren’t exactly a booming era for French horror films. While Henri-Georges Clouzot’s psychological thriller Diabolique received an effusive reception upon its release in 1955, the prevailing attitude of French critics at the time was that horror was antithetical to the high-minded standard of what French cinema should aspire to. Eyes Without a Face bucked against this perception, taking what would otherwise be a standard mad scientist tale and turning it into a dark horror fable about love, guilt, and madness.\n\nThe film follows Dr. Génessier, a renowned plastic surgeon wracked with guilt over a car accident that disfigured his beloved daughter Christiane’s face. Faking her death and confining her to the grounds of his mansion, Génessier devises a desperate and horrifying scheme: Perform a series of skin grafts to repair Christiane’s face using the faces of abducted women who resemble her. With the failure of each attempt, the body count begins to rise, prompting the authorities to mount a desperate manhunt to apprehend the culprit. In the midst of all of this, Christiane herself grows tired of her father’s obsession, wishing instead to reunite with her lover Jacques and resume her life.\n\nFantastical and atmospheric, Eyes Without a Face is a beautiful horror thriller with masterful cinematography courtesy of Eugen Schüfftan (who previously worked on Fritz Lang’s Metropolis) and a memorable score composed by Maurice-Alexis Jarre, who would later go on to win an Academy Award for his work on Lawrence of Arabia. If you’re looking for an intelligent and gorgeous horror movie that still manages to dabble in its share of gore, Georges Franju’s masterpiece is a must-watch. —TE\n\nOct. 24: Overlord\n\nWhere to watch: Paramount Plus, Pluto TV\n\nThis slept-on genre-mashing gem takes a cast of excellent actors about to do bigger things (Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, John Magaro, Pilou Asbæk, and more), and an up-and-coming director (The Pope’s Exorcist’s Julius Avery) and places them behind Nazi lines during World War II. The Nazis are up to more than usual this time: There be zombies in these labs.\n\nOn the eve of D-Day, a group of Allied paratroopers are sent into Germany on a covert mission. Things go wrong instantly when their plane crashes, and they soon discover twisted Nazi experiments after connecting with the residents. Things get bloody fast, with great action from second unit director Shaun O’Dell (The Woman King, Brotherhood of the Wolf) and stunt coordinator Jo McLaren (Heart of Stone).\n\nOverlord is a gleeful, intentionally ridiculous Nazi-zombie-bashing time, with tight direction and a fantastic group of actors. If you love the Wolfenstein games or Call of Duty’s Zombies mode, or B-movies with A-movie production, this one is for you. —PV\n\nOct. 25: Curve\n\nWhere to watch: YouTube\n\nTim Egan’s 2016 horror short inspires the same visceral physical response as watching an episode of Squid Game. A young woman wakes to discover her twisted body perched precariously on the slope of a strange cliff overlooking a bottomless pit. Her hands caked with blood, the woman attempts to inch herself away from the pit, each desperate motion teetering on the cusp of survival and oblivion. Will she be able to escape where so many others have failed?\n\nCurve works as a horror short because it leaves so much to the imagination. We don’t know who this woman is, how she ended up in this situation, or what the purpose of this place even is. In the presence of imminent horror, our first instinct is to scramble for answers and, in the absence of any to be found, our second instinct is to search for a means of escape. Through a captivating lead performance and deft sound design, Egan delivers a gripping horror story in just under 10 minutes. —TE\n\nOct. 26: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a nauseating smoothie of rural horror, outré indie experimentation, and wannabe snuff film. Its murders aren’t real, but you’d be forgiven for being convinced the film’s actors are in genuine trouble; from the budget film stock to the filthy sets, it all feels… off. The result is not just a great horror flick, but a monumental work that originated many tropes of its genre and, most recently, earned a coveted spot in the Sight and Sound list of the greatest films of all time.\n\nThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is nothing like that. You won’t see its name in a film school syllabus, and the films it inspired can be counted on one hand. Nonetheless, there’s something commendable about the gall of Tobe Hooper, the original Texas Chain Saw director, returning to his series with the energy of a middle-aged man on his first ayahuasca retreat.\n\nLeatherface gets in a high-speed car battle, eventually standing on the roof of a speeding sedan. Dennis Hopper dual-wields chainsaws. A radio station office is obliterated like it’s a novelty rage room. Sometimes you want a steak, and sometimes you want a hamburger. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a damn juicy burger. —CP\n\nOct. 27: Possessor\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu\n\nMy first Brandon Cronenberg (yes, David’s son) movie was Infinity Pool, his latest messed-up meditation on the rich and powerful. I vividly remember telling friends how exciting and debauched the movie was, and their response surprised me: “Clearly you haven’t seen Possessor.”\n\nThat night, I rectified this, and dear readers: They were right. As disturbing and mystifying as I found the world of Infinity Pool, Possessor was all that and more. And I haven’t been able to get it out of my brain since. Which is… fitting, considering the movie.\n\nAndrea Riseborough (Mandy, To Leslie) plays an elite corporate assassin who is able to inhabit other people’s bodies, getting closer to her victims by posing as people already in their lives. It’s a haunting premise, and one Possessor takes full advantage of, both in the moments of action and in the assassin’s contemplation about what her identity truly even is.\n\nPossessor is an unforgettable entry into the psychological horror canon, and it brings a little sci-fi into your Halloween celebrations. Don’t miss it. —PV\n\nOct. 28: Opera\n\nWhere to watch: Shudder, Tubi, Vudu\n\nYou can’t get more than five minutes into a conversation about Italian horror without mentioning Dario Argento, the giallo master.\n\nOpera represents the last hurrah of Argento’s hot streak throughout the ’70s and ’80s. It’s an extravagant horror-thriller that combines high-minded aesthetics with the viscerality of slasher cinema. The film follows Betty, the understudy to a famous opera singer, who is selected to play the role of Lady Macbeth after the star suffers a terrible accident. While preparing for her first big performance, Betty is subjected to a terrifying ordeal when she is attacked by a mysterious unseen assailant who tapes needles under her eyes and forces her to watch as her boyfriend is mutilated. Barely escaping with her life, Betty seeks the aid of Marco, the play’s director, in apprehending the culprit before they can claim another victim.\n\nVery loosely based on Argento’s own experience directing a failed production of Verdi’s Macbeth, Opera is a sumptuous and suspenseful slasher that holds the viewer’s attention and absolutely refuses to let go. Like Betty, one feels compelled to watch this macabre display of ritualistic horror play out to its conclusion in a desperate search of answers. Fortunately, unlike Betty, you won’t have to worry about losing your eyes if you find yourself overwhelmed by the frights. —TE\n\nOct. 29: House of 1000 Corpses\n\nWhere to watch: AMC Plus, Pluto TV, Tubi\n\nHouse of 1000 Corpses may be the true answer to the question “What is the best The Texas Chain Saw Massacre sequel?”\n\nThe movie follows a group of teens who are putting together a book on roadside attractions when they stumble upon a serial killer-themed rest stop run by a weirdo. After their strange encounter, the kids set off on the road, only for their car to break down a few miles later. Thankfully, their helpful hitchhiker companion Baby knows just the place they can get help: the Firefly mansion, where her family lives. From there, things devolve into a host of horrific stage plays, cursed experiments, and gruesome murders.\n\nThe family at its center, whom Rob Zombie went on to make two more movies about, is repulsive and absolutely horrible, but still zany enough to be truly unsettling in a way that few horror movies can be. House of 1000 Corpses is a grisly, grotesque film that captures all the grime of the ’70s movies that inspired it. But what really makes it worth watching is the way it balances silliness and terror, doling each out in proportional quantities until you can’t figure out if you should laugh or scream. Instead, you just end up doing both. —AG\n\nOct. 30: Thirst\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock\n\nPark Chan-wook has never missed. And Thirst, his most overt foray into horror, may also be his steamiest movie (a high bar, considering the excellent The Handmaiden).\n\nFrequent Park collaborator Song Kang-ho stars as a Catholic priest who volunteers for a medical experiment. The experiment instead turns him into a vampire, giving him a lust for blood… and also for the wife of an old friend.\n\nIn many ways, this movie is in close relationship to his two most recent releases — The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave. It pairs the eroticism of the former with the charged relationship dynamic of the latter, to gripping effect. With Park’s typical attention to detail and eye for arresting images (as well as his wicked sense of humor), Thirst is an unconventional and sexy Halloween watch. —PV\n\nOct. 31: The Exorcist III\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, Criterion Channel\n\nNearly 50 years since it was first released in theaters, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist has withstood the test of time as one of the most terrifying and influential horror films in American cinema. The sequel that came closest to capturing that same lightning in a bottle is The Exorcist III, written and directed by William Peter Blatty, the original screenwriter of the first film and author of the novel on which it was based.\n\nWhen a series of gruesome murders matching the modus operandi of an infamous serial killer begins to terrorize the city of Georgetown, Lt. William F. Kinderman (George C. Scott) investigates the psych ward of a local hospital in search of leads. Confronted with a suspect whose appearance matches that of his late friend Father Damien Karras, Kinderman finds himself thrust into a battle for his very soul as he confronts an evil beyond his comprehension.\n\nThe story of The Exorcist III’s production is a tangled mess of false starts, studio interference, and thwarted artistic ambitions. Though it was originally conceived with Friedkin in mind to return as director, he eventually left the project due to creative differences with Blatty. John Carpenter was at one time tapped to direct, before he too stepped aside to allow Blatty himself to take the reins. Morgan Creek Productions, which financed the film, demanded Blatty reshoot the film’s final act, which originally ended without an exorcism. Even given these complications, The Exorcist III remains a fascinating and terrifying film in its own right, with a hodgepodge of fascinating creative choices and literary dialogue that makes the film feel like a sister piece to Blatty’s The Ninth Configuration. It may not have been the Exorcist sequel that audiences at the time wanted, but it’s still a damn fine picture. —TE", + "Jim Ratcliffe’s move to Monaco in 2020 may have been bad news for the British taxpayer, but not for Manchester United fans.\n\nThe chemical billionaire looks set to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League giants after fellow bidder, Sheikh Jassim, withdrew his offer.\n\n6 Ratcliffe could still have a big say at United Credit: getty\n\n6 His wisest move could be to land his old neighbour Mitchell\n\nThat news hasn’t been too warmly welcomed by United supporters, who would still have to put up with the hugely unpopular Glazer family in control of the club.\n\nIt could, though, mean some sort of progress, if the Manchester born Ratcliffe follows through with his vision to revolutionise the club.\n\nShould Ratcliffe come in, talkSPORT understands that he would take charge of footballing matters, something the Glazers have been accused of having little to no interest in.\n\nAlready a top tier European owner of OGC Nice, there has been some success, but nothing compared to their French riviera neighbours, where Ratcliffe appears set to look for inspiration.\n\nPaul Mitchell recently left the principality of Monaco, but he could well be back there in meetings with Ratcliffe who is planning to appoint a sporting director.\n\nMitchell fulfilled that role at Monaco after previous stints at Leipzig, Tottenham, Southampton and MK Dons, becoming one of football’s most respected executives.\n\nA former player in England’s lower leagues, Mitchell was previously linked with Chelsea and Liverpool, and much like Ratcliffe, he’s also from Greater Manchester.\n\nStarring mainly for Wigan and MK Dons, it was with the latter where Mitchell was moved upstairs, and made his first big move by spotting future England regular Dele Alli after being named their head of recruitment in 2010.\n\nTwo years later he joined Southampton in the same role, and that’s where he really began to show off, landing the Saints a number of players who would not only go on to become Champions League regulars, but make the club a fortune and ensure a Premier League best finish.\n\nShowcasing his skills in casting his scouting net far and wide, Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle, Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama all went on to secure Southampton a bright future, and Mitchell a promotion to Tottenham in 2014.\n\n6 Mane was one of Mitchell's early successes\n\n6 But there's been many more Credit: Getty\n\nThe north London side had just unsuccessfully splurged their world record £85million from Real Madrid for Gareth Bale, and it looked like Mitchell couldn’t have picked a worse time.\n\nHowever, names such as Alli, Heung-Min Son, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier and Kieran Trippier set the side up for a bright future, before chairman Daniel Levy got in Mitchell’s way.\n\nLeaving what he called his ‘dream job’ after less than two years, it was reportedly due to Levy’s over-involvement in negotiations and the recruitment process, something which wasn’t an issue at his next club – Leipzig.\n\nRalf Rangnick landed Mitchell and more success followed. Signings such as Dani Olmo, Christopher Nkunku and Amadou Haidara again showcased what Mitchell can do with the shackles off, and again the results followed.\n\n6 Getting Nkunku from PSG was one of Mitchell's biggest coups Credit: Getty\n\nMany of his signings starred in a run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2020, and in 2022 won the club’s first ever trophy with a DFB Pokal.\n\nOnly leaving the side to reach the pinnacle of his job, finally stepping up from a head of recruitment to become sporting director at Monaco, Mitchell showed just how big picture he is with an interview in 2021.\n\n“I want to continue to drive standards in each and every department,” he said. “Psychology, sports science, nutrition, medicine, the way we travel, the way we refuel.\n\n“Everything, every element I think we need to keep pushing to its maximum to try and be the best we possibly can.”\n\nHaving worked in football management for over a decade, Mitchell’s career has always been about the long term for his club’s, with the young signings he’s made often only paying off after he’s left.\n\nOne in particular was 2022/23 Premier League top scorer Son, who perfectly sums up his philosophy.\n\n“I took quite a lot of criticism in my first year at Tottenham for some of the decisions and Sonny was kind of at the centre of that,” he explained.\n\n“Sometimes players need time, they’re human beings, they need to settle, Sonny had a great track record at Hamburg and Leverkusen but there was this narrative that started to grow internally and externally that he wasn’t a good finisher.\n\n6 Mitchell is becoming an increasingly recognisable face\n\n“I remember telling a coach ‘you’re wrong, his history shows in two different clubs he’s a very astute finisher off both sides’.”\n\nMitchell remains good friends with Rangnick from their time together at Leipzig, and last season made headlines when he was spotted at a youth team game while the German was interim coach at Man United.\n\nSo astute is Mitchell in his observations, he even laid out a blueprint for United's success while at Monaco.\n\n“I think context is important to measure what Manchester United's current situation is, but I think they do need to get to the point of really putting down what Manchester United needs to be in the modern game,” he explained.\n\n\"We are a long time from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.\n\n\"You have to know that, over that period, the consistency of the decision-making will yield a good end result. I think we've seen that both Manchester City and Liverpool, that when you adopt that long-term strategy you can get real consistency and sustainable success.\n\n\"I think that's the biggest thing for Manchester United; putting down their identity of what they want to be today, but most crucially what they want to be in five years' time, and where they want to be, and what they want to look like; from everything from young players, to the style of play, to the whole culture peace in Manchester United.\"\n\nAlmost certain to consult Rangnick before any approach from Ratcliffe, Mitchell may be warned off of a club where long-term thinking hasn’t existed.\n\nBut, should Ratcliffe get his man, it could signal exactly the change in fortunes he and every supporter has been hoping for at Manchester United.", + "The 2019 Rugby World Cup final between England and South Africa was one of many firsts: the game itself capped off a sensational tournament played outside of the sport's traditional strongholds for the first time; it was the first final in which South Africa scored a try, and by full-time, the 32-12 score in the Springboks' favour sealed a record-equalling third title for the Rainbow Nation.\n\nFast forward four years, and South Africa once again prepare to take on England in an all-or-nothing match to decide which nation gets a shot at World Cup glory — but this time around, the pair meet in the semi-finals of the 2023 tournament, rather than the decider.\n\nThat won't make an ounce of difference for either camp, though, as these two long-time rivals prepare for a battle that could re-define the definition of a 'physical encounter.'\n\nThe #Springboks are gearing up for another tough challenge this week with a semi-final clash against England 🇿🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿#StrongerTogether #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/HLSnnjWggB — Springboks (@Springboks) October 18, 2023\n\nEngland are the only side still competing who are yet to lose a game, and that will stand them in good stead coming into this semi-final. Dominant wins over Argentina, Japan and Chile sealed passage to the last eight, and after being given an almighty scare by Samoa in their final pool match, England overcame a Fijian fightback in Marseille to triumph 30-24. Despite being outscored by three tries to two, captain Owen Farrell kicked 20 points, sending his side into the last four at the expense of 2023's breakout stars.\n\nThe Springboks have done it tough, too, having already faced two of the tournament favourites on their way to the semi-finals. Comfortable defeats of Scotland, Romania and Tonga couldn't mask the disappointment of the 13-8 loss to Ireland, which consigned South Africa to second in Pool B. However, with Ireland sent home by the All Blacks in the quarters, the Bokke showed their World Cup mettle to edge the hosts 29-28 at the Stade de France, sneaking past Les Bleus in one of the best games of rugby you're ever likely to see.\n\nThe last time Cheslin Kolbe played England at a Rugby World Cup... 🇿🇦 🏆#RWC2023 | #ENGvRSA pic.twitter.com/Riw2uaSaKa — Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 19, 2023\n\nBoth sides' journeys have seen twists, turns, and bumps in the road, but it's led them both to within 80 minutes of a Rugby World Cup final. England will no doubt be looking to echo the spirit of 2019, when they beat the All Blacks 19-7 to reach the final, but in South Africa, they face a side who have taken their game to new heights just to reach the semis.\n\nMORE: 2023 Rugby World Cup final: Details, kick-off time and every team's route\n\nWhat time does England vs South Africa kick off?\n\nEngland and South Africa face off in the 2023 Rugby World Cup's second semi-final, played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France. The game kicks off at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, October 21, 2023.\n\nHere are the kick-off times for this game around the world:\n\nLocation Date Time USA Sat, Oct. 21 3:00 p.m. ET Canada Sat, Oct. 21 3:00 p.m. ET Australia Sun, Oct. 22 6:00 a.m. AEDT UK Sat, Oct. 21 8:00 p.m. BST New Zealand Sun, Oct. 22 8:00 a.m. NZDT India Sun, Oct. 22 12:30 a.m. IST Singapore Sun, Oct. 22 3:00 a.m. SGT Malaysia Sun, Oct. 22 3:00 a.m. MYT Hong Kong Sun, Oct. 22 3:00 a.m. HKT\n\nEngland vs South Africa live stream, TV channel\n\nTV networks worldwide will be showing all 48 matches at the tournament live, including many on free-to-air television.\n\nOn social platforms alone, video content from the Rugby World Cup and organisers World Rugby drew more than 2.1 billion views in 2019 — almost six times the previous figure.\n\nTV channel Streaming USA — Peacock Canada TSN TSN+ UK ITV ITV X Australia Channel 9 Stan Sport, 9Now New Zealand Sky GO Sky GO India — Fan Code Hong Kong BeIN Sports BeIN Sports Malaysia BeIN Sports BeIN Sports Singapore BeIN Sports BeIN Sports\n\nMORE: Every single team to have lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy\n\nEngland vs South Africa lineups, team news\n\n\"The start is crucial, the end is vital...\"\n\n\n\n- Steve Borthwick explains changing 3️⃣ of his England starters for Saturday's Rugby World Cup semi-final, from Liam Heagney 👨‍💻 in Paris. #RWC2023 #ENGvRSA #EnglandRugby\n\n\n\nClick below for more ⤵️ https://t.co/LeUuw4kPfP — RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2023\n\nMarcus Smith hardly put a foot wrong at fullback against Fiji, but the world champions are an entirely different proposition for England to deal with at the back. The high-ball security and hulking frame of Freddie Steward returns to the No. 15 jersey in one of three changes, while at inside centre, Manu Tuilagi starts hoping to repeat his heroics of four years ago, when his early try in a dominant semi-final performance took England past the All Blacks.\n\nEngland's other two changes come in the tight five, with Steve Borthwick making some big calls ahead of this game. Joe Marler starts ahead of vice-captain Ellis Genge at loosehead prop, and Ollie Chessum is replaced in the second-row by George Martin. The latter is winning only his seventh England cap but gets the starting nod alongside Maro Itoje, with Genge, Chessum and the rest of the replacements hoping to make an impact sizeable enough to overcome the Springboks' infamous 'bomb squad'.\n\nTheir time is now 🙌\n\n\n\nHere is the @EnglandRugby team to take on reigning champions South Africa in the semi-final in Paris#RWC2023 | #ENGvRSA pic.twitter.com/nkf6rXBPUU — Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 19, 2023\n\nEngland starting XV: Freddie Steward, Jonny May, Joe Marchant, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Ben Earl.\n\nEngland replacements: Theo Dan, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Ollie Chessum, Billy Vunipola, Danny Care, George Ford, Ollie Lawrence.\n\nThe Springboks are unchanged from that epic quarter-final with France, having all played their part as Jacques Nienaber's side hung on in the second half. The contribution of backs Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe saw all three cross for first-half tries, with Kolbe's coming off the back of a charged-down conversion from France's Thomas Ramos. Preventing those two points proved crucial in the end.\n\nThe key contribution, though, came from Eben Etzebeth, who bulldozed his way over to score the only five-pointer of the second half and wrestle the game back into South African hands. He and Franco Mostert pack down together in the second row, while hooker Bongi Mbonambi, utility Deon Fourie, veteran Duane Vermeulen and the devilish Kwagga Smith will all be looking to back up superb quarter-final performances to take the Springboks to a second consecutive World Cup final.\n\nSouth Africa starting XV: Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.\n\nSouth Africa replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Handre Pollard, Willie le Roux.\n\nEngland vs. South Africa betting odds, prediction\n\nThe last time these two sides met was a tumultuous period to say the least, particularly for English rugby. South Africa's dominant 27-13 victory at Twickenham proved to be the last game in charge for Eddie Jones, the coach who had taken England to the 2019 World Cup final. In his place, Steve Borthwick was hired, and he's just one game away from repeating that feat.\n\nEngland's form at this tournament has been perfect — at face value. Argentina, Japan, Chile, Samoa and Fiji have all provided highlights — Los Pumas are also in the semi-finals — and England have beaten all of them. However, only Japan and Chile were defeated with bonus points, and the narrow wins over both Samoa and Fiji in their last two games showed that England are certainly gettable.\n\nIn short, this semi-final requires a huge step up in quality for Borthwick's side, and that's why we think that the Springboks will be victorious at the Stade de France. South Africa have already shown they can match, and beat, the world's best, and we think that they'll do the latter in Saint-Denis.", + "Oct 8th, 2023\n\nOct 8th, 2023\n\nSAINT-ETIENNE: The Wallabies will have to endure a more tortuous Sunday night watch than even the worst rom com as their Rugby World Cup fate is decided by Fiji and Portugal in Toulouse.\n\nAustralia will gather together in their plush Saint-Galmier hotel at 9pm local time (6am Monday AEDT) to view what will almost certainly be their World Cup execution.\n\nThe Wallabies are currently sitting second in Pool C but a single bonus point would be enough for Fiji to leapfrog them and advance to the quarter-finals in Marseille.\n\nWatch all the action from Rugby World Cup 2023 on the home of rugby, Stan Sport. Every match ad free, live and on demand in 4K UHD\n\nThe most likely outcome is that Fiji wins easily and the Wallabies will be pushing confirm on their off-season holiday plans.\n\n\"We've only got ourselves to blame, we put ourselves in this position,\" Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi, who was born in Fiji, said after an open training session in front of 1000 keen locals at the Andrezieux-Boutheon rugby club on Saturday.\n\n\"We'll sit down as a team and watch together on Sunday night. I think we understand the situation ... our results and the way we played, we put ourselves in this position. So the team understands that and we have our belief in anything's possible at the World Cup.\n\nREAD MORE: 'Blame myself': Eddie reveals great World Cup regret\n\nREAD MORE: Referee ripped after Junior Paulo's dominant KO\n\nLIVE COVERAGE: All the latest updates from Bathurst 1000\n\nMark Nawaqanitawase runs the ball during a Wallabies training session at Stade Roger Baudras. (Getty)\n\n\"But also, we understand how strong Fiji is. And we're proud for them as a proud nation. For myself, I'll be proud of it either way it goes. We'll be ready if it comes our way.\"\n\nKerevi was photographed holding his face in disbelief in one of the defining images of the World Cup after the Wallabies were pumped 40-6 by Wales in Lyon.\n\nThe 30-year-old is undoubtedly one of the world's finest centres in peak form but injuries conspired to limit his potential in France.\n\nSamu Kerevi of Australia reacts after the record loss at the Rugby World Cup. (Getty)\n\n\"I don't think I performed where I wanted to perform at a World Cup,\" Kerevi said.\n\n\"I hold myself to high standards and I just felt like I could have helped the team more in certain aspects ... I've been out of the game for nine months but I felt good coming into it ... I just felt like I was blowing a bit, but felt good towards the back end of a couple of games. But again, it's not where I want my performance to be.\n\nDespite being dropped for Lalakai Foketi for the pool win against Portugal, Kerevi said he had no thoughts of following fellow Fijian-Wallaby Marika Koroibete into international retirement.\n\nNEW PODCAST! Michael Atkinson and Sam Worthington preview a thrilling final round of pool games to decide the quarter-finalists at the Rugby World Cup in France\n\nHe wanted to regain form at club level with Urayasu D-Rocks but his hand remained up for Test selection.\n\n\"I chose to leave Australian shores and understand the ruling around that and what it holds,\" he said.\n\n\"I've got to perform for my club first and if you get the call up, you get the call up. If you don't, I'll take my three months break and enjoy that.\"\n\nKerevi is an unabashed Jones fan.\n\nEddie Jones with fans during a Wallabies training session at Stade Roger Baudras. (Getty)\n\n\"He's up at 4am working hard. We catch him in the gym, he's working hard and I swear he doesn't even sleep. Seriously, the amount of time he puts into effort, into his staff, into the players, always has time for us ... and I think fans don't see that,\" he said.\n\n\"At the end of the day, we didn't get the results, you know, we didn't perform the way we wanted to as a team and it's not on Eddie - it's on all of us.\n\n\"So I understand what the fans feel and they're just passionate and it's awesome to have that. But no-one realises what goes on inside. No-one realises the things that we're working on tirelessly, to work hard, but especially him and the staff, f--ing work so hard, bro.\n\nSamu Kerevi during a Wallabies training session at Stade Roger Baudras. (Getty)\n\n\"They're away from families, they're sacrificing as well and … I don't read into the comment stuff, but the young boys, I hear a lot that's going on, social media and stuff. But I don't think people really understand demons, everyone's fights in between.\n\n\"Eddie's a human as well and at the end of the day it's a results-driven sport, you know, we need results to get that. But he's committed to us and we love that about him.\n\n\"He hasn't thought about going home, he's thought about how we can contribute best and that's what we've done these last three days. I feel for him, you know, like as a head coach, you maybe can't show that side of himself.\n\nEddie Jones and Will Skelton talk at Stade Roger Baudras. (Getty)\n\n\"But he's been so strong for us and gives us strength to just be positive. And again, we put ourselves in this situation.\"\n\nWide World of Sports also asked Kerevi to deliver a message to disillusioned Wallabies fans.\n\n\"I think at home there's so many sports going on and some saying rugby's dying, but rugby's massive here overseas,\" he said.\n\n\"Last week 45,000 fans (versus Portugal), last night (60,000 in Lyon). Rugby's such a small aspect in terms of Australians but our fans have turned up here, we've seen them and spoken to them and their unconditional love for us, the fact that they came 20,000km to get here and support us, has been awesome.\n\n\"My message is just to understand that we're working extremely hard, there's no stone unturned, especially the youth in this team, to leave the jersey in a better place and just to stick with us.\n\n\"I know the results haven't been coming our way the last couple of years but when it does turn, that's what we're building towards.\"", + "The first thing to know about the Steam Deck OLED is that it’s not the Steam Deck 2. The Steam Deck OLED is a mid-cycle refresh from Valve, similar to the Switch OLED upgrade, but there’s a lot more going on internally here. Its screen is better, its battery life is better, its thumbsticks are better, the haptics are better, and its chip and thermals are better. One thing that hasn’t changed is its form factor — this is still one of the biggest babies on the handheld block.\n\nThe new Steam Deck’s main upgrade is its OLED screen, which replaces the original LCD and, crucially, has native support for HDR and faster frame rates. The OLED also has smaller bezels, making the display larger at 7.4 inches, compared with the original 7-inch screen.\n\nValve Valve Steam Deck OLED SCORE 89 Engadget 89 Critics - Not yet scored N/A Users - Not yet scored N/A Pros Improved battery life\n\nBright and smooth visuals\n\nBetter thermals\n\nFeels less top-heavy\n\nLong charging cable Cons Still ridiculously large\n\nSeriously it’s so big\n\nValve Valve Steam Deck OLED This isn't the Steam Deck 2 some are waiting for, it's just a welcome improvement on an already good device. $549 at Steam\n\nOLED screen\n\nThe HDR OLED display looks fantastic. It features a wider P3 color gamut, pure blacks and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, compared with the original max of 400 nits. In action, this means the screen’s bezels meld with the black of any game, creating a more polished frame for retro aspect ratios and providing room for higher-contrast colors. The screen on the new model doesn’t support variable refresh rates (VRR), but it now tops out at 90Hz, while the original could only hit 60Hz. The updated display is smooth, crisp and bright, like a perfect lemon tart. (Even then, I do not recommend licking the screen.)\n\nBattery life\n\nOne of the downsides of the first Steam Deck was its short battery life, which maxed out at eight hours, and that was only under ideal conditions. Valve says the new Steam Deck battery will last 30 to 50 percent longer, depending on how you’re playing, and it charges faster — the company claims it will go from 20 percent to 80 percent in 45 minutes.\n\nCustom AMD APU\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED has a die-shrunk version of the custom AMD APU found in the original Steam Deck — same CPU and GPU, just more efficient. This is the process Sony takes advantage of to build the PS4 Slim and PS5 Slim, but instead of collapsing the Steam Deck around smaller hardware, Valve chose to add a bigger battery and larger fan to its existing chassis. For developers, this means the device has the same performance targets as the original and there’s no need to create games specifically for the new hardware. In the end, the device weighs about 30 grams less than the original model, or the equivalent of five quarters.\n\nEngadget\n\nIn use\n\nWhich leads us to the bad news for my tiny hand gang. The Steam Deck OLED is the same monstrous size as the original: 11.7 inches long, 4.5 inches tall and nearly 2 inches thick. The thumbsticks on the new model are actually 1mm taller than the first version. This was one of my main complaints about the Steam Deck when I first reviewed it: I have smaller-than-average hands, and the Steam Deck looks and feels absolutely ridiculous when I’m holding it. It’s just massive, no matter how long my manicure gets. However, the OLED model feels more balanced than the original. It’s less top-heavy, and it does technically weigh less. These small adjustments have made a noticeable difference during my playtime, and the device feels slightly more manageable as a handheld — or maybe I’m just too distracted by all of its bright, pretty colors to care about the cramping in my palms.\n\nThe thumbsticks on the new handheld have an improved texture that shouldn’t turn gray after a few months’ use, and they feel perfectly serviceable. In my hands-on time so far, I've found that the OLED touchscreen responds immediately to input, and the haptic feedback on the built-in trackpads feels even more precise, populating in reactive pin-pricks under the textured plastic.\n\nI spent a few cozy nights on my couch swapping between the LCD and OLED Steam Decks, and honestly, after I’m done with this review, I’ll probably retire my original model. The Steam Deck OLED is sharper and more responsive; indie games, AAA games and plain old Steam menus look so much better on the new hardware.\n\nEngadget\n\nHades is my most-played game on the original Steam Deck, so I used that to test out Valve’s battery life claims. Though it doesn’t support HDR, a game like Hades pops on the OLED, and its animations look more fluid than on the LCD version. The OLED lasted four hours and 23 minutes before dying. With the same settings (800p with a 60 fps cap and similar brightness) the original model died after two hours and 42 minutes. That’s a 62 percent improvement, surpassing Valve’s own estimates, though batteries degrade and I’ve had my LCD Steam Deck since the device’s launch in early 2022. In a stress test that involved playing Elden Ring with everything maxed out, the OLED battery lasted two hours and 20 minutes, about 40 percent longer than the original.\n\nPlaying the Steam Decks back-to-back highlighted another significant quality-of-life improvement: heat management. My palms have gotten toasty playing the OLED model, but they haven’t broken a sweat like they often do with the original. The new fan may be larger, but it’s not any louder, and it clearly works a treat.\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED has a new Wi-Fi 6E module and improved antennas that should enable faster downloads for anyone with a compatible router. I don’t have a 6E router or multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, but with a regular Wi-Fi 6 router, the top download speed I saw on the new Steam Deck was 562mbps, which was about 10 percent faster than the old Steam Deck, and 10 percent slower than the speeds I get on my MacBook Pro. The device uses Bluetooth 5.3 and adds a dedicated antenna, which should improve functionality when using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth at the same time.\n\nEngadget\n\nEven with improvements to the battery, thermals and weight distribution, the Steam Deck OLED is still more of a Wii U than a Vita. It’s a beast of a handheld, and it makes the most sense as a portable console to use around the house, rather than a truly travel-ready device. The new model even comes with an extra-long, 2.5m charging cable, designed specifically with couch-based players in mind. I didn’t test out the docking station with the new Steam Deck, but Valve recently released a SteamOS update that lets players take advantage of HDR and VRR on external displays, which only drives home the Wii U-ness of it all.\n\nAs far as software, you know the drill by now. Valve has rolled out labels for Steam games signifying how well they’ll work on the handheld, with four levels: unknown, unsupported, playable and verified. Playable games generally come with a small caveat, like having to deploy the on-screen keyboard, while verified games have been fully optimized for portable play. Currently, more than 10,000 titles on Steam fall under the playable or verified labels, with more added every day.\n\nWhen will the Steam Deck OLED be available?\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day. The company has lowered the price of its LCD lineup and will sell through its backstock of 64GB and 512GB models until they’re all gone. It’ll continue selling the 256GB LCD model at a reduced price of $400, while the 512GB OLED model will cost $550 and the 1TB OLED model will cost $650. There’s also a limited edition 1TB OLED version priced at $680 that comes with a special carrying case, a translucent gray body and orange accents.\n\nValve\n\nWrap-up\n\nAccording to the developers I spoke with at Valve, this is the definitive version of the Steam Deck. The HDR OLED model is what they would have released the first time around, if the technology had existed before 2022. The handheld market has evolved quickly — in just over a year, the Steam Deck proved there’s widespread demand for handheld PCs, and its success helped drive chip makers and display manufacturers to build hardware specifically for high-fidelity mobile play. This is great news for Valve and the Steam Deck, and also the other handhelds coming out of companies like Ayaneo, ASUS, Ayn, Logitech, Retroid and Razer. Hell, maybe even Playdate will get an HDR OLED display one day. (Just kidding; Playdate is literally perfect).\n\nSo, no, the HDR OLED refresh isn't the Steam Deck 2, but it is a welcome improvement on an already good device. The Steam Deck OLED is the facetuned, photoshopped, spit-shined version of Valve’s handheld, and it features tangible, clever improvements. The updated display is the highlight of the device, while things like faster charging, improved antennas and smoother haptics are welcome bonuses. More importantly, this is Valve renewing its commitment to portable PC gaming, and that’s a relief to see. The Steam Deck is the granddaddy of handheld PCs and Valve has the resources to continue innovating in this space. For now, the OLED model is a half-step toward the Steam Deck 2, which may be the final version of the device — unless Valve finally learns how to count to three.", + "Tim Sweeney finally has a win.\n\nOn Monday, a federal jury surprised the world by siding with Fortnite maker Epic Games in its fight to break Google’s control over Android apps — even though “walled garden” rival Apple almost entirely won a similar case two years ago. The nine-person jury decided that Google has an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and that Google illegally tied its Google Play billing system to its app store.\n\nSweeney is Epic’s CEO, co-founder, and importantly its controlling shareholder. He’s the one behind these lawsuits, and it was his idea to challenge these companies in court. It’s been his fight from the very beginning, and he watched almost the entire trial in person from the best seat in the house — with a clear view of the jury, the judge, each witness, and the faces of Google’s lawyers.\n\nLast night, I asked him why, what he learned, and what’s next.\n\nThis interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.\n\nThank you for being here with us. It’s been a very engaging trial to watch. I’ve been there every day of the trial, and you’ve been there every day save one. So my first question is why did you personally attend this trial every day save one — and what the heck happened on that one day?\n\nYeah, Epic is asking a lot of the court system and the jury here, spending four weeks on a major antitrust trial full of complicated facts and evidence. It wouldn’t be right to start something like this and not show up. So I had to do that. And, you know, Phil Schiller sat throughout the entire Epic v. Apple trial, as did I, so I think it’s just necessary to show respect for the legal process.\n\nWhat happened on that one day you weren’t here?\n\nOh — sorry I can’t share, but there were some... non-Epic issues I had to deal with.\n\nSo this trial has been four years in the making. I look back at a September 2019 email that was in discovery about a plan to draw Google into a legal battle over antitrust. Can you describe what it felt like, after four years, to hear the jury find for Epic?\n\nWell, it’s a great day for all developers to see that the Sherman Antitrust Act works in the new era of tech monopolies; we’ve not had a major antitrust verdict against a tech company that meant change and benefits for everybody since the 1990s, with the US v. Microsoft. Back in the early days of the internet. So this is an awesome thing and it’s much needed by the industry which is being strangled by a few gatekeepers imposing insane amounts of control and extracting huge taxes, which not only raise prices for consumers but also make a lot of kinds of products just unviable.\n\nI understand the significance, but... you were there in person. You had a smile on your face, you shook the Google attorney’s hand, you clapped Bornstein on the back. How did you feel in that moment?\n\nWell, it was a great relief. The conventional wisdom that attorneys tell you is that when there’s a rapid jury verdict, it’s typically not good for the plaintiffs making a complicated case, and so there was some trepidation going on — but it was awesome to see.\n\nSomething that we’d suspected all along was the jury was really following the case carefully. They weren’t snoozing off as you might expect with the complexity of these documents and things — everybody was paying attention, they’re looking at the question asker and the witness and taking notes and reading documents. It was just awesome to see that the justice system works, even with the most complex type of tech antitrust case that you can possibly throw at a jury.\n\n[Editor’s note: Every journalist in the courtroom agreed the jury was attentive; most were also surprised by the rapid verdict.]\n\nThey got it, they got it quickly, and they were able to pull apart what was going on and contrast it with the fiction of the story that Google was trying to tell.\n\nWhat was something that surprised you in the courtroom, something you heard come to light that you hadn’t heard before?\n\nI’d suspected a lot of the practices that Google had, you know, since 2018 or so when we first started this, to such an extent that some folks would occasionally call me a conspiracy theorist. It was really, really interesting to see that my understandings of what Google was doing behind the scenes were actually true — you’re leaking our conversations to reporters to get negative stories written about us; you’re paying other developers off to convince them not to launch their own stores; they were going around and paying carriers and OEMs secretly not to carry competing stores.\n\nAnd when we tried to bundle Fortnite with other smartphone manufacturers like OnePlus and carriers of all sorts, they told us they couldn’t do a deal because Google had done a secret deal with them.\n\nIt was really disconcerting to see the extent of bad faith efforts that were going on in a company of Google’s size. You’d think a trillion-dollar company would develop to the point where they have pretty respectable processes and leadership structures that provide a check and balance against wrongdoing, but they were rampantly destroying all their chats on these topics.\n\nYou’d see long conversation threads would start to get into a spicy antitrust issue, and suddenly somebody points out the history’s on and the chat goes silent. They just turned it off to have the documents destroyed. It was great to see that all called out in detail.\n\nAny particular evidence where you’re like, “Oh wow, I never saw that, and now that specific thing came out for the world to see”?\n\nAs an employee of Epic, I’ve not been able to see Google’s internal documents until the trial started. The lawyers can see them, but I saw almost all the key elements in this case at the same time the jury saw them. Two things stand out big time. Google’s Project Hug was an astonishingly corrupt effort at a massive scale — the same corrupt deal structure they tried to do with Epic when they wanted to pay us off to launch Fortnite on Google Play and not launch our own store.\n\nAs soon as we thwarted their effort, they went around to 27 different developers and offered each one a payoff to undermine any effort we had to get their games onto our store exclusively. Activision and Riot and Supercell had direct distribution plans that they were planning on; Google paid them not to pursue those plans. Just direct blatant violations of anti-competition law, it’s crazy a company of Google’s scale would do that.\n\n“If you’re a smaller developer than Spotify, you get screwed.”\n\nThe other astonishing one was the Spotify deal. Spotify is the one company that had comparable negotiating power to Fortnite. Instead of using their power to fight for the good of all developers, they did a special deal with Google. Google gave them a 0 percent fee. Google let Spotify process their own payments, and Spotify kept 100 percent. They do it for Spotify and for nobody else. If you’re a smaller developer than Spotify, you get screwed.\n\nWhen Spotify uses Google’s own payment service, instead of paying the 30 percent that Google forces other developers to pay, they pay 4 percent. That’s what the rate should be! Four percent is a perfectly reasonable rate for an unbundled payment system.\n\nIf instead of offering you a $147 million deal, Google said, “You can pay 0 percent to use your own payments system or 4 percent for Google Play billing,” would you be here today? Would you have fought this lawsuit to begin with if they’d simply offered something more fair to you?\n\nNo, we’ve always turned down special deals just for Epic. We’ve always fought on the principal that all developers should be, you know, given the same opportunities. One of the documents in evidence was a 2019 email I sent — right before Fortnite launched the Marvel season with all this amazing new content and the Star Wars event featuring J.J. Abrams. Right before that, I sent an email to all the Google senior executives saying that we wanted to bring Fortnite to the Google Play Store in time for that event, and we wanted them to allow us and all other developers to process certain payments and keep them all.\n\nThat was our proposal to Google in 2019. If Google had said yes to that, that would have been awesome for all developers — the Android ecosystem would have become much, much stronger, and Google would be in a much better position in the smartphone industry than they are today. We would’ve never had a dispute because the problem would have been solved.\n\nIt’s always been in Google’s power to solve this problem. They make several billion dollars a year in unfairly earned profits from imposing this tax, which is nothing compared to the money they make from search. For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.\n\nDo you today believe that Activision Blizzard was really intending to build its own app store?\n\nI don’t know about Supercell, but we know from the documents in the case that Riot was planning to distribute League of Legends directly through their website, on mobile, exactly as they do on PC. And that’s what they planned to do until Google paid them off to not do that. Google’s payoff at the minimum dissuaded Riot from distributing off Google Play.\n\nI think they’re the strongest example of the three, but I’m curious about Activision.\n\nActivision was building a store! We know they had a large team of dozens of engineers building a mobile app store to launch on Android.\n\nWe know that because they came to us and told us they were doing that. And we know it because after all that went down, I talked to an Activision employee who was close to that effort, working with the team building the store, and he reported that the entire store team Activision had employed to build their competing store had been disbanded as soon as Activision signed their deal with Google.\n\n[Editor’s note: We did not hear from such a person at trial; I’d be eager to speak to them now!]\n\nWe know Activision was telling Google they were building their computing store; we know in Google internal discussions they said they didn’t want Activision building a competing store. They agreed to sign this deal, and they were gleeful about the fact they dissuaded perhaps their number one competitor at the time from launching their own store.\n\nFour years later, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard — and one of the big talking points from Microsoft to the European Union was that the merger strengthened the company overall in order to provide a viable computing store on iOS and Android.\n\nWhat would you say the differences are between the Apple and Google cases?\n\nI would say Apple was ice and Google was fire.\n\nThe thing with Apple is all of their antitrust trickery is internal to the company. They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms.\n\nWhereas Google, to achieve things with Android, they were going around and paying off game developers, dozens of game developers, to not compete. And they’re paying off dozens of carriers and OEMs to not compete — and when all of these different companies do deals together, lots of people put things in writing, and it’s right there for everybody to read and to see plainly.\n\nI think the Apple case would be no less interesting if we could see all of their internal thoughts and deliberations, but Apple was not putting it in writing, whereas Google was. You know, I think Apple is... it’s a little bit unfortunate that in a lot of ways Apple’s restrictions on competition are absolute. Thou shalt not have a competing store on iOS and thou shalt not use a competing payment method. And I think Apple should be receiving at least as harsh antitrust scrutiny as Google.\n\nIt’s interesting to me that because Google distributes the Android operating system as open source, they had to put all these deals out in the open. More out in the open, I should say — certainly they still wanted to keep them secret.\n\nBut I’m going down my story about all the best emails from the Epic v. Apple trial — and we do have a lot of documents from both Apple and Google that show they were similarly self-serving in terms of deals.\n\nI’d say this is the thing that’s disappointed me the most with Apple and Google: even at the peak of the antitrust trial against Microsoft, Microsoft was awesome to developers. Microsoft has always been awesome to developers, always being respectful, giving developers a great deal and treating them as partners, you know? And so even as Microsoft was crushing corporate competitors, the developer experience was excellent. [Editor’s note: Netscape might feel differently.]\n\n“Even as Microsoft was crushing corporate competitors, the developer experience was excellent.”\n\nGoogle and Apple both treat developers as adversaries — they try to attack our revenue streams and prevent us from competing with their products. They’ve built these massive self-preferencing schemes all around excluding developers and disadvantaging third-party developers. I think this is very shortsighted. I think any tech company — Apple, Google included — would be much better off in the long term if they viewed developers as awesome partners and did everything they could to support them and empower them and not get in their way financially.\n\nAnd this has been our philosophy with Unreal Engine, for example, and the Epic Games Store. We just want to be a cool partner that helps other companies succeed the way we do. And I think philosophy change... perhaps it will only come with a generational change in the company’s management. I think the philosophy change would do both of those companies much good.\n\nIf you get your way in terms of being able to freely put your own store on Android, do you believe that would only be a game store or would it also be an app store? We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.\n\nSo the Epic Games Store isn’t a games store, right? It’s the store operated by Epic Games. So we have a lot of non-games there already. We have the Brave web browser, we have a number of software creation tools including Unreal Engine, and there’s more coming, including some other awesome creation tools and productivity tools. We’ll host any app anybody wants of any sort.\n\nI think the gaming market is something we’re uniquely close to, and so I think we would likely be able to forge closer partnerships and opportunities in gaming, but we’ll be open to everybody on Android as we are on PC.\n\nWhat were your settlement talks with Google CEO Sundar Pichai like?\n\nWe can’t talk about content, but we met for an hour and had a professional discussion... in which we didn’t reach a settlement. We were rather far apart, let’s say, because what Epic wants ultimately is free competition and fair competition for everybody, and the removal of the payments tie and removal of the anticompetitive measures, which obviously leads to far better deals for consumers and developers.\n\nWhat we don’t want is a special deal just for ourselves, and Google’s strategy so far as you’ve seen from all these deals has been to basically take out all their potential competitors one at a time while they’re still weak and small, before they build up or unite into a formidable force. Epic’s not going to go along with something like that and do a special deal just for ourselves.\n\nYou’ve said that a couple times, but the email that you accused Google of leaking suggested that Epic was interested in a special deal of some sort at that time. I don’t know if that was on behalf of you and fellow developers. Can you tell us what that email was actually about?\n\nGoogle didn’t leak the email; they leaked their ridiculously biased summary of it to Abner Li at 9to5Google. Don Harrison testified at trial that he didn’t think Google leaked to the press. And then he was presented with a document including Google’s press team and Sameer Samat, head of all Android, basically summarizing the articles that appeared as a result of Google’s leaking of our plans to the press.\n\nSo I was wondering if you could tell me what the email actually said.\n\nOh, it’s in evidence! This was the one I mentioned! Right before Christmas-ish 2019, we were planning to launch the new Marvel season with a bunch of Star Wars content and its awesome lineup. I asked Google’s executives to let Fortnite come to the Google Play Store using our own payment method and to open up, you know, using their own payment methods to all developers, not just Epic. That was our proposal.\n\nOh, I think I read that one in court. I didn’t realize that was the same thing. It’s so far off from what I heard [about a “special billing exception”] that I didn’t recognize it being that. Does winning the verdict in this Google case help your appeal with the Apple case in any way?\n\nThere’s no linkage between the cases and law, so it would just come down to whether the court is in any way following current events on this topic. But there’s no legal connection between the two. It really comes down to the decisions of the humans involved: the justices and the support teams involved when considering the appeal.\n\nGoogle will appeal this; they’ve told us they’re going to challenge the verdict. Will Epic rely on this ruling in the meantime?\n\nWe’re not going to wait. We’re going to do absolutely everything we can as quickly as we can to start changing the world. We not only have this verdict here in the United States, it is a worldwide verdict, right? We established a market worldwide, excluding China. So any remedies, we would presume, would be worldwide. We also have the European DMA; we have Epic v. Apple and Epic v. Google cases coming up in Australia, and another one in the UK.\n\nIt’s not just Epic anymore, there’s a lot of legislators, there’s a lot of regulators, and there’s other litigation all pushing in the direction of openness. And we’re going to do absolutely everything we can.\n\nDo you have anything to say to your former partners in litigation, Match Group, that abandoned you at the last minute and may now be regretting it?\n\nOh, yeah, no. Match has been an awesome partner and a fellow member of the Coalition for App Fairness. I really hope that they got out of their settlement what they needed to get for their business. Very few companies have the resources that Epic has to fight multinational litigation against the world’s two most powerful companies. So there are absolutely no hard feelings, and we’re grateful that they joined the case because they did help in critical ways. Epic will continue to fight for all developers, seeking remedies, and... I don’t know if Sundar is going to be calling me, but if he does, all of our discussions will be directed toward solving the problem for everyone.\n\nA lot has changed since you filed the original lawsuit over three years ago. For a bit there, it seemed like Epic had an interest in expanding outside of games with acquisitions like Houseparty and Bandcamp. What changed? And did app store restrictions play into that at all?\n\nLet’s see. No... well, not directly, anyway. We have a really broad strategy of building games and technology. We’ve had huge success in recent years with the Unreal Engine gaining adoption among all kinds of industries even beyond games. We’ve also run into our own financial limitations. You know, we expanded the company to nine times the size we were before Fortnite took off. And so we’re just trying to forge the strategy where we’re living within our means and doing everything we absolutely can.\n\nBut we’ve gotten so much traction with Fortnite in so many different ways, and with the Epic Games Store, right, we’re going to continue investing heavily here. The Epic Games Store is the untold success story in the background. Since it launched in 2018, we now have 80 million monthly active users. Steam has 120 million, so we’re catching them fast! Fortnite has more concurrent users right now than all Steam games combined. You should really expect dramatic changes that benefit all developers over the next few years.\n\n[Editor’s note: Sweeney isn’t right about Fortnite having more concurrent users than Steam. Epic spokesperson Natalie Muñoz confirmed Sweeney misinterpreted a Polygon story about how Fortnite hit 7.6 million players at a time when the entirety of Steam had 10.1 million. These days, Steam generally peaks at over 30 million, with valleys of 20 million. Fortnite’s valleys are closer to 3.8 million.]\n\nTim Sweeney says he plays Jellie in Fortnite. Image: Epic Games\n\nOkay, let’s do a lightning round. What’s your favorite Fortnite skin?\n\nI play as Jellie! Jellyfish. You know, the big tentacles? It’s just so cool!\n\nWill Epic ever announce Unreal Tournament 3 X?\n\nForever in motion, the future is.\n\nWhy is Fortnite still not playable on Steam Deck?\n\nIf we only had a few more programmers. It’s the Linux problem. I love the Steam Deck hardware. Valve has done an amazing job there; I wish they would get to tens of millions of users, at which point it would actually make sense to support it.\n\nIn October 2019, Epic internally said it might pursue an aggressive pursuit model with the Epic Games Store, where it would aggressively pay more for exclusive games and really pull in more and more users. Are you in the aggressive pursuit model?\n\nNo, we’re in a different model, which is called the “Ridiculously aggressive pursuit model.” If it’s a 10-slide deck, that’s on slide 11.\n\nDid you get a bingo on your Verge bingo card?\n\nYeah, I think it was almost a complete shutout. I think there was only one cell in the entire board that was missing. I was really impressed — the thing for that bingo card that really impressed me was “lick the cookie.” Do you remember? You may not even be old enough, but “lick the cookie” was in the 1999 US v. Microsoft antitrust trial.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Tyler Mitchell was just 23 when he became the first black photographer to shoot the cover of American Vogue. His subject was Beyoncé, and his dreamy, delicately hued portraits spoke of a precocious visual talent. In the five years since, he has exhibited around the world, become an Instagram darling, with more than 500,00 followers, and shot what would become the most controversial vice-presidential portrait in living memory. When Mitchell’s portrait of Kamala Harris dressed in sneakers and casual clothing was chosen for the cover of Vogue for February 2021, the social media backlash was swift. Critics questioned why his alternative image – in which Harris looked more, well, vice-presidential – hadn’t been used instead. Bowing to the outrage over the perceived lack of respect shown to the first woman to reach such high office, the magazine later issued a limited edition using the more formal shot. The controversy did little to dent the New York-based photographer’s reputation as a rising star of the medium and this month, three of his works can be seen in the NGV’s Triennial exhibition. The first, Picnic, depicts a family gathering: young men throw a football, and a child is lifted on shoulders. There are wicker baskets and a thermos, and in the background, a darkened wood that perhaps hints at the fragility of a moment so peaceful and pure. Tyler Mitchell, Picnic. 2021 (detail). Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York In the other works, his figures are arranged across a sandy expanse in idealised depictions of black American leisure. In Albany, Georgia, a football flies through the air, a father in dress shirt and tails twirls a child, and a young boy rides a toy truck. Vastness focuses on a teenage boy who stands patiently as his younger siblings stretch his wildly elongated sleeves out beside him; nearby, a dog sits listening to a violinist. These carefully staged set-ups are evidence of Mitchell’s desire to establish a new visual narrative for black Americans.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I think that I am part of a longer lineage of black artists who have considered how they respond to the Western historical art canon, but also it’s 2023, and it’s a new day and I think beyond just responding to that canon, we’re trying to use the limited language of pictures to try and imagine what personal and unencumbered freedom looks like for young black men and women today,” he tells me when we chat in New York in the lead-up to the Triennial. Loading In one of his favourite works, A Glint of Possibility, a teenage boy hangs over a river suspended on a tyre swing, studying his own reflection. The moment is pensive and peaceful at once, and relatable to anyone who’s ever been a child on a tyre swing on a hot summer day. Something about it speaks to the turmoil and tension inherent in the experience of black American teenage boys, about the ways their lives can be complicated by the world we all inhabit. How even when doing unremarkable things – walking home, playing in the park, talking to their crush – their lives can be destroyed or irrevocably altered. Mitchell understands the significance of these contrasts. His work exists in the tension between what is possible and how things are. He describes it as: “A consideration of joy, perseverance and self-determination against the backdrop of history.” Tyler Mitchell: “I’ve never been to Australia so it’s very exciting to sort of have a global or new conversation on a new continent with my work.″⁣ Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York The theme of the Triennial is “Magic, Matter, Memory”, making Mitchell’s pieces a logical inclusion. “A lot of my work meditates on being between a heightened reality, or potentially even a magical reality and an actual reality,” he says.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I’m creating what I call lightly staged moments. And so that means I’m setting up scenarios where these families are enjoying real moments of leisure in outdoor spaces, usually open pastures and fields, and those moments are meant to stand in for a meditation on what it means to enjoy leisurely outdoor nature as a black person.” Tyler Mitchell, Vastness, 2021. Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York In the listless anxious days of the pandemic, as the Black Lives Matter movement rose in the summer of 2020, and the conversation of what black life looked like was being routinely debated in the press, black artists and activists looked to reframe that conversation, and force new perspectives of peace, luxury, and safety into the picture. Instead of seeking to record things as they are, Mitchell’s work asks us to imagine new realities. He says he wants to challenge “visual regimes”: assumptions about certain people or cultures that are reinforced over and over again. “I think that [photojournalism] is a well from which we all culturally – consciously or unconsciously – construct ideas of how people live around the world,” he says. “My work is really about responding to, and questioning, and challenging those ideas.” Tyler Mitchell Albany, Georgia, 2021 (detail). Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York As a 20-year-old film student at New York University, Mitchell became enamoured with still photography after he signed up to do a documentary photography course in Havana, Cuba. Frustrated by the amount of time and money required to make films, he was drawn to the accessibility of still photography.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I was impatient when I got started and just wanted to make visual things now, and I didn’t want to wait for permission, or didn’t want to wait on equipment, or didn’t want to lug large amounts of equipment up flights of stairs. I just wanted to make something that I felt compelled by, immediately,” he says. His career has only blossomed in the years since he took that trip, and while some artists might feel trepidation at the attainment of so much success from such an early age, Mitchell is clear-eyed. “The idea of the road ahead only excites me,” he says. “The idea that there will be very quiet, sleepy periods, and frenetic periods, or hyperactive periods … It’s always refreshing as a young person to see how the career of a much older, more senior artist has really gone. “That senior artist that we know and love today had decades where they were out of style, out of fashion, people thought their work was done, their best work was behind them, and yet, often had resurgences. Loading “I think when we’re thinking about crafting a career … we’re really talking about allowing space for bad and good, allowing space for artists to make and work through complicated and sometimes not-so-favourable ideas. And I try to give myself that same space. It’s only about giving yourself grace and space and thinking one day at a time.” Asked if there’s a dream project, or a dream collaborator for him, Mitchell says there are too many. But with one monograph (2020’s I Can Make You Feel Good) under his belt, he’s hungry to make more.\n\nAdvertisement", + "In March last year Graham Arnold seemed a dead man walking – the Socceroos World Cup qualification campaign was lurching towards failure and the manager was being battered from all sides.\n\nArnold’s team had finished seven points off automatic qualification for Qatar after a shocking run of one win in seven games left them facing a Asian playoff against United Arab Emirates and then another against Peru to make the finals.\n\nWhile rumours swirled and ex-players and fans bayed for his blood, Football Australia took the pragmatic course and stuck by Arnold. It likely had more to do with the lateness of the hour and financial considerations than any overwhelming faith in Arnie to run around the fortunes.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nBut he did just that with qualification – and an excellent run at the finals – bowing out to the eventual champions Argentina and after nearly taking them to extra time.\n\nHe got to answer critics like Mark Bosnich and Craig Foster as well – bluntly rejecting their negativity with the dismissive “who cares?”. That would have tasted sweet.\n\nOn Tuesday, FA CEO James Johnson, who held firm on Arnold 20 months ago, got to congratulate the coach on his impending record-breaking match against Bangladesh as 2026 World Cup qualifying starts on Thursday.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Graham is one of the greatest contributors to the Socceroos,” Johnson said in a statement.\n\n“He’s been a constant in the Australian football landscape for more than 30 years as both a player and coach, being a part of some of the Socceroos most memorable moments.\n\n“Anyone who knows Arnie will tell you he bleeds green and gold. His love for the Socceroos and football in Australia is both infectious and inspiring. That energy and passion is a huge element to the way he’s able to lead and inspire our nation’s best male footballers in some of our sport’s most challenging arenas.\n\n“On behalf of Football Australia, I’d like to congratulate Arnie on everything he’s achieved in reaching this milestone and we look forward to him continuing to build on what is already an exceptional legacy.”\n\nIn a remarkable few weeks last year Arnold went from on the nose to a man revived. Since then he’s been linked to club jobs in Europe but opted to stick around with the national team.\n\nWhile national team coaches make important calls every game, Arnold’s record-breaking achievement is conceivably down to one big ballsy call in the playoff against Peru.\n\nWith moments left in extra time against the South Americans, Arnold dragged Mat Ryan and replaced him with Andrew Redmayne – who saved the decisive spot kick (and also threw his opponents water bottle with cheat sheet attached away from the goal).\n\nAdvertisement\n\nRyan might well have gotten the Socceroos to Qatar, but if Australia had not advanced there’s little chance Arnold would still be their coach today.\n\nAnd there’s virtually no chance he’ll have to endure a similar level of stress through to the next finals – with FIFA expanding the tournament from 36 to 48 teams meaning eight direct Asian confederation qualifiers will proceed directly instead of four.\n\nArnold, in his second stint as national team manager, will prowl the technical area for a 59th time on Thursday, taking him clear of Frank Farina.\n\nArnold – who also represented the Socceroos 56 times as a player – has been involved in national team coaching ranks since 2000, first as an assistant to Farina and then Guus Hiddink, before a brief period as caretaker coach in 2006.\n\n“It’s certainly a proud moment and an achievement that I’ll reflect on when the time is right,” Arnold said.\n\n“I look at some of the names on that list – Farina, Arok, Thompson, Rasic – guys I played under or assisted in the early part of my coaching career, and it gives you some perspective on what a journey it’s been so far.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I think back to that caretaker period and how much I learnt about coaching; it was a challenging experience and one that on reflection I probably wasn’t ready for. I’m grateful for the opportunity I was given and what it was able to teach me ahead of my pathway into club coaching.\n\n“I was able to put lessons from that time into practice, develop and eventually return to the Socceroos much more prepared for the role. It’s been a privilege to be part of the national team again with the benefit of that experience, and I’m immensely proud of what this group has been able to achieve in the last four years.\n\n“In my opinion, there’s no greater honour than representing your nation on the international stage. I look at the young players coming through the Socceroos system now full of pride in the work they’ve put in to get where they are, and the journey that’s ahead of them.\n\n“I’ve always loved being a part of the Socceroos culture and my desire to see Australia fulfil its footballing potential is still driving me to take this group to further success.”\n\nAustralia starts the road to north America in Melbourne at AAMI Park on Thursday night, before travelling to the Middle East to play Palestine next Wednesday (1.00am AEDT).\n\nFor this stage of qualifiers there are nine groups of four teams, with Lebanon the other team in Group I.\n\nThe top two teams from each group will advance into three groups of six for the next stage. The top two from those games – from September 2024 to June 2025 – will directly advance to the play offs with another qualifying round to determine the seventh and eight direct qualifiers.", + "Beyoncé ruled the box office this weekend.\n\nHer concert picture, “ Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” opened in first place with $21 million in North American ticket sales, according to estimates from AMC Theatres Sunday.\n\nThe post-Thanksgiving, early December box office is notoriously slow, but “Renaissance” defied the odds. Not accounting for inflation, it’s the first time a film has opened over $20 million on this weekend in 20 years (since “The Last Samurai”).\n\nBeyoncé wrote, directed and produced “Renaissance,” which is focused on the tour for her Grammy-winning album. It debuted in 2,539 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, as well as 94 international territories, where it earned $6.4 million from 2,621 theaters.\n\n“On behalf of AMC Theatres Distribution and the entire theatrical industry, we thank Beyoncé for bringing this incredible film directly to her fans,” said Elizabeth Frank, AMC Theatres executive vice president of worldwide programming, in a statement. “To see it resonate with fans and with film critics on a weekend that many in the industry typically neglect is a testament to her immense talent, not just as a performer, but as a producer and director.”\n\nDespite several other new releases including “Godzilla Minus One,” the Hindi-language “Animal,” Angel Studios’ sci-fi thriller “The Shift,” and Lionsgate’s John Woo-directed revenge pic “Silent Night,” it was a slow weekend overall. Films in the top 10 are expected to gross only $85 million in total.\n\nBut it was in this traditional “lull” that AMC Theatres found a good opportunity for “Renaissance” to shine.\n\n“They chose a great weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “There was competition but it was from very different kinds of movies.”\n\nThough “Renaissance” did not come close to matching the $92.8 million debut of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in October, it’s still a very good start for a concert film. No one expected “Renaissance” to match “The Eras Tour,” which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million globally. Prior to Swift, the biggest concert film debuts (titles held by Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber for their 2008 and 2011 films) had not surpassed the unadjusted sum of $32 million.\n\nThe 39-city, 56-show “Renaissance” tour, which kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden in May and ended in Kansas City, Missouri in the fall, made over $500 million and attracted over 2.7 million concertgoers. Swift’s ongoing “Eras Tour,” with 151 dates, is expected to gross some $1.4 billion.\n\nBoth Beyoncé and Swift chose to partner with AMC Theatres to distribute their films, as opposed to a traditional studio. Both superstars have been supportive of one another, making splashy appearances at the other’s premieres. Both had previously released films on Netflix (“Miss Americana” and “Homecoming”). And both are reported to be receiving at least 50% of ticket sales.\n\nMovie tickets to the show were more expensive than average, around $23.32 versus Swift’s $20.78, according to data firm EntTelligence.\n\nCritics and audiences gave “Renaissance” glowing reviews – it’s sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and got a coveted A+ CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences who were polled. EntTelligence also estimates that the audience, around 900,000 strong, skewed a little older than Swift’s.\n\n“To have two concert films topping the chart in a single year is pretty unprecedented,” Dergarabedian said.\n\nBut to compare them too closely would be a mistake.\n\n“Taylor Swift was a total outlier and the result of a very specific set of circumstances,” he said. “These two films are similar in genre only. “\n\nLionsgate’s “ The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ” fell to second place in its third weekend with an estimated $14.5 million. The prequel has now earned over $121 million domestically.\n\n“ Godzilla Minus One ” took third place on the North American charts with $11 million from 2,308 locations — the biggest opening for a foreign film in the U.S. this year. The well-reviewed Japanese blockbuster distributed by Toho International cost only $15 million to produce and has already earned $23 million in Japan. Toho’s 33rd Godzilla film is set in the aftermath of World War II, stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and was directed by Takashi Yamazaki.\n\n“This year, we made a concentrated effort to answer the demand of the marketplace and make Godzilla globally accessible across many different platforms,” said Koji Ueda, President of Toho Global, in a statement.\n\n“Trolls Band Together” landed in fourth place in its third weekend with $7.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $74.8 million.\n\nFifth place went to Disney’s “Wish,” which fell 62% from its underwhelming first weekend, with $7.4 million from 3,900 locations. Globally, it’s now made $81.6 million. The studio’s other major film in theaters, “The Marvels” is also winding down in its fourth weekend with a disastrous global tally of $197 million against the reported $300 million it cost to make and market the superhero film.\n\nIn its second weekend, Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” earned an estimated $7.1 million from 3,500 locations. Produced by Apple Original Films and distributed by Sony Pictures, the film starring Joaquin Phoenix has now made $45.7 million domestically against a $200 million budget.\n\nThings should pick up in the final weeks of 2023, with films like “Wonka” and “The Color Purple” yet to come. The industry is looking at a $9 billion year — still trailing the $11 billion pre-pandemic norm, but a marked improvement from the last few years. And there are still many solid options for moviegoers, as the industry’s awards season gets into full swing.\n\n“We had a slow Thanksgiving and we’re having a pretty slow weekend this weekend, but it’s a great weekend to be a moviegoer in terms of the breadth and depth of the movies out there,” Dergarabedian said.\n\nEstimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.\n\n1. “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” $21 million.\n\n2. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” $14.5 million.\n\n3. “Godzilla Minus One,” $11 million.\n\n4. “Trolls Band Together,” $7.6 million.\n\n5. “Wish,” $7.4 million.\n\n6. “Napoleon,” $7.1 million.\n\n7. “Animal,” $6.1 million.\n\n8. “The Shift,” $4.4 million.\n\n9. “Silent Night,” $3 million.\n\n10. “Thanksgiving,” $2.6 million.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nTravis Kelce’s previous comments about having children have sparked controversy amid his ongoing romance with Taylor Swift.\n\nThe Kansas City Chiefs player, 34, first made the remarks about starting his own family during a February 2023 episode of his and his brother Jason Kelce’s podcast, New Heights. The episode resurfaced after a source claimed to Yahoo Entertainment that Swift and Travis Kelce “have talked about kids” within the next year.\n\nIn the episode of his podcast, the Philadelphia Eagles star asked his mother, Donna, which of her two sons she was “rooting for,” as the Eagles and Chiefs were preparing to play against each other in the Super Bowl at the time.\n\n“You’ve said in the past to both of us that you root for me because I’ve given you grandkids,” Jason, who shares three children – Wyatt, four, Elliotte, two, and Bennett, seven months – with wife Kylie Kelce, said. “I’ve always known that you root for Travis. So who do you actually root for?”\n\nAfter Jason asked his mother again who she was rooting for, “if in a battle to the death,” Donna responded by asking who he’d pick to save if she and her husband, Ed Kelce, were stranded in the middle of the ocean. While Donna said she couldn’t pick which of her sons to root against, Jason then joked: “Remember if you choose me, Wyatt and Elliotte grow up without a father.”\n\nTravis then chimed in to joke about wanting to start his own family. “I gotta start breeding,” he said. “I’ve gotta start breeding, to all the breeders out there.”\n\nJason then responded to his brother’s remark with: “Please don’t,” before Donna advised: “Wait until you find the right person. Find the right person.”\n\nHowever, Travis still doubled down on his plan, as he quipped: “I’m gonna find a breeder, and I’m gonna get kids so that mom can love me again.”\n\nOn X, formerly known as Twitter, fans have called Travis out for his seemingly sexist remarks and claimed that he shouldn’t have been referring to women as “breeders”.\n\n“Forever grateful that Joe Alwyn kept to himself and is private,” one wrote, referring to Swift’s ex-boyfriend of six years.“It’s what makes Travis Kelce’s statements from earlier this year about ‘finding a breeder’ cringe. You are free to say what you want but are not free from the consequences of doing so. Women are not objects.”\n\n“‘Start breeding,’ oh this is just f***ing disgusting and it’s setting us back so much,” another added. “Women aren’t baby-making machines, women are more than the man they’re dating, we are more than marriage.”\n\n“Ain’t a Swiftie but don’t have to be one to be weirded out about Travis Kelce calling women ‘breeders,’” someone else wrote. “That ain’t it dude.”\n\nMany other people went on to criticise claims about Swift and Travis having children soon, since the singer is about to return to her Eras Tour until November 2024.\n\n“Well I know for DAMN SURE that s*** about ‘having kids within the next year’ is NOT coming from Taylor’s side,” one claimed. “She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show. But we do know who’s been public about looking for a ‘BREEDER.’”\n\nThe comments about Travis and Swift’s romance came days after they seemingly confirmed their relationship. On 22 October, Swift made her return to Arrowhead Stadium to watch as the Kansas City Chiefs won their game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The occasion marked Swift’s fourth time attending one of Kelce’s games, amid ongoing reports that they are dating.\n\nFollowing the event, Chariah Gordon, the partner of Kelce’s teammate Mecole Hardman Jr, took to Instagram to share a snap of the singer and NFL player’s sweet PDA moment. In the picture, Swift could be seen standing next to Kelce, reaching to kiss his cheek.\n\nIn addition to the kiss, the football star also had the perfect reaction to a fan calling him Swift’s boyfriend. After a fan shouted: “Let’s go Taylor’s boyfriend” while Kelce was waiting for an elevator, he responded with a small smile on his face and by pumping his fist into the air.\n\nAside from their appearances at sports events, Swift and Kelce have also been photographed together on other occasions, including a date earlier this month in New York City after their surprise appearances on the season 49 premiere of Saturday Night Live. At the time, sources alleged to Entertainment Tonight that, during the date, Kelce got a little too close to Swift’s security personnel and allegedly told her bodyguard to step aside.\n\nHowever, during an episode of his podcast, Kelce explained what he said to the security, and clarified that he didn’t push the bodyguard. “I placed my hand on the gentleman’s back to let him know I was behind him. If I would have pushed him, he probably would have turned around and tased me,” he said.\n\nThe Independent has contacted representatives for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for contact.", + "The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is likely to be more consequential than just whether the man himself is found guilty. Depending on what evidence is introduced during the trial, it could be rough for the entire crypto industry.\n\n“How much damage can this trial do to the already beaten-down reputation of the industry at this point?” asks Yesha Yadav, a law professor at Vanderbilt University. “This trial is going to be an excruciating moment for the industry because no one knows what kind of evidence might come out.”\n\nBankman-Fried, the founder of FTX and Alameda Research, is facing seven counts of criminal charges: two counts of wire fraud, and five counts of conspiracy charges. FTX was a failed cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2019. According to a now-deleted profile from FTX investors Sequoia Capital, FTX was founded because of Bankman-Fried’s frustration with other exchanges when he was running Alameda Research, his crypto trading firm. According to the SEC, FTX was a fraud “from the start,” diverting customers’ funds to Alameda.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is on trial for seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. FTX was a fraud “from the start,” the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges — with a “multi-billion-dollar deficiency caused by his own misappropriation of customer funds.” Follow along for all the latest news and regular updates from the trial.\n\n“Really just old-fashioned embezzlement.”\n\nWhat’s left of FTX is now being led by John J. Ray III — you may remember him as the guy who cleaned up Enron and who also said FTX is worse than Enron. Just before the trial began, the FTX lawyers filed suit against Bankman-Fried’s parents, saying they should give back millions of dollars they got from their kid. Ray has also referred to Bankman-Fried’s conduct as “really just old-fashioned embezzlement.”\n\nWe have some inkling of what the government will be arguing thanks to the filings prosecutors are making in this case. They argue that Bankman-Fried lied about consumer protection and that Bankman-Fried’s statements that FTX was “avoiding or managing conflicts of interest” and that “as a general principle FTX segregates customer assets from its own assets across our platforms” were lies, in a superseding indictment filed August 14th.\n\nThe indictment also says that there were special features in FTX’s code that “permitted Alameda to spend and withdraw unlimited amounts of money from FTX,” which were created at Bankman-Fried’s direction. That effectively exempted Alameda from the kinds of risk management other customers faced. At the same time, the government alleges, “Bankman-Fried publicly and repeatedly asserted that Alameda did not have privileged access to FTX.”\n\nBankman-Fried is accused of using “billions of dollars in misappropriated FTX customer deposits” to help buy more than $200 million of real estate for himself, make billions of dollars of investments for his own interest, and repay Alameda’s lenders, according to the indictment, Additionally, Bankman-Fried allegedly used more than $100 million of customer funds to make political contributions; prosecutors can show evidence of those contributions in this trial, even though they aren’t part of the charges brought. A second trial is scheduled for March 2024, with additional charges.\n\nBefore his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry. He was also very interested in publicity, sitting for many interviews both before and after the fall of FTX. The quick rise of FTX as an industry force was at least in part due to Bankman-Fried’s appetite for attention. Here are the hits:\n\nBankman-Fried gave interviews freely — and quickly rose to public prominence in the industry. Though FTX hadn’t been in the business as long as competing exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, or Gemini, Bankman-Fried positioned himself as an important, boyish face for crypto. (At one point, Bankman-Fried told a colleague at FTX that “I honestly think it’s negative EV [this may mean “expected value,” as in poker] for me to cut my hair. I think it’s important for people to think I look crazy.”)\n\nBecause he was so successful at this kind of public relations, his fall from grace was another mark against an industry that was already roiled by bankruptcies and scandals. Some additional trouble for the crypto industry is likely to come from one crucial element of the fraud trial — the part where the government must prove intent.\n\nThe first part of proving the government’s case is pretty simple and a little boring: prosecutors must show that certain transactions took place. Whatever records the Southern District of New York has for the transactions will be shown.\n\n“What conversations happened between him and his co-conspirators that are now cooperating against him?”\n\nThe second part is where all the drama is likely to come, says Christopher LaVigne, a litigation partner and co-chair of the cryptocurrency practice at the law firm Withers. Prosecutors have to connect those transactions to Bankman-Fried, show that he knew what he was doing was wrong, and prove that he lied about it anyway.\n\n“What was he saying to his parents and his other advisors about this?” LaVigne says. “What conversations happened between him and his co-conspirators that are now cooperating against him?”\n\nTo further establish intent, the government can use Bankman-Fried’s own words. The indictment calls Bankman-Fried’s tweets in November 2022 “false and misleading.”\n\n“We had him going out directly to the internet,” LaVigne says. If he wrote things on Twitter or said things in interviews that weren’t true, that’s more fodder for the government’s case. “They can point to that and say, ‘This is what he said, this is what actually happened.’”\n\nOther evidence may include Signal messages and testimony from co-conspirators who plead guilty to their own charges. Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, who was also sometimes Bankman-Fried’s girlfriend, may play an important role — Bankman-Fried leaked her diaries to The New York Times and was consequently jailed for witness tampering. The government has indicated FTX co-founder Gary Wang and engineering head Nishad Singh will also be among the witnesses called to give testimony about Bankman-Fried.\n\nBankman-Fried’s defense can also introduce risks for people who dealt with him\n\nThere may be testimony from lenders, venture capitalists, and customers in order to establish the basis for some charges. In the indictment, the prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried lied to FTX investors. Some of those investors may be called on to testify, which is not the kind of thing VC big shots generally enjoy — and which might create collateral damage for the industry.\n\nIf, for instance, Sequoia Capital did due diligence around its investment in FTX, whatever Bankman-Fried told its partners could be important. Was FTX already sending Alameda customer funds at that point? Did Bankman-Fried know about it? And did he tell VCs at the time? (If he told them it wasn’t happening, that would establish intent.) Binance was also an early investor in FTX, and former executives may be called on to testify as well, says Hermine Wong, the former head of policy at Coinbase and a former SEC regulator.\n\nBankman-Fried’s defense can also introduce risks for people who dealt with him. Defense lawyers have several simultaneous objectives. First and foremost, they’re trying to prove their client is not guilty. But just in case they don’t get the outcome they want, they’re also laying the groundwork for appeals and sentencing arguments. Any piece of evidence they want to introduce for those two purposes has to come into play in the trial.\n\nAlready, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers are marking arguments that his constitutional rights are being violated by his pretrial incarceration because, among other things, his internet connection wasn’t good enough for him to plan his defense, notes LaVigne. That could be grounds for an appeal.\n\n“Is he going to throw the entire industry under the bus?”\n\nBankman-Fried’s behavior after the fall of FTX suggests he’s something of a wild card. He may suggest he was acting on the advice of his lawyers. But he may also introduce other evidence that could be troublesome — implying, for instance, that he was engaged in standard industry behavior or that everything that happened was Binance’s fault. That may be risky, but we already know that Bankman-Fried loves risk.\n\n“Is he going to throw the entire industry under the bus?” Wong asks. “An idea like, ‘Everyone was doing this, it’s not fair I’m the only one who was charged?’” That may not fly in a court of law, but it could absolutely damage public perception of crypto at large.\n\nFor instance, just before he was arrested, Bankman-Fried brought forward messages from a crypto group chat in testimony he planned to give before Congress. In that testimony, he primarily blames Binance and his lawyers at the firm Sullivan & Cromwell.\n\nIt’s possible other messages from group chats may be brought into evidence during the trial. That can potentially be embarrassing for the whole industry, Wong says.\n\n“You can imagine some of these founders, CEOs, people of that echelon talk to each other somewhat informally about what’s going on,” she says. If it seems like his peer group supported him, or worse, fawned over him, that’s a real problem for the industry’s reputation.”\n\nAfter FTX declared bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried went on an extensive media tour, doing interviews with The New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin and Good Morning America. Even under house arrest, he did interviews, including with The New Yorker. Bankman-Fried seemed to think that if he just explained things, everyone would understand that what he did was a mistake, not a crime.", + "Four years ago, Rassie Erasmus delivered one of the great rugby speeches ahead of the 2019 World Cup final.\n\n“You don’t have the right today to worry about your mistakes,” Erasmus said before the Springboks sealed a stunning 32-12 victory over England to claim their third William Webb Ellis Cup.\n\n“If you worry about your mistakes today, you’ve got ego problems.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\n“You are not representing yourself today. You are fighting for the things that happen in South Africa.\n\n“You are tackling for the boy who didn’t get the same opportunities that you got eventually.”\n\nFour years later and the “ego” Erasmus spoke about is what is driving the standards and expectations around the Springboks’ bid to go back-to-back.\n\n“We explain to the whole squad why we are going a certain route. It is not about individual selection,” Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber said shortly after announcing two changes to his starting side and five in total, after going in with a forwards-heavy 7-1 bench split.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It is for South Africa. As selectors we know there will be pressure on us if we don’t deliver a result but at the back of our minds we know this selection is for South Africa.\n\n“The players take it like that. It is not about person or ego, not that they have egos, but you can’t think of that. You have to think about South Africa and the Springboks.”\n\nSeemingly the Springboks are playing for more than themselves. They’re playing for their country.\n\nIt’s a powerful force, one that saw them progress through the knockout stages to reach the final after consecutive one-point victories.\n\nPressure? The South African laughs at the notion of what pressure is compared to the inequality and challenges the Rainbow Nation continues to experience.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe question is: how can New Zealand’s All Blacks withstand and overcome the hitherto unshakable wave of momentum and spirit the Springboks play with under Erasmus in this weekend’s World Cup final?\n\nIt would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.\n\nThe backlash and toxicity that followed their historic home series loss to Ireland was a humbling and public reminder of the expectation of being an All Black.\n\nIt’s why Saturday’s World Cup final is personal for the men wearing black.\n\nAll Blacks social media managers were forced to delete a thousand comments an hour following the humbling series loss in Wellington.\n\nThe pain of the days and weeks after that dark July, as well as the bumps and bruises along the way, including as recently as August when they suffered their biggest defeat to the Boks to lose the inaugural and prestigious Qatar Cup, still runs deep.\n\n“It was quite special to hear some of the things those certain players said from the heart. You know, you think you know someone but once they open up and really be vulnerable in front of a team, it was quite special to hear,” back-rower Dalton Papali’i said this week.\n\n\n\n“It was truly something special when you hear those boys open up. You know those leaders have been through a lot in their careers, the highs and the lows, the off-field and on-field stuff, and for them to open up, it sort of makes you feel welcomed and you want to play this game for them.\n\n\n\n“There were a few tears and I think that’s awesome to see, players showing vulnerability, just opening up about how much this tour and this sort of game means.\n\n\n\n“There were some (people) saying this is probably one of the most important games of All Blacks history. (The) All Blacks went through a bit of a hard path to get here, media, friends, family even criticising us and all that, and we stuck together. We weren’t even said to be in the final and now look at us, we’re here.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Different players take it differently and some of the older players probably were hit a little bit harder and it was good to see just a bit of emotion and the want from them. Seeing that gives all the other players an extra two, three per cent to think ‘OK, we are going to the well and we’ve got to give it our all’.”\n\nThe All Blacks will experience a changing of the guard next season.\n\nIndeed, the All Blacks’ social media channels described the team selection for the World Cup final as the “Last Dance”.\n\n2015 World Cup winner Dane Coles will call time on his career, while his tight-five teammates Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, who is bidding to become the first player to win the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time, will head overseas.\n\nFellow World Cup winners Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett will also head to Japan.\n\nColes, who was labelled by Samisoni Taukei’aho as a “Grandad” type figure in the All Blacks, has even been denied the chance of a farewell send-off after missing selection.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Yeah, tough,” said coach Ian Foster of the conversation with the 36-year-old around leaving him out.\n\n“We don’t want to talk too much about post-game stuff, but that was a tough one, probably the toughest I have had as a coach. He took it the way I expected him to. He’s a champion.”\n\nPapali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.\n\n“There’s a few leaders in the team, it’s going to be their last game in the jersey, so it’s a big game for us and even the other players that are staying, knowing that we want to send those boys out on a high,” he said.\n\n“How much they put into the jersey. We are standing on their…what’s that quote? It’s standing on the shoulders of giants.”\n\nThe generational change isn’t just occurring on the field but off it, too.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFoster will depart the All Blacks set up after 12 years, the last four as head coach.\n\nIt’s been far from smooth, having overseen their historic defeats to Argentina as well as the 2-1 series loss to Ireland on home soil.\n\nA famous 35-23 win over the Springboks at Ellis Park saw him save his career, with Scott Robertson being lined up on the side.\n\nBut it wasn’t enough for New Zealand Rugby to back him before this year’s Test season got underway, with Robertson announced as Foster’s successor.\n\n“Am I at peace?” Foster repeated a question during his World Cup team announcement when asked about where his mental state was ahead of his last Test in charge of the All Blacks.\n\n“Yeah, I’m reasonably peaceful. I love the word but I’m not sure I’m peaceful right now.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHe added: “I’ve just started to get my back nice and straight from last year and now you’re trying to make me hunched over again!\n\n“It’s the life of this business, it’s a tough game. It’s tough when you’re trying to get your performance right. It’s a tough game when people around you see things differently, but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves.\n\n“We take massive pride in the jersey and making sure we reach the levels we want to. The rest of that is probably a conversation for another day.\n\n“It hasn’t altered our vision of where we want this team to be. I know we’ve surprised a few people but I don’t think we’ve surprised ourselves.”", + "Hollywood is a tough place to raise kids, prompting some celebrities to take a tough-love approach to parenting.\n\nStars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who admitted to being like a \"drill instructor\" when his kids were young, and Reese Witherspoon, who recently said she wants kids to deal with failure more directly, have shared their harsher parenting styles in interviews.\n\nOthers, like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, are focused on keeping their kids grateful for growing up in famous families with wealth and privilege at their fingertips.\n\nHere's a look at a few celebrity parents focusing on firmer parenting.\n\nArnold Schwarzenegger\n\nArnold Schwarzenegger, who shares four children with ex-wife Maria Shriver and also shares a son with Mildred Baena, the family's former housekeeper, has a disciplined approach to parenting, recently admitting he had a \"drill instructor\" approach when his kids were young.\n\nIn a recent interview with People while promoting his new book, he recalled a moment when his eldest daughter, Katherine, brought over her 3-year-old daughter, Lyla, and saw the lesson he passed down.\n\n\"Katherine comes over with Lyla, and she says, 'Lyla, I told you already not to put the shoes there. Keep your shoes on, or you put them away, but you don't leave them there by the stand in front of the fireplace because you know what Daddy did? When I left my shoes there twice? The third time, he burned them in front of me and I cried,'\" he said.\n\nSchwarzenegger said the story was \"absolutely\" true, and he took pride in knowing that Katherine \"uses the same methods, which she cried over, and she complained about\" with Lyla as well as her other daughter, Eloise, both of whom she shares with husband Chris Pratt.\n\nARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER PRAISES DAUGHTER KATHERINE’S PARENTING, REVEALS WHY GRANDKIDS LOVE COMING TO HIS HOME\n\nThe 76-year-old also shared similar tough-love approaches with his eldest son, Patrick.\n\nSchwarzenegger said that when he was 9, he threw his mattress outside after Patrick didn’t make the bed.\n\n\"I opened up the door to the balcony, picked up the mattress and threw it down with the bedsheets, the pillows, everything. I said, 'Don't ever make someone come in and clean your room, clean your shower or make your bed,'\" he told People. \"I said, 'Because I taught you how to make the bed.'\"\n\nHe also battled over shower time with Patrick, feeling he was taking too long, and came up with a plan to limit them by installing a timer, similar to ones he’d used in Munich.\n\n\"And so when he got the shower on, and he was whistling and singing in there and thinking Daddy's not around, all the sudden the ice-cold shower came on. And all of a sudden, we heard downstairs the scream,\" Schwarzenegger said.\n\nThe former California governor also recently issued a warning that if young people are over-pampered, this nation may be \"creating a generation of wimps and weak people.\"\n\n\"You can only strengthen your character and become a really strong person inside if you have resistance, if you fail, if you get up again and if you work hard,\" Schwarzenegger said on \"The Howard Stern Show.\"\n\nARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S BODYBUILDER SON IS SPITTING IMAGE OF FAMOUS DAD\n\nReese Witherspoon\n\nReese Witherspoon is a mom of three. She shares her eldest children, Ava and Deacon, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, and her youngest, Tennessee, with ex-husband Jim Toth.\n\nIn a recent interview on the \"Good Inside with Dr. Becky\" podcast, the Oscar-winner said she wants to see kids live with failure a little more.\n\n\"I see this a lot with parents – I don't know when we stopped letting our kids fail. Like I learned so much from the paper I didn't turn in or the demerits I got, so I got detention. I was suspended from school,\" she recalled.\n\nShe added, \"And my parents didn't say, ‘Uh, she didn't deserve that,' and take me out of school. They actually let me sit in it and feel uncomfortable. So, I think learning from failure is actually a valuable tool that you can't take away from kids, right? You rob them if you don't let them sit in the discomfort of the experience.\"\n\nREESE WITHERSPOON AND EX JIM TOTH SETTLE DIVORCE WITH KEY STIPULATION ABOUT RAISING THEIR SON\n\nThe \"Walk the Line\" star remembered comforting her daughter when she was younger after she lost a basketball game – but not shying away from the lesson.\n\nWitherspoon recalled saying, \"'Yeah, I know. I know that probably feels really bad,'\" but then adding, \"'You know what also? Maybe you're not good at basketball?'\"\n\nHer daughter was slightly upset in the moment, but Witherspoon continued, \"It's actually really important to learn what you're not good at.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER\n\nDaniel Craig\n\nJames Bond star Daniel Craig shares one daughter with wife Rachel Weisz and has an older daughter from his previous marriage to Fiona Loudon. He is also step-dad to Weisz’s son from a previous relationship.\n\nBut Craig’s children shouldn’t expect a pile of money when he’s gone.\n\nIn an interview with Saga Magazine in 2020, Craig said, \"My philosophy is to get rid of it or give it away before you go. I don’t want to leave great sums to the next generation.\"\n\nA year later in an interview with Candis magazine, he repeated the sentiment that inheritance is \"distasteful\" and pondered the overall nature of wealth.\n\n\"Isn't there an old adage that if you die a rich person, you've failed? I think Andrew Carnegie gave away what in today's money would be about 11 billion dollars, which shows how rich he was because I'll bet he kept some of it, too,\" he said.\n\nDANIEL CRAIG GIVES ADVICE TO NEXT JAMES BOND\n\nFreddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar\n\n\"Buffy the Vampire Slayer\" star Sarah Michelle Gellar and husband Freddie Prinze Jr. share two kids together and have been married for more than 20 years.\n\nIn a 2021 interview with Us Weekly, Prinze gave some details on how they parent their kids, now ages 13 and 11.\n\n\"We are strict as hell,\" the \"I Know What You Did Last Summer\" star told the outlet. \"Look, I don’t believe in whooping kids. I’ve never whooped mine. My mom whooped me. They were, like, preventative whooping, so I know how to be strict.\"\n\nPrinze added that Gellar also knows how to be strict and has \"100 rules\" for their kids.\n\nSARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, FREDDIE PRINZE JR REVEAL SECRETS BEHIND THEIR LONG-LASTING MARRIAGE\n\n\"They know they can’t break [those rules],\" he said. \"Friendships come and go. I tell my kids all the time that family is forever. So, we have rules, and they’ve got to follow [them].\"\n\nGellar told Us Weekly in 2020 that as parents their \"expectations are a little higher than most.\"\n\n\"I think [our children] know what the rules are,\" she said at the time. \"We have [family dinner] as many nights as we can. We have no phones at the table. We sit, we all have dinner together.\"\n\nAshton Kutcher and Mila Kunis\n\nAshton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have been married since 2015 and share two children, daughter Wyatt, 9, and son Dmitri, 6.\n\nTo help keep their kids grounded, Kunis revealed in a 2020 interview on \"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert\" how she keeps their privilege in check.\n\n\"I like to remind them that Mommy and Daddy have money, but they’re broke all the time,\" she said with a laugh. \"That is not their bedroom, it is my bedroom that I’m letting them use, so they better take good care of it.\"\n\nShe continued, \"I say this in jest, but really they don’t have things … they’re raised on hand-me-downs from girlfriends’ kids’ clothing; we garden.\"\n\nKunis noted her kids are lucky to be born into a famous family and wants to ensure they are grateful.\n\n\"Our kids are super-fortunate,\" she said. \"Regardless, they were born at the right time to the right people, and I love them, but they’re not going to be entitled a--holes.\"\n\nMILA KUNIS AND ASHTON KUTCHER LAUGH OFF CRITICISM RECEIVED FOR THEIR BATHING ROUTINE CONFESSION\n\nCandace Cameron Bure\n\n\"Full House\" star Candace Cameron Bure is a proud mom of three with husband Valeri Bure: Natasha, Lev and Maksim, who are now all in their early 20s.\n\nWhen her kids were teenagers, Bure spoke with L.A. Parent about her parenting style, noting that she can be \"strict.\"\n\n\"I hope my kids would say that I’m a loving mom,\" Bure said. \"They would also describe me as strict. We set firm boundaries, but there is always love and grace.\"\n\nShe continued, \"I’m the mom that needs to meet the parents before my kids can go to a new friend’s house. I want to know who they’re with, where they’re going. Even now that they’re driving, I want them to text me when they arrive and when they’re heading home.\"\n\nLIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS\n\nBure explained that they \"work hard to keep our communication open and talk through any situation\" and they are \"always willing to listen.\"\n\n\"But I don’t always say yes,\" she added. \"My goal as a parent is not to make my kids happy but to guide them to be respectful, curious, responsible, resilient, kind, giving and thoughtful adults.\"\n\nNATASHA BURE PRAISES MOM CANDACE CAMERON FOR HER FAITH, BEING 'BOLD' AMID BACKLASH\n\nKristen Bell and Dax Shepard\n\nKristen Bell and Dax Shepard share two daughters together, Lincoln, 10, and Delta, 8, and have been married for 10 years.\n\nThe couple has been honest about the trials and tribulations of raising their kids, especially to keep them grounded.\n\n\"It’s very important to me that they share a bedroom. I think their lives will be easier than most other people’s on the planet, and to develop a good character, it’s important to always be going through something,\" Bell told Self in 2020.\n\n\"I like the fact that they will have to figure out how to share a bedroom, figure out how to share your closet, figure out how to share your space,\" she continued. \"If that’s the worst thing about your life, that you have to share a bedroom with your sister, you’re going to be OK.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nBell also laid out her strict screen-time rules, but she admits they get a little lax on the weekends.\n\n\"They’re not allowed to play with our phones or have any screens really. They are allowed to watch TV on the weekends, and we’re pretty liberal with it, which I’ve been considering paying more attention to,\" she said. \"But since they’re not allowed at all during the week, they will wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning, and they will watch TV until noon. I will also sleep until 9:45, which is really nice, and then get stuff done.\"\n\nThe \"Frozen\" star added, \"But I will say, I notice how hard it is to pull them away from the TV at noon.\"", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nSarah Michelle Gellar has taken umbrage with Roblox after her son’s account was hacked, forcing her to cancel her credit card.\n\nThe Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, 46, took to Instagram on 4 December after her son’s Roblox account was allegedly hacked. Gellar - who shares son Rocky, 11, and daughter Charlotte Grace, 14, with husband Freddie Prinze Jr - shared a screenshot from her iPhone, displaying a notification that her iCloud account “has been disabled” in the App Store and iTunes.\n\n“This is what I’ve been dealing with after my son’s @Roblox got hacked,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “I had to cancel my credit card and now my life is basically cancelled.”\n\nThe Cruel Intentions actor added: “@Roblox Why don’t you have better parental help?!?”\n\nRoblox is a widely-popular online game platform that “lets you play, create, and be anything you can imagine,” according to its description on the Microsoft Store. It allows players to customise characters and play minigames within the game. While Roblox is free to download on a number of platforms - including Android and iOS smartphones, Xbox game consoles, and Windows computers - players can also spend money on in-game items and customisations. According to TechCrunch, its millions of users range between ages eight and 18, although its key demographic is between nine and 15 years old.\n\n(Instagram / Sarah Michelle Gellar)\n\nMany social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, were surprised by Gellar’s unexpected feud with the online gaming platform.\n\n“This is the most important beef of 2023,” one person said, in response to Gellar’s Instagram Story post.\n\n“Buffy vs Roblox is where all this Millennial vs Gen Z discourse has been heading,” another user joked.\n\nWhile one user agreed that “being hacked on Roblox is life ruining,” someone else wondered why Gellar’s 11-year-old son was using his mother’s credit card in the first place. “Oh please. That’s not that bad,” they said. “And I don’t know why parents let their children use their debit/credit cards on games, like, make them pay themselves!”\n\nIn a statement to The Independent, a Roblox spokesperson revealed the company is looking into Gellar’s complaint. “We are looking into this case and we reached out directly to the user to help. We are committed to ensuring that our users have a positive experience on the platform,” they said. “In partnership with safety groups, we’ve developed tools and resources like our Parent & Caregiver Guide and other helpful resources for parents to have conversations with their kids and teens about staying safe, spending controls and protecting their account. Our support team works with parents and users directly 24/7 and can be contacted with questions here,” they added, including a link to its support page.\n\nThe Scooby-Doo star isn’t the only celebrity to publicly call out Roblox’s parental controls. In the season one premiere of The Kardashians, Hulu star Kim Kardashian went head to head with Roblox after her son Saint discovered what claimed to be unseen footage of her 2007 sex tape with her ex-boyfriend Ray J.\n\nSaint, eight, was playing Roblox on a family member’s iPad when an icon of Kardashian’s infamous crying face popped up on his screen. When he showed his mother the icon, she pulled the iPad away after reading that the Roblox minigame had been registered under the username “KimsNewSexTape”.\n\nThe billionaire business mogul later shared in the episode that she planned on “suing” Roblox for using her name and likeness for a game. “I have all the time, all the money, and all of the resources to burn them all to the f***ing ground,” Kardashian said, adding: “This is supposed to be unreleased footage from my old tape, this is the last thing I want as a mom, for my past to be brought up 20 years later.”\n\nAccording to Polygon, the developer of the minigame was reportedly banned from the online platform when the episode aired in April 2022. In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson from Roblox confirmed the existence of the game, but explained that the “referenced video was never available on our platform”.\n\n“The referenced video was never available on our platform - we have strict moderation and policies to protect our community, including zero tolerance for sexual content of any kind which violates our Community Rules,” the spokesperson said. “The text reference to the tape that got around our filters was quickly taken down and fortunately visible only to an extremely small number of people on the platform. We also swiftly took down the associated experience and banned the community developer involved with the incident.”", + "From From Carolina Panthers Round 1 - Pick 1 Caleb Williams QB USC • Jr • 6'1\" / 215 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st Justin Fields is expected to return to the field this week, but is it too little, too late? Chicago will have a chance to take a quarterback No. 1 overall and it may be too much to pass up a second consecutive year.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 2 Drake Maye QB North Carolina • Soph • 6'4\" / 230 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd There was doubt about Daniel Jones' viability as a long-term starter when he signed his extension. Following his ACL injury, there is no less concern. New York will have to eat a grandiose amount of dead salary cap but it is a small price to pay if Drake Maye ends up being the quarterback many expect he could be.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 3 Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'4\" / 205 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st Marvin Harrison Jr. is arguably the best talent available in the 2024 NFL Draft, but does that matter if he is catching passes from Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe? The Patriots have to be hopeful that they find themselves in a position to draft one of the two top quarterback prospects.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 4 Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT Penn State • Jr • 6'6\" / 317 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st When a new homeowner moves in, they often have a different vision of how to decorate the space. Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort are the new homeowners and they could move on from D.J. Humphries and save money toward the salary cap while likely upgrading at the position.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 5 Dallas Turner EDGE Alabama • Jr • 6'4\" / 252 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 3rd Chicago traded for and signed Montez Sweat to a lucrative contract extension but Yannick Ngakoue has given them nothing. The addition of Dallas Turner allows them to have a potentially dynamic duo.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 6 Joe Alt OT Notre Dame • Jr • 6'7\" / 322 lbs Projected Team Green Bay PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 3rd The David Bakhtiari experience may be over in Green Bay but there is a tantalizing off-ramp with the addition of Joe Alt.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 7 JC Latham OT Alabama • Jr • 6'6\" / 360 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 2nd Los Angeles' offensive tackles have had two of the highest beaten rates in the NFL this season, according to TruMedia. JC Latham allows them to upgrade on one side of the line.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 8 Brock Bowers TE Georgia • Jr • 6'4\" / 240 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st Brock Bowers is the lone remaining blue-chip talent. If Will Levis is the future then they need to surround him with the skill talent that may give him a chance to succeed.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 9 Jared Verse EDGE Florida State • Jr • 6'4\" / 260 lbs Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 2nd Atlanta likes heavy-handed pass rushers who can set the edge and Jared Verse falls into that category. The Falcons have added some older veterans at the position but it is not a viable long-term solution.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 10 Laiatu Latu EDGE UCLA • Sr • 6'5\" / 265 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 1st After moving on from Chase Young and Montez Sweat, Washington has a need for rushing the passer. Laiatu Latu may end up being the best out of this draft class.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 11 J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan • Jr • 6'3\" / 202 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 4th Baker Mayfield is replaced in Tampa Bay with J.J. McCarthy. It was a Michigan quarterback that led the Buccaneers to the promised land last time so perhaps lightning strikes twice.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 12 Amarius Mims OT Georgia • Jr • 6'7\" / 340 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 4th The top-10 selections were not kind to a New York team that desperately needs offensive tackle help. The Jets select Amarius Mims, who is young and inexperienced, to upgrade the ceiling of their protection.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 13 Jer'Zhan Newton DL Illinois • Jr • 6'2\" / 295 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 27th POSITION RNK 2nd Jer'Zhan Newton infuses some youth into a unit that was not long ago a strength for the Broncos. Newton is a high-motor player who will help establish the culture in Denver.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 14 Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama • Jr • 6'1\" / 195 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 2nd J.C. Jackson never became what the Chargers had hoped when they signed him. His spot in the lineup has not been filled with a long-term candidate. Kool-Aid McKinstry is a good value midway through the first round.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 15 Malik Nabers WR LSU • Jr • 6'0\" / 200 lbs Projected Team Indianapolis PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 2nd Michael Pittman Jr. is scheduled to be a free agent at season's end. If the two parties can not come to terms, Malik Nabers is a good partner for Josh Downs.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 16 Nate Wiggins CB Clemson • Jr • 6'2\" / 185 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 3rd The thought of Las Vegas taking another cornerback in the first round has to be terrifying for Raiders fans but the reality is that it remains a position of need for the AFC franchise despite adding Patriots castoff Jack Jones this week.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 17 Cooper DeJean CB Iowa • Jr • 6'1\" / 207 lbs Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 7th It was learned Wednesday that Cooper DeJean's season, and potentially Iowa career, is over. Buffalo adds him in the first round to fill out its secondary.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 18 Keon Coleman WR Florida State • Jr • 6'4\" / 215 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 3rd Tee Higgins and Cincinnati will likely part ways after the season, which creates a need in that offense. Keon Coleman is a big-bodied receiver who can win jump balls down the field.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 19 JT Tuimoloau EDGE Ohio State • Jr • 6'4\" / 270 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 4th New Orleans adds a powerful rusher to its repertoire. Cam Jordan is 34 years old and has two years remaining on his contract. The Saints have a quality rotation of rushers until JT Tuimoloau eventually takes over.\n\nFrom From Houston Texans Round 1 - Pick 20 Chop Robinson EDGE Penn State • Jr • 6'3\" / 254 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 6th Arizona adds an edge rusher with higher upside to Jonathan Gannon's defense.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 21 Jayden Daniels QB LSU • Sr • 6'4\" / 210 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 76th POSITION RNK 8th The Joshua Dobbs story has been fun but the reality is that Kirk Cousins will be a free agent after the season and the organization could opt for a change. Jayden Daniels has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in football.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 22 Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'1\" / 206 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 4th Dallas retools at wide receiver with CeeDee Lamb and Emeka Egbuka. The franchise has struggled to find a reliable complement to Lamb since the departure of Amari Cooper.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 23 Taliese Fuaga OL Oregon State • Jr • 6'6\" / 334 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 1st Pittsburgh probably has some offensive soul-searching ahead but there is no question that the addition of more protection is a sound investment.\n\nFrom From Cleveland Browns Round 1 - Pick 24 Bralen Trice EDGE Washington • Jr • 6'4\" / 274 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 26th POSITION RNK 5th DeMeco Ryans is not going to settle for one or two pass rushers. He wants an Army. Bralen Trice paired with Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson Jr. is a solid foundation.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 25 Denzel Burke CB Ohio State • Jr • 6'1\" / 190 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 36th POSITION RNK 6th Injuries have plagued Miami's cornerback room. So the Dolphins add more depth in the form of Ohio State's Denzel Burke.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 26 Tyler Nubin S Minnesota • Sr • 6'2\" / 210 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 44th POSITION RNK 2nd Seattle adds a ballhawk who can help capitalize on the chaos created by a surprisingly active defensive front over the past month. The Seahawks have already invested in the unit with the additions of Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon in back-to-back years.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 27 Rome Odunze WR Washington • Jr • 6'3\" / 215 lbs Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 31st POSITION RNK 6th Jacksonville clears the deck and starts anew with Calvin Ridley and Rome Odunze. The Jaguars have to figure out their protection issues this offseason, though.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 28 Kingsley Suamataia OT BYU • Soph • 6'6\" / 325 lbs Projected Team San Francisco PROSPECT RNK 37th POSITION RNK 7th San Francisco needs to make multiple changes to its offensive line this offseason. Replacing Colton McKivitz with Kingsley Suamataia is Stage 1 of the transformation.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 29 Kalen King CB Penn State • Jr • 5'11\" / 190 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 1st Marlon Humphrey and the entire Baltimore secondary has struggled to stay healthy. Kalen King adds some depth to the unit.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 30 Graham Barton OT Duke • Sr • 6'5\" / 314 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 35th POSITION RNK 6th Jonah Jackson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai are slated to hit free agency. If one or both leave, then it creates a void in Detroit's offensive line. Enter Graham Barton, who has played left tackle for the Blue Devils but projects inside.\n\nRound 1 - Pick 31 Kris Jenkins DL Michigan • Sr • 6'3\" / 305 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 43rd POSITION RNK 5th Kansas City adds depth to its interior defensive line with the addition of Michigan's Kris Jenkins.", + "On the field, Michigan is in the midst of what could be a historic season. Off the field, the the focus has rarely been on the team's success.\n\nAn investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing scheme, centered on now-fired staffer Connor Stalions, continues to evolve by the hour, with one update after another adding another wrinkle to the saga that began in October. The Big Ten suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for three games on Friday with the team on a plane en route to Penn State, and although Michigan had hoped to block the suspension, the Wolverines will be without their coach on the sidelines in Happy Valley.\n\nThe Sporting News is tracking the latest updates from the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. Follow along with the newest developments below.\n\nMORE ON MICHIGAN SIGN-STEALING:\n\nMichigan sign-stealing scandal updates\n\nFriday, Nov. 17\n\nMichigan fires coach connected to destroying evidence in investigation\n\nYahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel reported on Friday that the NCAA's investigation into the sign-stealing and advanced scouting operation has found that Stalions was at least partially funded by a Michigan booster, named as \"Uncle T,\" and that linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who was fired by Michigan on Friday, is alleged to have destroyed evidence on a computer pertaining to the sign-stealing allegations.\n\nThe report states Partridge is not believed to have had prior knowledge of the sign-stealing operation, but then later worked to cover it up. In a statement on his firing, Michigan appeared to indicate a connection between Partridge and the NCAA's investigation, which Dellenger and Wetzel reported is still in the early stage:\n\nFrom the outset, our focus has been on seeking due process and allowing the NCAA to conduct a fair and deliberate investigation. Although the Big Ten has closed its investigation, we are continuing to cooperate with the NCAA as it moves forward with its ongoing investigation. Consistent with our commitment to integrity, we will continue to take the appropriate actions, including disciplinary measures, based on information we obtain. Earlier today, Michigan Athletics relieved Chris Partridge of his duties as a member of the Michigan Football staff. Due to employee privacy laws, we are unable to comment further.\"\n\nBecause Michigan and Harbaugh on Thursday dropped their litigation against the Big Ten, he will not be on Michigan's sideline this week against Maryland and next week against Ohio State to end the regular season.\n\nFormer Wolverines assistant and Harbaugh confidant Biff Poggi on Friday offered his former boss an invitation. Poggi, in his first year as Charlotte's head coach, asked Harbaugh to join the 49ers for their games vs. Rice on Saturday and at South Florida on Nov. 25.\n\nI am extending an open invitation to Jim Harbaugh to join me on the sidelines for the next two Charlotte football games. It would be my honor to stand next to you again as we did for three years — Biff poggi (@BiffPoggi) November 17, 2023\n\nThursday, Nov. 16\n\nMichigan accepts Harbaugh's three-game suspension\n\nMichigan has dropped its litigation against the Big Ten over Harbaugh's three-game suspension, and it will accept the punishment levied against the head coach.\n\nFrom Michigan:\n\n\"This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation. The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field. The Conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh's involvement in the allegations. The University continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA's investigation.\n\nFrom the Big Ten:\n\n\"The Big Ten Conference's commitment to student-athletes, sportsmanship and the commissioner's duty to protect the integrity of competition will never waver. Today's decision by the University of Michigan to withdraw its legal challenge against the conference's November 10th notice of disciplinary action is indicative of the high standards and values that the conference and the university seek to uphold, the University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big Ten Conference and the conference will continue to work cooperatively with the university and the NCAA during this process.\"\n\nMonday, Nov. 13\n\nHarbaugh says he'll state his case at Friday hearing\n\nDespite the suspension, Jim Harbaugh held his usual weekly news conference Monday, though he mostly avoided addressing the only topic on anyone's mind.\n\nHe initially told reporters he would speak during a scheduled hearing Friday, but then backtracked a bit and sounded as if he wasn't committed to that course, pending legal advice.\n\nHarbaugh said he will speak at the hearing on Friday. He said he’s looking for “due process.” Mentioned a civics class he took 40 years ago. “You’re innocent until proven guilty. I’d like that opportunity.” — Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 13, 2023\n\nHarbaugh clarifies that he’s not sure whether he’ll testify Friday. “That’s not my dance floor,” he says. “I’ve watched a lot of shows. I’ve watched Judge Judy a lot.” — Austin Meek (@byAustinMeek) November 13, 2023\n\nSunday, Nov. 12\n\nU-M president praises Wolverines for handling 'challenges and adversity'\n\nThe day after the Penn State win, University of Michigan President Santa Ono posted on social media, praising the team's ability to \"respond to any challenge head on with a conviction to do better and to emerge even stronger.\"\n\nCountless members of the University of Michigan family have reached out to me over the weekend and I wanted to express my appreciation. Like any community, we face our share of challenges and adversity. There have been many such moments in our history. But as our team showed so… — Santa Ono (@SantaJOno) November 12, 2023\n\nThe post drew immediate and extensive blowback on social media and beyond, as observers questioned Ono's tone with Michigan in the midst of a self-inflicted controversy.\n\nSaturday, Nov. 11\n\nWarde Manuel issues strong statement against Big Ten\n\nMichigan athletic director Warde Manuel did not mince words in a statement on the Big Ten's suspension of Harbaugh. He said while the program has been disappointed to hear about the allegations, it also feels that the conference skipped due process of a complete investigation in suspending Harbaugh on Friday.\n\nManuel described the suspension as \"completely unethical\" and \"an assault on the rights of everyone (especially in the Big Ten) to be judged by a fair and complete investigation.\"\n\n\"All of the Head Coaches in the Big Ten (some who have been accused of actively participating in the trading of signals of opponents) and my Big Ten AD colleagues can rejoice today that someone was 'held accountable,' but they should be worried about the new standard of judgment (without complete investigation) that has been unleashed in this conference,\" Manuel said.\n\nStatement from Michigan AD Warde Manuel. “I find that completely unethical, insulting to a well-established process within the NCAA, and an assault on the rights of everyone (especially in the Big Ten) to be judged by a fair and complete investigation.” pic.twitter.com/Qm9iehYVTR — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 11, 2023\n\nHarbaugh will not be on the sidelines vs. Penn State\n\nMichigan filed a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten on Friday night, hoping to block Harbaugh's suspension. But there will not be a ruling before the Wolverines' game vs. Penn State, with the hearing scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17.\n\nNo ruling on Michigan’s TRO filing today, so Jim Harbaugh will not coach vs. Penn State.\n\n\n\nStatement from the school: “We look forward to presenting our case next week where we intend to demonstrate that the Big Ten has not acted legally or fairly.” — Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 11, 2023\n\nHarbaugh hearing coming down to wire before Penn State game\n\nESPN's Pete Thamel reported it's unclear Harbaugh will be granted a hearing in time to be able to coach against Penn State. With kickoff scheduled for noon ET, Thamel said \"the drama's going to go right up 'till noon.\"\n\nLatest from ⁦@CollegeGameDay⁩ on Jim Harbaugh’s TRO legal filing. Will he coach Michigan at Penn State today? pic.twitter.com/bz3R1eYxI9 — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 11, 2023\n\nThe case is reportedly in the hands of Judge Carol Kunhke, a Michigan alumnus.\n\nHarbaugh was not on the Michigan team bus with other coaches and players when it arrived at Beaver Stadium Saturday morning.\n\nMichigan players and coaches arrive. No Jim Harbaugh on the bus. pic.twitter.com/wnGzqAxwcp — Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 11, 2023\n\nMichigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will serve as acting head coach if Harbaugh is not available.\n\nFriday, Nov. 10\n\nMichigan files temporary restraining order against the Big Ten\n\nIn an effort to delay Harbaugh's suspension, the university filed a temporary restraining order in Washtenaw County Trial Court on Friday night. If granted, the suspension would be delayed, but the clock is ticking before the Wolverines' game vs. Penn State on Saturday.\n\nMichigan's temporary restraining order request has been filed.\n\n\n\nPlaintiffs: Jim Harbaugh, U-M regents\n\nDefendants: Big Ten, Tony Petitti\n\n\n\nJudicial officer: Timothy P. Connors\n\n\n\nConnors is a U-M lecturer, adjunct professor at Wayne State and Vermont. pic.twitter.com/WR4G4WTtfH — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 11, 2023\n\nMichigan players respond to Harbaugh suspension\n\nJ.J. McCarthy and a handful of other Michigan players tweeted \"Bet\" at the same time on Friday night, hours after Harbaugh was suspended for the remainder of the regular season. McCarthy wore a shirt that said \"Free Harbaugh\" when the 59-year-old was serving a separate suspension at the start of the season.\n\nMichigan players had a simple message on social media following Jim Harbaugh's suspension 👀\n\n\n\n🗣️ \"Bet\" pic.twitter.com/ENB7O8MyPv — The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 10, 2023\n\nMichigan announces intention to dispute suspension\n\nMichigan has released a statement expressing frustration with the Big Ten's process and says it plans to seek a court order to block Harbaugh's suspension from taking effect.\n\nNEWS: Michigan says it intends to seek a court order with Jim Harbaugh preventing disciplinary action from taking effect.\n\n\n\nFull statement: pic.twitter.com/p92yUCLsTX — Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 10, 2023\n\nBig Ten claims no evidence Harbaugh was aware of scheme\n\nWhile the Big Ten says it's \"proven\" that an illegal sign-stealing scheme existed, the conference could not prove that Harbaugh knew about it. So, why was Harbaugh suspended? The Big Ten asserts that, because he is the head coach, he has a responsibility for preventing this kind of scheme from taking place.\n\nThe Big Ten is also asserting that they are not actually sanctioning Harbaugh, for whom they have no proof of wrongdoing, but that he \"embodies the university for purposes of its football program.\" pic.twitter.com/S660G6zQaa — Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 10, 2023\n\nJim Harbaugh suspended for remainder of regular season\n\nThe Big Ten has officially announced a suspension for Jim Harbaugh for the remaining three games of the regular season, including the Wolverines' rivalry game with Ohio State.\n\nIn a statement, the Big Ten said Michigan conducted an \"impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years.\"\n\nOFFICIAL: Jim Harbaugh suspended for the remaining three regular season games.\n\n\n\n\"Michigan has been found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years...\" https://t.co/htnUkshmnF — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 10, 2023\n\nJim Harbaugh joins Michigan for trip to State College\n\nAccording to the sleuths on the ground in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh is on the team bus and heading to the airport with his team as Michigan awaits word on a potential suspension.\n\nJim Harbaugh boarding the bus pic.twitter.com/CWBJbwEEhi — Austin Meek (@byAustinMeek) November 10, 2023\n\nMichigan still awaiting word from Big Ten\n\nAccording to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Michigan still hasn't heard about an impending punishment from the Big Ten as its 1 p.m. ET flight looms.\n\nMichigan's administration has not heard from the Big Ten as of this hour, per sources. The team will begin its preparations to leave for Penn State around 1 p.m. ET. Really going down to the wire with any discipline, which, as several sources noted, isn't really fair to players. — Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 10, 2023\n\nHarbaugh still expected to fly to State College\n\nDinich reported earlier on Friday that punishment to Michigan could come around the time the team is expected to get on a plane and fly to Pennsylvania for its game against Penn State. But regardless of when the punishment is announced, Harbaugh's attorney, Tom Mars, reportedly told ESPN the coach will be headed to State College.\n\n\"I'm confident he's going to be on that plane one way or another,\" Mars reportedly told ESPN.\n\nJim Harbaugh’s attorney, Tom Mars, tells ESPN he fully expects Jim Harbaugh to fly with the team to Penn State. “I’m confident he’s going to be on that plane one way or another,\" Mars said. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 10, 2023\n\nPunishment options for Michigan\n\nDinich has reported the punishment could be anything, ranging from \"indefinite suspension to public reprimand or lofty fine.\" However, she also reported that there is potentially a limit to what the conference can do without permission from an executive board. Anything more than two games or a fine of $10,000 would require special permission.\n\nPlease remember the Big Ten has considered a WIDE range of punishments - everything from indefinite suspension to public reprimand or lofty fine, sources tell me n @ESPNRittenberg … no assumptions. We have to wait for the news, but a suspension is certainly on the table. — Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 10, 2023\n\nIf it’s more than 2 games or $10k, the Big Ten will need special permission from an executive board composed of league reps https://t.co/6Z7jb2zqH4 — Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 10, 2023\n\nPunishment expected on Friday\n\nThe college football world will wait with bated breath on Friday as it awaits what Michigan and Jim Harbaugh will face from the Big Ten. ESPN's Heather Dinich reported the punishment is expected to be announced early Friday afternoon. She noted the team is leaving for State College at 1 p.m. CT for the Penn State game on Saturday.\n\nsources indicate a Big Ten response is coming early this afternoon. Michigan leaves at 1 and flies midafternoon out of Detroit after getting through security checks, per usual routine. — Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 10, 2023\n\nThursday, Nov. 9\n\nBig Ten considering 'range of possibilities' for Harbaugh\n\nESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported there are a \"range of possibilities\" the Big Ten is considering as punishment for Harbaugh. The possibility of a suspension has often garnered most of the headlines, but Rittenberg reported the conference is also considering a significant fine.\n\nWhile we wait ... although Big Ten has considered a suspension for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, it is considering a range of possibilities, including a significant fine, sources told @CFBHeather and me. Public reprimands/fines are common penalties under B1G sportsmanship policy. — Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 9, 2023\n\nMichigan's 10-page letter to Big Ten released\n\nYahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel posted Michigan's full 10-page letter to the Big Ten on X (formerly Twitter). The letter outlines Michigan's belief that the Big Ten would be acting too hastily in suspending Harbaugh or levying any punishment toward Michigan before the completion of a full NCAA investigation.\n\nIn the letter, Michigan said the university has not had the chance to review all the evidence and respond, which oversteps the due process allowed for Michigan. It said Pettiti should not have unilateral authority to punish violations without first having a completed investigation and then a response from the Compliance and Reinstatement Committee, which would recommend penalties for rules violations.\n\nMichigan noted that regarding evidence, there is nothing it is aware of to claim athletics personnel at Michigan committed the allegations, and said the rule pertaining to electronic recordings of games is limited to the use of field equipment used by the institution for the game it is currently playing. It also said Michigan has not seen much evidence, but rather has just heard a summary of second- and third-hand information.\n\nThe letter also said given the use of sign decoding by other universities, there is little reason to believe Stalions' efforts proved meaningful, and pointed out the teams' average margin of victory since Stalions was suspended. It said the information obtained is \"at most a reflection of information that teams can and easily do obtain through public and permissible sources,\" and because of that it is \"highly dubious\" that Stalions' observations would have a \"material effect on the integrity of the competition.\"\n\nHere is Michigan’s 10-page letter to the Big Ten responding to the sportsmanship investigation, reporting with @RossDellenger 1/3 pic.twitter.com/P0oYgIbS67 — Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) November 9, 2023\n\nNo timetable for Big Ten decision\n\nThe Big Ten is reviewing the \"lengthy\" official response from Michigan and Jim Harbaugh and it's unclear when a potential ruling might come down, says ESPN's Pete Thamel. His colleague Adam Rittenberg reported Wednesday that a decision was expected by Thursday.\n\nSource: The Big Ten is reviewing the lengthy written responses from both Michigan and Jim Harbaugh. There’s no indication of any timetable on a decision on potential Big Ten discipline in the case of Michigan’s alleged illegal signal stealing. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 9, 2023\n\nBig Ten commissioner to miss College Football Playoff meeting Thursday\n\nTony Pettiti is set to be absent from the College Football Playoff meeting set to take place in Dallas on Thursday. That leads to further speculation that punishment could be coming soon in Michigan's sign-stealing scandal.\n\nBig Ten commish Tony Petitti will NOT be in Dallas for today’s @CFBPlayoff meeting. — Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 9, 2023\n\nWednesday, Nov. 8\n\nOhio State denies having shared Michigan's play signals with Purdue\n\nOhio State coach Ryan Day was asked about the allegations that Ohio State had given information about Michigan's signs to Purdue before the Big Ten championship game in 2022. He denied them forthright.\n\n“I can tell you this right now that nobody here did any of that,” Day said, per the Columbus Dispatch. “We went through and made sure we asked all the questions and got our compliance people involved. None of that came back at all. I can answer very strongly that that did not happen.”\n\nMichigan submits response to Big Ten\n\nIn the latest step toward a resolution, Michigan has submitted its response to the Big Ten's notice of discipline. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that no ruling from the conference is expected until Thursday, as the Big Ten is planning to \"take time to absorb\" what Michigan has to say.\n\nMichigan has sent its response to the Big Ten, a school official tells ESPN. Commissioner Tony Petitti now must decide how to proceed with potential discipline. — Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 8, 2023\n\nYahoo Sports obtained a copy of the 10-page letter sent by Michigan to the Big Ten. Within it, the school warned Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti against levying \"premature\" disciplinary action against Jim Harbaugh and alleged that in-person scouting and sign-stealing are commonplace across the NCAA.\n\n\"The conference should act cautiously when setting precedent given the reality that in-person scouting, collusion among opponents, and other questionable practices may well be far more prevalent than believed,\" the letter read.\n\nMichigan also included with the letter \"two attached documents of Michigan's offensive and defensive signs allegedly stolen and shared by other Big Ten teams,\" per Yahoo Sports.\n\nConference awaits Michigan response\n\nThe Big Ten expects a formal response from Michigan to the notice of discipline by the end of the day Wednesday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reports. His colleague Adam Rittenberg adds that a ruling is expected to come down Thursday.\n\nSources: The Big Ten expects a response from Michigan on the notice of discipline by the end of day on Wednesday. Don’t expect any ruling by the Big Ten on Wednesday, as they are expected to take time to absorb Michigan’s response. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 8, 2023\n\nTuesday, Nov. 7\n\nMichigan says three other Big Ten schools shared decoded Wolverines signals\n\nWhile Michigan tries to navigate the storm around its program, the Wolverines are also trying to make one thing clear: they're hardly alone in trying to decipher opponents' signals.\n\nMichigan has shared evidence with the Big Ten and NCAA showing staff members at Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers shared intelligence on the Wolverines' signals prior to last year's Michigan-Purdue Big Ten Championship Game, The Athletic reported.\n\nDocuments breaking down Michigan's signals for numerous plays were compiled by Purdue staffers ahead of the game based on information provided by Ohio State and Rutgers football personnel, the report says. The person who supplied the documents told The Athletic he spent 10 to 12 hours per week trying to decode signals based on game video and said the practice of sharing decoded signals with other schools is common.\n\nHowever, the primary difference is Michigan is accused of using in-person scouting, which has been prohibited under NCAA rules for nearly 30 years, to acquire its information.\n\nMonday, Nov. 6\n\nNo connection between Buckeyes coach, Michigan investigation\n\nOhio State coach Ryan Day and his family have no connection to the Big Ten and NCAA investigations into Michigan, Yahoo Sports reported.\n\nA report emerged over the weekend indicating Day may have had some involvement in the probe into the Buckeyes' arch-rivals, but the NCAA told the Big Ten there are no ties that it knows of between the Ohio State coach and the investigation.\n\nNCAA shares findings with Big Ten as Harbaugh suspension looms\n\nYahoo Sports reported Monday that the NCAA shared its investigation findings with the Big Ten, noting that the findings \"do not connect the in-person scouting and recording of opponents’ sidelines to Harbaugh.\"\n\nStill, the conference is considering a suspension for Harbaugh and could hand down punishments before the end of the week.\n\nYahoo says a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh is on the table, though Michigan is fully expected to fight a ban if one is handed down. It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.\n\nSaturday, Nov. 4\n\nHarbaugh 'likely' to be suspended\n\nAccording to The Athletic's Pete Thamel, the Big Ten might be getting closer to handing down a suspension for Harbaugh.\n\n\"Over the past few days, Petitti has spoken with the athletic directors, he's spoken with the presidents, he's spoken with the coaches. And the next steps appear that there will be some type of punishment for Michigan. The most likely scenario here is some type of suspension for Jim Harbaugh,\" Thamel said on ESPN's \"College GameDay.\"\n\nMORE: Why Jim Harbaugh won't find refuge in the NFL\n\nIt was reported earlier in the week that coaches were putting pressure on the Big Ten to hit Michigan with some form of punishment, with Purdue's Ryan Walters publicly calling for action and claiming the allegations are no longer simply allegations.\n\nHarbaugh was already suspended three games at the start of the season, in a ban imposed by the school itself in an attempt to ward off a separate NCAA investigation.\n\nFriday, Nov. 3\n\nSuspended football analyst Connor Stalions resigns\n\nMichigan football analyst Connor Stalions, the focus of the NCAA's investigation, resigned on Friday night, the university confirmed.\n\nStatement from Michigan (confirming earlier reports that Connor Stalions is no longer with the program): \"Connor Stalions resigned his position with Michigan Athletics this afternoon. We are unable to comment further regarding this personnel matter.\" — Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) November 4, 2023\n\nIn a statement, Stalions' lawyer said that his client hoped to avoid creating more distractions for Michigan and denied that any Wolverines staffer \"told anyone to break any rules.\"\n\nMORE: Who is Connor Stalions?\n\nStalions is accused of buying numerous tickets to scout future opponents in-person, which is against NCAA rules. The NCAA is also investigating the possibility that Stalions appeared on Central Michigan's sideline in Chippewas gear for a game against Michigan State.\n\nStalions was suspended by Michigan when the news of his alleged involvement first broke.", + "Fate of US venture capital in China teeters on uncertainty Tech crackdown in China and US scrutiny drive some of these VCs to look abroad\n\nOn a weekday afternoon at Red Rock Coffee, the café known for spotting venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, one is likely to overhear a few conversations in Mandarin. With China reopening its borders this spring following three years of COVID-19 restrictions, managers of U.S. funds in the country have been flocking to the Bay Area. While these trips were routine before the pandemic, they have now taken on a fresh purpose of discovering deals beyond China.\n\nUSD-denominated funds in China have long been drawing inspiration from Silicon Valley startups, using them as benchmarks for investment targets back home. They would seek out the equivalents of Facebook, Amazon and Uber on the other side of the Pacific Ocean and hope they become winners in the country’s largely untapped internet market.\n\nThis dealmaking strategy of American funds in China has become less effective in the face of shifting global and domestic landscapes. Driven by a confluence of factors, from China’s crackdown on the tech industry to escalating U.S.-China tensions, some of these investors are now turning their gaze to opportunities abroad, tracing the footsteps of a new generation of Chinese-founded startups that are expanding overseas.\n\nBetween a rock and a hard place\n\nSince their entry into China in the late 1990s, American venture capital firms, led by powerhouses like Sequoia Capital, IDG Capital and GGV, have played a major role in funding high-risk, high-reward startups in the country’s consumer internet sector. This two-decade-long mutually beneficial relationship, however, now hangs in the balance as changes at home and abroad diminish the pool of investment opportunities for outside financiers.\n\nIn recent years, Beijing’s sweeping tech crackdowns have introduced a new sense of uncertainty to investors. VCs fear that their portfolio companies might encounter a fate akin to that of Ant Group, whose colossal initial public offering was called off, and Didi, which weathered an extensive data security probe that eventually led to its delisting from New York. With China tightening its grip on overseas IPOs, investors who once relied on taking Chinese firms public in the U.S. are no longer assured of an exit channel.\n\nIn the meantime, Washington has stepped up restrictions on the flow of U.S. money into China amid an escalating tech war between the two superpowers. In August, President Joe Biden signed an executive order barring U.S. investments in three strategically critical sectors in China — artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors.\n\nAs USD funds in China await further clarity on the scope of the ban, they are practicing more discretion than ever before. They slow down capital deployment even amidst a global AI fervor that has given rise to a parallel AI universe in China. At the same time, domestic RMB funds play an increasing role in funding critical tech sectors. Zhipu AI, one of China’s most ambitious challengers to OpenAI, for instance, raised financing in RMB instead of USD.\n\nEven having the Chinese branches of famed American VCs listed on the cap table might deter U.S. investors from funding Chinese founders in their backyard. Local investors are now shunning Chinese “links”, of which definition is ever evolving and broadening, at all costs.\n\nThe country’s USD investors continue to deploy capital in industries that aren’t in the crosshairs of U.S.-China competition, but overall, their activity has dwindled significantly due to the changing regulatory and geopolitical currents, coupled with a slowing economy. The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before, according to a report from research firm PitchBook. The number of deals nearly halved to 595, and the share of deals with U.S. investor participation dropped to 18.2% in 2022 after hovering above 30% for half a decade.\n\nThe scaleback is most notable in prolific investors like Sequoia Capital China, which recently changed its name to HongShan after splitting off its China operation. Despite its proactive move to decouple, Sequoia still faces scrutiny from the U.S. government over its decades of activity in China. For the first three quarters this year, HongShan completed just 47 deals, compared to 99 deals in the same period of 2022, according to Crunchbase data.\n\nThe reversing turtles\n\nAs China’s domestic investment appeal wanes, some investors start to look for opportunities beyond its borders. Rather than a complete departure, they are merely following the footsteps of Chinese talent who have already embarked on global expansion. (We’ve covered the topic extensively here and here.)\n\nChinese startups have a long history of going abroad, and every wave has assumed its own approach. Previously, many companies would venture out only after succeeding in China. These days, more are eyeing global expansion from day one, sometimes even skipping their home market.\n\nMany in the current generation of globalizing Chinese founders have studied or worked overseas. Captivated by the Chinese internet’s rapid growth, they returned home in the late 2010s to join the likes of Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba and ByteDance. Having gained an insider’s look into Chinese tech titans, they set out on their own entrepreneurial journey with the hope of becoming the next Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba.\n\nIn China, they are called haigui, or those who “return from overseas,” a homophone of “sea turtles.” Their dreams started to crumple following the fall from grace of Ma, whose Ant Group and Alibaba became prominent targets of China’s tech crackdown. They soon realized that China had entered a new era, where the regulatory hurdles for running a startup have significantly heightened.\n\nThe year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before.\n\nTo launch an AI service in China, for example, a company needs to navigate a multitude of complications, which can include obtaining a license for its large language model, seeking regulatory approval for its algorithms and implementing a costly censorship mechanism to comply with censorship requirements.\n\n“You need to pick sides. You either focus on China or go overseas, otherwise, you end up doing double the workload but with a lot less funding secured from the last two years,” said one of the five China-based VCs we interviewed for the story. We also spoke to six diaspora Chinese entrepreneurs. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, all of them have asked to remain anonymous.\n\nSome ambitious, well-funded AI startups want to target both sides. To that end, they would create two entities each tailored to the Chinese and non-Chinese markets while raising capital in USD and RMB separately.\n\nNot every startup has the resources to pursue a dual-market strategy, so many “sea turtles” wound up leaving China again. While foreign markets present their own sets of challenges — competition and skepticism toward outsiders — these entrepreneurs perceive a broader, more predictable opportunity in AI in the West. This reversal of their trajectory has earned them the moniker, guihai, or those who “return overseas.”\n\nFollowing the turtles\n\nAt home, the Western-educated and -trained Chinese entrepreneurs are darlings of local VCs. In Silicon Valley, they are little known to investors. Occasional media reports that stress their Chinese background further erode trust in potential investors and customers at a time when concerns about national security already run high.\n\nEven having the Chinese branches of famed American VCs listed on the cap table might deter U.S. investors from funding Chinese founders in their backyard, three founders said. Local investors are now shunning Chinese “links,” of which definition is ever evolving and broadening, at all costs to avoid geopolitical risks.\n\n“If you speak like a local, know how to pitch like a confident Silicon Valley founder, have not taken any money from Chinese VCs, have all your staff in the U.S., have generated good traction in the local market, and are working on getting a green card, you might get a chance to raise local money,” said a Chinese founder based in San Francisco. “Don’t even think about it if you still run your R&D out of China.”\n\nThis financing gap presents an opportunity for the USD fund managers who are hunting beyond China’s borders. “It’s just a lot easier to raise their first round from China’s USD funds,” said a former investor at one of China’s top VC firms. “In some sense, the entrepreneurs are taking these investors on an international expedition.”\n\nVC activity with U.S. participation in China during 2023 will hit a nine-year low, followed by a decade low in 2024.\n\nBesides the low-hanging fruit of the diaspora community, Chinese VCs flying in from Beijing and Shanghai have limited avenues to source deals in the U.S. American startups are courted by a plethora of local investors, let alone the geopolitical risks of accepting Chinese-managed money. These parachuting investors also run into competition from local investors already tailored to U.S.-China cross-border opportunities, most famously UpHonest Capital.\n\n“VCs thrive on information arbitrage. In the U.S., we don’t really have that same extensive network as at home,” said an investor from the China arm of a global VC firm who now spends a third of their time abroad.\n\nA transitory phase\n\nVenturing out of China is not a “pivot” for the USD fund managers, said one of the investors we spoke to. Rather, the partners and their associates are mostly looking for something to get their hands on in the midst of a tepid market. Some are contemplating a career change, but it’s difficult to find any job that matches their enviable pay.\n\n“Chinese VCs are most anxious about the U.S. building cars behind closed doors. They don’t want to fall behind, especially given the speed AI is evolving, so they are going to the Bay Area to figure it out themselves,” the investor added.\n\nThe recent influx of Chinese VCs into the Bay Area should also be viewed in a broader context. Many of these investors, who have family ties in the U.S., have been going stateside regularly for years. COVID-19, which shut down trans-Pacific flights and introduced costly and harsh quarantines, created a pent-up demand for travel. Naturally, many investors rushed to the Bay Area as soon as the borders reopened, but the surge in activity might soon start to subside, said a partner who spent the past summer in California.\n\nThere are no signs that USD funds’ dealmaking in China will bounce back to its heights in the foreseeable future. The PitchBook report predicts that VC activity with U.S. participation in China during 2023 will hit a nine-year low, followed by a decade low in 2024. Many Chinese general partners have already been sourcing capital from the Middle East, which might eventually limit the impact of U.S. investors’ pullback. But the question is whether Chinese tech firms, now under a new stringent regulatory regime, can deliver the same level of strong growth and returns they experienced in the previous laissez-faire era.\n\nIf the U.S. market turns out to be too challenging to penetrate due to competitive and geopolitical factors, there are still other markets to explore. Japan, known for its openness to new technologies, has been particularly popular among China’s SaaS startups venturing abroad. Sniffing opportunity, China’s USD fund managers, still anchored in the Middle Kingdom, will likely follow them to the neighboring country or any other market that will help hedge against uncertainties presented at home and abroad.", + "Throughout September, in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and London, the world’s biggest investment banks hosted a series of conferences for the world’s biggest investors, all gravitating around the same theme: is Japan really back?\n\nAnd, according to both the attendees and hosts of those events — which were run by JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Mizuho, BNP Paribas, and Jefferies — the answer is now clearer than it has been in a very long time. Japan is back, but global investors may take a little more persuasion that it is truly back for the duration.\n\nSo, this week, prime minister Fumio Kishida will make his strongest ever push for a bet on Asia’s biggest advanced economy — as BlackRock founder Larry Fink, and other heads of global funds, gather in Tokyo for a series of events to attract investment.\n\n“I would urge you to evaluate what we are doing in my country, look at the underlying strength of our economy and our plans for the future and then invest in Japan,” Kishida said in a recent speech at the Economic Club of New York.\n\nOn the face of it, the Tokyo conference guests have been told by various experts that the stars do appear aligned in Japan’s favour, both on its own merits and in comparison with what is happening around it. But, because so many global funds have diverted expertise away from Japan in recent years, they are concerned that they need to know more, as a matter of urgency.\n\n“There is heightened interest in Japan after what has been, for many, a long period of not being focused on that country,” says Paul Hitchens, the head of the Japan research department at Jefferies, which hosted a major investor conference in Hong Kong.\n\nJapanese prime minister Fumio Kishida will appear this week at a series of events aimed at attracting foreign investment © AFP via Getty Images\n\nThere are distinctive catalysts for that, he adds — noting a recent push by the Tokyo Stock Exchange for companies to improve their capital efficiency, and the high profile decision of Warren Buffett to invest heavily in five of Japan’s largest trading houses.\n\nHitchens says: “Is there some healthy scepticism? Yes. However, global investment firms know that they need to invest and build their offerings in Japan to meet the growing appetite, and that they need to pay attention to an equity market at a 33-year high.”\n\nTopix, Japan’s main stock index, has risen more than 25 per cent this year, outperforming almost all the world’s developed market indices and, as some conference attendees admit, creating a “fear of missing out” on a rally that may have significantly further to go.\n\nLarge global funds are not the only ones to have had their interest in Japan piqued, says Keith Truelove, head of global markets at UBS Securities Japan.\n\n“There is still a lot of dry powder on the sidelines,” he observes. “There is a lot of interest in Japan from family offices and from high net worth individual investors, who value wealth preservation more highly than institutional investors — it’s really taking off now.”\n\n“They took their time to decide if it was safe to invest in Japan again, because they need to get confidence in the idea that the Japan story will be more sustainable this time,” Truelove adds. He notes that Japan has offered investors a number of false-dawns over the years, and the bar for deciding that ‘this time is different’ remains high.\n\nOne of the most significant changes, say asset managers, is the fundamental shift in the way global funds now look at China. The geopolitics of US-China tensions, chip wars, decoupling and “friendshoring” seem, in particular, to be working significantly in Japan’s favour. Asia-focused global investment is rotating out of China and into Tokyo stocks, real estate and other assets, just as large parts of corporate Japan are engaging more actively with shareholders than at any time in the past.\n\nChina, after years of stunning growth and investor attention, is very rapidly losing that sheen. Its economy is growing more slowly and the expected post-pandemic rebound is proving elusive. On top of that, Beijing’s policymaking — with its sudden crackdowns on entire industries, like video games and private tutoring, has generated a series of nasty surprises — and the unshakeable fear that others could occur at any time.\n\n“You are seeing more interest in Japan from investors, who were primarily invested in China, as China has slowed and some of its economic policies have been confusing and opaque,” says Kirk Neureiter, president of Fidelity Management & Research Japan. “Deployment of capital to China has been a bit more risky in terms of eventual outcome of investment decisions, given that lack of clarity.” But interest in Japan has not only come about because of the push away from China, he adds.\n\nJapanese companies are increasingly aligning themselves with the interests of shareholders in a way that once seemed unlikely. Part of that, he says, is generational. Companies that replace their chief executive on five or seven year cycles now have leaders that reached their positions after the establishment of Japan’s stewardship code (in 2014) and corporate governance code (2015). Many have a very different view of the role of a chief executive than their predecessors did.\n\n“I think that Japan, in terms of the unifying message that companies and the Tokyo Stock Exchange are sending out, now gives a lot more confidence about where they are deploying capital,” says Neureiter. “So people looking at the region are finding Japan incrementally more attractive. I’ve never seen such a consensus around what needs to be done for Japanese companies to improve capital efficiency and returns on capital,” he adds.\n\nEfforts by Japanese businesses to demonstrate better governance are aided by government initiatives to make Tokyo more attractive for foreign asset managers. Kishida has promised major reform of the country’s $5tn asset management industry, which would ease regulations that had made it difficult for foreign and new players to enter.\n\nThe government plans to expand the Nippon Individual Savings Account (Nisa) tax-free investment scheme from next year in a bid to unlock $14tn in household financial assets that has long sat in cash and bank deposits.\n\n“This is completely different from before,” says Stefanie Drews, president of Nikko Asset Management. “In the past, allocation to Japan had been tactical but this time it is strategic and that is why it is much more meaningful.”", + "For Detroit, it's all about courage. For a team that was once down and out, much like their city, they are now once again on the rise. The Lions are supposed to be the kings of the jungle and hope to become the NFL's version in 2023. In terms of the food chain, a basic concept taught in science classes across the country, lions are the hunter rather than the hunted, but it's been the other way around for far too long, as 31 other teams have feasted on a once proud franchise.\n\nTheir motors have been restored and the team has been rebuilt with an attitude and moxie that would make even the most \"football guy\" of \"football guys\" blush. It's a combination of quiet confidence and a downright arrogant confidence that draws people in to root for -- or against -- an underdog.\n\nWhile the Packers have packed up the Lions for years, that all began to change in 2022. Aaron Rodgers is no longer in Green Bay, and a new love interest is now under center, Jordan Love. It was these Lions that ended the Rodgers era and swept Green Bay last season. Now they meet again in prime time on one of the league's most hallowed grounds in a battle for NFC North supremacy. The tundra won't be frozen at Lambeau Field at this point in the season, but the game sure is important, and for a game like this, there's no way we could pass up the chance to win some cash with our FanDuel single-game DFS lineup.\n\nMORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:\n\nDK lineup | Best props | Betting preview | Start-Sit\n\nBefore we break down our picks and strategy, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.\n\nTNF INJURY UPDATES: Montgomery | Jones | Watson\n\nLions-Packers FanDuel Picks Week 4: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments\n\nLions-Packers TNF, $60,000 budget\n\nMVP (1.5x points) QB Jared Goff, Lions ($15,500). The Lions might not be the Super Bowl contenders we thought they could be, but that doesn't mean we aren't in for a treat on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. Detroit is finding its footing in 2023 and should be able to have some success against the Packers. On the surface, Green Bay's pass defense is playing around league average, allowing 207.3 passing yards per game. That slots them in at No. 18, while Pro Football Focus grades them the No. 8 team in coverage with an 81.5. Let's look beneath the surface a little more. The Packers' first three games have come against the No. 15, 29, and 31 ranked teams in passing yards per game, or the No. 21, 29, and 32 passing offenses as graded by PFF. The Lions love to throw and have a quarterback that rarely turns it over. Goff should be in position for a solid night with his arm, lighting it up through the air against a defense that might be without their star corner, Jaire Alexander (back), again in Week 4.\n\nFLEX QB Jordan Love, Packers ($16,000). From one quarterback to another, we like this game to feature a lot of points. It's something that doesn't happen often on \"Thursday Night Football,\" but that should change this week. The Lions seem incapable of playing in low-scoring, grind-it-out games, so there will be chances for Love to get the Packers on the scoreboard often. He has seven passing touchdowns through the first three weeks and faces a bottom-10 passing defense, per PFF. Love will enjoy a date with Detroit's banged-up secondary that is just beginning life without C.J. Gardner-Johnson (pec).\n\nFLEX WR Romeo Doubs ($10,500). Christian Watson appears primed for a return on Thursday night, but does it really matter? With him being held out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, we question the type of workload that the former North Dakota State standout is in line for. As a result, we look to Doubs. The second-year receiver is tied for the team lead in targets and has the most touchdowns with three. Along with Jayden Reed, Doubs has been a favorite of Love's in the red zone, as the duo has combined for 12-of-16 targets to receivers. As Watson eases his way back in, it's not like Doubs will fall off a cliff in terms of production. He remains relevant with that type of connection forming.\n\nFLEX TE Sam LaPorta, Lions ($10,000). Rookie tight ends aren't typically fantasy-relevant right away, but that's where LaPorta finds himself, becoming a favorite target of Goff. He's been on an upward trajectory, starting with five targets in Week 1, six in Week 2, and 11 in Week 3. He's totaled 39, 63, and 84 yards, respectively, in those games, scoring a touchdown in the most recent contest. The Packers are a middle-of-the-road group against tight ends, but they still haven't faced one in a passing offense that lives up to LaPorta's level. On a short week with some banged-up players on offense, LaPorta should be a heavily involved security blanket.\n\nFLEX TE, Luke Musgrave ($8,000). Much like with the quarterbacks, we also like the other tight end in this game. Musgrave is coming off his best game of the season, hauling in six catches for 49 yards, and he gets a matchup against the second-worst defense against tight ends. According to FantasyPros, the Lions are giving up 14.8 fantasy points per game to the position, leaving Musgrave in a great spot to deliver. If Watson does return on Thursday, it could help the rookie, as Detroit's defense will have to focus their attention elsewhere.\n\nBest SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Lions-Packers\n\nThis year, we're also listing our favorite weekly DFS plays on SuperDraft.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nMORE: Win BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nChampion (+50% points): WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions (Multiplier 1.5x)\n\nSuper FLEX: QB Jared Goff, Lions (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nSuper FLEX: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nSuper FLEX: QB Jordan Love, Packers (Multiplier 1.15x)\n\nSuper FLEX: RB Aaron Jones, Packers (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nLast week was all about defense. This week is all about offense. The Lions feature a potent offense that's three-headed monster of Goff, St. Brown, and Gibbs should be able to produce. On the Green Bay side of things, Love will hopefully have his top option back in the backfield and that duo cooked the Bears defense in the opener. If Jones is healthy and suits up, then he's a must-have in your roster after the clunkers that AJ Dillon has posted for the last two weeks. Otherwise, pivot to a pass-catcher.", + "An anxious wait, then complete heartbreak. No one could question the effort, the heart or the drive of Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses in this game, but scoring six goals against Scotland was not enough to close the goal difference gap on the Netherlands, because the Dutch scored a fourth against Belgium deep in added time to secure top spot and progress from their Nations League group ahead of England.\n\nIt was an extraordinary mountain and a Lauren James masterclass and gut-busting display from Lucy Bronze were not enough to lift them to the summit. The damage had been done in the preceding games, two poor goals conceded against the Dutch at Wembley, a 3-2 defeat in Belgium in October and a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in September, will be full of regrets. However, there will be what‑ifs either way, the first goal conceded in Utrecht appearing offside in the buildup.\n\nIt meant a back and forth of goals scored by England against Scotland and the Netherlands in their win over Belgium was necessary in the final round of fixtures. A showdown.\n\nThere will be questions about Scotland’s efforts, a defensive collapse at Hampden Park almost helping England towards earning a place for Team GB at the Paris Olympics, but that would be unfair. The gulf in class between the European champions, ranked fourth in the world, and their neighbours to the north, ranked 23rd, is clear and the manager, Pedro Martínez Losa, has been unconvincing in charge.\n\nThere were two changes to the England side that came from two goals down to earn Friday’s late 3-2 win against the Netherlands that had kept hopes of progression alive. Beth Mead was returned to the starting lineup for the first time since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury just over a year ago, having proved her worth coming off the bench at half-time against the Dutch to insert some directness into England’s play, and Esme Morgan replaced Jess Carter.\n\nMartínez Losa swapped four players from the side that earned a 1-1 draw with Belgium on Friday, with Lee Alexander notably replacing the former England international Sandy MacIver in goal.\n\nLauren James scores England’s third goal in their emphatic win. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters\n\nWiegman had urged her players to “go wild from the first minute” against Scotland, cautioning “but you don’t want to get erratic” and England came out of the blocks searching for an early goal that would assert their authority on the tie. If there was any doubt about Scotland’s intentions against England, with Bronze calling accusations that Scotland players might feel conflicted with the possibility of Olympic qualification on the line for them as much as for England “the rudest thing I’ve ever heard” and Scotland’s captain, Rachel Corsie, calling it “disrespectful” and “outrageous” those were put to bed, temporarily at least, in the opening three minutes, with Bronze clattered into late twice as Scotland looked to make an early impression.\n\nIf England had played well for the opening 10 minutes against the Dutch only to be sucker-punched on the counter in the 12th minute, against Scotland there was no risk of that. Instead, the visiting team took the lead to swing the pressure on to the Dutch, Mead’s corner sent in by an unmarked Greenwood.\n\nMoments later Lisa Evans was down in the box under pressure from Bronze but appeals for a penalty were waved away with the right-back having not caught the forwards legs.\n\nThat rare foray forward was urged on by a vocal Scotland crowd, in which interesting conversations could be heard. After Lauren Hemp raced free on the right a hopeful “Come on Lauren” was met with a thick, cheery Scottish “Shut up!” behind the press box.\n\nIf it was friendly in the stands it was far less so on the pitch. England went close to a second, with the Dutch having taken the lead against Belgium, when James weaved into the box before delivering to Hemp at the far post who lashed her effort off the base of a post from close range.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Moving the Goalposts Free weekly newsletter No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women’s football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nEight minutes later they doubled their lead. Mead’s corner was cleared and sent back in by the Arsenal forward only to be cleared again. But while England players appealed for handball, James sent the ball goalward and it took a heavy deflection that wrongfooted Alexander and flew in.\n\nIt wasn’t pretty, but England were clawing away at the goal difference gap. A minute later James delivered in more characteristic style, curling a wonderful effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.\n\nIn added time at the end of the half, James turned provider of the goal that put England top of the group once more, sweeping a cross to Mead at the far post for the forward to bring down and fire past a helpless Alexander.\n\nThe goal that gave England a cushion came shortly after the restart, Georgia Stanway beating Corsie to the byline before sending the ball into the middle for Fran Kirby to turn in from close range. The breathing room didn’t last long, though, with the Netherlands scoring once more.\n\nThere was almost disaster for England when Earps failed to collect from the feet of Kirsty Hanson, but the Scotland forward sent her effort wide of the empty net with the angle closing.\n\nAn added-time save of a header from the substitute Martha Thomas at full stretch by Mary Earps kept England in it. The Netherlands having scored in the 91st minute, Bronze’s powering header meant England were back in for two minutes, until they were out, the Dutch scoring in the 95th minute to crush the Lionesses while they stood in a huddle waiting for news of the other game’s result, the pain sweeping across their faces as it came through.", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nThe streaming landscape is vast and hard to keep track of. TV shows pop up (and get canceled) seemingly overnight, and even if you’re in a place where you’re looking for a new show to sink hours into, it can be overwhelming to make the right choice.\n\nThat’s what we’re here for. We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent series on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.\n\nSo, below, find the best new shows on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Apple TV, and Peacock. Our latest update added Castlevania: Nocturne, Gen V, Hijack, and The Continental.\n\nThe best new shows on Netflix\n\nCastlevania: Nocturne\n\nCreator: Clive Bradley\n\nCast: Edward Bluemel, Thuso Mbedu, Pixie Davies\n\nTo say that the follow-up to Netflix’s Castlevania had a lot to live up to would be an understatement. Based on Konami’s acclaimed action-adventure game series and produced by Texas-based Powerhouse Animation Studios, the original 32-episode adult animated series was an unmistakable success for the streamer when it premiered in 2017. Chronicling the adventures of Trevor Belmont, the last surviving descendant of a long line of monster hunters, and Sypha, a powerful magic wielder hailing from a reclusive tribe of magicians, the series followed the pair as they joined forces with Alucard, half-human son of Dracula, to slay his vengeful father and save humanity from the threat of extinction.\n\nCastlevania: Nocturne picks up three centuries after the original, and while Trevor and Sypha may be dead, their legacy lives on in the series’ new protagonist, Richter Belmont. Set amid the French Revolution, Nocturne follows Richter as he is enlisted by a young sorceress named Annette to fight against a conspiracy of aristocrats who have allied themselves with a powerful enemy known as the Vampire Messiah. Haunted by the death of his mother at the hands of a mysterious vampire named Olrox, Richter must call upon every ounce of his courage to face this new darkness and assume his birthright as a Belmont. Castlevania: Nocturne is a terrific installment in the franchise that meets and exceeds the original Castlevania at its best. From its brilliantly realized character designs and exhilarating action sequences to its beautiful score and nuanced take on real-life revolutions, the series is both an excellent continuation and fantastic entry point for new audiences. —Toussaint Egan\n\nAlso good: The Diplomat, a light, plot-heavy political thriller starring Keri Russell; The Night Agent, a fun popcorn spy thriller from The Shield’s Shawn Ryan; Physical 100, a brilliant and brutal competition show; Ganglands, a visceral French crime thriller; Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime from CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger; The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, a food-centric drama from master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda; Derry Girls, the hilarious comedy set against the backdrop of the Troubles; and The Sandman, the live-action adaptation of the DC Comics fantasy horror series by Neil Gaiman.\n\nThe best new show on Hulu\n\nReservation Dogs\n\nCreator: Sterlin Harjo\n\nCast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor\n\nReservation Dogs was a wonderful thing — a show about misfits living on a reservation in Oklahoma who want nothing more than to get far the hell away… until that far-the-hell-away becomes actually tangible. While Taika Waititi produces the show, it is blissfully removed from his particular (and for me, very tiring) brand of humor, instead shining through award-winning filmmaker Sterlin Harjo and a dynamic cast of main characters and featured guests (the second season included a memorable guest appearance by Prey star Amber Midthunder, and the legendary Gary Farmer and Wes Studi have hilarious recurring roles). The third season wrapped the show up on its terms, leaving an indelible mark on television and the culture at large. —PV\n\nAlso good: Love Island UK, the reality dating show, What We Do in the Shadows, the hilarious TV adaptation of the modern-day vampire mockumentary, and the final season of Atlanta, the “Twin Peaks for rappers” comedy drama starring (and created by) Donald Glover.\n\nThe best new TV on Prime Video\n\nGen V\n\nShowrunners: Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters\n\nCast: Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway\n\nBecoming a superhero is hard. This is an established principle — those origin stories aren’t all sunshine and rainbows! — but it’s doubly true in the universe of The Boys, where Gen V takes place. This is a world where your powers manifest with your first period and then kill your mom, as happened to Marie (Jaz Sinclair). She eventually winds up at Godolkin University, the only university for supes in particular, and — well, it’s the land of Vought International and The Boys. Trouble ensues from there.\n\nWhat makes Gen V so compelling is how deftly it weaves together its themes. The (latest) conspiracy smoothly brings Marie and her cohort together, leapfrogging tropes and letting the story flow. Gen V manages to do the impossible: Make superhero TV feel like more than a collection of origin story tropes, and let its characters feel very grounded and like people. It’s The Boys, so you know you’re in for a giant dick or a puppet massacre, but it’s worth that buy-in to see just how well Gen V makes its grade. —Zosha Millman\n\nAlso good: A League of Their Own, an adaptation of the sports movie classic unfortunately canceled after just one season; Paper Girls, a sci-fi coming-of-age comic adaptation also unfortunately canceled after one season; and Reacher, a detective series that asks the important question, “What if Sherlock Holmes was absolutely massive?”\n\nThe best new TV on Max\n\nUnicorn: Warriors Eternal\n\nCreators: Genndy Tartakovsky, Darrick Bachman\n\nCast: Hazel Doupe, Demari Hunte, Tom Milligan, Paul Tylak\n\nGenndy Tartakovsky is a name that needs no introduction among animation fans. The creator of such well-known and beloved series as Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Primal, and more, Tartakovsky is known for his imaginative worlds populated with eccentric and memorable characters. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is the director-animator’s latest masterpiece; a fantasy action series over two decades in the making that follows a group of immortal heroes who are reincarnated across time and space to do battle against an ancient evil. The series combines several of Tartakovsky’s most passionate interests — the science-fiction of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, the steampunk-adjacent Victorian settings of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, the idiosyncratic character designs of Popeye creator E. C. Segar — to create an experience that feels unlike anything else on television in 2023, animated or otherwise. —Toussaint Egan\n\nAlso good: My Adventures with Superman, the slice-of-life action series based on the DC Comics superhero, Full Circle, Stephen Soderbergh’s miniseries loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, Danny McBride’s rapturously funny The Righteous Gemstones, and Harley Quinn, which is currently airing its fourth season.\n\nThe best new TV on Disney Plus\n\nAndor\n\nCreator: Tony Gilroy\n\nCast: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona\n\nAside from being one of the best Star Wars shows to date, Andor has the enviable distinction of holding the No. 1 spot on our list of the best shows of 2022. Either of those two facts alone warrants the show’s inclusion on this list, but combined, that well-earned place feels all but mandatory. Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) returns to the Star Wars after his turn as co-screenwriter on 2016’s Rogue One, diving into an origin story of the eponymous Rebel captain that also functions as an origin story of the Rebel Alliance itself. The series meticulously moves away from the rote, Easter egg-laden iconography for which many Star Wars fans typically associate the franchise with and substitutes it with down-to-earth aesthetic and tone that treats the stakes of its universe as seriously as the underdogs who occupy it.\n\nDiego Luna, much like his character, Cassian Andor, is the perfect leading man for the job, while Stellan S​​karsgård’s supporting performance as the cunning rebellion ringleader Luthen Rael has quickly asserted itself as one of the best characters to come out of Star Wars since Disney acquired the property in 2012. It takes three or so episodes to shift into full gear, but once it does, it’s a exhilarating journey you’ll want to see through to the end. —Toussaint Egan\n\nAlso good: Willow, the TV revival of the 1988 fantasy adventure.\n\nThe best new TV on Paramount Plus\n\nThe Good Fight\n\nCreators: Robert and Michelle King\n\nCast: Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, a rotating cast of your favorite actors on TV\n\nOne of the initial promises of streaming television was that it would bring us the kind of shows that were not possible on more traditional broadcast or cable networks. In practice, this hasn’t actually amounted to much more than bloated episode length and the occasional one-off experiment, like Arrested Development season 4 or Netflix’s choose-your-own heist show Kaleidoscope.\n\nThe Good Fight, however, was different. The show opened its first season in 2017 with a very clear mission statement, as Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), a character from series predecessor The Good Wife, prepares to leave her cushy job as partner at a law firm to become a fashionable expat in Italy after the election of Donald Trump. Unfortunately for her, she loses her nest egg when her money is tied up in a Ponzi scheme, and is forced to go back to work — not at her old, majority-white firm, but at Chicago’s largest Black law firm.\n\nWith this setup, The Good Fight endeavored to tell the story of Trump-era America as it was written, and while it had its blind spots, it often did a better job of it than most cable news networks, telling unflinching stories about race in America, right-wing internet trolls, and the outrage economy that drives culture wars. But it was also one of the most inventive shows on television — any given episode could have animated musical segments explaining geopolitics, stories about a secret court that Mandy Patinkin runs like a game show, or a cutaway gag ruminating on whether or not Jeffrey Epstein had his penis frozen for preservation. In this, it was the Star Trek of legal dramas, always different, full of ideas, and gloriously messy. —Joshua Rivera\n\nAlso good: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the best of a stellar crop of new Star Trek shows.\n\nThe best new TV on Apple TV Plus\n\nHijack\n\nCreators: George Kay, Jim Field Smith\n\nCast: Idris Elba, Neil Maskell, Archie Panjabi\n\nHijack is almost exactly what it sounds like: It’s about a hijacking. But that simplicity of premise belies a much richer, much more fun story, something that reads much more like a breezy blockbuster thriller of yore than another drop in the streaming TV bucket. Comparing TV to movies can be seen as derogatory, suggesting a show lacks the pacing of quality television, but here it just serves to highlight how effectively Hijack is doing what it’s doing. This is a show that knows what it’s about.\n\nAs does Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), one of the many passengers just trying to make it home when his plane gets suddenly hijacked by a group of terrorists. Without arousing suspicion from the gunmen closely watching the plane, Sam and his fellow travelers have to figure out how to secure the plane and get everyone home safely.\n\nHijack is taut, making every moment count, even in ways you don’t expect. Little details that feel brushed past are returned to, and things that first seem like plot holes get filled in, exploited by the passengers or the hijackers. And it’s told in close to real time, with every minute and every decision made by those on the plane (and on the ground, as British law enforcement mobilizes to help on their end). It’s twisty, it’s neat, and it involves Idris Elba ducking around a plane — something Elba said he had to really do, since he is very tall and they filmed in an actual plane. In a world drowning in watchlists that grow larger by the day, Hijack is a breath of fresh air: easy, competent, and just a pure pleasure. —ZM\n\nAlso good: Severance, a stark science fiction take on the modern workplace; Slow Horses, a British spy drama about a bunch of losers (including Gary Oldman) who would like a win.\n\nThe best new TV on Peacock\n\nThe Continental: From the World of John Wick\n\nCreators: Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Shawn Simmons\n\nCast: Colin Woodell, Mishel Prada, Hubert Point-Du Jour\n\nI entered The Continental warily. The world of John Wick didn’t exactly need a prequel series, and it was hard to imagine a television show could come anywhere close to matching the exhilarating highs of the movies’ action sequences.\n\nBut early on, one thing gave me hope: The hiring of action legend Larnell Stovall to lead the show’s fight sequences. And boy, did Stovall and his team deliver: From the show’s opening heist sequence to the incredible rooftop fight in the third episode, The Continental delivers reliable bangers throughout its three-episode run. The show smartly avoids becoming too loyal to the movies’ visual style — something the miniseries could never accurately mimic on a more limited budget. Instead, The Continental leans into action appropriate for the era it is set in, and builds surprisingly strong characters and relationships in our brief time at the hotel. —PV\n\nAlso good: Poker Face, Rian Johnson’s inverted detective series starring Natasha Lyonne; Grand Crew, a sitcom about Black wine aficionados; Girls5Eva, a hilarious comedy about a girl group getting back together; The Resort, a dark mystery-comedy starring William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) and Cristin Milioti (Made for Love) as a couple on vacation who stumble across a deadly mystery.", + "Oct 8, 2023; Concord, North Carolina, USA; Cars crowd into turn four after a restart during the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports\n\nThere is no denying how the new media rights deal has stunned the NASCAR community. With many still trying to digest it, the deal has undoubtedly given rise to divided opinions. While the figure of $7.7 billion sounds lucrative, there seems to be more to it than what meets the eye.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nIt is public knowledge that NASCAR officials invested plenty of time in negotiating the media rights deal. To secure an average annual revenue of $1.1 billion is something, especially when the sport is supposedly on the wane. However, it looks like the sanctioning body has made it count when it mattered the most.\n\nIs the new media rights deal a game-changer for NASCAR?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nJust a couple of days back, NASCAR finalized a $7.7 billion deal with Fox Sports, NBC, Amazon, and Warner Bros. Discovery. With such a lucrative deal securing seven years of revenue, surely it seems like a lot of money. But is that really the case?\n\nNASCAR secured almost a 40% increase over their current media rights deal yet there’s something that doesn’t fit perfectly. Sports Business Journal journalist Adam Stern recently cleared a few things out when he attended the Dirty Mo Live podcast. With the Cup Series already facing a 5% drop in viewership this year, Stern discussed how the new deal could impact the ratings.\n\nAt first, the renowned journalist explained how the sanctioning body would have loved to stay with Fox Sports and NBC. However, given that it would have most likely resulted in less money, NASCAR opted to explore other options. Stern then pointed out how the media rights revenue plays a key role in sports as he used the MLS as an example.\n\nHe said, “You look at MLS. MLS takes a big deal with Apple, almost all of their games behind the Apple TV’s paywall. That was the money they could get and they had to deliver for their industry. Their industry is expected to be a growing business and one of the most sporting ways to be a growing business in sports is to have growing media rights revenue.”\n\nWhile he explained that it was a similar case with NASCAR, he added one more angle because of which this deal possibly materialized. It is no secret that the cable universe has been declining. As Stern discussed, every quarter, there is a drop in a couple of percentages of subscribers, which is very concerning.\n\nThis is one of the reasons why NASCAR did not want to gamble solely on cable users. With Amazon Prime, they had the leisure to explore the streaming arena and possibly get a glimpse of how it could look in the future. However, along with that, there was a major reason behind the deal.\n\nAs Stern said, “So partially, they [NASCAR] did it to spread their eggs in multiple baskets but also part out of it was to get more money and to make sure they get more money in the industry at the time when their teams are saying we need more money, we are not profitable currently.”\n\nWATCH THIS STORY: NASCAR’s Charter Conundrum: A Twist in the Tale?\n\nThe SBJ journalist then explained that NASCAR was more or less left with no choice when it came to this deal. He said, “NASCAR is in a tough situation because they had to deliver more money as well and clearly if they went this route, that’s a good indication that’s because they had to go this route to deliver more money for the industry.”\n\nWhile NASCAR secured an impressive deal, there could be downsides to it and Stern explained it beautifully.\n\nAdam Stern points out a key potential drawback with NASCAR’s new media rights deal\n\nSafe to say, NASCAR has been struggling to keep their teams happy in terms of profitability. Since the introduction of the Next Gen cars, it has only become more difficult for the Cup Series teams and teams in other competitions. While they have taken a commercial hit, they have piled up pressure on NASCAR to help out in this case.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn addition to that, Sports Business Journalist Adam Stern detailed one important issue with the new media rights deal. Speaking on the same podcast, he said, “When you look at the deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, those races are going to be simulcast not just on MAX streaming but also on TNT and TNT is cable, not a free-to-air channel.”\n\nStern continued explaining how it can come back to haunt. He said, “You have that on the cable subscription. So, the number of races that are going down that have been on the network, that’s what teams are concerned about because the ratings will probably be lower.”\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWith not every fan having access to all platforms, it is a tricky situation both for the fans and NASCAR. However, the sanctioning body has gone ahead and made its move with the new media rights deal. Now, it remains to be seen how the execution part works out. For now, it looks like NASCAR has secured itself well by bringing more money to the table.\n\nKyle Larson Believes NASCAR’s Multi-Billion Dollar Media Rights Deal Is a Step in the Right Direction Despite Fans’ Backlash", + "The UEFA Champions League has reached the end of its group stage, with 16 precious places in the first knockout round now claimed.\n\nManchester City are looking to go back-to-back after their triumph in last season's Champions League, potentially becoming the first English club since Nottingham Forest in 1980 to successfully defend the trophy.\n\nThe likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also enjoyed strong group-stage campaigns and will surely be in the mix towards the sharp end of the competition. Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad will complete the Spanish contingent in the next round.\n\nManchester United and Newcastle United will play no further part in Europe, though, having been eliminated by finishing bottom of their groups. Paris Saint-Germain will be in the Round of 16, though.\n\nThe Sporting News reviews the group stage ahead of its final match night and examines what teams from each group need to qualify for the Round of 16.\n\nMORE: Champions League Round of 16 schedule, draw & qualified teams\n\nChampions League permutations, scenarios: What teams needed to qualify\n\nGroup A\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P Bayern Munich (Q) 6 5 0 0 +6 16 Copenhagen (Q) 6 2 2 2 0 8 Galatasaray 6 1 2 3 -3 5 Manchester United 6 1 1 4 -3 4\n\nBayern Munich coasted into the knockout rounds but Copenhagen, Galatasaray and Manchester United all entered the final matchweek with a chance of joining the Bundesliga giants.\n\nGalatasaray knew that if they beat Copenhagen at Parken they would go through but Lukas Lerager scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for the hosts\n\nManchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 20 Galatasaray 2-2 FC Copenhagen Sept. 20 Bayern Munich 4-3 Manchester United Oct. 3 Manchester United 2-3 Galatasaray Oct. 3 FC Copenhagen 1-2 Bayern Munich Oct. 24 Galatasaray 1-3 Bayern Munich Oct. 24 Manchester United 1-0 FC Copenhagen Nov. 8 Bayern Munich 2-1 Galatasaray Nov. 8 FC Copenhagen 4-3 Manchester United Nov. 29 Galatasaray 3-3 Manchester United Nov. 29 Bayern Munich 0-0 FC Copenhagen Dec. 12 FC Copenhagen 1-0 Galatasaray Dec. 12 Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich\n\nGroup B\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P Arsenal (Q) 6 4 1 1 +12 13 PSV (Q) 6 2 3 1 -2 9 Lens 6 2 2 2 -5 8 Sevilla 6 0 2 4 -5 2\n\nArsenal finished top of the pile and their 6-0 thrashing of Lens on matchday five confirmed them as winners of Group B.\n\nPSV's comeback win over Sevilla meant have also qualified thanks to Lens' defeat. The Ligue 1 side beat their LaLiga opponents 2-1 to make sure of a Europa League berth as PSV and Arsenal played out an entertaining 1-1 draw.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 20 Sevilla 1-1 Lens Sept. 20 Arsenal 4-0 PSV Oct. 3 Lens 2-1 Arsenal Oct. 3 PSV 2-2 Sevilla Oct. 24 Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal Oct. 24 Lens 1-1 PSV Nov. 8 Arsenal 2-0 Sevilla Nov. 8 PSV 1-0 Lens Nov. 29 Sevilla 2-3 PSV Nov. 29 Arsenal 6-0 Lens Dec. 12 Lens 2-1 Sevilla Dec. 12 PSV 1-1 Arsenal\n\nGroup C\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P Real Madrid (Q) 6 6 0 0 +9 18 Napoli (Q) 6 3 1 2 1 10 Braga 6 1 1 4 -6 4 Union Berlin 6 0 2 4 -4 2\n\nReal Madrid, the 14-time European champions, completed six-wins out of six with a topsy-turvy 3-2 win away to Union Berlin\n\nMORE: Jude Bellingham's incredible stats for Real Madrid this season\n\nThat result ruled the Bundesliga side out of the Europa League, a spot Braga claim as consolation after Napoli snuffed out their slim hopes of second place with a 2-0 win at the Diego Armando Maradona.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 20 Real Madrid 1-0 Union Berlin Sept. 20 Braga 1-2 Napoli Oct. 3 Union Berlin 2-3 Braga Oct. 3 Napoli 2-3 Real Madrid Oct. 24 Braga 1-2 Real Madrid Oct. 24 Union Berlin 0-1 Napoli Nov. 8 Napoli 1-1 Union Berlin Nov. 8 Real Madrid 3-0 Braga Nov. 29 Real Madrid 4-2 Napoli Nov. 29 Braga 1-1 Union Berlin Dec. 12 Napoli 2-0 Braga Dec. 12 Union Berlin 2-3 Real Madrid\n\nGroup D\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P 1. Real Sociedad (Q) 6 3 3 0 +5 12 2. Inter Milan (Q) 6 3 3 0 +3 12 3. Benfica 6 1 1 4 -4 4 4. RB Salzburg 6 1 1 4 -4 4\n\nReal Sociedad and Inter Milan dominated Group D and could not be separated as they shared a 0-0 draw at San Siro. That left the Basque side top of the pile on goal difference.\n\nSalzburg had their Europea League destiny in their own hands but crashed out as an Angel Di Maria-inspired Benfica ran out 3-1 winners in Austria. Roger Schmidt's side progressed on goals scored, with Arthur Cabral's stoppage-time strike proving decisive\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 20 Real Sociedad 1-1 Inter Milan Sept. 20 Benfica 0-2 RB Salzburg Oct. 3 RB Salzburg 0-2 Real Sociedad Oct. 3 Inter Milan 1-0 Benfica Oct. 24 Inter Milan 2-1 RB Salzburg Oct. 24 Benfica 0-1 Real Sociedad Nov. 8 Real Sociedad 3-1 Benfica Nov. 8 RB Salzburg 0-1 Inter Milan Nov. 29 Benfica 3-3 Inter Milan Nov. 29 Real Sociedad 0-0 RB Salzburg Dec. 12 RB Salzburg 1-3 Benfica Dec. 12 Inter Milan 0-0 Real Sociedad\n\nGroup E\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P 1. Atletico (Q) 6 4 2 0 +11 14 2. Lazio (Q) 6 3 1 2 0 10 3. Feyenoord 6 2 0 4 -1 6 4. Celtic 6 1 1 4 -10 4\n\nAtletico Madrid and Lazio confirmed themselves as the two qualifiers for the Round of 16 before the final matchday. Top spot in Group E was decided by their showdown in the Spanish capital on December 13, with Atleti winning 2-0. Feyenoord finish third and drop into the Europa League.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 19 Feyenoord 2-0 Celtic Sept. 19 Lazio 1-1 Atletico Oct. 4 Atletico 3-2 Feyenoord Oct. 4 Celtic 1-2 Lazio Oct. 25 Feyenoord 3-1 Lazio Oct. 25 Celtic 2-2 Atletico Nov. 7 Atletico 6-0 Celtic Nov. 7 Lazio 1-0 Feyenoord Nov. 28 Lazio 2-0 Celtic Nov. 28 Feyenoord 1-3 Atletico Dec. 13 Atletico 2-0 Lazio Dec. 13 Celtic 2-1 Feyenoord\n\nGroup F\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P 1. Bor. Dortmund (Q) 6 3 2 1 +3 11 2. PSG (Q) 6 2 2 2 +1 8 3. AC Milan 6 2 2 2 -3 8 4. Newcastle 6 1 2 3 -1 5\n\nGroup F confirmed one qualifier ahead of the final round of matches with the impressive Borussia Dortmund sealing their place in the Round of 16.\n\nParis Saint-Germain join them in the knockouts after a 1-1 draw between the teams at Signal Iduna Park — a result that also confirmed Dortmund as group winners.\n\nNewcastle were briefly in second spot during the final matchday before letting their lead slip to AC Milan, who snatched the Europa League spot in the process.\n\nThe Rossoneri finished level on points with PSG but behind them based on their head-to-head tiebreaker.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 19 Milan 0-0 Newcastle Sept. 19 PSG 2-0 Dortmund Oct. 4 Dortmund 0-0 Milan Oct. 4 Newcastle 4-1 PSG Oct. 25 PSG 3-0 Milan Oct. 25 Newcastle 0-1 Dortmund Nov. 7 Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle Nov. 7 Milan 2-1 PSG Nov. 28 PSG 1-1 Newcastle Nov. 28 Milan 1-3 Dortmund Dec. 13 Dortmund 1-1 PSG Dec. 13 Newcastle 1-2 Milan\n\nGroup G\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P 1. Man City (Q) 6 6 0 0 +11 18 2. RB Leipzig (Q) 6 4 0 2 +3 12 3. Young Boys 6 1 1 4 -6 4 4. Red Star Belgrade 6 0 1 5 -8 1\n\nManchester City and RB Leipzig confirmed their knockout places after four games played and City's 3-2 comeback win over the Bundesliga team on November 28 clinched top spot in Group G for Pep Guardiola. Young Boys drop into the Europa League.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 19 Young Boys 1-3 RB Leipzig Sept. 19 Man City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade Oct. 4 RB Leipzig 1-3 Man City Oct. 4 Red Star Belgrade 2-2 Young Boys Oct. 25 RB Leipzig 3-1 Red Star Belgrade Oct. 25 Young Boys 1-3 Man City Nov. 7 Man City 3-0 Young Boys Nov. 7 Red Star Belgrade 1-2 RB Leipzig Nov. 28 Man City 3-2 RB Leipzig Nov. 28 Young Boys 2-0 Red Star Belgrade Dec. 13 RB Leipzig 2-1 Young Boys Dec. 13 Red Star Belgrade 2-3 Man City\n\nGroup H\n\nTeam GP W D L GD P 1. Barcelona (Q) 6 4 0 2 +6 12 2. Porto (Q) 6 3 0 2 +7 12 3. Shakhtar Donetsk 6 3 0 3 -2 9 4. Antwerp 6 1 0 5 -11 3\n\nBarcelona's 2-1 home win over Porto sealed their place in the Round of 16 from Group H. They are joined by the Portuguese side, who beat Shakhtar Donetsk 5-3 in a matchday-six thriller. Shakhtar take the Europa League spot.\n\nResults\n\nDate Fixture/Result Sept. 19 Barcelona 5-0 Antwerp Sept. 19 Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Porto Oct. 4 Antwerp 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk Oct. 4 Porto 0-1 Barcelona Oct. 25 Barcelona 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk Oct. 25 Antwerp 1-4 Porto Nov. 7 Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Barcelona Nov. 7 Porto 2-0 Antwerp Nov. 28 Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Antwerp Nov. 28 Barcelona 2-1 Porto Dec. 13 Antwerp 3-2 Barcelona Dec. 13 Porto 5-3 Shakhtar Donetsk\n\nChampions League Round of 16 lineup: Which teams have qualified?\n\nThe following teams are qualified for the Champions League Round of 16:\n\nBayern Munich, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Arsenal, PSV, PSG, Porto, Copenhagen, Napoli\n\nWhen is the Champions League Round of 16 draw?\n\nThe draw for the Round of 16 will be made in Nyon, Switzerland at UEFA's headquarters on Monday, December 18, 2023 at 12 noon CET (6 a.m. ET).\n\nThe teams will be divided into group winners and second-place finishers, with each runner-up drawn against a group winner. No team can be drawn against anyone from the same country until at least the quarterfinals. Third-place finishers in each group will drop into the Europa League playoff round.", + "Amazon’s Echo devices will now allow kids to have interactive conversations with an AI-powered Alexa via a new feature called “Explore with Alexa.” First announced in September, the addition to the Amazon Kids+ content subscription allows children to have kid-friendly conversations with Alexa, powered by generative AI, but in a protected fashion designed to ensure the experience remains safe and appropriate.\n\nThough there are already some AI experiences that cater to younger users, like the AI chatbots from Character.ai and other companies, including Meta, Amazon is among the first to specifically look to generative AI to develop a conversational experience for kids under the age of 13.\n\nThat also comes with constraints, however, as generative AI can be led astray or “hallucinate” answers, while kids could ask inappropriate questions. To address these potential problems, Amazon has put guardrails into place around its use of gen AI for kids.\n\nFor starters, the Alexa Kids science team narrowed down the new experience, which leverages Alexa’s LLM (large language model) technology, to include only kid-friendly fun facts and trivia questions. Initially, the content will come from just two partners, the World Wildlife Fund and A-Z animals. In time, the team would like to expand the AI to include other areas of interest to kids, like space, music, video games and sports.\n\nIn addition, and perhaps most importantly, the generative AI experience is not happening in real time on the device.\n\n“We want to go slow and be intentional and be measured with how we’re introducing this new tech, as well as any new tech for kids, which is why we’re not just hooking the experience up to an LLM at runtime and kind of letting kids go at it,” explains Arjun Venkataswamy, senior product manager for Alexa Kids, in an interview with TechCrunch. “The way that we’ve integrated an LLM here is we use it to generate content at scale offline, and then go through a review process that includes both humans, as well as AI, and then take that reviewed content and then put it into our experience,” he says.\n\nIn other words, kids aren’t using generative AI on the fly when conversing with Alexa, and the content is pre-reviewed and comes from a small dataset of just animal facts and sources.\n\nHowever, because the AI can generate tens of thousands of potential responses, not every answer can be reviewed by a human before being added to the experience. To that end, Amazon is also using AI to help it review the materials it’s using for “Explore with Alexa.”\n\n“What our AI is doing is taking trusted content and then figuring out what’s fun, looking at what’s fun, turning them into a trivia question — so it is doing useful things for us at scale that we wouldn’t have been able to do without this tooling…but we feel really good about the safety guardrails that are in place right now in terms of content,” says Venkataswamy.\n\nTo access the new experience, kids can trigger the AI-generated facts or trivia in one of two ways. They can either utter a particular phrase that kicks off “Explore with Alexa,” like “Alexa, let’s explore animals” or “Alexa, tell me an animal fact.” But the more interesting way to use this feature is to have kids engage in organic conversations with Alexa where this topic could come up. For instance, a kid might ask “What does a lion’s roar sound like?” or “How fast can a cheetah run?” This would also allow kids to enter the more conversational Q&A experience.\n\nPlus, over the next few months, Alexa will also prompt kids on some occasions, asking if they want to hear something interesting about animals.\n\nUnlike more traditional conversations with Alexa, the AI experience works two ways. That is, it’s not just kids asking Alexa a question and receiving a response.\n\n“One of the things we think is really cool about this paradigm is kids aren’t just asking Alexa questions and getting the answers — Alexa is now asking kids questions,” says Venkataswamy. That is, Alexa could ask the kids a trivia question like “What’s the fastest animal on Earth?”\n\nAs any teacher will tell you, by having the kids try to think of the answer first, the answer will stick in their minds better when they hear the response.\n\n“Right now it’s, it’s narrow. Alexa is asking kids trivia questions,” Venkataswamy continues. “But we want to continue expanding on that and making it more interactive.”\n\nEventually, Amazon wants to have this generative AI experience integrated at runtime for both kids and adults, but it knows it needs to proceed carefully, especially with the former.\n\n“We do want to integrate an LLM in runtime in a more protected way than we would integrate it for adults…However, this approach lets us iterate and figure out the right ways to get both safe and delightful content outputted from the LLM for kids,” says Venkataswamy.\n\nAmazon is also preparing to launch an AI-powered “Let’s Chat” Alexa experience for adults later this year, he says.\n\nIn terms of privacy, the company notes it’s not training its LLM on kids’ answers. In addition, the “Explore with Alexa” experience and any future LLM-backed features will continue to follow the same data handling policies of “classic Alexa” (non-AI Alexa). That means the Alexa app will include a list of the questions asked by kids in the household (those with a kids’ profile) and the response Alexa provided. That history can be stored or deleted either manually or automatically, depending on your settings.\n\nAlongside the launch of “Explore with Alexa,” the new Echo Pop Kids speakers will also now be available for purchase, starting at $49.99 in the U.S.\n\nThe Echo Pop Kids will come in two new designs: Marvel’s Avengers and Disney Princess, which feature corresponding character themes. Kids can use the devices to hear a greeting, fun fact or joke about an Avenger or Disney Princess, in keeping with the theme. Both also include six months of access to the Amazon Kids+ subscription service, which, in addition to “Explore with Alexa,” also offers a range of kid-friendly games, apps, books, videos and more, including custom Alexa themes.\n\nHowever, you don’t need a specific “Kids” device to use “Explore with Alexa.” The feature works on any device set to kids mode or any communal family device, if parents have set up their kids’ voice ID.\n\nInitially, “Explore with Alexa” will be available in English only but internationalization is further down the road.\n\nIt’s harder for Amazon to estimate when such an AI feature will become available at runtime for kids, though.\n\n“I can’t give you a timeline, because we don’t have a concrete answer for what exactly we’re going to be doing yet, although we do have plans and experiments we’re planning to look into,” Venkataswamy says. “I will say that in terms of our criteria for when we’re going to get there, we’re working closely with the Family Trust team at Amazon that’s connected to a variety of research institutions in the U.S…we want to be able to get some confidence from external partners that our approach is right,” he adds.", + "National mental health organisation Beyond Blue removed the TikTok pixel from its website after being alerted to the tracking issue. “Beyond Blue takes privacy and security extremely seriously, and we apologise for any concern this has caused,” said a spokeswoman for the organisation. How we tested the TikTok pixel We downloaded a Chrome extension called Omnibug, which is used to test marketing and analytics tools.\n\nWith the extension installed, we visited websites such as Sportsbet, Kmart, Beyond Blue and many others.\n\nWe went to sign up for an account on those websites, entering personal information including our full name, email address, phone number.\n\nUsing Omnibug, we could see in real time that information being sent back to TikTok, often before clicking “I consent” to the website’s privacy policy. TikTok uses a tool called “automatic advanced matching” that sees when a user enters text into a form field or a search box, and if it looks like an email address or phone number, it scrapes that data.\n\nSimilar data is sent to Google and Meta, but only after “I consent”, for example, has been ticked. “When The Age and Sydney Morning Herald alerted us to this issue, we immediately commenced a review of our privacy policy and removed the TikTok pixel from our website. Our investigations are continuing as a priority. “Like many health organisations, Beyond Blue uses tools such as pixels to help us deliver safe and relevant content to people online.”\n\nA Sportsbet spokesman said: “We use advanced matching, and that’s consistent with targeting advertising methods that a lot of companies use. Our understanding is they don’t decrypt or use hashed data that has been shared with them.” Loading Kmart did not respond to requests for comment. The tests by this masthead found that for Google and Meta’s tracking pixels, email addresses and phone numbers were sent to Google and Meta only after a user had consented to the websites’ privacy policies. According to TikTok’s website, the tracking pixel can “help you find new customers, optimise your campaigns and measure ad performance”.\n\n“With the pixel, you can track website visitor actions, like view page or purchase, and create audience segments to re-engage previous site visitors or model lookalikes to find new customers,” TikTok says on its website. TikTok has rejected claims the pixel breaches Australia’s privacy laws. Credit: AP ‘Remove that pixel’ The extent of data collected by TikTok’s pixel without user consent has caused concern among Australian marketers. Marketing and advisory agency Civic Data has issued a warning to its clients recommending they remove the pixel from their websites on privacy grounds. In the client bulletin on December 20, which was obtained by this masthead, Civic Data director Chris Brinkworth said his company had “repeatedly observed non-consensual collection of personal data on Australian wagering, telco, finance, supermarket, e-commerce, charity and media organisations’ websites.\n\nLoading “This raises serious privacy concerns regarding the lack of transparency, misuse of personal information and disregard for consent requirements under current regulations such as the Privacy Act 1988. Civic Data’s recommendation is that all Australian businesses consider removing the TikTok pixel and other TikTok integrations from their platforms if they cannot guarantee that the data usage matches the consent given by consumers.” Civic Data’s clients include accounting software company Xero, Ticketek, Carsales, RACV and BlueScope. Call to protect Australians Senator James Paterson has called for an urgent probe by Australia’s information commissioner.\n\nPaterson, the Coalition’s cybersecurity spokesman, this year chaired a committee into foreign interference through social media that grilled TikTok executives. “This is a very serious and potentially unlawful mass breach of the privacy of TikTok users, former users and non-users,” he told this masthead. Senator James Paterson has called for an urgent probe by Australia’s information commissioner. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen “It would be concerning from any company but is particularly alarming given TikTok is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and has admitted its China-based employees frequently access Australian user data. There’s nothing to stop this industrial-scale unauthorised data collection being simply handed over to Chinese intelligence and security agencies, as TikTok and its employees are obliged to do under Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law. “The information commissioner must commence an urgent investigation into TikTok Australia and use their full range of enforcement powers to protect Australians from this extraordinary surveillance.”\n\nA spokesman for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said the agency was monitoring issues relating to TikTok’s handling of personal information, particularly in light of the findings made by the British Information Commissioner’s Office in an investigation into the company. Loading “The OAIC will give consideration to the information raised which alleges data scraping in regard to TikTok’s practices,” the spokesman said. A TikTok spokeswoman denied the pixel breaches Australia’s privacy laws. “We strongly reject the suggestions outlined by Civic Data and are disappointed that a company would deliberately try to mislead or scare companies without regard to current law or the information available,” she said.\n\n“Pixel usage, which is voluntary for our advertising clients to adopt, is an industry-wide tool used to improve the effectiveness of advertising services. Our use of this tool is compliant with all current Australian privacy laws and regulations, and we dismiss any suggestion otherwise.” The China connection In 2016, China designated big data a “fundamental strategic resource”, and four years later its government designated data as the fifth “factor of production”, joining land, labour, capital and technology. Its national intelligence laws allow the ruling Communist Party to pull data upon request from companies based in the nation. China’s National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires all organisations and citizens to “support, assist and co-operate with the state intelligence work”, and the Australian government this year banned TikTok on government devices over security concerns related to China’s intelligence laws. Governments from Britain, Canada, France and New Zealand have also banned the app from official devices.\n\nJocelinn Kang, technical specialist at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said data from a tracking pixel could be aggregated across websites, apps and social media platforms. She said pixel tracking could identify users through their “browser fingerprint” – a combination of their IP address, browser and system details. Chinese President Xi Jinping. China’s national intelligence laws allow the government to pull data upon request from companies based there. Credit: Reuters “However, when more identifying data such as email and phone number is associated with a user, their web activity can be better linked,” Kang said. Strategic Policy Institute researcher Samantha Hoffman said the data collected by TikTok’s pixel was similar to that of US-based tech giants Google and Meta, but the difference was “the intent”.\n\nAdvertising data had “incredible propaganda value”, she said. Loading “If you think about that, plus the access that TikTok is required to give the Chinese government, that’s the problem.” In November 2022, TikTok changed its privacy policy to make it explicitly clear user data can be accessed by some employees from across the world, including China. “They talk about how even data collected overseas can be used by the company and its partners, and would be kept private unless security organisations make demands of it,” Hoffman said.", + "Part of / We only get one planet\n\nTires are the most important safety component on a car, yet there’s increasing research that they’re doing a good deal of harm, too. Slowly, surely, one mote of black dust at a time, tires are leaving their mark on the environment.\n\nAccording to researchers at Imperial College London, our cars and trucks emit 6 million tons of tire wear particles every year, transportation detritus that goes into the air, the land, and the water. That’s a massive figure that ignores the nearly 250 million tires that are disposed of annually in North America, roughly half of which are burned.\n\nIt’s a depressing state of affairs, but there is room for optimism. Every major tire manufacturer globally is raising its game — not only in terms of performance in the face of bigger, heavier electric cars but also in terms of environmental impact. Renewable materials are finding their way into modern tires, and there’s even greener rubber on the horizon, too.\n\nTruly sustainable tires are becoming a reality, but will it be enough?\n\nRenewable rubber\n\nBridgestone’s “Wireless-In-Wheel” technology.\n\nIf you watched any IndyCar road course race this year, basically any of the half-dozen events where the drivers had to turn right as well as left, you might have noticed some green flashes on those cars’ tires. It wasn’t just a visual flair to an otherwise visually dull part of the equation.\n\nThose tires contained guayule, part of an agrarian prototype effort from Bridgestone, the supplier of spec tires for that series. It’s a high-profile demonstration of a new domestically sourced, renewable source of rubber that augments other natural sources like that from the hevea tree and even the Russian dandelion.\n\nTruly sustainable tires are becoming a reality, but will it be enough?\n\nBridgestone’s Bill Niaura, executive director of sustainable innovation and circular economy, says guayule is a drop-in replacement with many potential advantages. Chief among them? Location: “Hevea trees are primarily grown in Southeast Asia,” he says, “while guayule is grown in the Southwestern US.”\n\nThis is also a climate resiliency play. Guayule provides an alternate drought-resistant source for natural rubber at a time when global temperature patterns are behaving like the stock market: highly unpredictable but trending upward.\n\nVirtually every tire manufacturer is making at least token efforts to increase the usage of sustainable materials like guayule. Yokohama is using motorsports to develop its Advan A005 tire, which debuted at last year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and contains 33 percent sustainable materials, including biomass-derived rubber. Michelin, meanwhile, shod Porsche’s prototype electric GT4 e-Performance racer with tires said to be 53 percent renewable, like strap steel and lemon peels.\n\nThat all may sound like marketing plays — and it partly is — but motorsports have historically proven an ideal development opportunity in the automotive industry. Track tires are pushed to their limits, resulting in better products for the road. In time, at least.\n\nMany manufacturers have a self-imposed deadline for a shift to renewable sourcing for materials. Dunlop is promising 40 percent of its tires will be renewable by the end of this decade and 100 percent by 2050. Bridgestone’s goal is also 2050 but is introducing models now with an increased focus on sustainability, like the Turanza EV, made of 50 percent renewable and recycled materials.\n\nHow all of this factors into each manufacturer’s specialty blends is complicated, but generally, it breaks down like this:\n\n“Natural rubber and synthetic rubber each represent about 25 percent of materials used in tire manufacturing. Fillers, primarily carbon black and silica, represent an additional 25 percent,” Bridgestone’s Niaura says. “The remaining percentage consists of steel, textiles, oils, resins, and other ingredients used to cure the tire or serve as anti-degradants.”\n\nBy blending different components, manufacturers can adjust a tire’s grip (how sticky it is), tread life (how long it lasts), and rolling resistance (how efficient it will make your car). High-grip tires are traditionally short-lived and inefficient, but thanks to sticky science and renewable materials, that’s changing.\n\nSilica is a good example and an increasingly important component.\n\nSilica is a good example and an increasingly important component. It not only displaces less renewable materials but also makes tires more efficient. “Conventional tires rely on carbon black to strengthen the rubber matrix as the tire is cured,” Dale Harrigle, Bridgestone’s chief engineer for replacement tires, says. “In a tire that uses silica in the tread compound, a portion of the carbon black is removed and replaced with silica, which allows for increased wet performance and reduced rolling resistance.”\n\nSilica traditionally comes from sand, but that’s changing. Goodyear, for example, is now using silica sourced from a rice processing byproduct called husk ash.\n\nIn other words: less harmful rubber, more grip, better wear, and better range or fuel economy.\n\nThe molecular menace\n\nFirestone’s IndyCar tires.\n\nDrive long enough, and the well-defined tread patterns of even the most efficient tires will fade, slowly balding like a stressed-out environmental scientist’s pate. It’s easy to imagine that the lost rubber simply disappears, but the truth is more terrifying.\n\nTires break down into tire and road wear particles, or TRWP. This black dust accumulates on roads mostly — but not permanently. When it rains, it is carried away.\n\nA recent Pew Charitable Trusts report found that 78 percent of ocean microplastics are synthetic tire rubber, which makes efforts to cut down on microfiber pollution from our laundry seem a bit quaint.\n\n“What you don’t want is all these little wear particles full of all these nasty compounds settling in the environment and inside us and gradually leaching out their toxins,” says Nick Molden, CEO of Emissions Analytics, an independent group focused on testing and data about the overall environmental impacts of transportation.\n\n“What you don’t want is all these little wear particles full of all these nasty compounds settling in the environment and inside us and gradually leaching out their toxins.”\n\nOne such toxin is 6PPD-quinone. A 2020 study from the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Waters found that a dramatic decline in coho salmon populations was the result of the toxin. The salmon have now been placed on some West Coast endangered lists.\n\n“Shortly after birth, they were essentially going mad and dying,” Molden says. “The researchers finally linked it to this compound in tires because it was happening after rainfall. The rainfall was washing all the accumulated tire material off the road into the harbors and into the shore.”\n\nThat isn’t bad just for the salmon and the Pacific Northwest’s fishing industry. 6PPD-quinone is in us, too, and it only comes from tires. 6PPD helps tires resist environmental damage, thus lasting longer between replacements. When 6PPD reacts with ozone, it becomes 6PPD-quinone.\n\n“The product 6PPD-quinone, which was identified in late 2020, requires more research to understand what impact, if any, it may have on aquatic life or the environment,” Goodyear SVP of global operations and CTO Chris Helsel says. That’s hardly a mea culpa, but the tire industry genuinely has been an active partner in studying the problem.\n\nGoodyear and other members of the US Tire Manufacturers Association actually encouraged 6PPD-targeting regulation enacted by the California Environmental Protection Agency and have provided free tire compound samples to researchers. “For the next five years, if you want to sell tires in California, you need to go through the process of either eliminating 6PPD, or at least properly researching the alternatives,” Molden says.\n\n“We are collaborating with researchers and other scientists to better understand this transformation product, fill knowledge gaps, and determine next steps,” says Helsel.\n\nOther initiatives are coming to limit overall tire emissions, including the upcoming Euro 7 regulations, which put caps on tire wear particles as well as other emissions.\n\nThat seems like progress, but Emissions Analytics’ Molden isn’t so sure: “The reason I’m worried about that is I’m sure you can reduce that wear mass, but if you do that by making the compound more toxic, you could actually make the environmental impact worse.”\n\n“You could actually make the environmental impact worse.”\n\nThat could be akin to increasing a car’s fuel efficiency by switching to leaded fuel.\n\nMolden believes that what’s needed is better understanding. To that end, he’s recently created the Tyre Emissions Research Consortium, a LinkedIn group with about 1,000 members. The intent is to break down the silos that individual researchers were working in.\n\nResearch into 6PPD replacements is ongoing, and the US Tire Manufacturers Association is also touting research into various ways to mitigate and reduce tire debris pollution.\n\nGiven all that research is happening at an industry level, it’s easy to feel a little helpless about the role we’re all playing in contributing this pollution to the environment when we’re just trying to get to work. Still, there are things that we can do to help minimize the environmental impact in the interim.\n\nMolden suggests a few things: drive more slowly, drive more smoothly, and choose the right tires. According to Molden, the tires that your car was outfitted with when new will provide the best wear characteristics. “It’s a bit like going to a flight in restaurants, and each course has a wine match to the food,” he says. Perfectly paired tires may cost more than whatever you can get at a local discounter, but they’ll provide better wear and, ultimately, less pollution.\n\nEnd of the road\n\nMichelin’s Uptis.\n\nEven the best tires will need to be replaced, either thanks to wear or the kind of roadside debris that can not only ruin a tire but also your entire day. The good news is that modern tires last a lot longer than they did before. “In the early 1970s, the typical wear life for a set of tires was approximately 20,000 miles in average driving conditions,” Harrigle says. “Fast forward to today, and 80,000-mile wear warranties are relatively common.”\n\nThe bad news is that we’re still going through more tires than ever.\n\nThe bad news is that we’re still going through more tires than ever. Harrigle says we scrap 250 million tires every year in North America. Again, about half are burned for fuel.\n\nBut there are other solutions. Recycling is one, but reuse is better, a process called retreading. Retreading itself is nothing new, but while it’s generally fallen out of favor for consumer tires, on the industrial side of things, it can be a huge cost-saver — and environment-saver, too.\n\nJason Roanhouse, VP of North American Bandag operations at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, says that the company’s retread business has saved 300 million tires from being thrown out, worth roughly 4 billion gallons of oil.\n\nFuture tires\n\nWhile efforts to find sustainable replacements for tire manufacturing compounds continue, as does research into what today’s compounds do to our health, many manufacturers are trying to change the equation altogether.\n\nA near-future example is the Michelin Uptis, a non-pneumatic tire. It relies on modern composites instead of air pressure to provide the right mix of stiffness and flex with significantly more durability. Michelin says it could reduce tire replacements by 20 percent. Variations of this theme have been in development for decades, but models are in testing now for consumer and industrial use.\n\nGoodyear gave us a more radical vision of a more distant future tire with 2020’s ReCharge concept, which proposed that a biodegradable tread could be recharged simply by inserting refillable capsules with seasonal compounds. As a concept, it’s pretty far out there. Goodyear’s Helsel confesses as much, calling them “purely conceptual designs” that “might never be produced as such.” However, he says that the non-pneumatic nature of those concepts, and the advanced sensors embedded within, are indicative of ongoing research into future tires.\n\nAnother concept, though, is less about increasing the sustainability of tires and more about increasing the viability of EVs. At this year’s Japan Mobility Show, Bridgestone showed off what it calls a “Wireless In-Wheel Tire.” The concept is simple: turn every tire into an inductive charging pad for your EV. Previous wireless, in-motion charging concepts for EVs struggled to maintain strong rates because the car kept bouncing up and down as it moved.\n\nWireless charging works best when there’s minimal distance between the charger and the device being charged. So, in this case, the tires themselves contain the receiving coils since, again, they’re the only part of the car that actually touches the ground.\n\nSolutions like this seem fanciful, but they at least show that there’s still a lot of room to rethink what a tire can and should be.", + "By the IoT Analytics team.\n\nA new report from IoT Analytics highlights eight notable trends helping to advance and promote digital twins.\n\nFour of these trends are discussed in detail in this article. These trends are shaping the future of the digital twin market and influencing investment priorities for companies across various industries.\n\nKey insights:\n\nAccording to our Digital Twin Market Report 2023–2027, the digital twin market is expanding, with a projected CAGR of 30% between 2023 and 2027.\n\n29% of global manufacturing companies have either fully or partially implemented their digital twin strategies. Further, job posts related to digital twins have increased by 11% compared to October 2021, while openings for other tech topics have declined in the same timeframe.\n\nThe report notes eight notable trends helping to advance and promote digital twins, four of which are discussed in this article.\n\nDigital twin market snapshot\n\nData from our Digital Twin Market Report 2023–2027 indicates that 29% of global manufacturing companies have either fully or partially implemented their digital twin strategies, marking a noticeable increase from 20% in 2020. Moreover, the proportion of these companies not contemplating the implementation of digital twins appears to have reduced to 9% in 2023, down from 33.6% in 2020.\n\nSupporting this trend, an analysis of job postings on SimplyHired suggests a growing demand for digital twin expertise. Postings mentioning “digital twin” increased by 11% in October 2023 compared to just two years prior, while openings for most other tech topics declined in the same timeframe. Notably, among the 60 tech-related skill sets we tracked, digital twin-related skills experienced one of the most significant growths.\n\nBased on these observations and additional insights from our report, our current projection estimates that the global digital twin market could grow at a CAGR of approximately 30% between 2023 and 2027.\n\nAgainst the backdrop of this growing market, the report notes eight trends that help promote the advancement and adoption of digital twins. Here, we will focus on four:\n\n1. Digital twins deployed to meet sustainability goals\n\n2. Digital twins employed as virtual sensors in complex conditions\n\n3. Partnerships between cloud hyperscalers and OT and simulation specialists\n\n4. Initiatives promoting interoperability of digital twins across multifaceted systems\n\nBefore we dive into these trends, and to provide context, it is helpful to understand how IoT Analytics defines digital twins and the digital twin market.\n\nDefining digital twins and the digital twin market\n\nIn our March 2023 Decoding Digital Twins article, we define digital twins as a virtual model replicating the behavior of an existing or a potential real-world asset, system, or multiple systems. This definition captures a macro concept of digital twins, but our report and previous article present a three-dimensional, cuboid model to help classify digital twins so apple-to-apple comparisons can be made. Each axis of the cuboid represents one dimension of a digital twin:\n\n1. Life cycle phase: The X-axis represents the six life cycle phases a digital twin is used for, from design to decommissioning.\n\n2. Hierarchical levels: The Y-axis represents a digital twin’s five hierarchical levels, from information to multi-system.\n\n3. Use/purpose of implementation: The Z-axis represents the seven most common uses for digital twins, such as simulation and prediction.\n\nBased on this model, there are 210 potential combinations (5 x 6 x 7 = 210); however, our research indicates that many digital twin initiatives are tailored to multiple combinations.\n\nIn terms of the digital twin market, our market model only considers software spending for digital twins, which we break into two scopes:\n\nBroad digital twin market – includes the revenue for all software solutions that provide capabilities that are used for digital twins, such as solutions that integrate data sources into a digital twin and are capable of simulation, visualization, and predictions\n\n– includes the revenue for all software solutions that provide capabilities that are used for digital twins, such as solutions that integrate data sources into a digital twin and are capable of simulation, visualization, and predictions Narrow digital twin market – only considers spending for digital twin-specific software, such as software intended to model the digital twin data\n\nThough hardware and services related to digital twins can bolster the capabilities of digital twin software, we only view them as supporting services for the software, and we do not consider them in our digital twin market model. That said, this ability to bolster capabilities means they can aid digital twin market growth, as shown in some of the trends below.\n\nDigital twin market trends\n\nWe will now look at four trends helping digital twin market growth.\n\nTrend 1: Digital twins deployed to meet sustainability goals\n\nSustainability was discussed in approximately 21% of recent CEO earnings calls and has remained a consistent topic throughout 2023. This pairs with our report’s analysis that the pursuit of sustainability goals is a tailwind macro factor for the digital twin market.\n\nTo achieve their sustainability goals, many companies are exploring digital twins. Due to their ability to simulate real-world conditions and deliver real-time information, organizations can optimize resource usage, reducing carbon emissions and improving supply and transportation networks.\n\nAccording to Capgemini Research Institute’s 2022 digital twins report, 57% of organizations agreed that one of the key drivers for their digital twin investments was improving their sustainability, and 51% agreed that digital twins would help achieve their organization’s environmental sustainability goals.\n\nIn our report, a former VP at an industrial automation vendor shared, “Digital solutions provide the visibility, analysis, and insight needed to address the challenges inherent in sustainability goals. A digital twin strategy as part of an overall digitalization plan can be a crucial capability for asset-intensive industries and needs to encompass the entire asset lifecycle, process, and value chain from design and operations through maintenance and strategic business planning.”\n\nExample: Aden, a Chinese integrated facility service provider, created a digital twin for one of its commercial centers in Chengdu, China. The digital twin was designed to help facility managers inspect, maintain, and repair building assets. 3D simulations assist facility managers in visualizing, predicting, and optimizing energy consumption, and the expected benefits include lower annual energy consumption, water usage, and waste.\n\nTrend 2: Digital twins employed as virtual sensors in complex conditions\n\nVirtual sensors approximate data that otherwise cannot be obtained via physical sensors, often due to physical sensors being impractical, costly, or hazardous to employ. Companies are now building digital twins to model hardware and calculate data based on other conditions. This not only allows the collection of data from complex equipment but also enables operators to track equipment performance and predict maintenance and downtimes.\n\nExample: In large motor applications, such as room-sized motors that pump high volumes of gas, oil, or other chemicals, operators need to monitor the motors’ temperatures—especially if the motors are high-powered and repeatedly started. If a motor is too hot during a restart, the components could cause serious damage. Unfortunately, using a direct, physical sensor within a motor is often impractical, and operators must work from an assumptive time it takes for the motor to cool (with an additional safety buffer time). This means motors can be down longer than necessary, impacting efficiency and revenue.\n\nTo address this issue, Siemens developed a prototype virtual sensor based on a digital twin. It offers a simulation of how a physical sensor would operate if it were possible to install it within a motor. Using AR headsets, operators can see a simulation of the motor and its interior with a demonstrator superimposed over it, and they can see the motor’s temperature.\n\nTrend 3: Partnerships forged in the clouds: Hyperscalers team up with OT and simulation specialists\n\nIn the last few years, cloud hyperscalers like AWS and Microsoft Azure have introduced digital twin platforms, e.g., AWS IoT TwinMaker and Azure Digital Twins, that allow for interconnecting various data sources and building digital twin topology. However, these companies realize they cannot deliver end-to-end digital twin solutions by themselves and are thus partnering with OT and simulation companies to add capabilities to their networks.\n\nHyperscalers and OT companies\n\nOT companies provide industrial data management capabilities and connections to millions of local physical assets. By partnering with hyperscalers, OT companies can reach broader audiences looking for digital transformation solutions by offering typical cloud benefits like storage and computation power.\n\nExample: In 2021, Siemens and AWS announced an expansion of their partnership, with digital twin technology being an area of focus. The companies aimed to accelerate Siemens Xcelerator adoption and democratize new digital twin solutions using AWS IoT TwinMaker, a service intended to make creating digital twins that incorporate multiple data sources faster and easier.\n\nHyperscalers and simulation companies\n\nSimulation companies bring specialized expertise in creating accurate, high-fidelity models of physical entities, be it machinery, buildings, or entire ecosystems. By partnering with a hyperscaler, simulation companies can harness these cloud services’ data storage and computational power to create more robust, responsive, and accurate data twins that can be scaled and integrated seamlessly into broader IT ecosystems.\n\nExample: In 2023, Ansys and Microsoft announced a partnership to help customers envision digital twins on a large scale. In cooperation with Tata Consultancy Services, Ansys and Microsoft integrated Ansys’s Twin Builder’s physics-based simulation capabilities with Azure Digital Twin and IoT data to allow Twin Builder users to run scenarios and obtain predictions on how their systems will behave.\n\nTrend 4: Initiatives promoting interoperability of digital twins across systems from different vendors\n\nAgreement on integration standards among the various digital twin technology providers is crucial for building cross-system digital twins. With standards, manufacturers can offer services that can be applied to unique situations with other digital twin technology and software.\n\nRecognizing this, countries and industry organizations have taken several steps to address this need:\n\nPlattform Industrie 4.0 and CESMII\n\nPlattform Industrie 4.0 and the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) partnered to establish standards for manufacturers in Germany and the United States to better enable smart, sustainable competition. The partnership addressed similar challenges related to Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing.\n\nDTC digital twin interoperability framework\n\nThe Digital Twin Consortium (DTC), a collaborative partnership of industry, academia, and government experts, released the Digital Twin System Interoperability Framework to “unify a nascent ecosystem of high-value, multi-vendor services that can seamlessly ‘plug into’ a multi-dimensional, interoperable system of systems.”\n\nDTC and IDTA collaboration\n\nDTC and the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) announced a liaison agreement to collaborate on standardization requirements, enabling interoperability through discussions, aligning work in horizontal domains, and collaborating on open-source projects, contributions, and reference implementations.\n\nDTC and OPC Foundation collaboration\n\nDTC and the OPC Foundation announced a liaison agreement to “accelerate the development and adoption of digital twin-enabling technologies,” promoting interoperability standards and processes to advance the use of digital twins in manufacturing across multiple industries.\n\nConsiderations for digital twin vendors\n\n3 questions digital twin vendors should ask themselves based on research findings discussed in this article:\n\n1. Sustainability goals: Given the emphasis on sustainability and the role of digital twins in achieving it, is my company’s digital twin solution well-equipped to support sustainability objectives? Are there new features we need to develop?\n\n2. Interoperability: Is our digital twin solution currently designed to be interoperable with other systems and technologies, especially those from different vendors?\n\n3. Product development: How aligned is our product development roadmap with the emerging trends highlighted in the report, especially around end-user and technological advancements?\n\nConsiderations for adopters\n\n3 questions adopters should ask themselves based on research findings discussed in this article:\n\n1. Infrastructure readiness: Do we have the necessary infrastructure and resources in place to support the deployment and effective use of digital twins? If not, what investments are required?\n\n2. Data integration: How compatible are our current data sources and systems with digital twin technologies, especially in terms of sensor data (both physical and virtual/soft)?\n\n3. Interoperability concerns: As we use multiple software solutions across our operations, how important is interoperability between digital twin technologies and our existing systems?", + "In 2021, Quentin Tarantino defended his intention to make “just” 10 movies and retire, saying, “I know film history, and from here on in, directors do not get better.” That view of both artistry and film is squarely at odds with Martin Scorsese’s historic body of work. Scorsese had already made his 10th feature-length narrative film by 1986. He is now 80 years old, and his 27th, Killers of the Flower Moon, is a strong argument that directors are still capable of groundbreaking greatness late in life — and in Scorsese’s case, continued exhilarating experimentation and discovery.\n\nSince the year 2000, Scorsese has curated a 23-year career within a career, and the quality and variety of his films have come not in spite of his age and experience, but because of it. His movies have never been more relevant than they became during the past two decades. With each subsequent release, as his career winds down, critical appreciation for him grows. Scorsese worship is the one remaining form of gerontocracy America is perfectly content with, and with good reason.\n\nIn the 21st century alone, Scorsese has made nine feature-length narrative films: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, Hugo, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman, and now, Killers of the Flower Moon. His stretch from 1976’s Taxi Driver through 1990’s Goodfellas is still his peak run, the films that defined his style and his perspective. But decades from now, the nine features he’s made since 2000 won’t be looked back on as half-baked, indulgent afterthoughts from a diminished artist who lost his fastball, a fate some great auteurs suffer in old age. Instead, it’s a fertile, vital body of work, virtuosic in entirely new ways, and as important in contextualizing his greatness as all the incredible work that preceded it.\n\nOld classics\n\nSome of those nine movies are long-gestating bucket-list triumphs revisiting the pet subjects that defined Scorsese’s oeuvre in the 20th century, often directly commenting on work from the front half of his career. 2002’s Gangs of New York, about how organized crime was woven into the operation of Scorsese’s native city from its inception, is a prequel (or ancestor) to his classics Goodfellas and Casino. 2019’s The Irishman, about a man aging and dying with his guilt and sins unresolved at the end of a life of crime, is intended as a bookend to his crime trilogy with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. 2016’s Silence is in conversation with, if not a synthesis of, the ideas explored in The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun; all three are searching, anti-commercial religious films Scorsese struggled for years to get made.\n\nIn all Scorsese’s late-period films (along with the passel of rock documentaries he’s made during this era, including his two on Bob Dylan and one on George Harrison), Scorsese is consciously returning to certain pet subjects and periods in his work — not to repeat himself, but to revise and add greater perspective. There’s a sense that he’s trying to adjust his positions with the clear eye of an older person who has seen more of the world, dropped his pretensions, and lost his capacity for bullshit. His later films return to his old themes and obsessions, but in the process, they’ve become more contemplative.\n\nNew tricks\n\nThis era has included some radical departures for Scorsese as well. 2004’s The Aviator is his most conventional movie to date, the most traditional, Oscar-baity, Old Hollywood biography he’s made. It’s best understood as a director-for-hire palate-cleanser after Scorsese completed the odyssey of making the perpetually troubled Gangs of New York. 2010’s Shutter Island is horror and suspense, an expert exercise in pure genre, part Hammer Films and part Alfred Hitchcock. It also contains some of the most inventive, moving, and painterly visuals he’s ever committed to film.\n\nAnd 2011’s Hugo is perhaps the hardest Scorsese film to imagine a younger Scorsese making. It’s a 3D Robert Zemeckis-style family film that’s also about the end of life and about immortality in art. Scorsese made the film as a love letter to Georges Méliès, Harold Lloyd, and his own then-12-year-old daughter, Francesca. It’s a project seemingly designed to remind fathers of all the times they tried to introduce their kids to their favorite old films. Hugo is explicitly about Scorsese’s legendary cinephilia in a way his films that came before it are not, and it’s sentimental in a way his work has never been before or since.\n\nNew life\n\n2002’s Gangs of New York was the final product of an interesting but ultimately flawed compromise between Scorsese and producer Harvey Weinstein. But the film retains significance because it’s the beginning of the defining relationship in this portion of Scorsese’s career, with Leonardo DiCaprio. It was a symbiotic partnership that elevated both men: the industry outsider who needed a safe box-office bet to finally get his epic, expensive dream projects financed, and the teen heartthrob who needed an auteur with arthouse gravitas to take him seriously so the industry would.\n\nTo date, the project has been wildly successful, producing six films over 21 years. The first five (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street) are Scorsese’s top five highest-grossing films, with the box office for Killers incoming. Over the years, the Scorsese-DiCaprio team-up has served as a true creative marriage. The two men now share a manager in Rick Yorn, the man responsible for discovering DiCaprio. It’s evidence DiCaprio hasn’t “just” been a muse and face on the posters; he’s had a say in deciding what projects Scorsese has taken on, and has even made significant decisions in shaping Scorsese’s stories. (Scorsese entirely reimagined Killers of the Flower Moon after DiCaprio offered notes on an early draft of the script, including shifting focus to a different main character and moving DiCaprio into that role.)\n\nFor certain older filmmakers — say, Clint Eastwood — aging has meant settling for more routine and less challenging stories and shots, on a tight production schedule. Scorsese went in the other direction. From the outside, The Departed appears to be a cynical, domestic remake of a Hong Kong cops-and-robbers shootout. But Scorsese makes it his own and breathes bizarre life and energy into it. It contains the continuity errors, quick cutting, both rhythmic and arrhythmic needle bombs, and goofball humor his movies hadn’t featured since Goodfellas. That film essentially birthed an entire genre of filmic language, but The Departed goes a step beyond the original. It was constantly being rewritten and adjusted with the actors on the fly. The result was exhilarating seat-of-the-pants filmmaking that Scorsese and his longtime creative partner, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, wrangled into a coherent film.\n\nScorsese brought this cokey, maximalist energy to The Wolf of Wall Street, a pointed comedy as wildly, masterfully off the rails and improvisational as anything he’s ever done. (Jonah Hill perhaps smuggled in a touch of Judd Apatow’s “Keep the camera rolling” ethos.) You can feel a healthy dose of Scorsese’s established-filmmaker confidence (and a touch of “Eh, why not? Fuck it!” thinking) as DiCaprio’s Ferrari changes color mid-narration during a highway blowjob, and when DiCaprio addresses the camera directly, urging the audience not to worry about specific plot points. It’s an absolute miracle Scorsese and Schoonmaker manage to produce a masterpiece out of the chaotic pieces of this production process (again in post, with ample voice-over). Everyone is letting loose, and to hear the actors and the director describe the shoot after the fact, it takes on something of a religious quality, with Scorsese as the wrinkled shaman handing out the peyote.\n\nWhat grounds it is the framing. Scorsese is telling us a familiar story we’ve come to expect from him, about criminals and the pleasure they take in committing crimes and reaping the benefits. The brilliance is the way he mines filmgoers’ long relationship with his work, repurposing the style and tone of his gangster classics and inserting it into the world of finance. As he’s done effectively since Casino, Scorsese weaponizes postmodernism, using viewers’ presumed existing familiarity with his films as context. You don’t get the full gale force of this film, its pleasures and its overarching point, without Scorsese reaching back to his past work, and relying on viewers to recognize his voice in the storytelling.\n\nKillers of the Flower Moon\n\nKillers of the Flower Moon is perhaps most closely related to The Aviator as a film that appears to be a recognizable, industry-friendly form of awards-season prestige. It’s also a return to Scorsese’s core themes and characters. It’s another cast of avarice-fueled, violent white American dumbasses gaining ill-gotten wealth and making the country incrementally worse. It’s again about those men failing up, consolidating power, and shading the country more evil.\n\nKillers adapts a major literary work of historical true crime from a New Yorker writer. The book delves into an obscure but monstrous historical incident that is a cosmic truth in miniature, an evil that speaks to the heart of the entire dark American project. On screen, it’s Scorsese’s first true Western, filled with gorgeous vistas and Oklahoma horizons that would bring a tear to the eye of John Ford, one of Scorsese’s many idols.\n\nBut the film is much stranger than it sounds on paper. Scorsese’s take on the material largely operates outside the text, centering the story on a peripheral character we know little about from David Grann’s book. Miraculously, the film also has its funny elements, incorporating The Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street’s nervy energy, featuring long and zany improvisational exchanges on grim subject matter, sudden wild swings in tone, and one major decision that should spark more debate and differences of opinion than any narrative device Scorsese has ever employed. It’s a suspenseful, moving film with many brilliant parts.\n\nKillers is a classic Scorsese Catholic reckoning. This time, the director is concerned with white supremacy and systemic racism, full of unsparing and punishing conclusions and self recriminations in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the 2020 protests. (In a press conference on Oct. 16, Scorsese described the film as “a story of complicity, a story of sin by omission.”)\n\nScorsese is expressing guilt and culpability as a beneficiary of this inequality. In the movie’s closing minutes, he literally puts himself squarely in the frame. That’s a level of awareness that goes beyond the introverted morality plays he grappled with earlier in his career: It’s a mature framing of the individual, and the responsibilities we have toward one another, on a societal scale.\n\nIn a charitable light, adding himself to the movie as the voice of its final reckoning is a bold statement of accountability. In an uncharitable light, it plays as performative, as an older relative getting worked up over a police brutality Facebook post. It’s too early to decide how this film tags into our present historical moment, or how it will be remembered. We all have many viewings of and conversations about Killers of the Flower Moon ahead of us.\n\nA true master\n\nThis century has seen Scorsese zigging and zagging as always, but because he’s following his own varied interests, not because he’s moving from compromise to compromise, as he once had to in order to continue working. An artist who spent the first 30 years of his career desperate for autonomy finally got it, and now he’s taking full advantage: telling difficult stories, setting his own mega-budgets, and demanding every minute of run time he feels each picture demands.\n\nHe’s used this autonomy to revisit his work and revise the record, creating great new films as well as adding crucial addendums to past work. He’s blazing new trails and adding new layers to his style. Remarkably, getting the control that eluded him when he was younger has made his films more consistently collaborative and creative, more fluid and alive than he was often allowed to be prior to the 2000s. He has the earned confidence of an artist who has spent a lifetime in film and knows he’ll be able to find something great in post. His late period has only added to his legend. That should give Tarantino cause to reconsider — alongside any artist or critic who thinks the creative spark has an expiration date.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. 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Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nMartin Scorsese has put his knowledge of internet slang to the test in a new TikTok challenge posted by none other than his daughter, Francesca Scorsese.\n\nIn a TikTok posted by Francesca on Thursday 5 October, the father-daughter duo appeared on camera while the legendary director’s daughter explained that she was going to quiz him on popular internet slang. “I’m going to ask you to guess what specific slang terms mean,” Francesca told her father, 80.\n\n“You’re going to tell me the slang word and I have to give you what I think it means,” Scorsese chimed in, in classic style.\n\nThe first - and arguably most important - internet slang word that Francesca quizzed her father on was “tea”, as she gave the example: “I’m going to spill the tea.”\n\nThe Killers of the Flower Moon director shouted out his answer: “That means you’re gonna tell all you know.”\n\nFrancesca’s face then lit up with shock after her father guessed the internet slang term somewhat correctly, and a green check mark emoji appeared over their heads.\n\nThe next term she gave her father was “ick” and added the example: “He clapped when the plane landed and that gave me the ick.”\n\n“You were thoroughly repulsed by it,” Scorsese answered correctly, causing his daughter to burst out in laughter.\n\nThe third slang was “sneaky link” - a term used when someone is going to discreetly meet up with their romantic interest. “These are our personal peccadillos that you may have,” he said. “Things that you don’t want other people to know about, or just people close to you or something like that.”\n\nWhen Francesca explained to her father that the term “sneaky link” is similar to a “booty call”, the Goodfellas director’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh, really? We never use that, we never saw specific people in my day,” he replied, before curtly asking his daughter in his signature Italian-American accent: “What else you got?”\n\nFor the phrase “hits different”, his daughter fittingly used a film reference to explain what the term means to her dad. “Watching a movie in 70 mm film hits different,” she said.\n\n“It’s an easy one. You perceive it in a totally different way,” Scorsese responded. “It’s another perspective of the image, so to speak, and the effect the film has on the audience.”\n\n“Like, it’s much better,” she corrected. “Hits different, like: ‘Oh, this is amazing.”\n\nWhile the Wolf of Wall Street director answered the term “slept on” incorrectly, his reasoning for the definition wasn’t totally inaccurate. “I was thinking about some stuff so I slept on it,” Scorsese said. However, Francesca then used the slang word in terms that only Scorsese could understand.\n\n“King of Comedy was slept on,” she added, referring to her father’s 1983 film starring Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy received mostly positive reviews from critics when it was released, but it was a flop at the box office.\n\n“People hated it when it came out,” he corrected himself, before turning his gaze towards the camera. “It was the flop of the year, that’s what it was called on Entertainment Tonight, New Year’s Eve ‘83 to ‘84. It’s okay, it’s alright.”\n\nThe father-daughter duo continued on with the term “ate”, as Francesca used an example from Scorsese’s upcoming film: “Lily Gladstone ate in Killers of the Flower Moon.” Although he took the term “ate” very literally by initially saying, “Consumed the screen”, Scorsese eventually came up with the simple answer: “Ruled.”\n\nFor the slang term “no cap”, Scorsese instantly answered it correctly as “no lying”. However, he then asked his daughter in classic dad fashion: “How many more of these?”\n\nWhen it came to the internet slang “ship”, the Taxi Driver director wasted no time in replying: “A ship is a boat.” Francesca aided her father with the example, “I ship you and mom,” but he still didn’t seem to understand the phrase. “Take us around somewhere?”\n\nThe next term was “simp” - meaning someone who displays excessive affection in a relationship - but Scorsese decided to come up with his own definition: “Sympathise, a simpy person. A person who’s whining all the time, they’re simps.”\n\n“Simp used to mean a wimpy person, a person who’s always complaining and stuff like that,” he added. “I do that a lot, complain a lot.”\n\nFor the term “throw shade”, Scorsese immediately understood what it meant after his daughter gave the film-themed example: “That critic threw so much shade.” He was also quick to answer the slang “slaps” when Francesca said: “This dessert slaps.”\n\n“Obviously, it’s good,” he replied.\n\nThe final internet slang Francesca gave her famous father was none other than the term, “slay”.\n\n“This video slays. We slayed in this video” she gave the example, as the Gangs of New York director answered: “That means it’s really good?”\n\nSince it was posted on Thursday, Francesca’s video of her father guessing popular slang terms has been viewed one million times on TikTok. Not only were people in the comments section shocked to see the legendary director on their screens, but they were also stunned that he managed to guess many of the terms correctly.\n\n“Can’t believe we live in a world where I get to watch Martin Scorsese become familiar with the term sneaky link. Blessings,” read one comment.\n\n“I cannot believe I exist in a timeline where I can watch Martin Scorsese film TikToks,” another said.\n\n“I can’t believe I’m watching one of the greatest filmmakers of our lifetime be quizzed by his daughter about teen slang lol,” a third user wrote, while someone else said: “Gonna describe sneaky links as personal picadillos from now on.”\n\nThis isn’t the first time Scorsese has made a special appearance in one of his daughter’s TikTok videos. In April 2021, Francesca went viral when she asked her father to identify “feminine products”, such as an eyelash curler, bobby pins, a hair donut and nipple pasties.", + "Crossover boxing matches are all the rage these days. Until a few days ago, the phenomenon was limited to influencers and MMA stars. But after a recent quarrel on X (formerly Twitter) between Conor McGregor and Canelo Alvarez, a potential crossover boxing match has the boxing world buzzing with excitement. If the fight were to turn into a reality, it could help ‘Cinnamon’ get closer to his former rival Floyd Mayweather in terms of net worth.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nThe talks of Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather began with a tweet that launched a fiery exchange of words between these two mammoths of combat sports. The brash and confident ‘Notorious’ McGregor turned to X, praising Mayweather’s 2013 performance against Canelo. But he also boasted about landing more punches on ‘Money’ Mayweather than the Mexican superstar. Canelo quickly retorted, asserting he would need only one hand to make quick work of McGregor. Later, the banter further escalated, bringing a potential fight in the picture.\n\nCanelo Alvarez’s earnings and Floyd Mayweather’s influence\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nCanelo Alvarez reached his career high by becoming the first boxer to become the undisputed champion at super-middleweight by holding onto the WBA Super, WBC, and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles since 2020, and the IBF nd WBO titles since 2021. Meanwhile, his pockets became deeper and deeper, to the point that Canelo boasts a $180 million net worth in 2023. The most significant addition to his bank balance came when he signed a lucrative $365 million deal with DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions.\n\nvia Imago RECORD DATE NOT STATED Saul -Canelo- Alvarez MEX vs Jermell Charlo USA – Weigh-in ceremony Saul -Canelo- Alvarez MEX during the weigh-in ceremony prior to the Boxing fight against Jermell Charlo USA, at the T-Mobile Arena Explanade on September 29, 2023. brbr Saul -Canelo- Alvarez MEX durante la ceremonia de pesaje previo a la pelea de Box contra Jermell Charlo USA, en la Explanada del Arena T-Mobile el 29 de septiembre de 2023. LAS VEGAS NEVADA ESTADOS UNIDOS PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxMEXxCHNxRUS Copyright: xDavidxLeahx 20230929183529_BOX_2023_ALV_CHA_WEIGH_ALVAREZ44.\n\nFurthermore, Canelo and McGregor’s careers are intertwined with the legendary Floyd Mayweather. ‘Money’ faced both fighters at one point or the other, leaving each with a boxing lesson. When Mayweather defeated Canelo, it pushed him to hone his skills while starting a lifelong rivalry. On the other hand, McGregor made his boxing debut against Mayweather, losing the fight but leaving with a fat stack.\n\nImplications of a fight between Canelo Alvarez and Conor McGregor\n\nThe excitement and allure of two mammoths of combat sports getting in the ring to pummel each other to the brink of their endurance is undeniable. Not to mention, the fight will leave either party significantly wealthier than before. A potential clash between Saul Canelo Alvarez and the ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor would not just be a dream come true for fans everywhere. It would also be a money magnet that would funnel income from a variety of channels.\n\nA few of those lucrative channels of income would be revenue from pay-per-view sales, live gate revenue, merchandise sales from either party and various promotional events from the fight. What’s more, if anyone wondered if people would want to watch the fight. The attention it has gathered in the small span of their X (Twitter) feud should be evidence enough. Not to mention, both fighters command a massive fan base, counted in millions across the globe.\n\nCanelo Alvarez and McGregor’s history of massive purses\n\nIf Canelo’s PPV pull was ever in question, his history of fight purses should convince everyone. Stepping back in time, Canelo’s fight with Mayweather collected 2.2 million pay-per-view buys. His 2017 bout against Julio César Chávez Jr. collected 1 million PPV buys. Canelo’s first battle with Gennady Golovkin gathered 1.3 million PPV sales. In his most recent battle against Jermell Charlo, the fight collected 700K PPV sales. These were just to name a few; over the years, Canelo has fought in increasingly profitable bouts.\n\nOn the other hand, Conor McGregor has created his own history in MMA as well as boxing. First of all, McGregor’s fight against Mayweather generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys. His second fight against Dustin Poirier collected 1.6 million buys. The infamous fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov saw 2.4 million PPV sales. And lastly, his second fight against Nate Diaz collected 1.65 million PPV buys. If these numbers are any evidence, a Canelo vs. McGregor clash would break all their previous records by a mile.\n\nA substantial step toward Mayweather’s net worth/Billionaire status\n\nIt’s no secret that Floyd Mayweather is the richest boxer in the world. The legendary undefeated boxer boasts a staggering net worth of $450 million. It makes the retired boxer the richest personality in boxing to ever exist. Despite retiring from the sport, he occasionally fights in exhibition matches, generating millions each time. In addition, Floyd has made over a billion dollars in the span of his career.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nvia Getty LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 29: Floyd Mayweather Jr. attends a game between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Liberty 98-81. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)\n\nHowever, despite Floyd’s massive net worth, Canelo has inched closer to Floyd’s billionaire status over the years. If Canelo vs. McGregor ever manages to materialize, it could help Canelo take a significant leap to Mayweather’s net worth. The financial windfall from such a humongous clash would be substantial, driving him closer to Mayweather’s level of wealth. If Canelo’s past earnings are any evidence, this fight will be bigger than ever before. Canelo’s biggest fight to date is $45 million from the third encounter with Golovkin. So, a fight with McGregor could earn him anywhere from $55 to $60 million, adding to his $180 million. Meaning his total net worth would jump up to $240 million.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWhile matching Floyd’s net worth is no easy feat, if anyone can do it – it’s Canelo Alvarez. However, only time will tell if the fight can ever materialize. In case it does, it will be a spectacle the whole world would come together to witness. Do you think McGregor vs. Canelo can happen? Who would win the fight?\n\nWatch This Story: Here’s How $200,000,000 Worth Canelo Alvarez Spent His First Ever Million", + "X plans to use payment, phone and ID verification to stop bots, in addition to the new $1/yr fee\n\nIt’s official: X is charging users to use its service — a move X owner Elon Musk said would help the company combat bots and spam, something he’s repeatedly complained about even before acquiring the social network. But while critics, including WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg, have suggested that fees alone will not stymie the efforts of determined spammers, an X engineer took to the platform to explain that the nominal $1 per year fee was not the only tool X planned to use to deal with its bot problem. Instead, it’s only one piece of a broader plan to stop bots that may also include payment, phone and ID verification, in addition to traditional bot-catching methods involving heuristics.\n\nOn X, director of engineering Eric Farraro wrote, “I’ve read a lot of cynical takes about the $1 ‘Not a Bot’ feature and the verification program in general.” He said he understood the skepticism but noted that, in a matter of years, AI will be able to mimic human interactions by doing things like solving CAPTCHAs and generating photos and videos that will be “undetectable by human or AI countermeasures.” That means current methods of catching bots will need to evolve.\n\n“If you can avoid getting identified as a bot, why can’t an intelligent AI do the same?,” Farraro asked.\n\nI've read a lot of cynical takes about the $1 'Not a Bot' feature and the verification program in general. I understand why people are skeptical, but consider a thought experiment: Are you sophisticated enough to evade X's bot detection? The answer is of course, yes, because… — Eric Farraro (@EFarraro) October 18, 2023\n\nHowever, critics have pointed out that a small fee like $1 or even $8 won’t stop all bots. For instance, Mullenweg argued that spammers buy domains to use at a cost that’s “usually a lot more than a dollar per year,” and that “millions are used for spam or nefarious purposes.” In addition, he said spammers may also use stolen credit cards and identities to conduct their transactions.\n\n“Charging may cause a short-term drop in bots while the bad guys update their scripts, but the value of manipulating X/Twitter is so high I imagine there is already millions of dollars being spent on it,” Mullenweg wrote on his blog.\n\nFarraro seemed to largely agree with this assessment, admitting that X’s goal was “to make it difficult and expensive enough that it’s less and less viable,” as opposed to stopping the bot problem outright. “Right now, the cost to have a human or script create accounts is pennies. Increasing the cost to even $1 starts to make this process much more expensive,” he explained. But, he added, fees were not the only tool X planned to use.\n\n“At X, we’re exploring using payment & phone verification, as well as ID verification, as part of a larger strategy to fight bots. We of course use more traditional heuristics and models to detect fake accounts [and] engagement on the platform. These two things are not mutually exclusive,” Farraro said, concluding that other networks would likely follow suit in the years ahead.\n\nHis statements mirrored comments recently made by Elon Musk, who said X would be “moving to a small monthly payment” for use of the X system. “It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he remarked during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, which had largely focused on AI tech, regulation and hate speech in the wake of Musk’s recent spat with the Anti-Defamation League, which had accused both Musk and X of being antisemitic.\n\n“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny — call it a tenth of a penny — but even if it has to pay…a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high,” Musk said at the time. Plus, every time a bot creator wanted to make another bot, they would need another new payment method, he explained. Today, he added that the fee “won’t stop bots completely, but it will be 1000x harder to manipulate the platform.”\n\nCorrect, read for free, but $1/year to write. It’s the only way to fight bots without blocking real users. This won’t stop bots completely, but it will be 1000X harder to manipulate the platform. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 18, 2023\n\nThe plan to charge X new users $1 per year, currently only live in test markets of New Zealand and the Philippines, is the latest significant change to the network formerly known as Twitter since its acquisition by Elon Musk, who has revamped its subscription offering, refocused efforts on supporting creators and rebranded the network as “X,” as part of his broader plan to turn the social network into an everything app encompassing text, live and recorded, audio and video calling, payments and more.\n\nHowever, the timing of the bot-countering measure comes at a time when X is facing more competition than ever before. As Musk’s chaotic product and policy changes have taken root, some X users abandoned the platform for rivals or decreased their posting. A report this week from market intelligence firm Similarweb, for example, found that X’s web traffic and monthly active users on mobile had declined post-acquisition.\n\nUsers today have far more options for microblogging and public discourse, thanks to products from Twitter-like startups and tech companies such as Spill, Bluesky, Pebble, Countersocial, Spoutible, Hive and the open source platform Mastodon, as well as efforts from tech giants, like Meta’s new app Threads. Few of the other social apps currently charge a fee, unless it’s for premium features, like some of the third-party Mastodon apps do.\n\nIn addition to presenting friction at sign-up, other critics have argued a fee could exclude genuine users and increase the digital divide.\n\n“Even the differences in the cost of living in the Philippines and New Zealand, the ability to afford $1 is not the same in the two countries,” said Aditya Vashistha, an assistant professor of information science at Cornell University, who studies computing systems in the Global South. “Even if the rationale behind creating a paywall is right, such policies would broaden the digital divide, making it difficult for people in the Philippines to be part of a global community on X compared to those in New Zealand,” he said.\n\nStill, the idea of charging users a small fee to use a social platform is not a new idea. WhatsApp for years charged users a $1 annual fee up until 2016, as a means of monetization ahead of its creation of commercial services.\n\nGiven that X’s current tests are only an experiment, it’s not clear that the $1 fee will be a permanent requirement when the new subscription policy rolls out more broadly to other markets.", + "With Amo, the founder of Zenly wants to make social apps social again The startup raised $20 million and is launching ID today\n\nIn 2018, I wrote a TechCrunch article stating that 2018 was “the year social networks were no longer social.” Reflecting on that article, I’m not sure that 2018 was the turning point. But the premise of the article still holds up well.\n\nAt some point, social networks were no longer about connecting with your closest friends, keeping up with long-distance family members and feeling a special connection with people you love.\n\nTikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) are all slowly evolving to become the same infinite scrollable feed of algorithm-optimized short videos from top performers.\n\nAnd it turns out that I’m not the only one who has noticed that social networks have been slowly drifting away from their original purpose. Amo, a small team based in Paris, has been working for the better part of 2023 on a brand new social app called ID.\n\nID is a social app launching today on iOS that lets you connect with your friends in a creative way. In many ways, it feels like the early days of blogs, Myspace’s highly-personalized profile pages and the golden era of Tumblr.\n\nBut first, some context about Amo. There’s a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding Amo’s launch, as the company has been co-founded by Antoine Martin, who was the co-founder of Zenly with Alexis Bonillo. Zenly was a popular social app focused on location sharing that encouraged you to spend more time with your friends and discover new places.\n\nSnap spent more than $200 million to acquire Zenly and kept the same team to iterate on it, as a separate app. Under Snap’s ownership, Zenly became one of Europe’s biggest social apps of all time. At its peak the company had 18 million different users opening the app every day.\n\nAnd then… it disappeared.\n\nAs part of Snap’s cost-cutting efforts, the company decided to shut down Zenly altogether. From what I’ve heard, this move even triggered discussions between French politicians at the highest level and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.\n\nMany key members of the Zenly team are now working at Amo. In fact, there are 10 co-founders. In addition to Martin, Corentin Kerisit, Michael Goldenstein, Claire Pluvinage, Charly Delaroche, Julien Martin, Quentin Perez, Nicolas Fallourd, Alexis Druon and Jean-Baptiste Dalido are all Amo co-founders and all former Zenly people.\n\nThe second reason Amo’s launch is highly anticipated is that the startup closed a $20 million (€18 million) funding round in February or March at a valuation around €100 million with New Wave leading the round, and Coatue and DST Global Partners also participating. There are also 80 angel investors on Amo’s cap table.\n\nThis is a highly unusual funding round, as it happened in 2023 (during a VC funding downturn), Amo is a mobile consumer startup (no source of revenue for now) and the startup didn’t have any product out there.\n\nAn empty canvas\n\nIn 2010, Jürgen Schweizer from Cultured Code, the company behind personal task management app Things, wrote a blog post shortly after Steve Jobs introduced the original iPad. In that post, he compared the iPad to an empty canvas.\n\n“If you want to understand what makes the iPad special, you cannot look at what it has, but what it doesn’t have. The iPad is so thin and light, it becomes the display, and the display becomes the application. No input devices. The device vanishes and turns into the application you are using. The technology is transparent,” Schweizer wrote.\n\nAnd this analogy applies particularly well to ID and Amo’s work as well. There are many things that you can do with ID. There are also many things that we take for granted in a social app that simply aren’t there.\n\nID is an empty canvas paired with creative tools that help you express yourself. You can use it to create a profile that perfectly describes your interests in a visual manner. But there’s a social twist as you can both see your friends’ profiles and add things to their own profiles.\n\nWhen you first create your profile on ID, you get an empty whiteboard that is waiting for content. You can fill it yourself in four different ways.\n\nYou can add stickers from your sticker library (more on that later), you can grab content from your photo library, you can write text or you can draw. When you choose a photo, ID automatically creates a cut-out of the main object or subject in the photo using PhotoRoom’s technology.\n\nThis will feel immediately familiar to Pinterest users who love to build mood boards or software developers who cover their brand new laptop lid with stickers.\n\nEvery virtual object can be moved, resized and rotated. After a while, your profile becomes this sort of spatial canvas. You can make things so small that they sort of disappear… unless you zoom in.\n\nYou can create small islands that define what’s on your mind right now. For instance, you can have a Los Angeles corner with the favorite buildings you saw during your vacation, group photos with your friends, the cup of your favorite coffee shop there, etc. You can also have a restaurant corner with photos of food from fancy restaurants where you’ve recently been.\n\nEverything feels smooth and natural. You scroll, zoom in, zoom out, jump from one profile to the other. There’s a sense of depth and space that I’ve never seen in any other app. Photos never feel pixelated and you don’t feel like you’re waiting for something to load.\n\nIf you’ve been using ID for a while, things can become messy — but so is life. “And it’s fine. My personality is chaotic — our personalities are chaotic. They’re multifaceted and they’re not neatly arranged in a 3×3 grid,” Amo CEO Antoine Martin said.\n\nEmergent gameplay\n\nAs you start browsing around the app and looking at what’s new on your friends’ profile page, you may want to steal something for your own wall. ID lets you add content from other profiles to your sticker library so that you can either add it to your own profile or put it on someone else’s profile.\n\nI’ve been using the app for a little bit more than a week, and I can already see some trends spreading around the small community of beta users. You can see who originally created a sticker as it moves around from one wall to another. Some users have put nice shelves so they can neatly categorize everything that matters to them. A user created a guestbook section on her profile. “If you’re dropping by, please leave a note here,” she wrote.\n\nA few video games rely heavily on the player’s creativity to have fun, such as Minecraft or recent Zelda games. In these games, you can create your own fortress or build your own vehicle.\n\nAnd that’s also the main concept behind ID. Amo gives you the creative tools and a limitless Figma-like canvas. Now, it’s up to the community to figure out what they want to do with it. And the best part is that it doesn’t look like any other social app out there.\n\nMaybe Amo will end up fostering a creator economy with exclusive content that can really make your profile stand out. Maybe the company will add some premium features over time. For now, Amo wants to find a hit.\n\n“We’re prioritizing scale because my goal is to create an indestructible company. And it’s Zenly’s founder who is saying that! I used to think that 18 million [daily active users] would be enough to make a company indestructible. But I was wrong. I think you need 100 million [daily active users],” Martin told me.\n\nCuring loneliness\n\nWhen the Amo team started working on ID, they wanted to find a way to cure loneliness. It seems a bit counterintuitive to build a social app as people spend so much time on their phone already. But, according to Antoine Martin, it’s just that existing social apps don’t have your best interests in mind.\n\n“The [World Health Organization] now calls it the loneliness epidemic. And if they say that it’s an epidemic, it’s because it’s actually infectious. In other words, if you’re isolated, your loved ones are too because you’re unreachable. So during the two hours you’re on TikTok, they have no one to talk to,” Martin told me.\n\n“And at the same time, the human needs that the social consumer space can fulfill are no longer covered by these products, whereas they used to be,” he added. “In the early days of Facebook, I don’t know if you remember, profiles were sort of a mash-up. There were drawings, games, photos, text. You’d write long comments, it could be a poem . . . And on the other hand, it was a reminder that you mattered to these people.”\n\nAccording to him, the current generation of social networks are very passive. You don’t have to do much to spend two hours on TikTok or YouTube because these companies want you to spend as much time as possible in these apps. “We aspire to go back to these earlier precepts and make them work,” Martin said.\n\nThat’s also the reason why Amo doesn’t want you to spend hours in the app. When you have a few minutes, you can open the app to check what’s new on your friends’ profiles by swiping up on the notification cards.\n\nWhen you’ve reached the last card, ID shows you a message that says “get some fresh air.” And then, the app closes itself. You’re back on the home screen, you can put your phone back in your pocket.\n\nAmo & ID\n\nID is an opinionated take on social apps, but is it going to work? Given the past experience of the team and Amo’s deep pockets, if there’s one team that has a shot at trying something radically new in the space, it’s Amo.\n\n“We’re deliberately shipping something eight or nine months after the launch of the company because we swore to ourselves that it wouldn’t take us a year to get started, that we’d learn more by building in public,” Martin said.\n\nWhile ID is Amo’s first idea, the company most likely has other ideas in the consumer social space — Amo didn’t name its app “Amo” after all. So it’s going to be interesting to follow the launch of this new app, but also Amo’s story as a company.", + "As fantasy football owners gear up for the last week of the fantasy regular season (in most leagues), our Week 14 fantasy WR PPR rankings are loaded top to bottom with just two teams on bye. Rolling out a strong receiving corps in a potential must-win week is essential, and we're here to shore up your start 'em, sit 'em concerns.\n\nThe highlight of our rankings is the long-awaited return of Justin Jefferson, who is (finally) set to suit up for the first time since Week 5. It's easy to forget, but in Jefferson's four full games this year, he averaged just over eight receptions and 135.8 yards per game while scoring three total touchdowns. Few receivers can dominate as he can, so we're happy to welcome him back.\n\nOf course, Jefferson's return only helps one owner in each league, so let's break down the rest of the WR rankings to help you finish your season with a win.\n\nWhich WRs are on bye in Week 14?\n\nThe final set of bye weeks sees only the Commanders and Cardinals idle, resulting in the losses of Terry McLaurin, Marquise Brown, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Rondale Moore, and Greg Dortch.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nEven worse, Washington and Arizona sit as two of the weakest pass defenses in the league, so fantasy owners won't be able to count on big stats from their receivers going against the Commanders and Cardinals.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy WRs in Week 14?\n\nThe league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs. CeeDee Lamb (vs. Eagles) and the Cowboys look to avenge their road loss to the Eagles in Week 9, as Dallas' WR1 routinely has double-digit reception potential.\n\nAmon-Ra St. Brown (@ Bears) was relatively quiet this past week, but he's likely to rebound against a Bears defense that he totaled nine catches for 95 yards against in Week 11. A.J. Brown (@ Cowboys) reached the century mark for the first time in four games in Week 13, and another high-usage day looks to be in store for a potential shootout.\n\nKeenan Allen (vs. Broncos) caught just five-of-nine targets last week, but as L.A.'s only reliable receiving option, a get-right game feels likely this week. Justin Jefferson (@ Raiders) is set to suit up for the first time since Week 5, and as we alluded to earlier, he's a must-start whenever he's active.\n\nStefon Diggs (@ Chiefs) hasn't totaled 100-plus receiving yards in any of his past six games, but he has every chance to get back on track against a Chiefs coverage unit that showed some leaks in Sunday's loss to the Packers.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy WR sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 14?\n\nElijah Moore (vs. Jaguars), Noah Brown (@ Jets), Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. Rams), Jonathan Mingo (@ Saints), and Xavier Gipson (vs. Texans) are our preferred waiver-wire pickups in PPR formats for Week 14.\n\nMoore (vs. Jaguars) just saw 12 targets from Joe Flacco and is in line for another high-usage day with Amari Cooper (concussion) potentially sidelined. Brown (@ Jets) should also see a steady target share after Tank Dell's (leg) season-ending injury.\n\nBeckham Jr. (vs. Rams) is also likely to see increased usage with Mark Andrews (leg, ankle) done for the regular season. Mingo (@ Saints) has seen six-plus targets in his past four games, as his rapport with Bryce Young is strengthening by the week. Gipson led the Jets in receiving this past week (five receptions, 77 yards), and with New York routinely playing from behind, similar stat lines could be in the works.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWho are the biggest potential WR busts in Week 14?\n\nIt's tough to trust Calvin Ridley (@ Browns), Drake London (vs. Buccaneers), Jordan Addison (@ Raiders), and Jayden Reed (@ Giants) this week. Although Ridley has produced of late, a brutal matchup against a Browns coverage unit that entered Week 13 allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to WRs raises a red flag, and it's only compounded by the loss of Trevor Lawrence (ankle). London's week-to-week output is way too unpredictable, and with the fantasy season on the line for some of you, there's no reason to roll London out.\n\nAddison is likely to take a step back with Jefferson back in the fold, while the Packers' receiving situation is too dispersed to put faith into Reed in PPR formats, though he might get a boost with Christian Watson (hamstring) banged up.\n\nWhat are the biggest WR injuries in Week 14?\n\nIn Week 13, Demario Douglas (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) missed game action, and Tank Dell (leg), Amari Cooper (concussion), Christian Watson (hamstring), and Marquise Brown (heel) exited early from their respective games.\n\nUPDATE: Christian Kirk suffered a groin injury on Monday night, and he figures to be more doubtful than questionable for this week's game against Cleveland. If he's out, Zay Jones and Tim Jones will see more targets, but with Trevor Lawrence (ankle) also hurt, it's tough to count on either.\n\nUPDATE: Douglas (concussion) has been ruled OUT for Week 14.\n\nAs usual, we'll update these WR PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.\n\nFantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 14: Who to start, sit at wide receiver\n\nRankings based on full-point PPR scoring formats\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Tyreek Hill, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n2 CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n3 Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions @ Bears\n\n4 A.J. Brown, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n5 Keenan Allen, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n6 Justin Jefferson, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n7 Stefon Diggs, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n8 Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n9 Michael Pittman Jr., Colts @ Bengals\n\n10 Davante Adams, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n11 Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n12 Nico Collins, Texans @ Jets\n\n13 Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n14 Cooper Kupp, Rams @ Ravens\n\n15 Chris Olave, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n16 DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n17 Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Texans\n\n18 DeVonta Smith, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n19 DJ Moore, Bears vs. Lions\n\n20 Puka Nacua, Rams @ Ravens\n\n21 Deebo Samuel, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n22 Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n23 DeAndre Hopkins, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n24 Amari Cooper, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n25 Calvin Ridley, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n26 Zay Flowers, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n27 Noah Brown, Texans @ Jets\n\n28 Courtland Sutton, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n29 Romeo Doubs, Packers @ Giants\n\n30 Jakobi Meyers, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n31 Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n32 Rashee Rice, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n33 Tee Higgins, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n34 Jerry Jeudy, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n35 Brandin Cooks, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n36 Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n37 Elijah Moore, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n38 Adam Thielen, Panthers @ Saints\n\n39 Tyler Lockett, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n40 Josh Downs, Colts @ Bengals\n\n41 George Pickens, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n42 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n43 Drake London, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n44 Zay Jones, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n45 Jordan Addison, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n46 Jayden Reed, Packers @ Giants\n\n47 Robert Woods, Texans @ Jets\n\n48 Gabe Davis, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n49 Tyler Boyd, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n50 Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens vs. Rams\n\n51 Jonathan Mingo, Panthers @ Saints\n\n52 Jameson Williams, Lions @ Bears\n\n53 Xavier Gipson, Jets vs. Texans\n\n54 Jalen Guyton, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n55 Darius Slayton, Giants vs. Packers\n\n56 Quentin Johnston, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n57 Trey Palmer, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n58 K.J. Osborn, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n59 JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n60 DJ Chark, Panthers @ Saints\n\n61 Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants vs. Packers\n\n62 Khalil Shakir, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n63 Alec Pierce, Colts @ Bengals\n\n64 Justin Watson, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n65 Tutu Atwell, Rams @ Ravens\n\n66 Treylon Burks, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n67 Josh Reynolds, Lions @ Bears\n\n68 Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n69 Cedric Tillman, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n70 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n71 Dontayvion Wicks, Packers @ Giants\n\n72 Hunter Renfrow, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n73 Darnell Mooney, Bears vs. Lions\n\n74 Skyy Moore, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n75 Kalif Raymond, Lions @ Bears\n\n76 A.T. Perry, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n77 Cedrick Wilson, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n78 Trenton Irwin, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n79 Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n80 Brandon Powell, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n81 Chris Moore, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n82 Rashod Bateman, Ravens vs. Rams", + "It's make-or-break time in fantasy land. Only one week stands between now and the fantasy football playoffs, so every decision we make could be the difference between an optimal finish and a womp-womp ending. Our Week 14 fantasy RB rankings for standard leagues will help steer your fantasy ship to the smoothest possible sailing, guiding you to the running back studs, sleepers, busts, and injuries of note going into the most important week of the regular season.\n\nThe rollercoaster that the 2023 season has been rolled on through Week 13, with yet another fresh batch of injuries. Luckily for us, we have strong stomachs (and we're not above taking offers from potential sponsors, TUMS and Kaopectate!). So, like always, we will navigate through the injuries to provide you with the most up-to-date information and analysis.\n\nLet's get to our Week 14 RB rankings and hopefully help you close out the regular season in style. Good luck, check back often, and enjoy the remainder of the first week of December!\n\nWhich RBs are on bye in Week 14?\n\nAfter a six-team byepocalypse in Week 13, only the Cardinals and Commanders will be off this coming weekend. That takes lead backs Brian Robinson Jr. and James Conner off the table, plus Antonio Gibson for those in deep leagues.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nOne thing that stinks for fantasy is that both Washington and Arizona have been defensive turnstiles. Many of the stud running backs have tough matchups in Week 14, but it's only right that many of the elite backs must beat the best defenses to lift fantasy squads to the big dance.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy RBs in Week 14?\n\nChristian McCaffrey (vs. Seahawks in Week 14) retains his spot at No. 1, especially considering he's playing at home against a Seattle team he just roughed up for 139 yards and two TDs on Thanksgiving. We're also sticking with Austin Ekeler (vs. Broncos) even though he has managed just 2.99 yards per carry since returning from injury just eight games ago. If Denver's abysmal run D doesn't cure what ails him, Ek's getting demoted for the fantasy playoffs.\n\nTravis Etienne Jr. (@ Browns) draws a tough matchup on paper, but the Rams' Kyren Williams (@ Ravens) might beg to differ. Williams put 112 total yards and a TD on Cleveland in Week 13, and with Etienne's usage rate and the Jags hitting their stride offensively as of late, we're confident in the third-year back's ranking at No. 3.\n\nWe have two sets of teammates in our top 10 this week: Detroit's David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs (@ Bears) and Miami's Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane (vs. Titans). Both duos have such solid workloads in high-flying, run-first offenses — and such juicy matchups — that we can't imagine any of these studs finishing outside the elite eight. DMont and Gibbs combined for 193 yards and two TDs when they faced Chicago in Week 11. Tennessee just surrendered 31 points to Indy, so we know Miami will be dominating the time of possession and running early and often against Will Levis and company.\n\nJets fans will be hoping for some Breece Lightning from stud second-year back Breece Hall (vs. Texans), and we think they will be rewarded for their patience. Houston has surrendered 111.8 scrimmage yards per game to RBs this season, and DeMeco Ryans' unit has also allowed 14 total rushing TDs on the year. We like Hall's upside even more than we like stud dual-purpose backs Alvin Kamara (vs. Panthers) and Saquon Barkley (vs. Packers), but just barely. Kamara and Barkley both have strong matchups, with Carolina and Green Bay both sitting in the bottom 10 in the NFL in standard fantasy points allowed to RBs.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy RB sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 14?\n\nWe'll talk more about Derrick Henry (concussion) in the injury section, but we can say with confidence here and now that Tyjae Spears (@ Dolphins) should be the hottest waiver-wire pickup of Week 14. Tennessee is a run-first offense and King Henry might be sidelined with a head injury, so Spears could very well pick up where he left off against Indy last weekend. The young back averaged 4.7 yards per carry (just shy of his 5.1 YPC entering the week) en route to 88 yards.\n\nAnother backup getting a boost this week is the Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott (@ Steelers), who will assume lead-back duties after Rhamondre Stevenson went down with a pretty bad ankle injury in Week 13. Zeke might put in a vintage performance considering James Conner just went back to Pittsburgh and hung 105 yards and two TDs on his old squad.\n\nCould this be the weekend that Keaton Mitchell (vs. Rams) gets back into RB2 range for the Ravens? Los Angeles might find itself spying Lamar Jackson and Gus Edwards so often that the speedy rookie busts a couple of big runs. Mitchell has racked up 330 yards and two TDs since he broke out four games ago, but the majority of that damage (134 yards and a TD) came in the initial breakout against Seattle. He has still yet to see 12 touches in a game, something we can't imagine will be the case by the end of the regular season.\n\nWe also think Roschon Johnson (vs. Lions) could have a chance to take over lead-back duties in Chicago, as both Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman have battled injuries and inconsistent touches this season. It's a tough matchup, so temper your expectations, but there's some high-floor flex appeal considering Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill averaged 5.2 yards per touch and found the end zone three times via the ground against Detroit last week.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWho are the biggest potential RB busts in Week 14?\n\nWe're a tad worried about Buffalo second-year back James Cook (@ Chiefs), as Kansas City's front-seven tends to be stout against speedsters but below-average against power backs. You probably aren't in a position to bench Cook, but don't expect massive numbers from the guy who averaged just 2.7 yards per carry against the Eagles his last time out.\n\nZach Charbonnet (@ 49ers) faces a tough matchup and has a bruise on his knee, so we don't expect very fruitful results from the rookie if he starts in Santa Clara this weekend. We also don't love Jerome Ford or Kareem Hunt (vs. Jaguars), as Jacksonville entered Week 12 allowing just 12.3 standard fantasy points per game to RBs (third lowest in the NFL).\n\nWe say it almost every week, but the song remains the same: don't start Carolina backs Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders (@ Saints). It's even worse than usual this week, as New Orleans has a pretty hard-hitting front-seven and the Bayou is no place for below-average offenses.\n\nWhat are the biggest RB injuries in Week 14?\n\nTwo-time rushing champ Derrick Henry (head) suffered a huge blow to the head and neck area in Tennessee's Week 13 loss to the Colts, so don't be surprised if the king gives up his throne to Tyjae Spears this week. He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury. It wouldn't make much sense for a four-win team to rush back its franchise player.\n\nPatriots dual-purpose back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) suffered an injury on a nasty hip-drop tackle in New England's Week 13 loss to the Chargers. Bill Belichick and company already noted that 'Mondre would miss multiple weeks, so we're bumping Ezekiel Elliott way up against the Steelers.\n\nD'Andre Swift took a hard hit and exited Philadelphia's game late against the 49ers, but it's tough to know if he's actually hurt or was just kept out because of the lopsided score. If Swift can't go in Week 14 against Dallas, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott will split touches, with Gainwell likely garnering flex value.\n\nJonathan Taylor underwent thumb surgery last week and is expected to miss a few weeks. Tough for Taylor owners to ride the home stretch of the regular season without JT, but at least they could get him back for the end of the fantasy playoffs. The injury highlights the importance of handcuffs, as Zack Moss has put up multiple top-10 performances with and without Taylor this season.\n\nSeattle's Kenneth Walker III (oblique) missed Week 12 and 13, and we're not confident in his ability to suit up against the hard-hitting 49ers coming off a big win in Philly. Backup Zach Charbonnet exited early because of a knee injury against the Cowboys, putting his status in doubt, too. If both are out, DeeJay Dallas would start and lead the backfield in touches.\n\nGreen Bay's Aaron Jones has a sprained MCL, and sources have revealed that the Packers continue to consider him week-to-week. He only logged four carries before sustaining the injury in Week 11, then he sat for the Packers' Thanksgiving Day tilt with the Lions and their Sunday Night Football win over Kansas City. Why rush him back if Green Bay is already winning games?\n\nD'Onta Foreman (ankle) missed Chicago's game before the bye, and his status remains unclear heading into Week 14. If he's healthy, he'll likely start in Chicago's backfield, but it's anyone's guess how carries will be divvied up after Roschon Johnson surprisingly led the way in Week 12.\n\nWe'll be updating these standard RB rankings all week, so check back for the latest player movement.\n\nFantasy RB Rankings Week 14: Who to start, sit at running back\n\nRankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Christian McCaffrey, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n2 Austin Ekeler, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n3 Travis Etienne, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n4 David Montgomery, Lions @ Bears\n\n5 Raheem Mostert, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n6 De'Von Achane, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n7 Breece Hall, Jets vs. Texans\n\n8 Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions @ Bears\n\n9 Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n10 Saquon Barkley, Giants vs. Packers\n\n11 Tony Pollard, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n12 Bijan Robinson, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n13 Derrick Henry, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n14 Kyren Williams, Rams @ Ravens\n\n15 Josh Jacobs, Raiders vs. VIkings\n\n16 Rachaad White, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n17 Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n18 D'Andre Swift, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n19 Javonte Williams, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n20 Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n21 Jaylen Warren, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n22 Jerome Ford, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n23 Alexander Mattison, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n24 Najee Harris, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n25 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n26 Gus Edwards, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n27 James Cook, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n28 Zack Moss, Colts @ Bengals\n\n29 Keaton Mitchell, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n30 AJ Dillon, Packers @ Giants\n\n31 Dameon Pierce, Texans @ Jets\n\n32 Aaron Jones, Packers @ Giants\n\n33 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs vs. BIlls\n\n34 Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n35 Roschon Johnson, Bears vs. Lions\n\n36 Tyjae Spears, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n37 Kareem Hunt, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n38 Tyler Allgeier, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n39 Chuba Hubbard, Panthers @ Saints\n\n40 D'Onta Foreman, Bears vs. Lions\n\n41 Devin Singletary, Texans @ Jets\n\n42 Dalvin Cook, Jets vs. Texans\n\n43 Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n44 Chase Brown, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n45 D'Ernest Johnson, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n46 Miles Sanders, Panthers @ Saints\n\n47 Joshua Kelley, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n48 Royce Freeman, Rams @ Ravens\n\n49 Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n50 Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n51 Ty Chandler, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n52 Justice Hill, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n53 Khalil Herbert, Bears vs. Lions\n\n54 Latavius Murray, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n55 Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n56 Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n57 Tank Bigsby, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n58 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n59 Samaje Perine, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n60 Matt Breida, Giants vs. Packers\n\n61 Chase Edmonds, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n62 Boston Scott, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n63 Jamaal Williams, Saints vs. Panthers", + "If your startup doesn’t seem impossible at first, it’s not hard enough\n\nWelcome to Startups Weekly. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday.\n\nStartups exist to solve complex problems, not to be a quick moneymaking scheme, and their success lies in their unique value proposition. The harder the problem a startup is tackling, the stronger their competitive advantage and the more indispensable they become in their industry. Simple solutions are easily replicated, risking the startup’s position and success.\n\nThe key to a successful startup lies in its team and their ability to answer pivotal questions about the startup’s purpose and challenges. Working on a difficult startup problem can bring industry recognition, ease sales and marketing efforts, and open the door to charging more for your premium product. In short: If startup seems like an easy win, the founders are likely overlooking something, I argue in my most recent column. Solve something that could at first seem impossible, and you may be on the right path. If there isn’t a very real chance of failure, you’re doing it wrong.\n\nOn that lighthearted rant, here’s what’s been cookin’ in the world of startups at TechCrunch this week!\n\nSomeone call security\n\nIf you haven’t been paying attention to what our cybersecurity team has been covering, you have been missing out. Zack, Lorenzo, and Carly are absolutely crushing it. Allow me to make an impassioned plea for not missing their work.\n\nWhen you think “essential services,” you might think water, electricity, and hospitals — but internet connectivity is increasingly important as the infrastructure that ties together the fabric of society. As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, internet connectivity in Gaza took a severe hit. Palestinian internet service provider NetStream reportedly collapsed due to a severe shortage of fuel supplies, while other providers such as Paltel and Mada Al Arab are also facing serious connectivity issues. Although the situation remains precarious, connectivity eventually was partially restored. There are indications that the U.S. government is putting pressure on Israel to restore internet connectivity in Gaza.\n\nMeanwhile in India, Apple has notified several prominent Indian lawmakers and journalists of potential state-sponsored attacks on their iPhones, just months ahead of the country’s general elections. The individuals targeted include opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, key Congress party figure Shashi Tharoor, and leaders from several other influential political parties.\n\nAtlassian issued a warning about a critical security flaw that could result in significant data loss for its customers. Notably, this product was recently the target of Chinese state-sponsored hackers. Atlassian has not yet detailed how the flaw can lead to data loss but has urged customers to patch against the flaw immediately.\n\nThere’s more:\n\nAbout flippin’ time, too: Apple has recently fixed a longstanding vulnerability in its iOS software that undermined a privacy feature. Security researchers found that the feature, introduced in iOS 14, was not working as intended.\n\n$400 million security acquisition: At a time when the tech industry in Israel is disrupted due to political events, Palo Alto Networks is acquiring Israeli tech company Dig Security for an estimated $400 million. This acquisition will bolster Palo Alto’s cloud security-focused Prisma business.\n\nI guess we gotta pay up: Paying off hackers in the event of a ransomware attack is pretty common practice, but it comes with a ton of pitfalls: You are trusting anonymous criminals to do what they promised, and you may potentially be violating U.S. sanctions laws along the way.\n\nWhat’s brewing on the silicon farm?\n\nApple’s “Scary Fast” October event saw the announcement of their new M3 chip lineup that includes M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. These chips, which were the highlight of the event, will be integrated into the new 24-inch iMac and the new MacBook Pros. The focus of the M3 chips is enhanced graphical capabilities. Compared to the previous M1 chip, Apple asserts that the M3 renders at 2.5 times the speed and has a CPU that is 30% faster. The event’s videos looked great (of course they did — they were produced by Apple), but one delightful quirk was that they were all shot on iPhones, showing off that the phones are becoming more and more capable, even for professional work.\n\nMagic Leap, an augmented reality hardware company, has replaced its CEO Peggy Johnson with Ross Rosenberg, marking the completion of its enterprise pivot. Johnson joined Magic Leap in August 2020 and led the shift in business strategy. Her successor previously served as executive at Belden and First Solar, and will now guide the company through its next period, as the company faces the daunting challenge of achieving profitability.\n\nMore from hardware land:\n\nIs it a bird? Is it a plane?: Shield AI, a startup specializing in autonomous flying systems for the U.S. military, has raised $200 million in a new funding round, reaching a valuation of $2.7 billion.\n\nEero grows up, with best-in-class Wi-Fi: Amazon’s Eero has launched its most advanced mesh Wi-Fi router yet, the Eero Max 7.\n\nBoksing claver: Danish startup Soundboks released its fourth-generation Bluetooth speaker that has been a hit in Europe’s festival scene but has yet to gain a strong foothold in the U.S. market.\n\nHighs and lows in the world of startups\n\nThe current bear market in cloud stocks has led to a reversal of revenue multiples from earlier this year, making it difficult for late-stage startups to accrue value, Alex writes on TC+. However, early-stage startups that are growing rapidly may still be able to raise funds and demand for a better valuation. The trend points toward a favorable environment for startups prioritizing growth over cash preservation.\n\nAt the same time, we wouldn’t be surprised if WeWork ends up filing for bankruptcy (TC+). The company has been grappling with significant challenges. WeWork’s stock hit a new low, dropping over 47% after hours to just $1.21, which brings the company’s market cap down to a mere $121 million. This is a drastic fall from the $47 billion valuation it achieved after its SoftBank-led Series H round in early 2019.\n\nHope for the best, prepare for the worst: Startup co-founders don’t always make it, and in her fantastic TC+ piece, Rebecca explores what you can do to prepare today, should a co-founder breakup be on your startup journey’s path.\n\nBumper banking backing in Brazil: Brazilian startup QI Tech, a banking-as-a-service platform, has raised $200 million in a Series B funding round, marking the largest raise in Brazil this year across all sectors. The latest funding round brings QI Tech’s total capital raised to $262 million.\n\nNew Web Summit CEO appointed: Former Wikimedia Foundation CEO Katherine Maher has been appointed as the new CEO of Web Summit, following the controversial departure of its previous leader, Paddy Cosgrave. Maher’s appointment comes as the tech conference faces a challenge to rebuild relationships and trust within the tech community.\n\nTop reads on TechCrunch this week\n\nShinier, smarter maps: Google is rolling out a variety of updates for Maps, incorporating AI technology to enhance user experience. The feature is currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., with plans for further expansion.\n\nFrom stop-and-start to charging ahead: Over on TC+, Tim has had it with U.S. automakers hesitating on EVs, as Ford and GM are showing signs of backing away from their commitment to electric vehicles. Cowards.\n\nA swan song from the bird sanctuary: X has marked its value at $19 billion, according to internal documents, marking a 56% decrease in value since Elon Musk’s purchase last year. Bad for shareholders and Musk, but potentially good for executives and employees, Amanda explains.", + "Just when you thought the Chiefs were going to march into MetLife Stadium and cruise to a victory, the Jets threw a vicious counterpunch to make for an interesting \"Sunday Night Football\" game.\n\nTrailing by as much as 17 points, New York was able to tie the game at 20 heading into the fourth quarter. The Chiefs took the lead on a field goal early in the final frame and a crucial turnover from Jets QB Zach Wilson eventually decided the fate of the game as Kansas City did not give the ball back to earn the win, 23-20.\n\nChiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes did not have his best game — throwing for just 200 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions — but he made clutch plays in the game's biggest moments to come away with a victory. Wilson had one of his best games as a pro, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns.\n\nDespite the commotion surrounding Taylor Swift's attendance, Travis Kelce had a relatively quiet game with six receptions for 60 yards. Instead, the Chiefs offense was powered by RB Isiah Pacheco who rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown.\n\nIf you missed any action from a back-and-forth \"Sunday Night Football\" game, The Sporting News had you covered with live updates, highlights and more.\n\nChiefs vs. Jets final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Chiefs 17 3 0 3 23 Jets 0 12 8 0 20\n\nChiefs vs. Jets results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\nAll times are Eastern.\n\nFinal: Chiefs 23, Jets 20\n\n11:16 p.m.: Patrick Mahomes with a heads-up play. The star QB scrambled for a first down and could have trotted into the end zone untouched, but elected to slide at the one-yard line and put a bow on this game. The Chiefs are going to come away with a tightly contested victory.\n\n11:13 p.m.: We have hit the two-minute warning. The Jets burned all of their timeouts and the Chiefs have the ball on the NYJ 11 facing a 3rd & 8. New York's comeback hopes hinge on this next play.\n\n11:06 p.m.: The Jets intercepted Patrick Mahomes on 3rd & 20 but a controversial defensive holding call gives the ball back to the Chiefs with an automatic first down. Jets head coach Robert Saleh is letting the officiating crew hear it after that crucial call. There is 4:29 remaining in the game.\n\n11:02 p.m.: What a play from Patrick Mahomes! The Chiefs faced a 3rd & 22 and Mahomes saw an opening to run up the middle, taking off for a 24-yard gain to pick up a massive first down.\n\n10:55 p.m.: FUMBLE! Zach Wilson tried to drop back before he had full control of the snap and he fumbled. Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton was quick to react, jumping on the ball to gain possession for Kansas City. The Chiefs will take over from NYJ 47 with 7:24 remaining in the game.\n\nChiefs 23, Jets 20\n\n10:48 p.m.: FIELD GOAL. Harrison Butker hits a 26-yard chip shot to put the Chiefs back in front. The Jets' defense held strong on 3rd & 9 inside their own 15 yard line to put an end to a 14-play, 80-yard drive by Kansas City. There is 10:51 to play in the game.\n\n10:45 p.m.: The Chiefs are in the red zone. Patrick Mahomes has completed seven passes on this drive alone to march Kansas City into New York territory. The Chiefs are down to the Jets' 13 yard line.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Chiefs 20, Jets 20\n\n10:41 p.m.: Patrick Mahomes is trying to get a drive going. The Chiefs have picked up 28 yards on six plays as we head into the fourth quarter. They will start the final period on their own 40 yard line.\n\n10:36 p.m.: The Chiefs' defense came up with a stop on 3rd & 11, forcing the Jets to punt. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City will take over from its own 12 yard line.\n\n10:32 p.m.: Jets RB Breece Hall breaks out a 43-yard run to start the drive! And just like that, New York is into opponent territory on the KC 42.\n\n10:24 p.m.: The Jets give the ball right back to the Chiefs following a three-and-out of their own. Kansas City takes over from its own 12 yard line with 7:28 to play in the third.\n\n10:19 p.m.: The Jets have all the momentum now. The Chiefs go three-and-out after Patrick Mahomes failed to connect with WR Marques Valdes-Scantling on a deep pass on 3rd & 16. New York will take over from its own 47 yard line after an 11-yard punt return from Xavier Gipson.\n\nChiefs 20, Jets 20\n\n10:14 p.m.: TWO-POINT CONVERSION. Zach Wilson scrambled and dove into the end zone to complete the attempt. We have a tied ball game.\n\n10:13 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Zach Wilson to Allen Lazard on a 10-yard pass. The Jets QB is catching fire, leading a seven-play, 75-yard drive to open up the second half.\n\n10:09 p.m.: Zach Wilson has the Jets' offense moving! He found TE Ty Conklin on a 25-yard pass to get the second half started, then dished a 12-yard pass to WR Allen Lazard to pick up back-to-back first downs.\n\nHalftime: Chiefs 20, Jets 12\n\n9:53 p.m.: Things you'd have to see to believe: Zach Wilson outplaying Patrick Mahomes in the first half.\n\nWilson is 18-for-26 with 141 yards, one passing touchdown, zero interceptions and a 95.2 QBR. Mahomes is 8-for-16 with 135 yards, one passing touchdown, two interceptions and a 60.2 QBR.\n\n9:52 p.m.: The Jets attempted a Hail Mary to end the half but Zach Wilson was sacked by Chiefs DE Chris Jones.\n\n9:49 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Jets LB CJ Mosley picks off Patrick Mahomes on the first play of the drive. He was looking at TE Travis Kelce on a 35-yard pass but Mosley read it perfectly and Mahomes underthrew his target. The Jets take over from their own 35 with two timeouts and 18 seconds on the clock.\n\n9:46 p.m.: MISSED FIELD GOAL. Greg Zuerlein's 52-yard attempt hits off the upright to bring a disappointing end to the Jets' drive. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will have 26 seconds and two timeouts from their own 34 to try and make something happen before the end of the half.\n\n9:43 p.m.: Zach Wilson is marching the troops! The Jets QB is putting together an impressive two-minute drill. He has led an eight-play, 41-yard drive to bring the Jets to Kansas City's 34 yard line.\n\nChiefs 20, Jets 12\n\n9:36 p.m.: FIELD GOAL. Harrison Butker knocks in another 37-yarder to keep the Chiefs in front with 2:15 remaining in the half. The Jets' pass rush put the pressure on Patrick Mahomes on 3rd & 2 and came up with a huge stop in the red zone.\n\n9:33 p.m.: Isiah Pacheco was pacing the Chiefs' drive, picking up 34 yards on the ground. Patrick Mahomes delivered a dime to WR Kadarius Toney on 3rd & 6 to bring Kansas City into the red zone.\n\nChiefs 17, Jets 12\n\n9:25 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Zach Wilson to TE CJ Uzomah for a one-yard pitch and catch on the goal line. Wilson found WR Randall Cobb for a clutch first down on 3rd & 5 to keep the Jets' TD hopes alive, then delivered a dime to Uzomah to capitalize on the Chiefs' turnover.\n\n9:20 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Jets SS Ashton Davis picks off Patrick Mahomes on the first play of the drive and the tides are starting to turn in New York's favor. The Jets take over on Kansas City's 41 yard line.\n\nChiefs 17, Jets 5\n\n9:15 p.m.: FIELD GOAL. Jets K Greg Zuerlein buries a 31-yard field goal with 9:50 remaining in the half. Zach Wilson scrambled away on 3rd & 3 and found TE Ty Conklin open in the end zone but a low throw resulted in a dropped pass. New York was forced to settle for three points on its best drive of the game so far.\n\n9:12 p.m.: Get going, Zach Wilson! The Jets QB threw a dart to Garrett Wilson for 14 yards, followed by a 39-yard bomb to Allen Lazard to bring New York into Kansas City territory.\n\nChiefs 17, Jets 2\n\n9:09 p.m.: SAFETY! The Jets get on the board by way of a face mask penalty on Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor in the end zone.\n\n9:05 p.m.: Zach Wilson connected with Ty Conklin for an 11-yard gain, but the Jets TE was still five yards short of the first down marker. New York was forced to punt the ball back to Kansas City, pinning the Chiefs inside their own 10.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Chiefs 17, Jets 0\n\n9:02 p.m.: Zach Wilson found Garrett Wilson on a 10-yard pass to pick up a first down on 3rd & 7 and keep the Jets' drive alive. After a 10-yard sack and a short four-yard gain, New York will face a 3rd & 16 from its own 43 yard line to begin the second quarter.\n\nChiefs 17, Jets 0\n\n8:54 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Patrick Mahomes finds TE Noah Gray wide open for a 34-yard TD to give the Chiefs a 17-0 lead. With too much attention on star TE Travis Kelce, Gray was able to escape free for his first touchdown of the season.\n\n8:47 p.m.: Jets RB Breece Hall ran for an 11-yard first down on the first play of the drive, but that was all New York's offense could put together. Zach Wilson's throw to TE Ty Conklin fell incomplete on 3rd & 1, forcing the Jets to punt again. The Chiefs will take over at their own 11 yard line with 6:12 to play in the first quarter.\n\nChiefs 10, Jets 0\n\n8:40 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Isiah Pacheco hardly even gets touched on a 48-yard carry for the first touchdown of the game. Chiefs' offensive lineman Trey Smith threw an incredible block as a pulling guard, clearing a runway for Pacheco to waltz into the end zone.\n\n8:34 p.m.: That's a quick three-and-out for the Jets' offense. New York came out throwing but Zach Wilson could only connect on one of three attempts to star WR Garrett Wilson. The Chiefs will take over from their own 31 yard line with 10:35 to play in the first.\n\nChiefs 3, Jets 0\n\n8:28 p.m.: FIELD GOAL. Harrison Butker gets the Chiefs on the board with a 37-yarder. Kansas City was moving the ball with little resistance on an eight-play, 57-yard drive before the Jets' defense held strong in the red zone. Patrick Mahomes has already found Travis Kelce for two receptions and 29 yards.\n\n8:23 p.m.: The Chiefs will receive to start the game.\n\nPregame\n\n6:08 p.m.: It's all business for defending NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.\n\n6:07 p.m.: For the first time since his season-ending injury, Aaron Rodgers will be back on the sidelines with the Jets tonight.\n\n6:05 p.m.: For those who are interested in this kind of stuff — Taylor Swift will be joining Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, in a box for \"Sunday Night Football,\" per ESPN's Adam Schefter.\n\nWhat channel is Chiefs vs. Jets on today?\n\nGame: Chiefs vs. Jets\n\nChiefs vs. Jets Date: Sunday, Oct. 1\n\nSunday, Oct. 1 TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock | NBCSports.com | Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nThe Sunday night game between the Chiefs and Jets can be seen on NBC, which has long held the broadcast rights to \"Sunday Night Football.\"\n\nMike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) will be on the call from MetLife Stadium while Melissa Stark will serve as the sideline reporter. The crew is entering their second season together after Tirico replaced play-by-play legend Al Michaels while Stark took over for Michele Tafoya.\n\nFans can also stream the game via Peacock or NBCSports.com with a subscription, along with Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can stream every NFL game via DAZN.\n\nChiefs vs. Jets start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Oct. 1\n\nSunday, Oct. 1 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)\n\nThe Chiefs vs. Jets game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET, which is the same time that all \"Sunday Night Football\" games for the 2023 NFL season are set to begin. The game will be played at 8:20 p.m. local time in New Jersey while the contest will start at 7:20 p.m. local time for those in Kansas City, which is located in the Central time zone.\n\nKansas City is looking to win its third straight game after a season-opening loss to the Lions. Meanwhile, the Jets will be hoping to avoid dropping their third straight after a Week 1 win over the Bills.", + "Prop bets are easy to understand and add a twist to most sporting events as you can bet on in-game events not tied to the outcome.\n\nProp bets are popular throughout the year and are posted for every major sport, but the pinnacle for prop betting is the Super Bowl. It’s the most popular day of the year for prop bets, which range from the typical to the exotic.\n\nBut you don’t have to wait for the Super Bowl to get involved in prop betting. See below for more on props, including the pros, cons, and prop bet examples from all the major sports.\n\nWhat is a prop bet?\n\nA prop bet is a “side bet” with a sportsbook on a specific event or statistical accomplishment within the game. These rarely have anything to do with the outcome of a game itself.\n\nFor example, you might bet on:\n\nLeBron James scoring over 20 points in a single game\n\nDallas Cowboys gaining over 300 receiving yards in a game\n\nPros and cons of prop bets\n\nEvery bet has positives and negatives, and prop bets are no different.\n\nPros\n\nThe lines don’t usually move as fast as other bet types: Prop bet odds are developed based on game lines and totals at sportsbooks, but prop bet lines tend to adjust more slowly. Let’s say you’re keeping an eye on the New York Jets vs. the Buffalo Bills, and you see the total shift due to an incoming winter storm. While many bettors will scramble to get their bet in on the ‘under’ before the lines move too much, it’s a good idea to scope out the prop bets for individual players. The main lines are shifting, but most of the best sports betting sites don’t have the personnel to keep tabs on every possible player, so you could find value in an ‘under’ on a quarterback’s passing yards because the lines haven’t caught up yet.\n\nProp bet odds are developed based on game lines and totals at sportsbooks, but prop bet lines tend to adjust more slowly. Let’s say you’re keeping an eye on the New York Jets vs. the Buffalo Bills, and you see the total shift due to an incoming winter storm. While many bettors will scramble to get their bet in on the ‘under’ before the lines move too much, it’s a good idea to scope out the prop bets for individual players. The main lines are shifting, but most of the best sports betting sites don’t have the personnel to keep tabs on every possible player, so you could find value in an ‘under’ on a quarterback’s passing yards because the lines haven’t caught up yet. There’s greater variety: The three main bet types—moneylines, point spreads, and totals—are constant in every major sport, but they don’t offer a lot in the way of variety. Prop bets do. They can add interest to a game that may seem one-sided in the major markets. Larger sporting events, especially the Super Bowl, offer a massive variety of bets, ranging from the typical to the exotic and everything in between.\n\nThe three main bet types—moneylines, point spreads, and totals—are constant in every major sport, but they don’t offer a lot in the way of variety. Prop bets do. They can add interest to a game that may seem one-sided in the major markets. Larger sporting events, especially the Super Bowl, offer a massive variety of bets, ranging from the typical to the exotic and everything in between. They are usually very easy to understand: Prop bets tend to ask a question of the bettor. Will a specific player hit a home run? Will Team X have over/under 3.5 field goals in a game? Will Team Y give up a powerplay goal? Whatever the question, prop bets are fairly easy to understand for the newcomer.\n\nCons\n\nProps are difficult to research: Prop bets are so specific you’d think it would be easier to research them than other bet types, but the reality is that sports are extremely volatile. You can never truly predict how an athlete or a team will perform. This makes it very hard to nail down smart prop bets. For example, you could bet on a certain player to score ‘over’ a point threshold, but you lose because that player had an off-night, even though they might have easily won that bet in other recent games.\n\nProp bets are so specific you’d think it would be easier to research them than other bet types, but the reality is that sports are extremely volatile. You can never truly predict how an athlete or a team will perform. This makes it very hard to nail down smart prop bets. For example, you could bet on a certain player to score ‘over’ a point threshold, but you lose because that player had an off-night, even though they might have easily won that bet in other recent games. Prop bets can tie up your bankroll: We wouldn’t recommend using prop bets as your main bet type when building your strategy. Use most of your budget on more stable bet types, such as moneylines, spreads, or totals. Focus only a small percentage of your bankroll on props.\n\nWe wouldn’t recommend using prop bets as your main bet type when building your strategy. Use most of your budget on more stable bet types, such as moneylines, spreads, or totals. Focus only a small percentage of your bankroll on props. Exotic props are a guessing game: When large events like the Super Bowl roll around, you’ll be inundated with exotic and entertaining prop bets. These are almost impossible to research, and pure guessing isn’t good for anyone’s bankroll or betting strategy.\n\nProp bet examples for major sports\n\nEvery major sport with odds at the best sports betting apps will have prop bets. Below, we give examples of prop bets you might find when betting on major American sports.\n\nNBA prop bets\n\nThe NBA offers a wide range of prop bets. They vary from player to team bets and lean heavily on the statistical side of the game. Some NBA prop examples include:\n\nHow many points a player will score\n\nNumber of assists or three-pointers a player will have\n\nWhich player will score the first basket of a game\n\nYou can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.\n\nSee more: NBA prop bets\n\nNFL prop bets\n\nThe National Football League is the king of sports betting, and NFL betting sites have no qualms about showcasing every kind of possible bet type for it.\n\nBettors will find many prop bet opportunities, especially for the Super Bowl. During the regular season, one of the most popular prop bet options includes the “anytime touchdown scorer” bet, where you can wager on a player to score a TD at any point in the game. Other prop bets can be focused on the team or even both teams.\n\nSee more: Super Bowl prop bets\n\nMLB prop bets\n\nMLB betting sites are no exception when it comes to offering prop bets. Like the other sports, MLB has prop bets focused primarily on individual players and statistical achievements like home runs, RBI, and strikeouts.\n\nYou might bet on an over/under for strikeouts for a starting pitcher in a game or even the number of bases a hitter will reach.\n\nNHL prop bets\n\nNHL betting sites have all of the props you’d expect from one of the major North American sports leagues, such as player assists or a certain player scoring a goal in a contest.\n\nYou will also find bets for shots on goal, team goals in a game, and which team will score first.\n\nMLS prop bets\n\nThe demand for Major League Soccer betting has increased as the sport's popularity continues growing nationwide. Prop bets are just one of the many bet types growing at sportsbooks to keep up with the demand.\n\nAs expected, these prop bets often focus on individual players and their accomplishments, such as scoring a goal or collecting an assist in a game. Soccer betting sites also have props such as how many cards the two teams playing will combine to draw or a team’s total number of corner kicks.\n\nHow to read prop bet odds\n\nProp bets at US sportsbooks use the same odds as other major bet types like moneylines, point spreads, and totals. These odds, known as American odds, use negative and positive numbers to show you how much money you stand to win.\n\nPositive odds show how much you stand to win for every $100 you wager. Let's say you wager on a quarterback to have over 2.5 touchdowns in a game at +145 odds, and he throws three in the game. If you wagered $100, you would be paid $245, your initial wager of $100 returned to you, plus $145 in winnings.\n\nNegative odds tell you how much you need to wager to win $100. For example, if you bet a player will score less than 15.5 points in a basketball game at -135 odds, you would need to bet $135 to win $100.\n\nRemember that you don’t have to wager that high or that low. Your payout will be calculated proportionally to your wager size when you finalize your bet slip.\n\nWhat is an exotic prop bet?\n\nAn exotic prop bet is a non-traditional prop bet that is not focused on scenarios during a game. Instead, they can be as out of the ordinary as the sportsbook wants.\n\nIn the US, the most exotic bets are available during the Super Bowl, which is the most prominent sports betting day of the year and offers up hundreds of prop bets to interested bettors.\n\nThese bets can range from the number of songs sung during the halftime show to the result of the coin toss to the color of the sports drink dumped on the winning coach at the end of the game.\n\nFor the most part, you won’t come across too many exotic prop bets when using US sportsbooks, as many are just not legal bets. However, the largest sporting events, such as the Super Bowl or March Madness, will find sportsbooks offering up a wider range of prop bets. That’s usually when you’ll find more exotic props.\n\nSportsbook rules for prop bets\n\nBefore placing any kind of bet, we highly recommend you read the sportsbook’s terms and conditions. There, you will find all the rules for the various bets you will make.\n\nWhile most sportsbooks’ rules are similar, there are always small variations in how they handle certain situations that could impact your bets.\n\nOne rule that is typically used by most sportsbooks involves player props. If you bet on a player and they don’t play in the game, most sportsbooks void the bet and refund your wager. But if that player is involved in the game even for a single play, then the bet stands.\n\nWe recommend reading through the T&Cs before placing any wagers so you’re not caught by surprise if an unexpected event should happen.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "Monday Night Football closes out the NFL’s Week 15 tonight with a pair of teams desperately looking to snap losing streaks. The Eagles vs. Seahawks matchup should be an exciting game, making it a great time to use our sportsbook bonus codes and links to sign up for new sports betting accounts and claim some fantastic welcome offers.\n\nBefore tonight’s MNF kickoff in Seattle, just use our exclusive bonus codes at Bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings and FanDuel to claim more than $5,000 in bonuses.\n\nTop Sportsbook Bonuses Offer Promo Code Caesars Sportsbook Get $1,000 First Bet on Caesars NEWS1000 BetMGM $1,500 First Bet SPORTSPICK Bet365 First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 --or-- Bet $5, Get $150 in bonus bets TSNCO FanDuel Bet $5 on any moneyline, Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins Click to claim DraftKings Up to $1,200 in welcome offers Click to claim BetRivers 2nd chance bet up to $500 SPORTSRIV\n\nClaim $5,000+ in sports betting bonuses for Eagles vs. Seahawks on Monday Night Football with these promo codes and links\n\nBy using our exclusive bonus codes and links from Bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings and FanDuel, new users can claim more than $5,000 in sports betting bonuses for NFL games like tonight’s Eagles/Seahawks MNF matchup.\n\nHere are the latest bonuses currently being offered by the top sportsbook apps:\n\nBet365 bonus code TSNCO unlocks First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 or Bet $5, Get $150 in bonus bets for MNF Eagles vs. Seahawks\n\nNew Bet365 customers can choose from two excellent welcome offers when using our exclusive Bet365 promo code TSNCO:\n\nThe First Bet Safety Net offer gives new customers a refund of up to $1,000 in bonus bets if their first Bet365 bet is a loss.\n\nFor the Bet $5, Get $150 new user offer, you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets after placing your first bet of at least $5.\n\nUse Bet365 bonus code VATSN if you’re betting in Virginia and NJTSN if you’re in New Jersey.\n\nBetMGM bonus code SPORTSPICK offers $1,500 first bet bonus for Eagles vs. Seahawks Monday Night Football\n\nBetMGM has a nice welcome offer that provides new customers who use our exclusive BetMGM promo code SPORTSPICK a first bet offer worth up to $1,500 in bonus bets.\n\nJust use our BetMGM bonus code SPORTSPICK to register your new account. Then make an initial deposit of at least $10.\n\nAfter that, just bet on any game and if your first bet loses, BetMGM will return the full stake of that wager (up to $1,500) as bonus bets.\n\nUse BetRivers bonus code SPORTSRIV to claim Second Chance Bet up to $100, $250 or $500 for MNF with the Eagles and Seahawks\n\nSign up for a new BetRivers account using our exclusive BetRivers bonus code SPORTSRIV to get a Second Chance Bet worth up to $500.\n\nIt’s easy. Just click our link, use the promo code SPORTSRIV, register your new account and then make a deposit. Place your first bet and, if it loses, BetRivers will refund the amount of the wager in bonus bets worth up to $100, $250 or $500, depending on your state.\n\nUse our BetRivers bonus code SPORTSRIV and you’ll receive a Second Chance Bet worth up to $100 (for users in AZ, IA, OH and WV), $250 (available in CO and NJ) or $500 (if betting from IL, IN, LA, MD, MI, PA and VA).\n\nCaesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 offers $1,000 First Bet On Caesars for Eagles vs. Seahawks MNF\n\nUse our Caesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 to register a new Caesars account and claim a First Bet bonus of up to $1,000.\n\nTo claim this top-notch welcome offer, click our Caesars Sportsbook promo code link and sign up for a new Caesars account. Be sure Caesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 is entered when prompted. Then make your first deposit ($10 minimum).\n\nAfter that, place your first Caesars Sportsbook bet and if it loses you’ll get the amount of that wager (up to $1,000) as a single bonus bet.\n\nGet up to $1,200 in bonuses for Eagles vs. Seahawks Monday Night Football with our DraftKings promo code link\n\nDraftKings has three welcome offers new customers can claim by using our DraftKings promo code link:\n\nDeposit a minimum of $5 and receive a $50 bonus bet\n\nBet a minimum of $5 and get $150 in bonus bets\n\nA 20% first deposit match up to $1,000\n\nTo claim the new user offers, first click our DraftKings promo code link and sign up for a new account. Then make your first deposit of at least $5 and you’ll receive a $50 bonus bet.\n\nWhen you make your first bet of $5 or more, your account will also be credited with $150 in bonus bets.\n\nTo claim the maximum 20% deposit match of $1,000 you will need to deposit $5,000. There is also a 25x playthrough requirement to claim the full amount.\n\nFanDuel promo code link for MNF Eagles vs. Seahawks: Bet $5 on any moneyline, get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins\n\nFanDuel is giving new customers who use our exclusive FanDuel promo code link a chance to claim $150 in bonus bets.\n\nAll you have to do is use our FanDuel promo code link to sign up for a new account. Then bet at least $5 on any moneyline and, on top of your winnings, you’ll get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins.\n\nSince you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles. Read on for odds and more picks to consider for tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup.\n\nEagles vs. Seahawks MNF odds + picks to consider: Use our bonus codes and links for the best football betting promos\n\nHere are odds for tonight’s Eagles vs. Seahawks Monday Night Football game.\n\nThe Eagles and Seahawks come into this Monday Night Football game on troubling losing streaks. The NFC matchup has important playoff implications, particularly for Philadelphia.\n\nPhilly’s two-game losing streak has dropped them to second place in the NFC East behind the Cowboys, who are also 10-3 but have the tiebreaker thanks to their slightly better divisional record.\n\nFor a good stretch of the season, the Eagles appeared unstoppable and have been a favorite to return to the Super Bowl. After a surprising loss to the Jets in Week 6 (their first of the season), Philadelphia went on a five-game winning streak, impressively taking down top teams like the Dolphins, Cowboys and Chiefs. Most of those games were gritty, close wins, but then the Eagles dropped back-to-back games in blowout fashion to the 49ers and Cowboys, raising alarm bells amongst the Philly fanbase.\n\nThe Eagles are looking to rebound against a Seahawks team that has been reeling even worse, losing four straight. Sitting four games behind the 49ers in the NFC West, despite a disappointing season, Seattle still has a shot at a wild card playoff spot. After tonight’s game, the Seahawks’ schedule eases up a bit, with winnable games against the Titans, Steelers and Cardinals. But they could really use a victory to give them some confidence going into the final stretch.\n\nPicks to consider", + "Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami has brought with it a craze for fans to get a glimpse of one of the sport's most talented and legendary players of all time.\n\nAlong with that skyrocketing attention comes a leap in prices, and sadly the club seems to be passing that cost on to the supporters.\n\nIn 2024, Inter Miami will sport some of the world's most expensive tickets, rivaling the prices of Champions League giants such as Barcelona, Arsenal, and other massive clubs around Europe, while dwarfing other MLS ticket packages.\n\nWhile Fox Sports reported the club has an extensive waiting list for 2024 season tickets, the massive increase in price could push out many of the team's most dedicated supporters who have been with the team since its inception in 2020, causing massive turnover in the fanbase.\n\nA reminder that for most clubs, season-ticket packages include only home league matches, and while members usually get first access to purchase tickets for knockout competitions, those all come at an additional cost.\n\nInter Miami season tickets: Prices for 2024\n\nThe pricing structure for 2024 represents an enormous increase over the 2023 costs. The cheapest season ticket in 2023 was $485, but that will jump all the way to $884, which is an increase of 78.8%. There is a discount for fans who renew by October 7.\n\nMeanwhile, a season ticket in the lower-level midfield club area, which includes upscale food and beverage options, cost $3,600 in 2023 but will now run $7,650 for the 2024 season, an increase of 113%, more than doubling year-over-year.\n\nInter Miami 2024 season ticket prices\n\nPrices below courtesy of Inter Miami season ticketing release via the Miami Herald on September 28, 2023. Sections 2 through B are considered \"premium\" seating, while C through L are considered \"standard.\"\n\nCode Section Price 2 Mid Loge $45,900 3 North Loge $42,840 4 South Loge $42,840 5 Midfield Club $7,650 6 East Field Seats $13,005 A Northwest Prime $5,440 B Northwest Midfield $4,420 C West Sideline $2,720 D West Reserved $2,380 E East Midfield $2,635 F East Upper Midfield $2,125 G East Sideline $1,955 H East Reserved $1,360 I North Goaline $1,054 J South Goaline $1,020 K South Stand $867 L North Stand Reserved $884\n\nInter Miami season tickets among most expensive in world for 2024\n\nWith the Inter Miami season-ticket cost increasing by a huge margin over its own pricing model from 2023 to 2024, the club now boasts some of the most expensive seats in world football, also rivaling that of other major sports in the U.S.\n\nThe cheapest season ticket for Inter Miami in 2024 is $867, which works out to $51 per match across the 17 home games in the upcoming MLS season. Meanwhile, a seat in the West Reserved section, which puts a fan in the upper deck near the middle of the pitch, is now priced at a whopping $140 per match.\n\nAccording to Telemundo, this makes Inter Miami one of the most expensive tickets in the entire world. The cheapest Barcelona season ticket, for example, can be had for $377 for the season. Even while their prices are muted thanks to the next few seasons being played outside the under-construction Camp Nou, they are still just 25% cheaper than tickets to Barcelona's famed home ground.\n\nOne of Europe's most expensive tickets can be found at Tottenham, thanks in part to the brand new state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and even then its cheapest ticket is around $974, while its most expensive package comes out to $2,498 for the year.\n\nThe most expensive premium packages at Inter Miami in 2024, which will run supporters over $45,000, dwarf any of the most luxurious tickets in the Premier League. The most expensive season ticket in the EPL can be found at Fulham, where the Craven Cottage luxury booths are valued at $3,620. Barcelona's most expensive season ticket is $1,826 for the full year.\n\nThe National Football League (NFL), the most popular sport in the United States by a massive margin, boasted an average ticket price of $112 in 2022, while the average NBA ticket price was $94 that year.\n\nThese prices also dwarf many other clubs in Major League Soccer. Orlando City SC, one of Inter Miami's chief in-state rivals, have their cheapest season ticket available for just $324 in 2024, over half the cost of any Inter Miami season ticket, while their most expensive premium ticket costs $2,898. Meanwhile, another nearby rival, Atlanta United, will feature its cheapest season ticket for $605 in 2024, or just $525 for founding members.\n\nInter Miami season-ticket glitch causes scare\n\nAlready, price increases have Inter Miami season ticket holders on edge, but a computer glitch saw supporters fed an even bigger scare.\n\nMike Ryan, a Miami local who regularly appears on the radio program The Dan LeBatard Show, posted on social media his shock when he received a 2024 renewal for $30,600 for his two seats, which in 2023 cost just $6,802. Ryan then posted a follow-up a few hours later that stated he was contacted by Inter Miami representatives who indicated that pricing was incorrect thanks to a computer glitch that sent supporters quotes for additional seats they did not actually have.\n\nStill, Ryan's follow-up indicated that his error quote was doubled in price over the actual cost, which still leaves his seats increasing from around $6,800 to a whopping $15,300 for two seats, an increase of 125% year-on-year.", + "Manchester United would love a repeat of last season's 4-1 home win over Chelsea when the Blues visit Old Trafford this Wednesday.\n\nThe pressure on United has grown again following their lacklustre 1-0 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday and another setback against a Chelsea side – who beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 the following day – would worsen the misery around Old Trafford.\n\nTwo heavyweights of world football, United and Chelsea are two of only seven teams to have won the modern Premier League and are only behind Liverpool when it comes to English success with European trophies.\n\nChelsea's recent record against United is poor, but they have won the Premier League twice since United last did so in the 2012/13 season and could exploit the poor form of Ten Hag's side here.\n\nThe Sporting News looks at a rivalry that stretches back decades and has been sharply in focus over recent years.\n\nMORE: Man United's incredible run of home cup draws\n\nMan United vs Chelsea head-to-head record, all-time results\n\nUnited have the edge in the historical head-to-head, helped by their run of seven wins and only one defeat in the first 12 meetings between the teams, from 1905 to 1913.\n\nOne of Chelsea's best runs in the fixture came after Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2004. From the start of the following season, United lost five and won one of the nine games between the teams.\n\nThe game has provided the FA Cup final on three occasions, Chelsea winning the most recent of those through Eden Hazard's penalty in 2018.\n\nHazard scored the only goal of the game to repeat the scoreline when Chelsea beat United in the final after extra time in 2007, avenging a 4-0 defeat to Sir Alex ferguson's side in 1994.\n\nArguably the most memorable game between the pair is the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, when United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar saved Nicholas Anelka's penalty to give his side victory following a 1-1 draw after extra time.\n\nMan United vs Chelsea all-time results (all competitions)\n\nGames Man United\n\nwins Chelsea\n\nwins Draws 193 82 55 56\n\nMan United vs Chelsea recent results\n\nAhead of their visit to Old Trafford in December 2023, Chelsea’s most recent Premier League away win against Manchester United was a 1-0 win in May 2013.\n\nAt that point, they had won more Premier League games at Old Trafford (six) than any other side, but they proceeded to draw six and lose four of their next 10 trips to M16.\n\nManchester United are currently 11 Premier League games unbeaten against Chelsea since November 2017. However, the fact that seven of those matches ended all square has helped to make the game the most drawn fixture in Premier League history.\n\nSome 19 of those draws have featured goals for both teams. A 1-1 draw in the fixture is the most common exact scoreline in Premier League history, occurring 14 times.\n\nMORE: Is Raphael Varane leaving Man United?\n\nLast 10 matches between Chelsea and Man City\n\nCompetition Date Location Result Premier League May. 25, 2023 Old Trafford Man United 4-1 Chelsea Premier League Oct. 22, 2022 Stamford Bridge Chelsea 1-1 Man United Premier League Apr. 28, 2022 Old Trafford Man United 1-1 Chelsea Premier League Nov. 28, 2021 Stamford Bridge Chelsea 1-1 Man United Premier League Feb. 28, 2021 Stamford Bridge Chelsea 0-0 Man United Premier League Oct. 24, 2020 Old Trafford Man United 0-0 Chelsea FA Cup Jul. 19, 2020 Wembley Stadium Man United 1-3 Chelsea Premier League Feb. 17, 2020 Stamford Bridge Chelsea 0-2 Man United League Cup Oct. 30, 2019 Stamford Bridge Chelsea 1-2 Man United Premier League Aug. 11, 2019 Old Trafford Man United 4-0 Chelsea\n\nDo Man United vs Chelsea have a rivalry?\n\nAlthough the matches between United and Chelsea have tended to be closely contested, they do not have as fierce a rivalry as the Red Devils do with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, or the west London club holds with neighbours such as Tottenham and Arsenal.\n\nAbramovich's takeover gave Chelsea a new level of wealth that temporarily turned them into the dominant force in the English game, briefly supplanting United, who had won the title in eight of the previous 12 Premier League seasons.\n\nUnder the brash Jose Mourinho – an antagonist to his legendary United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson – Chelsea embarrassed third-placed United in 2004/05, winning the trophy while finishing 18 points ahead of them and, at one point, forcing Ferguson's players to give them a guard of honour at Old Trafford because of the timing of their title win.\n\nUnited closed the gap to finish eight points behind Chelsea in second the following season, then returned to the top in 2006/07, the deposed champions coming six points short of their total.\n\nTwo points separated the teams as United won the Premier League again in 2007/08, and there would be one more changing of the guard to come when Chelsea finished first above United in 2009/10 – only for United to finish top a year later.\n\nThat ultra-tight Champions League final encapsulated how close the rivalry had become in a competitive sense, and both teams have won the Premier League since then, leaving United on a record 20 titles and Chelsea on six.\n\nChelsea have won the Champions League and Europa League twice each, while United have won the former trophy three times and the latter once.\n\nUnited's tally of 12 FA Cup triumphs is eight more than Chelsea have claimed, but both sets of supporters will be hoping their teams can become superpowers again after barren periods by their 21st-century standards.\n\nThe rise of mega-wealthy Manchester City to become arguably the best team in the world has not helped, and nor has Liverpool's resurgence under Jurgen Klopp. United finished well off the pace albeit in a respectable third at the end of 2022/23, a season in which Chelsea came 12th – their lowest final position for 29 years.", + "It’s another Prime Day — or Prime Big Deal Days, in Amazon parlance — which means another day to save a dollar or two on some great new gear for your smart home. Whether you’re looking for a robot helper to clean your floors, an extra set of eyes to watch over your property, or another smart speaker to bark commands at Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, there are some good bargains to be had during Amazon’s fall Prime Day event.\n\nAs usual, robot vacuums are seeing some decent sales, including on the top-of-the-line models that don’t see discounts as often as the rest of the bunch. (My advice is to never buy a bot that’s not on sale because they’re always on sale.) Ecovacs’ newest flagship robot vacuum, the X2 Omni, launched last week and is already $200 off. I’ve started testing it, and it’s an impressive machine; its square shape gives it the advantage of getting into corners better than most rounder bots.\n\nRelated The best October Prime Day deals available on Day 2\n\nThe higher-end Ring smart security cameras are also getting deep discounts: the Ring Pro 2 video doorbell and Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro add radar motion detection and better video quality over the base models. These are rarely on sale and are seeing up to $100 off.\n\nHere’s a roundup of some of the best deals on good products that I’ve spotted so far. I’ll update this throughout the sale event, so check back often.\n\nBest robot vacuum deals\n\nEcovacs’ newest flagship robot vac and mop, the Deebot X2 Omni , is already seeing a discount, down from $1,499.99 to $1,199.99 at Amazon. A complete redesign of the Deebot X1 Omni, the X2 has a new square shape and a charging dock that empties the bin, washes and dries the mops and drains, and refills the robot’s water tank. Its party trick is that it can lift its mops up 15mm to avoid getting your carpets wet.\n\n, is already seeing a discount, down from $1,499.99 to $1,199.99 at Amazon. A complete redesign of the Deebot X1 Omni, the X2 has a new square shape and a charging dock that empties the bin, washes and dries the mops and drains, and refills the robot’s water tank. Its party trick is that it can lift its mops up 15mm to avoid getting your carpets wet. Yeedi also has a sale on its brand-new Yeedi Cube. The first budget robot vacuum mop with a self-emptying, self-washing, self-filling dock, it’s $559.99 at Amazon, $140 off.\n\nThe first budget robot vacuum mop with a self-emptying, self-washing, self-filling dock, it’s $559.99 at Amazon, $140 off. The first Roomba vacuum to also mop, the Roomba Combo j7 Plus, is $399 at Walmart , down to $799 at Amazon from $1,100. It has an auto-empty charging dock and can avoid a long list of common household objects, including socks, charging cables, and pet poop; read my review for more. If you’re less worried about obstacle avoidance, the Roomba j6 Plus, which avoids fewer objects than the j7 (but still dodges poop), is a steal at $399.99 .\n\nRoborock Q5 Plus $ 400 $ 700 43 % off $ 400 $ 400 $ 700 43 % off The Roborock Q5 Plus is a great robot vacuum that can empty itself and features mapping and virtual keep-out zones with lidar navigation for the bargain price of $399.99. This is one of the few Roborocks you can get without a mop, making it a good choice for homes with lots of carpet.\n\n$400 at Amazon\n\nFor a basic bump-and-roll Roomba, you can’t go wrong with the Roomba 692 , down from $299.99 to $165.\n\n, down from $299.99 to $165. For a true budget bot, the Shark Ion AV753 robot vacuum is just $129.99 ($100 off). This is one of my favorite budget bots. Read my review.\n\nSecurity cameras and doorbells\n\nGoogle Nest Cam (indoor, wired) $ 70 $ 100 30 % off $ 70 $ 70 $ 100 30 % off The most stylish, if least flexible, indoor camera, Google’s Nest Cam (indoor, wired), is on sale for $69.99. With the option of 24/7 recording, plus smart alerts for people, pets, and more, this is a reliable camera for keeping an eye on your home. Read our review. $70 at Amazon\n\nThe latest Ring Indoor Cam with a physical privacy shutter is just $29.99 at Amazon, which is half its regular price of $59.99. A compact wired camera, it records in 1080p and requires a subscription for viewing motion-activated recordings.\n\nwith a physical privacy shutter is just $29.99 at Amazon, which is half its regular price of $59.99. A compact wired camera, it records in 1080p and requires a subscription for viewing motion-activated recordings. The excellent Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is $50 off at Amazon, selling for $199.99. This features radar-powered motion detection for more accurate alerts, and its floodlights give off 2,000 lumens to light up your yard. Read my review.\n\nis $50 off at Amazon, selling for $199.99. This features radar-powered motion detection for more accurate alerts, and its floodlights give off 2,000 lumens to light up your yard. Read my review. Google’s Nest Cam with floodlight is $80 off at Amazon, selling for $199.99. This is one of the only floodlight cameras that offers 24/7 recording. It also has on-device AI processing, so it’s quick to tell you if it spots a person, animal, or vehicle. Read my review.\n\nArlo Essential Spotlight Camera $ 130 $ 350 63 % off $ 130 $ 130 $ 350 63 % off Arlo’s budget line of smart security cameras is a real bargain at $130 for three, $44 each. They work over Wi-Fi, so they don’t need a hub (although you can connect to an Arlo base station for local storage and Apple Home support). While only 1080p, they have great video quality, a built-in siren and spotlight, plus excellent smart alert features (although you’ll need to pay a monthly subscription). $130 at Amazon\n\nSmart speakers and displays\n\nEcho smart speaker (fourth-gen) $ 55 $ 100 45 % off $ 55 $ 55 $ 100 45 % off The best Amazon Alexa smart speaker, thanks to its excellent sound, nice design, and built-in smart home hub, the Echo (fourth-gen) is a great way to get started with the smart home. Along with being a smart speaker it’s also a Matter controller, Thread border router, and Zigbee bridge, so it can connect all your gadgets to your smart home. $55 at Amazon\n\nSmart lighting, locks, and more\n\nTP-Link Tapo L930-5 smart light strip $ 35 $ 50 30 % off $ 35 $ 35 $ 50 30 % off A great price for a great smart light strip that works with every smart home platform including Apple Home. The Tapo is an RGBWIC gradient light strip with color and tunable white light, dimming, and music sync, and it works over Wi-Fi, so doesn’t need a hub. Read my review. $35 at Amazon\n\nThe quirky SwitchBot smart lock is just $78.99 on Amazon, a 20 percent savings. It’s a great way to add smarts to any existing door lock without even pulling out a screwdriver. Add the SwitchBot Hub 2, and it will also work with Matter. Read my review.\n\nis just $78.99 on Amazon, a 20 percent savings. It’s a great way to add smarts to any existing door lock without even pulling out a screwdriver. Add the SwitchBot Hub 2, and it will also work with Matter. Read my review. The newer Google Nest Thermostat is $40 off, selling for $89.99 at Amazon. This shiny thermostat doesn’t have the advanced learning features of the original Nest, but it gets the basics right. It is also the only thermostat that works with the new smart home standard, Matter, so it's compatible with every major smart home platform, including Apple Home. Read our review.\n\nEcobee Smart Thermostat Premium $ 210 $ 250 16 % off $ 210 $ 210 $ 250 16 % off The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium does a lot. As well as adjusting your HVAC intelligently based on whether you’re home or away and / or where you are in your home, it’s also an indoor air quality monitor, smart speaker (Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri), and a hub for Ecobee’s smart security system. $210 at Amazon\n\nA starter kit of the excellent Philips Hue color and white ambiance light bulbs (60W) and a Hue Bridge is $55 off, down to $75.99 at Amazon. The Hue Bridge can be updated to support Matter.\n\n(60W) and a Hue Bridge is $55 off, down to $75.99 at Amazon. The Hue Bridge can be updated to support Matter. The ridiculously fun Yeelight Cube smart lamp is 40 percent off today, $54 at Amazon, with an on-page coupon. You can also get $15 off additional cubes (regularly $60.99) to complete the modular RGB lamp. The Matter-compatible Cube lamp can double as a digital clock face, ambient light, RGB color bonanza, or any variation of lighting fun using its interchangeable panel, dot matrix, or spotlight cubes.\n\nRachio Smart Sprinkler Controller $ 116 $ 150 23 % off $ 116 $ 116 $ 150 23 % off This smart sprinkler controller will stop your irrigation from running before, during, or after a rainstorm, saving you money and the planet some resources. It’s at one of its lowest-ever prices right now and is super easy to install and set up. $116 at Amazon\n\nThe Wi-Fi Kasa smart outdoor plug is a great option for automating your outdoor holiday lights. On sale for just $16 on Amazon, a 36 percent savings, it has two waterproof outlets that work with Alexa and Google Home.\n\nis a great option for automating your outdoor holiday lights. On sale for just $16 on Amazon, a 36 percent savings, it has two waterproof outlets that work with Alexa and Google Home. If you’re looking for Apple Home support on an outdoor plug, the Meross Outdoor Smart Plug is compatible with Apple Home and is a two-socket plug that works over Wi-Fi. It’s on sale for $21.75 at Amazon.\n\nis compatible with Apple Home and is a two-socket plug that works over Wi-Fi. It’s on sale for $21.75 at Amazon. The Meross smart garage door controller is down to $39.99 on Amazon. This lets you control your garage door from anywhere and works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home. It can work with Liftmaster and Chamberlain doors with a simple add-on accessory.\n\nMyQ Chamberlain Smart Garage Control $ 22 $ 30 27 % off $ 22 $ 22 $ 30 27 % off With the MyQ Chamberlain Smart Garage Control, you can open and close your garage door from any location using your smartphone. $22 at Amazon\n\nAqara has a slew of deals on everything from smart switches and plugs to motion sensors and light strips, most of which will work with Matter through an Aqara hub and some of which are at their lowest price ever. (The powerful yet complicated FP2 presence sensor is just $64.99 with the on-page coupon.) Check out the Aqara deal page for all the markdowns.\n\nUpdate October 11th, 2PM ET: Added additional deals.", + "They’ll always have Paris. Throughout this Nations League campaign this has been an England team fighting its own sense of entropy, still giving everything, still trying the same plans and processes in the hope that eventually something would click. And at 9.34pm on a briskly cold Wembley night, it finally did. Ella Toone’s injury-time goal earned England three points and kept their faintly glowing Olympic dream alive. But somehow it also did so much more.\n\nIt breathed life into a team and a cycle, and a moment that for so much of the evening had felt like it was drawing to its natural conclusion provided a rousing encore to a cast preparing for its final curtain. There will be new challenges and new frontiers to conquer soon enough, a fresh set of European Championship qualifiers in the spring, but for now this iteration of the Lionesses still has tricks up its sleeve, still has talent and creativity to burn, still has a fire that can scorch any team on the planet.\n\nAnd as they rallied so spectacularly to salvage a match that looked cooked after 35 minutes, running on fumes and adrenaline, sustained by the sizzle of the Wembley crowd, the cold air on their skin and the flickering candle of qualification for Paris next summer, it was as if a kind of energy was surging within them.\n\nAn energy that we have not really glimpsed from them since they reassembled this autumn, barely a month on from the trauma of Sydney, still a little dazed and concussed.\n\nBeth Mead came on for Chloe Kelly at half-time, Georgia Stanway moved further forward and made herself a menace in the penalty area, and the old buddies Toone and Alessia Russo teamed up off the bench. The Dutch retreated further and further into Wembley’s wide open spaces, giving Lauren James the time and territory to dictate. James had a hand in all three goals, and as Toone ghosted in at the far post to provide the final flourish, Wembley screeched out one last call to arms, one last push, one last effort.\n\nFor all this, it is probably worth pointing out that for large parts of the game England were not very good. And we were reminded that for all their creativity and verve going forward perhaps the biggest flaw in this side is a lack of presence in the two penalty areas, the physicality and the alpha energy to do the grunt work, to convert the crosses and to head them away.\n\nJess Carter had a poor game and was withdrawn for Esme Morgan after half-time, Alex Greenwood over-committed for the first Dutch goal and even the all-conquering Mary Earps plummeted to Earth with a poor first-half error.\n\nBut beyond personnel, a basic brittleness seems to have crept into this team, a sense of melting surfaces and cracks in the ice. Sarina Wiegman talks a lot about defending against counterattacks, because this is basically the key to the whole enterprise. Cut off the counter, and with England’s technical quality they can easily dominate. It is also the essential measure of how the team is functioning as a collective: the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, the command of space. Lineth Beerensteyn’s two goals were the sort England simply were not conceding four months ago.\n\nMary Earps shows her frustration after conceding a second goal to the Netherlands. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian\n\nSo England passed the ball around a bit and gave it away a bit and essentially ran around trying to feel normal again, and on countless occasions Kelly or Hemp would win a first or second ball, look up and see a penalty area empty of white shirts. These are issues not so much of tactics but cohesion and energy: the timing of runs, the sharpness required not just to anticipate where the ball is going to be, but actually get there. You can still chase when you’re running on fumes, but to create: this needs an idea and a vision, the clarity of mind to see the picture before it has materialised.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Moving the Goalposts Free weekly newsletter No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women’s football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nAnd clarity is perhaps what this team has been lacking most of late: clarity of selection, clarity of formation, clarity of mission and motivation. How much prestige should we really attach to the Nations League, anyway? Is it primarily an Olympic qualification shootout or something worth winning in its own right? England ended up trying to answer these questions on the hoof, and somehow it was only when their options had finally clarified down to one – survival or oblivion – that they recovered their poise and verve.\n\nThis entire post-pandemic international cycle – a Euros, a World Cup, an Olympics and another Euros squeezed into three years – feels like a kind of sadism dressed up as a panorama of opportunity. There is a school of thought out there that a fallow summer might not have been the worst thing for this team: time to reflect and process, time to breathe, time to refresh.\n\nInstead, they now travel to Glasgow on Tuesday for one last push. The minds are still frazzled. The bodies are screaming. But chaos and confusion has never felt quite so sweet.", + "Golf betting has surged in popularity. That’s especially true for live golf betting, which allows fans to bet on every shot and hole for PGA Tour events, The Match, the Ryder Cup, and more.\n\nSports betting apps and live streaming have made betting on golf easier and more exciting than ever. With just a few taps, you can bet on golfers live as the round unfolds.\n\nBelow, see our ranking of the best golf betting sites plus some more essential information to get started with online golf betting.\n\nBest golf betting apps\n\nHere are some top sportsbook apps for golf betting in the US and what they offer.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings is a popular app for golf betting, offering various markets and props for PGA Tour events and major championships. It provides odds and props for markets such as tournament winners; top 5, 10, and 20 finishes; and matchup betting. DraftKings also allows live betting on individual holes and shots during the tournament. FanDuel Sportsbook: FanDuel is another great app for golf betting, offering a wide range of markets and props for PGA Tour events and major championships. Some of its golf odds and props include top-20 finishes, head-to-head matchups, and first-round leaders. It also covers international golf events such as the DP World Tour and the Ryder Cup. BetMGM Sportsbook: BetMGM is a reliable app for golf betting, providing various markets and props for PGA Tour events and major championships. Its offerings include event winners, top finishers, and hole-in-one props. Like DraftKings and FanDuel, BetMGM offers live betting options for golf. Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars is a well-known company in the sports betting world and offers a user-friendly platform for golf betting. It has a wide range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events, such as winning margin, top finishes, and live betting props. Caesars is known for its strong selection of bets and live betting interface.\n\nThese sportsbook apps offer various options for golf enthusiasts to enjoy betting on the sport, including pre-event and live betting opportunities.\n\nHow to download a golf betting app\n\nTo download and use a sports betting app in the US, follow these steps:\n\nSelect a Sports Betting App: Choose a sports betting app available in your state. Some common options include DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. Ensure you access trusted sources or official websites to get the most reliable links and bonuses. Register for an Account: Fill in the required details, such as your name, date of birth, and email address; then, agree to the terms and conditions. Download the App: Download the app onto your smartphone or tablet from the App Store (for iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (for Android). If it's unavailable in your designated app store, consider downloading it directly from the sportsbook's official website. Claim Any Bonuses: Many apps offer introductory sports betting bonus & promo codes. If there's a specific code needed, ensure you have it handy. Deposit Funds: Add funds once you've set up your account. Most apps provide multiple deposit methods such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal, or bank transfers. Start Betting: Now, with a funded account, you can begin betting on various sports. Browse through the app to understand the odds and markets available before placing bets to ensure the best value. Follow the Rules: Remember that to place bets using an app, you must be within the state where the app is licensed. Furthermore, you must meet the legal age requirement, often 21 years old, and adhere to all local and federal sports betting regulations.\n\nAlways gamble responsibly and stay informed about the regulations specific to your state.\n\nHow does golf betting work?\n\nBetting on golf can look many different ways. In professional sports betting, bets are typically placed on professional tournaments, including PGA and DP World Tour events.\n\nHere are some popular golf betting options:\n\nBet to Win: Pick a specific golfer to win the entire tournament.\n\nPick a specific golfer to win the entire tournament. Betting Against the Field: Wager on a golfer to outperform the rest of the players.\n\nWager on a golfer to outperform the rest of the players. Head-to-Head Bets: Choose between two golfers, betting on which one will finish with a superior score.\n\nChoose between two golfers, betting on which one will finish with a superior score. Each-Way Bets: A dual bet where one part is on the golfer to win outright and the other is for them to finish within a set range of places, often top 5 or top 10.\n\nA dual bet where one part is on the golfer to win outright and the other is for them to finish within a set range of places, often top 5 or top 10. First-Round Leader: Bet on who will lead after the first round.\n\nBet on who will lead after the first round. Top 10/Top 20 Bets: Wager on a golfer to finish within the top 10 or 20 players.\n\nWager on a golfer to finish within the top 10 or 20 players. Win/Place Bets: Similar to each-way bets, but might cover more places.\n\nSimilar to each-way bets, but might cover more places. Matchup Bets: Pick which golfer from a specific pair will have the better tournament performance.\n\nPick which golfer from a specific pair will have the better tournament performance. Group Matchups: Bet on which golfer from a pre-selected group will fare best.\n\nBet on which golfer from a pre-selected group will fare best. Nationality Bets: Wager on a winning golfer hailing from a certain country.\n\nWager on a winning golfer hailing from a certain country. Prop Bets: These are special bets, like predicting whether a golfer will score a hole-in-one.\n\nLive betting on golf\n\nLive betting offers the opportunity to bet on golf tournaments as they unfold. Some of the main live betting options encompass betting on the overall tournament victor, winners of individual rounds, and direct head-to-head matchups.\n\nUsing a sportsbook app streamlines this process and gives you immediate access to fluctuating odds and real-time odds.\n\nThe most lucrative live bets in golf often revolve around backing players who've had a slow start but have the talent to stage a comeback.\n\nThe live odds set by sportsbooks for golf events are determined by continually evaluating player performance alongside considerations such as course dynamics, prevailing weather, and player stamina.\n\n2024 PGA Tour schedule\n\nThe PGA Tour will revert back to a calendar-year schedule for the first time since 2012. The 2024 PGA Tour schedule is comprised of 36 events starting in January. There are eight \"signature events\" which are highlighted in bold. The 2024 FedEx Cup Champion will receive $25 million.\n\nJan. 4-7 The Sentry\n\nJan. 11-14 Sony Open in Hawaii\n\nJan. 18-21 The American Express\n\nJan. 24-27 Farmers Insurance Open\n\nFeb. 1-4 AT+T Pebble Beach Pro-Am\n\nFeb. 8-11 WM Phoenix Open\n\nFeb. 15-18 Genesis Invitational\n\nFeb. 22-25 Mexico Open\n\nFeb. 29-March 3 The Classic in The Palm Beaches\n\nMarch 7-10 Arnold Palmer Invitational\n\nMarch 14-17 The Players Championship\n\nThe Players Championship March 21-24 Valspar Championship\n\nValspar Championship March 28-31 Texas Children's Houston Open\n\nApril 4-7 Valero Texas Open\n\nApril 11-14 The Masters\n\nApril 18-21 RBC Heritage\n\nApril 18-21 Corales Puntacana Championship (opposite field)\n\nCorales Puntacana Championship (opposite field) April 25-28 Zurich Classic of New Orleans\n\nMay 2-5 AT+T Byron Nelson\n\nMay 9-12 Wells Fargo Championship\n\nMay 9-12 Myrtle Beach Classic (opposite field)\n\nMay 16-19 PGA Championship (Valhalla)\n\nMay 23-26 Charles Schwab Challenge\n\nMay 30-June 2 RBC Canadian Open\n\nJune 6-9 The Memorial Tournament\n\nJune 13-16 U.S. Open (Pinehurst)\n\nJune 20-23 Travelers Championship\n\nJune 27-30 Rocket Mortgage Classic\n\nJuly 4-7 John Deere Classic\n\nJuly 11-14 Genesis Scottish Open\n\nJuly 18-21 Barracuda Championship (opposite field)\n\nJuly 25-28 3M Open\n\nJuly 29-Aug. 4 The Olympics\n\nAug. 8-11 The Wyndham\n\nAug. 15-18 FedEx St. Just Championship\n\nAug. 22-25 BMW Championship\n\nAug. 29-Sept. 1 Tour Championship\n\nMasters odds\n\nThe Masters is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments globally and gets significant interest from sports bettors. Sportsbooks provide a wide array of Masters betting odds, ranging from standard outright winner bets to unique prop bets.\n\nHere are some popular betting options for the Masters:\n\nTop 10, 20, or 30 Finishes: Bet on whether a golfer will finish within the specified range.\n\nBet on whether a golfer will finish within the specified range. Head-to-Head Matchups: Pick one golfer to outperform another in the tournament.\n\nPick one golfer to outperform another in the tournament. Group Matchups: Bet on which golfer in a predefined group will perform the best.\n\nIn addition to these options, the best sports betting sites offer odds boosts and free contests leading up to the Masters.\n\nFor successful Masters betting, it's crucial to consider specific statistics pertinent to the tournament. Factors such as driving distance, accuracy, and greens in regulation play significant roles.\n\nGiven that Augusta National prioritizes accuracy and precise approach shots, bettors may want to focus on golfers with strong iron play and a history of performing well there.\n\nBetting on other golf majors\n\nThe US Open, PGA Championship, and British Open (often referred to as The Open Championship) are among the four major championships in professional golf, alongside the Masters.\n\nEach has its unique course challenges and attributes, leading to many betting opportunities. Here are some of the most popular betting markets for these events:\n\nTo win\n\nTop 5, 10, 20, etc.\n\nHead-to-head matchups\n\nNationality\n\nFirst round leader\n\nHole-in-one props\n\nTop amateur\n\nBet on the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup\n\nBetting on team golf events, such as the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, offers a thrilling twist to tournament viewing. Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain.\n\nWhen placing bets on these events, evaluating each team's strengths and weaknesses is vital. Factors to consider include recent player form, their history on the event's course, and any potential impacts like injuries.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "“Tackled above waist and below shoulders. No sling or double motion. Sheppard lands on her back. ′ ‘Girls’ play hard too,” Harford said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. This echoed Collingwood defender and Fox Footy commentator Ruby Schleicher’s thoughts at the time, who called it a “monster tackle” but believed it was “fair”. “I don’t see any dirtiness in that,” Schleicher said on Fox Footy. “It was pretty heavy on her head, wasn’t it? I look at that – I still see a fair tackle. There’s no doubt the match review [officer] will look at it because they have to I guess. The duty of care for the player.”\n\nThe decision a week comes after Adelaide premiership defender Najwa Allen was handed a three-ban suspension, the longest ban in AFLW history, for a high bump on Western Bulldog Kirsten McLeod. The Crows elected not to challenge the decision. ‘Horror week’: Bombers stunned by struggling, controversy-hit Eagles West Coast withstood a late-term surge from Essendon to narrowly claim their second win of the AFLW season.\n\nFresh off a controversy caused by comments their coach Michael Prior made following last week’s 70-point loss to Melbourne, the Eagles prevailed 3.5 (23) to 2.7 (19) in a slugfest at the appropriately named Windy Hill on Sunday. West Coast’s Kate Bartlett (left) and Isabella Lewis celebrate Sunday’s surprise win over Essendon flanked by their teammates. Credit: Getty Prior had blasted the decision to pit strugglers West Coast against defending premiers Melbourne, saying: “How we play that team is beyond me. That is what you get when you get fixturing like that.” He later backtracked on the criticism, but his comments did put added pressure and focus on his team this week. Michael Prior guided West Coast to a gutsy win. Credit: Getty\n\nAisling McCarthy and Amy Franklin drew first blood for West Coast within the opening five minutes, while the hosts were kept goalless. The Bombers only added three behinds in the second term and the Eagles failed to score as the blustery conditions took their toll on the game. West Coast’s Kellie Gibson broke the goal drought with the only major of the third quarter, before the home side came to life with the wind at their backs in the final term, with skipper Bonnie Toogood and Amber Clarke reducing the margin to four points. Toogood continued to pepper the scoreboard, but the Eagles held on to secure a rare victory. “We’ve had a horror week back at home, and it’s been really bloody tough on all of us, and Mick as well. I’m just really proud of the girls,” West Coast captain Emma Swanson said post-game on the broadcast. “I can name the whole team. Everyone had their second in the last couple minutes.\n\n“That was such a team effort, everyone had a moment there when they had to put their head over the footy and lay a tackle and not let it slip.” Swanson (25 disposals, eight clearances) stood out for the Eagles, while Bombers workhorse Maddy Prespakis (30 disposals, nine clearances) was typically prominent in the midfield alongside Georgia Nanscawen (21, six). With two rounds left, West Coast have a chance to build their winning streak when they meet the bottom of the table Western Bulldogs next round. Slipping one place to sixth, Essendon have must-win matches against Carlton and Gold Coast on the road to the finals. The Bombers will be without Steph Cain, who was sidelined with a concussion after an elbow to the head from Swanson. AAP Pies hold on against comeback Cats\n\nSunday’s clash between Collingwood and Geelong at Victoria Park was less about who was the overall better side than it was decided by who could adapt best to the blustery wind and rain. The answer: the Magpies. Collingwood survived a fourth quarter comeback from Geelong to finish with a six-point victory and stay firmly in finals contention, whereas the Cats now face an uphill battle to finish in the eight in two weeks’ time. Jordyn Allen of the Magpies is tackled by Geelong’s Claudia Gunjaca in the round-eight match at Victoria Park. Credit: Getty Geelong scored just one point in the first quarter and had just 1.3 on the board at three-quarter-time, but kicked two goals to none in the final term to close in on Collingwood. Magpies ruck Sabrina Frederick, who starred with 39 hit-outs and used her height to bring the ball to ground at the advantage of her midfielders, said her side had been practising for games like this.\n\n“Even in the chaos, it’s quite comfortable because we train it. We train what scenarios to do in what moments, and even though it’s a bit crazy, it felt so calm. We put players in place and we know what we’re doing,” said Frederick. “But close games are good ones, for everyone. We knew they were going to come out like that [in the last quarter]. When they’re down, they’re just going to give us everything.” Collingwood’s Brianna Davey kicks her team forward against Geelong. Credit: Getty Frederick admitted at times she “couldn’t see” and felt like she could be “blown away”. Geelong coach Daniel Lowther said the strong winds made it hard for his side to clear the ball out of their defensive 50-metre zone and to move the ball with any certainty around the ground.\n\nLoading “At one point the rain hit our box, it was flowing,” Lowther said. “Both teams had to fight in the conditions, but it didn’t help the game. “Our marking contest wasn’t too flash, our ground ball representation was a bit hit and miss, so our defence were under a bit more pressure than they should have been, but they fought back really well,” Lowther said. Collingwood next play a Sydney line-up including former Magpies star Chloe Molloy, while Geelong will take on Richmond at Ikon Park.\n\nDockers spoil Saints’ finals hopes Fremantle recorded a comfortable 24-point win yesterday to bring an abrupt end to St Kilda’s four-game streak and dash their AFLW finals hopes. J’Noemi Anderson is tackled by a group of Dockers. Credit: AFL Photos The Dockers dominated the Saints from the start to win 6.9 (45) to 3.3 (21) at Fremantle Oval. Having been on the verge of making their first finals appearance, St Kilda (4-4) could now miss the top eight even if they beat the fourth-placed Brisbane Lions and the ninth-placed Carlton.\n\nDana East was everywhere for Fremantle, leading the game in disposals (19) and contested possessions (11), alongside Orlagh Lally (19 disposals, five clearances). Jamiee Lambert was the shining light for the otherwise subdued Saints, collecting a game-high seven clearances and 13 contested possessions. Docker Hayley Miller hunts a loose ball against St Kilda. Credit: Getty Fremantle flew out of the gates from the first siren, producing their highest-scoring quarter of the season with 26 points in the opening term. Conversely, the score was the most the Saints have conceded in any quarter this season.\n\nAine Tighe set the tone for the Dockers with a brilliant goal less than 30 seconds into the first quarter, followed by two majors from Gabby O’Sullivan and another by Angelique Stannett. Ella Friend slotted a much-needed goal for the visitors to make it 4.2 (26) to 1.3 (9) at quarter-time. With less than a minute till the long break, captain Hayley Miller (two goals) kicked the only major of the second quarter to give Fremantle a comfortable 26-point lead at half-time. Despite two goals from Tyanna Smith and J’Noemi Anderson in the second half, the Saints struggled to eat into the deficit. Fremantle (4-4) face reigning premiers Melbourne next, before finishing the season against 11th-placed Sydney.\n\nDogs forward reveals battle with kidney disease Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston has revealed she’s been living, and playing, with stage five chronic kidney disease. “I still manage to do the things I love,” the inaugural AFLW player posted to Instagram. “It’s just really hard sometimes.” Richelle Cranston of the Bulldogs: “It’s just really hard sometimes.” Credit: Getty Images The 34-year-old posted the caption along with a video detailing her life with the disease including weekly blood tests and daily blood pressure checks, tracking water and food intake, taking medications including resonium (to lower potassium levels), all while training in the high-performance environment.\n\nThe Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year. Cranston lined up for the Bulldogs in her side’s 57-point loss to Sydney on Saturday at Whitten Oval, 14.12 (96) to 6.3 (39). It was the Western Bulldogs’ eighth loss in a row, and their biggest-ever defeat, and they have just two rounds left to clinch a win this season. They next play 17th-placed West Coast and then top-four side North Melbourne. For the Swans, however, the victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot alongside the likes of Gold Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton.\n\nThe Swans, who went winless in their debut season last year, were propelled to victory by a Chloe Molloy masterclass. After a five-goal second term, which included a four-minute burst of three majors, Sydney had already brought up their largest score in an AFLW game by halftime. Swan Chloe Molloy celebrates a goal. Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images The Bulldogs held their own in the last quarter, but the damage had already been done. The total was also the biggest the Dogs have conceded in their history, topping the 83 Melbourne kicked against them in round three. Molloy, the Swans’ star off-season recruit, turned on one of the best performances of her career to demolish their injury-hit hosts.\n\nThe former Collingwood ace was a class above as she kicked 3.4 from her 28 possessions and played a crucial role in setting up numerous other Sydney goals. Loading “She [Molloy] was itching to get in there [in the midfield],” Swans coach Scott Gowans said. “We kept her forward deliberately. It was important Chloe played a good block of time forward so we could have a look at it.” The Blues lost to Greater Western Sydney by two points on Saturday afternoon, denying them the chance to leapfrog into the top eight, 8.1 (49) to 7.5 (47).\n\nNarrm reclaim top spot Reigning premiers Narrm have reclaimed top spot on the ladder and their position as flag favourites after defeating third-placed North Melbourne by 23 points at Ikon Park on Saturday night. The Kangaroos’ Alice O’Loughlin and Melbourne’s Maeve Chaplin battle for the ball. Credit: AFL Photos It was a hard-fought, low-scoring battle between the two powerhouse sides that play a similar game style. Each set up well, are fast and like a good dose of contested marking. But Narrm controlled more of the game by tightening around the contest and being cleaner going forward. They also defended extremely well by suffocating the opportunities North created and prevailed 5.7 (37) to 2.2 (14). While the Demons scored just one goal a quarter in the second half – Tyla Hanks in the third and Eden Zanker in the fourth – the Kangaroos were goalless for three terms, having led by five points at the first change. Their opening goals were thanks to Niamh Martin and Tess Craven.\n\nThen a crafty goal from Demons skipper Kate Hore to open the second term put her side up, and Melbourne never gave up the lead. Hanks was pivotal for the Demons and starred with 26 disposals, seven tackles and one goal, while her partner in the midfield Olivia Purcell had 28 touches, five clearances and five tackles. For the Roos, Ash Riddell led the disposal count with 31, while skipper Emma Kearney was crucial in defence. Melbourne’s Alyssa Bannan is tackled by Lulu Pullar of the Kangaroos. Credit: Getty Hanks said with the state of competition, they just had to take it week by week, but it was good to get the win. “We knew we were up against the best tonight,” said Hanks. “It’s a nice feeling tonight.”\n\nLions roar in big battle Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, the Brisbane Lions put an end to Adelaide’s unbeaten run with a three-point victory at Brighton Homes Arena in a top-four thriller, 5.12 (42) to 6.3 (39), in a spectacle worthy of being a final. The Lions’ Orla O’Dwyer speeds away against the Crows. Credit: Getty Images Adelaide started fast but the game evened up as the Lions had the better of the second quarter with three goals to one. The Crows then took back control in the third with three goals to none, which set the stage for a tense final term. The fourth quarter was a heated arm wrestle, and scores were tied with four minutes left on the clock. The Lions’ Bella Dawes kicked the only goal of the last term, but it was a series of behinds in the final minutes that won the game for them, including one from Lily Postlethwaite that broke the stalemate.\n\nAdelaide’s Niamh Kelly navigates her way through traffic against brisbane. Credit: Getty The two sides have had intense battles in the competition’s history, including two grand finals, and this was no different. If the Lions had lost, they were at risk of falling out of the top four with second-season side Essendon chasing their spot. Last season’s best and fairest Ally Anderson said her side loved playing at its training ground in Springfield, which it has made a fortress, and work well in hot conditions . “It was really hot. It was a grind… But yeah, it was a good finish,” Anderson told Fox Footy post-game. “Every week that we play here, every time that we play here, we get better and better. So, it was just a matter of time before we finally got the first win and then it hopefully [will] open the floodgates a bit.”\n\nThe Lions next play St Kilda before taking on the reigning premiers Melbourne in the final round. After this weekend, they have staked their claim as being premiership contenders again. Adelaide will play top-four side North Melbourne next weekend before 18th-placed Western Bulldogs. Comeback kings Richmond take the points in Cairns A late goal by Emelia Yassir has helped Richmond to their first win in four games, putting their AFLW finals campaign back on track with an 11-point victory over Hawthorn. Tight tussle: Richmond’s Emelia Yassir is tackled. Credit: Getty Images Separated by one point at half-time and down by nine points entering the last quarter, the Tigers pulled off a 6.5 (41) to 4.6 (30) victory to keep their finals hopes alive at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns on Friday night.\n\nHawthorn were limited to just one point in the decisive final quarter. Midfield duo Monique Conti (35 disposals, seven clearances) and Grace Egan (28, 5) were typically influential for Richmond, while Hawthorn were led by Emily Bates (18, four) and Jasmine Fleming (18, one). “Richmond were just absolute beasts, especially their midfielders. They really worked hard all night,” Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard said after the game. “Our work rate really dropped off and we just watched them play some really good footy. “If you’re a Hawks fan, you would’ve seen some really exciting moments of footy tonight.\n\n“Keep getting excited. We are coming, we’re growing, we’re getting better.” Hawthorn’s Irish ace Aine McDonagh kicked the opening goal before Tigers skipper Katie Brennan slotted two unanswered majors to celebrate her 50th game in style. Fellow 50-gamer Greta Bodey put boot to ball to snatch her own goal before quarter-time. A skirmish erupted in the second term after Brennan took exception to a tackle by Mattea Breed on Laura McClelland. McClelland was gifted a 50-metre penalty following a bump against Sarah Hosking by Sophie Locke and converted from inside the goal square while players were occupied by the tussle.\n\nBridie Hipwell kicked the only goal of the third quarter to give Hawthorn a game-high nine-point lead. Loading Richmond rebounded in the last term, with Courtney Jones ending Hawthorn’s three-goal run with her first touch of the night, cutting the margin to three points. Dogged by inaccuracy in front of goal, Yassir reduced the deficit to a single point before finally breaking through on her third attempt. That put the Tigers ahead by six points with 11 minutes left, before Caitlin Greiser sealed the win with a massive goal from 45 metres.", + "WEEK ONE FINALS FIXTURE SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 First Qualifying Final: Adelaide v Brisbane Lions, 2.35pm local (3.05pm AEDT), Norwood Oval First Elimination Final: Gold Coast v Sydney, 6.15pm local (7.15pm AEDT), Heritage Bank Stadium SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 Second Elimination Final: Geelong v Essendon, 1.05pm AEDT, GMHBA Stadium Second Qualifying Final: Melbourne v North Melbourne, 3.05pm AEDT, Ikon Park The eight was not decided until the final game of the regular season, when Sydney downed Fremantle by 22 points to leapfrog St Kilda into the final spot, after the Saints had kept themselves in the race with a 20-point win over Carlton earlier in the day, 7.4 (46) to 3.8 (26). With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot. If the Saints had qualified, it would have been their maiden finals appearance. Saints goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw had a heavy collision with Carlton’s Keeley Sherar late in the final quarter of their clash.\n\nGeorgia Patrikios showed her class in the do-or-die match, collecting 25 disposals and eight contested possessions in a powerhouse display, while Hannah Priest was a brick wall in defence, with nine intercept possessions. Abbie McKay worked overtime to counter Patrikios in the midfield, but her side was outclassed across the park. McKay racked up 28 disposals and 12 clearances alongside Mimi Hill (30 disposals), while defender Sherar (17) toiled against a potent Saints attack. Meanwhile, Sydney prevailed in a fierce tug-of-war with the Dockers to seal their first AFLW finals appearance. Down by four points at half-time in the low-scoring game, a third-term goal from Rebecca Privitelli sparked the Swans to a 5.10 (40) to 2.6 (18) win on Sunday at Fremantle Oval.\n\nThe second-year expansion side stormed home with three unanswered goals to secure eighth spot. It’s a dramatic improvement, with the Swans winless in their first season. “Any club that’s able to go from winless one year to a finals berth, it’s incredible,” Sydney co-captain Chloe Molloy told Fox Footy after the match. “You can see the emotion on the girls’ faces. Coming into the season, the odds were against us. Just to get into the eight, we’ve managed to do that. We’re stoked. It’s pretty special for the club.” Missing star ruck Ally Morphett to a season-ending wrist injury, Laura Gardiner stood the tallest in the midfield, while Molloy (two goals), Montana Ham, Privitelli and Brooke Lochland hit the scoreboard. An off-season recruit from Geelong, 20-year-old Gardiner had the ball on a string with a game-high 33 disposals and 18 contested possessions.\n\nDemons denied the minor premiership The Brisbane Lions have toppled AFLW heavyweights Melbourne by 25 points to clinch a double chance in the finals and deny the Demons the minor premiership. A year after Melbourne walked away with the 2022 premiership, the Lions avenged their upset grand final loss by defeating the defending premiers 8.5 (53) to 4.4 (28) at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday. Melbourne’s Lauren Peace fights for the ball againt the Lions. Credit: Getty Images The Lions were at risk of slipping from the top four after last week’s 21-point loss to St Kilda, but will now finish the home-and-away season fourth, avoiding a sudden-death elimination final and marking coach Craig Starcevich’s 75th game in style.\n\nMeanwhile, Melbourne ceded the minor premiership to Adelaide and dropped to second spot. The Lions put on a show across the park, with powerhouse duo Ally Anderson (22 disposals) and Jade Ellenger (22) going to work in the midfield while Dakota Davidson (two goals) led the charge in the forward line. Captain Bre Koenen was superb in defence as she played on Melbourne’s leader Kate Hore, collecting a game-high 12 intercept possessions and limiting the prolific goalkicker to just one goal. Lions duo Charlotte Mullins and Ruby Svarc celebrate. Credit: Getty Images The Lions got the game on their terms early with five repeat entries into the attacking 50m in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Davidson and Ellie Hampson drew first blood before Casey Sherriff kicked Melbourne’s opening goal.\n\nTayla Harris, Tyla Hanks and Hore slotted a goal each in the second term to put their side ahead. Crumbling under the Brisbane attack, the visitors conceded four unanswered goals from Taylor Smith, Sophie Conway (two goals) and Ruby Svarc while remaining goalless in the third term. Midfield stars Olivia Purcell (14 contested possessions) and Tyla Hanks (11) showed their mettle as they attempted to drag their side over the line, but the Demons were outclassed and sorely missing Paxy Paxman (hamstring). Melbourne could be without Maeve Chaplin in their finals campaign, after the defender sustained a concussion injury in the third term. AAP Cats secure elimination final home-ground advantage\n\nGeelong have not only secured their spot in the top eight with a huge 40-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday at GMHBA Stadium but locked in home-ground advantage for the first elimination final. The Cats finished sixth, with the 9.6 (60) to 3.2 (20) win over the Hawks boosting their percentage to a healthy 141.2, almost 40 ahead of Essendon, who sit one rung below them on equal points. Momentum is also in Geelong’s favour after two big wins in a row, having demolished Richmond by 38 points last weekend. Chloe Scheer (left) and Julia Crockett-Grills of the Cats celebrate. Credit: Getty Against the Hawks, they controlled ball movement from the get-go, kicking four goals straight to open the match and keeping their opposition goalless to half-time.\n\nChloe Scheer was once again the star in front of goals with three majors, while the Cats finished with seven individual goalkickers. Georgie Prespakis (35 touches, eight clearances) and Amy McDonald (23 touches, eight clearances) were a formidable midfield duo, while the retiring Renee Garing had a whopping 11 tackles. Overall, it was a strong team effort from a side that will be hungry for a finals win. Last year, the Cats had an impressive home-and-away run but bowed out narrowly in an elimination final to North Melbourne. Geelong young defender Rebecca Webster told this masthead earlier in the week how important the home crowd is for them come knockout finals. “Playing at GMHBA is like a massive advantage for us,” said Webster. “We love going in those four walls. We train there three, four times a week. So having that familiarity of the ground is awesome ... So I would be super-excited to make finals for one, but then play at home would be just that extra and having all our support behind us really drives us on the field.” Tears abound in Phillips’ emotional farewell\n\nThere were emotional scenes at Alberton Oval as the siren sounded on AFLW great Erin Phillips’ last game, with Port Adelaide saluting her with a huge 58-point win over Greater Western Sydney on Saturday. The crowd, which included Phillips’ father Greg and mother Julie (both in tears after the game), more family and friends, and Adelaide captain Chelsea Randall, erupted as the curtain finally came down for the three-time premiership player after eight seasons and 67 games. “It was an awesome game and four quarters of Port Adelaide footy … It was awesome to finish up like that,” Phillips told Fox Footy after the 13.10 (88) to 4.6 (30) win over the Giants. Erin Phillips celebrates a goal during her final AFLW match. Credit: AFL Photos Earlier, she told the ABC that she wanted her legacy to include doing everything she could to grow the game.\n\n“Hopefully I can be remembered as someone who took their opportunities, loved the game and was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the next generation was in a better position,” she said. Richelle Cranston of the Bulldogs is chaired off the ground by teammates Isabelle Pritchard and Ellie Blackburn after announcing her retirement. Credit: Getty The 38-year-old kicked a momentous goal from a set shot in the final quarter, and she was smothered by her jubilant teammates afterwards. “I don’t think I’ve been as nervous to kick a goal in my life, to be honest,” she joked. “But nah, it was awesome.” On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.\n\nCranston, who was an inaugural AFLW player, will start kidney dialysis in January so had no option but to hang up the boots and focus on her treatment and health. “[I’m feeling] sad. Emotions hit me when the siren went. It’s been a really emotional week, the girls have really gotten around me. But yeah, my health has sort of deteriorated, it’s been a really hard year,” Cranston told Fox Footy after the Bulldogs lost to North Melbourne 7.13 (55) to 1.3 (9). “But I go out with on a happy note. I love these girls and I’ll be over at the pancake pocket [Pancake Parlour at Whitten Oval] watching them from now on and have a few bevs on the sideline.” Roos’ lock in top-four spot; Dogs have issues to work through in off-season North Melbourne secured third spot on the ladder and the double chance in finals after downing the Western Bulldogs by a whopping 46 points. They will head into finals with momentum but a glaring issue to work on: kicking accuracy. Despite the comfortable win, they could have done a lot more damage after booting double the number of behinds to goals.\n\nStar midfielder Ash Riddell, who had 36 touches and seven clearances, said she was excited to go up against Melbourne or Adelaide in the first weekend of finals depending on other results this round, as they were the only two sides who beat them this year. “I’m excited like I think the group’s coming together really nicely and where really well-prepared compared to previous years,” Riddell told Fox Footy. “So, I can’t wait I think it’s an exciting time for us.” The game was one-way traffic against the Dogs with the game played almost entirely in the Roos’ attacking half. Riddell credited her side’s “team performance” after two losses to the Dees and Crows. North Melbourne have secured a top-four spot for finals. Credit: Getty For the Western Bulldogs, it was another tough day out as they notched their ninth loss of the season. They won just one game this year, an eight-point victory last weekend over 17th-placed West Coast.\n\nBritney Gutknecht kicked the Dogs’ only goal against the Kangaroos, which came early in the final term to avoid a record for the lowest AFLW score in the history of the competition. The Dogs have plenty to work on for next season as they look to regain a competitive edge, which was lost after a finals berth last year. Along with being in a rebuild, they were badly injury-hit this season and used 32 players, more than any other club. Suns secure finals spot AAP Unsung hero Lucy Single has helped Gold Coast book their second AFLW finals appearance with a 14-point win over Essendon. Losing midfield powerhouse Charlie Rowbottom to an ankle injury proved no obstacle in the Suns’ maiden clash with the Bombers, as they finished the regular season in fifth spot after a 6.3 (39) to 3.7 (25) victory to kick off pride round at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Friday.\n\nWhile their men’s side have yet to make a finals appearance, this is the second time Gold Coast’s women have clinched a play-off spot, having also done so in the cancelled 2020 season. Single filled the massive Rowbottom-size gap, collecting 25 disposals and six clearances in her prolific performance across the field while also playing a crucial tagging role on Maddy Prespakis. Coast with the most: Georgia Clayden of the Suns celebrates after kicking a goal. Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images The former rugby sevens player was well-supported by Claudia Whitford (25 possessions) and Alison Drennan (22 touches). Prespakis was held to eight contested possessions, well below a season average of 14 per game, while Georgia Nanscawen proved a potent threat with 13 contested possessions and three score involvements.\n\nThe Bombers broke through first with a goal from Amber Clarke but young talent Darcie Davies (two goals) was able to respond after being gifted 50 metres from a protected area infringement by Mia Bush. Daisy D’Arcy, Jacqueline Dupuy, Jamie Stanton and Davies attempted to break away from the low-scoring tug-of-war in the second with goals of their own. But two goals from Amelia Radford and Georgia Gee kept the hosts close, while defender Ellyse Gamble (nine intercept possessions) proved a roadblock for the Suns’ attackers. Single lit up the park with a clinical slice through the corridor, dodging two tackles to put the ball in the hands of Georgia Clayden, who capped the centre clearance with the only major of the third term. With both sides goalless in the final quarter, the Suns were able to cruise home. With AAP", + "Quince paste and hand-picked grapes have played a part in helping the Sydney Swans launch themselves to the top of the AFLW attendance charts, less than two years after their first match in the women’s league.\n\nThe Swans play their final home match of the regular season this weekend with an average attendance of 4,365 from four games so far – 124 more than the next best club Adelaide – and a marquee pride match against Collingwood at Henson Park to come on Sunday where a crowd in excess of 4,000 is expected.\n\nThe club’s focus has been to target local communities and make match days compelling for fans on and off the field, according to executive GM of marketing at the Swans, Loretta Johns.\n\n“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said.\n\nFans of Australian rules football in the Harbour City have a reputation for being fickle. After a winless campaign in 2022, the Swans – led by ex-Collingwood player Chloe Molloy – have been competitive this season. The team won their first AFLW match in round one and are within a game of the top eight with two rounds to play.\n\nBut general manager of women’s football at the AFL, Nicole Livingstone, said the Swans’ off-field offering had tapped into something “uniquely Sydney” and helped make matches more attractive.\n\n“To go to North Sydney Oval and to have quince paste and hand-picked grapes, cheddar cheese and biscuits in a little box that’s got this beautiful wrapping on it – they’ve really thought about what they’re doing and made it an experience,” she said.\n\n“Even at Henson Park [the Swans’ other home ground in Sydney’s gentrified inner west], they’ve gone to microbreweries in the local area and invited them in, but also promoted through their clientele to come to the football.”\n\nThe Swans forward Bella Smith said the players were proud of the club’s attendance record, and were grateful for the support. “We get there two hours before the start of the game and the hill [at Henson Park] is bare. When you come out for the first team warm-up, the hill is slowly filling and then by the time the first bounce gets around, it is full,” she said. “You can hear it, the atmosphere is amazing.”\n\nThe average attendance for the AFLW is a little over 2,500 a match this year, tracking approximately on par with previous seasons and with a finals uptick likely to come. But crowds are short of targets that could accelerate the extension of the regular season, which grows from 10 games this year to 12 games by 2025.\n\n5,474 fans were at North Sydney Oval to watch the Swans’ first AFLW victory earlier in the season. Photograph: Jack Snape/The Guardian\n\nThe league enjoyed strong attendances in round one, which were partly attributed to the so-called Matildas effect, but some clubs have struggled to attract fans in large numbers this season. Crowds of less than 1,500 have been recorded in both traditional markets such as Melbourne and Perth, as well as areas targeted for growth like Blacktown and the Gold Coast.\n\nThe A-League Women launched this month with a first round highlighted by a crowd of more than 11,000 in Sydney. But more modest attendances in subsequent games, including two sub-2,000 crowds in Perth, suggest the popularity of the Matildas’ run to the semi-finals has only had a limited impact on support for domestic women’s sport.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Australia Sport Free newsletter Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nLivingstone said the “green and gold fever” associated with the Women’s World Cup was a one-off and the AFL has plans in place for long-term growth. “We’ll continue to keep building the base and keep building the foundations and have it not just strong at year seven, season eight, but strong for generations to come.”\n\nIn a bid to improve the spectacle of the AFLW, the league introduced longer quarters this year and an interchange cap to help increase scoring. The effect, according to Livingstone, has been positive.\n\n“We’ve increased game time by eight minutes per match, on average, and we’ve had record scores across the rounds,” she said. “Whereas leading into the season we hadn’t scored more than 100 goals in a round, we’ve regularly been scoring over 100 goals in a round.”\n\nThe Swans recorded their highest total last round, in their 14-12-96 to 6-3-39 defeat of the Western Bulldogs, the league’s winless bottom side. Molloy recorded 17 score involvements to set a new AFLW mark.\n\nBut Livingstone said the AFL was happy with the level of competition. “Our ladder, from position five to 13 – there’s only a game separating it. It just shows that this is a really competitive competition.”", + "MBW’s World Leaders is a regular series in which we turn the spotlight toward some of the most influential industry figures overseeing key international markets. In this feature, we speak to Alejandra Olea, Managing Director, Americas at Believe. World Leaders is supported by PPL.\n\nThere is no mistaking the global music biz’s biggest breakthrough independent hit of the past few months.\n\nSpanish artist Iñigo Quintero’s Si No Estás rose to the top of Spotify‘s Global Top 50 in late October – and has stubbornly refused to leave the upper reaches of digital charts ever since. (Even amongst the early December onslaught of Christmas standards in Spotify’s flagship global chart, the Spanish-language track currently remains comfily snuggled in at No.7.)\n\nTo date, having only been released on September 23, Si No Estás has racked up over 330 million plays on Spotify, and over 100 million on YouTube.\n\nFrom a music industry perspective, Si No Estás is especially interesting because it provided Believe, the Paris-headquartered indie biz giant, with its first-ever chart-topper on Spotify’s Global Top 50.\n\nIñigo Quintero – who last week released his follow-up track. Lo Que Queda de Mí – was signed to Believe in March via indie label/aggregator Acqustic.\n\nThe act’s worldwide success is just part of the story of Believe’s steady growth in Latin music in the past few years, which has been led by Alejandra Olea, the company’s Managing Director, Americas.\n\nHere, as part of our World Leaders series, Olea discusses the Iñigo Quintero story – including TikTok’s vital role in the explosion of Si No Estás.\n\nOlea also discusses Believe’s unique position in the growth of Latin music – and, more generally, how she sees independent artists continually changing the game in the global business…\n\nWhat has been the story of Inigo’s global hit so far? Where did it come from and how did it explode in 2023?\n\nBelieve has been working with Iñigo Quintero since March of this year. The success of the track is the result of outstanding teamwork between the artist, his label, Believe and our global digital partners, more specifically Spotify and TikTok in this case.\n\nIn the initial discovery phase, we developed the audience of the track with the label mostly through Believe’s expertise of marketing on Spotify. Secondly thanks to our short-form video trends detection technology, we noticed some acceleration on the propagation of the track and consequently we leveraged our partnership with TikTok, as well as coordinated promotion from all our teams around the world with Spotify.\n\nOur global partnerships with both TikTok and Spotify allowed us to combine marketing and promotion campaigns for the track in each service at both local level in key early markets – Spain, Latin America, France – as well as globally.\n\n“Our global partnerships with both TikTok and Spotify allowed us to combine marketing and promotion campaigns for the track in each service at both local level in key early markets.”\n\nAs a result of the work of our teams all around the world, the track has been included in over 180 playlists across all digital music partners and in over 79 playlists and over 97 million followers on Spotify only, including reaching #1 of Spotify’s Top 50 – Global, the first time ever for a Believe track, as well as being featured on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits, Spotify’s biggest playlist, and topping Spotify’s Viral 50 and Top 50 playlists around the world.\n\nTo this day, our partnership with TikTok has resulted in a total of more than 5 million creations (according to MediaMatch).\n\nAlong with TikTok on the social side, we have leveraged Instagram to drive engagement around Iñigo and the song globally. Our teams, who have a very robust video expertise to maximize content across platforms, built Iñigo’s YouTube channel from the ground up, optimizing it and directing traffic to it by creating the official lyric video as its first video, so that music fans could find and listen to his music on the platform.\n\nSince then, the lyric video for Si No Estás has reached 100 million views to date. [It’s currently ranked at #13 on YouTube’s Top 100 Global Music Videos.]\n\nWe are now in a new phase to deepen and expand the success by promoting the track on more traditional media in key countries, where the track is rapidly gaining radio airplay and unlocking other promotional opportunities.\n\nThe success of Si No Estás illustrates very well how much artist development has changed. Social media and digital music services have now become the #1 source of music discovery. Believe has developed an innovative, AI and data-driven expertise to develop tracks and artists that is unique in the music industry.\n\n“The success of Si No Estás illustrates very well how much artist development has changed. Social media and digital music services have now become the #1 source of music discovery.”\n\nThe key to success is great partnerships with the artist and his label, and being able to combine strong AI data-driven expertise to maximize momentum for an artist and a track at the right time with the right tools and the right partnerships, supported by both local and global teams.\n\nThis last element is particularly important, and truly one of Believe’s strengths: being able to mobilize our teams multi-locally and globally to accompany audience development for our artists. We expect this is only the beginning for Iñigo Quintero and also anticipate many more successes like his in the future.\n\nHow did it end up distributed by Believe via Acqustic?\n\nBelieve’s strength is our presence across 50 countries around the world. By deploying local teams on the ground, we are fully part of the local music scenes, and are able to identify the labels and artists with the most potential. So locally, our team’s role is to select local artists and labels to partner with and accompany them in their development.\n\nWe are very selective on our approach as our goal is to provide them, regardless of their level of development, with the highest level of quality of service in the market. In the case of Iñigo, we identified Acqustic as a promising new label in 2020, with a great team, a strong A&R vision and great track record. In March 2023, they signed Iñigo and now Si No Estás is the smashing success we know.\n\nIt’s now all about building upon that success and accompanying the artist and the labels we service in their next phase of growth. This is made possible thanks to Believe’s unique ability to adapt the level of service to the needs of the artist and label: the more successful they become, the more their needs evolve, and the more we are able to provide the best support to supercharge that growth.\n\nI know Inigo is Spanish, but what would you say is driving the ability of Latin artists (particularly Latin American artists) to date to have global hits on distribution agreements – without signing (even licensing) deals with major record labels?\n\nSpanish-speaking music, from Spain and Latin America, just keeps getting bigger. Spanish and Latin artists have much more options to develop their audiences and monetize their music at each stage of their career.\n\nArtists like Iñigo Quintero and labels like Acqustic are prime examples of this profound shift within the Latin and wider music industry. We are in a world where music discovery and consumption are now primarily digital, and artists have now understood that. They look for partners who get it too and whose expertise will allow them to leverage digital platforms to reach new and existing audiences wherever they are.\n\n“Artists today are also much more conscious of their career trajectory and look for better deals, with more freedom, more transparency, and more options.”\n\nThis is especially the case in Spanish-speaking markets, where music fans are amongst the most engaged audiences in the world, whether on digital platforms or on social media. Music content is consumed with more frequency, in different formats, across multiple platforms and through different aspects related to the track.\n\nBeyond that, artists today are also much more conscious of their career trajectory and look for better deals, with more freedom, more transparency, and more options. They want to keep ownership of their masters, and get better economics.\n\nThis level of agility is at the very core of Believe’s structuring: from self-releasing services with TuneCore, to more premium services with Believe Label and Artist Solutions or Artist Services Solutions, we pride ourselves for being able to accompany talents like Iñigo at all stages of their development, from being emerging acts, all the way to becoming top charting artists.\n\nCan we read anything into the fact that Inigo is Spanish, and how the trend identified above (i.e. Latin American artists having hits without being on major record company deals) is starting to spread to different corners of the world and different genres? We just had RAYE enjoying gobal success independently with Escapism, and in the US earlier this year there was of course Oliver Anthony going to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100…\n\nFor many years now, Latin artists have been paving the way for deals that bring them more control, transparency, and better economics.\n\nLooking at the global picture, beyond Spanish-speaking artists, there truly is something bigger at play here. We do see, all around the world, more and more artists able to reach massive levels of success, not only in their own markets, but internationally too, without the need to for major label support and traditional label deals.\n\nAt Believe, Inigo has of course been a fantastic example of this. But we have also had similar success stories in other markets, notably France, where the Top 5 albums of the week of June 16th where all by artists signed to Believe directly or through their labels.\n\n“Looking at the global picture, beyond Spanish-speaking artists, there truly is something bigger at play here.”\n\nElsewhere in Europe, Blanco has been skyrocketing in the UK, while RAF Camora & HoodBlaq in Germany also peaked at #1 in June 2023 in the Official German Album Charts for RAF Camora’s XV RR, a re-edition of his album XV.\n\nSimilarly, Indonesia’s Nadhif Basalamah’s Penjaga Hati was the #4 global viral song on Spotify in the week of October 16th and Idgitaf peaked at #1 on Spotify’s Viral Charts. And of course, another fantastic example is Regional Mexican powerhouse Grupo Frontera, whose latest album, El Comienzo, released early August, peaked at #1 on Spotify’s Top Album Debut USA, Top Album Debut Global, Top Songs Debut Global and Top Songs Debut USA, with +1.6 billion streams on Spotify to date.\n\nSo there are indeed more and more artists getting huge amounts of traction and rising to the top of the charts, without traditional major label support. We see this trend getting bigger and bigger and gaining more and more markets.", + "Two years ago, this writer sat down for a Chinese meal on a chilly winter’s night in London with Michelle Jubelirer and some of her closest allies at Capitol Music Group.\n\nJubelirer had just been promoted to Chair and CEO of the Los Angeles-based label group – a key pillar of Universal Music Group. The mood that night was suitably celebratory… but it was also, it’s fair to say, imbued with knowledge of a tough road ahead.\n\nJubelirer was widely tipped as the natural successor to Steve Barnett when the British exec stood down as head of CMG in 2020. She had been by Barnett’s side throughout a run of success at CMG over multiple years – via artists like Sam Smith, Halsey, Paul McCartney, and Lewis Capaldi, as well as transformative deals like a JV between Motown (then part of CMG) and Quality Control.\n\nIn actuality, Jubelirer’s immediate ascension to running CMG was not forthcoming. Instead, Barnett was succeeded in December 2020 as Chairman/CEO of the label group by Jeff Vaughn, a fast-rising exec who’d previously impressed as a data-and-socials-savvy A&R at Mike Caren’s Artist Partner Group (APG).\n\nMid-pandemic, Vaughn entered CMG with bold ideas, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out there was a culture clash: Within a startlingly short 12 months, Vaughn was gone from CMG. (He has since launched his label JV, Signal Records, with Sony‘s Columbia).\n\nIn the wake of this corporate untidiness, Jubelirer was (some may suggest was overdue-ly) named Chair & CEO of Capitol Music Group. Her most pressing brief? Calm everything the hell down, and get the Good Ship Capitol out of the eye of the hurricane.\n\nSo, the mood at that Chinese dinner? Understandable.\n\nYet if some nervous energy was detected that night, so was a healthy confidence. Jubelirer and co. have been putting both to good use ever since.\n\nTwo years on, Jubelirer’s CMG hasn’t only returned to calmer waters – with US market share YTD in the high-5% region – it’s also achieved some glittering successes while priming a promising array of new talent.\n\nA key example: CMG, along with its colleagues at Capitol UK and the artist’s team, has been behind the Grammy-winning global smash that is Sam Smith’s Unholy (an unapologetically ribald banger from a singer who refuses to be pigeonholed as a sweet balladeer).\n\nCMG has also been a crucial partner, alongside Elliot Grainge‘s 10K Projects, in the rise of Ice Spice. The Best New Artist Grammy nominee has landed with such explosiveness, she’s secured no less than four Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles and over 2 billion global streams off her official debut release… which is an EP.\n\nJubelirer calls Ice Spice “THE breakout artist of 2023”, adding: “She’s the first artist since Olivia Rodrigo to achieve three Top 5 single debuts in her first four months, and she just attained another Top 10 with “Barbie World” with Nicki [Minaj].\n\n“We’re just at the beginning of what is going to be a tremendous career of artistry and global popularity.”\n\nOther priorities at Capitol over the past 12 months have included Tampa-born rapper/singer Doechii, signed to CMG via a JV partnership with Top Dawg and TDE at the start of Jubelirer’s reign as Chair/CEO of CMG.\n\nDoechii’s What It Is (Block Boy) is closing in on becoming the artist’s first Platinum record in the States; earlier this week, it was named TikTok’s fourth biggest global track of 2023. (A debut Doechii album is anticipated in 2024; other new-act priorities at CMG next year include Young Miko and Rylo Rodriguez.)\n\nElsewhere, Jubelirer’s team has secured Toosii’s biggest record to date with the 3X platinum Favorite Song, plus one of the US’s biggest-selling hip-hop debuts of the year with Offset’s Set It Off.\n\nIn addition, long-term CMG signings such as Troye Sivan (recently Grammy nomm’d for his Rush video), Niall Horan, Fletcher, and Maggie Rogers have each celebrated some of the biggest successes of their careers to date.\n\nDiscussing Capitol’s long-term investment into these acts, Jubelirer notes: “All are amazing songwriters and performers who are successful globally and have built extremely passionate fan bases. Our focus continues to be on building a rich world for their superfans.\n\n“To us, success is not just about momentary chart position; merch, product drops, and experiential moments are key to building and maintaining engagement of superfans. Streaming is crucial, but for many artists, these areas are equally so.”\n\nAnd then, of course, there’s been the return of those little-known mop-tops, The Beatles – whose CMG-issued ‘comeback’, Now And Then, released in November, recently hit No.1 in multiple territories including the UK, Germany, and Austria.\n\nStructurally, Jubelirer has had some fun and games to contend with at CMG in her first two years in charge.\n\nOne of Jubelirer’s most successful gambits, indie distribution/services company Caroline (later Virgin Music) was in recent years ‘spun out’ of CMG – forming a foundation for the global UMG priority venture that is today known as Virgin Music Group.\n\nMeanwhile, Motown was also ‘spun out’ of CMG, to become a standalone frontline label, in early 2021… before being ‘spun back’ into CMG at the top of this year.\n\nPartners of CMG have made their own headlines in the past 12 months, too: Quality Control – which inked that JV with Motown back in 2015 – was sold to the Scooter Braun-led HYBE America for $300 million in February; Elliot Grainge’s 10K Projects – with whom CMG partners for Ice Spice – was 51%-acquired by Warner Music Group in September.\n\n(CMG continues to work exclusively with Quality Control on acts such as Quavo, Lil Yachty and Lil Baby, while Ice Spice was ‘carved out’ of 10K’s Warner deal and remains signed in partnership with CMG on an ongoing basis.)\n\nHere, MBW gets into it with Jubelirer regarding her first two years in charge at CMG – and, particularly, how she’s overcome the challenge of quelling, and then re-energizing, one of the most iconic label brands in existence…\n\nCapitol Music Group is in significantly stronger shape than it’s been for a while. It also feels meaningfully influential in pop culture – with several tracks in TikTok’s end-of-year / most popular playlists. It’s fair to say things looked less steady when you took over as CEO & Chair in 2021. You had to right some turbulence…\n\nBe careful what you wish for, right [laughs]?\n\nAs you well know, [before Jubelirer was named CEO/Chair] CMG had undergone a few leadership changes within a short period of time, and that turmoil was compounded by the economic volatility of the pandemic. As a result, the company faced eroding market share, low morale, and a stagnant artist roster.\n\nBecause I had spent almost a decade here, I was uniquely situated to bring both a fresh perspective to the job and build a modern culture within the company, while still honoring Capitol’s legacy in profound ways. Meaning, we could be a company that excels at launching and developing Ice Spice, and, at the same time, bring real innovation and full-throttle commitment to the release of a new single from The Beatles. And everything in between!\n\n“CMG had undergone a few leadership changes within a short period of time, and that turmoil was compounded by the economic volatility of the pandemic. As a result, the company faced eroding market share, low morale, and a stagnant artist roster. Because I had spent almost a decade here, I was uniquely situated to bring both a fresh perspective to the job and build a modern culture within the company.”\n\nMajor kudos go to [President of Capitol Music Group] Arjun [Pulijal], my partner in all of this, who is a brilliant creative marketer and equally adept at strategizing innovative paths for artists that range from Ice Spice and Offset to Troye Sivan and Paul McCartney. He’s a great motivator and I’m proud of how he’s stepped into this leadership role and excelled over the past two years.\n\nAnd I’m really glad you mentioned the TikTok-in-2023 wrap-up. Overall, Capitol was the top-performing label across the global and US lists, which tells yet another facet of our success story.\n\nWhat were your biggest priorities for change on day one as Chair of Capitol Music Group – and what do they tell us more generally about modernized major label groups in 2023?\n\nFirst, signing a truly diverse array of new artists, with specific attention on building a strong presence in hip-hop and R&B. Our President of A&R, Jeremy Vuernick, has been crucial to working with me in this regard, as well as overseeing the making of our records. The company hadn’t been consistently competitive in these areas for a very long time, and, remember: Motown had been spun off on its own long before I took the reins of the company. [Motown was spun out in early 2021, then returned to CMG in early 2023].\n\nSecond, we took a hard look at every aspect of our business. We revamped our entire organizational structure, reset our value system, and even replaced certain terminology that was outdated. All to meet the needs of the modern music business. Arjun was key to this process; his expertise really drove a new dynamic in how marketing, creative, international, digital and commerce now interact.\n\n“Today, literally every plan is tailored for a specific artist or project — not pulled from a well-worn playbook — and our focus is on finding and creating opportunities that will have an impact, no matter where an artist is in their development.”\n\nToday, literally every plan at CMG is tailored for a specific artist or project — not pulled from a well-worn playbook — and our focus is on finding and creating opportunities that will have an impact, no matter where an artist is in their development. The artist’s vision still lies at the heart of every plan, but we really listen to the audience, which is smarter and savvier than ever, to determine if our marketing direction is working and if our artists are properly engaged with their audience.\n\nWe strive to be ideas-driven and have honest constructive conversations with our artists and each other. We run our business efficiently, and are constantly thinking about where we find real value for our artists.\n\nWere there any other things at the top of your ‘to-do’ list?\n\nPrioritization. I think companies often use that word to mean, “we’re going to focus on one group of artists and ignore all the others.” For CMG, it means defining what success can uniquely mean for each artist, and then delivering for them.\n\nWe identify which artists will benefit from, say, the close attention of a small group of people who will bring passion and nuance to marketing and development. Others will clearly need the full power of our organization firing on all cylinders from the get-go.\n\nWhat’s particularly changed in how you approach artist campaigns both domestically and internationally?\n\nWe engage directly with international partners earlier than ever before, and don’t unfairly rely on our ex-US affiliates within UMG to do the heavy lifting early on. They have their own local repertoire to work on.\n\nA good case in point is Doechii’s What It Is, which is platinum in the U.S. and has surpassed 1.1 billion worldwide streams so far. Our team instigated innovative digital strategies through TikTok in Nigeria, then Kenya, which in turn prompted a reaction in the Philippines, then to China with Douyin.\n\nWithin a few weeks, there were 1.5 million daily ‘creates’ [using the artist’s music] across those platforms.\n\n“A big reason for our early emphasis on international is to start the process of building revenue streams as early as possible. I’m talking about brand building and direct-to-fan monetization.”\n\nA big reason for our early emphasis on international is to start the process of building revenue streams as early as possible. I’m talking about brand building and direct-to-fan monetization.\n\nIce Spice is a great example of that; she still hasn’t released her debut album, but is recognized around the world through commercials, syncs in video games, TV and film, a big soundtrack presence, and innovative products on her own store.\n\nHave you seen the Ice Spice American Flag or Chia Pet?\n\nWhat achievements are you most proud of in the past 12 months?\n\nWe’ve had an incredible year. Call it our biggest, our best, our strongest—they’re all accurate.\n\nI’m not one to rattle off a lot of statistics, but I will say that our year-over-year market share is up by 25% and we’ve moved up a notch in the label rankings as well.\n\n“We’ve had an incredible year. Call it our biggest, our best, our strongest—they’re all accurate.”\n\nYou referred to CMG not being in strong shape and going through turbulence when I took over, and that’s all true.\n\nI don’t think any label group has been able to turn things around as quickly as my team and I have done in less than two years.\n\nOne decision that I’m guessing wasn’t in your control in the past few years was the ‘spinning out’ of Caroline/Virgin Music into what is now Virgin Music Group. What have been the pros and cons of that move for you?\n\nVirgin [first, Caroline] was a major priority for us since the launch of Capitol Music Group in 2012. We really prioritized this area, and oversaw the transition from Caroline into Virgin directly within our company.\n\nWe were so fortunate to have the talent, and friendship, of [now-Virgin Music Group President] Jacqueline [Saturn] and her team as part of our company for many years.\n\n“We were so successful in building [Caroline/Virgin Music], that it really was only a matter of time before the other labels within UMG would want to grow a similar business within their groups.”\n\nWe were so successful in building that end of the business, that it really was only a matter of time before the other labels within UMG would want to grow a similar business within their groups. It wouldn’t have made sense to have multiple indie label/artist services divisions within UMG, so the plan to globalize Virgin and scale it to work with all the labels made so much sense.\n\nDo I miss having Jacqueline and her team only a few steps away? Of course. But I’m proud of the crucial roles they’ve played in Virgin’s growth and evolution, and we work as closely together as we ever did.\n\nOn the flip side, Motown has returned as an imprint within CMG after a period as a standalone label. Obviously, that came with an inevitable downsizing process. what shape is Motown in now and what does it add to the CMG makeup?\n\nMotown is once again fully unified within CMG’s culture after being separate from the company for a couple of years. We have strengthened our longtime partnership with Quality Control, with whom we continue to share tremendous success and plan for a big future.\n\nWe worked with them on a bold and innovative Lil Yachty alternative album, and we’re all looking forward to new music from Lil Baby next year. Offset not only made a great album – I expect Grammy nominations for him next year – he really puts the work in, day-in, day-out.\n\n“Music is music, and genres shouldn’t be defined by color. In fact, this business really needs to change its definition of “pop” music. There seems to be real confusion there; we should be calling any music that streams in volume, “pop” music.”\n\nI knew that if we were going to make significant inroads with hip-hop and R&B company-wide, we needed experts in those areas and fresh perspective on our executive team. [EVP of Capitol Music Group] Orlando Wharton relaunched Priority Records and signed Kodak Black; [Motown SVP of A&R] Kenoe Jordan has been working closely with YoungBoy NBA; and Gordan Dillard brought management and artist development experience from his role at SALXCO.\n\nWe also promoted Black executives from within, particularly in the areas of A&R and marketing. We’re still searching for the right leader for Motown, and won’t stop until we find one befitting the stature and legacy of such an important label.\n\nUltimately, we don’t separate music based on genre at CMG, but we do have a number of labels – Blue Note, Motown, Priority, Astralwerks, Capitol Christian and Tamla – so artists have real options here.\n\nMusic is music, and genres shouldn’t be defined by color. In fact, this business really needs to change its definition of “pop” music. There seems to be real confusion there; we should be calling any music that streams in volume, “pop” music.\n\nOur philosophy is that great ideas transcend genre. We have experts in every “genre” but we all share, collaborate and respectfully challenge each other. In fact, I don’t even like the word, “genre.” Let’s change it!\n\nBe honest: When you first heard “Unholy” – from that well-known smooth soul singer Sam Smith – what was your reaction? Did you know it was a smash hit?\n\nSam drove this record, from its creation through the decision for it to be the first single. I felt it was a huge leap forward; it was bold and brash – so distinctive from the first listen – and I thought it was one of the strongest songs and records Sam had ever created.\n\nMy role was to marshal everyone in the company to come up with creative and strategic ideas to help lead the global effort behind it, and to make sure our team – led by Arjun – worked closely with Jo Charrington and her team at Capitol UK, and with Sam’s managers, Jack Street and Sam Evitt.\n\nAs Arjun can tell you, digital marketing was key to the effort; the song is in the Top 3 of all-time creations and shares for a pre-release campaign, and the global teams worked together brilliantly to connect that pre-release momentum to the biggest looks at the DSPs, in the media and at radio.\n\nThe fact that Unholy broke records at the streaming services was extremely gratifying, and the Grammy that they won with Kim Petras was so well-deserved. Not only is Sam a brilliant and unique artist, they were the first new artist to break big at our company after we launched, and we consider them to be family.\n\nI want Sam to be with us forever and as much a part of our legacy as the great superstars who came before them.\n\nTalking of firsts: What about your first meeting with Ice Spice? And tell us about that fateful dinner with her and Elliot – a dinner about which you politely reminded him, in a NOW-INFAMOUS ARTICLE, that you also attended!\n\nI will forever tease Elliot about his “selective” memory on what transpired that evening! For the record, at that dinner – which led to the co-signing of Ice Spice by Capitol and 10K – were me, Elliot, Jeremy Vuernick, [10K co-presidents] Zach Friedman and Tony Talamo. All of us attended and won her heart as a team. Equally, she won my heart.\n\nBut it’s far more important to focus on the extraordinary artist we were there to see. I’ve been working with artists for decades, and it is a rare occasion when you sit with an artist and just know that you’re in the presence of a future global superstar. That was, and is, Ice Spice.\n\n“Ice Spice is a strong woman, and you’ll notice that she has aligned herself with other strong women.”\n\nHer early music was exciting and her explosive growth as an artist and cultural figure has already transcended the world of music. In short, she’s becoming a household name. All of this is a testament to her talent and drive, and the effort to help develop and break her has been a real team effort between Capitol, 10K and her manager, James Rosemond Jr.\n\nI also want to point out that Ice Spice is a strong woman, and you’ll notice that she has aligned herself with other strong women. [Ice Spice also signed to Universal Music Publishing Group via UMPG’s Chairman and CEO, and close Jubelirer colleague, Jody Gerson.]\n\nAs you noted, Ice Spice is well on her way to becoming a household name, especially in the US; what have been the key ingredients in widening her audience from Munch to now?\n\nHere’s the thing about Ice Spice – her look, her flow, her lyrics, and the collaboration choices she’s made: Taylor Swift, Nikki Minaj, PinkPantheress — are all of paramount importance in her success. She knows precisely who she is and what is right for her to do – and not do. That’s such a rare quality to possess at such a young age, and it serves her well. A plethora of opportunities are coming toward her at warp speed, and she has the instinct to make the right choices at the right time.\n\n“A plethora of opportunities are coming toward her at warp speed, and she has the instinct to make the right choices at the right time.”\n\nOur EVP of Media, Ambrosia Healey, scored a major coup by getting Ice the season opener of Saturday Night Live, which is just one of her many big media appearances. Every department has played an integral role in the launch and development of Ice Spice, but as I said before, it’s only the beginning. Stay tuned.\n\nIt’s kind of weird how The Beatles Now And Then has somehow slipped into the band’s canon – while enjoying modern chart success at the same time. How involved were you in that project and what was your experience of it?\n\nNever in a million years would I have thought I’d be involved in releasing a brand-new single from The Beatles. Arjun and I got a preview of the song from Jeff Jones at Apple Corp earlier this year, and began planning and strategizing on a global level with him, along with UMG UK and [Universal Music Enterprises President and CEO] Bruce Resnikoff and his team.\n\nThe whole experience has been a “pinch me” moment. The Beatles mean the world to me — I’m a massive lifelong fan and they are such an important part of our company’s DNA. I was thrilled to sign Paul [McCartney] directly to Capitol in 2016, and he is such an important frontline artist for us. He continues to make amazing music and has achieved some of his biggest solo success in recent years, including back-to-back #1 albums.\n\n“The whole experience has been a “pinch me” moment. The Beatles mean the world to me… I was thrilled to sign Paul [McCartney] directly to Capitol in 2016, and he is such an important frontline artist for us.”\n\nFor Now And Then our goal was to highlight the storytelling around the creation of the song, while also ensuring that it was treated like a brand-new record (albeit 50 years in the making) that should become an important part of the cultural conversation.\n\nIt’s surreal when you see a new Beatles song, in 2023, as the cover of New Music Friday on Spotify, trending creations on short-form platforms, being played across all current formats of radio, synced across network TV, and topping single charts. I’m really proud that Capitol was able to help present Now And Then to the world, and that our team — led by Arjun — was integral to creating a global campaign worthy of the historic nature of this release. It’s certainly what The Beatles deserved.\n\nHow great that It’s been such a global success, and that, once again, The Beatles managed to bring even a moment of unity to the world through the beauty and power of their music. Being involved in this has been a real career highlight for me, without a doubt.\n\nIf I could give you our patented MBW magic wand to change something about today’s business right here and now, what would it be and why?\n\nWe could be talking for hours about this, Tim, and there are a few things out there I’d like to change with that wand! But I’ll spare you an exhaustive rant and focus on one issue.\n\nWe need more diversity at all levels and within all facets of the music industry, particularly on the label side.\n\n“along with doing what I can to increase the number of women at our company. There just aren’t enough of us, particularly within the most senior ranks at the labels.”\n\nDiversity is a superpower. It’s an ongoing process that I’ve put a lot of focus on, along with doing what I can to increase the number of women at our company. There just aren’t enough of us, particularly within the most senior ranks at the labels.\n\nUMG has [Nashville Chair & CEO] Cindy Mabe and me running standalone label groups, and I know that Lucian agrees with me that there needs to be more.\n\nI will continue to do what I can to increase representation at Capitol Music Group and within the music business at large.Music Business Worldwide", + "For the first year in recent memory, scale did not necessitate tradition, and scope did not preclude getting weird. In 2023, nothing was sacred in video games, and so they felt more vibrant than ever.\n\nSure, some of the more “focused” games threw us for a pleasant loop: Dredge begins as a lonely fishing sim before transforming into something otherworldly, and Humanity morphed from a pensive art project into an all-out war. Dave the Diver, similarly, is not so much about being a diver as it is about running a sushi restaurant, or hunting for alien artifacts, or conversing with said aliens, or — you get the point. Whether you booted up your Steam Deck for a cross-country flight or hid your Switch off screen during that boring Zoom meeting, the game you returned to was rarely the one you left behind.\n\nThis amorphousness (I’m begging our copy editor to let this one slide, because what other “word” could adequately summarize the video games of 2023?) wasn’t consigned to the newcomers, though. Larian Studios, fresh off two years of early-access development and riding the reputation it had garnered from Divinity: Original Sin 2, saw fit to release a role-playing game in which you can kill off nearly every main character the moment you meet them. Remedy Entertainment — let’s be honest, this group has always been strange — made a sequel that’s equal parts horrifying, hilarious, fun, and fabulous. And Nintendo? Well, Nintendo had another banner year. That’s no surprise. The real surprise? It finally let go, and let players toy with the digital molecules of its most revered series. More on this below.\n\nAs the year comes to a close, it’s intoxicating to see developers of all sizes, in every genre, with every tier of budget, mining the depths of interactive design, branching this way and that as they follow their respective veins of gold. They’re nowhere near the bottom of that particular expanse, of course — and that’s a heartening thought. —Mike Mahardy\n\nHow the Polygon top 50 list works\n\nOver the past few weeks, the Polygon staff voted, championed, debated, and ultimately threw up its hands and marveled at the list of mammoths, curiosities, puzzle boxes, and black holes that is our top 50 games of 2023. Any video games that were released in 2023, received substantial updates in 2023, or achieved renewed cultural relevance in 2023 were eligible for this list. Last year, the cutoff for consideration was Nov. 30. (You’ll notice a certain Firaxis Games joint fairly high up our list.) This year, the cutoff was the same. Should we be thoroughly enamored with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader or Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, we’ll make sure they’re considered for next year’s top 50.\n\nTop 50\n\n50. Mr. Sun’s Hatbox\n\nDeveloper: Kenny Sun\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch and Windows PC\n\nMr. Sun’s Hatbox is about a hat delivery person (or maybe it’s just a blob with legs?) that takes their job way too seriously. At the beginning of the game, a customer’s package gets stolen and whisked away to a nearby towering castle. Despite the client’s apathy toward a single missing hat, the delivery company, named Amazin, proceeds to set up an entire subterranean paramilitary operation beneath the poor customer’s home.\n\nAs its premise suggests, this pixelated 2D roguelite leans into the absurd. Part Metal Gear Solid 5, part Spelunky, you undertake missions where you blast away enemies and kidnap them for your own operation, all while slapstick action unfolds. While on a mission, anything from a desk lamp to daggers is fair game for a weapon. In between fights, you expand your base, where you manage a staff of brainwashed blob-people. It’s fast, frenetic fun, and especially enjoyable to share with friends in co-op. —Ana Diaz\n\n49. Lies of P\n\nDeveloper: Neowiz Games\n\nWhere to play: Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nYes, Lies of P is a Dark Souls mixed with Pinocchio, and that’s a questionable elevator pitch from the outset.\n\nIn the years leading up to Lies of P, “Pinocchiosouls” was more of a running joke than anything — this profane idea that you can take any world and slap some Dark Souls into it to get people mildly interested. But once you’re in the game, eliminating bosses left and right with your sweet parry moves, you’ll quickly find yourself entirely unbothered by how strange Lies of P initially seemed. And you’ll start telling your partner things like “I have to go back to Geppetto to upgrade my puppet body” like it’s a perfectly normal task to assign yourself on a Tuesday afternoon.\n\nIt’s very rare for a Soulslike to ever feel like anything more than a knockoff — even when they’re decent fun, like The Surge. But the best compliment I can give Lies of P is that it feels like the genuine article, a FromSoftware game developed in an alternate dimension and somehow released in this one by mistake. But it wasn’t a mistake or luck that made Lies of P, and it wasn’t FromSoftware, either; it was a talented group of developers at Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio that took a tired genre, paired it with a bizarre IP, and knocked it out of the park. —Ryan Gilliam\n\nRelated Lies of P carves a singular space out of the Soulsborne genre\n\n48. Tchia\n\nDeveloper: Awaceb\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC\n\nTchia is an open-world adventure game set in a fictional version of island nation New Caledonia — inspired by Awaceb’s co-founder’s childhood in the country.\n\nEverything is filtered through the titular main character Tchia’s eyes, eyes with a special power that allows her to transform into any animals or objects in her environment. Birds, dolphins, a camera, or rocks… It’s all an option for Tchia.\n\nThe game, while clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, ends up standing on its own because of the innovative shapeshifting mechanics. Tchia isn’t as technically polished as a Nintendo title with hundreds of developers; Awaceb has a team of roughly a dozen. Still, it’s hard to innovate in such a ubiquitous genre, yet Awaceb has managed to do just that with Tchia, making it one of the best games so far this year. —Nicole Carpenter\n\n47. Blasphemous 2\n\nDeveloper: The Game Kitchen\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nLong gone are the days when the Metroidvania genre languished untouched for years on end. But despite an influx of entries in recent years, few have exhibited as much mastery as Blasphemous 2. Building off of the strong roots of the first game, Blasphemous 2 continues to use Spanish Catholicism as a narrative and aesthetic touchpoint, telling a twisted religious tale that’s about as far from proselytizing as you can get.\n\nAfter the success of the first game, the developers have focused on refining the combat, adding multiple weapons and bizarre, hidden customization options that allow you to take command of how your character rips this world to shreds. The last time I played a 2D Metroidvania with this much polish and charm, it was Hollow Knight. Blasphemous 2 might not reach those same heights, but it comes damn close. —Russ Frushtick\n\n46. Party Animals\n\nDeveloper: Recreate Games\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC and Xbox Series X\n\nI do not know how Recreate Games managed to render some of the cutest animals I’ve ever seen. I also do not know how Recreate made me completely OK with picking up these cute animals and flinging them into black holes, poison clouds, or freezing tundras. The second the match starts in Party Animals, all those cute fluffy corgis, rabbits, kitties, and ducks become my enemies. I will beat them with a bat until they can’t wake up anymore, and I won’t think twice about it. Party Animals may have made me a monster? I don’t know.\n\nThe Gang Beasts-esque wiggly physics mixed with the cute characters makes for a perfect party game of fluffy fighting. —Julia Lee\n\nRelated September games you might have missed\n\n45. The Talos Principle 2\n\nDeveloper: Croteam\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nLike its predecessor, The Talos Principle 2 tackles grand science fiction ideas, particularly about what it means to be human — a theme thoroughly explored in this installment of the series set in a post-human society of AI-powered robots that are carrying on human culture and civilization. Also like its predecessor, The Talos Principle 2 is replete with philosophical commentary and references to famous artists and thinkers. My favorite is a riff on Werner Herzog’s famous quote about birds: “The enormity of their flat brain. The enormity of their stupidity is just overwhelming.”\n\nBut if you’re like me, you’re playing the game because you’re an absolute freak for light refraction, gravity, and geospatial puzzles. There are so many puzzles in this game — there’s even a puzzle metagame, spread across the game’s gorgeous map — and they’re each excellent, teaching you new concepts before refracting them and forcing you to think differently. —Nicole Clark\n\nRelated November games you might have missed\n\n44. Fading Afternoon\n\nDeveloper: yeo\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC\n\nVideo games demand an account for your time. Some video games track the minutes and hours you’ve spent on screen. Others impose strict limits on how long you play, or how much you can do. But all video games constantly ask: How will you spend your time? Seiji Maruyama doesn’t know how much time he has left. Fresh out of prison, he’s not a young man anymore, but he doesn’t want the streets to know. So he returns to his life as a yakuza heavy, hoping to make his mark again.\n\nFading Afternoon ends when Seiji’s time runs out. Based on the choices you make, the consequences of which are initially obfuscated, this could be five minutes after the game begins, or it could be five hours. He has a bad cough and a pack of cigarettes, each a metaphor for the ticking clock inside of him. You could go to work, brawling on the streets. Or you can simply pass the time: Listen to a jazz band. Play video poker. Buy a home. Fall in love. You have the time, until you don’t. —Joshua Rivera\n\n43. Suika Game\n\nDeveloper: Aladdin X\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nI thank VTubers every day for many things, but I will kiss the feet of the anime avatars that introduced me to Suika Game. The engrossing 2048-meets-Tetris-with-physics fruit drop game has become my go-to whenever I need to kill some time. Note that I am talking about the official Nintendo Switch version, not all of the horrific ad-plagued knockoffs that have flooded the App Store.\n\nThe thing that makes Suika so special, in addition to its cutesy gameplay, is its quality as a social game. The same way we sit around and talk about our NYT Connections, we sit around and talk about our fruitless (ha) attempts at getting double watermelons or breaking the 3,000 point threshold. It’s also a great game to watch: Nothing is funnier than seeing somebody’s Suika run go downhill in 30 seconds flat. (There’s a reason why the game has taken the streaming world by storm.) —JL\n\n42. League of Legends Season 13\n\nDeveloper: Riot Games\n\nWhere to play: Mac and Windows PC\n\nLeague of Legends’ 13th season is one of the game’s most balanced yet. Almost every champion has felt viable throughout the year — no small feat for a game with over 140 playable characters — and it’s led to great fun and variety on the solo queue ladder and in professional play, where an exciting Worlds just wrapped up.\n\nBut there’s another reason League had an outstanding 2023: Arena, a new game mode introduced during the game’s summer event. Arena is a 2v2v2v2 battle mode with fast-paced chaos, using League’s roster of champions in a more approachable and containable setting (and with less rage-inducing teammates). The mode was removed after the conclusion of the summer event, but is reportedly returning soon. It can’t possibly come soon enough; I know how I’ll be spending a good chunk of my winter. —Pete Volk\n\nRelated Arcane is officially League of Legends canon now\n\n41. Goodbye Volcano High\n\nDeveloper: KO_OP\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC\n\nGoodbye Volcano High is a visual novel with rhythm game elements, and it takes place at the precipice of the end of the world. It’s centered on a group of teenage dinosaurs entering their senior year of high school, a perfect balance between high school dramatics and the grim future of Earth, as a meteor rockets toward the planet. Though the rhythm game elements can feel a bit finicky — and don’t seem to matter much, in terms of progressing the game — Goodbye Volcano High’s music only adds to the dimensional, raw experience created by worker-owned studio KO_OP.\n\nIt’s rare to find a game that takes the teenage experience seriously, but Goodbye Volcano High does just that. It’s a time in your life where you feel so, so much. You can see that earnestness in the teenage experience where everything is a big, huge issue — sometimes to the point of cringe — tied up in that big, global issue of the meteor that’s looking to destroy everything. —N. Carpenter\n\nRelated August games you might have missed\n\n40. World of Warcraft Classic\n\nDeveloper: Blizzard Entertainment\n\nWhere to play: Mac and Windows PC\n\nSomething very, very interesting started to happen in the retro version of WoW this year. While Blizzard has been content to march one half of the game’s community forward through its history of expansions, it’s started to come up with creative ways to keep the other half — the half that wants to stay in the game as it was at launch — engaged.\n\nThe first of these was Hardcore, a brilliant permadeath mode that instantly made this aging game both more dangerous and more social, resurrecting the spirit of its 2004 servers. The second, just launched, is the wild Season of Discovery, which remixes and restructures the original WoW experience — interpolating staggered level caps, shuffling class roles — in ways that might just change MMO design forever. WoW Classic is quietly, and paradoxically, where Blizzard is doing its most forward-thinking work right now. —Oli Welsh\n\n39. Fire Emblem Engage\n\nDeveloper: Intelligent Systems\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nFire Emblem Engage was designed for a very specific kind of sicko: one not particularly interested in the origin stories of a horde of teenagers, or the politics of a bourgeoise academy, or what kind of tea a teacher prefers, but instead one obsessed with the endless minutiae of combat stats, weapon loadouts, and team composition. I know this because I am one such sicko.\n\nIf you’ve read any of my reviews or essays on Polygon, then you know I prefer strategy games that can get out of their own way. More precisely, I love when strategy developers can put their pens down, throw their hands up, and admit that the stories unfolding in the player’s head will almost always be more powerful than anything they could write. Fire Emblem Engage is one of the foremost proponents of this idea. It hurls an excess of characters, weapons, battle scenarios, and stat-boosting abilities at you, leaving the door open for you to observe character interactions on the battlefield and create the resulting fanfiction in your head. Its actual script is a quagmire of nonsensical JRPG tropes, and each cutscene is more skippable than the next. But if you’re looking for an excellent turn-based tactics game that gets out of the player’s way, you can do a whole lot worse than Fire Emblem Engage. —M. Mahardy\n\n38. Pizza Tower\n\nDeveloper: Tour De Pizza\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC\n\nPizza Tower is a perfect object, and fully committed to its vision. You play as Peppino Spaghetti, a chef who must race up the pizza tower in order to defeat the existential threat posed by Pizzaface, an enormous floating pizza that also happens to be sentient. Super normal stuff. To get there, you platform through a series of levels, picking up speed as you zoom through enemies and obstacles. It’s easy to get into a flow state.\n\nPizza Tower also beautifully captures the essence of the Wario Land series. The game is delightful to look at, with an irreverent art style that’s referential to late-’90s and early-2000s cartoons, and absurd enemies and animations. Levels are also chock-full of secret rooms, passageways, and treasures, making it hard to put down and fun to replay. —N. Clark\n\nRelated Pizza Tower is platformer paradise for Wario freaks\n\n37. Subpar Pool\n\nDeveloper: grapefrukt games\n\nWhere to play: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC\n\nYou can play this delightful physics puzzler — best described as dynamic minigolf on a pool table — on Switch or Steam if you want, but it’s most at home on your phone. It’s an absolutely ideal mobile game: a reasonably priced paid app with no ads, in-app purchases, or subscription, playable in a spare three minutes. Pocket adorable, smiling pool balls on tables adorned with conveyor belts, portals, and moving pockets, while challenging yourself with a host of mix-and-match rulesets (balls that crack, split, or home in on you, a locked starting position, more balls, no guideline for bounces, etc.). Mobile gamers of taste will recognize the work of grapefrukt, aka Martin Jonasson, Swedish developer of such elegant classics as Holedown, Twofold Inc., and Rymdkapsel. —OW\n\n36. Amnesia: The Bunker\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nIf only one developer could be said to have a master’s grasp on interactive horror, I’d have to tip my hat to Frictional Games. The Amnesia series has always been a thrill ride of terrifying chases and the quiet, a little too quiet, moments that build up tension between. Amnesia: The Bunker is no different. In fact, it’s one of Frictional’s best.\n\nSet in a seemingly abandoned bunker that’s been sealed by explosions during World War I, your simple yet difficult task is to find an exit. This being a horror game, though, you also have to collect fuel for the bunker’s generator — a veritable beating heart — and scrutinize maps on safe room walls, before venturing into the titular structure’s labyrinthine bowels. Oh, also! There’s a monster hunting you. And it can ambush you from wall vents. And it’s attracted to even the slightest bit of sound. And whether you’re juicing your hand-cranked flashlight, triggering long-forgotten tripwires, or just opening a heavy door into yet another concrete-encased corridor, you’re going to have to make noise at some point. The Bunker is as potent in its terror as any horror video game out there. —M. Mahardy\n\n35. Lil Gator Game\n\nDeveloper: MegaWobble\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nIn an unprecedented year for game releases, I understand why you’re surprised to see Lil Gator Game this high up on our list. But imagine how surprised I was to find myself, in a moment of introspection, realizing that it was one of my own favorite games in 2023. At the risk of diminishing its accomplishments, I’m going to make a comparison that should cut to the quick for interested parties: This is the most A Short Hike-alike that I’ve discovered yet, and I’ve been chasing that singular high for years. So if you have a lazy weekend afternoon and want to spend it playing — not gaming, but playing, in the joyous, unstructured sense of a day in the park — I can’t recommend this li’l game enough. —Chris Grant\n\nRelated Lil Gator Game has the heart of Wind Waker and the adventure of Breath of the Wild\n\n34. Starfield\n\nDeveloper: Bethesda Game Studios\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC and Xbox Series X\n\nStarfield had so much to prove, it’s easy to lose sight of what it accomplished: top-tier world-building, a fantastically customizable ship builder, and Bethesda’s most engaging combat to date. Galaxy-spanning faction quests give you plenty to do, but it’s the side quests that really make you feel like the captain in something Star Trek adjacent: generation ships and superhero hideouts and colonies of clones. There’s good sci-fi here for those willing to make the journey.\n\nIt’s true that the game oversold the idea of a galaxy with over 1,000 planets, a number that pales in comparison to the game’s most obvious competitor, No Man’s Sky. It’s a shame this became so much of the focus thanks to Bethesda’s marketing, because that same focus obscured the absolutely fascinating new game plus mode at the game’s heart. Consider this: No Man’s Sky is the game that realizes the universe’s infinite number of planets, while Starfield realizes the universe’s infinite number of possibilities. —Clayton Ashley\n\n33. System Shock\n\nDeveloper: Nightdive Studios\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC\n\nIn a year of several stellar remakes and immersive sims, it wouldn’t have been surprising if System Shock showed its age of nearly 30 years. At least, it would have been understandable if the changes needed to update the game would leave it nigh unrecognizable. That’s why Nightdive Studios’ accomplish is so impressive: It updated the 1994 classic with a slick coat of modern paint while also preserving what made the game so thrilling in the first place.\n\nThe element where that’s most evident is in the game’s look, which captures all of the original System Shock’s garish cyberpunk neons and frightening enemies in a style that appears like a modern high-fidelity game at a distance, but subtly transforms into retro pixel bitmaps on closer inspection. In much the same way, the gameplay feels surprisingly modern at a distance, but on closer inspection, you start to see how this proto-immersive sim is actually what inspired so much modern game design. You have to rely on your own curiosity, caution, and cunning to navigate the halls of Citadel Station and upgrade your hacker into a cybernetic death machine. It’s a game that expects a lot from the player (and a little save scumming), but the experience is just as rewarding as it was in 1994. —CA\n\nRelated The System Shock remake does something remarkable\n\n32. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor\n\nDeveloper: Respawn Entertainment\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nIs Star Wars Jedi: Survivor an Empire Strikes Back level of sequel? Well, no, but it manages to get extraordinarily close to being one of the best follow-ups in the entire Star Wars franchise.\n\nThe game improves upon Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in every conceivable way, with a more entertaining, action-oriented start and a ton of aerial movements and lightsaber stances that make you feel even more like a seasoned Jedi Knight. Quality-of-life improvements like fast travel make the game less frustrating to play, while the new locales packed with hidden collectibles and upgrades make exploration more rewarding.\n\nBut what makes Jedi: Survivor truly special isn’t this crude matter, but its luminous heart. You feel it in the memorable characters you meet on your galactic journey, be it the people you help or the friendships you forge and reconcile with. It’s in the classic, crowded cantina where you actually want to go check in with the barkeep. It’s in the tactile, reverent way you craft your lightsaber. And it’s in the kinetic set-pieces that remind you of the serials Star Wars was originally inspired by. At its best, you really can feel the Force around you. —CA\n\n31. Connections\n\nDeveloper: The New York Times\n\nWhere to play: Android, browser, and iOS\n\nAfter the acquisition of viral hit Wordle, The New York Times’ Crossword ecosystem leveled up to full-fledged attention competitor — NYT is a media company with a gaming platform. And its staff of puzzle writers and editors are not stooping to mind-numbing mobile content to keep the expansion going. Connections, its latest title to pair well with morning coffee, is one of the year’s best games.\n\nConnections offers you a grid of 16 words and a mission: Detect the common threads between four different sets of words without embarrassing yourself. The grouping logic ranges from simple (“animals”) to silly (“synonyms for farting”) to sneaky (“countries when the letter ‘A’ is added”). Gruff game show watchers who claim the puzzle is just a clone of BBC’s long-running Only Connect miss the personality within; Connections writer Wyna Liu brings a tremendous wit to each day’s puzzle, constructing thematic grids and throwing synonym curveballs. And like with Wordle, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you land all four sets — there’s no better start to a day than gloating to friends and family about how you completely nailed Connections. —Matt Patches\n\n30. Hi-Fi Rush\n\nDeveloper: Tango Gameworks\n\nWhere to play: Windows PC and Xbox Series X\n\nIn Hi-Fi Rush, you play as Chai, a guy who must escape the factory of a villainous corporation. In a workplace accident, Chai’s iPod gets punched into his chest, making him sensitive to sound and staying on beat. What follows is a joyful action-rhythm game where you explore, climb, and fight to the beat of the music.\n\nThe game is a remarkably inviting take on a genre not exactly known for being accessible. But Hi-Fi Rush does away with hardcore precision in exchange for gameplay that always subtly nudges you back toward keeping in time. Failing to attack on a drum stroke doesn’t mean failing a fight; you just don’t get a combo multiplier. And the musical score never gets jarring as a punishment; punchy notes always play in time with the rhythm, even if you hit a button at the wrong time. The result is a game that evokes the thrill of feeling like you’re acing it and getting into a flow, no matter your skill level. —N. Clark\n\n29. Monster Hunter Now\n\nDeveloper: Niantic\n\nWhere to play: Android and iOS\n\nWhile Niantic’s post-Pokémon Go track record hasn’t been the most consistent, Monster Hunter Now shows the company at its best, with a refined combat system, simple matchmaking, great monster variety, and extensive character upgrades. Granted, those upgrades are part of a monetization setup that gets a little heavy-handed, but if you’re patient, there’s plenty of game here for free. And unlike in some of Niantic’s other games, the real-world elements don’t feel tacked on, with a design that blends almost perfectly with the company’s map tech, allowing you to feel like you’re tracking monsters as you get outside and walk around. It all makes for a big step forward in fusing Niantic’s real-world tech approach with combat and exploration mechanics that can stand up on their own. —Matt Leone\n\nRelated Monster Hunter Now is the most traditional Niantic game yet\n\n28. Diablo 4\n\nDeveloper: Blizzard Entertainment\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nWith Diablo 4, Blizzard Entertainment set out to marry the frenetic action of Diablo 3, the deep RPG systems of Diablo 2, and the dark tone of the original game. It was an ambitious promise, to be sure, but four years and a whole pandemic after the studio announced the long-awaited sequel at BlizzCon 2019, it’s here, and it’s fantastic.\n\nBut Diablo 4’s marriage of tone, action, and role-playing isn’t what makes it so good. In addition to all of those other things, Diablo 4 is the best launch we’ve seen for a new “living game” in recent memory.\n\nWith the likes of Destiny, Anthem, and even Diablo 3, it was clear from the start that there were some nuggets of potential. But being a fan meant slogging through mountains of frustration just to taste a morsel of what you’d hope those games would become. Playing these games early on was a kind of gamble.\n\nDiablo 4, however, is unlike any of those projects, because its systems were deep and nuanced from the start, enough to spend hundreds of hours growing your character. And there is already loads of content to support that kind of time investment. —RG\n\nRelated Diablo 4 activates and frustrates my lizard brain\n\n27. Hitman World of Assassination: Freelancer mode\n\nDeveloper: IO Interactive\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nHitman World of Assassination’s Freelancer mode, which debuted in January and puts a roguelike twist on Agent 47’s globe-trotting murder-for-hire missions, isn’t for the faint of heart. It demands constant improvisation, to a degree that can challenge even veteran Hitman players. Repeated failures can make it feel more frustrating than fun.\n\nBut as every fan of roguelikes knows, these high-stakes experiences have the capacity to deliver a sense of exhilaration like nothing else. Pulling off multiple daring kills, hiding the evidence (or going out with a bang), and trying to make it out alive with all the gear you brought into the mission — it’s tense and thrilling, every time.\n\nEvery move you make could be your last one; all it takes to ruin a flawless run is a single ill-considered plan, just one seemingly minor slip-up. With the abyss of failure forever yawning beneath 47, playing Hitman Freelancer can feel like tiptoeing along the top of a barbed-wire fence. The exultation of safely making it to the final exfiltration point, having defeated a crime syndicate after completing a lengthy series of dangerous missions, is a high I’ll keep chasing again and again. —Samit Sarkar\n\n26. Venba\n\nDeveloper: Visai Games\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nI don’t love to cook. For me, it’s more a necessity than anything else. So it’s not often that a piece of media — or anything, really — leaves me with the feeling that I need to make something, to spend time in the kitchen reveling in the tedium of chopping and the sizzle of onions frying.\n\nVenba elicited that urge, reminding me that food is not just something to keep me alive, but something to be cherished. Venba is a cooking game that focuses on an immigrant family that’s moved from India to Canada. Food transcends the story by way of simple cooking minigames as I move through the chapters of main character Venba’s life — moments that switch between painful and heartwarming. Venba packs as much heart in its one-hour playtime as games 30 times its size. —N. Carpenter\n\nRelated Venba expands the boundaries of the cooking genre\n\nTop 25\n\n25. Viewfinder\n\nDeveloper: Sad Owl Studios\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5 and Windows PC\n\nAt the heart of Viewfinder is a magic trick that never gets old: You take a photo of the environment and paste that perspective into the game world to create a bridge or reveal a needed trinket. The experience of seeing reality distorted by your hands so easily is nearly on the level of thinking with Portals for the first time. You’ll ponder a solution for minutes, sure it’s impossible and that the developers must have made a mistake, before you’re struck by a eureka moment like a lightning bolt.\n\nThe game’s lesson on perspective extends to its narrative, which, much like the photos you use to manipulate the world, contains multitudes. Though it’s told in fairly typical video game-y audio monologues that you uncover from the game’s trippy environments, the journey is powerful and topical. Just as differing perspectives can allow for unique solutions, they can also obscure truths that lead us to deny the reality that’s right in front of us. —CA\n\nRelated Viewfinder is puzzle game heaven\n\n24. Humanity\n\nDeveloper: tha\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC\n\nHumanity looks like a modern art project, recalls memories of early PlayStation oddity, and comes (in part) from the team behind game of the future Rez Infinite. But its most impressive feat is the way it gradually shifts genres, starting as a classic puzzle game, then taking on tower defense and shoot-’em-up traits as it evolves into an all-out war. Think Braveheart, with a shiba inu general leading a troop of faceless, brainless low-polygon figures against a group of angry, lightsaber-wielding, even lower-polygon foes. It’s the kind of design subtlety that stays in its lane yet builds on you, and before you realize it, ends very differently than it began. Much like humanity itself? —ML\n\n23. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo\n\nDeveloper: Square Enix\n\nWhere to play: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC\n\nSquare Enix has plenty of mega-franchises to fill its time (and its coffers). This year, we have new entries for Octopath Traveler and Final Fantasy, along with new Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts games in the not-so-distant future. Dayenu!\n\nAnd yet, the publisher can’t help itself from bombarding us with surprising, interesting, sometimes great, often good-enough experiments. In 2022, we got an English-language remake of lost gem Live A Live, the surprisingly enjoyable tactical RPG DioField Chronicle, a bonkers Final Fantasy spinoff featuring the musical stylings of Limp Bizkit, and a pair of oddball card games lathered in lore from gaming’s best weirdo. This year, we have the Avengers of rhythm games, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, an excellent riff on the visual novel penned by a beloved storyteller — whose best series has never appeared in the U.S.\n\nWhat should you know about Paranormasight before you play? Well, ideally nothing. Why else would I be eating up my word count?\n\nBut if you insist: It’s a mystery — and a horror mystery at that. You travel to 1980s Japan, specifically the Tokyo neighborhood of Honjo, located not so far from the modern Tokyo Skytree. It’s hard to imagine that modern landmark ever towering alongside these streets, which are filled with shadows and lethal curses.\n\nIf you have even a passing interest in urban legends, spooky folklore, cults, and deadly rituals, or you’ve enjoyed series like Zero Escape and Danganronpa, Paranormasight is an easy recommendation. And if you just enjoy a good yarn and have access to basically any screen and $15, then you’re a perfect mark too. It runs as well on console and PC as it does on iOS and Android, so don’t fret about where you play, just do so and soon! Before Square Enix stops investing in all these oddities. —Chris Plante\n\n22. Marvel’s Midnight Suns\n\nDeveloper: Firaxis Games\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\n[Ed. note: Marvel’s Midnight Suns was released in 2022, but it just barely missed the cutoff for our best video games of 2022 list, so it’s eligible for our 2023 awards.]\n\nI know what you’re thinking: Another licensed Marvel game? Come on, right? But hear me out. I played Marvel’s Avengers, too, and this isn’t that. It might seem like it’s going to be at first, because Midnight Suns makes the grave error of introducing Iron Man and Doctor Strange as its tutorial characters, and these two might just be the most irritating characters in the entire video game. (I have beaten the game, so I am allowed to make this call.) You must press on and give Midnight Suns time to win you over. Because it has so, so much more to offer than it may appear in its first few hours.\n\nPicture the romance and humor of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, combined with the high-stakes tactical battles of XCOM 2 — that’s what Midnight Suns becomes in its mid-game and endgame. It’s a card-based strategy game, and each hero has their own customizable deck. I started off favoring Captain Marvel, Magik, and Blade, simply because their moves and hilarious dialogue kept me entertained, but I soon realized that every single character has something exciting or unexpected to bring to the battlefront. Over 100 hours later, I’ve leveled up every single character and played all the main story missions and an unknowable number of optional missions, and I’m still not sick of this combat… or the kooky cast of characters that grows all the time (shoutout to the Deadpool DLC).\n\nNo matter how sick of Marvel you might be, give Midnight Suns the chance to win you over with its clever combat. And once you’ve gotten hooked, you might find yourself sticking around to chuckle at Wolverine attending Blade’s book club (yes, that’s a storyline in this game). It’s worth your time, and you can take that from me, a person who — again — spent over 100 hours on it. —Maddy Myers\n\n21. Honkai: Star Rail\n\nDeveloper: Hoyoverse\n\nWhere to play: Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC\n\nI have been a... pretty die-hard Genshin Impact player since launch. I’ve rolled for every character, grinded out all of said characters, 100%-ed the exploration, completed every quest — did all the stuff that would burn anyone out. Honkai: Star Rail is Hoyoverse’s answer to the Genshin Impact burnout.\n\nThe slower-paced turn-based combat, the ability to auto-battle (if your teams are strong enough), and the smaller maps make it the perfect daily game for me to funnel my interest into without feeling exhausted. The characters are fun, flashy, and easy to latch onto. Should I main the sneaky but elegant Kafka, who uses damage-over-time skills to whittle her opponents away? Or should I use the brooding Blade, who unleashes huge attacks at the cost of his HP? Ah, I guess I’ll let my wallet decide — it is a gacha game, after all. —JL\n\n20. Chants of Sennaar\n\nDeveloper: Rundisc\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One\n\nIn Chants of Sennaar you climb up a kind of Tower of Babel, and your job is to decipher the distinct language each group of people speaks, eventually aiming to translate fluidly from one language to another. You do so by matching pictographic symbols — the characters for each language — to images of the nouns, actions, and concepts in a large dictionary-style book.\n\nIt sounds complicated, but it’s wonderfully fun because the mechanics are so simple. You explore the isometric world — which is rendered in a gorgeous cel-shaded style — witnessing interactions between cultures and attempting to puzzle out the meaning of their written words. The game parcels out words for you to assign meaning to in little packets, to avoid overwhelming you. By the end, you’ll have translated numerous languages, and scaled your way to the top of the tower. Perhaps you’ll even change the tower itself. —N. Clark\n\n19. Metroid Prime Remastered\n\nDeveloper: Retro Studios\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nFew games from 2002 hold up as well as Metroid Prime, and the remastered version of the game — which was surprise-dropped during February’s Nintendo Direct — proves that Samus Aran’s first-person adventure is still worth experiencing, whether it’s for the first time or (in my case) the fourth.\n\nRetro Studios’ take on one of sci-fi’s most famous intergalactic bounty hunters controversially took her out of the 2D puzzle-platformer realm that made her famous (although Metroid Fusion also came out in 2002 — a gift for the 2D Metroid purists — which may also be why Fusion joined Nintendo Switch Online’s catalog shortly after Prime Remastered was released). By placing the player inside Samus’ helmet, Metroid Prime recontextualized the bounty hunter’s relationship with the hostile planets around her.\n\nAs we donned Samus’ suit and explored strange planets, aggressive alien lifeforms could now get right in our faces, forcing us to dodge, strafe, and roll (in morph ball form, naturally) using all three dimensions. No longer would we sit back and watch as Samus dipped her toe into a pool of lava; in first-person, as molten fire spread over our visor, we’d really feel the pressure to find that Varia Suit upgrade. And perhaps most importantly, from behind Samus’ visor, we gained the ability to scan our enemies and environment, collecting and translating logs from the long-dead Chozo aliens who once inhabited these now-hostile places.\n\nThe world of Prime is harsh and unrelenting. (Save points will, at times, be quite far from one another.) But it’s worth buckling down and pushing through the pain points to discover this world’s secrets. —M. Myers\n\n18. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew\n\nDeveloper: Mimimi Games\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nShadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew may very well be the most bittersweet entry on this list. It is, for my money, one of the best games to be released in 2023. It is also the swan song of Mimimi Games, one of the most underappreciated studios making games throughout the last decade. Mimimi announced its planned closure only two weeks after releasing its final game. This makes The Cursed Crew its swan song. It is also the team’s magnum opus.\n\nSet in a tropical world of zombie pirates, religious fanatics, and talking ships, The Cursed Crew sees you traveling freely across an archipelago as you revive your undead crew, deploy them on dioramic worlds constituting some of the finest level design in video games to date, and dispatching enemies with a mixture of tactical stealth and supernatural abilities. Taken at a distance, this mixture is undeniably niche. But seen up close, The Cursed Crew is as potent a creation as we’ve seen since 2016’s Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun or 2020’s Desperados 3, which respectively established and cemented the studio’s brilliant design chops. I’ll miss Mimimi — but I can’t imagine a better farewell. —M. Mahardy\n\n17. Dredge\n\nDeveloper: Black Salt Games\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nDredge is a Lovecraftian horror experience masquerading as a simple fishing game.\n\nThe open ocean is filled with terrible creatures that can and will damage or destroy your boat. And each of the major islands you visit comes with its own evil sea beasts that must be dealt with if you want to progress the story or fish peacefully. Dredge ultimately tells a dark parable about loss, and how obsession can own you if you aren’t careful.\n\nBut what makes Dread so special — and one of the best games of 2023 — is that under its foreboding story and twisted environments is a fishing game that grows more complex with every outing, centered around an upgrade system that feels amazing to progress through. As the dangers around you grow, so too does your ship’s capabilities. And by adventuring into battles — metaphorical and otherwise — with the seas’ most dastardly critters, you’ll always come out on the other side with some upgrades that allow you to catch even better fish and build an even bigger boat.\n\nBy the time you’ve spent 10 or so hours with Dredge, you’ll feel like a commercial fisherman who just happened upon something bigger and more foreboding than they could have imagined — and that, perhaps, you’ve stared deep into some kind of black abyss, only to escape forever changed. —RG\n\nRelated Dredge invents and perfects the fishing horror genre\n\n16. Final Fantasy 16\n\nDeveloper: Square Enix\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5\n\nFinal Fantasy 16 kicks ass. The newest mainline entry in the long, winding series takes you on a lavish, unadulterated Game of Thrones-esque adventure. You play as a broody Clive Rosfield, a young man whose life’s work is to protect his little brother, Joshua. The story begins when Clive’s life takes a turn for the worse and he vows to destroy the monster who ruined his and his family’s legacy.\n\nDeveloped by Creative Business Unit III, Square Enix’s internal team behind the MMORPG Final Fantasy 14, 16 leans into patchwork territories of fantasy genre fare. There is palace intrigue, a whole lot of sex, and endless war between nations. But the developers then sprinkle in Final Fantasy elements like mother crystals, dazzling kaiju fights between summons (known as Eikons in this iteration), and of course, Chocobos.\n\nThe quality of the story in this long and linear character-driven RPG waxes and wanes, but the action combat is among the best I’ve ever played. The gameplay grips you from the very beginning as Clive smoothly dashes, parries, and swings his giant sword and varied magic with a dazzling amount of style. The gameplay didn’t just help me stick with the game, but instead allowed my excitement to bubble over every time I took on a new mission. —Ana Diaz\n\n15. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty\n\nDeveloper: CD Projekt Red\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nLike the best DLC, Phantom Liberty does as much to expand on the base game as it does to reframe it. Alongside the sweeping Patch 2.0, which revamped Cyberpunk 2077’s role-playing progression systems, improved its enemy AI, and course-corrected a litany of other details, Phantom Liberty also adds a whole new district to the dystopian world of Night City, complete with its own spy-thriller storyline.\n\nThe resulting Cyberpunk 2077 is not an entirely different beast than the one that was released in 2020, but it is a more evolved one. It delivers on the promise of building a hacker-samurai in a neon-infused open world replete with futuristic heists, daunting choices, and striking characters. Phantom Liberty and Patch 2.0 may not completely erase the memory of CD Projekt’s initial botched release, but they come pretty damn close. Three years after we first set foot in V’s shoes, Cyberpunk 2077 has finally justified the hype. —M. Mahardy\n\n14. Dead Space\n\nDeveloper: Motive Studio\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nWith The Last of Us on HBO and Resident Evil 4 back in the conversation, it’s already a banner year for survival horror. Motive Studio’s Dead Space remake is no exception. Following in the footsteps of Capcom’s aforementioned title, the original Dead Space brought the third-person-action focus of Resident Evil 4’s formula to a deteriorating ship in outer space. In the vein of Event Horizon, Sunshine, and Alien, Dead Space was a paragon for sci-fi horror in a confined and claustrophobic setting. Its remake has brought that same vision to gorgeous new life, bringing quality-of-life changes and underappreciated updates (it has made several previously useless weapons into viable tools in protagonist Isaac Clarke’s arsenal), making it hard to imagine ever going back to Visceral Games’ phenomenal original. —M. Mahardy\n\nRelated The Dead Space remake changes all the right things\n\n13. Octopath Traveler 2\n\nDevelopers: Square Enix, Acquire\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC\n\nThe first Octopath Traveler was one of those games that was as enjoyable to play as it was painful: enjoyable because so much of it kicked ass, but painful because so much of it dragged the positive aspects down. In other words, it stood on the precipice of excellence, but couldn’t quite cross the line.\n\nOctopath Traveler 2 leaps across that boundary. In place of the original game’s repetitive level design, monotonous narrative structure, and sometimes awkward characterization, the sequel demonstrates an expert ability to challenge your expectations at every turn. Yes, your general goal is still to recruit eight playable characters (hence the name) and follow each of their separate plot threads to their respective conclusions, participating in turn-based battles and side quests along the way. But said plots vary greatly from character to character, and if you so choose, you can see a handful of characters through several major plot points before recruiting the whole gang. Octopath Traveler 2 finely toes the line between that comfort food-esque repetition of the best JRPGs, and the subversive nature of great genre storytelling. —M. Mahardy\n\n12. Dave the Diver\n\nDeveloper: Mintrocket\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch and Windows PC\n\nYou could describe Dave the Diver as a fishing game and a restaurant management simulator, and that’d be correct. But that would also be underselling the game, and understating things quite a lot.\n\nDiving into the mysterious Blue Hole, Dave spends the first two quarters of his day swimming deeper into the colorful abyss, discovering both sea life and a story that’s equally absurd and earnest. When you’re not picking up sea urchins or spearfishing sharks, Dave is assisting the rest of Dave the Diver’s cast of characters — his sushi business partners, a community of seafolk, an anime-obsessed weapons expert, and a pair of dolphins. At night, Dave slings sushi and pours drinks at the restaurant, frantically running back and forth between clearing dishes, delivering sushi, and refilling the freshly ground wasabi. Between all that, Dave’s harvesting rice and vegetables on a farm, curating a hatchery, racing seahorses with mermaids, and taking down a suspicious group masquerading as environmental activists. Somehow, there’s even a well-done rhythm video game — starring one of those anime idols that the arms dealer loves — that makes perfect sense.\n\nIt really shouldn’t work; I can’t imagine another game where all these disparate ideas coalesce so seamlessly. But Dave the Diver would feel less complete without any one of them. It makes for such a compelling loop, and a consistent advancement of the game’s story, that I kept finding myself in that “one more day” mindset, eager to jump back into the ocean for one more go. —N. Carpenter\n\nRelated Management sim Dave the Diver is a delicate balancing act of absurdity and silliness\n\n11. Resident Evil 4 Remake\n\nDeveloper: Capcom\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nIt turns out, Capcom is good at remaking games.\n\nThe original Resident Evil remake all but set the bar for the format in 2002, with sleeker controls, more nuanced graphical details, and whole new areas to explore in the iconic Spencer Mansion. The Resident Evil 2 remake changed the entire perspective of its source material without sacrificing the focus on horror and survival. Resident Evil 3’s remake, as forgettable as it was, still brought the design conceits of the original game, warts and all, to a modern audience. And now we have Resident Evil 4 — and what a remake it is.\n\nIn this reimagined version of the 2005 action-survival-horror game, Capcom has managed to erase many of the blemishes on one of the most beloved games in the series, if not all time. The remake is full of new flourishes and extra details in each of its three sprawling areas, making it less of a remake and more of a dramatic reinterpretation. It has also managed to add even more survival elements to the original’s action-centric combat, without sacrificing the camp and cheese that have made it such an enduring presence throughout the years. A lesser game would have shrunk in the face of such intimidating source material, but the Resident Evil 4 remake achieved the balancing act in spades. —M. Mahardy\n\nRelated The Resident Evil 4 remake pulls off the same great trick\n\nTop 10\n\n10. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon\n\nDeveloper: FromSoftware\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nNothing else feels like Armored Core.\n\nThe giant robot you pilot heaves with the weight of a six-story building but flies into the sky as nimble as a hummingbird. You can skate along the ground, rocket into the air, and change directions in the blink of an eye. You are agile, resilient, deadly.\n\nWith your hands tightly gripping the controller, you can unload four different weapons at once, weapons you’ve picked out of an armory that could rival a small nation. You target, aim, and fire while moving faster than a fighter jet, dodging streams of missiles, arcs of gunfire, bazookas, and flames.\n\nThere have been many, many games in the franchise, but none have reached the heights of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. The levels have never had such ruined beauty, the enemies have never been as satisfying to fight, and the characters have never been more endearing. An ingenious new game plus mode packs the game’s story with surprises while you continue to build out your arsenal.\n\nPerhaps the decades-long wait for a new Armored Core game is part of the reason, because the lessons FromSoftware learned creating and popularizing Dark Souls are evident here. Bosses now put you through dastardly skill checks in classic Soulsian fashion. Many of them tower over the landscape, making you, the pilot of a giant robot, feel small. These set-piece fights are some of the most thrilling moments you could play in a game this year. They certainly have some of the most memorable lines.\n\nBut Armored Core 6 doesn’t just get badass one-liners stuck in your head; its gameplay lingers, too. When you watch videos of it in motion, it simply makes you want to play it, to feel that movement, that motion, for yourself.\n\nThis isn’t just because the series’ energetic action is unique, but because you decide exactly how your robot feels: how quickly its missiles get a lock, how fast its generator recharges, how far you boost when you swing your laser sword. Swapping components around as you scrutinize competing weight and power requirements is an engaging puzzle all its own. You become intimately familiar with a screen-filling spreadsheet of stats because all of those numbers add up to something that feels real. Tactile. Earned.\n\nBecause nothing else feels like Armored Core. —CA\n\nRelated Armored Core 6 brings mecha to the masses\n\n9. Jusant\n\nDeveloper: Don’t Nod\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nBoulderers, or rock climbers who don’t use safety gear but also don’t ascend very high, have a word for the routes they climb: problems. The idea is that, since you’re never that far from flat ground, completing your route is more a game of mind over matter. You don’t “finish” a problem. You “solve” it. Like a puzzle.\n\nWhen it comes to rock climbing, Jusant just gets it in a way few other games — if any — have.\n\nTo be clear, Don’t Nod’s Jusant isn’t technically about bouldering. (A climbing game where you’re never more than 12 feet off the ground would have precisely zero stakes.) But it’s an apt conduit for the spirit of bouldering, in that every route you traverse is a problem to solve. By alternating triggers to dictate which hand goes on which handhold, you navigate these problems. Environmental hazards and a pesky stamina wheel make things progressively trickier. You’re always clear on your heading. (It’s up.) Figuring out how to get there is another matter.\n\nEven in games that prominently feature it, climbing is often functional, at best — whether it’s Link refusing to acknowledge handholds are a thing or Nathan Drake snapping to ledges with a level of magnetism only thought possible at CERN.\n\nJusant is the first and only game I’ve played that gets it — that sees the inherent grace in the sport and portrays it on the screen, not as a means of getting somewhere, but as the reason to go there in the first place. —Ari Notis\n\n8. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2\n\nDeveloper: Insomniac Games\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5\n\nMarvel’s Spider-Man 2 builds on the successes of the first game, both narratively and in its immensely satisfying gameplay. The game’s story takes a familiar Spider-Man narrative — that of friends turned foes — and adds new twists, building out compelling villains (and demanding ones) in the process. The game also sheds its predecessor’s odious Spider-Cop bits in favor of establishing a deeper connection between the Spider-Mans and their city, giving the game room to breathe while further immersing you in its heroes’ worlds and struggles.\n\nAnd then there’s the gameplay. For my money, there are few experiences more enjoyable in gaming than swinging around New York City with Spider-Man. It was fun in the early 2000s, and it’s still fun now. And with a bigger map to explore (and wings to fly, if you so choose to use them), there’s basically no limit to the fun you can get up to. The deployment of two protagonists is seamless — Peter and Miles play differently, bringing their own stories and desires to the table — and switching between them is effortless. It’s also the rare open-world game that doesn’t feel bloated with missions and side quests, instead leaving you wanting more Spider adventures. —PV\n\n7. Street Fighter 6\n\nDeveloper: Capcom\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nAfter getting knocked down — by a self-inflicted punch, no less — with the feeble Street Fighter 5, Capcom has hit the gym and returned stronger than before with Street Fighter 6. We rightfully called its latest Street Fighter the “ultimate fighting game toolbox” in Polygon’s review; from a robust single-player mode to solid online modes to a cast of memorable new and returning World Warriors, Street Fighter 6 is Capcom at its most confident.\n\nFor newcomers and the lapsed Street Fighter fan wary of jumping into online play, Capcom delivered World Tour mode, a robust, single-player, RPG-lite beat-’em-up in the vein of Sega’s Yakuza games. In World Tour, players hit the streets of Metro City where, hilariously, everyone in town not only knows how to fight, but relishes impromptu fisticuffs with strangers. It’s a matter of local pride.\n\nThe streets of Metro City are part training grounds, part beginning of a silly, epic worldwide adventure where you learn the basics of Street Fighter 6. Untethered from any serious game narrative canon, Street Fighter 6 lets players of all skill levels and stripes have fun in World Tour mode.\n\nStreet Fighter 6’s approachability extends to its innovative new control scheme, an addition called Modern Controls. While the six-button layout from the very first Street Fighter is still available, after multiple attempts at giving players a simplified control scheme, Capcom’s finally cracked it. Modern Controls are not only comparatively easy to grasp — they’re pretty viable competitively.\n\nBut it’s the finely honed one-on-one fighting mechanics, governed by a streamlined set of meters and flashy new moves, that give Street Fighter 6 its longevity. Thanks to a well-populated social space called the Battle Hub, and a rock-solid online infrastructure, there’s a robust community of other Street Fighter fans to battle against on a daily basis. Add a compelling new roster of characters led by classics like Ryu, Zangief, and Chun-Li, and dazzling newcomers Marisa, Manon, and Kimberly, and it’s clear why Street Fighter 6 is one of the best games of 2023, regardless of genre. —Michael McWhertor\n\nRelated Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox\n\n6. Cocoon\n\nDeveloper: Geometric Interactive\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\n\nI think I’m still trying to wrap my head around Cocoon. On the surface, the game appears to have a relatively simple premise: You play as a buglike creature that picks up and places glowing orbs to solve puzzles. However, this is where Cocoon hides its brilliant twist. Each orb functions like a world unto itself, which you can explore, or from which you can extract a new power for your bug. As you collect orbs, you thread together puzzles that will have you weaving in and out of realms in a truly mind-bending experience.\n\nCreated by Geometric Interactive, a studio founded by developers who previously worked on Limbo and Inside, Cocoon’s brain teasers unfold in a dark sci-fi world. The game goes light on a story that combines biological and mechanical philosophies alike. As you make your way through, you’ll hear the hum of engines and the moist squishy sounds of unknown creatures’ moving flesh.\n\nCocoon has one-off puzzles that are downright brilliant, but what makes it truly great is the sum of its parts. The pacing of each section feeds smoothly from one challenge to the next. Like the best puzzle games, Cocoon presents instances where an earlier brain teaser might serve as an unsaid tutorial that teaches you a step for a later, more complicated puzzle. Cocoon presents challenges, but it’s also just a joy to play. It is one of the most memorable puzzle games I’ve ever played. —AD\n\nRelated Cocoon is impossibly good\n\n5. Pikmin 4\n\nDevelopers: Nintendo EPD, Eighting\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nPikmin 4 is like the perfect amalgamation of Pikmin games. There are fun mini-dungeon caverns, but they’re not filled with terrible bomb traps. There’s new types of Pikmin, but not at the cost of getting rid of the old ones. And there’s a dog now, and he helps corral the Pikmin and make operations run even more efficiently.\n\nThe entirety of the game is a whimsical joy to play. Even as I completed every Dandori Challenge (which actually got pretty damn hard!) and collected every item, it never became a drag or a grind. It actually might be impossible to be angry while playing this game. Hearing the little Pikmin hum as they carry a huge peach (that they call a “mock bottom”) across the map is enough to melt anyone’s heart. In fact, I was pretty sad when the game ended. I could command these little guys and my puppy friend to collect things forever.\n\nAll told, the game is beautiful, and, thanks to its quasi real-world setting, it makes me see my own world differently — there’s something special to be found everywhere, even in the tiniest corners. Maybe all my little trinkets go missing because a little guy needs it to return home. He can have it.\n\nEven if you’ve never played a Pikmin game before, this game is good, and it’s the perfect place to start. (And then you can play all the rest of them, which have been conveniently ported to the Switch!) —JL\n\nRelated Pikmin 4 will turn you into an obsessive collector\n\n4. Super Mario Bros. Wonder\n\nDeveloper: Nintendo EPD\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nWhen you activate Super Mario. Bros. Wonder’s delightful whimsy — via the aptly named Wonder Flower — the game becomes more than a 2D platformer. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a musical, a quiz show, a race, or a hidden object game. Pipes become inchworms, Piranha Plants burst into song, and Yoshi becomes a goddamn dragon. Wonder is the first side-scrolling 2D platformer in the Super Mario Bros. line since New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012, and it’s both a faithful rendition of the classic format and a complete reinvention of the series’ irresistible formula.\n\nEach and every level in Super Mario Bros. Wonder finds some new way to delight and surprise. It’s constantly introducing new ideas, enemies, and wrinkles, only to pull back on them just when it’s on the verge of becoming rote. Like everything else in the Flower Kingdom, a few enemies shift and change in bizarre ways when the Wonder Flower is activated, like Hoppo, the bouncy, round hippo equivalent that grows in size to create chaos in one of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s many mesmerizing levels.\n\nAll of this weirdness, combined with Nintendo’s platforming expertise, makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder an entrancing romp alone, with friends, or with strangers online. This is the freshest Mario has felt in decades, and it bodes well for the iconic plumber’s 2D future. —N. Carpenter\n\n3. Alan Wake 2\n\nDeveloper: Remedy Entertainment\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X\n\nThere’s a body in the forest with a hole in its chest. The forest, like the body, is also missing its heart, and a woman must find both. In each, there are pages. This is a story, broken into pieces, we learn. One that ended badly before. One that will likely end badly again. Will you still put it together?\n\nAlan Wake 2 is full of words but few are in order. It is set in places of confused geography, full of people who don’t quite belong, in rooms that might be different each time you enter them. Alan Wake 2 is wrong, and you must make it right, if you can.\n\nRemedy Entertainment’s assured masterpiece is less about stories and more about dreams — the way they can slip from frightening to absurd at a moment’s notice, about how we can get lost in them, learning from our experiences or succumbing to insecurities. How video games can mimic their shape, or lack thereof.\n\nIt is about repetition, and the way we find meaning in stories and people and places by returning to them over and over, wondering if we changed or they did.\n\nIn Alan Wake 2, everyone’s story is happening at once, branching out in endless directions, and we might not know the genre until it’s too late. It’s a hypertext mystery, an ergodic game that molds itself to an audience raised online, though few computers are in sight. It’s a game for a world suspended in an endless second act — forever wars, live services, franchises, infinite scrolls — endlessly searching for a conclusion. —JR\n\n2. Baldur’s Gate 3\n\nDeveloper: Larian Studios\n\nWhere to play: PlayStation 5 and Windows PC\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3 hit at the perfect moment. Despite the handful of truly great computer role-playing games that have been released since the early 2000s (Larian Studios itself made waves with its Divinity: Original Sin series in 2014 and 2017), the genre has largely remained a modern niche. But times have changed: Dungeons & Dragons has undergone something of a renaissance, thanks to actual-play series like Critical Role and Dimension 20. What’s more, Larian had two years of player feedback with which to build its new masterpiece. That masterpiece launched in August, and it garnered the kind of attention that catapults a game from niche interests to widespread acclaim.\n\nOld CRPG fans finally came home, the Mass Effect generation has discovered a new kind of RPG to sink its teeth into, and D&D fans have found an exceptional digital version of their beloved tabletop game to play alone or with their party in co-op.\n\nLike a good DM, Baldur’s Gate 3 teases out story beats that feel personal to you, cleverly luring you into experiences that seem like they wouldn’t make sense in anyone else’s campaign. Every act delivers quiet, memorable character moments and anxiety-inducing battles. All of these situations feel organic, allowing Baldur’s Gate 3 to replicate, perhaps as closely as a video game can, Dungeons & Dragons’ best feature: the intoxicating sense that anything could happen at any moment.\n\nThe best games this year told their stories in interesting ways, be it ignoring your superpowers to bike through your old neighborhood in Queens, a musical number, or fractured memories hidden in a puddle. But Baldur’s Gate 3 takes experimental storytelling to another level. Every choice and every new direction is a simple success, fail, or crit away. One roll of the dice after another can take you all the way from a crashed Nautiloid to the city of Baldur’s Gate itself.\n\nIn a year filled with beautiful stories and powerful moments, it’s the spinning whir of Baldur’s Gate 3’s d20 that defined video game storytelling in 2023. —RG\n\n1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom\n\nDeveloper: Nintendo EPD\n\nWhere to play: Nintendo Switch\n\nPrincess Zelda is missing. Ganondorf has returned, somehow, and he’s really hot. So an age-old hero in a green tunic has to step in. We all know the beats — how could you possibly make that into anything new?\n\nTears of the Kingdom definitely didn’t seem like it was poised to make that happen: a sequel to one of the most popular Zelda games ever made, originally conceived as DLC, and built on the same map. Yet, it is something else entirely. It’s not just that Breath of the Wild was a rough draft for Tears of the Kingdom — it’s that the entire Zelda series was a collection of stepping stones that led in winding, influential pathways to this wacky, wonderful, and thoroughly new world of Hyrule.\n\nI mean, Ultrahand alone. Just absolutely slathering pieces of wood in what amounts to magical Gorilla Glue and watching in wonder as the game’s physics engine roars to life in response. I went into Tears of the Kingdom thinking I wouldn’t build much — I’d just follow the story and get through it; I left feeling like a genius engineer, building all manner of bizarre contraptions (but mostly long bridges) to sail through skies and trundle over mountaintops.\n\nI still catch my breath remembering that first time diving deep into the darkness of the Depths — the amazement I felt upon discovering a whole other world underneath the one I knew, filled with skeleton horses and gloom-splattered Bokoblins.\n\nAnd I remember when I realized where Princess Zelda really was… and then, many hours later, learning where she really was.\n\nI never wanted to stop playing Tears of the Kingdom. I did stop, eventually — the year of 2023 in video games has spoiled us all with hearty meals and sweet desserts — but I never stopped thinking about it. Every now and then, I picked my Switch back up to seek out another Lightroot, or solve another shrine’s puzzle, until there were none left. And then I’d just wander, collecting ingredients, talking to Great Fairies, imagining the next adventure.\n\nTears of the Kingdom feels like someone holding my hands very close as they lean in to whisper, with eyes twinkling, “Can I tell you something?” The ride was wild; I laughed, I cried. And I can’t wait for the next time, when it’s completely different. —M. Myers", + "Microsoft Activision: What does deal mean for gamers? Published 14 October\n\nImage source, Getty Images\n\nMicrosoft has sealed its long-awaited deal for Activision Blizzard, and it's paid $69bn (£56bn) for the privilege.\n\nThat's a lot of money, but what does the deal actually mean for people the next time they pick up a video game?\n\nWill Call of Duty still be on PlayStation?\n\nThis is the big question fans keep asking.\n\nCall of Duty is one of the biggest-selling video game franchises of all time, ranking behind just Mario, Tetris and Pokemon.\n\nThe good news for Sony fans is it will be 2038 before it's even possible that the game could be an Xbox exclusive.\n\nThat's because Ubisoft has signed a deal giving it \"cloud gaming\" rights for every Activision Blizzard game, past and future, for 15 years.\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, Ubisoft is perhaps best known as the developer and publisher of stealthy action-adventure franchise Assassin's Creed\n\nMicrosoft had to agree to this to get the deal past UK regulators, who were worried about the company dominating the cloud industry.\n\nIf you don't know - cloud gaming is when people stream games over the internet - the much-touted \"Netflix for games\".\n\nThe big subscription services in gaming right now include Ubisoft+, as well as Sony's PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass.\n\nSo, will Call of Duty be on Game Pass?\n\nIn a post on X on Monday, Activision Blizzard said it expects to start adding its titles to Game Pass starting next year - meaning it's quite possible the new Call of Duty, amongst other games, will be playable on Xbox from day one.\n\nPrior to this deal, Sony was usually the company benefiting from exclusives with Call of Duty - often meaning early access to the game, testing, and bonus features - but now that may well be a thing of the past.\n\nAnd critically, Microsoft has a habit of making its big blockbuster games available to play on Game Pass, for a monthly fee, on the first day they release.\n\nImage source, EPA-EFE Image caption, Bethesda, which is owned by Microsoft, launched its new game Starfield in 2023 - but only on Xbox and PC\n\nIt's up to gamers to decide for themselves whether it's a better deal to buy the game or pay to access it.\n\nBut it is worth noting this concerned the UK regulator so much it made sure Activision Blizzard games couldn't be streamed exclusively on Xbox for 15 years.\n\nThat might be because Microsoft has form here - when the hotly anticipated Starfield came out in September 2023 to critical acclaim, it was available exclusively on PC and Xbox, and playable on Game Pass from day one.\n\nIf games are still on PlayStation, what's in it for Microsoft?\n\nEven with games still able to appear on PlayStation, it's Microsoft who will be winning out.\n\nUbisoft may have the streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games for 15 years, but increasingly nowadays game companies make much more money from in-game purchases, also known as microtransactions.\n\nAccording to Statista, the firm raked in $5.89bn in 2022 from microtransactions, downloadable content and royalties - more than three times the $1.6bn it made from selling the games themselves.\n\nSony gets around a 30% cut of purchases made in-game, though the exact figures will change between games. Either way - it means an in-game purchase in Call of Duty on PlayStation will now be directly funding a rival.\n\nWhat do fans think?\n\nBBC Newsbeat spoke to fans at gaming convention EGX this week to get their take on the deal, with Oliver, 16, saying he thought it might be good news for Call of Duty.\n\n\"It will just expand the market for gaming, because it's a company with more money to fund the games,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile Sophie, who was named Ubisoft's content creator of the year, told the BBC she \"just wants the games to win\".\n\n\"We want everyone to be able to play video games that they want to play, we want them to be accessible for everyone,\" she said.\n\n\"Obviously, we're going to have our opinions, but if the end result is good games, that's fine with us.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by cadaea Allow Instagram content? This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of instagram post by cadaea\n\nBut not everyone is positive.\n\nOnce upon a time, Activision games Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon were PlayStation exclusives, and some fans don't want to see a permanent switch to Microsoft somewhere down the line.\n\nIt's even led some fans to make petitions calling for Microsoft to keep the games playable on all consoles in perpetuity.\n\nWhat does it mean for the UK?\n\nActivision Blizzard alone has studios in London, Guildford and Warrington. The business also owns King, the Stockholm and London-based makers of Candy Crush Saga.\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, Activision Blizzard itself owns many developers, including the maker of Candy Crush Saga\n\nAltogether this deal means more UK studios coming under the control of Microsoft.\n\nUkie, the body that represents games companies, told the BBC that this kind of international investment was \"a crucial part\" of the UK industry. According to a spokesperson, 89% of the total investment in the UK games industry between January 2017 and June 2022 came from non-UK companies.\n\nSo from the side of simply paying for games to be made, this kind of money makes a big difference.\n\nWhat games does Microsoft now own?\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, World of Warcraft now comes under the Microsoft umbrella\n\nIt expands an already massive gaming empire owned by the US company.\n\nGamers who grew up with the N64 will recall Microsoft's shock purchase of GoldenEye 007 developer Rare for $375m in 2002, who up until then had specialised in Nintendo games.\n\nBut modern players might be more familiar with Microsoft buying up Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5bn in 2014 - meaning it owns the best-selling game of all time.\n\nThe business has used a slew of savvy acquisitions like the above to try to muster the same dominance it's had in computing in gaming.\n\nIt now owns more than 20 different gaming studios altogether.\n\nWe've mentioned several big games already, but there's even more which are about to fall under Microsoft's umbrella.\n\nIt's a long list, but some of the big names include:\n\nTony Hawk's Pro Skater\n\nWorld of Warcraft\n\nDiablo\n\nOverwatch\n\nCandy Crush Saga", + "Nike reported revenue Thursday that fell short of Wall Street's sales expectations for the first time in two years, but it beat on earnings and gross margin estimates, sending its stock soaring in after-hours trading.\n\nHere's how the sneaker giant performed during its fiscal first quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv:\n\nEarnings per share: 94 cents vs. 75 cents expected\n\nRevenue: $12.94 billion vs. $12.98 billion expected\n\nThe company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 31 was $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.47 billion, or 93 cents per share, a year earlier.\n\nSales rose to $12.94 billion, up about 2% from $12.69 billion a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter was just shy of the $12.98 billion analysts had expected, according to LSEG.\n\nNike shares rose about 8% in extended trading Thursday.\n\nThe retailer maintained its full-year guidance of revenue growth in the mid-single digits and gross margin expansion of 1.4 to 1.6 percentage points.\n\n\"We're closely monitoring the operating environment, including foreign currency exchange rates, consumer demand over the holiday season, and our second half wholesale order book,\" said finance chief Matthew Friend on a call with analysts.\n\n\"We are cautiously planning for modest markdown improvements for the balance of the year, given the promotional environment,\" he added.\n\nFor the second quarter, Nike expects revenue growth to be up slightly versus the prior year and gross margins to grow by about 1 percentage point versus the prior year.\n\nInvestors have been laser focused on Nike's recovery in China, its relationship with its wholesale partners and how the resumption of student loan payments will impact sales.\n\nThey're also keen to see Nike's margins recover after bloated inventories, high promotions and supply chain woes contributed to lower profits over the last few quarters.\n\nDuring the quarter, Nike's gross margin fell about 0.1 percentage points to 44.2%, but it was higher than the 43.7% analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. The company attributed the gross margin drop to higher product costs and currency exchange rates, but those trends were offset by price increases, which contributed to the earnings beat.\n\nSales in China grew by 5% compared to the year-ago period to $1.7 billion, which fell short of the $1.8 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.\n\nDuring the previous quarter ended May 31, Nike saw China sales jump 16% compared to the year-ago period. But the numbers were against easy comparisons because the region was still under Covid-related lockdown orders during the prior year.\n\nWhile Nike remains bullish on China, the region's economic recovery has so far been a mixed bag. Following a sluggish July, retail sales picked up during the month of August to rise 4.6% compared to the prior year, beating expectations of a 3% growth forecast by Reuters.\n\n\"We feel good about the market there and our position,\" said CEO John Donahoe, adding he's traveled to China twice in the last four months. \"Frankly, a couple things stand out. One, sport is back in China, you can just feel it, and that gives us great confidence about the future and the Chinese consumer in our segment, regardless of the macroeconomic outlook there.\"\n\nNike saw sales jumps in every region besides North America, its largest market by revenue. Sales in North America fell 2% from the year-ago period to $5.42 billion, just above the $5.39 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.\n\nIn Europe, the Middle East and Africa, sales were up 8% at $3.61 billion. That compared with the $3.51 billion analysts had expected. Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.\n\nThe Converse brand, on the other hand, fell well short of expectations for a second quarter in a row. Sales came in at $588 million, down 9% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts had expected sales to be about $660 million, according to StreetAccount.\n\nNike's direct channel, which includes its owned stores and its digital channel, led the retailer's growth during the quarter and was up 6% compared to the prior year. In June, the company noticed that shoppers were shifting towards its stores over its digital channels, signaling consumers are getting closer to pre-pandemic shopping habits.\n\n\"We continue to see that consumers want to connect directly and personally with our brands and in fact, member engagement within our direct business is up double digits versus the prior year with increasing average order values,\" said Friend.\n\n\"Our stores delivered an especially strong quarter with traffic up double digits from last year, and members driving an increasing share of our business as consumers shifted from our digital to physical channels... Our team was nimble in transitioning inventory to capture higher full-price sales across our entire store fleet,\" he said.\n\nWhen it comes to its wholesale revenues, Nike's relationship with those partners have been rocky. As the company has pivoted to a direct-to-consumer model, it has focused on driving sales online and in its stores at the expense of its wholesale accounts.\n\nHowever, as Nike grappled with excess inventories throughout 2023, it relied on those partners to move through that merchandise. It has now restored its relationship with both Macy's and DSW – accounts that it previously cut in favor of its DTC strategy.\n\nSome analysts expected Nike's wholesale revenue to be sluggish during the quarter because excess inventories have been a problem throughout the retail industry – and some wholesalers are being more particular in what they order to avoid another backlog.\n\nWholesale revenue during the quarter was flat compared to the year-ago period at $7 billion.\n\nBoth Donahoe and Friend made it clear to analysts that Nike is ready to meet customers in all channels — including through wholesalers and directly. The retailer shouted out Dick's Sporting Goods as one of its key partners and noted that it's still in the process of resetting its business with Footlocker , which has seen two quarters in a row of plunging sales and profits.\n\nDespite the shift in how it's working with wholesalers, Nike insisted that direct sales will pave the way to its future growth.\n\n\"Ultimately, we have a segmented portfolio of strong partners across price points and channels. With no single partner representing more than a mid-single digit of Nike's total business,\" said Friend.\n\n\"While the ultimate landing spot of digital and direct isn't as clear, we do believe we're going to be a more direct and a more digital company, and a more profitable company,\" he said. \"And there's a channel mix and channel profitability opportunity that comes with that as well.\"\n\nMeanwhile, inventories fell 10% to $8.7 billion. The drop was driven by a decrease in units but offset by product mix and higher manufacturing and production costs.\n\n\"On the whole, we're very comfortable with the level of inventory in the marketplace in relation to the retail sales that we're seeing as we begin increasing levels of wholesale sell in our second half,\" said Friend.\n\nAmid decades-high inflation rates, consumers have been pulling back on apparel and footwear. With the resumption of student loan payments looming ahead, some analysts expect those sectors to take an even greater hit.\n\nJefferies conducted a survey on U.S. consumer spending and found 54% of respondents plan to spend less on apparel and accessories. Meanwhile, 46% plan to spend less on footwear, which doesn't bode well for Nike.\n\nIt's still too early to gauge the impact of student loan payments on Nike. Its first quarter ended in late August, and payments aren't set to resume until October.\n\nDuring the quarter, footwear sales rose 4% to $8.4 billion, making up about 68% of Nike's total sales. Apparel was down 1% at $3.4 billion.\n\nCorrection: Nike's gross margin fell 0.1 percentage points. An earlier version of this story misstated that figure.", + "Why Gogoro picked India as its new go-to market The Taiwanese company aims to put billions of dollars into the world's biggest two-wheeler market\n\nGogoro co-founder and CEO Horace Luke wants to “go big” in India even as the Taiwanese company faces challenges in its home country.\n\nThe potential of India, it seems, is simply too ripe to ignore and not just because it’s the world’s biggest two-wheeler market, where 15 million to 20 million new two-wheelers hit the road every year. Luke also sees the world’s most populous country as a launch pad that will accelerate its global expansion in other markets. It’s not a bad tactic, considering India is already on a spree to become a competitive manufacturing hub for all major international brands and products, from smartphones to satellites.\n\nEarlier this month, Gogoro made its first commercial entry into India with the introduction of its battery-swapping network and smartscooters after running pilots and investing millions of dollars in the country. Talking on the sidelines with Luke at the company’s event, it’s clear his ambitions stretch beyond this initial debut.\n\nFounded in 2011 by former HTC executives Luke and Matt Taylor, Gogoro considers itself the Android of all EVs. It offers its proprietary technology to other automobile manufacturers alongside selling its own branded scooters with swappable batteries. The company already operates in markets in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Israel and the Philippines — alongside its hometown in Taiwan.\n\nThe company has picked India as a strategic market from where it can reach a number of new users and enter new markets, starting with neighboring country Nepal, Luke said at the company’s launch in New Delhi.\n\nThe new developments are on the heels of Gogoro’s earlier India announcements, including the early battery-swapping pilot in Delhi, a partnership with Belrise Industries to invest a total of $2.5 billion in Maharashtra to build its battery-swapping infrastructure and network in the western peninsular state and $25 million investment in electric fleet management startup Zypp Electric.\n\nGogoro is in talks with various local and global players to expand its business and presence in India, Luke stated without sharing any names. The company is already working with domestic manufacturers to produce its components locally, which it currently assembles at a facility in Maharashtra in partnership with Foxconn. It is also looking to partner with Indian and global automobile manufacturers who can deploy its technology, helping to grow its business in the country.\n\nThe company has about 11 vehicle manufacturers in Taiwan that are building vehicles of different sizes and configurations based on its standard battery size, the executive said. These include the likes of Suzuki, Yamaha, and Aeon Motor, among others. He indicated that some of these may come to India along with Gogoro’s swappable battery technology over time.\n\n“Everybody’s waiting for me to bring the network,” Luke said without divulging specific details. “Once the network goes live, [the partners will] bring in their capacity and capability.”\n\nIn April 2021, Gogoro partnered with Indian two-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp to roll out its battery-swapping network in the country. However, that deal has not yielded any results.\n\nWhen asked how Gogoro will utilize its partnership with Hero MotoCorp and why it did not choose the local automobile player for its debut and instead introduced its own range of smartscooters in the country, Luke shared a sketchy response and said the top management of Hero MotoCorp did wish him success before the launch.\n\n“[Hero MotoCorp’s] brand and company as a whole is very B2C focused . . . As we launch with a B2B focus first, we keep them abreast of all the stuff that’s happening,” he said. “We’re an open platform. One day, they’ll be ready [to] launch a vehicle using our system. But it’s really a chicken and egg [situation]. I need to prove that there is a platform that is ready before they actually can go in, come in and do that.”\n\nMimicking Taiwan model\n\nGogoro plans to simulate its Taiwan growth in India by launching 30 stations in Delhi by the first quarter of 2024. The company began its journey in Taipei with the same number of stations but has since expanded to 12,500 stations that serve around 600,000 vehicles throughout Taiwan. It is open to making many more investments in India to reach that level and even grow bigger over time.\n\n“If you think about Pan India, we are talking about several billion dollars easily by 2030–2032,” Luke asserted.\n\nHe informed reporters at the launch that Gogoro’s battery-swapping system captures 93% of all electric vehicles in Taiwan — of which about 80% use its own branded vehicles. The company is not limited to two-wheelers in its home country but also offers its swapping-battery technology to players that run auto-rickshaws.\n\nNonetheless, the growth of Gogoro is stagnant and is even dropping in Taiwan, as Luke admitted to TechCrunch.\n\nIn its recent earnings report, the Nasdaq-listed company mentioned a 10.2% year-on-year drop in its revenue of $91.8 million, resulting in a net loss of $3.1 million, down from a net income of $56.4 million in the same quarter last year.\n\nHe underlined there were a couple of reasons for seeing a decline in its financials and dropping its business in Taiwan. First, he said, it was due to a lobbying effort against the speed of electric vehicle adoption after the 2020 elections. Second, the country took some time to return from the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n“Taiwan has always been a pilot for us,” Luke stated. “It has always been a market where we used to develop the technology, develop the system so that when we do come to India, we’re ready. And so that’s where the pivot point now is.”\n\nHe compared that gasoline in Taiwan has been subsidized to the level that it is available at an average price of 0.85 cents per liter, significantly less than the average price of $1.4 per liter in India, above the global price of $1.22.\n\nAlthough Gogoro is optimistic about its India launch, the country has a relatively small market for EVs, accounting for only 3.7% of the country’s total automotive market. Electric scooters in the country capture 90% of the total EV sales, but that is just about 5% of the overall two-wheeler market. The Indian government has allocated billions of dollars in subsidies and discounts to attract manufacturers and commuters for EVs. However, these benefits only remain in place for a short time, and some disruption due to the changes in their structure has recently been seen in the electric two-wheeler market.\n\nYet, Gogoro — similar to other players in the EV market — is bullish since the Indian government has targeted 30% EV adoption by 2030. Gogoro’s approach to considering India as a manufacturing hub will also likely appeal to the government and help the company shift some of its production from China and enter new markets.\n\nIt’s important to note that although Gogoro’s revenue dropped significantly in the last quarter, its battery-swapping service continued to grow, with a revenue of $33.6 million, up 10.4% year-on-year. As the company looks to collaborate with other vehicle manufacturers in India for its battery-swapping technology, it could be a mutually beneficial move for both Gogoro and automobile players. Indian automotive players actively seek solutions to reduce charging time and offer efficient alternatives to ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. By providing its technology to vehicle manufacturers, Gogoro can tap into this need and increase its battery-swapping service revenues.\n\nA recent report jointly created by Bain & Company and Blume Ventures forecast that electric two-wheelers without batteries can reduce the upfront cost of vehicles by 40% to 50%, attracting price-sensitive Indian customers. However, it also warned that building a battery-swapping ecosystem in India will be challenging in the near term and suggested maintaining a battery-swapping inventory for top SKUs across manufacturers, identifying customer segments to target, and establishing “walled-garden” partnerships to support swappable-battery systems.\n\nAn investor told TechCrunch that to really succeed, the market needs interoperability and standardization in battery swapping, similar to how we have USB-C in phones nowadays. But for Gogoro, it is just a start to explore how big of a dent it can make in the overall EV market with its available battery-swapping solution.\n\n“I got an entire ecosystem I need to bring in. It took us a little while to get ready, and it will take us a little while to ramp up. And I’m not fooling anybody that this thing is going to [happen] overnight,” Luke said. “India’s a huge place. There’s a lot of different use cases. The price-performance people ask for is very high . . . So, through making more of the components and making more parts in India, with our Indian suppliers, we’ll definitely start, and then more and more localization would certainly help.”", + "Less than a month before the war, \"Globes\" reported a huge deal in which Amnon Shashua's unicorn AI21 Labs announced it was leasing 7,000 square meters for NIS 15 million annually in Tel Aviv's Da Vinci project.\n\nIt will now be interesting to see when the next such big deal for office space is signed in Tel Aviv following the impact of the Israel-Hamas war. Sources in the income-producing property sector in Israel say that over the past few weeks there has been some interest in the sector, although mainly for smaller deals involving hundreds of square meters each.\n\nThe reports: \"No change in rents\n\nAzrieli Group (TASE: AZRG), is one of the biggest companies in the sector, with 15 office buildings comprising 632,000 square meters of space and 97% occupancy. Last week Azrieli published its financial results for the third quarter of 2023 saying that the company had not been impacted by the war. However the company added that due to the uncertainty about the length of the war and its development, it could not assess the future impact of the war on business activities in Israel in general and on the company in particular.\n\nAmot Investments (TASE: AMOT), another of the biggest companies in the income-producing property sector, has 1.15 million square meters of office space for leasing with 93.5% occupancy with a further six projects in various stages of construction. Amot wrote, \"In the third quarter several new contracts were signed including the exercising of options and the renewal of immaterial contracts for 14,000 square meters of space for an unchanged rent.\"\n\nAmot raises concerns about the continuation of the war which would lead to damage to the economy, including to the company's tenants. The report says, \"The uncertainty that existed in the profitable real estate market in Israel even before the outbreak of the war and that was felt in the moderation in demand and the lengthening of the negotiations to close agreements, has intensified following the war.\n\n\"The company's management estimates that given that the war will focus only on the southern front and the duration of the fighting at the current intensity will not exceed two to three months, then the effect of the war is not material on the company's business. In the aforementioned situation, the company's management estimates that despite the damage to its revenue, which cannot yet be accurately estimated, they will be reflected in the company's annual NOI and FFO within the forecast. \"In the company's assessment, the continuation of the fighting for a long time and/or a full conflict on the northern border front (or on other fronts) will result in a significant and wider damage to the economy, including deepening the damage to private consumption and businesses, including the company's tenants, and as a result will cause a decrease in payments and changes in other economic parameters.\"\n\nThe supply: Millions of square meters between Kfar Saba and Rishon Lezion\n\nEven before the war, the industry was talking about there being too large a supply of office space. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, between 2020 and 2022, construction was begun on 3.56 million square meters of office space.\n\nAvison Young Israel co-CEO Guy Amosi says, \"I am now doing four or five deals for companies that must rent space. Not large-scale deals. There are a few companies that end contracts or companies that grow and want more space. On the other hand, Midtown was written off when it was built next to Azrieli and now these are the most sought-after towers. Everything is a question of how long will it take to occupy. In the end, everything will be occupied.\"\n\nAmosi says that there are many areas in the central region, which in his opinion he fears could remain empty for a long time before they are occupied. He says, \"A company asked us to find them 15,000 square meters and asked us to map out options for offices from Rishon Lezion to Kfar Saba. They did not look in Tel Aviv where the prices are high, and two years ago contracts were closed for NIS 150 per square meter. We found that there are a huge number of projects in the area between Rosh Laz and Kfar Saba. Millions of square meters are being built and I really don't know who will occupy all these areas.\"\n\nIn his opinion, there is an advantage to offices in a good location, like Park Naimi in the central region (Messubim Junction) near Roads 4 and 1. \"It sits in a good location.\" But Amosi is bothered by offices built without an anchor tenant to begin with. \"Without a tenant for which the building is being specifically constructed for marketing. Even in Petah Tikva they are building half a million square meters of new office space.\"\n\nThere was Covid and then there was a crisis in high-tech that led to a chain reaction of reduced spending. Companies began to check every investment. Along with this, interest rates rose and inflation is rampant all over the world. We are not a bubble. Above all this, comes the war. However, in general, real estate works in waves and the wave will come again.\"\n\nThe war: \"I expected a longer stoppage\"\n\nNatalie Marshall, the owner of Marshall Strategic Real Estate marketing talks about a restored interest in offices. \"I expected there to be a longer stoppage in the office market. There was a stoppage of office marketing for a month, but about two weeks ago movement recommenced. There is also seasonality in the office sector - in July-August and during the holidays every year there is a stoppage.\n\n\"In my opinion, in an ironic way, all of us in the public have now realized that we have nowhere to go and we only have one country. In the last six months, with the protests and the reform, people did not know what to do and even thought of leaving. But we all understood that we have one home and must keep it as the best possible place. I see there has been a movement of people interested in renting offices in the last two and a half weeks and the market is alive and kicking. There are many meetings and tours of the area. At the moment we are seeing companies searching for 10,000 or 15,000 square meters.\"\n\nNewmark Natam VP real estate services Or Ben Zvi Klein explains that there are even companies interested in the southern region and there is a market for deals and factories in the region. He says, \"We managed to do such deals, such as lawyers, small high-tech companies, call centers, warehouses moving from Ofakim and Sderot towards Beer Sheva and Kiryat Gat on short contracts, so as soon as the area is restored they will return.\"\n\nBen Zvi Klein says \"In the north, I am marketing a building in Nof Hagalil. All the areas in Metula, Kiryat Shmona, etc. are not areas for offices\" says Ben Zvi Klein.\n\nRents: \"Property owners have not cut rents\"\n\nProperty developer Miki Naimi, who is building the large office park near the Messubim Interchange, does not sound bothered. He says, \"We are continuing to progress. Real estate is not for a year. I am not afraid of the situation and the war will also end. We are currently in advanced talks with three companies that will join us in Naimi Park.\n\n\"We have built 140,000 square meters out of 350,000 square meters and now we are developing another 140,000 square meters of office space with 100,000 square meters of parking lots designed by MYS architects. Our location is the most central in the country, so I am not afraid to plan and build four more buildings\".\n\nNaimi says that the first building to be occupied, with an area of 35,000 square meters, \"Is mostly marketed and there is already set to be occupancy.\" The first company to move in as early as January is Audicodes, which has leased 10,500 square meters and is implementing finishing works. \"In March-April, additional companies will enter. Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer will also enter there and leased 2,600 square meters and will increase to 5,300 square meters,\" he says.\n\nBen Zvi Klein thinks that as in other crises, when the crisis breaks everything halts but then we see buds of everything returning to work. But he also adds that volumes are low but no different than before the war.\n\nBen Zvi Klein says, \"\"In the first two weeks of the war, people were in the market but the market was at a standstill and once again people started to wonder, what will happen now and where are we going and how long will it take. It reminded me of the feeling during Covid, when there were ghost offices and nothing was happening. As time goes by, people come back to the offices. They really want to leave home and get to work. Most offices have emergency shelters, and relative to residential areas, most of them are protected. I live in Tel Aviv and during the fighting, when schools were closed, my children came with me to the office, because there is a shelter there and the house only has a stairwell.\n\n\"In the last three weeks, we feel that the market is returning to activity - but we entered this war when the office market was already stuttering. There were no huge deals, because there are no huge hiring in high-tech or big deals of tens of thousands of meters for the big companies. There are small and medium-sized deals. There are quite a few inquiries from high-tech and service companies looking for 1,000-2,000 square meters who want to expand. We have such inquiries in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Rehovot. There is some revival in the market, but property owners have not cut rents.\"\n\nCompanies subletting are under pressure\n\nSo if there is huge supply and a fall in demand for offices, why aren't rents falling?\n\nAmosi says, \"The prices have fallen by about 10% at most. Those cutting rents are those who bought buildings in purchase groups like BSR City where many individuals bought as a profitable investment. The construction of the building is finished and suddenly the payments such as management fees, mortgage and property taxes drop. In such cases there are people who are thinking of selling, and in these places we may see a drop in prices.\"\n\nBen Zvi Klein says that prices won't go down because people have learned lessons from the past. He says, \"Everyone was burned by Covid. A property owner who gave a discount at the beginning of Covid realized this by the end of Covid, when the office opposite the one leased out at a discount of NIS 100 per square meter was being rented out for NIS 140 per square meter. The property owners are not under pressure because they rented most of their space during the peak periods of 2021-2022. Those who are under pressure may be companies that are trying to sublet their properties and here we see attractiveness in prices for fully furnished properties.\n\n\"We have been living here for years with fighting in the background. If the war continues, people may want to break a contract. As the economy returns to work because kindergartens and schools are opening, there is a general feeling of an economy returning to normal alongside the war, and it is possible to start going to work. After Covid, there was talk about what would happen and whether people would return to work and in the end everyone returned to work from the office. I am optimistic about the office market in the future.\"\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 3, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "The war between Israel and Hamas has turned the spotlight on Egypt’s role as a regional powerbroker, potentially winning it Western support as it tries to escape a grinding economic crisis.\n\nWith long-held ties to Israel and a border with Gaza, Egypt’s stance is shaping up as key to the fate of any refugees and a sustained flow of aid for the besieged territory’s 2 million residents after Israel cut off crucial supplies in response to Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 assault.\n\nThat opens up opportunities for the most populous Arab nation as it wrestles with its worst economic outlook in decades and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi prepares for elections in less than two months’ time. A host of domestic and regional considerations, however, are seen ruling out any refugee deal.\n\nThe Israeli government has spoken to counterparts in several countries about Egypt temporarily housing Palestinians fleeing the violence in Gaza, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. Israel has suggested they could be moved to tent camps in the Sinai Peninsula — funded by the United Nations and the US — and then returned once military operations end, said the people. It’s unclear if Israel has put the idea directly to Egypt.\n\n“Clearly the hope on Israel and the US’s side had been that Egypt would accept economic incentives, at a time when it is suffering an economic crisis, to allow Gazans into Egypt,” said Mirette Mabrouk, director of the Egypt program at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.\n\nYet “there is little to no constituency for going against decades of policy on not allowing Palestinian displacement,” she said, while the inducements “might wind up becoming a political liability, especially in an election year.”\n\nAll the same, multiple economists, bankers and investors Bloomberg spoke with this month in Morocco during annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank saw Egypt as likely to receive some economic backing, whatever its refugee stance. The crisis has reminded global players of the North African nation’s status as a regional linchpin, entrenching the idea it’s too big to fail.\n\nEgypt, which reached a deal with the IMF in December, is already in talks on boosting that rescue program to over $5 billion from $3 billion, people familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg this month.\n\nIt’s possible the IMF’s key shareholders in the US and Europe may pressure the Washington-based lender to soften its requirements and move ahead with the program despite Cairo’s slow pace of reforms, according to Riccardo Fabiani, project director for North Africa with Crisis Group.\n\nThat’s also because the current conflict serves to highlight the growing instability on all sides of Egypt, in Libya, Sudan and now in Gaza. It confronts the US and Europe with the need to ensure that “Cairo remains a stable and reliable partner in the area” that “deserves external support,” Fabiani said.\n\nThere was evidence of that international focus on Saturday when El-Sisi hosted what’s billed as a “Summit for Peace” in Cairo, with Middle East and European leaders in attendance.\n\nDiplomatic Onslaught\n\nThe recent flurry of diplomacy centered on Cairo has marked something of a return to Egypt’s traditional role figuring prominently in every discussion over power politics across the region in the latter half of the 20th century.\n\nIt rallied Arab forces and led the 1973 attack on Israel that triggered the Yom Kippur war, before the two countries signed a peace treaty and established full diplomatic relations in 1980, going on to become strategic allies.\n\nIn the days since Hamas, which the US and Europe designate a terrorist group, launched its attack on Israel, El-Sisi has been courted by a succession of world leaders. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed the two countries’ “enduring, strategic partnership” in a call. Visiting Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised German-Egyptian unity in working to prevent a Middle East “conflagration.” Chinese President Xi Jinping met Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Beijing.\n\nThe war “underscores the important role Egypt has always played vis-a-vis security in and around Gaza,” said Robert Satloff, executive director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.\n\nThat’s not lost on European governments that woke up to Egypt’s importance as a regional gas producer after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year. European officials visited to assess Egypt’s potential as a gas supplier — with Israel’s help — to supplant at least some Russian supplies.\n\nThose same governments are now courting El-Sisi for help in alleviating the pressure on Gaza. But he has rejected any suggestion Egypt host Gazan refugees, suggesting Israel should instead take in Palestinians to its Negev desert. “They can transport Palestinians there until Israel implements its announced plan to destroy Hamas,” he said Wednesday.\n\nEgypt already hosts some 9 million refugees and other migrants from countries including Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Libya. Opening a route for Palestinians may also present a new security risk in the Sinai peninsula, where the army has only just managed to get a handle on its fight with Islamist militants.\n\nJordan has also refused to accept more Palestinians and it’s unlikely Egypt would become a regional exception and take in refugees many suspect may never be let back into Gaza. That would risk being seen in the Arab world as facilitating another mass displacement and betraying the Palestinian cause all Arab countries vocally espouse.\n\nAlso, while Egypt could absorb a certain number of people, the domestic political consequences would be “huge,” said the Washington Institute’s Satloff. “The political leadership considers this a red line not to be crossed and would prefer to face worsening financial distress than accept a significant number of refugees.”\n\nThere is a precedent of sorts for Cairo winning favors as a regional war raged.\n\nEgypt secured forgiveness of half its $20.2 billion debt owed to the US and allies in 1991 — one of the most generous incidences of debt relief creditor nations have granted — in exchange for support for the anti-Iraq coalition during the Gulf war.\n\nThe US wanted to reward Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak for his pivotal role in lining up Arab nations against Saddam Hussein and to reimburse Egypt for heavy financial losses in the war. Egypt also sent armed forces to participate.\n\nReplicating that scenario would be difficult though. Back then there was general consensus that since Kuwait had been invaded, it needed to be supported, and while Egypt’s participation “was not met with any great joy in military circles, it was not a particularly hard sell and the debt relief was an immense added incentive,” according to the Middle East Institute’s Mabrouk.\n\nNot so today, not least because Egypt’s commitment would not be comparable with its burden in 1991 when it was the second-largest source of manpower in the US-led coalition, and so it couldn’t expect anything like a similar level of economic assistance, Satloff said.\n\nWay Out\n\nOne way out of the dilemma may be for Egypt to offer Saudi Arabia a role co-leading the Palestinian issue for the Arab world in return for financial support, according to strategists. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aware of domestic anger at Israel, might welcome such an initiative to strengthen his regional profile, though he was absent from Saturday’s summit.\n\nThe fluid situation may offer Egypt other opportunities to take a mediating role that could be rewarded, Crisis Group’s Fabiani said.\n\nFor now, Egypt will try to play a constructive part “in the hope that its contribution will be acknowledged by its international and regional partners and potentially rewarded economically,” he said.", + "Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nFootball email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nThey sang the name of Erik ten Hag’s predecessor. Not in a gesture of dissent, but as a reminder of a time when Manchester United were Europe’s best and an evening without which a certain Norwegian would never have become their manager two decades later. After all, who put the ball in the Germans’ net? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But that was a different millennium, a different United. Nostalgia underpinned Solskjaer’s management. Ten Hag cannot call upon his personal history in such a way; the Champions League final he almost reached was with Ajax. His past does not offer the protection that means his name will always be sung at Old Trafford.\n\nAnd, 24 years after Solskjaer’s stunning intervention, another United Champions League campaign finished against Bayern Munich. Not in glory, but ignominy. Like Solskjaer, Kingsley Coman has a winner in a Champions League final; this time the winger finished off United, condemning them to a seventh home defeat of the season. In a sense, it may have been the most respectable: United were vaguely competent on the night, but utterly incompetent over the course of a wretched campaign.\n\nThere was no hint of a repeat of their most famous comeback against Bayern, ensuring Solskjaer’s name will forever be bracketed with Teddy Sheringham’s. There was not even the sense of heroic failure that accompanied their quarter-final exit to Bayern in 2010. There was just crushing failure. Because it wasn’t Bayern who eliminated them. It was Galatasaray, who won at Old Trafford and scored six goals over 180 minutes against United. It was FC Copenhagen, who qualified instead of them. Rasmus Hojlund’s former club will be in the last 16. His current one won’t. Copenhagen will be the anomalies in the draw, the outsiders with the spot that had seemed reserved for United.\n\nManchester United’s defeat means they miss out on a spot in the Europa League (PA)\n\nInstead, they are cast out of continental competition altogether. Europe’s sinking superpower have become just the fourth English team to prop up a Champions League group when it concluded. There was something predictable about the manner of their demise; their defence was unlocked by Harry Kane, with a lovely flick. The England captain is the forward United neglected to bid for in the summer. The one they did buy, Hojlund, has at least struck in the Champions League but in domestic competitions he has been outscored 18-0 by Kane.\n\nYet a rookie centre-forward is not the culprit in chief. For Ten Hag, this has been a chastening setback; with Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to finalise his investment, with United listing in the Premier League, the chances are the Dutchman has managed them in the Champions League for the last time.\n\nGo back four years and it required a 96th minute goal by Lucas Moura to stop him from reaching the final. Now the less heralded Lukas Lerager signalled United’s demise, putting Copenhagen ahead against Galatasaray when United needed a draw to preserve their own chances of qualification; that, and a victory over Bayern. Which, as the German champions have not lost in 40 group-stage games in this competition and United have not beaten anyone resembling a top team this season, always felt unlikely.\n\nThis was far from their worst performance of the season, nowhere near as bad as Bournemouth or Crystal Palace or Newcastle, or the other defeat to Newcastle. They were not as self-destructive as they had been in Denmark and Turkey and at home to Galatasaray. But they still lost.\n\nHarry Maguire’s injury forced him off the pitch as 36-year-old Jonny Evans replaced him (EPA)\n\nAnd they still went out, with four points, in fourth place. Go back a couple of months and Raphael Varane had said United could win the Champions League. On a night when Ten Hag seemed to revise his opinion of the quadruple Champions League winner, the defender may need a rethink. Instead, United won a lone game in it and even that required a penalty save to deny FC Copenhagen a draw.\n\nVarane was summoned from his inexplicable exile, after a 10-game absence when both Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans were preferred at centre-back to a World Cup winner. He performed with an assurance to make his omission all the odder, but it has scarcely been the only U-turn in selection; with Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay, Ten Hag is compiling a group who were first out of his plans and then back in. For a manager who likes to project an image of strong, decisiveness leadership, he has had to reverse course rather too often. But then his team are going backwards.\n\nWhen Coman scored, United became the first Premier League side to concede 15 goals in a Champions League group stage. When Maguire hobbled off, holding his groin, and Evans came on, United had a man who played in United’s 2007-08 Champions League-winning campaign, dragooned into service 16 years later. They will always have the past at Old Trafford, but Evans may be consigned to it; perhaps, in time, Ten Hag, too.", + "Adams and McStay – who arrived from the Lions in the off-season as an unrestricted free agent – leaned on each other to cope with the difficult moment, and needed some privacy to deal with their personal misfortune before they could share in the team’s raucous celebrations. McStay may need as many as eight weeks to recover from the high-grade medial collateral ligament strain he suffered in the club’s preliminary final win. Collingwood’s injured recruit Dan McStay at training before the grand final. Credit: Eddie Jim “We shed a few tears and a bit of emotion, then we brushed it off and said, ‘Let’s get on with it and go celebrate with the boys’. It was a great night,” Adams said. John Noble was another sad story, playing every game in the home-and-away season, only to be dropped for Collingwood’s qualifying final clash with Melbourne and never forcing his way back in.\n\nNathan Murphy, who took no further part in the grand final after being concussed in a clash with Brisbane’s Linc McCarthy, spared a thought for all three players amid the post-match chaos. “It was pretty emotional seeing them. You go from one high like myself to a low like theirs,” Murphy said. “You’ve got to put yourself in their shoes, and see that, but they’re so good. They’re turning it into a positive, and they’re just happy for everyone else’s success, so it’s awesome.” The trio’s grand final heartbreak sparked renewed debate about whether every player on the list should receive a premiership medallion, or at least those who played a certain number of games. First-year Magpie Oleg Markov has experienced both sides of the ledger. He played in Saturday’s premiership, but missed out on all three Richmond flags (2017, 2019 and 2020) despite playing senior games in each of those years. Markov is “a big advocate” for all players being recognised.\n\n“The best thing we can do is wrap our arms around them, and just let him feel what we sort of feel,” he said. “I’ve been on the other side of the fence, and it is hard because you’re seeing all your friends succeed and sort of living the dream that you aspire to have, but I know it makes people hungrier. I know the boys who missed out will be the ones who are training the house down, and pushing the boys who have seen the mountain top. They’re going to motivate the boys to try and see it again.” ‘Incredibly sore’: Howe played out decider with rib injury Peter Ryan\n\nThis wasn’t the type of “car crash” injury Jeremy Howe has suffered before, but it was brutal nonetheless. The high-flying Magpie has revealed he played out the grand final in pain after he was floored by a bone-crunching knock to the ribs from Lions forward Charlie Cameron during the last quarter. Jeremy Howe was collected by Charlie Cameron late in the game Credit: Getty Images\n\nCameron crashed into Howe as he cleared the ball from Collingwood’s defence, leaving him gasping on the ground with badly bruised ribs. The Magpies defender is accustomed to extreme pain, having broken his arm in six places after a sickening midair collision in the opening round of the season. This pain was tolerable by comparison, and he got up and played out the match, helping Collingwood hold on to a four-point win in one of the great grand finals. “The incident late in the game with Charlie ... He managed to hit me relatively late, it was probably in play, [but I] got a down-field free kick,” Howe told Channel Nine on Sunday. Jeremy Howe’s rib injury did not prevent him celebrating Collingwood’s premiership. Credit: Getty\n\n“The ribs are incredibly sore but I think if we lost they’d be sorer. “I’ve got six months to get them right. I can tolerate the pain for now. I bounced out of bed regardless.” Leading into the finals Howe said the bone had protruded from his arm when he crashed-landed in round one, describing the excruciating pain, and he came back from a horrific knee injury in 2020. Did Markov join his pole-vaulting father as a world champ? Oleg Markov is revelling in his fairytale ascension from the AFL scrapheap to Collingwood premiership hero, eight months after trialling with Carlton.\n\nAny further proof required for how beloved the mustachioed dasher is among the Magpie army was delivered emphatically on Sunday at club headquarters, where fans chanted his name, soccer style. “At first, when it started, I was a bit embarrassed, but I think since embracing it and sort of smiling, I kind of enjoy it now,” Markov told The Age. “I’m super grateful that I’ve got a little chant like that, and hopefully, it’s a little legacy I can continue, and I’m just happy the Magpie army are looking after me. I feel like they’re always on my side, no matter what mistake I make ... if anything, they motivate me to continue to take the game on and just be my true self.” Markov felt like he was cheating on Collingwood when he began training with the Blues, after finding out the Pies overlooked him for what was then their final list spot.\n\nThat followed Gold Coast delisting the 27-year-old, who also played 23 games for Richmond. There was interest in him at the time, but he feared his career might be over. “I went through the national draft and no one looked into me, so there were technically 17 clubs that didn’t really want me,” he said. “And, to be honest, maybe 18, after I didn’t get the last list spot at Collingwood, but I’m glad the stars aligned the way they did.” In a twist of fate, defender Charlie Dean re-fractured his right foot at training, opening another list spot for Collingwood to snatch Markov back from Carlton – and the rest is history. “Having trained at Collingwood for two months, I felt like I was almost doing the dirty on ‘Fly’ [Craig McRae], going behind his back – I was almost like a cheater,” he said. “He was very respectful and understanding, and it probably allowed me to open myself up and be vulnerable to that football club. I’m super grateful for them showing interest in me, in the first place.\n\n“I know I’ve signed with [Collingwood] and on the dotted lines, I’ve agreed to hate Carlton, but there’s a bit of me that is really grateful and appreciative to them.” McRae revealed post-grand final he wrote “44 sons” under his shirt collar, and he urged his players before the season started to come up with something similar for themselves. Markov kept his message private, but said the idea was for them to pick words that summed up how they wanted to be remembered. “It was almost like writing a tombstone or eulogy for yourself,” he said. “We picked one or two words that we wanted to live by. Everyone had their own, so some people chose really powerful words to do with football and others chose words to do with life, or whether it was repaying someone.\n\n“Fly spoke about his being the 44 sons. Hearing that, it definitely made me realise all year that’s how I felt, and I can vouch for all the boys – that’s how we felt. We felt like he was a father figure for us more than a coach.” Markov’s actual father, Dmitri, famously won the men’s pole vault at the 2001 world championships, so his role in the Magpies’ triumph continues the family’s sporting success. “I’m very lucky. Dad thinks it’s a bit harder in a team sport because everyone has to perform,” Markov said. “He said, ‘Hey, AFL is only in Australia, but, technically, you are a world champ,’ so I think I’ve matched him for now. I’d like to get another one, and hopefully, I can one-up him, but I think he’s got the cake at the moment.” Pies’ premiership ‘just the beginning’: Maynard\n\nMarc McGowan\n\nBrayden Maynard has warned Collingwood’s breakthrough premiership is just the beginning as they bid to become the AFL’s next dynasty team. Brisbane Lions (2001-03), Geelong (2007, 2009, 2011), Hawthorn (2013-15) and Richmond (2017, 2019-20) all won three flags in short succession this century, with the Magpies’ challenge now to back up their memorable season. Brayden Maynard enjoys the Pies’ win. Credit: Eddie Jim Maynard initially baulked when asked whether Collingwood could win back-to-back flags, but said their bulletproof culture instilled belief they could “do anything”. “We’ve got to lap [this premiership] up, and we’re going to have some serious fun, and we might burn down Melbourne,” a still-disbelieving Maynard said.\n\n“I’m looking forward to celebrating with the team because it’s taken two years of getting after it and getting better every day – we’ve got better for this moment. Loading “We just want to win. We come into the club every day and get better, and we just set ourselves up, so when we come to game day, we know we’ve done everything, to get the result we want.” Maynard had a tumultuous start to September after his infamous collision with Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw left the Demon concussed and him defending himself at the tribunal. With a three-match ban hanging over his head, Maynard feared his dream to achieve premiership glory could be lost before he beat the charge.\n\nCollingwood’s triumph helped banish the pain of their grand final defeat to West Coast in 2018, when Maynard was unfortunate not to receive a free kick for a block against Willie Rioli in the same passage that led to Dom Sheed’s match-winning goal. “Everyone knows that was a bizarre and crazy sort of week, mentally [after the Brayshaw incident],” Maynard said. “I wasn’t going well because of the what-ifs, if I missed this. That’s exactly why I struggled bad that whole week. I got quite emotional after the game, giving Dad a big hug, because he’s been by my side, and we did it. “My whole family – my dad, my brother [ex-Demon Corey], my mum – and everyone at this club has helped me, and this team, to get where we need to be.” McRae reveals hidden message under the collar of his grand final shirt\n\nPeter Ryan\n\nCollingwood coach Craig McRae had the message “44 sons” written under the collar of the shirt he wore through Saturday’s epic grand final to signify how he felt about each player in the Magpies squad during 2023 as they drove towards a premiership. McRae revealed the legacy theme when he spoke to players, coaches, past players, club employees, and their friends and family at Collingwood’s official post-premiership celebrations held at Centrepiece in Melbourne on Saturday night. Craig McRae with Brayden Maynard. Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images He said each player on the list did the same, inscribing a personal message under the collar of their own jumper with words describing the legacy they wanted to leave as a person and a player in 2023. “All the players had inside their jumper something they want to be remembered for,” McRae said.\n\n“It was an action. It was theirs ... when we created legacy, today players ideally lived theirs. In my shirt I had [written] 44 sons. I’ve got three beautiful daughters now, I don’t have a son, but I consider all these guys in the squad my sons, so I wore that under my collar today.” The Magpies coach said on Saturday night he was yet to return to St Vincent’s Hospital where his wife Gabrielle gave birth to their daughter Maggie at 7.45am on grand final morning. Gabrielle went to the hospital with her sister at 10pm on Friday night after going into labour, before ringing McRae at 6am to join them at the hospital to be with them when the baby was born. Collingwood president Jeff Browne praised McRae and the players for their character and driving the change the club undertook when the new coach was appointed. He said the win was “the ultimate satisfaction” for him, and he was rapt to be there after a health scare put him in hospital briefly on the eve of the finals.\n\n“[It was] a bit of pit stop, a little bit of late pre-season training and got myself back into it,” Browne said. Past presidents Mark Korda and Eddie McGuire, as well as previous coach and champion player Nathan Buckley, Anthony Rocca, Luke Ball and Sharrod Wellingham were among the throng celebrating the club’s 16th premiership. Browne said the club wanted to recognise and acknowledge that any success was built on the efforts of those who went before them. “We are one big club. We are Collingwood ... this club has got a rich history, and days like this celebrate that history and salute the people that have gone before. We should never forget that,” Browne said.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It was 16 years ago that horror filmmaker Eli Roth first introduced the world to his slasher vision Thanksgiving (tagline: “There will be no leftovers”), inspired by the seasonal horror films of his ’70s and ’80s youth such as Halloween (1978), My Bloody Valentine (1981) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984). That was as a spoof movie trailer in the middle of Grindhouse, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s pulpy 2007 double-feature, where an axe-wielding pilgrim wreaked havoc on lusty teenagers around the backwoods of Plymouth, Massachusetts. “[Co-writer] Jeff Rendell and I, we grew up in Massachusetts, which is the birthplace of Thanksgiving; it’s a huge deal there and in school it’s really shoved down your throat – you go to these pilgrim recreation villages, there’s a school play, a parade…” Roth explains. “So growing up we always thought, ‘Why isn’t there a Thanksgiving slasher film?’ Grindhouse gave us the opportunity to try out all the kills we’d already had floating around in our heads.” A pilgrim-inspired killer terrorises Plymouth, Massachusetts in Thanksgiving – his name is John Carver. Over the years, the resulting trailer – campy and explicit and horrific as it was – came to be touted by genre aficionados as “the best horror movie never made”. Well, until now. “It’s really down to the fans, badgering me year after year,” Roth jokes of how Thanksgiving came to be a real movie. “Guilt-tripping and shaming me, it really works.” In a metatextual flip that cheekily ribs Hollywood’s predictability, this Thanksgiving is framed as a modern-day reboot of the lost slasher film that was featured in the fake movie trailer. There’s a killer on the loose in modern-day Plymouth, and he’s got an axe, a wrath and a creepy mask of the first US settlement’s first governor. Wonderfully, his name was John Carver. “I mean, when history hands you a gift like that, how do you not use it?” jokes Roth. “It’s a perfect slasher villain name and he was real, the governor on the Mayflower!” Despite Thanksgiving Day’s heavy baggage (like Australia Day, many in the US have increasingly questioned the holiday’s ties to colonial aggression), the film’s key creative breakthrough for Roth and Rendell came from something decidedly more contemporary: watching online “trample videos” from Black Friday shopping sales, traditionally held the day after Thanksgiving, that started proliferating on social media around a decade ago with news reports and clips of shoppers in a consumerist frenzy. “These Black Friday sales, they were never a thing when I was a kid. But now I know they’re even in Australia, they’re everywhere,” says Roth, who saw fertile horror territory in the holiday’s materialistic shift. “The whole idea of Thanksgiving is you’re supposed to be thankful for what you have and for your health, but then you just go out and kill your neighbour for a waffle iron.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThat idea gives the film its raucous opening, what might be the most horribly enjoyable 13 minutes of a film all year – a sick and clever movement that launches the film’s action amid the craze of a Black Friday sale. In the great tradition of seasonal horror classics, the move lets Roth critique the gross commercialisation of the holiday, tap into our era’s increasingly stoked class divisions, and evoke the horror genre’s rich legacy: the hordes of rampaging shoppers rushing the shopping mall feel like a direct nod to George Romero’s classic anti-capitalist screed, Dawn of the Dead (1978). Gina Gershon and Patrick Dempsey in Thanksgiving. “I love Dawn of the Dead, zombies running the mall, and very much in line with Romero’s views on consumerism run amok. That’s what it’s all about. There’s a real darkness underneath it and it’s not just people’s greed that’s behind [the frenzy of these] Black Friday sales,” says Roth. “People are paid shit now so there’s no middle class any more so they desperately need these Black Friday sales in order to get all the Christmas gifts for their kids, otherwise they can’t afford them. So then you have the very few at the top sitting in their mansions watching all the rats fighting over these crumbs, and there’s something really sick about that, that everyone’s been reduced to fighting for televisions and electronics because the only way they can afford them is on this one sale day, while the few at the top get richer and richer.” Horror, the genre – even among films built on flimsier precepts than Thanksgiving – has a long history of reflecting the tumult and anxieties of the wider culture in which they were created. The opening scenes of crazed shoppers pressed up against the jagged glass of the mall also evokes images from the US’s January 6 riots, while later scenes in which armed school students are anxiously and awkwardly forced to defend themselves against a crazed killer feel like they’re engaging with the US’s feverish gun control rhetoric. When I question Roth about the symbolism, he spiritually, if not literally, rolls his eyes. Director Eli Roth sees franchise potential in his remarkably fun new slasher flick. “Look, I want it to be where we’re in the world of the movie, we’re not in the real world. I want people to escape into a rollercoaster ride and have a fun time with the movie. But certainly, if you want to write a film school thesis about it, everything’s there,” he says. For such a horror tragic, the first goal is always “great kills”.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Every time I make a horror movie, it’s like a badge of honour for me,” says Roth. “It’s like, this is my chance to make a slasher film, you know? I grew up with Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers, Chucky – I loved those movies so much – and in the ’90s, we had Ghostface and other slashers that were overlooked, like Mute Witness (1995) which is one of my favourites. I just thought, well, it’s time for a new slasher. I want a new killer in town, so let’s create another one.” Roth has been horror’s most provocative maestro for decades now, a filmmaker who finds a sinister glee in pushing the envelope – it was his film Hostel (2005), after all, that spawned the term “torture porn”. In a weak glimmer at the back of my mind, I vaguely remember attending a Q&A screening for Cabin Fever (2002), Roth’s then feature debut, at Glebe’s now defunct Valhalla cinema about 20 years ago. “Oh, I remember that,” Roth recalls. “I remember a kid coming up to me after, with his friend Angus, and we talked for half an hour about how much he loved the movie. And I was doing Angus’ radio show the next day and that kid came up to me again and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I made a short film called Saw.’ It was Leigh Whannell.” (L to R) Tomaso Sanelli, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Gabriel Davenport and Jenna Warren, in trouble in Thanksgiving. Roth has since helmed over 20 films as a director, more than double as a producer, and also appeared onscreen – notably as Sgt. Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009) and most recently in this year’s comically maligned The Idol, where he played a wracked Live Nation rep. While he wasn’t involved in the show’s troubled first incarnation, Roth says he enjoyed his experience on creator Sam Levinson’s set. “You saw this negative stuff come up [in the press] and I’d be thinking, ‘What are people talking about?’” he says. He completed The Idol right before he went into directing Thanksgiving, and credits the experience with “switching up my brain to use another side of my creativity”. “I think that’s why I really am an actor’s director and why actors like working with me, is that they know I understand what they go through,” he says. “In the rehearsal process with the cast, or getting ready to do a scare scene, I want to give them the room to go off-script a bit until we find something interesting, and that’s all from my personal experience as an actor.”\n\nAdvertisement", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nBlack Friday is almost here, but we wouldn't blame you if you've felt like it's been here for a while. What was once a one-day event filled with limited-time deals has grown into a month-long event with a plethora of sales to sift through each day. This year, Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Walmart and several other retailers kicked off their Black Friday deals early, with some starting as soon as late October. If you're overwhelmed by the amount of discounts showing up in your feeds, you're not alone.\n\n\n\nTo help, we at Engadget have collected all of the best Black Friday deals you can shop right now, primarily on tech we've tested and reviewed. These are the best tech deals you can get this year, on the gadgets we know to be worth your money. There's a possibility we'll see slightly lower prices on Black Friday proper — but with each passing day, that likelihood becomes less and less as even more early Black Friday deals pop up across the web. We'll be updating our list regularly in the lead-up to Black Friday, so check back to catch all of the latest Black Friday deals.\n\nApple iPad (9th Gen)\n\nApple's 9th-gen iPad is down to a new low of $230 at Amazon and Target. This is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide, and it earned a review score of 86 in 2021. It's the last iPad to use Apple's old design language, so it has thick bezels, a Lightning port, a Home button and a non-laminated display. This variant also comes with a paltry 64GB of storage. At this price, though, it's hard to do better if all you want is a large screen for streaming video, playing games and browsing the web. Its 10.2-inch display remains a step up from cheaper slates, its A13 Bionic chip is plenty fast for casual media consumption and its battery still lasts around 10 hours per charge. Most importantly, it's the cheapest route into Apple's huge app library, customer support and years of software updates. If you need more storage space, the 256GB model is also down to a low of $380.\n\nApple AirTags\n\nA four-pack of Apple’s AirTags have dropped to $80, which is just about $5 more than the pack’s record-low price. If you’re unfamiliar, AirTags are small Bluetooth trackers that you can keep in your bag or luggage or attach to items like your keys so you can keep track of their location. The only catch is that these only work with Apple devices as their host device, so Android users will have to pick a tracker from another brand to get similar benefits. AirTags connect to Apple’s Find My network, so you can see where your stuff is in that app and even force the gadgets to ring so you can more easily find your belongings (if you’re within close proximity).\n\nApple Watch Series 9\n\nThe new Apple Watch Series 9 has dropped to $329 at Amazon, Walmart and Target in a Black Friday deal. That’s $70 off its usual price and the lowest we’ve seen since it debuted in September. That’s the price you’ll pay for the 41mm model, but the 45mm models are now down to $359 with the same $70 discount. The Series 9 took the crown of the best smartwatch you can get right now in our guide thanks to its new S9 SiP that brings slightly speedier performance and on-device Siri processing, the new Double Tap feature and other improvements.\n\nApple Watch SE\n\nThe Apple Watch SE has dropped to a record low of $179 for Black Friday, which is $70 off its usual price. It may not have all of the advanced health tracking features of the Series 9, but the SE has all of the basics you’d want in a smartwatch, including smart notifications, all-day activity tracking and perks like Fall and Crash Detection and Emergency SOS. If you’re looking for a good entry-point into the Apple Watch space, or a gift for someone who has never worn a smartwatch before, the Apple Watch SE is a great option.\n\nApple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)\n\nThe latest version of Apple's AirPods Pro is back on sale for $190 at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. That matches an all-time low and comes in $60 below the pair's usual going rate. The AirPods Pro are the \"best for iOS\" pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide thanks to their easy pairing and deep integration with Apple devices. Effective active noise cancellation (ANC), a superb transparency mode and a pleasingly warm sound profile help as well, as does a new \"adaptive audio\" mode that can adjust the earphones' noise control settings based on your surroundings. That said, their battery life is just average at six-ish hours per charge, and you really have to use an iPhone to get anything out of them.\n\nWe gave the Lightning-based version of the second-generation AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year; this new iteration is almost identical, only it comes with a USB-C charging case and has a higher IP54 dust-resistance rating. If you don't care about the updated charging port, note that the older Lightning version will be on sale for $169 at Walmart on November 22.\n\nApple AirPods (3rd Gen)\n\nThe third-gen Apple AirPods are back down to $140 at Amazon and Best Buy, matching the lowest price we've seen. Typically, the wireless earbuds have retailed between $10 and $20 higher over the past few months. We gave these AirPods a review score of 88 back in 2021: You can get better-sounding and more featured earbuds for much less, but if you're an iPhone owner who hates the feeling of traditional in-ear headphones, it might suit you well. It has a mostly balanced sound despite its unsealed design, and it gets the usual AirPods conveniences like hands-free Siri, Find My device tracking and quick pairing with other Apple gadgets. Just don't expect much in the way of deep bass or noise cancellation, as is the case with all earbuds with an \"open\" design.\n\nApple iPad Air\n\nThe iPad Air M1 is back down to a record low of $500 right now ahead of Black Friday. All color options are discounted. The Air is still the best iPad for most people at the moment, although we expect to see a fresh lineup with the latest M-series processor debut early next year. However, if you want a new iPad immediately, the Air offers speedy performance, good battery life, a slim design and Apple Pencil 2 support.\n\nApple iPad (10th gen)\n\nThe 10th-generation iPad is down to its lowest price ever at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. The 64GB model is just $349 for Black Friday in all four colors. That's $100 off and $30 less than the previous low. We gave the revamped standard iPad an 85 in our review. Compared to the 9th-gen model, the new version ditches the Home button and comes with a larger, 10.9-inch display. The front-facing camera is now on the landscape edge, which is much more convenient for video calls, though the tablet (for some reason) still only works with the first generation Apple Pencil.\n\nApple M2 Mac Mini\n\nApple's M2-powered Mac Mini desktops are also discounted for Black Friday: The 256GB model has dropped to $500 at Best Buy, while the 512GB model is on sale for $690 at Amazon with a clippable coupon. Though we expect an upgrade to the new M3 chip at some point over the next year, the current model is still a great option if you want a speedy desktop that runs macOS. It earned a score of 86 in our review, and it has a headphone jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A connectors, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-Cs and an HDMI 2.0 port.\n\nApple MacBook Pro M3\n\nApple released its its new M3-powered MacBook Pros just before Halloween, but the new notebooks are already on sale at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy. The entry-level 14-inch variant with the base M3 chip, 8GB of memory and 512GB of storage is $1,449, or $150 off Apple's list price. We note in our review that the M3 chip may quickly begin to push the limits of what 8GB of RAM can handle, though. If you can afford to step up to a model with more memory, note that a version with Apple's M3 Pro chip and 18GB of RAM is also $200 off at $1,799. An M3 Pro version of the larger 16-inch Pro, meanwhile, is $200 off at $2,299.\n\nHulu Black Friday deal\n\nHulu’s Black Friday deal is a great one for anyone who has not subscribed to the ad-supported tier yet. You’ll get one year of the service for only $12, which comes out to just $1 per month. That’s 85 percent off the standard monthly price and a great deal if you’ve been wanting to see what all the hype is about for shows like The Bear and Only Murders in the Building. The deal is available to new subscribers, and returning subscribers who have not been paying for Hulu for at least one month.\n\nDyson Airwrap\n\nThe coveted Dyson Airwrap is down to the cheapest price we’ve ever seen, just $480 when you clip the $119 coupon on Amazon’s product page. This hair tool uses the Coanda effect to keep air flowing around its barrel, helping you style your hair more easily. It also maintains a safe temperature for hair, resulting in less damage overall. You’re getting a number of accessories with this Airwrap bundle as well, including two differently sized barrels, separate brushes for soft or firm smoothing, a Coanda smoothing dryer and more.\n\nEmber Smart Mugs\n\nEmber Smart Mugs are down to record-low prices for Black Friday — you can pick up a 10-ounce mug for as low as $90, or a 14-ounce cup for as low as $110. These make great gifts for anyone on your list who may be otherwise hard to shop for, provided they enjoy a hot beverage every now and then. When used with their companion app, these mugs can keep drinks at an optimal temperature for up to 80 minutes, or even longer if the cup is kept on its charging coaster.\n\nTP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini\n\nThe smart plug we recommend for most homes is TP-Link's Kasa Smart Plug mini. A four-pack is on sale for $35 which is about $3 more than it sold for during Amazon's October Prime day sale, :but still a decent $15 savings. Plugs like these are a simple way to add some smart capabilities to any home, letting you turn on lights with just your voice, set automated schedules and routines that are triggered by other activities. These would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone you know who's curious about smart home connectivity but hasn't yet taken the plunge.\n\nXbox gift card\n\nYou can pick up a $50 Xbox gift card for $45 right now at Amazon and Target, a digital item that would make a good gift for a gamer who’s otherwise hard to shop for. This card can be used on a number of things, including game downloads, in-game purchases, membership costs like Xbox Game Pass and more. If you or a loved one is loyal to a different console, there are other digital gift cards on sale, too. A $70 PlayStation Plus gift card is going for $63 right now, while a 12-month Nintendo Switch Family plan is slightly discounted from $35 to $32.\n\nTP-Link Deco EX75 Wi-Fi 6E mesh router\n\nTP-Link’s Deco EX75 mesh router system with two beacons is $100 off and down to a record low of $200. This is our top pick for a Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system, and the two-pack should cover up to 5,500 square feet with stable connectivity. When we tested the three-pack, we were impressed by how well the system balances power with user friendliness. Its network is reliable and fast, and its companion app is easy to use and clearly shows you things like all of the devices connected to your network, current speeds and more.\n\nXbox Series X\n\nThe Xbox Series X bundled with Diablo IV is down to $439 from Walmart. The console itself has a list price of $500 and the game is typically listed between $40 and $70, so this is like getting a $60 discount on the console plus a free copy of the huge action-RPG. If you're a frequent Target shopper, note that the retailer is selling this same bundle with a $75 store gift card for $450.\n\nXbox Series S\n\nA starter bundle that includes a 512GB capacity Xbox Series S and a three-month subscription to Game Pass Ultimate is currently $240 at Microsoft. The console by itself has a list price of $300 and three months of access to Xbox's service will set you back $51 after this year's price hike (though the first month is often just $1 for new members).\n\nAnker accessories sale\n\nA slew of Anker chargers, cables, power adapters and other accessories are on sale for Black Friday at Amazon, with discounts ranging up to 37 percent. The deals extend to our favorite premium power bank, Anker's Prime 20,000 mAH battery with charging base, which is $130 for the set and its lowest price ever.\n\nOne of the company's 67W USB-C chargers is 37 percent off, bringing it to $38 and matching its all-time low. Our top 65W fast wall charger, Anker's 735 GaNPrime, is down to a new low price after a 38 percent discount. And the Anker Nano Power Bank is seeing one of its first discounts since coming on the market a couple months ago.\n\nMeta Quest 2 VR headset\n\nThe Meta Quest 2 VR headset is $50 off and down to $249 at several retailers. That matches the best price we’ve seen. At GameStop and Target, you can get the device with a $50 gift card. Despite the launch of the impressive Quest 3, we still consider the Quest 2 to be one of the best VR headsets available right now — precisely because of its more affordable price. It’s still the best way to jump into VR without spending a ton of money, and the Quest 2 has the perks of being completely cordless and comfortable to wear for long sessions. The hardware includes fast-switching LCDs with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and it comes with Meta’s sold motion controllers.\n\nRoku Streaming Stick 4K\n\nRoku's Black Friday sale knocks the price of its Streaming Stick 4K down to $30 at Amazon and its own online store. That represents a 40 percent discount. The Streaming Stick 4K is one of the best streaming devices available right now thanks to its support for all the major HDR formats, Dolby Vision and AirPlay 2, among other features. Roku’s TV interface remains super user-friendly, and this dongle also supports private listening with headphones paired to your smartphone via Roku’s companion app.\n\nSonos Black Friday sale\n\nPhoto by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget Sonos Beam (Gen 2) $399 $499 Save $100 While not an all-time low, this is a rare discount on the top midrange pick in our soundbar buying guide. Several other Sonos speakers and home theater devices are also on sale. $399 at Sonos\n\nSonos has kicked off its Black Friday sale for the year, bringing a range of discounts on smart speakers and home theater gear. The deals include the flagship Sonos Arc soundbar down to $719, which is a $180 discount. The mid-range Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the more basic Sonos Ray are also on sale for $399 and $223, respectively; that's a $100 drop for the former and a $56 drop for the latter. All three devices are recommendations in our guide to the best soundbars. In other home theater deals, the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) subwoofer is $160 off at $639, while the more compact Sonos Sub Mini is $86 off at $343.\n\nElsewhere, the Sonos Roam portable speaker is down to $134 from its usual $179, while the Sonos Roam SL — which is effectively the same device sans built-in microphones — is down to $119 from its usual $159. For a smart home speaker, the Sonos Era 100 is $50 off at $199. We highlight the Roam and Era 100 in our guide to the best smart speakers. For those looking to add Sonos functionality to existing audio gear, the Sonos Amp is now $599, a $100 discount, while the Sonos Port is now $399, a $50 discount.\n\nYou can read our reviews of the Arc, Beam, Ray, Roam and Era 100 for more details on what to expect from those devices. Generally speaking, we like Sonos speakers for delivering relatively clean and balanced sound and a straightforward app that lets you connect to numerous music services. Their main appeal, however, is their ability to link up with the company's other devices in one connected audio system. Deals on any Sonos gear are fairly uncommon, so this is a good chance to save if you're looking to build out your own system. Sonos says this sale will run through November 27.\n\nGoogle Nest Thermostat\n\nGoogle’s Nest Thermostat is on sale for $90 right now, which is $40 off and close to a record low. It’s a pared-down version of the Nest Learning Thermostat, but it has plenty of smart features and should help you save on energy costs over time. This model is Energy Star-certified and will automatically turn temperatures down in your home when you leave the house, and you can adjust heating and cooling schedules from your phone.\n\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro\n\nGoogle’s latest flagship smartphones are up to $200 off for Black Friday, including the Pixel 8 Pro, which you can snag for $799. The standard Pixel 8 is as low as $549 depending on the storage capacity you choose as well. These are the best Android phones available right now thanks to some substantial upgrades Google brought to each handset this time around. They both have upgraded Tensor G3 processors, vivid OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, excellent cameras and solid battery lives.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $115 at Wellbots. That’s the best price we’ve ever seen on what we consider to be the best wireless earbuds for Android users. Google learned from its previous generations of earbuds and made the best model yet with the Pros; they have improved sound quality, a comfortable design with reliable touch controls and good noise cancellation and battery life.\n\nGoogle Pixel Tablet\n\nThe Google Pixel Tablet is on sale for an all-time low of $399 at several retailers, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google's own online store. That's $100 off the 11-inch slate's list price and $10 less than the deal we saw during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale last month. We gave the Pixel Tablet a review score of 85 earlier this year: Its crisp LCD display, clean software and solid Tensor G2 chip make it a solid Android tablet in its own right, but its biggest selling point is the charging speaker dock that comes with it. Plop the Pixel Tablet onto that and it becomes a Nest Hub Max-style smart display and smart home hub. This deal applies to the base model with 128GB of storage, but the 256GB version is also $100 off at $499.\n\niRobot Roomba Combo j5+\n\nYou can save $300 on the Roomba Combo j5+ robot vacuum and mop at Amazon, spending $500 for the machine and its self-emptying base. The more affordable Roomba 694 is $115 off as well. The Combo machine lets you vacuum and mop with one machine and it comes with a base into which the vacuum dustbin will empty its contents after every job. The cheaper Roomba 694 is one of the best robovacs for people on a budget thanks to its slim design, strong suction power and easy-to-use mobile app.\n\nBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro\n\nBreville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is 29 percent off and down to $320 for Black Friday. That’s the best price we’ve seen since the start of this year on one of our favorite air fryers. This Breville machine is much more than an air fryer, though — it has 13 cooking functions and a capacity that can handle a full turkey, so it’s more like a mini convection oven that sits on your countertop. It’s best for people who love to cook and have big families, or those who maybe don’t have a traditional oven and want a versatile (and relatively small) appliance for their kitchen.\n\nFitbit Charge 6\n\nFitbit’s newest fitness tracker, the Charge 6, is $60 off right now and down to a record low of $100. It’s the follow-up to one of our favorite fitness trackers, the Fitbit Charge 5, and it brings back the physical side button that previous generations had and integrates even more with Google services. It has an AMOLED touchscreen that displays all of your activity stats and smart notifications, a built-in GPS for mapping outdoor workouts, a week-long battery life and the ability to display turn-by-turn directions on its screen from Google Maps.\n\nAmazon Fire TV Stick Lite\n\nAmazon’s most affordable Fire TV Stick is down to $16 for Black Friday, which is only $1 more than its record-low price. You’ll find decent discounts across most of the Fire TV lineup right now — including a $20 discount on the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max — and this model is the cheapest of the bunch. It supports HD video as well as most major streaming services, plus it comes with a pared-down version of the Alexa voice remote. If you want the most powerful dongle that Amazon makes with support for 4K HDR content and Wi-Fi 6, you’ll have to spend $40 for the new Fire TV 4K Max.\n\nSony WH-1000XM5\n\nThe Sony WH-1000XM5 is down to $328 at Amazon, B&H and others. Though this isn't an all-time low, it's about $70 off Sony's list price and $20 lower than the headphones' usual recurring sale price. The XM5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best wireless headphones, as it offers a comfortable design, powerful ANC, crisp call quality and 30 or so hours of battery life. It also comes with a number of useful bonus features such as \"Speak to Chat,\" which automatically pauses your music when you start talking to somebody else. By default, its bass-heavy sound plays well with hip-hop and EDM, though you can easily customize the EQ curve through Sony's app. We gave the XM5 a score of 95 in our review last year.\n\nSony WF-1000XM5\n\nSony's WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, is the top choice in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, and it's now down to a new low of $248 at Amazon, B&H and other retailers. Several other retailers have it for $2 more. Normally, these noise-canceling earphones go for $300. Like the over-ear XM5, this in-ear model delivers excellent ANC (with strong passive isolation), loads of helpful features and a warm sound that's fun out of the box but can be customized if needed. Battery life is decent at seven or eight hours per charge and, notably, the design is lighter, smaller and altogether more comfortable than past Sony earbuds. The WF-1000XM5 earned a score of 87 in our review this past July.\n\nBose QuietComfort Ultra\n\nThe latest flagship noise-cancelling headphones from Bose, the QuietComfort Ultra is seeing a $50 discount at Amazon, Walmart and Bose direct, among others. These headphones debuted last month and retail for $429 at full price. One of our concerns in our review was that higher MSRP, so this deal takes some of the sting out of the purchase. We found this pair to offer exceptional ANC, a comfortable fit and sound quality that has more bass plus \"increased clarity and enhanced warmth\" compared to previous generations of the QC cans.\n\nAnker Soundcore Space A40\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Space A40 is down to $54 for Black Friday, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. This is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds: It’s comfortable, it supports wireless charging and multi-device pairing, it can last up to 10 hours a charge and its ANC is remarkably effective for a sub-$100 pair. Its bassy sound should please most by default, but it can also be customized through a clean companion app. The only big negatives are its middling call quality and lack of wear detection.\n\nDyson Black Friday deals\n\nDyson Black Friday deals include a $200 discount on the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute, bringing the cordless vacuum down to $550. It’s hard to tell if this is a record-low price, but considering the standard V15 Detect is going for between $650 and $750 across the internet, we consider this to be a good deal. In addition to its strong cleaning power, the V15 Detect has a laser-powered optic cleaner head that illuminates the floor before you as you’re cleaning so you can see dust and grime more clearly. It also has a piezo sensor, which sizes and counts dust particles as you clean and shows you that information on its LCD display.\n\nAmazon Echo Black Friday sale\n\nAlmost the entirety of Amazon's Echo speaker lineup is on sale for Black Friday, with most bundled alongside a TP-Link Kasa smart bulb for no extra cost. The offers include the Echo Dot back at an all-time low of $23, the Echo Dot with Clock for $35 (a $25 discount), the standard Echo within $5 of its all-time low at $55, the larger Echo Studio for $155 and the entry-level Echo Pop back at its Prime Day price of $18.\n\nOf those, the Echo Dot and base Echo are likely your best bets — the former is the \"best under $50\" recommendation in our smart speaker buying guide, while the latter is our \"best under $100\" pick. The Echo Studio is still decent if you want better audio quality, though it's harder to recommend when the Sonos Era 100 is also on sale, while the Echo Pop is essentially a weaker-sounding Echo Dot for only a few bucks less. But if you're building a smart home around Alexa, each device offers similar functionality.\n\nAmazon Echo Show Black Friday sale\n\nAlong those lines, most of Amazon's Echo Show smart displays are also discounted. The recently updated Echo Show 8, for one, is on sale for a new low of $105, while the smaller 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 is back down to an all-time low of $40. Those two typically retail for $150 and $70, respectively. Again, both devices come bundled with a free LED smart bulb. You can also get an Echo Show 5 with a Ring Video Doorbell for $65.\n\nThe Echo Show 8 is the top Alexa pick in our guide to the best smart displays; compared to the Echo Show 5, it packs a better screen, richer speakers and a much sharper camera for video calls. But if you want something closer to a smart alarm clock for your nightstand, the smaller display still delivers most of the same Alexa smarts. If you want a larger panel, the rotating 10.1-inch Echo Show 10 is $90 off at $160 as well. We gave that one a score of 83 back in 2021, though our review found the Echo Show 8 to be a better value for most.\n\nGoogle Nest Hub\n\nIf you're partial to the Google Assistant, Google's Nest Hub is also on sale for $50 at Target and Walmart. That's $10 higher than its all-time low but still $50 off Google's list price. The Nest Hub is the top overall pick in our smart display buying guide, and we gave it a review score of 89 back in 2021. It has a 7-inch screen, so it's a bit bigger than the Echo Show 5 but should still be compact enough to fit neatly in a bedroom or small office. While it lacks a built-in camera, that may be a selling point for those who especially sensitive to their privacy (though no smart display is truly privacy-conscious).\n\nUltimately, whether it's worth getting a Nest Hub or Echo Show depends on what services you use: If you own a bunch of Nest devices and depend on apps like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Photos, Google's display will make sense. If you want a larger model with a webcam and stronger speakers, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is also on sale for $129.\n\nSamsung T9 SSD\n\nThe latest Samsung T9 portable SSD is on sale for $110 right now for a 1TB drive, which is the best price it’s been since it came out last month. You can snag this Black Friday deal from Amazon or Samsung directly. The T9 is the newest iteration of Samsung’s popular portable drive that we’ve long been fans of, and it supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. It also has dynamic thermal guard to prevent overheating, plus it comes with a USB-C to C and USB-C to A cords so you can use it with a variety of devices.\n\nSamsung microSD card sale\n\nIf you need a new microSD card for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck or GoPro, a trio of Samsung microSD cards we recommend are also down their lowest prices to date. The 128GB version of the Samsung Pro Plus is down to $11 at Amazon, B&H, Best Buy and others, while the 256GB and 512GB models are down to $18 and $32, respectively. Beyond that, the 256GB Samsung Evo Select is on sale for a new low of $15 and the 256GB Samsung Pro Ultimate is available for $25.\n\nThe Pro Plus is the top overall pick in our microSD card buying guide, as it consistently ranked among the fastest cards we tested despite its relatively affordable price tag. The Pro Ultimate offers faster read speeds, so it could be worth the step up if you often move files between your card and a computer. The Evo Select is our \"best value\" pick: It's slower than the other two, but it's cheaper, and its losses won't be hugely noticeable in devices that can't take advantage of the extra performance such as the Switch. Each card comes with a 10-year warranty.\n\nPlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller\n\nAmazon, Walmart, PlayStation Direct and several other retailers have discounted a bunch of PlayStation DualSense controllers ahead of Black Friday, including many of the colorways that typically go for $75. You can pick up Cosmic Red, Starlight Blue, Nova Pink and other models for $50 each, which is just about a record-low price. These controllers work with the PS5 as well as PC, and they sport adaptive L2 and R2 triggers, haptic feedback and a built-in mic array.\n\nXbox Wireless Controller\n\nIf you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox, meanwhile, official Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controllers are as low as $40 at Microsoft and Best Buy. As with the DualSense deal above, this discount applies to various colors. Typically, we see the gamepad retail between $50 and $60 depending on the colorway. The Series X/S controller doesn't have the DualSense's advanced haptics and requires AA batteries for power by default — we recommend grabbing a rechargeable set — but some will always find its shape and asymmetrical joysticks more comfortable. It's also simpler to set up and use on PC.\n\nPS5 + Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 bundle\n\nIf you or someone you love hasn’t gotten their hands on a PS5 yet, a new Black Friday bundle pairs the $500 console with the new (and critically acclaimed) Spider-Man 2 game for no extra cost. The PS5 remains one of the best gaming consoles you can get right now, and we found the open-world game to be even better than its predecessor in our review. In it, you can swap between playing as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and it includes expanded combat mechanics.\n\nPS5 Slim + Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle\n\nYou can get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for free with this $499 PS5 Slim bundle that’s roughly $60 off the price of buying each separately and available at multiple retailers. Sony announced this new svelte version of its console last month and it’s been popping up sporadically across the internet since then. Depending on the model you choose, it’ll be up to 24 percent lighter than the standard PS5 and it will take up about 30 percent less space overall.\n\nNintendo Switch OLED + Super Smash Bros. Ultimate bundle\n\nThe main Nintendo Switch deal for Black Friday bundles the $350 Nintendo Switch OLED with a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for no extra cost. This offer is available at Walmart, Target, GameStop, Best Buy and Nintendo's own online store. Smash Bros. Ultimate was released way back in 2018, so it's hard to call this an amazing deal, but the game remains one of the console's best and still typically retails between $50 and $60 on its own. The Switch Online sub, meanwhile, goes for $8. If you're late to the Switch bandwagon, you could do much worse for a free pack-in game — but keep in mind that Nintendo is expected to unveil its next console at some point in 2024.\n\nBackbone One\n\nPhoto by Mat Smith / Engadget Backbone One $70 $100 Save $30 Both the USB-C and Lightning versions of this recommended mobile game controller are 30 percent off for Black Friday. For the former, that's an all-time low. $70 at Amazon\n\nThe Backbone One mobile game controller is down to $70 at Amazon, Target, Backbone's online store and other retailers. That's a $30 discount. Both the USB-C and Lightning models are on sale; the latter is compatible with Apple's iPhone 15 series as well as numerous Android phones. We gave the Backbone a positive review last year, and we recommend it in our guide to the best gaming handhelds: It's more cramped than a traditional gamepad, naturally, but it has all the requisite buttons to play modern games, it's extremely easy to set up and it works well for remote streaming from your console or PC. If nothing else, it's a much better value than the PlayStation Portal.\n\nPlayStation, Xbox and Switch video game sales\n\nIf you're all set on the hardware front, a truckload of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch games have dropped in price for Black Friday too. Both Sony and Microsoft have rolled out holiday sales on their respective digital storefronts, while a number of physical games are down to new lows at Amazon, Best Buy and others.\n\nThere are frankly too many deals for us to list them all here, but some highlights for PlayStation and Xbox owners include Assassin's Creed Mirage and the dramatic action-RPG Final Fantasy XVI for $40 each, God of War Ragnarök for $35, Gran Turismo 7 for $30, the rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush for $22, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West for $20 each and Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10. Many of those make our lists of the best PS5 games and best Xbox games.\n\nOn the Switch side, the turn-based strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is on sale for $15, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Luigi's Mansion 3 are each down to $40 and the excellent 2D platformer Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is down to a new low of $30. There are plenty more games on sale beyond those, and we expect to see more PC game deals over the course of the week.\n\nDJI Osmo Action 3 Creator Combo\n\nAs part of a larger sale on DJI cameras and accessories, the DJI Osmo Action 3 is seeing a discount as part of a bundle that includes two batteries, a 32GB microSD card and a case. Separately and not on sale, the set would run you $379, but is now down to $319. This isn't the newest version of DJI's GoPro Alternative camera, that one, the Osmo Action 4 isn't on sale. The newer version has a larger sensor and improved dynamic range, but at a higher price. But if you don't plan on shooting a lot of low-light footage, you may be happy with the performance of the Action 3. We put it through its paces in our review and liked the excellent video quality, and found it to be on par with GoPro's Hero 10. The the magnetic clip mount and long-lasting, fast-charging battery are also reasons to buy.\n\nMasterclass Black Friday deal\n\nMasterclass’ Black Friday deal gives you two memberships for the price of one, starting at $120 per year. That provides two individual memberships, while you can pay a total of $180 for access for two devices simultaneously, content downloads and a Family membership that covers six devices. Masterclass could be a good gift option for people who love to learn or collect hobbies as it provides access to hundreds of hours of video of masters of their craft explaining how they do their work. Some classes have exercises you can complete as well, making it feel more like a real class. This deal will be available until the end of the day on Black Friday proper.\n\nHeadspace Black Friday deal\n\nHeadspace Headspace $35 $70 Save $35 Headspace has knocked 50 percent off its memberships for Black Friday, so you can pay only $35 to get one year of access. $35 at Headspace\n\nHeadspace’s Black Friday deal is back for 2023, knocking half off subscriptions for new and returning subscribers. You’ll spend $35 if you pay for one year upfront, or $6.50 per month if you choose the more frequent payment method. Headspace is a solid meditation and mindfulness app that packs a lot of value, including dozens of guided meditation sessions to choose from at various durations, “sleepcasts” and soothing audio to help you get better shut eye and curated yoga and fitness videos that can help you stick to your physical health goals.\n\nSurfshark VPN\n\nSurfshark’s Black Friday deal knocks up to 86 percent off two-year plans, and you’ll get a few extra months of service for free depending on the plan you select. We consider Surfshark to be one of the best VPN services available right now, particularly if you want a solid VPN at an affordable price. We believe the mid-tier plan, Surfshark One, will be the best for most people and a two-year plan is down to $2.69 per month, with an additional four months of services thrown in for free.\n\nSamsung M80C Smart Monitor\n\nSamsung’s Smart Monitor M80C is $300 off and down to $400 right now. The selling point for this display, and really any Samsung Smart Monitor, is that it pulls triple duty as an external display, a smart TV and an IoT hub. In addition to connecting it to your computer, you can use it standalone as a TV thanks to the built-in TV operating system and included remote, and the embedded SmartThings hub lets you directly connect things like smart lights and other gear to the display.\n\nMotorola razr+\n\nThe Moto razr+ is 30 percent off and down to a record low of $700. It earned a spot in our best foldable phones guides thanks to handy exterior display that’s actually easier to use than that on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its ability to fold in half and get super compact and pocket-friendly. It’s cameras are not on par with those on Samsung’s foldables, but it’s a generally solid flip phone with a ton of personality\n\nBose QuietComfort Earbuds II\n\nThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are down to $199, which is the same as they went for for October Prime Day. During that sale you needed to be a Prime member to save, but now anyone can take advantage of the discount. They retail for $299, but have sold for $279 for the past few months, so this is still an $80 discount. We think they're best wireless earbuds you can buy for noise cancelation, as they do a great job of blocking out the world. They also have a smaller, more comfortable fit than the previous generation and offer good audio quality.\n\nSamsung The Frame QLED TV\n\nThe 55-inch Samsung The Frame smart TV is 35 percent off and down to a new record low of $978 at Amazon. Samsung itself has it for a couple bucks more. Other size options are also discounted. The Frame has been super popular thanks to its design, which mimics framed artwork when not in use. It has a matte, anti-reflective display and an included slim wall mount so you can get the true “artwork” effect when you hang it on the wall. As an actual TV, it supports 4K content and Quantum Dot technology, plus it runs on Samsung’s Tizen TV operating system.\n\nSolo Stove Black Friday deal\n\nSolo Stove’s Black Friday deals have knocked up to $245 off fire pit bundles, up to $100 off fire pits by themselves and even more. A standout is the Ranger Backyard Bundle 2, which is $145 off and down to $320. It includes the company’s most compact fire pit along with its accompanying shield, stand, lid and shelter. Everything you’d need for an easy setup right out of the box is included in this bundle, and the 2.0-version of the Ranger includes a removable base plate and ash pan, both of which make the fire pit much easier to clean.\n\nProtonVPN Black Friday deal\n\nOur favorite VPN service, ProtonVPN, is having a rare sale for Black Friday that brings a monthly subscription down to only $4 for a total of 30 months. That means you’ll pay $120 for two and a half years of access, which is a pretty good deal. ProtonVPN passed our tests with high marks, but what made it stand out among other VPN security services was its independently audited no-logs policy, and the fact that the company has proven they don't comply with law enforcement requests to reveal data. If you want to jump in head-first with Proton services, the company has discounted Proton Unlimited, which includes access to VPN, Mail, Calendar, Drive and Pass, to just under $9 per month for the first year.\n\nLG A2 OLED TV\n\nWe expect to see many more TV deals as we get closer to Black Friday, but for now one standout is LG's 48-inch A2 OLED TV on sale for a new low of $550 at Best Buy. This is an entry-level model from 2022, so it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and doesn't support other gaming-friendly features like VRR. That said, it's still an OLED TV, so it delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms. Just note that it can't get as bright as higher-end OLED sets, so it's best situated away from direct sunlight.\n\nMicrosoft Surface Pro 9\n\nA configuration of Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Microsoft's Surface Pro Keyboard is on sale for $1,000 at Best Buy. That's $540 off Microsoft's list price. If you don't need the keyboard, a variant with a faster Core i7-1255U chip is down to a new low of $1,097 at Amazon, Microsoft, B&H and other retailers. That's roughly $200 off the config's usual street price. Another Core i7 model with 512GB of storage is on sale for $300 more.\n\nIn any event, the Surface Pro 9 tops our guide to the best 2-in-1 tablets. While its 12th-gen chip is about to be two generations old, this is still the device to get if you want the functionality of a laptop in the slim, touch-enabled design of a tablet. We're past the point of the year when Microsoft would normally announce a refresh, but the current model should still be useful if you're coming from an older Surface Pro that's in desperate need of an upgrade.\n\nLenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus\n\nLenovo's IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is on sale for $379 at Best Buy, which is $120 off its list price. This is the most recent version of the top pick in our Chromebook buying guide: Its 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS touchscreen is good for the money, it's plenty fast for the kind of web browsing and light work you'd do with Chrome OS and both its keyboard and trackpad are comfortable. This model comes with a Core i3-1315U processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage, one USB-A port, two USB-C 3.2 ports and a microSD card slot. It also has a decent 1080p webcam. The chassis isn't especially light at 3.6 pounds, and we found the battery to last roughly seven hours in testing, which is just OK. But for less than $400, this is a strong value for those who just want an affordable notebook for the basics.\n\nFAQs\n\nWhen is Black Friday 2023?\n\nBlack Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that’s when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.\n\nWhat day is Black Friday 2023 at Walmart?\n\nWalmart Black Friday deals will begin early this year on November 8. Walmart+ members will get a few hours of early access to Black Friday deals if they shop online on November 8, with access for everyone else starting later that day. Walmart will match its online Black Friday deals in stores starting November 10.\n\nWill Amazon have a Black Friday sale in 2023?\n\nAmazon will likely have a Black Friday sale in 2023. While the online retailer hasn’t made its deals known yet like Walmart has, Amazon will almost certainly have deals across all of the types of products it sells, including electronics. We anticipate seeing record-low prices on Amazon devices in particular, like Echo speakers, Fire TVs, Kindles and more. In years past, Amazon Black Friday deals have brought some of the best prices of the year on our favorite gadgets and gear, including headphones, tablets, smartwatches, robot vacuums and more.\n\nWhat other retailers have Black Friday sales in 2023?\n\nMost retailers have Black Friday sales, so you can expect to see Target, Best Buy, and others join Walmart and Amazon in discounting inventory to capitalize on holiday shopping interest. In the consumer electronics space, we expect most companies to have some sort of Black Friday promotion, so that means you will likely be able to get big-ticket items from brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, LG, Sonos and others for much cheaper prices.\n\nYour Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.\n\nAfterward, Jordan said simply of his colleagues, “We put the question to them, they made a different decision.”\n\nThe hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman said House Republicans now need to come together and “figure out who our speaker is going to be.”\n\nThe House impasse deepening into a full-blown crisis, Republicans have no realistic or workable plan to unite the fractured GOP majority, elect a new speaker and return to the work of Congress that has been languishing since hard-liners ousted Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month.\n\nMajority Leader Steve Scalise said they’re going “come back and start over” on Monday.\n\nAngry, frustrated Republicans who have been watching their majority control descend into chaos left the private session blaming one another for the divisions they have created. Next steps are highly uncertain as lawmakers start offering new ideas for a possible speaker. But it appears no one at present can win a GOP majority.\n\n“We’re in a very bad place right now,” McCarthy said earlier.\n\nIn a floor vote Friday morning, Jordan’s third reach for the gavel, he lost 25 Republican colleagues, worse than he had fared earlier in the week, and far from the majority needed, as they reject his hardline approach.\n\nBut after two failed votes, Jordan’s third attempt at the gavel essentially collapsed — in large part because more centrist Republicans are revolting over the nominee and the hardball tactics being used to win their votes. They have been bombarded with harassing phone calls and even reported death threats.\n\nAhead of the vote, Jordan showed no signs of stepping aside, insisting at a Capitol press conference: “The American people are hungry for change.”\n\nBut afterward Jordan told colleagues behind closed doors, “I tried my best,” according to one of his opponents, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.\n\nFor more than two weeks the stalemate has shut down the U.S. House, leaving a seat of American democracy severely hobbled at a time of challenges at home and abroad. The House Republican majority appears to have no idea how to end the political turmoil and get back to work.\n\nWith Republicans in majority control of the House, 221-212, any candidate can lose only a few detractors. It appears there is no Republican at present who can win a clear majority, 217 votes, to become speaker.\n\nIn fact, the hard-charging Judiciary chairman lost rather than gained votes despite hours spent trying to win over holdouts, no improvement from the 20 and then 22 Republicans he lost in early rounds this week.\n\nFriday’s vote was 194 for Jordan, his lowest tally yet, and 210 for Jeffries, with two absences on each side.\n\n“He doesn’t have the votes to be speaker,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said after a late Thursday meeting when Jordan sought to hear detractors out and shore up support.\n\nThe holdouts want “nothing” from Jordan, Gimenez said, adding that some of the lawmakers in the meeting simply called on Jordan to drop out of the race.\n\nOne extraordinary idea, to give the interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, more powers for the next several months to at least bring the House back into session and conduct crucial business, was swiftly rejected by Jordan’s own ultra-conservative allies.\n\nA “betrayal,” said Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.\n\nNext steps were highly uncertain as angry, frustrated Republicans predict the House could essentially stay closed for the foreseeable future — perhaps until the mid-November deadline for Congress to approve funding or risk a federal government shutdown.\n\n“We’re trying to figure out if there’s a way we can get back with a Republican-only solution,” said veteran legislator Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.\n\n“That’s what normal majorities do. What this majority has done is prove it’s not a normal majority.”\n\nWhat was clear was that Jordan was refusing to step aside, appearing determined to wait out his foes even as his path to become House speaker was all but collapsing.\n\nMany view Jordan, a founding member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, as too extreme for a central seat of U.S. power, second in line to the presidency.\n\n“One thing I cannot stomach or support is a bully,” said a statement from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who voted against Jordan on the second ballot and said she received “credible death threats.”\n\nDemocratic Leader Jeffries reiterated that his party was “ready, willing and able” to partner with more traditional Republicans on a path to re-open the House —- particularly as Congress is being asked to consider President Joe Biden’s aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other needs.\n\nA closed-door meeting Thursday to regroup grew heated at times with Republican factions blaming one another for sending their majority into chaos, lawmakers said.\n\nElevating McHenry to an expanded speaker’s role could be a possible off-ramp for the crisis, but it would not be as politically simple as it might seem.\n\nRepublicans are loath to partner with the Democrats in a bipartisan way on the arrangement, and it’s highly unlikely Republicans could agree to give McHenry more powers on their own, since their hard-liners don’t like it.\n\nMcHenry himself has brushed off attempts to take the job more permanently after he was appointed to the role after the unprecedented ouster of McCarthy more than two weeks ago.\n\nTo win over GOP colleagues, Jordan had relied on backing from Trump, the party’s front-runner in the 2024 election, and groups pressuring rank-and-file lawmakers for the vote. But they were not enough and in fact backfired on some.\n\nJordan has been a top Trump ally, particularly during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by the former president’s backers who were trying to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden. Days later, Trump awarded Jordan a Medal of Freedom.\n\nFirst elected in 2006, Jordan has few bills to his name from his time in office. He also faces questions about his past.\n\nSome years ago, Jordan denied allegations from former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about claims they were inappropriately groped by an Ohio State doctor. Jordan has said he was never aware of any abuse.", + "ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy heard Zak Zinter scream. McCarthy saw tackle Karsen Barnhart holding Zinter's foot in the air. This was a gruesome scene at Michigan Stadium on Saturday.\n\nNo. 3 Michigan lost their senior All-American guard to a broken tibia and fibula with 2:19 left in the third quarter of a tie game with No. 2 Ohio State. Zinter was carted off in what could have been a turning point in the other direction given his value on the interior line.\n\n\"It was a sight that I wouldn't wish upon anyone to see,\" McCarthy said. \"At that moment, seeing the look in everyone's eyes, seeing them rally together, it was spiritual, honestly. It was a different drive that hit on everybody.\"\n\nOn the next play, senior running back Blake Corum finally broke through the second level of the Buckeyes' defense for a 22-yard go-ahead touchdown. Corum flashed Zinter's number \"65\" with his hands. From there, the Wolverines handled business for a third straight year in The Game in a 30-24 victory.\n\nMORE: Corum gives tribute to teammate after key touchdown\n\nMichigan tops Ohio State again\n\nMichigan (12-0) beat Ohio State (11-1) for the third straight season. Corum, who missed last year's 45-23 victory against the Buckeyes because of a knee injury, could feel Zinter's pain.\n\n\"Zak's my guy,\" Corum said. \"He's another guy that came back for unfinished business. That's why he came back. Seeing him go down and hurt, it was very emotional seeing what he was going through. We came together, and we knew we had to do it for him. The very next play, 'Boom.'\"\n\nBoom, indeed. This Michigan story is far from over.\n\nIt will continue at least into the Big Ten championship game against No. 17 Iowa. You know that off-the-field story by now. That is the one where this team continues to overcome obstacles – self-inflicted and otherwise. The on-field story is a withering march through the Big Ten toward a third straight College Football Playoff berth.\n\nIt could have ended with Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh's three-game suspension from the Big Ten as a result of the illegal in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation dominated headlines more than the Wolverines dominated opponents in the second half of the season. Ohio State had not lost three in a row to Michigan since 1995-97.\n\nThe Buckeyes were due, right?\n\nMichigan acting coach Sherrone Moore had other plans. He beat Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Cornerback Will Johnson set the tone by intercepting Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord with 7:32 left in the first quarter. That set the Wolverines up at the 7-yard line. Corum slammed into the line of scrimmage three times before a fourth-and-1.\n\nCorum heard Moore scream, \"Smash.\" Tight end A.J. Barner did his best Triple H impersonation in the huddle: \"It's time to play the game.\"\n\nMichigan goes for it on 4th and goal and Blake Corum punches it in for The Game's first touchdown.\n\n\n\nThat's Corum's 21st touchdown run of the season 😲pic.twitter.com/TrF5pIpni3 — 247Sports (@247Sports) November 25, 2023\n\n\"I gotta score,\" Corum said. \"Run through the hole and I'm about to run somebody over. That makes the hairs on my arm stick up.\"\n\nCorum scored on a one-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Michigan never played from behind against the Buckeyes. What was Moore thinking in that situation?\n\n\"Let's go,\" Moore said. \"That's it. The players just practiced so well this week, and when you have confidence they are going to execute at a high level, it's just like first down.\"\n\nMoore favored a conservative game plan the previous two weeks against No. 11 Penn State and Maryland; one that amounted to 91 running plays and 31 pass attempts. Yet he was the aggressor in The Game. The Wolverines converted three fourth-down conversions in the first half. McCarthy – who finished 16 of 20 for 148 yards and a TD – threw a 22-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson between two defenders for a 14-3 lead.\n\nInterim coach Sherrone Moore leads Michigan to win\n\n​​\"Coach Moore said from the get-go that he was going to the most-aggressive game he's ever called,\" McCarthy said. \"For the big boys, for Blake, for myself, that's music to our ears that he has the confidence in us to go get the extra yard or two yards. That's who we are.\"\n\nMichigan played to win the game. Ohio State, not so much. The Buckeyes settled for a 52-yard field goal late in the first half, which Jayden Fielding missed wide left.\n\nEven when Ohio State tied the score at 17-17 with 6:08 left in the third quarter on an up-tempo drive that featured eight straight run plays and a TreVeyon Henderson touchdown, Michigan answered. The Wolverines scored on every drive in the second half – three field goals and a touchdown.\n\n\"It goes back to how they prepare, how they attack things and how they work,\" Moore said. \"I would be doing them a disservice if I went out there and was conservative.\"\n\nSay what you will about the adults who were involved in the in-person scouting scandal. Staffer Conor Stallions and assistant coach Chris Partridge are gone. Harbaugh was suspended. He addressed the team Friday, and McCarthy listened closely.\n\n\"The one thing he said that stuck out, the whole mantra, 'The Team, The Team, The Team,'\" McCarthy said. \"He said we are that team.\"\n\nThat is true. This is the most mature player-led Michigan football team on the field since 1997 – when the program beat Ohio State 20-14 in a top-five showdown and split the national championship with Nebraska.\n\nSince then, the Buckeyes found a way in these high-magnitude games, with 2006 and 2016 the best examples. On a stage that was somewhere in between those classics, the Wolverines pointed the pressure in the other direction. Marvin Harrison Jr. had five catches for 118 yards and a TD, but Michigan ran seven minutes off the clock after that with a field goal. That will be the other point of criticism for Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.\n\nMORE: Will Texas A&M pursue Ryan Day?\n\nOhio State had one minute to score in the end, but Michigan safety Rod Moore, a Clayton, Ohio, product, came up with the game-sealing interception in yet another recurring theme from the 1990s.\n\nThe Wolverines aren't just winning this game now. They expect to win this game. Just like last year, McCarthy and Corum took turns repeating the famous Kobe Bryant mantra in the post-game press conference.\n\n\"The job is not finished,\" McCarthy said. \"We've been here before.\"\n\n\"We've been going through things all year, so we know how to stick together and play for each other and always have our brother's back,\" Corum said.\n\nThey have, and the last two years ended with victories in the Big Ten championship game before losses to Georgia and TCU in the CFP semifinals. The NCAA investigation will continue, but if Saturday proved anything, the Wolverines will play out the rest of the season on their terms.\n\nThis Michigan story is far from over, and Harbaugh returns Monday.\n\nBoom, indeed.", + "UCLA topped Colorado 28-16 at the Rose Bowl in Deion Sanders and Chip Kelly's only Pac-12 matchup.\n\nThe Bruins improved to 6-2, clinching bowl eligibility and keeping them alive in the Pac-12 race with a 3-2 league mark.\n\nIn his third start of the season, Bruins' QB Ethan Garbers passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He and Collin Schlee combined for two interceptions in UCLA's first-half turnover-fest. It had four, including two fumbles by Carson Steele. Luckily for Kelly, his team fixed the issue and did not have any turnovers in the second-half.\n\nColorado, on the other hand, could not figure out how to protect QB Shedeur Sanders, who tossed for 217 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked seven times, tying a season-high.\n\nIt didn't help that the Colorado running game was absent in the second half. Sanders handed the ball off only four times through the final two quarters, with the first one coming halfway into the final frame; the Buffaloes scored their only touchdown on that drive. They finished with 38 rushing yards, the lowest in a game this season.\n\nSafety Shilo Sanders missed much of the game after being ejected late in the first half for targeting, but Travis Hunter shined in his second game back on the field after injury. He recorded the game's two picks.\n\nColorado's quest for bowl eligibility continues after dropping to 4-4. Two of the Buffs' final four opponents -- Oregon State and Utah, are ranked.\n\nMORE: Watch Colorado vs. UCLA live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nThe Sporting News tracked highlights and updates from the Colorado-UCLA game.\n\nColorado vs. UCLA score\n\nQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Colorado 6 0 3 7 16 UCLA 0 7 7 14 28\n\nColorado vs. UCLA results, highlights from Week 9 game\n\nFinal: Colorado 16, UCLA 28\n\nColorado 16, UCLA 28\n\n10:58 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – The Buffaloes aren't going down without a fight. Sanders gets his first touchdown of the night, finding Jimmy Horn Jr. in the end zone on an 18-yard toss. Colorado attempts an onside kick with only two-and-a-half minutes left, but the Bruins recover it.\n\nColorado 9, UCLA 28\n\n10:45 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Collin Schlee finds the end zone! His seven-yard run helps add seven points for the Bruins, who lead 28-9 with six minutes left in the game.\n\nCollin Schlee wasn't going to be kept out of the end zone 💪@UCLAFootball makes it 28-9 pic.twitter.com/MtTdXmvF6B — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 29, 2023\n\n10:43 p.m. – Harden going the distance with 25-yards and a hurdle.\n\nColorado 9, UCLA 21\n\n10:23 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Too easy for TJ Harden. He caps off an 80-yard drive with a short run for a touchdown. UCLA extends its lead to 12 with 14 minutes on the clock. Can the Buffaloes finally connect for a touchdown before its too late?\n\nUCLA adds on another 💪@UCLAFootball makes it 21-9 in the 4th quarter vs Colorado pic.twitter.com/6Eu9gn6kgn — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 29, 2023\n\nEnd of third quarter: Colorado 9, UCLA 14\n\n10:20 p.m. – What a catch for the Bruin! After review, Garbers pass to Loya is ruled complete.\n\nColorado 9, UCLA 14\n\n10:06 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Mata nails a 34-yard field goal to lessen Colorado's deficit to five. Four minutes remain in the third quarter.\n\n10:03 p.m. – Sacked! Sanders is taken down by Laiatu Latu, who has multiple tonight. UCLA records its sixth sack of the night with the latest.\n\nColorado 6, UCLA 14\n\n9:40 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Bruins bouncing back quick after halftime! Garbers finds Logan Loya and Moliki Matavao on two plays, and UCLA has another touchdown on the board.\n\nHalftime: Colorado 6, UCLA 7\n\n9:15 p.m. FUMBLE – Turnover No. 4 for the Bruins. Steele fumbles on his run again, and it's recovered by Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig in Colorado territory. While the Buffaloes have prevented more points UCLA, they've only scored three off turnovers. Twenty seconds remain in the half.\n\nThe ball pops out and @CUBuffsFootball has it! 🦬🔒 pic.twitter.com/tV7FH3moiu — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 29, 2023\n\n9:07 p.m. – UCLA misses the field goal! RJ Lopez's 24-yard attempt hits the left upright and is no good. The Bruins keep a one-point lead with a 1:37 left in the second quarter.\n\n9:03 p.m. PENALTY – Shilo Sanders is ejected for targeting after a hit on Carsen Ryan. He will be out for the remainder of the game.\n\nShilo Sanders was disqualified for targeting after this hit pic.twitter.com/1EJ7IOdKKs — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 29, 2023\n\n8:58 p.m. – Colorado goes three-and-out, unable to score on any turnovers. For UCLA, Garbers is back, and he takes a 17-yard run to the UCLA 37 for a first down.\n\n8:51 p.m. INTERCEPTION – Third times a charm! Collin Schlee, who came in for Garbers, is interception by Hunter. Colorado takes over at its own 41-yard line with just over six minutes left in the half.\n\n8:40 p.m. FUMBLE – The second turnover of the night goes to the Buffs again! Steele runs for 18-yards but lets go of the ball on the tackle. Carter Stoutmire recovers it for the possession.\n\nShilo Sanders' HUGE hit forces the fumble 💪 pic.twitter.com/UaSXN4nl1q — Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 29, 2023\n\nColorado 6, UCLA 7\n\n8:29 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – UCLA takes the lead! Garbers finds Carson Steele on a three-yard pass to put the Bruins on the board. They now lead 7-6 with 14:20 on the clock in the second quarter.\n\nGUTSY.\n\n\n\nAfter two QB scrambles, Ethan Garbers finds Carson Steele for the wide-open TD 🙌\n\n\n\nUCLA 7, Colorado 6\n\n14:19 – 2nd quarter\n\n\n\n📺: ABC\n\n📲: https://t.co/rTM1Y5TWC9#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/4ZzaQVuu1P — UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) October 29, 2023\n\nEnd of first quarter: Colorado 6, UCLA 0\n\n8:22 p.m. – Garbers is sacked! Jordan Domineck takes down the Bruin to force 4th &11. But UCLA goes for it, and Garbers finds the first down himself on a 13-yard run.\n\nColorado 6, UCLA 0\n\n8:05 p.m. – Colorado settles for a field goal again, this time for a 39-yarder. It leads UCLA 6-0 with 7:44 remaining in the first quarter.\n\n7:59 p.m. INTERCEPTION – Welcome to Hollywood, Travis Hunter! The two-way star picks off Ethan Garbers at the Bruins' 36-yard line. After review, the interception stands, and it's Buffalo ball. Colorado defense with a statement play early on.\n\nWHAT A PICK BY TRAVIS HUNTER 🔥@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/3i9twSG1uq — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 29, 2023\n\nColorado 3, UCLA 0\n\n7:54 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Sanders can't find the end zone, but Alejandro Mata finds space between the uprights. His 31-yard field goal is good, and the Buffs take the first lead of the game on their first drive.\n\n7:52 p.m. – First down, Buffs! Shedeur Sanders escapes a sack to find Javon Antonio on a 12-yard toss. Colorado takes over at the UCLA 47.\n\n7:47 p.m. – Here. We. Go.\n\n7:20 p.m. – Deion with some pre-game motivation.\n\n7:00 p.m. – Colorado hasn't won in Pasadena since 2002. Can the Buffs and Coach Prime upset the Bruins for their first win since 2020?\n\n6:07 p.m. – Tonight's homecoming uniforms are a blast from the past for UCLA.\n\nColorado vs. UCLA start time\n\nDate : Saturday, Oct. 28\n\n: Saturday, Oct. 28 Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET\n\nKickoff for Colorado vs. UCLA is at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) from the Rose Bowl Stadium in California.\n\nWhat channel is Colorado vs. UCLA on today\n\nTV channel : ABC\n\n: ABC Live stream: ESPN, Fubo\n\nThis primetime Pac-12 game can be found on ABC with it's top-team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth.\n\nFor cord-cutters, live streaming options are available on the ESPN app or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.", + "Witness Adam Yedidia answers questions during Sam Bankman-Fried fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, October 5, 2023, in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters\n\nTwo of Sam Bankman-Fried's former friends from MIT, who also worked at crypto exchange FTX while living with the company's founder in the Bahamas, took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom this week to testify against their former classmate, confidant, and boss — a man who allegedly ran a crypto empire that defrauded thousands of customers out of billions of dollars. Gary Wang, the lesser-known co-founder of FTX, was asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos on Thursday, \"Did you commit financial crimes while working at FTX?\" \"Yes,\" responded Wang. He said that his crimes, including wire and commodities fraud, were carried out with the help of Bankman-Fried, FTX ex-engineering head Nishad Singh and Caroline Ellison, who ran sister hedge fund Alameda Research and had been Bankman-Fried's girlfriend. \"Mr. Wang, do you see any of the people you committed those crimes with in the courtroom today?\" Roos continued. Wang, dressed in an oversized and wrinkled suit with a red tie and glasses, awkwardly stood up and looked around the courtroom before responding, \"Yes.\" \"Who do you see?\" asked Roos. \"Sam Bankman-Fried,\" he said. The trial, set to last six weeks, will resume on Tuesday with key testimony expected from Ellison, who is considered the prosecution's star witness, having already pleaded guilty to multiple charges. Bankman-Fried faces seven federal charges, including wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering, that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. Thus far, Bankman-Fried, 31, has remained mostly quiet in court intently listening to witnesses and at times writing notes to his attorneys. But as Wang testified against him, Bankman-Fried looked visibly upset, shifting his gaze from his former friend to the ground, and at one point putting his head in his hands.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried listens as Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos questions Gary Wang during Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 6, 2023, in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters\n\nWang, 30, was technology chief for FTX, which spiraled into bankruptcy in November. He spoke so fast that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan and the prosecutor both stopped him at points to ask that he slow his pace. Much of Wang's testimony on Friday focused on the final days at FTX before the entire operation imploded, including reports in the media detailing Alameda's business practices and its troubling ties to FTX. Wang said that in response to the reporting an emergency meeting was called between Bankman-Fried, Wang and Singh, to discuss shutting down Alameda. He said they ultimately decided against such a move, because he and Bankman-Fried were aware that Alameda had no way to repay the roughly $14 billion hole in its books. Prosecutors took the jury through a series of tweets, beginning on Nov. 7. Posts came from the company blaming bank hours for slow withdrawals, while Bankman-Fried tweeted from his personal account, assuring customers that all was fine. \"FTX was not fine and assets were not fine,\" Wang testified. On Nov. 12, after FTX declared bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried asked Wang to drive with him to the Bahamas Securities Commission for a meeting. On the drive, Bankman-Fried told Wang to transfer assets to Bahamian liquidators because he believed they would allow him to maintain control of the company. Wang said he wasn't in the meeting with the securities authority, though Bankman-Fried's dad was present.\n\n\n\nWang said he returned to the U.S. and met with prosecutors the next day. He faces up to 50 years in prison when he faces a judge for sentencing following this trial. He told jurors he signed a six-page cooperation agreement that requires him to meet with prosecutors, answer their questions truthfully and turn over evidence.\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is seen during a hearing as a U.S judge revoked his bail, at a courthouse in New York, U.S., August 11, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters\n\n$65 billion line of credit\n\nFor months, Bankman-Fried has known that Wang and Ellison, who were integral members of his personal and professional inner circles, had turned on him. Both pleaded guilty in December and have since been cooperating with the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan. Wang's testimony, which stretched into Friday, was given under a cooperation agreement with the government. Ellison is expected to take the stand under a similar arrangement.\n\nU.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan presides as Gary Wang testifies during the fraud trial of Sam Bankman-Fried over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 6, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters\n\nBorn in China, Wang moved to the U.S. at age 7, and grew up in Minnesota before going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study math and computer science. He worked at Google after college. Wang, who first met Bankman-Fried during high school at a summer camp, owned 10% of Alameda, while his boss owned the other 90%. Wang told the court about the advantages that Alameda received by having code baked into FTX's software that allowed special access to the crypto exchange. Those privileges ultimately resulted in Alameda owing FTX $8 billion worth of customer deposits. \"We gave special privileges on FTX that gave unlimited withdrawals on the platform to Alameda,\" Wang said. Alameda was allowed to withdraw and transfer those funds and had a $65 billion line of credit. \"When customers deposited USD, it went to Alameda,\" he said. \"It existed in the computer code. Alameda could have negative balances and unlimited withdrawals.\" That \"bug\" in the code was written by Nishad Singh, who was FTX's director of engineering, and reviewed by Wang. Bankman-Fried was calling the shots, Wang said. Wang also told the court about a $1 million personal loan he received and a $200 million to $300 million loan in his name from Alameda that was never deposited into his account, but rather was used to make investments into other companies on behalf of FTX. That was all done by Bankman-Fried, he testified. In early 2020, Wang said he discovered for the first time Alameda's negative balance exceeded FTX's revenue, an indication that Alameda was taking customer funds. Wang said he brought this to Bankman-Fried's attention several times. In late 2021, Wang discovered Alameda had withdrawn $3 billion from its $65 billion line of credit. Wang's compensation was a base salary of $200,000 per year plus stock. He owned roughly 17% of FTX. Even though they were co-founders, \"ultimately it was Sam's decision to make\" when there were disagreements, he said.\n\nAssistant United States Attorney Nicolas Roos questions Gary Wang during Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 6, 2023, in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters\n\nAn $8 billion bug\n\nAdam Yedidia, who was the prosecution's second witness on Wednesday, continued his testimony on Thursday. Yedidia met Bankman-Fried in college at MIT, and the pair remained close friends. Yedidia, assuming a robotic posture on the stand, worked out of FTX's Hong Kong office from January to October of 2021 and then in the Bahamas until last year's collapse. In his testimony, he referred to a group Signal thread called \"People of the House,\" referring to Bankman-Fried's $35 million penthouse, where many employees lived.\n\nZoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Exhibit from the prosecution shows Signal thread called \"People of the House,\" referring to Bankman-Fried's $35 million penthouse, where many employees lived. Source: SDNY\n\nIn terms of who was paying the rent, Yedidia recalled Bankman-Fried saying he \"assumed it's just Alameda paying for it in the end.\" Yedidia said Bankman-Fried had told him, before he began working in the Bahamas in 2019, that he and Ellison had sex. Bankman-Fried asked Yedidia if it was a good idea for them to date, to which Yedidia said no. Bankman-Fried responded by saying he was expecting that answer. One of Yedidia's responsibilities was fixing the bug in the code that gave Alameda preferential treatment. In June 2022, he submitted a report to Bankman-Fried on Signal that showed $8 billion in customer money held in an internal database tracking the cash wired to an Alameda account called \"fiat at ftx.com\" was missing. Yedidia said he and Bankman-Fried spoke about it at the pickleball court at the resort in Nassau, Bahamas. He asked his boss if things were OK. He was concerned because it \"seemed like a lot of money\" from FTX customers was at risk. \"Sam said, we were bulletproof last year. We aren't bulletproof this year,\" Yedidia testified. Yedidia said he asked when they would be bulletproof again. Bankman-Fried said he wasn't sure, but it may be six months to three years. Yedidia said Bankman-Fried appeared \"worried or nervous,\" which he said was atypical. Still, Yedidia said he trusted Bankman-Fried and Ellison to \"handle the situation.\" On cross-examination, Christian Everdell, Bankman-Fried's attorney, focused on how Yedidia was the one responsible for developing and reviewing the code.\n\n\n\nHe asked about the long hours employees worked and Yedidia's concern for Wang being near burnout. That resulted in Yedidia instituting a rule to not wake Wang at night for bug fixes because he needed sleep. Everdell also drilled Yedidia on his high level of compensation in his less than two years at FTX. His base salary was between $175,000 and $200,000, but he received multiple bonuses of more than $12 million in cash and company equity. Yedidia said he's now teaching math — geometry and algebra — at a high school. He invested most of the millions he earned as bonuses back into FTX, and his equity stake is now worthless. As FTX was failing, Yedidia said he was by Bankman-Fried's side. He highlighted a Signal exchange in November 2022, during which he wrote, \"I love you Sam. I'm not going anywhere.\" He said he wrote the message because so many people had left. When asked what changed, Yedidia said he learned that FTX customer deposits had been used to pay loans to creditors. He said Alameda's actions seemed \"flagrantly wrong.\" Yedidia's testimony ended on a fiery note, which was later struck from the record. He was asked why he had lost faith in FTX and resigned. \"FTX defrauded all its customers,\" he said.\n\nMatt Huang, co-founder of Paradigm Operations LP, right, arrives at court in New York, US, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Former FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried is charged with seven counts of fraud and money laundering following the collapse of his cryptocurrency empire last year. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images Yuki Iwamura | Bloomberg | Getty Images\n\nInvestment to zero\n\nThe third witness to take the stand was Matt Huang, co-founder and managing partner of Paradigm, a crypto venture capital firm that invested over $275 million in FTX. That stake was wiped out. Huang testified about his firm's due diligence on FTX, and he told the court that Bankman-Fried assured him that funds would be used for FTX and not Alameda. Additionally, he was promised that Alameda had no preferential treatment on the FTX platform, even though the hedge fund was one of its top traders. Huang said he was concerned about FTX's lack of a board of directors, but he eventually invested anyway. During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts. — CNBC's Dawn Giel contributed to this report.", + "Robin Williams' sudden death shocked the world in 2014, and now his friends and colleagues are giving an inside look into the years before he died by suicide.\n\nThe depth of Williams' drug use was highlighted in Vice's \"The Dark Side of Comedy\" documentary series. The comedian's episode marked the premiere of the show's second season.\n\nWilliams began his career in stand-up comedy in the 1970s and elevated his fame after appearing in an episode of \"Happy Days\" as an alien named Mork. The role led to his own TV series, \"Mork and Mindy.\" The comedian also landed a role in the film world with \"Popeye.\"\n\nWilliams' friends noted that while he loved being around people, he also \"cherished\" his alone time, and they began to see him struggle with his level of fame.\n\nSTARS WE'VE LOST IN 2023\n\n\"Robin's highs were so high and his lows were often low,\" his \"Mork and Mindy\" co-star Gina Hecht said during the documentary.\n\nDue to Williams' high-energy performance onstage, many speculated that the comedian had turned to cocaine, with some saying they would see the actor head to the back of The Comedy Store, where drugs were prevalent.\n\nWilliams' longtime friend Allan Stephan recalled a moment that led him to worry.\n\n\"He said, ‘Know anybody with any blow? I have to go on. I can’t go on without the blow.’ And I sat down and said, ‘I’m going to help you,'\" Stephan claimed. \"He goes, ‘You have blow?’ I go, ‘No, are you out of your f---ing mind? You’re Robin Williams!’\n\n\"And then I think after that he wouldn't get high when he had to perform.\"\n\nHowever, Williams continued to do drugs after his stand-up shows.\n\n\"When you did have that kind of fame, drugs were just given to you,\" Hecht noted.\n\nROBIN WILLIAMS' KIDS PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE ACTOR ON WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN HIS 72ND BIRTHDAY: ‘LOVE YOU FOREVER’\n\nFilmmaker and comedian Mike Binder recalled Williams' reaction to \"a gram of coke\" while the two were out in Hollywood in the '80s.\n\n\"Robin said, ‘Let me take that. Do you mind if I grab a hit off that in the bathroom?’\" Binder recalled in the documentary. \"He came back, and it was empty. It was like, ‘Whoa.’ It was like 8:15 at night.\"\n\n\"It was an accident, I'm sorry,\" Binder said the comedian responded after being called out for taking the entire gram.\n\n\"With drugs, he was a monster.\"\n\nWilliams began to weave cocaine into his stand-up jokes — which many laughed at, despite the light it shed on how deep the comedian was into his cocaine use.\n\n\"I can't tell you how many times Robin came onstage at The Comedy Store and a big part of his routine was cocaine and the drugs that he had done,\" Howie Mandel recalled. \"And even though everybody was laughing, and it was really funny, he was really doing a lot of cocaine. He found the funny side of it, but ultimately it was real and really, it's not funny, but that's who he is.\"\n\nLIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS\n\nJohn Belushi's death in 1982 \"threw cold water\" on Williams, who had been close to the comedian. Belushi died from a drug overdose in a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont hotel in West Hollywood, California.\n\nBelushi's death, along with the birth of Williams' first son in 1983, really helped the comedian clean up his drug addiction, according to the documentary.\n\nWilliams quit cocaine \"cold turkey,\" his longtime friend Stanley Wilson said.\n\n\"He knew what an amazing instrument that he had, and that it is all related to his mind and his imagination and his wit,\" Wilson added. \"The more stuff you do to deaden that, the more you’re going to burn some more brain cells. Robin didn’t want to do that.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER\n\nOnce he quit, Williams' career continued to grow — with him landing a show at The Met and other movie roles, including \"Mrs. Doubtfire,\" \"Good Will Hunting\" and \"Night at the Museum.\"\n\nHowever, in the years before his death in 2014, the actor was unaware he was dealing with Lewy body dementia. Williams reportedly appeared tired while on set and didn't seem to be his usual self before he died by suicide on Aug. 11, 2014.\n\nThe comedian was diagnosed with the neurological disorder posthumously after an autopsy was performed. Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's. The disease affects brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement, according to the Mayo Clinic.\n\nThe autopsy found no illegal drugs or traces of alcohol in Williams' system.\n\n\"The last time I saw Robin Williams, I hadn’t seen him for a few months, and he was thin, and he didn’t recognize my wife,\" Steven Pearl, a comedian and friend, said during the documentary. \"He hardly said a word. It took him a second to recognize me. I go, ‘Whoa, something’s wrong here.’ I didn't know what. Nobody would really tell me. And then I never saw him again after that.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP", + "Being knocked out by your opponent is always a danger in boxing – but imagine being taken out by the referee, a TV camera or a furious ringside viewer brandishing a high-heel shoe.\n\nWell, the fighters involved in talkSPORT’s top ten craziest fight endings in boxing did not have to imagine it because it genuinely happened to some of them.\n\n7 Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield had one of the strangest endings to a fight Credit: getty\n\nTo be clear, we’re not counting fights that finish in a terrible judges’ decision or with Tyson Fury crooning in his surprisingly melodic singing voice.\n\nFor better or worse, those are common events in boxing. These ten-fight finales were a little more outlandish...\n\n10. Mayweather turns streetfighter\n\nFloyd Mayweather’s last KO against an actual boxer (no offence, Conor McGregor/Deji) was the most bizarre finishing sequence of his 50-bout pro career. Victor Ortiz blatantly headbutted ‘Money’ in 2011, got docked a point, then wanted to apologise by hugging it out.\n\nHowever, an angry Mayweather was having none of it and landed two cracking hooks while Ortiz had his hands by his side, knocking him out.\n\nThe ending sparked an argument between Mayweather and HBO analyst Larry Merchant, which ended with the 80-year-old proclaiming his desire to kick Floyd’s ass.\n\nNot how anyone predicted this evening would end.\n\n7 Mayweather was headbutted by Ortiz, and so then knocked him out when he failed to protect himself Credit: Getty\n\n9. ‘The Hitman’ and the dad\n\nRicky Hatton was doing a number on Stephen Smith in his 30th fight when his elbow caught Smith and opened a cut.\n\nIt looked like an accident, but not to Smith’s dad and cornerman, Darkie, who piled into the ring when his son went down and began shoving referee Mickey Vann.\n\nA disqualification followed, and considering it was in front of 15,000 fans in Manchester, the Smiths did well to make it back to the dressing room, just being pelted with cups filled with (hopefully) beer.\n\n“Boxing used to be a clean and fair sport; it isn't any more,\" moaned Darkie.\n\n7 Hatton had an eventful night in 2002 Credit: Getty\n\n8. Hopkins KOd by referee\n\nUnsurprisingly, middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins was involved in an ugly, mauling fight against Robert Allen in 1998.\n\nBut referee Mills Lane’s attempt to physically pull the clinching pair apart went badly wrong when he sent an off-balance Hopkins through the ropes and onto the floor.\n\nMaybe you just should have shouted ‘break’, Mills. It was a nasty spill, and Hopkins, lying ringside, claimed he was too injured to fight on.\n\nB-Hops joked he would ‘sharpen my wrestling skills’ for the rematch a year later, but this time, he knocked out Allen in round seven.\n\n7 The duo got to fight again in 2004\n\n7. KO in one second\n\nEfe Ajagba completed boxing in 2018, the then 5-0 heavyweight prospect beating Curtis Harper in the first second of round one.\n\nHe didn’t even need to throw a punch as Harper waited for the opening bell, then calmly stepped between the ropes and strolled back to his dressing room.\n\nA baffled Ajagba celebrated his “win”, while Harper later explained he was upset over a contract situation. You wonder why he bothered with the ring walk and referee’s instructions.\n\nBut still, Ajagba got to 6-0 with an official KO1, 0:01. Harper has not fought since.\n\n6. Big Daddy goes WWE\n\nHow can a fight end with your opponent’s manager dragging you over the top rope and out of the ring, only to finish up with you disqualified? Ask Elijah Tillery.\n\nThe heavyweight fought future world champ Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe in a bad-tempered bout in 1991. After the bell ended round one, Bowe landed a late jab in response to Tillery blowing him a kiss.\n\nTillery began kicking Bowe, and the pair brawled until Riddick’s fiery manager, Rock Newman, leaned in from outside and hauled Tillery out of the ring via a crude WWE neckbreaker.\n\nAmid the chaos, the ref decided that Tillery’s kicks were worthy of a DQ and called the insanity off.\n\n5. Kermit the Frog\n\nKermit Cintron had a pretty good career, crowned by a short stint as a welterweight world champion. Unfortunately, most boxing fans mainly recall him for just one thing: the unusual ending to his 2004 fight with Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams.\n\nThe two got tangled up in round four, and while Williams fell to the canvas, Cintron dived head-first between the ropes and crashed into a table before hitting the floor. Pure momentum or oddly deliberate?\n\nEither way, when the Puerto Rican could not continue, the bout went to the scorecards, Williams winning while Cintron was carted away on a stretcher in a neck brace.\n\n7 Bowe was a fearsome heavyweight Credit: Getty Images - Getty\n\n4. TV camera stoppage\n\nIt may not have changed the end result, but Adolpho Washington can forever hold a grudge against ringside TV cameras. His 175lb world title challenge against Virgil Hill in 1993 ended when he went to sit down in his corner at the end of round 11, only for his swollen eye to hit an intrusive camera, causing a cut to open up.\n\nThe gash was so bad that the fight was called off, Hill declared a technical decision winner, and Washington denied the chance to go all-out in round 12. Chances are Hill was winning anyway, but stoppage via aggressive TV camera is surely unique in boxing history.\n\n3. McCall’s tearful breakdown\n\nA hotly anticipated heavyweight world title fight, Lennox Lewis’ attempt to avenge his upset defeat by Oliver McCall ended in a very different kind of ‘upset’ (the one where one boxer starts crying, stops throwing punches and eventually gets stopped for simply not trying).\n\nIron-chinned McCall battled drug addiction in the buildup to this 1997 bout and was arrested for throwing a Christmas tree across a hotel lobby.\n\nSo McCall was clearly not in the right mindset to trade leather with Lewis, as it showed when he began wandering around the ring in a world of his own.\n\nRef Mills Lane eventually just waved the bizarre spectacle off.\n\n7 McCall kept wandering off midway through the fight Credit: Getty Images - Getty\n\n2. Mrs Wilson’s shoe\n\nBritish light-heavyweights Steve McCarthy and Tony Wilson met in 1989, with McCarthy scoring a third-round knockdown\n\nand then looking to finish the fight.\n\nAs the pair exchanged haymakers, an even more dangerous combatant entered the ring: Wilson’s 62-year-old mother in a floral dress, who began whacking McCarthy with her shoe.\n\nMcCarthy celebrated his apparent victory, but strangely, this was not over. Referee Adrian Morgan insisted the fight must continue, and McCarthy refused, citing his head wound from the shoe (which would later require stitches).\n\nWilson was, therefore, declared the winner – via a massive assist from his mother.\n\n1. The bite fight\n\nIt is the most infamous ending in boxing history.\n\nBites in fights are not unknown, but the planet’s most famous heavyweight – Mike Tyson – biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear, leaving him jumping around the ring in agony, in their 1997 rematch was something else. Not least because referee Mills Lane (why always him?) actually allowed it to continue.\n\nHowever, when a second nibble on Evander’s other ear was spotted, Tyson was thrown out. At which point, he began violently trying to get across the crowded ring to Holyfield.\n\n‘Iron Mike’ was fined $3 million and banned for 15 months, though he and Evander quickly made up and remain firm friends to this day – perhaps the weirdest outcome of all.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nVirtual private networks (VPNs) have been having a moment recently. Massive marketing budgets and influencer collaborations have convinced consumers that a VPN’s functionality and privacy features will solve all of their security woes. However, it’s not as cut-and-dry as that. VPNs are just one part of a robust online security routine, but given the number of VPN services out there today, it can be hard to figure out which one will be right for you. Not to mention that you often have to dig through claims of attributes that aren’t always totally accurate to get to that answer. We tested out nine of the best VPN services available now and landed on five top picks that should suit most people's needs.\n\nWhat is a VPN?\n\nVPNs, or virtual private networks, mask your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted \"tunnel\" that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history. VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution, though.\n\nInstead, they’re just one part of keeping your data private and secure. Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Engadget that VPNs don’t protect against common threats like phishing attacks, nor do they protect your data from being stolen. Much of the data or information is stored with the VPN provider instead of your ISP, which means that using a poorly designed or unprotected network can still undermine your security. But they do come in handy for online privacy when you’re connecting to an untrusted network somewhere public because they tunnel and encrypt your traffic to the next hop.\n\nThat means sweeping claims that seem promising, like military-grade encryption or total digital invisibility, may not be totally accurate. Instead, Yael Grauer, program manager of Consumer Reports’ online security guide, recommends looking for security features like open-source software with reproducible builds, up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard (CR's preferred protocol) or IPsec, and the ability to defend against attack vectors like brute force.\n\nUnderstand your VPN needs\n\nBefore considering a VPN, make sure your online security is up to date in other ways. That means complex passwords, multifactor authentication methods and locking down your data sharing preferences. Even then, you probably don’t need to be using a VPN all the time.\n\n“If you're just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great,” Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget.\n\nIf you use public WiFi networks a lot, like while working at a coffee shop, then VPN usage can help give you private internet access. They’re also helpful for hiding information from other people on your ISP if you don’t want members of your household to know what you’re up to online.\n\nGeoblocking has also become a popular use case as it helps you reach services in other parts of the world. For example, you can access shows that are only available on streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in other countries, or play online games with people located all over the globe.\n\nAre VPNs worth it?\n\nWhether or not VPNs are worth it depends how often you could use it for the above use cases. If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful. But, keep in mind that even the best VPN services often slow down your internet connection speed, so they may not be ideal all the time.\n\nIn today's world, we recommend not relying on a VPN connection as your main cybersecurity tool. VPN use can provide a false sense of security, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Plus, if you choose just any VPN, it may not be as secure as just relying on your ISP. That’s because the VPN could be based in a country with weaker data privacy regulation, obligated to hand information over to law enforcement or linked to weak user data protection policies.\n\nFor VPN users working in professions like activism or journalism that want to really strengthen their internet security, options like the Tor browser may be a worthwhile alternative, according to Crandall. Tor is free, and while it's less user-friendly, it’s built for anonymity and privacy.\n\nHow we tested\n\nTo test the security specs of different VPNs and name our top picks, we relied on pre-existing academic work through Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and other sources. We referenced privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits made available to the public. We also considered past security incidents like data breaches.\n\nWe looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional “extra” VPN features like multihop. The VPNs were tested across iOS, Android and Mac devices so we could see the state of the mobile apps across various platforms (Windows devices are also supported in most cases). We used the “quick connect” feature on the VPN apps to connect to the “fastest” provider available when testing internet speed, access to IP address data and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault in the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP.\n\nOtherwise, we conducted a test of geoblocking content by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming test by watching a news livestream on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. By performing these tests at the same time, it also allowed us to test claims about simultaneous device use. Here are the VPN services we tested:\n\nRead more: The best password managers for 2023\n\nBest VPN overall: ProtonVPN\n\nProton Proton VPN Best VPN overall Simultaneous connections : 10\n\nNumber of devices : 10\n\nPlatforms : Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux\n\nBrowser extensions : Chrome, Firefox\n\nDedicated IP addresses: Yes, for business users only\n\nTrial/Money-back guarantee: None/30-day money-back guarantee $4.99/month at ProtonVPN\n\nThe VPNs we tried out ranked pretty consistently across all of our tests, but ProtonVPN stood out as a strong option because of its overall security and usability. The Proton Technologies suite of services includes mail, calendar, drive and a VPN known for its end-to-end encryption. This makes it a strong contender for overall security, but its VPN specifically came across as a well-rounded independent service.\n\nProtonVPN’s no-logs policy has passed audits, and the company has proven not to comply with law enforcement requests. Because it is based in Switzerland, there are no forced logging obligations, according to the company. Plus, it’s based on an open-source framework, and has an official vulnerability disclosure program along with clear definitions on what it does with personal information.\n\nWhile ProtonVPN offers a free version, it’s limited compared to other options, with access to server networks in just three countries. Its paid version, starting at about $5.39 per month, includes access to VPN server locations in more than 65 countries on 10 devices at a time. For dedicated Proton Technologies users, they can pay closer to $8.63 for a monthly plan to access the entire suite.\n\nProtonVPN passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests with only a very small toll on connection speeds. It also comes with malware-, ad- and tracker-blocking as an additional service, plus it has a kill switch feature on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and the latest version of Android. It’s available on most major operating systems, routers, TV services and more including Firefox, Linux and Android TV. For dedicated Linux users, ProtonVPN added a new Linux-specific app to support its services in August.\n\nRead our full VPN review of ProtonVPN\n\nBest free VPN: Windscribe\n\nWindscribe Windscribe Best free VPN Simultaneous connections : Unlimited\n\nNumber of devices : Unlimited\n\nPlatforms : Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux\n\nBrowser extensions : Chrome, Firefox\n\nDedicated IP addresses: No\n\nTrial/Money-back guarantee: None/None $0 at Windscribe\n\nBy signing up for Windscribe's free plan with your email, users can access 10GB per month of data, unlimited connections and access to more than 10 countries. We selected it as the best free VPN because of its high security and wide range of server locations compared to other free VPNs. It has over 500 servers in over 60 countries, according to the company, and can be configured to routers, smart TVs and more on top of the usual operating systems.\n\nWindscribe doesn’t have a recent independent security audit, but it does publish a transparency report showing that it has complied with zero requests for its data, runs a vulnerability disclosure program encouraging researchers to report flaws and offers multiple protocols for users to connect with.\n\nOn top of that, it’s easy to use. The set up is intuitive and it passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests. The paid version costs $5.75 to $9 each month, depending on the plan you choose, and includes unlimited data, access to all servers and an ad/tracker/malware blocker. Or, for $1 per location per month, users can build a plan tailored to the VPNs they want to access. Windscribe is still expanding its reach, adding Japan to its list of available spots.\n\nBest VPN for streaming services, frequent travel and gaming: ExpressVPN\n\nWe picked the best VPN service for travel, gaming and streaming based on which one had access to the most locations with high speed connections and no lag. ExpressVPN met all those criteria and was one of the fastest VPNs we tried. Now, it even comes with an in-house password manager, ExpressVPN Keys, to manage and autofill logins across sites included with the subscription. That will make it easier to toggle between streaming and gaming accounts while browsing securely.\n\nAn internet speed test measured faster upload and download speed compared to using no VPN, practically unheard of compared to the other VPNs tested. But being this fast is likely a fluke due to the VPN service circumventing traffic shaping by the ISP or another disparity because even top VPNs will in some way slow down speeds. With 2,000 servers in 160 cities, according to the company, it had one of the broadest global reaches. It also passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests, and it does regular security audits. Plus, Network Lock is its kill switch feature, which keeps your data safe even if you lose connection to the VPN. Subscription costs range from $8.32 to $12.95 per month depending on the term of the plan, and include a password manager.\n\nWith ExpressVPN, users can connect to up to five devices at once, which is on the lower side compared to other services. That said, it works on a bunch of devices from smart TVs to game consoles, unlike some other services that lack support beyond the usual suspects like smartphones and laptops.\n\nRead our full VPN review of Express VPN\n\nBest VPN for cross-platform accessibility: CyberGhost\n\nCyberGhost CyberGhost Best VPN for cross-platform accessibility Simultaneous connections : 7\n\nNumber of devices : 7\n\nPlatforms : Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux\n\nBrowser extensions : Chrome, Firefox\n\nDedicated IP addresses: Yes, additional purchase required\n\nTrial/Money-back guarantee: 2 free months/45-day money-back guarantee $2.11/month at CyberGhost\n\nBecause several of the best VPN services connect to routers, cross-platform accessibility isn’t always necessary. By connecting a VPN to your home router, you can actually connect to unlimited devices in your household, as long as they all access the internet through that router.\n\nBut if you use VPNs on the go, and across several devices, being able to connect to a wide range of platforms will be indispensable. CyberGhost offers simultaneous connectivity on up to seven devices for $2.11 to $12.99 per month depending on subscription term. It supports several types of gadgets like routers, computers, smart TVs and more. It’s similar to the support that ExpressVPN offers, but CyberGhost provides detailed instructions on how to set up the cross-platform connections, making it a bit more user-friendly for those purposes. Plus, it just expanded its network of servers from 91 to 100 countries, adding Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to its available locations.\n\nFrom a security perspective, CyberGhost completed an independent security audit by Deloitte earlier this year, runs a vulnerability disclosure program and provides access to a transparency report explaining requests for its data. An updated version of its transparency report went live in August. While it did pass all of our tests, it’s worth noting that we had trouble connecting to servers in the United Kingdom and had to opt to run our gaming test through an Ireland-based server instead.\n\nBest VPN for multiple devices: Surfshark\n\nSurfshark Surfshark Best VPN for multiple devices Simultaneous connections : Unlimited\n\nNumber of devices : Unlimited\n\nPlatforms : Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux\n\nBrowser extensions : Chrome, Firefox, Edge\n\nDedicated IP addresses: Yes, additional purchase required\n\nTrial/Money-back guarantee: 1 free month/30-day money-back guarantee $2.49/month at Surfshark\n\nAs we mentioned before, connecting to a router can provide nearly unlimited access to devices in a single household. But Surfshark VPN is one of few VPN services that offer use on an unlimited number of devices without bandwidth restrictions, according to the company. And you get that convenience without a significant increase in price: Surfshark subscriptions cost about $2.49 to $12.95 for a monthly subscription, and the company recently conducted its first independent audit. It added QR-code-enabled login across devices and expanded support for alternative ID profiles since our initial review, a feature that some of its competitors already had.\n\nWe ran into some trouble connecting to Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol, but tested on an IKEv2 protocol instead. The VPN speed was a bit slow and struggled to connect for our geoblock test at first, but ultimately passed. What makes it different from other VPNs with unlimited connection options is that it has access to a larger number of servers and is available on more types of devices.\n\nRead our full VPN review of Surfshark VPN\n\nOther VPN services our experts tested\n\nNordVPN\n\nNordVPN didn’t quite make the cut because it’s overhyped, and underwhelming. As I've written in our full review of NordVPN, the pricing, up to $14.49 for a “complete” subscription, seemed high compared to other services, and its free or lower cost plans just didn’t have the same wide variety of features as its competitors.\n\nTunnelBear\n\nDespite the cute graphics and user friendliness, TunnelBear wasn’t a top choice. It failed numerous basic security tests from Consumer Reports, and had limited availability across platforms like Linux. It did, however, get a major security boost in July when it updated to support WireGuard protocol across more of its platforms.\n\nBitdefender VPN\n\nBitdefender doesn’t offer support for devices like routers, which limits its cross-platform accessibility. It also lacked a transparency report or third-party audit to confirm security specs.\n\nAtlas VPN\n\nAtlas ranked lower on our speed tests compared to the other VPNs tested, with a notably slower difference on web browsing and streaming tests. It was a good option otherwise, but could easily cause headaches for those chasing high speed connections. Security-wise, an Atlas VPN vulnerability leaked Linux users’ real IP addresses.\n\nFAQs\n\nWhat are some things VPNs are used for?\n\nVPNs are traditionally used to protect your internet traffic. If you’re connected to an untrusted network like public WiFi in a cafe, using a VPN hides what you do from the internet service provider. Then, the owner of the WiFi or hackers trying to get into the system can’t see the identity of your computer or your browsing history.\n\nA common non-textbook use case for VPNs has been accessing geographically restricted content. VPNs can mask your location, so even if you’re based in the United States, they can make it appear as if you’re browsing abroad and unblock access. This is especially useful for streaming content that’s often limited to certain countries, like if you want to watch Canadian Netflix from the US.\n\nWhat information does a VPN hide?\n\nA VPN doesn’t hide all of your data. It only hides information like your IP address, location and browser history. A common misconception is that VPNs can make you totally invisible online. But keep in mind that the VPN provider often still has access to all of this information, so it doesn’t grant you total anonymity. You’re also still vulnerable to phishing attacks, hacking and other cyberthreats that you should be mindful of by implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.\n\nAre VPNs safe?\n\nGenerally, yes. VPNs are a safe and reliable way to encrypt and protect your internet data. But like most online services, the safety specifics vary from provider to provider. You can use resources like third-party audits, Consumer Reports reviews, transparency reports and privacy policies to understand the specifics of your chosen provider.\n\nWhat about Google’s One VPN?\n\nAs of early 2023, Google One subscriptions include access to the company’s VPN. It works similarly to other VPNs on our list, hiding your online activity from network operators. Google One subscribers can access the VPN in 22 countries on Android, iOS, Windows and Mac devices, and they can share VPN access with up to five people who are on their One plans. We have not fully tested the Google One VPN yet, but we will add it to this list if we feel it is.\n\nUpdate November 10, 2024: This story was updated after publishing to remove mention of PPTP, a protocol that Consumer Reports' Yael Grauer notes \"has serious security flaws.\"", + "Keep Labs built a lockable storage container for medicine, and it doesn’t matter if the meds come in bottles, boxes or dime bags. The Keep is designed to hold them safely and track their use. The company launched in 2019, won — and lost — an innovation award at CES 2020, and this week started shipping its first product to consumers.\n\nThe Keep device is lovely. I have a test unit sitting on my bathroom vanity, and it looks more like a smart speaker than a secure box. There’s a clock on the front and a soft matte finish. Click a button in the app, and the lid opens, revealing a space to hold about six bottles of pills. Or, with secure mode disabled, a double tap on the front opens the device without needing a smartphone.\n\nTake a pill or two? The Keep uses a sophisticated scale to detect the bottles that were returned just a little bit lighter, and this is recorded in the app. Didn’t take your meds? The Keep knows and can trigger a smartphone notification on your or a companion’s phone.\n\nTo the founders, Keep is more than just a secure box; it’s a solution to harm reduction and medication management.\n\nI recently spoke with co-founder, president and chairman Philip Wilkins about the company’s journey from a preorder success story to finding an enterprise offering by partnering with Canadian healthcare providers.\n\nFrom cannabis to medicine\n\nWilkins is an earnest entrepreneur. Spend a few minutes with him, and it’s clear he’s passionate about solving the problem of safeguarding medicine.\n\nThis was the second time I spoke with him. The first was back In 2019 when his company won an innovation award at CES 2020. This award was later rescinded because the device was marketed as a cannabis storage device. In 2019, going into 2020, the trade group hosting CES had a strict but convoluted stance on cannabis products. Somehow, Keep Labs won an award. Eventually, someone at the CTIA noticed Keep Labs’ marketing and pulled the prize. This set off a firestorm, eventually leading the CTIA to soften its stance on cannabis-adjacent products — after all, cannabis is legal in Nevada, where CES is held.\n\nThis experience has had a lasting affect on Keep Labs. Look at the website. Cannabis is not mentioned. The Keep is now marketed with the catch-all term “medicine.”\n\n“Cannabis is still there,” he said, noting that the company is still on the same mission of harm reduction. “Cannabis was a great way to start a conversation because everyone wants to talk about cannabis, but no one wants to talk about getting high.”\n\nBy simply saying “medicine,” the company feels like it found a good middle ground with its messaging. As Wilkins told me, Google and Meta heavily restrict the term “cannabis” in advertising, which limits the marketing reach of such devices as Keep. In advance of the launch, Keep Labs had to conduct preorders using a Shopify store because Kickstarter and Indiegogo also didn’t allow products to be marketed with the term cannabis.\n\nPreorder success\n\nKeep was born from a familiar story. Wilkins was using medication to treat a new condition, and his wife was concerned about their three-year-old getting into the drugs. It’s a growing struggle with many households, especially with the rise of cannabis edibles packaged to look like candy.\n\nAt the time, he looked at the market and saw several pill dispensing devices. “There were a lot of medication dispensing devices, but it was very clinical in nature. And so, like every crazy entrepreneur, [I said] ‘let me see if I can go solve this problem for myself.'”\n\nThe company saw early success despite not having a shipping product. They capitalized on the attention of getting kicked out of CES and in December 2019, launched a preorder campaign. Over 15,000 people preordered the device, with 5,000 paying in full. At the time, the preorder noted that all sales were final, but the company reversed course and offered everyone a refund when COVID hit, and Keep Labs lost its manufacturer. Philip said that only 5% of the preorders were canceled.\n\nA time out due to COVID\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic changed Keep Labs. The company was heading toward production when the pandemic hit. Nearly overnight, all of their manufacturing contracts were canceled, leaving the preorders and the company up in the air.\n\n“What the hell do we do now,” Wilkins said, adding that they took a step back and started talking to their preorder customers — all of them. For the next year, the company spoke to two to three customers weekly about what made them preorder the device. “What we found was that a lot of people were buying [the Keep] for medication tracking, and not for the primary use case of locking medication in a box.”\n\nThis critical feedback led to Wilkins stepping down as CEO. He brought on Jeff Wandzura to lead the company.\n\nWandzura is a trained pharmacist who previously sold two digital health companies. Wilkins said he felt Wandzura’s skills were complementary to his skill set, and it was the right thing to do for the company. “Honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made throughout my career as Jeff grounded the company, has driven our enterprise success, and become a close friend.”\n\n“As you can imagine, the pandemic brought about a lot of uncertainty, and we lost some good people,” Wandzura told me. “After I started speaking to preorder customers to understand why they bought Keep, it was clear that I needed a partner from the pharma/pharmacy world.\n\n“The world of medication compliance is complex, and we needed the clinical knowledge on the team. I wasn’t comfortable. And two, I’ve always felt a strong fiduciary duty to my investors to make decisions in the company’s best interest, which meant checking my ego at the door.”\n\nWilkins continues to talk to customers. The company has an active beta program with 150 users, and he calls the top 10 users weekly to better understand their usage. He’s discovered people are now using their Keep for other critical items like keys, passports and cash. He believes these additional use cases show users trust the device.\n\nWith Wandzura leading the company and with gobs of customer feedback, Keep Labs started exploring an enterprise offering focused on medication adherence along with harm reduction.\n\nThe company became part of the McKesson Digital Health Network in Canada to provide real-time data about whether patients are taking their medication. Keep Labs also has a partnership with Savvy Cooperative to give away free Keep devices to patients who are living with chronic conditions. These partnerships provide an invaluable feedback loop of front-line patients interacting with their devices.\n\n“Let’s make it super easy to deploy to individuals who need support,” Wilkins said. “And we provide de-identified aggregate data to understand how many patients in the population are adhering [to their medications] and how many need intervention so they can understand patient behaviors at home. We charge a nominal subscription fee for that.”\n\nI asked about how the company safeguards personal data and received the following statement that’s worth reprinting in full:\n\n“Protecting user privacy and ensuring data security are paramount for KEEP. We adhere to stringent data protection regulations such as HIPAA in the U.S. and PIPEDA in Canada to safeguard customer information. All data transmitted through KEEP is encrypted both in transit and at rest, utilizing robust encryption algorithms. Our platform employs multi-factor authentication, regular security audits, and penetration testing to protect against unauthorized access. Furthermore, we conduct ongoing staff training and adhere to a strict privacy policy to ensure that all members of our team are vigilant and adhere to the highest standards of data protection and software development including RBAC. This comprehensive, multi-layered approach to security ensures that patient information remains confidential and secure at all times.”\n\nWilkins added that its encryption keys are generated on the fly within their production environment and securely stored. No individual has direct access to the keys. Data is transmitted using TLS 1.3 encryption, while data at rest is secured with AES-256 encryption. User passwords undergo hashing with PBKDF2 utilizing SHA256. The company uses automated tools such as Scan Hawk and Synk to test its security and provide code vulnerability assessments. He notes that their code is subject to peer reviews, and the company uses the Coalition Cybersecurity and Stendard to provide a final layer of external review.\n\nIt’s worth applauding Keep Lab’s security and privacy measures. The above shows a company that’s proud of its efforts and is comfortable making them public.\n\nCooling meds is next for Keep\n\nWith its first product shipping to consumers, Keep Labs is exploring raising capital at the end of 2023 or early 2024. The company has raised $2.18 million from venture capital sources, including StartUp Health’s Transformer Fund, Plug and Play Tech Center, Onbelay Capital and 001 Ventures.\n\nAngels have helped Keep Labs along the way, too. The company’s advisory board includes former IBM Watson head Michael Rhodin.\n\n“We’ve got a lot of contracts we’ll be announcing over the next several months, which is super exciting,” Wilkins said. “And then after that, it’s the launch of our second-gen product, which is the same as the original, except it’s got a cooling device.”\n\nHe explained that nearly 50% of the drugs in the FDA pipeline require cooling: “Ozempic is a great example, and people are keeping it in their fridge, next to their butter, and we’ve heard from customers and enterprise partners that [adding cooling] could be a huge win.”\n\nUntil then, the company’s first-generation product is available from Keep Labs’ website. It comes in black and white and costs $299.", + "Gregg Berhalter and the U.S. men's national team continue their preparations for the 2024 Copa America and 2026 FIFA World Cup with friendlies against Germany and Ghana this month.\n\nFirst, the U.S. will take on Germany in Hartford, Connecticut on October 14. The 15th-ranked Germans are under new management, so the USMNT will serve as the debut match for new head coach Julian Nagelsmann, the 36-year-old who has been out of a job since departing Bayern Munich back in March.\n\nMost European countries are busy with Euro 2024 qualifying, but the Germans are hosting the tournament and therefore qualify automatically, opening up their schedule for this friendly match.\n\nThen, on October 17, the U.S. will travel to GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee for a friendly against Ghana. The two nations have a deep history of contentious matchups, including in three consecutive World Cup tournaments in 2006, 2010, and 2014.\n\nMORE: Breaking down Germany squad, tactics as Julian Nagelsmann debuts as manager\n\nUSA roster for October friendlies vs Germany, Ghana\n\nThe USMNT squad for the October friendlies was announced on Thursday, October 5. Gregg Berhalter has called in 23 players, which is one fewer than were brought in for the friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman last month.\n\nBelow is the official 23-man roster for the upcoming October friendlies against Germany and Ghana.\n\nPSV midfielder Malik Tillman was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury, with Alex Zendejas of Club America named to the roster in his place.\n\nMORE: Tracking every goal scored by Christian Pulisic at new club AC Milan\n\nPos Name Club Caps Goals GK Ethan Horvath Nott. Forest (ENG) 9 0 GK Matt Turner Nott. Forest (ENG) 33 0 DEF Cameron Carter-Vickers Celtic (SCO) 12 0 DEF Sergino Dest PSV Eindhoven (NED) 28 2 DEF DeJuan Jones New England Revolution (USA) 7 0 DEF Kristoffer Lund Palermo (ITA) 2 0 DEF Kevin Paredes Wolfsburg (GER) 1 0 DEF Tim Ream Fulham (ENG) 52 1 DEF Chris Richards Crystal Palace (ENG) 12 1 DEF Miles Robinson Atlanta United (USA) 27 3 DEF Joe Scally Gladbach (GER) 6 0 MID Johnny Cardoso Internacional (BRA) 7 0 MID Luca de la Torre Celta Vigo (SPA) 17 0 MID Lennard Maloney Heidenheim (GER) 0 0 MID Weston McKennie Juventus (ITA) 46 11 MID Yunus Musah AC Milan (ITA) 29 0 MID Gio Reyna Borussia Dortmund (GER) 20 4 MID Malik Tillman PSV Eindhoven (NED) 6 0 FWD Brenden Aaronson Union Berlin (GER) 34 8 FWD Folarin Balogun Arsenal (ENG) 4 2 FWD Ricardo Pepi PSV Eindhoven (NED) 18 9 FWD Christian Pulisic AC Milan (ITA) 62 26 FWD Tim Weah Juventus (ITA) 33 5 FWD Alex Zendejas Club America (MEX) 7 1\n\nTyler Adams, Antonee Robinson injured for October camp\n\nGregg Berhalter largely has the entire first-choice player pool available for selection, with only a few injuries to work around.\n\nThere is one notable absence, as captain Tyler Adams remains sidelined with a frustrating long-term hamstring injury. He was initially injured while playing for Leeds United back in March, and while he had finally recovered to make his Bournemouth debut in the EFL Cup in late September, he played just 20 minutes off the bench before suffering a setback, sidelined again for the foreseeable future.\n\nGio Reyna has returned from his leg fracture and is called in for the first time under Berhalter since their falling out at the 2022 World Cup. Also included is defender Cameron Carter-Vickers who only just made his debut for Celtic this season thanks to a hamstring injury. On the heels of that return just before the international break, he is called in.\n\nGoalkeepers Zack Steffen and Sean Johnson remain out of action due to injuries. Additionally, Josh Sargent is sidelined with a long-term ankle injury, while Daryl Dike is also out after tearing his Achilles. Also missing is Antonee Robinson, who Gregg Berhalter said is dealing with a sports hernia, and while he played through it last camp and recently for his club, it's affecting him and therefore rest is the best option here.\n\nJohnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.\n\nWith Adams injured, there has been some noise on social media calling for Heidenheim midfielder Lennard Maloney to be brought into the squad in October, and he was given the call-up here. The 23-year-old was born in Berlin to an American father, appearing for the U.S. at the U-20 level in the past and stating his desire to reach the USMNT senior squad.\n\nMORE: All players in U.S. national team pool currently playing for a European club\n\nGio Reyna to make USMNT return under Gregg Berhalter\n\nThe ability of Berhalter and Reyna to work together moving forward has been a major talking point since the fallout of their saga after the 2022 World Cup.\n\nReyna's lack of playing time at the World Cup was exacerbated by the actions of his parents in the weeks that followed, which sparked a domestic violence investigation of Berhalter before his eventual re-hire as national team head coach.\n\nNow, having recovered from a leg fracture suffered in summer Nations League duty under an interim USMNT head coach, the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund playmaker returns to the international fold under Berhalter for the first time.\n\nThe USMNT head coach has been forthcoming about the situation, admitting upon his re-hire that the two have a \"lot of work to do\" but insisting time was needed to broach the situation. With Berhalter having since confirmed the two have broken the ice and talked over the phone, they will now look to move forward without any more personal conflict.\n\nAfter the October roster release, Berhalter confirmed that the two spoke \"weeks ago\" on Zoom, with the U.S. head coach appreciative of Reyna's willingness to move forward. He spoke that because Reyna has not yet played for his club this season, their goal will be to \"get him minutes\" so he can build his fitness and return to Dortmund in the best position possible to begin his club campaign.\n\nBerhalter stated that they see Reyna being able to play three different positions: central midfielder, attacking midfielder, and winger, with further clarification being his skill-set fitting a \"between the lines\" style of wide play if he were deployed on the wing, as opposed to one glued to the touchline.", + "Jamaica's first-ever victory on Canadian soil has seen the Reggae Boyz fight back to reach the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and qualify for Copa America 2024.\n\nA 3-2 win in the second leg at BMO Field in Toronto allowed Jamaica to progress on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate tie across the two legs.\n\nAfter Canada opened the scoring through Alphonso Davies they held a comfortable 3-1 aggregate lead, but that advantage eroded in 15 second-half minutes as Jamaican striker Shamar Nicholson scored a brace, before Fulham attacker Bobby De Cordova-Reid converted the penalty that sealed progression.\n\nCanada will now have to defeat Trinidad and Tobago in a one-off playoff in March to reach the Copa America 2024 tournament to be hosted in the U.S.\n\nMORE: Highlights, recap of Canada's narrow win in the first leg\n\nThe Sporting News followed the Canada vs. Jamaica match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.\n\nCanada vs. Jamaica result (full-time)\n\nScore Aggregate Goal scorers Canada 2 4 Alphonso Davies (25)\n\nIsmael Kone (69) Jamaica 3 4 Shamar Nicholson (63), (66)\n\nBobby De Cordova-Reid (78)\n\nKickoff: 7:30 p.m. local (7:30 p.m ET / 4:30 p.m. PT)\n\nLocation: BMO Field (Toronto, Canada)\n\nReferee: Cesar Ramos (MEX)\n\nStarting lineups:\n\nCanada (4-4-2): Borjan - Laryea, Miller, Cornelius, Johnston (Millar 84') - Davies, Eustaquio (Russell-Rowe 89'), Kone (Kaye 74'), Buchanan (Hoilett 74') - Larin (Osorio 74'), David\n\nJamaica (4-2-3-1): Blake - Leigh (Gray 94'), Pinnock, Lowe, Lembikisa - Johnson, Latibeaudiere (Hector 46') - Bailey (Bernard 90'), Nicholson, De Cordova-Reid - Gray\n\nIt looked like it was going to be a comfortable night for Canada when Davies opened the scoring on 25 minutes after a lung-bursting run. The Bayern star saw his shot saved onto the crossbar before the ball spun in on the goal line.\n\nThis gave Canada a 3-1 aggregate lead and if it wasn't for Jamaican stopper Andre Blake, there could have easily been a couple more goals, making two great saves from Cyle Larin prior to Davies' opener.\n\nHowever, the home side couldn't get the second goal and Jamaica grew in confidence, particularly after half-time.\n\nIn three second-half minutes, the tie was blown apart by two goals from Shamar Nicholson. A Canadian mistake handed the first to him on a plate before Demarai Gray's individual brilliance set up the second for a tap-in.\n\nWith the scoreline 2-1 on the night, the match was destined for extra time and penalties with a 3-3 aggregate.\n\nBut Jamaica could barely contemplate possible glory before Ismael Kone's header made it 2-2 on the night and gave Canada a single-goal aggregate advantage.\n\nIt appeared as if Canada had weathered the storm until first-leg hero Stephen Eustaquio's handball in the box allowed De Cordova-Reid to score the winning penalty with 12 minutes of regulation to play.\n\nJamaica managed to hold on through nine minutes of stoppage time, despite Gray being given a second yellow card for dissent on 84 minutes.\n\nCanada vs Jamaica live updates, highlights, commentary\n\nFulltime: Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nJamaica's first-ever win on Canadian soil sees them advance by away goals to the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final and Copa America 2024. Extraordinary.\n\n95 mins: Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nCanada doing all the attacking but the Jamaican defence is well-organised. Hoilett blasts a shot well over the bar from outside the box.\n\n90 mins: Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nThere will be nine minutes of added-on time. As it stands Jamaica are through on away goals. What a result this could be.\n\n88 mins: Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nCanada are dominating with their man advantage. David gets a free header in the six-yard box but it balloons over the bar. That was a decent chance.\n\n84 mins: RED CARD (Demarai Gray) Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nWhat a brain-fade by Jamaica's Gray. He gets two yellow cards in a minute and is dismissed. He booted the ball away for no reason. Clear second yellow card. Can they hold on now?\n\n83 mins: Canada 2-3 Jamaica, 4-4 aggregate\n\nWhat an incredible result this would be for Jamaica. Especially when Canada were cruising with a 3-1 aggregate lead until the 62nd minute.\n\n78 mins: GOAL - Canada 2-3 Jamaica (Bobby De Cordova-Reid), 4-4 aggregate\n\nJamaica are going through as it stands on away goals. The Fulham attacker converts from the spot after a handball from Eustaquio and they are back in front on the night.\n\n74 mins: Canada 2-2 Jamaica, 4-3 aggregate\n\nTriple change for Canada. Junior Hoilett, Jonathan Osorio and Mark Kaye come on for Cyle Larin, Ismael Larin and Tajon Buchanan.\n\n69 mins: GOAL - Canada 2-2 (Ismael Kone), 4-3 aggregate\n\nCanada strike back. What an absolute rollercoaster. Davies floats in a deft cross and Kone's redirects it over Blake to send the crowd wild. Canada progressing on aggregate as we stand. It's on Jamaica now.\n\n66 mins: GOAL - Canada 1-2 (Shamar Nicholson), 3-3 aggregate\n\nWOW. Jamaica have hit the front and we are even on aggregate. What a counter-attack. Gray sprung clear down the left and his ball was prodded in by Nicholson. Incredible turnaround. As it stands, extra time is on the table.\n\n62 mins: GOAL - Canada 1-1 Jamaica (Shamar Nicholson), 3-2 aggregate\n\nTHEY ARE BACK! Lowe takes the ball away from the Canadian defender. He feeds Nicholson in the box and the big striker smashes the ball home. We have a game now.\n\n57 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nThe match has settled significantly after an early onslaught from Jamaica. They seem to be deflated by missing the chance to equalise this leg. They need to find something.\n\n52 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nBeen a great start to the half by Jamaica. Constant pressure. Bailey looks dangerous. Canada needs to ride this storm.\n\n48 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nBailey strikes the crossbar. The Aston Villa winger's shot hits the underside of the bar, bounces on the line and is cleared. Jamaica appeal in vain that the ball crossed the line. Ridiculously close to an equaliser.\n\nSecond half: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nWe are underway in the second period. Can Jamaica strike early or will it be a Canadian cruise?\n\nHalftime: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nIt's been relatively smooth sailing for the Canadians with a single goal giving them a two-goal aggregate advantage. It could have been more goals if it wasn't for the heroics of Andre Blake. Jamaica are going to need a miracle in the second half. One goal could make the home side nervous.\n\n45 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nTwo minutes of time added on.\n\n45 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nWow. Oh so close for Jamaica. Gray cuts in from the left. Delivers a delicious ball through the six-yard box but Nicholson can't quite get his head on the ball. Inches away from connection there.\n\n43 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nJamaica need to get to half-time. A second goal from Canada would end this tie. Davies threatens down the left once again but is flagged for offside.\n\n37 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nEustaquiao swings the free kick into the back post and Miller just can't get his head to it. That was nearly a perfect delivery. It feels like a second goal is coming.\n\n35 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nCanada look dangerous on the break. Davies breaks down the left. He drills a low ball through the penalty box but it deflects off a defender's legs and bounces to safety. Jamaica have to be wary or this match will be over shortly.\n\n31 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nGray plays the ball across the six-yard box, Bailey stabs the ball on goal but it's straight into the arms of Borjan. Jamaica's best chance so far.\n\n29 mins: Canada 1-0 Jamaica, 3-1 aggregate\n\nNicholson finds himself through on goal for Jamaica after the lofted pass but he can only spoon a shot well wide. In any case, the offside flag is raised once the play is over.\n\n25 mins: GOAL - Canada 1-0 Jamaica (Alphonso Davies), 3-1 aggregate\n\nAnd there it is. Canada take the lead through Alphonso Davies. The Bayern star initially sprays the ball out wide to David, who plays an inch-perfect pass to Davies in the six-yard box. Blake blocked Davies' goal-bound effort but it looped up, hit the crossbar and then spun in, with Larin making sure he didn't touch the ball in case he was offside.\n\n21 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nStill goalless here at BMO Field. Canada look the more dangerous team with Jamaica threatening sporadically.\n\n15 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nAnother save from Blake. This one might be the pick of the bunch. David pokes the ball to Larin in the six-yard box, but his low shot hits the body of Blake, who is in the right position once again. Only looks like a matter of time until Canada open the scoring.\n\n12 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nBuchanan plays a lovely ball over the top to Larin. The Canadian striker is through on goal. He muscles his way through but the shot is saved by Blake. Belatedly, the assistant referee raises his flag for offside on Larin's initial run.\n\n9 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nWhat a save from Andre Blake. Keeps Jamaica in touch in the tie. Buchanan played an enticing ball across the six-yard box, Lowe made a good connection with the slide at the back post but Blake got his body in the way. Impressive block.\n\n7 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nJohnson sends in a deep free kick for Jamaica but it's cleared for a corner. The first of the match. Johnson takes the corner but it's poorly delivered and Canada eventually clear.\n\n4 mins: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nThe home side has started confidently on the ball. It's going to be a tough task for Jamaica. They have never beaten Canada on the road.\n\nKickoff: Canada 0-0 Jamaica, 2-1 aggregate\n\nWe are off and running at BMO Field, Toronto. It's a cold, wet, windy night here.\n\nCanada vs Jamaica: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more\n\n10 min until kickoff: We are edging closer to the start of this match. Can Jamaica overturn a one-goal aggregate deficit on the road?\n\n30 min until kickoff: Jamaica have selected their starting lineup, with Demarai Gray starting as striker in place of the injured Antonio. Leon Bailey and Bobby De Cordova-Reid start on the wings.\n\n60 min until kickoff: The first XI has been released for Canada. Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David start for the home side.\n\n90 min until kickoff: Jamaica will be without West Ham striker Michail Antonio, who suffered an ACL injury in the first leg.\n\n2 hours until kickoff: Welcome to tonight's coverage of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal between Canada and Jamaica in Toronto.\n\nUnder the lights 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/PQjPAvTCMD — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 21, 2023\n\nWhat time does Canada vs Jamaica kick-off?\n\nThis CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg at BMO Stadium kicks off on Tuesday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Toronto.\n\nHere's how that time translates across the North American regions:\n\nKickoff time Eastern Time 7:30 p.m. Central Time 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time 4:30 p.m.\n\nCanada vs Jamaica projected lineups & team news\n\nCanada interim head coach Mauro Biello deployed a 4-4-2 against Jamaica in the first leg on the road, but expect him to bring back their more-utilized three-defender system. That would allow them to rotate Kamal Miller out, who picked up a yellow card in the first leg, keeping him safe for the semifinals.\n\nIn would step Alistair Johnston and Derek Cornelius, with Steven Vitoria retained alongside them.\n\nThe only injury absence for Canada at the moment is striker Lucas Cavallini, who withdrew from the squad prior to the two matches, replaced by Jacen Russell-Rowe.\n\nCanada projected starting lineup (3-5-2): Borjan (GK) — Cornelius, Vitoria, Johnston — Laryea, Eustaquio, Kone, Kaye, Davies — David, Larin.\n\nJamaica saw star striker Michail Antonio go down with a gutting ACL injury in the first leg, and he now begins a lengthy rehab process. West Ham are reportedly furious about how it was handled, angered by both the conditions of the pitch in Jamaica and the fact he played another 10 minutes after sustaining the injury.\n\nAntonio was replaced by Salernitana striker Trivante Stewart, but he struggled and was himself withdrawn in the 81st minute. Demarai Gray could step in, but he himself is struggling for fitness, and while he remains with the team he was not part of the first leg matchday squad. Another option is Colorado Switchbacks forward Romario Williams, who scored 15 goals in 29 USL Championship matches this season.\n\nOther injuries for Jamaica to contend with include Cory Burke and Amari'i Bell, who both miss out on this international window.\n\nJamaica projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Blake (GK) — Leigh, Bernard, Pinnock, Lembikisa — Latibeaudiere, D. Johnson, Bailey — Reid, Nicholson, R. Williams.\n\nCanada vs Jamaica live stream, TV channel\n\nTV channel Streaming Canada OneSoccer Fubo USA — Paramount+\n\nEnglish language broadcasts of the entire CONCACAF Nations League, with the exception of USMNT matches, can be found in the United States exclusively on CBS streaming service Paramount+.\n\nIn Canada, the match can be found on OneSoccer, which is available to stream on Fubo.", + "BELFAST, Maine — How does it feel to be a climate scientist in 2023?\n\nLet’s set the scene. Hundreds of picnickers are sprawled across a lawn speckled with colorful blankets. Yachts bob in the bay. Guitars blare, children wrestle and dancers twirl across a concert lawn in the golden glow of a dying summer night.\n\nIt’s a picture-perfect August evening for the seaside town of Belfast’s “Summer Nights” concert series.\n\nOff to the side, Peter Kalmus sits alone. His eyes are closed. His toes are tucked beneath his body. He’s catching an occasional side-eye from onlookers.\n\n“When I’m meditating, I don’t feel anxious,” Kalmus later says, explaining that he strives for two hours of meditation a day to keep his climate anxiety at bay. Otherwise, “it’s completely overwhelming.”\n\nMany of us avoid thinking too deeply about the worst scenarios of climate change. He is fixated on them.\n\nKalmus, 49, thinks civilization is on the path to break down, the Biden administration is clueless on climate, and that he might get fired from his job at NASA if he is arrested for a third time protesting what he views as downright madness: the continued use of fossil fuels.\n\nKalmus visited the seaside town of Belfast, Maine, in July and August to visit the Possibility Alliance homestead as he looked for inspiration on how to best live with the effects climate change. (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\n“It’s kind of weird and lonely,” he said. “People don’t want to talk about this stuff at parties.”\n\nKalmus, whose strident tweets reach some 340,000 followers on X, is at the vanguard of a group of scientists who are increasingly disillusioned and growing convinced that more radical action is needed to wake up political leaders. He has been on a 15-year quest to halt climate change and has already oriented most everything in his life to minimize his own climate footprint and maximize what he can do to push society to change.\n\nNothing has been enough.\n\nAnd so this summer, as extreme heat and rainfall battered many American communities, Kalmus visited Maine searching for something different. He was looking not for climate solutions, but for new ways to withstand climate change’s harms — and also to make peace with the grief that often feels inescapable for those who reckon with global warming daily.\n\nclimate scientist exercise bicycle environmentalist (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nThat search brought him to an unusual community called the Possibility Alliance, a homestead where a small group of people is trying to figure out how to live in a world headed for a breakdown (as they see it).\n\nIts leaders eschew capitalism, grow much of their own food, and live without electricity. They’ve dedicated their lives to protest, living off the land as simply as possible, and are preparing their community for ecological disaster and to host climate refugees.\n\nWhile on his working vacation in Maine, Kalmus invited NBC News for a short visit to the community to see the crisis through the eyes of Americans taking it as seriously as anyone.\n\nThe Possibility Alliance is an 11-acre homestead that operates without power, running water or a sewer system. The Hughes family, which operates the alliance, pays only one monthly bill for landline phone service. (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nDetoxifying\n\nAbout a decade ago, Kalmus ditched a promising academic career in astrophysics to study the physics of climate change instead.\n\nHe made other changes too. He stopped flying, became a vegetarian and ditched gasoline-powered cars (he drives a Tesla), cutting his personal emissions by about 90%, according to his math.\n\nIt wasn’t a political statement, but a detoxification.\n\n“Burning fossil fuels started to feel more and more disgusting,” he said.\n\nEthan Hughes, who operates the Possibility Alliance, rejects globalization and thinks capitalism is a ruinous symptom of “greed and separation.” He’s trying to build a gift economy in Belfast, in which neighbors share resources and services with no expectation of repayment. “I’m trying to role-model post-petrol,” Hughes said. (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nKalmus, now a married father of two teenagers, is introspective, earnest and narrowly focused on climate change in both his personal and professional life. Tall with an athletic build, a neat beard and a tangle of messy hair that has a skunklike streak of white, he can sometimes come off like an overgrown teenager: He’s the smartest person in the room, brimming with idealism and still indignant — with a zeal many adults can no longer muster — about how life’s most annoying systems work (like the U.S. medical system, a symptom of what he calls the “capitalist death cult”).\n\nThe changes he made weren’t enough. Kalmus wrote a book on climate change and chained himself to a Chase bank in protest of fossil fuel financing. Twice, he’s been arrested during climate protests.\n\nHis social media posts often evoke heartbreak.\n\n“We’re in the process of losing basically everything,” he wrote recently on X.\n\nIs anyone listening?\n\nclimate scientist natural farming (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nNot his suburban neighbors in North Carolina, who continue to drive emissions-belching SUVs to big-box stores. Perhaps not even some in the science community, like those who kicked him out of the American Geophysical Union’s annual fall meeting last year after he unfurled a banner and protested on the major science conference’s biggest stage.\n\nHe has grown increasingly frustrated with President Joe Biden, who signed the Inflation Reduction Act as his signature climate bill. Kalmus thinks it does too little to shut out the fossil fuel industry.\n\n(Rhodium Group, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates greenhouse gas emissions will drop 32%-42% below 2005 levels by 2030, well short of Biden’s own benchmark for progress. The inflation bill is responsible for about a quarter of that projected decrease.)\n\n“He brags about how he thinks we should consider him a climate champion because he reentered the Paris accord. That Paris Agreement will take us to about 3 degrees Celsius of global heating,” Kalmus said. “I don’t think we’ll have a civilization at 3 degrees Celsius.”\n\n(A 2022 United Nations report estimated global temperatures would rise between 2.1 and 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2100 if countries held to their climate commitments. Many countries remain off that pace.)\n\nClimate change is weighing on scientists, but also everyday Americans.\n\nA 2022 poll found almost two-thirds of Americans say they have been affected by extreme weather they believe was at least partially due to climate change.\n\nAbout 27% of Americans say they are “very worried” about climate change; another 27% just avoid the subject as best they can. One in 10 reported feeling symptoms of anxiety or depression over climate change.\n\nNo place is safe\n\nTo Kalmus, the best answer he’s found has been to channel his frustrations into protest and civil disobedience, finding community and purpose at the Mountain Valley Pipeline protests and on the streets of New York City during its Climate Week. Outside of meditation, speaking his mind at these events has been the best antidote to his climate despair.\n\nWhen he earned his first arrest, by chaining himself to a bank in Los Angeles last year, he finally felt acknowledged.\n\nclimate scientist arrest (Courtesy Brian Emerson/Climate Ad Project)\n\n“It was a good combination of risk and sort of communicating emotional truth. So I was able to dig really deep, and say exactly how I felt in the moment,” he said.\n\nHis outburst went viral. His employer, NASA, sent him a letter expressing concern over his two arrests, he says.\n\n(“I’m speaking on my own behalf and that has to be super clear,” he said in an interview. “Not as a NASA climate scientist. That’s really important for retaining my job.”)\n\nHe worries a third arrest could cost him.\n\n“Do I keep doing science? Or do I, you know, keep engaging in risky activism and maybe lose that job?” Kalmus said.\n\nMeanwhile, Kalmus has grown frustrated that more scientists aren’t agitating at protests and willing to face arrest. And his view of our climate predicament has grown increasingly dark.\n\n“It feels like it’s worse than I thought it would be in 2023,” Kalmus said, pointing to record-low Antarctic sea ice and record-high sea surface and land temperatures as signs that Earth systems could be shifting more quickly than the scientific community can grasp.\n\nIn recent years, climate change has begun to sting Kalmus’ personal life.\n\nIn summer 2020, he sickened himself hiking in a California heat wave, then watched a wildfire burn a few miles from his California home, spewing smoke that left his voice raspy and his head aching. The searing temperatures killed a dogwood tree in his front yard. His productivity slowed — he couldn’t focus on science.\n\nKalmus had dreamed of making a life in the Pacific Northwest, which he felt might be buffered from the worst of climate change. That same year, a heat wave — considered nearly impossible if not for the influence of climate change — seared the region for three days, killing hundreds of people, buckling roadways and sending overheated baby birds jumping from their nests and to their deaths.\n\n“That’s when I realized that no place was safe,” Kalmus said. His family relocated to North Carolina, for his wife Sharon’s work, but the experience planted a seed:\n\nIf he couldn’t stop climate change and he couldn’t avoid it, could he at least find a better way to survive it?\n\nLife at the homestead\n\nKalmus knew what would not work.\n\n“I very quickly eliminated the idea of being a prepper — you know, hoarding beans and ammunition,” he said.\n\nBut he found himself daydreaming of a simpler life, where he could keep bees, grow vegetables and press cider to drink on a Friday night and live closer to the land.\n\nVisiting the Possibility Alliance, a sprawling 11-acre homestead filled with fruit trees, goats, chickens and a garden, allowed him to scratch an itch he’d entertained for much of his adult life.\n\nThe Hughes family, which operates the homestead, and its guests live largely without electricity or modern technology.\n\nThe family of four doesn’t fly because of climate concerns and also doesn't own a car. Their main use of fossil fuels is to take passenger trains to climate protests.\n\nThey try to eschew capitalism and have built, instead, a \"gift economy\" where resources are shared and skills are traded among neighbors in this tiny corner of Maine. They grow much of their own food, hold trainings for climate protesters and plan to host refugees as climate disasters worsen.\n\nNights are illuminated by candlelight. Neighbors drop by without notice.\n\n“We’ve created what existed 100 years ago,” Ethan Hughes said.\n\nOn a steamy August morning, Kalmus found himself huddled around a faded picnic table at the center of the homestead in Belfast, Maine, sipping his coffee with a rare breed — people as alarmed by climate change as him.\n\nclimate scientist environmental (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nEthan, the charismatic, folksy co-founder of the Possibility Alliance, started the day off with a poem about a deer in the forest and then began to outline daily chores — chopping wood, building a new deck, caring for goats.\n\nSoon, talk turned to climate change and Kalmus’ grief began to flow as he shared findings from unpublished research on his projections of heat in moderate emissions scenarios through the year 2300.\n\n“Even in the coolest time of day, people will be dying if they don’t have air conditioning,” Kalmus told the group.\n\n“Everything is already spinning out of control,” said Sarah Wilcox-Hughes, dismayed.\n\nKalmus opened up to the table. He’d been procrastinating for months on finishing the research and he was running into his “psychological limitations.” He felt he was letting the planet down.\n\n“Anyone want to rub Peter’s shoulders as he writes?” Ethan said.\n\nLater, Kalmus relayed a recent, gloomy conversation with a fellow scientist.\n\n“The Amazon is probably past its tipping point,” Kalmus said. “And I can’t believe that it happened during my lifetime.”\n\nPeter Kalmus sits with his son Zane on a porch swing at the Possibility Alliance. (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nCrickets trilled. Roosters crowed. A tear dripped down Ethan’s cheek.\n\n“Let’s dedicate our work today to the Amazon,” Ethan said, outlining for the group how the work planned would sequester carbon and show people they could live without fossil fuels and that they could take meaningful action against climate change, even as world governments failed them.\n\n(Estimates of when the Amazon could “tip” and transition to savannah vary. Timothy Lenton, a University of Exeter professor who studies climate tipping points and the Amazon’s resilience, said most estimates suggest the Amazon could cross a threshold as soon as 2 degrees C of warming.)\n\nLife at the Possibility Alliance carried on. Will Foley, who hitchhiked from Florida to stay at the homestead, swung a scythe to clear brush. Frankie Williams and Max Kurke, recent college graduates living at the alliance as summer apprentices, piled wood while wearing oversize sun hats. Ethan corralled goats for “mob grazing,” a process he says helps sequester carbon.\n\nKalmus, trailed by a reporter, buzzed around the homestead like a giddy kid, hiking back and forth to a home in an eco-village near the Possibility Alliance where he was living and working on his research. He tramped down a forest trail in bare feet, paused work for a midday dip in a shady stream and never changed his T-shirt.\n\nHe ground his coffee with a mortar and pestle, thumbed through a book of Enneagram personality types on the porch with his son Zane and listened to Ethan’s stories about sailing across the Atlantic in a cargo ship to avoid the carbon emissions of flying.\n\n“I feel met by Peter,” Sarah Wilcox-Hughes said of Kalmus. “I don’t feel like there are many people prioritizing the needs of the planet as he is and we are.”\n\nKalmus found life in Belfast, and at the Possibility Alliance, slower, richer and more connected to the natural world.\n\nDuring his time in Belfast, Kalmus strummed a mandolin in a Celtic folk music group that meets at the eco-village, along with his son Zane, Wilcox-Hughes and her daughter, Etta. He picked berries and ate fresh goat cheese and helped Ethan load hay into a neighbor’s barn.\n\nclimate scientist music group (Evan Bush / NBC News)\n\nHe spoke at the local library about climate change. He shared art, food and labor with neighbors. He saw how a community was sprouting up around the Possibility Alliance — people willing to sacrifice the conveniences of a modern life built on fossil fuels.\n\nHe felt safer here and more energized to work.\n\nIt wasn’t about the place, but the people, he realized.\n\nPeople at the center\n\nMaine, like anywhere else, isn’t immune to climate change. But here, at least, he had people who understood his angst, who could share music and joy, who were willing to make their own sacrifices, and who were trying to prepare their community in the way they thought was best.\n\nMonths later, after returning “kicking and screaming” to the “quote-unquote real world,” Kalmus was planning a return trip to the Possibility Alliance over the winter holidays.\n\nHe was still mulling why the Possibility Alliance’s “low energy” lifestyle had felt so meaningful and what was missing from modern life.\n\nEthan Hughes his goats out to\n\n“Everything is too fast,” Kalmus said. “It’s obvious to a lot of people, but it’s a new revelation to me. There’s nothing more important in life than relationships.”\n\nThis article was originally published on NBCNews.com", + "Climate change isn't going away, and it isn't going to get any better — at least if we keep legislating as we have been. In Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation, a multidisciplinary collection of subject matter experts discuss the increasingly intertwined fates of American ecology and democracy, arguing that only by strengthening our existing institutions will we be able to weather the oncoming \"long emergency.\"\n\nIn the excerpt below, contributing author and Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo, Holly Jean Buck, explores how accelerating climate change, the modern internet and authoritarianism's recent renaissance are influencing and amplifying one another's negative impacts, to the detriment of us all.\n\nMIT Press\n\nExcerpted from Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation, edited by David W. Orr. Published by MIT Press. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.\n\nBurning hills and glowing red skies, stone-dry riverbeds, expanses of brown water engulfing tiny human rooftops. This is the setting for the twenty-first century. What is the plot? For many of us working on climate and energy, the story of this century is about making the energy transition happen. This is when we completely transform both energy and land use in order to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change — or fail to.\n\nConfronting authoritarianism is even more urgent. About four billion people, or 54 percent of the world, in ninety-five countries, live under tyranny in fully authoritarian or competitive authoritarian regimes. The twenty-first century is also about the struggle against new and rising forms of authoritarianism. In this narration, the twenty-first century began with a wave of crushed democratic uprisings and continued with the election of authoritarian leaders around the world who began to dismantle democratic institutions. Any illusion of the success of globalization, or of the twenty-first century representing a break from the brutal twentieth century, was stripped away with Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine. The plot is less clear, given the failure of democracy-building efforts in the twentieth century. There is a faintly discernable storyline of general resistance and rebuilding imperfect democracies.\n\nThere’s also a third story about this century: the penetration of the Internet into every sphere of daily, social, and political life. Despite turn-of-the-century talk about the Information Age, we are only beginning to conceptualize what this means. Right now, the current plot is about the centralization of discourse on a few corporate platforms. The rise of the platforms brings potential to network democratic uprisings, as well as buoy authoritarian leaders through post-truth memes and algorithms optimized to dish out anger and hatred. This is a more challenging story to narrate, because the setting is everywhere. The story unfolds in our bedrooms while we should be sleeping or waking up, filling the most quotidian moments of waiting in line in the grocery store or while in transit. The characters are us, even more intimately than with climate change. It makes it hard to see the shape and meaning of this story. And while we are increasingly aware of the influence that shifting our media and social lives onto big tech platforms has on our democracy, less attention is devoted to the influence this has on our ability to respond to climate change.\n\nThink about these three forces meeting — climate change, authoritarianism, the Internet. What comes to mind? If you recombine the familiar characters from these stories, perhaps it looks like climate activists using the capabilities of the Internet to further both networked protest and energy democracy. In particular, advocacy for a version of “energy democracy” that looks like wind, water, and solar; decentralized systems; and local community control of energy.\n\nIn this essay, I would like to suggest that this is not actually where the three forces of rising authoritarianism x climate change x tech platforms domination leads. Rather, the political economy of online media has boxed us into a social landscape wherein both the political consensus and the infrastructure we need for the energy transition is impossible to build. The current configuration of the Internet is a key obstacle to climate action.\n\nThe possibilities of climate action exist within a media ecosystem that has monetized our attention and that profits from our hate and division. Algorithms that reap advertising profits from maximizing time-on-site have figured out that what keeps us clicking is anger. Even worse, the system is addictive, with notifications delivering hits of dopamine in a part of what historian and addiction expert David Courtwright calls “limbic capitalism.” Society has more or less sleepwalked into this outrage-industrial complex without having a real analytic framework for understanding it. The tech platforms and some research groups or think tanks offer up “misinformation” or “disinformation” as the framework, which present the problem as if the problem is bad content poisoning the well, rather than the structure itself being rotten. As Evgeny Morozov has quipped, “Post-truth is to digital capitalism what pollution is to fossil capitalism — a by-product of operations.”\n\nA number of works outline the contours and dynamics of the current media ecology and what it does — Siva Vaidhyanathan’s Antisocial Media, Safiya U. Noble’s Algorithms of Oppression, Geert Lovink’s Sad by Design, Shoshana Zuboff’s Surveillance Capitalism, Richard Seymour’s The Twittering Machine, Tim Hwang’s Subprime Attention Crisis, Tressie McMillan Cottom’s writing on how to understand the social relations of Internet technologies through racial capitalism, and many more. At the same time, there’s reasonable counter-discussion about how many of our problems can really be laid at the feet of social media. The research on the impacts of social media on political dysfunction, mental health, and society writ large does not paint a neat portrait. Scholars have argued that putting too much emphasis on the platforms can be too simplistic and reeks of technological determinism; they have also pointed out that cultures like the United States’ and the legacy media have a long history with post-truth. That said, there are certainly dynamics going on that we did not anticipate, and we don’t seem quite sure what to do with them, even with multiple areas of scholarship in communication, disinformation, and social media and democracy working on these inquiries for years.\n\nWhat seems clear is that the Internet is not the connectedness we imagined. The ecology and spirituality of the 1960s, which shaped and structured much of what we see as energy democracy and the good future today, told us we were all connected. Globally networked — it sounds familiar, like a fevered dream from the 1980s or 1990s, a dream that in turn had its roots in the 1960s and before. Media theorist Geert Lovink reflects on a 1996 interview with John Perry Barlow, Electronic Frontier Foundation cofounder and Grateful Dead lyricist, in which Barlow was describing how cyberspace was connecting each and every synapse of all citizens on the planet. As Lovink writes, “Apart from the so-called last billion we’re there now. This is what we can all agree on. The corona crisis is the first Event in World History where the internet doesn’t merely play ‘a role’ — the Event coincides with the Net. There’s a deep irony to this. The virus and the network ... sigh, that’s an old trope, right?” Indeed, read through one cultural history, it seems obvious that we would reach this point of being globally networked, and that the Internet would not just “play a role” in global events like COVID-19 or climate change, but shape them.\n\nWhat if the Internet actually has connected us, more deeply than we normally give it credit for? What if the we’re-all-connected-ness imagined in the latter half of the twentieth century is in fact showing up, but manifesting late, and not at all like we thought? We really are connected — but our global body is neither a psychedelic collective consciousness nor a infrastructure for data transmission comprising information packets and code. It seems that we’ve made a collective brain that doesn’t act much like a computer at all. It runs on data, code, binary digits — but it acts emotionally, irrationally, in a fight-or-flight way, and without consciousness. It’s an entity that operates as an emotional toddler, rather than with the neat computational sensing capacity that stock graphics of “the Internet” convey. Thinking of it as data or information is the same as thinking that a network of cells is a person.\n\nThe thing we’re jacked into and collectively creating seems more like a global endocrine system than anything we might have visualized in the years while “cyber” was a prefix. This may seem a banal observation, given that Marshall McLuhan was talking about the global nervous system more than fifty years ago. We had enthusiasm about cybernetics and global connectivity over the decades and, more recently, a revitalization of theory about networks and kinship and rhizomes and all the rest. (The irony is that with fifty years of talk on “systems thinking,” we still have responses to things like COVID-19 or climate that are almost antithetical to considering interconnected systems — dominated by one set of expertise and failing to incorporate the social sciences and humanities). So — globally connected, yet divided into silos, camps, echo-chambers, and so on. Social media platforms are acting as agents, structuring our interactions and our spaces for dialogue and solution-building. Authoritarians know this, and this is why they have troll farms that can manipulate the range of solutions and the sentiments about them.\n\nThe Internet as we experience it represents a central obstacle to climate action, through several mechanisms. Promotion of false information about climate change is only one of them. There’s general political polarization, which inhibits the coalitions we need to build to realize clean energy, as well as creates paralyzing infighting within the climate movement about strategies, which the platforms benefit from. There’s networked opposition to the infrastructure we need for the energy transition. There’s the constant distraction from the climate crisis, in the form of the churning scandals of the day, in an attention economy where all topics compete for mental energy. And there’s the drain of time and attention spent on these platforms rather than in real-world actions.\n\nAny of these areas are worth spending time on, but this essay focuses on how the contemporary media ecology interferes with climate strategy and infrastructure in particular. To understand the dynamic, we need to take a closer look at the concept of energy democracy, as generally understood by the climate movement, and its tenets: renewable, small-scale systems, and community control. The bitter irony of the current moment is that it’s not just rising authoritarianism that is blocking us from good futures. It’s also our narrow and warped conceptions of democracy that are trapping us.\n\nThis article contains affilate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.", + "Amazon’s fall Prime Day event is underway. For more deals we recommend across all categories, check out our full roundup here.\n\nAmazon Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to save on a wide variety of video games. Titles released in the last few months are getting some decent discounts (which still beats paying full price), and many older games from the last few years fall to their best bargain-bin prices (which is great for stocking up on those “Man, I’ve been meaning to get around to that one” games).\n\nRelated The best October Prime Day deals available on Day 2\n\nHere, we’ll go over all the best gaming deals we can scrounge up during Prime Big Deal Days across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. We’re also on the lookout for hardware deals on things like controllers, streaming peripherals, and the consoles themselves.\n\nVideo games\n\nGod of War Ragnarök (PlayStation 5) $ 62 $ 70 11 % off $ 62 $ 62 $ 70 11 % off While Ragnarök’s third-person action gameplay feels similar to its predecessor, its story is far more ambitious. As Kratos wishes to bury his past, he’s trying to convince his young son, Atreus, not to follow a tempting path at discovering his godhood and defying prophecy. Read our review. $62 at Amazon\n\nDemon’s Souls (2020) $ 30 $ 70 57 % off $ 30 $ 30 $ 70 57 % off A remake of the 2009 game Demon’s Souls by FromSoftware, rebuilt from the ground up by Bluepoint Games. $30 at Amazon (physical)\n\nMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope $ 30 $ 60 50 % off $ 30 $ 30 $ 60 50 % off Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an excellent turn-based strategy game that pairs classic Mario characters with the chaotic Rabbids for an encore performance. $30 at Amazon\n\nMario Golf: Super Rush on the Switch is selling for $39.99 ($20 off) in either physical cartridge or digital form at Amazon.\n\non the Switch is selling for $39.99 ($20 off) in either physical cartridge or digital form at Amazon. Super Mario Maker 2 for the Nintendo Switch is also $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon for the physical or digital versions. Enjoy some of the most punishing Mario levels in existence (care of the vibrant community’s user-created stages) for the lowest price around.\n\nMetroid Dread $ 40 $ 60 33 % off $ 40 $ 40 $ 60 33 % off Metroid Dread is the fifth mainline entry in Nintendo’s storied franchise. The 2D side-scroller is a direct sequel to Metroid Fusion, a Game Boy Advance title from 2002. Read our review. $40 at Amazon (digital)\n\nCuphead (Nintendo Switch) $ 28 $ 40 30 % off $ 28 $ 28 $ 40 30 % off Inspired by the animated cartoons of the 1930s, Cuphead is a platformer and bullet-hell game with a stylish nod to old cartoons. It’s also an unforgiving platformer with a high skill ceiling and little room for error. The Nintendo Switch cartridge version includes the Delicious Last Course DLC expansion, adding Ms. Chalice as a playable character. $28 at Amazon\n\nStray $ 24 $ 40 40 % off $ 24 $ 24 $ 40 40 % off There’s a great game underneath the charm in Stray. It’s a puzzle-based stealth game where you have to see solutions as a cat would and occasionally run for your life from the all-consuming zurk species. $24 at Amazon (PS5)\n\nComedic first-person shooter High On Life for PC is selling for $36.02 ($39 off) on Steam. The game features various celebrity cameos in the form of talking alien guns that you wield.\n\nfor PC is selling for $36.02 ($39 off) on Steam. The game features various celebrity cameos in the form of talking alien guns that you wield. Goat Simulator 3 for the PS5 is on sale at Amazon for $9.99 ($20 off).\n\nfor the PS5 is on sale at Amazon for $9.99 ($20 off). Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 4 (with free PS5 upgrade) is selling for $24.99 ($25 off) at Amazon.\n\n$100 PlayStation Store gift card (digital) $ 100 $ 110 9 % off $ 100 $ 100 $ 110 9 % off A gift card for Sony’s PlayStation Store is good for all kinds of titles, add-ons, and downloadable content. They are normally sold in $10, $25, $50, and $100 values. For Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, you can get a $10 Amazon digital credit with the purchase of a $100 PlayStation gift card when you redeem the on-page coupon or use code PSN100 at checkout. $100 at Amazon (with $10 credit)\n\nStreets of Rage 4 for PlayStation 4 is just $19.29 ($15 off) at Amazon. That’s a whole lot of four-player co-op arcade brawling for not a lot of money.\n\nConsoles, controllers, and accessories\n\nHallmark’s Nintendo Entertainment System Console Ornament is on sale for $16.16 (about $4 off) at Amazon. The tiny NES replica has a little copy of the Super Mario Bros. in it, and when you press its power button, it lights up and plays the classic Mario theme with sound effects.\n\nMicrosoft Xbox Series X $ 400 $ 500 20 % off $ 400 $ 400 $ 500 20 % off The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship console, serving as its most powerful (and biggest) option. While the Series S is aimed at smooth 1440p performance and takes a disc-less approach, the $500 Series X is focused on fast 4K gameplay. $400 at Amazon (refurbished)\n\nJsaux Mod Case for Steam Deck $ 24 $ 30 20 % off $ 24 $ 24 $ 30 20 % off A protective modular case system for Valve’s Steam Deck. It consists of a base case with grippy texture, a built-in kickstand, a removable lid, and a rear mounting system that can attach a power bank using an adjustable strap or Jsaux’s add-on cooling fan. $24 at Amazon\n\nJsaux’s 45W USB-C charger with a five-foot cable and included right-angle adapter may be designed for the Steam Deck, but it’s also a great charger for a Nintendo Switch or just about any USB-C phone or tablet. It’s just $15.19 ($3 off) right now at Amazon.\n\nwith a five-foot cable and included right-angle adapter may be designed for the Steam Deck, but it’s also a great charger for a Nintendo Switch or just about any USB-C phone or tablet. It’s just $15.19 ($3 off) right now at Amazon. Razer’s wired Wolverine V2 Chroma has fallen to a new low at Amazon, where you can grab it for just $87.99 ($62 off). The terrific Xbox controller features a total of six remappable buttons — more than any other Xbox controller we’re aware of — along with clicky buttons and an attractive touch of RGB lighting on the grips.\n\nhas fallen to a new low at Amazon, where you can grab it for just $87.99 ($62 off). The terrific Xbox controller features a total of six remappable buttons — more than any other Xbox controller we’re aware of — along with clicky buttons and an attractive touch of RGB lighting on the grips. The cheaper Razer Wolverine V2 controller in white with a built-in USB cable and no RGB lighting is also on sale at Amazon, currently at $45.99 ($54 off).\n\nwith a built-in USB cable and no RGB lighting is also on sale at Amazon, currently at $45.99 ($54 off). The GameSir G7 wired controller for Xbox and PC is on sale for $35.99 ($9 off) at Amazon. It’s a straightforward third-party gamepad, though it also has two programmable rear buttons, clicky face buttons, and a paintable front shell that is attached with magnets.\n\nfor Xbox and PC is on sale for $35.99 ($9 off) at Amazon. It’s a straightforward third-party gamepad, though it also has two programmable rear buttons, clicky face buttons, and a paintable front shell that is attached with magnets. Another nifty GameSir controller on offer is the T4 Kaleid, which is on sale for $33.59 ($8 off). This is the first time the transparent wired controller with RGB lighting has gone on sale. It sports drift-free Hall effect sticks and is compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android.\n\n8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller $ 56 $ 70 20 % off $ 56 $ 56 $ 70 20 % off The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller comes with its own charging dock, features remappable controls, and is compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows PCs thanks to its Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity. Unlike the 2.4GHz-only version, it features drift-free Hall effect sticks. $56 at Amazon (black)\n\nThe RGB-ified PowerA Spectra Infinity Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox and PC is on sale at Amazon for $29.99 ($15 off). In addition to its colorful lights, it’s one of the cheapest controllers around to sport hair trigger lockouts.\n\nfor Xbox and PC is on sale at Amazon for $29.99 ($15 off). In addition to its colorful lights, it’s one of the cheapest controllers around to sport hair trigger lockouts. The PDP Victrix BFG Wireless Controller for PlayStation 5, PS4, and PC in its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II-branded black-and-gold design is on sale at Amazon for $169.99 ($30 off). I know this controller looks very Extra (and it is), but it’s a very versatile DualSense alternative if you like FPS and fighting games. It’s got multi-stage hair triggers, and its sticks and face buttons can be swapped out for an Xbox-style layout or as a six-button fightpad.\n\nVerge Deals on X (formerly known as Twitter) / Join more than 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us!\n\nWireless gaming headsets, Laptops, and PC accessories\n\nAsus ROG Flow Z13 $ 893 $ 1300 31 % off $ 893 $ 893 $ 1300 31 % off The ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with a detachable keyboard, kickstand, and plenty of chops for QHD gaming. $893 at Amazon\n\nSony InZone H3 $ 58 $ 100 42 % off $ 58 $ 58 $ 100 42 % off The InZone H3 is the wired (3.5mm / USB-A) model in Sony’s latest lineup of gaming headsets, which are compatible with both PlayStation and PC. You can customize the audio profile of InZone headsets with the InZone companion app and Sony’s Spatial Sound Personalizer. $58 at Amazon$60 at Best Buy\n\nElgato Stream Deck Mini $ 59 $ 80 26 % off $ 59 $ 59 $ 80 26 % off Elgato’s Stream Deck Mini is a smaller, six-key version of its popular macro pads. Its LCD keys can be customized to offer quick one-button macros during a livestream, or it can simply control shortcuts on your computer and connect to your smart home. $59 at Amazon\n\nStorage for consoles and PCs\n\nA massive 1TB SanDisk Extreme microSD card is now $89.99 $79.99 ($13 off) at Amazon. That can store a whole lot of games on a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.\n\nSamsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) $ 30 $ 40 25 % off $ 30 $ 30 $ 40 25 % off This Samsung Evo Select microSD card offers 512GB of extra storage for a Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Asus ROG Ally at a good price point. $30 at Amazon\n\nWestern Digital WD_Black SN850X SSD $ 70 $ 180 61 % off $ 70 $ 70 $ 180 61 % off The WD_Black SN850X is one of the fastest M.2 drives around, with a sequential read speed of up to 7,300 MB/s and a write speed of up to 6,600 MB/s. It performs best in a PC with a PCIe 4.0 motherboard or in a PS5 (with a requisite heatsink). $70 at Amazon (1TB, with heatsink)\n\nThe Western Digital WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X / S consoles is selling for a new low price of $124.99 ($25 off) at Amazon.\n\nTabletop games\n\nCatan $ 27 $ 49 45 % off $ 27 $ 27 $ 49 45 % off The iconic board game classic that has players strategically competing and trading for resources. $27 at Amazon$29 at Target\n\nHappy Salmon is selling for just $8.63 ($4 off) at Amazon. The kid-friendly party card game by the Exploding Kittens creators is something you can play to completion in just a few minutes. It’s a great ice breaker for adults and children alike, getting everyone out of their seats and quickly causing a raucous. Just try not to make those salmon so happy you end up with bruised forearms (you’ll see what I mean).\n\nis selling for just $8.63 ($4 off) at Amazon. The kid-friendly party card game by the Exploding Kittens creators is something you can play to completion in just a few minutes. It’s a great ice breaker for adults and children alike, getting everyone out of their seats and quickly causing a raucous. Just try not to make those salmon so happy you end up with bruised forearms (you’ll see what I mean). Resource management game Splendor is on sale at Amazon for $19.97 ($25 off), which is one of its lowest prices. It’s a competitive game set in Renaissance Europe, where you compete with up to three other players to build the best jewelry business — and it’s a modern tabletop classic.\n\nVerge Deals / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Email (required) Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.", + "Your time — and money — is precious. Polygon’s What to Buy has rounded up the best in gaming hardware, entertainment, tabletop, merch, and toys, and how to get them for the best value, so you spend less time shopping and more time enjoying.\n\nFinding the best controller for playing PC games is a more personal journey than it sounds. It’s got to be comfortable to use, with every button, stick, and trigger easily in reach. It’s also important that you’re getting the features you want. For example, those might include easy setup on PC, good battery life, multi-platform compatibility, and accessibility options, like the ability to remap buttons and adjust stick or trigger sensitivity.\n\nAt Polygon, we play games on a lot of consoles and platforms — both new and old. Our staff has a wide variety of preferences and needs. We’ve come together to share our favorite PC-ready controllers.\n\nMicrosoft Xbox controller\n\nOn the Polygon team, the Xbox controller got the highest number of endorsements of any controller. This speaks to its comfort and value, and that Microsoft has released enough colors to satisfy varying tastes in design. It also helps that it’s usually around $50 (depending on the color), and that it just works with most PC games. Regardless of the Windows PC game client, there are no extra steps for setting it up.\n\nThis controller is a refined version of Microsoft’s Xbox One wireless model, with added texture around its grips, plus a capture button in the middle. It can, of course, connect to Xbox consoles, and to PCs that have Bluetooth. One universally positive change from the older version is that, if you want to connect via a cable for wired play, its connector port is the more ubiquitous USB-C instead of Micro USB. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening, though it can only be used if your controller is wired into your PC, not wirelessly.\n\n“The Xbox wireless controller just works for me — it fits right in my hands, the texture feels just right, and it’s not too heavy” —Nicole Carpenter\n\nBeyond PC compatibility, the Xbox controller boasts native compatibility on Steam Deck, plus recent versions of Android and iOS. So, whether you have a phone or tablet, this controller can easily connect via Bluetooth. A growing number of mobile games support it, too, and it works like a charm with the Xbox Game Pass game streaming app.\n\nIt can work on even more platforms if you purchase 8BitDo’s clever $19.99 USB Adapter 2. With it, you can use the Xbox controller on your Nintendo Switch. In addition to Switch support, this USB adapter lets you easily connect your Xbox controller to other devices, like Mac, Raspberry Pi, and more.\n\nThe biggest downside to the Xbox controller might not bother you: It requires two AA batteries, though on a positive note, the battery life is around the 40-hour range, depending on usage. If you don’t want to change out batteries, we recommend this $44.99 8BitDo dual controller charging dock, which includes two rechargeable battery packs, enough for two controllers.\n\nMicrosoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 builds on the excellent foundation of Microsoft’s Xbox controller with features that enthusiast gamers may appreciate. It features swappable stick caps and directional pads, adjustable tension for its analog sticks, and customizable back paddles. It also ships in a nice zip-up case. If you want more buttons and tweakable settings in a controller, this might be worth its $178.99 price. This model is compatible with Xbox and PC.\n\nIf you don’t need all of the extra accessories that come with the Elite Series 2, Microsoft makes a cheaper Elite Series 2 Core. If you decide later on that you want the paddles, zip-up case, and swappable sticks, you can buy this third-party kit on Amazon for $22.99.\n\nSony DualSense controller\n\nThere’s another slice of our staff who swear by Sony’s DualSense, a modern controller that retains the symmetrical analog stick arrangement that PlayStation controllers are known for. Compared directly to the Xbox controller, the DualSense has similar levels of compatibility (both are compatible with Android and iOS, and feature built-in Bluetooth for support on PC). However, the DualSense does have key differences, as well as a few perks that help to justify its higher $69.99 price.\n\nIn terms of using the DualSense on a PC, it’s possible to do, but it’s a little complicated. It can connect via Bluetooth for a wireless connection, but games that don’t support the DirectInput controller API likely won’t recognize it as a controller. Plugging the controller into your PC might solve that issue, but there are other ways to get around this barrier if playing wirelessly is important to you.\n\nOne is to rely on Steam, which supports the DualSense controller with its SteamInput API. That makes Sony’s controller a first-class citizen in the eyes of Steam, right next to the Xbox controller, and plenty of games should offer no-fuss DualSense support.\n\nIf you have PC games that you want to play on other services, like PC Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and more, you might experience some middling compatibility with the DualSense. However, adding them as a “non-Steam game” within Steam can solve for this. To do this, click the “Add a Game” option in the bottom left corner of the Steam client, then find the executable file (.exe) in your storage.\n\n“I like the PS5 DualSense because it’s incredibly precise — using it, after coming from previous gen controllers, felt like putting on glasses and seeing the world come into focus” —Nicole Clark\n\nTo get around using Steam entirely, you can download an app called DS4Windows along with some drivers, which ensures game compatibility on PC by emulating the DualSense as an Xbox controller. The app gives you a host of settings to customize the DualSense’s button mapping, if you wish. And, in case you want to go down the rabbit hole of figuring out which PC games support the DualSense’s haptics and adaptive trigger features (and the steps to getting them to work), the site PCGamingWiki has you covered.\n\nRelated Here are the best PS5 accessories\n\nThe DualSense is the official controller for the PS5. In games that support its features, it can have realistic-feeling haptic feedback and gyroscopic motion controls, and its triggers can provide tension to make certain actions feel more realistic. There’s no better controller for the PS5 than this one. It’s a good controller for using PS Remote Play, too. When it’s connected to an Android device for a PS Remote Play session, the DualSense supports adaptive triggers in games that take advantage of the feature.\n\n8BitDo’s $19.99 USB Adapter 2 also works perfectly with the DualSense, letting you play games on your Switch with it once it’s paired. I preferred to play Splatoon 3 with my PS5 controller’s analog stick arrangement. Heck, it even supports gyroscopic camera movement, just like the official Switch controllers.\n\nJust like Microsoft, Sony also has its own pro-grade controller. It’s the $199.99 DualSense Edge, which is compatible with the PS5. It’s tempting to call out its similarities to the Xbox Elite Series 2, of which there are plenty, but it’s more helpful to speak about how it differs. For one, its stick modules can be replaced entirely — a move that makes the DualSense Edge a little more user-repairable. Also, the PS5’s interface for the Edge is intuitive, and it makes remapping controls and setting schemes the breeze that it should be.\n\nWhile the Edge is compatible on PC, Sony and Steam haven’t developed drivers that let gamers take full advantage of its back paddles and swappable control schemes.\n\nNintendo Switch Pro controller\n\nThe Switch Pro controller is another staff favorite. If it’s a great Nintendo Switch and PC controller you’re after, this is the pinnacle in terms of comfort, durability, battery life, and other Switch-specific extras, but we’ll get to those a little later.\n\nThe Switch Pro controller can be used to play PC games. But like the DualSense, it’s not a plug-and-play affair unless you literally plug it in via USB. To use it wirelessly, running Steam can help you out, as it officially supports the Switch Pro controller. Adding non-Steam games to your Steam library is a clever way to ensure compatibility for games that support controllers. Again, you can do that by clicking the “Add a Game” option on the bottom left corner in the Steam client.\n\n“This is a very solid, unassuming but beautifully engineered pad, with Nintendo’s typically great ergonomics and switchgear. The D-pad is one of the best out there, and those lovely, fat, responsive face buttons will give you SNES flashbacks in a good way” —Oli Welsh\n\nAlternatively, if you don’t want to use Steam to play your games, relying on DS4Windows and its bevy of drivers is a free yet slightly advanced way to make Windows recognize your Switch Pro wireless controller. Of course, that $19.99 8BitDo USB Adapter 2 that I keep referencing can come in handy here, too. After plugging it into your PC and tethering wirelessly to it, you’re good to go — no fussing with apps required.\n\nThe Switch Pro controller is, unsurprisingly, a fantastic Switch controller. Like the Joy-Cons, it supports motion controls, HD rumble for more subtle, accurate jolts of haptic feedback in games, and amiibo connectivity to redeem in-game perks in several games, including the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.\n\nThis might seem small, but it stands out as being one of a few wireless Switch controllers in existence that can wake the console remotely by holding down its home button. Many require you to manually turn on the console, which can be a minor annoyance.\n\n8BitDo Ultimate 2.4g controller\n\n8BitDo has released a lot of controllers in recent years, but the name for its Ultimate controller is fitting. It has many of the features from its best gamepads, plus some extras that should settle any sticker shock associated with its $49.99 price.\n\nFor starters, its asymmetrical analog stick layout, overall shape, and face button labels should feel right at home for people who love the shape of the Xbox controller. All of the buttons, triggers, and sticks feel just as good to use as any modern controller from a console manufacturer.\n\nLike several other 8BitDo controllers, this one can be thoroughly customized with its Ultimate software on mobile devices, or on PC. From there, you can remap controls, assign buttons to its two rear paddle buttons, tweak the actuation sensitivity of its triggers, and adjust stick settings. The controller allows up to three custom control schemes, which you can switch between with its middle “star” button.\n\nThe Ultimate controller ships with a charging dock, and nesting inside of that dock is a 2.4 GHz transmitter that makes it fast and easy to connect to a PC. The dock makes for a convenient way to charge the controller, and you can switch between DirectInput and XInput by using a switch on its back, depending on the requirements of each PC game.\n\n8BitDo makes a pricier version of this controller with Nintendo-style face buttons called the Ultimate Bluetooth. They’re virtually identical, and it can work via 2.4 GHz with PC, too. However, its biggest benefit is its Gulikit Hall effect analog sticks, which are resistant to developing drift over time by design. By comparison, the potentiometer-based sticks used in the Ultimate 2.4g (and all of the other controllers mentioned so far) bear no such guarantee. There’s a possibility you may never experience the issue firsthand, but the anti-drifting sticks alone might be a reason for some to consider buying the Ultimate Bluetooth.\n\nThe Ultimate Bluetooth is similar in a lot of ways to Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller, with its motion control support, rechargeable battery, and Nintendo-style face button layout. However, it doesn’t have all of the same features. For instance, it doesn’t support NFC, so you can’t tap an amiibo on it, and its haptics aren’t up to par with Nintendo’s. However, it’s one of a few third-party Switch controllers that can wake your console from sleep. If it’s paired, press the home button, then shake the controller to awaken the Switch.\n\nUpdate (Nov. 17): Checked prices and links for accuracy.", + "Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified Monday in the U.S. government’s antitrust trial against the company. The executive defended Google’s business tactics, including its deal with Apple and other partners to make Google the default search engine.\n\nThe lawsuit stems from a 2020 antitrust claim over Google’s dominance in the online search market. The claim is separate from one filed in January by the Department of Justice, along with eight states including New York, California and Colorado, that aims to “halt Google’s anticompetitive scheme, unwind Google’s monopolistic grip on the market and restore competition to digital advertising.”\n\nThe government has argued that Google uses its platforms and deals with partners to block out any competition in search or advertising, thus hindering competitors from accessing the data they’d need to improve their products.\n\nGoogle argues that it’s just doing business. Everybody wants Google as the default engine because it’s the best. That doesn’t make its actions illegal, the company says.\n\nMonday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.\n\nGoogle paid $26 billion in 2021 to be everyone’s default search engine\n\nWhen Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.\n\nAbout $18 billion of that total amount went directly to Apple, according to a New York Times report published earlier this month. Google has had its deal with Apple in place since 2003.\n\nWhen questioned on the amount of money Google spends to get first pick of search engines, Pichai said that the decision was made with the consumer in mind. Google pays big bucks to be everywhere so that it can take in all the data and be the best search engine across different companies’ devices, said Pichai, according to The Verge.\n\nGoogle understood the value of defaults very early on. U.S. Justice Department lawyer Meagan Bellshaw showed Pichai a 2007 email from a Google product strategy meeting containing data showing that when people changed their browser homepage to Google, they did 15% more Google searches. When they switched away, their Google searches dropped 27%.\n\n“Nitin argues that focusing on homepage market share is one of the most effective things we can do to make gains in search market share,” read an email that summarized the meeting and was sent to Pichai, as well as other Google leaders, according to The Verge.\n\nThe amount that Google spent on homepage market share has been a fixing point in the trial. Earlier this month, the CEOs of Microsoft and DuckDuckGo testified that their search engines would have been far more successful, even competitive with Google, had they been able to make similar deals with Apple. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella even said he was willing to spend $15 billion per year to get Bing into Apple’s default search, per The Information.\n\nGoogle agreed not to promote Chrome to Safari users\n\nAs part of its search deal with Apple, Google agreed not to promote Chrome to Safari users, reports Bloomberg. Google would have been able to do this with banners, pop-ups and other annoying means in other Google apps.\n\nThe agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.\n\nGoogle tried to be preinstalled on iPhones\n\nPichai admitted to attempting to get Tim Cook to preinstall Google on every iOS device back in 2018, according to The Verge. He hoped to make Google and Apple’s services so connected as to be inseparable.\n\nThe way Pichai pitched it would have been a win-win for both companies. Google gets more people searching on its platform — not to mention all that juicy data — and Apple would get more revenue, as a result of the lucrative search agreement the two signed.\n\nFor whatever reason, Cook didn’t take the bait. Apple doesn’t preload third-party software onto its devices, and it wasn’t going to make an exception for Google.\n\nGoogle’s deleted chat logs\n\nDuring Pichai’s testimony, the DOJ touched on Google’s policy of deleting internal chat messages, despite being subject to a litigation hold. In February, the DOJ accused Google of systematically destroying chats through its history-off option, which deletes messages every 24 hours unless a user manually changed the setting.\n\nPichai said that he took action against the history-off default for chat in February to comply with the DOJ’s litigation hold, according to CNBC.\n\nBellshaw pulled up a message exchange in 2021 where Pichai asked for history to be turned off in a group chat. Pichai responded that he wanted to discuss a personnel matter and the subject had nothing to do with the litigation hold, which he said he takes great care to comply with.\n\nA moment of nostalgia for Internet Explorer\n\nCast your memories back to 2005, when Microsoft’s Internet Explorer became the default search engine. Back then, Google’s legal chief David Drummond sent Microsoft an angry letter, saying that making Internet Explorer the search default was anticompetitive. Oh, how the tables have turned.\n\nAfter establishing that Google understands the inherent value of defaults, Bellshaw brought up Drummond’s letter to establish the hypocrisy of Google today. The letter declared that problems with a default setting are made worse by how changes to defaults are handled, and that most end users “do not change defaults.”\n\nThese are exactly the arguments that other search engine companies, like DuckDuckGo, Brave or Microsoft’s Bing, make when they accuse Google of being anticompetitive by making deals with Apple and others. The DOJ doubled down on this, saying Google has become the monopoly it denounced years ago.\n\nWhat does it all mean?\n\nThe case is expected to continue for several weeks, bringing to a head one of the biggest fights in tech antitrust since the U.S. took Microsoft to trial in the 1990s.\n\nIf the judge rules against Google, the outcome could look a lot like the Microsoft deal, in which the computer company was required to change its behavior and share its APIs with third-party developers. Microsoft was also banned from making anticompetitive and exclusive deals with computer manufacturers.\n\nGoogle might end up having to turn over all or most of the data it has collected to other search engines so they can improve their products and attract more users. The DOJ has said that Google gets 16 times more data than Bing does everyday.\n\nThe Google outcome could also have a ripple effect on other Big Tech cases. The FTC sued Amazon in September for using anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power. The DOJ has been investigating Apple for years over the company’s policy for third-party apps on its devices and whether it unfairly favors its own products. There’s an ongoing case between the FTC and Facebook, wherein the agency calls on Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.\n\nEnforcers will want to show that antitrust law is still relevant and can successfully take on the biggest, most powerful companies in the world.", + "Countries have teamed up through a United Nations program to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Can it be done?\n\nAn HIV diagnosis hasn't been a death sentence for years, thanks to powerful medications.\n\nDespite incredible progress, however, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) remains a global public health threat, with 1.3 million new infections and around half that many deaths in 2022 alone.\n\nWhile new HIV infections have dropped steadily since their peak in 1995 , as people live longer with the disease, the pool of people who are HIV-positive has only grown. People with HIV must consistently take medications to prevent the virus from becoming transmissible again or progressing to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). As a result, new infections could actually rebound fast if the world doesn't dramatically ramp up the number of people being regularly treated, tested and protected from new HIV infections.\n\nBut we could head off that rebound risk by the end of the decade, experts say.\n\nCountries around the world have signed onto an ambitious United Nations program with a goal to \"reduce the rate of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths to below the reproductive rate of 1,\" country by country, Quarraisha Abdool Karim , associate scientific director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa and a joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) special ambassador, told Live Science. That would mean each person living with HIV would infect fewer than one additional person in their lifetime.\n\nIf the program is successful, we'd see 200,000 new HIV infections and 130,000 AIDS-related deaths worldwide in 2030 — 90% fewer than in 2010 . While eradicating the virus would require a vaccine and cure, we could eventually drive HIV infections and death rates to near zero without those tools, Abdool Karim said.\n\n\"We do have the tools to end AIDS as a public health threat. We do have the biomedical interventions,\" she said. \"The challenge is, how do we all get to that point?\"\n\nRelated: Could CRISPR cure HIV someday?\n\nMedicines known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) suppress the amount of HIV in a person's blood until it's undetectable. (Image credit: The Times / Contributor via Getty Images)\n\nFrom the first treatment to ending AIDS\n\nThe first, imperfect HIV treatment , AZT (azidothymidine), was approved in 1987. Nearly four decades and more than 40 million AIDS-related deaths later, we're still hunting for a vaccine and a cure for HIV, but our treatments have dramatically improved.\n\n\"We've had really powerful treatments, really, since 1996, but they just get better all the time,\" Dr. Monica Gandhi , director of the University of California, San Francisco Center for AIDS Research and medical director of the HIV Clinic at San Francisco General Hospital, told Live Science.\n\nToday's standard treatment, combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), uses several drugs to disrupt HIV's ability to replicate and invade immune cells. Given as daily pills or monthly or bimonthly injections , ART slashes the amount of HIV in a person's blood until it's undetectable. If maintained, \"viral suppression\" extends a person's life span to about that of HIV-negative people and eliminates their chance of spreading HIV via sex .\n\n\"People living with HIV, on treatment and undetectable, are not infectious — full stop, end of statement — to their sexual partners,\" Dr. Raphael Landovitz , co-director of UCLA's Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services, told Live Science. Viral suppression also nearly eliminates HIV spread to babies during pregnancy or childbirth , greatly reduces spread via breastfeeding and likely lowers spread from sharing syringes.\n\nWe also have powerful medicines that prevent HIV-negative people from contracting the virus if exposed. Known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), these drugs are available as daily pills. There's also an injectable drug called cabotegravir (brand name Apretude) that's given bimonthly. Some African countries have also licensed a vaginal ring for HIV prevention ; it's less effective than PrEP pills but works for a full month. And condom use and voluntary male circumcision also cut transmission.\n\nBy 2014, there was strong consensus that the drugs we had could end the AIDS epidemic. But those drugs weren't being rolled out fast enough to head off rebounds in infection, UNAIDS cautioned. At that time, models predicted that if treatment and prevention services didn't reach more people over time, the number of people with HIV would balloon to 41.5 million by 2030. To prevent this, UNAIDS set forth ambitious targets to scale up the global HIV response. Hitting these targets would prevent 28 million new HIV infections and at least 21 million AIDS-related deaths between 2015 and 2030, they projected.\n\nOne major goal, the \"95-95-95\" target, is set for 2025. Achieving it would mean 95% of people with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed take HIV drugs, and 95% of those treated are \"virally suppressed,\" meaning the drugs keep them from spreading the infection via sex. This translates to around 86% of people with HIV being virally suppressed.\n\nOther 2025 targets aim to ensure that 95% of people at risk of HIV have access to prevention and that PrEP be made available to at least 10 million at-risk people.\n\nSo far, we're not on target: In 2022, only 76% of the total 39 million people with HIV worldwide were taking ART, and 71% were virally suppressed, according to the latest UNAIDS report .\n\nSo what can we do to reach 95% across the board?\n\nRelated: How are people cured of HIV? Here's everything you need to know\n\n(Image credit: Future)\n\nVulnerable populations\n\nA big hurdle to ending the AIDS epidemic is getting treatments to vulnerable populations, including children. In 2022, only 57% of the 1.5 million children under 15 with HIV received treatment, 46% were virally suppressed and an estimated 84,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses.\n\nThat's partly because kids aren't typically included in initial clinical trials for treatments, so there are relatively few child-friendly formulas, Abdool Karim said. The preferred treatment for children, a tablet that dissolves in water , was just approved in 2021 and has been adopted only recently in many countries . However, most other HIV drugs for kids taste bad, are difficult to swallow or must be taken several times a day, UNAIDS notes , so improving these formulations could make their HIV regimens easier to maintain.\n\nLong-acting ART options — meaning those that don't require daily pills — are nonexistent for children under 12, Gandhi said. To help make long-acting ART suitable for young children, the National Institutes of Health is supporting research into how to best adapt drugs approved for adults, she noted. But that grant opens in 2024, so it's unclear if it could make a dent before 2030.\n\nAnd even if better drugs are widely available, \"children are not going to be able to access antiretroviral therapy in a vacuum,\" said Dr. Anjali Sharma , a professor of medicine who now studies complications of HIV at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and has studied ART adherence in different settings.\n\n\"The pediatric care really has to be integrated with other services, potentially the mom's treatment or things that are going to work with the family as a unit,\" she said.\n\nRelated: Kids under 5 with HIV are dying at high rates. Here's why.\n\nThe science is a first step, but access is what will translate its true potential and value. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, CAPRISA\n\nHitting the 95-95-95 target will also require better reaching teen girls and young women, especially with prevention and testing. Nearly 1 in 6 new HIV cases in 2022 were in girls and women ages 15 to 24, many of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa.\n\nOnce diagnosed and started on ART, women's viral suppression rates are \"high and so are survival benefits,\" Abdool Karim said. Among all diagnosed women over 15, 82% had access to ART and 76% were virally suppressed in 2022. But starting ART first requires being tested for HIV, and testing rates remain low in hard-hit regions, particularly among teens .\n\nMany of the hardest-hit regions lack prevention programs for young women, and the few existing programs often miss girls who are not in school. Girls facing a lack of education, poverty and food insecurity have an especially high risk of HIV, as do girls with older male partners. Intimate-partner violence and sexual coercion often mean they cannot control when they are exposed to HIV. Plus, in some countries, HIV services require parental consent, which can also reduce girls' access to prevention and treatment.\n\nImproving girls' access to discreet prevention services as well as sex education — both in and out of school — will be key to reducing their HIV rates. Cabotegravir, which is \"stunningly effective against vaginal acquisition of HIV,\" could be a powerful tool for HIV prevention in women, Landovitz said.\n\nRepresentatives of HIV organizations march along Whitehall in London, England on March 18, 2023, calling for an end to the stigma that still surrounds HIV. (Image credit: Mark Kerrison / Contributor viaGetty Images)\n\nOther populations that are far from the targets include transgender people with HIV, an estimated 44% of whom are on ART, and HIV-positive men who have sex with men, who have 78% ART coverage. In addition, just 65% of HIV-positive sex workers and 69% of HIV-positive people who inject drugs take ART. Compared with the general adult population, these groups have far higher HIV prevalence, ranging from fourfold greater among sex workers to 14-fold greater among transgender people.\n\nAnd those numbers could be an undercount, as many countries don't track these populations. Punitive laws, police harassment, harsh stigma and social taboos keep many people out of HIV care, while high rates of incarceration and sexual violence also raise their risk of acquiring HIV. Lifting discriminatory policies and weaving HIV care into trusted, community-based programs will be key to reaching these demographics.\n\nRelated: Patient's immune system 'naturally' cures HIV in the second case of its kind\n\nCost barriers\n\nThe tools to end the epidemic by 2030 will work, but only if they get to the people who need them. \"The science is a first step, but access is what will translate its true potential and value,\" Abdool Karim told Live Science.\n\nFor instance, the number of people taking PrEP pills rose more than tenfold from 2019 to 2022. But cabotegravir, a potential game changer, is not yet widely used due to its high cost — $3,700 per dose in the U.S. The drug's nonprofit price will be around $30 a dose, the drug's maker recently told the South African news outlet Bhekisisa , and generic versions will be manufactured in coming years . But the current high price means HIV programs have yet to fold cabotegravir into their budgets, Landovitz said.\n\n\"There's still not a drop of cabotegravir to be had anywhere in Africa,\" where some of the highest rates of new HIV infections occur, Abdool Karim said.\n\nAnd regardless of the type of ART they take, a patient should have their viral load checked regularly . In 2022, 21 million people underwent routine viral-load testing, up from 6 million in 2015. Viral-load tests are expensive, though, so proxy measures — such as a urine test Gandhi and colleagues designed to track ART levels — could help fulfill the same purpose cheaply.\n\nIn addition, an estimated 25% of people stop ART treatment, sometimes for six months or more, often because they face stigma, can't get to the clinic or can't afford treatment. These individuals, many of whom come from vulnerable populations, represent a growing proportion of the AIDS cases seen in hospitals.\n\n\"That is preventable and avoidable and really represents a failure on many levels,\" Sharma told Live Science. \"But the failure isn't really the drug itself.\" It's a failure of the support system that could keep people on ART, she said.\n\nRelated: HIV may hide out in brain cells, ready to infect other organs\n\nSuccess stories and further work\n\nDespite the hurdles, some countries are well on their way to meeting UNAIDS' goals. Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe have already hit the 95-95-95 target set for 2025, and an additional 16 countries are close to reaching these milestones.\n\nThe U.S. trails behind. In 2021, 75% of the people diagnosed in the country received \"some HIV care,\" and 66% were virally suppressed. Men who have sex with men made up the highest proportion of new infections in the U.S., with Black, Hispanic and Latino populations predominantly affected.\n\nCountries that have hit the 95-95-95 targets offer universal, free ART access, Landovitz noted, while the U.S. government only has programs to help cover uninsured people's HIV treatment . Racism, homophobia and transphobia often keep people from getting care, he said. And especially in urban centers, people dealing with housing insecurity, substance use and mental health issues struggle to access ART consistently , Gandhi said.\n\nEastern Europe and Central Asia also lag far behind, with just 51% of people with HIV getting ART and less than half being virally suppressed.\n\nRelated: Oldest 'nearly complete' HIV genome found in forgotten tissue sample from 1966\n\nBeyond 2030\n\nWe face many obstacles on the road to ending the AIDS epidemic — but we do hold all of the tools to get there, Abdool Karim, Sharma, Gandhi and Landovitz agreed. By using those tools effectively, we could begin to meaningfully drive the number of new HIV infections toward zero. At that point, HIV would become a manageable, chronic disease of the elderly.\n\nAlready, about a quarter of people with HIV worldwide, and about half of adults with HIV in Western and Central Europe and North America, are at least 50 years old. \"They're growing older with HIV; they're not dying from HIV or AIDS,\" said Sharma, whose research focuses on aging populations with HIV.\n\nBut that doesn't mean the quest for an HIV vaccine or cure is any less important, even if neither is likely to materialize in the next seven years, Abdool Karim said.\n\n\"We need to continue our investments to find a vaccine, to find a cure,\" she told Live Science. \"Because that will then say, 'That's it.'\"", + "The US is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world. By virtue of its size, its ideal IP protection laws, and deep-pocketed insurers, most of the cutting-edge innovation in pharma tends to be concentrated here. For investors and general readers alike, one should be abreast of the latest pharmaceutical innovation taking place overseas. Will a weight loss pill be a reality? When will HIV be cured? What is the future of cancer treatments?\n\nIndian investors can access growth in manufacturing, banking, commodity, services or even IT in Indian markets; but for cutting-edge tech and pharmaceutical exposure, the US is the place to look to.\n\nHere, we highlight the largest unmet needs in medicine currently being addressed by US Big Pharma, such as Merck, Gilead, Eli Lilly, and also by big players based in Europe — Novo Nordisk and Roche.\n\nWe also lay down the basic framework for investing in or assessing US pharma and the stocks that are in focus currently.\n\nOncology\n\nFrom plain chemotherapy, to surgery, to radiation and now immunotherapy, cancer treatment has come a long way. Immunotherapy, as the name suggests, is a pharmaceutical way of using the body’s immune system to eradicate cancer cells.\n\nPembrolizumab (Keytruda) approved in 2014 is the first major Monoclonal anti body or mAB from Merck. The product has raked in approvals for several cancers and has generated $20 billion in sales in 2022. This works by helping T-cells find and attack cancer cells. The PD-1 protein on T-cells is deactivated by PD-L1 protein found on the surface of a cancerous cell. Keytruda and Opdivo (from Bristol-Myers Squibb) that target PD-1 and Tecentriq (a PD-L1 inhibitor by Roche) can stop T-cells from switching off — by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction between a cancer cell and a T-cell. This allows for normal immune action on cancer cells.\n\nHowever, mABs have not had a high success rate. Treatment-resistant patient cohorts to mABs stood considerably high at 70-80 per cent.\n\nCombining the chemo route of toxicity and mABs’ targeted actions on cancer cells are Antibody Drug Conjugates or ADCs. These rely on an mAB to target cancer cells and then release the cytotoxin into the cancer cells. The link to join the mAB and the toxin makes ADCs a three-part drug.\n\nThe three parts involved in this process, along with the fact that several mABs are available, have opened the ADC market. Compared to mABs, ADC market is dominated by smaller players. Gilead acquired Immunomedics for $20 billion for its leading ADC - Trodelvy; Roche’s leading drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast cancer is now paired with a cytotoxin and branded as Kadcyla, which is expected to generate peak sales of $3-4 billion over the next two years. Merck paid $4 billion in upfront payments to Daiichi Sankyo to collaborate on ADC. The US FDA has approved 10 ADCs for cancer treatment, and more than 80 ADCs are under clinical trials.\n\nAnother route of targeting cancer cells is CAR-T therapies. From the blood drawn from the patient, T-cells are isolated and collected. Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), which can affect cancer cells, are then induced in these T-cells. This is done by infecting them with a nullified virus that is engineered to generate CARs. Such cells are cultured to multiply and then reinfused into the patient’s blood stream. For instance, leukemia and lymphoma cancers have CD-19 markers, which are targeted by the CAR-T cells and then they do their job of destroying the cancer cells. This segment has also witnessed significant M&A with Celgene acquiring Juno Therapeutics for $9 billion and Gilead acquiring Kite Pharma for $12 billion.\n\nThese novel approaches may also address the shortcomings in hematological cancers (blood) which have not faced as much success as in solid cancers.\n\nDiabetes\n\nAntidiabetic treatment kicked off with the discovery of the first animal-made insulin around a century ago. From there, innovation brought forth insulin synthesised from humans, synthetic insulins, longer and shorter acting insulins.\n\nApart from pills and the ever-reliable metformin, three leading categories operate in anti-diabetes. There are Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV inhibitors (DPP-IVs Januvia/Janumet), Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2s Jardiance, Farxiga) and Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs Trulicity, Victoza, Ozempic).\n\nGLP-1RA is inching over the other categories with improved glycemic control in clinical trials. With positive impact on non-glycemic aspects as well including weight loss, cardiac events and kidney functions, GLPs will witness more product innovation and R&D commitment in the short term.\n\nGLP-1 is a normal peptide released by the intestine in response to a meal. This binds to GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas and activates insulin production, which is impaired in Type-2 diabetes patients. GLP-1 receptor agonists are external agents that bind to the GLP-1 receptors and elevate insulin secretion by the pancreas. But, GLP-1 receptors are also found in kidney, lung, heart, skin, immune cells, and several other tissues. This allows GLP-1RA to attain a multi-modal result, which improves cardiac and renal outcomes, and aids weight loss slower gastric emptying by binding to intestinal receptors. This feature separates GLP-1RA from other modes.\n\nTreatment regimens are now not just restricted to glycemic control. Novo Nordisk’s Semaglutide, a leading GLP-1RA regimen, has shown in studies that it can reduce an adverse cardiovascular event by 20 per cent in overweight patients. In Type-2 diabetes patients, Sema’s study to show improved outcomes in chronic kidney disease was successful even on interim analysis.\n\nSemaglutide, branded as Wegovy, showed a 17-18 per cent weight loss sustained over 68 weeks’ trial for obese patients treated with Wegovy. This has created a flutter as Pfizer, Eli Lilly and others have joined the race in the category.\n\nConvenience is another important dimension on which anti-diabetes treatments place a significant weight. Once-a week insulin, Ozempic, has been approved and once-a-week long-acting basal analogue is in the works. With frequent insulin injections being a primary complaint in diabetes treatment regimen, Novo Nordisk has also launched a pill version of its GLP-1RA, Rybelsus.\n\nHIV\n\nFrom being a near-fatal prognosis, HIV is now a chronic condition with near-normal life expectancy. The first antiretroviral therapy (ART) started with azidothymidine in the late 90s, which belongs to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) class of medications. The current regimen is a combination of NRTIs, nonnucleoside NRTIs (NNRTI), protease and integrase inhibitors and casts a heavy pill burden, apart from side effects. ART therapy is focused on limiting viral replication at several levels of cell development. NNRTI and NRTI act at the cellular level, protease inhibitors work at the maturation phase, integrase inhibitors at the integration phase of the viral lifecycle.\n\nTruvada is the first approved PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) treatment for those at risk of viral exposure. These work at very early stage of viral exposure and have found high success when taken regularly in the pill form.\n\nHowever, treatment resistance to ARTs from prior exposure is an increasing concern in HIV patients. Gilead’s Lenacapavir, approved last year, is a single-pill treatment regimen for patients with multi-drug resistance to ART regimen. This formulation also addresses the pill burden with a single pill.\n\nThat said, by limiting viral replication, ARTs, by design, cannot cure or lead to remission of HIV. There is hope, though. By pinpointing a cohort of patients whose viral load was under control with limited treatment, researchers have identified broadly neutralising antibodies or bNAbs as a potential cure for HIV. Antibodies deal with viruses but fail to do so in HIV infection. By engineering bNAbs in a manner similar to mABs for cancer or vaccines (where antibody reaction to neutered virus generates immune protection), HIV cure may be on the horizon.\n\nGilead’s several Phase-2 programmes with ART combination are in progress. Studies as recently as February 2023 presented proof of concept — 90 per cent participants showed virological suppression at 26 weeks. Incidentally, Gilead’s Sovaldi and Harvoni were the first cures for Hepatitis C. The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eradicate the virus by 2030.\n\nAlzheimer’s\n\nThe degenerative disease of the brain has proved to be a difficult challenge for pharmaceutical companies. Leqembi (lecanemab), developed by Eisai in collaboration with Biogen, was the first and only approved drug for Alzheimer’s in July 2023. This comes after several failed attempts, and one controversial false start in the recent years.\n\nAlzheimer’s disease is characterised by amyloid beta deposits on brain cells leading to shrinking and loss of cognitive abilities. Despite a clear marker of amyloid plaques and a target area to work on, pharma companies failed to address plaque removal or a statistical improvement in cognitive functioning after plaque removal, till the recent approval. Pfizer, Eli lilly, Merck and many others faced failure in the space. The amyloid theory itself was in question.\n\nBiogen’s adacanumab had a peculiar start. The company itself stopped development in 2019, but it surprisingly pursued a high-dose study into 2021. Later, FDA approved adacanumab with an accelerated approval for high-dose version, which faced sharp criticism. Three advisers resigned over the approval of the drug that could have cost $56,000 per annum to administer. However, with a “traditional” approval for Eisai-partnered lecanemab for Alzheimer’s (compared to accelerated approval for adacanumab), Biogen has the first approved treatment, putting adacanumab on the backburner.\n\nCognitive function improvement is a critical marker for Alzheimer’s treatment and lecanemab delivers lower degeneration compared to placebo on this count. The treatment reduced clinical decline by 27 per cent at 18 months on clinical dementia scoring and on daily living scale delivered a 37 per cent improvement compared to placebo. As is evident, the development is satisfactory but a lot more progress is left to be made on Alzheimer’s treatment curve.\n\nTakeaways for Investors\n\nAnalysing pharma stocks in the US rests on three factors: drugs about to expire, drugs in ramping up stage and the pipeline. With sharp fall post genericisation, drugs about to expire will be a major overhang for any company, without a portfolio in ramping up stages. Pipeline products cannot really offset absence of products in ramp-up stage, as pipeline assets are given lower probabilities of success. Generally, Phase-I/II/III assets get 10/20/50 per cent probability of success.\n\nSo a good pharma stock should have low impact from expiries and fairly distributed pipeline. Along such lines, we earlier recommended Novo Nordisk (+140 per cent since July-21) and Abbvie (+27 per cent since Oct-21). We reiterate the recommendation on two stocks which are now trading at 31 times and 12 times FY24 earnings.\n\nNovo Nordisk, with sales ramp-up in weight loss, pill format and weekly injections of GLP-1RA, is well poised to grow even now. The pipeline will address NASH (untreated liver disease), hematology and other non-diabetic areas as well.\n\nAbbvie, despite Humira’s patent loss by end 2023 ($22 revenue billion in 2022) will continue to be powered by Rinvoq and Skyrizi in autoimmune, apart from deep pipeline assets. The Allergan acquisition, funded out of the cash flows from Humira as a replacement for Humira, can cushion the patent loss to an extent.\n\nAnalyst focus for Merck (12 times FY24 EPS) will start shifting to Keytruda’s likely patent loss in 2028. Despite the overhang, investors can accumulate the stock on dips. The deep pipeline powered by Keytruda combinations in immunology, ADC and other cancers, and the balance sheet strength should support Merck’s stock. While biosimilar launches will impact Keytruda’s sales in 2028, the rate of decline may be lower owing to strong physician preference for Keytruda.\n\nAnother important aspect to consider is the pipeline valuation. Here’s an example of how it is done. For instance, Biogen (and Eisai’s) Leqembi for Alzheimer’s (AD) is expected to generate peak sales of $7 billion by 2030. It has announced a list price of $26,500 for annual course and we assumed 50 per cent rebate to insurers on average here. Considering the 6 million patients in AD in the US, assuming 50 per cent are mild to moderate (applicable group according to FDA label) and 15 per cent on treatment by year 7, the drug alone can rake in $12 billion (halved to account for Eisai’s share) by 2030 in cumulative sales for a company whose market cap is $33 billion trading at 14 times FY24 EPS.", + "Chris Goulding has fired off a season-high seven three-pointers to steer NBL ladder leaders Melbourne United to a 96-84 win over the Illawarra Hawks.\n\nOperating without injured guards Ian Clark (hamstring) and Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) on Sunday, Melbourne suffered a first-half scare when Luke Travers was forced off after a knock to his left knee.\n\nIt came as visitors Illawarra surged as much as 10 points clear during a high-scoring first half at John Cain Arena.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nBut United captain Goulding’s hot hand kept his team in the contest as he drained 21 first-half points, including five three-pointers.\n\nGoulding finished with 33 points including seven triples – more than any other player in a game this season – as United’s tough defence in the second half carried them home.\n\nShea Ili (17 points) and Tanner Krebs (14) also reached double figures for Melbourne.\n\nThe result extended United’s winning streak to six games, giving them an 8-1 record on top of the ladder.\n\nImport forward Gary Clark (24 points) and Justin Robinson (20) tried to give Illawarra a lift but Tyler Harvey managed just 10 points, three days after his clutch three-pointer sealed a thrilling win over Cairns.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIn a sloppy start, United committed five turnovers in the first period and trailed at quarter-time for the first time this season.\n\nClark’s eight points on perfect shooting led Illawarra to a 29-24 advantage at that point.\n\nHis tally swelled to 16 by the main break and the Hawks’ lead reached double figures soon after United temporarily lost Travers to injury.\n\nBut Goulding caught fire to lead United to a 52-51 at the main break.\n\nDefence was key in the second half as both sides tightened up, with Melbourne holding the visitors to just 15 points in the final period.\n\nTravers returned after half-time, finishing with six points and a game-high 11 rebounds.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAriel Hukporti retained his spot in Melbourne’s starting five ahead of Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and impressed with seven points and 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end.\n\nBullets ride late luck to win over Tasmania\n\nNathan Sobey has peeled off a game-high 28 points as Brisbane survived a late Tasmania fightback to continue their NBL resurgence with a tense 90-87 win.\n\nDespite being without star big Aron Baynes (suspended) and import guard Shannon Scott (hamstring), the Bullets soared to a second straight victory on Sunday and snapped a quirky streak in the process.\n\nIt was their first win after seven straight losses in Sunday fixtures, in a run that dates back to last season.\n\nFar more importantly, the result levelled Brisbane’s current season record at 4-4 after five rounds.\n\nBut it didn’t come easily as fourth-quarter specialists Tasmania trimmed a seven-point deficit back to a single point when Majok Deng drove to the rack with 34 seconds remaining.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe two sides traded blows in the dying stages and the JackJumpers almost sent the game to overtime when they pinched Sam McDaniel’s inbounds pass on the final play.\n\nJack McVeigh got a hand in to force the turnover and Tasmania found Jordon Crawford, but his decent look at an attempted game-leveller rimmed out.\n\nThe JackJumpers, who trailed by seven at three-quarter time, kept alive their record of winning every fourth term this season, but it wasn’t enough.\n\nBrisbane captain Sobey led from the front as defensive specialist Mitch Norton kept Tasmania’s import Crawford (16 points) relatively quiet until the final period.\n\nTyrrell Harrison and Josh Bannan (10 points each) were important for the Bullets, while Chris Smith (11) and Isaac White (10) gave solid contributions off the bench.\n\nThe gut-wrenching loss ended a horror round five for the JackJumpers, who lost at home to Melbourne United before going down to the Bullets.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIt left them with a 4-4 record after a strong 4-2 start to the season.\n\nMcVeigh (18 points) and Deng (17) gave strong offensive contributions for Tasmania, who lost Marcus Lee for the final few minutes after the starting centre fouled out.\n\nTaipans import injured in win over Kings\n\nA nasty back injury to first-year import sensation Patrick Miller has marred the Taipans’ otherwise impressive 87-80 win over Sydney at the Cairns Convention Centre.\n\nMiller, who entered Saturday night’s clash ranked second in the NBL in scoring and fourth in assists, had the hosts in control before an explosive drive to the bucket ended with him crashing to the floor, 1:09 out from halftime.\n\nThe American’s head whip-lashed onto the floor before he got up gingerly and walked slowly to the bench holding his lower back, unable to continue.\n\nStepping up were acting skipper Bul Kuol (24, played all 40 minutes) and big Sam Waardenburg (22) for the Snakes, who shrugged off last Thursday’s buzzer-beating heartbreak in Illawarra by taking the NBL’s most prized scalp.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIt shot them from fifth to third on the ladder, while sending the Kings slumping from second to fourth.\n\n“We kept moving down the bench to bring guys in,” Cairns coach Adam Forde said. “Everyone responded.\n\n“I’m super happy for the group that they could fill some short-term reward with a win at home.”\n\nEx-Taipan Kouat Noi (18 points) top-scored for the visitors, while Jaylen Adams (13) and DJ Hogg (13) – playing against his former side in his long-awaited debut for his new team following a shoulder injury – got on the scoresheet, but both shot under 30 per cent, embodying the Kings’ rocky evening.\n\nThe two-time reigning champions were all at sea early, out-rebounded 18-6 in the opening term while missing their first 15 three-pointers.\n\nCairns boosted their 26-20 quarter-time buffer to 12 points shortly before Miller’s night ended in stomach-churning style.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe injury left their backcourt stocks further depleted, with Taran Armstrong (foot) and captain Tahjere McCall (family reasons) already missing.\n\nWithout Miller running the point, the home side’s offence suddenly looked shaky in the third term as Sydney briefly took the lead on a Hogg triple.\n\nThe undermanned Taipans responded with a 15-0 burst either side of three-quarter time, highlighted by Swedish young gun Bobi Klintman’s thunderous dunk down the middle over rival Next Star Alex Toohey.\n\nDown by 14, Sydney closed the gap to four points before unsportsmanlike fouls against Denzel Valentine and Makuach Maluach ended their revival.\n\nLamenting “the defensive mistakes that we made”, Kings coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah added: “They made more plays than we did, they got to the 50/50 balls and they stuck together.\n\n“Kudos to them, they deserved it.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPhoenix hold off fast-finishing Breakers\n\nSouth East Melbourne Phoenix have survived a massive late scare to clinch a tense 103-100 victory over the fast-finishing New Zealand Breakers at John Cain Arena.\n\nThe Phoenix were eyeing off a percentage pile-on when they led by a whopping 26 points on Saturday before the bottom-placed, injury-hit Breakers produced a brave rearguard to almost pinch a miracle.\n\nThe Phoenix’s big four – Alan Williams (21 points, 13 rebounds), Mitch Creek (20 points), Gary Browne (18 points, eight assists) and Will Cummings (16 points, all in the first half) – led the way but the final stages got too close for comfort.\n\nElectrifying American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (33 points, eight assists) and Finn Delany (21 points) were instrumental in the 32-19 fourth-quarter fightback from the Breakers, who were brave despite succumbing to their fourth successive defeat.\n\n“We were one lucky bounce away from winning this game,” NZ coach Mody Maor said. “Our guys are doing everything they can and everything I ask of them everyday. “They are working as hard as can be. Our fans should be proud of the level of effort our guys put in.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThey were without import power forward Zylan Cheatham, who suffered a broken foot in last Thursday’s loss to Adelaide, and Williams duly proved a beast in the low block against the undersized Anthony Lamb.\n\nBehind Williams’ dominance and Browne’s ball-handling and playmaking wizardry, the Phoenix pulled ahead 31-21 at quarter-time.\n\nCummings scored at will in the second stanza before Creek inspired a 16-0 third-quarter burst for the home side, whose advantage swelled to 80-54.\n\nNZ reverted to a zone defence and centre Mangok Mathiang impacted at both ends as the Breakers went 17-2 either side of three-quarter-time to haul themselves back into the contest.\n\nQuicksilver Cartwright-Jackson poured in 10 points inside three minutes to reduce the margin to three points down the stretch before Williams’ hook and Browne’s free throw iced it narrowly.\n\n“It was frustrating to see the lead dwindle,” Phoenix coach Mike Kelly said. “But it’s a win. The guys are going in the right direction. “I’m not disappointed, I’m stoked.”\n\nBullets shoot down weakened Wildcats\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe Brisbane Bullets have shrugged off the absence of two important players to outwork the Wildcats at their home RAC Arena in Perth and produce a performance full of heart for their 84-79 NBL win.\n\nBoth teams were 2-4 coming into Friday’s match and on losing slides, but it was the Wildcats who had the pressure building, even with the Bullets being without key pair, the suspended Aron Baynes and injured Shannon Scott.\n\nBrisbane scored the first seven points before opening up a 20-point lead in the third quarter and going on to win by five after holding out against a furious late charge from the home team.\n\nThe team effort of the Bullets was outstanding as they got another 17 points from captain Nathan Sobey.\n\nChris Smith put up 16 points, Josh Bannan 15 and Tyrell Harrison 12 to go with five rebounds and three blocks in just 14 minutes.\n\nFirst-year Bullets coach Justin Schueller couldn’t have been prouder of his team.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It was a big game for us having dropped four, with two marquees out and we knew we had to come in here and play near a perfect game,” he said.\n\n“My initial thought is just pleasure in how the guys stuck to a plan, and found our advantages consistently throughout the night.”\n\nThe Wildcats missed 18 of their first 19 three-point attempts before making a couple midway through the last quarter from Keanu Pinder, who finished with 22 points and five rebounds.\n\nHe was a lone shining light for a Wildcats team, who have lost four straight. Again, superstar Bryce Cotton struggled to 10 points and five assists on 3-of-19 shooting.\n\n“My words during the week were that we’re just not playing good, that showed again tonight,” Perth coach John Rillie said.\n\n“Our offence isn’t functioning very good right now. We’re doing a great job holding teams to scores where we could put enough points on the board to win, in saying that we’re not doing that.\n\n“That’s certainly something we have to address and resolve here pretty quickly.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBrisbane, who were on a four-game losing streak, started with the game’s first seven points and were still leading 20-9 by the end of the first quarter.\n\nWhile the Wildcats had their moments in the second quarter, Brisbane did well to lead 42-36 at the long break.\n\nIt was 17-year-old Rocco Zikarsky who stood tall in the paint in the third quarter with Harrison in foul trouble.\n\nSobey and Smith then knocked down shots as the Bullets lead ballooned to 20.\n\nThe Wildcats did make a charge with a Pinder-inspired 11-0 run in the fourth to cut the deficit to three, but the Bullets answered with strong inside finishes from Harrison and Bannan to secure the win.\n\nUnited flex muscles in road win over JackJumpers\n\nMelbourne United have had to withstand a hot start and finish from the Tasmania JackJumpers but in between were outstanding on the way to a 90-82 victory in the NBL.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe league’s top two teams locked horns at a sold out MyState Bank Arena on Friday night and it was the JackJumpers who raced out of the blocks with a 17-4 start, but United took control from there.\n\nMelbourne led by as many as 16 points midway through the fourth quarter on the back of a three ball from Luke Travers (14 points, 13 rebounds), having outscored the JackJumpers by 78 points to 49 after the first five minutes.\n\nThe JackJumpers pulled off a remarkable comeback on Melbourne back in round two and got as close as four points in the final minute, but United held firm for a fifth straight win to stay on top at 7-1.\n\nDean Vickerman was celebrating his 300th game coaching in the NBL, and the Melbourne boss was full of praise for his team.\n\n“Tonight was a little bit like my career,” he said.\n\n“We didn’t start great but once we found our rhythm and especially the way we came out of the half and had a great third quarter, and held on down a few players at the end there. But we held on.”\n\nNBA and NBL champion Ian Clark top-scored with 19 points, with rookie Kyle Bowen adding a career-best 17 as did Jo Lual-Acuil along with 10 rebounds.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nJack McVeigh led the way for Tasmania with 20 points and seven rebounds, with Jordon Crawford contributing 16 points and four assists, and Milton Doyle 12 points and five assists.\n\nTasmania coach Scott Roth was philosophical afterwards, having given up 18 offensive rebounds and lost the battle on the glass by 16.\n\n“We got a little uncharacteristic with our shot selection, which was a credit to them,” he said.\n\n“Then they beat us up on the glass. It’s just little things when you get in those kind of games that are going to make the separation points.”\n\nThe JackJumpers opened up on fire, racing to a 17-4 lead inside the opening five minutes including three balls to Crawford and McVeigh, but United soon steadied and it was the introduction of Lual-Acuil that inspired it.\n\nMelbourne would close the quarter outscoring Tasmania 17 points to four before three-pointers midway through the second stanza from Bowen and Clark put them up five.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nUnited were still leading 43-42 at halftime, on the back of 11 extra rebounds and 10 second-chance points, before captain Chris Goulding opened his account at the start of the second half from downtown.\n\nClark hit his second long ball of the game soon after to push Melbourne’s lead out to nine, his third stretched it to double-figures and Bowen landed two surprise ones of his own.\n\nThe United lead grew to 16 before the JackJumpers showed their trademark fight with a 14-2 run – but they couldn’t quite complete the job.\n\nHarvey’s Hawks buzzer beater sinks Taipans\n\nIllawarra Hawks import Tyler Harvey has sealed an 84-83 upset defeat of the Cairns Taipans with a clutch three-pointer in the final seconds at WIN Entertainment Centre.\n\nStaring down the possibility of a 1-5 start to the NBL season, last year’s wooden spooners looked intent on staging an ambush on Thursday night as captain Sam Froling fired early.\n\nBut the Taipans chased down a 13-point lead and edged in front in the final quarter, with Patrick Miller (24 points, seven assists) leading the charge.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMiller’s jump shot in the final 10 seconds gave the Taipans a two-point lead that looked as though it could have been match-winning.\n\nBut the Hawks belted down the court and the ball found itself in Harvey’s hands for their final roll of the dice.\n\nHis deep three swished through the net with one second remaining, sending the home crowd into raptures and improving the Hawks to 2-4.\n\n“I turned around to my assistants and I said, ‘That’s why we have him (Harvey)’,” said Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas.\n\n“It’s good that people can be reminded how special he is at the end of the clock.\n\n“In that space, he always gives us a chance.”\n\nThe Taipans are now 2-2 to start the season, having also dropped their two games against NBA sides as part of that league’s pre-season.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It’s a tall order to expect us to win if we keep giving up second-chance points,” said Taipans coach Adam Forde.\n\n“I don’t want to discredit Illawarra (but) during the game, I felt like we were better-equipped to close it out, but we didn’t and Illawarra did. It’s the one that got away.”\n\nNine first-quarter points from Froling helped the Hawks to a nine-point lead at the first change.\n\nFroling (16 points, 13 rebounds) had his double-double with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.\n\nBut Cairns did a better job at targeting him later on, keeping the rangy centre scoreless in the second half.\n\n“He had a great game,” Jackomas said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nImport Justin Robinson, who had struggled from the field to begin the season, hit a three that forced a timeout and restored a game-high 13-point lead in the third quarter.\n\nBut lapses in concentration threatened to cost the Hawks.\n\nThey invited Cairns back into the game by shooting only one of their last nine attempts from the field in the third quarter, having gone almost four minutes without scoring from the field in the second.\n\nAfter the break, a free-throw from Sam Waardenburg tied things up, one of nine occasions in the final quarter alone that scores were level.\n\nIt took Harvey’s moment of magic to split the sides late.\n\n“I’m really happy for the guys,” Jackomas said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It is a bit of a relief, but we need to move on into being a basketball team now, not the team that’s relieved to win.\n\n“I’m really confident in these guys.”\n\nCheatham injured as 36ers upset Breakers\n\nThe New Zealand Breakers face a nervous wait after losing import Zylan Cheatham to a leg injury in the 97-85 upset loss to the Adelaide 36ers.\n\nWithout a hand being laid on him, ex-NBA forward Cheatham pulled up sore changing direction early in the fourth quarter at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Thursday night.\n\nCheatham was unable to put weight on his right leg as Breakers staff helped him from the floor.\n\nHe played no further part in the match, but there was no immediate update on his condition after full-time.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It’s too early. We’ll pray for good news,” said Breakers coach Mody Maor.\n\nAny long-term injury would be troublesome for last season’s runners-up, who have begun the campaign with only one win from four games.\n\nCheatham’s injury proved a turning point. The Breakers had maintained a slim lead for most of the night as Cheatham (17 points, eight rebounds) combined with guard Will McDowell-White to strong effect.\n\nBut the Sixers went on a 10-0 run straight after the American went off, then moved in front for the first time since the opening quarter.\n\nSunday Dech nailed a three-pointer to give what was then the 36ers’ biggest lead of the day (seven points).\n\nThey never again trailed, clinching the final quarter 27-14.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Zylan’s a focal point for us in everything that we do, he’s also one of our leaders, one of our best competitors,” Maor said.\n\n“To see him go down like this, I think deflated us.\n\n“New team, new people, new leaders, these are the kinds of things that we need to learn to deal with.”\n\nThe 36ers, tipped as possible wooden spooners in the pre-season, have now won three of their past four games.\n\nMid-season recruit Dejan Vasiljevic (24 points, five assists) took centre stage for the Sixers after Cheatham went off.\n\nThe two-time NBL champion sank his 200th three-pointer in the first half and hit three more in the fourth quarter as the Sixers broke away.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“He’s a tough SOB,” 36ers coach CJ Bruton said.\n\n“When it comes down to it, from the juniors, to the seniors, to the pros, that’s who he is and he carries that. He’s got respect from everyone, not only our team, but the league.”\n\nSixers big man Isaac Humphries, who starred in an upset defeat of Perth last game, had been instrumental earlier on.\n\nThe centre (17 points, 11 rebounds) used his size advantage to dominate the paint and help Adelaide remain in the game, despite giving up 10 first-half turnovers as a team. They finished with a staggering 23.\n\nThe Breakers were left to rue wayward free-throw shooting (12 from 20 attempts), which meant they were never able to open up a double-digit lead.\n\nFormer Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Lamb (25 points) is acclimatising quickly to the NBL, though the Breakers recruit had too little help as he notched nine fourth-quarter points.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n© AAP", + "Earlier this year, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple had infringed on two patents from medical device maker Masimo. As a result, the ITC said it would impose an import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 starting December 26th. At the time it was hard to believe that this would actually come to pass: Apple gets sued all the time, and even when it loses, how often does it actually face dramatic consequences?\n\nWell, now would be one of those times. Experts say that, barring a Christmas miracle, it’s unlikely that Apple will find a way to escape the ban. Case in point, the company shocked everyone yesterday when it decided to preemptively pull the watches from its online store starting December 21st at 3PM ET. And after the 24th, they’ll disappear from Apple Stores, too.\n\n“I think Apple sees the writing on the wall and they’re preparing themselves,” says Ben Levi, a partner at Levi Snotherly & Schaumberg, which has experience litigating ITC disputes.\n\nIt’s rare to see Big Tech lose — and with such tangible consequences at that. There are still ways that Apple can keep the watches on sale, but it’ll likely take a lot of waiting or a lot of money to make it happen.\n\nHow Apple got here\n\nThis ban is the result of a long-standing patent dispute between Apple and the medical device maker Masimo. The latter is known for its pulse oximetry tech, generally referred to as SpO2 or blood oxygen saturation in the wearable world, and it claims that Apple is using that patented technology without permission.\n\nThis particular story started about 10 years ago when Apple reached out to Masimo about a potential partnership around blood oxygen features on its wearables. Soon after, Apple reportedly poached several Masimo engineers and its chief medical officer. And then in fall 2020, Apple released the Apple Watch Series 6 — its first Apple Watch to feature an SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen saturation levels.\n\nThe SpO2 sensors measure blood oxygen levels and are at the heart of this patent dispute. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nIn 2020, Masimo filed a lawsuit in the US District Court in the Central District of California accusing Apple of stealing trade secrets and infringing on 10 of its patents. That case dragged on and on, so Masimo then filed a separate case with the ITC in 2021. Then last year, Apple sued Masimo back, claiming the company made an Apple Watch clone with its Masimo W1 Medical Watch. Clearly, there’s some bad blood here. But in this case, the important thing is that the ITC sided with Masimo. In January 2023, it ruled that Apple Watches did in fact infringe on Masimo patents.\n\nThe ITC then issued an import ban in October, as well as an order to stop selling products infringing on Masimo’s patents that had already been imported. We’re currently nearing the end of a 60-day presidential review period, in which President Joe Biden or the US Trade Representative (USTR) has the opportunity to veto the ban. If there’s no veto by the time the review period ends, the ban will go into effect.\n\nBut will Biden actually veto?\n\nApple getting a presidential veto would be like lightning striking the same place twice.\n\n“It is extraordinarily rare for the President to overturn a decision from the International Trade Commission and in my view, [it’s] unlikely in this particular case,” says Andrei Iancu, co-chair of the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) and partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, who was also the director of the US Patent and Trademark Office from 2018 to 2021.\n\nTo get a veto, a company usually has to show a public interest or health policy basis — and that isn’t the case here. “It’s unlikely that the import exclusion order will be disapproved by the USTR and the president,” says Smith Brittingham, partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. “The only real answer would be, ‘Well, it’s Apple.’”\n\nThat said, Apple did manage to beat the system once. In 2013, then President Barack Obama vetoed an import ban on the iPhone. At the time, Samsung accused Apple of infringing on its cellular data patents. But in that case, according to Levi, Apple was able to make the argument that there were issues regarding fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory licensing (FRAND). The patents involved were considered standard and essential, and the Obama administration was concerned the import ban would give Samsung “undue leverage.” Plus, it only impacted the iPhone 4 and older models of the iPad. Newer iPhones didn’t use an infringing chipset. In the case of the Apple Watch, Apple doesn’t have any of these arguments.\n\n“In that case 10 years ago, Apple really rolled the dice and the pulled the rabbit out of the hat. It’s very unlikely for them to do that again,” says Levi.\n\nWhere does Apple go from here?\n\nA hail mary veto is unlikely, but that doesn’t mean Apple is just going to accept an import ban on a $17 billion segment of its business. Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg told The Verge in a statement that the company was “pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers.” That means the watch is going back on sale one way or another — it’s just a question of what path Apple takes.\n\nApple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months. The company will also probably ask for a stay on the import ban, but Brittingham says that’s not likely to be granted because Apple would have to prove that it would be irreparably harmed. In other words, it’d have to make a convincing case that it would go out of business if it can’t sell the Apple Watch.\n\nApple says it’s exploring both legal and technical options to get around this import ban. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nWhile the Apple Watch is a popular product and makes up for roughly 30 percent of the smartwatch market, Apple won’t go under if the Apple Watch is out of commission in just the US. It’ll hurt to lose such an important market, but it can still sell all three of its Apple Watch models abroad. Similarly, the import ban wouldn’t affect every Apple Watch. The entry-level SE is unaffected by the ban as it doesn’t have blood oxygen sensing capabilities.\n\nThe SE points to one way for Apple to sidestep the import ban altogether. According to both Brittingham and Levi, Apple could redesign its Apple Watch to avoid the infringed patents until the appeals process is done. Theoretically, all Apple has to do is push out a firmware update that disables the SpO2 sensor and then it could go right back to importing Apple Watches for sale.\n\nAnd there are indications that Apple is actively pursuing that option. Bloomberg reports that Apple engineers are scrambling to alter the blood oxygen algorithms on the watches. The report quotes an unnamed Apple spokesperson saying the company plans to submit a workaround to the US customs agency to get the product back on shelves.\n\nDo Apple’s SpO2 sensors even matter? Speaking as a wearables reviewer, removing the SpO2 sensors wouldn’t be the end of the world for Apple in the short term. Apple’s blood oxygen features are mostly for wellness and sleep tracking — and they’re not that useful beyond determining your nightly baseline. I’m willing to bet the average Apple Watch user forgets that the blood oxygen features even exist. In the case of the Apple Watch, it periodically takes SpO2 readings in the background, or you can actively take a spot check. However, Apple itself doesn’t really make wide use of these metrics. It’s not like how the watch uses its EKG capabilities to detect atrial fibrillation. On consumer wearables, SpO2 features generally have no medical use cases. They’re essentially for “entertainment” purposes, and we’ve repeatedly reported that you should never, ever use them as any sort of replacement for traditional pulse oximeters. The only real blow for Apple is if the rumors are correct and it’s working on sleep apnea detection. Losing the sensors in that instance would make developing this feature harder. However, that feature would require a lengthy FDA clearance process. That means more advanced health features like sleep apnea detection are more of a medium to long-term concern — and it’s very possible that Apple will have a workaround by the time such features are ready for consumers.\n\nThat said, for this route to be successful, Iancu says it depends on the specific patent, ITC ruling, and what exactly Apple has planned as far as redesigning the product.\n\n“From a legal perspective, whatever change Apple makes has to be significant enough to avoid the patent, and it cannot be what’s called a ‘colorable’ difference. Minor changes will not be sufficient,” Iancu says.\n\nBasically, Apple can’t simply make a small tweak to the code and call it a day. Masimo claims that the patents are hardware related, so even completely disabling the sensor may not work depending on how the patent is written. Apple could remove it entirely from the design, but that would require mucking around with Apple’s meticulous supply chain and could take some time.\n\nThen there are the options that would cost Apple some money. Apple could sit down with Masimo and hammer out a licensing deal for the infringed patents. In a New York Times interview, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani said Apple “had not engaged in licensing negotiations.” It’s an easy-seeming fix, so why not do it? For starters, both parties have to want to settle.\n\n“Apple is a tough nut to crack,” says Brittingham, noting that Apple is one of the most sued companies in Silicon Valley. The company’s large cash reserves also make taking Apple to court a costly endeavor. Masimo, for example, has reportedly spent $60 million litigating the issue thus far. “I think they tend to hold out as long as possible in order to make it less appetizing to sue Apple.”\n\nThe other option is for Apple to avoid the import ban altogether. Iancu says Apple could simply decide to manufacture the watches within the US instead of overseas — but that’s a significant supply chain change that’s unlikely to happen any time soon.\n\nDoes this set a precedent?\n\nThis import ban isn’t the only one Apple is facing. In February, the Biden administration also declined to veto another ITC import ban and cease-and-desist order stemming from a dispute with AliveCor over the Apple Watch’s EKG features. Like Masimo, AliveCor argued that Apple stole its tech to develop the wearable EKG feature, thereby infringing on its patents. However, while the two cases look similar, the result of one doesn’t speak to how the other will play out.\n\n“Every case is different, every patent is different,” says Levi. “Different complainants who bring up a case have got their own businesses, their own products, and those implicate a whole different set of facts.”\n\nThe Apple Watch SE will remain unaffected because it doesn’t have a blood oxygen sensor. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nCase in point, while the ITC granted AliveCor’s import ban, it hasn’t had any impact because the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled that AliveCor’s EKG tech isn’t actually patentable. AliveCor would have to win its appeal to that ruling before any Apple Watches with EKG features would be pulled from the market for that reason.\n\nEven so, Iancu says everything is working as it ought to. “The takeaway is that the system is working as originally intended. If Apple wants to have products imported into the US, it should make sure that it comes up with its original inventions and does not infringe on other people’s patented technology.”\n\nUltimately, if this import ban goes through — which it’s looking a lot like it will — that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to buy another Apple Watch in the US. As mentioned, the SE remains completely unaffected. In the short term, the ban also doesn’t forbid third-party resellers from selling their inventory of Series 9 or Ultra 2. Once they run out, only then it may pose a problem if they can’t buy more units from Apple.", + "Imagine what Manchester United could do if Erik ten Hag hadn’t already lost the dressing room. Yes, it’s been another of those weeks at Old Trafford: rancour, rumour and recrimination, barbs in the press and barbs at the press, defeat at Newcastle followed by this stirring recovery against Chelsea, and the startling realisation that United are now three points behind Manchester City. It’s still only Thursday, by the way.\n\nPerhaps ultimately this win only buys Ten Hag a few days’ grace, a warm flume of goodwill that lasts only as long as it takes for Dominic Solanke to run through on goal for Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon. Back in the grip of crisis, back in the now-familiar lexicon of surly unsourced stories about dressing room discontent. Such is the way of things at football’s most reliable content provider. This beast must always eat.\n\nBut block out the noise for just a moment, as of course United cannot, and something interesting is happening here. This was a win that felt a lot tighter than it really was: United inexplicably hanging on at the end despite enjoying 28 shots and an xG tally of 4.07. For long periods United played some of their most authentically thrilling football of the season, a doctrine of relentless attack that had Diogo Dalot flying forward from right-back even as the minutes ticked down.\n\nIt was also a game that felt more chaotic than it really was. In fact the slippery, slingy nature of the play was largely by design: United hollowing out their midfield in order to throw bodies forward, Chelsea hollowing out theirs in order to leave men up for the breakaway. It was a game that hung on United’s determination to keep allowing Chelsea counterattacks, and Chelsea’s determination to keep messing them up. It was a game, above all, that hung on the curious main character energy of Scott McTominay.\n\nUnited fans will no doubt note the rich irony in the fact that these days McTominay is basically doing the job they once paid Paul Pogba to do. Marauding midfield engine and late-running goal threat; the all-action superhero who can chip in with 10 goals a season and pull off slide tackles that make the highlight reels. It never quite worked out for Pogba at United, largely – if you believe his most vehement critics – on account of his hair. McTominay is a different kind of player with a different kind of skillset. But for all the undoubted leadership qualities of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, tactically it is McTominay running the show right now: a development with numerous interesting consequences.\n\nHere he scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season. Previously he has never got more than seven. Where is this coming from? Partly from the fact that opponents have still not quite cottoned on to McTominay’s goal threat, those late runs to the far post, the blur on the edge of the 18-yard box that you don’t spot until it’s too late. But partly, too, it is a function of how Ten Hag is using him.\n\nErik ten Hag (right) and Mitchell van der Gaag, his assistant, talk tactics during the game. Photograph: Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images\n\nUnlike his previous more conventional midfield roles, these days McTominay basically has a licence to create overloads wherever he finds them. Against low blocks and structured defences – and nobody is remotely accusing Chelsea of possessing one of those – he provides the extra body in a tightly marked penalty area. But he also pops up in the channels, on the wing, either supporting the man in possession or offering himself for the quick switch of play.\n\nGreat times for a great guy. But, of course, if you commit a midfielder to this role, then you leave gaps elsewhere. One of the reasons Chelsea found it so easy to play through United was that, with the forwards pushed high and McTominay as the secret sauce in the final third, there were open spaces every time they played through the press. Chelsea’s goal was a case in point: two simple vertical passes straight through the centre via Mykhailo Mudryk to Cole Palmer, passes that McTominay could see coming but could do precious little to stop.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nOn another night, perhaps Chelsea score from one of these counterattacks. Perhaps in another game United come up against a better finisher than Nicolas Jackson, who for all his talent looks like a man playing football in a hall of mirrors. This is the high-wire act that Ten Hag is enacting: a daring gamble that United will gain more going forward than they lose going back.\n\nThat once Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane come back, once he brings the defensive line up 10 yards, once Rasmus Højlund hits some form, once Mason Mount gets up to speed, lawless abandon will begin to resemble a sustainable attacking blueprint. That he can shout down the noise in the short term while building something in the long term. Right now, in the raptured afterglow of a big win, it feels like a gamble being won. But best to come back and check in a few days, just to make sure.", + "8 authors and their 8 gift book picks for this holiday season TechCrunch talked to eight authors with ties to the startup community to see which books they would gift this year\n\nBook blurbs have become a central part of the publishing industry: Who better to endorse a book than other authors and thought leaders? In that same spirit, we asked several writers to recommend books that you and other TechCrunch readers may want to gift this holiday season.\n\nRead on for recommendations from:\n\nThe responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.\n\nJon Evans\n\nYou may know Jon Evans as a former TechCrunch columnist or from his engineering and CTO roles, but he is also a novelist. Most of his books are technothrillers painting travelers caught in tricky situations in exotic locations. “Exadelic” is different, and not just because it’s his first novel in over a decade: It is set in Silicon Valley, where a tech exec gets threatened by a rogue AI.\n\nBook recommendation: “The Steerswoman,” by Rosemary Kirstein\n\nI love books which turn out to be far deeper, richer, and more thought-provoking than they originally seem, and the series of novels which begin with The Steerswoman are my go-to example of just that. Read just the first few chapters, and you’ll think you “know” you’re reading a clichéd fantasy novel, albeit better-written and more feminist than most; two adventurer women meet in a medieval-ish tavern, in a land plagued by dragons, and commence a quest to discover the source of mysterious – some say magical – gems. You might be a bit surprised by the asides in which they begin to discuss math and physics, but still, clearly a fairly forgettable genre fantasy story … right? …Wrong. Very, very wrong. Instead (and I’m sorry for spoilering this, but it’s impossible to write about this series without either doing so or being maddeningly elliptic) these books are some of the least fantastic, most meticulously thought-out science fiction you will ever read. More, they are a meditation on science itself, on how and why we acquire knowledge, on the repercussions of that knowledge being hoarded rather than shared … and on the inevitable(?) inequities, oppressions, and breakdowns between communities that result. They’re also a whole lot of fun! Not just an ongoing puzzle to be solved, but a series of genuinely thrilling, funny, and wrenching adventures, populated by great characters, to experience from the edge of your seat. Read the first, and if you like it — and I bet you will — lucky you; the sequels are even better.\n\nKashmir Hill\n\nKashmir Hill’s book “Your Face Belong to Us” is the story of a “small AI company that gave facial recognition to law enforcement, billionaires and businesses, threatening to end privacy as we know it.” But she doesn’t need to resort to (science) fiction to make it chilling; the company in question is Clearview AI, which very much exists, and its Dutch publisher describes the book as a “real-life thriller.”\n\nBook recommendation: “The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States,” by Brian Hochman\n\nI’m fascinated by the intersection of privacy and technology and how we navigate the clashes between the two. Hochman, a professor of American Studies at Georgetown, looks back to a historical moment when society was confronted with an intrusive new technology—tiny recording devices and wiretaps—and how new norms and laws developed to address it. To the extent that past is prologue, I found it very compelling for framing my expectations for what’s to come with the newest and most shocking forms of mass data collection and use.\n\nJerry Neumann\n\n“Founder vs Investor,” a recently published non-fiction book, crosses two perspectives on venture-backed startups; entrepreneur Elizabeth Zalman is the founder, and veteran VC Jerry Neumann is the investor. Together, they share insights on how both sides can best work with one another.\n\nBook recommendation: “How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms,” by Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones\n\nTen years ago data was “the new oil”. Now it’s something more… read the tech news and you have to wonder if anything else even matters. As a humanist, I hope so, but I don’t think you can reason about that unless you know the history. “How Data Happened” is that history. Wiggins and Jones cover the idea of data from the advent of statistics through today. The book is well-researched, as you’d expect from a couple of Columbia’s top professors, but it’s also an interesting and engaging read. It’s a perfect gift for anyone who wants to know how our data-driven society got to where we are today and where it might take us tomorrow.\n\nBarr Moses\n\nBarr Moses is the CEO and co-founder of Monte Carlo, a data observability startup. She also co-wrote a technical book on the topic: O’Reilly’s “Data Quality Fundamentals: A Practitioner’s Guide to Building Trustworthy Data Pipelines,” sharing advice on achieving reliable data at scale.\n\nBook recommendation: “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts,” by Brené Brown\n\nReading a Brené Brown book is like tackling the Sunday crossword puzzle – equal parts challenging and rejuvenating – and Dare to Lead is no different. Dare to Lead pulls on Brown’s decades of research, interviews, and experience as a professor at the University of Houston speaking with CEOs, founders, and other executives to understand what great leadership looks like and how to achieve it. She distills four key skill sets great leaders possess and highlights ways to empower employees to be courageous in the face of adversity and change. Published in 2018 before the Gen AI wave hit, Dare to Lead also addresses what human leaders have to bring to the table that AI and ML currently don’t – empathy and connection. Bonus: the book also provides helpful resources to assess leadership strengths and growth opportunities that can make for a fun and informative team building activity.\n\nPolina Marinova Pompliano\n\nIt’s her newsletter The Profile that led Polina Marinova Pompliano to become an author. “After years of profiling hundreds of fascinating people, I asked myself: What distinguishes the great from the truly exceptional?” This led to her first book, “Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World’s Most Successful People.”\n\nBook recommendation: “It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War,” by Lynsey Addario\n\nWar photojournalist Lynsey Addario has covered every major conflict and humanitarian crisis on the planet. As she sees the destruction and the pain through the lens of her camera, her images translate that intense emotion to people across the globe. Her memoir ‘It’s What I Do’ is the story of how she risks her life to tell the stories of ordinary people living in extraordinarily dangerous places. In the chaotic times we’re living through right now, it’s a memoir that documents the human cost of war. Despite witnessing so much tragedy and brutality, she has never lost her ability to see the good in humanity. My favorite quote from the book is: “I choose to live in peace and witness war—to experience the worst in people but to remember the beauty.”\n\nGeorgiana Laudi\n\nGeorgiana (Gia) Laudi helps SaaS businesses grow through her agency, Forget the Funnel. This is also the title of the book she co-wrote with her co-founder Claire Suellentrop, and whose premise is to present readers with a “a customer-led approach for driving predictable, recurring revenue.”\n\nBook recommendation: “Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products,” by Martina Lauchengco\n\nProduct Marketing, particularly in tech, is one of the most foundational and yet also somehow wildly misunderstood disciplines. “Loved” by Martina Lauchengco is exactly the comprehensive guide the startup scene so desperately needed. She manages to strike the perfect blend of accessible and comprehensive so that everyone from founders to practitioners understand the critical role product marketing plays in successful companies and what good looks like at every stage of growth. Though I think what I appreciate the most about this book is that when it comes to marketing and driving product adoption, even though she introduces four fundamentals of product marketing, the first and most critical to get right is customer insight. This is almost unheard of given the target market for this book is an industry where engineering and scale reign supreme.\n\nScott Hurff\n\nAs a writer, Scott Hurff doesn’t always write about product design; but when he does he is able to share his perspective as someone who’s also a product maker and designer. It is also this intersection that nurtured his book, “Designing Products People Love: How Great Designers Create Successful Products.”\n\nBook recommendation: “Getting Real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application,” by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson and Matthew Linderman\n\n“Getting Real” is an absolute treasure from 2006 and it’s still teaching me things. It was the first time anyone building in modern tech put together a practical, straightforward, all-encompassing guide for conceiving, building, shipping, and marketing web apps. Jason and David’s words are efficient when they need to be, detailed when it matters, and packed full of nuance that’s both unique and endearing. The book feels like it started as an internal series of posts or a handbook to help scale 37signals beyond the core team (from what I remember, Basecamp launched in 2004 and had quickly found success). Whatever the format, what lends “Getting Real” authenticity is the fact that 37signals used these exact techniques to ship Basecamp and find its customer base. To this day, I’ve never read anything like it. It’s one of those books that you can finish in an afternoon but stays with you for far longer, morphing into a reference book for the times when you need some extra perspective.\n\nJames Wise\n\nYou may know James Wise as a partner at VC firm Balderton Capital; but this London-based VC also wrote his first book, “Start-up Century: Why We’re All Becoming Entrepreneurs – and How to Make It Work for Everyone.” Launched in the U.K. on November 23, it should make a great gift for aspiring entrepreneurs around you.\n\nBook recommendation: “The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma,” by Mustafa Suleyman with Michael Bhaskar", + "AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan has revealed his top 40 prospects ahead of this month’s AFL Draft.\n\nSheehan’s picks were announced in a press release by the AFL on Thursday. The 2023 draft will be held on November 20 and 21 with the rookie draft to follow a day later.\n\nSheehan has profiled all 129 players who attended the 2023 AFL Draft Combine or 2023 AFL State Draft Combine last month. His full list can be found at the AFL Draft Hub.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nThe AFL Draft will be shown on Fox Footy and Kayo. CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial to watch the AFL on KAYO\n\nKEVIN SHEEHAN’S TOP 40 PROSPECTS: VIA THE AFL\n\nKynan Brown\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Oakleigh Chargers\n\nCommunity Club: Blackburn\n\nDate of Birth: 13/01/05\n\nHeight: 181cm\n\nLeft-footed inside midfielder who has quick hands, sharp vision and creates play through the middle of the ground with his creativity. Had a remarkably consistent year which included starring for Victoria Metro in the National Championships averaging 22.8 disposals at 80 percent efficiency as well as 4.5 clearances and 4.8 tackles to win their best and fairest award. Had similar numbers with the Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League including kicking five goals and having 25 disposals in a best on ground performance in the Wildcard Round win against the Northern Knights. Tested very well at the state Draft Combine in Victoria with his 6:12 on the 2km time trial and 3.04 seconds for the 20m sprint rounding off a productive season. Is eligible to be selected under the father-son rule as the son of former Melbourne utility Nathan D Brown, who played 146 games for the Demons.\n\nWeapon: Footy IQ and ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans)\n\nCal Twomey believes father-son prospect Kynan Brown has shown enough to be on an AFL list in 2024, but is more likely to be a later selection in the Draft\n\n\n\nBrown averaged 23 disposals and 4 tackles for Vic Metro across the U/18 national carnival pic.twitter.com/gmOAkNGRfw — MyHeartBeatsTrue (@melbournefans) July 19, 2023\n\nAdvertisement\n\nNate Caddy\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Northern Knights\n\nCommunity Club: Yarrambat\n\nDate of Birth:14/07/05\n\nHeight: 193cm\n\nA pack marking forward with a vice-like grip overhead who has a real physical presence with his impact inside 50. Has also shown he can provide a lift for his team with his ability to win the contested ball as a midfielder when the occasion arises. Had an outstanding year with the Northern Knights averaging 16.3 disposals and 6.2 marks across nine matches to earn selection in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year. Kicked 39 goals across all matches in the talent pathway this year, which included games for Victoria Metro and the Australia under-18 team. Tested extremely well at the national Draft Combine with results of 3.02 seconds on the 20m sprint along with 6:35 for the 2km time trial indications of his athletic prowess. Is the nephew of two-time Richmond premiership star Josh Caddy.\n\nWeapon: Contested marking and goalkicking\n\nAFL player comparison: Taylor Walker (Adelaide Crows)\n\nCaiden Cleary\n\nState: NSW-ACT\n\nState League Club: Sydney Swans Academy\n\nCommunity Club: Sydney University\n\nDate of Birth: 05/03/05\n\nHeight: 182cm\n\nAn in-and-under player who extracts the ball well from stoppages. His ferocious attack on the ball and his opponent helped set the tone for the Allies to dominate the midfield battle throughout the National Championships and he was rewarded with All Australian honours. Averaged 29.2 disposals, 11.2 contested possessions and a team-high 6.8 tackles across four matches for the Allies and showed excellent repeat speed and courage as well as clean hands playing both on the inside and outside. His 6:06 effort in the 2km time trial at the national Draft Combine showcased his elite endurance. He has been part of the Sydney Swans’ Academy since the under-10s.\n\nWeapon: Contested ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Tim Taranto (Richmond)\n\nLance Collard\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Subiaco\n\nCommunity Club: North Beach\n\nDate of Birth: 26/03/05\n\nHeight: 180cm\n\nSmall forward who is extremely dangerous around goals. Booted 39 goals in 16 matches in Western Australia’s pathway this year where he played predominantly at Colts level. Also represented his state in three games at the National Championships which gave him a taste of playing against the nation’s best. He then highlighted his potential by kicking five-goal bags in three of the final five games of the WAFL Colts season. Showcased his athletic prowess at the national Draft Combine where he produced the quickest time on the agility test (8.16 seconds) and a top ten finish on the 20m sprint (2.92 seconds). Is a member of the West Coast Eagles’ Next Generation Academy meaning they can match any bid after selection 40 in this year’s Draft.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWeapon: Speed and innate goal sense\n\nAFL player comparison: Charlie Cameron (Brisbane Lions)\n\nJordan Croft\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Calder Cannons\n\nCommunity Club: Maribyrnong Park\n\nDate of Birth: 12/05/05\n\nHeight: 200cm\n\nA tall forward who is lightly built but extremely athletic. He uses his mobility and height to create opportunities as a marking forward, with his speed and precise kicking key features of his game. He only fully focused on a potential AFL career last year after previously playing volleyball. Starred with the Calder Cannons and Victoria Metro this year kicking 33 goals in the talent pathway. His 2km time of 6:05 at the national Draft Combine was a strong indicator of his elite endurance but also his competitiveness for a player of his size. Is eligible to join the Western Bulldogs under the father-son rule as the son of former Bulldogs utility Matthew Croft, who played 186 games for the club.\n\nWeapon: Aerial ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Max King (St Kilda)\n\nJordan Croft has nominated as a father-son prospect for the Western Bulldogs ????\n\n\n\nThe 200cm forward is an elite runner, sharp kick and strong mark.#AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/f9twMnNtfO — AFL (@AFL) October 12, 2023\n\nDaniel Curtin\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Claremont\n\nCommunity Club: West Coast\n\nDate of Birth: 08/03/05\n\nHeight: 197cm\n\nA left-footed defender who experienced a frustrating run with injury during the 2022 season. Managed to get back to play in the AFL Futures game at the MCG on AFL Grand Final day and excelled for Team Houli with 22 disposals and nine marks to claim best on the ground honours. Continued that form into this season and was outstanding for Western Australia at the National Championships winning his team’s MVP award and All-Australian honours after averaging 23.5 disposals and 6.5 marks playing as a defender and midfielder. Played a handful of senior games for Claremont and ended the season being one of his team’s best in a premiership win at under-18 level. His agility, speed for his size and precise kicking are all features of his game.\n\nWeapon: Intercept ability and precise ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Steven May (Melbourne)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHarry DeMattia\n\nPronunciation: De-matt-e-ya\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Dandenong Stingrays\n\nCommunity Club: Edithvale-Aspendale\n\nDate of Birth: 11/09/05\n\nHeight: 185cm\n\nA midfielder/forward with a combination of speed and endurance which enables him to cover the ground and compete in the air and at ground level. A left footer, he brings real pressure with his ability to lay run down tackles against the flow of play. Shared the role of Victoria Country co-captain with Harley Reid and performed consistently. Had an exciting year with the Dandenong Stingrays averaging 19 disposals and 4.8 tackles to earn selection in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year. Recorded a top 10 finish in the 20m sprint at the national Draft Combine with a slick 2.99 seconds. A dual sports athlete who was a member of Australia’s under-19 cricket program.\n\nWeapon: Speed and endurance\n\nAFL player comparison: Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows)\n\nZane Duursma\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Gippsland Power\n\nCommunity Club: Foster\n\nDate of Birth: 28/08/05\n\nHeight: 189cm\n\nA mercurial forward or midfielder who reads the play exceptionally well, is strong overhead and deadly accurate around the goals. Was an outstanding player for Victoria Country at the National Championships to earn All Australian honours, which included a match-winning performance against Victoria Metro in the final game where he amassed 22 disposals, 10 marks and four goals. Was also dominant for the Gippsland Power to win their best and fairest and earn selection in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year. Finished the year with 42 goals across 20 matches in all competitions. His natural leap was highlighted at the national Draft Combine with his running vertical jump of 97cm ranked second overall. Hails from a talented football family, with his brother Xavier now at Essendon and sister Yasmin playing for Port Adelaide.\n\nWeapon: Aerial skill and goal sense\n\nAFL player comparison: Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans)\n\nCharlie Edwards\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Sandringham Dragons\n\nCommunity Club: Sandhurst\n\nDate of Birth: 18/05/05\n\nHeight: 191cm\n\nMedium defender and midfielder who emerged as the year progressed and is now considered a possible Draft bolter given his rapid progression for the Sandringham Dragons in their road to the Coates Talent League premiership. Showed real class with his athleticism and ball use once moved into the midfield with his 29-disposal performance against the Dandenong Stingrays in Round 13 an eye-catcher. Is also a talented cricketer and has spent only one year in the AFL Talent Pathway system after playing underaged football at Sandhurst before moving to Melbourne Grammar. Averaged 17.1 disposals at 76 percent efficiency and kicked seven goals across 12 matches in the Coates Talent League to announce himself as a Draft prospect. His 6:24 in the 2km time trial at the state Draft Combine in Victoria was impressive for a player of his type.\n\nWeapon: Rebound and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)\n\nMitchell Edwards\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Peel Thunder\n\nCommunity Club: South Mandurah\n\nDate of Birth: 02/06/05\n\nHeight: 206cm\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAn exciting ruckman still growing into his body. Has the height and natural leap to give his team a distinct advantage at stoppages. Has continued to develop this year and shown glimpses of his aerial ability at state under-18 level and took several exciting marks during the National Championships. A mobile and competitive player still honing his ruck craft, he is a member of Fremantle’s NGA program with the Dockers able to match a rival club’s bid should it come after selection 40 in the Draft. Tested well at the national Draft Combine with his running vertical jump of 94cm ranked fifth overall, while his 3.07 seconds on the 20m sprint was impressive for a player of his size.\n\nWeapon: Height and overhead marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Tim English (Western Bulldogs)\n\nJoel Freijah\n\nPronunciation: Free-jah\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: GWV Rebels\n\nCommunity Club: Horsham Saints\n\nDate of Birth: 14/11/05\n\nHeight: 190cm\n\nA wingman who has real composure, is clean below his knees and distributes the ball very well. Announced himself as an AFL prospect when he kicked six goals from 26 disposals in the GWV Rebels’ loss to the Dandenong Stingrays in Round 4. He holds his width when playing on the wing which provides his team with an outlet option with its ball movement. Had a consistent year at club level averaging 19.6 disposals in 14 matches for the Rebels and finished third in the best and fairest while playing in all four matches for Victoria Country. A strong all-round athlete, he ran a time of 2.98 seconds in the 20m sprint during pre-season testing and then completed the 2km time trial in 6:13 at the national Draft Combine.\n\nWeapon: Clean hands and vision\n\nAFL player comparison: Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane Lions)\n\nTaylor Goad\n\nState: South Australia\n\nState League Club: South Adelaide\n\nCommunity Club: Willunga\n\nDate of Birth: 28/04/05\n\nHeight: 206cm\n\nDeveloping ruckman who only began to focus on a potential AFL career this year after initially applying his natural talent to basketball. Showed splendid improvement throughout the season playing at under-18 level for his state and club. Was particularly impressive in South Adelaide’s premiership campaign where he averaged 10.4 disposals, 25 hitouts and 2.2 marks in 13 matches. Both his standing vertical jump of 74cm and 20m sprint time of 2.965 seconds were ranked in the top 10 at the national Draft Combine and gave distinct indications of his elite athletic tools.\n\nWeapon: Height and speed\n\nAFL player comparison: Max Gawn (Melbourne)\n\n\"He's got the most upside of any player in our state.\"\n\n\n\nYou're going to want to learn more about South Australian Taylor Goad, a 206cm ruckman that is seriously quick.https://t.co/KztP0FJ4wL — AFL (@AFL) November 6, 2023\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPhoenix Gothard\n\nState: NSW/ACT\n\nState League Club: Murray Bushrangers\n\nCommunity Club: Albury\n\nDate of Birth 07/09/05\n\nHeight: 178cm\n\nA small forward who came to prominence with his creative forward play for the Allies in their unbeaten National Championship-winning run, where he was a livewire at ground level and averaged 10.3 disposals, three tackles and a goal a game. Was also impressive for the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League, averaging 16 disposals and 3.7 tackles across 10 matches and booted nine goals. His high natural leap and pace were both prominent at the national Draft Combine with his standing vertical leap of 78cm ranked second overall and his time of 2.96 seconds on the 20m sprint ranked in the top ten.\n\nWeapon: Elusiveness and creativity\n\nAFL player comparison: Tom Papley (Sydney Swans)\n\nWill Graham\n\nState: Queensland\n\nState League Club: Gold Coast Suns Academy\n\nCommunity Club: Palm Beach Currumbin\n\nDate of Birth: 27/07/05\n\nHeight: 186cm\n\nAdapted seamlessly to playing in defence for the Allies after predominantly playing midfield for the Gold Coast Suns Academy. A very clean ball handler with a dazzling burst of speed, he was a consistent performer across all four matches for the Allies, averaging 16.5 disposals at 80 percent efficiency. His speed and power really shone through at the national Draft Combine where he was ranked second in the 20m sprint (2.92 seconds) and standing vertical jump (78cm) as well as being third in the running vertical jump (95cm) which confirmed his elite athletic profile.\n\nWeapon: Speed and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Dan Houston (Port Adelaide)\n\nWill Green\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Northern Knights\n\nCommunity Club: Northcote\n\nDate of Birth: 08/09/05\n\nHeight: 204cm\n\nDeveloping tall who impressed throughout the year with his ruck craft, marking and mobility when playing for the Northern Knights, Victoria Metro and the Australia under-18 team. Holds his ground very well both under the ball in stoppages and marking contests and provides great opportunities for his teammates at ground level. Averaged 12 disposals and 24 hitouts when representing Victoria Metro at the National Championships to earn All Australian honours. Both his running vertical jump of 87cm and 2km time of 6:34 seconds at the national Draft Combine were impressive indicators of his natural leap and endurance.\n\nWeapon: Mobility and marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Brodie Grundy (Sydney Swans)\n\nClay Hall\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Peel Thunder\n\nCommunity Club: Harvey Brunswick Leschenault\n\nDate of Birth: 12/05/05\n\nHeight: 189cm\n\nAdvertisement\n\nProlific disposal winner who uses the ball effectively on his preferred left foot and excels at stoppages using his clean hands and vision to create for his team. Has already played nine matches at senior level with Peel Thunder averaging 18.9 disposals. Starred when he represented Western Australia at the National Championships averaging 27.2 disposals, 11 contested possessions, six clearances and five tackles to win All Australian honours. Is the son of former West Coast Eagles and Geelong Cats forward Derek Hall but is not eligible as a father-son to either club given Derek played only two games for the Eagles and 74 matches for the Cats. Didn’t test at the national Draft Combine due to injury.\n\nWeapon: Neat kicking and ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)\n\nRiley Hardeman\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Swan Districts\n\nCommunity Club: Caversham\n\nDate of Birth: 27/02/05\n\nHeight: 185cm\n\nLeft-footed medium defender who is strong overhead, has line-breaking speed and is a penetrating kick. These attributes were on show as captain of Western Australia at the National Championships where he earned All Australian selection after averaging 18.5 disposals and 5.8 marks and displayed composure under pressure. Made his senior debut for Swan Districts this year and impressed when representing Australia as part of the AFL Academy. His natural leap was on display at the national Draft Combine where he featured in the top 10 performers in both the standing vertical jump (75cm) and running vertical jump (91cm).\n\nWeapon: Aerial ability and left-foot kicking\n\nAFL player comparison: Hayden Young (Fremantle)\n\nAngus Hastie\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Geelong Falcons\n\nCommunity Club: Geelong West Giants\n\nDate of Birth: 19/09/05\n\nHeight: 190cm\n\nAn athletic medium defender who sets the play up from defence with his run and ball use. Has shown a preparedness to back himself and take the game on to create opportunities for his team. His intercepting ability is also a strength which saw him represent Victoria Country in all four matches at the National Championships. Played 13 matches with the Geelong Falcons in the Coates Talent League this year averaging 20 disposals and 4.6 marks. His standout performance came in the preliminary final defeat to the Sandringham Dragons, where his dash from defence was exceptional. His elite lateral movement was on display at the national Draft Combine where he produced the third best time (8.20 seconds) in the agility test.\n\nWeapon: Line-breaking dash\n\nAFL player comparison: Mason Redman (Essendon)\n\nTew Jiath\n\nPronunciation: T-ow Gee-ath\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Gippsland Power\n\nCommunity Club: Morwell\n\nDate of Birth: 02/03/05\n\nHeight: 188cm\n\nEmerged in the back half of the Coates Talent League season with some dazzling performances for the Gippsland Power, which included a 29-disposal effort during the Wildcard Round victory over the Dandenong Stingrays. A fine intercept mark and displays fantastic speed away from the contest. Averaged 17.7 disposals in 10 matches for the Power to catch the attention of AFL scouts. Is the brother of Hawthorn star Changkuoth Jiath and a member of the Hawks’ NGA program. Performed solidly during testing at the state Draft Combine in Melbourne with his 3.03 seconds on the 20m sprint and 6:32 seconds for the 2km time trial both impressive results.\n\nWeapon: Intercept marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Will Day (Hawthorn)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nJames Leake\n\nState: Tasmania\n\nState League Club: Tasmania Devils\n\nCommunity Club: Launceston\n\nDate of Birth: 02/10/05\n\nHeight: 187cm\n\nMedium defender and forward who won All Australian honours as a defender for the Allies at the National Championships in the middle of the season then played some eye-catching matches as a forward for the Tasmania Devils in the Coates Talent League during a breakout season. With mercurial ability in the air and uncanny ability around goals he looks to have unique versatility which was on display during 11 matches for the Devils where averaged 16.1 disposals and kicked 17 goals, which included a five-goal haul against the Dandenong Stingrays in Round 17.\n\nWeapon: Versatility and contested ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Callum Mills (Sydney Swans)\n\n\"All through my junior football, my dad placed a big emphasis on playing every position. I think that came to the fore this year a little bit.\"\n\n\n\nTassie’s 'Mr Fix-It' James Leake is shaping as a first-round pick following an impressive season.https://t.co/fwnC96Uzdw — AFL (@AFL) November 3, 2023\n\nKane McAuliffe\n\nState: South Australia\n\nState League Club: North Adelaide\n\nCommunity Club: Central Augusta\n\nDate of Birth: 01/03/05\n\nHeight: 187cm\n\nA powerful midfielder who wins his own ball and is a penetrating left-foot kick. Is a strong and aggressive tackler as well as being an accomplished extractor of the ball from stoppages using his clean hands and vision to set up the play. Progressed from dominating under-18 games at club level to playing seven matches at reserves level averaging 18.7 disposals. Featured among South Australia’s best in the National Championship matches against the Allies and Victoria Metro and averaged 18 disposals, 3.8 clearances and 8.5 tackles across the tournament. Showcased his power and speed at the national Draft Combine with his running vertical jump of 95cm ranking third and 2.93 seconds for the 20m spring ranking fifth.\n\nWeapon: Power and left-foot kick\n\nPlayer Comparison: Jack Crisp (Collingwood)\n\nWill McCabe\n\nState: South Australia\n\nState League Club: Central District\n\nCommunity Club: Tanunda\n\nDate of Birth: 29/09/05\n\nHeight: 197cm\n\nA tall defender who has also gone forward at times this year and has continued to develop nicely. A competitive type who has a good natural leap and is very strong overhead. He had an excellent year at under-18 level for Central District where he averaged 21.8 disposals and 5.9 marks across nine matches. He was also one of South Australia’s better players at the National Championships. Is eligible to join Hawthorn under the father-son rule as the son of Luke McCabe who played 138 games for the Hawks from 1995 to 2004.\n\nWeapon: Overhead marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Jordan Ridley (Essendon)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nColby McKercher\n\nState: Tasmania\n\nState League Club: Tasmania Devils\n\nCommunity Club: Launceston\n\nDate of Birth: 12/04/05\n\nHeight: 180cm\n\nHad an outstanding year which included winning the Coates Talent League’s Morrish Medal and finishing runner-up in the Larke Medal at the National Championships. Uses his dazzling speed to break the lines and kicks the ball with pinpoint accuracy on his preferred left foot. Averaged 32.8 disposals and 5.8 clearances across four matches for the Allies at the National Championships to earn All Australian honours. Was equally dominant for the Tasmania Devils in the Coates Talent League having more than 30 disposals in seven of his nine matches and also kicked 12 goals. Showed he could match it against more experienced opponents by having 20 disposals and three clearances in Australia’s win over Carlton’s VFL team.\n\nWeapon: Dazzling speed and ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Zac Merrett (Essendon)\n\nAshton Moya\n\nPronunciation: Moy-ya\n\nState: South Australia\n\nState League Club: Glenelg\n\nCommunity Club: Plympton\n\nDate of Birth: 15/04/05\n\nHeight: 187cm\n\nA medium forward who really caught the eye last year with his goal kicking and marking ability, which included a haul of four majors against Western Australia at the National Championships. Was slightly hampered by a hip injury at various parts of the 2023 season but still managed to kick 23 goals in 17 matches in the talent pathway and showed glimpses of his elite potential. Was fully fit at season’s end and excelled at the national Draft Combine with his time of 8.24 seconds on the agility test in the top bracket.\n\nWeapon: Marking on the lead and goalkicking accuracy\n\nAFL player comparison: Bayley Fritsch (Melbourne)\n\nOllie Murphy\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Sandringham Dragons\n\nCommunity Club: East Brighton Vampires\n\nDate of Birth: 16/09/05\n\nHeight: 200cm\n\nA lightly built tall defender who sets up the play with his neat left-foot kicking. Although new to playing in defence this season he adapted remarkably well. Shows real composure with the ball in hand and is strong overhead. Is also a capable decision maker on when to mark or spoil in one-on-one contests. Was outstanding for Victoria Metro in the National Championships and won his team’s MVP award along with All Australian honours after averaging 11.2 disposals and 4.5 marks per match. He capped off a great year playing in the Sandringham Dragons premiership team in the Coates Talent League.\n\nWeapon: Height and intercept marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Jake Lever (Melbourne)\n\nConnor O’Sullivan\n\nState: NSW/ACT\n\nState League Club: Murray Bushrangers\n\nCommunity Club: Albury\n\nDate of Birth: 19/05/05\n\nHeight: 198cm\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAthletic tall defender who was outstanding for the title-winning Allies at the National Championships winning their MVP award and All Australian honours. He averaged 17.8 disposals at 86 percent efficiency as well as averaging 8.2 marks and providing great rebound to lead the Allies defence. He has an exciting natural leap, good speed and elite endurance highlighted with a top 10 placing in the 2km time trial at the national AFL Draft Combine with a time of 6:11. Also showed he can go forward and have an impact during his time with the Murray Bushrangers.\n\nWeapon: Rebound ability and athleticism\n\nAFL player comparison: Sam Taylor (GWS Giants)\n\nEthan Read\n\nState: Queensland\n\nState League Club: Gold Coast Suns Academy\n\nCommunity Club: Palm Beach Currumbin\n\nDate of Birth 07/07/05\n\nHeight: 202cm\n\nMobile and skillful ruckman whose work rate and ball use are outstanding features of his game, along with his aggressive work at stoppages. A member of the Gold Coast Suns Academy, he was a dominant force for the Allies at the National Championships and earned All Australian honours. Had a massive impact on all four games, averaging 21.5 disposals at 76 percent efficiency, 7.5 marks and 13 hitouts to play an important role in the Allies’ first title win. His time of 5:56 seconds for the 2km time trial at the national Draft Combine was sensational for any player much more so for one of his height. Won the Hunter Harrison Medal for his performances with the Gold Coast Suns Academy. The medal is presented to the best performed player from the non-Victorian Academy teams who compete in a selection of matches in the Coates Talent League.\n\nWeapon: Running ability and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Mark Blicavs (Geelong Cats)\n\nYou're going to want to Read more about Ethan! ????\n\n\n\nHear more from Gold Coast Academy ruckman Ethan Read ahead of the #AFLDraft ????https://t.co/nf4CwUbK9A — AFL (@AFL) November 11, 2023\n\nArcher Reid\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Gippsland Power\n\nCommunity Club: Inverloch-Kongwak\n\nDate of Birth: 19/09/05\n\nHeight: 203cm\n\nA mobile tall forward who is an exceptional overhead mark, good below his knees and has a natural goal sense. Continued to develop physically and improved his forward craft as the season progressed. Averaged 13.5 disposals, five marks and kicked 16 goals in 11 matches in the Coates Talent League for the Gippsland Power to finish runner-up in the club’s best and fairest award. Also presented as a mobile target for Victoria Country in all four National Championships matches, which included kicking two goals in a lively performance during the impressive win over Victoria Metro. Is the younger brother of Essendon defender Zach.\n\nWeapon: Height and overhead marking\n\nAFL player comparison: Ben King (Gold Coast Suns)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHarley Reid\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Bendigo Pioneers\n\nCommunity Club: Tongala\n\nDate of Birth: 17/04/05\n\nHeight: 187cm\n\nAn exciting prospect who opened the National Championships with three goals in the first five minutes of Victoria Country’s clash against South Australia which continued to build his reputation as a unique prospect. He this year confirmed his ability to impact the game whether forward, midfield or down back. Starred throughout the Championships playing in the midfield and changing forward, with his ability to win the contested ball at ground level or overhead among his many weapons. An excellent decision-maker and ball user by hand or foot, he averaged 19.5 disposals, 12.5 contested possessions and 6.5 clearances to finish third in the Larke Medal voting and took out Victoria Country’s MVP. Further added to his very impressive record by earning selection in the All Australian team for the second year in a row. Handled the step up to playing senior football with three impressive games in the VFL and was the best player for the Australia under-18 team in its match against Port Adelaide’s SANFL team.\n\nWeapon: Power and contested ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Dustin Martin (Richmond)\n\nArchie Roberts\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Sandringham Dragons\n\nCommunity Club: Hampton Rovers\n\nDate of Birth: 18/11/05\n\nHeight: 184cm\n\nA left-footed half-back who is a penetrating kick, smart interceptor and uses his anticipation and clean hands to have an impact. Showed good rebounding speed and fine decision-making ability to set up play from defence for Victoria Metro during the National Championships, where he averaged 20.8 disposals and 3.8 marks to earn All Australian honours before becoming a back-to-back premiership player for the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League. His impressive time of 6:08 for the 2km time trial at the national Draft Combine gave a glimpse of his elite endurance and competitiveness.\n\nWeapon: Clean hands and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Daniel Rioli (Richmond)\n\nJake Rogers\n\nState: Queensland\n\nState League Club: Gold Coast Suns Academy\n\nCommunity Club: Broadbeach\n\nDate of Birth: 02/03/05\n\nHeight: 170cm\n\nA tenacious livewire through the midfield, the Gold Coast Suns Academy member is a one-touch player with great vision and creativity. Showed all those traits at the National Championship by starring for the Allies where he consistently set up his team through the middle of the ground. Quick and with elite agility, he was always in the contest. Averaged 22.5 disposals at 77 percent efficiency, 5.5 clearances and 5.2 tackles to be a driving force for the title-winning team. He also impressed for the Australia under-18 team in its second match against Carlton’s VFL side at Marvel Stadium, gathering 26 disposals and six clearances to claim the medal as his team’s best player.\n\nWeapon: One-touch hands and creativity\n\nAFL player comparison: Touk Miller (Gold Coast Suns)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nRyley Sanders\n\nState: Tasmania\n\nState League Club: Sandringham Dragons\n\nCommunity Club: North Launceston\n\nDate of Birth: 21/01/05\n\nHeight: 185cm\n\nStrong-bodied midfielder who is powerful and courageous in his attack on the ball and the pressure he exerts on the opposition. Strong two-way running is another feature of his game and was on display in dominating for the Allies at the National Championships, averaging 35 disposals at 80 percent efficiency, 14.5 contested possessions, five clearances and four tackles to win the Larke Medal as the best and fairest player. Was also named captain of the All Australian team after leading the Allies to their first title. Caught the eye with a strong performance for the Australia under-18 team in its representative match against Port Adelaide’s SANFL side and backed it up in the second match against Carlton’s VFL side where he collected 24 disposals to be one of Australia’s best in victory. Finished the year as a back-to-back Coates Talent League premiership player with the Sandringham Dragons where he averaged 31 disposals across nine matches.\n\nWeapon: Consistent high-level performances\n\nAFL player comparison: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)\n\nAri Schoenmaker\n\nPronunciation: Show-en-maker\n\nState: Tasmania\n\nState League Club: Tasmania Devils\n\nCommunity Club: Launceston\n\nDate of Birth: 07/01/05\n\nHeight: 194cm\n\nLeft-footed tall defender who reads the game exceptionally well, is a good interceptor and prodigious kick of the ball. Had a very impressive back half of the year, which included being selected for the Allies in their final two matches of the National Championships. He also showed the ability to play on the wing and averaged 27 disposals at 75 percent efficiency as well as 5.9 marks and 9.6 rebound 50s in his eight matches with the Tasmania Devils in the Coates Talent League to be one of their most impressive performers.\n\nWeapon: Intercept ability and long kick\n\nAFL player comparison: Callum Wilkie (St Kilda)\n\nCooper Simpson\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Dandenong Stingrays\n\nCommunity Club: Mt Martha\n\nDate of Birth: 13/02/05\n\nHeight: 181cm\n\nAn ultra professional midfielder with pace, composure and great finishing skills. Also has a neat step through traffic and runs hard both offensively and defensively. Has shown the ability to perform when challenged and in the big moments when the game is on the line. Started the season in good touch with the Dandenong Stingrays in the Coates Talent League but suffered an ankle injury in Victoria Country’s opening game of the National Championships and was unable to play any further matches at that level. Made an impressive return for the final four matches with the Stingrays including having 28 disposals against the Tasmania Devils which reminded scouts of his class and AFL potential.\n\nWeapon: Composure and step through congestion\n\nAFL player comparison: Adam Cerra (Carlton)\n\nGeorge Stevens\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: GWV Rebels\n\nCommunity Club: South Warrnambool\n\nDate of Birth: 14/04/05\n\nHeight: 189cm\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA strong-bodied defender who also plays as an inside midfielder to great effect. He reads the cues to intercept well when playing across half back, is a good decision-maker and has a penetrating kick. Had an outstanding year which included captaining the Australia under-18 team during the AFL Academy’s matches against SANFL and VFL sides. Won All Australian honours at the National Championships when representing Victoria Country and was named captain of the Coates Talent League Team of the Year after averaging 28.8 disposals and five tackles across 13 matches for the GWV Rebels, also winning the club’s best and fairest award. His 6:37 for the 2km time trial at the national Draft Combine was a strong performance for a player of his type.\n\nWeapon: Contested ball-winning and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Tom Green (GWS Giants)\n\nKoltyn Tholstrup\n\nPronunciation: Foal-strup\n\nState: Western Australia\n\nState League Club: Subiaco\n\nCommunity Club: Newtown Condingup\n\nDate of Birth: 28/06/05\n\nHeight: 186cm\n\nA talented player with an elite work rate who often plays as a high half forward and sometimes goes through the midfield. He is a fearless competitor with excellent game sense and a penetrating kick. He played the final three games for Western Australia at the National Championships after missing the first with injury and didn’t miss a beat to average 18.7 disposals. Has a sharp competitive edge which has seen him already play 10 senior matches for Subiaco in the WAFL. Tested impressively at the national Draft Combine to record the second quickest time on the agility test (8.19) and a top ten finish in the 2km time trial (6:17).\n\nWeapon: Power and clean hands\n\nAFL player comparison: Cameron Rayner (Brisbane Lions)\n\nJed Walter\n\nState: Queensland\n\nState League Club: Gold Coast Suns Academy\n\nCommunity Club: Palm Beach Currumbin\n\nDate of Birth: 08/06/05\n\nHeight: 194cm\n\nA strong and powerful tall forward who has taken all before him across the past two years for the Gold Coast Suns Academy and Allies, winning All Australian honours at under 18 level in both seasons. Has a real physical presence up forward with his appetite for the contest, along with his second efforts and tackling pressure. Was a threatening target up forward for the Allies during this year’s National Championships averaging 13 disposals and seven marks as well as kicking 11 goals in four matches to be a vital cog in the title-winning team. Overall, he kicked 29 goals in eight matches this season to round off a splendid underage career. Will receive a bid from a rival club very early on Draft night which the Suns will gladly match.\n\nWeapon: Aerial ability and second efforts at ground level\n\nAFL player comparison: Charlie Curnow (Carlton)\n\nNick Watson\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Eastern Ranges\n\nCommunity Club: Montrose\n\nDate of Birth: 24/02/05\n\nHeight: 170cm\n\nA quick, agile and crafty forward who has a real appetite for the contest. Gave a glimpse of his potential in 2022 when he booted 23 goals in 10 matches in the talent pathway. Was impossible to contain during this year’s National Championships booting 14 majors in four matches for Victoria Metro to top the goal kicking. He also averaged 12.2 disposals and was rewarded with All Australian selection. He further expanded his game by spending more in the midfield and across half back for the Eastern Ranges and averaged 20 disposals while kicking 11 goals in nine matches in the Coates Talent League.\n\nWeapon: Speed, agility and leap\n\nAFL player comparison: Shai Bolton (Richmond)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThis is just what Nick Watson does ????\n\n\n\nWatch the Vic Metro v Vic Country game: https://t.co/YWgc6dPtb1 pic.twitter.com/ajKnGaievS — AFL (@AFL) September 22, 2022\n\nDarcy Wilson\n\nState: Victoria Country\n\nState League Club: Murray Bushrangers\n\nCommunity Club: Wangaratta Rovers\n\nDate of Birth: 18/08/05\n\nHeight: 186cm\n\nAn elusive and creative forward or wingman who covers the ground exceptionally well and has innate ability around goals. He is still developing physically but had an outstanding 2023 season. Averaged 25.4 disposals and kicked 16 goals for the Murray Bushrangers to win the team’s best and fairest and earn selection in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year. Also featured among Victoria Country’s best at the National Championships and produced a strong performance when representing Australia as part of the AFL Academy in the clash against Port Adelaide’s SANFL team, racking up 19 disposals and taking five marks. His running capacity was confirmed when he finished second in the 2km time trial at the national Draft Combine with a time of 5:52. He also demonstrated his power by producing the best running vertical jump with his 98cm effort.\n\nWeapon: Elite running and ball-winning ability\n\nAFL player comparison: Sam Walsh (Carlton)\n\nCaleb Windsor\n\nState: Victoria Metro\n\nState League Club: Eastern Ranges\n\nCommunity Club: Lysterfield\n\nDate of Birth: 09/06/05\n\nHeight: 184cm\n\nA wingman with pace to burn. His preparedness to take the game on is a real weapon along with his decision-making and ball use. Played all four games for Victoria Metro at the National Championships and was his team’s best player in the loss to the Allies, while also shining with 22 disposals in the win over Western Australia. Across his 16 matches with the Eastern Ranges in the Coates Talent League he averaged 19.4 disposals to be one of their most consistent players during their run to the grand final. Recorded a slick time of 2.92 seconds on the 20m sprint during the national Draft Combine highlighting his dazzling acceleration and backed it up by recording 6:28 for the 2km time trial which demonstrated a combination of elite speed and endurance which are essential to play on the wing.\n\nWeapon: Elite speed and ball use\n\nAFL player comparison: Nick Martin (Essendon)", + "T-MOBILE ARENA, LAS VEGAS — Reports of Saul \"Canelo\" Alvarez's decline have been greatly exaggerated.\n\nThe reigning face of boxing made it look easy as he retained his undisputed super middleweight title by dominating Jermell Charlo.\n\nAnd it wasn't even remotely close.\n\nCharlo already had a significant mountain to climb by moving up two weight classes and leaving his undisputed super welterweight status behind for the biggest fight of his career. But there are clearly levels to the boxing game and Charlo was either unprepared or unwilling to deal with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.\n\nCharlo delivered a listless performance as Canelo bulled his way forward and tormented his opponent's body for much of the fight, scoring a knockdown in round seven to provide the only real drama of the evening.\n\n“I worked the whole fight on going to the body, and then I changed it up. That’s what happens when you change the punch,\" Canelo said about the knockdown.\n\nCanelo pursued Charlo and realized very quickly that his opponent was overmatched. With Charlo spending most of the fight with his back against the ropes, Canelo rumbled forward and slugged away at the body, fired an efficient jab, and landed the occasional hook to the head.\n\nThere wasn't much that Canelo could do aside from following Charlo around and looking for an opening to land power shots. That opportunity presented itself in the seventh round when a body shot was followed by a right hand to the temple which caused Charlo to take a knee.\n\nAfter that, it was a game of survival for Charlo.\n\nWith fans filtering out in the later rounds due to an insurmountable lead, Canelo appeared to become annoyed with Charlo's unwillingness to engage. The scores reflected that as Canelo won with tallies of 119-108, 118-109 & 118-109.\n\n\"Nobody can beat this Canelo,\" \"Cinco De Mayo. I'll come back and fight anybody. I don't f---ing care.\"\n\nCanelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) successfully made his third defense of the undisputed super middleweight championship. He unified all four major titles when he knocked out Caleb Plant in November 2021.\n\nAfter suffering a hiccup when he fell short in attempting to gain light heavyweight gold against Dmitry Bivol, the 33-year-old superstar has now won three fights in a row and will wait to see what's next. The obvious choice for many is a megafight with undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford. However, Crawford would need to move up 21 pounds for that fight to happen and he's engaged in a potential rematch with Errol Spence.\n\nOther options appear to be David Benavidez and Jermell's older brother, Jermall Charlo.\n\nAs for Charlo, he still owns the IBF, WBA, and WBC championships and can return to the 154-pound division to defend those titles. Charlo called out Crawford, but after this performance, it is unlikely that Crawford would be interested.\n\nHere's how it all went down in Las Vegas.\n\nCanelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo live updates, results, highlights\n\nRound Twelve: Canelo chops Charlo with a short right. More people head for the exit. Uppercut to the body for Canelo and more people start moving to the exit. Charlo lands a left hook. Charlo continues to throw hands but eats a body shot. Canelo looks upset as the fight ends.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (120-107 Canelo)\n\nRound Eleven: It's more of the same as Canelo is jabbing and looking for one big shot. More body punches. Charlo appears to have checked out of winning and checked into the survival hotel. Canelo throws bombs at Charlo and lands a few. The deepest sigh. Another round for Canelo.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (110-98 Canelo)\n\nRound Ten: Canelo pops Charlo with a pair of jabs and lands an uppercut. More body work. Wicked left to the body by Canelo. Canelo barely misses an uppercut. Charlo lands a combination but it means nothing. If you really wanted to find a round to give Charlo you could give him this one.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (100-89 Canelo)\n\nRound Nine: Canelo continues to pressure Charlo and rips him with a short uppercut. Charlo attempts a combination but misses everything. Charlo lands a jab. Canelo rams another combination into Charlo. It's getting ridiculous.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (90-80 Canelo)\n\nRound Eight: Hard jab from Canelo to start round 8. Canelo continues to sink in body shots. Charlo lands a right hand and Canelo trots forward. More body shots. Combination lands from Canelo and Charlo tries to fight back. Canelo is tearing up Charlo to the body. This is one-way traffic.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard:10-9 Canelo (80-71 Canelo)\n\nRound Seven: Charlo opens up with some offense, but Canelo lights Charlo up with a body shot and a hook. Down goes Charlo! Charlo is up and here comes Canelo! Canelo is looking for the finisher. Charlo lands a left hook as he tries to get away. Canelo stalks Charlo and lands a left hook.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-8 Canelo (70-62 Canelo)\n\nRound Six: Charlo just isn't doing anything but letting Canelo bully him around the ring. Hard left hook to the body from Canelo. Canelo makes Charlo duck into an uppercut as the round ends. This is rough.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (60-54 Canelo)\n\nRound Five: More body work from Canelo and it's starting to wear on Charlo. Charlo lands a combination and goes to the body. Maybe that will spruce him up. More body work from Canelo. Charlo is starting to look content to survive. Charlo lands a hook but Canelo lands a combination that moves Charlo around the ring.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (50-45 Canelo)\n\nRound Four: I don't understand Charlo's strategy here. Maybe he's waiting for Canelo to fall asleep? Canelo walks through Charlo's jab and nearly takes his head off with a hook. Canelo is banging away at Charlo with no concern about what's coming back. Canelo with a hard right hand and a left to the body. He's tenderizing the body with these hooks. Charlo is giving rounds away like he knows something we don't.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (40-36 Canelo)\n\nRound Three: Charlo opens up with jabs. Nothing lands as Canelo pressures him into the ropes without a single punch thrown. Another right to the body. He's banging on Charlo with nothing coming back. Straight right lands for Canelo and rocks Charlo. Charlo lands a short counter but allows Canelo to get back inside again. Uppercut lands for Charlo, which is the best punch he's landed. Not enough to win the round.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (30-27 Canelo)\n\nRound Two: Hard right hand lands for Canelo lands. Canelo backs Charlo into the ropes and lands a body shot. Charlo continues to be jab. Body shot for Charlo lands. A right hook to the body for Canelo. Canelo bounces a body shot and a hook off of Charlo. Charlo is giving Canelo nothing to respect as the Mexican star rips him to the body. Does Charlo want to fight?\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (20-18 Canelo)\n\nRound One: The two circle each other and no punches are thrown for a minute. Canelo misses a huge body punch. Canelo closed the distance but still no shots landed by either fighter. Canelo lands a short left hook. Charlo begins to pump the jab to back Canelo off but Canelo is lurking. Nothing but pressure but not a whole lot else.\n\nSN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo\n\n11:34 p.m.: The main event is up next. Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo for Canelo's undisputed super middleweight championship. We're going to round-by-round coverage from here on out! Stay tuned!\n\nErickson Lubin takes controversial decision over Jesus Ramos in snoozer\n\nScores: 115-113, 116-112 & 117-111\n\n11:29 p.m. ET: Well, that was surprising. It felt like Ramos was in control but all three judges found a way to give Ramos the decision. Although it wasn't a great fight, it certainly didn't appear to be a close fight and it definitely wasn't one that Lubin appeared to be winning. Alas, Lubin won a fight that few will remember outside of the controversial decision.\n\n11:16 p.m. ET: Two rounds left and this crowd is fed up with the lack of action between Ramos and Lubin. Fans are more interested in watching the celebrities walk in.\n\n11:04 p.m. ET: Through seven rounds, Ramos has been in control in what has been a relatively tame affair with Lubin. Nothing much to write home about. Just a workman-like effort from Ramos as he continues to apply pressure while Lubin seems content to fight off of his backfoot. It's not great.\n\n10:24 p.m. ET: Co-main event is up next as Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) faces Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) in a WBC/WBA super welterweight title eliminator.\n\nBarrios claims interim WBC welterweight title with wide decision over Ugas\n\nScores: 117-108, 118-107 & 118-107\n\n10:08 p.m. ET: We had some added drama down the stretch as Barrios dropped Ugas, who appeared to be on the verge of getting stopped. Ugas spit out his mouthpiece on two occasions to slow down the beating but lost a point in the process. It didn't matter as Barrios was well ahead and secured the decision and the title.\n\n10:00 p.m. ET: The condition of Ugas' right eye continues to worsen as we head into the championship rounds. And the way that this fight is going, this could be the beginning of the end for Ugas' career if things don't turn around in the final six minutes.\n\n9:50 p.m. ET: Things are getting interesting as we head into the ninth round. There is clear damage on Ugas' right eye, the same orbital bone that was broken by Errol Spence Jr. last year. He's fought a decent fight and appeared to have rebounded after the early knockdown but he's going to have to finish strong in order to get a decision here tonight.\n\n9:26 p.m. ET: Barrios scored a knockdown at the end of round two to make this fight very interesting. Ugas walked into a stiff jab and hit the canvas. Although he wasn't terribly hurt, it'll be interesting to see how his punch resistance holds up over the duration of the fight.\n\n9:00 p.m. ET: Next is Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 KOs) vs. Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs) for the WBC interim super welterweight championship. Ugas is back in action over a year after suffering an eye injury in defeat against Errol Spence Jr. while Barrios will have his third fight at 147 pounds.\n\nElijah Garcia stops Armando Resendiz in eight\n\n8:56 p.m. ET: Garcia finished the job in style. Although Resendiz was in the fight, Garcia's power punches were having more of an effect on him in the later rounds. Garcia dropped Resendiz with a body shot and a hook to the head in the eighth round. Garcia then took his time picking his spots as a huge combination forced the hand of referee Tony Weeks at the 1:26 mark to get his 16th victory. The middleweight division could use some new blood and Garcia might be the future of the division.\n\n8:39 p.m. ET: Through six rounds, Garcia has looked excellent against Resendiz. He's winning the combination exchanges and landing the heavier shots. Resendiz is very game and trying to build momentum off of his upset win over Jarrett Hurd, but the 20-year-old Garcia is proving to be too much for him.\n\n8:13 p.m. ET: The PPV card is kicking off with the undefeated Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) taking on Armando Resendiz (14-1, 10 KOs) in middleweight action.\n\n7:42 p.m. ET: The early preliminary fights are all wrapped up and we're moments away from the PPV portion of Canelo-Charlo. Early on we had knockouts from Frank Sanchez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk while Terrell Gausha won a majority decision. Scroll down for the early results but stay tuned to our live coverage.\n\nThe main card starts at 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. AEST.\n\nCanelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo full card", + "IND vs AUS Head-to-Head Record in ODI World Cup: It feels like a call back from the past, as two decades ago, these two goliaths—India and Australia—of the cricketing world faced each other in the final of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa.\n\nAlso Read: India vs Australia World Cup Final Free Live Streaming: When and how to watch ICC World Cup 2023 Final IND vs AUS match live on Mobile apps, tv, laptop, online\n\nOnce again, we are at the same stage as the two-time World Champions India will be locking horns against the five-time World Champions Australia for the finale of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.\n\nAlso Read: IND vs AUS World Cup 2023 Final: Weather Forecast, Pitch Report at Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad ahead of India vs Australia clash\n\nThis is the fourth time that India has qualified for the ODI World Cup final, whereas for Australia, it is their eighth time. India faced Australia a total of 13 times in the ODI World Cups, with the Aussies dominating with eight wins. However, India has won the last two matches, most recently in the league fixture of the 2023 World Cup in Chennai.\n\nAlso Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Prize Money: How much finalists, semi-finalists, and other teams will win at ODI World Cup\n\nAlso Read: ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, Winners List from 1975 to 2023: A look back to the history of the ODI World Cup\n\nPlenty of wounds are still to be healed for India, as the defeat in the 2003 final against Australia still feels fresh. It is only time to tell if the Aussies will repeat history or if it will be India who will write history by winning their third ODI World Cup.\n\nAlso Read: IND vs AUS ICC World Cup 2023 Awards Winners List: ICC Player of the Match, ICC Player of the Tournament, Golden Bat and Golden Ball\n\nHere are all the details you need to know about India vs Australia head-to-head in the ODI World Cups—\n\n1983, Match 11, Prudential World Cup, Nottingham\n\nIndia met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs. Australia posted a target of 321 runs courtesy of a brilliant 110 runs off 131 balls by Trevor Chappell. Kapil Dev took a fifer in that innings. India crumbled within 158 runs, with Ken MacLeay picking up six wickets for Australia.\n\n1983, Match 23, Prudential World Cup, Chelmsford\n\nIndia got their revenge in the very same World Cup, as they defeated the Australian side by 118 runs. India set a target of 248 runs after being bowled out in 55.5 overs. Yashpal Sharma scored 40 off 40 for India in that innings. Jeff Thompson and Rodney Hogg picked up three wickets each for Australia.\n\nAustralia crumbled within 129 runs, with Roger Binny and Madan Lal picking up four wickets for India. India went on to win their first-ever ODI World Cup, defeating the West Indies in the final.\n\n1987, Match 3, Reliance World Cup, Chennai\n\nThis was the first time the World Cup was hosted outside of England. This was one of the closest matches that have been played between these two sides, as Australia won the match by just one run. After batting first, Australia posted a target of 271 runs courtesy of a 110-run off-141-ball knock by Geoff Marsh. India fought well, courtesy of two well-made 70s by Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu. Unfortunately, India was bowled out in 49.5 overs with 269 runs on the board. Craig McDermott took four wickets for Australia.\n\n1987, Match 15, Reliance World Cup, Delhi\n\nThis is the second time India has met Australia in this World Cup, with India winning this one by 56 runs. India batting first set a target of 290 runs courtesy of four half-centuries by Sunil Gavaskar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Mohammad Azharuddin. Australia was bowled out within 233 runs, with David Boon scoring 62 off 59 balls. Mohammad Azharuddin and Maninder Singh picked up three wickets for India.\n\n1992, Match 12, Benson & Hedges World Cup, Brisbane\n\nThe game in which the rain spoiled not just the match but India's winning chances as they lost by just one run as revised target. Australia set a target of 237 runs in 50 overs, losing nine wickets in the process. Dean Jones scored 90 runs off 108 balls for Australia. Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar picked up three wickets each for India. In the second innings, rain interrupted play after 16.2 overs. The revised target was recalculated to 236 off 47 overs. India needed 5 runs off 4 balls. However, India was bowled out due to two run-outs on the very last ball. Mohammad Azharuddin scored a brilliant 93 runs off 102 balls for India.\n\n1996, Match 19, Wills World Cup, Mumbai\n\nThis match can be considered one of the most exciting matches played between these two sides. Australia batted first and posted a target of 259 runs in 50 overs, courtesy of a brilliant 126 runs off 135 balls by Mark Waugh. Venkatesh Prasad and Venkatapathy Raju picked up two wickets each for India.\n\nIndia batted well courtesy of Sachin Tendulkar, who made a brilliant 90 runs off 84 balls, along with Sanjay Manjrekar, who scored 62 runs off 91 balls. However, India was bowled out within 242 runs in 48 overs. Damien Fleming took five wickets for Australia as Australia won the match by 16 runs.\n\n1999, 1st Super, ICC World Cup, The Oval\n\nThe Australian dominance continued in this World Cup as well, as they defeated India by 77 runs. Australia posted a target of 283 runs in 50 overs courtesy of a brilliant 83 of 99 balls by Mark Waugh.\n\nIndia had an early batting collapse but was stabilised by a sensible 100 off 138 balls by Ajay Jadeja. Robin Singh also scored 75 runs off 94 balls. However, India was bowled out within 205 runs in 48.2 overs. Glenn McGrath picked up three wickets for Australia, with Damien Fleming and Steve Waugh picking up two each.\n\n2003, Match 11, ICC World Cup, Centurion\n\nThis was India's biggest batting collapse in the history of the ODI World Cup. India, winning the toss, chose to bat first but crumbled within 125 runs in 41.4 overs. Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie picked up three wickets each for Australia.\n\nMatthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist gave Australia a fiery start in the second innings as they reached the target in 22.2 overs, losing just one wicket. Australia won the match by nine wickets, with 166 balls remaining.\n\n2003, Final, ICC World Cup, Johannesburg\n\nA memory that is still fresh in the minds of many Indians is the final of the 2003 World Cup. India, winning the toss, chose to bowl first, which turned out to be a big mistake as Australia posted a target of 360 runs in 50 overs. Australian captain Ricky Ponting played a brilliant knock of 140 runs in 121 balls, along with Damien Martyn, who scored 88 runs in 84 balls. This innings, by Ponting, had famously created the conspiracy that he had Spring in his bat.\n\nIndia gave up a tough fight, with Virender Sehwag making 82 runs off 81 balls and Rahul Dravid also scoring 47 runs off 57 balls. However, the lack of support from the other batters led to India being bowled out within 234 runs. Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds took two wickets each as Australia lifted the World Cup for the third time.\n\nAlso Read: India vs Australia, World Cup final in 2003 vs 2023: Can India change the course of history in the final?\n\n2011, 2nd Quarter-Final, ICC Cricket World Cup, Ahmedabad\n\nAfter so much dominance by the Australian side in the World Cups against India, India finally got their revenge in this World Cup as they defeated them by five wickets. Australia batted first and posted a target of 261 runs courtesy of a 104-run knock of 118 balls by their captain, Ricky Ponting, with the loss of six wickets in the process.\n\nIn the second innings, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Gautam Gambhir scored three half-centuries as India changed down the target within 47.4 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process.\n\nIndia went all the way to lift their second ODI World Cup trophy, defeating Sri Lanka in the finals.\n\n2015, 2nd Semi-Final, ICC Cricket World Cup, Sydney\n\nAustralia got their revenge for the 2011 quarterfinals in this World Cup as they defeated India by 95 runs. Australia posted a target of 329 runs, losing seven wickets in the process. Steven Smith scored a brilliant 105 runs off 93 balls, with Aaron Finch supporting the innings with an 81-run knock of 116 balls. Umesh Yadav picked up four wickets for India. India crumbled within 233 runs in 46.5 overs. MS Dhoni was the highest scorer for the Indian side in that match, with 65 runs off 65 balls.\n\nJames Faulkner picked up three wickets for Australia, with Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Stark taking two wickets each.\n\nAustralia went all the way to lift their fifth ODI World Cup trophy, defeating New Zealand in the final.\n\n2019, Match 14, ICC Cricket World Cup, The Oval\n\nIndia took their revenge in this World Cup as they annihilated the Australian bowlers by posting a target of 353 runs in 50 overs. Shikhar Dhawan scored a blistering 117 runs off 109 balls, with Virat Kohli joining in with 82 runs off 77 balls. In the second innings, Indian bowlers bowled out the Australian side within 316 runs, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah picking up three wickets and Yuzvendra Chahal picking two as India won the match by 36 runs.\n\n2023, 5th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, Chennai\n\nThe most recent clash between these two sides happened in this World Cup. Australia won the toss, chose to bat first, and posted a target of 200 runs as they were bowled in 49.3 overs. David Warner scored 41 runs off 52 balls, and Steven Smith scored 46 runs off 71 balls in that innings. For India, Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets, along with Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah picking up two each.\n\nIndia was in a terrible position at the start of the second innings as both of the openers got out for a duck, and India lost three wickets for just two runs.\n\nHowever, two brilliant and sensible innings by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, where they scored 97 runs off 115 balls and 85 runs off 116 balls, took India to shore as India won the match by six wickets.\n\nAlso Read: 2023 ICC World Cup: Virat Kohli vs Australia; know the ODI batting records and stats\n\nCatch the latest stock market updates here. For all other news related to business, politics, tech, sports, and auto, visit Zeebiz.com.", + "This is another in our series of stories identifying new technologies and actions that can slow climate change, reduce its impacts or help communities cope with a rapidly changing world.\n\nOne up-and-coming class of tiny materials could help solve the huge problem of climate change. How? By catching climate-warming carbon dioxide out of the air.\n\nThe nano-scale materials are called MXenes (MAX-eenz). Their name comes from their structure, which is made up of alternating layers of M and X atoms. “M” layers consist of some transition metal. (Those atoms are bulky and can shed a variable number of electrons.) “X” layers contain atoms of another element, such as carbon or nitrogen.\n\nA single MXene sheet contains a few of these alternating M and X layers chemically bound to each other. It may look like MXM or MXMXM. Each sheet is typically only about 1 nanometer thick. For comparison, a sheet of paper is 100,000 times thicker.\n\nMXenes normally come as stacks of these individual sheets. The many separate sheets inside a stack add up to a huge overall surface area. It’s like how the combined surface area of all the pages in a book is much larger than that of just the covers.\n\nIn fact, the total surface area contained in one gram (1/400 ounce) of MXene “can cover a football field,” notes Per Persson. He’s a materials scientist at Linköping University in Sweden.\n\nAtoms across MXenes’ large surface areas can interact with their environment. That includes grabbing carbon dioxide, or CO 2, out of the air around them — a process called carbon capture.\n\nThe white exhaust leaving smokestacks at this coal-fired power plant in Arizona is largely steam. Not visible is the carbon dioxide gas also leaving those stacks. MXene nanomaterials could be installed at or near the top of each stack to collect much of that climate-warming CO 2 before it escapes into the open air. Miguel Sotomayor/Moment/Getty Images Plus\n\nMXenes are excellent at snagging CO 2 , Persson says. Some researchers think it’s because CO 2 molecules are just the right size to fit between a MXene’s tight layers. Persson suspects it’s because CO 2 and MXenes like to share electrons, allowing CO 2 to chemically stick to a MXene’s surface.\n\nWhat’s more, MXenes chemically ignore other common gases — such as nitrogen, the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere. This could allow MXenes to suck climate-warming CO 2 out of the air while leaving the rest of the atmosphere alone.\n\nSeveral research groups have been exploring MXenes’ potential to capture CO 2 from the air. In the Linköping experiments, “CO 2 stuck to the MXene surface like refrigerator magnets,” Persson says. “It was absolutely amazing.” His group has shown that MXenes can sponge up as much as half their weight in CO 2 .\n\nOne large family\n\nMXenes don’t exist in nature. Scientists have to make them.\n\nThis is freshly produced MXene, which normally forms a dark powder when dry. This MXene contains alternating layers of vanadium (M) and carbon (X) atoms. Karamullah Eisawi/Tulane Univ.\n\nThey do this using other labmade compounds called MAX phases. Like MXenes, MAX phases are layered crystals. But MAX phases have extra sheets of metal “A” that sandwich between their M and X layers.\n\nTo turn MAX phases into MXenes, scientists must eat away the A layers using a strong acid. A common one is hydrofluoric (Hy-droh-FLOOR-ik) acid. (This acid is so harsh that it can dissolve the minerals in your bones!) The treatment leaves behind just the M and X layers.\n\nSince the materials’ discovery, scientists have found safer ways to make MXenes. These techniques use milder acids or bases. One such chemical is sodium hydroxide. That’s an ingredient in soap. Another recent method is to use molten fluoride salts to etch away the A layer in MAX phases. No harsh compounds are needed there, although it does take high temps — up to 750° Celsius (1,380° Fahrenheit).\n\nMXenes are the largest group of flat, sheetlike nanomaterials. Scientists refer to them as being largely two-dimensional, or 2-D. Another famous example of a 2-D material is graphene.\n\nThis diagram depicts a process to convert MAX phase materials into thin sheets of MXenes. An acid etches out all but the M layers (blue) and X layers (purple) to yield thick MXene sheets. The far right panel shows a scanning electron microscope image of the MXene. M. Ozkan et al/Chem. Oct. 4, 2023 ( CC BY 4.0 DEED\n\nMXenes have “probably the largest diversity and tunability any 2-D material can offer,” says Michael Naguib. By tunable, this engineering physicist means that MXenes can be tweaked to take on different properties. Naguib works at Tulane University in New Orleans, La. He made the world’s first MXene in 2011, a titanium carbide.\n\nScientists have now made more than 50 MXenes. New ones arise when scientists mix and match different M and X atoms. Each MXene has slightly different properties, from how well it conducts electricity to how strong it is.\n\nScientists can even modify existing MXenes by treating them with different chemicals. This involves covering the MXene’s surface with new atoms, such as oxygen and fluorine, to change its behavior. For more than a decade, scientists have been tailoring different MXenes for use in batteries and other energy storage devices. But tweaking MXenes’ chemistry can also alter their ability to collect CO 2 .\n\nIn an October 4 paper in Chem, engineers at the University of California, Riverside, reviewed the potential widespread use of MXenes. In a statement, lead author Mihri Ozkan noted, “Their unique properties make them excellent candidates for capturing CO 2 .”\n\nPainting on a CO 2 -absorber\n\nFreshly prepared MXenes appear as a dark-colored powder. Each fleck contains many MXene sheets. Under a microscope, they look like loose sheets of paper. MXenes become easier to work with when scientists add this powder to water, creating an ink, says Anupma Thakur. She’s a materials scientist that Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.\n\nMihri Ozkan, an engineer at the University of California, Riverside, is the lead author of the new study showing that certain MXenes can act like carbon-dioxide sponges. These nano-scale sheets can sop up that climate-warming gas from the air. UC Riverside\n\nAs ink, Thakur adds, scientists can simply paint MXenes onto desired surfaces, such as fabric, plastic or glass. Or, if a thick enough coat of MXene paint is peeled carefully off a surface, it can even become a free-standing sheet.\n\nWhen toughened with polymers, MXene films can durably separate CO 2 from exhaust gas. For carbon capture, Persson imagines fitting MXene filters atop chimneys where the exhaust from burned materials is rich in CO 2 .\n\nTo absorb CO 2 from the air elsewhere, Thakur suggests putting stacks of MXene screens out in the open. This method would be less efficient at capturing CO 2 , though, since average levels of CO 2 in the air far from pollution sources are quite low.\n\nKeep in mind, trapping CO 2 anywhere is just a first step in managing this pollutant, says Vitalie Stavila. He’s a materials chemist at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, Calif. “The problem is, what are you going to do with all that CO 2 ?” he says. Scientists will have to figure out how to retrieve the trapped gas from the MXenes after they’re full.\n\nMXenes could be heated up to release their CO 2 for long-term storage somewhere else. Flushing MXenes with a different kind of gas, such as hydrogen, might also remove the CO 2 from them. Then the MXenes could be reused for a new round of carbon capture.\n\nMXenes could also help transform the CO 2 they capture into other useful compounds, Stavila says. That’s because MXenes are catalytic. That means they can help drive other chemicals, such as CO 2 , to react. MXenes also conduct electricity. Since they like sharing electrons with CO 2 , they can ferry those electrons to other compounds.\n\nAs a result, “you can do [transformations of CO 2 ] that may not be otherwise possible,” Stavila says. For instance, with a boost from MXenes, CO 2 can react with hydrogen to form methanol or formic acid. These liquids can be used as fuels to reduce people’s reliance on newly mined fossil fuels, which add new CO 2 to the atmosphere. Or, better yet, these liquids can be stored somewhere to keep their carbon out of the air for good.\n\nThis diagram (cropped for clarity) shows how a dry MXene (upper left) or wet one (lower left) appear to capture and store carbon dioxide molecules (trio of black and red atoms) within its structure (in right version of each MXene). M. Ozkan et al/Chem. Oct. 4, 2023 ( CC BY 4.0 DEED\n\nChallenges ahead\n\nSince they’re still fairly new, MXenes today are only used in research. Scientists have to iron out some kinks before these will be ready for use in the real world. And that will take several years, at least.\n\nOne weakness of MXenes is that they can break down and transform into other solids called oxides in the presence of oxygen. So water and oxygen make MXenes less reactive. But scientists think they can overcome this problem by tweaking MXenes’ structure. Capping the materials’ edges with bulky salts, for instance, could shield MXenes from damage by oxygen.\n\nIt’s also hard, right now, to make large amounts of MXenes. In the lab, researchers can make only several kilograms (pounds) in a single batch. Several companies are working out how to boost batch sizes.\n\nBut Thakur points out one irony: Making MXenes for carbon capture can have a big carbon footprint. It takes a lot of electricity to get the heat needed to make them, she notes. Much of that electricity is made using CO 2 -spewing fossil fuels. It’s important to make sure that the energy used to make these materials doesn’t spew more CO 2 than the MXenes can later sop up. Otherwise, that would defeat their use in carbon capture.\n\nEducators and Parents, Sign Up for The Cheat Sheet Weekly updates to help you use Science News Explores in the learning environment Client key* E-mail Address* Go Thank you for signing up! There was a problem signing you up.\n\nMXenes also cost a lot to make. The high cost of making these materials would be less important if they could withstand thousands of CO 2 capture-and-release cycles. That way, scientists wouldn’t have to keep making new MXenes.\n\nSo far, no one has tested MXenes’ durability for stored CO 2 removal and reuse. Still, it helps that MXenes are mechanically rugged. Research has shown that certain types can be as strong as steel.\n\nThe Riverside group’s new paper also points to a related family of nanosheets that may prove good CO 2 sponges. Made from MXenes, they’re known as MBenes, because the “X” layer is made up of boron atoms. These materials are harder to make than MXenes. So most research on them has been done with math or computer models. But MBenes could have unique mechanical and electrical traits, Ozkan’s team finds. And those just might help them last through many, many cycles of CO 2 capture and release.\n\nEach year, human activities spew tens of billions of tons of CO 2 into the air. That’s equivalent to the weight of tens of billions of elephants. Carbon absorbers, including MXenes or MBenes, can’t catch it all. As such, they’re never going to replace the need for reducing emissions of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases.\n\nStill, given the urgency of climate change, even a quick or partial fix — such as carbon capture — can’t be ignored. “At this point in time,” says Persson, “we need to look at all the possible solutions.” And MXene-like materials are emerging as potentially important candidates.", + "The European Union has warned more needs to be done to address the risks that widely accessible generative AI tools may pose to free and fair debate in democratic societies, with the bloc’s values and transparency commissioner highlighting AI-generated disinformation as a potential threat to elections ahead of the pan-EU vote to choose a new European Parliament next year.\n\nGiving an update on the the bloc’s voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation in a speech today, Vera Jourova welcomed initial efforts by a number of mainstream platforms to address the AI risks by implementing safeguards to inform users about the “synthetic origin of content posted online”, as she put it. But said more must be done.\n\n“These efforts need to continue and intensify considering the high potential of such realistic AI products for creating and disseminating disinformation. The risks are particularly high in the context of elections,” she warned. “I therefore urge platforms to be vigilant and provide efficient safeguards for this in the context of elections.”\n\nThe EU commissioner noted she’s meeting representatives of ChatGPT maker, OpenAI, later today to discuss the issue.\n\nThe AI giant is not a signatory to the bloc’s anti-disinformation Code — as yet — so is likely to be facing pressure to get on board with the effort. (We’ve reached out to OpenAI with questions about its meeting with the Jourova.)\n\nThe commissioner’s remarks today on generative AI follow initial pressure applied to platforms this summer, when she urged signatories to label deepfakes and other AI-generated content — calling on Code signatories to create a dedicated and separate track to tackle “AI production”, and quipping that machines should not have free speech.\n\nAn incoming pan-EU AI regulation (aka, the EU AI Act) is expected to make user disclosures a legal requirement on makers of generative AI technologies like AI chatbots. Although the still draft legislation remains the subject of negotiations by EU co-legislators. Add to that, once adopted the law is not expected to apply for a couple of years so the Commission has turned to the Code to act as a stop-gap vehicle to encourage signatories to be proactive about deepfake disclosures it expects to be mandatory in the future.\n\nFollowing efforts to beef up the anti-disinformation Code last year the Commission also made it clear it would treat adherence to the non-legally binding Code as a favorable signal for compliance with (hard legal) requirements hitting larger platforms which are subject to the Digital Services Act (DSA) — another major piece of pan-EU digital regulation that obliges so called very-large-online-platforms (VLOPs) and search engines (VLOSEs) to assess and mitigate societal risks attached to their algorithms (such as disinformation).\n\n“Upcoming national elections and the EU elections will be an important test for the Code that platforms signatories should not fail,” said Jourova today, warning: “Platforms will need to take their responsibility seriously, in particular in view of the DSA that requires them to mitigate the risks they pose for elections.\n\n“The DSA is now binding, and all the VLOPs have to comply with it. The Code underpins the DSA, because our intention is to transform the Code of Practice into a Code of Conduct that can form part of a co-regulatory framework for addressing risks of disinformation.”\n\nA second batch of reports by disinformation Code signatories have been published today, covering the January to June period. At the time of writing only a handful are available for download on the EU’s Disinformation Code Transparency Center — including reports from Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok.\n\nThe EU said these are the most extensive reports produced by signatories to the Code since it was set up back in 2018.\n\nThe EU’s voluntary anti-disinformation Code has 44 signatories in all — covering not just major social media and search platforms such as the aforementioned giants but entities from across the ad industry and civil society organizations involved in fact-checking.\n\nGoogle\n\nOn generative AI, Google’s report discusses “recent progress in large-scale AI models” which it suggests has “sparked additional discussion about the social impacts of AI and raised concerns on topics such as misinformation”. The tech giant is an early adopter of generative AI in search — via its Bard chatbot.\n\n“Google is committed to developing technology responsibly and has published AI Principles to guide our work, including application areas we will not pursue,” it writes in summary on the topic, adding: “We have also established a governance team to put them into action by conducting ethical reviews of new systems, avoiding bias and incorporating privacy, security and safety.\n\n“Google Search has published guidance on AI-generated content, outlining its approach to maintaining a high standard of information quality and the overall helpfulness of content on Search. To help address misinformation, Google has also announced that it will soon be integrating new innovations in watermarking, metadata, and other techniques into its latest generative models.\n\n“Google also recently joined other leading AI companies to jointly commit to advancing responsible practices in the development of artificial intelligence which will support efforts by the G7, the OECD, and national governments. Going forward we will continue to report and expand upon Google developed AI tools and are committed to advance bold and responsible AI, to maximise AI’s benefits and minimise its risks.”\n\nOver the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube. But, with generative image capabilities rolling out internally over the next year, it commits Google Search to leveraging IPTC Photo Metadata Standard to add metadata tags to images that are generated by Google AI.\n\n“Creators and publishers will be able to add a similar markup to their own images, so a label can be displayed in Search to indicate the images as AI generated,” Google’s report further notes.\n\nMicrosoft\n\nMicrosoft — a major investor in OpenAI which has also baked generative AI capabilities into its own search engine — claims it’s taking “a cross product whole of company approach to ensure the responsible implementation of AI”.\n\nIts report flags its “Responsible AI Principles” which it says it’s developed into a Responsible AI standard v.2 and Information Integrity Principles “to help set baseline standards and guidance across product teams”.\n\n“Recognizing that there is an important role for government, academia and civil society to play in the responsible deployment of AI, we also created a roadmap for the governance of AI across the world as well as creating a vision for the responsible advancement of AI, both inside Microsoft and throughout the world, including specifically in Europe,” Microsoft goes on, committing to continue building on efforts — including by developing new tools (such as Project Providence with Truepic) and inking partnerships (examples it gives include the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), to combat the rise of manipulated or AI created media; with EFE Verifica to track false narratives spreading in Spain, Latin America, and Spanish speaking populations; and Reporters Sans Frontières to use their Journalism Trust Initiative dataset in Microsoft products).\n\n“These partnerships are part of a larger effort to empower Microsoft users to better understand the information they consume across our platforms and products,” it suggests, also citing efforts undertaken in media literacy campaigns and “cyber-skilling” which it says are “not designed to tell individuals what to believe or how to think; rather, they are about equipping people to think critically and make informed decisions about what information they consume”.\n\nOn Bing Search, where Microsoft was quick to embed generative AI features — leading to some embarrassing early reviews which demonstrated the tool producing dubious content — the report claims it has taken a raft of measures to mitigate risks including applying its AI principles during development and consulting with experts; engaging in pre-launch testing and a limited preview period and phased release; the use of classifiers and metaprompting, defensive search interventions, enhanced reporting functionality, and increased operations and incident response; as well as updating Bing’s terms of use to include a Code of Conduct for users.\n\nThe report also claims Microsoft has set up a “robust user reporting and appeal process to review and respond to user concerns of harmful or misleading content”.\n\nOver the next six months, the report does not commit Bing Search to any specific additional steps to address risk attached to the use of generative AI — Microsoft just says it’s keeping a watching brief, writing: “Bing is regularly reviewing and evaluating its policies and practices related to existing and new Bing features and adjusts and updates policies as needed.”\n\nTikTok\n\nIn its report, TikTok focuses on AI-generated content in the context of ensuring the “integrity” of its services — flagging a recent update to its community guidelines which also saw it modify its synthetic media policy “to address the use of content created or modified by AI technology on our platform”.\n\n“While we welcome the creativity that new AI may unlock, in line with our updated policy, users must proactively disclose when their content is AI-generated or manipulated but shows realistic scenes,” it also writes. “We continue to fight against covert influence operations (CIO) and we do not allow attempts to sway public opinion while misleading our platform’s systems or community about the identity, origin, operating location, popularity, or purpose of the account.”\n\n“CIOs continue to evolve in response to our detection and networks may attempt to reestablish a presence on our platform. This is why we continue to iteratively research and evaluate complex deceptive behaviours and develop appropriate product and policy solutions. We continue to provide information about the CIO networks we identify and remove in this report and within our transparency reports here,” it adds.\n\nCommitment 15 in TikTok’s report signs the platform up to “tak[ing] into consideration transparency obligations and the list of manipulative practices prohibited under the proposal for Artificial Intelligence Act” — and here it lists being a launch partner of the Partnership on AI’s (PAI) “Responsible Practices for Synthetic Media” (and contributing to the development of “relevant practices”); and joining “new relevant groups”, such as the Generative AI working group which started work this month as implemented measures towards this pledge.\n\nIn the next six months it says it wants to further strengthen its enforcement of its synthetic media policy — and explore “new products and initiatives to help enhance our detection and enforcement capabilities” in this area, including in the area of user education.\n\nMeta\n\nFacebook and Instagram parent Meta’s report also includes a recognition that “widespread availability and adoption of generative AI tools may have implications for how we identify, and address disinformation on our platforms”.\n\n“We want to work with partners in government, industry, civil society and academia to ensure that we can develop robust, sustainable solutions to tackling AI-generated misinformation,” Meta goes on, also noting it has signed up to the PAI’s Responsible Practices for Synthetic Media, while professing the company to be “committed to cross-industry collaboration to help to maintain the integrity of the online information environment for our users”.\n\n“Besides, to bring more people into this process, we are launching a Community Forum on Generative AI aimed at producing feedback on the principles people want to see reflected in new AI technologies,” Meta adds. “It will be held in consultation with Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab and the Behavioural Insights Team, and is consistent with our open collaboration approach to sharing AI models. We look forward to expanding this effort as a member of the Code’s Task Force Working Group on Generative AI, and look forward to working together with its other members.”\n\nOver the next six months, Meta says it wants to “work with partners in government, industry, civil society and academia in Europe and around the world, to ensure that we can develop robust, sustainable solutions to tackling AI-generated misinformation”, adding: “We will participate in the newly formed working group on AI-generated disinformation under the EU Code of Practice.”\n\nKremlin propaganda\n\nPlatforms must concentrate efforts to combat the spread of Kremlin propaganda, Jourova also warned today — including in the context of looming EU elections next year with the risk of Russia stepping up its election interference efforts.\n\n“One of my main messages to the signatories is to be aware of the context. Russian war against Ukraine, and the upcoming EU elections next year, are particularly relevant, because the risk of disinformation is particularly serious,” she said. “The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information space with half-truth and lies to create a false image that democracy is no better than autocracy.\n\n“Today, this is a multi-million euro weapon of mass manipulation aimed both internally at the Russians as well as at Europeans and the rest of the world. We must address this risk. The very large platforms must address this risk. Especially that we have to expect that the Kremlin and others will be active before elections. I expect signatories to adjust their actions to reflect that there is a war in the information space waged against us and that there are upcoming elections where malicious actors will try to use the design features of the platforms to manipulate.”\n\nPer the Commission’s early analysis of Big Tech’s Code reports, YouTube shut down more than 400 channels between January and April 2023 which were involved in coordinated influence operations linked to the Russian-state sponsored Internet Research Agency (IRA). It also removed ads from almost 300 sites linked to state-funded propaganda sites.\n\nWhile the EU highlighted that TikTok’s fact-checking efforts now cover Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and 17 European languages, including through a new partnership with Reuters. “In this context, 832 videos related to the war have been fact-checked, of which 211 have been removed,” Jourova noted.\n\nThe EU also flagged reporting by Microsoft that told it Bing Search had either promoted information or downgraded questionable information in relation to almost 800,000 search queries related to the Ukraine crisis.\n\nJourova’s speech also highlighted a couple of other areas where she urged Code signatories to go further — calling (yet again) for more consistent moderation and investment in fact-checking, especially in smaller Member States and languages.\n\nShe also criticized platforms over access to data, saying they must step up efforts to make sure researchers are empowered to scrutinize disinformation flows “and contribute to the necessary transparency”.\n\nBoth are areas where X/Twitter under new owner, Elon Musk, has moved out of step with EU expectations on countering disinformation.\n\nTwitter (now X) was an original signatory to the disinformation Code but Musk took the platform out of the initiative back in May, as critical scrutiny of his actions dialled up in the EU. And also today, as we reported earlier, Jourova drew attention to early analysis conducted by some of the remaining signatories which she said had found X performed the worst for disinformation ratios.\n\nThis suggests that X, which back in April was designated by the EU as a VLOP under the DSA, continues to put itself squarely in the Commission’s crosshairs — including over its priority issue of tackling Kremlin propaganda.\n\nAs well as devising the anti-disinformation Code, the bloc’s executive is now responsible for oversight of VLOPs’ compliance with the DSA — with powers under the new law to fine violators up to 6% of global annual turnover.", + "Gio Reyna looked sharp in the starting lineup for the United States men’s national team, in all the ways a young man can: his unyielding energy, his surprising eagerness to cover the whole of the midfield, the periodic flashes of skill when the opportunity presented itself, even the bleach-blond hair that allowed viewers to spot him in an instant.\n\nThere was one substantial element missing from his performance, though, in an immense friendly Saturday against Germany: being able to endure from starting to finishing.\n\nIt was kind of like that for the USMNT as a whole, as they blew an early lead and fell, 3-1, in East Hartford, Conn.\n\nMORE: USMNT undone by errors in loss to Germany\n\nIt is quite possible this was the most challenging friendly the U.S. are likely to play between now and the 2026 World Cup here in North America, and so it was viewed by coach Gregg Berhalter as a significant opportunity to learn about his team. And what was learned, above all, was there needs to be an alternative approach to the midfield for whenever Tyler Adams is unavailable to play.\n\nAdams is the one proven defensive midfielder — a No. 6, as they call it in soccer jargon — on the USMNT roster. He has been absent from the national team since injuring his hamstring in the spring, and it’s possible now he’ll need a second surgery to address the issue.\n\nThe decision about how to replace him in the lineup was rather simple. It always was the plan for Reyna to play roughly half this game, and the obvious choice in that circumstance, given the sometimes ridiculous controversy that developed from Reyna’s reserve role at the World Cup, was to have him start. The decision about how to replace Adams in the formation was complex — too much so to be resolved in one afternoon.\n\nReyna was exceptional throughout the first half: less influential than he might have been if given greater access to the ball but evincing a welcome taste for covering ground to become helpful on defense or to retrieve the ball and launch an attack. Weston McKennie was his typical self, particularly when he could connect with star winger Christian Pulisic along the left side.\n\nYoung Yunus Musah was deployed in the defensive midfield role, and it did not work. Whenever Germany were able to quell an American surge in the first half and regain possession, they plowed with ease through through the center of the park. He is elite at maintaining possession when operating as a box-to-box midfielder, and lately his club play, with Pulisic at AC Milan, has seen Musah in more of an attacking role. Even if one can argue he has the skill set to succeed at the No. 6, he did not appear comfortable transitioning on short notice.\n\nMORE: USA vs. Germany player ratings\n\n“Tyler’s a great player. It’s not nice to talk about guys that aren't here, though,” Berhalter told reporters afterward. “I’d rather talk about the guys that are on the field.”\n\nHe didn’t, though, relative to how this group filled Adams’ huge vacancy. He was pleased to talk about the pressure the USMNT applied in the first half, including a ball played over the top of Germany’s defense to Pulisic early in the game that was stopped by an offside call both player and coach disputed, and Pulisic’s brilliant goal in the 27th minute that involved him driving to his right and blasting a curving shot while four defenders converged and ace goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen watched it sail into the upper righthand corner.\n\n.@pulisic with a SCREAMER to open the scoring 😱 pic.twitter.com/KlG0oMeNPm — U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) October 14, 2023\n\n“I think we created some problems,” Berhalter said. “And then just the threat we had a lot in the first half was really good. It put Germany on their heels at times. But to me, it’s also about controlling the tempo of the game, and that’s what we really need to learn.”\n\nIt was a victory of sorts for Reyna to play 45 minutes after he’d gone only 27 in his one club appearance this season for Borussia Dortmund. He’d been injured in June while playing for the U.S. and missed all of preseason training and nearly two months of the Bundesliga season.\n\n“The goal is to send him back to Dortmund in a really good spot,” Berhalter said. “I think he played a good game, showed his quality. I think everyone in the first half played well. So it was good to see him, good to have him on the field.”\n\nIt was not good to not have him on the field, because the collapse from a 1-1 halftime tie not only followed Reyna’s departure, but probably was connected. The U.S. was able to threaten the opposing goal enough with Reyna on the field to cause the opposition to concern itself with defending more often than it preferred. Replacement Luca de la Torre dulled the attack and did nothing to dissuade Germany’s rampage toward the American net.\n\nThere was plenty of blame to be shared on the goals by Niclas Fullkrug in the 58th minute and Jamal Musiala three minutes later. Sergino Dest allowed the ball to deflect off his foot and into dangerous territory at the top of the box, de la Torre became a spectator with a too-great view and central defender Chris Richards missed two opportunities to shut down the threat. McKennie, central defender Tim Ream and right back Joe Scally all bore some responsibility for the second.\n\n“When you watch the goals back — I had the opportunity to do that in the coaches’ office — it’s really these fine moments, these split seconds where you need to be well-positioned, not open up any gaps in your back line,” Berhalter said. “And that’s where it went wrong.”\n\nWith the attempt to transform Musah into some semblance of Adams, though, it almost was certain to go wrong. The USMNT conjured a more compelling attack because of Reyna’s presence, but the ability to control the game went missing.\n\nSo many national team fans sided with Reyna during the controversy that developed as the team competed at last winter's World Cup. They got what they argued for in this game, but not what they wished.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nHere are the best Prime Day deals we could find gathered in one place.\n\nAmazon's second Prime Day-like sale event for 2023 kicked off in the wee hours this morning, and it's turning out to be a great opportunity to get holiday shopping done early. Or, if you missed out on any of the deals from Prime Day in July, this year's \"Prime Big Deal Days\" will let you make up for that. The sale has brought back many of the same steep discounts we saw during the summer as well as new sales. We've also put together category roundups for deals on headphones, tablets, TVs, video games and other gadgets. If you've got your gift list handy, now's a good time to start checking it off so you won't be pressed for time or funds when Black Friday and Cyber Monday come around next month. A few deals are just for Prime members, but many are open to anyone looking to save. If you want to take advantage of some great tech deals, here are all of the best deals we found for October Prime Day.\n\nApple AirPods Pro\n\nThe second-generation AirPods Pro have dropped to $189 for Prime Day. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparency Mode. There remains no competition if you have an iPhone and live within the Apple ecosystem — these are the best earbuds to get if you fall into that category.\n\nApple Watch SE\n\nThe Apple Watch SE is on sale for $199 right now. It's the best smartwatch to get if you're new to the wearable world, or you just want a basic, relatively affordable watch that has all of the basic features you'd need. On top of comprehensive health and fitness tracking, iPhone notifications and dozens of fun watch faces, you'll get features like crash and fall detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS.\n\nApple 10.2-inch iPad\n\nApple's most affordable tablet, the 10.2-inch iPad, is on sale for $249 right now. It may have an old-school design, but it's certainly the best iPad for people on a budget and it has most crucial features you'd expect in an Apple tablet. It earned a score of 86 from us for its solid performance, sharp screen, TouchID-capable Home button and good battery life. The only major downside to this model right now is that it still sports Apple's old Lightning port rather than USB-C.\n\nSamsung Galaxy Watch 6\n\nThe new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is down to $270 for October Prime Day, which is the lowest price we've seen since it came out a few months ago. You can't get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it's smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software's UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.\n\nApple iPad mini\n\nThe Apple iPad mini has dropped to $400 for October Prime Day. It's the best small tablet on the market right now and really your only option if you want a true one-hand-friendly iPad. It's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip and sports a Touch ID-toting power button, solid cameras, a good battery life and a USB-C port for charging.\n\nSony WF-1000XM5\n\nSony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are on sale for $278 for Prime Day, which is their best price yet. These are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, and Sony improved upon it's already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.\n\nAnker Soundcore Space A40\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren’t quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn’t completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won’t auto-pause when you remove an earbud.\n\nBose QuietComfort 45\n\nThe Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to $230 for October Prime Day, which is about $80 cheaper than their usual selling price. These cans earned a spot in our best wireless headphone guide thanks to their comfortable, if a little dated, design, excellent ANC and balanced audio.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds Pro have dropped to $120 for Prime Day. The company got a lot of things right after years of making pretty standard earbuds; the Pixel Buds Pro are Google's best wireless earbuds yet. These will be great for Android users who want buds with punchy bass, good ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.\n\nAmazon Echo Dot\n\nAmazon has knocked the price of the latest Echo Dot down to $23 right now. It’s one of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its orb-like design, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and handy Alexa integration. The Dots can also act as Eero WiFi boosters, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing Eero system.\n\nAmazon Echo Show 5\n\nThe latest Echo Show 5 is on sale for a record low of $40. The Show 5 has been one of the best smart displays available for quite some time, and it’ll be particularly good for anyone who wants an Alexa-capable smart display that won’t take up a lot of space. It also makes for a good alarm clock thanks to its sunrise alarm and tap-to-snooze features.\n\nAmazon Kindle\n\nThe standard Kindle has dropped to $75 for October Prime Day. This model saw a lot of improvements when it was updated in 2022. Capacity was doubled to 16GB and the screen resolution jumped up to 300 ppi for much clearer text. We named it the best budget option in our ereader guide because its perfect entry point to reading and borrowing ebooks and audiobooks.\n\nAmazon Kindle Paperwhite\n\nThe Kindle Paperwhite, meanwhile, is down to $95 for an 8GB model. That's $5 more than it went for during July's Prime Day event but still $45 off its MSRP. The Paperwhite gets you a few extra perks over the standard Kindle, including a larger 6.8-inch screen, a more comprehensive front light and IPX8-rated waterproofing. This deal applies to the ad-supported version (which displays ads for Kindle books and services on your lock screen); it you want no ads on your device, you’ll need to pay $20 more.\n\n$100 PlayStation Store Gift Card + $10 Amazon credit\n\nHere's a simple one: If you buy a $100 PlayStation Store digital gift card and use the code PSN100 at checkout, you can get an extra $10 Amazon credit to use on future purchases. If you often use Amazon and plan on picking up new PS5 games, renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription or buying any other content through the PlayStation Store anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money.\n\nBlink Mini (2-pack)\n\nA two-pack of Blink Mini security cameras has dropped to $40 for Prime Day. That's about $10 more than they went for last Prime Day, but still a decent 38 percent discount. While these cameras are wired, they have most of the same features as the standard wireless Blink cameras including 1080p video recordings and support for two-way talk and motion alerts.\n\nGoogle Indoor Nest Security Cam\n\nA slew of Google Nest home security devices are on sale, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam is down to $120 for Amazon's October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you'll need a Nest Aware membership.\n\nAmazon Fire HD 8\n\nAmazon’s Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for the Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than the tablet’s all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It’s slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it’s lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it’s still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It’s not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it’s hard to do better.\n\nAmazon Fire 11 Max\n\nThe Fire Max 11 is Amazon’s largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire slate, so it’s a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it’s on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don’t want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it's a big upgrade over the Fire HD 8 — just don’t expect to get any real work done with it.\n\nGoogle Pixel Tablet\n\nPhoto by Cherlynn Low / Engadget Google Pixel Tablet $409 $499 Save $90 The 11-inch Pixel Tablet comes with a charging speaker dock that allows it to double as a smart home hub. This deal marks a new all-time low. $409 at Amazon\n\nThe 128GB Google Pixel Tablet is down to $409, which is $90 off and a new low. The 256GB model is also on sale for $509. While we think Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 works better purely as a tablet, Google’s 11-inch slate still gets you a sharp LCD display, a speedy Tensor G2 chip and an easy-to-hold design that weighs just over a pound. Its big hook, however, is that it can attach to an included charging speaker dock and double as a Nest Hub Max-style smart display. Android still isn’t as optimized for large screens as iPadOS, but if that extra functionality sounds useful to you, the Pixel Tablet is worth a look. We gave it a score of 85 in June. (The Galaxy Tab S9, meanwhile, isn’t on sale as of this writing.)\n\nGoogle Pixel 7a\n\nThe Google Pixel 7a is down to a new low of $399 for this sale event. It's the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.\n\nSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra\n\nThe entire Samsung Galaxy S23 series is on sale for Prime Day, including the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra. These are some of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and we recommend springing for the S23 Ultra if you want all of the latest features from Samsung. The Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and has a big, bold 120Hz display, built-in S Pen and an excellent main camera.\n\nBose Quiet Comfort\n\nThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have dropped to $199 for October Prime Day, which is the best price we've ever seen, though you'll need to be a Prime member to get the deal. They're currently the best wireless earbuds you can get if you want as much noise cancelation as possible. On top of that, these buds have a smaller, more comfortable fit and good audio quality.\n\nSony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass\n\nThe four-inch tall SRS-XB13 is back to $35 for October Prime, which matches its sale price for July’s Prime sale. You'll need a Prime membership to get the deal, however. This is an older model of the tiny portable. Sony replaced it with the SRS-XB100 earlier this year, which is currently seeing a 20 percent discount. They're both rated for water and dust resistance and you can pair two for stereo sound.\n\nRoku Streaming Stick 4K\n\nOur favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, has dropped to $38 for this sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it's so small, it makes a great travel entertainment device, too.\n\nLG B2\n\nThe LG B2 OLED TV is down to $847 for a 55-inch model. That’s a new low and roughly $150 off its average street price in recent months. The B2 is the step-down model from the C2 — which is also on sale at $1,097 for a 55-inch set — as it’s not as bright or color-rich with HDR content, it runs on a slower processor and it has two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports. That said, its contrast, colors and motion performance will still be a significant upgrade if you’re upgrading from a more basic LED TV. LG’s new B3 TV promises a cleaner webOS interface, but it’s priced a good way higher as of this writing. If you want an OLED TV for less than $1,000, the B2 should be a better value.\n\nHisense U6K\n\nIf you want a more affordable TV, the Hisense U6K is also on sale, with the 55- and 65-inch models down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it's one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.\n\nFor a well-reviewed mid-range model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, and it comes with more gaming-friendly features like the ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.\n\niRobot Roomba 694\n\niRobot's Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's our favorite cheap robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.\n\nRazer Basilisk V3\n\nThe Razer Basilisk V3 is down to $44, which is a few bucks more than its all-time low but still $6 less than its usual street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our guide to the best gaming mouse, as its sturdy shape should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest hands. (Provided you’re a righty.) It has 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for more precise aiming, and its thumb wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode. That wheel is somewhat noisy, and the whole thing is too heavy for competitive-minded players, but it still tracks accurately and glides smoothly.\n\nSamsung Pro Plus microSD\n\nThe Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It's our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.\n\nBackbone One\n\nThe Backbone One is a well-built gamepad that snaps around the sides of your phone and works immediately with just about any game that supports controller input. It’s also convenient for cloud streaming games from a console or PC. Right now both its USB-C and Lightning models are down to $70, which is $30 off. That’s not an all-time low, but discounts on the device are relatively uncommon. We gave the One a positive review last year, and we currently highlight it in our guide to the best handheld gaming systems. Backbone says the USB-C models will work with Apple’s new iPhone 15 lineup as well.\n\nCrucial MX500\n\nThe Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.\n\nYour October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "For Nicole Plauché and her family, Christmas is the time of the year where they can use their preferred love language: gift giving. This year, however, Plauché is worried about how much she can afford to spend on gifts. Her main struggle? Student loan payments.\n\n“It just doesn’t leave much room for anything outside of just basic necessities,” said Plauché, a 23-year old tech sales manager from Dallas, Texas.\n\nMarisa Johnson, 26, has approximately $145,000 in student loan debt from both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Since the COVID-era payment pause ended in October, she’s been paying back $300 a month while she waits to see if she’ll be enrolled in a new income-driven repayment plan.\n\nBecause all of her money is going to necessities and paying back her student loans, Johnson hasn’t been able to spend as much on gifts as in previous years.\n\n“I’ve mostly been trying to think of affordable gifts or combining gifts with my older sister,” said Johnson, a non-profit worker in Citrus Heights, California.\n\nPlauché and Johnson are just two of the millions of people who had to start paying back student loans after the Biden administration ended the three-year payment pause.\n\n“We know that the holidays are often a very joyful time of the year and an expensive one every year,” said Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma. “With federal student loan payments just resuming, it’s going to add another often very significant line item into holiday budgets.”\n\nIf student loan payments are cutting into what used to be your holiday budget, here are some recommendations:\n\nTHE PRESSURE IS REAL\n\nFrom family expectations to social media and TV ads showing lavish gifts, many people feel that the only way they can show love is to spend a lot of money.\n\nBetween being a mom and a new grad with a salary to match, Plauché says she can barely manage her daily expenses. Still, she feels a responsibility to give her family gifts because that’s how they have traditionally shown each other love.\n\n“I don’t want to give my family this message that they’re not loved and it definitely adds a lot of pressure,” she said.\n\nJohnson feels guilty because the holidays are the time she feels she can show her family how grateful she is for them. She has always prided herself on being a great gift giver who not only finds something nice but knows how to spot unique and special gifts.\n\n“I think I’m a little embarrassed to tell them that this year I might not be able to be a good gift giver,” said Johnson.\n\nAcknowledging that you’re feeling pressure is a good first step towards making a plan to set expectations and be realistic about what you can spend.\n\nBUDGET\n\nAlev is a big proponent of the 50-30-20 budgeting method, where 50% of your income is allocated for necessities like food and rent, 30% for things you want, and 20% for savings and debt repayment.\n\nTo find space in your budget for gifts, Alev recommends that you plan ahead as much as possible and only take money from the 30% portion of your budget.\n\nIf the 50-30-20 is not the right format for you, there are plenty of other budgeting methods that you can use. Whether is recording your spending on an Excel spreadsheet, using an app or writing it down on a notebook, keeping a budget is most effective when you do it in a format that works for you.\n\nIf you are looking for a budget template, Microsoft Office offers a holiday spending-focused version.\n\nCOMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES\n\nIf you’re experiencing a lot of financial pressure this holiday season, Alev recommends that you try to communicate your feelings to your loved ones.\n\n“One of the hardest things is resentment can build up if you feel like you need to buy gifts for your family and you can barely make your student loan payments, so bring things up,” Alev said.\n\nSharing your financial struggles can be hard. If you want to talk but don’t want to share every detail of your financial struggles, that’s okay. Ultimately, what you want is for your loved ones to understand how you’re feeling.\n\nPlauché just recently started sharing her money worries with her family.\n\n“I have been open with my family, just that I’m not going to be able to give gifts that year,” she said.\n\nEXPERIENCES VS. GIFTS\n\nAnother great way to save money is to skip material gifts and instead, grant your time. In many cases, your family would rather spend quality time with you.\n\nAlev recommended planning low-cost activities such as a hike with your family, or attending a free event in your city. Other options can be a holiday movie marathon with your friends, a free museum with your parents or a volunteering day with your family.\n\nUSE CREDIT RESPONSIBLY\n\nSince Plauché is already paying her student loan debt every month, she is avoiding using her credit card this holiday season to avoid carrying more debt.\n\nIf using your credit card is your only option, it’s important that you use it wisely.\n\nIf you struggle with overspending during the holidays, Alev also recommends setting a budget for each of your credit cards.\n\nIf you can’t pay your balance in full every month, it’s important that you understand when you payment is due and have a plan to avoid paying a lot of interest.\n\nIf you’re planning to use “ buy now, pay later services ”, it’s best to be very intentional, Alev said.\n\n“It’s easy to get caught up. It’s easy to use it a lot and have several different payments that will come down the road,” she said.\n\nAFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVES\n\nThere is more than one way to find the “perfect” gift for your family and it doesn’t always involve spending a lot. In her quest to find gifts that don’t cause her financial stress, Johnson has been getting creative.\n\n“I’ve definitely been trying to save or just make gifts because I don’t really have the disposable income to buy other people gifts or even buy myself a Christmas gift,” Johnson said.\n\nShe’s been looking into gifting a used book to her dad and because she loves painting and already has all the tools, she’s working on a painting for her mom.\n\nOther affordable alternatives can be sending hand written notes to your loved ones, buying from thrift stores, hosting a cookie bake off or simply spending quality time with your family.\n\n___\n\nThe Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.", + "India’s remarkable economic growth has resulted in a notable increase in the country’s high-net-worth investors (HNIs). According to recent wealth reports, the population of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) with assets worth $1 million or more, which was 7.9 lakh in 2022, will rise to 16.5 lakh, a 107 per cent increase in five years.\n\nThe growing number of HNIs, as well as their desire to diversify their portfolios and access opportunities outside of traditional avenues such as stocks, mutual funds, and fixed deposits, has prompted the innovation of existing investment products, leading to the emergence of a new asset class known as ‘Alternatives.’\n\nAlthough the same principles of financial and investment planning apply to all investors, HNIs have an advantage. They can choose from a broader range of conventional and unconventional investment opportunities. Investing in unconventional avenues, such as Alternatives, can improve portfolio performance, generate alpha, and allow investors to grow their wealth faster.\n\nLet us look at a few examples of such investment opportunities:\n\n1. Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)\n\nThese funds were launched in 2012 after the market regulator SEBI issued guidelines for their management. The guidelines enable AIFs to identify and make investment opportunities available to investors in the public and private markets. AIFs, for example, can invest in listed and unlisted equities via private equity, infrastructure assets, venture debt, stressed assets, start-ups, and so on.\n\nAs a result, the term “alternatives” came about. The guidelines have divided these funds into three categories to make it easier for investors to understand the fund’s investment objective. These categories are I, II, and III.\n\nA noteworthy feature of AIFs is that their returns are generally uncorrelated with publicly traded equity or debt markets, providing a natural hedge against volatility and genuine portfolio diversification.\n\nBecause of the minimum investment threshold of ₹1 crore, AIFs are only available to HNIs. However, not all funds are required to collect ₹1 crore in a single transaction. They can collect the money in tranches (called drawdowns) over 2-3 years. The drawdown mechanism makes these funds easy on the wallet. AIFs have amassed an AUM of ₹8.30-lakh crore in the 11 years since their inception, demonstrating the shift of HNI money to this asset.\n\nThe following are some of the investment opportunities available only to HNIs and presented by AIFs:\n\na) Start-up funds: Angel investors looking to invest in ideas that have the potential to grow into full-scale businesses can do so through start-up funds, which provide a unique platform for bringing promoters and investors together. These funds handpick start-ups after extensive due diligence and build a portfolio with the potential to multiply capital several times.\n\nb) Mid-stage private equity (PE) funds: Investors who are hesitant to take the risk of investing in start-ups can invest in companies in the middle of their evolution cycle. Their business valuations grow exponentially as they mature and enter the late-stage or pre-IPO stage. The mid-stage PE fund allows investors to participate in the growth of such companies.\n\nc) Late-stage or pre-IPO funds: Pre-IPO funds allow investors to invest in mature companies preparing to list on the stock exchange. Such funds build a portfolio of companies about to go public and plan to exit them after their anticipated blockbuster listing, which can magnify returns in a relatively short period. Such funds gained immense popularity after the 2020 stock market rally that witnessed the blockbuster listing of some of the popular IPOs of B2C companies.\n\nd) Hedge funds: These funds invest in both publicly traded and unlisted stocks. They manage their funds using long-only and long-short strategies, with the latter allowed to use complex derivative techniques to hedge the portfolio. The specialty of long-short funds is that they try to optimise returns in every market situation. Hence, they tend to rise and fall lower than their peers. Investors with stock and mutual fund portfolios can diversify with hedge funds to reduce volatility.\n\ne) Performing credit funds: Many operating companies cannot raise funds from banks and NBFCs due to their size or credit ratings. This is where performing credit funds come into play. These funds specialise in credit risk assessment and, after thorough due diligence, offer credit to such companies at relatively higher rates, resulting in higher overall returns than AAA/AA-rated bonds. These funds are attractive for investors seeking higher returns on their fixed-income portfolio, which includes debt funds and AA/AAA-rated bonds.\n\nf) Infrastructure Funds: These funds invest in long-term infrastructure assets owned by PSUs or private companies, such as roads, power transmission lines, and solar power plants. Most infrastructure projects provide essential societal services and thus have intrinsic value. These assets generate cashflows in the form of annuities backed by Central and State governments, lowering the risk of future cash flows significantly. These annuities are regularly distributed by funds to the investors, giving them the characteristic of yield. When the fund reaches maturity, the assets may be sold to another fund or infrastructure trust, resulting in capital gains in overall fund returns.\n\ng) Venture debt funds: Start-up promoters frequently want to raise money without selling equity. As start-ups, they are unable to approach banks and mutual funds. This is where venture debt funds, which specialise in providing credit to start-ups, come in handy. It goes without saying that such AIFs help these start-ups raise funds at high rates. The higher returns of such funds and risk management appeal to risk-taking, yield-hungry investors.\n\nThe above fund list is not exhaustive but highlights some of the unique investment opportunities available to HNIs through AIFs. Many more such options are available to investors, such as special situation funds, real estate yield funds, and so on.\n\nAlong with the investment opportunities presented by AIFs, some other alternatives available to HNIs are:\n\n2. Portfolio Management Services (PMS)\n\nPMS guidelines in India date back to 1993, but this investment avenue has grown in popularity with HNIs recently. The growing financialisation of savings, the formalisation of the economy, and the growing prosperity of tier 2 and 3 cities have resulted in an increase in AUM (excluding EPFO/PF), which stood at ₹5.28 lakh crore as of July 2023. Because the minimum investment is ₹50 lakh, this option is also only available to HNIs. Both PMS and mutual funds provide expert guidance in navigating volatile markets and seizing investment opportunities that help create wealth. Because mutual funds cater to retail investors, their guidelines are relatively stringent, and compliance is rigorous.\n\nRegarding PMS, the investment guidelines are somewhat more flexible, allowing portfolio managers to outperform mutual funds. Another feature that appeals to HNIs is that the beneficial ownership of securities is that of the investors, as opposed to mutual funds, where the ownership is that of the fund. Furthermore, PMS is available in two options: discretionary and non-discretionary. In the former case, the portfolio managers make all decisions; in the latter case, the investor makes all decisions.\n\n3. Market-linked Debentures (MLD)\n\nFor HNIs looking to invest a part of their investible surplus in debt, MLDs can be a prudent option. MLDs are non-convertible debt instruments whose returns are tied to a specific financial market benchmark, such as the Nifty 50, the BSE Sensex, or the 10-year G-Sec. The maturity periods of MLDs can vary from one year to five years.\n\nThough the minimum investment for MLDs is ₹1 lakh, making it easier even for small investors to invest in them, they are more popular with the HNIs owing to the complex structure of these debentures. MLDs, unlike traditional fixed-income securities, do not provide periodic interest payments before maturity. Income multipliers and principal protection are common features of equity-linked MLDs. In the former case, the MLDs can generate a return that is a multiple of the underlying index’s return. This increases the likelihood of a higher overall return for a more minor market movement. The latter option safeguards the principal (up to the face value of the debenture) in the event of an adverse market movement. This feature allows even investors with a moderate risk tolerance to easily participate in the market.\n\nFrom the discussion above, it is amply evident that HNIs have various alternative avenues to grow their wealth. The distinct value proposition of AIF, PMS, and MLDs, with unique features, distinctive risk-return profiles, and low correlation with traditional asset classes, makes them genuinely deserving of a place in the portfolio of every HNI. Before investing, investors should conduct thorough research to understand how these investment options work. It’s important to consider the past track record and management team before making investment decisions. Consultation with investment advisors who are knowledgeable in this area can undoubtedly be beneficial.\n\nThe author is President & Head, Nuvama Wealth", + "The stock of India’s most valued company, Reliance Industries (RIL), after a decade-long underperformance — from 2007 to 2017 — has managed to treble over the last six years.\n\nHowever, when you look at the stock on a three-year basis, RIL with 11 per cent CAGR returns (including the value of demerged Jio Financial Services), has underperformed Nifty 50 which has delivered CAGR returns of a little over 14 per cent in the same time period. This however is nothing to fret about. The stock of RIL has typically tended to underperform whenever the company has been in a heavy investment phase, something that it has embarked on in its green energy ventures.\n\nWith the stock still leaving some money on the table at current levels, long-term investors can accumulate it on dips for four reasons — one, reasonable valuations; two, being at pole position in India’s high-growth digital and retail business; three, potential for large-scale value creation, similar to its digital and retail forays, in the renewable energy space (not reflected in current valuations); four, stable O2C business.\n\nGrowth engines\n\nThe launch of Jio’s data services in 2016, maturation of the retail business and subsequent stake sales in FY21 were the key catalysts that drove the stock’s outperformance in the last six years. Although there has already been a significant re-rating in valuation the markets have assigned to both businesses, scope for further outperformance from these businesses remains, given the opportunity ahead.\n\nReliance Jio: For one, with Reliance Jio emerging as the largest telecom services company in what is largely a duopolistic market (given survival issues at Vodafone Idea) in India, the growth potential remains strong as 5G will drive advances over the next few years and new 5G enabled use cases will create guzzling growth in data consumption, providing scope for higher ARPUs. Reliance Jio has offerings across the spectrum of wireless, wireline/broadband, enterprise/cloud services and allied retail/enterprise digital offerings that make its services sticky for customers.\n\nIn such a scenario, its dominant position in telecom along with second player Bharti Airtel is likely well entrenched for the foreseeable future in India’s digital ecosystem. These factors position it advantageously to sustain or increase its operating margins in a growing industry.\n\nReliance Retail Ventures: From a modest 1,691 stores in FY14, the retail business has grown to 18,040 stores (and over 66 million square feet of retail space) by FY23. Reliance Retail is the largest player in the country in the organised retail segment, operating brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, cash and carry, B2C, and B2B formats across the retail supply chain. With a low 3 per cent share of the market, there is scope for huge expansion from the combination of market share gains and/in a high-growth market where the consumption theme is picking steam, driven by growth in per capita income.\n\nFor example, in the US, organised retail giant Walmart today has a little over 10 per cent share of the retail industry. While how exactly things will pan out in the Indian retail industry is out in the open, this can provide a perspective on the potential growth for Reliance Retail.\n\nIn recent years, Reliance Retail business has witnessed solid growth with FY21-23 revenue and EBITDA CAGR of 38 and 50 per cent respectively fuelled by a combination of store additions, acquisitions (totalling to $1.2 billion) and its phygital model with acquisitions such as Netmeds, Clovia being digital brands. Besides apparel, grocery and electronics, the company, through acquisitions, has gained foothold in newer segments such as pharmacy (Netmeds), fashion (Zivame, Clovia) and D2C (Urban ladder), which will drive growth in the medium term.\n\nWith dominance in digital and retail ecosystem and scope to enhance synergies across these, Reliance is strategically positioned to garner a good share of the consumer spending which will happen over the next decades with its consumer facing businesses.\n\nO2C & E&P\n\nRIL’s traditional businesses — O2C and exploration (E&P) — still account for 45-50 per cent of RIL’s consolidated EBITDA.\n\nSpanning expansive refining and petrochemicals business, the O2C business performance can be volatile depending on trends in crude oil prices and refining margins. In times of high crude oil prices, higher refining and petchem margins have helped the overall profitability. Similarly, there have been times when, due to falling crude prices, refining and petchem cracker have been on a falling spree, thereby adding to the pressure on the overall profit performance. Reliance’s O2C business has best-in-class margins and may not be comparable to Indian refiners, given the scale of operations, efficiencies and export focus.\n\nOverall, while it remains a significant part of the company’s business, it will not get the same high valuation like RIL’s consumer facing businesses. In fact, based on value assigned to this segment by analysts, its overall contribution to RIL’s valuation has not changed much from around the $75 billion it was estimated to be valued at when stake sale talks with Saudi Aramco were ongoing in 2019. Scope for increase in value in the medium term can arise from the company’s expansion in the petrochemicals business.\n\nThe E&P business is small relative to overall size of Reliance. Analyst estimates for its value accounts for less than 10 per cent of overall RIL value.\n\nNext big thing\n\nHistorically any business that RIL has put its weight behind has ended up being one of the largest players in the field and also managed to create a lot of shareholder wealth.\n\nOn these lines, RIL has identified green energy as its next growth opportunity. As the world moves away from conventional fossil-based energy sources, towards cleaner and sustainable energy sources, the company is looking to capitalise on the huge demand potential for renewable power anticipated over the next few decades.\n\nThe company has committed a whopping ₹75,000 crore investment into building a comprehensive green energy and green material ecosystem. At Jamnagar, it is building a green energy complex spread over 5,000 acres of land which, according to the company, will be among the largest integrated renewable energy manufacturing facilities globally. This will cost it ₹60,000 crore, while the balance ₹15,000 crore is being invested in partnerships, building future technologies, value chain to be able to build an integrated renewable energy ecosystem. The company has already made several investments in companies that are working on green energy technologies — such as battery technologies, solar cells/panels, clean mobility solutions, software tools for solar energy, etc.\n\nWhile it’s up in the air as to whether green energy investments will reap same dividends as RIL’s telecom and retail forays, the good thing for investors is that market is hardly assigning any value to this business at current levels. Hence, there is scope for significant upside down the years from this business if the company repeats the success it has had in its other businesses.\n\nValuation\n\nReliance Industries currently trades at 24 times its trailing twelve-month earnings. While this is above RIL’s pre-Covid three-year average valuation of around 20 times, given growth delivered by telecom and retail businesses post Covid, there is scope for further re-rating.\n\nSOTP: Reliance Retail Ventures, which is the flagship company, is currently valued at about $100 billion (₹8.3 lakh crore), based on recent transactions. RIL has an 83 per cent stake in it.\n\nReliance Jio, which is the other important segment of Reliance’s business, was valued at $63 billion back in 2020. Market assigned value is $80–90 billion range - 10 to 11x one-year forward EBITDA, which is not expensive. RIL has 67 per cent stake in it.\n\nAdding the value of RIL’s stake in the above businesses and around $75 billion (conservative and assumes no change in value in last 5 years) for its O2C business, the enterprise value for Reliance works out to around $214 billion. This excludes value of its E&P business and its media businesses and some value in its monetisable real estate. This also assigns zero value for its green energy business. RIL has net debt of around $15 billion. Adjusted for debt, its valuation is around $200 billion, which matches its current market cap. Adding value of E&P, and high potential for large-scale value creation from green energy business, there is some money left on the table for long-term investors who can accumulate the stock on dips.\n\nAt a time when small and mid-cap stock valuations are trading at dizzying valuations, large caps like RIL may be safer bets for the long term.\n\nWhy Growth engines intact Valuation reasonable Potential value of green energy business not reflected", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nA bride-to-be has been defended after choosing her mother to walk her down the aisle instead of her stepfather.\n\nIn a recent post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, the mother – who goes by the username u/PopShort7064 – asked if she was in the wrong for agreeing to walk her child down the aisle, in addition to doing a mother/daughter dance at the wedding. She specified that she also has a husband, who’s been a stepfather to her daughter since she was 10.\n\nThe parent went on to give more context about her family, noting that she lost the father of her children - Calla and Hawthorn - when they were six and eight. She then shared that she remarried four years later, before opening up about her relationship with her second husband and how her children reacted to it.\n\n“We were friends for several months, dated some, stronger feelings developed and I introduced him to the kids to see how they would get along,” she wrote. “We halted for a year while my kids and I did some therapy because their reaction to my husband was strongly negative, because they didn’t want to replace their dad. But once therapy was ongoing, they were doing better. From there, things move faster but the kids were on board for things to move on.”\n\nThe mother specified that it was clear to her children that her husband “was not going to be filling the role of a dad in their lives”. She added that her partner “was fine with that, as long as he was respected and they could work toward being a caring family”.\n\nShe continued to note that while she had a close relationship with Calla, it was “extremely tough” for her child to lose her father. She specified that while her child has a good relationship with her stepfather, “it comes nowhere close to the bond she had with her dad”. She also shared that she continued to get close to her daughter after she turned 12, before recalling a point in Calla’s childhood when she asked her mother to walk her down the aisle.\n\n“She was 15 when she told me if she ever got married she would want me to walk her down the aisle and for us to do a mother/daughter dance instead of a father/daughter one,” the parent wrote. “I told her we could dance to the song her dad used to sing to her. She said she loved the idea.”\n\nThe Reddit user expressed that she “always assumed things would change” down the line, with her daughter either choosing to walk alone or with her brother, “as a representation of her dad”. However, she shared that when her daughter got engaged, she “asked [her mother] right away” to walk her down the aisle.\n\n“She brought up our past conversation and told me she wanted exactly that. I told her I would be honoured,” she wrote. “We cried tears of joy together. I told her that her dad would be so proud.”\n\nHowever, according to the Reddit user, her husband didn’t take the news as expected. She explained that he asked her a series of questions, with the first one being if she asked Calla if both her mother and stepfather could walk her down the aisle. The woman noted that she didn’t ask her daughter that.\n\n“Then he asked if she ever considered asking him, and I said I could not answer that for her. He asked me if I thought of him when I said yes,” she continued. “He asked whether I gave any thought to all he has done for Calla, for both kids, and the fact he’s still not looked upon as a fatherly figure all these years later. I told him I did not think of him when asked because I was overjoyed. He told me I should have given him a lot more consideration and I should have tried to compromise with my daughter.”\n\nShe claimed that three weeks after the incident, her husband hasn’t changed his stance and he still feels like his wife “was wrong”. She also said that he told her he “felt he deserved more from all” of the family, and that his wife should be “making sure he is respected and honoured for his contribution to the kids’ lives”.\n\nThe Reddit post has quickly gone viral, as it has received more than 6,500 upvotes. In the comments, many people have gone on to defend the bride’s mother, noting that her husband should respect Calla’s decisions for her wedding day. They also criticised the stepfather and claimed he should be more considerate of Calla’s bond with her late father.\n\n“I can tell you that no man, as you know, could ever hold a candle to my father so I feel comfortable saying that your daughter would probably never ask him [because] it would be like disrespecting the memory of her father,” one wrote. “And if your husband is close enough to your daughter, he could just ask her himself. It probably isn’t as personal for her as it is for him, especially if you and your husband did not have any more children.”\n\n“This isn’t about him and all he’s done. It’s about Calla,” another added. “She lost her dad and, while the grief fades a bit over the years, big events bring it roaring back in (at least that’s been my experience). Her wedding is going to be bittersweet. She needs her parent (the one she’s always had and the one who loved her dad) to ‘give her away.’”\n\nA third wrote: “The real question here is why does your husband believe he’s more entitled to this honour of walking your daughter down the aisle, and ‘giving’ her away than YOU? You, who is her mother, who has been there through it all, who has comforted and given her a home and place to be herself, unconditionally?”\n\nThe Independent has contacted u/PopShort7064 for comment.", + "Read this article for free! Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy , which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive . To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.\n\nCharlie Sheen is speaking out about his current experience with fatherhood.\n\nThe actor claims that he is currently raising his two youngest children, 14-year-old twins Max and Bob, on his own. As he explained to People, most of his time lately has been spent on \"doing single dad stuff.\"\n\nThe boys' mother, Brooke Mueller, has struggled with drug addiction for several years. He said that recently she \"has been trying to figure some stuff out on her end, so she's not in the picture too much right now.\"\n\nCHARLIE SHEEN'S ‘SURREAL’ TV RETURN COMES AFTER HE COMPARED DRUG, ALCOHOL ADDICTION TO ‘DEMONIC POSESSION’\n\nMueller's rep declined to comment on the situation to Fox News Digital.\n\nSheen, who also has three daughters — one with a high school sweetheart and two with ex-wife Denise Richards — called his sons \"really cool, really smart and really funny,\" but admitted they do have a bit of a problem \"worshiping their devices.\"\n\nHe laughed, \"Although on the flip side, when they're doing that it gives me a little time to not be dragging them all over the city. But I also feel like the screens detract them from having other opportunities to expand their minds in other areas.\"\n\nSheen went through his own period of addiction several years ago — Richards famously took the twins in at one point when Sheen and Mueller were both deemed incapable of caring for them. But now, as he's preparing for a return to television and focusing so much on parenting, things seem to be looking up.\n\nFox News Digital takes a look at other celebrity fathers who have raised or are raising their children on their own.\n\nJohn Travolta\n\nJohn Travolta and Kelly Preston were married in 1991, and they had three children together: Jett, who died at 16 in 2009; Ella, 22; and Benjamin, 13. Preston passed away in 2020 after battling breast cancer.\n\nIn 2021, Travolta appeared on Kevin Hart's interview show \"Hart to Heart\" and shared an intimate conversation he had with Benjamin about the loss of his mother, recalling, \"(Ben) said to me once, 'Because mom passed away, I'm afraid you're going to.' I said, 'Well, it's a very different thing.' And I went through the differences about my longevity and her limited life.\"\n\nJOHN TRAVOLTA HONORS LATE WIFE KELLY PRESTON ON MOTHER'S DAY WITH SWEET THROWBACK VIDEO\n\nHe continued, \"I said, 'Ben, you have always loved the truth, and I'm going to tell you the truth about life. Nobody knows when they are going to go or when they are going to stay. Your brother left at 16. Too young. Your mother left at 57. That was too young. But who's to say? I could die tomorrow. You could. Anybody can. So let's look at it like it's part of life. You don't know exactly. You just do your best at trying to live the longest you can.\"\n\nLast year, Ella made a touching Father's Day post on social media for Travolta, calling him \"the smartest, kindest, most generous man I know.\"\n\nShe added, \"Just by being yourself, you have taught me the most important lessons in life. Thank you for everything you do and for being my friend. I love you Daddy.\"\n\nLiam Neeson\n\nLiam Neeson was married to actress Natasha Richardson from 1994 until her death after a skiing accident in 2009. They had two children together, sons Micheál and Daniel. They were 13 and 12, respectively, when their mother died.\n\nIn 2014, he told GQ that raising his sons on his own was \"just still a day-to-day thing,\" explaining, \"They’re flexing muscles and sometimes dangerous avenues, and you think, 'F---. If Tasha was here, someone could share this.' But yeah, we’re doing all right, you know?\"\n\nHe said, \"The thing Tasha and I really wanted to instill in them was manners. That may sound like such a basic thing, but I’ve heard so many adults say, 'Oh, my God, your sons — they look you straight in the eye. They’re very polite and mannered.' It makes me proud. And it can get you through a lot, in a way. Just showing respect for your fellow man.\"\n\nLIAM NEESON'S ‘RETRIBUTION’ ACTION HERO ROLE LATEST IN STORIED CAREER MARKED BY LOVE AND LOSS\n\nNeeson also admitted to \"drinking too much\" after losing his wife. In another 2014 interview, this one with \"60 Minutes,\" he said that grief sometimes hit him \"like a wave. You just get this profound feeling of instability.\" He stopped drinking altogether in 2013.\n\nMicheál and Daniel, now 28 and 27, are both actors. Micheál took on his mother's surname of Richardson, something Neeson said was \"the right thing\" to do.\n\n\"I think it was a lovely homage, a nice gesture and he's, you know, he's not saddled with my last name which, I have a certain celebrity status I guess,\" Neeson told Andy Cohen in 2020. \"I'd hate for him to be constantly asked, 'Oh, are you Liam Neeson's son?' So, it was a lovely gesture. Natasha's family, mother and sisters, were very touched by it, as indeed I was, too.\"\n\nKevin Federline\n\nKevin Federline met Britney Spears in 2004 at a nightclub, and months later they were married. They welcomed two sons together, Preston and Jayden, before divorcing in 2007. At the time of the divorce, they split custody, but a few months later, Federline would receive sole physical custody because of what a judge called Spears' \"habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol.\"\n\nIn 2008, when Spears began experiencing trouble with her mental health, Federline was awarded sole legal custody as well. Spears was given visitation rights. In her recently released memoir, \"The Woman in Me,\" she claimed that she agreed to her conservatorship for her kids.\n\n\"Because I played by the rules, I was reunited with my boys,\" Spears explained.\n\nShe eventually gained more custody, though Federline has remained the kids' primary caregiver. They have lived with him since the divorce. Earlier this year, they moved to Hawaii with Spears' approval.\n\nAfter years of getting along, some tension began to show in 2022. Spears and Federline both shared negative posts on social media about the other, which they both deleted. Soon after, Preston and Jayden did a rare interview with ITV to discuss the situation.\n\nWhile Jayden clarified that there was \"no hate\" involved towards anyone, he said that \"it will take a lot of time and effort\" to fix their relationship with their mother. He clarified, \"I 100% think this can be fixed. It's just going to take a lot of time and effort. I just want her to get better mentally. When she gets better, I really want to see her again.\"\n\nIn a message directly to Spears, he said, \"I love you a lot, I hope for the best for you. Maybe one day we can sit down like this and talk again.\"\n\nLIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS\n\nThey reportedly haven't seen each other since early last year.\n\nDean Cain\n\nDean Cain has one child, a son named Christopher, 23, with ex-girlfriend Samantha Torres. The couple broke up when their child was still a toddler, and after a bitter court battle that lasted for 18 months, they agreed to split custody in 2003.\n\nIn 2011, Cain was given sole custody, which he maintained until Christopher became an adult.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER\n\nIn 2014, the actor told People, \"Stability-wise this is what’s best for him.\" Cain and Torrres agreed to the arrangement so that their son could be brought up in one home.\n\nHe admitted it can be \"difficult\" to juggle everything, but said, \"I’ve learned to make the decisions that put him first.\"\n\nLast year, Cain told Fox News Digital that the decision to raise his son on his own \"affected my career like I can't even explain. I turned down being one of, if not the highest-paid actor on television, for a show that ended up going six years.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"The contract was very attractive,\" he said. \"But I was in the middle of a custody dispute, so I could either be a father or take that job. It took me a split second, not even a split second.\"\n\nHaving a father in a child's home is something Cain called \"hugely important,\" and he added, \"I would never change what I've done in terms of being a father versus a career.\"", + "What’s at stake in the Supreme Court’s landmark social media case The court will wade into First Amendment questions with major implications for platforms\n\nThe Supreme Court is poised to decide whether a pair of state laws are allowed to reshape the ability of social media companies to control what does — and doesn’t — appear on their platforms.\n\nLast week, the Supreme Court decided that it would hear the pair of cases, which revolve around Republicans crafting state-specific laws that order platforms to keep their hands off of some social media posts. Since the early days of the Trump administration, Republicans have accused social media companies of deliberately suppressing conservative viewpoints.\n\nWhile research has not supported these claims, researchers have demonstrated that conservative social media users are disproportionately exposed to political misinformation, a phenomenon that could explain anecdotal claims of ideologically lopsided enforcement on social platforms.\n\nWhether animated by those perceived differences or the political perks of accusing social platforms of anti-conservative bias, conservative lawmakers in Florida and Texas passed laws to restrict how those companies are allowed to moderate content.\n\nTo explain the Supreme Court’s decision to wade into these issues — and what happens next — TechCrunch spoke to Paul Barrett, NYU adjunct law professor and Deputy Director of NYU Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights.\n\nWhy is the Supreme Court involved?\n\nThese cases actually started in Florida and Texas a few years ago before wending their way to the Supreme Court this year. In those two states, Republican lawmakers passed parallel laws to control how social media companies operate. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7072 into law in May 2021. In Texas, House Bill 20 made it through the state legislature and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott in September 2021.\n\n“The reason why these cases are in front of the Supreme Court is actually relatively simple: Florida and Texas were more or less the first out of the gate in imposing this type of restriction on social media companies,” Barrett explained. “So when the industry sued the states under the First Amendment, these were the first cases that were litigated, so they went up through the court system.”\n\nBoth laws made their way through the lower courts after tech industry group NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) issued legal challenges against them. That path was complicated and contradictory, which is part of how the case landed in the Supreme Court’s lap:\n\nIn both cases, you had federal trial judges who entered injunctions blocking the laws on constitutional grounds. And then you had two different federal appellate courts — in the case of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit, in the case of Texas, the Fifth Circuit. The two appellate courts clashed… and there was an explicit conflict between the two federal appellate courts. And that type of conflict is one of the bases that the US Supreme Court uses for deciding when to take cases.\n\nWhat does this have to do with the First Amendment?\n\nThe case revolves around First Amendment rights — but, counterintuitively, it’s the rights of social media companies that are in question, not the rights of their users.\n\n“The question here is: Do social media companies have a First Amendment protected right to exercise what you might call editorial judgment?”\n\n“These cases are about the First Amendment and how the First Amendment applies to social media companies. And then more specifically, what the First Amendment has to say about content moderation, which is obviously a subset, although a really big and important subset of what social media companies do,” Barrett said.\n\n“The question here is: Do social media companies have a First Amendment protected right to exercise what you might call editorial judgment — or what you also might call content moderation — in sorting out what expression does and does not appear on the platforms that they own? So it’s just not clear right now what precisely the First Amendment says about that question.”\n\nAre the Texas and Florida laws identical?\n\nThe two laws — HB 20 in Texas and SB 7072 in Florida — are very similar in their origins and intentions, but diverge slightly in how they seek to restrict social media platforms.\n\nIn both instances, a provision of the state law instructed social media companies to stop removing certain kinds of content. In Texas, the law told social media companies that they could no longer remove or demonetize content based on the “viewpoint represented in the user’s expression.” In Florida, the law would stop social media companies from banning political candidates or removing or restricting their content. The laws have a few other provisions, but the idea is that conservative politicians in those states want to regulate how tech companies interact with political content.\n\n“They’re in the same ballpark, the sentiment is the same,” Barrett said. “Republican lawmakers in each state believe that — and said explicitly in the course of debating and passing these laws — that ‘Silicon Valley oligarchs’… are ideological liberals, and they are censoring people in our states who are conservative, and we are hereby ordering them to stop doing that.”\n\nHow could the Supreme Court decision affect social media companies?\n\nIf the court finds that social media companies don’t have a First Amendment right to curate the kinds of content that they allow, social platforms could look very different, at least in states that are trying to limit their moderation powers. After years of slow progress on misinformation — and worrisome backsliding on platforms like Elon Musk’s X — the Supreme Court’s decision could upend that process, sowing chaos online in the process.\n\n“Thanks to the First Amendment, Florida and Texas cannot force websites or social media apps to host hateful content, misinformation and spam, as their deeply misguided laws would require,” Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who co-authored Section 230, a law that protects social media companies’ content moderation decisions, told TechCrunch. “… A ruling in favor of the Texas and Florida laws would create utter chaos, and make many sites worthless to regular users who want to watch a funny video or see family photos.”\n\nNetChoice President Steve DelBianco also warned that allowing the state laws to go into effect would unleash “a tidal wave of offensive content and hate speech crashing onto users, creators, and advertisers” that would force Americans to wade through “racial epithets, aggressive homophobia, pornographic material, beheadings, or other gruesome content” just to use social apps.\n\nAside from forcing platforms to allow some forms of content that would otherwise be disallowed, these laws also seek to force social media companies to provide users with individualized explanations when their content is removed or restricted. Because this process is largely conducted algorithmically now — generally with light human intervention or oversight — social media companies might need to reimagine their content moderation systems or hire way more humans to respond to these incidents. Those kind of adjustments would likely be costly and difficult to scale.\n\n“As you can imagine, that can get kind of onerous when you’re taking down millions and millions of pieces of content a day, and much of that activity of the vast majority of it is currently being done automatically,” Barrett said. “The idea that a human being would have to go back and explain each time something came down would be quite a challenge.”", + "Taylor Swift's biggest album 1989 returns with new tracks from the vault Published 27 October\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, Taylor Swift's 1989 tour sold 2.2m tickets and earned more than $250m at the box office\n\nOn Friday, Taylor Swift released a new version of 1989 - the biggest-selling album of her career, and the one that definitively turned her into a pop star.\n\nFeaturing hits like Shake It Off, Blank Space and Style, it was originally written during the 2013-14 Red Tour, with demos stored on her phone in a folder named \"Sailor Twips\".\n\nAwarded a Grammy for album of the year, it has spent 325 weeks in the UK charts.\n\nBut now she has re-recorded it as the latest part of an ongoing campaign to regain control of her work, after an investment company bought her master tapes in 2019.\n\nThis is the biggest and riskiest part of the project. While earlier remakes were largely made with a live band, 1989's pop landscapes are full of squelchy, processed synths and treated vocals.\n\nFans can now find out how it has turned out - and hear five new tracks from the star's vault, expanding on the themes and relationships she explored on the original.\n\nHere's a guide to all the songs and what Taylor has said about them.\n\n1) Welcome To New York\n\n\"It's a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat forever more.\"\n\nWe open with a mission statement: The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now, she's dead.\n\nAfter building her reputation in Nashville, 1989 jettisons the banjos in favour of insistent, needling beats and tales of bohemian nightlife. \"A farewell to twang,\" the New York Times called it.\n\nTaylor knew change was necessary. \"I don't have the option of making music that sounds just like what I've done before,\" she told Popcrush. \"People will see right through it. They'll see that I was lazy\".\n\nHer label begged her to add three country-leaning songs to the album, but she stood her ground.\n\n\"At a certain point, if you chase two rabbits, you lose them both.\"\n\nWelcome To New York itself is the sound of creative and personal freedom. Taylor moved to the city in 2014 and was amazed to discover she could go grocery shopping largely incognito.\n\n\"My friends and people who know me have commented that I'm physically different since being here,\" she told NYC radio station WKTU. \"That song is about the endless hopefulness and endless possibilities that New York seems to present,\" she added in an interview with Access Hollywood.\n\nAll proceeds from the track are donated to New York City's Public Schools.\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, The original version of 1989 won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year\n\n2) Blank Space\n\nPretty much the perfect Taylor Swift song, Blank Space takes every horrible rumour that was being spread about her love life, and amplifies it with satirical relish.\n\n\"In the last couple of years the media have had a wonderful fixation on painting me as the psycho serial dater girl,\" she told the Grammy Museum. \"Every article was like, 'Here's Taylor Swift standing near some guy. WATCH OUT GUY!'\n\n\"My first reaction was to be like, 'That's a bummer. This isn't fun for me'. But my second reaction was, 'Hey, that's actually a really interesting character they're writing about: She jet-sets around the world collecting men - and she can get any of them, but she's so clingy that they leave and she cries in her marble bathtub surrounded by pearls'.\n\n\"I was like, 'I can use this'.\"\n\nLyrically, it contains some of her best lines (\"darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream\") and there's a delicious attention to detail - with a pen click signifying every new entry in her little black book.\n\nShout-out to all the lonely Starbucks lovers; and to Chicago indie band Hard Femme who took that misheard lyric and made it a real song. Those search engine clicks gotta be lucrative, right?\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, Many of 1989's songs were supposedly inspired by Taylor's relationship with Harry Styles\n\n3) Style\n\nAn epic aural painting of windswept coastlines and propulsive wanderlust, Style is (supposedly) named for Harry Styles, with whom Taylor had a brief relationship in 2012.\n\nExcept she says it was inspired by fashion, and how certain items like a black dress or red lipstick will \"never go out of style\". That prompted her to write about the people who'll always be part of your life, even after the flame of romantic love wanes (all of which sounds like a classic piece of deflection to a probing journalist).\n\nWhichever interpretation you prefer, the song marks a shift in Swift's psychology, as she briefly admits to having been unfaithful.\n\n\"I would never have said anything like that on a previous album,\" she told Ryan Seacrest.\n\n\"My previous albums have always been, 'I was right, you were wrong'. What happens when you grow up is you realise that the rules in a relationship are very blurred. It gets very complicated, very quickly.\"\n\n4) Out Of The Woods\n\nOne of 1989's strengths is how the music reflects the emotional tenor of the words. Here, that means frantic anxiety.\n\nAs Taylor and her partner run from forces that seek to destroy them, they're pursued by pounding drums and rushing synths. And there's a desperation to her voice, as though she's repeating \"everything's fine, everything's fine, everything's fine,\" against evidence to the contrary.\n\nBy the middle 8, it seems they've made a clean getaway. Then car brakes are slammed, and it's \"twenty stitches in a hospital room\".\n\nIn interviews, Taylor delighted in revealing this was based on a true story.\n\n\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.\n\nIn her Rolling Stone cover story, Taylor said the crash actually occurred on a snowmobile \"with an ex who lost control and wrecked it so badly that she saw her life flash before her eyes\".\n\nThat prompted speculation the track was also about Styles: The couple had gone skiing with Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez in late 2012.\n\nThe lyrics also reference their identical aeroplane necklaces and a December break-up, which ties in with the \"Sad Taylor on a boat\" meme.\n\nBut the singer steadfastly refuses to name names: \"The fact that I've never confirmed who those songs are about makes me feel like there is still one card I'm holding,\" she told GQ.\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, 1989 was seen as a risk by Taylor's record label, but ended up becoming her biggest-selling album to date\n\n5) All You Had To Do Was Stay\n\nTraditionally, track five on a Taylor Swift album is the record's most raw and vulnerable moment - but All You Had To Do Was Stay is no Dear John or All Too Well.\n\nInstead, it's a big disinterested \"nope\" to an ex who comes back begging for a second chance.\n\nThe song came to Taylor in a dream where her ex turned up at the door and, instead of giving him a piece of her mind, all that came out was a high-pitched plea to \"stay\".\n\nWhen she woke, she recorded the sound into her phone and decided to base a song around it. Only this time, she got to say everything she wanted.\n\nImage source, Universal Music Group Image caption, The video for Shake It Off was filmed under intense secrecy\n\n6) Shake It Off\n\nRattling like a bag of spanners, Shake It Off is a 21st Century Hey Mickey, a honking great party record with a chorus that drills so far into your brain you start seeing lights.\n\nIt was the last song recorded for 1989, and Taylor arrived at the studio with a challenge for her co-writers Max Martin and Johan \"Shellback\" Schuster: \"We need drums that make even the person who's having a terrible night at the wedding [go], 'Oh, it's my song!'\"\n\nLike Blank Space, Shake It Off is a response to celebrity takedown culture. Taylor lists all of her supposed flaws (\"She's an airhead!' 'She dates too many men!\") with a defiant \"so what?\", sounding much less bothered than the girl who'd written Mean as a riposte to a snarky music critic three years earlier.\n\nReleased as 1989's first single, Taylor spent three days shooting a video, codenamed Project Sparrow, that built on the lyrical conceit.\n\n\"When I'm at award shows, I have the best time dancing [but] I'm really tall and lanky so I look a little bit like a baby giraffe learning how to walk,\" she told a group of young Swifties.\n\n\"So all over the internet, it's like,'Taylor Swift looks awkward when she dances'. And as soon as I wrote [Shake It Off] I knew I wanted to do an entire music video of me awkwardly dancing.\n\n\"I'm like, 'Yeah, I do dance awkwardly, but I'm having more fun than you.'\"\n\nImage caption, Taylor was one of the main stage headliners at Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2015\n\n7) I Wish You Would\n\nOne of Taylor's many 2am songs, I Wish You Would, is powered by a choppy, unrelenting guitar line that mimics her thoughts as they race uncontrollably in the middle of the night.\n\nShe's pining for an ex, absent-mindedly driving down their street and wishing she'd never hung up the phone or broken things off.\n\nBut in real life, the story was reversed. Taylor told Rolling Stone the song was \"about an ex who bought a house two blocks from hers\"; while a hidden message in the CD booklet said: \"He drove past her street each night.\"\n\nThe mystery deepens.\n\n8) Bad Blood\n\nBad Blood has the dubious distinction of taking last place in Rolling Stone's ranking of all 237 Taylor Swift songs.\n\nIt's certainly not her finest work - a vendetta disguised as a pop song, with a ham-fisted chorus that lacks her usual melodic instincts.\n\nSwift hinted in a Rolling Stone interview that the track was about a high-profile female musician, saying the person did something \"so horrible\" that made them \"straight-up enemies.\"\n\nAlthough she tried not to identify the target, it became common knowledge that Katy Perry was in the crosshairs, after allegedly \"stealing\" Taylor's backing dancers just before a tour.\n\nPerry confirmed the situation on James Corden's Carpool Karaoke, adding that she \"tried to talk to [Swift] about it and she wouldn't speak to me.\"\n\nThe pop divas eventually reconciled in the 2019 video for You Need To Calm Down... but Taylor's still performing Bad Blood on her Eras tour.\n\nImage source, Universal Music Group Image caption, The Bad Blood video featured an all-star \"squad\" of Taylor's female friends, including Cara Delevigne, Gigi Hadid, Cindy Crawford and many more\n\n9) Wildest Dreams\n\nGrowing up means letting go of youthful optimism, and Swift confronts that notion several times on 1989.\n\nOn one hand, she's developed an ability to laugh off her critics; on the other, she seems increasingly jaded about love.\n\nHere, she's imagining the end of a relationship before it's truly begun. When it all goes wrong, she asks her partner, \"Say you'll remember me / Standing in a nice dress / Staring at the sunset.\"\n\n\"The way I used to approach relationships was very idealistic,\" she told Rolling Stone. \"I used to go into them thinking, 'Maybe this is the one - we'll get married and have a family, this could be forever'.\n\n\"Whereas now I go in thinking, 'How long do we have on the clock before something comes along and puts a wrench in it, or your publicist calls and says this isn't a good idea?\"\n\nInterestingly, an early draft of the lyrics had the couple fleeing the city and blotting out the pressures of the world, an idea which eventually resurfaced in I Know Places.\n\n10) How You Get The Girl\n\nWhat's that? An acoustic guitar? Surely not...\n\nThis is one of the few 1989 tracks you can imagine working as a country song, if it was stripped of its whip-crack snare drums and buzzing basslines.\n\nOver that backing, Taylor turns agony aunt, dispensing advice on how to win back someone's heart... although her solutions (standing outside their house in the rain, bombarding them with cute photos) suggest she hasn't quite weaned herself off Love, Actually just yet.\n\n\"It's kind of a tutorial. All the steps you'd have to do to edge your way back into her life, because she's probably pretty mad at you\" she told Radio.com.\n\n\"If you follow the directions in this song, chances are things will work out… Or you may get a restraining order.\"\n\nImage source, Universal Music Group Image caption, Deluxe editions of the album came with collectible Polaroids featuring Taylor's favourite lyrics\n\n11) This Love\n\nTaylor was beginning to experiment with different vocal styles on 1989, and the multi-tracked, semi-whispered performance on this track foreshadows the delicate sounds of the Folklore and Evermore albums.\n\nThe effect is almost aquatic, as though Taylor is drowning in the high tide she depicts in the opening verse. And that suits the song perfectly, with its theme of cutting someone adrift because they're not ready for a full relationship.\n\nIn an interview with the Scholastic book club, Taylor said the song originally started out as a poem in her journal.\n\n\"I just wrote it down, and closed the book and put it back on my nightstand, like, 'Oh, that was fun'.\n\n\"Then all of a sudden in my head, I started hearing this melody - and that's when I realised it was going to be a song.\"\n\n12) I Know Places\n\nContinuing the theme of thwarted love, I Know Places was fuelled by Taylor's increasing anxiety over holding down relationships in the spotlight.\n\n\"I was like, 'No-one's gonna sign up for this. There are just too many cameras pointed at me, there are too many ridiculous elaborations on my life',\" she told the Grammy Museum.\n\n\"But I decided to write a love song [about] what would I say if I met someone really awesome and they were like, 'Hey, I'm worried about all this attention you get'.\n\n\"So I wrote this song about, 'Hey, I know all these places we could hide. We can outrun them'.\"\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, The 1989 tour saw almost the entire album played every night\n\n13) Clean\n\nCo-written with indie-pop auteur Imogen Heap, 1989's original album closer is very much the palette cleanser its title suggests.\n\nFor once, the cavernous 1980s drums are swapped for the plucked keys of a Zimbabwean mbira, while a weary Taylor emerges from the ruins of a relationship.\n\nAnd the song prompts one of her best lyrics - establishing drought as a metaphor for emotional desolation (\"the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst\") before she's reborn in the cleansing waters of a rainstorm: \"When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe / And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean.\"\n\nThe song is all about the necessity of pain, she told Popcrush.\n\n\"For most people that I've known who've fought through struggle, a lot them who have really just faced the pain head on have come out OK a lot faster than the ones who just pretended to be in denial of it.\"\n\nImage source, Getty Images Image caption, The star gave an Alice In Wonderland-themed performance at the 2013 Grammy Awards\n\n14) Wonderland\n\n\"It's all fun and games til someone loses their mind.\"\n\nAfter dressing as the Mad Hatter at the 2013 Grammy Awards, Taylor returned to Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland for this EDM-tinged banger.\n\nThe song describes a fling with a \"green-eyed\" man (Styles again?) with whom she \"fell down a rabbit hole\" where \"nothing's as it seems\" until, in the end, \"we both went mad\".\n\n\"Any song [on 1989] that is touching on a relationship issue is looking back on it, and discussing what I learned, rather than you did this and now I feel this way,\" she told Radio 1. \"There aren't any accusations made. There aren't any outright diss tracks.\"\n\nOriginally a deluxe edition bonus track, Wonderland doesn't add anything new or insightful to the mix.\n\nEven Taylor agrees it's a minor entry in her songbook: To date, she's only played it seven times in concert.\n\n15) You Are In Love\n\nA gently-sung romance, this was inspired by Taylor observing her producer Jack Antonoff and his then-girlfriend, Lena Dunham.\n\n\"I remember thinking [the backing track] sounded so much like the sound of actual love, true love. Like, through thick and thin, sickness and health love,\" she told MTV.\n\nDrawing directly on conversations she'd had with Lena, the song blends scenes of everyday life (burnt toast, borrowed shirts) with moments of incandescent tenderness (kisses on sidewalks and late night heart-to-hearts).\n\nIn an interview with Elle, Taylor talked wistfully about the couple's ease around each other.\n\n\"I've never had that,\" she said. \"[But] now I have more of a grasp on the fact that when you're in a state of infatuation and you think everything that person does is perfect, it then - if you're lucky - morphs into a real relationship when you see that that person is not in fact perfect, but you still want to see them every day.\"\n\nImage source, Republic Records Image caption, Artwork for the re-recorded version of 1989 has a beach vibe, in contrast to the Polaroid aesthetics of the original\n\n16) New Romantics\n\nProof that even Taylor gets it wrong: New Romantics, one of her most beloved songs, was originally held back as a bonus track.\n\nIt's a beast, though. An armour-plated anthem to resilience and power, where Taylor takes all the pain that's come her way and uses it to make herself bulletproof.\n\n\"Heartbreak is the national anthem, we sing it proudly,\" she declares, while glitterballs shatter around her. \"I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me.\"\n\nThat defiance also acts as a bridge to her next album, Reputation, which dismantled her critics, one-by-one. But that's for another article..\n\n17-21) Tracks from the vault\n\nIn 2014, Taylor said she had recorded more than 100 songs for 1989 - so the relative scarcity of vault tracks is intriguing.\n\nWhereas previous re-recordings have featured full discs of bonus material, this album gets just five new additions: Slut!, Say Don't Go, Now That We Don't Talk, Suburban Legends and Is It Over Now?\n\nAs a whole, they feel like dry runs for the songs that made the cut. The melodies aren't as crisp, the lyrics aren't as sharp. Suburban Legends has a particularly clunky line about letting a partner's indiscretions slide \"like a hose on a slippery plastic summer\".\n\nSlut! has piqued fans' interest for its title alone - who might she be talking about? No-one, it turns out.\n\nThe song is thematically similar to Blank Space, commenting on the media's portrayal of Taylor's relationships: \"But if I'm all dressed up / They might as well be lookin' at us / And if they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once.\"\n\nThe best of the new tracks is Is It Over Now. An angrier take on 1989's philosophical break-up songs, it calls back to the Harry Styles snowmobile incident (see also, Out Of The Woods) then, deliciously, references the \"Sad Taylor Boat\" meme - a photo of Taylor fleeing a vacation alone after the couple split up.\n\nShe goes on to call an ex a \"lying traitor\", accuses them of parading their new relationships in public, and noting that every new girlfriend looks like her.\n\n\"If she's got blue eyes, I will surmise that you'll probably date her.\"\n\nThe fact that all the new songs were co-written and produced by Jack Antonoff suggests there may have been rights issues over the tracks she wrote with Max Martin - who has not been involved with the new re-recordings.\n\nThat means the vault tracks are all bathed in the dreamy, soft-focus atmospherics of Out Of The Woods, rather than the upfront pop of Shake It Off.\n\nSpeaking in 2015, Taylor admitted she'd been brutal about pruning songs from 1989's original tracklist.\n\n\"There were so many songs I wrote for this album that were really good, but if I felt in any way that they would have belonged on my last album, Red, they got cut,\" she told New York radio's The Todd Show in the Morning.\n\n\"There are really, really good songs on the cutting room floor because they weren't innovative enough or new enough. It's so weird to look back on that - you've got heaping piles of discarded songs that I really loved when I wrote them and I still love now.\n\n\"I just need each album to have its own sound and if it doesn't fit that sound, it doesn't matter if it's a great song to me.\"", + "Will the Crimson Tide endure a three-year drought in the College Football Playoff?\n\nNo. 8 Alabama (11-1) must beat No. 1 Georgia in the SEC championship at 4 p.m. on Saturday on CBS. By that time, the Crimson Tide will know what happened with No. 7 Texas. Alabama did get help with No. 3 Washington beating No. 5 Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game Friday.\n\nPac-12: No. 3 Washington 34, No. 5 Oregon 31\n\nNo. 3 Washington 34, No. 5 Oregon 31 Big 12: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 12 p.m., ABC)\n\nNo. 7 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 12 p.m., ABC) SEC: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (Saturday, 4 p.m., CBS)\n\nNo. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (Saturday, 4 p.m., CBS) ACC: No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 14 Louisville (Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC)\n\nNo. 4 Florida State vs. No. 14 Louisville (Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC) Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan vs. vs. No. 16 Iowa (Saturday, 8 p.m., FOX)\n\nIn what has become an annual tradition, Alabama coach Nick Saban might have to do some politicking to get the Crimson Tide into the CFP conversation even with a victory against Georgia.\n\nThe Bulldogs are 5.5-point favorites against Alabama in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, so all of this might be a moot point. Yet Alabama does have a path back to the CFP if they knock off the top-ranked team in the country.\n\nMORE: CFP scenarios, from chalk to chaos\n\nCan Alabama still make College Football Playoff?\n\nThe Crimson Tide are one of eight Power 5 teams with one loss or less heading into conference championship weekend. No two-loss team has ever made the four-team College Football Playoff.\n\nAlabama has options with a victory against Georgia, but this would be the preferred scenario for the other four championship games:\n\nWashington beats Oregon in Pac-12 championship\n\nAlabama got this piece in their favor. Washington beat Oregon in the Pac-12 championship on Friday, and that knocks the Ducks into the two-loss pileup and out of the CFP picture.\n\nOklahoma State beats Texas in Big 12 championship\n\nThis would make life easier in a lot of ways for Alabama, because Texas has a 34-24 head-to-head non-conference victory against the Crimson Tide. The Longhorns would have two losses at that point, so there would be nothing to discuss.\n\nIowa beats Michigan in Big Ten championship\n\nWhile this is the most-unlikely result, it could knock the Big Ten out of the CFP. Alabama is ranked behind No. 6 Ohio State – a one-loss team, but the Crimson Tide would leap-frog them with a victory against Georgia. The committee also would take an SEC champion over a one-loss Michigan team.\n\nLouisville beats Florida State in ACC championship\n\nEvery one-loss team is rooting for the Cardinals to knock off the Seminoles, which would free up one of the four spots in the CFP.\n\nMORE: Bowl projections | Championship games picks\n\nTwo Alabama College Football Playoff debates\n\nIf the above scenario unfolds, then the Crimson Tide would be in the CFP. Even if Michigan wins, Alabama would have a case with a Florida State loss.\n\nNow, depending on how the other games shake out, these potential head-to-head arguments could happen over the weekend.\n\nAlabama (12-1) vs. Texas (12-1)\n\nScenario No. 3 is the one everyone could be talking about. Washington, Florida State and Michigan win. Texas wins, too. That means there are three unbeatens and the committee must pick among the Longhorns, Crimson Tide and Bulldogs for the fourth spot. Texas beat Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 9. No matter how you try to talk around that, it might not happen for the Crimson Tide.\n\nAlabama (12-1) vs. Florida State (13-0)\n\nIf Saban cannot win the argument with Texas, then would he try to target Florida State instead? The Seminoles might be playing with a backup quarterback in Tate Rodamaker, but they beat LSU in Week 1. That victory would be worth cashing in at this point.\n\nAlabama strength of schedule\n\nAccording to ESPN, the Crimson Tide rank sixth in the Football Power Index. Texas is No. 7. Alabama has three victories against ranked teams this season, but none of those were top-10 victories. Georgia would be the signature victory on the schedule.\n\nAlabama strength of record\n\nAccording to ESPN, the Crimson Tide rank No. 7 in strength of record. Texas is No. 6 in those rankings. Those are comparable totals, but again, the matchup against Georgia would carry much more weight on conference championship weekend. It is the chance for an ultimate signature victory.\n\nWill Alabama make College Football Playoff?\n\nOregon lost. Seeing at least one of Texas or Florida State lose would be helpful for the Crimson Tide. There is the power of the SEC at work, and the emotional response by the committee to seeing Alabama beat Georgia might be enough on its own. The SEC is the only conference that has put a team in the CFP every single year.\n\nIf Alabama beats Georgia, then the arguments around those other conferences would get heated. Yet Florida State as an unbeaten team would still theoretically have the drop on the Crimson Tide. So would Texas based on the head-to-head victory. That could heat up quickly knowing Michigan likely will not lose in the Big Ten.", + "An eventful first month of the 2023 college football season is in the rearview mirror, and October should provide even more separation between pretenders and contenders in the ongoing College Football Playoff race. Four AP Top 25 matchups are on deck in Week 6, headlined by the annual Red River Rivalry game between No. 3 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. It will be the first time the two rivals have matched up undefeated since 2011, both sitting at 5-0.\n\nSaturday will also mark the first time that top-ranked Georgia has squared off against a ranked opponent this season as the Bulldogs welcome No. 20 Kentucky for a matchup of 5-0 squads. It's one of two ranked SEC matchups. No. 21 Missouri is also looking to stay undefeated as the Tigers host No. 23 LSU, which has now lost two games already after opening the year as a playoff contender.\n\nThe fourth and final AP Top 25 matchup of the day will be contested in ACC territory when No. 25 Louisville, sitting 5-0 in its first season under coach Jeff Brohm, sees No. 10 Notre Dame roll into town. The Fighting Irish are looking to secure a second ranked victory in as many weeks and remain in the playoff hunt after pulling off a comeback win at Duke in Week 5.\n\nBetting lines for those battles and other key Week 6 matchups were released on Sunday, so let's dive in on what the oddsmakers have given us.\n\nOdds via SportsLine consensus\n\nNo. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (-5.5), Dallas: Always among college football's top spectacles, this year's Red River Rivalry could may serve as the Big 12 Championship Game preview. After one month, the Sooners and Longhorns are the only remaining undefeated Big 12 teams and are also the only ranked schools in the conference. Consider that a dream start for two programs that would love for nothing more than to run the league one more time before heading to the SEC in 2024. While the winner will emerge as the Big 12's clear front-runner, the playoff implications may be even more pressing. Neither team will be eliminated from that conversation Saturday, but the road becomes increasingly more difficult for the loser. A two-loss team has never cracked the playoff, so whoever comes up short in Dallas will likely have to win out to stand a chance.\n\nNo. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia (-15): The two-time reigning national champs are undefeated so far, but the Bulldogs have looked human at times. Georgia's two SEC victories have both required the Bulldogs to win in comeback fashion -- first at home against South Carolina in Week 3 and then at Auburn in Week 5. Georgia is still the heavy favorite for its first ranked matchup of the season, but coach Kirby Smart and company shouldn't sleep on the Wildcats. Kentucky's win against Florida in Week 5 saw running back Ray Davis take off for 280 yards and three touchdowns rushing, a mark that could have been much more considering Davis eclipsed the 200-yard mark well before halftime.\n\nNo. 23 LSU (-6.5) at No. 21 Missouri: While LSU has already gone from a trendy CFP pick to a two-loss team, Mizzou finds itself looking to improve on an impressive start that already includes a win against defending Big 12 champion and longtime former conference-mate Kansas State in Week 3. LSU is looking to right the ship on defense after a pair of shaky defensive performances. The Tigers allowed 426 yards in a 34-31 scare against Arkansas in Week 4 before giving up a whopping 637 yards Saturday in a 55-49 loss at Ole Miss. Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook ranks fourth in passing within the SEC (1,468 yards). He'll bring another test for that unit in Week 6. Through five weeks, Cook has thrown 11 touchdowns and is interception-free.\n\nNo. 10 Notre Dame (-6.5) at No. 25 Louisville: The Fighting Irish encounter another ranked opponent after being involved in dogfights each of the past two Saturdays. Notre Dame had its hearts broken by Ohio State in Week 4 before playing the role of heartbreaker at Duke in Week 5. Now it's on to Louisville, where the Irish encounter a Cardinals team that remains unbeaten a month into the Jeff Brohm era. While there isn't a ton separating these teams statistically on either side of the ball, Notre Dame is the more battle tested of the two, so it's not a shock to see the Irish checking in as a touchdown favorite. This is Louisville's first time facing ranked competition in 2023. It should give the best idea yet of what Brohm's squad is truly made of.\n\nNo. 11 Alabama (-3.5) at Texas A&M: The Crimson Tide have seemingly started to find a groove after an uninspiring 2-1 start, beating Ole Miss and Mississippi State a combined 64-27 for a 2-0 start in SEC play. But now comes a Texas A&M team that has caused fits for Alabama in their last two meetings. The Aggies stunned the top-ranked Tide on a walk-off field goal when Alabama last visited Kyle Field in 2021. In last year's meeting at Bryant-Denny Stadium Texas A&M had a chance to win the game on the final play of regulation before the Tide held off the Aggies for a 24-20 victory. An upset victory this weekend would move Texas A&M to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in SEC play. The Aggies have already dealt with the injury bug, losing starting quarterback Conner Weigman for the season. However, backup Max Johnson brings no shortage of SEC experience as the former LSU transfer prepares for his second consecutive start.\n\nBest of the rest\n\nNebraska at Illinois (-3), Friday\n\nKansas State (-11) at Oklahoma State, Friday\n\nMaryland at No. 4 Ohio State (-18.5)\n\nNo. 13 Washington State at UCLA (-3)\n\nVirginia Tech at No. 5 Florida State (-25.5)\n\nSyracuse at No. 14 North Carolina (-8.5)\n\nColorado (-5) at Arizona State\n\nNo. 2 Michigan (-20) at Minnesota\n\nPurdue at Iowa (-3.5)\n\nArkansas at No. 16 Ole Miss (-12)\n\nNo. 24 Fresno State (-5.5) at Wyoming\n\nGeorgia Tech at No. 17 Miami (-18)\n\nNo. 15 Oregon State (-9) at Cal\n\nArizona at No. 9 USC (-22)\n\nWake Forest at Clemson (-20.5)", + "Manchester United are yet to recover from their large number of long-term injuries.\n\nMan United vs Fulham Live: Premier League LIVE – MUN vs FUL LIVE – Manchester United are travelling to Greater London for their 11th Premier League match of the season. Fulham will host the Red Devils in the hopes of finally winning against them for the first time since 2019. It doesn’t seem like they will get a better chance considering Man United’s horrible run of form. However, the Red Devils came away as winners in both of their last games on road. Hence, the job will not be easy for Fulham.\n\nAlso Read\n\nManchester United will have to look for a way to get back to winning after 2 major defeats. They were on a 3-match winning run in all competitions when they faced Man City in their last Premier League match. There was little hope of winning that match considering their form. The fears came true and they lost 3-0 in the Manchester derby. They had some hope in their next match in the EFL Cup round of 16 match against Newcastle United.\n\nThe boys in blue 🤩 pic.twitter.com/0awNdmkXtT — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 3, 2023\n\nEspecially since they defeated the Magpies last term in the final of the EFL Cup. However, the reigning Carabao Cup champions could not defend their title any longer. They lost by another 3-0 margin to Newcastle United. With 5 wins and 5 defeats in the domestic league, they are now sitting in 8th position in the table. It still seems that coach Erik Ten Hag has the backing of the management. However, he will still have to pull up his team from the doom as soon as possible.\n\nFulham are in a worse situation than the Red Devils. After a mixed set of results with 3 wins, 3 draws, and 4 defeats, they are sitting in 14th position in the league table. However, they are still unbeaten in their last two games in all competitions. They won their last match by a 3-1 margin against Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup round of 16. Before that, they drew 1-1 against Brighton in their last Premier League match. However, they will have a tough time holding onto the streak in this match.\n\nManchester United Team News\n\nMan United have been fighting a battle to line up their best XI as players fall victim to one injury after another. Casemiro, who got injured during the international break, got back on the field against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup match. However, he was taken off at half-time with a new hamstring issue. He will probably remain sidelined for weeks.\n\nOther than Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Amad Diallo are suffering from knee issues, Lisandro Martinez is nursing a foot injury, Jadon Sancho is out due to disciplinary issues, and Luke Shaw is yet to recover from a muscle problem. Adding to that, Victor Lindelof is suffering from a bug that could see him miss this weekend’s match.\n\nOn the other hand, Raphael Varane who missed last day’s match due to an illness of his own, could be back in this match. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was also able to participate in the last match coming on as a substitute. Hence, he should be able to make a comeback. Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, and Bruno Fernandes all could see themselves in the starting lineup.\n\nFulham Team News\n\nFulham’s injury situation has not improved so far. Adama Traore is suffering from a thigh problem, Issa Diop is nursing a foot issue, Kenny Tete is out due to an unspecified injury, and Tosin Adarabioyo is suffering from a groin injury.\n\nHowever, Tete, Adarabioyo, and Traore are on their way to being fully fit. They could at least make the squad for this weekend’s high-stake match against Man United. Yet, the coach’s biggest concern revolves around his No. 9 position. With his first goal in the EFL Cup match, Rodrigo Muniz proved that he can be a good pick for the role on a regular basis.\n\nThe coach hinted that he could choose Muniz over Raul Jimenez who is yet to score since he joined Fulham this summer. On the other hand, Antonee Robinson, Tim Team, and Bernd Leno will be joining the team again to help them hold the fort in the back.\n\nManchester United Premier League Form\n\nL W L W W L\n\nManchester United Form in All Competitions\n\nL W W W L L\n\nFulham Premier League Form\n\nW D L W L D\n\nFulham Form in All Competitions\n\nW L W L D W\n\nMatch Details\n\nMatch – Man United vs Fulham\n\nDate – 4th November, 2023\n\nTime – 6:00 PM IST\n\nLive Telecast – Premier League’s rights are owned by the Star Sports Network. Hence the matches will be broadcast on various Star Sports channels. The fans will get to watch English commentary on Star Sports Select and apart from that regional fans will also get the opportunity to watch the match in their favorite language. Regional commentary in Bangla and Malayalam will be made available for key weekend matches on Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 1 Bangla.Live Streaming – The match will be live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The fans will have to subscribe to Hotstar’s VIP plan to stream the Premier League matches live. Indian Premier League fans can also stream the match live on Jio TV.\n\nLive Streaming – The match will be live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The fans will have to subscribe to Hotstar’s VIP plan to stream the Premier League matches live. Indian Premier League fans can also stream the match live on Jio TV.", + "For Caribbean box jellyfish, learning is literally a no-brainer.\n\nDespite lacking a central brain, these animals learned to spot and avoid obstacles in a new study. This is the first evidence that jellyfish can do something called associative learning. That’s the ability to make mental connections between events — such as seeing something and running into it — and then changing one’s behavior accordingly.\n\n“Maybe learning does not need a very complex nervous system,” says Jan Bielecki. Maybe any creature with even a simple nervous system can learn. If so, this new insight might help point to how learning evolved in animals.\n\nBielecki studies animal nervous systems at Kiel University in Germany. He and his colleagues shared their new findings September 22 in Current Biology.\n\nEducators and Parents, Sign Up for The Cheat Sheet Weekly updates to help you use Science News Explores in the learning environment Client key* E-mail Address* Go Thank you for signing up! There was a problem signing you up.\n\nDodging obstacles\n\nThe nervous systems of Caribbean box jellyfish (Tripedalia cystophora) are fairly simple. They include four “rhopalia” that dangle off a jellyfish’s body. Each rhopalium has six “eyes.” It also has about 1,000 neurons to process what those eyes see.\n\nBox jellyfish use their vision to navigate the tropical lagoons in which they live. To hunt the tiny crustaceans they eat, these jellyfish must steer between the roots of mangrove trees.\n\nBut weaving between those roots is not simple. Caribbean box jellyfish judge a root’s distance based on how dark it looks compared to the water. In other words, the jellyfish look at a root’s contrast. In clear waters, nearby roots have high contrast. Only distant roots fade into the background. But in murky waters, even nearby roots can blend into their surroundings and have low contrast.\n\nWaters can become murky fast due to tides, algae and other factors. So the researchers wondered if Caribbean box jellyfish could learn that low-contrast objects — which might at first seem distant — were actually close by.\n\nWater tank tests\n\nTo find out, the team put 12 jellyfish into a round water tank. The tank was surrounded by low-contrast gray and white stripes. Such stripes might appear to a jellyfish like distant mangrove roots in clear water.\n\nA camera filmed the animals for about seven minutes. At first, the animals seemed to see the gray stripes as distant roots and swam into the tank wall. But those collisions seemed to lead the jellyfish to reconsider the stripes. Soon, the creatures treated the gray stripes more like close roots in murky water — and avoided them.\n\nThe jellies’ average distance from the wall was about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in the first couple of minutes in the tank. By the final few minutes, they were an average 3.6 centimeters (1.4 inch) from the wall. The jellyfish also stopped bumping into the wall quite so much. Their average rate dropped from 1.8 bumps per minute to 0.78 per minute.\n\n“I found that really amazing,” says Nagayasu Nakanishi. “I never thought that jellyfish could really learn.” This biologist is based at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He has studied jellyfish nervous systems before. But he didn’t take part in the new work.\n\nBjörn Brembs views the results more cautiously. He studies the nervous systems of animals at the University of Regensburg in Germany. Brembs points to the small number of jellyfish tested. “I want this to be true, as it would be so very cool,” he says of the results. But it will take tests with more jellyfish to convince him that the animals really do learn.\n\nJellyfish learning centers\n\nIn other tests, the researchers snipped rhopalia off jellyfish. They placed those eye-bearing nerve bundles in front of a screen. That screen showed low-contrast, light gray bars. Meanwhile, an electrode gave the rhopalia a weak electrical pulse. This mimicked the nerve signal a rhopalium would get if a jellyfish bumped into something.\n\nThe Caribbean box jellyfish has four rhopalia (circled). Each rhopalium has six eyes and about 1,000 neurons to process what it sees. Isabella Beyer, Bob Weber and Jan Bielecki\n\nAt first, the rhopalia ignored low-contrast bars, as if they were distant roots. But receiving “bump” signals when they saw those bars made them start paying attention. Their nerves started sending out the types of signals they emit when a jellyfish darts away from something.\n\nThis suggests that the rhopalia alone can learn that seemingly distant, low-contrast objects are in fact close enough to avoid. That, in turn, hints that these nerve centers are behind Caribbean box jellyfish learning.\n\n“That’s the coolest part of the paper,” says Ken Cheng. “That gets us one step down into the … wiring of how it works.” Cheng is a biologist at Macquarie University. That’s in Sydney, Australia.\n\nFor Gaëlle Botton-Amiot, tracing learning to the rhopalia raises new questions. “They have four of these things in their bodies. So how does that work?” asks this neurobiologist. If a jellyfish loses one of its rhopalia, does it forget everything those eyes saw and the neurons had learned? Or do the other rhopalia remember it?\n\nEvolution of learning\n\nBotton-Amiot has studied sea anemones at University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Her work hints that like jellyfish, those sea creatures can learn.\n\nSea anemones and jellyfish both belong to a group of animals called cnidarians. “Showing that cnidarians that are so different [can both learn],” she says, “means that it’s probably super widespread within them.” Perhaps jellyfish and sea anemones both inherited that ability from a common ancestor.\n\nIt’s also possible that the ability to learn arose in different animals independently, Nakanishi says. Finding out just how nerve cells in jellyfish or sea anemones accomplish learning could shed light on this. For instance, Nakanishi says, scientists could look at what chemicals play a role in how different animals learn.\n\n“If there’s a lot of similarities in the mechanism of how they learn, then that would be suggestive of common ancestry,” he says. “But if they evolved independently, then you would perhaps expect very different mechanisms of learning.”", + "Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for their work on quantum dots — tiny particles just a few nanometers in diameter that can release very bright colored light and whose applications in everyday life include electronics and medical imaging.\n\nMoungi Bawendi of MIT, Louis Brus of Columbia University, and Alexei Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology Inc., were honored for their work with the tiny particles that “have unique properties and now spread their light from television screens and LED lamps,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the award in Stockholm.\n\nThe suspense surrounding the academy’s decision took an unusual turn when Swedish media reported the winners several hours before the prize was announced. The advance notice apparently came from a news release sent out early by mistake.WHAT DISCOVERY WON THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY?\n\nQuantum dots are tiny inorganic particles that glow a range of colors from red to blue when exposed to light. The color they emit depends upon the size of the particle.\n\nScientists can engineer the dots from materials that include gold to graphene to cadmium, and create their color by controlling their size. The tiniest particles, in which electrons are most tightly confined, emit blue light. Slightly larger particles, in which electrons bounce around a longer wavelength, emit red light.\n\nChemists sometimes compare the size of the particle itself to a confining box.\n\nThe underlying “particle in a box” theory of quantum mechanics was first described nearly a century ago. But it wasn’t until several decades later that scientists could manufacture quantum dots in a lab.\n\nIn the 1980s, Ekimov, 78, and Brus, 80, honed the theory and developed early laboratory techniques for creating particles that emit varying colors by adjusting sizes. In 1993, Bawendi, 62, developed new chemical methods for producing the particles quickly and uniformly — which soon enabled a variety of scalable commercial applications, including in electronics displays.\n\nJudy Giordan, president of the American Chemical Society, said she was thrilled at this year’s winners.\n\n“What we care about a lot in chemistry is being able to make and tailor novel structures and architectures to solve problems that help people and the planet,” Giordan said.\n\nRigoberto Advincula, a materials chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, said the work helped bridge the fields of physics and chemistry, adding: “This technology is very easy to reproduce — that’s why it became so popular and so widespread.”\n\nToday quantum dots are commonly used in electronics displays and biomedical imaging. The florescent quality of the particles allows researchers to track how drugs are delivered within the human body, as well as to study the precise location and growth of a tumor, for example.WERE THE WINNERS ANNOUNCED PREMATURELY?\n\nSwedish media reported hours before Wednesday’s announcement that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences had sent out a news release that identified Bawendi, Brus and Ekimov as the latest Nobel laureates.\n\nPublic broadcaster SVT said the release said they were receiving the prize for the “discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.”\n\nAfter officially announcing the three winners, Secretary-General Hans Ellegren said the Swedish academy would investigate how the information got out in advance.\n\n“There was a press release sent out for still unknown reasons. We have been very active this morning to find out exactly what happened,” he said. “This is very unfortunate and we deeply regret what happened.”\n\nThe academy, which awards the physics, chemistry and economics prizes, asks for nominations a year in advance from thousands of university professors and other scholars around the world.\n\nA committee for each prize then discusses candidates in a series of meetings before presenting one or more proposals to the full academy for a vote. The deliberations, including the names of nominees other than the winners, are kept confidential for 50 years.HOW DID THE WINNERS REACT?\n\nBawendi told the news conference he was “very surprised, sleepy, shocked, unexpected and very honored.”\n\nAsked about the leak, he said he didn’t know he’d been made a Nobel laureate until he was called by the academy.\n\nBawendi said he was not thinking about the possible applications of his work when he started researching quantum dots.\n\n“The motivation really is the basic science. A basic understanding, the curiosity of how does the world work? And that’s what drives scientists and academic scientists to do what they do,” he said.\n\nBrus, a professor emeritus at Columbia, said he didn’t pick up the phone when the early morning call came from the Swedish academy to notify him.\n\n“It was ringing during the night, but I didn’t answer it because I’m trying to get some sleep, basically,” he told The Associated Press. He finally saw the news online when he got up around 6 a.m.\n\n“I certainly was not expecting this,” Brus said.\n\nBrus said he was glad to see recognition for the area of chemistry he practices. The practical applications of quantum dots, like creating the colors in flatscreen TVs, are something he was hoping for when he started the work decades ago, he said.\n\n“Basic research is extremely hard to predict exactly how it’s going to work out,” Brus said. “It’s more for the knowledge base than it is for the actual materials. But in this case, it’s both.”\n\nEkimov is the former chief scientist at Nanocrystals Technology, a company based in New York where he started working in 1999. The Swedish academy credited him with demonstrating in the early 1980s that the size of copper chloride nanoparticles affected the colors in glass.\n\n“It was really nice that we got it after 40 years of work,” Ekimov told the AP. His first publication on the topic was in 1981.\n\nOn Tuesday, the physics prize went to French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier, French scientist Pierre Agostini and Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz for producing the first split-second glimpse into the super-fast world of spinning electrons.\n\nOn Monday, Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.\n\nThe prizes in literature, peace and economics follow, with one announcement every weekday until Monday.\n\nThe Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.\n\n___\n\nLarson reported from Washington. Ngowi reported from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Maddie Burakoff in New York and Shelby Lum in New York contributed.", + "WHAT’S HAPPENED?\n\nMBW Explains is a series of analytical features in which we explore the context behind major music industry talking points – and suggest what might happen next. MBW Explains is supported by JKBX , a technology platform that offers consumers access to music royalties as an asset class.\n\nThe drama at Hipgnosis Songs Fund isn’t letting up for the Holidays, it seems.\n\nThis morning (December 19), the company’s board – now led by Chairman, Rob Naylor – issued a statement announcing that HSF would no longer, as previously expected, be issuing its latest financial results today.\n\nInstead, the results (covering the six months to end of September 2023) are now expected to be published sometime before the close of December 31.\n\nThe reason for the delay? According to UK-listed HSF, it’s all to do with a recently-updated company valuation from HSF’s official independent valuer, US-headquartered Citrin Cooperman (CC).\n\nThe HSF board says this valuation from CC was “materially higher than the valuation implied by proposed and recent transactions in the sector”.\n\nHSF’s board particularly points to two transactions/would-be transactions as evidence:\n\nThe proposed sale earlier this year of assets to Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital for USD $440 million (pre-costs) – or $417.5 million (post-costs) – a proposal that was ultimately rejected by HSF shareholders; The sale of 20,000 “non-core” songs from HSF’s portfolio to an unnamed buyer (possibly Kobalt Music Group) for $23.1 million, as announced on December 11. That price, according to HSF’s board, represented a 14.2% discount on Citrin Cooperman’s valuation of this portfolio as of September 30 (something we’ll come back to).\n\nAs part of its announcement this morning, the HSF board took something of a swipe at its investment adviser, Merck Mercuriadis‘ Hipgnosis Song Management.\n\nAfter seeing Citrin Cooperman’s latest valuation and believing it to be too high, said HSF, it then “sought advice from Hipgnosis Song Management… which is majority owned by funds managed and/or advised by Blackstone, on their opinion on the independent valuer’s valuation.”\n\nHSF’s board added: “Hipgnosis Song Management… eventually provided an opinion, which was heavily caveated, such that the Board has concerns as to the valuation of the Company’s assets in its interim results.”\n\nIn response, Hipgnosis Song Management issued its own statement today: “Hipgnosis Song Management has fulfilled its duties to [HSF] with respect to both the independent valuation and preparation of the interim results in a timely and efficient manner.\n\n“Notwithstanding the Board’s decision to delay publication of the interim financial statements, [we] will continue to work in a constructive manner to support the interests of the Company and its shareholders.”\n\nThe oddest thing about all of this? Citrin Cooperman’s valuation of Hipgnosis Songs Fund is, according to HSF’s own company documentation, appointed and overseen… by the HSF board.\n\nSee this line, in every annual and interim report from HSF so far (bolding MBW’s own): “Portfolio Independent Valuer… Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC, formerly Massarsky Consulting, Inc., [is] appointed by the Board to independently value the Company’s Catalogues within the Portfolio.”\n\nNot to mention this line in various HSF company reports to date: “The [HSF] Board is ultimately and solely responsible for overseeing the valuation of the Company’s investments in music catalogues and has appointed [Citrin Cooperman] to perform this specialist work.”\n\nWHAT’S really going on?\n\nIt’s a fair bet that Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s board – which last week appointed activist investor Christopher Mills as a non-exec Director – is making something of a ‘hidden’ statement to shareholders with today’s announcement.\n\nIt may be a coded attempt by HSF’s board to gnash teeth towards HSM/Mercuriadis’ ‘call option’ – which, as MBW has pointed out before, leaves the exec with the exclusive power to sweep in and acquire HSF’s portfolio under several different circumstances.\n\nThere are a few clues in HSF’s latest public statement to this end, perhaps including its rare – not to mention conspicuous – mention of HSM being “majority-owned by funds managed and/or advised by Blackstone“.\n\nIn addition, today’s statement is also a clear signal from the HSF board that it has understandable concerns over the now-infamous ‘discount rate’ used by Citrin Cooperman to value HSF’s portfolio (as MBW covered in depth through here).\n\nCitrin Cooperman continues to stick to an 8.5% discount rate in its valuations, despite interest rate rises over the past 12-18 months – and has long refused to move this 8.5% figure upwards to, say, 9% or 9.5%.\n\nIf Citrin Cooperman ever did raise this discount rate, the independent valuation of Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s portfolio would, in turn, instantly fall.\n\nWorth remembering: The HSF board has known about Citrin Cooperman’s latest valuation (as of September 30) for at least the past eight days.\n\nWe know this because, as mentioned, on December 11, HSF announced that the $23.1 million price of an agreed HSF ‘non-core’ asset sale represented a 14.2% discount vs. Citrin Cooperman’s latest valuation of the portfolio (i.e. the HSF board had seen this latest valuation).\n\nYet it took until today (December 19) for HSF to alert its investors to its dissatisfaction with this valuation.\n\nWHAT does JP Morgan make of it all?\n\nOne of the closest watchers of Hipgnosis Songs Fund in recent years has been JP Morgan and its analyst Christopher Brown.\n\nIn a rather damning note issued today covering the delay in the publication of HSF’s results, Brown wrote: “This is an early blow to the credibility of the new [Hipgnosis Songs Fund] Board, and casts further doubt over the credibility of the independent valuer, Citrin Cooperman.”\n\nBrown added that he was “surprised” to see that a second valuation expert had not been drafted in to value the HSF portfolio for the latest interim results, especially as Kroll was appointed to consider the “reasonableness” of Citrin Cooperman’s assumptions for HSF’s previous set of results (to end of March 2023).\n\nAdded Brown: “We think the easiest solution now for the [HSF] Board is to apply an additional discount rate to the [Citrin Cooperman] valuation to reflect current market uncertainty, on the basis that it is probably too late to employ another valuer.”\n\nBrown noted that a 0.5% rise in Citrin Cooperman’s discount rate (i.e. raising it from 8.5% to 9.0%) would “reduce the fair value of the [HSF] portfolio by 7.9%, which on a leveraged basis is [approximately a] 10% reduction in NAV [Net Asset Value]”.\n\nShould HSF’s board go down this route, he noted, he expected “the [HSF] shares to weaken… given that this represents another ‘unforced error’”.\n\n“This is an early blow to the credibility of the new [Hipgnosis Songs Fund] Board, and casts further doubt over the credibility of the independent valuer, Citrin Cooperman.” Christopher Brown, JP Morgan, on the HSF board statement today (December 19)\n\nIn addition, Brown expressed his surprise that HSF asked HSM to “opine on the valuation given [HSM’s] conflict of interest”.\n\nHis point: If HSM turned around and said, “yep, HSF’s valuation is 25% too high, better bring it down”, then it would produce a new valuation for HSF that may allow Blackstone (or the Blackstone-controlled Hipgnosis Song Capital) to launch an acquisition bid for the HSF portfolio. (Or, at least, a part of that portfolio.)\n\nThe likely price for this hypothetical Blackstone bid would be smaller than the failed $440 million ($418.5 million post-costs) bid that HSC (via HSM) made for a chunk of the HSF portfolio earlier this year.\n\n“[It] is up to the [Hipgnosis Songs Fund] Board to satisfy itself that the independent valuer, whom it hires, is up to the job, rather than try and pin the blame on [Hipgnosis Songs Management].” Christopher Brown, JP Morgan\n\nConcluded Brown: “[It] is up to the [Hipgnosis Songs Fund] Board to satisfy itself that the independent valuer, whom it hires, is up to the job, rather than try and pin the blame on [Hipgnosis Songs Management].\n\n“Our view is that a breakdown in the relationship between Board and manager would not be optimal for maximising shareholder value.”\n\nBrown further noted that JP Morgan would “not be surprised to see Citrin Cooperman resign, having been very publicly undermined by the [HSF] Board today”.\n\nJP Morgan retained its ‘overweight’ rating against HSF’s share price “in spite of yet another [HSF] own goal”.\n\nA Final thought…\n\nAs mentioned in the opening sentence of this article, there is plenty of drama surrounding HSF right now – from the ‘discontinuation vote’ we saw at the company in October, through to a recent lawsuit launched against Hipgnosis Songs Fund by a former business partner of Merck Mercuriadis.\n\nYet, amongst all of the noise, what will likely most interest HSF’s investors (including the likes of Investec Wealth & Investment, Aviva Investors, and BlackRock) is the ongoing underlying commercial performance of the firm’s copyrights.\n\nHow are Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s assets performing vs. the market? How is the company’s ‘premium-only’ acquisition strategy holding up against its promise of growth “uncorrelated” to other industries? And what does all of this suggest about the ongoing growth potential of the HSF portfolio vs. the multiples that Merck Mercuriadis paid to acquire it?\n\nSuch questions will only be answered when Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s board elects to release the company’s six-monthly financial results to end of September 30.\n\nThe most important KPI within those results, in MBW’s view: the company’s Pro-Forma Revenue, and how it compares, like-for-like, vs. the previous year’s equivalent period.\n\nIn the meantime, back in the ‘real world’ of the music biz, HSF is actually enjoying quite a fanciable Q4.\n\nThe company is benefitting from its cuts on hit albums including Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version), via its acquired Jack Antonoff catalog, as well as Swift’s Lover (via its acquired Joel Little catalog).\n\nHSF’s investments in seasonal Christmas ‘evergreens’ continue to pay off too, with cuts on Michael Buble’s Christmas album and – most famously – a share of Mariah Carey’s perennial megahit, All I Want For Christmas Is You.\n\nJKBX (pronounced \"Jukebox\") unlocks shared value from things people love by offering consumers access to music as an asset class — it calls them Royalty Shares. In short: JKBX makes it possible for you to invest in music the same way you invest in stocks and other securities.Music Business Worldwide", + "Today, placing Major League Baseball bets online is easier than ever. This guide will look at the best MLB betting sites and how to sign up for a new betting account.\n\nAll major MLB betting sites and apps post daily MLB odds, ranging from game lines to player props to futures bets. Fans can engross themselves in the season by betting on individual games, player performance, or season-long results.\n\nYou can choose from multiple sportsbooks and apps to bet on MLB games. You’ll have to create a new account at each, but you’ll also qualify for new-customer bonuses and promotions, so exploring your options and finding the best deal is worth the effort.\n\nBest MLB betting sites and apps\n\nBelow, we break down our four favorite MLB betting sites and apps.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook\n\nDraftKings, a premier sportsbook platform, boasts an extensive array of Major League Baseball betting options for novice and seasoned bettors. Their MLB odds include intriguing player and game prop bets, such as predicting the First Inning Winner or First Team to Score.\n\nThese allow bettors to engage with games beyond simple outcomes. For those looking at the bigger picture, DraftKings provides futures bets. Fans can bet on potential division victors or take a shot at predicting the next World Series champion.\n\nSee more:\n\nFanDuel Sportsbook\n\nFanDuel stands out as a top destination for MLB enthusiasts looking to bet daily. It offers the staple bets such as run lines, where you can bet on the margin of victory, and totals, predicting the combined score of both teams.\n\nFanDuel also has dozens of player props, allowing bettors to focus on individual performances, predicting stats like hits, home runs, or strikeouts. Additionally, FanDuel presents an array of game props and futures bets, letting fans speculate on longer-term outcomes such as division champions or MVP candidates.\n\nSee more:\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook\n\nBetMGM provides MLB aficionados with an expansive betting portfolio. Traditional bet types, such as moneylines, where one bets on the outright winner; run lines, which focus on the margin of victory; and totals that predict combined team scores, are all readily available.\n\nFor those who relish a deeper drop into the game, BetMGM has a deep lineup of player and team prop bets. Whether it's forecasting a player's strikeouts in a game or predicting the cumulative runs scored by a team, there's something for every strategy.\n\nFor the long-term visionaries, BetMGM rolls out an impressive array of futures bets. Fans can place wagers on outcomes such as which team will clinch its division or which player will be honored as the league's Most Valuable Player.\n\nSee more:\n\nCaesars Sportsbook\n\nCaesars has a comprehensive suite of MLB odds to elevate the game-watching experience. That includes run lines, predicting the margin of victory; totals, where bettors forecast the combined scores; and player props, focusing on individual milestones such as hits, home runs, or RBIs.\n\nBeyond these, game props allow bets on specific game events, while player futures bets provide the chance to predict longer-term outcomes like season MVPs or rookie of the year honors.\n\nCaesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).\n\nSee more:\n\nBet365 Sportsbook\n\nOne of the world's premier sportsbooks, Bet365, has marked its presence in the US, notably emphasizing its Major League Baseball odds. Now accessible in many states and expected to grow further, Bet365 posts daily MLB odds boosts. The Bet365 app is perfect for rookie bettors yet also offers customized displays for seasoned MLB wagering veterans.\n\nA significant highlight is the platform's live-betting feature, allowing real-time bets on MLB games.\n\nSee more:\n\nBetRivers Sportsbook\n\nBetRivers stands out for its comprehensive Major League Baseball betting offerings. Bettors are presented with a wealth of stats and insightful tips related to upcoming games, enhancing the decision-making process.\n\nAlongside the standard betting options, MLB enthusiasts can delve into a vast selection of alternate lines and prop bets tailored to the baseball experience. Moreover, loyal MLB bettors can benefit from the iRush Rewards program.\n\nAs they place bets on baseball events, they accumulate points, which can be redeemed for exclusive VIP gifts, MLB event tickets, BetRivers branded merchandise, and a range of enticing special offers.\n\nHow to use an MLB betting app\n\nMLB betting apps make it easy to wager on your favorite teams and players while keeping track of your bankroll, profits, and more. Below, we have a short guide on how to use a betting app from your favorite sportsbook.\n\nDownload the app: Visit the sportsbook’s website via our links. If you haven’t signed up previously, you can claim the best new customer sports betting bonus & promos. While you’re at the site, download the sportsbook’s betting app for your phone or tablet.\n\nVisit the sportsbook’s website via our links. If you haven’t signed up previously, you can claim the best new customer sports betting bonus & promos. While you’re at the site, download the sportsbook’s betting app for your phone or tablet. Place your bets: You’ll have the option to bet on MLB games either pre-game or live. You’ll find all of the traditional pre-game bets, like game lines and run totals, and live betting options. Live bets can become more granular, like the result of the next at-bat.\n\nYou’ll have the option to bet on MLB games either pre-game or live. You’ll find all of the traditional pre-game bets, like game lines and run totals, and live betting options. Live bets can become more granular, like the result of the next at-bat. Keep tabs on odds: Your MLB betting app can help you track shifting odds and facilitate live betting. Betting apps offer real-time updates on all odds, which allows you to react to game flow as it’s happening.\n\nYour MLB betting app can help you track shifting odds and facilitate live betting. Betting apps offer real-time updates on all odds, which allows you to react to game flow as it’s happening. Bet from within legal states: As long as you are in a state that has legal online sports betting, you can use your app to make bets, track your account, add or withdraw funds, and more. Remember that you can only place bets when you are in the state lines, but you can access your account and monitor wagers from anywhere you have internet access.\n\nMLB live betting\n\nThe best sports betting apps offer live, in-game betting for Major League Baseball.\n\nLive betting means you can bet on a game in progress, right down to what the next batter will do with the next pitch or what team will win the inning.\n\nYou’ll find live betting with top betting sites such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars.\n\nThe key to live betting is using a betting app to make your wagers. Apps allow you to track all of the changes — both on the diamond and in the odds — as they happen. You won’t find that response time at a brick-and-mortar sportsbook.\n\nSome common MLB in-game betting lines includes:\n\nNext team to score\n\nRun line and moneyline odds\n\nTotal runs scored\n\nWinner of the next inning\n\nPlayer props, such as total hits or strikeouts\n\nBet on MLB run lines, moneylines, and totals\n\nThree of the most popular bet types for Major League Baseball games are run lines, moneylines, and totals. In case you’re not familiar, let’s explain all three.\n\nA moneyline wager is as straightforward as they come. You’re betting on which team you believe is going to win the game. Each team is given odds by the sportsbook to indicate their perceived chances of winning. The underdog is represented by a positive (+) number, and the favorite is represented by a negative number (-).\n\nSimilar to a point spread in other sports, the run line bet gives the underdog a handicap of 1.5 runs in the game. The underdog needs to lose by one run or win outright for bets on them to be successful, while the favorite in the game needs to win by two runs or more to cover the spread.\n\nTotals bets, also known as over/unders, focus on the combined number of runs both teams score. Oddsmakers assign a total number of runs, and bettors must decide if the two teams will score over or under that predicted total. The actual winner of the game doesn’t matter.\n\nYou’ll find these staple bet types at every online sportsbook that supports MLB betting.\n\nHow to bet First 5 Innings in MLB\n\nFor bettors who prefer to focus on the early portion of a Major League Baseball game, First 5 Innings or F5 bets are ideal. These bets concern the outcome of just the first five innings of a game, which often takes out the uncertainty of relief pitchers replacing the starters.\n\nYou’ll find the F5 bets in the MLB tab of your online sportsbook or MLB betting app, where you can browse the available odds and lines for those particular wagers. You can still place bets on moneylines, run lines, or totals—focused on only the first five innings of play.\n\nKeep in mind that the odds and lines will likely be different than those for the full game since they are concentrated on the first half of the game only.\n\nBest MLB props and futures\n\nMLB props and futures allow you to bet on team and player performance irrespective of individual game outcomes. Some examples of popular MLB futures odds and proposition bets include:\n\nWorld Series: You can bet on which team you believe will become the next World Series champion. You’ll find World Series futures odds for these nearly as soon as the previous World Series comes to an end, and they’ll change based on offseason moves, team news, team performance, and more.\n\nYou can bet on which team you believe will become the next World Series champion. You’ll find World Series futures odds for these nearly as soon as the previous World Series comes to an end, and they’ll change based on offseason moves, team news, team performance, and more. MVP: Wager on the player you believe will take home the Most Valuable Player award for the season. This bet can be a fun way to keep tabs on certain players throughout the entire season.\n\nWager on the player you believe will take home the Most Valuable Player award for the season. This bet can be a fun way to keep tabs on certain players throughout the entire season. Home run leader: Which player do you think will crank out the most homers during the regular season?\n\nWhich player do you think will crank out the most homers during the regular season? Regular-season win totals: Make an over/under wager on a team based on the number of wins a sportsbook sets for them. Do you think your team will finish over that predicted win total, or will they come in under it?\n\nEvery sportsbook offers its own selection of futures and props bets, so shop around to find the sportsbooks that best fit your needs.\n\nHow to find the best MLB lines\n\nIt stands to reason that bettors always seek the most favorable MLB odds. “Line shopping” involves researching several different sportsbooks to compare odds.\n\nThis might involve using an odds feed, like the ones you’ll find here, or by comparing the odds on multiple online sportsbooks or MLB betting apps.\n\nBy doing this research, you’ll find the best odds for the bets you were already planning on making, which means you can maximize your potential return on your wager.\n\nThis can be a time-consuming process, but it also helps you boost your bankroll and give yourself the largest possible profit.\n\nMLB betting rules at online sportsbooks\n\nEvery sportsbook has terms and conditions for all bets, MLB included. While those rules may be specific to each sportsbook, there are some general rules that should apply everywhere.\n\nFor example, MLB First 5 Innings bets are usually considered actionable after five innings of play, or 4.5 innings in the case of the home team having the lead.\n\nAnother rule many sportsbooks follow for baseball bets is weather-related, such as if a game is suspended due to rain or other weather conditions. These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.\n\nHere are some other rules found at online sportsbooks for MLB betting.\n\nWagers include extra innings unless specified otherwise.\n\nThe game must start on the scheduled day (local stadium time) for bets to have action.\n\nThe game must go 9 innings or 8½ if the home team is winning for the run line to have action.\n\nOn ‘team to score first’ wagers, once a run is scored, the prop will be graded, regardless of how long the game lasts.\n\nWagers on postseason baseball series are based on the team to win the series, regardless of the number of games involved.\n\nFor player props, the player must be in the starting lineup for wagers to have action.\n\nIt’s important to read through the rules for baseball betting before placing your MLB bets, and you can find them in the terms and conditions section of your sportsbook’s website.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nIndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nAs Netflix’s acclaimed royal drama moves closer to the present day, the line between fact and fiction feels ever more blurred.\n\nWhile Peter Morgan’s show has always presented a dramatised take on real-life events, many have argued that viewers struggle to tell the difference between the real royal family and the events on the show. When season five arrived last year, there were calls for the show to include a “fictional explainer” – something Netflix did not do.\n\nWith the show heading into the late Nineties and early Noughties in its final season, which arrived on Netflix on Thursday (16 November), events are being depicted on screen that many of the public will remember well.\n\nThe first part of season six takes place in the summer of 1997, and sees Prince Charles (Dominic West) building on his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams), while Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) sparks up a romance with film producer Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla). The show also features the pair’s death in a car crash in Paris.\n\nAs the new season arrives, and fans wonder what in The Crown is based in reality, here’s everything you need to know.\n\nDiana’s role with Tony Blair’s government\n\nEpisode one sees Diana visiting Tony (Bertie Carvel) and Cherie Blair (Lydia Leonard) with William after asking for a meeting with him. Recalling their discussion to the Queen, Blair says that Diana feels she “still has a lot to offer the country as a public servant”. He says that she had asked if there was a way to work with the government on “a more formal basis” and that any “official role” would be appreciated.\n\nBertie Carvel as Blair (Netflix)\n\nFollowing Diana’s death, Downing Street confirmed that Diana had visited Blair at Chequers with her son a few weeks before, where they discussed a special role for her as an overseas “ambassador” for Britain. Diana told a journalist at the time that the prime minister had recognised her skills and asked her to undertake “missions” abroad for Britain.\n\nQueen Elizabeth’s reluctance to accept Camilla\n\nAs The Crown season six begins, Charles is frustrated at the public for demonising Camilla long after his split from Diana. Asks the Queen if she’d received the invitation to Camilla’s 50th birthday, to which she says she has, but cannot attend as she’s in Derbyshire. When Charles points out that plans “can always be changed”, she replies: “Why would we want to change it?” She doesn’t attend, but later tells Prince Philip that she doesn’t want for Camilla to be considered “wicked, because she’s not” or to be unkind to her.\n\nCharles (West) hosts Camilla’s (Williams) birthday (Netflix)\n\nIt took a while for Queen Elizabeth and Camilla to grow close. According to historian Robert Lacey, she was reluctant to accept Charles’s request to be more accommodating to Camilla. Unlike in The Crown, she is said to have once referred to Camilla as “that wicked woman” to Charles’s face. However, she grew to become closer to Camilla. Despite announcing in 2005 that Camilla would become the Princess Consort rather than Queen Consort, it was announced that Camilla would be queen seven months before Elizabeth’s death.\n\nAccess unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up\n\nAccess unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up\n\nDodi Fayed’s engagement to an American model\n\nWhen viewers first meet Dodi in The Crown, he’s in Paris with a woman with short, blonde hair. However, it’s not Diana, but an American woman who he says he’s picking out fabric for a Malibu home with and says he’s marrying in three weeks. His father Mohamed is unimpressed, calling him to Saint Tropez to meet a “special guest” and leave his “gold-digger” fiance – who he also calls “Madame Bikini” – behind. The model later confronts Dodi, asking if he was with Diana when he leaves her to go see his father. Diana also alludes to a “lawsuit” between Dodi and his ex.\n\nDiana (Debicki) and Dodi (Abdalla) (PA)\n\nThis storyline comes to close to the truth as told by model Kelly Fisher, who claimed to have been engaged to Dodi when he met Diana. Fisher had previously modelled for brands such as Victoria’s Secret and magazines including Elle and Marie Claire. As in The Crown, Fisher – who met Fayed in July 1996 – was on another Fayed yacht when Dodi and Diana were first photographed. She staged a press conference where she announced that she was filing a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Dodi, after he allegedly asked her to stop modelling as much and prioritise the relationship. Through tears, she claimed that he had proposed to her (something his family denied) and promised to buy her a house in Malibu. However, she dropped the lawsuit following Dodi’s death.\n\nDiana’s close relationship with paparazzi on France yacht trip\n\nWhen Dodi and Diana first spend time together on his father’s yacht in France, the paparazzi are never far away. However, when William refuses to go outside until the photographers leave them alone, she takes a boat out to visit them. Wearing a swimming costume, she asks them: “We’re having a lovely time, apart from one little thing: you lot.” “Don’t be like that, you love us really,” they reply. Diana asks them to leave her alone as they’re “freaking out” her sons, before telling one photographer – who she knows by name – that if they go away, “you’re going to get a big surprise with the next thing I do”. She then poses for them in her swimsuit, but complains in a later episode that they can “never relax” with the press “constantly” around.\n\nDiana (Debicki) on the Fayed yacht (Daniel Escale/Netflix)\n\nFormer Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, who wrote the controversial 2007 book Diana Chronicles, claimed that Diana would often tip off the press and “ couldn’t resist giving them the images they wanted”, including on the boat. Photographer Daniel Pirrie, who ended up selling the photo of the kiss, claimed that Diana herself invited him to photograph her on holiday with Dodi in France that summer. “She told me she’d be on the yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean,” he told The Daily Mail in 2013. “She let me know she was going to be on a tender going out to the yacht. I think overall, she was happy with all the pictures taken that summer… I knew that Diana had wanted [the kiss photo] to be taken.”\n\nMohamed al Fayed’s role in securing kiss photo\n\nThroughout season six, Mohamed al Fayed (Salim Daw) is shown as heavily invested in his son Dodi’s relationship with Diana, even ringing up the maid to ask if they have been “intimate”. In Arabic, he then asks his secretary if they can find him an Arabic photographer – “not just any idiot with a long lens”, but “the best photographer on the Meditarranean”.\n\nSalim Daw as Mohamed al Fayed (Netflix)\n\nIt’s not known whether Mohamed was so instrumental in securing the photo of Dodi and Diana kissing for the first time. However, following the Harrods owner’s death this year, biographer Tom Bower recalled in The Times how Al-Fayed “gleefully” showed him the photographs of Dodi and Diana and allegedly “revealed how he had rapidly bought a yacht suitable for his son’s seduction of her”.\n\nDodi’s proposal to Diana on the night they died\n\nAfter bursting into tears going for dinner at the Ritz, move upstairs, he proposes to her with a ring she had previously pointed out when they sheltered from crowds in a Monte Carlo jewellery shop. She tells him to get up off his knee “I know the whole world is wondering if we’re going to get married, but that’s not a reason to actually do it.” However, they share a drink and bittersweet conversation about how they need to live their lives going forward - advice\n\nDodi is shown proposing to Diana before they died (Daniel Escale/Netflix)\n\nIn real life, Dodi did not propose to Diana on that fateful evening in Paris. However, at the inquest into the death in 2007, the jury were shown CCTV footage of him purchasing an engagement ring worth £11,600 in a jewellers across the square from the Ritz on the afternoon of the crash. It was later believed to have been delivered to their room before they went to Dodi’s flat, where a ring bearing the words “Dis-moi Oui” (“Tell me Yes”) – also the name of episode three – was later recovered, alongside a receipt for a “bague de fiançaille” (engagement ring). Speaking at the inquest, his father Mohamed claimed that the pair had met the jeweller in Monte Carlo during the holiday on the yacht, and that he believed Dodi planned to propose that night.\n\nPrince William goes missing in Balmoral after Diana’s death\n\nAfter learning of Diana’s death from his father at the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, William (Rufus Kampa) is left heartbroken with grief and angry at his family’s response to it. At one point, Charles is informed that the prince is not in his room and that “no one can find him”, prompting Charles and Prince Harry to look for him and a subsequent hunt across the grounds for the young royal. He is not located, but later walks back to the house on his own accord, drenched in rain. “14 hours, that poor boy was gone,” the Queen later says.\n\nWilliam (Kampa) goes missing after his mother’s death (Keith Bernstein)\n\nIt’s true that William and Harry initially stayed in Balmoral with their grandmother following the death of Diana. While it’s not known whether he went missing, during a visit to Scotland in 2021, William recalled how that experience was one of the “saddest” moments of his life. “I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning,” he recalled. “And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep.”\n\nThe Crown season six part one is on Netflix now, with part two arriving on 14 December.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nThe first four episodes of The Crown season six are officially here, but many viewers believe one scene has depicted the most devastating moment throughout the entire series.\n\nOn 16 November, Netflix dropped the first four episodes of The Crown’s final season, followed by the last six episodes on 14 December. The latest installment takes place between the late 1990s to mid-2000s, and includes the lead-up to Princess Diana’s fatal Paris car crash in 1997.\n\nThe season begins with Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) whisking her sons - Prince William (played by Rufus Kampa) and Prince Harry (played by Fflyn Edwards) - away on summer holiday to Saint-Tropez, France. After staying several days on Mohamed Al Fayed’s yacht, the boys return home to London where their father, the then-Prince of Wales, accompanies them to Balmoral Castle to vacation with the rest of the royal family in Scotland.\n\nIn episode three, Diana’s partner Dodi Fayed (played by Khalid Abdalla) surprises her with a quick trip to Paris, France. However, the princess is keen to return home to the United Kingdom, and is eager to speak to her sons over the phone. A mob of paparazzi following the couple delays Diana’s scheduled phone call with William and Harry, until she’s able to catch them again later that evening.\n\nIt is in this scene that The Crown depicts the doting mother’s final conversation with her sons.\n\nWilliam, then 15, and Harry, then 12, inquire over the phone when their mother will be coming back home from Paris. “I’m coming home tomorrow, and I’m seeing you both tomorrow night,” Diana replies in the episode, which also takes place on the same day as her fatal car crash later that evening. The boys then ask Diana whether she plans on marrying Dodi, considering their relationship has been plastered all over the tabloids.\n\nDiana’s poignant last words to William and Harry shown in The Crown scene\n\n“Well, you know better than to believe the papers,” she tells William, before adding: “I’m emphatically not going to marry Dodi. To be honest, I can’t wait to come home.”\n\nWhen William sweetly asks his mother if she’s doing “okay”, Diana candidly tells her eldest son: “I’m okay. It’s just a bit mad here. I don’t really understand how I ended up here. Mummy just needs to make some changes to her life, that’s all. But that’s not your problem, that’s mine.”\n\nBefore saying their goodbyes, Diana reminds William and Harry that she will be seeing them the next day - although that day never comes. “I’ll see you both tomorrow night,” she says. “Just the three of us.”\n\nThe moment unsurprisingly tugged on the heartstrings of many viewers, who took to social media to share their thoughts on the devastating moment.\n\n“The last phone call between Harry, William and Diana broke my heart,” one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.\n\n“That precious phone call between Diana and her sons,” said someone else. “Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna cry in one corner.”\n\n“The last call between Harry, William and Diana is heartbreaking,” a third user commented.\n\nIn both the series and in real-life, Diana and Dodi - along with their chauffeur, Henri Paul - were killed on 31 August 1997 when their Mercedes-Benz was pursued by paparazzi and crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. The mother of two was 36 years old.\n\nThe fatal car crash was recreated in the very first scene of season six. While the incident is not shown on-screen, a car carrying Diana and Dodi is seen speeding past a man walking his dog, before entering the tunnel. As the vehicle’s horn blares, he calls emergency services on his cell phone.\n\nAustralian actor Elizabeth Debicki, who took over the role of Diana from Emma Corrin in season five, admitted it was “difficult to recreate” the scene - especially with her character being hounded by the paparazzi. “It was heavy and very manic, and incredibly invasive. And it had a kind of pressure to it,” Debicki said in an interview with Netflix.\n\n“At times it’s almost like an animalistic response to being pursued, by that many actors playing the press, because there’s nowhere you can go and you only have to be in a situation like that for about a minute, before you realise this is completely unbearable.”\n\nThe first four episodes of The Crown season six are available to stream on Netflix in the US and UK.", + "Web Summit, the big tech conference brand that runs events in several cities and whose 70,000 person flagship event in Lisbon is taking place next month, is running into a wall — a wall of outrage. Founders, investors and others from the technology community in Israel have gone ballistic over comments made by the founder and figurehead of Web Summit, Paddy Cosgrave, related to the fighting underway across Israel and Gaza, specifically his criticism of Israel’s retaliatory actions.\n\nNow, the anger with Cosgrave has gone viral, and today it looked like it was about to overrun promotion efforts for Web Summit.\n\nThe situation also highlights how Israel’s tech industry, the country’s most valuable and arguably best-known export, built on business development and relationships, has been willing to cut those ties in the battle of public opinion in this most polarizing of conflicts.\n\n“Here in Israel, we’re basically now in rage mode after the first week of shock and awe,” one tech source told TechCrunch. “We ain’t got time to f_ck around with anyone remotely suggesting Israel needs to sit it out and not put an end to Hamas.”\n\nIt all started the day that Hamas busted through Israel’s walls and rampaged through villages and a music festival on a murdering and pillaging spree, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Hamas, the ruling party in the Palestinian territory, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.K., U.S. and other countries; they also took 199 hostages back into Gaza.\n\nOn that day, Cosgrave was in Doha, Qatar, the city where Web Summit will be holding its newest event in four months’ time. As some were taking to social media to express shock, or sympathy, or in some cases, advocating for restraint, some took more critical stances. Cosgrave, for his part, posted data on X of the human cost of the Israel-Palestine conflict between 2008 and 2023. It omitted the events (and casualties) of the weekend.\n\nThat stirred debate, but Cosgrave didn’t acknowledge that the numbers were out of date or comment about the attacks in Israel. He instead proceeded, over the next several days — between posts about Qatar, political comments related to Ireland, and rugby reactions — to put out several more posts, all highlighting the opinion that Israel was taking an unjust approach.\n\nAs the posts racked up a range of alarming and extreme responses on both sides of the argument, Cosgrave doubled down. On Friday, he noted he was “shocked by the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders” in supporting Israel. But as attention mounted, the rejections to Web Summit started, too.\n\nSome of the highlights (or I guess you could say, lowlights):\n\nDavid Marcus said he would never again attend, sponsor or speak at another Web Summit event. “Saddened by your ill-informed stance. You could’ve taken a more nuanced one, condemning these atrocities and calling for restraint. That would’ve been acceptable,” wrote David Marcus, the longtime fintech entrepreneur and Meta executive, in a tweet yesterday. “You chose to support terrorists. As such I’ll never attend/sponsor/speak at any of your events again.”\n\n“Will refuse to work with anyone who speaks at this conference in Qatar for the rest of my career,” chimed in Keith Rabois, the Founders Fund partner and entrepreneur.\n\nOri Goshen, the co-founder and co-CEO of AI21 Labs, announced on LinkedIn that he would no longer be giving a keynote at Web Summit.\n\n“It’s bad enough that summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave didn’t see fit to express horror at the sickening atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th,” he said. “But as immoral as that is, Paddy Cosgrave chose to not only ignore these but instead post something against the policies of the Israeli government. Leaving aside his very partial understanding of history and geopolitics, this response was abhorrent. We at AI21 cannot be part of such indecency and moral bankruptcy. We will not attend WebSummit, and I will not give the keynote. #cancelwebsummit #standwithisrael”\n\nThen the Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Dor Shapiro, waded in.\n\n“Today, I wrote to the Mayor of Lisbon informing him that Israel will not participate in the #WebSummit conference due to the outrageous statements made by the conference CEO Paddy Cosgrave. Even during these difficult times, he is unable to set aside his extreme political views and denounce the Hamas terrorist activities against innocent people,” he wrote, also on LinkedIn. “Dozens of companies have already canceled their participation in this conference, and we encourage more to do so.”\n\nBy today, Cosgrave appeared to walk back his statement. “We are devastated to see the terrible killings and the level of innocent civilian casualties in Israel and Gaza,” Cosgrave wrote, nine days Hamas invaded Israel. “We condemn the attacks by Hamas and extend our deepest sympathies to everyone who has lost loved ones. We hope for peaceful reconciliation.”\n\nUnder so much fire, however, he subsequently dug in his heels, tweeting afterward: “To repeat: War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies & should be called out for what they are. I will not relent.”\n\nDamage has been done to Cosgrave and the Web Summit brand in the interim.\n\n“Hard to take this statement at face value — given all the tweets @paddycosgrave has been liking over the last few days. I saved several of them on the attached google doc (so we have a record when the @WebSummit PR team asks him to delete them),” said Josh Kopelman, the founder of First Round Capital.\n\nKopelman separately suggested in a tweet that Cosgrave is in the pocket of Doha and Qatar, a country that many believe is connected to the financing of Hamas. That was enough to push Garry Tan, the head of Y Combinator, over the edge, too.\n\n“I refuse to appear at Web Summit and am canceling my appearance,” he said. “I condemn Hamas and pray for peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”\n\nWe’ve reached out to Tan and Kopelman to ask if they are advising portfolio companies and partners at their firms against also attending. Tan declined to comment, and Kopelman has yet to respond.\n\nWeb Summit has provided us with a statement on the cancellations, saying that the organization is talking to “a number of people about their attendance at Web Summit” but is not in a position to discuss exacts and individuals.\n\n“We understand that it is an incredibly sensitive and painful time during this utter tragedy of war. We want to reiterate our devastation for the loss of innocent life in Israel and Gaza. We strongly condemn the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israelis. Web Summit’s mission is to connect people and ideas changing the world from all around the globe. The more voices we have from around the world, the more we can help change the world for the better,” she added. “We are saddened to hear that some Israelis in the tech community will no longer be attending Web Summit. We regret any hurt caused and extend our deepest sympathies to everyone who has lost loved ones. We hope for peaceful reconciliation.”\n\nThe spokesperson said that last year’s event attracted about 71,000 people and this year it’s on track to “max out” at 70,000.\n\nA public page in Notion titled “techcondemingterror” is tracking the growing response. It now includes press clippings, comments from a number of leaders in Israel’s technology industry and comments.", + "Meta, on an open source tear, wants to spread its influence in the ongoing battle for AI mindshare.\n\nThis morning, the social network announced that it’s teaming up with IBM, whose audience is decidedly more corporate and enterprise, to launch the AI Alliance, an industry body to support “open innovation” and “open science” in AI.\n\nSo what will the AI Alliance do exactly — and how will its work differ from the quite similar (at least in terms of its overarching mission, members and tenets) Partnership on AI? The Partnership on AI years ago promised to publish research using open source licenses and minutes from its meetings to, as the AI Alliance purportedly seeks to do, educate the public on pressing AI issues of the day.\n\nWell — confusingly — the Partnership on AI is in fact a member of the AI Alliance. The Alliance says that it plans to “utilize pre-existing collaborations” (including the Partnership on AI’s, presumably) to “identify opportunities that develop open AI resources that meet the needs of business and society equally and responsibly,” a press release shared last week with TechCrunch reads.\n\nThe AI Alliance’s members will first form working groups, a governing board and a technical oversight committee dedicated to advancing areas like AI “trust and validation” metrics, hardware and infrastructure that supports AI training and open source AI models and frameworks. They’ll also establish project standards and guidelines, and then partner with “important existing initiatives” — initiatives conspicuously not named in the press release — from government, nonprofit and civil society organizations “who are doing valuable and aligned work in the AI space.”\n\nIf that sounds a lot like what the inaugural members of the Alliance were already doing independently, you’re not wrong. But in the release, the AI Alliance stresses that its work — whatever form it ultimately takes — is intended to be complementary and additive rather than needlessly duplicative.\n\n“[M]ore collaboration and information sharing will help the community innovate faster and more inclusively, and identify specific risks and mitigate those risks before putting a product into the world,” the release reads. “This stands in contrast to a vision that aims to relegate AI innovation and value creation to a small number of companies with a closed, proprietary vision for the AI industry.”\n\nKey subtext\n\nThat jab at the end says a lot about Meta’s ulterior motives, here.\n\nGoogle, OpenAI and Microsoft, a close OpenAI partner and investor, have been among the chief critics of Meta’s open source AI approach, arguing that it’s potentially dangerous and disinformation-encouraging. (Unsurprisingly, none are members of the AI Alliance despite being longtime members of the Partnership on AI.) Now, those companies have a clear horse in the race and perhaps regulatory capture on the mind… but they’re not wrong entirely. Meta continues to take calculated open sourcing risks (within the bounds of regulators’ tolerances), releasing text-generating models like Llama that bad actors have gone on to abuse but which plenty of developers have built useful apps upon.\n\n“The platform that will win will be the open one,” Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, was quoted as saying in an interview with The New York Times — and who’s among the more than 70 influential signers of a letter calling for more openness in AI development. LeCun has a point; according to one estimate, Stability AI’s open source AI-powered image generator, Stable Diffusion, released last August, is now responsible for 80% of all AI-generated imagery.\n\nBut wait, you might say — what does IBM gain from the AI Alliance? It’s a co-founder with Meta after all. I’d venture to guess more exposure for its burgeoning generative AI platform. IBM’s most recent earnings were boosted by enterprises’ interest in generative AI, but the company has stiff competition in Microsoft and OpenAI (and to a lesser extent Google), which are jointly developing enterprise-focused AI services that directly compete with IBM’s.\n\nI’ve asked IBM’s PR, which first informed me of the AI Alliance’s founding, about the curious omissions from the early membership, like Stanford (which has a prominent AI research lab, Stanford HAI), MIT (which is at the forefront of robotics research) and high-profile AI startups like Anthropic, Cohere and Adept. A press rep didn’t respond as of publication time. But the same philosophical differences that kept Google and Microsoft away likely were at play; I’d wager it’s no accident that Anthropic, Cohere and Adept have relatively few open source AI projects to their names.\n\nI’ll note that Nvidia isn’t a member of the AI Alliance, either — a suspect absence given that the company is by far the dominant provider of AI chips and a maintainer of many open source models in its own right. Perhaps the chipmaker perceived a conflict of interest in collaborating with Intel and AMD. Or perhaps it decided to cast its lot with Microsoft, Google and the rest of the tech giants opting out of the Alliance for strategic reasons. Who can say?\n\nSriram Raghavan, VP of IBM’s research AI division, told me via email that the Alliance is, for now, focused on “members that are strongly committed to open innovation and open source AI” — implying that those who aren’t participating aren’t as strongly committed. I’m not sure they’d agree.\n\n“This of course is just the starting point,” he added. “We welcome and expect more organizations to join in the future.”\n\nA broad assembly\n\nCounting around 45 organizations among its membership, including AMD and Intel, the research lab CERN, universities like Yale and the Imperial College London and AI startups Stability AI and Hugging Face, the AI Alliance will focus on fostering an “open” community and enabling developers and researchers to “accelerate responsible innovation in AI” while “ensuring scientific rigor, trust, safety, security, diversity and economic competitiveness,” according to the release.\n\n“By bringing together leading developers, scientists, academic institutions, companies and other innovators, we’ll pool resources and knowledge to address safety concerns while providing a platform for sharing and developing solutions that fit the needs of researchers, developers and adopters around the world,” the release reads.\n\nThe AI Alliance’s initial cohort is exceptionally broad — sitting at the intersection of not just AI and enterprise but healthcare, silicon and software-as-a-service as well. In addition to academic partners such as the University of Tokyo, UC Berkeley, the University of Illinois, Cornell and the aforementioned Imperial College London and Yale, Sony, ServiceNow, the National Science Foundation, NASA, Oracle, the Cleveland Clinic and Dell have pledged their participation in some form.\n\nMLCommons, the engineering consortium behind MLPerf, the benchmarking suite used by major chip manufacturers to evaluate their hardware’s AI performance, is also a founding AI Alliance member. So are LangChain and LlamaIndex, two creators behind some of the more widely used tools and frameworks for building apps powered by text-generating AI models.\n\nBut without the participation of so many major AI industry players — and lacking deadlines or even concrete objectives — can the AI Alliance succeed? What would success look like, even?\n\nBeats me.\n\nThe vast number of competing interests — from healthcare networks (Cleveland Clinic) to insurance providers (Roadzen) — won’t make it easy for the Alliance’s members to coalesce around a single, united front. And for all their talk of openness, IBM and Meta aren’t exactly the poster children for the future that the Alliance’s release depicts — casting doubt on their sincerity.\n\nPerhaps I’m wrong and the AI Alliance will be a smash success. Or perhaps it’ll crumble under mistrust and its own bureaucracy. We’ll see; time will tell.", + "A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice on YouTube pleaded guilty Monday to child abuse charges and will go to prison for trying to convince her two youngest children they were evil, possessed and needed to be punished to repent.\n\nRuby Franke stood shackled in gray and white jail clothing as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pleading guilty to each of her first three charges. On the fourth, she fought back some emotion before saying: “With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.”\n\nJudge John J. Walton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 20 after accepting the plea agreement, which described new details of the abuse the children endured, including the claims that they were possessed. Under the plea agreement, Franke agreed to serve a prison term and the sentences will run consecutively. Sentencing would be up to the judge.\n\nFranke pleaded not guilty to two other counts, court records said, and was returned to custody after the hearing.\n\nUnder Utah law, second-degree aggravated child abuse can be charged if that person knowingly or intentionally inflicts serious physical injury to a child or causes or permits another to inflict serious physical injury to their child. Each charge carries a sentence of one to 15 years in prison.\n\nWinward Law said in a statement Friday that the abuse occurred while Franke was influenced by a relationship counselor who led her to “a distorted sense of morality.”\n\n“Ruby Franke is a devoted mother and is also a woman committed to constant improvement,” Winward Law said in a statement. Franke initially believed that her co-defendant Jodi Hildebrandt “had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement,” but said that Hildebrandt “took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous.”\n\nIn the plea agreement, Franke admits that she tortured her son from May 22 through Aug. 30 by forcing him into hours of physical tasks, summer work outdoors without adequate water and “repeated and serious sunburns” that blistered. He was denied food or given very plain meals, and he was isolated from other people without access to books, notebooks or electronics.\n\nAfter he tried to run away in July, his hands and feet were regularly bound, sometimes with handcuffs.\n\nAt times, ropes were used to tie together handcuffs that secured his hands and feet as he lay on his stomach, lifting his arms and legs off the ground and injuring his wrists and ankles, the plea agreement said.\n\nFranke also admitted to kicking her son while wearing boots, holding his head under water and smothering his mouth and nose with her hands, according to the plea agreement.\n\n“He was also told that everything that was being done to him were acts of love,” the agreement states.\n\nFranke acknowledged similarly abusing her 9-year-old daughter by forcing her to work outside, run on dirt roads barefoot, and go without food and water.\n\n“She was also repeatedly told she was evil and possessed, the punishments were necessary for her to be obedient and repent, and these things were being done to her in order to help her,” the plea agreement said. The girl “was convinced” what her mother said was true, the agreement said.\n\nFranke and Hildebrandt were arrested on Aug. 30 after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s house in the southern Utah city of Ivins and asked a neighbor to call police, according to the 911 call released by the St. George Police Department.\n\nThe boy was emaciated and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists but wouldn’t say why, the caller reported.\n\n“I think he’s been … he’s been detained,” the caller said, his voice breaking up. “He’s obviously covered in wounds.”\n\nThe boy and Franke’s daughter, who was also found at Hildebrandt’s house, were taken to the hospital. Eventually, Franke’s four youngest children were taken into state custody.\n\nFranke and Hildebrandt were each charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. They have remained jailed since their arrests.\n\nDuring Franke’s incarceration, “she has actively engaged in an introspection that has allowed her to reset her moral compass and understand the full weight of her actions. Ms. Franke is committed to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration,” the statement said.\n\nThe boy told investigators that “Jodi” put the ropes on his ankles and wrists and that they used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds caused by the ropes, according to a search warrant.\n\nHildebrandt has agreed not to see patients until the allegations are addressed by state licensing officials. Her next court hearing is set for Dec. 27, according to court records. Her attorney, Douglas Terry, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the allegations made against Hildebrandt in the statement by Franke’s attorney.\n\nThe Franke family was criticized online for its “8 Passengers” video blog showing parenting decisions including banning their oldest son from his bedroom for seven months for pranking his younger brother. In other videos, Ruby Franke talked about refusing to take lunch to a kindergartener who forgot it at home and threatening to cut the head off a young girl’s stuffed toy to punish her for cutting things in the house.\n\nIn one video, Franke said she and her husband told their two youngest children that they would not be getting presents from Santa Claus one year because they had been selfish and weren’t responding to punishment like being kept home from school and cleaning the floorboards.\n\nThe YouTube channel, which started in 2015, ended after seven years.\n\nFranke’s husband, Kevin Franke, has filed for divorce.", + "Read this article for free! Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy , which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive . To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.\n\nHow can there be \"Joy To the World\" when there is so much sorrow on Earth?\n\nHow can there be thoughts of sleigh bells jingling, chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at our noses when war rages in Israel and Ukraine, and deep hatred of God's chosen people continues seething in our nation's streets?\n\nHenry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America's greatest poets, thought the same exactly 160 years ago.\n\nAS THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS NEARS, FOUR FAITH LEADERS REVEAL ADVENT'S BLESSINGS: ‘WE LOOK FORWARD WITH HOPE'\n\nOn Christmas Day, 1863, the Civil War was a ravaging storm, ripping a gashing hole in the fabric of the Republic — while at the same time Longfellow suffered from personal tragedies.\n\nFanny, his wife of 18 years and the mother of his six children, had died in a fiery accident in their home after her dress caught fire from a lit candle. Longfellow's son Charlie was critically injured fighting for the Union army near Washington, D.C.\n\nSo on that day, the sound of the church bells heralding Christmas seemed to mock the very thought of \"peace on Earth.\"\n\nYet through his personal grief and the torment of a war that would claim nearly a million lives, Longfellow penned his famous poem that has become a Christmas carol for the ages, \"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.\"\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO RODE WASHINGTON ACROSS THE DELAWARE ON CHRISTMAS, SAILOR-SOLDIER JOHN GLOVER\n\nEach stanza of Longfellow's poem ends with \"peace on Earth, good will to men.\"\n\nModern readers living in a post-women's rights world shouldn't take offense at the \"good will to men.\"\n\nThe poem takes the reader on a journey from how the bells herald the mirth in the traditions surrounding Christmas.\n\nOne, it's referring to mankind — humanity — not specifically the male gender. And two, it's based on the King James translation of the Bible, of Luke 2:14: \"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.\"\n\nThe poem takes the reader on a journey from how the bells herald the mirth in the traditions surrounding Christmas: \"Their old, familiar carols play/And wild and sweet.\"\n\nMEET THE AMERICAN WHO PLANTED THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE FARM: NEW JERSEY ENTREPRENEUR W. V. MCGALLIARD\n\nThe words then repeat \"Of peace on earth, good-will to men!\" through the start of war and the blasts of bombs.\n\nThen from each black, accursed mouth\n\nThe cannon thundered in the South,\n\nAnd with the sound\n\nThe carols drowned\n\nOf peace on earth, good-will to men!\n\nIt then questions God's existence and omnipotence.\n\nAnd in despair I bowed my head;\n\n\"There is no peace on earth,\" I said;\n\n\"For hate is strong,\n\nAnd mocks the song\n\nOf peace on earth, good-will to men!\"\n\nFinally, through the din, it lets the bells speak of that one great truth.\n\nThen pealed the bells more loud and deep:\n\n\"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;\n\nThe Wrong shall fail,\n\nThe Right prevail,\n\nWith peace on earth, good-will to men.\"\n\nOne of our great misfortunes today comes from not letting the carols of Christmas take their rightful place of importance.\n\nAdvertisers use them to sell products and so we miss their true meaning. A phone company's radio ad uses \"Joy to the World\" to hype a new phone plan.\n\nAT CHRISTMAS, DON MCLEAN SINGS THE PRAISES OF ‘SILENT NIGHT,' OTHER HOLIDAY CLASSICS: ‘MY MOTHER’S FAVORITE'\n\nInstead of \"The Lord is come, let heaven and earth rejoice\" — we now hear how much better one company's wireless plan is over another.\n\nHow can a hurting world know joy's powerful message of hope for a darkened world when marketing takes precedence over the words, \"He rules the world with truth and grace, No more let sin and sorrow grow ... He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found.\"\n\nThe most popular Christmas carol used in marketing ads is \"Carol of the Bells.\"\n\nFew know its original rhythmic lyrics: \"Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away, Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold.\"\n\nCHRISTMAS MUSIC IS 'ETERNAL, ALMOST LIKE PRAYERS': RAYMOND ARROYO'S NEW PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS CHERISHED FAVORITES\n\nEach stanza is punctuated by the sounds of \"ding, dong, ding, dong.\"\n\nAlthough its lyrics make no deep theological statement about the birth of Jesus, according to GodTube, the biblical inspiration for \"Carol of the Bells\" has Old Testament roots.\n\n\"Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away, Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold.\"\n\nHere is Zechariah 14:20: \"And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar.\"\n\nThe verses in Exodus 28:33-35 talk about the bells ringing on Aaron's robe as he ministers in the holy place before the Lord.\n\nAnd Psalm 150 says, \"Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord.\"\n\nPopular Christmas songs have their place, including wonderful tunes like \"Silver Bells,\" \"White Christmas\" and \"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire).\"\n\nVIRAL POST EXPLAINS THE ‘REAL’ STORY BEHIND RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER\n\nEven songs about Rudolph, and Frosty the snowman, and walking in a winter wonderland all warm our hearts during the holidays.\n\nBut it is only in carols that we truly understand Christmas — of the joy at the birth of Jesus, and also the somberness of what Jesus was born to do: to die.\n\nA good example is \"What Child Is This,\" which brings joy and sorrow poignantly together as it sees the beauty and innocence of a tiny babe asleep on His mother's lap: \"What child is this who lays to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping.\"\n\nYet it still sings of the future sorrow: \"Nails, spears, shall pierce Him through, the cross be born for me for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the Son of Mary.\"\n\nThat Jesus was born to die for our sins, to breach the chasm between God and humanity, is the joy and sorrow of this season.\n\nMEANINGFUL WAYS TO NAVIGATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON IF YOU'RE NOT IN A FESTIVE SPIRIT\n\nThere is joy because He left His glory aside to live among us, abide with us, live the life we couldn't live.\n\nAnd there is sorrow because our sin, the curse, was and is so great that God Himself took the wrath of his own judgment — and died the death we deserve.\n\nCarols make sense of why there are still wars and suffering at Christmas. Carols express that the world isn't the way it should be, but they give us tremendous hope in what it could be.\n\nThe carol \"O come O come Emanuel\" is a mournful tune, almost funereal. Yet its refrain pleads, \"Rejoice, Rejoice!\"\n\nWhy? Because \"Emanuel, shall come to thee, oh Israel.\"\n\nEmanuel means \"God with us.\" That means because of Christmas, a new, category-busting power has come into the world, one not available for the tens of thousands of years of human existence before.\n\nGrace and a love that surpasses all understanding is what became available because of Christmas.\n\nThe story of Longfellow's famous poem is now the subject of a feature-length film, \"I Heard the Bells,\" available on demand through most cable and streaming platforms.\n\nTo an age of AI and computer technology, a little story about a 19th century poet may seem anachronistic.\n\nLongfellow's poem still bears the truth because it was based on divine reality.\n\nBut bestselling author and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas notes that from his standpoint, things never really change.\n\nSaid Thomas, \"You can change hairstyles, clothes, styles, modes of transportation. You can even change politicians. But nothing really seems to change … A lot of that has to do with human nature.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nLongfellow's poem still bears the truth because it was based on divine reality.\n\nYes, hate is strong — but God's love is stronger.\n\nWars do bring death — but God through Jesus Christ has conquered death.\n\nAnd because God is now \"with us,\" there is hope ... even with a broken heart.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nAnd there is triumph even amid tragedy.\n\nThis Christmas Day, strain your ears, push aside the din of the culture, the city, the war, the pain … and hear the bells.", + "MBW Reacts is a series of analytical commentaries from Music Business Worldwide written in response to major recent entertainment events or news stories. MBW Reacts is supported by JKBX , a technology platform that offers consumers access to music royalties as an asset class.\n\nLegislators and regulators around the world are grappling with how to address the many issues that have emerged since AI technology “went mainstream” about a year ago.\n\nIn the US, one of the key efforts on that front is being spearheaded by the US Copyright Office, which this past summer issued a call for submissions on the issue of AI and copyright. The goal is for the USCO to put together a study to ”help assess whether legislative or regulatory steps in this area are warranted.”\n\nNumerous businesses involved in AI, and those with substantial copyright holdings, have submitted their thoughts on the issue, including Universal Music Group and AI developer Anthropic.\n\nHowever, to get the clearest view of the direction the music industry would like to see things head, it might help to read the submission from the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA).\n\nThe NMPA’s submission, dated October 30, 2023, pulls no punches.\n\nIt starts off by stressing that its membership – US music publishers major and independent – are “not opposed” to AI.\n\n“There is widespread belief in the music industry that great benefits could come from generative AI systems that can assist human creators,” the NMPA states.\n\nBut then it goes for the jugular: “However, the development of the generative AI marketplace is marked by breathtaking speed, size and complexity. Hindsight may well prove that there is no hyperbole in saying that generative AI is the greatest risk to the human creative class that has ever existed.”\n\n“Hindsight may well prove that there is no hyperbole in saying that generative AI is the greatest risk to the human creative class that has ever existed.” NMPA\n\nThe submission adds: “Even more alarming is that we do not know how long the window is to act before it is too late. We therefore implore the [US Copyright] Office to support proactive protections for human creators and, where there is uncertainty, to err on the side of protecting human creators.”\n\nThat position might not come as a complete surprise from the NMPA, which earlier this year joined the fledgling Human Artistry Campaign, whose goal – in broadest terms – is to ensure that AI doesn’t replace or “erode” human culture.\n\nYet the NMPA’s submission is hardly a Luddite diatribe against high tech; rather, it advocates for regulations and principles that it sees as the right approach to ensuring that the interests of musical artists – and music rights holders – don’t end up subjugated in the frenzy to build our brave new AI-powered world.\n\nHere are some of the key arguments the MNPA made in its submission…\n\n1. Works created principally through AI should not be copyrightable\n\nIn the view of the NMPA, simply giving a prompt to a AI music generator – “compose a power ballad about falling in love” – shouldn’t be enough to create a copyrightable work.\n\n“Policies surrounding copyrightability of AI-generated content will either serve to incentivize continued investment and effort into human creativity or to disincentivize it,” states the submission, which can be read in full here.\n\n“The law should never be such that human creators stand to gain more from repeatedly clicking a button to generate massive amounts of AI-produced materials than from putting their hearts, souls, experiences, skills, talents, and emotions into expressive works of art.”\n\nThe law should treat a musical work created entirely by AI the same way it treats works that are in the public domain, the NMPA argues – not copyrightable, and free for anyone to use as they see fit, whether for commercial or other purposes.\n\nBut the submission draws a clear distinction between music generated by AI, and music generated with the help of AI.\n\n“Where creators use AI technology as a tool in the creative process to make works that represent their original authorship, their works should be entitled to protection under copyright law,” the NMPA states.\n\n“Creators that use AI to refine, recast, or modify, or to create new derivative works based on their preexisting works, may also have legitimate claims of authorship over the resulting work in some circumstances.”\n\n“The law should never be such that human creators stand to gain more from repeatedly clicking a button to generate massive amounts of AI-produced materials than from putting their hearts, souls, experiences, skills, talents, and emotions into expressive works of art.” NMPA\n\nIn this regard, US legal precedent is – at least so far – on the NMPA’s side.\n\nIn a recent court case, an individual by the name of Stephen Thaler, who owns a computer system he calls the “Creativity Machine,” had a copyright application for an AI-generated “painting” rejected by the USCO on the grounds that the Creativity Machine had created it.\n\nIn a ruling this past August, a US District Court in Washington, D.C., sided with the Copyright Office.\n\n“Copyright has never stretched so far… as to protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand, as plaintiff urges here,” Judge Beryl A. Howell commented. “Human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright.”\n\n2. AI developers should be required to license materials and keep records of the materials they use for training\n\nMany key players in the music industry and beyond have been adamant that using copyrighted works to train AI algorithms without authorization is a copyright infringement, and a number of lawsuits have been launched against AI companies on these grounds.\n\nOne such lawsuit was filed by Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group and ABKCO against AI developer Anthropic, seeking potentially tens of millions of dollars for the alleged “systematic and widespread infringement of their copyrighted song lyrics.”\n\nBut that doesn’t mean key music industry players don’t want their materials ever used to train AI – they just want AI developers to license that music, not unlike how streaming services, bars and restaurants or movie producers license music.\n\n“Licensing musical works before training use is both required and practicable,” the NMPA’s submission states, adding that “there are well developed processes in place for technology ventures to obtain free market licenses on a large scale.”\n\nAnd indeed it would have to be on a “large scale,” given that AI algorithms such as large language models are trained on countless millions or even billions of pieces of digital data.\n\n“Transparency and recordkeeping requirements are needed to disincentivize infringing activity and to support enforcement activities by copyright owners.” NMPA\n\nThe NMPA notes that work on licensing “is already underway,” pointing to news reports earlier this year that UMG, along with Warner Music Group, are in talks with Google to secure licenses for artists’ vocals and musical melodies to create AI-generated songs.\n\nHowever, enforcing copyright when it comes to AI algorithms could be exceedingly difficult for rights holders, a point the NMPA makes repeatedly in its submission: “Reverse-engineering” an AI algorithm to prove it was trained on content to which the developer had no right is no easy task, save for when that AI produces a work that is substantially similar to the original (as in the case of the lawsuits currently pending against AI companies).\n\nSo the NMPA is arguing for a new regulation: That AI developers be required to keep records of what data their algorithms ingested.\n\n“Transparency and recordkeeping requirements are needed to disincentivize infringing activity and to support enforcement activities by copyright owners,” the NMPA’s submission states.\n\n“The primary parties who should be required to maintain records under a transparency and recordkeeping scheme are developers of AI models, those who use existing AI models to develop new AI tools and those who broker datasets for use in AI training.”\n\nOn that front, the European Union may have gone some – if not all – of the way in making that a reality. Its proposed AI Act – currently the subject of back-and-forth negotiations between the European Commission and the European Parliament – contains a rule that would require AI developers to disclose whether their AI had been trained on copyrighted materials.\n\nTransparency in the use of AI is also becoming a rule on social media sites where AI-generated content is likely to appear: Both TikTok and YouTube have now passed rules requiring AI-generated content to be labeled as such.\n\n3. The NMPA is opposed to an ‘opt-out’ regime for use of copyrighted works in AI\n\nOne of the questions the US Copyright Office posed in its call for submissions was “should copyright owners have to affirmatively consent (opt in) to the use of their works for training [AI], or should they be provided with the means to object (opt out)?”\n\nThe NMPA made it clear it’s on the side of “opt in.”\n\n“US copyright law is an opt-in system,” the NMPA said. “Opt-out regimes fundamentally undermine copyright protections by shifting the burden to obtain a license away from users.”\n\nThe submission continued: “An opt-out scheme that requires rights holders to opt out on an AI company-by-AI company or application-by-application basis would not be feasible, given the sheer volume of AI companies and applications; it is nearly a full-time job to keep up with developments in the AI marketplace… Copyright owners, particularly individual creators and small businesses could not possibly meet such a burden.\n\n“NMPA strongly opposes consideration of such a measure.”\n\n“Opt-out regimes fundamentally undermine copyright protections by shifting the burden to obtain a license away from users.” NMPA\n\nOn this issue, the NMPA is fully aligned with UMG, which made a similar argument in its own submission to the Copyright Office.\n\n“An opt-out system is based on the erroneous premise that training on copyrighted works without permission is by default lawful unless each copyright owner objects,” UMG stated in its submission.\n\n“That philosophy does violence to basic principles of copyright law, imposes undue burdens on copyright owners, creates the wrong incentives for AI developers, and is neither practicable nor effective for protecting the rights of copyright owners or ensuring the sensible use of copyrighted works for training purposes.”\n\n4. Training AI on copyrighted works is not “fair use” under almost any circumstance\n\nAnother area in which the NMPA and UMG are aligned is on the issue of whether using copyrighted material constitutes “fair use.”\n\nFair use is the carve-out to copyright law that allows copyrighted materials to be used without permission in certain limited circumstances, such as for educational purposes or for reporting news.\n\nFirst, a quick reminder on the test US courts use to determine fair use, which has four factors:\n\nThe purpose and character of the use – is the use of the copyrighted work for educational purposes or for commercial purposes?\n\nThe nature of the copyrighted work – whether or not the work is particularly creative and original.\n\nThe amount and substantiality of the portion taken – just how much of a copyrighted work was used without permission?\n\nThe effect of the use on the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work.\n\nThe NMPA’s submission argues that the way AI developers use materials to train AI would fail every one of these tests for determining fair use.\n\nAI algorithms are not used for non-profit or educational purposes, as “the training of AI models is fundamentally a commercial endeavor, especially in the case of generative AI,” the NMPA stated.\n\n“AI can be used to generate works that compete in the marketplace with the copied works, thereby reducing revenue from existing licensing markets.” NMPA\n\nFurthermore, it contends that any argument that an AI algorithm was trained on copyrighted material for “noncommercial” or “research” purposes should be “viewed skeptically.”\n\nAny business could claim it’s training AI for research or non-commercial purposes, “then shift entirely to commercial exploitation, leaving the creators of the copied works with no compensation,” the submission argued.\n\nAI training also fails the fair use test on the second factor, as generative AI can be used to create “expressive” works of music, and on the third, given that AI training means the entirety of a copyrighted work is ingested, “although there is no inherent need for that,” the NMPA states.\n\nAI training also fails the final test because “AI can be used to generate works that compete in the marketplace with the copied works, thereby reducing revenue from existing licensing markets as well,” the NMPA stated.\n\nThe issue of fair use could prove to be one of the key battlegrounds between AI developers and copyright holders. In its own submission to the Copyright Office, Anthropic argued that using copyrighted works to train AI is, indeed, fair use.\n\nThe copying of copyrighted works to feed it into the AI algorithm “is merely an intermediate step, extracting unprotectable elements about the entire corpus of works, in order to create new outputs,” Anthropic stated.\n\n“In this way, the use of the original copyrighted work is non-expressive; that is, it is not re-using the copyrighted expression to communicate it to users… To the extent copyrighted works are used in training data, it is for analysis (of statistical relationships between words and concepts) that is unrelated to any expressive purpose of the work.”\n\n“This sort of transformative use has been recognized as lawful in the past and should continue to be considered lawful in this case.”\n\nThat argument could yet come into play in Anthropic’s legal battle with Universal.\n\nAnd given the high stakes involved – for the music industry, for the tech industry and for the shape of culture going forward – that case, along with the US Copyright Office’s study of AI and copyright, are worth keeping a close eye on.\n\nJKBX (pronounced \"Jukebox\") unlocks shared value from things people love by offering consumers access to music as an asset class — it calls them Royalty Shares. In short: JKBX makes it possible for you to invest in music the same way you invest in stocks and other securities.Music Business Worldwide", + "As creative industries grapple with AI’s explosion into every artistic medium at once, separate calls from artists warning the world to take action before it’s too late are starting to converge. From fake Drake songs to stylized Instagram profile pictures, art conjured with newly sophisticated AI tools is suddenly ubiquitous — and so are conversations about how to rein in the technology before it does irrevocable harm to creative communities.\n\nThis week, digital rights organization Fight for the Future partnered with music industry labor group United Musicians and Allied Workers to launch #AIdayofaction, a campaign that calls on Congress to block corporations from obtaining copyrights on music and other art made with AI.\n\nThe idea is that by preventing industry behemoths like major record labels, for example, from copyrighting music made with the assistance of AI, those companies will be forced to keep looping humans into the creative process. But those same concerns — and the same potential strategies for pushing back against the onslaught of AI — exist across creative industries.\n\n“It’s funny because if you’ve talked to musicians who have these concerns, they say, ‘Well, authors have been very quiet.’ If you talk to others about these concerns, they say, ‘Well, musicians and photographers don’t seem to care at all,’” Fight for the Future Campaigns and Communications director Lia Holland told TechCrunch. “So part of it also is that the different creative fields, when it comes to this sort of work, are a little bit siloed.”\n\n“That was another intent with our launching this effort with the day of action, to try to illustrate how these are common concerns that are shared across artistic mediums. And to create an organizing point . . . because when artists of different mediums move together they have a lot more power.”\n\nThe campaign targets potential corporate abuse of AI technology, but it’s realistic about the ways that musicians and some other creatives could benefit on an individual level from automating parts of their work. The goal is that AI tools “become ways for individual humans to make more money, work less, and compete with the corporations that exploit them.”\n\n“It’s really interesting from a music perspective, specifically, because . . . musicians are perhaps more familiar with the idea of AI,” Holland said. “Musicians in general are more familiar with things like music production software, and AI tools like MIDI drum loops . . . so I think that there is a certain amount of more progressive learning from them, when it comes to technology, and its ability to make their music better.”\n\nWhen it comes to art and AI, the conversation is complicated, to say the least. Musicians are nervous about industry giants copyrighting AI music and cutting them out of the process. Major record labels are worried about AI models training on their catalogues and stealing a slice of their considerable pie. Spotify erased thousands of AI-crafted songs from its platform but also recently globally launched an AI-powered DJ that curates music for listeners while talking to them in a synthetic voice.\n\n“The training of generative AI using our artists’ music . . . begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation,” Universal Music Group said after a song using AI to imitate Drake and The Weeknd, two of its artists, went viral.\n\nThese same conversations and contradictions are manifesting across creative industries, but artists themselves don’t always have a seat at the table. Independent artists in particular are learning that their voices resonate louder when coming together across disciplines to push back against what Holland describes as an “extraordinary spectrum of exploitation” that leverages their work.\n\nIn a roundtable hosted by the FTC this week, the agency brought together figures from across creative industries — from voice acting and science fiction to screenwriting, music, illustration and even fashion — to delve into how generative AI is affecting creatives.\n\n“I know that generative AI in particular poses a unique set of opportunities and challenges to creative industries,” FTC chair Lina Khan said. “We’ve already heard significant concerns about how these technologies could virtually overnight significantly disempower creators and artists who may watch their life’s creation be appropriated into models over which they have no control.”\n\nIn the comments, representatives from myriad creative communities expressed concerns around opt-out requirements that by default train AI models on artists’ original work, and how existing copyright law could be a useful if not comprehensive tool for setting out regulatory guardrails.\n\nIn the conversation, a representative with the WGA emphasized that while striking writers obtained their own protections in a newly won agreement, the fight for artists’ livelihoods “doesn’t stop at the bargaining table.”\n\nWhether Congress mobilizes in time to address mounting concerns around AI and creative industries or not, for its part the FTC does appear to be very tuned into the technology’s risks — and the power of bringing voices together across industries.\n\n“Art is fundamentally human,” FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said.\n\n“Humans may use technology to assist in creating art, but something cannot be art without human input. Technology is, by definition, not human . . . humans may endeavor to make generative AI that is ever more intelligent, [but] it cannot and will not replace human creativity.”", + "When Cuban super middleweight David Morrell steps between the ropes to defend his WBA \"regular\" super middleweight title against Sena Agbeko at the Armory in Minneapolis, there will be a lump in many ringsider's throats.\n\nHowever, it's not the main event that will elicit this emotional response, it's the fact that December 16, 2023, will be the final broadcast of the beloved Showtime Championship Boxing series.\n\nShowtime Boxing began in 1986 and has hosted some of the greatest and most famous fighters of all time, including Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather.\n\nAmong the elite-level professionals who have contributed in a broadcasting capacity are Tim Ryan, Gil Clancy, Al Bernstein, Steve Farhood, Barry Tompkins, Jim Gray, Mauro Ranallo and many others. The platform has been an institution and will be greatly missed.\n\n“The company’s decision is not a reflection of the work we have done in recent years, nor of our long and proud history,” said Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza in a statement to staff.\n\n“Unfortunately, in a rapidly evolving media marketplace, the company has had to make difficult choices allocating resources, resetting priorities, and reshaping its content offering. While today’s news is certainly difficult and disappointing, it is entirely out of our control.”\n\nMORE: Breakdown of Paramount shutting Showtime Sports\n\nEspinoza couldn’t be more right in relation to the “long and proud history” of the company. Thanks to Showtime Boxing, fight fans have been treated to some of the greatest moments in the sport’s history and that should never be forgotten.\n\nJust as was the case when HBO departed from boxing in 2018, the achievements of the fighters, as well as the individuals who gave them the platform to perform, should be celebrated.\n\nThe Sporting News now looks back at Showtime Boxing’s five greatest fights.\n\nMarvelous Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi\n\nDate: March 10, 1986\n\nMarch 10, 1986 Location: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas\n\nCaesars Palace, Las Vegas World titles: Undisputed middleweight\n\nHow about this for an intro? Hagler vs. Mugabi was Showtime Boxing’s maiden broadcast and they hit the ground running with one of the greatest middleweight championship fights of the modern era.\n\nComing off his stunning third-round knockout triumph over Thomas Hearns in April 1985, Hagler was the best fighter in the world and, at long last, an authentic superstar. After 11 months off – his longest period of inactivity by far – “The Marvelous One” had a taste for blood and returned to action with a vengeance.\n\nJohn “The Best” Mugabi had earned his ring moniker. The Uganda-born power-puncher had a perfect record – 26 fights, 26 wins, 26 knockouts, with 10 of those stoppages coming in the first round. The challenger was moving from super welterweight to middleweight, but he'd carried his power up with him and he was hungry.\n\nMugabi got off to a great start, blasting Hagler with some horrific power shots in the early rounds. However, the more experienced Hagler made the necessary adjustments and began punishing his man heavily in the sixth. Mugabi gave it everything he had, but Hagler ended matters in the eleventh with a succession of crunching rights.\n\nResult: Hagler KO 11\n\nRoberto Duran vs. Iran Barkley\n\nDate: February 24, 1989\n\nFebruary 24, 1989 Location: Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey\n\nConvention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey World titles: WBC middleweight\n\nThis one had the makings of a 'passing of the torch' moment.\n\nDuran was 37 years old and hadn’t scored a significant victory since posting an eighth-round stoppage of Davey Moore for the WBA super welterweight title in June 1983. In five and a half years, Duran had posted seven wins against three losses and he’d looked a shell of himself in a split decision victory over the unheralded Jeff Lanas in his most recent fight.\n\nMeanwhile, the 28-year-old Barkley had already conquered one of The Four Kings when he spectacularly knocked out Thomas Hearns in three rounds to win the WBC middleweight title.\n\nThis result was foreboding for Duran fans who once watched Hearns obliterate their hero in two rounds. Barkley was a natural middleweight and at 6-1, he towered over the 5-7 Duran.\n\nNever write off an all-time great. Motivated by the chance to become the first Hispanic fighter to win four world titles in as many weight classes, Duran had whipped himself into excellent fighting shape.\n\nThe ex-champ stunned Barkley with a right in the opening round, absorbed everything the champion could throw, and punctuated an astonishing performance with a pulverizing combination knockdown in round 11. It was close, but Duran took the decision and the championship.\n\nResult: Duran SD 12\n\nMike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 1\n\nDate: November 9, 1996\n\nNovember 9, 1996 Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas\n\nMGM Grand, Las Vegas World titles: WBA heavyweight\n\nIn the early 1990s, this was considered the biggest heavyweight title matchup since Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier clashed two decades earlier. But when Tyson was jailed for rape in 1992, the division was forced to move on without him.\n\nWhile Tyson was incarcerated, Holyfield’s career went through peaks and troughs. He lost his championship to Riddick Bowe in one of the greatest heavyweight title fights of all time but regained it in a rematch. However, a loss to Moorer, a second defeat to Bowe, and an underwhelming win over Bobby Czyz had many convinced that “The Real Deal” was shot.\n\nTyson was released in March 1995 and quickly resumed his reign of terror. Just seven months into his comeback, the ex-champ regained the WBC title by stopping Britain’s Frank Bruno in three rounds and then splatted Bruce Seldon in one to pick up the WBA version.\n\n“The Baddest Man on the Planet” was back and everyone was terrified. Well, almost everyone.\n\nOn fight night, Holyfield, unlike the vast majority of Tyson's opponents, came to the ring with a smile on his face. The challenger wasn’t intimidated by the Tyson mystique and turned in the greatest performance of his career.\n\nHolyfield was dominant throughout, decked Tyson in round six, and put the finishing touches on an epic triumph in round 11.\n\nResult: Holyfield TKO 11\n\nMORE: My Sweetest Victory: Evander Holyfield reveals secret to beating Mike Tyson\n\nDiego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo 1\n\nDate: May 7, 2005\n\nMay 7, 2005 Location: Mandalay Bay Events Centre, Las Vegas\n\nMandalay Bay Events Centre, Las Vegas World titles: WBC, WBO, Ring Magazine lightweight\n\nCorrales had reestablished his image after being outclassed by Floyd Mayweather in 2001. While “Chico” had fallen short against the excellent Joel Casamayor, he’d avenged that defeat to pick up the vacant WBO super featherweight crown. Upon moving up to lightweight, Corrales took on WBO champ Acelino Frietas and came from behind to score a dramatic stoppage.\n\nCastillo also had a history with Mayweather. In fact, many fans believe that the Mexican star deserved to win a decision against him in April 2002. However, when Mayweather won the rematch decisively, Castillo, like Corrales, was forced to rebuild and he did so courtesy of excellent wins over Juan Lazcano, Casamayor, and Julio Diaz. The Lazcano triumph gave Castillo the vacant WBC title.\n\nCorrales vs. Castillo was one of the greatest fights in history. Despite having functional height and reach advantages, Corrales elected to meet Castillo on the inside and the action was incredible.\n\nIn the 10th, Castillo decked his man with a sharp left hook, then put him over again with another left. Following both knockdowns, “Chico” had spat out his mouthpiece for which he received a point deduction.\n\nBattered and woozy, his left eye almost closed, Corrales needed a miracle. He found it.\n\nWhen the bout resumed, Corrales nailed his man with a hard right and an even harder left. Castillo wilted and was stopped seconds later by a savage, head-snapping assault. There’s been nothing like it since.\n\nResult: Corrales TKO 10\n\nIsrael Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez 3\n\nDate: March 1, 2008\n\nMarch 1, 2008 Location: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California\n\nHome Depot Centre, Carson, California World titles: WBC and Ring Magazine super bantamweight\n\nCriminally overlooked, it’s arguable that Mexicans Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez turned in the most consistently exciting trilogy in modern boxing history. Yes, there was an ill-advised part four, won by Marquez, but this was and always will be a trilogy.\n\nWhile Ali-Frazier II, Gatti-Ward II, and Barrera-Morales II didn’t live up to acts I and III of those fistic plays, Vazquez and Marquez produced three back-to-back classics that will forever stand the test of time.\n\nThe only reason the first encounter, which was won by Marquez, wasn’t awarded Fight of the Year 2007 was because it was beaten out by the rematch, which was won by Vazquez, the same year. The third encounter was the best of the series and took Fight of the Year for 2008.\n\nAs was the case in fights one and three, the ebb and flow of the bout was incredible. Both men traded hellacious combinations throughout and Vazquez hit the canvas in round four.\n\nThe superior speed and timing of Marquez was carrying the day but Vazquez slowly battled his way back and was aided further when his rival was deducted a point for a low blow in round 10.\n\nBut it was the 12th and final round that took this fight into the stratosphere. Desperate for a big finish, Vazquez nailed his countryman in the closing seconds and only the ropes held Marquez up.\n\nRuled a knockdown, this crucial moment gave Vazquez the split decision win and saw him retain his championships. It doesn’t get any better.\n\nResult: Vazquez SD 12\n\nMORE: Sporting News' top 12 pound-for-pound boxers", + "Dillon Danis has been going back and forth with the Paul family long before his upcoming fight against Logan Paul, scheduled for October 14th. At the moment, Danis is preparing hard for his Misfits contest, as he’s tried to get in the head of his opponent leading up to the bout. As a result, Danis has garnered over a million followers on X. ‘El Jefe’ has been trying to dig up the past relationships of Logan Paul’s fiancée, Nina Agdal, as a way to create turmoil in Paul’s mindset during the fight.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nHowever, this beef was first started by Logan Paul’s younger brother, Jake Paul. He called out Danis on his Instagram story in 2020, by taking a hit at his rumored ex-girlfriend, Savannah Montano. So Danis’s target at Agdal could have a revenge angle that many didn’t know about. Even Logan addressed the topic of Montano and Jake during their first press conference. So, who is this girl? What’s the actual story here?\n\nWho is Dillon Danis’ ex-girlfriend often linked with Jake Paul?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nSavannah Montano was quite a trending name back in 2020, and that was mostly because of her relationship with the Bellator MMA fighter, Dillon Danis. Montano is a successful Instagram model, with around 1.6 million followers on her social media. The couple turned a lot of heads during their relationship, sharing some NSFW steamy pictures and videos for their fans.\n\nDespite their controversial relationship, Montano also gained some attention after Jake Paul used her to call out Dillon Danis for a fight. After knocking out the ex-NBA star, Nate Robinson, ‘The Problem Child’, was on the hunt to find his next opponent. At the time, the name that popped up the most was 2-0 Dillon Danis. So, when he shared the screenshot of the FaceTime with Danis’s ex-girlfriend, the fans started drawing connections.\n\nPaul somehow found the model’s number and sent her a FaceTime request. Many started to believe that Montano was having an affair and cheating on her then-boyfriend Danis. Paul posted two stories. In the first one, he wrote, “Aye [Dillon Danis], come get your girl back.” And then in the second one, he took another hit at the fighter by writing, “Can’t wait to see you soon.” So this begs the question, is it true? Was Paul actually involved in an affair with Savannah Montano?\n\nDid Jake Paul and Savannah Montano hook up?\n\nThis callout didn’t help much, as Jake Paul never could finalize his fight with Dillon Danis. Instead, he ended up taking the fight against the former Olympic MMA artist, Ben Askren in 2021. He again won the fight by a knockout, while many fans still thought that Danis was smart to not respond to the Youtuber-turned-boxer. Still, Paul tried his best to involve Montano in their non-existent tussle.\n\nvia Getty TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 18: Jake Paul fights Tyron Woddley during a rematch of an eight-round cruiserweight bout at the Amalie Arena on December 18, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)\n\nBesides the Instagram Stories, Jake Paul also told TMZ, about the entanglement with Savannah Montano. He said, “Dillon, I know you’re watching this … Just remember you’re still a bitch and I hooked up with your girlfriend. Savannah, how you doing? What’s good?” However, Montano completely denied any relation with the Influencer boxer whatsoever. She responded to Paul’s stories through a video and gave her side of the story.\n\nShe said, “I’m dead confused at some of you guys going, ‘Oh, but why did you answer his call?’ As if I have his f**king number saved in my phone! It was literally a random number. You can literally see in the video, I’m like, ‘Who is this?’” So she denied the accusations of hooking up with Paul and even felt disgusted by the speculations.\n\nHowever, her current relationship status is unknown. Even three years later, many followers are still not convinced about her breakup with Dillon Danis.\n\nDillon Danis and Savannah Montano breakup reality\n\nAs of now, it’s not completely clear whether the couple is still together or not. They haven’t made any claims of breakup and have been silent about their relationship with each other. The only things that have changed are Savannah’s Instagram feed. She has stopped posting pictures with Danis, which were quite prevalent back in 2020. Also, another thing that hints towards their breakup is Danis’s first press conference for the Logan Paul fight.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nDuring the fight, Logan Paul brought up the topic of Montano, when Danis pointedly mentioned their breakup. Paul said, “Yo you’ve been so salty ever since Savannah rejected your a** to go hook up with real athletes. You don’t gotta take that s**t out on me because my brother hooked up with your ex.” Danis scoffed at Maverick’s claim and clapped back, “At least I got rid of the sl*t, you’re marrying one.”\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nSo, this tells the fans that Danis is no longer together with Montano. Anyway, the fans could look out for her attendance at Danis’s first-ever boxing debut on October 14 at the AO Arena, Manchester. Although there were rumors about Danis pulling out, it seems the fight is still going to take place. So, her presence at Danis’s ringside may make things even more complicated. What are your thoughts about this? Are they still together? Tell us in the comments section.\n\nWatch This Story: Dillon Danis’s Relationship with His Wife", + "Jerry Jones said earlier in the week that Sunday night's game would show him how the Cowboys stack up against the NFL's best.\n\nThe answer? Not very well.\n\nEverything that could go wrong for Dallas on Sunday did go wrong, in a game that confirmed a 49ers team that ended the Cowboys' season in each of the last two years remains a level above its NFC counterpart.\n\nThe 49ers carved up Dallas' defense on the opening drive, and that was a sign of what was to come. Brock Purdy threw four touchdowns in the 42-10 rout, including three to George Kittle. Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown for a 14th consecutive game as all of San Francisco's offensive weapons got involved.\n\nMORE: Comparing stats for NFC stars Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons\n\nDefensively, the 49ers were relentless. Nobody had a larger impact than Fred Warner, who finished the night with an interception, sack and forced fumble in a swarming performance.\n\nThe Cowboys' offense looked very much like it did in last season's playoff exit -- uncomfortable and out of sorts. Dallas was sluggish through the first half of the game, and the night unraveled quickly when Dak Prescott threw three interceptions in the second half. It got out of hand so quickly that Sam Darnold entered the game for the 49ers with more than 12 minutes remaining.\n\nFor Prescott and the Cowboys, questions about whether they can get over the hump against the class of the NFC will persist. While their wins have been dominant, Dallas already sits two games behind the Eagles in the NFC East.\n\nThe 49ers are rolling right along, with all of their major offensive weapons now healthy and the defense living up to its billing as well. San Francisco, now 5-0, doesn't face a team with a winning record until Week 10, though the Browns, Vikings and Bengals are far from automatic wins for Kyle Shanahan's team.\n\nMORE: Why Brock Purdy remains one of the NFL's cheapest starting quarterbacks\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from \"Sunday Night Football\" between the Cowboys and 49ers. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nCowboys vs. 49ers final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Cowboys 0 7 3 0 10 49ers 7 14 7 14 42\n\nCowboys vs. 49ers results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: 49ers 42, Cowboys 10\n\n11:26 p.m. — That'll do it! The 49ers trounce the Cowboys and reassert themselves as one of the NFL's most dominant teams. Through five games, San Francisco is unbeaten.\n\n11:24 p.m. — These teams are trading possessions as the clock winds down. There was a brief skirmish officials had to break up as frustrations mount for Dallas.\n\n11:14 p.m. — A sack by Kevin Givens ends Rush's first drive of the night and sets up a Bryan Anger punt. Backups are in nearly all around for the 49ers.\n\n11:09 p.m. — Cooper Rush is in the game for the Cowboys...\n\n11:07 p.m. — Mitch Wishnowsky with an excellent punt for the 49ers, who are just trying to get through the rest of the game injury-free.\n\n11:04 p.m. — Sam Darnold has entered the game with 49ers. So, that's where we are with 12 minutes still on the clock.\n\n11:00 p.m. INTERCEPTION — So much for that. Oren Burks gets the 49ers' third interception of the night as Prescott continues to struggle against this San Francisco defense.\n\n10:59 p.m. — The Cowboys are moving the ball now, when it's a bit too late. Tony Pollard rips off a 26-yard run to finally break through.\n\n49ers 42, Cowboys 10\n\n10:53 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — And just like that, Jordan Mason runs in for another 49ers touchdown! This is ugly on all levels for the Cowboys, and Leighton Vander Esch is now down as well. 42-10, 49ers.\n\n10:52 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Fred Warner now has a sack, forced fumble and an interception tonight. A pass from Prescott is deflected into his hands, and the 49ers have another instant scoring opportunity.\n\n49ers 35, Cowboys 10\n\n10:47 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Purdy hits Kyle Juszczyk for the 49ers' fifth touchdown of the night. That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.\n\nEnd of third quarter: 49ers 28, Cowboys 10\n\n10:43 p.m. — San Francisco is moving the ball inch-by-inch now, and the 'Niners are a yard away from making this a 25-point game.\n\n10:38 p.m. — The 49ers are on the verge of entering the red zone after a 19-yard catch by Jauan Jennings. Purdy is up to 242 yards to go along with his three touchdowns.\n\n10:32 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Prescott heaves it downfield under pressure and it's intercepted by Tashaun Gipson. For a Cowboys team that has embarrassed a few opponents this year, they might be on the bad end of an ugly game here.\n\n49ers 28, Cowboys 10\n\n10:27 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Not one, not two, THREE touchdowns for George Kittle. The 49ers have everything working offensively tonight, and any Kittle fantasy owners are thrilled.\n\n10:25 p.m. — Aiyuk's loss is Deebo Samuel's gain. Samuel goes 43 yards on the very next play, which tells you how automatic the 49ers' offense is right now. San Francisco is in the red zone looking to make this a three-score game.\n\n10:23 p.m. — An offensive holding call wipes out a 40-yard gain from Aiyuk. Wow. That's a momentum swing. Spencer Burford is the culprit.\n\n10:21 p.m. — The Purdy-to-Aiyuk connection continues to get stronger. Aiyuk goes for 23 yards to give the 49ers some breathing room after opening their drive with a false start.\n\n49ers 21, Cowboys 10\n\n10:17 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The 49ers' defense tightens the screws and limits Dallas to a field goal. Brandon Aubrey drills it from 50 yards out, and it's down to a 21-10 lead for San Francisco.\n\n10:13 p.m. — Prescott hits CeeDee Lamb for a big 29-yard gain. That quickly takes the Cowboys into 49ers territory to start the second half.\n\nEnd of first half: 49ers 21, Cowboys 7\n\n9:58 p.m. — San Francisco's defense is all over the Cowboys yet again. It's Dre Greenlaw's turn to sack Prescott, and Dallas is waving the white flag on the half. They'll start the second half with the ball.\n\n9:56 p.m. — 49ers edge rusher Drake Jackson is walking off after requiring some medical attention on the field.\n\n9:52 p.m. — The 49ers tried to put something together, but a third down pass to Aiyuk was too low. Dallas has a minute to try and get something before halftime.\n\n9:45 p.m. — The Cowboys looked better on third down on their last drive, but Prescott's third down pass to Ferguson is short of the line to gain and ends this drive quickly. The 49ers will have a couple minutes to blow this game open before halftime.\n\n49ers 21, Cowboys 7\n\n9:38 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — McCaffrey pushes through for the touchdown. That's his 14th consecutive game finding the end zone, and it puts the 'Niners back up two scores.\n\n9:37 p.m. — Deebo Samuel takes some big hits but gets the 49ers down to the one-yard line. San Francisco is knocking on the door again.\n\n9:35 p.m. — The Cowboys had done a pretty nice job of containing McCaffrey to this point, but the former Pro-Bowler takes a screen pass for 19 yards to push the Niners to the edge of the red zone.\n\n9:31 p.m. — Aiyuk with a quick 15-yard catch to start the 49ers' drive. He's up to 35 yards on three catches.\n\n49ers 14, Cowboys 7\n\n9:27 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — KaVontae Turpin flashes his speed, gets separation, and hauls in Prescott's pass in the end zone! A perfectly drawn-up 26-yard play puts Dallas right back in this game.\n\nKaVontae Turpin shows off the wheels and gets in the end zone 💨 @KaVontaeTurpin\n\n\n\n📺: #DALvsSF on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/gzzkvIRUdj pic.twitter.com/1bwEuaj5pN — NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2023\n\n9:24 p.m. — Prescott hits Jake Ferguson for a big third down conversion, and then some. That's 20 yards.\n\n9:23 p.m. — Tony Pollard has had a tough night so far, with just 10 yards on six touches.\n\n9:22 p.m. — Prescott fires a nice pass to Cooks to give the Cowboys another first down.\n\n9:20 p.m. — The Cowboys have a first down! And it only took 17+ minutes. Dallas is still operating in its own territory, but it feels like points are needed on this drive to keep the game within reach.\n\n49ers 14, Cowboys 0\n\n9:14 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — That was quick! Purdy hits Kittle after some trickery, and it's a two-score night for the tight end. 49ers lead, 14-0.\n\n9:13 p.m. — The Cowboys are forced to punt out of their own end zone after Fred Warner sacks Prescott. Warner now has a sack and a fumble. The 49ers will have strong field position.\n\n9:10 p.m. FUMBLE — Oh no again! They're trading fumbles! Jourdan Lewis takes the ball right out of McCaffrey's arms and spoils the 49ers' hopes of making this a 14-0 game.\n\nEnd of first quarter: 49ers 7, Cowboys 0\n\n9:04 p.m. — Confirmed: 49ers ball. San Francisco has an instant opportunity here.\n\n9:01 p.m. FUMBLE — Oh no! Pollard gets the ball knocked out deep in the Cowboys' own territory, and it looks like it was recovered by the 49ers. Officials are checking to make sure nobody was out of bounds, but that ball was very much out of Pollard's control. The 49ers could be set up in the red zone.\n\n8:59 p.m. — The drive completely falls apart for the 49ers. A delay of game penalty sets San Francisco back, and Christian McCaffrey is dropped for a five-yard loss on 3rd & 15. Not allowing even a field goal is a huge win for Dallas.\n\n8:56 p.m. — The 49ers are excelling on third down early in this game, and Purdy flips it to Kyle Juszczyk to keep the Niners' drive alive on 3rd & 1.\n\n8:54 p.m. — Now Kearse lines up offsides... That extends the drive for the 49ers, who aren't moving as freely as they were on that opening drive.\n\n8:50 p.m. — Jayron Kearse comes through with the Cowboys' first sack of the night, but Deebo Samuel makes up 11 of the 12 yards San Francisco needs on the next play.\n\n8:46 p.m. — There's the first catch of the night for Lamb, but he doesn't get the first down and Dak Prescott is sacked by Nick Bosa to quickly end the drive. This 49ers defense has picked up right where it left off against the Cowboys in January.\n\n8:44 p.m. — Dallas' second drive starts out with Tony Pollard getting dropped for a loss.\n\n8:40 p.m. — Big-time stop by the Cowboys' defense as Johnathan Hankins deflects Purdy's third down pass with his helmet and forces a punt.\n\n8:36 p.m. — The 49ers' defense was all over Dallas on that drive. Three plays, two incompletions, and now the Cowboys will punt it right back.\n\n49ers 7, Cowboys 0\n\n8:30 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Purdy finds a wide open Kittle in the end zone for the score! That was a well-scripted opening drive by Kyle Shanahan, and San Francisco has an early 7-0 lead.\n\n8:27 p.m. — A little bit of chaos as Deebo Samuel drops a ball that was pretty close to being a fumble, but it's all a non-issue as Dallas is hit with an offsides penalty. The 49ers are right about in field goal range.\n\n8:25 p.m. — After a facemask penalty and a nine-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers are already over midfield.\n\n8:23 p.m. — Kickoff is a bit on the later end, but we are about to get underway. The 49ers will start with the ball.\n\n8:10 p.m. — Jerry Jones said this week that this game will be a test of how the Cowboys match up with the NFL's best, as if there wasn't already pressure on Dallas to show something after the 49ers knocked them out of the playoffs in back-to-back years.\n\n7:56 p.m. — Frank Gore and Vernon Davis are in the house! A couple greats from the 49ers' last golden era under Jim Harbaugh.\n\nFrank Gore and Vernon Davis in the building for SNF 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XMKgK4aeaF — OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) October 8, 2023\n\n7:36 p.m. — CeeDee Lamb is coming off back-to-back games with only four catches. Is he due for a huge performance tonight?\n\n7:11 p.m. — New 49ers acquisition Randy Gregory is officially inactive against his former team.\n\n7:01 p.m. — The Eagles are going to win in Los Angeles, so the 49ers need a win to keep pace atop the NFC. After they had to play the last two NFC championship games on the road, the No. 1 seed is undoubtedly in the back of their minds.\n\n6:45 p.m. — The run of great prime-time weather continues, as it's set to be in the high 70s and sunny in Santa Clara tonight. No excuses for these powerful offenses.\n\nWhat channel is Cowboys vs. 49ers on today?\n\nGame: Cowboys vs. 49ers\n\nCowboys vs. 49ers Date: Sunday, Oct. 8\n\nSunday, Oct. 8 TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock | NBCSports.com | Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nCowboys vs, 49ers can be watched on NBC, which has long held the broadcast rights to \"Sunday Night Football.\"\n\nMike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) will be on the call from Levi's Stadium while Melissa Stark will serve as the sideline reporter. The crew is entering their second season together after Tirico replaced play-by-play legend Al Michaels while Stark took over for Michele Tafoya.\n\nFans can also stream the game via Peacock or NBCSports.com with a subscription, along with Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can stream every NFL game via DAZN.\n\nCowboys vs. 49ers start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Oct. 8\n\nSunday, Oct. 8 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. CT)\n\nSunday night's game between the Cowboys and 49ers is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. local time) from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.\n\nThe 49ers and Cowboys have a long history with one another, but San Francisco has gotten the better of Dallas in each of their last two meetings. The 49ers knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs in both of the last two seasons, so a win for Dallas on Sunday could be helpful just from a psychological standpoint.", + "The season of giving is here as we wind down the 2023 NFL season. We've already given you winners and losers, highs and lows, sleepers and busts, and a few moments to forget, but we hope to keep giving you more of the positives to look back on as the season enters its final weeks. If you need to scratch that fantasy itch with your season-long league coming to an end, look no further than our FanDuel DFS lineup for Week 14, which will ideally provide us with enough cash to boost the economy this holiday season.\n\nBefore we break down our picks and strategy, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nFanDuel Picks Week 14: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments\n\nSunday main slate, $60,000 budget\n\nQB Gardner Minshew, Colts @ Bengals ($6,900). Minshew Mania is eyeing a postseason spot and has the Colts with a 7-5 record heading into the final few weeks of the season. Now he gets a Bengals team that's limping to the finish thanks to Joe Burrow's thumb injury that cost him the season. The Colts are a motivated bunch in a tight AFC South, while evidence continues to mount that they knocked the Shane Steichen hire out of the park. Minshew is a capable fantasy starter, as shown by his 312 yards and two TDs last week, and he's certainly worth another DFS flier in a week that offers very few worthwhile value options.\n\nRB Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Colts ($7,200). Mixon has been forced to step up without Burrow under center, doubling as a runner and receiver for Cincinnati. Jake Browning has relied heavily upon the veteran RB, evidenced by Mixon's two touchdowns on Monday night against the Jaguars. Burrow's injury has made Mixon arguably the Bengals' top fantasy option now. We'll gladly insert the RB into the lineup in a good matchup against a Indianapolis team that's had some issues defending RBs, notably getting torched by Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears one week ago.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nRB Breece Hall, Jets vs. Texans ($6,400). It's Week 14 and there is a Jets player in this DFS lineup. How bad can it get? The good news is that it can always get worse, and Hall's role in this offense makes him a worthy dart throw in this lineup. He continues to see plenty of carries and a big role in the passing game. While the offense can't score, the volume is there against a Texans team that has struggled to defend RBs out of the backfield. If the Jets manage to find the end zone for the first time since sliced bread was invented, Hall has a good chance to do it. Considering it's borderline insane to include a Jets player in any DFS lineup, that means we might be one of the few who actually roster him, which could help our cause.\n\nWR Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ Falcons ($8,500). Evans hauled in six-of-eight targets for 82 yards and a score last time he saw the Falcons, and he's only gotten better, putting together another great season for Tampa as Baker Mayfield's top option in the passing game. The incredible target share gives us no reason to think that won't continue.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWR Michael Pittman Jr., Colts @ Bengals ($8,000). Imagine saying back in the summer that the Minshew-Pittman stack would be one of the best in fantasy this season. It's a wild reality, but also one that continues to fly under the radar more often than not. Pittman is coming off back-to-back games of at least 100 yards, and he just put up a season-high 16 against the Titans. That volume doesn't grow on trees, and there are no signs of the WR slowing down anytime soon as the Colts push for a playoff spot.\n\nWR Deebo Samuel, 49ers vs. Seahawks ($7,500). Samuel rewarded us with a big performance against the Eagles, backing up all the talking he did since losing in the NFC Championship Game last season. There's no reason to believe that can't continue against the same Seahawks team that he carved up on Thanksgiving. Samuel has historically feasted against Seattle, and with the Niners eyeing that top spot in the NFC, we should expect that to be the case again.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nTE Gerald Everett, Chargers @ Broncos ($5,100). The Chargers offense is tough to watch right now. Between injuries and drops, we can't determine what is more maddening on a week-to-week basis, but Everett has a great matchup in Week 14, one that we've continued to target quite often this year. Everett hasn't posted 50 yards or more in a game this season, but this should be his best chance to do that plus have a good shot at a TD. We'll take the discount for someone who should outperform his DFS salary.\n\nFLEX RB Dameon Pierce, Texans @ Jets ($6,100). MetLife Stadium promises to be the site of yet another bad weather game and all that rain means we'll be seeing plenty of the RBs on Sunday. Pierce appears to have regained the RB1 spot from Devin Singletary, evidenced by his 15 carries last week to just eight for his teammate. Efficiency has been a problem for the sophomore back, but the Jets present another decent matchup for a RB to find their footing. With an ugly game on tap, Pierce should have more than enough opportunities to deliver from a fantasy standpoint.\n\nDEF New Orleans Saints vs. Panthers ($4,300). The Panthers are and have been a complete disaster this year, only shielded by the fact that they play in Charlotte rather than the Boston and New York areas. They have a QB who can't compete with the extreme lack of talent up and down the roster, a lame-duck coaching staff, and countless other factors. They're 1-11 and are playing a divisional rival that, despite being 5-7, is somehow not out of the playoff race. New Orleans' offense is a mess, but the defense should be primed to bounce back after a rough Week 13.\n\nBest SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Week 14\n\nThis year, we're also listing our favorite DFS plays on SuperDraft.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nMORE: Win BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nQB: Justin Fields, Bears (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nRB: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (Multiplier 1x)\n\nRB: Joe Mixon, Bengals (Multiplier 1.3x)\n\nWR: DJ Moore, Bears (Multiplier 1.25x)\n\nWR: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nWR: Mike Evans, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nTE: Gerald Everett, Chargers (Multiplier 1.6x)\n\nFLEX: RB Alvin Kamara, Saints (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nWe're combining forces between our FanDuel and DraftKings lineup to build this week's aptly named SuperDraft lineup that features our Fields-Moore stack and plenty of other players in great matchups who continue to produce at a high level each week.", + "Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to be the top scorer in 2023 after his Boxing Day double against Al Ittihad.\n\nThe 38-year-old may have swapped Europe for the Middle East, but he has showed no signs of slowing down in Saudi Arabia.\n\n8 Ronaldo has been in lethal form for club and country in 2023 Credit: Getty\n\nRonaldo linked up with Al Nassr in the winter transfer window after parting ways with Manchester United following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.\n\nLiverpool legend Jamie Carragher described the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's switch to the Gulf nation as a 'sad end' to his career, but Ronaldo continues to prove his doubters wrong.\n\nBut he isn't the only star that has been in great form, with players across Europe banging them in for fun.\n\nThe Portugal international Ronaldo has been battling with with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane for the title of the best goalscorer of 2023..\n\nHere talkSPORT.com runs you through how Ronaldo compares to the top six highest scoring European based footballers this year...\n\n7. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) - 37 goals\n\nAll of Martinez's goals this year have come at club level for Inter Milan, with none coming on the international scene for Argentina.\n\nWith so many goals this campaign, it's no surprise that the Serie A giants are desperate to tie him down to a new deal.\n\nHe currently leads the Scudetto Golden Boot race - six more than closest rival Domenico Berardi.\n\n8 Inter striker Martinez has carried on from last season by banging them in for fun Credit: Getty\n\n6. Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord/Mexico) - 39 goals\n\nOne of the most exciting strikers in world football, the 22-year-old has taken European football by storm.\n\nJoining Dutch side Feyenoord in the summer of 2022, he fired Arne Slot's men to the Eredivisie championship with 15 goals.\n\nWith 20 goals this season along with two strikes for Mexico, it's clear to see why Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea have all been linked with a move.\n\n8 Gimenez seems destined for a big move in the near future Credit: Getty\n\n5. Romelu Lukaku (Roma/Belgium) - 40 goals\n\nAfter reuniting with Jose Mourinho at Roma in the summer, Lukaku has found his goalscoring form once again.\n\nThe Belgian has been firing back in Serie A following another loan move from Chelsea, netting in almost all of his starts this season.\n\nHe has also found his shooting boots for his country, most notably scoring four in a 5-0 win over Azerbaijan in November.\n\nLukaku's career seems to have reignited and that has seen him close to claiming a place as one of the highest goalscorers this year.\n\n8 Lukaku ended the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign as top scorer Credit: AFP\n\n4. Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway) - 50 goals\n\nNo player in Premier League history has made more of an impact following their arrival than Haaland, who broke the goal record for a single season with 36 strikes last term.\n\nHe has already been firing in many top-flight goals this term - as well as being the joint-leading scorer from the Champions League group stages.\n\nJust six out of his 50 goals in 2023 have been for his national side Norway, with Haaland helping the Citizens to a historic treble last campaign.\n\nWith two games left for City in 2023, Haaland has time to be the overall top scorer, though it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola will play him against Everton and Sheffield United.\n\nHaaland has missed City's last five games with a foot injury, but it is believed he could be in contention now to return to action.\n\n8 Haaland is the leading goalscorer in the Premier League this season\n\n2*. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/France) - 52 goals\n\nParis Saint Germain's all-time record scorer with 233 goals, it's easy to forget that the ex-Monaco man is still just 24 years old.\n\nHe has added even more goals to his tally for Les Parisiens this term, while he has fired in ten times for the French national team.\n\nMbappe's overall tally of 46 goals for Les Bleus is just ten shy of Giroud's current record.\n\nIn the final year of his contract at Parc des Princes, Real Madrid are favourites to secure a free transfer next summer, but they face competition from Liverpool.\n\nPSG have no games left to play in 2023 due to the French winter break, with Mbappe therefore unable to catch Ronaldo.\n\n8 Mbappe has enjoyed a stunning 2023 having scored 52 goals for club and country Credit: AFP\n\n2*. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/Tottenham/England) - 52 goals\n\nA stunning 2022/23 season saw Bayern splash out over £100m to sign the Spurs legend in August.\n\nAnd Kane has repaid the Bundesliga club's faith having broken a number of records with his 25 goals so far this season.\n\nThe leading scorer [22 goals] in the German top-flight, the Three Lions skipper set a new Bundesliga record last month by finding the back of the net 17 times in his opening 11 outings.\n\nKane, who has scored nine goals for England in 2023, is also the first player to register a hat-trick in their first outing against Borussia Dortmund.\n\nIt should come as no surprise that he is also on course to score the most goals in a debut Bundesliga campaign as he hunts down Uwe Seeler's record of 30 for Hamburg in the 1963/64 season.\n\nAs well as that, Kane is on track to break Robert Lewandowski's record of 41 goals in a single season.\n\nHe's adding assists, too, as evidenced by his 'filthy' effort against Man United in the Champions League.\n\nLike Mbappe, Kane cannot overtake Ronaldo's tally due to the German winter break.\n\n8 Kane already has 25 goals for Bayern in all competitions Credit: Getty\n\n1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/Portugal) - 53 goals\n\nRonaldo has chipped in with 43 goals for Al Nassr to prove he never left his shooting boots back in Europe.\n\nHe has even banged in ten times for Portugal, as he helped the Euro 2016 winners triumph in all ten of their Euro 2024 qualifying matches.\n\nHis half-century in 2023 is the eighth time in his career that he has scored at least 50 goals in a calendar year.\n\nHis two strikes in the 5-2 win against Karim Benzema's Al Ittihad saw him leapfrog above Kane and Mbappe.\n\nAnd with Al Nassr still having one match left before 2024, he could add to his ever-growing tally.", + "Does Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian have regrets over his creation? The entrepreneur and founder of venture fund Seven Seven Six, speaking at an event at the University of Virginia, espoused a fairly negative view of the current social media landscape and the creator economy — an environment where he says, everyone has “been so trained and conditioned now to just get the likes and retweets, get the upvotes…I wish I could be more optimistic about it, but we’re seeing it play out before our eyes.” Still, he ultimately described himself as a “techno-optimist” — an apparent nod to a16z General Partner Marc Andreessen’s recent diatribe where he claimed technology could solve all our problems.\n\n“Guilty as charged,” Ohanian said, during his interview with Kara Swisher. “I do think that pendulum will swing back. I think even swifter than we realize.” The war in the Middle East may even be the tipping point, he theorized, as it’s now “abundantly clear” that we need something better to figure out the world than the platforms we have today.\n\nThe founder, as you may recall, notably resigned from Reddit’s board in 2020 over differences of opinion on moderation and wanting to crack down on communities about violence and hate. It was a moment where he seemed to be reckoning with what his platform had wrought. At the time, he asked for his board seat to be replaced by a Black board member. The company agreed, appointing its first Black board member with Y Combinator partner Michael Seibel.\n\nReddit also later banned several toxic communities, including r/donaldtrup following violence at the U.S. Capitol, and Ohanian says that the site has “gotten demonstrably better,” since, as well as better as a business.\n\nBut as for social media as a whole, of which Reddit would presumably play a part, Ohanian said it brings out the “worst parts of our nature in many ways.” What’s more, he expressed worries about the desire for people to be first and win on whatever leaderboard a platform features, which then leads to a situation where misinformation is able to spread.\n\nHumans evolved trusting the faces & voices we knew around the campfire. The idea of believing something bc of experts/institutions you've never met is actually new to our species. I visited @UVADemocracy + chatted with @karaswisher + @dkroy about what's next for social media. pic.twitter.com/PMBXi7T3vv — Alexis Ohanian 🇦🇲 (@alexisohanian) October 31, 2023\n\n“Now, there’s so much pressure to be first, and UGC — user-generated content — will always win. It won’t always be right, though. But it becomes the epicenter of where the conversation is. And then I’ll think what percentage of our population really wants to earnestly take the breath and say, let me stop doomscrolling, and let me just wait until people can do the work, synthesize it and then help me react?” he continued.\n\n“We are also so plugged into all these storylines, whether it’s from traditional media, whether it’s from user-generated — someone on their phone, you know, posting to a Telegram group. We are overwhelmed and overloaded, and it’s unfortunately appealing to the worst parts of a lot of our instincts,” Ohanian added.\n\nIn part, some of the issues around how social media platforms developed had to do with how the companies were originally developed. Ohanian, for example, shared that Reddit grew out of his running of a forum site in college, when he believed that online community felt as real as offline. He said he never conceived of the influence the site would one day hold — when Reddit became a multibillion-dollar business with hundreds of millions of users. That thought would have been “ludicrous,” he said. And he certainly never could have imagined his startup could have become so successful that it could affect elections and democracies.\n\n“To… think Oh my god, I’m gonna be so successful, it could have a tremendous impact on democracy would take a level of delusion that even I, as a first-time CEO, just couldn’t have,” he noted. “Was that a blind spot? Absolutely,” he admitted.\n\nOhanian identified that another part of the problem is that there are more people online today than early tech founders may have imagined. Though he’s glad that access to the technology has broadened, that has come with many complications.\n\n“I don’t like the idea that the internet I’m so nostalgic for was actually an ivory tower,” he said, but on the flip side, he said, we’re all exposed to more people, in real-time, than we could have ever fathomed. And that can put people at odds with one another and with everyone’s different versions of the truth — even if their truth is believing in something as far-fetched as the earth being flat, he said, pointing to one example that has a following on Reddit.\n\nMeanwhile, asking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to be in charge of verifying truth and accuracy is a difficult task, he said. Ohanian also called out TikTok as “an arm for the Chinese government” that’s really good at “feeding us what we want, when we want it” — in other words, not always a fountain of truth, either.\n\nIf anything, Ohanian credits Twitter (now called X) with coming up with the best system for moderation so far.\n\n“Community Notes, I personally think is a good — it’s the best measure I’ve seen yet. And frankly, I wish we had thought of it first,” he said.\n\nStill, he called out the notion that a platform, like X, can be a town square.\n\n“The public square [analogy]…falls flat. Because if that then implies that it’s a public square, which means like, what? a town or a city? If you’re the person in charge of it, you’re the mayor. But there’s no democratic election,” Ohanian pointed out. “You’re a CEO. So then you’re like the king? If you want to lean into the town square thing, fine. Just own it and say, yeah, it’s a town square and I am the infinite dictator, tyrant of it.”\n\nDespite the problems with social media and the urgency, in terms of its impact on society, Ohanian believes there’s still some hope. He noted, for example, that the founders his fund 776 invests in are much smarter and more aware of the issues than he ever was at their age. Perhaps the next platforms will still be addictive, but in a way that doesn’t “further disrupt democracy,” he mused.\n\nHe also believes that after everything on social media becomes so perfectly curated for us, our brains will start to crave things that are not. “I think we’ll see a rebirth of live gatherings and in-person experiences…the bright side of this is that I hope it then gets us back in touch with our humanity, and the things that no amount of AI can replace.”\n\n“I want to be an optimist about it,” Ohanian added. “And I think there’s still a path forward but we’re fighting against very, very strong human things. And if we can solve it, it will do so much good. It really, really will because we will find out we have more in common than not,” he said.", + "Marvel built its comic book revolution on the back of one idea: rendering colorful superheroes as relatable. In the mid 20th century, DC do-gooders were essentially square-jawed Sunday school teachers, which let Marvel corner the market on heroes with human depth and fragility. The Fantastic Four were vulnerable to insecurity and in-fighting. The X-Men represented the cost of bigotry on a wide scale.\n\nBut Spider-Man represented this new wave best. Consumed by youthful everyman angst and desperate to find balance in his life, Spider-Man is broadly sympathetic. We identify with his struggles and his little glimmers of connection and triumph — which makes him the perfect superhero for Thanksgiving. And Spider-Man writers know it.\n\nThanksgiving has a complicated history, tied to the roots of American colonialism, and more recently processed through a lens of joyful capitalism. But feeding friends and family is perhaps one of the most humane acts we can pursue. It’s less about the spirit of giving, and more about admitting that people have innate, basic needs, like food and social comfort, and that those needs are best fulfilled when people work in tandem. Honestly, we should try to do it more on every other day of the year: The number of people volunteering to help feed the homeless and families in need peaks around November and December, but that energy needs to be carried through the preceding 10 months, too.\n\nSpider-Man represents these needs, even though very few of us have to balance photojournalist work, a fraught dating life, and pummeling Dr. Octopus. Peter Parker is often the most financially strapped among his Avengers buddies, and frequently the loneliest, too. Those are recognizable traits among many young people, even those without radioactive-spider powers. When you’re growing up and trying to figure out the world, it’s easy to feel lost and isolated. But feelings of loneliness spike during the holidays, meaning that there’s a good chance you’ll feel even more like Peter Parker when late November rolls around.\n\nIt’s what makes the Thanksgiving scene in the 2002 Spider-Man film so engaging. That whole movie is an exercise in heart-on-your-sleeve sweetness. Everyone who’s seen it knows the Thanksgiving dinner rapidly descends into chaos, with Norman Osborn ominously sticking his fingers into Aunt May’s sweet-potato casserole, figuring out Spider-Man’s secret identity, and delivering a grossly sexist diatribe to his son Harry, leaving Harry and Mary Jane at odds with each other. Aunt May and Peter clearly wind up with a ton of leftovers after everyone else storms out.\n\nBut for Peter, who’s just lost his Uncle Ben and has been facing the initial trials of being Spider-Man, there’s a nice moment of personal respite at the opening of that scene, where he walks into a room where he knows he’s loved, bearing an offering of cranberry sauce,. Sure, everyone in that room is trying to hold things together. Mary Jane wants to impress Norman, Harry wants to impress Norman and Mary Jane, Peter loves Mary Jane but doesn’t dare hurt Harry, and Aunt May is finishing what’s presumably a dope turkey, in an attempt to care for all of them.\n\nIt’s the trying that counts: Life can be hard, weird, and cruel, but while sitting down for a meal with our nearest and dearest, maybe for at least a little while, we won’t need to have it all figured out.\n\nNot all Spider-Man Thanksgiving dinners end up falling apart, and some succeed in reminding Peter that he isn’t alone. The first season of The Spectacular Spider-Man ends with a bang: One of Peter’s closest pals, Eddie Brock, has become Venom, and has threatened everyone Peter holds dear. This comes just after Peter himself was infected by the symbiote, and went through the now-iconic throes of pushing everyone away. Aunt May has just gotten out of the hospital, and even noted jerk “Flash” Thompson has given Peter hell for how awful he’s been acting.\n\nPeter, attempting to make things right, opts to cook the Thanksgiving meal all by himself, but mostly succeeds in ruining the kitchen. No worries — Gwen Stacy and her father, along with a recuperating Aunt May and her doctor, all help out, and the episode concludes with a pleasant dinner. There are no big turns or twists, aside from Aunt May revealing that she’s publishing a cookbook. It’s just simple, earned solace in a life marked by chaos. Peter even gets a kiss from Gwen on his porch, a sequence conducted with a John Hughes sense of satisfying romantic flair.\n\nVarious Spider-Man comics have also dabbled in seeing what Thanksgiving looks like when you’re young and arachnid-themed, but real life has associated Spider-Man with the holiday, too. Spider-Man is the only Marvel character to rate a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Other Marvel characters have appeared on floats, but only Spider-Man has been inflated to 80 feet and pulled through the Upper West Side. (That also makes him the only Marvel character to have his head horrifically torn open by a tree branch.)\n\nFrom his first comic book appearance, Spider-Man has been a reminder that life is hard and complicated, and being a superhero doesn’t preclude anyone from experiencing ordinary frustrations, setbacks, and confusion. But no matter how Spider-Man’s Thanksgiving escapades turn out, they remind readers and viewers that the holiday is about the hope of mutual connection, support, and nurturing. Even if the girl of your dreams is out of reach and the Green Goblin is on your case, a table, some friends, and Aunt May’s rad turkey might just make everything better for a little while.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nAmericans started preparing their Thanksgiving menus weeks ago, with the requisite turkeys and stuffing ingredients likely already purchased for the holiday, which is celebrated this year on Thursday 23 November.\n\nApart from the food - arguably the main component of the day - the holiday is a beloved time of year when Americans come together to celebrate what they are thankful for, either with family or friends.\n\nIn America, Thanksgiving is a cultural holiday that symbolises peace, thankfulness, and the beginning of the holiday season.\n\nWhat is Thanksgiving and where did it come from?\n\nThanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States celebrated every fourth Thursday in November.\n\nThe annual feast is in honour of the “first” Thanksgivings in America, in 1619 in Virginia, and in 1621, when colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts, later known as the Pilgrims, allegedly shared a meal with the Wampanoag Indians, who were native to the land.\n\nThe later feast was in honour of the help the Pilgrims received from the Native Americans in cultivating crops and surviving their first harsh winter and it lasted three days.\n\nMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Show all 15 1 / 15 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Performers walk in front of Macy's Tom Turkey float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York AP Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Ronald McDonald balloon is inflated Getty Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Sinclair's DINO balloon flies as the parade passes down 6th Avenue Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York An NYPD officer stands by AP Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Charlie Brown balloon flies in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York A marching band takes part in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York A balloon flies in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York A performer in the parade AP Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Ronald McDonald balloon flies in the parade AP Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York A clown performs in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Olaf balloon is inflated Getty Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Flag wavers take part in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York Clowns on roller blades perform in the parade Reuters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Charlie Brown balloon is inflated Getty Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York The Tom Turkey float is in place to start the parade Reuters\n\nLater, US Presidents including George Washington, John Adams and James Madison called for days of thanks throughout their presidencies.\n\nHowever, it was not until 1863, during the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving Day would be held each November to be celebrated by all of the country.\n\nWhen is Thanksgiving?\n\nThanksgiving takes place each year on the fourth Thursday of November.\n\nThis year, Thanksgiving falls on 23 November.\n\nWhy do Americans celebrate it and what do they do?\n\nAlthough Thanksgiving may originally have had religious significance, the day has become a mostly secular holiday.\n\nMost Americans consider the holiday a day to gather and express their thanks through food, family, and football – with multiple NFL teams playing on the holiday.\n\nDuring some Thanksgiving celebrations, people write down what they are thankful for and then read aloud from the pieces of paper.\n\nThe Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York City\n\nThe day is also celebrated with the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.\n\nThe world’s largest Thanksgiving parade includes giant balloons of cartoons that float above the city sky, as well as marching bands and dancers.\n\nFollowing Thanksgiving, the month-long shopping for the winter holidays begins, with Black Friday kicking off the season.\n\nWhy is Thanksgiving controversial?\n\nAlthough many Americans view Thanksgiving as a beloved holiday, it is viewed by many who have abandoned the holiday as a erroneous celebration of what was actually the conquest of Native Americans and Native American lands. The celebration has become controversial, as Thanksgiving has a contentious history that goes far beyond when the first feast was held.\n\nIn addition to a holiday steeped with cultural appropriation, the period of history in America is frequently white-washed, which leads some Americans to ignore the holiday, or, to instead observe a National day of Mourning.\n\nWhere is it celebrated?\n\nThanksgiving is one of the the most important cultural holidays in America, however, Canada also has its own Thanksgiving Day, on the second Monday in October, and Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first Thursday of November.\n\nWhat do people eat on Thanksgiving?\n\nIn America, turkeys are an integral part of Thanksgiving Day, with most dinners including the bird.\n\nAn estimated 46m turkeys are killed annually for the holiday, however, two turkeys are pardoned each year by the president.\n\nBut Americans who don’t eat meat or follow a vegan lifestyle don’t have to worry about missing out, as there are numerous vegan and vegetarian Thanksgiving options.\n\nAmericans also indulge in Thanksgiving favourites such as yams topped with marshmallows, stuffing, cranberry sauce, cornbread, and pumpkin pie.", + "The United States of America is home to several entertaining sports and leagues. However, football and basketball have resonated more deeply with the majority of the population than other offerings. Since their inception, the two sports have captured the imaginations of the fans and captivated them with their entertaining offerings—namely, the NFL and the NBA. The NBA and the NFL share a fierce rivalry because they stand out as the two preeminent professional sports leagues in the United States. While the NFL enjoys greater popularity within the United States, the NBA far outperforms its counterpart in global popularity and impact.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nBoth leagues have crafted their own festive traditions with the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games and the NBA’s Christmas Day matchups. These special events have become cherished customs, captivating fans in their unique ways. Thanksgiving Day games are as intertwined with Thanksgiving as turkeys, while Christmas Day games have become as synonymous with Christmas as eggnog and presents. However, when comparing the two festive traditions, which one holds more significance, or which tradition has garnered greater popularity?\n\nHow do NBA’s Christmas Day games compare to NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nBoth traditions hold a special place in the hearts of fans, creating an annual spectacle that goes beyond the typical sporting event. The NBA’s Christmas Day games is a tradition which is even older than the NFL’s Super Bowl. The first Christmas Day game dates back to 1947, when the league featured three games as a festive treat for basketball fans. Since then, the NBA Christmas Day has only grown in stature and significance. Last season, Christmas Day games averaged 4.27 viewers across all platforms. The significance of this tradition can be evaluated by the fact that these games attract about 200% more viewers than any other regular season game.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports\n\nHowever, despite these impressive viewership numbers, the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games eclipse them by a considerable margin. This season, NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games created history. Across all the three games, the NFL recorded an average viewership of 34.1 million. These figures surpassed last year’s record viewership of 33.6 million. Furthermore, the combined unduplicated audience for all three games reached 133 million, marking the second-highest total audience on Thanksgiving, surpassed only by last year’s numbers.\n\nThese figures paint a pretty one-sided picture, but the choice is much more nuanced. Comparing the NBA Christmas Day Games and NFL Thanksgiving Day Games comes down to personal preference. Each tradition holds its own significance, adding to the diverse fabric of American sports culture. Whether one prefers the slam dunks and three-pointers of the NBA or the hard-hitting action on the football field, both traditions offer a festive and entertaining way to celebrate holidays with family and friends.\n\nAre the NFL’s new decisions threatening the NBA’s Christmas Day dominance?\n\nThe enduring success and importance of Christmas Day games suggest that this 77-year-old tradition will continue for the foreseeable future. However, the NFL’s recent decisions could threaten the NBA’s stronghold on Christmas. Traditionally, the NFL has avoided Christmas Day games that fall outside of their broadcasting window. However, last year the NFL averaged 22.1 million viewers on Christmas Day games, and 2023 could be even bigger.\n\nvia Reuters REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach |\n\nThe NFL has lined up a mouth-watering slate for Christmas. Superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts are all set to take the field on Christmas. According to some estimations, the NFL’s total viewership during the festive period could outperform that of the NBA by almost 75 million viewers. This creates a huge dilemma for the NBA, as traditionally they have maintained a firm grip on Christmas.\n\nHowever, it still remains to be seen whether the NFL pursues Christmas Day games in the future. The NFL’s top executives have stated that they won’t schedule games on Christmas if the holiday falls outside their regular broadcasting window. But, enough of the negative stuff, let’s shift our attention to the positive aspects.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWhat does the NBA have in store for Christmas?\n\nAs Christmas arrives, so do the NBA’s Christmas Day games, a tradition that predates even the Super Bowl. This year’s Christmas Day slate is loaded, with games taking place in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. NBA superstars like LeBron, Steph, Giannis, Luka, Jokic, Durant, and many others are scheduled to take the court later tonight. The NBA strategically plans matchups featuring elite teams and players, as these games are broadcasted to over 200 countries and translated into more than 50 languages.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks get the festive proceedings underway at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, the Warriors are scheduled to face the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets. Apart from these two intriguing matchups, the league has also scheduled Lakers vs Celtics, Heat vs Sixers, and Suns vs Mavs for Christmas. With only a few hours left until the tip-off, fans can kick back and enjoy the NBA with friends and family on the joyous occasion that is Christmas.\n\nWatch this Story: Chris Paul annihilates Scott Foster after the controversial call, ‘Don’t use a tech to get your point across’", + "Amon-Ra St. Brown was in the midst of a tempest, shrouded in a sea of green with few options around him. The Lions WR had done the hard part, stretching beyond an exasperated Packers defense to trot into the end zone.\n\nBut he had a choice to make: rollick in the joy of his sapphire-clad teammates. Or take a leap of faith into the Lambeau Field abyss.\n\nHe opted for the latter. St. Brown hurled himself into the green lagoon. Then, he smiled.\n\nSt. Brown's impersonation of the Lambeau Leap was one of many high points in a memorable night for Detroit. Fueled by a stout defensive showing, a gritty run game and a bit of fairy dust from the likes of St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Josh Reynolds, the Lions cruised to a 34-20 win over their hated NFC North rivals, Green Bay.\n\nThursday's game appeared to be destined to be a showcase of quarterbacking excellence; Jared Goff and Jordan Love have proved themselves to be formidable options under center since taking the reins of their respective offenses.\n\nBut it was the supporting cast that proved so pivotal to Thursday's result for Dan Campbell's side. David Montgomery was a nuisance, slipping through crevices to puncture the heart of the Packers' defense. When it wasn't him, it was that receiving corp, made up of unheralded youngsters who have all come up trumps in recent weeks.\n\nAs for Love and Co., Thursday's affair was another indication of just how much work there is to be done before they compete for the divisional crown. There were certainly some flits of delight, throws that highlighted just how much talent Love possesses in his golden arm.\n\nBut there were low points, too, misshapen efforts that fell harmlessly to the turf, or harmfully into the opposition's hands.\n\nNFL WEEK 4 PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread | Projection model\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live updates from Thursday's clash between the Lions and the Packers. Scroll below to check out highlights and live results as two of the NFC's oldest sides faced off for NFC North glory.\n\nLions vs. Packers score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Lions 14 13 0 7 34 Packers 3 0 8 9 20\n\nLions vs. Packers live updates, highlights from Thursday Night Football\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nEnd of fourth quarter: Lions 34, Packers 20\n\n11:19 p.m.: Lions complete yet another fourth down, officially putting the game on ice.\n\n11:12 p.m.: Onside kick spills out of bounds, and it's looking like that might be that. Packers have one timeout remaining but Montgomery's fiery run through the tackles should make that obsolete.\n\n11:11 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Carlson's try from distance makes the deficit two possessions.\n\n11:08 p.m.: Not so fast. ... A quick three-and-out gives Green Bay a glimmer. That glimmer grows even brighter after an impressive return by Keisean Nixon. Let's see what they can do with 3:30 left.\n\n11:04 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! That's wraps. Love misses his target, instead finding the mitts of Jacobs for his second pick of the day. Strong showing by this Detroit defense. And that should put things to bed.\n\n10:54 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Walker's penalty proves vital as Montgomery finds pay dirt from a couple yards out on fourth down. Gutsy call by Campbell. And one that pays off in spades for Detroit, which extends its lead to 17.\n\nLions 34, Packers 17\n\n10:50 p.m.: Quay Walker's leaps over a blocker on Riley Patterson's field goal attempt, prompting a unsportsmanlike penalty. That will put Detroit on the cusp of another score, pending a Packers defensive rally.\n\n10:43 p.m.: Lions beginning to salt the game away with strong running through the tackles. Montgomery and Gibbs creeping through the crevices to push Detroit down the field. And an impressive toss from Goff into the outstretched hands of Reynolds, as well. The Lions are on the doorstep of the red zone.\n\n10:36 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Love scampers into the end zone from short distance to cut that Detroit lead down even more. He got held short of the end zone on the ensuing two-point effort. But Green Bay is firmly back in it.\n\nLions 27, Packers 17\n\nEnd of third quarter: Lions 27, Packers 11\n\n10:31 p.m.: Impressive pitch-and-catch by Love and Jayden Reed. Packers hurler drops it right into Reed's bread basket for the 44 yard gain as the quarter comes to an end.\n\n10:24 p.m.: Things slow down for Green Bay on Drive No. 2 of the second half. Punt incoming. Packers need less of that as they attempt their second-straight rally in as many weeks.\n\n10:15 p.m.: Green Bay defense firms up, forcing yet another punt. Can Love and the Packers bring things back?\n\n10:10 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Love finds Watson for the TD, giving Packers fans a much-needed boost of adrenaline. Good drive by Green Bay, which finally shows signs of life after a putrid first half.\n\nLions 27, Packers 11\n\n10:05 p.m.: Great throw by Love, who threads the needle to find Romeo Doubs to keep the chains moving on fourth down. Packers on the brink of a much-needed touchdown.\n\n9:58 p.m.: This Green Bay offense has to come to life sooner rather than later. If not, this scoreboard could get even more crooked.\n\nGood start to the third frame by the Pack, who find themselves marauding down the field with relative ease in the quarter's opening possession. Every journey began with a single step...\n\n9:20 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Love's errant pass gets snagged by Jerry Jacobs, who plods 20 yards back to put Detroit on the brink of the promised land. It's been a putrid start for Love and the Green Bay offense so far.\n\n9:15 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! The good times keep on rolling for Detroit, which adds to its lead after another standout drive spearheaded by Goff and Montgomery. The Lions are rolling early.\n\nLions 17, Packers 3\n\nEnd of first quarter: Lions 14, Pacers 3\n\n8:51 p.m.: Impressive play-calling for the Lions, who continue to carve their way up the field.\n\n8:50 p.m.: Love has been unable to find a rhythm in his first few possessions. Another gives Detroit another chance to make the Lions' life a living hell.\n\n8:43 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Montgomery goes into his right tackle before finding the end zone. Detroit's office os cooking with gan.\n\nLions 14, Packers 3\n\n8:42 p.m.: Decent scamper by Goff brings Detroit right to the cusp of pay first. Lions are closed to adding a second score.\n\n8:40 p.m.: Since the interception, it's felt as if Goff and the Lions can get anything they want. Gibbs is lightning in a bottle, while Montgomery brings the thunder. This drive just continues to get lengthier and lengthier.\n\n8:34 p.m.: Lions are looking menacing as can be in the trenches. Isaiah Buggs sends Love spiraling with a crunching hit behind the line. The Packers are giving the ball back to the Lions on a three-and-out.\n\n8:29 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Amon-Ra St. Brown leaps, stretches and reels in Goff's feather towards the corner of the end zone! Detroit showing just what its offense can do when its clicking.\n\nLions 7, Packers 3\n\n8:27 p.m.: Sam LaPorta gets beyond his marker with a strong move and plods 35 yards down the field. The rookie tight end has been producing at a historic clip so far. And it looks like he's on pace for another standout showing this week.\n\n8:26 p.m.: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery look a formidable duo in the backfield. Just collaborated to push the Lions forward as they move the chains for the first time today.\n\n8:21 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Packers open the scoring courtesy of an Anders Carlson field goal. Lions defense held tough, all things considered. Aidan Hutchinson burst through the trenches to send Love tumbling to precipitate the stop.\n\nPackers 3, Lions 0\n\n8:14 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Rudy Ford swipes Jared Goff's errant pass from the sky and takes it back 16 yards to put the Packers on the cusp of the end zone! That's Goff's third interception in as many games!\n\n8:13 p.m.: Lions starting the game with the ball. Packers defense looking stout as ever through the opening two plays.\n\n8:12 p.m.: Weezy F Baby leading the Packers out onto the field! Wasn't expecting that!\n\n7:53 p.m.: Marshawn Lynch kicking it with Barry Sanders in a pre-game segment. This is what you love to see. It looks like two legends can co-exist.\n\n7:40 p.m.: Aaron Jones' return should offer Love a much-needed reprieve. Green Bay's run game hasn't been all that effective thus far — the Pack are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry so far this year. But Jones is a dynamic force coming out of the backfield, someone capable of carrying an offense on his back for large portions of a game. That's a young QB's dream.\n\n7:30 p.m.: Jordan Love and the Packers heading onto the field ahed of tonight's game! We're about 45 minutes from kickoff at the Pantheon of football excellence, Lambeau Field.\n\nLions vs. Packers start time\n\nDate: Thursday, Sept. 28\n\nThursday, Sept. 28 Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET\n\nThursday night's game between the Lions and Packers will feature in the primetime slot of 8:15 p.m. ET.\n\nWhat channel is Lions vs. Packers on today?\n\nGame: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers\n\nDetroit Lions at Green Bay Packers Date: Thursday, September 28\n\nThursday, September 28 TV channel (Detroit) : WJBK (Channel 2)\n\n: WJBK (Channel 2) TV channel (Green Bay) : WITI (Channel 6) or WGBA (Channel 26)\n\n: WITI (Channel 6) or WGBA (Channel 26) Live stream: Amazon Prime Video | DAZN (in Canada)\n\nFor the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Lions and Packers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video. The broadcast will be spearheaded by legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels. He'll be joined by longtime ESPN college football commentator Kirk Herbstreit, who will offer occasional musings as an analyst. Sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung will offer updates throughout the affair.\n\nFans in the Detroit and Green Bay markets can watch the Amazon broadcast over the air on local channels.\n\nThose in Canada can stream it on DAZN, which carries every NFL game all season.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the Good Weekend October 7 edition. See all 15 stories . Melissa Lucashenko, the only person ever to have won both the Miles Franklin Literary Award and TV’s Millionaire Hot Seat, is struggling to concentrate. We’re sitting on the back terrace of the Avid Reader bookstore in Brisbane’s West End, drinking coffee in the late-winter warmth, which even in August is hinting at humidity. We’re shaded by a fig tree, which bursts with bird life. To me, it feels lush and subtropical. Peaceful even. But Lucashenko is distracted by a particular bird that’s dropping fig rubble all over us. “Sorry, that bloody bird is really annoying me, that’s a pest bird,” she says, breaking off our conversation. “Indian mynas, I hate ’em.” That the Indian myna is an import – introduced to Australia in the 1860s – seems apt. We’d been deep in discussion about colonial Brisbane, the hanging of the Aboriginal resistance fighter Dundalli, and the gestation of Lucashenko’s new novel, Edenglassie, published last week by University of Queensland Press. It’s a historical epic which depicts the fascinating period in Brisbane’s history when the former penal colony was morphing into a settler town, and Aboriginal people still outnumbered white colonists. In the book (named after Brisbane’s early moniker), the two groups coexist uneasily at the Queensland ­frontier, their interactions defined by mutual curiosity and suspicion, economic co-dependence and outbreaks of violence. “I’d wanted to write a novel of ­colonial Brisbane for a very long time, since I read Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland,” Lucashenko says, having refocused after the myna interruption. “It is so full of stories and insights into the colonial era that as a novelist I just went, ‘Wow. This is begging to be fictionalised.’ ” Edenglassie had a long gestation. It was back in the 1990s that Lucashenko devoured Reminiscences, a 1904 classic that records the memories of the great Queensland pioneer Petrie, a Scottish-born explorer, gold prospector, logger and grazier who lived in the Moreton Bay penal colony, subsequently Brisbane, from 1831 to 1910. The book embedded itself in her consciousness and stayed there for the ensuing decades, as she moved to different homes over the east coast and overseas, as she wove through marriage and divorce, and navigated the challenges of having young children, and the challenges of having grown children, and the torture and exhilaration of writing through it all. Loading “I just had this vague awareness that I should be living in Brisbane to write this book,” she says now, firmly in Brisbane, which is verdant and infested with aforementioned noisy wildlife. “Because it’s very different to write a book when you’re walking the streets every day and looking at the river every week, than trying to do it at a distance.” She’s dressed casually in a T-shirt and trousers, finished off with borrowed thongs (her shoes were stolen from her house this morning). Her eyes are brown, expressive and kind, but she’s wary of too many personal questions.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nLater, I look up Reminiscences, which I’ve never read. It was written by Thomas’ daughter Constance Petrie, who states of her father that “no one now living knows more from personal experience of the ways and habits of the Queensland aborigines. [His] experiences amongst these fast-dying-out people are unique, and the reminiscences of his early life in this colony should be recorded.” These fast-dying-out people: Lucashenko is one of them. The writing of Edenglassie might have been ­inspired by this fascinating historical text but its ­existence also represents a giant f--- you to it. When Melissa Lucashenko was awarded the Miles Franklin in 2019 for her novel Too Much Lip, the judges called it “a novel of celebratory defiance”. The novelist’s first reaction to news of her win was “Bugger me dead!“, which neatly sums her up as a writer: unpretentious, frank and on easy terms with vernacular. The 56-year-old is a thoroughly contemporary novelist who uses Aboriginal language liberally in her work, and who depicts modern Aboriginal life with urgency and humour. “That was really the impetus for this book, to say, ‘This is what was, and we’ve survived it,’ ” she tells me. Lucashenko receiving the Miles Franklin award in 2019. Credit: AAP In the historical part of the novel, set in the 1850s, Lucashenko tells the story of Mulanyin, a heroic young fisherman from saltwater country in the south, who works with Thomas Petrie as a young man. Mulanyin falls in love with Nita, who has lived with the Petries as a servant girl-cum-ward since she was a small girl. He dreams of buying a boat and taking his beloved home to Yugambeh country, but evading the colonial system to live a traditional life is becoming harder and more dangerous. The book uses the impending calamity of colonialism to tragic effect. The reader knows what’s going to happen but the characters don’t – some of them think the British might still go back home. In the other narrative thread, Lucashenko tells a story set in Brisbane in 2024, in which the centenarian grandmother Eddie trips on a tree root and goes to hospital. This event brings together her feisty granddaughter, Winona, and young doctor Johnny, who has just discovered his Aboriginal ancestry and is playing at being a blackfella, much to Winona’s contempt.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nLucashenko says there’s a “whole demographic of people who have an Aboriginal ancestor, who sometimes think they’re Aboriginal, but actually, regardless of skin colour, they’re white people and they have to go on a very long and different journey if they’re going to become Aboriginal”. Skin colour, she says, “is not ­irrelevant but it’s almost irrelevant”. Lucashenko’s grandmother, Eleanor. Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Lucashenko “It’s the lens you see the world through … I see a myna bird there, and to me that’s emblematic of a whole lot of things. It’s sitting in a native fig tree, you know, it should be full of fig birds. It should be full of magpies and butcher birds. It should, actually, be full of cat birds and bloody parrots but we are in the middle of West End, and there hasn’t been cat birds and parrots here for a hundred years … so it’s that kind of understanding.” Also, she adds: “F---ing up the simple ­binaries of black and white is a lot of what I’m about”. The book’s dual time-stamp structure is an attempt to render in words what Lucashenko has called the “double-vision” of Aboriginal people: the layering of the structures of modernity on the ancient landscape of their ancestors. “There’s a very strong economic and social and psychological drive in non-Aboriginal people to see us as, if not dead, then very diminished,” she says. “Until probably 10 years ago, I would have said the trope of the dying race was, ironically, immortal. But now there’s so much about us in the media all the time, and in the education system to an extent, most Australians have to recognise that Aboriginal people haven’t died out.” Loading (Census data shows the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has in fact risen – from 548,368 in 2011, to 649,171 in 2016, then up 25 per cent to 812,728 in 2021. This increase is attributed in large part to people feeling more comfortable identifying as Indigenous, and also to the growing popularity of genealogical research.) That Aboriginal people were not all killed off in the early days of settlement was despite the best efforts of some colonists; one of the historical events that inspired the book was the public hanging of the Indigenous warrior Dundalli, the last person publicly executed in Queensland. Labelled on his death “one of the most guiltiest and most incorrigible of the aboriginal natives of this quarter” by The Brisbane Courier, Dundalli evaded capture for 14 years before being convicted in 1854 of two murders (the charges may have been trumped up). In 1855 he was hanged on gallows erected on Queen Street, but the execution was horribly botched. The executioner misjudged the length of the rope and had to swing on the hanged man’s body to finish off the killing.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAboriginal resistance leader Dundalli, in a sketch made before his “horribly botched” public hanging in Brisbane, 1855. Credit: State Library of Queensland “It’s really a historical fulcrum, the grotesque hanging of Dundalli in the middle of town in front of everyone: black, white, soldier, civilian, everyone,” Lucashenko says. “The way it was done, with the hangman having to use his own body weight to kill this resistance leader, to me that was a microcosm of the brutality and the spectacle of colonisation, and that was one thing that I really wanted better known. Just the inherent drama of it, as well as the historical importance.” As a novelist, Melissa Lucashenko is preoccupied with survival, and as a person, she knows a lot about it. Born to an Aboriginal mother, Cecile, and a Russian-speaking Ukrainian father – Vladimir Lucashenko, known as Wally Lucas, whose family fled the Russian Revolution via China – she and her six older brothers grew up on the outskirts of Logan, south of Brisbane, in circumstances where the chances of becoming an ­author, let alone a celebrated one, were remote. “My father was a meatworker and a cane cutter … Mum worked at a fish and chip shop and sold plants at the local markets,” Lucashenko says of her family background. “Mum left school in about grade three or four. She was a domestic from a very young age, as her mother and grandmother were. At one point as a young mother she was working three jobs. “Dad went to high school but I’m not sure how far he got. As a child, he was in an orphanage in Brisbane at one point with his brothers, after his father was violent, and his mother needed to escape.” Lucashenko did not know she was of Aboriginal ­descent until she was 15 years old, when someone she knew “picked it” and said to her, “You’re Aboriginal … go home and ask your parents.” About that time, a photo appeared on her mother’s dresser of “this very black woman”, Lucashenko says. “I said, ‘Who is that photo of that Aboriginal woman?’ ” she recounts. “My mother said, ‘Oh, that’s my grandmother. That’s why we’ve all got olive skin and dark hair.’” Lucashenko was shocked at the revelation, and felt “momentary ­disquiet” (something she attributes to internalised ­racism) but says it “instantly made sense”.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nLucashenko’s mother, Cecile. When Melissa was 15, someone told her she was Aboriginal and to “ask your parents”. Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Lucashenko “For the 40 years since then, I’ve been learning the culture and I’ve had different teachers from different mobs and I’ve taught other people what I know.” She later learnt that her grandmother Eleanor ­had defeated an attempt by authorities to remove her as a child in about 1907 or 1908, in Wolvi in Queensland’s Gympie region, and that her great-grandmother Christina Copson had worked as a domestic servant from the age of eight: “She was a slave, she had no rights.” The family came under the extra scrutiny of authorities after Copson shot and injured a man who tried to rape her. She was arrested and jailed for a week. In court, she told the judge she’d acted in self-defence, and he found her not guilty. Her perpetrator was jailed for six months instead. The would-be rapist was an Aboriginal man. “No way she would have gotten away with shooting a white ­assailant,” Lucashenko says. “My mother … was determined that her daughter would have the chances she didn’t.” On leaving school in 1983 at the end of year 12, Lucashenko worked as a barmaid, a delivery truck driver and a support worker for women out of prison. She used to be obsessed with karate and has a black belt in it. In 1990, she graduated from Griffith University with an honours degree in public policy, having been the first in her immediate family to go to university. “My mother had no education and was determined that her daughter would have the chances she didn’t,” Lucashenko says. “There was no skipping school in my household. I was always in the library if I wasn’t on the back of a horse ... I was taken up to the headmaster’s office in grade one and made to read aloud and they all oohed and ahhed.” She published her first book, Steam Pigs, in 1997. It won the Dobbie Literary Award for women’s fiction and she was away, publishing three more books over the next 15 or so years. [In 2018 she told The Sydney Morning Herald that “Australia is a profoundly racist country and that is why I write more than anything else”]. She married – her husband Bill worked as a foreign aid specialist for AusAID – and had a son and a daughter. They moved around for her husband’s job, living in Canberra and on overseas postings, including in Tonga. Eventually the family settled on Lucashenko’s ancestral land, Bundjalung, in the northern coastal area of NSW, ­buying a property and raising horses. But that idyll ended in 2007, when Lucashenko and her husband divorced. She couldn’t afford to stay on the land and worried about becoming a “bag lady”. Around that time, her 16-year-old daughter was hospitalised with mental health difficulties and the two of them moved back to Logan City, poor again. As she said in an address at the 2013 Melbourne Writers’ Festival: “I knew what life was like in a suburb where the majority of people were ordinary, decent Australians, but a significant minority were prepared to sell their children’s Ritalin in order to fund a heroin habit. Like some kind of weirdly reverse Charles Ryder coming upon Brideshead, I’d been there before. I knew all about it.”\n\nAdvertisement", + "When Vincent Namatjira was living in Perth as a teenage ward of the state, a school excursion brought him face-to-sail with a replica of the HMS Endeavour, the vessel that fatefully delivered James Cook to Dharawal country in 1770. After his teacher announced there would be a prize for whoever drew the ship, the young Vincent got sketching.\n\n“Yeah, I won the prize,” Namatjira tells Guardian Australia with a grin, decades later. “That’s the first time.”\n\nMany more prizes would follow. The now 40-year-old has won some of Australia’s most high-profile art gongs, from his Cook-inspired Ramsay art prize win in 2019 to his Archibald-winning portrait of the AFL footballer Adam Goodes in 2020, and has been awarded an Order of Australia medal to boot.\n\nVincent Namatjira with his Archibald-prize- winning portrait of Adam Goodes, titled Stand Strong for Who You Are. Photograph: Iwantja Arts\n\nNamatjira’s colourfully idiosyncratic portraits both skewer and honour their subjects — sometimes at the same time, with what fellow artist and collaborator Tony Albert describes as “guerilla humour”. Often painting himself into the picture, in one scene Namatjira might be seen on a palace balcony gatecrashing a royal family photo op. The next he’s in an Acca Dacca T-shirt, patting a dingo and waving the Aboriginal flag alongside Cook and Queen Elizabeth II.\n\n“I’ve become rocketing,” he says. “Before I ever picked up a paintbrush, I was just a normal Aboriginal fella. And here I am today, popping up everywhere – it’s completely changed my life.”\n\nBack in the 1990s the teenage Vincent didn’t fully appreciate just how art, Cook and those colonial legacies would shape his life. Displaced from his Arrernte family, culture and country at a young age, he didn’t even know the significance of his last name.\n\n“At that time, I didn’t know that I was related to this well-known artist,” he says. “And I never met the guy.”\n\nVincent Namatjira’s portrait of his late great-grandfather Albert Namatjira centre as part of his Desert Songs series showing in Sydney. Photograph: Yavuz Gallery\n\nThe western Arrernte artist Albert Namatjira (1902-59) was one of the most well-known Aboriginal figures in 20th-century Australia, painting watercolour landscapes that blended western influences with a unique perspective on country. The elder Namatjira and the Hermannsburg school of artists became a cultural phenomenon but, despite fame and success, Albert faced legal and health troubles that illustrated a gap in this country.\n\nThat gap – between white and black Australia – has also influenced his great-grandson’s life. Born in Alice Springs in 1983, Vincent was moved to Perth with his sister and placed in foster care after their mother’s death. At 18 he returned to central Australia with little connection to his mother’s home beyond his surname.\n\n“Getting off that flight, you see a lot of people coming,” he recalls of landing in Alice Springs. “A lot of old ladies, a lot of young people, everybody crying. They didn’t actually know me, I didn’t actually know them. It was from mentioning my [mother’s] name, Jillian Namatjira.”\n\nNamatjira with his artwork Self-Portrait (2023) in Indulkana, APY lands. Photograph: Max Mackinnon\n\nEventually Vincent settled in the community of Indulkana in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, started a family of his own and began to paint. The image of his great-grandfather has loomed large in the work he has created since 2012 – from the 13-panel series Albert’s Story in 2014 to a 2023 portrait that formed part of his Desert Songs series – but Vincent has never sought to imitate the recognisable style of his ancestor.\n\n“We have both had to fill our legacies,” he says. “I want the audience to see my work and my name, Vincent Namatjira, with the work of modern art – more portraits, figurative. It’s colourful and bold.”\n\nNamatjira’s 2018 series Legends features land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo, football player Nicky Winmar, songwriter Archie Roach and artist Gordon Bennett. Photograph: Vincent Namatjira/Iwantja Arts, This Is No Fantasy\n\nMany of Vincent’s portraits pay affectionate tribute to his heroes, including his artist father-in-law, Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey, Archie Roach, Nicky Winmar and Eddie Koiki Mabo.\n\nBut he also takes aim at the rich, white and privileged – with status-puncturing irreverence. There’s his 2016 series Prime Ministers, which depicts the seven Australian leaders of Namatjira’s lifetime mugging for the viewer with grey eyes and white teeth. Or 2018’s Vincent & Donald (Happy Birthday), in which Namatjira and Trump share a birthday cake (both men were born on 14 June) alongside a bag of McDonald’s and a red hat that reads “Make APY Great Again”.\n\nVincent & Donald (Happy Birthday) (2018). The artist and the former US president share the same birthday. Photograph: Courtesy the artist and This Is No Fantasy\n\n“See, humour,” Vincent says of the latter, pointing to the cake knife his painted self holds ambiguously between a planet Earth-themed chocolate cake and the then US president’s abdomen.\n\nVincent often describes his art as a weapon, and despite moments of levity there’s a keen edge of subversion informed by his years in the systems these powerful figures preside over.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Saved for Later Free newsletter Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\n“To be honest, I would like the government to apologise [for] taking these young Indigenous people into foster care,” he says. “In reality, we are losing much more of where we’re originally from, and our background, and our history. We have lost a lot of things, our culture, languages and our tradition.”\n\nIndigenous people, we want to be heard and to take a stand Vincent Namatjira\n\nAmong prime ministers, royals and chief executives, painted portraits typically convey the power of their position – officially commissioned for palaces, parliaments or boardrooms, with artists granted rare access to their famous sitters. Vincent’s portraits, on the other hand, painted in his studio at Iwantja Arts in Indulkana, are gleefully unofficial and defiant.\n\n“When I paint the queen on country or the king on country, it’s like taking away their power, putting us level with the rest of the world. And also, here in Australia, Indigenous people should be more powerful than the royal people.\n\n“To me, I see myself as a royal,” he adds, recasting his great-grandfather’s 1954 meeting and handshake with Queen Elizabeth II as an equalising moment between two very different dynasties.\n\nCaptain Cook with the Queen and Me (2017). Photograph: Vincent Namatjira/Iwantja Arts, This Is No Fantasy\n\nIn June Namatjira turned 40, and will this month launch a monograph and major survey exhibition as part of Tarnanthi festival, the Art Gallery of South Australia’s annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.\n\nCollating this formative decade of his work, the exhibition’s title, Australia in Colour, alludes to “the blue skies, the red deserts, the green hills, the yellow fields, the blue oceans, the white sands, the creek beds” seen in the backdrop of Vincent’s portraits. But it’s also a more visceral reflection on a continent thrown into stark contrast.\n\n“Australia in Colour is gut-wrenching painting, and hard work,” he says, in an interview that took place before Saturday’s failed referendum vote.\n\n“And around here, this is the hard country, we work hard to be who we are today. Indigenous people, we want to be heard and to take a stand. To show our tradition and culture, and art – also to show the rest of the world that Indigenous people, we need to be heard.\n\nA few decades after winning that classroom prize with his sketch of the Endeavour, Vincent’s success means that for many younger audiences, the name “Namatjira” brings to mind his name, not Albert’s.\n\n“They tried to do what Albert Namatjira left them, that kind of technique with watercolour painting,” he says of his great-grandfather’s legacy. “To be honest, I’d like my family and my culture and tradition to change their ways, and go forth and broaden the name.\n\n“To choose. He chose his own path. Well, I choose mine.”\n\nVincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour opens on 20 October at the Art Gallery of South Australia before touring nationally. Desert Songs is showing until 28 October at Yavuz Gallery in Surry Hills, Sydney. Vincent Namatjira (Thames & Hudson) is out now.", + "This is another in our series of stories identifying new technologies and actions that can slow climate change, reduce its impacts or help communities cope with a rapidly changing world.\n\nWe all need clean water to survive. Yet across the planet, more than one in every four people live in places without enough. And climate change is making this worse. Now scientists have created a new salty gel. It sucks record-breaking amounts of moisture out of the air to make fresh drinking water — even in dry climates.\n\nCarlos Díaz-Marín is a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. His team is developing a device to address water shortages. They want it to affordably pull water from air without a need for electricity. The key ingredient: a new, super-salty gel.\n\nA hydrogel is a mesh of large molecules called polymers. The new hydrogel captures humidity — water vapor — from the air. As it does so, it expands like a sponge in water. Later, when heated by the sun, this material will release the water it has absorbed.\n\nThe idea is not new. Many types of hydrogels have been developed to suck water from air. Previous work showed that adding salts to hydrogels upped how much water they could absorb. Because of their chemical properties, salts attract moisture, including from the air. But no one knew how much salt a hydrogel could stash — nor how pushing that salt content to the max might boost the hydrogel’s water-slurping power. Díaz-Marín and his team decided to find out.\n\nGetting salty\n\nThe researchers made tubes of hydrogel from a material called polyacrylamide (PAH-lee-uh-CRIH-lah-myde). That’s a polymer made of long, threadlike molecules. They cut the tubes into thin disks and then soaked them in water containing different amounts of lithium chloride, a salt. Each day, the researchers weighed the disks to see how much of the salty water they had absorbed.\n\nSuch tests had been done before, but for relatively short times, Díaz-Marín says. “Instead of soaking for two days, we did this for up to two months.” The extra time made a big difference.\n\nThe gels soaked up more and more saltwater over time. The top absorber got about three times saltier than previous hydrogels. It cached 20 grams (0.7 ounce) of salt per gram of gel. It absorbed more moisture than previous gels, too.\n\nDisks of this hydrogel swell as they absorb salty water loaded with lithium chloride. Graeber et al/Advanced Materials 2023 ( CC BY 4.0\n\nTo test this, the researchers dried their gels and placed them in environments with different levels of humidity. Even in relatively dry air, such as that found in deserts, the best-performing hydrogel absorbed 15 percent more water than previous hydrogels.\n\nThe team reported its findings May 18 in Advanced Materials.\n\n“We did this in a very simple and low-cost way, which makes it even more exciting,” says Díaz-Marín. His team still needs to test how to get all that water out of the gels afterward.\n\n“I am impressed by their results,” says Swee Ching Tan. “This could be a new world record.” He’s a materials scientist at the National University of Singapore. Tan works with hydrogels but did not take part in this study.\n\nThe new work, he says, could help with the water crisis by producing safe drinking water in places that lack it.\n\nEducators and Parents, Sign Up for The Cheat Sheet Weekly updates to help you use Science News Explores in the learning environment Client key* E-mail Address* Go Thank you for signing up! There was a problem signing you up.\n\nMore food, less water\n\nEarth’s freshwater supply is falling due to climate change. By 2050, more than five billion people are expected to lack water at least one month per year. Some shortages are due to warmer temperatures and less snow to feed into rivers. That puts stress on supplies of water for drinking and growing crops.\n\nWhatever the cause, better water-slurping gels could make it easier to grow food in such water-stressed places — including those plagued by drought.\n\nTan’s team has developed a gel-based device called the SmartFarm. This tiny greenhouse with a moving roof grows crops without having to add water. In the evening, the top opens. Gels inside capture water from the night air. A solar-powered motor closes the roof during the day. When warmed by the sun, the gel releases its water. Tan’s team used the SmartFarm to grow a leafy green vegetable called Ipomoea aquatica.\n\nSome farmers have used hydrogels to water crops in another way. They mix the hydrogels right into the soil with seeds. There, the gel soaks up irrigation water and holds it close to the sprouting plant. Without the gel, water might soak too deeply for the roots to reach. In one study, adding hydrogels to soil reduced by 30 percent how much water was needed to grow food.\n\nA device called SmartFarm collects water from the air. It allows plants to grow without watering them. It could be used to grow crops in dry places.\n\nThe MIT team is also designing a hydrogel-based device. Rather than grow food like the SmartFarm, it will produce drinking water. Díaz-Marín explains how it would work: At night, an open box containing their gel captures water vapor from the air. The next day, the sun heats up the hydrogel in the box, releasing the moisture. The box also contains a material that can be cooled without using electricity. When the water vapor touches that cold surface, it condenses into droplets — like the morning dew on grass. Once condensed, the clean water falls into a storage chamber.\n\nThe team is working to engineer a device that can extract 2 to 5 liters (0.5 to 1.3 gallons) a day. That should supply someone’s average drinking-water needs.\n\nAs places get drier, new sources of drinking water will be needed. It’s great that hydrogels can make water anywhere, says Díaz-Marín. For ultra-dry places with few other options, he says, they could be a lifesaver.", + "New research aims to improve the stability and safety of alternatives to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries using aqueous zinc and hydrogels.\n\nThe demand for rechargeable batteries as a result of the growth of both the personal electronics and electric vehicle markets has grown steadily over the last decade. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the technologies that have emerged and matured due to this demand.\n\nIn 2020, Statista estimated that lithium-ion batteries accounted for 185 gigawatts (GWh) of energy consumed, and this energy demand is projected to reach 2,035 GWh by 2030. Most of this growth is accounted for by the increased desire for electric vehicles as people turn away from fossil fuels.\n\nWhile it is undeniable that lithium-ion batteries are more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels and while they are also relatively inexpensive, these batteries aren’t perfect. One of the major drawbacks of these lithium-ion batteries is the inherent risk of burning or even explosion as the result of thermal runaway, with overheated lithium-ion batteries deemed responsible for a number of fires in the past.\n\nA possibility with zinc\n\nOne potential substitute for lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable zinc iodine batteries , which have the advantage of being safer, costing less, and being more friendly to the environment than lithium alternatives.\n\nHowever, zinc iodine batteries are not perfect. Composed of an negative iodine electrode and a positive zinc electrode , these batteries suffer from issues like lower energy output compared to commercial non-aqueous lithium batteries and the growth of zinc dendrites on the anodes — projections of material that build on electrodes and short batteries when they cross from one electrode to another — as well as the corrosion of the zinc anode that result in reduced efficiency and even short-circuiting.\n\nIn a new paper published in the journal Advanced Materials, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences professor Hongjin Fan and his co-authors examine different electrolytes for aqueous zinc ion batteries that take the form of hydrogels — three-dimensional network structures that are capable of storing large amounts of water — to address some of these challenges.\n\n“The core concept of our research is that we design the hydrogel electrolytes by introducing functional groups [specific groupings of atoms within molecules that have their own characteristic properties] that carry either positive or negative charges,” Fan said. “Our idea is to use a hetero-hydrogel to mitigate challenges on both the anode and the cathode sides of the zinc iodine batteries.”\n\nA hydrogel boost\n\nFan explained that the purpose of this hydrogel modification is to ensure that when zinc accumulates on the anode side, it does so evenly. This has the effect of mitigating the diffusion back and forth of polysulfide between anode and cathode, the so-called “shuttle effect”, which can cause poor cycling stability and severe anode corrosion in batteries. The use of a hydrogel electrolyte also has the effect of accelerating the iodine conversion reaction on the cathode side.\n\nFan explained that the anode and cathode of the hydrogel have different functional groups that make it both zincophilic (with an affinity for zinc ) and iodophilic ( with an affinity for iodine), respectively.\n\nOn the anode side of the battery, this has the effect of repelling dissolved polyiodides — negatively charged ions composed entirely of iodine atoms — allowing the zinc to be deposited uniformly, protecting the anode from iodine-caused corrosion.\n\nThe polyiodides are immobilized at the cathode side of the battery, and reactions in which iodine is both stripped of electrons (oxidization) and also granted electrons (reduction) — so-called “redox reactions” — are sped up thanks to the synchronized rapid transport of ions and electrons.\n\nThe solid nature of the hydrogel electrolyte can also limit the growth of dendrites thanks to its mechanical strength, which acts as a physical barrier not present in liquid electrolytes.\n\nTentative first steps\n\nTesting their aqueous hydrogel-modified zinc iodine batteries battery, the team found that the decay rate was ultralow, with the energy storage capacity of the battery retained to an outstanding level over the course of 18,000 discharge and recharge cycles. This outstrips the stability of currently available zinc iodine batteries, and their test battery also delivered some surprising results.\n\n“The adhesion between the polyanionic and polycationic hydrogel components is remarkably robust, effectively mitigating the swelling of the hydrogel even in the absence of a cellulose paper scaffold,” Fan explained. “The unexpectedly strong iodine adsorption capability of the positively charged hydrogel has led to a striking and rapid color transformation, exceeding our initial expectations.\n\nDespite promising results, Fan acknowledged there is much to do before the battery can be brought to the mass market.\n\n“We have to note that in terms of mass or volume energy density, so far, the ZIB is still far from the commercial lithium-ion batteries,” Fan conceded. “The hydrogel electrolytes need to be further improved in terms of ion conductivity and stability. In addition, hydrogel electrolytes should be compatible with other battery components, including electrodes and separators.”\n\nThe researcher also pointed out that large-scale and cost-effective production methods for hydrogel electrolytes are a prerequisite before the aqueous zinc iodine batteries is ready for widescale commercial use. This will include optimizing the production process of hydrogels as well as sourcing affordable raw materials and minimizing waste generated during the manufacturing of these materials.\n\n“Ensuring the safety and reliability of hydrogel-based batteries is also necessary,” Fan concluded. “Rigorous testing and evaluation of the potential environmental impact of hydrogel electrolytes, from raw material extraction to disposal, are vital to meeting sustainability goals and gaining public trust.”\n\nReference: Peihua Yang, Hong Jin Fan, et al., Hetero-Polyionic Hydrogels Enable Dendrites-Free Aqueous Zn-I2 Batteries with Fast Kinetics, Advanced Materials, (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306531\n\nFeature image credit: danilo.alvesd on Unsplash", + "Apple has at least one more trick — or possibly a treat — up its sleeve this year. On October 30, the night before Halloween, the company is hosting another event. This one is dubbed “Scary Fast,” which is a strong indicator that Apple will have some speedy new hardware to show off. Unusually, Apple is holding this event in the evening. It starts at 8PM ET.\n\nThis year's iPhones and Apple Watches are out in the wild already, but Apple has a bunch of other product categories that it could focus on here. There's always the chance that we might get iPad updates. But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.\n\nM3 chip\n\nApple won't be talking about speed advancements without having new hardware to discuss. That could all start with upgraded chipsets. It's been nearly 17 months since Apple's M2 system on a chip (SoC) debuted. With many manufacturers having an annual cadence for their chipsets, it may be time for Apple to move onto the next generation. (No, shoving two M2 Max chips together isn't quite the same thing.) For what it's worth, the M2 series debuted 19 months after the M1. So, if Apple announces the M3 at the Scary Fast event, the latest SoC would be arriving after a similar period of time.\n\nApple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that \"M3 series MacBook Pro\" will be the focus of the event, indicating that the company will have more than one new SoC to reveal. As such, there's a chance that we could see an M3 Pro and maybe even an M3 Max during the Scary Fast showcase.\n\niMac\n\nA new 24-inch iMac could make its debut at the Scary Fast event. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a fresh model is expected to arrive this month. He noted that the iMac is in short supply at Apple retail stores, which is another sign that an upgrade is imminent.\n\nThe 24-inch iMac is well overdue for a refresh, and there have been rumblings for a while that an M3 variant was in the pipeline. The most recent model was an M1-powered machine that arrived in April 2021. Making the leap to M3 — assuming that the new chip lineup is more capable than the M2 series — may make any new iMac worth the upgrade for many users.\n\nMacBook Pro\n\nDevindra Hardawar/Engadget\n\nThere's a very good chance Apple will have at least one MacBook Pro refresh to show off at the event. Both Kuo and Gurman have indicated that will be the case.\n\nGurman pointed out that the 13-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro all currently have extended shipping times on Apple's web store. That's often an indicator that the company is winding down the supply of existing products. Furthermore, Gurman reported that Apple has been testing M3 Max and M3 Pro MacBook Pro models. Those could now be ready for prime time.\n\nHowever, Kuo doesn't expect Apple to have a huge inventory of new MacBook Pro units to sell this year. He previously didn't anticipate that Apple would start selling M3-powered laptops before the end of the year due to limited supply of between 400,000 and 500,000 units. Unless demand drops, Kuo said supply may remain tight until early 2024.\n\nMacBook sales have waned this year, mainly due to \"the limited M2 computing power upgrade,\" Kuo wrote on X. That might be a reason why Apple is willing to start shipping M3 MacBook Pros now, even if supply is constrained. Announcing new models just a few days before reporting quarterly earnings could help give investors confidence in the company (recent increases of Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple News+ prices could play into that too).\n\nIf M3-powered models don't lead to a boost in sales, though, Kuo suggests it's more likely that a MacBook Pro with a new design will arrive in 2025. Furthermore, Apple may try to beef up the division with a more budget-friendly MacBook that has an annual sales target of between 8 million and 10 million.\n\nUSB-C accessories\n\nRumors also point to Apple unveiling more USB-C accessories as it shifts away from the Lightning port. Gurman suggests we'll see USB-C versions of the Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard at the event.\n\nThis makes a lot of sense. Apple ditched the Lightning port in all iPhone 15 models, while it started adopting USB-C on iPads several years back. The company also recently unveiled an Apple Pencil that has a USB-C charging port. This change was prompted by European Union rules that require a standard charging port on certain devices. Having the same port on all Apple devices and accessories will mean consumers have fewer types of cables to worry about.\n\niPad Pro\n\nNathan Ingraham / Engadget\n\nWhile Gurman may have poured cold water on the idea, we can't disregard our hunch that we'll see at least one iPad at Apple's event. With the focus likely to be on M3-powered products, the chances are that any new iPad will be of the Pro variety with one of those chips inside.\n\nIt has only been a year since the most recent iPad Pro debuted. Other than a few small tweaks, Apple only really swapped in the M2 in place of the M1. The next iPad Pro will probably need more changes to make it more palatable for anyone who picked up the previous two models, which means Apple might need more time to get it ready. If that's the case, the company might be content to give the iPad Pro a spec bump for the time being.\n\nOther iPads could also get a refresh at the event, just in time for the holidays. We won't have to wait too long to find out either way. We'll have full coverage of everything you need to know from the Scary Fast event at Engadget, so while you're waiting for Halloween trick-or-treaters to show up, slip into your jammies, grab a mug of cocoa and join us on Monday evening.", + "After turning back the clocks last week, it now gets darker earlier for the foreseeable future. That darkness allows us to see the stars on a clear night, so it's only natural to wonder if the pass-catching stars will shine bright in Week 10 of the NFL season. We already know Tee Higgins and Nico Collins are OUT, while Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and T.J. Hockenson are among the other star pass-catchers beaten up heading into the week. Can we expect them on the field when the action kicks off Sunday?\n\nBelow, we'll give you the latest news on these ailing pass-catchers and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 10 fantasy landscape.\n\nWEEK 10 INJURY UPDATES: Early WRs | RBs\n\nIs Justin Jefferson playing Week 10?\n\nUPDATE: The Vikings will not activate Jefferson before Sunday's game and have officially ruled him OUT, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.\n\nJefferson (hamstring) is officially listed as \"questionable\" for Sunday's game against the Saints. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET, but fantasy owners won't have to wait long for news on the star receiver. In order to be eligible to play, Jefferson will need to be activated by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. Earlier in the week head coach Kevin O'Connell said that it would be \"a little aggressive\" for Jefferson to get back on the field this week. However, the receiver's three straight limited practices were enough for the team to at least weigh the decision, but thankfully, an early answer awaits.\n\nWEEK 10 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em\n\nJefferson's fantasy outlook is always through the roof, but it will be interesting to see if that changes with Josh Dobbs under center instead of Kirk Cousins. In addition, K.J. Osborn (concussion) is also listed as \"questionable,\" though his status steadily improved throughout the week from DNP on Wednesday to full practice on Friday. If Jefferson is back, he's a must-start. If Jefferson is out but Osborn returns, both Osborn and Jordan Addison are worth using.\n\nWEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nIs Ja'Marr Chase playing Week 10?\n\nUPDATE: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported late Saturday that the Bengals are \"hopeful\" that Chase will play against Houston, but they won't know for sure until after a pre-game workout.\n\nUPDATE 2: Chase is officially ACTIVE.\n\nChase (back) appears ready to take his status down to kickoff. According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Bengals' star receiver will work out on Sunday morning and his status will be determined afterward. Chase put a scare into the fantasy community on Wednesday when he was listed as a DNP, but after logging back-to-back limited practices, there is a lot more optimism heading into Sunday. With Tee Higgins (hamstring) already ruled out, Cincinnati will be hoping Chase can feel healthy enough to play when they host the Texans at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.\n\nThe Bengals, despite getting a win over the Bills last Sunday, are a beaten-down bunch. Their defense will also be without a prominent edge rusher, Sam Hubbard, complicating matters for a team hoping to stack wins as they compete for an AFC North crown. On the bright side, Joe Burrow appears to be finally healthy and should have no problems targeting Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and Andrei Iosivas in the passing game. If Chase does end up suiting up, fantasy owners should enjoy an even larger workload than the receiver already had. If he's out, Boyd is a must-start, and you can try one of Cincinnati's secondary receivers in deep leagues.\n\nWEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nIs T.J. Hockenson playing Week 10?\n\nUPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Hockenson is expected to play against New Orleans.\n\nUPDATE 2: Hockenson is officially ACTIVE.\n\nHockenson (ribs) is listed as \"questionable\" for Week 10, but he's already said he plans to play on Sunday. The tight end has dealt with his fair share of injury woes this season, however, he's yet to miss a game. After turning in three limited practices this week, we'll trust that Hockenson is ready to go, especially since he continued to play through the ailment in Week 9 as a big part of the offense with Josh Dobbs under center.\n\nAs long as Hockenson is playing, he's not being benched in any fantasy format. The tight end projects as a top option at the position and remains the Vikings' leader in targets with 80 on the season. Dobbs enjoyed targeting the tight ends in Arizona and continued that trend in his Minnesota debut. The floor for Hockenson is equivalent to that of a rooftop bar.\n\nWEEK 10 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nIs Curtis Samuel playing Week 10?\n\nUPDATE: Samuel is officially ACTIVE.\n\nSamuel (toe) is expected to play on Sunday when the Commanders take on the Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. ET, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The receiver was limited in practice thanks to the toe injury that has plagued him since leaving Week 8's game against the Eagles, but barring a setback, he will return to action this weekend.\n\nThe receiver was working his way into flex territory with a couple of good performances before picking up the injury. However, we wouldn't consider him to be worthy of a fantasy start this week unless you're in a bind. It's unclear whether Samuel will regain the same workload or if he'll be playing in limited action as he works his way back. Jamison Crowder emerged in Samuel's absence and Jahan Dotson has seen his production drastically increase, as well. The wait-and-see approach is the preferred one heading into Week 10.", + "Week 13 is in full swing and teams are starting to truly jockey for playoff position as we rocket down the stretch run of the regular season. Of course, with it being so late in the year, injuries continue to be a predominant storyline to monitor heading into each slate and this weekend is no different. Specifically, the quarterback position in Cleveland has taken an interesting turn with veteran Joe Flacco named the starter against the Rams with Dorian Thompson-Robinson ruled out with a concussion. And that's just one situation that we'll be monitoring below.\n\nHere's a look at all of the final injury reports for Week 13.\n\nAll NFL odds via SportsLine Consensus odds.\n\nChargers (-5.5) at Patriots\n\nAllen made his return to practice on a limited basis on Friday and is officially questionable for Sunday's matchup in New England due to a quad injury. Meanwhile, Pipkins was also limited on Friday.\n\nThe Patriots will be down a couple of wide receivers as Douglas and Boutte have been ruled out after not practicing on Friday. For Douglas, he missed the entire week due to a concussion he suffered against the Giants, while Boutte was downgraded on the injury report on Thursday and missed back-to-back days due to an illness on top of his shoulder injury.\n\nLions (-4) at Saints\n\nThe Lions just designated Hooker for return, who has been rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered at Tennessee last year, this week so the rookie quarterback was not expected to be activated this week. Meanwhile, Anzalone did not practice at all this week, so his prospects look bleak for Week 13. As for Jackson, he was a full participant on both Thursday and Friday.\n\nHead coach Dennis Allen told reporters Friday that despite Olave being a full participant in Friday's practice he is still in concussion protocol though has a chance to play. The wideout still has another hurdle to pass to be cleared to play on Sunday so his status is still very much up in the air.\n\nFalcons (-2) at Jets\n\nAtlanta is relatively healthy coming into this matchup. Hollins, who injured his ankle in Week 9, participated on a limited basis every day this week, which is encouraging for his prospects to play on Sunday. As for Hughes, he practiced fully all week after suffering a hand injury last weekend against the Saints. Linebacker Nate Landman (thigh) missed practice on Wednesday but will play vs. New York.\n\nRodgers was once again limited in practice but, as expected, will not be activated this week and will be sidelined as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles just a few months ago. Meanwhile, Cook popped up on the injury report due to a shoulder injury, but head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Friday that the back should be fine.\n\nCardinals at Steelers (-5.5)\n\nDespite missing the entire week of practice, the Cardinals are holding out hope for Brown to play by listing him as questionable. McBride is also questionable after being limited on Thursday and Friday, but told reporters that he's \"good to go.\"\n\nPittsburgh has listed Adams as its lone player with a game designation to wrap up the week. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) practiced fully throughout the week, carries no designation, and told reporters Friday that he will play this weekend.\n\nColts (-1) at Titans\n\nColts : CB JuJu Brents (quad), RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb) OUT\n\n: CB JuJu Brents (quad), RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb) OUT Titans: WR Treylon Burks (concussion) QUESTIONABLE\n\nIndianapolis ruled out Brents and Taylor after they both missed the entire week of practice. For Taylor, he underwent surgery on his thumb this week and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks, which will thrust Zack Moss into a more prominent role in the Colts backfield.\n\nBurks is the only Titan to have an injury designation entering the weekend, but the wideout was a full participant in Friday's practice. However, he will need to clear the final stages of concussion protocol in order to play.\n\nDolphins (-9.5) at Commanders\n\nEvery player who the Dolphins listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Washington was able to practice on a limited basis on Friday. That includes Cotton and Lamm, who both were DNPs earlier in the week. Rookie running back De'Von Achane was a full participant in Friday's practice and head coach Mike McDaniel said he will play this week after missing time with a knee injury.\n\nWashington could be without its starting center this weekend as it plays host to Miami. Larsen, who missed Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury, was limited on Friday and is officially listed as questionable. Meanwhile, the Commanders will play Week 13 without Forbes Jr., who has been sidelined since suffering an elbow injury against the Giants in Week 11. Head coach Ron Rivera called the injury \"significant\" earlier this week.\n\nBroncos at Texans (-3)\n\nDenver's lone player with an injury designation for Week 13 is Mathis, who did not practice Friday after being limited on Thursday. Outside of him, the Broncos are healthy heading into this matchup with Houston. Wideouts Jerry Jeudy (groin) and Marvin Mims Jr. (hamstring) were both full participants on Friday after being limited on Thursday.\n\nDell logged back-to-back days as a limited participant in practice to end the week and is officially questionable. Brown is also questionable but did not practice Friday due to a knee injury.\n\nPanthers at Buccaneers (-5.5)\n\nCarolina may be down two tight ends this weekend as the club has ruled out Hurst and is listing Tremble as doubtful. This is the third straight game Hurst will miss. The team will also be without Bell and will likely look to rookie Alex Cook to start. Meanwhile, corner CJ Henderson (concussion) was a full participant on Friday and carries no designation heading into the weekend.\n\nTampa Bay is pretty banged up coming into Week 13, particularly on the defense side of the ball. The Bucs will be without key pieces David, Dean, and White when they play host to Carolina. Meanwhile, Godwin did not practice Friday after being added to the injury report on Thursday with a neck injury.\n\n49ers (-3) at Eagles\n\nEach of the 49ers' questionable players were limited Friday and did not practice the previous two days. Armstead has stated that he will suit up on Sunday.\n\nPhiladelphia saw the return of tight end Goedert at practice on Friday. He was limited for the session and officially listed as doubtful after practicing for the first time since suffering a fractured forearm against the Cowboys on Nov. 5. As for Cox, he is questionable despite not practicing Friday due to a groin injury.\n\nBrowns at Rams (-3.5)\n\nBrowns : QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion), WR Marquise Goodwin (concussion), CB Denzel Ward (shoulder) OUT; C Nick Harris (knee) QUESTIONABLE\n\n: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion), WR Marquise Goodwin (concussion), CB Denzel Ward (shoulder) OUT; C Nick Harris (knee) QUESTIONABLE Rams: S Quentin Lake (hamstring) OUT; OLB Michael Hoecht (knee) QUESTIONABLE\n\nThe Browns have officially ruled out Thompson-Robinson due to a concussion he suffered last week against Denver, which will thrust veteran Joe Flacco in as the starter for Cleveland in Los Angeles.\n\nFor the Rams, Hoecht didn't practice the last two days after being a limited participant on Wednesday.\n\nChiefs (-6) at Packers\n\nKansas City is relatively healthy coming into Week 13. McKinnon was a limited participant on both Thursday and Friday, so his prospects of playing on Sunday appear to be trending in a positive direction. As for Bolton, he is still on IR and working his way back from a wrist injury.\n\nGreen Bay will be without Jones as the running back continues to deal with a knee injury. Reed returned to practice Friday after missing both Wednesday and Thursday due to a chest injury, while Alexander -- who has missed six of the Packers 11 games this year -- was limited throughout the week.\n\nBengals at Jaguars (-8.5), Monday\n\nBengals : CB Cam Taylor-Britt (quad/ankle), D'Ante Smith (knee), Jay Tufele (illness) OUT\n\n: CB Cam Taylor-Britt (quad/ankle), D'Ante Smith (knee), Jay Tufele (illness) OUT Jaguars: CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring), RB Travis Etienne (ribs), TE Brenton Strange (foot), TE Luke Farrell (toe) QUESTIONABLE\n\nThe Bengals got good news on the injury front ahead of Monday's game against the Jaguars. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring/ankle) and linebacker Logan Wilson (ankle/foot) are set to play, according to head coach Zac Taylor. Higgins and Wilson were full participants in practice. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt hurt his foot in practice and is out.\n\nFor the Jaguars, Travis Etienne (ribs) is also expected to play, Doug Pederson told reporters, despite the running back being limited in practice all week. Strange was a late addition to the injury report, not practicing Saturday.", + "It was all Seahawks on “Monday Night Football” as the team turned in a dominant defensive effort en route to a 24-3 win over the Giants to wrap up Week 4 of the NFL season.\n\nIn addition to sacking Daniel Jones 11 times, Seattle’s defense forced New York’s QB to commit three turnovers — a fumble and two interceptions, none more notable than rookie Devon Witherspoon's 97-yard pick-6 that turned the game on its ear.\n\nWith the win, the Seahawks move to 3-1 on the season, including a perfect 2-0 record away from home. The Giants drop to 1-3 on the season and have been outscored 64-3 in two primetime home losses.\n\nThe Sporting News tracked score updates and highlights from throughout Monday night's meeting between New York and Seattle.\n\nSeahawks vs. Giants final score\n\n1 2 3 4 Final Seahawks 7 7 7 3 24 Giants 0 3 0 0 3\n\nSeahawks vs. Giants live updates, highlights from 'Monday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nTeam stats\n\nSeahawks Giants First downs 13 17 Third downs 3-12 6-16 Fourth downs 0-2 2-4 Total yards 281 248 Passing 15-26, 160 yards 27-34, 136 yards Rushing att-yards 23-121 29-112 Penalties-yards 8-74 6-45 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 24:00 36:00\n\nFinal: Seahawks 24, Giants 3\n\n11:18 p.m.: It's a wrap at MetLife Stadium. The Seahawks advance to 3-1 on the year while the Giants fall to 1-3.\n\nNew York has been dominated at home twice this season now, as this performance follows a 40-0 blowout in Week 1 on \"Sunday Night Football.\" Daniel Jones' career mark in primetime falls to 1-13 and 0-3 this season.\n\n11:09 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Daniel Jones is sacked for an 11th time as Seattle takes back over at the New York 35-yard line.\n\nGeno Smith's night appears to be done as Drew Lock is back in for the Seahawks.\n\n11:06 p.m: Daniel Jones is back under center for New York, which will look to drive and score to at least lessen the damage on the scoreboard.\n\n11:04 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! The turnover leads to three points for the Seahawks, who get a 34-yard field goal from Jason Myers. It's a three-touchdown lead for Seattle now with just over five minutes to play.\n\nSeahawks 24, Giants 3\n\n10:59 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! The nightmarish game for Daniel Jones continues as he commits his third turnover of the game, a pass intercepted by Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs.\n\nAfter being sacked nine times and committing three turnovers, Jones may not have much more time on the field tonight.\n\n10:56 p.m.: New York forces a three-and-out to get the ball back and on the first offensive play, Daniel Jones is sacked again.\n\nJones has now been sacked nine times in the game. It's a rough showing considering Seattle entered the week with just five sacks on the season.\n\n10:48 p.m.: …And ANOTHER sack.\n\nDaniel Jones has now been sacked eight times in the game and New York will be forced to punt as it faces fourth-and-31.\n\nFans are starting to leave the Meadowlands as it's been all Seahawks tonight.\n\n10:45 p.m.: Daniel Jones has now been sacked seven times in the game.\n\nBobby Wagner gets Jones again, setting up second-and-28 for the Giants, who were already at a disadvantage thanks to a penalty on first down.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Seahawks 21, Giants 3\n\n10:33 p.m.: PICK SIX! In the worst possible outcome for the Giants, Devon Witherspoon sits on an underneath route and intercepts Daniel Jones, returning the pick 97 yards for a touchdown. The PAT is good!\n\nWhat could have been a one-possession game is now a three-score game. And Daniel Jones now has two turnovers in this one.\n\nSeahawks 21, Giants 3\n\n10:30 p.m.: The Giants just pulled off one of their biggest plays of the night.\n\nOn fourth-and-1 from Seattle's 16-yard line, Brian Daboll elects to keep the offense on the field instead of electing for three points. Out of play action, Daniel Jones rolls out and gets 11 yards to bring New York within five yards of its first touchdown of the night.\n\n10:22 p.m.: A 53-yard field goal attempt from Jason Myers is no good!\n\nSeattle fails to add to its lead and New York gets another chance to cut into its deficit, this time, with field position that's slightly more favorable. The Giants will take over at their on 34-yard line.\n\n10:16 p.m.: New York's drive ends about as quickly as it began as it is three-and-out for the Giants.\n\nDaniel Jones is sacked for a sixth time this evening. This time it's eight-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner. The excitement at MetLife Stadium is gone once again as New York will punt from its own 12.\n\n10:12 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! New York gives its fans something to be excited about as its defense holds up on fourth down thanks to a major PBU from LB Micah McFadden.\n\nThe Giants keep the Seahawks off the board and take over at their own 15-yard line.\n\n10:03 p.m.: The second half is underway and Geno Smith is back on the field for the Seahawks.\n\nSeattle fans can breathe a sigh of relief as its top signal-caller will be back under center and avoided serious injury.\n\nHalftime: Seahawks 14, Giants 3\n\n9:47 p.m.: The half closes with New York committing its third and fourth special teams penalties of the night, giving Seattle the ball back after it intended to punt on fourth-and-4.\n\nAs the Seahawks get the ball back, they run the clock out as boos begin to rain down on the Giants from their home crowd.\n\nMaking matters worse, Seattle is set to receive the second-half kickoff.\n\n9:37 p.m: TOUCHDOWN! RB Kenneth Walker III punches it in from one yard out. It's his second touchdown of the 2023 season.\n\nThe play doesn't come without extracurriculars, however, as it is followed by a scrum between linemen. The result is offsetting penalties from Seahawks G Anthony Bradford and Giants DE Leonard Williams.\n\nSeahawks 14, Giants 3.\n\n9:35 p.m.: Drew Lock is balling.\n\nLock connects with Noah Fant for a 51-yard completion that has the Seahawks on the 1-yard line. Credit to Fant, as he used his footwork to toe the sideline and turn the completion to a big play.\n\n9:30 p.m.: At the two-minute warning, Drew Lock has gotten the Seahawks to their own 48-yard line. Lock will continue to lead the Seahawks' two-minute drill.\n\nGeno Smith is out of the medical tent and headed to the locker room for further testing on his knee. His status for the remainder of the game is questionable.\n\nThe Seahawks will look to add some cushion to their lead as they will also receive the ball to open the second half.\n\n9:26 p.m.: Geno Smith's displeasure with the tackle from earlier is beginning to make sense. Seattle's QB has been in the medical tent with an undetermined injury.\n\nDrew Lock will be taking snaps until there is more clarity on Smith's status moving forward.\n\n9:23 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Graham Gano connects on a 55-yarder to get the Giants on the board. Since the beginning of last season, Gano is 10 of 11 on attempts that are 50 yards or longer.\n\nSeahawks 7, Giants 3\n\n9:11 p.m.: We've got some fireworks on the field.\n\nGeno Smith catches his own batted pass and on the ensuing run, is pulled down out of bounds by Giants LB Isaiah Simmons. Smith, clearly taking exception to the hit, comes back on the field and has words for S Xavier McKinney.\n\nNew York almost forces a turnover on third down but still gets off the field. Smith appears to be slightly hobbled after the hit.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Seahawks 7, Giants 0\n\n8:56 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! As time expires in the first quarter, Geno Smith rolls out and finds DK Metcalf, who hauls in his second touchdown of the year.\n\nThe extra point is good! And Seattle turns a turnover into seven points.\n\nSeahawks 7, Giants 0\n\n8:54 p.m.: FUMBLE! After evading one sack, Daniel Jones is sacked at the Giants 15-yard line by Mario Edwards, who also forces the ball out.\n\nSeattle recovers and returns the fumble to New York's 7-yard line, where it will look to score for the first time tonight.\n\n8:47 p.m.: Flags… flags everywhere.\n\nFour straight plays with a penalty for the Seahawks means their drive officially starts with a first-and-20. As the game approaches the two-minute mark of the first quarter, neither team has been able to strike offensively.\n\n8:35 p.m.: Jamal Adams has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.\n\n8:34 p.m.: And a few more bizarre plays. It's a three-and-out for Seattle, which sees its drive end courtesy of a sack from Kayvon Thibodeaux.\n\nThe Giants muff the punt from Michael Dixon but avoid a crisis by recovering it. New York will take the floor for its second offensive drive from Seattle's 34-yard line.\n\n8:28 p.m.: We've got our first bizarre play of the night.\n\nSeahawks RB Kenneth Walker III runs for a touchdown after he isn't ruled down but the play is called back. Instead of a 73-yard touchdown run, it's a two-yard loss.\n\n8:25 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! On fourth-and-1 from the Seahawks' 27-yard line, Daniel Jones is stopped in his tracks as he attempts a QB sneak.\n\nAfter an impressive defensive stand, Geno Smith and the Seattle offense will take the field for the first time tonight.\n\n8:22 p.m.: Jamal Adams' return to the field may end up being short-lived.\n\nAdams was on the wrong end of a knee to the helmet and appeared to be shaken up as he needed some assistance getting off the field. More updates to come on Adams' status.\n\n8:15 p.m.: Seattle wins the coin toss and defers to the second half.\n\nNew York elects for a fair catch on the kickoff, meaning Daniel Jones and company will get their night started on the 25-yard line.\n\nPregame\n\n7:50 p.m.: It's officially official.\n\nJamal Adams is back on the field warming up for the Seahawks, surely a welcome sight for the 12s.\n\n6:55 p.m.: Saquon Barkley has officially been ruled inactive for the Giants.\n\nJoining Barkley on the inactive list are S Bobby McCain, S Gervarrius Owens, T Andrew Thomas and DL Jordon Riley.\n\nInactive for the Seahawks: CB Coby Bryant, CB Tre Brown, CB Artie Burns, LB Nick Bellore, G McClendon Curtis, T Charles Cross and G Ben Brown.\n\n6:25 p.m.: With less than two hours remaining until kickoff, there's still no concrete update on the availability of Giants RB Saquon Barkley, who is currently listed as doubtful with a high ankle sprain.\n\nBarring a last-minute change, it doesn't appear as though No. 26 will be suiting up for New York.\n\n6 p.m.: Jamal Adams is back!\n\nFor the first time since Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, the three-time All-Pro safety will take the field for the Seahawks. Almost poetically, Adams makes his return to the field in the place he called home for the first three years of his career as a member of the Jets.\n\nWhat channel is Seahawks vs. Giants on today?\n\nGame: Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants\n\nSeattle Seahawks at New York Giants Date: Monday, Oct. 2\n\nMonday, Oct. 2 TV channel: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2\n\nABC, ESPN, ESPN2 Live stream: ESPN+, NFL+, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nMonday's game between the Seahawks and Giants will be simulcast on ABC and ESPN. The \"Monday Night Football\" crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call.\n\nWeek 4 also marks the return of the \"Manningcast\" as Eli and Peyton Manning will offer an alternate broadcast presentation on ESPN2.\n\nMORE: Manningcast schedule for 2023 NFL season\n\nSeahawks vs. Giants start time\n\nDate: Monday, Oct. 2\n\nMonday, Oct. 2 Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT\n\nSeahawks vs. Giants from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET, the customary kickoff time for \"MNF\" matchups this year.\n\nNFL live stream for Seahawks vs. Giants\n\nLive stream (U.S.): ESPN+, NFL+, Fubo\n\nESPN+, NFL+, Fubo Live stream (Canada): DAZN\n\nAmerican viewers have a few different options to live stream Monday's game. ESPN will broadcast the game over its proprietary streaming service, ESPN+ (subscription required). NFL+ will also carry the game, but a subscription is required, as well.\n\nCord-cutters in the U.S. can turn to Fubo for their streaming needs. Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, ABC, NBC, CBS and NFL Network, so fans can catch a bevy of football action throughout the 2023 season. Fubo also offers a free trial.\n\nViewers in Canada can sign up for DAZN, which carries NFL Game Pass.\n\nMonday Night Football schedule 2023", + "Yes, Christmas is tomorrow — and yes, we know you have yet to buy a gift. We understand that life gets busy, though, and sometimes it feels like the holidays creep up on you out of nowhere. But before you spiral into a full-blown panic attack, take a deep breath. Luckily for you, the internet is filled with a treasure trove of gift cards, subscriptions, and other great digital gifts you can buy as late as Christmas Day itself.\n\nTo help make your life a little easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the best digital gifts we’ve either used ourselves or gifted to our friends and family. We’ve organized the list by interests, too, so you can find the perfect present whether your loved one is into the arts, exercise, or something else entirely. That way, you’ll at least be able to gift something more thoughtful than a generic Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart gift card — even if those are still totally viable options in our book.\n\nGifts for film and TV buffs\n\nRegardless of whether you’re shopping for a movie buff or an avid sports fan, there are a number of subscriptions on the market that’ll grant your giftee access to a wide range of content. Below are some of the most popular, as well as a few catered toward anime diehards, horror lovers, and those looking for something more niche.\n\nThe Disney Bundle (monthly subscription, with ads) $ 15 The Disney Bundle caters to all kinds of passions as it grants ad-supported access to Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus for $14.99 a month. That way, sports fans can watch all the latest games, while the rest of the family streams Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ahsoka, and The Bear. $15 at Disney\n\nGifts for the gamers\n\nIf you’re not sure which type of games your giftee prefers, you can gift them an Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo subscription. Not only will these memberships grant him access to free digital titles but they also come with perks such as online multiplayer and cloud-based saves, among other incentives.\n\nIf your giftee is a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 owner, a membership to PlayStation Plus grants them access to free titles and discounts every month, lets them play games online, and allows them to access cloud-based backups. PlayStation Plus memberships start at $9.99 a month, and you can subscribe directly via PlayStation or buy a three-month subscription with a PlayStation Plus gift card, which is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $30.\n\ngrants them access to free titles and discounts every month, lets them play games online, and allows them to access cloud-based backups. PlayStation Plus memberships start at $9.99 a month, and you can subscribe directly via PlayStation or buy a three-month subscription with a PlayStation Plus gift card, which is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $30. Nintendo Switch lovers, meanwhile, might enjoy an annual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online , which starts at $19.99 a year (Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop). The membership lets giftees play with more than 70 retro games released during the NES, SNES, and original Game Boy eras. They can also play online with friends and access cloud saves.\n\n, which starts at $19.99 a year (Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop). The membership lets giftees play with more than 70 retro games released during the NES, SNES, and original Game Boy eras. They can also play online with friends and access cloud saves. If you’re willing to fork out extra money, you can also buy an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription . In addition to offering all the same benefits as the Switch Online membership, it also grants access to Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64 games, as well as DLC content for some titles. Individual plans cost $49.99 (Amazon, Walmart), while a family plan — which allows for up to eight accounts — is currently available via gift card at Amazon and Walmart for $71.89 ($8 off).\n\n. In addition to offering all the same benefits as the Switch Online membership, it also grants access to Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64 games, as well as DLC content for some titles. Individual plans cost $49.99 (Amazon, Walmart), while a family plan — which allows for up to eight accounts — is currently available via gift card at Amazon and Walmart for $71.89 ($8 off). Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.\n\nGifts for the adventurers and globe-trotters\n\nIs your giftee in dire need of a screen break? Fortunately, the internet is filled with travel-oriented gifts, ranging from the obvious — like airline gift cards — to national park passes.\n\nA GetYourGuide gift card provides an easy way to take advantage of guided tours and fun tourist attractions at various destinations around the world, allowing your loved one to explore volcanoes like Italy’s Mount Etna or swim with sharks in Cape Verde.\n\nprovides an easy way to take advantage of guided tours and fun tourist attractions at various destinations around the world, allowing your loved one to explore volcanoes like Italy’s Mount Etna or swim with sharks in Cape Verde. A Pack & Go gift card (Amazon and Target) covers almost everything your giftee will need while on vacation. They can use it on a Southwest Airlines flight, buy gas from Chevron or Texaco if they’re on a road trip, and even book an Airbnb or place a Grubhub order.\n\n(Amazon and Target) covers almost everything your giftee will need while on vacation. They can use it on a Southwest Airlines flight, buy gas from Chevron or Texaco if they’re on a road trip, and even book an Airbnb or place a Grubhub order. For aspiring polyglots, a Rosetta Stone membership will make it easy to learn everything from French to Arabic to Japanese from the comfort of their home. Along with lessons, memberships come with helpful extras, including speech recognition tech to get the accent just right. At the moment, Rosetta Stone is offering up to 50 percent off of its plans, with the 12-month tier for learning just one language starting at $126 ($42 off).\n\nwill make it easy to learn everything from French to Arabic to Japanese from the comfort of their home. Along with lessons, memberships come with helpful extras, including speech recognition tech to get the accent just right. At the moment, Rosetta Stone is offering up to 50 percent off of its plans, with the 12-month tier for learning just one language starting at $126 ($42 off). Finally, a gift card to a rideshare service like Uber (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) or Lyft (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) will come in handy when they need a ride to the airport. It will also come in handy if their New Year’s Eve plans include popping a few celebratory shots.\n\nGifts for health and wellness fans\n\nFor health and wellness enthusiasts, many services offer a wealth of streamable fitness classes to help them get fit at home. Other gifts can help your giftee practice self-care and lighten their load with meditation or even massages. Below, we’ve listed out a range of options that’ll help your giftee take care of both their body and mind.\n\nPeloton subscription (monthly subscription) $ 13 Peloton’s $12.99 monthly subscription offers thousands of streamable fitness classes revolving around a variety of different workouts, ranging from strength training to stretching. It’s a service that’s available to everybody, so you don’t need to own a Peloton device to use it. $13 at Peloton\n\nA gift card for Headspace , a popular mindfulness app, offers members access to hundreds of expert-taught meditations, each designed to help them relax, sleep better, and improve their mental health. A subscription will run you $12.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.\n\n, a popular mindfulness app, offers members access to hundreds of expert-taught meditations, each designed to help them relax, sleep better, and improve their mental health. A subscription will run you $12.99 monthly or $69.99 annually. Fitbit Premium subscriptions start at $9.99 a month and are available to all, even if your giftee doesn’t own a Fitbit (though, they’ll be able to enjoy more in-depth metrics if they do). A membership comes with thousands of guided and customizable workouts, which cover everything from martial arts and dance to meditation. Fitbit also offers guided programs covering topics like nutrition, along with the option to one-on-one with a professional health coach for an extra $54.99 per month.\n\nsubscriptions start at $9.99 a month and are available to all, even if your giftee doesn’t own a Fitbit (though, they’ll be able to enjoy more in-depth metrics if they do). A membership comes with thousands of guided and customizable workouts, which cover everything from martial arts and dance to meditation. Fitbit also offers guided programs covering topics like nutrition, along with the option to one-on-one with a professional health coach for an extra $54.99 per month. For those who prefer in-person classes to virtual, a gift card to a subscription service like ClassPass will let your giftee try out thousands of gyms and fitness studios in their local area, not to mention nearby salons and spas.\n\nwill let your giftee try out thousands of gyms and fitness studios in their local area, not to mention nearby salons and spas. If your giftee is too busy to prepare healthy meals every day, a gift card to Fresh N Lean, Blue Apron, HelloFresh, or any meal prep service that offers a healthy selection of meal kits will be very welcome.\n\nGifts for foodies\n\nWhether they’re a diehard foodie, a wine connoisseur, or a caffeine addict, the internet is filled with subscriptions and gift cards for all types. Here are just a few of our favorites:\n\nEater Wine Club $ 70 With a subscription to Eater’s Wine Club, your giftee will automatically receive either two or four bottles of wine carefully chosen by an Eater expert every month. Past boxes have showcased wines from all over the world, including wines that go well with holiday foods like Domaine Lattard Gamay and Milan Nestarec Youngster Rosé. $70 at Eater\n\nA Sur La Table gift card (Sur La Table, Kroger, Staples) is a great gift for the beloved chef in your life. They can use it to buy whatever they need for the kitchen, as well as to take online cooking classes where live instructors help students make everything from chicken piccata to tiramisu. Classes start at $29 per household, with each taking between 90 and 120 minutes a pop.\n\n(Sur La Table, Kroger, Staples) is a great gift for the beloved chef in your life. They can use it to buy whatever they need for the kitchen, as well as to take online cooking classes where live instructors help students make everything from chicken piccata to tiramisu. Classes start at $29 per household, with each taking between 90 and 120 minutes a pop. For those with a sweet tooth, Goldbelly’s monthly ice cream subscription allows them to enjoy up to six pints of ice cream or 24 ice cream sandwiches a month, all of which are sourced from small creameries all over the country. It’s a pricey subscription, however, with a three-month plan going for an eye-watering $299.85.\n\nallows them to enjoy up to six pints of ice cream or 24 ice cream sandwiches a month, all of which are sourced from small creameries all over the country. It’s a pricey subscription, however, with a three-month plan going for an eye-watering $299.85. These days, it feels like there’s a Starbucks pretty much everywhere you look now, meaning a Starbucks gift card (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target) can help your giftee get their caffeine fix whenever, wherever.\n\ngift card (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target) can help your giftee get their caffeine fix whenever, wherever. Sometimes, it’s better to leave the cooking to somebody else. For foodies, a gift card to a food delivery service like DoorDash (Amazon, Target) means they can nab some crab rangoons from their favorite Chinese restaurant without leaving home.\n\nGifts for music lovers\n\nWhether your giftee is a musician or just loves to unwind with some music, there are a lot of digital presents you can buy. We all know about Spotify gift cards (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target), but there are also other streaming services that you can gift as a subscription, some of which we’ve highlighted below.\n\nApple Music $ 25 Apple Music is a great gift for the casual listener, offering more than 100 million ad-free songs they can listen to with spatial audio as well as support for Dolby Atmos. There’s no designated gift card for Apple Music, so you’ll have to buy a regular Apple gift card, but that’s not a bad thing as it means they can also use the card to buy the latest pair of AirPods.\n\n$25 at Amazon$25 at Best Buy\n\nFor the true audiophiles out there, a Tidal gift card (Walmart, PayPal, or Best Buy) is great because it will allow them to stream music in the highest audio quality possible. The ad-free service starts at $10.99 per month while paying $9 extra per month allows giftees to enjoy support for lossless FLAC audio, Dolby Atmos Music, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio formats.\n\n(Walmart, PayPal, or Best Buy) is great because it will allow them to stream music in the highest audio quality possible. The ad-free service starts at $10.99 per month while paying $9 extra per month allows giftees to enjoy support for lossless FLAC audio, Dolby Atmos Music, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio formats. If you know somebody who’s always wanted to learn to play the guitar, a Fender Play subscription can help them do so thanks to a continuously updated catalog of hundreds of instructor-led video lessons. A subscription typically starts at $9.99 a month, but right now you can gift an annual subscription for $74.999 (half off).\n\nsubscription can help them do so thanks to a continuously updated catalog of hundreds of instructor-led video lessons. A subscription typically starts at $9.99 a month, but right now you can gift an annual subscription for $74.999 (half off). A Vinyl Me, Please subscription is perfect for those who love spinning records. Every month, giftees receive vinyl records from their choice of music genre, whether that’s hip-hop, rock, or jazz. The packages also come with booklets so they can learn more about the record, along with access to exclusive discounts. Three-month subscriptions start at $128 and come with a total of four records (one of which is a limited-time bonus).\n\nis perfect for those who love spinning records. Every month, giftees receive vinyl records from their choice of music genre, whether that’s hip-hop, rock, or jazz. The packages also come with booklets so they can learn more about the record, along with access to exclusive discounts. Three-month subscriptions start at $128 and come with a total of four records (one of which is a limited-time bonus). Lastly, a Ticketmaster gift card is a present that’ll allow your loved one to watch their favorite musicians perform live, whether that’s Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny, or The Rolling Stones.\n\nVerge Deals on Twitter / Join nearly 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals. Follow us!\n\nGifts for the bookworms\n\nObviously, you could just gift a bibliophile a book and they’d probably be happy. But what if you don’t know what your giftee is into or simply want to give them more options? In that case, a gift card to their favorite bookstore or a subscription to something like Kindle Unlimited, which grants members access to millions of ebooks and even select audiobooks, is a good idea. That said, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite alternatives below.\n\nFor fans of Marvel and DC comics, as well as manga like Fairy Tale, a Comixology Unlimited subscription is perfect. For $5.99 a month, they’ll be able to enjoy over 45,000 comics and graphic novels, not to mention more than 2,400 manga titles from their phone or tablet. Subscribers also get discounts on select digital books.\n\nis perfect. For $5.99 a month, they’ll be able to enjoy over 45,000 comics and graphic novels, not to mention more than 2,400 manga titles from their phone or tablet. Subscribers also get discounts on select digital books. You can also gift a Book of the Month membership , which currently starts at $59.99 for a three-book plan. The company curates a small selection of five to seven bestsellers and classics for members every month, making it easy to quickly choose something to read.\n\n, which currently starts at $59.99 for a three-book plan. The company curates a small selection of five to seven bestsellers and classics for members every month, making it easy to quickly choose something to read. If your giftee prefers to pick up books from brick-and-mortar bookstores, a gift card to Barnes & Noble (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Best Buy) might be a good idea. For those into buying books from local bookstores, there’s also a gift card for Bookshop.org .\n\n(Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Best Buy) might be a good idea. For those into buying books from local bookstores, there’s also a gift card for . For those who prefer traditional newspapers and magazines, you can gift a subscription to The New York Times or The Washington Post, or publications catered to specific interests like Cosmopolitan and National Geographic.\n\nGifts for the creatives\n\nMovie buffs and bibliophiles are easy to shop for, but what do you get the creative type? It’s actually not that hard — just buy them something to help them create, whether that’s an online course or access to a new tool. Below are a few subscriptions and gift cards creators will love that you can also buy last minute.\n\nA MasterClass membership (which starts at $10 a month) provides access to classes taught by world leaders and other subject matter experts, including screenwriters, musicians, and business experts. Right now, the company will throw in a second membership for free when you sign up, so you can gift it to another person on your list (or enjoy it yourself — we’re not here to judge!).\n\n(which starts at $10 a month) provides access to classes taught by world leaders and other subject matter experts, including screenwriters, musicians, and business experts. Right now, the company will throw in a second membership for free when you sign up, so you can gift it to another person on your list (or enjoy it yourself — we’re not here to judge!). An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription ($59.99 per month) is a good gift for both aspiring and experienced creative professionals alike, providing access to popular services like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, and other Adobe apps.\n\n($59.99 per month) is a good gift for both aspiring and experienced creative professionals alike, providing access to popular services like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, and other Adobe apps. If you know somebody trying to learn how to code, a subscription to the coding educational platform Codecademy ($29.99 per month) can help them build their portfolio with online courses, a community, fun events, cheat sheets, and other resources. There’s even a plan for those looking to change career paths, one that offers all the above as well as technical interview help. That latter is currently available for $120 a year (half off) when you use promo code BYE2023 .\n\n($29.99 per month) can help them build their portfolio with online courses, a community, fun events, cheat sheets, and other resources. There’s even a plan for those looking to change career paths, one that offers all the above as well as technical interview help. That latter is currently available for $120 a year (half off) when you use promo code . For giftees into arts and crafts, a Craftsy membership ($113 a year) grants access to more than 2,000 live and on-demand classes led by experts covering everything from baking and cake decorating to woodworking and painting. Members also get to connect with other crafters in the Craftsy community and attend live events.\n\nGift cards for pretty much anyone\n\nSometimes the best gift card is one that’ll give your giftee a ton of options, especially if you’re having a hard time figuring out what they want. Gift cards from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target are perfect in these situations, namely because they’ll let your giftee choose whatever they like from a wide range of departments.", + "Many games are huge. Others are endless. Some are so exciting that they swallow our news feeds whole. That’s where Polygon’s What to Play comes in: We curate the best, most innovative, and most intriguing games on every platform, so you can spend less time searching, and more time playing.\n\neCongrats, you are the owner of a Nintendo Switch! It’s a wonderful position to be in, as the console has a robust, delightful library of games. Plus you not only get to play them on a television screen or monitor; you can also take the console with you wherever you need to go. And it doesn’t hurt that there are tons of cute Joy-Con colors, a great pro controller, and lots of themed peripherals for fans of all stripes.\n\nThe hardest part is where to even start, in terms of sorting through your options. Luckily, we’ve got six recommendations, ranging from modern Nintendo classics (that you can’t play on any non-Nintendo console) to indie games that are perfect for the Switch.\n\nIt was really and truly difficult to narrow it down to just six — there’s so much great stuff out there! — so if you’re looking for more recommendations, definitely check out the 22 best Nintendo Switch games, 36 best couch co-op games for Nintendo Switch, and the best Nintendo Switch games for grown-ups.\n\nThe best classic Nintendo Switch games to play first\n\nNintendo is home to some of the most iconic gaming franchises, and a great place to start for any first time Switch owner is with these modern-day Zelda, Mario, and Animal Crossing games. While it’s hard to pick just a handful from this wealth of options — not to mention other iconic Nintendo series — we’ve narrowed it down to some of the platform’s absolute best.\n\nThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild\n\nThere are two standout Zelda games for the Switch that have gained the status of modern classic: Breath of the Wild and the sequel that came out this year, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While both of them are masterful accomplishments — putting Link in an open world, and reimagining the scope of what is possible in exploration and puzzling — we’ve gone with Breath of the Wild as the starting point, because it’s where this iteration of Link’s story kicks off (and because it’s extremely accessible to newcomers). It has all of the joy of exploration on a vast map, as Link can climb and glide all over, without mechanics introduced in the sequel that can be overwhelming (as well as expansive).\n\nAnimal Crossing: New Horizons\n\nAnimal Crossing games have long been loved for their chill farming sim vibes and adorable villagers, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons perfected the genre. Great for newcomers to consoles and veterans of the genre alike, the game sticks you on an island where you get to design a cute house, harvest materials, catch bugs and fish, and court animal villagers. Time passes as it does in real life, so the game paces itself perfectly for daily engagement with tasks to accomplish — and fees to pay Tom Nook, the raccoon that lends you all of your supplies and lodging.\n\nEven more fun, you can visit other friends’ islands. So if you’ve got friends who also have the game on Switch, they can give you a tour, and lend you a hand in the form of gifting bells or other items.\n\nSuper Mario Odyssey\n\nIn a sea of truly excellent Mario games, Super Mario Odyssey stands out as the choice for the Switch. This game was released specifically with this console in mind, and it perfectly mixes classic, whimsical Mario platforming with the expansiveness of a large world. You get to run around tons of different maps — this notably includes my favorite metropolitan area in any Switch game, New Donk City — some of which reference past installments of the franchise. There’s also lots of power-ups and critters to turn into, courtesy of partner character Cappy — you get to play as a T-Rex in a segment of the game — and hidden collectibles for the exploration inclined. Collect Power Moons and save the day. The world is your oyster.\n\nAcclaimed indie games perfect for the Switch’s portability\n\nWith so many celebrated indie games, it can be hard to know which platform is the best to play them on. Here are three of our absolute favorites for the Switch.\n\nHades\n\nIn Hades, you play as Zagreus, prince of the underworld, fighting your way out of hell and onto the surface in this truly excellent roguelite. It’s got a fantastic, full cast of gods who give you various powers you can mix and match during the course of each run. But these deities are just one of many lovable, complicated, and extremely hot characters you meet along the way, as Zagreus’ story unfolds. Each run where you die doesn’t feel like a loss — the story is simply that propulsive. There are so many weapon and buff combinations to try, you’ll be eager to hop into your next playthrough, making the Switch’s portability crucial. Hades is for the Greek mythology nerds, but it’s also for everyone.\n\nStardew Valley\n\nSolo developer and composer Eric Barone created both a game and a phenomenon with this one, which is inspired by the Harvest Moon series. In Stardew Valley you inherit a farm from your grandfather, and move in as you’re eager to leave the corporate life behind. Farm, mine, fish, and make friends with the locals in Pelican Town. It’s so easy to think to yourself “just one more day” and then lose hours, days, and months even to building out your farm, wooing a townsperson, and completing community bundles. The multiplayer is also excellent, as you can share a farm with up to three other players.\n\nHollow Knight\n\nYou’re a lonely knight, wandering through the crumbling halls of an enormous and wending kingdom — home to a defunct civilization of bugs — with only a nail as a weapon. But not to worry: your arsenal of attacks and powers grow the more you explore and defeat bosses. Hollow Knight is one of the best Metroidvanias (and Souls-likes) on the Switch, owing to its precise platforming mechanics, its memorable cast of characters, and a sprawling map full of secrets. There’s no better feeling than doing a little digging and then finding an entirely new region on the map. Hollow Knight captures that feeling — and you’ll want to take the game with you.", + "In the break after Caroline Ellison stepped down from the stand, Barbara Fried engaged defense lawyer Christian Everdell in an animated conversation. Fried, the defendant’s mother, was gesticulating and clearly had a strong opinion about something. Everdell walked off, and Mark Cohen talked to her for a bit after that.\n\nFried seemed frustrated, and I couldn’t blame her. The defense absolutely biffed the cross-examination of Ellison and, to make matters worse was unable to keep a recording of an all-hands meeting where Ellison confessed to taking customer funds from being played for the jury. Is this really the best the defense can do?\n\nIn Cohen’s disorganized cross-examination, he mostly bored the jury\n\nBefore this case, I had been told that Everdell and Cohen were “workman-like,” which I took to mean that they were unshowy but competent. I now believe that comment was an insult. I have been waiting for a juicy cross-examination, as I live for chaos and drama. I am beginning to think I am not going to get one.\n\nEllison had given, in her direct testimony, fairly damning evidence tying FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to the conspiracy to take FTX customer funds. There were fake balance sheets, one of which was sent to crypto lender Genesis. After a Genesis representative received the balance sheet, he texted Ellison to tell her he’d spoken to Bankman-Fried — strongly suggesting that Bankman-Fried was aware of the contents of the fake balance sheet. Not great!\n\nSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is on trial for seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. FTX was a fraud “from the start,” the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges — with a “multi-billion-dollar deficiency caused by his own misappropriation of customer funds.” Follow along for all the latest news and regular updates from the trial.\n\nBut a lot of testimony relied on Ellison recounting conversations she’d had in person, or on auto-deleting text messaging platforms. This gave the defense an opportunity to try to make her sound unreliable. After all, she had an incentive to flip on Bankman-Fried: the possibility of leniency in her sentencing. Given her fun tweets about speed, the fact that she was Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, and that she’d apparently written a bunch of stuff down, I was expecting fireworks. For the first time in this trial, maybe the defense had an opening.\n\nInstead, I got a sad trombone. In Cohen’s disorganized cross-examination, he mostly bored the jury. At one point, two different jurors appeared to be asleep.\n\nMidway through the morning I began wondering if there was a mercy rule for cross-examinations. Prosecutor Danielle Sassoon had run an effective direct examination, creating an easy-to-follow narrative. By contrast, Cohen appeared to be bumbling around, taking up one topic only to abruptly pivot. Sure, we’re still in the prosecution’s case, but Cohen had all night to prepare his lines of questioning.\n\nApparently, Alameda had a problem with retaining accountants\n\nWe established that Bankman-Fried had a much larger appetite for risk than Ellison. I thought perhaps it might be building to something, but this line of questioning was quickly dropped. We established that Bankman-Fried and Ellison reacted differently to stress, and that they also had different approaches to media: namely, that Ellison avoided it while Bankman-Fried sought it out. Okay?\n\nWe discovered that there was one accountant at Alameda in 2021, and two more junior accountants were hired in 2022. Apparently, Alameda had a problem with retaining accountants, which didn’t surprise me much; CEOs generally don’t do the balance sheets for their companies. I was ready to hear this pursued further — but then it, too, was dropped.\n\nI think the defense was also trying to suggest that the government had coerced Ellison’s testimony, by suggesting that she had pleaded guilty to a charge of defrauding investors that she couldn’t have been involved in. After all, she didn’t prepare materials for them. Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine. This line of questioning felt like a waste of time.\n\nThere were rather a lot of sidebars during the cross-examination, to the point that when one occurred, several jurors looked entertained. There were a few yesterday, too, including one in which the prosecution complained that Bankman-Fried was visibly scoffing at Ellison’s answers, according to the court transcript. (I did observe him occasionally shaking his head, and sometimes quivering at points during her testimony, but didn’t have a view of his face.)\n\nAt one point, Ellison appeared to even be toying with Cohen\n\nAs we were approaching lunch, several jurors looked annoyed, and Cohen looked clueless. He asked Ellison to define what “buy on the way down” meant, as though it were a term of art. (It means what you think it means, to purchase an asset that’s losing value.) This seemed to puzzle her. At other times, Cohen seemed to forget what she had testified to, bringing up things she hadn’t said. I don’t know if this was an attempt to trap her in a lie or just poor preparation, but much like FTX employee Adam Yedidia before her, Ellison was fastidious about making sure a question was clear and her answer was precise.\n\nAt one point, Ellison appeared to even be toying with Cohen. She’d testified on direct about Luna, a cryptocurrency token. It had a sister token, Terra, that was a paired algorithmic stablecoin. (If you don’t understand what that means, it doesn’t matter, because they were both nonsense.) Cohen asked her about Terra/Luna and she pointed out she’d only spoken about Luna, leaving him to fumble about how to explain the relationship between the two tokens. She kept a straight face on the stand while I chuckled from the press seats.\n\nDuring the opening statement, Cohen had blamed Ellison for not taking out a hedge on some of the risks Alameda was trading. We heard more about this hedge in cross-examination, and friends, it was stupid. Forget evaluating the trade itself (hedging being long crypto by selling Nasdaq futures). Was she supposed to have taken more customer funds to put on the hedge? Was that the defense, that she didn’t take enough of them? Was it that she should have taken them sooner? What the fuck?\n\nWhen Sassoon got up for a quick redirect, she demolished any points Cohen had attempted to make. But I didn’t really appreciate her cleverness until after Ellison left the stand, and the jurors left the room. She’d managed to set a neat little trap for Cohen.\n\nIn the recording, Ellison did indeed confess to stealing customer funds with Bankman-Fried’s approval\n\nOn the direct examination, near the end, Sassoon asked about an Alameda all-hands meeting, without bringing up many specifics. During the cross, Cohen asked Ellison what topics were covered in the meeting, while avoiding details. That opened the door for Sasson on redirect to work in that Ellison had confessed to stealing billions of FTX customers’ money, at Bankman-Fried’s direction.\n\nThere had been an open question of whether jurors would hear the tapes of Ellison’s remarks. The testimony set up an argument for the prosecution to bring in those tapes. The judge ruled in favor of the jury hearing the recordings and we briefly recessed.\n\nThat was when Bankman-Fried’s mother approached the defense lawyers.\n\nThe late afternoon was short and snappy. Christian Drappi, a former Alameda software engineer who looked like a handsome funeral director in a black suit and tie, testified briefly to set up the tape. When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said. The all-hands took place the following day, and was secretly recorded by an employee who’d joined Alameda three days before.\n\nIn the recording, Ellison did indeed confess to stealing customer funds with Bankman-Fried’s approval. Drappi said he resigned less than 24 hours after the meeting. The recording was later sent to Drappi, who sent it to the government. Joseph Bankman, the defendant’s father and a senior advisor to FTX’s philanthropic arm, wasn’t in the room for the recording. Barbara Fried looked unhappy, rubbing her left temple as though she had a tremendous headache.\n\nAnd in a small miracle of pacing, the government got Zac Prince, the founder and former CEO of crypto lender BlockFi, on the stand just long enough to blame FTX’s bankruptcy for BlockFi’s subsequent bankruptcy before we broke for the day.\n\nI’ve been asked by some people why the reporting coming out of the trial seems so skewed toward the prosecution. There’s an answer for this: the prosecution has put together a strong, comprehensive indictment of Bankman-Fried’s behavior at FTX and Alameda. The defense, so far, has managed to do almost nothing in response. I don’t know if Cohen and Everdell have bad facts, a bad client, or are simply untalented themselves (or some combination of all three?). But I do know that I haven’t yet seen any good reason to doubt the very convincing story I’m hearing from the prosecution.", + "Folks, the Bengals are back.\n\nWhen Cincinnati began the season 1-3, including a pair of blowout losses in which they scored just three points in each game against the Browns and Titans, it sure seemed Joe Burrow's calf injury would wind up holding the team back in what appeared to be one of their best chances to finally win that elusive Super Bowl.\n\nSince that loss to Tennessee, it's been the Bengals of old. And that team showed up again on \"Sunday Night Football\" against the Bills. Cincinnati jumped out to an first-half, 21-7 lead against Buffalo, and the defense did the rest, limiting the Bills to just 11 points the rest of the game as the Bengals won their fourth straight, beating the Bills 24-18.\n\nMORE: Is Damar Hamlin playing vs. Bengals on SNF?\n\nFans expected this to be an offensive showdown against two premier quarterbacks. And after the first three drives of the game, it sure appeared that's how it would go. The Bengals scored an opening-drive touchdown on just nine plays, matched quickly by a Bills' scoring drive of seven plays and 3:15. The Bengals re-took the lead on a 5:28 scoring drive to wrap up the first.\n\nFrom there, however, \"Mad Scientist\" Lou Anarumo's defense kept Josh Allen and the Bills off balance offensively for most of the remainder of the game. The next four drives of the half went punt, interception, punt, end of half.\n\nBurrow and the Bengals, meanwhile, hit a few bumps in Buffalo territory, but scored a touchdown on their final drive of of the first half to take a two-score lead into the locker room. Buffalo picked up a field goal on the first drive of the second half and held the Bengals to just three points in the second half, but it wasn't until 3:32 left that Allen finally got the Bills back into the end zone, with a 17-yard strike to Diggs and a subsequent 2-point try to make it a six-point game.\n\nMORE: Watch 'Sunday Night Football' live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nThe Bengals had the ball back with 3:32 left, but put the trust in No. 9, having him start the put-away drive with a 32-yard deep shot to Tyler Boyd to put the Bengals quickly in Buffalo territory. Joe Mixon ran three times to pick up the final first down needed to allow Burrow to kneel out the contest.\n\nIn a highly anticipated rematch between Allen and Burrow, it was the Bengals' signal-caller that once again came out the better in both the win column and the statsheet. Burrow completed 31-of-44 passes for 348 yards with a pair of touchdowns, while Allen went 26-for-38 with 258 passing yards, one passing touchdown and an interception. He also rushed eight times for 44 yards and another score.\n\nWith the win, the Bengals move into the final wild-card spot behind the Steelers and Browns, while the Bills are bumped down to the outside-looking-in of the AFC playoff race.\n\nSporting News tracked live scores and highlights from the \"Sunday Night Football\" matchup. Follow for updates throughout the Bills-Bengals matchup.\n\nBills vs. Bengals score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Bills 7 0 3 8 18 Bengals 14 7 0 3 24\n\nBills vs. Bengals live updates, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFourth quarter\n\n11:21 p.m.: Mixon gets five yards on a run outside to the right, he's pushed out of bounds, but that will do it. The Bengals can kneel the game out and will win 24-18.\n\n11:19 p.m.: Mixon rushes for four yards to bring up a third-and-4 at the Bills' 37, and bring up the two-minute warning. A first down will win the game for the Bengals, since Buffalo cannot stop the clock. A stop on third will bring up an interesting decision for Zac Taylor and Cincinnati.\n\n11:17 p.m.: Mixon rushes for two yards after the big gain, and the Bills use their final timeout with 2:37 left.\n\n11:17 p.m.: Feels like a time to run the ball, right? Well, not to the Bengals, who trust Burrow to air out a deep pass to Boyd for 32 yards to the Bills 43.\n\nBurrow and Boyd get the @Bengals past midfield on the first play of the drive\n\n\n\n📺: #BUFvsCIN on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/T6GLEfxpQv pic.twitter.com/SOTyFnyzp7 — NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2023\n\n11:16 p.m.: Bengals start the drive at the 25.\n\n11:13 p.m. Bills scoring play: There's the big strike Bills fans have been waiting for. Allen fires a deep shot to Diggs, who beat rookie corner DJ Turner for the 17-yard touchdown. The Bills convert on the two-point conversion, throwing again to Diggs to make it a six-point game. Bengals 24, Bills 18\n\n11:12 p.m.: Bills move quickly into the red zone, as Allen connects with Shakir for three yards then a short pass to Murray for six yards. Third-and-1 at the Bengals' 17 with under four minutes to play.\n\n11:11 p.m.: Another familiar pattern for the Bills: Sherfield catches a pass for nine yards, then Murray powers ahead for two to pick up the first down at the Bengals' 26.\n\n11:11 p.m.: The call on the field stands: incomplete pass. Bills face second-and-10, trailing by 14 with 5:33 left and only one timeout left on the board.\n\n11:08 p.m.: Allen scrambles right again, and gets 11 yards. His next play is rules incomplete on a pass that just skips in too low for Sherfield. The Bills are challenging the play.\n\n11:05 p.m.: Allen hits Shakir for a quick pass, and his speedy receiver takes it up for nine, but Allen is rushed on the next play and fires out an incompletion to avoid the sack from Hubbard. Latavius Murray gets his first carry and picks up two and the first down to the Bengals' 48.\n\n11:04 p.m.: Allen goes right back to his trusted tight end, even after the fumble, with Kincaid catching a nine-yard pass to start the drive. Allen then runs right, dodging a tackle from Sam Hubbard, to pick up seven and the first at the Bills' 41.\n\n11:03 p.m.: Bills will take the touchback, and start the drive from the 25.\n\n11 p.m. Bengals scoring play: Burrow misses Mixon trying to get him on a swing pass. Cincinnati opts for the field goal at the 2-yard line to make it a two-touchdown advantage with 8:08 left to play. Bengals 24, Bills 10\n\n10:59 p.m.: Another toss play outside to Mixon goes for a loss of three, but Burrow finds Smith, who picks up eight yards to the Bills' 2 before he steps out of bounds. Third-and-goal at the 2, with the Bengals knocking on the door.\n\n10:57 p.m.: Burrow to Higgins has been the top combination all night, and it is again on the third down play. They connect for 18 yards, with Higgins catching a slant and races it to the Buffalo 7. First-and-goal with less than 10 minutes to play.\n\n10:56 p.m.: Mixon picks up four yards on a run up the middle, but Burrow throws the ball away on the second-and-6. Bengals use their third and final timeout with 10:19 left before a third-and-6 play.\n\n10:53 p.m.: Burrow finally connects on the big shot to Chase. His star wide receiver finds some open space, and he catches a 32-yard pass up to the Bills' 29.\n\n10:52 p.m.: Why run it on third-and-1, when Burrow can call a play action then connect with Hudson for 17 yards up to the Cincinnati 39.\n\nTanner Hudson had 4 total catches this season entering today.\n\n\n\nHe has 4 in this game alone 😱\n\n\n\n📺: #BUFvsCIN on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/T6GLEfxpQv pic.twitter.com/HnhhsUL8In — NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2023\n\n10:50 p.m.: Irv Smith drops a pass on first down, but who else but Higgins makes a leaping grab for nine yards over the first down marker. Before the third-and-1 play, the Bengals call a timeout, their second of the half.\n\n10:46 p.m.: A crucial turnover this late in the game. Allen hits Kincaid up the middle, but as the tight end is flipped up in the air, he loses his grasp on the ball, and the Bengals recover it at the Cincinnati 13.\n\n10:44 p.m.: The Bills try some trickery on first down with a lateral and flea flicker, but Allen fires it empty down the right side. He then scrambles for nine before he's stopped by Mike Hilton. He sneaks for a yard as the Bills pick up the first at the Cincinnati 22.\n\nThird quarter\n\n10:40 p.m.: Back-to-back plays with Cook, with him rushing for three then catching a pass for six to bring up third-and-1 at the Bengals' 35. Allen then sneaks to the left side to pick up three and the first down to bring the third quarter to an end.\n\n10:39 p.m.: Allen is putting on the superhero cape to start the drive, powering his way for a 10-yard run to start the drive then hitting Kincaid for 11 yards to quickly get the Bills back into Cincinnati territory at the 44.\n\n10:36 p.m.: The Bengals try for it on fourth down, but while Burrow connects with Sample, he's brought down three yards shy of the marker. The Bills take over at their own 35.\n\n10:34 p.m.: Burrow can't connect with Boyd, and it's now fourth-and-5. The Bengals keep the offense out there, but use a timeout with 2:21 left in the third.\n\n10:33 p.m.: Jordan Poyer blows up a pitch to Mixon, bringing him down for a loss of four. But Burrow to Higgins again, this time for nine yards, to set up a third-and-5 from the Bills' 37.\n\n10:33 p.m.: Mixon takes a checkdown for five yards, then Higgins hauls in an 11-yard pass to move up to the Bills' 42.\n\n10:28 p.m.: Irwin fair catches the punt at the Bengals' 42. Could be a pivotal drive for both teams, with the Bengals leading by two scores with 5:06 left in the third.\n\n10:27 p.m.: Allen is flushed out of the pocket and tries to pick up yardage, but he's brought down by Trey Hendrickson for only a yard. Bills will have to punt the ball away.\n\n10:26 p.m.: Allen throws a quick pass out to Cooks for four, then misses a quick strike to Diggs on the left side. Third-and-6 coming up. Bills wind up using their first timeout with 5:54 left in the half and the play clock down to three seconds.\n\n10:22 p.m.: Burrow again looks Chase's way, and again comes up empty. He has just three catches for nine yards on seven targets. Robbins' punt spots the Bills at their own 9.\n\n10:21 p.m.: Burrow goes for the deep shot to Chase, but the throw is just a bit short, and the contact with Dane Jackson breaks up the pass. Mixon then catches a dump-off pass, but is brought down for a loss of a yard. Third-and-11 coming up.\n\n10:20 p.m.: Higgins catches a short pass, but makes a few players miss, moving all the way up to the Cincinnati 43.\n\n10:19 p.m.: A healthy Burrow can be a game-changer for the Bengals, and he shows it on third-and-4, scrambling out of the pocket and picking up seven yards and the first to keep the drive going.\n\n10:18 p.m.: Bengals feeding Mixon to start the drive, with him rushing for three then catching a pass for three to set up a third-and-4.\n\n10:17 p.m.: Williams returns the kickoff to the 16, but a penalty pushes the spot back to the Cincinnati 8.\n\n10:13 p.m. Bills scoring play: Allen, on a third-and-9, tries to connect with Davis in the end zone, but the ball falls incomplete. Tyler Bass drills the 34-yard field goal to at least get the Bills a few points. Bengals 21, Bills 10\n\n10:12 p.m.: Pressure to Allen has limited him on each of the past two passes. He avoided a sack by dumping a quick pass, incomplete, off to Cooks, then tries quickly to throw a pass to Cook, who is tackled for a gain of just a yard.\n\n10:10 p.m.: Allen rifles a pass to Diggs over the head of Nick Scott for a 15-yard pickup to the Bengals' 33. He dumps it off to Cook on the next play for a pickup of eight. Cook rushes for seven to get the first down and move into the red zone for the first time since the Bills' opening drive, setting up Buffalo at the Cincinnati 17 with a first down.\n\n10:08 p.m.: The Allen-to-Kincaid connection keeps working. He scrambles to the right, then finds Kincaid at the 41 for a nine-yard pickup and a first down to the Bills' 41. He then find Kincaid again, who dives ahead for 11 yards to Cincinnati's 48 to keep the drive moving downfield.\n\n10:07 p.m.: Bills flagged for ineligible receiver downfield that brings up a second-and-10, but Allen goes right back to Diggs to bring up a third-and-4.\n\n10:06 p.m.: Sean McDermott talked about avoiding third-and-longs, and the Bills look ready to try and do just that, starting the drive off with a five-yard pass to Diggs to bring up a second-and-5.\n\n10:05 p.m.: Shakir brings the ball out to the 26 to start the drive.\n\nSecond quarter\n\n9:51 p.m.: The clock winds, and that will end the first half. Bengals head to the locker room leading 21-7.\n\n9:49 p.m.: Allen airs the ball out deep down the left side, and after some discussion, officials rule the play as intentional grounding. That's a huge penalty as it backs the Bills out of field-goal range back to the Bengals' 48. NBC's Terry McAulay says that Allen threw it well past Davis, which is what made it intentional grounding.\n\n9:47 p.m.: Two more completions to Kincaid, first for four then another for no gain. But Taylor-Britt is injured on the second pass, and the Bengals have to use a timeout to look him over on the field.\n\n9:45 p.m.: Bills start at the 25, and Allen wastes no time getting Buffalo up the field. He finds Shakir for 22 yards to the 47, then hits Kincaid for 11 to get Buffalo in Cincinnati territory at the 42.\n\n9:44 p.m. Bengals scoring play: Sample lines up in the backfield, darts out, catches a short pass and races it to the end zone to add to Cincinnati's lead. Bills will have 1:37 with one timeout left in the half. Bengals 21, Bills 7\n\n9:41 p.m.: Burrow dances out of traffic in the pocket and throws a perfect deep shot to Boyd, but he just loses the handle on it at the 2-yard line. Third-and-7 for Cincinnati.\n\n9:40 p.m.: Bills looking to keep some time on the clock. Mixon picks up three yards to the 21, and the Bills use their second timeout right away.\n\n9:37 p.m.: Bengals decide to go for it, and it works out. Chase sneaks past the defender, catches a pass from Burrow and takes it 11 yards to the Bills' 25. That takes this game to the two-minute warning.\n\n9:36 p.m.: The Bengals get within a yard, with Burrow firing a short pass over the middle to Boyd, who picks up nine yards to set up a fourth-and-1, and another decision for Cincinnati at the Bills' 36.\n\n9:32 p.m.: Back-to-back incompletions from Burrow out to Hudson and Chase to start the drive. Third-and-10 coming up.\n\n9:31 p.m.: Irwin returns the punt nine yards to the Bills' 45 yards. Back-to-back Cincinnati drives starting in Buffalo territory.\n\n9:30 p.m.: Huge sack by the Bengals as BJ Hill gets to Allen at the Bills' 8. Buffalo will have to punt. Huge three-and-out after a disappointing Bengals' offensive possession.\n\n9:28 p.m.: Cook rushes for six to start the drive, then picks up two yards to the 17 to set up a third-and-2.\n\n9:25 p.m.: Brown is called for a false start on the field goal try, which was good from 55. The Bengals will have to punt. Bills will start from their own 9.\n\n9:24 p.m.: Burrow is sacked by Leonard Floyd as he tried to escape at the Bills 37. Offensive holding is declined, and the Bengals will try for a field goal to make it a two-score game.\n\n9:23 p.m.: Bengals get five yards back on an offsides by the Bills, which they'll accept despite an 8-yard grab by the Irwin. Third-and-10 coming up.\n\n9:19 p.m.: Cincinnati keeps heading in the wrong direction. Burrow scrambles for a first down, but it's coming back on offensive holding. Now a third-and-15 from the Bills' 37.\n\n9:18 p.m.: Bengals try for a quarterback sneak, but he's stopped just short. Cincinnati then takes a delay of game, and Cincinnati is now backed up to a third-and-5.\n\n9:16 p.m.: Hudson remains active in the passing game, catching a nine-yard pass from Burrow to start the drive. The Bills use their first timeout with 8:17 left as the Bengals prepare for a second-and-1 from the Bills' 23.\n\n9:15 p.m.: Allen makes his first mistake of the game. Taylor-Britt leaps in front of Gabe Davis and picks up his third interception of the season (Allen's ninth of the year). That will give the Bengals excellent field position at the Bills' 32.\n\n9:14 p.m.: Allen starts the drive trying again to connect with Harty on a deep shot, but it's overthrown.\n\n9:11 p.m.: Burrow clearly wanted to go for it, but the Bengals decide to punt. Brad Robbins boots it up, and Hardy fair catches the ball at the Bills' 12.\n\n9:10 p.m.: Brutal false start penalty by Alex Cappa backs up the Bengals, and while Burrow connects with Drew Sample for six, the Bengals are still two yards shy of the marker. Fourth-and-2 coming up, and a decision for Cincinnati at the Bills' 48.\n\n9:08 p.m.: Bengals keep leaning on the running game with Mixon picking up two, then Williams rushing for five to bring up a third-and-3 at the Bills' 49.\n\n9:07 p.m.: Chase is tackled for a loss of two, but Mixon makes up for it right away, following Orlando Brown up the middle for a pickup of 12 yards for a first down up to the Bengals' 44.\n\n9:05 p.m.: The Bengals' offense picks up right where it left off. Burrow starts the third drive by firing a quick pass to Higgins on a curl route for a pickup of 12 to the 34.\n\n9:03 p.m.: Trenton Irwin returns the kick to the Bengals' 22.\n\n9:02 p.m.: Allen goes for a deep shot, but he can't connect with Deonte Hardy. Offensive holding is declined, and the Bills will be the first to punt tonight.\n\n9:01 p.m.: Bills now facing their longest third-down of the day. Cook lost a yard, then Allen is chased out of the pocket and just gets a throw off to Kincaid before he's sacked. Third-and-11 coming up.\n\n9 p.m.: Allen tries to connect with Trent Sherfield, but Cam Taylor-Britt is called for pass interference. That will move the Bills up 17 yards to the Bills' 44.\n\nFirst quarter\n\n8:56 p.m.: James Cook gets his first rush of the game, picking up two yards. That will bring this quarter to an end.\n\n8:55 p.m.: Bills will take the ball at the 25 on the fair catch at the 2. Just 0:35 left in a high-scoring first quarter.\n\n8:52 p.m. Bengals scoring play: Hand-off to Mixon, and he bulldozes his way up the middle for the 2-yard touchdown to give Cincinnati the lead again. Bengals 14, Bills 7\n\n8:51 p.m.: Cincinnati tries twice to get it to Chase, first with Chase being tackled at the 2 on a wide receiver screen and then a leaping grab for Chase in the end zone, where he can't quite hold on after the catch.\n\n8:49 p.m.: Bengals just miss out on another touchdown. Burrow escapes the pocket, then gets the ball out to Higgins who dives for the pylon. However, Higgins is ruled out at the 2.\n\n8:48 p.m.: Make it back-to-back firsts for the Bengals, as Hudson gets his second catch of the day, this one for 13 yards to the Bills' 14.\n\n8:47 p.m.: Bengals stay perfect on third downs, with Tyler Boyd catching a pass in front of the sideline for 15 yards up to the Bills' 27.\n\n8:46 p.m.: Bengals have their longest third-down attempt of the day. Mixon rushes for no gain, and Burrow can't connect with Smith after he gets flushed out of the pocket. Third-and-10 coming up.\n\n8:44 p.m.: Andrei Iosivas is getting involved in the passing game after back-to-back weeks with a touchdown. He catches a nine-yard pass after Burrow rolls out to his right. Mixon then picks up the first by rushing for three yards to the Bills' 42.\n\n8:44 p.m.: Burrow tries to connect with Ja'Marr Chase, but the throw is broken up. However, Burrow is roughed on the play, and the Bengals move up 15 yards.\n\n8:43 p.m.: Williams with a solid return, moving up to the Cincinnati 31 to start the drive.\n\n8:39 p.m. Bills scoring play: Allen rushes in for two yards, and is flagged for taunting as he runs in through the right side with 6:03 left in the first quarter. All offense so far. Bengals 7, Bills 7\n\nTwo drives. Two touchdowns.\n\n\n\nStrap in folks!\n\n\n\nvia @NFL pic.twitter.com/uzNNA2IqSr — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n8:37 p.m.: Allen scrambles out of the pocket, then flips a 15-yard pass out to Khalil Shakir for 22 yards up to the Bengals' 15. He follows that up by connecting with Kincaid for 13 yards out to the Cincinnati 2. These offenses are moving fast.\n\n8:35 p.m.: Stop if you've heard this before: Allen to Stefon Diggs. The dynamic duo connect for nine yards up the middle on a third-and-5, then they connect again for a huge 34-yard strike, with Diggs catching a short pass and carving through the left sideline down to the Bengals' 37.\n\nStefon Diggs is built different! 😤 pic.twitter.com/ETX4EgKc41 — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n8:34 p.m.: Allen starts the Bills' drive off by finding Dalton Kincaid for a quick pass of five yards out of an RPO. He tries to hit him again on second down, but can't connect.\n\n8:33 p.m.: Ty Johnson returns the kickoff out to the Bills' 15, where Josh Allen and Co. will start their drive.\n\n8:30 p.m. Bengals scoring play: Smith gets his first touchdown of the year, making a leaping grab over Jordan Poyer for a 7-yard touchdown. Bengals 7, Bills 0\n\nBengals fans can't ask for a better start. #RuleTheJungle\n\n\n\nvia @NFL pic.twitter.com/DKh9g4zugl — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n8:28 p.m.: Mixon gets his first rush of the game for three yards up the middle, then Burrow gets Smith involved, throwing a short pass to him. He takes it up to the Bills' 7 for 11 yards, and the Bengals are at a first-and-goal.\n\n8:28 p.m.: Burrow dodges a sack in the backfield, rolls out to his left and flips a pass to Tee Higgins for 18 yards up to the Bills' 21. Bengals are rolling early.\n\nJoe Burrow came ready for primetime! 💯\n\n📺: NBC & Peacock\n\n\n\n(Via: NFL)pic.twitter.com/bBnw5i4CvV — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n8:27 p.m.: Much ado was made about the tight end position last week when Irv Smith Jr. fumbled in the red zone. Today, the first tight end to get involved in the game is Tanner Hudson, who catches a six-yard pass and gets the first down.\n\n8:26 p.m.: Williams gets the first two carries of the game by a Bengal, and he rushes right up the middle for seven yards on first down and then a pickup of one trying to bounce outside.\n\n8:24 p.m.: Burrow starts the game with a quick checkdown pass to Joe Mixon, who takes it up the field eight yards. He then catches another short pass and takes it up 15 yards to the Bengals' 47.\n\n8:23 p.m.: Trayveon Williams returns the ball out to the 24, where the Bengals will start on offense.\n\n8:20 p.m.: The Bengals won the toss, and decided to take the ball on offense to start the game.\n\n8:13 p.m.: Think the Bengals' fans are ready for this game? They're striping the stadium.\n\nA look at the Paycor striping pic.twitter.com/9VsW19qGZ1 — Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 6, 2023\n\n8:12 p.m.: We're just minutes away from the start of this highly anticipated \"Sunday Night Football\" matchup.\n\nSunday Night Football's kicking into high gear!@carrieunderwood pic.twitter.com/7FlQhb198m — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n8:09 p.m.: Jason Garrett keeps it from being a clean sweep on the FNIA panel. He's the lone analyst that picks the Bills to beat the Bengals.\n\nAlmost a Bengals sweep... 👀 pic.twitter.com/KDh3awFV2y — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 6, 2023\n\n7:56 p.m.: Before the game, former punter Kevin Huber and former long-snapper Clark Harris are recognized on the jumbotron. The two are Cincinnati legends, with Huber having played in the most games as a Bengal (216 games) and Harris ranking fourth (202 games). The two are the rulers of the jungle for the game.\n\n7:45 p.m.: Rasul Douglas will be playing, but The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia is reporting Dane Jackson is getting more of the first-team snaps during warmups.\n\n6:50 p.m.: As expected, Hamlin is officially listed as inactive for the game.\n\n6:47 p.m.: Hamlin running out onto the field before the game.\n\n6:29 p.m.: Damar Hamlin won't be playing against the Bengals, but he is working out on the field in Cincinnati.\n\nDamar Hamlin is not expected to be active tonight, but is out on the field for a workout, taking in his return to Paycor Stadium. pic.twitter.com/nYzR62iTWl — Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) November 5, 2023\n\n6:19 p.m.: Joe Burrow arriving to the locker room with diamond headphones ahead of tonight's game.\n\nBusted out the diamond striped headphones for SNF 🥶 pic.twitter.com/G7DXUAEpPo — Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 5, 2023\n\nWhat channel is Bills vs. Bengals on today?\n\nGame: Bills at Bengals\n\nBills at Bengals Date: Sunday, Nov. 5\n\nSunday, Nov. 5 TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock, NBCSports.com, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nSunday's game will be carried by NBC, which has carried \"Sunday Night Football\" since 2006, and will continue to do so through at least 2033.\n\nThe game will feature the usual broadcast group of Mike Tirico (play by play) and Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) in the booth, and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.\n\nThere will be several options to live stream the game. NBCSports.com will have a broadcast of the game for fans with a cable login. Peacock will have NBC's broadcast, as will Fubo, which offers a free trial. Fans in Canada can stream the game live with DAZN.\n\nBills vs. Bengals start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Nov. 5\n\nSunday, Nov. 5 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET\n\nThe Bills and Bengals will face off on Sunday, Nov. 5, with the game slated to begin at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will be held at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nTaylor Swift has revealed when her relationship with Travis Kelce really started.\n\nThe 33-year-old singer spoke candidly about the romance during a recent interview with Time after she was named the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. Speaking to the publication, she said she connected with Kelce in July, after he confessed on his podcast that he tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during one of her Eras Tour shows.\n\n“This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” she explained. “We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other.”\n\nSwift also confirmed that when she famously first attended Kelce’s game at Arrowhead Stadium in September, she was already dating the NFL star.\n\n“By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date,” she said.\n\nThe “Blank Space” singer also acknowledged that although her love life continues to make headlines with every Kansas City Chiefs game she attends, she’s focused on being there for her partner. She specified that she isn’t trying to hide her relationship from the public eye.\n\n“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she said. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”\n\nDuring the interview with Time, the Grammy winner addressed how her appearances at Kelce’s games are heavily publicised. So far, she’s attended five of Kelce’s games, including one on 3 December, and she’s often seated in the Kelce family suite during the events.\n\n“There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once,” she said.\n\nShe explained that she doesn’t necessarily pay attention to the cameras and fans around her in those stadiums because she is watching her boyfriend play.\n\n(Denver Post via Getty Images)\n\n“I’m just there to support Travis,” she said. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”\n\nWhen discussing how many Swifties have now started watching NFL games since she started dating Kelce, she quipped about how much she likes the sport. “Football is awesome, it turns out,” she joked. “I’ve been missing out my whole life.”\n\nSwift’s effect on the NFL didn’t go unnoticed in October, as one game between the Chiefs and New York Jets - which she attended with some of her famous friends - became the most-watched Sunday NFL show since the Super Bowl LVII in February 2023.\n\nThe “All Too Well” singer’s interview with Time marks her first time publicly speaking out about Kelce, who she’s been romantically linked to since this summer, when the football tight end first confessed to attempting to give her his number.\n\nWhile Swift has attended a few of Kelce’s games since their relationship started, he’s also gone on to support her career. In November, he made his way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend one of her Eras Tour shows. During the concert, Swift gave a shout-out to the Chiefs player when she changed her “Karma” lyrics to reflect their relationship. “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me,” she sang, letting out a laugh as fans in the audience screamed in response.\n\nAfter the show, the “Style” singer was seen running into Kelce’s arms and kissing him, before he whisked her away backstage.\n\nElsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines. “Over the years, I’ve learned I don’t have the time or bandwidth to get pressed about things that don’t matter. Yes, if I go out to dinner, there’s going to be a whole chaotic situation outside the restaurant. But I still want to go to dinner with my friends,” she said.\n\nShe emphasised how her perspective about the media has changed over the years, adding: “Life is short. Have adventures. Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years - I’ll never get that time back. I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”\n\nWith his love life in the public eye, Kelce has also opened up about his relationship with Swift. In an interview withWSJ Magazine, published on 20 November, he described how much he admires her skills as a musician. “I’ve never been a man of words. Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f***ing mind-blowing. I’m learning every day,” he explained.\n\nHowever, he also acknowledged the heavy public attention around his private life as a result of his relationship, noting he’s “never dated anyone with that kind of aura around them”. But, according to Kelce, he’s not letting the media affect his relationship.\n\n“But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it,” he said. “The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange.”", + "Tuesday night's NHL national games feature an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden in addition to a battle between the team that left and the team that took its place. The Rangers and Red Wings will face off at the world's most famous arena as both squads have jumped out to hot starts in the new season. Dylan Larkin is a game-time decision for the Motor City while injuries to the Blueshirts' Adam Fox, Filip Chytil and Igor Shesterkin are making sure some of this matchup's biggest stars will not be watching in uniform. Regardless, there is still plenty of star power on Broadway in what should feature plenty of offense.\n\nIn the late game, the Devils return to Colorado -- the place they left in order to move to New Jersey -- for a showdown with the Avalanche. Again, injuries are a big part of the storyline here, thanks to Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out until further notice. But just because injuries might take some of the juice out of these games doesn't mean that SuperDraft isn't giving us plenty of reasons to care. There are some snazzy looking props out there for us to make our bottom line look at lot better than it did earlier this morning.\n\nSuperDraft users can win 3X the amount wagered if their two-legged player prop parlay hits. If all four of the props below hit, users will win 10x their entry. In other words, a $20 entry fee will yield a $200 payout. the more legs you add to your player prop parlay, the larger your potential payout becomes, but as the long odds indicate, completing a clean sweep is challenging.\n\nBelow, we'll break down four of our favorite player props for Tuesday night's NHL slate. Users don't necessarily have to parlay all four picks together, though. Instead, you could make separate two-legged parlays to increase your win probability or attempt to hit it big if all four picks come through.\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nBest NHL prop bets today: SuperDraft player prop picks for Wednesday\n\n*10x potential payout if users parlay all four correct picks\n\n1. Artemi Panarin, LW, Rangers vs. Red Wings — OVER 3 shots on goal\n\nPanarin has registered at least three shots on goal in nine of 11 games this season, going over three in six of those contests. The winger has been up to his usual antics in the new season, but is also seeing some extra ice time under new head coach Peter Laviolette. The Rangers head into this matchup with a makeshift lineup thanks to those injuries that is forcing them to adjust. The absences of Fox and Chytil are a big deal, however, as Panarin loses Fox, who quarterbacks the power play, and Chytil, who centered his line at even strength. Panarin is still all over the ice for the Blueshirts though and is even seeing 18.8 percent of his shifts start in the offensive zone, a welcome sight after the last two seasons with Gerard Gallant behind the bench. The Red Wings have allowed the 11th most SOG this season (371) and the fourth most power play opportunities (46). If the Rangers can play with the man advantage, Panarin should hit this number with ease, but he's enough of a factor at even strength that we like the OVER here anyway.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS & FANTASY PROPS: How to play SuperDraft\n\n2. Daniel Sprong, RW, Red Wings @ Rangers — OVER 2.5 shots on goal\n\nDespite not being featured in the top six, Sprong is holding down the fort on the third line, averaging five shot attempts per game through the first 12. He's hit the over in five straight, with 18 SOG compared to just eight combined for his two linemates. Sprong does see some work on the second power play unit, but is clearly willing to fire a lot of pucks at the net with his shoot-first mentality on the third line. With the Rangers still figuring out how to deal with the loss of Fox, there should be some opportunities there for Sprong to find at least three shots tonight.\n\n3. Jesper Bratt, LW, Devils @ Avalanche — UNDER 0.5 assists\n\nBratt comes into Tuesday night's action with seven goals and 11 assists in 11 games. The winger came firing out of the gate, but the outlook has changed for the Devils in recent days after losing the superstar center Hughes to injury. Hughes went down after slamming into the boards against the Blues, forcing New Jersey to change things on the fly. The changes have directly impacted Bratt, who was featured on the top line alongside Hughes. With fellow center Hischier also out with an injury, leaving the Devils fairly weak down the middle and trusting Michael McLeod to hold down the fort in between Bratt and Tyler Toffoli. As a result, Bratt has been held without an assist in each of the last two games for a team that's missing a key contributor on offense. And it'll need him to look to score rather than play the role of playmaker. Until the Devils figure things out, we can't trust this team to do anything positive in the offensive zone.\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\n4. Cale Makar, D, Avalanche vs. Devils — OVER 2.5 shots on goal\n\nOver this number in each of the last two, fans will want to see Makar shoot the puck a little more after going under in five of the previous six before his recent hot streak. Facing a Devils team that is reeling thanks to injuries should help Makar's cause with Colorado able to control the play in the Mile High City. He's the team's top defenseman and a key piece to their power play. Barring something unforeseen, Makar will have plenty of opportunities to find three shots before the 60 minutes on the clock run out. And with 5.9 shot attempts per game, it's only a matter of time before they start finding their way on goal.", + "Autosport has revealed its annual list of the 2023’s Top 50 drivers. The renowned motorsports publishing brand has continued the tradition since 2002, and every year, the announcement creates some suspense within the racing community. Highlighting the 50 standout performers in motorsports for the year, Autosport has included several NASCAR drivers in the prestigious list.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nWilliam Byron leads the list of NASCAR drivers with a 12th-place ranking as Kyle Larson and 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney join him. The scarcity of NASCAR drivers in the rankings has raised some eyebrows. With the year producing numerous cases of NASCAR drivers standing out with their consistency and skills behind the steering wheel, let us look at some of the major exclusions from Autosport’s Top 50 Drivers of 2023.\n\n1. Chris Buescher\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nRFK Racing found a fresh breath of motivation this year. Since Brad Keselowski arrived in 2022, the team has continued evolving on and off the track. While Keselowski has certainly instilled his experience and winning mentality within the team, he failed to produce a race win in 2023. Instead, it was Chris Buescher who outshone the Cup Series veteran with his best-ever season in NASCAR’s premier competition.\n\nChris Buescher ended his season with three wins, nine top-5s, and 17 top-tens. Two of his three wins in 2023 came in succession at Richmond and Michigan. Buescher continued his dream run in the Cup Series playoffs and eventually finished 7th in the final standings. The #17 Ford Mustang driver could not, however, secure a win in the Round of 8 and did not have enough points to make a case for the championship four race at Phoenix.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters Jul 30, 2023; Richmond, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher (17) celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports\n\nOverall, he has been one of the season’s standout performers and displayed incredible grit and consistency throughout the year. His performances in 2023 make a strong case for a place in the best 50 drivers of the year.\n\n2. Denny Hamlin\n\nFinding a fan of Denny Hamlin in the NASCAR fandom is a tough task. Continuously surrounded by controversy, Joe Gibbs Racing‘s #11 Toyota Camry driver has been subject to a lot of criticism. However, his ability as a race car driver has never been in doubt. As the season entered its decisive phase of the playoffs, it seemed like 2023 would be the year Hamlin’s championship drought finally ended.\n\nThe 43-year-old dominated the first round of the playoffs and was the driver to watch out for. He eventually won his first playoff race in Bristol and cruised to the next round. However, Hamlin revealed recently that a shoulder injury prevented him from being at the best of his abilities as the playoffs progressed. Having to depend much on his weaker arm, Hamlin stayed in contention for the championship four race until the final race in Martinsville.\n\nHe secured three wins, 14 top-fives, and 19 top-10 finishes in 2023. He also led a whopping 998 laps, which makes his omission from Autosport’s list seem unjustified. He finished 5th in the final standings and was one of the most consistent and best performers of the 2023 NASCAR season. From the looks of it, a championship trophy would have surely put him in the upper echelons of Autosport’s Top 50.\n\n3. Christopher Bell\n\nAs unfortunate as Denny Hamlin was, his JGR teammate Christopher Bell must have felt hard done by after an impressive season. The #20 Toyota Camry driver progressed to the championship race for a second successive season. However, a cruel twist of fate waited for him in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, as he was forced to retire early from the biggest race of his career with a broken brake rotor.\n\nvia Imago NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Food City Dirt Race Apr 9, 2023 Bristol, Tennessee, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell 20 wins the Food City Dirt Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course. Bristol Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course Tennessee USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRandyxSartinx 20230409_lbm_bs1_024\n\nBell’s 2023 season has gone under the radar. With an average starting position of 9.6, the 29-year-old was the sole driver to have an average starting position below 10. A win in the Round of 8 race at Homestead-Miami propelled him to a consecutive Championship 4 appearance. Christopher Bell also dominated the qualifying races throughout the season, especially in the playoffs. Bell recorded poles in the first three races of the playoffs to begin his playoff campaign on a superb note.\n\nThe Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished the season with two wins, 19 top-tens, and ten top-5s in 2023. He eventually finished fourth in the final NASCAR Cup Series standings and was another one of the prominent performers of the calendar year.\n\n4. Tyler Reddick\n\n2023 was a year of milestones for 23XI Racing. The team had two drivers in the Cup Series playoffs for the first time since its inception. One of the major reasons behind its success in 2023 is #45 Toyota Camry driver Tyler Reddick.\n\nAlongside team owner Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick was the pick of the drivers in the first round of the NASCAR playoffs. The 27-year-old California native showcased his road course prowess with a win at COTA earlier this year. Carrying the momentum to the playoffs, Reddick won in Kansas in the Round of 16 to gain more traction for his championship push. He also had one of the best average starting positions among the drivers, with an average of 10.167, despite having only two poles to his name.\n\nWatch This Story: NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick’s unexpected EV confession\n\nTyler Reddick finished sixth in the final standings and ended the season with two wins, ten top-5s, and 16 top-10s. He also led 470 laps throughout the season and recorded his best-ever finish in the Cup Series. Reddick was among the dark horses for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title and certainly held the potential to win the competition.\n\n5. Ross Chastain\n\nRoss Chastain‘s performance in 2023 was one of the many positives for Trackhouse Racing this season. The 30-year-old Floridian created history in the season finale by becoming the first non-championship driver to win the Championship 4 race since the introduction of the new playoff system in 2014. Driving the #1 Chevrolet Camaro, the “Melon Man” equaled his career-best tally of two wins in a season after victories in Nashville and Phoenix.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters Nov 5, 2023; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) celebrates his race victory following the Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports\n\nWhile his on-track expertise was one of the notable points in 2023, his off-track antics didn’t go unnoticed either. Ross Chastain was clouded in controversy after a fistfight with Noah Gragson and on-track altercations with Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. While his cutthroat racing style appeased the fans, his driving skills didn’t waver either.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nChastain scored two wins, ten 1op-5s, and 14 top-tens, while leading 640 laps in 2023. He also led the NASCAR Cup Series standings for seven weeks and had a career-best 28 lead lap finishes. Overall, Ross Chastain has been one of the most resilient NASCAR drivers of 2023 and deserves a mention among NASCAR’s very best.\n\nTwo more drivers to have featured in the 2023 NASCAR season and Autosport’s Top 50 Drivers are Supercars racers Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki. While the pair battled for the championship in the Australian racing circuit, they also raced at the Indianapolis road course race earlier this season. SVG had earlier created history by winning in his NASCAR debut at the inaugural Chicago Street Race.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThese are some major exclusions that could have been featured in Autosport’s annual list. At the same time, motorsports is a vast field with elite competitions taking place the world over. Some fan favorites are bound to be left out.", + "The laggards Meanwhile, healthcare companies (down 0.1 per cent) fell despite CSL (down 0.4 per cent) delivering broadly in line with expectations. Pro Medicus (down 0.2 per cent) and Ramsay Health Care (down 0.5 per cent) also fell. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (down 1.3 per cent) and Westpac (down 0.2 per cent) were among the biggest large-cap decliners, while Bank of Queensland shed 6.9 per cent after missing consensus expectations. Lithium miner Liontown (down 3.3 per cent), TPG Telecom (down 1.3 per cent) and gold miner Northern Star (down 1 per cent) were also among the biggest large-cap decliners.\n\nThe lowdown TMS Capital portfolio manager Ben Clark said the Australian sharemarket was stronger on the back of a calming bond market and positive lead from Wall Street, as well as positive news out of China. “The bond market is retracing,” he said. “There’s also been strength in resource stocks amid rumours that the Chinese government might launch a substantial stimulus package.” Clark said interest-rate sensitive sectors climbed on increased probabilities of an easing in interest rates. “Consumer discretionary and information technology companies are winners in lower-interest rate environments,” he said. As more annual general meetings kick off in the next few weeks, Clark said he would be looking at trading updates, especially of companies that didn’t give solid guidance in their last update.\n\nElsewhere, Wall Street advanced overnight, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq touching three-week highs as dovish comments from the Fed officials pushed Treasury yields lower. Following remarks from other top Fed officials on Monday, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said the US central bank did not need to raise interest rates any further, and that he saw no recession ahead. Oil edged lower, with West Texas Intermediate settling below $US86 a barrel following its biggest rally since April. The Australian dollar was US64.20¢ at the close as the US dollar fell for a fifth straight day, its longest losing streak since July. ‘Everybody has one eye on the Middle East conflict and one eye on what’s happening with bond yields.’ John Praveen, managing director at Paleo Leon The 10-year Treasury yield came off its 16-year peak, on track for its steepest single-day drop since May, as trading resumed in the US bond market, which had been closed for a holiday on Monday. Ten-year yields tumbled as much as 18 basis points to 4.62 per cent. Fed swaps currently show about a 60 per cent chance the Fed will stay on hold in December, compared with 60 per cent odds on another interest rate rise by then, just a week ago. But while oil prices eased after Monday’s rally, investors were still closely monitoring developments the Middle East.\n\nIsraeli air strikes attacked Gaza on Tuesday, razing entire districts in the densely populated and impoverished enclave. “Everybody has one eye on the Middle East conflict and one eye on what’s happening with bond yields. The decline in bond yields is the key driver today,” said John Praveen, managing director & co-chief investment officer at Paleo Leon. Loading While the Fed’s dovish comments were helping stocks on Tuesday and investors were being sanguine about the Middle East, Praveen said that view could change if, for example, the fighting spread to other countries in the region. “If tensions escalate bond yields might decline further because they’re a safe haven, but equities would sell off in that instance because of increased uncertainty and risk aversion,” he said.\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 per cent, to 33,739.30, the S&P 500 gained 0.5 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.6 per cent. All 11 major S&P 500 sectors were advancing with materials and consumer staples leading gains, while technology was the slowest gainer. Energy was among the laggards after its more than 3 per cent rally on Monday. A measure of US-listed Chinese shares added 3 per cent amid reports that the Asian nation is considering new economic stimulus. “Policymakers have begun to acknowledge a lesser need for further policy action given financial conditions have tightened considerably after the recent surge in Treasury yields,” said Ben Jeffery at BMO Capital Markets. “This acknowledgment may have reduced angst around the need for additional rate increases.” Loading Investors will be watching for any hints in the September Fed meeting minutes due on Wednesday that would suggest the Fed may not follow through with the last rise indicated in its economic projections, according to Anna Wong at Bloomberg Economics. Two critical coming indicators for the US economy — Thursday’s consumer price index and Friday’s University of Michigan consumer-sentiment survey — may give a more definitive read, she noted.\n\nBillionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC the current geopolitical environment was the “most threatening and challenging” he’d ever seen following Hamas’s attack on Israel over the weekend and predicted the US will enter into a recession early next year. The shekel regained its footing as the central bank duelled short sellers to contain the market fallout from Israel’s conflict with militant group Hamas. European gas prices jumped, with Finland on high alert as it suspects a gas pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea was caused by a deliberate act of destruction, fuelling concerns about the safety of Europe’s energy infrastructure. Base metals sank amid fresh fears over property turmoil in China. Tweet of the day\n\nQuote of the day “This is as strong a level of confidence in the market that we have seen since before COVID,” said The Leasing Agency group managing director Terence Yeh as the return of international students and a growing number of apartments in inner-city Melbourne provides a shot in the arm for CBD hospitality businesses. You may have missed Corporate leaders caught underpaying staff should expect zero sympathy from new Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth, who believes chief executives and board directors are directly responsible for any failures to pay correct wages. With Bloomberg/Reuters", + "Could Google actually lose?\n\nWhen I walked into the courtroom on Monday morning, it seemed impossible. If Epic couldn’t prove Apple’s walled iOS garden is a monopoly, how could the comparatively open Google do worse against the windmill-tilting Fortnite developer?\n\nBut now that both sides have made their opening arguments to a jury, I’m not quite as sure. Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog.\n\nEpic lead attorney Gary Bornstein was tasked with making the case that Android functions as an unlawful monopoly. He did so by basically calling Google a bully and a cheat that “bribes” or “blocks” any attempt to compete with Android’s Google Play store. The result? A status quo where the vast, vast majority of Android app installs are from Google Play, with only a tiny sliver attributable to the Galaxy Store that comes preinstalled on every Samsung phone.\n\nThe future of Google’s app store is at stake in a lawsuit by Fortnite publisher Epic Games. Epic sued Google in 2020 after a fight over in-app purchase fees, claiming the Android operating system’s Google Play Store constituted an unlawful monopoly — while Google says its demands would damage Android’s ability to offer a secure user experience and compete with Apple’s iOS. Follow along with updates here.\n\nBornstein showed jurors charts of Google’s fat app profit margins (70 percent on $12 billion in revenue a year, says Epic) and pointed out several ugly-seeming ways Google has allegedly attempted to keep anyone from taking that money away — like paying game developers not to build their own app stores or standalone app launchers like Epic did with Fortnite.\n\n“Google pays actual and potential competitors not to compete. Literally gives them money and other things of value,” said Bornstein. “It’s like Google saying, ‘Here’s $360 million’ — that’s an actual number you’ll hear about — why don’t you sit this one out and let me win?”\n\nThe upshot for consumers, Epic’s earlier legal filings have suggested, is that we pay higher prices for apps than we would if there were more competition and / or lower app store and payment processing fees. But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.\n\nIt’s not clear how much of that evidence will hold up on closer examination. That $360 million, for instance, refers to an alleged payment that kept Activision from opening an app store that could compete with Google Play. But Activision told The Verge in 2022 that it “never entered into an agreement that Activision would not open its own app store” — and Google is now, it says, armed with the evidence to prove it. On Monday, Epic’s attorney admitted Google “was too clever” to draw up contracts that specifically forced developers not to compete with the Play Store. The overall narrative is compelling, though — and I’m not sure Google’s opening statement countered it. Google spent its 45 minutes attempting to explain that its dominance over the Android app market isn’t anything nefarious but simply the natural outcome of Google fiercely competing with the iPhone and its iOS App Store, where Google would like the court to believe that competition truly lies.\n\nIf Google can convince the jury of that, it could be a winning argument in the case — because obviously, Google doesn’t have a monopoly on app stores or phones in general. “You cannot separate the quality of a phone from the quality of the apps in its app store, and that means Google and Apple compete against each other,” began Google lead attorney Glenn Pomerantz.\n\nBut Google wound up spending much of its opening statement attempting to explain away its seemingly bad behavior as normal business practices and didn’t always succeed out of the gate. I did like Pomerantz’s commonsense argument that Google can’t possibly have a monopoly on Android app stores when “every single Samsung phone comes with two app stores right on the homescreen,” which continued:\n\nWhen they show these charts that show all these downloads from Play and not from the Galaxy Store, that’s what the Samsung phone users are choosing. They’re touching Play. Nothing’s keeping them from touching the Galaxy Store; it’s just what works for them.\n\nI called Google “comparatively open” earlier, and that openness will likely be heavily debated in the weeks to come. Epic promised to “show that Google has closed off each and every other option” to the Play Store during this trial. But Google points to the simple fact that it allows alternate app channels at all — something Android rival iOS doesn’t.\n\nPomerantz boasted that over a billion people have gone through the process Epic portrays as needlessly onerous to get apps outside the Play Store. (Google told The Verge over email that this refers to how many users have enabled the Android sideloading flow, not necessarily followed through with an install.) “A billion people have done it after getting notified of the potential risks,” Pomerantz said. “That’s because Android users have a real choice.”\n\nGoogle also took its own turn trying to paint Epic as the bad guy. First, it pointed out how Epic hatched a secret plan called “Project Liberty” to quietly update Fortnite with code to bypass app store fees, get its app kicked off Apple’s and Google’s app stores, and sue.\n\nThen, it showed off a few out-of-context quotes from internal Epic communications — suggesting that phrases like “How do we not look like the bad guys?” and “Just planting the nefarious seed now” and “I mean everything we’re attempting is technically a violation of Google’s policy, right?” showed that Epic knew it was breaking bad at the time it did the deed.\n\nBut Epic mentioned Project Liberty in its own opening statement — so, by that point, it had already been an hour since it admitted it intentionally broke Google’s rules. “Epic decided to stand up because that’s what you do to a bully,” Bornstein told the jury.\n\n“All we know is whatever is in the destroyed chats, as bad as the documents are, is worse.”\n\nAnd it’s possible no examination will be able to take the stink off one of Google’s ugliest moves: the one where Google employees up to and including CEO Sundar Pichai were caught setting sensitive chats to auto-delete to keep them out of a court’s hands. The court has already decided Google should be sanctioned in some way for making potential evidence disappear, and Bornstein used it to plant persistent seeds of doubt in the minds of jury members. “All we know is whatever is in the destroyed chats, as bad as the documents are, is worse. Or at least it was worse, before they were destroyed.”\n\nThe best Google could do in response was to plant its own feeble seed with the jury, too: “Is Epic using the chats to distract me from all the evidence I do see?”\n\n“It’s true that Google could have automatically saved all chats for all relevant employees, but just because Google didn’t save some chats didn’t mean it violated antitrust laws,” Pomerantz argued.\n\nEpic’s opening statements seemed to paint a clearer picture for the jury than those from Google. But things got complicated for both parties when the first two witnesses — Epic Games Store head Steve Allison and Yoga Buddhi CEO Benjamin Simon, who also appeared in the earlier Epic v. Apple trial — took the stand.\n\nBoth Epic and Google spent a long, long time on subtle lines of questioning. You really had to read between the lines to see that Epic was trying to make a point about how Google’s 70/30 revenue split is probably based on an arbitrary decision Valve made two decades ago with Steam or how Google was trying to make a point that Epic, too, likely believed that an app store provides more value than just payment processing and maybe deserves more money.", + "Liverpool vs Everton begins epic Saturday with World Cup semi-final as well as Chelsea vs Arsenal – and it could end with a bang\n\nAs the Premier League returns with a Saturday packed full of huge matches, talkSPORT gets the action started at Anfield.\n\nBut that's not all there is, with a Rugby World Cup semi-final, a London derby and a packed UFC card among the other offerings.\n\n9 Merseyside derbies are never dull and talkSPORT has the first one of the season live Credit: Getty\n\n9 Everton are starting to look much better after a rocky start Credit: Getty\n\nHere, talkSPORT runs through what is an epic day of sport.\n\nMerseyside derby\n\nLiverpool are sitting in a comfortable fourth place in the Premier League table having picked up five wins out of their opening eight games.\n\nThe bad news for Jurgen Klopp is that the Reds lost to Tottenham and only managed a draw with Brighton just before the international break.\n\nAnd Klopp has a new worry: the Reds are without Andy Robertson after the left-back suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty with Scotland.\n\nHis absence could open up a gap in their defence for Everton to exploit.\n\nThe Toffees were winless in their first five games, but have since picked up two much-needed wins.\n\nBut Everton are up against the odds, having won just one out of the last 25 previous Merseyside derbies.\n\nLiverpool vs Everton is live on talkSPORT at 12:30pm on October 21\n\n9 Sean Dyche's side go into the Merseyside derby as heavy underdogs Credit: Getty\n\nCrystal Palace look to end Newcastle's building momentum\n\nThe Magpies have been on an impressive run of form across all competitions, knocking last year's treble winners Manchester City out the Carabao Cup while defeating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 in the Champions League.\n\nBut Crystal Palace proved to be an unbeatable obstacle for Newcastle last season.\n\nThey recorded a goalless draw against Palace in all three of their meetings last season in all competitions.\n\nNewcastle are without Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes through injury - but Sandro Tonali is available, despite allegations of illegal betting which led to him being sent home from Italy's national team squad.\n\nMeanwhile, Palace have been defensively impressive this term, keeping four clean sheets.\n\nThey sit ninth in the table, just one place behind Newcastle, and can vault the Magpies with a win.\n\nNewcastle take on Crystal Palace live on talkSPORT 2 at 3pm on October 21\n\n9 Tonali will be available for the Magpies despite fears he could be banned Credit: Getty\n\nArsenal looking to remain 'Kings of London' away at Chelsea\n\nMikel Arteta's side go into the 5.30pm London derby clash full of confidence having beaten Manchester City in their last match.\n\nAnd they boast a brilliant record against the Blues of late, winning six out of their last seven meetings.\n\nThey have triumphed in their last three trips to Stamford Bridge, and haven't lost in a London derby since May 2022.\n\nAs for Chelsea, they go into their match against the Gunners hopeful of a result having won their last three games in all competitions.\n\nBoth teams face injury doubts, with Arsenal to potentially be without Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, while it remains to be seen if Reece James and Armando Broja feature for the hosts.\n\n9 Saka missed Arsenal's 1-0 victory over City at the Emirates last time out Credit: Getty\n\nSheffield United desperate for points against lacklustre Manchester United\n\nWith just one point on the board, Sheffield United's season could not be going much worse given they are rock bottom.\n\nWith a fixture against Manchester United on the cards, though, they may feel their hopes could be looking up given Erik ten Hag's men disappointing season.\n\nThey sit tenth in the table having won four and lost as many from their opening eight games.\n\nBut their most recent Premier League victory over Brentford may give the Red Devils hope their season is on the up.\n\nSheffield United vs Manchester United is live on talkSPORT - kick off is at 8:00pm\n\n9 United got a dramatic win over Brentford before the international break Credit: Getty\n\nAn England vs South Africa double header\n\nIf you've had your football fix for the day, there's also a packed Saturday of rugby and cricket.\n\nIt's crunch time for England in the World Cups as they face South Africa in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup and in the ODI Cricket World Cup.\n\nAfter England secured victory over Fiji in the quarter-finals, they now look to overcome defending champions South Africa to advance into their second consecutive Rugby World Cup final.\n\ntalkSPORT will have updates from all the action in Paris as England take on the Springboks from 8:00pm\n\n9 Owen Farrell will be looking to inspire England to victory against the Springboks Credit: Getty\n\nOver in India, England's Cricket World Cup hopes hang by a thread after their latest shock defeat to Afghanistan.\n\nThey will be boosted by the news that Ben Stokes is fit for the match after he picked up a hip injury five days before the tournament.\n\nBut victory for England could scarcely be more crucial.\n\nHaving also lost to New Zealand in their opener, their chances of finishing in the top four and progressing to the semi-finals are looking dubious.\n\nBut South Africa, despite winning their first two games, suffered a shock defeat to the Netherlands in their most recent match - a sign for England that the Proteas can be beaten.\n\ntalkSPORT will bring you updates as England take on South Africa in the Cricket World Cup in Mumbai from 9:30am\n\n9 It's not looking good for England's cricketers\n\nUFC 294 in Abu Dhabi\n\nIslam Makhachev is hoping to to successfully defend his UFC lightweight belt against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.\n\nMakhachev retained his title in February this year as he defeated Volkanovski by a unanimous decision.\n\nBut despite the Russian's favourable 24-1-0 record, Volkanovski will be desperate to add the lightweight belt to his featherweight title.\n\nAlso on the cards, Kamaru Usman will fight Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight title eliminator.\n\nExpect fireworks.", + "E-commerce search startup Deft is releasing a multimodal search function for users to get better results. The company, which opened its service to beta users in May, has rolled out the new search experience so users don’t have to describe the item in words.\n\nThe company is trying to solve the problem of finding the right item without spending hours looking for a product. Often users end up with subpar results while searching for products because their search query description won’t match the details of listed items. The startup is relying on different techniques, including building its own parser and knowledge graph combined with large language models (LLMs) and multimodal search.\n\nDeft was founded in 2019 by Alex Gunnarson and Zach Hudson. Gunnarson started working on the idea after he couldn’t find a specific type of couch online even after putting in different parameters and descriptions. It took him hours to find a perfect result for his search, so Gunnarson decided to build a solution with Hudson.\n\nUsers can go to Deft and search for things like “wooden lamps with three legs under $400” or upload an image, and modify their search to “lamps under $400 that look like this.” While it’s hard to know you can do this if someone doesn’t tell you that it works, users can also paste the image directly into the search bar. The company is working on highlighting the image search feature better.\n\nThe company said that it doesn’t just look at the listing and description for search results. It also looks at materials, reviews, photos and more. This way, when someone searches for a “pet-friendly” couch, Deft can return results with stain and scratch-resistant material.\n\n“You have companies like Google and Amazon that continue to push the most relevant listings down so they can make more advertising dollars.” Zach Hudson\n\nDeft is currently focusing on furniture and home décor search but aims to expand to different categories along the way. The company has built its own scraping tech to add products to its search results. It shows results from Target, Pottery Barn and other places on the web. The company hasn’t added searches from Amazon yet because it feels there are a lot of “junk” listings on the site and it will take some work to clean up that data.\n\nHudson told TechCrunch that there are a few plaguing problems with the traditional search experience that prevent users from finding a suitable item.\n\n“You have companies like Google and Amazon that continue to push the most relevant listings down so they can make more advertising dollars. Some easy searches are now hard because marketers have learned how to game these search engines. Plus, now you have AI content that is putting the burden on users to separate fact from fiction,” he said.\n\nThe company raised $1.8 million in a seed round from Hustle Fund, Frontier VC, Vitalize, Long Ecommerce Ventures, 43 Ventures and angel investors.\n\nThe startup said it is on track to hit 50,000 monthly active users by the end of this year. While co-founders didn’t reveal the exact search volume the product is catering to, they said Deft is seeing “tens of thousands” of searches every week. They added that people using Deft for the second time do more searches than their first visit.\n\nThe team also noted that it has a conversion rate that is five times higher — a measure of people buying the product versus seeing it — compared to the standard e-commerce rate, which is around 2-3%, according to various estimates.\n\nDeft doesn’t show ads on its platform. Rather, it relies on affiliate commissions to generate revenue. However, the startup wants subscriptions to be its primary revenue driver. Deft is currently testing two paid tiers: a $10 a month plan, which will offer better search customization to filter out some brands, and a $20 per month plan, which will enable personal shopping service, that will continue to look for suitable products even after you stop searching manually.\n\nUp next, Deft aims to release a browser extension that helps users search for products by the end of this year or early next year. In the next three years, the company wants to build and release search APIs that other e-commerce sites could use.\n\nChallenges of building a search startup\n\nGiven that it’s building a search solution for e-commerce, Deft already faces challenges from Amazon and Google. In September, Amazon updated its visual search feature that lets users snap a photo of a product and search for similar items on the platform. Google released its multi-search feature last year that lets users fuse images and text. Separately, Deft will also face competition from other startups like Objective, a Matrix Partners-backed startup building an API platform for multimodal search.\n\nCaroline Casson, a partner at Vitalize Venture Capital and an investor in Deft, believes the startup has an edge because of its knowledge graph for products.\n\n“Building a robust e-commerce search engine is incredibly complex on the backend. The extensive knowledge graph that Deft has built combined with AI search capabilities makes for a high-quality user experience. We were excited about early iterations of the product when we invested and we continue to be impressed with each product enhancement,” Casson told TechCrunch over email.\n\nAdii Pienaar, another investor, and co-founder of WooCommerce, which was acquired by Automattic, told TechCrunch over a call that he sees Deft as solving user experience problems.\n\n“Over the last couple of years, consumers have been trying out new ways to interact with and purchase products. I see Deft as creating a new kind of UX for purchasing,” he said.\n\nStartups like Neeva — which was founded by former Google execs — tried to convince people to switch to paid and private search with additional features. However, earlier this year, the startup shut down its consumer efforts and eventually got acquired by Snowflake.\n\nPienaar said that Deft has to give compelling reasons to users to switch to its service.\n\n“Users’ natural behavior for search is to follow the path of least resistance, i.e. most people just pick up their phone and just use the default search engine. For Deft to change that behavior, they will need to create a high-value proposition,” he said.\n\nAmir Konigsberg, an investor and founder of e-commerce search startup Twiggle (which shut down), said his startup wanted to solve ChatGPT-type interactions in the shopping world. He said that the main problem for startups in this space is the go-to-market strategy and fundraising.\n\n“The problem with competing with e-commerce players is not just about user experience, it’s also about logistics infrastructure and supply chain. So a startup catering to consumer search has to invest a lot of money into making it a viable business,” Konigsberg told TechCrunch.\n\nHe also added that it will be difficult for a startup like Deft to build user loyalty while competing against Google and Amazon.\n\nBoth Pienaar and Konigsberg said that Deft will have to involve retailers in the mix either as partners or as customers of their search product. Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see if Deft can build a user base on its own or sell its search feature to e-commerce retailers.", + "How Do Intestinal Stem Cells Know Their Destiny? What Triggers Stem Cells to Repair Our Intestines? New Research Offers Answers\n\nWhat Tells Intestinal Stem Cells to Regenerate? New Study Explains\n\nStem cells have the remarkable ability to transform and replenish dying or injured cells. Yet, the process by which they select their cellular identity in particular scenarios remains a puzzle.\n\nThe research team led by Bon-Kyoung Koo at IMBA, in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science, has pinpointed a previously unknown gene, Daam1. This gene is critical for activating the formation of secretory cells in the intestines.\n\nThis breakthrough, documented in the November 24 issue of Science Advances, heralds a new chapter in the understanding of cancer.\n\nMuch like automobiles that require constant maintenance to remain operational, our bodies rely on the continual renewal of cells to sustain organ function. Such regeneration is made possible by adult stem cells native to the tissues, which, unlike their embryonic counterparts that can become any cell type, are programmed to only replace the specific types of cells in their respective tissues.\n\nDetermining how these cells are guided to develop into specific tissue cells has been a key question. Gabriele Colozza, a postdoctoral researcher with Bon-Kyoung Koo at IMBA—currently directing at the Center for Genome Engineering at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea—took on this challenge by delving into the mechanisms that direct intestinal stem cells.\n\nIntestinal stem cells\n\n“In our intestines, cells are exposed to extreme conditions,” comments Colozza.\n\nHere, cells face harsh conditions due to factors like mechanical stress, digestive enzymes, and fluctuating pH levels. To counteract this, stem cells within the intestinal lining constantly evolve into new cells to replace those that are damaged.\n\n“Uncontrolled stem cell proliferation may lead to tumor formation; on the other hand, if too many stem cells differentiate, the tissue will be depleted of stem cells and ultimately unable to self-renew.”\n\nThis intricate balance is maintained through a complex network of signaling pathways and regulatory feedback loops that enable intercellular communication. A crucial player in this process is the Wnt signaling pathway, a well-established mechanism in embryonic growth.\n\nHowever, without proper regulation, an overstimulated Wnt pathway may result in abnormal cell proliferation and, consequently, tumor development.\n\nHow Is the Fate of Intestinal Stem Cells Determined?\n\nRnf43 is a known regulator that tempers the activity of the Wnt signaling pathway, a role initially discovered by Bon-Kyoung Koo. Previously, Rnf43 was recognized for its ability to flag the Wnt receptor Frizzled for destruction.\n\n“We wanted to know how Rnf43 works, and also what – in turn – controls Rnf43 and helps it to regulate Wnt signalling,” explains the research team.\n\nIt was understood from past studies that Rnf43 could not effectively degrade Frizzled by itself, which is embedded in the cell’s plasma membrane.\n\n“In our project, we used biochemical assays to identify which proteins interact with Rnf43.”\n\nThey discovered that the protein Daam1 is a crucial collaborator with Rnf43.\n\nTo probe the influence of Daam1 on Rnf43 and the tissue systems they influence, Colozza utilized intestinal organoids.\n\n“We found that Daam1 is required for Rnf43 to be active, so for Rnf43 to regulate Wnt signaling at all. Further work in cells showed Rnf43 needs Daam1 to move the Wnt receptor Frizzled into vesicles called endosomes. From the endosomes, Frizzled is shuttled to the lysosomes where it is degraded, dampening Wnt signaling,” Colozza elaborates.\n\nIntestinal organoids, which are three-dimensional cultures derived from adult stem cells, replicate the environment of the intestinal lining. For Colozza, these organoids were a window into how Rnf43 and Daam1 influence the intricate interplay between the renewal and differentiation of stem cells in the gut.\n\n“We found that when we knock-out Rnf43 or Daam1, the organoids grow into tumor-like structures. These tumor-like organoids keep on growing, even if we withdraw the growth factors they usually depend on, such as R-spondin,” Colozza notes.\n\nWhat Tells Intestinal Stem Cells to Regenerate? Here’s What a New Study Says\n\nActivating Paneth Cell Development\n\nUpon delving deeper into this research using mouse models, Colozza and team found something unexpected.\n\n“When Rnf43 was missing, the intestines grew tumors – as expected. But when Daam1 was missing, no tumors grew. We were puzzled by this striking difference: how can the loss of factors in the same pathway, that behave similarly in organoids, lead to such different outcomes?”\n\nUpon closer inspection of the intestinal samples, the team observed a proliferation of Paneth cells—secretory cells known for producing growth factors like Wnt that prompt cell division—in the intestines without Rnf43. Conversely, intestines deficient in Daam1 showed no such increase in Paneth cells.\n\n“Daam1 is required for the efficient formation of Paneth cells. When Daam1 is active, stem cells differentiate to form Paneth cells. When Daam1 is not active, the stem cells differentiate into another cell type.”\n\nTumor Growth Influenced by Cellular Environment\n\nThis finding helps to explain the contrasting outcomes observed in intestines and organoids.\n\n“In organoid culture, we scientists provide growth factors, so the knockout of both Rnf43 and Daam1 lead to tumor-like organoids. But in the intestine, there is no little scientist providing growth factors. Instead, Paneth cells provide growth factors, like Wnt, and create the right conditions for stem cells to survive and divide. When Paneth cells are lacking – such as when Daam1 is not active to drive cells into becoming Paneth cells – stem cells will not divide much. But when there are too many Paneth cells – such as in intestines lacking Rnf43 – the excessive growth factors can contribute to the formation of tumors.”\n\nThe findings from Colozza and his team mark the first genetic evidence that Daam1, associated with the non-canonical Wnt pathway, plays a critical role in designating Paneth cell fate and the evolution of this key secretory cell type.\n\n“We show that tumor cells modify their microenvironment, and influence their supporting environment so that they can grow better.”\n\nImage Credit: iStock", + "As Halloween looms up ahead, a cohort of Connecticut moms has been rehearsing their dreadful dance moves and creating creepy costumes in preparation for an annual neighborhood performance on October 31 — all to raise money for breast cancer research.\n\n\"It’s a bonding experience,\" Kate Garin, 39, an accountant in Fairfield, Connecticut, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Many in our group are survivors,\" she said, \"so to be able to connect with women and share stories and have someone to turn to if, God forbid, this happens to you, it’s very touching. It’s incredible how strong these women are and how amazing they are. And we’re having a lot of fun while raising money.\"\n\nTO RAISE MILLIONS FOR CANCER CHARITIES, ONE CEO WILL TREK ACROSS THE SOUTH POLE: 'A RISK WORTH TAKING'\n\nThe Mombies — a group of nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants and more — meet in secret for several weeks before Halloween.\n\nThey select a theme and music, a mashup that always includes Michael Jackson’s \"Thriller.\" They also work with professional choreographers and finetune their costumes.\n\n\"There's a lot of planning that goes into place and there's a lot of commitment and hard work, but it pays off,\" Garin said.\n\nCALIFORNIA WOMAN WITH STAGE 4 BREAST CANCER DENIED MAMMOGRAM AT AGE 29: 'I'LL BE FIGHTING FOREVER'\n\n\"We're all working moms and we all have kids and lacrosse tournaments and baseball tournaments. And so, you know, we try to weave it all in,\" she added.\n\nCostume design and make up are a big part of the experience.\n\n\"We have a couple of Mombies who are very talented in the makeup world,\" Garin said.\n\n\"Before the show, we'll get together in groups and help each other,\" she added. \"Nobody does makeup on their own.\"\n\nOHIO WOMAN, THE FIRST PERSON TO RECEIVE A BREAST CANCER VACCINE IN TRIAL, AWAITS RESULTS: 'VERY EXCITED'\n\nThey’ve also learned some solid hacks for looking more like the undead.\n\n\"We work together and we all have our own little tips and tricks on how to ‘dirty’ our costumes and\n\nmake them look raggedy,\" Garin said.\n\n\"Funny enough, coffee grinds is one thing that works well as dirt. So I've been having my husband empty all the coffee grinds into a bowl, and then I add a little bit of water, and then you just kind of rub it on the costume.\"\n\nBut it’s all kept very hush-hush.\n\nRUNNING ACROSS AMERICA TO FIGHT CANCER: UK MAN RUNS 50 MILES PER DAY FROM LA TO NYC IN MOM’S MEMORY\n\n\"Now it's almost like a mysterious thing,\" Garin said. \"People wonder, ‘Oh, are you a Mombie? Are you guys dancing?’ It's fun. Even my own kids don't know what songs we’re dancing to each year. I think the mystery of it gets people enticed.\"\n\n\"Putting the fun in it was always the key.\" — Tom Scalera\n\nOn Halloween night, the Fairfield Beach neighborhood comes alive as housewives, movie stars, socialites, prisoners, school girls, cheerleaders, soldiers and cooks — all turned to zombies — emerge from ordinary homes and put on a spectacular show.\n\n\"We dance four or five times that night or as many times as people show up,\" Garin said.\n\nBREAST CANCER BREAKTHROUGH: AI PREDICTS A THIRD OF CASES PRIOR TO DIAGNOSIS IN MAMMOGRAPHY STUDY\n\n\"They start sitting on the lawn of the people across the street. It started as this fun thing where all the kids are trick-or-treating — and then all of a sudden these moms are out there dancing.\"\n\nGarin is a mom of three kids, and one of them, Victoria, 12, is a competitive dancer.\n\n\"It makes me feel proud and happy that my mom is out there dancing and raising money for a cancer cure,\" young Victoria Garin told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"I think that when the moms come together, they create an amazing performance that’s super fun to watch,\" Victoria Garin added. \"After all of their hard work, I think they deserve a 10/10.\"\n\nThe Mombies started out in 2016 when Terry Davis, a Fairfield mom and human resources executive, got together with a group of other moms to surprise the neighborhood with a flash mob on Halloween.\n\nVIRGINIA 12-YEAR-OLD IS HELPING KIDS WITH CANCER AFTER LOSING HIS OWN MOM TO THE DISEASE\n\n\"She wanted to create a unique surprise for the kids to show them we're fun and to show them that we can be exciting, too,\" Gavin said.\n\n\"After the first year, she said, ‘Why don't we attach a little bit of goodness to it?’ And we started ‘Dance to Donate,’ which has created this big movement. We’ve been dancing to fund the Cancer Couch, which is an organization founded here in Fairfield.\"\n\nDr. Rebecca Timlin-Scalera created the Cancer Couch Foundation; its mission is to accelerate research and treatment — and find a cure, specifically for metastatic breast cancer.\n\n\"The life expectancy of metastatic breast cancer [patients] is still just three to five years,\" her husband, Tom Scalera, told Fox News Digital.\n\nBREAST CANCER SURVIVOR SAYS HER 120-POUND WEIGHT LOSS HELPED SAVE HER LIFE: 'STRONG, CONFIDENT AND HEALTHY'\n\nScalera said his wife was surprised to learn how few funds actually go into breast cancer research.\n\n\"I think most people we talk to are completely shocked because of all of the money that's raised by ‘pink awareness’ and other activities, which are great — not much of that money goes into research,\" Scalera added.\n\n\"When Rebecca found out, she immediately was motivated. She said, ‘I'm going to take all my skills and all my ability and create this foundation.'\"\n\nTimlin-Scalera died of metastatic breast cancer in 2019.\n\nWhile her mission was personal, Scalera said his wife was focused on the future.\n\n\"Rebecca was hoping that she could accelerate treatments and that she would be a beneficiary of it,\" Scalera said. \"But she was always very, very focused on helping others and maybe helping our children.\"\n\nTHIS NEW YORK MAN IS CHALLENGING YOU TO RUN 50 MILES IN 31 DAYS IN MEMORY OF HIS DAD: 'NO EXCUSES'\n\nTimlin-Scalera was not a Mombie herself — but she loved the spirit of the effort, her husband said.\n\n\"It makes me feel proud and happy that my mom is out there dancing and raising money for a cancer cure.\" — Victoria Garin\n\n\"We've been very connected to the Mombies since Rebecca's diagnosis,\" Scalera said of his wife.\n\n\"It's such a heavy topic and it’s hard to create an event that people want to be a part of and enjoy where, at the same time, they are helping to fight a deadly disease that impacts so many women. But putting the fun in it was always the key.\"\n\nCancer Couch is volunteer-run and privately-funded — and 100% of the money raised is matched and goes directly to fund metastatic breast cancer research at two cutting-edge labs at the world’s leading cancer centers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering.\n\nBREAST CANCER DRUG COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECT, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS\n\nScalera said Cancer Couch is a family endeavor.\n\nHis children, Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera, who now are first-year students in college and in high school, have been involved from the get-go.\n\n\"We, as a family, cover all the expenses of the foundation,\" Scalera said.\n\nSince 2017, the Mombies have raised over $170,000 for Cancer Couch — and that gives Scalera hope for the cause his \"intelligent, highly motivated, Division 1 athlete, psychologist\" wife worked to establish.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\n\"The thing about metastatic breast cancer is it seems to really take so many powerful and amazing young women,\" Scalera said.\n\n\"Rebecca was certainly a rock star,\" Scalera added. \"Everything was possible with her. There were no limitations on what she could accomplish in life. She was the perfect kind of person to convert her challenge with metastatic breast cancer into a foundation that is really focused on making a change for others.\"\n\nAnd the Mombies, Scalera said, are focused on fun.\n\n\"It's all that Rebecca ever wanted for this foundation,\" Scalera said. \"The Mombies are the perfect personification of that.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nThat’s what keeps Garin and her friends dancing for donations.\n\n\"That's the most important thing to me, that we are doing this for a cause,\" Garin said.\n\n\"It’s not just for the kids to see us dance,\" she added. \"It's amazing that we can have fun with it, but the main idea is that this is very dear to our hearts.\"\n\nTo donate to this year's project, visit www.mombies.org.", + "A newly unredacted version of the multi-state lawsuit against Meta alleges a troubling pattern of deception and minimization in how the company handles kids under 13 on its platforms. Internal documents appear to show that the company’s approach to this ostensibly forbidden demographic is far more laissez-faire than it has publicly claimed.\n\nThe lawsuit, filed last month, alleges a wide spread of damaging practices at the company relating to the health and well-being of younger people using it. From body image to bullying, privacy invasion to engagement maximization, all the purported evils of social media are laid at Meta’s door — perhaps rightly, but it also gives the appearance of a lack of focus.\n\nIn one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it. That is in paragraphs 642 through 835, which mostly document violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. This law created very specific restrictions around young folks online, limiting data collection and requiring things like parental consent for various actions, but a lot of tech companies seem to consider it more suggestion than requirement.\n\nYou know it is bad news for the company when they request pages and pages of redactions:\n\nThis recently happened with Amazon as well, and it turned out they were trying to hide the existence of a price-hiking algorithm that skimmed billions from consumers. But it’s much worse when you’re redacting COPPA complaints.\n\n“We’re very bullish and confident in our COPPA allegations. Meta is knowingly taking steps that harm children, and lying about it,” AG Bonta told TechCrunch in an interview. “In the unredacted complaint we see that Meta knows that its social media platforms are used by millions of kids under 13, and they unlawfully collect their personal info. It shows that common practice where Meta says one thing in its public-facing comments to Congress and other regulators, while internally it says something else.”\n\nThe lawsuit argues that “Meta does not obtain—or even attempt to obtain—verifiable parental consent before collecting the personal information of children on Instagram and Facebook… But Meta’s own records reveal that it has actual knowledge that Instagram and Facebook target and successfully enroll children as users.”\n\nEssentially, while the problem of identifying kids’ accounts created in violation of platform rules is certainly a difficult one, Meta allegedly opted to turn a blind eye for years rather than enact more stringent rules that would necessarily impact user numbers.\n\nMeta, for its part, said in statements that the suit “mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents,” and that “we have measures in place to remove these [i.e. under-13] accounts when we identify them. However, verifying the age of people online is a complex industry challenge.”\n\nHere are a few of the most striking parts of the suit. While some of these allegations relate to practices from years ago, bear in mind that Meta (then Facebook) has been publicly saying it doesn’t allow kids on the platform, and diligently worked to detect and expel them, for a decade.\n\nMeta has internally tracked and documented under-13s, or U13s, in its audience breakdowns for years, as charts in the filing show. In 2018, for instance, it noted that 20% of 12-year-olds on Instagram used it daily. And this was not in a presentation about how to remove them — it is relating to market penetration. The other chart shows Meta’s “knowledge that 20-60% of 11- to 13-year-old users in particular birth cohorts had actively used Instagram on at least a monthly basis.”\n\nIt’s hard to square this with the public position that users this age are not welcome. And it isn’t because leadership wasn’t aware.\n\nThat same year, 2018, CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a report that there were approximately 4 million people under 13 on Instagram in 2015, which amounted to about a third of all 10-12-year-olds in the U.S., they estimated. Those numbers are obviously dated, but even so they are surprising. Meta has never, to our knowledge, admitted to having such enormous numbers and proportions of under-13 users on its platforms.\n\nNot externally, at least. Internally, the numbers appear to be well documented. For instance, as the lawsuit alleges:\n\nMeta possesses data from 2020 indicating that, out of 3,989 children surveyed, 31% of child respondents aged 6-9 and 44% of child respondents aged 10 to 12-years-old had used Facebook.\n\nIt’s difficult to extrapolate from the 2015 and 2020 numbers to today’s (which, as we have seen from the evidence presented here, will almost certainly not be the whole story), but Bonta noted that the large figures are presented for impact, not as legal justification.\n\n“The basic premise remains that their social media platforms are used by millions of children under 13. Whether it’s 30 percent, or 20 or 10 percent… any child, it’s illegal,” he said. “If they were doing it at any time, it violated the law at that time. And we are not confident that they have changed their ways.”\n\nAn internal presentation called “2017 Teens Strategic Focus” appears to specifically target kids under 13, noting that children use tablets as early as 3 or 4, and “Social identity is an Unmet need Ages 5-11.” One stated goal, according to the lawsuit, was specifically to “grow [Monthly Active People], [Daily Active People] and time spent among U13 kids.”\n\nIt’s important to note here that while Meta does not permit accounts to be run by people under 13, there are plenty of ways it can lawfully and safely engage with that demographic. Some kids just want to watch videos from SpongeBob Official, and that’s fine. However, Meta must verify parental consent and the ways it can collect and use their data is limited.\n\nBut the redactions suggest these under-13 users are not of the lawfully and safely engaged type. Reports of underage accounts are reported to be automatically ignored, and Meta “continues collecting the child’s personal information if there are no photos associated with the account.” Of 402,000 reports of accounts owned by users under 13 in 2021, fewer than 164,000 were disabled. And these actions reportedly don’t cross between platforms, meaning an Instagram account being disabled doesn’t flag associated or linked Facebook or other accounts.\n\nZuckerberg testified to Congress in March of 2021 that “if we detect someone might be under the age of 13, even if they lied, we kick them off.” (And “they lie about it a TON,” one research director said in another quote.) But documents from the next month cited by the lawsuit indicate that “Age verification (for under 13) has a big backlog and demand is outpacing supply” due to a “lack of [staffing] capacity.” How big a backlog? At times, the lawsuit alleges, on the order of millions of accounts.\n\nA potential smoking gun is found in a series of anecdotes from Meta researchers delicately avoiding the possibility of inadvertently confirming an under-13 cohort in their work.\n\nOne wrote in 2018: “We just want to make sure to be sensitive about a couple of Instagram-specific items. For example, will the survey go to under 13 year olds? Since everyone needs to be at least 13 years old before they create an account, we want to be careful about sharing findings that come back and point to under 13 year olds being bullied on the platform.”\n\nIn 2021, another, studying “child-adult sexual-related content/behavior/interactions” (!) said she was “not includ[ing] younger kids (10-12 yos) in this research” even though there “are definitely kids this age on IG,” because she was “concerned about risks of disclosure since they aren’t supposed to be on IG at all.”\n\nAlso in 2021, Meta instructed a third-party research company conducting a survey of preteens to remove any information indicating a survey subject was on Instagram, so the “company won’t be made aware of under 13.”\n\nLater that year, external researchers provided Meta with information that “of children ages 9-12, 45% used Facebook and 40% used Instagram daily.”\n\nDuring an internal 2021 study on youth in social media described in the suit, they first asked parents if their kids are on Meta platforms and removed them from the study if so. But one researcher asked, “What happens to kids who slip through the screener and then say they are on IG during the interviews?” Instagram Head of Public Policy Karina Newton responded, “we’re not collecting user names right?” In other words, what happens is nothing.\n\nAs the lawsuit puts it:\n\nEven when Meta learns of specific children on Instagram through interviews with the children, Meta takes the position that it still lacks actual knowledge of that it is collecting personal information from an under-13 user because it does not collect user names while conducting these interviews. In this way, Meta goes through great lengths to avoid meaningfully complying with COPPA, looking for loopholes to excuse its knowledge of users under the age of 13 and maintain their presence on the Platform.\n\nThe other complaints in the lengthy lawsuit have softer edges, such as the argument that use of the platforms contributes to poor body image and that Meta has failed to take appropriate measures. That’s arguably not as actionable. But the COPPA stuff is far more cut and dry.\n\n“We have evidence that parents are sending notes to them about their kids being on their platform, and they’re not getting any action. I mean, what more should you need? It shouldn’t even have to get to that point,” Bonta said.\n\n“These social media platforms can do anything they want,” he continued. “They can be operated by a different algorithm, they can have plastic surgery filters or not have them, they can give you alerts in the middle of the night or during school, or not. They choose to do things that maximize the frequency of use of that platform by children, and the duration of that use. They could end all this today if they wanted, they could easily keep those under 13 from accessing their platform. But they’re not.”\n\nYou can read the mostly unredacted complaint here.\n\n(This story has been updated with a comment from Meta.)", + "As a result of today’s testimony, I am both more and less confused. I am clearer on what probably happened at FTX. What I don’t understand is why Gary Wang did it.\n\nWang was the co-founder and chief technology officer of FTX, as well as the co-founder of Alameda Research. He owned only 10 percent of Alameda and 17 percent of FTX. He got a $200,000 a year salary, with no performance bonuses. (Okay, sure, at times he was a billionaire on paper.) By contrast, Bankman-Fried owned 90 percent of Alameda and 65 percent of FTX.\n\nYet Wang’s testimony suggests he took bizarre risks for his own relatively small share. Bankman-Fried didn’t code, so none of his fingerprints are on the technical changes that let FTX allegedly defraud its customers and investors. Meanwhile, Wang supervised the code behind a key prosecution claim: that Alameda Research was afforded secret, special privileges with FTX’s funds. When FTX went down, Wang left himself with no plausible deniability. I cannot for the life of me understand why.\n\nNormal customers — the defense objected to “normal” but was overruled — could be automatically liquidated\n\nToday, the prosecution grilled Wang on a single, damning column in FTX’s databases. Called “allow_negative,” it allowed Alameda to have a negative balance. Alameda could withdraw money even when its accounts didn’t have any, and it had an enormous line of credit. Wang added that it could place orders faster than other users, and we already saw evidence that users may have unwittingly deposited money into Alameda rather than FTX.\n\nThe alleged motivation for this — as Wang had to explain at painful length to a jury — was avoiding liquidation. Liquidation is a way for FTX to manage risk when people were engaging in risky bets on its platform. The cartoon version of futures trading is this: a futures exchange is the middleman that lets strangers bet with each other. It lives between the two ends of the bet, paying the winner and collecting from the loser. If the loser doesn’t pay up, the exchange still has to pay the winner, which is why exchanges require collateral.\n\nUnder some circumstances, exchanges will automatically sell collateral to limit their losses. On FTX, this process was automated, Wang testified. It took about 30 seconds to find accounts that needed to be liquidated to minimize FTX’s losses.\n\nNormal customers — the defense objected to “normal” but was overruled — could be automatically liquidated, but not Alameda. Bankman-Fried “told me a few times to make sure that Alameda’s account is never liquidated on FTX,” Wang said. “The code addition was the result of those conversations.”\n\nIt’s not Bankman-Fried’s name attached to the change. We saw a code commit from July 31st, 2019 from Nishad Singh titled “OTC trades and transfers to special accounts.” It was written in Python; the upshot was that it added two columns to the account database; the relevant one for our purposes was “allow_negative.” This was a toggle that, when it was on, let the account go negative. The feature was turned on the same day in a second set of code that also had Singh’s username on it. Wang said he supervised.\n\nThat same day, Bankman-Fried tweeted, “Alameda is a liquidity provider on FTX, but their account is just like everyone else’s.” The tweet was, of course, shown in court. Never tweet.\n\nIt was a tough day for the jury\n\nAt first, Bankman-Fried said the change was to pay for expenses for the FTT token, which was issued by FTX, Wang said. (Wang described the FTT token as being “sort of equity” in FTX, which I think some crypto lawyers would dispute but would probably make the SEC happy.) But once it was implemented, the ability to go negative was used for other things including trading and unlimited withdrawals of FTX’s trading fees and customer money.\n\nI am summarizing briefly because Wang had to explain to the jury the difference between a front end and back end, explain futures trading, and read a bunch of stuff into the record, which took a while. It was a tough day for the jury — and probably for Wang, who spoke quickly, perhaps from nerves.\n\nThe prosecution doesn’t just allege that Alameda had special, secret privileges — it claims they were used to obfuscate basic elements of FTX’s operations that exposed its supposed selling points as a lie.\n\nFor instance, FTX advertised that it had a good liquidation system. In many crypto networks, if someone lost enough money, the exchanges could stick other traders with the losses too. FTX touted its automated liquidation as a way to avoid this, so that one customer going bankrupt wouldn’t affect the others.\n\nFTX lied about how much money was in the backstop fund\n\nIn the process of liquidating, FTX would try to sell the collateral on the open market, but if it couldn’t finish, then backstop liquidity providers would step in. These were market makers, including Alameda, which could be compensated for the losses they take from a “backstop fund,” Wang said.\n\nBut FTX lied about how much money was in the backstop fund, Wang said. In court we saw the code that generated the fake number published on the website: it took the daily trading volume on FTX, multiplied it by a random number, divided it by a billion, and added it to the existing number displayed on the site. It had nothing to do with the actual amount of money in the insurance fund.\n\nAnd when there wasn’t enough money in the fund, money was moved there from Alameda’s accounts in order to pay the insurance out, Wang said.\n\nIn late 2019, Alameda had a negative balance on FTX. Because they sat in an open-plan office, Wang heard a trader ask Bankman-Fried if it was okay to keep withdrawing money from that account. Bankman-Fried said it was okay as long as it was lower than FTX’s total trading revenue. He was the CEO of both companies at the time.\n\nAlameda also allegedly kept FTX from looking bad by assuming some of its losses.\n\nThe amount that Alameda was allowed to go negative began to creep up. Around 2019 or 2020, Wang checked the database and discovered that Alameda was negative by about $200 million, which was more than the $150 million FTX made in revenue. That had to mean Alameda was taking customer money. It surprised him and he says he discussed it with Bankman-Fried, who told him that he just needed to take into account the value of FTT. Wang said he trusted Bankman-Fried’s judgment and didn’t pursue the issue further. Later, though, Alameda’s balance was more negative than FTT and the trading revenue, and Wang had more conversations with Bankman-Fried about it. Wang said he knew at the time that Alameda was using FTX’s customers’ funds and that he knew it was wrong.\n\nWe heard yesterday about the line of credit Alameda had on FTX, a staggering $65 billion. Today we saw it in the database. The line of credit didn’t start that big — Wang testified that Bankman-Fried had asked him to increase it a few times because Alameda kept running into its limits. First it was “a few hundred million,” then a billion, then even that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t clear how Wang arrived at $65 billion specifically, but he said he’d discussed the number with Bankman-Fried. Other customers didn’t have the same privileges.\n\nAlameda also allegedly kept FTX from looking bad by assuming some of its losses. In 2021, FTX was facing a “several hundred million dollar” loss from an exploit in MobileCoin, Wang said. (This seems to have happened in April 2021, though Wang didn’t give a month.) Bankman-Fried directed him to have Alameda take it on instead, because FTX’s balance sheets were visible to investors and Alameda’s weren’t.\n\nYesterday, Paradigm Capital’s Matt Huang showed us the balance sheets he received from Bankman-Fried. They didn’t include the loss, which should have been included in the second quarter numbers he’d received — they showed $63 million in trading expenses and $63 million in “other expenses” in that quarter, and an estimated profit of $732 million.\n\n“FTX was not fine and assets were not fine.”\n\nBy 2022, Alameda’s negative balance on FTX was a cause for concern for Caroline Ellison, Singh, and Wang. They created a spreadsheet to try to figure out how negative Alameda was. The spreadsheet we saw had several pages of attempts to reconcile. Wang figured that Alameda owed FTX about $11 billion. FTX’s revenue at the time was about $1.5 billion.\n\nEllison, Singh, Wang, and Bankman-Fried met in the Bahamas office. Alameda’s lenders wanted their money back, and Bankman-Fried directed the group to pay back the lenders using FTX customer funds. Bankman-Fried considered shutting down Alameda, and even wrote a long memo about it. But Wang says that in a now-deleted Signal discussion about the memo, he told Bankman-Fried and Singh that they could not shut down Alameda because they couldn’t repay its debt.\n\nAnother empty Signal chat, along with its setting to delete messages after a week, was shown to the court. Its members were Ellison, Singh, Wang, and Bankman-Fried.\n\nThings happened quickly for Wang in November. Wang and Bankman-Fried determined that about $8 billion in customer money was gone, but on November 7th, Bankman-Fried tweeted “FTX is fine. Assets are fine.” Another tweet in the thread said, “FTX has enough to cover all client holdings.”\n\n“FTX was not fine and assets were not fine because FTX did not have enough assets for customer withdrawals,” Wang said.\n\nWhile Bankman-Fried can try to blame Ellison for some of the decisions, the code shows she couldn’t have made all the calls\n\nFTX went bankrupt on November 11th. On November 12th, Bankman-Fried directed Wang to send customer funds to Bahamanian regulators, Wang said. At the time, customers couldn’t take their funds off the exchange because FTX had run out of money and its servers had been shut down. Bankman-Fried and his father met with lawyers while Wang waited outside with liquidators. The US lawyers wanted the remaining FTX assets transferred to the US, Wang said.\n\nThat is not what he did. Bankman-Fried told Wang to stall the US lawyers and transfer the funds to Bahamanian regulators, who were more likely to let him stay in control of the company, Wang testified.\n\nOn November 16th, Wang returned to the US and on November 17th, he met with the US government. Wang hadn’t been arrested or charged; he offered to cooperate immediately. He pled guilty to various charges a month later. Wang was clear: he was cooperating because he didn’t want to go to jail. He was hoping that his assistance means that a sentencing judge will be lenient, he said.\n\nThis was the first full account of Alameda’s and FTX’s entanglements I heard in the trial, and it came from a co-owner of both companies. It was striking, though, that while there was evidence of the computer code that gave Alameda special privileges, there was no evidence of the conversations Wang recounted. Of course Wang turned himself in quickly; sooner or later, someone would find his code — and Singh’s, too.\n\nIt also struck me that all of Bankman-Fried’s vanishing messages might not help him as much as he’d hoped. He said too many things in public to too many people. Even without the smoking gun of Signal messages, it’s hard to see how he wasn’t involved. Wang was a dev; the money wasn’t his area. And while Bankman-Fried can try to blame Ellison for some of the decisions, the code shows she couldn’t have made all the calls. After all, she wasn’t FTX’s CEO. And in 2019, she wasn’t Alameda’s CEO, either.", + "“After extensive deliberations and negotiations, the House of Representatives on Wednesday (Sept. 27) approved on third and final reading the P5.768-trillion national budget for next year, just before Congress adjourns for a month-long break,” the Press and Public Affairs Bureau of Congress announced on its website, congress.gov.ph. The 310-strong legislative chamber voted 296 against three, with zero abstentions, to approve House Bill (HB) No. 8980 or the 2024 national budget on third and final reading. Almost unanimously.\n\nHouse Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez noted that the budgeting process was marked by rigorous discussions, particularly concerning confidential and intelligence funds, which the House meticulously scrutinized to ensure accountability and responsible utilization. He lauded “the timely passage of the 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB),” stating that it not only “demonstrated the commitment of the House to upholding its constitutional role but also underscored its dedication to serving the Filipino people with transparency and accountability.”\n\nThe Department of Budget and Management (DBM) defines the government budget as “the financial plan of the government…which shows what its resources are, and how they will be generated and used over the fiscal period. It refers to the income, expenditures and sources of borrowings of the National Government (NG) that are used to achieve national objectives, strategies and programs.”\n\nSection 22, Article VII of the Constitution states that: “The President shall submit to the Congress within 30 days from the opening of every regular session, as the basis of the general appropriation bill, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing including receipts from existing and proposed revenue measures.”\n\nThe National Government (NG) budget is the totality of the budgets of all government entities, namely the National Government, the non-financial government-owned and -controlled corporations (which usually includes only the 14 major GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), local government units (LGUs), the social security institutions (the Government Service Insurance System or GSIS, the Social Security System or SSS, the military pensions, PhilHealth, etc.), the Oil Price Stabilization Fund, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Central Bank-Board of Liquidators. It is allocated for the implementation of various government programs and projects, the operation of government offices, payment of salaries of government employees, and payment of public debts. These expenditures are classified by expense class, sector and implementing unit of government (dbm.gov.ph).\n\nThe sources of appropriations of the annual budget are: 1.) new general appropriations legislated by Congress for every budget year under the General Appropriations Act (GAA); and 2.) existing appropriations previously authorized by Congress. Under the Constitution, Article VI, Section 29, no money can be withdrawn from the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law.\n\nThe DBM calls a budget balanced when revenues match expenditures or disbursements. When expenditures exceed revenues, the government incurs a deficit which may result in the following situations: a.) the government borrows money either from foreign sources or from the domestic capital market which increases the debt stock of the NG and its debt servicing requirements; b.) the government borrows money from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; or, c.) the government withdraws funds from its cash balances in the Treasury. Historically, National Government expenditures have always exceeded total revenues resulting in annual budget deficits, the DBM declared. “Thus, the National Government had to resort to borrowing to cover said deficits which resulted in the ballooning of foreign and domestic debts,” the budget office admitted.\n\n“However, in 1994, the government broke the deficit trend by posting a budget surplus of P16 billion through an aggressive privatization and revenue generation program and a prudent expenditure program. Since then, the government has been exerting efforts to maintain the surplus budget policy. The surplus budget policy is important to encourage economic growth,” the DBM said.\n\nThe exhortations of the national budget managers must be quoted word for word to educate the non-economists and questioning common people about how a surplus budget is necessary versus a deficit budget:\n\n“The less the government borrow from the public, the lesser the pressure on interest and inflation rates and the more funds are made available in the financial market. Such funds may be used by businessmen to build factories, hire workers, buy equipment and open more employment opportunities. By keeping more funds in the hands of the private sector rather than competing for credit, the government helps make financing available for families who want to own homes, buy cars, or support their children’s education. The government also needs to generate a budget surplus to repay the huge debt it has accumulated over the years. The reduction of the national budget debt will correspondingly lessen government’s requirements for interest and principal payments. This becomes important particularly during periods of rising interest rates and unstable exchange rates” (dbm.gov.ph).\n\nWhy then, do we have a deficit budget for 2024?\n\nThe national budget for 2024 is at P5.768 trillion, 9.5% higher than the current (2023) budget of P5.268 trillion. Observers note that this first budget fully prepared by the current administration accounts for 21.7% of gross domestic product (GDP). The 2024 expenditure program is higher by P499.6 billion or a year-on-year growth rate of 9.5% as compared to the 2023 level of P5.268 trillion. The P5.768-trillion budget, to be supported mainly by P3.5-trillion tax revenues (based on 2023 tax revenue projections), would mean a budget deficit of some P2.268 trillion, to be funded by additional borrowings. This could increase government debt from the current P14.24 trillion (as of July) to P16+ trillion by the end of 2024.\n\nDuring the Congressional budget hearing, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno optimistically provided updates on the government’s fiscal and revenue collection performances and presented sources of funding for the national budget. Tax revenue is projected to increase from P3.5 trillion in 2023 to P6.5 trillion in 2028, while non-tax revenues are expected to decline from P191 billion in 2023 to P184 billion in 2028, Diokno told the Philippine News Agency (pna.gov.ph, Aug. 10).\n\nDiokno said the Finance department aims to gradually reduce net financing or new debt from P1.42 trillion in 2022 to P1.22 trillion in 2024, which will help bring the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to almost below 60% by 2025. And yet, “We worry about our debt-to-GDP ratio in the Philippines, as it stands at about 63% and that’s a little high for us and it is not ideal,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. told members of the US-ASEAN Business Council who visited Malacañang (ABS-CBN, Aug. 9, 2023).\n\nWhom are we to believe, but inflation — which independently says it as it is.\n\n“While inflation in the Philippines has been on a downward trend since January, the country needs to achieve a 3.7% average inflation rate for the next five months for the country to hit the BSP’s forecast of 5.5% inflation for 2023, Assistant National Statistician Rachel Lacsa said (Ibid.). Some economists say that deficit budgets and the remedies — monetary (borrowings increasing money supply) and fiscal (like raising taxes) increase inflation, and stubborn inflation further entrenches structural deficits in the system. It is a vicious cycle.”\n\nNational budgets might not be innocent of political agendas (call them plans and programs) that can divert money from the proper socio-economic goals of equilibrium as a balanced budget might work towards. But traditional politicians (called “trapo” in the Philippines) might have it in their hearts to think about the country and the welfare of future generations.\n\nHow many generations will pay for the monstrous debt incurred for the dubious objectives and vanities of some today?\n\nAmelia H. C. Ylagan is a doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.\n\nahcylagan@yahoo.com", + "IPL 2024 Auction Live: The auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is slated to happen on December 19 in Dubai. Follow here for live updates.\n\nIPL 2024 Auction is over. And it’s a record breaking day in IPL history. For the first time ever, two players have breached the Rs 20 Cr mark with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins — two Australian pacers leading the money charts. Cummins went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 Cr but the record only lasted for 30 minutes as Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank for Mitchell Starc, paying a whopping Rs 24.75 Cr. However, uncapped Indians such as Shubham Dubey and Sameer Rizvi too stole the show, bagging big contracts for their performances in regional T20 leagues.\n\nA total of 72 players including 30 overseas players were sold for Rs 230.45 Cr combined.\n\n9:05 PM IST: It’s a wrap. A total of Rs 230.45 Cr have been spent for 72 players combined.\n\n9:00 PM IST: Sourabh Chauhan to RCB for Rs 20 L\n\n9:00 PM IST: South African Nandre Burger goes to RR for Rs 50 L\n\n8:59 PM IST: Avinash Rao Aravely to CSK for 20 L\n\n8:54 PM IST: Abid Mushtaq to RR for 20 L.\n\n8:54 PM IST: Swastik Chikara goes to DC and with that Rishabh Pant & Co complete the squad.\n\n8:51 PM IST: English bowler Gus Atkinson goes to KKR for Rs 1 Cr.\n\n8:50 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi has a new home at Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.5 Cr.\n\n8:47 PM IST: LSG complete their roster with Arshad Khan for Rs 20 L\n\n8:45 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been recalled and he will be a KKR player for Rs 2 Cr.\n\n8:45 PM IST: Lockie Ferguson goes to RCB at base price for Rs 2 Cr\n\n8:44 PM IST: Steve Smith goes unsold again.\n\n8:40 PM IST: PBKS finally win the bidding war for Rs 9 Cr.\n\n8:40 PM IST: Rilee Rossouw has been recalled and it’s a bidding war between DC and PBKS. The bid has already crossed 5 Cr.\n\n8:38 PM IST: Manish Pandey returns to KKR at base price of Rs 50 L.\n\n8:35 PM IST: Karun Nair has been recalled and has been unsold again.\n\n8:35 PM IST: Last round of auction is coming up and it will be a short and crisp round.\n\n8:11 PM IST: Jathavedh Subramaniam to SRH for Rs 20 L\n\n8:10 PM IST: Punjab Kings pick Prince Choudhary for Rs 20 L\n\n8:00 PM IST: Bidding war for Robin Minz between MI and CSK. SRH have joined the race at Rs 3 Cr. But it’s Gujarat Titans who win the race at Rs 3.6 Cr.\n\n7:55 PM IST: Ashutosh Sharma to PBKS for Rs 20 L\n\n7:53 PM IST: Sumit Kumar is up and it’s a bidding contest between DC & KKR. DC win the race for Sumit at Rs 1 Cr.\n\n7:51 PM IST: MI have also picked Anshul Kamboj for Rs 20 L\n\n7:47 PM IST: Mumbai Indians pick Naman Dhir for Rs 20 L\n\n7:44 PM IST: MI win the race for Nuwan Thushara at Rs 4.80 Cr\n\n7:41 PM IST: KKR & RCB are now locked in for Nuwan Thushara. MI have joined the race as well.\n\n7:38 PM IST: RCB & DC are locked in a bidding war for Jhye Richardson. Delhi Capitals win race for Rs 5 Cr.\n\n7:38 PM IST: CSK bag Mustafizur Rahman for Rs 2 Cr.\n\n7:30 PM IST: It’s now GT vs DC for Spencer Johnson and the bid has crossed 10 Cr mark. Gujarat Titans pay 10 Cr for the pacer.\n\n7:25 PM IST: Spencer Johnson is up and there is a bidding war for him between KKR and GT. Delhi Capitals have jumped in and it’s a three-way race now.\n\n7:25 PM IST: David Willey has found a new home in Lucknow as the former RCB pacer gets picked for Rs 2 Cr.\n\n7:23 PM IST: Odean Smith is up next and he goes unsold.\n\n7:21 PM IST: Tom Curran is up next and RCB are the sole bidder at Rs 1.5 Cr.\n\n7:20 PM IST: Rassie van der Dussen goes unsold\n\n7:20 PM IST: Ashton Turner to LSG for Rs 1 Cr\n\n7:16 PM IST: KKR pick up Sherfane Rutherford for Rs 1.5 Cr.\n\n7:16 PM IST: Finn Allen is up next in the accelarated round. But he goes unsold.\n\n7:12 PM IST: Remaining purse:\n\nCSK: Rs 3.2 Cr\n\nDC: Rs 16.85 Cr\n\nGT: Rs 21.45 Cr\n\nKKR: Rs 6.55 Cr\n\nLSG: Rs 4.15 Cr\n\nMI: Rs 7.95 Cr\n\nPBKS: Rs 13.15 Cr\n\nRR: Rs 90 L\n\nRCB: Rs 6.75 Cr\n\nSRH: Rs 3.4 Cr\n\n7:12 PM IST: Mitchell Starc on playing under Shreyas Iyer.\n\n“I am really excited to play under Shreyas Iyer captaincy. He understands his thought process. I’m really happy to finally back at the best league in the world.”\n\n7:10 PM IST: The last accelarated round is set to begin soon. And it will be the last round of IPL 2024 Auction.\n\n6:33 PM IST: Shreyas Gopal goes to MI for Rs 20 L\n\n6:28 PM IST: Murugan Ashwin goes unsold\n\n6:28 PM IST: M Siddharth is up next and there is a bidding war between RCB & LSG. RCB have pulled out and it’s LSG who bag Siddharth for 2.4 Cr.\n\n6:25 PM IST: Manav Suthar to GT for 20 L.\n\n6:25 PM IST: A lucky fan Karan Bahrat Tanna will help the auctioneer Mallika Sagar through the uncapped spinner category.\n\n6:24 PM IST: Rasikh Dar goes to DC for Rs 20 L\n\n6:21 PM IST: Ishan Porel is up next and he goes unsold.\n\n6:19 PM IST: Kartik Tyagi is up and GT, KKR & LSG are in a three-way bidding war. GT win the race at Rs 60 L.\n\n6:19 PM IST: Akash Singh goes to SRH for Rs 20 L\n\n6:17 PM IST: Gujarat Titans bag Suashant Mishra for Rs 2.20 Cr\n\n6:15 PM IST: Sushant Mishra is up next and it’s a bidding war between MI and GT.\n\n6:11 PM IST: Yash Dayal has breached the 4 Cr mark. It’s RCB who have got Yash Dayal for Rs 5 Cr.\n\n6:11 PM IST: Uncapped fast bowlers are up and the auction begins with Yash Dayal.\n\n6:07 PM IST: The price has already breached Rs 7 Cr for Kumar Kushagra. And DC have won the bidding war at Rs 7.2 Cr.\n\n6:07 PM IST: CSK and GT are engaged in a bidding war for Kumar Kushagra. DC have joined in the race.\n\n6:05 PM IST: Delhi Capitals have picked up a backup wicketkeeper Ricky Bhui for Rs 20 L\n\n6:00 PM IST: England’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore goes to RR for Rs 40 L.\n\n6:00 PM IST: Back after the break and it’s uncapped wicketkeepers’ set.\n\n5:45 PM IST: Ramandeep Singh goes to KKR at base price of Rs 20 L\n\n5:41 PM IST: Shahrukh Khan has once again bagged big bucks but he has a new home in Gujarat Titans for 7.4Cr.\n\n5:41 PM IST: And Punjab Kings have pulled out of the race at 6.2 Cr.\n\n5:34 PM IST: Shahrukh Khan is up next and it’s a bidding war between GT & PBKS. It’s still between the two but the price has crossed 6Cr\n\n5:34 PM IST: Arshin Kulkarni goes to LSG for Rs 20 L\n\n05:30 PM IST: Sarfaraz Khan is up next and he goes unsold.\n\n05:28 PM IST: KKR pick Angkrish Raghuvanshi for base price of Rs 20 L\n\n05:26 PM IST: Delhi join the race for Sameer Rizvi and the price is up at Rs 8 Cr. Finally, CSK have Sameer at 8.4 Cr.\n\n05:24 PM IST: It’s still between CSK and GT and the Sameer Rizvi has breached 6 Crore mark already. He was outstanding in UP T20 League.\n\n05:20 PM IST: Right handed Suresh Raina Sameer Rizvi is up and it’s a bidding war between CSK and GT.\n\n05:20 PM IST: Manan Vohra, Sourav Chauhan and Priyansh Arya go unsold.\n\n05:17 PM IST: Time for the uncapped players. Subham Dubey joins Rajasthan Royals for 5.8 crore after intense bidding war between DC and RR.\n\n05:07 PM IST: And we are back after an hour break. We are ready for the second phase of the auction.\n\n04:00 PM IST: The capped players are done and now it is time for a break.\n\n3:56 PM IST: Adil Rashid is up next. And he remains unsold.\n\n3:55 PM IST: Spinners set is up next.\n\nAkeal Hosein: Unsold\n\nMujeeb Rahman: Unsold\n\nAdil Rashid: Unsold\n\nMohammad Waqar Salamkheil: Unsold\n\nTabraiz Shamsi: Unsold\n\nIsh Sodhi: Unsold\n\n3:52 PM IST: Dilshan Madushanka is up next and it’s a bidding war between LSG and MI.\n\n3:48 PM IST: Jaydev Unadkat is up next and DC & SRH are in a bidding war. SRH win the war at 1.6 Cr.\n\nLockie Ferguson: Unsold\n\nJosh Hazlewood: Unsold\n\nAlzarri Joseph to RCB for 11.50 Cr\n\nDilshan Madushanka to MI for Rs 4.6 Cr\n\nShivam Mavi to LSG for 6.4 Cr\n\nChetan Sakariya to KKR for Rs 50 L\n\nMitchell Starc to KKR for Rs 24.75 Cr\n\nJaydev Unadkat to SRH for 1.6 Cr.\n\nUmesh Yadav to GT for Rs 5.8 Cr\n\n3:48 PM IST: Josh Hazlewood remains unsold.\n\n3:40 PM IST: KKR pick up Mitchell Starc for Rs 24.75 Cr.\n\n3:35 PM IST: KKR and GT have taken Mitchell Starc beyond Rs 20 Cr mark.\n\n3:35 PM IST: KKR & GT have joined the race at 13 Cr. DC and MI are out of the race. RCB are awfully silent.\n\n3:32 PM IST: It’s Rishabh Pant who is leading the bid for DC and he wants Mitchell Starc at any cost. Not so long ago, he was up against Starc in Australia, facing his fiery deliveries.\n\n3:28 PM IST: Mitchell Starc is up next. It’s a all-out bidding war between MI and DC.\n\n3:28 PM IST: LSG win the bidding war for Shivam Mavi at Rs 6.4 Cr.\n\n3:28 PM IST: Shivam Mavi is up next and it’s a battle between RCB and LSG. He has breached 6 Cr mark.\n\n3:21 PM IST: Gujarat Titans finally have Umesh Yadav for Rs 5.8 Cr.\n\n3:21 PM IST: Delhi have joined the race for Umesh Yadav at 5.2 Cr.\n\n3:21 PM IST: Umesh Yadav is up next and it’s a bidding war between SRH and GT. He has already breached 4 Cr mark.\n\nPatty Cummins. You beauty. You deserve every Penny put out there Champ. Win the Big ones you get International Respect. Take a Bow. 🍾🍾🍾 #iplauction2024 #IPL — Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) December 19, 2023\n\n3:21 PM IST: RCB have their man Alzarri Joseph for 11.50 Cr.\n\n3:18 PM IST: RCB have joined the race to breach 10 Cr mark for Alzarri Joseph.\n\n3:17 PM IST: Alzarri Joseph is up next and DC & CSK are in a bidding war. With CSK pulling out, LSG have joined in at 4 Cr.\n\n3:15 PM IST: Chetan Sakariya is up next and KKR are the only bidder at Rs 50L\n\n3:15 PM IST: Lockie Ferguson goes unsold\n\n3:13 PM IST: Kusal Mendis also goes unsold.\n\n3:12 PM IST: Australian Josh Inglis is next at base price of Rs 2 Cr and he remains unsold.\n\n3:10 PM IST: KS Bharat is up next and he goes to KKR for Rs 50 L\n\n3:08 PM IST: Tristan Stubbs goes to Delhi Capitals for Rs 50 L\n\n3:08 PM IST: Phil Salt goes unsold\n\nK.S. Bharat to KKR for Rs 50 L\n\nJosh Inglis: Unsold\n\nKusal Mendis: Unsold\n\nPhilip Salt: Unsold\n\nTristan Stubbs to DC for 50 L\n\n2:43 PM IST: It is now time for a short break. We will be back very soon.\n\n𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 PAT 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 🧡\n\n\n\nWelcome, Cummins! 🫡#HereWeGOrange pic.twitter.com/qSLh5nDbLM — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2023\n\n2:43 PM IST: PBKS takes Chris Woakes for 4.2 Cr.\n\n2:40 PM IST: CSK takes Daryl Mitchell for 14 Crore.\n\n2:35 PM IST: CSK have joined the race at Rs 12 Cr mark.\n\n2:25 PM IST: Daryl Mitchell is up next and DC & PBKS are involved in a bidding war. He has already breached Rs 10 Cr mark.\n\n2:25 PM IST: Punjab Kings pick Harshal Patel for 11.75 Cr\n\n2:19 PM IST: Harshal Patel is up next and it’s a contest between GT and PBKS. He has already breached 9 Cr mark. LSG have joined the race at 11 Cr.\n\nGerald Coetzee: To MI for Rs 5 Cr\n\nPat Cummins: To SRH for Rs 20.50 Cr\n\nWanindu Hasaranga: To SRH for 1.5 Cr\n\nDaryl Mitchell:\n\nAzmatullah Omarzai: To SRH for Rs 4 Cr\n\nHarshal Patel:\n\nRachin Ravindra: To CSK for 1.8 Cr\n\nShardul Thakur: Rs 4 Cr to CSK\n\nChris Woakes:\n\n2:15 PM IST: Gerald Coetzee is up next and it’s a bidding contest between CSK and MI. LSG have joined in with CSK pulling out. He has breached Rs 5 Cr mark with MI picking up the all-rounder.\n\n2:12PM IST: Pat Cummins becomes most expensive player of IPL. SRH bag Australia captain for Rs 20.50 Cr\n\n2:05 PM IST: Pat Cummins is up next and it’s a bidding war between CSK and MI. RCB have joine dthe race at 5 Cr. SRH have joined at 8 Cr.\n\n2:00 PM IST: Azmatullah Omarzai goes to GT for Rs 50 lakh.\n\n2:00 PM IST: SRH and CSK are in a bidding war for Shardul Thakur. With SRH pulling out, CSK have their all-rounder for Rs 4Cr. It’s a homecoming for Shardul.\n\n2:00 PM IST: Shardul Thakur is up next and CSK have jumped in.\n\n1:55 PM IST: CSK, DC and PBKS are in a bidding war for Rachin Ravindra. The Kiwi all-rounder has breached 1 Cr mark.\n\n1:55 PM IST: Rachin Ravindra is up next and CSK are the opening bidder.\n\n1:52 PM IST: Sunrisers Hyderabad have bid at the base price and with no interest in the player, Wanindu Hasaranga to play for a new franchise.\n\n1:50 PM IST: Wanindu Hasaranga is the first up in Set 2. He has a base price of Rs 1.5 Cr.\n\n1:50 PM IST: First set of all-rounders is up next\n\n1:42 PM IST: Anil Kumble:\n\nRR don’t need any bowlers and they needed an overseas batter who can finish games to complement Hetmyer. They wanted some solidity and Powell gives RR the batting hold in the side.\n\n1:41 PM IST: Only three batters are sold from the first round and they are: Travis Head, Rovman Powell and Harry Brook. However, no one has yet breached 10 Cr mark.\n\n1:39 PM: Manish Pandey goes unsold.\n\n1:37 PM: Steve Smith is up now with a Rs 2 Cr base price.\n\n1:37 PM: Karun nair goes unsold.\n\n1:35 PM: Sunrisers Hyderabad pick up Travis Head for Rs 6.8 Cr.\n\n1:30 PM: Travis Head breaches 6 Cr mark with SRH leading the bid fo rnow.\n\n1:28 PM: Travis Head is up next and it’s direct contest between CSK and SRH.\n\nHarry Brook: To DC for 4 Cr.\n\nTravis Head: To SRH for 6.8 Cr\n\nKarun Nair: Unsold\n\nManish Pandey: Unsold\n\nRovman Powell: RR for ₹7.4 Cr\n\nRilee Rossouw: Unsold\n\nSteve Smith: Unsold\n\n1:22 PM: Harry Brook goes to Delhi Capitals for Rs 4 Cr.\n\n1:22 PM: Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals are in bdding war for Harry Brook. It has already breached Rs 4 Cr mark.\n\n1:22 PM: Harry Brook is up next with a base price of Rs 2 Cr.\n\n1:22 PM: Rilee Rossouw goes unsold\n\n1:22 PM: Rovaman Powell goes to RR for Rs 7.4 Cr.\n\n1:20 PM: Rovman Powell breaks Rs 7 Cr-mark with KKR and RR engaged in a bidding war.\n\n1:15 PM: Bidding war for Rovman Powell between KKR and RR.\n\n1:15 PM: First set is of capped batters.\n\n1:10 PM IST: Arun Dhumal, IPL Chairman\n\nDubai resonates the the spirit of cricket. Welcome to the fans who are at the Coca-Cola arena for the auction. It’s because of the fans that IPL is now the second most popular league in the world.\n\n1:00 PM IST: We are just moments away from the start of the 17th IPL auction.\n\nDecked up and HOW 😍\n\n\n\nSetups and Arena looking stellar 🤌\n\n\n\nSlowly building up to the #IPLAuction here in Dubai ⏳ pic.twitter.com/J0rppK0Mjq — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2023\n\n12:53 PM IST: KL is comfortable with the squad he has: LSG coach Justin Langer\n\n“Everyone around the cricket world is watching today. Everyone is excited to see who the big earners are. KL Rahul is a calm captain and he is comfortable with the squad he has.”\n\n12:51 PM IST: LSG got to be smart: Zaheer Khan\n\n“LSG will be looking at the smart buys. That should be their thought process. They got to be smart”\n\n12:50 PM IST: RCB will focus on bowlers: AB de Villiers\n\n“RCB will focus on the bowlers because it is difficult to defend at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. I am very excited with the Cameron Green but I am sure the major focus will be on the bowlers.”\n\n12:45 PM IST: LSG ‘think tank’ ready for IPL 2024 Auction!\n\n𝙆𝙤𝙞 𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙝 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢 𝙖𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙞 😎 pic.twitter.com/6c8ghc5bT6 — Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) December 19, 2023\n\n12:40 PM IST: After homecoming at KKR, mentor Gautam Gambhir has arrived at the auction centre.\n\n12:35 PM IST: A recap of the purse remaining:\n\nIPL Auction Remaining Purse\n\nRoyal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): ₹23.25 crore\n\nChennai Super Kings (CSK): ₹31.4 crore.\n\nMumbai Indians (MI): ₹17.25 crore.\n\nGujarat Titans (GT): ₹38.15 crore\n\nLucknow Super Giants (LSG): ₹13.15 crore\n\nKolkata Knight Riders (KKR): ₹32.7 crore\n\nRajasthan Royals (RR): ₹14.5 crore\n\nDelhi Capitals (DC): ₹28.9 crore\n\nPunjab Kings (PBKS): ₹29.1 crore\n\nSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): ₹34 crore\n\n12:25 PM IST:\n\n12.17 PM: One of the most talked-about players is Josh Hazlewood, who might not be available till the last leg of the tournament. Will the teams target him?\n\n12.10 PM: As per a BCCI directive, all the IPL venues can’t hold any domestic game in February, and need to hand over the stadium to teams in first week of March.\n\n12.07 PM: Meanwhile, the IPL 2024 window starts on March 22. An early start to the tournament might force Ranji Trophy venues to shift.\n\n12.04 PM: Harshal was released by RCB, but in the VHT, he got 18 wickets in 10 matches and scored 183 runs too. So, he would be considered for an all-rounder role.\n\n12.01 PM: Will the Vijay Hazare Trophy performances have an impact on the bidding? Will Harshal Patel get a bid? Will he be trusted with bowling in the death overs again? We’ll find out in no time.\n\n11.56 AM: Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena\n\n11.54 AM: Message Coming in for Sourav Ganguly\n\nWill miss being at the auctions today but have no doubt that under the leadership of Kiran and @SGanguly99 we will build a very strong squad for @IPL – all the best @DelhiCapitals – I know a lot of hard work has gone into today — Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) December 19, 2023\n\n11.47 AM: If Aakash Chorpa is to be believed, Coetzee could get well over INR 10 cr.\n\n11.45 AM: With only 77 slots to fill, who do you think will attract the biggest bid?\n\n11.06 AM: Here are the released players from CSK, would they go for Rachin?\n\nCSK: Akash Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Ben Stokes, Bhagath Varma, Dwaine Pretorius, Kyle Jamieson, Sisanda Magala, Subhranshu Senapati.\n\n10.40 AM: There will be a lot of teams that will be eyeing the English players, but then they won’t be available for the playoffs. This could go against them in bagging a big contract.\n\n10.10 AM: Kaushal Tambe (Maharashtra) and Sahil Dhiwan (Rajasthan) have been added to the list of players to go under the hammer. South African Nandre Burger moved to capped players list.\n\n9.43 AM: Here are some things to know. Out of the 77 players that can be bought, only 30 are reserved for overseas players. Also, the opening of the trade window could see some surprising moves.\n\n9.20 AM: In great news for Delhi Capitals fans, Rishabh Pant will be part of the auction, and will make a comeback for next year’s IPL.\n\n8.49 AM: In today’s auction, all eyes will be on Mitchell Starc, who could be back in the IPL fold after 2015. He could just be the biggest buy this time around.\n\n8.31 AM: Hello and welcome to our coverage of IPL 2024 Auctions. Who will attract the highest bid, who will go unsold? Find all the answers here at InsideSport.\n\nThe D-day is here! The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction is set to take place at Coca-Cola arena in Dubai on Tuesday. A total of 333 players will go under the hammer. There are only 77 slots available including 30 overseas slots.\n\nAuction Briefing ✅\n\n\n\nThe 🔟 teams are set for tomorrow!\n\n\n\nAre YOU ready for #IPLAuction ❓ pic.twitter.com/uCDuC30Kzn — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 18, 2023\n\nStars like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra will be in the spotlight as franchises will look to fill their gaping hole for the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.\n\nIPL 2024 Auction Details:\n\nDate – December 19, Tuesday\n\nVenue – Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai\n\nTime (IST) – 1: 00 PM IST\n\nTotal slots – 77\n\nOverseas slots – 30\n\nIPL Auction Remaining Purse\n\nRoyal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): ₹23.25 crore\n\n₹23.25 crore Chennai Super Kings (CSK): ₹31.4 crore.\n\n₹31.4 crore. Mumbai Indians (MI): ₹17.25 crore.\n\n₹17.25 crore. Gujarat Titans (GT): ₹38.15 crore\n\n₹38.15 crore Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): ₹13.15 crore\n\n₹13.15 crore Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): ₹32.7 crore\n\n₹32.7 crore Rajasthan Royals (RR): ₹14.5 crore\n\n₹14.5 crore Delhi Capitals (DC): ₹28.9 crore\n\n₹28.9 crore Punjab Kings (PBKS): ₹29.1 crore\n\n₹29.1 crore Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): ₹34 crore\n\nWe will bring you live updates for the IPL 2024 Auction. From bidding war updates to social media reactions, we have got you covered. Do join us at 8:00 AM IST for the biggest cricketing day of the year.", + "We’re coming up for air from our coverage of The Game Awards to loop our readers in on some of the best deals happening this weekend. If you’re looking to experience some of the winners from the 2023 Game Awards for yourself, you can find discounts on a variety of titles on Steam. Some other highlights you might want to check out include a sitewide sale on Blu-Rays from The Criterion Collection, and the Xbox Series X matching its Black Friday price on Walmart and Amazon.\n\nAs we do every weekend here at Polygon, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, along with some of the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site.\n\nThe best gaming deals this week\n\nSteam is discounting many contenders from the 2023 Game Awards and winners from the past nine years. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement your library with some of the biggest releases of 2023, like Diablo 4 and Starfield, but you can also find discounts on essential titles that you may have missed, like Valiant Hearts, Her Story, or Celeste. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the winners from the 2023 Game Awards, but we also featured a larger list of winners from previous years.\n\nCocoon is the latest title from a studio founded by Jeppe Carlsen, the person responsible for the unsettling narrative platformers Limbo and Inside. This psychedelic odyssey is a personal favorite amongst much of the Polygon staff and won Best Indie Game during the 2023 Game Awards.\n\nThe hyper-stylized, rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi Rush was nominated for a number of categories in the 2023 Game Awards and ultimately took home the prize for audio design, and with good reason. Hi-Fi Rush is a witty and wild game that features an excellent original soundtrack in addition to licensed songs from Nine Inch Nails, The Flaming Lips, and The Prodigy (just to name a few).\n\nWe’ve said it before, but once again, I’m kindly asking that nobody pay more than $350 for an Xbox Series X during the holidays. If you missed out on the chance to pick up the Diablo 4 Xbox Series X bundle for $349.99, Walmart and Amazon are currently offering the Xbox Series X as a standalone purchase for the same price, which is still a $150 discount off the standard price of the Microsoft console.\n\nRelated The best accessories for your Xbox Series X\n\nIt’s a bit of a bummer that this Xbox Series X deal lacks a pre-packaged game, but there are still plenty of sales floating around to add some excellent titles to your Xbox library without paying full price. For instance, Amazon is offering some modest discounts on $50 Xbox Gift Cards, allowing you to pick up as many as you’d like for $45 each. Target has also discounted three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions to $44.99 (was $49.99), which allows you access a rotating library of excellent titles for the Xbox Series X like Hi-Fi Rush, Cocoon, Venba, Starfield, and more.\n\nThe 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Xbox Series X is still available at Woot for $74.99, the best price yet for the $119.99 controller. This massive gamepad is a must for fighting game fans, so whether you’ve recently picked up Street Fighter 6 or Mortal Kombat 1, or you’re looking forward to the launch of Tekken 8 in February, now is the perfect time to pick up your new weapon of choice.\n\n8BitDo arcade stick for Xbox $75\n\n$120\n\n38% off Prices taken at time of publishing. Fighting sticks can be really pricey. Thankfully, this fighting stick for the Xbox and PC is a great yet affordable option for getting into fighting games. $75 at Woot\n\nThe top-selling stuff on Polygon this week\n\nThe best entertainment deals this week\n\nIf you’re a fan of The Legend of Vox Machina series on Prime Video, you can pick up a two-disc Limited Edition vinyl LP of the soundtrack for just $37.56 on Amazon, its lowest price to date. The soundtrack is packaged in a full-color gatefold sleeve and even contains exclusive tracks not featured in the series.\n\nWe recommend a lot of vinyl during our weekend posts, so it seems fitting that we should point you toward a solid record player. The Victrola Revolution Go record player is one of the more unique suggestions from our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide and is currently on sale for around $125 in a variety of striking colors. Normally $199.99, this portable record player is equipped with a convenient carrying strap, built-in speaker, and an on-board battery that can keep it running for up to 12 hours on a single charge.\n\nThe massive 6,187-piece Lego version of Din Djarin’s iconic ride from The Mandalorian is currently matching its Black Friday price on Amazon and is on sale for $419.99 (was $599.99). This is an ideal gift for any fan of the show, and is brimming with detail like a full-size cargo compartment complete with carbonite prisoner storage. In addition to minifigs of Mando and Grogu, you’ll also find a Lego version of Kuiil riding on his Blurrg (yes, that’s actually what its called).\n\nThrough Dec. 22, The Criterion Collection is offering some impressive discounts on some excellent selections from its catalog of 4K UHD Blu-Rays and box sets (including pre-orders). Many of the titles included in The Criterion Collection feature bespoke box art, making them excellent additions to any collection of physical media.\n\nWe’ve rounded up some of our favorite highlights to check out below, like Trainspotting, Time Bandits, The Godzilla Showa-Era Box Set, and Moonage Daydream. But if you’d like to see what else is on offer, you can head over to The Criterion Collection deals page to see the dozens of other titles you can add to your library.", + "It’s been proven that what people eat can help prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease — but what about when they eat?\n\nParticipating in intermittent (time-restricted) fasting could lead to a reduced risk of cognitive deterioration, a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests.\n\nResearchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine adjusted the feeding schedule of certain groups of mice so that they only ate within six-hour windows each day.\n\nALZHEIMER’S BLOOD TEST COULD HIT THE MARKET IN EARLY 2024, RESEARCHERS SAY\n\n(This would be equivalent to 14 hours of fasting for humans, the researchers noted.)\n\nCompared to a control group of mice that ate on demand, the fasting mice showed improvements in memory, were less hyperactive in the evenings and had fewer sleep disruptions .\n\nThey also were shown to have less buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.\n\nThe goal of the restricted eating is to restore the circadian rhythm, the researchers said, which could help counteract the numerous disruptions that Alzheimer’s patients face when it comes to sleep and schedule-related confusion.\n\nHIDDEN BELLY FAT COULD SIGNAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RISK 15 YEARS BEFORE SYMPTOMS SHOW UP, STUDY FINDS\n\n\"Our study emphasizes the power of feeding timing in aligning the circadian clock and its impact on the brain,\" said senior study author Paula Desplats, PhD, professor in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, in a statement to Fox News Digital.\n\n\"We were hopeful to see some improvements in pathology, but did not expect such profound effects in reducing plaques and inflammation and improving memory,\" she went on.\n\n\"The effects of time-restricted feeding on lower amyloid pathology were also measurable in blood using markers found in the clinic, which was another important finding.\"\n\nThe researchers hope that these findings will lead to human trials.\n\nThe goal is to obtain funding to start a pilot study of patients next year.\n\n\"Accessible interventions like this have great translational potential, as they are available and are usually very well-tolerated,\" Desplats said.\n\nThe goal is to obtain funding to start a pilot study of patients next year.\n\n\"This may have special importance for the elderly , as time-restricted eating does not require limitation in calories or change in the diet, but may offer important benefits ranging from metabolic and sleep regulation to potential cognitive improvement.\"\n\nTIME-RESTRICTED EATING NO MORE BENEFICIAL THAN CALORIC RESTRICTION IN OBESE PATIENTS, STUDY SAYS\n\nAdopting a new dietary pattern should not be a replacement for medical care , however, as Desplats emphasized the importance of patients' discussions about options with their clinicians.\n\nOne major limitation of the study is that it uses animal models that only represent certain aspects of disease and \"do not present comorbidities or other clinical diseases associated with aging, which are very common in Alzheimer’s patients,\" noted Desplats.\n\n\"Furthermore, the study was done under strictly controlled conditions that did not resemble the variety of people’s habits and environments,\" she added.\n\nTHE 8 BIGGEST ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE MYTHS — AND THE TRUTHS BEHIND THEM\n\nThe researchers hope that the public recognizes the importance of the circadian clock in regulating many aspects of health .\n\n\"Sustaining healthy sleep and eating habits that are more synchronized with the natural environment are vital in a society that is constantly exposed to food, light and shift work,\" said Desplats.\n\nPrevious studies have supported this association between fasting and reduced Alzheimer’s risk.\n\nLast year, a study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles also found that mice that followed a fasting diet showed lower levels of \"plaques and tangles\" in the brain, reduced brain inflammation and better performance on cognitive tests.\n\n\"Cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) had strong effects against Alzheimer’s symptoms in two different types of Alzheimer’s mouse models,\" the lead author of that study, USC biogerontologist Dr. Valter Longo, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Fasting decreases pro-aging factors that are secreted after we eat, which can slow down the aging of the brain.\"\n\n\"In mice, the effects of FMD cycles were very strong and wide, meaning they affected both learning and memory and also Alzheimer’s pathology peptides/proteins (amyloid and tau).\"\n\nBased on these findings, Longo recommends that people talk to their neurologist about considering fasting-mimicking diets and other nutrition-based approaches in support of standard-of-care drugs and therapies.\n\n\"Especially for Alzheimer’s disease, for which pharmacological interventions have had very limited efficacy, it will be very important to continue to study fasting-mimicking diets and other dietary interventions that can make drugs more effective,\" he added.\n\nDesplats, lead author of the UC San Diego study, told Fox News Digital that Longo’s studies are on a similar track, demonstrating the connection between metabolism, fasting and brain health.\n\n\"The main difference is that we tested an approach that does not require calorie reduction, which may be more sustainable and safer for older people whose metabolisms are already impacted by aging changes,\" she said.\n\nCOLORADO WOMAN WITH ALZHEIMER’S IS STILL VIBRANT AFTER MORE THAN 4 YEARS: ‘I REFUSE TO SURRENDER’\n\nDr. Joseph Antoun, CEO and chairman of the nutritech company L-Nutra in California, was also involved in the USC study.\n\n\"In these studies, mice fed the fasting-mimicking diet showed improved cognitive performance, motor learning and both short- and long-term memory, and promoted the growth of new neurons in the brain,\" he told Fox News Digital via email.\n\n\"Fasting-mimicking diets have the potential to drastically reduce many aging and disease risk factors by reducing neuroinflammation or superoxide production in the brain.\"\n\nFasting can help the brain function in a myriad of ways, said Antoun.\n\n\"Fasting decreases pro-aging factors that are secreted after we eat, which can slow down the aging of the brain,\" he told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement.\n\nTime-restricted eating can also improve the quality of sleep, he noted, which can help the brain recover better.\n\nBecause fasting-mimicking diets can be done in longer periods, they can help the body go into higher levels of ketosis, Antoun noted, \"which is wonderful for the brain.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\n(Ketosis, which is when the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose, has been shown to have cognitive benefits.)\n\n\"Prolonged fasting can also help with leaky gut, which then can aid the brain,\" added Antoun.\n\nIn addition, intermittent fasting can help to control blood sugar , which can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's, the doctor said.\n\nOver the past several decades, there has been a steady increase in diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease, Antoun noted.\n\n\"However, when we are able to detect neurodegenerative conditions early, we can take positive steps that may slow the process and mitigate any major side effects of the disorder,\" he said.\n\nDuring prolonged periods of fasting, cells undergo a process called autophagy, which involves removing and recycling damaged cellular components, Antoun said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"This process is essential for maintaining proper cellular function and can help protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s,\" he explained.\n\nMore than six million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's, and every 67 seconds, someone in America develops the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nLavender oil. Eating kiwis. Masturbation. Everyone has their own “hacks” when it comes to falling asleep in 2023; the days of counting sheep are long gone. Jennifer Aniston’s top tip for battling insomnia is to “sleep with my phone at least five feet away from me”, while Martha Stewart recommends focusing on your breathing. In her 1973 feminist novel Fear of Flying, author Erica Jong notes that, sometimes, the only way to overcome sleeplessness is by pretending you don’t care about nodding off. “Then sleep became piqued, like a rejected lover, and crept up to try to seduce you.”\n\nIn a world where human sleep patterns have increasingly been plunged into chaos, people are having to turn to ever more creative – and often bizarre – means of getting their 40 winks in. Today, the internet is littered with tips and tricks that promise a sound sleep, but not all of them are effective and none are foolproof. (Kiwis, by the way, contain serotonin and antioxidants, which is why it’s thought they might have sleep-promoting benefits.) The result is a society with a growing problem on its hands: persistent sleeplessness – otherwise known as insomnia.\n\nGlobally, it is estimated that around 10 per cent of adults meet the criteria for insomnia; the sleep disorder is characterised either by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep to such an extent that it disturbs your ability to function during the day.\n\nInsomnia lies at the heart of the new Apple TV+ comedy series Still Up. The show follows Lisa (Antonia Thomas) and Danny (Craig Roberts), two best friends who stay up late talking to each other because they can’t sleep. Lit by the blue glow emanating from their electronic devices, Lisa and Danny form a deep connection over their nocturnal calls, with their friendship gradually drifting into something more. At one point, Lisa checks herself into a sleep clinic in London, telling Danny she’s willing to “try anything” at this point – a sentiment the sleepless know all too well.\n\nThe series was inspired by creator Natalie Walter’s own experience with insomnia, and her late-night Facebook chats with Steve Burge, her co-writer on Still Up. “As part of the research for [the show] we visited a sleep clinic, which was fascinating,” she tells me. “Some evolutionary biologists think the reason humans have different sleep patterns is that during our early history, a few members of the tribe would always be awake and vigilant during the night, and so could protect everyone else from predators. Not that I’d be much use fighting off a woolly mammoth.”\n\nJust like depression or anxiety, insomnia can often be triggered by something. Whether it’s a life event as monumental as becoming a new parent, or something as commonplace as jet lag, there are any number of things that can prompt a bout of sleeplessness. The issue, explains sleep therapist Dr Lindsay Browning, is that insomnia can often remain long after the trigger has gone. “At this point, you’re no longer worried about the traumatic incident; you’re now worried about not being able to sleep.” It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.\n\nSocial media consultant and mother of two, Amy Fieldhouse-Downes, started suffering from insomnia after the birth of her second son in 2019. She believes the affliction was rooted in anxiety. “If you Google how to go to sleep, I’ve probably tried everything on there,” she says. “Going to bed earlier, going to bed later, meditations that would get cut off by an advert, lavender products, sleep cream, eye masks, Sominex sleep tablets. And I even used it as an excuse to have a few glasses of wine.” It wasn’t until she tried sleeping with specialised earplugs that she was finally able to get some rest.\n\nLong-time insomniac and video producer Preshita says she has tried many tricks over the years – “from drinking chamomile tea to counting backwards from 1,000”. After much experimenting, she has found that taking a shower before bed and keeping her bedroom clutter-free were the most effective methods. “Someone recommended masturbating, and that was another thing that worked,” she adds.\n\n‘Still Up’ follows Lisa (Antonia Thomas) and Danny (Craig Roberts) as best friends who stay up late talking to each other because they can’t sleep (Courtesy of Apple)\n\nMillions of people struggle with insomnia in the UK alone. Studies have found that women are 40 per cent more likely to be affected by insomnia than men. “This sex difference in insomnia emerges after puberty, suggesting that hormonal differences such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may be the cause of this increased risk in women,” Dr Browning says. The symptoms of insomnia can last a long time; a longitudinal study conducted in the UK found that 69 per cent of respondents affected by the sleep disorder at the start of the study still had insomnia 12 months later.\n\nThis may go to show how complex treating insomnia can be. Explaining the appeal of quick fixes, Dr Browning says, “In the short term you’re changing something, so [they] can often [work] like a placebo. If hunger is keeping you awake, eating before bed will help. If your mattress is uncomfortable, sleeping on the floor will help.” But the problem isn’t just that these methods don’t necessarily work – it’s that they could be used to exploit vulnerable insomniacs.\n\n“I’m a sleep therapist, my doctorate is in insomnia and it’s very, very frustrating,” she says. “People who have insomnia are desperate. I treat patients who are suicidal, who have quit their jobs, whose lives are completely on hold because of their sleeping issues. And they’re vulnerable. My clients have spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds on things that made no difference. If people are being mis-sold expensive things and they’re being preyed upon, that’s a huge problem.”\n\nRosie Davies-Smith, a PR consultant, says she has spent more than £600 on a variety of treatments, including a combination of doctor-prescribed and over-the-counter medications, teas, supplements, weighted blankets, and eye masks. “While supplements, exercise, and sleep hygiene provided some relief, the true breakthrough came from addressing the root causes of my insomnia through therapy,” she tells me.\n\nRosie Davies-Smith, a PR consultant, says she has spent more than £600 on a variety of treatments, including a combination of doctor-prescribed and over-the-counter medications (Getty Images)\n\nAs with many other mental health disorders, therapy can often provide long-term relief from insomnia. The most effective of these therapies is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI),” says Dr Browning, describing it as a “complete cure” that a lot of people don’t know about. “Different from CBT for depression or CBT for anxiety, CBTI works by addressing the negative thoughts and worries that perpetuate insomnia.”\n\nOther avenues of treatment are also proving increasingly fruitful. A new drug called Quviviq was just approved by the NHS last week. Dr Browning is optimistic about the “exciting” new medication, explaining that it acts in a very different way to other sleeping pills, which “knock you out” but cause people to develop a tolerance. “As much as CBTI is the gold standard across the world, there might be some people who need a bit of [medicinal] help as well, a bit like depression.”\n\nIn the meantime, Dr Browning says there’s no harm in trying the occasional Reddit recommendation – if it’s free. That might be an act of self-pleasure, narrating the plot of Pride and Prejudice in your head, or listening to shipping forecasts. FaceTiming your best friend into the early hours of the morning – like Lisa and Danny do in Still Up – probably isn’t encouraged, but it does make for a very good romcom.\n\n‘Still Up’ is available for streaming on Apple TV+.", + "Travis Kelce has been catching a lot more than footballs lately, and fans everywhere have been swift to hop on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. The celebrity couple has been in the news for well over a week now, and despite the fatigue from many -- Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo's rant being among the most vocal -- companies like FanDuel just can't help but lean into a profitable storyline. Are they for real or is this \"Love Story\" just some extravagant publicity stunt?\n\nTime will tell, but one thing's for certain when it comes to the media, social media, newspapers, football fans, Swifties, and just about everyone else within the 50 states and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam: \"You need to calm down.\" Regardless, Kelce and Swift take their tour on the road to Broadway, a place that puts on all the great shows. The traditional circus hasn't been in town for a few years now, but that's simply because the New York Jets exist and there was only room for one. It seems like ages since Aaron Rodgers marched out of the MetLife Stadium tunnel holding an American flag, but this is Zach Wilson's team now, whether you like it or not.\n\nOne of the most hyped \"Sunday Night Football\" games of the year was expected to feature Rodgers against Patrick Mahomes for the first time. Instead, we're more likely to be treated to non-stop split screens involving Swift and Rodgers, two people who won't be on the field. There will be some actual football, though, even if it is just a sideshow to the event everyone can't stop talking about. So, buckle up and enjoy whatever this is, and for all the fans paying ridiculous prices for a glimpse of Ms. Swift — make sure your phone is charged.\n\nTo Travis and Taylor, \"Welcome to New York.\" It's been waiting for you. Well, actually, the swamps of northern New Jersey have. Enjoy the traffic and a look at the famous skyline.\n\nFor bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money. FanDuel has released a special prop bets menu, cleverly called \"Prop Stars\" for the Swift-inspired wagers. Here's a look at how you can catch some cash in prime time.\n\nMORE: Jets vs. Chiefs betting preview\n\nFanDuel 'Prop Stars' Picks: Best bets for Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift-inspired props for Chiefs-Jets Week 4\n\nTop of the Charts: Travis Kelce to have the Most Receiving Yards in the Game (+140)\n\nThe Jets know that Kelce is trouble long before he even walks in. If they want any chance in this game, they'll have to slow down No. 87. This is a New York defense that's been very good, although not quite great, over the last year and continues to improve. Robert Saleh's troops have held opponents in check, giving their anemic offense a fighting chance most weeks, but if there's one thing that Gang Green struggles to defend against, it's the tight end. They're giving up the fifth-most receiving yards to the position this season (56.3) and just allowed Pharoah Brown to beat them for a long 58-yard touchdown last Sunday. Getting +140 is a nice price for the best pass-catcher in this game, but there's too much blowout potential to warrant taking a flier here.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nSeeing Red: Chiefs to Win by 22+ (+380)\n\nIf this bet ends up cashing, the \"Seeing Red\" tagline would apply to a lot more than just Chiefs fans. Bettors would be in the green, and those wearing green would be the ones with red-ish, cartoon-like faces. Odds are, Wilson would have to be atrocious again considering New York's defense isn't a pushover. The Jets often like to make games close, even when they seemingly have no business in doing so. Even if they are steamrolled, a garbage time score is more than enough to ruin this wager.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nOpening Act: Travis Kelce First TD Scorer (+400)\n\nOut of all the specials, this one is our favorite. The Chiefs will likely score first whether they get the opening kickoff or not. When we look at the Jets, we see an offensive coordinator that somehow underrated Micah Parsons and a team that refuses to take the training wheels off their former gunslinging quarterback. Wilson has turned into \"Checkdown Charlie\" as a result of conservative coaching, and we don't expect that to change in the early going. Lean into the narrative and sprinkle a little cash on Kelce to break the plane first.\n\nOur pick: Bet on it\n\nFriENDZONE: Travis Kelce to NOT score a TD (+120)\n\nObviously, based on our last recommendation, we're friendzoning this bet and not laying down any action on it.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nRunning Away Together: Chiefs to have 150+ Total Rushing Yards (+420)\n\nThe strength of the Jets roster is along the defensive line, and the Chiefs are a pass-first team that loves to light it up through the air. This is the first time that Patrick Mahomes is playing in the New York area. He'll want to put on a show, and Andy Reid certainly isn't going to hold him back. Don't expect the Chiefs to start running until it's time to chew the clock.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nSeemingly Ranch: Travis Kelce Last TD Scorer (+550)\n\nRanch is a fine condiment and beloved by many, which makes this wager something that should be seen as an insult to ranch fans everywhere. Unless the Jets make this a close game or send it to overtime, we have a hard time believing that Kelce will even be on the field to score the last touchdown. Avoid this one like people with taste buds avoid bleu cheese and treat your nuggets with respect.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nPlot Twist: Zach Wilson to have 300+ Passing Yards (+1800)\n\nIf you asked the average Jets' fan what is holding this roster back, the overwhelming results would be Wilson. \"I'm the problem, it's me,\" would probably qualify as the lyrics played in his walk-up song if fans had anything to say about it. But Wilson doesn't have time to be the anti-hero, or villain, as traditionalists would say. He needs to flip the script and shake it off. The Jets need to let him sling the ball around the field instead of worrying about the bad turnovers. They aren't winning this game 14-10, and they aren't winning anything if they can't let their quarterback be who he is. Are we betting this? Absolutely not, but that would be one heck of a plot twist, right? Perhaps the script writers are working overtime.\n\nOur pick: Pass\n\nPlatinum Performance: Travis Kelce to Score 3+ TDs (+2500)\n\nWhen it comes to Kelce's greatest hits, he prefers to save them for division rivals like the Raiders and Chargers. In your wildest dreams this bet might hit, and it might happen in reality too. Kelce could be schmoozing in the suite when the second half begins rather than throwing blocks and catching footballs on the field. But if the Jets keep it close, they are prone to being exploited by players like Kelce. With receivers lacking on the Chiefs sideline, the tight end might put on a show that is typically only found in show business. Considering he hosted “Saturday Night Live” back in March, Kelce is familiar with how to tell a story. We have him scoring once, so what’s another two times to cash a monster long shot? Don't count on it, but don't rule it out either. And please, have fun and bet responsibly.\n\nOur pick: Bet on it (with a small wager)\n\nExes & 0s: NY Jets to Score 0 Total Points (+3400)\n\nThe Jets are currently back in a familiar place as the laughingstock of the NFL. Swift, like many celebrities, has plenty of exes, but she always scores again. Maybe the haters are right. Maybe Kelce will be the subject of the next big hit. Maybe the publicists are cashing checks with this brilliant idea. Maybe it's real. Time will tell, but when the relationship inevitably falls apart like most dream celebrity couples do, there is always another someone. Point is, the Jets are without the quarterback they married, and now they're back together with Wilson. It's not glamorous, but they'll score again. Shutting out NFL teams is no easy task, but the Chiefs defense is much improved and the Jets look like a team that doesn’t have a quarterback. Don’t consider it likely to hit, but +3400 wagers hardly ever are. Consider this a fun bet, unless you’re a Jets fan, and see how long K.C. can keep NYC off the scoreboard. They might just do it for the entire game.\n\nOur pick: Bet on it (with a small wager)", + "Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) once again played host to Silicon Valley’s AI leaders on Tuesday as the US Senate reconvened its AI Insights Forum for a second time. On the guest list this go around: manifesto enthusiast Marc Andreessen and venture capitalist John Doerr, as well as Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute and NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson. On the agenda: “the transformational innovation that pushes the boundaries of medicine, energy, and science, and the sustainable innovation necessary to drive advancements in security, accountability, and transparency in AI,” according to a release from Sen. Schumer’s office.\n\nUpon exiting the meeting Tuesday, Schumer told the assembled press, \"it is clear that American leadership on AI can’t be done on the cheap. Almost all of the experts in today’s Forum called for robust, sustained federal investment in private and public sectors to achieve our goals of American-led transformative and sustainable innovation in AI.\n\nPer National Security AI Commission estimates, paying for that could cost around $32 billion a year. However, Schumer believes that those funding challenges can be addressed by \"leveraging the private sector by employing new and innovative funding mechanisms – like the Grand Challenges prize idea.\"\n\n\"We must prioritize transformational innovation, to help create new vistas, unlock new cures, improve education, reinforce national security, protect the global food supply, and more,\" Schumer remarked. But in doing so, we must act sustainably in order to minimize harms to workers, civil society and the environment. \"We need to strike a balance between transformational and sustainable innovation,\" Schumer said. \"Finding this balance will be key to our success.\"\n\nSenators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) also got in on the proposed regulatory action Tuesday, introducing legislation that would provide more transparency on AI-generated content by requiring clear labeling and disclosures. Such technology could resemble the Content Credentials tag that the C2PA and CAI industry advocacy groups are developing.\n\n\"Our bill is simple,\" Senator Schatz said in a press statement. \"If any content is made by artificial intelligence, it should be labeled so that people are aware and aren’t fooled or scammed.”\n\nThe Schatz-Kennedy AI Labeling Act, as they're calling it, would require generative AI system developers to clearly and conspicuously disclose AI-generated content to users. Those developers, and their licensees, would also have to take \"reasonable steps\" to prevent \"systematic publication of content without disclosures.\" The bill would also establish a working group to create non-binding technical standards to help social media platforms automatically identify such content as well.\n\n“​​It puts the onus where it belongs: on the companies and not the consumers,” Schatz said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Labels will help people to be informed. They will also help companies using AI to build trust in their content.”\n\nTuesday’s meeting follows the recent introduction of new AI legislation, dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 (S. 3050). Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Todd Young (R-IN) all co-sponsored the bill. The bill proposes AI bug bounty programs and would require a vulnerability analysis study for AI-enabled military applications. It’s passage into law would also launch a report into AI regulation in the financial services industry (which the head of the SEC had recently been lamenting) as well as a second report on data sharing and coordination.\n\n“It’s frankly a hard challenge,” SEC Chairman Gary Gensler told The Financial Times recently, speaking on the challenges the financial industry faces in AI adoption and regulation. “It’s a hard financial stability issue to address because most of our regulation is about individual institutions, individual banks, individual money market funds, individual brokers; it’s just in the nature of what we do.”\n\n\"Working people are fighting back against artificial intelligence and other technology used to eliminate workers or undermine and exploit us,\" AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said at the conclusion of Tuesday's forum. \"If we fail to involve workers and unions across the entire innovation process, AI will curtail our rights, threaten good jobs and undermine our democracy. But the responsible adoption of AI, properly regulated, has the potential to create opportunity, improve working conditions and build prosperity.\"\n\nThe forums are part of Senator Schumer’s SAFE Innovation Framework, which his office debuted in June. “The US must lead in innovation and write the rules of the road on AI and not let adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party craft the standards for a technology set to become as transformative as electricity,” the program announcement reads.\n\nWhile Andreesen calls for AI advancement at any cost and Tegmark continues to advocate for a developmental “time out,” rank and file AI industry workers are also fighting to make their voices heard ahead of the forum. On Monday, a group of employees from two dozen leading AI firms published an open letter to Senator Schumer, demanding Congress take action to safeguard their livelihoods from the “dystopian future” that Andreessen’s screed, for example, would require.\n\n“Establishing robust protections related to workplace technology and rebalancing power between workers and employers could reorient the economy and tech innovation toward more equitable and sustainable outcomes,” the letter authors argue.\n\nSenator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) had, the previous month, called on leading AI companies to “answer for the working conditions of their data workers, laborers who are often paid low wages and provided no benefits but keep AI products online.”\n\n\"We covered a lot of good ground today, and I think we’ll all be walking out of the room with a deeper understanding of how to approach American-led AI innovation,\" Schumer said Tueseay. \"We’ll continue this conversation in weeks and months to come – in more forums like this and committee hearings in Congress – as we work to develop comprehensive, bipartisan AI legislation.\"", + "The Biden Administration unveiled its ambitious next steps in addressing and regulating artificial intelligence development on Monday. Its expansive new executive order (EO) seeks to establish further protections for the public as well as improve best practices for federal agencies and their contractors.\n\n\"The President several months ago directed his team to pull every lever,\" a senior administration official told reporters on a recent press call. \"That's what this order does, bringing the power of the federal government to bear in a wide range of areas to manage AI's risk and harness its benefits ... It stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world and like all executive orders, this one has the force of law.\"\n\nThese actions will be introduced over the next year with smaller safety and security changes happening in around 90 days and with more involved reporting and data transparency schemes requiring nine to 12 months to fully deploy. The administration is also creating an “AI council,” chaired by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, who will meet with federal agency heads to ensure that the actions are being executed on schedule.\n\nASSOCIATED PRESS\n\nPublic safety\n\n\"In response to the President's leadership on the subject, 15 major American technology companies have begun their voluntary commitments to ensure that AI technology is safe, secure and trustworthy before releasing it to the public,\" the senior administration official said. \"That is not enough.\"\n\nThe EO directs the establishment of new standards for AI safety and security, including reporting requirements for developers whose foundation models might impact national or economic security. Those requirements will also apply in developing AI tools to autonomously implement security fixes on critical software infrastructure.\n\nBy leveraging the Defense Production Act, this EO will \"require that companies developing any foundation model that poses a serious risk to national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety must notify the federal government when training the model, and must share the results of all red-team safety tests,\" per a White House press release. That information must be shared prior to the model being made available to to the public, which could help reduce the rate at which companies unleash half-baked and potentially deadly machine learning products.\n\nIn addition to the sharing of red team test results, the EO also requires disclosure of the system’s training runs (essentially, its iterative development history). “What that does is that creates a space prior to the release… to verify that the system is safe and secure,” officials said.\n\nAdministration officials were quick to point out that this reporting requirement will not impact any AI models currently available on the market, nor will it impact independent or small- to medium-size AI companies moving forward, as the threshold for enforcement is quite high. It's geared specifically for the next generation of AI systems that the likes of Google, Meta and OpenAI are already working on with enforcement on models starting at 10^26 petaflops, a capacity currently beyond the limits of existing AI models. \"This is not going to catch AI systems trained by graduate students, or even professors,” the administration official said.\n\nWhat's more, the EO will encourage the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security to address AI threats \"to critical infrastructure, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cybersecurity risks,\" per the release. \"Agencies that fund life-science projects will establish these standards as a condition of federal funding, creating powerful incentives to ensure appropriate screening and manage risks potentially made worse by AI.\" In short, any developers found in violation of the EO can likely expect a prompt and unpleasant visit from the DoE, FDA, EPA or other applicable regulatory agency, regardless of their AI model’s age or processing speed.\n\nIn an effort to proactively address the decrepit state of America's digital infrastructure, the order also seeks to establish a cybersecurity program, based loosely on the administration's existing AI Cyber Challenge, to develop AI tools that can autonomously root out and shore up security vulnerabilities in critical software infrastructure. It remains to be seen whether those systems will be able to address the concerns of misbehaving models that SEC head Gary Gensler recently raised.\n\nAI watermarking and cryptographic validation\n\nWe're already seeing the normalization of deepfake trickery and AI-empowered disinformation on the campaign trail. So, the White House is taking steps to ensure that the public can trust the text, audio and video content that it publishes on its official channels. The public must be able to easily validate whether the content they see is AI-generated or not, argued White House officials on the press call.\n\nAdobe\n\nThe Department of Commerce is in charge of the latter effort and is expected to work closely with existing industry advocacy groups like the C2PA and its sister organization, the CAI, to develop and implement a watermarking system for federal agencies. “We aim to support and facilitate and help standardize that work [by the C2PA],” administration officials said. “We see ourselves as plugging into that ecosystem.”\n\nOfficials further explained that the government is supporting the underlying technical standards and practices that will lead to digital watermarking’ wider adoption — similar to the work it did around developing the HTTPS ecosystem and in getting both developers and the public on-board with it. This will help federal officials achieve their other goal of ensuring that the government's official messaging can be relied upon.\n\nCivil rights and consumer protections\n\nThe first Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights that the White House released last October directed agencies to “combat algorithmic discrimination while enforcing existing authorities to protect people's rights and safety,” the administration official said. “But there's more to do.”\n\nThe new EO will require guidance be extended to “landlords, federal benefits programs and federal contractors” to prevent AI systems from exacerbating discrimination within their spheres of influence. It will also direct the Department of Justice to develop best practices for investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations related to AI, as well as, according to the announcement, “the use of AI in sentencing, parole and probation, pretrial release and detention, risk assessments, surveillance, crime forecasting and predictive policing, and forensic analysis.\"\n\nAdditionally, the EO calls for prioritizing federal support to accelerate development of privacy-preserving techniques that would enable future large language models to be trained on large datasets without the current risk of leaking personal details that those datasets might contain. These solutions could include “cryptographic tools that preserve individuals’ privacy,” developed with assistance from the Research Coordination Network and National Science Foundation. The executive order also reiterates its calls for bipartisan legislation from Congress addressing the broader privacy issues that AI systems present for consumers.\n\nIn terms of healthcare, the EO states that the Department of Health and Human Services will establish a safety program that tracks and remedies unsafe, AI-based medical practices. Educators will also see support from the federal government in using AI-based educational tools like personalized chatbot tutoring.\n\nWorker protections\n\nThe Biden administration concedes that while the AI revolution is a decided boon for business, its capabilities make it a threat to worker security through job displacement and intrusive workplace surveillance. The EO seeks to address these issues with “the development of principles and employer best practices that mitigate the harms and maximize the benefit of AI for workers,” an administration official said. “We encourage federal agencies to adopt these guidelines in the administration of their programs.”\n\nRichard Shotwell/Invision/AP\n\nThe EO will also direct the Department of Labor and the Council of Economic Advisors to both study how AI might impact the labor market and how the federal government might better support workers “facing labor disruption” moving forward. Administration officials also pointed to the potential benefits that AI might bring to the federal bureaucracy including cutting costs, and increasing cybersecurity efficacy. “There's a lot of opportunity here, but we have to to ensure the responsible government development and deployment of AI,” an administration official said.\n\nTo that end, the administration is launching on Monday a new federal jobs portal, AI.gov, which will offer information and guidance on available fellowship programs for folks looking for work with the federal government. “We're trying to get more AI talent across the board,” an administration official said. “Programs like the US Digital Service, the Presidential Innovation Fellowship and USA jobs — doing as much as we can to get talent in the door.” The White House is also looking to expand existing immigration rules to streamline visa criteria, interviews and reviews for folks trying to move to and work in the US in these advanced industries.\n\nThe White House reportedly did not brief the industry on this particular swath of radical policy changes, though administration officials did note that they had already been collaborating extensively with AI companies on many of these issues. The Senate held its second AI Insight Forum event last week on Capitol Hill, while Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to speak at the UK Summit on AI Safety, hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday.\n\nChip Somodevilla via Getty Images\n\nAt an event hosted by The Washington Post on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was already arguing that the executive order did not go far enough and could not be considered an effective replacement for congressional action, which to date, has been slow in coming.\n\n“There’s probably a limit to what you can do by executive order,” Schumer told WaPo, “They [the Biden Administration] are concerned, and they’re doing a lot regulatorily, but everyone admits the only real answer is legislative.”", + "The past few weeks of the 2023 NFL season have reminded us that no matter how smooth you sail to start the voyage, choppy waters will surely come at some point. We started the first six weeks with a best bets winning percentage of well over .700, but we have come crashing back down to Earth over the past two weeks. We love our Week 9 best bets, though, and we're confident that we can all get back on track and make you some cash.\n\nEvery Friday afternoon, we unveil my favorite moneyline, spread, over/under, and player prop wagers for the upcoming weekend. We run the gauntlet and handpick the best value opportunities on Caesars and SuperDraft, then tell you exactly how and why you should attack the books to make some money. And through eight weeks, despite some bumps in the road, we have made plenty of money.\n\nDespite falling three bets under .500 over the past two weeks (5-6 in Week 7, 6-8 in Week 8), our best bets are still 65-46-1 on the season. That's a winning percentage of over .590, a number many professional bettors wish they were maintaining during this rollercoaster of an NFL season.\n\nAnd, look, last week wasn't all bad as Arnold Schwarzenneger might say. Sure, our ATS picks went 1-3 and our player prop picks went a pitiful 0-3. But our moneyline and over/under picks went 5-2. So, like the Chiefs after a pathetic loss to the Broncos (one of our incorrect picks last week), we're moving on to Week 9 with our heads held high.\n\nMORE WEEK 9 BETTING: Against the spread | Moneyline | Top props\n\nWe don't view sports betting as a gamble. With the right mindset, strategies, and preparedness, we see it as an investment — and we're loving our return on investment through seven weeks. That's why we don't just call this thing of ours a hobby — rather, it's a second job that allows us to punch in while we're sitting on our couch.\n\nYour goal is to boost your bankroll, and our top priority is to help you achieve that goal. That's why we put in a ton of statistical research, attack all the angles, uncover all the betting trends, and pinpoint value across all the sports betting sites each week.\n\nThis weekend's slate features a plethora of lucrative opportunities for bettors. So, let's go get that money and reveal our best moneyline, spread, over/under, and SuperDraft player prop bets for Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season.\n\nJUMP TO: Spreads | Moneylines | Over/under | Player props\n\nNFL Best Bets Week 9: Against the spread\n\nAll odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook\n\nColts (-2.5) at Panthers\n\nBryce Young has looked much better now that he has settled into his rookie season with the Panthers, but Carolina still seems like a work in progress. The Colts, meanwhile, have quietly been operating a pretty decent offense — much better than their three-game losing streak might suggest. Indy has scored 65 points between Week 7 and 8, 29 more points than Panthers have scored in that span.\n\nIn a Gardner Minshew-Bryce Young battle, we'll take the 'Shew — and the backfield committee of Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss against Carolina's abysmal run defense just serves as icing on the proverbial cake. The Panthers have allowed the most rushing TDs (14), the third-most points per game (28.4), and the fourth-most rushing yards per game (139.4) during their 1-7 start. The Colts will cruise in this one.\n\nFINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Colts 27, Panthers 17\n\nSeahawks (+6) at Ravens\n\nBaltimore's defense has been incredible of late, and the Ravens seem to be flying under the radar (so to speak) at 6-2. However, the sportsbooks have clearly taken note of their awesome run, giving the NFC West-leading Seahawks a full touchdown on the road. This seems like a great opportunity for us to rock with the 'dog, considering Seattle has won two straight contests and gone 2-1 on the road (including a big win over the high-flying Lions in Detroit).\n\nGeno Smith hasn't been the same Pro Bowl QB as he was in 2022, but he has still demonstrated moments of brilliance for Pete Carroll's squad. And with DK Metcalf and Kenneth Walker III a week closer to full health — and backup RB Zack Charbonnet looking like he's on the verge of a breakout — we like Seattle to at least make this a game in Baltimore. The 'Hawks defense has quietly been pretty good, and we know what kind of fireworks this offense is capable of when everything's clicking. Take an extra 1.5 points as insurance if you want, but we're taking the Seahawks to cover the +6.\n\nFINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Ravens 26, Seahawks 23\n\nOther Week 9 spreads we like: Patriots (-3) vs. Commanders; Raiders -1.5 vs. Giants\n\nBest NFL moneyline bets Week 9\n\nDolphins (+110) vs. Chiefs (Germany game)\n\nWe get it — the Dolphins have yet to defeat a true contender this season and the Chiefs are the reigning champions of the NFL. However, Kansas City just got its doors blown off by Russell Wilson and the lowly Broncos, a game in which Patrick Mahomes and company suffered five turnovers and three sacks.\n\nWe expect a statement win from Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins on neutral ground. The Dolphins have been in Frankfurt since early this week, having flown overnight on Monday to give them multiple days to acclimate to the time difference and their surroundings. The Chiefs, meanwhile, waited until after practice on Thursday to take the 11-hour voyage.\n\nThis also happens to be a revenge game for former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill, who's on pace for multiple single-season receiving records and poised for his first Offensive Player of the Year award. Oh, and Raheem Mostert, who leads the NFL with 10 TDs and ranks second behind only Breece Hall in yards per carry (5.4), should be licking his chops against a Kansas City D that has surrendered 135.6 rushing yards per game over the past three weeks. Fins up in Frankfurt!\n\nFINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Dolphins 26, Chiefs 24\n\nOther Week 9 moneylines we like: Vikings (+170) at Falcons; Bengals (-130) vs. Bills; Cowboys (+140) at Eagles\n\nBest NFL over/under bets Week 9\n\nRaiders vs. Giants: UNDER 37.5\n\nIt sounds ludicrous to offer an UNDER of 37.5 as a best bet, but this game takes the cake in a Week 9 schedule loaded with underwhelming matchups. The Raiders just fired their head coach and GM and demoted starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo after appearing lost on Monday night, while the Giants just got Daniel Jones back after scoring a combined 33 points across three miserable performances in a row. Oh, and Darren Waller, the G-men's best pass-catcher, is hurt.\n\nOn top of all that, the Giants and Raiders have both been pretty good on the defensive side of the football as of late, so expect Danny Dimes and Aidan O'Connell to have a tough time finding any kind of rhythm in the passing game. This won't be a fun one to watch, but it should be a fun result for UNDER bettors.\n\nFINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Raiders 17, Giants 13\n\nOther Week 9 over/unders we like: Colts at Panthers: OVER 44; Commanders at Patriots: OVER 41; Saints OVER 25.5 vs. Bears\n\nMORE BETTING:\n\nPick'em, Survivor Pool Picks | Chiefs-Dolphins preview | Chargers-Jets MNF preview\n\nBest NFL player prop bets Week 9\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nRashee Rice, Chiefs vs. Dolphins in Germany — OVER 45.5 receiving yards\n\nAs soon as I opened up my SuperDraft app, Rashee Rice popped out as the first prop of the first game on Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. in Frankfurt). We love this rookie receiver and the big play ability he has consistently flashed over the past month. During that span, he has averaged over 55 receiving yards per game despite the Chiefs' games being decided by an average of 11.8 points per game.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS & FANTASY PROPS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nThis one should be a tightly-contested, high-scoring game — with heavy playoff implications, because we all know this could be an AFC Championship preview — so expect Rice to be very busy through all four frames in Frankfurt. The Dolphins have allowed the fifth-most receptions and the 12th-most yards to wideouts this season. If a bounce-back week is meant to be, Sir Rashee is our destiny.\n\nAustin Ekeler, RB, Chargers @ Jets — OVER 29.5 receiving yards\n\nGuess who's back? Back again...Ek is back....tell a friend. The Chargers finally got their best player back to full health, with Ekeler exploding for 123 yards and a TD against the Bears last weekend. A whopping 94 of those 123 yards came through the air, as the PPR god gashed Chicago for chunk yardage a handful of times.\n\nExpect more of the same from QB Justin Herbert and his stud back against the Jets, who have allowed 46 receiving yards per game to RBs (sixth-most in the NFL). They'll try to shut him down this Sunday, but it would feel so empty without AE!\n\nJahan Dotson, WR, Commanders @ Patriots — OVER 45.5 receiving yards\n\nWe've come full circle with Dotson, who made our preseason sleepers column then faded into early-season obscurity only to emerge again over the past two weeks. Curtis Samuel was clearly not right last week, and the second-year wideout more than made up for it. Dotson caught 8-of-10 targets for 108 yards and a TD, a stellar encore to his Week 7 line of five catches for 43 yards. The banged-up Patriots defense will be primarily focused on stopping stud Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, which should open up plenty of opportunities for Dotson.", + "As Manchester United's season continues to slip away, the pressure around Dutch boss Erik ten Hag continues to get more palpable.\n\nThe latest slip saw the Red Devils crash out of Europe as they fell 1-0 to Bayern Munich on the final day of Champions League group-stage play, finishing bottom of their four-team group to leave them eliminated from Europe in their worst performance in the competition since 2005.\n\nOn top of that, they set the record for most goals against in a Champions League group stage by an English club, with 15 conceded in their six games. Their defensive record has collapsed as the season goes on: from a Premier League standpoint, they sit eighth in the English top flight, but their -5 goal differential is the worst of any club in the top 10.\n\nWith Jim Ratcliffe having now completed the formalities around his investment into the club, taking control of 25% of his boyhood club after a year of negotiations, the pressure will be piled on even more. Indeed, Ratcliffe wants United back at \"the very top of world football\".\n\nThe Sporting News has laid out all the options should Man United move on from Ten Hag and look for a new beginning, in the hopes of salvaging the 2023/24 season.\n\nMORE: How Man United produced their worst Champions League group stage in 18 years\n\nMan United next manager: Assessing candidates to replace Erik ten Hag\n\nIf Manchester United decide to pull the plug on Erik ten Hag's managerial tenure at Old Trafford, there aren't any perfect options for his replacement.\n\nThat allows us to speculate some as to who could slot in as the next man hoping to take United back to former glories, which still evade the club since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson over a decade ago.\n\nZinedine Zidane\n\nThe former Real Madrid manager has been out of work since departing the Spanish club in 2021, clearly waiting for the right position to open up. He was heavily rumoured to be in line for the France position once the 2022 World Cup finished, but Didier Deschamps surprised many by signing a new contract.\n\nZidane would be a top choice for United, as he would be for many top clubs with a managerial vacancy, but there's questions around whether he would be open to signing on. The 51-year-old told Marca back in June of 2022 that he isn't exactly thrilled about a Premier League job due to the language barrier.\n\nWhen asked specifically about a possible job opening in Manchester, Zidane said: \"I understand English, but I don't master it completely. I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way. Many elements come into play to win. It is a global context.\" Does he still feel the same way?\n\nGraham Potter\n\nWhile Potter's time at Chelsea crashed and burned, many still rate the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss highly and he could be in line for a project job such as this. Indeed, there have previously been rumours that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the INEOS founder on the brink of purchasing a 25 per cent stake in United, would like Potter at the club. He has been out of work since his Blues tenure came to a close back in April, but it would be a hard sell to fans after his time with the London club went so poorly.\n\nRoberto De Zerbi\n\nOne of the fastest rising managers in the game, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is known for his tactical innovation in transitional play, and his name has cropped up a number of times when big clubs have an opening.\n\nThe 44-year-old Italian has led the tiny club to new heights, qualifying for the Europa League for the first time in club history and establishing themselves as top-four contenders, building upon the success under Graham Potter. Yet could Potter's failure at Chelsea cause some trepidation around another Brighton success story moving on up?\n\nMichael Carrick\n\nThis list wouldn't be complete without mention of the likeliest of those with direct Manchester United links. Former United midfielder Michael Carrick, who made 316 appearances for the club over a 12-year Old Trafford tenure, is at Championship club Middlesbrough, his first permanent managerial appointment. They sit 11th in the second tier as of mid-December, just three points back of the playoff spots in a crowded top half.\n\nCarrick's lack of experience is glaring, but hiring someone with deep knowledge of the club could be very enticing, and the fact he hasn't bombed in his first job is notable. The 42-year-old has also led the Red Devils before on a caretaker basis, installed back in 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal and leading the club to some big wins over Arsenal in league play and Villarreal in the Champions League before Ralf Rangnick took over.\n\nHansi Flick\n\nThe former German national-team manager only lasted two years on the job with Die Mannschaft, before their failures at the 2022 World Cup caught up with him. Yet Flick has big club experience, having led Bayern Munich first as an assistant under Niko Kovac and then for two years as manager, winning the treble in 2019/20 en route to being named UEFA Coach of the Year.\n\nYet Flick's lack of experience of any kind outside Germany — he has just one year abroad, as an assistant at Red Bull Salzburg — coupled with his struggles at the national-team level could give some pause at bringing him to England for such a project position.\n\nAntonio Conte\n\nFormer Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte hasn't cropped up near the top of any betting lists, but there could be some sense in hiring the Italian to take over at Old Trafford. Conte has been out of work since his acrimonious departure from Tottenham this past summer, after he seemingly shoved his way out of the club amidst reports he was utterly miserable in London.\n\nWhile the idea of a control freak such as Conte taking over the Manchester United mess could easily be a recipe for disaster, the club could also seek out a fixer of his nature, hoping for an immediate boost they can build on once things crumble under the Italian, as they often do. Still, the Red Devils would likely have competition as he seems to prefer working in his home country.\n\nJulen Lopetegui\n\nFifty-seven-year-old Spanish boss Lopetegui represents maybe the perfect mix of experience, availability, and interest as Manchester United seek out possible new managers. Lopetegui is most known for his time in charge of the Spanish national team, where he succeeded Vincente del Bosque, but he also has big club experience at Real Madrid.\n\nLopetegui has also managed in the Premier League, seemingly on an upward trajectory at Wolves before abruptly leaving just days before the current season amidst tension with the board. And therein lies the issue around Lopetegui: he has left multiple positions in mysterious and awkward circumstances, with his Wolves exit reminiscent of his departure from the Spanish national team, where he suddenly departed just days before the start of the 2018 World Cup as news of his discussions with Real Madrid came to light. Between those two incidents, and his failed tenures at Madrid and Sevilla, would he be worth the risk at Old Trafford?\n\nNames that don't make sense as next Man United manager\n\nJulian Nagelsmann\n\nWhile the German's name has come up in betting circles as a possibility for the next Manchester United manager, there's no sense to this actually taking place. Nagelsmann was only recently hired as the head coach of the German national team, meaning there's no chance he is available until after Euro 2024 at the earliest, and in that case, it's likely that Germany flopped at their own tournament, meaning his hire would probably be quite sour. This one just doesn't add up.\n\nLionel Scaloni\n\nWhile it's conceivable that the Argentine could become available at a moment's notice amid speculation of his potential exit with the defending World Cup champions, this feels an unlikely pairing. Should he indeed leave Argentina, Scaloni has been open about his mental fatigue and is likely to take some time off from management. In the event he does return quickly, he's been heavily linked to Real Madrid as a possible replacement for the Carlo Ancelotti, who is expected to become the next permanent Brazil head coach.\n\nIt's hard to imagine that Scaloni, who seemingly craves stability and routine, has no experience at club level, and lacks ties to the Premier League or Old Trafford (beyond a brief loan spell with West Ham as a player in 2006) would be a match for Manchester United in any capacity.\n\nGareth Southgate\n\nYou can sense a trend here as another currently employed national-team manager is mentioned in England boss Southgate. While he's been linked to the United job before, it would take a perfect storm for him to be installed, whether on a permanent basis or as an interim stopgap option.\n\nSome believe he could be considered next summer once the Euros are over: it has been speculated that Southgate could leave his England post following next summer's tournament, with his contract expiring in December next year. However, it's also possible he decides to stay on for the 2026 World Cup cycle, particularly if England have a good tournament in Germany. In that instance, he would only be available for double duty on a temporary basis, and that would simply be too messy to outweigh the benefits. Brazil are currently in that boat, and it's all gone wrong for Fernando Diniz despite his Copa Libertadores victory with Fluminense.\n\nMauricio Pochettino\n\nIn the event Todd Boehly proves to sport just as itchy a trigger finger as his successor Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, it's possible that Mauricio Pochettino becomes available should Manchester United look to move on from Erik ten Hag. But would he really be a sellable hire, having just failed in London after bombing at PSG and departing Tottenham in acrimonious manner? It seems unlikely that United would be interested in someone who demands significant club control and will have just been fired from a struggling league rival.\n\nManchester United managers since Sir Alex Ferguson\n\nIf Manchester United were to appoint a new manager, that person would be the ninth coach to take charge of a United team following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in May 2013, including caretaker/interim managers Ryan Giggs, Ralf Rangnick and Carrick.\n\nManager Honours Games David Moyes Community Shield 51 Ryan Giggs (caretaker) — 4 Louis van Gaal FA Cup 103 Jose Mourinho Community Shield, Europa League, League Cup 144 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — 168 Michael Carrick (caretaker) — 3 Ralf Rangnick (interim) — 29 Erik ten Hag League Cup *\n\n*Still manager of the club", + "Cover 7 | Monday A daily NFL destination that provides in-depth analysis of football’s biggest stories. Each Monday, Mike Sando breaks down the six most impactful takeaways from the week.\n\nThe San Francisco 49ers entered Week 6 riding a 15-game winning streak and looking unstoppable with a young quarterback, Brock Purdy, who was making the game look easy. They exited with a 19-17 defeat at Cleveland, injuries to key players and, for the first time this season, a question mark or two.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWith the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles also losing ugly Sunday, this edition of the Pick Six column addresses key questions facing Super Bowl favorites with one-third of the 18-week regular season nearly complete.\n\nSo far this season, we’ve seen the Miami Dolphins set NFL records for offense, only to lose by four touchdowns in their lone game against a true contender. We’ve seen the Kansas City Chiefs win with defense, sometimes in spite of their offense. We’ve seen the Buffalo Bills incur devastating injuries. Here we’ll address 10 teams with the shortest Super Bowl odds, running through what I think and what NFL insiders have to say.\n\nThe full Pick Six menu this week:\n\n• Unanswered questions for contenders\n\n• When “playing to win” goes too far\n\n• Championship roster, rookie kicker\n\n• Do they make wristbands for coaches?\n\n• Giants, Vikings and winning too soon\n\n• Two-minute drill: Wackiest win in a while\n\nGO DEEPER The Eagles' 'tush push' play is taking over the NFL. But is it working?\n\n1. Where do the top 10 current Super Bowl contenders stand one-third of the way through the season? Let’s hit key questions facing the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Ravens, Lions, Dolphins and Jaguars.\n\nYou can scroll through the latest Super Bowl future odds from BetMGM below.\n\n• San Francisco 49ers: What do they have in Purdy?\n\nWhat I think: Let’s start with what the 49ers do not have in Purdy. They do not have an AFC North-certified, weatherproof Ben Roethlisberger clone able to overpower the elements, break away from defensive linemen and thrive in the conditions Purdy faced against Cleveland. What they do have is a good, young quarterback well-suited to run Kyle Shanahan’s offense at a high level by making quick decisions when given time to find open receivers.\n\nExec comment: “The 49ers knew they needed a good quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and they knew they could help Purdy be that. Give him a great receiving tight end, two good receivers and a great halfback who fits the system, and they’ll get someone open on every pass play. But then Deebo Samuel gets hurt, Christian McCaffrey gets hurt, and now we don’t have as many guys open. Especially when you face a defensive coordinator who says, ‘You show me you can beat me throwing the ball outside the numbers — best of luck, and to do that, you are going to have to take a five-step drop and I’m going to have Myles Garrett chasing you every play.'”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n• Kansas City Chiefs: Is the explosive passing game gone for good?\n\nWhat I think: The Chiefs have never scored less per game on offense through six games or a full season since Patrick Mahomes became their quarterback. They have also never enjoyed larger average point differentials (9.8 per game), because their defense is so much better. I think the pass offense will become slightly more explosive as Mahomes gets reps with his receivers, but I’m not expecting a huge shift.\n\nThe Chiefs are averaging 9.5 plays per touchdown drive when starting at least 70 yards from the opponent’s goal line, per TruMedia. That figure was 7.8 in Mahomes’ first year as the starter and has climbed every season since. It’s a testament to the Chiefs’ adaptability, but also a reflection of plummeting explosive play rates.\n\nExec comment: “Yeah, it looks harder for them on offense until Mahomes finds (Travis) Kelce on every major third down, every major two-minute play, every major touchdown. Kansas City has the luxury of their best players being their toughest players. Chris Jones is a very tough player. Kelce is a very tough player. Mahomes is a very tough player. You wonder why they win the games? Because the games are won by the toughest teams most of the time.”\n\n• Philadelphia Eagles: Has Jalen Hurts regressed? Where are the explosive pass plays?\n\nWhat I think: Explosive passing is down through most of the league, including for the Eagles. They are gaining more than 15 yards on just 11 percent of pass plays, down from 21 percent through six games last season and 19 percent for 2022 overall. Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are still on the team, so I’m inclined to trust the production will return. But there’s also a lingering fear defenses have caught up to aspects of the Eagles’ scheme. Does Philly have a counterpunch?\n\nAdvertisement\n\nExec comment: “People are going to crush Hurts and the offense. They are just churning the clock so much. It just feels like they are imposing their will on teams through the run game and through their short passing and it just hasn’t taken off from an explosive passing standpoint, so when they play a team that can move the ball on them through the air, it presents some challenges.”\n\nGO DEEPER Behind the AI magic that lets Amazon's Prime Vision show the NFL like never before\n\n• Buffalo Bills: Are the defensive injuries too much to overcome?\n\nWhat I think: The rest of the conference is the key variable. The Bills are diminished. They have imperfections. But Buffalo already defeated the Dolphins. The other AFC teams aren’t exactly peaking. Kansas City and Cincinnati appear easier to defend this season than in the recent past. We’ll see how well the Dolphins hold up. This can still be Buffalo’s season.\n\nExec comment: “Matt Milano and Tre’Davious White, those are huge injuries for that football team. The Bills are not as dominant as they felt going into it with so many injuries on defense. But the division they are in, they will still be able to slug it out and get to where they need to go. Nobody has really emerged in the AFC to unseat these teams at the top.”\n\n• Miami Dolphins: Has Tua Tagovailoa proven he’s built to last?\n\nWhat I think: It was tough watching Tagovailoa last season without worrying for his physical well-being. I’ve never felt that way watching him so far this season, and will feel even better if he plays a full game against Philadelphia in Week 7. New England, Kansas City, the Jets (twice), Washington, Tennessee, Dallas, Baltimore and Buffalo will all get their shots at Tagovailoa. I’m cautiously optimistic, but think there will be games when defense muddy the picture sufficiently to create turnovers.\n\nExec comment: “Interesting team. They put up 70 on Denver and should have put up 70 on the Giants. No one can keep up with that kind of firepower. But they also haven’t really beaten anyone. They were down 14 points to Carolina. Do you think they are coming back from 13 down against Philly? In my opinion, no.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n• Dallas Cowboys: Is this team any better than previous Dallas teams that fell short?\n\nWhat I think: It’s a tough time to evaluate the Cowboys fairly because they were so bad against San Francisco on a big stage in their most recent game. I just don’t see where Dallas is better or going to get considerably better, especially on offense. And every time they enjoy success, they seem to enjoy it a little too much. That is a reflection of their owner.\n\nExec comment: “Run defense and consistency on defense, and then offensively, what is their identity? They just are not very good. Their best games are when they play great defense and get turnovers, but that is not going to happen enough, especially against the good teams.”\n\n• Detroit Lions: Have they fixed their defense?\n\nWhat I think: The Lions are 11.3 EPA per game better on defense from last season to this season, the second-largest gain for any team since last season. The schedule has something to do with that, but the 2022 defense was so bad, it couldn’t stop Carolina. Detroit will win the NFC North and return to the playoffs, which will make this season successful no matter what happens from there. But we won’t find out until the postseason just how much better the defense might be, because the remaining schedule features so many weak offenses. That includes Chicago twice, Green Bay, Denver and Las Vegas.\n\nExec comment: “Yes, I do buy them. This is a league full of teams who do not really know who they are week to week. Detroit knows who they are, and they play to their identity. Anytime you know who you are and play to that style, you have a chance to be dangerous.”\n\n• Baltimore Ravens: Are the Ravens better off shifting to more of a pass-oriented offense?\n\nWhat I think: Baltimore has never scored fewer points or amassed less offensive EPA through the first six games of a season with Lamar Jackson in the lineup. The schedule and injuries have played roles, but with the Ravens shifting toward a more conventional pass offense, are the explosive quarterback runs mostly in the past? Jackson has one rush longer than 20 yards (he’s had four or five by now previously). He’s gaining at least eight yards on 15 percent of carries, half his previous rate. I’m not expecting a consistent precision passing game to suddenly materialize. Will this new offense be tougher to defend?\n\nAdvertisement\n\nExec comment: “The defense keeps them in it, but I don’t necessarily think this offensive change is going to make them any better when it counts. Lamar Jackson does not appear as dynamic as a runner, but in this offense, he does not need to be. He is regulated to pass from the pocket, but you are taking away the biggest weapon the offense had when you do that. Odell (Beckham) is not that guy anymore. Who are you truly afraid of on that offense? Nobody but Lamar, and if you are not using Lamar in a certain capacity, he becomes just like the rest of these quarterbacks around the league — hit or miss.”\n\n• Jacksonville Jaguars: Are they ready for prime time?\n\nWhat I think: Trevor Lawrence’s knee injury was the big concern coming out of Sunday. If he’s out, expectations shift dramatically. More than the other AFC contenders, the Jaguars seem early in their life cycle, still finding their way. That makes them a little harder to trust in big spots but also leaves greater space for growth. Let’s hope those test results on Lawrence’s knee come back clear.\n\nExec comment: “I like Jacksonville. Doug (Pederson) has a championship pedigree. This team is relatively young. They are scrappy. The fact that they have been there before gives them a chance. I think the quarterback is growing.”\n\n• Cincinnati Bengals: Can Joe Burrow hold up for a full season?\n\nWhat I think: Burrow is looking healthier over the past two weeks. The bye week comes at a great time for Burrow to get even healthier, but check out the schedule on the other side: San Francisco, Buffalo, Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. Cincy still has a second game with the Steelers, plus games against Kansas City and Cleveland. I’m worried Burrow will wear down against these defenses.\n\nExec comment: “You cannot always expect Joe Burrow to create magic with a bottom-half offensive line. The line is my concern all the way.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n2. Are teams sometimes going too far playing to win? The Eagles come to mind after falling 20-14 to the Jets.\n\nMost would agree teams have gotten smarter in their handling of fourth-down situations, going for it when it makes sense, instead of punting almost out of habit. Making the aggressive play to win can absolutely be the smart play, regardless of results. It’s progress when teams seriously wrestle with these questions, not just on fourth down, but in all aspects of their strategy.\n\nBut when the Eagles tossed a killer interception on third-and-9 from their own 46-yard line while protecting a 14-12 lead against the Jets with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, a longtime NFL exec reached out with a question: “Have we come too far with coaches wanting to ‘win’ the game instead of sometimes being more traditional?”\n\nHis point: Philadelphia could have run the ball on third-and-9, then punted from around midfield. The Jets would have taken possession with barely more than a minute remaining, no timeouts and Zach Wilson behind center facing a ferocious Eagles pass rush. Was having Hurts pass in a situation when gaining a first down is unlikely the smart play under the circumstances?\n\n“Are coaches not willing to go against the slight statistical benefit that WPA (win probability added) provides?” the exec asked. “Is it no longer OK to let your defense win the game when it clearly has a huge talent/performance advantage? This Eagles game was 14-12, not 37-35.”\n\nCritics attuned to the trend toward aggressiveness pounce when teams pass up chances to go for the kill. Coaches know team owners tend to be fans, not football strategists. They know owners listen to these criticisms. That can provide an incentive to make the aggressive play, to go down swinging.\n\n“Everybody thinks they are playing Brady, Manning or Rodgers in two-minute,” a veteran coach said. “If before the game someone offered Philly to put its defense against Zach Wilson on a need-field-goal drive starting inside his own 15 with no timeouts and a minute left, you think they would have taken it?”\n\nIn the situation Sunday, the Jets’ offense had netted 19 yards on its previous three possessions, producing one field goal on a drive that gained 16 of those yards. The Eagles had already suffered three turnovers. They knew Wilson would be taking over deep in his territory with very little time remaining.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“To me, these are exactly the type of factors that a coach needs to consider when deciding,” the exec said. “I think they were ignored here.”\n\nThe situation Philly faced against the Jets was the seventh time since 2000 that a team leading by 1-2 points in the final two minutes faced third down with 7-10 yards to go from the minus-40 yard line to midfield, with the opponent holding no timeouts.\n\nThree of the seven teams passed, resulting in one first down, one sack and Hurts’ interception. Of these three teams, only the Eagles lost the game.\n\n3. The 49ers lost Sunday when their rookie kicker missed from 41 yards. Is San Francisco wise trusting a championship roster to a rookie’s foot come playoff time?\n\nThe 49ers raised eyebrows among some when they used their second-highest pick in the 2023 draft — a third-round choice, 99th overall — for a kicker. The selection of Michigan’s Jake Moody gave the 49ers a cost-effective successor to veteran Robbie Gould. General manager John Lynch called Moody a potentially “foundational” player whose stock in the draft was so high, other teams were trying to trade ahead of San Francisco for a shot at him.\n\nWho do you want lining up the potential winning kick in a Super Bowl? It’s an interesting question in a season that has seen Moody and Saints rookie Blake Grupe miss game-winning tries, but the data could be on the 49ers’ side.\n\nFGA Dist Rookies Veterans <33 Yds 97% [31-32] 94% [330-351] 34-44 Yds 75% [21-28] 82% [230-279] 45-50 Yds 78% [7-9] 73% [121-165] 51-55 Yds 100% [8-8] 59% [33-56] 56+ Yds 0% [0-1] 55% [6-11] Totals 86% [67-78] 84% [720-862]\n\nThe table above shows field-goal make rates in the postseason since 2000 for rookie kickers vs. veterans. The numbers stack up pretty evenly across various distance cutoffs. Based on these numbers, there’s no statistical indication rookies are less effective in the postseason.\n\n“Playoff teams have a different aura, different feel in the locker room,” a veteran evaluator said. “Percentages are one thing, but who is the guy who trots out there to try the game-winner? It’s a different pressure shooting free throws up by 20, down by 20, than in that type of situation.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFans might recall rookie kickers missing playoff kicks: Rodrigo Blankenship with the Colts in 2020, Harrison Butker with the Chiefs in 2017, Nate Kaeding with the Chargers in 2005. But the NFL has seen plenty of rookies kick effectively in the postseason as well. Evan McPherson made all 14 postseason tries with the 2021 Super Bowl Bengals. The 2017 Eagles won a Super Bowl with rookie Jake Elliott performing well. The 2012 Super Bowl champion Ravens had rookie Justin Tucker, while the 2006 Patriots trusted rookie Stephen Gostkowski.\n\n4. Do they make wristbands for head coaches? That is not the only question facing the Broncos.\n\nDenver Broncos coach Sean Payton has made clear his frustration with quarterback Russell Wilson in myriad ways, including when he suggested Wilson could at some point wear a wristband if it would help speed up communication in the huddle.\n\nWe joked on the Football GM Podcast that the head coach himself could have used a wristband to assist with game management after the Broncos called timeout before punting with 22 seconds left in the first half of a 19-8 defeat at Kansas City in Week 6. Payton said he thought Denver was heading into third down, not fourth, when he called timeout, helping the Chiefs’ drive to a field goal.\n\nIt wasn’t an isolated miscue. Denver has twice this season used all three timeouts with at least four minutes remaining before halftime. Payton suffered that fate only four times in 258 total games coaching the Saints, when his association with Drew Brees was one of the most successful partnerships in recent NFL history. Payton has had it happen twice in six games with Wilson as his quarterback.\n\nRussell Wilson’s hold on the starting job in Denver seems more tenuous with every game. (William Purnell / USA Today)\n\nAcross the league, teams have used all their first-half timeouts above four minutes just 14 times since 2020. That includes six times by Carolina when Matt Rhule coached the Panthers. Payton is the only other coach with more than one such game over the past three-plus seasons.\n\nThe irony is rich in Denver, where Payton’s predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, was mocked for his game management so thoroughly, the team made him hire veteran assistant Jerry Rosburg to help him after only three games (Denver was 2-1 at that point). The Broncos under Hackett had trouble getting out of the huddle on time.\n\nHackett took the hit for those issues, but when the problem recurred under Payton, the blame shifted to Wilson, the common denominator.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAll of this is pointing toward a future in Denver that includes Payton but not Wilson. Payton’s game plans over the past two weeks were conservative enough to suggest the coach was publicly demonstrating he does not think he can run his offense as currently configured, despite some success on the ground. These game plans were conservative enough to signal a potential in-season quarterback change. Denver faces Green Bay and Kansas City over the next two weeks before heading into its Week 9 bye.\n\n5. You play to win the game, but can you win too quickly? The Giants and Vikings are test cases.\n\nThe New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings exceeded expectations under first-year head coaches in 2022. Both reached the playoffs. Both are struggling in their second seasons, facing difficult questions about the future. Would they have been better off enjoying only moderate success early? That could depend on how well the football leadership has communicated with ownership.\n\nEvery head coach and general manager wants to win as much as possible, but the goal is to build for the long term, which can require time to do things with sustainability in mind. Bad teams that win right away can reset expectations for fans and ownership, making it less practical to take one step backward in the short term for a better shot at taking two steps forward down the line.\n\nWhat do the Giants’ and Vikings’ ownerships think?\n\n“The best first year can be that 7-10 season where you show some promise,” a veteran coach with experience on a half-dozen teams said. “The Giants won a bunch of games early, people were heaping praise on the head coach, people get the expectation of what the quarterback can be. But oftentimes, you know different internally because you know the house you are living in. You are inside the walls every single day and you know where the roof leaks, where the foundation is cracked.”\n\nBuffalo managed such a situation well. The Bills surprisingly reached the playoffs in their first season under Sean McDermott, a euphoric moment after a 17-year playoff drought. They went 6-10 the next year, then began a steady rise behind Josh Allen and a top defense. There isn’t a Josh Allen on the Giants or Vikings.\n\nMinnesota in particular finds itself in an interesting spot, with Kirk Cousins approaching free agency and playing well enough, most likely, to keep the Vikings from climbing too high in the draft order.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“They already gave a contract to (tight end) T.J. Hockenson, and they are going to give one to (receiver) Justin Jefferson,” an exec said. “Now, what? Are you going into the rookie pool and taking the fourth-best quarterback in the draft? You can look like Atlanta with (Desmond) Ridder pretty quick.”\n\n6. Two-minute drill: There were already many ways to win a game before the Dolphins invented another one.\n\nThe Dolphins were one of 223 teams since 2000 to be favored by at least 13.5 points in a regular-season or playoff game. Seventeen of those 223 teams fell behind by 14 or more. Six of the 17 won anyway. The Dolphins were the only one of those 223 teams to win and cover the spread, which was 13.5 for this game.\n\n• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games. That ranks second in NFL history to Hall of Famer Don Hutson, who had 819 yards through six with Green Bay in 1942.\n\nReceiving Yards Through Six NFL Games Rk Player Season Yds 1 Don Hutson 1942 819 2 Tyreek Hill 2023 812 3 Wes Welker 2011 785 4 Elroy Hirsch 1951 766 5 Santana Moss 2005 743 6 DeAndre Hopkins 2015 726 7 Raymond Berry 1960 725 8 Jerry Rice 1986 723 9 Bob Boyd 1954 718 10 Bobby Mitchell 1962 714\n\n• Jared Goff is enjoying the second-best start to a season for his career from a statistical standpoint, behind only his 2018 Super Bowl season with the Rams. With the Lions at 5-1 and Goff heading toward a likely contract extension, could another team come after his injured backup, former University of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker?\n\nRandy Mueller raised the thought last week, recalling examples from his career as a GM when offering a pick one round higher than a prospect’s actual draft round proved alluring. Detroit used a third-round choice for Hooker, who is recovering from ACL surgery. Hooker would have been valued higher if healthy. Could that be true again at some point in the future?\n\n• News that Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson might undergo season-ending shoulder surgery could carry a silver lining. Richardson got to play enough for the Colts to evaluate where he stands, but if he shuts it down for the season, neither he nor the team would have to suffer through a full season of growing pains. Gardner Minshew’s three-pick game against Jacksonville on Sunday works against the idea Indy is better positioned to compete with the journeyman in the lineup, but most coaches and execs I’ve spoken with believe that to be the case in the short term.\n\n(Top photo: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)\n\nThe Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.", + "Happy December, fantasy friends! We have somehow reached the final week of the fantasy football regular season, so the running back decisions we make in our PPR leagues this week could very well impact our playoff fate. Our Week 14 fantasy RB PPR rankings will help you optimize your lineup at RB1, RB2, and flex heading into this crucial weekend.\n\nIt hasn't been all holly, jolly this season — in fact, it has often been a bumpy sleigh ride. We've suffered a plethora of injuries to stud RBs the past few weeks, but we keep rolling with the punches and always do our best to stay two steps ahead of our opponents. One major positive is that only two teams will be on bye this week, a welcome relief after the six-team byepocalypse that was Week 13. Still, the injury-ravaged teams will have trouble replacing their studs and the deep squads will have difficult start 'em, sit 'em decisions to make.\n\nAs we do every week, we're deep-diving the running back position and analyzing all the stats, matchups, and injuries before breaking down our rankings. So, let's get to it and survey the RB landscape for the final week of the fantasy regular season.\n\nWhich RBs are on bye in Week 14?\n\nAfter a whopping six teams were on bye last week, only the Commanders and Cardinals will be off in Week 14. That takes Brian Robinson Jr. and James Conner off the table, but it doesn't hurt us much beyond that.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nIt does hurt a bit to have two below-average run defenses off the table, as Washington and Arizona have both ranked among the 10 most generous teams to RBs this season.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy RBs in Week 14?\n\nChristian McCaffrey (vs. Seahawks in Week 14) has given us no reason to stop believing in him as the best overall player in the NFL, so he stays atop this list. Austin Ekeler (vs. Broncos) has started to give us some pause as of late, as he's averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry since coming off IR eight games ago, but a juicy home matchup against Denver should be his get-right game. Clear skies ahead, Ek owners — the Broncos have surrendered the most PPR points in the NFL to RBs, and L.A. faces them twice between now and the fantasy title week.\n\nWith Jacksonville playing very well over the past month, we're all-in on Travis Etienne Jr. (@ Browns) even in a tough matchup. Trevor Lawrence and his high-flying offense should dominate the time of possession against the Joe Flacco-led Browns, leaving ETN plenty of opportunities to add to his per-game PPR average of 17.4 points (third best in the NFL entering Week 13).\n\nGuess who's back? Back again? Achane's back — tell a friend! Stud rookie De'Von Achane (vs. Titans) went right back to roughing up the opposition in his Week 13 return from a knee injury that sidelined him one week prior. The potential league-winner casually put up 103 yards and two TDs on the Commanders, and we can't help but place him and running mate Raheem Mostert in the top five this week despite a somewhat-tough matchup with Tennessee. Mostert has more PPR points than everyone but CMC, while Achane ranks just two spots behind CMC at third in PPR points per game (20.6).\n\nAnother stud duo, Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery (@ Bears), also makes our top 10. They ravaged Chicago when they last met a few weeks ago, combining for a total of 193 yards and two TDs, and we have no reason to think the Lions will slow down in Week 13. Dan Campbell's squad just put 142 rushing yards and 33 points on the Saints in the Bayou this past weekend.\n\nSpeaking of New Orleans, old PPR reliable Alvin Kamara (vs. Panthers) has been a source of light for an otherwise-dismal Saints offense. With Derek Carr suffering a brutal blow in the Week 13 loss to Detroit, Kamara will likely shoulder the load against Carolina and its atrocious run defense. Entering Week 13, only two teams had allowed more PPR points than the Panthers (28.9 FPPG).\n\nWe also love Saquon Barkley (vs. Packers) against the Packers' leaky run defense and Breece Hall (vs. Texans) in what should be a bounce-back game. Entering Week 13, Houston had allowed 112.9 scrimmage yards per game and nine total TDs to RBs on the year.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy RB sleepers, waiver pickups Week 14?\n\nWelcome to the top 25, Tyjae Spears (@ Dolphins)! We've loved the way this kid has run all season. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry entering last weekend, and he stepped up in a major way for Tennessee when Derrick Henry sustained a game-ending hit to the head area against Indy. Spears contributed 20 yards on the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter and another 27 yards in OT, but Mike Vrabel's squad ultimately lost. In what should be a high-scoring game against the Super Bowl-hopeful 'Fins, we like Spears to be busy as rookie QB Will Levis's top check-down option -- assuming Henry (head/neck) is out, of course.\n\nEzekiel Elliott (@ Steelers) is another potential fill-in who should produce at least flex-worthy stats this week. With Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) on the shelf, Elliott could see 20 touches. Similarly, Kenneth Gainwell (@ Cowboys) and Roschon Johnson (vs. Lions) could see big upticks in touches if D'Andre Swift and D'Onta Foreman can't suit up, but we're not as confident those backs can produce given their matchups.\n\nWe still like Jaylen Warren better overall, but you can confidently take Najee Harris (vs. Patriots) out of the doghouse for good. Harris has been running with purpose, and his role in the passing game continues to make him a high-ceiling RB2 in a run-first offense that will be without Kenny Pickett (ankle) this week. New England might be banged up, but it's still a tough D to get chunk yardage against through the air. Look for Harris to see lots of screens and dump-downs in a rough-and-tumble Thursday night game in Pittsburgh.\n\nWe love Baltimore's Keaton Mitchell (vs. Rams) and think he has the potential to smash Los Angeles at home this week. The speedster has quietly racked up over 300 yards and two TDs over the Ravens' past four games, and with Lamar Jackson facing Aaron Donald and a still-talented pass-rush, John Harbaugh's squad might turn to the rookie to move the chains between the 20s. All we need is one or two big chunk gains to make him a worthwhile start — he can run friggin' 22 miles per hour!\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWho are the biggest potential fantasy RB busts in Week 14?\n\nWhile he just barely cracks our top 25 thanks to his passing-down usage, James Cook (@ Chiefs) doesn't thrill us at Arrowhead against the pissed-off defending champs. Kansas City's front-seven has been tough against speedsters and more vulnerable to power backs, and the 5-11, 190-pound Cook 100 percent falls into the former category. Temper your expectations.\n\nWe feel the same way about Zach Charbonnet (@ 49ers). It's great that the Week 13 injury he sustained on Thursday night was just a bruise, but it's not great that he now faces a 49ers defense that already stifled him on Thanksgiving. You're probably starting him if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury, but consider other options if you have the depth. The floor and ceiling remain low against this uber-confident Niners D.\n\nTyler Allgeier (vs. Buccaneers) continues to see his role diminish for the NFC South-leading Falcons, with dum-dum coach Arthur Smith finally realizing that Bijan Robinson gives the ATL the best chance at continued success. Tampa Bay has a pretty good run defense, so Allgeier can't be trusted outside of a desperate flex play with his nine average touches over the past two weeks.\n\nWhat are the biggest RB injuries in Week 14?\n\nDerrick Henry (head/neck), Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), Kenneth Walker III (oblique), Aaron Jones (knee), D'Onta Foreman (ankle), and D'Andre Swift (undisclosed) are all \"questionable,\" at best, to suit up this week. We know for sure Stevenson will be out, but we'll have to monitor the injury reports throughout the week for the rest.\n\nJonathan Taylor (thumb) underwent surgery last week and will miss the next few weeks, opening the door for Zack Moss to resume his role as Indy's super-sub lead back.\n\nWe'll be updating these RB PPR rankings all week, so check back for the latest player movement.\n\nFantasy RB PPR Rankings Week 14: Who to start, sit at running back\n\nRankings based on full-point PPR scoring formats\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Christian McCaffrey, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n2 Austin Ekeler, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n3 Travis Etienne, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n4 De'Von Achane, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n5 Raheem Mostert, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n6 Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions @ Bears\n\n7 Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n8 Saquon Barkley, Giants vs. Packers\n\n9 David Montgomery, Lions @ Bears\n\n10 Breece Hall, Jets vs. Texans\n\n11 Bijan Robinson, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n12 Josh Jacobs, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n13 Rachaad White, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n14 Tony Pollard, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n15 Kyren Williams, Rams @ Ravens\n\n16 Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n17 Javonte Williams, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n18 Derrick Henry, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n19 D'Andre Swift, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n20 Jaylen Warren, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n21 Alexander Mattison, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n22 Jerome Ford, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n23 Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks\n\n24 Najee Harris, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n25 James Cook, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n26 Zack Moss, Colts @ Bengals\n\n27 Keaton Mitchell, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n28 AJ Dillon, Packers @ Giants\n\n29 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n30 Aaron Jones, Packers @ Giants\n\n31 Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs @ Bills\n\n32 Tyjae Spears, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n33 Gus Edwards, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n34 Dameon Pierce, Texans @ Jets\n\n35 Roschon Johnson, Bears vs. Lions\n\n36 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs @ Bills\n\n37 Kareem Hunt, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n38 Tyler Allgeier, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n39 Chuba Hubbard, Panthers @ Saints\n\n40 Devin Singletary, Texans @ Jets\n\n41 D'Onta Foreman, Bears vs. Lions\n\n42 Chase Brown, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n43 D'Ernest Johnson, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n44 Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n45 Miles Sanders, Panthers @ Saints\n\n46 Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n47 Dalvin Cook, Jets vs. Texans\n\n48 Joshua Kelley, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n49 Royce Freeman, Rams @ Ravens\n\n50 Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n51 Ty Chandler, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n52 Latavius Murray, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n53 Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n54 Justice Hill, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n55 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n56 Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n57 Khalil Herbert, Bears vs. Lions\n\n58 Tank Bigsby, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n59 Samaje Perine, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n60 Chase Edmonds, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n61 Boston Scott, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n62 Matt Breida, Giants vs. Packers\n\n63 Jamaal Williams, Saints vs. Panthers", + "Several would-be antidotes to the supersized and high-priced EV trend kicked the bucket this year. That’s bad news for everyone, even if you’d pick a beefy Cybertruck over something resembling a teeny Kei car.\n\nCars in general are no substitute for more efficient modes of transportation, including trains and bikes. But the last thing the climate and most budgets need is another tank-like truck or SUV. Large, heavy electric vehicles demand more materials and energy than smaller EVs; that means more avoidable greenhouse gas emissions during and after production. Despite these downsides, automakers build big because big sells.\n\nNumerous vehicles from startups and some legacy automakers challenge the “bigger is better” notion via compact designs and smaller price tags. Yet, little typically comes of their resistance. We observed as much with several ill-fated EVs this year, including the ElectraMeccanica Solo, Sono Sion and Mazda MX-30.\n\nHere we’ll take a look at the small and low(er)-priced EVs that didn’t make it — the flops, the failures to launch, the u-turns and holdouts of North America’s size- and range-obsessed EV market.\n\nElectraMeccanica Solo\n\nLegally a motorcycle, ElectraMeccanica’s tiny EV featured one seat, 100 miles of range and an $18,500 price tag. The automaker pitched the three-wheeled vehicle to city dwellers and delivery fleet managers alike. I never got to drive a Solo, but I sat inside one of these cuties last year and found it claustrophobic with the doors shut.\n\nIn April, ElectraMeccanica recalled every Solo over power failure issues. At the time, the company said it was pivoting to four-wheeled vehicles. ElectraMeccanica soon entered into a plan to merge with electric truck maker Tevva. In October, ElectraMeccanica inexplicably pulled the plug on that exit.\n\nHonda e\n\nThe Honda e debuted in Europe and Japan in 2020 with a 100-mile range and a $36,000-$43,000 price tag. The vehicle charmed reviewers with its city-friendly size and sweet-yet-vacant stare. Yet, as far as sales went it proved to be a total flop, thanks in no small part to its weak price-to-range ratio. Honda never brought the e to other locales, and by December this year, the automaker said it would cease production of the little buggy in January 2024.\n\nSono Sion\n\nGerman automaker Sono once led the charge to bring solar panels to electric cars with the five-seater Sono Sion hatchback. Sono priced the Sion (unrelated to Toyota’s Scion badge) at $25,000 and intended to kick off production in 2023.\n\nInstead, Sono pivoted to selling to third-party automakers and laid off 300 workers. No longer an automaker, Sono now focuses on embedding its solar tech into other vehicles.\n\nGM, Honda’s affordable EVs\n\nGeneral Motors and Honda said in April 2022 that they’d co-develop millions of small and affordable EVs. They teased sub-$30,000 electrics for North America, aiming to deliver them in 2027.\n\nYet by October 2023, they canned the collaboration, vaguely citing “extensive studies and analysis” to explain the move. The announcement came as GM slowed its transition to EVs and Honda teased a “new global EV series” of its own.\n\nMazda MX-30 (U.S.)\n\nThe Mazda MX-30 is small by Cybertruck standards (Tesla’s vehicle is 25% longer and wider), but the only truly diminutive thing about the MX-30 is its 100-mile range and availability. Stateside, Mazda exclusively sold the MX-30 in California, the state with the most EV chargers by a factor of five.\n\nMazda said in July that it planned to discontinue the EV in the U.S. at the end of 2023. However, the automaker will continue selling the EV in Japan and the EU.\n\nRevel mopeds\n\nRevel — the Blackrock- and Shell-backed moped-sharing business — dumped its two-wheeled EVs this year in favor of regular-old electric cars. Revel said its moped ridership peaked in July 2020, at nearly 600,000 rides that month. In the years that followed, the company’s moped ridership collapsed amid several deaths involving Revel mopeds, as e-bikes gained ground in cities like New York and San Francisco.\n\nVanMoof\n\nDutch e-bike startup VanMoof rode the high of the COVID-19-era bike boom into a $128 million Series C funding round. VanMoof proclaimed at the time that it was the “most funded e-bike company in the world,” and co-founder Taco Carlier boasted the company was “reinventing, redesigning, and re-engineering every component of the bicycle.”\n\nVanMoof’s rapid growth and focus on proprietary parts led to its downfall. By 2023, the company reportedly lost money on each bike due to costly repairs, and struggled to raise additional funds to stay afloat. This past summer, VanMoof paused sales and Taco Carlier left as the firm declared bankruptcy.\n\nElectric scooter maker Lavoie acquired what was left of VanMoof in August for “tens of millions,” pulling it out of bankruptcy. Months later, it seems the acquirer has yet to restart VanMoof production or resume repairs.\n\nOn the other hand\n\nIt’s been a bummer year for fans of small EVs, but all is not lost. For one, city bike-sharing programs are booming and increasingly electric. D.C.’s Capitol Bikeshare notched a record 428,000 rides in the month of may. That same month, New York’s Citi Bike recorded 867,838 rides in a single week — and the program continues to expand.\n\nBeyond e-bikes, Arcimoto lives on as the rare, three-wheeled EV holdout in the U.S. The Fiat 500e is coming to North America in 2024 (in limited quantities), several years after its debut in the EU. A startup called Telo Trucks is attempting to prove that Americans will buy small trucks again, and it’s developing a pickup with the footprint of a two-door Mini Cooper. Plus, while GM said it would kill the Chevy Bolt and larger Bolt EUV, the automaker now says it will keep the latter Bolt around.", + "Last night, former President and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump appeared before a crowd in suburban Detroit and tried out his new attack lines against electric vehicles.\n\nEVs are too expensive, the former president argued (via The Detroit News); they don’t have enough range and will spur American job losses. EV batteries were another target. “They get rid of them,” Trump said, according to Discourse Blog, “and lots of bad things happen, and when they’re digging it out of the ground to make those batteries, it’s going to be very bad for the environment.” But those trying to protect the environment by promoting EVs are “environmental lunatics,” he said.\n\nHis comments were the latest attempt to make electric vehicles a major wedge issue in American politics. President Joe Biden has made EVs a major part of his environmental legacy, and Trump senses that the issue could be used to leach support from working-class voters. But like most other recent efforts by Republicans to politicize EVs, it’s largely incoherent and ignores the nuanced reality of how most autoworkers feel about EVs.\n\nThe latest attempt by Trump and his GOP brethren to make electric vehicles a major wedge issue in American politics\n\nThe latest wrinkle to this effort is the United Auto Workers of America strike, which has roiled Detroit and the surrounding area for the last two weeks and sent candidates from both parties scrambling to shore up support among workers. The strike is a watershed moment for the auto industry, with workers pushing for higher wages, improved job security, and more manageable hours. EVs are also on the table, with UAW President Shawn Fain calling for a “just transition” to electric cars.\n\nWhat’s clear, though, is that union members aren’t really buying what either party is selling. Workers may agree with Trump that EVs are too expensive or that the charging infrastructure isn’t up to snuff, but they also don’t want to see it stopped dead in its tracks. They also have concerns about Biden’s efforts to accelerate EV production by providing incentives to automakers to retrofit factories and to car buyers through generous tax credits.\n\n“We’ve got a lot of people that are frustrated, just with all of them,” Aaron Westaway, a UAW member from outside Detroit, told E&E News. “Nobody’s happy with Trump, nobody’s happy with Biden.”\n\nThe concerns among union workers reflect the attitudes of most Americans, writ large. According to Pew Research, 50 percent of US adults say they are unlikely to buy an EV, while 38 percent said they were likely to consider a battery-powered vehicle. Concerns about charging and range are at the top of the list. But environmental concerns also rank high, with many people saying they would consider an EV as a way to reduce carbon emissions.\n\nWhat often goes unsaid about autoworkers and their attitudes about EVs is where the money is flowing. And right now, much of it is going to factories and plants outside their strongholds in the Midwest. Ford is building a massive battery plant in Tennessee, for example, as a joint venture with Korean battery maker SK Innovation. Meanwhile, workers at a General Motors joint venture battery plant in Ohio overwhelmingly voted in favor of unionizing under the UAW late last year, in a major win for the union.\n\n“Nobody’s happy with Trump, nobody’s happy with Biden.”\n\nIf more factories follow their lead, and more of the EV transition is being meted out on the union’s terms, it’s likely worker attitudes will shift in favor of electrification. But right now, most of the work on electric vehicles is being done by non-union labor. And experts say that needs to change in order for opinions to soften.\n\n“What this industry narrative about UAW’s demands costing too much alongside the EV transition seems to neglect is the fact that auto companies are getting billions of dollars from taxpayer-funded EV subsidies to make it work,” Sydney Ghazarian, an organizer with the climate-focused Labor Network for Sustainability, said on the Citations Needed podcast recently. “It’s their responsibility to use public funding in ways that serve the public and planetary good, you know, and central to that is not leaving workers and communities behind in the transition to a green economy.”\n\nGhazarian argued that Trump and the GOP’s attacks on EVs smacks of “faux populism” since Republicans largely stand opposed to unionization. When he was president, Trump appointed anti-union judges and anti-union members to the National Labor Relations Board. Trump’s Supreme Court judges also issued rulings that were devastating to public sector unions. And his promises to prevent auto factories from shutting down largely failed.\n\nStill, Biden has his work cut out for him as he seeks to shore up support among working-class families. Biden became the first modern president to visit a picket line this week when he stood alongside striking UAW members in Wayne County, Michigan. Biden told workers they “deserve a significant raise,” citing the record profits made by the Big Three automakers, Ford, GM, and Stellantis.\n\n“It’s their responsibility to use public funding in ways that serve the public and planetary good”\n\nBut his efforts to frame the EV transition as good for workers as it will be for the environment is still a work in progress. Striking UAW members may be skeptical about whether EVs are affordable or practical enough for themselves, but that reflects widely held attitudes about the rapid shift to electric. And that skepticism can’t be ignored — which is why the Biden administration is prioritizing billions in federal funding for the installation of a robust EV charging network.\n\nAffordability is still a major concern, but vehicle prices are going up across the board, both for EVs and for gas vehicles. And automakers are still losing billions of dollars each year on EVs, with their gas-vehicle profits being redirected into the enormous investments needed to fund the transition.\n\nWhat is clear is that nothing is likely to stop the EV train now that it’s in motion. The automakers are committed, and UAW leadership wants to ensure that workers get to share the profits. And China looms large over everything, with the country producing the bulk of the components that go into EVs — a major concern of the union.\n\nWhat isn’t clear is whether Trump’s plan to drive a wedge between autoworkers and environmentalists will pay off. In his speech Wednesday, Trump tried to play up the division, heaping blame on Biden and the Democrats for the uncertainty around EVs.\n\n“The auto industry is being assassinated,” Trump said, according to Detroit News. “If you want to buy an electric car, that’s absolutely fine. I’m all for it. But we should not be forcing consumers to buy electric vehicles they don’t want to buy.”\n\nBut he also cast the union’s strike as largely pointless and, in a major head-scratcher, said that autoworkers would likely be out of work in a few years anyway, so why bother? “You’re all on picket lines and everything,” Trump said. “But it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference what you get because, in two years, you’re all going to be out of business.”", + "Remember when people would break down the doors to get inside Walmart to score the best deals? Isn't civilization nice? Fill up your digital shopping cart instead with these Walmart Cyber Monday deals on some of the best devices we've tested this year—no door-breaking necessary.\n\nWe test products year-round and handpicked these deals. The discounts we show are based on actual street prices at retailers in the past few months. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing will be crossed out. We'll update this guide periodically.\n\nIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.\n\nTop Deals\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nPC and Gaming Deals\n\nNeed a new laptop? We test dozens throughout the year. Check out our Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best Linux Laptops, and Best Gaming Laptops guides for more options.\n\nNintendo Switch OLED Photograph: Nintendo\n\nThe Nintendo Switch OLED (8/10, WIRED Recommends) typically sells for $349, but this bundle includes a digital download of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as well as a three-month Nintendo Switch Online membership. Those extras usually cost $60 and $10, respectively, so it's like you're getting $70 worth of bonuses for free.\n\nWe like the 14-inch version of this laptop, which features most of the same components. You get an AMD Ryzen 7 (7730U) processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and 512 gigabytes of storage with a 16-inch touchscreen. That's plenty of power for just about everything, and the large screen is nice for editing photos and browsing the web. It's not a good choice if you're a video editor or gamer, but it'll do for the rest of us.\n\nThis is the newer, faster version of one of our top picks in our Best Cheap Laptops guide. You're getting a newer Intel chip (13th gen i5), more RAM (16 gigabytes, a must-have with Windows 11), and a nicer IPS display all for the same price as the pick in our guide. Again, it's not a gaming rig, but it's fast enough for everyday tasks like browsing the web and editing documents.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nThis is a good deal on an excellent controller, and the price extends to several different color options. Our favorite part about the DualSense controller is the way the haptic feedback works. Rather than random rumbles, you'll feel directional and immersive feedback—almost like surround sound, but in a controller.\n\nNearly any monitor can be rotated to be a vertical monitor, and we love them for a work-from-home setup. However, the LG DualUp is made to be vertical and comes with a wider aspect ratio (16:18) to accommodate its upright lifestyle. You'll see less content cut off, and it isn't as narrow on your eyes. It also has great color and comes with an arm mount that makes it easy to set up.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nHome and Kitchen Deals\n\nWe've got the kitchen covered with our Best Blenders, Best Juicers, and Best Chef's Knives guides.\n\nPhotograph: Target\n\nMixers haven't changed much since they were introduced over a century ago, which is always the mark of a great tool. This 4.5-quart bowl model is slightly less powerful than some, but it's still strong enough to knead dough, cream butter, and whip up big batches of holiday cookies.\n\nAs a mid-level model in Dyson's lineup, the V12 Detect Slim (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a few bells and whistles, such as an LCD screen that allows you to select one of three power levels and see the remaining battery level and filter and blockage information, among other things. Like all of Dyson's stick vacuums, it's lightweight and easy to maneuver around tight homes.\n\nThis is our favorite cordless vacuum. Aside from reliable suction power, even on corrugated surfaces, it also stands on its own—a feature you'd think more cordless vacuums would have, but it's surprisingly rare. The Extreme Max converts to a hand vac in a few moments and comes with three attachments.\n\nDyson is a master of wedging function into beautiful form. When we tested the Pure Hot + Cool, we were struck by how well it integrates a fan, electric heater, and air purifier into one. It's capable of filtering out 99.97 percent of particles 0.3 microns in size, and its built-in air quality monitor displays indoor VOC and particulate levels on a bright, easy-to-read display.\n\nPhotograph: Bissell\n\nThis is a match of the lowest price we tend to see for this little green machine. It made our list of the Best Carpet Cleaners and the Best Viral TikTok Gadgets. It's great for cleaning furniture, stairs, and vehicles.\n\nLow on caffeine—and counter space? The K-Express is a mere 6.5 inches wide and 12 inches deep, yet its 36-fluid-ounce, removable reservoir holds enough water to make a round of coffee for you and your friends without having to constantly refill it. Just do the planet a solid and make sure to use Keurig Reusable Pods to cut down on single-use plastic waste.\n\nA good budget espresso machine is a rare find, but this one is our favorite. You'll get a solid portafilter, a reliable steam pump, and a steaming wand in a pretty compact body. Unlike other cheap machines we tried, the Stilosa didn't show signs of slowing down. I (Medea) was gifted this after I got married and it's easy to use whether I want to brew espresso or just stream milk for my coffee, and it takes up very little room on our counter.\n\nIt might look like a coffee maker, but the Ninja Creami (6/10, WIRED Review) makes ice cream. It isn't essential, but it's a fun kitchen tool if you're interested in experimenting with your own sorbets and ice cream recipes. Ninja also has a $17 Ninja Creami recipe book if you want ideas on where to start (though we wish it was included, rather than a separate purchase).\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nTV Deals\n\nBe sure to check out our guides to the best TVs, best projectors, and best soundbars.\n\nSamsung QN900C Photograph: Samsung\n\nIt's not often that a newly released TV goes on sale. When we called the QN900C (8/10, WIRED Recommends) “among the prettiest you can buy,” we gushed over the “brilliantly clear and detailed video,” rich color shading, deep blacks, and butter-smooth motion processing. It’s able to display up to 8K resolution, so your only issue (aside from the price) may be finding enough 8K content to show on it.\n\n“Absolutely loaded with detail.\" That's how WIRED associate reviews editor Parker Hall describes the picture quality of the C3, with vivid, high-contrast images playing out across the 4K display. Stunningly fast response times of 9.2 milliseconds and support for every current-generation console feature, by way of its four HDMI sockets, justified crowning the C3 as the Best TV for Gamers.\n\nWe call this our best TV for gamers for a reason: It has a lightning-fast response time of 9.2 milliseconds, and it has four HDMI 2.1 ports to connect your PC, Xbox, Playstation, and Switch. Outside of gaming, it works fantastically well as a TV, with perfect black levels, and a great center mount that helps you place it on existing TV stands.\n\nExtra large OLED TVs typically come with extra large price tags. This LG model is one of the rare deals that lets you have both top-tier image quality and a massive display at a reasonable cost. Perfect black levels and gorgeous HDR make this one of the best TVs for larger rooms, especially if you like darker movies and shows.\n\nPhotograph: Walmart\n\nWe've always liked Samsung's Frame models because they hide in plain sight. When you're not using them, the TV transforms into one of a myriad of famous art pieces, virtually disappearing into the decor. This is an especially large one, but it's perfect for a fancy living room where you don't want the TV to always be the center of attention. The 55-inch model is also on sale.\n\nAt its full retail price, the XR A90J faces stiff competition from the likes of LG and Samsung, but at this shockingly discounted price, you're arguably getting the best deal in premium-yet-affordable TVs, at least for the next few days while it's on sale. It features Sony's 4K upscaling to make HD shows and films appear as if they're in 4K resolution plus built-in Google TV.\n\nBose’s Smart Soundbar 600 is a Mighty Mouse Dolby Atmos soundbar that offers clear and expansive sound from a strikingly small frame. Unlike a lot of soundbars at this price, Bose’s model includes real up-firing drivers for immersive overhead effects, alongside good musicality, relatively punchy bass, and great network streaming features in a sleek and compact design.\n\nSony is best known these days for its OLED screens, but its LED TVs like the X90L still pack a punch with a mix of excellent picture processing, good brightness, and great local dimming for rich contrast. Like a lot of TVs this time of year, this 65-inch set is at the lowest price we've seen it all year.\n\nPhotograph: JBL\n\nThis versatile multi-piece soundbar system from JBL (8/10 Wired Recommends) not only offers some of the best Dolby Atmos immersion you can buy but it’s also got a cool trick: fully wireless surround sound speakers. You can set them up behind you or even use them as Bluetooth speakers, then connect back to the main bar for charging and playback.\n\nKlipsch has a talent for crafting soundbars that put the sound first, often without a lot of frills, and the Cinema 600 is an excellent example. Built from a speaker-like MDF cabinet and paired with a massive 10-inch subwoofer driver, this system has a penchant for clear and powerful sound that’s as good for music as it is for cinematic punch.\n\nPhotograph: Polk Audio\n\nPolk’s Audio Signa 4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) was already one of the most affordable Dolby Atmos soundbars of its kind, offering true up-firing drivers, a wireless subwoofer for beefy bass, and generally pleasing performance. It’s all the tougher to pass up at this price, perfect for those seeking a no-nonsense system that easily upgrades your sound in a simple package.\n\nSony’s HT-A5000 is a pricey proposition at full cost, but it’s a killer deal at this price thanks to engulfing surround sound expansion and just about all the features you can pack into a bar this size. Extras include next-gen HDMI with VRR support for PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles, multiple ways to stream over Wi-Fi, support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, hi-res audio, and more.\n\nPhotograph: Sonos\n\nThe Arc (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite soundbar for big home theaters. It comes equipped with three tweeters and eight mid-woofers to deliver deep bass, along with full Dolby Atmos support that can bounce sound off walls and ceilings in a way that mimics a surround sound setup. It was on sale for the same price during holiday sales last year, but it's the lowest we've tracked.\n\nThe Beam (Gen 2) offers enhanced sound with support for Dolby Atmos (with compatible TVs and streaming apps), a fast processor, and an HDMI eARC port for high-definition audio. There's support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and AirPlay 2 as well. For surround sound, you can also pair it with other Sonos speakers.\n\nBose has updated its Smart 900 soundbar to include better bass extension, helping fortify an already great sound profile. With true up-firing drivers, the system also provides expansive Dolby Atmos and virtual surround sound for a cinematic performance from a single unit, and this is the first time we've seen its price drop.\n\nBelieve it or not, this is the lowest price we've seen on this luxury Sennheiser model that's as much trapeze artist as soundbar thanks to its high-flying virtual surround sound and Dolby Atmos tricks. It's a hefty unit and doesn't include a separate subwoofer, but still manages to serve up punchy grooves, sweet and smooth musicality, and great convenience features like Wi-Fi streaming and an analog input at a price that's finally swung below the stratosphere.\n\nSamsung’s HW-Q800C offers a lot from a two-piece system. Its mix of upfiring Dolby Atmos speakers and side-firing drivers provides an engaging cinematic experience while its wireless subwoofer adds a hefty punch to effects and streaming music that many competitors can’t match.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nWatch and Fitness Tracker Deals\n\nNot sure which is for you? We can help with guides to the best fitness trackers, best Apple Watch, and best Garmin watch.\n\nApple Watch Series 9 Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Series 9 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn't enough of a leap forward to justify replacing your Apple Watch Series 8 (or even your Series 7), but if you're buying into the Apple Watch ecosystem for the first time or replacing your even-older smartwatch, you'll find a host of spiffy, new features, such as daylight tracking and haptic gesture control.\n\nThe Ultrahuman Ring Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a fitness and sleep-tracking ring that doesn't require a subscription. Made from titanium, it comes in a few different colors and tracks your movements through the day and night to give you a huge data dump in the companion app. The fitness tracking is flaky and the black version scuffs easily, but the four-day battery life is good.\n\nThe Whoop 4 is our pick for the most unobtrusive wearable. There's no screen, but it offloads data to the companion app, which tries to guide you toward a healthier lifestyle and boost your fitness levels. The subscription is pricey at $30 per month, but you get a year included with this deal.\n\nWe make no bones about it. The Versa 4 is the best Fitbit smartwatch available. In our testing it lived up to its claim of six-day battery life (provided you don't leave the display on the entire time). The vibrant, 1.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen is easy and snappy to use, and there's plenty of Google apps, such as Maps to round out the rich features list.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nHeadphone and Earbud Deals\n\nHave a look through our Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Wireless Headphones, and Best Workout Headphones guides for some help making the right purchase.\n\nPowerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds Photograph: Beats\n\nThe Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) came out in 2019, but these are still our top recommendation for earbuds with the most secure fit—making them an excellent option for the most intensive workouts. With an IPX4 water-resistance rating, they'll also stay protected from sweat and they have excellent sound quality.\n\nAs Sony’s priciest wireless headphones, the WH-1000XM5 had a lot to live up to following the remarkably popular WH-1000XM4. Luckily they deliver the goods with upgraded noise canceling, a posh new design, and a more refined sound signature that adds up to a great package – especially on sale.\n\nBose’s aptly named QuietComfort Ultra (9/10, WIRED Recommends) arrived in October with only one notable problem: they’re very pricey. Luckily they’ve already gotten a discount, which makes it easier to land their class-leading noise canceling, great sound, and luxuriously comfy design that’s loaded with modern features.\n\nPhotograph: Sony\n\nSony's WH-1000XM4 headphones (9/10, WIRED Recommends) have been a stalwart pair of wireless headphones for years now, and there's no secret to their success. Offering excellent noise canceling, warm and detailed sound, and a ton of modern features in a comfy design, they're among the best travel headphones you can buy.\n\nSamsung's Galaxy Buds2 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite wireless earbuds, particularly for Android users. They work best with Samsung phones, but they pair easily with any Android phone. They have solid noise canceling, up to 7.5 hours of battery life, and a wireless charging case to keep them topped off.\n\nBose's QuietComfort Ultra improve on the brand's top earbuds with a minor boost in noise canceling and new spatial audio skills, designed to expand the sound for everything you play. These buds were just released late this year and this is the first solid discount we've seen.\n\nPhotograph: JBL\n\nJBL's Endurance Peak 3 are that rare pair of earbuds you can feel comfortable wearing at the gym, on the trail, or even in the hot tub thanks to their hearty water resistance and sport-ready fit. They're light on extras like noise canceling but at this price, they're a great investment as your go-to workout companions.\n\nSony's WF-1000XM5 (7/10, WIRED Review) source multiple generations of great sound, top features, and excellent noise canceling, all wrapped into their most compact presentation yet. They're not cheap, so this discount is key if you're looking to be an earlier adopter of Sony's latest flagship buds.\n\nThe only issues we had with Sennheiser's HD 660S2 (7/10, WIRED Review) bass-enriched audiophile beauties were their high price and stiff clamping force. At this price, we can live with a tighter fit, especially since the payoff is gloriously clear and richly detailed sound.\n\nSony's working-class noise cancelers offer solid performance. clear sound, and impressive battery life at a much more reasonable price than the brand's top offerings. With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.\n\nPhotograph: Technics\n\nThe Technics EAH-AZ80 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite top-shelf earbuds thanks to their fantastic sound alongside great features and noise canceling, and their ability to connect to up to three devices at once. This is one of the few sales we've seen all year, which makes their very high asking price a lot more palatable.\n\nSoundcore's Life Q30 are already impressive at full price thanks to noise canceling that punches well above its class, so this deal makes them something of a steal. They add to the package with accessible and adjustable sound quality, good features, and great battery life.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nSmart Home Deals\n\nWant to smarten up your home? See our guides to setting up your smart home, the best smart lighting, and the best mesh routers to get started.\n\nPhotograph: Aura Frames\n\nAura makes the best digital picture frames. Photos look great, without being too bright and obvious—you want a digital frame to look like decor, not a smart display. Aura has a few options, and they're discounted regularly. If you like the mat look, get this one. Aura's newest frame, the 15-inch Walden is $249 ($50 off).\n\nThese clever panels top our smart lighting panels guide and are a fun way to add ambient lighting to any room. Each hexagon is an individual light, and you can connect them in whatever pattern you want. The app lets you control the color scheme, set it to react to music, or set schedules. Just make sure you prep and use a level to put them on the wall straight!\n\nThese modular smart lighting bars can be installed on your wall and arranged into whatever design you want (just make sure you prep and plan properly). The Nanoleaf Lines (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are great for subtle ambient light, but they can also sync to music or even mirror your screen to add immersion to gaming. This is the cheapest we have seen the starter kit.\n\nEufyCam 3 Photograph: Simon Hill\n\nCapable of recording crisp footage at up to 4K with 16 GB of local storage on a connected home base (expandable to 16 TB), the EufyCam 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a smart security camera system. Integrated solar panels top up the battery and onboard AI can detect people, pets, vehicles, and even learn to recognize faces. It's a pricey system, and we stopped recommending Eufy cameras after a couple of security incidents but started testing again recently after the company took steps to improve.\n\nWith an impressive feature list, this versatile camera will appear in our Best Outdoor Security Cameras in the next update. It offers up to 3K resolution, a second telephoto lens to zoom in, 360-degree pan, and 70-degree tilt, and comes with a solar panel and 8 GB of onboard storage. The limited frame rate and flaky AI detract slightly, but it's a decent option for the backyard. We stopped recommending Eufy cameras after a couple of security incidents but started testing again recently after the company took steps to improve.\n\nThe smartest indoor security camera you can get, Google's Nest Cam (Wired) blends in easily and accurately detects people, animals, and vehicles. It boasts HDR and a high frame rate to make the most of the 1080p footage. Sadly, you only get three hours of history unless you subscribe to Nest Aware starting from a pricey $6 per month, though it does also include familiar face recognition.\n\nA solid Wi-Fi 6 mesh system from TP-Link, the Deco X20 appears in our Best Mesh Routers guide as the budget pick. It is a dual-band (2.4-GHz and 5-GHz) system with parental controls and basic security, and performs dependably well. It is frequently discounted, and usually hovers between $160 and $180, but we have only seen it this low before for Lightning deals.\n\nIf you want an elegant mesh system to bring Wi-Fi to every nook and cranny of your home, the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite mesh systems. Easy to set and forget, it employs the 6-GHz band for backhaul. Each unit covers 2,200 square feet and can connect up to 100 devices. Sadly, they are not backward compatible with older Nest routers.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals\n\nSpeaker Deals\n\nWant better sound? Have a read through our guides to the best speakers, best bluetooth speaker, and the best gear for audiophiles.\n\nSonos sub speaker gen 3 Photograph: Sonos\n\nWe recommend the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) if your giftee wants to upgrade their bass. The third-gen model packs better processing power and more memory. It's also meant to be paired with Sonos' non-portable options—like soundbars, speakers, and amplifiers (it won't pair with the Move, Roam, Port, or Connect). It's expensive, but top-notch. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, so far.\n\nThe Amp is a great option for those looking for an amplifier to power their turntable, TV, outdoor speakers, and more at higher volumes. The front control panel is touch-sensitive, so you can either tap or swipe for things like pausing music and adjusting the volume. The Amp also connects via the Sonos app and comes with support for AirPlay 2. It doesn't come with built-in mics, but you'll have voice control if you pair it with another Sonos voice-enabled speaker like the Sonos One or Sonos Move.\n\nWhile the Amp powers speakers, the Port streams to an amp that then sends a signal to the speakers. Unlike the Amp, it doesn't come with a control panel, but you can use the Sonos app to adjust treble, bass, and volume. It also has support for AirPlay 2. As with the Amp, you can also pair it with other Sonos speakers for voice control.\n\nPhotograph: Bose\n\nBose's Soundlink Revolve+ offers excellent sound in a neat and water-resistant design with up to 17 hours of battery on hand. Normally sitting well above $300, this is the best time to grab this powerful portable.\n\nJBL's Flip speakers offer excellent bang for your buck, including great sound that's more detailed, powerful, and poised than you'd expect in a portable (and waterproof) design. The newest model also offers a separate tweeter for better detail. While this is a modest sale, given that you'll almost always pay around $100 or more, this is a great time to grab it.\n\nJump to a Topic: PC and Gaming Deals, Home and Kitchen Deals, TV Deals, Watch and Fitness Tracker Deals, Headphone and Earbud Deals, Smart Home Deals, Speaker Deals", + "Consumers gearing up to buy the latest imported appliances, clothes or electronic gadgets this holiday season might want to spare a thought for the companies that will struggle to make money for the next few years hauling products across the ocean.\n\nThat’s because the container shipping industry, cast as the Grinch that spoiled Christmas over the past two years with record-high freight rates and slow deliveries, is returning to its pre-pandemic place in the corporate world: perennial underachiever Charlie Brown.\n\nThe biggest carriers posted net income totaling $364 billion in 2021 and 2022, according to figures compiled by industry veteran John McCown, after a decade of scant profits. They’ll likely drift back into the red this quarter as the rates they charge fall below costs and look to stay there for the foreseeable future.\n\nBooms-turned-busts have been more abrupt and sensational, but rarely has an established industry so tied to the global economy lurched from historic profits to below break-even levels more directly than the shipping lines that move 80% of the world’s merchandise trade have this year. After Covid’s massive demand shock, the culprit now is too much supply.\n\n“I’m certainly concerned about the next 24 to 36 months,” Rolf Habben Jansen, chief executive officer of Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd AG, said in an interview last week. “We are going to see a downturn.”\n\nConsider the tougher times facing A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the largest publicly traded container line. According to Bloomberg Intelligence credit analyst Stephane Kovatchev, the Copenhagen-based company’s free cash flow, which reached $27 billion last year, may drop about 80% this year and could turn negative in 2024. That may weigh on the company’s bonds, he wrote in a research note on Friday.\n\nRead More: Maersk Slumps After Forecasting Weak Global Trade Until 2026\n\nOver the past 10 days, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and closely held CMA CGM SA of France — all top-five players that together control about one-third of the world’s container capacity — said they’re cutting costs as some fear the slump will last at least through 2024.\n\nSome executives are urging against price wars, which contributed to a wave of consolidation and at least one major bankruptcy in the years leading up to the pandemic.\n\n“Each actor will have to be responsible to ensure that the market remains reasonable amid rates that are relatively low,” CMA CGM Chief Financial Officer Ramon Fernandez told reporters Friday. “Price wars after a while hurt not only those who start them but everyone.”\n\nRead More: Shipping Giant CMA CGM Warns Against Price War as Profit Plunges\n\nSuch concern stems from a combination of economic forces: Goods demand is returning to pre-pandemic levels just as supply is rising in the form of new, bigger ships. It can take two to three years to build a container ship, which typically operate for about 25 years. So timing their launch and retirement with the ebbs and flows of the business cycle is inherently difficult.\n\nTo manage capacity in the short term, the main tools at the carriers’ disposal are canceling individual voyages or suspending services entirely on trade lanes where demand is weak. In prolonged slumps they can also let charter contracts expire, idle some ships or sell old ones in the scrap steel market.\n\nKovatchev said what’s emerging is a standoff between the strong and the weak. “The bigger companies such as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have the cash to wait and focus on cost-cutting, as opposed to aggressive capacity reductions — for now,” he said. “It all boils down to supply, demand and who will blink first.”\n\nOf course, the flipside of shipping’s pain are lower costs for the manufacturers and retailers that own the cargo being transported, which ultimately helps central bankers tasked with bringing down still-elevated inflation across many developed economies.\n\n“A couple years ago, it was double-digit inflation in goods prices and maybe a 4% or 5% increase in services,” said Phil Levy, chief economist at Flexport Inc., a San Francisco-based digital freight-forwarding company. “To the extent you were getting inflationary pressure from goods, or in a very tight goods market — that has disappeared.”\n\nCompanies including clothing brand Under Armour Inc. and furniture maker Lovesac Co. cited relief from lower ocean shipping expenses over the past quarter.\n\nWith inflation eating away at their paychecks, consumers are being cautious about spending and seeking cheaper ways to have parcels delivered.\n\n“Our own data tells us that the wider economic picture may be having an influence on the services our customers opt for, with many looking for more cost-effective shipping options,” said Karen Reddington, president of FedEx Express Europe. “We expect external business conditions to be challenging in the near term, and there remains uncertainty with respect to the timing of demand recovery.”\n\nRead More: Powell Says Fed to Be Careful, Won’t Hesitate to Hike If Needed\n\nFor the container carriers, the cost of moving merchandise can’t stay this low indefinitely, because their expenses are heading in the opposite direction.\n\nTransiting the Suez Canal from Asia next year, for instance, will be 15% costlier, the waterway’s authority said in mid-October without explanation. On the other main trade route, ships passing through the drought-stricken Panama Canal are facing long waits, surcharges, and time- and fuel-consuming detours around South America to avoid the delays.\n\nThose costs are small compared with the $1 trillion in investment the industry faces in the coming decades to decarbonize — a shift that will require engines that run on cleaner-burning fuels and new infrastructure to produce, store and transport the alternative fuels.\n\nThe big European carriers have issued estimates for the surcharges that’ll take effect with shipping’s upcoming entry into the European Union’s Emissions Trading System in January.\n\nAt CMA CGM, one of the strategies to cushion the peaks and valleys of shipping is to diversify. The second-generation scion Rodolphe Saade, who leads the company started by his father, has used the pandemic windfall to invest in an airline, ports and logistics operations and even the media.\n\nThe Saade family is worth about $19 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That compares with $33 billion in April.", + "LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. — The Buffalo Bills have a new safety this season.\n\nHe sometimes plays close to the line of scrimmage, even lining up in the gaps and banging helmets with interior linemen. They use him as a hybrid linebacker in a three-safety dime package. He has played free safety, strong safety, outside cornerback, inside cornerback, left linebacker and right linebacker. And more.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPhysically and mentally, he is being challenged, but he’s grateful, content and all in.\n\nThe Bills’ new safety is Jordan Poyer. It’s the same Jordan Poyer who played for the team the previous six seasons, the only player in the NFL to have 500 or more tackles, 20 or more interceptions and 10 or more sacks in that time frame, a Bills captain for the fourth time, an Ed Block Courage Award winner in 2017, a Pro Bowl safety last year and an All-Pro the year before.\n\nBut this is a new Jordan Poyer because of ayahuasca.\n\nIn the spring of 2020, NFL team facilities were closed because of COVID-19, so Bills defenders met in Washington, D.C., for a few days to train, study and bond.\n\nThe first evening, cornerback Josh Norman welcomed the players to his home, and out came the shots of tequila. When Poyer was handed a shot, he looked at it and then at his teammates.\n\nHe put it down.\n\nNorman and the others, who had never seen him turn down a drink, were taken aback.\n\n“What?” one said. “Come on, Deejay Poyo!”\n\nDeejay Poyo was Poyer’s alter ego. Inspired by tequila and a turntable, Poyer became someone else. And for Poyer, there was value in being someone else.\n\nWhat his teammates didn’t know was that Poyer had not put alcohol to his lips in about three months, since he downed a shot of tequila on March 13 in the Puerto Vallarta airport bar during a 12-hour flight delay.\n\nPoyer spent his childhood in Astoria, Ore., a picturesque town on the mouth of the Columbia River not far from the Pacific Ocean. His mother and stepfather worked at a juvenile detention center and raised him with a strict hand. When he was no longer under their watch, unsupervised as a freshman at Oregon State, Poyer drank. And drank and drank.\n\nIt never seemed to affect his play in college, where he was a consensus All-American. And despite his continued drinking, he made steady progress in his early NFL years.\n\nGO DEEPER Graham: Bills rally around Sean McDermott in another win over Chiefs\n\nIn his third season, when he was an emerging starter with the Cleveland Browns, he DM’d an Instagram model after she liked one of his posts on Twitter. She was a freshman at Florida Atlantic, a small-town girl from the Adirondacks who knew nothing about football but thought Poyer was cute. He traveled to Florida to meet her, and before the weekend was over, Poyer declared, “I’m going to marry this girl.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPoyer made numerous trips to Florida that offseason. That spring as Rachel Bush was finishing her freshman year of college, she learned she was pregnant. After their daughter, Aliyah, was born, Poyer signed with the Bills, and the family moved to Buffalo. He and Rachel married in 2018.\n\nHis drinking was out of control by then. He would down a six-pack of IPAs in 20 to 30 minutes for a quick buzz. Blacking out was a regular occurrence. His behavior tested his marriage, but there was a draw between him and Rachel like a north pole to south.\n\nAfter the Bills lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the 2019 playoffs, Poyer was crestfallen. He says he drank heavily every day for five weeks. At one point Rachel rid their home of all alcohol, but he would still sneak what he could.\n\nRachel says her husband hid alcohol from her beneath bathroom cabinets and other places “like a child.”\n\nHe was close to losing her.\n\nThe drinking, he realized, was an attempt to relieve stress — stress from football expectations and stress from family life. He was a worrier, except with a drink in his hand.\n\nPoyer went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Then another, and another.\n\nThe get-together at Norman’s house was his first significant temptation.\n\n“When I put that drink down for the first time, it was almost like I overcame a demon,” Poyer says.\n\nThe more time that passed, the less Poyer wanted to drink. He has no desire for it now, and the smell of alcohol almost makes him gag.\n\nDespite a stellar career and a loving family, Bills safety Jordan Poyer “felt like there was something missing” as recently as last year. (Dan Pompei / The Athletic)\n\nBeing sober didn’t make him immune to anxiety and depression, however. In the 2022 season, he missed five games with elbow, foot, knee and rib injuries. When the Bills lost to the Bengals in the divisional playoff round, Poyer felt responsible for not doing more.\n\nAnd his angst ran deeper than football.\n\n“I still felt like there was something missing because I have this beautiful house, a beautiful family, everything anyone could ask for,” he says. “I still felt a sense of unhappiness, a sense of not understanding who I was, and why I was the way I was. A part of me felt guilty just because I was living this way.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPoyer couldn’t come to terms with why, despite all his shortcomings, he was in such an enviable position. His football journey was improbable. No major college wanted him until Oregon State came in with a late offer to grayshirt, meaning his scholarship wouldn’t begin until January of his freshman year. He was chosen in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft, came into the league as a cornerback, was cut six games into his rookie season and then had to learn a new position with a new team. He took a blind-side hit that put him in the hospital for two days with a lacerated kidney and a concussion. His career could have been over then.\n\nYet by now he has outlasted 191 of the 217 players drafted ahead of him. And he hasn’t just survived in the NFL — he has thrived.\n\nWhat had he done to deserve this?\n\nWas he justifying his good fortune?\n\nWould there be a greater purpose?\n\nIn 2018, Poyer saw a therapist for anxiety once a week. It was unfulfilling.\n\nThe answers were somewhere else.\n\nGO DEEPER NFL Week 14 takeaways: Bills playoff bound? How far can Joe Flacco take the Browns?\n\nIn the Quechua language, ayahuasca (pronounced ‘eye-ah-WAH-ska’) means “vine of the soul.”\n\nAyahuasca is a psychedelic drug made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub and the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. It has been used for more than a thousand years by Amazonian tribes. Ingesting it can induce a dreamlike feeling, an altered state of consciousness, mystical experiences and euphoria.\n\nIn the summer of 2022, Aaron Rodgers revealed he had taken ayahuasca and credited it with helping him have two of the best seasons of his career for the Packers.\n\nPoyer had never heard of ayahuasca at the time. “My first thought was eff that,” Poyer says. “You crazy? I’m not doing that.”\n\nThe funny word kept showing up in different conversations on his social media feeds and podcasts. Poyer researched it and became intrigued.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAfter the difficult 2022 season, Rachel suggested Poyer take a “guys trip” after the season to check out. But “guys trips” usually involve alcohol, and he didn’t want that. Sightseeing isn’t his thing. “What I really wanted to do was work on trying to be a better me,” he says.\n\nHe discovered Resonance, a retreat center in Costa Rica on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific coast and the cloud forest of Monteverde.\n\nTo prepare his mind to enter a state of awareness, he was to eat only chicken, fish and salad for one month, with no oils and sugar added. Then he had to cut out chicken and fish for the week preceding the ceremony. He also was told to practice yoga and breathing exercises that would be useful if he experienced anxiety during the three ceremonies spread over a week.\n\nIn a tiki hut in a wooded, secluded area, a shaman presented each participant with a cup of ayahuasca brew, which is kind of like tea, but with benefits. Taste is not one of them. Poyer says ayahuasca tastes like earth.\n\n“It’s brownish and really thick,” he says. “It almost looks like oil, but it’s darker and thicker. It’s one of the worst things you could ever taste.”\n\nFor the first hour after swigging it down, he lay in a bean bag chair in silence, setting intentions. Poyer’s intentions were to understand himself better and love better. Eventually, the shaman provided a second cup, and then, enchantment.\n\n“At first what it felt like was my soul left my body for a good two minutes,” Poyer says.\n\nInitially, it was unsettling.\n\n“People try to control it, but you can’t,” Poyer says. “It took me about five or 10 minutes to figure it out. The ego has to die so the medicine can work. In order to let go and let the medicine do what it’s supposed to do, we have to just breathe.”\n\nFor about the next hour, Poyer says the highest version of himself lectured him out loud. It was, in his word, “crazy.” First, highest-version Poyer addressed his desire to understand himself better.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“He was basically saying, ‘Jordan, look at your life, bro — what are you mad at?’ ” Poyer says. “It was what I needed to hear because I wasn’t appreciating anything — not my wife, my daughter, my family, my house. It was all about me and what I wanted.”\n\nThen he turned to loving better. It was, he says, as if a Pandora’s box opened on how to love.\n\nThe remainder of the ceremonies, which lasted nine hours each, were about curiosity, energy and connectedness.\n\n“It’s about how to be a good human,” he says. “And it grounds you. Really grounds you.”\n\nJordan Poyer is the Bills’ second-leading tackler but hasn’t made as many big plays as he would like for a defense plagued by injuries. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)\n\nTwo days before OTAs began last April, Poyer returned to the Bills’ headquarters and stepped on the scale. The needle settled at 179 pounds, about 20 pounds below his playing weight.\n\nAfter resuming his regular routine, the weight came back quickly.\n\nHe discussed his experience with curious teammates, coaches and the team psychologist. Poyer hoped ayahuasca would elevate his football performances as Rodgers believes it did his, but it hasn’t worked that way for him.\n\nHe is the second-leading tackler on his team but hasn’t made as many big plays as he would like. What he has done, according to former Bills defensive coordinator Les Frazier, now an analyst for NFL Network, is enable his defense to be the best it can by lifting others through versatility, sacrifice, toughness and communication. Poyer wears his “C” well.\n\n“I feel like I’m playing OK this year,” Poyer said during the Bills’ bye week on the patio of his Florida home. “I’m not playing the best that I’ve played in my career. There are probably two plays I really want back. But I’m doing a lot. And in a very deep sense, I absolutely love that I’m entrusted with doing as much as I’m doing on this defense.”\n\nAyahuasca gifted him in another way — with perspective.\n\nEgo is a powerful force in professional athletes. It helps them ascend and often hastens their downfalls. In previous seasons, Poyer believes his responses to successes and failures were too ego-driven. Football was him — he has an NFL logo tattooed on his left shoulder — and he was football.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nNot anymore.\n\n“We still have games left that I’m excited about, but I knew some way, somehow, this universe was going to test me this year,” he says. “We lost DaQuan Jones, Matt Milano and Tre’Davious White for the season. It’s hard. This s— is hard. And it’s not just (the losses). I’m 32, not this young spring chicken anymore. You know, s— hurts all the time. But my perspective is I get to play a game that I love, and I’m healthy enough to play. Every time you come out of a game, that’s a win in its own way.”\n\nGO DEEPER Bills training camp preview: Is 2023 final run for Micah Hyde-Jordan Poyer tandem?\n\nPoyer’s commitment is such that last season, when a rib injury precluded him from airplane travel, he took a 32-hour round-trip drive to play in a game in Kansas City. He wants to lift a Lombardi Trophy badly, as much as ever. But if it doesn’t happen, he believes he can handle the disappointment better.\n\nOn Fridays this season, Poyer, fellow safety Taylor Rapp and assistant strength coach Will Greenberg play crystal bowls at Bills headquarters. “The different tones that you can tune into can enhance chakras within you and help you heal,” he says.\n\nHealing takes many forms.\n\nWhen Poyer was 12, Louis Dunbar, who has done multiple stints in prison for violent crimes, called him for the first time and stunned him with the revelation he was his biological father. In subsequent conversations, Dunbar often said he wanted to see him or come to one of his games. He never has.\n\n“I always had this hate and resentment toward him I was holding,” says Poyer, who doesn’t know where Dunbar is. “This experience enabled me to let that go. I realize I wouldn’t have anything — my daughter and my wife — if not for him. Even if it was just the seed he gave my mom. So someday I’ll meet him, give him a hug and tell him I’m sorry.”\n\nRachel has no interest in taking ayahuasca. But she is grateful her husband discovered it.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“After he did ayahuasca, he became like my dream husband,” Rachel says. “I was nervous about what it would do to him, but he came back a totally new man, so appreciative of me and our family.”\n\nBills safety Jordan Poyer with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Aliyah. (Courtesy of Rachel Bush Poyer)\n\nHighest-version Poyer made Poyer aware he was not doing the little things — waking up with a smile, giving Rachel a hug on his way out, or being present even when his attention could be divided.\n\nPoyer has turned off his DMs on Instagram and deleted his Twitter/X account. Instagram features a For You page — a personalized feed based on user engagement patterns. In the past, Poyer’s was filled with posts of other girls, according to Rachel. Now there’s nothing on Poyer’s For You page except football and ayahuasca. She knows because they have one another’s passwords.\n\n“His attention now is 100 percent on me, his family and his career,” says Rachel, who has more than 4 million Instagram followers, an OnlyFans page and a line of skincare products.\n\nSome players feel more pressure when the end is closer than the beginning. The Bills have an out in Poyer’s contract after this season. He isn’t stressing about any of it. His focus is here and now.\n\nPoyer has thought about becoming a football commentator after retirement. But he has more to offer than sports talk. He could talk about why he’s never had a vaccine, why Aliyah is homeschooled, or how he believes God transcends religions.\n\nHe could discuss why he has always thought he might be an alien. “I truly feel like I’m not from this planet, always being the odd one out, having different perspectives, thinking differently,” says Poyer, who is fascinated by stars.\n\nPoyer has what philosophers call epistemic humility — he believes knowledge is limited and filtered by personal experiences. And now he is beginning to solve the mysteries of his existence.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“My life has been changed forever,” he says. “And my purpose is to be a bright light for everybody that I touch and connect with.”\n\nIn March, Poyer will return to Resonance for another retreat. Also planning to go are his cousin who went with him last year, and some first-timers — his mother, brother, a couple of friends and possibly a couple of teammates. He will be working on a documentary about ayahuasca.\n\nA handpan is a steel musical instrument that generates sound through vibrations. Sound healers and meditators often play the handpan. In Costa Rica, Poyer heard one for the first time and was drawn to it. Now he plays his frequently.\n\nNot long ago, Rachel returned home at about 10 p.m. and was tidying up the kitchen when, in the peace of the night, she heard something coming from the outside balcony upstairs — ethereal, haunting sounds.\n\n“It was kind of like something you would hear in a dream,” Rachel says.\n\nIt was music the old Jordan Poyer never could have made.\n\n(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)\n\n“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now. Order it here.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nOn Thursday 23 November, Americans will be hard at work to prepare their Thanksgiving dinner, with foods on the menus ranging from a roasted turkey to a green bean casserole.\n\nAside from the dishes served in the lavish feast, which can vary based on families’ cultures and traditions, Thanksgiving is also the annual holiday for people to commemorate all that they’re grateful for.\n\nIn the midst of planning the big meal, there’s also a huge range of ingredients that need to be purchased at your local grocery store. However, since Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday in the US, some stores will be completely shut down on the holiday.\n\nFor example, both Target and Walmart announced permanent closures on the holiday in 2020, with the policy remaining in place ever since. The outbreak of the pandemic had initially pushed these chains to close their doors on Thanksgiving, in order to limit crowding and spread out the shopping season.\n\nHowever, that doesn’t mean that all grocery stores will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, there are some retailers that you could make your way to on the morning of the holiday, in preparation for your annual feast.\n\nOnce Thanksgiving Day comes to a close, many stores will be reopening on Friday. From there, shops be operating during their earlier or usual business hours, in preparation for some of the biggest sales of the year.\n\nHere are when stores open and close on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday in the US.\n\nWhole Foods\n\nIf you’re looking for some fresh produce to cook up a storm, then you’re in luck, as Whole Foods is set to be open during the holiday season. However, they will run on a limited schedule, and hours of operation may vary, so be sure to check your local store. Whole Foods stores will be open on Black Friday, with hours of operation depending on location.\n\nCostco\n\nAll Costco stores in the US will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as noted by the retailer’s official site. Costco Warehouses will reopen on Friday, with hours depending on store locations. The retailer has already started some of its online sales for Black Friday, with some in-store sales going from 24 November through 27 November.\n\nWalmart\n\nThe retail giant will be closed on the holiday, before reopening the next day for Black Friday, an annual shopping occasion filled with store deals. Walmart’s usual hours are from 6am to 11pm every day, but opening times on Black Friday are based on stores’ locations.\n\nTarget\n\nThe beloved retail store will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day before reopening the next day for Black Friday. Hours of operation for the day after Thanksgiving vary based on the store’s location.\n\nTrader Joe’s\n\nStores will be closed on 23 November in observance of the federal holiday. Trader Joe’s stores will reopen on Black Friday, with hours of operation depending on each store.\n\nWegmans\n\nWhile Wegamans will be open on Thanksgiving, hours of operation are limited. For example, one Wegmans store in Brooklyn, New York, will be closed at 4pm, instead of at 11pm like it usually does. Opening and closing times for Wegmans can vary based on the location of the store.\n\nAlthough most Wegmans stores are expected to reopen at 6am on Black Friday, specific opening and closing times vary for each location.\n\nStarbucks\n\nEarlier this month, a spokesperson for Starbucks told Country Living that stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.\n\nAlthough Starbucks is expected to operate from 6am to 9pm on Black Friday, specific hours vary for each store.\n\nAldi\n\nAccording to Aldi’s official website, all stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Aldi will be reopening on Black Friday, as its hours of operation are usually from 8.30am to 9pm. However, specific opening and closing hours vary for each location.\n\nDollar General\n\nThe low-priced retailer will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thanksgiving Day but times may vary depending on location. You can find out more on the day by heading over to the store’s website. Dollar General is expected to be open during its usual hours during Black Friday, with specific closing and opening times based on location.\n\nCVS\n\nA representative with CVS told ThePioneerWoman.com that most, but not all, CVS locations will be open on Thanksgiving. To check your local store, be sure to head over to the CVS’ website. On Black Friday, CVS locations will be open during its regular hours.\n\nDunkin’ Donuts\n\nThe beloved coffee chain will be open on Thanksgiving Day but with limited hours. Opening and closing times of stores on the holiday vary based on location.\n\nDunkin’ Donuts with reopen on Black Friday, with its usual hour of operation based on each store.\n\nWalgreens\n\nMost Walgreens stores will be closed on 23 November this year, according to a press release shared by the brand on 16 November. While this is the first time that Walgreens has closed its doors on the holiday, some 24-hour stores will still be open during certain hours on Thanksgiving Day, depending on store location.\n\nWalgreens stores will reopen on 24 November, with opening and closing times depending on the location of the store.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nAs Thanksgiving fast approaches, Americans are in the midst of writing their menus and buying the ingredients for their lavish feasts. And although it’s a day filled with food and family, there is another popular tradition that’s held around the holiday: Friendsgiving.\n\nEvery year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, with the holiday falling on 23 November this year. While it’s often viewed as a day for Americans to express what they’re grateful for, that doesn’t mean that everyone will celebrate. More specifically, the event has been viewed as deeply controversial over the years, due to the contentious history of the first Thanksgiving celebration in the 17th century.\n\nThe holiday has been linked to instances of cultural appropriation, with some Americans believing that its history is frequently white-washed, prompting them to condemn or ignore Thanksgiving as a whole.\n\nHowever, the holiday itself has inspired another tradition of Friendsgiving – which can be held before, during, or even after the 23rd of November this year. The activity typically consists of a celebration with close pals since some Americans don’t have the opportunity to return home for the holidays.\n\nOver the years, people have celebrated Friendsgiving in a similar vein as Thanksgiving, with everyone sitting around the table for one big feast. It’s also often done in a potluck style, with each guest bringing their own dish to contribute. However, you don’t need to have a big meal to celebrate your Friendsgiving, as there are many ways to change up your usual plans this year.\n\nHere’s a list of activities that you could do for Friendsgiving that aren’t the typical sit-down dinner.\n\nShopping at local holiday markets\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nWhile Christmas is still over a month away, many cities in the US already have their holiday-themed markets up and running. And since Friendsgiving isn’t necessarily held on the Thanksgiving holiday, why not use it as an opportunity to check out some new shops?\n\nFor example, in New York City, Bank of America is currently hosting its annual Winter Village at Bryant Park in Manhattan. At the beloved New York City spot, there’s a wide variety of food vendors, so you and your friends can take your pick at what you want for dinner and dessert. In addition, vendors are also selling a range of goodies – from ornaments to jewellery to scarves – which is the perfect chance to do some early holiday shopping.\n\nHosting a movie marathon\n\nInstead of hosting a big dinner, you could opt for another budget-friendly activity at your home: hosting a movie marathon. With the help of your friends, you can make a list of any horror, romance, or comedy movies that you want to watch for the day. You could also top off the activity off by supplying an assortment of snacks for your pals, or by cooking a meal all together.\n\nYour movie options can also match the theme of Thanksgiving, with films like A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), Toy Story (1995), Addams Family Values (1993) and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973). If you want, you could add some Christmas movies to the mix, including Elf (2003), It’s A Wonderful Life (1947) and Steel Magnolias (1989).\n\nGoing hiking\n\nDepending on the weather outside, your plans for Friendsgiving could consist of going on a hike. Whether it’s at your local park or a trail that’s an hour or so away from you, hiking is the perfect daytime activity for you and your friend group – no matter how big or small.\n\nDecorating or baking sweets\n\n(Getty Images)\n\nDecorating or baking some sweet treats is another easy indoor activity. Whether you make a pie from scratch or simply frost your ready-bake sugar cookies, it’s something interactive for you and your pals to do together.\n\nYou can also opt for treats that are on theme with the fall and winter seasons, from baking an apple crisp to decorating gingerbread cookies.\n\nRunning a Turkey trot\n\nWhether it’s before, during, or after Thanksgiving Day, many cities in America host an annual Turkey Trot run. The length of the race can vary, with options ranging from a 5K to a half marathon, so you and your pals can take your pick at what you’d prefer.\n\nFor example, in New York City this year, one Turkey Trot is being held at the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. During the race, which takes place on 25 November, participants will be running for the Rolling Thunder organsiation, which is a non-profit “for mainstream athletes who are developmentally disabled or have other special needs”.\n\nAt-home wine tasting\n\nTypically, a night out at the bars with your friends can get a bit expensive, depending on which spots you go to. In a similar vein, a trip to a winery can rack up a hefty bill, and it’s not the most enjoyable activity when it’s cold outside. With that in mind, your Friendsgiving plans could consist of hhosting your own at-home wine tasting.\n\nFor the occasion, everyone can bring a different type of wine – from red to white – and give a few sips from each bottle a shot. If you’re someone who’s a big fan of wine, you could even end up discovering a brand that becomes your new favourite drink. When hosting the activity, you could make your own charcuterie board – filled with different meats and cheeses – to pair with wine.\n\nPlaying a football game\n\nIf your friends have a fun, competitive side, you can take part in another outdoor activity. You and your friend group can host the event in any big outdoor space you’d like, whether it’s a local park or your pal’s backyard.\n\nIn addition, football meets the typical theme of Thanksgiving, as a beloved tradition on the actual holiday is to watch a sports game with the family.\n\nHosting an early holiday gift exchange\n\nWho’s to say that you can’t give your gifts to your friends a bit early this season? While the winter holidays are still weeks away, you could use your Friendsgiving to host your annual gift exchanges.\n\nFor example, many friend groups in the US have opted for the budget-friendly activity of Secret Santa, where each person is randomly assigned someone to give a gift to. During the exchange, you then reveal to your pal that you’re their “secret Santa,” before giving them their present.", + "In addition to being the largest and most powerful object in the solar system , the sun is also one of the most enigmatic entities in our cosmic neighborhood, which makes it hard for researchers to pin down exactly how it works. We are constantly learning new things about our home star, and 2023 has been no different. From learning more about the upcoming solar maximum to uncovering ancient superflares and mysterious heartbeat signals, here are the top 10 things we've learned about the sun this year.\n\nSolar maximum is right around the corner\n\nDuring the solar maximum (left), the sun is much more chaotic than during the solar minimum (right). (Image credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory)\n\nThe major news about the sun from this year is that we are fast approaching the solar maximum and that it's going to be more explosive than we initially thought.\n\nBack when the current solar cycle began in 2019, forecasts from space weather scientists suggested that the solar maximum would arrive sometime from 2025 onward and be relatively weak compared to past solar cycles. However, numerous warning signs early in the year, including rising sunspot numbers , powerful X-class solar flares and changes in Earth's upper atmosphere , hinted that the solar cycle was not progressing as expected.\n\nIn June, Live Science published an exclusive, in-depth feature on the upcoming solar maximum, which revealed that the explosive peak would likely arrive by 2024 and be more active than the initial forecast suggested. And in October, space weather scientists released an updated forecast for the current solar cycle, which is more in line with what experts told Live Science.\n\nWhen solar maximum does arrive, we can expect to be bombarded with more solar storms, which will result in frequent auroral displays , radio blackouts, potential satellite problems and disruptions to the migration patterns of some animals .\n\nThe sun is smaller than we realized\n\nThe sun may not be quite as big as we thought. (Image credit: EVE, and HMI science NASA/SDO and the AIA, teams)\n\nThe outer edge of the sun's atmosphere, or corona, does not extend out quite as far as we previously thought , a study published in November revealed.\n\nUntil recently, the best way to measure the sun's corona was to observe it during a solar eclipse when it becomes clearly visible around the moon. But new technologies have allowed scientists to measure the oscillations, or waves, that travel through the corona. These waves do not travel quite as far as expected.\n\nThe difference between the new findings and previous estimates is relatively small: The sun is likely somewhere between 0.03% and 0.07% smaller than we thought. However, scientists say this could make a big difference in how we study our star.\n\nThe sun has auroras too\n\nResearchers have found that the sun can produce aurora-like phenomenon above sunspots. (Image credit: Sijie Yu)\n\nWithin the solar system, auroras were previously thought to only occur on some planets and moons. But a study from November revealed that the sun also has auroras (although they are a little different from the ones we see on Earth).\n\nAstronomers detected radio bursts crackling above a sunspot after pointing a radio telescope at the dark patch. The frequencies of the radio waves were very similar to the wavelengths given off by auroras on Earth , which strongly suggests a similar process is occurring on the sun.\n\nOn Earth, auroras are born when solar storms and solar wind bash into our planet and temporarily weaken our magnetic shield, which allows radiation from the sun to excite gas molecules in the upper atmosphere. However, researchers think that solar auroras are created by electrons that are accelerated to incredibly high speeds along the sun's magnetic field lines instead.\n\nBiggest-ever solar storm unearthed\n\nA superpowered solar flare slammed into our planet 14,000 years ago, ancient tree rings show. (Image credit: Getty Images)\n\nIn October, researchers revealed that a superpowered solar storm, known as a Miyake Event, slammed into Earth around 14,000 years ago. And it could have been the most powerful solar outburst to ever hit Earth , experts said.\n\nResearchers found evidence of the cataclysmic event lurking within fossilized tree rings that were recently unearthed in the French Alps. The preserved plants all had off-the-chart levels of radiation in the same rings, which showed they all soaked up the radiation at the same time — and only a powerful Miyake Event could explain the levels of radiation the team found.\n\n\"A similar solar storm today would be catastrophic for our modern technological society,\" the researchers wrote.\n\nAncient 'superflares' may have sparked life on Earth\n\nAncient \"superflares\" could have sparked life on Earth, researchers claim. (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)\n\nContinuing the ancient solar storm trend, a May study revealed that \"superflares\" from the early hyperactive sun could have provided the energy needed to spark life on Earth billions of years ago.\n\nResearchers recreated Earth's early atmosphere in the lab and fired charged particles, like those found in solar wind, at the primitive gasses and found that this created both amino acids and carboxylic acids — building blocks for proteins and all organic life.\n\nSimilar experiments recreating lightning have also created these compounds in the lab. But the team argues that lightning strikes would not have provided anywhere near as much power as superflares, which makes them a less suitable candidate for kickstarting life on Earth.\n\nHowever, much more work is needed before any concrete conclusions can be made.\n\n'Ghost particles' could reveal hidden dark matter\n\nNeutrinos spat out by the sun could lead us to a hidden treasure trove of dark matter. (Image credit: Artistic rendering by Christopher Dessert, Nicholas L. Rodd, Benjamin R. Safdi, Zosia Rostomian (Berkeley Lab), based on data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope.)\n\nThe sun may be harboring hidden particles of dark matter in its fiery guts and neutrinos , or \"ghost particles\" that are spat out by the sun, could be the key to finding them , a pre-print paper published in August suggested.\n\nDark matter is an elusive type of matter whose identity is still a mystery to scientists. Dark matter rarely interacts with regular matter or light but when it does it is theorized to emit neutrinos, which have almost no mass and no electrical charge.\n\nResearchers hypothesized that the sun's core may have a high concentration of dark matter and, if this is the case, they predict that it will occasionally emit slightly more neutrinos than normal. However, these extra neutrinos have not been detected so far.\n\nAncient anomaly in sun's solar cycle\n\nAncient texts from Korea suggest the sun's solar cycle used to be much shorter. (Image credit: Yan et al. 2023)\n\nIt currently takes around 11 years for the sun to complete one solar cycle, during which it transitions from solar minimum to solar maximum and back again. But a pre-print paper published in June suggests that past cycles may have been much shorter.\n\nResearchers studied ancient texts unearthed in Korea, which contain detailed accounts of auroral displays during the Maunder Minimum — a period of reduced solar activity between 1645 and 1715. They found that solar cycles during this time likely lasted only eight years .\n\nHowever, scientists have not been able to properly explain why the solar cycle shortened during this period.\n\nMysterious 'heartbeat' puzzle solved\n\nScientists finally got to the bottom of what was causing mysterious heartbeat-like signals coming from solar flares. (Image credit: National Centre for Radio Astrophysics)\n\nFor more than a decade, scientists have pondered the origins of mysterious heartbeat-like patterns within streams of electromagnetic radiation that shoot out of the sun during solar flares.\n\nThe streams of radiation, known as solar radio bursts, normally flow non-stop out of the sun. But sometimes, there are fluctuations or gaps in the stream, known as quasi-periodic pulsations, which when viewed on a graph look similar to an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) of a human heart.\n\nEarlier this year, scientists studied some of these mysterious patterns produced during a 2017 solar flare. They found that the patterns were created by fluctuations within invisible fields of electrical current that run across loops of plasma on the solar surface.\n\nThe sun has shooting stars\n\nPreviously unknown blobs of plasma are raining down through the sun's corona. (Image credit: Patrick Antolin. Background image: ESA/Solar Orbiter EUI/HRI)\n\nIn July, scientists announced the discovery of a new feature in the sun's corona — shooting stars .\n\nThese \"stars\" are clumps of plasma that fall through the sun's upper atmosphere, like meteors falling to Earth, because they are cooler than the surrounding plasma and, therefore, denser.\n\nThese dense plasma balls can reach up to 435 miles (700 kilometers) across and seem to fall along magnetic field lines created on the sun's surface. Scientists dubbed this phenomenon coronal rain.\n\nMini solar wind 'jets' discovered\n\nSolar wind is constantly streaming out of the sun. (Image credit: NASA/GSFC)\n\nIn August, scientists got a step closer to finally uncovering the origin of large outflows of solar particles, known as solar wind, that shoot out of the sun's corona.\n\nThe European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spotted tiny jets of plasma, known as picojets, shooting from tiny dark spots on the sun, known as coronal holes. The mini jets are smaller than other solar jets but still pack a punch, and researchers think that they provide the necessary energy to trigger gusts of solar wind .", + "This winter, head north and bring your warm hat and mittens with you as you watch the stunning Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, vividly light up the sky.\n\nThe display is expected to be even stronger and brighter than it has been in the past because of the sun's recent activity.\n\n\"Recent observations of sunspots, a measure of how active the sun is, show a dramatic increase from this time last year, and we are approaching the expected peak of the 11-year solar cycle in 2024 or 2025,\" New Scientist reported.\n\nNORTHERN LIGHTS DAZZLE IN OVER HALF-DOZEN STATES: NEW YORK, MINNESOTA, ARKANSAS\n\n\"This means that over the next few months in the Northern Hemisphere, the Northern Lights will probably be stronger than they have been for at least a decade.\"\n\nWith that in mind, now may be the time to pack your bags and get a close look at the dancing waves of light — but where should you go to capture the magic?\n\nNorthern Lights in America\n\nIf you don't want to break out your passport this season to take in the views, here are a few options located right here in the U.S. that will not disappoint.\n\nCheck out these ideas.\n\nFairbanks, Alaska\n\nFairbanks, Alaska, is not only one of the best places in the country to view the vivid light display — it's one of the best locations in the world.\n\n\"Because of its location within the auroral oval and dark skies, Alaska is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, and lucky for American travelers, you don't even need a passport to get there,\" Travel and Leisure shared.\n\nNORTHERN LIGHTS DAZZLE ALASKA IN COLORFUL DISPLAY SEEN ON VIDEO\n\nThe aurora oval is a \"a ring-shaped region hovering over the far north where Northern Lights activity is concentrated,\" according to travelalaska.com.\n\nThe view of the lights can be seen from just about anywhere in Fairbanks which means you can enjoy a magical display as you drive late into night.\n\nLake Superior, Michigan\n\nMichigan is a great place to view the Northern Lights when in the U.S., specifically near Lake Superior and the Upper Peninsula.\n\nThe state has two important factors that make it such a great location for taking in the sights: latitude and low light pollution.\n\nSTRAWBERRY SUPERMOON TO APPEAR BRIGHTEST IN SKY, PLUS OTHER STUNNING FULL MOONS TO CATCH THIS YEAR\n\n\"The Upper Peninsula is blessed with hundreds of miles of shoreline along the south shore of Lake Superior, which provides some of the best Northern Lights viewing in the lower 48 due to the very dark night skies,\" Pure Michigan shared online.\n\n\"When looking north over Lake Superior, one can see right down to the horizon and take in a 180-degree unobstructed view of the night sky.\"\n\nPriest Lake, Idaho\n\nIn far-northern Idaho, you can find Priest Lake, which has become a major spot for aurora hunters.\n\n\"Priest Lake, in far-northern Idaho, has been my most reliable and rewarding location for viewing the northern lights,\" Visit Idaho stated.\n\nTHREE US DESTINATIONS MAKE LONELY PLANET’S 'BEST PLACES TO VISIT' IN 2023: CAN YOU GUESS THE PICKS?\n\nThe marina will also join in on the fun by turning out the lights, so enthusiasts can get a good look at the night sky.\n\nNorthern Lights in Europe\n\nIf you don't mind planning a holiday getaway this winter, take a quick trip across the pond to see the Aurora Borealis from these unbelievable sights.\n\nTromsø, Norway\n\nWhen picturing the landscape surrounding the Northern Lights, you probably imagine something exactly like Tromsø, Norway, which is why it is widely considered one of the top places to see the Aurora Borealis.\n\nTromsø is the third largest city north of the Arctic Circle. It \"lies just within the Northern Lights Oval, the region above Earth's geomagnetic North Pole, where aurora displays are most likely to occur,\" according to Space.com.\n\nAI LIFE HACKS: HOW TRAVELERS ARE USING CHATGPT TO PLAN TRIPS ON A BUDGET\n\nThe stunning display can be seen from September to April.\n\nYou will not miss out on taking in the beauty of the sky when in Tromsø, thanks to the many travel sites and guides that offer aurora chases.\n\nSwedish Laplands\n\nSweden has become a top place to view the dancing lights in the Northern Hemisphere; the Lapland region, in particular, is the most popular.\n\n\"Not only is Abisko, Swedish Lapland, within the aurora oval but the surrounding mountains also keep the skies clear and there's barely any light pollution,\" Swedish Lapland shared online.\n\nGHOST RAINBOWS, 'RAINING FROGS' AND SUN HALOS: WEIRD WEATHER PHENOMENA SEEN ACROSS THE US\n\nIn Abisko, you can find the Aurora Sky Station. It has an observation tower and experts available to answer any questions about the display, the Space Tourism Guide shared.\n\nJökulsárlón, Iceland\n\nOne of the most unique places to see the magnificent Northern Lights display is found at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland.\n\n\"Jokulsarlon’s secluded location ensures minimal light pollution, providing the perfect setting to witness the stunning colors of the Aurora Borealis,\" said Arctic Adventures.\n\nICELAND VOLCANO NEAR MAJOR AIRPORT ERUPTS SECOND TIME IN A YEAR\n\n\"The best time to observe the Northern Lights at Jokulsarlon is during the late evening and early night hours when the darkness enhances their visibility,\" the website also notes.\n\nTime of year and time of day are two very important factors when choosing to see the Northern Lights on display in Iceland.\n\nTips for Northern Lights sightings\n\nWhen it comes to seeing the magical dancing lights in the sky, there are a few factors that you may want to take into account in order to maximize your viewing pleasure.\n\nGeomagnetic activity\n\nWhen the geomagnetic field is active, the aurora will be brighter, stronger and further from the magnetic poles, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nThe best time to see the Northern Lights is when the planetary K index is at an eight or nine and the aurora moves toward the equator, the weather service site also said.\n\nLocation\n\nThere are so many places across the world to view the vivid display, but you'll want to make sure to find a location that has no obstructions.\n\nAim to find a place that has minimal tree lines or hills so that the northern horizon can be fully seen.\n\nDarkness\n\nGo at night, away from the city lights, in order to capture the best view of the Aurora Borealis.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"The full moon will also diminish the apparent brightness of the aurora (not the actual brightness),\" the SWPC continued.\n\nTiming\n\nThe Northern Lights are usually on full display from September to March or April, but the best time to see the lights are in the late evening or early morning.\n\n\"Best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time),\" the SWPC reported.\n\n\"There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing.\"", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nFor some reason — blame the encroaching winter, post-Halloween boredom, or simple copycat syndrome, you be the judge — November has become a big month for annual social-media-based collective challenges. From NaNoWriMo and NaPoWriMo to Movember and No-Shave November to, um, others, the extremely online crowd has focused on November as a month for group events and group discussion.\n\nFor cinephiles, the fun one of the batch is Noirvember, a collective urge to watch and compare noir movies. Unlike most of these other challenges, Noirvember doesn’t have an organizing website, a sponsor, a fundraising goal, or an established set of rules. (Though individual participants have certainly proposed some.) So for those participating — or for anyone looking for the best noir movies, or the best way to get into the classic genre for the first time — we’re offering a little help. Here are some of our favorites, for newbies and noir veterans alike.\n\nThe classics\n\nLet’s start with a few seminal noirs, the basics you’ll want to hit to understand the genre and its conventions.\n\nThe Maltese Falcon (1941)\n\nDirector: John Huston\n\nWhere to watch: Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, Apple, YouTube\n\nProbably the most famous noir movie of all time, John Huston’s adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 crime movie covers the basics: There’s a hard-bitten detective, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), on a case full of twists, turns, and double-crosses; a beautiful woman who lures him in and turns out to be full of lies; and a McGuffin everyone’s after that turns out to be more than it seems. A prime example of a noir that’s more about atmosphere, cinematography, and a complicated plot than about edge-of-the-seat thrills, The Maltese Falcon is a moody movie with a lot of great performances, but it’s also one of those films that’s been imitated and iterated on so much that it can feel a bit basic in comparison to its followers. Still, that also makes it one of those movies where watching it suddenly makes a thousand later cultural references and media in-jokes make sense. —Tasha Robinson\n\nSunset Boulevard (1950)\n\nDirector: Billy Wilder\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming on Paramount Plus, and free with a library card on Hoopla or Kanopy. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube\n\nStarting with one of the all-time great openings — has-been writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) wearily narrating over a shot of the police examining his floating corpse in a Los Angeles swimming pool — Sunset Boulevard is a stunner from start to finish. This one isn’t a crime procedural, like so many classic noirs; it’s about how Joe, out of work and fleeing the men trying to repossess his car, tries to find shelter with an aging movie star by promising to write her a comeback vehicle. He gets drawn into a drama he didn’t expect — a drama that’s exceptionally well acted and scripted. It’s dark stuff about Hollywood dreams and how they die, with Gloria Swanson at her most captivating and frightening. —TR\n\nDouble Indemnity (1944)\n\nDirector: Billy Wilder\n\nWhere to watch: Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube\n\nAnother Billy Wilder movie told in flashback, Double Indemnity is one of the great genre-defining femme fatale movies, with Barbara Stanwyck as the lovely lady leading hapless chump Fred MacMurray into an insurance fraud scheme that involves murdering her husband. It’s one of the great twist movies — everybody in this film is a potential double-crosser, and MacMurray as an insurance investigator is both tasked with solving the murder he committed and trying to cover it up at the same time. There’s enough going on here to keep anyone guessing up to the last minute. —TR\n\nMore in this category: Le Samouraï, Rififi, Laura, The Third Man, Touch of Evil, The Big Sleep, In a Lonely Place, Chinatown, Night of the Hunter\n\nNext steps\n\nWhere to go after the basics? This is where noir fans’ mileage is going to vary most, based on which aspects of noir they like most. The mysteries? The fraught relationships? The twisty stories and unexpected reveals? Just the overall mood? Here are a few we’d recommend regardless of which subgenre you’re most into.\n\nM (1931)\n\nDirector: Fritz Lang\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming on Max, The Criterion Channel, free with ads on Plex, and free with a library card on Kanopy. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, Apple\n\nOne of the most chilling crime dramas ever put to film, M has an unbeatable premise: When a child murderer starts haunting the streets of Berlin and the police can’t find him, the local crime bosses join forces to bring him down. Something like a proto version of The Wire, jumping back and forth from the police perspective to the criminals’ side of things and humanizing people on both sides, M is a procedural with several unusual turns, built around a particularly memorable Peter Lorre performance. It’s also absolutely packed with breathtaking shots and exceptional use of light and dark, and the final manhunt sequence is a classic all-timer. —TR\n\nNotorious (1946)\n\nDirector: Alfred Hitchcock\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with ads on Tubi, IndieFlix, FlixFling\n\nAlfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca is a defining noir classic, but fans who haven’t dug past his topline roundup of classics shouldn’t miss the memorable Notorious, a thriller-romance featuring some of his most touching character work. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), the daughter of a German war criminal, is asked to use that connection to seduce and spy on a prominent Nazi figure (Claude Rains) for the American government.\n\nIn the thinking of the time, this involves ruining herself for good men like her handler and love interest (Cary Grant) by having sex with another man. In modern eyes, this looks like the stuff anime romance dramas and fanfic are made of: Deferring her own desires for her country, Alicia willingly enters a love triangle and invites plenty of tsundere. Will duty win over love? Will she get any good spying done? Is Cary Grant the biggest self-righteous stuffed shirt imaginable in this movie? Bring on the feels. —TR\n\nMore in this category: Strangers on a Train, Ace in the Hole, Murder My Sweet, The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing, The Set-Up, Scarlet Street\n\nDigging deep\n\nFollow anyone on social media who’s been at the Noirvember game for a while, and you’ll see plenty in this category: titles that lack a Billy Wilder or Humphrey Bogart to bring them into the cinematic limelight, but that have plenty of their own memorable charms. Here are a few we recommend for noir fans who’ve seen everything else.\n\nDetour (1945)\n\nDirector: Edgar G. Ulmer\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming on Prime Video, Criterion Channel, free with ads on Pluto TV or Plex, and free with a library card on Kanopy\n\nEdgar G. Ulmer was a prolific director in the Classic Hollywood era and directed the groundbreaking psychological thriller The Black Cat, the first movie to star horror legends Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. It was a huge hit for Universal. But Ulmer was blacklisted from most Hollywood studios shortly after, when his affair with the wife of Universal studio head Carl Laemmle’s nephew turned into a divorce and remarriage.\n\nThis is all necessary context for Detour, one of many micro-budget movies Ulmer made for Producers Releasing Corporation, the smallest of the Hollywood studios at the time. It’s also a standout example of film noir aesthetics and low-budget moviemaking.\n\nDetour is about a down-on-his-luck young man hitchhiking from New York to Los Angeles to meet up with his love, who moved to Hollywood with the hopes of making it big. Along the way, he meets a mysterious stranger who upends everything.\n\nDetour’s tiny budget gives the 66-minute film an odd aura, with sparse sets and back projection that is inconsistent at best. But the thing undoubtedly works — it’s a haunting movie about the unluckiest man in the universe, and Ulmer’s striking images (and an unforgettable performance by Ann Savage) through his evocative use of lighting paint a stark picture of an uncaring world. —Pete Volk\n\nSudden Fear (1952)\n\nDirector: David Miller\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with ads on Tubi, and free with a library card on Kanopy. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, Apple\n\nIf you’ve never seen young Jack Palance and his startling cheekbones in a ’50s movie, this crime-and-seduction drama is worth it for that alone. But the real star of the show is Joan Crawford, in a particularly fantastic performance as a successful, wealthy playwright who winds up on both ends of a revenge scheme. When Myra Hudson (Crawford) boots handsome leading actor Lester Blaine (Palance) off her latest play because she doesn’t think he’s convincing as a romantic lead, and then he “just happens” to run into her, seduce her, and get her to fall for him, sharp viewers will think they know where this story is going. But that’ll only get them one twist down the magnificently curvy road in this movie. It’s another “everyone’s a potential double-crosser” story, directed with surprising style and a few winks at a noir-savvy audience. —TR\n\nBorn to Kill (1947)\n\nDirector: Robert Wise\n\nWhere to watch: Rentable on Amazon, Vudu\n\nAn openly Hitchcockian drama that feels like a matchup for Suspicion, Born to Kill does some particularly terrific plotting around the idea that it’s always exciting when the audience knows a lot more than the characters. Helen and Sam (Claire Trevor and Lawrence Tierney) are involved in different ways with the same double murder, but don’t realize it. When they meet and are attracted to each other, viewers will see the threat looming ahead even when both characters are oblivious. More murder, blackmail, cover-ups, and a great deal of double-dealing follow, enough to require a scorecard to follow the action. It’s a terrifically tense story where there’s no mystery about who did the killing, just about what or who audiences should root for. Do these two crazy kids have a future together? Does either deserve a future at all? And how many innocent bystanders are they going to take down with them? —TR\n\nLured (1947)\n\nDirector: Douglas Sirk\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with a library card on Hoopla or Kanopy, and free with ads on Roku. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube\n\nFor people only familiar with Lucille Ball as a comedian, this strange crime thriller is a particular blast. American in London Sandra Carpenter (Ball) is working as a taxi dancer when a friend of hers disappears, possibly the victim of a serial killer who’s sending odd little poems to the police with every murder. The police ask Sandra to act as bait for the killer, which sends her on a bizarre, sometimes darkly hilarious tour of seedy London, as she answers lonely hearts ads and goes out to meet a series of strangers with the expectation that every one might be a murderer.\n\nBall is touchingly open-hearted in this movie, as a civilian who decides early on that she’s a hard-bitten cop like so many other noir protagonists. But this isn’t a satire or comedy — it’s more in the mode of M than The Naked Gun, with the focus on the noose tightening around the killer, and the sense that anyone Sandra meets could be a harmless kook or a deadly predator. —TR\n\nMurder by Contract (1958)\n\nDirector: Irving Lerner\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with ads on Tubi\n\nMurder by Contract is a lean, mean noir that had a big influence on Martin Scorsese. The director has listed it as one of his guilty pleasure movies — calling it the film that influenced him the most, especially in Taxi Driver. “The film puts us all to shame with its economy of style,” he wrote. “Murder By Contract was a favorite of neighborhood guys who didn’t know anything about movies. They just liked the film because they recognized something unique about it.”\n\nIn Murder by Contract, Vince Edwards plays a methodical hitman who is asked to kill a witness in a high-profile case. When he finds out his target is a woman, he bucks — not on moral grounds, but because women are harder to kill, due to how “unpredictable” they are.\n\nIrving Lerner directs the movie masterfully on a minimal budget: It’s a tight 81 minutes, aided by Edwards’ fantastic performance in the leading role and a great all-guitar score from Perry Botkin. Catch up with a movie that inspired some of the greats, and learn more about film history in the process — all while having a great time. —PV\n\nMore in this category: Force of Evil, Nocturne (1946), Female Jungle, Killer’s Kiss, Abandoned (1949), No Man of Her Own, Nightmare Alley (1947)\n\nThe neo-noirs\n\nSearch for “best neo-noirs” online, and you’ll get a thousand movies with dubious-at-best noir connections — practically all it takes to get a movie labeled as neo-noir is a voice-over, a procedural plot with a lot of night shots, or a downbeat ending. But there are plenty of movies that update the genre squarely and fairly, with an eye toward all the core conventions and the flavor that made noir such a memorable genre in the first place. Here are some of the best and most high-fidelity neos.\n\nThe Last Seduction (1994)\n\nDirector: John Dahl\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming on Peacock or free with ads on Tubi, Vudu, Roku, FreeVee, and Plex. Rentable at Amazon, Vudu, Apple\n\nOne of the most gleefully cruel, shockingly dirty neo-noirs to ever claim the name, The Last Seduction is a series of surprises that feels all the more subversive because the femme fatale is the protagonist, and there is no hero worth the label. Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) schemes with her patsy husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to get her hands on a pile of illicit cash. Then she runs off with it and leaves him behind to take the fall. But she winds up stranded in a small town with time to kill and a second patsy to play with. This one gets particularly ugly by the end — it’s a dark, dark story — but there’s still a gleeful joy in the tightness of this narrative, and in Bridget’s sociopathic skill at coming up with a manipulation for every situation. —TR\n\nBlood Simple (1984)\n\nDirectors: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming on Max and The Criterion Channel. Rentable at Amazon, Vudu, Alamo, YouTube\n\nFrances McDormand’s screen debut and the Coen brothers’ first movie is a must-see for neo-noir fans — the kind of tightly plotted, intensely acted, strikingly stylish movie they’d continue to be known for in the decades that followed. It was a memorable debut for all concerned. A Texas woman (McDormand) cheats on her thuggish husband (Dan Hedaya), who sets out to kill her and her lover. But everyone involved seems to have a hidden agenda, and the threads get pretty tangled as they all come to the surface, with twist after twist making the action memorable. Blood Simple puts the visual darkness implied in “noir” to particularly good work: It’s the kind of movie where someone is always either lurking in deep shadow or forced off into a symbolic darkness that they might or might not come back from alive. —TR\n\nBrick (2005)\n\nDirector: Rian Johnson\n\nWhere to watch: Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, Redbox\n\nFor fans: possibly the best ever neo-noir not made by the Coen brothers. For detractors: a weird “Is this serious or satire?” experience built around a mannered, oddball script that reduces noir to a literal high school teen drama. (Actually, the fans might agree with every part of that second description, and just mean it much more positively.)\n\nJoseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the hard-bitten PI equivalent, a high school kid devoted to a girl who jilted him, then turned up dead. Johnson’s script (presaging his later, equally complex murder mysteries Knives Out and Glass Onion) treats high school drama like big-time drama, and puts Dashiell Hammett-style dialogue in the mouths of modern teenagers, for an effect that’s a wee bit comedic and a whole lot of fun. This one’s full of fun surprises, but it also respects the genre and plays fair by noir fans rather than subverting the classics. —TR\n\nBad Times at the El Royale (2018)\n\nDirector: Drew Goddard\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with ads on FreeVee. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube\n\nA star-studded, charisma-packed murder-thriller told out of order, in the kind of layered “and here’s what was going on with this other character at the same time” narrative that hangs plenty of Chekhovian guns on the wall for the final act, Bad Times at the El Royale is an underrated blast. Featuring Cynthia Erivo in a star-making role, Chris Hemsworth in a part that makes the most of his sex appeal, and plenty of other familiar names (Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman, Jeff Bridges) doing what they do, this one’s a powder keg of a movie that assembles a motley crew of unrelated guests (or are they?) at a seedy motel, then keeps revealing secrets in a deliriously dizzy way as it all comes together. —TR\n\nTwilight (1998)\n\nDirector: Robert Benton\n\nWhere to watch: Streaming free with a library card on Hoopla. Rentable on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube\n\nNo, not that Twilight. There isn’t a sparkle-vampire in sight in this celebrity-crammed, steamy crime drama. But if you have a Noirvember buddy or viewing group, we recommend springing this on them at the last minute: “Hey, we’re watching Twilight tonight!” If they don’t break your neck and throw you under a train, Double Indemnity-style, they’ll probably thank you after watching this one, a surprisingly winning (and winningly surprising) crime drama starring Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon, Stockard Channing, James Garner, Giancarlo Esposito, Liev Schreiber, Margo Martindale, M. Emmet Walsh… It’s the kind of movie where you can play “Oh wow, they’re in this movie too?” in almost every scene. —TR\n\nMore in this category: Bound, Fargo, Lost Highway, U-Turn, Body Heat, The Drowning Pool, Memento, Shutter Island, Blade Runner, Nightmare Alley (2021)", + "It had been reported Monday night when the Braves beat the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS, ending on a critical base-running play involving Bryce Harper, that Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia taunted about the Phillies' star in the clubhouse after the game.\n\nThat report wound up generating plenty of controversy.\n\nFox Sports' Jake Mintz, one of the two brothers that runs the popular Cespedes Family BBQ account, reported that Arcia had been celebrating after Atlanta's 5-4 win by saying \"Atta boy Harper\" in the Braves' clubhouse, jeering at the fact that Harper was doubled off on the basepaths after an outstanding catch by Michael Harris in center field and an impressive relay to get Harper at first to end the game.\n\nThe comments wound up coming back to bite the Braves two days later, with Harper homering twice — staring down Arcia after each — as he powered the Phillies to the 10-2 Game 3 win. When the Phillies beat the Braves in Game 4 to eliminate Atlanta and advance to the NLCS, players in the Philadelphia clubhouse celebrated by repeating, \"Atta boy Harper.\"\n\nWhile the comments became a spark for the Phillies, it also became a subject of controversy. Players, including the Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman, decried the situation as a mistake by Mintz to report the comments, which were said out loud in the locker room rather than said in an interview setting. Others defended the situation, saying that anything in the clubhouse is open to be reported on.\n\nMORE: Why Arcia's comments motivated Harper after NLDS Game 2\n\nBut perhaps the biggest backlash came from MLB Network's Alanna Rizzo, who blasted Mintz on \"High Heat\" for reporting on the incident. Following a BBWAA statement, Rizzo both publicly and privately apologized to Mintz for her reaction.\n\nHere's what you need to know about the controversy.\n\nBryce Harper Atta Boy controversy, explained\n\nIt all begins with the play. In Game 2, Harper led off the top of the ninth in a one-run game with a walk. J.T. Realmuto flew out to center for the first out, but on the next play, Nick Castellanos lifted a deep fly into right-center. It appeared it would be extra bases, and if Harper took off, he'd be able to score the tying run on the play.\n\nThe problem for the Phillies was that Harris made a leaping grab up against the wall to rob Castellanos of the hit. Harper had well since rounded second on his way to third, but the throw from Harris missed both cut-off men by second. Austin Riley, however, ran in and scooped the ball and made an impressive throw to Matt Olson to nab Harper and end the game.\n\nAfter the game, Mintz wrote a well-reported story on how the Braves pulled off the improbable comeback, coming back from down four runs at one point, to win the game, and deep in the article, wrote the following:\n\nKevin Pillar's young son, sporting a custom \"Money Mike\" headband, waddled over to his favorite center fielder for a fist bump. Third-string catcher Chadwick Tromp strutted by Harris' locker offering a congratulatory \"Mike is him!\" All while Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia cackled emphatically about Harper's misfortune, bellowing \"ha-ha, atta-boy, Harper!\" repeatedly as reporters circled the room.\n\nAs Mintz pointed out, he was not the only one to allude to the celebration from Arcia. The Washington Post's Chelsea Janes also wrote about it, saying that one of Harris' teammates was yelling, \"Atta boy Harper.\" The only difference was that Janes did not name the player.\n\nThe reporting of Arcia's comments proved to be divisive across the baseball community. Among the most prominent to call out Mintz was Rizzo. The \"High Heat\" co-host said she was irritated by \"bloggers or podcasters\" going into the clubhouse and \"ruining it for the rest of us\" when \"some jackoff comes in at the end of the season that gets a credential, God only knows why.\" She called the clubhouse \"a sacred place\" and defended the players who were upset by the reporting of Arcia's comments, before she called Mintz out by name.\n\nMORE: Every time Nick Castellanos has interrupted a somber moment with a home run\n\n\"First of all, this guy, Jake Mintz, that's not even a reporter,\" Rizzo said. \"That's taking away from true reporters and true journalists. Where were you on the random Tuesday in April in Cincinnati when this team was playing in Cincinnati? Where were you on a rain delay, and you have to sit in the press box for all of this time? It's ridiculous.\"\n\n\"And then some jackoff comes in at the end of the season that gets a credential, God only knows why. And the clubhouse is a sacred space.\" Alanna Rizzo went off on Jake Mintz's clubhouse reporting on MLBN's \"High Heat\" Thursday. pic.twitter.com/6dooqeLPnh — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 12, 2023\n\nRizzo's comments immediately drew heat from the baseball journalism world, including from Janes, who posted a thread defending Mintz. Janes reported that cameras and recorders were recording, and that Arcia yelled the comments while they were recording and with more than a dozen reporters around. She said that reporters abstaining from writing on his comments would be akin to \"protecting players from themselves.\"\n\nShe also went on to say that what Arcia said wasn't a slur or hateful, and added the only reason anyone was concerned about it was because \"they know it would motivate Harper to beat [the Braves]. Which implies the Braves do not feel they can handle a motivated Bryce Harper and are willing to suggest that is why they lost the other day.\"\n\n\"I didn't say something sooner because I thought this was overblown,\" Janes continued. \"And frankly, I thought it wouldn't help. But I am genuinely disgusted by the way some media members are acting like a reporter was in the wrong for this. He wasn't.\n\n\"And if the Braves let this be the story of their series, that's on them. Win and it goes away. Period.\"\n\nThe incident elicited a response from the Baseball Writers Association of American (BBWAA), which defended Mintz, a BBWAA member.\n\n\"For the record, Jake is a BBWAA member in good standing and has earned the right to be credentialed through his hard work and quality baseball coverage,\" the BBWAA wrote in the statement. \"To assert otherwise, in vulgar terms, is both unprofessional and unacceptable. The BBWAA is deeply troubled that the league's own network would permit the disparaging of one of our members in this fashion. Scrutinizing our work is part of the territory but comments such as these should have no place on MLBN.\"\n\nFollowing the backlash to her comments, Rizzo apologized on \"High Heat\" to Mintz and the BBWAA. She said her comments were \"completely inappropriate, it was inaccurate and it was beyond unprofessional. I got caught up in the heat of the moment.\"\n\n\"What I said was completely off base and I've had an interesting 24 hours and I've learned a lot more and I apologize to Jake. I talked to him already, I apologized to him privately and I also apologize to him publicly,\" Rizzo said. \"They do a good job in the clubhouse and I was completely inaccurate in my assessment of what went down there.\"\n\nAlanna Rizzo gave \"a very heartfelt apology to Jake Mintz and the entire BBWAA\" pic.twitter.com/rT9tjSWLY3 — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 13, 2023\n\nMintz, though calling her initial comments \"incredibly hurtful/uncalled for,\" wrote on X saying that he was \"glad she apologized,\" and asked people not to toss hate to her.\n\n\"Thanks to all the reporters, journos, baseball twitter weirdos, acquaintances and friends who had my back over the last 48 hours,\" Mintz wrote. \"And also, of course, the BBWAA. Community feels good, humbled to be a part of this one. Now, let's enjoy some ball.\"", + "Part of / The best entertainment of 2023\n\nNetflix’s first Castlevania animated series excelled by balancing its quiet, beautifully performed moments of human drama with explosive and artful action set pieces dazzling enough to evoke the feeling of playing Konami’s classic side-scroller for the first time. Despite the first show’s strengths, its regular issues with pacing and effectively cultivating characters from season to season made the idea of Netflix keeping the vampiric daddy issues ball rolling with Castlevania: Nocturne — a new spinoff series from executive producer Clive Bradley and co-directors Sam Deats and Adam Deats — a dubious one.\n\nNocturne both looks and feels a lot like its predecessor in terms of its focus on a tortured scion waging war against machiavellian, bloodsucking ghouls who fancy themselves undead gods who walk among mortal livestock. But while Nocturne could have easily settled and coasted on classic Castlevania vibes, the new show steps its game up considerably by using the franchise’s iconic lore to challenge your understanding of what it truly means to fight for freedom, equality, and fraternity.\n\nSet in the late 18th century during the thick of the French Revolution, Castlevania: Nocturne picks up hundreds of years after the events of Netflix’s first Castlevania series as demon slayer Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel) makes his way to France in search of vengeance and vampires. Like his distant holy whip-wielding ancestor Trevor, Richter’s innate talents for magic make him perfectly suited for getting into the family business, and being raised by his formidable warrior mother Julia (Sophie Skelton) instills in him a profound sense of pride in the work they do.\n\nImage: Netflix\n\nTogether, Richter’s raw potential and Julia’s tutelage make him uniquely powerful even from a young age. But despite all of Julia’s skill with her family’s deadly heirloom, Castlevania: Nocturne’s world is one teeming with vampires even centuries after Dracula has seemingly been destroyed, and the series opens at a devastating moment in Richter’s past that leaves him orphaned and unable to access his magic.\n\nThough Nocturne takes place in the same continuity as the previous Castlevania show, it also uses major pieces of lore from Konami’s Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night games to tell a riveting story about the inherent hypocrisies baked into the historic record of colonial nations embracing democratic revolution.\n\nHere, the French Revolution isn’t just a transformative period of social unrest between moneyed elites and impoverished peasants fed up with their subjugation. It’s a war between undead ghouls like Drolta Tzuentes (Elarica Johnson) manipulating mortals from the shadows, selfish humans like a power-hungry Abbot (​​Richard Dormer), and agitators like summoner Maria (Pixie) who want to dismantle the entire oppressive system of power that makes France a formidable global presence.\n\nImage: Netflix\n\nNarratively, Nocturne’s focus on another brooding Belmont and its depiction of late-18th-century France as a country overrun by literally vampiric aristocrats drunk on the promise of a new messiah make the new series feel true to the essence of Castlevania. What makes Nocturne’s deep dive into this alternate history a worthwhile watch, though, is the way it presents France not just as a crumbling monarchy in the throes of a heroic social uprising but also as a colonial nation whose pivot to democracy at home can’t be divorced from its history of committing unfathomable atrocities abroad.\n\nNocturne reworks a number of Castlevania’s classic supporting characters like Maria — who fights using reimagined versions of the Four Sacred Beasts — and empathic singer Edouard (Sydney James Harcourt) to brilliant effect. But out of all the show’s old but new faces, ferrokinetic Vodoun practitioner Annette (Thuso Mbedu) stands out because of how strongly the show introduces her as a woman whose Haitian identity is what makes her able to understand the situation over in France with an exacting kind of clarity.\n\nIt’s through Annette and the show’s exploration of Afro Caribbean syncretism that Nocturne expands the boundaries of Castlevania’s magical mythology, which is touched on heavily throughout the season’s eight episodes. Small nods to the video games and gnarly beheadings abound, particularly in the Powerhouse Animation-produced show’s bigger hyperkinetic brawls between its heroes and hordes of horrific creatures.\n\nBut in all the bloodshed, Nocturne still finds the time to make its characters (and by extension, you) think about what it means to slaughter technically innocent people for a genuinely noble cause. That beat isn’t entirely original, and Nocturne’s mindful about leaning on it too hard as it begins to weave Annette and Edouard’s stories together with Richter and Maria’s in France. Still, it creates a resonance between the show’s action and the concepts it’s tackling that makes the season as a whole work beautifully.\n\nImage: Netflix\n\nOccasionally, there are moments where the fluid dreaminess of Nocturne’s overall art direction butts up against the show’s application of 3D animation to make certain pivotal moments pop. It can be jarring when traditionally animated characters who were just popping in and out of view using tricks of the eye suddenly turn to the camera with deeper faces accented by flat shadows that weren’t there a second before.\n\nAs strong and different as the season starts, by its last two episodes, Nocturne does start to feel a bit like it’s rehashing moments from the first show — if not in exact form, then in terms of how neatly it brings its plotlines to a close. None of that’s enough to keep the show from hitting all the right notes, however, and by the time you hit the finale, there’s a solid chance you’ll already be hoping for more.", + "Erik ten Hag smiles when asked if André Onana can be the “holding midfielder” for Manchester United described in Uefa’s technical report of the goalkeeper’s display for Internazionale in May’s Champions League final.\n\n“First the job of a keeper is to save, is to [guard] his goal, that’s his main job and don’t forget this,” says United’s manager. “But, yeah, he is a keeper who we can use as an extra player and if we are developing [more] he can be more progressive and even higher up the pitch – an extra player, so that’s an advantage.”\n\nOnana’s last game for the Italian club was the 1-0 defeat by Manchester City in Istanbul as United’s crosstown rivals claimed a first Champions League and so clinched the treble. Yet if he has recent experience of facing Pep Guardiola’s side, the 27-year-old will be a derby debutant against City in Sunday’s 191st edition of the local squabble that will attract a global audience of millions.\n\nUefa’s description of Onana intrigues because it suggests that what Guardiola introduced to the domestic game – a No 1 in Ederson who performs as a de facto extra defender to maintain fluidity along the backline – has evolved further. The goalkeeper was so advanced as to be a No 6 (rather than, the technical report posited, a “sweeper-keeper”) who can take up residence in the middle third of his half as his team pushes deep into enemy territory.\n\nOnana did so against City for Internazionale but has this encounter with the champions come too soon for him to function as “the extra man” Ten Hag identifies? “It also depends on the opposition, how strong is the press, for instance, and how good is the team around him,” the United manager says.\n\n“So if it’s possible – in my philosophy he has to do it every game [but] it is not always possible, so you have to adapt and this what I make clear. Even if you’re not playing well, if the team is not playing well, or you’re not playing to the standards you expect, you still have to win – so find a way to win, be pragmatic.”\n\nUnited have been so of late, claiming victories over Sheffield United, Brentford and FC Copenhagen in their last three matches. But Ten Hag’s “depends on the opposition” and “how good is the team around him” comments sound like hints. In contrast to Inter’s Simone Inzaghi, the United manager may harbour doubts about deploying Onana high up the pitch against City.\n\nThe Dutchman is still building his team and may be wary of the uneven form of United’s new keeper. Bought for £47.2m, Onana arrived on a ticket of being a high-grade shot-stopper, technically impressive too with the ball at his feet. But until impressing against Brentford and Copenhagen, Onana had bombed, costing United goals and points.\n\n“Certain things [here] are different,” shrugs Ten Hag when asked why the No 1 is taking time to settle in England. “OK it is 11-v-11, and it is about attacking, defending, transition. But there is more: the approach to the game, the speed of the game, the intensity. The varieties in styles. So there is absolutely a difference and players need to adjust, need time to do so.”\n\nLast season’s derby at Old Trafford ended in a 2-1 win for United. Bruno Fernandes’s equaliser was controversial with Marcus Rashford offside but not so the goal was chalked off as he had not touched the ball. So far this term the captain has scored two goals in 12 United appearances and Ten Hag has no doubt he can be a major factor in Sunday’s showdown.\n\n“If he does [score] again, I’ll be happy,” the manager says. “Bruno is an [effective] player when we have a lot of the ball. Then he is at his best. And there are games against top teams when you have less of the ball. So then it is about taking benefit from [any attacking] moments and for the rest you have to work hard for the team. And to get a result because that is the most important, that the team is winning.”\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nThis is what Ten Hag has overseen in recent weeks as the protracted sale of the club has entered a new phase, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to buy 25% for an inflated £1.3bn in return for control of football policy expected to go through imminently. But despite any implications this may have for the futures of Ten Hag’s players, the manager himself does not think the matter is a distraction.\n\nBruno Fernandes volleys home for Manchester United against Burnley – one of two goals he has scored for the club this season. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images\n\n“Of course, they are committed to the club but especially they are committed to this team,” Ten Hag says. “They want to be successful and are therefore aware you need [to focus on] the team, your teammates. That is how the players are thinking and they are not thinking about strategic reviews or structures or whatever.”\n\nOn Sunday at 3.30pm we will find out just how focused United’s players are.", + "Most season-long fantasy leagues are entering their final week of the regular season in Week 14, and if your team isn't going to qualify for the postseason, then welcome to the DFS side of things, where every week is a new season and every DraftKings lineup can be the one that changes your life.\n\nIn this world, we don't have to sweat the injury reports, make difficult trades, or even concern ourselves with bad matchups. Instead, we get to enjoy each week for what it is -- a new opportunity. Whether it's your first time or your 200th time, there's something to keep us all coming back. Without further ado, welcome to our DraftKings lineup for Week 14.\n\nBefore we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nDraftKings Picks Week 14: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments\n\nSunday main slate, $50,000 budget\n\nQB Justin Fields, Bears vs. Lions ($6,800). The Lions might have control over the NFC North, but their defense is losing steam as the season progresses. Detroit appeared well on their way to a dominant victory over New Orleans until they let the corpse of the 2023 Saints march back into it, nearly taking a lead (which is alarming with this version of Derek Carr leading the charge). Fields recently had success against the divisional foe, rushing for 104 yards and tossing a touchdown in Week 11. The dual-threat QB should be in line for a great day at home.\n\nRB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers vs. Seahawks ($9,200). Sometimes, you just have to splurge and live a little. Fantasy's best RB has been a little rich for us all season, but now is the time to strike. The 49ers are coming off an emotional win over the Eagles after stomping the Seahawks on Thanksgiving. They are trying to track down the top spot in the NFC and will continue to lean on their stars. McCaffrey just rushed over 100 yards and two touchdowns against this same defense two weeks ago, and his floor remains at the penthouse with a ceiling that stretches to the moon -- the place we hope to be going with him in the lineup.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS: FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nRB Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. Panthers ($8,200). The Saints have a QB problem and the offense is stuck in quicksand more often than not. Derek Carr will likely be out with a concussion, leaving Jameis Winston to start. The Winston experience is certainly not for the faint of heart, but it's undoubtedly exciting. Kamara remains a fixture in the offense as arguably the team's top runner and receiver, thanks to his work as a security blanket for whichever QB is under center. The Panthers remain terrible at defending RBs, giving Kamara the perfect landing spot to build on what was a solid Week 13. We can pencil him in for at least 100 total yards and a touchdown.\n\nWR DJ Moore, Bears vs. Lions ($6,500). Fields' chemistry with Moore is fairly obvious by now. The connection continues to shine with each passing week, totaling 210 yards over the past two games in addition to scoring a TD. We're especially fond of the 22 targets with a leaky secondary once again on tap. Moore cooked the Lions to the tune of almost 23 fantasy points in Week 12, and being well-rested off the bye means we're likely to see more of the same.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWR Drake London, Falcons vs. Buccaneers ($4,600). When we see the Buccaneers on the schedule, we immediately look to see what WR1 is going to have a big day. It wasn't the greatest feeling in the world seeing the Falcons this week, but we're confident in London's ability to make this pick worth our while. He hauled in six-of-seven targets for 54 yards and almost added a score in Week 7 against Tampa, indicating history is on our side here. Because we splurged for McCaffrey and Kamara, we had to sacrifice salary elsewhere, and London is a high-upside option even in an offense that doesn't throw the ball with efficiency.\n\nWR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks @ 49ers ($4,100). Is a takeover underway in the Seahawks offense? Smith-Njigba is coming off a game against the Cowboys that saw him collect seven-of-11 targets for 62 yards. It's a step up from a disappointing outing against San Francisco, but Tyler Lockett's involvement seems to be lessening as of late with the rookie stepping up. It wasn't a great day for the Seattle offense on Thanksgiving against the Niners, but the Seahawks should put up a better effort against a divisional opponent they know so well. If they're trailing, JSN should see action with a negative game script.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nTE Brevin Jordan, Texans @ Jets ($3,100). Jordan was a great streaming option and fill-in for the crowd that lost Dalton Schultz (hamstring) on Sunday, hauling in three-of-four targets for 64 yards against the Broncos. If Schultz is out again, Jordan is a serviceable option that has touchdown upside against a reeling Jets team that is busy booking vacations or plotting how to find themselves on a different roster in 2024. If Schultz does play, we'll pivot to the Jets' Tyler Conklin, who is $100 less and has plenty of opportunity in an even better matchup.\n\nFLEX WR Jameson Williams, Lions @ Bears ($3,500). As we come down to the last remaining dollars of our Week 14 budget, we need to take some swings and hope that the wind blows in our direction. What better way to approach this than with a pick from the game in the Windy City? Williams typically has around three chances a game to make a big play, something he's delivered on in two of the past three weeks -- including against the Bears two weeks ago. He's the perfect boom-or-bust target in a game that could feature a lot of points like it did last time.\n\nDEF Texans @ Jets ($4,000). We're right back to exploiting the Jets' offense since it's one of the few that we can trust to score fewer than 10 points every week. With Zach Wilson reportedly reluctant to play and further destroy a career hanging on by a thread, that leaves us with Tim Boyle, Trevor Siemian, or the lucky fan from Section 139 to lead the Jets to yet another embarrassing defeat. As the Texans try to make a playoff push, this one could get ugly.\n\nBest SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Week 14\n\nThis season, we're also listing our favorite Week 14 DFS lineup on SuperDraft, with some of our picks and analysis overlapping.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as a few matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Join now and get a free deposit match of $20!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nQB: Justin Fields, Bears (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nRB: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (Multiplier 1x)\n\nRB: Joe Mixon, Bengals (Multiplier 1.3x)\n\nWR: DJ Moore, Bears (Multiplier 1.25x)\n\nWR: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nWR: Mike Evans, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nTE: Gerald Everett, Chargers (Multiplier 1.6x)\n\nFLEX: RB Alvin Kamara, Saints (Multiplier 1.1x)\n\nWe're combining forces between our FanDuel and DraftKings lineup to build this week's aptly named SuperDraft lineup that features our Fields-Moore stack and plenty of other players in great matchups who continue to produce at a high level each week.", + "ChatGPT-maker Open AI said Friday it has pushed out its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board of directors.\n\n“The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI,” the artificial intelligence company said in a statement.\n\nIn the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.\n\nMira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO effective immediately, the company said, while it searches for a permanent replacement.\n\nThe announcement also said another OpenAI co-founder and top executive, Greg Brockman, the board’s chairman, would step down from that role but remain at the company, where he serves as president. But later on X, formerly Twitter, Brockman posted a message he sent to OpenAI employees in which he wrote, “based on today’s news, i quit.”\n\nIn another X post on Friday night, Brockman said Altman was asked to join a video meeting at noon Friday with the company’s board members, minus Brockman, during which OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever informed Altman he was being fired.\n\n“Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today,” Brockman wrote, adding that he was informed of his removal from the board in a separate call with Sutskever a short time later.\n\nOpenAI declined to answer questions on what Altman’s alleged lack of candor was about. The statement said his behavior was hindering the board’s ability to exercise its responsibilities.\n\nAltman posted Friday on X: “i loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people. will have more to say about what’s next later.”\n\nThe Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.\n\nAltman helped start OpenAI as a nonprofit research laboratory in 2015. But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media. On a world tour this year, he was mobbed by a crowd of adoring fans at an event in London.\n\nHe’s sat with multiple heads of state to discuss AI’s potential and perils. Just Thursday, he took part in a CEO summit at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco, where OpenAI is based.\n\nHe predicted AI will prove to be “the greatest leap forward of any of the big technological revolutions we’ve had so far.” He also acknowledged the need for guardrails, calling attention to the existential dangers future AI could pose.\n\nSome computer scientists have criticized that focus on far-off risks as distracting from the real-world limitations and harms of current AI products. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into whether OpenAI violated consumer protection laws by scraping public data and publishing false information through its chatbot.\n\nThe company said its board consists of OpenAI’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, and three non-employees: Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.\n\nOpenAI’s key business partner, Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars into the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems, said that the transition won’t affect its relationship.\n\n“We have a long-term partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft remains committed to Mira and their team as we bring this next era of AI to our customers,” said an emailed Microsoft statement.\n\nWhile not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s. He was recruited in 2014 to take lead of the startup incubator YCombinator.\n\n“Sam is one of the smartest people I know, and understands startups better than perhaps anyone I know, including myself,” read YCombinator co-founder Paul Graham’s 2014 announcement that Altman would become its president. Graham said at the time that Altman was “one of those rare people who manage to be both fearsomely effective and yet fundamentally benevolent.”\n\nOpenAI started out as a nonprofit when it launched with financial backing from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and others. Its stated aims were to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.”\n\nThat changed in 2018 when it incorporated a for-profit business Open AI LP, and shifted nearly all its staff into the business, not long after releasing its first generation of the GPT large language model for mimicking human writing. Around the same time, Musk, who had co-chaired its board with Altman, resigned from the board in a move that OpenAI said would eliminate a “potential future conflict for Elon” due to Tesla’s work on building self-driving systems.\n\nWhile OpenAI’s board has preserved its nonprofit governance structure, the startup it oversees has increasingly sought to capitalize on its technology by tailoring its popular chatbot to business customers.\n\nAt its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks. Days later, he announced the company would have to pause new subscriptions to its premium version of ChatGPT because it had exceeded capacity.\n\nAltman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.\n\nHe said OpenAI still has a “deep bench of technical leaders” but its next executives will have to steer it through the challenges of scaling the business and meeting the expectations of regulators and society.\n\nForrester analyst Rowan Curran speculated that Altman’s departure, “while sudden,” did not likely reflect deeper business problems.\n\n“This seems to be a case of an executive transition that was about issues with the individual in question, and not with the underlying technology or business,” Curran said.\n\nAltman has a number of possible next steps. Even while running OpenAI, he placed large bets on several other ambitious projects.\n\nAmong them are Helion Energy, for developing fusion reactors that could produce prodigious amounts of energy from the hydrogen in seawater, and Retro Biosciences, which aims to add 10 years to the human lifespan using biotechnology. Altman also co-founded Worldcoin, a biometric and cryptocurrency project that’s been scanning people’s eyeballs with the goal of creating a vast digital identity and financial network.\n\n___\n\nAssociated Press business writers Haleluya Hadero in New York, Kelvin Chan in London and Michael Liedtke and David Hamilton in San Francisco contributed to this report.", + "In perhaps the most unexpected tech news of the year, billionaire and AI evangelist Sam Altman has been ejected from his CEO role at OpenAI by the company’s board after an apparent vote of no confidence. Its exact wording in a release issued this afternoon: Altman’s “departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”\n\nWhat the hell is happening at the most hyped company in the world?! Here are some totally speculative theories that occurred to us and others around the web.\n\n1. Did Altman circumvent the board in a major deal?\n\nBased on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now. “Not consistently candid” is a very diplomatic way of saying Altman lied.\n\nIt’s possible that Altman — and potentially OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who stepped down as chairman simultaneously, then resigned — wanted to make a bold move that he knew the board would not like. It’s not uncommon for these deals to be hammered out quietly in smoke- (or vape-) filled rooms and then presented as a fait accompli, but if it was controversial enough and the board found out about these maneuvers, it could be fuel for an ouster.\n\nBut what kind of deal would be big and dangerous enough for a summary dismissal of the CEO and famous face of the company? The man was onstage two weeks ago; I just talked with him! What could have happened since then?\n\nFew would be shocked if Microsoft, which is deeply, deeply embedded in OpenAI as an investor and customer, is a factor here. Could Altman have been working with — or against — OpenAI’s patron in secret? If Altman wanted to kill the golden goose by going independent, that might have activated the board’s fiduciary or otherwise statutory duty. On the other hand, if he was negotiating some other deal, like an acquisition or deeper and more exclusive integration, it could also have caused the board to bristle, either at the idea itself or at being excluded.\n\nBut if Microsoft was as shocked as the rest of us, as one report has it, it could hardly be the kind of high-stakes conspiracy some seem to be hoping for. But one must assume that Microsoft would say that either way. Even if they’d been working with Altman on some kind of secret plan, they can truthfully say they were surprised by his firing. (And they “remain committed to our partnership.”)\n\n2. Do they disagree on long-term strategy?\n\nDespite being the hottest tech company in the world right now and everyone talking about ChatGPT, OpenAI isn’t exactly a sound business. It’s shoveling money into the furnace as fast as it can by serving, by all accounts, a fantastically expensive product at bargain-bin prices.\n\nThat’s all well and good for a year or two, but at some point that strategy changes from a growth hack to an existential liability. Could Altman and the board have had irreconcilable differences on where that point lies?\n\nThis doesn’t seem so likely. The company has been very deliberately pursuing this very publicly, confidently and on a long-term basis. Altman and the board seem to be in sync on this, at least for the present.\n\n3. Do the numbers not add up?\n\nOn the other hand, could OpenAI be losing even more money than Altman admitted or projected? It seems impossible, but the costs of running this operation have no precedent, nor really does the operation itself.\n\nOr what if, and again this is purely speculation, Altman has been secretly pursuing an internal project, perhaps at significant cost, against the advice of the board and without the necessary safety measures that probably should accompany such research? It sounds a little wild, but firing your CEO like this is also a little wild.\n\nSome kind of major mismatch in the financial department could be cause for dismissal, but it’s hard to imagine what Altman could have kept from the board and CTO that would be so damning.\n\nThere’s also the possibility that Altman was making personal investments in a way that the board disagreed with. With OpenAI poised to be a kingmaker in the field, he would certainly be in a position of power. One would think that, as an ideologically driven person already rich beyond belief and at the head of the world’s leading AI company, Altman would have risen beyond having to do this kind of side deal, or at the very least that scrutiny on him and those close to him would prevent them. But one can never be sure.\n\n4. Could it be a major security or privacy incident?\n\nThe idea that the company has experienced a major, perhaps pervasive, security issue is bolstered by the fact that Microsoft reportedly suspended use of ChatGPT internally a few days ago. OpenAI subsequently stopped allowing new signups. If there was a serious security problem in its biggest product and Altman downplayed it, that would obviously create distrust with the board.\n\nThere is also the potential for misuse at scale with the enormous amount of personal data that travels through OpenAI’s APIs and services.\n\nWorking against this theory is the fact that CTO Mira Murati was just elevated to interim CEO in Altman’s place. It seems unlikely that anything security-related would go through the CEO and not the CTO, or that the two would be at odds to the point where one could be fired like this and the other swapped in to clean up the mess. As the board’s statement notes, Murati is in charge of product and safety, among other things. Any significant snafu in that department would reflect on her, as well as Altman.\n\n5. Perhaps a difference of AI ethics or philosophy?\n\nAltman is a proud techno-optimist, and often speaks fondly of the possibilities of AGI, or artificial general intelligence, a theoretical software system that achieves human-like intellect and versatility.\n\nThe board’s statement pointedly includes that “OpenAI was deliberately structured to advance our mission: to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity” and that new leadership was necessary. It’s possible that Sam’s zeal for AGI, even absent a secret project or agreement, led to a major rift between him and the board.\n\nIt’s been obvious to all that Altman took the company in a much more corporate direction from its origins, changing its legal status and aggressively pursuing enterprise and consumer applications. That doesn’t sound a lot like the “mission” the board wants to advance. Then again, this shift didn’t happen today, and it certainly doesn’t seem like a plausible reason for abruptly firing the CEO and a few others on a beautiful fall Friday afternoon.\n\n6. What about IP and legal liability?\n\nAltman told me at OpenAI’s Dev Day earlier this month that the company doesn’t want to incur any copyright problems by using (as I had asked about) datasets of pirated books. But a lot of research I’ve been reading contradicts that, as does pretty much every AI data scientist I talk to. It’s exceedingly hard to imagine that OpenAI built GPT-3 with the copyrighted books database (as seems to be the case) but not GPT-4 or succeeding models. (I was going to write this up next week, so thanks OpenAI board for eating my lunch.)\n\nIf you were the board and facing the mounting accusations that your product was built on a dataset that includes thousands or millions of copyrighted works — and your CEO had systematically downplayed the potential liability there — how would you feel? I’d feel very hurt.\n\nBut again, if copyright liability was the reason, it seems unlikely that the board would promote the CTO. Presumably, OpenAI’s Chief Science Officer Ilya Sutskever would also have been in the know, and he’s still on the board.\n\n7. Did CTO Mira Murati launch a coup?\n\nProbably not — she seems cool, and anyway what CTO wants to be CEO? Mira, answer my email!\n\n8. Was it a “personal matter”?\n\nWhen someone is kicked out in a hurry, it’s not uncommon that there was some kind of unprofessional behavior in the workplace. Some CEOs get a pass on things like having kids with direct reports, but not all.\n\nAltman also has three siblings, and his younger sister Annie has publicly accused him of abuse. We have no way of evaluating these allegations, which involve private matters.\n\nOur read on the board’s language in dismissing Altman, however, is that it was not a legal or personal problem that provoked the action, but a professional or business one.\n\nWe probably won’t know the full truth on this for a long time, as the characters in the drama are likely to be NDA’ed up. Per various whispers and leaks, an all-hands meeting about the situation this afternoon didn’t produce any revelations beyond banal reassurances that the company is fine and they’ll get a fresh CEO soon. Expect to hear a lot of rumors before we hear the real thing.", + "Hey, folks, welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter that recaps the past few days in tech. AI stole the headlines once again, with tech giants from Google to X (formerly Twitter) heading off against OpenAI for chatbot supremacy. But plenty happened besides.\n\nIn this edition of WiR, we cover Google faking a demo of its new AI model (and giving out offensive notebooks to Black summit attendees), defense startup Anduril unveiling a fighter jet weapon, the continued fallout from the 23andMe hack, and the release of the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer. Also on the roster are stories about patient scans and health records spilling online, Meta’s new AI-powered image generator, Spotify cutting jobs and an autonomous truck startup leaving the U.S.\n\nIt’s a lot to get to, so we won’t delay. But first, a reminder to sign up here to receive WiR in your inbox every Saturday if you haven’t already done so.\n\nMost read\n\nAI, faked: Google unveiled a new flagship AI model this week called Gemini. But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro. In a press briefing and blog posts, Google touted Gemini’s coding capabilities and multimodal prowess, claiming that the model can understand images, audio and videos just as well as text. But Gemini Pro — which is strictly text-in, text-out — has proven to be mistake-prone. And in a worse look for Google, the company was caught faking a Gemini demo by tuning text prompts with still images off camera.\n\nOffensive notebooks: In another Google PR blunder, people who attended the company’s K&I Black Summit in August were given third-party notebooks containing highly insensitive language. My colleague Dominic-Madori writes that the inside of the notebooks were printed with the phrase “I was just cotton the moment, but I came back to take your notes” (emphasis ours). It goes without saying that this wouldn’t have been well received by the mostly Black audience in attendance; Google has pledged to “avoid similar situations as [it engages] with [merchandise] vendors going forward.”\n\nAnduril’s new weapon: Anduril, the controversial defense company co-founded by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, has developed a new product designed to take on the proliferation of low-cost, high-powered aerial threats. Dubbed Roadrunner, the modular, twin-jet-powered autonomous vertical take-off and landing air vehicle — one version of which is capable of carrying a warhead — can take off, follow and destroy targets or, if there’s no need to intercept the target, autonomously maneuver back to base for refueling and reuse.\n\nMore 23andMe victims: Last Friday, genetic testing company 23andMe announced that hackers managed to access the personal data of 0.1% of customers, or about 14,000 individuals. But the company didn’t initially say how many other users might’ve been impacted by the breach, which 23andMe first disclosed in October. A lot, as it turns out — 6.9 million people had their names, birth years, relationship labels, the percentage of DNA they share with relatives, ancestry reports and self-reported locations exposed.\n\nGrand Theft Auto goes viral: In just 22 hours, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI racked up 85 million views — breaking a MrBeast video’s record for most YouTube views in 24 hours. The excitement for Grand Theft Auto VI is a decade in the making; the previous entry in Rockstar Games’ long-running franchise, Grand Theft Auto V, remains the second-best-selling video game of all time, falling short only of Minecraft.\n\nPatient records leak: Thousands of exposed servers are spilling the medical records and personal health information of millions of patients due to security weaknesses in a decades’ old industry standard designed for storing and sharing medical images. This standard, known as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), is the internationally recognized format for medical imaging. But as discovered by Aplite, a Germany-based cybersecurity consultancy, security shortcomings in DICOM mean many medical facilities have unintentionally made private data accessible to the open web.\n\nMeta generates images: Not to be outdone by Google’s Gemini launch, Meta rolled out a new, stand-alone generative AI experience on the web, Imagine with Meta AI, that allows users to create images by describing them in natural language. Similar to OpenAI’s DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, Imagine with Meta AI, which is powered by Meta’s existing Emu image-generation model, creates high-resolution images from text prompts.\n\nSpotify makes cuts: Spotify is eliminating about 1,500 jobs, or roughly 17% of its workforce, in its third round of layoffs this year as the music streaming giant looks to become “both productive and efficient.” In a note to employees Monday, Spotify founder and chief executive Daniel Ek — citing slow economic growth and rising capital costs — said right-sizing the workforce is crucial for the company to face the “challenges ahead.”\n\nTuSimple exits: When TuSimple went public in 2021, it was flying high as the leading self-driving trucks developer in the U.S. Now — after a string of internal controversies and the loss of a critical partnership with truck manufacturer Navistar — TuSimple is exiting the U.S. altogether. TuSimple said in a regulatory filing Monday that it’s laying off the majority of its U.S. workforce and selling assets here as it exits the country for Asia.\n\nZestMoney shuts down: ZestMoney — a buy now, pay later startup whose ability to underwrite small-ticket loans to first-time internet customers attracted many high-profile investors, including Goldman Sachs — is shutting down following unsuccessful efforts to find a buyer. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup employed about 150 people at peak and raised more than $130 million over its eight-year journey.\n\nAudio\n\nTechCrunch’s roster of podcast episodes keeps growing — just in time for weekend listening.\n\nEquity featured a throwback conversation from TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, when Alex sat down with Serhii Bohoslovskyi, the founder of a no-code app builder, Trible, that helps people construct online courses. The pair caught up on the state of the creator economy, the use of no-code tooling today (and how it’s received by nontechnical creators) and the security of startups with roots in Ukraine.\n\nOver on Found, the crew talked to David Rogier, the CEO and founder of MasterClass, a streaming platform where you can learn from the world’s experts on a range of topics. Before Rogier launched MasterClass, he worked as a VC, and — through his connections — he received a $500,000 seed round before he even had an idea for a company.\n\nAnd on Chain Reaction, Jacquelyn interviewed David Pakman, managing partner and head of venture investments at CoinFund. Before CoinFund, David spent 14 years at the venture capital firm Venrock. He also led the Series A and B rounds at Dollar Shave Club, which was acquired by Unilever for $1 billion. And, in 1991, David co-created Apple Music when he was part of Apple’s system software product marketing group.\n\nTechCrunch+\n\nTC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys — which you know if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:\n\nBitcoin surge: Jacquelyn writes about Bitcoin’s rapid-fire ascent to $44,000, which came on the back of roughly 25% gains in the last week. Her piece for TC+ explores what’s driving Bitcoin’s price ascent and similar value gains among other tokens — and whether the good vibes continue into the new year.\n\nTo swap, or not to swap: Tim reports on how consumer EV battery swapping could usher in freedom for a wide range of people, allowing them to participate in the EV transition in ways that traditional built-in batteries don’t. The challenge is making the unit economics work.\n\nCoinbase and Robin and the future of fintech: Investors are betting that consumer trading of equity and crypto is rebounding and are consequently pushing the value of some former startups higher, Alex writes. That could spell good news for startups offering consumer trading services directly — or indirectly, for that matter.", + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.\n\nIts blog post covers what it frames as “ongoing efforts”, with some existing policies and tools for users rehashed. But the company confirms it’s made some changes in light of fast moving events in Israel and Gaza.\n\nThese include what it says is a temporary expansion of its Violence and Incitement policy in order to prioritize the safety of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas.\n\nUnder this change Meta says it will be removing content that “clearly identifies hostages when we’re made aware of it, even if it’s being done to condemn or raise awareness of their situation”. “We are allowing content with blurred images of the victims but, in line with standards established by the Geneva Convention, we will prioritize the safety and privacy of kidnapping victims if we are unsure or unable to make a clear assessment,” it added.\n\nMeta also says it’s prioritizing checks on livestreaming functions on Facebook and Instagram — including watching for any attempts by Hamas to use the tools to broadcast footage of captured Israelis or other hostages.\n\nIn a particularly disturbing report on Israeli media this week, which was widely recirculated on social media, a girl recounted how she and her family had learnt about the death of her grandmother after Hamas militants had uploaded a video of her dead body to Facebook, apparently using her own mobile phone to post the graphic content to the dead woman’s Facebook page.\n\n“We recognize that the immediacy of Live brings unique challenges, so we have restrictions in place on the use of Live for people who have previously violated certain policies. We’re prioritizing livestream reports related to this crisis, above and beyond our existing prioritization of Live videos,” Meta wrote, highlighting measure it took in the wake of the 2019 Christchurch attacks in New Zealand when a single shooter livestreamed a killing spree that targeted two mosques on Facebook.\n\n“We’re also aware of Hamas’ threats to broadcast footage of the hostages and we’re taking these threats extremely seriously. Our teams are monitoring this closely, and would swiftly remove any such content (and the accounts behind it), banking the content in our systems to prevent copies being re-shared,” it added.\n\nOther steps taken by Meta to respond to the situation in Israel and Gaza include making it less likely that its systems will actively recommend potentially violating or borderline content and to reduce the visibility of potentially offensive comments; and applying hashtag blocking to render certain terms related to the conflict non-searchable on its platforms. Its blog post does not specify which hashtags Meta is blocking in relation to the Israel-Hamas war.\n\nMeta’s blog post also says it established a special operations center staffed with experts, including Arabic and Hebrew speakers, to dial up its ability to quickly respond to content report.\n\nIt also says it’s taking feedback from local partners (such as NGOs) on emerging risks — and claiming to be “moving quickly to address them”.\n\n“In the three days following October 7, we removed or marked as disturbing more than 795,000 pieces of content for violating these policies in Hebrew and Arabic,” it wrote. “As compared to the two months prior, in the three days following October 7, we have removed seven times as many pieces of content on a daily basis for violating our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy in Hebrew and Arabic alone.”\n\nIn light of the dialled up attention on and concern about the situation, Meta says it’s possible non-violating content may be removed “in error”.\n\n“To mitigate this, for some violations we are temporarily removing content without strikes, meaning these content removals won’t cause accounts to be disabled,” it notes. “We also continue to provide tools for users to appeal our decisions if they think we made a mistake.”\n\nCompliance with the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) kicked in for Meta in August as the owner of a so-called very large online platform (VLOP).\n\nThe Commission designated 19 VLOPs back in April — including Meta owned Facebook and Instagram.\n\nThe designation puts obligations on VLOPs to respond diligently to reports of illegal content, as well as clearly communicate their T&Cs to users and properly enforce their terms. But it also ranges more widely — requiring these larger platforms to take steps to identify and mitigate systemic risks such as disinformation.\n\nThe regulation also contains a “crisis response” mechanism which the Commission may adopt on VLOPs in situations where use of their platforms could contribute to serious threats such as war. Although this aspect of the regulation won’t start operating until early next year (Feburary 17) as it requires an advisory body, called the European Board for Digital Services, to be operational so it can recommend the Commission to adopt a crisis response mechanism (and the set up of the Board is waiting on Member States to establish national Digital Services Coordinators, aka the bodies that will oversee DSA compliance for non-VLOPs).\n\nPenalties for failing to comply with the pan-EU regulation can reach as high as 6% of global annual turnover — which, in Meta’s case, could run to multiple billions.\n\nThe social media giant is not alone in being warned by the bloc over content concerns attached to the Israel-Hamas war: Elon Musk’s X has been singled out for even greater attention here — with the bloc issuing both an “urgent” warning earlier this week and following that with a formal request for information about its compliance approach.\n\nTikTok has also received a warning from the EU about DSA content risks related to the conflict.\n\nThis report was updated with details about the operational timeline for the DSA crisis response mechanism coming into operation", + "In the occupied Palestinian territories, there are cameras everywhere. In Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, residents say cameras were installed by Israeli police up and down their streets, peering into their homes. One resident named Sara said she and her family “could be detected as if the cameras were just in our house … we couldn’t feel at home in our own house and had to be fully dressed all the time.”\n\nSurveillance cameras now cover the Damascus Gate, the main entrance into the old city of Jerusalem and one of the only public areas for Palestinians to gather socially and hold demonstrations. It’s at that gate that “Palestinians are being watched and assessed at all times”, according to an Amnesty International report, Automated Apartheid. These cameras have created a chilling effect on not just the ability to protest but also on the daily lives of Palestinians who live under occupation, according to Amnesty investigators. The organization had previously concluded that Israel has established a system of apartheid against Palestinians.\n\nAmong the vendors behind these surveillance cameras is a company that has been accused of aiding what the US has categorized as a genocide: Hikvision. Based in Hangzhou, China, the company is one of the world’s largest makers of video surveillance equipment. Already infamous among international human rights groups, it has been blacklisted by the US and identified by the UK as a security threat for being complicit in China’s repression of the Uyghur ethnic minority.\n\nThe presence of Hikvision cameras in the West Bank was first revealed in the May report by Amnesty, which documented facial-recognition and surveillance-camera technology that the human rights organization concluded is being used to reinforce Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in an act of “digital repression”. Amnesty surveyed two West Bank neighborhoods, East Jerusalem and Hebron, where Israeli settlers have set up homes in violation of international law, and found that facial-recognition systems “are providing the Israeli authorities with powerful new tools for curbing freedom of movement … adding further layers of technological sophistication to the system of apartheid that Israel is imposing on Palestinians”.\n\nThe Amnesty report identified dozens of Hikvision devices in the old city in East Jerusalem, nearly 40 of which were found on security infrastructure and illegal settlements in the Silwan neigborhood. The devices were “operated by Israeli police and by private settlers” and were “mounted to military infrastructures and residential areas in and around the old city of East Jerusalem, in particular Damascus Gate, the Armenian quarter, the Muslim quarter, and Silwan”.\n\nThe report is newly relevant in the weeks after the 7 October Hamas attacks that the Israeli government said killed 1,400 people. Since then, settlers have escalated their violence against West Bank Palestinians and the Israeli army has conducted raids in West Bank cities and refugee camps.\n\nHikvision has marketed facial-recognition features that would, it claimed, automatically detect Uyghur people. It has also advertised features meant to discern any person’s ethnicity, age and race based on an image of their face. The Guardian first reported that Hikvision enabled police clients to set up alarms for when cameras detect any type of protest activity such as “gathering crowds to disrupt order in public places”, “unlawful assembly, procession, demonstration” and threats to “petition”.\n\nHikvision did not respond to Amnesty’s report on the use of its products , nor did the company provide an on-the-record response in time for publication. But Hikvision previously told the Guardian that it “has strictly followed all applicable laws and regulations in the UK and all countries where we operate to ensure complete compliance.\n\n“Hikvision has never knowingly or intentionally committed human rights abuses itself or acted in willful disregard and will never do so in the future,” the company’s statement reads.\n\nExperts on surveillance tools used in the repression of Uyghurs argued the company’s history shows Hikvision has not followed through on previous commitments to preserve human rights.\n\n“Hikvision’s critical role in surveilling and oppressing Muslims in Xinjiang and the company’s failure to take accountability shows that the company is not serious about ethics or protecting human rights,” said Conor Healy, the director of government research at surveillance research publication Internet Protocol Video Market (IPVM) in a statement to the Guardian.\n\nThe Hikvision headquarters in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe report identified specific products deployed in the West Bank that come enabled with human and vehicle recognition features out-of-the-box. Amnesty could not confirm definitively that facial recognition had been activated in all the products identified, but investigators said they were “concerned” the cameras “are potentially being used together with facial recognition tools”. Amnesty investigators said the cameras are at high risk of being connected to Mabat 2000, an Israeli police-run facial-recognition surveillance network that spans the entire city of East Jerusalem. The vast surveillance system “enables Israeli authorities to identify protesters and keep Palestinians under constant observation, even as they go about their ordinary daily activities”.\n\nUltimately, Palestinians “don’t need to see” that the cameras are employing facial recognition to “know that they are being watched at every turn”, said Matthew Mahmoudi, an Amnesty International researcher on AI and human rights. Their fears are not unfounded. In 2021, the Washington Post revealed the existence of a vast database called Wolf Pack, which contained images of and all the information available on all 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank.\n\n“These technologies are deployed to restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians,” Mahmoudi said. “In particular, your ability to move, to access work, to access education, to access medical facilities is stifled based on the usage of AI-based surveillance like facial recognition.”\n\nThe Palestinian health ministry has said that more than 170 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in the past month. The intensity of the violence in the West Bank has forced the displacement of at least 11 Palestinian communities, whose residents have historically refused to leave despite the difficulties posed by both settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces.\n\n“We see how the technology ends up being used to deter Palestinians in places like Silwan in East Jerusalem from resisting and dissenting the expanding illegal settlements,” Mahmoudi said.\n\nUnited Nations experts have warned that “the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide” as the Israeli army has bombarded Gaza, killing more than 10,000 Palestinians over the past month, according to the Gaza health ministry.\n\n“Even their family life and the sort of very mundane everyday actions suddenly become acts of resistance in the face of this ubiquitous surveillance apparatus that underpins much of how apartheid is exacted on Palestinians,” Mahmoudi added.\n\nIn addition to the daily impact on Palestinian life that the vast surveillance network in the West Bank has had, there have been longer-term ramifications. According to the report, Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps analyzed and verified the authenticity of 15 videos that showed Palestinians being detained “where surveillance technologies appeared to have been used for registration, identification or recording”. In one instance, Israeli police posted a video showing how they were able to identify a protester they had been monitoring through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. They then showed that police officers were able to pick the particular individual out of a crowd, according to Mahmoudi.\n\n“In protests in particular, regardless of you being in a crowd, you’re subjected to potentially being picked out and identified and persecuted,” he said. “These technologies are being used in profoundly problematic ways when it comes to human rights.”", + "Uber reported third-quarter earnings on Tuesday that show a profitable ride-hail and delivery company that’s chugging along in spite of slowing growth in some sectors.\n\nThe company reported revenue of $9.3 billion, an 11% increase year over year. Investors had expected Uber to report revenues of around $9.5 billion (FactSet, Refinitiv), meaning that despite the company’s growth, it fell short of estimates. Turning to profitability, Uber reported net income of $221 million in the third quarter, or 10 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $1.2 billion, or 61 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. Again, the company fell short of expectations that it would generate 12 cents in per-share profit.\n\nLooking ahead, Uber anticipates gross bookings of $36.5 billion to $37.5 billion, up just 6% at the top-end from its Q3 result.\n\nAfter reporting, shares of Uber are up 1.6% in trading, after an up-and-down morning of shares exchange.\n\nAgainst a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty, the former startup darling’s results can be viewed as an indication that its business model has matured and is now in a stable, profitable and cash-generating position. On the other hand, under-performing demand results from a company as global as Uber could indicate that consumer spend is coming in lighter than anticipated.\n\nFor startups in the transport and on-demand sectors, Uber’s earnings are a regular informational zeitgeist. So let’s work to understand where Uber’s revenue came from in the third quarter, and how each of its top-line sources converted — or not — to bottom-line results.\n\nWhere did the money come from?\n\nIn the third quarter, Uber saw total bookings rise from $29.1 billion to $35.3 billion, a gain of around 21%. In business segment terms, Uber generated $17.9 billion in ride-hailing bookings (+31% year over year), and $16.1 billion worth of delivery bookings (+18%). Those key business groups at the company generated $5.1 billion and $2.9 billion in revenue, respectively, during the September quarter.\n\nThere’s nuance to the revenue figures that we need to consider as the rule-changes in question do affect startups that operate in related categories. On the ride-hailing front, Uber told its investors that its Q3 2023 revenue was “negatively impacted by business model changes in some countries that classified certain sales and marketing costs as contra revenue by $161 million.” That was not the only legal change that led to Uber’s results changing shape. Under its delivery business results, the company added that its revenue result was “negatively impacted by business model changes that classified certain sales and marketing costs as contra revenue by $360 million.”\n\nThe combined impact of those two items was 8 percentage points of growth.\n\nThe profit perspective\n\nFrom bookings to revenues to profits: How did the main portions of Uber’s business generate black ink?\n\nTurning to what Uber calls “segment adjusted EBITDA,” it’s not hard to see how the company managed to rack up more income in its most recent quarter. Ride-hailing adjusted profit rose to $1.29 billion, up 43% from $898 million in the year-ago quarter, while delivery saw its own profitability skyrocket from $181 million in Q3 2022 to $413 million in its most recent fiscal period.\n\nUber did spend more during Q3 2023 when compared to its Q3 2022 result, but the 5% gain in “Corporate G&A and Platform R&D” costs to $595 million was far less than the gains we saw above. So, Uber’s adjusted EBITDA rose from $516 million in aggregate to $1.09 billion in the third quarter of this year.\n\nOf course, adjusted EBITDA is to profit as hidden heels in men’s shoes are to height, so we’ll want some harder figures as well. In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income. Mix in $966 million worth of positive operating cash flow, and Uber looks very healthy, given that all of the figures in this paragraph were improvements on its year-ago results.\n\nBut while food delivery and scooting humans about town were profitable for Uber in the quarter, the final major portion of its business had a more lackluster quarter.\n\nFreight falls\n\nOne area that continues to drag on Uber is its freight business.\n\nWhile Uber’s ride-hailing and delivery business saw an uptick in gross bookings in the third quarter, Uber Freight experienced a 27% drop year-over-year. Revenue, as a result, had a similar fall.\n\nThe business unit reported revenue of $1.3 billion in the third quarter, a 27% drop from the same period last year. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, Uber Freight had a 1% gain in revenue.\n\nThe results don’t get any better once we turn to net income. On an adjusted basis, Uber Freight lost $13 million in the third quarter compared to a $1 million profit in the same quarter last year.\n\nUber said the dismal year-over-year revenue results for its freight business was driven by lower revenue per load and volume. Both are consequences of the challenging freight market cycle.\n\nUber Freight isn’t alone. Other more recent entrants to the freight and logistics industry such as Flexport and Convoy have struggled this year. In Convoy’s case, the business was forced to shut down with its assets gobbled up by Flexport.\n\nUber Freight continues to plug along, despite these economic headwinds. The question is whether Uber believes in the long-term income potential of freight.\n\nSo what?\n\nWhen discussing Uber’s results internally, our vibe was that it is a very profitable and healthy company today, albeit one that is not growing as fast as the market had hoped. The fact that Uber’s share price is up as we write this indicates that investors are content thus far to excuse the small Q3 misses and keep their eyes more focused on its year-over-year improvements and forward guidance. More when we get Lyft’s numbers.", + "The earnings season is slated to peak in the upcoming week, with a wide range of companies across various sectors reporting their financial results. The focus will be on mega-cap tech giants, but many other firms from wide-ranging sectors will announce results, including those from consumer staples, industrial, automobile, airline and energy segments.\n\nFacebook parent Meta (NASDAQ:META), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are all set to release their quarterly results.\n\nThe list of companies reporting also includes major automakers General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Ford (NYSE:F), consumer staples manufacturers Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), and Colgate Palmolive (NYSE:CL), defense leaders Boeing (BA), L3Harris Technologies (LHX), Raytheon Technologies (RTX), General Dynamics (GD), and Northrop Grumman (NOC), energy sector giants ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX), payment processors Visa (NYSE:V) and Mastercard (NYSE:MA) and major airline Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV).\n\nBelow is a rundown of major quarterly updates anticipated in the week of October 23 to 27:\n\nMonday, October 23\n\nCleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF)\n\nCleveland-Cliffs (CLF) is scheduled to announce Q3 earnings results on Monday, after market close. Analysts expect profit to surge by more than 50%, while revenue is projected to go down slightly.\n\nThe stock gets a Hold rating from Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system, a more cautious view than the consensus Buy rating from Wall Street analysts.\n\n\"Cleveland-Cliffs is well-positioned to perform well over time, thanks to its strong position when it comes to supplying automobile companies and due to energy cost advantages compared to competitors from markets such as Europe,\" says investing group leader Jonathan Weber.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $0.44\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $5.53B\n\nEarnings Insight: The company has beaten EPS expectations in 3 of the past 8 quarters and revenue in 5 of those reports.\n\nAlso reporting: Logitech International S.A. (LOGI), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (PHG), Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) and more.\n\nTuesday, October 24\n\nAlphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL)\n\nAlphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) will be announcing its Q3 results during Tuesday’s post-market session. The search-engine giant has outperformed the broader market index with a 55% growth rate this year, surpassing the S&P 500's 12%.\n\nFollowing the tech behemoth's upbeat Q2 results, investment firm Bank of America said it is expecting \"favorable\" headlines, due in part to strength in YouTube, search, and artificial intelligence.\n\nJust a few days before the earnings report, Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system changed its view from Strong Buy to Hold, while Wall Street analysts maintained a bullish view on the stock, giving it a Strong Buy rating.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $1.45\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $75.73B\n\nEarnings Insight: Google has topped EPS expectations in 4 of the past 8 quarters, beating revenue estimates in 5 of those reports.\n\nMicrosoft (MSFT)\n\nJoining Alphabet on Tuesday, Microsoft (MSFT) is also set to report its Q4 performance after the closing bell.\n\nSeeking Alpha's Quant Rating system turned bullish on the stock just a few days before the earnings by upgrading its view to Strong Buy from Hold. Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts maintain their optimism about the stock with a Strong Buy rating.\n\nAfter more than a year of rigorous examination by antitrust investigators across the world, Microsoft just completed its $69B acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the largest deal in video game history. Its benefits, however, will not be reflected in the company's financial report.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $2.65\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $54.54B\n\nEarnings Insight: Microsoft has outperformed EPS forecasts in 7 of the last 8 quarters, and revenue in 6 of those quarters.\n\nAlso reporting: General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Verizon Communications (VZ), Visa Inc. (V), The Coca-Cola Company (KO), 3M Company (MMM), General Motors Company (GM), Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX), Teladoc Health, Inc. (TDOC), Dow (DOW), Snap (SNAP), Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN), Halliburton Company (HAL), Corning Incorporated (GLW), Novartis AG (NVS), Waste Management (WM), Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT), Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and more.\n\nWednesday, October 25\n\nMeta Platforms (META)\n\nFacebook parent Meta Platforms (META) is scheduled to announce its Q3 results after the close on Wednesday. After exceeding expectations in Q2, the social media giant forecast Q3 revenue in the range of $32B–$34.5B.\n\nSA contributor Dair Sansyzbayev, who is extremely optimistic about the company's near-term prospects, says, \"Meta Platforms stock remains undervalued despite a tripling price since November 2022. Quarterly earnings show revenue growth, profitability, and solid cash flow, while Meta's expansion and large user base present potential revenue streams.\"\n\nMeta's cost-cutting actions and a rebound in ad income boosted the stock's performance this year, which has climbed by about 150%. The stock has been rated as a Strong Buy by sell-side analysts and Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system.\n\nRecently, Alphabet's unit Google (GOOG) (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), and Apple (AAPL) have received approval from U.S. regulators to deploy the new set of mobile AR/VR devices, including goggles and in-car connections.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $3.60\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $33.43B\n\nEarnings Insight: Meta has topped EPS expectations in 4 of the past 8 quarters, beating revenue estimates in 5 of those reports.\n\nBoeing (BA)\n\nBoeing (BA) is preparing to report Q3 results after the closing bell on Wednesday. Shares of the now-Virginia-based industrial and defense giant have dropped over 7% over the past 6 months, attracting a cautious view of Hold from Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system, pointing to valuation concerns. Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts rate the stock a Buy.\n\nDuring the third quarter, Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) determined that the aft pressure bulkhead on many Boeing 737 MAX airplanes had erroneously drilled fastening holes. At the 2023 Industrial Conference, CFO Brian West claimed that the current issue will affect 75% of the 220 planes in inventory, or 165 planes. Despite persistent 737 manufacturing problems, the firm reiterated its ambitions to boost 787 production from three to four per month by the end of 2023.\n\nThe company delivered 27 commercial jets to customers in the month of September, raising its yearly total to 371 planes.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $-2.53\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $18.37B\n\nEarnings Insight: Boeing has beaten EPS expectations just once in the past 8 quarters and revenue just twice in that span.\n\nAlso reporting: International Business Machines (IBM), QuantumScape Corporation (QS), ServiceNow (NOW), General Dynamics (GD), Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Baker Hughes Company (BKR), KLA Corporation (KLAC) and more.\n\nThursday, October 26\n\nAmazon (AMZN)\n\nEcommerce and cloud giant Amazon (AMZN) is due to release its Q3 earnings on Thursday after the market closes. The quarter will focus on Amazon's cost-cutting initiatives, supply chain management, and AI product deployment as potential positive factors for attracting investment in equities amidst current market environments.\n\nWall Street analysts have a consensus Strong Buy rating, but Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings assesses the company as a Hold. On a YTD basis, Amazon shares have expanded by almost 50% in value.\n\n\"AMZN's cost-cutting initiatives and margin improvements make it a solid buying opportunity, despite concerns such as the FTC lawsuit and a weakening economy.\" writes SA Investing Group Leader Danie Jones with a bullish stance on the stock. Meanwhile, fellow Investing Group Leader Sensor Unlimited expects the stock to continue being range-bound in the near term due to the key challenges on its operating margins, competition in key growth areas, and valuation risks.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $0.60\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $141.621B\n\nEarnings Insight: Amazon has beaten EPS and revenue expectations in half of the past 8 quarters.\n\nAlso reporting: Kenvue (KVUE), Intel (INTC), Ford Motor Company (F), Altria Group (MO), Merck & Co. (MRK), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Mastercard (MA), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Newmont Corporation (NEM), United Parcel Service (UPS), Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), Honeywell International (HON), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), United States Steel Corporation (X), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC), International Paper Company (IP), Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX), Capital One Financial (COF), L3Harris Technologies (LHX), Peabody Energy (BTU), Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ), The Hershey Company (HSY), PG&E Corporation (PCG), Hasbro (HAS), FirstEnergy (FE), Harley-Davidson (HOG), W.W. Grainger (GWW) and more.\n\nFriday, October 27\n\nOil giants Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are set to announce their Q3 earnings before the market opens on Friday. Despite both stocks lagging behind the broader market index, Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system has approached them cautiously, assigning a Hold rating. In contrast, Wall Street analysts express optimism, giving both stocks a Buy rating.\n\nGiven the prevailing market conditions and the upward trend in crude oil prices, analysts anticipate Y/Y growth in earnings per share and revenue for CVX, while expecting a decline for XOM.\n\nAlso reporting: WisdomTree (WT), AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV), Phillips 66 (PSX), Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL), Sanofi (SNY), T. Rowe Price Group (TROW), Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), Charter Communications (CHTR), Newell Brands (NWL), Xcel Energy (XEL), Aon (AON), AutoNation (AN), CBRE Group (CBRE), and more.\n\nRelated stock stories:", + "Live your life healthier and happier with our free Living Well newsletter, packed with wellness advice, practical tips and nutritious recipes Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLiving Well email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nWinter is coming, as the clocks go backwards one hour at 2am on Sunday 29 October.\n\nThis will give us an extra hour in bed as we prepare for the colder months when the sun sets earlier and days get significantly shorter.\n\nThe clocks won’t go forward again until Sunday 31 March 2024.\n\nEven so, the debate as to whether we should continue to comply with Daylight Saving Time (DST) protocols continues to run rife.\n\nMany academics, scientists and campaigners have called for the abolition of the clock turning-tradition, citing improvements to mental and physical health, public safety and wellbeing.\n\nBut what are the advantages of such a decision? We speak to the experts to get the low-down on the issue.\n\nAnnual energy savings of £400\n\nProfessor Aoife Foley from Queen’s University Belfast has calculated that household consumers could save more than £400 per year from their electricity bill depending on their tariff if the government scrapped DST at the end of October.\n\nDr Foley, who specialises in clean energy research, estimates that we could save £1.20 a day and dramatically reduce demand on the National Grid.\n\n“By simply foregoing the winter DST in October, we save energy because it is brighter in the evening during winter, so we reduce commercial and residential electrical demand as people leave work earlier, and go home earlier, meaning less lighting and heating is needed,” she said.\n\nMany people are concerned about spiking energy bills this winter (Getty/iStock)\n\nDuring winter, evening energy demand peaks between 5pm and 7pm, with UK households potentially facing three-hour power cuts this winter, the National Grid has warned, due to a shortage of gas.\n\n“We are no longer in an energy crisis in Europe but an energy war and, dependent on weather conditions this winter, it is very likely we may need to start rationing energy very seriously to avoid bigger energy issues in December and January when gas reserves start to run low,” adds Professor Foley.\n\n“There is no doubt that by foregoing the DST in winter we would save a lot of energy, reduce our bills and carbon emissions during this energy war, especially during a cost of living crisis.”\n\nFewer road accidents\n\nThe Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has called for the abolition of DST, arguing that turning the clocks back increases the risk of road accidents, due to more people driving during darker winter months.\n\nThe Society has urged the UK government to adopt British Summer Time on a permanent basis.\n\n“RoSPA is in favour of this proposal, and is calling for the government to adopt British Summer Time (GMT+1) all year,” the society states.\n\nDark, icy roads can be dangerous (Getty)\n\n“This would mean road users will no longer experience the sudden onset of darkness during their autumn commutes, potentially saving many lives.”\n\nAnd they’re not alone. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents also supports the call to abolish DST, citing figures from the RAC Foundation which state that road traffic collisions increase by 19 per cent in the fortnight after putting the clocks back one hour from British Summer Time, reducing by 11 per cent when we put the clocks forward.\n\nIncreased immunity\n\nGetting a good night’s sleep during the winter months is essential in protecting us against the seasonal increase in colds and flu. Research shows that even a small reduction in sleep has been shown to impact your immune system, however.\n\nMaking the move from daylight saving time interferes with your natural circadian rhythm, the 24-hour biological cycle that is influenced by morning light and evening darkness, however.\n\n“It’s hard to understate the importance of a good night’s sleep,” says Giulia Guerrini, lead pharmacist of digital pharmacy Medino. “Having too much or too little sleep can have adverse side effects, so you should aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep as consistently as possible.”\n\nNever underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep (Getty)\n\n“One of the biggest disruptors to our sleep is when UK clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and go back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October, which is rapidly approaching on 30 October.\n\n“One of the most important aspects of a healthy sleep schedule is waking up around the same time each morning, so try to limit yourself to a one-hour window if you need to adjust when you get up in the morning and when you go to sleep at night. One hour sounds like an insignificant amount of time, but it can completely throw our circadian rhythm, or more simply known as internal clock, off balance,” he says.\n\nDespite this, a spokesperson for Sleep School, a science-based sleep education and therapy service, told The Independent that it is “impartial” on the extent to which the clocks changing impacts sleep, arguing that the important factor is the duration of time asleep and a consistent schedule.\n\nFewer depressive episodes\n\nA Danish study from 2017 of more than 185,000 people over 15 years found that the transition from summer time to standard time was associated with an 11 per cent rise in depressive episodes. Conversely, the switch from winter to summer time was found to have no effect.\n\nPeople frequently report an increase in SAD and depressive symptoms in winter (Getty/iStock)\n\n“This study shows that the transition from summer time to standard time was associated with an increase in the incidence rate of unipolar depressive episodes,” the study authors concluded. “Distress associated with the sudden advancement of sunset, marking the coming of a long period of short days, may explain this finding.”\n\nA drop in heart attacks\n\nNot everyone is convinced, however. Charlie Morley, author of Wake Up to Sleep, cites a 2014 study by the College of Cardiology, which reported a significant drop in heart attacks in the 24 hours immediately following turning back the clocks.\n\n“Fascinatingly, each year when the clocks go back for Daylight Saving and 1.6 billion people across 70 countries gain an extra hour in bed, there is a 21 per cent decrease in heart attacks the next day,” he says. “There’s also a big drop in suicides and car crashes worldwide. That all adds up to tens of thousands of fewer deaths around the world from just one extra hour of sleep.”\n\nWhen did Daylight Saving Time begin?\n\nThe UK first introduced Daylight Saving Time in 1916 when the government introduced British Summer Time (BST) to encourage people to spend more time outdoors in daylight.\n\nThe change hasn’t always proved popular, however, with the European parliament voting in favour of scrapping DST in 2019, a change that was due to take effect for the first time in 2021, but plans have been stalled.\n\nA 2019 YouGov poll found that the majority of Brits were marginally in favour of keeping DST, however, with 44 per cent electing to keep the current system, while 39 per cent voted in favour of ditching the change.", + "The Wild have relieved head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods of their duties effective immediately, the team said in a statement Monday evening. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports the Wild will be naming former Devils and Predators bench boss John Hynes as Evason’s successor.\n\nWild GM Bill Guerin gave the following comment:\n\n\"Dean did an excellent job during his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, especially as Head Coach of our team. I am very thankful for his hard work and dedication to our organization. I would also like to thank Bob for his hard work during his time as an Assistant Coach with the Wild. I wish Dean, Bob and their families all the best in the future.\"\n\nEvason had been a member of the Wild organization since he was brought on as an assistant in 2018, while Woods joined the Wild bench one season prior. The 59-year-old Evason began his coaching career with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen as an assistant in 1998-99 after finishing out his playing career in Germany, working his way up the junior hockey ranks over the next handful of seasons. His first NHL job came courtesy of an assistant role with the Capitals immediately after the 2004-05 lockout, coaching Alex Ovechkin in his first seven NHL seasons.\n\nAfter departing Washington in 2012, Evason spent the next several seasons working in the Predators organization as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. There, he helped guide more than a few future NHL stalwarts — namely Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Filip Forsberg, Calle Järnkrok, Viktor Arvidsson, and Kevin Fiala, among many others. After joining the Wild, he earned a promotion to head coach within two seasons when the Wild fired Bruce Boudreau late in the 2019-20 campaign.\n\nJust a couple of years later, Evason had coached the Wild to their best season in franchise history. The 2021-22 campaign saw the Wild break the 50-win mark for the first time since their inception in 2000, nearly sitting atop the Central Division with 113 points. That was in an extremely tough group with the 119-point Stanley Cup champion Avalanche and the 109-point Blues, whom the Wild bowed out to in the first round of the playoffs. The Wild remain without a playoff series victory since the 2015 postseason and have not advanced to a Conference Final since the 2002-03 season.\n\nSo with the Wild now far out of the playoff picture with a 5-10-4 record, sitting bottom five in the league in both goals for and against, a change was necessary and expected. Injuries and goaltending have certainly played a factor in their poor play — captain Jared Spurgeon missed the first 13 games of the season, and Filip Gustavsson’s and Marc-André Fleury’s combined .878 SV% is near the bottom of the league.\n\nThey’ve likely been unlucky, too. The Wild have controlled a slim majority of scoring chances and a strong majority of high-danger chances during 5-on-5 play, a common theme for an organization that’s usually one of the more defensively stout in the league. But the culture around the team is evidently turning sour quickly, Kirill Kaprizov is on pace for a career-low 26 goals and has a team-worst -10 rating, and most of their depth defensemen have been significant liabilities. This roster is not all that different from the one that’s finished top-three in the Central Division for three straight seasons, and it’s certainly one that still has playoff aspirations.\n\nMinnesota has not won since Nov. 7 against the Islanders and is winless in seven straight.\n\nWoods, who had worked on the Capitals’ bench with Evason briefly as an assistant in the early 2010s, is now on the open market after more than six seasons with the Wild. It’s unclear whether the Wild will opt to fill his vacancy.\n\nHynes, who was let go by the Predators after last season, is technically in the final season of his contract with Nashville. That means the Predators had to grant permission to their divisional rival to speak to their former head coach and that Hynes will be paid by both Minnesota and Nashville this season.\n\nNow behind the bench of his third NHL franchise, he faces an uphill climb to get Minnesota back in the playoff picture. Hynes will suit up behind an NHL bench for a ninth consecutive season, as he was fired by the Devils and hired by Nashville midway through the 2019-20 campaign.\n\nThe Wild will certainly get a boost in the standings once Fleury and Gustavsson improve their play between the pipes, a likely scenario given their stellar performance last season. However, they again have the misfortune of being in quite a competitive division. The Avalanche and Stars occupy first and second place as expected powerhouses, while the Blues, Predators and Coyotes all sit at or above the .500 mark and, especially in Nashville’s case, have posted decent underlying numbers.\n\nHynes’ main job is simply to restore confidence in his group. This roster has the ability to play better — especially Kaprizov, who, despite the okay point production, has looked like a complete non-factor on some nights. The team also hopes a significant change behind the bench can boost their league-worst penalty kill, which is operating at just 66.7%. Penalty killing was an area of strength for Nashville last season, who finished tied for fourth in the NHL with an 82.6% success rate.\n\nThe Wild will be on the hook for the remainder of Evason’s contract, which runs through 2024-25 at just under $2M per season.", + "Australian super lightweight contender Liam Paro says he’s got no time for “schoolyard bullsh*t” after being inadvertently caught in the middle of some classic boxing social media drama.\n\nA video of Paro sparring WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson was circulated last week after the American sent it to Bill Haney, the father of former undisputed 135-pound champ, Devin.\n\nThe vision popped up while Stevenson was under-fire for his cautious performance in defeating Edwin De Los Santos, a fight which broke the record for the fewest punches landed over a 12-round contest.\n\nMORE: What Devin Haney's decision to vacate lightweight titles means for Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Lomachenko, Kambosos and more\n\nIn the short clip, Stevenson gets the better of Paro and is much more active and aggressive than he was against De Los Santos.\n\n“That’s a video from 2019. It makes him look stupid, I believe,” Paro told Sporting News.\n\n“Someone in his camp has obviously leaked something out and it shows that it's obviously gotten to him.\n\n“But a 45-second clip of 240 minutes - we’ve sparred over 80 rounds - if that's your best thing, well, fair enough, so be it, if that helps you sleep at night, good on you.\n\n“It’s nothing for me, I'll take the free exposure from the little bitchiness going on, but I’ve just got my mind set on the job.\n\n“I'll just let my actions speak for me. I think it's just stress you don't need to put on yourself and get involved in.\n\n“Boxing is a very mentally stressful sport as it is. So when I'm not boxing and fighting, I like to kick back and stick to myself.”\n\nParo, who, along with Stevenson, has sparred with the likes of Devin Haney and Rolly Romero over the course of several camps in Las Vegas, said he’d still work with him again if required.\n\n“We've always had nothing but respect for him and his camp,” he added.\n\n“I don't get involved in the sh*t. I think it's a bit of schoolyard bullsh*t.\n\n“I'm just going to get rounds in if we need him or if we fight another southpaw and that opportunity’s there, of course, it’d be a no brainer.\n\n“He's probably one of the best, if not the best, southpaw around.\n\n“If it's going to benefit me and my career, of course I'll get the work in.”\n\nParo’s is a career which has, unfortunately, stalled in 2023.\n\nAfter scoring a first-round knockout over Brock Jarvis last October, the Queenslander looked set for a big year.\n\nHe was lined up to face Robbie Davies Jnr in a headline slot in Liverpool in March before a routine CT scan picked up an unknown facial fracture, seeing the presiding commission rule him out.\n\nAfter that disappointment, the 27-year-old secured a long-awaited world title shot, against Regis Pregrais in New Orleans in June.\n\nThis time it was an Achilles tendon issue which forced him to withdraw, sidelining him for an extended period and temporarily seeing him relocate to his hometown of Mackay.\n\n“Absolutely heartbreaking. There's no other words for it,” he said of the missed world title shot.\n\n“I was so devastated. At one stage, it felt like everything was coming to an end.\n\n“I've had a pretty smooth career until this year and two injuries, back-to-back, it definitely tested me mentally.\n\n“I went through hell and back. I was lucky I was around the right people, I was supported by my loved ones up home.\n\n“It tested me, it's seen how much I really did love the sport and how dedicated I was to it.\n\n“It was just a full reset. It relit the fire in my belly.\n\n“It's just good to be back and I definitely want to leave all that in the past and keep steamrolling forward.”\n\nNow back fit again, Paro faces Ohio’s Montana Love in San Francisco on December 9 (Dec. 10 in Australia) on the undercard to the WBC super lightweight title bout between Haney and Prograis.\n\nWATCH: Paro vs. Love, live on DAZN\n\nAussie fans will recognise Love as the man who lost via disqualification when he threw Stevie Spark out of the ring in frustration last October.\n\nParo hopes to put a difficult run behind him and kick off a world title charge with an emphatic win on a big card.\n\n“I’ll just bring the fight to [Love], he likes a slow, controlled fight, a slow pace,” Paro said of the challenge which awaits in his return.\n\n“We've seen with the [Spark] fight, a bit of pressure and he folds, so bring the fight to him.\n\n“He's obviously weak in the head a little bit and actions speak louder than words, you've seen that in his fight.\n\n“So we're going to bring the fight to him. Smart pressure, smart boxing.\n\n“I honestly believe I'm better than him in every aspect, except wrestling.”\n\nAfter previously being ranked number one in the division with the WBO, Paro is now 11th in line for a shot at the championship - a casualty of his inactivity.\n\n“The Prodigy” is confident one good performance can put him right back at the front of the queue.\n\n“I'm going to get my title shot,” he said\n\n“I've proved it time and time again that I belong at the top level and I intend to do that on December 9, too, and stamp my way into a world title into an opposite corner and win it when I get my shot.\n\n“2024, I want a busy year. I want to fight three times next year.\n\n“I've only had one round in two years. I missed the sport and it's lit a new fire in my belly.”\n\nWATCH: Paro vs. Love, live on DAZN", + "Nick Kyrgios has continued his beef with Boris Becker with a sledge about the German great’s criminal past.\n\nThe pair have been feuding on X and things escalated on Wednesday when the Aussie brought up Becker’s bankruptcy-related charges. Becker spent eight months in prison last year.\n\nTheir social media spat started when Kyrgios used Becker, a six-time Grand Slam title winner, as an example when claiming that older tennis players were poor pundits on modern tennis because the game has eveolved so much.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nWatch every Australian Open match ad-free, live & on demand with centre court in 4K Ultra-HD on the home of grand slam tennis, Stan Sport.\n\nBecker has said Kyrgios would not be making a living from the game had it not been for the trail blazed by the stars of his generation.\n\n“Uhhh what? I’ve been arguably one of the most watched players outside the big three the last decade? Fans around the world and have brought so many more people to the sport. I’ve created my own stuff off the court,” Kyrgios wrote on X, adding: “Try to not hide any more assets x”.\n\nUhhh what? I’ve been arguably one of the most watched players outside the big three the last decade? Fans around the world and have brought so many more people to the sport. I’ve created my own stuff off the court. Try to not hide any more assets x https://t.co/PABiwrEYGY — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) December 19, 2023\n\nBecker was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act, having been accused of hiding assets in relation to his bankruptcy.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nKyrgios also reposted other quotes from Becker’s interview and shared another post, claiming he was the one bringing in more money for his fellow players.\n\nHe wrote: “Bro what. I’ve been one of the FEW PLAYERS that have brought million more fans to the sport and have made more money for everyone. NETFLIX…. Don’t remember seeing Boris on there. Guy is ridiculous. I’ve made my career off the court without the help of the others.”\n\nNot once have I taken ‘slams’ away from Becker, or any of these legends. Not once have I said I’ve impacted the game MORE. I’ve simply said that I’ve built my own brand and done it my way & brought fans. Apparently a slam finalist has no credibility. Night, done with this convo. — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) December 19, 2023\n\nBecker told Eurosport: “We live in a democracy. Everyone can think what he wants. You have to have respect for the past and simply say ‘thank you’ out loud that these old pros existed, because without them the tennis circus would no longer exist.\n\n“I did play a bit in the 80s, but there was [Stefan] Edberg, [Mats] Wilander. The 90s were [Andre] Agassi, [Pete] Sampras. All these players make it possible for Nick Kyrgios not to play tennis at all this year and still be able to make a living from tennis.”\n\nKyrgios sparked the beef when he claimed current players are superior to those of the 70s and 80s.\n\n“The game was so slow back then. I’ve watched Boris Becker and I’m not saying they weren’t good in their time, but to say that they would be just as good now, it’s absurd,” he told The Athletic.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDjokovic change that made him shine\n\nFormer French star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga says Novak Djokovic started out trying too hard to be like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, but sent his career into overdrive when he embraced his true nature.\n\nThe former world No.5 told the Generation Do It Yourself podcast that Djokovic longed to be like his great rivals.\n\n“I consider that he had a period where he didn’t want to be himself. He wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, when perhaps he should have remained himself all along,” Tsonga said.\n\n“I think today he is himself. And even if it is divisive, I think that’s why it is appreciated by many people. Because now he’s completely honest.\n\n“He wanted to get away from this warrior image that he has, because he is a Serb, who experienced difficult things in his childhood. So he’s a warrior, he should have assumed it from the start. I think he would have been loved for that.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDjokovic recently spoke about the relationship he has with Federer and Nadal.\n\n“Obviously we haven’t gotten along very well during our careers off the field,” he told 60 Minutes..\n\n“We’re not friends because we’re rivals and it’s difficult to be close as opponents. Some things you share about your life or how you feel can be used against you.\n\n“We have shared the stage for many years and I think there has always been the utmost respect, at least on my part, towards them. I hope that one day we will be closer, to be able to sit and talk and reflect. It would be truly incredible.”\n\nHewitt at the helm\n\nAustralia’s David Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt will return to captain the Aussie team at the United Cup.\n\nEighteen nations will contest the tournament in Perth and Sydney starting December 29 and ending on January 7.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe tournament began last year with Hewitt and Sam Stosur at the helm.\n\nDavid Witt, who helped lead the United States to the 2023 trophy, also returns in 2024 for the Americans’ title defence.\n\nCan Djokovic go the distance?\n\nFormer Spanish star Alex Corretja has questioned Novak Djokovic durability ahead of a Golden Slam attempt in 2024.\n\nThe Paris Olympics adds an extra high profile tournament to the four majors next year.\n\nIt appears a big leap for Djokovic to win all five – considering he’s yet to claim a Grand Slam of all four – pulling up just short three times.\n\nWhile there are doubts over the fitness of Rafa Nadal – set to return in Brisbane ahead of the Australian Open – a hungry pack of new talent will be waiting for a slip up.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I think that would be a little bit surprising [to win a Golden Slam],” Corretja said.\n\n“Because even if he improves his game so much, he’s getting older. It’s normal that he is getting older and the recovery is not the same.\n\n“I’m sure that he’s going to keep on winning Slams, but it’s going to be tougher and tougher and he knows that.”\n\nWhile Djokovic ended 2023 as world No.1 for an eighth time, faced several defeats by the younger rivals including Lorenzo Musetti (at the Monte-Carlo Masters), Holger Rune (at the Rome Masters), Carlos Alcaraz (in the Wimbledon final) and Jannik Sinner (in the ATP Finals group stage and the Davis Cup).\n\n“In a way, I feel the match that he lost against [Jannik Sinner] in the Davis Cup might be good for him. It’s a wake-up call to say, ‘Okay, I’m doing unbelievably, but I can’t relax for one second because some of the guys behind me are going to push me so much. They’re very dangerous and they know they can beat me now,’” Corretja said.\n\nPliskova bemoans loss of charisma\n\nAdvertisement\n\nKarolina Pliskova fears the women’s tour has suffered a loss of charisma with the retirements of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.\n\nPliskova, a former world No 1, believes there was a bigger interest in the women’s game earlier in her career.\n\n“I guess not only I feel that it’s not entirely ideal, even though each of today’s top girls has something to offer,” Pliskova told iSport.\n\n“I won’t comment on the tennis aspect, but charisma plays a role too. Sharapova and Serena were huge personalities, even in the marketing world. You can’t compare today’s girls with them. And I think that in this situation, the WTA isn’t helping much either.\n\n“It doesn’t seem to me that they promote it well. Women’s tennis now seems sidelined. Not as many people go to it as before. When I was playing well and these big names were still active, the level of everything around the game was higher.”\n\nMurray joins young gun for Brisbane\n\nAndy Murray has added another event to his Australian Open warm-up schedule and it should prove a treat for Brisbane fans.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe former world No 1 had already entered the singles draw at the Brisbane International but he’s added the doubles with 20-year-old Holger Rune – giving the pair a 16-year age gap.\n\nRune is coached by Boris Becker and world ranked No.8.\n\nMurray is trying to restart his momentum after a disappointing 2023 where he slipped to world No.42.\n\nIt will be the first time that Murray and Rune play together.", + "I did it. I made it over .500 for the season picking NFL games against the spread. Let's celebrate.\n\nIt's been a heck of a climb, one that has taken a few weeks. But after going 8-6 last week, I am now at 80-78-6 for the season. Let's go. I went 10-4 straight up last week to improve that mark to 99-65 for the season.\n\nThis week we have all 32 teams playing, which means a tougher challenge than in recent weeks.\n\nEven so, I like the card. It is Thanksgiving Week, and I have a lot to be thankful for, but next week you will be thanking me.\n\nHere's to an 11-5 week ATS and 12-4 week straight up.\n\nThursday, 12:30 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThis is a big game in the division for both teams, a survival test for Green Bay and a big one for the Lions if they want to try and get home-field advantage in the conference. The Lions have had defensive issues as of late and Jordan Love has played well the past two weeks. That will keep the Packers in this game, but the Lions win it.\n\nPick: Lions 31, Packers 27 (Result: Packers 29, Lions 22)\n\nThursday, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThe Commanders are coming off a dud last week against the Giants, while Dallas is flying high. The Cowboys are playing as well as any team in the league. Washington's offensive line is an issue, which will lead to the Cowboys having a field day with their defensive front. Dak Prescott plays well again. Cowboys roll.\n\nPick: Cowboys 32, Commanders 16 (Result: Cowboys 45-10)\n\nThursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, fubo)\n\nThis is a huge division game for two teams that have had a good rivalry over the past decade. The Seahawks are coming off a bad loss to the Rams, while the 49ers are coming off two dominant victories. Geno Smith is banged up, so his health is key. The 49ers have the look of a Super team again. They show it here.\n\nPick: 49ers 28, Seahawks 19 (Result: 49ers 31-13)\n\nFriday, 3 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime Video)\n\nThis Friday game the day after Thanksgiving isn't what it was expected to be with the Jets being an offensive disaster. The Jets defense is coming off a bad showing against Buffalo, and will be challenged here by the Dolphins. Tim Boyle will start at quarterback for the Jets, but will it matter? Even so, I think the Jets keep it close with their defense.\n\nPick: Dolphins 21, Jets 16 (Result: Dolphins 34-13)\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThis is a big game in a division with one team with a .500 record, that being the Saints. Both teams are coming off a bye, but the Saints have some injury issues. The quarterback situation isn't great for the Falcons, which is why I think the Saints will win it behind their defense.\n\nPick: Saints 24, Falcons 20\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThe Bengals without Joe Burrow will be a different team. Jake Browning starts, but we have no real idea what he can do. The Steelers defense is good. We know that. The Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada this week to hopefully liven up the offense. Kenny Pickett needs to play better now. He will here as the Steelers take it.\n\nPick: Steelers 23, Bengals 21\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThis is for first place in the division, with the Texans owning the Jaguars in recent years, winning 10 of 11 and blowing them out earlier this year. But the Jaguars got back on track last week and Trevor Lawrence played well. That will continue here as the Jaguars take command of the division.\n\nPick: Jaguars 27, Texans 23\n\nIf you want a more analytical approach to your NFL picks, then I highly suggest that you check out the SportsLine Projection Model, which has been on fire this year. Check it out if you want to know which side to bet for every game in Week 12.\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThe Bucs are playing a second straight road game, while the Colts are coming off a bye. That's a big edge for the Colts. Even so, I think the Bucs have the better team and Baker Mayfield will play well in this one. Gardner Minshew will not. Bucs win it, although they are banged up some on defense.\n\nPick: Bucs 30, Colts 21\n\nNew England Patriots (-3) at New York Giants\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThese are two of the bottom teams in the league, both with quarterback issues. Tommy DeVito did play well for the Giants last week, but Bill Belichick has had great success against rookie quarterbacks. The Patriots quarterback situation isn't good either, but I think the Patriots will find a way to win this one.\n\nPick: Patriots 21, Giants 17\n\nSunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThis is the dog game of the week, featuring two rookie passers who are struggling behind bad lines. Bryce Young and Will Levis have been brutalized at times. What's to think that will change here? The Titans defense is better, so they get the best of it in what should be an ugly game.\n\nPick: Titans 23, Panthers 12\n\nLos Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (PK)\n\nSunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThe Rams are coming off a comeback victory over the Seahawks, while the Cardinals lost a tough one to the Texans last week. Kyler Murray has played well in his two starts, which I think will continue here. The Cardinals will slow down Matt Stafford and gang to win it.\n\nPick: Cardinals 27, Rams 23\n\nSunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)\n\nThis is suddenly a big game for both teams. The Broncos have won four straight, while the Browns are 7-3 and would be in the playoffs right now. This will be the first road start for Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, which won't be easy. But the Cleveland defense is dominant. They will shut down the Denver offense in a low-scoring game to win it.\n\nPick: Browns 20, Broncos 12\n\nSunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThe Chiefs are coming off a tough Monday night loss and now must travel on a short week. The Raiders have looked so much better the past three games, but this is a tough test against a wounded Super Bowl champ. The Chiefs get back on track here.\n\nPick: Chiefs 27, Raiders 17\n\nSunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)\n\nThe Eagles are playing on a short week after a road victory over the Chiefs on Monday night. The Bills are coming off an impressive victory over the Jets. Josh Allen looked good in that game, and he will in this one. He keeps it close, but the Eagles find a way late.\n\nPick: Eagles 31, Bills 30\n\nSunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, fubo)\n\nThe Chargers are having major issues right now and face one of the best teams in the league in this one. The Ravens offense will miss tight end Mark Andrews, but the Chargers defense is perfect for any team throwing the football. The Ravens will win it with a big game from Lamar Jackson.\n\nPick: Ravens 30, Chargers 23\n\nMonday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN, fubo)\n\nThese two are coming off tough losses, with the Bears blowing a huge lead late. It was more damning for the Vikings, a team that had been surging. Minnesota's defense will be the difference here as they get the best of Justin Fields. Vikings take it.\n\nPick: Vikings 24, Bears 14", + "The hardcore football fans are pretty much done with the NFL harping about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Reality TV star Rachel Lindsay, a longtime NFL fan, recently slammed the “obnoxious” coverage, highlighting the “exhausting” uptick in Swifties obsessing over football. But that’s just one example of how fans are finding this fixation a little too disrespectful towards the sport.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nFrom the league’s humble beginnings in 1920 to the $18 billion juggernaut that it is today, the ride has been rocky with more than just a few small bumps along the road. But with the ambitious target that NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has set for 2027, is there a new strategy in the 104-year-old league’s master plan to dominate the world sporting scene?\n\nWhy the ‘Traylor’ saga will be the key to Roger Goodell’s $27 billion target?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nHow can you not love Taylor Swift? Most of the 12 Grammy Awardee’s songs are about that warm fuzzy feeling and chemical reaction that we call love. And her songs have earned the support of 103.7992 million Swifties in the world. Yeah, we don’t have a round figure for that. We have the exact figure up to four decimals. That’s how much data we have on her. Football has 184 million fans. The league is able to generate a revenue of $18 billion from 184 million. If it adds 104 (after rounding 103.7992) million to that number, guess how much revenue it will generate? $28 billion. And just like that, their target will be met.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters NFL, American Football – Taylor Swift reacts while sitting next to Donna Kelce watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs Chicago Bears game during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Image Credits: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters\n\nAnd while analysts like Stephen A. Smith may go around telling people they should be embarrassed of themselves for getting so invested in someone else’s relationship, it is good business for the NFL. TMZ reported that #87’s jersey sales skyrocketed 400% and his Instagram followers by 276%. Yahoo Finance reported a 53% rise in viewership among teen girls. Who would have thought in their wildest dreams that the NFL would manage to rope in this part of the population? The October 1 matchup between the Chiefs and the Jets drew 27 million viewers. And became the most-watched Sunday TV show since the last Super Bowl! And the last Super Bowl had an actual concert by Rihanna.\n\nRevealed: The Dark Side Of Pat McAfee & Why Rob Gronkowski Is In The Firing Line\n\nKaepernick, who? Deflategate, what? In the media frenzy surrounding the two lovebirds, other issues get thrown out of the window. How can fans forget that the NFL is also organizing games outside the American borders with a view to garnering international appeal? The NFL has scheduled 5 games abroad this season. It is also addressing the concussion controversies. It recently added both new concussion rules and a new $100 million initiative called “Play Smart, Play Safe,” to make the sport safer for players. And all the effort is showing.\n\nAccording to Joe Pompliano, “The NFL will bring in $20 billion in revenue this year, more than the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 combined.” Coming to the strategy part, a curious mind would perhaps think can they take a leaf out of the NBA’s playbook and reinvigorate its appeal as it aims to conquer international audiences?\n\nCan the NFL take a leaf out of the NBA’s grisly past and glorious recovery?\n\nThe NFL is already the world’s richest league. Calling it an incredible feat would be a gross understatement. Consider this: the English Premier League, which is broadcast in over 212 territories, has a revenue of just $6 billion, while football games are primarily viewed in America only. However, the NFL does not just want to stop at $18 billion. It wants to become a $27 billion league in 4 years. But it must address a few skeletons in its closet before reaching that goal.\n\nIf you were around in the 1970s (that would make you at least 50 years old today), you would know that the NBA did not have the mass appeal that it enjoys now. With average game attendance hovering around 8,000 a game, it was one of the darkest periods of the basketball league. Drug abuse, brawls on the hardwood court that sometimes spilled over onto coaches and players – it wasn’t a pretty sight. As reported in the Washington Post, even though there are no reliable figures on cocaine use by players, “estimates by people in the game range from 40 percent to 75 percent.” Revisiting the NBA caricature back in time, the New York Knicks became the first all-Black team in 1979. But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports\n\nWe could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football. The NFL is already way past other leagues in terms of revenue, and now with the pivotal shift in its strategy, “America’s favorite pastime” is on its way to world domination.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nEditorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.\n\nWatch This Story: Will Patrick Mahomes Eclipse Tom Brady as the NFL Goat? Travis Kelce Responds", + "Hanh Badger was working from home the morning of 17 June 2021. She went to the kitchen to grab a second cup of coffee and noticed her daughter’s bedroom door was still shut. Badger found Brooke, 17, pale and motionless in bed.\n\nSoon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall.\n\n“She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.”\n\nIn the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl.\n\nAcross the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance.\n\nBrooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy\n\nIn California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media.\n\nIn their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them.\n\nIn April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims.\n\nThe suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified.\n\nOther problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics.\n\nIn response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October.\n\nBut Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.”\n\nSnap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release. After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said.\n\nPerla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said.\n\nFor Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said.\n\nAmy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs.\n\nBut he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said.\n\nNot every parent feels the same way.\n\nEd Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said.\n\nTernan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked.\n\nA screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy\n\nThe conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer. “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said.\n\nEven for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said.\n\nBut for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach.\n\nIn doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive. The night he died, Alexander had told his parents that he had been taking Oxycontin he got online, and that he wanted help. Neville and her husband immediately called a rehab facility and made plans to take him there the following day, but didn’t think to take the pills away.\n\n“We thought we were doing everything right,” Neville said. “A little bit of information would have gone a long way in our household.”", + "A normal person in a rural town has dreams of becoming a master. As they come of age and spring approaches, it’s time for them to begin their journey to chase that dream. After saying goodbye to their mother and hometown, adventure awaits. They open the front door and take their first steps into a world full of new experiences and things to uncover.\n\nThat’s right: it’s time to enter the workforce!\n\nThe Pokémon that existed when Game Freak and series creator Satoshi Tajiri kick-started a phenomenon in 1996, and the one that premiered its first live-action TV series in Japan with Pack Your Pocket With Adventure (Pocket ni Bouken o Tsumekonde, or PokéTsume for short) last month, are almost unrecognizable. Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined.\n\nMore than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year.\n\nFor a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film.\n\nPerhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume.\n\nPokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo\n\nBut what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu. Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games.\n\nIn this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise.\n\nIllustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is\n\nMuch of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle.\n\nShe rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey.\n\nAs the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on.\n\nThe show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red.\n\nWith PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand.\n\nThe 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo\n\nTo understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change.\n\nIn response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles.\n\nNotably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static. At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity.\n\nAs such, Pokémon Garden was the first real attempt at expanding the core experience of Pokémon to other platforms and audiences. While it’s easy to mark 2016’s Pokémon Go as the key turning point for Pokémon in its appeal to older demographics — and it certainly was significant — the framework for this success was paved far earlier by experiments in diversifying what Pokémon could be, whether that be through experiences like Garden or the transformation of the anime to tell a greater array of stories within this ever-expanding universe.\n\nFor the first time, external partners were being brought in to expand the world of Pokémon beyond Ash Ketchum. OLM, long-term Pokémon animation studio since 1998, passed the baton to other studios with the production of a spinoff series: Pokémon Origins. While the studio did assist in production and animated the finale for the four-episode series, the rest of production was a collaborative effort led by Production I.G and Xebec, and proved to be a hit with audiences craving something new from the world of Pokémon.\n\nPokémon Concierge. Image: Netflix\n\nThis was just the beginning. Since then, no fewer than six unique web series have been produced by various external partners from around the world, each set in different regions within the world of Pokémon. The most recent of these, this summer’s Path to the Peak, was unique for taking place in the real world with a focus on the experience of competing in the TCG. Meanwhile, the upcoming Netflix series Pokémon Concierge is another unique addition to this ever-expanding animation portfolio, marking the franchise’s series debut in stop motion.\n\nThis is on top of a slew of one-off short films and music videos as well as a refocus of priorities for the long-running movie franchise. In 2017, the annual film franchise abandoned continuity with the TV anime in order to tell its own original stories without being confined by external events, allowing them to experiment with CG animation, remake the early episodes of the Pokémon TV series in movie form, and allow Wit Studio, animators on the original series Attack on Titan, to helm their own movie with 2018’s The Power of Us.\n\nThe company did more than simply introduce dynamism into an anime that had long since gone stale in the eyes of many. Greater efforts were made to integrate Pokémon into the lives of communities in Japan and further afield, both through relief efforts and merchandising campaigns that provided more than toys and light relief to an aging audience.\n\nFollowing the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku and Fukushima, The Pokémon Company joined many others in rushing to the aid of those affected. These efforts led to the establishment of the Pokémon With You Foundation, aiming to provide support for disadvantaged communities even beyond this initial tragedy, expanding to everything from providing free educational materials and food drives for struggling children to funding scholarships. This was soon followed by partnerships with local governments across Japan for tourism initiatives, seen everywhere from Yokohama’s yearly Pikachu Outbreak to the Pokémon Local Acts initiative, which loans pokémon out to flog local delicacies and hotspots, while serving as the origin of the country’s charming Pokémon-themed manhole covers.\n\nPikachu appears on a manhole cover in Yokohama. Photo by Stanislav Kogiku / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images\n\nThis diversification naturally included merchandising. Many of the 10-year-olds who played the initial games were now adults with families of their own. This led to the launch of monpoke, a special line of Pokémon-themed items for infants, as well as the now-discontinued Pokémon Shirts, which sold button-up shirts and formal workwear based on various pokémon.\n\nWith each of these efforts, alongside the launch of Pokémon Go — which gave lapsed older audiences an accessible reentry point that could fit around their busy schedules — the franchise was suddenly less of a gaming curio and more an ingrained facet of modern life.\n\nBy the time the 2023 Pokémon World Championships rolled around, the first to be held in Japan in Yokohama, the aforementioned Pikachu Outbreaks were transformed into a city-wide takeover. Beyond the competition and Pikachu marches were drone shows, pop-up Pokémon Centers, an orchestral concert, an entire cruise ship transformed into the SS Anne, food collaborations, photo spots, station takeovers, and more. Yokohama felt less like a typical Japanese city and more like a location ripped directly from the world of Pokémon itself. Within all that were families, often two or three generations, sharing in a mutual love of Pokémon.\n\nThe results speak for themselves. In recent years The Pokémon Company has recorded record profits and revenue, while the games, anime, and TCG are more popular than ever, with both new mainline Switch entries selling over 20 million copies. The phenomenon of growing out of Pokémon is no longer a concern. Even if young kids stop playing the video games as they grow, that doesn’t mean they won’t still engage with this world via other means. Nor does it mean they won’t introduce their own children to the series in the future.\n\nPokéTsume is a series that’s only possible because of a reinvention of what Pokémon can be. While, in reality, it’s a mostly light, inoffensive promotional tool to sell games (it’s no coincidence the second episode has a scene of a young kid playing the latest entries in the series on his Nintendo Switch), it represents everything the franchise has aimed to be in recent years. Rather than a series for children, Pokémon now promises something for everyone. And those new adults seeking direction in life might find a fellow directionless 20-something employee more relatable than a kid wanting to be a Pokémon Champion. Frankly, it’s a way to see they aren’t alone, no different from how your party of pokémon kept you company through the deepest caverns of Mt. Moon.", + "When Noora Niasari was five years old, she lived in a women’s shelter with her Iranian mother. They were fleeing family violence in a country that wasn’t entirely familiar, trying to make a new life.\n\nThat personal experience has informed Niasari’s debut feature, Shayda, which has been storming the global festival circuit since it premiered at Sundance film festival in January, winning an audience award. Released in Australia on 5 October, the film has already claimed the top prize at CinefestOz, opened the Melbourne international film festival, and been selected to represent Australia in the international film category at the Oscars.\n\nIt’s a sensational reception for a first film, particularly given the specificity of its story: Shayda is a dramatisation of Niasari’s early life, set in the Iranian diaspora community of suburban Melbourne. “It was something I had experienced, but I hadn’t really seen on screen before,” Niasari says of the movie she started thinking about straight after finishing film school. “But I first had to ask my mum for her permission and participation, because I had such a blurry memory of that time.”\n\nNiasari asked her mother to write her memoirs, which took six months; that writing formed the basis of the first incarnation of Shayda’s script. Shayda evolved over time – and it’s not always a direct mirror of what happened to them both – but “it is very emotionally true to our experience”.\n\nExecutive produced by Cate Blanchett, Niasari’s movie tells the story of Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi), an Iranian immigrant in Melbourne who leaves her abusive husband Hossein (Osamah Sami) with her daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia) in tow. Shayda finds refuge in a women’s shelter where the kindly Joyce (Leah Purcell) protects and guides her through the tough legal process of a custody fight.\n\nZar Amir Ebrahimi and Selina Zahednia as Shayda and Mona. Photograph: Miff\n\nIt’s a tender and revealing film that balances Shayda’s discovery of inner strength with the sacrifices she makes for her daughter, as she tries to create a new family for her. It’s understated, relatable and drawn from such personal memories that Niasara describes working on it as “long-term exposure therapy”. Even doing interviews to promote the movie is difficult. “I have to sit with it and process it,” she says.\n\n“But the thing is, now that it’s a film, it has a really different energy in the world. People bring their own experiences to it, it’s a very universal experience. We’ve screened it in Europe, North America and Australia and there is a real sense that it connects beyond my mother and I, beyond our experience. It’s not about us any more. That feels liberating and cathartic.”\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Saved for Later Free newsletter Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nThe world is seeing the strength of Iranian women now Noora Niasari\n\nAfter screenings, adult men have approached her with their own tales of growing up in shelters; other audiences have said they left with a deeper understanding of different Iranian women’s experiences.\n\nIt was important to Niasari to shade in light along with the darkness of family violence. Shayda’s story may be centred on escaping abuse and fighting for custody of her child, but it’s also about friendship, music, dance, laughter and reclaiming freedom. There’s something elementally hopeful about the film.\n\n“I always wanted to find that balance in the story because … it’s life, there are ups and downs,” she says. A large part of the film is devoted to the character holding on to the rituals of Persian New Year, and finding a way to connect with her culture amid the upheaval.\n\n“For her, that’s through music and poetry and dance, and sharing that with her daughter. It became fundamental to the story. That was how I grew up as well. We’re in the Australian suburbs but I lived in a Persian house with my mum’s cooking and music.\n\n‘The world is seeing the strength of Iranian women now; it’s not just me looking at my mum in admiration,’ says Niasari. Photograph: Miff\n\n“I grew up with all of the beauty of our culture. So I had a natural inclination to include those moments [in the film]. You can feel the joyous moments even deeper when you have that tension or darkness around it.”\n\nIt has been a year since 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died in custody, after being arrested for allegedly not complying with the country’s hijab laws. Her death led to a huge wave of popular unrest in Iran; Niasari hopes renewed international awareness of Iranian women’s resistance will lead to more stories being told.\n\n“The world is seeing the strength of Iranian women now; it’s not just me looking at my mum in admiration. Shayda is just one of those women who happened to leave Iran and make her own sacrifices and her own life.\n\n“It’s more and more important to showcase the diaspora experience as well, especially given what’s happening in the world with displacement, exile and migration due to conditions in the country. So, I’m really optimistic about the storytellers coming through and being able to tell a different kind of story.”", + "Country music star Craig Morgan believes in the saying: \"once a soldier, always a soldier.\"\n\nIn an interview with Fox News Digital, Morgan – who is set to release his EP \"Enlisted\" – shared how he's been able to balance his successful music career while simultaneously re-enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve.\n\n\"Well, that's easy for me because I spent 18, almost 18 years of my life in it. So my mental capacity in that arena has never changed. In fact, that's easier for me than this music stuff most of the time,\" Morgan said.\n\nCOUNTRY STAR CRAIG MORGAN THANKS POLICE FOR ‘QUICK ACTION’ DURING TEXAS STATE FAIR SHOOTING\n\n\"There's a term once a soldier, always a soldier. For me, I have never quit being a soldier, even though I was no longer actually serving in the capacity of a service member on duty. In my head, I've always been a soldier and I always will be,\" he continued.\n\nCOUNTRY STAR CRAIG MORGAN REENLISTS IN ARMY RESERVE AT 59\n\nThe \"Almost Home\" crooner said re-enlisting has been \"refreshing\" and \"very exciting.\"\n\nWATCH: Craig Morgan shares how he balances music career and serving his country: ‘I have never quit being a soldier’\n\n\"I'm proud, I'm honored, and I'm humbled to be a part of what I think is some of the greatest Americans in our country,\" Morgan continued.\n\nCOUNTRY MUSIC STAR AND VETERAN CRAIG MORGAN RELEASES FIRST ALBUM SINCE DEATH OF SON\n\n\"Less than 1% of the people in this nation – and I say this every night upstate – less than 1% of the people in our nation serve in this military and right now, recruiting is worse than it's ever been. So, we're going to do everything we can to try to encourage people to serve our country and to understand that it's not about self, and it's not even really about government.\"\n\nCraig noted that joining the Army is all about being a part of something that is \"so much bigger than yourself.\"\n\n\"There's a sense of pride and humility, two words that are very seldom able to coincide. And I tell people all the time, I think the military is one of the few places where that takes place. Law enforcement service to our country is where you can be very proud and humble at the same time. It's a different kind of pride, not an arrogant pride. It's a sense, a sense of humility, and I'm humbled beyond words to be able to be a part of that again,\" Morgan said.\n\nThe biggest challenge when Morgan was in active duty was the time commitment. He told Fox News Digital that there were moments when he was away from his family for a year at a time. When he was serving his country, it was not only his dedication that mattered but theirs as well.\n\nWATCH: Craig Morgan believes the 'most challenging' part about serving in the military is 'time'\n\n\"It not only requires a lot of dedication on the soldier's part, but dedication on the family's part. It's tough. It's very tough,\" he explained. Although there are challenges when joining the military, to Morgan the reward is worth it.\n\n\"The reward, again, is being around people that I think are some of the greatest Americans in the world,\" he said.\n\nMorgan says he balances his music career and being a member of the U.S. Army Reserve with a lot of \"coordination.\"\n\n\"So, all I really have to do is show up and do the one important thing and that's sing and entertain,\" he said of his music career.\n\n\"The military, on the other hand, requires a lot more of my personal thought process. I don't have someone making my schedule for me. So there's a lot of coordination going on between the military side and my civilian side.\"\n\nAPP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST\n\nIn July, the musician was sworn in again at age 59 to the U.S. Army Reserve on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in front of a sold-out audience. The \"That’s What I Love About Sunday\" singer previously served in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as a staff sergeant and fire support specialist. He has airborne, air assault and rappel master certifications.\n\nMorgan has also worked with the USO, and has earned the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the USO Merit Award.\n\nAPP USERS CLICK HERE\n\nAs for his music, Morgan's newest project, his brand new EP, \"Enlisted,\" debuts on Oct. 20. The six-song projects features a handful of his \"famous friends,\" including Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Gary LeVox, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton and Lainey Wilson.\n\nThe EP will have renditions of some of his biggest hits, as well as two new songs.\n\nSpeaking on how his new project came about, Morgan told Fox News Digital he initially didn't want to re-record his 2005 \"Redneck Yacht Club,\" but his new song, \"Raise the Bar\" with Billy Dean inspired him.\n\nWATCH: Craig Morgan on how his new project, 'Enlisted,' came to fruition\n\n\"In the process of doing the demo to pitch to Luke Combs, I sang it and I thought, 'Man, I'm not sure I want to pitch this to somebody else,'\" he said of his new song. \"Then I thought, 'Well, maybe I'll pitch to look and see if he would want to do it with me.'\"\n\nLIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS\n\nMorgan shared that this idea inspired him not only to re-record some of his biggest hits, but to bring in new artists to give his older songs a fresh twist.\n\nMorgan talked to Fox News Digital about his friendship with Wilson and how he knew she was destined for superstar status before her career took off.\n\n\"I've known since the very beginning,\" he said of her potential success. \"We actually wrote together. I knew Lainey before anyone knew who Lainey Wilson was, because we were on the same label we wrote together.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER\n\nHe continued, \"And man, I knew way back then that she was going to be a superstar. She's hardworking, she's a God-fearing, America loving, just a beautiful soul. On top of all that, she has a talent that can't be touched right now.\"\n\nSpeaking on his close relationship with Blake Shelton, Morgan jokingly said Shelton is \"a complete idiot all the time.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"I meant there's never a time that I'm with Blake that isn't fun,\" he shared. \"He's been one of my best friends in this business for a long time. So, Blake actually had to do his vocals out in Los Angeles because of his schedule. But you know what? He's a such a sport and a champ but an idiot as well.\"", + "One of the most talked about in the pro wrestling fandom is CM Punk’s next move following his exit from AEW. The Second City Saint was released from the Jacksonville-based promotion back in September 2023 due to his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In 2023. Following this, there have been multiple speculations about what might be the former WWE star’s next move. While he has been dropping multiple hints sparking rumors, fans are particularly inclined that he might return to his old stomping ground, WWE.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nThe speculations stem from the fact that the latest Premium Live Event Survivor Series will be held in his hometown, Chicago, Illinois. While the possibility of his return exists, there are a few WWE stars that he might lock horns with following his return at the Survivor Series.\n\nShinsuke Nakamura\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe recent cryptic promos by the King of Strong Style have left the fans scratching their heads. The promos which started several weeks ago, show Nakamura calling out to someone that he wants to have a duel with. The mystery opponent has not been revealed yet and according to reports, talents at WWE are pretty clueless as well. However, fans were pretty fast to decode who might be his opponent. At the fallout episode of Raw following Fastlane, Nakamura was particularly frustrated due to his loss against Seth Rollins.\n\nAs Ricochet was on his way walking down the ramp, Nakamura attacked him with CM Punk’s finisher Go To Sleep. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this move, but it was popularly used by the former WWE star to secure his wins. It was after this that Nakamura’s cryptic promos started airing. Fans might get to see a confrontation between him and Punk if he returns at the Survivor Series. As Nakamura is known to be quite persistent, a long rivalry between the two might be the center of Punk’s return arc.\n\nSeth Rollins\n\nWhile this might come as an obvious piece of information considering Rollins has the WWE World Heavyweight Championship title, the reason behind it might be from outside the ring. When CM Punk made his return to WWE Backstage in 2019, many saw this as the precursor to his return to the company, including Rollins, who invited him to step into the ring with the Messiah.\n\nFast forward to January 2023 in an interview during the promotion of the WWE 2k23, The Visionary made his feelings for CM Punk after his backstage antics in AEW. Rollins referred to him as a “cancer” also stating that he should stay away from him and WWE. The following week when he made those comments, the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion decided to shed some light on his intentions.\n\nReferring to him as ‘Chicago Phil’, he said that he is as selfish as another WWE talent, Logan Paul. He even added that Punk has particularly helped him during his career but the former WWE star has taken a lot from the promotion as well. He believes that he might not be in the right headspace but he has to contribute somehow. Rollins even added that if he is not going to provide for the industry he does not deserve to be a part of it.\n\nThese comments by Rollins will be the setting stone for their rivalry. If CM Punk returns to WWE at Survivor Series, fans might get to see a minor confrontation or possibly a verbal confrontation between the two given the very real animosity between the two. It will also be a neat wrinkle in their character arc considering CM Punk brought forth the S.H.I.E.L.D. which is the faction that brought Rollins to prominence.\n\nCody Rhodes\n\nCM Punk and Cody Rhodes do have a lot of history. Both the stars were a part of All Elite Wrestling. Even though they were in the same promotion, the two never got a chance to spar. But Rhodes and Punk had a bout in WWE a while back during their initial days. The two had brawled on a couple of occasions. One was during a tag team match with his tag-team partner Ted Debiase Jr. The then World Tag Team Champions lost their title to CM Punk and his partner Kofi Kingston. Apart from that, the two had tussled in front of the 2008 Intercontinental Champion, William Regal.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe altercation ended and The American Nightmare came out as the winner of the fight. It’s been more than a decade since that fight and fans will notice that Rhodes has grown leaps and bounds. In one of his last promos in AEW before departing for WWE, Rhodes says Punk laid the roadmap for a wrestling revolution. “He listed things that for me, were taboo at the time, like going to New Japan, working for Ring of Honor, he talked about teaming with the Young Bucks.”\n\nHe then goes on to say it wasn’t Punk who executed the revolution it was him. He says, “He was unable to do those things…In his absence, in the void that CM Punk left behind, somebody did do each and every one of those things, I did them! I held every grain of that revolution in my hands and you cheered!” From these words, it seems clear that Rhodes harbors a degree of bitterness toward Punk’s fan welfare as he feels Punk just spoke of a wrestling revolution whereas he was the one to actually execute it. If Punk were to follow Rhodes to WWE and steal his thunder as he did in AEW, it’s unlikely the American Nightmare would take too kindly to it. With both being masters on the mic, this has the makings of all-time classic rivalry, one fans have been clamoring for while the two were signed to AEW.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWhich of these rivalries would you like to see if CM Punk returns for Survivor Series?\n\nWatch This Story: Every WWE Superstar Who Attacked Vince McMahon", + "You may not realize it, but we’re living in a golden age of gaming controllers. The gamepads on the market now are higher quality, more versatile, and more customizable than anything from just a few console generations ago. If you’re gaming on an Xbox Series X or Series S (or a Windows PC), you now have a plethora of great third-party options from the likes of PowerA, Scuf, Nacon, and Turtle Beach, as well as high-quality first-party controllers. The days of the cheap “little sibling” controller that looked cool but barely worked are over.\n\nI’ve spent a ton of time playing all kinds of games (first-person shooters, fighters, third-person action-adventure, racing, indie roguelikes, etc.) to test a wide swath of Xbox controllers, and it may be unsurprising that the standard Xbox Wireless Controller is the best Xbox controller for most. It makes a great PC controller, too.\n\nBut while the de facto Xbox gamepad strikes the right balance of quality, comfort, versatility, and price, there are several alternatives worth cross-shopping if you have specific needs — ranging from high-end options like the Xbox Elite Series 2 and Scuf Instinct Pro to quality budget picks like the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller.\n\nWhat we’re looking for Connectivity Is it wireless? Does it support Bluetooth? Or is it wired only? If so, is the cable replaceable? Quality Does it feel cheap or nicely made? Any glitches or reliability issues while testing? Extra features Does it have handy extras like remappable buttons, or extra ones? Customization Can you remap buttons or tune it with custom software profiles? Are there fun cosmetic flares to its design? Value Is it priced affordably, about average, or does it come at a steep premium?\n\nThe best Xbox controller for most people\n\nXbox Wireless Controller $ 45 $ 65 31 % off $ 45 $ 45 $ 65 31 % off The official Xbox Wireless Controller has a dedicated share button for saving clips and screenshots and sharing them online, Bluetooth support, and a USB-C port for charging up Microsoft’s play-and-charge rechargeable battery. $45 at Target\n\nConnectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Power: AA batteries or add-on rechargeable\n\nOkay, I already know what you’re thinking. “The best controller for Xbox is the one that comes with the Xbox?” That may seem like a no-brainer, but this “standard” controller truly does earn this title as the best option for most Xbox gamers. It may lack some of the extra features that we’ll go over on premium options, but this controller is the distillation of four generations and numerous first-party controllers before it — and it shows.\n\nThis is the only affordable wireless Xbox controller out there, thanks to Microsoft’s proprietary protocol. While some may hate that it comes with AA batteries instead of a built-in rechargeable cell, that also means it’s flexible, allowing for rechargeable AAs or a battery pack. It also works as a wired accessory with a USB-C cable, and user-replaceable batteries mean you’re not stuck with a controller that doesn’t hold its charge after years of use.\n\nThe standard Xbox controller looks great, feels great, plays great, and is available in cool colors. AA batteries may not be ideal, but you can also use add-on rechargeable packs, like this one from Hori. Attention to detail: Microsoft color-matches the light-up Xbox button to the controller.\n\nBut the standard-issue Xbox pad isn’t just great because of its connectivity. The hardware itself is excellent for the controller’s $60 asking price. The sticks, buttons, triggers, and the sunken dish-shaped D-pad all feel impeccably tight, with the latter having a satisfying clickiness to it. If you’re a hardcore fighting game fan, you may be better served by an arcade stick or a controller geared toward that genre — one with an impeccable D-pad like Hori’s Horipad Pro — but the Xbox Wireless Controller is an exceptional jack-of-all-trades.\n\nThe only things it really lacks compared to pricier options are extra, customizable buttons and software tuning for things like stick sensitivity, though Microsoft does offer cosmetic customization through its Xbox Design Lab, which ranges from $69.99 to $99.94 depending on the configuration. There’s a lot to love about these controllers, whether you make your own or pick out one from the various colors Microsoft continues to offer.\n\nThe best cheap Xbox controller\n\nPowerA Enhanced Wired Controller $ 38 The PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller is a budget-minded wired controller for Xbox and PC that connects via Micro USB and features two customizable buttons on its rear. It’s offered in many different colors and licensed designs. $38 at Best Buy\n\nConnectivity: Wired / Connector type: Micro USB / Mappable rear buttons: Two / Software customization: No / Power: Wired\n\nIf you’re looking for a great controller but you don’t have a lot of money to spend — and you don’t mind a cable — PowerA’s Enhanced Wired Controller offers an impeccable value without sacrificing too much. Its full retail price is $37.99, but some color schemes can dip as low as around $25. Speaking of colors, the Enhanced Wired Controller comes in a wide variety of hues and designs, including licensed ones from game franchises like Mass Effect and Fallout. Some of these designs may make you suspect these are cheap, cringe-inducing knockoffs, but the quality of the controller may surprise you when you use it.\n\nPowerA’s Enhanced Wired Controller is quite a great bargain, with all kinds of colors and unique designs. The customizable rear buttons are easy to operate without getting in the way. If only this controller had USB-C instead of Micro USB.\n\nFirst off, let’s get its biggest downside out of the way: it uses a Micro USB connection (gross, I know). You at least get a lengthy, detachable cable with it, but not having a reversible connector is annoying. Thankfully, nothing else about this controller feels so outdated. Its build quality is just fine, and it even has two mappable rear buttons built into the grips — which is great to have at such a low price.\n\nThe rest of the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller is a whole lot of table stakes, but it executes everything quite well for a ridiculously affordable price. There’s no impulse trigger rumble, but if there’s any feature to cheap out on, I’d say that’s the right choice. On the flip side, the Enhanced Wired Controller comes with a two-year warranty, which is twice as long as pricey options like Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 offer.\n\nRelated PowerA is adding the wrong kind of wireless to its wired Xbox controller\n\nPowerA offers a whole lot of bang for your buck with the Enhanced Wired Controller if you’re on a tight budget. It also now sells the Advantage Wired Controller, which is essentially a newer version of the Enhanced Wired Controller with USB-C and hair-trigger lockouts. The Advantage could be a shoo-in to dethrone the Enhanced Wired as the best budget controller, but at $37.99, it can’t yet match the Enhanced Wired’s near-perpetually discounted price.\n\nIf you have Elite controller tastes but a standard controller budget, the PowerA Fusion Pro 3 is a fine alternative if you don’t mind that it’s wired. It looks a bit like the Microsoft Elite Series 2, complete with four rear buttons, trigger lockouts, and rubberized grips, but costs much less. The new Fusion Pro 3 is significantly lighter than its predecessor, plus it has a more compact case and is $10 cheaper — offering quite the value for $79.99 (especially if it starts going on sale). The older Fusion Pro 2 is still fine, especially if you prefer detachable rear paddles to built-in buttons, but at this point, it’s only worth it for that preference or if it’s heavily discounted.\n\nPowerA Fusion Pro 3 $ 79 The Fusion Pro 3 is the latest version of PowerA’s affordable alternative to premium controllers like the Xbox Elite Series 2. It comes with swappable sticks, friction rings, a compact zip-up case, and features four programmable buttons built into its rear. $79 at Amazon$80 at PowerA\n\nThe best premium Xbox controller\n\nXbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 $ 140 $ 180 22 % off $ 140 $ 140 $ 180 22 % off The Xbox Elite Series 2 is easily one of our favorite controllers at The Verge. It’s an improvement on the already excellent Elite controller, with deep customization, optional rear paddle buttons, a swappable D-pad, and analog sticks that allow you to tailor its layout to suit your play style. $140 at Walmart$140 at Microsoft\n\nConnectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Up to four / Software customization: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable\n\nThe Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is Microsoft’s fancied-up, premium version of the stock controller. It’s also older, having been released a year before the Xbox Series X / S consoles arrived. So while it does sport a USB-C port and wireless support, it lacks the convenient Share button found on the latest Xbox Wireless Controller. However, it makes up for that in droves with exceptional build quality, extra buttons, user-swappable sticks and D-pad, and lots of customization.\n\nIf you pick up an Xbox Elite controller, you instantly recognize the quality of materials put into it. Where the standard controller uses an unassuming plastic build, the Elite mixes higher-quality plastic with rubberized grips and bits of metal. Combine this with its built-in rechargeable battery, and the Elite is noticeably heavier than its cheaper brethren. It also comes with a charging dock and zip-up case with passthrough charging.\n\nThe Xbox Elite Series 2 is made from premium materials but has a nice, subdued aesthetic. The metal, dish-like D-pad is a small work of art. Sadly, however, it’s a far cry from the best D-pad around. The four removable paddles on the rear sit beneath the trigger locks and charging dock pins.\n\nAs excellent as the fit and finish are, the key components that may give you a competitive edge are the hair-trigger locks and rear paddle buttons. In theory, the hair trigger gets shots off faster when playing shooters, and the rear paddles allow you to jump, crouch, reload, etc., without taking your thumb off the right stick for aiming. However, using that many buttons on the back of the controller definitely takes some adjustment. You have to train new muscle memory, and since it requires dexterity with more fingers, they’re not for everyone.\n\nThese premium features come at a steep cost, too. The Elite Series 2 is normally priced at $179.99, and even though it occasionally drops to $139.99, it’s still more than twice as expensive as a regular Xbox controller. You have to really want its extra features and user customization, and if you’re not using its rear paddles or the software adjustments for stick sensitivity, you’re not getting your money’s worth. (And if you want to customize the colors, you’re looking at $209.99 for the Design Lab “Elite Package.”)\n\nMicrosoft also has a stripped-down Elite Series 2 “Core” version for $129.99, which is the same controller in white-and-black, red-and-black, or blue-and-black finishes without the rear paddles, accessory charging case, or extra stick toppers and D-pad. You can get all of those in a $59.99 accessories pack, which turns the Elite Series 2 Core back into a standard Elite Series 2, but that sets you back $10 more than just going for the Elite Series 2 to start with.\n\nYou must also be aware that the Elite has a bit of a reputation for lackluster quality control, with horror stories from users about going through multiple replacements under warranty. Microsoft extended the controller’s warranty from 90 days to a year in late 2020 to help address concerns, but buying an Elite Series 2 may still feel like a slightly risky proposition. However, when you nail that perfect sequence — switching to your pistol and landing a headshot with a quick pop-pop of the hair trigger while your thumbs stay firmly planted on the sticks — it can feel worth it.\n\nA formidable alternative to the Elite\n\nConnectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Four / Software customization: No / Power: AA batteries or add-on rechargeable\n\nThe Scuf Instinct Pro finds itself in a bit of a weird spot, as it’s the only wireless option from a third party, but it’s by far the most expensive Xbox controller around (it starts at $199.99). The one I tested clocked in at $263.91 with a special faceplate and added color accents. That’s more than the Xbox Series S occasionally sells for, which is an entire console. Still, you’re in for a treat if you’re okay with spending that kind of money, as the Instinct Pro is arguably better than Microsoft’s Elite in some very specific ways — primarily, its comfort and implementation of rear buttons and hair triggers.\n\nScuf’s Instinct Pro is ultra-premium and very customizable — for an added cost. The magnetic faceplate and sticks are easy to pop off and swap out. Scuf’s rear rocker buttons and textured rubber grips are intricately detailed.\n\nThe Instinct Pro has very unique rear buttons, and I actually prefer them. Instead of paddles, there are four rocker-like buttons built into the controller’s body that you push toward or away from your hand with a middle finger. It still requires training your brain a bit to get accustomed to it, but I found them more intuitive.\n\nRear buttons aside, the Scuf’s other big feature is its hair triggers, which have the quickest response of all the controllers tested here. Just flick a switch on the back, and the left and right triggers feel like you’re clicking a mouse — it’s incredibly satisfying. The hair triggers, rear buttons, and the excellent textured grip material on the controller’s underside make this controller a joy to use.\n\nThe Instinct Pro feels like Scuf essentially hot-rodded a stock Xbox controller, but like any boutique item, it comes with a massive cost. Meanwhile, it still uses AA batteries and lacks software customization, so as much as I enjoy using it, I’d only advise getting one if you’re super passionate about its very specific qualities or you absolutely love the colorful accents and magnetically swappable faceplates on Scuf’s configurator.\n\nThe best customizable controller\n\nConnectivity: Wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Four / Software customization: Yes / Power: Wired\n\nRIG’s Nacon Revolution X may be worthy of an award for terrible naming, but its real strengths are in its deep customization. If you’re the type that likes to endlessly tinker with lots of detailed settings, this is the controller for you. Normally priced at $99.99, the wired Revolution X and its added features don’t come cheap, but the price is a little fairer when you consider the competition it squares up against.\n\nWhen you first pick up the Revolution X, it seems very unassuming — and borderline cheap. While it’s not a looker, it’s a form-follows-function type of controller. It’s comfy to use, and its four rear buttons built into the grips are large and nicely contoured. The real stars of this show, however, are the analog sticks and their software customizations, as well as the expansive custom options for other inner workings of the controller.\n\nThe Nacon Revolution X looks a little cheap at first, but its premium features are steeped in deep customization. The rear grip covers open up to allow the optional weights to be added. The controller, cable, stick tops, grip weights, and stick rings are all packaged in the included zipper case.\n\nWhile other user-customizable controllers have three user profiles you can swap between on the fly, the Revolution X has four — plus a “classic” mode with basic settings and a ring of RGB light around the right stick to remind you what mode you’re in. The software app is not the most user-friendly, but the controls go very in-depth. Thankfully, there are helpful starting points with presets for arcade fighting games, racing, FPS games, and even sniping, which makes the options much easier to understand. Add the ability to customize and remap every button on the controller, as well as a Dolby Atmos for Headphones app license, and you’ve got a lot of customization options.\n\nThe customization doesn’t stop with software, audio, or lighting, however. The Revolution X comes with ring spacers to adjust the range of the analog sticks, too, as well as a series of small weights ranging from 10g to 16g, which you can insert into its grips to give them an additional amount of heft.\n\nAdding up all these features, you see why the Nacon is such a great controller for tinkering. It took me time to warm up to it, but upon setting it up the way I preferred, it made for a very compelling controller in a variety of game types.\n\nThe best controller for shooters\n\nConnectivity: Wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Two / Software customization: No / Power: Wired\n\nTurtle Beach is known for its headsets, so it makes sense that its Recon wired controller features some robust audio controls. Its strengths really come into focus when playing first-person shooters, where its Superhuman Hearing mode tweaks the audio of any wired headset to draw out footsteps and distant gunfire in the mix. At its regular price of around $60, and once selling as low as $39.95, the Recon is a fairly affordable way to gain a slight competitive edge in multiplayer games without spending well over $100 on a controller.\n\nThe Turtle Beach Recon controller’s biggest strengths lie in its plethora of audio controls. It’s a bit much to take in at first, but these buttons allow for very handy audio controls when using a wired headset. The bumpers, shoulders, and customizable rear buttons have an excellent textured pattern that feels great.\n\nThis pad isn’t going to win any beauty contests thanks to all those awkward buttons located smack-dab in the middle of its forehead, but each one has a valid purpose. There are four levels of microphone monitoring, overall game volume controls, game chat volume mix, four EQ presets, four programmable modes for mapping the two rear buttons, and four levels of optional right-stick sensitivity adjustments. That last feature, dubbed Pro Aim by Turtle Beach, lowers the sensitivity of the right analog stick while you hold the right-hand rear button, allowing for very small movements like sniping, though it’s a bit clumsy to use.\n\nLearning to use all these controls may sound daunting, but the controller’s quick-start guide makes it easier. Superhuman Hearing is very helpful for shooters and worth using extensively for games like Halo Infinite — just be aware that it’s going to muddy up the soundtrack a little, so you may want to leave it off during story-driven, single-player games.\n\nAudio controls aside, the Recon lacks fancy features like hair triggers and swappable thumbsticks, and the D-pad looks like the standard Xbox Wireless Controller but pales in comparison. The controller’s plastic build feels cheap, but the rubbery grips redeem it with a nice and comfy feel. As for the sticks, triggers, and additional rear buttons, they all feel tight and snappy. Combine that with Superhuman Hearing, and you’ve got a great recipe for shooters. The Recon has a bit of a learning curve, but if you play ranked matches and value a fairly priced wired controller with extra buttons and helpful audio functions, you can’t go wrong here.\n\nOther controllers worth knowing about\n\nPhotography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge", + "Apple sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,499. But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.\n\nWhile Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various current models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without as much waiting for the changing winds of deals to blow your way. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.\n\nBut if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available right now.\n\nA note about discounted Intel-based Macs At this point, we don’t recommend buying any older Intel-based Macs. Retailers may try to tempt you with very low prices on leftover new or refurbished stock, but there’s a reason nobody wants them anymore. They’re completely outclassed by all the newer models, unless you have some super-niche Windows Boot Camp needs — and even then, consider what Windows apps you really need and if they work with Parallels.\n\nThe best MacBook Air deals\n\nM1 MacBook Air\n\nThe MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. The redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air has been with us for a bit — there’s now even a 15-inch M2 Air — but the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains in the lineup as the budget option. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.\n\nThe base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It typically sells for $999, but Amazon and Best Buy are currently discounting it to $749.99 ($250 off), matching its lowest price. The M1 Air may be a few years old now but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value — especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.\n\nM2 MacBook Air\n\nAs for the newer, fancier 13-inch MacBook Air with M2, the base model with 256GB of storage and an eight-core GPU recently got a price drop. Along with introducing a 15-inch M2 Air, Apple announced during this year’s WWDC that the 13-inch model now starts at $1,099 instead of $1,199. As for deals, the 13-incher is currently selling for $899 ($200 off) at B&H Photo, Additionally, Best Buy and B&H Photo are offering an equal diacount on the upgraded configuration, which can be had with a 512GB SSD and 10-core GPU for $1,199 ($200 off).\n\nThe M2 MacBook Air is a super slim and light laptop with a 1080p webcam that’s actually usable as well as a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its precious two USB-C ports. Its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, but it’s a great performer for any user outside of more demanding creatives.\n\nIt does have some slight downsides, like slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, there hasn’t been a more travel-friendly laptop offered by Apple since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this one’s good enough to be the No. 1 laptop we now recommend in our buying guide.\n\nThe newer 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is a lot like a blown-up 13-inch Air, and judging from our glowing review, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like its smaller counterpart, it has an M2 chip, two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, MagSafe charging, and its base model comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. But it differs by having a larger, 15.3-inch notched screen with 2880 x 1864 resolution, six speakers instead of four, a 10-core GPU that costs extra on the 13-inch, and a higher starting price of $1,299. Bumping up to a larger, faster 512GB of storage will run you $1,499.\n\nSurprisingly, the 15-inch M2 Air started receiving some discounts even before it shipped, which let early adopters save between $50 and $100. As of right now, you can get it $300 off by ordering it at Amazon or Best Buy, where it’s currently selling for $999. The expanded 512GB model is also $300 off at Best Buy, selling for $1,199.\n\nThe best MacBook Pro deals\n\nThe MacBook Pro line is once again in a transitional phase. Apple announced Macs using a new M3 processor at its “Scary Fast” event the night before Halloween, including a new 14-inch MacBook Pro that replaces the 13-inch M2 model. That means Touch Bar Macs are finally dead, but some of those outgoing M2 models are still available for now. You’ll find any deals on them further down, but first, let’s focus on the new M3 generation.\n\nM3 and M3 Pro MacBook Pro\n\nThe new entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).\n\nThe M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can get it on a deal that puts more price distance between it and the M3 Pro version. We’ve already seen the base model with 512GB of storage on sale for $150 off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and right now, it’s actually available for an even better $1,399 ($200 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. The 1TB configuration is also selling for its all-time low of $1,599 ($200 off) at Best Buy and B&H Photo, while the configuration with base storage and 16GB of RAM is selling for $1,599 ($200 off) at B&H Photo. That said, if you plan on going with a higher-spec configuration than that, you’ll likely want to spring for the M3 Pro model instead (see below).\n\nThe 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros for late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.\n\nWhile these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts. The 14-inch MacBook Pro in its base configuration with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD is currently on sale for $1,749 ($250 off) at B&H Photo. A similar version with 1TB of storage and a 12-core / 18-core M3 Pro is down to $2,149 (also $250 off) at B&H Photo. As for the base 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (12-core CPU / 18-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, it’s selling for $2,249 ($250 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.\n\nM2 Pro MacBook Pro\n\nAs for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros from early 2023 with M2 Pro / Max processors, they’re still more than capable — they may even be a better buy than the new models if you can find them at a steep discount.\n\nFor example, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip, a 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM is selling for $1,629 ($370 off) at Amazon, which is a new low price that may not last very long. However, the 14-inch model with 1TB of storage, a 12-core M2 Pro CPU, and 19 GPU cores is down to $1,999 (a steep $500 off) at B&H Photo. Now we’re talking!\n\nSadly, the situation isn’t quite as good for the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro. The best (and only) deal available right now on the creator-friendly laptop is at Amazon, where you can grab the base M2 Pro model for $2,299.99 ($200 off) with 512GB storage. That’s not great, but hopefully we see better deals before the laptop is no longer available new.\n\nM1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro\n\nFor now, the older 2021 MacBook Pros can occasionally be had for some steep discounts that actually make a two-generation-old laptop still worth considering. You’re unlikely to find any base models still kicking around, but if you want a souped-up configuration on the cheap, you may be in luck.\n\nThe 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2021 with 16GB of RAM and an expanded 1TB of storage is available at B&H Photo for $1,799 ($900 off). However, you can also get a tricked-out M1 Max (10-core CPU / 32-core GPU) model with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage for $2,499 ($1,800 off) at B&H Photo. I know that’s not exactly affordable, but that laptop once sold for $4,299 and still performs well in 2023.\n\nThe best Mac Mini deals\n\nThe latest Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or in a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro. It’s an excellent upgrade to one of the most affordable yet performant desktop computers you can get (as long as gaming isn’t your priority). The M2 Mac Mini starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor plus gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.\n\nThe latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor.\n\nRight now, the base M2 Mac Mini is selling for a new all-time low of $479 ($120 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, while the M2 Pro version is selling for a respectable $1,149 ($150 off) at B&H Photo. The M2 Mac Mini remains a great value for a desktop computer, with the M2 Pro version functioning like a baby Mac Studio for much less.\n\nRelated The best thing about my Mac Studio is its mustache", + "Bayern Munich struck twice in the second half to come from two goals down and snatch a 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig but the champions dropped to third in the Bundesliga with their second draw of the season.\n\nGoals from Leroy Sané and Harry Kane cancelled out Leipzig’s first-half lead but the result left Bayern on 14 points, two behind the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen. Leipzig, who host Manchester City in the Champions League next week, are fifth, a further point behind.\n\n“Two very different halves from our perspective,” the Bayern coach, Thomas Tuchel, said. “In the first we started well but only for the first two minutes and missed that huge chance.\n\n“We were too slow, made too many mistakes and were not courageous enough. After the break we showed a different mentality. It was a bit wild, with a lot of risk but it is a positive result, not to lose after being 2-0 down. We showed character.” Bayern travel to Copenhagen in the Champions League next week.\n\nLeipzig struck twice in six minutes with Loïs Openda putting them in front in the 20th when he completed a quick break. They scored again with Castello Lukeba stabbing in after the goalkeeper Sven Ulreich misjudged a corner.\n\nBayern earned a 57th-minute penalty against the run of play for a handball and Kane cut the deficit with his eighth league goal. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, when he played for Borussia Dortmund, scored more often in his first six Bundesliga games with nine goals.\n\nThe Bavarians’ comeback was complete in the 70th with Kane clearing the ball in his own half and Musiala finding Sané for the equaliser.\n\nBellingham celebrates scoring Real Madrid’s third goal during their 3-0 away league win over Girona. Photograph: David S.Bustamante/Soccrates Images/Getty Images\n\nIn Spain Real Madrid outclassed Girona 3-0 to return to the top of LaLiga, thanks to goals from Joselu, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Jude Bellingham.\n\nReal moved on to 21 points from eight games, one ahead of Barcelona, who beat Sevilla 1-0 at home on Friday. Girona dropped to third.\n\n“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best,” said Bellingham.\n\nReal will also be buoyed up by the performance of Vinícius Jr, who looked lively in his first start since returning from a thigh muscle injury, before being taken off in the 68th minute. Real’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said: “It was a solid, convincing game. We defended well, we knew they could cause damage with the ball, they are a team that plays good football, it was important to defend well and we did that.”\n\nLautaro Martínez came off the bench to score all four goals for Internazionale as they won 4-0 at Salernitana tto return to the top of Serie A.\n\nThe hosts kept Inter at bay for an hour but Martínez came on nine minutes after the break to bag four goals in 27 minutes.\n\n“I scored four goals but the important thing is that Inter won,” the striker, who has scored nine goals in seven league games and is Serie A’s top scorer, told Sky Sport Italia. “It was crucial. We lost a game at San Siro [to Sassuolo] that I don’t think we deserved but we conceded two goals from our errors, so we had to win today.”\n\nWhile Inter dominated the early stages, Salernitana found their footing and managed to control the tempo in a goalless first half. But Martínez opened the scoring in the 62nd minute when he collected Marcus Thuram’s low cross and chipped a finish over Guillermo Ochoa.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Free weekly newsletter Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nThe substitute Lautaro Martínez converts a penalty against Salernitana. Photograph: Massimo Pica/EPA\n\nThree minutes later Mateusz Legowski’s apparent equaliser was disallowed due to an offside. Martínez then got his second goal after 77 minutes when he confidently finished a pass from Nicolò Barella with a first-time strike.\n\nMartínez completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining after Matteo Lovato pulled Thuram’s shirt. He concluded the evening by converting Carlos Augusto’s cross from 10 yards out.\n\nInter lead Serie A with 18 points, the same as their neighbours, Milan, who had briefly topped the table earlier in the day after beating Lazio 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor. Rafael Leão played a vital role in both goals, with the 24-year-old Portugal international providing two assists in a menacing display.\n\nQuick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.\n\nIf you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.\n\nIn the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.\n\nTurn on sport notifications. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.\n\n“After the break, we were more compact and certainly more energetic, hungrier and more determined,” Milan’s coach, Stefano Pioli, told DAZN. “That is a great sign when playing every three days and it was a fully deserved victory.”\n\nMilan suffered a potential injury blow as the midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek limped off in the first half. “It would be a shame if we lost Ruben, he felt a twinge near the groin area,” Pioli said. “Unfortunately, injuries tend to come when players are in good shape.”\n\nIn France, AS Monaco beat Marseille 3-2 to move top of Ligue 1, thanks to a brace from the midfielder Maghnes Akliouche and a powerful strike from Folarin Balogun.\n\nMarseille, who appointed Gennaro Gattuso as coach this week, took the lead after 30 secondsthrough Iliman Ndiaye’s goal, only for the hosts to respond minutes later when Akliouche fired a low shot past Pau López.\n\nThe visitors regained the lead in the 18th minute when Ndiaye centred for Samuel Gigot to send a left-footed shot past Philipp Köhn, but Monaco equalised five minutes later as Akliouche found Balogun who scored with a fierce finish.\n\nMonaco sealed the win in the second half with another great strike from Akliouche.", + "Did Michigan really need Jim Harbaugh on Saturday?\n\nPerhaps the result provides the short-term answer. No. 3 Michigan beat No. 10 Penn State 24-15 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The Wolverines threw one pass in the second half – and that didn't even technically count – in a risk-averse game plan under acting coach Sherrone Moore. The defense smothered the Nittany Lions, and that will lead to more buildup ahead of the showdown with No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 25.\n\nThen Moore let it all there in the Fox postgame interview with Jenny Taft. Even if the answer is no, Harbaugh was ever-present.\n\n\"I want to thank the Lord and I want to thank Coach Harbaugh,\" Moore said. \"I f------ love you man. I love the s--- out of you, man. I did this for you, for this university, the president, our AD. We've got the best players, best university, and the best alumni in the country. I love these guys. These f------ guys right here. These guys right here. These guys did it.\"\n\nMORE: Sherrone Moore gives tearful interview after Penn State win\n\nWhoa, let's add the FCC standards to the Wolverines' list of potential violations. If Michigan (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) was not the college football heel heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, then they are public enemy No. 1 now. It might be “Michigan vs. Everybody,” and everybody has the same question.\n\nWill Harbaugh be on the field before the end of the regular season? The Big Ten made a Friday ruling that will prohibit Harbaugh from being on the field for the final three regular-season games as a result of the in-person scouting and sign-stealing scandal that led to the resignation of staffer Conor Stallions. ESPN reported there will be a temporary restraining order hearing on Nov. 17 that will answer that question.\n\nOn the field, Michigan answered the question about its College Football Playoff. Sort of. The Wolverines proved they could beat Penn State (8-2, 5-2) in a 20-yard box. Neither team completed a pass of 20 yards or more. Michigan trailed 3-0 after the first quarter. The Wolverines had eight carries for 10 yards, and Penn State's Abdul Carter set the tone with a jarring hit on Blake Corum that nearly resulted in a fumble.\n\nMichigan took control with the running game. Donovan Edwards ripped off a 22-yard run, and Corum added a 44-yard run to set up a 3-yard TD run. Edwards added a 22-yard TD run on the next drive. The same “Lightning and Lightning” tandem that burned the Nittany Lions last year staked Michigan to a 14-9 halftime lead.\n\nMORE: Michigan got off easy with Harbaugh suspension\n\nThen, the Wolverines took the ball out of quarterback J.J. McCarthy's hand. The Wolverines had 30 rushing attempts and zero passing attempts save a pass to tight end Colston Loveland that drew a pass interference call. McCarthy finished 7 of 8 passing for 60 yards in what has to be the most conservative play-calling victory in a top-10 showdown in recent memory. Was this old-school Big Ten football or Big Ten West football in disguise?\n\nMichigan's defense clamped on Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (10 of 22, 70 yards, TD), and the Nittany Lions had one play of more than 20 yards. Corum closed the drama with a 30-yard TD.\n\nThe same-old questions about Nittany Lions coach James Franklin in big games resurfaced, but those are back-page headlines in the Big Ten East race. The quirky tiebreaker involving Big Ten West opponents? That's out the door. The winner-take-all showdown between Ohio State and Michigan? There are a full two weeks of anticipation for that now.\n\nHarbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns. Moore's postgame emotion was a headline, but there is a reality that set in through a brutal watch of a second half.\n\nMcCarthy is a leader. Corum (26–145, 2 TDs) and Edwards (10-52, TD) can grind on anybody. The defense now has allowed just 7.5 points per game.\n\nBut the Wolverines will not be able to beat Ohio State the same way they beat Penn State. That 20-yard box will stretch across the entire country, and it requires a coach ready to make those legacy-defining decisions. The Buckeyes have Heisman Trophy candidate Marvin Harrison Jr., and he was the separator when Ohio State beat Penn State 20-12 on Oct. 21. The Buckeyes have a top-five defense, too, and all of the back-and-forth rage between those rivals will reach a 1970s pitch – 1973 for those who know – as they barrel toward another 11-0 vs. 11-0 showdown at the Big House.\n\nWho is the good guy? Who is the villain? Ohio State and Michigan locked in their answers a long time ago. More than 17 million people watched last year's matchup – a 45-23 Michigan victory where Stalions' involvement continues to be scrutinized through a double-barrel Big Ten and NCAA investigation. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti's ruling sent a shockwave through the conference Friday, mainly because the third game means Harbaugh will not be on the sideline for The Game. Early forecasts say 20 million will tune in for The Game this year.\n\nWill Harbaugh really not be there? That is for the courts to decide, but Moore’s comments suggest Harbaugh, president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel are on a united front; consequences be damned in 2024 and beyond.\n\nIn the short term? The College Football Playoff committee could slide Michigan up to No. 2 now, and the debate with the Buckeyes and No. 1 Georgia is going to perk up more than ever. They are the three best teams in the country, but only one has uncertainty with the head coach.\n\nWhether they admit it or not, Michigan still needs Harbaugh for those moments, especially in two weeks.\n\nThe reality is he might not be present for that one either.", + "In early 2022, Valve released my favorite video game console. But even I had some gripes. With the Steam Deck, I could — for the first time — play the bulk of my sprawling collection of video games wherever I’d like. But I tended to bundle it with a huge portable power supply. I also couldn’t quite shirk how much better games looked on our family’s OLED TV.\n\nAnd yet, for me, an adult with limited time to play video games alone in a quiet room, nothing could beat the Steam Deck’s freedom. Barring the occasional diversion, Valve’s handheld PC had served as my preferred gaming option ever since I published our review. Then, last week, the Steam Deck OLED arrived. It’s as if the Steam Deck team collected a laundry list of complaints about the original, then responded to all of them one by one.\n\nPolygon Recommends is our way of endorsing our favorite games, movies, TV shows, comics, tabletop books, and entertainment experiences. When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, it’s because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun — and worth fitting into your schedule. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch .\n\nIt appears, at first glance, that Valve cribbed from Nintendo’s playbook with the Switch OLED, for which Nintendo upgraded the device’s screen but not its guts. In terms of raw power, the Steam Deck OLED is identical to the original Steam Deck. Valve says this synchronicity is meant in part to continue to provide developers with a single goal when optimizing their games — though it promises that the Steam Deck 2 (which the company hopes to release in two to three years) will have a generational power leap.\n\nFor those who haven’t tried a Steam Deck, though, I wouldn’t wait for its sequel. Because while Valve hasn’t upped the horsepower, it has improved practically everything else. The Steam Deck OLED has longer battery life, faster Wi-Fi, and a stand-alone Bluetooth module. And the screen isn’t just OLED; it’s HDR OLED — the first HDR OLED screen on any gaming portable, with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits for HDR content and 600 nits for SDR (for comparison, the original screen’s peak brightness was 400 nits). And somehow, with all of these additions, the Steam Deck OLED is lighter.\n\nSo, goodbye, old Steam Deck; hello, new Steam Deck.\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED delivers on Valve’s original promise\n\nOLED is in the name for a reason.\n\nThe OLED panel in the new Steam Deck is lighter, thinner, and more power efficient than its LCD predecessor. It’s also bigger and faster. Though the device has the same shape as the original Steam Deck, smaller screen bezels allow for a display that’s slightly larger, at 7.4 inches compared to 7 inches. The panel has a wider color gamut (110% DCI-P3, for the visual obsessives) and the beautiful, inky blacks that OLED dorks like myself adore.\n\nSteam Deck OLED’s bigger, better battery Valve’s promise of 30-50% more battery raised one obvious question: Is that comparing the OLED model with a Steam Deck running its original firmware (which had poor battery life), or a Steam Deck using the latest firmware? Valve’s answer: the latter! So if you’re a Steam Deck owner, expect those big battery improvements over your current Steam Deck experience.\n\nThe OLED panel also has a 90 Hz refresh rate — perfect for frame doubling from 45 frames per second. In case that jargon means nothing to you, suffice it to say that gameplay on the Steam Deck OLED looks smoother. The improved 90 Hz refresh rate falls short of the Asus ROG Ally’s 120 Hz, though it’s worth considering that the higher the frame rate, the faster the battery drain — assuming you can even spot the difference between 90 Hz and 120 Hz.\n\nYou know what’s more interesting than a list of technical specs? Actually seeing the screen. It’s gorgeous. On Sunday morning, I picked at Sega’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name while watching football and Christmas movies with my family. The new Yakuza game looks fantastic on high settings at 60 fps, its night sequences flaunting the OLED’s dark blacks and the abundance of neon signage showcasing the HDR.\n\nI got so distracted pulverizing bad dudes that it took me some time to notice the Steam Deck OLED’s most welcome feat. When playing AAA games on the original Steam Deck, I had always kept the handheld plugged into an outlet. But with the OLED model, a couple of hours had passed before I realized I’d forgotten to connect the charger.\n\nThe OLED screen makes for a fancier Steam Deck, but it’s the battery life (and some tweaks throughout the design to carve out more of it) that lets Valve’s new handheld truly deliver on its promise of a portable gaming PC.\n\nAll the tiny, delightful improvements of Steam Deck OLED\n\nSince the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date. That will continue with both the Steam Deck OLED and the original Steam Deck, the latter of which will get a fresh BIOS update to align itself with some of the former’s upgrades. The original device will see some battery life improvement; just don’t expect the OLED model’s jump of 30-50%.\n\nSome changes — even smallish ones — demand new hardware. And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration. The Steam Deck OLED now includes a Wi-Fi 6E radio (great if you have a modern router and connection to make use of it) and a dedicated Bluetooth module, which allows for improved audio quality with wireless headphones, the option to wake the Steam Deck from a controller, and the capability to connect many Bluetooth controllers for multiplayer. The haptics are noticeably improved, with a wider frequency range. And the touchscreen is markedly better — it’s responsive to the point where I don’t feel the need to plug in a USB-C keyboard anytime I need to type a few words.\n\nA review for spec specifics If you’re the sort of person who likes the nitty-gritty technical details of screens and batteries, we also recommend reading The Verge’s review.\n\nValve also claims that the Steam Deck OLED is more repairable, which, mercifully, I didn’t have the need to test for myself. (Parts will once again be sold through iFixit.) However, I did enjoy the new power supply, with its faster charging (45 minutes gets you from 20% to 80%) and 2.5-meter cable that stretches the length of my couch.\n\nOne small, charming detail: The carrying case now has a tinier carrying case within it. If you want to be extra cautious, stick to the original bulky case. But if you need to toss the Steam Deck in your backpack for a day trip? Go with the slim case that has funny little thumbstick nipples!\n\nAll of the tweaks, large and small, amount to a perfect handheld — made better by the price, which remains the same as the original Steam Deck available today, just that the OLED will come with more stuff. Valve will be selling three models:\n\n$649 - 1 TB OLED (up from 512 GB)\n\n$529 - 512 GB OLED (up from 256 GB)\n\n$399 - 256 GB non-OLED Steam Deck (up from 64 GB)\n\nPlus, for a limited time, the company will offer a special edition 1 TB Steam Deck OLED made with a translucent shell for $679 — only in the U.S. and Canada. Though let’s be real: This thing will sell like hotcakes and Valve will reconsider the definition of “limited supply.” Have I considered ordering one of these limited editions? Yes. But I am also practicing restraint. Like, how many Steam Decks should one human have?\n\nI suppose that’s the question, really. If you already have a Steam Deck, is the OLED model technically an incremental improvement? Yes. But you might find that the screen and the battery justify the double dip. For someone like me, who puts hundreds of hours into the Steam Deck each year, the upgrade is inescapable.\n\nAnd if you don’t have a Steam Deck? How many times can I say it: This is my favorite console ever. And it just got better.\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED will be available Nov. 16 to purchase through the Steam storefront. The hardware was reviewed with a unit provided by Valve. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here .", + "On Monday, Fortnite publisher Epic Games will drag a tech giant into court, alleging that its mobile app store is an illegal monopoly. You may be feeling some déjà vu!\n\nAfter all, didn’t Epic already go to trial with Apple, resulting in a ruling where Apple (mostly) won? Didn’t Epic fail to #FreeFortnite with its Llamacorn legal gambit? Didn’t that all happen years ago? What are we doing here again?\n\nThe short answer: while Epic’s antitrust claims against Apple got their day in court, a similar lawsuit against Google never did. On November 6th, Epic v. Google will finally go to trial... a mere 1,180 days after Epic originally sued.\n\nHi, I’m Sean, and I’ll be your guide to this whole delightful mess.\n\nUpdate, December 15th, 2023: It’s basically over now. What happened? Read this, this, and this to get the whole picture.\n\nOriginal story continues:\n\nLlamacorn what now? What is happening?\n\nBefore we get to the Llamacorn, a little background. Epic is of course the studio behind Fortnite, the extraordinarily popular free-to-play game. Fortnite makes money by selling in-game items with its virtual currency V-Bucks. Players often buy V-Bucks the same place they play Fortnite. And until August 13th, 2020, if the player used an Android or iOS device and installed the game through an official app store, that purchase triggered an in-app payment fee to Google or Apple.\n\nCritics call such fees the “Google tax” or the “Apple tax,” and Epic definitely wasn’t a fan.\n\nWhen Epic decided to take action against these respective “taxes,” it made August 13th, 2020 a very busy day for Apple, Google, Epic, and us here at The Verge. First, Epic announced it was bypassing Apple and Google’s app store fees. It deployed a hotfix update to Fortnite without either company’s knowledge, letting you purchase V-Bucks directly through its own payment processing option at a discount. Apple and Google almost immediately reacted by kicking Fortnite off their app stores for breaking the rules.\n\nThen: surprise! Epic was ready and waiting with two lawsuits and an attack ad, depicting a Fortnite hero throwing a unicorn-llama hammer into a giant screen reminiscent of Apple’s famous “1984” Macintosh ad.\n\nIt was a striking publicity blitz followed by a lot of slow-moving court proceedings. While the Apple lawsuit went to court in 2021, the Google one was delayed again and again. A ruling came down for the Apple trial that September, and it was mostly decided in Apple’s favor, though both parties are waiting for the Supreme Court to potentially weigh in. Meanwhile, the machinations for its fight against Google continued, and now…\n\nIt is time for trial number two.\n\nThat sounds fascinating, but if I don’t care about Fortnite or rich companies suing each other, what’s in it for me?\n\nThe future of Google’s app store could depend on this trial — both Epic and Google agree on that. Epic wants to break up Google’s alleged monopoly on Android app stores and payment methods, so developers aren’t stuck paying the “Google Tax” or passing that fee along to you.\n\nBut if Epic wins — according to Google, anyhow — it could make Android phones less safe by dismantling basic protections against sideloaded apps, and damage Android’s ability to compete with the iPhone because it (arguably) can’t run a competitive app store by giving it away for free.\n\nOr maybe you just want juicy dirt on both companies? More on that later!\n\nWhat exactly is Epic claiming?\n\nEpic argues that Google makes it so difficult for developers and users to get around its Android app store, and that app store’s standard fees, that it’s created an illegal monopoly that unjustly enriches Google while artificially driving up app prices because other stores can’t compete.\n\nEpic also claims that Google is illegally tying its Google Play payments platform to the Google Play app store, keeping other potential app payment mechanisms from competing as well.\n\nSo, does Google have a monopoly?\n\nA monopoly on what? That’s one of the biggest questions the court will decide. Epic claims that Google has illegal monopolies in “Android app distribution” and “Android in-app payment processing.” It’ll argue that if you buy or develop for Android phones, you’re stuck paying the Google tax.\n\nBut Google will say the real competition is from Apple, because people can choose to buy an iPhone instead. It’s pretty tough to argue Google has a monopoly on app stores in general.\n\nThis whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory. If it accepts that Android apps are their own market, Epic will be in better shape. Or, it could pick a different market definition entirely, like the judge in the Apple case ended up doing.\n\nLooking at this from a less academic perspective, it’s worth noting that Google charges up to ten times more per transaction than you pay with PayPal or a credit card, which does seem like a lot! And though Epic can’t argue it in court, I’ll point out that Apple wasn’t able to explicitly justify a 30 percent fee to that case’s judge.\n\nOn the other hand, it does kinda seem like Epic wants something for nothing! As far as I can tell, Epic hasn’t stated what kind of fee would actually be reasonable for Google to charge in exchange for placement in Google’s store — instead, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney seemingly suggests there shouldn’t be a Google fee at all if a developer wants to use its own payment system.\n\nHow did Epic’s argument fare against Apple?\n\nWell… both sides lost! But Epic arguably lost more. Even though Apple has incredible power over the iPhone, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled the company didn’t have an unfair monopoly in this case – partly because she decided the relevant market for Fortnite was “digital mobile gaming transactions” rather than, say, iPhone apps. She also decided that Epic violated its developer agreement with Apple and would have to pay.\n\nBut she also barred Apple from keeping iPhone users in the dark about alternate ways they can pay for apps – and may have even allowed developers to add their own payment mechanisms. I won’t dwell on the Apple ruling, as I’m ethically bound, but my colleague Adi Robertson has a comprehensive breakdown.\n\nHow can Epic possibly have a case against Google when Apple already won?\n\nEpic declined to answer this on the record, among other questions we asked... but three things to consider:\n\n1) That was a different case. Also, that one’s not over till the Supreme Court weighs in or declines to take a look.\n\n2) Google can’t tell jurors that Apple won its case, or that other plaintiffs settled. The judge in this case says so!\n\n3) Oh, and by the way, this is a jury trial.\n\nWait, why does that matter?\n\nEpic and Google have to convince a jury, not the judge, which is totally different from how the Apple case played out. (That one was a “bench trial.”)\n\nMaybe all the evidence of tricky deals inside Google might sway a jury against the company? Maybe Google scaremongering that sideloaded apps equal gaping security holes will sway a jury against Epic instead? Who knows!\n\n(If you’re a Epic juror reading this — stop! Judge Donato explicitly said you’re in a “news-free bubble” through mid-December, folks.)\n\nDidn’t other parties sue Google too?\n\nThey did! And then, they all settled. All 50 state attorneys general and a number of consumers have tentatively settled with Google over app store antitrust claims, though it’s not clear what the deal might include.\n\nMatch Group, the company behind Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid and other dating apps, just reached a surprise last-minute settlement too, one that makes it sound like Match effectively gave up.\n\nEpic stands alone.\n\nCould we get a settlement between Google and Epic as well?\n\nEpic seems to have no interest in settling as long as the “Google tax” exists, and the company’s repeatedly said it’s not interested in cash. So far, the company’s been willing to push these cases all the way through multiple appeals, cost be damned.\n\nIt’s not clear what Google could proactively offer that would satisfy Epic, since CEO Tim Sweeney has also publicly suggested that Google would simply circumvent any settlement it offers.\n\nBut if you do want to see a vision of a future that Epic would accept, look no further than this letter it sent to state attorneys general — laying out a settlement that would basically prohibit Google from doing the anticompetitive things that Epic claims it did.\n\nThere’s also this tweet from Sweeney:\n\nGoogle wouldn’t tell The Verge if it’s offered Epic any kind of settlement yet.\n\nWhy if I just want the dirty laundry on both these companies? You promised dirt...\n\nOh, it could get good.\n\nThe allegations made before trial suggest Google was playing loads of dirty tricks with names like “Project Hug,” “Project Agave,” and “Project Banyan”, with Epic claiming it’s seen evidence Google was paying off game developers and phone makers not to abandon its app store — to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Google allegedly even toyed with the idea of buying Epic to keep Fortnite from inspiring other game developers to abandon ship.\n\nPlus, there’s evidence Google deleted potentially incriminating messages to keep them out of a court’s hands. Enough that the judge has decided to explicitly tell the jury we’re not seeing all the evidence, because Google employees all the way up to CEO Sundar Pichai were caught setting those conversations to auto-delete. This issue has come up in the US v. Google antitrust trial in Washington, DC — still ongoing at the start of Epic’s trial — as well.\n\nAnd the dirt isn’t all on Google’s side. Epic was caught straight-up admitting it premeditated the whole plan to bypass Google’s payment systems. Since Google is countersuing over that, it could be a big deal.\n\nWhen you say “straight-up admitting...”\n\nHere is an email from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney that, I think, speaks for itself:\n\n“Here is our official plan for communicating with Google about bypassing the Google Play Store: SAY NOTHING TILL IT SHIPS” Image via Epic v. Apple\n\nWe’ll have a whole cast of intriguing people called as witnesses during the trial who might dish even more.\n\nWho will Epic and Google call as witnesses?\n\nWe are going straight to the top of the org chart, folks. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney are absolutely expected to attend. Android co-founder Andy Rubin might be deposed, and Google says we’ll hear from current Android (and Chrome, and Chrome OS) boss Hiroshi Lockheimer. Google also tells us representatives from Apple, Netflix, Motorola, and AT&T should testify as well.\n\nHow much hypocrisy can we expect in the courtroom?\n\nI’d say quite a bit! For example:\n\nEpic says it’s not in this for the money, it’s only suing to end Google’s monopoly — but Epic would surely profit if it doesn’t have to pay Google’s cut.\n\nIt looks like Epic’s going to argue that you’re locked into Android after buying an Android phone, but I can personally attest that switching back and forth between the platforms is easier than ever.\n\nGoogle will say that every Samsung Galaxy phone has “a competing app store right there on the homescreen,” even though Google apparently tried to quash that store, too, fearing it could cost the company billions.\n\nWe caught Google trying to play the China card in a pre-briefing with press, reminding us that Epic is 40 percent owned by Chinese company Tencent — even though Google itself allegedly considered teaming up with Tencent to eliminate the Epic threat. While the parties can’t argue it in court, Google can attempt to subtly play the China card: “Google may ask a witness once about Tencent’s domicile,” reads one of Judge Donato’s orders.\n\nIn the same press briefing, Google suggested to journalists that Epic should have joined the company’s “User Choice Billing” program if it wanted an alternative payment system, instead of suing. But that program didn’t exist until 2022, long after the lawsuit, and it only knocks 4 percentage points off Google’s fee.\n\nWhen should we expect a jury verdict?\n\nJudge Donato told jurors that we’re looking at roughly five weeks of trial starting November 6th and extending through early December. The schedule suggests the court will take Thanksgiving off, finish looking at all the evidence by December 4th, take a couple more days off before closing arguments, and then let jurors come to a decision.\n\n“I fully expect we’ll have plenty of time to reach a verdict well before the December holiday period,” said Judge Donato.\n\nOkay, I’m sold — how can I watch the trial unfold?", + "The NHL's version of \"The Decision\" is almost here, as free agent winger Patrick Kane is closing in on signing with a team for the 2023-24.\n\nOK, maybe it's not nearly as big as LeBron James' NBA free agency choice in 2010, but it's close. Kind of. Maybe tens years ago when Kane was in the middle of his prime, but I digress.\n\nThe three-time Stanley Cup champion has been on the market since the turn of the new season. The longtime Blackhawks star was traded last year at the deadline, as Kane wanted another shot at winning a Cup and was not interested in sticking around for Chicago's rebuild. He went to the Rangers, but New York was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs leaving Kane to hit free agency for the first time in his career.\n\nIt was announced during the summer that the winger would be undergoing surgery on his hip and that he likely would not make a decision until he was ready for a return. That's exactly how things played out, as the start of the season began with Kane not on an NHL roster, continuing to rehab from the offseason operation.\n\nIt's no secret that Kane isn't the offensive dynamo he was in his prime. He's always been a defensive liability, but it's stuck out more in recent years with his production on the decline. It's hard to say how much the hip injury affected his short time with the Rangers, but Kane was far from impressive in the Big Apple.\n\nRegardless, the 35-year-old is ready to get back on the ice, and there are no shortages of interested suitors. Despite Kane's camp trying to keep everything hush-hush, the rumors and reports have been flying ever since the start of the campaign. It was reported that Kane could make a decision before Thanksgiving, but the holiday came and went without any news of a deal, however it is expected to come soon.\n\nMORE: Ranking the NHL's top 50 players for the 2023-24 season\n\nHere are some potential landing spots for Kane as he gets set to return to the NHL.\n\nPatrick Kane potential destinations\n\nBuffalo Sabres\n\nThe Sabres have a leg up on everyone when it comes to the Kane sweepstakes. The reason? The winger is a Buffalo native, having grown up in the southern part of the city. He has been connected to the Sabres dating back to last season when the rumors of an inevitable breakup between Kane and the Blackhawks began to surface, and Buffalo has plenty of cap space to sign the wing this time around.\n\nBringing in Kane would greatly help Buffalo's struggling offense and power play. Entering the final week of November, the Sabres are averaging 2.81 goals per game, the eighth-lowest mark in the league. The power play is clicking at 16.4%, 23rd in the NHL. The dynamic winger has collected about 32% of his career points on the man advantage, as he can be an excellent set-up man or one-time option on the dot.\n\nThe problem is that the Sabres have not been as good as expected to start the 2023-24 season. Buffalo was viewed as a team that would take the final step out of the rebuild this year, given how close the team was to the postseason last year. If Kane has his eyes set on joining a Stanley Cup contender, the Sabres are no longer atop that list, sitting under .500 and sixth in the Atlantic.\n\nFlorida Panthers\n\nThe Panthers are the defending Eastern Conference champions, and have continued the momentum from their Cinderella Cup run into the 2023-24 season, sitting tied for third in the conference and second in the Atlantic. In terms of contenders, they are right there in the East, and Kane could have the chance to play with a dynamic center like Aleksander Barkov.\n\nFlorida has an older group, so there would not be as much messing up the mojo like if Kane joined the baby Sabres. The Panthers don't have a ton of cap, but with roughly $1.7 million available, they could make it work. Plus, it's South Beach. Who wouldn't want to live in the Miami area and play hockey?\n\nThe issue could boil down to travel. There have been reports that Kane isn't as keen on signing in the Western Conference due to the lengthy hours spent going from arena to arena. Well, when it comes to the East, no one has it worse than the Panthers and Lightning, given their geographical location in Florida.\n\n\"To be perfectly honest, there was one person who said to me, look, if you’re worried about the travel in the Western Conference, why would you want to go to Florida when Florida and Tampa Bay have the worst travel in the Eastern Conference?\" Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported. \"They’re remote outposts compared to a lot of the other places.\"\n\nDetroit Red Wings\n\nWhen Kane was traded from the Blackhawks to the Rangers in the spring, it wasn't just to join a playoff contender. It was a reunion between Kane and his former Chicago teammate Artemi Panarin. The two created magic during Panarin's first two years in the NHL, leading to a Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy for Kane in 2015-16.\n\nFor the Red Wings, they don't have Panarin, but this summer, they did acquire one of Kane's other wing partners from the Blackhawks — Alex DeBrincat. Kane was DeBrincat's main set-up man when the current Red Wings star was potting 40 goals a season. Kane admitted in the past that when DeBrincat was traded from Chicago to Ottawa it was \"disappointing\" and \"crushing,\" and this would give him another shot at playing with the talented sniper.\n\n\"I’m really curious about the Detroit one,\" Friedman said. \"They have the cap room, they have the space on the roster, they’re doing very nicely so far this season. As we look on Sunday night, they’re sitting there very much in contention in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.\n\n\"So, I definitely think there’s a lot of people wondering about Detroit and whether or not he ends up there.\n\nThe Red Wings have the fifth-most cap space in the league, so money isn't an issue. It was assumed one of Buffalo, Ottawa or Detroit would take the last step out of the rebuild and become contenders, and through the early going, it looks like the Wings are that team. Adding Kane could be just the move the Winged Wheel needs to solidify their spot as a playoff contender.\n\nDallas Stars\n\nOne of the dark horse teams that could potentially land Kane is Dallas. The Stars look like one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and there have been reports that Kane would love to end up with the organization.\n\nThe thing is, the Stars already have tons of depth at forward. You could argue that, on paper, Dallas may have the deepest top-nine forward group in the league. Adding Kane would mean someone like Mason Marchment or Evgenii Dadonov gets dropped to the fourth line, and neither are fourth-line players.\n\nWhich is why it makes sense that the rumblings around the Stars and Kane are that the player is much more interested in the team than the other way around. The Stars are up against the cap, and would have to move money around to make it work financially.\n\n\"I think Kane would love to play there, I’m just not sure Dallas thinks it’s the best idea for them,\" Friedman said. \"I think they feel if they’re going to add, it’s going to be on defense.\"\n\nWhile adding Kane, who has a desire to play in Dallas, is appealing, don't fix what ain't broke, right?", + "The laggards On the losing end, energy companies (down one per cent) weighed down the index. Woodside (down 0.8 per cent), Santos (down 0.4 per cent) and Ampol (down 1.2 per cent) dropped, along with coal miners Yancoal (down 1.7 per cent) and Whitehaven (down 2 per cent). Lynas Rare Earths (down 3.1 per cent) was the biggest large-cap decliner, while industrials companies (down 0.2 per cent) including Computershare (down 2.9 per cent), Seven West Holdings (down 1.9 per cent) and Worley (down 1.3 per cent) were also weaker. The lowdown\n\nTMS Capital portfolio manager Ben Clark said the big news for markets on Monday was the trading update from Westpac, which he said led a resurgence in the banking sector’s performance. “Westpac’s results were better than expected, especially because it’s been a bit of a perennial underperformer in the past few years,” he said, adding that it set the tone for results from NAB and ANZ, which are due to report in the next week. Loading Clark also said there was a reversal of the interest-rate trade seen in recent weeks. “Long-term bond yields came off quite significantly in the last few days following weaker than expected employment data on Friday, which has seen some investors swivel back into growth stocks,” he said. The market has now switched from pricing in an 80 per cent chance of a rate rise on Tuesday to 50-50, Clark said.\n\nOn Wall Street, the S&P 500 climbed 40.56 points on Friday, or 0.9 per cent, to 4,358.3. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 222.24, or 0.7 per cent, to 34,061.32, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 184.09, or 1.4 per cent, to 13,478.28. Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control. A report on Friday underscored that pressure is easing on inflation after it showed employers hired fewer workers last month than economists expected. It’s a stunning turnaround from just a week ago, when Wall Street was reeling after the S&P 500 had fallen 10 per cent below its high point for the year. That sent Wall Street’s main index into what investors call a “correction.” Since then strong profit reports helped drive some stocks to towering gains. Generac, a maker of back-up generators, soared nearly 28 per cent for its best week since its stock began trading in 2010. At Expedia Group, another stronger-than-forecast report sent its stock nearly 22 per cent higher for its best week since the market was surging out of the coronavirus crash in early 2020. But it was interest rates, yields and inflation that were at the centre of all the wild movements for financial markets around the world.\n\nBefore last week, stocks had been struggling under the weight of rapidly rising Treasury yields. Those yields were in turn catching up to the Fed’s main interest rate, which is above 5.25 per cent and at its highest level since 2001. Loading Higher rates and yields slow the economy, hurt prices for investments and raise the risk of something breaking within the financial system, such as the three high-profile US bank failures that rattled financial markets during the spring. “It was really fear that the Fed was going to go too far,” said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer for Northern Trust Wealth Management. The Fed put such pressure on the economy intentionally, hoping to starve inflation of its fuel. It wants the job market to cool, particularly pay raises going to workers. The Fed fears too-strong pay gains could create a vicious cycle that keeps inflation high.\n\nAnalysts said Friday’s jobs report offered encouraging signals for the Fed, with average hourly earnings rising less in October from September than expected, though it doesn’t mean the job is done. Treasury yields in the bond market tumbled immediately after the jobs report, releasing more of the pressure that had built up on Wall Street. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.52 per cent from 4.67 per cent late Thursday and from more than five per cent last week, when it hit its highest level since 2007. In the US, traders are moving up expectations for when the first cut to interest rates by the Fed could happen, potentially by the summer, according to data from CME Group. Such cuts can act like steroids for financial markets. For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report. A separate report on Friday said growth in US services industries, such as finance and construction, was weaker last month than economists expected. The report from the Institute for Supply Management also suggested a slight easing in prices.\n\nExcitement about a potentially easier Fed was more than enough to offset a fall for Apple, which is Wall Street’s most influential stock. The most valuable US stock fell 0.5 per cent despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Analysts said investors were likely disappointed with Apple’s forecast for revenue for the last three months of 2023. Tweet of the day\n\nQuote of the day “Our view is that in the high likelihood there is another cash rate increase on Tuesday, that is going to be the nail in the coffin for consumer confidence,” said CreditorWatch chief economist Anneke Thompson, amid warnings from some economists that another rate rise, as some market watchers are predicting, will dampen spending intentions just in time for Christmas. You may have missed The men who built pubs and liquor juggernaut Endeavour Group into the world’s largest poker machine operator have triggered a public spat over the future of a business that they say has lost its way.", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIt may be over a decade since Britney Spears and Kevin Federline ended their marriage, but the former couple continue to have their ups and downs when it comes to co-parenting their two teenage sons, Sean Preston and Jayden.\n\nAhead of the release of the pop star’s memoir, The Woman in Me, which is due for release on 24 October, fans are anticipating Spears will share new details about her relationship with her second husband, Federline.\n\nSpears has previously been open about her co-parenting struggles with Federline. Last year, he claimed their children were keeping their distance from Spears, who was embracing her newfound freedom following the end of her 13-year long conservatorship by posting several nude images on social media.\n\nFrom marriage to divorce to co-parenting, here is a complete timeline of the drama between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.\n\nThe “Toxic” singer and the former backup dancer began their whirlwind romance back in 2004, when Federline worked as a backup dancer for Justin Timberlake. Federline recalled his first meeting with Spears to People back in 2008.\n\n“I met her at a club in Hollywood, Joseph’s. Our eyes met and that was it. We just hit it off right away,” he said. “I learned real fast how much of a whirlwind the press and everything was.”\n\nAfter just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September 2004 during a surprise wedding ceremony in Studio City, California. Federline was 26 years old at the time, while Spears was just 22. Earlier that year, Spears was also married to her childhood friend Jason Alexander, but their marriage was annulled after just 55 hours.\n\nThe former couple welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston, weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, and their second son Jayden James in 2006. At the time, Federline was already a parent to his daughter Kori Madison, now 21, and son Kaleb Michael, 19, with ex fiancée Shar Jackson.\n\nJust eight weeks after the birth of their second child, Spears filed for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences”. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, which was finalised in July 2007, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children.\n\nSinger Britney Spears with ex-husband Kevin Federline in 2006 (Getty Images)\n\nSpears suffered a mental breakdown in 2008 and was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, leaving Federline to retain sole custody of their boys. In February of that year, Spears entered into a conservatorship with her father Jamie Spears, who took complete control over her assets.\n\nSince Spears and Federline’s divorce, it seemed the two were amicably co-parenting their sons when they were seen supporting their boys at their soccer and football games. Federline moved on to his now wife Victoria Prince. The two share daughters Jordan Kay, 12, and Peyton Marie, nine.\n\nIn 2018, things took a turn when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears. After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.\n\nAmid her father’s health crisis and ongoing emotional distress, Spears voluntarily checked into a mental health treatment facility in 2019. After hearing the news, Federline’s attorney Mark Kaplan told Entertainment Tonight: “Kevin commends Britney for recognising that she needs to take a step back and that she is taking the reasonable steps to dealing with her situation in a responsible way. He wishes everyone well.” That same year, Federline was granted 70 percent custodial rights and Spears 30 per cent.\n\nAfter years with her father in control of her finances and personal life, Spears was finally granted freedom from her conservatorship in November 2021. The singer made a powerful testimony at her conservatorship hearing that June, where she spoke out for the first time about her experience, calling for those involved to be “put in jail”. Following the testimony, Federline expressed his support for the singer, saying he “only hopes the best for her because when the best for her is achieved, it’s the best for their kids.”\n\n“The best thing would be for their mom to be healthy and happy,” his lawyer said in a statement at the time. “And if either of those things aren’t true, it doesn’t provide for the best setting for custody to be exercised.”\n\nBritney Spears poses with her sons Jayden James and Preston at Dodger Stadium in 2013 (Getty Images)\n\nIn June 2022, Spears married her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari during an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home, just one month after the singer revealed she suffered a miscarriage.\n\nWhile celebrities like Madonna, Paris Hilton, and Selena Gomez attended the festivities, Spears’ close family – her mother Lynne, father Jamie, sister Jamie-Lynn, and her two sons – were not present at the nuptials.\n\nAlthough their marriage last only 14 months, with Asghari filing for divorce in August this year, the actor and former dancer was previously praised by fans over his continuing support for Spears amid her conservatorship and custody battle.\n\nIn August 2022, Federline claimed during an interview with ITV that their teenage sons found it “tough” seeing their mother sharing nude photos online, saying: “I can’t imagine how it feels to be a teenager having to go to high school.”\n\nSpears hit back at her ex-husband in a statement shared to her Instagram Stories responding to Federline’s “hurtful” comments. “It saddens me to hear that my ex husband has decided to discuss the relationship between me and my children … As we all know, raising teenage boys is never easy for anyone,” she wrote. “It concerns me the fact that the reason is based on my Instagram … It was LONG before Instagram … I gave them everything … Only one word: HURTFUL.”\n\nAsghari went on to accuse Federline of using their sons to “vilify” his wife, and claimed her ex-husband’s “gravy train will end soon, which probably explains the timing of these hurtful statements.”\n\n“There is no validity to his statement regarding the kids distancing themselves and it is irresponsible to make that statement publicly,” Asghari wrote on Instagram.\n\nFollowing Federline’s comments, Spears’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said in a statement obtained by Variety that Federline has created “legal issues” for himself, after posting private videos of Spears sternly speaking with her children without her consent.\n\n“Whether he realises it or not, Mr Federline has not only violated the privacy and dignity of the mother of his children, he has undermined his own children, whose privacy he should protect,” the statement read. “Putting aside his ITV interview, Mr Federline’s ill-advised decision to post an old video of his 11 and 12-year-old children was cruel, bottom of the barrel stuff. It was abhorrent.”\n\n“In addition to demeaning himself and violating societal norms, he has now also created various legal issues for himself, including, but not limited to, implicating cyber-harassment and cyber-bullying statutes, among other things.”\n\nThe Woman in Me hits shelves in the US and UK on 24 October.", + "Point spread betting is a bet on the difference in the score between teams (or players) in a specific game or event. The favored team is provided a point spread or handicap to try to equalize the odds with the less-favored team.\n\nTo place a point spread bet, select either the favored team or the underdog and predict if they will surpass or fall short of the given point spread. The odds for both teams are set to try to even out the bets on both sides.\n\nThe best sports betting sites provide a daily menu of point spread bets in dozens of sports and events.\n\nWhat is a point spread bet?\n\nA point spread is a predetermined margin set by bookmakers to level the playing field between two teams. Then, you bet on whether:\n\nThe favored team will win by more than the spread\n\nor\n\nThe underdog will lose by less than the spread (or just win outright)\n\nIn a point spread, the favorite is the team expected to win and is typically assigned a negative point value, indicating the number of points by which they need to win for a bet on them to be successful.\n\nThe underdog is the team expected to lose and is typically assigned a positive point value, indicating the number of points they can lose by for a bet on them to be successful.\n\nIf the underdog wins the contest outright, they’re also the spread winner.\n\nWhat does betting ‘against the spread’ mean?\n\nMost generally, betting against the spread just means placing a point spread bet.\n\nYou’re betting on the underdog to either win outright or lose by fewer points than the specified point spread, or you’re betting on the favorite to win by a margin greater than the specified point spread.\n\nIn a secondary definition that distinguishes between betting “with the spread” or “against the spread,” the latter term means you’re betting on the underdog.\n\nWhat does ‘covering the spread’ mean?\n\nCovering the spread means that a team has surpassed the expectations set by the point spread and, thus, won the bet.\n\nFor the favorite, it means they won by more than the specified number of points. For the underdog, it means they either won outright or lost by fewer points than the specified spread.\n\nHow do point spread odds work?\n\nAlongside point spread bets, the odds will indicate the potential payout relative to the wagered amount. These odds are typically close to even because the point spread is designed to level the playing field between two teams.\n\nThe odds can be presented in various formats, such as American (e.g., -110 or +110), Decimal (e.g., 1.91), and Fractional (e.g., 10/11), each providing a different way to express the same potential payout.\n\nDo point spread odds change?\n\nYes, point spread odds can change, and these shifts are commonly referred to as \"line movement.\"\n\nLines move when the point spread or the odds associated with a particular bet change after sportsbooks have initially set them. There are several reasons for these adjustments.\n\nOne of the most common causes is an imbalance in the amount of money being wagered on one side of the bet. If a significant majority of bettors are placing their money on one team to cover the spread, the top sports betting apps will adjust the point spread to make the other side more appealing, thereby balancing the betting action.\n\nAnother factor that can affect the spread odds is the occurrence of unexpected events, such as injuries to key players, changes in team strategies, or even significant weather events that might impact a game's outcome.\n\nFor instance, if a star quarterback is announced as injured just days before a big game, the point spread might shift in favor of the opposing team.\n\nMoreover, information and public perception play a role. If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.\n\nPoint spread odds can and do change based on a combination of actual betting patterns, unexpected events, and shifts in public perception. Savvy bettors keep a close eye on these line moves, as they can offer insights into where the value lies in a particular bet.\n\nPoint spread betting outcomes\n\nWhen placing a point spread wager, there are a few potential outcomes:\n\nThe favorite can cover the spread by winning by a margin greater than the specified point spread\n\nThe underdog can either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread, thereby \"covering\" the spread themselves\n\nThere's the possibility of a \"push,\" where the difference in the game's score exactly matches the point spread, resulting in the return of the original bet to all bettors\n\nHow to win a point spread bet\n\nSuppose an NBA betting site has set the point spread for a Los Angeles Lakers-New York Knicks game at the Lakers -7.\n\nThis means the Lakers are the favorites and are expected to win by 7 points.\n\nIf you place a spread wager on the Lakers, to win your bet, the Lakers must win the game by more than 7 points.\n\nLet's say the final score is Lakers 110, Knicks 100. The Lakers won by a margin of 10 points. Since this is more than the 7-point spread, if you bet on the Lakers, you would win your wager.\n\nHow you lose a point spread bet\n\nSay an NFL betting site has set the point spread for a Chicago Bears-Miami Dolphins game at the Bears -4. This indicates that the Bears are the favorites and are expected to win by 4 points.\n\nIf you make a spread bet on the Bears, you're betting they'll win by more than 4 points.\n\nHowever, let's assume the final score turns out to be Chicago Bears 24, Miami Dolphins 23. In this scenario, the Bears have won the game by only a 1-point margin.\n\nSince this is less than the 4-point spread, if you had the Bears, you would lose your wager. Despite the Bears winning the game, they failed to \"cover\" the 4-point spread, leading to a loss for those who wagered on them.\n\nWhat is a push in a spread bet?\n\nA \"push\" in betting refers to a situation where the final result of an event matches the set point spread, resulting in neither a win nor a loss for bettors. When a push occurs, the wagers are typically refunded.\n\nFor instance, let's consider an NFL game where the Dallas Cowboys are favored by 7 points against the Philadelphia Eagles.\n\nIf the game ends with the Cowboys winning by exactly 7 points, those who bet on either team experience a push. Their wagers would be refunded as the Cowboys neither exceeded nor fell short of the 7-point spread.\n\nSportsbooks often employ half-points in their lines to avoid this scenario. (They don’t want to return bets.) For example, if our point spread was Cowboys -7.5, the game could not possibly end in a push.\n\nPoint spread betting by sport\n\nSpread betting is popular across sports, but there can be slight differences. Let’s break it down.\n\nPoint spread odds in football\n\nSay a hypothetical NFL point spread for the Patriots and Steelers has the Patriots as -5.5 favorites. If you bet on the Pats, they must win by 6 or more points for a winning wager. Betting on the Steelers would win if they either win outright or lose by 5 or fewer points.\n\nPoint spread odds in basketball\n\nSay an NBA point spread has the Warriors as -9 favorites over the Raptors. To win a bet on the Warriors, they need to win by 10 or more points. Bets on the Raptors would win if they either win outright or lose by 8 or fewer points.\n\nIf the score is Warriors 110, Raptors 104, Raptors bets win since they lost by only 6 points. A 115-104 Warriors win would mean they covered the spread by 11 points.\n\nPoint spread odds in baseball\n\nIn a hypothetical MLB matchup between the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Yankees are set as -1.5 favorites on the \"run line\" (baseball’s point spread). Betting on the Yankees requires them to win by 2 or more runs.\n\nFor Red Sox bets to win, they must either secure a victory or lose by just 1 run. If the score ends Yankees 5, Red Sox 4, Red Sox bets win. Conversely, a 6-3 win for the Yankees covers the run line with a 3-run margin.\n\nPoint spread odds in hockey\n\nAt NHL betting sites, the \"puck line\" is akin to the point spread. In a game between the Canadiens and the Blackhawks, with the Canadiens as -1.5 favorites, they'd need to win by 2+ goals for their bettors to win.\n\nBlackhawks bets win if they either triumph outright or lose by only one goal. If the score is Canadiens 3, Blackhawks 2, Blackhawks bets win since the Canadiens' one-goal victory doesn't cover the 1.5-goal spread. A 4-1 win for the Canadiens would mean they covered the spread by a 3-goal margin.\n\nSee more: Tonight's NHL betting lines\n\nPoint spread odds in soccer\n\nIn a hypothetical MLS game between LA Galaxy and Atlanta United, LA Galaxy is set as a -1 favorite on the goal line. They'd need to win by 2+ goals for bets on them to succeed. Atlanta United bets win if they either triumph outright or lose by a single goal.\n\nWith a score of LA Galaxy 2, Atlanta United 1, Atlanta bets win. However, a 3-1 win for LA Galaxy covers the spread with a 2-goal victory margin.\n\nSee more: Best soccer betting sites\n\nPoint spread odds in tennis\n\nAt tennis betting sites, point spread betting is usually based on games or sets, termed \"game handicap\" or \"set handicap.\" In a match between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, if Williams is a -4.5 favorite, she must win by a 5-game margin for her bettors to win.\n\nFor example, a match score of 6-4, 6-2 for Williams gives a 6-game margin, covering the -4.5 spread. Betting on Sharapova at +4.5 wins if she wins outright or Williams wins by fewer than 5 games. Set handicaps work similarly but focus on the number of sets won by each player.\n\nPoint spread odds in golf\n\nIn golf betting, betting often centers on outright winners or head-to-head matchups. However, there's also \"stroke handicap\" betting, akin to point spreads but with golf strokes.\n\nFor example, in a head-to-head bet between Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, if Woods is given a -2.5 stroke handicap as the favorite, he'd need to outplay Spieth by 3 strokes or more to win the bet.\n\nBetting on Spieth at +2.5 means he either wins outright or Woods wins by just 1 or 2 strokes.\n\nPoint spread betting FAQ\n\nHow does point spread betting work?\n\nPoint spread betting is a form of wagering where a sportsbook assigns a \"spread\" to level the playing field between two teams. One team, deemed the favorite, will have points deducted, while the other team, the underdog, will have points added.\n\nThe favorite must win by more than the spread to \"cover\" and be considered a winning bet, while the underdog must either win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread to be a winning bet.\n\nWhat does the (-) in point spread betting mean?\n\nThe \"(-)\" symbol denotes the favorite and indicates by how many points the favorite must win to \"cover\" the spread.\n\nWhat does the (+) in point spread betting mean?\n\nThe \"(+)\" symbol denotes the underdog and indicates the additional points given to that team for the purposes of the bet.\n\nWhat happens to my point spread bet if there’s a tie?\n\nIf a point spread bet results in a tie, also known as a \"push,\" most sportsbooks will refund the amount wagered. This means neither the bettor nor the sportsbook wins or loses money on that particular bet. To avoid pushes, sportsbooks often use half-points (like 7.5 or 6.5) in their spreads.\n\nLooking at this question a different way, if there’s a tie in the literal matchup, many spread bets should still have winners and losers. Say the Cleveland Browns are -1.5 favorites over the Baltimore Ravens, but this NFL matchup ends in a 21-21 tie after overtime. The Ravens would win that spread bet because the margin of victory (0) was narrower than 1.5.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nJada Pinkett Smith has revealed why she and her husband Will Smith never signed a prenuptial agreement before getting married.\n\nThe former talk show host, 52, spoke candidly about her husband during a recent interview with Parade. While discussing her new memoir, Worthy, Jada revealed that she and Will didn’t sign a prenup when they were married in 1997 because they knew divorce wasn’t in the cards for them.\n\n“Listen, weddings are beautiful, but they can be very romanticised,” Jada said. “I feel that was a very real moment for the two of us to look each other in the eyes, recognise that there would be tough times in this journey and to say to each other: ‘No matter what, we’re going to figure it out and that’s why we don’t need a prenup, because I’m making a promise that divorce won’t be necessary, that we will figure this out.’”\n\nThe Girls Trip star explained how she and Will casually promised not to get a divorce, and how that decision impacted their perspective on on marriage.\n\n“And we made that promise to each other without all of the bridal wedding beauty; it was just sitting on a log in his mother’s backyard, and going: ‘Hey’ - having to really look at the possibility of us not being together,” she said.\n\nThis isn’t the first time that Jada has opened up about her long-term commitment to her husband. During an interview with Hoda Kotb for Today, which aired on 13 October, the actor confirmed that she and her partner have been living “completely separate lives” for the past seven years. However, according to Jada, their choice to live in separate homes doesn’t mean that they’ll be getting divorced anytime soon.\n\n“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,” she said. “We will work through whatever. And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”\n\nWhen asked why she and Will didn’t “just amicably divorce,” Jada simply replied: “We don’t want to.”\n\nShe then explained how her family shaped that decision, as she and the King Richard star share two children - Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22. Will also has a 30-year-old son, Trey, who he shares with ex-wife Sheree Zampino. “We love our family and we love each other. It’s more of a life partnership,\" Jada explained. \"Now, 10 years from now, Hoda, who knows?”\n\nDuring a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, Jada doubled down on her stance about divorce, as she recalled the the hard conversation she had with Will about the topic before they got married.\n\n(Getty Images)\n\n“I told Will from the gate, I said let me tell you something: ‘If you marry me, know this: we’re gonna be together. We’re going to be under the same roof,’” she said. “For me personally, I’m not mature enough to have a divorce, I’m just not. I don’t think I would ever be mature enough, I don’t.”\n\nThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star has also shared similar sentiments, as he said during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show that “divorce just can’t be an option” for him and Jada. “It’s really that simple. And I think that’s the problem with LA - there are so many options. So a huge part of the success for [Jada] and I is that we just removed the other options.”\n\nLast week, Jada made headlines when she revealed that at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, she and her husband had been separated for six years. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she said during an interview with People. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”\n\nJada then praised her children for how they’ve helped her grow, adding: “My children, they’re little gurus. They’ve taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance.”\n\nOn 16 October, Will broke his silence on his wife’s comments during an interview with the New York Times. The outlet noted that he said his partner’s memoir “kind of woke him up” and that he has now realised she is more “resilient, clever and compassionate than he’d understood”.\n\n“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties,” Will added.", + "A group of organizations that represent musical artists in Europe has warned that an “anomaly” in EU law could soon result in artists losing up to 40% of the income they make from terrestrial radio broadcasts and other public performances of their music.\n\nBecause of a technicality in the EU’s law, that lost income would largely go to US-based artists, stated the artists’ groups, which include IMPALA, the trade association for European indie labels, and Adami, the French collective management organization for performers’ rights.\n\nAt the heart of the issue is a difference in how the US and the EU pay artists for terrestrial (non-satellite) radio broadcasts of music and recorded music played in bars and restaurants.\n\nIn Europe, when recorded music is played over terrestrial radio or in venues, performance rights payments must be made to the artists and labels behind the recording, as well as to the songwriters and publishers who own the composition behind the recording. However, in the US, performance rights payments are made only to the songwriters and publishers, and not to artists and labels.\n\nAs a result, European countries largely followed the “reciprocity principle” that has been written into international copyright treaties such as the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty of 1996: In those countries where artists and labels are paid performance rights, there was no obligation to pay US artists and labels, since European artists didn’t receive those payments from airplay in the US.\n\nHowever, in 2020 the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled that the “reciprocity” principle no longer applies to EU member states, even if it exists in copyright treaties and national laws.\n\nThe court ruled that the European Union’s Rental/Lending Directive of 2006 doesn’t allow EU member states to withhold payments to nationals of non-EU countries.\n\nWhat the failure of the “reciprocity” principle means in practice: US-based artists whose recordings are played on the radio in the EU will be able to collect performance royalties, while EU artists will continue to get nothing from their recordings being played in the US.\n\nBecause royalties are paid from a collective pool of income, this will reduce payments to European artists by as much as 40% in some countries, the artists’ groups said, as that is the share of US music played on the radio in those countries.\n\nIMPALA estimates that the annual loss to EU recorded music rightsholders as a result of “reciprocity” protections not applying in Europe would amount to approximately €125 million (USD $137m) – money which would instead be handed to their US counterparts.\n\n“Unless this error is fixed, EU member states will not be able to continue applying the longstanding principle of material reciprocity in the payment of broadcast and public performance royalties on sound recordings from non-EU countries,” the artists’ groups said in a statement issued on Tuesday (November 28).\n\nThe reciprocity principle “has proven vital in raising the level of copyright protection across the globe for decades,” the statement added.\n\n”A devastating transfer of over €125 million [USD $137 million] every year out of Europe is on the horizon,” IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith said this past March.\n\n“We have been calling on the European Commission to address this since the ruling came out in September 2020, but despite some initial positive signs last year the silence in recent months has been deafening.”\n\n“We call on the EU to act and also exert increased trade pressure on the USA to raise their level of [copyright] protection. Their stance is costing the world music economy hundreds of millions a year.” Helen Smith, IMPALA\n\nIn its 2020 ruling, the CJEU made it clear that the EU legislature has the power to change this by rewriting the directive governing copyright payments.\n\n“It is for the EU legislature alone, which has exclusive external competence in the matter, to decide on such a limitation,” the court stated following the ruling.\n\nThe artists’ groups noted in their statement on Tuesday that the European Commission “has on several occasions acknowledged concerns about the impact of the ruling and made clear its intention to find a balanced solution. But a solution has yet to be proposed.”\n\n“It is the EU’s responsibility to prevent European artists and producers losing millions every year to the USA, which has chosen not to protect these rights. A proposal is needed now to restore legal certainty, safeguard cultural diversity and European sovereignty,” Smith said in the statement.\n\n“We are seeing a clear and substantial drop in the revenue going to Dutch and other European performers and producers.” Will Maas, Ntb/Kunstenbond\n\n“We call on the EU to act and also exert increased trade pressure on the USA to raise their level of [copyright] protection. Their stance is costing the world music economy hundreds of millions a year.”\n\nIn the Netherlands, the first EU country to stop applying the reciprocity principle, “we are seeing a clear and substantial drop in the revenue going to Dutch and other European performers and producers,” said Will Maas, chairman of the Dutch musicians’ union Ntb/Kunstenbond.\n\n“This is what awaits other countries if nothing is done to address this.”\n\nAlong with IMPALA, Adami and Ntb/Kunstenbond, other groups that signed on to the statement include the Swedish musicians’ union Musikerförbundet, Belgian collective management society PlayRight, the Swedish Artists’ and Musicians’ Interest Organisation (SAMI), the Swedish Union of Professional Musicians (SYMF) and unisono, the German Federation of Musicians.\n\nThe US Congress extended copyright protections to sound recordings in 1971, but those copyright protections didn’t include a public performance right that would have ensured royalty payments to artists, producers and labels.\n\nIn 1995, Congress passed the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act, which did include performance rights, but limited those rights to performances made “by means of a digital audio transmission,” which doesn’t include terrestrial radio.\n\nAs a result, the US “is the only significant music economy in the world that does not have these full rights in their domestic legislation,” the artists’ groups said.Music Business Worldwide", + "San Francisco 49ers franchise QB Brock Purdy is arguably the best quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant has had a dream start to his NFL career, remaining unbeaten and being one of the better young shot callers in the league. But why is Purdy known as \"Mr. Irrelevant\" if he was pivotal for the 49ers?\n\nWell, Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the final pick of the NFL Draft. The Mr. Irrelevant title has been a staple of NFL Drafts since the 1976 Draft.\n\n70% Win (110-25-1) 70% Win (110-25-1) 70% Win (110-25-1) Unlock Free tips from our Experts Get Picks Now\n\nGrading Brock Purdy's draft class: How many QBs have done better than the 49ers QB so far?\n\nEight quarterbacks were selected before Purdy in the 2023 NFL Draft. Their names are Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers), Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons), Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans), Matt Corral (Carolina Panthers), Bailey Zappe (New England Patriots), Sam Howell (Washington Commanders), Chris Oladokun (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Skylar Thompson (Miami Dolphins). As you can tell, the \"Mr. Irrelevant\" of this Draft has had, by far, the best NFL career so far from the bunch.\n\nWhich way should Giants next year? Fire up our 2024 NFL Draft Simulator to get NY back in contention\n\nThe 2022 NFL Draft's Mr. Irrelevant is the franchise QB of one of the best teams in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers. Since breaking into the starting lineup, Purdy has made a mockery of his \"Mr. Irrelevant\" tag. The Iowa State University alum was the first Mr. Irrelevant to make a forward pass in a regular season game successfully, and it has been up from there.\n\nPurdy finished his rookie season with five consecutive regular-season victories, completing a 10-game winning streak by San Francisco to close the season. He carried on his regular season form to the postseason, leading the 49ers to an NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, Purdy got hurt in the game, as the 49ers fell just short of a Super Bowl LVII appearance.\n\nSo far, Purdy has started the 2023 NFL season where he left off, opening the season with a 5-0 record. The San Francisco 49ers are the only franchise currently unbeaten in 2023 alongside their NFC foes, the Philadelphia Eagles. No quarterback has done better than Brock Purdy in his Draft class.\n\nExpand Tweet\n\nGrading the QBs in Brock Purdy's draft class\n\nNow that we've listed the QBs selected ahead of Brock Purdy in his Draft class, it's high time we grade them. We'll start from the top.\n\n1. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pick 20 - B\n\nPickett is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he has done a decent job in Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh alum is a home-grown talent, and the fans are behind him. While he hasn't done anything special in the NFL just yet, he's one of just four QBs in the 2022 class that is currently an undisputed starter in the NFL.\n\n2. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons, Pick 74 - C\n\nRidder earned the starting quarterback job for the Falcons ahead of the 2023 NFL season. He hasn't been spectacular this season, but at least he's starting games at the highest level.\n\n3. Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans, Pick 86 - D\n\nWillis is the QB2 or QB3 in Tennessee, depending on who you ask. That's interesting, considering that some draft analysts thought him the most naturally gifted QB in the 2022 Draft class. Unfortunately, he is fighting a losing battle in Tennessee, as the franchise drafted the highly rated Will Levis to take his place. A \"D\" grade might even be generous.\n\n4. Matt Corral, Carolina Panthers, Pick 94 - E\n\nThe Panthers have mainly ignored Coral as they elected to trade up to number one for Bryce Young in the 2023 Draft. This tells you about the franchise's faith in the Ole Miss alum. Coral left the franchise ahead of his sophomore season.\n\n5. Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots, Pick 137 - C-\n\nMac Jones' backup plays for the worst Patriots team of the past twenty years. It's not a dream spot for the Western Kentucky alum.\n\n6. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders, Pick 144 - B\n\nHowell is the franchise quarterback for the usually trigger-happy Washington Commanders franchise. This shows that the Commanders' new ownership group has faith in Howell's ability to quarterback the team. He gets a positive grade for that sole reason.\n\n7. Chris Oladokun, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pick 241 - F\n\nOladokun is yet to make a start in the NFL. He'll be rated an F until he changes that. However, that won't be on the team that drafted him, as he was waived by the Steelers a while ago.\n\n8. Skylar Thompson, Miami Dolphins, Pick 247 - D\n\nThompson is the third-string QB for the Miami Dolphins heading into 2023. He could be eligible for a Super Bowl ring if the Dolphins go all the way.\n\n9. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, Pick 262 - A+\n\nArguably the best \"Mr. Irrelevant\" of all time. If Brock Purdy stays healthy in San Francisco, he can become one of his generation's finest QBs. We know it's cliché at this point, but we might have the next Tom Brady right in front of us!\n\nDeebo Samuel or Odell Beckham Jr.? Check out our experts' Start/Sit projections for Week 16\n\nNFL Predictions 2023-24 × Game Rules Prizes How to Play Join our free-to-play NFL prediction game & stand a chance to win incredible prizes Login is mandatory to be eligible for prizes Terms & Conditions For more information, check out our For Top 10 on the Leaderboard How to claim prize + - Only Top 10 ranked winners in the Leaderboard are eligible for rewards 1. Winners will have to update their phone number and email ID on their profile page before 1st April 2024. Not doing so, will make them ineligible for prizes. 2. Sportskeeda's team will contact the winners (from email-id: [email protected] ) on their updated email ID after 1st April. Please note that next set of instructions will be sent to the updated Email IDs only. Steps to Update Profile Details 1. Click on your profile icon as shown in the screenshot. 2. Click \"Manage Your Profile\". 3. Go to Edit Profile and scroll down to update your Email ID & Phone Number.", + "MBW’s Stat Of The Week is a series in which we highlight a data point that deserves the attention of the global music industry. Stat Of the Week is supported by Cinq Music Group , a technology-driven record label, distribution, and rights management company.\n\nTikTok is in the process of reinventing itself as both a partner to music companies, and a competitor to streaming and distribution services.\n\nNow, a new market analysis sheds some light on why the ByteDance-owned short video platform has focused so intensely on expanding its services in the music world, with the firm reporting to be a major driver of music consumption and spending.\n\nWhile that may not come as a surprise to those who’ve noted the overlap between TikTok and music culture, the numbers in the analysis shine a light on the scale of TikTok’s influence.\n\nAccording to the analysis, commissioned by TikTok and carried out by US market monitor Luminate, 62% of US TikTok users pay for a music streaming service, compared to 43% of all consumers.\n\nTo produce TikTok’s new report, which you can read in full here, Luminate researchers studied data from the US, UK, Germany, Brazil and Indonesia, as well as global data, for a 12-month period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, and found that “compared to average consumers, TikTok users are significantly more likely to be music streamers”.\n\nWe know that TikTok counted 150 million users in the United States as of February 2023, which means that, if we look at this stat through the lens of the Luminate analysis, then at this point it appears that approximately 93 million TikTok users in the US are paying for a subscription to one of the various streaming services available in the United States, including Spotify, Apple Music and others.\n\nTo put into context the number of music subscribers at individual streaming services in the market, we reported in July that as of February, in the United States, Spotify counted 44.4 million paying subscribers, while Spotify rival Apple Music had 32.6 million subscribers, and Amazon Music had 29.3 million subscribers.\n\nThe new TikTok study looked at consumption data from Luminate Connect, audience insight from the Luminate Music 360 Study, and TikTok engagement volumes provided by the platform in five markets: the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, and Germany, as well as globally (see below).\n\nIncluding both paid and ad-supported streaming services, roughly nine out of 10 TikTok users in each market studied used at least one music streaming service.\n\nIn the US, 89% of TikTok users subscribed to at least one music streaming service, compared to 74% of overall consumers, while in the UK, 85% of TikTok users had a streaming service account, compared to 62% of consumers overall.\n\n“In the global and US markets, TikTok user engagement metrics are strongly associated with streaming volumes. In other words, higher TikTok engagement — whether that’s likes, views or shares — corresponds with elevated streaming volumes,” the Luminate report stated.\n\nHowever, TikTok’s impact on music isn’t limited to DSPs. The analysis found that TikTok users are also larger spenders on music off-platform as well. By wide margins, they are more likely to buy merch and attend live shows than the average consumer.\n\nIn the US, 45% of TikTok users bought music-related merch over a 12-month period, compared to 35% of overall music listeners. Meanwhile, 38% attended a live music event during the year, compared to 33% of overall music listeners.\n\nOverall, US TikTok users spent 22% more on music-related purchases, compared to overall music listeners. A similar pattern was found in the four other countries they study looked at.\n\nThe study also found that the TikTok audience can be an effective marketing tool for artists, as TikTok users, in particular, are considerably more likely to discover and share music than overall social media and short video platform (SFV) users.\n\nIn the UK, TikTok users were 108% more likely to discover and share music than other social media users, while in Germany, they were 100% more likely. US TikTok users were 71% more likely to discover and share music.\n\n“In doing so, TikTok users help both emerging and established artists to reach new audiences,” the Luminate report stated.\n\nThe study found that TikTok’s platform appears to be a major driver of the glocalization of music – the trend of local artists, performing in local languages, being elevated to a regional or global platform.\n\n“TikTok users have a stronger preference for international music than the average music listener,” the report said. “This preference, combined with the high volume of music discovery and sharing activity on TikTok, can be harnessed to grow a fanbase without borders and has helped to launch global artists from genres such as Reggaeton, Afrobeats and K-Pop.”\n\nThe report added: “TikTok users‘ interest in international music is evident in their music streaming preferences. Compared to the average music listener across each market, this audience is more likely to indicate that ‘access to music by global artists’ is an extremely important factor when selecting a music streaming service.”\n\n“TikTok is already famous for being the launchpad for creating viral hits and breaking new artists, but we wanted to understand how TikTok and its users impact the music industry more broadly,” Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music, said in a statement.\n\n“Luminate’s findings prove what we had long known: that TikTok is the driving force behind music discovery in the industry, and that TikTok users are active, engaged and highly valuable drivers of music industry revenues.”\n\nThe new study is part of an ongoing effort by TikTok to highlight its growing role in the development of global music culture. Last year, TikTok released a report asserting that 13 out of the 14 songs to reach number on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2022 were driven by viral trends on TikTok.\n\nThe data clearly shows why TikTok has focused so heavily on developing music-related services, to the point that one could be forgiven for thinking the company plans to reinvent itself as a part of the music industry.\n\nLast year, TikTok launched SoundOn, its own music distribution service, which has partnered with Believe-owned distro company TuneCore and Downtown Holdings-owned B2B tech and services company FUGA.\n\n“Luminate’s findings prove what we had long known: that TikTok is the driving force behind music discovery in the industry, and that TikTok users are active, engaged and highly valuable drivers of music industry revenues.” Ole Obermann, TikTok\n\nThis past summer, TikTok launched its own music streaming service, TikTok Music, a premium-only service initially available in Brazil and Indonesia, featuring the catalogs of all three of the major global recording companies (Sony Music, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group).\n\nIt quickly expanded the service to Australia, Mexico and Singapore, though without Universal’s catalog.\n\nThis past October, TikTok announced it would be holding its first-ever live music event, dubbed “TikTok In The Mix.”\n\nThe same month, it struck a deal with Distrokid to have indie artists upload their music to TikTok Music and to Capcut, TikTok’s video editing software, as well as to TikTok’s Commercial Music Library, which offers a catalog of music for brands to use in their TikTok ads.\n\nMeanwhile, TikTok parent ByteDance has launched an AI music-making app, and most recently, TikTok unveiled the “Add to Music App” feature, which enables TikTok users to save music they’ve discovered directly to their Apple Music, Amazon Music (Prime or Unlimited) or Spotify accounts.\n\nThese new partnerships indicate that TikTok is moving away from what at times appeared to be a trying relationship with the music industry. In one notable incident, TikTok disabled the use of copyrighted music for users in Australia, in what the platform described as an experiment, and what many observers saw as a hardball tactic in its licensing negotiations with music rights holders.\n\nOne remaining – and major – potential pitfall for TikTok has to do with the rise in tensions between China and Western countries.\n\nAmid concerns that parent company ByteDance may be sharing TikTok user data with the Chinese government, numerous governments – from the US to the European Union to Australia – have banned the app from government-issued devices.\n\nA small number of jurisdictions have banned or are attempting to ban TikTok altogether, including Montana and, most recently, Nepal.\n\nCinq Music Group’s repertoire has won Grammy awards, dozens of Gold and Platinum RIAA certifications, and numerous No.1 chart positions on a variety of Billboard charts. Its repertoire includes heavyweights such as Bad Bunny, Janet Jackson, Daddy Yankee, T.I., Sean Kingston, Anuel, and hundreds more.Music Business Worldwide", + "I’m a smart glasses skeptic. Not because the technology is impossible but because I’ve tested several pairs and even dove deep into the category for a two-part mini-documentary a while back. So when I say I was impressed by the $299 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, it’s not just that mine came with rose-colored lenses.\n\nTo be clear, nothing about the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses is revolutionary. The Google Glass Explorer Edition first introduced us to modern-day smart glasses in 2013. Several other companies, big and small, have since jumped on the bandwagon, including Snap, Bose, Razer, Epson, Amazon, and the now-defunct Focals by North. Most were underwhelming, with potato cameras, washed-out displays, useless voice assistants, and middling mics. I had a hard time imagining the average person liking them enough to own a pair.\n\nI know multiple people who have already bought these.\n\n7 Verge Score Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses $ 299 The Good Improved photo, video, and audio quality\n\nYou sound good on calls!\n\nStylish, with many options for frames and lenses\n\nImporting photos and videos is easy\n\nCharging case design is also much better The Bad Voice assistant is a lil slow\n\nCool AI features not available yet\n\nLED privacy indicator still too subtle\n\nBattery life improved but could be better $299 at Amazon$299 at Best Buy How we rate and review products\n\nI get why. These glasses look good. They officially come in 150 style variations across two frame styles, seven colors, and multiple lens options (including color, prescription, and transitions). The camera has been upgraded from 5MP to 12MP. Photo resolution has improved to 3024 x 4032 pixels, while videos are now 1080p at 30 frames per second. There are now five mics instead of one, so you sound better on calls. The speaker quality has also improved. It’s louder, with more bass, less audio leakage, and spatial audio support. They stuffed some AI in there, and you can now livestream to Facebook or Instagram. These are significant updates.\n\nIt’d be one thing if Meta failed to deliver, but like I said: I’m impressed. But that, in turn, has raised a lot of questions that I don’t have answers for. All I can say is whatever you think of Meta, these are a turning point for smart glasses.\n\nGlasses fit for Bond (Or Eggsy)\n\nI’ve only seen a handful of Bond flicks, but even I know two things about Agent 007. James Bond looks good, always, and the spy gadgets Q gives him are discreet. The Meta glasses are both and, in many ways, feel like they belong in a spy movie.\n\nI often felt like I was in a spy movie when wearing these.\n\nThe thing about smart glasses is that you’ll never wear a pair if they make you look like a low-rent Warby Parker model. Aside from the original Bose Frames, I’ve never really liked the way I’ve looked in smart glasses so far. That’s why it matters that these are Ray-Bans and come in more styles than typical smart glasses. While Wayfarers are considered to be universally flattering, rounder frames look better on me. Most smart glasses come in tortoiseshell or black, and I’m tired of both, so I was happy that I could pick a round, transparent blue frame with pink lenses. They’re more my style, and while I wish the colors were more noticeable in darker lighting, I dug the extra pop of color in sunlight. I wore these in various scenarios: dolled up for a wedding, clad in functional but hideous running gear, bumming it in sweatpants, and rocking leather jackets. You name it — it goes with everything.\n\nOn top of looking good, no one will know you’re wearing tech on your face unless you walk around saying “Hey Meta” at the top of your lungs. Nobody knew I was listening to EXO’s EXIST album on my commute. You can hear some faint audio leakage when you’re at full volume, but that’s only necessary when trying to block out the squeaky rails of the New York City subway system. Your fellow commuters likely won’t notice because they’ve got AirPods in or the ambient noise is louder. More troubling, no one batted an eye whenever I took photos and videos in public or private areas.\n\nThese can look black in dark lighting, but in the right light, I dig the way the blue and pink pop. You can see the capture button on the top of the right arm.\n\nAll this made me feel like Eggsy from Kingsman: The Golden Circle — another high-tech spy film. There’s a scene where Eggsy takes a call through the glasses during an important dinner. To everyone else, he looked like a dapper gent with some snazzy frames about to eat some fancy food. But because of his glasses, Eggsy was able to hear (and see) things they couldn’t. My experience wasn’t exactly the same. (I had no imminent bombs to defuse.) But the point is I spent a lot of time wearing these in public doing and listening to things that people looking straight at me weren’t aware of. It doesn’t get more incognito than that.\n\nThat comes with pros and cons. I’ll get to privacy in a bit, but if you’re worried about looking like a total jabroni, like this pic of me wearing the Bose Frames Tempo, fear not.\n\nIn the name of content creation\n\nI have my priorities straight. As soon as I unboxed and paired these glasses, the first thing I did was take a photo and a video of my cats Petey and Pablo. I uploaded them to The Verge’s Slack and sent the video to my spouse and friends. My tech-savvy co-workers found the quality to be surprisingly good for smart glasses. My friends and family thought it was something I took on my phone. Several times during this review process, our own video team remarked that the quality was better than they’d expected.\n\nThat’s wild.\n\nIf you’re into photography, you’ll be able to suss that the quality doesn’t match up to the latest and greatest phones. But it’s good enough to match a phone from a few years ago and, therefore, shareable on social media and in the group chat. That’s a Big Deal.\n\nTo take photos or videos, you can use the “Hey Meta” command or use the capture button on the top of the right arm. You press once for photos and long-press to start recording video. There are also accompanying audio cues and an LED in your right peripheral vision.\n\nThis is the LED capture indicator on the right side of the frame. It’s off in this picture. The camera is opposite, in front of the left hinge.\n\nI’m not a camera expert, so I asked our resident camera expert Becca Farsace to weigh in. One thing Becca pointed out was the stabilization on the camera is surprisingly good. While there’s some wobbliness, it doesn’t look like garbage, especially when viewed on a phone. Low-light performance was also better than I anticipated. When you move from light to dark environments, you don’t really notice a massive drop in video quality. Color reproduction and details are also solid in good lighting.\n\nI appreciated taking phone-free, hands-free videos in my day-to-day life. I now have so many videos of Petey and Pablo being adorable that would have been difficult to capture otherwise because both my cats get weird when they see my phone come out. They either refuse to look at the camera, leave, or — in Petey’s case — try to eat the camera. It’s also easier to film and interact with my cats when I have both hands free. Case in point, I have enjoyed partaking in the cat-twirling meme — even if it was quite the feat lifting a 19-pound Pablo.\n\nHad to get in on the cat twirling meme.\n\nEven if you aren’t obsessed with your pets, I can see this being a more discreet alternative for a GoPro. It’d be easy to film cooking instructions, parts of running or cycling routes, a scenic drive, or even capturing slice-of-life candids of your kids before they grow up too fast.\n\nThat said, there are quirks. What you see isn’t what the camera sees because it’s not actually in your eyeball. It’s in front of the left hinge. You have to remember that when framing your shots, or everything will be mildly off-center. This is also how I learned I often tilt my head like a confused puppy. Many times, I went back to photos and videos I’d shot to find they featured unintentional Dutch angles and wisps (or full chunks) of my bangs. Becca had issues with her hat popping up in shots as well.\n\nAlso, there’s a one- to two-second delay when taking photos. While walking, a lot of my landscape photos came out blurry if I didn’t stand completely still. It’d be easier if there was a way to preview images via your phone, but there isn’t unless you’re livestreaming.\n\nPrevious Next\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1 / 6 Curtain bangs are the enemy with these smart galsses. Previous Next\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1 / 6 Curtain bangs are the enemy with these smart galsses.\n\nSpeaking of which, livestreaming was hard to test organically, mainly because none of my Instagram followers expect me to livestream. What I can say is that a glasses icon pops up automatically on the livestream screen in Facebook or Instagram. (Though, let’s be real — most content creators aren’t livestreaming to Facebook.) You can either tap the icon or double-click the capture button to seamlessly switch views between your phone camera and glasses. There’s a teeny lag between what you see versus what gets livestreamed, but nothing egregious.\n\nLivestreaming is an example where Meta sort of shot itself in the foot as far as content creation goes. I have no doubt some streamers would love this if they could use this on TikTok or Twitch. But they can’t. Instead, they’re corralled into Meta’s services. It makes sense — Big Tech loves protecting its walled gardens — but from a broader adoption perspective, this is silly. It’s one of the reasons Snap’s Spectacles never took off. Meta’s mostly lucky that Instagram is still popular with influencers.\n\nPrevious Next\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1 / 6 Petey seconds before deciding to run amok. Previous Next\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1 / 6 Petey seconds before deciding to run amok.\n\nIt’s also easy to import photos and videos from the glasses to your phone, even if you’re on the go. The glasses have their own local Wi-Fi network, and your phone just needs to connect to it with the Meta View app open. It can be a little slow if you have a lot of footage, but even then, it’s not too bad. For example, yesterday, I imported 143 videos and photos. It took a few tries to establish a stable connection, but altogether, it only took about five minutes. It’s a lot faster — maybe two or three minutes — if you’re sending 15 or fewer photos or videos.\n\nOne potential con is that videos max out at one minute. Meta says that’s to optimize storage and importing, which is a fair tradeoff in my book. These are clearly meant for social content, especially since all photos and videos are vertical, and there’s no landscape option. Generally, you’re not watching more than a minute-long clip on Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts anyway.\n\nThe charging case is sleeker, easier to stash, and has an LED charging status light that doubles as a button. The charging status works for the case itself if empty or for the glasses if they’re inside.\n\nAnother thing for content creators to consider is battery life. If you use these lightly, you can get five, maybe six hours on a single charge. If you’re taking a ton of video and photos, that’s going to dwindle to three or four hours. Using the glasses as headphones in my 70-minute commute drained the battery by about 18 to 20 percent. I doubt this will trouble casual users, seeing as these are still a functional pair of glasses if the battery’s dead. But power users — folks who want to get through a whole day of meetings while using these as headphone replacements — may find this annoying.\n\nThere are a few mitigating factors. The charging case is a lot slimmer than the previous version, and it is easy to stash in a fanny pack, purse, and backpack. It charges via USB-C, and there’s a new indicator LED button that turns orange while charging and green when everything is full. (This is both for the case itself when it’s empty and for the glasses when they’re in there.) Charging is quick, too. The other day, I went from 15 percent battery after three hours of heavy use to 100 percent in less than an hour. I’ve also had these for a whole week, and aside from the initial charge, I haven’t had to plug in the case whatsoever. You do end up charging the frames multiple times a day because where else are you going to put them when they’re not in use if not the case?\n\nHeadphone replacement?\n\nThe nice thing about these glasses is you don’t have to use the camera at all. They’re also a viable replacement for your headphones. Unlike the camera, the audio features works like any other Bluetooth headset in terms of what apps you can use, though there is one built-in Spotify integration you can enable.\n\nYou control the audio with a gesture control area on the right arm, just under the capture button. There’s a library of gestures in the app, but the most basic ones are tapping once to pause / play audio and sliding forward and back to control volume. Tapping twice will play the next track, while three taps will let you go back a track. If you enable Spotify Tap, you can tap and hold to play your automatic recommendations based on your favorites. On the left arm, right on the hinge, there’s also a small toggle that lets you cut the Bluetooth connection and power to the camera.\n\nAudio quality for music and podcasts is on par with other smart glasses. Like other open-ear headphones, they’re not the best at reproducing thumping bass, but they are better than any ambient mode at helping you maintain situational awareness. Noise-canceling headphones, however, are much more effective at blocking out the world.\n\nThe arms are thick because they contain a lot of the smarts, like mics and directional speakers, that make these a solid pair of open-ear headphones.\n\nThere are speakers and microphones in the left-hand arm as well. This tiny toggle in the hinge also cuts Bluetooth and the camera if you don’t need it.\n\nCalls are another story. These glasses trump the majority of smart glasses I’ve tested. I’ve taken a few calls from my spouse while on the go in loud environments. I had no trouble hearing them, and they had zero issues hearing me (provided I had good cell service). That’s likely because there are now five mics, one of which is in the nose pad. It made me sound clear in all my videos — almost like I was the main character in a first-person video game.\n\nTapping once on the right side starts or pauses your audio. Sliding forward or back controls volume. Tapping twice opens up Spotify favorites.\n\nThe lenses you pick can impact whether you want to use these as headphone alternatives. Because Meta sent me a pair of sunglasses, it was tough to see how well these would fare in my usual workday. My greatest regret was not getting these with clear lenses or transitions because sunglasses are limiting. I’m not trying to be one of those people who wears sunglasses indoors. I tried for the sake of this review, but it hurt my eyes after an hour or two. The Transition lenses cost $80 more and are the best option if you want to use these in as many scenarios as possible. As for prescriptions, you can order them directly from Ray-Ban or a participating LensCrafters if you fall in the -6 to +4 range. If you’ve got worse vision, like me, you may want to use them with contact lenses. Otherwise, you could take them to a local optician, but that would void the warranty.\n\nThe other neat thing is spatial audio. When you watch videos, you can hear where people were when it was recorded. Alex Cranz, managing editor of The Verge, crept behind me while I was recording at the office to say, “Victoria sucks.” When I replayed it, I could hear her trolling me from behind. Is it something you’ll make use of often? Probably not, but it’s fun nevertheless.\n\nBut is it really smart?\n\nNot really. At least, not in the way you’ve probably envisioned smart glasses from sci-fi movies.\n\nFor example, the Meta AI and voice assistant? It’s nothing like Peter Parker issuing commands to EDITH via the smart aviators he got from Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Far From Home. While the Meta assistant sounds very natural, it can’t do a whole lot of stuff yet, and it takes a hot second to process commands. The most I used it for was taking photos and videos hands-free, listening to texts as they came in, as well as sending messages. But even here, the Meta assistant got tripped up because my spouse apparently has multiple entries in my contact list. While you can send normal texts, most of my contacts aren’t on Messenger or WhatsApp, and these don’t natively share to non-Meta apps. I imagine this will be more useful to you if these are apps you use frequently.\n\nThere are five mics total, including one in the nose pad that is surprisingly good at making sure you sound clear on calls.\n\nWhile AI features on the glasses are in beta, I can’t say that I was ever itching to use a ChatGPT-esque bot in the ways Meta suggested (i.e., writing raps and poems, generating excuses to get out of parties, etc.) However, down the road, audio AI bots could be a useful form of augmented reality. The first version of the Bose Frames tried to make audio augmented reality apps a thing but crashed and burned when third-party developers didn’t glom onto the idea. Meta’s approach is a bit different. In a future feature drop, you’ll be able to ask the AI to identify objects in your surroundings via the camera. That’s a cool idea, and I’ll be eager to see how it works if and when it arrives.\n\nBut all said and done, I’m glad Meta didn’t bother attempting a smart display. The tech isn't there yet. When I tried Google Glass Enterprise Edition, Epson Moverio glasses, and Focals by North, trying to focus on the information overlays was hard on my eyes. That’s because these tend to rely on projection tech, which can get easily washed out by bright ambient light. And navigating screens usually requires some kind of physical control. It’s clunky, kills battery life, and introduces the problem of developing third-party app ecosystems.\n\nPrivacy: am I the glasshole?\n\nIt’s hard to think of smart glasses without remembering that time when a pair of Google Glass got ripped off a person’s face. How subsequently, the people wearing Glass were dubbed glassholes, and how some public spaces banned the device entirely.\n\nBut we live in a different era now. People are wearing Quest 3 headsets to coffee shops. Every time I open TikTok, I see normal people and content creators alike vlogging their lives. When I walk outside, people are having very private conversations out loud on FaceTime or through their AirPods. For better or worse, the smartphone has made us all very comfortable with the idea that there are cameras everywhere.\n\nDo you ever really know who’s filming you, with what, and when?\n\nThe problem is we don’t have the same social cues for smart glasses as we do phones. If you hold your phone up in a certain way, people know it means you’re recording. If you hold your finger up to the temple of your glasses, you could be adjusting the fit. To address that, Meta added an LED capture light to the original Ray-Ban Stories. Most people didn’t think it was enough. This time around, Meta has made it so you can’t disable the LED light, and it has a pulsing pattern that’s supposed to be more noticeable. When I polled my co-workers, friends, and family, it was a mixed bag. Some said it was easily seen indoors. Others disagreed. Most agreed that while you can see the light outdoors, it’s also easy to ignore or mistake for light reflecting off the lenses.\n\nI took pictures and filmed many times in public, and no one ever noticed. Take from that what you will.\n\nWould you realistically notice someone wearing these glasses over a regular pair of sunglasses? Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nMeta has privacy guidelines and etiquette tips when you set the glasses up and a link to its privacy page in the app. It boils down to don’t be a glasshole. That’s nice, but glassholes are going to use this device however they please. The rest of us have to figure out how to not be a glasshole on the fly.\n\nFor example, these glasses are perfect for an outdoor wedding. I just so happened to be invited to one this past weekend. But while it’s normal to take photos and record wedding footage on your phone, would that apply to content taken on smart glasses? It felt wrong to make any unilateral decision, so I asked my friend for permission.\n\nWould you notice this privacy LED light? Because it means I’m recording.\n\nWhile it was weird to explain, she gave me her blessing. I got to protect my eyes from the sun, discreetly record the ceremony for the couple, keep my phone in my bag, and stay present in the moment. Afterward, my friend was happy to have that footage since there wasn’t a videographer. At the same time, you won’t find those photos or videos in this review because this was a private ceremony. I’m glad that was a conversation I had beforehand, but would anyone in 2023 feel compelled to do this with phones? I can’t count the times I’ve seen people take photos of weddings and post them directly to their own personal feeds.\n\nAm I the glasshole for filming my commute to test these glasses?\n\nThis applies to so many scenarios. If I take concert footage, am I the glasshole? What if I’m house hunting and want to remember what a property looked like later? Do I alert the real estate agent? What if I’m wearing these as headphones, enter a public restroom, and somebody freaks out because they notice I’m wearing smart glasses? Am I the glasshole for filming my commute to test these glasses? Or is asking permission from my fellow commuters potentially opening me up to physical harm? Is wearing what’s essentially a face-mounted bodycam an invasion of privacy, or is it a safety tool? A co-worker told me they bought a pair of these glasses partly because if someone tries to murder them while walking the dog, they can grab footage of their potential assailant.\n\nI have no real answers here. If everyone had a pair of these tomorrow, would I start to treat people wearing Wayfarers differently? A part of me wishes that I’d be the wary privacy stalwart. But the depressing reality is I already live like everything in my life is surveilled. What do a few hundred extra smart glasses cameras matter?\n\nA turning point\n\nI’ll say it again. Meta isn’t reinventing smart glasses. What it’s done is nail the execution. Culturally, I also think the timing is ripe. We’re more desensitized than ever to surveillance, and a lot of us are trying to look less at phone screens. If smartwatches can field notifications, then maybe smart glasses can replace the camera and take calls in scenarios where phones aren’t ideal.\n\nI have no idea if these will succeed, but they’re the most practical smart glasses I’ve worn yet.\n\nAre good execution and timing enough? At heart, I remain a smart glasses skeptic. To me, this device appeals most to gadget nerds and content creators rather than the average Joe. But even if these flop, it’s set a new bar for what smart glasses can and should be able to do. Again, I’ve tried a ton of smart glasses, and until now, I’ve never had a pair that looks good, is priced reasonably, has multiple use cases, and delivers what it says it will.", + "8 predictions for AI in 2024 How will AI impact the US primary elections? What's next for OpenAI? Here are our predictions for AI in 2024.\n\nThis last year was a banger for AI as the technology went from niche to mainstream about as fast as anything ever has. 2024, however, will be the year when the hype runs full-steam into reality as people reckon with the capabilities and limitations of AI at large. Here are a few ways we think that’s going to play out.\n\nOpenAI becomes a product company\n\nAfter the leadership shake-up in November, OpenAI is going to be a changed company — perhaps not outwardly, but the trickle-down effect of Sam Altman being more fully in charge will be felt at every level. And one of the ways we expect that to manifest is in “ship it” mindset.\n\nWe’ll see that with the GPT store, originally planned for launch in December but understandably delayed due to the C-suite fracas. The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models. They have an excellent model to work from, Apple’s, and will follow it all the way to the bank.\n\nExpect more moves like that from 2024’s OpenAI as the caution and academic reserve that the previous board exerted gives way to an unseemly lust for markets and customers.\n\nOther major companies with AI efforts will also follow this trend (for instance, expect Gemini/Bard to horn in on a ton of Google products), but I suspect it will be more pronounced in this case.\n\nAgents, generated video and generated music graduate from quaint to experimental\n\nSome niche applications of AI models will grow beyond “eh” status in 2024, including agent-based models and generative multimedia.\n\nIf AI is going to help you do more than summarize or make lists of things, it’ll need access to things like your spreadsheets, ticket buying interfaces, transportation apps and so on. 2023 saw a few tentative attempts at this “agent” approach, but none really caught on. We don’t really expect any to really take off in 2024, either, but agent-based models will show their stuff a little more convincingly than they did last year, and a few clutch use cases will show up for famously tedious processes like submitting insurance claims.\n\nVideo and audio will also find niches where their shortcomings aren’t quite so visible. In the hands of skilled creators, a lack of photorealism isn’t a problem, and we’ll see AI video used in fun and interesting ways. Likewise, generative music models will likely make it into a few major productions like games, again where professional musicians can leverage the tools to create an unending soundtrack.\n\nThe limits of monolithic LLMs become clearer\n\nSo far there has been great optimism about the capabilities of large language models, which have indeed proved more capable than anyone expected, and have grown correspondingly more so as more compute is added. But 2024 will be the year something gives. Where exactly it is impossible to predict, as research is active at the frontiers of this field.\n\nThe seemingly magical “emergent” capabilities of LLMs will be better studied and understood in 2024, and things like their inability to multiply large numbers will make more sense.\n\nIn parallel, we will begin to see diminishing returns on parameter counts, to the point where training a 500-billion-parameter model may technically produce better results, but the compute required to do so could provably be deployed more effectively. A single monolithic model is unwieldy and expensive, while a mixture of experts — a collection of smaller, more specific models and likely multimodal ones — may prove almost as effective while being much easier to update piecemeal.\n\nMarketing meets reality\n\nThe simple fact is that the hype built up in 2023 is going to be very hard for companies to follow through on. Marketing claims made for machine learning systems that companies adopted in order to not fall behind will receive their quarterly and yearly reviews… and it’s very likely they will be found wanting.\n\nExpect a considerable customer withdrawal from AI tools as the benefits fail to justify the costs and risks. On the far end of this spectrum, we are likely to see lawsuits and regulatory action with AI service providers that failed to back up their claims.\n\nWhile capabilities will continue to grow and advance, 2023’s products will not all survive by a long shot, and there will be a round of consolidation as the wobblier riders of the wave fall and are consumed.\n\nApple jumps in\n\nApple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame. The timing is right for Apple to do this in AI, not just because if it waits too long its competition may eat up the market, but because the tech is ripe for their kind of improvement.\n\nI would expect an AI that focuses on practical applications of users’ own data, using Apple’s increasingly central position in their lives to integrate the many signals and ecosystems the company is privy to. There will likely also be a clever and elegant way to handle problematic or dangerous prompts, and although it will almost certainly have multimodal understanding (primarily to handle user images), I imagine they’ll totally skip media generation. Expect some narrowly tailored but impressive agent capabilities as well: “Siri, get a table for 4 at a sushi place downtown around 7 and book a car to take us” sort of thing.\n\nWhat’s hard to say is whether they will bill it as an improved Siri or as a whole new service, Apple AI, with a name you can choose yourself. They may feel the old brand is freighted with years of being comparatively incapable, but millions already say “hey Siri” every 10 seconds so it’s more likely they’ll opt to keep that momentum.\n\nLegal cases build and break\n\nWe saw a fair number of lawsuits filed in 2023, but few saw any real movement, let alone success. Most suits over copyright and other missteps in the AI industry are still pending. 2024 will see a lot of them fall by the wayside, as companies stonewall critical information like training data and methods, making allegations like the use of thousands of copyrighted books difficult to prove in court.\n\nThis was only the beginning, however, and many of these lawsuits were filed essentially on principle. Though they may not succeed, they may crack the process open far enough during testimony and discovery that companies would rather settle than have certain information come to light. 2024 will bring new lawsuits as well, ones pertaining to misuse and abuse of AI, such as wrongful termination, bias in hiring and lending, and other areas where AI is being put to work without a lot of thought.\n\nBut while a few egregious examples of misuse will be punished, a lack of relevant laws specific to it means that it will necessarily only haphazardly be brought to court. On that note…\n\nEarly adopters take new rules by the horns\n\nBig moves like the EU’s AI Act could change how the industry works, but they tend to be slow to take effect. That’s by design, so companies don’t have to adjust to new rules overnight, but it also means that we won’t see the effect of these big laws for a good while except among those willing to make changes preemptively and voluntarily. There will be a lot of “we are beginning the process of…” talk. (Also expect a few quiet lawsuits challenging various parts of laws.)\n\nTo that end we can expect a newly flourishing AI compliance industry as the billions going into the technology prompt matching investments (at a smaller scale, but still considerable) in making sure the tools and processes meet international and local standards.\n\nUnfortunately for anyone hoping for substantive federal regulation in the U.S., 2024 is not the year to expect movement on that front. Though it will be a year for AI and everyone will be asking for new laws, the U.S. government and electorate will be too busy with the trash fire that will be the 2024 election.\n\nThe 2024 election is a trash fire and AI makes it worse\n\nHow the 2024 presidential election will play out is, really, anyone’s guess right now. Too many things are up in the air to make any real predictions except that, as before, the influence mongers will use every tool in the box to move the needle, including AI in whatever form is convenient.\n\nFor instance, expect bot accounts and fake blogs to spout generated nonsense 24/7. A few people working full time with a text and image generator can cover a lot of ground, generating hundreds of social media and blog posts with totally fabricated images and news. “Flooding the zone” has always been an effective tactic and now AI acts as a labor multiplier, allowing more voluminous yet also targeted campaigns. Expect both false positives and false negatives in a concerted effort to confuse the narrative and make people distrust everything they see and read. That’s a win state for those politicians who thrive in chaos.\n\nOrganizations will tout “AI-powered” analyses to back up purges of voter rolls, challenges to vote counts and other efforts to suppress or interfere with existing processes.\n\nGenerated video and audio will join the fray, and though neither are perfect, they’re good enough to be believable given a bit of fuzzing: The clip doesn’t have to be perfect, because it will be presented as a grainy zoomed-in cellphone capture in a dark room, or a hot mic at a private event, or what have you. Then it becomes a matter of “who are you going to believe, me or him?” And that’s all some people need.\n\nLikely there will be some half-hearted efforts to block generated content from being used in this way, but these posts can’t be taken down fast enough by the likes of Meta and Google, and the idea that X can (or will) effectively monitor and take down such content is implausible. It’s gonna be a bad time!", + "In November, it will have been a year since the deeply unpopular Glazer family left Manchester United fans rejoicing by announcing they were open to offers for England’s most iconic football club.\n\nEleven months on and the saga that, at times has resembled an X-Factor style judges houses audition, may finally be coming to an end as British petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe closes in on a partial takeover.\n\n5 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has an offer on the table for 25 per cent stake of Manchester United Credit: AFP\n\nRatcliffe’s £1.3billion offer for a 25 per stake in the club he has supported since childhood will be high on the agenda when United’s board of directors meet on Thursday, but how did we get to this point, what happens next and what could the future look like at Old Trafford?\n\nTIMELINE OF THE TAKEOVER SAGA\n\nIt was in November 2022 as Qatar became the centre of the football universe during the controversial 2022 World Cup that the Glazers revealed they were looking to cash in all or at least some of their shares.\n\nThe bombshell announcement was seen by the majority of Manchester United fans as the beginning of the end of the divisive and destructive regime that began with a now-outlawed leveraged buyout in 2005 and saddled the club with debts that at one stage soared to as high as £1bn.\n\nBrothers Joel and Avram, the two most hands-on of the six Glazer siblings who have overall control of United, had instructed the New York-based Raine banking group to handle the bidding process.\n\nThis was a move mainly influenced by the fact Raine had managed to broker a deal with Todd Boehly to commit to invest £4.5bn to take control of Chelsea, giving the Glazers grand ideas they could rake in as much as DOUBLE for a global sporting institution like United.\n\nAfter several rounds of bidding, it quickly became clear the race for United was a straight shootout between Oldham-born Ratcliffe, who had previously offered £4bn to buy Chelsea, and Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Al Thani, who also professed to being a lifelong Red Devils fan and set up the ’92 Foundation’ in tribute to the famous class of ’92 of David Beckham and company.\n\n5 Ratcliffe already owns Nice in France and Lausanne in Switzerland Credit: AFP\n\nInitially it was hoped the bidding process would be concluded in time for the summer transfer window, but the longer it dragged on, prompting several large-scale protests from United fans, the more apparent it became that Joel and Avram were reluctant sellers, as revealed by talkSPORT in March.\n\nSheikh Jassim’s public statement promising to restore United ‘to former glories’ was also seen as thinly-veiled swipe at the Glazers, which did not help his negotiating hand.\n\nThe Qatari banker’s patience finally snapped and his withdrawal from the bidding process at the end of last week has left the pathway clear for Ratcliffe to complete what he has always viewed as his dream purchase.\n\nWHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR RATCLIFFE?\n\ntalkSPORT understands Ratcliffe, having originally wanted a much larger up-front stake, has an agreement in principle to buy a 25 per cent share in United.\n\n5 Joel and Avram Glazer put the Red Devils up for sale in November 2022 Credit: AFP\n\n5 United supporters are desperate to see the Glazers depart Old Trafford Credit: Twitter\n\nThe fact the Glazers will remain in situ has not gone down well with supporters, but this is seen as the first step to Ratcliffe eventually removing the Americans and taking overall control.\n\nThe exact timescale as to when that happens remains vague and how much it will cost Ratcliffe overall could depend on United’s sporting and commercial success in the coming seasons.\n\nThursday’s board meeting was pre-arranged and while it is expected that Ratcliffe’s proposal will discussed in detail, sources close to United have indicated to talkSPORT that it is far from guaranteed it will be put to a vote with several details still to be thrashed out.\n\nAs and when it does get as far as a vote, Ratcliffe can be confident it will be ratified seeing as half of the 12-strong board are members of the Glazer family and in the event of a split vote, Joel and Avram as co-chairmen will have the deciding say.\n\nEven once the final deal is agreed, it is likely to take at least a couple of months for Ratcliffe to pass the Premier League’s owners and directors test, which has been made more stringent since Portsmouth became the first top-flight side to go into administration in 2010.\n\n5 Ratcliffe, one of Britain's wealthiest men, previously tried to buy Chelsea\n\nWHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE UNDER RATCLIFFE’S INEOS GROUP?\n\nRatcliffe is demanding an executive role and overall control of day-to-day football matters and plans to appoint his own sporting director, with former Tottenham and Southampton transfer guru Paul Mitchell one of the main names in the frame.\n\nThat raises doubts over the future of current sporting director John Murtough and chief executive Richard Arnold, although manager Erik ten Hag is believed to be on a solid footing despite United’s poor start to the season.\n\nExpect Sir Dave Brailsford, the mastermind behind Team GB’s cycling success at the London 2012 Olympics and director of sport for Ratcliffe’s company INEOS, to have a prominent role in any reshuffle.\n\nRatcliffe also has ambitious plans to upgrade Old Trafford and turn it into a 90,000-seat stadium.\n\nHe wants the deal ratified in time for the January transfer window, however due to FFP concerns, there is no guarantees United will be able to spend big.\n\nDespite the fact he turns 71 a day before the board meeting, it appears Ratcliffe’s plans centre around long-term stability and success rather than a short-term turnaround in United’s fortunes.", + "Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against Uber claiming the company hasn’t done enough to prevent instances of sexual assault by drivers. Now a panel of judges has ruled that more than 80 cases can be consolidated into federal court.\n\nThe stakes are high for both parties with implications extending to future Uber riders and drivers. The outcome of the case could result in sweeping changes to Uber’s platform, which plaintiffs argue will reduce sexual assault and also raise new concerns over privacy.\n\nThe upshot? Technology lies at the center of this very human story.\n\nUber has attempted to address sexual assaults by drivers — which the lawsuits claim Uber has known about since 2014 — through new safety features in its app, like a 911 button and the ability to share location with a friend. Yet survivors, and their attorneys, say that response has been inadequate, and they’re calling for better technological solutions like in-vehicle surveillance cameras.\n\nAside from the 911 button and location-sharing feature, which were both introduced in 2018, Uber has added other features to the app over the last five years. In 2021, Uber introduced a feature that allows riders and drivers to record audio during a trip. The following year, Uber launched a pilot to provide passengers with live help from an ADT safety agent, as well as PIN verifications to ensure passengers are connected to the correct driver.\n\nRachel Abrams — a sexual assault attorney and partner at law firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, one of the law firms working on the multidistrict litigation, who filed the petition to consolidate the various actions in federal court — argues the app-based solutions are half-measures that haven’t quelled instances of sexual violence against passengers on the platform. Mandatory in-vehicle cameras in Uber cars is “essential for safety,” she says.\n\nUber told TechCrunch it cannot comment on pending litigation but said it remains committed to the safety of all users on its platform.\n\nIn-vehicle cameras as a deterrent\n\nAbrams cited data from studies of taxis equipped with in-vehicle cameras, which she says has drastically reduced instances of sexual assaults against passengers, as well as assault of passengers against drivers.\n\n“These are predatory, opportunistic drivers taking advantage of vulnerable women, so if they’re on film, they likely wouldn’t commit the crime,” Abrams told TechCrunch.\n\nUber didn’t respond to TechCrunch’s request for more information about why it hasn’t mandated the use of cameras in ride-hail vehicles, but as with any surveillance, there are privacy issues. The legality of mandating cameras also varies across local and state laws.\n\nAbrams has her own theory as to why Uber has been slow to implement security cameras.\n\n“Cost isn’t the issue,” she said. “It’s that it would deter drivers because a lot of drivers don’t want cameras. And so if they don’t have drivers, they don’t make money.”\n\nMany drivers install their own dash cams to record trips, usually as backup evidence for insurance claims or to defend themselves against unfair deactivations from Uber’s platform. Uber is also piloting a new video recording feature for drivers that allows them to record video on their smartphones. But in those cases, the driver can decide what and when to record, and when to share that data.\n\nOther demands\n\nThe survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly. Uber uses third-party companies like Checkr and Appriss to do background checks, which Sergio Avedian, senior contributor at The Rideshare Guy, says “are at best watered down and not guaranteed of bad apples from falling through the cracks.”\n\nThe lawsuit calls on Uber to also include fingerprinting, which would run prospective drivers through FBI databases.\n\n“This is a very intentional and deliberate decision as evidenced by Uber’s active lobbying and resistance against municipalities and regulatory bodies implementing any kind of biometric fingerprinting requirements for drivers,” said Kevin Conway, managing partner at Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise.\n\nUber has lobbied against additional background requirements for drivers, which has given the company authority to conduct its own background checks with little or no oversight, unlike most taxi operators.\n\nUber and Lyft say smudged fingerprints can lead to inaccurate results and that fingerprint checks reference historical arrest records, which can have discriminatory effects on some minority communities that face disproportionately high arrest rates. An Uber spokesperson told CNN arrest records are incomplete and often lack information about whether a person has been convicted of a crime.\n\nAside from in-vehicle surveillance and more extensive background checks, the survivors are asking Uber to implement driver training on interactions with passengers, a zero-tolerance policy for drivers, sexual harassment education and training, and a more adequate system to encourage customer reporting and monitor customer complaints.\n\nAre Uber’s in-app safety features working?\n\nAbrams argues that Uber’s safety features are insufficient because they’re all app-based and only potentially useful if a rider has access to their own phone.\n\n“The majority of clients I represent and the women I’ve spoken to who have been sexually assaulted have experienced: (A) someone else ordered the ride for them; (B) their phone is dead or they can’t locate their phone to use the safety shield; or (C) if they could use their phone, they’re incapacitated,” said Abrams.\n\nThe lawyer says she has interviewed upward of 5,000 survivors over the course of several years and has seen no difference in the number of attacks before or after implementation of these in-app features.\n\nUber hasn’t released safety data for 2021 and 2022, and won’t say when it plans to do so. Older data backs up some of Abrams’ claims.\n\nUber has published two safety reports — one containing data from 2017 to 2018 and another with data from 2019 to 2020. The ride-hail company claims that the rate of sexual assault reported on the app decreased 38% between its first and second reports.\n\nWhile the rate decrease is positive, not all the data delivers the same message. Over that same time period, the total number of sexual assault reports across five categories fell from 5,981 to 3,824. That drop could be explained by the decrease of trips from 1.4 billion in 2019 to 650 million in 2020.\n\nAnd while the total number of incidents as a percentage of total number of rides does decrease through the years, the number of incidents in certain categories actually increases. The number of incidents increased in the categories of nonconsensual kissing, nonconsensual touching and nonconsensual penetration, or rape, between 2017 and 2019.\n\nThe total number of rape incidents also rose from 2017 to 2019. And while the number of reported rapes dropped in 2020, the rate has remained the same since 2017. In other words, there has not been an improvement in the rate of rapes on the platform.\n\nSexual assaults are an ongoing problem for Uber\n\nUber has been sued numerous times over the past few years by passengers who claim they were sexually assaulted during a ride. Lyft has faced similar lawsuits and accusations.\n\nUnder Uber’s terms of use, class action lawsuits can’t be filed against the company in cases of sexual assault, so each case has to be heard individually. This has prevented survivors from advocating for themselves collectively.\n\nJudge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California will preside over pretrial hearings. This will be the first time a federal judge is able to make decisions for a large amount of these cases, which will streamline the proceedings. Breyer may preside over the trials depending on whether the parties agree. If the parties do not agree to have Judge Breyer preside of the case for trial, the cases go back to their home jurisdiction for trial.\n\nAnother consolidated lawsuit has also been filed against Uber in California, but it only covers survivors in that state.\n\nUber has attempted, through several filings for motions to dismiss, to stop the consolidation of these cases. It argues that the company did not owe a duty to the plaintiffs to protect against criminal conduct. Lawyers representing the survivors will have to prove that Uber owed a duty of care to passengers, including the duty of taking reasonable precautions to ensure their safety.\n\nThe pretrial matters, including witness and expert depositions and document discovery, will be heard by Judge Charles Breyer. Abrams expects the timeline of the proceedings to last over the next one to two years.", + "With legal sports betting now at your fingertips in over 30 states, it’s easier than ever to bet on basketball at one of the best NBA betting sites.\n\nThe NBA gives you plenty of games, teams and players to bet on across hundreds of odds markets. As a bettor, you'll want to find the best NBA betting lines night after night plus NBA futures markets from NBA Finals odds to Rookie of the Year odds.\n\nSee below for where to look and more on betting on the NBA at the best sports betting sites.\n\nBest NBA betting sites for 2023\n\nWhen it comes to betting on the NBA, you can choose any online betting site and have plenty of odds to choose from.\n\nYou can bet everything from moneylines, totals, and point spreads to player props for scoring, rebounding, and assists, or futures bets like odd to win the Eastern Conference or individual award winners like NBA MVP odds.\n\nHere are our favorite sportsbooks for NBA betting.\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook for NBA betting\n\nDraftKings is one of the most recognizable names in online sports betting, notably for its frequent promos to enhance NBA odds. The platform boasts a diverse range of prop bets tailored to the most prominent NBA players and provides a seamless live NBA betting experience through its app.\n\nFor newcomers, DraftKings has a lucrative offer. Upon joining, there's no need for a special code to take advantage of a promo with a total promotional value of up to $1,200.\n\nIn the past, DraftKings has run special promotions tailored to NBA enthusiasts. One such offer allowed customers to earn $200 in bonus bets simply by placing a $5 bet on any NBA Finals game. This highlights the company's commitment to delivering value for its dedicated betting community.\n\nFanDuel Sportsbook for NBA betting\n\nFanDuel is another name that resonates strongly within the NBA betting community, garnering popularity and success akin to its counterpart, DraftKings.\n\nAlongside the standard NBA odds you'd expect, FanDuel stands out with its expansive selection of NBA players and game props. It also has a unique feature allowing users to create same-game parlays. This lets bettors combine NBA moneylines, totals, and props, crafting a personalized betting experience tailored to their predictions and preferences.\n\nNewcomers to FanDuel’s online sportsbook can typically claim $150 in bonus bets. They may offer three months of NBA League Pass to sweeten the deal further. Claiming this promotion is straightforward: there's no need for a special FanDuel promo code. Prospective bettors must sign up, deposit, and place a $5 bet to be eligible.\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook for NBA betting\n\nBetMGM is known for its comprehensive odds markets, and the online sportsbook, coupled with its intuitive betting app, caters to a vast range of betting markets for all the premier sports. However, their NBA betting shines through as a significant highlight.\n\nSetting it apart from the competition, BetMGM's sports betting app is the only one that offers live streaming of NBA games, so you can watch the action as you bet.\n\nNBA promotions are abundant at BetMGM. Past promotions have included \"bet $10, get $200.\" Under this promotion, bettors receive 20-1 odds, and their bet is deemed victorious as long as a single three-point field goal is scored in the game.\n\nFor a new account, the BetMGM Sportsbook usually has a bonus of up to $1,500. If your first bet loses you can still get the value back in bonus bets.\n\nBetRivers Sportsbook for NBA betting\n\nFor those who like both sports betting and online casino games, BetRivers has an integrated app to switch between the two using a singular account.\n\nBetRivers doesn't just stop at offering an integrated platform; they've also introduced the iRush Rewards program to elevate the betting experience. Unique in its approach, this program allows users to earn points as they place bets on sports.\n\nWhat makes it particularly appealing is the flexibility: accumulated points can be utilized on BetRivers' online casino\n\nDedicated promotions are a hallmark of BetRivers, and their engagement with NBA fans is evident. A past promotion, dubbed \"NBA Wednesdays,\" allowed users to wager up to $25 on any NBA game scheduled on a Wednesday.\n\nThe sweetener? A 20% profit boost if the bet was successful. New accounts typically can claim a second-chance bet that could reach up to $500, although this amount might differ based on the state.\n\nHow to sign up with a sportsbook and bet on the NBA online\n\nYou must open an account to bet on basketball at the top NBA betting sites. The good news is it is easy, quick, and free.\n\nYou can sign up and start betting using a laptop, phone or tablet. Use our links to access the sportsbook of your choice to get the best sports betting bonus available.\n\nOnce you’ve chosen your sportsbook, signing up for a new account takes a few simple steps.\n\nIt doesn’t matter which state you live in when you sign up for an account, but remember that you have to be within the state lines where sports betting is legal to make wagers.\n\nWhen you click “sign up” or “register” at a sportsbook, you’ll be asked for some identifying information, and that will include:\n\nFirst and last name\n\nDate of birth\n\nHome address\n\nPhone number\n\nPreferred email address\n\nUsername and password\n\nSocial Security number\n\nOnce you’ve finished supplying your personal information, you’ll be asked to accept the sportsbook's terms and conditions. From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).\n\nIf you need to use a bonus or promo code, enter it at this stage. Once you’ve signed up, make your initial deposit, and you’re ready to start NBA betting.\n\nSee more: Best NBA betting promos\n\nWhat to look for in an NBA betting site\n\nHere are some key factors to consider:\n\nDeposits and Payouts:\n\nCheck if funds are available instantly after depositing.\n\nUnderstand the variety of deposit methods the sportsbook offers.\n\nFor payouts, know the withdrawal methods and wait times.\n\nBe aware of any limits or restrictions on withdrawals.\n\nNBA Odds:\n\nAlways select betting sites offering the best NBA odds for long-term benefits.\n\nOdds can differ among sportsbooks; getting the best deal can increase your winnings.\n\nFor instance, consider using both if one book offers the Boston Celtics at +800 and another at +1500.\n\nUser Experience:\n\nAssess how easy it is to navigate the site.\n\nGauge the efficiency of customer support.\n\nEnsure the site has a responsible gaming section.\n\nThe overall user experience should be smooth and hassle-free.\n\nSafety and Security:\n\nTop NBA betting sites prioritize users' safety.\n\nEnsure your personal information is secure.\n\nSome sportsbooks excel in ensuring cybersecurity; always go for those with solid reputations.\n\nHow to find the best NBA lines\n\nNot all sportsbook betting odds are created equal. If you're willing to put in some legwork, you can shop for the best NBA lines to maximize your potential return.\n\nMovement in the odds depends on multiple factors, including team news, injuries, public betting, recent play, and even the number of games a team plays in a row.\n\nOddsmakers use all the available information to craft their lines, and you can find value in shopping around for the most favorable lines and odds.\n\nYou can use our NBA odds page (see link above) to find the best lines for your prospective bet, or you can open accounts at multiple sportsbooks and do the shopping yourself.\n\nEither way, the line shopping strategy is designed to help you maximize your potential return.\n\nNBA live betting\n\nThanks to the increased popularity of online sports betting apps, in-game betting has exploded nationwide. Also known as live betting, in-game betting allows you to bet on a game while it’s unfolding.\n\nThe action is fast, and the odds are constantly shifting, making for a new way to enjoy the flow of a game while still staying engaged as a bettor.\n\nDepending on the sportsbook, there is usually a strong variety of live betting opportunities. You’ll find game and player prop bets like whether the next bucket will be worth one, two, or three points.\n\nYou can bet on the team leading at the end of the current quarter or on whether there will be a comeback victory. You can even boil live betting down to the results of the next possession.\n\nThe most popular sportsbook apps, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, offer NBA in-game betting, though each has its lines and betting opportunities.\n\nWhat makes NBA betting special or unique?\n\nBasketball odds are known to fluctuate more than those of other sports. The factors that play into those lines shifting can range from having only a few impact players per team to the sheer frequency of games.\n\nBy following a single team, you can track its momentum swings, which players tend to get on hot or cold streaks, or how well they play at home vs. on the road. You can use that information to your advantage for both pre-game and live wagers.\n\nSimilar categories of moneylines, spreads, totals, and NBA prop bets should appear across both formats.\n\nThe NBA is also special because of the number of bets available for every game, ranging from pre-game to live betting and parlays.\n\nWhen you add up the standard bets, game props, player props, in-game betting, and more, there’s a staggering volume of bets for every NBA game at online sportsbooks.\n\nSee more: Best NCAA basketball betting sites\n\n2023-24 NBA Season\n\nOctober 24 Regular season begins November 3 - December 9 In-season tournament February 16-18 All-Star Weekend 2024 April 14 Regular season ends April 16-19 Play-in tournament April 20 Playoffs begin June 6 NBA Finals Game 1\n\nNBA spreads, money lines, and over/unders\n\nFor anyone new to NBA betting, the staple wager types are:\n\nNBA point spreads: Bet on games via margins of victory or loss. Say the New York Knicks are -7.5 favorites over the Miami Heat. That means the Knicks need to win the game by 8 points to win a spread bet. On the other hand, the Heat can lose by up to 7 points (or win outright).\n\nNBA moneylines: The simplest form of betting. You pick the winner of the game, and if you’re right, you’ll get paid out based on the odds when you finalize your bet slip. Favorites to win the game are shown negative odds, such as -135, while the underdogs will have positive odds, like +165.\n\nNBA over/under bets: Also known as totals. These bets are focused on the combined point total of the two teams playing in a game. (Winners and losers don’t matter.) For example, the over/under could be set at 211.5 points in the Knicks vs. Heat matchup. If you were to pick the over on the bet, you’d need the two teams to combine for 212 points or more to win. They need to score 211 points or fewer if you went with the under.\n\nNBA props and futures\n\nNBA player and team props are growing in popularity. Sportsbooks are taking note and providing more NBA props than ever.\n\nAfter all, it’s much easier to focus on a single player and how he will perform than the entire team. Player props could focus on how many points a player scores or how many rebounds he pulls down. These are typically provided in an over/under format.\n\nThen, team props can range from which team will score the first bucket to the total points scored in a quarter to which team will lead at halftime. The selection is often robust, especially when high-profile teams play.\n\nFutures bets are exactly what their name implies: bets on events that will happen in the future. Common futures markets include:\n\nand much more. You can usually bet on NBA futures odds throughout the year, including well before the season starts and throughout the regular season. The further away from the event, the more likely you will find heavier odds in your favor.\n\nIs NBA betting legal in the U.S.?\n\nIn the US, the landscape of sports betting, specifically NBA betting, has evolved considerably. While NBA betting is permitted, its legality varies across the nation. The significant turning point came in 2018 when the US Supreme Court made a pivotal decision. It overturned a longstanding federal law and allowed individual states the autonomy to determine their own sports betting regulations.\n\nThis groundbreaking decision sparked a wave of change. Since that landmark ruling, over 30 states have embraced sports betting, including wagers on the NBA. For those residing or visiting betting-friendly states, the experience promises fairness and security.\n\nState-regulated online betting platforms are in place, ensuring that bettors receive fair odds. Furthermore, these platforms adhere to strict standards, ensuring a safe and transparent betting environment for everyone involved.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "When it comes to headphones and true wireless earbuds, there are a ton of brands and products to choose from. However, the sheer range of available models can also make them difficult to shop for, especially since many of them cater to different lifestyles, budgets, and priorities. Some are better suited for long-haul flights and vigorous workouts, for instance, while others let you tune out noise so you can focus better.\n\nThat’s why we’ve curated a list of the best headphone and earbud deals available. Here, you’ll find sales on all kinds of earbuds and over-ear headphones, all of which come with their own strengths and weaknesses. And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together guides to the best wireless earbuds and best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which pair is right for you.\n\nBest Apple deals\n\nAirPods Pro (second-gen) deals\n\nIf you own an iPhone or multiple Apple products, the second-gen AirPods Pro are probably your best bet when it comes to wireless earbuds. In comparison to the base AirPods, the Pros offer better sound quality and feature active noise cancellation, not to mention seamless integration with iOS and a MagSafe-compatible charging case.\n\nIn 2022, Apple launched a new pair of AirPods Pro with improved sound quality and better noise cancellation. They also include onboard volume controls and a new MagSafe charging case, one that can beep if you ever misplace it thanks to its deeper Find My integration. The earbuds even come with an extra swappable tip for smaller ears.\n\nOne year later, Apple released the updated AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. Along with USB-C support, the buds also offer an even more robust IP54 rating for water and sweat resistance. Plus, when paired with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, they support lossless audio.\n\nDuring Black Friday, we saw steep discounts on both versions of the latest AirPods Pro, with retailers taking up to $60 off. However, these deals have since disappeared, and you can only buy the AirPods Pro without USB-C for $189.99 in-store from the Micro Center. The second best discount is available at B&H Photo, where anybody can order the 2022 buds without USB-C for $229 ($20 off). The buds with USB-C support, meanwhile, are only $3 off at $237 from Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo— though Best Buy’s Plus and Total members can save $12.50.\n\nAirPods (second-gen) deals\n\nAlternatively, you can buy a pair of the second-gen AirPods with a wired charging case. Their sound quality isn’t quite up to par with newer models, however, they remain the cheapest Apple earbuds on the market and continue to pair seamlessly with a range of Apple products thanks to their built-in H1 chip. The entry-level AirPods normally retail for $129, but you can currently get them for $99 at Amazon and Walmart.\n\nThe second-gen AirPods are a lot harder to get ahold of with a MagSafe charging case, however, unless you’re shopping for a used or refurbished pair of earbuds. Luckily, though, you can still buy them in new condition at Adorama for $119.99 ($30 off).\n\nAirPods (third-gen) deals\n\nLast on Apple’s wireless earbuds block are the third-gen AirPods, which represent the latest iteration of the base model. They blend a bit of the AirPods Pro look with the hard plastic build of the second-gen model; they also offer IPX4 water resistance and improved sound quality over the latter, even if they are still lacking in the low end.\n\nRight now, you can buy the third-gen AirPods with either a MagSafe charging case or a Lightning-only charging case. The option with the wired charging case is on sale at Amazon for $164 ($5 off). You can also pick up the wireless earbuds with a MagSafe charging case from Staples and Costco (if you’re a member) for $169.95, which is just $6 more and a better deal overall.\n\nAirPods Max deals\n\nIf you’re looking for some of the best sound quality you can get in a pair of noise-canceling headphones, we recommend the AirPods Max. The headphones pair seamlessly with other Apple devices and sound superb, especially combined with Apple’s spatial audio feature, which allows for a more immersive experience when listening to or watching compatible content. Unfortunately, they don’t support lossless audio, but they do tout the best transparency mode of all the headphones on our list. They also boast incredible build quality thanks to a luxe design that opts for aluminum, steel, and fabric over plastic.\n\nWith an MSRP of $549, the AirPods Max are expensive, but they’re often on sale for far less. Right now, for instance, the headphones are down to $479.99 ($70 off) at Amazon, albeit in select colors, as well as Best Buy.\n\nBest Beats deals\n\nBeats Studio Pro\n\nAfter six years, Apple-owned Beats replaced the Beats Studio 3 with the Beats Studio Pro earlier this year. The over-ears offer much better sound quality thanks to new features like support for lossless audio over USB-C. They also cancel noise out much better, while you can take advantage of iOS and Android features like Fast Pair and Google’s Find My Device platform. The Beats Studio Pro normally go for $349.99, but right now they are on sale for $271.15 in blue at Amazon, while you can get them in other colors for $299.99 from Best Buy and Verizon.\n\nBeats Fit Pro deals\n\nThe Beats Fit Pro are the latest fitness earbuds from Apple and offer a sportier design and better sound than the first-gen AirPods Pro. The wing tips help to keep them in place when you’re active, while also ensuring they remain comfortable over long listening sessions. Their functionality with Android phones is slightly limited, but if you use an iPhone, you get all the conveniences of Apple’s H1 chip and deeper OS integration and connectivity. Their only real downside is that the included charging case is overly large and lacks wireless charging (which is more forgivable at lower price points).\n\nBest Sony deals\n\nSony WH-1000XM5\n\nThey aren’t a huge departure from the previous model, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 are still our favorite pair of noise-canceling headphones. The XM5s improve on all of the features that made the XM4s so awesome by providing better active noise cancellation, improving the voice call quality, and boosting the overall sound of the already excellent headphones. While the lack of new features is a bit disappointing, the Sony XM5s remain one of our top recommendations for anyone looking for a premium pair of noise-canceling headphones.\n\nRight now you can buy the headphones for around $328 ($70 off) from B&H Photo, Best Buy, and Target.\n\nSony WH-1000XM4 deals\n\nThe WH-1000XM5’s predecessor, Sony’s WH-1000XM4, are still a terrific pair of headphones even if they’re older. They offer excellent noise cancellation, good sound, and the ability to pair to two devices simultaneously. You can wear them for long periods as well, as their plush ear pads make them comfortable to wear for as long as you need. Frequent travelers will appreciate their ability to fold up much more compactly than Sony’s newer model. They even last up to 30 hours on a single charge and charge via USB-C.\n\nSony LinkBuds deals\n\nThe Sony LinkBuds are a clear departure from conventional earbuds, one that uses an “open-style” donut-shaped design instead of the more typical silicone ear tips. This allows for better spatial awareness and, for some, a more comfortable fit. The LinkBuds also provide crisp sound quality and excellent voice call performance. (Though, as a result of their design, they aren’t very practical in louder environments.) Possibly the coolest feature, though, are the controls, which allow you to tap the side of your head to control them instead of the earbud itself. They’re certainly very Sony.\n\nNormally $179.99, you can currently get a pair of the LinkBuds for around $138 from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and direct from Sony.\n\nSony LinkBuds S deals\n\nOne more intriguing pair of earbuds from Sony are the LinkBuds S, which don’t look as peculiar as the regular LinkBuds but are some of the comfiest earbuds around. A big part of this is due to their lightweight build, which amounts to just 4.8 grams per bud. They also offer active noise cancellation and support for Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec, which allows for higher-quality audio streaming. Normally $199.99, the LinkBuds S are on sale for around $148 at Amazon and Target.\n\nSony WH-CH720N deals\n\nIf you’re looking for noise-canceling headphones for under $150, Sony’s WH-CH720N might be worth a look. The budget-friendly headphones come with adjustable noise cancellation and are exceptionally light, which allows for a more comfortable fit. They also feature Bluetooth support and offer up to 35 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, though they lack support for Sony’s higher-quality LDAC codec.\n\nThe headphones typically retail for $149, but right now, you can buy them in various colors for around $98 from Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.\n\nSony WH-CH720N $ 98 $ 150 35 % off $ 98 $ 98 $ 150 35 % off Sony’s wireless headphones offer noise cancellation and up to 35 hours of battery life on a single charge. They also come in blue, white, and black. $98 at Amazon$100 at Best Buy\n\nSony WF-C700N deals\n\nThe WF-C700N are another pair of noise-canceling earbuds from Sony and are currently available for $89.99 from Amazon and Best Buy. They’re an exceptionally comfortable pair of earbuds with decent sound quality and support for an array of useful software features, including Fast Pair support on Android as well as location-based sound settings. Admittedly, their noise cancellation doesn’t truly drown out the world, but it does eliminate some sound. Voice call quality isn’t particularly impressive, either, but if you just need an affordable pair of earbuds to help you tune out some noise, the WF-C700N should do just fine.\n\nBest Bose deals\n\nBose QuietComfort Headphones and Bose QuietComfort 45 deals\n\nEarlier this fall, Bose rehauled its lineup and replaced the Bose QuietComfort 45 with Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones. With the new headphones, you can now adjust noise cancellation levels and set custom modes. The over-ears also now come in green.\n\nWe haven’t tested Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones, but our headphone reviewer Chris Welch says they’re otherwise extremely similar to the QuietComfort 45. They’re foldable, so you can easily carry them around with you, and exceptionally comfortable. Battery life sits at 24 hours as well, meaning you needn’t worry about constantly having to charge them. The transparency mode comes in handy when you need to be more aware of your surroundings, like when you’re about to cross the street.\n\nRight now, you can buy the newer Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $249 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. Alternatively, you can pick up the Bose QuietComfort 45 for $229 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy and Target.\n\nBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 deals\n\nUnlike Bose’s entry-level QuietComfort Headphones, the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones offer higher-quality Bluetooth codecs and an immersive audio mode — which is essentially Bose’s version of spatial audio. They also improve upon the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 with a foldable design, better call quality, and more effective noise cancellation. Along with new physical controls, like a volume slider, the over-ears sport a new spatial audio listening mode, Plus, they boast improved call quality, which is saying something given Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 were already exemplary in this respect.\n\nRight now, you can buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for $379 ($50 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. You can alternatively buy Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 for $279 ($100 off) from Best Buy and Bose.\n\nBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II deals\n\nBose also recently replaced the excellent Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds. When it comes to noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra outperform all other earbuds on the market. While the buds are very similar in design, fit, and sound to their predecessor, they now support immersive audio, better voice call quality, and new silicone stabilizer wings that are easier to apply. Sadly, however, they continue to lack multipoint support and don't come with a built-in wireless charging case.\n\nWe recently saw the Bose QuietComfort Ultra drop down to $249, but right now you can only buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for $279 ($20 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. Alternatively, you can buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for $199 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Bose.\n\nRead our reviews of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.\n\nBest Google deals\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro deals\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds Pro are another good pair of noise-canceling earbuds, particularly for Pixel phone owners. The wireless earbuds offer terrific sound quality and battery life, along with useful features like multipoint Bluetooth connectivity. If you own a Pixel phone, you’ll also get access to exclusive features like head-tracking spatial audio and easy access to their settings menu.\n\nRight now, they’re on sale for around $119.99 ($80 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series deals\n\nGoogle also sells a cheaper pair of earbuds, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series. They offer good sound and voice call quality, along with perks like Google Assistant and an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance. Just bear in mind there are some tradeoffs when opting for a cheaper set of earbuds, as the A-Series lack noise cancellation, wireless charging, and are more prone to the occasional connection hiccup.\n\nAt the moment, you can pick them up on sale for $83.34 ($17 off) at Amazon, a far cry from their all-time low of $58.98.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series $ 83 $ 100 17 % off $ 83 $ 83 $ 100 17 % off The Pixel Buds A-Series deliver good comfort, impressive audio quality, and hands-free Google Assistant voice controls for under $100. $83 at Amazon\n\nBest Samsung deals\n\nSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro deals\n\nSamsung has a few different wireless earbuds to choose from. Its most high-end pair, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, launched last year. They’re a good option if you’re an Android user or Samsung devotee who wants a pair of premium earbuds, with top-notch sound quality that’s even better than their predecessor. Samsung Galaxy phone owners can also take advantage of higher bit rate audio, while everybody can enjoy good active noise cancellation and a relatively robust IPX7 sweat and water resistance.\n\nYou can currently buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on sale for $169.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.\n\nSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 deals\n\nSamsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 are a good-sounding pair of earbuds with active noise cancellation, wireless charging, and a subtle design. Right now, the best price around is at Best Buy, where you can grab a pair for $89.99 ($60 off). You can also buy them for about $10 more from Amazon. Walmart, and Verizon. That’s not a bad price for Samsung’s entry-level buds, which hit above their weight class with noise cancellation and good audio quality.\n\nVerge Deals on X (formerly known as Twitter) / Join over 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us!\n\nBest Jabra deals\n\nJabra Elite 10 deals\n\nJabra’s Elite 10 are the company’s most premium pair of wireless earbuds. They feature a new semi-open design that should be more comfortable, along with Dolby Spatial Audio with head tracking. We’re still in the process of testing these earbuds, but Jabra says they also offer its most powerful active noise cancellation yet. Their new drivers, meanwhile, should also provide more detailed and richer sound. At the same time, they continue to retain perks like wireless charging, multipoint Bluetooth support, and are IP57-rated for water resistance.\n\nRegularly $249.99, you can currently buy the Jabra Elite 10 for $199.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Jabra.\n\nJabra Elite 8 Active deals\n\nJabra’s Elite 8 Active are a pair of fitness-focused earbuds and the successor to the excellent Elite 7 Active. They’re a terrific pair of earbuds if you like to go for runs, with more robust IP68 rating water resistance than their predecessor and adaptive ANC. Plus, unlike similar offerings from Beats and Anker, the Elite 8 Active offer a secure fit without the need for added hooks or fins. At the same time, they retain the essentials, like support for multipoint and wireless charging.\n\nNormally $199.99, they’re currently on sale for $149.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Jabra.\n\nJabra Elite 4 Active deals\n\nIf you prefer a more affordable pair of earbuds that are geared toward working out, there’s also Jabra’s Elite 4 Active. They come with IP57 water resistance and active noise cancellation (though you can’t adjust it) but lack wireless charging. However, if you’re fine without the extra bells and whistles, you can buy them for $69.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Walmart.\n\nBest Sennheiser deals\n\nSennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 deals\n\nIf you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones with superb battery life, Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 4 are your best option. These headphones are capable of lasting up to 60 hours on a single charge. They also sound terrific, offer multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, and match the Sony WH-1000XM5 — our favorite noise-canceling headphones — in terms of comfort. They may not boast physical controls or the stylish, retro-inspired design their predecessor had, but they do offer improved noise cancellation (even if it isn’t quite on par with that of Sony or Bose’s offerings).\n\nThe Momentum Wireless 4 typically sell for $379.95, but right now you can buy them for $269.89 at Amazon and for $30 more at Best Buy.\n\nBest UE deals\n\nUE Fits deals\n\nAfter testing a pair for ourselves, we remarked in our review that the UE Fits were the most comfortable consumer earbuds on the market. That’s because, unlike the other wireless earbuds on this list, the UE Fits are uniquely capable of permanently molding to the shape of your ears in just 60 seconds, making them a great choice for those concerned their earbuds may come loose or fall out. We also found that they offer good sound quality, as well as lengthy, eight-hour battery life. Normally $199, you can get them right now for $149.99 direct from Ultimate Ears.\n\nUE Fits $ 150 $ 199 25 % off $ 150 $ 150 $ 199 25 % off The UE Fits come with ear tips that permanently mold to the unique shape of your ears in just 60 seconds. This allows for a much better fit that you can comfortably wear for hours. $150 at Ultimate Ears\n\nBest Anker deals\n\nAnker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro deals\n\nAnker’s Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro are another solid pair of noise-canceling earbuds that are relatively affordable. In addition to active noise cancellation and long battery life, the earbuds boast powerful sound with support for the higher-quality LDAC codec. They also come with multipoint Bluetooth support, IPX4 water resistance, and a wide selection of ear and wing tips.\n\nRegularly $169.99, they’re on sale right now for $99.99 at Amazon and $10 more from Walmart.\n\nBest Nothing deals\n\nNothing Ear Stick deals\n\nIf you like the new Beats Studio Buds Plus because of their transparent look, Nothing’s Ear Stick earbuds are a cheaper option that’s currently available for $59 ($40 off) from Nothing. They’re not quite as capable as the Beats and lack premium features like active noise cancellation, but they’re certainly stylish thanks to their see-through design and tube-like charging case. The open-style earbuds also deliver good sound, along with improved battery life and better voice call quality than their predecessor.\n\nNothing Ear Stick $ 59 $ 99 40 % off $ 59 $ 59 $ 99 40 % off Nothing’s delightful pair of earbuds are both balanced and fun, with an open-style design that helps ensure you can always hear the world around you. $59 at Nothing\n\nBest Amazon Echo deals\n\nAmazon Echo Buds (second-gen and third-gen) deals\n\nThe 2021 edition of the Amazon Echo Buds are a great value. Amazon’s second-generation true wireless earbuds offer improved comfort and better noise cancellation than their predecessor, along with a terrific passthrough mode that ensures you can always hear what’s going on around you. The $119.99 earbuds also feature hands-free Alexa support and sound that’s remarkably satisfying, with more bass than the AirPods Pro and an appropriate amount of restraint when it comes to the high end.\n\nEarlier this year, Amazon also introduced the third-generation Echo Buds which are significantly cheaper at just $44.99. They lack noise cancellation but feature a lightweight, open-ear design that should feel more comfortable.\n\nThe second-gen Amazon Echo Buds are on sale at Amazon and Best Buy with the wired charging case for $64.99 ($54 off). The same Echo Buds with a wireless charging case is $85.99 (also $55 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, you can purchase the third-generation Echo Buds for $34.99 ($15 off) from Amazon, which matches their all-time low price.\n\nAmazon Echo Buds (third-generation, 2023) $ 35 $ 50 30 % off $ 35 $ 35 $ 50 30 % off Amazon’s newest Echo Buds lack ANC but feature a semi-open design that should make it easier to remain aware of your surroundings. They also integrate with Alexa and support multipoint pairing. $35 at Amazon", + "As the seconds ticked down at the end of a Champions League season‑ender that felt like a gentle, even quite tender, act of sporting euthanasia, the only noise inside Old Trafford was the sound of the Bayern Munich fans singing an impressively sustained version of Football’s Coming Home. A little later they sang Is This A Library? Actually, no, it’s more of a museum. They chanted “Auf Wiedersehen” at the departing members of the home support who, frankly, had done pretty well to stick it out to that point.\n\nThe good news for Erik ten Hag at the end of this low-fi 1-0 defeat is that United’s players didn’t lie down and die at Old Trafford. Instead they stood up and died, running hard and creating a kind of simulacrum of a functioning elite team.\n\nThis was not a group of players in revolt or drained of spirit. They looked like what they are, a muddled creation, stitched together out of parts and off-cuts. In the second half United’s back five was André Onana, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Raphaël Varane and Diogo Dalot, an entirely random collection of players signed, at various times, by Ten Hag, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Alex Ferguson. Presumably Daley Thompson, Michael Portillo and Howard from Take That were busy.\n\nBy the end United had five academy players on the pitch, ages ranged between 17 and 35, in outline evidence of internal good health, in reality another symptom of a machine that wants to function properly but has for so long been made to judder along at half-speed. Ever feel like you’re starting to slip into the past tense for good? When VAR happens at Old Trafford there isn’t even a VAR screen to say “VAR Check”. The 1990s were a hell of a decade. They still are around here.\n\n'We've lost decisive players': Ten Hag says injuries were key to Champions League exit – video\n\nSo much for the good news then. The bad news is that Ten Hag’s United have now compiled arguably the worst performance by any English team in a Champions League group stage. OK, it’s no Blackburn Rovers. But there are extra marks here for United’s pedigree, for the fact the group really wasn’t much of a group, and for United managing to finish bottom, shipping 15 goals in the process, more than any other English team ever.\n\nPlus of course there were just so many moments of farce along the way, a six-part saga of chaos, collapse and laughter in the dark. We remember Onana diving out of the way of the ball in Munich. We remember Onana also diving out of the way of the ball in Istanbul. Casemiro’s red card, lost leads in Manchester, Marcus Rashford unfairly convicted of a venomous stamp in Copenhagen, when frankly, he’s just not that kind of semi-interested footballer.\n\nAnd yet with both group games blank at half-time United were still just one goal away here from going through to the last 16, which really would have made for an excellent punchline. It wasn’t to be. For all their own flaws Bayern are basically a good version of whatever it is United are attempting to piece together. Kimmich‑Goretzka‑Musiala is an A grade version of Amrabat‑McTominay‑Fernandes. Manuel Neuer is the thing Onana is trying so earnestly to be. Bayern actually did go ahead and sign Harry Kane.\n\nHarry Kane (centre) and his Bayern Munich teammates applaud fans after their Champions League victory at Old Trafford. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA\n\nThey held the ball nicely, probed in neat, clipped, mannered attacks. A lot seemed to hinge on how desperately Bayern felt the need to twist that scalpel, whether they could really be bothered to take this thing to the wall. United defended well. Their waves of pressing drew waves of applause. Everyone here seemed to be trying.\n\nBut with 58 minutes gone Copenhagen scored and United’s hopes began to slip beneath the waves. Just over 10 minutes later Bayern made it 1-0 in Manchester. Kingsley Coman got it, granted a huge expanse of time and space in front of the United goal, enough to set himself, as though taking a penalty, and belt the ball into the corner. The moment was made by a delightfully sneaky round‑the‑corner pass from Kane. After all that pressure, all that tender hope, it looked a bit like a training goal.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nAnd that was pretty much that. From here United’s season continues to narrow. They can’t win the league now, can’t win the Champions League, can’t win the Carabao Cup. They still have the FA Cup, and the extended pursuit of fourth or even fifth place, although the state of the coefficient means the thing that might keep Manchester United out of Europe next season could be Manchester United being so bad in Europe this season. Maybe City can revive their fortunes by winning the Champions League again.\n\nTen Hag will take the blame of course for the early exit and plenty of mistakes have been made, not least in the players the manager has been allowed to sign. In reality assessing the job any United manager does with this team involves applying a series of filters. To be United manager is to undertake three concurrent roles.\n\nFirst you must manage the past, which is constantly in the room and which skews every act, achievement and expectation. Second you must manage the dysfunction of the present, which expresses itself in every detail from a leaking stadium roof to the deep ills of a playing squad peopled with squatters and long‑term missteps.\n\nFinally you get to manage the everyday metrics on which you will be judged; team, results, style, energy, messaging. Win things, improve players, create a coherent and happy internal culture: but do it during an unceasing takeover circus while star players sulk and brief against you, while the ghost of Hamlet’s father still skulks in the eaves. This felt like the end of one thing, perhaps even the beginning of the end of something else.", + "What a difference two days make. Somehow Tuesday’s ludicrous, record-smashing, high-scoring entertainment was followed by a sequel on the same surface that eventually delivered thrilling low-scoring entertainment, and a different result claimed in very different style. It was eventually won for West Indies with four balls to spare and in the most unfitting of ways – with a massive six – by Shai Hope, again proving himself the right man for a run-chase.\n\nSo a series marked by stunning power hitting, roaring run rates and an unexpected midway transformation in England’s performances and prospects concluded with a 3-2 triumph for West Indies, who extended their supremacy over England at home to four series in three formats across nearly five years.\n\nEngland assembled exactly the same players in exactly the same place and exactly the same situation – losing the toss, put in to bat – but this was an entirely different performance. A wicket once so true turned untrustworthy and they struggled to a score of 132, less than half the 267 to which they had joyously motored just 48 hours previously. And though the home side’s response was anything but overwhelming, neither was the result ever in significant doubt.\n\n“We’ve had some high-scoring games, but the last game was almost the complete opposite of what happened here,” Reece Topley said. “We were probably just under par with the first-innings score but with the ball we were excellent, pushed them right to the end. I think it’s been an amazing series. Both teams have played some unbelievable cricket. I was so excited turning up today, because it was basically a final and those are the games you want to play in and be on the right side of. The bottom line is you want to win this series, I want to win every series I can for England.”\n\nOften there is a sense as a tour enters its final days of thoughts turning to home, and perhaps the focus was not as laser-sharp as it might have been for this game, determination less than absolute to grasp this opportunity to end England’s run of reverses in the Caribbean. Whatever the reason, the pyrotechnics that rocketed England to victory in the two previous matches never sparked in this one. It took a fabulous delivery from Gudakesh Motie to end Phil Salt’s run of absurd form with his score a modest 38, but some of the other wickets that fell during the period that defined England’s innings and the game seemed a little careless.\n\nIn the fourth over Jos Buttler casually turned a Jason Holder delivery to fine leg, where Oshane Thomas was positioned, hands cupped. Harry Brook tried to paddle-sweep Motie but sent the ball only a few feet into the air, giving Nicholas Pooran an easy catch. That made it 70 for four and the game was one ball into its ninth over, at which point Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali had to focus for a while on disaster prevention rather than entertainment.\n\nGudakesh Motie is embraced his his West Indies teammates after dismissing England’s in-form Phil Salt. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images\n\nSuddenly bowlers were energised by the prospect of posting, for a change, less-than-humiliating figures. Akeal Hosein’s were outstanding, his four overs going for just 20 and bringing the wickets of Will Jacks and Moeen, undone by a relay catch on the boundary after combining with Livingstone to add 40 for the fifth wicket. Livingstone followed precisely two overs later, prodding the ball limply back into the hands of Motie, at which point things really fell apart, the last five wickets surrendered in 20 balls for just 11 runs.\n\nJust as surely as when they came out on Tuesday facing an almost unachievable task, the outcome of the West Indies’ run chase seemed inevitable from the start. With such a meagre target they needed little more than to keep their heads, and though both Topley and Sam Curran conceded only two with their final overs to push the contest into its final over, that never looked in doubt.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Spin Free weekly newsletter Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s action Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nQuick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.\n\nIf you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.\n\nIn the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.\n\nTurn on sport notifications. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.\n\nHalfway through their innings they were 62 for three, and if England had 15 more runs at the same point they had also made a complete hash of the rest of it. That was a trap which, thanks to Hope’s 43-ball 43 as he again steered his side to their target, West Indies avoided. This batting display may have lacked their usual flamboyance but until the final ball it was entirely appropriate for the occasion.\n\nAmid the wider theme of transformation Adil Rashid’s excellence remains constant. The 35-year-old, who rose to the top of the T20 bowling rankings for the first time on Wednesday, took two wickets and conceded just 21 while Topley was even better, also claiming a pair of victims but conceding only 17. England take plenty of positives from this series, but the result was not one.", + "Palo Alto Networks’ stock price has been on the rise on the back of strong earnings and growing demand for cybersecurity services, and now the company is using that momentum to do a little shopping.\n\nTechCrunch has confirmed with multiple sources that Palo Alto is in advanced negotiations to buy not one, but two, security startups out of Israel for around $1 billion altogether to expand its portfolio of services.\n\nSpecifically, it is looking at Talon Cyber Security — which has developed an enterprise browser aimed at security distributed workforces — for between $600 million and $700 million; and Dig Security — a specialist in securing data across public clouds — for between $300 million and $400 million. Palo Alto is publicly traded and currently has a market cap of close to $70 billion.\n\nBoth startups are less than three years old, and in both cases these would be strong outcomes compared to their existing valuations.\n\nTalon has raised around $143 million, and Dig has raised only around $45 million. Respectively, their investors include Entrée Capital, Evolution Equity and LightSpeed; and Signal Fire, Okta, CrowdStrike, Samsung and Felicis. The two share common investors, too: the cybersecurity specialist investors Team8 and Cyverse Capital.\n\nFrom what I understand, Palo Alto approached both startups proactively: neither was in the market to be acquired.\n\nPalo Alto Networks and Dig declined to comment for this story; Talon has yet to respond to us. But multiple sources close to the deal contacted by TechCrunch have confirmed the prices and said that the negotiations are in an advanced phase — although not closed.\n\nFor another steer on the deals in progress, Israeli publication Calcalist has in the past week reported on both of the deals with the same figures we’ve been hearing (here and here).\n\nThe deals underscore some key trends playing out in the cybersecurity industry right now.\n\nFirst and foremost, security continues to be a huge priority for enterprises and smaller businesses.\n\nA McKinsey report from last year notes that breaches are on track to collectively cost $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, a 300% increase on 2015 figures. While a lot of companies have clamped down on spending and IT budgets over the last couple years, security is one area where they have returned to spending even when other categories have remained frozen or constrained.\n\n“For end customers, security is still a big business risk, so budgets are back in action and we’re seeing sales picking up in Q3 and Q4,” one source said. “Security companies will want to tap into this opportunity aggressively.”\n\nSecond, cybersecurity remains a moving target. Malicious hackers are turning to technologies like AI to break into networks, so, as smaller startups come up with new cyber techniques themselves, they become acquisition targets for larger companies looking to stay ahead of the curve.\n\nOther examples of this include CrowdStrike acquiring security startup Bionic for $350 million, and IBM buying Polar earlier this year for $60 million — a deal IBM made, we understand, partly in response to Palo Alto buying Cider Security in 2022.\n\nThere are mega deals in this trend, too, such as Cisco’s plan to buy Splunk for $28 billion.\n\nFor security companies, it becomes a question of competitive edge both against malicious hackers and other security companies. “Palo Alto is buying partly in reaction to these deals,” one source said. Some Palo Alto competitors like Wiz, now valued at $10 billion, are also a part of that competitive threat.\n\nBoth Talon and Dig are working in newer areas of the security market, which would make them especially attractive to a larger acquirer. (We understand that there appeared to be others previously looking at both.)\n\nDig’s efforts in securing data in the cloud, working across fragmented data across multiple clouds, taps into a growing area of the market — cloud spend is one of the only other areas where budgets are not being curtailed right now. It’s a very crowded field, but also a prime opportunity to emerge as a leader in matching solutions to how companies are actually working in the real world.\n\nIn contrast, Talon’s focus on the concept of an enterprise browser — a platform for large organizations to operate all of their apps and services, built from the ground up with security in mind — is still relatively new in the market, but it has already started to catch on big with customers and competitors (Island is another company in the same space, so that’s another one to watch).\n\n“They’re creating a new category that has the potential of being bigger than endpoint security altogether,” one source said. “They’re reinventing the operating system.”\n\nIn the world of IT, the pendulum definitely swings between giant all-in-one platforms and customers opting for best-in-class point solutions. These days in cybersecurity, considering the number of acquisitions we keep hearing about, the swing definitely seems to be in the direction of large platforms, and that is playing out here with these two deals in the works. The big question is how well those doing the buying are digesting these companies and how that gets presented to end users.\n\nA source tells us that customers that are parting ways with Palo Alto these days are doing so in part because “they feel like the product is disconnected” — the company has more than 30 products and services now, and it’s made 17 acquisitions in total. If these two close, the question will be how Palo Alto Networks’ CEO Nikesh Arora plans to present a holistic view of tackling what remains a very fragmented and dangerous threat landscape.", + "The financial damage from cybercrimes will reach an astronomical $10.5 trillion by 2025. As global economies go, that would rank third behind only the U.S. and China.\n\nBut what’s bad for global conglomerates and the average person could be an opportunity for cybersecurity firms like Check Point Software (NASDAQ:CHKP).\n\nEven as rivals like Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and Fortinet (FTNT) cite an uncertain macroeconomic environment for weak billings forecasts, the need for cybersecurity is clearly growing. Global cybercrime damage costs are expected to increase 15% annually over the next two years, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.\n\n“There’s never been a better time to be in cyber,” Check Point (CHKP) President Rupal Shah Hollenbeck said in a Zoom interview this week. “It’s fortunate in that organizations are understanding the business value of cybersecurity in a really big way. Unfortunately, it’s because there are more hacks out there than ever before.”\n\nFinancials\n\nSales at Check Point (CHKP) have grown on a yearly basis amid the increase in demand. For the most recently reported quarter, non-GAAP earnings of $2.07 per share beat the average analyst estimate by 5 cents, while revenue of $596.3M beat by $3.78M.\n\nThat resulted in an upgrade late last month at Piper Sandler with signs of recovery on the horizon.\n\nThe demand for cybersecurity is strong, but companies are not immune to the realities of the global economy.\n\nThis week, rival Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) lowered its billings forecast for the fiscal year, citing the cost of money which has remained a constant discussion with and focus for customers.\n\nIt said it is constantly discussing payments in its annual billings plans, which can create variability on total billings more than before depending on financing used or the duration of contracts. Palo Alto (PANW) said it nonetheless sees demand for its products.\n\nEarlier this month, Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) got a slew of analyst downgrades over a disappointing fourth-quarter outlook.\n\nThe near- to medium-term is uncertain after disappointing results, Cantor Fitzgerald said. Stifel, which likes the company, said moving parts will take time to play out and shares are expected trade sideways in coming quarters.\n\nThe future\n\nCheck Point (CHKP) has made three recent acquisitions to expand its offerings.\n\nIt has also invested in R&D and launched new products, like the Rugged Industrial Control Systems Gateway, which provides artificial intelligence security and deployments in harsh environments. Other new offerings include Playblocks, which extends the reach of siloed security systems to stop attacks across products, people and processes.\n\n“We’ve got to work at it on the go-to-market side, but I feel that all the ingredients are in place and, dare I say it, I think 2024 can be a really fantastic year for us,” Hollenbeck said, adding the company has increased headcount over the past year including a 25% rise in its salesforce.\n\nHollenbeck said the company welcomes competition, as they \"bring out the best of innovation for customers.\" The executive spent more than two decades at Intel (INTC) working in Singapore and Beijing, among other places.\n\nCheck Point (CHKP) ended the most recent quarter with $3B in cash, which could open the door to additional acquisitions, though Hollenbeck declined to cite specifics.\n\nWomen\n\nHollenbeck has led the company for almost two years, one of the few C-suite level women in tech. Nearly 17% of tech companies currently have a woman serving as CEO, according to AnitaB.org, which supports women in computing and tech.\n\nHollenbeck is a seasoned executive: after Intel (INTC), she spent time at Oracle (ORCL) and is on the board of Neythri Futures Fund, which invests in female founders tapping into a growing base of South Asian female leaders. Although she’s been in tech for nearly 30 years, it hasn’t gotten easier to be a woman in a male-dominated industry.\n\nAt most tech events, \"there's never a line [outside] of the lady's room,” Hollenbeck said. “I think it's gotten materially better, but it's only gotten materially better because we started from such a low point.”\n\nHollenbeck is proud that four of the top executives at Check Point (CHKP) are women and three women are on the board.\n\n“That’s pretty amazing,” she said, pointing to data that shows the more women in leadership roles, the better they perform. According to McKinsey, companies that improved women’s representation outperformed their industry from 2019 to 2022 when compared to other companies with data from the same time period.\n\n“When there is gender parity of the board, that company tends to perform higher than the average,” she said. The question is “why is it the best kept secret and why aren’t organizations responding to this faster and better?”\n\nWar\n\nLike many companies in Israel, Tel Aviv-based Check Point (CHKP) has been impacted by the war, as Hollenbeck said some of its employees have been killed and others have been called to serve.\n\nHowever, she stressed operations are normal and business is continuing as usual. Check Point (CHK) has levels of redundancy around the world and research and development happening in several locations, she said.\n\nIn addition, the company’s supply chain is 100% outside of Israel and tech support centers and data centers are found around the world.\n\n\"We have the right level of redundancies and business continuity plans in place around the world,\" Hollenbeck said. \"So we're okay.\"", + "It’s been an eventful week for crypto exchanges and the U.S. government.\n\nChangpeng Zhao, also known as “CZ,” the founder and CEO of Binance, is stepping down and has pleaded guilty to a number of violations brought on through the Department of Justice and other U.S. agencies. He appeared in a Seattle federal court on Tuesday to enter his plea.\n\nRichard Teng, Binance’s former global head of regional markets, will be the exchange’s new CEO, Zhao shared in a post on X Tuesday afternoon. Teng previously was the CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at Abu Dhabi Global Market, among other executive roles. In response to stepping down, Zhao said, “it is the right thing to do” adding, “I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility.” Zhao will remain a shareholder and said he will be “available to the team to consult as needed.”\n\nBinance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has also agreed to pay about $4.3 billion to resolve the DOJ’s investigations, the agency said in a press release on Tuesday.\n\nAs a part of Binance’s guilty plea, it has also reached agreements with the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and will credit about $1.8 billion toward those resolutions.\n\nThe crypto exchange “admits it engaged in anti-money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting and sanctions violations,” the DOJ release stated, calling it the “largest corporate resolution” that included criminal charges for an executive. Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money laundering program.\n\n“The message here should be clear: using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor, it makes you a criminal,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.\n\nBinance, Zhao and other related parties “knowingly failed to register as a money services business” and violated the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement an anti-money laundering program, a filing on the charges stated. It added that the respective parties allegedly violated U.S. economic sanctions “in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the U.S. market,” without following U.S. laws.\n\nThe crypto exchange collected about $1.35 billion in trading fees from U.S. customers, according to Chairman Rostin Behnam of the CFTC. According to court documents, Zhao told Binance employees it was “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” and prioritized the exchange’s growth there over complying with U.S. law.\n\n“Any institution, wherever located, that wants to reap the benefits of the U.S. financial system must also play by the rules that keep us all safe from terrorists, foreign adversaries, and crime or face the consequences,” Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen said in the release.\n\nUnder Zhao’s plea agreement, he will agree to the recommendation that the court impose a $150 million fine to the CFTC and won’t make any statements “contradicting his acceptance of responsibility,” according to a separate filing from Monday.\n\nAs for Binance’s plea agreement, the company will accept the resignation of Zhao and prohibit him “from any present or future involvement in operating” the business from the beginning of the plea acceptance and “ends three years from the date a monitor is appointed,” the Monday filing stated. The company will also “maintain and enhance” its compliance program and appoint an independent compliance monitor during that three year period.\n\nThe crypto exchange did not respond to multiple requests for comment from TechCrunch on the charges.\n\nBinance launched in June 2017 and within 180 days became the largest crypto exchange in the world. It had over $12.65 billion in trading volume during the past 24-hours, 532% higher than $2 billion in trading volume from the second largest crypto exchange, Coinbase, according to CoinMarketCap data.\n\nThis comes less than a day after the SEC charged Kraken, the third largest crypto exchange by trading volume, with allegedly operating as an “unregistered securities exchange, broker, dealer and clearing agency.”\n\nSeparately, in February, Kraken agreed to end crypto staking services for U.S. clients and settled a past suit with the SEC after agreeing to pay $30 million in charges for “disgorgement, prejudgment interest and civil penalties.”\n\nThe DOJ charges against Binance come over five months after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused the exchange and Zhao of lying to regulators about its operations, filing 13 charges against the defendants in the federal case. Zhao and Binance were allegedly “intimately involved” in directing the trading entity’s business operations and providing crypto-related services to the Binance.US platform, which claims it’s an independent exchange in the SEC filing.\n\nIn late March the U.S. CFTC also filed a suit against Binance, Zhao and its Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim for allegedly breaking trading and derivatives rules.\n\nBinance has made headlines this past year for a range of reasons, including Zhao’s comments contributing to the collapse of FTX, which was once one of its top competitors. In April, Binance.US, its American sister company, broke off its $1.3 billion deal to buy crypto broker Voyager Digital’s assets due to a “hostile and uncertain regulatory climate.”\n\nIn August, Checkout.com cut ties with Binance over concerns about the crypto firm’s alleged issues with anti-money laundering, sanctions and compliance controls. At the time, Binance’s spokesperson said it does not agree with “Checkout’s purported basis for termination and are considering our options for legal action.”\n\nThe article has been updated to reflect the latest developments on charges against Binance and Zhao and include the former CEO’s statement.", + "In this article COIN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT\n\nBrian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, slammed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also said the cryptocurrency exchange is looking to invest more outside of the U.S. Carlos Jasso | Bloomberg | Getty Images\n\nIn a month that saw two of the crypto industry's leading figures headed on the path to prison, Coinbase shares rocketed more than 60%, their second-best monthly performance since the cryptocurrency exchange went public in 2021. Bolstered by rallies in bitcoin and ether as well as crises at key competitors, Coinbase has been one of Wall Street's best bets all year, climbing more than 250% in the first 11 months of 2023. For early holders of the stock, the rebound helps ease the pain of 2022, when Coinbase lost 86% of its value as soaring inflation and rising interest rates pushed investors out of crypto and high-growth tech companies, and into assets deemed safer in a recession. Tech stocks have roared back this year, particularly those tied to the artificial intelligence boom and crypto. Coinbase has the added benefit of having survived the so-called crypto winter, while so many of its rivals disappeared or downsized. The industry fallout came to a head this month, when Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of former Coinbase rival FTX, was found guilty of seven criminal fraud counts tied to the collapse of his exchange and the theft of customer funds. His conviction landed on Nov. 2 after a monthlong trial. Less than three weeks later, on Nov. 21, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act for failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and for willfully violating U.S. economic sanctions.\n\nCombination showing Former FTX CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried (L) and Zhao Changpeng (R), founder and chief executive officer of Binance. Getty Images | Reuters\n\nBankman-Fried, who faces potential life behind bars, is scheduled to be sentenced in March. Zhao's sentencing is set for February. While guidelines suggest a sentence of 12 to 18 months, the Justice Department could push for a lengthier punishment for the Binance founder. Unlike FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, Binance is still standing, though now without Zhao, who agreed to step down as CEO as part of the plea deal. Even before that, the company was seeing a plunge in trading, with volume down by two-thirds between the first and third quarters of the year, according to crypto analyst site CoinGecko. With assets of more than $65 billion on the platform, Binance remains the world's largest crypto exchange globally. But its market share fell from over 60% in February to under 50% in September, \"an indication that the exchange may be losing its grip on the industry as regulators continue to pressure it,\" CoinGecko said. In the first 24 hours after the Justice Department announced its $4.3 billion settlement with Binance, customers pulled more than $1 billion from the exchange. Liquidity also dropped 25% in the immediate aftermath of the announcement as market makers pulled back their positions, according to data provider Kaiko. A Binance spokesperson told CNBC in a statement that Zhao appeared in court \"to protect our users and to ensure the longevity of our company.\" \"Binance's resilience has been tested unlike any other exchange around today,\" the spokesperson said. \"Yet, we continue to operate the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. In fact, we currently see a climbing percentage of institutional user transactions.\" Coinbase is the fourth-biggest global exchange by daily volume, according to CoinGecko. It's the only one that's publicly traded in the U.S. and has a market cap of close $30 billion. In a report to clients on Wednesday, analysts at Mizuho noted that Coinbase shares are up about 20% since Zhao's settlement, a rally that's likely \"in anticipation of potential share gains for COIN in wake of outflows from Binance, the industry's largest exchange,\" they wrote. Coinbase shares fell 2.4% to $124.72 on Thursday, wiping out some of their recent gains. Mizuho raised its price target on the stock to $35 from $31, while keeping its underperform rating, which it's maintained since December.\n\n'Turn the page'\n\nA Coinbase spokesperson declined to comment for this story, but CEO Brian Armstrong told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche earlier this week that the Binance settlement allows the crypto industry to move past a spate of scandals. \"The enforcement action against Binance, that's allowing us to kind of turn the page on that and hopefully close that chapter of history,\" Armstrong said. \"I think that regulatory clarity is going to help bring in more investment, especially from institutions.\"\n\nwatch now\n\nBoth Coinbase and Binance still face legal battles with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which was noticeably absent from the Binance settlement. Meanwhile, Coinbase executives have floated the idea of leaving the U.S. altogether for a jurisdiction with hard-and-fast rules on crypto, should the company be unable to come to a resolution with the SEC. Wall Street appears to be shrugging off that concern. Analysts at Needham, who recommend buying Coinbase shares, wrote in a report on Nov. 21 that the company \"exited the crypto 'winter' better positioned than in the prior up cycle.\" They also noted that in addition to FTX's failure and Binance's retreat, crypto trading platform Bittrex has also exited the market. Bittrex said on Nov. 20, that effective Dec. 4, \"all trading activity on Bittrex Global will be disabled,\" and it encouraged customers \"to log into their account and withdraw assets as soon as possible.\" In April, the SEC charged Bittrex and its ex-CEO with operating an unregistered exchange. Yet there may be a new competitive threat on the horizon. U.S. regulators are expected to soon approve the first U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which would allow investors to buy into digital currency directly through the same mechanism they use to buy stock and bond ETFs. Top asset managers, including BlackRock , WisdomTree and Invesco, have filed applications with the SEC. Regulatory approval would open up many more avenues for people to buy bitcoin. While Coinbase allows investors to buy a variety of cryptocurrencies, bitcoin accounted for 38% of transaction volume in the third quarter and almost the same percentage of revenue. For casual investors who just want some exposure to bitcoin, there will potentially be additional ways to buy, including through their primary online brokerage. JPMorgan Chase analysts wrote last week that crypto ETFs would likely be good for Coinbase in the short term but more problematic as time passes. The initial boost would come from custody revenue tied to the ETFs. Most of the big asset managers jumping into market, including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree, have picked Coinbase for custody services, which involves the storage and safekeeping of the assets. However, the longer-term concern, according to JPMorgan, is that fewer people will need Coinbase accounts, leading to pricing pressure. \"We see many novice investors never going beyond these flagship tokens and thus never needing the services of a Coinbase,\" wrote the analysts, who have a neutral rating on the stock and an $80 price target. \"We also see the ETF markets as more transparent, efficient and lower cost to execute and we see the potential for a migration to ETFs for cheaper exposure and trading driving Coinbase to lower fees.\" WATCH: Former SEC enforcement chief on 'casualness' in crypto compliance", + "The Buffalo Bills (8-6) will be the first foes Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) interim head coach Giff Smith will face when the teams meet at SoFi Stadium in this Week 16 Saturday matchup. The Bills enter QB Josh Allen’s home state as 12-point favorites with the OVER/UNDER set at 44.\n\nThis game features one team heating up and looking like a unit no one will want to face in the playoffs, while the other is sifting through the rubble of a disastrous 2023 season and building for 2024 and beyond.\n\nBuffalo is in the thick of the AFC wild card hunt, trailing three other 8-6 teams (Bengals, Colts, Texans) by tiebreakers going into this week. They’re also riding high on the heels of their dominant 31-10 Week 15 home win over the Cowboys, led by RB James Cook’s 25-179-1 rushing bonanza. While Buffalo has had their ups and downs this year, if they make the postseason with their rushing game producing like this they will be an extremely tough out.\n\nThe Chargers are coming off a brutal 63-21 Thursday Night Football rout at the hands of the Raiders, which led to Los Angeles firing head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. Los Angeles was already twisting in the wind after QB Justin Herbert’s season-ending hand injury, but the magnitude of their 38-point loss last week was embarrassing enough to cause the team to clean house midseason.\n\nBetting odds for Bills vs. Chargers: Point spread, moneyline, total for Week 16 Saturday\n\nHere are the latest NFL betting odds for Bills vs. Chargers:\n\nMore NFL wagering: Top 5 NFL betting sites | Best NFL betting promos and bonuses\n\nBills betting news: Buffalo aims to continue hot streak ATS\n\nBuffalo is 6-7-1 ATS in 2023, and to say this team is streaky in this regard would be an understatement. The Bills went 3-1 ATS in their first four, but that ride on the gravy train was interrupted by what came next: a brutal six-game stretch between Weeks 5-10 where they failed to cover once.\n\nThe Bills appear to have moved past their midseason ATS doldrums, riding a 3-0-1 streak into Week 16.\n\nWe often see several versions and levels of a team throughout the year, and with the Bills it largely boils down to their ground game. Ty Johnson and Latavius Murray are serviceable RBs but lack the game-breaking speed and big play ability that James Cook offers.\n\nBefore Week 15, Cook hadn’t rushed more than 17 times in a game. After carrying 25 times vs. Dallas (and earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week status), BIlls fans must be extremely hopeful that their offensive attack continues to involve Cook handling more than 20 rushes per game.\n\nCook’s 179-yard outburst coupled with backup Ty Johnson’s shoulder injury in Week 15 should both contribute to Cook garnering 20-plus touches this week.\n\nChargers betting news: Los Angeles limps toward the finish line\n\nThe Chargers were supposed to be good but are not. It seemed unlikely that coach Brandon Staley was going to be their guy past this year, especially on the heels of their crushing playoff exit in Jacksonville where they blew a 27-point lead and lost in historic fashion. However, giving up 63 points to a team that had just been shut out 3-0 four days earlier was enough to cause Los Angeles ownership to hit the shred button.\n\nThey’re 4-9-1 ATS and have failed to cover in five of their last six games. Given what we saw from the team while being shredded so badly on TNF last week, it’s going to take some big spreads and some sort of spark from their interim head coach Giff Smith for them to cover anything the rest of the way this season.\n\nJustin Herbert’s replacement, Easton Stick, amassed an impressive line of 23-for-32 for 257 yards passing and a TD in Week 15, but he also had fumble and interception returns against him within about 25 seconds between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth.\n\nBetting on or against QBs that nobody has seen play can be tricky, but focusing on OVER/UNDER betting trends for the Chargers is not. Los Angeles has gone under in 10 of their 12 games, which would make you think they’re likely to keep doing so the rest of 2023.\n\nHowever, the OVER/UNDER resting at 44 this week seems tantalizingly low. Buffalo has averaged 29 PPG in their last four, and with Stick throwing TDs but also turning the ball over at a high rate, that figure might be easily surpassed.\n\nBill vs. Chargers props\n\nTwo props for the Bills vs. Chargers Week 16 game worth considering:\n\nDalton Kincaid UNDER receptions\n\nKincaid was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, but it’s been reported he’s likely to suit up on Saturday at less than 100%. This prop suggestion centers completely on the inference that Kincaid suits up but takes part in less packages and plays than usual. With Buffalo likely to cruise, this isn’t a far-fetched chain of events to target.\n\nGerald Everett OVER receiving yards\n\nWhether Easton Stick continues to play decently or if he doesn’t, this prop line for receiving yards should be attainable for Chargers TE Gerald Everett in Week 16. Everett has tallied 41, 39, 44 and 43 receiving yards in his last four outings. The Bills are likely to score a lot, necessitating that Los Angeles passes a lot. Even if this wasn’t a game with such a big spread, it is a small ask to suggest that Everett can net half of what he’s averaged in the past month.\n\nBills vs. Chargers prediction: Bills continue to roll\n\nThe Chargers new coach isn’t going to be able to right all his team’s wrongs overnight, but losing by less than 38 would be a great place to start. Look for Buffalo to try to replicate their massive success running the ball last week vs. Dallas, and for the Los Angeles defense to begin sagging heavily in the second half. The Bills can beat the Chargers through the air but will probably run a copy of their Week 15 game plan vs. L.A. and every team that comes their way after.\n\nPick: Bills", + "Republican Rep. Jim Jordan failed again Wednesday on a crucial second ballot to become House speaker, the hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump losing even more GOP colleagues who are refusing to give him the gavel.\n\nNext steps were highly uncertain as angry, frustrated Republicans looked at other options. A bipartisan group of lawmakers floated an extraordinary plan — to give the interim speaker-pro-tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., more power to reopen the immobilized House and temporarily conduct routine business.\n\nWhat was clear was that Jordan’s path to become House speaker was almost certainly lost. He was opposed by 22 Republicans, two more than he lost in first round voting the day before.\n\n“We’ll keep talking to members, keep working on it,” Jordan, a founding member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, said after the vote, vowing to stay in the race.\n\nThe House came to another abrupt standstill, stuck now 15 days without a speaker — a position of power second in line to the presidency — since the sudden ouster of Kevin McCarthy. Once a formality in Congress, the vote for House speaker has devolved into another bitter GOP showdown for the gavel.\n\nAs Republicans upset and exhausted by the infighting retreated for private conversations, hundreds of protesters, if not more, amassed outside the Capitol over the Israel-Hamas war, a stark reminder of the dangers of having the House adrift as political challenges intensify at home and abroad.\n\nAhead of the morning vote, Jordan, the combative Judiciary Committee chairman, made an unusual plea for party unity — almost daring his colleagues to put forward the alternative proposal for a temporary speaker.\n\n“We’ve been at this two weeks,” Jordan said at the Capitol. “American people deserve to have their government functioning.”\n\nBut as the roll call got under way, he lost more than he gained, picking up three backers but adding more detractors. No further votes were scheduled.\n\nThe holdouts added to a surprisingly large and politically diverse group of 20 Republicans who had rejected Jordan’s nomination the day before, many resenting the hardball tactics seeking to enforce support, and viewing the Ohio congressman as too extreme for a central seat of U.S. power.\n\nWith Republicans in majority control of the House, 221-212, Jordan must pick up most of his GOP foes to win. Wednesday’s tally, with 199 Republicans voting for Jordan and 212 for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, left no candidate with a clear majority, as the 22 Republicans voted for someone else.\n\nOne new Jordan opponent, Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, explained his vote, “I think it’s time to move on.”\n\nBipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by giving greater power to McHenry or another temporary speaker. The House had never ousted its speaker before McCarthy, and McHenry could tap the temporary powers that were created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to ensure continuity of government.\n\nThe novel concept of boosting the interim speaker’s role was gaining favor with a pair of high-profile Republicans: Former GOP speakers Newt Gingrich and John Boehner.\n\nGingrich said while he likes Jordan, he has “no faith” the nominee can get much beyond the 200 votes he won in the first vote.\n\n“We can’t sit around and suck our thumbs and hope the world will wait until the House Republicans get their act together,” Gingrich told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on his show.\n\nBoehner reposted Gingrich’s views saying, “I agree,” on social media.\n\nThe two men have deep experience with the subject. Both were chased to early retirement.\n\n“The Republicans are unable to function right now,” Jeffries said late Tuesday. “All options are on the table to end the Republican civil war,” he added Wednesday.\n\nIn nominating Jordan, veteran Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said it was time to end the upheaval that he had warned against with McCarthy’s sudden ouster.\n\n“We have a chance today to end that chaos, end that uncertainty,” Cole said.\n\nHe said that Jordan was not a “shrinking violet” but someone who could lead the House.\n\nDemocratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of California nominated Jeffries, noting the Democratic leader continues to win more votes and is the best choice to move the country forward.\n\n“The country cannot afford more delays and more chaos,” Aguilar said.\n\nJordan had relied on backing from Trump, the party’s frontrunner in the 2024 election to challenge President Joe Biden, and groups pressuring rank-and-file lawmakers for the vote, but it was not enough.\n\nFlexing their independence, the holdouts are a mix of pragmatists — ranging from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from districts where voters back home prefer President Joe Biden to Trump.\n\nSome Republicans resent being pressured by Jordan’s allies and say they are being threatened with primary opponents if they don’t support him as speaker. Others are simply upset at the way the whole process has dragged out.\n\nThey cast their ballots for McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise — who had been the party’s first nominee to replace McCarthy — and others, one vote even going to the retired Boehner.\n\n“Jim Jordan will be a great speaker,” Trump had said Tuesday said outside a courthouse in Manhattan, where he is facing business fraud charges. “I think he’s going to have the votes soon, if not today, over the next day or two.”\n\nJordan has been a top Trump ally, particularly during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by the former president’s backers who were trying to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden. Days later, Trump awarded Jordan a Medal of Freedom.\n\nThe political climb has been steep for Jordan who is known more as a chaos agent than a skilled legislator, raising questions about how he would lead. Congress faces daunting challenges, risking a federal shutdown at home if it fails to fund the government and fielding Biden’s requests for aid to help Ukraine and Israel in the wars abroad.\n\nFirst elected in 2006, Jordan has few bills to his name from his time in office. He also faces questions about his past. Some years ago, Jordan denied allegations from former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about claims they were inappropriately groped by an Ohio doctor. Jordan has said he was never aware of any abuse.\n\n___\n\nAssociated Press writers Kevin Freking and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.", + "In a game with names like Caleb Williams, Sam Hartman, Zachariah Branch and Audric Estime, it felt like there might be no more room for anyone else to play the role of hero.\n\nEnter Xavier Watts. The Notre Dame safety was a wrecking ball against Williams and the USC offense, picking off Williams twice, forcing a fumble and taking another fumble in for a score. Williams finished the contest with arguably the worst game of his career as No. 21 Notre Dame rode the crucial turnovers and a relentless pass-rush to an overwhelming 48-20 win at home against No. 10 USC.\n\n\"I think the entire team was hungry,\" Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said after the game. \"We had a sour taste in our mouth. But the reality is that I've told those guys just compete against [Williams]. He's gonna make plays, he's a great football player, but be relentless in terms of your effort, your attitude, how you attack that guy and to come up big with five turnovers is really impressive.\"\n\nMORE: Watch college football live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nRight from the start, it was cleat Notre Dame was going to make things hard on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Just four plays into the game, Williams over-threw Lake McRee and Watts picked it off, returning it 38 yards to USC's 12 and setting Notre Dame up for a quick three-play scoring drive.\n\nMidway through the third quarter, with Notre Dame leading 10-3, Williams again threw a pick to Watts, this time Watts nearly returned it to the end zone before he was stopped at the USC 2. Audric Estime finished the job, scoring the first of two touchdowns to give USC the 17-3 lead. Williams threw another interception on the following drive, the first time he had ever thrown three picks in a single game in his career, and Notre Dame again cashed in the turnover for seven more points.\n\nLate in the fourth quarter, with USC desperately trying to stay in the game, Watts recovered a fumble after a reception by Mario Williams and raced it into the end zone. Following that turnover, with his team trailing 48-20, Lincoln Riley pulled the starters. The backup running back fumbled the ball on USC's final drive, forced by — guess who — Watts, and Notre Dame ran down the clock from there.\n\n\"Just thank you to all my teammates,\" Watts said after the game. \"None of that would have happened without them. All the pressure they brought, the good coverage down the field.\"\n\nIn a season in which so much has been made of USC's defensive woes holding back the offense, it was the other way around on Saturday. USC's defense held Notre Dame to just 251 total yards of offense, 51 fewer than the offensive yards by the Trojans. Notre Dame was only three-for-10 on third down compared to six-of-13 by USC. But a 5-0 turnover margin will be difficult for any team to overcome, and it frequently helped Notre Dame have only a short field to work with. The Fighting Irish, on average, started drives at their own 47, while the Trojans began drives on average at their own 28.\n\nWatts made the headline-grabbing plays, but a massive part of the Fighting Irish's defensive success came in the trenches. The defensive line by Notre Dame tallied six sacks of Williams and three more hits as it frequently pressed the Trojan quarterback. Williams finished the game just 23-for-37 with 199 passing yards with one passing touchdown and three picks.\n\nThe Sporting News tracked updates and highlights from Saturday's Week 7 game between USC and Notre Dame.\n\nUSC vs. Notre Dame score\n\nQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final USC 3 3 7 7 20 Notre Dame 7 17 7 17 48\n\nUSC vs. Notre Dame results, highlights from Week 7 game\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFourth quarter\n\n10:51 p.m.: And that will do it. No. 21 Notre Dame demolishes No. 10 USC in a 48-20 win.\n\n10:49 p.m.: Estime picks up a first down on back-to-back runs, and it's all over but the kneeling with two minutes left.\n\n10:47 p.m.: With the Trojans down by 28 with 3:27 left, Williams is done for the day with Miller Moss coming into the game. The Trojans start their drive with a 10-yard run by Quinten Joyner. Joyner fumbles the ball on the next play, and it is recovered by Notre Dame's Javontae Jean-Baptiste at the USC 36.\n\n10:46 p.m.: USC will start the drive at its own 25.\n\n10:44 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: It continues to get worse for Notre Dame. Mario Williams loses a fumble after a three-yard reception, and Watts, who had already intercepted two passes, scoops up the ball and takes it into the end zone. Notre Dame 48, USC 20\n\n10:43 p.m.: The Notre Dame special teams again halt Branch early on his return, stopping him at the USC 17.\n\n10:39 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Shrader kicks the 23-yard field goal to push the lead to 21, a full three touchdowns, with 3:40 left. Notre Dame 41, USC 20\n\n10:38 p.m.: Estime is stopped a yard shy of the first-down marker to bring up a fourth-and-1 from the USC 5, and the Trojans use another timeout.\n\n10:37 p.m.: Estime getting the ball to start the drive again as Notre Dame looks to wind this one away. He rushes for gains of seven yards and then another as USC uses its final timeout with 3:54 left with Notre Dame heading to a third-and-2.\n\n10:33 p.m.: Williams is sacked by Jaylen Sneed for a loss of eight back to the USC 14, and that should all but put this one out of reach. Notre Dame leads by 18 with 4:49 left with the ball deep in USC territory.\n\n10:29 p.m.: False start moves USC back again, the second false start penalty on this drive. Williams finds Jackson for eight yards, but it brings up a fourth-and-9 and the Trojans' offense stays out there. Notre Dame calls a timeout.\n\n10:28 p.m.: Williams evades several defenders before eventually getting sacked for a loss of two. He then fires an incompletion as USC faces another crucial third-down, this one from 12 yards out.\n\n10:26 p.m.: A rush for a loss of one and a false start penalty backed up USC inside its own 5. Williams picks up six yards to set up a third-and-9 at the 11. He then connects with Jackson for a 10-yard pass up the middle to keep the drive going with just under seven minutes to play.\n\n10:23 p.m.: The past two special teams play have been dynamic, but this one is stopped up short as Branch is tackled at the USC 20. Holding on USC backs the Trojans up 10 yards to the 10.\n\n10:21 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Well, that didn't take long for the Fighting Irish to respond. Price goes 99 yards, racing past the Trojans through the middle and cutting left before going all the way for the touchdown. Notre Dame 38, USC 20\n\n10:17 p.m. USC scoring play: Williams finally picks up his first passing touchdown of the game, dancing in the pocket before connecting with Rice in the end zone for the score. That makes it an 11-point game with 9:04 left. Notre Dame 31, USC 20\n\n10:15 p.m.: USC leaning on its running game to start the drive, with Jones picking up eight yards combined on his two carries to set up a third-and-2 from the Notre Dame 10. He then rushes up the middle for three to set up a first-and-goal at the 7.\n\n10:13 p.m.: An explosive punt return from Branch, who dances around the field and burns down the left sideline, being stopped only by the punter at the Notre Dame 18 to prevent a touchdown. USC ball with 11:13 left to play, with Notre Dame leading by 18.\n\n10:12 p.m.: Notre Dame picks up just a yard, then Jadarian Price is tackled for no gain. Hartman fires an incomplete pass, and the Fighting Irish will have to punt.\n\n10:10 p.m.: Notre Dame converts the third down with Hartman firing a quick strike to Staes for seven yards up to the Fighting Irish 33.\n\n10:09 p.m.: The start of the fourth quarter looks like a lot like most of the second half so far: back-to-back runs by Estime. He picks up five yards on successive carries to bring up a third-and-5.\n\nThird quarter\n\n10:05 p.m.: Estime ends the third quarter with an impressive run to the left, hitting the hole and ultimately being brought down at the Notre Dame 21 by Zion Branch after a gain of 14.\n\n10:04 p.m.: False start backs USC up before the punt. The punt from Eddie Czaplicki is still a good one as it goes out of bounds at the Notre Dame 7 with eight seconds left in the third quarter.\n\n10:03 p.m.: Notre Dame lets Williams have the 10-yard completion to Jackson on a wide receiver screen, but it will still bring up a Trojan punt.\n\n10:02 p.m.: Notre Dame's defensive line gets to Williams again, this time it's Rylie Mills and Nana Osafo-Mensah bringing Williams down for a loss of eight, and USC is backed up all the way to a third-and-28.\n\n10:01 p.m.: Williams finds Jackson open right over the middle for 10 yards and the first down. The Trojans keep the up-tempo moving, but he is sacked for a loss of eight by Marist Liufau, dropping him back to the USC 44.\n\n9:59 p.m.: A batted pass and a rush for four by Lloyd bring up a third-and-6 for the Trojans from their own 32. Notre Dame uses its first timeout of the half before the Trojans can get that third-down play off.\n\n9:58 p.m.: Williams comes out of the gate firing, hitting Washington on the sideline at the 38 for 13 yards and a first down.\n\n9:58 p.m.: USC will start at its own 25.\n\n9:53 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Hartman uncorks a deep ball down the middle of the field and finds the speedy Tyree on the run. Tyree races the rest of the 15 yards into the end zone to score the touchdown and push Notre Dame's lead back out to 18. Notre Dame 31, USC 13\n\n9:52 p.m.: Evans, back in the field after an injury earlier in the quarter, catches a short pass and fights his way through contact to pick up the first down and tally eight yards up to the USC 46.\n\n9:50 p.m.: The Fighting Irish are feeding Estime to start the drive. Estime runs up the middle for seven yards, another to the right for four yards and a first down and then a third run for three yards.\n\n9:49 p.m.: Solid return by Ford will give the Fighting Irish the ball to start at their own 32.\n\n9:45 p.m. USC scoring play: The Trojans have their first touchdown of the evening, as after a rush by Williams for four yards, Lloyd carves through the left side of the defense off a pitch from Williams and breaks loose for a 31-yard touchdown. Notre Dame 24, USC 13\n\n9:44 p.m.: Williams bails USC out of another second-and-long, finding McKree up the middle and on the run, allowing him to move up for 21 to pick up the first down.\n\n9:43 p.m.: Impressive play by Branch just to get back to the line of scrimmage after a reverse. Williams then connects with Singer on a pass down the right sideline, and Singer darts up for a gain of 11. But the Trojans give that yardage nearly all the way back after he was sacked for a loss of 10.\n\n9:42 p.m.: Trading PI calls, as now Notre Dame is penalized for pass interference after Williams tried to find Rice on a deep shot down the middle. Morrison is called for the penalty, his third of the night. USC moves back to its own 43.\n\n9:40 p.m.: USC is called for its second offensive pass interference penalty, with Mario Williams being flagged after a 10-yard catch by Washington. The Trojans will now have a first-and-25.\n\n9:37 p.m.: Another short pass by Hartman, and Calen Bullock makes a great open-field play to tackle Ford after just a yard. Notre Dame punts, and Branch returns it 21 yards up to his team's 43.\n\n9:36 p.m.: Faison manages to get a yard on a short pass, then Love picks up four on the ground to set up a third-and-5 at the Notre Dame 30.\n\n9:32 p.m.: Tyree returns the punt two yards up to the Notre Dame 25, where the Fighting Irish will begin their drive.\n\n9:31 p.m.: USC goes three-and-out quickly, with Williams throwing an incompletion, a pass for a loss of four and another incompletion. Trojans still looking lost on offense.\n\n9:29 p.m.: Branch boots the 50-yard punt, but he's able to hop back on it and ensure USC retains possession. The Trojans will begin the drive from their own 30.\n\n9:28 p.m.: Evans was injured on the play, and though he was able to walk off the field, he had to go to the blue tent. Hartman then throws a short pass to Holden Staes for three and misses him on the third-down try, forcing out the punting unit after a three-and-out.\n\n9:26 p.m.: Hartman opens the drive with a play-action deep shot out to Evans, but the pass was broken up by Roland-Wallace, the second time he's defended a pass out to Evans.\n\n9:25 p.m.: The third quarter is under way, with Notre Dame beginning its drive at the 22 after a 17-yard return from Ford.\n\nSecond quarter\n\n9:03 p.m. USC scoring play: The Trojans make the most of the defensive miscue and forced timeout and boot a 48-yard field goal to at least get closer, but this has been a disastrous half for the Trojans. Notre Dame 24, USC 6\n\n9:02 p.m.: This Notre Dame defense continues to get after Williams, with Boubacar Traore sacking the quarterback for a loss of six. USC tries to snap the ball with several Notre Dame defenders in the backfield, but Marcus Freeman gets a timeout in time to prevent the penalty.\n\n9:01 p.m.: Williams fires a strike to a streaking Washington, who then takes it 14 yards for a first down to the Notre Dame 25. Williams is then pressured and has to throw the ball away.\n\n9 p.m.: USC runs the ball for four yards up the middle to bring up a third-and-3, and is now forced to burn its last timeout with 30 seconds left in the half.\n\n8:57 p.m.: Back-to-back big plays by the Trojans, with Williams first hitting Washington for nine, then hitting Mario Williams for a pickup of 20. He then scrambles for three yards as USC uses a timeout with 39 seconds left. USC has a second-and-7 from the Notre Dame 43.\n\n8:56 p.m.: USC will start the drive at the 25 after a touchback.\n\n8:54 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Estime powers ahead from a yard out, and the Fighting Irish are dominating the Trojans. Just 1:30 left to play in the first half. Notre Dame 24, USC 3\n\n8:52 p.m.: Back-to-back runs by Estime for five and eight yards sets up Notre Dame at the USC 1 with a first-and-goal.\n\n8:51 p.m.: Now Hartman's putting his legs to work, scrambling for 12 yards to the right side to set up a first-and-10 at the USC 4.\n\n8:50 p.m.: Hartman responds to the pick by throwing a perfect deep pass to Flores, dropping the ball in his hands 24 yards out along the sideline to move up to the USC 26.\n\n8:50 p.m.: This has been a half to forget for Williams. He again throws a pass into double coverage, and is again picked off, this time by Morrison.\n\nThere's just something special about 2️⃣0️⃣ in prime time 🤩#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/uzKZ40XseE — Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 15, 2023\n\n8:48 p.m.: Williams connects with Mario Williams for 10 yards and a first down after missing Washington on a deep ball to start the drive. He then has to throw the ball away after he gets chased in the backfield by Bertrand.\n\n8:43 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Estime makes 'em pay, plowing ahead for two yards and the touchdown to immediately cash the interception in to seven points. Notre Dame 17, USC 3\n\n8:42 p.m.: Williams throws his second interception of the game, trying to find Singer but instead hitting Watts again in double coverage for Watts' second pick of the game after the ball was tipped at the line. He had one interception all season, and now has thrown two, both to Watts.\n\n8:40 p.m.: Williams finds Rice on a crossing route, but he drops the pass. The next play, Williams fires a quick pass to Branch in the slot, and he takes the ball up 10 yards for the first down to the 16.\n\n8:36 p.m.: Branch returns the USC punt up to the Trojans' 25 for 12 yards. A holding penalty brings the ball all the way back to the USC 6.\n\n8:35 p.m.: Estime picked up four yards on the ground to start the drive, but Hartman missed a deep shot to Faison on the second-down play. He tries to find Evans up the middle, but Christian Roland-Wallace swats the ball out of Evans' hands to force the three-and-out.\n\n8:31 p.m.: This time, Jones is halted almost as soon as he picked up the handoff from Williams, getting brought down by JD Bertrand for a loss of four and giving the Fighting Irish the ball at their own 33.\n\n8:31 p.m.: Jones is stopped a yard short on the third-down run, and the Trojans again face a fourth-and-1. The offense stays out on the field.\n\n8:30 p.m.: Branch shows off his explosiveness, blazing ahead for 17 yards to set up a much more manageable third-and-3 at the Fighting Irish 31.\n\n8:28 p.m.: Following an incompletion, Williams appeared to score a 38-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 10. However, left guard Emmanuel Pregnon is called for offensive holding, bringing the play all the way back and making it a second-and-20 for the Trojans.\n\n8:27 p.m.: Williams rewards the decision to go for it, as he keeps the ball on an option and picks up eight yards up to the Notre Dame 38.\n\n8:25 p.m.: This time, Lloyd's going backwards as DJ Brown makes an impressive solo tackle to bring him down three yards behind the line of scrimmage. USC punts the ball away, but Notre Dame is called for running into the kicker, which sets up a fourth-and-1. The Trojans will go for it.\n\n8:24 p.m.: Williams tries to connect with Rice on a deep shot after off-setting penalties reset the downs, but the two can't connect. Lloyd picks up seven yards bouncing out to the right and beating two defenders to move into Notre Dame territory.\n\n8:22 p.m.: Williams connects with Mario Williams right at the line of scrimmage to convert the third-and-4 at the USC 45.\n\n8:21 p.m.: Jet sweep by Washington picks up 10 to the USC 35, following by a rush of six by Jones right up the middle. Trojans now have 47 yards on the ground as they look to wake their offense up in the first half.\n\n8:20 p.m.: USC will start its drive from its own 25.\n\n8:16 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: On a third-and-7, Hartman throws a short pass out to Mitchell Evans, who is stopped right away only for a gain of five. Notre Dame is forced to settle for the 36-yard field goal, which Spencer Shrader successfully boots. Notre Dame 10, USC 3\n\n8:14 p.m.: Make it back-to-back plays as Faison is handed the ball on a reverse, fooling the USC defense, and freeing up space down the right sideline to move up 16 yards to the UCS 26.\n\nBig gain for @NDFootball with the reverse!\n\n\n\n📺: NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/WJ2scejhXs — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 15, 2023\n\n8:13 p.m.: The Fighting Irish kick off the second quarter with a big play, with Chris Tyree catching a short pass and taking it up the field 16 yards behind a few blockers to pick up the first down and move up to the Notre Dame 42.\n\nFirst quarter\n\n8:09 p.m.: Jeremiyah Love loses a yard, but Hartman helps pick it back up and more with a completion out to Jordan Faison to pick up seven. The second quarter will begin with Notre Dame on a third-and-4.\n\n8:07 p.m.: Notre Dame will begin its drive at its own 36 after Devyn Ford returned the kickoff 28 yards.\n\n8:04 p.m. USC scoring play: Three short plays by the Trojans, and the offense stalls at the Notre Dame 8, bringing up a fourth-and-5. Denis Lynch drills the 25-yard field goal to put USC on the board. Notre Dame 7, USC 3\n\n8:02 p.m.: Michael Jackson catches a pass from Williams and heads up 12 yards, but Morrison is called for a personal foul that moves USC all the way up to the Notre Dame 13 and gives the Trojans an automatic first-and-10.\n\n8:01 p.m.: Singer makes a 13-yard catch, but he's called for pushing off Morrison and is flagged for offensive pass interference, backing the Trojans up to the Notre Dame 39 and bringing up a first-and-25.\n\n8 p.m.: Jones picks up three on the ground, then Williams dumps the pass off to Zachariah Branch, who races up for a pick up of seven yards for another first down.\n\n7:58 p.m.: Williams fires a strike up the middle to Dorian Singer to the Notre Dame 35 following a pickup of one on the ground by Jones, and the Trojan offense is rolling.\n\n7:56 p.m.: Williams is flushed out of the pocket and scrambles for a gain of 11. Notre Dame is called for a defensive holding penalty on the play as well that adds to it for the Trojans, who have now moved all the way up to the Notre Dame 46.\n\n7:54 p.m.: USC will begin its next drive at its own 33 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.\n\n7:53 p.m.: The Fighting Irish will be forced to punt the ball away after Estime rushed for only a yard and Hartman's next pass was incomplete out to Rico Flores Jr.\n\n7:51 p.m.: Estime fights his way a yard past the first-down marker for a pickup of 11 to kick off Notre Dame's drive. He then catches a pass for four yards to set up a second-and-6.\n\n7:47 p.m.: The Trojans get the connection between Williams and Tahj Washington, but the wide receiver is stopped three yards shy of the first-down marker to bring out the punting unit. Notre Dame fair catches the punt at its own 14.\n\n7:46 p.m.: Following a rush of four by Williams, USC is called for a snap infraction to bring up a second-and-11. Jones then rushes for three yards.\n\n7:45 p.m.: Austin Jones picks up just five on the first-down carry, but on the second-down play, Notre Dame's Benjamin Morris is called for defensive holding on a pass attempt, giving USC the first down up to the 34.\n\n7:44 p.m.: Zachariah Branch returns the kickoff out to the USC 19.\n\n7:39 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: The Fighting Irish are on the board first. Sam Hartman drops back and fires a pass to a leaping Gi'Bran Payne, who back-pedals into the end zone for the 4-yard touchdown. Notre Dame 7, USC 0\n\n7:39 p.m.: Back-to-back runs by Audric Estime pick up eight yards to set up a third-and-2.\n\n7:37 p.m.: Williams fires a strike to Brendan Rice for a pickup of 11 yards to pick up the first down, but he then over-shoots Lake McRee and is picked off by Xavier Watts. Watts takes the ball all the way back to the USC 12.\n\n7:35 p.m.: First offensive play of the game is a run up the middle by MarShawn Lloyd, but he picks up just a yard. Caleb Williams scrambles on the next play, and gets out of bounds for no gain.\n\n7:35 p.m.: USC will start with the ball at the 25.\n\n7:29 p.m.: Just about time for the start of USC-Notre Dame. The stadium is dark as the fans welcome the Fighting Irish to the field.\n\n7:03 p.m.: Before the start of Saturday's game, be sure to read about Caleb Williams' legendary high school game between DeMatha and Gonzaga in 2018, which helped put him on the map.\n\nHow to watch USC vs. Notre Dame\n\nDate: Saturday, Oct. 14\n\nSaturday, Oct. 14 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n7:30 p.m. ET Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.\n\nNotre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind. TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock, Fubo\n\nThe latest edition of the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame will be carried on NBC. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 14.\n\nThere will be several options to stream the game. The game can be found on Peacock or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.", + "London derbies are always full of venom and vigor, but the opening 45 minutes of Tottenham vs. Chelsea on Monday produced one of the greatest train wrecks in the history of the English top flight.\n\nWith repeated refereeing blunders one of the main talking points of the season thus far, a half full of VAR checks and highly scrutinized decisions caused absolute chaos on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch.\n\nAll told, one red card and four yellow cards were produced by Michael Oliver with help from VAR official John Brooks, while Chelsea saw goals ruled out on an incredible four separate occasions. It resulted in an incredible 12 minutes of stoppage time, and while many of the decisions were widely analysed as correct, the lengthy review processes were criticised just as much as the eventual results.\n\nThe first half would end level at 1-1, with Tottenham reduced to 10 men, and Premier League fans had plenty to talk about with friends, fans, and coworkers. The Sporting News breaks down each memorable moment in what was an action-packed opening 45 minutes.\n\nMORE: Recap the Premier League match with commentary, highlights, & more from Tottenham vs Chelsea\n\nFirst half of Chelsea vs Tottenham features multiple VAR reviews\n\nThe game got off to a flying start as Dejan Kulusevski opened the scoring for Spurs, benefitting from a large deflection off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill which left Roberto Sanchez with no chance to make a save.\n\nWith both sides flying forward with electric attacking intent, the match got out of hand quickly.\n\nHeung-Min Son goal disallowed for offside\n\nThe flood of VAR interventions came on a relatively innocuous decision where Heung-Min Son seemingly put Tottenham 2-0 up in the 14th minute, but on review the play appeared extremely tight. Ultimately, Son did look as if he was just an inch offside, and the goal was ruled out.\n\n📸 - The official VAR image, offside! No 2-0! pic.twitter.com/Md6DIzmAVe — 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) November 6, 2023\n\nDestiny Udogie escapes red card for bad tackle\n\nTottenham were lucky to remain with 11 players in the 18th minute, as Destiny Udogie went in with a horrible two-footed tackle on Raheem Sterling out wide.\n\nUdogie would see yellow initially from Michael Oliver, but there was a subsequent VAR check to review for a possible red card, and for good reason. Udogie's tackle was extremely dangerous, as he lunged in with a leg-breaker.\n\nUltimately, the Tottenham defender would escape without further punishment for one reason: he missed. Just like Kai Havertz of Arsenal earlier this weekend, who also remained on the pitch against Newcastle for a similar incident, Udogie's tackle would not reach the necessary threshold for a straight red as he did not make full contact with Sterling.\n\nNBC commentator Jon Champion, who has real-time access to the VAR communication, said that the review ultimately determined the tackle was an \"upper-level yellow card\" that didn't quite meet the qualifications for a red.\n\nCristian Romero next to avoid straight red card despite review\n\nJust four minutes later, another Tottenham defender would again get away with just a booking despite a VAR review for a possible red card.\n\nCristian Romero, often criticised for his reckless nature, had a kick-out at Levi Colwill in the 22nd minute behind the play while laying on the ground. He kicked Colwill right in the calf, but no action was taken.\n\nThis passage of play was not reviewed by VAR. It's unclear exactly why, but an assumption can be made that the VAR official was likely not aware of the incident until play had already restarted, at which point he cannot intervene. Those incidents have to be caught before play restarts, which is extremely difficult to do as the game continues to flow.\n\n🚨| Romero intentionally kicks Colwill but VAR have not checked it. pic.twitter.com/VCfMjmYEWR — CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 6, 2023\n\nRaheem Sterling goal disallowed\n\nChelsea were the next to see a goal chalked off, as Raheem Sterling's 21st minute equaliser was nullified on review. The decision came as Sterling's initial effort, blocked by Pedro Porro, deflected straight back onto the arm of the Chelsea forward.\n\nBy rule, any contact by the ball with the arm or hand of an attacking player is an automatic foul, regardless of arm position, intent, or any other factor. Thus, the goal was disallowed.\n\nCorrect decision to rule out Sterling's goal? pic.twitter.com/VKnrNC0Y0K — Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 6, 2023\n\nCristian Romero sent off on VAR review, Chelsea awarded penalty\n\nIn what was easily the defining moment of the match, Chelsea were ultimately awarded a penalty after a wild passage of play in the 31st minute where they initially put the ball in the back of the net. The goal was ruled out, but a penalty was eventually given along with the first red card.\n\nThe ball pinged around the Tottenham penalty area wildly with Spurs unable to clear after blocking multiple efforts, until Moises Caicedo finally buried a long-distance effort with a low finish inside the left post. Despite initially appearing to count, the offside flag was raised extremely late, with the assistant referee determining, after a moment to think, that Nicolas Jackson was interfering with play from an offside position.\n\nYet that was just the beginning of the saga. With the goal disallowed, a VAR review began for a penalty as Cristian Romero swung wildly into the shins of Raheem Sterling. While he got the ball with his tackle, he followed through with extreme force straight onto both of Sterling's legs, and referee Michael Oliver was sent to the monitor.\n\nAfter a few looks, Oliver produced a straight red card for Romero's tackle and awarded Chelsea a penalty, which Cole Palmer dispatched to even the scoreline at 1-1.\n\nWatch in USA:\n\nAfter Chelsea had a goal from Moises Caicedo disallowed due to offside, Cristian Romero was given a red card following a challenge on Enzo Fernandez.\n\n\n\nChelsea were given a penalty and Tottenham went down to 10 men. #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/sOzTrxgBzm — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 6, 2023\n\nWatch in UK:\n\n\"AMID FRENZY AND FURY!\" 🤯\n\n\n\nCole Palmer levels for Chelsea as Cristian Romero sees red! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/1oULwk1uOP — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 6, 2023\n\nNicolas Jackson goal disallowed for offside\n\nChelsea would see a third goal of the half disallowed as Nicolas Jackson put the ball in the net on 37 minutes but Raheem Sterling was offside in the buildup just past the midfield stripe. There's very little argument to be had here, and the game played on.\n\nWhile it was a decision that featured little, if any, controversy, it added to the mayhem of the half and contributed to the game's overall narrative.\n\nChelsea have a THIRD goal disallowed as Sterling is offside 🤯 pic.twitter.com/brMes6qQQ7 — Mail Sport (@MailSport) November 6, 2023\n\nReece James avoids red card despite elbow to Destiny Udogie\n\nWhile two Tottenham defenders escaped an early shower earlier in the match for incidents that could have potentially seen them off, Chelsea also had a player avoid further punishment just before halftime.\n\nReece James caught Destiny Udogie in the face with a trailing elbow while challenging for a bouncing ball in the air. Referees have been strict with incidents such as these, and it was surprising to see James get away with just a yellow card.\n\nThe incident was indeed reviewed, but the VAR official did not ultimately advise a check for Michael Oliver.", + "Senior political figures in Washington are becoming increasingly interested in the impact of AI on the law.\n\nOn Wednesday (November 29), US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum to discuss the importance and role of creative copyright and intellectual property in the development of AI.\n\nDennis Kooker, Sony Music Entertainment‘s President of Global Digital Business & US Sales, delivered a speech at the Forum, outlining the major music company’s position on AI and copyright law.\n\nKooker’s public statements on the topic arrive a week after MBW pointed out that there was a notable lack of endorsement from SME, and its artists, of YouTube‘s new experimental AI project called ‘Dream Track’ that lets creators clone the vocals of successful musicians.\n\nThe initial cohort of stars involved in the project, as we noted last week, include recording artists signed to Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group – or labels within each of those two majors, but no Sony Music artists.\n\n(In our report, MBW suggested that YouTube parent Google‘s recent submission to The United States Copyright Office (USCO) – in response to a request for written submissions as part of a study around copyright law and policy issues raised by AI systems – may have influenced Sony’s absence from Dream Track.)\n\nGoogle was just one of various tech giants and AI companies that submitted responses to the USCO, amongst them, Anthropic and Stability AI.\n\nAnthropic, in its submission to the USCO, also argued that training (large language models) LLM’s on copyrighted material is fair use.\n\nStability AI made a similar argument. Its position on the issue of “Fair Use” concerning AI and copyrighted content resulted in the resignation of prominent generative AI executive Ed Newton-Rex from the company.\n\nAs reported by MBW last week, Universal Music Group submitted its response to the USCO. Unsurprisingly, amongst the highlights of UMG’s submission was the rejection of the notion that using copyrighted material to train LLMs is “fair use”.\n\nIn his speech on Wednesday, Kooker commented directly on the flurry of submissions to the USCO from the tech industry at the end of October.\n\nIn what may have been a nod to Google’s filing and “fair use” position, Kooker told Senators that “based on recent Copyright Office filings it is clear that the technology industry and speculative financial investors would like governments to believe in a very distorted view of copyright”.\n\nHe added: “[That view is] one in which music is considered fair use for training purposes and in which certain companies are permitted to appropriate the entire value produced by the creative sector without permission, and to build huge businesses based on it without paying anything to the creators concerned.”\n\nKooker also openly discussed Sony Music’s efforts to get unauthorized AI content removed from platforms online – including the fact that the firm has already issued close to 10,000 separate takedowns.\n\nKooker further discussed Sony Music’s optimism about AI’s potential for enhancing creativity, as well as key principles the company has adopted around generative AI.\n\nHere are three things that stood out from Kooker’s speech…\n\n1. Sony Music has issued close to 10,000 takedowns for unauthorized deep fakes of artists\n\nKooker argued in his speech that, while “the music industry sees great potential with various forms of AI technology in this early phase of AI,” so far, “the available generative AI products are not delivering on the expected promise of new products in creative industries”.\n\nHe clarified that point by explaining that some generative AI platforms “are not expanding the business model or enhancing human creativity”.\n\nKooker suggested that the “more dire outputs of early generative AI technology are deep fakes and unauthorized voice clones” of artists and that in the United States, “artists are not adequately protected from these deepfakes”.\n\n“An artist literally makes their livelihood from their voice,” he said. “Deep fakes intentionally exploit an artist’s talent and reputation to steal that income stream.\n\n“Every stream of a deep fake takes streams and royalty payments away from the legitimate artist. Deepfakes are also misleading and confusing to consumers and music fans who are not typically interested in supporting fake versions of their favorite artist.”\n\n“Every stream of a deep fake takes streams and royalty payments away from the legitimate artist.” Dennis Kooker, Sony Music\n\nKooker reported that to date, Sony Music Entertainment has sent “close to 10,000 takedowns to a variety of platforms hosting unauthorized deepfakes that SME artists asked us to take down.”\n\nHe added that “platforms are quick to point to the loopholes in the law as an excuse to drag their feet or to not take the deepfakes down when requested.”\n\nKooker commended the No FAKES Act policy drafted by senators earlier this year, which he explained “would create a federal property right in one’s voice or visual likeness and protect against unauthorized AI-generated replicas”.\n\n2. Sony has ‘roughly 200 active conversations taking place’ with AI startups that “include potential equity investments”\n\nKooker explained that despite the negative impacts of AI, including unauthorized clones and low-quality AI music, there are still “many positive and optimistic developments to highlight”.\n\nHe highlighted legitimate AI startups and established firms “with music ideas that want to partner with the industry”.\n\nAccording to Kooker, Sony Music has “roughly 200 active conversations taking place with startups and established players” right now about building new AI-related products and tools.\n\nThese products range from tools for “creative or marketing assistance”, to tools that “potentially give us the ability to better protect artist content or find it when used in an unauthorized fashion” as well as “brand new products that have never been launched before”.\n\nKooker said that some of these conversations “also include potential equity investments which would accelerate the development of these companies”.\n\nThe Sony Music exec cited, as an example, a recent generative AI-powered project around a reissue and remix of an album. Although Kooker didn’t name it specifically, SME did recently announce a generative AI project with The Orb and David Gilmour, which was a partnership between Sony Music Entertainment, Legacy Recordings AI company Vermillio\n\n“These artists are known for their cutting-edge experimentation in music,” said Kooker.\n\n“About the time that we started the discussion with this artist, we had begun informal talks with a generative AI start-up company whose business model focused on working with IP rightsholders the ‘right way’.\n\n“In other words, they respect intellectual property rights and want to work with rights holders in ways that enhance and protect the copyrighted works.”\n\n3. SME has asked Congress to embrace a set of principles around generative AI\n\nKooker told the lawmakers during his speech on Wednesday that “if copyrights are protected and enforced appropriately, we are at the beginning of a multi-decade marathon that will change the creative and commercial landscape for music”.\n\nWith that in mind, Kooker explained that Sony Music has established a set of principles to guide the company’s decision-making around generative AI.\n\n“If copyrights are protected and enforced appropriately, we are at the beginning of a multi-decade marathon that will change the creative and commercial landscape for music.” Dennis Kooker, Sony Music\n\nKooker added later in the speech: “Music is a tremendous driver for AI technology, and AI technology presents a tremendous opportunity for the creative development of music.\n\n“But these opportunities must be grounded by the human creators’ vision with the machine assisting, not with the machine replacing the human creator.”\n\nTo achieve this, Kooker said that SME wants Congress to embrace the following principals:\n\nAssure Consent, Compensation, and Credit. “New products and businesses built with music must be developed with the consent of the owner and appropriate compensation and credit. It is essential to understand why the training of AI models is being done, what products will be developed as a result, and what the business model is that will monetize the use of the artist’s work. Congress and the agencies should assure that creators’ rights are recognized and respected.” Confirm That Copying Music to Train AI Models is Not Fair Use. “Even worse are those that argue that copyrighted content should automatically be considered fair use so that protected works are never compensated for usage and creators have no say in the products or business models that are developed around them and their work. Congress should assure and agencies should presume that reproducing music to train AI models, in itself, is not a fair use.” Prevent the Cloning of Artists’ Voices and Likenesses Without Express Permission. “We cannot allow an artist’s voice or likeness to be cloned for use without the express permission of the artist. This is a very personal decision for the artist. Congress should pass into law effective federal protections for name, image, and likeness.” Incentivize Accurate Recordkeeping. “Correct attribution will be a critical element to artists being paid fairly and correctly for new works that are created. In addition, rights can only be enforced around the training of AI when there are accurate records about what is being copied. Otherwise, the inability to enforce rights in the AI marketplace equates to a lack of rights at all, producing a dangerous imbalance that prevents a thriving ecosystem. This requires strong and accurate record keeping by the generative AI platforms, a requirement that urgently needs legislative support to ensure incentives are in place so that it happens consistently and correctly.” Assure Transparency for Consumers and Artists. “Transparency is necessary to clearly distinguish human-created works from AI-created works. The public should know, when they are listening to music, whether that music was created by a human being or a machine.”\n\nAdded Kooker: “While these principles are simple and basic, they require a new level of commitment and investment from generative AI platforms.\n\n“If established early on, they will result in an even playing field for all participants so there will not be an unfair competitive advantage for a few at the expense of future innovators.\n\n“The principles will ensure that intellectual property businesses can succeed in this new world alongside tech partners, further advancing investment and expanding economic opportunities. “Music Business Worldwide", + "What’s happened?\n\nMBW Explains is a series of analytical features in which we explore the context behind major music industry talking points – and suggest what might happen next. MBW Explains is supported by JKBX , a technology platform that offers consumers access to music royalties as an asset class.\n\nAs we said last week: Welcome to the future.\n\nSeven days ago (November 16), YouTube unveiled a revolutionary new experiment – ‘Dream Track’ – enabling creators to clone the vocals, via AI tech and with official consent, of well-known stars.\n\nCharlie Puth’s voice is on there. John Legend’s voice is on there. Demi Lovato’s voice is on there.\n\nIn fact, the voices of a number of well-known recording artists signed to Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group – or labels within each major – are on there.\n\nYet something conspicuous is not on there: any endorsement whatsoever from the world’s second-biggest recording company, Sony Music Entertainment, or its artists.\n\nWhy is Sony missing?\n\nMBW understands that Sony Music (the recorded music arm of Sony Music Group) has, like Universal and Warner, been in discussions for months with YouTube over potentially licensing the ‘Dream Track’ experiment.\n\nDuring this period of discussion, YouTube has made a number of positive announcements regarding the biggest issue for any rightsholder regarding AI-driven voice replication of artists: their ability to police it.\n\nIn August, YouTube and Universal Music Group jointly announced that the video platform was launching an ‘AI Music Incubator’ – a program by which new tools and innovations will be developed at YouTube in close conjunction with artists and the music biz. To progress this ‘incubator’, YouTube said it was working behind the scenes with a number of UMG-affiliated artists;\n\nand jointly announced that the video platform was launching an – a program by which new tools and innovations will be developed at YouTube in close conjunction with artists and the music biz. To progress this ‘incubator’, YouTube said it was working behind the scenes with a number of UMG-affiliated artists; Also in August, YouTube publicly committed to three principles/pledges behind its development of music-based generative AI tools . These pledges promised “appropriate protections… for music partners who decide to participate” in said tools. They promised “invest[ment] in the AI-powered technology” that, amongst other things, would help YouTube “protect our community of viewers, creators, artists and songwriters… [from] trademark and copyright abuse” . This all seemed to hint at a desire to build a ‘Content ID’-style system on YouTube to control and police content made by cloning artists’ voices;\n\npublicly committed to three principles/pledges behind its development of music-based . These pledges promised in said tools. They promised that, amongst other things, would help YouTube . This all seemed to hint at a desire to build a on YouTube to control and police content made by cloning artists’ voices; Then, earlier this month, YouTube announced it was developing a specific system for music partners that allowed them to request the removal of content on its platform that “mimics an artist’s unique singing or rapping voice”.\n\nEvidently, all of this was enough for Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to dip their toe into the ‘Dream Track’ experiment – though not without caution.\n\nSir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said of UMG’s decision to offer a limited license to ‘Dream Track’: “We have a fundamental responsibility to our artists to ensure the digital ecosystem evolves to protect them and their work against unauthorized exploitation, including by generative AI platforms.\n\n“At the same time, we must help artists achieve their greatest creative and commercial potential – in part by providing them access to the kind of opportunities and cutting-edge creative tools made possible by AI.”\n\n“We have a fundamental responsibility to our artists to ensure the digital ecosystem evolves to protect them and their work against unauthorized exploitation, including by generative AI platforms. At the same time, we must help artists achieve their greatest creative and commercial potential…” Sir Lucian Grainge on UMG’s decision to license YouTube’s ‘Dream Track’ experiment\n\nRobert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group – and an ex-high flyer at YouTube – commented: “With each major leap in technology, the music industry navigates a fresh set of challenges and opportunities.\n\n“It’s not always the case that, from the outset, tech platforms partner with artists, songwriters, labels, and publishers to experiment, iterate, and find possible solutions.\n\n“YouTube is taking a collaborative approach with this Beta. These artists are being offered the choice to lean in, and we’re pleased to experiment and find out what the creators come up with.”\n\nWhy, then, did Sony Music not join its rivals in granting YouTube and ‘Dream Track’ access to any of its active artists’ licensed voices?\n\nEspecially when SME has shown its own willingness to experiment with generative AI music platforms this week via this announcement about a project with David Gilmour, The Orb, and AI company Vermillio?\n\nSources close to Sony Music’s HQ in New York have suggested to MBW that the company is taking an “artist-led” approach to its experiments with any AI platform that can manipulate the work (or voice) of its roster.\n\nIn the case of YouTube’s ‘Dream Track‘, MBW understands, SME first offered the opportunity to participate to a number of its artists, but this group of acts did not show enthusiasm about participating.\n\n(If one of these artists was Bad Bunny, signed to Sony’s The Orchard, you can see why: The Puerto Rican superstar expressed fury the other week about a popular track on TikTok that had cloned his vocal stylings via AI.)\n\nBut last month something else happened that, we hear, effectively scuppered any chance that Sony Music would get involved with ‘Dream Track’ at this juncture.\n\nOn October 30, Google – the parent of YouTube within Alphabet Inc. – issued a filing with the US Copyright Office that outlined its core position on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Copyright’.\n\nThe contents of this document have caused some alarm at Sony Music HQ.\n\nWhat was in the Google document?\n\nYou may have read on MBW last week that Ed Newton-Rex – a generative AI pioneer, but also a published composer – decided to quit his role at Stability AI over concerns over the company’s position on “fair use” within its own recent US Copyright Office filing.\n\n‘Fair use’ is, as it sounds, the argument that there are cases where copyrighted material can be used and even replicated that are, well, fair enough.\n\nA clumsy example: I read a great book, then I meet you for breakfast, where I tell you about the story and quote a couple of my favorite passages to you.\n\nTo suggest I’ve just committed copyright infringement wouldn’t only be silly – it would mean that copyright protections were getting in the way of the commercial furtherment of the author/rightsholder (i.e. you might go and buy the book on my recommendation).\n\nGoogle’s submission to the USCO contains a number of passages that posit a similar position… but for generative AI models. The document argues that the ingestion of copyrighted material for the training of generative AI platforms shouldn’t be hampered by copyright law.\n\nYou can read the full Google USCO submission here, but below are a few of the choicest sections on this topic:\n\n“The doctrine of fair use [within existing US copyright law] provides that copying for a new and different purpose is permitted without authorization where — as with training Al systems — the secondary use is transformative and does not substitute for the copyrighted work .”\n\n[within existing US copyright law] provides that copying for a new and different purpose is permitted without authorization where — as with — the secondary use is transformative and .” “If [AI] training could be accomplished without the creation of copies, there would be no copyright questions here. Indeed that act of “knowledge harvesting”… like the act of reading a book and learning the facts and ideas within it , would not only be non-infringing , it would further the very purpose of copyright law. The mere fact that, as a technological matter, copies need to be made to extract those ideas and facts from copyrighted works should not alter that result .”\n\ncould be accomplished without the creation of copies, there would be no copyright questions here. Indeed that act of “knowledge harvesting”… like the , would not only be , it would further the very purpose of copyright law. The mere fact that, as a technological matter, .” “Some might object to this logic in the context of generative Al systems, arguing that even if such a system produces content that is not substantially similar to any of the content it was trained on, the output of that model might compete in the marketplace with works used for training or, more broadly, with the authors of those works … This argument misunderstands both the nature of the fair use inquiry and the creative markets that copyright is intended to protect. Even if generative-Al-assisted outputs do compete with existing works that were used in training, or with future works by the authors of those works, the pro-competitive nature of copying for the purpose of “knowledge harvesting” has traditionally been a reason to favor a holding of fair use , not a reason to reject it.”\n\nthe output of that model might … Even if generative-Al-assisted outputs do compete with existing works that were used in training, or with future works by the authors of those works, the pro-competitive nature of copying for the purpose of “knowledge harvesting” has traditionally been a reason to , not a reason to reject it.” And then the kicker: “Any prohibition or limitation on the use of copyrighted materials for purposes of Al training would therefore undermine the purpose of copyright and foreclose the many opportunities that come with this technology.”\n\nTo be fair to Google, its submission does make note of the importance of US copyright law, including when applied to generative AI, striking “the right balance between the legitimate interests of rightsholders and the equally legitimate interests of the public and succeeding generations of creators”.\n\nYet it could clearly be argued that Google’s take on copyright “harvesting” by generative AI models sits in odd contrast to the copyright-related reassurances that YouTube has been careful to make to the music industry during the pre-development, development, and trial launch of ‘Dream Track’.\n\nA final thought…\n\nMBW’s sources close to Sony Music were keen to point out that the company’s general ongoing relationship with YouTube and YouTube Music is a harmonious one.\n\n(YouTube is, after all, now the second largest commercial partner of the major record companies – with a stated ambition to catch up with Spotify in the years ahead. YouTube says it paid out over USD $6 billion to music rightsholders in the year to end of June 2022, with around $2 billion of that coming just from ads on user-generated content.)\n\nHowever, the October US Copyright Office filing from Google has definitely put the cat amongst the pigeons at Sony Music HQ. As we’re sure it has at the other two major record companies.\n\n“Any prohibition or limitation on the use of copyrighted materials for purposes of Al training would undermine the purpose of copyright and foreclose the many opportunities that come with this technology.” Google filing with the US Copyright Office, October 30\n\nWitness Universal Music Group’s own filing with the US Copyright Office on the topic of AI. It couldn’t offer a starker contrast to Google’s assertion that “prohibition or limitation on the use of copyrighted materials for purposes of Al training would undermine the purpose of copyright and foreclose the many opportunities that come with this technology”.\n\n(Example from UMG’s filing: “The wholesale appropriation of UMG’s enormous catalog of copyright-protected sound recordings and musical compositions to build multibillion commercial enterprises [in AI] is anything but fair use.”)\n\nAs well as part-explaining Sony Music’s refusal to be included in ‘Dream Track’ thus far, Google’s USCO filing also perhaps explains the careful words selected by Robert Kyncl and especially Sir Lucian Grainge in their respective comments endorsing YouTube’s AI experiment.\n\n(Grainge’s statement, remember, began: “We have a fundamental responsibility to our artists to ensure the digital ecosystem evolves to protect them and their work against unauthorized exploitation, including by generative AI platforms…”)\n\nOne interesting final observation on the clutch of artists who agreed, with their record companies, to enter the YouTube ‘Dream Track’ trial?\n\nThey’re stars, for sure. But in both the case of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, they’re – currently anyway – not the biggest megastars on either company’s books.\n\nYou might not expect, at this early stage, for the likes of UMG to put forward Drake, Taylor Swift, or The Beatles – or for WMG to put forward Ed Sheeran or Dua Lipa – to be guinea pigs in any early AI music experiments, even if they’re run by ‘friends’ of the music industry like YouTube.\n\nYou might, then, also understandably wonder if there have been significant licensing payments made by YouTube to UMG and WMG for the right to play with the AI vocals of artists who have signed off on ‘Dream Track’ thus far. And, if so, if these payments are being placed against any as-yet-unrecouped advances that some of these artists may have on their label accounts.\n\nMore broadly, you might ponder a bigger question.\n\nWhen the day comes that YouTube asks the world’s biggest superstars to wholeheartedly embrace ‘Dream Track’, will Google’s recent US Copyright Office filing give said superstars – and their record companies – pause for thought?\n\nJKBX (pronounced \"Jukebox\") unlocks shared value from things people love by offering consumers access to music as an asset class — it calls them Royalty Shares. In short: JKBX makes it possible for you to invest in music the same way you invest in stocks and other securities.Music Business Worldwide", + "Happy Friday, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable releases to streaming and video rental, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.\n\nThis week’s biggest debut is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which is now streaming on Netflix. That’s not all, as Insidious: The Red Door — the fifth installment in the Insidious horror franchise — also arrives on the platform this week alongside Jawan, one of the biggest Indian action movies of the year. There’s plenty more exciting releases this week too, with A Haunting in Venice now streaming on Hulu, the Italian superhero movie Freaks vs. the Reich on Prime Video, plus the premiere of The Kill Room and Outlaw Johnny Black from director-star Michael Jai White on VOD.\n\nHere’s everything new to watch this weekend!\n\nNew on Netflix\n\nSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix\n\nGenre: Superhero action\n\nRun time: 2h 20m\n\nDirector: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson\n\nCast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac\n\nThe highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales facing off not only against a dimension-hopping nemesis in the form of the Spot, but a whole multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he attempts to save the day once again.\n\nFrom our multiversal review:\n\nNot every theme and plot and moment in Across the Spider-Verse lands, particularly with the other part of this story still most of a year away. But in the end, the theme of the Spider-Verse movies is shaping up to be a story about people trying to be bigger and bolder themselves, trying to reach beyond what they’re told they’re capable of, and do more. It’s no wonder that every part of Across the Spider-Verse is an attempt to outdo the first movie. The idea of growing, of surpassing and ignoring everyone else’s limits, is the heart of this series’ heroes and their individual journeys. It looks like the movies themselves are designed to follow suit.\n\nJawan\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix\n\nGenre: Action thriller\n\nRun time: 2h 50m\n\nDirector: Atlee\n\nCast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi\n\nThe biggest Indian movie of the year has landed on Netflix. Directed by Atlee (Mersal), Jawan features megastar Shah Rukh Khan (between this and Pathaan, he is truly back) and is basically “Robin Hood meets Charlie’s Angels.”\n\nInsidious: The Red Door\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix Saturday\n\nGenre: Supernatural horror\n\nRun time: 1h 47m\n\nDirector: Patrick Wilson\n\nCast: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne\n\nThe fifth movie in the Insidious franchise is the directorial debut for star Patrick Wilson. It’s also a sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2, as the last two movies in the franchise were prequels.\n\nFrom our review:\n\nAs a director, Wilson isn’t as effortless a horror ringmaster as Wan or Whannell: He favors more actor-centric scares than wild imagery. But he makes great use of expressive close-ups (often of himself) and shallow focus, with a few creepy It Follows-like shots of blurry figures approaching from the distance, and a terrifically claustrophobic scene inside an MRI machine. Dalton’s college story, meanwhile, occasionally borders on campus-prank zaniness: It includes what can only be described as a puke ghost, and there’s one amusing use of the horror movie cliche about the haunted little kid who makes terrifying drawings of the ghouls only he can see. (Naturally, that kid grows up to become a star pupil in an insufferable freshman art class.)\n\nSly\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix\n\nGenre: Documentary\n\nRun time: 1h 35m\n\nDirector: Thom Zimny\n\nCast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Quentin Tarantino\n\nThis documentary takes a close look at the life of one of the great American movie stars and film writers: Sylvester Stallone.\n\nNyad\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix\n\nGenre: Biographical sports drama\n\nRun time: 2h 1m\n\nDirectors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi\n\nCast: Jodie Foster, Annette Bening, Rhys Ifans\n\nNyad tells the (questionably) true story of swimmer Diana Nyad, who swam from Cuba to Florida at 64 years old, among many other swimming accomplishments.\n\nWingwomen\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Netflix\n\nGenre: Action\n\nRun time: 1h 56m\n\nDirector: Mélanie Laurent\n\nCast: Mélanie Laurent, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Isabelle Adjani\n\nMélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) is both behind and in front of the camera in this action comedy about women thieves on the run looking to pull off one last job.\n\nNew on Hulu\n\nA Haunting in Venice\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Hulu\n\nGenre: Horror mystery\n\nRun time: 1h 43m\n\nDirector: Kenneth Branagh\n\nCast: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan\n\nKenneth Branagh’s Poirot adaptations have generally been a fun time, even when they have problems (looking at you, Death on the Nile). A Haunting in Venice is his best yet, as Branagh’s confidence as director and performer in this mode only continues to grow. It’s perfect fall viewing.\n\nQuiz Lady\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Hulu\n\nGenre: Comedy\n\nRun time: 1h 39m\n\nDirector: Jessica Yu\n\nCast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will Ferrell\n\nSandra Oh and Awkwafina play a pair of estranged sisters who try to win big on a game show to pay off their mom’s debts. The supporting cast includes Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale, and the late Paul Reubens.\n\nNew on Prime Video\n\nFreaks vs. the Reich\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video\n\nGenre: Superhero/circus war movie\n\nRun time: 2h 21m\n\nDirector: Gabriele Mainetti\n\nCast: Claudio Santamaria, Aurora Giovinazzo, Pietro Castellitto\n\nThis offbeat Italian superhero movie follows a group of circus performers in World War II who are sought after by the Nazis and team up to stop them. I have heard it’s funny, sweet, and has strong action — definitely on my weekend watchlist.\n\nNew on Peacock\n\nMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 3\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on Peacock\n\nGenre: Romantic comedy\n\nRun time: 1h 32m\n\nDirector: Nia Vardalos\n\nCast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor\n\nOne of cinema’s most endearingly goofy families is back, in the most family-centric franchise this side of the Fast and Furious movies. It’s the first Greek Wedding movie since 2016, which came nearly 15 years after the original smash hit. This time, star-writer Nia Vardalos takes over directorial duties, following up her 2009 directorial debut I Hate Valentine’s Day.\n\nNew on AMC Plus\n\nSympathy for the Devil\n\nWhere to watch: Available to stream on AMC Plus\n\nGenre: Psychological thriller\n\nRun time: 1h 30m\n\nDirector: Yuval Adler\n\nCast: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman\n\nA largely two-person movie that sounds a bit like Collateral, Sympathy for the Devil stars Nicolas Cage as a passenger who holds a driver (Joel Kinnaman) hostage on a long car trip.\n\nNew to rent\n\nPaw Patrol: The Mighty Movie\n\nWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nGenre: Action adventure\n\nRun time: 1h 35m\n\nDirector: Cal Brunker\n\nCast: Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin\n\nThe Paw Patrol is back — this sequel to the first movie sees the pup get superpowers in their quest to stop Mayor Humdinger from destroying Adventure City.\n\nThe Kill Room\n\nWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nGenre: Dark comedy thriller\n\nRun time: 1h 38m\n\nDirector: Nicol Paone\n\nCast: Joe Manganiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman\n\nJoe Manganiello stars as a hitman turned artist in this funny comedy about how the worlds of fine art and high crime aren’t so separated after all. When he turns to art as a method of laundering money, the hitman becomes an unexpected overnight sensation in the high-art scene.\n\nOutlaw Johnny Black\n\nWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nGenre: Satirical Western\n\nRun time: 2h 10m\n\nDirector: Michael Jai White\n\nCast: Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash\n\nMichael Jai White’s long-awaited follow-up to Black Dynamite is finally here: a “West-ploitation” movie about an outlaw who pretends to be a preacher and settles in a new troubled town. The star and director spoke to us at length about the movie and the long road it took to get here.\n\nSound of Freedom\n\nWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu\n\nGenre: Crime thriller\n\nRun time: 2h 11m\n\nDirector: Alejandro Gómez Monteverde\n\nCast: Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp\n\nOne of the most surprising (and controversial) box-office hits of the year, Sound of Freedom purports to be a true story about stopping child trafficking. The truth is much more complicated than that.", + "“Those slavering jaws; the lolling tongue; the rime of saliva on the grizzled chops.”\n\nThis is Angela Carter, not on Venom, but on the wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood” in The Bloody Chamber, her collection of reimagined folk and fairy tales. It’s actually from “The Company of Wolves,” which is one of three retellings of “Little Red Riding Hood” in the collection, each with its own spin on the familiar tale.\n\nPolygon Recommends is our way of endorsing our favorite games, movies, TV shows, comics, tabletop books, and entertainment experiences. When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, it’s because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun — and worth fitting into your schedule. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch .\n\nRetellings are compelling because they allow writers to toy with readers’ preconceived notions of how the story “should go,” both in terms of genre conventions and in terms of plot. We know Little Red Riding Hood will go to her grandmother’s house, where she will find that her grandmother has been eaten by a wolf, just as we know Spider-Man will be bitten by a radioactive spider. The fun, both for the author and the reader, comes in deviating from those norms — in finding new ways to tell old tales.\n\nWith Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac Games attempts something similar.\n\nMainstream Spider-Man stories are increasingly Spider-Men stories, and Spider-Man 2, the third Spidey game from Insomniac, is no different. You play as both the yassified Peter Parker from Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales from his eponymous debut in 2020, switching between the two at your leisure with all the speed afforded by the PlayStation 5’s SSD.\n\nIn fact, speed is one of the primary improvements on display in the first PS5-exclusive Spider-Man game. New to the series are web wings, which allow the Spider-Mans to fly through the city, gliding over rooftops and gaining speed from wind tunnels without needing to rely on buildings, bridges, or other anchors for web-slinging. (They’re especially useful when crossing the East River into the newly added Brooklyn and Queens.) Web-swinging is faster now as well, enhancing that ineffable feeling of being Spider-Man as you glide through New York with ease. Whether you’re playing as Miles or Peter, traversing the three available boroughs is an undeniable joy — so much so that I found myself using fast travel less frequently than in the previous two games, because movement felt that much more fluid.\n\nOf the two Spider-Mans, it’s Miles who feels more alive with the possibility to break free of expectation and canon\n\nNarratively, juggling two Spider-Mans requires a different kind of deftness. Two villains new to the series take center stage — Kraven the Hunter and Venom — as well as a returning cast of nearly every villain from the previous two games. Without delving into spoilers, a large majority of that cast is sidelined early on, leaving Kraven and Venom as our principal antagonists, albeit with large roles for returning villains the Lizard (who made a brief appearance in Miles Morales) and Mister Negative. There are others besides them that should delight comic fans, setting up future conflicts for either expansions or the presumed Spider-Man 3 to tackle. If what you come to Spider-Man for is spectacle and villainy, Spider-Man 2 has the goods and then some.\n\nAs for our heroes, Miles and Peter return from their individual outings for a dramatic team-up. Their two stories are threaded together, allowing for randomized encounters where Peter might show up while you’re playing as Miles (or vice versa), with the two of you tag-teaming a random criminal and slamming them into the ground in what feels like the world’s least fair fight. And yes, they do the Spider-Man-pointing-at-Spider-Man meme in-game. And yes, it is charming the first time (though maybe less so the second). The main story sometimes swaps Spider-Mans mid-mission, as in the dramatic opening sequence where Sandman coats the city in dust as Peter and Miles rush to help firefighters and first responders, with eerie echoes of 9/11. Side missions often allow either Spider-Man to tackle them, but the main story beats require one or the other, as each hero is allowed his full particularity as a singular Spider-Man.\n\nPeter’s plot involves a retelling of the Venom origin story, with beats that will be recognizable to those even passingly familiar with the Spider-Man mythos. If Spider-Man 2 is a game of retellings, Peter’s story clings most closely to the canon. If you’ve seen Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, you’ll know the gist of what to expect when the symbiote finds its way to Peter. It isn’t until the late game that Peter’s story starts pushing more strongly against our canonical memories and into something more unique to Insomniac.\n\nMiles’ story takes more liberties. Hailey Cooper, Miles’ love interest from his solo game, returns here, taking more of an MJ-esque role and carving out her own identity separate from Miles’. American Sign Language is featured heavily throughout Miles’ missions because of Hailey’s presence, feeling as natural and integral to the story as anything from the canon. One of the Miles-specific side quests involves learning about the artistic history of Harlem, and it entwines the real-life histories of Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and Charlie Parker with the fictional history of SHIELD and other Marvel properties. An early mission shows off Insomniac’s technical chops with a section that cleverly borrows a trick from Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Of the two Spider-Mans, it’s Miles who feels more alive with the possibility to break free of expectation and canon.\n\n[Ed. note: Spoilers follow for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.]\n\nThe recent Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has an obsession with “canon events,” pivotal moments in a Spider-Man’s life that the film’s villain, Spider-Man 2099, is dedicated to maintaining across the multiverse. Whether it’s the upside-down kiss, the death of Uncle Ben or Jefferson Davis, or simply the spider bite that starts it all, Spider-Man 2099 believes that upholding these canon events, even the painful ones, is key to preserving the stability of each strand of reality. Miles disagrees, believing it is Spider-Man’s job to resist the seemingly inevitable — to always do what’s right, not simply what’s preordained. The film ends with a promise of pushing back against Spider-Man 2099, and with it, the established canon.\n\nI was hungry for Spider-Man 2 to push back in a similar way — to treat the established story like Angela Carter repurposing “Little Red Riding Hood” to her whims, like Michael Cunningham plumbing “Rumpelstiltskin” for a story about the desire to have a child, or like Helen Oyeyemi and her body of work. Or, to give a more mass media example, like Star Wars: Visions, which gives creative leeway to a variety of animators and storytellers to play with the very basics of what makes Star Wars Star Wars.\n\nSpider-Man 2 doesn’t go quite this far, but where it does go is still satisfyingly slant. Wrinkles to critical characters and plot points will keep even seasoned Spider-fans on their toes. Moreover, it plays like a dream, with smart additions to combat that enhance the power fantasy of being Spider-Man. Each Spider-Man now has a full arsenal of special moves and gadgets that complement one another, making even the most basic combat encounter feel like a choreographed ballet of kicks, thwips, and zaps. The game is beautifully rendered, taking full advantage of the newest PlayStation, with such detailed textures on each unlockable suit that you’d swear they were real, and ray-traced window after ray-traced window in a loving rendition of New York. (If you can get past the Frankenstein-ification of the boroughs, that is. RIP Chelsea.)\n\nThere are hints of greater thematic aspirations within Spider-Man 2. Questions about mass incarceration, recidivism, and reintegration into society for formerly incarcerated people; worries about the surveillance state and what we give up when we engage with modern technology. These things appear, however fleetingly, in Spider-Man 2, but there isn’t enough time to elaborate on any single one in the unrelenting march of set-piece after glorious set-piece.\n\nBut I’m glad they’re there, anyway. Because if we’re going to retell a story, we ought to retell it anew. Canons were made to be broken, and Spider-Man 2 swings in that direction. With a sequel teed up by the game’s final act, I’m eager to see where Insomniac goes with that momentum. Next stop: the Bronx.\n\nMarvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be released Oct. 20 on PlayStation 5. The game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here .", + "Temu, the Chinese e-commerce company whose app is now attracting longer engagement times than Amazon, is Apple’s most downloaded free app in the U.S. for 2023. The Cupertino-based tech giant today released an App Store feature that showcases the top iPhone apps of the year, free and paid, as measured by app installs — its proxy for overall popularity. This year, apps from Chinese-based companies have taken over spots previously held by U.S. tech giants like Meta and Google, as CapCut and TikTok, which hail from Beijing-based ByteDance, came in at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively.\n\nMeta, which last year held the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 9 spots with WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, respectively, showed up in the top 10 this year with a slightly different mix. Gone from the charts is Facebook, while Meta’s new app Instagram Threads was the No. 3 app by U.S. downloads. Instagram and WhatsApp followed at No. 6 and No. 9, slipping in position from their ranking last year.\n\nGoogle, meanwhile, had dominated last year’s list with the No. 2 app YouTube, just behind TikTok, as well as No. 5 Google Maps, No. 6 Google Search and No. 7 Gmail. In 2023, however, Google’s only two apps in the top 10 by downloads included No. 7 Google Search and No. 8 YouTube, both also slipping in ranking from last year.\n\nThe shift in downloads could represent that U.S. tech giants are nearly at a market saturation point, where their apps aren’t as in demand as they were in previous years because many already have them installed. It also points to the growing demand for apps from Chinese firms, like ByteDance, which are attracting younger users’ attention along with government scrutiny, with TikTok being banned from a number of government devices over concerns about its China ties. Montana also attempted to ban TikTok in its state, but that ruling was put on hold by the courts for the time being as TikTok’s lawsuit progresses.\n\nThe negative attention TikTok has received in the year may account for its slip from being the No. 1 app last year to now the No. 5 app. But U.S. consumers haven’t sworn off Chinese apps by the looks of things, given Temu’s No. 1 position. Data from Apptopia, reported by Bloomberg, noted that consumers were spending 18 minutes per day in Temu’s app, compared with 10 minutes in Amazon. Younger users spent even higher amounts of time, at 19 minutes per day, on average. While Temu attracts users with in-app games, its real draw may be its bargain prices — which have more of an appeal during an economic downturn. It’s also a heavily-marketed app, just as TikTok was in the months leading up to its No. 1 ranking last year.\n\nThe only other top app in the list not from Meta, Google or a Chinese firm was Max (formerly HBO Max), which showed up as the No. 3 app by downloads in the U.S.\n\nThe top paid apps list showcases a different market, more often of smaller developers or those building useful productivity tools, creative apps or utilities that users are willing to pay for. Here, the top 10 included (in order): Shadowrocket, HotSchedules, Procreate Pocket, The Wonder Weeks, 75 Hard, AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch, Goblin Tools, TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome, SkyView and AnkiMobile Flashcards.\n\nThe top free games, meanwhile, included several of last year’s winners, like Roblox, Call of Duty: Mobile, Subway Surfers and Parking Jam 3D, as well as some new additions. This list’s No.1 app was MONOPOLY GO!, followed by Roblox (up from No. 3 last year), Royal Match, Subway Surfers (down from No. 2 last year), Gardenscapes, Call of Duty: Mobile (up from No. 8 last year), Block Blast!, Makeover Studio: Makeup Games, Parking Jam 3D (ranked the same as last year) and Survivor!.io.\n\nThe top paid games in the U.S. were led by Microsoft-owned Minecraft, and also included Heads Up!, Geometry Dash, Bloons TD 6, MONOPOLY, Papa’s Freezeria To Go!, Plague Inc., Red’s First Flight, Five Nights at Freddy’s (which became a movie this year, too) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.\n\nApple’s feature also includes separate lists of the top iPad apps and games, both free and paid, for the year, as well as top Apple Arcade games. The latter offers the only glimpse into Apple’s subscription gaming store, which is otherwise a black box as it doesn’t feature a Top Charts section like the larger App Store does.\n\nThere’s some overlap in these lists, though streaming apps make a better showing among the free iPad apps. That list includes (in order) Max, YouTube and Netflix in the top three spots and Disney+, Prime Video and Peacock at No. 5, 8 and 10, respectively. Top iPad games also include more kid-friendly titles, like Toca Life: Hospital (No. 5) and Teach Your Monster to Read (No. 7).\n\nThe complete set of lists are below:\n\nTop Free iPhone Apps\n\nTemu: Shop Like a Billionaire CapCut – Video Editor Max: Stream HBO, TV, & Movies Threads, an Instagram app TikTok Instagram Google YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream WhatsApp Messenger Gmail – Email by Google\n\nTop Paid iPhone Apps\n\nShadowrocket HotSchedules Procreate Pocket The Wonder Weeks 75 Hard AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch Goblin Tools TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome SkyView AnkiMobile Flashcards\n\nTop Free iPhone Games\n\nMONOPOLY GO! Roblox Royal Match Subway Surfers Gardenscapes Call of Duty: Mobile Block Blast! Makeover Studio: Makeup Games Parking Jam 3D Survivor!.io\n\nTop Paid iPhone Games\n\nMinecraft Heads Up! Geometry Dash Bloons TD 6 MONOPOLY Papa’s Freezeria To Go! Plague Inc. Red’s First Flight Five Nights at Freddy’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas\n\nTop Free iPad Apps\n\nMax: Stream HBO, TV, & Movies YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream Netflix Google Chrome Disney+ Goodnotes 6 TikTok Amazon Prime Video Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire Peacock TV: Stream TV & Movies\n\nTop Paid iPad Apps\n\nProcreate Shadowrocket Nomad Sculpt forScore Toca Life: Hospital Bluebeam Revu for iPad Teach Your Monster to Read AnkiMobile Flashcards Endless Paper ToonSquid\n\nTop Free iPad Games\n\nRoblox Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game Subway Surfers Royal Match Among Us! Duet Cats: Cute Cat Games Stumble Guys MONOPOLY GO! Bridge Race Gardenscapes\n\nTop Paid iPad Games\n\nMinecraft Geometry Dash Bloons TD 6 Stardew Valley MONOPOLY Five Nights at Freddy’s Red’s First Flight Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 Plague Inc. Garten of Banban 2\n\nTop Apple Arcade Games", + "U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters\n\nBEIJING — After another rocky year of U.S.-China tensions, the two countries' presidents are set to meet this week in person for the second time since Joe Biden took office. It will be a rare summit before the U.S. presidential election cycle kicks off in earnest. Taking a tough stance on China, the second-largest economy in the world, has become one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement. Biden plans to run for reelection. \"The focus will be on expanding dialogue in order to low[er] tail risks in the relationship and prevent a crisis that neither leader is looking for,\" said Michael Hirson, head of China Research at 22V Research. \"Flashpoints such as Taiwan and the South China Sea need to be managed carefully,\" he said. \"For that reason the meeting is still important, especially ahead of a politically charged 2024 that will begin with an important presidential election in Taiwan in January and end with the U.S. presidential election.\" U.S.-China tensions have escalated over the last several years, beginning with tariffs under the Trump administration and spilling over into broader tech restrictions under the Biden administration.\n\nwatch now\n\nControversy in early February over an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying in U.S. airspace revealed how fragile relations have become — the incident pushed the two countries to suspend already limited high-level talks. In April, during that period of estrangement, Washington, D.C.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies published a report that described U.S.-China relations as seemingly \"caught in a worsening vicious cycle.\" \"This translates into a stalemate—and, in fact, spiraling tensions—that go even further than the typical 'security dilemma,' in which each side takes steps to defend itself which in turn generate insecurity for the other, who then responds in kind,\" the report said.\n\nThe immediate aftermath of the [Biden-Xi] meeting is likely to mark a cyclical high point for bilateral relations Gabriel Wildau Teneo\n\nSentiment began to improve over the summer after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally made a high-stakes visit to Beijing in June, followed by visits from several other senior officials. In early October, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and five other U.S. senators representing both the Republican and Democratic parties had an 80-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But both sides are still waiting for more action. \"The current trend in China-U.S. relations is one of easing,\" said Shen Yamei, director of the department for American Studies and an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies. \"This easing is a relaxation of the atmosphere,\" she said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. \"No actual changes have occurred.\" She pointed out, however, that the establishment of many new communication channels means there is much to look forward to.\n\nExport controls\n\nDuring this week's meeting, Shen expects the Chinese side to bring up U.S. export controls and investment restrictions. The Biden administration has restricted U.S. companies from selling high-end tech, primarily in semiconductors, to Chinese companies and sought to curb U.S. investments in such Chinese tech. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a trip in August had \"said no\" to China's requests to reduce the controls and called the them \"matters of national security.\" Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng also raised the issues during preparatory meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in San Francisco on Nov. 10, according to state media. \"Aside from Taiwan, export controls are Beijing's top concern, but there is no political space in Washington roll back existing controls,\" Gabriel Wildau, managing director at consulting firm Teneo, said in a note. \"The immediate aftermath of the [Biden-Xi] meeting is likely to mark a cyclical high point for bilateral relations,\" he said. \"The key question is whether this high point extends into a plateau or whether political pressures trigger a new cycle of deterioration,\" he said. \"As previously discussed, the period since June has offered a window of opportunity to stabilize relations; following the meeting, this window may close.\" Taiwan is set to hold its presidential election in January, and a more pro-independence winner could stir more of Beijing's ire. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, with no right to independently conduct diplomatic relations. The U.S. recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan, a democratically self-governed island. While speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in August 2021, Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. The trip prompted Beijing to suspend talks on climate with the U.S., one of the few areas of potential cooperation.\n\nAreas of cooperation\n\nThe Biden administration has said the U.S. is in competition with China, while looking to ensure that it \"does not veer into conflict.\" \"The Biden-Xi meeting might include a pledge to cooperate or establish a new formal bilateral working group on safe use of artificial intelligence,\" Teneo's Wildau said. He added that \"the two leaders may pledge to cooperate and coordinate on providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensure smooth passage of grain through the Black Sea, and support postwar reconstruction in Gaza and Ukraine.\" The U.S. remains China's largest trading partner on a single-country basis. However, Shen pointed out that trust between the U.S. and China is still quite low. \"No one believes what [the other] says now,\" she said.\n\nwatch now\n\nPaving the way\n\nGoodwill efforts have increased in the weeks leading up to the planned summit on Wednesday local time between Biden and Xi in San Francisco, alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. For example, more direct flights between the U.S. and China are resuming from a low base. Chinese commodity importers in October signed the first agreements since 2017 to buy U.S. agricultural products in bulk, according to a release from the U.S. embassy in Beijing. China's Ministry of Commerce last week announced it was gathering information in an effort to address unequal treatment of foreign businesses in China versus domestic ones — a longstanding business complaint. However, on the cultural front, the three remaining giant pandas in the U.S. on loan from Beijing returned to China last week due to an expiring contract. China has lent pandas to countries around the world as a diplomatic tool.", + "The Seahawks are just about hanging on by a thread. At 6-7, the team is on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. A win on Monday night against the suddenly reeling Eagles could be a big boost in their chances going forward -- a matchup that is actually a pretty good one after looking beneath the surface. The Eagles come in as losers of two straight, losing in blowout fashion both times no less. Suddenly the sky is falling as the Cowboys have taken over the NFC East division lead, complicating matters as the regular season winds down. The sense of urgency for both sides means we are looking at two teams with plenty to lose, setting up for a fun Monday night under the lights at Lumen Field.\n\nBefore we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.\n\nEagles-Seahawks DraftKings Picks: DFS lineup for Week 15 Monday Night Football\n\n$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.\n\nCaptain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): WR DK Metcalf, Seahawks ($14,400)\n\nThe Eagles secondary issues are well-documented at this stage and they'll be made even worse with the absence of CB Darius Slay (knee) in Seattle on Monday night. Metcalf has four touchdowns in his last two games, including a three TD game against a stout Cowboys defense. The receiver has been prone to being undisciplined on the field, however, resulting in an ejection against the 49ers last week. That is always a concern when trusting Metcalf, but we take the good with the bad since the ceiling is so high. No matter who ends up starting at QB, the WR is in line for another dominant showing against one of the league's most generous secondaries.\n\nFLEX QB Geno Smith, Seahawks ($9,400)\n\nMetcalf won't be throwing the ball to himself and he's not one to get opportunities in the running game, meaning that someone will be setting him up for success. And since Smith appears ready to play, he finds himself with a spot in our lineup. In the event that he doesn't play, however, we will turn to Drew Lock ($9,200) in his place. Regardless, the Seattle quarterbacks are set up for success and should be able to light up the skies on Monday night. Take the chance to stack QB1 and WR1 from the home side.\n\nFLEX WR DeVonta Smith, Eagles ($9,000)\n\nMost of the attention will continue to be focused on A.J. Brown, but what about the reliable Smith? He's quietly been the more productive option over the last three weeks, totaling 62.5 fantasy points to just 54.5 from Brown. Seattle's secondary was torched by San Francisco last week, allowing both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to go over the century mark. And for all the credit that the Eagles get for having a great team, they are a fairly top-heavy bunch. There's no clear WR3 behind Brown and Smith, meaning the opportunities will be aplenty. Expect that big workload to continue for a receiver that's sometimes forgotten in Philly.\n\nFLEX RB D'Andre Swift, Eagles ($8,000)\n\nThe message to the Eagles has been clear from the fans -- run the ball. It's part of what made this team so hard to beat earlier in the season. They've become a pass-happy offense in recent history, relying mostly on the legs and arm of Jalen Hurts to do everything. After getting smacked by the Cowboys last week, the Eagles weren't afforded the opportunity to establish the run. That will be a point of emphasis this time around, especially since Hurts is dealing with an illness. It's been three weeks since Swift had any kind of impact. That needs to change if the Eagles want to get back on track.\n\nFLEX TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles ($6,200)\n\nOne of the players that should help this team get-right is Goedert. The TE is healthy once again, having returned against the Cowboys last week and settled in nicely by collecting all four targets for 30 yards. We mentioned earlier the lack of a true WR3 for Philly, but that is essentially Goedert's role with the lack of WR depth. As a trusted option in the passing game, Goedert should find success against a defense that's been shredded by TEs in back-to-back weeks.\n\nFLEX TE Noah Fant, Seahawks ($2,600)\n\nFant rounds out the lineup as a fine sleeper option against a defense that's struggled to contain TEs at times throughout this season. He likely needs a touchdown to make a real impact, but we can pencil in Fant for around four targets in an offense that seemingly loves to throw touchdowns to random TEs. Considering the state of our budget at this point, we're taking a shot on Fant to deliver as a short-yardage option with the Eagles' pass rush threatening to make life difficult.\n\nMORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest\n\nBest SuperDraft Eagles-Seahawks DFS Picks\n\nThis year, we're also listing our favorite single-game DFS plays on SuperDraft.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Join now and get a free deposit match of $20!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nChampion (+50% points): WR DK Metcalf, Seahawks (Multiplier 1.8x)\n\nSuper FLEX: QB Geno Smith, Seahawks (Multiplier 1.2x)\n\nSuper FLEX: QB Jalen Hurts, Eagles (Multiplier 1x)\n\nSuper FLEX: WR A.J. Brown, Eagles (Multiplier 1.05x)\n\nSuper FLEX: WR DeVonta Smith, Eagles (Multiplier 1.25x)\n\nOur SuperDraft lineup for Monday night's game is going all-in on the passing attacks for both sides. We're carrying our Smith-Metcalf stack over to the SuperDraft side of things, but the lack of a budget allows us to get Hurts along with Brown and the Eagles' Smith to stack things on the opposite sideline too. We envision plenty of production through the air despite both team's desire to run the ball.", + "The possessed-animatronics horror video game Five Nights at Freddy’s is less than a decade old, but a movie version has been in the works almost since the game launched, which seems especially protracted for a development process. Warner Bros. bought the movie rights in 2015, and the project moved over to Blumhouse a couple of years later. Game creator Scott Cawthon wrote and rewrote the script, while kid-horror filmmakers like Gil Kenan (Monster House) and Chris Columbus (Gremlins, the first Harry Potter and Percy Jackson movies) signed on and jumped off the project.\n\nFinally, under director Emma Tammi, the film is hitting theaters simultaneously with a Peacock streaming debut. The franchise’s most hardcore fans probably consider themselves beyond ready to watch the Freddy’s film. But what about everyone else? If you’re not sure, have a look at this handy (and extremely spoiler-light) Q&A. We don’t dig into the considerable lore behind FNAF here — there are endless YouTube videos for that. We’re mostly talking about who this film is for and what to expect.\n\nDoes Five Nights at Freddy’s have a post-credits scene?\n\nYes. More specifically, it has a brief mid-credits scene that rolls less than a minute after the initial cut to black. It isn’t integral to the movie’s lore, and doesn’t feel like a sequel tease, though it certainly could be elaborated on in a sequel. It’s more of a comic scene involving YouTuber and horror-game aficionado Cory DeVante “CoryxKenshin” Williams, though he doesn’t seem to be playing himself. But as far as a true post-credits scene that actually plays at the tail end of the credit roll, Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t have one — just a brief, not especially exciting audio-only Easter egg.\n\nCan you enjoy Five Nights at Freddy’s if you haven’t played the games?\n\nAt a Blumhouse panel for the recent New York Comic Con, producer Jason Blum explained that he thinks a lot of adaptations — books, comics, and games alike — falter when creators try to simultaneously please hardcore fans and remain accessible to new audiences. According to Blum, his company finally cracked Five Nights at Freddy’s by deciding not to make it with new audiences in mind. In other words, they ultimately decided to just please the fans.\n\nIt was a clear applause-bait line at a convention filled to the brim with, yes, fans. But that doesn’t mean the movie is hard to follow. It starts from scratch, mimicking the premise of the first game: A guy named Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is hired as overnight security guard for an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese-style arcade restaurant, and encounters some animatronics with strange and eerie origins. There’s no comics-style backstory that demands pre-movie study.\n\nStill, complete newcomers checking out the movie to see what the fuss is about may be confused for other reasons. The movie’s backstory is parceled out awkwardly, in ways that are sometimes confusing. Characters’ decisions don’t always make sense. And there’s as much family melodrama as thrill-ride scares. There isn’t much you can do about it except assure yourself that any confusion you experience in watching it isn’t just you. The movie is kind of weird, and not because of some missing fan-only information that unlocks all its inconsistencies. The for-the-fans vibe Blum described applies more to whether the average person will care about this story, not whether they can understand it.\n\nWill Five Nights at Freddy’s experts enjoy the movie more?\n\nLongtime fans hungering for an exploration or expansion of the game series’ continuing mythology should prepare themselves to see something more simplified. Typical enough for an adaptation, some of the more complicated lore has been stripped out, though it could probably be reintroduced in any sequel. This does make the movie more accessible for franchise newcomers, whether Blum wanted that or not.\n\nAlso, fans might expect more screen time than they actually get for the core animatronics team of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Carl the Cupcake.\n\nIs Five Nights at Freddy’s safe for kids?\n\nFor an ostensible horror franchise — one based on nostalgia for and subversion of animatronic characters that date to the 1980s — the Five Nights at Freddy’s games have a surprising amount of young fans. Its kid appeal is an echo of a time when playgrounds were alight with elementary school kids describing the antics of Freddy and/or Jason, whether witnessed firsthand or pieced together from rumors. Unlike A Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th, however, Freddy’s is rated PG-13, rather than R.\n\nSo is it really as kid-friendly as other PG-13 IP movies, like Aquaman or Captain Marvel? That will depend a lot on the kid in question, of course, but the movie is far from an unrelenting thrill ride. It isn’t as intense as fellow PG-13 horror movies The Ring or Drag Me to Hell. The most ghoulish aspects of the Freddy’s backstory are kept off screen or entirely unmentioned, and none of its set-pieces seem like pure nightmare fuel. Several of the titular five nights pass without much incident at all.\n\nThat said, there are plentiful cheap music-sting jump scares and a few gruesome bits of junior-level gore. Violence-wise, this is a harder PG-13 than your average superhero movie, which will probably only entice its younger YouTube-versed fans even more. Again, every kid is different, but generally speaking, that 12 or 13 age cutoff is probably about right.\n\nWasn’t there already a horror movie about evil animatronics?\n\nYes! Five Nights at Freddy’s took so long to get the movie treatment that it was actually lapped by a spirited knockoff. Willy’s Wonderland doesn’t have nearly so much lore as the FNAF games, but its premise is basically One Night at Cage’s, with Nicolas Cage playing a man hired to serve as an overnight janitor at a haunted Chuck E. Cheese-type location. As expected, the interesting element of the movie is Cage’s performance — especially because it’s entirely dialogue-free, muting one of Cage’s most distinctive features as an actor.\n\nThe novelty isn’t quite enough for Willy’s Wonderland to reach the upper echelon of Cage’s last decade, but hardcore fans of either the actor or the concept might enjoy the strange combination of a unique movie-star brand with an off-brand version of the famous game series. And a total Five Nights novice might even prefer the sillier, shorter Cage version.", + "For most kids, Halloween is all about how much candy they can stuff in their bags or buckets.\n\nBut for some kids, such as those with autism, the activity can be a little more daunting.\n\nThe blue Halloween bucket trend first started in 2018, when Louisiana mom Alicia Plumer took to Facebook indicating that her son, who has autism, would be carrying a blue bucket to indicate his disability.\n\nBLUE HALLOWEEN BUCKETS RAISE AUTISM AWARENESS, MOM'S VIRAL POST SAYS\n\n\"If you see someone who appears to be an adult dressed up to trick-or-treat this year carrying this blue bucket, he’s our son!\" she wrote. \"His name is BJ & he is autistic. While he has the body of a 21-year-old, he loves Halloween.\"\n\nShe added, \"Please help us keep his spirit alive and happy. So when you see the blue bucket, share a piece of candy. Spread awareness! These precious people are not ‘too big’ to trick-or-treat.\"\n\nAnother mom, Omairis Taylor, wrote in a 2019 Facebook post that many neighbors expected her nonverbal, autistic son to say \"trick-or-treat\" to earn candy, leading the mother to explain over and over why he was unable to do so.\n\nMany Facebook users praised the idea of the blue bucket, one commenting how it is \"one more tool to broaden the scope of understanding.\"\n\n'OUTGROWING' AUTISM? FOR SOME KIDS, THE DISORDER SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR BY AGE 6, ‘ENCOURAGING’ STUDY FINDS\n\nParents across the country and retailers like Walmart have since joined in buying and selling blue Halloween baskets to raise awareness for trick-or-treaters with autism.\n\nThe National Autism Association recognized the movement as well, warning in a 2020 blog post that not all parents find the color coding necessary.\n\nSome parents are concerned that blue buckets unnecessarily point out their child’s disability, and could even make them a target for abuse.\n\nThe argument continues this Halloween season, with some X users pointing out the controversy.\n\nLOS ANGELES MOM SAY KIDS WITH AUTISM DON'T NEED ‘FIXING,’ URGES GREATER UNDERSTANDING AMID SPIKE IN CASES\n\n\"DO NOT BUY YOUR CHILDREN BLUE HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN BUCKETS,\" one X user posted on Monday.\n\n\"This idea, aside from being horribly ableist, as it's intended to denote the child as ‘different’ (read: autistic) harms children w/dietary needs. Teal pumpkins = hypoallergenic needs/options & this idea muddies that message.\"\n\nAnother user posted, \"I know this has the best of intentions ... But we don't need blue pumpkin buckets for Halloween. Non-verbal kids don't need to be identified during a fun holiday, they just want to participate like everyone else.\"\n\nParenting expert and child psychologist Dr. Michele Borba commented on the controversy, telling Fox News Digital that it’s \"always advisable not to label a child — unless it’s for a positive reason.\"\n\nCALIFORNIA MAN WITH SEVERE AUTISM BEATS RUBIK'S CUBE WORLD RECORD: ‘EXUBERANCE IN OUR HEARTS’\n\n\"Negative labels can impact a child’s self-confidence,\" said the California-based psychologist. \"But no one knows a child better than a parent.\"\n\nBorba suggested that parents should consider whether the label hurts or helps their child interact with others.\n\n\"For instance, is the child speech delayed? Does he have difficulty interacting with others or expressing his needs? Are others (including his peers) aware of the child’s challenges?\" she questioned.\n\n\"The ultimate goal is for the child to have a fun Halloween,\" Borba said. \"The parents should never be concerned about others’ responses; only do what is best for [the] child.\"\n\nKelley Coleman, Los Angeles-based author of the upcoming book, \"Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child,\" echoed this sentiment, emphasizing to Fox News Digital how Halloween should \"always be about your child.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nFor parents considering using a blue bucket, Coleman — who is also the mother of an autistic son — advised others to take their children's safety, comfort and privacy into consideration.\n\n\"Especially for children trick-or-treating without parents directly at their side — is it the safest option to have your child carrying a bright indicator of their disability?\" she asked.\n\n\"For children who prefer privacy, would they want that information broadcasted? For children who prefer to share their neurodivergence, perhaps this is something they are proud to display.\"\n\nThe conversation should be between child and parent, Coleman stressed, regardless of communication level, and should \"center their experience and preferences.\"\n\n\"The blue bucket can be a teaching tool for others; however, it should never be about others — it should always be about your child.\"\n\n\"In an ideal world, all adults would understand that not everyone communicates the same way, and that one's ability to communicate does not indicate one's interest in candy,\" she said. \"But, the reality is that not all adults know this.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"It's exhausting teaching others to be inclusive,\" Coleman added. \"So, yes, the blue bucket can be a teaching tool for others; however, it should never be about others — it should always be about your child.\"\n\nMadeline Farber contributed to this report.", + "Many players have celebrated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the space it made to find queer expression in Hyrule. Its story provided just enough possibility space for players to explore in ways that did not conform to its developers’ intent. But stepping into Hyrule Field again in Tears of the Kingdom, I felt much more constrained.\n\nPlayers have been looking for gender in this generation’s iteration of Link since before Breath of the Wild released. Donning his tunic’s now iconic champion blue, Link’s androgyny in the game’s very first teaser trailer back in 2014 stirred mainstream audiences to scrutinize the player character’s presumed gender. And as early as that had come into question, so too did the character’s entire identity. The idea of a female Hero of Time simmered. And if the character shown wasn’t Link, then maybe it was a playable Zelda.\n\nNintendo would eventually address the speculation: Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma said that nothing so revolutionary as a woman was in the works, explaining that changing Link’s gender would “mess with the balance of the Triforce,” while focusing instead on Zelda as a playable female character would leave Link with nothing to do. “If we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights,” Aonuma asked, “then what is Link going to do?”\n\nThese assumptions and their casual misogyny reveal that particular kinds of gender are a priori to the very land and cosmos of Hyrule — that the Triforce both represents and enshrines the subordination of women to men in the kingdom’s religion, and that courage and power must only be an essential trait of men. Many fans have been disappointed in Zelda’s continued sidelining, while the developer has been content to give Zelda little to do in her eponymous games. While his developers imagine Link as a blank slate for players of all identities, Sarah Stang contends that Link’s gender expression has never been incorporated into that vision. “Though featuring an androgynous protagonist can be viewed as progressive in a Western context,” she argues, “Link’s design fits in with Japanese cultural preferences and was therefore not an overly risky choice for Nintendo.”\n\nBreath of the Wild’s gender trouble continued closer to release, as a series of leaked screenshots revealed Link’s encounter with the character Vilia outside of Gerudo Town, the all-female city in Hyrule’s desert. The screenshots suggested a transphobic punchline about crossdressing, and the game would deliver on the joke (the quest being a necessary step to completing the game’s true ending). But when the game was released weeks later, players went on to find queer expression and even joy in the wilds of Hyrule. A crossdressing Link was genuinely embraced among artists, cosplayers, and authors of fan fiction, and queer expressions were captured in poetry, art and prose.\n\nAll of which is why I find Tears of The Kingdom so damning — it denies such space for imagination. Its narrative is ultimately not just a perpetuation of Hyrule’s status quo, but it introduces new constraints that deny queer subtext and even expression where once there was room before. And we can tease out these changes by going back to the fulcrum of gender discourse in Breath of the Wild: Gerudo Town.\n\nGerudo Town is a gendered and raced space unlike the other settlements on the periphery of Hyrule. Alongside the bird people, fish people, and rock people, the Gerudo are a vaguely Arabic or North African-coded, all female, matriarchal society. Their culture is a site of friction and humor in both games. The Gerudo are at once obsessed with and scornful of men, found on pilgrimages to find their one true love, a monogamous myth perpetuated by their own teachings, or else behind the walls of their single-gender desert city.\n\nWomen of all races (and the apparently genderless Gorons) are welcome in Gerudo Town, while men are prevented from entering by armed guard. In Breath of the Wild, many still try their luck, with several characters’ whole personalities being a one-note joke about how it’s funny to watch men chase after women when they wish to be left alone. But the Gerudo do not themselves police gender. Vilia, who can be read as a trans woman, is said to be welcomed in the city, and Link is welcomed in when he dons their attire. He seems comfortable, if bashful, when he first puts on the clothes. Moreover, when Link reveals himself at the city’s health-replenishing spa, the innkeeper Romah implores him to relax. “We’re all vai here,” she assures, using the fictional language’s word for “woman.” Many more compliment Link’s appearance in strictly feminine terms. As both the Gerudo chieftain Riju and armor shopkeep Greta address Link as if he’s in disguise, we can infer that many perhaps see Link as a non-conforming person moving through the city.\n\nThe presence of a black-market armor shop further denies any gender essentialist notions like the ones that suggest Vilia is a man dressed as a woman. In Breath of the Wild, the shop’s covert dealings of Gerudo armor for men suggests that there must be men in the all-female race, leaving one to assume trans men may be born of the Gerudo and, while not sanctioned in the city, are integrated into their material culture. But Tears of the Kingdom does away with almost all of the queer subtext brimming just beneath Breath of the Wild’s surface.\n\nVilia is one of a handful of named characters missing from Tears of the Kingdom, and there is no mention of her memory. The armor she gifted Link, which was once previously for sale in Gerudo Town’s market, is also conspicuously absent, just one of a few pieces of clothing to not return to the game. Instead, the game’s main quest takes players into a derelict Gerudo Town. Link must again infiltrate their sanctum (now an underground bunker), but this time he is welcomed as a man amongst the sheltering women. Moving through the now underground settlement, Link is greeted with suspicion and novelty to the sheltered children who have not seen men before, and he’s treated as a presumed threat for his proximity. Gerudo Town previously rejected essentialist logics like the idea men are inherently dangerous to women — which undergirds real-world transphobia — but here it simply invokes such beliefs in much less humorous tones than it did even in Vilia’s quest.\n\nAnd outside of town, a Hylian man mentions to Link that he’s looking for a black market armor shop that sells voe (Gerudo for “man”) armor. The change transforms queer materials into something more like cultural tchotchkes, further denying the queer subtext of trans masculinity and furthering the sense of Orientalism pervading the Gerudo.\n\nTears of the Kingdom does introduce new armor sets that can play with expression, but none are explicitly feminine. Most are Zonai in origin, a fictional ancient culture that borrows heavily from pan-Mesoamerican and Egyptian imagery. As such, it’s hard to read their skirts and body paint as feminine when these were features of masculine presentation to their cultures. I guess there is the one-off Cece’s Hat, designed by a Hylian in Hateno, but it lacks a matching set of top and bottoms. So, there’s nothing really replacing the gender nonconformity that the vai armor introduced in Breath of the Wild. But this would perhaps be less notable if Link’s gender presentation wasn’t so ridiculed across Hyrule.\n\nWhat pervades the land in place of calamity is not the evil of Ganon, but of gender deviance. In Tears of the Kingdom, characters often make jokes emasculating Link. At one stable, a Lurelin refugee laughs at the notion that “a skinny little guy” might attempt to rescue his village, while a Gerudo pilgrim jokes with Link that he couldn’t possibly be her destined lover. More than one Gerudo remarks on his short stature, while others reject the notion he may be the famed hero of time because he’s so short. The Great Fairy Mija, however fond of him, describes Link as “a slim little lad” in what is framed as a backhanded compliment. These comments envelop Hyrule with gendered expectations, much like gendered beauty standards and social norms do in our own world.\n\nIt turns out queer joy was only accepted in the empty, unstructured wilds of a Hyrule beholden to calamity. But in a world that has been filled by side quests and the new settlements of a monarchy reborn, there is no need for a hero who wears a skirt like a girl. Tears of the Kingdom presents a Hyrule where the Triforce rests not in the trinity of the spiritual aspects of Power, Courage, and Wisdom, but instead in the gender binary.", + "After Matthew Perry’s cause of death was listed as \"acute effects of ketamine\" on Friday, experts are speaking out about misconceptions surrounding the drug.\n\n(Other conditions that contributed to Perry's death, according to the autopsy report, included \"coronary artery disease [and] buprenorphrine effects.\" Also, \"prescription medications and loose pills\" were found at the residence, the report said.)\n\nKetamine is primarily used as an anesthetic during surgical procedures — but in recent years it's been used as a remedy for treatment-resistant depression .\n\nWHAT IS KETAMINE, THE DRUG THAT KILLED MATTHEW PERRY ON OCTOBER 28?\n\nThe Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) describes ketamine as a \"dissociative drug,\" which means it causes people to feel \"separated or detached\" from their bodies or physical surroundings.\n\nWhile it is also used illegally as a recreational drug , experts say ketamine is generally not dangerous when used as prescribed.\n\n\"The concentration of ketamine found in Matthew Perry’s blood was sufficient to cause loss of consciousness and lack of responsiveness to external stimulation,\" Lewis Nelson, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and chief of medical toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.\n\n\"This explains why he slipped under the water and did not awaken. Ketamine does not generally cause death from cardiac or respiratory effects, but rather from associated injury.\"\n\nMATTHEW PERRY CAUSE OF DEATH LISTED AS 'ACUTE EFFECTS OF KETAMINE'\n\nDr. Bankole Johnson, CEO and founder of Casa Privée in Miami , a concierge medical facility, offers ketamine infusion therapy to help patients manage various conditions.\n\nHe told Fox News Digital that in his opinion, Perry’s death likely was linked to recreational ketamine use, although he did not treat or examine the actor.\n\nExperts shared with Fox News Digital the following common myths and misconceptions about the drug.\n\nMyth No. 1: Ketamine is a new treatment\n\nIn reality, the drug has been used for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and pain for more than 10 years, according to Dr. Patrick Sullivan, medical director of Initia Nova Medical Solutions in New Jersey .\n\nThe FDA approved ketamine for anesthesia in both humans and animals since 1970, the doctor noted.\n\nAfter successful clinical trials , the FDA approved the drug in 2019 as a medication for treatment-resistant depression.\n\nOZEMPIC AND WEGOVY WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD HELP REDUCE ALCOHOL USE DISORDER SYMPTOMS, STUDY SUGGESTS\n\n\"There are hundreds of studies showing it to be safe and effective in the outpatient setting,\" Sullivan told Fox News Digital.\n\nMyth No. 2: Ketamine is powerfully addictive\n\nKetamine is \"legally recognized as having the potential for abuse and for both psychological and physical dependence,\" according to the American Addiction Centers website.\n\nJohnson, however, noted that ketamine is a \"moderately addictive substance.\"\n\nHe told Fox News Digital, \"Even long-term users typically only develop a behavioral or psychological dependence. Physical dependence can occur, but usually the withdrawal signs are mild to moderate.\"\n\nDr. Sandhya Prashad, president of the American Society Of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists and Practitioners (ASKP3) in Florida, said there is \"an extremely low risk of addiction, craving or withdrawal\" when ketamine is used in low doses in a monitored clinical setting.\n\n\"Abuse of ketamine occurs when it is self-administered in high or frequent doses without supervision or monitoring, which leads to addiction ,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\nMyth No 3: Ketamine can be self-prescribed and purchased online\n\nKetamine should only be obtained and administered by a licensed and experienced medical doctor, Johnson said.\n\n\"To use ketamine, it is important to establish a clear diagnosis of severe depression or anxiety and/or post-traumatic stress disorder,\" he told Fox News Digital. \"This requires an expert and cannot be self-diagnosed properly.\"\n\n\"Abuse of ketamine occurs when it is self-administered in high or frequent doses without supervision or monitoring, which leads to addiction.\"\n\nThose who think they may benefit from ketamine treatment should consult a doctor, Johnson advised.\n\n\"Ketamine is generally safe when administered by trained health professionals in a medical setting,\" Johnson said.\n\n\"In those settings, it is best delivered by the IV route, where the dose can be calculated accurately.\"\n\nWhen purchasing ketamine outside a doctor’s prescription, there is also the risk of receiving a tainted product, experts warned. While people might assume they're purchasing straight ketamine, the drug is often mixed with stimulants like cocaine or phencyclidine (PCP), Johnson noted.\n\nULTRAPROCESSED FOODS WITH ‘FEEL-GOOD CHEMICALS’ COULD BE AS ADDICTIVE AS CIGARETTES AND DRUGS, STUDY SUGGESTS\n\n\"These can produce strong cardiac effects of a very high blood pressure and pulse, and can lead to serious medical complications,\" he said.\n\nMyth No. 4: Intranasal or micro-dosing is safe for recreational use\n\nWhile using small doses of ketamine may seem safer than the larger doses given via IV, Johnson warned that when this drug is self-administered, there is a danger of exceeding safe limits.\n\n\"The total cumulative dose could end up being higher than a standard dose of a medically administered intravenous dose,\" he told Fox News Digital.\n\nIntranasal use can also lead to \"more aggressive drug-seeking\" behaviors, Johnson warned, as the \"high\" of taking the ketamine is paired with cues in the user’s environment — which are not present in a medical office.\n\nLike other medications, such as opiates or benzodiazepines, ketamine has the potential to be abused, Sullivan agreed.\n\n\"Ketamine should only be used within the confines of a close relationship between a patient and an experienced prescriber,\" he said, citing the position reaffirmed by ASKP3.\n\nMyth No. 5: It’s hard to kick the habit\n\n\"Weaning off ketamine is typically not too difficult, as the medicine has a half-life of three to four hours, and most is eliminated by the body in a single day,\" said Johnson.\n\n\"Ketamine should only be used within the confines of a close relationship between a patient and an experienced prescriber.\"\n\nGradual dose titrations of ketamine — in which the amounts are slowly increased or decreased — are recommended for starting and stopping the medication, the expert noted.\n\nWhen ketamine becomes dangerous\n\nKetamine can become dangerous in a few ways, according to experts.\n\n\"First, if a patient has access to use it at home for pain or mood, this can increase the likelihood of developing a physical or psychological dependence,\" Sullivan told Fox News Digital.\n\nExperts recommend that home use of ketamine is only prescribed for select patients — who should be closely monitored with regular face-to-face office visits.\n\n\"Another way it can become dangerous is if a patient uses too large of a dose in an unsupervised setting, where they may put themselves at risk for accidents, such as falls or drownings,\" said Sullivan.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\nMixing ketamine with other medicines can also be dangerous, Johnson warned.\n\nFor example, when mixed with opiates, it can have a stronger sedative effect, and combining ketamine with stimulants can worsen cardiovascular effects, he said.\n\nIn particular, ketamine mixed with buprenorphine can enhance sedation and lead to unresponsiveness, said Johnson.\n\nBuprenorphine, a drug that is prescribed to treat opioid use disorder , was in Perry’s system at the time of his death.\n\nGuidelines to be published soon\n\nASKP3 announced that it will soon publish guidelines for safe use of the drug.\n\n\"In the wake of Matthew Perry’s autopsy report, we are committed to creating and publishing guidelines for at-home ketamine use, which should only be practiced with a very specific patient profile and only in the context of a close relationship with a physician and in-office follow-up,\" the organization said in a released statement.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nIt is important for people to recognize the distinction between different uses of the drug, according to Prashad.\n\n\"In reality, the ways in which ketamine is used for anesthesia versus depression versus abuse are all very different in terms of dosage and frequency.\"", + "When thinking about treatments for conditions like autism spectrum disorder, diet is likely not high on the list. But clues from an eyeless species of cave-dwelling fish point to a link between a trendy weight loss diet, the brain, social behavior, and autism.\n\nThe ketogenic diet is designed to induce a physiological state called ketosis. This happens when the body no longer has enough carbohydrates to burn for energy and switches to fat as an energy source. Breaking down fat for energy produces a group of molecules called ketones, which travel throughout the body.\n\nHigh in protein and fat but low in carbs, the ketogenic diet is popular for its weight loss effects but also appears to have some neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects too. Children with epilepsy are sometimes placed on this diet because it helps reduce the frequency of seizures.\n\nThe exact mechanism behind these neurological effects is still a mystery and there have been reports of long-term side effects in people trying the diet outside of clinical settings. But experiments published in BMC Biology with the Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, may help reveal the link between diet and the brain.\n\nCavefish, an unexpected research model\n\nFor Masato Yoshizawa, geneticist and neuroscientist at the School of Life Sciences at The University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, the cavefish is a fascinating model system. While these fish have unique adaptions for the harsh, lightless living conditions of limestone caves in northern Mexico — such as the loss of their eyes — they also share several basic features with vertebrates, making experimental results with these fish applicable to other species. These features include the brain region involved in memory and emotion, as well as many genes and the signalling pathways used to control them.\n\nHumans and other vertebrates have more complexity in these systems, and experiments with the cavefish offer a way to strip it away to investigate fundamental questions of biology. While working with cavefish, Yoshizawa noticed similarities in their behavior and that of patients with autism. The fish avoid their peers and engage in repetitive behavior, such as swimming in circles.\n\n“Many people first doubted that the fish have an autism-like state; I also doubted it at first,” said Yoshizawa. But as he soon found out, even patterns of gene regulation resembled autistic patients.\n\nBelieving that cavefish might be useful for the study of autism, Yoshizawa approached his colleague Ryan Lee, a physician working with autism patients at Shriners Hospital for Children Honolulu. “When I showed him the video of the cavefish he immediately said, ‘yes, that is very similar to what I observe in my patients’,” recounted Yoshizawa.\n\nLee, who has experimented with ketogenic diets to improve autism symptoms with some success suggested they try it with the fish. In humans, not all patients receiving the ketogenic diet improve, but some do. If it worked with the fish, they might then be able to figure out how the diet effects behavior and improve the effectiveness of the treatment for humans.\n\nSurprisingly effective\n\nAgain, Yoshizawa was a bit skeptical. “I doubted it at first,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to work, but it did.”\n\nIn the experiment, cavefish where fed the same ketogenic milk provided to human patients, albeit with a few modifications for fish consumption, and their behavior was monitored. As a comparison, a type of A. mexicanus fish that lives in rivers and not caves were also tested.\n\nThe surface fish do not display the same autism like behaviors as their cave dwelling relatives. In the presence of other surface fish, individuals will begin to follow each other and swim together, something rarely seen in cavefish, Yoshizawa said. The surface fish also do not do the repetitive behavior of swimming in circles.\n\nUsing these fish as a comparison, Yoshizawa and his students watched and waited. Amazingly, after a month of the ketogenic diet, the cavefish began to act like the more social surface fish. They would follow each other in groups and ceased going round in circles. There were some other behaviors, such as attention to a specific task and sleeping, that were unaffected, but overall the results were promising and according to Yoshizawa, suggest dopamine could be key to how the diet affects behavior.\n\n“We suspect that due to this behavior variation, probably the target of the ketogenic diet is the dopaminergic system,” he said. The challenge now is teasing out all the complex factors that may be involved.\n\nDiet, environment, and genes – a complex recipe\n\nAccording to Yoshizawa, there are two plausible ideas as to how the ketones produced by a ketogenic diet are acting on behavior. The first involves the mitochondria, which use either carbs or fat to produce energy in our cells, and the other involves epigenetics, which simple refers to any non-genetic influence which turns genes on and off.\n\nKetones are known to create detectable increases in gene expression in cells. Pulling apart exactly how things like, diet, environment, genes and neurotransmitters are linked is incredibly difficult but could reveal which pathways are best to target for autism treatments or could identify a specific ketone which works more efficiently than others.\n\nWhile the cavefish are not an exact model for human autism this work shows how these experiments shine light on the biology and evolution of these behavioral conditions and offer new directions for researchers to follow.\n\nReference: Motoko Iwashita, et al. Metabolic shift toward ketosis in asocial cavefish increases social-like affinity, BMC Biology (2023), DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01725-9\n\nFeature image credit: Masato Yoshizawa\n\nCorrection: This article was edited on November 2, 2023. Ryan Lee was originally described as working at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa. This was incorrect, and has now been corrected to say he works at Shriners Hospital for Children Honolulu.", + "Even with Netflix’s recommendation algorithm serving you new movies, new TV shows, and original programming tailored to your viewing habits, the streaming service’s firehose of content makes what’s coming and going difficult to parse.\n\nIt’s a great month for adult animation, with both the Scott Pilgrim animated show and Blue Eye Samurai hitting Netflix this month. Also, there’s the Squid Game reality show — because right, that’s a thing — and a new season of The Crown. But this month, we’re highlighting The Social Network, with another new David Fincher movie on its way to Netflix... but not for the reasons you probably think.\n\nEditor’s Pick: The Social Network\n\nHey, did you know that there’s a popular fan theory that bestselling romantic comedy Red, White, and Royal Blue started off as fanfic of The Social Network? Well, now you do!\n\nI could talk about how with each passing year, David Fincher’s Mark Zuckerberg biopic grows increasingly more relevant, as Facebook’s (excuse me, Meta’s) grip on the internet becomes stronger, but that’s been done to the death. Instead, I’m going to praise both Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield for their electric performances and their zinging chemistry. Come for the Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg origin story, stay for the tale of doomed friendship (and maybe write a fanfic about it?).\n\nAlso, this is a great November movie because of the autumnal shots of Harvard and the Winklevoss twins rowing. Impeccable vibes to fuel the dark academia aesthetic TikTok videos.\n\nAvailable Now\n\nSlayaway Camp 2: Netflix & Kill (Netflix Games)\n\nFrom Netflix: Leave no survivors. In this sequel, you’re Skullface, a killer stuck inside a retro horror movie catalog — solve puzzles, stalk victims and get stabby.\n\nAvailable in November\n\nDead Cells: Netflix Edition (Netflix Games)\n\nFrom Netflix: You’re a pile of undead sludge. Find a body, uncover secrets and defeat bosses to escape a deserted castle. If you die, restart and reignite the fight.\n\nElena Knows (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: As her Parkinson’s disease progresses, a woman leads a relentless investigation into finding those responsible for the sudden death of her daughter.\n\nThe Railway Men (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: After a deadly gas leaks from a factory in Bhopal, brave railway workers risk their lives to save others in the face of an unspeakable disaster.\n\nReplacing Chef Chico (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: When a head chef falls into a coma, it’s up to his devoted sous-chef to keep their Filipino fine dining restaurant from closing down.\n\nAvailable Nov. 1\n\nHurricane Season (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: When a group of kids finds a corpse floating in a canal, the brutal reality behind the perverse crime unravels a town’s hidden secrets.\n\nLocked In (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: A kindly nurse tries to unlock the secrets of a coma patient’s injuries — and discovers the bitter rivalry, infidelity, betrayal and murder behind them.\n\nMysteries of the Faith (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: Mysteries of the Faith is a sweeping docuseries exploring the secrets of Christianity’s most legendary artifacts. From the Veil of the Veronica to the Holy Nails, these cherished objects have mystified and inspired millions for centuries, but only a few have seen them up close and personal. Until now.\n\nNuovo Olimpo (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: In 1970s Rome, a casual encounter between Enea and Pietro at a movie theater turns into an unforgettable romance — until destiny pulls them apart.\n\nTill Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: Did Jens Soering murder his girlfriend’s parents in 1985 — or was she the killer? This docuseries digs into questions that still swirl around the case.\n\nWingwomen (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Tired of life on the run, a pro thief decides to retire — but not before one easy last job with her partner in crime and a feisty new getaway driver.\n\n13 Going on 30\n\n13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi\n\n60 Days In: Season 5\n\nThe Addams Family\n\nThe Big Lebowski\n\nThe Change-Up\n\nDesperado\n\nDownsizing\n\nDrag Me to Hell\n\nLove in the Wild: Season 1\n\nMadea’s Family Reunion\n\nThe Mummy (2017)\n\nPaul Blart: Mall Cop\n\nPaul Blart: Mall Cop 2\n\nPitch Perfect\n\nThe Scorpion King\n\nScott Pilgrim vs. the World\n\nSherlock Gnomes\n\nSix Feet Under: Seasons 1-5\n\nSixteen Candles\n\nThe Social Network\n\nTed 2\n\nVictorious: Season 3\n\nWhiplash\n\nAvailable Nov. 2\n\nAll the Light We Cannot See (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: In the final days of WWII, the paths of a blind French girl and a German soldier collide in a story of the extraordinary power of human connection. Directed by Shawn Levy and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Anthony Doerr.\n\nCigarette Girl (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: A gifted artisan’s journey of love and self-discovery unfolds as she defies tradition within Indonesia’s clove cigarette industry in the 1960s.\n\nHiguita: The Way of the Scorpion (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: From poverty to soccer legend, this documentary captures the rise of Colombia’s René Higuita, his revolutionary career and the birth of “The Scorpion.”\n\nOnimusha (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: With a demonic weapon in hand, a wandering swordsman-for-hire and a samurai brotherhood take on an uprising of the undead.\n\nUnicorn Academy (Netflix Family)\n\nFrom Netflix: When a dark force threatens to destroy Unicorn Island, a brave teen and her five schoolmates must rise up to protect their beloved magical academy.\n\nAvailable Nov. 3\n\nBlue Eye Samurai (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: Driven by a dream of revenge against the white father who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan, a young warrior cuts a bloody path toward her destiny.\n\nDaily Dose of Sunshine (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: A kind-hearted nurse working in psychiatry goes above and beyond to be a ray of light for those under her care, despite the challenges coming her way.\n\nErin & Aaron: Season 1\n\nFerry: The Series (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Desperate for funds, Ferry Bouman stumbles upon a golden opportunity when a high-profile bust leaves a vacant position among Brabant’s top dealers.\n\nNYAD (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: NYAD tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.\n\nSelling Sunset: Season 7 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Set in the world of LA’s high-end real estate, Selling Sunset follows the city’s most successful female realtors who all work under the same roof at The Oppenheim Group, the #1 agency in the Hollywood Hills and the Sunset Strip. They work hard and play harder, as they compete with the cutthroat LA market... and each other.\n\nSly (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: His love of film began as an escape from a rocky childhood. From underdog to Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone tells his story in this documentary.\n\nThe Tailor: Season 3 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Peyami’s feelings for Esvet intensify, forcing him to make the difficult choice between their love and his lifelong friendship with Dimitri.\n\nVacaciones de verano (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: When two friends lose their jobs and find gigs as children’s entertainers at a luxury hotel, they sneak in their kids to give them a summer vacation.\n\nAvailable Nov. 4\n\nThe Amazing Race: Season 17\n\nThe Amazing Race: Season 31\n\nInsidious: The Red Door\n\nLopez vs. Lopez: Season 1\n\nAvailable Nov. 7\n\nFace Off: Seasons 4-5\n\nThe Improv: 60 and Still Standing (Netflix Comedy)\n\nFrom Netflix: The Improv turns 60 with original performances from today’s most celebrated artists and biggest concert acts, along with exclusive and rarely seen moments from one of the largest comedy archives. It’s a one-night event to honor artists who defined comedy and culture for decades... all while standing in front of a simple brick wall.\n\nAvailable Nov. 8\n\nThe Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: How did a conflict between the world’s wealthiest woman and her daughter spiral into national scandal? This riveting docuseries tells the whole story.\n\nThe Claus Family 3 (Netflix Film)\n\nWhen the delivery of presents goes wrong and Grandpa Noël gets in trouble, siblings Jules From Netflix: and Noor must work together to save Christmas. Can they do it?\n\nCyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: This documentary reveals how a group of hackers powered the darkest corners of the internet from a Cold War-era bunker in a quiet German tourist town.\n\nEscaping Twin Flames (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: In our digital era, why not turn to the internet to find your soulmate? Enter Jeff and Shaleia, the leaders of Twin Flames Universe who sell online classes that guarantee harmonious union with your destined partner. From the Emmy-nominated filmmaking team behind Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult, comes Escaping Twin Flames, a three-part documentary series that pulls back the veil on Twin Flames Universe, a controversial online community that preys on people looking for love. With exclusive access to former members, the series reveals the horrifying stories of coercion and exploitation surrounding Twin Flames Universe – from encouraging stalking behavior to manipulating gender identities. The series also documents the active efforts of family members to rescue their loved ones from Jeff and Shaleia’s web.\n\nRobbie Williams (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: After 25 years of his record-breaking solo career, Robbie looks back on his younger self and reflects on a lifetime spent in the spotlight.\n\nAvailable Nov. 9\n\nAkuma Kun (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: Akuma Kun, a boy raised by a demon, works with his half-human partner Mephisto III as paranormal investigators to solve various murder and mysteries.\n\nTemple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson and other film luminaries look back at LA’s historic Egyptian Theatre as it returns to its former movie palace glory.\n\nAvailable Nov. 10\n\nAt the Moment (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: This anthology series set during the pandemic follows 10 unique love stories of passion and heartache.\n\nThe Killer (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal.\n\nTeam Ninja Warrior: Season 2\n\nAvailable Nov. 11\n\nLaguna Beach: Season 3\n\nAvailable Nov. 14\n\nCriminal Code (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: To crack the code of an investigation into a larger-than-life robbery, federal agents need to get creative.\n\nDubai Bling: Season 2 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: New relationships, new love and plenty of new drama as Dubai’s favorite frenemies ball out and fall out in epic fashion.\n\nHow to Become a Mob Boss (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: Narrator Peter Dinklage guides you through this darkly satirical how-to guide that explores the rise and fall of history’s most notorious mob bosses - from Al Capone to Pablo Escobar - and their tactics for success.\n\nThe Netflix Cup: Swing to Survive (Netflix Live Event)\n\nFrom Netflix: This fall, in a clash of wheels and irons, stars of two Netflix sports series will face off in The Netflix Cup, Netflix’s first-ever live sports event featuring athletes from Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing. The Formula 1® drivers and PGA TOUR professionals will pair up to compete in a match play tournament at Wynn Golf Club at Wynn Las Vegas, The Netflix Cup is set to stream live on Netflix beginning at 3p.m. PT / 6p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 14th.\n\nSuburræterna (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: While chaos rules over Rome, established alliances are at risk as tensions rise with emerging clans. The world of “Suburra” takes a new turn.\n\nAvailable Nov. 15\n\nFeedback (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: A former rock star with a faulty memory and a family in shambles, all due to his addiction problem, sets off on a frantic search to find his missing son.\n\nFirst Wives Club: Seasons 1-3\n\nMatt Rife: Natural Selection (Netflix Comedy)\n\nFrom Netflix: A new stand-up special from comedian Matt Rife.\n\nMillion Dollar Decorators: Season 1\n\nAvailable Nov. 16\n\nBest. Christmas. Ever! (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: After a twist of fate brings their families together for Christmas, Charlotte sets out to prove her old friend Jackie’s life is too good to be true.\n\nThe Crown: Season 6 Part 1 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Queen Elizabeth II reflects on her legacy and lineage as Diana dazzles the public in the final weeks of her life and the monarchy faces a reckoning.\n\nDownton Abbey\n\nHarriet\n\nIn Love and Deep Water (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Romance, mystery and mayhem unfolds aboard a luxury liner heading for the Aegean Sea when a butler and a passenger try to solve a baffling murder.\n\nLone Survivor\n\nAvailable Nov. 17\n\nAll-Time High (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: A con artist in dire need of cash and a woman with a crypto fortune hit it off. Is she the target of his dreams, or is the scammer about to get scammed?\n\nBeliever 2 (Netflix Film)\n\nA determined detective continues his search for the truth behind Asia’s largest drug organization and its elusive boss he has unfinished business with.\n\nCoComelon Lane (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Join your favorite “CoComelon” characters on imaginative adventures as they explore feelings — and the world around them — in this story-driven series.\n\nThe Dads (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: In this gentle meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood, five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard – the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard – for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma. As the men cast their lines into the river, they find common ground across racial, geographical and generational lines: their unconditional love for their children.\n\nThe Queenstown Kings (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: After his father’s death, a washed-up soccer star returns to rural Queenstown and struggles to connect with his son, a promising player with big dreams.\n\nRustin (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.\n\nSagrada Familia: Season 2 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Haunted by the past, Gloria will stop at nothing to carve out a future for her family while new schemes and mysteries bubble up in the neighborhood.\n\nScott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, but learns he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. Then things get even more complicated.\n\nStamped from the Beginning (Netflix Documentary)\n\nUsing innovative animation and expert insights, this documentary based on Ibram X. Kendi’s bestseller explores the history of racist ideas in America.\n\nAvailable Nov. 20\n\nShahs of Sunset: Seasons 1-2\n\nAvailable Nov. 21\n\nLeo (Netflix Family)\n\nFrom Netflix: Adam Sandler is a lizard named Leo in this coming-of-age musical comedy about the last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of a class pet.\n\nAvailable Nov. 22\n\nCrime Diaries: The Celebrity Stylist (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: When an up-and-coming stylist is found stabbed to death in his home, a young detective is given 20 days to solve the case. Inspired by true events.\n\nHigh on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America: Season 2 — (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: In season two of the immersive award-winning docu-series High on the Hog, host Stephen Satterfield travels across the United States to uncover how African-American cuisine has fueled social justice movements, transformed communities and awakened cultural creativity in America in powerful and lasting ways.\n\nSquid Game: The Challenge (Netflix Series)\n\n*New episodes released weekly, through December 6\n\nFrom Netflix: 456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of USD $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show - plus surprising new additions - their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them.\n\nAvailable Nov. 23\n\nLove Island USA: Season 3\n\nMy Daemon (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: To save his mother, a kind-hearted boy and his tiny daemon friend set out on a journey across post-apocalyptic Japan as dark forces close in.\n\nMy Little Pony: Make Your Mark: Chapter 6 (Netflix Family)\n\nFrom Netflix: Opaline has captured nearly all the power of Equestria, and time’s running out! Can the ponies team up with the dragons to save magic and restore peace?\n\nAvailable Nov. 24\n\nA Nearly Normal Family (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: The world of a seemingly perfect family shatters when a shocking murder proves that they’re willing to make desperate moves to protect each other.\n\nDOI BOY (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: A refugee builds a new identity as a sex worker in Thailand and gets caught up in a client’s risky scheme that might lead to a better life.\n\nI Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: A writer’s career — and entire life — suddenly goes off script when he falls prey to a dangerous web of criminals right before moving to Barcelona.\n\nLast Call for Istanbul (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: A chance meeting at the airport leads two married people to an unforgettable night full of excitement, desire, and temptation in New York City.\n\nMy Demon (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Chaebol heiress Do Do Hee is an adversary to many, and Jung Koo Won is a powerful entity superior to humans. However, one day, Jung Koo Won loses his powers. Forced to collaborate with Do Do Hee to regain them, sparks of romance begin to fly between them as they embark on this journey together.\n\nWedding Games (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: When Alex and Eva choose to exchange vows at the very spot they first crossed paths, a series of hilarious missteps derails their journey to the altar.\n\nAvailable Nov. 27\n\nGo Dog Go: Season 4 (Netflix Family)\n\nFrom Netflix: Tag and her best friend Scooch love lending a paw to their friends around Pawston, whether it’s delivering cookie boxes or hosting the Dogcathalon!\n\nAvailable Nov. 28\n\nComedy Royale (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Hand-picked by Korean comedy icons, five teams of rising comics battle for a chance to host in a Netflix show — delivering nonstop, zany laughter.\n\nLove Like a K-Drama (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Four actresses from Japan go to South Korea to audition and act alongside Korean actors for roles in a series of love stories. Will true romance follow?\n\nOnmyoji (Netflix Anime)\n\nFrom Netflix: In the gilded enclave of the imperial court, a gifted mystic befriends a brilliant musician, and together they solve cases rising from the demonic realm.\n\nVerified Stand-Up (Netflix Comedy)\n\nFrom Netflix: 10 comics. 10 sets. 1 show. Introducing: Verified Stand-Up, a new stand-up comedy series Filmed at Webster Hall in New York City, the series features 10 of the best comedians in the game: Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Gianmarco Soresi, Isiah Kelly, Leslie Liao, Nimesh Patel, Robby Hoffman, Rosebud Baker, Sabrina Wu, and Vanessa Gonzalez. Over the course of two-episodes, discover your new favorite comedian.\n\nAvailable Nov. 29\n\nAmerican Symphony (Netflix Documentary)\n\nBad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife (Netflix Documentary)\n\nFrom Netflix: This shocking docuseries about one of the biggest frauds in modern medical history exposes a thoracic surgeon famous for groundbreaking achievements in the field of regenerative medicine.\n\nAvailable Nov. 30\n\nThe Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday (Netflix Family)\n\nFrom Netflix: Mr. Wolf and his crew of animal outlaws realize they’ll need to restore the city’s Christmas spirit to keep their annual holiday heist afloat.\n\nFamily Switch (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers and Brady Noon star in this family comedy directed by McG and based on the book “Bedtime For Mommy” by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal.\n\nHard Days (Netflix Film)\n\nFrom Netflix: Already running from a mess of problems, a desperate cop thinks he’s gotten away with a hit-and-run. But there was a witness, and they’ve got his number.\n\nObliterated (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: An elite special forces team must thwart a deadly threat in Las Vegas in this high-octane action-comedy series from the creators of “Cobra Kai.”\n\nSchool Spirits: Season 1\n\nVirgin River: Season 5 Part 2 (Netflix Series)\n\nFrom Netflix: Mel adjusts to a different pace of life, Jack works to grow his business, and the town faces new threats as secrets begin to surface in Virgin River.", + "Read this article for free! Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy , which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive . To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.\n\nDon McLean, the iconic artist and musician behind the mega-hit \"American Pie\" and other well-known hit songs, has just released a new album of classic Christmas tunes — and shared a personal connection to one of the songs with Fox News Digital in an exclusive phone interview this week.\n\nHe said \"Silent Night,\" which he performs on the album, \"was my mother's favorite song that I used to sing at Christmastime for her.\"\n\nHe added, \"It's powerful. It's a powerful song.\"\n\n‘AMERICAN PIE’ ICON DON MCLEAN ON AI: ‘IT’LL BE BETTER THAN WHAT PASSES ITSELF OFF AS MUSIC TODAY'\n\nThe Grammy-award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient's \"Christmas Memories: Remixed & Remastered\" features McLean's take on other such Christmas classics and beloved holiday standards as \"Winter Wonderland,\" \"Let It Snow,\" \"The Burgundeon Carol,\" \"White Christmas,\" and more.\n\nHe said that after he and his band re-recorded and remixed \"Winter Wonderland,\" for instance, featuring bass player Jim Ferguson on the new version, he told the others, \"My God, this sounds like a whole different song.\"\n\nThe refreshed and upgraded songs felt so \"dynamic\" to him, he said, compelling him to want to get out the new album this holiday season.\n\nSpeaking of the Christmas season, McLean — born in New Rochelle, New York — said that \"the holidays are a time for families to come together. I remember as a kid sitting around the record player and listening to music with my family. We all had our favorites, which we played over and over again.\"\n\nDON MCLEAN OF ‘AMERICAN PIE’ FAME TELLS FOX NEWS DIGITAL, ‘I DID THE RIGHT THING WITH MY LIFE’\n\nHe said that \"all the greats from Bing Crosby to Gene Autry influenced me — so I've included my version of their classics on ‘Christmas Memories: Remixed & Remastered.'\"\n\nMcLean is working all the time, he told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"American Boys,\" another new album of his, is coming out in February 2024 — and he's getting ready to tour again in the U.S.\n\nHis touring schedule in the year ahead may take him to the Far East, he suggested.\n\n\"As you may have remembered, the president of South Korea [Yoon Suk Yeol] sang ‘American Pie’ to our president in the White House this year — it was a big story, and he got a guitar signed by me,\" McLean said of the state dinner event held by the Biden White House on April 26.\n\nMcLean's recent tours over the past two years have celebrated the now 50-plus anniversary of \"American Pie,\" the 8½-minute folk-rock ballad and cultural touchstone about the loss of innocence among the early rock ‘n’ roll generation.\n\nMusic \"can help you. It can help you feel better — but we have to get over things. We have to get over stuff.\" — Don McLean to Fox News Digital\n\nAfter spending eight weeks on the charts, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart on Jan. 15, 1972, noted the History Channel's website.\n\nON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 2, 1945, ‘AMERICAN PIE’ SINGER-SONGWRITER DON MCLEAN IS BORN\n\n\"American Pie\" held the record for longest No. 1 song on the Billboard 100 for nearly half a century, until it was broken in Nov. 2021 when \"All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)\" by Taylor Swift hit No. 1 at a length of 10 minutes and 13 seconds.\n\n\"There is something to be said for a great song that has staying power,\" McLean told Billboard at the time.\n\nIn addition, a new children's book based on his song \"Vincent\" (\"Starry, Starry Night\") is in the pipeline and there's been a great deal of renewed interest in \"Vincent,\" his tribute to tortured artist Vincent van Gogh, he said.\n\n\"Vincent\" was the second single off his \"American Pie\" album. The song was a hit both in the U.S. and the U.K., landing at No. 1 on the singles chart in England.\n\nOn social media even in 2023, fans of the song continue to pour out personal feelings and insights about it — with some even saying they've broken down in tears upon hearing the song again after many years.\n\n\"I am here to tell you: [People] do feel things, but they don't have anybody out there who's giving them anything to feel.\"\n\nMcLean said, \"I want to share something on this point. Jack Nicholson, who is a very smart man, said something very important here. He said, 'I don't think the American public wants to be moved anymore.' He doesn't think people want to feel things. And I am here to tell you: They do feel things, but they don't have anybody out there who's giving them anything to feel.\"\n\nHe went on, \"It's all spectacle and empty. For example, we have a terribly, terribly empty political situation right now. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Everywhere you look, there's an empty suit. Nobody's got any brains. They don't know how to use the English language — it's pathetic.\"\n\nMcLean said that \"this is where music comes in. It can help you. It can help you feel better — but we have to get over things. We have to get over stuff. Like our grandparents and our parents did — they got over things. People are going to experience things, but they need to get over them.\"\n\nOf the enduring force and affect of music, McLean added, \"Think of 9/11. Buildings were toppling over. New York City was closed down. Terrible. But you can't close music down. A song exists on a record, of course, but then it exists in the minds of millions of people. And so it's a monument, in a way. It's a very powerful thing.\"\n\n\"You can't close music down. A song exists on a record, of course, but then it exists in the minds of millions of people.\"\n\nAnd \"I realized when I was young guy that I didn't want to be a poet. I didn't want to be an actor or a playwright or any of those things. I wanted to write songs and sing songs. And so I think people cling to these things. That's why they're memorable. That's why they've lasted so long.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nHe added, \"People go home to them. They're home.\"\n\nMcLean was recently inducted by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. into the Music City Walk of Fame. Along with other artists, he was recognized for his significant work in \"preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song,\" according to a media statement.\n\nIn receiving that honor, McLean was inducted by Connie Valens — sister of the late Ritchie Valens, whose death he immortalized in \"American Pie.\"\n\nAlso, in 2017, that song's composition was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Over the years, the song has been covered by the likes of Madonna and Garth Brooks.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nMcLean has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, according to press information.\n\nHe has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was a 2022 inductee into the Musicians Hall of Fame, received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame — and was recently the focus of a Paramount+ documentary \"The Day The Music Died.\"", + "When the Seahawks and Cowboys meet in Dallas on \"Thursday Night Football\" to open NFL Week 13 (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video), it will be a prime-time matchup featuring two potential playoff teams and plenty of key fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em question marks.\n\nWith a game total of 47.5 and the Cowboys favored by three field goals, it may be another rout for the home team against a weaker opponent. Dallas has some red-hot fantasy assets, while Seattle's struggling offensive skill players might be best suited for fantasy benches.\n\nHere's looking at who to start in seasonal leagues and DFS lineups from the latest edition of TNF:\n\nMORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | ATS pick | Best props\n\nSeahawks: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF\n\nSit: QB Geno Smith\n\nSmith has dropped from the top 12 last season to cumulative QB20 in 2023. He's had two great starts and three so-so ones, but the rest has been forgettable. The Cowboys have allowed only two strong fantasy performances by quarterbacks, (Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts), and we don't expect Smith to make it three.\n\nSit: RB Zach Charbonnet\n\nThere was a black fly in the Charbonnet against the 49ers last week. This is the good advice that you should take: Be wary of anyone who's rushed for just 47 yards two straight weeks despite getting significant duty with Kenneth Walker III (oblique) on the shelf. Charbonnet's also not doing much in the passing game, and this is as bad of a matchup as San Francisco was last week. You should do better, even in a big bye.\n\nWEEK 13 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nStart: WR DK Metcalf\n\nMetcalf can flash big plays and stay involved in games...until he disappears when Smith can't get the ball to him. Smith might be judicious about throwing his way with second-year corner sensation DaRon Bland in coverage. That said, you simply can't sit DeKaylin Zacharius against anyone because of his big-game ability. Again, you can't expect more than WR3 production, which is where his overall scoring has been in 2023.\n\nStart: WR Tyler Lockett\n\nWhile Metcalf is WR34 in terms of total points this season in half-point PPR, Lockett is only two notches higher at WR32. They finished as WR13 and WR18, respectively, last season, so it's a big dropoff. Lockett also has a decent matchup vs. Stephon Gilmore. He, like Metcalf, remains a volume-based WR3.\n\nWEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nSit: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba\n\nSmith-Njigba can be a bit interesting if you are desperate in a deeper league because he has the matchup on par with the other two wideouts vs. Jourdan Lewis. JSN can mirror some of the production Curtis Samuel gave the Commanders last week in Dallas, but forget 100 yards. Around 50 yards seems like the ceiling with a big boost from garbage time.\n\nSit: TEs Noah Fant and Will Dissly\n\nNoah Gray is a better fantasy player than Noah Fant this season. Will Dissly is barely a better fantasy player than Will Mallory this season.\n\nWEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nSit: Seahawks D/ST\n\nThe Seahawks are getting better defensively against the pass, but that's not enough to trust them here, as they're getting gashed on the ground, too.\n\nSit: K Jason Myers\n\nThis is actually not a good spot for one of the most reliable fantasy kickers, given the Cowboys don't give up many field-goal attempts.\n\nWEEK 13 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best stacks | Best values\n\nCowboys: Who to start, sit in fantasy football on TNF\n\nStart: QB Dak Prescott\n\nGuess the only two quarterbacks who have been better than Rayne Dakota in fantasy this season? Yep, after his sizzling seven-game stretch, Prescott has ascended behind just Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts. The Seahawks haven't given up many big games to QBs, but you need to keep rolling with Dak on his heater, especially at home. One can't be surprised, however, if it's more of a 250-and-2 kind of night.\n\nStart: RB Tony Pollard | Sit: RB Rico Dowdle\n\nPollard and the Cowboys' defense is a reason why Prescott may not need to go nuts passing. The Seahawks have now joined the bottom five teams in giving up fantasy points to running backs. Pollard has come on the past two weeks against the Panthers and Commanders after sliding into RB2 range. Pollard scoots to something like 80 and a score. Dowdle is a stretch to get mop-up production, however,\n\nStart: WR CeeDee Lamb\n\nLamb can eat again in the slot against Jamal Adams, as he avoids the Seahawks' better cornerbacks on the outside. Again, don't expect a massive game because the running game, defense, and special teams will have plenty of success in another big victory.\n\nSit: WR Brandin Cooks\n\nCooks is the one Cowboy to fade this week vs. rookie Devon Witherspoon, who's quickly emerging as the Seahawks' best corner. The nature of the zone defense is to limit big plays. Plus, between Lamb, Pollard, the tight ends, and younger receivers, Cooks won't be needed much.\n\nStart: TE Jake Ferguson\n\nFerguson has slumped the past two weeks, catching a combined four-of-eight targets for 67 yards and no TDs against the Commanders and Panthers. He should be more active here working the middle of the field, as the Seahawks' TE defense is a bit inflated by the numbers. This is definitely set up to be more of a Ferguson game than a Cooks game.\n\nStart: Cowboys D/ST\n\nThey are once again the top-scoring fantasy defense thanks to six massive outings, including the past two games. Dallas will get it done vs. Geno.\n\nStart: K Brandon Aubrey\n\nAubrey has been elite as a rookie with his field-goal production. He should be good for a couple of field goals to complement the Cowboys' touchdowns.\n\nSeahawks vs. Cowboys: DraftKings Showdown lineup\n\nCaptain (1.5X): Cowboys RB Tony Pollard $14,700\n\nFLEX: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott $11,000\n\nFLEX: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett $7,200\n\nFLEX: Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson $6,200\n\nFLEX: Cowboys D/ST $5,600\n\nFLEX: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba $5,200\n\nBased on the analysis, it's fine to invest plenty in the Cowboys' running and intermediate passing games. Pollard would be a good correlated stack with the Cowboys' defense. Here's hoping that Lockett and JSN will be the busiest Seahawks in second-half catchup mode.\n\nSeahawks vs. Cowboys: FanDuel single-game lineup\n\nMVP (1.5X): Cowboys RB Tony Pollard $14,500\n\nAnyFLEX: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott $17,500\n\nAnyFLEX: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett $11,000\n\nAnyFLEX: Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson $9,000\n\nAnyFLEX: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba $8,000\n\nThis construction maxes out the salary on FD and is very similar to the DK philosophy of focusing on Pollard, this time not stacking with the defense.", + "Referees once again took the headlines on the opening matchday of the 2023/24 Premier League season following an incorrect VAR decision in Manchester United's fixture against Wolves.\n\nGary O'Neil's side were denied a late penalty after a foul from Andre Onana on Sasa Kalajdzic. Despite a long VAR check, Wolves were not given the spot-kick in injury time and lost the match 1-0.\n\nFans watching the game were in disbelief when the call was made, and similar incidents have happened since, including against United. Bruno Fernandes said he would wait for an apology — one that never arrived — after Cristian Romero was not punished for handball in the Red Devils' 2-0 loss to Tottenham, and plenty of onlookers debated the penalty won by Marcus Rashford in United's subsequent comeback win at home to Nottingham Forest.\n\nThe Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for referees in English football, has apologised on multiple occasions for mistakes made during matches. Here is an updated list of the incidents.\n\nMORE: Kevin De Bruyne injury: How long Man City ace could be out\n\nEvery PGMOL apology for referee mistakes\n\nHere are all the apologies carried out by the PGMOL for wrong decisions later accepted to have been wrong.\n\nTottenham 2-1 Liverpool: September 30, 2023\n\nLiverpool had their hearts broken as Joel Matip's stoppage-time own-goal gave Tottenham a 2-1 victory. The Reds, down to nine men after a red card to Curtis Jones and two bookings for Diogo Jota, were looking to hang on at the death, and nearly did so until the cruel finish.\n\nHowever, the game could have turned out completely different had the VAR booth not committed a \"serious human error\" earlier in the match. Soon after Jones was sent off in the first half, Luis Diaz scored to put Liverpool 1-0 up despite their disadvantage, but the flag went up for offside. Replay seemed to show that Diaz was onside, but VAR Darren England ended his check without even drawing lines, and the decision stood.\n\nThe PGMOL issued a statement after the match stating the goal should have stood.\n\nManchester United 1-0 Wolves: August 14, 2023\n\nAfter Onana clattered into Kalajdzic in the box, O'Neil thought a penalty would certainly be awarded. Instead, the Wolves manager received a yellow card on the sidelines for his protests.\n\nPGMOL's Jonathan Moss did apologise for the mistake after the match, which O'Neil said he appreciated.\n\nTottenham 2-1 Brighton: April 8, 2023\n\nChief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb had to give to Brighton an apology after they were denied a penalty in their away trip to Tottenham. It was one of many decisions the Seagulls were not happy about.\n\nMitoma penalty... ❓\n\nDunk penalty... ❓\n\nMitoma handball... ❓\n\nMac Allister handball... ❓\n\n\n\nDermot Gallagher dissects Spurs vs Brighton 🔍 pic.twitter.com/hw86oA4frs — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 10, 2023\n\nArsenal 1-1 Brentford: February 11, 2023\n\nArsenal were denied two points in their race for the title after VAR's Lee Mason did not use the right player when checking for an offside in Brentford's goal.\n\nMikel Arteta was not happy after the game. He said: \"That wasn't a human error. That was a big, big, big not conceiving and understanding your job.\"\n\nCrystal Palace 1-1 Brighton: February 11, 2023\n\nIncredibly, the referees made another wrong offside decision on the same day.\n\nJohn Brooks was taken off VAR duty for two games after he drew the offside line in the wrong place, denying Brighton's Pervis Estupinan a goal.\n\nAston Villa 3-1 Manchester United: November 6, 2022\n\nLucas Digne's free-kick was one of the highlights in Aston Villa's victory over Man United, but a post-match review showed he received additional help following a mistake from the referee.\n\nThe Red Devils' wall was set more than 10 yards behind the ball, allowing Digne more room to find the back of the net.\n\nNottingham Forest 2-2 Brentford: November 5, 2022\n\nBrentford were awarded a penalty after a collision between Dean Henderson and Yoane Wissa. Replays showed that Wissa initiated the contact, but Brentford were still given the spot-kick.\n\nThis forced Webb to apologise to Forest after the match.\n\nFulham 3-0 Aston Villa: October 20, 2022\n\nDouglas Luiz was wrongly sent off for Aston Villa just after the hour mark. He was thought to have instigated a bust-up, when the real perpetrator was in fact Aleksandar Mitrovic.\n\nManchester United 3-1 Arsenal: September 4, 2022\n\nArsenal's first defeat of the season came at Old Trafford, but a refereeing decision impacted the match early on.\n\nGabriel Martinelli was denied a goal after a VAR check decided Martin Odegaard had fouled Christian Eriksen. PGMOL later revealed that the goal should have stood.\n\nMORE: Mason Greenwood to leave Man United: What will happen next\n\nNewcastle 0-0 Crystal Palace: September 3, 2022\n\nCrystal Palace were let off the hook when Tyrick Mitchell's own goal was ruled out after Joe Willock was thought to have impeded Vicente Guaita between the sticks.\n\nIt turned out to be the wrong decision, despite a lengthy check in the VAR hub.\n\nChelsea 2-1 West Ham: September 3, 2022\n\nMaxwell Cornet thought he scored late on against Chelsea to make it 2-2, but the referee disallowed the goal due to a foul on Edouard Mendy by Jarrod Bowen in the build-up.\n\nWebb apologised to David Moyes after the incident.\n\nCrystal Palace 3-1 Aston Villa: August 20, 2022\n\nWebb's first apology in his new role came during Villa's defeat at Selhurst Park. Andy Madley awarded Palace a penalty following a check on the VAR monitor.\n\nThe decision, which went against Digne, was the wrong call.\n\nEverton 0-1 Manchester City: February 26, 2022\n\nMan City were given a helping hand in their title race against Liverpool after Everton were denied a penalty in the second half.\n\nRodri misjudged the flight of the ball and it ricocheted off his arm. VAR official Chris Kavanagh stuck with the on-field decision, which later forced referees chief Mike Riley to apologise to Everton.", + "X (formerly Twitter) has been called out in the European Union for having the worst ratio of disinformation/misinformation to posts not spreading falsehoods among mainstream social networks.\n\nIn a speech today discussing the latest updates from other platforms that have signed up to combat disinformation under a beefed up EU Code of Practice that’s been linked to compliance with the the bloc’s legally binding Digital Services Act (DSA), it commissioner for values and transparency, Vera Jourova, said X’s poor performance was assessed during a pilot phase of testing of new methodology developed by Code signatories.\n\n“A big novelty under the Code is now the publication of the first set of structural indicators such as how easy it is to find disinformation content, how much engagement such content receives or indicators about sources. These indicators — developed by the signatories — constitute an unprecedented and novel insight into disinformation on online platforms,” she suggested. “Such insight is crucial to understand how effective platforms efforts are to fight this threat even more efficiently. This is a very valuable industry proposal that has great potential while it has to be still further developed.\n\n“Here, signatories have decided to run a pilot phase in three Member States to evaluate the methodology on two of those indicators. X, former Twitter, who is not under the Code any more is the platform with the largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts.”\n\nThe Elon Musk-owned platform exited the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation back in May, shortly after EU lawmakers warned that policy shifts executed after Musk’s takeover were boosting Kremlin propaganda and criticised the company for patchy reporting. The EU’s top diplomat also took a public shot at Twitter for ending free access to its APIs for researchers, saying the action could threaten the study of disinformation.\n\nLast year the Commission also warned Musk over “huge work” ahead if the platform was to avoid falling foul of the incoming DSA.\n\nUnder Musk, X has pushed the use of an existing crowdsourced fact-checking feature (rebranded as Community Notes) which essentially seeks to outsource the issue to a hands-length process of aggregating views from platform users, some of which may be appended as contextual notes to dubious tweets. At the same time the erratic billionaire has set about removing signals Twitter users were previously able to rely on to help assess the quality of information tweets contained, such as removing state-affiliated media labels from propaganda outlets and replacing legacy account verifications with pay-to-play.\n\nX was contacted for a response to the EU’s analysis of the ratio of disinformation it’s spreading. It replied with an automated email reading: “Busy now, please check back later.”\n\nUpdate: X’s global government affairs account has posted a thread responding to the EU’s criticism in which it claims the data shows other social networking services saw greater changes in subscriber growth and total growth for pro-Kremlin accounts, and for engagement and volume; it also writes that: “More than 700 unique Community Notes have appeared on posts related to the Ukraine conflict. Through Community Notes’ new ‘Notes on Media’ feature, which automatically matches notes on an image or video to other posts that contain matching media, these notes appeared on over 1,200 additional posts. These notes are in numerous languages and are written specifically for local audiences.”\n\nBack in April, X/Twitter was named as one of 19 larger platforms that face the strictest level of regulation under the EU’s DSA. The law puts an obligation on so-called very large online platforms (VLOPs) to assess societal risks attached to their use of algorithms — and put in place “reasonable, proportionate and effective mitigation measures” for identified risks, with their reporting and mitigation plans subject to independent audit and oversight by the Commission.\n\nWe’ve reached out to the Commission with questions about how it plans to respond to this latest analysis of X’s role in spreading disinformation.\n\nUpdate: A Commission spokesperson told us:\n\nWhile the Code is voluntary, compliance with the DSA is not. The DSA is now legally binding on X/Twitter. This includes in particular the obligation of Very Large Online Platforms, such as X/Twitter to mitigate the risks their platforms pose for the spread of disinformation. The TrustLab study to measure two Structural Indicators covers signatories of the Code at the time of the launch of the exercise, which at the time included X/Twitter. During this period the DSA had not entered into force yet for VLOPs and VLOSEs, including X/Twitter. The Commission cannot comment further on the substance of the risk assessments. We are analysing the available information on a range of issues and we are in close contact with X but we cannot comment on specifics and timelines. As stated by Commissioner [Thierry] Breton, minor protection and integrity of elections are priorities in the enforcement of the DSA.\n\nPenalties for breaches of the DSA can scale up to 6% of global annual turnover and the Commission has previously wanted that not following the Code of Practice on Disinformation would be factored into its assessments. So the price for X ignoring the EU’s warnings on disinformation could be steep — albeit its ad revenue has cratered since Musk’s takeover, as a result of his failure to tackle toxicity and harmful disinformation encouraging an advertiser exodus — and shrinking earnings would effectively downsize any future penalties X could face under the DSA.\n\nSubscription revenues to a revamped Twitter Blue paid offering (now called X Premium) don’t appear to have been substantial enough to plug the ad gap — which may explain Musk’s recent suggestion he plans to charge all users a small fee. However ending free access to X could be the final nail in the coffin of the platform as a real-time information network if it triggers a further/final exodus of remaining legacy users whose knowledge and engagement lent Twitter its original value.\n\nDisinformation and spammers may rush in to fill the gap, generating a parody of activity, but without a critical mass of genuine users to pay attention and contribute value and vitality — aka the life-blood of a bona fide information network — X really will mark the spot of Twitter’s demise.\n\nAlso today, a report by misinformation watcher NewsGuard found that a decision by Musk to remove labels denoting state-run or government-affiliated media accounts led to a surge in propaganda spreading on X, with Russia’s RT seeing the biggest gains per the analysis.\n\nFrom the report:", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nWe’ve all been there. A friend’s wedding is three days away and you don’t have anything to wear. The last thing you want to do is drag yourself around high-street shops, so inevitably you turn to ASOS. After all, the company is known for its next day delivery and easy returns service.\n\nThough many of us are reliant on the online fast fashion retailer for last-minute holiday purchases or big seasonal shops, a new report shows that ASOS’s pre-tax losses ballooned to almost £300m in the year to 3 September, compared with £31m the previous year, according to the results published on Wednesday (1 November).\n\nDespite its huge popularity, the once undisputed queen of online retailers now faces stiff competition from abroad, challenging economic headwinds, and a maturing clientele potentially seeking a more tailored experience. Leading some to ask, is ASOS in SOS?\n\nWhen ASOS was launched in 2000, the online retailer was considered revolutionary. It was like a supersize department store at your fingertips and became the first online retailer that UK customers could visit and find hundreds of dresses for £30 all in one place.\n\nBut, in recent years, the company has been cutting its stock as it faces severe profit and revenue losses. In July and August, the retailer said it was hit by wet during the summer months, forcing the retailer to cut its stock by 30 per cent.\n\nSome experts now say that the holes within ASOS’s business model are becoming apparent. Rick Smith, Managing Director of business recovery firm Forbes Burton tells The Independent that ASOS’s business model of allowing large numbers of free returns makes the company susceptible to financial losses during challenging economic conditions.\n\n“The buying culture within their target demographic sees several items returned for each order placed, which can make for slim profit margins,” Smith explains. “ASOS has enjoyed a stratospheric rise since their inception, but have perhaps reached their ceiling now and need to cut their cloth accordingly, especially given the amount of economic headwinds [such as as the cost of living crisis] in play at the moment.”\n\nThe buying habits of consumers have also shifted in the 23 years since ASOS launched. Smith says that sifting through hundreds of products has become a painstaking and often unenjoyable task for its customers.\n\n“Once large online retailers get to a certain size, it can become laborious for customers to scour their whole catalogue,” Smith explains. “The online fashion landscape is evolving now to a point that customers are looking for a more tailored service from websites.”\n\nWith the rise of shopping on social media, too, young people are increasingly buying individual items from retailers on Instagram and TikTok or instead shopping directly from the brands that ASOS stocks, such as Pull and Bear, Stüssy and Bershka, which all have their own websites.\n\nASOS distribution centre near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. (PA)\n\n“ASOS’s busy 20-something [target] market doesn’t necessarily have the time to sift through dozens of item pages,” adds Smith. “So curated collections and recommendations based on user input may be one of the changes they eventually look at.”\n\nASOS, which originally stood for As Seen On Screen, initially started trading with the tagline “Buy what you see on film and TV” as it exclusively sold imitations of clothing worn by celebrities. That business model quickly expanded away from the world of replica products: ASOS now offers 850 affordable to mid-range high-street brands and ships to 196 countries.\n\nBut the company is also now tackling a debt issue, with net debt including leases now at £648.5m, up from £533m the year before. Analysts predict that the online fashion site may need to raise quick cash soon – potentially through the rumoured sale of its Topshop brand, which ASOS acquired when the Arcadia Group went bust in 2021 and closed Topshop’s bricks and mortar stores.\n\nDespite the profit slump and predicted future losses, José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, ASOS’s chief executive, said in the report that the company has made “good progress” in “a very challenging environment” and would continue to invest in its brand and stock more fashionable lines of clothing.\n\nThe company plans to spend £30m more on marketing and said it was going “back to fashion” with its products “geared around fashion and excitement”.\n\nAs ASOS faces huge losses, it was reported this week that the Chinese-founded retailer Shein has acquired UK company Missguided, with plans to “reignite” the online retailer that was only bought out of administration by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group a year and a half ago.\n\nDespite calls for boycotts from anti-fashion campaigners, Shein is currently valued at around £53bn, having expanded globally and bought many of its rival brands. In 2022, it was the most-googled fashion brand in the world and made a reported £18.9bn in revenue, suggesting that fast fashion is not falling out of favour with consumers who want to find entire outfits on a budget.", + "Scalable Capital, a Munich startup that aims to make investing in financial markets accessible to a wider range of consumers, is putting more fuel in its tank to drive deeper into Europe. The company has raised €60 million in equity ($65 million at today’s rates). It will be using the funds to build out its business in the six countries — Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain and Netherlands — where it is already active and to expand into more. Balderton is leading the round, with participation from HV Capital out of its new growth fund and other unnamed existing backers.\n\nContrary to the startup’s name, this round is coming in at a flat valuation of $1.4 billion. This was the same valuation Scalable Capital had the last time it raised money — $180 million in 2021, a round led by Tencent, with BlackRock, HV and Tengelmann participating. That is despite the fact that the startup is now “four or five times bigger” than it was two years ago, according to co-CEO Erik Podzuweit, who co-founded the company with Florian Prucker.\n\nToday, Scalable Capital, which started as a digital wealth management platform, now describes itself as a full-service brokerage. It has 1.2 million savings plans on the platform, which it tells me works out to over 600,000 customers, and close to €17 billion under management, with products covering ETFs, stocks, funds, bonds, cryptocurrencies and derivatives, and loans. It gives users access to investing in 8,000 stocks, 2,500 ETFs and 3,500 funds among other products; ETFs are the most popular today.\n\nThat speaks a lot to the ongoing pressure on startups amid a very tight market for finance at the moment in the region. (More on that theme in the latest annual, barometric report from Atomico.)\n\n“Yes, we are four or five times bigger than we were at the last round,” Podzuweit said in an interview. “So like for like, obviously it’s a very attractive deal for the investor. But in the current market environment, I think it’s really cool that we managed to get to pull this off.” He confirmed that the company still has “the majority of the money from the last funding round” in the bank, but this extra injection means it can be a little more aggressive in its approach. “We can do a bit more marketing, we can hire the top people but we also have a much bigger equity cushion,” he said. The company has now raised more than $345 million, it said.\n\nIndeed, the fundraise may be coming at a tight time for startup finance, but one likely reason that Scalable took the money now is that, for neobrokers, the landscape is getting more competitive and crowded.\n\nLate last month, Robinhood — the tech company best known for democratizing investing in the U.S. — finally took its first step into international (and European) territories, opening an office in the U.K. (and just today launching crypto trading in the EU on the back of that). Other players out of the U.K. market with clear European ambitions include Freetrade and Lightyear.\n\nAnd just yesterday, Scalable Capital’s biggest rival among startups, Trade Republic, secured a full banking license from the European Central Bank. The latter, backed by Sequoia among others and last valued at $5.3 billion back in June 2022 (via PitchBook), said it will use the new license to launch more savings and investment products — a move that will lay the gauntlet down for Scalable to figure out if, and how, it will level up.\n\nFor now, Scalable Capital is holding steady and not pursuing a license itself, said Podzuweit.\n\n“It’s leaner, obviously,” he said, likening it to how some e-commerce companies might invest in building out their own logistics, and some work with third parties (Scalable’s banking partners, in lieu of a license, include ING). “Maybe I wouldn’t rule [getting a license] out forever. But right now we’re focusing on building products and launching new markets and we are faster doing it our way.”\n\nThe other big forces that are playing in the market include the looming presence of AI and how it will be used both to manage investing platforms, but also investments themselves; and the general state of the economy: Generally, markets have been in the doldrums, with inflation, and unfavorable interest rates bringing a chilling effect to consumers’ inclination to take risks and invest money that could be used more immediately elsewhere.\n\nScalable’s positioning, as it is with others like it, is that it leaves the door open for smaller and more incremental buy-ins from its customers. On top of this, Podzuweit points out that the startup’s average user age is 35, a person perhaps with more disposable income than some of the younger consumers that other neobrokers have courted.\n\nThe focus on ramping up at a time when the market looks like it has cooled is also very much in line with the ethos of investing, where people often put down their money at lower points if they believe that it will represent a great deal in the longer run. Of course, only time will tell whether that firm belief in growth longer term will play out as hoped.\n\nBalderton general partner Rana Yared is joining the board with this round. “Scalable’s one-stop, digital-first, wealth building and generating platform brings a suite of top-class financial products to individuals across Europe, and is unparalleled in the market,” she said in a statement. “We’ve been impressed by Erik, Florian and team’s vision and execution to date and are delighted to be supporting them in this next chapter.” We’re hopefully hearing from Yared directly later today and will update this more after that.\n\nUpdated to correct the amount raised in 2021 to $180 million, not $140 million; and to specify the number of customers and the total raised, after the numbers were provided by the company post-publication.", + "Art Cullagh is a sleepy man in the Last Light Inn of Baldur’s Gate 3’s second act, and he’s the key to breaking the Shadow Curse that plagues the Shadow-touched lands.\n\nOnce you make it into act 2 and reach the central hub of the Last Light Inn, you’ll be able to wake up Art, locate Thaniel, defeat Oliver, and finally recruit Halsin as a real companion for your party. All of that takes place during a lengthy quest that will take you all across these new lands and to the edge of Moonrise Towers.\n\nIn this Baldur’s Gate 3 guide, we’ll walk you through how to wake up Art Cullagh and how to break the Shadow Curse in act 2.\n\nWake up Art Cullagh\n\nOnce you reach the Last Light Inn in the Shadow-cursed Lands, head back to your camp and talk to Halsin. He’ll tell you the tale of a young man named Thaniel, a Tiefling who is the root of the curse that’s taking over the Shadow-cursed Land.\n\nNow head back to the Last Light Inn and visit the bunks on the first floor, just to the right of the entrance. There’ll be a man named Art Cullagh lying in bed with a swirly animation above him. Talk to him and he’ll mutter something about Thaniel. Walk through the dialogue and you’ll learn that he needs some kind of personal item to wake him.\n\nReturn to Halsin in camp, and the Druid will decide he needs to see the sleeping man himself. Jump back to the Last Light Inn and talk to Art again, this time with Halsin’s help. Read Art’s last orders letter and a quest marker near Moonrise Towers will appear. Make your way there.\n\nIn the town, near the Road to Baldur’s Gate Waypoint, you’ll find the House of Healing and the cemetery it’s connected to — not exactly a good pairing if you want people to have faith in your hospital. Inside you’ll be directed to the operating theater and the “doctor” on staff.\n\nMake your way into the large room at the back of the hospital and you’ll meet Malus Thorm and his crew of assistants. Thorm is an undead boss who is also a “surgeon” torturing a patient. Talk to him enough and you’ll end up in some combat. Kill Thorm and his cronies and then loot his body once combat is over. He’ll have a Battered Lute on his person. Take it and return to Art back in Last Light.\n\nLocate and rescue Thaniel\n\nWith the Battered Lute in hand, walk up to Art and accept the prompt to play him a song. Don’t worry if you’re not proficient in an instrument, your character will just dopily pluck away at the strings until Art wakes up.\n\nAfter Halsin talks to Art, he’ll decide that he needs to peer into another dimension to rescue Thaniel. Follow him to the shore and get ready for a fight. Let Halsin go into the portal on his own and prepare to defend it. A massive army of undead creatures will appear on the shore and start trying to reach the portal.\n\nYou’ll need to hold them off for multiple rounds of combat in order to progress the quest. We recommend Shadowheart here, as she’s able to use Turn Undead against all of the creatures. Gale is also an excellent choice, as his large AoE abilities like Fireball can take out many of the low health critters at once.\n\nOnce you’ve successfully defended the portal for the required time, all of the undead will burn up and Halsin will return from the portal carrying Thaniel’s body. The Druid will ask you to come back to camp and talk. Meet him there and he’ll finally offer to join your crew to finish rescuing Thaniel.\n\nFinish Thaniel’s quest to lift the curse\n\nJust because you have Halsin in your crew doesn’t mean you can relax, or that the Druid doesn’t have more work for you to do.\n\nIn order to remove the curse, you’ll need to find Thaniel’s other half: Oliver, an obnoxious boy who likes playing hide and seek in the middle of the cursed lands. You can find his little house to the east of Last Light in an area called “House in Deep Shadows” on the map.\n\nWhen you find him, Oliver will ask to play hide-and-seek. Oblige him and look around until you perceive his location. He’ll get mad and try another game where he hides again and summons some wraiths to chase you.\n\nNow you can either sneak around and carefully try to catch him again, or you can get caught and just kill the shades. Either way, talk to Oliver again and he won’t want to play with you, because he’s a jerk. Assuming you’ve already rescued Thaniel, you can tell Oliver that he needs to rejoin his other half. This will eventually lead to another minor combat encounter.\n\nOliver will teleport you to the Moonrise Towers town square, alongside resurrected versions of his Mommy and Daddy Shades. Oliver will encase himself in a shield and sic his undead minions on you. Each time you kill one of his enemies, Oliver’s shield will also take damage. You can also directly target the shield with attacks. Break the shield one way or the other to talk to Oliver again. Persuade or threaten him and he’ll decide to rejoin with Thaniel.\n\nHead back to camp again and talk to the now-complete boy. Unfortunately, Thaniel alone won’t be able to end the curse on the lands. Instead you’ll need to finish the mainline quest in Moonrise Towers. But at least Thaniel is whole again — and, more importantly, you have a brand new Druid friend to keep you company on your adventures.", + "Erling Haaland is just six away from Norway’s goalscoring record, so it is surely inevitable that he will soon be his nation’s most prolific striker ever.\n\nOn one hand, that will have happened remarkably quickly – Haaland only scored his first goals for Norway in 2020. On the other, this has been an incredibly long time coming.\n\nGO DEEPER What is Haaland really like?\n\nOf the 213 FIFA-affiliated nations, Norway’s is the longest-standing outright individual goalscoring record in the world. It was set by Jorgen Juve, a fascinating figure who ended his international career in 1937 and later became a renowned sports journalist in his home country.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nJuve scored a relatively modest 33 goals in 45 matches for Norway, including five hat-tricks, although his tally is made remarkable by the fact he played as a centre-forward in less than half of those games. He was otherwise positioned in defence, from where he captained his nation to the bronze medal at the 1936 Olympics. That explains why his final international goal came three years before his final cap, in June 1934. Therefore, it is likely that by the time Haaland scores six more goals, it will be around 90 years since Juve reached the 33-goal mark.\n\nThere is technically one other record that stands for longer, also in Scandinavia.\n\nPoul “Tist” Nielsen scored 52 goals in 38 games for Denmark between 1910 and 1925, although his record was equalled by Jon Dahl Tomasson — now manager of Blackburn Rovers in the English Championship — in 2010. Tomasson elected to retire from international football after that year’s World Cup in South Africa rather than seeking to make the record his own. Nielsen’s name therefore remains in the record books, although he now holds Denmark’s record only jointly.\n\nThis graph demonstrates the extent to which these records are outliers.\n\nOnly six countries’ goalscoring records have stood for more than 50 years, including Libya, Sudan and Guinea. Therefore, if we only include nations to have qualified for the World Cup, it is only Denmark, Norway and Hungary whose records have lasted more than half a century.\n\nHungary’s record is perhaps the most impressive, considering Ferenc Puskas scored 84 goals in just 85 games, and his international career was brought to a premature end at the age of 29 because of the Hungarian Revolution. He later represented Spain at the 1962 World Cup, having gone half a decade without playing international football.\n\nFerenc Puskas (right) playing for Hungary against England at Wembley in 1953 (Barratts/PA Images via Getty Images)\n\nThe most striking thing about the graph is how many goalscoring records have been set recently.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nSixty-four of the 211 nations’ record goalscorers have appeared for them in 2023, and in terms of time since they were set, the median goalscoring mark has stood for just seven years, which includes the likes of the Republic of Ireland’s Robbie Keane and Paraguay’s Roque Santa Cruz. Increased longevity due to superior fitness levels in the modern game is clearly a major factor, as is the number of relatively new nations on the FIFA list.\n\nPerhaps the most surprising international goalscoring record is that of Italy.\n\nGiga Riva’s relatively insubstantial haul of 35 goals has been the mark to beat since World Cup 1974. Not only has it not been matched or eclipsed, but no one has ever got particularly near it — Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero both reached 27 and that’s as close as anyone has come.\n\nFor context, four Englishmen have reached 35 goals in that period — Gary Lineker, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane. Four Spaniards too — Raul Gonzalez, Fernando Torres, David Villa and David Silva, while Alvaro Morata (on 34) should get there shortly.\n\nFurthermore, no current Italians seem set to challenge it — Ciro Immobile (with 17) has less than half that tally, turns 34 years old in February, and has been omitted from recent squads. Nobody in Luciano Spalletti’s current squad has scored more than eight international goals.\n\nItaly’s shortcoming clearly isn’t about a complete lack of prolific strikers — the likes of Christian Vieri, Pippo Inzaghi and Luca Toni all scored heavily at club level. Sometimes it’s been the opposite, with various strikers competing for a starting place, meaning none of them got to dominate the national side for a decade. That said, around a decade ago, there was simply a dearth of prolific Italian strikers to choose from. Antonio Conte used Eder and Graziano Pelle up front at the 2016 European Championship.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThere are also tactical considerations. Not only have Italy traditionally been the most defensive of the major European nations, but their attacking play has generally been based around using a second striker. Baggio, Del Piero and Francesco Totti have all been the golden boy at various — overlapping — stages, with Italy’s No 9 often selected primarily to bring the best out of Italy’s No 10.\n\nWhat of Norway? They, similarly, were traditionally a defensive-minded side, favouring counter-attacks and long balls. At their peak under Egil Olsen in the mid-1990s, they often used a striker out of position on the wing, where he would challenge for long, diagonal balls.\n\nNorway’s Jostein Flo, a giant striker often utilised on the right flank, at the 1994 World Cup (Chris Cole/Allsport)\n\nBut perhaps the more pertinent thing about Norway is that, historically, they generally haven’t been very competitive.\n\nThey’ve only ever qualified for four major tournaments — in 1938, 1994, 1998 and 2000 — and have won a combined three matches in those appearances. They’re also similar to Italy in that, at times, they’ve boasted various high-level strikers whose careers roughly overlapped — John Carew, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Tore Andre Flo, Steffen Iversen — and at other points have suffered a complete lack of good centre-forwards.\n\nAt this point in time, Norway appear to have the most prolific striker in Europe, and it’s not unreasonable to consider where Haaland might end up in the all-time international goalscoring charts worldwide, never mind just in relation to his compatriots.\n\nHaaland is currently averaging nearly a goal a game for his country, which will inevitably be difficult for the 23-year-old to sustain over his career. But it’s worth pointing out how impressive that is, even at this early stage. Again, excluding countries who have never qualified for a World Cup, only the aforementioned quartet of Juve, Riva, Puskas and Nielsen, plus Japan’s Kunishige Kamamoto, hold their nation’s international goalscoring records and also boast a rate of 0.75 goals per game or more.\n\nEven Cristiano Ronaldo, the most prolific international goalscorer of all time with 127 for Portugal, boasts ‘only’ 0.63 goals per game, a lower rate than the likes of Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Kane and Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia), which owes to his early days as a winger rather than a central striker.\n\nKane and Ronaldo, two national-team record scorers still operating in 2023 (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)\n\nConsidering how many hat-tricks Haaland scores for Manchester City, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he could score six goals during this international break to move level with Juve, particularly given Norway’s first fixture is a home friendly against the Faroe Islands today (Thursday), before a European Championship qualifier against Scotland in Glasgow on Sunday. That said, the Faroes’ defence is less leaky than you might expect — only twice in their last 22 outings have they conceded more than three times in a game.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe wider question is whether we will ever see Haaland at a major tournament.\n\nDespite the presence of him and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, Norway have failed to qualify from their Euro 2024 qualification group directly, with Spain and Scotland already securing the top two spots.\n\nThey are, at least, likely to qualify for the play-offs, and therefore will have two must-win games in March to secure their first major tournament appearance since 2000 — the summer when Haaland was born. But there’s been little in recent performances to think Norway will breeze through those play-offs.\n\nJuve’s individual record will soon be surpassed, but captaining his side to a bronze medal at the Olympics may stand as his nation’s greatest achievement for much longer.\n\nGO DEEPER Erling Haaland is phenomenal - so why hasn’t he made Manchester City better?\n\n(Top photo: Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)", + "Twitch has had a tense year, in part due to community backlash over policy changes that affect the way creators can monetize their content.\n\nLast year, the company announced that it would end the 70/30 subscription revenue split deal that it had offered select streamers in favor of prioritizing ad revenue. In June, Twitch launched the Partner Plus program, a new monetization tier that would grant eligible creators a 70/30 subscription revenue split on the first $100,000 they make per year. The program further strained its relationship with its community, because the requirements to qualify excluded the vast majority of streamers. Streamers need at least 350 monthly paid subscriptions, and gift subs and monthly subs that come with an Amazon Prime account don’t count.\n\nIn response, Twitch pivoted eligibility to a points-based system, assigning a value to each subscription tier. The higher-priced subscriptions now count more toward the point total.\n\n📣 We’re updating how we calculate progress toward the Partner Plus program. To recognize deeper support from your community, Tier 1, 2, and 3 subs will earn you 1, 2, and 6 points respectively towards qualifying for the program. pic.twitter.com/HdOiLvg3qC — Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) August 28, 2023\n\nTwitch also walked back its policy restricting embedded ads and other sponsored content, following fallout from streamers who depend on branded content as the bulk of their income.\n\nThe company’s CEO Dan Clancy, who took over earlier this year, has prioritized engaging with Twitch streamers, and involving their perspectives in policy changes going forward. The company’s receptiveness to community feedback has marginally lessened animosity from its streamers, and community sentiment toward Twitch at this year’s TwitchCon in Las Vegas was significantly more positive than it was last year. New features and policy changes announced during the convention’s keynote address, including granting streamers more control over ad breaks and allowing simulcasting to other livestreaming platforms, also appeased the Twitch community.\n\nIn an interview with TechCrunch, Twitch’s Chief Monetization Officer Mike Minton discussed the unpopular policy decisions, supporting smaller creators through branded partnerships and what Twitch is doing to mend its relationship with its community.\n\nTechCrunch: I’m going to start with a maybe unpleasant question, but Twitch has made some unpopular decisions in terms of monetization. Is there anything that Twitch is doing to appease irate creators?\n\nMike Minton: Two years ago, we said we’re no longer gonna do these deals that weren’t objective in terms of eligibility criteria. We ended that program. It affected a relatively small number of creators, but what it really impacted was the community going, “I don’t have anything to work for.” And that led to us recently announcing Partner Plus. There was some feedback saying, “Hey, we’re going to need a lot of subs,” and we reacted to it by making it eligible by sub points so that your higher price point subscriptions cost more, and that was actually received quite positively.\n\nBoth Dan and I have said in different forms, that this is the beginning. It’s not the end and we’re going to continue to work to provide access to higher rev shares as we can over time, to more streamers.\n\nWhat would that look like?\n\nThe simple answer is now, 350 was the criteria we established, right? And that number is arbitrary and could easily come down. Now, our target and our goal in this program still remains the same. We’re looking to benefit the creators, where livestreaming is a meaningful part of what they’re doing as a creator. That allows us to focus on those streamers that are really at a point where it will matter most for them in terms of keeping them as a livestreaming creator.\n\nRight, and that decision to change the revenue split also came out of a decision to prioritize ad revenue. Creators and viewers have said that integrating ads in their streams is very frustrating. What kind of feedback is Twitch going to provide in response to that?\n\nLet’s level set a couple things. So one of the things we knew with ads, if we’re going to get streamers to buy into ads as a good way to monetize, is that we had to increase the rev share, which we did, and launch the ad incentive program.\n\nWe’re helping streamers understand that with ad running, you have to think about it consistently over time in order to earn predictable revenue. It’s a very reliable source of income for many streamers.\n\nSo I think the combination of making it easier to run, increasing the rev share and then recently in the keynote, we talked about two new features to allow moderators to know when an ad break is coming, and adjust the ad break around the content because the problem in livestreaming, as you’re aware, is that people don’t want to miss out. So we’re very focused on improving the ad experience by allowing the ad breaks to be synchronized with the content and enrolling moderations and eventually the community in adjusting those ad breaks.\n\nLike you said, livestreaming is very different from static content, and tactics for monetization that work for Instagram or TikTok just don’t really work for Twitch or any livestreaming platform. In those cases, what has Twitch done differently from those more standard platforms in terms of making monetization more seamless?\n\nOne thing we’ve done since the beginning, where we are a leader, is getting people to take their wallets out and support creators through subscriptions, gifting, cheering. I think that sets us as a unique community-based platform where viewers are directly supporting creators in that way.\n\nOther services have tried it but from what I can tell them, what streamers have told me, is that Twitch is really the leader in that way. We’ve spent a lot of time on advertising, because there’s no social media, content distribution service in the world that doesn’t rely on advertising as a component. So ads have been a big focus.\n\nAnd the third piece, which is where we’re behind, is sponsorships. We’re now focused a lot on growing sponsorship opportunities for streamers and ensuring that we have three — based on what size you are, where you’re located, how experienced you are, what type of content you’re creating, where you’re located in the world — three options to support you as a creator.\n\nI’ve spoken to a lot of creators over the course of my career, and a common gripe seems to be that they can’t subsist off of just subs and ad revenue. They have to have these branded partnerships that are difficult to land for midsize creators and smaller creators. What is Twitch doing specifically to diversify its branded partnership content?\n\nWe have this unique opportunity, being part of the third largest and fastest growing advertising business in the world, AKA Amazon. So what we’re actively working on is, as advertisers that come in through Amazon advertising, that they understand the magic of Twitch, that they can easily set up influencer deals programmatically. And ultimately, you don’t have the measurement that they expect.\n\nBut because of Amazon’s diversity of advertisers, this is where before it was more focused on endemic advertisers, game publishers, et cetera. And now we’re able to expand that reach to a much broader set of advertisers and serve the needs of both the affiliate marketing end of sponsorships, which is more of a performance model, as well as more of the top of the funnel, where you’re looking for more brand awareness.\n\nObviously a lot of this discord among Twitch’s community also comes at a time when other streaming platforms like YouTube or Kick are starting to take off, and enticing streamers with better revenue splits. A common complaint that I’ve heard is that bigger streamers are going to be making money wherever they are, but smaller streamers who have less of an audience don’t qualify for Partner Plus will get a better deal at YouTube or Kick than at Twitch. What is Twitch doing to keep those streamers?\n\nThere are a couple of things that I’ll point out. One is acknowledging what Dan has done as the CEO to get out and engage with streamers, hear their concerns, and really influence our priorities as a company, is really a consequence of him both being an active streamer as well as being extremely engaged within the community.\n\nAnd then, more broadly for both Jeremy [Jeremy Forrester is VP of Community Product] and myself as the product leaders, building the product is continuing to innovate and ensure that we are absolutely a unique service. Whether that’s features, like we’re working on Stories, whether that’s monetization — it’s all in service of ensuring that livestreaming creators can be more successful on Twitch.\n\nFor a long time, there was a sort of exclusivity with Twitch, where there were exclusive deals, and simultaneous streaming on other platforms was forbidden. I have to wonder if those decisions to change these policies were in response to competition from other platforms.\n\nI would say it this way: I think they are an acknowledgement, and maybe a closer connectivity to the community via Dan specifically. I credit Dan in his short time as CEO to really make some big, hard decisions. Both the launch of Partner Plus, as well as simulcasting, the embed stuff we talked about in the keynote — these are three things that I think are very much an acknowledgement of the feedback from the community. We’ve made that change, so I wouldn’t call it out of competitive pressures. I would call it out of focus on the community.", + "Beeper Mini, the app bringing blue bubble iMessage texts to Android users, is back in operation on Monday after a long weekend that saw Apple putting an end to Beeper’s services, claiming it was a security risk. Now, the startup behind the new app says it has resumed functioning, but hasn’t disclosed how that’s been made possible. In addition, Beeper Mini will be free for the time being given the unstable nature of Beeper’s status and Apple’s attempts at shutting it down.\n\nFounded by former Pebble smartwatch founder Eric Migicovsky, Beeper had originally been working on an app that aggregated all of a user’s chat apps into a single interface. However, upon the discovery of new technology that allowed it to reverse-engineer the iMessage protocol, it set out to build a new app called Beeper Mini that solely focused on bringing iMessage chats to Android users for $1.99 per month. That included support for high-quality photos and videos, tapback reactions, typing indicators, read receipts and more.\n\nThe app quickly climbed into the top 20 in the Play Store’s charts and saw over 100,000 downloads in its first 48 hours, the company claims.\n\nUnfortunately, Beeper Mini’s success was short-lived. Only days after launching, Apple on Friday night took action against the startup, having found a way to stop Beeper Mini’s messages from being passed from Android phones to its servers. The Cupertino tech giant explained that it needed to shut down the app because it “posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks.” Essentially, Apple said that it couldn’t verify that Beeper’s claims of end-to-end encryption were true, and therefore it needed to take “steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage.”\n\nAs the Beeper team scrambled for a fix, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shamed Apple for its intervention in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying “Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage? Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors. Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure,” she wrote.\n\nOn Monday, Beeper announced on its blog that it has updated the Beeper Mini app to fix the issue that “caused messages not to be sent or received.” It hasn’t said exactly how it’s made that happen, but notes that the security of Beeper Mini remains unchanged — promising it still includes local, end-to-end encryption as previously described. Migicovsky told TechCrunch he can’t share anything on that topic beyond what’s already in the blog post.\n\nThough Beeper Mini is running again, there is a caveat: phone number registration isn’t yet working. That means users will have to sign in with an Apple ID. The startup says it’s working to address this too.\n\nIt has also decided to make Beeper Mini free for the time being, given how “chaotic” things have been over the past few days. “As soon as things stabilize (we hope they will), we’ll look at turning on subscriptions again,” the blog post reads.\n\nAlthough Beeper did not have its app reviewed by an independent third-party security firm before launch, it’s challenging Apple to put it to the test.\n\n“If Apple doubts the security and privacy of our app, we’re willing to share the entire Beeper Mini codebase with a mutually agreed upon 3rd party security research firm,” the blog post stated. Asked if they would run an audit without Apple’s participation, Migicovsky tells us he wants Apple to agree on the firm first. The company also said it would be willing to add a pager emoji to metadata on all its sent messages, which would allow the Messages app to filter out messages from Beeper Mini users.\n\nUsers can get the updated version of Beeper Mini from beeper.com/update on their phone for the time being as the company has not yet submitted the new version to the Play Store, claiming it needs to do some final testing. But that means users are being asked to sideload the app update onto their devices, which is riskier than downloading from the Play Store, where apps undergo reviews and basic security checks. The app update is now live on Google Play (updated, 1:28 pm ET).\n\nThe update, which now prompts users to sign in with their Apple ID, also includes new features, like chats that will open at the last unread message and an improved video player, the blog post noted. In tests, signing in with our Apple ID generated an Apple prompt that noted our ID was being used to sign in with a device “near Los Angeles, CA” (where we are not located.) We received an error message “2FA submission error” after updating the app, but an uninstall/reinstall fixed this. We understand this is a known bug.\n\nAfter setting up the new Beeper Mini, a message appeared on our iPhone that said: “Device Added to Your Account. A Mac now has access to iMessage,” which offers a hint as to Beeper’s fix.\n\nApple has not yet gotten in touch directly with Beeper, having only released a statement to the press. It’s unclear at this time if, how, or when it will be able to disable Beeper’s updated build.", + "Nothing is more frustrating than buying a new pair of headphones, an OLED TV, or a backpack just to find out that you could have gotten it for a lot cheaper somewhere else. In order to keep customers happy — and prevent them from going elsewhere — many retailers offer price-matching policies where they promise to match a lower price you’ve found elsewhere. That’s information that could come in handy now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner.\n\nWhat follows are the price-matching policies for a variety of major retailers. There are a few things to make note of here. First, all price-matching policies have a number of rules attached to them. We’ve summarized some of the rules here, but you’d be advised to go to the links that we’ve provided and read the policy carefully. Second, and logically enough, retailers that serve as marketplaces for other sellers, such as Costco, don’t have price-matching policies.\n\nLastly, there are always exceptions to the rules. If you’re looking for a deal on a product and you know it’s available for a lower price elsewhere (or it was previously offered at the same retailer), it never hurts to call or chat with a customer service rep and ask if they’ll match the price. After all, what do you have to lose?\n\nIf Best Buy offers a better discount than Target on the latest Kindle Paperwhite, Target will refund you the difference. Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge\n\nAmazon doesn’t offer price matching. Full stop. You can contact customer support, but even if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, they’re not likely going to help you out.\n\nThat said, Amazon does offer a pretty liberal return policy, meaning you can often return an item you purchased from Amazon if it’s available for less elsewhere (or at Amazon). Then, you can just repurchase the product wherever it’s cheapest.\n\nAs of October 22nd, Target will match the price of any item purchased online or in-store from Target that goes on sale through December 24th. However, the current price-matching policy doesn’t apply to products you may have bought from one Target store and found for less at another.\n\nTarget will also match the price of items purchased from Amazon, Best Buy, and a select group of competitors if you ask for it at the time of or within 14 days of your purchase. You must bring the original ad or listing, whether digital or in print, along with your receipt into the store. Alternatively, you can call for online purchases at 1-800-591-3869 or chat online via contactus.target.com.\n\nBe mindful, however, that Target’s policy excludes doorbusters and competitors’ lightning sales, like those that Amazon offers. It also doesn’t apply to products that require that you log in to see the price, “Marketplace” items from third-party sellers, or lower-priced items purchased from other Target stores.\n\nBest Buy’s Price Match Guarantee states that a product could be eligible for a price reduction if it’s new, identical to the competitor’s product, immediately available at a qualifying competitor’s store or on its site, and not shown on Best Buy’s exclusion list (which includes “items for sale the Friday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving”).\n\nTo get the difference, you have to contact Best Buy via its on-site chat and be able to show the ad or website with a lower price point. Alternatively, you can call 1-888-237-8289 or visit any Best Buy or Pacific Sales store.\n\nBest Buy will also, upon request, match an in-store or online price that was lowered during the return and exchange period, which typically lasts up to 15 days.\n\nWalmart doesn’t price-match the prices of its competitors, though Walmart’s online store offers price-matching on items purchased from Walmart stores if the item is in stock at Walmart.com.\n\nHowever, the policy doesn’t apply to those who live in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. Additionally, it doesn’t apply to special event prices, like those seen during Black Friday. Walmart also does not retroactively price-match items bought from Walmart.com that have dropped in price after the time of purchase. The retailer additionally doesn’t price-match items purchased from Walmart Marketplace retailers or third-party sellers.\n\nApple doesn’t offer a price-matching policy, though you can price-match on devices like the 15-inch MacBook Air — assuming it’s on sale — elsewhere. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nWhile we’ve seen some claims that Apple will price-match up to 10 percent for products bought at certain major retailers, there is no official policy on the company’s website.\n\nApple does say that if it reduces its price on an Apple-branded product within 14 days from when you received your item, you can visit an Apple Store or contact the Apple Contact Center at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or get credit for the price difference. However, that doesn’t apply to special sales like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.\n\nB&H says that it might be able to honor a current lower price or match the price of a competitor, but it does so on a case-by-case basis. You have to contact its Customer Service team using the on-site chat, email, or by calling 800-606-6969 / 212-444-6615.\n\nCostco does not price-match with competitors. However, according to the website, it will issue a credit for the difference between the price a member has paid and a promotional price if you bought the item online at Costco and requested the credit up to 30 days before the change in price. If you bought the product from a Costco warehouse location, visit the membership counter at the store where you made the purchase. Costco doesn’t price-match items bought from Costco warehouses with Costco.com purchases.\n\nDell will price-match identical products from Dell, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, HP, Apple, Lenovo, and a number of other retailers. You can call 1-877-275-3355 or chat online to run a price check, but you’ll need to provide a link to the competitor’s product.\n\nYou can also contact the company about a price difference within 30 days of purchase. However, there is a long list of restrictions, and none of this is available between Thanksgiving Day and the Monday following Thanksgiving (or on Green Monday).\n\nAs a general rule, eBay doesn’t match the prices of purchases made during the weeks of Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. It does, however, offer a generous price-matching policy for items bought before or after that time period. If you find a lower price from a qualifying competitor on an eBay Deal item that you bought within 48 hours — or on another product with the “Best Price Guarantee” symbol attached to it — you’ll get “110 percent” of the difference. That means eBay will give you an eBay coupon for the difference in price between what you bought the item for and what the competitor is selling it for, plus an additional 10 percent of that price difference. Note, however, that these coupons will expire within 30 days of being issued.\n\nThe products must be new, unopened, and identical to the competitor’s item. You have to contact eBay Customer Service, and if they verify your claims are legitimate, you will receive the coupon and be able to use it toward your next eBay purchase.\n\nGameStop does not mention an official price-matching policy on its website. Last year, however, GameStop tweeted that the store will price-match items sold and shipped by Amazon as long as they’re available online or in-store. Although GameStop only mentioned Amazon in the tweet, others have reported that the store will price-match items purchased from Target and elsewhere.\n\nGoogle will match online pricing from select retailers — specifically Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, B&H Photo, and Target — if a request is made within the standard return period. It doesn’t, however, match preorder pricing from other retailers or carrier deals. The product also must be identical, right down to the color and configuration, and must be in stock. Plus, you need to provide a public link to the promo page or product listing to verify the rival’s price.\n\nYou may also get the difference if a product purchased from the Google Store lowers in price within the standard return period. To get the price match or correction, contact Google.\n\nThe Home Depot will match the price of identical, in-stock products from other retailers, except for membership-based wholesalers. The price-match policy does not apply to special events like Black Friday, though, and you must bring the ad or listing with you in-store to the register. Additionally, The Home Depot will only honor requests submitted by the original buyer — no friends or family allowed.\n\nYou could potentially buy HP’s Spectre x360 14 at a lower price thanks to HP’s price-matching policy. Image: Monica Chin / The Verge\n\nAccording to HP’s website, the company will match the current pre-tax price for new comparable PCs and identical HP printer, display, and accessory model numbers from nationally recognized online retailers, such as Dell, Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy. The specs have to be the same, but the product model number does not need to be identical for computers. You have to ask for the match at the time of purchase by calling 1-800-888-0229. You can’t request a price match via email or chat, though, and the policy does not extend to items bought during promotional periods. It also doesn’t apply to membership stores like Costco and Sam’s Club.\n\nIf you find a comparable product at a lower price during the return period, you can email HP at myhpsales@hp.com. This only applies to branded HP products and doesn’t apply to products purchased during certain promotional events. This includes Green Monday and products on sale during the week of Thanksgiving and the week after.\n\nLenovo matches pricing on comparable PCs from Lenovo, HP, or Dell with the same key specs as long as they’re sold through a list of recognized retailers. The comparable PC must also be in stock and readily available from both Lenovo and the competing retailer, and you have to contact a Lenovo sales rep in order to facilitate the match.\n\nThat said, you can’t take advantage of coupons or special discounts while receiving a price match, and the policy doesn’t apply to membership stores like Costco. The policy also doesn’t apply to “Marketplace” items where third parties fulfill the order, so double-check that you bought the product directly from the retailer.\n\nLenovo also offers a price guarantee refund for laptops and personal desktop computers bought from Lenovo.com within 30 days of purchase. To receive a refund, you must contact Customer Care and show the lower price of the identical product offered on Lenovo.com. This policy doesn’t apply to doorbuster or clearance products, however.\n\nLowe’s will match the price of identical, in-stock products when you present an ad, product listing, or photo from a qualifying online or local retailer, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. The product must be purchased directly from the retailer and not a third-party seller, however, and it doesn’t apply to special sales like Black Friday and other various holiday promotions. Lowe’s also doesn’t match prices from one Lowe’s store to another. To request a price match, head to the store, call 1-877-465-6937, or chat online.\n\nIf Microsoft lowers the price of the Xbox Series X, Microsoft could refund you the difference. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge\n\nNow through January 31st, Microsoft will refund you the difference if it drops the price of a physical product purchased online from the Microsoft Store. The same policy also applies if you find the product on sale at a lower price at a qualifying retailer, such as Amazon or Best Buy.\n\nYou can contact Microsoft’s Sales and Support team at 1-877-696-7786 to get a refund. If you purchase an item from a Microsoft Experience Center, you’ll have to go back to that location with your receipt.\n\nNewegg offers price matching on select items; these products are identified by the label “Price Match Guarantee” that appears in the price box on the right side of the product page. This applies whether you find that lower price on Newegg or at what Newegg judges to be a major retailer. Regardless, you need to notify Newegg of the lower price within 14 days of purchase. You’ll then be issued a credit you can use on the Newegg website, though you’ll only have 90 days to do so.\n\nNewegg’s price-match guarantee is not valid during major holiday sales events, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Green Monday.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nBlack Friday is often a boon for deals on headphones and earbuds, and this year is no different. The shopping holiday has brought a plethora of deals on all kinds of headphones, include several top picks from our guides to the best wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, budget wireless earbuds and gaming headsets. Other popular models from the likes of Sony, Beats, Bose and Apple are discounted as well. All of this means it's an ideal time to pick up a new set, whether it's to give as a gift to someone on your holiday shopping list or just to replace your own aging cans. To help you get a good bargain, we've rounded up the best Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds we could find for 2023.\n\nSony WH-1000XM5\n\nPhoto by Billy Steele / Engadget Sony WH-1000XM5 $328 $400 Save $72 Black Friday has brought the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones back down to its all-time lowest price. $328 at Amazon\n\nThe Sony WH-1000XM5 is down to $328 at Amazon, B&H and other retailers, which is a $72 drop and ties the lowest price we’ve seen. This is the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones, and we gave it a review score of 95 last year. Its active noise cancellation (ANC) is among the better options we’ve tested, its design is comfortable to wear over extended periods and its battery lasts a solid 30 or so hours per charge. The sound goes heavy on the bass by default, which should please fans of hip-hop and pop music, but you can customize the EQ curve through Sony’s app. Like many Sony headphones, it also comes with a number of useful bonus features; “Speak-to-Chat,” for instance, automatically pauses your music when you start speaking.\n\nSony WF-1000XM5\n\nFor an in-ear pair, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is also on sale for $248 at Amazon, B&H and others. (Yes, Sony’s headphone naming scheme is bad.) That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and comes in $52 below Sony’s usual list price. This set tops our list of the best wireless earbuds and earned a score of 87 in our review this past July. Like the over-ear XM5 above, it offers a host of useful features, a warm yet customizable sound, powerful ANC and a comfortably snug fit that naturally isolates a good chunk of outside noise on its own. Battery life should sit around seven to eight hours with average use.\n\nSony WH-1000XM4\n\nIf you don’t want to pay up for Sony’s highest-end noise-canceling headphones, Amazon, Adorama and B&H have the older Sony WH-1000XM4 down to $248 as well. While that isn’t an all-time low, it’s $100 off Sony’s list price and a little lower than the usual sale price we’ve seen over the course of the year. The XM4 delivers similar ANC and battery performance as its successor and has nearly the same feature set. Unlike the XM5, it can also fold up for easier storage. However, its mics aren’t as clear for calls, it’s a little bulkier (though it’s still comfy) and it sounds a bit boomier out of the box. But at this price, it’s still a strong value. We gave it a 94 in our review back in 2020.\n\nApple AirPods Pro\n\nApple’s AirPods Pro are on sale for $190 at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. That's $60 less than buying from Apple directly and ties an all-time low. This is the “best for iOS” pick in our wireless earbuds guide thanks to its suite of helpful Apple-specific features, including hands-free access to Siri, quick pairing with iPhones and device tracking through Apple’s Find My network. Effective (if not class-leading) ANC, a superb transparency mode and a pleasantly warm sound also stand out. That said, the Pro’s six-hour battery life is just average and, as with any set of AirPods, you pretty much have to be a dedicated Apple fan to get the most out of it.\n\nThis deal applies to the latest iteration of the earphones, which come with a USB-C charging case. If you don’t mind using a Lightning charging case, Walmart has the previous version on sale for a new low of $169. Either way, we gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year.\n\nApple AirPods (3rd-gen)\n\nThe third-gen AirPods are available for $140 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy and others. Typically, these wireless earbuds have retailed between $10 and $20 higher in recent months, but steeper discounts have been uncommon. We gave this pair a review score of 88 back in 2021: There are certainly better-sounding options for the money, but the third-gen AirPods sound noticeably richer than their predecessor, and their haptic touch controls are altogether more convenient. This is another open design, though, so there still isn’t much in the way of deep bass or noise cancellation. Not everyone will find the wider earpieces comfortable either.\n\nApple AirPods (2nd Gen)\n\nThe second-gen AirPods are down to $80 at Amazon and Target, which isn’t an all-time low but comes in roughly $20 below the pair’s usual street price in recent months. These are Apple’s entry-level wireless earbuds, having launched way back in 2019. They’re a bit tougher to recommend these days, as their one-size-fits-all design won’t fit everyone and you can get better sound quality even at this discounted rate. But if you prefer an open design that doesn’t completely seal off your ear canal or just want the typical AirPods conveniences for as cheap as possible, this is at least a more acceptable price.\n\nApple AirPods Max\n\nApple’s top-of-the-line headphones, the AirPods Max, are discounted to $450 at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s $20 more than the lowest price we’ve seen but about $30 below the pair’s usual street price. Apple itself sells the headphones for $550. The AirPods Max are still overpriced for most even with this discount, but they remain undeniably premium, with top-tier ANC, a superbly balanced sound profile, a high-quality aluminum design, reliable controls and all the usual AirPods features. They’re hefty, though, and their included “case” is bafflingly flimsy. We gave the AirPods Max a review score of 84 in late 2020.\n\nBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones\n\nBose’s new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are $50 off at multiple retailers, bringing the over-ear cans down to $379. Outside of a very brief drop a few weeks back that may have been a pricing error, this is the first significant discount we’ve seen. Bose only released the QuietComfort Ultra last month. We gave it a score of 86 in our review, praising its predictably comfy design, outstanding ANC, above-average call quality and bassy default sound. We still recommend the Sony XM5 to most, as that pair offers a wider feature set and the ability to be used passively (i.e., without being turned on), but the QuietComfort Ultra may still be worth a look if you must have especially powerful noise cancellation.\n\nWe’ll also note that the new, non-Ultra QuietComfort Headphones are $100 off, bringing them down to a new low of $249. We haven’t reviewed this model yet, but it’s the follow-up to 2021’s QuietComfort 45, which we generally liked. Other reviews suggest it has a more bass-heavy sound, though, and we’d expect it to be a slight step down from the Ultra across the board.\n\nBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds\n\nThe new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, meanwhile, are down to $249 at several stores. That's another $50 discount and an all-time low. We gave these in-ears a review score of 88 in September and recently named them the “best for noise cancellation” pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide. As that title suggests, the main reason to consider this pair over the Sony WF-1000XM5 is its ANC performance, which is the strongest we’ve tested from a true wireless model. We also enjoy Bose’s spatial audio tech. But the earpieces are on the larger side, the call quality and battery life (at six-ish hours) are just OK and there’s no support for multi-device pairing.\n\nBeats Fit Pro\n\nThe Beats Fit Pro is back down to $159, which isn’t an all-time low but is still roughly $20 below its average street price. This is the “best for workouts” pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide, as it packs many of the iOS-friendly conveniences of Apple’s AirPods in a sportier and more stable design. It also uses physical control buttons instead of touch panels, and its punchy sound plays well with most popular music. But it can’t connect to multiple devices at once, it doesn’t support wireless charging and its ANC, while fine, isn’t as capable as the AirPods Pro’s. The Fit Pro earned a score of 87 in our review from 2021.\n\nBeats Studio Pro\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro is down to $170 for Black Friday at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. That tops the pair’s previous low by $10 and falls about $130 below its average street price in recent months. The Studio Pro isn’t a top pick in any of our guides, but we gave it a solid review score of 81 in July. Its sound is largely pleasant and even-handed, its ANC is strong enough to be useful and it can stream higher-quality audio if you connect over a USB-C cable. It works well with both iOS and Android, too, though it doesn’t support multi-device pairing on the former. There’s no auto-pausing when you remove the headphones, either, and the design is mostly made of plastic. But if you like the Beats style, those flaws should be a little easier to accept at this price.\n\nAmazon Echo Buds (2023)\n\nWe recommend the Amazon Echo Buds in our budget wireless earbuds guide to those who hate the feeling of traditional in-ear headphones. They’re now down to $35 for Black Friday, a $15 drop that matches an all-time low. The Echo Buds have a semi-open design, so they let in a good amount of outside noise and can’t produce deep bass, but some will find the shape preferable to a pair that sticks in their ear canals. They can sound perfectly decent with a bit of EQ tweaking, while features like multi-device pairing, wear detection and hands-free Alexa are all nice to have. However, there’s no wireless charging, the battery life (five or so hours per charge) is mediocre and the IPX2 sweat-resistance rating is too weak for the gym. Amazon’s companion app is rather bloated too. But those shouldn’t be deal-breakers for $35. We gave the Echo Buds a review score of 77 in July.\n\nAnker Soundcore Space A40\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Space A40 is one of the best values in wireless earphones at its normal price of $79, but now it’s down to $54 for Black Friday. That ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. The Space A40 tops our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds because it delivers most of the features we expect from headphones that cost twice as much. It’s comfortable, its ANC is genuinely capable, its battery lasts up to 10 hours per charge, its tiny case supports wireless charging and it can pair with two devices at once. Its warm sound will be pleasing enough for most by default, but it can also be customized through a clean companion app. The only major downsides are middling mic quality and a lack of auto-pausing when you remove an earbud.\n\nAnker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is the runner up in our budget wireless earbuds guide, as it offers a highly similar feature set as the Space A40 but comes in a larger “stem” design reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods. It has a more bass-forward sound by default, which some may find fatiguing, but it also has slightly more extensive touch controls and technically supports wear detection. Right now the Liberty 4 NC is down to $70 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy, which beats its previous low by $10 and falls $30 below Anker’s list price. If you prefer this kind of bulkier but easier-to-remove shape, this is an excellent value.\n\nAnker Soundcore Space Q45\n\nIf you’re after a wallet-friendly pair of noise-canceling over-ear headphones, Anker’s Soundcore Space Q45 is worth a look at its Black Friday price of $100. For that amount, this pair’s better-than-average ANC, softly padded design and multi-device pairing make for a strong value. Its V-shaped sound profile isn’t especially detailed, but it can work well enough for pop music and it’s customizable through Anker’s app. Call quality is mediocre, however. This $50 discount matches the lowest price we’ve tracked, and it's available at both Amazon and Anker's online store; just use the on-page coupon for the latter.\n\nAudio-Technica ATH-M20xBT\n\nThe Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT is a modest $10 off for Black Friday, bringing the wireless headphones down to $69. We saw this pair fall to $55 during Amazon’s Prime Day sale in July, but this is about as low as it’s been outside of that. The M20 is the budget pick in our wireless headphones guide thanks to its comfortable fit, 60-hour battery life, multi-device connectivity and relatively detailed audio quality. It lacks ANC and doesn’t have the sturdiest design, but it should do the job if you just need a no-frills wireless headphone for cheap.\n\nEarFun Free 2S\n\nThe EarFun Free 2S is down to $24.59 at Amazon with a Prime-only discount and the checkout code FREE2SPD1. That’s an all-time low. The Free 2S is the “best under $50” pick in our budget wireless earbuds guide. It has a hugely bass-forward sound out of the box, but some may enjoy that with hip-hop or EDM and the profile is customizable through the EarFun app. The earpieces are comfortable and fully waterproof, the battery lasts around seven hours, and the suite of touch controls work reliably, which isn’t a given in this price range. There’s no ANC, multi-device connectivity or wear detection, however, and the built-in mic will pick up wind noise if you’re on a call outside.\n\nSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro + $10 Amazon gift card\n\nThe Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are on sale for $160 for Black Friday, and you can get them with a $10 Amazon gift card for no extra cost. That’s a good way from their all-time low — they very briefly fell to $105 last year — but it’s still $30 or so less than their average selling price in recent months. While the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro aren’t a top pick in any of our guides, they’re worth a look if you use a Galaxy phone, as they can quickly pair with and swap between other Samsung devices (including TVs) and support a higher-quality audio codec on the company’s handsets. More generally, this is one of the better sounding pairs of wireless earphones we’ve tested, with impressive clarity and well-controlled bass, and the buds themselves are both comfortable and waterproof. You can’t connect to two devices at once, however, and the five-hour battery life is poor. We gave the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro a review score of 86 last year.\n\nJabra Elite 3\n\nAnother pick from our budget wireless earbuds guide, the Jabra Elite 3, is down to $40 at Best Buy. That matches the best price we’ve tracked. This pair’s mildly bass-boosted sound is great for the money, and its snug, IP55-rated design is well-suited for workouts. It’s a relatively basic set, though, as it lacks ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging and wear detection. But those omissions are easier to accept for $40. We gave the Elite 3 a score of 88 in our review from September 2021.\n\nJLab Go Air Pop\n\nThe JLab Go Air Pop is available for $17 at Amazon, which isn't an all-time low — the pair was briefly down to just $10 at Walmart earlier this week — but still takes about $6 off their usual going rate. We highlight the Go Air Pop as an honorable mention in our budget wireless earbuds guide. Its IPX4-rated design is light and generally comfortable, its battery lasts around eight or nine hours per charge and, unlike many cheap earphones, its touch controls actually work. Its boomy sound profile won’t win any awards, predictably, but it’s well beyond serviceable for less than $20. JLab even bakes three different EQ presets directly into the earphones. If you’re looking for a cheap backup to your main wireless earphones, this is a great value.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds Pro are available for a new low of $115 at Wellbots, which is about $50 off their average street price. Other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have them for $5 more. We call the Pixel Buds Pro the best option for Android users in our wireless earbuds buying guide due to their tight integration with the OS (and Google’s Pixel phones in particular). Their ANC and V-shaped sound are solid (if not superlative) as well, and they can last between up to 11 hours depending on how often you use the former. The fit may be tricky for those with smaller ear canals, though. We gave this pair a score of 87 in our review last year.\n\nBeyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X\n\nBeyerdynamic's DT 900 Pro X headphones are down to $249 at Amazon and Target from a trusted third-party seller. That’s only $20 off their usual going rate, but we haven’t seen many larger discounts over the past few months. The DT 900 Pro X is a wired pair of open-back headphones designed for critical listening at home. It’s currently the top pick in our guide to the best headphones for gaming, as its wonderfully spacious sound does well to envelop you in the fine details of any given game. Like most open-back cans, it can’t produce truly deep sub-bass, but it delivers enough low-end to give in-game explosions a powerful sense of impact. A set of soft velour earpads keep the whole thing comfortable, though it can’t fold up, and the open design means it won’t block much external noise when you’re outside of the house.\n\nSennheiser HD 560S\n\nThe Sennheiser HD 560S is another open-back pair of wired headphones we highlight in our gaming headset guide. It’s down to $150 at Amazon, B&H, Sennheiser’s online store and other retailers — that’s not an incredible deal, as the pair often sold for the same rate earlier in the year, but it’s about $30 less than the street price we’ve seen since the summer. Regardless, the HD 560S offers a pleasingly balanced, spacious and detailed sound profile and a frame that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods. It can sometimes sound a little piercing in the treble, it’s not as sturdily built as the DT 900 Pro X and, again, it’ll leak and let in lots of noise. But if you want audio-centric headphones for less than $200, this is one of the better options in the price range.\n\nIn other Sennheiser deals, the Drop X Sennheiser HD 6XX is on sale for $169 at Drop, a $50 discount that’s only $10 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked. We haven’t formally reviewed this pair, but Engadget’s audio expert Billy Steele gave some positive impressions in a hands-on way back in 2016, and the pair upon which it’s based (the Sennheiser HD 650) has long been a favorite among audiophiles. If you’d prefer an open-back pair with a little more bass warmth, it might be worth a look.\n\nAstro A40 TR\n\nOur favorite dedicated gaming headset for most people, the Astro A40 TR, is down to $100 at Amazon. That’s a $30 discount. This deal bundles the headset with Astro’s MixAmp M80, an optional amp that connects to Xbox controllers and provides various audio controls. Even without the accessory, we like the open-back A40 for providing a wider soundstage than most gaming headsets. It’s not as open or detailed as the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X or Sennheiser HD 560S, and it misses more detail in the treble range, but it’s immersive, with a slight bass boost gives in-game effects a little extra boom. The headset as a whole looks “gamer-y,” but it’s comfortable. And while its built-in mic isn’t the clearest we’ve tested, it’s at least serviceable for basic chat.\n\nHyperX Cloud Stinger 2\n\nIf all you want is a decent gaming headset for as little as possible, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is worth considering at $35. That’s only $5 below its usual going rate, but it matches the lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide: It sounds narrower and less balanced than the Astro A40, but its built-in mic is great for the money and its bass-heavy profile at least makes action scenes feel a little more exciting. It’s all comfy, too, though it’s largely made of plastic.\n\nLogitech G535\n\nThe Logitech G535 is another honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, one that should specifically appeal to those who want a wireless option for less than $100. If that’s you, good news: It’s available for just under $80 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy, which is about $25 off its usual street price. The G535’s noticeably light frame, relatively balanced sound and Bluetooth support all impress for the price; just note that it doesn’t work with Xbox, and that its mic sounds a bit thinner than the wired headsets highlighted above. Its battery life clocks in at 30 to 35 hours per charge, which is decent but not great.\n\nShokz OpenRun Pro\n\nPhoto by Jon Turi / Engadget Shokz OpenRun Pro $125 $180 Save $55 If you want a pair of headphones that don't totally shut you out from the outside world, the bone-conducting Shokz OpenRun Pro are worth a look. $125 at Amazon\n\nThe Shokz OpenRun Pro is back down to $125 for Black Friday, which is $25 more than its all-time low but $55 less than its usual street price. These are bone conduction headphones, which means they go around the side of your head and deliver sound via vibrations to your skull. If you want to listen to music and podcasts without totally blocking the outside world, they might make sense. The flipsides are that they’re harder to use in noisier areas and, generally speaking, not as full-sounding as traditional in-ear headphones. Engadget Editor Jon Turi found this pair to deliver more low-end depth than most of its peers, however. It can also last up to 10 hours per charge.\n\nYour Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "Kick streamers consider leaving over CEO’s comments in a sex worker ‘prank’ stream With little moderation, many question if Kick is safe. Others can't afford to stop streaming.\n\nStreamers are leaving Kick en masse in protest of the platform’s lack of safety guidelines, after a prominent creator streamed an encounter with a sex worker without informing her that there were other people present. She was briefly prevented from leaving after she expressed discomfort, while Kick’s CEO posted laughing emotes in the stream chat.\n\n“It sucks to see a platform stand behind someone who clearly doesn’t respect sex workers or their safety,” Rachel, a streamer known as TheFoodieWaifu, told TechCrunch. “This was a job for her and to them a game. This woman clearly was afraid and was just trying to work and be safe.”\n\nPaul Denino, a creator also known as Ice Poseidon, streamed the encounter on September 21. The interactions with the sex worker took place in a living room, while Denino and fellow streamer Sam Pepper hid in an adjacent bedroom. The stream shows another man, named Andy, paying the sex worker $500 and asking for her consent to film. When the encounter became physical, Denino and Pepper made noises behind the door, which startled the woman. She tried to leave after receiving a text about the people in the other room, but Andy stopped her. When Andy reminded her that he had already paid her, she said the encounter was “creepy.”\n\n“Why is it creepy?” Andy said. “It’s you and me and no one else.”\n\nIn a post days later, Denino disputed claims of a “hidden camera” and alleged that the interaction was legal. Denino streamed from Brisbane, Australia, where sex work is legal in licensed brothels or if a sex worker is working in private and alone. He also posted footage of a call allegedly asking the sex worker he could film her, which she approved for an extra fee. Later in the clip, he tells Andy that he can’t block the sex worker from leaving.\n\n“Where’s the mention that you two were hiding in the room? Creepy as fuck,” Repzion, another creator who streams on Kick, replied. “Did she consent to that? When she found that out, she left because she was uncomfortable. It’s shitty regardless.”\n\nKick has lured disenchanted Twitch streamers away from the platform with non-exclusive streaming deals, light moderation and a coveted 95/5 revenue split. The platform is young, but its first year has been checkered with controversy — starting with its ties to a crypto gambling site also owned by Kick CEO Eddie Craven. The most recent scandal is a wake-up call for many of its streamers — especially women who question if the platform is safe for them at all.\n\nThe platform addressed the incident in a public post earlier this week, affirming that community and public safety “cannot be compromised” in content creation.\n\n“We’re continuously learning where this balance sits and are making changes daily,” the post continued. “We appreciate our community for the continuous feedback, both the good & the bad. We’ll keep you updated on upcoming changes to community guidelines and subsequent enforcement measures.”\n\nKick did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. In a statement to 404 Media, the company said that they “continuously review and refine” its policies, but may not disclose specific details “for privacy and confidentiality reasons.”\n\n“We aim to maintain a fair and consistent approach to content moderation while respecting the privacy of our users and employees,” the statement said.\n\nThe company also removed Denino from the front page and featured category, which Bree, another Kick streamer, described as a “start.” Returning to Twitch isn’t an option for her, she said, because of the harassment she faced on the platform.\n\n“Kick’s decision not to ban him does hurt, but I do think that from a business standpoint with contracts involved you can’t just ban someone,” she said in a DM. “I feel like a lot of people are focusing on this while our time could be better spent working together to make our platform better.”\n\nSo many people will say “oh go back to twitch”… I can’t. That platform let creators openly harass, bully, abuse, oppress and threaten my life multiple times. I don’t feel safe there and I never will. I’m stuck rn. This is my livelihood and how I keep a roof over my head. — Bree (@KickBree) September 24, 2023\n\nKick’s pallid response infuriated both streamers and viewers. Bob, a creator known as BobDuckNWeave, described the incident as “just sickening” and criticized the platform’s “non-response.”\n\n“I understand consent was in fact given by the woman on stream, but the premise alone was bad enough for a site seemingly focused on gaming/creative content,” he said over DM.\n\nHe is one of many streamers who vowed to leave the platform in the aftermath of the incident.\n\nIn a thread announcing his departure, he apologized for his association with the platform, and told TechCrunch that he thought it would get better.\n\nBob acknowledged that the platform has had a string of controversies in its short existence — most recently, an offensive fake interview between white supremacist sympathizer Adin Ross, accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate and a Kim Jong Un impersonator — and that seeing Craven laughing at the sex worker was “more than enough to stamp out any hope that the platform intends to improve any of its policies.”\n\nRachel, who also makes cooking videos on YouTube, also decided to leave Kick despite the opportunities it gave her as a smaller creator. She started streaming on the platform because she was burning out on Twitch, and believed that Kick would figure out stronger moderation with time.\n\n“I can’t stand behind a platform that thinks it’s OK to view people as objects,” she said in a DM. “I am not saying if folks choose to stay on the platform that they are for encouraging this behavior. I am saying that for me, I can no longer say I stream on Kick. This will be a [financial] hit most definitely, not as much for some bigger streamers, but still enough to feel it with inflation being at its highest right now.”\n\nBut others can’t afford to take the hit, and can’t rely on Twitch alone to pay their bills.\n\nThe default sub (subscription) revenue split for Partners is 50/50, but select streamers were offered a premium 70/30 deal until last year. Twitch cut that deal in favor of the platform’s ad revenue program, which angered many of its most loyal creators. Partners grandfathered into the agreement were still paid a 70% cut of the first $100,000 they earned, and 50% of any revenue after that.\n\nThe platform rolled out a new Partner Plus program this year, which allowed qualifying streamers to apply for the same deal given to streamers grandfathered into the 70/30 split. The steep requirements excludes the majority of Twitch Partners and doesn’t count gifted subs toward the minimum subscription requirement, further straining the relationship between the platform and its creators. Although Twitch adjusted the program so that higher tier subscriptions count for more points toward the minimum subscription requirement, it wasn’t the change that streamers were requesting.\n\nKelly, a streamer known as MrsViolence, joined Twitch when it was still operating as Justin.tv. She began streaming full time when she had to step away from her esports coaching and hosting career for her health. Like many streamers who joined Twitch before its explosive pandemic growth, Kelly was offered a 70/30 revenue split. About a year ago, before Twitch axed the premium revenue deal, Kelly’s Twitch income was a little over $1,000 per month (up to $1,200 on a “really good month”) with over 700 paying subscribers. She supplemented her income with tips and OnlyFans subscriptions.\n\nWhen the revenue split changes went into effect earlier this year, Kelly’s monthly income fell to about $400. Since she stopped prioritizing her Twitch channel, her monthly Twitch income hovers around $120. That prompted her to start streaming on Kick, where she said she makes over $1,000 per month with only 145 subscribers.\n\n“That’s covering all of my rent and groceries and then like a night out with my boyfriend,” Kelly said in a call with TechCrunch. “So I don’t care if it’s run by some gambling, underground Dark Web loser. It’s making people money and it’s helping them in the worst economic depression we have ever seen.”\n\nThat’s not to say that Ice Poseidon’s stream didn’t affect her.\n\n“I broke down in tears,” she continued. “I was like, now I’m part of this website that has pieces of shit running fucking wild and there’s nothing I can do about it, and I refuse to go back and make pennies on Twitch.”\n\nAs a creator who’s been working in the games industry for more than a decade, Kelly said she’ll continue making content wherever she can make money, because her chronic health conditions prevent her from returning to in-person hosting and coaching. She experienced “just as much abuse” as a woman on Twitch, and isn’t optimistic about other livestreaming platforms like Rumble or YouTube. Kelly added that in its early days, Twitch was just as unmoderated and violently misogynistic as parts of Kick are today. The streaming community can’t rely on platforms to operate in the best interest of their creators, she said, and instead has to hope that local governments will step in to regulate safety.\n\n“I feel very small. There’s nothing we can do and it’s a fight that I think too many people are investing their lives in, and changing their careers over, their money, their income, because of something you can’t change,” Kelly said. “I’m very numb. Desensitized is a great word. I feel for people, I get it. But at the same time I got to survive in this dumb world. Like, gas is up again!”", + "Gun import Jordon Crawford has exploded late to lead the Tasmania JackJumpers to a club-record score in a 105-95 NBL road win over the defending champion Sydney Kings.\n\nThe American guard opened the final period at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday with four consecutive three-pointers and scored all of his team’s points on a stunning 14-2 run.\n\nIt gave the JackJumpers a game-high 19-point lead and just about put the result to bed after Sydney had lost Jaylin Galloway (shoulder) and Jonah Bolden (fouled out).\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nThe Kings never gave up but could not close the gap as Crawford finished with a game-high 32 points.\n\nFellow import Milton Doyle and Majok Deng each scored 17 for Tasmania, who recorded their second win over Sydney in as many attempts this season.\n\n“I had a couple of opportunities where I’m open and I shot the ball,” Crawford said. “Marcus (Lee) and Majok were setting great screens and in order for me to get those shots, them guys have to get me open.\n\n“They did a hell of a job in doing that and it was a team effort. The ball was hot, the ball was moving and everybody contributed today.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nSydney only had themselves to blame for the loss as they went 10-of-37 from three-point range.\n\nJaylen Adams (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Jordan Hunter (16, five) couldn’t lift the Kings over the line.\n\n“Sometimes you just miss shots,” Kings coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah said.\n\n“We’ve been practising these for the last two-and-a-half months, we got some great looks and at the end of the day that’s the difference.\n\n“When you’re missing a ton of shots you’ve got to win the offensive rebounding battle and they beat us on that.”\n\nTasmania burst out to a double-figure lead when they piled on 36 points during the opening period, and the margin blew out to 18 before halftime.\n\nDoyle (12 points), Deng and Jack McVeigh (both 10) all did plenty of damage on the scoreboard in the first half for the visitors, who never trailed. Galloway’s huge dunk sparked Sydney early in the third period and they cut the margin to three.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut he and Bolden soon exited and Crawford’s scintillating run gave the JackJumpers the upper hand. The Kings are hopeful Galloway will be fit for Saturday’s trip to take on the Cairns Taipans.\n\n“The doctors may have other plans, but he’s doing alright,” Abdelfattah said. “Obviously he was out for the rest of the game and he’s in pain a little bit, but we’ll see.”\n\nGoulding’s golden touch too much for Breakers\n\nVeteran shooter Chris Goulding has fired a series of clutch three-pointers to pilot NBL ladder leaders Melbourne United to a 97-88 win over New Zealand.\n\nGoulding had a quiet first half but drove daggers into the visitors at John Cain Arena on Sunday when he found range after the main break.\n\nIn his 300th game for Melbourne, Goulding delivered his trademark when he twice launched crucial bombs to help his team edge ahead in the dying stages of a tight contest.\n\nGoulding’s fade-away from the corner gave United a game-high nine-point lead with three minutes left as he finished with 4-of-5 shooting from distance.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We can’t not talk about CG’s couple of threes down the stretch,” coach Dean Vickerman told reporters post-game. “They were pretty incredible.”\n\nJo Lual-Acuil (16 points) and import Ian Clark (18) also came up with big plays in the final period as Melbourne outscored their opponents 33-25 with the game on the line.\n\nLual-Acuil shone in his second game back from a long-term wrist injury, and Clark’s wide-open three restored United’s nine-point buffer with 38 seconds left to play. Such was Goulding’s confidence in his teammate, he turned around to celebrate the game-sealing bucket with the home crowd before Clark had even released his shot.\n\nMelbourne had five scorers in double figures in an even team performance in the absence of injured guard Matthew Dellavedova, who has missed two games because of his latest concussion setback.\n\nThe result was Melbourne’s ninth consecutive home win over New Zealand and gave them a 6-1 record for the season.\n\nThe Breakers (1-2) led by six points midway through the third period but ran out of steam in a tough loss that ended a gruelling road trip, which included two exhibition matches against NBA opposition in the United States.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nZylan Cheatham (30 points) and Parker Jackson-Cartwright (18) threatened to drive the Breakers to a rousing victory until the guard fouled out inside the last four minutes.\n\nFormer NBA forward Anthony Lamb had 15 points and five rebounds on his NBL debut for New Zealand after signing as a replacement for injured import Justinian Jessup.\n\nBut Breakers coach Mody Maor was in no mood to look for positives in his team’s performance.\n\n“We have very high standards for how we want to play and this isn’t it,” Maor said. “Lack of focus, missing key players, making mistakes on covers.\n\n“I don’t care where we flew from, what our schedule is, what happened the day before – I care zero. This isn’t the level of execution that we expect from ourselves.”\n\nShea Ili (16 points, four assists) was important for Melbourne and Luke Travers finished with 16 points, including 15 in the first half.\n\nSixers, Phoenix continue to rise\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe Adelaide 36ers have told each other some hard truths before responding in style to heap more pressure on the Perth Wildcats with their 89-78 victory.\n\nIn the other NBL match on Saturday, South East Melbourne Phoenix made it three straight wins, beating the Bullets 96-73 as Alan Williams led the way against a side looking lost without the suspended Aron Baynes.\n\nIn Adelaide, the 36ers responded to a disappointing loss on Thursday night, also at home to the Phoenix, and handed the Wildcats a third straight defeat with their 11-point win.\n\nSitting in bottom spot with one win from five games coming into the macth, the players got together to draw a line in the sand.\n\nIt certainly worked and their effort, energy and desperation was dramatically improved against Perth, but so was the execution and a focus on getting Isaac Humphries more involved inside.\n\nHe put up 26 points and eight rebounds in a match-winning performance but the shortening of the rotation to use just eight players from coach CJ Bruton worked too.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We met as a playing group yesterday and talked through a lot of stuff,” Humphries said.\n\n“We just wanted to come out today and put into action everything we talked about.\n\n“We executed what the coaches needed from us tonight and we executed what we, as a playing group, wanted to execute as well.”\n\nA third straight defeat for the Wildcats has them struggling at 2-4 this season.\n\nCoach John Rillie is focused know they aren’t playing well and the improvement needs to start offensively.\n\n“We’re not playing good basketball at this point in time,” Rillie said.\n\n“An area we need to improve on is our offence. That’s where we have to find some type of rhythm and we’ve yet to do that in these last couple of games.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The game’s played at both ends and you need to find a rhythm to generate some natural enthusiasm, and we haven’t been able to do that for good stretches.”\n\nBrisbane coach Justin Schueller always knew losing his superstar centre Baynes with a five-game suspension was going to be challenging, but that was magnified on Saturday night.\n\nWilliams produced 21 points and six rebounds for South East Melbourne but Brisbane will still be without Baynes for next weekend’s double-header away to Perth and at home to Tasmania, and he needs to find some answers.\n\n“We’ve got to have solutions right now for two more games without Banger (Baynes) and that’s the thing that’s sitting right in the front of my head, but scoring 73 points isn’t enough to get it done in this league,” Schueller said.\n\n“Then giving them 96 is way too many as well so we have a lot of stuff that we still have to work on.”\n\nJLA return lifts United to win in Wollongong\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMelbourne United have celebrated the long-awaited return of Jo Lual-Acuil but it was fellow centre Ariel Hukporti who starred in a 101-91 defeat of the lllawarra Hawks.\n\nNBL heavyweights United only kicked clear from last season’s wooden spooners towards the end of the third quarter following a high-scoring first half at WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday.\n\nAgain sloppy from the field, the Hawks missed nine consecutive shots to finish the third period as United (5-1) opened up a 14-point lead that proved match-winning.\n\n“We just have these patches against really good basketball teams that let us down,” said Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas.\n\n“The shots weren’t disgusting today, just some little things right now. We said that before with the team is that we need to do all the little things right against this basketball team and we didn’t.”\n\nBig man Gary Clark (17 points) was one of few Hawks who got his eye in, with imports Tyler Harvey (19 points, six from 16 attempts) and Justin Robinson (nine points, two from eight) again struggling.\n\nRobinson was one of three Hawks to foul out, alongside big men Sam Froling and Lachlan Olbrich.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDespite Illawarra’s shooting issues, United gave up more first half points (51) than in any other of their games this season.\n\nThe Hawks dominated the offensive glass (18-10) and punished United with 21 points from turnovers.\n\nBut they finished the day shooting at 38 per cent from the field to United’s 53, which made things difficult, especially when United locked the paint down in the third quarter.\n\n“It took us a little bit of time to wake up with their physicality and the way they got after it,” said United coach Dean Vickerman.\n\nNBL champion Lual-Acuil returned from a wrist injury for the first minutes of his United comeback, while NBA hopeful Hukporti (21 points, 10 rebounds) shone for the visitors.\n\nHukporti was United’s rock under the basket and a defensive board in the final minute sealed his third double-double from five games this season.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I think I’ve found my role in the team now, it took me a while because I’m coming off the (achilles) injury and it was a year out,” Hukporti said.\n\nThat is vintage Tyler Harvey ????\n\n\n\nCan he pull the Hawks back into this one?\n\n\n\nCatch the last quarter live on ESPN via Kayo ???? pic.twitter.com/40zoswVyPh — NBL (@NBL) October 20, 2023\n\n“I’ve got it now, I know what my role is and I think I did a great job today.”\n\nLual-Acuil had a scratchy start, missing his first two free-throws and subbing out to change out of an incorrect pair of shorts, but went on to register 12 points on a minutes restriction.\n\n“He’s going to see double-teams down there so once we get our spacing right and our cutting right to play off that, he’s going to be a weapon,” Vickerman said.\n\nProjected NBA draft lottery pick AJ Johnson had his best Hawks game yet, but was again short on opportunities.\n\nThe teenager set the crowd alight with his first NBL three-pointer just after quarter time and sent a dime through traffic that led to a Gary Clark jam on transition soon afterwards.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nCreek swamps Sixers for Phoenix\n\nA powerful second quarter propelled South East Melbourne Phoenix to a clinical 102-85 NBL victory against the Adelaide 36ers at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.\n\nThe Phoenix pummelled the Sixers 28-14 in the second term on Thursday night to put the game out of the home side’s reach.\n\nMitch Creek (23 points) led the Phoenix’s charge, import guards Gary Browne (19 points, eight assists) and Will Cummings (18 points) did as they pleased, while Alan Williams (15 points, 13 rebounds) was influential in his first game of the season following a knee injury.\n\n“We were trading baskets until that second five minutes of the second quarter when the guys got multiple stops in a row and kept scoring freely,” Phoenix coach Mike Kelly said.\n\n“That was the difference right there, that five-minute patch.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nImport Trey Kell (21 points) top-scored for Adelaide, while Dejan Vasiljevic, signed by the 36ers from the Sydney Kings only 48 hours earlier, had 17 points on debut with his new club.\n\nVasiljevic was prolific early, firing 10 attempts and scoring 10 points in the first quarter.\n\nAt the other end, Browne racked up nine points and four assists in the opening period, which ended with scores tied at 28-28.\n\nVasiljevic’s third triple gave Adelaide a slender 40-39 lead, before the visitors rattled off the next 15 points and led 54-42 at half-time.\n\nAfter Browne led Phoenix’s early charge, it was fellow imports Williams and Cummings who, in the second stanza, troubled the Sixers, who looked all at sea offensively and passive defensively.\n\nAfter Phoenix’s lead ballooned to 17 points midway through the third, experienced 36ers reserves Sunday Dech and Jason Cadee helped the home side briefly trim the deficit to single digits.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut their hard work was undone when Creek, who helped himself to 13 points for the term, drained an uncontested three on the three-quarter-time buzzer to push Phoenix out to 77-65, before Williams and Browne continued on their merry way in the fourth.\n\n“Disappointing – that’s what that was,” Sixers coach CJ Bruton said.\n\n“Our effort left, our communication left, and everyone was a step too slow.”\n\nThe Phoenix rose to 3-3 with their second straight win, while Adelaide (1-5) remain anchored to the bottom of the ladder.\n\nCJ claims Kings didn’t look after DJ\n\nAdelaide coach CJ Bruton has accused Sydney of not looking after Dejan Vasiljevic, as the war of words between the 36ers and Kings over the sharpshooting guard escalated.\n\nVasiljevic, a two-time championship winner with Sydney, had originally been released from his Kings contract to chase his NBA dream.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut when the Washington Wizards waived him just before pre-season training camp, the 26-year-old decided to return to the NBL – signing with the Sixers on Tuesday, which didn’t please Sydney’s powerbrokers.\n\n“We originally amended the contract in good faith and completed our roster with the understanding that ‘DJ’ (Vasiljevic) would play internationally this season,” Kings chief executive Chris Pongrass said.\n\n“We are disappointed with how this has been handled and another NBL team’s role in this process.”\n\nAustralian basketball legend and Kings co-owner Andrew Bogut chimed in on X where he posted, in part, that Sydney had granted Vasiljevic a release “after he told us he wanted to ‘chase his NBA dream’, not his NBL dream with another club”.\n\nVasiljevic, fronting the press as a 36er for the first time on Wednesday, fired back at the Kings, saying “they made me look like a villain, they made Adelaide look like the villain”.\n\nBut on Thursday night, Bruton called for Sydney to “move on”.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I’ve only got my perspective – you (Kings) had the chance to have him, you chose not to have him,” he said.\n\n“He’s moved on. Move on.\n\n“If you wanted to do something more, look after the kid.\n\n“Talk to him, championship ceremony or whatever … but that’s on them (Sydney).\n\n“That’s not on us or me.”\n\nVasiljevic scored 17 points in his Adelaide debut on Thursday, including 11 in a productive first quarter, but he couldn’t prevent the bottom-placed Sixers from suffering a 102-85 loss to South East Melbourne Phoenix.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I thought his energy was good,” Bruton said of his prized recruit.\n\n“With more time to settle in, the better he’ll become.”\n\n© AAP", + "Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has again denied any contact with Japan and committed to staying in the job through to the next World Cup.\n\n“That’s the intention, mate, but as you know, we play in a game where the coach doesn’t decide how long they stay,” he said at a media conference on Tuesday, adding he had a “100 percent” passion to continue coaching the Wallabies.\n\n“I’m staying. I’ve always been committed to Australian rugby, want to leave it in a better place and that’s still the job. “\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nHe was asked about his pre-tournament press conference where he attacked reporters’ negativity – “I probably need to give myself an uppercut, don’t I?” he joked.\n\nJones said he accepted that a review would be required into the World Cup flop, but his statement puts the ball firmly in Rugby Australia’s court as far as his future goes.\n\nSo far RA have said they intend backing Jones and he said he believed he had official support. He refused to answer a question on potential break clauses in his contract with RA.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOn whether he will see out his contract through the end of 2027, Jones said: “It’s not absolutely my decision. “We’ve got a review going forward and let’s see what happens at the end of the review.\n\nHe said he was not worried about being sacked but accepted it was possible.\n\n“I don’t control those sort of things. All I can do is coach. I went to the World Cup, came in for a short period of time and had to make a decision on the team, made the decision we needed to go with youth, and whilst the results in the World Cup weren’t the results we wanted, I think I’ve left the Australian team in a great position to go on to 2027.\n\n“That judgment will be decided by the 2027 World Cup.”\n\nHe said the team – including coaches and players – have already completed their own review of the World Cup disaster. The next one would be “a formal review to be done by independent consultants” and he was ready to participate.\n\n“I didn’t come back to Australia to have a holiday – sit down at Coogee Beach, eat fish and chips, have a nice flat white. It was always going to be a battle. When you’ve got a team that hasn’t done well for a long period of time, it’s always a battle.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nJones said it was crucial that Rugby Australia got alignment in the code from grassroots through to the top team as it looks to rebuild it’s international standing. Australia, a two-time world champion, is currently ranked 10th in the world.\n\n“You just got to watch the quarterfinals at the weekend. We’re not at that level. And we can’t pretend to be at that level. But can we be at that level by 2027? Yes, we can,” said Jones.\n\n“We’re definitely off the pace but the opportunity to get better is there. I love the game. I love working with young players. I loved seeing some of the young players maturing during the World Cup and some of them struggle. And that’s all part of it. But I love the game and I love coaching the Wallabies.”\n\nJones was named Wallabies coach at the start of the year as replacement for Dave Rennie. He came in with grand statements that his team could win the Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup and make a smash and grab on the World Cup.\n\nNone of those targets were achieved and Jones changed his tune about building for the future when he named a young team for the doomed Cup campaign – where his team became the first Australians to bow out of a RWC in the pool stages.\n\nHe finished the year with a 2-7 win loss record – the only two victories coming against lowly Georgia and Portugal.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOn Tuesday he said he no regrets with leaving experienced players such as Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper out of the side for the tournament.\n\n“Everyone’s got their own judgment and they’re allowed to have that judgment,” he said. “My choice was that I decided to go with youth. And I stand by that because I think we’ve got a a lot of good young players who are really going to benefit from that experience at the World Cup, and going forward to the 2027 World Cup.”\n\nIt was reported during the campaign that Jones had an interview for the Japan head coach role but he denied that again on Tuesday, having previously also denied the story.\n\n“I haven’t been speaking to anyone, mate,” was all Jones would say on multiple reports of conversations with sources in Japanese rugby.\n\nHe said he understood why Australian fans were hurting.\n\n“We feel all the supporters hurt and really appreciate the great support we had in France and back in Australia for the team,” said Jones.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Sometimes the change you have to have is uncomfortable. It is quite difficult. And sometimes you have to go through this to get into a better state and I believe that the problems we’ve had particularly at the national team will put us in a better state going forward.”\n\nJones clearly believes he is the right man to carry Australia on.\n\n“I think I’ve got the foresight to see where we need to go. I’ve got the experience of being in difficult situations before,” Jones said.\n\n“This is not an unusual situation. You’ve got a team that was struggling for a period of time, you’ve got underneath it a system that’s not supporting it and at some stage you bottom out.\n\n“This is the opportunity now to change the team- as we’ve started with picking younger players with bright futures – and then we’ve got to look at the development system underneath as well.\n\n“It’s not a simple equation that the Wallabies are bad. Let’s be serious about this. The Wallabies are not where they need to be but underneath that we need to fix the system to go forward. And if we can do that now we’ve got a rosy future.”\n\nSports opinion delivered daily", + "The Rangers found themselves one strike away from a championship twice in 2011. They couldn't finish the job. On Wednesday night, they'll have a chance to avenge that painful finish.\n\nTexas found out before Tuesday's Game 4 that slugger Adolis Garcia's season was over, but a talented lineup didn't miss a beat. The Rangers erupted for five runs in the second inning and five more in the third, bludgeoning Arizona's bullpen to take a 10-0 lead in the blink of an eye.\n\nCorey Seager came through with his third home run of the series, while Marcus Semien drove in five of the Rangers' first 10 runs — including a three-run blast that put Texas up by double digits.\n\nFAGAN: Three things Diamondbacks need to flip script on World Series\n\nThe Diamondbacks have earned a reputation for not backing down, and to their credit, they didn't. Arizona scored six runs over the final two innings, putting together competitive at-bats despite the dramatic deficit and forcing the Rangers to go to closer Jose Leclerc for the final out.\n\nStill, it wasn't nearly enough. The Diamondbacks' best hope is that their late-game surge carries over to Game 5, where they will face elimination for the third time in this postseason.\n\nThe Rangers just need one more win to become World Series champions, and they will have the right man on the mound in Game 5 as Nathan Eovaldi makes his sixth start of the postseason. Zac Gallen, who was less than sharp in October but earned Cy Young consideration during the regular season, will start for the Diamondbacks with everything on the line for Arizona.\n\nMORE: How Bruce Bochy went from retirement to World Series in one year\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Game 4 of the 2023 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nWorld Series Game 4 final score\n\n1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F Rangers 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 Diamondbacks 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 7\n\nWorld Series results. highlights from Rangers vs. Diamondbacks Game 4\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Rangers 11, Diamondbacks 7\n\n11:24 p.m. — Walker pops out in foul territory, and the Rangers ride an offensive explosion way back in the early innings to a Game 4 win. Texas is one win away from its first championship. The Rangers can win it all as early as tomorrow night at Chase Field.\n\nThe @Rangers are one win away from their first #WorldSeries title in franchise history 🤠 pic.twitter.com/cHb2I3ZBOS — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\nRangers 11, Diamondbacks 7\n\n11:22 p.m. 2-RUN SINGLE — The Snakes are still alive. Gabriel Moreno singles in two more runs to trim the Rangers' lead to 11-7.\n\nThe Snakes are not going away quietly 👀\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/4XtYSF0fZj — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n11:18 p.m. — Bochy is bringing in Jose Leclerc for the final out despite the six-run lead...\n\n11:17 p.m. — Smith strikes out Carroll, and the Rangers are an out away from a 3-1 series lead.\n\n11:14 p.m. — Marte swings at a pitch well out of the zone and strikes out.\n\n11:13 p.m. — Perdomo singles into the gap and sends Lawlar over to third. Arizona has a little something brewing here.\n\n11:12 p.m. — Lawlar with a very professional plate appearance for a player who was just called up in September. He starts the inning with a walk.\n\n11:09 p.m. — It'll be rookie Jordan Lawlar facing Will Smith to lead off the inning.\n\n11:07 p.m. — Chris Stratton warmed up to start the inning, but Bruce Bochy is making a change after seeing Pavin Smith enter as a pinch-hitter.\n\n11:04 p.m. — Jung quickly grounds into an inning-ending double play. Now the Diamondbacks just need six runs in the bottom of the ninth to extend the game.\n\n11:02 p.m. — Saalfrank hits Carter, a call that is upheld after Torey Lovullo asked for a review.\n\n10:59 p.m. — After Garver strikes out, Andrew Saalfrank is coming in to face Evan Carter.\n\n10:56 p.m. — Seager leads off the ninth with a ground-rule double.\n\n10:54 p.m. — Thomas hits a bouncer that ends the inning.\n\n10:52 p.m. 3-RUN HOME RUN — Snakes alive? Gurriel launches a 3-run home run to give the crowd something to cheer about. The Rangers' lead is cut to six.\n\nRangers 11, Diamondbacks 2\n\n10:50 p.m. SACRIFICE FLY — Pham works a long at-bat against Stratton, and it ends in a sac-fly to trim the lead to nine.\n\n10:44 p.m. — Now Walker delivers Arizona's third consecutive single, forcing Bradford out of the game. Chris Stratton is coming in with the bases loaded and one out.\n\n10:41 p.m. — Moreno follows Carroll with a single of his own. You have to give credit to the Diamondbacks' fans. They're still cheering pretty loudly.\n\n10:40 p.m. — Corbin Carroll has struggled in this series, but he comes up with a one-out single here in the eighth.\n\n10:34 p.m. — Semien strikes out to end the inning for the Rangers.\n\n10:33 p.m. — The game was briefly paused while the public address announcer asked fans to stop throwing paper airplanes onto the field. That's where this game is right now.\n\nRangers 11, Diamondbacks 1\n\n10:29 p.m. HOME RUN — For the first time since the third inning, the Rangers have a run. Jonah Heim blasts a home run to right field to extend Texas' lead back to 10.\n\nThe Heim Hammer 💥\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/G4pO4pz9jv — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n10:24 p.m. — Jankowski collides with Semien in foul territory but makes a nice catch for the final out of a quick inning for Bradford.\n\n10:20 p.m. — Cody Bradford is into the game to pitch for Texas.\n\n10:17 p.m. — Nelson still gets through the inning unscathed as he preserves what's left of the Diamondbacks bullpen for Game 5.\n\n10:15 p.m. — The first baserunner allowed by Nelson is Josh Jung, who has a three-hit night for the Rangers.\n\n10:09 p.m. — It's just not the Diamondbacks' day (if you couldn't already tell). Gurriel grounds into an inning-ending double play to end that threat.\n\n10:07 p.m. — Walker and Pham put back-to-back singles on the board with one out.\n\n10:01 p.m. — Nelson strikes out Seager, whose World Series MVP case might be hurt by the fact he's hitting under .200 in the series. Onto the bottom of the sixth.\n\n9:59 p.m. — Ryne Nelson is doing his part, at least. He's retired the first eight hitters he's faced with Seager now coming to the plate.\n\n9:53 p.m. — The middle of the fifth inning is MLB's annual Stand Up to Cancer tribute. A fantastic moment at Chase Field.\n\nTonight, we come together to Stand Up To Cancer. pic.twitter.com/uFwnMBu47t — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n9:52 p.m. — Heaney is through five innings of one-run ball for the Rangers, who lead 10-1.\n\n9:51 p.m. — Marte is retired for the first time tonight on a ground ball that moves Perdomo over to second.\n\n9:49 p.m. — Perdomo works a one-out walk against Heaney, who's up to 76 pitches.\n\n9:44 p.m. — Make it 6-for-6 for Nelson, who has coasted through two scoreless innings. Let's see if Arizona can put any pressure at all on the Rangers.\n\n9:43 p.m. — Nelson gets the first two outs without incident. He's retired all five batters he's faced.\n\n9:40 p.m. — Fan on the field! At least there's some action.\n\n9:37 p.m. — Heaney retires Alek Thomas, so the Diamondbacks come away from that opportunity with only one run. They're going to need more.\n\nRangers 10, Diamondbacks 1\n\n9:35 p.m. SACRIFICE FLY — Gurriel hits one a long way to right field, but it's caught near the warning track. Still, it's a run. Moreno scores to put Arizona on the board.\n\n9:33 p.m. — Tommy Pham works a 3-1 count, but Heaney comes right back and strikes him out looking.\n\n9:30 p.m. — Walker quickly lines one down the left field line for a double. The Diamondbacks have runners on second and third with nobody out.\n\n9:29 p.m. — Moreno walks to open the bottom of the fourth.\n\n9:27 p.m. — Nelson retires Carter and Jung, so it's a much-needed quick inning by Diamondbacks pitching. Now it's just up to Arizona's offense to put up 10 or so runs.\n\n9:24 p.m. — Ryne Nelson strikes out Garver to open the fourth.\n\n9:20 p.m. — Nathaniel Lowe makes the play to retire Carroll, and that will bring the Rangers back up to bat with a 10-0 lead.\n\n9:17 p.m. — At least Ketel Marte showed up for the Diamondbacks tonight. He's 2-2 after a double off of Heaney.\n\n9:16 p.m. — Perdomo grounds out up the middle for the second out of the inning.\n\n9:15 p.m. — Emmanuel Rivera opens the bottom of the third with a lineout.\n\nRangers 10, Diamondbacks 0\n\n9:09 p.m. 3-RUN HOME RUN — This is ugly, ugly, ugly for Arizona. Marcus Semien blasts a 3-run home run to put the Rangers up by double-digits, and an Arizona bullpen that has been so great in this postseason is getting bludgeoned.\n\nA 3-RUN HOMER FROM SEMIEN MAKES IT 10-0 @Rangers! 😱\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/83qi1EGjO2 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\nRangers 7, Diamondbacks 0\n\n9:08 p.m. 2-RUN DOUBLE — Who needs Adolis Garcia? Jankowski comes through with a massive 2-run double and puts the Rangers up 7-0. Texas is all over the Diamondbacks' bullpen.\n\nThe Rangers tack on two more runs 😳\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/AWYICKRMiq — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n9:06 p.m. — Luis Frias strikes out Taveras and has a chance to wiggle out of this against Jankowski.\n\n9:03 p.m. — Disaster. Christian Walker had a chance to turn two but couldn't hold onto the ball. The Rangers have the bases loaded with one out.\n\n8:59 p.m. — Lowe keeps the line moving and laces a single up the middle. The Rangers have two runners on with one out. This one could get even more out of hand for Arizona. Kyle Nelson's night is done.\n\n8:58 p.m. — Jung hits a one-out single for his second hit of the night.\n\n8:53 p.m. — Thomas flies out to left to end the inning.\n\n8:51 p.m. — Gurriel hits a two-out single to give the Diamondbacks a pulse. That'll bring up Alek Thomas.\n\n8:49 p.m. — Heaney notches two quick outs to start the bottom of the second.\n\n8:44 p.m. — The inning ends on a nice throw by Emmanuel Rivera, but what an inning it was for Texas with five runs.\n\nRangers 5, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:43 p.m. 2-RUN HOME RUN — Corey Seager has broken this game open! The 2020 World Series MVP has three hits in this series, but they're all home runs. He takes Kyle Nelson deep and gives the Rangers a commanding 5-0 lead.\n\nCOREY SEAGER STRIKES AGAIN 💥\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/oKytcm45H6 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\nRangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:39 p.m. 2-RUN TRIPLE — There goes Semien! He hits on just inside the foul line, and it takes an eternity for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to get to it. Two runs score. It's 3-0, Rangers.\n\n2-run triple for Marcus Semien!\n\n\n\nThe @Rangers came out swinging!\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Je43lpXXMi — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n8:37 p.m. — Taveras walks, and Travis Jankowski quickly singles up the middle to give the Rangers runners on first and second with two outs. Semien is up with a chance to extend Texas' lead.\n\nRangers 1, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:35 p.m. WILD PITCH — Jung scores on a ball that gets away from Moreno! Castro's pitch in the dirt took a bad bounce, and there was no play at the plate. The Rangers lead early.\n\nThe @Rangers strike first in Game 4!\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/E5FCruQby7 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n8:33 p.m. — Jung gets moved over to third on a chopper by Heim, who is out at first. Leody Taveras has a two-out RBI opportunity.\n\n8:31 p.m. — Miguel Castro is in to face Heim with one out and Jung at second.\n\n8:29 p.m. — Mantiply quickly strikes out Lowe for the first out of the inning, and that will be the end of his day.\n\n8:27 p.m. — Keeping Mantiply in to face Josh Jung was not successful. Jung belts a double into the gap and gives Texas a leadoff runner in scoring position. Mantiply will stay in to face Nathaniel Lowe.\n\n8:25 p.m. — The Diamondbacks are sticking with Mantiply to start the second inning.\n\n8:23 p.m. — Heim nabs Marte on the stolen base attempt! That'll end the inning. A quick momentum shift back to the Rangers after the leadoff Marte single.\n\n8:21 p.m. — Another strikeout for Heaney, who gets Moreno. The Diamondbacks are making him work, but he's getting the job done early.\n\n8:18 p.m. — Heaney bounces back with a strikeout of Corbin Carroll.\n\n8:15 p.m. — Ketel Marte's hitting streak reaches 20 as he singles up the middle to lead off the bottom of the first.\n\n20-game postseason hitting streak for Ketel Marte 👏\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/GJoEF1GVKj — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 1, 2023\n\n8:12 p.m. — Carter flies out, so Mantiply gets through a scoreless first inning. Here come the Diamondbacks against Andrew Heaney, who was hit hard in the first inning during the ALCS.\n\n8:11 p.m. — Mitch Garver works a two-out walk after Seager's quick at-bat.\n\n8:08 p.m. — Seager swings at the first pitch and sends it deep into the outfield, but it's caught comfortably for the second out.\n\n8:08 p.m. — Semien works a full count, but Geraldo Perdomo gets things started with a great defensive play to get him for the first out.\n\n8:05 p.m. — Joe Mantiply is ready. Marcus Semien is ready. Game 4 of the World Series is underway with a strike.\n\n7:55 p.m. — Jon Rahm and Michael Phelps are among the stars in attendance at Chase Field.\n\n7:35 p.m. — For all of the Rangers' losses, a win tonight with Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery in line to start the next two games would put Texas in a terrific position.\n\n7:18 p.m. — Max Scherzer is also off the World Series roster for Texas. He's been replaced by Brock Burke.\n\n7:07 p.m. — It's being reported that Adolis Garcia is off the World Series roster. His season is over. Ezequiel Duran has been added to the roster.\n\n6:45 p.m. — Look who spent some time together before Game 4? The Diamondbacks are earning Chris Russo's trust.\n\n6:25 p.m. — Bruce Bochy said he's anticipating making a roster decision on Adolis Garcia tonight. Garcia has a moderate oblique strain.\n\n5:10 p.m. — Adolis Garcia is not in the lineup for Texas. Travis Jankowski takes his place, although Garcia told ESPN's Buster Olney in the clubhouse that he's \"good.\"\n\n4:45 p.m. — Emmanuel Rivera is replacing Evan Longoria in the Diamondbacks' lineup for Game 4.\n\nRangers vs. Diamondbacks Game 4 start time\n\nDate: Tuesday, Oct. 31\n\nTuesday, Oct. 31 First pitch: 8:03 p.m. ET (5:03 p.m. local time)\n\n8:03 p.m. ET (5:03 p.m. local time) Location: Chase Field, Phoenix\n\nFirst pitch for Game 4 of the 2023 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks is set for 8:03 p.m. ET.\n\nHow to watch the 2023 World Series\n\nChannel: Fox (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)\n\nFox (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada) Live stream: Fox Sports app, Fubo (U.S.) | Sportsnet NOW (Canada)\n\nFox will carry the full World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks. Joe Davis will be handling play-by-play, while John Smoltz will provide commentary. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be reporting from the dugouts.\n\nFor those who have cut the cord on cable, fans can find the game on the Fox Sports app or with Fubo, which offers a free trial. Canadian viewers can find the game on Sportsnet or on Sportsnet NOW.\n\nMLB playoff schedule, results\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nAmerican League\n\nWild Card\n\nDate Result Oct. 3 Rangers 4, Rays 0 Oct. 3 Twins 3, Blue Jays 1 Oct. 4 Rangers 7, Rays 1 Oct. 4 Twins 2, Blue Jays 0\n\nDivision Series\n\nDate Result Oct. 7 TEX 3, BAL 2 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 7 HOU 6, MIN 4 (HOU, 1-0) Oct. 8 TEX 11, BAL 8 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 8 MIN 6, HOU 2 (Tied, 1-1) Oct. 10 HOU 9, MIN 1 (HOU, 2-1) Oct. 10 TEX 7, BAL 1 (TEX wins 3-0) Oct. 11 HOU 3, MIN 2 (HOU wins, 3-1)\n\nChampionship Series\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 15 Rangers at Astros 8:15 p.m. Fox TEX 2, HOU 0 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 16 Rangers at Astros 4:37 p.m. Fox or F TEX 5, HOU 4 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 18 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 8, TEX 5 (TEX, 2-1) Oct. 19 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 10, TEX 3 (TIE, 2-2) Oct. 20 Astros at Rangers* 7:07 p.m. FS1 HOU 5, TEX 4 (HOU, 3-2) Oct. 22 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. FS1 TEX 9, HOU 2 (TIED, 3-3) Oct. 23 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. Fox or FS1 TEX 11, HOU 4 (TEX wins, 4-3)\n\n*If necessary\n\nNational League\n\nWild card series\n\nDate Result Oct. 3 Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 3 Oct. 3 Phillies 3, Marlins 1 Oct. 4 Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 2 Oct. 4 Phillies 7, Marlins 1\n\nDivision Series\n\nDate Result Oct. 7 PHI 3, ATL 0 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 7 ARI 11, LAD 2 (ARI, 1-0) Oct. 9 ATL 5, PHI 4 (Tied 1-1) Oct. 9 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI, 2-0) Oct. 11 PHI 10, ATL 2 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 11 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI wins, 3-0) Oct. 12 PHI 3, ATL 1 (PHI wins, 3-1)\n\nChampionship Series\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 16 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 5, ARI 3 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 17 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 10, ARI 0 (PHI, 2-0) Oct. 19 Phillies at Diamondbacks 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 2, PHI 1 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 20 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 6, PHI 5 (Tied 2-2) Oct. 21 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 6, ARI 1 (PHI, 3-2) Oct. 23 Diamondbacks at Phillies 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 5, PHI 1 (Tied, 3-3) Oct. 24 Diamondbacks at Phillies* 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 4, PHI 2 (ARI wins, 4-3)\n\n*If necessary\n\nWorld Series schedule\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 27 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox TEX 6, ARI 5 (TEX 1-0) Oct. 28 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox ARI 9, TEX 1 (Tied 1-1) Oct. 30 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox TEX 3, ARI 1 (TEX, 2-1) Oct. 31 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 1 Rangers at Diamondbacks* 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 3 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 4 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox --\n\n*If necessary", + "The heart and soul of ICC Championships — the ODI Men's Cricket World Cup — will be held in India from October 5 to November 19.\n\nOrganised every four years by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the event is one of the most viewed sporting tournaments in the world.\n\nHere we take a look at the history of the competition, and some of the landmark moments that have helped make the World Cup what it is today.\n\nMORE: Who will win the World Cup? Make your prediction and bet here (selected territories)\n\nWhen was the first ODI Cricket Word Cup?\n\nEngland hosted the inaugural ODI World Cup back in 1975, and held the event the following three times too.\n\nInitially, the game was played in cricket whites and with a red ball instead of a white ball.\n\nEight teams were a part of that inaugural tournament — India, Pakistan, England, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand and a composite team from East Africa and Sri Lanka.\n\nCurrent cricketing powerhouse South Africa was banned at the time from international sport due to its policy of racial segregation under the Apartheid system, and thus did not take part in the first ODI World Cup.\n\nThe West Indies won the first tournament and defended the title in the second World Cup in 1979, while India's first taste of glory came when they clinched the trophy in 1983 by defeating the West Indies by 43 runs in the final.\n\nODI World Cup full list of winners and finals\n\nYear Host Winner Runner-up Result 1975 England West Indies Australia West Indies won by 17 runs 1979 England West Indies England West Indies won by 92 runs 1983 England India West Indies India won by 43 runs 1987 India & Pakistan Australia England Australia won by seven runs 1992 Australia & New Zealand Pakistan England Pakistan won by 22 runs 1996 Pakistan, India & Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Australia Sri Lanka won by seven wickets 1999 England Australia Pakistan Australia won by eight wickets 2003 South Africa Australia India Australia won by 125 runs 2007 West Indies Australia Sri Lanka Australia won by 53 runs (DLS) 2011 India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh India Sri Lanka India won by six wickets 2015 Australia & New Zealand Australia New Zealand Australia won by seven wickets 2019 England & Wales England New Zealand England won on boundary count after a Super Over\n\nWho has won the most ODI Cricket World Cups?\n\nAustralia are the most successful nation in ODI World Cup history, with India and the West Indies chasing them.\n\nCountry World Cup titles Years won Australia 5 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 India 2 1983, 2011 West Indies 2 1975, 1979 England 1 2019 Sri Lanka 1 1996 Pakistan 1 1992\n\nMORE: Complete ICC Cricket World Cup schedule and results from India\n\nA 50-over ODI Cricket World Cup\n\nThe 1987 tournament saw two prime changes in the way the ODI World Cups were organised — a shift of venue from England to the Indian subcontinent, and games being played in 50 overs instead of 60.\n\nThe change in the number of overs was attributed to shorter daylight hours in Asia in comparison to England.\n\nThe 1987 tournament also had a new winner in Australia, who went on to defeat England by seven runs.\n\nODI World Cup kits, white ball introduction\n\nHeld in Australia and New Zealand, the 1992 World Cup saw a number of landmark moments.\n\nThat tournament was the first in which teams wore coloured kits, while it also saw the introduction of the white ball, changes in fielding rules, day/night matches and the inclusion of South Africa in the event for the first time following the end the Apartheid regime.\n\nAfter a slow and disappointing start to their year, Pakistan made an historic comeback in the tournament to eventually win the trophy by defeating England in the final.\n\nREAD: ICC sends 2023 World Cup trophy into space\n\nThe 1999 World Cup and a three-year gap\n\nThe 1996 tournament was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and will go down in history as one of the most controversial episodes in the game.\n\nBoth the host teams met in the semi-finals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. India's poor performance sparked an unruly crowd to protest against the home team and Sri Lanka was declared the winner by default, due to the halt in play.\n\nSri Lanka then went on to win the trophy that year, and they were back to try and defend it three years later in England, rather than the usual four-year cycle.\n\nFollowing the 1996 event the ICC opted to try and revamp the schedule, with three years between events rather than four. But the move proved unpopular and 1999 was the only tournament to follow that pattern.\n\nWhen was the last time India hosted the ODI Cricket World Cup?\n\nThe last time India welcomed the ODI Cricket World Cup was in 2011, when they were co-hosts with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.\n\nPakistan were barred from hosting due to terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team when touring the country a couple of years prior to the World Cup.\n\nThe 2011 World Cup was a tournament of many firsts: Australia's streak of remaining unbeaten in 35 World Cup matches was broken when they were defeated by Pakistan. They hadn't lost a game since the 1999 tournament.\n\nIt was also the first time two Asian teams were in the finals, as India became the first country to win a World Cup at\n\nhome by defeating Sri Lanka in the decider.\n\nAfter a prolonged drought of ICC trophies, India are favourites to bring the trophy home again this time in 2023.", + "Public policies attempt to fulfill one or more of the following objectives: efficiency, equity, and stability. Efficiency and stability are necessary conditions for sustainable growth while equity helps make development inclusive.\n\nThis is the second article in our series following the 2nd SGV Tax Symposium, which focused on how a sustainable and effective tax ecosystem can advance the sustainability agenda for both the public and private sectors.\n\nIn this article, we will discuss the Philippine strategy for sustainable development.\n\nGROWTH THROUGH TRADE AND INVESTMENT\n\nThe Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 aims for a deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back to a high-growth path. In this regard, two main performance indicators are identified and will be monitored by the National Government.\n\nThe first is for the country to graduate into upper middle-income class status within the term of the current administration. For this, the economy must grow its per capita income above the threshold set by the World Bank, which means a gross national income (GNI) per capita of at least $4,466. In 2022, the Philippines achieved a GNI per capita of $3,950.\n\nThe second is to lower the poverty level from 18.1% in 2021 to single digits by 2028 — the end of the term of the current administration. Both indicators require high growth rates. For the next year through 2028, the government pencils the growth rate between 6.5% and 8%.\n\nGrowth is expected to be investment-led with the implementation of structural changes such as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law, which lowered the corporate income tax rate, and the amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA), Foreign Investment Act (FIA), and Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), which further liberalized the economy. The new legislation is expected to attract more local and foreign investment, especially in the liberalized sectors. For the energy sector in particular, amendments to the PSA are envisioned to help raise the capital needed to speed up the energy transition of the country to renewables.\n\nIn addition, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trading bloc that encompasses the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Plus One Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, is already in force for the Philippines, helping ease market access through trade and investment rules and supporting global and regional supply chains. The Philippines can potentially position itself as a regional manufacturing hub if the right incentives and policy measures are put in place to encourage local and foreign investors to participate. Together, trade and investment are expected to play an important role in attaining economic transformation, the second goal of the PDP.\n\nHUMAN CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE\n\nThe ability of people to take advantage of market opportunities arising from investment rests on human capital. To this end, the first goal of the PDP is social transformation which includes, among others, sustained expenditure on social services, mainly education, health, and social protection.\n\nThe first two goals of the PDP help attain the developmental objectives of efficiency and equity, which rest on the pillars of sustainability and resilience. The third fosters societal resilience: an enabling environment encompassing institutions, macroeconomic stability, and the physical and natural environment.\n\nInstitutions are vital to economic acceleration, which is why the government’s steps to enhance the ease of doing business are most welcome. Infrastructure development also enables an economy to sustain higher levels of growth, which, in turn, catalyzes yet more investment. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act is up for the signature of President Marcos and, if approved, is expected to further enhance the business atmosphere in mobilizing private resources for infrastructure development.\n\nThe government aims to sustain its infrastructure program at 5-6% of GDP through 2028 amid a six-year medium-term fiscal framework. This plan gradually narrows the deficit to 3% of GDP by 2028, down from 7.3% in 2022, such that the debt-to-GDP ratio is reduced from nearly 61% in 2022 to a more sustainable level of at most 53% by 2028.\n\nDEBT MANAGEMENT\n\nThe National Government’s debt was less than 40% before the pandemic struck. It expended much of its fiscal space combatting the pandemic, incurring debt and large budget deficits. While the current 61% debt-to-GDP ratio may be manageable for an emerging economy like the Philippines for some time, the country may not have the fiscal space to respond to another potential domestic or external shock. If the debt continues to rise more than the economy, risks will increase, and the government may “crowd out” private investment as it competes with the private sector for funds to service its debt.\n\nThe planned fiscal consolidation entails harmonizing the revenue needs with the promotion of investment through the structure and administration of the reformed incentive system. The National Government plans to raise more revenue to finance the country’s socio-economic needs, largely through a progressive and simplified tax system, more efficient and effective tax collection measures through digitalization and, to some extent, from policy measures such as value-added tax on digital service providers and excise tax on sweetened beverages and junk food.\n\nAchieving fiscal stability presupposes the sustainability of fiscal policy, and fiscal stability helps “crowd in” private investment.\n\nPRICE STABILITY AND INFLATION\n\nIn his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. singled out inflation as the country’s most pressing problem. In the first nine months of 2023, inflation averaged 6.6% — far above the upper end of the target range of 2-4% set by the BSP. If left unchecked, inflation could undermine growth. Not only does this increase costs to organizations, but it also sets in motion second-round effects as workers start demanding higher wages, consequently increasing business costs and discouraging investments.\n\nInflation is partly driven by supply-side issues and the government is allocating more resources to the agriculture sector to boost production. Mr. Marcos also mentioned that the National Government had distributed 28,000 new tools and machinery to farmers. An additional 600 km of farm-to-market roads were laid down to support the 14 million hectares of farmland, enhancing farmer access to markets. In addition, he signed Executive Order No. 28 in May, forming the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook, which is tasked to keep inflation within government targets and boost the economy.\n\nENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE\n\nWhile price stability and fiscal sustainability are important macroeconomic issues, environmental sustainability is increasingly gaining importance. Climate change uncertainties and challenges need to be managed and both the Philippine government and the private sector are hard-pressed to deliver their commitments to addressing them. Despite climate change risks, the Philippines has the opportunity to position itself as a prime destination of foreign investments against climate change or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments.\n\nThe government calls for embedding resilience, sustainability, and nature-based solutions in infrastructure planning and investment to enhance climate resilience. Likewise, investments in renewable energy are expected not only to enhance energy security but also reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.\n\nFrom an economic vantage point, GHG emissions are economic “bads” and are a cause of inefficiency as they get over-produced. Their effects, however, go beyond national borders, and while the Philippines contributes minimally to global GHG emissions, the World Risk Index 2022 report identifies the Philippines as the most disaster-prone country in the world.\n\nThe government envisions that by 2028: (1) Climate and disaster risk resilience of communities and institutions will increase (2) Ecosystem resilience will be enhanced, and (3) A low-carbon economy transition is enabled.\n\nTo ensure that these are realized, the government is set to safeguard cross-sectoral convergence and implement a comprehensive risk management approach to address the adverse consequences posed by climate change. It will also promote a green and blue economy coupled with improved governance to guarantee long-term climate and disaster resilience.\n\nBUILDING RESILIENCE THROUGH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT\n\nComing off from the pandemic and with the current global economic climate, it is opportune for the government to proactively drive for actionable policies and programs that focus on building the resiliency of the economy through sustainable development with greater emphasis given to addressing climate change.\n\nNavigating external and domestic economic headwinds will not be an easy feat for the administration, but the private sector will be an important catalyst for sustainable development. With the private sector sharing industry knowledge, resources and potentially even leading certain socio-economic programs and projects of the National Government, it is to be hoped that AmBisyon Natin 2040 of long and healthy lives for Filipinos that are strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure will be achieved.\n\nThis article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.\n\nNoel P. Rabaja the strategy and transactions (SaT) service leader of SGV & Co.", + "Michigan State has hired Jonathan Smith as its next football coach, the school announced on Saturday. Smith, 44, has spent the past six seasons as coach at Oregon State where he's guided the Beavers to 18 wins over the past two seasons, including a 10-3 mark and No. 17 finish in the AP Top 25 during a 2022 campaign that earned him Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.\n\nSmith was among the initial pool of candidates linked to the Michigan State opening after the Spartans fired fourth-year coach Mel Tucker with cause midseason amid sexual harassment allegations. Smith later emerged as the leading candidate to replace Tucker during the final week of the regular season, which saw Oregon State suffer a 31-7 loss at rival Oregon.\n\n\"Jonathan has a proven track record of success, building the Oregon State program from the ground up by implementing a plan resulting in sustained historic success for the Beavers,\" said Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller in announcing the hire. \"He's been a part of championship staffs, coached in the College Football Playoff, and understands what's required to be successful at the highest level, learning from some of the game's most successful coaches.\n\n\"On the field, his teams are tough and physical, yet innovative. This year, Oregon State has controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, ranking among the nation's leaders in both rushing offense and rushing defense. He's shown not only the ability to recruit talented student-athletes who fit his system, but also to develop and maximize players once they're in the program.\"\n\nSmith, a former quarterback for the Beavers from 1998-2001, exits Oregon State with a 34-35 overall mark as coach, including a 1-1 record in bowl games, as he now joins the Big Ten coaching ranks.\n\n\"As I start this next chapter of my coaching career, I want to first thank all the players, coaches and colleagues I have worked with the last six years,\" Smith said in a statement posted to social media. \"I will cherish the memories and friendships. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of OSU/Corvallis for your support. When I first arrived as a freshman college student, I had no idea the opportunities and relationships this community would provide for me and my family. The collective impact you have made makes it impossible to thank everyone individually, but I am forever grateful.\"\n\nOregon State left in dust amid uncertain future\n\nAlthough Smith narrowly finished below. 500 in six seasons at the helm in Corvallis, Oregon, the Beavers made clear progress during the back half of his tenure. Smith guided Oregon State to seven victories in 2021 after the program went 9-22 during his first three years. The 2022 season, which marked the Beavers' first 10-win season since 2006 and highest AP Top 25 finish since 2000, resulted in a contract extension for Smith through February 2029 that bumped his annual salary to $4.85 million. Oregon State then started the 2023 season 8-2 before dropping back-to-back games against Washington and Oregon.\n\nEarlier in the week, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes called it the \"No. 1 priority\" to reach a contract extension with Smith as speculation of this move began to grow. In a statement Saturday after Smith's departure was finalized, Barnes thanked him for his efforts at Oregon State as the Beavers now embark on the search for Smith's replacement.\n\n\"Coach Smith and his staff worked tirelessly to rebuild the culture at Oregon State, both on the field and in the classroom,\" Barnes said. \"All of Beaver Nation should thank him for the lasting legacy he has left to his alma mater and wish him and his family nothing but the best moving forward.\"\n\nSmith held multiple assistant jobs from 2002-17 before returning to his alma mater as coach in 2018. Smith spent six seasons as an assistant under former college football coach Chris Petersen, first as Boise State's quarterbacks coach from 2012-13 and then as Washington's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2014-17. His time in Seattle included a Pac-12 title and College Football Playoff berth for Washington during the 2016 season.\n\nSmith's exit from Oregon State comes at a point where the Beavers face much uncertainty as the Pac-12 prepares to lose 10 of its 12 members ahead of the 2024 season. Oregon State and Washington State are the only schools in the conference that have not been picked up by other power leagues. Four Pac-12 members -- USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon -- will join Smith in the Big Ten next fall.\n\nCan Smith turn the Michigan State program around?\n\nThe task now for Smith is revitalizing a Michigan State program that has struggled to field consistent success in recent seasons. After winning 10 or more games six times in a span of eight seasons under former coach Mark Dantonio from 2010-17, the Spartans have only won more than seven games in a season once since then, finishing 11-2 under Tucker's second year at the helm in 2021.\n\nWhat seemed to be a breakthrough season for Tucker in 2021 earned him a 10-year contract extension worth $95 million, but Tucker's remaining tenure in East Lansing was all downhill afterwards. Michigan State regressed to 5-7 in 2022 before allegations of sexual harassment surrounding Tucker against rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy emerged just two games into the 2023 season. Tucker was promptly suspended before the school fired him with cause several weeks later. The Spartans went on to finish 4-8 with assistant Harlon Barnett serving as interim coach the rest of the way, ending the season with a 42-0 loss to Penn State on Friday.\n\nWhile Michigan State has found itself playing in a stacked Big Ten East division for roughly the last decade -- Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State have all been annual opponents -- that will change in Smith's debut season as the Big Ten expands and does away with divisions. Smith will also get the chance to face some familiar opponents from his time at Oregon State given that four Pac-12 schools are joining the conference. As far as the 2024 season is concerned on that front, Michigan State still faces Ohio State and Michigan (the Wolverines are a protected rival) but avoids Penn State. Oregon is the only newcomer it will face next fall, with the Spartans set to travel to Eugene, Oregon, in early October.", + "Billie Jean King is still globetrotting in support of more investment and equity in women’s sports.\n\nShe attended the Women’s World Cup in Australia, kicked off the player draft for the new women’s professional hockey league in Toronto and is opening an office in London for a tennis business venture involving the international Billie Jean King Cup.\n\nThat’s all in the last three months for King, who turns 80 in November.\n\n“We’re kind of at a tipping point,” King said. “People are actually looking at women’s sports like a great investment.”\n\nShe’s part of ownership groups involved with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the NWSL’s Angel City FC and the PWHL hockey league that starts in January.\n\nHer busy schedule is reminiscent of the summer of 1973, when a 29-year-old King established the WTA, won the Wimbledon triple crown in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, achieved equal pay at the U.S. Open and beat self-proclaimed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” match.\n\nOn Thursday, King and about 60 athletes will celebrate the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the U.S. Open and the King-Riggs match at her annual awards dinner for the Women’s Sports Foundation in New York.\n\nIn August, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attended the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium to mark the pay equity milestone.\n\n“Let us remember all of this is bigger than a champion’s paycheck,” Michelle Obama said during the ceremony on opening night. “This is about how women are seen and valued in this world.”\n\nKing recently launched the production company “Pressure is a Privilege,” a phrase associated with the 39-time Grand Slam winner. She’s also an executive producer and host of “Groundbreakers,” a documentary about female athletes that airs on PBS on Nov. 21.\n\nThere’s an effort by members of Congress to award King the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest U.S. civilian honors given to individuals whose achievements have a lasting impact in their field.\n\nHere’s a Q&A with King, which has been edited for brevity and clarity.\n\n___\n\nAP: It’s the 50th anniversary of so many accomplishments in 1973. Talk about that whirlwind.\n\nKING: We started the WTA four days before Wimbledon. I won all three titles at Wimbledon, which for me was a big deal. Then equal prize money came into being, it started in 1972 with us saying we’re not coming back (to the U.S. Open in 1973). Then King-Riggs. That’s all in 3 months. I can appreciate it since being away from it so long. How the heck did we do that?\n\nYou’ve said the King-Riggs match was about social change, women standing up for themselves in all areas.\n\nIt was really about men, too. Because men started to shift a little. Obama was 12 years old when he saw the King-Riggs match. He said it affected him a lot. Guys are much better thinking about their daughters than they used to be. All these things add up.\n\nYou’re part of ownership groups for pro sports. How did you get involved in women’s pro hockey, which will have teams in Boston, New York, Minnesota, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal?\n\nThe PWHL, it’s really exciting. It took five years. Plus, it took all those years of the other leagues, everyone trying. (U.S. Olympic gold medalist) Kendall Coyne said, ‘can you help us?’ We need to have a league where the very best players will play. We went to Toronto and I did an opening speech about trailblazers. It was amazing because the families were crying, the players were crying, they said ‘we’ve never been treated like this, it’s amazing, we feel like pros for the first time.’ There were a lot of little kids there. Kids are going to have an amazing opportunity that the generations before them never had. All three of their networks had it on. It’s a religion up there.\n\nHow is investment in women’s sports changing?\n\nI’m asking CEOs and everyone now — ‘do you invest as much in women as you do in men?’ Then it usually gets quiet. But I must say it’s better than it used to be. We’re really lucky to be with this investment group. The male allies we’ve had through the years have made such a difference. They have the money and the power. But we’re getting there, getting more and more women investors, particularly in soccer. Women’s sports, we’ve all been fighting for it.\n\nWhat would you like to see in the future for women’s sports?\n\nMore. And make sure we get girls early in life into sports. It’s really about the health issue, more than anything. More jobs, more everything. Women of color and diversity is really important.\n\nWe only get 5% of the media. That’s where the money is. People always say, ‘why doesn’t the WTA have as much money as the ATP?’ I’m like, really? If you watch a show at night, a sports show, just count how many minutes are on men and how many minutes are on women. We’re at 5%. We’ve got to change that.", + "As a Jewish kid born and raised in London to parents who had moved there from Israel, Eylon Levy dreamed about serving as a spokesperson for the State of Israel. He would sit and watch the then Israeli ambassador to the UK Mark Regev on television and say to himself, \"That's what I want to do when I grow up.\"\n\nToday, aged 32, that is exactly what he is doing - battling day and night on screens to make the world acknowledge the atrocities and the reality forced on Israel since October 7, as a government spokesperson to the international media at the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister's Office.\n\nHe tells \"Globes,\" \"Perhaps you won't believe it but it has always been my dream to act as a spokesperson for the state. It's a shame that it's in such painful circumstances. The legendary Mark Regev and myself have been working shifts on the TV channels worldwide and I remember how I watched him as a kid in London and wanted to do what he is doing.\"\n\nBack in October few people had heard of Levy. But now sitting in a café in the Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv to be interviewed by \"Globes,\" passersby clearly recognize him and some even stop to take a selfie with him.\n\nTo filter out the bullshit\n\nIn recent weeks, interviews with Levy have gained massive exposure worldwide and the Israeli public has embraced the eloquent and quick-witted spokesperson who has been articulating Israel's point of view so admirably, with his English accent. With degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge, Levy received the greatest exposure in an interview with UK Sky News presenter Kay Burley, who asked him whether the fact that Israel is willing to release 150 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 50 Israeli hostages indicates that Israel thinks that Palestinian lives are worth less.\n\nLevy's spontaneous, shocked response saw his eyes open wide with surprise and his eyebrows shoot up. But within a second he had regained his composure and explained that Israel would release one Palestinian for each Jewish hostage if it could. \"We did not choose to release these prisoners who have blood on their hands. That's a disgusting accusation.\"\n\nThe strange question aroused anger and criticism worldwide but Kate Burley did not apologize and even justified her question on X (formerly Twitter) by saying that interviewers sometimes present one side of an argument so that those being interviewed can refute it. She claimed that she was presenting a controversial opinion that she had heard to allow the interviewee to respond.\n\nLevy does not accept this explanation. \"It's true that the role of the media is to challenge speakers with controversial opinions but it is also to filter out the bullshit and to know when you have been told nonsense that requires no further comment,\" he says.\n\nLevy posted the clip from the interview on his Twitter account and it received 16 million views and 15,000 shares (just from the Tweet). His number of followers has soared from 24,000 before the war to 140,000 after the Sky News interview. At the same time his look of astonishment and raised eyebrows have become a popular meme and WhatsApp sticker. \"If you would have told me several weeks ago that people would make memes of my face I wouldn't have believed it. But joking aside, we are here to explain the story of Israel abroad, if along the way there are amusing moments that allow people to enjoy a funny moment amid all the darkness and gloom we are experiencing, then let the joke be on me.\"\n\nAre you are asked many questions that smack of antisemitism, or lack of understanding and support for Israel's position?\n\nHow long have you got? I was asked by the BBC in a radio interview whether there is CCTV evidence that the hostages are in Shifa Hospital and what medical treatment were they receiving. I was asked by Sky News about why Yahya Sinwar was releasing hostages, even though Israel is bombing Gaza and I had to explain that it was because Israel is bombing Gaza.\n\n\"I was asked twice, in Ireland and by the Voice of America, why Hamas had been begging for five weeks to return hostages and we were only now bowing to US pressure to take back our children. I was interviewed by Piers Morgan in London who is very confrontational, who spoke to me about pictures from Gaza and said 'this the most shocking thing I have ever seen.' And I told him Piers, 'the most shocking thing we have seen in our lives was the slaughter on October 7.' Then he answered 'you are right.'\"\n\nFrom questions like these, do you get the feeling that everyone in the world hates us and they are all anti-Semites?\n\n\"It's not true that everyone hates us and they are all anti-Semites. We enjoy a great deal of support in the world. People understand that what happened on October 7 crossed a line with atrocities that cannot be repeated and for which there can be no excuse. This is what gives us legitimacy in this war against Hamas and the understanding that it not possible not to respond to this.\"\n\nWhy is it so hard for the world to understand this point of view?\n\n\"We are faced with difficult images coming out of Gaza. Israeli TV does not show what viewers abroad see of the destruction as a result of the military campaign to destroy the terrorist infrastructure built beneath houses, hospitals, mosques and schools. The world sees these pictures and wants to understand why we are doing this to civilians in Gaza. We are asked for how long? What's the limit? And we have to explain things that to Israelis sound self-evident, but in the world to those who do not live in our reality, they are incomprehensible. We must explain that this is a war imposed by Hamas through the most terrible massacre since the Holocaust, and it is a war that we must win because Hamas has repeated that it wants to carry out more October 7s until it murders every man, woman and child in our country.\"\n\nDo the explanations produce greater acceptance?\n\n\"Yes. There is understanding that we must end this war by destroying the capabilities of Hamas, otherwise we will be in the same situation in another six months. This is something I explain a lot to the Irish, for example. The Irish have been pressing for a ceasefire for a long time and I explain to them that if we had taken their advice and stopped firing then little Emily Hand would still be in captivity, and if we take their advice now to agree to a ceasefire then Hamas will commit more atrocities, because it will feel empowered and it will come out of this war with a feeling that the world has its back.\n\n\"We are being asked difficult questions about the dead on the other side and we must remind them that everyone who was killed in the Gaza Strip over the last month would be alive today if Hamas had not started the atrocities on October 7, and then decided to fight in populated areas, while preventing people from leaving despite all of Israel's efforts for over a month to evacuate civilians from the battle zones.\"\n\nLies continue to echo\n\nIn recent weeks Levy, and all Israel's spokespeople and volunteers in the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, headed by Moshe Aviv, have been working around the clock. \"We try to be available 24/7. Last Friday I was interviewed at six in the morning and I finished with a CNN interview the following morning at 2am. There was a Saturday when I did four interviews with the BBC and it's not just me. Mark Regev is doing interviews at all hours of the night as well as Tal Heinrich in the US who is being interviewed non-stop in prime time. I am part of an amazing team of professionals.\n\n\"The work is being done in collaboration with Israel Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDF Spokesperson, the Israel prisons Service, the Shin Bet, the National Security Council and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which is responsible for producing items for digital channels. It's amazing to see every day when we all assess the situation, how all these bodies put their egos aside and I'm proud to be a part of it. If any channel wants an official spokesperson for the Israeli government, then we will be there because we cannot abandon the battlefield.\"\n\nThe world does not make life easy for Israel's spokespeople, to say the least, compared with the ease with which the Hamas narrative is adopted. \"I remember an interview the day after the bluff about the Al-Ahli hospital, which the Palestinians claimed had been hit by an Israeli missile, killing 800 civilians, but in the end it turned out that it was actually by a splinter group of Islamic Jihad, and that no hospital was destroyed and certainly not 800 people were killed. I explained to them in Sky News that Hamas lies and makes up numbers and the reporter asks me almost speechless with surprise, if I doubt Hamas' numbers.\"\n\nLevy describes these moments as intensely frustrating. He recounts, \"In a BBC interview, the interviewer told me 'Hamas denies what you are saying,' and you see the frustration on my face when I tell her that of course Hamas denies this. Hamas denies that it is even holding hostages. Hamas massacres, beheads, rapes, burns families, and then, day and night, denies that it did this.\n\n\"Some journalists around world see that Hamas continues to lie about the biggest things when the whole truth is in front of everyone's eyes, and they continue to echo the lies. This is not only a kinetic war in Gaza, it is also an information war.\"\n\nTwo months now, Levy has been fighting in this arena with the tools at his disposal. \"We are fighting to make it clear to the world that the information coming out of Gaza comes either directly from Hamas or from independent reporters and photographers that are part of the system in Gaza. Everyone knows that even if they are not affiliated with Hamas, they are not free to present the full truth, because they are not allowed to. There is not a single photo of a terrorist, there is not a single photo of a missile being launched from a densely populated area, from a mosque or a school, not even a single photo from the Hamas tunnels under Shifa. Why? Because these reporters, even if they are not explicitly on the side of Hamas, operate under a dictatorial regime and cannot provide the information even if they wanted to. And it is very important to continue reminding the world how much the information that reaches them is biased and does not reflect reality.\"\n\nDespite all this, Levy feels he must stress that not everyone is against us. \"I don't want to give the impression that all the interviewers are hostile and every question is delusional. Absolutely not. I have many interviews with reporters who understand what is happening here and simply want to get information and hear the Israeli side, which is completely legitimate.\"\n\nGeorge Galloway got up and walked out\n\nLevy was born and raised in England and attended a private school in North London in an area with a large Jewish population. He has always taken an interest in news and current affairs and a student was active in the world of debating, including tournaments. \"It would not be an exaggeration to say that I would sit in the bath reading The Economist. Arguing and opposing incorrect positions has always been one of my great hobbies. Alongside this, I grew up with a strong awareness of the importance of the State of Israel and its historical role in the history of our people. I have often had to explain Israel over the years.\"\n\nThe UK is currently in the headlines over anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations and antisemitism. Did you encounter antisemitism in your childhood there?\n\n\"I did not personally experience antisemitism but I was exposed to it during debates and every time there was a round of fighting I found myself defending Israel's position.\"\n\nOne of the most significant occasions on which Levy was defending Israel was in 2013, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Oxford, and was conducting a debate with British MP George Galloway on his remarks about Israel. \"Galloway is known as a notorious Israel hater. He arrived an hour late gave his crazy speech and sat down and then I spoke. In the middle of the speech I said 'we' referring to the State of Israel, and he stood up and asked me 'what do you mean we? Are you Israeli? When I answered yes, he said 'I don't do debates with Israelis. Goodbye' and left. It was filmed and the next morning all the UK media reported on it. It even made it into a cartoon in \"The Times.\"\n\nThat was a moment that reverberates for Levy when he sees what is currently happening in universities around the world. \"I look at what is happening on campuses around the world and tear my hair out, because I was there 10 years ago and tried to warn about the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, how deep-rooted the hatred against Israel actually is and how many Jews are harmed by this blind hatred.\"\n\nIn 2014, on completing his master's degree in international relations at the University of Cambridge, Levy found himself at the crossroads that led him to Israel: \"One option was to study law and work as a lawyer in London, and the other option was to go on a Zionist adventure. That summer I was on the March of the Living and I remember myself standing wrapped in a flag and crying, realizing that a decision had been made. I decided that I was immigrating to Israel and enlisting in the army at the age of 23.\"\n\nThe decision was made just as Operation Protective Edge (2014) began. \"I wanted to enlist to help in the war. It was the scariest experience in my life. I remember a child who looked out the window and said, 'Dad, I think I saw a missile.'\"\n\nWhen I actually immigrated to Israel, the taxi driver told me that the war had finished six months previously. Even so I reported the next day to the IDF Induction Center in Tel Hashomer.\"\n\nLevy served in the command center of the IDF coordinator of activities in the administered territories, which is responsible for civil policies and security coordination with the Israeli government in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. After his army service he worked as a newsreader for the English news on the Israel Broadcasting Authority and then as a newsreader for i24News. He served as foreign media advisor for President Isaac Herzog for two years until May 2023 and has translated some 30 books from Hebrew to English. He was also active in the protests against the government's judicial reform.\n\nSo how does that all fit together - one day you are at a demonstration against the government and the next day you are its spokesperson?\n\n\"Like many, I participated in the protests against the reform. It's no secret. There was Israel before October 7 and there is Israel after. Nothing will return to what it was before. There is now only one task: to win the war, and for that we must put the wars of the Jews aside and unite.\"\n\nThis is also the message with which Levy wants to conclude the interview. \"It's amazing to see how Israeli society has come to its senses after the traumas. One of our strengths is that everyone works for everyone,\" he says proudly. \"When I left synagogue on Yom Kippur after the concluding services and I saw what was happening in Dizengoff Square with all the shoving and the shouting, I found myself on the verge of tears. Today I miss the days when we were on the verge of a civil war because of a gender partition (in Dizengoff Square).\"\n\n\"It's so ridiculous what we argued about and what we pulled our hair out over for before October 7, a date that reminds us all of the big picture, why we are here, why we owe each other and in the end also love each other. It's sad that it took such a tragedy to remind us of the importance of unity in the nation, but we must maintain it.\"\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 3, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "Et voilà. France are through to the quarter-finals after the tournament’s latest mismatch against a demoralised Italy. The unthinkable outcome – a pool-stage exit for Fabien Galthié’s side – had remained a possibility, but was never on the cards from the moment Damian Penaud scored the first of eight French tries in the second minute. France have beaten Italy 14 times consecutively, a run stretching back to 2014.\n\nIf the predatory Penaud’s progress is a marker of France’s hopes, their fellow title contenders should be worried. The wing has scored in seven straight matches and 14 times this year. Two tries here took him to second overall in their men’s try-scorers’ chart, with 35, three behind Serge Blanco. As a whole, the French machine is tuning up satisfactorily with top spot in Pool A secured. A potential last-eight collision with Ireland or South Africa, or indeed Scotland, will be a monumental affair.\n\n“It’s easy to congratulate Damian for his attacking performance,” Galthié said. “But it’s also easy when you have a team like that working for you. Players that become great are served by their teams; there’s always a balance.” The former France scrum-half added: “We’re happy to qualify … We’ll recuperate together, celebrate qualification, then turn to the quarter-final. For us, after a World Cup final against New Zealand [on opening night], our game next Sunday will be a second final.”\n\nFor Kieran Crowley, Galthié’s opposite number, his Italy tenure ends in profound disappointment, although crushing defeats by the All Blacks and now the hosts are offset by victories against Namibia and Uruguay.\n\n“I’ve said before, I’d like to take this team forward,” he said. “I think the next World Cup is our cycle … we’ll get to the next tournament, and a lot of these players will have 60, 70 caps. But that wasn’t my decision.\n\n“What needs to happen is that these players need to be treated with a bit of respect off the field … They [the Italian Rugby Federation] need to get some of that stuff sorted. Quite honestly, I don’t know if I’d want to be involved unless that gets sorted. I respect these guys, these players and staff. They’ve gone way beyond … and yet people will judge us on these last two games. It’s disappointing.”\n\nDamaging setbacks have arrived with regularity for France, most notably Antoine Dupont’s fractured cheekbone. But the prop Cyril Baille had returned from injury in the thrashing of Namibia, along with the estimable Jonathan Danty in midfield, and both started against Italy.\n\nAny hint of home nerves was calmed by the try for Penaud that stemmed from the first attack. Uini Atonio and Thibaud Flament were both involved, busting through tackles and creating a huge overlap for Penaud. Thomas Ramos belted over a penalty and the pressure on Italy continued unabated, Penaud fluffing a grubber kick with another big overlap created.\n\nThe hosts quickly came again, and Penaud got his kick right this time, picking out Louis Bielle-Biarrey with a chip that the wing converted impeccably. Ramos flopped over after another fluent exchange with Gaël Fickou.\n\nLouis Bielle-Biarrey scores France’s try to again underline his potential. Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images\n\nAt 24-0 Italy temporarily steadied a listing ship. After Ange Capuozzo was removed for a head injury assessment, Simone Ferrari powered over, but the television match official spotted a high hit by Ferrari on Maxime Lucu and the try was chalked off. Almost immediately, Penaud went over at the other end to secure a bonus point after fielding Matthieu Jalibert’s cross-kick. It was 31-0 at half-time.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Breakdown Free weekly newsletter The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nThings got worse for Italy when Jalibert darted through a gap seven minutes after the break and when Peato Mauvaka, the France hooker, crashed across the line, Italian heads were beginning to drop alarmingly.\n\nCapuozzo failed his HIA – another unwelcome blow – while Galthié’s thoughts were turning to managing his resources for the quarter-final: Melvyn Jaminet replaced Ramos and Yoram Moefana, freshly introduced in midfield for Fickou, jogged in for the seventh on 63 minutes.\n\nItaly mustered a consolation score via Manuel Zuliani, his try converted by the fly-half Tommaso Allan, before Moefana completed a bright cameo with his second.\n\n“Our goal is to win the game,” Galthié said of France’s eight-try display. “There are several boxes to tick. The important thing is that at the end of the game, we end up ahead. We are not here to show off, or to look good. We’re here to win.” He added that he expects the injured Dupont and Julien Marchand to play during the knockout stages.\n\nWhen flanker Charles Ollivon – sitting alongside his head coach – was asked about next Sunday’s opponents, Galthié interjected. “We can’t know our opponent. Have you played tomorrow’s game already? There is a Scotland v Ireland game that may modify the quarter-finals. If you are talking about our quarter-final opponents, it’s quite simple. It’s a World Cup final for us.”", + "In a dramatic turn of events late Friday, ex-Y Combinator president Sam Altman was fired as CEO of AI startup OpenAI, the company behind viral AI hits like ChatGPT, GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, by OpenAI’s board of directors. Then, the company’s longtime president and co-founder, Greg Brockman, resigned — as did three senior OpenAI researchers. And the fallout continues.\n\nTip TechCrunch\n\nDo you work at OpenAI and know more about Sam Altman’s departure?\n\nDo you work at OpenAI and know more about Sam Altman’s departure? Get in touch with TechCrunch\n\nIt’s a fast-moving situation that we’re still trying to get to the bottom of. No doubt more will become clear as time goes on. To make it easier to follow all that’s happened in the meantime, though, we’ve put together a timeline; we’ll do our best to keep it current.\n\nTimeline of Sam Altman’s firing from OpenAI\n\nNovember 29\n\nMicrosoft gains a board observer\n\nMicrosoft will gain representation on the new initial board of directors in the form of a non-voting observer, OpenAI announced. It wasn’t immediately clear who this observer might be — only that they won’t have an official vote in board business.\n\nNovember 21\n\nSam Altman, OpenAI reach agreement on return as CEO and ‘initial’ new board\n\nIn a sudden late announcement, OpenAI revealed that it and Altman “have reached an agreement in principle” for him to return as the company’s CEO. In addition to Altman’s return, its new “initial” board will include former Salesforce chief executive Bret Taylor, former US Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers and Quora founder Adam D’Angelo.\n\nWe have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this. — OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023\n\nAltman also posted about the new deal, giving some insight into the roller coaster that we’ve all been riding since his firing was revealed Friday. In his words, his decision to join Microsoft on Sunday “was the best path for me and the team.” Since then, the new board’s composition and Microsoft’s support appear to have been enough to bring him back to the AI company he co-founded.\n\nAltman and board in talks\n\nOpenAI’s board of directors is reportedly in talks with Sam Altman, ex-Y Combinator president and an OpenAI co-founder, to return to OpenAI as CEO as soon as this week. That’s according to Bloomberg, which in a brief — citing sources close to the matter — said that discussions are happening between Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, one current member of the OpenAI board, and Altman — and possibly other board members as well.\n\nBoard tensions boil over\n\nThe New York Times reports that, before his ousting, Sam Altman made a move to push out board member Helen Toner because he thought a paper she had co-written was overly critical of OpenAI. That, among other issues, led to OpenAI’s current predicament. Speaking of, The Times indicates that negotiations to hire Altman back continue — but that one major sticking point remaining is “guardrails” meant to improve Altman’s communication with the board.\n\n—\n\nNovember 20\n\nAltman joins Microsoft\n\nSam Altman, Greg Brockman and colleagues announce that they’ll join Microsoft to lead a new AI research team. Nadella leaves the door open to other OpenAI staffers, saying that they’ll be given the resources they need should they choose to join.\n\nSutskever’s mea culpa\n\nSutskever publishes a post on X suggesting that he regrets his decision to remove Altman and that he’ll do everything in his power to reinstate Altman as CEO.\n\nI deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company. — Ilya Sutskever (@ilyasut) November 20, 2023\n\nEmployees threaten to resign\n\nNearly 500 of OpenAI’s roughly 770 employees — including, remarkably, Sutskever — publish a letter saying that they might quit unless the startup’s board resigns and reappoints the ousted Altman. Later Monday, that number climbed to over 650.\n\nAltman and Brockman considering return\n\nAs reported by The Verge, Altman’s move to Microsoft isn’t a done deal — and both Altman and Brockman are still open to returning to OpenAI. That is, if the remaining board members who initially fired him step aside.\n\nOpenAI board considers merger\n\nOpenAI’s board of directors approached Dario Amodei, the co-founder and CEO of rival large-language model developer Anthropic, about a potential merger of the two companies, The Information reports. The approach was part of an effort by OpenAI to persuade Amodei to replace Altman as CEO — but Amodei quickly turned down the CEO offer.\n\n—\n\nNovember 19\n\nAltman to meet at OpenAI HQ\n\nAccording to The Information, Altman is expected to meet at OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters as executives at OpenAI push to have him reinstated as CEO. Brockman was invited to join — but it’s unclear whether he’ll take execs up on that invitation.\n\nBoard negotiations hit a snag\n\nBloomberg reports that Lightcap and Murati, among others, are pushing the board to reinstate Altman. But unsurprisingly, the directors are resisting. As of midday Sunday, the board hadn’t resigned out of concern over who could replace them, and were vetting candidates. One possible new addition could be Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor.\n\nAltman out, Shear in\n\nAltman won’t be returning as CEO, according to a report in The Information citing an internal memo sent by Sutskever. As the search for a new permanent CEO continues, OpenAI has appointed Emmett Shear, the co-founder of video streaming site Twitch, as interim CEO — replacing Murati.\n\n—\n\nNovember 18\n\n“Not … in response to malfeasance”\n\nIn an internal memo obtained by Axios sent Saturday morning, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said yesterday’s announcement “took [the management team] by surprise” and that management had had “multiple conversations with the board to try to better understand the reasons and process behind their decision.” Discussions were ongoing as of Saturday morning, per the memo.\n\n“We can say definitively that the board’s decision was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices,” Lightcap added. “This was a breakdown in communication between Sam and the board … We still share your concerns about how the process has been handled, are working to resolve the situation, and will provide updates as we’re able.”\n\nOpenAI’s funding in jeopardy\n\nThe planned sale of OpenAI employee shares that would value the startup at about $86 billion could be in jeopardy. The Information, speaking to three sources formerly with the company, reports that they no longer expect the sale — led by Thrive Capital — to happen, or, if it does, to come with a lesser valuation because of the recent turn of events.\n\nAltman planning new venture\n\nAltman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information. Brockman is expected to join the effort — whatever form it takes. (Possibly an AI chip startup.)\n\ni love you all. today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. the outpouring of love is awesome. one takeaway: go tell your friends how great you think they are. — Sam Altman (@sama) November 18, 2023\n\nInvestors pushing for Altman’s return\n\nInvestors — furious at the turn of events — are reportedly exerting pressure on OpenAI’s board to reinstate Altman, going so far as to recruit Microsoft. Nadella is said to be sympathetic.\n\nBoard agrees to reverse course — in principle\n\nThe Verge reports that the board agreed in principle to resign and to allow Altman and Brockman to return. It waffled, however, missing a deadline yesterday by which many OpenAI staffers were set to leave the company. Altman is said to be ambivalent about coming back and asking for “significant” governance changes.\n\n—\n\nNovember 17\n\nBrockman demoted\n\nBrockman says he got a text from Sutskever shortly after noon on Friday asking for a quick call. After sending a Google Meet link, Brockman was told that he was being removed from the board as chairman “but was vital to the company and would retain his role” as president, and that Altman had been fired.\n\nAltman’s firing publicly announced\n\nOpenAI published a post on its blog announcing the executive shake-up. The company’s management team was aware shortly after.\n\ni loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people. will have more to say about what’s next later. 🫡 — Sam Altman (@sama) November 17, 2023\n\nAll-hands meeting\n\nOpenAI held an all-hands meeting Friday afternoon during which Sutskever defended Altman’s ouster. He dismissed suggestions that pushing Altman out amounted to a “hostile takeover,” and claimed that it was necessary to protect OpenAI’s mission of “making AI beneficial to humanity.”\n\nMicrosoft releases a statement\n\nSatya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, a major investor in — and partner with — OpenAI, published a statement about Altman’s firing:\n\n“As you saw at Microsoft Ignite this week, we’re continuing to rapidly innovate for this era of AI, with over 100 announcements across the full tech stack from AI systems, models and tools in Azure, to Copilot. Most importantly, we’re committed to delivering all of this to our customers while building for the future. We have a long-term agreement with OpenAI with full access to everything we need to deliver on our innovation agenda and an exciting product roadmap; and remain committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team. Together, we will continue to deliver the meaningful benefits of this technology to the world.”\n\nBrockman quits\n\nBrockman announced his resignation from OpenAI, citing “today’s news.” After sending a memo internally, he published the text on X.\n\nAfter learning today’s news, this is the message I sent to the OpenAI team: https://t.co/NMnG16yFmm pic.twitter.com/8x39P0ejOM — Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023\n\nSenior OpenAI researchers resign\n\nThree senior OpenAI researchers resign after Brockman, including the director of research Jakub Pachocki and head of preparedness Aleksander Madry.\n\n—\n\nNovember 16\n\nIlya Sutskever schedules call with Altman\n\nAccording to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, the chief scientist at OpenAI and a co-founder, texted Altman on Thursday evening about scheduling a Friday noon call.\n\nSam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today. Let us first say thank you to all the incredible people who we have worked with at OpenAI, our customers, our investors, and all of those who have been reaching out. We too are still trying to figure out exactly… — Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023\n\nMurati told of Altman’s firing\n\nBrockman alleges that Mira Murati, OpenAI’s CTO and now interim CEO, was informed on Thursday night that Altman would be fired.", + "2023 has been a topsy-turvy year for many teams. While some have outshone others, these 5 teams are at a crossroads, with a common stifling problem. Amid the heavy restructuring that many of the MLB teams have seen of late, there are pentagonal vacancies for managers. The New York Mets, the Los Angeles Angels, the Houston Astros, the Cleveland Guardians, and the San Diego Padres are in dire need of filling up the managerial position as the year ends.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nWhile some team representatives skim through names within the MLB world, some hope to look for an outside hire. It could be a risky state for all of them. Nevertheless, there are many possibilities and roadblocks one might encounter. Be it budgetary issues, past performance, or availability of candidates, these teams have not had success in putting a pin on one candidate. That said, the skipper market is abuzz!\n\nStarting With The Los Angeles Angels\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nAfter Joe Maddon was relieved of his managerial duties, Phil Nevin signed up as the interim manager for the remaining 106 games of 2022. Post that, he went on to sign a one-year contract to manage the Angels in 2023, and the interim tag was lifted. Nevin’s 2024 club option was rejected by the Halos, who underwent partial two seasons of 119-149 (.444) play under his supervision. Since this was a non-negotiable, the seat stands vacant.\n\nThe biggest challenge in this scenario is that the Angels star, Shohei Ohtani is yet to reveal which team he would be joining. In case the Angels re-sign the two-way phenom, the manager would get to head the roster with the 2021 MVP and Mike Trout. A once in a lifetime opportunity. On the flip side, if they lose Ohtani, the roster would need a solid revamp. Not to mention the Angles are infamous for their below-par farm system and playoff drought spanning 9 seasons.\n\nWith that out in the open, what are the possible options for the Halos? Ray Montgomery could be an option, considering that he began his tenure with the Angels. Walt Weiss could potentially be a decent fit, too. Weiss has been a part of a successful team in the Atlanta Braves recently, having been their bench coach since before the 2018 season. Additionally, among other options are Ron Washington and Clayton McCullough. Though these options are open, no solid information has been revealed yet as to who would fill up the position.\n\nMoving On To The Houston Astros\n\nAfter his fourth season with the Astros and his 26th big league managerial season, Dusty Baker announced his retirement last week. Houston won the 2022 World Series and two pennants while the 74-year-old was in charge. Despite the starry possibilities of winning, the Texas Rangers defeated the Astros in the ALCS 2023.\n\nWith that seat now waiting to be warmed up, the future manager would manage a seasoned roster that appears ready to make another push at winning a World Series after winning six of the previous seven AL West championships. However, given Luis Garcia’s Tommy John surgery and Lance McCullers Jr.’s forearm surgery, the starting pitchers are expected to be shaky.\n\nThat said, there are some obvious options available to replace Dusty. One of the most sensible picks for a smooth transition would be Joe Espada, age 48. Since 2018, he has been the bench coach for the Astros. Baker relied on him in the dugout throughout his productive tenure as manager of Houston.\n\nApart from him, Buck Showalter, former New York Mets manager, Don Mattingly, Toronto Blue Jays bench coach, and A. J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers manager could be other possibilities.\n\nNext Up Is Cleveland Guardians\n\nFollowing an 11-year tenure with Cleveland that included leading the team to a 921-757 record (.549), six playoff trips, and the 2016 AL pennant, Terry Francona announced his resignation. The record made him the winningest manager in franchise history. He had managed the Guardians till the conclusion of the 2023 season, but now, owing to health concerns, he decides to put his wellbeing first.\n\nSince Cleveland usually has one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, the team’s lineup won’t be receiving a lot of outside reinforcement. It is clear that the Guardians are not keen on getting someone from within MLB; they are open to outside hires as well. As long as the new candidate can follow Terry’s principles.\n\nOne applicant slated for an interview was Craig Albernaz. He is the catching and bullpen coach for the San Francisco Giants, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. Despite lacking Major League managerial experience, the 40-year-old has led two championship-winning Tampa Bay Rays teams. Another likely candidate could be Carlos Mendoza, who is the bench coach for the New York Yankees. Though he too lacks managerial experience in MLB, the 43-year-old is familiar with the Yankees system, suiting well for Cleveland.\n\nSpeaking Of NY, The New York Mets Are On The Lookout\n\nIn his first season as manager, Buck Showalter guided the Mets to a 101-61 record. With that, he earned him the 2022 NL Manager of the Year Award. However, despite having baseball’s largest budget, the Mets ended their 2023 with a disastrous 75-87. Under the new president of baseball operations David Stearns, the organization is taking a fresh approach. The man who described 2023 as “the roller coaster of disappointment and hope” presiding over the Mets views his limited options.\n\nGabe Kapler made the exit three days before the San Francisco Giants season’s conclusion; he could post as a suited candidate. Another likely possibility would be Craig Counsell, who is nearing the end of his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Counsell is the guy to watch out for this summer because of his excellent relationship with David Stearns. This newest president of baseball operations for the Mets is a former Brewer himself.\n\nThe Fifth Team In The List Is San Diego Padres\n\nBob Melvin was said to be returning to the Padres as manager, despite the team’s 82-80 record and 2023 postseason absence. But in a turn of events, the San Francisco Giants hired Melvin when San Diego gave permission to interview him for SanFran’s managerial vacancy.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nNow, the Padres’ vacant position is linking to former Cardinals manager Mike Shildt multiple times. Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reports that Shildt is the front-runner to take over. “The Padres will be hiring their sixth manager in just 10 years under (general manager) A. J. Preller. Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt is the favorite while associate manager Ryan Flaherty is getting strong consideration,” Nightengale said. With that, one has to wait and watch who serves as the best fit.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWith the facts broken down, it is a matter of time that the teams narrow down their best options. MLB world will welcome 2024 with high expectations. With new management, the fans expect teams to come back with great vigor and ferocity.\n\nWatch This Story: Every MLB Team That Has Never Won a World Series", + "There's something of a theme running through Teenage Engineering's recent products. That theme is you need more money. The Field range represents the Swedish company’s most exclusive music making gear. So when its website teased a new product with a colorful countdown, the wallets of Teenies everywhere braced for impact. Once that timer hit all zeros, the big reveal turned out to be the EP-133 sampler. Or, to give it its full name, the EP-133 K.O. II 64MB Sampler Composer. The real surprise though, was that it both looked cool and, at $299, was reasonably priced.\n\nFadergate\n\nThe countdown was really just the start. Barely 24 hours after the K.O. II was revealed units started landing in buyers’ hands. Within days, YouTube was awash with first look videos and tutorials. Before our review unit even showed up, several users were complaining that theirs had defective faders. Enough folks were having this problem that it quickly became known as “fadergate.” One brave creator even took their unit apart and, possibly, discovered the cause — the internal pins were bent and not making a connection. I asked Teenage Engineering about the issue and will update this story once I hear back.\n\nSome buyer’s theorized that the issue might be caused by the fact that the K.O. II ships without the caps on its rotaries and fader. They come loose in the box to enable the packaging to be flatter, but the cap for the fader is unusually tight fitting. This led to speculation that the enthusiasm required to push this cap down might be putting too much pressure on components inside, opening up the cruel possibility of users breaking their own devices before they even got to play with them. I used extra caution, along with some needle-nosed tweezers to support the fader as I applied its cap and so far… so good?\n\nPhoto by James Trew / Engadget\n\nThe K.O. II name tells us that Teenage Engineering considers this something of a sequel to the original PO-33 K.O. Clearly the K.O. II isn’t a Pocket Operator, but its retro desk calculator aesthetic does take subtle design cues from that series. At 12-inches diagonally, it’s in iPad territory size-wise. The K.O. II also runs on AAA batteries (or USB power) which is another nod to the PO series. It’s hard to say how long it’ll run on those batteries and it’ll vary from brand to brand, but I’ve been using some cheap rechargeables for over a week and they seem to be going strong.\n\nPersonally, I was never particularly enamored with the Pocket Operators and much prefer the form factor of the K.O. II. It’s still very portable, but feels a bit more “serious.” It’s also just very nice to look at, which is something Teenage Engineering is quite good at. The model number, EP-133, indicates that we might see others in the line, so fingers crossed for giant calculator versions of other instruments, too.\n\nIn use\n\nFader fully checked and batteries in place, the K.O. II springs to life with a flourish of icons across its display. Those icons are actually fixed and not made up of pixels. Teenage Engineering calls it a “Super segment hybrid display” which basically fuses the digital watch part with a bunch of colorful, cute custom icons to let you know when certain modes or features are activated. It reminds me of the old Game & Watch handhelds where you can see where all the icons are and they are simply switched on or off as needed. Some of the icons are pretty abstract but there is a guide on the website to let you know that, for example, the red umbrella means undo.\n\nPhoto by James Trew / Engadget\n\nSomething I like to do with music gear is to see how easy it is to use without reading the manual. This works for all gadgets of course, but with music gear there are common tasks like sequencing, timing adjustment, automation and so on. How you achieve these on a drum machine might be very different to a keys-based synth. Teenage Engineering in particular likes to do things its own way but I was pleasantly surprised with the K.O. II. Within minutes I had managed to figure out basic navigation and how things are organized (sample groups, accessing shift functions, what the fader does and when and so on).\n\nDuring this blind test I also got to know the K.O. II’s buttons and faders. It was obvious from the launch materials that we weren’t getting rubber MPC-esque pads here but I would describe the ones on the K.O. as keys rather than buttons. Fortunately they are satisfying to click and they’re pressure sensitive so you can give your drum hits different velocities or play notes at different strengths, just be sure to focus on the lower part of the key as that seems to be where the sensor is.\n\nYou probably should read the manual though. If for no other reason than it’s likely the prettiest one you’ll use in a while. There’s also a very cute tool for managing your samples which works via desktop browser. For the brave, you can also use this on your phone if you have Android (Chrome, Brave and Opera should all work). On iOS the same browsers can’t access Web MIDI and therefore will not work. (There’s the iOS Web MIDI Browser which crashes when I tried it with an iPhone but it does connect so your mileage may vary.) The K.O. II won’t show up on your PC as either a drive or an audio interface, so the main uses for the USB port are power and sending/receiving MIDI.\n\nThe workflow for grabbing sounds is pretty straightforward. If you want to sample from either a PC or phone or other sound-making device then as long as you can connect it to a 3.5mm cable you’re golden. For everything else, you’ll be using the built-in mic, which is surprisingly good. I recorded a few short vocal phrases and other found sounds and they come out well, assuming you’re in a quiet environment.\n\nPhoto by James Trew / Engadget\n\nDon’t worry though, if you don’t have a bunch of samples yet, the K.O. II comes with a bunch pre-installed, and they’re pretty great. There’s a good mix of drums, bass pads and lead sounds — certainly enough to get you going straight away. You’ll definitely want to add your own though to make your projects unique. The presets use about half of the 64MB of memory, but you can back them up, delete them and free the slots up for your own. Max sample length is 20 seconds (same as on the OP-1 Field).\n\nIf 64MB doesn’t sound like a lot, know that it translates to about 11 minutes of samples at the 46kHz/16bit in which the K.O. II records. You can halve that time if you sample in stereo. Even if you go all out, over five minutes of samples should be plenty enough for most songs (we hope). If there’s going to be a bottleneck, it’ll more likely be due to the 12-voice limit. This means the K.O. II can make 12 sounds at once, so if you have six stereo samples playing at one time, you’ll hit that limit. My compositions aren’t interesting enough to hit that threshold, but if you’re a maximalist, then it’s worth keeping in mind.\n\nA common technique to help avoid hitting the voice limit on other devices is resampling — basically merging separate sounds down into one new sample. This is also the technique for baking in any effects and modulation, which, given that the K.O. II can only manage one master effect at any one time makes the lack of resampling all the more obvious. Understandably, it’s possibly the biggest complaint among users I’ve seen so far (after fadergate of course).\n\nThere are ways around this, but it would involve recording out into another device and then sampling that back into the K.O. II and no one should have a sampler for their sampler, not in this economy. Teenage Engineering does have a decent track record of adding functionality via firmware updates — the company just added a new effect to the OP-1 Field as I wrote this — so fingers crossed.\n\nPhoto by James Trew / Engadget\n\nWhile we’re on the topic of features the K.O. II doesn’t have, there doesn’t appear to be any kind of song mode. There are four sample “groups” that you can think of as tracks (drums, bass, lead and so on). Each of these groups can hold up to 99 patterns and patterns can be up to 99 bars in length. The active patterns across the four groups can be saved as a “scene” and scenes can be triggered consecutively. But, importantly, there’s no way for that to happen automatically right now. This means if you wanted to tease a whole recorded song out of the K.O. II you’ll have to either get clever with MIDI or trigger scenes and patterns manually in real time.\n\nThis performative nature might be a burden for songs, but I found it to be a feature in other areas. On top of the master effects you also have 12 “punch in” effects that can be applied — or punched in — by holding down the FX key and then any of the 12 black pads. Each is marked with its effect name (Level, Pitch and so on). These punch-in effects express themselves differently based on the amount of pressure you apply, making it a very expressive experience. The effects on these keys also correspond to modulation tools when used with the fader. So FX+7 adds the “Level” punch-in effect (rhythmic gating) while Fader+7 will assign gain/level to the fader until you choose another modulator such as Attack or Low Pass Filter.\n\nI swear, half of the things you learn about how to use the K.O. II happen by accident. Yes, it’s in the manual, but I discovered you can solo groups by pressing the FX button and the corresponding group. You can also press multiple buttons to “solo” multiple groups or sounds at the same time. With a group or group solo’d you can then apply punch-in effects to create a lot of variations in real time. With so many touches like this, I am starting to assume that Teenage Engineering envisioned the K.O. II as a playful performative device rather than a linear song-making machine.\n\nPhoto by James Trew / Engadget\n\nI’ve talked before about the sort of “magic” factor that Teenage Engineering sometimes hides into its products. Just small, cute and often a bit hidden features that aren’t necessary but are tons of fun. A common one is the inclusion of FM radio on the OP1/Field and OB 4 etc. Or the video making tool in the app for the OP-Z. There was a brief moment of excitement when I spotted “loop mode from OB-4” on the K.O. II’s product page. The hope being the two devices would interact somehow, but it appears that’s just a way of describing the looping feature that’s been borrowed from the OB-4.\n\nAs I write these closing thoughts, the second official firmware update (v1.1.1) has just been released. There’s nothing spicy in here like motion control or sampling the radio, but it’s confirmation of what I mentioned earlier about Teenage Engineering adding features after a product hits the shelves — such as the OP-1 Field’s vocoder synth that landed over six months after release or the fairly substantial 1.2.38 update for the OP-Z which came almost three years into its life.\n\nThe K.O. II represents an opportunity for Teenage Engineering to do the unthinkable and create a series of more capable instruments that don’t cost Field-series levels of money. As a sampler, it’s great for beginners or those who love a more performative style. It’s not nearly as detailed and in-depth as something like Roland’s SP 404 or Native Instruments’ Maschine, but it was never going to be a rival to, well, anything really. Fadergate aside, this is a promising product from a company that has tested the loyalty of its fans more than usual in recent years.\n\nAll products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.", + "The PE (price to earnings ratio) of a stock is 18. Is that cheap or expensive? Well, it depends. On what? Many things! Welcome to the world of relative valuation.\n\nThe findings from research done a decade earlier by Aswath Damodaran indicated that around 85 per cent of valuation done by equity research analysts and 50 per cent of corporate M&A transactions were based on relative valuation. So, what exactly is this relative valuation?\n\nIt is the art of attempting to determine the fair value of a stock based on how it is valued relative to many factors. So, whether the PE of a stock is 15 or 18 or 30, the only way you can make an assessment of whether it is cheap or expensive is by analysing this one number — against its growth prospects, peer company multiples, industry trading range, historical average PE, the prevailing interest rates, etc.\n\nPortfolio podcast: The art of valuing stocks Portfolio podcast: The art of valuing stocks\n\nLet there be no doubt, valuation experts like Aswath Damodaran and many successful hedge fund managers believe that absolute valuation (which we discussed in the Big Story in bl.portfolio edition dated October 8) is the better way to arrive at the value of a stock.\n\nHowever, due to a combination of complexities involved in building appropriate models, insufficient information, time constraints and also the fact that there are hundreds of stocks you want to consider, it is just not possible to do a DCF ( discounted cash flow model) for all your stock investments, and hence relative valuation as an approach to picking stocks too is well accepted and widely prevalent.\n\nWhen you decide to buy or sell a stock based on its PE or P/B or EV/EBITDA or EV/Revenue or even EV/subscriber ratios, you are engaging in the art of relative valuation. And it’s totally fine to be an investor relying on relative valuation to make your savings work for you, provided you approach it the right way and ensure adequate risk management. In relative valuation, the broader you assess the valuation, ie assess valuation multiple against more parameters, the better the perspective you get.\n\nIn simple words, one way to understand the difference between absolute valuation (explained in last week’s edition) and relative valuation is this – absolute valuation is made up of an interesting story that is backed by credible and validated numbers, while relative valuation is made up of an interesting number backed by a credible and validated story.\n\nWhat are those numbers in relative valuation? Every number in relative valuation is the result of a number A divided by a number B. For example, PE is price of the stock divided by its earnings. These are all numbers that are used to compare against similar metrics of other stocks and assess the merits of the stock.\n\nBefore we proceed on using relative valuation to pick stocks, it is important to understand that you can do relative valuation using equity multiples or firm/enterprise multiples.\n\nEquity multiples\n\nIf you check the balance sheet of any company, the liabilities side is primarily made up of two line items — shareholder funds and borrowings. To the contrary, a Profit and Loss statement has many line items — starting with revenue, followed by variable costs and then fixed costs and taxes. The only claim that equity shareholders have for distribution or for appropriation amongst themselves is what is left after paying the taxes — net profit.\n\nSo, if you are doing relative valuation based on equity multiples, it is important to ensure you divide the equity – ie price per share or market cap of the company by line items that apply to equity shareholders.\n\nBased on this, there are only 3 items that can be attributed to equity shareholders — net profit from P&L statement, book value or shareholder funds from the Balance Sheet, and the free cash flows to equity (FCFE) from the cash flow statement. Any relative valuation multiples will be linked to these three items one way or the other. Any other metric could be wrong and misleading.\n\nFor example, price by revenue or price by EBITDA is incorrect. Why? How do you differentiate between two companies A and B — both having same market cap of ₹100 and similar in all means except for debt levels — same revenue (₹100) and same gross margin and same EBITDA margins of 20 per cent and thus same EBITDA of ₹20. But A has zero debt, while B has debt of ₹10. Since revenue or sales and EBITDA are same, if you do a market cap/revenue or Price /Sales, or marketcap/EBITDA, both companies will have the same valuation.\n\nHowever, let’s assume depreciation is ₹10, interest cost is 10 per cent and taxes are zero. This means the net profit of A is ₹10, while that of B is ₹9. Thus although both companies are similar in terms of Price/Revenue and Price/EBITDA, A is cheaper on the PE ratio – ie PE of A is 10 and PE of B is 11.1. On a relative valuation basis, you must choose A instead of B, but you would not have spotted it if you had used incorrect metrics.\n\nHence it’s very important to use the right multiples. When it comes to equity metrics, it always has to be price or market cap (or variations of the same) in numerator divided by line items attributable to equity holders (or variations of the same)\n\nThe accompanying table gives the commonly used equity multiples for relative valuation.\n\nOnce the metrics and importance are understood, there are, as such, no limits to how you can use them to pick stocks. You can use one or two metrics or a combination of many more metrics to assess which stocks are undervalued or overvalued.\n\nDepending on specific cases, you can use further variations to pick stocks. For example, during the 2003-2007 bull market, many textile stocks, for instance, Bombay Dyeing, turned out to be multibaggers. Was their textile business booming? Not really. But the stocks were zooming because there was real estate boom and many textile mills had manufacturing facilities in prime real estate locations. So the markets started to factor value of the company based on market value of their land. In such a case you can deviate from Price/Book multiple to price/market value of net assets (assets – net debt).\n\nSimilar is the case with holding companies. If you think there is a reasonable case for underlying value of assets to be unlocked and Holdco discount to shrink, like it has happened in bank holding companies in the last 2-3 years, then there is a case to move beyond book value to market value.\n\nEnterprise value multiples\n\nEnterprise value refers to total value of a company/business. This total value as perceived by the market is represented by the sum of its market cap + net debt (includes minority interest). What works in the case of EV is that it helps in doing a capital-agnostic analysis of a company. Whether a company is funded only with equity, or a combination of equity and debt, the total value of the business is the same. Sources of funding don’t matter.\n\nUsing EV, the value of equity (share price) is derived from the value of the business. Since the capital structure of companies varies significantly, an EV approach enables valuing them on similar terms. One can arrive at the value of the business first and then subtract net debt, to arrive at the equity value. The advantage with EV-based metrics is that you have more options to value a company.\n\nBear in mind, valuation accuracy is better the lower down the P&L and cash flow statement one can get to. But there are many times when company profits are low, but its operational performance ie EBITDA is not bad. In such cases, as revenue and EBITDA continue to grow, operating leverage will result in PE growing much faster than the above two line items.\n\nFor example, take the case of Bharti Airtel: at the start of FY22 (April ‘21) its trailing PE was negative/invalid due to losses in FY21. The stock would have been avoided if one went by PE alone. However, on trailing EV/EBITDA basis, it was trading at 10 times EV/EBITDA. When this was considered against its estimated next 2 years EBITDA CAGR of over 20 per cent, the valuation, combined with qualitative factors, made it an interesting buy. Since then, net profits have improved substantially as operating leverage played out.\n\nAt bl.portfolio we had recommended a buy on the stock based on this in April 2021 and the stock has returned 80 per cent since. The stock would have been easily missed if PE was the metric used to spot the performers.\n\nHence EV-based metrics are options to consider as well when equity-based valuation multiples do not give a clear picture. Where even EBITDA multiples are not clear, as was the case with many new-age company IPOs that were reporting losses even at the EBITDA level, investors have no option but to go further up the P&L to metrics like EV/revenue, or even outside of P&L to use metrics like EV/subscriber.\n\nAs we mentioned earlier, relative valuation represents a number backed by a credible and well-validated story. Hence, you can use non-P&L multiples. So when you compare companies and invest in one based on EV/Subscriber, there must be a credible story backing future monetisation of the subscriber in a profitable manner. But do bear in mind, the risks are higher and so may be the rewards or pain as the case may be. When the risks are higher, you must apply a higher margin of safety before choosing the stock.\n\nAnother thing to bear in mind when it comes to EV-based valuation — any change in EV will impact only the equity value. For example, if EV of a company is ₹100 and it has ₹50 in debt, then the value of its equity is ₹50. In this case, if you think EV can increase by 10 per cent, the value of equity will increase by 20 per cent, and the reverse is also true. The higher the leverage, more the impact of change in EV on the value of the stock (both ways).\n\nKeep a weather eye on Ketchup Economics\n\nGiven the fact that relative valuation is based on comparison with peer multiples, investors must take measures to check whether the peer multiples are reasonable as well. An overvalued peer cannot be used to justify expensive valuation in one stock. This is what economist Larry Summers termed as Ketchup economists/economics. It was his sarcastic take on some of the highly paid economists and finance professionals who are concerned only with inter-relationships between prices of different financial assets. Based on this approach, they conclude whether the price of an asset independently is efficient or not. If two bottles of ketchup sell for twice as much as one bottle (except for minor differences traceable to transaction costs), the market is efficient.\n\nThe risk in this – it ignores the aspect of whether one bottle of ketchup is priced rationally. Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman once explained how the US housing bubble that precipitated the global financial crisis reminded him of ketchup economists. Before purchasing a house during the bubble, buyers carefully compared prices with ‘prices of other houses’, but ignored whether the overall level of a home price made sense.\n\nHow to avoid pitfalls\n\nSo, what can you do to avoid pitfalls while using relative valuation? Here are a few pointers.\n\nOne, after comparing stocks based on relative valuation, you can do more layers of comparison by assessing how their valuation fares relative to growth prospects. This apart, many other factors can justify different valuations. For example, TCS has always commanded a valuation premium to peer stocks like Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech because of its superior margins and much more consistent growth. So just because the other stocks are cheaper on PE basis does not mean they are cheap compared to TCS. So you can also do one more layer of comparison by assessing each company’s valuation against its long-term (5-10 years) mean and median valuations and assess how they fare relative to their own history.\n\nTwo, equity valuations do not function in a silo. Investors have many options — fixed deposits, bonds, real estate, etc. When other assets get more attractive one must assess scope for valuation change in equities as well. For example, interest rates and bond yields in many developed markets, including the US, are at their highest levels since 2007. This means investors may have to assess current valuations not just against last 10 years’ valuations, but of prior periods as well.\n\nWhy? Near zero interest rates and low bond yields made stocks with earnings yield of mere 1-2 per cent attractive for an FPI — for example stocks such as Asian Paints, Nestle India and ABB India which today trade at PE of 65, 83 and 85 times respectively. This implies earnings yield of 1.5 per cent for Asian Paints and 1.2 per cent for Nestle and ABB. Such earnings yields of these stocks were fine for FPIs to hold when compared to zero interest income in their domestic market. But now, with US bond yields offering 5 per cent, these may not be so attractive even when considering the growth prospects. While Indian interest rates were always higher, investors in equities benefited from the global investors’ hunger for yields. That advantage is diminishing today. This is not a recommendation on the stocks, but pointers on factors to consider to make your relative valuation process more foolproof.\n\nWith discipline and experience, the process will keep getting better.", + "Greg Marcus has been in the movie business for years but he never expected to be urging moviegoers to take out their phones during a film — let alone to be crafting friendship bracelets in preparation for an opening weekend.\n\nBut there the chief executive and chair of the Marcus Corporation is in a promotion for his theater chain headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stringing beads together while humming “Shake It Off.”\n\nMovie theaters are readying for an onslaught like they’ve never seen before, beginning Friday when “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” debuts. The concert film, compiled from several Swift shows at Southern California’s SoFi Stadium, is expected to launch with $100 million, or possibly more. Advance ticket sales worldwide have already surpassed $100 million.\n\nSwifties will descend. Dancing will be encouraged.\n\n“This is different,” says Marcus. “Take your phone out. Take selfies. Dance, sing, get up, have a good time. We want to create an atmosphere.”\n\nConcert films, of course, aren’t anything new. Just last month, the Talking Heads classic “Stop Making Sense” returned to theaters for a decades-later encore. But “The Eras Tour” heralds something new and potentially game-changing in the movie industry.\n\nTwo of the biggest stars on the planet — Swift and , in December under a very similar arrangement, Beyoncé — are heading into cinemas in first-of-their-kind deals made directly with AMC Theaters that circumvent Hollywood studios and which, for now, leave streamers waiting on the sidelines.\n\nBut how did the once declared-for-dead multiplex become the go-to place this fall a pair of stars previously at home on Netflix?\n\nWhen studios began diverting some of their titles to streaming platforms, movie theaters began thinking harder about how they could fill their screens — a question exacerbated this autumn by an actors strike that’s led to the postponement of big releases like “Dune: Part Two.”\n\nMovie theaters are increasingly not just a marquee of movie showtimes but a big-screen stage for a variety of visual media. BTS earlier this year released a concert film, with higher ticket prices and limited showtimes. The Metropolitan Opera has for years done popular live broadcasts in theaters.\n\nFew acts can do what Swift and Beyoncé can. Their expected success is unlikely to be replicated. But “The Eras Tour” could be the start of an expansion of what, exactly, a movie theater can be. Think the Sphere, only much cheaper and in most towns.\n\n“You could say we’re in the movie business, but really we’re in the getting-together-with-other-people business,” says Marcus. “The more we do of it, the more the customers will think about it and the more talent will go: This is something I could do.”\n\nSwift’s camp was motivated to get the film out even as her stadium tour continues internationally. The tour, which is projected by Pollstar to gross some $1.4 billion, crashed Ticketmaster’s site, saw sky-high resale mark-ups and left many fans priced out.\n\nThe movie, directed by Sam Wrench, would be a way for millions more to experience the Eras Tour. Adult tickets are being sold for $19.89, a reference to her birth year and 2014 album, a re-recording of which is due out Oct. 27. That’s higher than the average movie ticket but several thousand less than many tickets to see Swift live.\n\nIt’s arriving uncommonly fast, too, just a little over two months since the SoFi shows. Speed was one reason Swift’s father, Scott Swift, is said to have sought out a direct deal with AMC. Swift produced the film, herself, and, with 274 million followers on Instagram, didn’t need a studio to promote it.\n\nThe pop star’s apparent relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has only further brightened the spotlight on the movie. According to ad tracking firm iSpot, TV ads for the film ran only a few dozen times as of Oct. 6, including several spots during NFL broadcasts. (A Marvel movie, by comparison, might run several thousand TV commercials.)\n\nTicket sales will be split 43% with theaters and 57% shared by Swift and AMC — with the lion’s share of that going to Swift. The film will play exclusively in theaters for at least 13 weeks — longer than many Hollywood releases do now. AMC CEO Adam Aron has called the deal “a coup for AMC” on social media.\n\nBoth AMC and representatives for Swift declined to discuss the film’s release.\n\nAfter a premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday, there won’t be any advance screenings until the movie begins playing at 6 p.m. local time Friday. Most wide-release movies open with Thursday showings and Friday daytime screenings. It’s another wrinkle in a nontraditional release that’s challenging Hollywood norms.\n\n“Innovation comes out of challenging times in this business. We’re seeing a lot of changes, some subtle, some not so subtle,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “It seems like, right now, there are no rules when it comes to being successful.”\n\nDergarabedian believes the two concert films should help lift the North American box office to more than $9 billion in 2023, up from the $7.4 billion of last year and edging closer to the $11.4 billion of 2019.\n\n“It really opens up the idea that other types of content can play really well in a movie theater,” he says.\n\nSome of those changes have been facilitated by the abolishment of long-held antitrust restrictions governing movie distribution. After more than 70 years of regulating divisions between exhibition and distribution, the Paramount consent decrees were terminated in 2020 at the urging of the Department of Justice, with a two-year sunset period that ran until last year.\n\n“Innovation had effectively been stunted,” says Makan Delrahim, the former antitrust chief at the Justice Department who proposed ending the consent decrees.\n\nDelrahim believes “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” — as a movie distributed by a theater chain, with nontraditional ticket prices — could “fuel new business models to save the exhibitors.”\n\n“There will be more appetite to experiment different models for theatrical distribution,” Delrahim says. “The industry needs it and, frankly, so do consumers.”\n\nMeanwhile, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is poised to become the biggest concert film ever in about two days of release. Not accounting for inflation, 2011’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” holds that mark with $73.1 million across its entire run. Accounting for inflation, it will be harder for “The Eras Tour” to catch “Woodstock,” which grossed $50 million in 1970, a total that translates to nearly $400 million today.\n\nIn Marcus’ theaters, like many other chains, there will be friendship bracelet stations. Sound systems have been modified for more of a concert feel. And while Marcus grants it will be strange to see an AMC logo before a film playing in his theaters, he doesn’t particularly mind.\n\n“I’m just happy it’s there,” he says.", + "For the next few weeks, TechCrunch’s robotics newsletter Actuator will be running Q&As with some of the top minds in robotics. Subscribe here for future updates.\n\nPart 1: CMU’s Matthew Johnson-Roberson\n\nPart 2: Toyota Research Institute’s Max Bajracharya and Russ Tedrake\n\nPart 3: Meta’s Dhruv Batra\n\nThis time it’s Boston Dynamics CTO, Aaron Saunders. He has been with the company for more than 20 years, most recently serving as its vice president of Engineering.\n\nWhat role(s) will generative AI play in the future of robotics?\n\nThe current rate of change makes it hard to predict very far into the future. Foundation models represent a major shift in how the best machine learning models are created, and we are already seeing some impressive near-term accelerations in natural language interfaces. They offer opportunities to create conversational interfaces to our robots, improve the quality of existing computer vision functions and potentially enable new customer-facing capabilities such as visual question answering. Ultimately we feel these more scalable architectures and training strategies are likely to extend past language and vision into robotic planning and control. Being able to interpret the world around a robot will lead to a much richer understanding on how to interact with it. It’s a really exciting time to be a roboticist!\n\nWhat are your thoughts on the humanoid form factor?\n\nHumanoids aren’t necessarily the best form factor for all tasks. Take Stretch, for example — we originally generated interest in a box-moving robot from a video we shared of Atlas moving boxes. Just because humans can move boxes doesn’t mean we’re the best form factor to complete that task, and we ultimately designed a custom robot in Stretch that can move boxes more efficiently and effectively than a human. With that said, we see great potential in the long-term pursuit of general-purpose robotics, and the humanoid form factor is the most obvious match to a world built around our form. We have always been excited about the potential of humanoids and are working hard to close the technology gap.\n\nFollowing manufacturing and warehouses, what is the next major category for robotics?\n\nThose two industries still stand out when you look at matching up customer needs with the state of art in technology. As we fan out, I think we will move slowly from environments that have determinism to those with higher levels of uncertainty. Once we see broad adoption in automation-friendly industries like manufacturing and logistics, the next wave probably happens in areas like construction and healthcare. Sectors like these are compelling opportunities because they have large workforces and high demand for skilled labor, but the supply is not meeting the need. Combine that with the work environments, which sit between the highly structured industrial setting and the totally unstructured consumer market, and it could represent a natural next step along the path to general purpose.\n\nHow far out are true general-purpose robots?\n\nThere are many hard problems standing between today and truly general-purpose robots. Purpose-built robots have become a commodity in the industrial automation world, but we are just now seeing the emergence of multi-purpose robots. To be truly general purpose, robots will need to navigate unstructured environments and tackle problems they have not encountered. They will need to do this in a way that builds trust and delights the user. And they will have to deliver this value at a competitive price point. The good news is that we are seeing an exciting increase in critical mass and interest in the field. Our children are exposed to robotics early, and recent graduates are helping us drive a massive acceleration of technology. Today’s challenge of delivering value to industrial customers is paving the way toward tomorrow’s consumer opportunity and the general purpose future we all dream of.\n\nWill home robots (beyond vacuums) take off in the next decade?\n\nWe may see additional introduction of robots into the home in the next decade, but for very limited and specific tasks (like Roomba, we will find other clear value cases in our daily lives). We’re still more than a decade away from multifunctional in-home robots that deliver value to the broad consumer market. When would you pay as much for a robot as you would a car? When it achieves the same level of dependability and value you have come to take for granted in the amazing machines we use to transport us around the world.\n\nWhat important robotics story/trend isn’t getting enough coverage?\n\nThere is a lot of enthusiasm around AI and its potential to change all industries, including robotics. Although it has a clear role and may unlock domains that have been relatively static for decades, there is a lot more to a good robotic product than 1’s and 0’s. For AI to achieve the physical embodiment we need to interact with the world around us, we need to track progress in key technologies like computers, perception sensors, power sources and all the other bits that make up a full robotic system. The recent pivot in automotive towards electrification and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is quickly transforming a massive supply chain. Progress in graphics cards, computers and increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled consumer electronics continues to drive value into adjacent supply chains. This massive snowball of technology, rarely in the spotlight, is one of the most exciting trends in robotics because it enables small innovative companies to stand on the backs of giants to create new and exciting products.", + "Building a robot that’s both human-like and useful is a decades-old engineering dream inspired by popular science fiction.\n\nWhile the latest artificial intelligence craze has sparked another wave of investments in the quest to build a humanoid, most of the current prototypes are clumsy and impractical, looking better in staged performances than in real life. That hasn’t stopped a handful of startups from keeping at it.\n\n“The intention is not to start from the beginning and say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to make a robot look like a person,’” said Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer at Agility Robotics. “We’re trying to make robots that can operate in human spaces.”\n\nDo we even need humanoids? Hurst makes a point of describing Agility’s warehouse robot Digit as human-centric, not humanoid, a distinction meant to emphasize what it does over what it’s trying to be.\n\nWhat it does, for now, is pick up tote bins and move them. Amazon announced in October it will begin testing Digits for use in its warehouses, and Agility opened an Oregon factory in September to mass produce them.\n\nDigit has a head containing cameras, other sensors and animated eyes, and a torso that essentially works as its engine. It has two arms and two legs, but its legs are more bird-like than human, with an inverted knees appearance that resembles so-called digitigrade animals such as birds, cats and dogs that walk on their toes rather than on flat feet.\n\nRival robot-makers, like Figure AI, are taking a more purist approach on the idea that only true humanoids can effectively navigate workplaces, homes and a society built for humans. Figure also plans to start with a relatively simple use case, such as in a retail warehouse, but aims for a commercial robot that can be “iterated on like an iPhone” to perform multiple tasks to take up the work of humans as birth rates decline around the world.\n\n“There’s not enough people doing these jobs, so the market’s massive,” said Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock. “If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans are not wanting to do because there’s a shortfall of humans, we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe.”\n\nAt the moment, however, Adcock’s firm doesn’t have a prototype that’s ready for market. Founded just over a year ago and after having raised tens of millions of dollars, it recently revealed a 38-second video of Figure walking through its test facility in Sunnyvale, California.\n\nTesla CEO Elon Musk is also trying to build a humanoid, called Optimus, through the electric car-maker’s robotics division, but a hyped-up live demonstration last year of the robot’s awkwardly halting steps didn’t impress experts in the robotics field. Seemingly farther along is Tesla’s Austin, Texas-based neighbor Apptronik, which unveiled its Apollo humanoid in an August video demonstration.\n\nAll the attention — and money — poured into making ungainly humanoid machines might make the whole enterprise seem like a futile hobby for wealthy technologists, but for some pioneers of legged robots it’s all about what you learn along the way.\n\n“Not only about their design and operation, but also about how people respond to them, and about the critical underlying technologies for mobility, dexterity, perception and intelligence,” said Marc Raibert, the co-founder of Boston Dynamics, best known for its dog-like robots named Spot.\n\nRaibert said sometimes the path of development is not along a straight line. Boston Dynamics, now a subsidiary of carmaker Hyundai, experimented with building a humanoid that could handle boxes.\n\n“That led to development of a new robot that was not really a humanoid, but had several characteristics of a humanoid,” he said via an emailed message. “But the changes resulted in a new robot that could handle boxes faster, could work longer hours, and could operate in tight spaces, such as a truck. So humanoid research led to a useful non-humanoid robot.”\n\nSome startups aiming for human-like machines focused on improving the dexterity of robotic fingers before trying to get their robots to walk.\n\nWalking is “not the hardest problem to solve in humanoid robotics,” said Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of British Columbia, Canada-based startup Sanctuary AI. “The hardest problem is the problem of understanding the world and being able to manipulate it with your hands.”\n\nSanctuary’s newest and first bipedal robot, Phoenix, can stock shelves, unload delivery vehicles and operate a checkout, early steps toward what Rose sees as a much longer-term goal of getting robots to perceive the physical world to be able to reason about it in a way that resembles intelligence. Like other humanoids, it’s meant to look endearing, because how it interacts with real people is a big part of its function.\n\n“We want to be able to provide labor to the world, not just for one thing, but for everybody who needs it,” Rose said. “The systems have to be able to think like people. So we could call that artificial general intelligence if you’d like. But what I mean more specifically is the systems have to be able to understand speech and they need to be able to convert the understanding of speech into action, which will satisfy job roles across the entire economy.”\n\nAgility’s Digit robot caught Amazon’s attention because it can walk and also move around in a way that could complement the e-commerce giant’s existing fleet of vehicle-like robots that move large carts around its vast warehouses.\n\n“The mobility aspect is more interesting than the actual form,” said Tye Brady, Amazon’s chief technologist for robotics, after the company showed it off at a media event in Seattle.\n\nRight now, Digit is being tested to help with the repetitive task of picking up and moving empty totes. But just having it there is bound to resurrect some fears about robots taking people’s jobs, a narrative Amazon is trying to prevent from taking hold.\n\nAgility Robotics co-founder and CEO Damion Shelton said the warehouse robot is “just the first use case” of a new generation of robots he hopes will be embraced rather than feared as they prepare to enter businesses and homes.\n\n“So in 10, 20 years, you’re going to see these robots everywhere,” Shelton said. “Forever more, human- centric robots like that are going to be part of human life. So that’s pretty exciting.”\n\n—-\n\nAP writer Haleluya Hadero contributed to this report.", + "Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto have already found new homes, but much of the MLB offseason has yet to play out.\n\nJapanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the focus of many teams as he prepares to sign a massive deal, while Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery remain on the market. The trade market is also expected to be active once more dominoes fall, with Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes and Tyler Glasnow among starters who could be moved this winter.\n\nThe Winter Meetings are over, but because of the timeline of major decisions by Ohtani and Yamamoto, there could be a flurry of activity leading up to the end of the year.\n\nMORE: Why Shohei Ohtani signed with Dodgers over Blue Jays, other suitors\n\nSporting News is tracking the rumors, signings and trades as MLB free agency continues. Follow along below for the latest news.\n\nMLB free agency tracker, live updates\n\nPadres ink five-year deal with NPB star Matsui\n\nDate: Saturday, Dec. 23\n\nSource: ESPN's Jeff Passan\n\nAnother Japanese star is headed to the Sunshine State. Star reliever Yuki Matsui inked a five-year, $28 million deal to join the Friars on Saturday. Matsui was one of NPB's best arms out the pen, starring for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for nearly a decade. He tallied up 236 saves over the course of his career, posting a 2.40 ERA in 659.2 innings of work. The contract features opt-out clauses in Years 4 and 5, offering San Diego an out if Matsui deals with elbow trouble.\n\nDodgers sign Yamamoto to $325 million contract\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 19\n\nSource: ESPN's Jeff Passan, YES Network's Jack Curry\n\nThe Yamamoto sweepstakes are over, as the Dodgers have reportedly signed the Japanese ace to a 12-year, $325 million. It's the largest MLB deal for a pitcher, surpassing Gerrit Cole's deal with the Yankees by $1 million. Los Angeles' incredible offseason continues, as Yamamoto joins Shohei Ohtani on the defending NL West champs.\n\nGiants out of Yamamoto sweepstakes\n\nDate: Thursday, Dec. 21\n\nSource: Alex Pavlovic, NBC Sports Bay Area\n\nThe Giants made a hard push to land Yamamoto, but according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic, San Francisco has been notified that the team is out of the bidding to land the Japanese ace. Pavlovic added that it is very likely that Yamamoto ends up either in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, or New York with the Mets or Yankees.\n\nYamamoto met with Giants, won't decide on team until after Christmas\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 19\n\nSource: Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic and Bob Klapisch, Newark Star-Ledger\n\nSan Francisco has been among the teams most heavily believed to be in on Yamamoto, and according to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, the team met with him in San Francisco last week. Baggarly reported the Giants have been willing to \"blow teams out of the water\" to land Yamamoto, but noted he believes the crowded picture for the Japanese ace could make it more challenging for the Giants to be the winner of the Yamamoto sweepstakes.\n\nAnd fans will have to wait a bit longer before hearing a final resolution on his decision. The Newark Star-Ledger's Bob Klapisch reported Yamamoto isn't expected to make a decision until after Christmas, and that it could run until around Jan. 1-4.\n\nPirates re-sign franchise legend Andrew McCutchen\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 19\n\nSource: Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette\n\nThe Pirates have been making a few veteran free-agent signings to bolster the rotation. Now, they're bringing back a franchise icon. Pittsburgh has reportedly inked Andrew McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million.\n\nMcCutchen enjoyed a solid return to Pittsburgh in 2023, slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs in 112 games. It was his first season in Pittsburgh since 2017.\n\nAngels discussing Blake Snell\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 19\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe Angels came up empty on bringing back Ohtani. Now, they're looking to land another splashy name on the free-agent market. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Los Angeles has had discussions with two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.\n\nPer Morosi, the Angels are not believed to be a strong contender for Yamamoto, thus allowing them to put more of an effort on landing Snell rather than waiting for Yamamoto to make a decision.\n\nCody Bellinger looking for package starting at $200 million\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Jesse Rogers, ESPN\n\nWith Ohtani signed to Los Angeles, Bellinger remains the top free-agent bat on the market. And he is clearly looking for a top-of-the-market contract. Rogers reported sources indicate Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, is seeking a deal worth well over $200 million for Bellinger, with one source saying he is \"not budging.\"\n\nRogers went on to note that some believe the Cubs won't be a team willing to pay a player that type of money until he's 40 years old, while a team like the Blue Jays might given their desperation to round out the roster.\n\nPadres closing in on contract for Yuki Matsui\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Yuki Yamada, Sankei Sports\n\nThe Padres are nearing a deal for one of the top Japanese pitchers on the market. Per Sankei Sports' Yuki Yamada, the Padres are \"close to signing\" Rakuten Golden Eagles' reliever Yuki Matsui to a deal. In 10 years in Nippon Professional Baseball, Matsui has a 2.40 ERA across 659.2 innings of work. In 2023, he posted a 1.57 ERA in 57.1 innings and racked up 39 saves for the Golden Eagles.\n\nGiants ink catcher Tom Murphy to two-year contract\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic\n\nThe Giants are adding some catching depth. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported San Francisco has agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Giants. Murphy appeared in only 47 games for the Mariners in 2023, but had a standout year at the plate, slashing .290/.335/.538 with eight home runs. He joins a catching room that also features breakout 2023 rookie Patrick Bailey and Joey Bart. Bart is out of minor-league options, and could be on the outside-looking-in to a 2024 Opening Day roster spot if the Giants decide to have only two catchers on the active roster.\n\nPirates add to rotation, sign Martin Perez\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette\n\nPittsburgh continues to add to its rotation this offseason. The Pirates have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with former Ranger starter Martin Perez. He was used as a swing man in 2023, making 20 starts and 35 total appearances, pitching to a 4.45 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 49 walks in 141.2 innings en route to winning a WorldSeries ring. The Pirates also added another left-hander who pitched in 2023 for an AL West team in Marco Gonzales, though he had an offseason stop in Atlanta in the middle.\n\nBidding for Yamamoto begins Monday\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nThere has been plenty of speculation about offers sent over to Yamamoto to this point, but Passan reports he has yet to receiver any formal offers. However, that will start to change on Monday, with the bidding slated to begin.\n\nBraves cut Matt Carpenter after trying to trade him\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 18\n\nSource: Robert Murray, FanSided\n\nAtlanta reportedly was hoping to trade Matt Carpenter after acquiring him in a deal earlier this offseason from the Padres. The team acquired him and took on $4 million along with trading for Ray Kerr, but was looking to deal away his contract to someone else, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.\n\nTwins could trade Max Kepler, Jorge Polance\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 17\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe Twins are coming off an AL Central title, but could be looking to deal away two of their key players form the team. Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco could both reportedly be on the trade market, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, though their market could hinge on the status of other infield free agents.\n\nKepler appeared in 130 games for the Twins, and posted an impressive .260/.332/.484 slash line with 24 homers for Minnesota. Polanco was moved to an infield utility role with Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis emerging into regulars, but was still solid in 80 games, logging a .255/.335/.454 slash with 14 homers.\n\nYamamoto requests meeting with Yankees\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 17\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nYamamoto has been making the rounds with MLB teams, and per Heyman, he reportedly asked to meet with the Yankees for a second time. The meeting with New York comes a day after he met with the Mets at team owner Steve Cohen's Connecticut home.\n\nLourdes Gurriel Jr. re-signs with Diamondbacks\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 17\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic and ESPN's Jeff Passan\n\nThe Diamondbacks acquired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. last offseason in a trade involving Daulton Varsho and Gabriel Moreno. And after helping Arizona get to the World Series, Gurriel is ready to come back to Arizona. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Gurriel has re-signed a contract with the Diamondbacks.\n\nAccording to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the deal is for $42 million over three years with a club option for a fourth year and an opt out after his second season with the club.\n\nYamamoto dines with Mets owner\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 17\n\nSource: Joel Sherman, New York Post\n\nThe Mets continued their strong push for the top free agent available, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, by hosting the Japanese pitcher for dinner Saturday night at team owner Steve Cohen's Connecticut home. Cohen and other top Mets officials previously flew to Japan to meet with Yamamoto on his home turf, so this is at least the second time the key players have met face-to-face.\n\nSherman reports the bidding process for the 25-year-old \"is supposed to intensify this week,\" with the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays also in the mix.\n\nRoyals sign pair of veterans\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 15\n\nSource: MLB.com's Anne Rogers\n\nThe Royals continue to splurge in the offseason. Per MLB.com's Anne Rogers, Kansas City signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with a player option for 2025 worth $7.5 million, as well as right-hander Michael Wacha to a two-year, $32 million deal with an opt-out after 2024.\n\nThe moves are the latest for the Royals, who already signed Seth Lugo, Will Smith and Garrett Hampson this offseason. The total commitments are now up to $82 million.\n\nTyler Glansow inks extension with Dodgers\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 15\n\nSource: ESPN's Jeff Passan\n\nThe only question mark left in the Glasnow trade was the figures on the extension he'd wind up signing with the Dodgers. Now, the numbers are in, and the deal is set to be completed.\n\nPer Passan, Glasnow will be signing a five-year, $135 million deal with the Dodgers. Passan reported the deal begins in 2024, and could reach up to $145 million if the Dodgers pick up a $30 million option at the end of the contract. He also reported that unlike Ohtani's deal, there will be no deferred money.\n\nTyler Glasnow traded to Dodgers from Rays\n\nDate: Thursday, Dec. 14\n\nSource: ESPN's Jeff Passan\n\nAs had been reported for a few days, the deal between the Dodgers and Rays for Tyler Glasnow is coming to fruition. Los Angeles has reportedly acquired the right-handed starting pitcher, along with outfielder Manuel Margot, for RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny Deluca.\n\nGlasnow is expected to sign a contract extension with the Dodgers as a result of the trade. The 30-year-old is in the final year of a two-year deal he sinked with the Rays in 2023, and was set to be free agent in 2025.\n\nJack Flaherty signs with Tigers\n\nDate: Thursday, Dec. 14\n\nSource:ESPN's Jeff Passan\n\nJack Flaherty has a new home. The right hander is signing a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers, according to Passan.\n\nAfter undergoing shoulder surgery in 2022, Flaherty was traded from the Cardinals to the Orioles last year at the 2023 deadline. In total, he made 27 starts last year, posting a 4.99 ERA with 148 strikeouts in 144.1 innings.\n\nYoshinobu Yamamoto meets with Phillies\n\nDate: Thursday, Dec. 14\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nThe Phillies have not been one of the more frequent names connected to Yamamoto, however the Japanese free agent reportedly met with the team. The starting pitcher has met with a number of teams, including the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox.\n\nPhiladelphia re-signed ace Aaron Nola this offseason, bringing back the powerful duo of Nola and Zack Wheeler. Adding Yamamoto would immediately give the Phillies' one of the best rotations in baseball.\n\nCubs, Blue Jays the favorites for Cody Bellinger\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 13\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nThe Blue Jays and Cubs were believed to be among the favorites to land Ohtani. But with the star two-way talent off to Los Angeles, the two are now believed to be the favorites to land Cody Bellinger, according to Heyman.\n\nBellinger would be returning to the Cubs, the team with which he rebuilt his value after a down year with the Dodgers. If he signed with the Blue Jays, he'd be bringing the powerful left-handed bat the team sought when it pursued Ohtani.\n\nDodgers send stars to meet with Yamamoto\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 13\n\nSource: Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic\n\nThe Dodgers added one Japanese star this offseason. They're now looking to add another. Los Angeles reportedly sent Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith to meet with Yamamoto, trying to convince the standout starting pitcher to join the National League superpower.\n\nSigning Yamamoto would be a major boost for the Dodgers, who still have a need at starting pitcher.\n\nRays-Dodgers working on a Tyler Glasnow trade\n\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 13\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic\n\nThe Rays and Dodgers are reportedly working on a trade that would send starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow to L.A. Rosenthal reports that the proposed deal would also include OF Manny Margot going to the Dodgers, while the Rays would receive RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny Deluca.\n\nRosenthal clarified that the deal is not complete and changes are possible, but the base of the deal is Glasnow to the Dodgers.\n\nRowdy Tellez inks one-year deal with Pirates\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 12\n\nSource: Robert Murray, FanSided\n\nThe Pirates have agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract with Rowdy Tellez. The deal includes an additional $800,000 in incentives.\n\nTellez hit 35 home runs as a centerpiece of the Brewers' lineup in 2022, but he took a significant step back in 2023 after starting the season on a roll. Between first base and the DH role, however, the Pirates figure to give Tellez near-everyday playing time in hopes his power bat finds its form.\n\nGiants, Jung-Hoo Lee agree to six-year deal\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 12\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nThe Giants have struggled to land big-name free agents over the last two offseasons, but they reeled in a pretty significant fish on Tuesday by inking Korean outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113M contract. Lee can opt out after 2027.\n\nLee is just 25 and was an on-base machine in Korea, batting .340 in his KBO career. While his power was inconsistent between seasons, Lee was a sought-after bat in free agency and drew heavy interest from the Padres as well.\n\nDodgers meeting with Yamamoto on Tuesday\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 12\n\nSource: Russell Dorsey, Bally Sports\n\nBally Sports' Russell Dorsey reports the Dodgers met with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday, extending Yamamoto's free agent four.\n\nYamamoto has already met with four teams and still plans to meet with the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the coming days.\n\nRoyals finalizing deal with SP Seth Lugo\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 12\n\nSource: Anne Rogers, MLB.com\n\nThe Royals and starter Seth Lugo are finalizing a 3-year, $45 million contract, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers.\n\nThe Padres stretched Lugo back into a full-time starter in 2023, and the 34-year-old posted a 3.57 ERA across 146.1 innings. Kansas City can use plenty of rotation help after a dismal 2023 season, so Lugo figures to be one of the Royals' top arms in 2024 and perhaps beyond.\n\nYamamoto to meet with Red Sox, Blue Jays\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 12\n\nSource: Mark Feinsand, MLB.com\n\nMLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will meet with both the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the coming days.\n\nYamamoto has already met with the Mets, Giants and Yankees, with the Dodgers also believed to be involved in the bidding. With both meetings still upcoming, the report is an indication the Yamamoto sweepstakes aren't on the verge of a conclusion.\n\nMORE: Ranking the best fits for Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto\n\nDodgers formally announce Ohtani signing\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 11\n\nSource: Los Angeles Dodgers\n\nThe Dodgers have officially announced their signing of Ohtani, calling him a \"once-in-a-generation talent and one of the most exciting professional athletes in the world.\"\n\n\"Dodger fans, thank you for welcoming me to your team. I can say 100 percent that you, the Dodger organization and I share the same goal - to bring World Series parades to the streets of Los Angeles,\" Ohtani said in a statement.\n\nThe Los Angeles Dodgers have signed two-time American League Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year contract. pic.twitter.com/mggYwgp01i — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 12, 2023\n\nOhtani to defer $680 million of $700 million Dodgers deal\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 11\n\nSource: Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic\n\nAccording to The Athletic, Ohtani will defer a whopping $680 million of his $700 million contract from the Dodgers, receiving only $2 million per year.\n\nWhile it's important to note the deal will still count as $46 million annually toward the luxury tax thresholds for Los Angeles, Ohtani is still giving the organization much more flexibility than expected over the course of the deal.\n\nThe two-time MVP will receive $68 million per year, without interest, from 2034-43, making the present-day value of the contract much less than it originally appeared.\n\nMORE: Complete breakdown of Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers contract, by the minute\n\nGiants reportedly meet with Yamamoto\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 11\n\nSource: Buster Olney, ESPN\n\nESPN's Buster Olney reports the Giants met with Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday, Dec. 10.\n\nYamamoto is the biggest fish on the free-agent market right now, and he's being pursued by a handful of big-market teams including the Yankees and Dodgers. The Giants have missed out on some of the most prominent free agents over the last two offseasons, so there might be incentive to make Yamamoto a massive offer to try and stay relevant in the NL West after the Dodgers' Ohtani signing.\n\nMORE: What to know about Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto as he moves to MLB\n\nRoyals agree to 1-year deal with reliever Will Smith\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 10\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nThe Royals have agreed to a 1-year, $5 million contract with reliever Will Smith, who spent this past season with the Rangers.\n\nSmith has won the World Series in each of the last three seasons, but Kansas City's expectations in 2024 don't quite extend to a championship. Instead, the Royals will hope the veteran Smith, who had solid underlying numbers in 2023, can serve as a reliable late-inning arm after both Scott Barlow and Aroldis Chapman were traded before the deadline this past season.\n\nShohei Ohtani agrees to mega contract with Dodgers\n\nDate: Saturday, Dec. 9\n\nSource: Shohei Ohtani, Jeff Passan\n\nTwo-time MVP Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram that he is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, spurning the Blue Jays and remaining in the city where he became a sensation with the Angels.\n\nESPN's Jeff Passan reports Ohtani has agreed to a colossal 10-year, $700 million contract shattering the MLB record for both total value and average annual value.\n\nOhtani joins a Dodgers lineup that already features two former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, both of whom were NL MVP finalists in 2023. While he won't pitch again until 2025, Ohtani's power and on-base ability gives Los Angeles the most dangerous trio of hitters in the sport.\n\nMORE: How Dodgers' 2024 payroll looks after handing out monster deal to Shohei Ohtani\n\nRed Sox swing deal for Cardinals' Tyler O'Neill\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 8\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nDays after trading Alex Verdugo to the Yankees, the Red Sox have acquired OF Tyler O'Neill from the Cardinals in a deal that sends pitching prospects Nick Robertson and Victor Santos to St. Louis.\n\nO'Neill enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season with the Cardinals, batting .286 with 34 home runs and a .912 OPS, but he's struggled to recapture that level of production over the last two seasons and is set to be a free agent after 2024.", + "The Los Angeles Angels have gone through a tough year. After a heartbreaking 2023 season, they now have to cope with the impending exit of their star two-way star, Shohei Ohtani. The team is also open to trading their nine-time Silver Slugger hitter Mike Trout, should he request it. In a huge miss, a team that couldn’t do well even with two of the league’s biggest talents on their roster may lose said stars at the same time. Will they choose to stay in LA?\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nThe Halos’ cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have been eyeing the dynamic Troutani duo for a long time. However, despite fans’ expectations, the Dodgers’ Ohtani-Trout conquest might not take place—and for good reasons.\n\nDo the Dodgers have the budget to afford Ohtani and Trout on the same roster?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nShohei Ohtani’s next projected contract value is predicted to be around $500–$600 million. If it goes through, he will break Trout’s biggest MLB deal record of 12 years, $426.5 million. Now, we all know that the Dodgers have deep pockets; they have managed to maintain quite a costly lineup this season valued at $283 million. But can they afford two of baseball’s biggest superstars at full value?\n\nNow, with Trout’s $426.5 million tagline, the slugger has an annual salary of about $35.45 million. He still has seven years left on his Angels contract, so get him in blue, the Dodgers will have to pay $248.15 million plus any extension value. Shohei Ohtani’s predicted $535 million for 11 years (according to a Sports Illustrated segment) will bring the Dodgers down to pay him a good $48.63 million annually.\n\nThe Dodgers already have six players whom they have to pay above $10 million a year: Freddie Freeman ($27 million), Mookie Betts ($25 million), Clayton Kershaw ($20 million), Chris Taylor ($15 million), Max Muncy ($13.5 million), and J.D. Martinez ($10 million). Among the top-paid players, Clayton Kershaw is exiting the team this season. That, along with a few other player offloads, will free up enough space in the Dodgers payroll to support two $25 million or three $10 million p/a players on their team. Neither Trout nor Ohtani falls within that price range, so keeping both together at the same time would not be a feasible option for the Dodgers right now.\n\nPitchers or Hitters? Who Will the Dodgers Prioritize This Free Agency?\n\nThe Dodgers have been in dire need of pitchers for a few seasons. Their current highest strikeout rate by a pitcher in a single postseason is 137 SOs by Clayton Kershaw, followed by 119 SOs by Bobby Miller and 117 SOs by Julio Urias. With Shohei Ohtani’s high strikeout rate of 167 this season, he’ll be an invaluable addition to the team. However, there’s a little hiccup that could keep that from happening.\n\nOhtani will not be available to pitch throughout the 2024 season due to an elbow ligament injury he’s currently recovering from. Given the pitcher’s unavoidable absence, it will not be advisable for the Dodgers to hire him until 2025. Yes, Ohtani does have magnificent hitting form as well. However, the team already has hitters like Freeman and Betts, who have scored 211 and 179 hits this regular season, respectively. Speaking of hitters, why will they still want Trout to join the team despite having better-than-average hitters on the team?\n\nWhy will the Dodgers sign an injury-prone Trout?\n\nMike Trout might have been absent for most of the 2023 season, but his career records boast the story of a legendary hitter who has given more than his salt’s worth to his current team. He has bagged 1624 hits and 940 RBIs with an 85.2 WAR and .301 BA across his 12-year-long baseball career. Unfortunately, Trout has become a victim of an injury streak, starting in 2022. He got his hands, left groin, back, and foot injured five times in the entire season; in 2023, he faced two hand injuries in two consecutive months.\n\nDespite his injury-prone history, the more logical option for the Dodgers would be to choose Trout over Ohtani; the team will not be able to afford them both at the same time. Trout comes with a cheaper price tag of $35.45 million compared to Ohtani’s projected $48.63 million. The Dodgers could use his All-Star form in between injuries if he still keeps getting them in 2024. With Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers would be wasting a year letting him play at-bat, with a high chance of getting him further injured and missing more pitching time. Isn’t it better to have a consistently wounded soldier than risk losing an overperforming one in a game of chances?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nWhy would Mike Trout switch to another Los Angeles team?\n\nTrout has been pretty persistent about sticking with the Los Angeles Angels from the very start. The team has been transparent about not stopping him should he choose to play for another team, but he does not want to do that. However, it seems that the Angels will have a hard time affording a player like Trout in the foreseeable future, as they have to win a good number of games to stay in the playoffs and keep a steady income of revenue throughout the seasons. Considering their 73-game win record this season, that seems like a pipe dream right now.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nTrout is 32 years old, which means that he has already hit the MLB average retirement age of 30. He still has a lot left to give to the diamond for approximately 6 more years. If the Dodgers have the chance to draft them, should they go with Ohtani, Trout, both, or neither? Let us know your opinions in the comment box.\n\nWatch This Story: Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Dream: Before Injury, He Always Wanted Both!", + "Poetry for Neanderthals Good game is good. Fun time be had by all. Me think you enjoy. That may sound like word crimes, but it’s the gist of playing Poetry for Neanderthals. Up to six players are tasked with getting their team to guess a word or phrase using only single-syllable words. And if you don’t, be prepared to get whacked with an inflatable club.\n\nPrice: $19.99 Amazon Walmart Target\n\nDisney Illusion Island (Nintendo Switch) Disney Illusion Island is a terrific intro to 2D side-scrolling “Metroidvania”-style games for kids. The art style is cute and fun, you can play with up to three others in co-op mode, and if anyone is ever struggling and gets dangerously low on health, you can give them an in-game hug to restore their vitality.\n\nPrice: $39.88+ Walmart Target GameStop\n\nMagna-Tiles Jungle Animals (25-piece set) It’s a proven fact that everything is more fun with magnets. Don’t believe us? Just ask any four-year-old child. Magna-Tiles’ jungle-themed set unites two things most kids love: animals and magnets. How do they work? Who knows? Nor do we think anyone is going to care when there’s a caiman and magnetic sloth this adorable involved.\n\nPrice: $39.99 Amazon Walmart Macy’s\n\nPokémon Matching Family Pajamas The family that Thunder Shocks together stays together. If your little ones are engrossed in the Pokémon world, then a fun way to engage with their hobby is with a little dress-up. Who needs cheesy red flannel and holiday PJs when you can wear the many expressions of Pikachu? It’ll make for much cuter family photos, I assure you.\n\nPrice: $19.99 Hanna Andersson\n\nCustom Face Socks Who doesn’t want to see their loved ones’ faces when looking at their feet? These eclectic socks from DivvyUp make for a silly gift for the kids or a fun one for an adult when featuring said children. You can choose up to three faces to plaster across a pair of socks in up to 14 colors, and all you need are some photos with decent resolution and good, consistent lighting.\n\nPrice: $24+ DivvyUp\n\nChatbooks Subscription Photo Book Photo albums are a time-honored treasure, but having the actual time to make them is the hurdle that dooms most family photos to a life spent dormant in cloud storage. With a monthly Chatbooks subscription, you take photos from your phone and easily assemble them in a 30-page photo book, one you can have delivered straight to your door with minimal effort.\n\nPrice: $21+ Chatbooks\n\nParchie watches Giving a kid a watch once they’re able to tell time is a small acknowledgment that they’re starting to have some responsibility bestowed upon them. While many watches aimed at children are cheesy, cheap garbage, these waterproof timepieces from Parchie are fun, adequately sized for smaller wrists, and built to last without costing a small fortune.\n\nPrice: $55.25+ Amazon Parchie Hodinkee\n\nKeith Haring Kids’ Chair What’s cooler than Keith Haring’s playful and uplifting artwork? Well, for one, having it be a decorative yet functional part of your home. This kid-sized chair constructed of lacquered beech wood can add a touch of whimsy to any room and, frankly, would look absolutely adorable when pulled up to a small desk for a little arts and crafts.\n\nPrice: $116.10+ The Shop at The Broad MoMA Design Store\n\nArteza Gel Ink Pens (60-pack) Some kids will always complain about school and homework, but the right set of pens can make both just a teeny-tiny bit more enjoyable. These long-lasting gel pens from Arteza are great for writing, drawing, coloring, or just doodling. The metal-tipped pens come in a wide range of colors, too, with metallic, pastel, and glitter finishes.\n\nPrice: $17.84+ Amazon Target Arteza\n\nWe’re Not Really Strangers Kids Edition Having deeper conversations with children is rarely easy, but the kids edition of We’re Not Really Strangers is an enjoyable exercise that gets both adults and children closer to the same wavelength. The thoughtful prompts are likely to elicit unexpected answers from both you and your kids, and the rainbow-colored pencils are a playful touch.\n\nPrice: $10+ Amazon We’re Not Really Strangers Toys R Us\n\nKit Adam mechanical keyboard Building a mechanical keyboard is a hobby oft-enjoyed by nerdy adults, but what if you could build one with Legos? The Kit Adam by KBDcraft is just that: a hot-swappable 60 percent board with a case constructed of Lego-style bricks. Not only does that make it simple and fun to build together but it also makes it infinitely customizable with your pieces.\n\nPrice: $99.99 KBDcraft\n\nBuddyPhones Cosmos Plus Headphones built for kids are low key some of the best gadgets parents can own. They come in handy while doing homework and can go a long way in keeping things a little less hectic during screen time, especially in the car. The noise-canceling BuddyPhones Cosmos Plus feature both wireless and wired connectivity, an included case, shareable audio, and — most importantly — a volume limiter to protect young ears.\n\nPrice: $79.90+ Amazon Walmart BuddyPhones\n\nThe Super Mario Bros. Movie – Van Playset It’s been a big year for Mario. Nintendo’s lovable Italian has a new movie and a new Nintendo Switch game in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. If the tykes still can’t get enough of everyone’s favorite plumber, however, then the Super Mario Bros. Movie Van Playset may scratch that itch — that is, until it’s time to rewatch the movie for the 100th time.\n\nPrice: $9.99+ Amazon Walmart GameStop\n\nKindle Kids (2022) The latest Kindle Kids offers young readers a sharp 6.2-inch display with adjustable front lighting, USB-C charging, and a battery that can last for weeks on a single charge. The best part of Amazon’s kid-ified ebook reader, however, is that it’s ad-free and comes with a two-year warranty against accidental damage, not to mention access to a ton of age-appropriate content.\n\nPrice: $119.99 Amazon Best Buy\n\n8BitDo SN30 Pro (Special Edition) The 8BitDo SN30 is more than a small controller best suited for tiny hands. It also oozes nostalgic vibes to make you feel a bit of what mom and dad did while playing the original SNES — albeit, with modern games on PC or the Nintendo Switch. What’s more, its see-through color schemes are sure to entice just about everyone, regardless of what year you were born.\n\nPrice: $44.99+ Amazon Walmart 8BitDo\n\nNintendo Switch Lite (Isabelle’s Aloha Edition) The Steam Deck may have ushered in a new era of handheld gaming, but it’s a bit pricey and overbearing for a child. That said, there’s still no substitute for the simplicity of Nintendo’s Switch Lite and its travel-friendly 5.5-inch display. Now add in the cuteness factor of this Animal Crossing-inspired design, which comes with a digital copy of New Horizons, and there’s not much topping this kid-friendly console.\n\nPrice: $199.99 Target\n\nSkullcandy Jib True 2 With the 3.5mm headphone jack quickly going extinct — thanks, Apple — wireless headphones have become the main mode of listening to music. If you’re anxious about giving your children a pricey pair of earbuds, however, Skullcandy’s Jib True 2 are here to save your budget. The inexpensive pair sound just fine, and they have built-in Tile tracking so you can find them should your kid misplace them.\n\nPrice: $28.17+ Amazon Best Buy Walmart\n\nAmazmic Kids Karaoke Microphone If you were a ’90s kid, you might remember those terrible echo mics. The Amazmic Kids Karaoke Microphone is essentially an evolution of that concept, only instead of your child only hearing their own voice, they get the backing track of whatever song you choose to play via Bluetooth. Just try not to give them too much stage fright, okay?\n\nPrice: $15.29 Amazon\n\nSamba de Amigo: Party Central (Nintendo Switch) Samba de Amigo: Party Central may not have maracas controllers like the original Dreamcast games, but on the flip side, all you need to get shaking are your Joy-Con controllers. The music rhythm game is loaded with modern pop songs from the likes of Ariana Grande and Charli XCX — not to mention classics like Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life” — and there are even Sonic the Hedgehog cameos to marvel at.\n\nPrice: $14.99+ Amazon Best Buy GameStop\n\nApple iPad (2021) The ninth-gen iPad isn’t just the final holdout in Apple’s tablet lineup to have a 3.5mm headphone jack; it’s also a great device despite its age. The entry-level slate features a sharp 10.2-inch screen, a 12MP camera, and the ability to smoothly run all kinds of apps, unlike cheaper tablets that are often relegated to Netflix and little else.\n\nPrice: $249+ Best Buy Walmart Target\n\nMark-my-time digital bookmark Mark-my-time’s colorful bookmark features a helpful timer built into its top that allows you to easily track your child’s daily reading sessions. You can set a countdown timer with an alarm so children know when they’re done, or you can set cumulative time to track multiple reading sessions if you’re curious about how long it takes them to finish a particular book or assignment.\n\nPrice: $8.95+ Amazon Mark-My-Time\n\nEcho Dot Kids (fifth-gen) The animal-themed kids version of Amazon’s latest Echo Dot boasts all the same features as the regular model but comes equipped with a selection of age-appropriate games. The Alexa speaker also comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids Plus (which houses a large assortment of audiobooks) and a two-year accident protection plan.\n\nPrice: $27.99 Amazon Best Buy Target\n\nShadows in the Forest Shadows in the Forest is a cute tabletop game you can play in the dark, a la flashlight tag. Anywhere from two to seven players can join in on this asymmetrical game, which is easy enough to play for the whole family. One player uses the lantern to search for the other players’ Shadowling characters, encouraging the group to work together.\n\nPrice: $31.99 Amazon Legacy Toys\n\nA Very Spidey Christmas Remember that brief gag from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse about Spider-Man having a Christmas album? No? Well, it doesn’t matter. The important part is you can actually buy a five-song EP on vinyl of Spidey’s real-life holiday album, one that features songs from Shameik Moore, Chris Pine, and Jake Johnson. Yes, there’s even that Xmas classic, “Spidey-Bells.”\n\nPrice: $19.99+ Merchbar Discogs Marketplace\n\nPokémon Carry Case Playset Backpacks for children are universally cute, sure, but each and every one of them would be infinitely cooler if they opened into a pokémon playset. This plastic backpack does just that, unfolding to reveal a collapsible climbing wall, a sparring platform, and other arid environments for small two-inch plastic pokémon to play or battle in.\n\nPrice: $33.99+ Walmart Target Macy’s\n\nHurry Up Chicken Butt The best children’s games are the ones that get them learning or doing something positive without even realizing it. In the case of Hurry Up Chicken Butt, kids get to play a silly game of hot potato with their parents while getting a bit of exercise and physical activity in the process. The fast-paced game is easy to learn, yet it gets both kids and parents playing and laughing together.\n\nPrice: $19.99 Target Exploding Kittens\n\nFurby Furby is back, baby! The new version of the voice-activated animatronic plushie features all kinds of responses, dances, and songs built into it. Most importantly, though, the resurrected ’90s toy is a completely offline experience with no “smart” functionality to speak of, meaning your kid won’t be pinging a cloud server every time they speak.\n\nPrice: $49 Amazon Walmart\n\nOriginal Bazooka Bubble Gun Holy crap, kids love bubbles! Like, wow, the sheer joy on a child’s face every time they see those soapy floating spheres is unmatched. So why not go full-tilt with a bubble bazooka? This beastly battery-powered blaster pumps out a rate of fire of over 5,000 BPM (that’s bubbles per minute). It’s like bringing a bubble gun to a bubble knife fight.\n\nPrice: $32.39 Amazon\n\nNerf Perses MXIX-5000 Motorized Blaster Say hello to my little foam friend. The Nerf Perses MXIX-5000 is that next-level upgrade from playing with standard foam darts. The motorized blaster shoots soft foam balls as fast as eight pellets per second, with a top-loading hopper that’s equally fast and frantic to reload. Just don’t forget to outfit your kids with some proper eye protection. You’ve been warned.\n\nPrice: $59.99+ Amazon Walmart Electronics Express\n\nQuick Push electronic sensory fidget toy (frog-green) Do you love popping bubble wrap? This adorable froggy game with lights and sounds feels a bit like that. While it’s recommended for kids ages three and up, you may surprise yourself with how fun it is even for adults. But us kids-at-heart aside, this little guy’s fidget-friendly fun may be a great fit for children who enjoy sensory toys.\n\nPrice: $16.99 Amazon\n\nPinecil portable soldering iron Safety warning: this one’s just for big kids — like teenagers or early teens if they’re responsible enough. The Pincecil portable soldering iron is the perfect introductory tool into the world of electronics tinkering. It’s affordable, it heats up quickly, and it allows you to dial in the exact temperature you need. You can even run it off a USB-C PD power bank.\n\nPrice: $25.99+ Amazon Pine64", + "Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nFootball email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIt was the sequel Newcastle United did not want, the second cruel comeback in as many Champions League games. For some 45 minutes, including half-time, they could savour the sight of a table that showed them in second, permitting them to imagine a date with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the knockout stages. And then, little more than half an hour, they were ejected from Europe altogether.\n\nChristian Pulisic’s equaliser threatened to condemn them to the Europa League. Samuel Chukwueze’s winner instead meant that spot goes to AC Milan. The group of death went down to the dying minutes, but Newcastle have perished. They had savoured a return to Europe but there will be no continental trips for them in the spring of 2024.\n\nAnd, after Kylian Mbappe’s controversial 98th-minute leveller in Paris, they can rue the loss of another lead. Once again, they may feel entitled to believe they should have won, but for different reasons. For much of the night, they were rampant and had Milan reeling. Yet, last season’s Champions League semi-finalists hung in the game, scored twice and hit the woodwork twice more. For Newcastle, a third consecutive defeat may come with the sense that their injuries came at a cost. Theirs was another colossal effort, a far better performance than at Everton or Tottenham, but while Eddie Howe had the luxury of one attacking substitute – in Alexander Isak – three replacements combined for Milan’s decider: first Luka Jovic found Noah Okafor and he picked out Chukwueze, who placed a shot past Martin Dubravka.\n\nIt was a sign of Newcastle’s determination to win, not to settle for the point and the Europa League place, that they were short-staffed at the back because centre-back Fabian Schar had charged into the Milan box in open play. Likewise, in a frantic finale, they almost conceded a third: with Dubravka out of his goal, Theo Hernandez almost scored from the halfway line and Fikayo Tomori hit the post.\n\nAs they wonder what might have been, they can reflect on the turning point of Pulisic’s strike, around the time Warren Zaire-Emery drew Paris Saint-Germain level against Borussia Dortmund. Newcastle failed to clear as the ball ricocheted around their box before Olivier Giroud found Pulisic to poke in a shot. The American had been a target for Newcastle last January; how they must now regret the fact he joined Milan in the summer.\n\nThen, with 11 minutes remaining, Rafael Leao sprinted clear and shot against the post. If this had threatened to be the derby of the depleted, Milan had Leao back for the first time in a month. Newcastle had Callum Wilson able to start, but their goal came from a less regular source, with a thunderbolt from Joelinton.\n\nJoelinton thumped home Newcastle’s goal (Reuters)\n\nOne of the great success stories of Howe’s reign, the misfit forward who was reinvented as a talismanic midfielder gave Newcastle a deserved lead. Joelinton’s rasping, rising shot from the edge of the box flew past Mike Maignan. He had taken Miguel Almiron’s pass and teed himself up. His initial non-celebration may have reflected his own surprise at the unerring accuracy of his strike.\n\nTheirs was the right response to the disappointment in Paris, a stirring effort. At this level, Newcastle do not possess a talent advantage but they can seek to outwork anyone. They rattled Milan by running at them. It took two astonishing interventions to stop them scoring both before and after Joelinton’s strike.\n\nAt 0-0, Fikayo Tomori made a magnificent goal-line tackle to stop Miguel Almiron applying the finishing touch to Joelinton’s low cross. It was a remarkable rescue act but pressure told when the Brazilian struck. Another almost joined him on the scoresheet at 1-1.\n\nNewcastle saw their European dreams slip away (Getty)\n\nMaignan tipped Bruno Guimaraes’ 20-yard shot onto the bar. As Nick Pope had denied Milan victory in San Siro with a string of saves, Stefano Pioli’s team could testify to the difference brilliant goalkeeping can make. Now they benefited from it. Newcastle had 17 shots, eight on target, but Maignan was only beaten once. Milan had two shots on target but Dubravka conceded twice.\n\nThe loss of the injured Pope may have proved pivotal. But perhaps seven-time winners, and a side who reached the last four last year, displayed greater knowhow. Maybe they simply had greater strength in depth on a night when Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon were taken off because they seemed exhausted.\n\nNewcastle can nevertheless depart the competition with heads held high. One win and five points seem meagre tallies for their contribution to the competition. They have proof it can be unforgiving, reasons to return. Their first Champions League campaign for two decades will surely not be their last for another 20 years. But it is over, and they are left to wonder about what might have been.", + "All eyes since the start of the offseason have been on Shohei Ohtani. And for the most part, there hasn't been much to see.\n\nThe two-way phenom is the most sought-after free agent in MLB history, with his combination of talent and marketability making him a franchise-changing player.\n\nAnd the bidding for Ohtani could be winding down soon. Multiple reports have indicated Ohtani could sign at some point during the winter meetings, which are scheduled to take place from Dec. 3 through Dec. 6.\n\nMany of the top teams are expected to be in the mix for Ohtani. The Dodgers and Cubs are among the top teams expected to be aiming to sign the two-time AL MVP, and plenty of others should continue to compete through the end to land him.\n\nHere's the latest on Ohtani's free agency pursuits.\n\nMORE: Projecting Shohei Ohtani's contract in free agency\n\nShohei Ohtani news: Latest updates, rumors for MLB free agency\n\nOhtani agrees to 10-year, $700 million deal with Dodgers\n\nDate: Saturday, Dec. 9\n\nShohei Ohtani announced Saturday that he has agreed to a contract with the Dodgers. It's a colossal 10-year, $700 million deal with \"significant deferrals,\" so while Los Angeles won't pay him $70 million per year, the franchise will be paying him beyond those 10 seasons.\n\nWhile rumors connected Ohtani to the Blue Jays on Friday, it's the Dodgers who hand him a record-shattering contract and pair the two-time MVP with two former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.\n\nOhtani not headed to Toronto, at his home in Southern California\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 8\n\nSource: Bob Nightengale, USA Today; Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sportsnet\n\nOhtani had a change of plans, apparently. Hours after MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that the two-way star was headed to Toronto for a meeting on Friday, USA Today's Nightengale and Sportsnet's Nicholson-Smith reported that Ohtani is at his home in Southern California.\n\nThe Blue Jays are still finalists to land Ohtani but his landing spot is not official yet.\n\nOhtani headed to Toronto on Friday\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 8\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nOhtani might not have officially picked a team, but he is headed to Toronto, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi. It had been previously reported he had picked the Blue Jays, though several reports have since denied that he has made a decision.\n\nReport: Ohtani picks Blue Jays over Dodgers\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 8\n\nSource: J.P. Hoornstra, Dodgers Nation\n\nThe Blue Jays have reportedly won the sweepstakes for Ohtani. According to Dodgers Nation's J.P. Hoornstra, Ohtani has selected the Blue Jays. The official details have not been reported, though the report indicated it will shatter Mike Trout's record 12-year, $426.5 million deal.\n\nHowever, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Ohtani has not yet made his decision, and there is not a timeline, though he noted Toronto is a finalist.\n\nDecision from Ohtani 'imminent'\n\nDate: Friday, Dec. 8\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nThe wait could soon be over. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Ohtani is expected to make his decision soon, reporting it could come as early as Friday. Coincidentally, Ohtani made his original decision to sign with the Angels on Dec. 8, 2017, six years to the day.\n\nDave Roberts says Dodgers met with Ohtani\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Alden Gonzalez, ESPN\n\nDodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that the team met with Ohtani for 2-3 hours over the weekend. Roberts said Ohtani is \"clearly\" the Dodgers' top priority, adding that the team is confident the two-time MVP will pitch again. Roberts wasn't able to offer a timeline for Ohtani's decision.\n\nCubs losing optimism in signing Ohtani\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Bob Nightengale, USA Today\n\nThe Cubs have been viewed as one of Ohtani's likeliest destinations for a while. It appears that might no longer be the case. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported one high-ranking executive believes the Cubs' optimism of signing Ohtani \"has now significantly wanted.\" The report stated that leaves the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Angels and Giants as the remaining finalists.\n\nOhtani has 'positive feeling' about Blue Jays\n\nDate: Tuesday, Dec. 5\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, The New York Post\n\nThe Blue Jays reported met with Ohtani on Monday, but even before he went to talk with the team, Ohtani reportedly had a \"positive feeling about Toronto,\" along with other cities and teams, including the Dodgers. He has been linked to Toronto and Los Angeles throughout the process.\n\nBlue Jays 'believed' to have met with Shohei Ohtani\n\nDate: Monday, Dec. 4\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic\n\nWhile one report earlier Monday indicated Ohtani isn't expected to sign before the end of the Winter Meetings, the process seems to be moving along.\n\nThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports Ohtani is \"believed\" to have met with the Blue Jays at the team's complex in Florida on Monday, far away from the meetings in Nashville. The Blue Jays have been pursuing Ohtani and Juan Soto in hopes of striking a deal for one of the two stars.\n\nBraves are reportedly 'engaged' with Ohtani's camp\n\nDate: Dec. 4\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nIt's not surprising that any and all teams should be interested in Ohtani's services, but imagine the Braves landing the superstar? According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Braves are \"engaged\" in talks with Ohtani's camp. Imagine a lineup consisting of Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Matt Olson?\n\nSources: Braves are among the teams still engaged with Shohei Ohtani’s camp, as I reported in this @MLBNetwork segment. @MLB pic.twitter.com/lP4lISzttN — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2023\n\nOhtani has already received several $500+ million offers\n\nDate: Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, NY Post\n\nIt's no surprise the bidding for Ohtani is heating up, with the star expected to sign soon. And New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Ohtani has already received several deals that have topped $500 million, which could mean he winds up being the first $600 million player in MLB history. He added there are believed to be five teams in the running for Ohtani.\n\nOhtani decision coming this week\n\nDate: Dec. 3\n\nSource: Jon Morosi, MLB Network\n\nWith the winter meetings set to begin in Nashville, it seems a resolution is near for Ohtani. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports the superstar is \"likely to decide on a team within the next week,\" according to a source.\n\nOhtani race starting to clear up\n\nDate: Dec. 1\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nTwo days before the start of the winter meetings, the picture on Ohtani is beginning to clear a bit more. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Rangers, Red Sox and Mets appear to be out of the running for Ohtani, while the Dodgers, Cubs, Blue Jays and Angels remain in the mix. The Giants are considered to be an unknown.\n\nIn addition to the teams, Passan also reported Ohtani is expecting a contract somewhere between $550 and $600 million, which would be the largest guaranteed contract in North American sports.\n\nBlue Jays could alter roster with Ohtani signing\n\nDate: Nov. 30\n\nSource: Jon Heyman, New York Post\n\nThe Blue Jays are one of the teams believed to still be among the strongest in the mix for Ohtani. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported there could be some changes if Ohtani signs with the Blue Jays, however, reporting that some rivals believe Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could hit the trade block if Toronto lands the star.\n\nTrading the two infielders might seem counterproductive to signing Ohtani in the first place. Those two would be the biggest supporting bats in the lineup around Ohtani. However, both are free agents after the 2025 season, and given the added payroll of signing Ohtani, it's possible Toronto would view keeping the other two phenoms as too pricey.", + "People in Britain could benefit from a key medical breakthrough next year. They may be given access to the first drugs ever developed to slow the impact of Alzheimer’s disease.\n\nThe first of these medicines – lecanemab – was recently approved in the US and Japan, where treatments using it have already been launched. A second drug, donanemab, is expected to follow soon, and next year it is anticipated that the UK medical authorities will consider both of them for approval in Britain.\n\nThe prospect has raised hopes that, after years of effort, scientists may be closing in on ways to directly tackle the UK’s dementia crisis. About a million people are living with the condition in this country, and this is expected to rise to about 1.7 million by 2040 – with potentially grim consequences. Last year dementia took the lives of 66,000 people in England and Wales, and it is now the leading cause of death in Britain, with Alzheimer’s accounting for two-thirds of cases.\n\nUntil now doctors have only been able to prescribe medicines that help patients manage their symptoms, so the arrival of the first drugs that treat the actual cause of the condition has been welcomed – although experts have warned that their use should be treated with some caution.\n\nAfter decades of research, these are the first drugs to improve patients’ lives directly. If nothing else, they suggest we’re on the right road to tackling Alzheimer’s\n\n“The new drugs slow down the development of Alzheimer’s by six months to a year and are useful only for those in the early stages of the condition, so they are certainly not miracle medicines,” said David Thomas, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK.\n\n“However, after decades of research, they are the first to improve patients’ lives directly, and that is a justifiable cause for excitement. If nothing else, they suggest we are probably on the right road to tackling Alzheimer’s.”\n\nThis point was backed by neurologist Cath Mummery, of the Dementia Research Centre at University College London. “It has been a very long, hard road, but finally we have something positive to look at. That is very welcome.”\n\nAlzheimer’s disease is triggered by the buildup of a protein called amyloid in the brain, although symptoms may not appear for decades after this accretion has started. Scientists have tried for more than 20 years to find ways to stop amyloid from forming these plaques, in the hope this would stop the progression of the disease.\n\nLecanemab, which is produced by Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, and donanemab, produced by Eli Lilly of the US, are the first medicines to achieve this aim – though they only slow but do not ultimately halt the disease’s progression.\n\nGraeme Armstrong with wife Trina, who has a rare form of Alzheimer’s.\n\nBoth drugs are to be considered for approval in the UK next year. The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will first decide if they are safe and effective, then the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will rule on whether they offer value for money.\n\nBoth medicines are expensive – lecanemab costs about $25,000 (£19,700) a year – and are given by regular intravenous infusions. “That is a challenge from a health-service point of view, because you need to find the space and time to put someone in an infusion suite to treat them,” added Thomas.\n\nHowever, the main problem facing doctors is the difficulty involved in pinpointing dementia not just in its early stages but even in its later phases. Most cases are first presented to GPs, who will then refer patients to memory clinics for a dementia test. However there are long waiting times – up to two years on average – for appointments at these centres.\n\nIn addition, diagnosing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is usually based on pen-and-paper tests, followed by lumbar punctures and brain scans before a final diagnosis.\n\nAbout 65% of cases are confirmed this way. The remaining third of dementia cases are never diagnosed. Yet patients can only expect to receive treatments – including the new drugs – if their condition is identified.\n\nEleanor Mackenzie-Smith’s father, Mike, has young-onset Alzheimer’s. His first symptoms were spotted 17 years ago, when Eleanor was 11. “However, it took over 10 years from the start of his symptoms and four separate tests between 2009 and 2017 to get my dad’s final diagnosis, when he was 65. It was distressing not knowing what was happening. Too many families, like mine, have had to watch as dementia takes hold of our loved ones while we are left without a diagnosis and the support and access to treatments.”\n\nIt took 10 years for Mike Mackenzie-Smith to get a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer’s.\n\nAnother grim illustration of the problem facing patients is provided by Graeme Armstrong. His wife, Trina, began having trouble recognising faces and reading telephone numbers in 2006 and was told, after a CT scan three years later, that she had probably had a stroke – although her symptoms did not suggest such a diagnosis. It took another three years before she was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy, a rare variant of Alzheimer’s disease that affects the way the brain interprets information from the eyes.\n\n“Had we had an accurate diagnosis four years earlier, Trina could have been placed on the correct medication, which may have been more effective and helped her day to day,” Armstrong said.\n\nOne solution sought by doctors involves the creation of blood tests which could pinpoint the disease quickly and effectively. “These are under research, but we are several years away from having them in widespread use,” said Thomas. “Meanwhile, we have got to get the NHS to a state where it is much more focused and better organised in getting better and earlier dementia diagnoses. That will be crucial in our battle against the condition.”\n\nMummery agreed: “By the time you have dementia, you will have had Alzheimer’s disease developing in your brain for at least 20 years. Dementia is the latest stage; we need to pick up signals much earlier. So we need to be thinking about how to diagnose people at the very earliest stages of disease, when they may only have very, very subtle symptoms.\n\nWe are now exploring ways of helping drugs get into the brain much more efficiently, and that could have a major impact Cath Mummery\n\n“Our current service isn’t good for doing that, and we need to develop brain health clinics where we can pinpoint the disease much earlier, then help to build resilience against dementia in a patient when it is only in a very early stage.”\n\nIn the long term, scientists also point to a number of recent developments which have raised hopes that it may be possible to tackle dementia more directly and effectively. One major challenge they have faced is the problem of getting drugs to pass through the blood-brain barrier, which controls the movement of ions and molecules from our bodies to our brains. That makes it difficult to get drugs into the central nervous system to tackle problems such as amyloid plaques.\n\n“However, researchers are developing active transport methods for getting drugs across the blood-brain barrier,” said Mummery. “For example, we are now exploring ways of helping drugs get into the brain much more efficiently, and that could have a major impact.”\n\nSuch developments will take years to realise, scientists caution, and a great deal needs to be done in the short term to deal with dementia.\n\n“It is clear we have taken a step in the right direction but there is much more to do before we can have successfully dealt with these processes that are happening to our brains,” said Thomas. “It is a challenge, and a very important one.”", + "Many games are huge. Others are endless. Some are so exciting that they swallow our news feeds whole. That’s where Polygon’s What to Play comes in: We curate the best, most innovative, and most intriguing games on every platform, so you can spend less time searching, and more time playing.\n\nThere’s a lot to love about the Nintendo Switch, not least of which is the abundance of titles with local multiplayer features, making it a great console for game night with friends or a casual play session with a roommate. We’ve collected some of our favorite titles that allow for good old-fashioned local play.\n\nIt’s also my preferred play style, as the last few years have given me more excuses to stay in and try new games. Local multiplayer makes ass-kicking games much more approachable, thanks to friends respawning my character. I also love building something together in real time, like a farm in Stardew Valley, or causing communal chaos like with Untitled Goose Game’s treacherous honking. Sure, couch co-op can also mean getting revived just to get ragdolled across spikes in Spelunky 2. But it sure beats dying alone.\n\nAnd if you’re looking for more platform-agnostic couch co-op recommendations, here are our favorite local multiplayer games, games to play with a Valentine’s Day beau, and a Dear Polygon column about couch co-op. Our last update added Escape Academy.\n\nFor two players\n\nThis modern-classic farming sim game takes its cues from the Harvest Moon series, and running a farm with your friends only adds to the fun. You can work together to plant and harvest crops or spend your days doing different activities, like fishing or mining. Local co-op is available for two players — just don’t forget to build an extra cabin on your farm. (Up to four can play with online multiplayer.)\n\nThis Switch remaster includes both Portal and Portal 2, seminal games well worth the revisit. You’ll explore and solve puzzles by using a portal gun; experimenting within the game’s physics is even more fun with a friend in tow. (Plus, when playing local co-op, the number of portals that can be placed is doubled.)\n\nCongrats, you are the new CEO of a large corporation, and your wisdom is required to help employees stay on task. Good Job! has a lot in common with Untitled Goose Game. In this isometric game, you’ll be given a list of tasks — like bringing a projector into the conference room. But no one said you couldn’t do it by launching it like a projectile through the window.\n\nThis Wii U game’s Switch port is full of charm. Play together in local co-op as Captain Toad and Toadette, and explore and solve your way through a series of bite-size puzzles. Each self-contained course has little nooks and crannies to pop in and out of, and Koopas to navigate around.\n\nIt’s a lovely morning in the village and you are a horrible goose! Cause mayhem and honk to your heart’s content in this charming game. With local co-op you and one friend can each be horrible geese, using teamwork to terrorize the townspeople. Honk honk HONK!!\n\nIn this melancholy game, you play as Stella the ferrymaster, who guides spirits into the afterlife. Meet wonderful characters and help them find closure. Spiritfarer combines exploration on the seas with management sim elements, as you build housing, kitchens, and more, and learn to farm, cook, and craft. Player two is Stella’s cat Daffodil, who can do most management sim tasks — she just can’t talk to characters, and thus, can’t trigger quests.\n\nScrew playing as the plumber in the red hat — it’s time to be his taller counterpart. In Luigi’s Mansion 3, you can play local co-op with player two as Gooigi (a spooky goo Luigi) after finishing the intro walkthrough and getting E. Gadd’s briefcase. Platform your way through the haunted hotel to save your friends Mario, Peach, and numerous Toads.\n\nThis modern-day, punishingly difficult platformer has the beautiful look of vintage animation. The art direction and soundtrack are wholly unique, making the game a joyride from start to finish, despite the challenge. Mugman, Cuphead’s sibling, can join on a local co-op journey.\n\nPlay as a Yarny (a living ball of yarn that looks like a small sprite) and solve puzzles with a friend by using your spare yarn to pull, yank, and swing. It requires quite a bit of teamwork. Where other local co-op games might allow players to wander and do their own thing, this game is all about solving puzzles using each other’s momentum.\n\nKirby games tend to be perfectly chill and incredibly adorable, and this one is no exception. In Forgotten Land you and another player run, float, and fight through 3D levels. In addition to Kirby’s classic inhale powers, Forgotten Land also gifted us “mouthful mode,” which lets Kirby stretch like a glove over enormous objects like cars and huge lightbulbs. (By the way, Kirby Star Allies is also fun with local co-op.)\n\nPlay as characters named “Nobody” as you work together to attempt to cure the world of a poisonous blight, and figure out why you have no memory of your past life. But there’s another twist: Instead of a classic perk tree, your characters will unlock various forms — like a turtle, ghost, knight, or ninja — each with its own set of moves. What’s more, the forms can synergize with one another, making for some incredibly absurd skill combos.\n\nCat Quest 2\n\nThis criminally underrated action game puts you in the shoes of a cat fighting their way through the pun-filled land of Felingard. And player two gets to be a dog! Playing is a simple grind in this approachable and silly RPG. Fight your way through dungeons, meet necromancer cats, and try on lots of outfits.\n\nPlay as an automaton that needs a gem substance to survive, and fight against the clock to keep your friends from becoming “unsighted” and turning into shells of their former selves. This Metroidvania has an incredible map with three interwoven floors of levels, and tons of Zelda-like puzzles. A couch co-op buddy makes these challenges much more surmountable.\n\nThis pixel art Metroidvania has the feel of a great NES game, with its retro aesthetic and excellent platforming and battling. The definitive edition (which includes the original Shovel of Hope campaign), available on Nintendo Switch, supports local co-op for two players.\n\nThe Lego games are always a great laugh, and they have reliable couch co-op modes (see also: Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2). They’re accessible, family-friendly, and give a silly spin to some of the most recognizable films of our time. The Skywalker Saga is no different, with Lego versions of a whopping nine movies from the behemoth franchise and 200-plus minifigs to unlock.\n\nA silly collaboration between Nintendo and Ubisoft became one of the sleeper hits of its release year. This squad tactics game pairs Mario and friends with their own doppelganger Rabbids against a veritable sea of evil Rabbids. While local co-op is limited to five specific challenges — so we wouldn’t recommend buying it specifically for co-op play alone — these levels are especially fun. Working together changes the tactical dynamics.\n\nCrypt of the Necrodancer is the perfect combination of dungeon crawler and rhythm game — with some sweet tunes, to enliven the whole experience. But dancing through the game’s levels is even more fun with a friend, even if having someone else there doesn’t necessarily make it easier. You both still have to stay on beat!\n\nIf you’ve ever wanted an escape room experience but in a video game, Escape Academy absolutely scratches that itch. Up to two couch co-op players can go to this school for puzzle enthusiasts. Players find solutions and crack codes to avoid legitimately perilous fates — like a tower flooding with water as you climb. Hints (and red herrings) are everywhere. Are you smart enough to escape each room?\n\nFor two or more players\n\nSuper Mario Bros. has always been one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, and Wonder is another banger. Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings together so many delightful ideas: platforming shenanigans, silly power-ups, and lots of map secrets. The best part? Four people can play local multiplayer, picking from so many classic characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, Toadette, and more.\n\nI’ve donated hours and hours of my life to this deceptively simple roguelike bullet-hell — min-maxing various buffs in order to avoid waves of mob attacks. But multiplayer changes everything. Having more reinforcements to fight waves of attacks means each player can try out unique combinations of weapons and buffs. Just make sure you and your teammates stay in the same screen; there isn’t split screen.\n\nThough packing up and moving is a pain in the neck in real life, Moving Out 2 turns the experience into a goofy, whimsical group experience. Play as a member of the F.A.R.T. moving crew (yes, you read that correctly) attempting to move furniture, and other items, around some highly inconvenient spaces.\n\nNow more than a decade old, Diablo 3 is still a great local multiplayer choice, especially on the Switch. The action RPG, which felt bombastic when it first came out, has become a very comforting grind game that I get to share with friends. (Especially as Diablo 4 hasn’t made its way to Nintendo Switch.)\n\nThis one is not for the faint of heart. Work with a friend to excavate cave levels, avoid the dangers within, and ration supplies. In local co-op, if one of you dies, you can bring them back to life by finding a coffin. Ragdoll physics — not to mention turkey riding — add challenge and humor to one of the best platformer roguelikes.\n\nThis edition of Rayman Legends has all of the platforming and hijinks that the series is known for. Play through delightful levels and time trials, and collect to your heart’s content. Having multiple players is particularly helpful for respawning, as the game ramps up in difficulty in its later levels.\n\nSure, racing games and soccer games are fun on their own — but mashing the two together results in something bizarre and unforgettable. Rocket League asks what other games don’t dare to: What if you played soccer? And what if you did that with rocket-powered vehicles?\n\nTowerfall Ascension is the gold standard for 2D arena games. Players are archers and must fight each other with well-placed arrows, or by stomping from above. Movement is a dream with dodging and dashing in the air, lending each character a spry and agile feel. Different multiplayer variants, like starting with just one arrow and having to scavenge for others, keep rounds feeling fresh.\n\nThis bestseller is a no-brainer for anyone looking to spend time with friends in a sandbox world. Mine, build, dig, fish, plant crops, and protect yourself from the monsters that come out at night — and most of all, survive.\n\nThis definitive remaster bundles Overcooked and Overcooked 2 (both excellent games) into one delicious package. Prepare orders for hungry customers while facing ridiculous odds — like cooking in a hot air balloon with cooktops that sometimes catch on fire, or while crossing a busy street.\n\nIf you’re searching for that classic Super Mario feeling in a modern 3D world, look no further. (Or if you’ve always wanted to play as Mario in a cat suit.) Play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Toad — each of them has a slightly different perk. Luigi can get a bit more air in his jump, while Toad is a bit faster.\n\nThe Mario Party series reigns supreme as a family-friendly, chill party time. In this board game-style title, players pick their favorite Nintendo character and then roll the dice to land on a spot on the board. Players compete in minigames, including a baseball-bat-swinging rhythm game, rowboat race, snow catching, and so many more.\n\nWii Sports’ legacy will never be forgotten (nor will its banging soundtrack). Nintendo Switch Sports gracefully takes up the mantle of its predecessor, along with many of the same classic sports, like bowling, golf, and tennis. It also adds some new ones to the mix, like volleyball and chambara (a great complement to Wii Sports’ boxing). Just make sure you have enough space around you so you don’t accidentally hit your television.\n\nNo multiplayer Nintendo Switch list would be complete without mentioning the most recent edition of 20-year series Mario Kart. Though the game came out in 2017, it still reigns supreme, as far as kart racing goes — and it still gets new courses, like the recent addition of Mario Kart 7’s Rainbow Road.\n\nScramble with your friends to operate a spaceship hurtling through outer space. Each of you can only pilot one of the ship’s eight total control panels at any given time. We hope you like your partners, because you’ll be shouting directions and trying not to lose it as you work together.\n\nThe premise is simple: Each of you is a piece of paper, and you can cut shapes out of one another in order to accomplish tasks. Some of these challenges involve working together to create a specific shape. Others require teamwork to shoot a ball into a hoop or fill up a basin with water. Bring your most levelheaded (or, alternatively, chaotic) friends.\n\nAnother Switch take on a stone-cold classic, Nintendo’s fight-to-the-death brawler is stocked with all of your favorite characters. Play with up to seven other people and survive to be the last one standing.\n\nTMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is a return to the halcyon days for any TMNT fan, and a truly excellent beat-’em-up brawler. Players can choose between the four Turtles — Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael — along with April O’Neil, Master Splinter, or Casey Jones.", + "The baseball season for the New York teams didn’t turn out to be their most successful one. Both the New York Mets and the New York Yankees failed to make it to the playoffs and came under scrutiny as the highest spenders in the league. But the level of accounting has come higher for the 27-time winners because of the highest expectations. The management has comprehended the situation and is actively seeking to make changes for the 2024 season. Be it trimming the squad and releasing a few players, including superstar Gleyber Torres, they look to bring about changes. But given that they are already short on options, it brings up the question: Is the move justified?\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nAlthough it was a decent season for the second baseman, the lack of consistency brought Torres under scrutiny for changes for the upcoming season. Also, given he is currently in arbitration with the Yankees, it adds to his trade chances. The reason is that the team won’t want to lose the opportunity to cash in some money from his trade. The decision appears promising as the team seeks a shift, but the data tells a different story. Gleyber Torres’s Exit Becomes the Talk of the Town as the Yankees Look for a Rebuild The New York Yankees have been in the news since the league stage ended. First, because of the possibility of a third-party audit, which was later shunted out. Later, the comments from Aaron Judge brought a lot of attention to the workings of the team, conflicts, and divisions between the core four. Now it’s the assumptions of changes with the idea of cutting down the $300 million budget for the next season. One name that is making the rounds for an exit is Gleyber Torres. Notably, the 26-year-old avoided arbitration ahead of the 2023 season and signed a $9.95 million contract. It was a brilliant move, given the requirements of the Bronx Bombers. Torres fulfilled it for most of the season to finish it on a high, scoring 90 runs, 25 home runs, and 68 RBIs at an average of 0.273 and an OPS of 0.800. Torres also finished at the top of the batting charts for the team, alongside captain Aaron Judge, clinching the most hits and recording an OBP of 0.347. The infielder also finished second in the fielding department behind the team’s Gold Glove prospect, Anthony Volpe. The seasoned player made 80 double plays, with 563 chances created at a fielding percentage of 0.975. The performance from Gleyber has been crucial in a season filled with injuries on both fronts. But the Yankees are not favoring his services for the upcoming season. There are two reasons behind the interest of the Miami Marlins and the push for lower spending. As mlbtraderumors.com suggests, Torres is expected to earn $15.3 million next year; his trade could save the Yankees some money. The Marlins have been interested in him for a long time, and the Pinstripes can have a good deal for the outfielder. Considering the advantages, this appears promising. However, is it a worthwhile endeavor? Should the New York Yankees Trade Gleyber Torres Ahead of the New Season? Nothing has worked well for the New York Yankees this season. They had their worst finish in seven years, even after having all the resources. The Yankees are seeking a shift in their strategy, which has exceeded their initial expectations. This shift encompasses alterations in both offensive and defensive personnel, and surprisingly, it involves Gleyber Torres. Although it is a reboot button from Brian Cashman for a better 2024, should the Yankees refraining from including Torres? The answer is simple: they should indeed because of his worth as a player. It may sound huge as they expect Torres to earn $15 million, but it is not a big ask for the multibillion-dollar Yankees. The 2009 champions can easily fulfill this request without constraining their spending.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nPlus, Torres is the sole option for the Yankees at second base. With limited options available in the market, the team is in the circumstances to spend more. And if the Yankees are for other infielders, they may have to reshuffle to make their place in the squad. It will include the shift of Oswaldo Peraza from third baseman to second. However, Peraza could not do well this season, even after all the positives. His involvement in unique positions could be a risk for the team.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nMoreover, free agents Whit Merrifield and Adam Frazier have not done well. Given that the Yankees finished second last in total hits and had over 1400 strikeouts, losing a player with the best record in both parameters will not be ideal. Notably, Torres has a 14.6% strikeout rate, with only a handful of players recording a lower rate. He also covered a lot of bases this season to finish second to Judge. All these factors make him a player that the Yankees should keep as they look for a change in 2024.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nnot in the best shape, losing Torres could haunt the Yankees further. It will be interesting to see how the most successful team approaches this. Will they be able to find genuine replacements on the market? Only time will tell. His trading is not worth it for the Yankees, which will further reduce the options in the outfield. With rookies and the farm not compensating for the demand, it would be a big ask for them to fulfill. With Jasson Dominguez Anthony Rizzo , and DJ LeMahieu\n\nWatch the Story: Ranking the New York Yankees Biggest World Series Failures", + "The United States has long had an affordable housing crisis, but it’s been exacerbated as of late by a surge in mortgage interest rates and low inventory.\n\nThe problem is especially acute for lower-income families.\n\nOne Portland, Maine-based startup is out to help address the problem by buying single-family homes in blighted neighborhoods, renovating them and then renting them out to very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled (or Section-8 voucher holders). That startup, Simply Homes, has recently secured $22 million in funding to further its efforts.\n\n“We’re helping to solve the affordability crisis for people who struggle with housing stability the most,” said CEO and co-founder Brian Bagdasarian. “While there are groups that have attempted to tackle programmatic buying of homes in the past — to varying degrees of success — the reality is no one is operating in our market, providing well-maintained affordable homes to the people most in need.”\n\nIndeed, most iBuyers are focused on buying, renovating and either selling or renting homes in middle to upper class neighborhoods. And most home builders are “out of touch and building homes that no one who needs affordable housing could ever afford,” Bagdasarian told TechCrunch in an interview.\n\nThe opportunity to help people overcome poverty and improve their chances for social and economic mobility was what attracted Bagdasarian and co-founder and CFO Robert Kavanagh to build Simply Homes’ model.\n\n“Children that are able to move into lower-poverty neighborhoods can see a 31% increase in lifetime earnings,” Bagdasarian said.\n\nAnd the pair are firm believers that you can still make money and do good at the same time.\n\nFounded in 2020, Simply Homes spent its first couple of years developing its platform and associated models before buying its first home in January of this year. By the end of this month, the startup is expected to have 108 units, or homes, in its portfolio. Since its first-quarter launch, it’s seen its revenue grow by more than 50% quarter over quarter.\n\nOver 80% of Simply Homes’ tenant base are single parents who would need to work an estimated 150 hours a week to afford market-rate rent on a home, notes Bagdasarian. Utilizing HUD’s HCV program through Simply Homes, these families are paying no more than 30% of their income for rent, claims Bagdasarian.\n\nCurrently, Simply Homes operates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio. Its goal is to expand into Baltimore, Maryland and parts of the Midwest, including additional markets throughout Ohio and in St. Louis, Missouri, among other cities. The company looks for stable markets that aren’t susceptible to wild fluctuations in the housing industry.\n\nSimply Homes operates in an operating company/property company structure, with the operational company using its technology platform and operational teams to source, acquire, renovate and manage the properties. The property management company holds them long term.\n\nMany proptech companies have struggled, or outright shut down, this year, in large part due to the sky-high interest rates. But Simply Homes, according to Bagdasarian, factored in the possibility of high interest rates very early on in its model so it has been less affected by the macro environment.\n\n“Everything is underwritten to a worst-case scenario. A lot of first generation ibuyers never underwrote interest rate risk. But we started with that,” Bagdasarian said. “We made sure our large return rates were inclusive of high interest rates that still allowed us to operate profitably. The other piece of that is we have highly stable income — because the way that Housing Choice Voucher works is that the tenant pays 30% of their adjusted monthly income. The voucher covers the balance. So it’s highly predictable income.”\n\nInitially, the company set out to solve the automated underwriting part of the process for third parties, and then for itself by leveraging Bagdasarian’s AI background and Kavanagh’s real estate experience. Bagdasarian has two decades of experience in human process automation and machine learning, and previously was with HubSpot, having joined as part of the founding team of Motion. Kavanagh previously led the acquisition of Ireland’s largest social housing portfolio, and spent 10 years as an investment banker at Jefferies and Cantor Fitzgerald in New York and London, specializing in infrastructure and ESG assets.\n\n“We know what we can rent the homes for because the housing authority (or HUD) gives us that information. This means we can underwrite — using that data and machine learning — very accurately, very effectively and very rapidly,” Bagdasarian said. “This eliminates a lot of the friction that has kept other institutions out of the space and gives us this sort of first-mover advantage.”\n\nSimply Homes collects the rent on its properties, which helps cover the cost of managing the properties. It takes a transaction fee, and a 3% fee on an ongoing basis to manage the portfolio.\n\nBesides expanding into new markets, the company plans to use its new capital in part toward developing a series of AI-powered virtual analysts that “rapidly” interpret massive amounts of data that Simply Homes aggregates and leverages to make its acquisitions.\n\nGutter Capital and Watchung Capital co-led the company’s recent $22 million funding round, which included participation from Village Global, Ambush Capital, RavenOne Ventures, Neil Parikh, Gabe Flateman, Luke Sherwin and others.\n\nJames Gettinger, managing partner at Gutter Capital, told TechCrunch that he believes Simply Homes is doing something “that very sorely needs to be done.”\n\n“By rejuvenating the aging housing stock, they’re able to make homes available to people who are affected by the affordability crisis the most,” he said. “One facet of the housing shortage that I think doesn’t get enough attention, frankly, is the fact that starter homes are no longer built. The average size of new construction homes has gone from something like 1,400 square feet 50 years ago to 2,200 square feet today. The downstream consequence of that is…basically, none of the new homes that are coming on market are affordable to the majority of Americans..”\n\n“I haven’t seen anyone who’s addressing affordability for the bottom end of the market like this,” he added.", + "The purpose of the Amazon Echo Frames is obvious: to provide quick access to Alexa no matter where you are because it’s on your face. But generally speaking, that’s not why anyone wants smart glasses, let alone a pair that costs $389.99 like the Carrera Cruiser model I’ve been wearing for the past week.\n\nFor better or worse, most people’s vision of smart glasses is informed by Tony Stark, James Bond, and other iconic sci-fi and spy movie characters: sleek, discreet devices that have some sort of hidden mixed reality display or the ability to capture the world around you. The original Google Glass cemented that image, while successors like the Snap Spectacles and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have leaned heavily into content creation. But the Echo Frames hasn’t really ever been quite that ambitious. Like the Bose Frames, Amazon’s approach to smart glasses has primarily been as a pair of open-ear headphones that you can take calls on, listen to music with, and ask the occasional Alexa query. There’s no camera, no screen, and nothing to clue anyone in that you’re not just wearing ordinary glasses.\n\n6 Verge Score Amazon Echo Frames Carrera Cruiser $ 314.99 The Good More stylish and more options\n\nImproved battery life and audio\n\nCan use with multiple devices The Bad Bass still isn’t great and audio leaks\n\nDoes less or sounds not as good as others in this category\n\nAlexa still isn’t the best assistant when you’re on the go\n\nPricey for the category $315 at Amazon How we rate and review products\n\nAmazon isn’t straying too far from that formula with these third-gen Echo Frames. The big thing now is that they’re lighter, the battery lasts longer, the bass is more bassy, and they look a lot more stylish than previous iterations. I don’t think that’s enough to turn the Echo Frames into a must-have gadget — but it’s a half-step in the right direction.\n\nStrike a pose\n\nIt’s a big deal that Amazon’s latest Echo Frames look nicer than before. Style is one of the most underrated criteria for smart glasses, and put simply, you’re just not going to wear something that makes you look like a dweeb. Everyone’s face and vision is different, and a successful pair of smart glasses is going to account for that by offering a wide range of styles, colors, and fits.\n\nIt’s a vibe.\n\nWith the third-gen Echo Frames, you can choose between clear, prescription, blue light filtering, and sunglass lenses. They also come in multiple shapes, including round, cat eye, square, rectangle, and “modern” rectangle. These start at $269.99 for the most basic clear lenses, $299.99 for blue light filtering lenses, and $329.99 for sunglasses.\n\nThese are all subtler options, but if you like a flashier style, Amazon is also continuing its partnership with Carrera. That extra pizzazz comes with a heftier price tag. The Cruiser (the one I have) and Sprinter model will both set you back $389.99. The latter is more of a boxy, Wayfarer-esque frame and gives you the option of sunglass or blue light filtering lenses.\n\nI have a low nose bridge, so I had to keep pushing these up after a few seconds.\n\nBecause the Cruiser only comes with sunglass lenses, I wore these during my commute and on outdoor walks. They are a vibe. I’ve been described as channeling Yeezy, a Kardashian reject, a card-carrying member of the Jersey Shore mafia, and a time traveler from the ’80s. I most definitely have turned heads while on the street. I had fun wearing these, and most folks could pull this off so long as they put a little swagger in their step — but personally, this isn’t the style I’d pick for my day-to-day sunnies, mostly because they didn’t fit my face well. While these are made of a lightweight acetate weighing 46.3g, I have a low nose bridge, and these were slipping down my face every five seconds. The other thing I didn’t love about the Cruiser glasses was the build quality. While they look high fashion, they feel plasticky in my hands and not befitting of their nearly $400 price tag.\n\nForget the bass\n\nAs I said, these are less smart glasses than they are a pair of open-ear headphones. On that front, the Echo Frames are alright for the category but are nothing mind-blowing.\n\nBass is purportedly three times better on the new Echo Frames, but they’re still not going to bring the thump of even standard AirPods. I’ve been listening to a lot of Stray Kids lately, and Felix’s TikTok-breaking rumbly baritone is absolutely lost on these. In God’s Menu, the song’s famous “cookin’ like a chef I’m a 5-star Michelin” line is reduced to zero-star Michelin. On a loud train, I couldn’t even hear it despite turning the volume up to the max.\n\nThis isn’t a problem limited to the Echo Frames — it’s a common problem with any open-ear audio headphones. That said, the same song on the Meta smart glasses sounded a bit richer. These were a lot better for podcasts or less bass-heavy songs, but you still can’t get away from the feeling like you’re listening to something from a few feet away instead of right next to your ear.\n\nI don’t love the charging stand, but battery life has been improved.\n\nAt the same time, there’s a fair amount of audio leakage. No one asked me to turn things down while I was commuting. Trains and city noises are loud. But at the same volume in the office, all of my co-workers could hear that I was listening to something. They might not have been able to discern the song, but it was loud enough to be distracting.\n\nAs for call quality, these were good enough. I called a friend during an hour-long walk, and she was able to hear me despite beeping trucks and wind. In her words, I sounded “echo-y,” and she could hear a lot of the ambient noise around me, but at no point was she unable to hear me. I do like that you can pair the glasses to multiple devices and have them switch between the two — that’s something the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses weren’t really capable of. However, this is only useful if you’re getting clear glasses, as you shouldn’t be wearing sunglasses indoors while on your laptop.\n\nThe right side has two action buttons. The volume rocker is on the left side. You can also see some of the directional speakers and mics.\n\nThe controls are at least easy to navigate. On the left arm, you’ve got a self-explanatory volume rocker. (Though, I found myself reaching for the volume rocker on my phone far more often. Habits are hard to break, especially if you often have your phone in hand anyway.) On the right side, there are two action buttons that you can use to take or decline calls, put the device into pairing mode, or mute Alexa. If you press the back action button twice, you can launch a personalized playlist on the music streaming service of your choice. For me, I’d think that’d be a list full of K-pop and sad indie artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski. Instead, the glasses played a list full of artists I didn’t know and songs that I would never listen to.\n\nLike I said, these are more headphones than smart glasses.\n\nAlexa on your face\n\nThe main thing that’s supposed to set the Echo Frames apart is the fact that they have Alexa built in. My problem here is that Alexa has never been and still isn’t a particularly good voice assistant when you’re on the go. It’s fine at answering odd queries, setting timers, and telling you the weather — but it’s much better at controlling your smart home than replacing Siri or Assistant.\n\nIt’s not that you can’t do things. You can now use this to make non-Alexa calls and, if you have an Android phone, reply to text messages. Directions are also possible, but it’s clunky. Alexa told me I’d get a notification on my phone to start... but that meant tweaking my notification settings to a less preferred option. When I did get it working, it suggested I go to Bowling Green in Kentucky instead of the Manhattan train station five minutes away. Most things are still just easier (and faster) on my phone. As a result, I didn’t have a lot of reasons to actually use Alexa on these glasses. That was only exacerbated by the fact that I had a pair of sunglasses instead of regular glasses.\n\nIt relies on your phone for a connection, and that’s a pro and a con. So long as you have a stable Bluetooth connection and your phone has signal, you can use Alexa reliably while on the go. On the flip side, you don’t have much offline usability on that front. Plus, you need to make sure the Alexa app is always open and running in the background.\n\nIt says to just ask Alexa, but I didn’t find much to ask beyond the weather and timers.\n\nEven so, it’s just weird to say “Alexa” in public. (You can change the wake word to Echo if that feels better, but for me, it did not.) This is an issue I have with nearly every pair of smart glasses with some kind of voice assistant. Earbuds are a visual and cultural signal that we all implicitly understand. If I’m talking to midair with AirPods in, you can be confident I’m on a call. Me talking to myself with no phone or AirPods in sight got me some odd looks from strangers — and confused looks from some of my friends.\n\nIn terms of notifications, I like that you have some control over when you get notified. There’s a VIP Filter you can curate so that only select apps and contacts will notify you. The glasses will play a sound whenever you get a notification, and then you can pull your phone out to check. It won’t read your texts, but I appreciate that. I don’t love it when Siri takes 10 years to read out the URL to a funny link my friends send me, for instance. It does mean you have to be ruthless when setting up your VIP list, however.\n\nYou can set a VIP Filter to curate your notifications, but it’s best to be ruthless here since you only hear a ping.\n\nFor testing purposes, I did try issuing a few Alexa commands while I had these at home. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t trip up any of my Echo speakers. There is a feature where you can ask any Echo speaker you have to locate your Frames. That’s nice, but at the same time, I doubt it’s something most people will frequently use. As a lifelong glasses wearer, mine are always either in a case or on my nightstand because. I have a specific drawer for sunglasses. Plus, this feature relies on your glasses having a decent charge.\n\nSpeaking of charge, these held up well over the past week. My commute is around 60–80 minutes, depending how much the MTA wants to test me. I’ve gotten about five hours of media playback and calls thus far and have about 30 percent battery left. Meanwhile, a roughly 50-minute call drained the battery about 20 percent. Charging from zero to 100 percent takes about 2.5 hours, though I’m not a big fan of the charging stand’s design. It took me a hot second to figure out that you’re supposed to place them on the stand vertically so that the lenses are pointed straight up at the ceiling. The way the stand is designed, I’d expected you’d plop them in horizontally. I missed the charging case of Meta’s smart glasses, which killed two birds with one stone and was a much more elegant charging solution overall.\n\nPay more for less\n\nIf you’re a heavy Alexa user, I can see paying the $270 for the base model and maybe using FSA or HSA funds if you need prescription lenses. But while I like the look of the Carrera Cruiser model, this is not nearly $400 worth of tech and style, especially not when the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses start at $299 — a mere $30 more than the cheapest Echo Frames. Those get you better build quality, a surprisingly good hands-free camera for photos and video, the ability to livestream to Instagram, better audio quality, and a much better mic. Those get you the option of transition lenses, too, though the third-gen Echo Frames are at least on a similar playing field when it comes to style. Likewise, the Bose Frames Tempo and Soprano have a retail price of $249 — and can be found on sale for around $200. Those have similar battery life and better sound quality.\n\nAudio definitely leaks on these in quieter spaces.\n\nThese make some small moves in the right direction. Again, improving the range of available styles was a much-needed change. It’s good to beef up the audio, but it wasn’t enough of a change to make these stand above the competition or a compelling alternative to wireless earbuds. But perhaps most crucially, I wasn’t convinced to use Alexa more than I otherwise would have. As it stands, I think Amazon’s getting there with form. It’s just not quite there with function.", + "We've got the best sports betting promo codes for college basketball games including tonight's top-20 matchup between Tennessee vs. North Carolina in the ACC-SEC Challenge. Here's your chance to claim $5,000+ in bonuses as a new user from Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.\n\nUse our exclusive sports betting promo codes to unlock thousands of dollars in bonus bets for all of this week's CBK games (offers may vary among states):\n\nTop Sportsbook Bonuses Offer Promo Code Caesars Sportsbook Get $1,000 First Bet on Caesars NEWS1000 BetMGM $1,500 First Bet + $50 bonus bet TSN50 Bet365 First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 OR Bet $5, Get $150 in bonus bets TSNCO FanDuel Bet $5 on any moneyline, Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins Click to claim DraftKings Up to $1,200 in welcome offers Click to claim BetRivers 2nd chance bet up to $500 SPORTSRIV\n\nThe ACC-SEC Challenge continues today with seven games starting with No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 14 North Carolina. Duke vs. Arkansas is another marquee matchup on tonight's slate of CBK games.\n\nClaim thousands in sports betting bonuses for college basketball games with these promo codes and links\n\nTop-rated sportsbooks -- BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings and BetRivers -- make it worth your while when signing up as a new user to the tune of $5K+ in bonus bets!\n\nClick our links to activate the best sports betting bonuses in the industry and register your sportsbook accounts now!\n\nCaesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 for $1,000 First Bet on Caesars for Volunteers vs. Tar Heels\n\nCaesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 gives new users a First Bet up to $1,000 on Caesars!\n\nStart by clicking our Caesars Sportsbook promo code link and sign up for a new account. If your first bet loses, Caesars will credit your account with bonus bets in the amount of your wager up to $1,000.\n\nClick to claim: Caesars Sportsbook promo code NEWS1000 for First Bet up to $1K on Caesars\n\nBetMGM bonus code TSN50 unlocks $1,550 in bonus bets for Blue Devils vs. Razorbacks\n\nUse our exclusive BetMGM bonus code TSN50 to claim a First Bet bonus of up to $1,500, and a $50 bonus bet for customers in select states.\n\nClick our BetMGM bonus code link and register for your new account with promo code TSN50 to unlock this bonus.\n\nThis offer requires a minimum $10 deposit, but you can deposit up to the amount of your first bet to $1,500 to maximize your potential winnings. If your first bet on the app loses, BetMGM will refund your account with bonus bets in the amount of the original wager up to $1,500.\n\nThe extra $50 bonus bet offer is not available in Washington D.C., Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Puerto Rico and Ontario. Customers in those areas can use BetMGM bonus code SPORTSPICK for the $1,500 First Bet offer.\n\nBet CBK games here: $1,550 in bonus bets with BetMGM bonus code TSN50\n\nBet365 bonus code TSNCO for First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 or Bet $5, Get $150 in bonus bets for ACC-SEC Challenge games\n\nNew customers at Bet365 have their choice of promo offers when using Bet365 bonus code TSNCO. The First Bet Safety Net protects your initial wager up to $1,000!\n\nYou can also choose the Bet $5, Get $150 in bonus bets offer. Both of these promos can be used to bet on any CBK games including tonight's ACC-SEC Challenge matchups!\n\nUse Bet365 bonus code VATSN in Virginia or NJTSN in New Jersey.\n\nClaim here: Bet365 bonus code TSNCO for promo of your choice\n\nFanDuel promo code for Bet any $5 moneyline, Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins in CBK game\n\nFanDuel has a new offer when using our exclusive FanDuel promo code link. Bet $5 on any moneyline, and Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins!\n\nIt's important to note that there are no odds restrictions, so it'd be prudent to bet a big favorite over an outmatched underdog on the CBK schedule. You need to win the wager to receive $150 in bonus bets.\n\nBet now: FanDuel promo code for Bet $5 on any moneyline, Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins\n\nDraftKings promo code scores $1,200 in bonus bets for Tennessee vs. North Carolina odds\n\nUse our DraftKings promo code link to unlock $1,200 in bonus bets for Tennessee vs. North Carolina! DraftKings offers new users a 20% deposit match up to $1000, $50 Bonus Bet with $5 deposit + Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets promo. All customers will also receive a \"No Sweat SGP\" daily!\n\nRegistering at DraftKings is simple, and so is claiming $1,200 in bonus bets.\n\nStart by clicking on our exclusive DraftKings promo code link\n\nRegister as a new user by supplying personal info including your name, email, last four of your SSN#, and mailing address\n\nDeposit $5 to activate $50 bonus bet\n\nBet $5 and Get $150 in bonus bets\n\nTo max out DraftKings' deposit match at $1,000, make a minimum deposit of $5,000 and meet the 25X playthrough requirement.\n\nClaim here: DraftKings promo code for $1,200 in bonus bets\n\nBetRivers promo code SPORTSRIV unlocks 2nd chance bet for CBK games including Duke vs. Arkansas\n\nThe BetRivers promo code SPORTSRIV gives new users a 2nd chance bet up to $500 depending on your state.\n\nIf your first bet settles as a loss, BetRivers will refund your account in bonus bets. For example, if you bet $100 on Duke and it fails to cover against Arkansas, BetRivers will credit your account with $100 in bonus bets.\n\nClaim here: BetRivers promo code SPORTSRIV for 2nd chance bet up to $500\n\nUse sports betting promos and bonuses on Tennessee vs. North Carolina odds: Spread, moneyline & total\n\nCheck out live odds for Volunteers vs. Tar Heels across the sports betting industry:\n\nADD metabet game tile code here when it becomes available\n\nThis is another huge game for North Carolina, which lost to Villanova in OT and beat Arkansas down to wrap up Battle4Atlantis play in the Bahamas last week. UNC thrives with its fast-paced offense. Consider a bet on the home team or the OVER here.\n\nCompare and contrast: Caesars Sportsbook vs. DraftKings | BetMGM vs. FanDuel | Caesars vs. BetMGM", + "College Bowl odds are posted at the best college football betting sites. Along with game odds, sportsbooks will offer a wider variety of prop bets to match the hype surrounding College Bowl odds, the College Football Playoff, and National Championship games.\n\nBowl season had been going the way of the underdog up until Tuesday’s triple header. All three favorites won straight up and ATS; the OVER was 3-0 on the day.\n\nBettors could be seeing a new trend developing; we’ll find out Wednesday, starting with the Military Bowl at 2 p.m. ET. Let's review the odds for some of the upcoming games and the CFP Semifinals.\n\nLatest College Bowl odds\n\nMilitary Bowl Presented by GoBowling.com: Virginia Tech vs. Tulane\n\nThe game will take place at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Military Bowl click here!\n\nDuke’s Mayo Bowl: UNC vs. West Virginia\n\nThe game will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Duke's Mayo Bowl click here!\n\nDIRECTV Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs. USC\n\nThe game will take place at Petco Park in San Diego, CA. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on FOX.\n\nFor more on the Holiday Bowl click here!\n\nTaxAct Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State\n\nThe game will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Texas Bowl click here!\n\nWasabi Fenway Bowl: SMU vs. Boston College\n\nThe game will take place at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Wasabi Fenway Bowl click here!\n\nBad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Miami\n\nThe game will take place at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl click here!\n\nPop-Tarts Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Kansas State\n\nThe game will take place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Pop-Tarts Bowl click here!\n\nValero Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Oklahoma\n\nThe game will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Alamo Bowl click here!\n\nCollege Bowl game results\n\nFavorites are 11-11 SU, 7-15 ATS.\n\nThe Over is 13-9\n\nMyrtle Beach Bowl: Georgia Southern 21 Ohio 41\n\nCricket Celebration Bowl: Howard 26 Florida A&M 30\n\nR+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Jacksonville State 34 Louisiana-Lafayette 31 (OT)\n\nAvocados From Mexico Cure Bowl: Miami (OH) 9 Appalachian State 13\n\nIsleta New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico State 10 Fresno State 37\n\nStarco Brands LA Bowl: UCLA 35 Boise State 22\n\nRadiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Cal 12 Texas Tech 34\n\nFamous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky 38 Old Dominion 35\n\nScooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UTSA 35 Marshall 17\n\nRoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl: USF 45 Syracuse 0\n\nUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech 30 UCF 17\n\n76 Birmingham Bowl: Troy 10 Duke 17\n\nCamelia Bowl: Arkansas State 19 Northern Illinois 21\n\nLockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison 21 Air Force 31\n\nFamous Idaho Potato Bowl: Georgia State 45 Utah State 22\n\n68 Ventures Bowl: South Alabama 59 Eastern Michigan 10\n\nSRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Utah 7 Northwestern 14\n\nEasyPost Hawai’I Bowl: Coastal Carolina 24 San Jose State 14\n\nQuick Lane Bowl: Minnesota 30 Bowling Green 24\n\nSERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Texas State 45 Rice 21\n\nGuaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas 49 UNLV 36\n\nCFP Semifinal odds\n\nRose Bowl presented by Prudential: Alabama vs. Michigan\n\nThe game will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the opening lines for the Rose Bowl click here! Interested in Touchdown props? Click here!\n\nAllstate Sugar Bowl: Texas vs. Washington\n\nThe game will take place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.\n\nFor more on the Sugar Bowl opening lines click here! For more on Sugar Bowl TD props click here!\n\nCollege Football Playoff National Championship odds\n\nHere are the latest odds to win the college football national title. If you see odds you like, click them to visit the corresponding sportsbook, open an account, and start betting.\n\nWhat bets can I make on the CFP and bowl games?\n\nBecause of football’s popularity at top online betting sites, most bowl games will feature expanded selections of betting markets. These are the common college football betting lines:\n\nBowl game moneylines: The moneyline is the simplest bet you can make on a college football bowl game. Your only responsibility is to choose which team you believe will win. The favorites are indicated by negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds.\n\nThe moneyline is the simplest bet you can make on a college football bowl game. Your only responsibility is to choose which team you believe will win. The favorites are indicated by negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds. Bowl game point spreads: In point spread betting, you’re wagering on the game with a spread factored in. The favorite must win by the point spread or more, while the underdog needs to either lose by fewer points than the spread or win the game outright.\n\nIn point spread betting, you’re wagering on the game with a spread factored in. The favorite must win by the point spread or more, while the underdog needs to either lose by fewer points than the spread or win the game outright. Bowl game totals: The totals bet, commonly known as the over/under, requires you to determine whether the combined score of both teams will end up over or under a predicted total. With this bet type, you’re not concerned with which team wins or loses the game.\n\nThe totals bet, commonly known as the over/under, requires you to determine whether the combined score of both teams will end up over or under a predicted total. With this bet type, you’re not concerned with which team wins or loses the game. Bowl game props: These can be team or individual player prop bets, such as which team is winning at halftime or the total number of receptions a player collects. Consider them side bets made with the sportsbook about events or statistical milestones that happen in the game.\n\nThese can be team or individual player prop bets, such as which team is winning at halftime or the total number of receptions a player collects. Consider them side bets made with the sportsbook about events or statistical milestones that happen in the game. Bowl game parlays: Parlays are multi-leg bets on a single bet slip. All parts of the parlay must be successful for the bet to win. These offer larger payouts, but the chances of winning compared with those of an individual bet are greatly reduced.\n\nHow to bet on college football bowl games\n\nBetting on NCAA football bowl games has never been easier, thanks to online betting sites sprouting up across the country.\n\nCreate an account with any of the best sports betting apps to start betting. It’s a quick process. Below, we outline the steps for opening your own account.\n\nChoose your sportsbook: If you’re not sure which sportsbook is the right fit for you, browse our reviews to see the pros and cons of each, as well as the current offerings for new customers. When you find the sportsbook that best suits your needs, simply click on a link from our site to visit the homepage of your chosen sportsbook. Register for an account: On the homepage, you’ll find a button that says “sign up” or “register.” Once you click that, you’ll be taken to a form for providing personal information such as your name, birth date, email address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. You’ll also be required to accept the sportsbook terms and conditions, which we recommend you read. Collect your welcome bonus: As a new customer, you’ll receive a welcome bonus. This varies from sportsbook to sportsbook, so do some homework before deciding where you want to register. Read through the playthrough requirements for any sports betting bonus or promo so you’re aware of any restrictions it may involve. Make a deposit: Now that you have an account, you need to fund it by making a deposit with the sportsbook. Online betting sites have a variety of ways you can fund your account or make withdrawals. Start betting: Now, you can place a bet. Simply click on a bet to add it to your bet slip, adjust how much you want to wager, and then finalize your bet.\n\nSee more:\n\nWhat is the College Football Playoff?\n\nThe College Football Playoff starts with the New Year’s Six bowl games, of which two act as semifinal games to determine which teams will play in the National Championship.\n\nThose six games, also known as the NY6, include:\n\nRose Bowl Game presented by Capital One (Pasadena, California)\n\nAllstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana)\n\nPlayStation Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)\n\nChick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia)\n\nGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas)\n\nCapital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida)\n\nThese six games are the most iconic and important bowl games in all of college football and usually invite the top-rated teams in the country to play. Currently, two of them, on a rotating basis, act as the semifinal games for the CFP.\n\nHowever, that will expand to include quarterfinal games as of the 2024-25 season when the CFP expands to a 12-team format.\n\nHow does a team qualify for the NY6 bowl games?\n\nA selection committee ranks the best four teams in the country and selects them for the College Football Playoff semifinal games. Those teams compete for a chance to play in the National Championship.\n\nThe other four NY6 bowl games are typically given to champions from the Power Five conferences and the top-rated teams and champions from the Group of Five conferences.\n\nWhat is the College Football Playoff National Championship?\n\nThe CFP National Championship is the final game in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season, crowning the country’s best team. The winners of the two CFP semifinal games square off in this contest, usually slated for a Monday in early January.\n\nThe game, which started in 2014 after replacing the Bowl Championship Series, attracts millions of viewers. That popularity also makes it one of the most-wagered-on sporting events in the country.\n\nThe championship games are scheduled as follows for the next few years:\n\n2023-24: Jan. 8 in Houston\n\nJan. 8 in Houston 2024-25: Jan. 20 in Atlanta\n\nJan. 20 in Atlanta 2025-26: Jan. 19 in Miami\n\nAgain, you can see the schedule being pushed later into January once the CFP field expands to 12 teams in 2024-25.\n\nWhich schools have won the CFP National Championship?\n\nThe College Football Playoff National Championship has been taking place since 2015. Here are the previous winners.\n\n2022-23 season: Georgia Bulldogs\n\nGeorgia Bulldogs 2021-22 season: Georgia Bulldogs\n\nGeorgia Bulldogs 2020-21 season: Alabama Crimson Tide\n\nAlabama Crimson Tide 2019-20 season: LSU Tigers\n\nLSU Tigers 2018-19 season: Clemson Tigers\n\nClemson Tigers 2017-18 season: Alabama Crimson Tide\n\nAlabama Crimson Tide 2016-17 season: Clemson Tigers\n\nClemson Tigers 2015-16 season: Alabama Crimson Tide\n\nAlabama Crimson Tide 2014-15 season: Ohio State Buckeyes\n\nCollege bowl games FAQ\n\nHow many college bowl games are there annually?\n\nThe bowl game season lasts three weeks and consists of 43 games, including the NCAA football national championship.\n\nWhat are the New Year’s Six bowl games?\n\nThe New Year’s Six is a series of high-profile bowl games. They include:\n\nRose Bowl Game presented by Capital One (Pasadena, California)\n\nAllstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans)\n\nPlayStation Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)\n\nChick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta)\n\nGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas)\n\nCapital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida)\n\nWhat is the best time to bet on the College Football National Championship?\n\nChoosing when to bet on the NCAA football national championship comes down to risk versus reward. Making your bets when the lines are first released gives you the best odds and potential winnings but with precious little information.\n\nYou might back a team that’s clearly not going to win by Week 4.\n\nThe longer you wait, the clearer the picture becomes, thanks to data and team performance, but the odds tighten up because sportsbooks are using that same information to make adjustments. You’ll have a more educated choice, but the odds will be less favorable and your payout smaller.", + "Walt Disney Animation’s newest movie, Wish, is the culmination of the studio’s celebration of its own centennial. That project stretched throughout 2023, through projects like the short Once Upon a Studio, specialized merchandise drops centered around each decade the company has been around, and the rebrand of the iconic Disney castle logo. But Wish leans so hard on celebrating the better Disney films that came before it that it doesn’t have much identity of its own. It’s openly a nostalgia-fest, pretty much on par with the other ways the company celebrated its 100-year anniversary.\n\nIn 2023, Disney drilled in harder than ever on looking admiringly at its own history. And why shouldn’t it? The company has a full century of beloved movies, characters, and storytelling to mine for big emotion. Even people who’ve outgrown Disney probably still have residual fondness for at least one of the animated movies they watched in their youth. But nostalgia-bait isn’t limited to Disney’s big birthday celebration: It’s basically what the company has been selling for decades now.\n\nWhile living in and echoing its own past has been profitable for Disney, it isn’t sustainable. And ultimately, harping so hard on its own glory days is pretty antithetical to Disney’s legacy. In order to move forward, it needs to shed the nostalgia — or at least not make it the company’s primary selling point.\n\nNostalgia is safe\n\nFrom a moneymaking standpoint, it’s easy to see why Disney sticks to legacy-linked projects: They’re all but guaranteed to make bank. Disney’s live-action remakes and sequels consistently get mixed to poor reviews, but they make hundreds of millions of dollars. People will pay to see their faves on screens again, or to try to share their happy childhood memories with their own children.\n\nAt least, they will until they get tired of the diminished returns. The live-action remakes might make a lot of money in the short run, but all they’re really doing is reiterating what Disney has done in the past, without meaningfully adding to the original movies’ legacy.\n\nRemember the Disney sequel era? When Disney pumped out cheap direct-to-home-video titles based on every beloved Disney movie from The Fox and the Hound to The Lion King? Disney tries not to. After John Lasseter took over as Disney’s chief creative officer in 2006, he canned the whole DTV department a year later, reportedly denouncing the way cheaply made sequels diminished the Disney brand. Even though Disney loves to celebrate its past, the studio rarely references this era.\n\nEven with a much higher budget and flashier visuals, the live-action remake fad Disney has been riding for the past decade is still contributing to the feeling of nostalgia oversaturation. And the studio’s many spinoffs and reboots don’t help, either. Some of these legacy projects have been good, but even so, the sheer volume of them just doesn’t seem built to last.\n\nOne of the most recent Disney live-action projects announced is a rendition of 2016’s animated hit Moana — a great movie that hasn’t even really had a chance to build its own legacy. The kids who watched it when it first came out are mostly still kids. But Disney is now assuming that anything it makes will have an instant legacy, without actually letting the nostalgia naturally brew on its own.\n\nDisney’s brand management of Star Wars, Marvel, Fox, the Muppets, and a host of other properties only emphasizes this oversaturation. The Disney empire stretches far and wide these days, and characters like Baby Yoda and Tony Stark sit alongside Mickey Mouse and Cinderella in theme parks, on Disney Plus promotional material, and on Bob Iger’s X header. Disney plays up “Disney Magic” as part of its brand. But when every major franchise in America is lumped together as Disney magic, what’s left?\n\nInnovation is Disney’s real legacy\n\nOver the past 100 years, Disney has taken some big, risky swings, and has fumbled many, many times. From the dark and dreary Black Cauldron, which almost bankrupted the studio in 1985, to the off-kilter adventure movies of the early 2000s, the studio’s mold-breaking passion projects have often been megaflops. But at the same time, some of the company’s most memorable movies have stemmed from these risks.\n\nThe original 1940 Fantasia was one of Walt Disney’s most ambitious passion projects turned box-office failures, but the Sorcerer Mickey short is as iconic as the mouse himself. Lilo & Stitch was so damn weird that the filmmakers basically hid it from the rest of the company; it ended up making back more than three times its budget, and more importantly, turning Stitch into one of the studio’s most memorable characters. And even The Little Mermaid, the film that kickstarted the Disney Renaissance, was a risk; a big Broadway-style musical of its type just hadn’t been done in animation before.\n\nAfter all, Walt Disney himself famously pushed for progress and innovation, especially in the studio’s creative endeavors, even when that translated into poor financial decisions. What’s made his studio so special over the past century is how it’s looked forward, trying new things even in the face of failure and taking chances that other production houses couldn’t afford or risk. The company’s biggest legacy isn’t the princesses, the theme parks, or even Mickey Mouse: It’s how all those elements started out as daring projects that no one else was doing.\n\nAnd yet Disney and its fans apparently keep forgetting that, and keep clinging to the past with such ardor that it does their idol’s legacy a disservice.\n\nThere’s a time and place for the past\n\nNostalgia isn’t a bad thing, nor is it entirely at odds with Walt Disney. Even in his quest for innovation, Walt was a nostalgic guy who idealized “the good old days,” to the point where he modeled the entrances of his theme parks after how his hometown looked at the turn of the 20th century. I, certainly, am not immune to Disney nostalgia. I love Disney. I have multiple Disney-themed plushies. I teared up when I watched Once Upon a Studio. I launched an entire yearlong content package so I could celebrate Disney.\n\nBut nostalgia is a potent ingredient, and it works best in the Disney recipe for success when it’s on the side: in celebratory shorts, theme-park parades, and collectible merchandise. Not when it’s the main offering. For most of the past century, Walt Disney Studios was a movie studio first, and a storefront, streaming service, and theme-park empire second.\n\nIt feels like that balance has shifted over the last decade. And if Disney wants to last another century, and make things that actually spark new nostalgia down the line, it should go back to embracing fresh, different ideas.\n\nHardcore Disney fans aren’t always keen on new things. They cry out for a return to their favorites, the memory of watching a Disney movie for the first time. Maybe that means demanding animated Disney movies have proper villains again. Maybe it means asking for more musicals — or fewer of them. Maybe it’s lamenting the loss of traditional 2D animation. Maybe it’s specifically missing the animated musical sequences of the Disney Renaissance. There are even people who yearn for a return to the animal-focused movies of the 1970s. Whatever that Disney draw is, it’s different for every single person.\n\nAnd because Disney fans have so many separate, individualized desires, it’s impossible for the company to focus on meeting every single one of them. Besides, more often than not, even though people cry out for the good old days, what they’re really missing is the feeling of discovering something new — that first viewing of a movie that will become a lasting favorite. Trying to check off all the items on a checklist that doesn’t even really describe what people want… that doesn’t make good movies. It barely makes tolerable ones.\n\nWith 100 years of creative life under its belt, Walt Disney Studios has a lot to be proud of. But Mickey Mouse didn’t become a staple overnight. Before Mickey was an icon, before the Disney Princess brand was even a thing, before Disney owned a million other entertainment companies, Disney filmmakers were trying daring things, while making a lot of costly mistakes along the way. But each of those mistakes was an opportunity, a legacy of its own that helped usher in the great movies the studio is known for.\n\nThat’s not a message that executives and shareholders want to hear. But you don’t get to a hundred-year legacy by playing it safe. You need to have faith and trust in storytelling, in the creative minds behind the great movies, in the power of progress. And a little pixie dust doesn’t hurt, either.", + "Twitch is the best way to watch sports, when you can actually watch sports on Twitch\n\nShare All sharing options for: Twitch is the best way to watch sports, when you can actually watch sports on Twitch\n\nNeed a new way to watch sports? Twitch might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.\n\nIt’s no secret that fans have historically consumed sports through live events and cable TV, but as media consumption has shifted, many — especially in younger generations — have sought out sports content on social platforms.\n\nTwitch in particular has become a platform where sports streamers and fans have flocked. During the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, athletes and sports leagues around the world joined the platform to stream video games when live sports were temporarily on hiatus — and years later, some of them are still active. WNBA player Aerial Powers regularly streams herself playing games like NBA 2K and Apex Legends, while Argentinian former soccer player Sergio Agüero uses his channel to livestream Kings League and Queens League games. Organizations like the NBA, the NFL, and the UFC have their own Twitch channels where they promote and share content. For instance, the UFC runs watch-along streams hosted by former mixed martial artist, boxer, and kickboxer Jens Pulver.\n\nPolygon is celebrating TwitchCon 2023 with a package of stories covering streaming trends and news from the show. Check it out!\n\nIn recent years, Twitch has introduced a TwitchSports channel as well as a stand-alone sports category to help users find live sporting events and sports-related content. On the stand-alone sports category page — which, as of publication, has 2.7 million followers — users can find creators commentating and analyzing various sports, reaction and watch-along streams, some live sports feeds, and streams of creators playing sports video games. Take a look and you’ll see everything from motorsports and soccer to tennis, volleyball, and even pickleball.\n\nEnterpriseAppsToday reported that in 2023, Twitch’s “Sports” category registered around 8 million hours of watch time. YPulse survey research from April found that 66% of Gen Zers are tuning into platforms like Twitch to follow their favorite sports. “In contrast to the more spectator-oriented sports watching of earlier generations, Gen Z has evolved the experience into an interactive digital experience through social and streaming platforms,” says Anastasia Pelot, YPulse’s content marketing manager.\n\nWhile livestreams of major league games are less common to find on Twitch due to broadcast rights, some leagues — nationally and globally — have experimented with streaming games in recent years. The NBA signed a deal with Twitch in 2017 to stream minor league games while giving fans the chance to interact with each other. The two also teamed up in 2019 for a separate deal to exclusively stream USA Basketball games globally. When Amazon began airing Thursday Night Football games last fall, Nielsen reported a total viewership figure of 13 million for its first exclusive game, which included U.S. Prime Video subscribers who streamed on Twitch.\n\nTwitch creator EsfandTV, who requested to go by Esfand for this story, is a streamer with 1.2 million followers who follow not only for gaming content, but for his sports streaming as well. He says that broadcast rights are one of the aspects hindering Twitch from becoming a full-blown sports streaming platform. Leagues still own the rights when it comes to where sports are aired, and Esfand says they need to adapt if they want to reach young and international sports fans.\n\n“The NBA is king,” Esfand says. “When it comes to hockey, the NHL is king. But what’s happening is these different leagues, they are the boss. They’re the governing body. They have all the rights to everything and when it comes to content, they can be in control.”\n\nEsfand says if done properly, a league can partner with a streamer that has a large audience and find a way to allow rights to reduce the barrier to entry for users. “You can’t just block it out in certain markets,” Esfand says. “When I did a stream [of a football game], I think Canada couldn’t watch. Most of Europe couldn’t watch.”\n\nSome leagues have partnered with streamers and have yielded successful results: LiveMode and FIFA partnered with Brazilian streamer Casimito to broadcast the 2022 World Cup on Twitch in Latin America, while the Men in Blazers podcast hosted its popular live watch-along shows for some World Cup matches in the U.S. Earlier this year, Casimito also struck a deal to stream the 2023 Women’s World Cup on his channel. The NBA also signed a deal in 2021 with Alexandre “Gaules” Borba Chiqueta and Budweiser to stream games in Brazilian markets.\n\n“These are the things that, if they’re done the right way, you are now attracting the younger audience who is not watching cable TV as much anymore,” Esfand says.\n\nIn place of regularly streaming games, Esfand has found other ways to engage with fans on his channel. Esfand’s Tailgate Tour, where he visits college towns and showcases college football culture — everything from the tailgating atmosphere to the energy inside the stadium — resonates strongly with young and global fans, especially those who might not be familiar with American college traditions.\n\nIn April, he livestreamed Esfand’s Draft Night Extravaganza on Twitch. The broadcast coincided with the first day of the NFL draft and featured a mix of Twitch creators like Will Neff and Erobb221 as well as current and former NFL players including Austin Ekeler, Micah Parsons, and Kenny Vaccaro, where they provided analysis and commentary on draft picks.\n\n“I have people that have been watching me for years playing World of Warcraft or doing something that isn’t football, but they’re actually huge football fans”\n\nIn some cases, fans preferred Esfand’s show to the traditional broadcast. “I havent watched or cared about football in like 10 years but i still watched this whole stream and loved it,” one viewer commented on YouTube, where the Twitch stream was uploaded after airing.\n\nAnother user wrote, “I love all things football and I pretty much had the draft on TV muted while watching your stream.”\n\nEsfand says he feels fortunate he’s been able to stream more sports content on his channel over the last few years, to the point where people have recognized him solely for his football content. He adds that it’s been interesting seeing fans evolve from those that were fans of his gaming streams to ones who are sports fans, or discovering gaming fans who are also sports fans.\n\n“I have people that have been watching me for years playing World of Warcraft or doing something that isn’t football, but they’re actually huge football fans,” Esfand says. “A big part of Twitch is that people like watching streamers they can relate to. Because what happens is, it’s not just about the streamer; it’s also about the streamer’s chat. Now they are getting involved in the community, whether it’s just through chat itself or through Discord.”\n\nAlex Casassovici, founder and CEO of Azarus, a company that works with online creators to enhance the streaming experience, says that livestreaming sports and sports-related content on platforms like Twitch creates a more intimate experience for streamers and fans alike.\n\n“I think what we’re looking at is either a very curated kind of managed channel, and more grassroots-like, creator-led experiences,” Casassovici says. “That’s clearly something that can be differentiated when it comes to streaming.”\n\nTwitch seems to see value when it comes to investing in sports streamers. A few years ago, the platform launched the Sports Accelerator Program to support sports content creators wanting to get into “sports talk,” like podcasts, talk shows, reaction streams, sidecasts, watch-alongs, and more, through live workshops and by providing opportunities to network and expand their viewership.\n\nU.K.-based Keira Megan, who goes by keirameganxx on Twitch and was previously part of the Sports Accelerator Program, has been on the platform for about a year and a half with a focus on soccer and motorsports like Formula 1. While Formula 1 has always been primarily popular in Europe, it’s seen growth among new fans in the United States in recent years, thanks in part to docuseries like Netflix’s Drive to Survive.\n\nWhile she doesn’t stream actual races or games due to broadcast rights, Megan hosts watch-along streams for fans who want to hear her commentary. Megan says that while she doesn’t have as many followers on Twitch as she does on her YouTube channel, there are elements of Twitch she prefers to YouTube, including the ability to be herself and engage with fans more closely.\n\n“People want to know what you want to say,” Megan says. “They come into my Twitch channel and ask me about the race. They asked me three days later about a [soccer] match. They want to talk about it. I think Twitch is good for that. I think it’s good for one-on-one. I find that Twitch is where I’m the most engaged with my audiences, and they feel closest to me.”", + "Listen to this story: Have feedback on the audio version of this story? Let us know!\n\nTypically, matter made of the same kinds of atoms arranged in the same way has the same properties. But tiny specks called quantum dots are special. They can contain the same molecules yet have different colors and other qualities depending on their size. The ability to make a whole rainbow of quantum dots simply by tweaking their size makes the dots highly useful. They light up TV screens and help doctors see inside the body. Now, the 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry honors three scientists who discovered and created quantum dots.\n\nOne of those scientists is Moungi Bawendi. He’s a chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. The second winner is chemist Louis Brus. He’s based at Columbia University in New York City. The final winner is Alexei Ekimov. This physicist now works at Nanocrystals Technology, Inc., in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.\n\nThe trio will split a prize of 11 million Swedish kronor, or about $1 million. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the honor October 4.\n\nChemist Moungi Bawendi (left), chemist Louis Brus (middle) and physicist Alexei Ekimov (right) have split the 2023 Nobel prize in chemistry. MIT, Columbia University, Nexdot\n\nA new kind of material\n\n“Quantum dots are a new class of materials, different from molecules,” said Heiner Linke. A member of the Nobel committee, he spoke at the award announcement.\n\nQuantum dots are each a few billionths of a meter across. At such a tiny scale, their qualities are governed by the weird laws of quantum mechanics. Those quantum laws rule that changing the dots’ size alters their properties. That includes how the dots interact with light and electricity. It also includes their magnetic properties and at what temperature they melt.\n\nOne useful quality that changes with a quantum dot’s size is its color. Usually, “if you want to make different colors with molecules, you would choose a new molecule,” Linke said. That is, a new set of atoms arranged in a different structure.\n\nBut changing a quantum dot’s size can change its color without changing its molecules. Quantum dots give off fluorescent light of different colors when they are bathed in laser light. Smaller dots give off bluer light. Bigger dots give off redder light.\n\nDots of the same size made from different materials may give off slightly different colors. Quantum dots are usually made from semiconductors. Such materials include graphene, selenite or metal sulfides. By adjusting the sizes and materials of quantum dots, chemists can alter their properties for a huge range of uses.\n\nPossible after all\n\nScientists suspected that nanoparticles’ sizes could alter their properties nearly a century ago. But at the time, it seemed impossible to actually make such particles. To do that, researchers would need a material with a perfect crystal structure. They’d also have to be able to control the size of that tiny speck extremely precisely. So precisely, in fact, that they’d have to sculpt the particle one layer of atoms at a time.\n\nThen, in the early 1980s, Ekimov and Brus each showed this could be done. The two did not work together. Ekimov created quantum dots with glass. Adding copper chloride to the glass produced tiny crystals. Ekimov then showed that the size of those crystals was linked to the color of the glass.\n\nBrus made a similar discovery. He showed that there was a link between size and color for nanosize particles floating in a solution or in a gas.\n\nThose discoveries stirred up intense interest in how such dots could be used. But making quantum dots for specific uses would require precisely controlling the dots’ size.\n\nEducators and Parents, Sign Up for The Cheat Sheet Weekly updates to help you use Science News Explores in the learning environment Client key* E-mail Address* Go Thank you for signing up! There was a problem signing you up.\n\nA decade later, Bawendi devised a method to do just that. His technique allowed him to stop the growth of tiny crystals in a solution when they reached a desired size. Here’s how it worked. He first injected chemicals into a solution that instantly formed tiny crystals. Then, he tweaked the temperature of the solution to halt the crystals’ growth.\n\n“I’m deeply honored and surprised and shocked by the announcement this morning,” Bawendi said October 4. He spoke at an MIT news conference. “I’m especially honored to share this with Lou Brus,” Bawendi said of his mentor. “I tried to emulate his scholarship and his mentoring style as a professor myself when I came to MIT.”\n\nBawendi started working on quantum dots after meeting Brus. The two worked at Nokia Bell Labs, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J. There, researchers needed high-quality quantum dots to study the physics of nanoparticles.\n\n“It wasn’t because I wanted to make the best quantum dots possible for application,” Bawendi said. “It was because we needed to make the best possible quantum dots to study them.” It took years of trial and error to work out the method.\n\nIn this microscope image, quantum dots light up mouse intestines. Red and green represent proteins illuminated by fluorescing quantum dots. Provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Image by Thomas Deerinck and Mark Ellisman/National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research\n\nApplications abound\n\nBawendi’s work made it possible to manufacture quantum dots with specific sizes — and therefore specific properties. This opened up a world of possible uses for the dots.\n\nFor one thing, quantum dots can be used to subtly change the color of LED lights. This can dramatically improve the lights’ energy efficiency.\n\nQuantum dots are also useful in medicine. They can be injected into the body and attached to cells from the body’s immune system. Such cells swarm cancerous tissues. By tagging the cells with fluorescent quantum dots, surgeons can spot even hard-to-see tumors inside the body.\n\nQuantum dots can also be tuned to absorb different colors of light. So they could be used to build solar panels that soak up sunlight well in different conditions. The dots may even be used to build quantum computers. Such computers promise to run much faster than any normal computer ever could.\n\nThis year’s chemistry Nobel is well-deserved, says Warren Chan. He’s a biomedical engineer and chemist at the University of Toronto in Canada. “They’re the ones who built the foundation,” Chan says of the winners. “I’m really happy that the field is getting credit for really changing the world.”\n\nChan and his colleagues found one of the first uses for quantum dots in the 1990s. Their group used quantum dots to tag cells in lab experiments. But the Nobel committee doesn’t just look at past impacts of a discovery, Chan notes. They also consider the effects a discovery may have in the future. And quantum dots could have a whole medley of uses not yet explored. Chan’s team, for instance, is now using quantum dots to detect infections such as flu and HIV.\n\n“I was absolutely thrilled to see this,” says Judith Giordan. She’s the president of the American Chemical Society. “We have three people recognized who brought this technology from a dream, a hope, a theoretical construct … all the way through synthesis and manufacture.”", + "Even the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys – two of the NFL's best teams – have hot seats. No seats, however, may be more sizzling than those occupied by two head coaches in the NFC South, one in the NFC North and another (surprisingly) in the NFC West.\n\nHere is the hottest seat on each NFC team as determined by Yardbarker NFL writers.\n\nNFC East\n\nDALLAS COWBOYS | Cornerback Trevon Diggs: In September, Diggs suffered a season-ending ACL injury. His replacement, DaRon Bland, has wowed us with an NFL-record five pick-sixes. There's no way Bland can go back to slot corner in 2024, so the heat will be on Diggs next season as a probable replacement for Stephon Gilmore at left cornerback.\n\nNEW YORK GIANTS | Quarterback Daniel Jones: Out for the season with an ACL injury, Jones has no way to dissuade Giants ownership from taking a quarterback high in the QB-rich 2024 NFL Draft. New York can (and will) get out of his $160M contract in 2025.\n\nPHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Wide receiver Quez Watkins: Philadelphia’s supposed No. 3 receiver has a measly four catches for 21 yards. While he missed five games with a hamstring injury, Olamide Zaccheaus and Julio Jones combined for 132 yards receiving and three touchdowns.\n\nWASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Owner Josh Harris: He oversaw the controversial “Process” as owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. He’ll need a better plan this offseason when “I’m not Dan Snyder” stops working. At 4-8, the Commanders are floundering in his first season of ownership. — Bruce Ewing\n\nNFC West\n\nARIZONA CARDINALS | Quarterback Kyler Murray: The inconsistent Murray has five more games this season to prove to a new front office and coaching staff that he is the long-term answer at quarterback. If he doesn’t show them what they want to see, the Cardinals have the draft capital (including two first-round picks) to land a franchise quarterback at the top of the QB-rich 2024 NFL Draft.\n\nLOS ANGELES RAMS | Wide receiver Cooper Kupp: At his peak, he was one of the best offensive players in the league, but age (30) and injuries (appearing in 16 of a possible 28 games the past two seasons) have hurt his production. He has been a non-factor over the past five games (12 catches for 127 yards) while young receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell have stepped up.\n\nSAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Head coach Kyle Shanahan: The 49ers have done almost everything possible under Shanahan except win a Super Bowl. Fair or not, not winning a title with a stacked roster — especially on offense (Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brock Purdy, George Kittle) — would be a massive disappointment. His job is in zero danger, but his rep may be.\n\nSEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Quarterback Geno Smith: The Seahawks passed on drafting a QB in 2023 and re-signed Smith, but he has taken a significant step back. Entering Thursday's game against Dallas, his completion percentage was down from 2022 (69.8 to 65.4 percent) despite the impressive offensive weapons around him. Seattle has an out in his contract after this season that would only carry a $17.4 million dead-cap number, per Spotrac. — Adam Gretz\n\nNFC North\n\nCHICAGO BEARS | Head coach Matt Eberflus: The Bears have only one division win during Eberflus' tenure and his seven wins are the fewest by a Bears head coach through his first 29 games. In his second season as HC, the defense has improved, but positive results are hard to come by behind a lackluster offense ranked 19th in yards (323.2) and 21st in points per game (20.2).\n\nDETROIT LIONS | Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn: The Lions finished near the bottom of the NFL in points against (31st and 28th) the past two seasons and are on pace to do so again for the third time in as many years under Glenn (24th, 23.5). Furthermore, the unit has regressed in 2023, with opponents averaging 29 points per game since Week 7 (five games).\n\nGREEN BAY PACKERS | Wide receiver Christian Watson: The popular choice to emerge as the team's No. 1 wideout, he has underachieved in his second season, outshined by fellow 2022 draftee Romeo Doubs (seven TDs) and rookie Jayden Reed (five TDs). Watson had his best game in Week 12 (five receptions, 94 yards, one TD), but was nearly invisible before that, recording 16 catches (257 yards) and two TDs over seven games.\n\nMINNESOTA VIKINGS | Running back Alexander Mattison: He has floundered in his first season as the starter, producing zero rushing TDs on a career-best 13.2 attempts a game and ranking 22nd among qualified backs in yards per carry (3.8). He's still getting more snaps than second-year RB Ty Chandler, but the Vikings will likely look for a replacement this offseason if Mattison doesn't show more. — Mike Santa Barbara\n\nNFC South\n\nATLANTA FALCONS | Quarterback Desmond Ridder: The Falcons have a golden path toward a division crown, but Ridder’s two-interception performance against the Saints in Week 12 was another reminder Atlanta isn’t a legitimate contender with him. He’ll finish the season leading the Falcons, who will probably get a home playoff game, but the clock is ticking on Ridder’s time as an NFL starter.\n\nCAROLINA PANTHERS | General manager Scott Fitterer: Owner David Tepper should have the hottest seat, but he isn’t going to fire himself. Instead, when he runs out of people on the sidelines to fire, he’ll take out his frustration on a GM (partly) responsible for constructing the least impressive roster in football.\n\nNEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Head coach Dennis Allen: New Orleans' 5-6 record against the league’s easiest schedule is bad. What's worse, however, is running back Alvin Kamara’s concerning claim after a 24-15 loss to the Falcons that the team doesn’t have an identity. Allen — who has a 20-44 record as head coach of the Raiders and Saints — needs a playoff appearance or there could be big changes in New Orleans.\n\nTAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Head coach Todd Bowles: At 4-7, the Bucs are only a game back of first in the division, but they are fading fast, going 1-6 in their past seven games. The team’s lapses on defense (363.7 YPG/27th) – supposedly Bowles' area of expertise – are most concerning. — Eric Smithling", + "Goals from West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus extended Manchester United’s miserable run in the English Premier League.\n\nBowen bundled home at the second attempt in the 72nd minute, his 11th league goal this season, and Kudus struck his fourth goal in as many games to settle matters.\n\nIt was another worrying setback for manager Erik ten Hag as United suffered a 13th defeat in 26 games in all competitions.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nA defensive howler from Manchester United and Mohammed Kudus capitalises! ????\n\n\n\nWhat a finish from the West Ham man, but Kobbie Mainoo won't want to see this one back… ????\n\n\n\nStream LIVE, or on-demand after, here ???? https://t.co/09W1bq24Ur#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/IcKGdmJv4O — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023\n\nManchester United legend Peter Schmeichel lashed the team’s lack of a plan and blasted them for looking slow against the Hammers.\n\n“It was just in many ways irrelevant. There was no plan to it,” he said. “West Ham got an easy win which is a little bit silly to say.\n\n“When I look at the team, I don’t know what the identity of the team is. What is the style of play, what’s the plan?\n\n“He needs to take a step back, ten Hag, and say what do I need to do with these players I have available in order to first of all stop leaking goals, because that’s a problem, and secondly, score goals – how do I get the next goal? Four games without a goal, it’s a long time.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDEADLOCK BROKEN! West Ham lead against Manchester United! ????\n\n\n\nThat assist from Lucas Paquetá though… ????\n\n\n\nStream LIVE, or on-demand after, here ???? https://t.co/09W1bq24Ur#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/Qqq7zugQmj — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023\n\nTen Hag tried to put a positive spin on the performance by claiming to BBC that they were the better side before the first goal.\n\n“I think it was a decent 72 minutes where we didn’t take our chances. We should’ve gone in the lead but we didn’t and then it was one moment of switching off,” he said.\n\n“At this moment we are not top, but we have seen last week against the top of this league we were head-to-head. We didn’t score, we had the best opportunities of the game.\n\n“There we defended very well for 90 minutes, that has to be always our standard like what we did there. You have to bring that to every game on the pitch.”\n\nLiverpool and Arsenal played out a thrilling 1-1 draw at Anfield that ensures the London side will top the English Premier League on Christmas Day.\n\nGabriel gives Arsenal a three and a half minute lead at Liverpool! ????\n\n\n\nThis top-of-the-table clash explodes into life early – and that's the Gunners' fastest ever goal at Anfield in #PL history! ⚡️\n\n\n\nStream LIVE, or on-demand after, here ???? https://t.co/wdM7tdgfb9#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/n7dqm1qnUH — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023\n\nAdvertisement\n\nArsenal led through defender Gabriel’s fourth-minute header from Martin Odegaard’s free kick on Saturday (local time), but Mohamed Salah beat David Raya at his near post to level in the 29th.\n\nLiverpool came closest in the second half and hit the woodwork twice, through Trent Alexander-Arnold and substitute Harvey Elliott.\n\nMikel Arteta’s team go into Christmas a point clear of Liverpool and third-placed Aston Villa.\n\nLiverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas broke his collarbone when he collided with Jurgen Klopp on the sideline.\n\nTsimikas was challenged by Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka and stumbled into Klopp, who fell on top of him.\n\nKlopp said Tsimikas’ collarbone was “definitely broken”, adding he will be “out for a long time.”\n\nAndros Townsend headed the winner for Luton Town as they beat Newcastle United in their first match since captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest agasint Bournemouth a week earlier.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPURE ANGE-BALL! Richarlison scores against his old club to give Tottenham the lead! ????\n\n\n\n\"What a superb goal from Spurs – they just passed their way through Everton!\" ????\n\n\n\nStream #PLGoalRush LIVE, or on-demand after, here ???? https://t.co/qE2Kd4Kh3N#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/uRXhc07AAo — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 23, 2023\n\nRicharlison scored for a third consecutive match against his old club Everton as Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham ensured they would be in the EPL top four at Christmas after a hard-fought 2-1 home win.\n\nSean Dyche’s visitors crucially had a Dominic Calvert-Lewin effort ruled out by VAR in the 51st minute which could have changed the complexion of the match.\n\nSon Heung-min added to Richarlison’s opener and Andre Gomes scored a later consolation for Everton.\n\nBurnley took all three points with a deserved 2-0 victory over hosts Fulham as Rebecca Welch became the first female referee to take charge of an EPL match.\n\nWilson Odobert and Sander Berge scored to lift Burnley off the bottom of the table.\n\nDominic Solanke scored a hat-trick to earn Bournemouth a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest and ruin Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge at the City Ground.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nForest, who scored through Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood, had defender Willy Boly controversially sent off in the first half.\n\nThey were level until Solanke headed home in the fifth minute of stoppage time.\n\n© AAP", + "If you tuned into \"Sunday Night Football\" expecting to see some offense, you tuned in on the wrong weekend.\n\nThe Jets and Raiders were locked into an old-school, defense-heavy primetime clash that featured nothing but six field goals through the first three quarters of the game. It wasn't until 50 seconds into the fourth quarter that Las Vegas finally picked up the first touchdown, with Michael Mayer making a leaping grab in the end zone to put the Raiders up 16-9.\n\nIn such a low-scoring game, that touchdown felt, even as early as it was, that it could be a game-winner. And indeed, it was as the Raiders held the Jets to just a field goal the rest of the game and picked off Zach Wilson late to stymy New York in a 16-12 win.\n\nMORE: What to know about Raiders 'SNF' hero Robert Spillane\n\nIt wasn't exactly a quarterback showdown that many might have expected in the preseason when this game appeared to be Aaron Rodgers vs. Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead, Wilson went 23-for-39 with 263 yards, no touchdowns and a pick (rushing four times for 54 yards) while Aidan O'Connell completed 16-of-27 passes for 153 yards, a touchdown and an interception.\n\nThe Raiders largely turned to running back Josh Jacobs, who set season-best marks with 27 carries for 116 yards, while the Jets' running back duo of Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook was held to just 17 rushes for 54 yards.\n\nThe win for the Raiders already marks their second in as many games since the firing of Josh McDaniels, with interim coach Antonio Pierce getting off to an undefeated 2-0 start to his career. It also vaults the Raiders into a deep AFC playoff race, with Las Vegas joining the now five AFC wild-card contenders with at least five wins.\n\nFor the Jets, it marked a second straight game without a touchdown, and gives them their second consecutive loss before hitting the road to face the Bills in Week 11.\n\nMORE: Revisiting Antonio Pierce's NFL playing career\n\nSporting News tracked all the scores and highlights from Jets vs. Raiders on \"Sunday Night Football.\" Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nJets vs. Raiders final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Jets 6 3 0 3 12 Raiders 3 3 3 7 16\n\nJets vs. Raiders results, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFourth quarter\n\n11:26 p.m.: Wilson's final pass after being chased out of the pocket is batted down, and the Raiders hang on to win 16-12.\n\n11:24 p.m.: It's time for Hail Marys, and the first to Gipson sails out of bounds. With five seconds left, the Raiders call their second timeout.\n\n11:22 p.m.: Wilson spikes the first pass with no one open, then connects with Conklin on a dump-off for nine yards. He goes back to Conklin with the clock rolling, and the tight end makes an impressive leaping grab at the Raiders' 45. The Jets use their last timeout with 12 seconds left.\n\nA big pass to Tyler Conklin gets the Jets into opposing territory\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/oW0Nb8335s — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n11:20 p.m.: Even after backing up five yards, Cole still boots the ball too far. He tries to angle it toward the sideline, and it bounces into the end zone for a touchback. Jets will get the ball at the 20 with 53 seconds left.\n\n11:19 p.m.: Raiders opt to trust O'Connell to put the game away and have him attempt a pass, but his pass attempt to Mayer is batted down by Jermaine Johnson. That saves the Jets a timeout and means they will get the ball back after a punt. Raiders take a delay of game penalty before the kick.\n\n11:18 p.m.: Jacobs is stuffed for no gain, and the Jets use their second timeout. 1:05 left, and the Raiders facing a pivotal third-and-5.\n\n11:17 p.m.: Jacobs gets five, and the Jets call a quick timeout.\n\n11:16 p.m.: Hall can only get a pair of yards on a check down to the right out to the 20. The next play, Wilson tries to get the ball out to Lazard and is picked off by Robert Spillane, who returns the ball out to the Raiders' 40. With 1:14 and the Jets having three timeouts, this one's all but over.\n\n11:11 p.m.: Wilson misses Lazard over the middle, then goes back to Conklin, who makes the low catch two yards shy of the first down marker. Wilson connects with Wilson again for six up to the 22 to bring up a fresh set of downs and the two-minute warning.\n\nGarrett Wilson bobbled it but still hung on for the first down\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/pTmdt9OLNK — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n11:10 p.m.: The drive stays alive as Wilson dumps the ball off to Conklin, who stretches across for the first down at the 36.\n\n11:08 p.m.: Uzomah makes a strong effort catching a pass, staying up after a big hit and powering his way up six yards. Play stops for an injury to Jakorian Bennett. Wilson tries a deep shot toward the end zone to Garrett Wilson, but in double coverage, the pass is broken up.\n\n11:07 p.m.: New York keeps moving down the field, as after a three-yard catch from Garrett Wilson, Hall catches a quick pass underneath, makes some defenders miss and takes it up 10 yards to the Raiders 46.\n\n11:06 p.m.: The call on the field stands, and the Jets immediately work to pay off the turnover as Zach Wilson starts the drive with a nice throw across the middle of the field to Lazard for 17 yards to the Jets 41.\n\n11:03 p.m.: Costly turnover for the Raiders. Just as it felt the Raiders were inching toward putting the game away, Jacobs loses a fumble at the Jets' 25, and it's recovered by Ashtyn Davis. The turnover is being reviewed, and would be a massive swing if it stands.\n\nJamien Sherwood forces the fumble and the Jets take over!\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/g9gWv0UKIT — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n11:01 p.m.: Zamir White gets his first carry of the day and appears to lose the football after gaining five, but the Raiders recover it. Jacobs gets the next handoff and appeared to be bottled up, but the line pushes him ahead for seven yards for a first down up to the Jets 29. Las Vegas grinding away the clock now with 6:14 left to play.\n\n11 p.m.: Gutsy call by Pierce and the Raiders, who fake a sneak and instead hand the ball off to Carter, who races around the left end and speeds past the defense for 15 yards and a first down up to the Jets 41.\n\n15 yards on 4th and inches. That equals a first down.\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/ZJPCx6eHpq — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n10:58 p.m.: Facing a third-and-8, O'Connell fires the ball out to Austin Hooper, who is brought down just shy of the first down. The Raiders will have a decision to make on a fourth-and-1 from the Las Vegas 44. C.J. Mosley was injured on the play, and has to come off the field.\n\n10:56 p.m.: O'Connell tries a deep shot to Adams to start the drive, but the star receiver is double-covered. Jacobs gets Las Vegas back on schedule by racing his way up the middle for nine yards to set up a third-and-1, just stumbling short. He picks up that yard on a carry the next play to keep the chains moving.\n\n10:54 p.m.: Raiders will start at the 25 with 11:58 to play.\n\n10:51 p.m. Jets scoring play: The Jets offense stalls after a throw from Garrett Wilson on a trick play to Lazard misses, then a low throw from Zach Wilson to Cook that's missed as well. Wilson escapes pressure from the Raiders and manages a yard, but the call is to Zuerlein to boot the field goal. Raiders 16, Jets 12\n\n10:48 p.m.: Trading explosive plays now. First Jacobs with the big run, now Hall catches a screen pass, and he bursts down the left sideline for 35 yards to the Las Vegas 40. Then Garrett Wilson makes a wide-open grab for 13 to the Raiders' 28.\n\nBreece Hall just turned the screen pass into a 35-yard gain 😳\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/aCOdKjJEkr — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n10:47 p.m.: Jets start at the 25.\n\n10:45 p.m. Raiders scoring play: O'Connell fakes a sweep to Jacobs and throws a touchdown pass to a leaping Mayer in the end zone. First touchdown of the game comes with 14:10 left. Raiders 16, Jets 9\n\nThird quarter\n\n10:41 p.m.: Mayer drops a pass on first down, then Jacobs explodes down the field, racing up 40 yards to the Jets' 13. Carter punches out the football at the end of the run, but it rolls harmlessly out of bounds. Jacobs takes the next carry for five yards to wind down the third quarter with the Raiders now at the Jets' 8.\n\n10:35 p.m.: Wilson to Wilson gains five to start the drive, but Zach is brought down the next play on a sack and the ball got loose. Mekhi Becton jumps on the ball to avoid disaster. Wilson tries to get the first down the next play with a deep shot to Taylor down the middle but it sails well over his head. New York punts, and Carter returns the ball 10 yards to the Raiders' 46 as Las Vegas again gets favorable field position to start a drive.\n\n10:34 p.m.: Gipson attempts a kickoff return, but is brought down at the Jets 13 for a short return.\n\n10:29 p.m. Raiders scoring play: Offense keeps trying to go through Jacobs, with him getting blown up for a loss of four before getting five yards on a toss to the right. But O'Connell way overthrows Adams, and the Raiders have to settle for the 40-yard field goal to tie the game with 2:36 left in the third quarter. Adams was furious there wasn't a penalty. All kicks so far tonight. Jets 9, Raiders 9\n\n10:27 p.m.: O'Connell rifles a quick pass out to Hunter Renfrow, who races up and gets near the line of scrimmage but is just inches shy of the line. The Raiders opt to go for it and hand the ball to Jacobs, who finds a hole on the right side and gets the necessary yardage to the Jets 23 for the first.\n\n10:26 p.m.: For the second time today, O'Connell takes a bad sack out to the Jets 42 that takes the Raiders out of field-goal range, but Jacobs catches a short pass and runs it up — ruled a carry since it was a lateral — for 12 yards to bring up a much more manageable third-and-6.\n\n10:25 p.m.: Following a rush of no gain by Jacobs, Meyers makes a catch in front of a few defenders and makes them miss to pick up eight yards. O'Connell then goes with a pop pass to Jacobs, who bursts to the right sideline for three yards and the first down to the Jets 34.\n\n10:19 p.m.: Quick three-and-out by the Jets, as Wilson steps up and fires an incompletion and Hall is brought down for a loss of a yard by Butler. After a false start to make it third-and-16, Wilson escapes out on the right side and manages to get 13 yards before stumbling and fall three shy of the first. Las Vegas gets an excellent return by Carter along the sideline, as he takes the punt from the Raiders 23 up to the Jets 46 for a 31-yard return.\n\n10:14 p.m.: O'Connell tries to throw a tight end screen to Mayer, but has to spike it as his tight end was well contained. Gipson returns the punt five yards up to the Jets' 15 as the Jets prepare for their next drive.\n\n10:11 p.m.: Impressive solo tackle by Quinnen Williams getting to Jacobs almost as soon as he gets the handoff in the backfield for a loss of three. Tre Tucker gets an end-around for nine yards to set up a much more manageable third-and-4. O'Connell scrambles for five to the left and gets the yardage, but for once, a penalty goes against the Raiders as a holding flag brings up a third-and-14 for the Raiders.\n\n10:05 p.m.: Conklin gets a nice reception that would have brought up a fourth-and-4. The Jets are flagged for holding, which is accepted by the Raiders rather than taking the punt. Wilson gets a quick pass out to Malik Taylor for six yards, and now the Jets will punt. DeAndre Carter returns the punt six yards from the Raiders' 25 to 31, where Las Vegas will start its first drive of the second half.\n\n10:04 p.m.: A low incompletion by Wilson to Wilson and a pickup of just two from Hall gets the Jets' drive off to a slow start. Wilson appeared to get a first down with a throw out to Gipson for 12 yards, but Carter is flagged for a chop block that vaults the Jets back to a third-and-21 at their own 14. Another rough penalty for the Jets, who now have six penalties for 68 yards.\n\n10:02 p.m.: The Jets will begin the second half from their own 25 on a touchback.\n\nSecond quarter\n\n9:45 p.m. Raiders scoring play: O'Connell misses Adams on back-to-back passes, and the Raiders opt to turn the ball to Jacobs for a yard before using their final timeout. Daniel Carlson drills the 54-yard field goal to make this a three-point game at the end of the first half. Jets 9, Raiders 6\n\n9:43 p.m.: This time, a brutal Jets penalty on defense. O'Connell gets a pass out to Mayer for five yards, but Bryce Huff is flagged for roughing the passer that moves the Raiders all the way to the Jets 37 with 21 seconds.\n\n9:42 p.m.: Raiders start a bit conservative with a run of six by Jacobs before O'Connell gets a quick pass out to Adams on the left side, giving the receiver space to pick up nine yards before going out of bounds to stop the clock with 32 seconds left in the half. He then dumps off a quick pass to Jacobs, who picks up eight before going out and stopping the clock at 26 seconds.\n\n9:39 p.m.: Conklin makes a catch up the middle for eight yards, but on the next play, Wilson tries to scramble out of the pocket and has to run for a loss of a yard. Wilson then fires incomplete to Allen Lazard, who was racing down the left sideline. Jets punt the ball into the end zone for a touchback.\n\n9:38 p.m.: Following a run of seven by Hall, Zach Wilson misses a pass attempt out to Garrett Wilson. Then the QB scrambles out to his left and takes off down the left sideline for 20 yards to the Jets' 41. He's now the team's leading rusher with two carries for 40 yards on the ground.\n\n9:36 p.m.: Jets take the fair catch at their own 14. They've got 1:52 to make something happen.\n\n9:34 p.m.: A pair of promising passing plays go for naught. Jakobi Meyers makes a few defenders miss on a nice catch for 13 yards, then O'Connell fires a strike to Adams for a pickup of 18 yards. But the Jets' pass-rush finally gets home as O'Connell is sacked, pressured into throwing out of bounds then sacked again. Raiders pushed from the New York 26 all the way back to the Jets' 46, and will now likely have to punt coming out of the two-minute warning.\n\n9:29 p.m.: Jacobs came into the drive with just three total carries, but he's now carried it five straight times for 20 yards. O'Connell then picks up the third-and-1 by sneaking it for three yards.\n\n9:27 p.m.: Three straight runs by Jacobs, punctuated by an impressive, shifty, five-yard run gets the Raiders the first down up to the Las Vegas 31.\n\n9:22 p.m.: Needing only a yard, the Jets' backs come up short on both attempts, with Cook and Hall both being bottled up at the line of scrimmage for no gain. Jets decide to punt the ball from their own 38, and it goes into the end zone for a touchback. Raiders back on offense from their own 20 with 7:18 left in the half.\n\n9:20 p.m.: Cook bounces out to the right, and gets out to the 29 for a pickup of 10. He follows that up by speeding to the left and racing up for nine yards to the Jets' 38 before he's brought down by Crosby.\n\n9:16 p.m.: A pair of runs by Jacobs nets the Raiders just one yard, and O'Connell's deep shot to Adams is well past his intended target. The Raiders go three-and-out, and after an out-of-bounds punt from AJ Cole, the Jets will start at their own 19.\n\n9:15 p.m.: Raiders will start from their own 25.\n\n9:15 p.m.: Robertson has been ruled out with a concussion, per the team.\n\n9:12 p.m. Jets scoring play: Wilson attempts a checkdown to Michael Carter, but the ball is tipped by Adam Butler. New York once again has to settle for a field goal. Jets 9, Raiders 3\n\n9:09 p.m.: Hall runs for a yard, then is stuffed for no gain trying to get to the outside by Crosby. The Jets use their first timeout before the third-and-goal play from Las Vegas' 12-yard line.\n\n9:08 p.m.: Stop if you've heard this before: good Jets play, bad Jets penalty. Hall ran for three yards up the middle for a touchdown, but Uzomah was flagged for holding a second time as he tried to block Maxx Crosby and free up space for Hall along the right side. Now a first-and-goal from the Raiders 13.\n\n9:06 p.m.: Garrett Wilson makes a leaping grab for seven yards before Zach Wilson makes a stellar run along the right sideline. He initially was ruled to be in the end zone, but review confirmed he stepped out at the 3-yard line, making it a 20-yard run from the QB. First-and-goal now for the Jets.\n\nStepped out at the 3, but Zach Wilson used his legs to get near the end zone 💨\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/DZKQE2yZvd — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n9:05 p.m.: Raiders corner Amik Robertson had to be helped off the field and walked to the sideline. Appeared to be in the fencing response while on the ground.\n\n9:02 p.m.: Another big Jets play overturned by a penalty. Hall appeared to have the first down for 11 yards, but Laken Tomlinson is flagged for holding. Jets will face a second-and-19.\n\nFirst quarter\n\n8:58 p.m.: Hall picks up a yard to bring the quarter to an end.\n\n8:56 p.m.: O'Connell goes from nearly losing a fumble to throwing an interception right at Jordan Whitehead, who returns the pick out to the Raiders' 26. Raiders are challenging the interception, but since all turnovers are reviewed, their timeout is used.\n\n8:55 p.m.: Near-disaster to start the drive for the Raiders, as O'Connell muffs the snap under center. He falls on the ball to limit it to just a one-yard loss.\n\n8:54 p.m.: Raiders will start from their own 25 after a touchback.\n\n8:51 p.m. Jets scoring play: Wilson threads the needle out to Garrett Wilson, but the receiver can't hang on. Tyler Conklin makes a quick grab for five yards, but the Jets again have to settle for three from Zuerlein. Jets 6, Raiders 3\n\n8:49 p.m.: Now, Garrett Wilson's getting involved in the running game, taking an end around for 11 yards. However, C.J. Uzomah is called for holding that moves the play back to a second-and-18.\n\n8:47 p.m.: Garrett Wilson gets back into the passing game, first catching a quick pass on the outside for five yards, then taking a short pass from Wilson up eight yards to the Raiders' 32 for another first down.\n\n8:45 p.m.: After a pair of runs that picked up six yards from Hall, Wilson throws a deep pass out to Gipson down the right sideline, picking up 24 yards to the Raiders' 45. Jets again using big strikes to move down the field.\n\n8:44 p.m.: Jets will start their second drive at their own 25 with 6:15 to go in the first quarter.\n\n8:39 p.m. Raiders scoring play: That penalty winds up stunting the drive. Adams makes an impressive, one-handed grab for eight yards and Michael Mayer picks up seven on a grab over the middle, but he's stopped just short. The Raiders also settle for a field goal, this one from 41 yards out to even the game. Jets 3, Raiders 3\n\n8:38 p.m.: Right after the big play, Adams is flagged for offensive pass interference on a swing pass to Jacobs. That will move the Raiders back, and bring up a first-and-20.\n\n8:37 p.m.: Josh Jacobs' first carry is stuffed for only two. But the first big connection between O'Connell and Adams vaults the Raiders up to the Jets' 31 for 42 yards on a nice deep pass over the middle of the field.\n\nAidan O'Connell stumbled and still found Davante for 42 yards\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/qc06xFF0aa — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n8:35 p.m.: DeAndre Carter returns the kickoff to the Raiders' 25 to start the drive.\n\n8:31 p.m. Jets scoring play: Dalvin Cook has an impressive seven-yard run, but on third down, Wilson's quick pass to Gipson is dropped. The Jets have to settle for three from Greg Zuerlein. Jets 3, Raiders 0\n\n8:30 p.m.: Odd play after the explosive. Wilson is brought down, and as he's going down, he tries to flip the ball out. It initially looked like it could've been a fumble, but it is called for intentional grounding. That will bring up a second-and-20 for New York.\n\n8:29 p.m.: On a play action, the Wilson-Wilson connection is an explosive one, as the receiver catches a hard pass over the middle and streaks down the right sideline before finally being brought down at the Raiders' 26 for a gain of 41.\n\nPlenty of room to run after the catch for the defending OROY 😤\n\n\n\n📺: #NYJvsLV on NBC\n\n📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/lfCP1NFAnO pic.twitter.com/eQjJRa6EAY — NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2023\n\n8:28 p.m.: Zach Wilson to Garrett Wilson, with an impressive throw and catch threading the needle between a pair of defenders on the left side for six yards and a first down. Jets decline the offsides penalty on the Raiders.\n\n8:27 p.m.: Breece Hall gets the call twice to start the drive and powers his way up the middle for four on the first run, then is stuffed for only a yard on the next play.\n\n8:25 p.m.: O'Connell tries to feed Davante Adams to start the game. He misses Adams on the first drive, then connects with him for gains of six and three. Adams is tackled just shy of the line, however, and the Raiders have to punt. Xavier Gipson calls for a fair catch at the Jets' 22.\n\n8:23 p.m.: The Raiders will start the game with the ball on offense, and will open at their own 25.\n\n8:10 p.m.: Rodgers might be looking better and better each week. But no, he will not be playing against the Raiders tonight.\n\nJust had to be sure 😂\n\n\n\n(Via: @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/cBHbnGaC73 — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 13, 2023\n\nWhat channel is Jets vs. Raiders on today?\n\nGame: Jets at Raiders\n\nJets at Raiders Date: Sunday, Nov. 12\n\nSunday, Nov. 12 TV channel: NBC\n\nNBC Live stream: Peacock, NBCSports.com, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nNew York and Las Vegas will face off on \"Sunday Night Football,\" which is carried by NBC. Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play with Cris Collinsworth providing commentary. Melissa Stark will report from the sidelines.\n\nThose hoping to stream the game can find it on Peacock or NBCSports.com with a cable subscription. Fubo, which offers a free trial, will carry NBC's broadcast. DAZN carries all NFL games in Canada.\n\nJets vs. Raiders start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Nov. 12\n\nSunday, Nov. 12 Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET\n\nThe Jets and Raiders will start their \"Sunday Night Football\" game at 8:20 p.m. ET, from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.", + "Alyssa Healy has rejected any suggestion Australia’s stranglehold on international women’s cricket is slipping, saying their Test loss to India is barely a blip on the team’s record.\n\nAustralia stumbled to their first Test defeat to India by eight wickets in Mumbai on Sunday, after being outplayed by the hosts in foreign spinning conditions.\n\nThe loss comes after one of the more difficult periods for the Australian side in the past six years, with the retirements of Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nAfter winning their fourth straight global ICC event earlier this year in the 50-over World Cup, Australia retained the Ashes via a drawn multi-format series in England in July.\n\nThat tour included losing four of six white-ball matches, with Australia’s win in the Test enough to have them level on points with England and hold onto the trophy.\n\nThe current tour of India is not a multi-format series, but the defeat in the one-off Test marks Australia’s first loss in a four-day game since January 2014.\n\nBut quizzed over whether the defeat suggested Australia’s unprecedented period of dominance was ending, Healy was defiant.\n\n“It’s probably not even a blip,” Healy said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It (Test cricket) is a format where we’re not overly familiar with, in conditions that we’re not familiar with.\n\n“I see more positives out of this and than any sort of negativity.\n\n“There is always a lot of expectation and external noise about our team and how we’re performing.\n\n“They are so used to seeing us winning, that I think, at times, they forget that we’ve actually seen quite a lot of change over the last 12 to 18 months.\n\n“That kind of goes unnoticed external to our group.”\n\nAustralia have spoken about shifting their mindset in white-ball cricket after the losses in England, pursuing a more attacking approach.\n\nThree looming ODIs against India in the next week and three ensuing T20s will be the first showing of that, with the hosts also a rising force in the white-ball game.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Within our group we’re really comfortable with where we’re at, and the progression we’re on,” Healy said.\n\n“Ultimately there’s a big T20 World Cup in Bangladesh towards the end of next year, that is a real carrot for us.\n\n“These are the sort of big trophies that we’re wanting to win.\n\n“And yes, every series in between now and then is important, but at the same time we’re building towards that World Cup.\n\n“Maybe you can ask me that (supremacy) question at the end of the six white-ball games to see how we’re going and we can answer that.\n\n“These next six games will probably give us a better indication about how we’re tracking but also what we might need to improve on.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHealy called for Australia’s Test series in India to be extended to three matches their loss, their first in 11 Tests against India.\n\nThe hosts easily chased down 75 in the fourth innings on Sunday.\n\nAll out for 209 in their first innings, Australia looked far more confident in their second effort of 261 despite the wicket showing more signs of wear.\n\nAnd Healy believes three-Test tours of India would provide a better match-up between the two sides.\n\n“It would create a real contest over three games,” Healy said.\n\n“That would be an unbelievable experience for our group, and probably a true test of of both sides’ abilities.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The one-off Test, India playing in their home conditions, you’d expect them to be heavy favourites.\n\n“But the way we tried to adapt and continue to learn throughout the four days was really impressive.\n\n“We would love to have another crack at it, show what we learned and put it into practice.”\n\nHealy is realistic in conceding her wish is unlikely to be granted.\n\nThe last women’s Test series of more than one match was way back in 2006, while India had not hosted any red-ball cricket for nine years before this summer.\n\n“The nature of the female game at the moment is it’s very white-ball dominant,” Healy said.\n\n“Trying to fit it all in to the calendar and fitting all the white-ball games in seems to take precedence.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“But you take three one-day games out, and we could probably play two more Test matches.”\n\nAustralia’s captain is also insistent this Test should have formed part of a multi-format series, in the same way most top-tier women’s tours are now conducted.\n\nWhile one Test, three ODIs and three T20s will be played, each are individual contests rather than an overarching series in the same way the Ashes is decided.\n\nAustralia had taken the trophy used from the multi-format 2021-22 series against India to be contested, only to be told by authorities that system would not be used.\n\n“I sit here disappointed that we couldn’t win the Test match,” Healy said.\n\n“But at the end of the day, we weren’t necessarily playing for points, we weren’t playing for overall series points for a trophy.\n\n“It does make it a little bit of a novelty in a sense.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The fact that it sort of feels meaningless to a sense is really disappointing to me. But in saying that we are disappointed that we couldn’t get ourselves over the line.”\n\n© AAP", + "May 1, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts in the second half against the Denver Nuggets during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports\n\nThe NBA is home to the world’s best basketball players and teams, with it being the pinnacle of the sport. Throughout its history, iconic figures like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan have left an indelible mark on the league. However, for the better part of the past two decades, players like Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have dominated the NBA landscape. Their otherworldly talents have continuously captivated the fans across the globe. While LeBron James and Stephen Curry may have accumulated more championships and accolades, Kevin Durant, without a doubt, is universally acknowledged as the best pure talent of his generation.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nKevin Durant stands as one of the most exceptionally skilled players in NBA history. Across his illustrious 17-year career in the league, Durant has solidified his status as a transcendent superstar. His stellar performances over the years have endeared him to millions of fans. However, even with his exceptional talents, Kevin Durant regularly faces disregard from both the media and fans. This has made KD one of the most polarizing figures in basketball. Yet, when one considers the profound impact Durant has made on the NBA, the extent of the disrespect he encounters can seem perplexing at times.\n\nWhat makes Kevin Durant so polarising?\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIt would be an understatement to say that Kevin Durant divides opinions. While some view him as the most skilled basketball player of his generation, others perceive him as a diva who rode the coattails of Stephen Curry to secure his two NBA championships. However, a careful consideration of Kevin Durant’s game-changing impact and the multitude of accolades he has garnered throughout his illustrious career reveals a glaring reality: KD stands as perhaps the most disrespected icon of the sport.\n\nKevin Durant rose to prominence in 2007, when the Seattle SuperSonics drafted him with the No.2 pick. The NBA had never witnessed a player possessing Durant’s unique skill set—a 6’11” forward renowned for his exceptional jump-shot and lethal three-point accuracy. He epitomized the concept of a “Unicorn” in its truest sense.\n\nMoreover, when one pays close attention to his stats, the disrespect becomes even more perplexing. Kevin Durant has amassed 27,393 points in the regular season, ranking 11th in NBA history. In the playoffs, he has contributed an additional 4,878 points, placing him 7th on the all-time list. Durant is a surefire future first-ballot Hall of Famer, boasting an illustrious resume that few can match. His accomplishments include two NBA titles, two NBA finals MVP awards, four scoring titles, and multiple selections to the All-Star and All-NBA teams.\n\nDurant’s scuffles with critics\n\nWhile Durant may rank among the greatest NBA players in history, his vulnerability to criticism and thin-skinned nature has, on several occasions, has got the better of him. NBA legend Charles Barkley called Durant “sensitive” in an interview with 60 Minutes. He said, “He’s very sensitive. Great player. He’s part of that generation who thinks he can’t be criticized.”\n\nDurant’s susceptibility to criticism became glaringly evident when he utilized a burner account in 2017 to defend himself on Twitter. However, Durant was exposed when he inadvertently failed to switch accounts, posting a tweet through his verified account. Fans also criticize KD for his lack of leadership and his lack of titles since departing from the Warriors. Since his departure in 2019, Durant has not secured an NBA title. Despite forming a formidable trio with Kyrie Irving and James Harden in Brooklyn, their best result was a second-round exit in the 2021 playoffs at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.\n\nUSA Today via Reuters Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters\n\nFans and media strongly disapprove of Kevin Durant’s inclination to switch teams repeatedly, even when he receives substantial support from the organizations. After his Brooklyn experiment didn’t work, KD requested a trade and, on last year’s trade deadline, his wish was granted as the Nets traded him to the Suns. Despite having NBA stars like Devin Booker and Chris Paul as teammates, Durant once again fell short of winning a title with the Suns. Durant’s inability to clinch an NBA title without Curry and the Warriors has heightened the narrative that questions his status as an icon of the game.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe decision that tainted Durant’s legacy\n\nIn the 2016 Western Conference finals, KD-Russ led OKC Thunder faced off against 73-9 Warriors. After swiftly securing a 3-1 series lead, the Thunder seemed poised for an NBA Finals appearance. However, the Warriors orchestrated a remarkable comeback, ultimately winning the series in seven games. This meant that Durant would go trophy-less for another season.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn the 2016 offseason, Durant made a pivotal decision to join the very team that had defeated him in the finals. This move had profound consequences, leading to a shift in public opinion, with many labeling him as a “snake” and “spineless.” While Durant achieved the success he craved for in the Bay Area, his decision to join the Warriors has permanently cast a shadow on his legacy.\n\nWatch this Story: How Michael Jordan Comparisons Hampered Multiple MVPs for Lebron James: Gilbert Arenas Explains", + "A Ukrainian soldier is seen inside an artillery vehicle in his fighting position as Russia-Ukraine war continues in the direction of Kharkiv, Ukraine on November 20, 2023. Diego Herrera Carcedo | Anadolu | Getty Images\n\nAt the start of 2023, hopes were high that a much-vaunted Ukrainian counteroffensive — expected to be launched in the spring — would change the dial in the war against Russia. It didn't, and the prospect of a breakthrough in 2024 is also unlikely, military experts and defense analysts told CNBC. They predict intense fighting is likely to continue into the next year but say Kyiv's forces are unlikely to launch any more counteroffensives. Russia, meanwhile, is likely to focus on consolidating the territory it has already seized, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Away from the battlefield, military experts said that the trajectory the Russia-Ukraine war takes in 2024 will mostly be dictated thousands of miles away in the U.S., Ukraine's largest military supporter, and whether aid declines in the run-up — and following — the U.S. presidential election. \"War is an uncertain endeavor,\" retired Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty, former deputy commander of the U.S. European Command, told CNBC. \"Russia can win the war, or the Ukrainians can win the war. And, as you're seeing things now, if you really think about it, what has been achieved this year? Very little has been achieved by Russia, and you can say the same thing for the Ukrainians,\" he said.\n\nUkrainian servicemen take part in a military training exercise not far from front line in the Donetsk region on June 8, 2023. Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images\n\n\"We're in this situation now where if there's not a clear winner, there's going to be a stalemate, and there's going to be, perhaps, a future frozen conflict. What can tilt the balance, in my view, is if the Ukrainians are not resupplied and they're not re-funded and they don't get the equipment and people that they need. Then this war could tilt to the Russians,\" Twitty noted.\n\nExpectations not met\n\nA year ago, Ukraine's international military support was solid with NATO pledging to support Kyiv for \"as long as it takes\" as it defended itself against Russia's invasion launched in February 2022. Over the summer, however, the challenge facing Ukraine's forces was glaringly obvious as they struggled to break through heavily fortified Russian positions and lines of defenses along a swathe of the 600-mile-long front line across the southern and east of the country. After liberating a handful of villages in the summer, Ukrainian and Russian forces have been caught in largely attritional battles, with neither side making significant gains. Ukrainian military officials have conceded that hopes and expectations of a great breakthrough in the counteroffensive were not met. Still, Ukraine's leadership says that steep losses have been inflicted on Russian forces and that its forces have made vital progress in other areas such as the Black Sea with Ukraine's audacious attacks on Russian bases and assets in Crimea this summer prompting the Russian navy to withdraw a number of warships from Sevastopol, handing Kyiv a victory in the battle of the Black Sea.\n\nPanorama of the city from a bird's-eye view, shot on a drone, covered with snow on December 7, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine. Libkos | Getty Images\n\nWeather conditions are deteriorating in Ukraine, with mud, freezing rain, snow and ice making offensive and reconnaissance operations challenging. Intense fighting continues nonetheless, and particularly around Bakhmut and Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine where Russian forces are conducting offensive operations and have made some recent, confirmed advances. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted last week that Russian forces have likely committed to offensive operations in multiple sectors of the front, during a period of the most challenging weather of the fall-winter season, \"in an effort to seize and retain the initiative\" before the Russian presidential elections in March 2024. In the meantime, the ISW noted in an analysis, \"Ukrainian forces establish and consolidate defensive positions to conserve manpower and resources for future offensive efforts.\" Ukrainian forces have adopted a more defensive stance as circumstances dictate; a senior army general warned last week that front-line Ukrainian troops face artillery shortages and have scaled back some military operations because of a shortfall of foreign assistance.\n\nAid and politics\n\nAnother year of war in Europe has undoubtedly drained Western military resources and the political appetite to maintain massive amounts of military aid for Ukraine. Ongoing funding for Ukraine is far from secure in 2024 given the fact that the U.S. presidential election could herald a seismic change in the attitude toward and support for Kyiv. Specifically, all eyes are on former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, who cultivated close relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his presidency. There are concerns that, given Trump's previous good relations with Moscow and \"America First\" policy, aid for Ukraine could be shelved rapidly. Defense analysts agree that much of the outlook for Ukraine is dependent on the outcome of the U.S. vote. \"I think it's important to understand the extent to which Ukraine is reliant on the U.S. right now, because it's quite significantly more reliant on the U.S. than it is on the EU,\" Sam Cranny-Evans, defense analyst at the Royal United Services Institute defense think tank, told CNBC. \"If the U.S. election goes in a way that is not in Ukraine's favor, coupled with the fact that the EU is not really stepping up to the plate — it's ammunition production is so far off what it should have been by now to give Ukraine a hope of surviving and a hope of victory — it's not a very cheery prediction for 2024.\"\n\nGood chemistry: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. Chris McGrath | Getty Images News | Getty Images\n\nRumblings of discontent over continuing Ukraine aid have been heard in some Republican quarters for months now, as well as in Eastern Europe. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker told CNBC he believes American and EU aid packages for Ukraine will be approved come January, saying he believed this funding would tide Ukraine over for another year, militarily. Volker said that aid packages must include more advanced weaponry for Ukraine, however, like F-16 fighter jets which have been pledged by Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. Ukrainian pilots are beginning their training on the jets now but it could be a number of months before they're deployed in Ukraine. The U.S. is not providing F-16s to Ukraine but has authorized allies to provide their own jets. \"A couple of things ought to change,\" Volker told CNBC. \"We ought to lift restrictions on the weapons we're providing. We still don't provide the longest-range missiles and we still have not delivered any Western aircraft in Ukraine yet. Those things have to happen. And I think we have to try to give the Ukrainians more of a technological advantage,\" he noted.\n\nThe United States has said that it will begin flight training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. Anadolu Agency | Getty Images\n\nVolker believes that a Trump presidency might not be the catastrophe for Ukraine that is feared, but said it would make future funding uncertain. \"I doubt that even if Trump were elected that he would abandon support for Ukraine overall, because it would be a disaster for U.S. interests, and it would appear to be a failure. You'd have these images of Russians overrunning places, and brutality and so forth, so I don't think he wants that. But it's not clear exactly what he would do to try to end the war.\" For his part, Trump has said that he'd be able to resolve the Ukraine war \"in one day\" if he was reelected, saying he'd convince the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to make a deal.\n\nMore stalemate or negotiations?\n\nUkraine's Defense Ministry said last week that its main goal in 2024 is to boost its domestic defense industry in the face of uncertain future supplies from its Western allies. It has also changed conscription laws, foreseeing the need to bolster its forces, which are dwarfed in size by Russia's but are more highly trained and equipped. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that the military had asked for up to 500,000 additional conscripts but said he needed to hear \"more arguments\" to support the sensitive and costly proposal. With both Ukraine and Russia investing heavily in the war, it's unlikely there will be any negotiations to end the conflict or agree to a cease-fire. Defense analysts argue that neither side would want to go into negotiations unless they're in a position of strength and able to dictate terms. \"In the case of a Republican winning the presidential election next year, especially if that's Donald Trump, who seems to be the front-runner, and [if] funding is decreased substantially, then there will be increased pressure on Ukraine to negotiate,\" Mario Bikarski, a Europe and Russia analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC.\n\nA Ukrainian tank drives along the field on December 7, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine. Kostya Liberov | Getty Images", + "Despite being a full-blown title contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson manages to run a pretty successful Sprint Car Series. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is the co-owner of the High Limits Racing Sprint Car Series, along with four-time World of Outlaws Series champion and brother-in-law Brad Sweet. The venture by the two motorsports athletes has been a success so far, and recently, one of their races pulled an extraordinary crowd, which included a rather popular figure in the world of motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nJunior was present at High Limit Racing’s Commonwealth Clash at the Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday. He and Brad Sweet used to have a working relationship, as the latter used to be a development driver for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. As per Larson, it was the former Cup Series driver who had requested a visit to the event and had also urged Kyle Larson to take part in the race, which he obliged. The 49-year-old was quite happy with his experience after the event, but before the action started, he conducted an interview with Larson and Sweet, where he asked about the origins of the competition.\n\nKyle Larson explains his goal of “adding pressure” to his competition\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nLarson has always been a fan of sprint car racing, so it really is no surprise that he decided to start a competition involving sprint cars. What is surprising is how he gets the time to look after his Cup Series title run and the competition at the same time. It really is quite commendable that he has been able to turn High Limits Racing into the success that it is today.\n\nSpeaking about how everything started with him and Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson said, “Well, you’ve always talked about having a series that’s solely based around me or whatever, and I didn’t really want that, you know. I wanted to help out the other racers really, and you know I got to. Really, my eyes opened to starting this deal when I started racing the late model, and you know, FloRacing has their Tuesday night late model series and, you know, pays 20 some thousand to win every Tuesday, and I was like, Why wouldn’t that work in sprint cars?”\n\nWhile others in Larson’s position might have felt that being the owner of a competition would be too challenging to focus on their racing career, the Hendrick Motorsports driver welcomed it with open arms. He saw a business opportunity ripe for the taking, took his shot, and hit the mark.\n\nThe series obviously helps out both Sweet and Larson financially, given the fan following it has garnered, but it is also quite profitable for the drivers and the teams. The winning driver, who in this case was David Gravel, wins $50,000, and with crowds so big, it helps out the teams with merchandise sales.\n\nEvents like these also help to keep these smaller race tracks across the country in good shape. If a track isn’t used or taken care of for an extended period of time, it will start to wear out and eventually become completely unsuitable for any kind of racing unless it is taken apart and rebuilt. But one of Kyle Larson’s reasons for doing what he does with the High Limits Racing Sprint Car Series is a lot simpler, and he revealed that goal to Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the Lernerville Speedway.\n\n“Can’t Have Everything You Want”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ruthlessly Trashes Home Track as He Endorses Wild NASCAR Rumors\n\n“I was hoping this would add pressure to the weekend shows to raise their purses as well so I think we’ve seen a big step in that this year and I think it’s gonna continue forward so, I would say so far it’s been successful,” he added. Kyle Larson had taken part in the Lernerville race on Tuesday, only a couple of days after a hectic race in Texas, and it seems like he had brought some of that form into the dirt track race because he made a slightly similar mistake.\n\nCup Series hopeful has Texas deja vu at Lernerville\n\nWith just nine laps to the checkered flag, Kyle Larson was leading the race and seemed to take the victory and earn himself $50,000 in his own competition. However, much like what happened in Texas, Larson lost control of his car as he was trying to defend the lead of the race from co-owner Brad Sweet.\n\nUnlike Texas, he did not DNF and managed to get his car back on track, but his chance to win had gone. The Cup Series HMS driver could only finish in eighth place. A racer as competitive as Larson would have liked a win, especially after what had happened the Sunday before, but it was a good day for him as the owner as well.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nThe 2021 Cup Series champion is in the prime of his career and has a lot of years left ahead of him in NASCAR, but when he decides to hang up his boots, he will hope that the High Limits Racing Sprint Cup Series achieves a high level of national popularity and he will not have to take himself out of the racing business.\n\nWatch This Story: Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals the Immediate Regret After Entering Bristol", + "With the United States set to test themselves against one of Europe's most powerful sides, the opponents are entering a transitional phase as well.\n\nGermany are considered one of the preeminent national team programs in the world, but recent years have humbled Die Mannschaft. They have been eliminated in the group stage of two straight World Cup tournaments, an unthinkable slip in stature given they had never been bounced from any World Cup that early in history prior to 2018.\n\nWith Hansi Flick unable to steer the team to safer waters in Qatar, Julian Nagelsmann has taken over as new Germany head coach.\n\nAt just 36 years old, Nagelsmann is a rising star, having spent three successful seasons at Hoffenheim followed by two years at RB Leipzig, which catapulted him to the managerial post at Bayern Munich in 2021. He steered the Bavarian giants to the Bundesliga title in his first season, but he was sacked by the club in March of 2023 amidst a furious league title fight.\n\nNagelsmann's dismissal at Bayern Munich came as a shock to much of the European football landscape, as the club had performed exceptionally in the Champions League and was still very much in the title race, sitting just a point behind Dortmund. Now, with a chance for redemption at the helm of the national team, Nagelsmann will see his time begin with a friendly against the United States.\n\nMORE: A look at the 23-man squad for Gregg Berhalter as USMNT play Germany & Ghana\n\nGermany squad, players for USA friendly\n\nJulian Nagelsmann will be very familiar with much of the 26-man German national team squad, as five players hail from his former club Bayern Munich, including critical midfield duo Josh Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, who were instrumental in his setup at Allianz Arena.\n\nAlong the back, Nagelsmann has oddly selected five center-backs compared to just two natural full-backs in David Raum and Robin Gosens, both left-sided players, possibly indicating a desire to play a three-CB system, although it's hard to know for sure as Nagelsmann preferred a 4-2-3-1 for much of his club managerial career.\n\nOne of the center-backs present in the squad is Mats Hummels, who has not been called in since 2021 and dropped for the entirety of Hansi Flick's time in charge. This came at the expense of Hummels' Borussia Dortmund teammate Nico Schlotterbeck.\n\nFirst national team call-ups were handed to Kevin Behrens of Union Berlin, Chris Fuhrich of Stuttgart, and Robert Andrich of Bayer Leverkusen. There's a choice for Nagelsmann to make up front, as Niklas Fullkrug has been prolific in his short national team stint, but Thomas Muller is an experienced veteran who is still performing at a high level.\n\nInjuries for Nagelsmann to work around include Serge Gnabry who is out with a broken arm, and Timo Werner who has been touch and go at RB Leipzig with a back problem.\n\nGermany predicted starting lineup vs. USA (4-2-3-1): ter Stegen (GK) — Kimmich, Rudiger, Sule, Raum — Gundogan, Goretzka — Sane, Musiala, Brandt — Fullkrug.\n\nGermany second-choice lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno (GK) — Gross, Tah, Thiaw, Gosens — Andrich, Kimmich — Hoffman, Wirtz, Fuhrich — Muller.\n\nGerman national team squad for USA, Mexico friendlies\n\nPos Player Club Caps Goals GK Oliver Baumann Hoffenheim 0 0 GK Bernd Leno Fulham (ENG) 9 0 GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen Barcelona (SPA) 36 0 GK Kevin Trapp Eintracht Frankfurt 7 0 DEF Robin Gosens Union Berlin 18 2 DEF Mats Hummels Borussia Dortmund 76 5 DEF David Raum RB Leipzig 18 0 DEF Antonio Rudiger Real Madrid 62 2 DEF Niklas Sule Borussia Dortmund 47 1 DEF Jonathan Tah Bayer Leverkusen 17 0 DEF Malick Thiaw AC Milan (ITA) 2 0 MID Robert Andrich Bayer Leverkusen 0 0 MID Julian Brandt Borussia Dortmund 44 3 MID Chris Fuhrich VfB Stuttgart 0 0 MID Leon Goretzka Bayern Munich 53 14 MID Pascal Gross Brighton (ENG) 2 0 MID Ilkay Gundogan Barcelona (SPA) 69 17 MID Jonas Hoffman Bayer Leverkusen 22 4 MID Joshua Kimmich Bayern Munich 80 6 MID Jamal Musiala Bayern Munich 23 1 MID Leroy Sane Bayern Munich 55 13 MID Florian Wirtz Bayer Leverkusen 10 0 FWD Kevin Behrens Union Berlin 0 0 FWD Niklas Fullkrug Borussia Dortmund 9 7 FWD Kai Havertz Arsenal (ENG) 39 13 FWD Thomas Muller Bayern Munich 123 45\n\nJulian Nagelsmann tactics, style of play\n\nThrough his time at Bayern Munich, Julian Nagelsmann preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka holding down the lynchpin central midfield spots.\n\nHowever, as the 2022/23 season progressed and results weren't as easy to come by, Nagelsmann switched to a 3-2-4-1 formation. This allowed him to deploy the likes of Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman very high up the pitch to provide width, while letting Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller cook centrally behind a striker.\n\nThat 3-2-4-1 formation is flexible horizontally, as it allows one full-back to push high up the pitch while the other slots in along the back line, and thus sees the two central No. 10 players alternate pushing wide or pinching in to compensate.\n\nThis tactical setup is becoming popular with top-tier coaches across Europe, and has been used at various stages by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Stefano Pioli, Mikel Arteta, Edin Terzic, and many others.\n\nIn either setup, the forward line will shift horizontally to allow a midfield player to drive into space, and given options once halted to either play into the crowded forward line or release a bombing full-back to the off side, both of which can stretch or confuse an opponent's defensive unit.\n\nHaving spent time in the Red Bull system, Nagelsmann also deploys a complicated press that, like Gregg Berhalter, starts with the lone central striker. The goal is to force the opponent to play the ball into overload traps out wide, or if the opponent plays centrally, a defensive midfielder would step up at the base of a diamond (with two midfielders on the sides and the striker at the top) which would overwhelm an opposition midfield trio.\n\nHow will Germany play under Julian Nagelsmann?\n\nThe question, now, is how all this will translate to the German national team.\n\nLooking at Julian Nagelsmann's first squad of 26 players, the biggest question is which formation he will play. There are no natural right-backs on the roster, meaning he will either have to pidgeonhole a center-back (Antonio Rudiger or Niklas Sule) out wide, sacrifice Josh Kimmich's presence in midfield to move him back, or move Pascal Gross back. None of those are ideal options.\n\nWhether Nagelsmann deploys a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-2-4-1, the tactical approach will likely remain the same.\n\nGetting the best out of young superstar Jamal Musiala will be one of the most important aspects of Nagelsmann's tenure, as Musiala has blossomed into a world-class talent at Bayern Munich, but the 20-year-old has just one goal in 23 international caps to this point.\n\nNagelsmann will also look to introduce a few overlooked players, starting with Robert Andrich who could factor into the midfield setup as a traditional No. 6, especially as Ilkay Gundogan enters the twilight of his career. The new boss will also want to raise Kimmich's level of play back to old heights, as the ever-present Bayern star has seen his level drop in recent years for both club and country but remains a special talent.\n\nGermany criticized for travel schedule vs USA, Mexico\n\nThe DFB has taken significant flak from the German press for their travel to North America to play the United States and Mexico.\n\nThere's likely some form of superiority complex involved, with those following the German national team surely miffed that a European giant is traveling across the globe to meet CONCACAF sides with far thinner World Cup resumes. However, a closer look at their travel schedule does invite some questions as to how they've made use of the international break.\n\nMost notably, the Germany squad will return to Europe just a single day prior to Borussia Dortmund's first match out of the break, which sees BVB play Werder Bremen on Friday, October 20. Bayern Munich have their first game back against Mainz on Saturday, as does much of the Bundesliga.\n\n\"I don't know if I'd be interested in playing against Mexico in America before [the Euros hosted] in Germany,\" said Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel prior to the international break. \"I don't know if anyone can explain this in a way that I can understand. I don't know who decided it, but it has been decided.\n\n\"There is a difference between a busy schedule and everything away from home and in different time zones. This is at the end of the endurance. No coach in the world at this level will say otherwise.\"\n\n\"I don't understand the trip to the USA — for a variety of reasons,\" said former Germany international Lothar Matthaus to German outlet Bild back in the summer. \"I would have tried to create a good atmosphere in Germany before the Euros. That's why I would be in all 10 European Championship stadiums for the friendly matches and would have shown myself there once as a DFB selection. That can create a mood. But what do we want in the US at this point?\"", + "Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nFootball email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nCole Palmer is a man on the move, from Manchester City to Chelsea, from perennial substitute to pivotal starter, from England Under-21 player to, perhaps, a senior international. It has been a few months of swift change. He is trying to get used to new surroundings, having swapped south Manchester – in his native Wythenshawe – for the South.\n\n“The most annoying thing? The traffic, that’s the biggest thing for me. Everything else I am enjoying. It is hotter than Manchester as well,” he said. Certainly Palmer feels hot property right now, albeit while exhibiting a certain coolness. He was calm enough to score an injury-time penalty for his new club against his old on Sunday, completing a 4-4 draw, and cheeky enough to poke his head into a City huddle when they were lining up a free-kick, to the amusement of Erling Haaland.\n\nPerhaps it summed up Palmer’s inability to feel intimidated by anything that he marked his goal against City with a shrug. There was no getting carried away. “I spent 15 years at the club,” he noted. “I can’t really go and celebrate how I would celebrate if I have scored a 95th-minute equaliser because it would have been disrespectful.”\n\nThe alternative explanation is that Palmer has scored so many major goals in the last few months that this was merely another. He struck in the Community Shield and the European Super Cup for City, against Arsenal and Tottenham for Chelsea. That big-match temperament may equip him for tournament football in an England shirt. So, too, his nerveless penalty-taking.\n\nPalmer in training at St George’s Park this week (PA)\n\nHe has, in effect, anointed himself as the spot-kick taker for the £1bn team, taking the ball at Turf Moor to open his Chelsea account. “It was just an in-game thing, really,” he said, with a matter-of-fact stance. “Once I scored at Burnley, I just thought: ‘I’ll take them’.” If penalties have been the English disease, Palmer has no hesitation when asked if he would be willing to come off the bench as a specialist from 12 yards for a shootout. “Yeah, I would be,” he said.\n\nHe is not daunted by the last penalty he missed, as a substitute in the shootout when City lost the 2019 FA Youth Cup final to Liverpool. He can only remember failing from 12 yards on one other occasion, “when I was dead, dead young versus [Manchester] United,” and a willingness to take responsibility is similarly apparent in open play. “I think I am a player who always wants the ball, anywhere, to try and help the team get out of a difficult situation or create a chance,” he said.\n\nIf he has created an opportunity for himself with his country because of his excellence at Stamford Bridge, it had not formed part of his thinking. “I wasn’t even thinking of an England call-up when I first went to Chelsea,” he said.\n\nNor, indeed, was it on his agenda as a boy, when his mother banned him from playing in the garden. “I was always breaking her pipes,” he recalled. He has come a long way since then; particularly in 2023. “Yeah, it’s been crazy,” he said. “The changes have happened so fast. From winning the Euros to signing for Chelsea then getting signed up here.”\n\nPalmer chats with Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka (The FA/Getty)\n\nHis part in England Under-21s’ European Championship win may have caught Gareth Southgate’s eye. His immediate decision was whether he had done enough to impress Pep Guardiola. There had been interest in taking him on loan, from Brighton and Burnley and RB Leipzig. City decided that he could only leave on a permanent deal and Chelsea forked out £42.5m. “Who knows what would have happened if I had stayed?” Palmer mused. “Maybe I would have played more, maybe not. But I think the decision to go to Chelsea so far is paying off.”\n\nThat is an understatement. And if there seemed a risk involved in swapping the stability of City for the seeming madhouse of Stamford Bridge, there was evidence of more cool-headed thinking from a 21-year-old. Chelsea have been manic buyers but he said: “I did look at how many players were there but I don’t think people realise how many players they actually got rid off, as well.”\n\nThe departures of, among others, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Joao Felix, meant there could be opportunities in the attacking midfield positions. “I looked at the squad and thought: ‘If I go there and know what I can do then I’ll have the chance of playing’,” he said. “And thankfully it’s happened.” If there seemed plenty of traffic in the queue for places in Southgate’s attack, Palmer seems to have accelerated past several rivals. Now an England debut could follow in the next week.", + "When two great fighters have been avoided by top opponents for so long, it inevitably makes sense for them to fight one another in order to get to the top.\n\nThat's the working theory being undertaken by former two-division champion Demetrius Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs), who has spent most of his career doing the unfruitful chasing of big names like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and Jermall Charlo.\n\nAndrade, 35, will finally get his shot at the super elite, and potential recognition among the pound-for-pound best in the sport, when he faces former two-time super middleweight titleholder David Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) on Saturday in a 168-pound clash at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV, 8 p.m. ET).\n\n\"Fighters don't want to fight but I'm glad David has nowhere to go,\" Andrade told CBS Sports last month. \"It only makes sense to fight me.\"\n\nFresh off a resounding decision win over former champion Caleb Plant in their March PPV clash, the 26-year-old Benavidez, who was born in Arizona to parents of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent, has seemingly been hand-picked by boxing's foundational Mexican-American fan base as the eventual successor to Alvarez.\n\nBenavidez, like Andrade, is hoping a breakthrough victory against such a tricky opponent will be the final rung on the ladder that needs to be climbed before finally getting the call to challenge Alvarez for his four-pack of world titles in the division.\n\n\"To be honest, I don't know what that man is doing,\" Benavidez told \"Morning Kombat\" last month when asked about Alvarez. \"I feel like every time I say something, people say that I'm just looking for a payday. I have been the mandatory fighter for the past two years. I won the title eliminator first and then the WBC interim, which guarantees you a spot. So, the fact that the fight hasn't happened is really crazy to me.\n\n\"This man is just making it worse for himself because I am gaining so much experience. I'm getting very comfortable and I'm not going nowhere. As soon as I get in the ring with Canelo, all of those belts will come to me.\"\n\nCan't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news.\n\nDon't let the ambitious hopes of both fighters and their collective lust for one day sharing the ring with boxing's biggest star as a means to suggest they are overlooking one another.\n\nBenavidez may have previously been his own biggest enemy throughout a career that saw him become the youngest champion at 20 in divisional history back in 2017 only for him to twice be stripped of his WBC title (once for a failed drug test for cocaine and a second time mid-pandemic for missing weight). But the maturity he has shown in recent years has been noteworthy, as was the performance he put together against Plant where Benavidez entered in top physical shape and simply wore his smaller opponent out over 12 rounds.\n\n\"I'm trying to prove to the world that I'm the best super middleweight on this planet,\" Benavidez said. \"I'm going to definitely show that because I have had a tremendous training camp. I have been working for three months already and have been getting some great rounds of sparring. And this is the final Showtime [pay-per-view] so we have to go out with a bang.\n\n\"These are the type of fights that interest me because Demetrius Andrade is a great fighter, no doubt about that. But I get to test my heart and test my spirit in front of everybody. I know that when people make me reach deep down, the best of myself comes out. So, we are looking forward to this.\"\n\nWhat makes this matchup so interesting is that Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Rhode Island, is the kind of Swiss army knife boxer whose colorful personality has never been able to offset the fact that opponents have always looked at him as high risk and low reward.\n\nAndrade is a lengthy southpaw who relies on speed and guile to awkwardly navigate the center of the ring without paying for the real estate thanks to his elite defensive skills. But to try and suggest this fight has been a long-time coming for Andrade would be an insult to just how difficult his professional journey has been as it relates to trying to attract big-name opponents.\n\nAlthough Andrade has looked great earning respectable wins at 154 and 160 pounds against the likes of Vanes Martirosyan, Brian Rose, Willie Nelson, Jack Culcay and Maciej Sulecki, the big names have routinely avoided him. Throughout the process, Andrade has also found himself perpetually stuck in promotional Siberia and admits to having considered walking away multiple times due to frustration.\n\nAll of that appeared to change upon his signing with top advisor Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions in late 2022. What followed was a wide decision win over Demond Nicholson in his super middleweight debut in January, on the undercard of the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia PPV card, which set up an opportunity to face Benavidez once it was clear Alvarez wouldn't be part of his 2023 plans.\n\n\"People have avoided me and have not wanted to fight [but] if you put the very best in front of me, I'm going to be the very best and I'm going to elevate,\" Andrade said. \"That's just what it is.\" I did throw my hands up at one point because of the situation that I was in. Clearly, it was not working out and there needed to be a separation here and a divorce. That has been pretty much what I have had to do in order to be in this position where I am today.\n\n\"This is more in my hands now. There are no obligations to a manager or a promoter. I do have a solid team that I trust and work with but nothing is on paper. Free at last, free at last. Thank ole, almighty God that I am free at last.\"\n\nAndrade might be more well known for his ability to hit and not get hit but that hasn't stopped him from declaring his willingness to defeat Benavidez under any means possible, even if that leads him to stand in front of Benavidez and trade.\n\nIt's a prospect that Benavidez would prefer, of course, although he is well prepared to do the chasing if he has to, similar to how he broke down Plant eight months ago.\n\n\"If he is going to give me a war then I'm looking forward to it because I'm a warrior and I can't wait to go in there,\" Benavidez said. \"The way I go into every fight is to think that every opponent is going to be the best that they can be. He's a slick boxer so I am expecting him to be at his best but this is what I have done for a long time. I love figuring guys out and I have hurt everyone that I have been in the ring with.\n\n\"I am the smarter fighter and I am the faster and hungrier fighter.\"\n\nAndrade said he doesn't expect Benavidez to be anything but in the best shape of his career this weekend but wants to make one thing clear to critics and/or oddsmakers, including those who have installed him as a 3-1 underdog: He is not Caleb Plant.\n\n\"Listen, people definitely get up for Michael Jordan, you know? So, I would assume [Benavidez] would get up to fight myself,\" Andrade said. \"But I'm not Caleb Plant, in no way, shape or form. There are sayings out there that we fight a like because we both box but we do not fight alike. I get to put all of my own questions out there and get my answers, as well. It will be my time to get up there and let the A game of Demetrius Andrade come out. I haven't been able to bring that out [in a while]. This will be two cats fighting each other rather than one cat fighting a mouse.\"\n\nThe other fight of note on Saturday marks the return of WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo when he takes on Jose Benavidez Jr., the older brother of David Benavidez. Charlo has been out of action since June 2021 as he has dealt with out-of-ring issues with his family and his own mental health. Now, he looks to knock off the ring rust when he takes on Benavidez Jr. in a 10-round non-title bout. Benavidez Jr. picked up his first win in five years in August.\n\nLet's take a closer look at the rest of the undercard before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.\n\nBenavidez vs. Andrade fight card, odds\n\nDavid Benavidez -440 vs. Demetrius Andrade +335, super middleweight\n\nJermall Charlo -700 vs. Jose Benavidez Jr. +500, middleweight\n\n\n\nSubriel Matias -350 vs. Shohjahon Ergashev +275, super lightweight\n\n\n\nHector Luis Garcia -290 vs. Lamont Roach +235, super featherweight\n\nBenavidez vs. Andrade info\n\nDate: Nov. 25\n\n\n\nNov. 25 Location: Michelob Ultra Arena -- Las Vegas\n\n\n\nMichelob Ultra Arena -- Las Vegas Start time: 9 p.m. ET\n\n9 p.m. ET How to watch: Showtime PPV ($74.99)\n\nPrediction\n\nThose who have followed Andrade's career close enough will realize that he does have the skill set to pull off the upset. The biggest questions surround whether he can take the kind of pounding that Benavidez's downhill style unleashes, especially in the second half when \"The Mexican Monster\" seems to only get stronger.\n\nOne of the most underrated aspects of Benavidez's game is how deft he can be blocking or avoiding counter fire while operating at close range and trading punches. While most would expect Andrade to rely on his footwork in the first half, he will need to be certain that he's banking enough rounds before Benavidez's inevitable mid-fight adjustment kicks in and his pressure increases.\n\nAndrade's power is more of the accumulative kind over the course of rounds and not of the one-punch variety, which will make it difficult to dissuade Benavidez from coming forward. And that's the key to potentially bringing an edge with you to the ring against him because Benavidez's style is so fan and judge friendly as a come-forward attacker that it's difficult to bank close rounds against him because he's not only typically the busier fighter, he's also the one landing the majority of the power shots.\n\nIf Andrade can't hurt Benavidez or confuse him so thoroughly that it forces him away from his game plan, the best he can hope for is a moral victory of going the distance as Benavidez takes one massive step closer to the Alvarez bout which will likely define his pro career.\n\nPick: Benavidez via UD12", + "The renaissance continues for Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.\n\nThe veteran hurler has enjoyed quite the campaign in 2024, turning back the clock with ruthless efficiency while leading Tampa Bay to the top of the NFC South totem pole.\n\nMayfield has quietly emerged as one of the league's best passers this year, entering the Bucs' Week 15 matchup with the Packers with a hair under 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.\n\nHe kept the good times rolling on Sunday, shredding Joe Barry's Packers defense to keep the Bucs strumming along towards a divisional crown with a 34-20 win.\n\nMORE: Breaking down NFC South playoff picture as Bucs & Saints win, Falcons lose\n\nMayfield completed 22 of 28 passes (78.6%) for 381 yards and four touchdowns to lead Tampa Bay to glory over its intra-conference rivals. It was the finest display of Mayfield's season and one of the best of his career. It's also one of the greatest showings in recent Lambeau Field history; according to ESPN Stats and Info, Mayfield is just the sixth opposing QB to toss for at least 350 yards and four touchdowns in a single game there.\n\nPer @ESPNStatsInfo, Baker Mayfield is the sixth visiting QB throw for 350 yards and four TDs at Lambeau Field all time. Kirk Cousins (2018) was the last to do it. — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 17, 2023\n\nMayfield has shown off his arm talent in years past. He's hit the 300-yard mark on 12 separate occasions. He's also showcased inch-perfect precision, having completed at least 75% of his passes 10 other times.\n\nHe's rarely done so together, though. Nor has he provided such a viable scoring punch in those matchups: Sunday represents just the fourth time Mayfield has ever notched at least four touchdown throws.\n\nIt was just the sort of act that the Buccaneers were craving. And it means so much more for Mayfield, a player whose time in the spotlight looked to be waning just one year ago.\n\nMORE: Updated 2024 NFL Draft order as Patriots inch closer to No. 1 pick\n\nWith that, let's take a closer examination of Mayfield's one shining moment against Green Bay.\n\nBaker Mayfield stats today\n\nIn many ways, Mayfield's Week 15 masterpiece was one of the most impressive of his career. He turned the frozen tundra into a canvas, splattering all sorts of different colors on it while taking brief respites to admire his work. Mayfield finished the day with 381 passing yards, four passing scores and a 78.6% completion percentage.\n\nIn terms of individual days, it was a career one for Mayfield. He recorded the second-most single-game yard and second-most single-game touchdown totals of his professional career. And he did all this against a side fighting tooth and nail with Tampa for a playoff spot.\n\nBaker today:\n\n\n\n22/28\n\n381 YDS\n\n4 TD (0 INT)\n\n\n\nHis 3rd career 4-TD, 0 INT game; first as a Buc. https://t.co/Grah9iB0gV — StatMuse (@statmuse) December 17, 2023\n\nMayfield did the brunt of his damage against zone coverage, whipping arrows beyond the Packers secondary time and time again. Per Next Gen Stats, Mayfield was 20-of-24 for 361 yards and three touchdowns against zone.\n\nHe also became the first player in seven years to complete a touchdown pass in all four levels of the field (line of scrimmage, 1-10 yards, 11-20 yards, 20+ yards).\n\nBaker Mayfield completed 20 of 24 passes against zone coverage for 361 yards & 3 TD in the Buccaneers 34-20 victory over the Packers.\n\n\n\nMayfield threw a TD pass to all four levels of the field for the third time in his career, the most by any QB since 2016.#TBvsGB | #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/OpmeWv4ThM — Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 17, 2023\n\nThe film told a similar story. Mayfield looked composed in the pocket, letting loose as he slung the hazel-tinted chamber in all sorts of different directions. He hit that much-vaunted 158.3 perfect passer rating, becoming the first visiting quarterback to ever record such a mark at Lambeau. And he did so in style, whipping whistlers beyond Green Bay surveillance with a variety of targets. Five different Buccaneers wide receivers recorded at least 40 receiving yards on the day.\n\nChris Godwin was Mayfield's favorite battery mate. He caught 10 passes for 155 yards, by far his best showing of the year. But even when Godwin wasn't open, Mayfield got creative. Whether it was Mike Evans, Rachaad White, David Moore or even Ko Kieft, it seemed that whenever Mayfield wanted someone to get the ball, he got it to them without a hint of discomfort.\n\nPerfect day in Green Bay for Baker Mayfield.\n\n\n\n381 yards\n\n4 TDs\n\n0 INTs\n\n158.3 passer rating pic.twitter.com/yjsAD23tNp — NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2023\n\nHe sparkled at the league's most hallowed ground. And in the process, he made a bit of league history. Mayfield is one of just three QBs to throw for 375+ yards and four touchdown passes while recording a perfect passer rating away from home. The other two? Nick Foles in 2014 and Ken O'Brien in 1986.\n\nIn today's @Buccaneers win, @bakermayfield became the 3rd QB in @NFL history with 375+ passing yards (381), 4+ TD passes (4) & a 158.3 passer rating - the highest attainable mark - in a road game.\n\n\n\nHe joins Nick Foles (11/3/13 at Oakland) & Ken O'Brien (11/2/86 at Seattle). pic.twitter.com/HvNVWY7MY3 — NFL345 (@NFL345) December 17, 2023\n\nNot bad for an undersized sidewinder who looked to be approaching the end of his rope as a starting QB one year prior.\n\nYou can't get better than perfect. And Mayfield was about as close to it as any QB has been in a road matchup.", + "The world is still coming to terms with Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israelis last weekend — and everything else that has unfolded so far in the aftermath, including the barrage of retaliation strikes on Gaza.\n\nUndoubtedly, the ramifications for the technology ecosystem pale in comparison to the human toll that the fighting is taking, on both sides. But when considering how the wider region will weather the destruction, and one day recover, it’s an important industry to consider. Please also read here about how this is playing out for Palestinians in Gaza and beyond. And a below, we show how a look at how the situation is playing out in the startup ecosystem in Israel sheds light on its impact to the country as a whole.\n\nIn such a small country, just about everyone knows someone who was directly affected by the attacks, or someone involved in the subsequent defense and retaliation — and often all three.\n\nTechnology is, without question, a giant part of Israel’s economy. In 2022, it contributed more than 18% of the country’s GDP, the most of any single sector, according to the latest annual report from the Israel Innovation Authority.\n\nA total of 14% of Israeli citizens work in high tech, which in a country of just 9.2 million people works out to about 1.3 million. The active number of startups in the country is 9,000 (third-highest in the world after the Bay Area and NYC) and these startups have collectively, in the last five years, brought $95 billion into the country by way of venture capital.\n\nCombining the business development of startups with larger tech companies in the country — Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia, Google and many others have operations in Israel — they collectively exported $71 billion last year, 48.3% of the total amount exported across all industries.\n\nUndoubtedly, those numbers are all going to be significantly lower this year, not least because the disruptions of this war are coming directly on the heels of a major protest movement.\n\nThe tech industry led opposition to the government’s bid for judicial reform. Even before the fighting started, it was voting with its feet, and some companies and investors are already refusing to do business in the country with the prospect of the reforms getting pushed through. (That effort, in turn, has been brought to a halt: People on the two sides of that debate are now standing together for what they see as the significantly bigger fight and threat.)\n\nEven before last weekend’s assault, startup investment in Israel was way down from the prior year. As TechCrunch’s Anna Heim reported in July, “With a provisional tally of $3.2 billion for the first half of the year, funding activity in Israel dropped by 73% compared to the same period in 2022, IVC data shows.” Other countries and regions have reported similar declines in their private-market capital flows this year.\n\nAs the war enters its sixth day, many people are being called up to the reserves, or volunteering to help in other ways. With the tech industry skewing younger, it’s estimated that anywhere between 10% and 30% of all of Israel’s tech employees are getting mobilized. More than 500 VCs have pledged their support of the efforts, too.\n\n“In the spirit of peace and unity, we encourage the global venture community to support and engage with Israeli startups, entrepreneurs, and investors as they navigate through these challenging times,” the signatories wrote.\n\nTo better understand the on-the-ground situation for Israeli entrepreneurs, we spoke to a number of startup founders, PR people who work with startups and investors. The predominant response was that the businesses have to continue to operate as best they can, to help ensure the economic viability of the country.\n\nMaking sure everyone is OK\n\nThe founders and operators that we spoke to stressed after they ensured the safety of their teams, they have gingerly started to approach how to resume work. It’s not a simple formula.\n\n“Currently, the emphasis is on finding a balance between supporting Israeli team members, some of whom want to keep working to clear their minds a little from what’s happening, and some who cannot even think of working,” Omer Davidi, CEO & co-founder, BeeHero, an Israeli agritech startup, told TechCrunch. “The priority is to focus on core company operations, especially in the short term, as we await a clearer understanding of the unfolding situation,” Davidi said.\n\nYonatan Cohen, co-founder and CTO of Quantum Machines, says that the war is clearly affecting people, but they are returning to work. “I can’t deny that we all had trouble concentrating on work during the first few days of the war, ” he said. He points out that several of his employees have been called to active duty, but those who weren’t are beginning to concentrate on work again in spite of the circumstances.\n\nShuly Galili, founding partner at venture capital firm UpWest, says the situation is complex, but companies are doing their best to navigate the challenges of operating in war conditions. “People are being called up,” she said, adding that there are some startup denizens, who are in the U.S. and are looking to get back and serve, but responses to the war extend beyond military service. “At this point many who are not called to serve are volunteering to provide equipment, medical supplies and food. Many technical developers are building tech to manage logistics and help communities deal with the aftermath of the situation,” she added.\n\n“The call for reserve duty has affected a notable percentage of our workforce. I’d estimate that at least 10% of our citizens have either enlisted or volunteered for the army,” said Kfir ben Shooshan, founder and chairman of scooter startup Inokim. “This has inevitably strained many businesses,” he said.\n\nLazer Cohen, whose company Concrete Media works with many startups, says people are contributing however they can, but the businesses need to keep running, too.\n\n“Looking at our clients and my agency, 10-25% of Israeli team members have been called up to reserve duty,” he said. Others on the team are helping by donating blood, hosting survivors of the attacks, packing supplies for soldiers or covering for a team member who was called up.\n\nThe economy matters, too\n\nWhile everyone is concerned about the war and its fallout, startup founders and their investors also recognize the importance of keeping these businesses going. For most Israeli startups, the customer base is global and for many, their go-to-market teams are in the U.S. and hence not directly affected by the war. The current situation may slow down product development but won’t directly affect sales in the short run.\n\nWhile customers have been understanding for the most part, Cohen says that companies are working to continue operating under difficult conditions.\n\n“As we come out of the initial shock and horror of the attack, many tech workers and executives see it as their duty to keep the tech industry up and running. Technology is Israel’s biggest export and the main engine of our economy and with a long and difficult war ahead, it’s crucial that we keep working and innovating,” he told TechCrunch.\n\nSharon Seeman, a partner at YL Ventures, says that it’s important that companies maintain communication with customers. “Ensuring the continuity of business operations is vital for Israeli startups in maintaining their customer relationships,” she said.\n\nWhat might be a more tricky situation will be when startups come around to the inevitable cadence of their existence: raising money to scale their operations, and then doubling down and scaling those operations. Should the region and country continue to be at war, how will that play out with would-be startup investors and the LPs of startup investors?\n\nOurCrowd founder and CEO Jon Medved believes that in the long run, the Israeli startup ecosystem will remain reslient. “There is no doubt that in the long run — a year or more — Israel’s tech ecosystem will emerge from this war, stronger, bigger, with more investment and returns for investors,” he said. “Israel’s tech ecosystem has well proven its resilience in past conflicts with Hamas. Israel is focused on deep tech, semiconductors, AI, mobility, fintech, cybersecurity, quantum, agtech, the cloud, devops, clean energy and so much more and as the future unrolls, these areas will grow in importance and Israel will continue to play a leading role in all of them.”\n\nOren Yunger, managing partner at GGV, says his firm will do what it takes to make sure that the Israeli startups in his company’s portfolio don’t go bankrupt due to the war.\n\n“I can say with absolute confidence — even if we don’t know how long it’s going to take and who’s going to be affected — I am 100% sure that none of our companies will go bust as a result from this moment in time,” he said.\n\nMike Butcher, Frederic Lardinois, Anna Heim and Kyle Wiggers also contributed to this report.", + "The Christmas Eve showdown between the Patriots and the Broncos was expected to be a solid victory by Denver against a team that had won just three games heading into the contest. It was anything but that.\n\nIn a game that it had it all between critical turnovers and scores that came down to the final minute, Patriots kicker Chad Ryland hit a 56-yard field goal to send the Patriots to a 26-23 victory.\n\nComing into this game, New England had played the Chiefs tough but lost at home to fall to 3-11 and improve its chances of landing the No. 1 pick in next year's draft. Denver aimed to get back to the right side of the win column after getting blown out by the Lions in an all-around abysmal performance.\n\nMORE: Chad Ryland redeems himself with game-winning field goal\n\nIn this one, it took the Broncos a while once more to put points on the board, with 16 of them coming in the fourth quarter in a comeback effort that proved just a hit too late.\n\nBroncos quarterback Russell Wilson had seemed to be experiencing a bit of a resurgence in his first year playing under head coach Sean Payton, but there have continued to be some ups and downs. Wilson finished out this one 25-of-37 for 238 yards with two touchdowns.\n\nHe faced a Patriots defense that is among the better ones in the league, hardly like its offense has been for the better part of the year. The offense ranked 28th in the league heading into the game. However, the Patriots had one of their better showings on that side of the ball as they totaled 289 yards with 23 points.\n\nThe Broncos' loss puts their playoff hopes on ice at 7-8, though Denver isn't formally eliminated quite yet. The Patriots moved to 4-11 but hurt their draft positioning in the process.\n\nMORE: Updated 2024 NFL Draft order after Patriots win\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights for Patriots vs. Broncos on Sunday night. Check below for what you may have missed.\n\nPatriots vs. Broncos final score\n\nTeam 1 2 3 4 F Patriots 0 3 20 0 Broncos 7 0 0 16\n\nPatriots vs. Broncos results, highlights from Sunday night game\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nPatriots 26, Broncos 23\n\n11:20 p.m.: So much for that... Ryland's 56-yard field goal is good and the Patriots win it.\n\n11:16 p.m.: This game is in a strong position to go into overtime with New England at its own 26 with less than one minute to play in regulation.\n\n11:04 p.m.: Russell Wilson connects with Brandon Johnson for the 21-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt succeeds and the game is tied as the Broncos have overcome a huge deficit.\n\n10:45 p.m.: Russell Wilson finds Lucas Krull for the 3-yard touchdown and the two-pointer that follows is good. Suddenly, this is a competitive football game again.\n\n10:44 p.m.: The Broncos have edged their way deep into Patriots territory as Russell Wilson hits Jerry Jeudy for 13 yards to bring them to the New England 3-yard line.\n\nPatriots 23, Broncos 7\n\n10:31 p.m.: Cody Davis recovers a fumble for a 1-yard touchdown\n\n10:29 p.m.: Bailey Zappe hits Mike Gesicki for the 11-yard touchdown\n\n10:01 p.m.: Courtland Sutton has been ruled out for the Broncos with a concussion.\n\n09:59 p.m.: Zeke's got hops! Elliott takes it for the 15-yard touchdown, complete with some hurdling action to put the Patriots on top\n\n09:54 p.m.: Elliott takes it up the middle to the Denver 28\n\nBroncos 7, Patriots 3\n\n09:35 p.m.: Lutz's 57-yard field goal attempt is no good for the Broncos as it comes up short. That ends a first half filled with missed opportunities for both teams in what's been a low-scoring affair to this point.\n\n09:30 p.m.: Ryland's field goal try from 47 yards is no good as it sails wide right.\n\n09:25 p.m.: Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was evaluated for a possible concussion. The team officially announces it as him being evaluated for a \"possible head injury.\"\n\n09:12 p.m.: McLaughlin takes it to the Denver 37 for a gain of 7 yards as the Patriots look to get within range to score the second time of the evening.\n\n8:54 p.m.: The Patriots put their first points on the board with a 33-yard field goal from Chad Ryland.\n\nBroncos 7, Patriots 3\n\n8:40 p.m.: The Broncos post the first score of the night with a 3-yard rush by Javonte Williams.\n\n8:36 p.m.: Marvin Mims Jr. has been a huge playmaker this season and further proves that with a 52-yard return.\n\n8:21 p.m.: The Broncos go for it on fourth down but come up short, so Zappe's fumble proves inconsequential.\n\n8:19 p.m.: The two teams nearly traded turnovers as Russell Wilson appeared to be intercepted in the end zone but it is ruled an incomplete pass.\n\n8:17 p.m.: Bailey Zappe pump fakes and fumbles the ball, immediately giving the Broncos offense a chance.\n\nPregame: Tyquan Thornton is aligned in the spot of Matthew Slater as a gunner on the punt coverage unit in warmups.\n\nPregame: The Patriots OL in warmups appeared to be LT Vederian Lowe, LG James Ferentz, C David Andrews, RG: Sidy Sow and RT Mike Onwenu.\n\nPregame: Broncos inactives include TE Nate Adkins, OLB Nik Bonitto, QB Ben DiNucci, C Alex Forsyth, DE Elijah Garcia, OLB Thomas Incoom, S JL Skinner.\n\nPregame: The Patriots inactive include special teams captain Matthew Slater (hamstring) is inactive tonight, DT Sam Roberts, third QB/emergency Nathan Rourke, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) and Hunter Henry (knee).\n\nPregame: Nathan Rourke impresses in the pregame with some one-handed grabs.\n\nNathan Rourke and Mac Jones: One-handed grabs in warmups. pic.twitter.com/h9nadT2UIE — Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 24, 2023\n\nPregame: Bill Belichick arrives to Mile High.\n\nPatriots vs. Broncos start time\n\nDate: Sunday, Dec. 24\n\nSunday, Dec. 24 Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET l 6:15 p.m. MT\n\nSunday night's game between the Patriots and Broncos is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET at Empower Field at Mile High.\n\nWhat channel is Patriots vs. Broncos on today?\n\nGame: Patriots vs. Broncos\n\nPatriots vs. Broncos Date: Sunday, Dec. 24\n\nSunday, Dec. 24 TV channel: NFL Network (U.S.) | TSN, CTV2, RDS (Canada)\n\nNFL Network (U.S.) | TSN, CTV2, RDS (Canada) Live stream: NFL+, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)\n\nSunday's game between Denver and New England will air on NFL Network. Viewers can also watch the game on Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nThose in Canada can watch on TSN and CTV2 in English and RDS in French, or stream it on DAZN, which carries every NFL game all season.\n\nRich Eisen will handle play-by-play and Kurt Warner will serve as the color analyst. James Palmer and Sherree Burruss will have the call on the sidelines.", + "Thanksgiving Thursday, when stores in the U.S. are closed and many are spending time off work, has become the de facto start of the holiday shopping season both for those looking to get bargains online and for online retailers to kick off holiday sales deals to meet that demand. But if there is a message from this year’s Thanksgiving sales, it is that consumers are holding steady, but don’t hold your breath for a growth boom.\n\nAdobe Analytics said that people in the U.S. on Thursday spent $5.6 billion online, which it calculates at an increase of just 5.5% on last year.\n\nSalesforce, which also calculates sales based on data collected by its Commerce Cloud division, noted that globally, online sales reached $31.7 billion with its U.S. tally at $7.5 billion — both up only 1%. Salesforce’s calculations of average order value were equally modest. Globally, average orders were up just 2% to $103 per “basket” while in the U.S. they were up a paltry 1% to $119.\n\nMobile devices had a standout year: Adobe said that some $3.3 billion was spent over mobile devices on Thanksgiving, up 14% and an all-time record for the day.\n\nSalesforce added that online traffic in general to e-commerce sites, which includes browsing, was up too, but again only in single digits of 4% globally and 6% in the U.S.\n\nThe two are actively tracking sales for today, Black Friday, and for the whole of the “Cyber Weekend” — which not only kicks off holiday shopping but has a particularly strong showing in online sales due to people traveling to be with family. As a bellwether for the rest of the holiday period — traditionally the biggest period for retail sales in the year — the flat sales speak to another tough year for online retailers.\n\nAdobe Analytics is predicting $37.2 billion in online spend for the full five days, up just 5.4% year on year and accounting for 16.8% of all holiday spend. And Black Friday will see $9.6 billion in sales, up roughly the same, 5.7%, versus figures last year. (The published figures in 2022 were $9.13 billion.) Salesforce has not provided forecasts.\n\nFor some context on today’s Thanksgiving figures, last year’s published figures from Adobe were $5.29 billion, which actually represents an increase of just under 4%. (It’s likely Adobe Analytics readjusted its final figures for last year, which is why we see a higher percentage of growth.) Today’s 5.5% rate is definitely an improvement on last year’s 2.9%. But it’s nothing compared to the years preceding COVID-19, such as 2017, where we were seeing growth of 18% or more.\n\nInflation is making an impact but not as much as the worry around consumer spending, said Adobe, which said that spending is being led actually by more discounts to encourage buying, rather than less buying of more expensive products. That leads one to wonder what kind of impact that’s having on retailers’ margins.\n\n“Cyber Week is off to a strong start with Thanksgiving driving a record $5.6 billion in online spend as consumers took advantage of strong discounts and continued their shopping plans, virtually,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst, Adobe Digital Insights, in a statement. “Mobile shopping hit an all-time high, as shoppers took to their smartphones to get the best deals during holiday gatherings, further solidifying mobile’s growing importance in e-commerce.”\n\nAdobe Analytics’ figures are based, it says, on 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs and 18 product categories. Salesforce says it taps data from 1.5 billion consumers in its research. (Both companies work with a number of giant and smaller retailers, so they have the infrastructure to provide this kind of intel to these customers on an ongoing basis.)\n\nBreaking out some of the trends in how people are shopping:\n\n— Overall, desktop sales are still exceeding other kinds of screens when it comes to conversions and number of items purchased, but mobile is the standout device in the evening hours, when it accounted for a whopping 59% of all online sales (likely because people were using that time to socialize and buy on the sly).\n\n— More on mobile: Salesforce said that for the day, mobile accounted for 79% of all online traffic globally and 82% in the U.S., and that mobile wallets were really making a mark for reducing some of the buying friction on the smaller devices. Apple Pay saw transactions up by 47% compared to 44% up for all mobile wallets overall. Social on mobile — think Instagram links, TikTok and Snapchat — has become an influencer in itself. These collectively accounted for 13% of all traffic referrals to sites. Notably, they are not where the purchases are being made for the most part, though.\n\n“Mobile traffic and sales are soaring as people are on the go once again this holiday weekend,” said Salesforce VP and GM, Retail, Rob Garf, in a statement. “Consumers are embracing mobile wallets to break down friction between discovering on social and purchasing on mobile.”\n\n— Retailers are really pushing out discounts to get people more willing to spend money this year. Both Adobe and Salesforce said in the U.S. discounts were up by about 28%. Categories that saw dramatic markdowns included toys, electronics and computers, per Adobe’s figures; respectively these saw sales up by 182% and 113% over last month.\n\n— Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) remains a popular option for paying upfront. BNPL drove $390 million in online spend, Adobe said, up 7.5% on last year.\n\nWe’ll update with more data later, and with Black Friday figures as they start to emerge.", + "The second of Sinner’s Djokovic victories came in Italy’s impressive Davis Cup semi-final triumph over Serbia, after saving three consecutive match points on serve, before besting the world No.1 again in the doubles. World No.4 Sinner, coached by Australia’s Darren Cahill, is the first player to topple Djokovic twice in the same season since Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in 2019. Italian teammates Lorenzo Sonego and Jannik Sinner will face Australia in the Davis Cup final. Credit: Getty However, if Popyrin can get the job done in the No.2 singles then Australia will, at minimum, reach the doubles with a live chance, and a good one, with 2022 Wimbledon champions Max Purcell and Matt Ebden to be unleashed. The query is whether Italian captain Filippo Volandri will turn to Lorenzo Musetti, who battled a leg issue at the end of his three-set loss to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, or one of Lorenzo Sonego or Matteo Arnaldi.\n\nPopyrin won his only ATP Tour clash with Musetti – who has been as high as No.15 in the world – in a tight two-setter at last year’s Miami Masters, but the emerging Italian claimed three of their four showdowns at the next level down. He is yet to play against Sonego, who Arthurs expects to play. “I’m assuming they will back in Popyrin because he played pretty well a couple of nights ago, and with his firepower – he’s probably the key to the tie,” Arthurs said. “He’s showing all the signs of becoming a top-25 player in the next couple of years. His junior career suggested he was going to be a very good player, and it’s unusual for someone to win the junior French Open and not go on to something big. Alexei Popyrin celebrates with Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt after his Davis Cup win. Credit: Getty Images “These moments can be a big springboard for someone like Alexei. He’s a confidence player, and this is a very big moment – whoever he plays, Musetti or Sonego. But he’s got to go out and embrace the moment, and he’s the type of player who will enjoy it.\n\n“I’d love to give de Minaur a chance with his fighting abilities, but the way Sinner has played the last six months, you’d have to say Sinner is the favourite.” Loading Hewitt animatedly embraced Popyrin after his straight-sets victory over 171st-ranked Finn Otto Virtanen, but Australia’s Davis Cup captain would be even more thrilled if he could repeat the dose against Italy. Australia could also turn to an alternative No.2 singles option, with Jordan Thompson and Purcell waiting in the wings. “It’s everybody’s dream to play for their country,” Popyrin said. “I looked up to Lleyton, looked up to all the older Aussie legends. To be able to put on the green and gold, to be able to go out there and play for your country, no matter the format, if it’s this Davis Cup or the old Davis Cup, you give your all.\n\n“It’s nerves, it’s pressure – you’re playing for everybody back home. It’s something that nothing will ever compare to ... it really was the biggest moment of my career to get the first live rubber win, to get one foot into the final. It was something that I’ll never forget.” Loading Australia, who lost last year’s final to Canada, has enjoyed a soft run on paper to this year’s decider, eliminating the Czech Republic and Finland – with neither country boasting a top-30 singles player – but will have earned their 29th Davis Cup title if they account for Italy. Canada defeated Italy in the Davis Cup round-robin matches in September, but bowed out to Finland in the knockout stage without Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, who have both battled injury and form. The final is due to start at 2am AEDT on Monday and will be broadcast on 9GEM.\n\nSinner ends Djoker’s Davis Cup dream Novak Djokovic’s dream of capping his great season by blasting Serbia past Australia in the Davis Cup final was blown up by Jannik Sinner’s extraordinary double triumph over the world No.1. Instead, in the Davis Cup final in Malaga, Australia will face an Italy team running hot on the heroics of their golden boy Sinner, who beat Djokovic in both the singles and the doubles in the space of five exhilarating hours in their semi-final on Saturday (Sunday AEDT). Jannik Sinner saved three match points before going on to beat Novak Djokovic. Credit: Getty Images In one of the great Davis Cup rubbers, Djokovic had held three match points against Sinner and was on the verge of a completing a relatively workaday 2-0 victory for the Serbs.\n\nBut for only the fourth time in his unparalleled career, Djokovic was beaten from match-point up as Sinner roared back to complete his second victory over the master in just 12 days, winning 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. The 22-year-old Sinner, by now an irresistible force, then re-emerged to team up with Lorenzo Sonego and spray massive forehand winners around liberally as they outplayed a by now weary-looking Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic had three match points in the singles rubber. Credit: Getty Images It was a crushing end to Djokovic’s hopes of ending his triumphant season, which has featured three grand slam victories and an ATP finals showdown victory over Sinner just six days ago, with a second Davis Cup title. After telling fans to “shut up” earlier in the week, he again got irritated with the crowd in the doubles, pretending to be the conductor to the Italian fans’ deafening chorus, but though he may be the greatest player who ever picked up a racquet, doubles looks an alien game to him.\n\nHis serve was broken in the first set and his court positioning left a big hole for Sinner to blast his forehand through the world No.1 and Kecmanovic, who had earlier worn down Lorenzo Musetti 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-1 in the tie’s opening singles. The tie, though, will forever be remembered for Sinner’s comeback triumph in their third brilliant singles duel in less than a fortnight. This time, the Sinner of the Turin group stages re-emerged, the young titan reprising his victory of 12 days ago when he became the only man since Djokovic’s Wimbledon final loss to Carlos Alcaraz to defeat the 24-time grand slam champion. Here he did something even more astonishing when, after soaking up immense pressure throughout the deciding set, he stared at 0-40 on his serve at 4-5. Yet the 22-year-old proved absolutely nerveless, firing down an ace to save the third of the three match points, and then immediately turning the tables by breaking Djokovic in the very next game amid wild Italian celebrations in the stands at the Palacio de deportes Martin Carpena.\n\nSinner then served out for a famous win, ending Djokovic’s cherished unbeaten 21-singles winning streak in the Davis Cup and becoming the first man since 2019 to beat the Serb in singles twice in the same year. The drama between the two rivals wasn’t over, as the two teams inevitably both drafted in their top singles players into the doubles decider. Sinner was again magnificent and still looking ominously fresh after more than four hours on court, with Djokovic’s weak backhand into the net off the Italian’s second serve in the doubles on match point seeming to sum up his disappointment. The beneficiaries of all this? Lleyton Hewitt’s Australian side, who were happily enjoying a day’s rest at their team hotel further down the Costa del Sol, watching the drama unfold on TV.\n\nWhile the Italy tie didn’t finish until 8.15pm after a noon start, Alex de Minaur and co should be fresh for combat in Sunday afternoon’s (Monday AEDT) final as they seek to lift the Davis Cup for the first time in 20 years. AAP De Minaur, Popyrin power Australia into Davis Cup final Lleyton Hewitt has declared his close-knit tennis band of brothers will give it “a hell of a shake” to bring back the Davis Cup to Australia after they roared into another final in Malaga. Following their 2-0 victory over Finland in Friday’s semi-final, executed superbly without a dropped set in singles wins for Alexei Popyrin and Alex de Minaur, team captain Hewitt said he couldn’t be prouder of their achievement in making back-to-back finals.\n\nAnd even though they’ll be facing either a Serbian side led by world No.1 Novak Djokovic or an Italian team inspired by young superstar Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) final, the inspirational de Minaur was adamant: “No one really wants to play us.” He delivered once more for Australia, taking an 11th victory in his last 13 cup singles matches, sealing Friday’s (Saturday AEDT) win by defeating Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 6-3. Alex de Minaur stretches to return the ball against Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori. Credit: AP It had followed a superb win from teammate Popyrin, who defied jangling nerves to earn a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory over Otto Virtanen. It meant the Australians’ crack doubles team of Max Purcell and Matt Ebden weren’t even needed.\n\nIt will be Australia’s 49th appearance in the Davis Cup final, as they seek the trophy for the 29th t28-time champions Australia, in a 49th final, seek a first win in the World Cup of men’s tennis in 20 years. “We’re a very solid squad, a lot of depth in every single position, and if we can get ourselves to a deciding doubles, we’ve got an unbelievable pairing as well,” de Minaur said. “So we singles guys have just got do our best to try and get a win and let the doubles guys do the job. “Hopefully we can go one better this year,” he added, recalling the 2-0 defeat by Canada in 2022. De Minaur had been the hero on Wednesday, pulling out an extraordinary comeback win over Jiri Lehecka with Australia on the verge of defeat in their quarter-final with the Czech Republic.\n\nBut he was happy to pass the laurels to Popyrin, a late squad replacement who’d been asked to take on the troublesome “second singles” role by Hewitt. Loading “Alexei hasn’t played for Australia in a very long time [two years], had a massive match today against a very high-quality opponent and dug super deep,” said de Minaur. Popyrin managed to deliver a rock solid game, making only 11 unforced errors to his erratic opponent’s 25, to prevail in just under an hour-and-a-half. “It was probably the biggest win of my career,” he admitted. “To win a match that means so much to us, it’s an honour and something I’ll never forget. Nothing compares to this.\n\n“I thought I was ready but when I came out and heard the two sets of fans chanting so hard, but it was nerves that I’ve never experienced before.” Loading It wasn’t easy. The pressure was on with Thanasi Kokkinakis, the injured teammate he’d replaced, Purcell and Jordan Thompson having all lost opening singles ties in this year’s competition, and Popyrin struggled too against a big-hitting 22-year-old going for broke. But after repelling a set point in the opening stanza, Popyrin’s solidity in comparison to his increasingly erratic opponent helped silence a noisy contingent of Finnish fans, who’d been hoping to cheer their underdogs to a first-ever final. De Minaur, cheered on by his excited mum, then didn’t need similar heroics to Wednesday’s as he overcame the loss of the first two games.", + "Vampire fiction has a long and distinguished pedigree in English. From the moment that Robert Southey introduced the British Isles to the concept of the coffin-sleeping undead at the turn of the 19th century, the authors of vampiric stories have mirrored the changing face of the society that reads them.\n\nWe're spending a week diving deep into the stories behind your favorite vampires. Who says we only get to celebrate vampires at Halloween?\n\nAnd yet, scholars have largely turned a blind eye to one lingering question: Which of these authors were, themselves, nosferatu? Was night-stalking Lord Byron secretly a daywalker? Could it be that Anne Rice’s innate understanding of deathless sexiness is itself a result of her fellowship in the camp of the undead?\n\nUntil we understand which writers have been secretly propagandizing for Dracular overlords, our understanding of the place of vampires in anglophone culture will never be fully complete. So in the interest of bettering the cause of human understanding and avoidance of unwilling resurrection, we present the following field guide to secretly vampiric authors, past and present.\n\nJohn William Polidori\n\nBest-known vampire book: The Vampyre (1819)\n\nWhile the concept of vampires goes back at least as far as Balkan folktales from the middle ages or earlier, its history in the English-speaking world began in earnest with Dr. John William Polidori’s novel The Vampyre at the turn of the 19th century. The book itself has as high-class an origin as any bloodsucker book could ask for, having been born at a Swiss chalet, in the same spooky story contest where Mary Shelley hatched the idea for Frankenstein. The contest entry for another participant, Lord Byron, was the tale of an aristocratic Englishman who is secretly an ancient, unkillable force of evil. Being too lazy to actually write the story himself, Byron passed along the idea to his personal physician and party guest, Polidori, who spun it out into his novel three years later.\n\nPolidori had always had an adorably puppy dog-ish devotion to Byron — that mercurial, temperamental, but undeniably sexy man of the late-night hours. So it’s not surprising to see the doctor’s depiction of the book’s vampiric main character, Lord Ruthven, take on a certain erotic charge. Ruthven is described as cruelly sadistic, mockingly contemptuous of others, yet desperately desired by those around him for reasons even they can’t entirely explain.\n\nHe is, in other words, a pathetically obvious stand-in for Byron himself, and Polidori’s almost unwilling attraction to his questionable friend marks him out as a classic human thrall of an undead overlord.\n\nVerdict: Not a vampire, but Byron… vampire all the way\n\nBram Stoker\n\nBest-known vampire book: Dracula (1897)\n\nThe real breakthrough moment for vampires in the English-speaking world came just before the turn of the 20th century with the publication of Bram Stoker’s appropriately immortal novel Dracula. Stoker’s story of a Transylvanian count who takes residence in the U.K. in order to launch a centuries-old plan of vampiric conquest and enslavement became the source of pastiches, spinoffs, and cliches almost from the moment it arrived. As a result, its influence codified many of the basic elements of vampire storytelling for the next half-century or more: the foreign, undead aristocrat whose cosmopolitan charm and suave allure stood in for English fears and paranoias about the allure of other nations and races; the bloodsucking conversion process (targeted, invariably, against either women or the more effeminate among the male set) that reads alarmingly like seduction; the tricks and traps of the vampire hunters that range from wooden stakes to garlic to sunlight to good old simple beheadings.\n\nStoker’s own biography is almost the inverse of his noble-born immortal count, but it’s still fittingly enigmatic for the writer of the seminal work of undead fiction. Born to a middle-class Protestant Irish family in the 1840s, Stoker’s life grew progressively more bizarre: Among other things, he took a keen interest in the occult studies of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, as well as the history and practices of the Freemasons. Cultivating a public reputation? Seeking inspiration for a never-materialized new hit story? Perhaps. Then again, it’s just possible that somewhere along the way, Stoker had acquired a membership to the most elite secret society of all.\n\nVerdict: Vampire\n\nStephen King\n\nBest-known vampire book: ’Salem’s Lot (1975)\n\n’Salem’s Lot, Stephen King’s second published book after the breakout success of 1974’s Carrie, concerns (obviously) a writer who returns to his childhood hometown in (obviously) rural Maine, only to discover gradually but gruesomely that the entire society is in thrall to the undead.\n\nIf the vampire stories of the Victorian era had used their monstrous antagonists as allegories for the deepest fears of the fading 19th century, King’s novel was an encapsulation of post-Watergate suspicions that government corruption had infected all levels of the community. But just as notable as King’s modernizing of the vampire novel is his decided and inarguable resemblance to creature of the night himself.\n\nIn addition to famously dwelling in the least accessible reaches of rural New England, and maintaining a schedule, lifestyle, and an ability to defy death that would make Rasputin blush (dude survived a direct hit from a car, just for starters), King has also been frozen in an ageless state that could fairly be described as “non-specifically ancient” throughout his career. He’s not only a vampire, but it could be reasonably argued that he’s not even trying very hard to hide it. Still, given King’s recent and high-profile stances against corporate power and in favor of trans rights, it has to be admitted that he makes a strong case for vampire kind.\n\nVerdict: Vampire (complimentary)\n\nAnne Rice\n\nBest-known vampire books: The Vampire Chronicles series (1976-2018)\n\nEver since the Victorian era, vampires in fiction have stood in for all the sexual urges, temptations, and repressed fears burbling below the surface of a repressive society. But until the late 20th century, subtext is where those messages stayed buried: charged little winks to audiences that may have led to genre success, but could never actually be stated out loud by any character on the page.\n\nIt would take until the 1970s for those themes to finally take center stage. Not coincidentally, it would take a woman to do it. When Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire reached bookshelves in 1976, it was a watershed moment for vampire novels — the first time a mainstream book had prominently featured vampires that were gay, campy, and unapologetically fabulous.\n\nFor that alone, you might mistake Rice for a classic vampire-infected propagandist for the cause, but the case is a little muddier than that. Rice had a famously ambivalent relationship with the Catholicism of her youth, first turning away from it in favor of sexy gothic monster books, then embracing it in the early 2000s to pen a series of Christ-themed religious fiction, then finally rejecting the Church once more over its conservative social positions (“It’s simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group,” she wrote on her Facebook page at the time). Even so, religious flirtation is canonically one of the few things a vampire can’t tolerate even in small doses, so this is one case in which the jury is no longer out.\n\nVerdict: Not a vampire\n\nLaurell K. Hamilton\n\nBest-known vampire books: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series (1993-present)\n\nLaurell K. Hamilton’s vampire novels are like the final evolution of an undead Pokémon. Where Anne Rice made vampires sexy but still took pains to remind readers that they were fundamentally the stuff of nightmares, Hamilton’s Anita Blake series is more like the merrily obscene aesthetic of a 1970s grindhouse flick. Her characters bash, slaughter, and jump one another’s bones (animated or otherwise), but it’s all in good fun. With her books, the sexy and violent vampire has reached a Looney Tunes stage of madcap romp, and audiences can’t get enough of it.\n\nBut does that make Hamilton herself a vampire? I’d argue to the contrary. Nothing serves the vampire cause less than undermining the air of looming menace that they’ve been cultivating since the 15th century. Vlad the Impaler worked for that nickname, dammit, and the last thing they need is for an airport novel to make a stake through the heart look fun. No, Laurell K. Hamilton isn’t among the denizens of the undead. She’s the one thing they’ve come to fear this millennium: a good punchline.\n\nVerdict: Not a vampire\n\nTaika Waititi\n\nBest-known vampire work: What We Do in the Shadows (2014, 2019-present)\n\nWhile What We Do in the Shadows isn’t actually a work of prose fiction, and Waititi isn’t actually an author, who is to say what constitutes true literature, anyway? Regardless, What We Do in the Shadows, which Waititi co-created along with his fellow New Zealander Jemaine Clement (the two wrote and directed the original 2014 movie) is surely the most culturally pervasive piece of vampire-themed fiction to reach mass audiences over the past few years. Just as importantly, it marks the necessary next step in the inexorable movement of vampiric lore from creeping terror to sexy camp to outright comedy with only the faintest twist of terror to remind us of its origins. Two centuries after its English-language birth, the vampire genre has at last been metaphorically defanged. We humans have taken its blood and sucked it dry for our amusement.\n\nAnd what can we say about Taika Waititi? Here is a director and writer who started out charmingly likable, beloved by both audiences and critics; he was happily invited into our homes; rapidly wore out his welcome; and, almost before we knew what had happened, he has curdled into an odorous pestilence we couldn’t seem to be rid of (when you lose the Chris Hemsworth demographic, you know you’re in trouble). And yet, here we are, coming back for more, year after year, drawn to him by a force we are powerless to explain — when it comes to Our Flag Means Death, we are all Renfields. And what, after all, could serve the vampire cause better than to trick us into thinking the threat had passed? My friends, we haven’t just found a vampire. We have found their king.\n\nVerdict: Dracula", + "We're spending a week diving deep into the stories behind your favorite vampires. Who says we only get to celebrate vampires at Halloween?\n\nYou know what’s cooler than a vampire story? A story that’s not a vampire story, but surprise — it has vampires.\n\nThe surprise vampire is a rich tradition, unfolding across many different media intended for all kinds of audiences. Sometimes it is a prominent part of a story that’s made richer for the unexpected presence of a bloodsucker.\n\nSometimes it is subtle, an easily missable detail that rewards only the most observant. In the best version, the vampires are always there, in the background, waiting for you to discover them — just like in real life.\n\nHere are some of our favorite examples.\n\nBaldur’s Gate 3: Astarion\n\nIf Baldur’s Gate 3 was your introduction to the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons & Dragons, you might be shocked to find out about a lot of stuff that’s tucked away in the world’s most famous tabletop role-playing game. The great thing about Baldur’s Gate 3 is how it centers all that weird stuff — like Astarion, a haughty elf that you can either play as or recruit to your party very early on, and guess what? He’s a vampire! And dealing with his vampirism is a huge part of the game, should that be something you want to do.\n\nThe Matrix Reloaded: The Merovingian’s Henchmen\n\nLike a lot of ideas in the Matrix movies, a seemingly throwaway line leads to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene with wild implications for everything you’re looking at. In The Matrix, The Oracle tells Neo that things that go bump in the night are in fact real, the result of a program misbehaving, an error in the virtual world of The Matrix. In The Matrix Reloaded, we meet some of those misbehaving programs in the form of the Merovingian’s henchmen. The Merovingian’s wife, Persephone, notes that they are very hard to kill — before she kills one of them with silver bullets. While the twin ghosts get significantly more screen time in Reloaded, the world of the films gets much more interesting when you realize that they are just two members of a whole assortment of ghoulies, and a superhuman kung fu god isn’t the only cool thing a character can be in these movies.\n\nThe Elder Scrolls: Everywhere\n\nThe fantasy of the Elder Scrolls games often presents as very straightforward. With the exception of Morrowind, each of the games starts out as a pretty up-the-middle fantasy setting, with nary a twist of any kind. But a big reason Elder Scrolls games have an enduring fan base is down to the fact that beneath the surface, there is always weird shit to find. Like vampires! And in keeping with the open-ended role-playing philosophy the series espouses, you can also become a vampire — it kicks ass.\n\nPreacher: Cassidy\n\nPreacher, the comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon — and its subsequent TV adaptation from Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen — starts with the basic assumption that God is real, and has walked out on the job. A lot of things are fair game at that point, namely angels, demons, and the like, but it’s still a shock when you meet Cassidy. A brawling, hard-drinking Irishman that’s already a load of fun when you meet him, Cassidy shoots up the power rankings when he sinks his teeth into a poor sap, because he’s a vampire.\n\nSpider-Man: The Animated Series: Morbius\n\nHands down the ballsiest Spidey villain to adapt in a cartoon for children that censors wouldn’t even let use the words “sinister” or “kill,” Morbius — the Living Vampire — frankly had no business being in a Saturday morning lineup. The clever folks behind Spider-Man got around the strict content standards of their network with a loophole that might be even creepier than how vampires normally feed: by giving him little suckers on the palms of his hands that drain victims of “plasma.”\n\nHilariously, a creative application of vampirism would be how the show would later adapt another villain normally too violent for kids TV: Carnage, a serial killing symbiote who now “drained” his victims’ “life force” instead of cutting them to bits.\n\nSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Miguel O’Hara\n\nMiguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, is one of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s big enigmas. Comics readers will know plenty about his whole deal, but the movie doesn’t really explain much — except for a brief scene where he’s shown to have fangs, and an offhand reference that he is kind of a vampire? Sure, he’s a jerk, but he’s still kind of cool. It’s kind of hard not to be cool when you’re a vampire. That’s kind of the whole quandary with vampires as a metaphor.\n\nAdventure Time: Marceline the Vampire Queen\n\nFor 11 episodes, Adventure Time was a show with lots of weird shit, but no vampires. Then “Evicted!” introduced Marceline the Vampire Queen, and the show changed forever. Marceline was key to what the show would go on to do so well: use its goofy sensibilities to tackle existentially dark and frightening things quite seriously without losing its edge, and play with familiar tropes to create a fantasy like no other. Now with vampires!\n\nSesame Street: The Count\n\nI don’t really know why there’s a vampire on Sesame Street. I love him, though.\n\nMetal Gear Solid 2: Vamp\n\nThe Metal Gear Solid games are kings of the nonchalant narrative curveball. It’s a series that takes great care to ground itself in near-future militaristic realism and hard sci-fi, only to suddenly introduce a man made of bees and a cyborg ninja. Vamp is one of those curveballs, the member of a rogue special forces unit with a superhuman resistance to injury, the ability to run on water, and a taste for blood — with an eerie origin story for that hunger, to boot.\n\nThe Bone Clocks: The Anchorites\n\nDavid Mitchell loves to write books that start as one thing then end up as another. But he writes them knowing that people know he’s famous for this, so he often turns these books into other things still. It’s a real trip. The Bone Clocks, then, is a book about a psychic girl who gets into a bit of a pickle, only to learn about vampiric ghosts called Anchorites, who achieve immortality by murdering others. Don’t worry, I didn’t spoil the book for you. I just thought you should know about the vampires.", + "If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement .\n\nThe call of the couch gets stronger every year as new gadgets, movies, TV shows, and streaming services launch. As such, you may find yourself considering how to curate a space to watch coveted new (and old) releases that doesn’t involve leaving the house, or paying for tickets and reserved seating. You’ll still have to spend money on snacks, but not nearly as much.\n\nA high-quality home cinema setup summons the most compelling parts of the silver screen into your own living room. Whatever it is you want to watch, upgrading your home theater hardware and related accessories can enhance your viewing experience.\n\nLG C3 OLED TV\n\nA TV is the beating heart of the home theater experience, and the LG C3 is a compelling sell for cinephiles who want the best possible video quality. The C2’s 65-inch OLED screen provides unparalleled contrast, and it has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is great for making the most of gaming at a high frame rate via the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Like other high-end TVs, the C3 features Filmmaker Mode, which adjusts the picture and motion settings to display your favorite flicks as their director intended them to be seen.\n\nLG Sound Bar C (SC9)\n\nFinding the right soundbar to pair with your fancy TV can be a bit of a challenge. First, you need to decide what kind of features you want, then land on one that has a design that you like. Well, if you opted for the LG C3 OLED, you might as well get the soundbar that LG made to be the perfect companion in both regards. The SC9 soundbar and wireless subwoofer bolster the C3’s phenomenal picture quality with amazing audio, including Dolby Atmos support. When purchased through LG’s website, you’ll get a mounting bracket to fasten the soundbar to your wall — perfect if you’ve mounted your television, too.\n\nDisney Bundle Trio\n\nThe chances are good that you’ve already found yourself aboard the streaming service carousel, juggling options such as Paramount Plus, Netflix, Max, and maybe more. If you want to slim down without losing out on great content, you can’t do much better than the Disney Bundle Trio. Disney Plus’ impressive catalog includes plenty of original content (and a bucketload of Marvel and Star Wars), but this deal gives you all that along with Hulu and ESPN, providing hours of sitcoms and sports.\n\nCrunchyroll\n\nCrunchyroll is the best streaming service for anime lovers or newcomers, with classics like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure appearing alongside modern behemoths such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Spy x Family. You’ll not only have access to an impressive catalog of quality anime with Crunchyroll — you’ll also be privy to premieres shortly after their debut in Japan, such as the highly anticipated Attack on Titan finale.\n\nCrunchyroll Premium gift card $80 Prices taken at time of publishing. Give the gift of action, romance, and just about every other kind of anime genre for a year $80 at Crunchyroll\n\nChromecast with Google TV (4K)\n\nSmart TVs tend to come with a range of downloadable apps built in, but performance is often middling at best — even in high-end models. If you’re looking for a compact and easy-to-use streaming device, it won’t cost you much. The latest Chromecast is a great choice that provides 4K HDR playback and comes with a voice-enabled remote, which can help you get to your favorite movies and shows faster than fiddling with on-screen keyboards.\n\nVudu gift cards for watching movies at home\n\nVudu is like a digital Blockbuster, a storefront with a huge catalog of films that you can rent or buy, ranging from new releases like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to beloved classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unlike some other gift cards on the market, Vudu’s don’t expire, so you can take your time and save them for a rainy day. They also double as compelling gifts for the cinephile in your life.\n\nPanasonic DP-UB420\n\nStreaming has become the de facto way to watch your favorite movies, but sometimes you want the reliability and quality of a physical disc. And what better way to enjoy them than with a dedicated 4K Blu-ray player? There is no better way, dear reader. The Panasonic DP-UB420 is a model that won’t break the bank, yet it can handle everything from CDs and DVDs to 3D Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray Discs, so it should cover your entire physical media collection.\n\nOne of the DP-UB420-K’s most compelling features is its HDR Optimizer, which, once set up, tweaks your content to look its best on your TV, no matter if it’s a high-end OLED screen or a run-of-the-mill LCD panel.\n\nRoku Streambar Pro\n\nIf you’re in the market for both a streaming device and a soundbar, there’s precisely one product we can recommend that can do both: the Roku Streambar Pro. By plugging it into your TV’s HDMI port, you’ll get great sound quality that defies its petite size, and its streaming capabilities are up there with the best of them, providing 4K HDR so all of your movies and TV shows will look their best. The setup also comes with a universal remote that features voice controls.\n\nVizio 5.1.2 soundbar with Dolby Atmos\n\nOne of the highlights of going to the cinema is the booming surround sound that envelops the theater. The Vizio M512a-H6, a 5.1.2-channel soundbar setup, attempts to replicate that feeling (and succeeds) at a much smaller scale in your home with a highly configurable package. While the soundbar unit looks like most others out there, it comes with built-in speakers that are aimed upward to bounce sound off your ceiling, simulating the effect you get in theaters. This, plus its two included satellite speakers, allows Dolby Atmos-ready content to sing. Plus, these speakers look great, with a sleek, low-profile design.\n\nCouchConsole\n\nCrumb-covered seats and missing controllers can cause frustration when you want to relax, which is why we recommend the CouchConsole, an organizational caddy to keep around your sofa. This snack- (and controller)-protecting companion has a modular design that can be tweaked to fit your needs, and it includes a convenient self-balancing cup holder to avoid dreaded beverage spills when you get a bit too excited.\n\nThe CouchConsole also features a charging port, so phones, remotes, and controllers can stay juiced regardless of the marathon movie session you plan on undertaking with your friends.\n\nNetgear Powerline 2000\n\nThere is nothing more infuriating than slow download speeds on your console, or getting hit with a severely pixelated image during the emotional climax of a film. If you primarily use Wi-Fi for your home theater devices, I might be describing your everyday reality, but it doesn’t have to be like this.\n\nThe Netgear Powerline helps to mitigate these issues by creating a power plug-based tether between your router and your devices. Each Powerline adapter features an ethernet port, letting you use your home’s electrical lines as an internet pathway. Clever! Just plug one in near your router and connect an ethernet cable, then use another adapter near the device that you want to hard-wire.\n\nGovee Envisual TV backlight kit\n\nIf you want to add drama and atmosphere to your nightly viewings, consider the Govee Envisual TV backlight kit, which uses a mountable camera to track what’s on your screen to then project a matching light show behind the TV — almost as if the colors were bleeding off the screen.\n\nOnce you’ve got it set up by attaching the camera to either the top or bottom of your TV, you can manage the LED lights with the Govee Home app, or trigger them via voice commands, thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support.", + "MBW Reacts is a series of analytical commentaries from Music Business Worldwide written in response to major recent entertainment events or news stories. MBW Reacts is supported by JKBX , a technology platform that offers consumers access to music royalties as an asset class.\n\nIn recent months, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has been keeping a close eye on AI in the music industry – not surprising, given that he came to the music biz from ‘Big Tech’, namely YouTube, where he was Chief Business Officer.\n\nNor is it surprising, given his current role, that he has been pushing for price hikes at music streaming services.\n\nBoth of these topics came up during Kyncl’s Q&A session at the Code Conference in Laguna Niguel, California, on Tuesday (September 26).\n\nBut what was maybe more surprising – for a techie like Kyncl, anyway – was his rational, level-headed explanation for why traditional music labels continue to be relevant, and continue to thrive, in the current music ecosystem.\n\nWith the arrival of digital platforms, including open ones like YouTube and SoundCloud – and with the proliferation of indie music distribution platforms like DistroKid and TikTok’s SoundOn – it’s inevitable that music biz observers from the world of tech like to speculating about the possibility that music labels could, in the long-term, be headed for irrelevance.\n\nIn a world where anyone can record music using a desktop audio workstation (DAW) and upload it direct to YouTube, or to Spotify via a distribution platform, labels have little left to do, the argument goes.\n\nKyncl offered strong a counterpoint to this argument at Code Media, drawing a parallel between music labels today and the advertising industry a decade or two ago.\n\nAt that time, he said, many predicted ad agencies were headed for the scrap-heap thanks to the arrival of Google’s AdWords, which allowed any business to set up a customized ad campaign on Google services.\n\nYet ad agencies didn’t go extinct. Today, “they’re the largest customers of companies like Google,” Kyncl told the audience at the Code Conference.\n\n“In the year 2000, when AdWords came out, everybody was predicting their deaths because all the brands [could] just go direct to AdWords and buy ads… However, what happened was lots of different platforms emerged. Lots of ad tech emerged, complexity increased exponentially, and brands needed help with that, and the agencies provided that value.\n\n“And I see a very close analogy [between that and] our business. Music is incredibly broadly distributed. Everybody on earth listens to music. We’re on every platform. And the complexity is high. And the more people can upload content, and the more people can be heard, the greater the noise, which means it’s harder to cut through the noise and sustain a career.”\n\nBut a label’s value is not just about building an artist’s career – it’s about sustaining it once that career is established as well, Kyncl explained.\n\n“When they become established, it is also hard to remain at the top,” Kyncl said. “So their goals change. And again, we’re there to help with that.”\n\nHe added later that if you’re a music artist, “you need a team. You need an army behind you…. if you want a sustainable career, with repeatability and success.”\n\nHere are three other things we learned from Kyncl’s talk at the Code Conference…\n\nCredit: Tatiana Shepeleva / Shutterstock 1) Music will feel the impact of AI before other industries do – ‘within the next year’\n\nKyncl predicted that the music business will be out ahead of other industries when it comes to exploiting the potential of AI, and it will also – out of necessity– be ahead on the issue of how to regulate and monetize the use of AI by non-rights-holders.\n\n“Music – because it’s so broadly distributed and it’s so well aligned with the internet, because it’s short format, it lends itself to recommendations, it’s on all platforms – is generally first in most transformations and most innovations. So it digitizes first,” he said.\n\n“Whatever happened to the music industry 20 years ago is starting to happen in the movies and TV shows now. In the meantime, music emerged out of [digitization] better and stronger and more resilient. So, I would imagine the same will happen here, which is we’ll likely be first.”\n\nAsked when that sea change will occur, Kyncl said: “I would say within the next year you will see lots of evolution around AI… What you will likely see is increasing quality at a very fast pace.”\n\nKyncl drew an analogy between the explosion of AI use among members of the public and the explosion of user-generated content (UGC) a decade or two ago. Just as user-generated content often infringed on copyright, so too does AI threaten the rights of artists and music rights holders.\n\n“I would say within the next year you will see lots of evolution around AI… What you will likely see is increasing quality at a very fast pace.” Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group\n\nIn Kyncl’s view, the solutions put in place to address UGC form a “blueprint” than can be used to address AI-generated content on platforms as well.\n\n“When YouTube was formed… people started to upload content, including copyrighted material, which, obviously, put YouTube into hot water with lots of different copyright holders. And I had the privilege of working through a lot of that and fix it up.\n\n“But we made we made a very important decision, which was to go above and beyond the law, and build a fingerprinting software that allowed us to track the copyright on our platform, and then have commercial relationship[s] with copyright holders to send them the money. Out of that we built a multi-billion-dollar business, which now is a multi-billion-dollar business per year. And it was an incredible new revenue stream for everyone. AI is that with new super tools.”\n\nKyncl was referring to YouTube’s Content ID system, which scours uploaded videos for copyrighted content (video and audio), then offers the copyright owner the option to monetize that video, or to request that it be taken down. The innovative system has essentially allowed YouTube users to upload content without paying much attention to copyright, while ensuring that copyright owners are paid.\n\nWhen it comes to the proliferation of AI, “we need to approach it with the same thoughtfulness, and we have to make sure that artists have a choice,” Kyncl added.\n\nAnd he made it clear that, in his view, simply rejecting AI and fighting against it is not an option.\n\n“You have to embrace technology, because it’s not like you can put technology in a bottle. The genie is not going back.”\n\nBut he cautioned that the technology to develop a Content ID-style system for is “not yet developed, but… people are working on that.”\n\n{Believe CEO Denis Ladegallerie might disagree. In comments earlier this year, Ladegallerie said that the tools to recognize and flag AI-generated content are just about ready to go, and he expects to see them implemented in the coming few quarters.)\n\n2) The streaming audio business won’t experience the same problems currently hitting streaming video\n\nThe streaming video business is going through tough times.\n\nNetflix experienced its first-ever decline in subscriptions last year (though it has since roared back to health); the subscriber count of Disney+ appears to be in freefall; and talk is growing about ongoing consolidation of the many streaming video services that have come online over the past several years.\n\nAsked if the audio streaming business is likely to go through something similar, Kyncl’s answer was unequivocal.\n\n“No. Music is much more resilient. So first, I think what happened in the last 15 years is incredible. They had literally zero people in the subscription model and now we have 700 million people in the world in the premium experience… which is incredible.\n\n“And I think really credit goes to Daniel Ek for forging the path for everybody. And then companies like Apple and YouTube and Amazon following and building up the [music] business. It’s pretty incredible what has happened.”\n\n“You have to embrace technology, because it’s not like you can put technology in a bottle. The genie is not going back.” Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group\n\nKyncl added: “I think the opportunity ahead of us is twofold. One, the continued growth in emerging markets, and also the GDPs of those countries will be rising at the same time. So there’s lots of growth there. And then there is the price elasticity optimization in mature markets.”\n\nThat last point is a reference to the price hikes seen among all the major music streaming services over the past year or so, and the growing belief within the music industry that streaming price hikes will be sustained – as evidenced recently by Deezer’s second price hike in a year.\n\nCredit: QuiteSimplyStock/Shutterstock 3) The hot music rights acquisitions space is ‘likely slowing down a bit’\n\nThe second half of 2022 saw a notable slowdown in music rights acquisitions, a phenomenon that some blamed on higher interest rates and the reduced liquidity that came with them.\n\nAlthough there has been something of a rebound this year, in Kyncl’s view, there is still a slowdown in this space – though that might be good for Warner Music Group.\n\n“I think what happened was there was an opening where artists and songwriters were suddenly open to selling catalogs. which they were not open to before. And they just created this incredible tidal wave. And these things happen in waves, ebb and flow.\n\n“So I think it likely is slowing down a little bit, but that’s okay. Because it makes the multiples come down a little bit more.”\n\n“I think what happened in the last 15 years is incredible. They had literally zero people in the subscription model and now we have 700 million people in the world in the premium experience.” Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group\n\nIn other words, Warner Music can go out and buy more if the multiples are low enough?\n\n“Of course. We are in the business of buying catalogs, obviously. We have the publishing catalog of David Bowie, for instance, which we bought a few years ago. So yeah, we are in that business.\n\n“We are in the business of administering [rights], which means collecting revenue from thousands of platforms around the world; very complicated matters. But we’re also in the business of ownership.”Music Business Worldwide", + "African mobile video network StarNews Mobile has secured $3 million in pre-Series A funding. StarNews offers African content creators a platform for monetizing their work through a subscription model. Currently, the service is available in six African countries, including Cameroon (where it started), Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Benin and Ivory Coast.\n\nFounder and CEO Guy Kamgaing launched the startup in 2017. His inspiration for this venture draws from his extensive 10-year experience in content monetization, particularly within the VAS (Value-Added Services) business. During this period, he actively participated in text/SMS-based campaigns and monetization endeavors, which provided the foundation for StarNews.\n\nThe five-year-old mobile video network prioritizes offering monetization avenues for African content creators through distribution partnerships with major telecommunications operators like MTN and Orange. Content creators often face challenges in generating revenue due to limitations on existing streaming platforms. As a result, StarNews connects them to mobile users who often lack access to relevant content due to expensive mobile data plans and a shortage of services tailored to local markets. A win-win for both parties.\n\n“I realized that while I could monetize jokes and horoscopes via telcos for several years, no one was monetizing content on the traditional platforms, especially in Africa,” said the ​​Los Angeles-based Cameroonian entrepreneur to TechCrunch. “There are thousands of creators online that don’t make money on YouTube or other platforms. So it was just putting two and two together, saying, ‘Well, this content is here that no one knows about and is very difficult to get the audience on YouTube and search, but I can help creators make money because I have a relationship with the telcos.’”\n\nMobile operators are pivotal in propelling content within Africa’s media industry, with unmatched distribution capabilities. Collaborating closely with these operators is imperative for establishing a solid presence in the market. Over the past few years, these operators have been instrumental in driving data usage across the continent, simultaneously upselling their customers with in-house content or partnering with entities like StarNews. To draw a parallel, Kamgaing stated that you can think of Orange as the “Apple” of Africa’s telecommunications world and MTN as the “Google.”\n\nConnecting mobile subscribers to local content creators\n\nStarNews boasts an active subscriber base of over 4 million through its partnerships with MTN and Orange across six markets (it exited South Africa after a misalignment with MTN’s strategy for engaging content creators) and a community featuring more than 120 content creators. This approach has enabled StarNews to organically expand its user base while securing nearly $8 million (including a $900,000 friends and family round, a $2 million seed investment and a $1.8 million extension) funding from an array of U.S., European and African VCs, including Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), Snap via its Yellow Accelerator program, LoftyInc Capital, Graph Ventures and Expert Dojo.\n\nThe platform is structured around channels, with each creator having a dedicated channel. Kamgaing says the company works closely with creators by providing financial support and assisting in content production; additionally, it guides the creators in their digital journey, offering support in digital acquisition. As previously highlighted, a significant portion of the company’s user acquisition comes through telecom operators, as it’s a seamless process for, say, MTN to send messages encouraging its customers to sign up to Star News to watch social media personalities, including music artists, comedians and influencers. For users, the sign-up process is streamlined for convenience, followed by a straightforward payment mechanism, allowing them to pay using their airtime; this works across six different networks, each offering users various bundles, weekly subscriptions and daily plans.\n\nIn addition to content produced by creators, StarNews features deeply hyperlocal content, spanning topics such as motorbike taxis in Cameroon or food recipes in Ivory Coast. The platform also hosts genre-specific shows, including the footballing competition African Cup of Nations and a program modeled after a singing reality competition, The Voice. StarNews leverages its partnerships with telecom operators to raise awareness and significantly boost user activations for these shows. For instance, in the 2021 edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the platform actively produced exclusive content straight from the event, resulting in the acquisition of 600,000 new users. Furthermore, the company sponsors concerts, and at one point, it attracted an impressive 500,000 subscribers by offering them the chance to attend a Fally Ipupa concert.\n\nThese initiatives highlight the power of strong partnerships, where telcos take the lead, followed by content creators or show organizers, Kamgaing, an ex-PwC consultant, remarked. According to him, this dynamic results in an influx of eager users to access the content or engage with the telco’s activities while positioning StarNews remarkably well to oversee content distribution, monetization, and creation effectively.\n\n“Production without distribution is tough and tougher without monetization. There are a lot of people creating content, but they’ll put it on YouTube and Instagram, platforms that control the distribution. There’s no real monetization. We’re able to have all three layers at the local level. We have offices in all the markets and the teams there are specifically working with creators on content production, which is unique,” said the chief executive, while adding that the platform’s content spectrum has expanded to establish significant partnerships with the likes of Sony and Universal in the region.\n\nOpportunity in Africa’s creator economy sector\n\nAmong its markets, StarNews has observed the most impressive retention rate in Nigeria, a market that exhibits all the right metrics for exponential growth, according to Kamgaing. Acquiring users is relatively straightforward, and the platform enjoys strong user engagement and stickiness; moreover, monetization is thriving, he said. StarNews employs an internal metric to gauge monetization, known as the billing rate. This metric represents the number of individuals who have sufficient available airtime to pay for digital services; notably, the billing rate is three times higher in Nigeria compared to the Francophone markets.\n\nKamgaing revealed that the platform distributed $1 million to content creators last year while maintaining an average monthly payout of around $70,000 to these creators. The fresh injection of capital serves as a significant uplift for Africa’s creator economy, an underserved sector in African tech (despite that startups like e-commerce-focused Selar are holding their own). This funding will equip the Los Angeles-based company, currently with 40 employees, to better support its creators and gradually enhance payouts in the coming years, a crucial step in bolstering the region’s creative industry.\n\nAdditionally, in a press statement, Kamgaing outlined the startup’s expansion plans, noting its intent to strengthen its dominant presence in Francophone Africa while quickly expanding across strategic markets like Nigeria and Ghana. StarNews is looking to be in 11 markets by next year, the chief executive remarked on the call.\n\nJanngo Capital, an Africa-focused venture capital firm, led the pre-Series A funding round. Other notable investors, such as soccer players Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid, Jules Koundé of Barcelona and Mike Maignan from AC Milan, all affiliated with athlete representation agency Excellence Sport Nation, participated in the round. Kamgaing, in the interview, highlighted the shared African heritage of these players, underscoring their connection to StarNews’ mission and their genuine interest in engaging with the African audience and investing in startups across the continent. These French soccer players now join the ranks of investors like Blaise Matuidi, a former French international who has previously invested in Sudanese fintech company Bloom and currently heads Origins, a VC firm in collaboration with other soccer players who serve as limited partners.\n\nFatoumata Bâ, founder and executive chair of Janngo Capital, affirmed the firm’s support for StarNews, accentuating the platform’s unique positioning, strategic partnerships, technology and content. This support is rooted in the belief that StarNews is well-positioned to capitalize on the immense growth potential of Africa’s creative industry, which is poised for a fourfold expansion by 2050 and the possibility to generate up to $20 billion in GDP, she said.\n\n“I am very excited and proud to back StarNews, the first media platform that supports African creators and tells the world the real African story,” added Fernand Tchouameni, spokesperson and investment advisor for Aurelien Tchouameni. “Being of Cameroonian descent, I can also see StarNews becoming a bridge to connect with the African diaspora, and I personally look forward to being on it.”", + "The European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, has confirmed the Commission is investigating whether or not it broke recently updated digital governance rules when her department ran a microtargeted political ad campaign aiming to drive support for a controversial child sexual abuse material (CSAM)-scanning proposal she’s spearheading.\n\nBut at a committee hearing in the European Parliament today she deflected MEPs’ enquiries for her to give more details about the ad campaign.\n\nThe governance regulation concerned is the Digital Services Act (DSA), which includes provisions relating to online advertising — including a prohibition on the use of sensitive personal data, such as political opinions, for targeting ads. While the ads in question ran on X (formerly Twitter) — which is already expected to be compliant with the DSA, having been designated by the Commission as a so-called Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) back in April.\n\nThe Commission itself, meanwhile, not only proposed this pan-EU law but is responsible for oversight of VLOPs’ DSA compliance. So — tl;dr — if EU officials have used X’s ad-targeting tools to break the bloc’s own digital rulebook it’s the very definition of an awkward situation.\n\nThe existence of the Commission’s microtargeted ad campaign seeking to drum up support for its proposed CSAM-scanning law was spotted last month by technologist, Danny Mekić. An article with his findings ran in Dutch newspaper, De Volkskrant, earlier this month.\n\nUsing public ad transparency tools the DSA requires VLOPs to provide, Mekić found the Commission had run a paid advertising campaign on X, targeting users in the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal and the Czech Republic — countries that were not supportive of Johansson’s CSAM-scanning proposal according to leaked minutes from a September 14 meeting of the European Council, a co-legislative body that’s involved (along with MEPs) in determining the final shape of the CSAM law.\n\nPer Mekić, the Commission’s ad campaign, which apparently racked up millions of views on X, insinuated that opponents of the proposed legislation did not want to protect children — messaging he dubbed “a form of emotional blackmail”.\n\nThe ads included what he suggested is a misleading claim that the majority of Europeans support the proposal — but which is based on a survey that highlighted “only the benefits but not the drawbacks of the proposed legislation”. Other surveys, by research firms YouGov and Novus, that highlighted the drawbacks showed “virtually no support” for the plan among the European population, his post also pointed out.\n\nGoing into more detail of the microtargeting used by the Commission, Mekić wrote: “X’s Transparency Report shows that the European Commission also used ‘microtargeting’ to ensure that the ads did not appear to people who care about privacy (people interested in Julian Assange) and eurosceptics (people interested in ‘nexit’, ‘brexit’ and ‘spanexit’ or in Victor Orbán, Nigel Farage, or the German political party AfD). For unclear reasons, people interested in Christianity were also excluded.\n\n“After excluding critical political and religious groups, X’s algorithm was set to find people in the remaining population who were indeed interested in the ad message, resulting in an uncritical echo chamber. This microtargeting on political and religious beliefs violates X’s advertising policy, the Digital Services Act – which the Commission itself has to oversee — and the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR].”\n\nDuring an exchange of views with the European Parliament’s civil rights, justice and home affairs (LIBE) committee this afternoon, Johansson admitted the EU’s executive is investigating the matter.\n\nInitially she had sought to dismiss criticism over the legality of the microtargeting — claiming in a tweet earlier this month (embedded below) that the campaign was “100%” legal.\n\nAsked by the LIBE committee about the discrepancy between her tweet and the existence of an investigation Johansson said she had been given “new information” related to DSA compliance that merited looking into.\n\nAs my services have been directly accused of illegal acts👇 I think it is import I step in:\n\n1. @EUHomeAffairs have followed the guidelines & the law 100%\n\n2. The promotion of our proposal is standard normal practice\n\n3. This proposal is about protecting children from sexual abuse https://t.co/zSSAu3684P — Ylva Johansson (@YlvaJohansson) October 13, 2023\n\n“When I made a tweet on the 100% legal [point] that was based on the information I had. But I have to be very open; then I got other information that there could be question marks on the compliance with the DSA — and I take this very seriously,” she told the committee. “If that is the case then of course there has to be consequences on that. So that’s why it’s important that we have to look into [it]. Of course we always have to comply with the regulation. There’s no question about that.”\n\nThe LIBE committee repeatedly pressed Johansson to provide detailed about the microtargeted ad campaign — but she declined to do so, saying she did not have any information about it and that it was for her “service”, who she suggested had been responsible for the campaign, to answer. So there was no explanation about why, for instance, Christians had been explicitly excluded from the Commission’s microtargeting.\n\nShe also avoided giving a direct response to accusations by MEPs that the use of political microtargeting by the Commission was anti-democratic — opting instead to mount a general defence of its right to promote its proposals. She also listed a number of other departments within the Commission she said had previously used ads to promote separate legislative proposals.\n\n“I think that the commission should defend and explain and promote our proposals. We do that and we have done that. And I think it’s a good practice to do so. Because we are we are taking stance and we should defend our stance,” she told the committee.\n\nA number of MEPs pushed back — including by pointing out that there are more appropriate channels for the Commission to engage directly and transparency with co-legislators than opaque behavioral ad targeting on platforms like Twitter/X.\n\n“One principle of democracy is that we have procedures because the end doesn’t justify the means,” opined MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld. “And European Commission has the right to be very attached to its legislative proposals but there are privileged channels for the European Commission to communicate with the two legislators and others — not an ad campaign on Twitter.”\n\nDespite a lot of pushback, the committee was unable to extract any other lines from commissioner on the ad campaign. But at the end of the session she did agree to respond to it in writing with some missing answers “as soon as possible” (albeit, avoiding agreeing to do so by the end of the week, as one MEP had asked).\n\nCommercial influence\n\nWhile many of the questions directed at her over the 1.5-hour long hearing focused on the controversy that’s sprung up around the ad campaign, parliamentarians also pressed the commissioner on a number of other issues — including concerns about the extent of commercial lobbying around the CSAM-scanning proposal.\n\nThis has been a topic of intense interest, especially following a report by investigative journalists published last month by BalkanInsight which looked at close contacts between Johansson’s department and companies with CSAM-scanning and other child safety tools to sell.\n\nOne of the journalists involved in that investigation, Apostolis Fotiadis, had also been invited by the committee to participate in the exchange of views — and he took the opportunity to defend their reporting from direct public attacks by Johansson.\n\nIn a blog post ahead of today’s hearing — which deploys a crisis-PR-esque headline claim of “setting the record straight” — she criticized the article as “a series of insinuations looking for a home”; claiming it paired an outline of “a selection of meetings I had, of events I attended, or conferences I addressed” with “a conspiratorial tone” in an attempt “to create the impression of financial influence where there is none”.\n\nFotiadis was asked by the LIBE committee about the accusation that the journalists had, essentially, been spreading disinformation — and specifically whether he believed Johansson and the Commission’s response to it amounted to a restriction on media freedom. He responded by saying he did not think that was the case. But went on to express surprise at how the Commission had reacted to the scrutiny — to its instinct to deploy “spin-doctor” tactics to try to discredit the article, rather than engaging with the substance of the concerns being raised.\n\nThe Commission risks straying close to making attacks on journalists by using such tactics, Fotiadis warned — adding: “You cannot just dismiss everything by calling fake news” — before also noting that Johansson’s office had declined multiple interview requests ahead of publication of the article.\n\nResponding to a question from the committee about the reporting he said documents obtained by the journalists included email threads between Commission officials in Johansson’s department, DG-Home, and a “key stakeholder” advocating for the use of technology for CSAM-scanning — which indicated what he described as “privileged access” that “speaks directly to cooperation” and goes “way beyond” mere consultation or exchange of views on the proposal.\n\n“It’s an official chain discussing invitation, how the stakeholder would be able to allocate experts that would speak in workshops — first attended by representatives of the Member States, and then afterwards actually by ministers in the Council in a meeting chaired by commissioner Johansson. So when we say facilitate, it’s obvious that the EU officials discuss what kind of experts will be available from this particular stakeholder to attend these meetings and to present the point of view, which seems to be a privileged access,” he explained.\n\n“Also in the same email thread there’s mention of EU officials being allocated to specifically attend the cooperation between the stakeholder and DG-Home on the proposal, which to our understanding is something that goes way beyond the level of consultations or exchange of views or exchange of opinions on the proposal and speaks directly to cooperation.”\n\nThe committee took the opportunity to press Johansson about her contacts with companies and other lobbyists during the drafting of the CSAM-proposal, with MEPs saying they want clear answers to the allegations of commercial interest and heavy lobbying when the Commission was setting up and drafting the proposal.\n\nIn the event MEPs got some bare bones detail.\n\nAsked for a list of these contacts, the commissioner responded that she’d met with Google six times; Microsoft, Meta and TikTok three times each; twice with Twitter (X); and once apiece with Apple and Amazon. She also said she’d met with the child safety organizations Thorn (twice) and Brave Movement (twice); and with Tech Alliance and ICANN once apiece.\n\nIn wider responses related to concerns about how much commercial interest had influenced the Commission, Johansson highlighted her decision for the CSAM-scanning proposal to be “technology neutral” — meaning the draft regulation does not support any specific tech solution — with the suggestion being EU lawmakers had resisted lobbying by companies for a law that would explicitly favor their existing tech tools.\n\nShe also denied that only Thorn and Microsoft have technology “that is necessary for the scanning” — claiming that’s “absolutely not true”.\n\n“There are no specific technologies mentioned [in the proposal] and I think this is an important part. So there’s no specific technology that’s been favoured in this proposal,” she also told the committee, adding: “So many technologies are being developed all the time — while we are speaking — and they will continue to develop. So I think it’s important that the legislation has to be technology neutral.”\n\nEarlier this week a seminar organized by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), an advisory body to the Commission on data protection law, heard from more than 20 speakers across civil society, academia and industry expressing deep misgivings about the Commission’s approach — including a warning from the EDPS himself that the EU could be at a tipping point for freedom and democracy if it does not turn back from the plan to do non-targeted scanning of private messages.\n\nJohansson had been invited to participate in the seminar but declined to attend. She didn’t offer a direct response to the EDPS’ concerns today but she did counter a number of arguments heard at the session earlier in the week — including refuting the suggestion that her proposal amounts to mass surveillance.\n\n“My proposal would not mean that all communication will be scanned. Compared to the situation today it will be much more limited,” she claimed, referencing the temporary ePrivacy derogation that currently gives messaging firms a legal basis to scan non-encrypted content for CSAM (but is intended to be replaced by the proposed regulation which, critics contend, will force platforms to scan end-to-end encrypted content too). “Today companies are allowed to scan if they search for child sexual abuse material. That’s why we receive these 5.2 million videos and pictures and grooming attempts — 70% from private communication. If my proposal is adopted, this will be limited.”\n\nShe also emphasized how the proposal first requires in-scope platforms to deploy prevention measures to try to stop the spread of CSAM and/or prevent abuse of their tools by people intent on abusing children. “First comes prevention. Only if prevention is not enough, then you might be allowed to do detection — but only after a court decision,” she said.\n\n“So only those that really cannot deal with the problem with mitigating measures… and only after a court decision and only during a specific period they will be allowed to do the detection,” she went on. “We will also limit the reporting so that we will also receive fewer but hopefully better reports.”\n\nJohansson’s arguments to MEPs that her proposal does not overreach also lent on the existence of other EU laws — such as the bloc’s data protection framework — which she suggested will act as balancing checks on the scope of possible CSAM-scanning. “It’s also important that we continue to comply with all relevant legislation. For example the GDPR and other requirements, there are no derogation from that in my proposal,” she said.\n\n“It’s also important — and I know that’s been part of the debate — that it should not be a slippery slope,” she added. “The proposal specifically prohibits using the detection technologies for any other purpose than the detection of child sexual abuse online — and only with verified indicators of child sexual abuse provided by the EU Centre.”\n\nGiven her reliance on pointing to the existence of a wider EU legal framework doing the heavy lifting and protecting Europeans’ fundamental rights as a strategy to assuage critics, and given she’s also invoking respect for the rule of law as a buttress against the risk of content-scanning mission creep, it’s doubly relevant that the Commission now finds itself in a bind — forced to investigate whether its own officials ignored legal requirements in a bid to covertly sweep past critics.", + "Access to education in Bangladesh is filled with inequalities, say the founders of edtech 10 Minute School. Many rural areas don’t have good learning centers and as a result, students travel to capital Dhaka to prepare for their university admission exams. That option, however, is only available to families who have the financial means.\n\nOriginally created as a YouTube channel, 10 Minute School (shortened to 10MS) wants to democratize access to supplementary education for K12 students throughout the country. The startup, which says it is the largest edtech company in Bangladesh, announced today it has raised a pre-Series A of $5.5 million, the highest seed-stage funding so far for a Bangladeshi startup. This brings 10MS total raised to $7.5 million.\n\n10MS offers live-streamed classes for K12 students, pre-recorded lessons, university admission test prep and personalized quizzes, among other content, that can be accessed through a smartphone app. So far, it has 35,000 recorded video lessons and over 82,000 quizzes, along with resources like model tests, ebooks and lecture notes that cover the entire national curriculum. 52% of its students are from rural and semi-urban areas outside of Dhaka, and 34% are girls (one of 10MS’s goals is to address gender inequalities in education).\n\nThe company’s new round comes from a combination of private and government investors. The funding was led by Conjunction Capital, with participation from returning investor Peak XV’s Surge (formerly Sequoia Capital India), the Bangladesh government’s sovereign venture fund, Startup Bangladesh Limited, CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah, MyAsiaVC managing partner Sajid Rahman and several local angel investors.\n\nCo-founder Ayman Sadiq started 10MS as a YouTube channel in 2015. Sadiq, who has taught since 2012, was previously a teacher at a leading coaching center in Dhaka. During that time, he realized many of his students faced two obstacles: the cost of tuition and of traveling to Dhaka from their hometowns, which didn’t have coaching centers.\n\n“That’s when the naive idea came into being that I could record all the videos and upload them onto YouTube for free, so no one needed to come to the capital city and no one needed to pay anything,” Sadiq says. He was also heavily inspired by online learning platforms like Khan Academy and edX. After hitting a following of 100,000 people on YouTube, Sadiq said he realized the idea was scalable.\n\nBetween 2015 and 2019, the YouTube channel took on sponsors, including telecom operators, electronics companies and FMCG brands, and produced more than 25,000 videos covering the entire K12 syllabus. Then the pandemic hit and sponsors began dropping out. Sadiq realized that in order to make his project sustainable, he would have to create a paid version. So 10MS produced its first premium product, a paid book and course.\n\n“Interestingly, that paid book and course individually had more than 100,000 paid users,” he said. “So that instantly gave us an idea of, okay, we can actually monetize some of our offerings and solutions and make a sustainable business out of it.”\n\nThe fledging company started looking for investors, and in 2022, it raised $2 million in seed funding led by Surge, Sequoia India’s (now Peak XV) scale-up program.\n\nNow that 10MS has raised its pre-Series A, it plans to invest in its tech capabilities, content and operations, says co-founder and COO Mirza Salman Hossain Beg. He added that 10MS’ goal is to provide personalized learning experiences for students by using AI and it will bring in more engineers and product managers to support its tech development.\n\nAnother major area of investment for 10MS is content that fits with Bangladesh’s evolving K12 curriculum. “The government in Bangladesh right now is going through a lot of massive changes in the national curriculum, and as a result of that, there will be a lot of new content to be created to support the new curriculum,” Beg says.\n\n10MS is also currently exploring a hybrid online/offline model, with centers for after school education, and creating a new vertical for its English material by building a separate sales team.\n\nInterestingly enough, the last Bangladesh startup to raise the highest seed-stage funding in the country was also an edtech. Shikho, which focuses on elementary school learners, raised a total of $5.3 million in seed funding as of March 2022. Shikho is one of 10MS’s competitors, but Beg says 10MS has the advantage of being older and larger, and teaching a wider range of grades.\n\nWhen asked what’s driving interest in edtech in Bangladesh, Beg said the country’s educational system faces many challenges. “We have a huge student base of 42 million enrolled in the K12 system and the majority of students don’t have access to quality teachers, quality content, because those who are actually living outside the capital city don’t have good teachers in their area,” he said. “The fundamental problem that needs to be solved is access to quality content and teachers in a very affordable manner.” Edtech has the opportunity to democratize access to education, reaching students on their phones wherever they are.\n\nIn an investor quote, Conjunction Capital managing partner Kirill Kozhevnikov said, “This marks our first venture into the Bangladesh market, and we are confident that this partnership will redefine the education landscape in the country.”", + "The deep sea has become a \"realm of myth and darkness,\" says ocean explorer Jon Copley. (Image credit: inusuke via Getty Images)\n\nOcean explorer Jon Copley has completed dozens of dives to the darkest corners of the deep sea. Yet he is still amazed every time he encounters the strange life forms that thrive there. Over the past 25 years, Copley has traveled to the world's deepest hydrothermal vents , to Antarctica's icy \"midnight zone\" and to spectacular undersea mountain chains across the planet.\n\nAs a professor of ocean exploration and science communication at the University of Southampton in the U.K., Copley dedicates much of his time to addressing the myriad questions and myths surrounding the deep sea. His new book \"Deep Sea: 10 Things You Should Know\" (Orion Publishing, 2023) takes a fascinating look at some of the harshest habitats on Earth.\n\nIn a video interview with Live Science, Copley described the latest discoveries and where deep sea research is heading in a warming world.\n\nSascha Pare: Four years ago, when I was a student sitting in your deep sea ecology lectures, you had just published your first book, \"Ask an Ocean Explorer\" (Hodder & Stoughton, 2019). That book had 25 chapters, each answering a question that people commonly ask you as a deep sea biologist. What did you set out to do in \"Deep Sea: 10 Things You Should Know\"?\n\nRelated: Bizarre, alien-like creature discovered deep in Atlantic Ocean has 20 gangly arms\n\nJon Copley: This new book answers the top 10 questions that I know people have about the deep sea and also tackles some of the myths and popular misconceptions that we sometimes hear. The shorter format is an opportunity to focus and update the information — there have been quite a few discoveries in lots of different aspects of deep sea biology since I wrote \"Ask an Ocean Explorer.\"\n\nWe know far more about the deep ocean and its inhabitants than about the moon or Mars, says Jon Copley. (Image credit: Giordano Cipriani via Getty Images)\n\nSP: Research has made great strides in recent years, I'm sure. What are some of the most exciting, new discoveries you discuss in the book?\n\nJC: We're finding out a lot more about how deep sea animals interact with each other and their environment. An area where we've seen a lot of interesting papers over the past five years has been in sensory ecology — realizing how animals perceive their environment, how they respond to that, how they avoid being seen by predators... It was nice to bring some of those together in a couple of the chapters.\n\nSP: Some of the chapters focus on dispelling misconceptions people might have about what's down there in the ocean. What, to your mind, is the biggest, most pervasive myth about the deep sea?\n\nJC: It's the idea that we know almost nothing about it. There's this very popular idea that we know more about the moon or Mars than the deep ocean. That's only really true for one very specific aspect of knowledge — having a detailed map of the terrain of its solid surface — because the moon and Mars are not covered in seawater, which blocks radar and means we have to use sonar in the deep ocean. Apart from that, we know far more about the deep ocean than those other places.\n\nSP: The deep sea has attracted a lot of attention recently in the advent of deep sea mining . How worried are you about that?\n\nJC: I think it's great that deep sea mining has made people care more about the deep ocean, but it hasn't actually started yet and research does not support some of the more hyperbolic headlines.\n\nRelated: More than 5,000 new species found in 'pristine' deep-sea wilderness. But they could soon be wiped out.\n\nThere's a lot of research focused on how we're going to manage mining, if it does go ahead. And there are some habitat types in the deep ocean that we don't need to do further research on, because we know they are so vulnerable. We know that we would risk species extinction at active hydrothermal vents, for example, because they're a tiny habitat globally — just 50 square kilometers [19 square miles] — with more than 400 animal species not found in any other habitat type. But I'm confident that we will see protection for active hydrothermal vents, because we scientists have been saying that for years.\n\nHydrothermal vents are some of the most vulnerable deep sea habitats and home to 400 animal species not found anywhere else. (Image credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\n\nSP: Deep sea mining is perhaps more manageable in terms of its impacts than other human activities. If not mining, what is the biggest human threat to the deep sea?\n\nJC: To my mind, it's climate change . And it affects the deep ocean in lots of different ways. The one that concerns me particularly is deoxygenation — the reduction in oxygen levels — because deep sea animals need oxygen and they get it from the seawater.\n\nOxygen is carried down by currents that form in the polar regions and sink and spread throughout the deep ocean. As a result of climate change, the ocean is getting warmer and that means it can't carry as much dissolved oxygen . When water is warmer, the metabolism of things living in the water runs faster and they use up oxygen more quickly, so that makes the problem even worse. And thirdly, we know that the currents carrying oxygen down to the deep ocean are weakening , because melting ice sheets are making the water fresher and blocking the formation of dense water than sinks.\n\nThose currents take centuries to complete their journey, which means the changes we have already made are going to carry on being felt for centuries. The deep ocean is already on track to have 10% less oxygen overall globally than it did in preindustrial times by 2400. It's hard to predict what the knock-on effects are going to be, but they are going to be widespread and they are coming.\n\nSP: You dedicate much of your time to communicating deep sea science with lay audiences. Why is that so important to you?\n\nJC: I enjoy talking to people about the deep sea because it's not somewhere we think about every day. We can go out at night and if we look at the sky, we might wonder about what's going on up there. But you can't glance into the deep sea in the same way, so it has become a realm of myth and darkness. Even the names of the deepest bits of the deep sea — the abyssal plains and the hadal zone — evoke that kind of underworld. It's nice to be able to shine a light on that for people and to highlight how our lives are connected to it.\n\nThe deep sea and the names we give some its features evoke \"some kind of underworld,\" says Jon Copley. (Image credit: A. Martin UW Photography via Getty Images)\n\nSP: Speaking of the sky, how does exploring the deep ocean inform the search for life outside our solar system ?\n\nJC: Deep sea exploration has shown us that the range of conditions under which life can thrive is far greater than we imagined. The idea that chemosynthesis — where life is powered by a form of chemical energy instead of sunlight with photosynthesis — could sustain whole populations of animal species was impossible, until we discovered hydrothermal vents and other, similar habitats.\n\nDeep sea vents also glow very faintly — too faintly for the human eye to see, but bright enough that microbes can use it as an energy source. Again, it expands our notion of what's possible in the cosmos, because you don't necessarily have to be that close to a bright star, potentially, to sustain life.\n\n\"Deep Sea: 10 Things You Should Know\" is available in the U.K. to order on Amazon .\n\nThis interview has been condensed and lightly edited for length.\n\nDeep sea creatures have evolved extreme strategies to cope with their environment. Read about the trials and tribulations of their sex lives in this excerpt from \"Deep Sea: 10 Things You Should Know.\"", + "Inostrancevia is a genus from the extinct group Theriodontia that appeared during the Middle Permian. (Image credit: Stocktrek Images/Getty Images)\n\nThe excerpt below is taken from \"Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis\" (Hachette Book Group, 2023), by Michael Mann. It looks at how climate change following the Cambrian explosion caused the biggest mass extinction on Earth — dooming the creatures set to dominate and set the stage for dinosaurs to rule.\n\nThe mechanisms that can freeze the planet, as was the case with Snowball Earth can also lead to inhospitably hot climates, when enough carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. Arguably the greatest extinction event of all time — called the Great Dying — appears to have resulted, at least in part, from a massive heat-inducing release of carbon into the atmosphere 250 million years ago.\n\nIs this ancient event a possible analog for a sixth, human-caused, climate-change-driven mass extinction today? In answering this question, we will at times work our way through some details of the science, but the payoff is that we will see not just that scientists are able to unravel such mysteries, but how they do it.\n\nIn the late Proterozoic eon, around 550 million years ago, Earth had thawed out from a series of major glaciations, perhaps even global snowball conditions. The end of the Proterozoic marked the beginning of a brand new era — the Paleozoic, which extended from around 540 million to 251 million years ago.\n\nThe first period of the Paleozoic — the Cambrian — saw a remarkable explosion in the diversity of life, known, appropriately, as the Cambrian explosion. Most of the life that exists today emerged during the first 10 million years of that period, including the first complex multicellular life and familiar groups such as mollusks and crustaceans.\n\nThe ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, which formed around 600 million years ago. (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)\n\nAmong the reasons for this remarkable diversification was a sustained rise in oxygen from photosynthetic life. Higher levels of oxygen allowed for more diverse, multicellular organisms because they require oxygen in high enough concentrations that it can reach interior cells. The stratospheric ozone layer, which had developed during the Neoproterozoic era (1 billion to 538 million years ago), protected animals from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays and helped populate the land. Some researchers even argue for a possible \"bottleneck\" effect, where the few life-forms that survived the Neoproterozoic ice ages (Snowball Earth or not) were able to rapidly fill emerging niches as Earth thawed.\n\nRelated: 'Once again, innovation and proliferation ended with catastrophe': The environmental disaster of plants taking over the world\n\nA major glacial event occurred at the end of the following period of the Paleozoic, the Ordovician, around 450 million years ago, as chemical weathering outpaced the volcanic emissions of gas and atmospheric CO2 levels dropped. The resulting cooling caused a buildup in ice mass on the large South Pole–centered supercontinent of Gondwana. Sea levels dropped. Much of the coastal habitat that had been home to primitive mollusks and crustaceans disappeared. Some of the creatures scraped by, but about half of all existing genuses perished. Much as we can only wonder today what knowledge was lost in the ransacking of the Library of Alexandria, we can also ponder what sort of magnificent creatures born of the Cambrian explosion were lost. Welcome to the first of the widely recognized global mass extinction events. It will hardly be the last we encounter.\n\nThe most well-known extinction event ended the reign of the dinosaurs roughly 66 million years ago. But the deadliest extinction event took place at the end of the Permian period, roughly 250 million years ago. It is referred to in the scientific community as the Permian-Triassic (or P-T for short) extinction, but because an estimated 90% of all Permian species disappeared from the face of the planet, it has earned a nickname: the Great Dying. Marine organisms were hit especially hard, with 96% of species perishing. Gone were the trilobites so familiar to amateur fossil collectors everywhere — primitive arthropods that were the distant ancestors of the modern horseshoe crab. Having survived the earlier Ordovician extinction event, their own nearly 300-million-year moment had come to an end.\n\nA giant dragonfly from the Carboniferous period that was wiped out in the Great Dying mass extinction. (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)\n\nNot only were the vast majority of marine invertebrates gone, but so were the earliest fish species. On land, more than two thirds of amphibian and reptile species and nearly one third of insect species were wiped out. Another iconic species, a giant dragonfly called Meganeuropsis with a nearly three-foot (0.9 meter) wingspan that is often included in artist depictions of the Carboniferous period — and to this day still haunts my nightmares — was now gone.\n\nThe P-T extinction event wiped out many of the groups that had dominated life on land, freeing up ecological niches to be filled by new organisms, including reptiles such as crocodiles and the earliest dinosaurs. Once again, there were both winners and losers. Who won and who lost, in this case, came down to geology and geochemical weathering cycles.\n\nDinosaurs, it turns out, were direct beneficiaries of the P-T extinction event.\n\nMidway through the Paleozoic, around 420 million years ago, we saw the emergence of plants with roots, stems, and leaves, which as we now know helped accelerate chemical weathering by producing acids that dissolve rock, helping cycle water from the soil back into the atmosphere. This may have led to a slow, steady decrease in atmospheric CO2 levels through the late Paleozoic. The spread of these vascular plants, however, also led to a new source of organic matter that could be buried on land or carried off in rivers for ocean burial. Increased burial of organic matter causes rising atmospheric oxygen levels because that organic matter is the product of photosynthesis, which splits up oxygen and carbon atoms. The carbon, once buried, is no longer available to cannibalize the liberated oxygen. In the Paleozoic, oxygen concentrations climbed as high as 35% (almost twice the current concentration of 21%).\n\nThose high oxygen levels favored synapsids, creatures with a high metabolism, featuring a single hole in each side of their skull that led to improved jaw function. They were part of a diverse group of four-legged terrestrial animals, including carnivores, insectivores, and herbivores, that first arose in the late Carboniferous and would evolve into the group we today know as mammals.\n\nSkull of a Rubidgeinae, an extinct subfamily of gorgonopsid therapsids. (Image credit: RMDobson/Getty Images)\n\nBy the early Permian, they were the dominant terrestrial species. By the mid-Permian, another group of proto-mammals — the possibly warm-blooded, somewhat rodent-like therapsids — emerged and became the new dominant species. By the late Permian, they may have even developed fur. One group, known as Theriodontia (Latin for \"beast tooth\"), displayed a number of evolutionary innovations: A shift in the bones supporting the jaw allowed the jaw to open wider, and may have aided hearing as well. The skull and teeth became larger, the teeth more specialized, and the jaw more powerful. They seemed primed to take over. But it was not to be.\n\nEverything changed at the Permian-Triassic boundary. Levels of CO2 spiked. That led to massive warming. Plate tectonics by now had brought all the continents together into a single giant continent — Pangea — straddled across the equator. It was already difficult for maritime moisture to penetrate deep into the center of the continent. Rapid greenhouse warming made it even hotter and drier, according both to climate model simulations of the end of the Permian and analyses of the fossil river deposits from Pangean floodplains. The sudden drying would have led to the massive die-off of the tenuous, moisture-dependent forests that had arisen over the course of the Paleozoic. That meant less burial of organic matter on land, assisted perhaps by decreased carbon export to the deep oceans due to a collapsing marine food web. Atmospheric oxygen levels appear to have dropped precipitously as a result, reaching concentrations as low as 15% at the P-T boundary.\n\nPlummeting oxygen levels helped dinosaurs become the dominant group on Earth. (Image credit: Roger Harris/SPL/Getty Images)\n\nThe drop in oxygen was a further contributor to the mass die-off. The combination of greenhouse warming and low oxygen would have led to widespread hypoxia — a state where organisms simply cannot take in enough oxygen to support metabolism. That's where the dinosaurs come in. The proto-mammals that had come to dominance during the Permian — the synapsids and therapsids — had thrived off high oxygen levels. But as oxygen concentrations dropped, they were now poorly suited to their environment.\n\nEnter the diapsids, a wide-ranging group of tetrapod vertebrates that first emerged during the Carboniferous around 300 million years ago. They include the reptiles, birds, and now-extinct dinosaurs. What distinguished them from their relatives, the synapsids and therapsids, was the presence of two holes (instead of one) on each side of their skull. One subgroup of synapsids, known as archosaurs — which includes crocodilians and the earliest dinosaurs — exploited that innovation to develop a more efficient respiratory system that could make more effective use of the available oxygen. That gave them a leg up on the competition when oxygen levels plummeted at the P-T boundary. Dinosaurs, it turns out, were direct beneficiaries of the P-T extinction event.\n\nOnly a handful of proto-mammals survived. One group that did was known as Cynodontia (\"dog teeth\"). They were our ancestors, and the ancestors of all mammals. At first, they probably looked somewhat like a huge, scaly rat, growing to as much as six feet (1.8 m) in length. Truly a Rodent of Unusual Size if ever there was one. But by the end of the Triassic, they had shrunk to the size of modern-day field mice, hiding behind rocks from their reptilian predators.\n\nExcerpted from \"Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis\" by Michael E. Mann. Copyright © 2023. Available from PublicAffairs, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.", + "This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.\n\nIn pursuit of profit, Spotify looks to AI rather than original content for its podcasting future\n\nSpotify shareholders are thrilled with the company reporting an operating profit for the first time in a year, sending the stock up nearly 10 percent on the news. The revenue bump was in large part due to the streamer’s $1 price increase earlier this year, but executives also pointed to the downsizing of the podcast operation — which included hundreds of layoffs and the dissolution of Gimlet and Parcast — as a contributing factor. The adage that “content is king” no longer applies, with Spotify increasingly focusing on tools that will scale the business rather than content that will attract listeners.\n\nIn a call with investors, CFO Paul Vogel said that after being a real “drag” on profit margins in the past, podcasting will soon break even and turn toward profitability. CEO Daniel Ek echoed that sentiment. “We’re constantly finding new ways to bring more efficiencies out of the business… We’ve seen some improvements, but you should expect us to continue to look for more improvements going forward because that’s just our modus operandi.”\n\nWhile Ek and Vogel really hammered that “efficiency” theme (according to my transcript, they said the word more than 30 times over the course of the 50-minute call), what was left unsaid about podcasting spoke louder. In the past, they would excitedly tout how many millions of podcasts were on the platform, the latest new celebrity show, and the area’s explosive growth. But as investors have run out of patience for the time and money such ambitions required, the company’s leadership changed its tune.\n\nRather than emphasizing, say, its new revenue sharing deal with Trevor Noah or the reliability of The Ringer, Ek pointed to Spotify’s new AI-driven translation product. He pointed to the automatic translation tool as a way of seamlessly scaling podcasts and increasing the amount of content in non-English speaking markets. He also expects AI will be a boon for podcast advertising, as well.\n\n“Creating a great audio ad is something that’s quite costly and quite expensive for marketers to do,” he said. “What generative AI has the promise to do is allow for that creative cost to come down… It [also] allows you to scale that creative in unimaginable ways. You can translate whatever creative you had into lots of different languages; you can use the same voice actor; but instead of producing one or two ads, you can have 1,000 or 10,000 or even 100,000 ads that are individually created to each user.”\n\nI would take that with a grain of salt (we know Ek loves to dream big!!), but it does underscore the newest iteration of Spotify’s podcasting business — leaner, less splash, and more scale. It doesn’t mean that Spotify’s contributions to podcasting will be insignificant — as one audio industry professional said to me, the translation thing could be a total game-changer for the medium (if it’s not a complete dud). But we should not expect those contributions to come in the form of original content.\n\nThe main question I am left with after these results is where Spotify’s licensing deals fit in. I wish during the call that someone had asked Ek about the plan for big-name talent like Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper, and Dax Shepard as their deals come up for renewal. On one hand, they have the scale (Rogan especially). On the other, they cost a chunk of cash (... Rogan especially). I will have more on this later this week, but it will be interesting to see how much Spotify and its investors can stomach spending on the biggest names in podcasting.\n\nWondery puts its podcasts on TV\n\nThat’s certainly one way to get podcasts to the masses. Wondery, which is owned by Amazon, will make many of its podcasts available on three new channels on Freevee, an ad-supported video streaming service also owned by Amazon that was formerly known as IMDb TV (yes, Amazon owns IMDb, too).\n\nOn October 31st, Freevee will launch three dedicated Wondery channels: a flagship channel focused on entertainment programming like Baby, This is Keke Palmer, Business Wars, and American Scandal; Exhibit C, which will feature true crime shows like This is Actually Happening, Dr. Death, and Morbid; Wondery; and Wondery Sports, with shows including Don’t Call It a Comeback and Gladiator. The visuals will be a mix of on-camera recordings, animations, and show art — but I wouldn’t bank on that being the main draw.\n\nIt’s an interesting strategy for discovery, though I am not sure how replicable it is beyond Amazon. If it is successful, I could see a situation where other AVODs license podcast programming (it’s certainly cheaper than video), but Amazon is in the unique situation where it owns the whole pipeline, so there is not much risk here.\n\nJoe Rogan Experience is the most-searched podcast, followed by Call Her Daddy and This American Life\n\nPodBam released a list of the 40 most-searched podcasts, and it is no surprise that Rogan is number one. The Joe Rogan Experience averaged 135,000 monthly searches on Google, followed by Call Her Daddy with 106,000 and This American Life with 81,000.", + "Concert tickets are more expensive than ever. Inflation, Ticketmaster’s monopolistic practices, and increased demand after COVID-related touring delays have coincided to create a perfect storm of ticket-buying agony. Tours were never accessible to everyone: Geography, economics, health and safety concerns, and physical or mental ability make stadium and arena concerts — held only in major metropolitan areas, and only in certain countries — infeasible and/or unaffordable for large swaths of global pop music fandom. As fandom’s role as a source of identity and community becomes more precious, and more people than ever want to see certain concerts, the barriers to attending live shows are rising — so it’s no wonder that concert films are finding expansive new footing.\n\nTake Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, an almost three-hour filmed version of the pop star’s ongoing concert tour. The movie is now the highest-grossing concert film of all time. That isn’t just because of Taylor Swift’s expansive fandom — it’s a direct response to the difficulty of getting tickets to her shows. For fans, The Eras Tour offered up-close, intimate access to a show they never would have been able to attend otherwise.\n\nIn July, Pitchfork reported that the average cost of a ticket for the North American leg of Swift’s Eras Tour was $3,801 — a 2,321% increase from her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, where the average resale price for North American shows was $157. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour tickets are $19.89 for adults. And people buying those tickets don’t even have to wait in the Ticketmaster queue of terror.\n\nIn February, one of the other biggest musical artists in the world, K-pop septet BTS, released a filmed version of their “Yet to Come” concert, which had been a one-night-only performance for 50,000 lucky fans in Busan, South Korea. The concert film made more than $50 million worldwide, even though the show had previously been streamed via Korean platform Weverse, allowing a reported 49 million fans to watch at home.\n\nSeeing a concert film in a movie theater isn’t the same as attending a live concert, but it isn’t an inherently lesser experience, either. At least, it isn’t for me, and I attended the Yet to Come concert both in person and in cinemas.\n\nThe concert film experience has value past its re-creation of a specific intersection of place, time, and performance. I went to theaters to relive the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing the show live, but the film version was also its own unique collective fan experience. While I don’t think I need to expound on the glories of in-person shows — concerts are awesome, and BTS is very good at them — some aspects of the filmed version gave me new insight into my own live experience.\n\nIt also let me revisit it without any of the anxiety that often comes with a stadium concert experience. The logistics of getting 50,000 people into a 20-year-old stadium for the Yet to Come show weren’t simple. By the time the members of BTS took the stage in Busan, most of us had been in line for hours with limited access to bathrooms, water, or information about what was going on.\n\nOnce the concert started, conditions in the 3,000-strong standing areas got intense, as fans pushed toward the stage, crowding people at the front and prompting BTS to alter plans to come down into the audience for their performance of their 2018 hit “IDOL.” This wasn’t my first chaotic, stressful in-person stadium concert experience, and I doubt it will be my last. I’m able and willing to make this trade for the chance to see my favorite musical group perform, but not everyone is, even if they could get tickets.\n\nWatching the movie version of Yet to Come, I was able to show up at the theater just 20 minutes before showtime. My BTS fan friends and I were all able to go together this time. And we watched the film in a theater full of fellow fans, BTS lightsticks in hand and BT21 Tata headband on head, giving us the same sense of fandom camaraderie as the in-person concert.\n\nI missed some of the freedom of the in-person concert experience, like being able to choose where to direct my attention across the expansive stage, bedecked with intricate sets calling back to different eras in BTS history. But the clarity and focus of the detail in the concert film helped even the score. At the film, I got a much closer view of the choreography and the BTS members’ interaction, with a close-up camera intimacy I hadn’t gotten in person. I was sharing those fandom moments not only with the other people in my cinema, but with the millions of other fans viewing the same concert film around the world. Yet to Come will stream on Amazon Prime Video starting Nov. 9, further expanding the number of fans who will be able to see it.\n\nFans usually assume the live experience is superior to the filmed version, but in a time when in-person community is harder to come by than ever and can sometimes mean pushing people’s financial and/or physical limits, a filmed concert can feel like a gift. BTS, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé — whose concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé hits theaters in December — all have massive fandoms. But we’re geographically scattered, and often stigmatized by a mainstream culture that belittles female-driven fan culture. I go to a BTS concert to see BTS perform, but also to be among other BTS fans, who already understand why I care so much about a Korean boy band. We trade freebies and photocards, help each other set up our lightsticks, and share our favorite songs or members. Whether in a stadium in Korea or a cinema at my local mall, I go to these events to feel that sense of belonging.\n\nAttending a concert in person is sometimes used as a way to enforce a kind of fandom hierarchy, as if attending a concert in person makes you a bigger fan. It doesn’t. Fans who are able to attend the stadium and arena concerts for the biggest musical artists in the world aren’t necessarily more passionate. They just have a combination of luck and privilege that others lack. But concert films are leveling the field, dropping some of the barriers of price, location, and accessibility. They may not be the future of pop music for everyone, but they are increasingly looking like the future of pop music fandom. And that’s a good thing. Pop music fandom is a way for us to find collective joy and connection in art, and I want anyone who wants in to be able to join the party.", + "We recently presented a paper at the 5th Paderanga-Varela Memorial Lecture entitled “Alternate Service Delivery Systems: Health and Education.” In that lecture, we looked at the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Education (DepEd) as service delivery systems, delivering healthcare and education respectively.\n\nWe concluded that the service delivery system of the DoH is far superior to the DepEd for two main reasons. The first is that the DoH has devolved its hospitals to the local government units while the DepEd has not. Secondly, the DoH has spun off its health financing into the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) while the DepEd has not. In this article we argue for the creation of the Philippine Education Development Fund (PhilEd).\n\nWhen Isidro Consunji, President of DMCI Holdings, Inc. was asked by his officers what the role of his Chief Financial Officer (CFO) would be, he gave a three-word answer, “Fund my dreams.”\n\nLikewise the role of PhilEd would be to fund the education dreams of all Filipinos especially the neediest and most deserving.\n\nFilipinos have three dreams in education. The first is to enroll in a chosen course in the school of their choice. This dream will be funded by the School Vouchers Program which will now be transferred from DepEd to PhilEd.\n\nThe second dream, especially for Filipino parents, is to save enough money to fund the college education of their children, hence the prevalence of pre-need Educational Plans. Unfortunately, most of the pre-need companies went into bankruptcies causing financial ruin and emotional distress to their plan holders. There has been a massive market failure and so government must intervene. But intervention should not involve the government offering educational plans but rather in insuring these plans. Just as the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) insures the bank deposits of Filipinos, so will the PhilEd insure their educational plans. Just like PDIC which is funded from the premiums paid by the banks, PhilEd will fund this program from the premiums by the educational plan companies. PhilEd will be ideally suited to do this as it could swap the failed educational plans with school vouchers from its repository of school vouchers.\n\nThe third dream is based on the realization of Filipino school graduates that their learning must continue even as they leave their alma maters. For in this modern age, the fount of personal knowledge must continuously be replenished. In healthcare, we have the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) which continuously monitor and minister to our health. We need Lifelong Learning Organizations (LLOs) to continuously monitor and minister to our learning. HMOs exist in the Philippines. LLOs do not. In partnership with the international development agencies and the private sector, PhilEd will create this industry. The international development agencies will provide the technical assistance grants that will create the developmental and regulatory framework for the industry while the private sector will organize the LLOs. PhilEd will be the “bastonero” or project manager, managing the project as well as mobilizing government support and assistance.\n\nFAPE or the Fund for Assistance to Private Education was a part of the Special Fund for Education set aside by the American government in 1963 from the surplus funds authorized by the War Damage Act of 1962 and organized under Executive Order 156 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos on Nov. 5, 1968.\n\nFrom the initial seed money of $6,154,000 or P215 million (based on the 1968 peso to dollar exchange rate), the FAPE fund in 55 years had barely grown to P277 million. In contrast the trustees managing the fund have expanded their services, basically as service provider to the DepEd. As a consequence, it has been spun off as a separate organization, the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC).\n\nOver the years, PEAC has evolved into co-implementing externally funded programs, namely the DepEd’s Education Service Contracting (ESC), Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS), the SHS Voucher Program (SHS VP), the In-Service Training (INSET), and the Bayanihan for Basic Education (BBE) as well as implementing internally funded programs of assistance for private education in the areas of training, school quality assurance, school improvement programs, and grants programs.\n\nIn sum, the PEAC has been an effective instrument to operationalize “complementarity” between private and public schools as provided in the Philippine Constitution. It has also been an incorruptible partner of the education agencies in efficiently co-implementing national subsidy programs for students and teachers in private schools.\n\nWe propose that FAPE/PEAC structure and organization be moved to PhilEd. Operationally this would mean folding into PhilEd, the roles and responsibilities of FAPE and PEAC as well as their financial resources.\n\nFolding FAPE/PEAC into PhilEd would mean the transfer of the funds of FAPE amounting to P277 million as of May 31, 2022 as well as the assets and liabilities of PEAC amounting to P567 million as of May 31, 2022.\n\nThe DepEd programs presently being managed by PEAC and lodged in the DepEd budget such as the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) of P9.3 billion in School Year 2021-2022, the Senior High School Voucher Program of P20.3 billion in School Year 2021-2022, and the Teachers Salaries’ Subsidy of P793 million in School Year 2021-2022 will now be lodged in PhilEd.\n\nThe present Board of Trustees of the Fund which consists of the Secretary of Education as Chairman with the Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority, the three Presidents of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU), the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) shall also constitute the proposed Board of Trustees of the PhilEd.\n\nThe management team of PEAC will be the incoming management team of PhilEd.\n\nInterestingly, PhilHealth, in addition to premiums collected from members as well as subsidies from local governments who have enrolled indigents in the program, receives a share of the “sin taxes” collected from Tobacco and Sugar Sweetened Beverage. The justification for this is that tobacco smokers and sugar sweetened beverage drinkers impose an additional burden on the healthcare system of the Filipinos and so must contribute to their health services. In Fiscal Year 2022, this amounted to P74 billion.\n\nMoreover, under the Universal Health Care Law, PhilHealth receives 50% of the government share from the income of the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) as well as 40% of the Charity Fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). In 2022, this amounted to P188 billion.\n\nIn like manner, in addition to the school vouchers funded under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, we suggest that PhilEd be allocated a share of the taxes imposed on our extractive industries. This is based on the argument that the depletion of our natural resources can only be justified if the taxes collected will enhance our human resources.\n\nLike PhilHealth, PhilEd could also be mandated to receive a percentage from the collection of documentary stamps which have recently been raised.\n\nFinally, PhilEd can be given access to the Special Education Funds of the local school boards of the Local Government.\n\nCongress enacted Republic Act 7875, known as “The National Health Insurance Act of 1995,” which created PhilHealth. We are hoping some members of Congress would file a Universal Education Financing Law which would create PhilEd.\n\nDr. Victor S. Limlingan is a retired professor of AIM and a fellow of the Foundation for Economic Freedom. He is presently chairman of Cristina Research Foundation, a public policy adviser and Regina Capital Development Corp., a member of the Philippine Stock Exchange.", + "Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), the UK-listed music rights fund, looks likely to hold its all-important 2023 ‘continuation vote’ on Thursday, October 26, according to an announcement from the firm today.\n\nWhy’s that ‘likely’ rather than ‘definitely’? Because there’s still a possibility it might get bumped into November – the reasons for which we’ll get into later in this article.\n\nThe ‘continuation vote’ will take place at HSF’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), and will see the firm’s shareholders vote on whether to keep the entity going as a closed-ended investment entity i.e. a publicly-traded bundle of music rights.\n\nHow will that vote go? Obviously we don’t know yet – and there’s the small matter of a $440 million transaction looming that could potentially influence things.\n\nEven so: one wonders if some new changes at HSF, announced today, are related to this ‘continuation vote’ – and whether or not they amount to concessions to help keep HSF investors happy and confident in the firm’s long-term prospects… and voting ‘yes, let’s keep going’.\n\nThe shareholder frustration: NAV vs. public market\n\nFirst, a bit of important context.\n\nThe fundamental revenue performance of HSF doesn’t seem to be under scrutiny from shareholders: the company posted its best-ever revenues in the 12 months to end of March, while streaming ‘pro-forma’ revenue was up 14.8% YoY in calendar 2022.\n\nWhere HSF shareholders – as well as its management – are finding frustration is in the current gulf between the firm’s ‘operative Net Asset Value’ (‘operative NAV’) and its value on the public market (i.e. its share price).\n\nFor example: On September 14, HSF’s market cap stood at approximately GBP £1.125 billion, which represented a 40% discount on the firm’s operative NAV of USD $2.316 billion as of the end of March this year.\n\n(Said ‘operative NAV’ was calculated by an independent valuer – Citrin Cooperman – using a discount rate of 8.5%.)\n\nThis is where the importance of that potential $440 million transaction comes in.\n\nAs MBW reported earlier this month, Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s shareholders are currently considering a proposal to sell 29 of the company’s catalogs to another Hipgnosis company – the Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital (HSC) – for USD $440 million.\n\nThat potential transaction is being managed for both HSF and HSC by two separate teams within their mutual investment advisor, Hipgnosis Song Management (HSM), which is run and part-owned by Merck Mercuriadis.\n\nWhen it announced its intention to explore the $440 million catalog sale to HSC two weeks ago, Hipgnosis Songs Fund confirmed that one of its motivating factors was that the transaction could potentially act “as a catalyst for a re-rating of [HSF’s] share price”.\n\nAka: Increasing that share price to bring it up closer to the current operative NAV of the company.\n\nHSC’s $440 million offer to acquire the 29 catalogs, HSF confirmed earlier this month, equates to a 26% increase on the amount HSF paid for those catalogs to acquire them in the past.\n\nThe $440 million price also reflects a +51% premium on the value of the 29 catalogs implied by Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s public market cap for the 30 days ending September 13.\n\nWhat happened today?\n\nAmongst the news confirmed by HSF today (September 28) is that the firm’s Chair of its board since 2018, Andrew Sutch, 73, is stepping down, both as HSF board Chair and as a director of the company.\n\nHSF says it’s begun a process to recruit a new Chair; Sutch (pictured inset) will leave his post as and when this person is hired, or in any case before HSF’s AGM next year (in Q4 2024).\n\nIn addition, Andrew Wilkinson, 72, has informed the HSF board of his intention to retire as a board director, which will reduce the company’s board to five directors.\n\nHSF also confirmed a number of other new measures in a ‘circular’ to its shareholders today.\n\nThese measures included the fact that, if Hipgnosis Songs Fund shareholders vote to remain a publicly-traded fund (via that 2023 ‘continuation vote’) at the firm’s next AGM, then another ‘continuation vote’ will be put in front of HSF shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting in January 2026.\n\n(The ‘continuation vote’ that will take place in Q4 2023 has been scheduled ever since HSF went public in 2018 – i.e. five years after it floated. The 2026 ‘Continuation Vote’, as newly-agreed, means another one is now being scheduled for around two years’ time.)\n\nIn addition, HSF today confirmed some new amendments to its ‘Investment Advisory Agreement’ (IAA) with HSM.\n\nThese amendments would give HSM a 12-month notice period as HSF’s investment advisor should the IAA be terminated at any point following the upcoming 2023 ‘continuation vote’.\n\nAnother clause in the new IAA: If HSF’s share price stands at an average discount to ‘operative NAV’ of 10% or more across the month of January 2025 (with that NAV determined at the time of publication of HSF’s interim report for the period to September 30, 2024), the HSF board says it intends to serve notice to terminate the IAA with HSM.\n\nHowever, HSF’s board has also given itself the freedom to un-terminate the IAA during the entire notice period that would follow (e.g. if HSF’s board serves 12-month notice on HSM at the end of January 2025, it would have until the end of January 2026 to withdraw its termination decision).\n\nOne factor potentially making the future termination of HSM as HSF’s investment advisor less likely? MBW understands that, in such a scenario, HSM would have a first-refusal option to acquire HSF’s copyright portfolio – and could potentially turn to Blackstone (i.e. the backers of Hipgnosis Songs Capital) to find the money to pull off such an acquisition.\n\nWhy the $440 million offer is connected to the date of HSF’s ‘continuation vote’\n\nWhile HSF shareholders are considering the $440 million offer from HSC to buy the 29 catalogs, other non-Hipgnosis companies are also being invited to make bids for the same portfolio.\n\nThose bids are enabled by a ‘go-shop’ clause in the HSF/HSC proposal that allows the HSF board to consider these non-Hipgnosis approaches for a limited period (until 11.59pm on October 23, to be precise).\n\nToday (September 28), HSF informed its investors that “credible third parties are already engaged in this go-shop process” following its announcement on September 14.\n\nAs we’ve previously reported, there are potential obstacles in the way of these third parties’ bids. These include the fact that HSM (on behalf of HSC) has a ‘matching right’, meaning that if HSC decides to match the higher bid of a rival, HSF has to sell the catalogs to it – rather than the rival.\n\nIn addition, any ‘superior’ offer would have to exceed the aggregate cash net proceeds that would ultimately reach HSF’s coffers should HSC’s $440 million offer be executed. (Read more about this condition through here.)\n\nStill, it’s a theoretical possibility that a non-Hipgnosis company swoops for the 29 catalogs from HSF, and gazumps HSC in the bidding process.\n\nIf a ‘superior proposal’ (versus the $440 million offer from HSC) is received during the ‘go-shop’ period, said HSF today – whether or not HSC uses its ‘matching right’ to beat it – it may be necessary to adjourn the HSF AGM (and therefore the 2023 ‘continuation vote’) into November.\n\nIn its note to shareholders today, the HSF board reiterated its belief – and Hipgnosis Song Management’s belief – that HSF owns “a unique portfolio of iconic, culturally significant songs that will deliver strong long-term value as they benefit from the structural tailwinds in the music industry”.\n\nThe note added: “Furthermore, the [HSF] Board believes that the Investment Adviser’s approach to Song Management should enable the Company to outperform the wider music market. This has been evidenced by the 44% total return, including right to income, transaction fees and expected taxes, realised since acquisition on the [$440 million] Transaction.\n\n“Furthermore, the Board and the Investment Adviser are committed to ensuring that this value is achieved for shareholders by a re-rating of the share price and are determined to deliver on the ongoing opportunity of the Company.”Music Business Worldwide", + "Meet Alliance DAO’s latest accelerator cohort of startups building in crypto winter The demo day focuses on an array of crypto subsectors like NFTs, security and wallets\n\nWhile media attention remains largely fixed on crypto’s best-known players, there are a host of startups in the web3 industry trying to make a name for themselves despite bear-market conditions.\n\nTechCrunch+ got to see a number of those startups during web3 accelerator Alliance DAO’s latest demo day for All11 program participants, which we’re covering exclusively.\n\n(Check out the previous Alliance DAO demo days we covered in July 2022, in November 2022, and in May 2023.)\n\nThe three-month-long accelerator program brings in web3 founders for at least 10 hours per week twice a year. “Each startup in our latest cohort received an average of over 50 intro requests after demo day,” from major VC firms like Paradigm and Multicoin, according to Alliance’s website. Alliance also invests $250,000 in startups that take part in the program.\n\nThe most recent cohort had 1,083 applications, down 36% from its previous batch, All10, which had a record 1,692 applicants. Of that number, only six teams made it through and are graduating from the program, and two startups from All10 are presenting too (the last cohort had 16 graduating projects). “This is the most exclusive cohort in our history,” Qiao Wang, a core contributor at Alliance DAO, said during Alliance’s demo day.\n\nMentors for the All11 cohort include Kain Warwick, founder of Synthetix; Jason Yanowitz, co-founder of Blockworks; Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana; Ilja Moisejevs, co-founder and CEO of Tensor (from Alliance’s ALL9 cohort); and David Vorick, co-founder of Sia and lead developer of Glow.\n\nHere’s a breakdown of the eight startups:\n\nCompany name: Kravata\n\nWhat it does: Fiat to crypto on and off-ramp for LatAm\n\nFounders: Felipe Montes, Juliana Montes\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Kravata is a Colombia-based platform that aims to connect traditional financial infrastructure and fiat currencies with cryptocurrencies for businesses wanting to get into web3 in Latin America. Its services include on- and off-ramps to convert fiat to crypto (and vice versa), as well as market making and cross-border transfer systems. Its investors include Circle Ventures, Framework Ventures, Alliance DAO and others. It’s raising a seed round.\n\nCompany name: Thunder\n\nWhat it does: Onchain trading terminal\n\nFounders: Jackson Denka\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Thunder, which is a product of Eversify, is an onchain “intent-based” trading terminal that aims to give users “an unfair advantage in every way possible,” according to its website. The platform aims to provide users with support for major blockchains and exchanges like OpenSea, Uniswap, Base, Polygon, Blur and Solana, to name a few. It’s currently looking for strategic investors for its seed round.\n\nCompany name: Sleepagotchi\n\nWhat it does: NFT-powered Sleep Game\n\nFounders: Anton Kraminkin\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Sleepagotchi is a mobile app game that aims to help people develop healthy sleep habits through gamifying sleep with NFTs. The application is currently available on Apple’s App Store. Its game rewards users daily for hitting sleep goals and also provides the ability to collect items in an effort to motivate people to sleep better. The game has 14,000 monthly active users and a 41% one-year retention rate, its founder Anton Kraminkin said during demo day. According to its website, 60.2% of users reported improved sleep since using its game. In January, it raised $3.5 million from investors, including 6th Man Ventures, Sfermion, 1kx and Shima Capital. It’s currently raising from strategic investors.\n\nCompany name: Blockcast\n\nWhat it does: Decentralized broadcast delivery network\n\nFounders: Omar Ramadan, Lisa Li\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Blockcast is a decentralized content delivery network and marketplace that aims to help broadcasters have more traffic and reach wider audiences. The Berkeley-based content delivery platform aims to help broadcasters by bridging the gap between television and online streaming through tokenizing un-utilized TV spectrum to deliver content, its co-founder, CEO, and CTO Omar Ramadan said during the demo day. The cost of streaming a 4K movie to 10,000 viewers is typically about $1,000 through servers like Cloudflare, but with Blockcast it can reduce the cost by 96%, Ramadan said. It’s currently raising a seed round.\n\nCompany name: Tailwind\n\nWhat it does: Cosmos-based smart wallet\n\nFounders: Bao Mai\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Tailwind is a crypto wallet focused on the Cosmos ecosystem. It aims to help users focus on decentralized applications by abstracting away from chains and allowing users to pick a single gas token for transactions. Bao Mai, the founder of Tailwind, previously was a founding engineer at JunoSwap, an automated market maker. It’s raising a seed round.\n\nCompany name: Tazz\n\nWhat it does: Debt market for protocols\n\nFounders: Mark Cinali, Alan Hampton, Anthony Fahden\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Tazz is a decentralized lending protocol that aims to make buying and selling debt tied to digital assets more efficient. It allows users to trade debt through decentralized exchange Uniswap V3. It accepts any type of crypto collateral, according to its website. The company is in “discussions with a very large protocol to issue $5 million in debt,” Alan Hampton, CEO and co-founder of Tazz, said during his demo day presentation. It’s raising a seed round.\n\nCompany name: Upshield\n\nWhat it does: Web3 security platform\n\nFounders: Paul Vijender, Preston Thornburg\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Upshield is a full-stack security platform for web3 protocols, assets and communities. It aims to be user friendly for people building applications that are non-security experts. The startup launched two weeks ago after being in beta mode for two months and currently has an ARR of $120,000, Paul Vijender, co-founder and CEO of Upshield said during his presentation. Its engine has over 100 web3 threat detectors as well as on-chain and off-chain coverage for projects across smart contracts, application front ends and social channels, to name a few. It can work with web3 applications built on eight blockchains and networks like Coinbase’s Base, Ethereum, Avalanche, Binance and Polygon. It is raising a seed round.\n\nCompany name: Inco\n\nWhat it does: Encrypted Ethereum virtual machine\n\nFounders: Remi Gai\n\nStage: Seed\n\nThe pitch: Inco Network is an encrypted Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) layer-1 protocol that aims to help decentralized applications (dApps) operate on-chain. Its technology is fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), which is jargon for encryption that allows computations to be performed on encrypted data, without having to decrypt it — meaning its confidentiality is maintained throughout the computation. With that said, the FHE helps users write private smart contracts and perform computations. The network can be used for a number of different use cases like card games and private voting and is live on DevNet (developer network) with its mainnet launching in 2024, founder Remi Gai said during his demo day presentation. Inco is currently raising a seed round.\n\nBuilding in bad times\n\nThese eight companies are not building in the most winsome conditions. “The crypto industry is likely near the bottom of the cycle in terms of venture funding and developer activity,” Wang told TechCrunch. Despite a chilly market, there were a number of novel startup ideas among Alliance startups. And if history is an indication, the winners of the next cycle are likely being built now.", + "Scientists unravel the factors of the Mediterranean lifestyle that lead to reduced mortality and how it can be adopted in non-Mediterranean populations.\n\nPicture this: Olive oil, tomato, garlic, and an abundance of fruits — a delightful communal meal followed by a short nap. Throw in some sun and moderate warm temperatures and you might find yourself transported to the idyllic Mediterranean.\n\nBut what if I told you that you bring the benefits of the Mediterranean lifestyle home with you, even if you live far from the region? Just like a cherished souvenir brought back from holidays.\n\n“The Mediterranean lifestyle represents a traditional way of living based on a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and healthy oils (e.g., olive oil), moderated intake of fish, dairy and very low in red and processed meats or sweets along with food habits such as adding spices instead of salt,” explained Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, assistant professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Microbiology at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.\n\n“Meals are something that happens around family and friends,” she continued. “The conviviality and social aspect are also characteristic. Physical activity is important in the context of community life, and adequate rest including the typical short mid nap or siesta.”\n\nSotos-Prieto and researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in the USA are exploring the feasibility and impact of adopting the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle among non-Mediterranean populations using locally available products and within their own cultural contexts.\n\n“We are seeing the transferability of the lifestyle [outside the Mediterranean] and its positive effects on health,” she added. The most significant perk? A 29% lower risk of mortality in both men and women.\n\nBreaking down the effects\n\nScientists stress that the Mediterranean diet should be understood more as a way of life than a mere dietary pattern with scientific evidence acquired over the last four decades establishing its benefits on life expectancy, quality of life, and the prevention of several chronic diseases.\n\nHowever, the challenge lies in deciphering which elements of the Mediterranean lifestyle contribute most significantly to improved health. Sotos-Prieto and her team designed and developed a Mediterranean lifestyle index called MEDLIFE using a questionnaire that calculated an individual’s adherence to a Mediterranean way of life. This index considers three primary components: food consumption, dietary habits, and physical activity, including rest, social habits, and conviviality.\n\nThis type of analysis allowed the researchers to dissect the impact of each of these components, even drilling down to specific items like “hours of sleep” or “socializing with friends”. Moreover, the MEDLIFE index could help capture synergistic effects of multiple components that may not be apparent when examining individual components in isolation.\n\nIn their study, the team evaluated the impact of a Mediterranean-like lifestyle over the course of ten years in more than 110,000 participants located in the UK.\n\nThe scientists found that adoption of the Mediterranean lifestyle was indeed feasible and could be adapted to local contexts, such as availability of ingredients, their affordability, local culinary traditions, and food preferences. Participants were found to have lowered their risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease relative to the general population.\n\n“We found that the three blocks of the MEDLIFE were independently associated with lower […] mortality,” explained Sotos-Prieto. “And within block 3 [physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality] we found that participating in collective sports, limiting sedentary activities, and having adequate hours of sleep (6-8 hours) were associated with lower mortality.”\n\nHowever, there were some variables that could not be taken into account due to a lack of information. This was the case for olive oil consumption, a prominent component of the Mediterranean diet previously associated with protective roles in many chronic diseases. “It is probable that we are underestimating the Mediterranean lifestyle association,” said Sotos-Prieto.\n\nTo nap or not to nap?\n\nThe siesta, a brief afternoon nap, is a traditional habit in Mediterranean countries. But scientists are undecided as to whether it is a healthy practice.\n\nIn the current study, specific napping habits were found to be associated with higher risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease. However, and similar to the case of olive oil consumption, the researchers say they did not have detailed information on frequency and duration of naps or sleep structure, such as how often and for how long, which they say weakens their conclusion.\n\n“Moreover, reverse causation is also possible, with people napping because of subclinical conditions or other chronic diseases (for instance, if they had more prevalence of sleep apnea), especially since napping faces a stigma in Anglo-Saxon countries,” said Sotos-Preito.\n\n”Previous studies have found a J-shaped relationship — a smile-like curve — between napping and cardiovascular diseases,” said Sotos-Prieto. This type of chart illustrates situations in which low values of one variable (in this case, a short nap duration) lead to a decrease in the values of the second variable (incidence of cardiovascular events), while the trend reverses at higher values.\n\n“Short naps, which range from 0 to 30 minutes, were associated with lower incident cardiovascular disease,” said Sotos-Preito. “An inverse association between short naps and mortality and cardiovascular diseases was found in our previous publications.”\n\nWhen asked for a definitive answer as to whether napping was indeed beneficial or not, Sotos-Prieto indicated that more research is needed in this regard.\n\nAdapting to the lifestyle\n\nThe challenge remains in how to put these results into practice in other countries with different, deep-rooted customs. Cultural adaptation of beneficial practices is essential to make the Mediterranean diet and habits more appealing and practical for diverse populations in non-Mediterranean countries.\n\n“One way to start could be to emphasize the use of fresh, local products and ingredients in Mediterranean-style meals,” said Sotos-Prieto. “[But] changing dietary habits and lifestyle is a gradual process, and affordability is also an important question.”\n\nOther questions remain as to how governments should invest in introducing new healthy habits, which ones should be given preference, and how much change is it enough to start seeing benefits.\n\nThe task is not simple since culture can define anything from ingredients and recipes to different social habits and work-life schedules. But Sotos-Prieto is optimistic.\n\n“I think that picking realistic goals, even if small, and sustaining them over time can make a difference [in public health],” concluded Sotos-Prieto.\n\nReference: Maroto-Rodriguez J. et al., Association of a Mediterranean Lifestyle With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Study from the UK Biobank, Mayo Clinic proceedings (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.05.031\n\nFeature image credit: Brooke Lark on Unsplash", + "Could a craving for salty chips actually be a sign of addiction?\n\nA new study from the University of Michigan suggests that could be the case.\n\nResearchers reviewed 281 studies from 36 different countries, finding that 14% of adults and 12% of children showed signs of addiction to ultra - processed foods , according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS).\n\nULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF DEATH FROM OVARIAN, BREAST CANCERS: NEW STUDY\n\nThat’s close to the addiction levels seen for alcohol and tobacco, noted the study article, which was published in the journal BMJ.\n\nUltra-processed foods are those that are high in carbohydrates and fats, such as candy, ice cream and potato chips.\n\nThe study suggests that some people’s consumption of these foods may meet the criteria for substance use disorder , resulting in the \"biopsychological mechanisms of addiction and clinically significant problems.\"\n\nPart of the reason that ultra-processed foods have addictive properties is that they deliver fats and carbs to the gut much faster than minimally processed foods, the researchers wrote.\n\nThese foods also contain flavor and texture additives that could make them more addictive.\n\nDEPRESSION RISK SPIKES FOR THOSE WHO EAT THESE UNHEALTHY FOODS, STUDY FINDS: ‘NOT A COINCIDENCE’\n\n\"There is converging and consistent support for the validity and clinical relevance of ultra-processed food addiction,\" said lead researcher Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, in a press release announcing the study.\n\n\"By acknowledging that certain types of processed foods have the properties of addictive substances, we may be able to help improve global health.\"\n\nTanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina , who was not involved in the study, called out several warning signs of addictive behaviors surrounding food.\n\nThese include thinking about food all the time or obsessively, craving foods when not hungry, craving foods as a coping mechanism, eating even after feeling full, having reduced control over intake, experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, and continuing to eat certain foods despite negative consequences.\n\nSUGAR SUBSTITUTES NOT ADVISED FOR WEIGHT LOSS OR DISEASE PREVENTION, SAYS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION\n\n\"While you can enjoy food thoroughly, being addicted to food starts to veer into an unhealthy territory with detrimental effects for the rest of your life,\" Freirich told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"For example, overeating past the point of comfort or to the point of causing digestive distress, or struggling to concentrate on other topics besides food and meals, can be signs of a food addiction.\"\n\nGearhardt noted that 103 countries have passed \"sugar-sweetened beverage taxes,\" and several others have additional taxes for ultra-processed foods.\n\nMore than 20 countries have also added nutrition labels to these foods, she wrote.\n\n\"It’s essential to understand the addiction to these ultra-processed foods globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries,\" Gearhardt said in the release.\n\n\"Chronic dieting, food shame, food accessibility and even early childhood feeding experiences can all be tied back to food choices and disordered eating habits.\"\n\n\"It will take courageous action to change these and other economic and structural factors that drive people toward ultra-processed foods.\"\n\nFreirich noted that many countries have banned the production of foods with certain additives that are shown to be detrimental.\n\n6 WAYS TO TAKE YOUR SALAD FROM BORING TO BOUNTIFUL: HEALTHY FATS AND SMART PREP ARE JUST SOME OF THE SECRETS\n\n\"The USDA and FDA could make similar steps to ensure that foods are safe for consumption,\" she recommended.\n\nErin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based dietitian with a focus on diabetes and nutrition, is skeptical that foods can be as addictive as drugs. (She was not involved in the study.)\n\n\"Although foods rich in added sugar may stimulate the feel-good chemicals in the brain and become habit-forming, sugar itself is not addictive in the way cocaine or another drug may be,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Consuming sugar and then reducing or eliminating it from the diet will not result in withdrawal symptoms or side effects as would happen from a true addiction,\" she continued.\n\n\"Food cravings are complex and tied into not just the nutrition profile of a food, but also the emotions and learned behaviors around eating.\"\n\nAPPLE A DAY — AND 4 OTHER GREAT FALL FOOD CHOICES THAT ARE HEALTHY, DELICIOUS AND FUN\n\nEmotions, stress, overall metabolic health, sleep habits and learned feeding behaviors all shape people’s food choices, behaviors and responses, Palinski-Wade said.\n\n\"A food craving or binge-eating is almost always tied to an emotional response,\" she said. \"Chronic dieting, food shame, food accessibility and even early childhood feeding experiences can all be tied back to food choices and disordered eating habits.\"\n\nAlthough she believes that no single food is addictive, Palinski-Wade acknowledged that foods that are high in added sugar or added fats tend to be associated with the strongest cravings and desire.\n\n\"These foods often trigger the release of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine in the brain, leading to cravings and potentially addictive-like eating behaviors,\" she said.\n\n\"As you consume more and more of these foods, you build up a dopamine tolerance, meaning that you will have to eat even more of this food to experience the same pleasure response,\" Palinksi-Wade said — which can contribute to the development of cravings and loss of control over eating behavior.\n\nMore research is still needed to fully understand the relationship between food and addiction, the experts all agreed.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\nThe University of Michigan study was a review and compilation of many other studies' data, Freirich pointed out.\n\n\"Ideally, to see if the type of food made a difference, you could run a controlled study with people consuming one meal plan with ultra-processed foods and another with minimally processed foods and then measure their reactions — thoughts about food, rated enjoyment of food, cravings and dopamine levels,\" she said.\n\nThose who are struggling with disordered eating , binge-eating or uncontrolled food cravings should work directly with a therapist or registered dietitian experienced in eating disorders, Palinski-Wade recommended.\n\n\"They can help you to better understand your behaviors and emotions around food and improve your relationship with food so that cravings and addictive behaviors can decrease,\" she said.\n\nAdditionally, Freirich recommended filling the majority of meals with minimally processed foods , as consuming more of these may result in eating fewer ultra-processed foods.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"Lastly, speak to a dietitian about how to get started on changing your diet for your personal health goals,\" she said.\n\nFox News Digital reached out to the University of Michigan researcher for additional comments.", + "Republicans still don’t know how to talk to young voters online Vivek Ramaswamy struggles to gain an edge in the face of TikTok trolls\n\nIn an appeal to younger voters, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — who proposed raising the voting age to 25 — launched his TikTok presence with an endorsement from Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned boxer who built a content empire by marketing to children.\n\nRamaswamy is one of the only Republican politicians making an effort to connect with Gen Z and young millennials, a demographic that overwhelmingly supported Democrats in the midterm elections. Despite the popularity and growing influence of far-right creators online, Republican candidates have historically failed to engage young voters on social media, if they try at all.\n\nWhile Democratic politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. John Fetterman’s social media campaign strategies set the blueprint for politicians seeking internet fame, Republicans have neglected to adopt the digital fluency required to secure the youth vote. As the 2024 election approaches, Republican candidates may again fall behind in mobilizing voters on social media platforms.\n\nRamaswamy is also the only Republican presidential candidate to engage with TikTok, and is one of the few in his party to even have an account. His Silicon Valley roots as a biotech entrepreneur and millennial upbringing set him apart from the other candidates, but he faces an uphill battle in convincing Gen Z to like him, much less show up at the polls. Though his videos receive hundreds of thousands of views, his comments are also overrun with sex jokes.\n\nAnnie Wu Henry, the digital strategist behind Fetterman’s TikTok stardom, noted that younger voters who are very online tend to value raw, unfiltered authenticity. They don’t see that in many older politicians, and especially not in the Republican party.\n\n“Gen Z does not put up with bullshit,” Henry said. “That’s so much of what platforms like TikTok and Twitch cater to, and why they thrive on those platforms, because you can just pull out your phone and be talking while you’re getting ready with the worst angle possible. Republicans in general, it goes against so much of how they act otherwise and young people know that.”\n\nRamaswamy’s TikTok strategy is puzzling; he appears to be trying to replicate the success of previous candidates who became social media stars over the course of their campaigns, but his TikTok presence conflicts with his own stances on social media and young voters. His communications director, Tricia McLaughlin, did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.\n\nLike many of his Republican colleagues, Ramaswamy has accused TikTok of being a threat to national security, and during a town hall days before he launched his account, described the platform as “digital fentanyl” from China. He has also proposed barring anyone under 25 from voting, unless they serve in the military or pass a civics exam.\n\nHis first videos portray him as the one candidate who cares about America’s youth. While his Republican colleagues have largely shunned TikTok, Ramaswamy is presenting himself as one of the Cool Politicians who will actually use it.\n\n“We have a generation of politicians that is badly out of touch,” Ramaswamy said in his inaugural video, which did not describe his policy stances.\n\n@jakepaul Getting Vivek on Tik Tok because i believe our politicians of the future should connect with gen z and milennials on social where we all live and breathe. Its bizarre that in this day and age our presidents have no connection with us via social. Only the occasional tweets. Meet @Vivek Ramaswamy ♬ original sound – GenosPicks\n\nEstablishing himself as the millennial politician who’s cool enough to use TikTok but anti-woke enough to play in the divisive culture war isn’t working in Ramaswamy’s favor, though.\n\nHis account, which has amassed over 50,000 followers in the weeks since he joined, has been barraged with comments either criticizing his positions or trolling him. He’s been the butt of Gen Z’s relentless comments about getting off to his content (the top comments on his videos are consistently jokes about edging). He also incited the wrath of witchtok creators, who filmed themselves casting hexes upon him and other conservatives.\n\nRamaswamy is raking in TikTok engagement — even if it’s not how he intended — but Democrats are still dominating the Republican party in digital strategy. Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Stories garnered her nationwide popularity when she campaigned in 2018, reaching further than her local constituency. In the years since, Democratic campaigns have increasingly prioritized social media strategy, establishing politician-influencers who wield content for votes.\n\nA 2022 midterm report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy found that in the Senate races, 47% of Democratic candidates had TikTok accounts, compared to 12% of Republican candidates. Of the major party House candidates, 30% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans were on TikTok, which as a platform was most prevalent in gubernatorial races.\n\nThough opposition to TikTok has been bipartisan, the crusade to ban the platform over national security concerns is primarily led by Republicans at the state level — a position that likely factors into the party’s social media struggles with young voters.\n\nMehmet Oz, one of the few Republican candidates on TikTok, had the advantage of already having a large social media following when he announced his candidacy thanks to his popularity as Dr. Oz. But his TikTok presence consisted of reformatted TV ads, rants attacking his opponent, now-Senator Fetterman, and unrelatable videos that inadvertently portrayed him as wealthy and out of touch.\n\nThere have been Republican outliers who managed to build significant followings, but so far, none have managed to turn their social engagement into votes the way Trump’s Twitter account did in 2016. Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano shunned traditional media during the race, instead relying on Facebook Live to build a far-right grassroots network that secured him the Republican nomination in the state’s most recent gubernatorial race. He still lost to Josh Shapiro, whose campaign focused on reaching young voters through collaborations with Gen Z for Change, visiting college campuses and posting updates on BeReal.\n\nThere’s clearly an audience for right-wing ideology online, as conservative influencers continue to build massive platforms, largely by provoking outrage. On Twitch, debate streams between creators across the political spectrum are wildly popular, and between May 2021 and May 2022, the site’s Politics tag tripled in viewership. The platform itself is a haven for some figures on the far-right who have since been kicked off of YouTube.\n\nRepublican politicians, however, have failed to establish the rapport with young voters that their Democratic counterparts have. While X, the site previously known as Twitter, has become a conservative incubator, Republican politicians haven’t taken advantage of the platform the way far-right influencers have.\n\nThat gap in digital fluency is most apparent in the way politicians approach new platforms. In 2020, Ocasio-Cortez encouraged viewers to vote in the upcoming presidential election by inviting the most popular streamers to play the pandemic’s most popular game on her newly launched Twitch channel. Her “Among Us” stream, which featured creators like Pokimane, Hasan Piker, Corpse Husband, Mxmtoon and other Twitch celebrities, was one of the most viewed streams in the site’s history. Ocasio-Cortez has hosted multiple wildly successful streams since, from charity fundraising streams to discussing labor issues with viewers.\n\nRep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) famously struggled with his own Twitch debut. Last year, he launched his channel with a 30-minute diatribe about the January. 6 Capitol riot, featuring former Trump speechwriter Darren Beattie. The stream peaked at just six live viewers. He left his chat room open when he finally went offline, which allowed Twitch users to bombard his channel with ASCII dicks. Between walls of lewd — but incredibly creative — text art, users bashed Gaetz and encouraged other viewers to read about the allegations of sex trafficking against him. (The Justice Department ultimately concluded its investigation without charging Gaetz.)\n\nLooks like Matt Gaetz foray into streaming on Twitch is working out pic.twitter.com/S4GEDbgu8v — The Serfs (@theserfstv) September 30, 2022\n\nPlatform culture matters\n\nTo engage with users online, politicians must understand the culture of the platform. The streamers who appeared on Ocasio-Cortez’s stream brought their own fans, who may not have been politically engaged at all before their favorite creator introduced it to them. As a regular gamer herself, the representative is also up to date on the most popular games on Twitch; in 2020, it was “Among Us,” but in her most recent stream, she played the cooperative puzzle game “Pico Park.” Gaetz, on the other hand, fumbled his launch by treating his stream like a podcast recording, limiting the back-and-forth banter with viewers that makes Twitch so engaging.\n\n“The amount of media and content that we consume, political and cultural, where people get their information … It’s getting more and more intertwined,” Henry said. “To be effective ideologically, when it comes to campaigns and these wins that we want, we have to understand how these ecosystems work, and be strategically using them or else we risk being left behind.”\n\nEngaging with voters online requires more than just working with popular creators. In Ramaswamy’s case, an endorsement from Jake Paul only drove animosity from TikTok viewers. While his older brother, Logan Paul, has made the occasional social commentary on his podcast, the younger Paul has rarely engaged with politics or social issues. Jake Paul is generally disliked online for the running list of allegations against him, including sexual assault accusations.\n\nThe Paul brothers have a reputation of promoting anyone and anything for a paycheck, and when Jake Paul posted a political endorsement out of the blue, viewers immediately questioned how much Ramaswamy paid him.\n\nEven if Jake Paul was less despised online, endorsements aren’t as valuable as they used to be. A paper published in the International Journal of Communication this year reported that mobilizing influencers to build support for political causes is more effective than using their endorsements to gain votes. Blatant endorsements lack personal connection, and create an “authenticity gap.” Authentic creators are trustworthy, and in campaign strategy, that’s more valuable than the size of their following.\n\nMartin Riedl, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville professor who studies social media and co-authored the paper, said that society tends to reward public figures for speaking out on social justice issues because there’s more “situational awareness.”\n\n“If you use influencers in your campaign, it’s important that they can authentically believe in what you promote,” Riedl said. “And if that’s not the case, that makes it really difficult for people to take your campaign seriously.”\n\nAuthenticity reigns\n\nFacebook ads, celebrity endorsements and campaign trail rallies aren’t enough to engage voters online. Neither is recycling press releases as posts. To keep up with the evolving culture, candidates are expected to be content creators as much as they are politicians, regardless of the social media platform they’re using. Authenticity is currency online, even if it’s manufactured by a team of strategists. Candidates don’t need to have the innate knack for posting for successful campaigns, Riedl said, as long as they hire someone who does.\n\nGen Z voters are particularly resistant to flagrant pandering, and quick to shut down any forced pop culture reference as cringe. Cringe exists across party lines — Hillary Clinton’s “Pokémon Go to the polls” still haunts the internet — but candidates don’t need to rely on youth culture to build followings.\n\nMemeing throughout his campaign worked for Fetterman, Henry said, because that dry humor aligns with his background as “a guy from rugged Pennsylvania” who “doesn’t try to act cool.” Ken Russell, a Democrat who left the Miami City Commission to run for a House seat in 2022, leaned into the cringe with bait-and-switch thirst traps reminding viewers to vote. In another video titled “Appealing to the youth vote,” he recreated Steve Buscemi’s “How do you do, fellow kids?” to encourage voter registration.\n\nAudience engagement doesn’t rely on forcing fun. North Carolina Rep. Jeff Jackson updates constituents on TikTok, breaking down topics like the government shutdown in concise explanatory videos without the frills of internet humor. Even though his content is less exciting, his account has over 2.2 million followers.\n\nAs an alternative to the politician-influencer, some campaigns are focusing on mobilizing creators who already have an engaged audience. Biden is not on TikTok, but his digital strategy team is building an “army of influencers” to reach viewers who wouldn’t typically keep up with the White House press corps. White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon told Axios that the administration is trying to not only reach young people, but “people whose main way of getting information is digital.”\n\n“If you’re not going to be directly on the platform, having surrogates — whether those be influencers, celebrities, normal people — do the messaging, that’s likely going to be reaching people at a more personal level anyway,” Henry said.\n\n“Everyone has a vested interest, for the most part, in what the president of the United States has to say, but if it’s your friend, if it’s this person you’ve followed for five years, you have a vested interest that’s a little bit more personal. Usually that’s more effective.”\n\nThe “influencer army” strategy could be legally and ethically murky when influencers are paid to spread political messaging, potentially skirting both federal campaign ad laws and platform rules. TikTok bans political ads, and in recent elections, cracked down on posting sponsored political content. Influencer marketing agencies on both ends of the political spectrum are ramping up their recruitment faster than the Federal Elections Commission can regulate the industry. This year, the conservative agency Influenceable has been recruiting Gen Z creators to rally behind far-right politicians and parrot GOP talking points, without disclosing their pay. The tactic irked some Republicans, the Texas Tribune reported, including a Texas state representative who called for an investigation into the company.\n\nGiven the resistance to Republican politicians in online spaces that attract young people, it’s unsurprising that candidates may rely on shadowy agencies like Influenceable to do the work for them. Republican politicians have a reputation for botching even the most straightforward digital campaigns. In May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces in an audio conversation with Elon Musk. The conversation started late and was so riddled with technical issues that it ended after just 21 minutes. Critics on both the right and the left described the launch as a disaster.\n\nConservative organizations have proven especially out of their depth when facing the wrath of extremely online social media users, who mobilize trolling for social justice. In 2020, TikTok users reserved hundreds of tickets for a Trump rally and never showed up, leaving the president to face swaths of empty seats. When a Texas anti-abortion group opened an anonymous tip form to enforce the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks, Gen Z activists flooded the site with Shrek porn. This year, TikTok and Twitter users shut down the Missouri attorney general’s tip form for reporting clinics that provide gender-affirming care. Within days of launching, the site was spammed with fanfiction, satirical anecdotes about kids getting “transed” and fanfiction. The attorney general’s press secretary blamed the site’s downfall on activists “hacking the system.”\n\nThe presidential election is more than a year away, but it may be too late for Ramaswamy to make any headway on TikTok, where the platform’s young users still don’t take him seriously. He recently posted a video about getting ready for the next Republican debate, and was hit with yet another wall of edging comments.\n\nEven if candidates like Ramaswamy did everything right — like having a platform that didn’t alienate young voters and working with creators with more favorable reputations — they’d still represent a party that many Gen Z and millennial voters aren’t aligned with.\n\n“It’s really hard to be effective with a generation when a lot of your policy is attacking them,” Henry said. “If all of your policy is highly unfavorable for that generation, that’s a hard sell in itself, even if you’re an effective communicator with all the strategy in the world, to sell someone something they don’t want.”", + "Welcome to Gag City, the pink metropolis inhabited by stans and brands alike.\n\nIn the days leading up to the release of “Pink Friday 2,” Nicki Minaj’s fifth studio album and sequel to her debut record “Pink Friday” that dropped on Friday, Twitter was flooded with AI-generated images of pink-toned cityscapes. Gag City, the dreamy false utopia ruled by Minaj and her Barbz, broke through stan Twitter and became a viral meme that brand accounts immediately used for their own marketing — promoting Minaj’s album for free.\n\nIs it an authentic stan-led campaign to build hype for Minaj? Is it a plant to game engagement for both the album and brands? What’s clear is that the viral moment is a win for Minaj, manufactured or not.\n\nIt started in September, when Minaj teased the album’s cover art online. The image features Minaj on a pink subway car, drifting through pink clouds with a futuristic (and obviously, pink) city skyline in the background.\n\nShe and her Barbz started referring to the album’s release as “Gag City,” NBC News reports, referencing gay slang for being so amazed that you’re at a loss for words. One might be gagged by witnessing a stunning outfit change, or by listening to a perfect record, like “Pink Friday 2.” Leading up to the release, stans started posted AI-generated images of a pink concrete jungle, joking that fictional characters and celebrities were arriving to Gag City in anticipation of Minaj’s album. In one of the first, posted on December 1 according to Know Your Meme, a fan account shared an image of a pink plane labeled “Gagg City” flying over a similarly pink skyline.\n\nIn the days before the release, Minaj told fans to “prepare for landing” and teased a description of her pink utopia. Barbz replied with AI-generated renditions of the descent into Gag City.\n\nLois Griffin, Marge Simpson, and Linda Belcher have arrived in Gag City pic.twitter.com/ZIjqtPdhZu — Fin (@gofinurself) December 7, 2023\n\nBREAKING: Starbucks lemon loaf has arrived in Gag City pic.twitter.com/KY68wp1Ocu — benji (@basicbenny) December 7, 2023\n\nnot the homophobic dog arriving in Gag City?! pic.twitter.com/vYMBgm4vd4 — JB 🪩🐻🍉 (@JBfromDC89) December 7, 2023\n\nfun fact: katy perry is actually the first artist that ever recorded a music video in gag city (2010) pic.twitter.com/ZIMZ59fuiS — fazpo🦭 (@fazpo) December 7, 2023\n\nX (formerly Twitter) users began crafting elaborate narratives about Gag City’s inhabitants and government. One posted an image of Barbz storming the Pink House, which another user described as the fandom’s own January 6th. Another posted an image of pink-clad citizens protesting in the streets of Gag City, calling for Minaj to release the album’s track list. Though some may believe that Gag City is a utopia, one account posted an image of a matronly Minaj handing out CDs of her album to impoverished children “on the outskirts of Gag City,” implying that the pink society also has a class divide problem.\n\nGag City is also riddled with stan wars, as fans of rival pop stars posted images of their faves vying for Minaj’s seat at the head of her city’s government. In a nod to Greek mythology, one account posted an image of a Trojan horse decorated in Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” disco motif.\n\n🚨 BREAKING: The Barbz have discovered a mysterious, metallic horse at the front gates of Gag City. An inscription reads “For their return home, the Hive dedicate this offering to Onika.” pic.twitter.com/64SKkWuGoc — uncle gworl (@_uncle_gworl) December 8, 2023\n\nnicki minaj addresses the citizens of gag city prior to the inauguration tonight pic.twitter.com/sfC964ly7o — Xeno👾 (@AClDBLEEDER) December 7, 2023\n\nNever one to miss out on an easy trend, brand accounts started joining in on the Gag City hype. Chili’s posted an image of rosy smoke billowing from its restaurant, which makes me wonder if air pollution exists in Gag City. Wheat Thins, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Oreo, Bing (??), the Empire State Building and countless others posted their versions of Gag City.\n\nOn one hand, memes tend to die the minute brand accounts start co-opting them — nothing is more tiresome than seeing a fun joke turn into a corporate-friendly marketing ploy. AI-generated images are already ethically fraught, and critics have raised concerns over AI generators trained on artwork without the consent of the work’s artists. Artists have also criticized brands for using AI-generated art instead of commissioning work from a real, human artist. Though using AI-generated art for commercial use is legal, as copyright laws pertaining to AI are virtually non-existent, it’s generally seen as a shitty move by many in the art world.\n\nOn the other, it’s free promotion for Minaj, and as a lifelong Barb who spent her adolescence running a stan account for “Pink Friday,” I consider it a win.\n\nNicki Minaj is an artist who’s been embroiled in controversy throughout her career, from posting bad takes about COVID vaccines to defending her husband Kenneth Petty, a convicted sex offender. She may be a brilliant artist, but her problematic history makes her far from the family-friendly public figure that brands are more likely to endorse.\n\nBut with Gag City, Minaj has brands doing all of her marketing for her. “Pink Friday 2” is an artistic marvel in itself (though I am probably biased), but the free promotion that it’s been getting as a viral meme is particularly astounding. Artists have spent the last few years trying to drum up engagement for their work by making their songs trend on TikTok, which audiences have started to resist. Gag City doesn’t bank on being the viral song of the summer to drive streaming numbers — the bit is removed enough for non-stans to enjoy it, while still revolving around the album it’s promoting.\n\nBrand Twitter tends to turn fun trends into advertising opportunities, taking organic community interactions and spitting out contrived versions clearly made to go viral. It may be grating, but in this case, it’s working in Minaj’s favor. This week, everyone wants to go to Gag City.", + "Why we like this card: The Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card has one of the simplest rewards structures you’ll find on a card. Not only does it earn easy-to-use cash back (at an abnormally high rate), but its redemption options are equally straightforward.\n\nPros Unlimited 1.67% return rate on all purchases\n\nSimple rewards structure\n\n$0 annual fee Cons No welcome offer\n\nNo bonus spending categories\n\nYou must already be a Fifth Third customer to qualify\n\nFifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card: Overview\n\nAPR:\n\nIntro: 0% introductory APR with balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles after account opening. (After that, your APR will be 20.74%–29.99% based on your creditworthiness.)\n\n0% introductory APR with balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles after account opening. (After that, your APR will be 20.74%–29.99% based on your creditworthiness.) Purchase: 20.74%–29.99% variable\n\n20.74%–29.99% variable Balance transfer: 20.74%–29.99% variable (plus a fee of $5 or 4% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater)\n\n20.74%–29.99% variable (plus a fee of $5 or 4% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater) Cash advance: 29.99% (plus $10 or 5% of the amount of your advance, whichever is greater)\n\nAnnual fee: $0\n\nForeign transaction fee: $0\n\nConvenience check fee: Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each check, whichever is greater\n\nLate payment fee: Up to $40\n\nMinimum interest charged: $1.50\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card is a mostly vanilla cash back credit card. It’s got a fixed 1.67% earning rate on all purchases with the option to redeem for either a direct deposit or a statement credit on your card. This super-simple approach may be a big draw for some—but it can be a deterrent for others. Its one-dimensional approach means that it’s impossible to get outsized value for your rewards.\n\nMany credit cards tack on up to 3% of your total overseas spending. The Fifth Third 1.67% Card waives these foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good companion for international trips. It also doesn’t charge an annual fee, which means it can continue to benefit your credit profile even if your credit card strategy evolves away from using the card regularly. A big factor that makes up your credit score is “length of credit history,” which is determined by the average age of your accounts. By keeping the card open, your length of credit history will grow even if you don’t use it (though you should swipe it once every six months to avoid account closure due to inactivity).\n\nFifth Third is a bank that operates primarily in the Midwest—but it has branches from Illinois to West Virginia to Florida. If you don’t live in an area where it has physical locations, you may likely have never heard of it.\n\nHere’s why that’s important: If you don’t have a Fifth Third checking or savings account, you’re ineligible to open the Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card. Only those with a previous relationship with the bank will qualify.\n\nFifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card: Rewards\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card offers a unique fixed return rate for all purchases: 1.67% uncapped. Sounds random, but it ties in with the bank’s “Fifth Third” motif (5/3 = 1.67). This is an above average return for a no annual fee cash back credit card with a flat earning rate. More common are offers between 1% and 1.5%.\n\nThe card technically earns “Rewards Points,” that can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent per point. When you make a purchase, your points earnings will be rounded (up or down) to the nearest whole number. For example, if you spend $6, you’ll earn 10.02 points. This will be rounded to 10 points.\n\nDoes Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card offer a new customer bonus?\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card doesn’t currently offer a welcome bonus to new members.\n\nHow to redeem Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card rewards\n\nWhen it comes to using your rewards, the Fifth Third 1.67% Card doesn’t have many tricks up its sleeve.\n\nStatement credit\n\nWhen you earn points with the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, you can use them toward a statement credit on your card to offset your balance. You can do this immediately after the rewards are posted to your account.\n\nMany cash back credit cards require you to earn a specific amount before you’re eligible to redeem them ($25 is a common threshold). This card does not.\n\nDirect deposit\n\nAlternatively, you can request a direct deposit into your Fifth Third checking or savings account if you don’t currently have a balance on your credit card, or if you’d like to use your funds in some way other than lowering your credit card debt.\n\nAutomatic redemptions\n\nIf you want to spend as much brain power redeeming your points as you do earning them (i.e., none), you can enroll in auto-redemption which will empty your full rewards balance into your account each month.\n\nAdditional benefits\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card’s ongoing benefits aren’t jaw-dropping, but few no annual fee cash back credit card benefits are. Here’s what you can expect:\n\nCell phone protection: If your cell phone is lost or stolen, you’ll receive up to $800 per claim (maximum two claims or $1,000 per 12-month period) with a $50 deductible. All you’ve got to do is use the card to pay your monthly phone bill. This is excellent for a no annual fee credit card.\n\nIf your cell phone is lost or stolen, you’ll receive up to $800 per claim (maximum two claims or $1,000 per 12-month period) with a $50 deductible. All you’ve got to do is use the card to pay your monthly phone bill. This is excellent for a no annual fee credit card. Contactless payments: You can use your card touch-free with eligible credit card terminals. You can add the card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.\n\nYou can use your card touch-free with eligible credit card terminals. You can add the card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Easily lock your card: The Fifth Third mobile app allows you to effectively activate and deactivate your credit card at will, similar to flipping a switch. For example, if your card goes missing, you can immediately lock the card until you find it.\n\nThe Fifth Third mobile app allows you to effectively activate and deactivate your credit card at will, similar to flipping a switch. For example, if your card goes missing, you can immediately lock the card until you find it. Mastercard ID Theft Protection: Mastercard will monitor the internet (including the dark and deep web) to find any of your sensitive information, including compromised credentials. This is a benefit that all Mastercard credit cards customers have.\n\nIs the Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card right for you?\n\nIt’s true: Many other credit card rewards programs have a higher potential value than the Fifth Third 1.67% Card. Earning airline miles, hotel points, or transferable rewards that can be converted to travel loyalty programs can literally be worth exponentially more. The caveat is that these programs take a lot of research and experimentation to maximize.\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card is for those who don’t have a master’s degree in credit card rewards—and aren’t interested in putting in the effort. With this card, you can guarantee that you’ll get a solid return every time you swipe the card. There are no catches (except perhaps the fact that you must have a Fifth Third checking or savings account to qualify).\n\nCredit cards similar to Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card\n\nThere are plenty of other cash back credit cards that can compete with the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, many of which don’t require you to have a previous relationship with the bank to secure an approval. Here are some of the best credit cards to consider if the Fifth Third 1.67% Card just isn’t doing it for you.\n\nCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card\n\nThe no annual fee offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back return. This is slightly below the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, but it makes up for the deficit in other ways.\n\nFor example, you’ll earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You’ll also earn $200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months from account opening. The card even offers six months of free Uber One membership through Nov. 14, 2024 (otherwise $9.99 per month).\n\nCiti® Double Cash Card vs. Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card\n\nThe no annual fee earns 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay off that purchase. That’s 2% everywhere, which is notably higher than the Fifth Third 1.67% Card.\n\nThe card doesn’t earn a welcome bonus. And its benefits are comparatively slim. For example, it doesn’t waive foreign transaction fees and it doesn’t offer cell phone insurance. If the extra 0.33% in earnings doesn’t offset these shortcomings, the Fifth Third 1.67% Card is likely your better option.\n\nFrequently asked questions\n\nIs the Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card worth it?\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card is worth it for anyone who values simplicity above all else. It’s got a solid return rate for all purchases—and because it doesn’t incur an annual fee, you’re guaranteed to make a profit (as long as you stay away from other fees like APR and cash advances).\n\nHow does a Fifth Third cash back card work?\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card offers a fixed 1.67% return for all purchases. You can redeem them as a direct deposit into your Fifth Third checking or savings account, or you can request that a statement credit be applied to your card.\n\nWhat is the APR for the Fifth Third 1.67% Card?\n\nThe Fifth Third 1.67% Card comes with a 20.74%–29.99% variable APR.\n\nPlease note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.", + "Why we like this card: It offers a flat cash back rate on all purchases, so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of keeping track of and activating bonus spending categories. So this card is ideal for those looking for a basic rewards card without annual fees.\n\nPros No annual fee\n\nFlat cash back rate\n\nAttainable new-cardmember bonus Cons Charges foreign transaction fees\n\nLimited redemption options\n\nFew card benefits\n\nAmerican Express Cash Magnet® Card: Overview\n\nIntro APR: 0% for the first 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be 19.24%–29.99% variable\n\nAPR\n\nPurchase: 19.24%–29.99% variable\n\n19.24%–29.99% variable Balance transfer: 0%, APR for the first 15 months from the date of account opening on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening. After that, your APR for those transactions and any other balance transfer requests, will be 19.24%–29.99% variable Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater The minimum balance transfer amount is $100. The maximum is less than your credit limit, but may not be more than $7,500.\n\n0%, APR for the first 15 months from the date of account opening on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening. After that, your APR for those transactions and any other balance transfer requests, will be 19.24%–29.99% variable Cash advance: 29.99% Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater\n\n29.99% Penalty: 29.99% variable, this APR may be applied to new transactions on your account if you make one or more late payments; or your payment is returned by your bank\n\nAnnual fee: $0\n\nForeign transaction fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars\n\nLate payment fee: up to $40\n\nReturned payment fee: up to $40\n\nWhether you’re looking for a basic rewards credit card or want to take advantage of a low APR for a major purchase or balance transfer, the American Express Cash Magnet® Card could be a worthwhile option for you. With a $0 annual fee, it offers a flat cash back rate on all purchases, and there’s no limit on how much you can earn in rewards.\n\nPlus, it offers new cardmembers 15 months at 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers completed within the first 60 days of opening an account, giving you more than a year to make payments without interest.\n\nHowever, the card isn’t particularly useful if you travel often. It charges foreign transaction fees, and it lacks the travel benefits that other cards offer.\n\nAmerican Express Cash Magnet® Card: Rewards\n\nUsing the Cash Magnet Card to earn rewards is simple: you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. The only transactions you won’t earn rewards on are the following:\n\nBalance transfers\n\nCash advances\n\nPurchases of traveler’s checks\n\nPurchases of prepaid cards or reloading card balances\n\nPerson-to-person transfers, such as Venmo transactions\n\nOne important thing to note: American Express doesn’t allow cardholders to earn rewards during a billing period if the cardmember hasn’t paid the minimum payment due by the due date.\n\nDoes American Express Cash Magnet® Card offer a new customer bonus?\n\nIf you are a new customer, you can qualify for a $200 statement credit if you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months of card ownership. Once you’ve reached the spending threshold, American Express will credit the $200 to your account as a statement credit. However, it can take eight to 12 weeks after reaching the spending requirement to receive the credit.\n\nThe bonus on the American Express Cash Magnet® card is relatively low—it’s possible to find cards without annual fees that offer higher bonus amounts—but the bonus offer gives customers more time to reach the spending threshold.\n\nMany cards require cardmembers to reach the spending threshold within three months, so unless you spend a significant amount of money each month with your card, you’re unlikely to reach the spending requirement.\n\nWith the American Express Cash Magnet® card, you have six months to reach the spending threshold. Even if you only use the card for routine expenses, such as utility bills, streaming services, gas for your car or groceries, you could likely reach the spending requirement within six months and earn the $200 cash back bonus.\n\nHow to redeem American Express Cash Magnet® Card cash back rewards\n\nIf you have the American Express Cash Magnet® card, you can redeem your cash back rewards for statement credits to your account.\n\nThere is no minimum required to redeem rewards. Rewards will be in the form of a statement credit of $1 for every reward dollar you redeem. For example, if you have 50.50 reward dollars, you can redeem those rewards for a $50.50 statement credit.\n\nStatement credits will be applied to your account within three days, but statement credits cannot be used toward the minimum amount due. Unless the statement credit reduces your balance to $0, you’re still required to make the minimum payment.\n\nAdditional benefits\n\nCompared to the benefits of other credit cards, the American Express Cash Magnet® Card is more limited. However, it does offer the following perks:\n\nAmerican Express Experiences: With American Express Experiences, you get access to exclusive ticket pre-sales and cardmember-only events. Events include major Broadway shows, concerts, and sport competitions.\n\nWith American Express Experiences, you get access to exclusive ticket pre-sales and cardmember-only events. Events include major Broadway shows, concerts, and sport competitions. Car rental loss and damage insurance: When you use the Amex Cash Magnet Card to pay for your entire car rental cost and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver, you automatically receive secondary coverage against damage or theft of the rental vehicle.\n\nWhen you use the Amex Cash Magnet Card to pay for your entire car rental cost and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver, you automatically receive secondary coverage against damage or theft of the rental vehicle. Global assist hotline: If you are traveling 100 miles or more from home, you can use the Global Assist Hotline to get emergency assistance, including medical referrals, emergency cash wires and missing luggage services. However, you are responsible for paying for the charges of any third-party service provided.\n\nIf you are traveling 100 miles or more from home, you can use the Global Assist Hotline to get emergency assistance, including medical referrals, emergency cash wires and missing luggage services. However, you are responsible for paying for the charges of any third-party service provided. Plan It: On purchases of $100 or more, you can take advantage of Amex’s Plan It feature. It allows you to split purchases into equal monthly payments at a fixed fee—similar to how buy now, pay later apps work.\n\nIs the American Express Cash Magnet® Card right for you?\n\nThe American Express Cash Magnet® Card is best for those who are looking for a simple and easy-to-use card they can use for all of their purchases. With no annual fee and 1.5% cash back on every purchase, it’s a no-frills, no-hassle addition to your wallet.\n\nBut if you love to travel, you’ll likely need another credit card. Other options offer more comprehensive travel benefits, such as reimbursing you for TSA PreCheck fees or travel interruption/cancellation insurance, and you can find other cards that don’t charge foreign transaction fees.\n\nCredit cards similar to American Express Cash Magnet® Card\n\nIf the American Express Cash Magnet® Card isn’t the best choice for you, consider these alternatives:\n\nAmex Blue Cash Everyday vs. ​​American Express Cash Magnet® Card\n\nThe Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is similar to the American Express Cash Magnet® Card in its fees and APR offers, but it has a different rewards structure. With this card, you’ll earn:\n\n3% cash back on up to $6,000 spent on groceries per year\n\n3% cash back on up to $6,000 spent on U.S. online retail purchases per year\n\n3% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at gas stations per year\n\n1% cash back on all other purchases\n\nIf you tend to spend more money in select categories, such as groceries or online retail purchases, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express may be a better fit.\n\nDiscover it® Cash Back Credit Card vs. ​​American Express Cash Magnet® Card\n\nLike the American Express Cash Magnet®, the Discover it® Cash Back Card doesn’t have an annual fee. But it has a very different rewards system than the Amex card; rather than earning a flat cash back rate, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly purchases in various categories throughout the year (then 1%).\n\nIt takes a little more work to take advantage of rotating spending categories. But if you tend to spend money in the different categories—such as restaurants, Amazon purchases or gas—you could earn more cash back rewards with the Discover it® Cash Back card. Plus, Discover will match all of the cash back you earned during your first year as a cardmember.\n\nFrequently asked questions\n\nIs the Amex Cash Magnet Card hard to get?\n\nAmerican Express doesn’t disclose its minimum credit score requirement for its cards. But generally, you need to have good credit—according to Equifax, that means you need a score of 670 or higher—to qualify for the Amex Cash Magnet Card or other American Express cards.\n\nAmex does have a card pre-qualification tool you can use to find out the likelihood of getting approved without affecting your credit score.\n\nWhat is the limit on the Amex Cash Magnet Card?\n\nSome cards list their minimum spending limit in their terms and conditions, but American Express doesn’t list the minimum for the Cash Magnet Card. However, card users reported limits as low as $1,000. Others reported significantly higher limits, with some receiving limits over $10,000.\n\nIs Amex Cash Magnet a metal card?\n\nUnlike the American Express Platinum Card, which is a metal card with a heavier weight than most cards, the American Express Cash Magnet® is a standard plastic credit card.\n\nPlease note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.\n\nFortune Recommends™ credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.\n\nTerms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.\n\nEligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.", + "Scientists have been experimenting with how to use CRISPR to treat and potentially cure HIV since the gene-editing tool was developed.\n\nIn an ongoing clinical trial , researchers are testing whether just one dose of a new gene therapy that might effectively cure human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) infections is safe in humans.\n\nThe therapy, named EBT-101, involves using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to treat HIV. This potential treatment strategy has been studied in animal models since the development of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2012. However, this is the first time such a gene-editing treatment for HIV has been tried in humans. The latest data from the trial suggest that EBT-101 is safe at the doses tested, but we don't yet know if it cures HIV.\n\nAccording to the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) , approximately 39 million people globally were living with HIV in 2022, and there were about 630,000 AIDS-related deaths that year, making HIV a continued public health burden. There is no vaccine or easily accessible cure for HIV, although a handful of people have been effectively cured through intensive stem-cell transplants.\n\nThe EBT-101 trial \"is an important step forward in the development of this technology to treat human disease and infection, including HIV,\" Thomas Hope , a professor of cell and developmental biology at Northwestern University who was not involved in the work, told Live Science in an email.\n\nBut how likely is it, really, that we could use CRISPR to cure HIV someday?\n\nRelated: We could end the AIDS epidemic in less than a decade. Here's how.\n\nHow CRISPR could (theoretically) cure HIV\n\nHIV infects immune cells that are normally used to fight infection in the virus's host. The virus uses an immune cell's machinery to insert its own DNA into the host's genome, allowing the virus to replicate. If an HIV infection is not treated, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which results in a severely weakened immune system and leaves the infected person highly vulnerable to other infections, cancers and early death.\n\nCombination antiretroviral therapies (cARTs) are the mainstay in HIV treatment and limit the virus' replication, thus extending people's lives to near-normal lengths and cutting their chance of spreading HIV . However, these therapies must be taken for a lifetime and fall short of being a cure .\n\n\"The existing challenge in HIV treatment lies in the virus creating resilient genetic reservoirs within human cells,\" Elena Herrera-Carrillo , an associate professor of infectious disease at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, told Live Science. Herrera-Carrillo's lab focuses on using CRISPR to edit cells that harbor HIV reservoirs, despite ongoing cART therapy. This phenomenon is known as \"latent HIV\" and occurs when the virus infects a type of immune cell called CD4+ memory T cells, which can persist for decades .\n\ncART therapies can suppress viral replication, but if the treatment is interrupted, \"the dormant proviruses can reactivate, making a cure elusive,\" Herrera-Carrillo told Live Science.\n\nCRISPR works by targeting and cleaving specific sequences of DNA from the genome; a \"guide\" leads CRISPR's famous \"molecular scissors\" to the targeted gene. This either deactivates the gene or allows it to be removed and swapped for different DNA. Research groups believe this strategy could be effective in removing latent HIV infections, because it can target the viral DNA embedded in the genome, rather than only stopping replication.\n\nUsing CRISPR for HIV gene therapy has shown promise in several test-tube studies, a 2020 review in The Journal of Clinical Investigation notes. Various groups have been working to bring the therapies from test tubes to human patients — and that brings us to EBT-101.\n\nRelated: The world's 1st CRISPR therapy has just been approved. Here's everything you need to know\n\nHIV infects immune cells in the body. (Image credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)\n\nAll about EBT-101\n\nAccording to a recent presentation at the annual meeting of the European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy in Brussels, EBT-101 uses multiple guides to target multiple sites in the genome and snip out large sections of latently integrated HIV DNA. This stops HIV from replicating.\n\nKamel Kahlili , a professor of neurovirology and gene editing at Temple University and co-founder of Excision BioTherapeutics , has been working with the company to develop EBT-101 for a decade. In 2020 and 2023 , Khalili and his team published reports that showed that EBT-100, a precursor to EBT-101, safely targeted and removed HIV DNA in infected primates.\n\nNow, they're testing their EBT-101 targeting strategy in humans in an early-stage clinical trial that primarily focuses on the safety of the treatment. Initial results from three treated patients showed no toxic effects or serious adverse events. All of the patients' HIV is currently suppressed with cART.\n\n\"The initial safety results are promising because no adverse outcomes have been observed to date,\" said Hope, whose lab studies the mechanisms behind HIV infections. \"But more time is needed to be sure because of the way genetic off-target mutations can take years to manifest into complications,\" he added.\n\nOff-target effects of CRISPR refer to when the CRISPR molecule alters DNA at sites other than those targeted. These unintended snips have long been a worry for researchers designing CRISPR treatments, so they'll be something to watch for with EBT-101, especially since the treatment targets multiple sites in the genome .\n\nAdditionally, experts told Live Science that even though the ongoing trial hints that the therapy has a positive safety profile, we still don't know whether one dose can effectively target latent HIV cells and whether it can control HIV in humans.\n\n\"It is crucial to approach this with caution,\" Herrera-Carrillo said. \"While optimism about being on the right track is justified, it's important to recognize the substantial work that still needs to be done.\"\n\nThe clinical trial will next test additional doses of EBT-101 for safety and then determine whether the virus stays suppressed when patients are taken off cART. cART therapies pump the brakes on HIV replication, so the only way to determine whether the latent cell reservoirs have been disabled is to temporarily lift those brakes.\n\nInterruptions to HIV treatment are necessary to determine whether a patient is in remission — as has occurred in the few people cured of HIV — but in general, purposeful treatment interruptions have been debated due to their inherent risks.\n\nFollowing these tests, EBT-101 trial participants will be enrolled in a long-term follow-up study for 15 years following their initial dose to check for long-term adverse effects. So the data is on its way, but will take years to arrive.", + "The same thing happens year after year. Things get busy with work, school, and life in general until you’re suddenly up against the clock as you race your gifts to your local post office, FedEx store, or UPS location. We’ve all been there, but we’d like to be of some help as you plan your next move and begin sending out your holiday packages.\n\nIf you plan on sending your gifts via traditional mail, what follows are the upcoming domestic shipping deadlines for various retailers and shipment carriers so you can ensure that your packages arrive before Christmas, Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday it is you celebrate this time of year. Hopefully, it’ll help you avoid some holiday stress, if at all possible.\n\nUPS 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Final day to ship Ships via this service December 19th UPS 3 Day Select December 20th UPS 2nd Day Air December 21st UPS Next Day Air\n\nWith UPS, you have until Thursday, December 21st, to ship via Next Day Air and have your package arrive by Friday, December 22nd. Packages shipped via Next Day Air after Thursday won’t arrive until after Christmas. Wednesday, December 20th, is the last day to ship via 2nd Day Air if you want your package to arrive by Friday, December 22nd. You can opt for UPS’s 3 Day Select option until Tuesday, December 19th, to have it arrive by the 22nd. Before then, you can select the normal pickup and delivery service to get your packages where they need to be on time.\n\nFedEx 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Final day to ship Ships via this service December 19th FedEx Express Saver December 20th FedEx 2Day and 2Day A.M. December 22nd FedEx SameDay\n\nFedEx’s same-day shipping can get your package where it needs to be by Friday, December 22nd. That’s the last day that FedEx can guarantee that your package will arrive by Christmas. If you ship it by Wednesday, December 20th, you can opt for the two-day shipping method. If you manage to get it to FedEx by Tuesday, December 19th, you can go the Express Saver route and (hopefully) pay a reasonable fee for shipping.\n\nUSPS 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Final day to ship Ships via this service December 20th First-Class Mail December 20th USPS Ground Advantage December 21st Priority Mail December 21st Priority Mail Express\n\nThursday, December 21st, is the final day to send packages (and have them arrive by Christmas Eve) through USPS via its Priority Mail Express service. You can also get packages delivered by December 23rd via Priority Mail. First-Class Mail packages and those you intend to send via USPS Ground Advantage, meanwhile, must be sent by Wednesday, December 20th, to arrive in time.\n\nIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge\n\nIf you subscribe to Amazon Prime and live in an eligible ZIP code in the US, you can get Same-Day Delivery on certain items through December 24th. You’ll need to meet the “minimum threshold” of eligible items in your cart, however, which can vary by location (see here for more details). In LA, for example, the threshold is over $25.\n\nPrime members can get One-Day Delivery for eligible products through December 23rd with no minimum purchase amount or Two-Day Delivery through December 22nd.\n\nIf you’re a Prime member in select US cities, you can take advantage of two-hour grocery delivery through December 24th.\n\nShipping times and prices may vary depending on the product type, size, and whether it’s shipping directly from Amazon or a third-party seller, so make sure to check the expected arrival date at checkout, then choose accordingly.\n\nIllustration by Kristen Radtke\n\nBest Buy 2023 deadlines\n\nIf you’re a My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total subscriber, you can get free two-day shipping, and there’s no order minimum.\n\nOther customers need to clear the $35 order threshold (before taxes but after coupons), and certain items are available for next-day and standard shipping.\n\nDecember 21st at 11:30AM ET is the cutoff date for free shipping if you want your package to arrive by December 23rd.\n\nFree next-day delivery is available on select items through December 23rd.\n\nYou can get free same-day delivery if you order your package on December 23rd or December 24th. You must place your order by 12PM local time for free same-day delivery by 7PM.\n\nYou can also order online by 5PM local time on Christmas Eve for an in-store pickup at 7PM.\n\nBest Buy’s shipment arrival dates may vary depending on the kind of item that you’re getting. Major appliances may take longer to be delivered at this point.\n\nIllustration by Kristen Radtke\n\nWalmart offers two-day shipping on items sold directly from Walmart, with orders over $35 shipping for free. You must place orders by 2PM local time on December 21st to receive the package in time for Christmas, however. Next-day shipping is also available in some areas.\n\nWalmart also offers free next-day and two-day shipping to Walmart Plus subscribers with no order minimum. However, the arrival date of your package may vary depending on whether Walmart or a third-party seller is shipping your item.\n\nThe retailer offers in-store pickup through December 24th, depending on availability, as well as same-day delivery on December 24th. Same-day pickup is available on orders made by 12PM local time.\n\nYou can also have the package delivered to you in less than two hours on Christmas Eve if you order by 12PM local time and pay a $10 Express Delivery fee. Note that Walmart Plus members also get one Express Delivery free during the month of December.\n\nIllustration by Kristen Radtke\n\nBoth same-day delivery and in-store pickup are available to you if you place an order by 6PM local time on Christmas Eve. It helps to choose your desired location as “My store” in the upper-left corner of Target’s website, which will prompt it to automatically indicate if the item you’re purchasing is available for pickup nearby.\n\nYou can also get packages within an hour on Christmas Eve (if you order before 4PM local time) with a service called Shipt. An annual Shipt subscription provides unlimited deliveries on orders above $35 for $99 a year, though an annual membership is currently going for half off. Alternatively, you can pay for same-day shipping with Shipt on a per-order basis via Target’s website. Shipping fees may vary depending on your location and the contents of the order. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions that might help.\n\nTarget RedCard credit card holders receive free two-day shipping on many items from the retailer’s website.\n\nMany (but not all) orders over $35 are eligible for free two-day shipping, even if you don’t have a Target RedCard. It’s determined by the item’s location and your ZIP code.\n\nTarget stores will be open on Christmas Eve, though it’s wise to get pickup orders and same-day shipping orders in by December 23rd to be on the safe side.\n\nSimilar to Walmart and Amazon, be aware that items at Target shipped or sold by third-party retailers can result in longer lead times. Product listings usually spell out your options for pickup, same-day delivery, and standard shipping — complete with estimated availability times — before you add them to your cart.", + "The Panthers entered the 2023 NFL season shrouded in optimism. The team had moved on from Matt Rhule, who proved to be an ineffective NFL coach, and added a potential franchise quarterback to the fold in Bryce Young.\n\nThe hope was that those moves would turn Carolina into a contender in the wide-open NFC South.\n\nInstead, they find themselves not only at the bottom of the division but also sporting one of the worst records in the NFL at 1-7.\n\nYoung hasn't yet looked comfortable in the Panthers' offense, and he is coming off one of his worst games as a starter against the Colts. He threw three interceptions in that contest, including two pick-sixes to Kenny Moore in a 27-13 defeat.\n\nMORE: Full list of rookie quarterbacks to start an NFL game in 2023\n\nThe rest of the Panthers' offense hasn't been much better. Adam Thielen has looked rejuvenated in his new home, but running back Miles Sanders has been a bust acquisition. And the team's offensive line has allowed 74 pressures on the season, good for the 10th-most in the NFL.\n\nIndeed, Carolina's offense has been less-than-impressive in 2023. That's the main reason that coach Frank Reich finds himself under fire for the team's performance.\n\nReich already gave up play-calling to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown after the team's early-season struggles. Now, there are questions about whether the team's lackluster offense — which averages the fifth-fewest yards (283.4) and sixth-fewest points (17.5) per game this season — could ultimately cause owner David Tepper to move on from Reich after just one season.\n\nWill the Panthers fire Frank Reich?\n\nThe Panthers aren't guaranteed to fire Reich even amid their poor season. But as ESPN's Adam Schefter implied on \"The Pat McAfee Show,\" the retread coach's seat is growing hotter with each passing week.\n\n\"I don't think anybody's got a long rope there just because of the type of season that they're having,\" Schefter said when asked about Reich's status in Carolina.\n\nSchefter stopped short of saying that Reich was on the hot seat. However, he detailed that owner David Tepper wouldn't be afraid to move on from Reich if he deemed it necessary for the success of his team.\n\n\"One thing about David Tepper: he's not very patient,\" Schefter said. \"He's as successful as he is because of the way he's operated his business. And it's worked for him, basically at every level. He does what he wants. And I don't think that people are thinking that there's trouble right now with those people. But would anybody be surprised with anything that happens in Carolina this year? No.\"\n\n\"One thing about David Tepper is he's not very patient and he does whatever he wants..\n\n\n\nI don't think anybody would be surprised if anything happens in Carolina with the season that they're having\" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/PV7bfVUtHp — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 6, 2023\n\nSchefter pointed to Carolina's firing of Rhule as an example of Tepper's impatience. There had been rumors that the owner was going to wait things out with Rhule in the weeks leading up to his in-season departure. Instead, he decided to pull the trigger and part with him.\n\nWhile Reich isn't guaranteed to meet the same fate, it's becoming clearer that he will need to deliver some wins to help earn a second season in charge of the Panthers.\n\nAnd as Schefter notes, the team's \"Thursday Night Football\" game against the Bears may be among the most important games remaining on Carolina's schedule, as the team grapples with justifying the trade-up to select Young.\n\nLet's keep in mind, [the Panthers] play the Bears Thursday night. The Bears have their No. 1 draft pick. So if the Bears win on Thursday, that's a huge victory and in a bigger way than just the game itself.\n\nAgain, that's not to say that Reich will be fired after Thursday's game. After all, he might not be fired at all if he can help Carolina to earn some wins during the second half of the season.\n\nBut if Tepper loses his patience with Reich, he could go back to the drawing board and bring another new head coach aboard.\n\nMORE: Panthers' Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud decision comes under fire after Stroud's record-setting day\n\nFrank Reich coaching record\n\nReich has posted a winning record of 41-40-1 in his 81 career regular-season games as a head coach. This is despite the fact that the Panthers have posted a record of just 1-7 under his watch this season.\n\nThe reason for this is that Reich had a solid four-plus-year stint with the Colts. He had three winning seasons during his five campaigns in Indianapolis and totaled a record of 40-33-1 with the team despite dealing with numerous changes at the quarterback position.\n\nBelow is a year-by-year breakdown of Reich's record with the Colts and Panthers.\n\nYear Team Record 2018 Colts 10-6 2019 Colts 7-9 2020 Colts 11-5 2021 Colts 9-8 2022 Colts* 3-5-1 2023 Panthers 1-7 Total Colts/Panthers 41-40-1\n\n* Fired after Week 9 of the season.\n\nReich made it to the postseason in two of his first three seasons with the Colts. The team posted a record of 1-2 in three contests across those two appearances.\n\nIt's also worth noting that Reich has had a different Week 1 starter at quarterback in each of his first six seasons as a head coach. He was hoping to break that streak with Young in Carolina, but he will need to first make it to a seventh season with the club.", + "Saturday’s game between Arizona and Utah was many things for the Wildcats: Senior Day, Military Appreciation Day, and their last home game of the season. With the UA needing a win to keep its own destiny alive for a Pac-12 Championship appearance, it handled the pressure once again against a ranked team.\n\nThe Wildcats not only got halfway through en route to winning out but did it in statement fashion Saturday at Arizona Stadium in front of a sold out stadium, blowing out No. 22 Utah, 42-18, extending their winning streak to five games, as well as marking their first win over the Utes since 2015. It is also the first time the UA took down four ranked teams in a season since 1989, with it being the only team in the country this season to do so.\n\n\"Great win for the program,\" Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch said following the win. \"Great win for our team, great win for our seniors, great win for Tucson, appreciate Tucson coming out in full force, selling out the stadium. ... I think you might as well put the season tickets on sale for next year on Monday and see if we can get six sell outs.\"\n\nLeading the Wildcats was junior safety Dalton Johnson, logging 11 tackles as well as two tackles for loss in the UA’s routing.\n\n\"Dalton is a fantastic tackler,\" Fisch said. \"When he's around the ball, he gets them down.\"\n\nAfter failing continuously on trick plays involving receiver Tetairoa McMillan passing behind the scrimmage this season, Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch designed it again — this time to perfection — with McMillan finding a wide-open fifth-year senior Michael Wiley to score a touchdown in his last game in Tucson.\n\nFollowing the trickery, another huge roar of the Wildcat faithful ensued following a blocked punt and score by Anthony Ward, the first Arizona blocked punt and score since Nov. 13, 2021.\n\nThe Wildcats’ momentum was rolling like a well-oiled machine on both ends of the ball in the first half, scoring offensive touchdowns on three of four drives, led by Michael Wiley tallying two of them, and outgaining the Utes by 98 yards on the ground, as well as forcing the Utes to two three-and-outs, three punts and a red zone interception, headlined by captain linebacker Jacob Manu, the first Arizona linebacker interception since Anthony Pandy against USC in 2021. With rain starting to pour late in the first half in a rare Arizona “rain game”, the overcast didn’t hinder the Zona Zoo from leaving the stadium, nor the Wildcats from letting up their progression, resulting in the UA taking staggering 28-7 lead at halftime.\n\n\"I don't think the rain effected us at all,\" Fisch said.\n\nWith the rain starting to clear up to start the second half, overtime it was clear that the Wildcats’ defense was holding a cloud over the Utes’ heads. Arizona got off to a slow start but picked up much of its thunderous momentum after junior safety Gunner Maldonado broke up a pass on fourth and three. Since the fourth-down stop, the UA logged an interception and another turnover on downs.\n\nAlthough the defense was surging, the Wildcats not scoring since the first drive of the second quarter — their offense seemed to have lost its touch.\n\nBut then “Swag Surfin” by Fast Life Yungstaz came on, signaling the fourth quarter, the quarter in which going into the game, Arizona was outscoring opponents 90-37. The Wildcats on their first drive put a touchdown on the board a seven play, 61 yard drive, thanks to a 25-yard dash before diving into the end zone by running back Jonah Coleman. The UA then ran away from the Utes, outscoring them 14-8, only allowing a garbage time touchdown in the last minute to secure its 8th win of the season.\n\nThe last touchdown for Arizona came with backup quarterback Jayden de Laura hitting McMillan for a 51-yard touchdown.\n\n\"I wanted Jayden to go out with a touchdown pass this season,\" Fisch said. \"I think that he deserves that.\"\n\nWhen asked about whether the win against Utah, who has beat the Wildcats the last six meetings, signified anything further about the program, Fisch said that the win signified that they are having a great year.\n\n\"[It signifies] that we're not gonna back down from anybody, and we feel really good about trying to continue to improve, get more physical, get tougher,\" Fisch said.\n\nFor fifth-year senior captain Jordan Morgan, who missed his opportunity last season to play in Senior Day last season due to injury, the Tucson native noted that being able to compete and win in his final game at Arizona Stadium \"means so much.\"\n\n\"I finally got to finish off with a bang like this at home for the last time in my career, so really enjoyed it,\" Morgan said.\n\nArizona (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) will take on its in-state rival Arizona State (3-7, 2-5) next Saturday for the 97th annual Territorial Cup.\n\n\"I think our team will be very excited for the game against ASU,\" Fisch said. \"There won't be a question about that. We understand the importance of the game, we want to keep the Territorial Cup here in Tucson and our guys recognize that, understand that and we will put all of our focus starting tomorrow at 9 a.m.", + "In the end they were made to resist, but Arsenal are back on top. On a night when Mikel Arteta said his side were forced to play many games in one, controlling when it was called for, holding on when they had to and slipping in the knife when the opportunity arose, the very last kick and the chance to have the last word fell to the Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos.\n\nWith the clock on 97 minutes, the hosts 2-1 down and the ball sitting up, he could have changed everything. Instead he sliced past David Raya’s left hand and into the stand, leaving his team facing the prospect of another Europa League adventure and their opponents’ future in the continent’s premier competition in their own hands.\n\nAs Ocampos sat on the turf, the Sánchez-Pizjuán fell quiet, except for the 3,000 Arsenal fans high in the corner who had watched what their coach described as another step in this team’s development, “a brutal experience”. This, he said, was a victory of merit; it was a demonstration too of the emotional management he had demanded, with Declan Rice and William Saliba among those who impressed. Though none shone brighter than Gabriel Jesus.\n\nUltimately, two grand moments from the Brazilian either side of half‑time did it: the first an exceptional assist that broke the game open in the blink of an eye, the second the shot that flashed past Ørjan Nyland and into the far corner. Asked afterwards which was better, Arteta replied “both”, adding: “I would like to see a replay of the first in slow motion because it was so sharp. He came for a reason: this is our level now and we need players like that.”\n\nArsenal’s opener came at the very end of the first half, when the game had begun to tilt slightly away from them and an initially timid Sevilla had started to think they could get a goal of their own. Instead, they found themselves sliced open. Superb footwork from Ocampos enabled him to get away from Bukayo Saka, nicking the ball through the England player’s legs and running at the defence, space opening before him but Dodi Lukebakio’s cross was cleared and Sevilla were suddenly exposed, stripped bare by Jesus.\n\nA lovely turn enabled him to evade two players and slide the ball into a huge gap. Dashing free was Gabriel Martinelli, alone from the halfway line. A long run to the goal, right through the middle, and Nyland came to him. It was the second time the two men had come face to face, the Norwegian denying Martinelli when he had been released by Jorginho after 10 minutes, but this time the outcome was different. Martinelli slowed, stepped around the keeper to the right and rolled the ball into an empty net.\n\nArsenal’s Gabriel Jesus curls in a beautiful finish against Sevilla. Photograph: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock\n\nWhen that first opportunity had been passed up, it didn’t seem to matter much: at that point it had appeared Arsenal would open Sevilla again and often. They had stepped high and dominated the opening period. And yet Diego Alonso’s side would settle, even if too often their moves ended at the feet of Lukebakio. It was he who missed their best early opportunity, failing to control by the penalty spot after the kind of loose Raya pass that can only fuel the goalkeeping debate had gifted Sevilla possession in a dangerous position.\n\nThe next chance came Sevilla’s way too, Sergio Ramos stepping out from the back to find Ocampos who nudged it into the path of Youssef En‑Nesyri. Beyond the defence, his shot faded past the far post.\n\nIf Sevilla were encouraged forward by that, it proved to be their downfall right on the verge of half-time, and soon after the break they had conceded again. Jesus received on the left, cut inside Jesús Navas, stepped on to the sweet spot for a shot and bent a brilliant finish into the far corner.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nArsenal had started the second period as if determined to end this and now, nine minutes in, it seemed that they might have done but it did not play out that way. A Nemanja Gudelj header from a corner put Sevilla back in it and then Mariano Díaz, on as a substitute, brought the ball down on his chest and smashed a shot against the bar. Next came a overhead kick from Ocampos, going close; game on.\n\nSevilla were throwing what they could at Arsenal now. These were the moments Arteta had meant, stressing the importance of knowing that they will always come and having the capacity to withstand them. “These games demand you play lots of different games,” he said. “We controlled it and created chances but at 2-0 we did not kill them off. We conceded from a corner and then we lacked control and had to defend our area, but we are very happy because we found those different things that are very important, and in a stadium where not many teams have won.”\n\nIf he had warned his side, so had the fans in this arena, a huge banner unfurled at the start declaring: “Europe knows what we are capable of”. They were going to fight, that was for sure. On 90 minutes, En-Nesyri leapt to head. Raya then had to push away a wayward cross that almost sneaked in and Nyland was sent up for a corner until, in the very last second, the ball sat up before Ocampos. Sevilla though could not find a way through. Arsenal, top of Group B, now should.", + "Subject: The Epstein files. Message: Wrap them up — ASAP.\n\nOne after another, the texts, calls and emails rolled in.\n\nDenise George knew from the beginning that she was going up against powerful players on Wall Street over their supposed links to Jeffrey Epstein. But she soon sensed that she was also up against forces here at home, in the US Virgin Islands, where the financier seemed to have preyed on women and girls with impunity.\n\nPeople in St. Thomas wanted the Epstein scandal — and the uncomfortable questions it was raising — to go away, and fast. But George says she needed time. She was fired as attorney general after spending more than three years trying to seek justice.\n\nCorrespondence about the case obtained by Bloomberg News underscores the sense of urgency within the local government and the pressure George came under. Hundreds of pages of court documents offer a window into details about Epstein’s web of influence in the US territory.\n\nGeorge was the driving force behind three high-profile legal battles involving Epstein, the Svengali who courted a wide circle of rich and powerful men – from Bill Gates to Prince Andrew – even after he was branded a sex offender.\n\nOn this rain-drenched Tuesday in the Caribbean, George is telling her story about those landmark cases, which reverberated like a thunderclap through the power corridors of business and politics. Even now, four years after Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell, it’s hard to shake the feeling that a code of silence, a sort of omerta, hangs over his affairs here.\n\nGeorge, 64, is sitting inside a poolside restaurant at a flamingo-pink hotel, overlooking the rooftops of St. Thomas. It’s mid-summer in the tropics, low season here. The place is empty. On the silver chain round her neck hangs a gift from her husband: a pendant in the shape of the scales of justice.\n\nEpstein’s estate was the first to settle with the Virgin Islands. A year ago, it agreed to pay $105 million, plus half the proceeds from the sale of Little St. James, AKA “Little St. Jeff,” the private island where authorities allege some of Epstein’s crimes took place.\n\nThen, last January, Wall Street billionaire Leon Black settled for $62.5 million. Next came JPMorgan Chase., in September, for $75 million. None of the parties admitted to wrongdoing. All of them declined to comment for this story.\n\nWithout those cases, the world may have never glimpsed some of the secrets Epstein and his circle harbored, or the depths of his influence here in the Caribbean. Emails that surfaced in the litigation, for instance, revealed Epstein’s unusually close relationship with Jes Staley, a top banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co. who went on to run Barclays Plc.\n\nJPMorgan had alleged in court that Staley failed to alert the bank of all he knew about Epstein. Staley – who swapped sexually suggestive emails about young women with Epstein and visited Little St. Jeff, according to emails filed in court — hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing by the authorities. Lawyers for Staley claim he had no decision-making authority over Epstein’s JPMorgan accounts.\n\nIn a nutshell, George’s story behind these stories is this:\n\nShe felt pressure from the territory’s governor to quickly settle the Epstein cases and move on. To George, the message was clear: Bury the Epstein scandal once and for all.\n\n“It was very professional but we did have very different values and that created a lot of contention between us throughout the course of the Epstein investigation and other matters as well,” she said.\n\nAfter George was dismissed last December, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. was clear: He was eager to put the entire scandal behind the US Virgin Islands.\n\n“If we never mention Jeffrey Epstein again, that would be good for me,” Bryan told The St. Thomas Source. At the time, his office said George’s dismissal was unrelated to her pursuit of JPMorgan. But Bryan later said he couldn’t have an attorney general launching lawsuits he didn’t know about. His office didn’t respond to requests for comment.\n\nThis much is sure: Over all the years Epstein sex-trafficked and sexually abused dozens of underage girls and young women, he projected money and influence through Virgin Islands as if the territory were his private fief.\n\nHe cultivated politicians, donated heavily to campaigns and forged close ties with a powerful and well-connected local law firm. Cecile de Jongh, wife of one of Bryan’s predecessors as governor, John de Jongh, even worked for Epstein. She served as his office manager and unofficial political emissary. Mrs de Jongh declined to comment for this story.\n\nDuring her deposition as part of the JPMorgan litigation, Mrs de Jongh was asked about seeking enrollment in English classes for women at Epstein’s request. She said she never saw anyone under distress and “would never do anything to harm anyone, or aid and abet anyone in harming someone.”\n\nEpstein lobbied to relax rules that were imposed on him as a sex offender, with mixed success. He also received $300 million in tax breaks from the territory’s Economic Development Commission, some of them while now-Governor Bryan was EDC chairman. Neither Bryan nor any other official has been accused of any wrongdoing.\n\nWeb of Influence\n\nEpstein spun his web influence over the islands in order to protect himself and hide his dark secrets, George says.\n\nDespite the lurid record and all the stories surrounding Epstein, George says she wasn’t aware of the scale of his crimes when she was named attorney general in 2019, less than two months before Epstein was arrested at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport after flying from Paris.\n\nIt didn’t take her long to find out. She was only a few weeks into the job when news reporters began calling. They wanted to know if authorities in the US Virgin Islands were investigating what Epstein had been up to for all those years on Little St. Jeff.\n\nThey weren’t.\n\nAround the same time, Governor Bryan, who was sworn in in 2019, told George that Epstein had made a request: He wanted a new waiver to loosen certain restrictions placed on him as a convicted sex-offender, according to court filings. Epstein, for instance, had to give the Virgin Islands 21 days’ notice when he planned to travel.\n\n“In my head I am thinking, Relax?” George recalls. “If anything, wouldn’t you say, Tighten them?”\n\nA previous attorney general had granted such a waiver but later it had been revoked. Epstein wanted a new one, George testified during a deposition earlier this year.\n\nGovernor Bryan told her that Epstein’s lawyers would be in touch, she said. They happened to work for Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin, according to the former prosecutor, the same local firm that supported his gubernatorial campaign.\n\nErika Kellerhals, who requested the waiver on Epstein’s behalf, had hosted a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Bryan along with partner Greg Ferguson in 2018. Ferguson later was appointed to Bryan’s transition committee for economic regulation, according to a local press report.\n\nGovernor Bryan texted George in May 2019, she testified in a deposition, telling her to make a decision. She denied Epstein’s request.\n\nGeorge later testified that she thought Epstein was “flexing his political influence over or with the governor” rather than going through the usual channels.\n\nGiven Epstein’s apparent influence in Virgin Islands, who would want to rock the boat? George says she was willing to try. Around St. Thomas, she has a reputation as a straightshooter. The former public-corruption attorney stops short of pointing to official wrongdoing. But on this sticky August day, in her gold-buttoned blazer, she makes clear that she, for one, wouldn’t tolerate it.\n\n“If I have to lose my job to avoid being part of a conspiracy to cover something up, I would do it,” George says. “My bar license, my integrity were more important to me. I wasn’t going to compromise that.”\n\nWhen Epstein was found dead a few months later in his cramped Manhattan jail cell, George saw an opening. Epstein had quietly set up a trust in the Virgin Islands as a repository of his personal fortune, valued at $577 million at the time of his death. George decided to go after the estate and those who might have helped Epstein.\n\n“He is dead,” she thought to herself, “but his accomplices must be alive.”\n\nThe law firm representing the estate: Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin, the same one Epstein had used for years here, and the same one with connections to Governor Bryan. In court filings, the firm quickly blasted the Virgin Islands for sitting on its hands while Epstein was alive.\n\nKellerhals did not respond to a request for comment.\n\nThe governor gave his blessing when George indicated she wanted to launch a civil enforcement action against the estate. But the tone shifted when the litigation dragged on into a second year.\n\nPrivately, Bryan expressed frustration. He wanted to know why it was taking so long to settle with Epstein’s estate.\n\nGeorge claimed the civil racketeering case was complex and warranted a resolution that at least in part met Epstein’s myriad of wrongdoings in the USVI. In the end the estate returned $80 million in tax incentives, agreed to pay half a million to remediate environmental damage to one of Epstein’s islands, committed half the proceeds from the future sale of Little St James and established a victims’ compensation fund.\n\nOfficially, George, not the governor, was in charge of making the legal calls. But Bryan was still her boss and held the purse strings. It was a delicate balance, George said.\n\nTrying to untangle a half-billion-dollar estate is a formidable task under the best of circumstances. It was even harder given the code of silence still surrounding the dead financier. Many of Epstein’s employees had signed nondisclosure agreements. Some alerted the estate’s lawyers the moment investigators reached out. On Little St. Jeff, groundskeepers avoided eye contact when authorities approached.\n\nGeorge herself traveled to Little St. Jeff. She still can’t shake eerie absurdity of seeing a dentist’s chair inside the luxury island villa.\n\nIn the end, the Epstein estate settled. The other battles would soon follow.\n\nGeorge didn’t get much time to celebrate. Four weeks after that deal was struck – and four days after George filed the suit against JPMorgan – the official news arrived from the Office of the Governor.\n\nIt was New Year’s Eve. George was cooking callaloo, Caribbean greens, at her father’s house. A security officer arrived at the door and handed her a letter.\n\nDenise George, the 16th attorney general of the US Virgin Islands, had been summarily dismissed.", + "Nine-men Tottenham suffered their first loss of the Premier League campaign in a fiery 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea.\n\nJackson rifled in a 75th minute winner from Raheem Sterling’s square-ball pass as the Blues came from behind to win at manager – Mauricio Pochettino’s former home ground – with the Argentinean having managed Spurs between 2014-19.\n\nThe Senegal forward then struck twice in injury time to claim his first hat-trick as a Chelsea player and wrap up a clinical victory.\n\nDejan Kulusevski had earlier put Tottenham ahead in the sixth minute but Cole Palmer equalised from a 35th minute penalty, after Cristian Romero had been red carded for a foul on Enzo Fernandez.\n\nThe hosts’ disastrous evening worsened with injuries to Mickey van de Ven and James Maddison, whilst Destiny Udogie was sent off in the 55th minute for a second bookable offence.\n\nSpeaking to BBC post-match, Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou said: “There was a fair bit going on, a lot of VAR intervention, a hard game for me to analyse but I am very proud of the players. Right to the end they were trying to create something for us.\n\n“The players couldn’t give any more than they did, part of this game is will, effort and determination and they showed that.”\n\nTottenham now sit second in the table, whilst Chelsea’s win lifted them up to tenth on goal difference from fellow London rivals, Crystal Palace.\n\nEmbed from Getty Images\n\nHaving slipped to second in the table over the weekend, Tottenham started with high energy and fluidity which saw Pape Matar Sarr play Son Heung-min through in the fifth minute, but the South Korea international saw his shot saved by Robert Sanchez.\n\nThat chance proved to be an early warning which Chelsea failed to heed as Sarr flicked on a sixth-minute diagonal pass for Kulusevski, who calmly rifled into the near-right corner to put Tottenham back top of the table at that point.\n\nPedro Porro almost doubled Spurs’ lead a minute later as he rifled upon goal from Kulusevski’s pullback pass of Brennan Johnson’s cross, yet Sanchez was able to make a comfortable save.\n\nChelsea’s first chance eventually came in the 11th minute as Jackson forced a save from Guglielmo Vicario, before Son briefly extended the hosts lead two minutes later with a tap-in but he was ruled offside via his right shoulder position.\n\nTottenham soon afterwards began to lose their composure and Romero was lucky not to be sent off in the 21st minute, after he retaliated with a kick on Levi Colwill following an initial shove on the Argentinean.\n\nSterling meanwhile scored for Chelsea amidst that incident seconds later but his goal was ruled out for handball, after his first shot rebounded off Porro onto his right arm before he put the ball away beyond Vicario.\n\nSterling though had found himself the subject of a reckless tackle from Udogie two minutes earlier, with the Italian getting away with a yellow card.\n\nFernandez and Thiago Silva then saw shots go wide for Chelsea but tensions soon hit boiling point in the 28th minute, as Moises Caicedo had an equalising goal disallowd due to Jackson interfering with play as the Colombian delivered his shot upon goal.\n\nRomero meanwhile clipped Fernandez inside the box with a high-footed challenge which sent his compatriot to ground, and resulted in a red card for the Spus defender following a lengthy VAR review and referee – Michael Oliver awarded Chelsea a penalty.\n\nPalmer eventually stepped up in the 35th minute and Vicario got a touch on the Englishman’s penalty, yet could only deflect it onto the right post, which saw the ball ricochet into the bottom-right corner to pull the West London visitors level.\n\nChelsea quickly pushed on after their equaliser against an imploding Spurs defence but failed to find a breakthrough goal before half-time, whilst the hosts lost Romero’s central defensive teammate – Mickey van de Ven to injury alongside James Maddison in two huge blows.\n\nTottenham however were lucky to not be down to nine men at the break after Sarr and Colwill came to blows in the tenth minute of injury time, yet Oliver decided to just yellow card both players than send either player off.\n\nReece James was then lucky not to be dismissed for Chelsea in the 11th minute of injury-time after he elbowed Udogie in the face, yet VAR deemed it a simple incident and not a yellow or red card offence.\n\nColwill though found himself hooked off at half-time by Mauricio Pochettino for Marc Cucurella, due to his ill-tempered first-half antics.\n\nUpon the restart, Chelsea quickly made their one-man advantage count but their recurring end product issues reared its head, as Palmer rifled wide in the 47th minute in a fast start from the Blues.\n\nSterling then broke forward seven minutes later but his shot was blocked by Vicario, before he seconds later broke forward on a counter-attack, which drew a foul from Udogie who was consequently dismissed to put Spurs down to nine men with 35 minutes left on the clock.\n\nIf Chelsea thought that decision boosted their prospects of a second goal then poor finishing looked to be their Achilles heel, as Jackson flicked over the bar from James’ cutback pass following a short free-kick.\n\nJackson continued to push for his third goal of the campaign but his 58th minute shot was punched away by Vicario, when then blocked Palmer’s rebound shot.\n\nChelsea continued to press and eventually got their reward as Sterling broke forward up the right flank at the start of the 75th minute, and found Jackson unmarked to rifle his pass into the left corner to put the Blues ahead at Pochettino’s former team.\n\nTottenham however seemingly responded three minutes later as substitute, Rodrigo Bentancur flicked a free-kick behind for Eric Dier to volley into the top-left corner, but he was adjudged offside as Bentancur nodded the ball into his path.\n\nChelsea eventually clung on for a fourth league win of the season after Bentancur narrowly put a 86th minute header wide, as Spurs valiantly tried to chase an unsuccessful equaliser in which Son saw a 93rd minute shot denied by Sanchez.\n\nJackson subsequently rounded off Tottenham’s nightmare evening a minute later as he turned Gallagher’s pass into the net to seal a triumphant return to North London for Pochettino and his Blues, before he completed his hat-trick two minutes later.\n\nThe 22 year-old first turned in Connor Gallagaher’s 94th minute pass followed by a clinical strike from Palmer’s pass in the 97th minute, which secured Jackson his first Premier League hat-trick of his career.\n\nPostecoglou meanwhile suffered a first home defeat as a manager since he began his 52-match unbeaten home run in November 2020 during his time at Yokohama F. Marinos, then two-year spell at Celtic plus now Tottenham.\n\nWhat’s Next?\n\nTottenham continue their push for the Premier League title with a trip to Wolves on Saturday 11 November, with kick-off at Molineux set for 12:30pm GMT live on TNT Sport 1 in the UK.\n\nChelsea host Spurs’ title rivals, Manchester City on Sunday 12 November at 4:30pm at Stamford Bridge, live on Sky Sports in the UK.\n\nTeam News\n\nTottenham: Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romeero, Mickey van de Ven (Hojbjerg 45+1′), Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr (Bentancur 61′), Dejan Kulusevski (Skipp 61′), James Maddison (Royal 45+1′), Brennan Johnson (Dier 34′), Son Heung-min\n\nSubstitutes: Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Richarlison, Bryan Gil, Emerson Royal, Eric Dier, Giovani Lo Celso, Fraser Forster, Rodrigo Bentancur\n\nChelsea: Robert Sanchez, Reece James (Gusto 77′), Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill (Cucurella 45′), Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson\n\nSubstitutes: Marc Cucurella, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Lesley Ugochukwu, Malo Gusto, Dorde Petroivic, Ian Maatsen, Deivid Washington\n\nReferee: Michael Oliver\n\nLike this: Like Loading...", + "After a long, hot summer that saw mortgage rates creep ever higher, October has brought an early winter for the housing market. Existing-home sales dropped a stunning 15% in September on a year-over-year basis to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.96 million transactions, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s the lowest figure in 13 years, since 2010, when the world economy, and particularly the U.S. housing market, were struggling to pull out of the Great Financial Crisis.\n\nContributing factors to the continuous decline in home transactions include surging mortgage rates (which just hit 8% this week—a record in the 21st century), low inventory levels, and home prices that refuse to stop rising. In other words, there aren’t enough homes to buy, money isn’t cheap anymore, and the ones for sale are too rich for most homebuyers’ blood.\n\nIndeed, existing-home sales prices topped $306,000, a 5% increase since the year began, according to the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index.\n\n“As has been the case throughout this year, limited inventory and low housing affordability continue to hamper home sales,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. “The Federal Reserve simply cannot keep raising interest rates in light of softening inflation and weakening job gains.” The Fed has raised rates several times this year, with Chair Jerome Powell arming his “higher for longer” stance.\n\nDeclining housing inventory levels also contribute to the drop in housing transactions. Housing inventory is down 8.1% from this time last year, according to NAR. Some real-estate experts and economists argue that housing affordability is even worse now than during 2008, when a damaging downturn in the U.S. housing market set off the dominoes that became the Great Financial Crisis that defined a whole decade economically—and in some ways, our current predicament.\n\nIn 2010, the last time existing home sales were so low, the global economy was on life support and the Fed slashed interest rates down to zero to revive the flatlining patient—fueling an “everything bubble” that inflated all kinds of assets along the way, not the least, housing. The zero-rate regime persisted until the highest inflation in 40 years surprised many economists and prompted the massive series of rate hikes that have brought us to the once-unthinkable 8% mortgage.\n\nSome onlookers saw what was coming, for instance Zillow, which warned in May that housing would enter a “deep freeze” if the debt limit standoff failed to resolve and America defaulted, as that would send mortgage rates up to 8%. Of course, the default was averted, but here we have arrived at 8% mortgage rates anyway. But this isn’t like 2008 or 2010 again. It’s time for a 1980s history lesson.\n\nBack to the 1980s future\n\nThe housing market today isn’t identical to that of the ‘80s, but it’s pretty close. In a lot of ways, millennials are being forced to follow the housing journey of their boomer parents as they face a frozen, unaffordable market with rising interest rates, as noted recently by both BofA Research economist Jeseo Park and by First American chief economist Mark Fleming.\n\nEssentially, millennials are a giant generation all collectively coming of homebuying age nearly simultaneously—just like their boomer parents in the 1980s. They’re the “biggest share of the “homebuying pie,” as Redfin puts it, purchasing about 60% of homes bought with mortgages during the past few years.\n\nPlus, the raising of interest rates in an effort to combat inflation is strikingly similar to the ’80s. Back then, Fed Chair Paul Volcker fought inflation through aggressive interest rate hikes, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage peaking at about 18% by late 1981. Sound familiar? Current Fed Chair Jerome Powell has set the tone for the most aggressive global hiking of rates in the modern era. And in due course, this week, mortgage rates hit 8%, the highest they’ve been in more than 20 years.\n\nAll things considered, home sales activity also plummeted from 1978 to 1982. Existing-home sales dropped 50% during that period, according to the Office of Policy Development and Research. And while we haven’t seen home sales activity levels this low since the 2000s, the housing market more closely mimics that of the ’80s, according to a report published this week by Fortune 500 financial services company First American.\n\n“Today’s housing market isn’t anything like the housing market of the mid-2000s,” First American’s Fleming wrote in a Tuesday report titled “1980s Déjà Vu for the Housing Market.” “The housing market today is not overbuilt, nor is it driven by loose lending standards, subprime mortgages, or homeowners who are highly leveraged.”\n\nWhile some economic factors are stronger today than they were during the GFC, housing affordability is undeniably worse.\n\n“While housing and more generally consumer fundamentals are in a much stronger position today, affordability for the incremental buyer is worse than it was at the peak in 2006 before the crash,” Roger Ashworth, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a credit strategy research paper released last week.\n\nAnd he’s not hopeful we’ll see home prices drop anytime soon: “Absent any negative shocks to the broader economy that would either boost excess supply of homes on the market or fuel an uptick in unemployment, we continue to expect home prices to rise at a slow pace.” In fact, he predicts we’ll see home prices rise by 1.8% by the end of the year, with a 3.5% increase by the end of 2024.\n\nLooking at more recent housing inventory data makes the issue even more stark. Between September 2018 and September 2023, the average number of homes on the market dropped a whopping 60% to fewer than 700,000 active listings, according to Realtor.com.\n\n“Unlike the turn of the millennium, house prices today are rising alongside mortgage rates, primarily due to low inventory,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement released Sept. 29. “These headwinds are causing both buyers and sellers to hold out for better circumstances.”\n\nBut with the development that home sales transactions are at their lowest level in the past 13 years coupled with century-high mortgage rates of 8%, many real estate experts and economists aren’t hopeful that affordability constraints will let up soon.\n\nOut of fear of losing their lower interest rates, current homeowners are resistant to putting their homes on the market, ultimately leading to the abysmal inventory levels—leaving fewer and fewer properties exchanging hands. Indeed, more than 90% of existing-home owners are locked into mortgage rates below 6%, Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American, previously told Fortune.\n\n“These homeowners do not have a financial incentive to sell,” Kushi says. “The combination of reduced affordability and an even stronger rate lock-in effect suppresses home sales because you can’t buy what’s not for sale, even if you can afford it.”", + "The Hot Stove dominoes have started to fall, but everyone who loves baseball — fans, players, coaches, front-office types and everyone else — is waiting for free agent Shohei Ohtani’s decision. Where will the global superstar sign his next contract?\n\nHe’s played his entire six-year MLB career with the Angels, but his teams haven’t even sniffed the postseason and Ohtani’s made his desire to win crystal clear, so he won’t be back. Will he chase every dollar possible, going solely by the highest offer? That seems unlikely, too. Remember, Ohtani wants to win.\n\nLots of teams can meet Ohtani in that middle ground, offering both lots of money — he will absolutely sign the largest contract in baseball history — and lots of chances to compete for a World Series title (or two or three). It’s a long list.\n\nMORE: Ranking 15 possible destinations for Shoehei Ohtani\n\nSo, the baseball world waits for news. We have been promised very little of that, though. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported this: “If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team.”\n\nSo, yeah. Probably won’t hear a ton, but that won’t stop the speculation. And it won’t stop us from passing along what precious few nuggets that are scattered about.\n\nMORE: Way-too-early MLB Power Rankings for 2024\n\nShohei Ohtani free agent rumors and updates\n\nOhtani has an 'affinity' for Boston, it seems\n\nDate: Nov. 27\n\nSource: Jeff Passan, ESPN\n\nHope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. Us baseball writers are pleased that Ohtani didn't decide to sign while the turkey was still warm. This isn't exactly \"breaking news\" because rumors have been swirling, but it's an aside from an in-the-know reporter that just might give one fan base a little too much hope and excitement.\n\nPassan wrote a piece about 10 teams to watch the rest of the offseason, and he threw this little note in the section about the Red Sox, and how they needed to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto.\n\nBoston's bats are good, or good enough at least, to avoid having to spend like mad in a down year for free agent hitters -- unless, of course, it's for Ohtani, who has an affinity for Boston. If the Red Sox don't hit that jackpot, they're backfilled nicely with a system that includes outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer and catcher Kyle Teel, among the best trios of offensive prospects in baseball.\n\nIt's cool when the best player in the world is a free agent and has an \"affinity\" for your town.\n\n'Money's great, but winning's better'\n\nDate: Nov. 21\n\nSource: Max Scherzer, Rangers pitcher on Foul Territory\n\nOK, so this isn't necessarily a rumor, but an example of how much players would love for Ohtani to join their team. Scherzer was a guest on Foul Territory on Monday.\n\n\"Money's great, but winning's better.\"\n\n\n\nMax Scherzer shares his pitch for Shohei Ohtani to join the @Rangers 🏆\n\n\n\n▶️ https://t.co/6KoSRqSgk2 pic.twitter.com/PHW2jHWj6C — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 20, 2023\n\nMaybe Ohtani won’t sign quite so soon after all\n\nDate: Nov. 20\n\nSource: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic\n\nBuried at the bottom of Rosenthal’s piece on what an Ohtani contract might look like — incentives, opt-outs and all sorts of stuff — is this little bit of reporting:\n\nAn agreement at the winter meetings in Nashville the first week of December would be the ideal outcome for MLB, but not necessarily for Ohtani. He perhaps will be better off waiting for the signing of Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is expected to be posted for free agency as soon as Monday, triggering a 45-day window for teams to negotiate with him. Losing out on the 25-year-old Yamamoto, who could command more than $200 million, might put certain teams on tilt, improving the landscape for Ohtani.\n\nInteresting, certainly.\n\nMariners out of the Ohtani chase?\n\nDate: Nov. 17\n\nSource: Daniel Kramer, MLB.com\n\nHere’s the key piece of the article: “Industry sources told MLB.com this week that landing Ohtani doesn’t appear to be within the Mariners’ realistic agenda this offseason.”\n\nIn a way, that’s surprising. The Mariners seem to check a lot of boxes for Ohtani. They’re set up to win for a long time with a bunch of young starting pitchers and a co-superstar in Julio Rodriguez. Plus, Ohtani would get to be part of the quest for the franchise’s first World Series title, he’d get to wear the same uniform as his baseball hero, Ichiro, and he’s lived there in the offseason. So it must be about the money, and Seattle’s reluctance to even get in the conversation. That’s gotta be super disappointing for Mariners fans starved for a title, right?\n\nOn the other hand, maybe the M’s know all about Ohtani’s desire to keep the rumor mill quiet, and leaking “news” like this would please Ohtani and his camp.\n\n‘Timing could be right for a Cubs-Ohtani union’\n\nDate: Nov. 16\n\nSource: Jesse Rogers, ESPN\n\nThe Cubs were one of the seven finalists for Ohtani the first time around, but lack of the DH in the NL at the time made it hard for Ohtani to choose Chicago. His primary goal was showing he could both hit and pitch at a high level for an MLB team, and trying to play the outfield instead of just DHing would have been too much, even for Ohtani.\n\nNow, though? The NL has the DH, and the Cubs are itching to make a sport-shaking signing. Well, another sport-shaking signing. They already poached Craig Counsell from the rival Brewers to be their new manager, and it would be shocking if they didn’t make a corresponding player-acquisition move. Ohtani’s at the top of the list.\n\nOhtani could potentially sign before Winter Meetings\n\nDate: Nov. 11\n\nSource: Alden Gonzalez, ESPN\n\nPretty much everyone in baseball would LOVE for this to happen. The team that winds up signing him, of course, will kick the Ohtani hype machine into gear ASAP. Not only is there merchandise to sell, but the front office will use that signing to help lure other potential free agents, maybe even for a “play with Ohtani” discount. But even for the other teams, knowing that Ohtani is off the board relatively soon into the offseason would allow them to shift to other priorities, like trading for Juan Soto or deciding which free-agent pitchers to pursue with the money that might have been earmarked for Ohtani.", + "LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 eCascadia Ford, drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)\n\nRyan Blaney’s recent championship victory in his Ford Mustang at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race was a moment of pride and celebration for Ford. However, it’s not just about winning the races or championships for the manufacturer. It’s about marketing and maintaining their brand loyalty, as a Ford insider reveals.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nLast Sunday, Ryan Blaney secured his first-ever championship by skillfully maneuvering his Ford Mustang to victory at Phoenix. He held off the late challenges from Chevrolet drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron. This achievement marks a significant moment for Ford and its NASCAR program, as it made a clean sweep by winning championships in Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series.\n\nMark Rushbrook reveals the vehicle NASCAR fans prefer to buy from Ford\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn the post-race media conference, Mark Rushbrook, the Global Director for Ford Performance, was asked if winning the championship has any significance for the manufacturer as a whole in terms of marketing the brand globally.\n\nMark Rushbrook emphasized the importance of winning with the Mustang from a global marketing perspective. He stated, “Yeah, winning is everything for us, just as a point of pride. It’s certainly going to be a celebration in Dearborn. My phone has been blowing up with Ford family members and our senior executives already so excited about it. It means a lot internally to the customer because motorsports is so important to us.”\n\nRushbrook highlighted that success on the racetrack is the foundation of successful marketing programs. Winning races and championships builds credibility with fans and encourages them to engage with the brand. He explained, “That is the basis for successful marketing programs; it is success on the racetrack. So you have to win the races, you have to win championships to have that credibility, and for fans to engage with your brand and make them proud to have a Ford parked in their driveway or in their garage.”\n\nWhile Ford’s racing program, featuring the Mustang, certainly boosts the sale of this iconic sports car, the Ford insider dropped an interesting fact. Rushbrook revealed, “For us, NASCAR, even though we’re racing a Mustang, we certainly sell Mustangs because of it. But we sell more F-150s to NASCAR fans. This is a proof point for them.”\n\nThe Ford F-150 truck, known for its ruggedness and reliability, has garnered a dedicated following among NASCAR enthusiasts. Winning the championship is not only about showcasing the Mustang but also the Ford-150, with which Ben Rhodes won his second Truck Series championship on Friday. This is also a testament to the power of NASCAR in influencing car-buying decisions.\n\nFord’s global marketing strategy also leverages the success of the Mustang in NASCAR, utilizing it as a marketing tool to promote their road cars worldwide. As the seventh generation Mustang continues to be sold globally as a road car, it’s racing not only in NASCAR but also in various international series, including Australia Supercars, Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4, and Dark Horse R with a Spec Challenge.\n\nIn essence, Ford takes the benefits from any Mustang’s racing success and uses it to market their cars globally. It’s a win-win situation for both the brand and racing enthusiasts. Although, all this might not have come to pass were it not for a timely intervention by “The Captain.”\n\nRoger Penske played a big part in calming Ryan Blaney down in the clutch moment of the race\n\nIn the heat of the championship race at Phoenix, Ryan Blaney’s competitive spirit almost got the best of him. He was racing for the championship and was eager to secure the lead from Ross Chastain in the closing few laps. However, he was also aware that he needed to maintain his position to win the title.\n\nWatch This Story | Star Wars Saga: Bubba Wallace’s Galactic Surprise for Ryan Blaney\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn the post-race conference, the Team Penske driver expressed his frustration, stating, “There is no secret that I can snap on the radio. That’s been my whole life. That’s been my whole career. It’s just kind of something I do.” He described the intense battle with Ross Chastain, who blocked him multiple times, making it a tough fight.\n\nThe final push came when Blaney made contact with Chastain. A move made out of frustration, as he admitted. But at this crucial moment, team owner Roger Penske, often referred to as “The Captain,” stepped in. He reminded Blaney that he was not racing against Chastain but against the HMS duo. Penske’s calming influence helped Blaney regain composure, ensuring that he didn’t take any unnecessary risks. The result? A championship for Ryan Blaney and another testament to the guidance of “The Captain” in high-pressure situations.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn NASCAR, it’s not just about speed and strategy; it’s also about maintaining composure under intense pressure. The wisdom of experienced leaders like Roger Penske plays a crucial role in the success of their teams.\n\n“We’re Champions”- Roger Penske Flexes on Rick Hendrick As He Publicly Boasts Team Penske’s Strength With Back-to-Back Titles", + "ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 Most Runs and Wickets: With just the final of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 won by Australia beating India by six wickets on Sunday, November 19, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the whole world is ready to witness who will be crowned the World Champions in the 50-over format of the game. India defeated New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semi-final on Wednesday, November 15, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and Australia beat South Africa by three wickets in the second semi-final on Thursday, November 16, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.\n\nDuring all these matches played, we witnessed some great knocks by the batter as well as some brilliant spells by the bowlers, which annihilated the opposition and kept the audience in awe.\n\nHere is the list of the top 10 batsmen and bowlers in this edition of the ODI World Cups—\n\nTop 10 Batsmen of ODI World Cup 2023:\n\nRank Player Mat Runs 1 V Kohli (IND) 11 765 2 RG Sharma (IND) 11 597 3 Q de Kock (SA) 10 594 4 R Ravindra (NZ) 10 578 5 DJ Mitchell (NZ) 10 552 6 DA Warner (AUS) 11 535 7 SS Iyer (IND) 11 530 8 KL Rahul (IND) 11 452 9 HE van der Dussen (SA) 10 448 10 MR Marsh (AUS) 10 441\n\n*Still Batting\n\n10. Mitch Marsh, Australia\n\nIn the absence of Travis Head, Marsh has played the role of opener with much responsibility for the Aussies, providing good starts as he accumulated 441 runs in 10 matches.\n\n9. Rassie van der Dussen, South Africa\n\nRassie has been a support system for the Proteas in the middle order. Though sometimes inconsistent, he has accumulated 448 runs in 10 innings. He has two centuries and two fifties under his belt in his campaign, with a high score of 133 runs.\n\n8. KL Rahul, India\n\nThe Indian number five has been on great form scoring 452 runs giving great support to the Indian middle order. He has one century and two fifties to his name in the World Cup.\n\n7. Shreyas Iyer, India\n\nIyer is the backbone of the Indian middle order; these are the words of Head Coach Rahul Dravid. Iyer has provided good support to the team when needed, scoring 526 runs in 10 matches. He also has three fifties and two centuries to his name.\n\n6. David Warner, Australia\n\nOne of the most destructive openers of the modern era, Warner has been providing great starts to Australian batting, scoring 528 runs in ten innings. His highest score is 163 runs, along with two centuries and two fifties.\n\n5. Daryl Mitchell, New Zealand\n\nMitchell has been a powerhouse for the Kiwis in the middle order, scoring 520 runs in nine matches. His high score was 130 runs in this campaign, and he provided good support from time to time whenever the team needed it.\n\n4. Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand\n\nThe biggest find of this year's World Cup has to be this 23-year-old all-rounder, Rachin Ravindra. Ravindra has smashed three centuries and two fifties in this campaign and accumulated a total of 578 runs in 10 matches.\n\n3. Quinton de Kock, South Africa\n\nA pivotal part of the South African top-order, de Kock has been a phenomenal batter, scoring 594 runs in 10 matches. de Kock has the most number of centuries in this tournament, with four so far.\n\n2. Rohit Sharma, India\n\nThe Indian captain has been on an all-out attack since the start of the World Cup campaign. He has smashed a total of 597 runs in 11 matches with one century and three fifties so far.\n\n1. Virat Kohli, India\n\nOne of the best batsmen that ever graced the sport of cricket, Virat Kohli, is at the top with 765 runs in 11 matches. He has five fifties and three centuries to his name, with the highest score of 117 runs.\n\nTop 10 Bowlers of ODI World Cup 2023:\n\nRank Player Mat Wkts 1 Mohammed Shami (IND) 7 23 2 A Zampa (AUS) 11 23 3 D Madushanka (SL) 9 21 4 JJ Bumrah (IND) 11 20 5 G Coetzee (SA) 8 20 6 Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK) 9 18 7 M Jansen (SA) 9 17 8 RA Jadeja (IND) 11 16 9 Josh Hazlewood 11 16 10 MJ Santner (NZ) 10 16 11 BFW de Leede (NED) 9 16\n\n*Still Bowling\n\n10. Mitch Santner, New Zealand\n\nNew Zealand's bowling has mostly depended on Santner, as he has been effective for the Kiwis on the turning tracks of India, as he picked up 16 wickets and conceded 449 runs in 10 matches.\n\n9. Josh Hazlewood, Australia\n\nThe Aussie pacer has been phenomenal with the new ball. He has created movements with the ball which the batters struggle to play. He picked up 16 wickets in 11 matches.\n\n8. Ravindra Jadeja, India\n\nJadeja has been bowling some beautiful spells in this tournament for India, especially in the middle overs. He picked up 16 wickets, conceding just 398 at an economy rate of 4.25 in 10 matches.\n\n7. Marco Jansen, South Africa\n\nStanding at a staggering 6 feet 7 inches tall, Jansen has made full use of his height, and it was evident in his bowling too. The 23-year-old picked up 17 wickets in nine matches for the Proteas, conceding 450 runs.\n\n6. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan\n\nAfridi is the best bowler for Pakistan in this tournament, with 18 wickets and conceding 481 runs in nine matches.\n\n5. Gerald Coetzee, South Africa\n\nThe 23-year-old Coetzee has picked up 20 wickets for the Proteas in eight matches, conceding 396 runs.\n\n4. Jasprit Bumrah, India\n\nBumrah has taken 20 wickets under his belt, conceding 373 runs. He also has the best economy rate in the whole tournament, with 4.06.\n\n3. Dilshan Madushanka, Sri Lanka\n\nDespite such a dreadful performance by the Sri Lankan side in this World Cup, Madhushanka managed to be in the top 2 on the highest wicket-takers list. He picked up 21 wickets, conceding 525 runs.\n\n2. Adam Zampa, Australia\n\nAdam Zampa is having a World Cup to remember, as he is the highest wicket-taker for the Aussies. He picked up 23 wickets, in which there were three four-wicket hauls, conceding 515 runs.\n\n1. Mohammad Shami, India\n\nShami announced his return to the World Cup with a bang, picking a fifer in the very first match he played for India. He has picked up 24 wickets so far in just six matches, conceding just 257 runs. He has picked up three five-wicket hauls including a seven-wicket haul against New Zealand in the semi-final on Wednesday, November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.\n\nCatch the latest stock market updates here. For all other news related to business, politics, tech, sports, and auto, visit Zeebiz.com.", + "First game, first point, first win.\n\nConnor Bedard's debut did not disappoint on Tuesday, as the Chicago rookie helped the Blackhawks to a 4-2 win over the Penguins on opening night.\n\nThe Blackhawks rallied from a 2-0 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals to pick up the victory in Pittsburgh.\n\nBryan Rust opened the scoring for the Penguins in the first period, and a Sidney Crosby goal in the second doubled the Pittsburgh lead. However, Bedard helped set up a Ryan Donato goal in the middle frame to get the Blackhawks on the board, picking up his first NHL point in the process.\n\nIn the third period, Cole Guttman potted the equalizer for Chicago early in the frame. With less than five minutes left in regulation, Jason Dickinson fired home a shot from the slot that gave Chicago its first lead of the night. A Nick Foligno empty net goal sealed the deal for the Blackhawks.\n\nBedard was as advertised in his NHL debut. The Chicago rookie led all players on his club in shots on goal, recording five in his first game on 11 shot attempts. His 21:29 time on ice was second to only Seth Jones, as Chicago head coach Luke Richardson did not hold the 18-year-old back. He did struggle in the faceoff dot, winning just two of 13 draws, but it was a strong first impression at the NHL level.\n\nFor the Penguins, the third period struggles from last season have seemingly carried over to start this year. Last year, Pittsburgh finished tied for the most losses after taking a lead into the third period. The crew followed that trend on Tuesday night, letting a 2-1 lead to start the final frame slip away.\n\nBedard and the Blackhawks are back in action on national TV tomorrow, as Chicago heads to Boston for a Wednesday night date with the Bruins.\n\nMORE: Watch Blackhawks vs. Penguins live on Fubo (free trial)\n\nThe Sporting News provided updates and highlights from Connor Bedard's NHL debut in the Blackhawks vs. Penguins game.\n\nBlackhawks vs. Penguins score\n\n1 2 3 F Blackhawks 0 1 3 4 Penguins 1 1 0 2\n\nBlackhawks vs. Penguins live updates, highlights from Connor Bedard's NHL debut\n\nAll times Eastern\n\nFinal: Blackhawks 4, Penguins 2\n\n10:50 p.m. — The Blackhawks score four unanswered goals to come from behind and take down the Penguins on opening night. Bedard was as advertised in his debut, picking up his first NHL point in the process. The third period struggles continue over from last season for the Penguins.\n\n10:48 p.m. — Jarry back to the Pittsburgh bench again for the extra attacker.\n\nBlackhawks 4, Penguins 2\n\n10:48 p.m. — GOAL! Perry finds Foligno for the empty net goal. The veteran line gave the Blackhawks the lead, and then the unit ices the game with 1:27 to go.\n\n10:47 p.m. — Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan pulls Jarry for the extra attacker with over two minutes to go.\n\nBlackhawks 3, Penguins 2\n\n10:40 p.m. — GOAL! Chicago takes its first lead of the game thanks to Jason Dickinson. Nick Foligno drops a pass on a zone entry to Perry, who tries to get a shot on net, but it deflects to the middle and Dickinson snaps it home. The Penguins, who struggled with third period leads last year, have given up three unanswered and find themselves down one with 4:33 to go.\n\nJason Dickinson buries the crazy carom to give Chicago the late lead in Pittsburgh!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/rSxEzSnylC — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 11, 2023\n\n10:36 p.m. — Mrazek records another sensational save, this time on Guentzel. Karlsson makes an excellent backhand pass down to Guentzel at the dot for a one-timer, but Mrazek pushes over and snags the shot. He's been the best player on either side tonight.\n\nPenguins 2, Blackhawks 2\n\n10:31 p.m. — GOAL! We have a tied game in Pittsburgh as Guttman gets the equalizer for Chicago. He found a soft spot in the Penguins defense in the slot, gets a pass from Jones and makes no mistake, beating Jarry by the glove. It's 2-2 with 9:55 left in regulation.\n\nTie game with less than half the period to go 👀 pic.twitter.com/uqB1Z2Bnol — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 11, 2023\n\n10:24 p.m. — The Blackhawks can't take advantage of a power play again, dropping to 0 for 4 tonight on the PP. Pittsburgh remains ahead 2-1 with 13:43 left in the period.\n\n10:20 p.m. — Pittsburgh kills off the Nieto penalty, but seconds after going back to even strength, Letang picks up a cross-checking minor. Chicago goes right back to the man advantage.\n\n10:19 p.m. — Corey Perry had not just one, but two point-blank chances in front of the Pittsburgh net, but he put the puck right into the midsection of Jarry both times.\n\n10:17 p.m. — The Blackhawks are going to their third power play of the night as Matt Nieto is called for hooking just 2:28 into the third.\n\n10:14 p.m. — The third period is a go from Pittsburgh with the Penguins holding onto a one-goal lead.\n\nEnd of the second period: Penguins 2, Blackhawks 1\n\n9:56 p.m. — Both teams get on the board in the middle frame, but it's the Penguins that remain ahead going into the final period. Bedard looks to be improving every shift and he picks up his first NHL point on the Donato goal.\n\n9:54 p.m. — An awful line change by the Blackhawks allows Malkin to send Smith on a breakaway, but Mrazek comes up with the stop.\n\nPenguins 2, Blackhawks 1\n\n9:47 p.m. — GOAL! Ryan Donato slips home a rebound from the top of the crease to put Chicago on the board, and Bedard has his first NHL point, picking up a secondary assist on the tally. Alex Vlasic walks in off the wall and puts a low shot on Jarry that is saved, but Donato pulls the rebound around and by Jarry's leg with 4:23 left in the second.\n\n🚨first NHL assist for Connor Bedard. the full sequence starting with his zone entry pic.twitter.com/JqJMhchiTN — Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) October 11, 2023\n\nRyan Donato puts home the juicy rebound to give Connor Bedard his first NHL point!#Blackhawks | #NHLFaceoff pic.twitter.com/JbjVPvHVLE — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 11, 2023\n\n9:46 p.m. — Chicago kills off the delay of game penalty, so it's back to even strength. For all the star power on the top unit, the Pittsburgh power play has not been as crisp as expected.\n\nPenguins 2, Blackhawks 0\n\n9:42 p.m. — GOAL! Crosby's goal stands, as the official determine the play was onside. A great cycle from Pittsburgh results in the captain putting home his first of the year with 8:04 to go. With the unsuccessful challenge, the Blackhawks are hit with a delay of game penalty, so the Penguins get the goal and a power play.\n\nJUST CROSBY DOING HIS THING 💥 pic.twitter.com/AN0gLjd2lY — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 11, 2023\n\n9:39 p.m. — The Penguins may have doubled their lead, as Crosby sends a loose puck into the wide open net for the score off a give-and-go with Guentzel. However, the Blackhawks are challenging the play for offside. Marcus Pettersson had to reach for the puck along the blue line and it may have come out of the zone.\n\n9:27 p.m. — Jarry keeps the shutout going with two real strong saves on Johnson. A shot from the point was tipped by an unmanned Johnson at the top of the crease. When that didn't go, he got a second whack at the loose puck, but Jarry stuck out the leg to make the stop.\n\n9:23 p.m. — Reilly Smith, who was traded to the Penguins this offseason from the Golden Knights, is denied by the glove of Mrazek off the rush. Smith had a puck trickle to him on the right side, but he shot it right into the mitt of the Blackhawks goaltender.\n\nPetr Mrazek with a nifty glove stop on Reilly Smith#Blackhawks | #NHLFaceoff pic.twitter.com/AkE9PEgRrZ — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 11, 2023\n\n9:21 p.m. — Pittsburgh kills off the Carter minor. Chicago made it fairly easy on that power play, putting just one shot on net and spending a majority of the man advantage passing around the perimeter.\n\n9:19 p.m. — Jeff Carter gives the Blackhawks an early power play, as the Penguins veteran is called for holding the stick of Korchinski. Chicago gets its second crack on the man advantage.\n\n9:15 p.m. — Puck is down for the second period in Pittsburgh.\n\nEnd of the first period: Penguins 1, Blackhawks 0\n\n8:56 p.m. — The first 20 minutes features tons of shot attempts, but Rust's tally is the only one on the scoreboard. A strong showing so far from Bedard, who has not shied away from putting the puck on net. He had four shot attempts in the opening frame, with two on net. The Blackhawks out-shot the Penguins 17-13, but Pittsburgh holds the lead.\n\n8:51 p.m. — An excellent shift by Bedard nearly results in his first goal. Initially, Bedard shows off his elite release by zipping a shot from long-range, but it's turned aside by Jarry. Later in the shift, the rookie gets two whacks at a loose puck in front of the crease, but he could not beat the Penguins goaltender.\n\nBedard shows off the release, Jarry with the save pic.twitter.com/BKLDkQdpwD — Hockey Realm (@hockey_realm) October 11, 2023\n\nConnor Bedard with his first good scoring chance. pic.twitter.com/6TWSCfXUlR — Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) October 11, 2023\n\n8:47 p.m. — Noel Acciari and Tyler Johnson collide in the neutral zone, and Johnson is left leaking from the bridge of his nose. Initially Acciari is assessed a double minor for high-sticking, but after reviewing the play, no penalty was killed. The officials deemed that the stick was not above the shoulders, therefore, no infraction.\n\n8:46 p.m. — The Blackhawks kill off the Kaiser minor. Pittsburgh managed to get three shots on Mrazek, but could not build on its lead.\n\n8:43 p.m. — Karlsson dances by Cole Guttman at the blue line, walks into the slot and lets one rip, but Mrazek stares it down the whole way, making the glove stop on the Penguins defenseman.\n\nErik Karlsson with the moves 👀#LetsGoPens | #NHLFaceoff pic.twitter.com/GCWVIGnAS2 — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 11, 2023\n\n8:41 p.m. — Pittsburgh heads to its first power play of the game, as Wyatt Kaiser trips up Malkin in the neutral zone. This will be the first time seeing Erik Karlsson running the power play for the Penguins, taking Letang's place on the top unit with Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel and Rickard Rakell.\n\n8:36 p.m. — Evgeni Malkin makes a beautiful saucer pass to Jake Guentzel cutting the net, but the Penguins winger could not elevate the puck over the shoulder of Mrazek. At the other end, Taylor Raddysh took a feed from behind the net, but put it right in the midsection of Jarry.\n\n8:34 p.m. — Rust opening the scoring for the Penguins to start the year has become a trend. The winger has potted the first goal in the team's opener in each of the last three seasons.\n\n8:30 p.m. — Moments after the Rust tally, Crosby nearly doubles the Penguins' lead on a breakaway, but his backhand attempt was stuffed by Mrazek's pad.\n\nPenguins 1, Blackhawks 0\n\n8:29 p.m. — GOAL! Right after the Penguins killed off the Eller minor, Pittsburgh gets on the board first courtesy of Bryan Rust. Kris Letang throws a shot on net that Rust tips up and over the shoulder of the Blackhawks goaltender. It was not originally called a goal on the ice, but after review, it's 1-0 Penguins with 12:56 remaining in the frame.\n\nRust gets the Penguins their first of the season 🚨 pic.twitter.com/RKNyaJT0LD — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 11, 2023\n\n8:28 p.m. — It's a strong showing from the top PP unit for the Blackhawks, but Bedard and Co. can't capitalize on the man advantage. Chicago had four shots on goal, including a Bedard one-timer that was stopped by the pad of Mrazek.\n\n8:26 p.m. — Penguins forward Lars Eller is called for goalie interference, as he clips the leg of Petr Mrazek in the crease. The Blackhawks head to the first power play of the game about five minutes into the period.\n\n8:23 p.m. — Through the first four minutes, it's been a back-and-forth affair. Neither team have been able to sustain much pressure. Most of Chicago's shot attempts have been from the outside, making it easy on Tristan Jarry.\n\n8:19 p.m. — It was an uneventful first shift for Bedard, as the Penguins controlled most of the play in the Blackhawks' zone.\n\n8:17 p.m. — Bedard and Crosby square up for the opening face off, and Bedard's debut is underway!\n\nSidney Crosby 🆚 Connor Bedard on the draw to start this one off.\n\n\n\nWhat a moment. pic.twitter.com/4BPboh8jdp — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 11, 2023\n\nPregame\n\n7:58 p.m. — Here is how the two sides are lining up for the season opener.\n\nAlmost time for hockey!\n\n\n\n📺: ESPN, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Qsk9Jgfp1c — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 10, 2023\n\n#Blackhawks Opening Night lineup vs. Penguins:\n\nHall-Bedard-Donato\n\nT. Johnson-Reichel-Raddysh\n\nKatchouk-Guttman-Athanasiou\n\nPerry-Dickinson-Foligno\n\n\n\nVlasic-Jones\n\nKorchinski-Murphy\n\nTinordi-Kaiser\n\n\n\nMrazek\n\nSöderblom\n\n\n\nExtras: Entwistle, R. Johnson, Zaitsev — Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 10, 2023\n\n7:50 p.m. — Bedard isn't the only rookie making their debut tonight. Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski is playing in his first NHL game tonight. Korchinski was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, one of three first-round selections by Chicago that year. He played his junior career with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.\n\n7:36 p.m. — You want to talk confidence? How about going without a bucket in warmups? Bedard is rocking the no-helmet look ahead of his NHL debut.\n\nConnor Bedard going with the no-helmet look during pregame warmups. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/qrr93vlMsh — Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 10, 2023\n\n7:33 p.m. — A stick may be important when playing the game of hockey.\n\nNote to self:\n\nDon't forget your stick ahead of your NHL debut. pic.twitter.com/guzVprRXfY — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 10, 2023\n\n7:02 p.m. — If it feels like Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin have been in Pittsburgh forever, that's because it had. The trio are set to surpass Yankees legend Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada as the longest-tenured trio of teammates in North American sports history.\n\nReady for the Big Three to take the ice for their 18th season together.\n\n\n\nSidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are set to surpass the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada as the longest-tenured trio of teammates in NHL, MLB, NBA and NFL history. pic.twitter.com/bvcWZOw7kO — Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) October 10, 2023\n\n6:45 p.m. — All the buzz has been about Bedard leading up the matchup, but there's a new Penguin on the roster. Erik Karlsson, who won his third Norris Trophy last season, was brought in this summer in a trade with the Sharks. It gives the Penguins a talented duo on the blue line of Kris Letang and Karlsson, although the two likely won't be paired together.\n\nActually, this is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. pic.twitter.com/0ZJA4YRs6v — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 10, 2023\n\n6:30 p.m. — Connor Bedard is in the house for his NHL debut. It's the most anticipated first game for a rookie since Auston Matthews' debut in 2016.\n\nBlackhawks vs. Penguins start time\n\nDate: Tuesday, Oct. 11\n\nTuesday, Oct. 11 Time: 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)\n\nThe Blackhawks and Penguins are set for puck drop at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT in Chicago.\n\nThe game is being played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.\n\nMORE: Ranking the NHL's top 50 players for the 2023-24 season\n\nWhat channel is Blackhawks vs. Penguins on today?\n\nTV Channel (U.S): ESPN\n\nESPN TV Channel (Canada): Sportsnet, TVA Sports\n\nSportsnet, TVA Sports Live stream (U.S.): ESPN+, Fubo\n\nESPN+, Fubo Live stream (Canada): Sportsnet+\n\nESPN has coverage of the Blackhawks vs. Penguins game on Tuesday evening. The Pittsburgh-Chicago contest is one of three games that the network has on opening night.\n\nESPN's \"A-team\" will be on the call for Bedard's debut, as Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Ray Ferraro (analyst) and Emily Kaplan (reporter) will be the broadcast team for Blackhawks vs. Penguins.\n\nThe game can be streamed through ESPN+, or with Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nMORE: NHL predictions 2023-24: Awards, playoff projections, Stanley Cup pick\n\nIn Canada, Sportsnet will be bringing the action to TVs. TVA Sports also will have the game for the French-speaking audience. Cord cutters can catch the action through Sportsnet+.\n\nNHL Opening Night schedule 2023\n\nThe Blackhawks-Penguins game is sandwiched between two other opening night matchups.\n\nThe first game on the docket was a matchup between the Predators and the Lightning. Tampa Bay is starting this year without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is expected to miss the first two months of the season after undergoing back surgery.\n\nAfter the Blackhawks-Penguins contest, the Golden Knights vs. Kraken will wrap up the evening. Before the game in Vegas, the Golden Knights will hold a ceremony to raise their 2023 Stanley Cup banner.\n\nTuesday, Oct. 10", + "The SEC East champs put on a show, to say the least. Georgia dominated against ninth-ranked Ole Miss, coming up with a 52-17 win to earn a date with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in December. All-American tight end Brock Bowers returned to the field for his final homestead only 26 days after TightRope surgery. Starting against the Rebels, he had three catches for 34 yards, adding a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He missed just two games after suffering the high ankle sprain against Vanderbilt on Oct. 14. Georgia didn't need him, though, as the running backs had themselves a night for both teams. Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards scored two touchdowns each as the Bulldogs finished with 300 rushing yards. Milton ended the night with a career-high 127 yards. For Ole Miss, Quinshon Judkins scored the only two touchdowns and finished with 75 yards. Unfortunately for Rebels, injury continues to plague them after Micah Pettus, the team's top lineman, was ruled out with a broken foot bone he sustained during practice. Quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game at the end of the third quarter after a hit from two Georgia defenders. He held his collarbone as he entered the injury tent. He was taken back to the locker room for further examination and did not return to the game, leaving it in the hands of Spencer Sanders. Before his exit, Dart passed for 112 yards and one interception. Sanders finished it up with 61 yards on four completions. For the Dawgs, Carson Beck finished with 306 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It's the fourth game this season with over 300 yards and at least two touchdowns. In its trip to the SEC Championship for the third-straight year, Georgia will face Alabama, who it lost to in 2021. A dominant win over the Rebels surely inspires some confidence with two regular season games left. We'll see if the victory was enough to overtake Ohio State as the top team in College Football Playoff rankings.\n\nMORE: Watch Ole Miss vs. Georgia live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from Ole Miss-Georgia game.\n\nOle Miss vs. Georgia score\n\nQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Ole Miss 7 7 0 3 17 Georgia 14 14 10 14 52\n\nOle Miss vs. Georgia results, highlights from Week 11 game\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\n10:24 p.m. – That'll do it. The SEC East champions make a statement win against Ole Miss to extend its win streak to 27.\n\nOle Miss 17, Georgia 52\n\n10:14 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Still, there's no stopping the Dawgs. Andrew Paul runs in a 4-yard touchdown to further add to Georgia's lead, which now stands at 52-14. Four minutes and 12 seconds remain on the clock.\n\nOle Miss 17, Georgia 45\n\n8:05 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Caden Davis knocks in a 29-yard field goal to add three more points. The Rebels still trail Georgia heavily.\n\n9:59 p.m. – Dayton Wade, are you kidding?! The receiver makes an incredible one-handed catch on the five-yard pass from Sanders. You'll have to see this one to believe it.\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 45\n\n9:50 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Brock Bowers is back! Beck finds the tight end on a 8-yard pass for his first touchdown since Oct. 7. The Dawgs have showed no signs of slowing down, scoring 31 answered points against Ole Miss.\n\nHe's still HIM\n\n\n\nWatch live on ESPN#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/B5aa6zGpOV — Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 12, 2023\n\n9:48 p.m. – With his 51-yard run to help wrap up the third quarter, Kendall Milton sets a career-high in single-game rushing yards. He has 127 yards entering the final frame.\n\nEnd of third quarter: Ole Miss 14, Georgia 38\n\n9:37 p.m. – Dart is down after combining with Zion Logue and Daylen Everette. He enters the injury tent and is replaced by Spencer Sanders.\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 38\n\n9:32 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Peyton Woodring adds three for the Bulldogs with a 27-yard field goal, his first attempt of the night.\n\n9:29 p.m. – Forty-three yards for Dominic Lovett just might seal the deal for Georgia. His gain, and a personal foul against Ole Miss, sets the Bulldogs up within the Rebels' red zone.\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 35\n\n9:17 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Milton takes it home again! His 33-yard touchdown extends Georgia's lead to 21. Nine minutes are left in the third quarter. Can Ole Miss find some momentum and rally?\n\n9:07 p.m. – He fakes it! Fraser Masin, the Ole Miss punter, run it himself for 24 yards to the 50. A personal foul pushes the Rebels back to their own 35, and it's first and 25.\n\n9:06 p.m. – Down goes Dart! CJ Allen reached the Rebels' quarterback for the sack.\n\nEnd of second quarter: Ole Miss 14, 28\n\n8:39 p.m. INTERCEPTION – Oh how the tables turn. Beck throws his own miscue, which deflects off receivers' hands for an interception by Daijahn Anthony.\n\nPick going into the locker room! @daijahn5 | ESPN pic.twitter.com/GQfhipcsK7 — Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 12, 2023\n\n8:34 p.m. INTERCEPTION – Dart misses his target, and it's intercepted! Javon Bullard grabs his second pick in two games. The Dawgs take over at the Rebels' 45-yard line with only a minute remaining in the second quarter.\n\nGet up, 478.\n\nJavon Bullard with the INT pic.twitter.com/BKFncvddTK — Dayne Young (@dayneyoung) November 12, 2023\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 28\n\n8:22 p.m.TOUCHDOWN – Kendall Milton runs in the score! After review, his touchdown stands, and it's his fifth-straight game with one. The Dawgs take a two-possession lead with only a few minutes until halftime.\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 21\n\n8:07 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Edwards runs in his second touchdown of the night! It follows a 41-yard connection from Beck to McConkey. Georgia takes its second seven-point lead of the evening. Just less than 10 minutes remain in the first half.\n\nFilthy route from Ladd McConkey🤧🤧\n\n\n\npic.twitter.com/4fXroDphi3 — PFF College (@PFF_College) November 12, 2023\n\nOle Miss 14, Georgia 14\n\n7:59 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – It's Judkins again! He runs it in for four yards to tie up the game early in the second quarter. There was a flag on the play, but it was on the Georgia defense for having 12 players on the field.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Ole Miss 7, Georgia 14\n\nOle Miss 7, Georgia 14\n\n7:45 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – All Georgia needs is a minute, and it's got another one on the board! Beck finds Ladd McConkey for a 29-yard touchdown. With 3:09 left in the first frame, the Bulldogs have a seven-point lead.\n\n7:40 p.m. – The Rebels go for it on 4th and three, but Dart throws it away. They turn the ball over on downs at the UGA 40.\n\nOle Miss 7, Georgia 7\n\n7:31 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – A quick drive for the Bulldogs, and they're on the board! Beck flicks it to Daijun Edwards for a one-yard touchdown. It's tied up in Athens with 7:28 on the clock in the first quarter.\n\n7:29 p.m. – Carson Beck tosses to Rara Thomas, who gets a 44-yard gain. The Bulldogs have a first down at Ole Miss's 13.\n\nOle Miss 7, Georgia 0\n\n7:23 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Judkins tries again, and it's good! The Rebels get on the board in their first drive of the game with Judkins' 15-yard touchdown run.\n\n7:22 p.m. – Quinshon Judkins gets into the end zone, but holding is called on Ole Miss. It takes over at Georgia's 15.\n\n7:19 p.m. – Jaxson Dart completes pass to Caden Prieskorn for a 33-yard play. The Rebels enter Georgia's redzone at the five-yard line.\n\n7:14 p.m. PENALTY – On the very first play of the game, Ole Miss's o-line is called for a false start.\n\n6:50 p.m. – Beware the Rebs.\n\n6:45 p.m. – Back to back to back. With Missouri's defeat of Tennessee, Georgia clinches the SEC East title for its third-straight and sixth time in seven seasons.\n\n6:35 p.m. – The celebs have arrived. On Georgia's sidelines are Bubba Watson, AJ Minter, Kelee Ringo and Stetson Bennett, to name a few.\n\n6 p.m. – The Rebels are ready.\n\n5:30 p.m. – Will we see Brock Bowers return for his final home game? The tight end is a game-time decision but could return after a high ankle sprain sustained a month ago.\n\nNo. 19 out for warmups pic.twitter.com/tXyTEzATk7 — Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) November 11, 2023\n\n5:15 p.m. – The weather in Athens is anything but ideal for a top-10 matchup. It'll be in the 40s with a chance of rainfall throughout the evening. But is that better for the Dawgs? Last time ESPN's College Gameday was in town for a crucial SEC matchup, Georgia beat Tennessee on a rainy afternoon. Kirby Smart and his crew seem to only get better in rough weather.\n\nWhat channel is Ole Miss vs. Georgia on today?\n\nTV channel : ESPN\n\n: ESPN Live stream: ESPN App, Fubo\n\nOle Miss vs. Georgia will be televised on ESPN with the trio of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call.\n\nStreaming will be available through the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial.\n\nMORE: Who are the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings?\n\nOle Miss vs. Georgia start time\n\nDate : Saturday, Nov. 11\n\n: Saturday, Nov. 11 Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET\n\nThe final game of the season in Sanford Stadium takes place Saturday, Nov. 11. Kickoff between the hedges will be at 7 p.m. ET.", + "The laggards Real estate investment trusts (REITS, down 2 per cent) dropped further following the latest inflation data, with Mirvac (down 3.7 per cent) and Dexus (down 3.3 per cent) sliding lower. Dexus chief executive Darren Steinberg on Wednesday announced he would step down from the position next year after 11 years at the helm. At the annual meeting in Sydney on Wednesday, the remuneration report received a first strike after failing to pass the 25 per cent voting threshold. Loading Consumer staples (down 1.4 per cent) were also weaker with Woolworths losing 2 per cent despite sales across the company rising 5.3 per cent in the 14 weeks to October, as it vowed to pass on easing costs for protein and fresh produce amid rising mortgage and rental pressures. In other company news, shares in embattled funds manager Magellan dropped 3.5 per cent after the abrupt departure of its chief executive, David George.\n\nInfratil (down 3.6 per cent), Meridian Energy (down 2.7 per cent) and Resmed (down 2 per cent) were among the biggest large-cap decliners. The lowdown The Australian sharemarket shook off a positive lead from Wall Street on Wednesday after hotter-than-expected inflation data raised the prospect of another interest rate rise at the Reserve Bank’s next meeting, which would weigh on the equity market. Interest-rate sensitive sectors, including REITS and consumer companies, were among the weakest on the local bourse as investors digested the news.\n\nGSFM investment strategist Stephen Miller said the inflation data, taken with the October Reserve Bank board meeting minutes, which revealed the board had “low tolerance for a slower return of inflation to target than currently expected”, made the possibility of an interest rate rise from the central bank in November a “near certainty”. However, commodity prices supported mining companies as iron ore prices increased 2.9 per cent overnight, bolstering Australia’s iron ore giants. It comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping stepped up support for the world’s second-biggest economy and major commodity trading partner for Australia, issuing additional sovereign debt, raising the budget deficit ratio and even making an unprecedented visit to the central bank. Loading Elsewhere, on Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index closed 0.7 per cent higher ahead of tech giants Microsoft and Google’s parent company Alphabet reporting their results after the close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6 per cent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 0.9 per cent. Shares in Microsoft climbed 5 per cent in after-hours trading after the tech company said its sales jumped 13 per cent to $US56.5 billion ($88.9 billion) and profits climbed 27 per cent to $US22.3 billion in the three months through September.\n\nMeanwhile, shares in Alphabet fell 6 per cent after hours, after the Google parent delivered a mixed result. Google, which is also seeking to capitalise on surging demand for AI technology, saw revenue climb 11 per cent to $US76.7 billion, with net income of $US19.7 billion thanks to a recovery in digital advertising revenue. However, its closely watched cloud division, which houses its data storage business and many of its AI efforts, missed Wall Street expectations. “Investors were disappointed by the relatively weak performance at its Google cloud platform, which is at risk of falling further behind” competitors’ offerings, Jesse Cohen, a senior analyst at Investing.com, wrote in an email. Loading During trading hours, the S&P 500 slipped off session highs, led by losses in energy shares as oil slid below $US84 a barrel, but once again the index found support above the key 4200 mark. Verizon Communications, 3M and General Electric climbed on bullish forecasts. Facebook and Instagram owner Meta dropped after being sued by California and dozen of other US states over harmful youth marketing claims. Bitcoin briefly topped $US35,000, while Treasury 10-year yields edged lower, following Monday’s intense volatility. Investors looking to the earnings season for a dose of good news were hanging their hopes on big tech. The five biggest companies in the S&P 500 — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and AI chipmaker Nvidia — account for about a quarter of the benchmark’s market capitalisation. Their earnings are projected to jump 34 per cent from a year earlier on average, according to analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence.\n\n“As these big tech stocks go, so does the overall market,” David Trainer, chief executive officer of New Constructs, said before Microsoft and Alphabet’s results. “Strong big tech earnings may just be what’s needed to end the stock market correction that started in late July. If big tech companies blow their numbers out of the water and provide strong guidance for future earnings, then we could see the stock market rally strongly through the end of the year.” Rising rates have made already stretched big tech valuations look increasingly expensive, with the group remaining the most-crowded trade among fund managers, according to Bank of America. That’s prompted some investors to pay up for protection against a sell-off in Alphabet and Microsoft — two of the handful of heavyweights responsible for all of the S&P 500 Index’s advance this year. The pain in long-duration growth stocks, fuelled in recent weeks by a relentless surge in Treasury yields, is finally on the verge of subsiding. The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 4.85 per cent overnight. Oil closed at the lowest in more than a week amid signs the crude market’s tightness has slackened and the Israel-Hamas war will remain contained for the time being. West Texas Intermediate extended Monday’s drop with a 2.2 per cent fall to $US83.59 a barrel, paring most of the gains made after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.\n\nConcerns about the conflict spreading more broadly have eased amid growing calls within Israel to rethink a ground invasion of Gaza because of fears about the fate of some 200 hostages held there, the danger of retaliation by Hezbollah and the risk of Israeli military casualties. Tweet of the day Quote of the day “I think when you get to those decisions, you can then sit on them for a while… or you can say let’s just deal with it [and] that’s what we have done today,” said Magellan chairman Andrew Formica as the group’s chief executive stepped down abruptly amid the company’s efforts to turn around its performance.", + "Two weeks into the war, the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority (IMPA) received secret intelligence information from two European countries that warned: \"A large, well-known organization is raising funds for Hamas through posts on social networks, and fintech company platforms outside Israel, under the guise of donations to Gaza residents.\" The information included the name of the organization, its fundraising methods, and the identity of the entities behind it. Their concern was that, within days, the millions of dollars raised would go directly to the military arm of Hamas. In a swift joint international action, at IMPA’s request, one of the European countries blocked the organization’s money pipeline by immediately freezing its financial activities.\n\n\"We are talking about a matter of minutes here. From the moment the authorities in Europe received the information, and we requested the money be blocked, with no court orders or delay, they blocked the transfer of millions of dollars to one of the most active organizations, and from it to Hamas. This is a real-time deterrence,\" reveals IMPA director general Adv. Ilit Ostrovitch-Levi. \"And then there was a domino effect. Following this blocking, more countries began to look around, and blocked funds intended for terror. All this information, which is now shared at an international level, leads to the closing of more and more Hamas funding pipelines, in real time. With worldwide cooperation, Israel’s security and enforcement authorities are thwarting the transfer of millions of dollars earmarked for terrorism, every day.\"\n\nHeaded by Ostrovitch-Levi since May 2022, IMPA is an intelligence body that conducts the most complex of international economic investigations, and fights terror financing routinely. On October 7, Ostrovitch-Levi received a painful reminder of the vital importance of her work. \"Already on that Saturday night, with Israeli under heavy rocket fire, we talked about preparing ourselves for the campaign we’re now entering, the fight against terror financing channels. Dozens of our staff have been called up to reserve duty, in large part managers working regularly in the fight against terror financing.\"\n\nSince then, most of IMPA’s work has focused on identifying and blocking the terror money pipelines. \"We work very reactively - we see a fundraising campaign, try to deter it, and stop it from happening again. There are no breaks, because they are constantly active. It’s a daily struggle. Our analysts have been sitting on the social networks from day two of the war, just manually monitoring visible sources of information on these networks to locate fundraising campaigns for terrorist organizations operating in Gaza.\"\n\nThree days after the war began, IMPA also issued a call to all global regulated entities for increased vigilance towards terrorism financing campaigns in response to the ongoing war and state of emergency, and to report all activities that raise suspicion of terror support and terror financing, in an effective and immediate manner.\n\nRELATED ARTICLES Tech experts battle to shut down Gaza financial pipeline\n\n\"Overnight, we started receiving hundreds of reports about unusual activity by customers of financial institutions in the State of Israel,\" she says. Before October 7, IMPA received about 100 reports a day dealing with terror financing. That number jumped to about 1,000. \"There is a 900% increase in reports on terror financing, and we don't waste time, everything happens very, very quickly. As we receive the information, we simultaneously pass it on to the operational professionals who locate the money pipelines, and block them. Some information will not necessarily lead to terror financing, but we don’t have time to waste. Bank CEOs call and draw our attention to the information they convey to us that warrants special attention.\"\n\nHas information from banks and financial institutions led to blocking the money pipeline for terrorism?\n\n\"There was very high-quality intelligence that we passed on to the security agencies. We don't always know the results.\"\n\n\"Gaza could be more beautiful than Dubai \"\n\nThe network to block terror financing funds includes many entities, including private citizens. \"The world's financial intelligence authorities are now at the heart of this struggle, and we’re working together to thwart the financing channels that we’ve located. In addition, we’ve been approached by many experts from the private sector; people with intelligence experience because they’ve worked in these organizations, or have high-tech experience, and have mobilized like crazy. Israeli entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley have contacted us; they write code, search for information, and give us lots of information. We aggregate and examine everything.\"\n\nIMPA is charged with rooting out the sources of funding for terrorism, working together with the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing of Israel (NBCTF) in the Ministry of Defense, which is the coordinating body of all activities to thwart terror financing, the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN), and all other relevant intelligence and security agencies. \"The most significant way to finance terrorism is to finance countries, not fundraising campaigns. These have intensified greatly over the last month, but the core of the budget - for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is Iran, in particular the Quds Force (the special forces of the IRGC, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). Hamas has all kinds of additional sources of self-financing, including businesses, associations, investments, and all kinds of arrangements they’ve tried to set up over the years. They need state funding, and without Iran they have no ability to exist.\"\n\nHow much money does Iran transfer to Hamas?\n\n\"As far as we know, the budget from Iran to Gaza is in the order of $100 million a year. Gaza could do very nice things with this money, make it even more beautiful than Dubai. But from what we know, most of this budget goes to the military wing of Hamas.\"\n\nQatar also transfers money to Hamas.\n\n\"Qatar transferred suitcases of cash to Gaza through Israel. Everyone knows this. This money allegedly went to pay salaries and civilian needs (education, health, infrastructure), and therefore Israel transferred it, so it’s incorrect to say that it all went to fund terrorism.\"\n\nFrom money-changers to chocolate\n\nHow have these billions reached the Gaza street, and Hamas over the years? There are quite a few methods, including cryptocurrencies and trade. But the main and easiest method for money transfer to Gaza is hawala.\n\nOstrovitch-Levi explains, \"Most of the money does not reach Gaza physically through the border crossings, but via hawala, a financial channel that is based on trust and connections, and enables the transfer and exchange of funds between countries, without the cash physically passing through them. It’s a channel for transferring the funds raised in other countries. In Gaza there are all sorts of wealthy individuals who can transfer large amounts in cash to Hamas upon receiving request from entities abroad.\"\n\nHow does the method work?\n\n\"Money changers in places all over the world, let's say Turkey, receive money, and inform the hawaladars (money changers) in Gaza who transfer the money on their behalf. When a customer comes to a hawaladar in Turkey and asks to transfer money to Gaza, he does not physically transfer money, but settles accounts internally with money changers in Gaza, and Judea and Samaria. The funds are de facto not transferred. Occasionally, or when the amount of the debt reaches a predetermined ceiling, a transfer is made between the money changers to reset the outstanding debt.\"\n\nIs it possible detect the money pipeline between hawaladars and halt the transfer?\n\n\"Transfers are made between two ‘exchangers,’ and don’t include the identity of the beneficiaries, or the persons who gave the money. They don’t know what the transactions were, they only know there are debts to offset. We are in a constant battle against this phenomenon. In recent years, Israeli authorities have designated several currency service providers in Gaza as conduits facilitating the transfer tens of millions of dollars a year to terrorist organizations in Gaza.\"\n\nAnother way to transfer money is trade. Transferring goods, or inflating their value. For example, only days ago, containers of goods worth hundreds of thousands of shekels were seized at Ashdod Port, which were destined for Hamas merchants in Nablus and other cities, with the proceeds intended to go on to finance Hamas operations. Another example is the 23 tons of chocolate bars that were seized in August 2021 in a joint operation by the NBCTF, AMAN, and the Tax Authority at the Nitzana Border Crossing between Israel and Egypt. It was suspected that the snack bars, destined for Gaza, were purchased with terror financing funds, with the proceeds from their sales earmarked for Hamas.\n\nAnother affair that was uncovered, combined trade and hawala. Hamas funds originating in Iran, which were transferred in cash to money changers in Turkey for transfer to Gaza. At the same time Hamed al-Khachari, a Gazan money changer who worked for Hamas (who was assassinated by Israel in 2019), located Gazan merchants who imported goods from Turkish companies and owned payment on the goods. They paid cash to Khachari, who transferred the money to Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, the money changers in Turkey received funds from Hamas abroad that were used to pay the Turkish companies.\n\nHamas is already preparing for \"the day after\"\n\nAlthough it has been almost impossible to transfer money and goods to Gaza since October 7, with hawala shuttered, and no trade, Hamas continues to raise funds. \"The situation in Gaza is known, and nothing can be brought in, but fundraising activity continues in Judea and Samaria. It’s also possible to make bank transfers to Judea and Samaria, and the fundraising activity hasn't stopped, because while the fighting is going on, they’re continuing to fill their reserves for ‘the day after’ [the war]. We realize they’re raising funds for their continued operations. Hamas is taking advantage of the current sympathy for the Gazans’ situation, and is using online platforms, both of organizations whose business is crowdfunding, and also through the creation of fictitious projects to raise funds: throw-pillows, jewelry and whatnot, and more.\"\n\nAll this happens openly, for all to see, in Europe, and other places around the world. \"Hamas and Islamic Jihad carry out recruitment operations under the guise of humanitarian aid campaigns, and use Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to disseminate their announcements. The facade is always supporting humanitarian goals, but in practice it's about channels for funding individuals and entities connected directly to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.\"\n\nHowever, IMPA’s goal, Ostrovitch-Levi explains, is not only to stop the individual raising of funds for terror financing, but the entire interrelated chain, from the fund-raiser to the transferrer, and on through to the recipient. \"We have the ability to build the intelligence scenario, synchronize all the sources of information received, and delineate the money trail from abroad to Hamas. We’re interested not only in who is running the campaign, the association or entity, but where the money is coming from, and where it’s going. We need to stop all of the elements in this network.\"\n\nEver since October 7, everyone has been discussing and analyzing the question of about the intelligence agencies, and why there was no warning. Where was IMPA before?\n\n\"Hamas collects lots of money all the time, and the security agencies deter money transfers. There was no sudden increase in the raising of billions, and you must also remember that most of the money is raised globally, not in Israel. The hundreds of millions of dollars that Hamas receives have been accumulating for years. We had no possibility of seeing a spike in fundraising towards October 7.\"\n\n\"We understand the west is next\"\n\nIMPA is not alone in the fight against terror financing. Three days after the start of the war, Andrea Gacki, Director of the US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) contacted Ostrovitch-Levi to request a meeting. The two met at virtually the same time President Joe Biden met with the families of the hostages. \"She put herself and the entity she heads, one of the most powerful financial intelligence agencies in the world, at our disposal. She said, 'Whatever you want or need, just say the word'\".\n\nGacki has kept her promise. \"Since that day, we’ve received an unprecedented flow of financial intelligence from the US, unlike anything seen before. They’ve given us valuable information that we’ve passed on to the security agencies, about organizations they didn’t necessarily know about, and people backing them, all in real time. At the same time, they’ve issued alerts to increase vigilance among the US public about terror financing.\"\n\nOn October 18, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it had imposed sanctions on 10 key Hamas operatives and financial facilitators in Gaza and elsewhere including Sudan, Turkey, Algeria, and Qatar. The statement read, \"This action targets members managing assets in a secret Hamas investment portfolio, a Qatar-based financial facilitator with close ties to the Iranian regime, a key Hamas commander, and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange and its operator… To date, the Treasury has targeted nearly 1,000 individuals and entities connected to terrorism and terrorist financing by the Iranian regime and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iran-aligned terrorist groups in the region.\"\n\nOn October 27, OFAC imposed a second round of sanctions on key Hamas-linked officials and financial networks. The statement read, \"Today’s action targets additional assets in Hamas’s investment portfolio and individuals who are facilitating sanctions evasion by Hamas-affiliated companies. The Treasury is also designating a Hamas official in Iran and members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as a Gaza-based entity that has served as a conduit for illicit Iranian funds to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).\"\n\nThe US is not the only one. Europe has also been mobilized in the economic fight against terrorism. \"On the third day of the fighting, my colleagues from the Netherlands and Germany, both veteran heads of their authorities for the prohibition of money laundering, phoned to let me know they wanted to establish an international task force to assist Israel in the fight against the financing of Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and all terrorist organizations and their satellites. With them and with the US, we established a kind of task force, which is not subject to any country or unifying body, countries that are working in coordination, and meet every few days to exchange intelligence, and advance the struggle.\"\n\nIn general, following an appeal by IMPA to its counterparts around the world, there has been a dramatic increase in intelligence coming to Israel from abroad. \"The amount of information doubled in the month of fighting, compared with the monthly average. Before the war, we received about 24 intelligence reports a month from parallel authorities, compared with 50 today.\"\n\nCountries around the world cooperating with Israel to fight terrorism sounds almost ideal, but it’s hard not to wonder where they were before.\n\n\"Many countries felt this had nothing to do with them, that it wasn’t their struggle. The international and US mobilization, the task force we founded, the fact that the financial sector abroad suddenly wants to accept the Israeli announcements about the terror entities and people involved, receive intelligence from Israel, and cooperate with us is all only because of October 7. Everyone understands that ‘The West is next’ isn’t an empty statement. This event is the one to make the countries of the world understand they must fight effectively against terror financing, that they need to block Iran effectively.\"\n\nIMPA is trying to convey these messages to the member nations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body to combat money laundering and terror financing. \"We are working very hard on isolating Iran in matters of terror financing. But it’s still a cash economy and it is very, very difficult to stop the financing of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad. Most of the money comes from oil, but there’s actually an Iranian security system budget dedicated to this.\"\n\nAnother problem to be dealt with is the addiction to the cash received from the terrorist organizations. \"Because it involves cash in such huge amounts, a situation has arisen in which the populations in Gaza and Lebanon become addicted to financing from Iran. There is internal collapse and a complete disruption of the ability to receive funds another way. This makes terrorism a very profitable business. It destroys the civic structure, unemployment rates rise very high, and being a Hamas operator becomes profitable. It's a vicious circle that feeds on itself. This is an alternative banking system disconnected from the general system. The Iranians are building whole mechanisms to enable intake of this money. This is something bigger than deterring one transfer or another.\"\n\nCan the current global mobilization alter the fight against terror financing?\n\n\"Discussions with countries around the world and immediate deterrence are not long-term solutions. Stopping the funds from Iran should be carried out at the international level through FATF, through OFAC sanctions, through sanctions from the entire world. In the end, the solution to Iranian financing are global sanctions. It’s not something that one country can prevent. The bottom line is that without money there is no terrorism, and no matter how hard they try to decapitate the terrorist organizations, as long as they have economic oxygen, as long as the countries of the world do not fight terror financing properly, these organizations will continue to breathe.\"\n\nPublished by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 19, 2023.\n\n© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.", + "Every year, the wintertime and the NASCAR offseason is a welcome -- but very short -- respite from what is otherwise a demanding, year-long grind of racing. Come 2024, that grind is soon to begin again, and exactly what it looks like will be based in large part on these months where driver lineups, crew lineups and rules packages are set.\n\nWith much activity going on within the confines of race shops across NASCAR, here are some major storylines for the week of Dec. 4 as the offseason continues.\n\nOffseason testing in Phoenix\n\nOne month after Ryan Blaney was crowned the Cup Series champion and the 2023 season was completed out west, Blaney and a select group of other drivers and teams returned to Phoenix Raceway for a two-day test as NASCAR looked at a number of aerodynamic and technical changes for the Next Gen car. Blaney was one of six drivers to participate in the test, joining Chris Buescher, Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Corey LaJoie.\n\nThe first day of testing centered around different splitters and diffusers as well as tires engineered to degrade more during green flag runs as NASCAR tries to build upon marginal improvements made to the Next Gen car's short track package in 2023. According to Cole Cusumano, teams ran a simplified diffuser -- featuring just two fins in the middle at a 90-degree angle -- as well as an alternate splitter design.\n\nAfter ascertaining a direction on aerodynamics and tires, NASCAR spent the second day of the test experimenting with existing mufflers to slightly soften the otherwise deafening noise made by Cup Series motors. Gearbox and shifting changes were not included as part of this test.\n\nSpeaking to reporters, Blaney noted the biggest difference came in the alternate splitter, which significantly reduced downforce.\n\n\"It was big. The first laps I had I was like, 'Man, this thing drives way different,'\" Blaney said. \"... It's a massive aero loss when you do that. And then the simple diffuser wasn't as big of a change as the splitter, but it was still something to feel.\"\n\nThe topic of mufflers -- while anathema to the purest of gearheads -- has been one that has occasionally popped up in the Next Gen era, particularly with NASCAR now using mufflers in urban settings at stadiums (Los Angeles Coliseum) and on street courses (Chicago) where noise ordinances are more of a consideration. Kyle Larson told reporters he did not notice a difference in cockpit cooling with the mufflers tested on Wednesday, but spoke positively of the idea overall.\n\n\"I definitely think our racecars are way too loud, and probably are still too loud with the mufflers,\" Larson said. \"I think the cars can be quieter just to help the fan experience.\"\n\nNotable crew changes\n\nNot one, but two of the biggest stars in NASCAR will have new eyes in the sky in 2024, as the spotters for both Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney announced they will be stepping down. Eddie D'Hondt announced Saturday he would not return as Elliott's spotter next season, followed Monday by Josh Williams announcing he would step down as Blaney's spotter.\n\nAccording to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Tim Fedewa, the longtime spotter for Kevin Harvick, will take over as the spotter for Blaney next season. A possible landing spot for Williams exists at Spire Motorsports, as Williams has previously spotted for Zane Smith in the Craftsman Truck Series.\n\nSpire Motorsports announced a number of personnel moves this week, hiring Stephen Doran as the crew chief for Smith's No. 71 Chevrolet and Luke Lambert as the crew chief of the No. 77 for Carson Hocevar. Doran joins Spire from Stewart-Haas Racing, where he was an engineer on the No. 4 team, while Lambert moves to Spire after being crew chief of the No. 42 at Legacy Motor Club in 2023.\n\nIn addition, Spire has also hired Doug Duchardt, whose career in racing has included stints at General Motors and Chip Ganassi Racing, as its new team president.\n\nDrivers on the move\n\n\n\nUnbeknownst to most at last Sunday's Washington Commanders game, many in NASCAR became aware of a part of Joe Gibbs Racing's 2024 plans in the Xfinity Series and the apparent hiring of a Cup veteran. While serving as a guest of the team, Joe Gibbs was seen introducing Aric Almirola to Commanders owner Josh Harris, with lip readers online ascertaining that Gibbs appeared to tell Harris that Almirola is now driving for them.\n\nAccording to Bob Pockrass, the expectation is that Almirola will drive part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing -- where he began his NASCAR career in the 2000s -- in the Xfinity Series, joining a driver lineup that will also include Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed. Such would align with the expectations for Almirola's racing future, as he had entertained continuing to race part-time when it was announced he would not return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.\n\nThe matter of Almirola's replacement in the SHR No. 10 has been a rather poorly-kept secret: It is widely expected the team will hire Noah Gragson as its new driver as Gragson looks to reclaim his standing as a bright young star following a disastrous rookie year in Cup with Legacy Motor Club. Gragson was recently spotted at Stewart-Haas Racing's shop, and he also drove a Ford in this past weekend's Snowball Derby with Rette Jones Racing.\n\nGragson did not let on to any 2024 plans in a recent conversation with Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut, instead choosing to discuss his regrets and personal growth from the end of his rookie season. Gragson resigned as the driver of the No. 42 in August while serving a month-long suspension after he was spotted having liked a racially insensitive meme on his Instagram account.\n\n\"There have been some challenges this year, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world,\" Gragson said. \"I don't know that I would change anything that has happened because I have learned from it and it gives me a chance to be a better person.\n\n\"In life, you either win or you learn, on and off the racetrack. The wins have been great, but you learn through the hardships and defeats. I am grateful to have good people around me, and I'm working really hard every day to hopefully get a second chance and to make the most of it.\"\n\nWhile the Stewart-Haas No. 10 seat is seemingly filled, some intrigue still exists as to exactly who will drive the No. 16 for Kaulig Racing next season. After running the car full-time in 2023, it was announced Thursday that A.J. Allmendinger would go back to full-time Xfinity Series racing for Kaulig in 2024, though he will continue to run a partial Cup schedule.\n\nThe assumption of many had been that the No. 16 would be taken over by Ty Dillon, but that assumption may have been premature. Weaver shared in a recent thread on X that information suggesting Dillon had been hired to drive the No. 16 was \"incorrect,\" casting ambiguity on both who will join Daniel Hemric at Kaulig next season as well as the exact plans of Dillon, who has bounced from team to team since Germain Racing shut down following the 2020 season.\n\nNuts and Bolts", + "At midnight last Friday, Alphonzo Terrell held up a glass of Dom Pérignon and toasted his one-year anniversary of being laid off at Twitter.\n\nIf it weren’t for that moment, he wouldn’t be in Austin at an AfroTech after-party, surrounded by thousands of people who now know his name and his social media app, Spill. As a competitor to the platform now known as X, Spill hails itself as a safer place for Black Americans and the LGBTQ community and has amassed around 200,000 users, he said. This past year, the app, which is still in beta mode, has raised a total of $5 million in pre-seed funding, including a recent $2 million extension round led by Collide Capital.\n\n“We put an invite-only beta in June, and within three weeks, it went viral,” Terrell told TechCrunch. “Suddenly, we’re supporting a city, we have data costs, we have infrastructure, we have to accelerate our building times, so we really needed an extension to do that effectively.”\n\nHis journey with Spill started last year at AfroTech. He arrived at the conference just days after being laid off from what was then Twitter, along with about 3,000 others amid Elon Musk’s acquisition. Terrell hopped on a call with former Twitter colleague DeVaris Brown about a business idea and spent three days in an Airbnb creating the pitch deck for what became Spill. At AfroTech, he went around taking last-minute coffee meetings, seeing who would give his company a chance. Flash-forward to this year and Spill is the cool kid in town.\n\nSo many apps have sprung up over the last year in an attempt to become “the new Twitter,” but no app has emerged as the dominant refuge for disillusioned Twitter users. Threads, Instagram’s supposed “Twitter killer,” got 100 million sign-ups within five days; the decentralized platform Mastodon has 1.8 million monthly active users; and the smaller upstart Bluesky hit 1 million users in September. Though still in beta, Spill’s community of 200,000 users may seem small in comparison, but Spill’s rise has shown that quality matters just as much as quantity — that building a strong core community is just as valuable as high-speed growth, even if the traditional venture model may not always incentivize thoughtful product development.\n\n“If you have a great experience, you’re going to grow,” Terrell said. “Especially in a world where you have so many networks — there are all these choices that people conceivably have — you’re gonna go to the one where you have the greatest experience and want to invest your time.”\n\nAnother app that spun out from laid-off former Twitter employees, Pebble (formerly T2), recently shut down after a year, growing to just 20,000 registered users. Its CEO, Gabor Cselle, previously had exits to Google and Twitter, but accepted that Pebble simply wasn’t competitive enough to stay afloat. But while Pebble sought to essentially clone Twitter, Spill’s team is building something that looks very little like it.\n\n“People are looking for something new,” Terrell said. “I think things that have really defined, unique value propositions are going to win over the long term — it might not be like there’s one winner-take-all.”\n\nEarlier this year, TechCrunch covered the founding of Spill, piquing the interest of Kapor Capital, which ended up writing the company its first check.\n\n“We had over 25,000 people join our waiting list in less than 24 hours from that article,” Terrell said.\n\nThis weekend, as CEO, Terrell took the AfroTech stage twice: once to interview Mitch and Freida Kapor, the founders of Kapor Capital, and a second to reveal a new app feature: Tea Party, which is similar to Instagram Live. The first user to host a Tea Party was actress Kerry Washington. Terrell’s next dream Tea Party host? Keke Palmer, who is already on Spill. So are other cultural icons like Questlove, Ava DuVernay and Janelle Monáe.\n\n“Tea Parties reflect the communities that we have always spoken very clearly that we are here to center,” Kenya Parham, Spill’s Global VP of Community and Partnerships, told TechCrunch. “Black communities, queer communities, women, non-binary and femme stories are all the way at the forefront, and the community is just eating it up.”\n\nAnne Griffin can attest to that. She’s a product manager based in New York and signed up for Bluesky, Spill and Threads last year. Out of those three, Spill is the only one she is still consistently using. “It feels much more rooted in authentic connection,” she told us about the app, praising its product features. “In a world where many social media algorithms focus on engagement at any cost, it’s refreshing to have an app that is focused on engagement around community in culture.”\n\nWashington, meanwhile, joined the platform organically; Spill has “not paid for a single acquisition to date,” Parham said, which speaks to the influence and respect that the app’s leadership has established in the entertainment and tech industries. Before Spill, Terrell led marketing teams at HBO and Showtime; Parham ran her own strategic communications consultancy, working with a laundry list of major production studios. So, already, Spill has wooed advertising partners like Netflix, Lionsgate, VH1, Showtime and Sony Pictures.\n\nSpill has come to be a bright spot in the post-Twitter era. Users are organizing in-person meetups in Atlanta, New York and “Spillicon Valley.” At AfroTech, Spill gave out customized tea bags created with the help of Nigerian-American tea sommeliers while lines formed to use a Spill-branded 360 camera at a house party, inspired by an actual trend on the app where people share photos of themselves on Fridays.\n\nThe app is set to exit beta and open to the public next year. As Terrell previously discussed with TechCrunch, the app has plans to pay creators for their cultural contributions to the app, which is especially important for Black creators in the creator economy.\n\n“We don’t get credit for all the contributions that we make,” Terrell said of Black artists in the space.\n\nDespite the robust year, however, the story for Spill is just beginning, with AfroTech reminding Terrell of how far they’ve come, but also how far they have to go.\n\n“To be able to make something for the community, it’s just really beautiful,” he said.\n\nUpdate, November 7, 2:20 PM: Spill’s seed extension is $2 million, not $2.75 million.", + "The Bears and Panthers entered Thursday night looking for progress, not playoff contention. If any team achieved that goal, it was Chicago.\n\nIt wasn't an aesthetically pleasing game, but that was never the expectation. The Bears grinded out a 16-13 victory behind a terrific defensive performance, a solid running game, and a few timely throws by Tyson Bagent.\n\nThe Panthers jumped out to an early lead on a punt returned for a touchdown by Ihmir Smith-Marsette, but they never found the end zone again. The only offensive touchdown of the night came in the third quarter, when D'Onta Foreman rumbled his way into the end zone to give Chicago a 16-10 lead.\n\nNFL WEEK 10 PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread\n\nAs it turned out, 16 points was all the Bears needed. After Eddy Pineiro cut Carolina's deficit to three early in the fourth quarter, Frank Reich put his trust in Pineiro again with the game on the line, sending him out for a 59-yard attempt on fourth-and-10 in the final minutes rather than trusting the offense to pick up the 10 yards. Pineiro's kick was short.\n\nWhile the decision to kick from 59 yards out might be second-guessed, Carolina's offense didn't give Reich much reason to believe. Bryce Young struggled to develop any kind of rhythm through the first three quarters, and even the Panthers' most successful drives were laborious, consistently requiring conversions on third and fourth down.\n\nWhile Young got little help from his receivers, who failed to get open all night, his struggles — including multiple passes that were nearly intercepted — are a reminder that the Panthers' offense is still a long way from resembling anything like the unit owner David Tepper envisioned when the franchise traded for the No. 1 pick in March.\n\nMORE: Why Frank Reich's job might already be at risk\n\nThe Bears (3-7) are hoping to get Justin Fields back in time for their Week 11 game in Detroit, but they've gotten a shot in the arm from Bagent, who improved to 2-2 as a starter with the win. The victory on Thursday was a win-win for Chicago, as the franchise owns the first-round pick of the Panthers (1-8).\n\nThe Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Bears vs. Panthers on \"Thursday Night Football.\" Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.\n\nBears vs. Panthers final score\n\n1 2 3 4 F Panthers 7 3 0 3 13 Bears 3 6 7 0 16\n\nBears vs. Panthers results, highlights from Thursday Night Football\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nFinal: Bears 16, Panthers 13\n\n11:11 p.m. — And now this one is officially over. The Bears pick up their third win of the season, while Carolina drops to 1-8 and faces more tough questions about Bryce Young and the offense.\n\n11:08 p.m. — Bagent hits Mooney for the first down on 3rd & 7, and the Panthers now won't be able to stop the clock.\n\n11:06 p.m. — Pineiro's attempt is SHORT from 59 yards out. The gamble fails for Frank Reich. The Panthers will hope to get the ball back.\n\n11:04 p.m. — Young is very nearly intercepted on 3rd & 10, and the Panthers say they've seen enough of the offense. Eddy Pineiro is attempting a 59-yard field goal to tie the game.\n\n11:00 p.m. — Miles Sanders gets himself wide open on fourth down to extend the drive. The Panthers are 3-for-3 on fourth down tonight despite their severe struggles for much of the game.\n\nBryce Young to Miles Sanders for the 2nd fourth down conversion of the drive#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Moaaj7cpqw — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n10:58 p.m. — It'll be fourth and about two yards when the Panthers return from the two-minute warning... Carolina is trying to claw its way into field goal range.\n\n10:57 p.m. — Thielen comes through with a nice catch on the run to give Carolina another first down.\n\n10:56 p.m. — Hayden Hurst with a bad drop on 2nd & 3. That would've opened up the field a bit for the Panthers.\n\n10:54 p.m. — Young drops back on 4th & Inches from deep in his own territory, but fortunately for Carolina he's able to run to the right and pick up the first down. The Panthers still have plenty of ground to cover to get into field goal range.\n\nBryce Young does just enough to extend the drive on 4th and inches#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YWvltQGepB — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n10:52 p.m. — The tush-push doesn't work for everyone. The Panthers try to push Chuba Hubbard forward on 3rd & 1, and he goes nowhere. It looks like they'll go for it again.\n\n10:49 p.m. — Deion Jones makes a great tackle to drop Roschon Johnson for a three-yard loss. The Bears will punt, giving the Panthers a chance to tie the game or more.\n\n10:46 p.m. — Bagent finds Kmet for a first down and more. Another nice play by Kmet, who has become a trusted target for Bagent in these four starts for the rookie.\n\nBears 16, Panthers 13\n\n10:42 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Pineiro's kick is good, and the Panthers now trail by a field goal.\n\n10:41 p.m. — Young's pass to Marshall is incomplete on third down. Marshall was well-defended, but he probably should've had that. It'll be a field goal try for Carolina.\n\n10:38 p.m. — You have to give some credit to Carolina's offense for converting, as Young finds Tremble for the first down on 4th & 6. The Panthers turn a 1st & 30 into a fresh set of downs.\n\n10:37 p.m. — A neutral zone infraction pulls the Panthers a bit closer, and they will line up to go for it on 4th & 6...\n\nEnd of third quarter: Bears 16, Panthers 10\n\n10:32 p.m. — The Panthers run it with Chuba Hubbard on 1st & 30. They're not showing much interest in letting Bryce Young air it out, even while trailing in a lost season.\n\n10:31 p.m. — It's 1st & 30 for the Panthers after back-to-back penalties. That's one way to erase great field position.\n\n10:29 p.m. — A less than impressive punt by Trenton Gill sets up Carolina well inside Bears territory. If there was ever a time for the Panthers' offense to get something going...\n\n10:28 p.m. — After an offensive pass interference call backs up the Bears, Chicago shows no interest in taking a shot and hands it off on 3rd & 19. The Panthers will have solid field position.\n\n10:26 p.m. — The Bears come out with three Foreman runs in four plays. After turnovers doomed them last week, they're playing it conservatively.\n\n10:21 p.m. — Young throws behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd & 15, which doesn't tend to convert. It'll be a Panthers punt, giving the Bears poor field position in the process.\n\n10:19 p.m. — Now Young hits Adam Thielen for another first down. How about that? Carolina is just about to midfield.\n\n10:18 p.m. — A rare first down for the Panthers as Young throws to Marshall for an 11-yard gain.\n\nBears 16, Panthers 10\n\n10:13 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Foreman runs it in for the score! That's the first offensive touchdown of the night, and it gives the Bears their first lead of the night.\n\n10:12 p.m. — A well-designed play is broken up by Donte Jackson in the end zone after the Bears pick up the first down.\n\n10:11 p.m. — The Bears are inching their way toward the goal line...it's 3rd & 1 from the five.\n\n10:10 p.m. — Foreman runs 11 yards for a first down, and the Bears are already in field goal range thanks to strong starting field position.\n\n10:06 p.m. — Outside of a 45-yard completion to Mike Strachan, Young is 7-of-16 for 24 yards. It's tough to recall any positive moments for the Panthers' offense tonight aside from that one play. Carolina has serious questions to answer.\n\n10:05 p.m. — Young gets a few yards back but is sacked by Yannick Ngakoue on third down. The Panthers will punt again.\n\nYannick Ngakoue gets his team off the field on 3rd down 😤#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/JPt1xc3b93 — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n10:04 p.m. — Bryce Young is now lining up in his own end zone after Miles Sanders was dropped for a six-yard loss.\n\n10:01 p.m. — Punt. Again.\n\n9:57 p.m. — The Panthers get a grand total of one yard (-4 including a delay of game penalty) and punt it away less than a minute into the first half.\n\nEnd of first half: Panthers 10, Bears 9\n\n9:40 p.m. FIELD GOAL — In a game that might be lucky to see an offensive touchdown, the Bears deserve some credit for that drive to work their way into field goal range. They trail 10-9 at the half.\n\n9:39 p.m. — Bagent narrowly avoids a sack and actually runs for positive yardage to move Santos' attempt closer. Chicago is down to three seconds, so here comes Santos.\n\n9:38 p.m. — A perfectly executed play to get the ball to Cole Kmet, who picks up the first down and then some but still gets out of bounds to stop the clock. The Bears are in field goal range.\n\nThe always reliable Cole Kmet gets the Bears into field goal range before the end of the half 👀#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ArYhsjmh7M — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n9:37 p.m. — The Panthers could use this D.J. Moore guy. Moore with a 14-yard grab to take the Bears into Carolina territory and give Chicago a real chance at points here. 46 seconds left.\n\n9:34 p.m. — The Bears still have plenty of ground to make up to get into field goal range, but a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Deion Jones helps inch them closer.\n\n9:29 p.m. — Tyrique Stevenson comes VERY close to a interception on an errant pass by Young, and the Panthers will punt with just over a minute left in the half.\n\n9:28 p.m. — An illegal contact penalty, the second of the night on the Bears, gives Carolina a fresh set of downs.\n\n9:25 p.m. — The Panthers will have 3rd & 3 out of the two-minute warning, just hoping to get in position for some points before halftime. They'll start the second half with the ball as well.\n\nPanthers 10, Bears 6\n\n9:19 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Bagent is fortunate just to hold onto a bad snap, but his pass is incomplete and brings out Cairo Santos. It's 10-6, Panthers.\n\n9:17 p.m. — A second big play by rookie Tyler Scott, who catches a 15-yard pass from Bagent to give the Bears a fresh set of downs. Chicago is into field goal range.\n\nRookie-to-rookie for a key first down 👀#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/nIw42qweEE — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n9:14 p.m. — Bagent hits Roschon Johnson for a first down to give the Bears some life. Chicago started with very strong field position, so this could quickly become a rare scoring opportunity.\n\n9:11 p.m. — A sack by Justin Jones quickly ends the Panthers' drive. Three-and-out for Carolina.\n\n9:07 p.m. — A promising drive ends in a punt for the Bears. Carolina has a chance to extend its lead to two possessions if Bryce Young can build on that 44-yard completion he had last time he was on the field.\n\nJustin Jones brings the heat to force a punt 😤#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wyEgT3GZ7q — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n9:05 p.m. — A holding call sets the Bears back to 2nd & 20...\n\n9:03 p.m. — After Foreman pushes forward for a key first down, rookie Tyler Scott takes off for 16 yards to take the Bears over midfield. Chicago is looking to tie the game on this drive.\n\n9:00 p.m. — Sexiest Man Alive Jason Kelce is in the booth with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit to start the second quarter.\n\nPanthers 10, Bears 3\n\n8:55 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Young comes under pressure on 3rd & 11 and just throws it into the ground. Former Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro drills the field goal, so Carolina still adds to its lead.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Panthers 7, Bears 3\n\n8:50 p.m. — Young throws downfield and hits Mike Strachan for a 44-yard gain. Mike Strachan? Mike Strachan. The Panthers are suddenly in business in Bears territory.\n\nMike Strachan's first catch as a Panther goes for 45 yards!#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/15stE4IGAz — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\nPanthers 7, Bears 3\n\n8:45 p.m. — Santos drills it anyway! A 54-yard kick. The Bears cut the deficit to 7-3.\n\n8:44 p.m. — A false start by Cody Whitehair erases what would've been a good 49-yard field goal...the Bears will keep Cairo Santos out there.\n\n8:43 p.m. — Chicago will try a field goal from 49 yards out after the drive fizzles out.\n\n8:41 p.m. — Foreman has been the Bears' best weapon tonight. He rips off an 11-yard run and now has 43 scrimmage yards in this first quarter.\n\n8:40 p.m. — The Bears rattle off two first downs on their first three plays, with Moore and Foreman grabbing passes from Bagent to take Chicago over midfield.\n\nPanthers 7, Bears 0\n\n8:36 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Ihmir Smith-Marsette returns the punt 79 yards for a touchdown! On a night that could be defined by bad offense, the Panthers get a huge early boost from their special teams unit. Carolina leads, 7-0.\n\nIhmir Smith-Marsette takes one back against his former team 🏠📞#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4MTENIL0r6 — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n8:35 p.m. — Bagent throws incomplete on third down, and the Bears will punt for the second time tonight.\n\n8:33 p.m. — Darnell Mooney goes for a first down after a nice run by D'Onta Foreman set up a 3rd & 2. The Bears have some breathing room.\n\n8:29 p.m. — Johnny Hekker pins the Bears at the one, so it'll be an uphill battle for Bagent and the offense on this upcoming drive.\n\nJohnny Hekker punts it to the 1 and @PatMcAfeeShow nods in approval somewhere#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/WKffggayuG — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n8:28 p.m. — Young is forced to throw it away on third down, so he Panthers will punt from just past midfield.\n\n8:26 p.m. — Young misses a wide open Terrace Marshall Jr. on second down, sailing the pass too high.\n\n8:25 p.m. — Two third downs, two scrambles for a first down by Young. He's not exactly known for his mobility, but he's far from immobile. Now let's see whether the Panthers can get the passing game going at all.\n\nSecond straight third down that ends in a scramble for a first down by Bryce Young#CARvsCHI on Prime Video\n\nAlso available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/mC5txmYqzP — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023\n\n8:23 p.m. — Nice awareness by Bryce Young to run for the first down on 3rd & 7, and the Panthers add five extra yards on an illegal contact penalty against Chicago.\n\n8:21 p.m. — Donte Jackson comes through with a nice pass breakup on third down, and the Bears will punt shortly after the quick first down.\n\n8:19 p.m. — D.J. Moore instantly makes an impact against his former team with a 16-yard grab.\n\n8:17 p.m. — Bagent and the Bears offense will start with the ball, and we are underway!\n\n8:09 p.m. — Perhaps the most interesting storyline tonight will be whether Al Michaels can keep a brave face throughout what might not be the most appealing game.\n\n8:00 p.m. — We're going to keep spirits high tonight despite a matchup of teams with a combined three wins. All football is good football! Let's see how long this mentality lasts...\n\n7:46 p.m. — It's 52 degrees and clear in Chicago right now, so certainly not as cold as it could be in the Windy City this time of year. Still, it's a rare colder-weather game for Bryce Young.\n\n7:30 p.m. — The Bears will be donning orange tonight, including an alternate orange helmet.\n\n7:10 p.m. — D.J. Moore is back facing his former team tonight, eight months after he was traded to the Bears in the deal that sent the No. 1 pick to Carolina.\n\n6:50 p.m. — Standout edge rusher Brian Burns is out with a concussion, dealing a major blow to the Panthers' defense.\n\nBrian Burns, CJ Henderson and DJ Chark among inactives.https://t.co/mL8EYWQKTs — Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 9, 2023\n\n6:35 p.m. — Bryce Young threw an interception in only one of his last five games before crashing back to Earth with three picks against the Colts last week. More than ever, it feels like this game will be won by the quarterback who can avoid turnovers. Bagent has thrown five picks in his last two starts.\n\n6:15 p.m. — Tyson Bagent will get the start for the Bears tonight, so it'll be an undrafted rookie facing a rookie No. 1 pick. Despite that, Chicago is favored.\n\nBears vs. Panthers start time\n\nDate: Thursday, Nov. 9\n\nThursday, Nov. 9 Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET\n\nThursday night's game between the Bears and Panthers is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. local time) from Soldier Field in Chicago.\n\nWhat channel is Bears vs. Panthers on today?\n\nGame: Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers\n\nChicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers Date: Thursday, Nov. 9\n\nThursday, Nov. 9 TV channel (Chicago) : WFLD (Channel 32)\n\n: WFLD (Channel 32) TV channel (Charlotte) : WSOC (Channel 9)\n\n: WSOC (Channel 9) Live stream: Amazon Prime Video | DAZN (in Canada)\n\nFor the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Bears and Panthers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video. The broadcast will be spearheaded by play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentator Kirk Herbstreit. Sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung will offer sideline updates throughout the game.\n\nFans in the Chicago and Charlotte markets can watch the Amazon broadcast over the air on local channels.\n\nThose in Canada can stream it on DAZN, which carries every NFL game all season.", + "The distance golf balls travel has increased multifold. So a change is necessary to address the issue. Otherwise, the golf courses need to be perpetually extended. Not us. This is the opinion of both Royal & Ancient (R&A) and United States Golf Association (USGA) officials who decided it’s time to bring in the golf ball rollback policy. According to them, with new technologies, golf balls are covering far more distance, resulting in lengthening the courses and incurring a greater financial burden on the golf clubs. Moreover, there are a growing number of voices who feel golf has become way less competitive nowadays.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nOn the other hand, there is a chance this might create bifurcation, which no one likes. The rules are non-binding in nature. So, tours and regional governing bodies can decide for themselves whether to implement them or not. Regardless, suppose R&A and USGA, which organize 35 championships between themselves, put this into action, and PGA and other Tours reject them. In that case, amateurs might be playing with ‘corrected’ balls, while the Tour pros will be playing with the same balls. Steeped in rich irony, indeed. Although the proposed rules are not set to be implemented before at least 2026, let’s explore the existing complications.\n\nWhat happens to the majors with the rollback policy?\n\n\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIf they pass the rules, the R&A that organizes The Open and the USGA, the organizer of the U.S. Open, will have the limited-flight balls in these two majors. What about the others? That’s for the Augusta National and PGA of America to decide.\n\nNotably, Seth Waugh, the PGA of America CEO, in a memo to R&A, denounced the proposals, taking along nine other PGAs across the globe. While Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National, didn’t exactly bang the drum for MLR, the former amateur golfer did stand behind the governing bodies, saying he would much prefer to see the issue finally addressed. Notably, Augusta infamously ‘Tiger-proofed’ their course to make it ‘tougher’ for golfers (read Tiger Woods).\n\nOne thing should be noted here. Although R&A and USGA both organize two LPGA majors, the Women’s Open and the U.S. Women’s Open, respectively, the rules will apply only to two men’s golf. Why? Because the average driving distance on the LPGA Tour is still well within the accepted norm of the two regulatory bodies. We haven’t heard any noise from the female circuit, even though Lexi Thompson shot a 316-yard drive at the Shrines Children’s Open. But the PGA Tour Pros and LIV Golf Pros chimed in with their thoughts.\n\nWhat do players think of this?\n\nMost players are less than happy with the change. And that reaction cut across the LIV Golf-PGA Tour divide. Justin Thomas, a fifteen-time winner on the Tour who is also a part of the PGA Tour policy board, termed it “selfish” on the USGA’s part. “I think the USGA over the years has, in my eyes, it’s harsh but made some pretty selfish decisions,” he stated. “They definitely, in my mind, have done a lot of things that aren’t for the betterment of the game, although they claim it.”\n\nThe 2022 PGA Championship winner drew an interesting comparison. In the NBA, players now jump much higher than they did in the 1990s. But the hoop height has stayed the same at 10 feet above the playing surface. The two-time Major winner credits the player’s grind for this.\n\nWhat Is the Model Local Rule? As the Golf Ball Rollback Debate Takes Off Once Again, All You Need To Know About the USGA?s and R&A?s Brainchild\n\nEchoing similar sentiments, Bryson DeChambeau, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, said, “It’s a great handicap for us guys that have worked really hard to learn how to hit it farther.” The 2020 U.S. Open Champion regularly crushes drives to 310–320 yards. No wonder he termed the policy “atrocious.”\n\nInterestingly, Rory McIlroy, whose average of 326.7 yards puts him on top of the PGA Tour’s driving distance leaderboard, backed this proposal for elite-level golfers. Speaking to the No Laying Up Podcast, the five-time Major winner said, “I think it’s going to help the overall professional game. I think making guys hit some long irons again and some mid irons and being able to hit every club in your bag in a round of golf.”\n\nWhat does the Big Cat have to say about this? After all, it was Tiger Woods, whose astounding power behind the shots in the late 90s and early 2000s started the debate. Surprisingly, the fifteen-time major winner feels a course correction is necessary here. “I think this should have happened a long time ago.”\n\nIn fact, he said something that might not sit well with most, “I’ve been of the position if you play in a pro event or you have a P next to your name, you should be playing a pro ball. If you have an A next to your name and you’re playing an amateur event, you should use an amateur ball.”\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nHow will the golf ball rollback policy affect LIV golfers?\n\nThe R&A and USGA have not made it binding on any governing bodies to implement the rules. For the breakaway league, this is the easiest path. One reason is that power hitters such as Bryson DeChambeau will be affected in more ways than one otherwise.\n\nSecondly, a league that thrives on thrills and excitement will lose its USP if the ball suddenly doesn’t travel 300 yards on most occasions. As of this year, 28 of 48 LIV golfers average over 300 yards driving distance. Dustin Johnson and DeChambeau are both in the top five.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nBut one crucial thing to remember here is that the golf ball rollback policy will render most balls totally ‘unplayable’. Moreover, the PGA Tour has contradicted itself several times in the past few years. It won’t be surprising if Monahan & Co. eventually decides to agree with the policy change sometime later. So, the question remains: how viable would it be for manufacturers to produce two types of balls, one for Majors and the other for LIV Golf? This just throws the world of golf into uncharted territory.\n\nWatch This Story: Is Tiger Woods Making Use Of Any Medical Aid After His Subtalar Fusion?", + "The coolest Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 feature wasn’t actually available when the watches launched last month. Double tap, which finally arrives today via the watchOS 10.1 update, lets you interact with the watch without ever needing to use the touchscreen. With a quick pinching motion, you can use it to scroll through the new smart stack of widgets in watchOS 10, pause or end timers, skip music tracks, and answer phone calls. It’s the sort of feature that you might read about and scoff at — until you’re unloading groceries from your car, hands full, and an important call comes through on your watch.\n\nDepending on who you are, this kind of scenario might happen multiple times a day or once in a blue moon. In the past few weeks with the watchOS 10.1 beta, some days I completely forgot double tap existed. Either my hands were free, or muscle memory kicked in and I’d use the watch as I always have. Other days, when my to-do list felt as long as a CVS receipt, I morphed into a double tap fiend, so much so that I sometimes felt like a flamenco dancer snapping away with their castanets.\n\nDouble tap activates the primary action of an app. GIF by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nI got a rundown of how double tap works when I reviewed the Series 9 and Ultra 2, but it hits differently once you start using it in your day-to-day life. Controlling gadgets with gestures is often gimmicky — tech that seeks to show off rather than solve a problem. But double tap does solve a genuine problem and is born from accessible design that serves real needs. That, in turn, made me more curious about what went into creating the gesture, the tech behind it, its limitations, and what it implies for the future of smartwatches.\n\nThe chip behind double tap\n\nDouble tap technically isn’t a new gesture so much. In 2021, Apple introduced Assistive Touch, an accessibility feature designed for people with limb differences or mobility issues. The idea was to give these folks a way to navigate through menus and control the Apple Watch without needing a second hand.\n\nOn the surface, it can seem like double tap is a rebadged version of Assistive Touch. That’s led to understandable confusion as to how the two features differ — and why double tap isn’t available on older Apple Watches that support Assistive Touch (Series 4 or later, including the first-gen SE and Ultra).\n\nThe short answer is that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have a more powerful chip. Specifically, the new S9 features four neural engines for machine learning, which is what powers double tap. On older watches, Assistive Touch was run on the main CPU. But is that distinction really enough to make a difference?\n\nThe double tap algorithm has to be able to sort through a lot of noisy data to detect when you are — and aren’t — making the gesture. GIF by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nYes, according to David Clark, senior director of Apple Watch software engineering. “Because we’re on a purpose-built part of the processor, we’re not contending with all the other things the CPU is doing at any given time,” says Clark. The result is the Series 9 and Ultra 2 are 15 percent more accurate at detecting the double tap gesture, and the feature itself is much less power intensive.\n\nI wouldn’t blame anyone for feeling skeptical. But there is an absurd amount of data that needs to be processed for double tap to work. At the most basic level, the algorithm that detects the double tap gesture is trained on data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart rate sensor collected from the wrist.\n\nApple says that while the double tap gesture evolved out of Assistive Touch, it requires the computing power of the S9 SiP. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nIf you know anything about wearable sensors, that’s not as simple as it sounds. Wrist data is incredibly tricky to work with because there’s a lot of noise in the signal. On top of calculating how light reflects off of blood pumping through your veins, smartwatch algorithms have to account for your arm (plus muscles, veins, and tendons) physically moving around during different activities like walking, running, and gesticulating. Another challenge is no two people have the exact same body. Differences in wrist size and limb length have to be taken into consideration.\n\nIronically, the years that Apple put into improving heart rate helped cut through that noise. According to Clark, “the gaps in reliable signals for heart rate” were what his team used to confirm subtler motions like the double tap gesture.\n\n“Reliability also means that when you’re doing things that are almost like a tap, or a double tap, that we’re not erroneously triggering the gesture.”\n\n“Reliability means that when you do the gesture, we’re able to detect it,” Clark says. “Reliability also means that when you’re doing things that are almost like a tap, or a double tap, that we’re not erroneously triggering the gesture. We got to make sure we’re able to detect the right thing through by tuning these things with the right scenarios.”\n\nMeaning, the algorithm also has to be able to differentiate when someone is in motion, the type of activities they’re doing, and what other features they may be using on the watch at a given point in time. Streaming music or taking calls might seem unrelated to double tap, but the algorithm must be able to account for the noise introduced by subsystems like LTE and Bluetooth. That’s harder to do well when everything is done on the main CPU.\n\nDouble-click for the wrist\n\nThat’s the technical side of the equation. But practically speaking, it’s easier to see how Assistive Touch and double tap differ once you try using both.\n\n“Assistive Touch is a comprehensive navigational system,” says Eric Charles, senior manager of Apple Watch Product Marketing. For instance, if you use Assistive Touch, you’ll notice a blue outline that visually cues the parts of a screen you can interact with when you can interact with them. You can enable a motion-based cursor as well. Another difference Charles points out is that with Assistive Touch, you have four gestures: single tap, double tap, clench, and double clench. According to Charles, it became evident early on that not everyone has the full strength to clench their hand, while others may not be able to do two quick, subsequent motions — such as a double tap.\n\nClenching is a gesture you can use with Assistive Touch, but it’s there to provide a wider range of options for people who may not be able to make a pinching motion. GIF by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\n“We don’t think of it necessarily as ‘Hey, there are four available gestures here.’ It’s that audience needs the ability to customize those gestures in a way that you don’t because your ability goes further than what they might be able to do.”\n\nDouble tap isn’t designed to help you navigate anything. The best way I can describe it is Assistive Touch is like the mouse to your computer. It scrolls, it selects, and it’s highly programmable. Double tap is more like the double-click portion of using a mouse. You use it solely to perform the main action of an app. And to do that, Apple had to spend a lot of time researching what people wanted or expected a single double tap to do.\n\n“We collected data over hundreds of users, thousands of instances of these gestures internally to create models that represent all the different use cases we think [double tap] will be used in,” explains Clark, noting that Apple cataloged all the potential user experiences that could potentially use double tap. It then solicited feedback from testers about how intuitive the feature was to use and whether it behaved in the way they expected. “There was an exhaustive list of screenshots, what those screens were, how a user could get to them, and then a detailed discussion through each and every one of those areas.”\n\nThe answers from that internal research were then iterated multiple times, taking into consideration different types of testers. Some were complete novices, while others were more familiar with the gesture, and others yet were experts in human interaction engineering. That extensive feedback process is also why double tap is no longer called double pinch in Assistive Touch.\n\n“We did a lot of testing internally, and one of the things we learned is that when you tell someone to pinch, they hold the lower part of the gesture more than they release. Tap evokes a release,” says Charles, who explained that the simple name change led to testers performing the gesture more accurately.\n\n(To be clear, we at The Verge will still be unofficially calling it the pinchy pinch.)\n\nThe limits of simplicity\n\nIn talking with Clark and Charles, it’s clear Apple went through such a tedious process because this is supposed to be one of those magical features that “just works.”\n\nAnd, when double tap performs as intended, it does feel a bit like the watch can read my mind. It’s genuinely cool to see double tap work with not just my index finger but the rest of them as well. To my surprise, it feels less gimmicky than I expected. But despite Apple’s efforts, it doesn’t take long to run into double tap’s limitations.\n\nDouble tap makes using the Smart Stack more intuitive, but I wish it could scroll AND select. GIF by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nMedia controls are a good example. Should a double tap either pause or play your music? Or should it let you skip to the next track? If you’re someone who uses your smartwatch to control playback on smart speakers, the former makes more sense. If you’re a runner and the wrong song pops up on your playlist, the latter is more useful. I’ve run into this in various scenarios, but this happens to be one of only two instances where you can choose what double tap does. (For me, I’ve set double tap to skip to the next track.)\n\nThat lack of choice is also apparent in third-party apps. My email app lets me double-tap to start a quick reply using Siri, but even in 2023, I am not dictating my emails. Apps like Spotify and Pocket Casts don’t work with double tap, either. Most third-party apps that do work with double tap just let you dismiss notifications. That’s helpful but still limiting.\n\nWith watchOS 10, apps like Fitness and Weather have been redesigned to be more glanceable. Instead of one long screen that you scroll endlessly through, information is divided into more digestible chunks. You still scroll, but there’s less of it. This is great, except I often want to use double tap to navigate through menus instead of the digital crown. And I can’t.\n\nYou can scroll through the new widget Smart Stack, but if I want to select a widget and open it, I still have to use my other hand. If I want to select a widget, I can customize it to do that, but it only ever selects the top widget. You have to just trust that Apple’s algorithms will surface the right widget.\n\nCustomizability is currently limited to music playback and the smart stack. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The double tap glyph lets you know when you can and can’t use the gesture to control an action. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nMultitasking is another area where double tap can fall short. If I want to pause a timer but have navigated away from that app, I have to either use my other hand or use Siri. Otherwise, I can wait for the timer to go off and use double tap to end the timer.\n\nMore customization would be the obvious answer, but it’s one that Apple was wary of for this first iteration of double tap.\n\n“While customization can be a really powerful tool, oftentimes customization is where a lot more complexity can come into the process,” says Clark. I get what Clark means. Not everyone, after all, has the patience to set up dozens of Focus modes or tinker with Shortcuts. If you want to keep things simple, you inevitably have to narrow the focus.\n\nA future of smartwatch gestures\n\nDespite the limitations, the combination of glanceable apps, widgets, Siri, and double tap has started to change how I use my Apple Watch. I never used to use the more analog, aesthetically pleasing watchfaces because it meant sacrificing my complications. With double tap, I can use those watchfaces now because all I have to do is flick my wrist and double tap to view my widgets. If I want to launch the app, I can just ask Siri to open it.\n\nYou can already use multiple fingers for the double tap gesture. It’s not hard to imagine other iterations down the line. GIF by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nIt doesn’t always work that seamlessly. There are times when the primary action isn’t what I want to do, or eventually, I get to the point where I have to use my other hand. (In the above example, once I ask Siri to open the app, I may have to scroll with the digital crown to reach the information I need.) But it’s not hard to imagine future iterations of double tap can both scroll and select. Something that’s not quite as comprehensive as Assistive Touch but strikes a finer balance between simplicity and customizability — without relying too much on Apple trying to figure out what it is you want to do.\n\nEven now, with double tap’s existing limitations, I can do more while on the go and without my phone. I find myself reaching for it much less — or when I do, it’s for much more intentional purposes like reading, shopping, or watching a video. The past few weeks with double tap have felt like a glimpse into a smartwatch future that’s independent of phones — devices that, instead of triaging notifications and calls, handle them entirely.", + "In the wake of the Wallabies’ World Cup flop, the Queensland Rugby Union have reaffirmed their position that they are committed to moving to a centralised high-performance model but won’t follow the NSW Waratahs by handing over the keys to Rugby Australia.\n\nThey also expressed their strong support for Rugby Australia to conduct a “fully independent and transparent top-to-bottom review of the Wallabies program and how it can be improved” in light of the historic first World Cup pool exit.\n\nThey added: “It should also provide a clear view of what is needed in a leadership and governance framework to ensure we put the right people, in the right roles, in the right system.”\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nThe QRU has also expressed their desire for Rugby Australia to reinstate the annual $1.7 million in funding to each of the Super Rugby franchises that was withdrawn following the Covid pandemic to help keep the game afloat.\n\nIn the open letter to their members on Wednesday morning, QRU chief executive David Hanham and chairman Brett Clark moved to update constituents on the reform measures that RA is attempting to usher through the game.\n\nLast week, The Roar revealed that the New South Wales Rugby Union was in the latter stages of handing over their license to RA.\n\nBy doing so, the NSW Waratahs, who were on the brink of insolvency, handed over their commercial and high-performance property.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe decision will see all male and female Waratahs players, including coaches and high-performance staff, as well as all commercial and operations staff, run out of RA’s office.\n\nNSW Waratahs chief executive Paul Doorn informed stakeholders of the decision last week.\n\nRA is cognisant that not every Super Rugby franchise will follow suit immediately, but the governing body is hopeful that now one of the two biggest states has agreed to hand over the keys, others will follow suit swiftly. The Melbourne Rebels are expected to follow.\n\nRA chief executive Phil Waugh says building trust back between the governing body and states is essential to their plans.\n\nUnder fire Wallabies coach Eddie Jones also advocated for Australian rugby to move to a centralised model, believing the nation had fallen behind the rest of the world.\n\n“We’re a state-based union that’s run by the states, the national union wants to assume more responsibility and when things were going well, no one questioned that,” Jones said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“But over the last period of time, they haven’t been going so well and this tournament’s probably been the icing on the cake where it’s got to a stage where I think people, most people probably think there’s time for change. But it’s not going to go easy.\n\n“[It’s] one of the key issues. We need to maximize the development of the players. At the end of the day, that’s the key to success and alignment of your resources, for a small country.\n\n“Because Australia, if you look at the history of rugby, when we were amateur, we were probably ahead of the game because we had the influence of rugby league. We had the influence of AFL and our players were more professional than the rest of the world.”\n\nHe added: “I know what’s going on and we need to get a better system of developing players. We need to develop better players and we need to develop a larger batch of better players and that only comes through changing the whole system.”\n\nWhile all five Australian Super Rugby sides fundamentally are on board with regards to moving to a centralised high-performance program, The Roar added that some states, including the ACT Brumbies as well as the QRU, don’t want to give up their commercial assets.\n\nThe QRU confirmed that on Wednesday morning.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The QRU is committed to working with Rugby Australia to lead reform of our game at a high-performance level, and help Rugby Australia develop an improved game through high-performance centralisation,” the statement read.\n\n“Centralisation” would include a national player-contracting model, and alignment of key high-performance staff, such as coaching, strength and conditioning, and medical to operate as one national system.”\n\nThe letter pointed to RA’s involvement in Les Kiss’ appointment as Reds coach, with the former State of Origin winger turned coach, who has spent the best part of two decades coaching in Ireland and England, replacing Brad Thorn.\n\nAs The Roar has previously reported, the QRU stopped short of wanting to hand over its commercial property.\n\n“While the QRU is very supportive of high-performance alignment, it will not agree to any proposal on centralising commercial or corporate functions,” the letter read.\n\n“The very strength of our State unions is the expertise they bring in their own markets.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We are open to work on commercial initiatives together but will always retain our independence for the benefit of Queensland Rugby, its members and stakeholders.\n\n“Queensland Rugby has built a sustainable business model through the elimination of legacy operating debt, delivered four-straight operating profits and worked in partnership with Governments to successfully deliver $31 million of improvements to Ballymore through the construction of the National Rugby Training Centre, the home of the Wallaroos and Queensland Reds.”\n\nThe letter also pointed to the 71,000 players across the state, including more than 16,000 of those female participants, 257 schools featuring rugby as part of its program, as well as its Hospital Cup competition and regional club competitions, as evidence that the game was in good health in Queensland.\n\nThe QRU also expressed its satisfaction that RA was willing to discuss the annual $1.7m being reinstated, which had been withheld because of the Covid pandemic to keep the game afloat.\n\nMeanwhile, The Roar understands the ACT Brumbies have sent RA confirmation of solvency for the next 12 months.\n\nRA was forced to take out a $40m loan from Ares to keep the game afloat.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhile RA has around another $15m left to spend from the loan, the governing body is looking to borrow up to another $60m so they’re in the strongest possible position to capitalise on the two major money-making events – the 2025 British and Irish Lions series and home men’s World Cup in 2017 – and succeed.\n\nRA is also in the early stages of looking to renew its next broadcast deal, with the governing body hoping to at least double its current deal with Nine Entertainment/Stan Sport, which is seeing them paid $29m per year until the end of 2025.", + "Rugby Australia is moving closer to naming their new director of high-performance, with World Rugby’s director of high-performance Peter Horne set to take on the role – and the move could help land highly-regarded coach Joe Schmidt for the vacant Wallabies job.\n\nAs The Roar reported last week, Horne had emerged as the leading candidate in recent weeks.\n\nIt’s believed he has edged out former Sydney University, Australian Sevens and Harlequins’ director of rugby Billy Millard for the role.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nThe finer points of the negotiations are being out, but it’s likely Horne will be announced over the next week once the sports administrator wraps up a crucial series of meetings this week with World Rugby.\n\nHorne is leading World Rugby meetings with tier-two nations this week in Sydney, with former Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui in attendance before he officially wraps up and joins World Rugby.\n\nHis appointment reflects RA’s desire to go down an administrative path rather than former coach of any standing like Millard would have offered.\n\nHorne, who joined World Rugby in 2015 as a general manager of high-performance before moving into his current role, will sit at the top of the high-performance tree, with the next Wallabies coach to report into him.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDuring his tenure with World Rugby, the Sydneysider has played an important role in setting up competitions, high-performance structures and pathways across developing countries.\n\nHe also played a role in helping Super Rugby integrate Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika into the competition.\n\nThose successes played out in the recent Rugby World Cup, with Chili, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal delivering encouraging performances that positively reflected World Rugby’s desire to spread and build the game. Horne briefly worked at Saracens as a general manger.\n\nRA always said they wanted to have the role filled by Christmas, with chief-executive Phil Waugh saying the successful candidate had one of the biggest jobs to change the game’s standing in Australia.\n\n“It’s a big job,” Waugh said. “It’s the biggest job on my leadership team in terms of the impact it has on the general sentiment around the game.”\n\nHorne will oversee all of Australia’s men’s and women’s high-performance programs.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHe will also be tasked with “integrating” the programs, with RA trying to centralise all of the Super Rugby’s high-performance programs.\n\nPerhaps most pressing will be building a list of coaching candidates to take over from Eddie Jones, with RA wanting to have the new Wallabies coach set in stone by the start of Super Rugby.\n\nHorne’s close relationship with former Ireland coach and All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt could be one of the keys to landing the 2018 World Rugby coach of the year.\n\nAfter leaving his Irish post after six years following the 2019 World Cup, Schmidt worked alongside Horne at World Rugby.\n\nIt’s believed the duo have a strong working relationship.\n\nWhile Schmidt’s Irish side bombed out in successive quarter-finals under his leadership, the New Zealander took the Emerald Isle to the top of World Rugby’s rankings.\n\nAlong the way, Schmidt played an instrumental role in not just seeing them become one of the world’s best teams but helped usher through transformational change off the field, as Ireland moved to a centralised system.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nSchmidt briefly exited the international coaching scene following the 2019 World Cup, citing a desire to move home to New Zealand to be closer to his family.\n\nBut after initially moving back into the coaching fray with the Blues in Super Rugby, he joined the All Blacks ahead of last year’s Rugby Championship as New Zealand Rugby shook the All Blacks coaching team up following their historic series loss to Andy Farrell’s Irish.\n\nSchmidt’s expertise proved telling, with he and Jason Ryan transforming the All Blacks and helping Ian Foster’s side reach the final of this year’s World Cup after stunning wins over Ireland and Argentina in the knockout stages.\n\nImportantly, the 58-year-old, The Roar understands, is interested in the Wallabies coaching job.\n\nDan McKellar, Stephen Larkham, Andy Friend and Ian Foster remain interested in the role.\n\nShould RA move on him, Schmidt’s backing would be largely supported by the Super Rugby franchises, with several sources telling The Roar that the experienced coach is exactly the type of person the Wallabies need.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAfter a year in where the Wallabies’ detail and nous was clearly absent on the field, the highly detailed Schmidt would help bring rugby smarts to the Australian program.\n\nIndeed, the manipulation and ability to play both sides of the ruck was clearly visible by Ireland during his Irish tenure.\n\nWhat’s more, should RA go down a path of bringing Schmidt into the fold, his own relationship with Ireland’s long-time director of high-performance David Nucifora could see the Australian reconsider his position with the governing body.\n\nLast year Nucifora told The Roar he would unlikely consider returning to RA when he leaves his post with Ireland following next year’s Olympics.\n\n“I don’t think it’d be wise to revisit,” Nucifora said.\n\n“I think that you have a go at something once, you do your best and then if it’s not good enough or it didn’t work you move on, do something else.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“What’s changed back there that I could think that, what I can offer, can change what they’re doing still?\n\n“I’ll always love rugby. I’ll always love Australian rugby. Could I see myself working in Australia again? I doubt it.”\n\nBut RA have been making moves to try and twist Nucifora’s arm.\n\nWhile Nucifora was never in the running for the director of high-performance, it’s understood they are trying to get him on board as a consultant when he wraps up with Ireland.", + "As we trot into Turkey Day week, only three more regular-season weeks remain until the fantasy football playoffs. Every decision — from the tough starts to the difficult sits; the savvy waiver adds to the costly drops — can ultimately decide whether your team is a contender or a pretender. Our Week 12 fantasy RB rankings for standard leagues will help guide you to the right moves and hopefully land you a big \"W\" for which to be thankful.\n\nTrade deadlines have passed in most leagues, so the majority of fantasy owners must soldier on toward the home stretch with the main core they have built to this point. On a positive note, we have no byes to worry about this — just plenty of short turnarounds, some potential weather concerns, and of course, the dreaded injury bug. Fortunately for us, we have been ahead of the curve with sleepers and breakouts all season, so we're more prepared to weather any storm than the average fantasy Joe.\n\nLet's get right to our Week 12 RB rankings so you can fully prepare for Thanksgiving week and put out a lineup with backs who will feast like the rest of us.\n\nMORE: Watch NFL RedZone live with Sling (50% off first month)\n\nWhich RBs are on bye in Week 12?\n\nNone! It's a Thanksgiving miracle! Not only do we not have any byes to worry about this week, but we also have NFL action on four different days (Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday).\n\nWEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nIn some ways, however, a bye-free week at this stage of the season presents more challenges than ever. Whereas byes make some start 'em, sit 'em decisions no-brainers, 16-game weeks make it a lot easier to get lineup decisions wrong. Don't worry — we'll steer you in the right direction and keep you apprised of all the information you'll need throughout the week.\n\nWEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy RBs in Week 12?\n\nAs always, Christian McCaffrey (@ Seahawks in Week 12) heads the list as the most matchup-proof running back in the NFL. Right behind him, Austin Ekeler (vs. Ravens) will look to bounce back after an uncharacteristically rough showing in Green Bay last week.\n\nAgainst the Commanders last week, Saquon Barkley (vs. Patriots) looked as good as we've seen him this season (140 total yards, two TDs). The Pats have surrendered 116 scrimmage yards per game and nine total TDs to RBs this season, so we like Barkley to pick up where he left off this Sunday (drive up that free-agency value, 'Quon!).\n\nYou don't see running mates cracking the top five very often, but we had to make the exception for David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs (vs. Packers). Entering Week 11, Green Bay had surrendered nearly 140 all-purpose yards per game to RBs. Between Detroit's o-line, the Lions' high-flying offensive attack, and the ruthless 1-2 punch DMont and Gibbs have been this season, the feast could be on very early for Dan Campbell's guys.\n\nTake a collective sigh of relief, Tony Pollard (vs. Commanders) owners! TP looked solid against Carolina last week, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and finally getting into the end zone for the first time since Week 1. We have the Cowboys back just outside our top five with a juicy matchup against a Washington D that just got lit up by Saquon and the G-men.\n\nRaheem Mostert (@ Jets) should continue to eat for Miami, with rookie De'Von Achane (knee) unfortunately getting hurt almost immediately after returning from IR (more on that later). Gang Green hasn't been nearly as good against the run as it has been against the pass, as Jets opponents have averaged 139 rushing yards per game over the past two weeks. 'Fins backup Salvon Ahmed also landed on the IR with a foot injury, so consider stashing Jeff Wilson Jr. as a handcuff.\n\nRounding out the top 10, the trio of Travis Etienne (@ Texans), Josh Jacobs (vs. Chiefs), and Breece Hall (vs. Dolphins) will be looking to bounce back from disappointing Week 11 outings on the ground. All three of these backs have been mostly solid, and none have much to worry about in terms of backfield competition.\n\nWEEK 12 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy RB sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 12?\n\nSleep on Rhamondre Stevenson (@ Giants) at your own peril. 'Mondre has accumulated 231 yards from scrimmage and a TD over New England's past two games, and the Pats are coming off bye. Washington just carved the G-men up like a turkey on the ground last week, surrendering a whopping 174 yards and a TD. Gobble gobble.\n\nGet Kyren Williams (@ Cardinals) right back into your lineup the moment Los Angeles activates him from IR. Arizona just made Devin Singletary look like Barry Sanders, so Williams (ankle) should enjoy a triumphant return to the field. Keep rolling with Alexander Mattison (vs. Bears), too, against another below-average run defense.\n\nWelcome to the top 25, Zach Charbonnet (vs. 49ers)! With Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury comes opportunity for the rookie, who already looked strong in the month leading up to Seattle's narrow Week 11 loss to the Rams. Sure, Charbs' 69-yard effort in Los Angeles last week was a bit underwhelming, but we love his upside with a full game as the Seahawks' bell-cow.\n\nSpeaking of bell-cow backs, things are looking very promising for the short-term workload of Green Bay's AJ Dillon (@ Lions). Veteran Aaron Jones (knee) and rookie Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) both got hurt in Week 11, so Dillon should be the main man in Motown for the Pack. Power backs have enjoyed the most success against the Lions, as evidenced last week by Chicago's Roschon Johnson averaging 5.0 yards per carry and D'Onta Foreman finding paydirt.\n\nWEEK 12 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWho are the biggest potential RB busts in Week 12?\n\nWe don't quite have the intestinal fortitude to bench Derrick Henry (vs. Panthers), but we must absolutely temper our expectations with the dude at this point. Over the past two weeks, he has tallied just 64 total yards on 23 touches (2.8 yards per touch). Carolina served as Tony Pollard's get-right game last week, so fire King Henry up if you have him. If he falters against the Panthers, you better have a backup plan moving forward (picking up Tyjae Spears as insurance is a good place to start).\n\nBoth Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman (@ Cardinals) would be decent dart throws in a week filled with byes, but their floors in a zero-bye week seem too low to trust them if Kyren Williams is back and at 100 percent. The matchup is juicy, but we have no idea what to expect from a touch-share perspective, so these guys are no better than desperation, TD-dependent flexes.\n\nSpeaking of guys coming back from injury, we saw Khalil Herbert (@ Vikings) return to the field for Chicago against the Lions last week. However, his performance left a lot to be desired. He finished with just 35 yards on 16 carries and wound up vastly overshadowed by Justin Field's 100-yard rushing effort. Even worse, D'Onta Foreman scored the Chi's lone rushing TD on the afternoon.\n\nI don't care what your team looks like — you shouldn't be starting Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders (@ Titans). They weren't awful against Dallas last week on a per-touch basis, but neither finished with more than 12 touches. Even worse, no Carolina back has enjoyed a 60-yard rushing game since Oct. 15. Bad offensive line, negative game scripts, awful coaching — it's all bad, man!\n\nWhat are the biggest RB injuries in Week 12?\n\nSecond-year Seahawks back Kenneth Walker III suffered an oblique injury in Week 11 that the ever-hip Pete Carroll referred to as \"legit.\" KW3 has a better chance of missing multiple weeks than he does at suiting up for Seattle's Thanksgiving Day game against Fred Warner and the 49ers. If Zach Charbonnet somehow finds himself on your waiver wire, an early Merry Christmas to you if you have the FAAB or a high waiver priority.\n\nThe hits just keep on coming for the Packers' Aaron Jones, who suffered a knee injury but seems to have at least caught a break in the sense that he didn't tear his ACL. However, even a moderate MCL sprain could mean a multi-week absence for the injury-prone veteran back, especially in a lost season for the 4-6 Pack. Rookie Emanuel Wilson also hurt his shoulder in Week 11, so AJ Dillon could be getting the keys to Green Bay's backfield castle (although it's more of an oversized shack, at this point).\n\nDolphins rookie De'Von Achane, who looked like the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year earlier this season, looked to have aggravated his MCL injury upon his Week 11 return against the Raiders. Achane has a chance to return for Miami's Week 12 tilt with the Jets on Friday, but we wouldn't be surprised if the 7-3 'Fins play it safe and keep him out until he's back to 100 percent. Meanwhile, Miami placed backup Salvon Ahmed on IR with a foot injury, so Jeff Wilson Jr. could be back in play as a handcuff stash.\n\nBears veteran D'Onta Foreman injured his ankle in Week 11. He could miss some time now that Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson are both back in action for Chicago. The best runner on the Bears, however, is QB Justin Fields when he's active.\n\nTexans back Dameon Pierce returned to practice late last week, but he remained out with his ankle injury against the Cardinals. We could see him return to the field this weekend, but for now, we're keeping him off our rankings until we hear more positive news. Either way, it seems Devin Singletary is the new RB1 in this breakout offense.\n\nWe'll be updating these standard RB rankings all week, so check back for the latest player movement.\n\nFantasy RB Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at running back\n\nRankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Christian McCaffrey, 49ers @ Seahawks\n\n2 Austin Ekeler, Chargers vs. Ravens\n\n3 Saquon Barkley, Giants vs. Patriots\n\n4 David Montgomery, Lions vs. Packers\n\n5 Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions vs. Packers\n\n6 Tony Pollard, Cowboys vs. Commanders\n\n7 Raheem Mostert, Dolphins @ Jets\n\n8 Travis Etienne, Jaguars @ Texans\n\n9 Josh Jacobs, Raiders vs. Chiefs\n\n10 Breece Hall, Jets vs. Dolphins\n\n11 Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots @ Giants\n\n12 Alvin Kamara, Saints @ Falcons\n\n13 Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs @ Raiders\n\n14 Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders @ Cowboys\n\n15 Bijan Robinson, Falcons vs. Saints\n\n16 Jonathan Taylor, Colts vs. Buccaneers\n\n17 James Conner, Cardinals vs. Rams\n\n18 D'Andre Swift, Eagles vs. Bills\n\n19 Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Steelers\n\n20 Derrick Henry, Titans vs. Panthers\n\n21 Rachaad White, Buccaneers @ Colts\n\n22 Kyren Williams, Rams @ Cardinals\n\n23 Alexander Mattison, Vikings vs. Bears\n\n24 Gus Edwards, Ravens @ Chargers\n\n25 Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks vs. 49ers\n\n26 Javonte Williams, Broncos vs. Browns\n\n27 AJ Dillon, Packers @ Lions\n\n28 Jerome Ford, Browns @ Broncos\n\n29 Devin Singletary, Texans vs. Jaguars\n\n30 Kareem Hunt, Browns @ Broncos\n\n31 James Cook, Bills @ Eagles\n\n32 Jaylen Warren, Steelers @ Bengals\n\n33 Najee Harris, Steelers @ Bengals\n\n34 Khalil Herbert, Bears @ Vikings\n\n35 Tyler Allgeier, Falcons vs. Saints\n\n36 Chuba Hubbard, Panthers @ Titans\n\n37 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots @ Giants\n\n38 Latavius Murray, Bills @ Eagles\n\n39 Roschon Johnson, Bears @ Vikings\n\n40 Joshua Kelley, Chargers vs. Ravens\n\n41 Keaton Mitchell, Ravens @ Chargers\n\n42 Ty Chandler, Vikings vs. Bears\n\n43 Dameon Pierce, Texans vs. Jaguars\n\n44 Royce Freeman, Rams @ Cardinals\n\n45 Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins @ Jets\n\n46 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys vs. Commanders\n\n47 Antonio Gibson, Commanders @ Cowboys\n\n48 Miles Sanders, Panthers @ Titans\n\n49 Tyjae Spears, Titans vs. Panthers\n\n50 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs @ Raiders\n\n51 Dalvin Cook, Jets vs. Dolphins\n\n52 Zack Moss, Colts vs. Buccaneers\n\n53 Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles vs. Bills\n\n54 Tony Jones Jr., Cardinals vs. Rams\n\n55 Elijah Mitchell, 49ers @ Seahawks\n\n56 Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos vs. Browns\n\n57 Justice Hill, Ravens @ Chargers\n\n58 Chase Edmonds, Buccaneers @ Colts\n\n59 Boston Scott, Eagles vs. Bills\n\n60 Tank Bigsby, Jaguars @ Texans\n\n61 Jamaal Williams, Saints @ Falcons\n\n62 Samaje Perine, Broncos vs. Browns\n\n63 Matt Breida, Giants vs. Patriots\n\nWeek 12 RB fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks\n\nDraft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week\n\nWe're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 12 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for running backs -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!\n\nTRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!", + "The Rangers continue to be unstoppable road warriors.\n\nTexas picked up its ninth consecutive road victory in these playoffs after defeating the Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series, 3-1.\n\nThe Rangers were powered by some two-out magic in the third inning, as Marcus Semien finally found his bat with an RBI single before Corey Seager demolished a two-run home run 421 feet to right field.\n\nJon Gray got credited with the win after Max Scherzer was pulled from the contest with a lower back injury through three scoreless innings. Gray was fantastic in a surprise relief appearance, throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed.\n\nThe Diamondbacks' offense struggled to string together hits and couldn't cash in when they had runners in scoring position. Even though they out-hit the Rangers, Arizona's bats hardly put any pressure on Texas' pitching.\n\nMORE: Watch 2023 World Series games live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nIf you missed any of the action from Game 3 where the Rangers took a 2-1 series lead over the Diamondbacks, The Sporting News had you covered with live updates and highlights below.\n\nRangers vs. Diamondbacks final score\n\n1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F Rangers 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Diamondbacks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1\n\nWorld Series result, highlights from Game 3\n\n(All times are Eastern.)\n\nNinth inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 1\n\n10:56 p.m.: Bottom of 9th — And José Leclerc strikes out both Christian Walker and Tommy Pham swinging to end the game! Rangers win! That's nine straight road victories for Texas.\n\nJosé Leclerc seals the W in Game 3 of the #WorldSeries for the @Rangers! 👏\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/mvGRsBnLh3 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023\n\n10:51 p.m.: Bottom of 9th — Gabriel Moreno thought he had a lead-off walk but the home plate umpire saw it as a strike even though it was off the plate. Moreno grounded out to third on the next pitch. A tough break for the Diamondbacks.\n\n10:49 p.m.: Bottom of 9th — Rangers closer José Leclerc is in to try and secure the save.\n\n10:46 p.m.: Top of 9th — Nathaniel Lowe hit a comebacker at Andrew Saalfrank but the ball ricocheted right to Ketel Marte who pitched it to Christian Walker to end the inning.\n\n10:44 p.m.: Top of 9th — Jonah Heim struck out swinging and with two outs, that'll do it for Luis Frias. LHP Andrew Saalfrank will come in to face LHH Nathaniel Lowe to try and close out the inning.\n\n10:39 p.m.: Top of 9th — Mitch Garver flew out to center and the Diamondbacks almost caught Evan Carter slipping, nearly doubling up the rookie at first. Arizona challenged to see if Carter touched second base on his way back but the challenge was unsuccessful.\n\n10:35 p.m.: Top of 9th — The Diamondbacks are sticking with Luis Frias, but he walked Evan Carter to start the inning.\n\nEighth inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 1\n\n10:31 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — And Aroldis Chapman escapes trouble! Corey Seager makes a great backhand play on a grounder from Ketel Marte, setting up a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Rangers remain in the lead 3-1.\n\nWOW. 🤯\n\n\n\nWhat a double play to get out of the inning!!\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/zslK4k9L6X — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023\n\n10:30 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — Aroldis Chapman gets Corbin Carroll to strike out looking, freezing the star rookie on a filthy slider.\n\n10:26 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — Geraldo Perdomo drives in Emmanuel Rivera! The No. 8 and 9 spots in Arizona's lineup deliver as Perdomo rips an RBI single into left. Here comes the top of the order with no outs. Rangers lead 3-1.\n\n10:25 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — The pinch-hit decision pays off as Emmanuel Rivera drives a double down the line in right. Let's see if the Diamondbacks can finally cash in.\n\n10:20 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — LHP Aroldis Chapman is coming in for Josh Sborz. The Diamondbacks were going to pinch-hit LHH Pavin Smith for Evan Longoria but once the Rangers elected to bring in Chapman, Arizona pivoted to RHH Emmanuel Rivera.\n\n10:19 p.m.: Bottom of 8th — Adolis Garcia is leaving the game with an oblique injury. Travis Janowski will take his place in right field.\n\n10:15 p.m.: Top of 8th — Luis Frias does his job, sending down the Rangers' top of the order with ease. Marcus Semien grounded out to second, Corey Seager struck out swinging and Adolis Garcia flew out to center. Something to monitor: Garcia came up holding his left side after the swing that ended the inning.\n\nAdolis Garcia is coming out of the game following an apparent injury. pic.twitter.com/m5LV1b4QEX — The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 31, 2023\n\n10:10 p.m.: Top of 8th — RHP Luis Frias is in for Kyle Nelson after one inning of work.\n\nSeventh inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n10:07 p.m.: Bottom of 7th — Josh Sborz battles through to get out of a jam! He got both Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas to strike out swinging, leaving Tommy Pham stranded on second.\n\n10:03 p.m.: Bottom of 7th — Christian Walker grounded out to second to start the inning but Tommy Pham injected some life in the Diamondbacks' crowd with a double to deep center. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is coming to the plate with Alek Thomas on deck.\n\n10:00 p.m.: Bottom of 7th — Jon Gray was rolling, but Bruce Bochy will elect to turn to RHP Josh Sborz for the bottom of the 7th. Gray was fantastic in a surprise relief appearance, delivering three scoreless innings with three K's and just one hit allowed.\n\n9:58 p.m.: Top of 7th — Kyle Nelson sends the Rangers down in order. Nathaniel Lowe took him deep to the warning track but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was there to track it down. Josh Jung grounded out to short and Leody Tavares grounded out to third.\n\n9:53 p.m.: Top of 7th — LHP Kyle Nelson will enter the game for Miguel Castro with a couple of lefties, Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung, coming to the plate to start the inning.\n\nSixth inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n9:49 p.m.: Bottom of 6th — The Diamondbacks picked up just their third hit of the game on a two-out Ketel Marte single on a line drive off of Marcus Semien's glove, but they failed to make any noise. Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll both struck out, and Gabriel Moreno flew out to right to end the inning.\n\n9:42 p.m.: Top of 6th — Evan Carter punched a single to left but Miguel Castro worked his way out of a jam. Mitch Garver flew out to center and Jonah Heim grounded out to third, where Evan Longoria made a nice play and throw to get the runner in time.\n\n9:35 p.m.: Top of 6th — Corey Seager flew out to center to start the inning but Brandon Pfaadt's night will be over after he issued a free pass to Adolis Garcia. Torey Lovullo will go to RHP Miguel Castro with Evan Carter coming to the plate.\n\nPfaadt finished with four strikeouts and three earned runs on four hits and two walks over 5.1 innings.\n\nFifth inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n9:28 p.m.: Bottom of 5th — Jon Gray is cruising. Despite an impromptu appearance, the Rangers pitcher has sent down the first six batters he has faced. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas both grounded out and Evan Longoria popped out to first in foul play.\n\n9:19 p.m.: Top of 5th — Brandon Pfaadt survives a lead-off walk to Nathaniel Lowe unscathed. He struck out Josh Jung, then Leody Tavares lined out to third and Marcus Semien grounded out to third to end the inning.\n\nFourth inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n9:07 p.m.: Bottom of 4th — Jon Gray didn't need much time to settle in. He struck out Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker grounded out to third and Tommy Pham flew out to center for an easy 1-2-3 inning.\n\n9:03 p.m.: Bottom of 4th — An interesting development: Max Scherzer is being pulled from the game after just 36 pitches and three scoreless innings. Scherzer tried to take the mound for the bottom of the fourth but it appears he is being bothered by a lower back injury. It is unknown if the injury is correlated to the comebacker he took off of his lower back in the second inning. RHP Jon Gray will get the ball.\n\nMax Scherzer left tonight's game with back tightness pic.twitter.com/JQOP6WvlkC — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023\n\n8:58 p.m.: Top of 4th — Brandon Pfaadt bounces back the way Arizona needed him to. He sends Evan Carter, Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim down in order, striking out Garver for Pfaadt's third K of the day.\n\nThird inning: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:51 p.m.: Bottom of 3rd — Max Scherzer assures the Diamondbacks don't answer right away, getting through the bottom of the 3rd with little resistance. He struck out Evan Longoria and got Geraldo Perdomo to fly out to right before issuing a two-out walk to Corbin Carroll. Carroll advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Scherzer got Ketel Marte to fly out to left to end the frame.\n\n8:45 p.m.: Top of 3rd — Brandon Pfaadt got Adolis Garcia to strike out swinging to end the inning. The damage was limited to three runs.\n\n8:43 p.m.: Top of 3rd — Corey Seager rips a two-run home run! The Rangers produce some two-out magic as Seager smokes an inside changeup 421 feet over the right field wall to give Texas a 3-0 lead.\n\n8:41 p.m.: Top of 3rd — Marcus Semien comes up clutch with a single to left center! The star 2B has been struggling this postseason but he delivered here, driving in Nathaniel Lowe to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.\n\n8:39 p.m.: Top of 3rd — Brandon Pfaadt struck out Josh Jung swinging and got Leody Tavares to ground out to second but Nathaniel Lowe advanced to third. He is 90 feet away with two outs and Marcus Semien is coming to the plate.\n\n8:36 p.m.: Top of 3rd — Nathaniel Lowe gets the Rangers going right away with a double to right center field.\n\nSecond inning: Rangers 0, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:30 p.m.: Bottom of 2nd — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. popped out to second, bringing Alek Thomas to the plate with two outs. Thomas ripped a line drive back at Max Scherzer, which ricocheted perfectly to 3B Josh Jung who made a laser throw to first to get Thomas out in time. What a bizarre inning.\n\n8:27 p.m.: Bottom of 2nd — Adolis Garcia on the defensive end! Tommy Pham singled to right field and Christian Walker tried to score from second, but Garcia — who has one of the best outfield arms in baseball — hosed him at home plate to save a run. Pham advanced to second on the throw.\n\nChristian Walker is thrown out by Adolis Garcia after blowing through the stop sign! 😮🛑\n\n\n\n📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/wXM9RbieFp — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023\n\n8:25 p.m.: Bottom of 2nd — Christian Walker smoked a first-pitch fastball off the wall to right center for a double to lead off the bottom of the second.\n\n8:22 p.m.: Top of 2nd — Rangers star rookie Evan Carter led off the top of the second with a hard-hit single to right center, but Mitch Garver topped a grounder to Brandon Pfaadt for a 1-4-3 double play. Jonah Heim flew out to center to end the inning. Pfaadt has only needed 18 pitches to get through his first six batters.\n\nFirst inning: Rangers 0, Diamondbacks 0\n\n8:15 p.m.: Bottom of 1st — Max Scherzer got Corbin Carroll to ground out to short, but he walked Ketel Marte to give the Diamondbacks the first baserunner of the game. Scherzer almost immediately avoided any trouble, forcing Gabriel Moreno to ground into a 5-4-3 double play two pitches later to end the inning.\n\n8:08 p.m.: Top of 1st — Brandon Pfaadt breezes through the top of the Rangers' order with ease. Marcus Semien popped out to right, Corey Seager grounded out to first base on a first-pitch sinker and Adolis Garcia flew out to center. Pfaadt only needed 10 pitches to get through the top of the first.\n\nPregame\n\n3:29 p.m.: After only scoring one run in Game 2, the Rangers will make a slight tweak to the lineup. Adolis Garcia will slide up to the No. 3 spot, with Evan Carter hitting clean-up. As Texas PR mentioned, Carter is the fifth-youngest player in World Series history to bat fourth, joining Juan Soto, Ty Cobb, Miguel Cabrera and Claudell Washington.\n\nRHP Max Scherzer will get the start.\n\n3:10 p.m.: The Diamondbacks will have Corbin Carroll return to the top of the lineup after leading off with Ketel Marte in Game 2. RHP Brandon Pfaadt will get the ball to start.\n\nBrandon Pfaadt and Game 3. Name a more iconic duo, we'll wait. #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/d82p8u74RL — Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 30, 2023\n\n1:23 p.m.: A quick stadium update for Chase Field: the roof will be OPEN tonight for Game 3!\n\nThe roof will be OPEN for tonight’s #WorldSeries game!\n\n\n\nGates open at 2pm, so we will see you soon! pic.twitter.com/SmZDZNk870 — Chase Field (@ChaseField) October 30, 2023\n\nRangers vs. Diamondbacks Game 3 start time\n\nDate: Monday, Oct. 30\n\nMonday, Oct. 30 First pitch: 8:03 p.m. ET (5:03 p.m. MST)\n\n8:03 p.m. ET (5:03 p.m. MST) Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ\n\nFirst pitch for Game 3 of the 2023 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks is set for 8:03 p.m. ET.\n\nHow to watch the 2023 World Series\n\nChannel: Fox (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)\n\nFox (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada) Live stream: Fox Sports app, Fubo (U.S.) | Sportsnet NOW (Canada)\n\nFox will carry the full World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks. Joe Davis will be handling play-by-play, while John Smoltz will provide commentary. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be reporting from the dugouts.\n\nFor those who have cut the cord on cable, fans can find the game on the Fox Sports app or with Fubo, which offers a free trial. Canadian viewers can find the game on Sportsnet or on Sportsnet NOW.\n\nMLB playoff schedule, results\n\n(All times Eastern)\n\nAmerican League\n\nWild Card\n\nDate Result Oct. 3 Rangers 4, Rays 0 Oct. 3 Twins 3, Blue Jays 1 Oct. 4 Rangers 7, Rays 1 Oct. 4 Twins 2, Blue Jays 0\n\nDivision Series\n\nDate Result Oct. 7 TEX 3, BAL 2 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 7 HOU 6, MIN 4 (HOU, 1-0) Oct. 8 TEX 11, BAL 8 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 8 MIN 6, HOU 2 (Tied, 1-1) Oct. 10 HOU 9, MIN 1 (HOU, 2-1) Oct. 10 TEX 7, BAL 1 (TEX wins 3-0) Oct. 11 HOU 3, MIN 2 (HOU wins, 3-1)\n\nChampionship Series\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 15 Rangers at Astros 8:15 p.m. Fox TEX 2, HOU 0 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 16 Rangers at Astros 4:37 p.m. Fox or F TEX 5, HOU 4 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 18 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 8, TEX 5 (TEX, 2-1) Oct. 19 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 10, TEX 3 (TIE, 2-2) Oct. 20 Astros at Rangers* 7:07 p.m. FS1 HOU 5, TEX 4 (HOU, 3-2) Oct. 22 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. FS1 TEX 9, HOU 2 (TIED, 3-3) Oct. 23 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. Fox or FS1 TEX 11, HOU 4 (TEX wins, 4-3)\n\n*If necessary\n\nNational League\n\nWild card series\n\nDate Result Oct. 3 Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 3 Oct. 3 Phillies 3, Marlins 1 Oct. 4 Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 2 Oct. 4 Phillies 7, Marlins 1\n\nDivision Series\n\nDate Result Oct. 7 PHI 3, ATL 0 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 7 ARI 11, LAD 2 (ARI, 1-0) Oct. 9 ATL 5, PHI 4 (Tied 1-1) Oct. 9 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI, 2-0) Oct. 11 PHI 10, ATL 2 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 11 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI wins, 3-0) Oct. 12 PHI 3, ATL 1 (PHI wins, 3-1)\n\nChampionship Series\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 16 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 5, ARI 3 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 17 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 10, ARI 0 (PHI, 2-0) Oct. 19 Phillies at Diamondbacks 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 2, PHI 1 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 20 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 6, PHI 5 (Tied 2-2) Oct. 21 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 6, ARI 1 (PHI, 3-2) Oct. 23 Diamondbacks at Phillies 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 5, PHI 1 (Tied, 3-3) Oct. 24 Diamondbacks at Phillies* 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 4, PHI 2 (ARI wins, 4-3)\n\n*If necessary\n\nWorld Series schedule\n\nDate Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 27 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox TEX 6, ARI 5 (TEX 1-0) Oct. 28 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox ARI 9, TEX 1 (Tied 1-1) Oct. 30 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Oct. 31 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 1 Rangers at Diamondbacks* 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 3 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox -- Nov. 4 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox --\n\n*If necessary", + "Product design is in a moment of profound change and redefinition as technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and spatial computing dramatically affect computing experiences. AI, especially, may have only minor impacts on interface design but will significantly impact the holistic product or ecosystem experience. Spatial computing, on the other hand, will change human-computer interactions and unmoor our understanding of what a computer is.\n\nIn this innovation cycle, product design requires a wider perspective of platforms and interconnections between technologies, creating a strong need for technologists and designers to be in the process together.\n\nFor successful products and businesses, innovation is perpetual. There is a never-ending search to find the next new thing that enhances the user experience, extends product reach, expands revenue, or all three simultaneously. Product design makes innovation less daunting and increases chances for success because it is a multidisciplinary process with structures and frameworks to catalyze innovation. Technologists have a role in the process that expands beyond simply validating the technology or concept, which is their customary responsibility. Before discussing the nontraditional ways technologists participate in product innovation, let’s conceptually examine innovation and product design.\n\nThe word innovation has a simple meaning — to introduce something new or a novel method of doing something — yet we frequently inflate it to mean something magical, grandiose, and world-changing. Innovation can just as easily be mundane and straightforward. The key to innovation is being “new.” The “new” can be localized to a team, product, process, or business unit. The “novel” can be well-known and established practices not incorporated into your workflow or product. Sometimes, innovation comes from closing small gaps and isn’t always a grand eureka moment.\n\nInstead of forcing a technology onto a product, the design process flows to the technologies. In this way, the technology becomes a natural solution.\n\nProduct design is a process and not a discipline or deliverable. It is (understandably) easy to limit the scope of product design to color choices, content layout, and aesthetics. Too often, design is minimized to only the act of making user interfaces pretty. Product design is much deeper and broader in scope than visual design assets. For example, product design can give direction and focus to a business strategy, user experience strategy, or technology explorations.\n\nThe process establishes a guide rail throughout any innovation initiative. The core of product design is decision-making with an astute instinct for making the best decisions at the most opportune time. Product design helps reduce risk and leads to more effective innovation through quality decision-making.\n\nA progressive role for technologists\n\nTechnologists play a strategic role in product innovation and should bring a metaphysical perspective in addition to being punctilious. Our job is to communicate the essence of a technology and think strategically about the application of technologies to problem spaces. We are most constructive when we translate the technicals of “how to make X do Y” to “these are the types of products and services realizable with technology X.”\n\nFor most technical leads and software developers, this is a mode inversion from our traditional tactical and direct interaction with technology. The context switch from daily build-and-operate is challenging but is paramount to developing successful and innovative products. We are uniquely positioned to generate strategic insights translated from dense technical minutiae that drive innovative business cases and product experiences.\n\nA technology innovation must solve a business problem, such as improving operational efficiency, growing existing revenue streams, or generating new ones. The problem space may be customer-facing (e.g., how can we deliver a new feature?) or internal-facing (e.g., how can we make a process more efficient?). The problem is the paramount concern. The specific technologies or innovations used to solve the problem are often less critical. We cannot lose perspective of the business needs; otherwise, the activities become too academic or a paid hobby.\n\nAn ordinary domestic analogy is hanging a picture. The hole size, bracket, or tools used to hang the picture are immaterial as long as the picture is on the wall and straight. The specifics of the process and technologies are only important as they pertain to how well they solve the problem, the costs to do so, and the overall end user experience.\n\nProduct innovation is experimental and should not always be expected to yield productive results. It requires a learning curve and patience, as the outcomes are often ambiguous and unknown. Business leadership can struggle with this perspective because it is indefinite (in terms of results and timelines), and it is challenging to translate pure technology innovation into value creation. A gap opens between technology and product teams wherein technology teams strain to articulate the capabilities and value of a technology innovation, leading to unfilled promises and the perception of “technology for the sake of technology” or quips like “a solution looking for a problem.”\n\nThe current hype cycle in AI serves as a great concrete example. For technology or product executives, the challenge is how to do more than check the AI box — it’s about how to meaningfully incorporate AI into a product. Instead of forcing a technology onto a product, the design process flows to the technologies. In this way, the technology becomes a natural solution.\n\nAs experts on a technology or technology stack, we can communicate abstract insights or contribute in more conceptual contexts. Technologists add value to the product design process by sharing their expertise on a technology’s characteristics. Designers use this information to shape and exploit technologies in the visual and interaction design process. In this way, technologists inform new interaction models, interface metaphors, and product channels. This involvement gives confidence and conviction to the promises of design.\n\nThink of digital technologies as a material like paint, stone, or wood. For artisans to create with materials, they must understand the material’s ontology and phenomenology. An artist must know the differences between oil, acrylic, or watercolor paints because each material has different properties that affect how and what can be created. Technologists must “find the grain” of a technology. In this way, they become an intermediary between the abstract nature of design and the pedantic nature of technology. This philosophical perspective is especially important when a product is in a growth stage or when using emerging technologies.\n\nRegardless of whether your product is growing or in a stable stage or employs established or emerging technologies, integrating technologists into the product strategy and design process enriches the final outcome. There is a technology perspective extending beyond the operations and mechanics of the code “factory floor,” which provokes innovation. Sometimes this leads to small, impactful moments of innovation — and sometimes it is a brilliant revolution.", + "The NBA is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the US. NBA prop bets are an easy way to jump into basketball betting.\n\nProposition bets, or props, are easy to understand, numerous, and cover both player props and team props to give you plenty of variety.\n\nBelow, we look at betting NBA props at the best NBA betting sites and share some key information to make informed bets.\n\nWhat are NBA props?\n\nA prop bet is a side wager on an aspect of a game that usually doesn’t tie directly to the result. In the NBA, prop bets deal with both players and teams.\n\nSome examples of NBA player props are:\n\nHow many points a player will score\n\nNumber of rebounds a player will have\n\nHow many assists a player will get\n\nRebounds and assists combined\n\nPoints, rebounds, and assists combined\n\nHow many steals a player will get\n\nNumber of three-pointers made\n\nSome examples of NBA team props include:\n\nWhich team will reach 10 points first\n\nWhich team will have the highest-scoring period\n\nWhich team will score first\n\nWhich team will win the first half\n\nWhich team will win the second half\n\nWill there be a fourth-quarter comeback victory\n\nAll of the best sports betting sites have their selection of prop bets for each NBA game, so shop around to find the sportsbooks that best suit your needs.\n\nHow to bet on NBA props\n\nThe first step to betting on NBA props is opening an account at an online sportsbook. The process is simple, free, and doesn’t take very long. Below are the steps to opening a new account at an online sportsbook.\n\nChoose your sportsbook: Any state with legal online sports betting has a variety of sportsbooks. If you aren’t sure which sportsbooks best fit your needs, research and read our reviews on each. And don’t forget that you can have an account with more than one. Once you decide which sportsbook you’re interested in, follow the link from our site to qualify for the best new customer welcome bonus.\n\nRegister for an account: At the top of the homepage of the sportsbook website, you will find a button that says “register” or “sign up.” Click that, and you’ll be taken to a form you must fill out. It will ask for personal information such as your name, phone number, email address, last four digits of your Social Security number, and more.\n\nAccept the terms and conditions: Before finalizing your account information, you must accept the sportsbook’s terms and conditions. We recommend you read through these to understand the rules your sportsbook will enforce regarding bets, especially for the sports you intend to wager on. The terms and conditions are also available on the sportsbook website for you to read at any point.\n\nGet your bonus: At this point, you can accept your welcome bonus. Be sure to read through the bonus requirements before accepting anything. If a bonus code is needed, which you can find on our website, this is where you will input it during the registration process.\n\nMake a deposit: Now that you’ve signed up for an account, you can start funding your bankroll by making a deposit. Most legal sportsbooks have a variety of ways you can add funds to your account, such as through your bank or an e-wallet.\n\nStart betting: Go to the basketball section of your sportsbook and select the NBA. From there, you can choose individual games and make bets like money lines, point spreads, totals, props, futures, and more.\n\nHow to read NBA props odds\n\nAt first glance, all the positive and negative numbers at US sportsbooks can be daunting. The good news is they are easy to read once you understand what you see.\n\nNegative numbers, such as -110, represent how much money you need to wager to win $100. In many cases, such as a moneyline bet, the negative number also indicates which side of the bet is the favorite to win.\n\nFor example, if you were to bet on LeBron James scoring over 15.5 points in a contest at -125 odds, you’d need to wager $125 to win $100. If you did and your bet was correct, then you’d take home $225, which is your original $125 stake returned to you plus your $100 in profit.\n\nPositive numbers, like +145, show how much you stand to win for every $100 you wager. If you were to bet $50 on Giannis Antetokounmpo to have over 7.5 rebounds and the odds were +130 at the time you finalized your bet slip, you would win $65 in profit if your bet wins.\n\nPositive numbers also indicate which side of the bet is the underdog in the eyes of the oddsmakers.\n\nRemember that you can bet as little or as much as you want, and your payout will be calculated based on your wager amount and the odds at the time you make your bet.\n\nTypes of NBA props\n\nYou can make two main prop bets on the National Basketball Association:\n\nTeam props\n\nPlayer props\n\nTeam props are typically focused on statistical accomplishments by a particular team and rarely on the game’s result. You’ll often come across NBA team prop bets that are based on a team’s points, such as the first team to reach 20 points, the first team to score in a game, or whether the total points by both teams in a contest will end up being odd or even.\n\nTeam props, also known as “game props,” don’t rely on individual players but rather on the team as a whole. Player props, on the other hand, are driven by individual performance.\n\nThese individual props are focused on statistical milestones during a game. The most popular bets typically focus on points, rebounds, assists, and three-point field goals. You can also bet on combination wagers, such as points and rebounds together.\n\nIn most cases, you can bet on traditional statistics for the five starters on each team.\n\nSee more:\n\nTips for betting on NBA props\n\nEvery bettor should develop their strategies, but we do have three tips you can use for NBA props.\n\nPay attention to player and team news: Oddsmakers use various information to develop their lines for games and players, and you should, too. Keep tabs on player news and injuries, when top players are being rested, how they performed in recent games, and more. You can find value in player and team props by gathering information from multiple sources and tracking how players and their teammates perform. For example, if one of the starting guards is questionable for a game, you might want to consider the other guard for increased points or assists since they’ll likely handle a heavier load.\n\nKeep an eye on usage and minutes: Even slight increases to a player’s average minutes can make a difference when betting player props, especially later in the season when aging veteran players tend to rest more. Keep yourself informed on usage and minutes trends for the players you’re considering betting on, and use them to your advantage. Remember that some of the best players in the NBA were once on the bench for most games until small increases in their playing time gave them a chance to shine.\n\nShop for the best lines: This tip applies to every bet you make. Using multiple sportsbook accounts lets you find the best odds for every NBA prop bet. Even the smallest differences, like one sportsbook having odds at +125 and another at +135, can make a difference in your profit. By shopping for the best lines, you can make smarter bets and find the best value.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "After the Online Safety Act’s arduous multiyear passage through the UK’s lawmaking process, regulator Ofcom has published its first guidelines for how tech firms can comply with the mammoth legislation. Its proposal — part of a multiphase publication process — outlines how social media platforms, search engines, online and mobile games, and pornography sites should deal with illegal content like child sexual abuse material (CSAM), terrorism content, and fraud.\n\nToday’s guidelines are being released as proposals so Ofcom can gather feedback before the UK Parliament approves them toward the end of next year. Even then, the specifics will be voluntary. Tech firms can guarantee they’re obeying the law by following the guidelines to the letter, but they can take their own approach so long as they demonstrate compliance with the act’s overarching rules (and, presumably, are prepared to fight their case with Ofcom).\n\n“What this does for the first time is to put a duty of care on tech firms”\n\n“What this does for the first time is to put a duty of care on tech firms to have a responsibility for the safety of their users,” Ofcom’s online safety lead, Gill Whitehead, tells The Verge in an interview. “When they become aware that there is illegal content on their platform, they have got to get it down, and they also need to conduct risk assessments to understand the specific risks that those services might carry.”\n\nThe aim is to require that sites be proactive to stop the spread of illegal content and not just play whack-a-mole after the fact. It’s meant to encourage a switch from a reactive to a more proactive approach, says lawyer Claire Wiseman, who specializes in tech, media, telecoms, and data.\n\nOfcom estimates that around 100,000 services may fall under the wide-ranging rules, though only the largest and highest-risk platforms will have to abide by the strictest requirements. Ofcom recommends these platforms implement policies like not allowing strangers to send direct messages to children, using hash matching to detect and remove CSAM, maintaining content and search moderation teams, and offering ways for users to report harmful content.\n\nLarge tech platforms already follow many of these practices, but Ofcom hopes to see them implemented more consistently. “We think they represent best practice of what’s out there, but it’s not necessarily applied across the board,” Whitehead says. “Some firms are applying it sporadically but not necessarily systematically, and so we think there is a great benefit for a more wholesale, widespread adoption.”\n\nThere’s also one big outlier: the platform known as X (formerly Twitter). The UK’s efforts with the legislation long predate Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, but it was passed as he fired large swaths of its trust and safety teams and presided over a loosening of moderation standards, which could put X at odds with regulators. Ofcom’s guidelines, for example, specify that users should be able to easily block users — but Musk has publicly stated his intentions to remove X’s block feature. He’s clashed with the EU over similar rules and reportedly even considered pulling out of the European market to avoid them. Whitehead declined to comment when I asked whether X had been cooperative in talks with Ofcom but said the regulator had been “broadly encouraged” by the response from tech firms generally.\n\n“We think they represent best practice of what’s out there, but it’s not necessarily applied across the board.”\n\nOfcom’s regulations also cover how sites should deal with other illegal harms like content that encourages or assists suicide or serious self-harm, harassment, revenge porn and other sexual exploitation, and the supply of drugs and firearms. Search services should provide “crisis prevention information” when users enter suicide-related queries, for example, and when companies update their recommendation algorithms, they should conduct risk assessments to check that they’re not going to amplify illegal content. If users suspect that a site isn’t complying with the rules, Whitehead says there’ll be a route to complain directly to Ofcom. If a firm is found to be in breach, Ofcom can levy fines of up to £18 million (around $22 million) or 10 percent of worldwide turnover — whichever is higher. Offending sites can even be blocked in the UK.\n\nToday’s consultation covers some of the Online Safety Act’s least contentious territory, like reducing the spread of content that was already illegal in the UK. As Ofcom releases future updates, it will have to take on touchier subjects, like content that’s legal but harmful for children, underage access to pornography, and protections for women and girls. Perhaps most controversially, it will need to interpret a section that critics have claimed could fundamentally undermine end-to-end encryption in messaging apps.\n\nThe section in question allows Ofcom to require online platforms to use so-called “accredited technology” to detect CSAM. But WhatsApp, other encrypted messaging services, and digital rights groups say this scanning would require breaking apps’ encryption systems and invading user privacy. Whitehead says that Ofcom plans to consult on this next year, leaving its full impact on encrypted messaging uncertain.\n\n“We’re not regulating the technology, we’re regulating the context.”\n\nThere’s another technology not emphasized in today’s consultation: artificial intelligence. But that doesn’t mean AI-generated content won’t fall under the rules. The Online Safety Act attempts to address online harms in a “technology neutral” way, Whitehead says, regardless of how they’ve been created. So AI-generated CSAM would be in scope by virtue of it being CSAM, and a deepfake used to conduct fraud would be in scope by virtue of the fraud. “We’re not regulating the technology, we’re regulating the context,” Whitehead says.\n\nWhile Ofcom says it’s trying to take a collaborative, proportionate approach to the Online Safety Act, its rules could still prove onerous for sites that aren’t tech juggernauts. BBC News notes that Ofcom’s initial set of guidance is over 1,500 pages long. The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, tells The Verge that it’s proving increasingly challenging to comply with different regulatory regimes across the world, even if it supports the idea of regulation in general. “We are already struggling with our capacity to comply with the [EU’s] Digital Services Act,” the Wikimedia Foundation’s VP for global advocacy, Rebecca MacKinnon, says, pointing out that the nonprofit has just a handful of lawyers dedicated to the EU regulations compared to the legions that companies like Meta and Google can dedicate.\n\n“We agree as a platform that we have responsibilities,” MacKinnon says, but “when you’re a nonprofit and every hour of work is zero sum, that’s problematic.”\n\nOfcom’s Whitehead admits that the Online Safety Act and Digital Services Act are more “regulatory cousins” than “identical twins,” which means complying with both takes extra work. She says Ofcom is trying to make operating across different countries easier, pointing toward the regulator’s work setting up a global online safety regulator network.\n\nPassing the Online Safety Act during a turbulent era in British politics was already difficult. But as Ofcom begins filling in its details, the real challenges may be only beginning.", + "Halloween in Monster Hunter Now is the first themed event to come to Capcom and Niantic’s monster-hunting AR game.\n\nThe main draw is acquiring the Jack-o’-Head Halloween armor, which can be sourced from collecting Pumpkin Tickets, a currency specific to the event.\n\nAs well as this, the weekend introduces a pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku and the chance to add a Halloween medal for your collection.\n\nHere’s everything we know about Monster Hunter Now’s Halloween event — from how to get Pumpkin Tickets to dates, times, and other event bonuses.\n\nMonster Hunter Now Halloween event dates, times, and bonuses\n\nMonster Hunter Now’s Halloween event takes place between Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 9 a.m. to Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 11.59 p.m. local time, and has two phases:\n\nStart of event onwards: Pumpkin Tickets, Halloween Pumpkin Hunt Quests available (active until end of event)\n\nPumpkin Tickets, Halloween Pumpkin Hunt Quests available (active until end of event) Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. local time onwards: Pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku in the wild, Halloween Medal Acquisition Quests available (active until end of event)\n\nIn summary — you can begin earning Pumpkin Tickets at any time through the questline, but it isn’t until Saturday morning where you can encounter pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku and earn the Halloween medal.\n\nPumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku and Halloween Medal quest now live in #MHNow pic.twitter.com/czLNPbQy3u — Matthew Reynolds (@Crazyreyn) October 28, 2023\n\nAs well as the above quests, monsters, and currencies, the game’s various arenas also see a Halloween makeover — with the world map, encounter screen, and battle arena becoming adorned with pumpkins.\n\nHow to get Pumpkin Tickets in Monster Hunter Now\n\nCollecting Pumpkin Tickets is how you source the event-exclusive Jack-o’-Head armor piece. You can get Pumpkin Tickets in Monster Hunter Now by:\n\nCompleting Pumpkin Hunt Quests in the Special tab during the Halloween event (18 total: one per quest in the first step, five per quest in the second)\n\nin the Special tab during the Halloween event (18 total: one per quest in the first step, five per quest in the second) Defeating pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku (Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. local time until the end of the event)\n\nThis means, until Saturday morning, you’ll be capped with how many Pumpkin Tickets you can earn until pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku makes its debut.\n\nBoth of the above sources are available to players who have reached Hunter Rank 11 and above.\n\nMonster Hunter Now Halloween Pumpkin Hunt quest steps\n\nYou can find the following steps in Events part of the Special quests screen. All steps will expire at the end of the Halloween event at the end of Oct. 31.\n\nStep 1 of 3\n\nObtain Lollipop Candy from gathering points (10) — 1 Pumpkin Ticket, 100 HR Points\n\nSlay large monsters (15) — 1 Pumpkin Ticket, 100 HR Points\n\nSlay monsters (30) — 1 Pumpkin Ticket, 100 HR Points\n\nStep 2 of 3\n\nObtain Lollipop Candy from gathering points (20) — 5 Pumpkin Tickets, 150 HR Points\n\nSlay large monsters (30) — 5 Pumpkin Tickets, 150 HR Points\n\nSlay monsters (50) — 5 Pumpkin Tickets, 150 HR Points\n\nStep 3 of 3\n\nObtain Lollipop Candy from gathering points (50) — 1,000 Zenny, 200 HR Points\n\nSlay large monsters (60) — 1,000 Zenny, 200 HR Points\n\nSlay monsters (80) — 1,000 Zenny, 200 HR Points\n\nThanks to FranklyNinja on Reddit for helping fill in the gaps with the above. As with the story items you need to acquire from the wild, you can obtain Lollipop Candy from interacting with any gathering point.\n\nHow to get Jack-o’-Head armor, upgrade requirements\n\nTo get the Jack-o’-Head armor in Monster Hunter Now’s Halloween event, you must first earn 10 Pumpkin Tickets.\n\nHere’s how it looks in-game courtesy of minimi_249 on Twitter / X:\n\nUpgrading the armor then requires further Pumpkin Tickets, which can only be sourced from the Halloween event. Developer Niantic has said once you have spent 70 Pumpkin Tickets on Jack-o’-Head armor upgrades, further improvements will then only regular crafting materials. As such, this is a good number to aim for if you prefer to continue upgrading after the event ends.\n\nJack-o’-Head armor skill explained\n\nOnce equipped, the Jack-o’-Head armor has the skill Solidarity (Pumpkin Hunt). This is a party-based skill where having multiple players with the skill active increases attack power. During the Halloween event, this effect is increased by five.\n\nAs such, this is a rather situational skill, as not only do you need to be hunting with other players, but doing so during the Halloween event (which ends after Oct. 31) will see the most benefit.\n\nIt’s entirely possible this skill will appear in future armor pieces to increase its potency (such as during next year’s Halloween event), so crafting one now could be a sound investment for those looking to play with other hunters. Otherwise, for solo players, it might be simply a piece to add to your collection, especially if the ability to transmog (change the appearance of your armor) comes to the game one day.\n\nWhere to find pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku in Monster Hunter Now\n\nA Halloween-themed Kulu-Ya-Ku holding a pumpkin rock will “appear in larger numbers than usual” from Saturday, Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. local time until the end of Oct. 31.\n\nBy its very nature, Kulu-Ya-Ku appears in all three habitats (Forest, Desert, and Swamp) meaning they can appear anywhere on the map.\n\nBeyond the novelty of battling a Halloween-themed monster, taking down these special pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku will reward you with Pumpkin Tickets.\n\nNiantic has confirmed any pumpkin rock Kulu-Ya-Ku tagged with paintballs during the event will continue to drop Pumpkin Tickets after the event ends — giving you extra time if needed.\n\nLooking for more guides? Our Monster Hunter Now tips and tricks page can give you some extra pointers, while our monster list delves into all other available encounters.", + "The 49ers made the biggest move ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline when they acquired running back Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers. They once again made a splash ahead of the 2023 trade deadline when they traded for Commanders pass rusher Chase Young.\n\nYoung was among the most notable players dealt ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is in the midst of a breakout season, totaling five sacks in eight games and generating a solid 18 pressures while getting into the backfield often for the Commanders.\n\nBut as Washington jettisoned its top two defensive ends, Young and Montez Sweat, the 49ers found themselves positioned to pounce. They traded a 2024 third-round pick to get the talented defender and reunite him with his college teammate and fellow No. 2 pick, Nick Bosa.\n\nYoung should provide a boost to a 49ers defense that ranks just 22nd this season in sacks per game at 2.3. But many are wondering whether Young will end up being a rental for the 49ers or more of a long-term investment.\n\nThat will all depend on how San Francisco manages its salary cap in 2024.\n\nMORE DEADLINE: Live tracker | Grading every trade\n\nOn the surface, it may look hard for the 49ers to re-sign Young long-term; in reality, the team has more flexibility to do so than it would initially appear. Here's why.\n\n49ers cap space 2024\n\nAs it stands, the 49ers don't project to have much cap space in 2024. In fact, OverTheCap lists San Francisco as having just $1,479,772 in available space. That is good for the seventh-least in the NFL.\n\nThat said, the 49ers are equipped to increase their cap space with relative ease. How? Well, they have at least one player on their roster, Randy Gregory, who has an eight-digit salary but doesn't have any guaranteed money left on his deal. That means that the 49ers could release him without taking a dead-cap hit, which is a financial term for when a player no longer on the roster is still owed guaranteed money; that would open up $14 million more in cap space.\n\nElsewhere, the team has 10 other players on the active roster set to have cap hits of at least $14.1 million who could restructure or extend their contracts.\n\nWhen NFL teams restructure contracts, they typically take a player's base salary — which is accounted for in a one-year duration — and turn it into some sort of signing bonus. That bonus is allowed to be prorated over the duration of the contract, so it spreads what would be a high, one-year cost out into a moderate cost over several years.\n\nTypically, players who have their contracts restructured have high cap hits and high base salaries. So, in looking at the 49ers' highest-paid players for 2024, there are a few options for restructures, as you can see below.\n\nPlayer 2024 cap hit Base salary Dead cap hit Trent Williams $31.7 million $20.1 million $29.9 million Arik Armstead $28.6 million $17.4 million $25.9 million Deebo Samuel $28.6 million $21 million $26.5 million Fred Warner $24.5 million $15.3 million $25.6 million George Kittle $22 million $13.4 million $18.9 million Charvarius Ward $17.9 million $12.6 million $17.2 million Javon Hargrave $15.5 million $8.9 million $33.4 million Nick Bosa $14.6 million $1.1 million $76.5 million Brandon Aiyuk $14.1 million $14.1 million $14.1 million Christian McCaffrey $14.1 million $11.8 million $8.6 million\n\nSo, if any of Williams, Armstead, Samuel, Kittle or Warner were to restructure their contracts or if a player like Aiyuk got an extension, that would push some of the 49ers' cap hits into future years. That could prove a worthwhile move if it allows for the team to keep Young and keep its Super Bowl window open with the ultra-cheap Brock Purdy at quarterback.\n\nOf course, the team could also release some of its players, like Gregory, to open up space. It doesn't seem likely that any of the players listed above would be cut or traded as all are owed hefty guarantees and come with big dead-cap hits; but the 49ers could trim from the margins of the roster if they need just a bit more cap space to keep Young around.\n\nBut a restructuring of contracts will almost certainly happen in San Francisco during the offseason; it's just a matter of which and how many players will get that treatment and whether those funds will be allocated to Young or other portions of the roster.\n\nIYER: Grading the Chase Young to the 49ers trade\n\nChase Young contract projection\n\nAssessing how San Francisco can try to keep Young also includes looking at what Young's value might be on the open market. It's likely that the 24-year-old will get a large payday as a free agent, but it's just a matter of how big it will be.\n\nSpotrac.com projects that Young should make about $17.8 million annually on a four-year deal. However, that seems a bit light considering that it includes a couple of interior defensive linemen — Dre'Mont Jones and Zach Allen — among his closest comparisons.\n\nIt seems more likely that Young will be paid to his potential as well, considering that he missed a lot of time in Years 2 and 3 with injuries. Thus, he may end up being highly paid in terms of average annual value (AAV) but he may see lower-end guarantees.\n\nAt the end of the day, however, the deal that seems most likely to suit him is one similar to the extension that the Packers gave Rashan Gary.\n\nGary is set to have an AAV of $24 million over the duration of that contract while making $96 million over four years. However, only $34.6 million of that deal is guaranteed, as Gary was inconsistent to start his career and dealt with a torn ACL in 2022.\n\nRashan Gary contract value\n\nLength 4 years Total value $96 million AAV $24 million Guarantees $34.6 million\n\nYoung could hypothetically crack $100 million if he's allowed to hit the open market, but the Gary deal projection seems like a sensible ballpark for now.\n\nOf course, the 49ers could also try to slap him with the franchise tag if they're worried about paying him and Bosa big bucks long-term. That was worth just under $20 million last season, so that may look like San Francisco's best avenue toward keeping its Super Bowl window ajar.\n\nHowever, one-year deals are often complicated to fit into smaller amounts of salary cap space, so the 49ers would likely prefer to get a long-term agreement in place with Young to keep him. At the end of the day, franchising him may not be worth the hassle — even if he is easily the team's best free agent in 2024.\n\nMORE: Why the 49ers traded for Chase Young, explained\n\n49ers free agents 2024\n\nYoung's quest to earn a deal with the 49ers could be aided by the fact that they don't have many key players set to be free agents in 2024.\n\nAs it stands, only 15 other 49ers are set to be free agents in 2024. Just two of them, Tashaun Gipson and Clelin Ferrell, are full-time starters; and Young eventually figures to take over as starter for Ferrell.\n\nBelow is the full list of 49ers free agents for the 2024 offseason.\n\nBrandon Allen, QB\n\nOren Burks, LB\n\nSam Darnold, QB\n\nRoss Dwelley, TE\n\nJon Feliciano, C\n\nClelin Ferrell, EDGE\n\nDemetrius Flanagan-Fowles, LB\n\nTashaun Gipson, S\n\nKevin Givens, DT\n\nJauan Jennings, WR\n\nJavon Kinlaw, DT\n\nRay-Ray McCloud, WR\n\nTerrance Mitchell, CB\n\nMatt Pryor, OT\n\nCharlie Woerner, TE\n\nChase Young, EDGE\n\nSo, while the 49ers will have some key role players like Sam Darnold, Jauan Jennings and Oren Burks set to get new deals, the team's free-agent class is short on high-end talent. That will make it easier for them to focus on keeping Young if they so desire.\n\nAs such, fans should view his acquisition as more of an audition to remain with the 49ers than a pure rental.", + "Trust in God has been a foundational principle of the United States since the days of colonial settlement.\n\nThe phrase \"In God We Trust\" has been an official statement of national faith since the Civil War and the official motto of the United States since 1956.\n\nIt remains just as essential today as the United States faces cultural upheaval with numerous signs that faith is waning, Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington, near Seattle, told Fox News Digital this week.\n\nWASHINGTON PASTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THE PAIN OF PUTDOWNS AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN FAITH: ‘ASK GOD FOR COURAGE’\n\n\"Abiding with God goes beyond and is more valuable than money, technology and entertainment,\" said Pastor Bradley, in a series of thoughtful comments when asked to tackle the state of America’s relationship with God.\n\n\"The soul of a nation is the core, the essence and the deepest part of a country,\" he said. \"Closeness with God is reflected and expressed in our relationships, the laws of the land, and morality. Real trust is essential in a vibrant relationship with the living God, not merely lip service.\"\n\nSurvey after survey, however, along with countless anecdotal examples, paint an unmistakable picture of an America growing less religious and more secular.\n\nThe United States, it appears, no longer trusts God.\n\nMany Americans and faith leaders believe the corresponding social decay, breakdowns of family, education, national heritage and basic science are the inevitable outfall of a society that’s lost its guiding light.\n\n\"Closeness with God is reflected and expressed in our relationships, the laws of the land, and morality.\" - Pastor Bradley\n\nTrust in God in recent decades appears to have been replaced by false idols of celebrity, technology and government.\n\n\"We have forsaken living water and created idols that can’t even hold water,\" said Pastor Bradley.\n\n\"America needs to come to her senses and realize the goodness of God.\"\n\nThere are numerous signs that individual welfare and social cohesion suffer as God becomes a part-time or non-existent guide in our lives and our nation.\n\n\"We can't compartmentalize God into one day, hour or place,\" said Pastor Bradley. \"This relationship with our Maker is 24-7, as God is the source of our strength, love, security and hope.\"\n\nMICHIGAN SIBLINGS REUNITE WITH THEIR 3-YEAR-OLD BROTHER AFTER HIS 6-MONTH HOSPITAL STAY FOR CANCER TREATMENT\n\n\"In God We Trust\" is not a uniquely Judeo-Christian American concept. Some form of it has been expressed by other cultures, nations and faiths throughout history.\n\nThe motto traces its roots to the Old Testament, the foundational text of Western Civilization.\n\n\"In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me,\" states Psalm 56:11. A substantially similar phrase appears in the Quran.\n\nHowever, trust in God became encoded in both America's foundational spirit and foundational documents.\n\n\"We are all equal before God. Religion does not make someone better than another person.\" — Pastor Bradley\n\n\"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,\" reads the first principal listed in the Declaration of Independence.\n\nFAITH DILEMMA IN FOCUS: ‘IT’S SUNDAY AND I HAVEN'T GONE TO CHURCH — WHAT DO I DO?'\n\nFaith in God in the United States was not just a statement of religious faith, but a declaration of national identity and human equality.\n\nGod, the Creator in this case, was non-denominational — which itself became essential the principal of religious freedom in the United States.\n\n\"The motto doesn't nullify the freedom to choose faith. Nothing is forced,\" said the pastor.\n\nNEW YORK VETERAN, 105, SHARES HER SECRET TO A FULFILLGN LIFE: FAITH, FAMILY AND ‘NO REGRETS’\n\n\"We are all equal before God. Religion does not make someone better than another person.\"\n\nThe Founding Fathers paved the way for a society that enjoyed both faith in a Creator and religious freedom.\n\nTrust in God, as the source of individual liberty and a defense against abuses of man, were bedrock beliefs among the Founding Fathers, regardless of individual philosophies.\n\nSome reports indicate that the phrase \"In God We Trust\" was used by Pennsylvania troops in the American Revolution and again by the state’s soldiers in the Civil War.\n\n\"Then conquer we must/when our cause is just/and this be our motto/in God is our trust,\" Francis Scott Key wrote in the now largely unknown final stanza of the poem that became the National Anthem.\n\n\"I believe we are at a crossroads spiritually.\" — Pastor Bradley of Washington\n\nThe phrase first appeared on coins from the U.S. Mint in 1865 at the end of the Civil War.\n\n\"In God We Trust\" was added to paper currency in 1957, after it was made the official national motto.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\n\"In God We Trust\" on currency has been deemed constitutional in numerous rulings by the Supreme Court and lower courts.\n\nThe U.S. Congress voted to reaffirm \"In God We Trust\" as the national motto by a bote of 396-6 in 2011.\n\nBut faith in God today clearly faces challenges — with society at large likely suffering.\n\n\"I believe we are at a crossroads spiritually,\" said Pastor Bradley.\n\n\"God knows us completely and loves us perfectly. It’s good to have trust written on our currency, but what really matters is that it is written on our hearts.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"We have wandered away from God in countless ways, including idolatry, materialism, pride and hatred.\"\n\nHe added, \"May God have mercy on us in spite of our rebellion.\"", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nEmily Ratajkowski’s latest photo shoot has sparked backlash among plus-size models and activists, who claim it promotes unhealthy narratives about body image.\n\nThe supermodel, 32, recently shared several images from her photo shoot with M Le Monde magazine. For the fashion editorial photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch, Ratajkowski posed in a variety of looks featuring denim jeans and flowing tops. However, it was the second image that caught the attention of her Instagram followers.\n\nIn the photo, Ratajkowski is seen wearing a pair of low-rise, wide-leg denim jeans double her size. She showed off her toned figure as the oversized pair of jeans fell at her feet. As she held up the waistband of the jeans with one arm, Ratajkowski stood in one leg of the pair of jeans to highlight the noticeable size gap.\n\nThe photo shoot - which was styled by Charlotte Collet and creative directed by Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone - instantly sparked backlash after Ratajkowski shared the images to Instagram. In her comments section, thousands of users criticised both Ratajkowski and the team behind the photo shoot for the “out of touch” image and claimed the photo shoot was “fatphobic”.\n\nFamous plus-size models and inclusivity advocates - such as Tess Holliday, Kelly Augustine, Stephanie Yeboah, Letticia Munniz, and Sarah Chiwaya - have called out the photo for emphasising Ratajkowski’s thinness in a pair of pants that would typically be reserved for someone who is plus-size.\n\n“I’ve been looking for those jeans in the second photo if you could just please return them that would cool. Tysm,” Holliday commented under Ratajkowski’s post.\n\n“That second photo is such godforsaken trash,” wrote Chiwaya. “In the year of our lord 2023?? STILL??? Yikes.”\n\n“What in the fatphobic hell is that second picture?” a third user commented, while someone else said: “That second pic is so out of touch and ignorant but the comments are chef’s kiss.”\n\nPlus-size models have long advocated for more inclusive sizing - both in stores and on the runway. However, luxury brands and labels often avoid creating plus-size fashion over claims that it’s too expensive to make. “Designers won’t make plus sizes unless it’s for a photo opp where a thin person can be quirky,” another person pointed out.\n\nMany people were especially surprised by the “distasteful” photo shoot considering Ratajkowski has published a book of essays about feminist empowerment and the objectification of women’s bodies, titled My Body. “Not sure how you think wearing oversized jeans made for a much larger person and accentuating your smallness promotes healthy body image like you preach in your books/social media,” an Instagram user said.\n\nSince she shared snaps from the photo shoot over the weekend, Ratajkowski has not yet commented on the backlash. Despite the controversial editorial, the model has previously spoken out against body-shaming. In her book of essays, Ratajkowski discusses bodily autonomy and exploitation in the modelling industry. “Every woman I know - doesn’t matter what they look like, or if they’ve commodified their image or not - knows what it feels like to be looked at, to be rejected, to get attention for how they look,” she told The Independent in 2021.\n\nBack in 2019, Ratajkowski defended her friend against body-shaming trolls after their bodies were compared on Instagram. The model shared a bikini-clad post to promote her swimwear line, Inamorata, but several users accused Ratajkowski of sharing the photograph to make her body look “better”.\n\nIn response, Ratajkowski commented: “I love my friend’s body and both her and I think she looks great here! And I’m proud she’s rocking my suits. All these haters are crazy. Just because you’re used to seeing one body type on the internet doesn’t mean that that’s the only kind that should be considered ‘beautiful’.”\n\nWhile the body positivity movement has made waves over the past 10 years, this year in fashion was especially devoid of inclusivity or plus size models. According to Vogue’s Business Size Inclusivity Report, only 0.6 per cent of looks shown throughout the autumn/winter 2023 fashion season were modelled by plus-size people.\n\nDespite the fact that the plus-size clothing market is expected to reach $288bn this year, according to Future Market Insights, advocates have maintained that they’re unable to purchase clothing that’s both sustainable and inclusive. “I have to wear fast fashion and high street to major red carpet moments, and that’s great, but I want the option to wear high end items of my choosing and it’s not available,” Holliday told Elle UK in 2019. “But it’s either that or I run around naked. Plus-size fashion is not there yet.”\n\nThe Independent has contacted representatives for Ratajkowski and M Le Monde for comment.", + "After the most aggressive monetary-tightening campaign in four decades, academics and economic practitioners are running autopsies on what could have prevented the cost-of-living crisis and how to ensure the same mistakes won’t be repeated.\n\nMarkets have scrambled to price in high-for-longer interest rates, with a new war in the Middle East adding yet more risk to an already uncertain outlook confronting central bankers as they gather for their penultimate meetings of a tumultuous year.\n\nThe policy navel-gazing is centering around three debates. How much flexibility central banks can allow in reaching their inflation targets, the effectiveness of asset purchases in the policy mix, and the merits of monetary and fiscal coordination.\n\nBloomberg surveyed economists from around the world to gather views on those three debates. Their verdict: Central banks won’t break their economies in a rush to hit inflation targets, QE will be used more sparingly in the future, and fiscal policy risks countering the work of monetary authorities.\n\nWhat Bloomberg Economics Says… “A long period of galloping price gains, and fears that the last yards back to target could be most painful for workers, have reignited the debate about whether central banks should aim for a higher rate of inflation. That’s a conversation worth having. But for monetary policymakers, the imperative of retaining credibility means the right time for it is after inflation is back at target, not before.” — Tom Orlik, chief economist\n\nRethinking Targets\n\nSo long as people believe prices will get back toward 2%, central bankers have some leeway in deciding how aggressive they need to be in pursuing that goal.\n\nEconomists covering 16 of the world’s most important central banks say policymakers will allow more time to bring inflation back to target if it means less damage to their economies. The Bloomberg special survey also shows that a sizable minority sees them going even further, accepting price pressures that are either slightly too strong or too weak — as long as expectations remain anchored.\n\nOlivier Blanchard, a former IMF chief economist, has long argued in favor of raising the inflation target, and former European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio has also embraced the idea. But it’s a controversial view and only possible from a position of credibility, which means central banks would likely have to get inflation back to 2% first.\n\n“It would be a mistake of the first order to think you can change a goal you have set if you can’t achieve it,” according to Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel.\n\nGlobal trends suggest inflation will be stronger than in the past, with former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney among those saying rates won’t return to pre-pandemic lows.\n\nOne lesson Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s No. 2 official, draws from the latest inflation episode is that policymakers mustn’t assume that looking through supply shocks — as text books suggest — is the optimal response. She recommends they be ready to react preemptively, even when inflation hasn’t yet spun out of control.\n\nThey may be called into action soon on that front, should an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East hit oil deliveries.\n\nWhen the next big global slowdown comes, though, flexibility may be needed the other way. Europe’s eight-year experiment with negative rates ended with mixed reviews last summer as to whether it was all worth it.\n\nThe Bank for International Settlements argues that there’s room for greater tolerance for moderate shortfalls even if they’re persistent, because “low-inflation regimes, in contrast to high-inflation ones, have self-stabilizing properties.”\n\nRethinking Quantitative Easing\n\nWith a more flexible approach to those 2% targets, monetary policy after the 2008 financial crisis would have looked very different in many parts of the world. Trillions of dollars, euros, yen and pounds of asset purchases did little to raise prices in the face of global disinflationary forces until governments used the money they raised to stuff cash into consumers’ pockets during Covid lockdowns.\n\nBut that’s also been blamed for distorting financial markets. Episodes such as the Silicon Valley Bank blow-up are seen by some as a direct result of central bank reserves creation under QE, along with regulatory and supervision failures.\n\nOnly 40% of economists surveyed predict central banks will use QE the same way as they did before. A quarter expect them to deploy it more sparingly, about 30% see its only role going forward as a tool to address financial-stability concerns and a small minority doesn’t see it being used again at all.\n\nThere are other problems with bond-buying that may affect how it’s used in the future. QE effectively swaps long-term borrowing costs for short-term ones. What’s been a lucrative deal for taxpayers when official interest rates were low has now turned into a disastrous trade.\n\nThe clearest depiction of the problem is in the UK, where the BOE secured taxpayer indemnity for any losses on QE. Over the next decade, it estimates, its purchases will cost the government over £200 billion ($243 billion).\n\nAnd policymakers have little experience in unwinding their balance sheets, where small mistakes can trigger big market turbulence.\n\nThe Fed experienced some of that when it tried to shrink bond holdings between 2017 and 2019. More recent efforts to reduce portfolios have progressed rather smoothly, partially because central banks have amassed so much debt over the years that they’re far away from any thresholds that would trigger a squeeze.\n\nBut the fact that they’re treating quantitative tightening as a technical adjustment rather than a part of their efforts to conquer inflation raises questions about the future use of a tool that’s only trusted to work one way.\n\nThe ECB faces an extra legal burden on bond holdings that comes with operating in a currency union of 20 countries. Concerns around illegally financing governments and debt mutualization have already landed the central bank in court several times.\n\nMixing Policies\n\nLow interest rates and large-scale QE programs allowed treasuries to borrow on the cheap to finance stimulus campaigns, protecting labor markets, businesses and consumers from collapse. But the spending blowout throughout and since the pandemic — part critical emergency funding, part political need to show an all-hands-on-deck approach in crisis — contributed to the latest outbreak in inflation.\n\nWhile the same kind of pulling in the same direction is needed to restrain demand, many governments are concerned that if they tighten policy too hard, voters will kick them out and replace them with populists or extremists. That’s reviving questions about whether central banks can deliver price stability all on their own.\n\n“If we were designing optimal policy arrangements from scratch, monetary and fiscal policy would both have a role in managing the economic cycle and inflation, and that there would be close coordination,” Philip Lowe said in his last speech as Australian central bank governor in September.\n\nEconomists surveyed by Bloomberg predict fiscal policy will somewhat counteract the Fed’s efforts to rein in inflation in the US.\n\n“It’s true that there are circumstances where working hand in hand and supporting each other has proved helpful,” ECB President Christine Lagarde told a panel discussion in June at the institution’s annual economic forum.\n\nFed Chair Jerome Powell, who sat to her right, signaled he wasn’t ready to rely on that kind of cooperation. “Our assignment is to deliver price stability kind of regardless of the stance of fiscal policy.”\n\nCentral bankers warn that any failure to scale back fiscal spending risks coming at the cost of yet higher interest rates. They also want elected officials to put in place policies that help deliver sustainable growth.\n\n“A change in mindset needs to happen,” said Agustin Carstens, the former governor of the Bank of Mexico who’s now the general manager of the BIS. “Growth needs to depend less on fiscal and monetary policy, it should depend more on structural policies.”", + "For the past two weeks, coaches across college football have been riveted by the alleged Michigan sign-stealing scheme, but inside the Big Ten, the topic has been more than just a curiosity. On Wednesday’s Big Ten coaches video call with commissioner Tony Petitti, and after Jim Harbaugh left the call, that frustration was voiced loud and clear, according to conference coaches, who said they don’t feel like the new Big Ten commissioner is “motivated” to do anything about the Wolverines.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“There is just a ton of frustration,” a Big Ten coach told The Athletic on Thursday morning. “Look at Jim Harbaugh’s record before this started. The guy was on the hot seat before 2021, and now he’s like the king of college football. … No doubt this all has had a profound effect.\n\n“This guy’s being investigated for three different things now between the (alleged) illegal signal stealing, the (alleged) illegal recruiting during COVID and that investigation into the offensive coordinator and alleged computer hacking. There are guys (on that call) who could lose jobs, and then there’s this guy over here (Harbaugh) who is gonna get a new, bigger contract now, and they won’t do anything about him.”\n\nAsked to describe the tone of the coaches’ sentiment expressed to Petitti, another Big Ten coach called it “angry” — particularly at the Big Ten’s lack of action, or even apparent interest in taking any.\n\n“Everybody’s upset,” that coach told The Athletic. “Why is nothing being done? We want to know, what else do you need to know to take action? We (the Big Ten head coaches) want something done now. I don’t think people understand the advantage that what they’re (allegedly) doing gives you. People think, ‘OK, now that everybody knows, we all can just move on.’ Like, ‘now, it’s fair.’ Well, no, it isn’t. Not at all. This changes the way you operate. A lot of teams have been doing things a certain way for years. Now, it’s forcing you to teach your players a whole new way to communicate just for them. People think that this is just advanced scouting. This was damn near espionage.”\n\nA third Big Ten head coach told The Athletic that this is “one of the most egregious breaches in the spirit of the game” he’s ever heard of.\n\n“They (Michigan) have been manipulating the game and cheating the game for two-and-a-half years. To know exactly what the other team is doing, Michigan might as well have been playing with 15 guys on the field,” he said. “What’s the message the Big Ten is sending now by doing nothing? Win now, pay later? We might as well just send people to (scout) their practices and their games. It doesn’t encourage anybody to follow the rules. It’s just telling them to do the opposite and say, f— it.”\n\nGO DEEPER Michigan should be punished, say 94% of CFB coaches in our poll. What else did it reveal?\n\nThe NCAA is investigating Michigan’s football program amid allegations that the Wolverines used illegal in-person scouting and the recording of signals to steal signs this season. Ahead of the Michigan-Michigan State game on Oct. 21, the Big Ten approached MSU and said it was made aware of “credible evidence” regarding the sign-stealing allegations. The Big Ten said it would monitor the NCAA’s investigation into Michigan.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The Big Ten is so much more powerful than the NCAA,” that third Big Ten coach said. “Why are you just sitting back and doing nothing about this? The Big Ten can’t pound its chest for the last 30 years about how it does the right thing ethically (when other conferences like the SEC won’t) and then have this go on. If this were a team in the bottom half of the Big Ten, would this be handled in the same way?\n\n“When a running back gets hurt against Michigan because they knew exactly what play was coming, will that kid and his family have the ability to sue the Big Ten?”\n\nThe NCAA investigation is ongoing, a process that typically moves slowly, which makes it difficult to imagine it will reach a resolution by the time the postseason begins. The Big Ten does have the ability to act under its sportsmanship policy, but that doesn’t mean that it would want to act quickly or decisively before the NCAA completes its entire investigation and allows Michigan a chance to respond to its findings.\n\nThis is an unprecedented situation; whatever Petitti decides to do (or not do) will set a precedent. The Big Ten itself doesn’t have investigators, so it needs to rely upon the NCAA to do that part — and to determine who else was involved in the alleged scouting scheme. It’s not clear exactly what the coaches would want the league to do to punish Michigan; banning the team from competing in the Big Ten championship, for example, would harm players who had nothing to do with the sign-stealing apparatus.\n\nA source briefed on the coaches’ call said Big Ten coaches are concerned about whether Michigan “should represent the Big Ten.”\n\n“No matter what happens, if Michigan continues to move forward, the clouds will follow,” the source said. “They’re reading the tea leaves and wondering why the Big Ten hasn’t done anything yet. Every week and every day that goes by, people are like, ‘Something’s gotta give.’ It’s getting a little bit out of hand when you see him (allegedly) on the Central Michigan sideline. The playing field is not level right now. How can you have a team that you know has a competitive advantage over you still being allowed to play? That’s what the coaches are grappling with.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It feels like (former commissioner) Kevin (Warren) taking over and then COVID,” the source continued. “Tony’s walking into this situation, and people are calling for the league to make a statement before they have all the facts.”\n\nDespite frustration from all corners of the conference, sources at four different Big Ten schools said they do not expect the conference to levy any sort of punishment against Michigan before the season ends.\n\nEarlier this week, Central Michigan said it is investigating whether suspended Michigan staffer Connor Stalions was on the CMU sideline during the Chippewas’ Sept. 1 game at Michigan State. Screenshots of a person who looks similar to Stalions began circulating online Monday night, and The Athletic obtained more photos of the person on the sideline Tuesday.\n\nCentral Michigan is investigating if the person on the right here is Connor Stalions on the CMU sideline at Michigan State earlier this season. AD Amy Folan: “We became aware of these photos late yesterday and we are in the process of determining the facts surrounding them.\" pic.twitter.com/ncazAghBbS — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2023\n\nStalions, who was suspended with pay by Michigan on Oct. 20, is at the center of the NCAA’s investigation into the alleged scouting and sign-stealing scheme. Stalions bought tickets to games in at least seven Big Ten stadiums before those teams played the Wolverines over the past three seasons, including the 2023 season, sources told The Athletic last month. Purchasing the tickets is not a violation of NCAA rules, but using them to scout and record other teams would violate the rules, prohibiting in-person, on-campus scouting and the audio or video recording of signals.\n\n“They aren’t allegations. It happened,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said Thursday night on his radio show ahead of Saturday’s game against the Wolverines. “There’s video evidence. There’s ticket purchases and sales you can track back. We know for a fact they were at a number of our games. We’ve had to teach our guys a new language.”\n\nOn Monday, coach Jim Harbaugh met with reporters and said “the people that know us the most think the most of us” as Michigan faces the NCAA investigation. He has denied knowledge of the alleged scouting.\n\nGO DEEPER Ten thoughts on the Big Ten's 2024 schedule\n\nRequired reading\n\n(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)", + "Discord is introducing new safeguards to protect young users. On Thursday, the company announced Teen Safety Assist. The rollout will happen in the coming weeks and consists of two features: Automated alerts and content filters.\n\nMoving forward, when a user a teen hasn’t chatted with before sends a direct message, Discord will display a safety alert if the platform’s automated systems suspect the teen’s safety could be at risk. The prompt will nudge the young person to reconsider if they want to respond to the message, and point them to the app’s block feature and related safety tips.\n\nBy default, Discord will now also automatically blur potentially sensitive images from a teen’s friends. Young people can disable the feature through an option in Discord’s settings menu. Adults, meanwhile, can enable the filters for themselves, if they want the additional protections.\n\nThe introduction of Teen Safety Assist comes amid increased scrutiny of Discord’s efforts to limit the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and protect young users from predatory adults. In June, NBC News identified 35 cases over a period of six years where adults had allegedly used the platform to kidnap, groom or sexually assault minors. The outlet also found 165 cases where authorities were prosecuting adults for sharing CSAM over Discord or allegedly using the platform to extort young users into sending sexual images of themselves.\n\nIn the aftermath of the report, Discord banned teen dating servers and changed its safety policies to ban the sharing of AI-generated CSAM. It also announced new rules explicitly prohibiting any other kind of text or media content that sexualizes children. At the same time, the company introduced Family Center, a dashboard for parents and guardians to keep track of what their teens are doing on Discord.\n\nDiscord\n\n“Teens are still in the process of learning about themselves and what it means to be online, and our new safety features are rooted in providing them with agency on the platform, to give them ways to learn and grow in safe and age-appropriate online spaces,” said Savannah Badalich, senior director of policy at Discord. “These newest features are part of an ongoing, multi-year effort to continually evolve and advance safety on Discord.”\n\nAt the same time, Discord is introducing a new warning system for people who violate its policies. Outside of incidents involving the most “extreme” violations, the company is moving away from permanent bans. It’s doing so under the belief that most users will choose to be better online citizens given the chance and proper guidance.\n\nIn practice, the system will notify a person when they’ve violated one or more of Discord’s policies and detail the restrictions on their account. It will also link out to the company’s Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and appeal mechanism. A new “Account Standing” tab within the settings menu will allow users to see all their current and past policy violations.\n\n“We think we’ve built the most nuanced and proportionate reporting system,” Badalich told Engadget, adding the company hopes other platforms will look to what Discord has created for inspiration related to their own enforcement efforts. “We believe people, especially teens, have the capacity to grow.”\n\nSeparately, Discord announced a slew of new features and enhancements slated to arrive either in the near future or down the line. To start, the platform’s in-app shop, which Discord began testing last month with Nitro subscribers, will soon be available to all users. The marketplace features digital items people can use to decorate their avatars and profiles. Discord will offer store discounts to Nitro members, as part of a new perk for signing up.\n\nDiscord\n\nThis week, the company will also start a broad roll-out of a feature called Remix. It allows users to edit an image directly within Discord’s mobile app and share it with their friends and servers. The company spent much of the last year improving its Android and iOS clients. One recent update saw it improve app launch times on both platforms. In the near future, Discord says people can expect a new “Midnight” dark mode the company claims reduces battery consumption on devices with OLED screens, more functional notification tabs and a new search feature for the settings menu to make it easier to find the exact option you’re looking to tweak.\n\nLast but not least, the company says it will begin rolling out Premium App Subscriptions to eligible developers in the UK and Europe, following a launch that began in the US a few weeks ago. On the subject of third-party apps, bots and plugins, the company said it’s in the process of exploring how to make those accessible across nearly every part of Discord. It provided few details on the effort, but said the goal is to allow people to access their favorite apps and bots without those experiences being restricted to select servers.\n\n“We're experimenting with a few different things, but the goal is for developers to reach more people with the awesome experience they're building. For users, we don’t want them to be gated from having these custom experiences at their fingertips,” Cherry Park, director of product marketing at Discord, told Engadget. “In terms of the way we architecture and build it, there are a couple of solutions. Some are easier, some are more difficult, and you're going to see us experiment with a few of them over the next few quarters.”\n\nDiscord promised to share more about its efforts around app portability in the near future. In the meantime, Nitro subscribers will get a chance to test new features before they become available to the public.\n\nUpdate, October 20, 2023, 11:20 AM ET: This story has been updated to note that these feature are rolling out in the coming weeks, not this week as the post originally said. We also removed a mention that Discord would automatically delete potentially sensitive content from strangers. This was originally part of a briefing we received on the new features, but it was not included in the final release.", + "His company is accused of falsifying the records that come with aviation components to show they are the real deal. CFM, a joint venture between GE and Safran that manufactures engines, is now pursuing a legal case against AOG in Britain’s High Court. Zamora is defending the case. Verification documents are important because of the exacting specifications of airline parts. Engine modules must tolerate temperatures that would melt many materials and even basic parts must be certified. Because of these demands, even a bolt can cost thousands of dollars if it is holding an engine in place. As a result, the market for airline parts is a very lucrative one. Since 2015, Zamora has charmed his way deep into the complex network of companies and decision makers who move billions of dollars worth of airline parts around the world.\n\nBusiness associates who worked with him outside AOG and who were willing to speak to The Telegraph describe a savvy operator who was fun to be around. Loading Zamora, who is Venezuelan, got his start in aviation in 2010 as an account manager at AJW, an engine maintenance business, according to Bloomberg. A keen techno DJ, he was also gigging as recently as 2018 according to the Daily Mail. Zamora founded AOG in 2015 from a rented terraced house in Hove, about 70 kilometres south of London on the UK’s South Coast.\n\nIt appeared to be small scale in its early years: the company’s registered address moved between four homes in the following three years, shifting from Hove to London in 2017. Then, the company was registered at serviced offices in central London. Friends say they haven’t been in contact with Zamora in a number of months as he begins his defence in London’s High Court. AOG’s website appears offline, but a cached version says the company offered “a diverse portfolio of quality products and services”. “With our head office in the UK and warehouse operations in London, Frankfurt, Miami and Singapore, we are uniquely positioned to support our customers around the world – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” the website read. “We keep our clients flying.” The company’s phone line is still connected but offers only endless hold music.\n\nAOG is understood to have sold mainly smaller parts for jet engines, such as bolts, nuts, washers, dampers and seals. The parts don’t carry a serial number and are therefore harder to trace. Worryingly, some bigger parts appear to be linked to the scandal. Some turbine blades have also been identified by CFM as suspect. CFM is understood to believe that AOG had been passing off old parts for new ones. Steve Borrowdale, managing director at Multiflight, a Leeds-based engineer and parts supplier, says sneaking parts into a jet engine is difficult. After vetting a seller for experience and approval certification, a buyer would also carefully inspect a part from a new supplier.\n\n“You get the box, you’d have a look, just for simple things. If there’s a brand-new part coming in a non-identified box, you might start to question it.” Choosing parts without serial numbers could make falsifying documents easier, he said, but it would still take great skill. The supply of parts in aviation is through a dazzling patchwork of thousands of often small manufacturers, brokers and distributors. Credit: Bloomberg “You couldn’t just take a novice off the street and start selling these things, you would have to have gotten some training somewhere along the way.” According to filings at Companies House, AOG grew slowly from 2015 until 2019, when the company had net assets of £22,000 ($42,000).\n\nBy early 2020, it was worth £2.2 million. A breakthrough came when it won a deal with logistics firm B&H Worldwide to distribute parts from its hub in Frankfurt. “The two companies have previously worked together for exports to Europe and the US from the UK, but this is the first time they have partnered in mainland Europe,” the pair said in a press release in 2020. AOG’s cash bonanza came before the COVID-19 lockdowns of that year, according to the filings. The pandemic grounded flights and was a disaster for the aviation industry. However, the end of lockdowns triggered a resurgence in international travel and a rush to secure jets and parts amid backlogs in factories. The parts scramble that followed would be a perfect breeding ground for an unscrupulous seller, said Borrowdale.\n\n“Since COVID, raw materials are increasingly difficult to get hold of,” he said. The supply of parts in aviation is through a dazzling patchwork of thousands of often small manufacturers, brokers and distributors. Manufacturers and operators are heavily regulated and largely responsible for orchestrating the paper trail that follows every aviation part, from computers and fuselage panels to screw housings and washers. CFM has had to audit more than 500 suppliers to try and find out what items could be caught up in the crisis. The parts so far identified in the forgery scandal are not thought to include the most sensitive components, known as life-limited parts, which operate under the most stress in a jet engine and are carefully monitored by manufacturers while operating on the plane. However, even dodgy fastenings have claimed lives.\n\nPartnair Flight 394 crashed off the coast of Denmark in September 1989, killing all 55 passengers and crew, after its tail fin came off. Three of the four bolts holding the fin in place were counterfeit and weaker than those designed for the plane. The weak bolts and other maintenance problems allowed vibrations that caused the rudder to fail and break off, investigators later found. Loading Following that incident and other bogus parts scandals, Mary Schiavo, who was inspector general at the US Department of Transportation in the early 1990s, ran a campaign against the sale of unapproved aircraft parts and helped secure more than a hundred criminal convictions. She uncovered bogus components that had been made by manufacturers that had lost their certification to make the parts, old equipment passed off as new, re-labelled defective parts and outright fakes that were never designed for aviation use. These are largely the categories into which bad parts still fall, she says. Unapproved parts were even found in part of a fire control system on Air Force One in 1995, she said.\n\n“Literally, if it’s on an aeroplane, it could be fake.” Following her investigation, various reforms came in, including a warning system to flag suspicious components. “I’ve had cases where counterfeit parts have caused deaths. What’s at stake is the safety of the lives of the flying public.” While plane and engine manufacturers, pilots and aviation companies are heavily regulated, distributors are not, she warns. She pushed for tighter rules in the 1990s but was ignored. The High Court case against AOG began on September 21 and is ongoing.\n\nThe UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has said it is supporting the US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency in investigating the matter. A spokesman for CFM said: “We are working collaboratively with operators, so they can promptly remove the unauthorised parts from their engines in accordance with the recommendations issued by the regulatory agencies. “We remain united with the aviation community in working to keep unapproved parts out of the global supply chain.” B&H was approached for comment. Zamora was approached for comment through friends and his barrister. The Telegraph, UK", + "Instagram Threads isn’t the only app joining the decentralized social web, which includes Twitter/X rival Mastodon and other apps, with its newly added support for the networking protocol ActivityPub. Today, the social magazine app Flipboard is announcing it has also now integrated with ActityPub. In its initial phase, select Flipboard accounts will be discoverable and can be followed by the millions of users of decentralized social apps, including Mastodon. Over time, all profiles on Flipboard will be available in the fediverse, as this network of decentralized social apps is known.\n\nThe company announced its intention earlier this year to participate in the fediverse. It began by integrating its app with Mastodon via an API and setting up its own Mastodon server, flipboard.social, ahead of full ActivityPub integration. This allowed Flipboard to get a feel for the world of decentralized social media, and learn how its users would respond. It also gave Flipboard a way to stay connected to social media after Twitter/X increased its API fees for third-party developers, making it unsustainable for many developers to continue to work with the company.\n\nThe Flipboard app’s primary purpose has been to curate into social “magazines” news and information found on the web, including links to articles, photos and other social posts. As a result, it had relied on Twitter as one of its sources of information. That changed this year, when Flipboard shifted its Twitter integration over to Mastodon and another alternative social app, Bluesky. It also set up its own Mastodon server and began curating news across the fediverse via editorial “desks” focused on improving the discovery of news on Mastodon.\n\nAll this was in the lead-up to making Flipboard itself a federated social app, a process that’s kicking off today.\n\nInitially, Flipboard is testing the integration with select accounts, including publishers like Semafor, Pitchfork, Fast Company, Medium, LGBTQ Nation, Refinery 29, Digiday, Polygon, SPIN, Kotaku, Frommer’s, The Verge, Smithsonian Magazine, Refinery 29, The Root, ScienceAlert, AFAR Media and others. While many are focused on news, there are also some nonprofits like The News Literacy Project and education-focused news site The 74, in this debut list.\n\n“As we said in the earlier part of this year, we will be embracing ActivityPub into Flipboard and effectively reworking our whole backend to that,” explained Flipboard CEO Mike McCue, in a conversation with TechCrunch about the coming changes. He says the company had first integrated with Mastodon at the API level, so users could log into their Mastodon accounts, see those posts and interact with others in the fediverse from Flipboard. “But you had to have an account on all those platforms,” McCue noted.\n\n“What we’re announcing on Monday is basically our roadmap for how we will be rolling out ActivityPub, and effectively tearing down the walls around our own walled garden,” he added.\n\nWith the changes, when Flipboard users curate an article or post into one of their social magazines on Flipboard’s app, with an optional comment, that “flip,” as it’s called, will also appear as a post on their new flipboard.com Mastodon account. This is not the same server as Flipboard had set up before (flipboard.social), which was a place to experiment with decentralized social media. Instead, it’s the Flipboard app itself that’s now connected to the fediverse. Users’ posts on Mastodon will include a link both to the article being flipped and to the user’s Flipboard magazine, while the user profile will point to their Flipboard profile page.\n\nAs this rolls out, all Flipboard users will have one Flipboard.com account connected to the fediverse, even if they host numerous Flipboard magazines. That’s not ideal as their magazines may focus on different topics. But McCue believes that Mastodon could one day support a notion of sub-feeds that would allow more differentiation.\n\nUsers will be able to opt out of having their “flips” posted on Mastodon, but being opted-in will be the default experience. The company expects to have all its user accounts connected to the fediverse by the end of January. (This won’t impact any magazines set to “private” on Flipboard. Those will remain private, McCue notes.)\n\nToday, Flipboard has over 10,000 publishers of social magazines on its app and over a quarter million individuals who are curating content using Flipboard’s app. Given that Mastodon today has around 1.5 million monthly active users, this could be a notable bump for the fediverse when Flipboard’s integration fully rolls out, assuming Flipboard’s users don’t opt out.\n\nFlipboard is only one of now several companies that has embraced decentralized social media. In addition to X rival Instagram Threads, which began testing ActivityPub last week, other tech companies are moving in this direction, as well. Automattic made it possible for all WordPress.org and WordPress.com blogs to become federated, and said it’s working on doing the same with Tumblr next year. Medium and Mozilla have also set up their own servers, and the latter backed a Mastodon client called Mammoth, too.\n\nFor Flipboard, after integrating its back end with the fediverse, the company may reconsider what its front end should look like, too, for this new age of social media.\n\n“The front end was built at a time pre-federation,” noted McCue. “What are the implications of federation in the front end? How do we think about curation and all the things, all the capabilities and tools that we’ve created over the years? How does that work in a world that’s federated, and from a user experience point of view? That is a great question,” he said.\n\nDespite all the changes, Flipboard is not in need of raising funds to support its new developments. It’s running off the profits of its own business as it moves in this direction.\n\nThe company is also betting on the fact that federated social media may only be the beginning of what’s to come for the web overall.\n\n“I saw what was happening with ActivityPub and it became very clear to me that this is the future of the web, period,” McCue said. “The social web is people linking to pages and people linking to people. So it’s a much more intricate web.”\n\nHe sees Flipboard as a part of that opportunity. “There needs to be a way to do discovery and search and have it be beautiful and simple and easy to use. That is what we’re focused on,” McCue added.", + "There’s this picture from more than a decade ago that still goes viral on the web every once in a while. You’ve probably seen it: it was created by the venture capitalist Andrew Parker, and it compares a few dozen startups with subsections of Craigslist. Back then, Craigslist was all things to all people online, and a generation of startups figured they could do part of the job a lot better.\n\nSome of those companies failed — sometimes because of Craigslist! — but some also became gigantically successful. Airbnb worked because it was more searchable, reliable, and trustworthy than a random Craigslist listing; StubHub sold you secondhand tickets without the 50 percent chance those tickets were fake; Etsy offered a much more fun shopping and discovery experience than a bunch of text listings and crappy photos.\n\nFor a decade, startups tried to unbundle Craigslist. Now they can do the same for social networks. Image: Andrew Parker\n\nThis is the same opportunity in front of the social media landscape right now: a rare chance to unbundle the internet, to pull apart an existing system and rebuild it, piece by piece, in vastly better ways. If we do this correctly — if the next phase of how we congregate and communicate online is built for humans and not advertisers — there won’t be a new titanic company to rival Meta or a platform with eye-poppingly huge numbers like Facebook. What we’ll get instead is something much bigger: an entirely new infrastructure for our online lives that no company or platform controls.\n\nThe reason this suddenly feels possible is the emergence of the fediverse. In a sentence, the fediverse is an interconnected set of apps that can all read and write the same content. Decentralized social media is often compared to email, in that you don’t have to compose, organize, and read your messages all in the same app, and you and I don’t have to use the same tools to communicate. Email apps can have different interfaces, different privacy policies, even wildly different ideas about what email is for. Every app knows what an email address is, and every email address can talk to every other.\n\nThe point is that email is just data, and lots of apps can understand and manipulate it. When Meta’s Adam Mosseri posts on Threads and you see it on Mastodon, that’s the fediverse at work. If you post on Mastodon and I see it in my Pixelfed feed, that’s fediverse too. When I comment on your Flipboard post and it shows up as a reply in the Mastodon feed you check through the Mammoth app? Pure fediverse, baby.\n\nI’m convinced we’ll be better off with a hundred different apps for Snapchat or Instagram or X instead of just one\n\nI’m convinced we’ll be better off with a hundred different apps for Snapchat or Instagram or X instead of just one, a dozen companies competing to build the best moderation tools, and an app store filled with different ways for me to follow and be followed by other people on the internet. It doesn’t make sense that we have a dozen usernames, a dozen profiles, a dozen sets of fans and friends. All that stuff should belong to me, and I should be able to access it and interact with it anywhere and everywhere.\n\nThe infrastructure underlying all of this is typically ActivityPub, a decade-old protocol overseen by the World Wide Web Consortium (also known as the group more or less in charge of how the internet works). There are other similar protocols as well, like Bluesky’s AT Protocol and Nostr and Farcaster. I’d bet heavily that ActivityPub becomes the default choice over time, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter so much which protocol wins as long as one of them does. We don’t need two internets, and we don’t need two social protocols. We need one thing that is both simple enough and big enough to handle all the ways we connect with each other online. No centralized platform has ever been big enough. The fediverse can be.\n\nMastodon is the biggest thing in the fediverse so far, but it may not be for long. Image: Mastodon\n\nDecentralizing social media can sound like a sort of kumbaya anti-capitalist manifesto: “It’s about openness and sharing, not capitalism, man!” In practice it’s the opposite: it’s a truly free market approach to social networking. Mastodon may not be interested in becoming a trillion-dollar company, but there’s no reason there can’t be plenty of those built on the fediverse. It’s just that in a fediverse-dominated world, the way to win is not to achieve excellent lock-in and network effects. The only way to win is to build the best product.\n\nThis is really not a particularly hot take, by the way. Even the most successful centralized platforms have long understood that a protocol-driven social web is a good idea. Jack Dorsey used to say that Twitter was better as a protocol than a platform, and started the project that became Bluesky before also helping get Nostr going. (We really don’t need to get into the whole story of what happened to Twitter since then, except to say that the speed with which that platform changed made a lot of people acutely aware that we need a social ecosystem that can resist the whims of a single company or CEO.)\n\nMeanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to earnestly believe that bringing Threads to the fediverse is a good idea, both for its product and for its business. “Not everyone wants to use one product,” he said to my colleague Alex Heath earlier this fall, “and I think making it so that they can use an alternative but can still interact with people on the network will make it so that that product also is more valuable.” Mark Zuckerberg! Said that! He understands that people want to feel like their social connections and content belong to them, not to a company that can disappear or pivot or change its ways. And let’s be real: if Meta can’t build and maintain the One True Social Network For Everybody, nobody can. It’s well past time to try something else.\n\nThe only way to see your Facebook posts is to sign up for Facebook’s rules, Facebook’s aesthetic, Facebook’s features, Facebook’s moderation, Facebook’s algorithm, and Facebook’s business model.\n\nRight now, every social platform is a universe unto itself. The only way to see your Facebook posts is to sign up for Facebook’s rules, Facebook’s aesthetic, Facebook’s features, Facebook’s moderation, Facebook’s algorithm, and Facebook’s business model. That’s not just a bad user experience, it’s a ridiculous way to run a company. Facebook has to invent and maintain all these things, just as every one of its competitors does. It’s an impossible task but just as impossible to compete with; you can’t build social products without building an entire social graph from scratch, and good luck with that.\n\nIn a fediverse world, rather than try to build another all-encompassing Facebook from scratch, an enterprising developer can pick one or a few of its features and try to do better. Users can pick their favorite app — or two, or two hundred — through which to get their posts. Because everything is based on one set of posts and an open network of friends and followers, new social products can be useful even if you’re the very first user.\n\nImage: W3C\n\nIn the world of ActivityPub, every post everywhere is made up of a sender, a message, and a URL. Every user has an inbox and an outbox for those messages. That’s the whole protocol in a nutshell. The simplicity is the point: since ActivityPub is not a product but a data format like PDF or JPG, what you do with those messages, those URLs, those inboxes and outboxes, is entirely up to you.\n\nYou could have a Twitter-like app that emphasizes text, or an Instagram-like one with a UI that shows photos first. Your federated YouTube could be full of everybody’s videos, or you could make TikTok by filtering only for short and vertical ones. You could use a WhatsApp-style messaging app that only cares about messages sent directly to someone’s inbox.\n\nYou could try to do all those things, or you could try to do something nobody’s ever been able to do before. You could build a news reader that only includes posts with links to news sites and automatically loads those links in a nice reading interface. You could build a content moderation tool that any fediverse app could use to filter and manage content on their platform. You could build the perfect algorithm that only up-ranks shitposts and good jokes, and license that algorithm to any app that wants a “Epic Posts Only” mode. You could build an app that’s just an endless feed of great stuff for NBA fans. You could build one that’s just for crypto true believers. You could build one that lets you swipe from one to the other depending on your mood.\n\nThere are already a few platforms built on ActivityPub and embracing the ideas of the fediverse. Apps like Mammoth and Ivory are showing the potential for different user experiences on top of the same data and infrastructure. But so far we’re mostly in the “popular app, but federated” phase of this transition. (Which is definitely better than “popular app, but blockchain” from a couple of years ago… but not by much.)\n\nSo far we’re mostly in the “popular app, but federated” phase of this transition\n\nMastodon deliberately looks and feels like Twitter. (So do Firefish and Pleroma and GoToSocial and others. The fediverse is super into replacing Twitter.) Pixelfed is Instagram through and through. Lemmy’s features are virtually all ripped straight from Reddit. Almost everything in the fediverse is a one-to-one competitor to an existing platform: PeerTube to YouTube; Friendica to Facebook; BookWyrm to Goodreads; on and on it goes. Some of these apps are very good! But nearly all of them are differentiated only in that they’re federated.\n\nLet’s be super clear about this: the point of the fediverse is not that it’s federated. The most consistent argument against the long-term viability of platforms like Mastodon is that most people don’t give a hoot about the underlying protocols and infrastructure of their apps and just want things to be easy, reliable, and useful. That is absolutely, unequivocally true. Making the “It’s federated!” argument is like making the “It’s better for privacy!” argument: it makes you feel good, and at best it’s a useful tiebreaker, but it doesn’t actually matter. All that matters is the product.\n\nThe best thing about the fediverse is that it will actually enable an explosion of better social products, for lots of reasons but one in particular: it allows for so many more of them. Forget the hand-wavy protocol stuff for a second — one of the best things about embracing ActivityPub is that it sticks a crowbar into a single Voltron-ic product like Facebook or Twitter or Snapchat and pries it apart into its component pieces, each one ripe for innovation and new ideas.\n\nWe’re still in the very early days of the fediverse, and it’s going to be messy for a while. It might feel like you’re seeing the same posts too many times, and like you see some posts that obviously weren’t meant to be seen in the app or feed you’re using. Some particularly thirsty influencers are going to go hard on cross-posting tools that threaten to clutter up all your feeds everywhere and become totally unavoidable. This is not a problem with the protocols; it’s an opportunity for better products. There’s plenty of money to be made in the fediverse, and plenty of space for new products to take off.", + "A woman in a blue tracksuit is on the floor of a bright asylum-like room, stretching in a pigeon yoga pose when she turns to the stranger she plans to live with for 100 days.\n\n“What are you going to do with this money?” she asks. The two contestants in MrBeast’s newest video, Suzie Taylor and Bailey Stanfield, have been cohabitating for nearly three weeks at this point, isolated from the rest of the world. They only eat canned food, and all they have to entertain themselves is a deck of cards that they made themselves.\n\n“I was probably going to pay a lot on the house,” Bailey replies. He’s sitting in his bed, where he’s made a canopy with a sheet to keep the light out, since the bright lights never turn off. Stacks of dollar bills lie atop his canopy, and he’s surrounded by 15 more briefcases filled with money, which he will only get if he can stick this out for another few months.\n\n“I want to pay off my parents’ debt,” Suzie says. “That would be like, my ideal world.”\n\nTaylor and Stanfield successfully completed the challenge, winning $185,000 each. But what’s intriguing about their reality TV-like experience is that this trade-off has become a new normal on social media. If you agree to suffer for content, you might just be able to pay off your parents’ debt.\n\nThe most successful YouTuber in the world, MrBeast, is known for his expensive stunts. Four years ago, this meant paying people $10,000 to eat a ghost pepper, giving someone $100,000 to spend in one hour, or offering a stranger $100,000 to quit their job. With each video, MrBeast’s challenges have become a bit more diabolical, pushing contestants’ physical and mental fortitude to their limits. Now, starring in one of his videos means surviving in a locked room with a stranger for over three months, or living in a grocery store.\n\nA 25-year-old named Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, must constantly up the ante in every video to keep his massive audience entertained. Oftentimes, MrBeast is the one putting himself in these nightmarish situations, like when he buried himself alive for seven days (and while he was 10 feet underground in a coffin, he celebrated hitting the milestone of 200 million YouTube subscribers). But his contestants’ goals have remained the same since the beginning. Americans are so saddled with debt — medical bills, student loans, mortgages, credit card interest — that it seems like the only way out is to sign up for a massively unpleasant YouTube stunt.\n\nOne of the 100 contestants in a video called “Last To Leave Circle Wins $500,000” cried when she earned a consolation prize of a few thousand dollars.\n\n“This is going to change my life,” she said tearfully. “I’m going to take a lot of this to pay my bills.”\n\nAnd Alex, the man who lived in a grocery store for 45 days, said he would set aside $60,000 of his winnings to pay off debt, $130,000 for his house and $60,000 for his two kids’ college fund.\n\n“Money is the thing we’d trade our life for,” said contestant Shawn Hendrix in one MrBeast video, in which he lived in a giant circle in the middle of nowhere for 100 days, away from his wife and four children. “I’ve given up a third of a year of my life for half a million. Make sure you’re trading your life for things that are worth it.”\n\nThe situation is oddly reminiscent of “Squid Game,” the Netflix series about 456 contestants who are so deeply in debt that they agree to fight to the death for the chance to win millions of dollars, all while the wealthy elite watch for sport. And, to be extremely on the nose, MrBeast created his very own Squid Game challenge, where 456 people competed for $456,000. Then, Netflix also created a reality competition show based on the dystopian thriller.\n\nOf course, the contestants on Netflix or in MrBeast videos are participating voluntarily and are not in mortal danger. Still, we’re living in a country where the total amount of student debt has almost tripled in the last 15 years to over $1.77 trillion dollars. And according to a study from Kaiser Health News and NPR, 41% of American adults have some form of medical debt.\n\nIf getting sick can render you bankrupt, why not live inside a grocery store for 45 days if it could eliminate your financial burdens? The American Dream is no longer the promise that anyone can get rich if they just work hard enough. Now, it’s the hope that maybe one day MrBeast will film you living in terrible conditions for a few months, and then you’ll be able to pay off the debt you accumulated by simply just going to school or getting sick.\n\nOne of the two contestants who just won $185,000 for living in a barren room with a stranger for 100 days, Suzie Taylor is using this exposure to jumpstart her career as a content creator. Now that 78 million YouTube viewers (and counting) have watched her get pushed to her psychological limits for cash, she’s reinvesting her winnings into becoming a content creator herself.\n\nIn tandem with the release of MrBeast’s video about her, Taylor posted a video called “I Spent $185,000 From MrBeast.” Her video pays homage to MrBeast’s old-school guerilla philanthropy videos, as she drives around Los Angeles doing good deeds for strangers. She buys a child a hoverboard at Target, she gives money to homeless people, and she pays for everyone’s ice cream at a very crowded dessert shop. She’s quite literally using the money she won from MrBeast to jumpstart her online career, wherein she’s emulating the same playbook that made MrBeast who he is.\n\nTaylor’s strategy is low-key genius. According to the Wayback Machine, she had 300 subscribers in April. On Sunday, December 17, the day after she and MrBeast posted their videos, Taylor had around 12,000 subscribers, and on Wednesday, December 20, she’s broken 100,000. So, if Taylor can keep her subscribers engaged beyond her 15 minutes of fame, she won’t just have won $185,000 from MrBeast. She’ll have made a down payment on a whole new career.", + "Automakers and technology companies are building ever-more sophisticated digital platforms into the future generations of cars and other vehicles. Today, a startup that’s built a system to make it easy to connect that software and hardware to wireless networks has picked up a major round of funding.\n\nCubic Telecom, which provides a software-based networking solution for vehicles (and other devices) to link up with mobile networks in whichever country they happen to be, has picked up €473 million ($513 million at today’s rates) from SoftBank Corp. SoftBank is taking a 51% stake in the Dublin-based startup, valuing it at just over $1 billion (€927 million).\n\nThis effectively makes Cubic Telecom a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank. Barry Napier will stay on as CEO and will have a seat on the board of the company. Daichi Nozaki, SoftBank’s SVP of global business, plus two other SoftBank-appointed people (still unnamed) will join the board, with the remaining three board seats occupied by existing Cubic Telecom investors, which include CARIAD (the Volkswagen Group) and Qualcomm.\n\nThe funding will be used to continue building out Cubic Telecom’s technology and business. Today, it has partnerships with 90 national and multinational mobile network operators and provides connectivity to 17 million+ vehicles in 190 countries and regions.\n\nThat’s only between 7% and 10% of the current market, Cubic Telecom COO Shane Sorohan said in an interview. (It might be actually slightly lower: Juniper Research estimates that the number of connected vehicles in the market today is around 192 million.)\n\nBut the size of this particular round is due to how fast the company is growing right now. Cubic Telecom is currently linking up 450,000 new vehicles — consumer cars, trucks and more — using its platform each month, and orders in the books are going to raise that rate “exponentially” over the next five years, the company said. Cubic Telecom cites forecasts from McKinsey noting that some 95% of new vehicles will be sold with wireless connectivity built into them by 2030. Juniper puts the number of new cars on the road by then that will be “connected” at just under 400 million.\n\nGrowth in the industry is due to a few factors: networks continue to improve, in particular with 5G especially suited to IoT deployments; cloud-based data services and vehicles themselves are getting more advanced; and thanks to the evolution of other connected devices like smartphones, watches, televisions and so much more, consumers and business are expecting more functionality in their vehicles.\n\nTo be clear, Cubic Telecom’s investment is coming from SoftBank Corp., not SoftBank Group, nor the company’s storied Vision Fund, known — and occasionally notorious — for its outsized venture deals.\n\nIn this case, the Japanese telecoms and IT division in Tokyo is putting in the money as a strategic investment.\n\nThe pair have been working together in Japan, where Cubic Telecom has been integrating SoftBank’s wireless network to provide connectivity to connected cars. And now, SBC sees an opportunity to expand internationally not through costly builds of more network, or by acquiring other carriers, but by taking a stake in a partner that it sees is getting strong traction as an IT partner globally precisely in that area where telecoms meets technology — a holy grail-type goal for carriers, especially these days as their networks become further commoditized.\n\nCubic plans to continue building more connectivity for vehicles, Sorohan said, but he added that the company’s infrastructure and partnerships can work in a number of other verticals, such as the agricultural industry, where national and multinational companies are now using a multitude of connected tooling and autonomous equipment in remote areas.\n\nCubic Telecom’s business goes back to before connected cars were a significant business — it actually appeared at TechCrunch’s first-ever Battlefield in 2007, when it was focused more on helping consumers connect mobile phones to international networks when roaming. But it was its current focus on vehicles that turbo-charged the business, attracting investment from the likes of Audi and Qualcomm.\n\nThe bigger gap in the market that the company has been targeting and building to plug for the last several years has been that, while tech companies and automakers have been working on ways to build more functionality into vehicles — whether that be more clever ways to manage and respond to diagnostics on the vehicle, or give you an easier way to listen to Spotify, or to help drive a car altogether — the piece that has remained more tricky is the internet connectivity to make all of that work.\n\nTypically, car makers will have to cut deals with individual carriers region-by-region, which is time-consuming, costly and does nothing for creating a seamless experience at the front end for users, either. Cubic’s platform acts as a wholesale aggregator, and it essentially helps to manage all of that automatically and at a lower cost, so that cars come delivered into a market ready to use, and if those cars are then driven into another region, they will continue to work there, too.\n\nAs vehicles continue to get more sophisticated, it’s a fair bet that technology companies and automakers themselves will come up with more seamless ways themselves to manage that connectivity. Looking at what Apple and others are building with eSIMs is a sign of how there will be easier ways to provision services as easy as it is today for most people and businesses to install, or uninstall, software. But for now, the Cubic approach is one that is helping to bring down the cost of building and managing it, and that gives it a key role for some years to come.\n\n“In line with our ‘Beyond Japan’ strategic growth initiative, we are extremely pleased to be teaming up with Cubic Telecom to make a full-fledged entry into the fast-growing market for high-value IoT asset connectivity,” said Junichi Miyakawa, president & CEO of SoftBank Corp., in a statement.", + "If you’re lucky, once a year you get to put together a panel built on pure kismet. Pairing Gill Pratt with Marc Raibert was exactly that for me. The two go back several decades, to the salad days of MIT’s Leg Lab.\n\n[A version of this story originally appeared in TechCrunch’s robotics newsletter, Actuator. Subscribe for free here.]\n\nRaibert founded the lab at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in 1980, before moving operations to MIT. The team was focused on robot locomotion research that would pave the way for Boston Dynamics’ work.\n\n“When we first got started, all robots that had legs were very slow moving, crab-like things that would hug the ground and then tentatively take a step and hope that things didn’t topple over and then move like a slow-moving spider,” says Raibert. “I was interested in how animals work, and I looked at that and said, ‘Wow, this is about as far from right as you can get.’ I went the other way to see if we can do something where the dynamics and the energy in the machine [were] part of the story, and springs and bouncing were part of the story. My lab worked on that. We built pogo stick robots.”\n\nRaibert ran the lab for 15 years. A number of future robotics luminaries would make their way through the program over the course of its existence, including AI ethics professor Joanna Bryson, research scientist Jerry Pratt, Wobbleworks co-founder Peter Dilworth, artist Daniel Paluska, CSAIL professor/Toyota Research Institute (TRI) VP Russ Tedrake, UC Berkeley professor Ken Goldberg, Boston Dynamics CEO Rob Playter and Agility Robotics co-founder Jonathan Hurst, who was a visiting student from CMU one summer.\n\nRaibert and Pratt first crossed paths when the latter was a student at MIT. Raibert would found Boston Dynamics in 1992, handing the Leg Lab keys over to Pratt three years later.\n\n“Marc was an incredibly generous professor,” Pratt says of their early days. “One of the wonderful things about MIT at the time and Marc in particular is that I was this young kid, and both as a graduate student and then a young professor, he welcomed me. For a while, both of us were working in the Leg Lab at the same time, and Marc had done this extraordinary work on robots that run. I decided that maybe I would work on robots that walk. That’s how we intersected then, and then when he went off to form Boston Dynamics, he was very kind and basically gave me the lab and all the stuff that was there.”\n\nPratt remained in academia for the next two decades, transferring from MIT to Olin in 2001. Nine years later, he became a program manager at DARPA. It was there the two crossed paths yet again. Boston Dynamics designed Atlas for DARPA. The humanoid robot made its debut in 2013 and has since become a mainstay in robotics challenges.\n\nThree years later, Pratt was named TRI’s CEO. Raibert continued as Boston Dynamics’ CEO until 2019, handing the reins over to longtime employee Rob Playter, who managed the company’s shift to more commercial pursuits. Last year, Raibert (who still serves as BD’s chairman) founded the Boston Dynamics AI Institute. The organization has a lot in common with TRI. Both are dedicated to pure research, with the backing of two major automakers (Toyota and Hyundai).\n\nI recognize that “pure research” is a bit of a loaded term. The concept is certainly a hopeful one: finding a method that can sustain research outside of the pressures of academia and corporate R&D.\n\nAsked whether there is pressure from Toyota to productize, Pratt says, “There actually is not, and I’m not saying that just to be nice. I think one of the great things about companies that have existed for long times is that this isn’t the first time that they’ve done R&D. Certainly most of the R&D budget inside of Toyota is spent figuring out how to make the next car or maybe the car five years from now. But there’s this notion — and I’m sure Hyundai shares this — that we’re at the once-in-a-century time for transformation in the car industry. Battery electric vehicles are much simpler to make than cars have been in the past — no engine, no transmission, etc. So, we’re going to have to compete in a much fiercer way in cars. But also, can we use the skills, the dreams and the hopes of the company to go beyond cars? TRI’s job is to actually think about [what’s] next. What’s next after cars, as well as some fancy stuff on cars.”\n\nFor TRI, much of the “what’s next” focuses on supporting aging populations. The organization invests a good portion of its resources to building out technology designed to help older people live more independently. That’s at the root of the research we shared from the institute last week. Noted senior research scientist Benjamin Burchfiel:\n\nWe’ve seen some big progress with the advent of [large language models], using them to impart this high level of cognitive intelligence into robots. If you have a robot that picks up a thing, now instead of having to specify an object, you can tell it to pick up the can of Coke. Or you can tell it to pick up the shiny object, or you can do the same thing and do it in French. That’s really great, but if you want a robot to plug in a USB device or pick up a tissue, those models just don’t work. They’re really useful, but they don’t solve that part of the problem. We’re focused on filling in that missing piece, and the thing we’re really excited about now is that we actually have a system and that the fundamentals are correct.\n\nThe Boston Dynamics AI Institute is still in its infancy, and therefore doesn’t have much in the way of public facing research to show just yet. It is, however, doing a lot of hiring. This week it announced that MIT’s Kate Darling will lead research around “ethics and societal impact of robotics and AI.” From the institute:\n\nDarling’s team will explore immediate as well as long term questions on the implementation and use of robotics, impact on the workplace, infrastructure and other topics. The team will perform studies and experiments designed to generate data needed for others to make informed ethics and policy decisions, and will also develop a series of talks and workshops at the intersection of ethics, law, economics and robotics that will offer a platform for broad discussion.\n\n“I’ve heard Gill say that making a car is taking small bits of metal and banging them up, welding them together and attaching them,” Raibert says. “That’s a little on the primitive side. Now we have software, robotics, AI and all that stuff, and the car companies need to embrace that. I think the leadership at Hyundai — the chairman visited me last week, and we’re in close touch with him and the people who work with him — think that getting into the 22nd century is an important thing to do and we’re getting started on it now.”\n\nPratt adds, “There’s actually this alignment that’s happening between cars and robotics, as well. Rod Brooks was the one who a few years ago said that modern cars are eldercare robots. I think that’s really true. You think about the amount of computers in them, the amount of software that’s in them. TRI has different divisions inside of it, one of which works on very advanced things in cars that is completely overlapping with some of the software and some of the concepts that we’re using in the robotics space.”\n\nFor its part, the Boston Dynamics AI Institute lists three key pillars of its research: intelligence, dexterity and mobility. That’s effectively making robots that are smarter, better at mobile manipulation and move more dynamically. Raibert admits that “Boston Dynamics AI Institute” might not be the most instructive name, both with regard to confusion between itself and Boston Dynamics the company, as well as a seeming focus on AI over robotics. A name change is apparently coming, but nothing has been decided just yet.", + "29 Oct 2023 03.21 GMT Final thoughts Okay, we officially have a series! Assuming one has no rooting interest in either of the remaining teams, there’s no greater start to a World Series than a split in the first two games. A 1-1 split is an ideal situation for the casual fan as it usually portends a longer series. It is, of course, a less than ideal situation for the Rangers. Today, their weaknesses were exposed and they know their two-game home stand could have gone worse: they needed plenty of late-inning drama just to pull off a come-from-behind win in Game 1. What happens next is anybody’s guess. The World Series heads to Arizona for Monday’s Game 3 where Rangers’ Max Scherzer and the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt are currently penciled in as the probable starters. Stay tuned to the Guardian for further coverage of the 2023 World Series as it develops but this will wrap up today’s Game 2 liveblog. Thanks to everybody who followed along with us tonight. Ciao!\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 03.12 GMT Merrill Kelly Despite the final score, this was a much closer game until the Rangers bullpen imploded late. Arizona’s big hero was starting pitcher Merrill Kelly who put up a dazzling pitching performance: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 7 Ks. It even felt like he could have stayed in there longer if necessary. Easily the player of the game.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 03.08 GMT The Arizona Diamondbacks win Game 2 The Arizona Diamondbacks, on the back of an impressive pitching performance by Merrill Kelly, have won Game 2 of the 2023 World Series! The series is now tied 1-1 heading to Arizona for Monday’s Game 3.\n\nUpdated at 03.10 GMT\n\n29 Oct 2023 03.07 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, FINAL Garver’s only goal here is to not make the final out of a World Series game. Luckily for him, Frías puts him in a decent position by throwing him two straight balls to start the plate appearance. However, after two strikes, he lines out to third and, in fact, makes the final out of a World Series game. The Arizona Diamondbacks hold on to win!\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 03.04 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, bottom 9th Frías can end the game right here, as long as he can get García out. He falls behind 2-1, which would be worrisome if he wasn’t working with an eight-run lead. Semien takes second on defensive indifference but he would have made it there anyways because García eventually takes ball four. There’s runners on first and second but the key stat remains the fact that there’s two outs in the ninth inning.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 03.01 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, bottom 9th Grossman looks at a Frías ball to start his at-bat but three strikes later, he’s out of there. The Rangers are down to their final out.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.58 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, bottom 9th Luis Frías is coming into the game to get the final two outs for Arizona, possibly against Rangers pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman. Stay tuned.\n\nUpdated at 03.00 GMT\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.57 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, bottom 9th Seager is up next. He hits a long flyball that’s caught in centerfield. The Rangers are down to their last two outs of Game 2.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.56 GMT Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, bottom 9th Saalfrank starts the bottom of the ninth, hoping to end this one as quickly as possible. Semien will lead things off here, although one imagines the Rangers are already looking ahead to Game 3. Semien hits a booming flyball that lands foul. He takes a ball and then fouls off the next pitch. 1-2. He then hits a ground ball that sneaks through the defenders for a single, his first hit of the game.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.52 GMT Two run single! (Rivera) Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers Diamondbacks 9-1 Rangers, top 9th Rivera is up with runners on second and third but two outs. He drives in two runs with a single to absolutely ruin my pregame prediction. He gets thrown out on second to end the inning however. To the bottom of the ninth!\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.50 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 9th Thomas is up with two on and one out. He grounds out on two pitches, moving the runners into scoring position.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.49 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 9th Gurriel hits a single to centerfield, Peterson advances on the play.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.48 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 9th Jace Peterson is getting a pinch-hitting opportunity here for Arizona. It’s kind of like a basketball game now here where the coaches empty out the bench. Peterson works a full count before hitting into a fielder’s choice. Walker is erased on the play. So it’s one down with Peterson on first.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.45 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 9th Pérez is back out there to pitch, essentially in mop-up duty now. He faces Walker, who hits a single to center. That’s Walker’s first hit of the World Series so good for him.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.41 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, bottom 8th That’s two quick outs for the Diamondbacks, so Tavares is up to try to salvage anything here for Texas. He falls behind in the count 0-2, takes two pitches and grounds out to short. The Rangers challenge the play, but the call is confirmed. To the ninth inning!\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.38 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, bottom 8th Saalfrank gets Jung to ground out to third, sorry Jung lovers.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.37 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, bottom 8th Andrew Saalfrank is pitching now for Arizona as Kelly gets a well-earned rest. Rivera stays in the game, playing third base. Lowe is at the plate for the Rangers and he promptly grounds out to second.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.36 GMT Me earlier: “I’m going to guess this ends with a score like Diamondbacks 6-2 Rangers.” If this holds up, I want to claim partial credit.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.34 GMT Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 8th Moreno strikes out on three pitches to finally end the inning, but the damage is done and this one feels all but out of reach for Texas. Still, the game must go on and we head to the bottom of the 8th inning.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.33 GMT RBI single! (Carroll) Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers Diamondbacks 7-1 Rangers, top 8th Carroll singles here and scores Perdomo! The Diamondbacks are just teeing off on these relievers.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.31 GMT Two-run single! (Marte) Diamondbacks 6-1 Rangers Diamondbacks 6-1 Rangers, top 8th This is more like the Rangers bullpen I was expecting. Ketel Marte is up next with the bases loaded and a chance to make the rest of this game entirely irrelevant. Pérez’s first pitch is yet another ball, this one that barely misses the ground. 1-0. Marte takes a huge swing and the next pitch, he doesn’t make contact. However, on the next pitch, he knocks in a base hit that’s a two-run, two-out single and the Diamondbacks have a five-run lead!\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.28 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th Pérez faces Perdomo who looks at two straight strikes. He fouls off a 0-2 pitch to stay alive before taking a ball. 1-2. He doesn’t offer at another ball. 2-2. Pérez tries a sinker and doesn’t get the call. 3-2. The crowd boos, it does look like a borderline pitch but Pérez isn’t really showing great command. And, yeah, he throws another ball to walk the bases loaded.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.25 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th What if you appeared in a World Series game and didn’t get a chance to hit? Well, it looks like Emmanuel Rivera is in to hit with Pérez in the game. Ah, managerial chess matches, how I loathe thee. Once again, that runner is still on second and there are still two outs. Pérez gets a strike on his first pitch to Rivera and then uncorks three straight pitches that aren’t in the zone before Rivera swings and misses to make it a full count. He waits for the next pitch and takes a walk. So that’s runners on first and second with two outs now.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.21 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th Oh hey, a rare Diamondbacks pinch-hitter. Welcome to the World Series, Pavin Smith! Meanwhile, Stratton is out of the game now and pitcher Martín Pérez is coming in.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.20 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th To be fair, that’s not a terrible bunt, again it’s a situation where one more run might put this one out of reach. It’s also weird because Stratton doesn’t seem sharp. He gets ahead of Thomas 0-2 and just can’t put him away. Thomas works a full count and then starts to foul off fastballs to stay alive. On pitch number nine, however, Stratton gets him to look at a curve that just hits the corner for strike three. That’s now two out with a runner on second. The announcers note that this was the first time an Arizona hitter struck out this game, which is maybe the number one reason why the Diamondbacks are in front.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.16 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th Gurriel Jr. is up next. He bunts and I’m just getting sick of this. Pham is on second base with one out now.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.15 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, top 8th Chris Stratton is the next Rangers reliever. He has absolutely no room for error given that there’s a huge difference between a three-run deficit and a four-run deficit. It’s the entire basis of the archaic “save” rule! He’s here to face Pham, who puts him to work by running up a full count on eight pitches before hitting a single to start of the top of the eighth. He’s 4-to-4 on the day.\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.10 GMT In a world full of bullpen games and pitching “openers,” it’s important that we recognize how rare it is for a starter to get this deep in a postseason game. Merrill Kelly is now the first pitcher to work seven innings in a World Series game in the 2020s. The last pitchers to do it were Stephen Strasburg (8.1 IP) and Gerrit Cole (7 innings twice) in 2019. — Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) October 29, 2023\n\n\n\n29 Oct 2023 02.09 GMT Diamondbacks 4-1 Rangers, bottom 7th Two out, nobody on in the bottom of the seventh. Heim is up to the plate for Texas and he gets ahead of the count 2-0 before looking at his first strike. 2-1. Kelly’s next pitch is a ball, 3-1. Could this be a rare walk? Nope, Heim watches two straight strikes to end the inning. The Rangers have just six outs to play with to score three runs. Can they pull of late-inning magic again?\n\n", + "Synonymous with all things luxury paired with a rich history and heritage, Dubai has plenty to offer the traveller looking to immerse themselves in culture while also enjoying the finer things in life. A year-round destination, this diverse country offers a wide range of activities and experiences that vary depending on the time of your visit.\n\nOver the winter months, Dubai enjoys balmy temperatures and pleasant weather throughout the season, making it the ideal time to get outdoors and explore it’s more active, adventurous side. While in early summer, as the temperatures climb, it’s the perfect spot for a blend of beach breaks and sightseeing. Finally, in the hotter months, June and July, its world-famous waterparks come into their own, while air-conditioned cultural activities and evening tourism (where you sight-see after sunset) are other season-perfect options.\n\nFor a stress-free start to your Arabian adventure, when you book with British Airways Holidays, you can enjoy great value breaks, with the quality and peace of mind you expect from British Airways. ATOL-protected, keeping you and your money safe, you can enjoy flexible payment options with deposits from just £75 per person* as well as 23 kg baggage allowance per person and 24-hour dedicated support helpline during your trip. Meaning, whatever time of the year you travel there, from the day you book, you can put all your focus on planning an unforgettable trip to this dynamic, luxurious corner of the world.\n\nA winter escape\n\nFrom desert safaris to quadbiking, head to the Dubai desert for a big adventure (Alamy Stock Photo)\n\nIf you’re the kind of person who’d rather spend their days exploring than soaking up the sun on the beach, then November and December is the best time to head for Dubai and get stuck into outdoor activities. The temperature, although still hot with clear blue skies, is a lot cooler than the sweltering summer months.\n\nDubai’s desert offers a wealth of heart-pumping Arabian activities to enjoy, from dune buggies to quad biking and desert safaris. Whizz through the desert on a heart-pumping dune drive, keeping your eyes peeled for local wildlife along the way – the desert is home to hopping gazelles, several species of reptile and the Arabian Oryx, a species that was saved from the brink of extinction. If you choose a desert safari, you’ll also experience traditional activities like henna tattooing and dance shows; many also culminate in an evening BBQ dinner.\n\nThe winter months are also a great time to explore Dubai’s fascinating history. At Dubai Creek in Deira, you’ll find traditional wooden boats, also known as abras, the oldest form of public transport in Dubai. These boats will take you from one side of the river to the other – a short trip, but it’s a nice way to get a feel for local life in Dubai.\n\nConsider a stop-off in the historic Al Fahidi Historical neighbourhood located along the creek, where you can learn what life in Old Dubai was like. The area is dotted with original buildings and preserved infrastructure like traditional wind towers and the Al Fahidi Fort, one of the oldest buildings in Dubai, built back in 1787.\n\nMore history and heritage can be found in nearby Hatta, where craggy mountains and lush valleys cradle citadels, towers and forts. For jaw-dropping views over the historical village, hike up the dramatic Hajar mountains, one of the highest ranges in the Arabian peninsula. Be sure to stop by Hatta Heritage Village, a reconstruction of a traditional mountain village, where you can see how life was lived centuries ago.\n\nIf you do happen to visit in November, Dubai Design Week takes place around the start of the month. The region’s largest creative festival shines a spotlight on pioneering designers and all things creative via exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops and markets.\n\nBeach clubs and festivals\n\nDubai’s blue skies, turquoise seas and golden shores are made for sunseekers (Alamy Stock Photo)\n\nMay is also a great time for a trip to Dubai, particularly for sunseekers, with average temperatures around 30 degrees. Make the most of dining al fresco; the city is filled with beachside eateries and outdoor terraces. At Akira Back, which serves Japanese dishes prepared with Korean and international flavours, you can enjoy incredible views across Dubai Marina from its huge terrace. Or try Fish Beach Taverna, for must-experience Aegean seafood in coastal setting.\n\nWhether you fancy soaking up the day’s rays in a luxury cabana or floating in an infinity pool overlooking the surrounding sea, there’s no shortage of beach clubs to get your sunshine fix in style. Melt into a cosy daybed at SĀN Beach or head to DRIFT Beach Dubai for infinity pool rest, relaxation, and chic French fare.\n\nFoodies should coincide their trip with The Dubai Food Festival, the ultimate celebration of the local culinary scene, held at the beginning of the month. While for those looking to add some culture to the mix, the Dubai Comedy Festival takes place later in May, bringing together some of the best names in comedy for some side-splitting entertainment.\n\nSplash parks and sunset cruises\n\nEvery month brings opportunities to explore something different in Dubai, and that’s no exception as temperatures begin to climb in June and July. These sun-packed months are perfect for those who really like the heat and are happy to spend their days cooling off by the water.\n\nFor literal thrills and spills, Dubai has made a name for itself when it comes to water parks. Wild Wadi, as the city’s first-ever waterpark, is a perennial favourite for adults and kids alike, with its exhilarating range of rides, surfing machines and wave pool. There’s also Laguna Waterpark, one of the newer parks on the map, located on the coast with an infinity pool and its own beach, as well as thrilling slides and a boat-themed kids pool.\n\nVisiting in hotter months means you can save sightseeing and cultural activities for night-time, giving you an entirely different way to experience the city. Take an evening dinner cruise along Dubai Creek to experience the twinkling city night lights, or head up the iconic Burj Khalifa at sunset for stunning views across the city.\n\nFurther architectural highlights include the night-time lights of the Burj Al Arab and the Dubai Frame, a 153-metre-high structure built to resemble a massive picture frame, which provides incredible views of Old and New Dubai. Alternatively, make the most of the air-con, with indoor concerts and theatre shows at the stunning Dubai Opera.\n\nDiscover dynamic Dubai with British Airways When you book with British Airways Holidays, you can enjoy great value breaks, with the quality and peace of mind you expect from British Airways. ATOL-protected, keeping you and your money safe, you can enjoy flexible payment options with deposits from just £75 per person, with no balance due until 4 weeks before travel for short haul, or 7 weeks for long haul*. Customers can also use Avios to pay for flights and part-pay holidays.\n\nA generous baggage allowance of 23kg per person is included – so you won’t encounter any add-on costs.\n\nBritish Airways Holidays provide 24/7 support throughout your trip, with a dedicated holiday helpline for any issues whilst you’re away.\n\nWhether you’re looking for some winter sun, a springtime break or your next big getaway, to find your perfect holiday in Dubai, visit British Airways for destination inspiration and incredible deals on flights and hotels.\n\n*Terms and conditions apply. Travel restrictions may apply.", + "Tesla ‘digs its own grave with the Cybertruck,’ Convoy collapses and Rivian scores a win at Rebelle\n\nWelcome back to The Station, your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B.\n\nYour usual host Kirsten was shredding off-road at the Rebelle Rally this week, so I’ll be taking over the newsletter. Let’s jump in with a few words about Tesla.\n\nAh, but before Rebecca goes . . . it’s me, Kirsten, popping in here to share a bit of what I saw and experienced at Rebelle Rally 2023, a 2,120-kilometer off-road and navigation competition. In its eighth year, the Rebelle has become a proving ground of sorts for the 65 all-women teams who participate as well as stock manufacturer vehicles. The catch? GPS and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited.\n\nSo what am I checking out at this seemingly non-tech event? EVs and tech, of course. Oh, and green hydrogen, believe it or not.\n\nThere were 10 vehicles out of the 65 that fell into the electrified category such as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. Four of those vehicles — all of them Rivian R1T pickups — were electric. And this year, one Rivian team took first place in the 4×4 class (there are two classes in the Rebelle) — the first time an all-electric vehicle was on the top podium. The first place finishers, driver Lillian Macaruso and navigator Alexandra Anderson, are both employees of Rivian.\n\nOK, Rebecca, back to you.\n\nTesla reported its third-quarter earnings this week, and once again, all eyes were on the automaker’s margins amid ongoing price cuts.\n\nTesla’s shares, which are priced more as a tech stock than as an automaker’s stock, were down after Q3 earnings. Investors were clearly feeling skittish after Tesla reported a gross margin of 17.9%, down from 25.1% in the same period last year. That’s also down from Q2’s margins of 18.2%. As a result, profits fell 44% to $1.85 billion in Q3 from the same year-ago period.\n\nInvestors see the falling margins and Tesla’s price cuts as proof that demand is lessening for the vehicles as other EVs take market share and rising interest rates make it difficult for many buyers to afford big ticket purchases. The company also reported that solar deployments slipped 48% in Q3 from the same period last year. But the company made up for it by pulling in a 90% spike in energy storage deployments.\n\nTesla also gave some updates about its long-delayed Cybertruck. Initial deliveries are set for an event at Giga Texas on November 30. Elon Musk noted that scaling the Cybertruck will be hard and it will take 18 months before the pickup is profitable.\n\n“I mean, we dug our own grave with Cybertruck,” said Musk.\n\nThe billionaire executive also said Giga Texas will be able to produce about 250,000 Cybertrucks a year starting in 2025. But let’s remember that Musk isn’t great at making predictions. After all, he initially said the Cybertruck would be on the market by 2021. Expect some of these numbers to be pushed out, too.\n\nWant to reach out with a tip, comment or complaint? Email Kirsten at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Rebecca at rebecca.techcrunch@gmail.com.\n\nReminder that you can drop us a note at tips@techcrunch.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and various encrypted messaging apps.\n\nMicromobbin’\n\nThis week was the trade show Micromobility America. Here are some of the best bits that came out of it:\n\nBird is now doing e-bikes again? But instead of the VanMoof knockoff of previous years, Bird has partnered with TradeHubb, an e-bike supplier, and Spring, a strategic retail growth company, to launch the bike. You might recall that Bird last year ditched its retail bike offering to focus on shared rides in an attempt to reach profitability. The struggling company was also recently delisted from the stock market. Who knows what’s going on behind the scenes? I tried reaching out to learn more, but no response. If you have a tip, hit me up!\n\nThe team at Ride Review launched the Rider’s Choice Awards again, for those who want to vote. Winners will be announced January 25.\n\nThe folks behind Micromobility America also launched the Electric Rider Alliance, a 501c6 membership organization that is set up to “create a level playing field in the transportation industry for the small electric vehicle ecosystem through standards, lobbying and governance.”\n\nIn other news . . .\n\nBolt Mobility is introducing distance-based pricing for some of its micromobility vehicles. The aim here is to incentivize riders to slow down and ride more safely, rather than racing the clock.\n\nAn e-scooter that looks like a Cybertruck? Check out Infinite Machine’s first product, the P1, which is on sale now.\n\nMeet Shane, a two-wheeled EV concept space-pod-looking thing from the creator of the original hoverboard, Shane Chen.\n\nDeal of the week\n\nKirsten here again! Convoy isn’t a traditional deal of the week, but its collapse sure got my attention.\n\nThe digital freight broker told employees this past week it was shutting down due to what executives described as a “massive freight recession.” It turns out that disrupting the freight business is hard.\n\nThe abrupt closure, which wiped out investors, comes about 18 months since the Seattle-based company raised $260 million in fresh funding that pushed its valuation to $3.8 billion.\n\nI went back and read an interview TechCrunch conducted with Convoy co-founder and CEO Dan Lewis. A few things he said stuck out, namely what led him to start the company in the first place. The former Amazon and Google executive, who has a background in strategy and management consulting, told TechCrunch that when he was struck by the urge to start a company, he researched the money-attracting industries of the world, and then, using AngelList, saw how many companies were trying to disrupt those industries.\n\nHere’s the nugget:\n\nHis search yielded thousands of companies that were working on industries ranging from telecommunications and fashion to video games and food. Billions of dollars were going into trucking each year but fewer than 30 startups showed an interest in the field.\n\n“I saw a massive opportunity and few people going after it,” Lewis told TechCrunch.\n\nAnd then later, when asked if his method of deciding on a direction for a startup is still a good method, Lewis said, in short, yes. Read the whole interview from May 2022 here.\n\nOther deals that got our attention . . .\n\nHayden AI, an AI and geospatial analytics company, raised $53 million in a Series B funding round led by the Drawdown Fund. The company’s tech is being used by government agencies to enforce traffic violations that obstruct transit buses and capture data to help increase ridership and improve traffic efficiency.\n\nCommercial fleet insurance startup Nirvana Insurance has raised a $57 million Series B to expand its big data platform, hire new staff and grow its business in the trucking industry. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round, with General Catalyst and Valor Equity Partners also participating. The round doubles Nirvana’s valuation to more than $350 million post-money.\n\nSupply chain logistics company Transfix raised a $40 million Series F. The company is backed by New Enterprise Associates, G Squared and Canvas Ventures.\n\nEV charging company Wallbox has acquired the operations and assets of German-based EV charging solutions company ABL for €15 million. Together the plan is to deploy more than 1 million chargers globally.\n\nVolta Trucks filed for bankruptcy proceedings in Sweden as difficulties with suppliers proved a hindrance to raising funds. Volta said the bankruptcy in August of Proterra, an EV parts supplier, and the uncertainty over its own battery supplier means it needed to cut down the number of trucks it could produce. Volta, which is based in Sweden but has operations in the U.K., also said it would file for bankruptcy in Britain.\n\nNotable reads and other tidbits\n\nAutonomous vehicles\n\nCruise, General Motors and Honda are launching a robotaxi service in Japan under a new joint venture. The service will launch with Origin vehicles in Tokyo in 2026.\n\nSpeaking of Cruise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the GM subsidiary’s AV system following several incidents involving pedestrians in San Francisco. The most recent one left a woman stuck under a Cruise robotaxi after being hit by a human-driven vehicle.\n\nFoxconn and Nvidia are building “AI factories” to help accelerate AVs, robotics and other smart applications. The AI factories position the two against Tesla, which is building the Dojo supercomputer to do more or less the same thing — take in vast amounts of data, train it, tweak code and send it back out to self-driving cars.\n\nWaymo released a lightweight simulator called Waymax for the AV research community. The simulator is designed to train multiple agents to perform complex, realistic behaviors.\n\nElectric vehicles, charging & batteries\n\nBMW Group says it will adopt the NACS charging standard in the U.S. and Canada. Drivers of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands will gain access to Tesla Superchargers in early 2025, and in that same year, BMW says it will implement NACS in EVs sold in the U.S. and Canada across those same brands.\n\nSpeaking of NACS, global EV charging network ChargePoint has officially opened its AC and DC piles and is now deploying NACS connectors across its network.\n\nGeneral Motors is delaying its $4 billion plan to convert the Orion Assembly plant into an EV truck factory to late 2025 amid softening EV demand and, we’re guessing, the ongoing UAW strike.\n\nKia has started taking reservations for its EV9 full-sized SUV. Reservations are $750 and can be applied to the purchase of the company. This is one of the first vehicles Kia has allowed customers to reserve in advance.\n\nLucid missed Wall Street delivery estimates in the third quarter by about 500 vehicles. The automaker delivered 1,457 of its luxury Air sedans, reporting flat growth year-over-year. The results sent shares down as investors worried about softening demand for Lucid’s only EV.\n\nCalifornia-based EV startup Pebble unveiled a prototype of its flagship all-electric travel trailer. The $100,000 EV is designed to support a digital nomad looking to get lost in the wilderness — it can live off-grid for seven days.\n\nCommercial EV startup REE Automotive has reported an order book that now totals $25 million for its modular battery EV platforms, dedicated to B2B customers.\n\nAbout 10,000 of Rivian’s all-electric vans are delivering packages throughout the U.S. for Amazon.\n\nTesla has urged the Biden administration to adopt stricter fuel economy standards than the NHTSA has proposed. Most other automakers have already said the NHTSA’s proposal was unfeasible, so Tesla’s call on regulators to double down seems to be yet another way the EV maker can one-up its competitors.\n\nToyota has also joined the NACS bandwagon. The automaker will build certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles from 2025 onward with an NACS port.\n\nFuture of flight\n\nEVTOL company Archer Aviation plans to start air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi in 2026. From there, Archer says it will expand across the UAE as part of a memorandum of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.\n\nMiscellaneous\n\nThe United Auto Workers strike is affecting CES. Stellantis canceled its planned presentations for the tech trade show in January, citing the cost of ongoing UAW strikes.\n\nZipcar is getting hit with a fine from the NHTSA for “renting vehicles with open, unrepaired recalls.” One recall concerns 2015–2017 Ford Transit Vans, which continued to appear on Zipcar’s platform despite safety issues with the vehicles.\n\nPeople\n\nAutobrains hired Uri Yacovy, a former SVP at Mobileye, as its chief operating officer.\n\nLogistics company Flexport is laying off 20% of workers, or about 600 people, topping off a spate of staff upheavals at the company.", + "Of the 16 AFC team MVPs at the season's midpoint, five are quarterbacks. At least two of them should be in the running for league MVP after the season. Meanwhile, a wideout who might be on his way to the greatest individual season at the position is his team's MVP through nine games. Here are Yardbarker's team-by-team MVPs. (Find Yardbarker's NFC team MVPs here.)\n\nAFC East\n\nBUFFALO BILLS | QB Josh Allen: Allen probably won't finish in the top three of NFL MVP balloting as he did last season, but his value to the Bills is immeasurable. Through nine games, he is on pace to set a career-high in completion rate (71.3%) and tops all QBs in QBR (75.3). Allen has virtually carried the offense by himself, accounting for 24 of the team's 28 offensive touchdowns.\n\nMIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill: Arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, Hill has somehow reached a new level of dominance in his age-29 season. The seven-time Pro Bowler leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,076) and TD catches (eight). As long as the Dolphins maintain their success on offense down the stretch, Hill should earn Offensive Player of the Year honors. He's on pace to break Calvin Johnson's season record for receiving yards (1,964).\n\n\n\nNEW YORK JETS | LB Quincy Williams: While his brother, Quinnen, may be the better-known Jets defender in the family, Williams — the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October — is also making a name for himself. Aside from being the fifth-highest-rated linebacker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, Williams is tied for 17th in tackles (74) and tied for ninth in TFLs (nine) among all defenders.\n\nNEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | S Jabrill Peppers: There hasn't been much to get excited about in New England, but the versatile defensive back is a bright spot and a respected voice in the locker room. Peppers has 54 tackles — three for loss — one interception, one forced fumble and a team-leading six passes defended. For a team facing as many uncertainties as the Patriots are, Peppers is a solid piece to build around in the short term. — Colum Dell\n\nAFC West\n\nDENVER BRONCOS | CB Patrick Surtain II: In eight games, the 23-year-old budding star has one interception and eight passes defended, tied for 11th in the NFL. Don’t be surprised if he earns a second straight Pro Bowl nod.\n\nKANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes: A shaky receiving corps hasn’t fazed Mahomes. He’s third in the NFL in passing yards (2,442), fourth in TD passes (17) and third in QBR (73). The 28-year-old might capture his third MVP, as oddschecker notes he’s favored to win the award again.\n\nLAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Defensive end Maxx Crosby: Despite a weak supporting cast, Crosby thrives. He has 9.5 of the Raiders’ 24 sacks and is tied for the league lead in tackles for loss (13). If the two-time Pro Bowler keeps dominating, he will generate more Defensive Player of the Year buzz.\n\nLOS ANGELES CHARGERS | WR Keenan Allen: The 31-year-old is the centerpiece of the offense and leads the team in yards receiving (720) and receptions (62). Through Week 9, Pro Football Focus gave him a receiving grade of 84.6, eighth among WRs. — Clark Dalton\n\nAFC North\n\nBALTIMORE RAVENS | QB Lamar Jackson: Jackson has inserted himself into the league MVP conversation during his team’s four-game win streak. The 2019 NFL MVP has thrown for 1,954 yards and nine touchdowns and posted 440 yards and five touchdowns rushing. He is the reason, once again, Baltimore is a Super Bowl contender.\n\nCLEVELAND BROWNS | Defensive end Myles Garrett: Garrett could be leading the race for the Defensive Player of the Year. The No. 1 overall pick in 2017 is tied for the second-most sacks (9.5) and most forced fumbles (four) in the league. He also blocked a field-goal attempt in a Week 7 win over the Colts. He's the ringleader of a defense that allows the fewest yards per game (234.8).\n\nCINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Joe Burrow: Battling a calf injury, Burrow had a rough start to the season. He appears fully recovered now, though, as the Bengals (5-3) have won four straight. During their win streak, Burrow has thrown for 1,133 yards, 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.\n\nPITTSBURGH STEELERS | Linebacker T.J. Watt: The Steelers are the first team in NFL history to be outgained by their opponents in each of their first eight games and have a winning record (5-3). It hasn’t been pretty to watch, but Pittsburgh always makes plays when needed. The player who seems to make the most is Watt. The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is tied for second-most sacks (9.5) in the league. He also has two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception. — Aaron Becker\n\nAFC South\n\nHOUSTON TEXANS | QB C.J. Stroud: Stroud is having one of the best statistical rookie seasons of all time. He ranks in the top 10 in passing yards (2,270), touchdown passes (14) and passer rating (102.9), and has only thrown one interception. The Texans (4-4) aren’t close to a .500 team without him.\n\nINDIANAPOLIS COLTS | RB Zack Moss: With Jonathan Taylor missing the first four weeks of the season, Moss stepped up in a big way. After not playing in Week 1, he rushed for 445 yards and scored four touchdowns over his next four games to help Indy win three of four and stay in the thick of the AFC South. Moss is second in the NFL in rushing, 37 yards behind San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey.\n\nJACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Travis Etienne: QB Trevor Lawrence hasn’t quite taken the step forward everyone thought he would, but fortunately for the Jags, Etienne is emerging as one of the top RBs in the league. He has rushed for multiple touchdowns in three of his past four games and scored a touchdown in five of the team’s six wins. Etienne ranks third the NFL in rushing touchdowns (seven) and sixth in rushing yards (583).\n\nTENNESSEE TITANS | DT Jeffery Simmons: There haven’t been too many bright spots for the Titans, but Simmons continues to be a wrecking ball on the defensive line. He leads the team in tackles for loss (six) and ranks second in sacks (4.5). If not for Simmons, Tennessee’s defense would rank a heck of a lot lower than 20th in yards allowed per game (337.8). — Michael Gallagher", + "Sam Altman has been fired from OpenAI, Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that acts as the governing body for OpenAI, the AI startup behind ChatGPT, DALL-E 3, GPT-4 and other highly capable generative AI systems. He’ll both leave the company’s board of directors and step down as CEO.\n\nIn a post on OpenAI’s official blog, the company writes that Altman’s departure follows a “deliberative review process by the board” that concluded that Altman “wasn’t consistently candid in his communications” with other board members, “hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”\n\nTip TechCrunch\n\nDo you work at OpenAI and know more about Sam Altman’s departure?\n\nDo you work at OpenAI and know more about Sam Altman’s departure? Get in touch with TechCrunch\n\n“The board no longer has confidence in [Altman’s] ability to continue leading OpenAI,” the blog post reads.\n\nIn a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman wrote that he “loved his time at OpenAI” and will have “more to say about what’s next later.”\n\ni loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people. will have more to say about what’s next later. 🫡 — Sam Altman (@sama) November 17, 2023\n\nOpenAI’s dramatic leadership change will also see Greg Brockman — who was a member of the team that co-founded OpenAI, as was Altman — step down as chairman of the board but remain as OpenAI’s president, reporting to the company’s newly-appointed interim CEO, Mira Murati. Murati was previously OpenAI’s CTO.\n\nOpenAI says that it’ll begin conducting a formal search for a permanent CEO immediately.\n\n“OpenAI was deliberately structured to advance our mission: to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity,” the board wrote in a joint statement. “The board remains fully committed to serving this mission. We are grateful for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI. At the same time, we believe new leadership is necessary as we move forward. As the leader of the company’s research, product, and safety functions, Mira is exceptionally qualified to step into the role of interim CEO. We have the utmost confidence in her ability to lead OpenAI during this transition period.”\n\nSam Altman is a hero of mine. He built a company from nothing to $90 Billion in value, and changed our collective world forever. I can't wait to see what he does next. I, and billions of people, will benefit from his future work- it's going to be simply incredible. Thank you… — Eric Schmidt (@ericschmidt) November 17, 2023\n\nOpenAI’s board of directors now consists of OpenAI’s chief scientist Ilya Sutskever; Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo; tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley; and Helen Toner, the director of strategy at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.\n\nAltman’s removal comes unexpectedly, to say the least. The company just last week hosted its first developer conference, OpenAI DevDay, which Altman emceed. Altman spoke at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference and an Oakland, California event on Thursday. And according to The Verge and The New York Times, citing multiple internal sources, OpenAI employees learned of Altman’s firing when it was announced publicly.\n\nAltman has a long history steering OpenAI. After co-founding the company alongside Peter Thiel, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman and others, Altman, who formerly headed startup accelerator Y Combinator and also holds a seat on the board at Worldcoin, the ambitious cryptocurrency project, initially served as a co-chair of OpenAI alongside Elon Musk. Musk left in 2018 to avoid a conflict of interest with Tesla.\n\nAltman over the past several months played an active role in attempting to shape regulators’ responses to AI, appearing at U.S. congressional hearings and meeting personally with world leaders including President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, on an international policy tour.\n\nMore important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know. I've never met someone who has supported and lifted up more people around them than him. Couldn't be a prouder brother. — Jack Altman (@jaltma) November 17, 2023\n\nIt’s unclear what missteps Altman might’ve made helming OpenAI… at present. But they evidently relate to his relationship with OpenAI’s rather unusual board makeup and corporate governance structure — and perhaps OpenAI’s active talks to raise substantial new capital.\n\nAs a recent piece in VentureBeat explored, OpenAI’s for-profit subsidiary, OpenAI Global, LLC, is fully controlled by OpenAI’s nonprofit. While the for-profit subsidiary is permitted to commercialize its tech, it’s subject to the nonprofit’s mission: attaining artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI that can — as OpenAI defines it — “outperform humans at most economically valuable work.”\n\nThe nonprofit OpenAI’s board has the power to both determine when the company has achieved AGI and exclude this AGI from IP licenses and other commercial terms, including with Microsoft, one of OpenAI’s biggest investors and a steadfast integrator of OpenAI’s various technologies.\n\nMicrosoft has poured $13 billion into OpenAI so far and has what amounts to a 49% stake in the company. The former’s stock price fell more than 1% in the last 30 minutes of trading, after Altman’s departure was announced; Axios reports Microsoft was notified Altman would be leaving “minutes” before the public announcement.\n\nOpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015, but restructured in 2019 as a “capped-profit” company to raise capital — an acknowledgement of the huge costs associated with training cutting-edge AI systems. Underlining the point, Altman said in an interview this week with the Financial Times that he “hoped” Microsoft would increase its investment to help pay for “huge” imminent model training costs.\n\nWhen contacted via email, OpenAI’s press relations declined to comment beyond the official blog post. But Microsoft PR gave this statement from Frank Shaw, its chief communications officer: “We have a long-term partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft remains committed to Mira and their team as we bring this next era of AI to our customers.”\n\nNadella later published a statement:\n\n“As you saw at Microsoft Ignite this week, we’re continuing to rapidly innovate for this era of AI, with over 100 announcements across the full tech stack from AI systems, models and tools in Azure, to Copilot. Most importantly, we’re committed to delivering all of this to our customers while building for the future. We have a long-term agreement with OpenAI with full access to everything we need to deliver on our innovation agenda and an exciting product roadmap; and remain committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team. Together, we will continue to deliver the meaningful benefits of this technology to the world.", + "The debate over “reaction” content on YouTube has been brewing for years, but a recent incident between two creators has refueled the urgency of the conversation.\n\nThe debate centers on Alia “SSSniperwolf” Shelesh, a YouTuber with over 34 million subscribers, and Jack “Jacksfilms” Douglass, a YouTuber with 4.9 million subscribers. The two have been feuding online over the past year, but it came to a head this weekend, as Douglass said that Shelesh showed up to his home and filmed the outside of his residence on Saturday. Shelesh shared a video of the incident as an Instagram story, saying “let’s talk like adults,” according to a report from NBC News. On Oct. 20, YouTube said that Shelesh’s account would be temporarily demonetized.\n\nWhat led to this confrontation, and why did it ignite such a firestorm of controversy online?\n\nWhat is ‘reaction content’ and why is it so controversial?\n\nReaction content is an umbrella term that applies to a content creator responding to or riffing on an existing piece of media. Reaction content has been controversial for a long time; in 2016, the Fine Brothers made an infamous attempt to copyright their “React” videos, which was met with near unanimous criticism. In August, the conversation reignited as popular creators like Félix “xQc” Lengyel “reacted” to long-form content with very little (if any) original input or transformative commentary.\n\nHow are Jacksfilms and SSSniperwolf involved in the reaction content debate?\n\nDouglass has made content on YouTube since 2006, primarily focusing on comedy videos. In the past, he has called out “reaction” content that he says fails to meet the bar for fair use, and has even made parody videos reacting to reaction content.\n\nWithin the last year, he set his sights on Shelesh’s content, citing a lack of credit or links to original creators and their work, and a lack of transformative commentary. Shelesh has been a content creator for roughly a decade, including making YouTube and TikTok videos. Her recent work is largely reaction content, which she posts to both platforms. Shelesh has been aware of Douglass’ commentary, even making jokes about the YouTuber in her own reaction content.\n\nIn addition to Douglass’ video callout above, he revived an old joke channel called JJJacksfilms, poking fun at Shelesh’s content and celebrating times she deleted clips. He also regularly made content on Twitch reacting to and even grading Shelesh’s reaction content, complete with a bingo game for viewers to play. The JJJacksfilms streams were designed to apply pressure to Shelesh, encouraging her to credit original creators and provide substantial commentary.\n\nThe SSSniperwolf doxxing accusations\n\nOn Oct. 13, Shelesh posted an Instagram story with the text, “Should I go visit @Jacksfilms? He lives 5 mins away from my shoot.” She proceeded to add more posts to her story throughout the night, which included a photo of the outside of Douglass’ house and the caption “Let’s talk like adults.”\n\nDouglass was livestreaming on Twitch when Shelesh posted these images to her Instagram story, and he disconnected and posted the following tweet on Oct. 13: “Sssniperwolf just doxxed me on her IG. Creepy, gross, violating,” wrote Douglass, alongside a screenshot of Shelesh’s Instagram story. “What you do is disgusting. You steal content AND stalk youtubers. @YouTube demonetize this dangerous ‘creator’ or just get her off your platform. She posted an IG story right outside our home and deleted it.”\n\nAs Douglass’ fans waited for YouTube to respond, they scoured Shelesh’s content, looking for potential additional rule violations. Shelesh also posted updates making light of the situation, including a since-deleted photo of her and her sister with the caption “We show up to ur house wyd??” and a post over Douglass’ tweet, captioned: “This creep has been harassing me for months then plays victim saying I threatened him when I just wanted to talk to him. I have no ill intentions. It’s so sad when people have to constantly create drama to pay their bills.”\n\nThe incident inspired a series of videos and posts from influencers and commentary channels, with public opinion largely being in favor of Douglass. Of course, the situation also inspired a fair few shitposts and memes — some of which were aimed at YouTube, encouraging the platform to respond.\n\nPolygon reached out to Douglass, Shelesh, and YouTube and will update this story when we hear back.\n\nYouTube responds\n\nOn Oct. 20, a week after the doxxing incident, YouTube and Shelesh both made public statements. YouTube posted a tweet confirming Shelesh had received “a temporary monetization suspension per Creator Responsibility policies.” The tweet also criticized “the behavior on both sides” and expressed hope that the incident would “move this convo to a better place.”\n\nConfirming SSSniperWolf has received a temporary monetization suspension per Creator Responsibility policies. Off platform actions that put others’ personal safety at risk harm our community & the behavior on both sides isn’t what we want on YT. Hoping everyone helps move this… — TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) October 20, 2023\n\nShelesh also made a statement on X, apologizing to “Jacksfilm, YouTube, the entire creator community, and my incredible fans for not being a better example of conflict resolution.” She has since posted a handful of new videos to her YouTube account, with the comment sections disabled.\n\nThe response from both YouTube and Shelesh failed to address many fans’ concerns, considering the official comment from YouTube spoke about “both sides,” implying responsibility on Douglass’ side of the conflict. The demonetization feels like a slap on the wrist, which has only inspired further commentary among the community. It seems like, for now, YouTube is content to avoid the debate around reaction content and simply profit off of it from afar.", + "Mobile phones just might be young people's best friend, whether their parents like it or not.\n\nA new study from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group in San Francisco, California, researched phone usage among a diverse group of 203 kids aged 11 to 17 — and the results were startling, experts say.\n\nThe researchers found that smartphones have become a \"constant companion\" for young people, according to a news release, although results varied.\n\nKids spent a median of 4.5 hours per day on their phones, with the maximum amount of time reaching 16 hours, according to the study.\n\nPHONE CALL ETIQUETTE FOR TODAY: BEST TO ‘OPT FOR A TEXT MESSAGE,’ EXPERT ADVISES\n\nMost teens check their phones frequently, ranging from two to 498 times per day.\n\nAdolescents were more likely to check their phones over 100 times a day, the study found.\n\nA whopping 97% of kids used their phones during school hours, while nearly 60% used them overnight — between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. — on school nights.\n\nSocial media such as Instagram and Snapchat took up most screen time, at 32% during the school day, followed by YouTube and gaming, the study found.\n\nKEEPING KIDS SAFE: 'WAIT UNTIL 8TH' PLEDGE AIMS TO EMPOWER PARENTS TO RESIST SMARTPHONES FOR CHILDREN\n\nOvernight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night.\n\nTeens spent an average of 20 minutes per night on their phones, while some spent up to five hours.\n\nSixty-seven percent of participants picked up their phones on school nights, but the median number of pickups per night was only once.\n\nMore than 50% of kids get 237 notifications per day — while some receive as many as 4,500 every day, according to Common Sense Media's findings.\n\nAbout 23% of these notifications occurred during school hours.\n\nThe largest share of notifications came from apps including Snapchat and TikTok.\n\nYOUNG PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO FALL WHILE TEXTING AND WALKING AT THE SAME TIME, STUDY SAYS\n\nIn particular, TikTok was used by half of the study participants, for nearly two hours per day on average.\n\nCompared to other social media apps, teens were more likely to spend several hours daily on TikTok, with some scrolling on the app for up to seven hours.\n\nComparatively, the longest amount of time spent on Snapchat and Instagram was about three hours daily, the study found.\n\nOf the 85 participants under age 13, 68% used social media and had at least one app rated \"teen\" or higher – allowing access to \"age-inappropriate experiences,\" the study suggested.\n\nTikTok was the most popular app used by kids aged 11 and 12, while nearly half (45%) of participants used apps with mature or adult-only ratings, such as porn sites, fantasy sports and betting apps, according to the study findings.\n\nUNDERAGE DRINKING DANGERS: THESE ARE THE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST RATES OF TEEN ALCOHOL USE, STUDY FINDS\n\nMore than two-thirds of all participants admitted they sometimes or often find managing their use of technology difficult — or that they use it to escape \"sorrow\" or \"negative feelings.\"\n\nThey also said they've missed sleep due to being on their phones at night.\n\n\"People feel good and are enhanced by interactions with others … Those feelings cannot be replicated by connecting through a phone.\"\n\nLicensed clinical social worker Jennifer Kelman in Boca Raton, Florida — who provides expert advice on the Justanswer platform and was not involved in the study — shared some of the negative repercussions of kids spending large amounts of time on their phones.\n\n\"They lose the ability to have face-to-face interactions, and to converse and connect with others,\" she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.\n\n\"The phones and all the apps aren’t real-life interactions, and there is beauty in connecting with others face-to-face that is lost,\" Kelman went on.\n\nKids also lose out on developing problem-solving skills, since they aren't typically tasked with negotiating \"tough spaces\" or navigating human challenges, the expert added.\n\nBACK TO SCHOOL: TIPS FOR HOMESCHOOLING THE KIDS AS MORE PARENTS DITCH CLASSROOMS\n\n\"The more apps we use, the more likely it is that we lose parts of ourselves, our confidence and self-esteem,\" said Kelman.\n\n\"People feel good and are enhanced by interactions with others, and those feelings cannot be replicated by connecting through a phone.\"\n\n\"Kids' brains aren’t fully developed, so they aren’t able to sniff out who is safe on the other end of the chat or the game.\"\n\nKelman warned parents that smartphone usage triggers the same dopamine release as drugs, as apps are designed to \"reel kids in and keep them hooked.\"\n\n\"[Parents] are the ‘drug dealer’ in this analogy, so please think twice before free rein is given,\" she said.\n\n\"Withdrawal is common as well, so be prepared for a lot of pushback when you try to limit the use of their phones and other tech devices,\" Kelman warned.\n\nThe therapist's biggest rule for cracking down on daily phone usage among kids is to delay phone access for as long as possible.\n\n\"Parents are giving their kids phones at young ages and kids are hooked quickly,\" she said.\n\n\"Forget what friends are doing — and delay this as long as you can,\" she advised.\n\nIf a cell phone is necessary due to schedules and after-school activities, a kid-safe starter phone like a Pinwheel could be a better alternative, Kelman suggested.\n\n\"It's a phone that lets parents manage and monitor their usage, but there is no internet and only specific, parent-approved apps that can be turned on and off at will,\" she said.\n\n\"Better for your child to have a little FOMO [fear of missing out] than to have access to porn, become a victim of sextortion, or lose the ability to truly connect with other people.\"\n\nKelman stressed that kids \"can’t unsee what they have already seen,\" and that many adult apps may put kids \"in harm’s way.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\n\"Kids' brains aren’t fully developed, so they aren’t able to sniff out who is safe on the other end of the chat or the game,\" she said.\n\n\"Kids are coerced into sending photos of themselves, often finding themselves victims of sextortion after they share the photos,\" the expert warned. \"This leads to shame, despair and fear of telling their parents.\"\n\nParents should vet and monitor all content accessed by their kids, Kelman advised.\n\nCertain types of content are more harmful than others, noted Shelley Delayne, parent education director at Pinwheel in Austin, Texas, who was also not involved in the study.\n\nThese include \"attention-mining apps,\" adult images and interactions, user-generated content and \"invisible influences\" that can impact children's worldview, she said.\n\n\"Take it slow and give them only what they need,\" Delayne recommended.\n\n\"Delay the introduction of adult online spaces and social media to [age] 16 or older, and stay involved in their digital lives just as much as you are in their physical life.\"\n\n\"We interpreted this data with assistance from an advisory council of young people to understand the nuanced relationships that young people develop with their smartphones.\"\n\nShe also said, \"Remember that just because a kid can tap around on a device and make it do stuff doesn't mean they have all the skills they need to be unharmed by it.\"\n\nIn its report, Common Sense Media said it used \"software to collect data from the smartphones of a diverse group of about 11- to 17-year-olds. We then interpreted this data with assistance from an advisory council of young people to understand the nuanced relationships that young people develop with their smartphones.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nIt also provided additional context, noting the study was done with \"Android phone users only, because Apple device tracking does not share with the research community the names of specific non-Apple apps that young people commonly use.\"\n\nFox News Digital reached out to the group for further comment.", + "If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement .\n\nYour time — and money — is precious. Polygon’s What to Buy has rounded up the best in gaming hardware, entertainment, tabletop, merch, and toys, and how to get them for the best value, so you spend less time shopping and more time enjoying.\n\nA power bank, also commonly referred to as a portable charger, is an essential purchase for anyone who’s on the go with a phone, tablet, or a gaming handheld like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck. It lets you recharge your precious gadgets one or more times via a USB connection, so you can keep talking, texting, or gaming throughout the day.\n\nPower banks range in price depending on a few factors: how compact it is, what kind of ports it has, how much battery capacity it contains (typically measured in mAh), and how quickly it can recharge your devices.\n\nBest portable charger for your phone and tablet\n\nToday’s phones and tablets may differ in terms of their peak wired charging speeds, yet we’ve found some battery packs that should work well no matter what device you have. It’s true that some outliers, like Samsung’s Galaxy S23 phone, can recharge at 25 W or higher depending on the model, but many other Android phones and iPhones recharge via a wired connection at under 20 W — even less when you’re charging wirelessly.\n\nHow to pick the best power bank/portable charger for you Get one that lists the Power Delivery capability (noted as “PD” in the specs), and it should ideally match, or come close to, the peak charging speeds (in watts) of the devices that you intend to charge with it. The batteries we recommend for phones and tablets are also a good pick for the Nintendo Switch. However, the Steam Deck needs more juice, as do some mightier laptops that can receive power via USB-C.\n\nIn terms of tablets, picking either of the two power bank options we recommend below should be a good fit for what you may have. For reference, all iPads currently ship with 20 W power adapters, and so far, tablets from other manufacturers like Samsung and Amazon haven’t deviated far from that charging speed.\n\nWhichever you choose, it never hurts to get some extra USB-C-to-USB-C cables. You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.\n\nBest power bank for your Switch\n\nThe Nintendo Switch console with detachable Joy-Cons can receive a maximum of 18 W through its USB-C charging port (the Switch Lite is slightly less demanding). So, the very same compact power bank we recommend for phones and tablets can be used to charge your Switch.\n\nSame note as before: We suggest buying more charging cables than you’ll immediately need (stow one permanently in the bag you frequently use). You can get this two-pack of 100 W-ready, six-foot-long, USB-C-to-C cables at Amazon for $15.99.\n\nRelated The best Nintendo Switch accessories\n\nBest power bank for your Steam Deck\n\nEach Steam Deck console includes a 45 W USB-C wall adapter, so it’s a good idea to find a power bank that can meet that power level when you’re on the go. Thankfully, some options exist that can do this. One thing to note during your search is that only batteries that support the PD 3.0 spec, including the two options below, can recharge the Steam Deck at its fastest speed.\n\nRelated The best Steam Deck accessories\n\nBest portable charger for your laptop\n\nThe number of laptops that can recharge via USB-C is growing, making it possible to use the same charger to refill your laptop as you do your phone or Nintendo Switch. For instance, Apple’s entire MacBook lineup allows it, as do several popular Windows laptops, like the Dell XPS 13, Razer’s Blade gaming laptop, and more. The thing is, different laptops have different power requirements, so one power bank may not work well across multiple laptops.\n\nIf you have a 13-inch MacBook Air or Pro, or a similarly sized Windows laptop, the chances are very good that a 65 W power bank should be fast enough to recharge your laptop as you use it (check your power supply’s wattage to be sure). Keep in mind that if you’re trying to play games, or do other resource-intensive tasks, your battery may recharge slowly, or it may continue to discharge if your power bank isn’t powerful enough.\n\nFor more powerful laptops, there are bigger, more powerful batteries to match that can supply up to 140 W of recharging power. That’s currently a top-of-the-line spec, costing significantly more than our other options, and you’ll even need a compatible USB-C-to-USB-C cable to reach the 140 W top speed, as well as a laptop that supports the PD 3.1 USB-C charging spec.\n\nOne of the chargers we recommend below can match the speed delivered by Apple’s 140 W wall charger that’s included with 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. On the Windows side of things, most laptops don’t go above 90 or 100 W at peak USB-C recharging speed, so you should be set with our picks.\n\nIt might be tough to justify spending $100 to $150 on a power bank just to charge a laptop. I get it. However, it’s easier to justify getting one if you frequently travel with multiple power-guzzling devices that you’d like to recharge simultaneously, as these are but a few available that can manage multitasking.\n\nUpdate (Nov. 17): Checked prices and stock for accuracy.", + "Amazon Prime Day Part II is here, and that means a fresh batch of Prime Day deals. Technically Amazon calls this Prime Big Deal Days, but like most people, we think of it as Prime Day Deux. As usual, most of these Prime Day deals require a Prime membership, but you can snag a 30-day free trial to make the most of the event. We've been combing Amazon's website to bring you the best discounts on laptops, tablets, kitchen and home gear, headphones, and plenty more.\n\nWe test products year-round and handpicked these deals. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing will be crossed out. We'll update this guide regularly throughout Prime Day by adding fresh deals and removing dead deals.\n\nWIRED Featured Deals\n\nTable of Contents\n\nIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.\n\nBest Prime Day Amazon Device Deals\n\nThe discount will apply automatically during checkout once you meet the $40 order threshold on select products. Amazon-branded products range from home essentials like paper towels and batteries to snacks, office supplies, over-the-counter medicines, and more. This deal is an easy way to stock up on frequently-used items for cheap.\n\nGift card deals are only worthwhile if you'd be spending the money anyway. With brands like Doordash, Instacart, Fandango, and more featured in this sale, chances are you can find a worthy discount. Each card has a unique coupon code listed on the product page. Enter it during checkout to save.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nAmazon devices are almost always going on sale, but this is an especially nice deal since it comes with a free smart plug that typically sells for about $20. It isn't the same exact model, but a similar Kasa plug is the top pick in our Best Smart Plugs guide. The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is one of our favorite Alexa speakers. You can use the included smart plug to do things like ask Alexa to turn off your box fan or turn on a lamp.\n\nAmazon has a bunch of private-label clearance on sale for up to 55 percent off. Want D-cell batteries for $5? Here you go. How about compostable plates for $8? Giant crayons for $9? A truly hideous fanny pack for $12? The point is, there are 10 pages full of random items to choose from, and all of them are cheap. Go wild.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nOther Echo Show devices are also on sale, but the Echo Show 8 is our favorite. This product comes with a free trial of Alexa Together, an Amazon service that aims to replicate the tasks of a caregiver. It usually costs $20 per month. Set a reminder to cancel it if you aren't interested in subsequent charges.\n\nThe Echo Studio is the best-sounding Alexa speaker, but it's also pretty expensive. This price matches a low we've seen just once before. It has more powerful sound in general, but the changes are especially noticeable on the low end. Check out our Best Smart Speakers guide for additional details and recommendations.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nThis matches the price we saw in July for the best Kindle for kids. It's waterproof and has adjustable warm lighting for reading at night. If your kid is really into the Warrior Cats books, there is a special edition just for them for $120. The standard Kindle Kids is also on sale and it's a bit cheaper at $80 ($40 off), but it lacks the adjustable warm lighting and waterproofing. Whichever you get, Amazon throws in a protective case, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a two-year no-questions-asked replacement guarantee.\n\nThe other Kindles are more affordable, so there's no practical reason to spend the cash for the Oasis. But if you're like me and love physical page-turn buttons, you may want to consider this one. We think it's probably due for an update soon though.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nIf you like to take digital notes, the Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the first of Amazon's e-readers that lets you write on the enormous 10.2-inch screen like a regular notebook. However, if you want to write in the margins of books, you'll have to settle for using sticky notes. That's frustrating given the point of spending this kind of money is to write on it (marking up books is better on the Kobo Elipsa).\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nThe Fire Max 11 (5/10, WIRED Review) is Amazon's biggest, nicest, and most overpriced Fire tablet. This deal makes it much more palatable. The display and new fingerprint sensor are nice, as is the ability to use the keyboard without resorting to Bluetooth, but the Fire OS operating system leaves much to be desired (like a decent app store). Still, if you're set on a Fire tablet and you want a big display, this isn't a bad deal.\n\nBest Prime Day Laptop and Accessory Deals\n\nMacBook Air Photograph: Apple\n\nThe 2023 MacBook Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite laptops this year. It has an excellent six-speaker sound system, a 1080p front-facing webcam, and a 10-core variant of the M2 processor the previous year's model came with. It's blazingly fast for most normal work and can even handle some light video editing and other heavier tasks.\n\nThis is last year's 13-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) with the M2 chip and Touch Bar. It has the same processor that's in the new MacBook Air (our top pick for most people) and doesn't offer any major hardware upgrades except for a fan, which allows the processor to get a little warmer and eke out more power over a longer period of time. This helps if you’re working on pro-level tasks like video editing but can’t spend the premium that Apple charges for its bigger Pro models.\n\nThe Razer Blade 14 earned an 8/10, WIRED Recommends award in our review. It has a gorgeous 16:10 display, plenty of USB ports, a full-size HDMI output, and an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, with the option to upgrade to the 40-series, giving it plenty of power to tear through the toughest games. It's the laptop WIRED reviewer Eric Ravenscraft used through Starfield's launch weekend; it has proven its worth already.\n\nPhotograph: Das Keyboard\n\nYou may have to click on “See More Buying Options” to see this deal. The Das Keyboard MacTigr pairs well with Apple's laptops and PCs. It has a dedicated Mac layout, Cherry MX Red switches, a two-port USB-C hub, and a high-quality, all-metal build. It rarely goes on sale.\n\nThis is our favorite external keyboard in our guide to Best MacBook Accessories. It's a great option if you're a fan of the Magic Keyboard and are looking to fully replicate your MacBook setup. However, this version is fairly bare-bones—it doesn't come with a Touch ID button or the same function row keys as the M-series MacBooks (that model isn't on sale, sadly). But it does come with the standard keys like playback controls, a Mission Control key, as well as a number pad. This is also the lowest price we've tracked for this keyboard, so far.\n\nThe Studio Display (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has a spacious 27-inch display that's perfect for juggling multiple apps at the same time and a 5K resolution that's stunningly sharp (there's no HDR though, so colors look slightly more contrasty and saturated compared to the neutral tones on Apple's Pro Display XDR). Although it's pricey, this is an excellent monitor for those who want a really accurate and sharp screen. Equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, along with built-in mics and speakers, it's ideal for video calls too. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, yet.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nOne of our top picks from our building your own PC guide, AMD's 16-core behemoth is a killer CPU for high-end 4K or 144-Hz gaming. It has some special requirements. It gets so hot there's no way you should put it into a PC without a liquid cooler like the Asus ROG Ryujin II Liquid Cooler.\n\nPlugable's USB-C Triple Display Docking Station is a great choice, especially for anyone using more than one monitor. It supports up to three displays at once (either HDMI or DisplayPort for each). The dock also packs six USB 3.0 ports (two on the front, four in the back) and a gigabit Ethernet port. Whenever you come back to your workstation with your MacBook, all you have to do is plug it in and you instantly have a multi-monitor setup. With an output of up to 60 watts, you can use the dock to charge your laptop too.\n\nClaiming the top spot in our Best USB Flash Drives guide, the SanDisk Extreme Pro balances speed, reliability, and price. The sleek aluminum case has a loop for attaching it to a keyring and a slider to push out the USB-A plug. It is fast, performs reliably (we've been using one regularly for two years), and comes with a lifetime warranty.\n\nBest Prime Day Tablet Deals\n\nPhotograph: OnePlus\n\nThe OnePlus Pad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the few Android tablets we think is a worthy iPad alternative. It offers good performance, has great battery life, and an excellent 144-Hz, 11.6-inch LCD display. We strongly recommend OnePlus’ magnetic keyboard, which is also on sale for $100 ($50 off), however, if you purchase directly from the company's website, you can get the keyboard bundled for free.\n\nThe 9th-gen iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite iPad for most people, even though it's one generation behind. Aside from costing less than the current 10th-gen model, it is still compatible with the same accessories as the first-gen Apple Pencil. It retains the physical Home button with Touch ID at the bottom of the screen.\n\nPixel Tablet Photograph: Google\n\nGoogle's Pixel Tablet (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is part tablet, part smart display. It comes with a charging dock that doubles as a speaker, so you can pump out the tunes and get answers from Google Assistant at a moment's notice. Take it off the charger and you get a full Android tablet experience.\n\nBest Prime Day Watch Deals\n\nPhotograph: Apple\n\nThe 2nd-generation Apple Watch SE is our top pick for most people. It's the most affordable of what Apple touts as its first carbon-neutral products (when bought in conjunction with the new sport loop, that is). It's compatible with WatchOS 10, which is where many new health and wellness features show up.\n\nThe second-generation Garmin Epix Pro holds the title of Best Outdoor Watch in our Best Fitness Trackers guide and is one of our favorite sports watches (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a bright AMOLED display, battery life that can last through a week of camping, and useful features like redshift mode (for training outside at night), and a flashlight. There's also an endurance feature, in addition to all the other Garmin proprietary metrics that assess what kind of shape you're in. This deal applies to the 51-mm size, but the 42-mm and 47-mm sizes are also on sale.\n\nWe liked (but didn't love) the Withings Move smartwatch when we tried it. One of our chief complaints was its lack of heart rate monitoring, but that's an issue the Withings Steel HR has resolved, adding this crucial feature to what was already an elegant, subtle smartwatch. It has typical analog watch hands, with a smaller monochrome display for basic data, and it won't buzz your wrist all day with every single notification.\n\nGot an Android phone? We really liked using the TicWatch Pro 5, mostly because its battery stands out among competitors like Google, Samsung, and Apple. We easily get three days of average use, and Mobvoi’s unique dual-display technology lets you stretch the battery life even further. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset, which is a newer and more efficient processor. And we've barely seen any hiccups operating this Wear OS 3 watch.\n\nBest Prime Day Phone Deals\n\nSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Photograph: Samsung\n\nSamsung's new Galaxy Z Flip5 (7/10 WIRED Recommends) delivers a larger cover screen, which means you can do more on the phone without having to open it up. If you or someone you know always complain about how big phones are these days, a folding flip phone might be the answer to those woes. If you want to try a different style of flip phone, the Motorola Razr+ is also on sale for $800 ($100 off).\n\nPhotograph: Samsung\n\nDon't want to pay much for a phone? This is one of the best you'll find for the price (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It lacks wireless charging (see the Pixel 7A below if you really want it), but the AMOLED screen has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, the performance is decent, and the cameras are reliable. The battery also lasts more than a day.\n\nGoogle Pixel 7A Photograph: Google\n\nThis is our favorite smartphone for most people (8/10, WIRED Recommends), and this is an incredible price (and the lowest we have tracked). It has smooth performance, a nice bright screen, excellent cameras, and even features like wireless charging. The battery life is just OK.\n\nWe have a lot of other good cheap phone recommendations here, but this Motorola is fine and performs well for the money. It will only get one OS update (to Android 14), but it will get three years of security updates. It comes with an NFC sensor so you can make contactless payments, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. Read our Best Motorola Phones guide for more.\n\nOnePlus 11 Photograph: OnePlus\n\nThe OnePlus 11 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is fast. The performance is fast, the recharging is fast. It even looks fast. It has a bright, 120-Hz AMOLED screen, great speakers, and surprisingly good battery life for all that. Our main gripe is the IP64 water- and dust-resistance rating, which is not nearly as good as other flagship phones.\n\nUgreen's charger is, as the name suggests, a 145-watt charger with a 25,000-mAh battery. It's surprisingly compact for the power it provides, although at 1.1 pounds, it's definitely not ultralight. There are two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. What sets the Ugreen apart is that you can actually draw 145 watts while charging. That works out to one USB-C port at 100W and the other at 45W. Very few other batteries we've tested are capable of that feat.\n\nPhotograph: Anker\n\nThe Anker Nano is one of our favorite portable power banks, particularly for phones. It clicks right into the bottom of your device, and even comes in fun colors. This model has a 12-watt Lightning connector but there is a 22.5-watt USB-C version for the iPhone 15 or Android phones for $22 ($10 off). Both connectors fold away when you aren't using them. If you use a particularly thick case, this may not work. You'll likely be able to charge most phones fully once before needing to recharge the power bank itself via the included USB-C cable.\n\nWe are big fans of the Backbone One (8/10, WIRED recommends) and it appears in our Best Mobile Game Controllers guide. It slides open to cradle your phone and is very responsive, with buttons and bumpers that feel nice and clicky. The USB-C version that is on sale will work with most Android phones and the new iPhone 15 range.\n\nThis 2-in-1 charger is featured in our guide to the Best MagSafe Accessories. The price matches the lowest we have tracked. It doesn't have a built-in Apple Watch charger, but it can top off your compatible wireless earbuds whilst simultaneously charging your iPhone. It charges at the maximum 15-watt rate, and you can turn your iPhone sideways for iOS 17’s new StandBy mode, converting it into a bedside alarm clock.\n\nAnker 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Dock Photograph: Anker\n\nAnker makes our favorite lists often, including with this super compact 3-in-1 wireless charger. A MagSafe pad charges iPhones up to 15 watts at a slanted angle, and on the side is a standard Apple Watch puck (no fast-charging support). In the space inside the triangle is where you can place your AirPods Pro (or any other wireless earbuds case) to top them up.\n\nThis 2.5-inch cube from Anker is a great compact charger. It comes with a MagSafe pad on top (that charges at up to 15 watts), a top section that hinges to a 60-degree angle to reveal a charging surface for your AirPods, and a shelf on the side that has a built-in Apple Watch charger (which can comfortably accommodate any Apple Watch including the Ultra). You'll also get a 5-foot cable and a 30-watt charger in the box. It supports fast charging too.\n\nAnker 737 Power Bank Photograph: Anker\n\nWe just added this power bank as our top upgrade pick in our guide to the Best Portable Chargers. It's pricey, but today's deal makes it more accessible. It charges from zero to completely full in an hour and boasts a whopping 24,000-mAh capacity. And it's powerful enough to charge laptops and tablets as well as phones and other gadgets. There's even a built-in display to monitor stats like temperature and remaining battery percentage.\n\nThis heavy metal brick is a good option for charging laptops and smaller gadgets. It packs 20,000 mAh and supports a wide variety of fast charging standards. There is one USB-C PD port rated at 65 watts, two USB-A QC ports at 30 watts apiece, and a micro-USB input (though you are best using the USB-C to recharge it). We haven't seen it go on sale very often.\n\nThis travel kit from ESR works well if you want something that can prop your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation. It can also display your Apple Watch in Nightstand mode, so you can peek and see how long before you must get out of bed. The main body folds open with a MagSafe charging pad for your iPhone and a slot behind for your AirPods. We have seen this dip a little lower, but this is still a solid deal.\n\nThe unusual design of Satechi's fold-up wireless charging stand allows it to charge both phones and a wireless earbuds case (if it supports Qi wireless charging), plus a USB-C port to plug in a third device—not bad for a device that fits in your bag. It has a 10,000-mAh capacity with LEDs to show how much juice is left. The downside is that it is slow, offering up to 10 watts of wireless charging power for phones (7.5 watts for iPhones), 5 watts for earbuds, and 10 watts from the USB-C port.\n\nBest Prime Day Headphone Deals\n\nPhotograph: Sony\n\nWhile its predecessor was one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds around, the WF-1000XM5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is still no slouch. They produce balanced sound, are comfortable to wear, and have active noise cancellation. When using the ANC, they last up to eight hours on a single charge, stretching to around 12 hours without it.\n\nThis deal is a match of historic low pricing that we don't see come around very often. The Google Pixel Buds Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are truly excellent earbuds—particularly if you have an Android phone. They're comfortable and available in a wide array of colors at this price.\n\nThis is an invite-only deal (read more about that below). The Jabra Elite 7 Active top the list of our favorite workout earbuds. They came out in 2021, but are still the smallest, with the teeniest case, and the most comfortable we've tried. The rubber tip kept these securely in our ears while running, even while under a beanie that was rubbing against them. You can customize the level of ambient noise you let in via the Sound+ app, and they're IP57-rated to withstand sweat. You'll get 8 hours of battery life and up to 30 hours in the case.\n\nPhotograph: Apple\n\nIf you have an iPhone, these are the best earbuds. The newer USB-C model (8/10, WIRED Recommends), has redesigned audio infrastructure, and remains to have some of the best noise canceling and microphones we've heard on a pair of earbuds.\n\nAnker's Space A40 earbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are packed with features for the price, with noise canceling, wireless charging, and 10 hours of battery life. Plus, they sound good, are lightweight, and comfortable to wear, which is why our reviewers say they nearly give Apple's AirPods a run for their money. Anker's Liberty 4 NC earbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are another feature-packed pair of buds with great noise canceling, and are on sale for $80 ($20 off).\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) were released just a couple of months ago. We wish the battery life was longer and that the controls and EQ options were more robust. But this price makes them more worthwhile, and they do have excellent noise canceling.\n\nPhotograph: Bose\n\nThese noise-cancelling headphones are our favorite for the office. With advanced signal processing and four microphones built in, these will limit any sound around you, making them great for focusing on work in a busy environment and for Zoom calls. These often fluctuate in price, but we think it's a great deal.\n\nWe like Sony's standard LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for the open-ear design that allows you to hear what's going on around you. If you do a lot of city walking, or use your earbuds somewhere that it's important to be aware of your surroundings, like while feeding lions at the zoo, then these are a great option.\n\nThese are our favorite workout headphones for running and biking—any sport where you have to be aware of traffic but still want to listen to podcasts. They also fit under a helmet and have a decent 10-hour battery life.\n\nBest Prime Day Kitchen Deals\n\nPhotograph: Vitamix\n\nThe Vitamix 5200 is a staple on wedding registries, but, turns out, you can just buy them too. Like WIRED contributor Joe Ray, I was never really a blender person, but the Vitamix changed that. Whether you’re blending smoothies, soups, or sauces, this mixer is powerful and durable. It's not cheap (even on sale), but it's worth it.\n\nIf you want a Vitamix, but don't want to shell out for the 5200, the Explorian is a good, cheaper alternative. This is the brand's entry-level blender, but it still has a powerful two-horsepower engine that will reduce the toughest nuts to a creamy paste.\n\nThe NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender comes with a 1,500-watt motor base with a 64-ounce pitcher. It features a locking lid with a spout and includes a tamper for pushing down ingredients while you blend. There's also a good selection of presets, like a purée setting, one for soups, one for frozen drinks, and one for smoothies.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nIf you’re looking to save on counter space, the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is better suited to smaller kitchens and households. The full-size, 5-quart version is also on sale for $380 ($60 off).\n\nSous vide cooking is a great way to stop overcooking your food. It's a handy addition to any kitchen, and the Nano 3.0 is one of our favorite starter precision cookers.\n\nThis AeroGarden goes on sale all the time, but the price is right. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe said it was super easy to use. Simply place the seed pods in their corresponding holes, keep the bottom filled up with water, and wait. Just keep in mind that the light is bright—this model would not be ideal in a studio apartment. And it'll grow herbs like crazy, which is a blessing or a curse depending on how much dill you can use in a given week.\n\nPhotograph: Zojirushi\n\nZojirushi's rice cookers are a favorite at WIRED. The brand uses “fuzzy logic technology” with a microcomputer (hence the abbreviation “micom” in the product name) to make tiny adjustments in heat placement, ensuring that your grains are perfectly done, with minimal effort and no burned or wet spots. We have seen this one dip slightly lower, but this is still a good deal.\n\nWe love Le Creuset's enameled cast iron dishes (the bread pan isn't on sale, but it's one of our favorites). This roasting pan is a good size for everything from chicken to a prime rib.\n\nPhotograph: Bee's Wrap\n\nPlastic wrap is annoying. Try these beeswax wraps instead. They're organic cotton and sustainably sourced beeswax (along with jojoba oil and tree resin), which makes them waterproof (just make sure to use cold water to rinse them; hot water could melt off the wax). See our Best Reuseable Products guide for more great options.\n\nThese are a WIRED favorite. They do everything a single-use Ziplock bag does but, of course, they don't need to be thrown out and are dishwasher-, freezer-, and microwave-safe. You can also use them to keep supplies like screws, crayons, and bobby pins organized.\n\nIn addition to Stasher, we also love Rezip reusable baggies. They're durable, freezer-safe, and easy to clean—just stick them in the dishwasher. They're also much cheaper than Stasher if you want to dip your toes into reusables. This is the 5-piece set, but there are a bunch of other options discounted too.\n\nPhotograph: HydroJug\n\nThe HydroJug (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite water bottles. It's big and heavy, but it can be a useful tool if you're often unmotivated to fill smaller, scrawnier bottles. The sale price extends to a variety of colors.\n\nOn Prime Day a few years ago, I (Louryn) got a multipack of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and I accidentally conditioned myself to crave them before bed. If you fall into the same trap, or you're a normal person and you just enjoy a spicy snack from time to time, this is a good and cheap way to restock. Use Subscribe and Save to get the lowest price (or pay the nominal difference of $2 more for a one-time shipment). You can always cancel Subscribe and Save shipments after your first order arrives.\n\nThis All-Clad set includes 10-inch and 12-inch frying pans, which is a nice combo for families or anyone who regularly needs larger pans. All-Clad's D3 stainless steel construction has a very even heat distribution and is pretty durable. Reviewer Scott Gilbertson has seen these warp after about 10 years, but so far it hasn't happened to his. You can find more All-Clad deals here.\n\nWe haven't been able to try 1Zpresso's hand grinder yet, but it gets high marks from espresso gurus around the web. It's over triple the price of our favorite hand grinder, the Hario Skerton Pro ($50), so there are certainly cheaper ways to grind, but the J-Max has always garnered high marks for its ability to deliver a very even fine grind.\n\nPhotograph: Ninja\n\nThe compact pick in our guide to the best air fryers, Ninja's Max XL is notable for its space-saving design, which leaves countertop space for other tasks such as prepping vegetables. The max crisp setting is perfect for making homemade fries with a nice amount of crunch, and you can even modify conventional oven recipes to work with the Ninja.\n\nThe trick-or-treaters are coming (or perhaps just the midnight munchies). In any case, Amazon has a bunch of candy on sale right now, with prices starting at $2. Who doesn't need a 24-pack of Nerd Ropes?\n\nThese are reviewer Louryn Strampe's favorite coffee mugs, and not just because they're a brilliant shade of pink. The cups' construction makes it appear like your drink is floating, and the 16-ounce capacity means more coffee down your gullet.\n\nPhotograph: Zwilling\n\nIf you have kids who touch everything dangerous in your kitchen, we recommend the double-walled Zwilling kettle in our Best Kettles guide. It comes with six presets, as well as a dedicated button for making baby formula.\n\nOnce our top pick for chef knives, the Victorinox is still a great knife. We really like the nearly nonstick finish—hardly anything sticks to this blade, not even fresh cilantro. It's a great all-around kitchen knife and well worth grabbing at this price.\n\nBest Prime Day Coffee Deals\n\nBreville Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine Photograph: Breville\n\nWhat we love about the Breville Impress (6/10, WIRED Review) is that beginners can make good to very good espresso right out of the box. Breville has done a nice job of automating some of the trickier elements of espresso-making. The downside is that we found a good bit of variation from shot to shot.\n\nThe Barista Touch is a coffee shop in a machine. You get a built-in burr grinder, a hot water spout, and a digital display to control your brews. Tap the Latte button and the Touch will crank out a latte, even foaming the milk. The results are not as good as what you can do by hand, but it's a nice option if you're feeling lazy.\n\nThere are dozens of these milk frothers available on Amazon, from dozens of different spammy companies all selling more or less the same device. None of them are outstanding, but I bought one a few years ago and, surprisingly, it's still going. Use it to froth milk, or for what I do: mixing up matcha tea. Will this one last you years? I honestly don't know, but at least you're only out $8 if it doesn't.\n\nPhotograph: Fellow\n\nNothing beats the speed and convenience of an electric kettle for heating up water to a precise temperature. Stovetop kettles can't compete on any criteria. Plus, if you want to get into pour-over coffee, which many WIRED staffers heartily recommend, your kettle will need a gooseneck so that your pour is precise. The nearly identical EKG+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a smooth pour and can hold its temperature for up to an hour before it auto shuts off, although the 2.5-foot cable could stand to be longer.\n\nWe go nuts for coffee here on WIRED's Gear Team, and the ingenious AeroPress is one of our favorite portable coffee makers. It makes a damn fine cup of brew. It also happens to be incredibly easy to use and clean up. This one will make 10 fluid ounces of coffee up to a time, which is about a diner mug's worth.\n\nBest Prime Day Mattress Deals\n\nHelix Midnight Luxe Hybrid Mattress Photograph: Helix\n\nEnter code DEALDAY25 at checkout to get this deal, which includes two pillows. This matches the best price we've seen our favorite mattress reach. The Midnight Luxe has six layers of foam and individually wrapped inner springs. It's medium-firm and comfortable for almost all sleeping positions. There are other firmness levels within the Luxe collection that we haven't tested yet.\n\nCasper's hybrid bed reaches its $1,495 price but is often $1,196 on Amazon. Still, this price is among the best deals we've tracked on a bed from the brand that put bed-in-a-box mattresses on the map. This hybrid is a great neutral option. Did you read our guide and have no idea which one to go with? Get this one. It strikes a good balance between soft and supportive, with just enough bounce.\n\nPhotograph: My Green Mattress\n\nEnter code DISCOVER at checkout to see this discount. We have seen this dip slightly lower in the past, but the base price has risen since then and this price is lower than recent sales. This is our top organic mattress pick for kids. It's made from certified organic cotton, wool, and latex.\n\nEnter code DISCOVER at checkout to apply this discount. If you aren't ready for a whole new mattress, spruce up your existing one with a mattress topper. This organic latex choice from My Green Mattress is our favorite firm topper—it's 2 inches high, has a zipper if you need to remove the organic cotton cover from the pad, and stays in place nicely without needing any straps.\n\nBrooklinen Weighted Throw Blanket Photograph: Brooklinen\n\nThis price is for the terra-cotta color only. Brooklinen's weighted blanket is 12 pounds but feels sufficiently weighty. It's held up well through many trips in the wash and cat biscuit-making sessions. It's also prettier than some other options with one side having a nice texture pattern.\n\nWe like several Brooklinen sheets, and this is our favorite organic set. They're soft, but not overly silky and you shouldn't sleep too hot in them. They are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton and are Oeko-Tex certified, which means they're tested for and do not contain any known toxic chemicals.\n\nThis amazing and gigantic blanket will be the focus of its own story in a few weeks' time. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe loves it. True to its name, it's massive, measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, so it's really easy to share—even if you're a blanket hog like she is. The price matches what we've seen during other shopping holidays.\n\nBest Prime Day Smart Home Deals\n\nPhotograph: Govee\n\nIn our Govee Buying Guide, we selected this as the best lamp. It has a modern design and support for Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant. You can select the lighting using your phone or the included remote. This price matches the lowest we have seen.\n\nTurn anything plugged into an outlet into a smart device with a smart plug. Our favorite mini smart plug from Kasa is on sale—usually available for around $17, snagging these great plugs for $6 each is a steal. It's easy to control and create routines, and these bulbs work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.\n\nPhilips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit Photograph: Amazon\n\nPhilips Hue's smart bulb starter kit isn't a cheap investment, and we usually only recommend it if you're looking for an upgraded kit. But it is a little cheaper right now to get three bulbs, a smart switch, and Philips' smart home hub, which you can use with older Philips bulbs and other third-party accessories. It's the lowest deal we've seen on this kit in months.\n\nThe Netgear Nighthawk series of routers are well regarded and make up some of the picks in our Best Routers guide. This model isn't one of the fancy ones, but it's a solid choice. You get Wi-Fi 6 support, coverage of up to 3,500 square feet, and the USB input means you can connect a storage drive for shared disk space.\n\nPhotograph: Newegg\n\nSitting at the top of our Best Wi-Fi Routers guide, this Wi-Fi 6 router is ideal for the average home seeking more reliable Wi-Fi on a budget. It has a slick, black finish with four antennas, performs reliably, and has four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a single gigabit WAN port, and a USB 3.0 port on the back. It is frequently discounted but hasn't been this low since Amazon's last Prime Day event.\n\nIf you're battling Wi-Fi dead zones in your house, you may need to add a mesh router to your setup. Our upgrade pick, Eero's Pro 6E (7/10, WIRED Recommends) makes this process as simple and hands-off as it can be, and each should one covers 2,000 square feet. The brand's subscription is pricey at $10 a month (the cheaper option was eliminated)—you don't have to subscribe for it to work but there are nice features like parental controls. This older Eero router is on sale for $45 if you just need something cheap right now.\n\nSimpliSafe (9/10, WIRED Recommends) makes home security easy to set up and expand on as needed with multiple motion, door, and window sensors, plus panic buttons and key fob controllers. The brand has frequent sales—and you've probably heard podcast ads with discount codes—but we don't typically see it reach 50 percent off. We didn't like the indoor SimpliCam, but it has since been updated and we have yet to test the new one. Several other smaller bundles are also discounted between 40 and 50 percent off with different variations of accessories.\n\nPhotograph: Govee\n\nGovee makes some of our favorite smart lighting, and this is our pick for a diffused light strip that can be installed on the wall, stairs, or anywhere else in plain view. It comes with adhesive brackets, so you can make curved shapes like clouds. It supports countless effects in the Govee app and works with voice commands from Google Assistant or Alexa. Read our Best Govee Lights guide for more.\n\nMonster's digital frame isn't as good as options from Aura or Nixplay, which top our guide to the best digital frames, but we like it better than most other cheap frames. The 1280p screen gets you crisp photos and you can use Google Assistant or Alexa with it too. If you just can't imagine spending $150 or so on those other frames, this one works.\n\nIf you can spend more than the Monster above, we do prefer our top choices, but Skylight's 15-inch frame looks nice whether you put it on a shelf or wall mount it. There's a smaller 10-inch one if you want to spend less.\n\nEcoFlow River 2 Pro Portable Power Station Photograph: EcoFlow\n\nIt's debatable whether some of the Best Portable Power Stations are truly all that portable, but this one from EcoFlow is easy to carry, with a large handle along the back. The LiFeP04 battery inside is good for 768 watt-hours and perfect for keeping your gadgets charged up on camping trips. The main downside is fan noise.\n\nThe smaller version of this recently earned a spot in our Best Portable Chargers guide, and the larger model is our top pick of the Best Portable Power Stations, so the 1000 Plus is definitely worth a look. It packs a 1264Wh-capacity battery, loads of ports, three AC outlets, and is rated at 2,000 watts with a 4,000-watt peak power capability, which means you can plug in electric grills and other small appliances without worrying.\n\nTile Sticker Two-Pack Photograph: Tile\n\nIf you're constantly losing remotes, Tile's Stickers can come in handy. These Bluetooth tracker stickers can be stuck onto remotes, e-readers, or anything else you want to keep track of within a 150-foot range. This is the best price we've seen since last year.\n\nPetcube makes some of our favorite pet cameras, and this one holds more treats (1.5 pounds) and larger pieces (up to 1 inch in diameter) than some of the others we tried. The Bites 2 looks good and has an extensive four-microphone array that sounds great both ways. The Bites 2 Lite loses the laser and is made from plastic rather than aluminum, but it's significantly cheaper, typically at about $100. Right now it's discounted to $80.\n\nEven with the subscription ($3 per month or $30 per year), this video doorbell is one of the cheapest options around, and it made the honorable mentions section in our Best Video Doorbells guide. Video quality is 1080p with a limited field of view, and notifications aren't the fastest, but it performs reliably. If you don't want a subscription, consider buying it bundled with Sync Module 2 ($47), which is also half-price right now.\n\nNiu KQi3 Pro Photograph: Niu\n\nThis is our favorite electric scooter for most people. It goes on sale regularly, so never pay full price for one. The KQi3 has great range, going 18 to 20 miles for most people. It maxes out at 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires offer a comfy ride, and the disc brakes reliably bring it to a quick stop.\n\nEven after trying the newer Withings Body Comp smart scale, the Body+ model is still in the sweet spot for us. It tracks data about your health including body fat, muscle mass, and total body water, and can display charts of your progress over time.\n\nThis is an upgraded model of our favorite, the Body+ mentioned above. It adds extra features to keep an eye on your heart health, like its built-in heart monitor that can analyze your cardiovascular health using vascular age data. We found this wasn't totally worth the extra price on the more expensive Withings Body Comp scale, but the Body Cardio is cheaper normally, and even better on this sale.\n\nWater damage is one of the most frightening and potentially expensive disasters any homeowner can face, but if you learn about a leak swiftly enough you can keep damage to a minimum. This kit comes with four sensors and a hub and uses the relatively long-range LoRa standard to alert you the minute any of the sensors detects water. It is our pick for larger properties in our Best Water Leak Detectors guide.\n\nPhotograph: Aqara\n\nThis chunky doorbell offers 1080p video and a wide 162-degree field of view to help you monitor your front porch. It takes regular AA batteries (but can also be wired) and it comes with an indoor hub that can record video locally onto a microSD card, but also doubles as a Wi-Fi repeater and a chime. It has wide smart home compatibility, and can even be used with Apple's HomeKit Secure Video, which is what earned it a place in our Best Video Doorbells guide.\n\nIf you want to stay powered up on your travels, you need a travel adapter, and this one from Epicka is the budget pick in our Best Travel Adapters guide. It works in more than 150 countries and has four USB-A ports on the bottom, plus a 15-watt USB-C port on the side. It has dropped this low before, but not for a while.\n\nGet not one, not two, but four of our favorite smart bulbs for the best price we've seen all year. These smart bulbs are easy to use, beautifully vibrant, comes with a variety of present colors, and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.\n\nPhotograph: Nanoleaf\n\nWe love this light kit for adding fun ambient lighting to any room. Each hexagon is its own light, so you can control and customize the hexagons into just about any design of your choosing—both in color schemes. and onto your wall. Just grab a level to make sure you put them on straight!\n\nThe Google Nest Hub Max has a nice big screen and slim, powerful speakers to match. It's our favorite smart display for a variety of reasons, from how nicely it doubles as a photo frame to how great it is as a kitchen assistant.\n\nBest Prime Day Home, Apparel, and Personal Care Deals\n\nTherabody Smart Goggles Photograph: Therabody\n\nTherabody's Smart Goggles (9/10, WIRED Recommends) use heat, vibrations, and light pressure to massage your eyes and temples. The app lets you customize sessions and track your heart rate to help reduce stress and anxiety. It feels amazing, but it's very expensive—all Therabody products are—and I noticed a small hole in the eye pad after a while. It hasn't gotten bigger, but it's worth noting. We're testing Gravity's competing eye massager right now. It's not app-controlled, but it's much cheaper and we don't hate it so far.\n\nThe TheraFace Pro is a very expensive self-care tool. We liked it, finding it exfoliated away blackheads, cleared up stuffy sinuses from allergies, and even minimized fine lines. But there are also buzzwordy functions that may or may not work, like microcurrent. It hasn't gone on sale often in its yearish shelf life so if you can afford to spend this much on a skincare device, it's a good time to grab it. Unfortunately, the hot and cold heads are an additional $99.\n\nWillow Go Wearable Breast Pump Photograph: Willow\n\nOur favorite wearable breast pump is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to bring anywhere. What's not easy is the price tag you usually find on the Willow Go (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's priced similarly to a standard portable pump right now, though, making it much more worth the splurge.\n\nIf you're shopping for baby gear, a good deal goes a long way with how much stuff you need before little one arrives. While insurance covers some of the cost of pumps, it's often not all of it. Depending on the insurance you have, this current deal on the Elvie Stride (7/10, WIRED Recommends) may get you closer to the price that your plan will cover.\n\nOur favorite stroller is all-around great: it comes with an adapter for infant car seats, has great suspension without being bulky, and folds down surprisingly close to flat. It's already a great deal for its regular price, and even more worth purchasing right now. We occasionally see it go a little lower than $300 on sale, but this is a great price to jump on.\n\nTushy Classic 3.0 Bidet Photograph: TUSHY\n\nA person once asked rhetorically: If you fell in the mud, would you reach for a sheet of toilet paper or a hose? They were talking about bidets, and put that way, it does seem to be a cleaner option. Certainly, it's gentler on your caboose. The Tushy is affordable and, as far as bidets go, easy to install on practically any toilet. There's no need for an electrical plug or a hot water hookup, which is why we gave it the recommendation as the best budget bidet that's non-electric.\n\nTrimming and edging the lines of a beard can be just as time-consuming and aggravating as edging a lawn. Most trimmers on the market make do with too many plastic guides of different lengths—too many—and yet not enough attachments for fine detailing. The Multigroom Series 9000 comes with an adjustable guide from 1 to 3 millimeters, plus a mini-foil shaver, narrow-width head, T-shaped head, ear/nose attachment, and more. Its stainless steel construction is a rarity among consumer-level trimmers, too, and feels solid in the hand, as if you're a semi-professional barber working magic rather than just a guy in a bathroom mirror.\n\nCoway Airmega 250 Air Purifier Photograph: Amazon\n\nFor larger rooms, you want a larger air purifier, and we recommend the Airmega 250 as the best air purifier for living rooms. Product reviewer Matt Jancer has been using one for years to keep the air inside his New York City apartment clean and pure. Filters tend to be expensive at $60 to 80, but he's gotten nearly a year out of each filter, so the performance-per-price is worth it, in his opinion. Its automatic functioning will kick the purifier into high gear if heavy pollution is detected, but normally it runs on a whisper-quiet low setting when needed. Even sitting a few feet away, Matt doesn't notice it.\n\nEnter code WOOF25 at checkout to see this discount. I get compliments on this Diggs carrier every time I bring my cats to the vet. It works for cats or smaller dogs and it feels high-end in its construction, with lots of pockets for you. There are safety features like seat belt clips and a buckle strap and it's also been crash-tested and gets a five-star rating by the Center for Pet Safety. The only thing I dislike is that you can't really see through the mesh to make sure your pet is OK, but the company says this is to give nervous pets some privacy and calmness.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nA sunrise alarm wakes you up at you set time by gradually brightening and changing the color temperature, or the color spectrum, to mimic real sunlight. It's a gentler way to wake up than a blaring alarm. Like most sunrise alarms, the WiiM also has a sunset feature for winding down before bed. Of all the ones WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer tested, the WiiM was the easiest to set up and walk the user through its operation on the connected app.\n\nWIRED reviewer Matt Jancer has relied on the 35-pint model to keep his East Coast apartment habitable during sweltering, humid summers. You can set the desired humidity level in 5 percent increments from 35 to 85, and the automatic functioning will turn the machine on and off as needed. It's not particularly loud for a dehumidifier, and Jancer has to empty the water bin only once per day on his smaller model.\n\nAn electric fan is an ideal way to save a bit of money on air conditioning costs and to add a bit of pleasant white noise to boot. Unlike air conditioning, they take only a sip of electricity to run. WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer has been using the Vornado 460 for three summers and says its ability to move an impressive amount of air around a bedroom on the lowest setting belies its smallish size.\n\nPhotograph: Dyson\n\nThis has been on sale for $300 for a little while, but we still like this price. The Dyson Supersonic (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the best hair dryers you can buy. It's also extremely expensive, so definitely buy it while it is on sale rather than paying full price.\n\nWe recommend this hair tool in our guide to the Best Hair Straighteners. We have not seen it drop so low in price before. The flat iron is easy to use and comfortable to hold. We wish it had more temperature settings, but it's best for finer, wavier hair. If you want something simple that'll do the trick, and your hair isn't too textured, this is a solid option.\n\nThis multi-styling tool is also featured in our Best Hair Straighteners guide. It comes with round and paddle-brush attachments to get whatever look you're trying to achieve. The price is a match of the lowest we have tracked.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nWIRED readers love LifeStraw filters, and this is the lowest we tend to see them drop in price. We include this product in our guide to the Best Home Emergency Gear. It removes 99 percent of waterborne bacteria and pathogens. At this price, you could pick one up for each member of the family.\n\nThis is very similar to a coat we recommended in our affordable cold-weather gear guide. Orolay coats consistently go viral because they're budget-friendly and warm. While we haven't tested this exact jacket, the reviews are positive and the price is right. Other coats from the brand are also on sale.\n\nA full review of this bed is coming, but the tl;dr is it's super comfy with a soft, machine-washable cover and it's big enough for adults to relax in. If you stare longingly at your pet as they snooze in their tiny beds, you might want to consider investing in your own. It's expensive though, so the $100 discount is welcome.\n\nPhotograph: Gravity\n\nThe Gravity Move (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite massage guns. It's compact but works sore muscles with ease. The Move comes with four attachment heads, including a heated one that feels heavenly. We just wish the case was bigger—it only fits the device and one head at a time.\n\nNavigating the sheer amount of printer options available is exhausting. We don't have a full printer guide just yet, but after my last one died, I bought this one on the recommendation of a fellow WIRED reviewer and have been more than happy with the results. Prints and scans are good quality. It's also wireless and you can print from your phone too.\n\nYou've likely seen these candles floating around your feeds and they're great buys to treat yourself or to gift others. They're 13.5 ounces, smell good, and are hand-poured in the US. Also astrology is fun, whether you're actually into it or not—according to the company, I, Nena, having been born on March 28, am reclusive by nature. Accurate!\n\nPhotograph: Loop\n\nI (Adrienne) have two pairs of these ear plugs, which are the Best for Sleep in our Best Earplugs guide. They are stylish, have different-sized ear tips, and stay put much more easily than the foam ones that you buy in a giant can. I like that they're reusable!\n\nThis handy tool has been steadily $25 for the last few months. It isn't a huge discount, but if you have pets, you need this. Roll it across your furniture to trap all the fur in its inner compartment, then just open it up and toss that fur in the trash. It works well and you don't have to worry about refilling sticky lint rollers.\n\nDog owners tend to know exactly the genetic makeup of their pups. Cat owners, not so much. Basepaws gives you a chance to learn more about your feline friends. We received PDF reports 70ish pages long detailing breed percentages and it states if they're a carrier or at risk of several health issues. Any pet can get sick at any time, but it's nice to know if you're up against something that you can maybe prevent.\n\nI (Adrienne) am currently running in these shoes, which have a wide toe box and are designed to switch easily between running on trails and roads. They're incredibly versatile.\n\nLast Prime Day, we were shocked to see that Amazon even carried one of our favorite recycled clothing brands. And lo, here we are, shocked again. This is the price we saw in July for some of the best recycled workout clothes.\n\nBest Prime Day Vacuum Deals\n\nDyson V15 Detect Cordless Stick Vacuum Photograph: Dyson\n\nThe V15 Detect holds the top spot in our Best Dyson Vacuums guide. At 7 pounds, it's lightweight, and Dyson has made it simple to convert into a handheld model. Since it's a Detect model, it also comes with a head that projects a green laser to help you spot microscopic dust—making it easy to catch particles that are invisible to the naked eye.\n\nLupe's cordless vacuum (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the best we tried and while it's cheaper than a Dyson, it's still very expensive even on sale. The cleaner head has a standard rotating brush and a composite foam roller, and when using its highest setting, that foam creates a strong seal against the ground. Most cordless vacs are best used in between really good cleanings with a more powerful upright vacuum, but the Lupe might be all you need. Unfortunately, it sounds terrible.\n\nThis is the best budget-friendly Dyson, and thanks to today's deal price, the vacuum is even more accessible. It can be converted into a hand vacuum and has a runtime of about 40 minutes. The included attachments will make it easier to get into the various nooks and crannies of your home.\n\nIn our guide to the Best Dyson Vacuums, we say this model is worthwhile if it's priced between $300 and $400. Well, well, well, would you look at that? Looks like the price is right. This is a solid pick for pet owners. It's similar to the Animal 3, but this model has a self-adjusting cleaner head that automatically raises and lowers the base plate to seal in suction on all floor types. There's also a motorized brush for added efficiency.\n\nPhotograph: Shark\n\nThe Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite vac-mop combo in our Best Robot Vacuums guide. It vacuums well and does a thorough job of scrubbing the floors (using the included mopping bin) without getting the carpets wet. It also uses laser navigation to accurately map your home, allowing you to subdivide vacuuming and mopping zones within the easy-to-use app.\n\nThe Eufy X9 Pro (6/10, WIRED Review) doesn't work well as a stand-alone robot vacuum, but it's the best mopping vacuum we've tried. On the bottom of the X9 Pro are two mops that both rotate at about 180 revolutions per minute; it's both fast and accurate. WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says it only took 30 minutes to mop her kitchen (including a spilled half-bottle of syrup without leaving the floor sticky), laundry room, and bathroom. The docking station dries the mops for you too, so they don't get gross.\n\nPhotograph: Roborock\n\nRoborock recently launched an upgrade to this model, our favorite robot vacuum and our current top pick. WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says that, after several years, it's still the one vacuum she hasn't unplugged and consistently calls on to clean her house after other robot vacuums have failed.\n\nShark's AI Ultra 2-in-1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has an amazing amount of functionality for the price compared to similar robot vac-mops out there, and that's before this sweet sale price. It uses laser navigation to map your home, and you can use an app to divide it into mopping and vacuuming areas depending on your flooring. The mopping is effective without getting your floors wet, too, and you won't need replacement bin bags. The price is specifically for the black and gold colorway, but the black and silver model is also on sale (though not as much as the gold version).\n\nBissell Little Green Machine Carpet Cleaner Photograph: Bissell\n\nThis is a match of the lowest price we tend to see for this little green machine. It made our list of the Best Carpet Cleaners and the Best Viral TikTok Gadgets. It's great for cleaning furniture, stairs, and vehicles.\n\nThis is the version of Samsung's stick vacuum that does not purport to use AI. The good news is that you probably don't really need machine learning in a vacuum, as I noted in my review (7/10, WIRED Review). This is a great vacuum if your midcentury modern home needs a vacuum to fit in with the stylish decor.\n\nRefresh your rugs with this smart carpet cleaner, which has a clever design and is fairly easy to maneuver. It is great at sucking grime out of your carpet, has a drying mode, and comes with attachments for upholstery. As the upgrade pick in our Best Carpet Cleaners guide, the relatively high price is our main criticism, so it's worth taking advantage of the discount. It does occasionally drop, but we have never seen it lower than this.\n\nIt can be a pain having to lug around a heavy carpet cleaner to deal with a spill or pet-related accident, so this portable, cordless cleaner from Bissell is handy. It is also mercifully easy to take apart and clean after you've dealt with the mess. It appears in our Best Carpet Cleaners guide as our favorite spot cleaner.\n\nBest Prime Day Lego and Other Toy Deals\n\nLego Marvel Hulkbuster Photograph: Amazon\n\nThis is not the enormous, 6,000-piece set for adults, but the version for kids. Still, commemorative theme sets tend to increase in value if you don't open them and hold them for a few years (if you can convince yourself to do that). It was $34 less when this sale first started.\n\nOne of the most gratifying parts of parenthood is realizing that your children are now fascinated by the same toys and characters that you loved when you were little. It never fails to blow my mind that my 6-year-old also knows who Optimus Prime is. This action figure transforms from a truck (very cool) into a robot (even cooler!) to save the Earth from the evil Decepticons. This would make a great holiday present.\n\nAdrienne's 6-year-old son has this playset, which they unfortunately paid full price for in a moment of weakness. It's incredibly sturdy and has lasted for several years while being stomped on and thrown into battle with other playsets. The Grimlock T-Rex motorcycle is obviously the coolest one, but siblings can share.\n\nYoto Player Photograph: Yoto\n\nKids will love this durable, portable speaker, as it can handle bedtime stories, music, and other content by slotting in cards. It also features a kid-friendly radio and a sleep mode. This appears in our Best Kids Speakers guide and is suitable for children from ages 3 to 12.\n\nIf you have a vase you love, but wish your flowers would last longer, LEGO has the answer for you. Build these artificial flowers that range from roses, poppies, daises and snapdragons to add to your favorite vessel.\n\nBehold this adorable stack of pancakes complete with a butter-and-syrup flower garnish. Have you ever seen a cuter Squishmallow? I highly doubt it. Tons of Squishmallows are on sale for Prime Day. Other options include a narwhal, hedgehog, mushroom, and possum. You can view them all here.\n\nMagna-Tiles are addicting for just about any kid, in the best kind of way. They're a STEM toy we're major fans of for a variety of ages. This set lets you build a road and cranes, so it's a great choice for any construction enthusiast or as an add-on to any current Magna-Tiles owners.\n\nFor a hazy few years, WIRED editor Adrienne So says her kids were obsessed with the Lego Ninjago series. (The show was originally commissioned as a limited run and then extended for its popularity.) This is a pretty reasonable price for a biggish 1,060-piece set that looks like a relatively simple build with a ton of minifigs.\n\nThis is a 4,049-piece set from the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron, complete with three light-up arc reactors and compatibility with the Iron Man figure (sold separately).\n\nIf you're looking for a more interactive Lego set, look no further than the City Stuntz Ultimate Stunt Riders Challenge. It comes with a 360-degree loop, a ring of fire, an “alien tower” vertical climb, a ramp, two toy motorcycles, and four Lego City minifigures. The three stunt challenges can be configured in a variety of different ways too. This is also the lowest price we've tracked for this Lego set, so far.\n\nBest Prime Day TV and Soundbar Deals\n\nSamsung The Frame Photograph: Walmart\n\nAnyone who cares about the aesthetics of their space probably doesn't want to stare at their TV screen all the time. That's where Samsung's The Frame comes in. This TV looks like a piece of art when not in use, helping it blend into the background of your well-curated space.\n\nThis quantum dot-enabled OLED is the brightest organic LED display that we've tested. It has shockingly bright colors to go with its great contrast. Small bezels also aid in a super immersive picture, making this one of the best TVs for brighter rooms.\n\nAmazon's Fire TVs are a solid and affordable way to get a quality screen for very little money. This 65-inch model has Dolby Vision support for good colors, and you can control it using your voice and Alexa.\n\nPhotograph: Hisense\n\nThe Hisense U8K is among the best-value TVs we've ever seen. It features a mini-LED display for ultra-bright colors and great contrast and is super easy to set up and use thanks to the onboard Google interface. Learn more in our full review (8/10, WIRED Recommends).\n\nHisense is a purveyor of quality mid-tier TVs, and this U7 is no exception. If you're after a larger screen to enjoy sports, the 144-Hz native refresh rate makes games (both real and virtual) look smooth as silk. I also like that it supports the latest high dynamic range codecs, so you'll get the brightest, most vibrant colors possible.\n\nIf you need a super large screen and you don't have a ton of cash lying around, this option from TCL is solid. It has support for the latest high dynamic range codecs like Dolby Vision for great colors, and the built-in Fire TV interface features essentially any app you want. It's not the brightest or prettiest TV ever, but it is big and has bold color.\n\nNanoleaf's 4D Kit (9/10, WIRED Recommends) can turn any movie or video game into a beautiful, immersive experience. The kit comes with both a trimmable light strip that fits TVs as large as 65 inches, and Nanoleaf's 4D camera that captures the TV screen's colors and projects them onto the wall behind the TV. The larger size is on sale, too, if your TV is between 65 and 85 inches.\n\nPhotograph: JBL\n\nThe JBL Bar 1300X (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with detachable wireless speakers. You can pop off the two speakers on the side of the main soundbar and place them wherever you'd like without having to worry about whether there are power outlets nearby or having to hide cables. It also has some of the best Dolby Atmos immersion we've heard from a soundbar at this price. The only downside is that, without cables, you'll have to charge the speakers between uses.\n\nYamaha's SR-C20A is our favorite affordable soundbar. It's affordable to tack onto even a very modest TV budget and its 100-watt forward-facing drivers can easily outperform the speakers on most TVs.\n\nWe're fans of nearly everything Roku offers and that includes this Streambar, which allows you to upgrade your sound and your streaming with one device. It's small enough that it's ideal for homes where space is at a premium, but still sounds good.\n\nPhotograph: TCL\n\nThis is our favorite TV to recommend for most people. The mid-tier model (7/10, WIRED Recommends) comes equipped with quantum dot technology and support for every high dynamic range (HDR) format for stunning colors. There's a game mode too, which uses software that can upscale 1080p to 120 frames per second. It's worth noting that, unlike older models, this one comes with Google TV instead of Roku. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, so far.\n\nWIRED reviewer Jaina Grey has spent a few years with this very large dual-subwoofer soundbar system from Japan. The two huge subwoofers deliver earth-shattering bass, while the two side speakers and rear speakers provide more lifelike reproduction than soundbars that bounce sound off the walls for side and rear noises. It also comes with support for all major object-based surround formats (like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos). It's great for large spaces, where the extra bass response helps things feel more cinematic. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, so far.\n\nFor the luxury-minded, this extravagant soundbar from Sennheiser is our top pick. It has massive speakers with some of the best audio quality we've seen (or heard, I suppose) of any soundbar we've tested. It's also one of the most expensive we recommend, but its price very rarely dips this low, so if you've been waiting for the perfect sale to grab one, now's the time.\n\nIf you're the type to set up smart speakers and gadgets throughout your home, this soundbar from Yamaha lets you cut down on some of that work. It comes with Amazon Alexa built in, and can control a host of other smart home gadgets. We've actually seen this soundbar's price fluctuate a fair amount recently, sometimes as low as $180, but this is still nearly the cheapest we've ever seen it, so it's a good time to grab one.\n\nBest Prime Day Camera Deals\n\nGoPro Hero10 Photograph: GoPro\n\nGoPro recently dropped the price of the Hero10 Black (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to $249, which makes it one of the cheapest action cameras on the market. It's two generations old, but still a very capable camera. This deal nets you an extra battery, case, small tripod, and other accessories. Check out our Best Action Cameras guide for more buying advice.\n\nAn upgrade over our Canon top pick in our mirrorless camera guide, the R5 features a 45-megapixel full-frame CMOS Sensor, staggeringly fast autofocus, excellent subject tracking in continuous AF mode, and dual memory card slots. It isn't cheap, but this is a pro-level beast of a camera. Note that the deal is on the body only; the lenses are sold separately.\n\nWe've seen this deal a couple of times in the past month, but it's still a good one. Sony's A7 III has been superseded by the A7 IV, but it's still a very nice camera. The 24.2-megapixel sensor has fantastic dynamic range and the decently fast phase-detection autofocus means you won't miss those key shots.\n\nPhotograph: Lexar\n\nI swear by these cards. I have been using them for seven years now without issue (back then they were much more expensive). They're fast enough for every camera that I've ever tested for WIRED, and I've never had any issue with them after years of life being tossed around in various camera bags.\n\nI remain puzzled as to why CFexpress cards are so dang expensive, but they are and if your camera uses them (and most modern, high-end video cameras do) this is about as good of a deal as we've ever seen.\n\nSanDisk 2-TB Extreme Portable SSD Photograph: Amazon\n\nOur favorite speedy portable SSD, the SanDisk is lightweight, with IP22-rated enclosures so it'll stand up to life on the go. I have been using this drive to make weekly backups for almost two years now and have had no issues. That said, our friends at Ars Technica, and other users around the web, have noted extremely high failure rates with this drive, mainly with the 2- and 4-TB versions. SanDisk has issued a firmware update, which seems to fix the problem.\n\nSamsung's T7 external solid-state drives are among the WIRED gear team's favorites. Lightning fast and reliable, solid-state drives take less babying than hard drives. The T7 Shield comes with a rubberized exterior to protect it from drops and impacts, and it's also IP65 water- and dust-resistant. It comes with a USB-C cable, fits in the palm of your hand, and doesn't require an external power source. Product reviewer Matt Jancer has been using several T7s and T7 Shields for three years and has never had even a hiccup. Other capacities are also on sale.\n\nCanon SELPHY QX10 Portable Square Photo Printer Photograph: Amazon\n\nSeveral WIRED staffers love this little printer that outputs perfectly-sized, small-but-not too-small, Polaroid-like images. Though technically it costs $150, this printer has been hovering at $129 lately, but $78 is still a solid deal. This price is for the black but the other colors are discounted to $99. The larger Canon SELPHY CP1500 printer we tried is also on sale for $99. That's also a solid price, but not uncommon.\n\nTravel and Outdoor Deals\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nI (Matt Jancer) have wheeled, lifted, and slung around a lot of budget bags over dozens of trips across the globe, and the Maxlite is the one I recommend as the best budget suitcase. It's lightweight at 5.4 pounds, reasonably well made compared to the competition, and stands up to the cargo bellies of aircraft without anything more than scuff marks. For a carry-on, the two-wheel rollaboard is my preference, since it offers more interior space than a four-wheel spinner.\n\nHydro Flask routinely make some of our favorite insulated water bottles. Most insulated travel mugs these days can keep ice water cold and hot coffee warm. What makes Hydro Flask stand out is the durability of their powder coating. I've (Matt Jancer) knocked several around for years in gyms, at the base of rock climbing walls outdoors, and rolling around the floorboards of my old car and have never managed to scratch or dent one yet.\n\nThis electric bike has good looks, strong acceleration, and a better price point than the competition, especially right now with the major sale Wing is having. It's got a built-in headlight and taillight, comfortable hand grips, and a nicer seat than you'd expect. It checks a lot of boxes at its higher price point, so this is a great time to jump on this deal.\n\nWhen Is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?\n\nAmazon's second big sale event runs from Tuesday, October 10 through Wednesday, October 11, 2023. It ends at 2:59 am ET on October 11 (11:59 pm PT).\n\nWill You Need a Prime Membership?\n\nYes, this event is for Amazon Prime members, meaning most of these Prime Day deals are for subscribers only. If you want to take the ride you need to buy the ticket. In this case, the ticket is $15 a month, and you get free two-day shipping. There are a whole bunch of other Prime Day perks you can take advantage of as well. You can also sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial. Just register before the event and cancel right when the trial ends so you can take advantage of these deals. That said, there are a lot of discounted products available to folks who are not Prime subscribers. Retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are also price-matching some items or throwing their own competing sales.\n\nWhat Are Invite-Only Deals?\n\nDuring Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days. The feature is only available on select products but it has spread across a variety of categories and price points.\n\nIf a specific product is part of the Invite-Only Deals system, you'll see a “Request Invite” button on the right-hand side. All you have to do is click it for a chance to buy the product at that sale price. However, it's important to note that there's no guarantee you'll receive the invite. You can learn more about the program and how it works in our story on How to Shop Like a Pro During Amazon Prime Day.\n\nWhen is Prime Day (Prime Big Deal Days)?\n\nThe second and presumably final Amazon Prime Day 2023 is happening right about.... now. Prime Day deals started flowing at 3 am EST on October 10 and will continue through October 11.\n\nHow to find the best Prime Big Deal Days deals?\n\nWIRED is the only publication posting about Amazon Prime Day. Wait, sorry, looks a handful of other sites are, too. But you should only read WIRED, because we actually vet every deal and compare it to the actual street price instead of an absurd MSRP that you will never observe in the wild. Also, we review the products we recommend and don't just send you Prime Day deals on junk that will break. It's only a deal if you need it and it's good!\n\nAre other retailers running sales?\n\nAmazon Prime Day has inspired many imitators and you'll find sales from competitors like Best Buy, Target, and the like. Some of these sales are great, and we'll flag when they are, but others are worth holding off on until Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when WIRED will again be the Internet's only website with deals posts.\n\nRetailer Sale Pages", + "When it comes to finding a device to use to read your ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on Twitter. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality.\n\nAmazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon looks to be moving beyond books and into the realm of writing — something that should make future Kindles function more akin to physical paper.\n\nBelow, we’ve listed each model currently available. Sometimes, there isn’t a deal for one or any of the products, but we’ve mentioned the most recent sale price in those instances. Keep in mind that Amazon also offers 20 percent off all of its Kindles when you trade in select devices, so there are still other ways to save money when none of the models are available at a discount.\n\nImage: Amazon\n\nThe best Kindle (2022) deals\n\nWhat does it mean when a Kindle is “ad-supported”? Amazon Kindle e-readers come in different storage configurations, but there is also an additional option that allows you to buy the e-reader with or without ads. Ad-supported Kindles will display personalized advertisements on the lock screen when it is in sleep mode or at the bottom of the homescreen when the device is connected to Wi-Fi. Typically, you save about $20 by buying the ad-supported version, but if you decide to remove ads later, you can make a one-time payment to cover the difference and remove the ads.\n\nIn case you missed it, Amazon announced a new entry-level Kindle last year, one that’s designed to replace the 2019 model. The latest Kindle — which starts at $99.99 — puts Amazon’s base e-reader more in line with the most recent Kindle Paperwhite, providing a number of quality-of-life improvements in the process. The new model features longer battery life, a 300ppi screen, and now charges via USB-C instead of Micro USB. It also touts 16GB of storage by default and comes in a new “denim” color, which resembles the soft blue you might associate with jeans.\n\nWe recently saw Amazon’s newest ad-supported Kindle drop to $79.99 ($20 off) with three months of Kindle Unlimited included. Right now, though, you can only buy the Kindle at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for its full retail price. However, you can pick it up on sale at Amazon with ads, a power adapter, and a fabric cover starting at $134.97 ($15 off). Regardless of whether you choose the standalone model or the bundle, the new Kindle remains a worthwhile option if you’re looking to pick up an e-reader for less than the latest Paperwhite.\n\nThe best Kindle Kids (2022) deals\n\nThe new base Kindle wasn’t the only e-reader Amazon introduced in 2022. The new entry-level model has arrived alongside a new Kindle Kids, which is identical to the standard model but comes with a handful of accessories and provides age-appropriate content for younger readers who prefer digital books. Like the last-gen Kindle Kids, the new model retails for $20 more than the base model, bringing the MSRP to $119.99.\n\nIn terms of add-ons, the new Kindle Kids edition consists of four items: the device, a case, a two-year extended replacement guarantee (in the event the device breaks), and one year of Amazon Kids Plus. The latter is the biggest selling point of the device aside from the kid-friendly patterns, as it allows parents to grant their child access to a digital library of kid-friendly books like Percy Jackson and the entire Harry Potter series at no additional cost.\n\nWe recently saw the Kindle Kids drop to as low as $79.99 for Black Friday. Right now, however, there are no deals available, meaning you can only buy Amazon’s latest Kindle Kids at Amazon and Best Buy for its full retail price of $119.99.\n\nVerge Deals on X (formerly Twitter) / Join nearly 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us!\n\nThe Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is identical to the standard model but features wireless charging and a sensor to automatically adjust the backlight. Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The\n\nThe best Kindle Paperwhite (2021) deals\n\nAmazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is its 11th-gen model, which comes with USB-C support, longer battery life, and a larger 6.8-inch display. The e-reader launched more than two years ago, and it often receives steep discounts at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, particularly around Black Friday and throughout the holiday season. You can still occasionally pick up the last-gen model from 2018 at a discount.\n\nAmazon has also rolled out a Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition for $169.99, which comes bundled with a kid-friendly cover, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a year of Amazon Kids Plus, much like the aforementioned Kindle Kids. All 2021 models are also similar to the 2018 model in that they feature a waterproof design and Audible audiobook support.\n\nLastly, if you’re looking for the Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition, Amazon and Best Buy are both selling the kid-friendly ebook reader for $144.99 ($25 off), which is a relatively minor discount but likely the only one we’ll see before the holiday.\n\nPhoto by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nThe best Kindle Oasis (2019) deals\n\nThe Kindle Oasis is the most expensive of the lineup, starting at $249.99. The device comes in two storage configurations, 8GB or 32GB, and like the other models, you can get it with or without ads on the lock screen.\n\nThe 2019 Kindle Oasis looks very similar to the previous model. It retains its waterproof 7-inch 300ppi E Ink display and supports Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth. However, unlike previous models, it can adjust the color temperature to a yellow-toned display, making it easier to read at night.\n\nIn the past, we’ve seen the 8GB Kindle Oasis drop to as low as $174.99, which remains the lowest price to date for the standalone configuration. Sadly, however, the ad-supported Oasis is only retailing at Amazon right now starting at $249.99.\n\nKindle Oasis Essentials Bundle (2019) $ 280 $ 310 10 % off $ 280 $ 280 $ 310 10 % off Amazon’s latest Essentials Bundle packages the most recent Kindle Oasis with a power adapter and your choice of either a fabric or leather cover. $280 at Amazon (8GB)\n\nAs for bundles, the 8GB Kindle Oasis is currently on sale in its ad-supported configuration at Amazon with a power adapter and either a fabric cover for $279.97 ($30 off) or a leather cover for $289.97 ($30 off).\n\nImage: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge\n\nThe best Kindle Scribe deals\n\nThe ad-free Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s biggest e-reader to date — one that also represents a departure from past Kindle models. It packs a 10.2-inch display with 300 dpi, along with the same great battery life for which Kindles have become known. What separates the Scribe from other models, however, is that it comes with one of two styli, which can be used to annotate books, doodle, or jot down notes. We found the e-reader’s note-taking capabilities lacking in our testing, but Amazon has already started to improve the software via free OTA software updates, helping bring it up to speed with other E Ink competitors.\n\nAs for the model with the Premium Pen, which offers a shortcut button and a built-in eraser, it’s on sale in the 16GB configuration at Amazon starting at $294.99 ($75 off). You can also pick up the 16GB model with a Premium Pen, a folio cover, and a power adapter starting at $334.97 ($115 off).\n\nKindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $ 310 $ 420 26 % off $ 310 $ 310 $ 420 26 % off Amazon’s base Essentials Bundle comes with a 16GB Kindle Scribe, a Basic Pen stylus, a power adapter, and one of three fabric folio covers. $310 at Amazon", + "In June of 2021, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody sat on a stage on the Chase Center court, with then-GM Bob Myers to their left, as the Warriors introduced their newest first-round draft picks.\n\n“We’re excited,” Myers said. “I talk about the character first because that’s what’s going to make that A-grade stick or not. It’s gonna be on what they do from here on out, not what they've done so far.”\n\nIt’s true that the Warriors received glowing grades from draft analysts following their selections of Kuminga, out of the G-League Ignite program, at No. 7, and Arkansas’ Moody at No. 14. Unfortunately for them, that A-grade has not stuck.\n\nFast-forward more than two years and both players are struggling to make the sort of impact the Warriors had hoped when they flaunted their two-timeline plan. Kuminga, though he’s had flashes and is only 21, is almost as raw as he was as an 18-year-old. He plays nearly 20 minutes per game for a thin Warriors team, but his shooting percentages (43.8% overall, 19.4% on 3s) have dipped to career lows. Moody has been the more stable of the two. He’s a reliable catch-and-shoot threat (38.2% shooting from 3) and earnest defender but doesn’t do much outside the limits of his job description.\n\nThe Warriors are 8-10 following Tuesday’s disastrous collapse to the Kings in Sacramento. Leading by five with 58 seconds to go and a spot in the next round of the In-Season Tournament on the line, Andrew Wiggins fouled De’Aaron Fox, Stephen Curry passed the ball straight to Malik Monk on his own side of the court, Draymond Green threw the ball out of bounds and Monk scored five points in the final 37 seconds to send the Warriors back to San Francisco forced to ask some tough questions.\n\nOn the floor for these minutes were Curry, Klay Thompson, Green, Wiggins and Kevon Looney. Four of the five were drafted by the Warriors. Steph, Klay and Draymond are the bedrock of four championship teams and perhaps the NBA’s greatest dynasty this century.\n\nBut a franchise built through the draft has had very little success selecting players over the past decade.\n\nIf the Warriors seem old, it’s because they are. Curry (35) can still play at an MVP level, but Green (33) and Thompson (33) are not the players they were during Golden State’s run to five straight Finals.\n\nGreen (when he isn’t suspended) can still uncork vintage defensive performances, but his offensive game has not aged well as the league trends toward more shooting. The typically affable Thompson, having suffered two major leg injuries since 2019, is bristling at questions about the starting lineup. The Warriors’ starting five – a dominant unit over the last decade – is being outscored by an alarming 10.6 points every 100 possessions this season.\n\nThe Warriors have had a hard time reinventing themselves. The two-timeline approach was supposed to infuse the team with youth and athleticism. Instead, Kuminga and Moody can’t crack the rotation some nights, and 2020’s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman now plays in Detroit.\n\nIf anything, the Warriors got older. Over the last nine months, they traded 24-year-old Jordan Poole to the Wizards in a deal that netted 38-year-old Chris Paul, unloaded Wiseman to bring back 30-year-old Gary Payton II and signed 29-year-old Dario Saric to help anchor the second unit. Behind the Bucks and Clippers, the Warriors are the league’s third-oldest team.\n\nIt’s easy to point to the 2020 and 2021 drafts as the problem. The Warriors – during a two-year, injury-riddled drought that separated Finals runs – in 2021 selected Kuminga one pick ahead of Franz Wagner and Moody over Alperen Sengun and Trey Murphy III. The year before, they drafted Wiseman over LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton.\n\n(At the risk of saying I told you so, a certain Warriors beat reporter at the time argued for the better picks here and here. There was something to be said of drafting the more NBA-ready players, even at the risk of missing out on Wiseman’s and Kuminga’s ceilings.)\n\nBut Golden State’s original sins run deeper than that. Here’s a look at their recent draft history.\n\nLooney, picked in 2015 (when “Uptown Funk” and “Trap Queen” were topping music charts) is the only indisputable success. Beyond that, Poole is the only other draft pick to have signed another contract with the Warriors beyond his rookie deal.\n\nPoole, at 28, helped power the Warriors to the 2022 championship but was in equal amounts part of the problem the next season. (And based on his season in Washington, his 2022 playoff run is looking more and more like an outlier.)\n\nFour draft picks are now on other teams: Patrick Baldwin, Wiseman, Poole and Damian Jones; and four are no longer in the league: Nico Mannion, Justinian Jessup, Eric Paschall, Jacob Evans.\n\nJune’s 19th overall pick Brandin Podziemski seems like a base hit right now, but it’s been a month. Do I need to remind you of the brief flashes we saw from Paschall?\n\nTo be fair, it’s hard to nail the draft when you’re always selecting at 28 and 30. But using three lottery picks and coming away with maybe one fringe rotation player would doom any franchise that doesn’t have Steph Curry.\n\nFor years, these picks and players have been a luxury for the Warriors, but the age problem is coming to a head. Thompson will be a free agent in seven months, Paul’s contract for next season is not guaranteed and Green’s new contract, though a bargain now, might not look as great when he’s 37 years old.\n\nMaximizing what’s left of Curry’s championship window will prompt some tough decisions. The Warriors might have to cut bait on the two remaining lottery picks who shared a stage two years ago, Kuminga and Moody. Either one could have value as a “second draft” candidate for a younger team. For instance, Kuminga’s $6 million salary can be added to Payton to build $14.7 million in outgoing salary. Moody’s $3.9 million is some sugar to sweeten a deal for any of Golden State’s higher-priced players.\n\nAvailable big names like Zach LaVine might not make a ton of sense given his age and contract, but everything from All-Star acquisitions to trading for helpful role players should be on the table. If the Warriors decide to reorient the roster around Curry between now and February’s trade deadline, new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. would be tasked with rebuilding a jet mid-flight.\n\nWhether it’s before the trade deadline or next summer, it feels like something is bound to change in Golden State. The draft picks haven’t panned out and Curry’s supporting cast is showing its age, but finding solutions in the middle is easier said than done.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the Sunday Life October 8 edition. See all 13 stories . Nine years ago, Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald were both 20 and working entry-level jobs in Melbourne at women’s media company Mamamia. Covering late shifts, often on weekends, they’d regularly share an Uber home. A friendship soon grew out of their shared love of pop culture. “We’d be watching the same TV shows and listening to the same podcasts,” says Andrews, now 29. Their back-seat chats eventually led to an idea: Shameless – “a pop culture podcast for smart people who love dumb stuff”. The story of how they came to leave Mamamia – after having their idea rejected at the final hour – has been told many times. But these days, it’s not a moment they think of often, unless they’re asked about it in an interview. “It ended up being amazing for us that they didn’t want the show,” says Andrews. Fast-forward to today, and the women are now well known as the “Shameless girls” – co-founders of Shameless Media, a company built out of their passion for smart conversations about pop culture. “We feel so far removed from that time,” adds McDonald, 29, reflecting on their start. Since launching Shameless Media – the home of not just Shameless but also the Everybody Has a Secret, Shameless Book Club and Love etc. podcasts – in 2019, the company has gone from strength to strength. Today, it has 1.1 million followers across social media, plus 1 million unique listeners and 2½ million podcast downloads a month. Michelle Andrews (left) wears Venroy linen knitted cross back dress, $200. Zara McDonald (right) wears Venroy draped jersey top, $160, Venroy draped jersey skirt, $200. Both wear Converse shoes, $130, from Hype DC. Credit: Hugh Stewart For the first 10 months, Shameless was a weekend project, the podcast researched and recorded around the pair’s other jobs. In those early days, McDonald and Andrews were self-funded, buying their own podcasting equipment and spending just $70 to print advertising flyers. Even now, McDonald and Andrews have never taken on any outside investment. Profitable from day one, Shameless Media now has 11 staff.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOn the Sunday Life photo shoot in Sydney, the two friends’ support for each other is as obvious as it is genuine. Together, they discuss outfit choices and every comment from either woman about not being able to make a particular item of clothing work is enthusiastically refuted by the other. The respect they have for each other is clear, and it’s why they work so well together. Since launching Shameless, their lives have been entwined. Since meeting, they have been through break-ups, engagements and now weddings. When Andrews tied the knot with her long-term partner Mitchell Rees last December, McDonald was a bridesmaid. Now, McDonald is planning her own wedding, to partner Oliver Keogh, which will take place next year. Years ago, when discussing when, or even if, they each wanted to have kids, it was a conversation they knew they needed to have not just as friends but as business partners. “How do we do this and have a family if the whole business is relying on us showing up together at the same time?” Zara McDonald “I hate that we had to do this, but it was like, how do we have kids?” says McDonald. “How do we do this and have a family if the whole business is relying on us showing up together at the same time?”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe only way to ensure it wouldn’t be an issue was to create a contingency plan. In their case, that plan involved expanding Shameless Media by growing the team and up-skilling junior employees. While neither Andrews nor McDonald sees kids in her near future, they found it reassuring to work towards a solution. Regardless of the topic of conversation, whether it be personal or work-focused, the two try to be completely honest with each other. “We realised with every honest conversation we had, our relationship was so much better – it was far more intimate,” says McDonald. The relationship McDonald and Andrews have with Shameless listeners is also based on trust. Their podcast episodes are meticulously well-researched, book recommendations are solid and the advice given via their Ask Shameless newsletter aims to always hit the mark. Michelle Andrews wears Friends With Frank “Marlowe” blazer, $549, and “Sabine” trousers, $399. Veja shoes, $240, from Hype DC. Credit: Hugh Stewart In many ways, the relationship between Shameless Media and its audience is much like that between the friends. It began with a shared interest in celebrity gossip and TV shows, before moving into more personal recommendations of books and podcasts, until eventually reaching the stage where life’s most personal questions can be asked and answered. Ask Shameless, which lands in more than 64,000 subscriber inboxes each Friday, answers reader questions about work, dating, friendship and more. The best of these advice columns have been published in a new book, 4am: Answers to the conundrums that keep you up at night. Andrews and McDonald’s second book feels markedly different to their first, The Space Between. Published in 2020, it looked to explore the complications of life in one’s 20s.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We wrote it when we were so young,” reflects Andrews. “We truly had internalised this belief that for our words to be worthy of attention, they had to mine the deepest, darkest events that have ever happened to us.” This feeling is one Andrews has spoken about before, referring to an essay she wrote for the book which included details of her sexual assault. “I wish I’d just saved that for myself,” she says, adding that while she wouldn’t take back the essay, she would take back some of the details. Zara McDonald wears Luuda shirt, $390, and shorts, $290. Converse shoes, $130, from Hype DC. Credit: Hugh Stewart Says McDonald, “If I was to psychoanalyse us, I’d say we felt guilty for having that platform that young.” But that imposter syndrome is nowhere to be seen in 4am, in which Andrews and McDonald are happy to take their rightful place as agony aunts to young Australian women. In it, readers trust Andrews, McDonald and other Shameless columnists with their quandaries on everything from infidelity to sibling rivalry. The book comes at a time when many young women have trust issues. TikTok is serving eating-disorder content to those already struggling, influencers and celebrities post undisclosed advertisements, and algorithms work to push everything from egg-freezing to injectables. Everywhere young women look, someone is making money off them. Zara McDonald (left) wears Venroy mini dress, $200. Michelle Andrews (right) wears Venroy shirt, $280, and pants, $280. Credit: Hugh Stewart\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOnly five per cent of the letters submitted to the Ask Shameless inbox are published. But after reading hundreds of requests for advice in the past three years, Andrews and McDonald are in touch with the most prevalent issues plaguing women today. One of those, says Andrews, is that “a lot of young women do not receive the basic level of affection, attention or love from their male partners”. While there are questions the pair don’t feel qualified to answer yet – such as when to have kids – there’s also a kind of magic in the fact that Shameless listeners have access to McDonald and Andrews while they’re still in the thick of these struggles themselves. Loading Building a brand on trust is both a big achievement and a risk. How worried are they about getting it wrong? Turns out, not very. Andrews and McDonald know what good advice looks like, and how to give it. “I think the best advice is often not a statement – it’s a question,” says Andrews. “It’s listening to what someone’s dilemma is, then posing a question that helps them re-frame.” As two women who are constantly being asked for advice, what are the questions they ask themselves? “What’s the next thing?” says Andrews, without hesitation. “I’m constantly wondering, what’s the next show that isn’t out there.”\n\nAdvertisement", + "Surprise! Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it. It might not look like a big change from the outside, but the Steam Deck OLED is a thorough mid-cycle refresh of a machine that’s not even two years old. At the same time, Valve is also adjusting the configuration of its entry-level model, making it a far more compelling option. Apologies to anyone who literally bought a Steam Deck yesterday.\n\nAt an event held for press prior to the device's launch, Greg Coomer, a product designer at Valve, called the new model \"the definitive version of the Steam Deck.\" He explained that the device contains many things the company wanted to include at the LCD model's launch but wasn't able to, along with some additions based on community feedback.\n\nAs its name suggests, the most noticeable upgrade to the Steam Deck OLED is the display. The original Steam Deck had a 7-inch 800p LCD running at 60Hz. The new model squeezes a 7.4-inch OLED screen into the same space, significantly shrinking the bezels around the display. The new panel runs at the same resolution, but with a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. It’s also HDR, covering 110 percent of the P3 color space with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits — the old model maxed out at around 400 nits. Like all OLED screens, it has pure blacks and near-instantaneous response times. As before, anti-glare etched glass is available, but only on the premium model.\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED has a die-shrunk version of the same custom APU found in the original Steam Deck. The new APU is produced on a 6nm process, rather than the older 7nm process. Manufacturers typically use die-shrinks to either improve performance or efficiency, and Valve has chosen the latter. The max frequency of both the GPU and CPU are identical between the LCD and OLED models, so for developers tuning their games for Steam Decks, they only have a single performance target.\n\nIn concert with the more-efficient processor, there’s also a 25 percent larger battery with a 50Whr capacity, compared to the original’s 40Whr. According to Valve, these changes combined result in a 30-50 percent increase in longevity between the two generations — the official battery life claim is \"three to 12 hours.\" In our review, we measured a playtime increase of 62 percent when playing Hades on the OLED model versus our 18-month-old original. (Batteries degrade over time, which explains why our gains were more pronounced.)\n\nThe new internals make the Steam Deck OLED marginally lighter, and also cooler to the touch when playing games, aided by a slightly larger fan. Other improvements include support for both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, together with a new antenna array that will give a better experience when using both at the same time. There’s also a reworked power supply (it has a logo now!) with a longer 2.5m cable that will charge the OLED model from 20 to 80 percent in “as little as 45 minutes.” The thumbsticks have also been made 1mm taller, and the touch pads' haptics are slightly sharper.\n\nValve\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED starts at $549, and will replace all but the entry-level model in the range. The immediate reality is a bit of a mess and a little complicated, but this, Valve says, will be the Steam Deck line-up moving forward:\n\n256GB Steam Deck LCD ($399)\n\n512GB Steam Deck OLED ($549)\n\n1TB Steam Deck OLED ($649)\n\nAs a result of the changes, the 64GB LCD Steam Deck (previously sold at $399) will drop to $349, and the 512GB LCD (previously $649) will drop to $499. Once Valve sells through its inventory of both, those lines will be discontinued. Valve says it will continue to support all LCD models with software updates.\n\nSo, the long-term lineup starts at the same $399 price, which gets you the old LCD Steam Deck, but with 256GB of storage instead of 64GB. The new step-up model costs $20 more at $549, but comes with an OLED display and the improvements outlined above, plus double the storage. The range still tops out at $649, but you’re getting a lot more for your money: All of the hardware improvements, 1TB of storage instead of 512GB and an improved carry case that can pop out into a slimmer shell that’s smaller and easier to fit in a bag. As mentioned, it also has the same anti-glare etched glass as the outgoing 512GB LCD model.\n\nFinally, there’s also a Limited Edition version of the 1TB model, with a translucent shell and a customized carry case, which will be sold at $679. We imagine stocks will not last very long, as it looks pretty rad:\n\nValve\n\nWhile there are no concrete updates on future hardware developments, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais noted that, so long as interest in handheld gaming remains high, the company has \"plans for successive generations of handhelds.\" For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.\n\nWhen asked about the potential for future hardware — like a return of the Steam Machine or an updated Steam Controller — there were no firm updates, but there does seem to be something happening. Griffais agreed that enabling the Steam Deck to work as a hybrid living room console was a \"side goal\" of the team, and noted that everything Valve does to improve SteamOS will benefit other devices. Coomer added that Valve is still working internally on \"a bunch of controllers and prototypes.\" If SteamOS is being used on larger displays, the team would want to augment that experience with better input options. \"We don't have any announcements on that front, but it's why we're building prototypes and thinking about the future there,\" Coomer said.\n\nThe Steam Deck OLED will be available to order on November 16th at 1PM ET. Valve expects units to begin shipping as soon as orders start to roll in. The updated pricing on the existing LCD models is already in effect.", + "The political deal clinched by European Union lawmakers late Friday over what the bloc is billing as world’s first comprehensive law for regulating artificial intelligence includes powers for the Commission to adapt the pan-EU AI rulebook to keep pace with developments in the cutting edge field, it has confirmed.\n\nLawmakers’ choice of term for regulating the most powerful models behind the current boom in generative AI tools — which the EU Act refers to as “general purpose” AI models and systems, rather than using industry terms of choice, like “foundational” or “frontier” models — was also selected with an eye on futureproofing the incoming law, per the Commission, with co-legislators favoring a generic term to avoid a classification that could be chained to use of a specific technology (i.e. transformer based machine learning).\n\n“In the future, we may have different technical approaches. And so we were looking for a more generic term,” a Commission official suggested today. “Foundation models, of course, are part of the general purpose AI models. These are models that can be used for a very large variety of tasks, they can also be integrated in systems. To give you a concrete example, the general purpose AI model would be GPT-4 and the general purpose AI system would be ChatGPT — where GPT-4 is integrated in ChatGPT.”\n\nAs we reported earlier, the deal agreed by the bloc’s co-legislators includes a low risk tier and a high risk tier for regulating so-called general purpose AIs (GPAIs) — such as models behind the viral boom in generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The trigger for high risk rules to apply on generative AI technologies is determined by an initial threshold set out in the law.\n\nAlso as we reported Thursday, the agreed draft of the EU AI Act references the amount of compute used to train the models, aka floating point operations (or FLOPs) — setting the bar for a GPAI to be considered to have “high impact capabilities” at 10^25 FLOPs.\n\nBut during a technical briefing with journalists today to review the political deal the Commission confirmed this is just an “initial threshold”, affirming it will have powers to update the threshold over time via implementing/delegating acts (i.e. secondary legislation). It also said the idea is for the FLOPs threshold to be combined, over time, with “other benchmarks” that will be developed by a new expert oversight body to be set up within the Commission, called the AI Office.\n\nWhy was 25 FLOPs selected as the high risk threshold for GPAIs? The Commission suggests the figure was picked with the intention of capturing current gen frontier models. However it claimed lawmakers did not discuss nor even considered whether it would apply to any models currently in play, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s Gemini, during the marathon trilogues to agree the final shape of the rulebook.\n\nA Commission official added that it will, in any case, be up to makers of GPAIs to self assess whether their models meet the FLOPs threshold and, therefore, whether they fall under the rules for GPAIs “with systemic risk” or not.\n\n“There are no official sources that will say ChatGPT or Gemini or Chinese models are at this level of FLOPs,” the official said during the press briefing. “On the basis of the information we have and with this 10^25 that we have chosen we have chosen a number that could really capture, a little bit, the frontier models that we have. Whether this is capturing GPT-4 or Gemini or others we are not here now to assert — because also, in our framework, it is the companies that would have to come and self assess what the amount of FLOPs or the computing capacity they have used. But, of course, if you read the scientific literature, many will point to these numbers as being very much the most advanced models at the moment. We will see what the companies will assess because they’re the best placed to make this assessment.”\n\n“The rules have not been written keeping in mind certain companies,” they added. “They’ve really been written with the idea of defining the threshold — which, by the way, may change because we have the possibility to be empowered to change this threshold on the basis of technological evolution. It could go up, it could go down and we could also develop other benchmarks that in the future will be the more appropriate to benchmark the different moments.”\n\nGPAIs that fall in the AI Act’s high risk tier will face ex ante-style regulatory requirements to assess and mitigate systemic risks — meaning they must proactively test model outputs to shrink risks of actual (or “reasonably foreseeable”) negative effects on public health, safety, public security, fundamental rights, or for society as a whole.\n\nWhile “low tier” GPAIs will only face lighter transparency requirements, including obligations to apply watermarking to generative AI outputs.\n\nThe watermarking requirement for GPAIs falls in an article that was in the original Commission version of the risk-based framework, presented all the way back in April 2021, which focused on transparency requirements for technologies such as AI chatbots and deepfakes — but which will now also apply generally to general purpose AI systems.\n\n“There is an obligation to try to watermark [generative AI-produced] text on the basis of the latest state of the art technology that is available,” the Commission official said, fleshing out details of the agreed watermarking obligations. “At the moment, technologies are much better at watermarking videos and audio than watermarking text. But what we ask is the fact that this watermarking takes place on the basis of state of the art technology — and then we expect, of course, that over time the technology will mature and will be as [good] as possible.”\n\nGPAI model makers must also commit to respecting EU copyright rules, including complying with an existing machine readable opt-out from text and data mining contained in the EU Copyright Directive — and a carve-out of the Act’s transparency requirements for open source GPAIs does not extend to cutting them loose from the copyright obligations, with the Commission confirming the Copyright Directive will still apply on open source GPAIs.\n\nAs regards the AI Office, which will play a key role in setting risk classification thresholds for GPAIs, the Commission confirmed there’s no budget nor headcount defined for the expert body as yet. (Although, in the small hours of Saturday morning the bloc’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, suggested the EU is set to welcome “a lot” of new colleagues as it tools up this general purpose AI oversight body.)\n\nAsked about resourcing for the AI Office, a Commission official said it will be decided in the future by the EU’s executive taking “an appropriate and official decision”. “The idea is that we can create a dedicated budget line for the Office and that we will be able also to recruit the national experts from Member States if we wish to on top of contractual agents and on top of permanent staff. And some of these staff will also be deployed within the European Commission,” they added.\n\nThe AI Office will work in conjunction with a new scientific advisory panel the law will also establish to aid the body to better understand the capabilities of advanced AI models for the purpose of regulating systemic risk. “We have identified an important role for a scientific panel to be set up where the scientific panel can effectively help the Artificial Intelligence Office in understanding whether there are new risks that have not been yet identified,” the official noted. “And, for example, also flag some alerts about the models that are not captured by the FLOP threshold that for certain reasons could actually give rise to important risks that governments should should look at.”\n\nWhile the EU’s executive seems keen to ensure key details of the incoming law are put out there in spite of there being no final text yet — because work to consolidate what was agreed by co-legislators during the marathon 38 hour talks that ended on Friday night is the next task facing the bloc over the coming weeks — there could still be some devils lurking in that detail. So it will be worth scrutinizing the text that emerges, likely in January or February.\n\nAdditionally, while the full regulation won’t be up and running for a few years the EU will be pushing for GPAIs to abide by codes of practice in the meanwhile — so AI giants will be under pressure to stick as close to the hard regulations coming down the pipe as possible, via the bloc’s AI Pact.\n\nThe EU AI Act itself likely won’t be in full force until some time in 2026 — given the final text must, once compiled (and translated into Member States’ languages), be affirmed by final votes in the parliament and Council, after which there’s a short period before the text of the law is published in the EU’s Official Journal and another before it comes into force.\n\nEU lawmakers have also agreed a phased approach to the Act’s compliance demands, with 24 months allowed before the high risk rules will apply for GPAIs.\n\nThe list of strictly prohibited use-cases of AI will apply sooner, just six months after the law enters into force — which could, potentially, mean bans on certain “unacceptable risk” uses of AI, such as social scoring or Clearview AI-style selfie scraping for facial recognition databases, will get up and running in the second half of 2024, assuming no last minute opposition to the regulation springs up within the Council or Parliament. (For the full list of banned AI uses, read our earlier post.)", + "This thing is a beast — in pretty much every sense. It’s a big, heavy, powerful system, with a bright display, massive battery life and impressive power under the hood. After opening the box, I immediately ported all the contents over from the 15-inch Air I’ve been using daily for several months now, but still, the 16-inch MacBook Pro feels like a different species.\n\nEach has their place. I’m hopping on another cross-country flight tomorrow, and I’m planning to leave the 16-inch Pro at home. This is due partially to an ongoing back injury, but frankly, for as good as the Pro’s battery life is (very good, for the record), the Air is a much better travel companion. It’s thin, it’s light, it has more than enough processing power for 95% of the things 95% of people need, and it won’t wrestle you for the arm rest.\n\nI’ve begun thinking of the 16-inch MacBook Pro as something more along the lines of a portable desktop. That is to say that the M3 Max is plenty powerful for even most professional uses. The chip also affords the laptop the ability to power up to four external displays, making it a fine workstation option for many. When it’s time to take your work home (assuming you don’t live in France), you can pop it in your bag and take it with you. I would recommend against taking your work (and large laptop) home with you every night, but you do you.\n\nhttps://techcrunch.com/2023/11/06/apple-imac-m3-review/\n\nThe new MacBook Pro, which goes on sale this week, was announced at last week’s Scary Fast event, alongside a new iMac and — of course — several members of the M3 line. That latter bit marked a big departure for the company, following rumors that Apple had planned the initial M3 launch for WWDC. The supply chain ultimately thought different(ly). What announcing the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max at once affords the company, however, is options — though less so for the M3-only iMac.\n\nBetween the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, you’ve got all three configurations covered. Presumably an M3 Ultra is also on the way in the not-too-distant future, but will almost certainly be confined to desktops like the Mac Studio, and Mac Pro, owing to the limitations of system architectures. Apple also recently shot down rumors surrounding a 27-inch iMac. The 14-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with any of the three new chips, while the 16-inch is limited to just the Pro and Max.\n\nApple sent us the 16-inch with the M3 Max. The company, understandably, likes to put its best foot forward with this stuff (so yes, it’s also the Space Black model). The Max comes in both 14-core CPU/30-core GPU and 16-core CPU/40-core GPU flavors. Again, the one I am typing this on falls into the latter camp. That also means 48GB of memory and 1TB of storage by default. It’s a $4,000 computer, as configured. If you want to bump the memory and storage up to 128GB and 8TB, respectively, it comes to $7,200. That’s a pretty hefty increase from the base level 14- and 16-inch models, which run $1,600 and $2,500 to start.\n\nApple lowered the barrier of entry for the lowest end model, but — as ever — upgrades start to add up quickly. We’re talking about a real investment here for you — or better yet, your company. It’s certainly a system that’s likely to last you a while. It’s true that Apple is currently on a one-year upgrade cycle for it first-party M-series chips, but it’s genuinely tough to imagine and advanced as pronounced as the one it made from Intel to in-house silicon happening any time soon. There’s no such thing as a future-proofed laptop, so the best you can hope for is one that will give you good mileage. That certainly applies here.\n\nAlong with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades. That means finally updating the camera, building a better keyboard (the class action settlement probably tipped the scales as well) and ditching the well-meaning but ultimately ineffectual Touch Bar altogether. In fact, it shouldn’t go unremarked upon that the arrival of the new 14-inch signaled the merciful end to that particular technology, as the last Touch Bar Mac — the 13-inch Pro — was replaced by the new 14-inch model.\n\nDesign\n\nI would say, more than anything, the thing I miss moving from the MacBook Pro to the Air is the ports. True story: At last year’s CES, I had to locate an Apple Store in the Venetian because my external SD reader failed (I won’t say which TechCrunch staff member laughed at me in that predicament, but they know who they are). I understand that an SD reader is kind of a niche need in these days of everyone shooting everything on their, so I can at least understand Apple’s justification for keeping it to the Pro system (the new iMac doesn’t have one, either).\n\nPorts are a different story. More ports is better. It’s simple math. People can’t get enough of the things. The Pro has three Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports to the Air’s two. Also, for some reason, all of the ports (save for the headphone jack) are all on the same side with the Air. Things can get crowded fast. Both systems have the latest MagSafe connector — though I’d like to point out that despite being a bespoke charger, you’re able to top the laptops up faster via Thunderbolt. The other important addition on the Pro side is an HDMI port, which is key for the aforementioned external display support.\n\nFrom an industrial design perspective, not much has changed here from the 2021 model. Apple settled into a look it likes, balancing rounded edges with a flat, almost boxy design that isn’t dissimilar from the iPhone in that respect. On top is the familiar reflective Apple logo, while “MacBook Pro” is etched into the bottom. Around that, you’ll see a series of small screws that signal the company’s newfound push into repairability spurred on by the broader call for right to repair legislation. There is also a heat vent on either side.\n\nThe Pros are a good bit thicker than the Air. The 14- and 16-inch are 0.61 and 0.66 inches tall, respectively, versus the 15-inch Air’s 0.45 inches. This is due, in no small part to the Pros’ inclusion of a fan and airflow system. You’re unlikely to trigger the fan during most everyday operations, but more complex tasks like 3D rendering require a lot of compute power, so it’s there when you need it. Meanwhile, the 14-inch Pro (3.4 pounds) weighs just a hair more than the 15-inch Air (3.3 pounds). At 4.7/4.8 pounds (for the M3 Pro and Max), there’s a pronounced increase with the 16-inch Pro.\n\nApple fans love a new color. In the case of the MacBook line, it could be attributable to the fact that there’s little variation in the laptops’ aluminum design. The last few generations have traded almost exclusively in space gray and silver (dark and light gray, essentially). The new Airs opened this up a bit, however, with the addition of starlight (a subtle light-gold) and midnight (a much darker gray). The space black is a nice addition. It gives off a nice glow when the light hits it. The biggest thing here, however, is the fingerprint factor. The Airs I’ve tested were silver and starlight, so I can’t really speak to this directly, but the midnight Air is a notorious fingerprint magnet. There are pages and pages of conversations about it on Reddit, including “tips” for a fingerprint-free midnight Mac. Have you tried typing in gloves? Not easy.\n\nApple describes the new color in the most Apple way possible, “The finish features a breakthrough chemistry that forms an anodization seal to greatly reduce fingerprints.” The company hasn’t perfected the wholly fingerprint-proof surface, but the new finish does an excellent job keeping things to a minimum.\n\nCamera\n\nBoth new Pro models are built around Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR display. The 14-inch sports 3024 x 1964 pixels to the 16’s 3456 x 2234 pixels — both come out to a pixel density of 254 ppi. The 15-inch Air, meanwhile, has a 224 ppi density. The 16-inch system’s display is largely unchanged from the 2021 model. It has a 1000 nit sustained brightness and 1600 nit peak with HDR (high dynamic range) content. For SDR (standard dynamic range) content, however, brightness has been bumped up from a 500 to 600 nits max.\n\nBack in April 2021, the company finally started bumping its webcams from 720p to 1080p. It was a long-awaited refresh for a company that puts so much emphasis on its mobile imaging. The new hardware was coupled with improvements brought on by the M1’s on-board digital signal processing. While the camera hardware has remained the same since, updates to the chips have further tweaked picture quality. As it stands now, the webcam is totally fine, and the addition of portrait and studio lighting modes further improve its. Portrait mode does still have some trouble with edges. I wear over-ear headphones while podcasting, and it hasn’t quit figured out what to do with the gap between the band and my head.\n\nFrankly, however, Apple’s biggest enemy here is itself. Continuity Camera is a game changer for many. The system lets a mounted iPhone take over webcam duties, and there’s really no comparing the two. I never go on a trip without the Belkin MagSafe camera mount.\n\nThe on-board speaker and microphone systems, meanwhile, remain mostly unchanged from the 2021 M1 Pro. There are six speakers, with two large grilles on either side of the keyboard. The system supports both Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. It’s not an exceptional speaker system, but it gets the job done. The Pro also has a three-mic array with directional beamforming.\n\nM3 Max\n\nThe M3 line is the first of Apple’s desktop chips to be created using the 3nm process, following the iPhone 15 Pro’s lead. Apple has employed the 5nm process since the 2020’s M1 introduction. The new process brings performance gains with less power consumption, and the Mac is the first PC line to employ the technology.\n\nGaming continues to be an important narrative for Apple’s silicon journey, and it was very much at the heart of last week’s M3 announcements. GPU updates were the centerpiece of the news for several reasons. One is a feature the company calls Dynamic Caching. Apple writes,\n\nWith Dynamic Caching, only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task. This is an industry first, transparent to developers, and the cornerstone of the new GPU architecture. It dramatically increases the average utilization of the GPU, which significantly increases performance for the most demanding pro apps and games.\n\nMore simply put, the idea is allocating just the right amount of local memory to a given task. It’s something Apple has been working on for a while. The other two additions should be more familiar for anyone who’s spent time behind a game controller. The first is ray tracing, a feature designed to bring added realism to the gaming experience, though more accurate depictions of lighting and reflections.\n\nThat feature is now hardware-accelerated, along with mesh shading. The triangle computer shader makes processing complex geometrical images more efficient. That, in turn, allows for higher-quality graphics and more scene detail.\n\nThe results are impressive. I’ve been spending a bit of time with the Soulslike title, Lies of P. It’s basically Pinocchio with more swords. It’s of a small – but increasing – number of day-and-date releases for macOS. A couple of years ago, it would have been inconceivable for the operating system to get the game the same day as PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows. That said, the macOS gaming library still has a long way to go.\n\nIndeed, the gameplay was smooth and detailed – something that also would have seemed impossible not all that long ago. Sony’s PS5 DualShock controller connects seamlessly and makes for a fun portable gaming experience.\n\nOne thing I noticed during last week’s presentation is that Apple is leaning less heavily on Intel comparisons. There were still a few during the event, but four-year-old non-proprietary chips are no longer the main point of comparison. Enough time and upgrades have elapsed since the M1 arrived. In fact, this Friday marks three years since it was announced. Apple again,\n\nRendering speeds are now up to 2.5x faster than on the M1 family of chips. The CPU performance cores and efficiency cores are 30 percent and 50 percent faster than those in M1, respectively, and the Neural Engine is 60 percent faster than the Neural Engine in the M1 family of chips.\n\nIt’s worth pointing out here that Apple’s chip numbering system isn’t as straight forward as it seems at first blush. For instance, while the M3 represents an advance over the M2, you can still expect to see, say, the M2 Ultra to outperform the M3. Pros, Maxes and Ultras are progressively larger versions of their baseline chip, containing more CPU, GPU and neural engine cores. The Ultra, for example, is for all in intents and purposes, two Maxes stitched together. There are other factors at play as well, like the fact that Mac Studio and Mac Pro do a better job with heat dissipation, while the MacBook Pros are more equipped than the fan-less Airs, which throttle performance more quickly due to heat.\n\nThere are still a handful of ways, however, that even the baseline M3 will outperform the M2 Ultra. Two clear instances are ray tracing and mesh shading, which were previously software-accelerated.\n\nWith Blackmagic Disk Speed, which measures SSD performance, the 16-inch Pro scored 6367 write and 5057 read speeds, vs. the Mac Studio’s 6648/5716. Running Geekbench 6, the system scored 3149 on the single-core test and 21269 multi-core. That’s a nice bump over the M3 iMac’s 3024/11810. In our Mac Studio review, the M2 Ultra got 2819 single and 21507 multi-core. Taking a step back in time to Geekbench 5 (which we’ve been running on M-series systems from the outset), the M3 Max gets a single-core score of 2323 and 23190 on the multi-core. That’s a big performance increase over the M3 iMac’s 2191/10619 and the M2 Max 14-inch Pro‘s 1952/15249.\n\nThe M3 Max powering our Pro sports 16 CPU cores — that’s 12 performance and 4 efficiency — while the GPU packs in a whopping 40 cores. On Cinebench 2024, it scored 142 for single-core and 1693 with the multi-core, compared to the M3 Max’s 138/617. You can see a pattern emerging. The M3 Max outperforms the M3 on everything (no surprise there) and the M2 Ultra on several single-core tests, while often coming within spitting distance with some of the multi-core tests.\n\nWith GeekBench 6 Metal, which tests GPU performance during complex tasks, the M3 Max scored an average of 153273. That’s a nice increase over the M2 Max’s 131883 average, while still getting trounced by the M2 Ultra’s 208584. AMD’s cards still best even the top-performing Apple chips by a good margin, with the Radeon RX 6900XT scoring 242924.\n\nRelative to its own family of chips, the M3 Max is doing impressive things, given that the M2 Ultra tops out at a 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU and 32-core neural engine. The Mac Studio’s large body and airflow system are also much more equipped to dissipate heat, when compared to the MacBook Pro’s compact profile. I will say, however, that I have so far only triggered the fan during benchmarking. The Cinebench test was run with the system in high-power mode, a setting that prioritizes performance over battery life. Low-power mode, naturally, does the inverse, while automatic (the default setting) does its best to split the difference.\n\nAnd Finally\n\nHonestly, though, the battery might be the most exceptional bit here. The first thing I did upon receiving the system (after setup and charging) was a video rundown — far and away the most lengthy part of testing. I looped a single movie (Bill & Ted Face the Music, for the record) in Apple TV, with brightness and volume at their default settings. I kicked it off at 4:45PM on Tuesday, and it ran until 7:30 the following evening. That’s a runtime of 26 hours, 45 minutes. This thing is going to get you through your next flight, no problem.\n\nHowever, if you’re flying a lot and want a MacBook travel companion, I still recommend the 15-inch Air. It continues to be the best MacBook for the vast majority of users. The 14-inch Pro is worth looking at gaming is important — though I’m still a long way off from recommending any Macs are pure gaming machines. The 16-inch is the pick for those who really need to up their professional game, but still need some portability. For pure desktop power, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra is still king — until the M3 Ultra rolls out.\n\nTo state the obvious, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is the most powerful Apple laptop, ever. You’ll still get more performance out of the M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio, but for most intents and purposes, this is the desktop of laptops. It’s big, heavy, expensive and powerful.", + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle. But that doesn't mean there aren't sales you can score while you wait for winter to come. We've rounded up some of the best deals right now on TVs, gaming gear, and other electronics.\n\nSpecial offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.\n\nIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.\n\nTV and Soundbar Deals\n\nSamsung S95C Photograph: Samsung\n\nThe Samsung S95C (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite TVs, thanks to its quantum dot OLED panel, which gives it perfect black levels and a ridiculously bright image. It even comes with an excellent centered pedestal mount that makes it easy to place in your living room.\n\nFor gamers, the LG C3 is our top TV pick. Beyond the usual benefits of LG's OLED panels, like perfect black levels, it has features that are appealing for gaming, including a 120-Hz refresh rate for super smooth gameplay and 9.2 millisecond response time to reduce any input lag during fast-paced games.\n\nOne of the best upgrades you can make to your TV is adding a soundbar to replace the mediocre speakers built into the TV itself. This soundbar from Polk is one of our favorites. It comes with a subwoofer that boosts all those deep, booming notes Christopher Nolan likes so much, and it has several audio presets that can tune the sound based on what type of media you're watching.\n\nKeyboard Deals\n\nNZXT Function Photograph: NZXT\n\nIf you're interested in mechanical keyboards but aren't sure where to start, the NZXT Function (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great jumping-off point. It has a stylish design, and you can configure things like switches and keycaps at the time of purchase. It also comes with tools to modify the keyboard later if you prefer.\n\nIf you like mechanical keyboards that are loud enough to register on remote seismic detectors, the Roccat Vulcan 121 is our pick for you. The switches on this board are illuminated from below and are semi-clear, giving it a bold look to match its staggeringly loud clicky switches (in a good way).\n\nThe Logitech G915 is one of my personal favorite keyboards, in no small part due to Logitech's powerful G Hub software that makes automating tasks for productivity dead simple. It's designed for gamers, but it's also useful if you spend a lot of time with creative tools like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, Blender, Cinema 4D, and other high-end media-production tools.\n\nRoccat Vulcan II Mini Photograph: Best Buy\n\nThis is one of our favorite keyboards, with twice as many LEDs as usual. Specifically, it has two LEDs per switch, giving it cosmetic benefits like smoother color animations and the occasional functional benefit, like the ability to indicate when a mute toggle is enabled.\n\nClick the coupon button to see the discount at checkout. This keyboard is specifically great for fans of the NumPad. It's made of high-quality plastic and has hot-swappable switches, and it comes with satisfying tactile switches. This deal is pretty modest, but this keyboard rarely goes on sale, so it's worth taking a look.\n\nGaming Mice Deals\n\nSteelSeries Prime Wireless Mouse Photograph: SteelSeries\n\nThis mouse is our top pick overall for gaming mice. It's light, comfortable for a wide variety of hand sizes and shapes, and features a couple of extra buttons without becoming cluttered. It is designed with esports professionals in mind, meaning it has nice, clicky buttons, hyper-fast response time, and solid wireless connectivity even around 10 feet away from the receiver.\n\nThis gaming mouse has a comfortable chassis; extra thumb buttons; and, perhaps most importantly, a modest price. Even when it's not on sale, it's one of our more affordable picks, and this deal just makes it even more accessible.\n\nOther Tech Deals\n\nAnker Prime Photograph: Anker\n\nAnker is kicking off its Black Friday sale early with discounts and a buy-one-get-another-50-percent-off promotion. Make sure you use the listed code to snag the discounted price for each product. We generally like most Anker gear, but standouts include the Anker Prime power bank and the Anker Nano Power Bank. Anker's tiny 511 30-watt charger is also excellent.\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds A-Series (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are our top overall earbuds pick. For nearly everyone–even some iPhone users–these check every box. They get up to five hours of battery life (plus an extra 19 hours via recharging in their carrying case), IPX4 water resistance for workouts, and nearly instant pairing with Android devices. This is a solid deal, but they do dip to $59 during major sale events, so it might be worth waiting for Black Friday.\n\nSamsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro Photograph: Samsung\n\nFor Samsung owners, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are one of our top earbud picks. They produce excellent sound quality, with a super comfortable fit and IPX7 water resistance. They don't have the multi-device connectivity that we like on the Pixel Buds A-Series, but if you mainly use your earbuds with a Samsung phone, these are a great fit for you.\n\nA slightly more affordable version of the above, the Galaxy Buds2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are another one of our picks for Android users. They're similar in price to the standard AirPods and get five hours of battery life with active noise canceling turned on and an impressive 7.5 hours with it turned off. They come with a charging case and deliver solid bass via their dual-driver array. This deal is only on the olive green color model.", + "A version of this post first appeared in TechCrunch’s weekly robotics newsletter, Actuator. Subscribe here.\n\nLast week was a busy one for robotics. We had RoboBusiness in the Bay, ROSCon in New Orleans and Amazon’s Delivering the Future event in Seattle. I ended up choosing the latter, as I’d gotten quite a bit out of the 2022 version of the event, held at a fulfillment center outside of Boston.\n\nThis year’s event was two days. The first was held inside the Spheres, the big, glass pair of geodesic domes outside the company’s South Lake Union headquarters. The spaces are actually multifloor functional greenhouses, so it’s a bit of a temperature adjustment coming in from Seattle October weather. That said, it’s pretty great being inside a muggy glass structure in the rain — an opportunity one gets only 150 or so days a year.\n\nAmazon made a number of announcements on the robotics front this year. At the top of the list was a pair of news items revolving around the Prime Air service. Starting this year, customers in College Station, Texas, will be able to get medications from Amazon Pharmacy delivered via drone.\n\nNext year, the service will launch in a third U.S. city, as well as yet-to-be-named spots in the U.K. and Germany. The service had its share of ups and downs over the years (so to speak), including layoffs in 2020 and company-wide job cuts earlier this year. Amazon is, understandably, approaching the project with baby steps. It’s currently limited to one city in Texas and another in California.\n\nAside from difficulties scaling, there’s also a whole bunch of regulation to contend with. Amazon has worked with local and national governing bodies to ensure the same day delivery service complies. In a lot of ways, this is a bit of a brave new world, and there are bound to be some stumbles on the way to a potential future where delivery drones from companies like Amazon and Alphabet’s Wing are a common sight in the skies above our heads.\n\nOne thing Amazon has going for it on the pharmacy front is the fact that it doesn’t trade in narcotics, meaning that opioids won’t be flying over anyone’s heads. Also, the company is going to start rolling out the new MK30 drone, which it claims is significantly quieter than the last model. Again, this is an important thing if we’re planning to have these things buzzing around the skies.\n\nAlso worth pointing out is the arrival of the brand-new first-party system, Sequoia. The company notes:\n\nSequoia allows us to identify and store inventory we receive at our fulfillment centers up to 75% faster than we can today. This means we can list items for sale on Amazon.com more quickly, benefiting both sellers and customers. When orders are placed, Sequoia also reduces the time it takes to process an order through a fulfillment center by up to 25%, which improves our shipping predictability and increases the number of goods we can offer for Same-Day or Next-Day shipping. Obviously this is all a matter of reducing delivery times — also the driving factor in the company’s Prime Air investments. The company has already set next- and same-day delivery expectations in many areas, so one wonders when we arrive at the point where any additional time savings becomes effectively negligible. I suspect if you were to put the question to Amazon, they would say “never.”\n\nI didn’t get to that specific question during my time with Amazon Robotics chief technologist, Tye Brady. Instead, our conversation primarily focused on three important (I think) topics. The first is the company’s pilots with Agility’s Digit systems. I wrote about this a couple of times last week, including a piece titled “Humanoid robots face a major test with Amazon’s Digit pilots” that went up over the weekend.\n\nI do genuinely believe there are going to be a lot of eyes on this thing. It’s not that I think it’s the end of Agility if Amazon opts not to extend a contract. It’s more that if Amazon decides to pursue it further, it’s going to cause a lot more companies to take bipedal/humanoid robots a lot more seriously. I’ve been saying the whole time that I’m holding off on judging the efficacy of humanoids until we see more in the field, and Amazon clearly feels the same way.\n\nThe company operates at such an unfathomable scale (have you visited a regional fulfillment center lately?), that it truly needs to feel absolutely confident before it begins implementing new technologies into its workflows.\n\nAnother noteworthy piece of news is an Amazon, MIT/Ipsos partnership designed to gauge what both workers and consumers think about industrial robots.\n\n“The key to effective teamwork is building a shared understanding of what our partners will do and what they will need to be successful,” says MIT’s Julie Shah. “Our research shows that the best way to optimize human-robot team performance is to develop robots that are active collaborators in helping a human to learn about their capabilities, limitations and behaviors.”\n\nI do think human perception of robots is a question worth asking, but I would love to see a study with such financial and academic resources digging more deeply into questions around short- and long-term displacements.\n\nDuring his presentation, Brady addressed the jobs question accordingly:\n\nWe have more than 750,000 mobile robots in our operations and thousands of other robotic systems that help move, sort, identify and package customer orders. It’s taken us more than 10 years to reach this scale. During that time, Amazon has hired hundreds of thousands of employees to work in our operations. We take a purpose-driven approach to how we design and deploy technology at our facilities and we consistently prioritize using robots to support safety and ease everyday tasks for our employees.\n\nOne other bit before we move on to the interview. At the top of the second day, an Amazon rep noted, “Every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications.” That jumped out at me, for obvious reasons, but as the event pressed on into specifics around drone and robotics plans, the topic largely fell away.\n\nI kicked off my conversation with Tye Brady with a few questions on the subject.\n\nThe subject of generative AI came up earlier in the day, but it was largely absent from the robotics conversations. How is your team thinking about the subject?\n\nI’ll talk about machine learning and then generative AI. I think that Amazon has been at the forefront of machine learning for decades now. As you can imagine, early on with Jeff [Bezos], if you needed to predict where inventory needed to go, one person couldn’t do that. We’ve involved machine learning as part of that, from the get-go. AWS has the Machine Learning Toolkit. Now that involves generative AI, and there’s over 100,000 businesses that are using that toolset today. We’re seeing where it’s going. We have what we call Codewhisperer that will help us in our actual coding of the robotic systems.\n\nReal language?\n\nExactly right. If you’re trying to do this procedure or routine, it suggests you can write your subroutine this way. Cut and paste it. Very straightforward, very easy. It helps with the overall productivity. In robotics, generative AI has a lot of promise. One example that’s in my lab today is that we generate synthetic packages that are virtually indistinguishable from any picture you see. Generative AI will generate scenes, like what the robot would see with the right lighting condition. In simulation, we can pick up those generated packages with real-world contact force, all the way through with the actual perception system that’s in the field. We can even damage a corner in different ways to make sure our detection algorithms are actually working the way they should.\n\nAnother one is grasp affordance. That’s a term we use in order to pick up an object and what’s the orientation and the pose of the end effector that you want in order to grab that object? Generative AI has a lot of possibilities there. As you can imagine, a set of basic primitives, where we then give a generative AI agent all of the options that we can do with our robotic end effectors. Why don’t we stitch those together in a meaningful way?\n\nTo help determine the best method for picking.\n\nExactly. That ultimately helps our designers determine and algorithmically prove that was the best method. The theme here is that generative AI has a lot of promise, particularly in influencing our designers to make a better system.\n\nI was recently speaking with Daniela Rus, and she was excited by the concept of using generative AI to literally design robots.\n\nThe dynamics of the robots, to literally move the robots — path planning to actually figure out how to get the right angles — generative AI is incredible at that. We’re seeing a lot of promise with that today.\n\nWhat about real-world problem-solving?\n\nIt’s another good example. I want to be careful on generative AI versus the machine learning systems that we have. We have what we call “flow” inside the building. We have machine learning systems that understand what line needs what at what time and can help divert the right material flow to the right stations, for example. We have machine learning systems that I think of as air traffic controllers for all the mobile drives that we have.\n\nFleet management.\n\nFleet management, task management, work management. On top of that, machine learning has completely changed computer vision, like the segmentation of objects — knowing where one object ends and the next begins.\n\nYou’re using simulation, but there are always things you’re not going to account for. I’ve heard it said that generative is potentially useful for having robots make decisions for scenarios they haven’t encountered on the fly.\n\nYeah. That’s been part of robotics for decades, the ability to make real-time decisions. It’s something that, even prior to generative AI, enabled the goods-to-person fulfillment systems we had. Even with Sequoia, there’s real time sensing capabilities that are built in that can detect objects and people. That needs to be in the robot, and then there’s stuff that we hold in AWS in the cloud that has the higher level of logic. It’s exciting to think about the capabilities of generative AI, and I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We always think in practical real-world examples inside of Amazon Robotics. But we’re so far pretty interested, particularly if we give primitives to our systems and then allow generative AI to stitch those together in ways that can make those real-time decisions. That has proven very useful, both in our mobility and manipulation solutions.\n\nAround April, you announced that Agility would be one of the first recipients in the Industrial Innovation Fund. Is potential warehouse integration a piece of making those investments?\n\nThe Innovation Fund is really about exploring what’s possible out there. It’s about understanding practical real-world examples as well. We are interested in walking robots. I find that very interesting, the ability to move on different terrains is interesting. We’re also interested in what works — and frankly what doesn’t work — about it. The humanoid form is really interesting. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. We’re experimentalists at heart. We’re gonna figure that out. We’re going to do a pilot and see how that works out. We’re happy that they’re a part of our fund, but we also have other companies in the fund where we learned from, and if we want, we can make a larger investment in it. I’m not necessary saying that if we fund something, it’s going to be inside our processes. It’s very early stages.\n\nWhat does “very early stage” mean here?\n\nWe’re learning about the function and utility. What’s possible here? What’s hype? What’s reality? Would this possibly scale? I think a lot of folks have difficulty understaning the scale in which we operate. It can’t work 99% of the time, because a 1% defect rate is a huge number inside any of our buildings.\n\nIt’s clear looking at your progress on projects like Proteus that the goal is to move automation outside the cage.\n\nWe’re moving outside the cage. What we can see with those investments is in 2022, as compared to manual buildings, we’ve reduced the recordable injury rate by 15%.\n\nWith these sorts of deals like Agility, do you buy a number of robots outright for the testing? Are you leasing them?\n\nThere’s no one-size-fits-all. We do a case-by-case basis. [Amazon declined to comment further on the arrangement.]\n\nOne of the big appeals of bipedal robots is their ability to operate in brownfield settings, but Amazon doesn’t really have that problem.\n\nOur interest in systems like Agility is in the bipedal nature. The walking nature of that. Whether it’s two legs, four legs, or it’s rolling on wheels. If it performs that mobility function, we have interest, because we know that we need to move goods.\n\nBut given Amazon’s immense resources, you’re able to build factories, ground up.\n\nThat’s a good observation. The Sequoia system that you see is actually built for the height of our prior Kiva pods. If we wanted to retrofit buildings, we have that capability. We can containerize that building to bring the safety and productivity benefits to existing sites. We can retrofit brownfields that we’ve already built with the Sequoia system. We have greenfield and brownfield. Not everything is a greenfield.\n\n750,000 is a lot of robots.\n\nAll manufactured by Amazon and built in the state of Massachusetts.\n\nDo you break those numbers down further?\n\nThose are just the AMRs. We also have a fleet of robots that sort packages. We have a fleet of robots that manipulate packages, like our Robin fleet that’s inducted more than 2 billion packages.\n\nYou mentioned mobile manipulation earlier. Where is your team with that concept?\n\nIt’s super exciting. I think those core fundamentals that I talked about, the verbs that I think we’re achieving a world class mastering in, when you start to bring those together in interesting combination, some really unique things happen. I think that we are world leaders when it comes to mobile robots out there. No one has the fleet of sure mobile industrial robots that are out there and controlling them at scale. And now we are very much in the business of manipulating not only packages, but also objects. And to bring those together, I think it’s exciting to see the possibilities.\n\nWhat does mobile manipulation look like?\n\nI think it’s probably what you think.\n\nMounting an arm to an AMR?\n\nYeah. With the Agility robot, you can think of that as a mobile manipulator. That has interest to us, right. The mode of mobility has particular interest to us because we just have not done a lot of work in bipedal robots. So that’s why we have interest in Agility. But absolutely, if we can combine that with identification systems with manipulation systems, sortation system, storage systems have anything and everything that we will do to innovate for our customer, right anything and everything will do to improve the safety for our employees.\n\nIt’s a hard problem.\n\nIt’s a very, very hard problem, when you’re talking about millions and millions of different objects. Of all different sizes, and scales and weights in dimensionality, the ability to not only grasp the item, but also identify the item, the ability to also look for damage on the item is pretty incredible. I want to eliminate every menial, mundane, repetitive job out there. So, if I can automate that, and allow our employees to focus more on what matters, on higher level tasking, that’s a total win. This ties into the MIT thing, too. The way it’s played out is, you replace a certain thing. So the jobs changed. The jobs exist, but it’s a big sweeping change.\n\nIf I visit the labs, I’ll see these sorts of experiments in action.\n\nYeah. If you were to go to outside of Nashville today, you would see Proteus working with our Cardinal arm. You’d get to see the interoperability. We have the Proteus drives moving carts to the outbound docks. If you were to go down to Hou 6 just outside of Houston, you would see Sequoia fulfilling orders today, right in time for holiday shopping.\n\nWhat role do people play in that picture?\n\nPeople will always be at the center of a robotics universe. We know more robots, more jobs that we see through the productivity increases that we have.\n\n[The MIT study] sounds like it’s largely about perception and what people think of robots, rather than job numbers specifically.\n\nI’m not sure. It’s wherever [MIT professor Julie Shah] wants to take it. We have a lot of interest in how people perceive robotics, because people will be using our robotics. And if it is intimidating, or there’s friction there, and you don’t want to use it, then we’re failing in our design.", + "A judge ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House.\n\nJudge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.\n\nEngoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be rescinded as punishment and said he would continue to have an independent monitor oversee the Trump Organization’s operations.\n\nA Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. Trump has long insisted he did nothing wrong.\n\nThe decision, days before the start of a non-jury trial in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, is the strongest repudiation yet of Trump’s carefully coiffed image as a wealthy and shrewd real estate mogul turned political powerhouse.\n\nBeyond mere bragging about his riches, Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them on his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found.\n\nThose tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump’s contention that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing.\n\n“In defendants’ world: rent regulated apartments are worth the same as unregulated apartments; restricted land is worth the same as unrestricted land; restrictions can evaporate into thin air; a disclaimer by one party casting responsibility on another party exonerates the other party’s lies,” Engoron wrote in his 35-page ruling. “That is a fantasy world, not the real world.”\n\nManhattan prosecutors had looked into bringing a criminal case over the same conduct but declined to do so, leaving James to sue Trump and seek penalties that could disrupt his and his family’s ability to do business in the state.\n\nEngoron’s ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolves the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but six others remain.\n\nEngoron is slated to hold a non-jury trial starting Oct. 2 before deciding on those claims and any punishments he may impose. James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state. The trial could last into December, Engoron has said.\n\nTrump’s lawyers had asked the judge to throw out the case, which he denied. They contend that James wasn’t legally allowed to file the lawsuit because there isn’t any evidence that the public was harmed by Trump’s actions. They also argued that many of the allegations in the lawsuit were barred by the statute of limitations.\n\nEngoron, noting that he had “emphatically rejected” those arguments earlier in the case, equated them to the “time-loop in the film ‘Groundhog Day.'”\n\nJames, a Democrat, sued Trump and the Trump Organization a year ago, alleging a pattern of duplicity that she dubbed “the art of the steal,” a twist on the title of Trump’s 1987 business memoir “The Art of the Deal.”\n\nThe lawsuit accused Trump and his company of routinely inflating the value of assets like skyscrapers, golf courses and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, padding his bottom line by billions.\n\nAmong the allegations were that Trump claimed his Trump Tower apartment in Manhattan — a three-story penthouse replete with gold-plated fixtures — was nearly three times its actual size and valued the property at $327 million. No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.\n\nTrump valued Mar-a-Lago as high as $739 million — more than 10 times a more reasonable estimate of its worth. Trump’s figure for the private club and residence was based on the idea that the property could be developed for residential use, but deed terms prohibit that, James said.\n\nTrump has denied wrongdoing, arguing in sworn testimony for the case that it didn’t matter what he put on his financial statements because they have a disclaimer that says they shouldn’t be trusted. He told James at the April deposition, “You don’t have a case and you should drop this case.”\n\n“Do you know the banks were fully paid? Do you know the banks made a lot of money?” Trump testified. “Do you know I don’t believe I ever got even a default notice, and even during COVID, the banks were all paid? And yet you’re suing on behalf of banks, I guess. It’s crazy. The whole case is crazy.”\n\nEngoron rejected that argument when the defense previously sought to have the case thrown out.\n\nThe judge said the disclaimer on the financial statements “makes abundantly clear that Mr. Trump was fully responsible for the information contained within” them and that “allowing blanket disclaimers to insulate liars from liability would completely undercut” the “important function” that such statements serve “in the real world.”\n\nJames’ lawsuit is one of several legal headaches for Trump as he campaigns for a return to the White House in 2024. He has been indicted four times in the last six months — accused in Georgia and Washington, D.C., of plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss, in Florida of hoarding classified documents, and in Manhattan of falsifying business records related to hush money paid on his behalf.\n\nThe Trump Organization was convicted of tax fraud last year in an unrelated criminal case for helping executives dodge taxes on extravagant perks such as Manhattan apartments and luxury cars. The company was fined $1.6 million. One of the executives, Trump’s longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty and served five months in jail. He is a defendant in James’ lawsuit and gave sworn deposition testimony for the case in May.\n\nJames’ lawsuit does not carry the potential of prison time, but could complicate his ability to transact real estate deals. It could also stain his legacy as a developer.\n\nJames has asked Engoron to ban Trump and his three eldest children from ever again running a company based New York. She also wants Trump and the Trump Organization barred from entering into commercial real estate acquisitions for five years, among other sanctions. The $250 million in penalties she is seeking is the estimated worth of benefits derived from the alleged fraud, she said.\n\nJames, who campaigned for office as a Trump critic and watchdog, started scrutinizing his business practices in March 2019 after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress that Trump exaggerated his wealth on financial statements provided to Deutsche Bank while trying to obtain financing to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.\n\nJames’ office previously sued Trump for misusing his own charitable foundation to further his political and business interests. Trump was ordered to pay $2 million to an array of charities as a fine and the charity, the Trump Foundation, was shut down.", + "Thousands of pages of exhibits detailing the performance of his assets made available during the trial have provided a deeper look into his fortune. The former president’s 2021 statement of financial condition, filed as part of the lawsuit, pegged his net worth at $US4.5 billion. Bloomberg’s calculation has consistently been below Trump’s figures. At the same time, Bloomberg measured the value of some Trump properties higher than what New York state claims. Trump took the stand and testified that the properties whose values he’s accused of inflating were actually undervalued, based on the premium his “brand” adds. He also said that banks didn’t rely on his statements of financial condition when weighing loans. “They just weren’t a very important element in banks’ decision-making process,” Trump told the court. “And we’ll explain that as this trial goes along.” Here’s a look at New York state’s valuation of four high-profile Trump properties where the prosecution alleges fraud occurred, along with Bloomberg’s own approach to assessing the assets.\n\nMar-a-Lago Trump’s valuation (2021): $US612.1 million , Bloomberg valuation (2023): $US240 million, New York’s valuation (2021): $US27.6 million It’s fair to say that Trump’s most famous property these days is no longer New York’s Trump Tower but his Mar-a-Lago Club, the historic Palm Beach estate built by Marjorie Merriweather Post in the 1920s that he now calls home. New York’s valuation of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has raised eyebrows. Credit: AP The sprawling resort has been at the centre of some publicised post-presidency scandals, from classified documents being kept in one of its bathrooms to the location where Trump is said to have shared nuclear submarine secrets with Australian businessman Anthony Pratt — something that Trump denies.\n\nIt’s also a major focus in Trump’s fraud lawsuit. Trump made a series of agreements with Palm Beach County and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for Mar-a-Lago to be used only as a club, giving up any development rights. Consequently, Palm Beach values the property as a business on its tax rolls. In 2021, the county assessed it at $US27.6 million, lower than comparable residential properties. New York State argues that this appraisal is the one Trump should have been using. New York’s estimated value “was a shock to the real estate community and anybody with any understanding of the island and its values,” said Liza Pulitzer, a real estate agent at Brown Harris Stevens and a Palm Beach native. “It could easily fetch $US500 million or more.”\n\nThat assumes a buyer views it as a single-family residence. It’s currently not zoned for such use, though Trump is able to reside there through a loophole designating himself an employee. Trump’s legal team engaged an expert witness who argued that a future buyer could do the same thing. And if they didn’t like the idea of sharing their property with others, they could reduce the club to a membership of one. Still, it’s unclear if Palm Beach would allow that without a change to its zoning status. Historically, Mar-a-Lago never made much money for the Trump Organisation, but that seems to be changing. It took in about $US41 million in revenue last year, according to Trump’s most recent ethics disclosure, compared with $US21 million in 2019. Bloomberg values Mar-a-Lago at $US240 million, based on a combination of comparable residential property sales in the area as well as its value as a business, reflecting some uncertainty around its future status. That uncertainty isn’t shared by everyone. If the city and county allowed it, “there is no reason why it wouldn’t be able to converted to a full-time private residence,” said Eli Beracha, director of the Hollo School of Real Estate at Florida International University.\n\nTrump’s Fifth Avenue penthouse Trump’s valuation (2021): $US131.3 million, Bloomberg valuation (2023): $US40 million, New York valuation: No current estimate available Trump’s penthouse apartment at Trump Tower has been an integral part of his image for 40 years, so it’s not surprising that one of the world’s masters of hyperbole exaggerated its size for most of that time. Trump’s penthouse apartment at Trump Tower has been an integral part of his image for 40 years. Credit: AP Between 2011 and 2016, Trump valued his apartment based on it being 30,000 square feet (2,787 square metres) in size — almost triple its actual measurement of 10,996 square feet. Because of this, New York State arrived at a valuation that was about a third of Trump’s in those years. They haven’t provided a more recent estimate.\n\nSpace inflation wasn’t the only issue. Between 2014 and 2015, Trump increased the value of the apartment to $US327 million from $US200 million. The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties. “A discrepancy of this order of magnitude, by a real estate developer sizing up his own living space of decades, can only be considered fraud,” Judge Arthur Engoron wrote in a September ruling. ‘The company has never been stronger and never been better.’ Eric Trump Bloomberg values the property using recent Trump Tower sales, as well as those of comparable Manhattan penthouses. While some splashy residences in much newer buildings on so-called Billionaires Row have listed for well in excess of $US100 million, they typically boast higher ceilings, more up-to-date finishes, contemporary layouts, outdoor space and better views. A better comparison would be a 9450-square-foot penthouse in Olympic Tower, five blocks south on Fifth Avenue, which has been on and off the market for $US35 million since 2016. Then there’s Carl Icahn’s 14,000-square-foot penthouse at Museum Tower on West 53rd Street. It was listed for $US35 million in 2019 before he attempted to split the space and sell it as two separate apartments. Both were eventually delisted.\n\nIt’s possible Trump would get a higher price because of his name. “There would be a Trump premium because the person that would want that property is likely to be a Trump supporter,” Beracha said. But it’s also likely that the association with Trump would turn off some buyers. Trump Park Avenue Trump’s valuation (2021): $US90.9 million, Bloomberg valuation (2023): $US86.4 million, New York’s valuation (2021): $US80 million The residential condo tower on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, formerly the Hotel Delmonico, isn’t one of Trump’s best-known buildings, but it’s been the source of some significant asset inflations, according to the prosecution.\n\nIts value to Trump mostly stems from unsold condo units that are owned by the Trump Organisation and rented out. A varying number have been rent-stabilised, meaning tenants pay below market rates. Typically, these apartments are valued at a discount because tenants can stay indefinitely, sometimes even passing them on to children. In 2010, 12 rent-stabilised apartments owned by Trump were valued at an average of $US62,500 each in an appraisal provided by a real estate company. The following year, Trump valued them at $US4.1 million each — more than 65 times greater. Trump has continued to value stabilised apartments in the building at market rates, including in his 2021 statement of financial condition. Rent-stabilised units “with a positive cash flow are often valued at 15-25 cents a dollar of the open market value, versus single digits for negative cash flow,” said Jonathan Miller, president of appraiser Miller Samuel. Still, Trump’s optimism was shown to be at least partially justified. By 2021, only five of the 12 apartments remained rent stabilised. The prosecution also claims two additional non-stabilised apartments in the building were overvalued because Trump ignored an option his daughter, Ivanka Trump, had to buy them at a price lower than the market value he used.\n\n40 Wall Street Trump’s valuation (2021): $US664 million, Bloomberg valuation (2023): $US270 million, New York’s valuation: No current estimate available In valuing his flagship lower Manhattan office tower, Trump consistently ignored more conservative appraisals he’d received from professionals, New York State argues. Trump has been accused of significantly over-valuing his flagship downtown New York property. Credit: Bloomberg For example, 40 Wall Street was appraised by a real estate company at $US200 million in 2011 and $US220 million in 2012. Despite this, Trump valued the property in financial statements at $US524.7 million and $US527.2 million, respectively, for those years.\n\nBloomberg uses a capitalisation of net income approach in coming up with an estimate. Valuations for commercial offices across the board have taken a hit in the past 18 months amid rising interest rates and a lacklustre corporate leasing market. But 40 Wall Street has its own unique problems. Tenant departures meant occupancy slid to 77 per cent in June, down from 98 per cent in 2015. Its net operating income is only 61 per cent of what was projected by underwriters. Loading “There’s not a lot of leasing velocity down there,” said Albert Sultan, a broker at Kassin Sabbagh Realty. The financial district used to offer a lower cost for tenants, but with Midtown rents declining, “there’s no reason to go downtown.” The property is also subject to a ground lease that resets in 2032 at either 6 per cent of the land value or 85 per cent of its rent in the prior year. Based on current rent, that means the ground lease would jump to $US30 million from about $US2.6 million now.", + "Shohei Ohtani’s singular pursuit of history, one man’s quest to rewrite the baseball world’s understanding of what is possible, reached another summit on Saturday when he agreed to the largest contract in the annals of major North American team sports, a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his agency CAA announced.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOhtani announced his decision on Instagram. The deal ends years of feverish speculation about Ohtani’s future. Ohtani, a 29-year-old two-way sensation, has captivated the industry since he left Japan for Major League Baseball heading into the 2018 season. He has done things that appeared impossible in the modern era, feats that harkened back to Babe Ruth. As he traveled the country with the Los Angeles Angels this past summer, fans serenaded him with recruiting pitches. When he entered free agency, a dozen teams lined up, curious to see if they could meet his eye.\n\nOnly one team could secure Ohtani’s services. He will now be compensated for both his immense talent and his unparalleled star power. His contract eclipsed the $360 million record for free agents set last winter by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and also surpassed the record-setting $426.5 million extension from Ohtani’s former Angels teammate Mike Trout. His achievement exceeded even those outside of baseball, topping the $450 million contract inked by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Ohtani has outpaced even soccer star Lionel Messi’s $674 million contract — signed in 2017 when he was with FC Barcelona.\n\nHis individual brilliance was not enough to lift the Angels into the postseason. With the Dodgers, Ohtani will now have an opportunity to add collective hardware to his trophy case. The Dodgers have won the National League West in 10 of the past 11 seasons, topped 100 victories in five of the past six full seasons and won the World Series in 2020. Ohtani has never played a postseason game in his big-league career.\n\n“My sense is that he wants to be the best ever,” said St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who played with Ohtani last spring in the World Baseball Classic, “but I don’t think he would ever publicly say that.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDeferrals effectively lower the average annual value of Ohtani’s contract, giving the Dodgers greater flexibility as they attempt to navigate Major League Baseball’s luxury-tax system, which includes penalties for teams that exceed certain thresholds.\n\nA team’s luxury tax-payroll is calculated according to players’ average annual values, and discounted by deferrals. Mookie Betts, for example, has $115 million deferred in his 12-year, $365 million contract with the Dodgers. Under the league’s calculations, the deferrals lower his average annual value from $30.4 million to $25.5 million.\n\nDodgers officials declined comment when asked if Ohtani had taken a physical, the final step before a deal can become official.\n\nSignificant questions linger about Ohtani’s future. He will not pitch in 2024 as he recovers from a September operation to repair his right elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018. Neither Ohtani, who has not taken questions from reporters since August, nor his agent, Nez Balelo, nor the Angels have disclosed the exact nature of the second surgery, but the Los Angeles Times has reported it was a second Tommy John procedure.\n\nBalelo has stressed that Ohtani remains committed to both pitching and hitting in the future. “Shohei loves to pitch,” Balelo told reporters in September. Ohtani will attempt to return to the mound in 2025. His camp has not revealed at what point Ohtani would consider giving up his dual career and focusing on learning a different position. Since he was a teenager, Ohtani has ignored suggestions that he focus on only one pursuit.\n\nOhtani demonstrated his potential as the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, but his two-way hopes were delayed after his first elbow surgery. It was not until 2021 that the full flower of his ability bloomed. He has won the American League MVP in two of the past three seasons; in the intervening season, he led all American League pitchers in strikeout rate while hitting 34 home runs with an .875 OPS. To create a comparison for him involves inventions that sound freakish. “It’s like if Judge went out and was a 20-game winner as well,” former teammate Kole Calhoun said.\n\nOhtani will not pitch in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but his agent stressed he’s committed to returning to the mound. (Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)\n\nOhtani is committed to being a starting pitcher. If he cannot stay healthy enough for that role, he could aid his new team as a reliever. He closed the final game of the World Baseball Classic, securing the crown for Japan by striking out Trout. His four-seam fastball averaged nearly 97 mph in 2023; the velocity of the pitch figures to improve in short bursts.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nEven if Ohtani never pitches again, his value as a hitter is immense. In 1920, his first season exclusively as a hitter, Ruth led the American League in homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. In 2023, while still making 23 starts with a 3.14 ERA, Ohtani led the American League in the same three categories as Ruth. He swatted 44 homers with a career-best 1.066 OPS. He did this while making starts and dealing with a torn ligament in his elbow.\n\nOnly one stage remains for Ohtani. He has never played a postseason game in the majors. As the Angels foundered in recent years, Ohtani became more vocal about his desire to play for a winner. Now he has the chance to make a different kind of history.\n\nRequired reading\n\n(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)", + "The IMF. in its latest update. has said that India is one of the large emerging economies that has been doing better than expected.\n\nThe IMF said India has been doing better for a while now and that India is, in fact, one of the growth engines in the world economy at this point.\n\nThe IMF said important divergences are appearing. The slowdown is more pronounced in advanced economies than in emerging markets and developing economies. Among the advanced economies, the US has been revised up, with resilient consumption and investment, while the euro area has been revised down, as tighter monetary policy and the energy crisis took a toll.\n\nThere is divergence also among emerging markets and developing economies, with China facing growing headwinds, while Brazil, India. and Russia are revised up.\n\nAfter two years of rapid economic growth in 2021 and 2022, the near-term economic outlook for India is for continued rapid expansion during 2023-24, underpinned by strong growth in private consumption and investment, S&P Global Market Intelligence said in a recent update.\n\nThe acceleration of foreign direct investment inflows into India over the past decade reflects the favourable long-term growth outlook for the Indian economy, helped by a youthful demographic profile and rapidly rising urban household incomes.\n\nIndia's nominal GDP measured in USD terms is forecast to rise from $3.5 trillion in 2022 to $7.3 trillion by 2030. This rapid pace of economic expansion would result in the size of the Indian GDP exceeding the Japanese GDP by 2030, making India the second largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region.\n\nBy 2022, the size of the Indian GDP had already become larger than the GDP of the UK and also France. By 2030, India's GDP is also forecast to surpass Germany, the research said.\n\nThe long-term outlook for the Indian economy is supported by a number of key growth drivers. An important positive factor for India is its large and fast-growing middle class, which is helping to drive consumer spending.\n\nThe rapidly growing Indian domestic consumer market as well as its large industrial sector have made India an increasingly important investment destination for a wide range of multinationals in many sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure and services, the report said.\n\nThe digital transformation of India that is currently underway is expected to accelerate the growth of e-commerce, changing the retail consumer market landscape over the next decade. This is attracting leading global multinationals in technology and e-commerce to the Indian market.\n\nBy 2030, 1.1 billion people in India will have internet access, more than doubling from the estimated 500 million internet users in 2020. The rapid growth of e-commerce and the shift to 4G and 5G smartphone technology will boost home-grown unicorns.\n\nThe large increase in FDI inflows to India that has been evident over the past five years is also continuing with strong momentum evident even during the pandemic years of 2020-2022.\n\nIndia's strong FDI inflows have been boosted by large inflows of investments from global technology MNCs such as Google and Facebook that are attracted to India's large, fast-growing domestic consumer market, as well as a strong upturn in foreign direct investment inflows from manufacturing firms.\n\nOverall, India is expected to continue to be one of the world's fastest growing economies over the next decade. This will make India one of the most important long-term growth markets for multinationals in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing industries such as autos, electronics and chemicals to services industries such as banking, insurance, asset management, health care and information technology, it added.\n\nBrahma Chellaney, professor of strategic studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research, wrote in a recent article that as India's geopolitical, economic and cultural clout grows, so does its global footprint. China's “decline,” as some have begun to call the conclusion of the country's four-decade-long economic boom, opens new opportunities for the Indian economy and other developing and emerging countries.\n\nEarlier this year, India reached another milestone when its population officially surpassed that of China, which had been the world's most populous country for more than 300 years.\n\nWhile China's shrinking, rapidly aging population is likely to impede economic growth and may curtail its geopolitical ambitions, India -- one of the world's youngest countries, with a median age of 28.2 -- is poised to reap a huge demographic dividend, the article said.\n\nBut the driving force behind India's emergence as a major global power is its rapid economic growth. While India's gross domestic product is still smaller than China's, the country is currently the world's fastest-growing major economy and is projected to account for 12.9 per cent of global growth over the next five years, surpassing the United States' 11.3 per cent share, the article said.\n\nThe seventeenth round of the FICCI-IBA survey was carried out for the period January to June 2023. A total of 24 banks including public sector, private sector and foreign banks participated in the survey. These banks together represent about 79 per cent of the banking industry, as classified by asset size.\n\nThe Indian economy posted an impressive 7.2 per cent growth in the financial year ended March 2023 and 7.8 per cent in first quarter of current fiscal year. Credit growth also continued to rise, signalling robust demand conditions in the Indian economy, as well as banks' improved appetite towards retail borrowers.\n\nThe health of the banking sector has witnessed an encouraging turnaround, marked by healthier bank balance sheets and gross NPA ratio at a decade low.\n\nThe survey findings show that long term credit demand has seen continued growth in sectors such as Infrastructure, textiles and chemicals. food processing and metals.\n\nIron & steel have also witnessed accelerated long-term loan disbursements in the past six months. Infrastructure is witnessing an increase in credit flow with 67 per cent of the respondents indicating an increase in long-term loans as against 57 per cent in the previous round.\n\nThe survey suggests that the outlook on expectation on growth of non-food industry credit over next six months is optimistic with 42 per cent of the participating banks expecting non-food industry credit growth to be above 12 per cent (as compared to 36 per cent in the previous round).\n\nRajan Jain, Head, Credit Research, SBI Caps, said in a note that whether the yield curve dynamics mean the US is moving to a structurally higher-rate economy vs. post GFC normal remains a moot question, with important implications for investment demand and system risk.\n\nThese movements have had a cascading effect on global economies, which have seen routs in their respective bond markets, besides a fresh round of currency depreciation.\n\nEmerging market economies with large volumes of USD denominated debt are especially vulnerable as they could be caught in a vicious circle of their external debt (in local currency terms) ballooning due to strong DXY and their servicing ability being impaired by tepid economic activity owing to high rates. Even advanced economies have felt the heat, and the ECB etc. have maintained a hawkish narrative, Jain said.\n\nAnother developing story seems to be the greenshoots of recovery in China backed by domestic consumption in the Golden week, and tourism related to the Asian Games. For now, these seem to buttressed on stimulus and base effects as China is now fully open.\n\nThe long-term trajectory remains to be seen. In any case, for now this has provided a floor for commodity prices, especially base metals. Fickle commodity prices will also be victims of fresh geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which has pushed up Brent crude. Food prices could also play truant with climate change affecting cropping area worldwide: sugar and rice prices are booming, the note said.\n\nIn this challenging environment, Indian real GDP growth, estimated to be 6.2 per cent y/y in real terms in FY24, is resilient. High frequency indicators suggest strong construction and infrastructure activity, and soaring urban demand.\n\nManufacturing production has been unusually strong in Q2FY24, especially in infrastructure-oriented structures such as cement and steel. Power supply grew vastly in Q2 after a tepid Q1, helped by a dry August 2023 and buzzing industrial activity.\n\nBoth the Union and States have front ended capex in H1FY24, and this remains the engine of expansion. Capital expenditure was up 48 per cent y/y for the Union in the same period. Reports suggest capex of major states was also up 45 per cent y/y in 5MFY24.\n\nCarrying forward this capex in H2FY24 would be important to sustain the multiplier. The fiscal deficit for the 5MFY24 stood at 36% of the FY24BE. Gross direct tax revenue experienced a substantial increase of 18 per cent y/y up to October 9, allaying concerns of fiscal slippage, the note said.", + "Diablo 4’s Season of Blood brings some cool new vampire powers into the fold, but the real star of the action game’s second season is its sweeping quality-of-life changes. Players will now have an easier time leveling up, gaining quality loot, and just navigating the open world of Sanctuary.\n\nGame director Joe Shely and associate game director Joe Piepiora sat down to do a roundtable interview with Polygon and other outlets ahead of Blizzard’s Oct. 4th livestream, and gave additional context to Nightmare Dungeon changes, Renown, and more.\n\nOne of the most notable changes for players in Diablo 4’s second season update will be an increase in experience gains. Blizzard claims players will be able to reach the level cap of 100 about 40% faster than in Season of the Malignant — which already increased experience gains compared to Diablo 4’s launch. This process should be much smoother for players as well, as monsters will now match their levels between 55 and 75.\n\nShely told the panel that last season, players set a goal for themselves: Get to level 100. However, many players found that they were never able to hit that milestone because XP gains were so slow. This change should allow more players to reach the level cap each season, allowing them to play with a truly maxed-out build.\n\nAs for how players will spend their time at max level and where they’ll be able to earn some of the game’s most powerful items, enter the five new endgame bosses: Grigoire The Galvanic Saint, the Echo of Varshan, The Beast in the Ice, the Dark Master, and the Echo of Duriel. Each boss has its own laundry list of busy work for players to complete in order to unlock their encounter — such as completing Nightmare Dungeons above level 30 or completing Grim Favors — but they also come with Unique rewards. That’s Unique with a capital U.\n\nBecause the bosses each offer their own pool of Unique items, this process makes farming for that special helmet that much easier. Instead of running dungeons and hoping the desired item drops, players can just gather all the materials, kill The Beast in the Ice, and then do it all again if they don’t get what they wanted. The Echo of Duriel is perhaps the most interesting of the five, as Duriel has a chance to drop the ultimate, super-rare, uber Uniques that were previously almost impossible to acquire. To compensate, players will need to kill the four other endgame bosses each time they want to face Duriel.\n\nBlizzard’s designers didn’t build these bosses to be as tough as the ultimate Uber Lilith fight. However, these bosses will (hopefully) prove a challenge to most players while still giving them a targeted way to farm some must-have items. The Echo of Duriel (who is level 100) will be the most difficult of the new bosses, but the reward will obviously be worth the struggle, considering he’s the only way for players to farm Uber Uniques in Diablo 4. For players who have more in-game gold than time, Blizzard also confirmed in our interview that players will be able to trade with one another to get the items needed to summon Duriel and the other bosses.\n\nWhile these bosses are a form of milestone activity for players, Nightmare Dungeons will still exist as places to both farm for better items and push builds to their limit. However, the dungeons are becoming much simpler and less grindy. The design team has reworked several Nightmare Dungeon affixes to make them less obnoxious, and Nightmare Sigils now teleport players directly into the dungeon instead of to the door.\n\nTeleporting to Nightmare Dungeons is one thing, but players will still need to ride their horses around the world if they want to reach events like Helltides and the new seasonal activity, Blood Harvest. Thankfully, mounts have also been improved in season 2. Horses are now faster, and their dashes will allow them to break through barricades in the roads. Shely told us that the mounts should be more intelligent as well, and they won’t get stuck on objects in the world as easily as before.\n\nTwo of the other biggest pain points — gems and Renown — are also getting addressed in this season.\n\nThe grind to accrue Renown — the resource players get for completing activities in each area — is no longer something players will need to partake in every season. Much like the Altars of Lilith change in season 1, players who’ve fully unlocked their Renown track with one character will never have to do it again.\n\nPreviously, players would have to max out their Renown — which all but required doing nearly every dungeon and most side quests in the game — every season in order to get all available Skill and Paragon Points. Not only is that not the case anymore, but (unlike with the Altars of Lilith carryover) you won’t need to first log into a character that’s completed the Renown track in order to propagate that data to the rest of your account. Piepiora told us that all of that data migration should happen without that extra step in season 2.\n\nThis is yet another massive 180 on the Renown system from Blizzard in barely five months’ time. When we asked about the massive shift, Piepiora told us that players simply weren’t having fun redoing the grind every season, hence the move here (as with the Altars last season) to alleviate the pressure on players to only play “efficiently.”\n\nAs for gems, these items will no longer take up bag space, as they’re now considered crafting materials. This change comes alongside a massive upgrade to the Stash itself. Stashes now appear in more locations — including all minor towns with a Waypoint in them — and players can search their Stashes for specific items and affixes.\n\nThese are just a handful of the major changes coming to Diablo 4 with Season of Blood. Shely and Piepiora told us that the focus on quality-of-life upgrades was largely due to season 2 being the first season where they and the rest of the Diablo 4 team could really listen to feedback. Because of how close Season of the Malignant launched after the release of Diablo 4 (just over a month), that season’s content was largely finished before players had really gotten to dive into the action-RPG. However, with season 2, Blizzard has been able to react more to player feedback and finally create some sweeping, specific changes that players have been requesting.\n\nAll of these changes, as well as the content for Season of Blood, will come to the game on Oct. 17, just a few weeks before fans are expecting Blizzard to announce Diablo 4’s first expansion at BlizzCon 2023.", + "Argentina completely dominated Paraguay from start to finish, both with and without Lionel Messi, and picked up three points in the process, although it was a bit more nervy than they would have liked at the end.\n\nWith Argentina pummeling their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying opponents in Buenos Aires from the opening whistle, Nicolas Otamendi's fourth-minute goal seemed to foreshadow a coming onslaught. Yet that was all Argentina would get, and while it was enough for a 1-0 victory, they could have had many, many more.\n\nLionel Messi came off the bench shortly after halftime, but even he was powerless to change the narrative, hitting the post twice including once directly off a corner.\n\nLautaro Martinez, Rodrigo de Paul, and Nico Gonzalez were all very active in the final third and had multiple chances, but none were able to find the all-important second goal to kill off the match. Yet in the end, Emiliano Martinez had himself another clean sheet as Paraguay failed to produce more than a single quality attacking chance.\n\nThe shutout gave Dibu an Argentine national team record, passing 609 minutes without conceding a goal, as Argentina have not been breached since Kylian Mbappe's dramatic 118th minute equalizer in the 2022 World Cup final. Additionally, Lionel Scaloni has still never been beaten in World Cup qualifying as Argentina head coach.\n\nThe Sporting News followed the Argentina vs. Paraguay match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.\n\nMORE: Where to watch Argentina vs. Paraguay in World Cup qualifying\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay final score\n\nScore Goal scorers Argentina 1 Otamendi (4') Paraguay 0 —\n\nKickoff: 8 p.m. local (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)\n\nLocation: Estadio Monumental (Buenos Aires, Argentina)\n\nReferee: Raphael Claus (BRA)\n\nStarting lineups:\n\nArgentina (4-3-3, right to left): 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 21. Molina, 13. Romero, 19. Otamendi, 3. Tagliafico — 7. De Paul, 20. Mac Allister, 8. E. Fernandez (Paredes, 80') — 9. J. Alvarez (Messi, 53'), 22. L. Martinez, 15. N. Gonzalez.\n\nParaguay (5-4-1, right to left): 1. C. Coronel (GK) — 14. I. Ramirez (R. Rojas, 46'), 15. G. Gomez, 5. Balbuena, 6. Alonso (Villasanti, 76'), 4. Espinoza — 20. R Sanchez, 8. Campuzano (Ojeda, 70'), 10. Almiron, 19. Sosa — 21. Bareiro (Sanabria, 70').\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay live updates, highlights, commentary\n\nFULLTIME: Argentina 1-0 Paraguay\n\nArgentina are most certainly deserved victors as they walk away with all three points, but they made it harder than it had to be by failing to finish a whole host of great chances. The entire team was impressive until it came time to shoot, and even Lionel Messi couldn't change the narrative as he hit the post twice.\n\nAll told thought, Nicolas Otamendi's early goal was enough to see them through to all three points, as they top Paraguay at home and move to nine points from a possible nine to start World Cup qualifying.\n\n🏆 #Eliminatorias 🎙️ Rodrigo De Paul: \"Creo que estamos en un nivel muy bueno. Nos sentimos cómodos con la manera en la que jugamos. Este último tiempo le sumamos jerarquía. El primer tiempo que jugamos fue de grandísimo nivel\". pic.twitter.com/lXrdMwL0CR — 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) October 13, 2023\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay: Second Half\n\n90+2 min: Chance, Argentina! Argentina have a very dangerous free-kick as Lionel Messi baits Gustavo Gomez into a foul just atop the penalty area in a central location. Gomez does well to dispossess Messi, but the Argentine is first back on the loose ball, expertly shielding the ball with his body, and Gomez obliges by barging in from behind.\n\nWith the set-piece, Messi hits the woodwork! Carlos Coronel is helpless to do anything but watch, rooted to the spot, and he sees it sail by him and strike the outside of the left post!\n\nGio Lo Celso comes on for Argentina to replace Rodrigo de Paul, who had a very good match.\n\n89th min: As this game sputters towards a conclusion, Emiliano Martinez has set a new national team record for a shutout streak, crossing 609 minutes of play without conceding a goal. It's an impressive mark nonetheless, but in fairness, he's had almost nothing to do tonight, making just one (admittedly impressive) save.\n\nArgentina have not conceded a single goal since the 2022 World Cup final. Four minutes of stoppage time are shown.\n\n609 minutes and counting.\n\n\n\nEmi Martínez sets a new Argentina national team record for most minutes without conceding a goal 🧱 pic.twitter.com/nasXpYu7Yx — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 13, 2023\n\n86th min: CONTROVERSY! Antonio Sanabria draws the ire of Lionel Messi, which you rarely see. Why? Replay shows it's because Sanabria showered Messi with spit from behind. That's disgusting! The officials missed it, but Messi obviously did not.\n\nQUE LO ESCUPIS A MESSI PARAGUAYO PELOTUDO LA CONCHA DE TU MADRE SANABRIA pic.twitter.com/Tn3qnFCDzm — Argentina Gol 𝕏 (@BocaJrsGolArg) October 13, 2023\n\n84th min: Chance, Argentina! Paraguay fail to clear on a number of occasions, and on recycle, Lautaro Martinez fires just inches over the crossbar! He's in acres of space atop the penalty area shaded just right of the middle, and cutting onto his left, he rifles a shot just high! He should be hitting the target from there with so much space to shoot.\n\nThat's the first real chance on goal from open play for either team in some time. The game has been mucked up a bit by the substitutions on both sides.\n\n77th min: Chance, Argentina! LIONEL MESSI HITS THE POST DIRECTLY FROM A CORNER! He floats an in-swinger that sails over a helpless Carlos Coronel and clangs the far top corner of the woodwork! That's so close to an olimpico!\n\nEnzo Fernandez is withdrawn by Argentina in favor of Leandro Paredes.\n\n#ARG 1-0 #PAR | 30’ ST | ¡No lo cante, no lo grite! El \"10\", el capitán, el mejor de mundo, Leo Messi lo intentó desde el saque de esquina y casi lo gritamos todos.\n\n\n\n💙Mirá Argentina vs Paraguay en https://t.co/fnEKkuadQ9#SomosMundiales #Eliminatorias pic.twitter.com/fsY9bcy4Vi — Televisión Pública (@TV_Publica) October 13, 2023\n\n75th min: With Lionel Messi set to take a corner for Argentina, Junior Alonso is now down needing treatment. At first it seems like a cramp as a teammate stretches out his leg, but he continues to grimace in pain, and after the medical staff tends to the Paraguay defender for a bit, they signal to the bench that a change is required.\n\nAlonso is strapped to a stretcher and continues to grimace in lots of pain. On comes Mathias Villasanti, signaling a potential change of formation.\n\n70th min: Junior Alonso has got to be careful. Already on a yellow card, he fouls Lautaro Martinez hard and gets a talking too from the referee.\n\nParaguay make their second change of the match, a double swap as Antonio Sanabria and Braian Ojeda come on, replacing Antonio Bareiro and Alvaro Campuzano.\n\n68th min: Rodrigo de Paul forces a save from Carlos Coronel! It's from an extremely tight angle on the right, almost on top of the end line, so Coronel has his post covered well, but it wins a corner. The set-piece is wasted by being played short.\n\n63rd min: It has to be said...Argentina have dropped their level since Lionel Messi has come on. That's not to say its explicitly his fault, but the whole team has been sloppy since he entered the pitch. Paraguay have looked a bit more confident pressing the hosts, and it has caused some problems to them in possession.\n\n57th min: Uh, how has Ramon Sosa got away without a booking here? He barges into Rodrigo de Paul extremely late for no reason, as he arrived well after the ball and threw his body into the Argentine midfielder. The referee has a chat with Sosa, but decides not to book him, somehow.\n\n53rd min: Chance, Paraguay! The best attacking move of the match for the visitors nearly sees Ramon Sosa score a dramatic equalizer, but Emiliano Martinez makes a fingertips save to see the ball deflect just inches wide! It comes on a Route One move deep for Sosa who brings the ball down well and fires a vicious shot.\n\nLionel Messi enters for Julian Alvarez, and takes the captain's armband from Nicolas Otamendi with a chuckle, as Otamendi puts it on Messi himself despite Messi telling him not to give it up.\n\nIt's kind of odd that Lionel Scaloni would turn down the chance to bring Messi on at halftime without burning a substitution window, only to see him enter only eight minutes later, but here we are.\n\nEL REY A LA CANCHA 🔟✅\n\n\n\nLionel Messi ingresó por Julián Álvarez a los 52 minutos en Argentina vs. Paraguay.\n\n\n\n¿Marcará algún gol? pic.twitter.com/Fj7Dqcsfps — TNT Sports Argentina (@TNTSportsAR) October 13, 2023\n\n50th min: Antonio Bareiro picks up a hilarious yellow card after a coming together with Cristiano Romero. Bareiro fouls Romero and gets away with it, and Romero reacts later off the ball by bumping the Paraguay forward, who throws himself dramatically to the turf. It's the reaction which earns the booking, while Romero is lucky to get away with his brainless moment.\n\nKickoff: They've begun the second half, and while Lionel Messi has not entered the pitch yet, he's warming up on the touchline and likely to come on soon. Alexis Mac Allister is fouled from behind just seconds after the restart.\n\nRobert Rojas has come on for Paraguay in the first substitution of the match, entering at right-back for Ivan Ramirez.\n\nHALFTIME: Argentina 1-0 Paraguay\n\nSomehow, some way, Nicolas Otamendi's fourth-minute goal remains the only successful strike of this game so far. Argentina completely and utterly dominated the first 45 minutes, but have precious little to show for it.\n\nThe hosts pummeled Carlos Coronel's net, and while the Red Bulls goalkeeper has made a few saves, it's mostly been Argentina's wastefulness that has seen them fail to follow up their early opener. Rodrigo de Paul hit the post, Alexis Mac Allister probably should have had a penalty, and Nico Gonzalez has missed a few great chances from the left.\n\nOverall, Lionel Scaloni will be pleased with his side's performance, but the match hangs in the balance on the scoresheet. In reality, thought, Paraguay need vast improvement if they are to snatch a result after being meticulously carved to pieces.\n\n1 - Argentina 🇦🇷 superó a Paraguay 🇵🇾 en el primer tiempo en posesión (74% a 26%), remates totales (10 a 2), remates al arco (4 a 0), toques en área rival (17 a 1) y pases acertados (354 a 101). Dominio. — OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) October 12, 2023\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay: First Half\n\n45th min: Chance, Argentina! Nico Gonzalez misses! The hosts break down the right, and Enzo Fernandez has acres of space to shoot at the top of the penalty area, but instead squares it left to Nico Gonzalez. The Argentina winger also has tons of room to shoot, but he's at a tight angle, and Carlos Coronel's positioning leaves him with a very small window to aim for.\n\nNeeding a precise finish, Gonzalez comes up empty, dragging it wide across the face of goal. It's not far off, but it's missing the required precision! How have Argentina not scored a second????\n\n42nd min: Chance, Argentina! RODRIGO DE PAUL HITS THE POST! It's SO close from the Argentine midfielder, who's been very active in the final third! After cutting onto his left, he brings it back onto his right and unleashes a curler which dances past a diving Carlos Coronel and strikes the inside of the post!\n\nThe ball agonizingly careens along the face of goal and skitters away. Just another half-inch more towards the frame and it would have deflected in instead of out!\n\n41st min: Paraguay are getting extremely frustrated with their lack of attacking possession. They get into the final third for the first time in ages, but with no support, Antonio Bareiro blasts a hopeless effort from a long way out, the shot blocked by his defender who's all over the lone Paraguay striker like white on rice.\n\n38th min: Chance, Argentina! A deep delivery from way out on the right touchline meets the head of a leaping Nico Gonzalez at the far post, but it's saved well by Carlos Coronel! The header was from a very tight angle, but the Red Bulls goalkeeper still had work to do as he reacted quickly to stick out his left foot and make the reflex stop.\n\n36th min: Chance, Argentina! The referee very dramatically waves away a penalty shout from Alexis Mac Allister! A corner is cleared to the Liverpool midfielder at the top of the penalty area, and he does brilliantly to dribble through multiple defenders. Before he can get a shot off, he's bumped to the ground, and replay shows he has a clear grievance with the no-call! VAR does not intervene.\n\nALEXIS MAC ALLISTER, STOP THAT.pic.twitter.com/wlShqa6mqR — Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) October 12, 2023\n\n34th min: Alvaro Campuzano is whistled for a foul after hip checking Nicolas Tagliafico to the ground, handing Argentina a dangerous free-kick just inside the attacking third. The call by the official sends both Campuzano and Paraguay manager Daniel Garnero into a frenzy, as neither agree with the decision, but it's the right call for overly aggressive body positioning.\n\nThe chance is wasted, however, as it is easily cleared and Argentina must reset.\n\n30th min: Chance, Argentina! Lautaro Martinez has a vicious shot agonizingly deflected wide! He's played in on a cutback from Julian Alvarez down the right, and while the Inter striker has a quality hit from the penalty spot, it just clips a defender and loops inches over the crossbar! That's unlucky!\n\nArgentina are absolutely pummeling the Paraguay back line with silky move after silky move, and the visitors are barely surviving. It's been an onslaught through the first half-hour, especially across the last 10 minutes or so. The one-touch passing through midfield has been essentially unplayable, and on the rare occasion they do lose the ball, they've won it right back within five seconds.\n\nArgentina are playing champagne football. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/y2u5IqqUPy — Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) October 12, 2023\n\n25th min: Julian Alvarez has a shot saved from a very tight angle by Carlos Coronel, conceding a corner. The chance was threaded in beautifully by his strike partner Lautaro Martinez. The set-piece is looped well off target by the head of Cristian Romero.\n\n21st min: The first yellow card of the game is shown to Junior Alonso who comes flying into a challenge with Alexis Mac Allister and catches him high on the ankle. A very bad tackle — not quite worthy of a red, but it's not far off either.\n\n16th min: Ouch, Lautaro Martinez tries to latch onto a wonderful vertical flick from Enzo Fernandez up the gut, but he's just a split-second too late, and he goes sliding into the ribs of Paraguay goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. That looked painful for the Red Bulls goalie, but he's ok to continue.\n\nIt's a bit surprising that Lautaro got away with no booking from that really dangerous decision.\n\n13th min: Chance, Argentina! Oh no, it's a terribly bad miss from Nico Gonzalez. The Argentine winger breaks down the left, and with the Paraguay defense lagging behind, he's got plenty of room to shoot across the face of goal from a somewhat tight angle.\n\nThe \"shot\" is so bad it's hard to tell if he was trying to put it on frame or square it for a teammate at the back post, but it's a tragic attempt either way, as there was nobody anywhere close at the far stick to meet it.\n\n9th min: Paraguay get their first attacking move playing long to the striker, but after a few nervy moments the Argentina defense recovers and gets back on the ball.\n\n4th min: GOAL! ARGENTINA! IT'S A GOLAZO FROM THE CAPTAIN NICOLAS OTAMENDI!\n\nThe first corner of the match goes to Argentina, and as Rodrigo de Paul floats it deep and over the pack, it comes to the Argentina defender who produces an absolutely STUNNING whipped volley, and strikes the ball cleanly by chopping his leg down on the bouncing ball, blasting it through the trees and into the back of the net!\n\n#ARG 1-0 #PAR | 03’ PT | ¡GRITALO NICO! En el arranque del partido, el pilar de la defensa dice presente en el Monumental.\n\n\n\n💙Mirá Argentina vs Paraguay en https://t.co/GYiXqQWnBq #SomosMundiales #Eliminatorias pic.twitter.com/jHgvF4Nbhu — Televisión Pública (@TV_Publica) October 12, 2023\n\nKickoff: The match is under way from Buenos Aires! Lionel Messi starts on the bench for Argentina, but should come into the match early in the second half. We'll see what Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez can do together up front against Paraguay under new management.\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more\n\n15 mins to kickoff: Darwin Nunez deposited a late penalty for Uruguay to share the points with Colombia in a 2-2 draw. It's far too early to be watching outside results too intently, but regardless, that's a great result for Paraguay, who will want every CONMEBOL nation outside the top two to drop as many points as possible.\n\nThe messier it gets around Paraguay, the better a chance they have of securing a qualifying spot in the expanded World Cup field.\n\n💥 ¡Qué cierre! Penal, expulsado el portero y Uruguay lo empata con Darwin Núñez pic.twitter.com/csgmJt6yJz — Tigo Sports Costa Rica (@tigosports_cr) October 12, 2023\n\n30 mins to kickoff: Paraguay have a new manager, as Daniel Garnero makes his debut as the new permanent boss. He spent the last two years in charge of Paraguayan giants Libertad, taking over for Guillermo Barros Schelotto who was let go after the September qualifiers just three days shy of his two-year hire anniversary.\n\n54-year-old Garnero is an Argentine who made one appearance for the national team as a player, and spent most of his career with Argentine club Independiente. He's managed at the club level in Paraguay since 2015 with Sol de America, Guarani, and Olimpia before his spell at Libertad.\n\nIt's quite the test for Garnero in his debut match, taking on Lionel Messi and the defending World Cup champions Argentina, his home nation. My intention is always to play with the ball. We must be smart and aggressive in recoveries.\" A bold claim by the Paraguay boss.\n\n\"Vamos a jugar contra una selección que es la mejor del mundo. No solamente por logros, sino por idea colectiva y rendimientos individuales. Mi intención siempre es jugar con la pelota. Debemos ser inteligentes y agresivos en las recuperaciones\".\n\n\n\n🗣️ Daniel Garnero. pic.twitter.com/yj53M0oTWp — VarskySports (@VarskySports) October 11, 2023\n\n45 mins to kickoff: This is a really big match for Lautaro Martinez. He's had an outstanding start to the Serie A season with Inter, scoring 11 goals in 10 matches, but since slumping in the World Cup, he's yet to recover his national team place.\n\nWith Lionel Messi reportedly set to come off the bench at halftime, he will have a short leash tonight with which to break his 11-match scoreless streak at the international level. Time is running out for Lautaro to prove he is still a viable selection option for Lionel Scaloni.\n\nWhen you realize that the 𝑴𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒔 are playing football today 😄#ArgentinaNT pic.twitter.com/2QOvI8z9YU — Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) October 12, 2023\n\n1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and it's exactly as we thought for Argentina, with Lionel Messi on the bench while the duo of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez start together for the first time ever. Nicolas Tagliafico retains his left-back spot despite the return of Marcos Acuna.\n\nFor Paraguay, however, there's a host of changes. Ivan Ramirez comes in to play right-back for Robert Rojas for just his fourth international cap. The entire midfield three is swapped out as well, with Mattias Espinoza, Alvaro Campuzano, and Richard Sanchez entering the fray. Adam Bareiro takes over at striker for Gabriel Avalos, earning his debut international cap.\n\nJulián Álvarez 🕷️ y Lautaro Martínez 🐂 serán TITULARES en @Argentina 🇦🇷🌟\n\n\n\n¿Qué tal? 👀\n\n\n\n📸 IG/juliaanalvarez pic.twitter.com/c79hhyyhSp — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 Argentina 🇦🇷 (@sportingnewsar) October 12, 2023\n\n1 hour 15 mins to kick: James Rodriguez scored a golazo in the early match tonight to put Colombia in front of Uruguay 1-0 before halftime. It's his first-ever goal against Uruguay, giving him a goal against six of the nine CONMEBOL opponents.\n\nTonight's opponents, Argentina and Paraguay, represent two of the three teams he still has yet to score against, with Brazil the other. Uruguay had briefly leveled the match early in the second half, but Colombia restored its advantage minutes later.\n\nWatch the James Rodriguez goal vs Uruguay\n\n6/9 - James Rodríguez 🇨🇴 le marcó por primera vez a Uruguay por Eliminatorias Sudamericanas. El mediocampista convirtió contra seis de los nueve rivales de Colombia en la clasificatoria: solo no pudo contra Argentina, Brasil y Paraguay. Álbum. pic.twitter.com/Q6yBhoW6mv — OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) October 12, 2023\n\n1 hour 30 mins to kick: With the understanding that Lionel Messi will start tonight's match on the bench, reports indicate that Nicolas Otamendi will wear the captain's armband until Messi enters the pitch.\n\n¡El Comandante! Ante la ausencia de Di María y de confirmarse la presencia de Messi en el banco de los suplentes, Nicolás Otamendi sería el capitán de #Argentina 🇦🇷 en el duelo de esta noche contra #Paraguay 🇵🇾. pic.twitter.com/eMwOg5agu2 — ESPN Fútbol Argentina (@ESPNFutbolArg) October 12, 2023\n\n1 hour 45 mins to kick: There was a rumor that Lionel Messi could be headed to Barcelona on loan to cover the gap left by Inter Miami's failure to qualify for the MLS playoffs, but the rumor never made much sense, and it's been squashed on numerous fronts.\n\nInter Miami coach Gerardo Martino made light of the rumor in his post-match press conference over the weekend after defeat to FC Cincinnati left them mathematically eliminated, saying that he'd only go to Spain \"for fun.\" Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano also shot it down from a journalistic standpoint.\n\nThere isn't enough of a break for him to reasonably integrate with Barcelona, and at 36 years old he's sure to welcome the extended time off.\n\nTata Martino on rumors of Messi playing on loan with Barcelona this winter:\n\n\n\n\"Is he going for fun? Maybe he's going to visit Barcelona. Other than that, I don't know anything else about it.\" pic.twitter.com/qJwoJOwkC6 — Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) October 8, 2023\n\n2 hours to kickoff: Lionel Messi's club Inter Miami were eliminated from MLS playoff contention after their latest defeat, a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati last weekend. Messi had missed the previous four matches but returned to the field for the final 30 minutes. He was powerless to turn the tide of the game, after Inter Miami had missed so many gilt-edged chances in the first half.\n\nHad Inter Miami been still in the playoff hunt, with a potential postseason run on the horizon, Argentina might have played it a bit safer with Messi in this international window. Yet now that his long offseason break is confirmed, Messi may be more aggressive with his minutes here knowing that, after Inter Miami's final two meaningless regular-season matches, he will only have international breaks to keep him sharp until February.\n\nAccording to a report earlier today, Messi will not start tonight, but is likely to play much or all of the second half, while Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez both start a national team match for the first time. World Cup hero Mario Kempes is a big fan of that.\n\n\"No deberíamos entrar en la polémica, como pasó con Batistuta y Crespo. Lautaro tuvo un bajón en el Mundial, entró Julián y cambió muchos las cosas, pero ahora volvió a hacer goles. Y Julián es muy molesto. Corre y marca. Son dos grandes 9\".\n\n\n\n🗣️ Mario Kempes, en @TyCSports. pic.twitter.com/SIFzdIfrM9 — TR SPORTS ®️ (@trsports_) October 11, 2023\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay starting lineups & team news\n\nArgentina head coach Lionel Scaloni named a bloated 36-man squad for the matches against Paraguay and Peru this month, but Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, and Juan Foyth were forced to withdraw due to injury. Lisandro Martinez is also unavailable after having to undergo another foot operation.\n\nNow that Inter Miami's playoff run is officially over, Argentina can feel a little better about deploying Lionel Messi at full 90-minute use despite his recent fitness issues, knowing his club season is nearly over and he'll have months of rest upcoming. Messi missed the last match against Bolivia, and missed four Inter Miami games after, but he returned for a half-hour of action in their final fixture before the international break. However, he doesn't start, but is reportedly fit enough to come off the bench for most or all of the second half.\n\nNicolas Tagliafico started both matches in September, and while Marcos Acuna is back with the team following an injury, the former retains his starting spot. Messi's club teammate Facundo Farias was also included on the roster but it'd be surprising if he saw the field.\n\nArgentina starting lineup (4-3-3): E. Martinez (GK) — Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico — De Paul, Mac Allister, E. Fernandez — J. Alvarez, L. Martinez, N. Gonzalez.\n\nArgentina subs (12): Armani (GK), Musso (GK), Quarta, Montiel, Acuna, Ocampos, Paredes, Lo Celso, Pezzella, G. Rodriguez, Garnacho, Messi.\n\nParaguay head coach Daniel Garnero has rung the changes after falling to Venezuela last time out, making five alterations to that starting lineup. The entire midfield is swapped out, while Adam Bareiro takes over at striker, earning his debut international cap in place of Gabriel Avalos.\n\nForward Miguel Almiron is Paraguay's most prominent goalscoring threat and is in good form, with three goals in his past five matches for Newcastle United.\n\nParaguay have questions at goalkeeper, as mainstay Antony Silva has been phased out, leaving three inexperienced internationals currently on the roster. New York Red Bulls starter Carlos Coronel earned his first two caps in the September matches and he remains in net here. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Diego Gomez was named to the Paraguay roster but was forced to withdraw due to injury.\n\nParaguay starting lineup (5-4-1): C. Coronel (GK) — I. Ramirez, G. Gomez, Balbuena, Alonso, Espinoza — R Sanchez, Campuzano, Almiron, Bareiro — Sosa.\n\nParaguay subs (12): Rojas (GK), Espinola (GK), R. Rojas, Alderete, Avalos, Sanabria, Villaba, Galarza, M. Rojas, A. Romero, Gimenez, Ojeda.\n\nHow to watch Argentina vs Paraguay\n\nFollowing an agreement at the 11th hour of the September international break, broadcast rights for Argentina's home World Cup qualifiers in the United States have been secured by Telemundo and Univision. That means viewers in the USA can watch this match on Universo, with streaming on Fubo as well as the company's premium subscription services.\n\nThe match is not set to be available globally to regions including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as CONMEBOL has yet to sell broadcast rights to a provider in those territories.\n\nOther territories with broadcast options for this match include Malaysia (Astro Supersport), Argentina (TyC Sports), Brazil (SporTV 2), France (L'Equipe Web), Spain (Movistar), and Saudi Arabia (SSC).\n\nMORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA | Watch EPL in Canada\n\nTV channel Streaming USA Universo Fubo, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo NOW UK — — Australia — — Canada — — India — — New Zealand — — Malaysia Astro Supersport Astro Go, sooka Singapore — — Hong Kong — —\n\nArgentina vs Paraguay betting odds & lines\n\nIn Canada, bet CONMEBOL at Sports Interaction: See the latest odds for Argentina vs Paraguay here", + "With the 2023 MLS season closing earlier than expected for Inter Miami, eliminated from playoff contention, Lionel Messi will have significant time off before the new campaign begins in February 2024.\n\nWith every new season come preseason friendlies, as the players hope to ramp up their match fitness prior to the start of the coming campaign. Players need game time to build their bodies to the point where they can play full 90-minute matches, especially when they are contesting multiple games a week.\n\nInter Miami's preseason will be watched with extra observation as Messi draws considerable attention wherever he goes, home or abroad. The Argentina star had looked like being part of a tour of China, although that's no longer the case, while the prospect of facing a familiar side from home is a tantalising one.\n\nThe Sporting News has compiled all the known preseason matches either confirmed or reported prior to the start of Inter Miami's 2024 season.\n\nMORE: Read all the details regarding Inter Miami vs Al Nassr featuring Messi vs Ronaldo\n\nInter Miami friendly matches for 2024 preseason\n\nBelow are all the known fixtures that have either been confirmed by the club directly or widely reported by media.\n\nIt was anticipated that Inter Miami would embark on a two-match tour of China, but that has now been cancelled, with the trip proving too difficult logistically to arrange. It was replaced by a friendly against fellow MLS side NYCFC to honor Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or.\n\nThe biggest confirmed match is the meeting between Messi and rival Cristiano Ronaldo as Inter Miami announced a pair of fixtures in Saudi Arabia, including against Ronaldo's Al Nassr on February 1.\n\nMORE: When does Inter Miami's 2024 season begin? Lionel Messi to retake field in February\n\nConfirmed Inter Miami preseason fixtures\n\nUnconfirmed Inter Miami preseason fixtures reported\n\nDate Kickoff (ET) Match Location Sat, Jan. 20, 2024 TBD (rumored) Inter Miami vs. River Plate AT&T Stadium\n\n(Dallas, TX, USA)\n\nMessi vs Ronaldo set as Inter Miami schedule Al Nassr friendly\n\nLionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet in a club friendly between Inter Miami and Al Nassr in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, February 1 with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local time in Saudi Arabia).\n\nThe match comes as the second of a double-header for Inter Miami in Saudi Arabia as part of the annual Riyadh Season Cup showcase. Three days prior, Inter Miami will also meet fellow Saudi club Al Hilal.\n\nMessi and Ronaldo have squared off 35 times across their careers, with Messi winning 16 times to Ronaldo's 10, plus nine draws. Messi claimed the most recent face-off as PSG won their friendly matchup 5-4 in Riyadh last time around.\n\nMORE: A full rundown of how each game in the Messi vs Ronaldo matchup has played out\n\nInter Miami to play El Salvador in January\n\nInter Miami's first confirmed friendly of the 2024 preseason will see the club travel to San Sebastian to take on the El Salvador national team on January 19.\n\nThe match does not fall under an official FIFA international window, meaning the national team will likely not feature any players from Europe or other leagues currently in season.\n\n\"We look forward to facing the El Salvador national team in what will be a good first test for our squad against the best players from the country,” said Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson.\n\nTicketing and broadcast details will be available at a later date.\n\nMORE: All the details regarding Lionel Messi's Inter Miami contract and salary\n\nInter Miami visit Hong Kong in February tour of Asia\n\nThe club announced in early December that Inter Miami would take a tour of Asia in early February as part of their 2024 preseason slate.\n\nThe trip will see Inter Miami play a collection of top players from the Hong Kong First Division. The match will be played on February 4 at Hong Kong Stadium, which seats approximately 40,000 fans, while the club will hold an open training session the day prior. Tickets go on sale December 15 on ticket exchange site Klook.\n\nWhile the match is the only one in Asia confirmed as of yet, Inter Miami's reference of the trip as a \"tour of Asia\" suggests more matches could be announced in due time. It's notable that Inter Miami will indeed travel to Asia after their attempts to play matches in China back in November fell through.\n\n\"We're very excited to be visiting Hong Kong and indeed Asia for the very first time,\" explained Jorge Mas, Inter Miami CF Managing Owner. \"From the very beginning we set out to be a global club at Inter Miami. This is a wonderful opportunity to do just that; we hope to enthuse and inspire new Inter Miami fans in Hong Kong and across Asia who share our passion for fútbol.\"\n\n“Hong Kong is a beautiful city with a great sports scene,” added Inter Miami CF Co-Owner, David Beckham. “Throughout my career, I have spent a lot of time in Asia - I am so pleased to have the opportunity to bring Inter Miami to play our first international tour match in this fantastic city.”\n\nVissel Kobe to face Inter Miami in Tokyo\n\nFollowing the match with Hong Kong, Inter Miami will head to Tokyo to take on J1 League champions Vissel Kobe.\n\nThe game will take place at the Japan National Stadium and feature a very special guest: Andres Iniesta.\n\nSpain's World Cup-winning midfielder spent five years with Vissel Kobe after spending his entire club career until that point with Barcelona, where he played alongside Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba during an era of astonishing success in Catalonia.\n\n\"Vissel Kobe is a powerhouse club in Asia coming off of a historic season after winning the J1 League, so we're thrilled about this opportunity to sharpen our team in a match like this one. We continue to look for the best ways to prepare for 2024, and feel confident this match and this tour will help us do that,\" said Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson.\n\nBoyhood Messi club to face Inter Miami in USA\n\nAfter their Asia trip, Inter Miami will host a friendly at DRV PNK Stadium against Newell's Old Boys.\n\nThe team from Argentina hold a special place in the heart of Messi and Martino. Not only are both men from the city of Rosario, where Newell's are based, but Messi developed at the club's youth academy and Martino played more than 400 senior games for the club before becoming head coach in 2012.\n\n\"I am delighted to welcome my beloved Newell's to our home here in Miami. It will be a special match due to everything Newell's Old Boys means to me,\" said the Inter Miami coach. \"It will also be a good opportunity to prepare for what will surely be an exciting season.\"\n\nMessi signed for Barcelona after spending six years as a youth player at Newell's, during which time he reportedly scored 234 goals.\n\nWill Inter Miami face River Plate in Dallas?\n\nIn late November, it was reported that Inter Miami have arranged to contest a friendly against Argentine giants River Plate in Dallas, Texas in late January.\n\nAccording to Argentine journalist German Balcarce of River Plate publication RMG, the match will take place on January 20 and will be played at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. However, with the El Salvador friendly, which is confirmed by the club, happening literally the day before in El Salvador, it would be impossible for Inter Miami to play this match as reported unless they split the squad.\n\nThe match would supposedly be the second leg of a two-part trip for River Plate, who will also meet Liga MX club Deportivo Guadalajara (formerly Chivas) on January 17 at the same venue. This will be updated with any additional information on whether this match will be moved to another day or nixed entirely.\n\nInter Miami play NYCFC in Noche d'Or to replace China trip\n\nWith the club's elimination from 2023 MLS playoff contention, Lionel Messi is facing nearly a full month off from competitive fixtures before he takes the field for Argentina against Uruguay and Brazil in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.\n\nLikely with the sole intent of keeping Messi fit in that time off, and the added bonus of raking in significant cash, Inter Miami scheduled a two-match tour of China in early November after their regular season concluded.\n\nThey were expected to visit two Chinese Super League sides, starting with a match against Qingdao Hainiu on November 5, followed by a game against Chengdu Rongcheng three days later However, it was reported on October 30 the planned tour was off. Gaston Edu of TyC Sports reported the visit had been cancelled due to \"commercial and bureaucratic\" reasons.\n\nInter Miami no va a viajar a China. La gira que incluía dos amistosos se cae por temas burocráticos/comerciales. pic.twitter.com/8I0jBxg4Zz — Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) October 30, 2023\n\nInstead, Inter Miami met NYCFC in a hastily arranged friendly at DRV PNK Stadium on November 10 to honor Lionel Messi's most recent Ballon d'Or. The friendly is being dubbed the \"Noche d'Or\" or \"Night of Gold\" as a nod to his latest achievement.", + "In this article SHOP-CA\n\nUPS\n\nFDX\n\nAMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT\n\nDave Clark (L) and Ryan Petersen (R) Getty Images\n\nOn Sept. 13, Flexport founder Ryan Petersen took the stage at North America's premier supply chain conference in Phoenix. It was exactly a week after he'd forced out his hand-picked successor as CEO, ex-Amazon executive Dave Clark, so Petersen could once again run the show. Sitting in the first few rows of attendees was Clark, the man he'd ousted just a year into the job. Petersen was surprised that he showed up, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Days earlier, Petersen had excoriated Clark, alleging he'd secretly expanded the company's headcount and taken on unnecessary leases without Petersen or the board's knowledge. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Petersen wrote, \"Strategic Plan, Day 1: Make better decisions!\" With Clark sitting a few feet away, Petersen struck a different tone. \"I think we're going to look back and go, 'Wow I'd probably do that all over again because of the progress that we've made,'\" Petersen said, in an interview on stage. Doing it over again would seem to suggest hiring Clark wasn't a bad decision. Petersen went even further, personally commending Clark for orchestrating the $1.3 billion purchase of Deliverr from Shopify , picking up supply chain technology for last-mile deliveries. That deal was announced in May. \"I'm very, very lucky because I wouldn't have had the courage to go and do that acquisition, but I give all the credit in the world to Dave Clark,\" Petersen said. \"There's no one probably in the world who would be better at running that last-mile e-com fulfillment network. Personally, I don't have any experience and I would've been pretty intimidated to try and go pull that off.\" The mixed messaging from the 43-year-old Flexport founder underscores the dysfunction surrounding the sudden firing of Clark, who previously spent 23 years at Amazon and built its mammoth logistics network on the way to becoming one of Jeff Bezos' top deputies. It's also indicative of a bigger challenge facing Flexport, whose software is designed to simplify the process of transporting goods. The company was valued at $8 billion by private investors in early 2022, just as the economy was turning and the 10-year tech bull market was coming to an end. As a high-valued company backed by powerful VCs, Flexport has been trying to simultaneously operate in Silicon Valley startup growth mode while also restraining expenses to reflect the new economic realities and to cope with supply chain bottlenecks. This account is based on conversations with people close to Clark and Petersen. They requested anonymity to discuss confidential interactions. Their perspectives have been corroborated by internal documents and communications reviewed by CNBC. Petersen has publicly said Clark overspent, overhired and overpromised, something his allies echoed to CNBC. He burned through cash and kept Petersen in the dark about key financials and an ambitious expansion into providing end-to-end supply chain tools for small and medium-sized businesses. People close to Petersen pointed to a number of previously unreported incidents that eroded his confidence in Clark. But documents viewed by CNBC and sources close to Clark undermine those claims. They show that Clark, who arrived when the company was struggling to bill customers and track containers, worked closely with the board and Petersen to implement decisions that Flexport now suggests were ill-advised. Evidence to support Flexport's claims of financial mismanagement is lacking, raising questions about whether that narrative was put forward to justify Clark's exit. A Flexport spokesperson rejected that characterization. \"Ryan Petersen returned as CEO in order to restore Flexport's culture of customer engagement, and drive the growth and cost discipline required to return the company to profitability,\" the spokesperson said in a statement.\n\nGet IPO ready\n\nClark arrived last year as the perfect hire for a tech startup trying to disrupt the age-old logistics industry. He'd built Amazon's logistics unit into a juggernaut that rivaled carriers like UPS and FedEx .\n\nRyan Petersen, chief executive officer of Flexport, participates in a panel discussion during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images\n\nSince 2021, Petersen had been seeking a successor for Flexport's then-operating chief, Sanne Manders, in part to address what several ex-employees described as lingering issues with the company's troubled billing processes. Fixing that was Clark's job. Petersen and Clark worked together as co-CEOs for the first six months. In March, Petersen transitioned to executive chairman. The co-CEO arrangement would free Petersen up to do what he loved – \"getting beers with customers,\" in the words of two former Flexport employees. Clark, a self-described \"builder at heart,\" was at the wheel. Among Clark's goals was to help Petersen prepare Flexport for an IPO, something the company had discussed doing within a two- to three-year window, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents viewed by CNBC. \"There's a perfect complement of skill sets,\" Petersen told Forbes in June 2022. \"Mine are much more creative, zero-to-one founder time, and Dave is the supreme executor and a legend in the supply chain world.\" Buying Deliverr was meant to be the first step in turning Flexport into a more full-scale logistics service for its customers. Shopify had acquired Deliverr in May 2022 for $2.1 billion. But the e-commerce software company was getting hammered by Wall Street as its Covid pandemic pop faded. By January 2023, CEO Tobias Lutke knew he needed to get rid of Deliverr. Around that time, Lutke first approached Petersen to float the possibility of a deal, according to a person familiar with the matter. Petersen told Clark he should engage with Shopify's team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Initial talks fell apart, but resumed when Flexport executives learned that Shopify was about to execute deep cost cuts and was eager to sell Deliverr. Clark and Petersen flew to Miami to meet with Shopify's leadership. As a transaction was nearing, Clark, who had a reputation as a deft negotiator, got Shopify, which was already an investor in Flexport, to sweeten it with $40 million in cash and the framework for a $260 million convertible note that could help Flexport on its path to an IPO, according to an internal document analyzing the deal. The sale would be announced alongside Shopify's first-quarter earnings report on May 4. \"We did not change the terms of a deal or rush it just to have it line up with an earnings call,\" Shopify said in a statement. With Flexport, \"we are tightly mission-aligned to ensure the success of our merchants, which is why we chose to deepen our partnership with them earlier this year.\" The night before the announcement, Petersen appeared at a \"Tech Talk\" at Flexport's Bellevue, Washington, office to pitch the \"Flexport vision\" to hundreds of people. An attendee asked Petersen whether Flexport would ever get into last-mile logistics. Petersen paused, glanced at his watch, and said to keep an eye on the morning news, according to a Flexport employee who witnessed the exchange and by a person who was told independently. The comment alarmed Clark and Flexport executives, who were concerned that Petersen had disclosed material nonpublic information about a publicly traded company, according to people familiar with the matter. Petersen didn't respond to calls or messages from CNBC, and the company declined to make him available for an interview. A Flexport spokesperson didn't respond to CNBC's question about whether Petersen was aware of concerns about his statement at the event.\n\nThe 'whistleblower'\n\nClark's first quarterly board meeting as sole CEO was June 1. His second was Aug. 31, days before he was forced out. The board was made up largely of investors who were betting on the founder. It included Founders Fund's Trae Stephens, who had helped start defense-tech firm Anduril Industries, and Michael Ronen, who left SoftBank in 2020. Andreessen Horowitz was represented by Bob Swan, an operating partner at the firm and former CEO of Intel .\n\nBob Swan, then-interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Intel Corp., reacts during the inauguration of the company's research and development facility in Bengaluru, India, on November 15, 2018. Samyukta Lakshmi | Bloomberg | Getty Images\n\nFor much of the summer, Clark had pushed then-CFO Kenny Wagers and his financial planning and analysis team to realign Flexport's year-end and 18-month forecasts, according to a person close to the situation. The reasons were obvious. At the beginning of 2022, it cost around $14,500 to move a single container across the Pacific. By late 2022, prices of ocean freight from Asia to the U.S. West Coast were down 90% from a year earlier, due largely to weakening global demand. Because Flexport makes money by charging fees for the transportation of goods, the company's business was getting hammered. But Wagers and Stuart Leung, a Flexport finance executive and a close Petersen ally, were reluctant to pare back forecasts, frustrating Clark, who felt those projections were overly optimistic. Wagers and Leung did not respond to CNBC's interview requests. Clark ultimately prevailed, but the revised forecasts distressed Petersen. Clark, Petersen and Wagers met in Texas in mid-August to fine-tune the forecasts. A source close to Petersen told CNBC that the meeting went poorly for Clark because a so-called whistleblower — identified as a senior finance executive — stepped forward shortly before it began and told Petersen that the numbers being presented were \"not real.\" The source referred to the senior finance executive as a whistleblower because of the information he disclosed to Petersen about Clark. Documents seen by CNBC and conversations with people with direct knowledge of the board meeting make it clear that there were no substantiated whistleblower actions or allegations of financial impropriety. Flexport's spokesperson told CNBC in a statement: \"There was no whistleblower nor was there any financial misconduct. Any allegations to the contrary are completely false.\" On Sept. 15, shortly after CNBC spoke with the Petersen source, legal counsel for Clark sent a cease-and-desist letter to Flexport. The letter, viewed by CNBC, instructed the company to preserve and retain all communications involving Clark's departure. The letter disputes the existence of a whistleblower and lists specific allegations as false and defamatory, including Petersen's claims that Clark was an unfit CEO because he overextended the company's lease obligations. Five hours after the letter was sent, the source close to Petersen contacted CNBC and asked to retract their statements and all details related to Clark's firing or about the so-called whistleblower. CNBC declined to retract his statements. Petersen has since deleted several of his posts criticizing Clark.\n\nDave Clark, Amazon's former senior vice president of worldwide operations. Lindsey Wasson | Reuters\n\nThe letter cited two documents that had been presented to the board. Both were viewed by CNBC. The first was a pre-acquisition financial analysis of the Deliverr deal, and the second was a review of Flexport's first-quarter numbers. The Deliverr analysis was presented by the co-CEOs to the board for their approval and was shaped by multiple prior board meetings. Clark's camp suggested that other factors may have led to the abrupt firing. For example, politics. Days after Clark was ousted, Petersen sent him a message — seen by CNBC — blasting one of his key female executives for wasting her days at the company on \"far left-wing political activism.\" The executive is a registered Republican. Stephens, the Founders Fund partner, also shared his contempt for that executive weeks before Clark's departure, a person familiar with the board told CNBC. Stephens did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Petersen is also a venture partner at Founders Fund, the firm started by Peter Thiel, who was a prominent supporter of President Trump's 2016 campaign and more recently bankrolled Senate candidates in Ohio and Arizona. Many of Thiel's closest confidantes at Founders Fund and elsewhere in the venture industry are outspoken conservatives. Petersen's sole public political contribution in 2023 was to a Democratic political action committee associated with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. He doesn't talk much about politics on social media or in interviews. Clark has donated to candidates on both sides of the aisle. Upon his departure, The Wall Street Journal reported that he was considering running for governor of Texas, but two people familiar with his thinking say it's not happening anytime soon. Flexport told CNBC that an employee's politics are not relevant in personnel decisions. \"Ryan Petersen does not care at all about anyone's political or personal affiliations. That is their business,\" the spokesperson said. \"It is inappropriate for any employee to spend an excessive amount of time during work hours on activities unrelated to their role.\" A person familiar with the female executive said her noncorporate endeavors were largely related to charitable organizations. Clark has largely remained silent since he was forced to resign on Sept. 5, though in private he's expressed frustration at how his former team was being treated by Flexport, according to people close to him. Many of his allies at Amazon who joined him at Flexport were summarily fired by Petersen shortly after his departure. On Sept. 13, Flexport's chief legal counsel, Chris Ferro, contacted Clark. Ferro told him that his resignation a week prior had not been accepted, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Instead, Ferro told Clark that Flexport's board met the day after Clark resigned and voted to fire him for cause, the person familiar said. Ferro said the board minutes didn't yet reflect why Clark had been fired, the person said. Ferro allegedly told Clark that Flexport would be willing to give him a block of 2 million shares — worth millions of dollars — if he signed a separation agreement that included nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses. Clark declined, the person said. Shortly after Flexport reached out with the offer, Clark took the stage at the same supply chain conference in Phoenix that Petersen spoke at earlier in the day. He didn't hold back. \"The only thing I really regret from the past year was I sort of picked the wrong founder,\" Clark said. \"Basically, it was a place of extending my reputational halo to a group that, in my opinion, didn't deserve it. Largely, because about half the team was let go last week on Friday, the most brutal nonseverance packages I've ever seen in my life. It was about as disrespectful a way as humanly possible.\"\n\nAmazon showdown\n\nOn top of the public relations fallout from the Clark saga and any legal wrangling that may follow, Flexport faces staffing turnover and a growing threat from Clark's former employer. Flexport recently ousted Wagers as CFO and lost its human resources chief. More layoffs are expected soon, sources said, after the company cut 20% of its staff in January. On Sept. 12, almost a week after Clark was fired, Flexport executives convened in Seattle to launch an end-to-end supply chain service that would allow sellers to move their products from factories to customers' doorsteps through integrations with major online marketplaces. The project was spearheaded by Parisa Sadrzadeh, an executive vice president at Flexport who Clark had poached from Amazon's logistics unit. Earlier in the day, and just up the street from Flexport's event, Amazon had unveiled a strikingly similar service in front of approximately 2,200 attendees at its annual Accelerate seller conference. Flexport had planned to have a booth onsite but was told it couldn't be an exhibitor, which some staffers suspected was due to the competing supply chain products, according to a person familiar with the matter. Flexport discussed securing exhibit space at Accelerate months earlier but didn't meet all the requirements to participate, and its launch wasn't mentioned in those conversations, Amazon said. Flexport's event was underwhelming. In a conference room, about 50 people looked on as Sadrzadeh debuted Flexport's service and then introduced Petersen, who spoke for roughly 20 minutes, according to Burak Yolga, co-founder of a digital freight forwarding company who was in attendance. \"Flexport announced pretty much the same thing that Amazon announced,\" Yolga said in an interview. He said he left after about a half-hour. The company paid rapper Nelly $150,000 to perform at the event. But in the days leading up to the launch, Petersen opted to squash the performance because the optics were bad after his post about rescinding job offers, a person familiar with the matter said. Despite canceling the event, Flexport still paid the artist. WATCH: Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen on reinvesting profits", + "The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free.\n\nWelcome back to The Station, your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B.\n\nIt was an absolutely wild week on the robotaxi front, and more specifically for GM’s self-driving car subsidiary Cruise.\n\nThe week started off with the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspending Cruise’s driverless and deployment permits (with the California Public Utilities Commission following shortly after), effectively ending the company’s robotaxi operations in San Francisco just months after receiving the last necessary permit to commercialize its operations.\n\nTwo days later, Cruise decided to pause driverless operations in every market it had started to charge for its robotaxi service, including Austin, Houston and Phoenix.\n\nThat decision was surprising to me based on how sources had described an all-hands meeting earlier in the week that was led by co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt. In that meeting, which came the day after the DMV suspended Cruise’s permit, Vogt and other leaders told staff the company had not paused operations elsewhere besides California and gave no indication that the company was planning to. Instead, Vogt told employees the company was re-evaluating how it discloses information to regulators to ensure it is clearly communicated, according to an account from sources who heard the call.\n\nCruise had even quietly launched driverless operations in Miami (just a few vehicles), a move that suggested the company was moving ahead despite its significant problems in California.\n\nWhat changed? Perhaps Cruise execs were pressured by GM or they looked around and realized that they were losing support from other states. Either way, Cruise said it’s now going to examine “processes, systems, and tools and reflect on how we can better operate in a way that will earn public trust.”\n\nThat might be a hefty challenge, especially in California. As the Cruise drama unfolded, opposition against robotaxis grew in cities like Los Angeles. And two of the biggest groups to oppose robotaxi expansion in California are now formally working together.\n\nWant to reach out with a tip, comment or complaint? Email Kirsten at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Rebecca at rebecca.techcrunch@gmail.com.\n\nReminder that you can drop us a note at tips@techcrunch.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and various encrypted messaging apps.\n\nMicromobbin’\n\nTaiwanese battery swapping giant Gogoro came to play at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, showing off how its scooter batteries can also be used to power a tiny car. The tiny car in question? Project X, a concept built by the Foxconn-led Mobility in Harmony Consortium (MIH). The cute little EV is a three-seater; the spot in the backseat where you’d normally seat a fourth person is taken up by two Gogoro battery pack slots.\n\nAt the event, MIH said it aims to sell 100,000 of the minicars per year in India, Thailand and Japan starting in 2025. The company will initially target fleet operators and ride-hailing services rather than individual customers. MIH says Project X supports autonomous driving Levels 2 to 4 depending on the user’s needs. The price isn’t yet fixed, but should top around $20,000.\n\nIt’s not clear if Gogoro’s swappable batteries will be used to power the vehicles going forward. After all, that would require Gogoro to set up a swapping network in those regions. But if so, it would signal a new revenue stream for the company, which has been struggling to reach profitability amid softening demand and large investments into international expansion.\n\n— Rebecca Bellan\n\nDeal of the week\n\nWell this is a fun one.\n\nFlexport is in talks to acquire the technology of Convoy, the once buzzy digital freight startup that abruptly shuttered after failing to find a buyer. This possible deal, which was reported by WSJ, didn’t have any other details, but it still made me raise an eyebrow.\n\nLest you forget, Flexport founder Ryan Petersen just took back the CEO title after his hand-picked successor was pushed out. Petersen’s big message has been getting the company’s financial house back in order and has criticized former CEO Dave Clark of overspending, specifically around hiring and expanding too quickly. Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people.\n\nIf Flexport acquires the technology, the company plans to restore Convoy’s trucking services for as many customers and partners as possible, according to WSJ’s source. And folks, that’s going to cost money. Is Petersen’s reign of financial frugality already over?\n\nOther deals that got my attention …\n\nFaction, the driverless tech developer, raised an undisclosed amount in a round led by TDK Ventures. Ducera Partners, Trucks Venture Capital and Fifty Years also joined the round.\n\nOla Electric raised $384.4 million in a funding round, which included about $240 million in debt. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek led the funding round and Indian government-backed lender State Bank of India bankrolled the debt. The new round values the Bengaluru-headquartered electric vehicle startup at about $5.4 billion\n\nPony.ai, the Chinese autonomous vehicle startup, scored $100 million from Neom, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city and development project. As part of the deal, a joint venture will be established to develop, manufacture and deploy autonomous vehicles and smart infrastructure in Neom and key markets in the Middle East North Africa region.\n\nNeom also announced plans this week to set up a $10 billion joint venture with Danish freight forwarder DSV.\n\nStellantis made a €1.5 billion deal ($1.59 billion) to take a 20% stake in Chinese electric vehicle maker Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologies, just days after ending manufacturing in the country. The deal includes the formation of Leapmotor International, a 51% to 49% Stellantis-led joint venture that has exclusive rights for the export and sale, as well as manufacturing, of Leapmotor products outside China.\n\nNotable reads and other tidbits\n\nAutonomous vehicles\n\nWaymo driverless vehicles are now available through the Uber app, starting with Phoenix. The launch comes five months since the two companies announced a multi-year agreement for the autonomous vehicle service to be accessed via the Uber app.\n\nElectric vehicles, batteries & charging\n\nFord is delaying about $12 billion in planned investments on EVs, including construction of a second battery plant with joint venture partner SK On due to softening demand for higher-priced premium electric vehicles. While EV sales have grown, consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for an EV over a gas or hybrid vehicle. That price pressure has squeezed profits, and in the case of Ford’s EV business caused losses to grow.\n\nGeneral Motors and long-time partner Honda have ended plans to build millions of affordable and smaller electric vehicles as the automakers come to terms with high interest rates and battery costs coupled with softening EV demand. Anyone spotting a trend here?\n\nNikola, the electric and hydrogen-powered heavy truck maker, was awarded $165 million from its founder and former executive chairman, Trevor Milton, in an arbitration proceeding.\n\nNio has opened its 2,000th Power Swap Station in China, nearing its goal to build 2,300 stations by the end of 2023. The company has expanded on its strategy of swapping out EV batteries, rather than charging them, an infrastructure-intensive process that has the potential to make topping up a battery as quick as filling up a gas tank.\n\nTesla has the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice — again. This time it has received requests for information, including subpoenas from the DOJ related to perks, the advertised range of its EVs and personnel decisions.\n\nIn-car and mobile tech\n\nGoogle Maps and Waze stopped live traffic updates in Israel and the Gaza Strip at the request of the Israel Defense Forces. A Google spokesperson said the ability to see live traffic conditions and business information was halted temporarily out of “consideration for the safety of local communities.” Google did something similar in 2022 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine because the apps were being used to track military movements.\n\nXPeng, often called the Chinese challenger to Tesla, has removed high-definition mapping in its XNGP assisted driving feature following its rival’s lead.\n\nRide-hailing and car-sharing\n\nRapido, the eight-year-old Indian bike taxi startup, is expanding into the cab market in the South Asian nation, where Uber and its homegrown competitor Ola dominate.\n\nPeer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace Turo has introduced a buy-now-pay-later option. Now you can reserve a car without immediately paying for it until seven days before a trip. Turo says it built the BNPL option in-house.\n\nUAW strike\n\nProgress was made as the United Autoworkers strike wrapped up its sixth week. The UAW struck tentative deals with Ford and Stellantis this past week. Workers still have to ratify the deal, but with UAW president Shawn Fain’s support that outcome is likely.\n\nHowever, over at GM, it appears that negotiations are moving in the opposite direction. The UAW called for a surprise walkout at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee factory, a plant where 4,000 workers assemble engines and three Cadillac models.", + "Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nSport email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nThis time was supposed to be different. This Ireland team were different… are different. But, come the end, the result was the same. On quarter-final weekend, for the eighth time in 10 Rugby World Cups, Ireland head home defeated and the wait for a first-ever knockout win goes on.\n\nYou could feel the desperation around the Stade de France, awash with green thanks to the Irish fans doing their part, as Ireland went through phase after phase after phase after phase hunting the try that could overturn the 28-24 scoreline staring back at them from the giant screen.\n\nA move that started well inside their own half, with 77 minutes on the clock, ended 37 phases and five minutes later in heartbreak. Thirty-seven gruelling phases of Bundee Aki grinding out extra yards with each punishing carry, Tadhg Beirne left at a literal standstill through tiredness and Johnny Sexton – for the final time ahead of retirement – running the famous wraparound upon which he’s built maybe the greatest Ireland career of all-time. But it ended, almost inevitably, with a turnover deep in the New Zealand 22, the ball being kicked to touch and the men in green sinking to the floor bereft.\n\nThis is the greatest Ireland team of all time, they may still even be the best team in the world but on this day, the quarter-final curse, not to mention an inspired All Blacks side, ruled once more.\n\nThis defeat will hurt more than any other. Truthfully, since 1991 when Michael Lynagh’s late try handed Australia victory, Ireland hadn’t come close to ending their last-eight hoodoo. Never mind winning one, they haven’t led a World Cup quarter-final since the first half of the 1995 defeat to France, a mammoth 10,353 days ago.\n\nBut here they had a legitimate chance to reverse the curse. Multiple times they got within a point of the All Blacks, only for their opponents to agonisingly pull away once more. And then there were those 37 phases… the most painful finish in Irish rugby history.\n\nIreland were left bereft after an agonising defeat (PA Wire)\n\nInstead of being feted as the heroes to finally overcome that insurmountable obstacle, the Ireland players will still have to answer endless questions about the heavy burden of previous knockout failures and fans will endure at least four more years of choking jokes at their expense.\n\nAs for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.\n\nYet somehow, he hung on and turned things round. He has the unwanted title of being the first New Zealand coach to lose a World Cup pool match but now a semi-final awaits next Friday evening against an Argentina side that, frankly, are a tier below them. Forget the hand-wringing ahead of the tournament, the All Blacks are one very small step away from another World Cup final.\n\nFoster will leave his role after the World Cup, to be replaced by all-conquering Crusaders boss Scott Robertson, but he can still exit with the greatest prize of all. And frankly, who would bet against the All Blacks now?\n\nThe opening-night nerves against France seem a long time ago and they ultimately had too much for Ireland in this simply incredible, back-and-forth Test match that may genuinely go down as one of the best of all time.\n\nAfter early penalties from Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett, they scored a scintillating try through Leicester Fainga’anuku, who was only in the starting XV due to Mark Telea’s breach of team protocol earlier in the week. Beauden Barrett expertly dinked over the top, collected his own chip and when the ball was spread wide, Fainga’anuku and Rieko Ioane neatly combined to send the former over in the corner.\n\nNew Zealand played some scintillating rugby in victory (AFP via Getty Images)\n\nThey led 13-0 and though they may not have realised, no team had ever squandered a lead that large in a World Cup quarter-final. Not that they would have expected an easy ride from there.\n\nThey conceded a penalty straight from the restart as their kick chase was illegally impeded and Sexton duly slotted the three.\n\nIreland had made something of a statement during the Haka as their fans drowned it out with a rousing rendition of Fields of Athenry and the players formed a figure of eight in memory of ex-international and Munster coach Anthony Foley, who tragically died in 2016, as they stared down their opponents. But the first real in-match statement came on 27 minutes as New Zealand-born Aki – perhaps the player of the World Cup so far who had made a tournament-high 61 carries, 33 dominant carries and 23 defenders beaten heading into the weekend – brilliantly jinked inside two defenders, fended off another and powered through a gap to dive over the line.\n\nYet more All-Black class saw Ardie Savea go over in the corner after quick ball was shipped wide but with scrum-half Aaron Smith in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, Ireland narrowed the gap to 18-17 just before the break as another New Zealand-born Irish star, Jamison Gibson-Park, sniped from a lineout maul and somehow stretched out for the try.\n\nThe All Blacks extended an incredible record of leading at half-time of their quarter-final in every single World Cup but that lead had never felt more fragile.\n\nThe All Blacks eventually prevailed in Paris (Reuters)\n\nThe second half followed a similar, rollercoaster pattern as every time Ireland got close, their opponents found a way to stretch the lead. Mo’unga’s sumptuous dummy and sleight of hand from first-phase lineout ball froze two Irish defenders and led to a scything break before he fed speedster Will Jordan to race over the whitewash.\n\nThat extended the gap to eight points but a penalty try as an Irish driving maul was illegally hauled down closed it to 25-24 with 17 minutes to go and sent Codie Taylor for 10 minutes in the sin-bin.\n\nYet this All Blacks team suddenly have a resilience about them and brushed off the underdog status they had been given in the build-up to this game as their tireless back row continually disrupted breakdowns and a disciplined defence refused to yield.\n\nJordie Barrett added a penalty to take the score to 28-24 and that’s how it eventually stayed. While Ireland will rue the 37 phases that ended in heartbreak, they may just go down in New Zealand rugby history. Tired bodies made tackle after tackle and not a single penalty was given away.\n\nThe delight at the final whistle showed this wasn’t just any quarter-final victory and while Ireland ponder just what they have to do to finally win a World Cup knockout match, the All Blacks can dream of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup for a fourth time. The pain and ecstasy of sport writ large.", + "The Code Conference wrapped up a few days back, and we’re bringing you the last of our interviews from the event. My friend and colleague, Verge deputy editor Alex Heath, sat down to chat with Roblox CEO David Baszucki live onstage.\n\nEarlier this year, Roblox announced grand plans to build an audience of adults. You probably think of Roblox as a kid thing — we reported in 2020 that half of all US kids under 16 had played it — but the last time David and Alex chatted, the company had big plans to change all that, and Alex asked how all of that was going.\n\nListen to Decoder, a show hosted by The Verge’s Nilay Patel about big ideas — and other problems. Subscribe here!\n\nRoblox is determined to be a platform, even more than a product — something users can develop games and experiences within. It sounds quite a lot like a metaverse idea, but you’ll hear David say he doesn’t particularly like using that term.\n\nAnd of course, it was the Code Conference, so David and Alex talked about AI, which was a real theme of our show. David said support for AI is woven all through Roblox’s business, starting with largely invisible functions like efficiency, translation, and safety. But he also sees a lot of opportunity for generative AI to help content creators on the Roblox platform in the not-so-distant future.\n\nOkay, this is a good one. David Baszucki, CEO of Roblox, live onstage at Code with Alex Heath. Here we go.\n\nThis transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.\n\nPlease welcome to the stage the founder and CEO of Roblox, David Baszucki.\n\nThank you.\n\nThanks for doing this, Dave. You are fresh off of your annual developer conference, just two weeks ago in San Francisco. I watched the opening keynotes. It seemed like the biggest crowd reaction you got was PlayStation support actually. So I guess my first question is, what took so long?\n\nIt’s a great question, and thank you for having me here. We’ve put so much focus on mobile quality over the last couple years. It’s our hugest market. We started as a PC product, went to Mac, and the vision of connecting people around the world on every platform has always been the vision. Mobile, we got into really good shape, Xbox in good shape, and then we started rolling out new platforms. As you can imagine, the creator community loves PlayStation because all of their existing creations are going to work there. So for all of these creators that are making a living and making new businesses, it’s just an immediate expansion of their business.\n\nWas there anything unique about PlayStation from an economics or business partnership perspective that took time, or was it all technical?\n\nNothing too unique. I think every platform has been very thoughtful in when they start to allow social cross-platform everywhere. I think five or 10 years ago, when we started this notion, Xbox and PlayStation were arguably a little more walled garden-ish, but that vision of connecting and communicating in a 3D space no matter where you are with the best user interface, the best camera, the best motion, whether it’s a phone or a console, I think has really come to bear right now.\n\nThere’s a lot of product, big-picture stuff I want to get into — AI, etc. First, though, I want to touch quickly on the layoffs that you guys recently did in your recruiting division.\n\nYeah.\n\nI think you had not done layoffs during the pandemic, am I correct?\n\nWe actually are continuing to hire. We’ve never done layoffs. One thing I think you can see, though, is probably in Q1 of 2023, we were growing our headcount at 50 percent a year, which is very rapid, and that requires a very, very large recruiting team. We’ve committed and we’ve shared the notion that over next year, our bookings are going to grow faster than our headcount, so our headcount growth is probably not going to be 50 percent next year.\n\nSo that doesn’t say anything bigger about the state of your business?\n\nNo, absolutely not. I think we’ve done this amazing job of just continuing to grow steadily through all of this over the last two years.\n\nLet’s talk about aging up the platform. So you have been making this big push to get people above 17 on the platform with exclusive experiences. You’re verifying identity with ID. It’s relatively new. You’re only, I think, a couple months in or so. How’s it going? Actually, I made a new Roblox account from scratch.\n\nI did it purposefully to see the experience, so this is about two hours ago. And the front page for me after I put my age and everything, was still a lot of games that, frankly, I’m not going to play. Kids games. So it seems like you’re still kind of lagging on that content that would get someone like me on the platform.\n\nThe fastest-growing segment on the platform is users aged 17 to 24, growing north of 33 percent year on year\n\nI think that’s a leading indicator. If we roll back the clock four, five, six, seven years when we were much smaller pre-public, that vision of creating an immersive platform that connects people around the world, that allows them to socialize, do things together, we even saw back then this has to be in every country. This has to be in all ages. So we started with the notion that this is going to be a platform for six-year-olds and 60-year-olds. The most recent earnings report, we shared that 17 through 24 is the fastest-growing segment on the platform, growing I think north of 33 percent year on year. So we’ve actually stopped using the term “aging up” right now. We have a very substantial over-17 user base. The thing you were experiencing is we have started allowing our creators, when you’re validated with your photo ID and we know for sure you’re 17, to start easing into some of those more mature experiences that you might consider kind of grown-up experience.\n\nI’ve seen some trailers, like there was one you guys showed at RDC a couple of weeks ago that looked like Grand Theft Auto in Roblox. I mean, the graphics were very impressive. It’s not the blocky kind of thing that you think of with Roblox, and so I can see where it’s going. But I guess right now when you’re telling me that that demographic is growing the fastest, what are they doing on the platform? Because I don’t see the experiences that —\n\nIt’s surprising the amount of older people that play just a wide range of experiences and come to socialize. I was in Canada hanging out with some third cousin at a family reunion, a 24-year-old guy who works on the railroad as an engineer, and he said, “Yeah, I’m really excited to meet you because all of the mechanics at CN Railroad [Canadian National Railway] are playing Roblox.” And I said, “What is going on? That’s too good to be true.” And they’re like, “Yeah, we’re playing Jailbreak, and we’re playing some of these experiences.” So they are playing these experiences. The level of social, the level of immersion, the level of being together with your friends no matter where they are is somewhat universal. So that’s doing surprisingly well for us.\n\nThis is kind of a big-picture question, but I’m curious about what you want to be. I think there’s this interesting gap between where Roblox is today, what it’s been historically, and how you talk about the company.\n\nIn my mind, you could easily be content to just go after the entire gaming market. I mean, it’s bigger than the music and the movie industry combined. But you seem more focused on building a next-generation almost social network. You talk about this as a communications platform. Why go that direction? Is the gaming industry not big enough?\n\n“Our belief is, this type of technology is bigger than gaming”\n\nI think that’s a great question. I mean, we’ve shared publicly that our goal would be to get to a billion daily active people on the platform. And I think our vision of what we’re working on goes really almost to the future of communication. It goes to the evolution of the mail system, to the telegraph system, to the phone system, to, as we saw in covid, the video system. We just think inevitably there’s a generation beyond that, which is immersive 3D communication, whether it’s playing together, whether it’s trying to graduate from high school together during the midst of covid, whether it’s a simulation of our Roblox office inside Roblox. We go and have a simulation of our office, and we come together for serendipitous events, whether it’s going to a concert. So our belief is, this type of technology is bigger than gaming. Gaming is a part of it, side-by-side concerts and working together, so I think we’ve evolved to a utility vision of this type of platform.\n\nI think you made a prediction at RDC a couple of weeks ago about dating. You think people are going to be dating in Roblox.\n\nIt was really fun when we made this prediction because we were very careful on that slide. And then you saw the 17-plus people ID validated in 17-plus experiences.\n\nSo parents don’t have a heart attack.\n\nYeah, yeah, yeah, given our history of safety and civility and the focus on that. But ultimately, what’s really interesting about the dating market, there’s probably a third of the population that won’t go on Bumble or Tinder or Hinge or whatever just because of awkwardness. In an immersive 3D avatar-type communication where you can be Shrek and I can be whoever I want to be, there’s actually a certain way to... I’ll be Donald Duck.\n\nOkay. [Laughs]\n\nThere’s actually a little bit of a breakdown of the friction, of the fear of a video call, so I actually do believe that’ll happen. I do believe someday someone will build a dating app on Roblox. It’ll be very safe. It’ll be for 17-and-up people, and it’ll be an interesting way for people to connect.\n\nTalk to me about this advertising push you guys are also making and how it connects to the changing demographics of the user base. Are they related? And how big do you see the ads business becoming?\n\nI think it’s really interesting. The amount of engagement is north of 5 billion hours per month on the platform, and more and more of that is north of 17-year-old engagement. And when we think about what advertising is, a lot of it is fandom. It’s seeing a poster of something I like, maybe historically seeing something in a newspaper. More recently seeing something as a web banner, and then more recently seeing something as a very native natural video segment or something like that. But we do believe there’s something beyond that, which is the 3D experience. For example, if we’re in a retail store together and we’re shopping and we can remember what’s on the shelf and how it looks, whether it’s shoes or makeup or whatever, and we do think that’s going to be a very, very powerful experience for brands.\n\nWe already have hundreds of brands on the platform. I was just seeing the most revised Gucci experience, which is radically amazing. It’s a simulation of their runway show. And in those experiences, there’s both brand recognition, which is maybe harder to measure. There starts to be the acquisition of virtual goods: Gucci purses and those kinds of things. And then, ultimately, there’ll be at some point, not yet really announced or promised, physical shopping as well. That kind of shopping with your friend is a very social, fun experience.\n\nHow big do you see the ads business being? Is it something that could potentially be as big as your core business today?\n\n“Our CFO’s friend was ... walking by a Vans store, and younger people wanted to go in there because they were familiar with that from Vans World on Roblox.”\n\nIt’s interestingly big. We’re in a great position because we generate a really good business without advertising. So it gives us an opportunity to layer this in for older people in a very civil way, in a very careful way. But I think it’s arguably undetermined how big it is. We will see based on the power of the memories that people have in their brands. Anecdotally, our CFO’s friend was in Santa Monica and walking by a Vans store, and younger people wanted to go in there because they were familiar with that from Vans World on Roblox. So building digital memories and connecting with brands that are fun and exciting and then merging that with the physical world is new, uncharted territory.\n\nOn the topic of growth, this is something I haven’t heard you talk about since you went public. A big part of your growth narrative when you went public, it was mentioned many times in the prospectus, for example, was this joint venture you had with Tencent in China. And less than a year after you went public, it got shut down without explanation.\n\nYeah.\n\nI saw that your head of China is now your head of Japan.\n\nThat’s right.\n\nWhere are you with China?\n\nTencent continues to be an amazing partner. We’re being very, very careful in China. The dynamics in China right now have gone to the point where, rather than envisioning a fully connected-type network, we have to imagine an autonomous network. We’re, in a sense, modernizing our infrastructure to the point where we can literally print a copy of Roblox in China and bring it to market there. So we continue to be very involved in China. We’re optimistic about it. We have a great partnership with Tencent, but we’re working on the infrastructure to support that.\n\nWhat does that mean, “an autonomous version” of Roblox?\n\nI think as you would look at any other platform or any other social media-type company, we would look back over the last three to four years and see less and less information going back and forth between the US and China to the point where I think the future will be very little goes back, for example, in a China situation.\n\nSo you haven’t given up on China?\n\nAbsolutely not. No.\n\nOkay, interesting. So you recently put Roblox on the Meta Quest headset, and it’s not officially in the store yet, but you got 1 million installs in five days, and it was just in a beta where you have to go find it. You can’t just go download it from the store.\n\nThat’s right, that’s right.\n\nWhere do you see VR going as it relates to Roblox? There’s the Vision Pro. Have you tried the Vision Pro?\n\nI have not tried a Vision Pro.\n\nYou’ve got to try it. Will you guys be on Vision Pro? Are you a big believer in this headset wave that’s coming?\n\nI’m a big believer, long term, that the most immersive form of 3D experience will be VR-type experience. There’s some great sci-fi around what the far-off future of VR is. I think our vision is, because we are a platform and because we work so hard on… young creator shows up, builds something on Roblox, pushes a button, runs on any device, is auto-translated into any language, possibly that can build a business on top of that, there’s a huge benefit to being very, very good on all devices and tracking the growth of devices. So we can contribute to the growth of Meta Quest, and I’m excited about that. If someday there are 500,000 or 500 million VR headsets, Roblox will be a huge part of it, but I think we’re not in the position of predicting the growth of any hardware device.\n\nWhat about AR? So not fully immersive, but AR glasses.\n\nAR is also super interesting, right? Is the future going to be mixed reality? Is the future going to be lighter weight, less overlaid type stuff? Is the future ultimately going to be some of the vision of some of the companies that have been started? Someday, I think I wrote a blog post about it 10 years ago, we will have full overlay, whether it’s contact lenses, and it’ll be lightweight and all of that. I think AR is very interesting when we think about immersive 3D communication because there’s communication where we’re simulating this world and we’re sitting here together. There’s also communication where grandma and grandpa are sitting at the kitchen table, and I think AR starts to support that vision of some people are on VR devices, some people are on AR devices. You can either put grandma and grandpa in the chair, or you can go to the favorite family destination. So I think it’s very interesting.\n\nWe’re going to have time for Q&A in a few minutes, so get your questions ready. We’ll have time for three or four questions.\n\nYou and I, a few months ago when we did the interview for Decoder, we talked a lot about AI and this kind of analogy to... I don’t know if people have seen the last season of Westworld. The main character has this job where she just goes in and talks to a computer and creates virtual worlds as a narrator. And you said you see that happening on Roblox in the not-too-distant future. You all talked a little bit more about this at RDC a couple of weeks ago. Where does generative AI intersect with what Roblox does?\n\nI think one way to think about this is three big AI clouds that are accelerating creation and supporting the platform. One of these clouds has been there for two or three years, no one knows it. Safety, automatic translation, moderation, efficiency, we’ve been working on that for two or three years, and we probably have 70 AI pipelines to drive the efficiency of the business and the quality of the business.\n\nThe middle cloud, which I think is a lot of energy right now — generative — how easy is it to make creation happen for everyone? Vision on Roblox would be in addition to, say, competing on Project Runway and using digital scissors and a digital sewing machine, we would also use prompts. I’d like a blue shirt, buttons this color, and AI will start to generate that.\n\nSo AI generative is very interesting for avatars, for clothing, for 3D experiences to really bring creation to everyone, and we’re deep in on that. We’ve already shipped AI code generation to help creators create. We’ve shipped AI material generation. I think having a company with amazing... A lot of user data flowing can help support and train those types of models.\n\n“There’s a third cloud way out there, which is starting to imagine having a virtual doppelganger ... that’s the more sci-fi future.”\n\nThere’s a third cloud way out there, which is starting to imagine having a virtual doppelganger, for example. If you wanted someone to take your place, if you wanted someone to meet me for five minutes before our meeting to just kind of figure things out, I think that’s the way-off-far future. And it’s not just generative AI, but it’s generative AI that might look and act like you in a virtual space. So that’s the more sci-fi future.\n\nSo that’s an AI trained on my Roblox persona and data to be like me?\n\nThat’s right. If you so choose and you so want that, then that could be an opportunity.\n\nAudience Q&A\n\nAlex Heath: Dave is very good at these Q&As. He does them a lot at his conferences.\n\nDavid Baszucki: I don’t. Oh, I do them with developers.\n\nAH: Yeah, I’m just saying give him good questions. Give him hard questions.\n\nDB: Thank you, I think.\n\nCathy Hackl: Hi Alex and David. Cathy Hackl. I’m a tech and gaming executive at Journey, a Roblox player, and the mother of an 11-year-old Roblox developer that makes about a hundred dollars a month from his builds.\n\nDB: Oh, my gosh.\n\nCH: So, yay. Yeah. During RDC, you gave one of your predictions. You said a top fashion designer will be discovered on Roblox without having any experience in physical fashion. What is the role of fashion in the future of Roblox and direct-to-avatar?\n\nDB: It’s huge, right? Karlie [Kloss] is on our platform. Parsons [School of] Design did a partnership with us. At RDC, we saw a couple of the gowns that had been done in concert with some of the students there. They were absolutely amazing. So one could imagine reducing the friction of creativity for a fashion designer to ultimately virtual design — and then, ultimately, AI-supported design.\n\nIt’s interesting to imagine this as a prototype environment for fashion. You can try a lot of things more quickly than building the physical. You can get crowd feedback. There will someday be experiences where early designs are voted on. We’ve had things like that in a more simplistic way, and then you can imagine almost predicting what types of designs from top designers would be welcomed. So I think it’s really big. Thank you.\n\nNeil Shankar: Hi, my name is Neil Shankar. I’m a content creator. I have always thought of Roblox as largely a metaverse company. In fact, my introduction to the metaverse concepts was from a series of essays that Matthew Ball wrote a few years ago that Roblox was largely the center of. Recently, I’ve become aware of a brand marketing push, I believe by your sports division, to distance yourselves from metaverse connotations. Can you please tell us about that?\n\nDB: I wouldn’t say that’s a distancing. We have evolved the terminology we’ve used. We’ve always used the term “human co-experience” or “bringing people together.” The metaverse context, as we know, was coined with the book Snow Crash a long time ago. And it’s interesting. It’s gone and ebbed through various flows. But I guess we imagine this more as a communication and connection platform. We’ve never really used the term metaverse a lot, and I think going forward, we’ll probably always think of ourselves as a communication and connection platform.\n\nAlex Kruglov: Hi, my name is Alex Kruglov. I run a startup called pop.in, which is also in the social gaming space but for a much older user base. I’m curious: when you think about 24 hours in a day and you talk about the future that you see with a billion daily actives and all kinds of time spent not just playing games but anything from dating to shopping and so on, what are people not going to be doing and switching? Clay Christensen has this concept of jobs to be done. Who are they firing? What jobs are they firing in order to be on Roblox?\n\nI asked this from the point of view of a parent of three kids, the middle of whom — for all intents and purposes, it’s crack when it comes to Roblox. It’s highly, highly regulated by her parents.\n\nAH: Yeah, how dystopian is this going to be?\n\nDB: Yeah. We’re actually very optimistic. And I think we’re optimistic because, in the specter of social media, there’s a wide range of things that people do on social media. Some consume a lot of short video content and trigger dopamine. Some are “compare my life with your life and accelerate FOMO.” Some are hopefully similar to the feeling of, “Well, my kid’s on the phone with their friends. They’re connecting, inventing, hanging out.” So I’m actually somewhat optimistic that the future of our direction is bringing people together when they can’t be in real life.\n\nCasey Newton: Hi. Casey Newton from Platformer. When I look at Roblox, I see something that looks a lot like an app store that increasingly looks like it wants to be an operating system, which to me, would seem to put it on a kind of collision course with an iOS or an Android or maybe even the Oculus Store. So I wonder how you think about that and how you think you can get to that billion daily active people without owning your own hardware.\n\nDB: One thing to think about when we imagine millions of creators and we can go to ancient Egypt or we can go to our office or whatever in immersive 3D is that content cannot all be shipped to the device. It’s just impossible to have that much content. So that content needs to come to the device in a very unique architecture where there’s very low latency, there’s a lot of local 3D simulation, but at the same time, on the cloud, that content needs to load and connect very fast. And I think this architectural inevitability of a 3D connection platform where we can go everywhere instantly is maybe what you’re thinking about or referring to. I would say, Apple, these platforms, are very aware of this inevitable architecture for 3D and are actually very big supporters of it.\n\nAndrew Melnizek: Hey. Andrew with The Verge. Last week, we saw some leaked internal emails from Microsoft’s Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, and he talked about the future of AAA game publishing and development. It’s just really expensive. People have to take bigger bets to succeed, and it’s getting harder and harder. I wanted to get your take, as someone who I would argue has defined the iPad kids generation, in what their relationship with games is going to be in the future as the model continues to change.\n\n“We have nothing near a bull’s-eye on AAA gaming”\n\nDB: Internally, we have nothing near a bull’s-eye on AAA gaming. Internally, there’s always a struggle to have all of our engineers working on midrange Android phones as a primary, very difficult platform. So I think our focus is on performance, on midrange, low-end devices, rather than the high-end. Over time, you could imagine even those low-end devices start to support more and more realism, and it becomes easier to deploy on the cloud, have an existing social network, and those kinds of things. So there may be some natural evolution but definitely nothing deliberate on our part.\n\nJay Peters: Hi. Jay Peters with The Verge. You mentioned walled gardens in terms of PlayStation and Xbox, but I kind of feel like Roblox is its own walled garden. We see lots of other shared virtual experience apps like Fortnite or Meta’s Horizon Worlds. Is there any chance or any thinking on some kind of interoperability between all that stuff?\n\nDB: I think there are two types of interoperability. One would just be on valuable items like a pair of shoes from Nike and whether the NFT supports the interchange. That may not be a 3D graphical technical spec; that may be a little bit more of a cloud ownership spec. I think that this genre is evolving so quickly to network hundreds of people to have realistic 3D. Are my shoes ultimately made of leather? Do they actually bend and flex? The technology is going to go so quickly here that any 3D interchange is going to be almost like a five-year-old file format. So I think, if you see maybe less interchange, I think it’s less that way. We do bring in every type of industry file format that we can, and we’re trying to open that up as fast as we can.\n\nJP: Do you think five years out, will there be energy toward creating some kind of interchangeable file format or is that something —\n\nDB: I think there is already. I think because Roblox is based on, under the covers, really trying to be a 3D world simulator. The wheels fall off the car, the car falls on the ground, your clothing is made of cloth, those kinds of things — those file formats may not support a kind of physically rich description. So I imagine, for a long time, when we bring in avatar files or something, we’ll be using AI to upsample them into a physical manifestation.\n\nJP: Thank you.\n\nAH: Alright, we’re getting pulled off the stage here. Dave, thank you for the time.", + "The push to bring iMessage to Android users today adds a new contender. A startup called Beeper, which had been working on a multi-platform messaging aggregator, is now launching a new app called Beeper Mini which will allow Android users to send and receive end-to-end encrypted iMessage chats for just $1.99 per month. Beeper Mini was made possible because the team behind the app has managed to reverse-engineer the iMessage protocol, they say.\n\n“That’s the big breakthrough,” explains Beeper co-founder and CEO Eric Migicovsky, previously the founder of smartwatch startup Pebble. “We’re not actually a middleman anymore. The research that we’ve done is actually reverse-engineering the iMessage protocol, down to the lowest layer of the protocol. So Beeper Mini doesn’t use a Mac server as a relay like all the other apps — they have a Mac Mini in a data center somewhere. And when you send a message, you’re actually sending a message to the Mac Mini, which then forwards it to iMessage,” he explains. “Beeper Mini is a native implementation of the iMessage protocol.”\n\nBeeper does not have access to the contents of users’ messages, the company claims. And unlike the recently paused efforts by Sunbird, which had been trying to solve the same problem, messages are not sent in clear text.\n\nInstead, the message you send from an Android phone using Beeper Mini is end-to-end encrypted to the recipient, the startup says. It’s encrypted on the device before it leaves the app. Encryption keys are exclusively stored on your phone within the Android filesystem, similar to other apps like Signal and WhatsApp. The app doesn’t connect to any servers at Beeper itself, only to Apple servers, the way a “real” iMessage text would.\n\nThat means that Beeper Mini can function as a true iMessage client, supporting high-resolution photos and videos, threads, replies, read receipts, direct messages and group chats, tapback emoji reactions, editing and unsending messages, as well as support for stickers, GIFs, voice notes and more. Not yet supported are features like live location sharing, message effects and support for FaceTime audio and video calls. Users will not need an Apple ID to use Beeper Mini.\n\n“It’s a full-blown iMessage app,” Migicovsky says. “For all intents and purposes, Beeper Mini looks like an iPhone [sent it].”\n\nApple, then, may not be able to simply block Beeper Mini texts automatically if it wanted to take action against the company, though the co-founder admits how Apple will react is still uncertain.\n\nHowever, he points to a provision in copyright law, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA 1201 F), which says that reverse-engineering for the purposes of interoperability is protected. That won’t necessarily prevent Apple from sending Beeper legal a Cease and Desist, of course. Apple previously sued spyware maker NSO Group to block it from using Apple’s services, and it could likely make a legal case here, as well, if it chose to. What may hold it at bay is the Digital Markets App (DMA), a law in Europe that says big tech companies will have to have an interoperable interface for their chat networks. There are also stirrings of antitrust efforts in the U.S., where Apple is under federal scrutiny, which could make for bad timing to target Beeper, too.\n\nBut to be fully trusted, Beeper Mini will need to be audited by a third party — something it has not yet done. In addition, Beeper uses certificate pinning, which makes network traffic analysis more difficult to perform in order to verify its claims. The company says its external audit is still “in progress” but it has performed an internal audit. The company is publishing those results on its blog along with a detailed, more technical description of how Beeper Mini works.\n\nFor example, the team explains here how it needed to build a new service, called Beeper Push Notification service (BPNs), to make the service work:\n\nA persistent connection to APNs is needed to be notified of new incoming messages in real-time. On an iPhone, an APNs connection is maintained by the operating system, and connected at all times. In Beeper Mini, the connection can only be maintained when the app is running, since Android does not support APNs natively.\n\nTo work around this limitation, the team built BPNs to connect to Apple’s servers on the user’s behalf when the app isn’t running.\n\nIn tests, Beeper Mini worked as described, able to send iMessage texts from an older Android phone on Google Fi’s wireless network with its own phone number (not associated with an Apple ID) to an iPhone 15 Pro Max with a different phone number that is associated with an Apple ID. Full-res photos and other features like tapbacks and typing indicators also worked. When the Android phone’s battery died, however, the texts reverted to green bubbles and did not make it to Beeper’s app — they went to Google Messages instead.\n\nThe company is also hoping to gain trust by building in public, with 50-plus projects that it’s published to GitHub with the open source code that goes into the app. Plus, the founders themselves are known individuals with a history of building promising tech, including the Pebble smartwatch.\n\nFounded in 2020, Beeper comes from former Y Combinator partner Eric Migicovsky and CTO Brad Murray, previously of wholesale marketplace startup Faire and Fitbit. The co-founders met at Pebble, the smartwatch company Migicovsky founded, building out the hardware brand that was later acquired by Fitbit.\n\nMigicovsky said he was inspired to build Beeper out of a personal need as a lifelong Android user.\n\nInitially, Beeper launched a multi-network chat app that supported around 15 different networks, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Signal, Slack, Instagram, LinkedIn, Discord, Google Chat, Android SMS, iMessage and others.\n\n“Until I started Beeper, I didn’t really understand this whole iMessage thing. I didn’t really understand why people loved it so much,” Migicovsky says. “I think one of the reasons is that it’s so deeply built into iOS, that it’s second nature for you as an iPhone user. When you want to get in touch with someone, you open the Messages app.”\n\nHis experience with messaging had differed, though, having lived in Europe and Asia at times, where he collected friends across a wider network of applications. He didn’t understand the draw that iMessage had in the U.S. in particular, as he was simply left out of friends’ iMessage chats for being the friend with a green bubble.\n\nThe original Beeper app had 50,000 sign-ups in the first week and now has around 100,000 testers in a closed beta. That app, which spans mobile and desktop, supports RCS (via Beeper’s open source bridge). Beeper Mini will be able to send and receive SMS and RCS soon. The earlier Beeper will now transition to become rebranded as “Beeper Cloud” as the iMessage-only Beeper Mini goes to launch. Over time, Beeper Mini will add the other networks back into the platform, as well as SMS and RCS, and Beeper Cloud will be sunset. At that point, Beeper Mini will become known as just Beeper once again.\n\nBeeper Mini is competitively priced at $1.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial, compared with $15 per month for the recently acquired competitor Texts.com bought by Automattic. The startup says that it’s able to keep costs down by targeting a wider market that includes Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Linux.\n\nHowever, Beeper also has venture capital to lean on, with $16 million raised to date through its Series A, led by Garry Tan of Initialized Capital, now president and CEO at Y Combinator. Other backers include SV Angel, Samsung Next, Liquid2 Ventures, Niv Dror from Shrug Capital, Kevin Mahaffey and others. Beeper is a 25-person distributed team, while Migicovsky is based in Palo Alto.\n\nAsked if Samsung’s investment means the company could be interested in a later acquisition, Migicovsky only responded “no comment.”\n\n“They have been very supportive,” he added.\n\nBeeper Mini is available to the public today on Google Play Store.\n\nAdditional reporting by Zack Whittaker.\n\nCorrection, 12/5/23, 2:55 PM ET: the price of Beeper Mini was listed incorrectly in one part of the article. It’s $1.99/mo, not $2.99/mo; 12/6/23, 2:33 PM ET added “[sent it]” to clarify that the Beeper app does not look like an iPhone app.", + "Spurs have fallen to their fourth defeat in five with a 2-1 reverse at home to West Ham – and they only have themselves to blame.\n\nAnge Postecoglou’s men were sitting pretty at 1-0 up thanks to an early Cristian Romero header, then missed a host of chances to extend their lead against a Hammers side who couldn’t get out of their own end.\n\nYet after spurning their own opportunities, Tottenham presented two gift-wrapped chances to their opponents.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nTheir defence was nowhere to be seen as Mohammed Kudus was able to shoot, with his effort deflecting off two Spurs players and into the path of Jarrod Bowen to level the scores.\n\nThen Destiny Udogie’s blind backpass allowed James Ward-Prowse an easy shot on goal, and while he hit the post, the rebound fell perfectly for the midfielder to finish on the rebound.\n\n“It’s unacceptable,” said captain Heung-Min Son.\n\n“I think players should take responsibility, this is unacceptable.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“The fans don’t deserve this, especially when you play at home, when you go 1-0 up early on you should play with even more energy but we didn’t, and that’s why we lost.\n\n“West Ham have always been tough to play against so we knew what was coming.\n\n“But we were soft, and especially in the Premier League, even when you’re winning 2-0, 3-0, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the end. 1-0 is not enough, you have to try to kill the game.”\n\nThe coach wasn’t quite as damning, but still described the showing as poor.\n\n“It’s another game where we’ve dominated a game of football but we haven’t taken advantage,” said Postecoglou.\n\n“I thought we were poor in both areas with our finishing and also both goals we conceded were terrible.\n\nThere’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, looking for a cuddle anywhere. There’s only one way to change our circumstances and that is to come here on Sunday and put in a performance, not just play good football but go out there and show some conviction about ourselves as a team.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Sometimes we can disguise how we’re going by playing some nice stuff but like I said from day one, that’s not what I’m about.\n\n“I want to win and that’s why I came to this football club and that’s the message. We’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve said that from the start, we’re still right at the beginning what we need to create and days like today just give me further evidence and fuel of how much we need to do.”\n\nJames Ward-Prowse puts West Ham ahead against Tottenham ????\n\n\n\nLyenoma Udogie’s back pass to Guglielmo Vicario is short of the mark and Ward-Prowse seizes the moment.\n\n\n\nStadium silenced.\n\n\n\nLIVE | https://t.co/0TogbUnBLK#PL #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/7h3q96W086 — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 7, 2023\n\nOn Optus Sport, ex-Spurs boss Tim Sherwood tore strips off Spurs.\n\n“They’re quietly having a bad run, it’s five without a win now,” he said.\n\n“They’ve led in every game and I’ve said when they take the lead, I wouldn’t say the game is over. It’s not good enough.\n\n“But they’ve changed. The last three or four years they’ve been watching some dross there but it’s better to watch. It’s game management.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“They go ahead and they’re already winning the game but they try and win it again and again and leave themselves open. Jarrod Bowen was outstanding out there and you can really exploit them. They leave space and they make poor decisions on the ball and it’s costing them at the moment.”\n\nSpurs had rebounded from three consecutive defeats with a stirring 3-3 draw at Manchester City over the weekend, but are now outside the Champions League qualification spots in fifth place – and level with Manchester United.\n\n1 – Tottenham are the first side in Premier League history to…\n\n\n\n…fail to win five consecutive games despite going 1-0 up in each match.\n\n\n\n…lose three consecutive home games despite going up 1-0 up in each match.\n\n\n\nSpursy. pic.twitter.com/DW6mgUVXnW — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 7, 2023\n\nWest Ham aren’t far behind, with this result lifting them to ninth, just three points back from Spurs.\n\n“Huge performance because of the quality of the opposition,” said coach David Moyes.\n\n“We were up against it tonight. We had to dig in. Thankfully we just about scraped it.\n\n“The quality Tottenham showed in the first half, I don’t know if we touched the ball for eight or nine minutes.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“We gained a bit of confidence once we got some passes. We wanted to get after them a bit more but by the same breath we were cautious about them picking us off.\n\n“We are a team who can give some of the good teams a bloody nose, we have that in us.”\n\nDwight McNeil fires Everton into the lead against Newcastle!\n\n\n\nKieran Trippier makes the mistake and the Everton man makes him pay.\n\n\n\nIt’s a massive goal for the Toffees and Goodison Park goes wild.\n\n\n\nLIVE | https://t.co/W8Ud2jDSwD#PL #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/RVSGfbKcKc — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 7, 2023\n\nIn the other match, Everton trounced Newcastle 3-0 to move clear of the relegation zone despite their ten point penalty for financial irregularities.\n\nThey left it late, with goals from Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Brazilian striker Beto enough to down the Magpies.\n\n“Without those 10 points, we’d be in an amazing position,” said Toffees boss Sean Dyche. “20 points would be amazing relatively to the last two seasons here.\n\n“We’ll see what the appeal brings. The mentality is key for me, we took a knock but there have been a lot of knocks here over the last couple of years.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“But the team mentality is growing. I can’t emphasise it enough, the commitment to each other and the connection is a powerful thing because I know we’ve got quality.”\n\nEddie Howe’s side are proving one of the most inconsistent in the league, albeit with a lengthy injury list.\n\nIn the last month, they have defeated Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea – as well as drawing at French heavyweights PSG in the Champions League – but have now lost comfortably to two cellar dwellers in Everton and Bournemouth.\n\n“We have to do better,” said Howe.\n\n“There are reasons behind every performance and we have struggled to change players. That is a big miss with the quality of players out. The longer you do it, the harder it gets. I am disappointed, a missed opportunity, we did not grab it.\n\n“The game was there for us to win in the second half. The first half was even and we had them penned in in the second half. We conceded the first goal and it changed the momentum of the match. Frustrating and a chance missed.”", + "Three points off the top, three goals scored in every Premier League home game, a 100% record in all competitions at Anfield, cruising through the Europa League group stage and individuals shining; it is fair to say Liverpool have surpassed the pre-season expectations of a new-look team. It is not unreasonable of Jürgen Klopp, however, to expect much more as the season develops.\n\n“You saw so many teams here growing in the direction we wanted and all became better step by step or the manager had to go,” said Klopp on the demands of his particular job. “We will try together to get better step by step and show our real face more often than not.”\n\nThe 243rd edition of the most played derby in English football offers an ideal opportunity for Liverpool to grant Klopp’s request given the one-sided nature of the fixture on his watch, regardless of another early kick-off after an international break playing havoc with preparations. Klopp has lost one of his 17 encounters with Everton, Liverpool one of the past 23 Premier League meetings at Anfield and one of the past 25 league derbies home or away.\n\nLiverpool’s defensive concerns, heightened by the loss of Andy Robertson for up to three months with a shoulder injury, are offset by the visitors’ troubles in front of goal. A 3-0 defeat of Bournemouth last time out was only the eighth time Everton have scored more than once in a Premier League match in the past 12 months. The overall improvement in Everton’s performance, however, coupled with three wins in the past four games, raises Sean Dyche hopes of capitalising on any post-international fatigue in the opposition ranks. Klopp’s compliments towards Dyche and his local rivals were of the back-handed nature.\n\n“Everton are in a good moment,” he said. “Burnley in their best moments [under Dyche] were a super-difficult team to play against and you can see that again; it’s similar with different players. We have to be ready for second ball fights, runs in behind, a compact defence. It will be a tough one. Burnley games were always tough. We have to have football understanding, patience, put a proper shift in and take the fight.”\n\nLast time out, Everton beat Bournemouth 3-0 – only the eighth time in the past 12 months that they have scored more than once in a league game. Photograph: Nigel French/PA\n\nWhat Klopp is seeking most of all from Liverpool is consistency throughout the 90-plus minutes of a Premier League game. It was achieved in the commanding 3-0 defeat of an in-form Aston Villa early last month, a performance that carried echoes of Liverpool at their dominant best under Klopp, but other highlights, even in victory, have been interspersed with lapses. The manager believes some instability is inevitable given this summer’s midfield rebuild.\n\n“Yes it is [a factor] but we’ve also changed between games quite a lot because of the amount of games and we’ve been interrupted by international breaks twice now,” he said. “If it is a more settled team it doesn’t make that much of a difference because we are much more used to each other and that is not the case yet. As a group we have to become consistent but you do it step by step.\n\n“It is not too long ago that we had the problem of performing on a really high level until we didn’t perform at all any more; we were 1-0 or 2-0 up in a game and all of a sudden we came under pressure. Crazy. We had to learn to control the game. It is all the things that happen with time – there is no shortcut to that. With the signs we showed so far I am absolutely fine but I don’t know the final destination, I can’t even see that yet, but it is not a problem because other teams have similar problems. It is about how quick we can make the steps and that is what we are working on every day but the problem now is how could we work since Brighton [where Liverpool drew 2-2]? We had three, with a goalie, first-team players in training until Wednesday. Tomorrow we have to play with what we did so far but in general you have to gain stability bit by bit.”\n\nIt has arrived in attack, where Darwin Núñez’s influence has improved considerably since his match-winning cameo for the 10 men of Liverpool at Newcastle. Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted in 14 consecutive Premier League matches and Liverpool could emulate their predecessors from 1980-81 by scoring three or more goals in the opening four home league games. Stopping goals has been the problem, with Liverpool conceding first and cheaply on occasions. Klopp insists he has not built another formidable attack at the expense of a resilient defence; it is just another step Liverpool have to make.\n\nskip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion\n\nLiverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, pictured during training on Friday, says his side ‘is a very talented group, a creative group … but we have to organise protection’. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images\n\n“I like to build a team from the defensive side,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s possible again nowadays when you’re in the middle of something. Imagine if we kept clean sheets but didn’t create. You have time for these things when you are new [to a club], when things are under average before you come in and you are 14th. Then everyone is happy when you get some results. We are not like that. Our team is not set up like that. We have a really talented group, a creative group in a football sense, and we have to use that. But we have to organise protection. That goes step by step.\n\n“There are a lot of new things for the boys to consider and that takes time. We had a good pre-season and I loved the steps we made there but the rest we have learned during the season. During the season you are massively influenced by results. The difference when we win a game – and it’s not a problem for me – is I have to make players aware of things that are not right yet. It is a different feeling if you lose or draw a game. It’s been two weeks since we played a football game together so it’s not possible to work by looking at the Brighton game any more. We have to make sure we are ready for this one.”\n\nAfter the trials at Tottenham and the frustration at Brighton, Klopp needs Liverpool to embrace the intensity of the Merseyside derby when they arrive home.", + "Last updated on .From the section Everton\n\nBill Kenwright became Everton chairman in 2004\n\nEverton chairman Bill Kenwright, an acclaimed West End theatre and film producer, has died at the age of 78.\n\nKenwright had surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his liver eight weeks ago.\n\nHe had been on the board at Everton since 1989, taking over as chairman at Goodison Park in 2004.\n\nThe Liverpudlian was also one of the UK's most successful theatre producers and played Gordon Clegg in Coronation Street between 1968 and 2012.\n\nKenwright was awarded a CBE for his services to film and theatre in the 2001 New Years Honours List.\n\nEverton said it was \"in mourning\" following the death of the club's longest-serving chairman for more than a century.\n\n\"The club has lost a chairman, a leader, a friend, and an inspiration,\" Everton added.\n\nOn 12 October, the Premier League club said Kenwright had a cancerous tumour removed from his liver six weeks before.\n\nEverton said the operation was \"completely successful\", but complications meant Kenwright required a \"prolonged period in an intensive care unit\".\n\nAnnouncing his death on Tuesday, Kenwright's family said he \"passed away peacefully\" on Monday night \"surrounded by his family and loved ones\".\n\n\"Bill was driven by his passions and devoted his life to them; his deep love of theatre, film, music and his beloved Everton, and the families they created,\" a family statement read.\n\n\"He impacted the lives of thousands, whether that be through the launching of careers or his unending loyalty, generosity and unfaltering friendship and support.\"\n\nIn a multiple award-winning career spanning six decades, Kenwright produced more than 500 West End, Broadway, UK touring and international theatre productions, films and music albums.\n\n\"We will remember him with huge love and admiration - the shows will of course go on, as he would have wished, and his towering legacy will continue,\" his family added.\n\nLeading Everton for almost two decades\n\nKenwright spent 19 seasons as Everton chairman, overseeing 12 finishes inside the Premier League top eight, including fourth place in 2005, while the Merseyside club were also FA Cup finalists in 2009.\n\nEverton said he had led the club through \"a period of unprecedented change in English football\".\n\nIn February 2016, Kenwright sold a 49.9% stake in the club to Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri, who increased his shares to 94% in January 2022.\n\nBut with the club fighting against relegation last season, an Everton fans' group called for Kenwright to be sacked and said it had \"no confidence\" in him as chairman.\n\nKenwright and the rest of the board of directors were unable to attend home games last season from January after what the club described as \"threatening correspondence\" was received before a game against Southampton.\n\nChief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp have all since left their boardroom roles, but Kenwright remained in his post as chairman until his death.\n\nIn September, owner Moshiri agreed to sell his 94% stake to American investment fund 777 Partners.\n\nThe club said Kenwright had \"worked hard\" alongside Moshiri \"right up until the day\" of his liver operation to help facilitate the proposed takeover.\n\nMoshiri said he was \"deeply saddened\" by the death of his \"great friend\".\n\n\"Bill was a force of nature and he certainly changed my life nearly 10 years ago when he first spoke to me about getting involved with the club he adored,\" said Moshiri.\n\n\"He told me about this incredible club, a club that not only has history and heritage but was also a beating heart of our community and for that I will always be grateful.\n\n\"He was a special soul, a man successful in so many different walks of life. We will miss him but never forget him.\"\n\nFrom the cobbles to the director's box\n\nKenwright started his career as an actor and landed his breakthrough role in ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 1968 as Gordon, the son of long-serving Rovers Return barmaid Betty.\n\nHe left Weatherfield the following year, but appeared back on screen with occasional visits over the subsequent decades.\n\nKenwright also began putting on plays in order to give himself roles and discovered he had an aptitude for pulling the strings behind the scenes.\n\nHe found big success by staging new productions of two musicals - Willy Russell's Blood Brothers and Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - and making them long-running touring hits.\n\nHe has also staged productions of The Shawshank Redemption, The Exorcist, Cabaret, Evita, Saturday Night Fever and The Sound of Music.\n\nAmong his current shows, Sir Ian McKellen is starring in Frank and Percy in London, while Twelve Angry Men, Calendar Girls The Musical, Heathers The Musical and Blood Brothers are all on tour.\n\nDame Judi Dench, Woody Harrelson, Billie Piper, Rob Lowe and Felicity Kendal have also starred in his productions.\n\nRooney leads tributes to a 'big inspiration'\n\nWayne Rooney, former Everton and England forward: \"Devastated to hear the sad news about Bill Kenwright. Known Bill since I was young and he's had a huge impact on me as a person and my career. Great man and a big inspiration. Thoughts are with all Bill's family and friends.\"\n\nJamie Carragher, ex-Liverpool and England defender: \"Really sad news this. A huge Evertonian who served and loved his club to bits. I'll never forget his and Everton's support every year around the Hillsborough memorial. RIP Bill.\"\n\nAndy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Everton fan: \"It does feel like the end of an era, Bill was a big-hearted person. Such generosity and backed so many people that needed help, perhaps people did not see that in the media.\n\n\"He had a deep love for his club and the city he was from, it is an emotional night.\"\n\nActor Sir Ian McKellen: \"Like many grateful actors I am in debt to Bill Kenwright for employment. He seemed to have known everyone in the business and to care about them. Yet every chat would veer round to his equal passion - Everton.\"", + "It's somehow already mid-December, meaning millions of fantasy football owners just reached their respective \"offseason.\" Luckily for those who missed the playoffs, there's Week 15 DFS. We hold the key to consistent daily fantasy success: pinpointing and playing the cheapest sleepers and highest-ceiling value plays each week.\n\nEvery Tuesday, we scour DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft for affordable sleepers and under-the-radar value plays that will set you apart from the DFS pack. By finding stud production at modest prices, we allow ourselves plenty of remaining budget to afford elite weekly performers at other roster spots. When our studs and our sleepers hit, we usually win.\n\nWe do all the leg work for you -- poring over the player pools, like my daughter searching the Target Christmas catalog — then we handpick the most promising sleepers and tell you why they're worth drafting to your next DFS squad. All you have to do is choose your favorites, sit back, and relax.\n\nWEEK 15 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nIf daily fantasy was as easy as picking all top-end skill-position players from one week to the next, it would be a lot easier to win the milli-maker. Let's face it, in order to win big, we need to hit on some diamonds in the rough, and in order to afford a CeeDee Lamb ($9,200 on DK), we have to invest in the occasional Demarcus Robinson ($3,600).\n\nWe have enjoyed consistent success with our DFS sleepers and values all season. Each Tuesday, we share a big list of our hits from the previous week. — with each hit typically netting at least 16-22 fantasy points. Throughout the year, we've been consistently ahead of the game on breakouts like Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, and Tank Dell, among many others.\n\nTake a look at our collection of hits from last week:\n\nPos. Player Wk. 14 Game DK Price Pts QB Baker Mayfield Buccaneers at Falcons $5,300 20.1 QB Russell Wilson Broncos at Chargers $5,800 19.5 QB Gardner Minshew Colts at Bengals $5,400 16.1 RB Joe Mixon Bengals vs. Colts $6,100 21.5 RB Javonte Williams Broncos at Chargers $5,800 18.1 WR Garrett Wilson Jets vs. Texans $5,500 23.1 WR Rashee Rice Chiefs vs. Bills $5,400 19.2 WR Courtland Sutton Broncos at Chargers $6,100 15.2 TE Isaiah Likely Ravens vs. Rams $3,500 19.3 DST Cleveland Browns vs. Jaguars $3,000 12.0\n\nNow that's what we call a strong week! We averaged over 19 DK points per position player and 18.4 per position while spending just under $5,200 per pick. Rostering that kind of cheap production allowed us to find consistent weekly studs at other positions while setting us apart from the pack through lineup variance.\n\nWin BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nLet's shower, rinse, repeat! This year, we're also incorporating SuperDraft into our weekly DFS column. For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. So, the sleepers who carry lower salaries in DK/FD have higher boosts on SD. The best part: SuperDraft users can roster any player with no restrictions.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nNow, to our picks. Below we will reveal our Week 15 DFS sleepers and values at each position. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy what will undoubtedly be another wild week!\n\nAll player values are from DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft. All stats are from NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.\n\nNFL DFS Picks Week 15: QB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel, SuperDraft\n\nBrock Purdy, 49ers at Cardinals (DK: $6,800 | FD: $8,400 | SD: 1.2x)\n\nWe usually don't feature players with salaries higher than $6,200 on DK and $8,000 on FD, but $6,800 on DK just seems like a massive value for the MVP frontrunner. Purdy has been scorching, with 57.9 DK points over San Francisco's past two games and at least 23.8 in five of the Niners' past six. The Cards rank among the 10 most generous defenses to QBs on DK, so we're all over the young gunslinger in the desert this weekend.\n\nJordan Love, Packers vs. Buccaneers (DK: $6,200 | FD: $8,000 | SD: 1.25x)\n\nLove and the Packers' pass-catchers have emerged as legit offensive threats over the past month, finally easing the Cheeseheads' anguish over the departure of Aaron Rodgers. Cult hero Tommy DeVito hit the pause button on Green Bay's good times, but it should start rolling again this weekend at home against a miserable Tampa Bay secondary. The Bucs have surrendered the fourth-most FD points and fifth-most DK points to QBs this season, and Plodmaster General AJ Dillon ain't about to crack their strong front-seven. We love Love this weekend, and not just because we're lovers at heart.\n\nOther solid Week 15 values: Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. Commanders (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,200 | SD: 1.3x); Derek Carr, Saints vs. Giants (DK: $5,800 | FD: $6,500 | SD: 1.35x); Joe Flacco, Browns vs. Bears (DK: $5,500 | FD: $7,100 | SD: 1.35x); Will Levis, Titans vs. Texans (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,800 | SD: 1.35x)\n\nWEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nNFL DFS Picks Week 15: RB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel, SuperDraft\n\nDevin Singletary, Texans at Titans (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,000 | SD: 1.35x)\n\nWith C.J. Stroud in the league's concussion protocol and Nico Collins (calf) joining Tank Dell (fibula) on the Texans' injury list, Houston suddenly finds itself without many impact skill-position players. Singletary, however, has been pretty damn good and showed us last week that he's the main man over Dameon Pierce in DeMeco Ryans' backfield. He had 13 carries for 65 yards and a TD against the Jets, while Pierce totaled just five touches for seven yards. Don't be scared of Tennessee's run D because it ain't what it used to be under Mike Vrabel. Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane just posted 35.1 PPR points against the Titans, Chuba Hubbard had 20.2 a few weeks ago, and Rachaad White had 17.8 against them in Week 10.\n\nAntonio Gibson, Commanders at Rams (DK: $5,200 | FD: $5,600 | SD: 1.4x)\n\nAaron Donald and friends will be attacking the pocket early and often in pursuit of Sam Howell, who has been sacked 10 more times than any other QB. Dump-offs and screens will be plentiful for Gibson, who comes at a major discount, at least in PPR formats.\n\nMore solid Week 15 RB values: Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots vs. Chiefs (DK: $5,800 | FD: $6,500 | SD: 1.35x); Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs at Patriots (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,500 | SD: 1.45x); Jordan Mason, 49ers at Cardinals (DK: $4,600 | FD: $4,200 | SD: 1.6x); Tyler Allgeier, Falcons at Panthers (DK: $4,400 | FD: $5,700 | SD: 1.6x)\n\nWEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nNFL DFS Picks Week 15: WR sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel, SuperDraft\n\nRashee Rice, Chiefs at Patriots (DK: $6,100 | FD: $6,500 | SD: 1.35x)\n\nWith Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) banged up, Rice seems like Kansas City's best skill-position player this side of Travis Kelce. He's certainly the most sure-handed wideout on the Chiefs (not saying much, but still), and he has electric after-the-catch playmaking ability (which is good, considering Patrick Mahomes has struggled with deep-ball accuracy). The rookie has quietly posted 57.3 PPR points over the past three weeks! Since Bill Belichick's defense typically makes it a point to neutralize the opposition's top threat, which is obviously Kelce this weekend, look for Rice to bust some chunk-yard plays through the screen game and dump-downs.\n\nRomeo Doubs, Packers vs. Buccaneers (DK: $5,300 | FD: $6,400 | SD: 1.45x)\n\nDoubs has been one of the more dependable offensive weapons in Green Bay's offense, and Tampa Bay's secondary has been utterly abysmal all season, so we're rolling with the young wideout in a handful of lineups this weekend. Doubs has a good floor, logging 11-plus DK points eight times, and a decent ceiling (at least 18.3 three times). Fire him up in what should be a pass-heavy matchup at Lambeau.\n\nDemarcus Robinson, Rams vs. Commanders (DK: $3,600 | FD: $5,600 | SD: 1.7x)\n\nRobinson has become one of Matthew Stafford's most trusted receivers, drawing a 21.8-percent target share over the past two weeks. And the veteran has made the most of his opportunities, collecting seven catches for 101 yards and two TDs during that span. The Commanders are terrible at defending the pass — even worse than they were earlier in the season since they shipped out multiple impact pass-rushers. Washington has surrendered the most FanDuel points and second-most DraftKings points to wide receivers this season. Run DMC into your DFS lineups this weekend.\n\nMore solid Week 15 WR values: Amari Cooper, Browns vs. Bears (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,200 | SD: 1.35x); Garrett Wilson, Jets at Dolphins (DK: $5,800 | FD: $6,900 | SD: 1.4x); Brandin Cooks, Cowboys at Bills (DK: $5,200 | FD: $6,300 | SD: 1.45x); A.T. Perry, Saints vs. Giants (DK: $3,500 | FD: $4,700 | SD: 1.7x)\n\nWEEK 15 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best stacks\n\nNFL DFS Picks Week 15: TE sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel, SuperDraft\n\nDavid Njoku, Browns vs. Bears (DK: $4,700 | FD: $6,200 | SD: 1.3x)\n\nNjoku went nuclear last weekend, catching six of his eight targets from Joe Flacco for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Now he gets a chance for an encore against the Bears, who have surrendered the 10th-most PPR points to tight ends this season. No joke, dude — you can trust Njoku!\n\nMore solid Week 15 TE values: Logan Thomas, Commanders at Rams (DK: $3,700 | FD: $5,100 | SD: 1.5x); Cade Otton, Buccaneers at Packers (DK: $3,200 | FD: $5,200 | SD: 1.65x); Tucker Kraft, Packers vs. Buccaneers (DK: $3,000 | FD: $4,700 | SD: 1.8x)\n\nNFL DFS Picks Week 15: D/ST sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel\n\nLos Angeles Rams vs. Commanders (DK: $3,100 | FD: $4,300)\n\nThe Rams got destroyed by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and the high-flying Ravens in Week 14, but push that out of your memory banks. Before that game, Sean McVay's squad had surrendered 20 or fewer points in four straight contests. Aaron Donald and company also have 17 sacks and six takeaways over their past six games, so they'll be licking their chops looking across the line at Sam Howell this weekend. No QB has more interceptions than Howell, who has also taken 10 more sacks than any other signal-caller this season.\n\nMore solid Week 15 D/ST plays: Chicago Bears at Browns (DK: $3,300 | FD: $4,100); New York Jets at Dolphins (DK: $2,700 | FD: $3,600); New England Patriots vs. Chiefs (DK: $2,300 | FD: $3,200)", + "“I feel like the majority of my life has been in front of a screen,” Turner “Tfue” Tenney reflected amid tears. A fateful kill against Tyler “Ninja” Blevins back in 2019 had catapulted Tenney to fame, and his audience went on to outgrow that of Twitch’s most mainstream star. Yet in 2022, Fortnite’s golden boy — whose name is synonymous with the battle royale game’s most recognizable character, Jonesy — called it quits. For many, Tenney’s retirement video was a sign of yet another Twitch star grappling with burnout: sad, yet familiar. In essence, though, Tenney walking away from it all cemented the end of an era for the games industry.\n\nPolygon is celebrating TwitchCon 2023 with a package of stories covering streaming trends and news from the show. Check it out!\n\nTenney was the real deal, a perfect nexus of undeniable charisma and tenacious talent on display at least eight hours a day for years. But his ascent was a complicated one that reflected many of gaming’s biggest growing pains during the influencer era. Tenney came up as an early Fortnite esports champion; we now know that esports is a bubble that’s burned millions of dollars. Tenney rode a Fortnite wave that raised billions of dollars for Epic Games; a few years later, the publisher laid off 830 of its employees. When Tenney blew up, everyone was salivating over Drake and what his livestream appearance signaled for Twitch’s future; now both the rapper and many of the platform’s stars are better known for promoting gambling over hits. Tenney spurred headlines after joining FaZe Clan, a gaming lifestyle brand so lucrative it was endorsed by celebrities like Snoop Dogg; FaZe Clan is now an infamous penny stock that tried to rip him off, Tenney says.\n\nWhere all these disasters converge is Twitch, the livestreaming platform that’s home to over 30 million daily viewers. Many would say the writing is on the wall for Twitch, after endless headlines about losing top talent, poor management, bad platform policies, and creator burnout. But the idea that Twitch has lost its way after an ostensible golden era is an easy narrative that misses something much starker. If Twitch is in trouble in 2023, it’s not because things have gotten worse. Everything you’re seeing is the natural progression of an unsustainable system. The prognosis has always been terminal; we’ve just refused to see it because it’s been profitable.\n\nIt didn’t take long for publishers to see that Twitch could make or break a game. Around 2018, Twitch and its personalities turned Fortnite into a juggernaut so powerful, much of the gaming industry started molding itself in its image. While an approachable aesthetic and surprising gameplay made for good viewing, what kept Fortnite from being a mere fad was the model. Before, content expansions and adjustments could take months, if not years, to hit, and you might have to shell out money to see any of it. Fortnite set a more cutthroat standard: free weekly content updates.\n\nEpic could swing this ceaseless delivery because the bulk of its profits at the time came from its engine, which many games — including Fortnite’s competitors — license. It was these deep pockets that made Fortnite possible in the first place: The bubbly shooter was initially a flop before Epic perfected the formula. The cadence also let Epic quickly adapt Fortnite to whatever was trending or novel, whether that was Among Us or Splatoon. Much like Roblox, Fortnite became a game that could give you anything — and if Epic didn’t emulate it, the players would.\n\n“You can’t replicate Fortnite’s growth from, like, the [content creator] standpoint and also definitely from the developer standpoint,” says a Twitch streamer turned game developer who requested anonymity because he isn’t authorized to discuss the popular AAA live-service shooter that he works on.\n\nThe conditions that made everything possible were unique, yet immaterial to publishers who could only imagine profits. Suddenly, “live service” was everywhere — and games like Overwatch, which couldn’t achieve a similar pace, were posed as disappointments by content creators.\n\nDoes an average player truly need their favorite game to give them something new, week in and week out? Developers say getting half of their players to actually finish games is unusual and worth celebrating, because the reality is that most people will never finish a game they start. Twenty-two percent of purchased games on Steam are unplayed outright. A number of things affect these percentages, like being a part of a sale or Game Pass, but the statistics still paint a picture. A reported 25% of players between the ages of 18 and 34 enjoy games between three and six hours a week, 28% play two hours or less, and 19% play between 13 to 24 hours or more, according to Statista. As they get older, fans apparently spend less time in games. In the most engaged age group, half of all players only log a couple of hours or so per week in their favorite games.\n\nA serious Twitch streamer who goes live daily or logs a full workday during their schedule will typically play much, much more than the people who are watching them. Twitch streamers can’t stop; a mere two-day pause might mean losing thousands of paying subscribers. There’s a big incentive to keep up with live-service updates as well. There’s some FOMO involved; while certain events with special prizes happen yearly, other big occasions, like season finales, only happen once. But the numbers don’t lie: Your viewership will definitely be impacted by new patches that float the game in question to Twitch’s front page.\n\n“Multiplayer games will start decreasing in viewership after the first week as the launch hype dies down and then it’s a question of how good the game is perceived to be that will determine its long term fate,” says StreamElements’ public relations director Chase. “With those in for the long haul, viewership tends to plateau and then spike when new content and patches are released or if it is supported by competitive events.”\n\nWhile the playing habits of a Twitch streamer don’t represent the average player by any means, content creators certainly shape public opinion about games.\n\n“Negative sentiment is very profitable,” says the AAA game developer, who noted that social media platforms are built to highlight popular — and sometimes caustic — content. This dynamic sets up an inherent tension between game developers and hardcore players like Twitch streamers, who are not the main audience of most games but are often some of the most visible players.\n\n“I don’t at all think that streamers are embodying some typical player behaviors, like ‘Brandon,’” the developer continues, posing a name for an imaginary everyday consumer. “There’s definitely a model of consumers nowadays who probably parrot those sentiments. They did not arrive at those conclusions themselves.”\n\n“There is inherently [a] vicious and negative cycle for everyone involved, for how live service interacts with Twitch as a medium”\n\nThe misinformation will vary, but Twitch both shapes that discourse while also becoming the very metric that people use to make sense of a game’s situation. It’s gotten so bad that people scrutinize Twitch longevity for single-player games, not just live-service or multiplayer ones.\n\nAnd so, to keep up with expectations, games as a whole are getting longer — and more expensive. It takes multiple studios to keep yearly live-service franchises like Call of Duty afloat, as noted in the CMA’s report on Activision Blizzard. That same report says that the development budget of a AAA game can range anywhere from $80 million to $380 million, and seasonal updates in particular require anywhere from $50 million to $65 million to produce. For publishers, keeping up with the competition requires nearly as much money as making a big-budget game in the first place. For contrast, a modern Tomb Raider game had a budget between $75 million and $100 million, not counting marketing costs.\n\nMarketing by itself has eye-popping numbers as well: A 2018 report noted that the marketing budgets alone for some titles can equal 75% to 100% of what was spent on development, effectively doubling the total production cost. The channels publishers will pursue are varied, but Twitch streamers command a percentage of it. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift toward personality-based promotion, with more and more publishers eschewing traditional press at launch in favor of coverage they can control. Blevins, by himself, apparently commanded a $1 million payday for streaming Apex Legends, a game that’s popularity can be attributed to its enormous Twitch-focused launch.\n\nWho can actually compete in the environment all of these conditions have created? Giant publishers who make live-service games, mostly. All 10 of the most-watched games on Twitch in 2022 were live-service games with regular updates. And the cost goes beyond money. As Fortnite took off, developers at Epic Games said that they experienced months of crunch that required 70-to-100-hour weeks to produce that industry-shaping content despite the publisher’s deep pockets. That’s the model that a lot of this hinges on, an egregious work week that often still requires the cheap benefits of outsourcing and contractors who are routinely laid off. Things haven’t changed much since 2019 at some major studios: Diablo 4’s developers say they also underwent crunch to ship the game. Naturally, the action role-playing game had Twitch integration from the jump, and alongside a detailed content roadmap. There’s little incentive for any of this to change, even as big-budget games buckle under their own weight and studios are closing left and right. Not when publishers know that the longer a player is hooked, the more likely it is that they’ll spend money.\n\nAt this point, live-service games need content creators like Twitch streamers to stay solvent. According to the developer speaking to Polygon, streamers help old games transform into new and visible moments. Developers need live-service games to stay in the conversation, because the base experience can worsen without a persistent player base.\n\nIt’s “not even from a cost perspective,” the developer says, though obviously more players make profits more viable. “But [if] we don’t have 20,000 players, then matchmaking times are terrible. Or connections will be pretty bad because we can’t mobilize players together in a single match. There’s all these cascading effects.”\n\nWhile a Twitch streamer’s livelihood depends on having a steady stream of content, the system taxes them, too. Tenney’s goodbye to his fans was a crushing one, because the path that led him there was fueled by lost youth and a dream. Over time, the promise of a dream job — get paid to play games! — became corporatized, and contracts turned things ugly. Tenney said he started feeling trapped, and he didn’t like how much his decisions started being motivated by money. Tenney is hardly alone here now that Twitch has “grown up.”\n\n“There is inherently [a] vicious and negative cycle for everyone involved, for how live service interacts with Twitch as a medium,” the game developer, who also spent years as a serious Twitch streamer, says. It’s been years, but he says he’s still recovering from the burnout of livestreaming all the time.\n\n“There [are] these enormous benefits for some people, but there’s also just, like, a lot of it just really grinds you down on both sides of the table,” he said, referring to game developers and Twitch streamers.\n\nIt was inevitable for things like sleep streams, uncapped subathons, and randomly generated AI shows to materialize on Twitch; content creators feel like they need to keep going, always\n\nThe burnout phenomenon has been at the forefront of Twitch’s public image, in large part because it doesn’t spare even the most successful creators on the platform. Twitch’s most famous woman, Imane “Pokimane” Anys, started streaming while she was still a teen. Then, it was just a hobby. Nearly a decade later, Anys grew to have one of the most impressive stints on the platform. Late in 2022, however, came a big change. She informed fans she would no longer stream all day, nor would games be her primary focus anymore. Instead, she pivoted to being more of a lifestyle and beauty personality who uploads on short-form platforms like TikTok, if and when she feels like it.\n\nThe evolution grew from a similar motivation as Tenney’s. In the video where she explains it all, Anys said that during her time as a full-on Twitch streamer, keeping up with the “rat race” often meant playing what was popular while being unable to do “basic human things,” like going grocery shopping. How could she, when streaming all day was the norm and there was always competition around the corner that was younger and more willing to stay live for longer?\n\nIt was inevitable, then, for things like sleep streams, uncapped subathons, and randomly generated AI shows to materialize on Twitch; content creators feel like they need to keep going, always. Barring that, live-service games are always at the ready. In her sort-of-goodbye video, Anys spoke frankly while quickly scrolling through her entire game history on Twitch. It was all live-service games like League of Legends and Fortnite.\n\nIn 2011, when Twitch first launched, content creation wasn’t fully a career and people still uploaded their photos to Facebook. Normal, everyday teens weren’t yet decrying the hungry maw of the internet, and the generational shift toward work-life balance hadn’t yet taken hold. Twitch happened at the exact right time, benefiting from a cadre of optimistic young users who grew up on the internet, happy to give away as much of themselves as they could. They didn’t even realize it was happening, in many cases, and they couldn’t imagine the unsustainable system it would go on to create. People were just having fun.\n\nThings have changed since then. Twitch has crowned millionaires, like Félix “xQc” Lengyel, who wear thick diamond chains around their necks while streaming. At the same time, viewership is dropping after years of platform growth that was partially bolstered by the COVID-19 pandemic, all while top creators are streaming less. The gaming industry, which likes to boast about how much money it makes in comparison to other forms of entertainment, is laying off workers nearly every week at top studios. Meanwhile, the overall gaming market is shrinking. The cracks in the system that produces and promotes big-budget games are getting hard to ignore.\n\n“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Tenney said in his goodbye video, which is overflowing with footage of esports casters and viewers in awe of his Fortnite plays.\n\n“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, man,” he continued, shaking his head. “I feel like my childhood and even some of my adulthood kind of flushed away. I feel like this is the end of the journey, man.”", + "Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nFootball email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nAnother infamous European night at Old Trafford. It should be a landmark low, but almost the most deflating element of this 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich was how grimly routine it all felt.\n\nManchester United, one of the grandest and richest names in this competition, have again gone out of the Champions League at the group stage. It is the third time it has happened since Sir Alex Ferguson, meaning it’s their most common round of exit in that period.\n\nThe performance this season was so bad that they find themselves out of Europe altogether as the bottom team in the group, although some at the club might find solace from that. There wasn’t much else. The second place they aimed for has instead gone to Copenhagen, a club with a fraction of United’s budget. That is where the damage was done.\n\nWhile that meant there was only ever a slim hope of going through – and the Danish side’s victory over Galatasaray ensured any win would be irrelevant – the club’s rich legacy in this competition was built on such defiance. There was absolutely none of it here.\n\nThere was nothing much at all. Where was the energy? Where was the intensity? The Stretford End eventually implored United to “attack attack attack” but the complete absence of any such impulses eventually left some of the stadium booing the side off at the end.\n\nWith United out of Europe, there are questions about Erik ten Hag’s ability to coach the team (AFP via Getty Images)\n\nThese are not the sounds we are used to hearing after that Champions League theme. Something does stir when the anthem is played at Old Trafford amid the lights. Well, for most, that is, except the players.\n\nThis is why there are growing questions for Erik ten Hag himself, even if everyone is constantly keen to put it in a wider context.\n\nManchester United should not be performing like this on what is supposed to be the classic European night at Old Trafford. This just reminded that all they are going to have for some time are their memories.\n\nIt was another utterly forgettable display.\n\nBayern, already through but perhaps looking to make a point after their own 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, didn’t even need to step it up to win. They were quite low-intensity themselves, Kingsley Coman’s winning goal coming from the forward almost walking through the middle of their team. Harry Kane, for so long billed as a potential United player, didn’t score but did set it up.\n\nThis game showed one reason why he is at Germany’s biggest club rather than England’s. His side are through with ease, among the favourites for the competition even if they do look lacking in a few areas.\n\nHarry Kane’s assist was another reminder of what could have been for United (PA)\n\nNot that you could judge from this game. It was almost a kickabout for them.\n\nBayern were still having more of the ball and the attacks. This was another tension for Ten Hag to overcome on the night. United were playing in quite a controlled way when they were going to eventually have to go for it, but Bayern were still getting through that with relative ease.\n\nIt meant the team almost looked like they were in two minds, to go with how thoughts were always going to be in Copenhagen. The news came through shortly before the hour that Lukas Lerager had scored for the Danish side, although it didn’t really change the atmosphere or the energy. It was already a drab game, with a muted crowd.\n\nIt didn’t help that Bruno Fernandes blazed United’s best opportunity over the bar after good work from Aaron Wan Bissaka. It looked like it was going to be one of those games. It certainly wasn’t one of those big European nights at Old Trafford.\n\nOn 71 minutes, Bayern managed what they had been half-heartedly threatening all game. They also did it at near walking pace. Kingsley Coman had weaved his way through the centre, for the ball to eventually be worked to Harry Kane. The English forward clipped an artful ball back through for Coman who finished emphatically.\n\nKingsley Coman’s goal ensured Manchester United were knocked out of Europe (PA)\n\nIt was almost too easy for him. Why did Andre Onana stay so close to his line? If that sounds like the set-up for a joke… well, you can write your own punchline.\n\nThis is the current reality for United. They obviously have many more issues than the goalkeeper – as illustrated by the goal itself – but a strange season for Ten Hag’s primary signing only continues. United’s problems meanwhile combined. There were so many errors leading to the goal, to go with all of those that have characterised this entire European campaign.\n\nThat can now be talked about definitively, since it has been decisively ended. It is a low but just part of a decade of disappointment in the competition that has seen this club rise to its most emotional heights.\n\nThis game never threatened to do that. United never threatened at all. They’d been involved in so many ludicrously chaotic matches that the biggest of all ended up being a non-event.", + "What’s up with Tesla’s Cybertruck? Everything to know about the much-hyped electric pickup\n\nAfter four years, the long-awaited launch of the Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup has come and gone.\n\nThe boxy vehicle is Tesla’s first new model since 2020, when it started delivering the Model Y. Yet, Cybertruck’s initial debut predates that moment; Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off an early version of the pickup at a memorable 2019 event, when it accidentally smashed two windows while attempting to demonstrate Cybertruck’s durability.\n\nHere we’ll answer some questions we figured a brave explorer such as yourself might ask (err… type in a search bar) about Tesla’s Cybertruck, including details on the vehicle’s specs, availability and design of the vehicle. The first deliveries, in which about 10 high-profile customers like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian took possession of the truck, occurred November 30 at the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin.\n\nWhile we have lots of details it’s still unclear if the Cybertruck will kick off the vehicle’s journey toward success, or failure.\n\nWhat is the Cybertruck?\n\nThe Cybertruck is a steel-clad electric pickup truck made by Tesla. According to Musk, the vehicle measures fewer than 19 feet long and features a bed longer than six feet. It has four doors and room for six adults.\n\nTesla shared Cybertruck specs in 2019, promising three variants of the vehicle. That included a $39,900 single-motor version with rear-wheel drive and a 250-mile range. But this was eons ago, figuratively speaking. At least one variant is reported to weigh about as much as a Hummer.\n\nTesla is planning to offer three variants of the Cybertruck, but the prices, range and other specs have changed since 2019.\n\nThe cheapest Cybertruck, a single-motor rear-wheel version with 250 miles of range, a 6.9-second zero to 60 miles per hour acceleration rate, won’t be available until 2025. The all-wheel drive variant has an estimated 340-mile range and top speed of 112 mph.\n\nThe third variant, called the Cyberbeast, has three motors that delivers 845 horsepower, a 2.6-second 0 to 60 mph acceleration rate and a top speed of 130 mph. The Cyberbeast has an estimated 320-mile range and $99,990 price tag. Both of the all-wheel drive and Cyberbeast versions have a claimed towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.\n\nThe company is also going to offer a range extender that will push the all-wheel drive version to an estimated 470 miles and the Cyberbeast to more than 440 miles of range. After the event, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to give a few more details about this add on. He said the range extender will be an “optional pack that fits in about 1/3 of the truck bed. Still room for plenty of cargo. It’s meant for very long trips or towing heavy things up mountains.”\n\nWhy does the Cybertruck look like that?\n\nAlso referred to as Cybrtrk in an early trademark, the Cybertruck’s name, neon logo and exterior evoke a sort of cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Why? Because Musk wants it to.\n\nThe electric pickup is made of steel, a tough material that resists rust but is hard to shape. The material’s rigidity influenced the EV’s starkly geometric design; it also led to launch delays and panel gaps on Cybertruck test vehicles.\n\nMusk has described the tank-like vehicle as “an armored personnel carrier from the future — what Bladerunner would have driven.” Crucially, while Bladerunner is a stunning film, it depicts a horrific dystopia.\n\nIs the Cybertruck for sale yet?\n\nTesla expects to mass produce Cybertrucks starting in 2024, but unless you’re a wealthy early adopter with special Tesla connections, securing a Cybertruck won’t be easy early on. You’ll need to get in line behind the folks who reserved the truck as far back as 2019.\n\nThat said, you may be able to jump ahead for a price: Apparently, Cybertruck reservations have appeared on eBay for $10,000. Proceed with caution. I’m not sure how easy it’d be to verify if the offers are legit, and Musk has threatened to punish resellers in the past.\n\nThe Cybertruck price tags varies depending on the variant and add ons. The tl;dr is that all of the considerably prices are higher than advertised back in 2019. The rear-wheel version — which, reminder isn’t available until 2025 — starts at $60,990. The all-wheel drive version has a $79,990 starting price and the Cyberbeast comes in just shy of $100,000.\n\nThe federal tax credit for EVs has a number of eligibility requirements including price. Under current rules, the trucks and SUVs priced above $80,000 don’t qualify for the $7,500 credit.\n\nCan I resell my Cybertruck?\n\nTesla indeed threatened to punish early Cybertruck resellers, but it seemed to walk back its previously published rules in a November 2023 update to its U.S. order agreement page. The rules once stated that Cybertruck customers couldn’t sell their vehicles during their first year of ownership without permission from Tesla. The rules also said the company would seek $50,000 in damages from early resellers. But such language is gone from that particular page, at least for now.\n\nCan I fit a bike in a Cybertruck’s bed?\n\nThat depends on the size of the bike and how you store it. From what we can tell, you’ll probably need one wheel hanging over the tailgate.\n\nElon Musk has promised that Cybertrucks will feature beds longer than six feet. The truck bed in the production version is six-feet and slightly longer with the tailgate down. From the end of one wheel to the opposite end of the other, adult bicycles are typically longer than six feet. (On a related note, the city of Los Angeles recommends bicycle parking spaces be a minimum of six feet long, as does South Carolina’s Palmetto Cycling Coalition. Regardless, it’s a tight fit.)\n\nA motorcycle would probably be trickier. This isn’t a Silverado.\n\nIs the Cybertruck good for the climate?\n\nGenerally speaking, electric vehicles are better for the climate than their gas-guzzling counterparts, because they don’t have tailpipe emissions. Still, all cars are pollutive. That includes consumer EVs, since they require lithium, release tire particles into the air and demand more energy than more efficient means of getting around, such as public transit, cycling and walking. Battery material mining is also linked to worker exploitation.\n\nWhat about the Cybertruck’s size? Experts have raised red flags over the ballooning size and weight of vehicles in the U.S. Extra-large vehicles typically require more energy, and thus more battery materials, which drives up their environmental cost. As far as collisions go, bigger and heavier vehicles are less safe for everyone around them, especially pedestrians.\n\nAmong EVs, vehicles with smaller batteries are generally better for the environment.\n\nStay tuned\n\nWe have a lot more questions and we expect Tesla to share more details during its November 30 delivery event. How does the Cybertruck compare to other Teslas? What about electric pickups from the competition, including Ford or GMC? When will Tesla release the cheaper, single-motor Cybertruck variant it promised back in 2019? Check back for updates as we learn more.", + "The Tesla Cybertruck has been out for a little more than a week, and already people are ready to declare it a safety nightmare.\n\n“Guideless missile” and “death machine” are some of the loaded phrases being tossed around. Safety experts are “raising concerns” about the truck’s crumple zones (or lack thereof). TikTok and other social platforms are abound with videos highlighting the poor sight lines and lack of visibility for drivers and passengers.\n\nBut if the Cybertruck is particularly deadly for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, it’s because it’s a large truck in America in the year 2023. We have lots of data that shows that America’s favorite type of vehicle is also one of the most deadly. We have very little data about the Cybertruck in particular, because it’s only been out for a couple weeks and in extremely limited quantities.\n\nBut if the Cybertruck is particularly deadly for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, it’s because it’s a large truck in America in the year 2023\n\nWe need more data — and testing — before we know more about the specific dangers posed by this sharply angled, stainless steel contraption. And right now, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) — two independent bodies that test new vehicles — have any plans to conduct crash safety tests with the Cybertruck.\n\nAll trucks are dangerous\n\nBut based on the specs we know, we can certainly draw some conclusions about the Cybertruck. Like other trucks in its segment, the Cybertruck is heavy, high-riding, very quick, and likely to be extremely deadly to anyone unlucky enough to stumble into its path.\n\nLast month, IIHS released a study confirming much of what we already know: trucks and SUVs with tall, flat fronts and high hoods are more deadly for pedestrians than more compact vehicles.\n\n“Tall front ends increase risk,” Raul Arbelaez, VP of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center, says. “For medium height vehicles, blocky or blunt shaped front ends also increase risk. A higher point of impact increases risk for cyclists.”\n\nThese characteristics are not unique to the Cybertruck. Trucks from Ford, GM, Toyota, Ram, and others are also extremely deadly to pedestrians. EV trucks, in particular, are more deadly due to their increased weight from the battery. And yet, for some reason, you don’t see as many media stories calling out, for example, the F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T or Chevy Silverado EV.\n\n“Vehicle weight in our fleet has continued to go up over the past 20 years,” Arbelaez says. “Electrification is taking weight increases to another level that will lead to dangerous outcomes.”\n\nWe need more data\n\nDespite these conclusions, Arbelaez and other safety experts are taking a wait-and-see approach to the Cybertruck. “We haven’t had an opportunity to measure the front-end of the Cybertruck, so we don’t know how it will compare to other pickups or SUVs,” he says.\n\nA spokesperson for Consumer Reports says the same thing: “We’re going to wait for more data,” citing the need for independent testing data from NHTSA and IIHS.\n\nTesla conducted its own crash tests with the Cybertruck in-house, videos from which were shown during the delivery event last month. But NHTSA has yet to perform its own. In the US, car companies “self certify” that their vehicles comply with federal safety standards requiring everything from sideview mirrors to airbags to automatic emergency braking. There is no “pre-approval” before an automaker is allowed to sell its cars to the public.\n\n“We’re going to wait for more data.”\n\nThis allows Tesla to sell cars with driver assist systems that safety experts say put drivers and pedestrians at risk. And it allows it to sell a truck made from stainless steel and no rounded edges. The Cybertruck “meets the performance criteria” for standards like lane departure warnings and dynamic brake support, according to the NHTSA website. But there is no five-star safety rating, and the Cybertruck wasn’t mentioned in the agency’s list of vehicles it will crash test for 2024.\n\nCrumple zones, or lack thereof\n\nSo far, the aforementioned crash test videos featured by Tesla during its delivery event have been the focus of the most questions, with many focusing on the truck’s crumple zones, or lack thereof.\n\nThe crumple zone is the area of a vehicle that is designed to crush or crumple upon impact. Often located in the front of a vehicle, the crumple zone will absorb some of the impact of a crash, protecting the driver and other occupants.\n\nBy absorbing and dissipating energy, crumple zones help to prevent or reduce injuries to the occupants of the vehicle during a collision. A stiffer vehicle, perhaps one made from stainless steel, could complicate this process.\n\nThere are other design choices that make the Cybertruck a troubling addition to our roads.\n\nThere are other design choices that make the Cybertruck a troubling addition to our roads. While the hood is sloped, the corner blind spots appear to be dangerous. Tesla added cameras to compensate for these blind spots, but it’s unclear what a driver will actually be able to see. The steering is digital not mechanical (“steering by wire”), sideview mirrors can be removed, and there is no rearview mirror at all — the only way to see what’s on the side or behind is via the center console screen that’s also the instrument panel, GPS mapping, Bluetooth controls, and radio. The exterior is “bullet-proof” steel with hardened Gorilla glass windows.\n\nBut again, all we have is a couple of videos. What we need is data, independently verified, before we can say definitively that this truck will cause mass death and destruction. Safety experts quoted by Reuters acknowledge there may be some shock-absorbent mechanism that makes up for the apparent lack of crumple zones. We just don’t know yet.\n\nElon Musk is “highly confident” that the Cybertruck will be safer than other trucks on the road for occupants and pedestrians. Tesla has historically achieved high safety ratings thanks to its underlying architecture, which makes the car more rigid and better protects passengers. The location of the battery in the floor of the vehicle also gives the Model Y and other Tesla vehicles a lower center of gravity, which improves road stability and decreases the chances of a rollover. All four of Tesla’s vehicles, the Model S, X, 3, and Y, have earned five-star ratings from Euro NCAP.\n\nBut the Cybertruck is a truck, and trucks are historically a nightmare for pedestrian safety. The same goes for every Ford, GMC, Hummer, and Ram truck on the road today. The underlying issues of weight, height, and dimensions are what have contributed to the current crisis in pedestrian safety, in which more people are dying on the road than any time in the last 40 years.\n\nThe Cybertruck is unlikely to be sold in Europe, which has a much higher bar for pedestrian safety than the US. One of Tesla’s lead designers said as much in an interview with TopGear Netherlands, blaming the inflexible stainless steel exterior.", + "Fortnite is the latest game to entice players with a portal to the past From Fortnite and WoW to Zelda and Mario, gaming is all about nostalgia right now\n\nThere’s a massive appetite for nostalgia in entertainment right now, and one of gaming’s cultural juggernauts wants to cash in.\n\nFortnite maker Epic Games announced Friday that the game’s next season would return to its original map from the multiplayer shooter’s very earliest days. Epic teased the return “back to Chapter 1” on its X account, but hinted that some more modern in-game mobility perks like sprinting would stick around even as the game turns the clock back come November 3. From the “Ws” in the replies, Fortnite’s community sounds very on board with the news.\n\nSprint (or Mantle, your choice) back to Chapter 1….see you soon 11.3.2023. #FortniteOG pic.twitter.com/4LnTksppRp — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) October 27, 2023\n\nEpic’s re-launch of Chapter 1 comes with more fanfare than your average Fortnite season. Ninja, aka Tyler Blevins, one of the first streaming superstars and still among the most popular, promoted the new content by showcasing a giant replica of one of the game’s iconic Durr Burgers in his backyard. Other classic Fortnite streaming stars got the same treatment.\n\nWoke up to find the OG Fortnite is coming back November 3rd AND THERES A BURGER IN MY BACKYARD https://t.co/QC3Dpr8MTr lets talk about it pic.twitter.com/E855hGHBoN — Ninja (@Ninja) October 27, 2023\n\nTHERE IS NO WAY FORTNITE SENT ME THIS 🤣@FortniteGame pic.twitter.com/TmBvevl8aQ — timthetatman👑 (@timthetatman) October 27, 2023\n\nFor the uninitiated, Fortnite is a battle royale-style third-person shooter where 100 players swarm a massive but shrinking virtual island with the goal of being the last man standing. In the process they generally engage in myriad well-animated virtual antics as the game has become wackier and more elaborate over time, all while dressed in custom skins you earn by playing or purchase in Epic’s lucrative virtual swag shop.\n\nIn its heyday, Fortnite was about as ubiquitous and popular as a game can be. Streaming gameplay routinely drew hundreds of thousands of viewers on Twitch, where a cottage industry of pro Fortnite players emerged, all laser-focused on Epic’s polished battle royale. Epic keeps its metrics under wraps, but back in 2020 the game had more registered players than the population of the United States.\n\nEpic’s hit game has both imported and exported popular culture since its launch in 2017. Like other live service online games, Fortnite releases new content every three-ish months, refreshing the destinations scattered across its cartoony island locale, changing the rules of physics and generally adding additional mayhem, often in the form of weapons.\n\nThose seasons are punctuated by flashy concerts and pop culture tie-ins, like a psychedelic Ariana Grande show, an in-game lightsaber fight with Darth Vader or the appearance of Dragon Ball Z’s Goku as an in-game skin. The massive online shop for skins and other character customizations betrays Epic’s loftier aspirations of building an interconnected virtual online world — a kind of metaverse, if you will.\n\nIn Fortnite, the map is everything. A bad map can ruin a chapter and players often wax nostalgic about in-game locales — usually alliterative hotspots with names like Tilted Towers or Loot Lake. Without a clear glimpse into what Fortnite’s player base looks like these days, it’s tough to know why Epic would decide to go retro and bring the game back to an older save state.\n\nIn 2023, Fortnite is far from dead. The game is still very popular, even if it’s not clear exactly how popular. But if Fortnite was once lightning in a bottle, between other free-to-play rivals like Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone and others, that bottle is a lot more crowded these days.\n\nNostalgia sells in 2023\n\nEpic’s decision to turn back the clock might seem small to anyone who hasn’t dropped in off the Battle Bus, but it’s an interesting reflection of the state of gaming right now. Games — and gamers’ tastes — are increasingly following the wider entertainment trend of digging up familiar stories and repackaging them.\n\nGame developers seemed to believe for a time that cutting-edge graphics and hyper-realism were what consumers really wanted, but gamers’ appetites have trended toward retro visuals, nostalgia and familiar game worlds more and more. That lower bar for visual fidelity also opens the doors for inventive indie games that don’t rely on big budgets to shine, but the world’s biggest game developers are riding the wave too.\n\nThis year’s hit new Zelda game Tears of the Kingdom literally built a new game on top of the old one and remains a strong contender for Game of the Year. Competition is stiff though, more so now that Nintendo just casually dropped Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the first two-dimensional side-scrolling Mario game in more than a decade — another portal to the past given its departure from a long string of recent 3D Super Mario titles.\n\nSquare Enix was so confident in its remake of the 1997 Japanese roleplaying mega-hit Final Fantasy VII that the reimagined version of the game comprises three standalone full-length games, each spaced a few years apart.\n\nWorld of Warcraft paved the way\n\nFortnite’s experiment to bring players back into the fold by relaunching an original version of the game will be interesting to watch, but it isn’t a first. World of Warcraft, the fantasy roleplaying game once synonymous with online gaming, did something similar just a few years ago. Blizzard Entertainment, which developed the massively multiplayer online game (MMO), launched World of Warcraft Classic back in 2019, even as a modern version of the game remained online and playable.\n\nElizabeth Harper, editorial director of the longtime dedicated World of Warcraft news site Blizzard Watch, told TechCrunch that Blizzard actually reluctantly launched the old-school version of its game in response to demands from its own community.\n\n“Before WoW Classic originally launched, third parties were already running their own versions of ‘classic’ servers,” Harper said. “Game mechanics and class balance were extremely different then, and there was a lot of nostalgia for the community that existed back in the day.”\n\nWhile Fortnite players, like WoW players, have a ton of nostalgia for the older version of the game, its maps were comparably simple and difficult to traverse. For players accustomed to gaming’s modern quality of life improvements, old games can feel sparse and clunky if not reimagined outright.\n\n“WoW Classic has been a runaway success, and fans can’t get enough of re-releases of classic content, devouring each expansion and raid tier as they’re rolled out. However, the WoW Classic team’s philosophy has evolved since it was released: [Blizzard] initially was very serious about releasing the game without any changes, but these days the team feels that some changes need to be made,” Harper said.\n\n“I’m not an expert in Fortnite, but a smart game developer will pay close attention to the features that spark that nostalgic joy and keep those in the forefront, while considering retaining modern conveniences that players appreciate.”\n\nEpic hasn’t shown its full hand for the new-old version of its own game, but it does sound like some of Fortnite’s quality of life improvements will be sticking around, including sprinting and “mantling,” a parkour-like move that lets players climb over obstacles. In recent years, Epic has sprinkled all sorts of zany mobility options onto its map, letting players fall through the sky, pilot biplanes or (our personal preference) roll in a giant hamster ball to get around faster.\n\n“With MMOs, it’s easier than ever for gaming experiences to be lost completely to time. New versions overwrite old versions, making original games inaccessible,” Harper said.\n\n“World of Warcraft will be 19 years old in November, and practically every feature and zone the game launched with has been remade in the years since…. It’s a ship of Theseus.”\n\nMuch like the revolutions of a giant oversized hamster hurtling down from Fortnite’s rave cave, gaming’s nostalgia cycles are speeding up, with relaunches and remakes coming on quick. World of Warcraft Classic recreated a 15-year-old version of the game, but Fortnite’s own blast from the past seeks to capture the magic of a relatively very recently bygone era.\n\n“Nostalgia sells, but it only sells because there’s demand. Gamers want to go back and revisit their favorite games as they originally were, and I think developers who re-release games are developers who pay attention to their communities,” Harper said.\n\n“Sure, there’s a cynical side to this: game companies are in it to make money. But if we didn’t love these classic games, they wouldn’t be nearly as popular as they are.”", + "Twitch has always allowed for various forms of expression, so it was no surprise when VTubing found a home on the platform, quickly gaining popularity among English-speaking audiences in 2019. Since then, the novelty of avatar-based content may have worn off, but the format has stuck around. And VTubing agencies, which continue to introduce new talents and offer one of the more financially secure methods of pursuing this sort of content, are still holding on in an attempt to harness new talent.\n\nVTubing exploded onto the wider North American and European markets when Cover Corporation launched the English branch of Hololive Production in 2020. Hololive’s English debut saw the introduction of long-standing talents in the English community, such as the extremely popular Gawr Gura (the most subscribed-to Hololive talent to date) and Ninomae Ina’nis. Even high-profile content creators like Pokimane pivoted toward using digital avatars weeks after Hololive’s first generation of English talents debuted. Brands, too: Remember the Tony the Tiger VTuber in August of 2022?\n\nMany creators that jumped on the trend have since stopped using their avatars, but at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a large increase in VTubers on Twitch and other streaming platforms, like YouTube, as models and equipment became more accessible to the general public. Twitch has since gone on to highlight a wide variety of VTubers through its VTuber Takeover promotion, which most recently ran in August. Twitch also reported that VTubing-related content on the platform shot up by some 350% between January and August 2022. Despite this, some have argued that the VTubing bubble has all but burst.\n\nPolygon is celebrating TwitchCon 2023 with a package of stories covering streaming trends and news from the show. Check it out!\n\n“I do feel that VTubing has become less novel as the market has become more saturated,” says a streamer with agency Nijisanji who is not approved to speak publicly. “There are obviously some ups and downs when it comes to working with an agency as well, which requires a lot of patience if I’m honest. And there are some decisions that are made that sometimes don’t make a lot of sense.”\n\nAgencies for VTubers manage their talents, often assigning them a manager that helps organize interviews, collaborations, paid promotions, and ad content on streams. Sometimes they can be financial advisors, but that is not always the case, as money made through agencies may include subscription or merchandise sales.\n\nThe source at Nijisanji notes that all talents within the agency are under nondisclosure agreements, which prevents them from sharing information with their audiences that could compromise their identity, or even inform viewers on why they could be graduating — which is effectively retirement for VTubers.\n\n“Seeing agencies like Hololive and Nijisanji shut down entire branches or graduate talents without any real kind of information is heartbreaking for just about everyone involved in the process,” the source says.\n\nIn 2020, Hololive shuttered its Chinese division, graduating more than a handful of streamers. More recently, Nijisanji announced the abrupt graduation of one of its more prominent talents, Mysta Rias. He revealed that his choice to leave Nijisanji was due to burnout. And in August, the parent company of Hololive, Cover Corporation, announced that two talents would be graduating from its Holostars division barely a year after debuting. Statements from the graduating talents were not provided outside of an official announcement from Cover.\n\nIn some cases, VTubers are not given a choice and can be graduated prematurely, though the agency itself never specifies.\n\nIndependent VTuber NagamiMugi feels as though “corporate VTubing” is still a viable avenue for those looking to make a career out of the medium that can support content creation full-time. “I think VTubing content has become kind of stale,” she says. She goes on to mention that a lot of VTubers tend to be boxed into specific kinds of content — playing Minecraft or popular FPS games like Valorant. “In order for VTubing to continue to grow, VTubers need to branch out and create more content in line with other influencers,” she says.\n\n“Agencies should allow for talents to experiment, so long as it isn’t hurting anyone”\n\nMugi says that if VTubers took cues from other content creators and explored options like lore analysis videos or short-form reviews, the scene wouldn’t be as stagnant. And like other VTubers, Mugi has dreams of going corporate. Already relatively successful, having created her own storefront that hosts collaborations and merchandise featuring other VTubers and artists, she has auditioned for several major agencies. She says that one agency asked if she would close down her business if she passed the interview phase and became one of its talents.\n\nThis isn’t entirely uncommon, as the source from Nijisanji mentions that some talents have been given strict restrictions as to what content they can and can’t create once their contracts with the agency expire. However, this can vary between talents and what is agreed upon between both the talent and the agency itself. So while agencies can be viable in terms of long-term growth for a creator, it is often strictly tied to the avatar associated with said agency. Both Hololive and Nijisanji give creators very little freedom in terms of presentation, whereas newer agencies such as Idol allow talents to create their own concepts. While that may feel overwhelming to some, it allows for the talents behind these models to flex their creativity and create a persona that otherwise wouldn’t fit neatly into the clearly defined boxes some agencies slot them into.\n\n“Agencies should allow for talents to experiment, so long as it isn’t hurting anyone,” says the source. “Let people fail and still have that opportunity for growth in the future. More risk-taking and trying to branch out in other ways instead of simply just streaming or following preestablished methods.”\n\nAccording to both of the people we interviewed for this story, this is an agreed-upon sentiment — that to prevent further stagnation, this not-so-niche form of content creation needs to reinvent itself and allow more freedom to its talents. Time will tell if larger agencies like Hololive (which reported 50% growth in its 2023 financial report) and Nijisanji will allow their talents to break the mold.", + "TwitchCon 2023 was better than last year, but everyone hated Las Vegas TwitchCon felt positive for the first time in a while, one streamer said, but 'we are positive we don't want TwitchCon to be in Vegas again.'\n\nCompared to the shitshow that went down last year, TwitchCon Las Vegas was largely a success. The problem? Nobody liked Las Vegas.\n\nThis year’s TwitchCon appeared to mitigate last year’s crowding issues and concluded without any foam pit tragedies. The fraught relationship between Twitch and its streamers is on the mend after the company opened the event by announcing that it now allows simulcasting, so that streamers can stream on multiple other platforms at the same time. Attendees gushed about the overall positive energy at the convention, posting that it “actually feels like Twitch is back.” Livestreaming competitor Kick “haunted” TwitchCon with its nearby gaming lounge, but that didn’t put a damper on TwitchCon’s good vibes. There was even a gay engagement onstage!\n\nI can’t believe I pulled this off 😆 what an amazing moment I will remember forever. Thank you Twitch 💜 https://t.co/Jx0k0Q2OsZ — Lowco @ TwitchCon (@LowcoTV) October 20, 2023\n\nThe generally positive consensus comes after a tense year for Twitch, punctuated by rounds of layoffs and unpopular policy changes. Dan Clancy, who had served as the company’s president since 2019, took the reins from Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear earlier this year, ending Shear’s 16-year tenure as CEO. Clancy’s leadership was initially met with trepidation; after meeting him at TwitchCon last year, streamer Jakenbake described him as “out of touch with what streamers need and want.”\n\nClancy appears to have made it up to the streamer community in time for this year’s event. Lowco, the streamer who proposed to her girlfriend onstage during TwitchCon’s opening ceremony, praised Twitch for improving its communication and transparency, and told TechCrunch that Clancy engaged with streamers all weekend. To run Twitch, she said, “you really need to understand the culture.”\n\n“There’s a reigniting feeling that we as creators are being heard and can be a part of Twitch’s decision making process,” Lowco told TechCrunch. “Dan Clancy’s presence this year made a tremendous impact on the atmosphere. He was everywhere, taking pictures, listening to creators, IRL streaming and truly being part of the TwitchCon experience.”\n\nBut it wouldn’t be TwitchCon without some grumbling. Though attendees said Twitch itself had improved, many expressed frustration about the event’s location. The convention took place on the Las Vegas Strip, an area that’s expensive, not walkable and lacks spaces to casually hang out with other streamers.\n\n“I think most of us agree TwitchCon Vegas felt very positive in a way that hasn’t been felt in some time,” Lowco posted on X (formerly Twitter). “But also we are positive we don’t want TwitchCon to be in Vegas again. Lol.”\n\nIt’s the first North American TwitchCon to be held outside of California since Twitch’s inaugural convention in 2015. Las Vegas may be able to physically accommodate such a large event, but many TwitchCon attendees complain that it lacks the infrastructure to foster the community engagement that Twitch revolves around. Daytime hangouts outside of the convention center were challenging; spaces that don’t revolve around drinking or gambling are scarce on the Strip, and if they do exist, they’re too far from the convention center to quickly visit.\n\n“The convention center in Vegas was solid but the city had way too much going on,” Lowco added. “We don’t need the distractions of Vegas, there’s enough for us to do. Vegas had the community split all over the city, which is not convenient to get around.”\n\nHonestly yeah. The psotive vibes were absolutely amazing but PLEASE NOT VEGAS AGAIN.\n\nSEATLE. NATIONAL HARBOR. ANYTHING BUT VEGAS https://t.co/G3eYWwFme5 — Redclaw🦖🔞DinoVtuber (@RedclawDraws) October 24, 2023\n\nRachel Delphin, chief marketing officer at Twitch, confirmed to TechCrunch that next year’s convention will not be in Las Vegas, but couldn’t disclose where it would wind up. Twitch hosts two conventions every year: one in Europe and one in North America. TwitchCon Europe has taken place in Berlin, Amsterdam and, most recently, Paris. Twitch has hosted its North American events throughout California, including in San Jose, Long Beach and San Diego.\n\nTo its credit, Twitch is receptive to community feedback, and has had to dramatically scale up its conventions as the platform’s usership skyrocketed since the pandemic started in 2020. Attendees complained that last year’s event, which was the first convention that Twitch hosted in North America in nearly three years, was overcrowded and poorly laid out. The San Diego Convention Center’s tight hallways couldn’t accommodate so many people, which was worsened by fans flocking around popular streamers and blocking the flow of traffic.\n\nAttendees also complained that the venue was inaccessible for those using mobility aids, such as wheelchairs and walkers, because of the unmanaged crowds and unprepared security. In an X thread about the event’s lack of accessibility, attendees said that when popular streamers walked by, swarming fans pushed around those using mobility aids and nearly trampled them.\n\nTwitch managed to mitigate crowding issues during this year’s convention, a success that Delphin credits to the company learning quickly.\n\n“It was a huge demand to come back. I think fandoms have grown in that time period, just the fervor around specific creators that was totally and wholly different than we’d seen before,” Delphin said of last year’s TwitchCon. “And the creators themselves had also absolutely exploded. It used to be that you’d come to TwitchCon, be the biggest creator, and you could walk around pretty freely. Now it’s huge, it’s a whole different kind of apparatus to manage.”\n\nAttendee feedback is clear: Next year’s convention, wherever it is, needs to have more accessible third places.\n\nThe third place is a sociological term that refers to a physical space that isn’t work or home, where people can socialize without the obligations of productivity. If you can hang out there, it’s a third place. During the pandemic, virtual communities served as ad hoc third places in lieu of coffee shops, bookstores and gyms. Twitch, which saw exponential growth during the pandemic, was one of them. Last year’s San Diego-based TwitchCon, for all of its faults, took place in a walkable city abundant with nearby places to hang out, allowing attendees to bond, network and interact outside of the convention center. There’s no shortage of third places in Las Vegas, but for many TwitchCon attendees, nightclubs and casinos aren’t accessible alternatives to San Diego’s more casual venues.\n\nMoni, a streamer working in games tech who goes by Monistreams, expressed her frustrations in a recent post on Twitch’s feedback forum UserVoice.\n\n“They do a really good job of preparing content, it truly feels like a celebration of the community and streamers,” Moni said over a Discord call. “That’s their selling point. It is a celebration of streamers and their communities. However, in Las Vegas, it felt like people were not spending time with their favorite streamers or their communities because they were all stuck in an Uber or walking an hour on the Strip, or basically doing anything else but being at the con.”\n\nFor a city designed around tourism, the Las Vegas Strip is a pain to navigate — a fact that CES attendees are well acquainted with. Whatever traffic and accessibility issues last year’s TwitchCon attendees faced in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter paled in comparison to the complaints about the Las Vegas Strip.\n\nWalking in the sprawl of casinos is nearly impossible, especially in Nevada’s oppressive October heat. The Las Vegas Convention Center, where TwitchCon’s programming and exposition hall were based, is located at the end of the Strip and the majority of nearby dining options are either fast food chains or extravagant restaurants. Taking rideshares could be prohibitively expensive (I, for example, spent a heinous $37 on one 10-minute ride between TwitchCon events), and the sheer demand for cars meant that waiting for an Uber could take anywhere between five and 30 minutes. Other events nearby, like the emo revival music festival When We Were Young and the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix, further complicated travel around the convention center.\n\nIt was even worse for disabled attendees. Streamer Steve Saylor, a blind gamer and disability advocate, posted that he struggled to get around Las Vegas, even with rideshares, and that those with motor disabilities had even more difficulties because of the lack of adequate accommodations in the city’s infrastructure.\n\nFinally back from #TwitchCon and it was such a cool vibe that I really enjoyed everything about it. The people there were amazing! Vegas tho, just the absolute worst. Especially for those with disabilities trying to get anywhere. I hope I never have to go back there again. — Steve Saylor (@stevesaylor) October 24, 2023\n\nThese complaints about the Las Vegas Strip aren’t new, and are usually accepted in the trade-off for a weekend of partying or networking at a business conference. Twitch’s usership, however, skews younger — Twitch reports that in 2022, over 70% of its viewers were between 18 and 34 — and they may not have the disposable income to drop hundreds every day on meals and rides. Attendees who do drink complained that Las Vegas is significantly more expensive than San Diego.\n\nThe city’s emphasis on drinking and gambling is incompatible with much of Twitch’s usership. Las Vegas venues are overwhelmingly 21+, which excludes a significant portion of TwitchCon’s streamers and viewers. Even if they are of legal drinking age, today’s young adults tend to drink less than previous generations did.\n\nLas Vegas’ frenetic pacing is enthralling for many, but some Twitch users complained that the city’s energy didn’t fit the Twitch demographic. Moni’s UserVoice post noted that the sensory overload that makes Las Vegas feel like Las Vegas isn’t as alluring for introverted gamers.\n\n“I want to be mindful of the target audience Twitch serves — I would probably assume many of us felt the same about the overstimulation,” Twitch streamer herokerrey commented. “While I understand in-person events are a hype/stimulating experience, pairing it with one of the most active cities in the world may not have been the best pick.”\n\nOther users commented that they missed the spontaneous get-togethers that made previous conventions so enjoyable, and that the offsite events like creator mixers were scattered across the city. One commenter complained that transportation between events took as long as actually attending the events.\n\nDinomiteTwins, Twitch streamers who are identical twins and share a channel, commented that the city’s size “put a damper” on how easily they could meet fellow creators.\n\n“We were in an approved hotel [provided by Twitch] and I met more vacationers, metal workers and brides than Twitch streamers in my hotel,” one of the DinomiteTwins commented. “A smaller walkable city promotes organic interaction as we are not all taking cabs … It felt like the priority was just being in a fun place instead of facilitating vendor, creator and community meetups and deepening those ties.”\n\nThird places provide more than just a break from the glare of fluorescent convention center lighting — they’re vital for building community, a sentiment that Twitch insists is unique to its platform as other livestreaming competitors gain users. Compared to its competitors, Twitch’s robust moderation and slew of collaboration features does facilitate a closer knit sense of community among its streamers and viewers. There was plenty of opportunity to mingle within the walls of the convention center, which even had a designated room to decompress and make friendship bracelets, but organic interactions seemed constrained to Twitch-sponsored events. The diverse programming and various meetups could only do so much in an area with so few casual social spaces.\n\nLowco, Moni and multiple other Twitch users commenting on Moni’s UserVoice post all questioned why TwitchCon couldn’t take place in San Diego again. Some have floated hosting both a West Coast and East Coast TwitchCon, if capacity is a concern. VidCon, which has traditionally been held in Anaheim, California, recently launched a second convention earlier this year in Baltimore, Maryland.\n\n“Ultimately, TwitchCon is a community celebration,” Lowco said. “We are there to meet up with our viewers and fellow streamers. Let’s pick places that make it easy for us to gather.”", + "This week might not matter for many fantasy football owners. Some have secured their spot in the postseason; others are well out of contention. However, for those in must-win situations, this week really matters. It's not the time to have a hole in your lineup at tight end, but if you do, we're here to help with our Week 14 fantasy TE PPR rankings.\n\nFortunately, there are several solid sleepers and streaming options despite two tough byes and some big injuries to notable TEs. It's always tough to know who to trust at this volatile position, so we break down which tight ends have higher floors for those favored to win comfortably and which have higher ceilings for those who need to really shoot for big points.\n\nLet's get to it and check out the TE landscape for Week 14.\n\nWho are the TEs on bye in Week 14?\n\nFew would've expected Week 14's two-team bye to be as problematic as it is, but losing Logan Thomas and Trey McBride this late in the season could have some fantasy owners scrambling.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nFortunately, both the Commanders and Cardinals have above-average TE defenses, so taking those off the board only helps the position this week.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy TEs in Week 14?\n\nAs usual, Travis Kelce (vs. Bills in Week 14) tops our rankings, but T.J. Hockenson (@ Raiders), Sam LaPorta (@ Bears), David Njoku (vs. Jaguars), and Dalton Kincaid (@ Chiefs) aren't far behind. LaPorta and Njoku both have great matchups against defenses that entered last week in the top 10 in fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to TEs, and we know what Kelce, Hockenson, and Kincaid do every week in PPR formats.\n\nGeorge Kittle (vs. Seahawks) doesn't have a great matchup -- especially when you remember that he had just three catches for 19 yards against Seattle in Week 12 -- but he remains a must-start given his high ceiling in any matchup.\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 14?\n\nIt can be tough to trust Taysom Hill (vs. Panthers) in full-point PPR leagues, but a matchup against the league's second-worst run defense gives him a high ceiling regardless of format. He's been more involved as a receiver this year, so he'll get a few catches to go along with the rushing stats, too. With Derek Carr (concussion) banged up, Hill might throw more this week, too.\n\nGerald Everett (vs. Broncos) and Isaiah Likely (vs. Rams) have matchups against bottom-six TE defenses, and Cole Kmet (vs. Lions), Jake Ferguson (vs. Eagles), and Kyle Pitts (vs. Buccaneers) also have above-average matchups that give them higher floors and higher ceilings than usual.\n\nFor those in deeper leagues, Tyler Conklin (vs. Texans), and Cade Otton (@ Falcons) both have matchups against defenses that entered last week in the top five for FPPG allowed to TEs. Brevin Jordan (@ Jets) and Tanner Hudson (vs. Colts) also have highly favorable matchups and can work as deep-league PPR plays, though Jordan's outlook is entirely dependent on whether Dalton Schultz (hamstring) is healthy.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWho are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 14?\n\nDallas Goedert (@ Cowboys) isn't a \"must-start\" if he returns from his forearm injury this week. That said, he's also not a \"must-sit.\" He had three catches and 50 yards against Dallas in Week 9 before exiting early with the forearm injury, so he can clearly produce against this defense. Still, it's smart to check your other options before trusting Goedert.\n\nThe same goes for Evan Engram (@ Browns). He's generally more reliable in PPR leagues, but he's facing a Browns' defense that allows the fewest FPPG to TEs. Both Engram and Pat Freiermuth (vs. Patriots) are in tough spots against top-five TE defenses.\n\nWhat are the biggest TE injuries in Week 14?\n\nWe already mentioned Goedert (forearm) and Schultz (hamstring), but another TE who could be back this week is Darren Waller (hamstring). The Giants really have no reason to bring back their star TE if they don't feel like he's 100 percent, but it's something to monitor throughout the week, as Waller (vs. Packers) always has a high ceiling as the Giants' de facto No. 1 receiver.\n\nTyler Higbee (neck) was banged up last week, and he's no sure thing to suit up this week against Baltimore. Even if he does, he's not a recommended play against the Ravens' top-10 TE defense.\n\nWe'll be updating these TE PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.\n\nFantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 14: Who to start, sit at tight end\n\nRankings based on full-point PPR formats\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n2 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n3 Sam LaPorta, Lions @ Bears\n\n4 David Njoku, Browns vs. Jaguars\n\n5 Dalton Kincaid, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n6 George Kittle, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n7 Isaiah Likely, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n8 Cole Kmet, Bears vs. Lions\n\n9 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n10 Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n11 Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n12 Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n13 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n14 Brevin Jordan, Texans @ Jets\n\n15 Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Texans\n\n16 Cade Otton, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n17 Tanner Hudson, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n18 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Patriots\n\n19 Tucker Kraft, Packers @ Giants\n\n20 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n21 Dawson Knox, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n22 Jonnu Smith, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n23 Juwan Johnson, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n24 Michael Mayer, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n25 Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n26 Adam Trautman, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n27 Mike Gesicki, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n28 Daniel Bellinger, Giants vs. Packers\n\n29 Ian Thomas, Panthers @ Saints\n\n30 Noah Fant, Seahawks @ 49ers", + "Alas, we've reached the final week of the fantasy football regular season. Although fantasy's highest-scoring position has been beaten and battered this year, there are serviceable signal-callers out there capable of leading your team to victory in a pivotal week. Our Week 14 fantasy QB rankings will help you make the right start 'em, sit 'em moves to cap off the regular season.\n\nWe're still dealing with byes -- and we had two more QB injuries last week -- but the position remains deep with high-scoring studs and potential sleepers. As we saw last week, we're at the point in the season where weather could factor into start-sit decisions, but finding quarterback production shouldn't be a problem in 10- and 12-team leagues.\n\nWith that in mind, let's dissect this week's QB rankings and put you on a path to end your season with a \"W.\"\n\nWhich QBs are on bye in Week 14?\n\nCoinciding with the end of the fantasy regular season, Week 14 is the last week of byes, as the Cardinals and Commanders are the last two teams to take their mandatory PTO. That means two starting-caliber QBs (Kyler Murray and Sam Howell) are on the shelf, slightly impacting the QB pool.\n\nWEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:\n\nRBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nThe bigger losses, though, come on the defensive side of the ball, as fantasy owners won't be able to start QBs going up against two subpar pass defenses in Washington and Arizona. Starting any QB facing the Commanders' swiss-cheese defense has yielded strong returns. Arizona has been just as inefficient, entering Week 13 ranking 30th in dropback EPA.\n\nWEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:\n\nRBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers\n\nWho are the best fantasy QBs in Week 14?\n\nDespite Buffalo being on the outside looking in for a playoff berth, Josh Allen (@ Chiefs in Week 14) has come through in fantasy, sitting as our QB1 for Week 14. Yes, the Chiefs' defense has done its part in keeping QBs in check this season, entering Week 13 allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to the position, but Allen has performed well against Steve Spagnuolo's defense in the past. He's averaging 276.4 passing yards per game with a strong 14:2 TD-to-INT ratio over five career games against KC.\n\nNot far behind sits Tua Tagovailoa (vs. Titans), who shredded the Commanders' defense to the tune of 280 yards and two TDs in Sunday's blowout. Another juicy matchup awaits against a lackluster Tennessee coverage unit. Dak Prescott (vs. Eagles) remains a top-three play in Sunday's rematch versus the Eagles, a team he torched for 374 yards and three TDs in a narrow 28-23 loss in Week 9.\n\nJalen Hurts (@ Cowboys) and the Eagles look to get back on track in a pivotal NFC East clash in Dallas, facing a Cowboys defense that let Geno Smith post top-end QB1 numbers against them last week. Patrick Mahomes (vs. Bills) is in line to put up strong numbers in a potential shootout against Buffalo, and although his receiving corps has its issues, the reigning MVP is still a top-five play this week.\n\nLamar Jackson (vs. Rams) faces an exploitable L.A. secondary, while Jared Goff (@ Bears) looks to build off a dominant Week 13 effort against an ascending Chicago stop unit. C.J. Stroud (@ Jets) sees a slight dip in his Week 14 ranking in a tough road test against the Jets, but the Rookie of the Year frontrunner still profiles as a set-it-and-forget-it QB1.\n\nWho are the best fantasy QB sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 14?\n\nWeek 14 is a challenging one from streaming perspective, as Gardner Minshew (@ Bengals), Jameis Winston (vs. Panthers), Baker Mayfield (@ Falcons), and Joe Flacco (@ Jaguars) look like the best options.\n\nMinshew is executing Shane Steichen's scheme at an efficient clip and now faces a Cincinnati stop unit that ranks below the league average in dropback EPA. Assuming Winston gets the starting nod in place of the banged-up Derek Carr (head, shoulder, back), his gunslinger play style could lead to a respectable fantasy output against the reeling Panthers.\n\nMayfield wasn't asked to do much with his arm in Week 13, but a potential negative game script in Atlanta could force him to air the ball out at a higher clip, boosting his fantasy prospects. Although the Browns didn't get the win in Flacco's first start with his new team, the veteran did everything he could to keep Cleveland within striking distance, racking up 254 yards and two TDs. Another 250-plus yard, multi-TD effort could again be in store if he continues to start in place of Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion).\n\nWEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:\n\nSleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit\n\nWho are the biggest potential QB busts in Week 14?\n\nMatthew Stafford (@ Ravens), Geno Smith (@ 49ers), and Josh Dobbs (@ Raiders) are all risky against some of the league's better pass defenses. Stafford faces a sound Ravens stop unit that entered their Week 13 bye allowing the second-fewest FPPG to QBs.\n\nThere's a chance the Vikings opt to start fellow QB Nick Mullens over Dobbs after his debacle last Monday night against the Bears, but if Minnesota elects to stick with Dobbs, his rocky Week 12 outing concerns us against a Raiders defense that's been one of the more efficient pass defenses since Week 5, sitting eighth in dropback EPA.\n\nOn the other hand, after an elite Week 13 effort in Seattle's one-possession loss to Dallas, fantasy owners might go looking to chase points with Smith, but replicating last week's showing against the 49ers is a completely different ask for a QB who's underwhelmed this season.\n\nWEEK 14 DFS:\n\nDK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks\n\nWhat are the biggest QB injuries in Week 14?\n\nLeading into Week 13, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion) was the lone QB injury situation we were closely monitoring. Even if Thompson-Robinson is able to clear concussion protocol in time for Week 14, we expect Flacco to make his second start as a Brown.\n\nThis week, we unfortunately saw Kenny Pickett (ankle) and Derek Carr (head, shoulder, back) exit their respective contests with injuries, complicating their statuses for Week 14. We've replaced both QBs with backups Mitchell Trubisky and Jameis Winston, respectively, as early indications point toward both missing time.\n\nUPDATE: Trevor Lawrence suffered an ankle injury on Monday, which will likely keep him out for at least a week and open the door for C.J. Beathard (vs. Browns) to start.\n\nWe'll be updating these QB rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.\n\nFantasy QB Rankings Week 14: Who to start, sit at quarterback\n\nThese rankings are based on four-point passing TD scoring\n\nRank Player\n\n1 Josh Allen, Bills @ Chiefs\n\n2 Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Titans\n\n3 Dak Prescott, Cowboys vs. Eagles\n\n4 Jalen Hurts, Eagles @ Cowboys\n\n5 Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs vs. Bills\n\n6 Lamar Jackson, Ravens vs. Rams\n\n7 Jared Goff, Lions @ Bears\n\n8 C.J. Stroud, Texans @ Jets\n\n9 Brock Purdy, 49ers vs. Seahawks\n\n10 Jordan Love, Packers @ Giants\n\n11 Justin Herbert, Chargers vs. Broncos\n\n12 Russell Wilson, Broncos @ Chargers\n\n13 Justin Fields, Bears vs. Lions\n\n14 Gardner Minshew, Colts @ Bengals\n\n15 Matthew Stafford, Rams @ Ravens\n\n16 Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars @ Browns\n\n17 Geno Smith, Seahawks @ 49ers\n\n18 Derek Carr, Saints vs. Panthers\n\n19 Joe Flacco, Browns @ Jaguars\n\n20 Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers @ Falcons\n\n21 Josh Dobbs, Vikings @ Raiders\n\n22 Jake Browning, Bengals vs. Colts\n\n23 Bryce Young, Panthers @ Saints\n\n24 Aidan O'Connell, Raiders vs. Vikings\n\n25 Desmond Ridder, Falcons vs. Buccaneers\n\n26 Will Levis, Titans @ Dolphins\n\n27 Bailey Zappe, Patriots @ Steelers\n\n28 Mitch Trubisky, Steelers @ Patriots\n\n29 Tommy DeVito, Giants vs. Packers\n\n30 Zach Wilson, Jets vs. Texans", + "In sports betting, betting on totals is a favorite option alongside point spreads and moneylines.\n\nRather than pick the winner or the winning margin, with totals betting (a.k.a. over/unders), you predict the game’s combined score.\n\nIn the sections below, we'll explain totals betting completely incluidng its main attributes, over/under examples from multiple sports, and some totals betting pointers for both novice and seasoned bettors.\n\nWhat is an over/under bet?\n\nA totals bet, commonly known as an over/under bet, involves betting on the combined score of both teams in a game.\n\nBookmakers set a predicted total score for the game, and bettors choose whether they think the actual combined score will surpass (over) or fall short of (under) that number.\n\nFor instance, if an NBA betting site sets the total for a basketball game at 210.5 points, those who bet the \"over\" would win if the combined score of the two teams is 211 or more.\n\nThose who bet the \"under\" would win if the score totals 210 or less. The 0.5 ensures no chance of a tie, as teams can't score in half-points.\n\nYour only concern is whether the final combined score will fall over or under the line set by oddsmakers.\n\nHow do over/under odds work?\n\nWhen placing totals wagers, you’ll see odds listed alongside the over/under number. These odds indicate the potential payout for the bet.\n\nTypically, the odds for totals bets are close to even, ranging from -105 to -120.\n\nThis narrow range reflects the bookmakers' belief that the event has a roughly even chance of going either way, with neither the over nor the under being heavily favored.\n\nDoes the totals line move or change?\n\nYes, the totals line can move. The line movement occurs in response to various factors:\n\nBetting Activity: One of the most common reasons for line movement is a significant amount of money being wagered on one side (either over or under). Bookmakers adjust the line to balance the action and protect themselves from potential losses.\n\nOne of the most common reasons for line movement is a significant amount of money being wagered on one side (either over or under). Bookmakers adjust the line to balance the action and protect themselves from potential losses. Injury Updates: If a key player is injured or unable to play, this can influence the expected total score, leading bookmakers to adjust the line accordingly.\n\nIf a key player is injured or unable to play, this can influence the expected total score, leading bookmakers to adjust the line accordingly. Weather Conditions: In outdoor sports, weather can play a significant role. For example, heavy rain or snow in a football game might lead to expectations of a lower-scoring game, causing the line to move down.\n\nIn outdoor sports, weather can play a significant role. For example, heavy rain or snow in a football game might lead to expectations of a lower-scoring game, causing the line to move down. Other News and Updates: Any news that might affect the performance of the teams, such as changes in team strategy or recent performances, can influence totals lines.\n\nTotals betting outcomes\n\nWhen placing an over/under wager, there are a few potential outcomes to consider. If the combined score exceeds the set total, the \"over\" bet wins.\n\nConversely, if the score is below the set total, the \"under\" bet wins. If the combined score of the game matches the total, the bet is typically considered a \"push,\" and the wager is refunded.\n\nNow, let’s break down those three scenarios.\n\nTotals win\n\nImagine the NBA over/under odds for a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics is 220.5 points. If a bettor believes that the game will be high-scoring and that the teams' combined score will exceed this mark, they might place an \"over\" bet.\n\nThe game then unfolds, and the Lakers score 115 points while the Celtics score 110, resulting in a combined score of 225 points. Since 225 exceeds the set total of 220.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.\n\nTotals loss\n\nSuppose a top sports betting app sets a total of 200.5 points for an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.\n\nIf a bettor believes the game will be defensive and low-scoring, they might place an \"under\" bet, predicting that the combined score of both teams will be 200 points or less.\n\nHowever, if the game turns out to be offensively charged and the Knicks score 105 points while the Bulls score 100 points, the combined score becomes 205 points. Since 205 exceeds the set total of 200.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"under\" loses their bet.\n\nPush\n\nA push occurs when the combined score of a game matches the set total established by the bookmaker, meaning that bettors neither win nor lose, and their original wager is refunded. However, to avoid this outcome, most sportsbooks employ half-points in their totals.\n\nBy using half points, such as setting a total at 200.5 instead of 200, the sports betting sites ensure that a game's combined score cannot possibly match the set total exactly.\n\nTotals betting by sport\n\nOver/under betting is a major draw across many popular sports. Let’s break down how it can look across sports.\n\nOver/under odds in football\n\nLet's consider some NFL over/under odds between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.\n\nThe bookmaker sets the over/under total at 47.5 points for the combined score of both teams. A bettor believes it will be a high-scoring game and places an \"over\" bet.\n\nThe game concludes with the Cowboys scoring 28 points and the Eagles scoring 24 points, leading to a combined score of 52 points. Since 52 exceeds the set total of 47.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.\n\nOver/under odds in basketball\n\nImagine NBA over/under odds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Houston Rockets. The bookmaker sets the over/under total at 215.5 points for the combined score of both teams. A bettor, expecting a defensive showdown, places an \"under\" bet.\n\nThe game ends with the Hornets scoring 105 points and the Rockets scoring 108 points, yielding a combined score of 213 points. Since 213 is below the set total of 215.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"under\" successfully wins their bet.\n\nOver/under odds in baseball\n\nLet's look at MLB over/under odds between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The bookmaker establishes the over/under total at 8.5 runs for the combined score of both teams.\n\nA bettor, thinking it'll be an offensively charged game with both teams having their best hitters in the lineup, places an \"over\" bet. The game wraps up with the Yankees scoring 5 runs and the Red Sox tallying up 6 runs, resulting in a combined score of 11 runs.\n\nSince 11 exceeds the set total of 8.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" comes out on top.\n\nOver/under odds in hockey\n\nLet's consider NHL over/under odds between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.\n\nThe bookmaker sets the over/under total at 5.5 goals for the combined score of both teams. A bettor, anticipating a game dominated by goalkeepers and defense, places an \"under\" bet.\n\nThe game ends with the Maple Leafs netting 3 goals and the Canadiens scoring 2, leading to a combined score of 5 goals. Since 5 is below the set total of 5.5, the bettor who opted for the \"under\" secures a win on their wager.\n\nOver/under odds in soccer\n\nLet's take some Premier League soccer odds between Manchester United and Chelsea. The bookmaker determines the over/under total at 2.5 goals for the combined score of both teams. A bettor, feeling that both teams have been on a scoring spree lately, places an \"over\" bet.\n\nThe match ends with Manchester United scoring 2 goals and Chelsea netting 2 as well, resulting in a combined score of 4 goals. Since 4 surpasses the set total of 2.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" enjoys a winning bet.\n\nOver/under odds in MMA\n\nIn an MMA context, over/under bets often refer to the duration of the fight rather than points or scores. Let's consider a UFC bout between Fighter A and Fighter B. The bookmaker sets an over/under line at 2.5 rounds for the fight's duration.\n\nA bettor, believing that both fighters have aggressive styles and the fight will conclude early, places an \"under\" bet. If the fight ends midway through the second round due to a knockout or submission, the total rounds would be 1.5.\n\nSince this is below the set total of 2.5 rounds, the bettor who wagered on the \"under\" wins their bet. Conversely, if the fight extends beyond the midway point of the third round, \"over\" bets would win.\n\nSee more: Best MMA betting sites\n\nOver/under odds in tennis\n\nAt tennis betting sites, over/under betting typically revolves around the total number of games or sets played in a match. Let's consider a Grand Slam match between Player A and Player B. The bookmaker sets the over/under total at 40.5 games for the entire match.\n\nA bettor, anticipating a closely contested match with many extended sets, places an \"over\" bet. The match unfolds with the following set scores: 7-5, 6-7, 7-6, and 6-4. The combined total number of games played is 42. Since 42 exceeds the set total of 40.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.\n\nOver/under odds in golf\n\nAt golf betting sites, over/under betting often pertains to a golfer's score for a specific round or the entire tournament relative to par. Let's consider a major tournament where a notable golfer, say Rory McIlroy, is playing. The bookmaker sets an over/under line at 69.5 strokes for his first-round score.\n\nA bettor, analyzing the challenging course conditions and believing McIlroy might face difficulties, places an \"under\" bet, predicting he'll finish the round in 69 strokes or fewer.\n\nIf McIlroy concludes the round with a score of 68, which is 3 under par on a par-71 course, the bettor's \"under\" wager wins. Conversely, if McIlroy shoots a 70 or higher, those who bet the \"over\" would win.\n\nTotals betting FAQ\n\nHow do over/under bets work?\n\nOver/under bets, also known as totals bets, involve wagering on whether a particular number (like combined points scored in a game, total rounds in a fight, or total games in a tennis match) will be over or under the figure set by the bookmaker.\n\nDoes overtime count in totals wagering?\n\nYes, in most sports and with the majority of sportsbooks, overtime does count toward your totals wager. Always check the specific rules of the sportsbook you are betting with to confirm, but generally, overtime is included in totals wagers.\n\nWhy does the over/under betting line change?\n\nSportsbooks set game totals considering factors like recent performances, weather, and player status. As new data emerges and betting trends develop, this line can shift.\n\nFor instance, if many bettors choose the \"over,\" the sportsbook might raise the total to balance the bets. Line movements often reflect public betting sentiments and offer insights to informed bettors. Therefore, bettors must monitor any line changes before the game starts and strategize accordingly to optimize their betting success.\n\nIs it better to bet over or under?\n\nNeither wager holds a universal advantage. Success in over/under betting hinges on a thorough evaluation of both the set line and the competing teams.\n\nHow do you read an over/under bet?\n\nReading a total bet involves understanding the combined score set by the sportsbook and the odds associated with that number. When you see a total, such as 210.5 in a basketball game, it represents the combined score anticipated from both teams. Beside this number, you'll typically find \"over\" and \"under\" options.\n\nIf you believe the actual combined score will surpass this number, you'd bet on the \"over.\" Conversely, if you think it will be less, you'd choose the \"under.\" Accompanying these options are odds that indicate the payout for the bet.\n\nFor instance, odds of -110 (extremely common) mean you'd need to wager $110 to win an additional $100. Evaluating both the total and the associated odds is crucial for informed betting decisions.\n\nRelated Pages:", + "Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nSimon Calder’s Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nOne of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena, at certain periods during the year the Northern Lights regularly light up the skies of northern countries that sit in the ‘aurora zone’ of the Arctic Circle.\n\nThe light show happens when electronically charged particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere from space, producing dazzling displays of green, yellow, purple and even red lights.\n\nThis is visible every year in some areas of European countries like Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, while there are regular sightings in parts of Canada and Greenland too. Fortunately for Brits, you don’t necessarily need to trek to these countries to see the aurora borealis; sightings have become more frequent in the UK, with the lights seen as far south as Wiltshire in February 2023.\n\nAlthough numerous UK locations have reported sightings in recent years, these do tend to be in northern areas of the British Isles. It’s tough to predict exactly when and where the spectacle will make an appearance, but we’ve rounded up a list of the best places where you might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights in the UK.\n\nHebrides, Scotland\n\nThe Lights above Skye in the Inner Hebrides (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nThis northern archipelago off the western Scottish coast comprises hundreds of islands, split into the Inner and Outer Hebrides. While the Lights can be seen in Skye and other isles of the Inner Hebrides, your best bet for seeing the lights remains in the Outer Hebrides, likely on the islands of Lewis or Harris. The flat beaches and countryside are great viewing points, while the remote parts of the islands are subject to almost no light pollution. The exceptionally dark skies here are known to be good for star gazing; even if you miss the lights, there’s every chance you’ll see the Orion Nebula, the Milky Way and the Great Andromeda galaxy.\n\nThe ‘season’ here runs from September to April, though the aurora is most common in winter, when skies get dark in the late afternoon. In February, the Isle of Lewis hosts its own Dark Skies Festival, with events including live music, film and theatre.\n\nShetland Isles, Scotland\n\nThe Shetland Isles are a good Scottish destination for light spotting (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nThe most northerly point in all of Britain, Shetland lies closest to the North Pole and is a location where locals can expect to see the Northern Lights a few times every winter. Over 100 miles from the mainland, the remote isle is home to plenty of tranquil countryside and coastal scenery, providing dozens of spots where you can potentially watch the lights away from the light pollution of nearby settlements.\n\nThe season here runs from mid-October to mid-March, with winter again being the best time to try and see the phenomenon (there are less than six hours of daylight during the shortest days). Though light shows aren’t guaranteed during your stay, wildlife spotting, walking and exploring the towns more than make up for any disappointment should the aurora fail to materialise.\n\nRead more on UK travel:\n\nCairngorms, Scotland\n\nThe Cairngorms are home to an area of International Dark Sky Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nThe UK’s largest National Park is another Scottish destination for potentially seeing the Northern Lights. The park is home to Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK, and one of the UK’s International Dark Sky Parks (areas noted for “possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights”). This area is situated around the Glenlivet Estate, forming the Tomintoul and Glenlivet park. An area with “remarkably dark skies”, the region is busy all year thanks to its vast amount of wilderness to explore and wildlife to see.\n\nWhile mountains and hills may block views, there are plenty of dark areas that are perfect for seeing the lights between mid-October and mid-March (especially those nearer the coast, where views are less likely to be interrupted by clouds).\n\nYorkshire Dales, England\n\nThe lack of light pollution makes the Yorkshire Dales a great place to spot the aurora (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nWith a northerly, light-pollution free location as the gold standard for seeing the Northern Lights in the UK, the Yorkshire Dales are an oft-viable destination. The aurora was seen here as recently as April 2023; the park is one of England’s Dark Sky Reserves and the largest in the UK, and will be hosting a joint Dark Skies Festival with the North York Moors National Park in February 2024. It has four Dark Sky Discovery sites (designated nationwide for “good sightlines of the sky” and a lack of light pollution), which are in Buckden National Park Car Park, Tan Hill Inn and both Hawes and Malham National Park Visitor Centres.\n\nAccording to the park’s website, on clear nights you can see as many as 2,000 stars, the Milky Way and even the International Space Station. The Perseid meteor shower occurs in August, though the best time to see the Lights is still between September and March – just remember to wrap up warm and follow any aurora updates online or on specially dedicated apps.\n\nNorthumberland, England\n\nThe Northern Lights over Bamburgh’s lighthouse (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nAnother International Dark Sky Park, Northumberland’s National Park reportedly boasts the darkest skies in the UK (so is also an excellent stargazing spot). Although it sits at a more southerly latitude than many other light-spotting locations, the aurora has been seen over Hadrian’s Wall and Bamburgh in the past, and the county itself remains one of the most reliable locations to see the display in England. Lights are only usually visible here after particularly strong geomagnetic storms, so it may be an idea to keep track of these if planning a visit. Again, the areas near the coast – themselves in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – can be better for seeing the aurora due to the presence of fewer clouds.\n\nSnowdonia, Wales\n\nA strong storm made the Lights visible in Snowdonia in this photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nOne of three Dark Sky reserves in Wales, Snowdonia also boasts the country’s highest peak, largest lake, its own section of mountain railway and 1,497 miles of public footpaths. The 823-square mile park provides views of the Milky Way and major constellations on clear nights, with the odd shooting star to make up for those nights where you miss out on an aurora borealis show. As with most places in the UK, you’re more likely to see the lights between October and March. For the best views, head to the lakes of Llyn Geirionydd and Llyn y Dywarchen or to Ty Cipar, between Llan Ffestiniog and Ysbyty Ifan.\n\nLake District, England\n\nThe clear skies over Buttermere in the Lake District (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nWhile better known as a destination for walking, hiking and simply enjoying the peace and tranquility of the surrounding nature, the Lake District is also one of the best places in England to see the Northern Lights. The area is an exceptional place for stargazing too and is currently seeking to become an International Dark Sky Reserve. Though the lights are rarer here than in Scotland, the lakeside backdrops make for particularly dramatic surroundings if the lights do appear, with excellent view points at Grizedale Forest, Wasdale, the Langdale Valley and Derwentwater.\n\nRead our reviews of the best UK hotels", + "Skywatchers worldwide were treated to a magnificent aurora light show over the weekend as northern lights were reported as far south as Greece and Turkey.\n\nThe colorful aurora displays were triggered by a strong geomagnetic storm that peaked as a strong G3 on Nov. 5 at 12:40 p.m. EST (1740 GMT) on the 5-grade scale used by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess the severity of space weather events.\n\nGeomagnetic storms are disturbances to Earth's magnetic field caused by solar material from coronal mass ejections (CME) — large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's atmosphere. This particular geomagnetic storm was triggered by not one but two CMEs that slammed into Earth on Nov 4 and Nov. 5, according to spaceweather.com.\n\nDuring a solar storm, energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million km/h) and our planet's magnetic field funnels the particles toward the poles. The supercharging of molecules in Earth's atmosphere triggers the colorful spectacles, which usually remain limited to areas at high latitudes for the aurora borealis (northern lights) and the aurora australis (southern lights).\n\nBelow, we take a look at some of the best aurora photos captured by skywatchers around the world.\n\nDebby Thorne captured this beautiful display from Cullen on the Moray Firth in Scotland with an iPhone 14 Pro in night mode on Nov. 5.\n\nVibrant pink aurora display from Cullen on the Moray Firth in Scotland looking towards Bow Fiddle Rock. (Image credit: Debby Thorne)\n\n\"I am lucky to have seen the Aurora many times as used to live on the west coast of Scotland — and lucky to still see them on the Moray Firth where we live now.\" Thorne told Space.com \"But I have to say the display last night was incredible\"\n\n\"I've never seen such bright pinks — usually greens with faint pink. I never tire of seeing them and often feel overwhelmed by this amazing thing going on in the sky and we are but a dot. I often wonder what our ancestors must have made when they saw the sky dancing, I just feel incredibly lucky to be able to experience it from my back door in Scotland.\" Thorne continued.\n\nMeteorologist Angel Enriquez was working the evening shift at the National Weather Service in Glasgow, northeast Montana when his colleague alerted him to the aurora light show.\n\n\"A fellow coworker was out gathering her own pictures when she texted 'GO OUTSIDE NOW'\" Enriquez told Space.com. \"I took the tripod to the darkest spot of the office, which happens to be next to the radar, and took some memorable photos.\"\n\nMeteorologist Angel Enriquez captured pink and green aurora above a round observatory in Glasgow, Montana. (Image credit: Angel Enriquez)\n\nAstrophotographer Josh Dury saw red auroras from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK.\n\nRed auroras from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK. (Image credit: Josh Dury)\n\n\"On the night of this shoot, I was scouting a number of locations where clear skies would permit.\" Dury told Space.com \"With most of the South-West under cloud, clear skies persisted on The Mendips. Making it possible to view a window to the aurora and capture the beautiful red pillars low on the north horizon.\"\n\nAstrophotographer Gareth Mon Jones caught a stunning view of the aurora above Penmon Lighthouse, Anglesey.\n\nRed and green aurora above Penmon Lighthouse, Anglesey. (Image credit: Gareth Mon Jones)\n\n\"A whopper of a display on Anglesey tonight,\" Jones wrote on X. \"my girlfriend was happy to see one of the best displays of the northern lights in a long time\"\n\nPhilip McErlean witnessed the aurora borealis shine above the southern shores of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland.\n\nPink and green lights above Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland. (Image credit: Philip McErlean)\n\n\"It was an exceptional night of aurora here in Northern Ireland and one of the best displays I have seen/photographed.\" McErlean told Space.com\n\nMany skywatchers also took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share their aurora encounters.\n\nSpace weather physicist Tamitha Skov was at a loss for words as she retweeted photographs of bright red auroras seen over Greece.\n\n\"Even though this #solarstorm peaked at a G3, such a view is indeed special. Wonder if the changing magnetic field of Earth and growing equatorial #auroral shows are playing a role here?\" Skov wrote.\n\nAt a loss for words: #Aurora is gracing the skies over Greece. Even though this #solarstorm peaked at a G3, such a view is indeed special. Wonder if the changing magnetic field of Earth and growing equatorial #auroral shows are playing a role here? https://t.co/eRA9wwlcEhNovember 6, 2023 See more\n\nAuroras were even reported in Turkey.\n\nNorthern (polar) lights caused by geomagnetic storm seen in #Hayrabolu, #Tekirdağ, #Turkey.#aurora #solar #geomagneticstorm #jeomanyetik #northernlights#kuzeyışıkları #AuroraborealisVideo @commandouz pic.twitter.com/DL7fJupRvANovember 5, 2023 See more\n\nTravel and landscape photographer Paul Pichugin captured this incredible timelapse of the aurora australis lighting up the skies over Busselton, Western Australia.\n\nA timelapse video of the Aurora Australis over Busselton, Western Australia late last night and early this morning!#WesternAustralia #Aurora pic.twitter.com/v8KG3UM7WbNovember 5, 2023 See more\n\nLandscape photographer Alistair Hamill captured his first sub-auroral arc of solar cycle 25.\n\n\"I had to try for a pano to fit it all in. This arc was right above my head at the time!\" Hamil posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).\n\nBrilliant aurora display last night at Glenarm - including my first sub auroral arc of solar cycle 25! I had to try for a pano to fit it all in. This arc was right above my head at the time! pic.twitter.com/MLQOh8Lp14November 5, 2023 See more\n\nBut not all the light shows were auroras! During the peak of the storm, STEVE made an appearance for some!\n\nSTEVE is an aurora-like glow that often accompanies the northern lights, yet is a distinct phenomenon, according to the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The acronym stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. STEVE is caused by hot (5,400 degrees Fahrenheit or 3000 degrees Celsius) streams of gas snaking through Earth's magnetosphere. When these streams are energized by geomagnetic storms they emit light, according to spaceweather.com.\n\nSteven lomas managed to photograph mysterious STEVE above Dunstanburgh Castle Northumberland, UK.\n\nImage 1 of 3 (Image credit: Steven lomas) (Image credit: Steven lomas) (Image credit: Steven lomas)\n\n\"It was the strongest display of the aurora that I have seen in 8 years of photography\" lomas told Space.com. \"The highlight was seeing the corona and also STEVE!\"\n\nlomas also captured quite the mythical scene with vibrant green and red auroras dancing over Dunstanburgh Castle.\n\nImage 1 of 3 (Image credit: Steven lomas) (Image credit: Steven lomas) (Image credit: Steven lomas)\n\nPhotographer Martin McKenna (Nightskyhunter) took to X to post some awesome STEVE photographs.\n\n\"I've been observing aurora since 1998 with 180 displays and this is my first sighting, what a show!\" McKenna wrote on X.\n\nSpectacular sight over Swatragh last night in the form of STEVE (proton arc) extending across the entire sky from W to E and flaring near Jupiter. I've been observing aurora since 1998 with 180 displays and this is my first sighting, what a show! https://t.co/19Wt2BjIl1 #steve pic.twitter.com/6Vma3zeAfNNovember 6, 2023 See more\n\nEditor's note: If you capture stunning photographs of the aurora (or any other night sky phenomenon) and would like us to consider featuring them on Space.com please email them over to space@spacephotos.com.", + "Our take: If you’re a small business owner who flies with Delta regularly and wants to score a solid welcome bonus, consider the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. This card has a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 miles and perks like free checked bags and priority boarding with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $99).\n\nPros Free checked bag free on Delta flights\n\nGenerous welcome bonus of 75,000 miles\n\nNo foreign transaction fees Cons No lounge access\n\n$99 annual fee ($0 intro fee for the first year)\n\nTo view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.\n\nDelta SkyMiles Gold Business Card Highlights\n\nCard Type: Airline\n\nWelcome bonus: 75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months\n\n75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $99)\n\n$0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $99) Rewards: 2x miles on purchases made directly with Delta, 2x miles on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, 2x miles on U.S. shipping purchases, 2x miles on dining at restaurants, 1x mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases\n\nWith the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, cardholders who frequently fly with Delta can reduce travel costs and upgrade their travel experience. For $99 a year, cardholders receive benefits like priority boarding, the first checked bag benefit (and for guests), discounts on in-flight purchases, and baggage insurance. The card, however, doesn’t provide access to Delta Sky Club or Delta’s airport lounges.\n\nThe rewards structure on this card is decent, but it’s nothing to write home about—the card offers 2x miles on just a handful of categories like advertising, shipping, and dining.\n\nA big benefit of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card is the welcome bonus: 75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of card opening. And cardholders who use their miles to purchase flights get even more benefits—customers receive a 15% discount when they use miles to buy Delta flights on the Fly Delta app or the Delta website.\n\nDelta SkyMiles Gold Business Card: Rewards\n\nThe Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card provides higher rewards rates on select purchases that might be helpful to small business owners:\n\n2x miles on purchases made directly with Delta\n\n2x miles on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media\n\n2x miles on U.S. shipping purchases\n\n2x miles on dining at restaurants\n\n1x mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases\n\nNew cardholders can receive a welcome bonus of 75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of card opening.\n\nHow to redeem Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card miles\n\nPurchase flights\n\nCardholders can use their miles (and their cash) to buy flights. When cardholders book flights through the Fly Delta app or Delta SkyMiles account with their cards, they can get a 15% discount called Takeoff15. Delta has more than 20 airline partners, so cardholders can book through airlines like Air France and Virgin Atlantic—though the 15% discount only applies to Delta and Delta Connection® flights.\n\nThis discount is a reason to hold onto the card long-term as you could save thousands of miles over the course of a year if you are a heavy Delta user. The best bargains on award flights are found through Delta SkyMiles Award Deals. Recent deals from Seattle (SEA) have included Chicago (ORD) for 8,000 miles or Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) for 64,000 one way in economy plus taxes and fees. Flash sales come and go so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the site.\n\nOther options include booking travel through Delta Vacations, using miles for upgrades or even buying champagne at the Delta Sky Club. That said, your best value will most likely be on award tickets.\n\nRates and fees\n\nAnnual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $99)\n\n$0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $99) Foreign transaction fee: None\n\nNone Purchase APR: 20.99%–29.99% variable\n\nAdditional benefits\n\nFree first checked bag. Cardholders (and up to nine of their guests) can get the first checked bag for free. The standard bag fee is $30, so if you use this perk more than three times, you’ll save more in bag fees than the annual fee costs you.\n\nCardholders (and up to nine of their guests) can get the first checked bag for free. The standard bag fee is $30, so if you use this perk more than three times, you’ll save more in bag fees than the annual fee costs you. Main Cabin 1 Priority boarding. Cardholders (and up to nine guests on the reservation) can get priority boarding if they use their SkyMiles number when booking their Delta flights.\n\nCardholders (and up to nine guests on the reservation) can get priority boarding if they use their SkyMiles number when booking their Delta flights. Flight credit. If cardholders make eligible purchases totaling $10,000 or more in a year, they will receive a $100 Delta eCredit that can be used to purchase Delta flights.\n\nIf cardholders make eligible purchases totaling $10,000 or more in a year, they will receive a $100 Delta eCredit that can be used to purchase Delta flights. 20% back on in-flight purchases. Cardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.\n\nCardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights. Baggage insurance. Cardholders who purchase plane, train, ship or bus ride tickets with their card are eligible for baggage insurance coverage—which kicks in if your baggage is stolen, lost, or damaged.\n\nCardholders who purchase plane, train, ship or bus ride tickets with their card are eligible for baggage insurance coverage—which kicks in if your baggage is stolen, lost, or damaged. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance. A cardholder can get damage and theft insurance on their car rental. Cardholders must use their card to book the rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the agency to receive it.\n\nCredit cards similar to Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card\n\nCardholders who aren’t loyal to Delta and want more flexible options for redeeming their rewards should consider the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which has a similar annual fee but a more generous welcome bonus and rewards structure.\n\nInk Business Preferred credit card vs. Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card\n\nThe Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has an annual fee of $95 and a large welcome bonus of 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first three months of card opening.\n\nWith the Ink Business Preferred Card, customers receive 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred 1:1 to Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue to book flights on Delta.\n\nIs the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card right for you?\n\nThe Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is best for business owners who plan to fly with Delta frequently. Many of the card’s perks can be used specifically on Delta flights. It’s a good card to hold on to long-term for the perks and discounts even if your spending is best put on another business card.\n\nFrequently asked questions\n\nIs the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card worth it?\n\nThe $99 annual fee on the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card may be worth it for business owners who frequently travel with Delta. The card offers perks like a free checked bag that could easily cover the annual fee.\n\nHow much is the Delta Gold Business Card annual fee?\n\nThe Delta Gold Business card has a $99 annual fee, but there’s a $0 intro fee for the first year.\n\nIs Delta SkyMiles Gold Card hard to get?\n\nCardholders should aim for a ‘good’ FICO credit score of 690 or better to qualify for the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, though card issuers look at other factors like income, too.\n\nPlease note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.\n\nTerms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.\n\nEligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.", + "Table of Contents Table of Contents What are Walmart's Black Friday hours in 2023? Is Walmart holding a Cyber Monday sale? TV deals Laptop deals Headphone/earbud deals Tablet deals Smartwatch deals Gaming deals Speaker and soundbar deals Vacuum deals Robot vacuum deals Home and kitchen deals Outdoor deals Apple deals Pet deals Fitness deals Toys and gift deals\n\nUPDATE: Nov. 25, 2023, 4:00 a.m. EST We've updated this story with the latest deals from the Walmart early Cyber Monday sale.\n\nEarly birds already know that Walmart launched its first round of Black Friday deals back on Nov. 8 and just dished out another round the day before Thanksgiving. Some of the retailer's most popular rollbacks have already sold out. Leave items in your shopping cart too long and you'll risk losing out on your haul.\n\nAlthough the official Black Friday programming has kept us busy all month long, the big day has finally arrived — actual Black Friday. If you've held out until now to do your shopping, we've compiled a list of over 180 of the best deals from Walmart's Black Friday sale and highlighted our favorites from different departments. We'll be updating the list throughout Cyber Monday, so keep checking back.\n\nWhat are Walmart's Black Friday hours in 2023?\n\nThe days of lining up outside big-box stores on Black Friday eve have officially ended, and we're not sorry. Not only is this kinder on Walmart employees, but it puts the kibosh on the kinds of doorbuster melees that often took place in the past. (They were a national embarrassment.)\n\nFor 2023, Walmart launched its Black Friday deals online first, with the last round of rollbacks going live Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. ET. In-person shoppers had to wait until Friday, Nov. 24 at 6 a.m. when Walmart stores officially opened their doors, although hours can differ depending on the location. Shoppers will have until 11 p.m. to finish their Black Friday shopping.\n\nOf course, there's no need to brave the crowds. You can still find the best Walmart Black Friday sales online, and we've got a lot of them for you below.\n\nIs Walmart holding a Cyber Monday sale?\n\nGlad you asked. If you don't have time to shop the Black Friday sales or you missed out on a great deal earlier this month, don't you worry. Walmart just announced its official Cyber Monday sale will start on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, exclusively on Walmart.com and the Walmart app. If you're a Walmart+, you can access the sale three hours in advance, starting at 4 p.m. ET. This is the first time Walmart has given early access to Walmart+ members for its Cyber Monday sale (although it usually does for Black Friday). The Cyber Monday sale promises deals on top gifts with savings of up to 80% on apparel, beauty, tech, toys, and more. Stay tuned for the best deals from the sale in the coming days.\n\nNote: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨. Deals with a strikeout were either sold out or expired at the time of writing.\n\nTV deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThe best Walmart Black Friday deals typically include giant rollbacks on TVs, and that tradition continues in 2023. Unfortunately, many popular 4K TVs sold out way before Black Friday officially began, but there are still solid cheap 4K TVs lingering. This 55-inch QLED TV was already affordable at full price and is now seeing an extra $50 discount, pushing it below $350. Thanks to its extra layer of quantum dots, you'll be able to appreciate rich colors and deep blacks even during the day.\n\nMore TV deals\n\n43 to 55 inches\n\n65 inches\n\n70 to 86 inches\n\nLaptop deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThe total discount on this HP laptop isn't the biggest rollback we've seen so far, but it's a deceptively good deal on an underpriced laptop. With an Intel Core i5 processor, this business 2-in-1 will be more than capable of handling your day-to-day work (and after-work streaming and surfing). While supplies last, you can get this device for under $500.\n\nMore laptop deals\n\nTraditional laptops\n\n2-in-1 laptops\n\nGaming laptops\n\nHeadphone/earbud deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nIf you're not ready to make the switch over to USB-C just yet, the second-gen AirPods Pro with a Lightning port are a stellar buy at only $169 — it's their lowest price to date. (For its part, Amazon has never put them on sale for less than $189.) These wireless earbuds from fall 2022 \"sound wonderful and have almost uncanny active noise cancelation,\" said Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder, and they last for up to six hours on a single charge.\n\nRead Mashable's review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation).\n\nMore headphone/earbud deals\n\nTablet deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nBest tablets under $100? Try best tablets under $30. Sure, this onn. tablet may not have all the functionality of an iPad, but if you're looking for a super basic tablet to watch videos or read on, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything in the $20 range. Even Fire tablets have only dropped down to $40 this Cyber Monday.\n\nMore tablet deals\n\nSmartwatch deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nApple's latest entry-level wearable also has a new record-low price at Walmart for Black Friday (which works out to a 28% savings). It's lighter and 20 percent faster than the original Apple Watch SE from 2020, and it features most of the same health tools as the new flagship Apple Watch Series 9 — that includes heart rate notifications, Emergency SOS, Cycle Tracking, and Fall and Crash Detection. It also offers a comparable 18-hour battery life and water resistance.\n\nMore smartwatch deals\n\nGaming deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nWith $439 as the new all-time low price for this Xbox bundle, you're basically getting a free copy of Diablo IV on top of a $60 discount on the Series X (which typically sells for $499.99 on its own). The only other retailer that was matching it at the time of writing was the Microsoft Store itself, and its markdown seems to have popped up recently in response to Walmart's doorbuster: A post on the Xbox Wire had previously pegged its Black Friday price there at $509.99.\n\nRead Mashable's review of the Xbox Series X.\n\nMore gaming deals\n\nNintendo Switch\n\nPlayStation\n\nXbox\n\nPC gaming\n\nVR gaming\n\nMeta Quest 2 (128GB) — $249 $299.99 (save $50.99) + free $50 Meta Quest Store credit\n\nOther gaming deals\n\nSpeaker and soundbar deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThe older version of our favorite portable Bluetooth speaker is decently loud for its compact size, IPX7-rated for waterproofing, and capable of charging other devices via USB (hence its name) — it's ideal for traveling. It usually retails for $179.95 on the JBL website, meaning Walmart's $89 Black Friday price is an even better deal than advertised.\n\nMore speaker and soundbar deals\n\nVacuum deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nDyson's V15 Detect is a cordless stick vacuum with a fancy LCD screen and a bright built-in laser that illuminates tiny crumbs, pet hairs, and dust particles on your floors (so you can be sure you're actually cleaning them thoroughly); the premium Absolute variant has a shiny gold finish, HEPA filtration, and an extra dusting/crevice tool. Walmart's Black Friday deal saves you 27% and makes it $100 cheaper than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which has a smaller dust bin and less suction power.\n\nRead Mashable's review of the Dyson V15 Detect (non-Absolute).\n\nMore vacuum deals\n\nCordless vacuums\n\nMashable Deals Want more hand-picked deals in your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's daily Deals newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Thanks for signing up!\n\nUpright vacuums\n\nCarpet cleaners\n\nRobot vacuum deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThis model of Shark's 2023 Matrix vacuum might just be the most packed standalone robot vacuum you'll find for less than $200 this Black Friday. It maps your home and vacuums and mops the rooms you want it to, offering a more thorough cleaning with Matrix mode. During dry vacuuming, it cleans in a crosshatch pattern to grab any debris missed from the first pass, and during mopping, it scrubs the floor from multiple angles to eat away at stubborn stains.\n\nMore robot vacuum deals\n\nHome and kitchen deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nVitamix's professional-quality blenders are great to buy refurbished: You'll save a ton of money while preventing an otherwise serviceable device from going to a landfill. This powerful, 64-ounce Explorian model has three program settings (for Smoothies, Hot Soup, and Frozen Desserts) and a low-profile container that lets it fit under most kitchen countertops. It's been cleaned and tested to work as good as new, save for a few hard-to-see \"micro-scratches,\" and comes with a one-year warranty.\n\nMore home and kitchen deals\n\nSmall appliances\n\nAir purifiers\n\nCookware\n\nOutdoor deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nFeaturing a removable ashtray and a lightweight stainless steel design (plus its own carrying case), the Solo Stove Ranger 2.0 is a smaller version of our favorite smokeless fire pit — and yes, it really is virtually smokeless. This bundle throws in a stand that allows it to safely burn on decks or green grass, and it actually retails for $264.99 on the brand's website; Walmart's list price is slightly deflated, so it's an even better deal than it appears to be.\n\nRead Mashable's review of the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0.\n\nMore outdoor deals\n\nApple deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThe Apple Watch Series 9 is \"a robust and elite wearable device – the best Apple has ever made,\" according to Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder. While it looks almost identical to its predecessor, it's equipped with a new s9 chip, which makes it about 30 percent snappier than before. It also boasts double the storage and has double the peak brightness and a fun new Double Tap feature. It's not an essential upgrade if you already have a Series 7 or 8, but it's certainly a step in the right direction for those with older watches. At $359 for the 45mm GPS version, it's currently sitting at an all-time low cost at Walmart.\n\nMore Apple deals\n\nPet deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nA solid dog tracking device for pet parents on a budget, Tractive gives you the ability to track your dog's live location within the companion app. It also allows you to set up a virtual fence and notifies you when your pet steps out of (or enters) the safe area. It's not perfect — the battery is just so-so and the live tracking can be a bit glitchy — but for the price, it's hard to beat. Save $20 for Black Friday at Walmart and snag it for only $29.99.\n\nMore pet deals\n\nFitness deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nThe Walmart-exclusive Echelon Connect Sport is a solid Peloton alternative for a retail price that won't make you cringe. And for Black Friday, it's on sale for over $400 off, knocking the price down to a super impressive $297. But just because it's wallet-friendly doesn't mean its specs don't impress. The Connect Sport features 32 levels of silent magnetic resistance, aero handlebars and adjustable pedals, and Bluetooth technology that lets you connect any smart device to the Echelon Fit app. Speaking of which, the app gives you access to 40+ daily live and 15,000+ on-demand connected fitness classes. The $297 Black Friday cost even includes a 30-day free trial of Echelon Premier membership to get you started.\n\nMore fitness deals\n\nToys and gift deals\n\nWhy we like it\n\nIn days gone by, Walmart's Black Friday sale was full of 40% or higher discounts, but the era of the doorbuster deal is ending. And that's why it's so refreshing to see a full 50% discount on a popular item like this. The LEGO Star Wars line includes tons of great gift ideas for fans of all ages, from Jedis to Padawans. This building kit of The Child, aka Baby Yoda, is just begging to live on your office desk.\n\nMore deals on toys and gifts", + "Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nLifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nTravis Kelce believes the National Football League’s coverage of his rumoured girlfriend Taylor Swift is a bit too much.\n\nFollowing his game against the New York Jets on 1 October, the 33-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened up about the NFL broadcast on the most recent episode of his podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. In conversation with his brother Jason, 35, the two addressed concerns from longtime football enthusiasts who were frustrated by the constant Swift references throughout Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.\n\nNot only did the football league promote last Sunday’s game by speculating whether the Grammy winner will attend the Chiefs-Jets match, but cameras were constantly panning to the star-studded suite. During the game, Swift was joined an A-list group of guests, including her best friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, and actor Hugh Jackman.\n\nThe NFL also introduced a special segment with Carson Daly and The Voice, where the famed host attempted to explain the specifics of football to “Swifties.”\n\nIn the New Heights podcase episode, titled “The NFL Needs to Calm Down”, Jason asked his brother plainly whether he thought the football was “overdoing it” with the coverage of Swift during the game.\n\n“I think everybody is just, like, overwhelmed,” the Chiefs tight end replied.\n\n“Take away your feelings for Taylor,” Jason added. “What is your honest opinion on how the NFL is treating celebrities at the games?”\n\nSeemingly beating around the bush, Kelce remarked: “I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, it brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, I think...”\n\nBefore his younger brother could continue his thought, the Philadelphia Eagles player chimed in: “They’re overdoing it.”\n\n“They’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure,” Kelce agreed. “Especially my situation. I think they’re just trying to have fun with it.”\n\nWhile sports lovers may not be too pleased with the NFL’s focus on Swift, the football league’s supposed obsession with ongoing Swift and Kelce dating rumours has paid off in terms of ratings. Per a Deadline report, NBC accumulated an average of 27m viewers, with a total of 29m tuning in during the second quarter.\n\n“That’s gotta be an NFL record right there,” Jason told his younger brother, as he noted that about two million viewers were estimated to be female. “I think a few of them might have been there for Deadpool and, uh, Taylor.”\n\nIn the YouTube comments under the New Heights video podcast, fellow fans shared their opinions on the NFL’s coverage. “I agree the NFL needs to calm down. Pissing off football fans is not how you repay your boi [sic] for all he’s done for the sport,” one person wrote.\n\nAnother remarked: “Pity Taylor. All she ever wanted was to watch the football game. Now she’s being blamed and hated left and right.”\n\n“The NFL needs to seriously tone it down and let Trav and Tay explore this beautiful thing they have going on in peace,” someone else said.\n\nElsewhere in the podcast, the brothers revealed the one person who was most delighted to see famous musicians, actors, and professional athletes all coming together for Sunday’s game was none other than “Mama Kelce,” aka Donna Kelce. On 1 October, the NFL players’ mother travelled from Philadelphia to New Jersey to watch both her sons play football on the same day.\n\n“She’s been on top of the f***ing world, man,” Kelce told his older brother. He also acknowledged how his mother seemed to be loving the new guests in her family suite, watching her son play along with her. “I know mom enjoyed it,” Kelce confessed.\n\n“I shot her a text. I didn’t get a chance to see her, so I shot her a text right after the game on the bus ride to the airport and was like: ‘Hey, mom, sorry I didn’t get to catch you before I left but I hope you enjoyed the game,’” he continued. “I appreciate you always trying to make it to both of our games.”\n\n“She also told me thank you because she was in an alternate universe, she was sitting there with Deadpooland Wolverine,” Kelce added, referencing Reynolds’ and Jackman’s respective superhero movie characters. “It was a hot ticket, man, you know what I’m saying? That suite was rockin’.\n\n“They were enjoying themselves. Somebody told me that everybody was enjoying themselves in that suite,” Kelce said.\n\nNot only has NFL viewership increased since Swift began attending her rumoured boyfriend’s games, but jersey sales for the Chiefs tight end have reportedly spiked by 400 per cent, according to a report from the NFL’s e-commerce partner, Fanatics.\n\nFollowing critcism the league is focusing too much on Swift, the NFL responded with an official statement handed to People on 4 October.\n\n“We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,” the message read. “The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time, as it’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.”\n\n“The vast majority of our content has remained focused on the game, our players and variety of other initiatives, including our Toy Story Funday Football alt-cast, the international games and more,” they continued.", + "Breathtaking is fair. Like the ABBA Voyage show in London, it is hard to capture in words. In many ways, it’s a conventional space: there is tiered seating inside, and wallet-bruising bar snacks and merchandise for sale outside. Some parts of the rock concert experience will never change. But when the lights go down, everything changes. Around you, Sphere splits open to reveal a succession of environments, each more stunning than the one before. Though the structure is familiar - the audience seated in rows, the band on a single, central stage - the effect is overwhelming. In U2’s show, we journey through a succession of environments referencing the band’s creative history. For other projects, such as Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth, the Sphere’s sound system uses “haptics” to make the audience feel the sounds. U2 perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Credit: Stufish Entertainment Architects These are the technical specs: an interior 16K x 16K spherical video surface, the highest-resolution LED screen ever made with 268,435,456 pixels, and an exterior covered by 1.2 million hockey-puck-sized LEDs. There are 157,000 ultra-directional speakers – the boffins call it “beam-forming acoustics” – and there are “infrasound haptics”, which means the soundwaves are shaped to create both vibrations and waves of air pressure.\n\nThe comparison to ABBA’s show in London is perhaps the only approximate one: both are wholly enveloping experiences where the lights, sound and special effects are blended to push the audience’s senses to the limit. They differ in one key way; ABBA pushes its effects out toward you, largely to play smoke and mirrors with the on-stage simulacrums. Sphere, in contrast, more wholly and subtly envelops you. “They are both legacy projects made by artists who have the career and track record to be able to look at these things objectively in a way that a younger performer perhaps wouldn’t because it takes an entire lifetime of experience to make those kinds of choices and make it work,” Williams says. The two shows also share British music stage architecture firm Stufish whose work ranges from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, tours for Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Michael Bublé, Elton John and Madonna as well as the ABBA Arena in London. Stufish partner Ric Lipson (along with artist Es Devlin and producer Brian Eno) collaborated on the U2 project for Sphere. “With the ABBA Arena, it’s absolutely designed for that show, but you could also imagine that building having another avatar show in there, or indeed a live performance where people would use the technology that’s in the building as an immersive environment,” Lipson says.\n\n“The Sphere does a similar thing, [in that] you have a fully immersive space, the video screen in the Sphere is vast, it has a huge number of pixels, and you can immerse the audience within this environment.” So what does all this mean for the concert industry, which has historically built its lucrative concert spin-off industry on the conversion of sports venues to rock concert stages? It certainly means the future is looking a little more ... spherical? And, from a technological perspective, a little more plug-and-play. “It opens you up to thinking about performances in different ways, both from a creative point of view, from a business point of view, from a sustainability point of view, and the ability to not have to bring your own structure and screen and [sound system],” Lipson says. ABBA’s simulacrums on stage at ABBA Arena in London. Credit: Johan Persson “We have Adele in Caesar’s Palace right now, which again is another large show that immerses the audience, but we bring everything in and every time we load that show out, it takes a week or so,” Lipson adds. “What’s interesting about the Sphere idea is that they are planning multiple spheres, and then you can think about shows being able to move from sphere to sphere.\n\n“Both [the U2 and ABBA] shows are taking a bold stab at the next-generation way of doing shows,” Lipson says, but notes that the traditional blueprint of iconic artist and audience remains key. “I’m sitting in a regular arena right now with Madonna, we are doing a very exciting show that pushes the limits of a pop show balancing staging and audience, and we are doing things that will feel fresh for her audience and for the show.” Critically, says Lipson, the staging for the U2 show is elementary in real terms, despite its technological complexity. “And what’s interesting is that the Sphere, like ABBA Arena, is only touching the sides of what you can do,” he says. “In five years’ time and 10 years’ time, two years’ time, whenever the technology shifts, you’ll be able to do more.” By the numbers ... U2 perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Credit: Stufish Entertainment Architects The screens, for example, are a bespoke assembly of state-of-the-art screens. But behind those screens are “a whole new kind of speaker,” Lipson says. “In a regular show, the speakers are at one end pushing the sound down the room, so it’s louder at the stage end and quieter further away. [But here] because everybody’s sort of getting their own feed, everybody’s getting an equal volume. So hearing the show in there, sonically, may be better than anywhere.” When the Sphere venue is in cinema mode, it utilises the full range of haptics, that is its ability to shape sound into both vibrations that will literally shake your seat, but also waves of pressure that can be felt. To those, the haptic systems add both artificial wind and a range of scents, paired to key moments, such as scenes of rocket launches or wild storms. Scratch ’n sniff, anyone?\n\nAs far back as the 1950s, Hollywood used three synchronised 35mm projectors to send a single image into a huge, deeply curved screen and called it Cinerama. It clocked in at just 146-degrees, well short of the Sphere’s 270-degree view. Another 1950s technology, Circle-Vision 360, essentially nine cameras positioned in an outward-facing circle, was used to create 360-degree film images, the most famous of which was Disneyland’s America the Beautiful film. Drawing a little less fanfare than U2’s debut on the Sphere stage was the premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth, a 50-minute 18K resolution film shot to fit the 270-degree wraparound screen, using an 18K Big Sky camera, and featuring sequences shot in Greece, India, Mexico and the USA. The Big Sky, in layman’s terms, delivers an image that is about 40 times greater in resolution than a 4K television screen. From Vegas to the desert ... U2 perform at the Sphere. Credit: Stufish Entertainment Architects Like Lipson, Williams is cautious about becoming lost in the dramatic differences of scale, particularly when it is the storytelling of the bands and their discographies that are the key draw for the audience. The same principles apply, Williams says, whether the show is U2 at Sphere or, in another of his shows, Australian playwright Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie, starring Jodie Comer, on the substantially smaller stages of London’s Harold Pinter Theatre and Broadway’s John Golden Theatre. The Sphere on the Las Vegas skyline. Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP", + "Jai Opetaia has taken his frustrations out on a hapless Ellis Zorro, the unbeaten Australian delivering a brutal first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia, while Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker stunned former champ Deontay Wilder to ruin his chances of facing Anthony Joshua.\n\nCruiserweight Opetaia was forced to vacate his IBF world title belt to take his place on the mega-card in Riyadh early on Sunday morning (AEDT).\n\nIn a bout reportedly worth $680,000 to the Australian, he wasted little time, a huge left hand obliterating Zorro with four seconds remaining in the first round.\n\nFacebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share\n\nThe punch sent the dazed Englishman into the ropes and on to the canvas, the outclassed Zorro eventually able to offer a sheepish smile in what was his first loss in 18 professional fights.\n\nThe former Olympian moved to 24-0 with 19 stoppages and retained his Ring Magazine belt to cap a week of drama that saw Opetaia stripped of his IBF status in controversial circumstances.\n\n“I train for 12 rounds, was prepared for 12 and if the knockout comes, it comes,” Opetaia said.\n\n“He was a bit too hesitant and he got clipped, that’s the way it goes.”\n\nCommentator Sergio Mora described the one-punch knockout as “devastating and scary” while fellow pundit Mike Costello added: “At any weight, at any level that’s as clinical as it gets in this sport”.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“He dismissed Zorro with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of power,” he added.\n\nOpetaia broke his jaw twice on the way to upsetting Mairis Briedis to win the IBF and Ring belts last year before enduring a frustrating wait to defend them 14 months later.\n\nMultiple opponents have dodged the 28-year-old, who the IBF demanded fight Briedis next despite the injured Latvian being happy to delay their bout until he is fit early next year.\n\n“I did, but look at this place, beautiful, I’m happy to be here,” Opetaia said when asked if he had vented his frustrations in the ring.\n\n“I’m pumped; first round knockout, I’m ready for the next fight.\n\n“The last 18 months is just part of the journey. I’m here in the ring now and that’s all that matters.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“These dudes (promoters) put the people in front of me and I just knock them out.”\n\nOpetaia’s next fight could be on the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk card in Riyadh on February 17.\n\nPromoter Eddie Hearn said the Australian had the potential to replicate Usyk’s career and unify the cruiserweight division before moving up to the heavyweights.\n\n“Every fight man knows,” Hearn said of the man regarded as the No.1 cruiserweight in the world.\n\n“I believe Jai’s going to do the exact same thing (as Usyk) … we’re talking about a pound-for-pound talent,” Hearn said.\n\nDubbed the ‘Day of Reckoning’, the Middle East card features heavyweight stars Joshua, Wilder, Parker and light heavyweight champion Dimitri Bivol.\n\nParker’s victory over Wilder came before Joshua stopped Otto Wallin with a fifth-round TKO in a heavyweight double-header.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe bouts at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh were expected to set up a March bout between Wilder and Joshua.\n\nInstead, it appears Parker is in a position to step up in March, with the winner of that fight hoping to get a shot at the undisputed championship, which will be decided on February 17 when Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk meet in Saudi Arabia.\n\nThe heavyweight division hasn’t been unified this century.\n\nThe 31-year-old Parker, a big underdog according to FanDuel Sportsbook, looked the better fighter throughout, while the 38-year-old Wilder looked his age in a match-up of former heavyweight champions.\n\nParker (34-3-0) dominated from the start, landing powerful punches with his right hand while keeping Wilder on his heels with a smart and methodical approach.\n\n“Dangerous fight, tough fight, we trained very hard for this,” Parker said.\n\n“We had great momentum coming into this fight. The strategy was to stay calm, stay relaxed, stay focused … every minute of every round. This is a great finish to the year.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThere was only one round in which Wilder got the better of Parker.\n\n“My timing was off a little bit,” Wilder said.\n\n“He did a great job of avoiding a lot of my punches. I did feel like I had the upper hand, but things happen. We move on to the next step.”\n\nIn the main event, Wallin’s corner called for the stoppage at the end of the fifth round.\n\nJoshua, a strong favourite, needed more than just a victory to convince sceptics his best days weren’t behind him.\n\nThe British boxer earned some style points against the 33-year-old Wallin, who is from Sweden.\n\nJoshua (27-3-0) hadn’t looked the same since holding the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. But the 34-year-old delivered a throwback performance, jabbing and moving forward with confidence while backing down Wallin (26-2-0).\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA strong right-left combination in the fifth round eventually led to the stoppage.\n\n“Just another fight. I respect Otto,” Joshua said.\n\n“Not so much a throwback, just another day in the office. I’m just a gifted fighter that has a special gift and I use it to the best of my ability.\n\n“We just want to do whatever it takes to be victorious. All I want to be is just be victorious for as long as I can. I’m searching for greatness.”\n\nEarlier, Dmitrii Bivol defeated Lyndon Arthur in a unanimous decision that saw all three judges score it a 12-round sweep for the IBO light heavyweight and WBA super light heavyweight belts.\n\nThe early card also included five knockouts.\n\nAfter Opetaia, Daniel Dubois (20-2-0) registered a 10th-round TKO of Jarrell Miller (26-1-1) with eight seconds left in the final round.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAgit Kabayel (24-0-0) scored a fourth-round TKO of Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-1-0) in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.\n\nFilip Hrgovic (17-0-0) stopped Mark De Mori (41-3-2) with a first-round TKO, and Frank Sanchez (24-0-0) opened the night with a seventh-round knockout of Junior Fa (20-3-0).\n\n© AAP", + "Ouija boards and other attempts to converse with the dead are spiritually dangerous practices that should not be viewed as innocent fun, an exorcist priest told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"We too often forget that there is much more to this world than meets the eye,\" Fr. Dan Reehil told Fox News Digital. \"Angels, demons, spirits and souls do exist and they can have an impact on our life.\"\n\nRehill is a priest of the Diocese of Nashville. In 2018, he received exorcism training at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome, and was installed as the exorcist of the Diocese of Nashville that same year.\n\nDO ANGELS EXIST? OVER HALF OF AMERICANS SAY YES, STUDY FINDS: ‘COMFORT AND REASSURANCE’\n\nAn exorcist, said Reehil, \"is a priest chosen and installed by a bishop to exercise the office of deliverance ministry. Exorcism is a specific form of prayer that the [Catholic] Church uses against the power of the devil.\"\n\nThe Catholic Church distinguishes between two forms of exorcisms, said Reehil. Exorcisms are either \"major\" or \"minor.\"\n\n\"A major exorcism is performed only for one, who is demonstrably possessed by a demon or demons, and may only be performed by a priest the bishop has specifically permitted to do so,\" said Reehil.\n\nConversely, a minor exorcism is associated with sacraments and blessings, said Reehil.\n\n\"Demonologists distinguish three levels of demonic incursion,\" explained Reehil. These three levels are temptation, obsession (which is also called \"oppression\") and possession.\n\n'HALLOW' PRAYER APP ACCOMPLISHED ITS GOAL DURING THE GOP DEBATE, COMPANY SAYS: 'PRAY WITH ME REAL QUICK'\n\nTemptation, said Reehil, is something experienced by everyone.\n\nObsession is \"when demons torment people physically, spiritually, mentally or emotionally, or some combination of these.\"\n\nPossession, which is arguably the most well-known of the three levels, is when a demon or demons \"take physical possession of a person's body and make use of its faculties,\" said Reehil.\n\n\"Possession is usually intermittent, almost never an uninterrupted possessing of the person’s body,\" he added.\n\nAttempting occult practices, such as purportedly trying to contact the dead via an Ouija board, are a way to open oneself up to demonic activity inadvertently, said Reehil.\n\n\"Demons lie and impersonate dead people,\" said Reehil. \"When asking a board for information about a deceased person, or a life decision, they are all too happy to embed themselves into your life. Using an Ouija board is inviting a demon into your life, whether the person has that intention or not.\"\n\nThe Ouija board was first developed in the late 19th century as a parlor game; these were formerly called \"talking boards.\"\n\nAt the time, séances and other spiritual practices were quite popular activities.\n\nAS CATHOLIC CHURCH FACES PRECARIOUS CULTURAL TIME, BISHOP ROBERT BARRON OF MINNESOTA MODELS THOUGHTFUL FAITH\n\nThe board consists of an alphabet, the words \"yes,\" \"no,\" \"goodbye,\" and the numbers zero through nine.\n\nTo operate the board, a person places their hands on a \"planchette,\" which spirits purportedly move to spell out answers to questions.\n\nIn 1890, a Baltimore spiritualist and medium named Helen Peters asked the talking board what she should call it, said the website for the Talking Board Historical Society. The board responded \"O-U-I-J-A,\" which it said meant \"good luck.\"\n\nThe Ouija board was patented the following year.\n\nLegend regarding the Ouija board's patent says that Peters accompanied attorney Elijah Bond to the patent office, where the two were instructed by the patent officer to prove that the board worked by spelling out his name, said Smithsonian Magazine.\n\nTHE EXORCIST, CHUCKY AND NEW HORRIFIC HAUNTS HIT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO'S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS\n\nPeters reportedly asked spirits for assistance, and then spelled out the patent officer's name.\n\nIt is unclear if Bond or Peters somehow knew the patent officer's name ahead of time, but the patent was awarded on Feb. 10, 1891, by a \"white-faced and visibly shaken patent officer,\" said the magazine.\n\nThe boards were then mass-produced by the Kennard Novelty Company, which was sold to Parker Brothers in 1967.\n\nToday, the Ouija board is produced by Hasbro, which markets the product as a way to communicate with the \"spirit world.\" Fox News Digital reached out to Hasbro for comment but did not hear back by publication time.\n\n\"Enter the world of the mysterious and mystifying with the Ouija board! You've got questions and the spirit world has answers — and the uncanny Ouija board is your way to get them,\" said the Hasbro website.\n\nHALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE HOMES AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM: WOULD YOU DARE TO VISIT?\n\n\"What do you want to know? Ask your question with a friend using the planchette that comes with the board, but be patient and concentrate because the spirits can't be rushed. Handle the Ouija board with respect and it won't disappoint you,\" said the website.\n\nWhile the Ouija board is marketed as a toy or board game, Reehil, from his point of view, disagrees with this characterization.\n\nDivination and other occult practices are condemned by the Bible numerous times, said Fr. Reehil.\n\n\"Ouija boards should not be viewed in the same way as a typical board game,\" he said. \"Although it is advertised as a game, it is far from it,\" he added. \"Rather, it is a form of divination.\"\n\nDivination and other occult practices are condemned by the Bible numerous times, Reehil noted.\n\n\"The very action of using [the Ouija board] has profound spiritual consequences [that are] beyond our control,\" he said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nPerhaps the most famous instance of purported demonic possession connected to Ouija board usage was the case of \"Roland Doe,\" a young teenage boy from Maryland, who underwent numerous major exorcisms in 1949, said Reehil.\n\nDoe's story was adapted into the 1971 book \"The Exorcist\" by William Peter Blatty, which was then made into the 1973 movie starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair.\n\nReehil told Fox News Digital that he has personally seen six cases of demonic oppression that stemmed from Ouija board usage.\n\n\"The victims were left with night terrors, suicidal ideation, despair — and one man was impaled with chicken bones in his leg that flew across the kitchen,\" he said.\n\n\"Stay away from all forms of occult practices — and stay close to God.\"\n\n\"Once the deliverance prayers were prayed, and the participants renounced all participation with the demons, the demonic activity ceased,\" he also said.\n\n\"Whenever we seek to engage demons, we move away from the One True God,\" said Reehil.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nAdded the priest, \"Stay away from all forms of occult practices — and stay close to God.\"\n\nFor more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.", + "Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nWhether it’s something gory and macabre, silly and irreverent, or eerie and unsettling, the genre of horror is as rich and varied as the multitude of ghosts, ghoulies, and homicidal maniacs that go bump in the night.\n\nLooking for the best horror films available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max, and Paramount Plus? No worries, we’ve got the goods. We’ve combed through the libraries of each of the major streaming platforms to bring you a list of our most recommended horror movies. Here are the best horror movies you can stream right now, from old classics to new hits. Our latest update added Encounters of the Spooky Kind.\n\nEditor’s pick: Encounters of the Spooky Kind\n\nDirector: Sammo Hung\n\nCast: Sammo Hung, Chung Fat, Dick Wei\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel\n\nThis Halloween, I had one goal: Finally watch Sammo Hung’s jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire) martial arts comedy Encounters of the Spooky Kind. It was finally added to streaming via the Criterion Channel earlier this fall after years of being unavailable digitally. And reader, my priorities were correct, because this movie is an absolute blast.\n\nBest known for his collaborations with childhood friends Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, Sammo’s excellence as a director, choreographer, and performer are on full display in what is frequently a one-man show.\n\nSammo directed the movie, co-wrote it, choreographed the action, and stars as Bold Cheung, a pedicab driver and skilled martial artist who’s also kind of a dolt. He is dared to spend the night in a haunted house with a hopping vampire — a dare he accepts, because he is “Bold” Cheung, after all. What follows is a Looney Tunes-style slapstick action horror movie with legitimate scares (the vampire makeup is terrific: gray with a gross texture, like a wet papier-mâché mask), dazzling rhythmic martial arts choreography, and perfectly placed dashes of comedy (there’s even an extended Duck Soup homage).\n\nSammo is truly one of the greatest directors to ever do it, but he doesn’t get the proper credit globally because of the genres (and nation) he’s primarily worked in. The jaw-dropping choreography and onslaught of funny bits are outstanding, but it’s his skill with the camera that has always separated Sammo from his counterparts.\n\nBringing it back to his old friend Yuen Biao for a second — Biao co-stars as the silent vampire, and does a terrific job selling the undead creature’s fight sequences with stiff limbs and startling hops. This movie is colorful, funny, scary, tense, and an incredibly fun time. If you like the Evil Dead movies, this is one you must check out; Sam Raimi basically directly ripped one of Spooky Kind’s fight sequences for Evil Dead II. —Pete Volk\n\nAlone\n\nDirector: John Hyams\n\nCast: Jules Willcox, Marc Menchaca, Anthony Heald\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, Kanopy\n\nA taut spine-chiller from John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning), Alone is your classic woman-on-the-run thriller. Jessica (Jules Willcox), a recent widow, is in the midst of moving. If that wasn’t enough stress, a creepy man (Marc Menchaca) appears to be following her on the road. After he slashes her tires, she crashes and wakes up in his basement. What follows is a tightly crafted thriller with great performances, outstanding direction, and enough tension to keep your heart pounding throughout the 98-minute running time. —Pete Volk\n\nAnnihilation\n\nDirector: Alex Garland\n\nCast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nAnnihilation might be the creepiest movie about plants ever made (with all due respect to The Ruins.)\n\nAnnihilation follows a group of scientists (played by a phenomenal group of actors) investigating an area struck by a meteor. The area that was hit has slowly spread and grown into what’s now known as The Shimmer, an area where nature seems to be taking over everything around it, but it’s a different kind of nature; strange, unnaturally green plants grow over everything, and creatures (animals and humans) slowly merge with the vegetation around them. At the center of all of this is a lighthouse the group must reach. Annihilation helps realize this strange Earth-but-not incredibly well, with beautiful and haunting production design and a finale as memorable as any horror movie on this list. — Austen Goslin\n\nClimax\n\nDirector: Gaspar Noé\n\nCast: Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub\n\nWhere to watch: Showtime\n\nClimax isn’t for the faint-of-heart — and we’re saying that in the context of a horror movies list. The movie is set at an all-night dance party inside a gymnasium, which turns sour after someone spikes the sangria with a little too much LSD. Climax is told in beautifully disorienting long takes that go from dozens of minutes of uninterrupted and propulsive dance sequences to hazy walks through hallways as the camera mimics the dizzy stumbling of the movie’s characters. As the psychedelics kick in, so too do some of the attendees’ long-held feuds, leading to disastrous and horrifying consequences. It’s rare that a movie truly defies description, but if you’ve got a strong stomach and a will to see something you haven’t before, Climax is the perfect movie for you. —AG\n\nCrimes of the Future\n\nDirector: David Cronenberg\n\nCast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu\n\nMicroplastics: They’re everywhere!\n\nThey’re in our lungs, our blood, our food and drinking water; even the air we breathe. What the fuck is it doing to our bodies? We don’t really know, but David Cronenberg’s 2022 body horror drama sure has an idea of what it might mean for our children. Crimes of the Future imagines a world where humans have lost the ability to feel pain. In addition to that, several people have developed a disturbing disorder which causes their bodies to spontaneously spawn new organs.\n\nThis new reality has spawned a trend: Live surgery, wherein performance artists plagued with this condition tear into their own bodies in an effort to shape meaning out of this strange new biological fact. Viggo Mortensen stars as Saul Tenser, a world-renowned performance artist who, alongside his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), stands on the cutting edge — both literally and figuratively — of this cultural phenomenon. When Saul’s activities catch the attention of a mysterious group of evolutionary activists, as well as the lascivious eye of a government employee named Timlin (Kristen Stewart), he’s forced to confront what he — and everyone else around him — is changing into, and whether what that is can even be considered “human” anymore.\n\nAs macabre as it is moving, grotesque as it is sensuous; Crimes of the Future is an exquisite work of science fiction horror where surgery is the new sex and our very bodies have rebelled against us for the incalculable destruction we have inflicted on the planet. It’s a film that exists in intimate conversation with the anxieties of our present, as well as one that represents a stunning return to form for one of cinema’s most forward-thinking directors. Howard Shore’s growling, guttural score is engrossing, while the leading trio of performances by Mortensen, Seydoux, and Stewart are a virtual match made in heaven in bringing to life this speculative slice of post-human hell on Earth. In short: It’s a great film and highly recommended, but whatever you do, don’t see it on a full stomach. Trust me. —Toussaint Egan\n\nCure\n\nDirector: Kiyoshi Kurosawa\n\nCast: Kōji Yakusho, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Anna Nakagawa\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel\n\nKiyoshi Kurosawa’s 1997 horror masterpiece Cure follows Kenichi Takabe (Kōji Yakusho), a Japanese detective frustrated by an inexplicable rash of seemingly unconnected murders that nevertheless all appear to be connected, despite none of the perpetrators having known each other or having any recollection as to what possessed them to do it. When Takabe’s investigation leads him to a suspect, a student of psychology and mesmerism known as Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), he finds himself plunged into a conspiracy that threatens to engulf anyone who gets too close.\n\nIn Cure, violence is less an act of premeditation or passion as it is a virus, coursing its way through the bloodstream of society, corrupting innocent bystanders not unlike aberrant cancer cells attacking from within without ever understanding why they did so in the first place. How do you confront a horror like that, much less stop it? The answer is as simple as it is terrifying: You can’t. —TE\n\nEyes Without a Face\n\nDirector: Georges Franju\n\nCast: Pierre Brasseur, Édith Scob, Alida Valli\n\nWhere to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel\n\nGeorges Franju’s influential 1960 film is a master class in supernatural fantasy horror. An unsettling tale about a plastic surgeon (played by Pierre Brasseur) who kidnaps young women and performs surgery on them to try and find a face replacement for his daughter (Édith Scob), Eyes Without a Face is equal parts haunting and beautiful. Scob’s iconic face mask in the movie was later referenced in her role in the also-excellent Holy Motors many decades later. —PV\n\nHellraiser\n\nDirector: Clive Barker\n\nCast: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video, AMC+, Shudder, Tubi, Pluto, Hoopla\n\nClive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut adapts his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart to tell the story of Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins). The Cottons are a married couple who move into the home of Larry’s recently deceased brother, Frank (Sean Chapman), with whom Julia had a previous affair. After inadvertently being resurrected by a drop of blood spilled by Larry on the floor of the house’s attic, Frank seduces Julia into luring new men to the house so that he can drain their life force and fully regain his mortal form. Surrounding this core narrative is the the story of the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box Frank acquired before his untimely death. When solved, it conjures hellish beings known as Cenobites to the mortal plane of existence, which indulge in hellish exercises of sadomasochistic mutilation. Easily the best and most enduring of the Hellraiser movie series, Barker’s 1987 original is a must-watch for horror fans. —TE\n\nHereditary\n\nDirector: Ari Aster\n\nCast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nHereditary is a victim of its own success. The poster child for the misguided term “elevated horror,” and the subject of more than a few memes (particularly around telephone poles), the thing that often gets lost about Hereditary is that it’s actually really fucking good. And it’s damn scary too.\n\nThe movie follows Annie Graham, a difficult mother of two, who just lost her mom. During the funeral service, Annie notices quite a few people are here to mourn the mother she thought had no friends. She eventually learns this group of old people all belonged to the same bizarre semi-cult her mother did. And that’s where the witchy stuff starts.\n\nFrom there everything descends into a complicated mishmash of tightly coiled family drama, supernatural plotting, and years-old resentments, and it’s absolutely excellent. Who’s to say which is scarier in this movie, the verbal immolation or the literal one?\n\nEven if you’ve seen it already, you probably owe this movie a rewatch. You definitely remember that it’s good, but you probably don’t remember just how great it really is. Hereditary is elegantly creepy, right up until the point that it becomes terrifying. You can’t really ask any more from a horror movie than that. —Austen Goslin\n\nThe Host\n\nDirector: Bong Joon-ho\n\nCast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il\n\nWhere to watch: Max, Roku Channel, Hoopla, Kanopy\n\nThe Host was Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to the smash success serial killer drama Memories of Murder. A critical and commercial success, it was the highest-grossing South Korean film ever after its release and won Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.\n\nYears after chemicals are dumped into the Han River, a huge mutated fish monster emerges and kidnaps a young girl. Her father (Song Kang-ho) sets out to find and rescue her, before being kidnapped by the American scientists responsible for its existence. A fun monster thriller that doubles as insightful commentary on U.S. intervention, ecological disasters, and much more, The Host is a high mark in Bong’s impressive filmography. —PV\n\nHouse\n\nDirector: Nobuhiko Obayashi\n\nCast: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ohba\n\nWhere to watch: Max, Criterion Channel\n\nFew movies are as weird and excellent as Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House.\n\nThe bizarre ghost story follows a group of school girls who take a vacation to a haunted mansion in the countryside of Japan. Everything starts off well enough, but before long the kids are being attacked by demonic gates, getting eaten by pianos, or opening portals to hell — all with visually an inventive silliness few movies have ever matched. House isn’t all that scary, but it is weird in all the best ways, and nothing else looks or feels like it. — AG\n\nIn the Mouth of Madness\n\nDirector: John Carpenter\n\nCast: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow\n\nWhere to watch: YouTube\n\nAmong the wildest movies John Carpenter has ever made (and that’s saying something), In the Mouth of Madness follows insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill), who is hired to find a missing fame horror novelist. Things become increasingly unhinged as the plots of the author’s books and the various monsters seem to invade the real world. Neill, a staple of this list, is absolutely fantastic responding to the horrors of hell, slowly becoming exactly as off-kilter as they are. By the time the movie makes it to the third act, the door to hell is halfway open and Trent is ready to dive headfirst into the void, which is honestly how every movie’s third act should go.\n\nThis is also the third in Carpenter’s apocalypse trilogy, which also includes two other stone-cold classics, The Thing and Prince of Darkness. They aren’t on this list, but you should watch them anyway. — AG\n\nLet the Right One In\n\nDirector: Tomas Alfredson\n\nCast: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Crackle, Hoopla, Kanopy\n\nA 12-year-old Swedish boy finds a friend in a vampire who looks roughly his age, but is actually an old vampire permanently trapped in the body of a young child. The film is kaleidoscopic, each viewing revealing something different than the last. The first time I saw the film, I was a pessimistic college student, and I read the central relationship as a warning about the parasitic nature of love. After college, the children’s bond reminded me of the impermanence of youth, and why growing up is a mixed blessing. This past year, I was far more focused on the girl’s relationship with her caretaker, an older man who sacrifices everything for her existence.\n\nThe film was adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel of the same name, which inspired not just this Swedish film, but a 2010 American adaptation, a comic-book prequel, and two stage plays. The latter has its own legacy — it was adapted by the magnificent National Theater of Scotland, and it eventually had a run at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2015. Few books inspire so much additional great art. So I suppose I’m recommending the book just as much as the film. —Chris Plante\n\nMalignant\n\nDirector: James Wan\n\nCast: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young\n\nWhere to watch: Max\n\nThere was just no way to see it coming. After the Conjuring and Insidious franchises, plus blockbuster turns with Furious 7 and Aquaman, James Wan could have cashed in chips to make another moody franchise-starter to stretch his jump-scare muscles. Instead, he made Malignant, a high-emotion giallo stuffed into dingy ’90s direct-to-video pastiche like some kind of horror-movie turducken. Wan pulls back the layers in an almost tedious fashion: The pregnant Madison (Annabelle Wallis) is first the victim of domestic abuse, then she encounters another killer, and then she starts dealing with psychotic episodes tied to her childhood imaginary friend Gabriel, and theeeeen it’s revealed… Well, please go behold it.\n\nStrung together with a melodramatic cover of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind,” reveling in horror tropes to the point of parody, the final twists of Malignant are some of the most gratifying lunacy of the year, and the acrobatic actor Marina Mazepa brings it all home in a display of gruesome ballet. I won’t explain anything more out of fear of spoilers — just get on the Malignant train. Wan put his dream (nightmare?) on screen for us all to enjoy. —Matt Patches\n\nThe Mist\n\nDirector: Frank Darabont\n\nCast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden\n\nWhere to watch: Digital rental/purchase\n\nAny fan of Stephen King worth their salt knows that the so-called king of horror has a lot of movie adaptations of his work. Few films have managed to eclipse, let alone successfully adapt, King’s capacity for horror storytelling, with the exception of (a) Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and (b) Frank Darabont’s The Mist.\n\nDarabont’s third adaptation of a Stephen King story, the film stars Thomas Jane (The Expanse) as a Hollywood poster artist living in Maine who, along with his wife and son and the rest of his neighbors, takes shelter in a supermarket in the wake of a mysterious storm that covers the town in a deadly mist.\n\nSupernatural, otherworldly horrors abound throughout The Mist, but the greatest horror of all is — you guessed it — humanity itself, as seen in the way the townspeople succumb to the temptation to scapegoat those among themselves under the influence of a local religious fanatic. The ending is a gut-punch and sincerely one of the most chilling in any mainstream horror film of its time. If you’ve managed to go unspoiled until now, I won’t ruin the surprise, but needless to say, it’s worth it. —TE\n\nNight of the Living Dead\n\nDirector: George A. Romero\n\nCast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman\n\nWhere to watch: Max, Peacock, MGM Plus, Paramount Plus, Roku Channel\n\nThe movie that launched the modern zombie film in the United States, George A. Romero’s debut feature was written, directed, photographed, and edited by the nascent zombie film master on a shoestring budget, which only adds to the eerie atmosphere and grounded terror. In this film, a group of survivors hide out in an abandoned house in western Pennsylvania at the start of a zombie apocalypse. Led by the level-headed Ben (Duane Jones), the group not only has to deal with the conflict of zombies trying to break in, but internal conflicts stemming from disagreements on how to handle their precarious predicament.\n\nNight of the Living Dead is the first example of Romero’s typical blend of jaw-dropping (and stomach-churning) practical effects and astute social commentary. Fun fact: This movie came out a month before the MPAA film rating system, which meant a heaping amount of controversy when children were able to see the quite graphic movie in theaters. And another fun fact: Night of the Living Dead was never copyrighted and is in the public domain because of an error by the original theatrical distributor. —PV\n\nPossession\n\nDirector: Andrzej Żuławski\n\nCast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Heinz Bennent\n\nWhere to watch: Shudder, AMC Plus, Metrograph\n\nOutside of the most ardent of cinephile circles, Andrzej Żuławski isn’t a name that inspires enthusiastic recognition in the United States. Known for his transgressive brand of arthouse cinema, Żuławski’s career was stymied by Communist authorities in his homeland of Poland, with many of his early films being either heavily censored, banned, or, in one instance, nearly destroyed upon release. It also doesn’t help that the few films of his that have been released in the States have since gone out of print — though that appears to be changing soon.\n\nIf you do know Żuławski’s name, it’s likely for his 1981 psychological horror film Possession, a film whose cult status among horror connoisseurs has only been amplified in the decades since its release by its difficulty to obtain on physical media or to view online. Fortunately for everyone, that’s no longer the case.\n\nSet in Cold War-era West Berlin, Żuławski’s film stars Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill as Mark, a Russian spy who returns home to find that his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), has left him and wants a divorce. When Anna refuses to divulge why, only saying that she has not left him for someone else, Mark grows suspicious and has her tailed. What he eventually discovers is a horrifying secret beyond his comprehension, one which awakens a long-dormant wellspring of anxiety, resentment, and despair between the two that threatens to tear apart not only their small family, but their very sanity as well.\n\nInspired by Żuławski’s own tumultuous divorce in 1976 and his subsequent struggles with suicidal ideation, Possession blurs the line between the autobiographical and the phantasmagorical, with hysterical performances by Neill and Adjani that vacillate between disturbing, comical, and disquietingly sympathetic. An inspiration for everything from Ari Aster’s Midsommar to the 2016 music video for Massive Attack’s “Voodoo in My Blood,” Possession is an essential watch for any serious horror fan. —TE\n\n[REC]\n\nDirectors: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza\n\nCast: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Martha Carbonell\n\nWhere to watch: Prime Video\n\nOne of the best and most disturbing found-footage movies ever, [REC] follows a TV reporter and camera person who follow emergency workers into an apartment building, only to discover the dark truth inside: Some of the residents are turning into monsters. Set squarely in the zombie-craze of the mid-2000s, [REC]’s undead creatures owe quite a bit to the raving cannibal infected of 28 Days Later, but the Spanish movie’s flesh-eaters are quite a bit creepier and more disturbed than their predecessors. While many found-footage movies obscure their scariest moments, [REC] uses the format to enhance its creeping dread and drag out the character’s slow careful exploration of the apartment building, ramping the tension up to 11 just in time for the downright terrifying finale. — AG\n\nSputnik\n\nDirector: Egor Abramenko\n\nCast: Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk, Pyotr Fyodorov\n\nWhere to watch: Hulu\n\nIf you’re hungry for a great piece of contemporary Russian sci-fi horror (i.e., something not directed by either Andrei Tarkovsky or Yakov Protazanov), then Egor Abramenko’s 2020 directorial debut is just the film you’re looking for.\n\nSet during 1983 at the height of Cold War tensions, Sputnik (which for your information is Russian for “fellow traveler”) centers on Tatyana (Oskana Akinshina), an uncompromising young psychiatrist with a staunch attitude with regard to the ends justifying the means. Tatyana is recruited by the Soviet military to treat Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), a wounded cosmonaut and the lone survivor of a mysterious satellite crash. Only upon arriving at the remote hospital facility housing the patient and interacting with him does Tatyana come to realize the horrifying truth: Konstantin did not in fact return from space alone; rather, his body has now become the unwitting host to an organism unlike anything seen on Earth. Caught between her duty to study the creature and her desire to save Konstantin from further harm, Tatyana must make a hard decision upon which the very survival of all humanity may rest.\n\nWhat makes Abramenko’s debut so compelling is how it takes the basic premise of the “trolley problem” thought experiment and twists it repeatedly (and successfully) to dramatic emotional effect. Akinshina (The Bourne Supremacy) delivers a convincing and compelling performance as Tatyana, a woman forced to confront and overcome the uncompromising attitude that had once assured her success but now threatens to endanger not only another man’s life, but potentially the lives of everyone on the planet along with her own soul. Fyodorov, for his own part, delivers a sympathetically complex (and on occasion, implicitly sinister) performance as Konstantin, a Russian “hero” torn between his perceived duty to his country and his emotional obligation to a loved one he all but abandoned before embarking on his most recent mission. The creature design in this movie is terrific, as is the cinematography and the film’s score.\n\nHaving previously been slated for a world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and subsequently dumped on video-on-demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sputnik is exactly the kind of horror movie this list was intended to spotlight: a kind of rare gem of intellectually and viscerally stimulating horror that otherwise goes unappreciated if not given the opportunity to shine. —TE\n\nSuspiria\n\nDirector: Dario Argento\n\nCast: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci\n\nWhere to watch: Tubi, Kanopy\n\nOne of the best-looking movies of all time with one of the best soundtracks of all time. What’s better than that?\n\nDario Argento’s Suspiria tells the story of Suzy Bannion, an American dancer who moves to Germany to study at the prestigious Tanz Akademie. It just so happens that the academy is run by witches. As the facade of the school unravels, Suzy’s fellow students slowly start going missing or dropping dead in increasingly bizarre and horrible ways.\n\nWhile the plot for Suspiria is interesting, what really makes the movie great is how it looks and how it sounds. Everything about the production design, the costumes, and the colors is eccentric in ways no other horror movie has ever matched. Couple all that with the incredible and haunting soundtrack from European rock band Goblin, and Suspiria becomes an unforgettable horror classic that everyone should see at least once. — AG\n\nThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre\n\nDirector: Tobe Hooper\n\nCast: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock, Shudder, AMC Plus, Tubi, Freevee\n\nAnother shoestring production gone huge, Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece made over $30 million at the box office on a budget of around $140,000. The movie follows a group of friends who find themselves hunted by a family of cannibals in the middle of Texas, and is a chilling, violent fever dream that permanently lodges itself in the minds of those who watch it.\n\nEight films have followed, including a Netflix version in 2022, but the original stands out as an unhinged encapsulation of pure chaos and terror. At a tight 83 minutes, the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is well worth the small time investment to catch up on one of the most influential horror movies ever made. —PV\n\nThe Thing\n\nDirector: John Carpenter\n\nCast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David\n\nWhere to watch: Peacock\n\nJohn Carpenter’s postmodern creature feature takes the idea of alien monsters and makes them simultaneously more recognizable and more gross and unworldly than in any other movie in history. The Thing, the second adaptation of the excellent novella Who Goes There?, remains thrilling, terrifying, and absolutely disgusting more than 40 years after its release.\n\nThe Thing follows a group of researchers working at an Antarctic base. Suddenly, a dog from a local Norwegian camp rushes into their base, with Norwegian men hot on its heels, trying to kill it by any means necessary. However, once the American crew takes the dog in and shelters it, they discover it’s an alien that can transform into any living creature, mimicking it perfectly — and that makes every one of them a suspect.\n\nIt’s one of the great paranoid thriller premises of all time, but it just so happens to also be filled with gross and fantastic alien gore. There’s nothing quite like The Thing. —AG\n\nThe Unfriended movies\n\nDirector: Levan “Leo” Gabriadze (Unfriended); Stephen Susco (Unfriended: Dark Web)\n\nCast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead (Unfriended); Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel (Unfriended: Dark Web)\n\nWhere to watch: Criterion Channel (Unfriended); Digital rental/purchase (Both movies)\n\nAs many people have learned over the past few years, there aren’t that many things scarier than a video call you can’t leave.\n\nA masterfully contained horror movie that makes full use of its (at the time) groundbreaking gimmick, Unfriended is a tense teen horror movie that takes place entirely on a character’s laptop screen. Definitely watch it on a laptop if you can, and check out the very good sequel Unfriended: Dark Web if you dug this one. —PV\n\nFrom our list of the best horror movies on Netflix:\n\nLevan Gabriadze’s Unfriended pulls the audiences through the screen — almost literally. Viewed entirely from the perspective of a computer desktop, 2014 supernatural horror film centers around a Skype call between a group of high school students who are joined by an unknown presence known only as “billie227.” What at first appears to be a prank swiftly morphs into something much more horrific, as the mysterious stranger begins to reveal terrifying secrets about each of the friends before killing them off one by one. Unfriended is thoroughly gripping extrapolation of our always-online world, a world where vengeful poltergeists and doxxing exist side by side and no secret or offense goes undiscovered or unpunished. —TE\n\nUs\n\nDirector: Jordan Peele\n\nCast: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss\n\nWhere to watch: Netflix\n\nJordan Peele’s already a horror master just three movies into his career, but Us probably still doesn’t have the reputation it deserves. His 2019 psychological slasher had the unfortunate fate of following up the cultural phenomenon of Get Out, so it had a hard time breaking through, in the way that sophomore projects often do. But taken on its own terms, Us is a fantastic little horror movie with tons of atmosphere and an underground society’s worth of great scares.\n\nThe movie follows the Wilson family, whose vacation is interrupted by the arrival of a group of doppelgängers who match up with each member of the family perfectly. The clones, it turns out, are called Tethered, and where they come from is very complicated. But before any kind of explanation of the Tethered, what we see is a parade of violent attacks, home invasions, and some very tense encounters between Lupita Nyong’o and herself.\n\nUs may not be Peele’s best movie, but it is a fascinating mix of slasher thrills and world- building, supported by a fantastic cast all operating at their A games. While the entire cast is great, Elizabeth Moss is a particular standout for her extremely brief but extraordinarily loathsome role as one of the family’s friends. Her performance gives this movie so much of its weird off-kilter vibe, and leads to some of its most unstintingly and gleefully over-the-top violence. Alongside the terrifying tone, Peele manages to build an entire second world underneath our own, and will give you a very unhealthy fear of what you’re really seeing when you look in the mirror. —AG", + "After marathon ‘final’ talks which stretched to almost three days European Union lawmakers have tonight clinched a political deal on a risk-based framework for regulating artificial intelligence. The file was originally proposed back in April 2021 but it’s taken months of tricky three-way negotiations to get a deal over the line. The development means a pan-EU AI law is definitively on the way.\n\nGiving a triumphant but exhausted press conference in the small hours of Friday night/Saturday morning local time key representatives for the European Parliament, Council and the Commission — the bloc’s co-legislators — hailed the agreement as hard fought, a milestone achievement and historic, respectively.\n\nTaking to X to tweet the news, the EU’s president, Ursula von der Leyen — who made delivering a regulation to promote “trustworthy” AI a key priority of her term when she took up the post in late 2019 — also lauded the political agreement as a “global first”.\n\nThe 🇪🇺 AI Act is a global first. A unique legal framework for the development of AI you can trust. And for the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses. A commitment we took in our political guidelines – and we delivered. I welcome today's political agreement. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 8, 2023\n\nProhibitions\n\nFull details of what’s been agreed won’t be entirely confirmed until a final text is compiled and made public, which may take some weeks. But a press release put out by the European Parliament confirms the deal reached with the Council includes a total prohibition on the use of AI for:\n\nbiometric categorisation systems that use sensitive characteristics (e.g. political, religious, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, race);\n\nuntargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases;\n\nemotion recognition in the workplace and educational institutions;\n\nsocial scoring based on social behaviour or personal characteristics;\n\nAI systems that manipulate human behaviour to circumvent their free will;\n\nAI used to exploit the vulnerabilities of people (due to their age, disability, social or economic situation).\n\nThe use of remote biometric identification technology in public places by law enforcement has not been completely banned — but the parliament said negotiators had agreed on a series of safeguards and narrow exceptions to limit use of technologies such as facial recognition. This includes a requirement for prior judicial authorisation — and with uses limited to a “strictly defined” lists of crime.\n\nRetrospective (non-real-time) use of remote biometric ID AIs will be limited to “the targeted search of a person convicted or suspected of having committed a serious crime”. While real-time use of this intrusive AI tech will be limited in time and location, and can only be used for the following purposes:\n\ntargeted searches of victims (abduction, trafficking, sexual exploitation),\n\nprevention of a specific and present terrorist threat, or\n\nthe localisation or identification of a person suspected of having committed one of the specific crimes mentioned in the regulation (e.g. terrorism, trafficking, sexual exploitation, murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, participation in a criminal organisation, environmental crime).\n\nThe Council’s press release on the deal emphasizes that the provisional agreement “clarifies that the regulation does not apply to areas outside the scope of EU law and should not, in any case, affect member states’ competences in national security or any entity entrusted with tasks in this area”. It also confirms the AI act will not apply to systems exclusively for military or defence purposes.\n\n“Similarly, the agreement provides that the regulation would not apply to AI systems used for the sole purpose of research and innovation, or for people using AI for non-professional reasons,” the Council added.\n\nCivil society groups have reacted sceptically — raising concerns the agreed limitations on state agencies’ use of biometric identification technologies will not go far enough to safeguard human rights. Digital rights group EDRi, which was among those pushing for a full ban on remote biometrics, said that whilst the deal contains “some limited gains for human rights”, it looks like “a shell of the AI law Europe really needs”.\n\nReal-time public facial recognition (RBI): disappointingly, but not surprisingly, member states resisted a full ban. The Parliament fought hard to narrow exceptions and add more safeguards, but it doesn't look like it will be enough to stop widespread biometric mass surveillance; — Ella Jakubowska (@ellajakubowska1) December 9, 2023\n\nRules for ‘high risk’ AIs, and general purpose AIs\n\nThe package agreed also includes obligations for AI systems that are classified as “high risk” owing to having “significant potential harm to health, safety, fundamental rights, environment, democracy and the rule of law”.\n\n“MEPs successfully managed to include a mandatory fundamental rights impact assessment, among other requirements, applicable also to the insurance and banking sectors. AI systems used to influence the outcome of elections and voter behaviour, are also classified as high-risk,” the parliament wrote. “Citizens will have a right to launch complaints about AI systems and receive explanations about decisions based on high-risk AI systems that impact their rights.”\n\nThere was also agreement on a “two-tier” system of guardrails to be applied to “general” AI systems, such as the so-called foundational models underpinning the viral boom in generative AI applications like ChatGPT.\n\nAs we reported earlier, the deal reached on foundational models/general purpose AIs (GPAIs) includes some transparency requirements for what co-legislators referred to as “low tier” AIs — meaning model makers must draw up technical documentation and produce (and publish) detailed summaries about the content used for training in order to support compliance with EU copyright law. For “high-impact” GPAIs (defined as the cumulative amount of compute used for their training measured in floating point operations is greater than 10^25) with so-called “systemic risk” there are more stringent obligations.\n\n“If these models meet certain criteria they will have to conduct model evaluations, assess and mitigate systemic risks, conduct adversarial testing, report to the Commission on serious incidents, ensure cybersecurity and report on their energy efficiency,” the parliament wrote. “MEPs also insisted that, until harmonised EU standards are published, GPAIs with systemic risk may rely on codes of practice to comply with the regulation.”\n\nThe Commission has been working with industry on a stop-gap AI Pact for some months — and it confirmed today this is intended to plug the practice gap until the AI Act comes into force.\n\nWhile foundational models/GPAIs that have been commercialized face regulation under the Act, R&D is not intended to be in scope of the law — and fully open sourced models will have lighter regulatory requirements than closed source, per today’s pronouncements.\n\nThe package agreed also promotes regulatory sandboxes and real-world-testing being established by national authorities to support startups and SMEs to develop and train AIs before placement on the market.\n\nPenalties and entry into force\n\nPenalties for non-compliance can lead to fines ranging from €35 million or 7% of global turnover to €7.5 million or 1.5 % of turnover, depending on the infringement and size of the company, per the parliament.\n\nThe Council’s PR further stipulates that the higher sanction (7%) would apply for violations of the banned AI applications, while penalties of 1.5% would be levied for the supply of incorrect information. Additionally, it says sanctions of 3% could be imposed for violations of other AI Act obligations but also notes that the provisional agreement allows for “more proportionate caps” on administrative fines for SMEs and start-ups in case of infringements. So there looks to be some scope for AI startups to face smaller penalties for infringements than AI giants may invite.\n\nThe deal agreed today also allows for a phased entry into force after the law is adopted — with six months allowed until rules on prohibited use cases kick in; 12 months for transparency and governance requirements; and 24 months for all other requirements. So the full force of the EU’s AI Act may not be felt until 2026.\n\nCarme Artigas, Spain’s secretary of state for digital and AI issues, who led the Council’s negotiations on the file as the country has held the rotating Council presidency since the summer, hailed the agreement on the heavily contested file as “the biggest milestone in the history of digital information in Europe”; both for the bloc’s single digital market — but also, she suggested, “for the world”.\n\n“We have achieved the first international regulation for artificial intelligence in the world,” she announced during a post-midnight press conference to confirm the political agreement, adding: “We feel very proud.”\n\nThe law will support European developers, startups and future scale-ups by giving them “legal certainty with technical certainty”, she predicted.\n\nSpeaking on behalf of the European Parliament, co-rapporteurs Dragoș Tudorache and Brando Benifei said their objective had been to deliver AI legislation that would ensure the ecosystem developed with a “human centric approach” which respects fundamental rights and European values.\n\nTheir assessment of the outcome was equally upbeat — citing the inclusion in the agreed text of a total ban on the use of AI for predictive policing and for biometric categorization as major wins.\n\n“Finally we got in the right track, defending fundamental rights to the necessity that is there for our democracies to endure such incredible changes,” said Benifei, who just a few weeks ago was sounding doubtful a deal could be found. “We are the first ones in the world to have a horizontal legislation that has this direction on fundamental rights, that supports the development of AI in our continent, and that is up to date to the frontier of the artificial intelligence with the most powerful models under clear obligation. So I think we delivered.”\n\n“We have always been questioned whether there is enough protection, whether there is enough stimulant for innovation in this text, and I can say, this balance is there,” added Tudorache. “We have safeguards, we have all the provisions that we need, the redress that we need in giving trust to our citizens in the interaction with AI, in the products in the services that they will interact with from now on.\n\n“We now have to use this blueprint to seek now global convergence because this is a global challenge for everyone. And I think that with the work that we’ve done, as difficult as it was — and it was difficult, this was a marathon negotiation by all standards, looking at all precedents so far — but I think we delivered.”\n\nThe EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, also chipped in with his two euro-cents — describing the agreement clinched a little before midnight Brussels’ time as “historic”. “It is a full package. It is a complete deal. And this is why we spent so much time,” he intoned. “This is balancing user safety, innovation for startups, while also respecting… our fundamental rights and our European values.”\n\nClear road ahead?\n\nDespite the EU very visibly patting itself on the back tonight on securing a deal on ‘world-first’ AI rules, it’s not quite yet the end of the road for the bloc’s lawmaking process as there are still some formal steps to go — not least the final text will face votes in the parliament and the Council to adopt it. But given how much division and disagreement there has been over how (or even whether) to regulate AI the biggest obstacles have been dismantled with this political deal and the path to passing the EU AI Act in the coming months looks clear.\n\nThe Commission is certainly projecting confidence. Per Breton, work to implement the agreement starts immediately with the set up of an AI Office within the EU’s executive — which will have the job of coordinating with the Member State oversight bodies that will need to enforce the rules on AI firms; and overseeing the most advanced AI models, including by contributing to fostering standards and testing practices. A scientific panel of independent experts will be appointed to advise the AI Office about GPAI models. “We will welcome new colleagues… a lot of them,” said Breton. “We will work — starting tomorrow — to get ready.”\n\nOpposition to the inclusion in the AI package of tiered rules for general purpose AIs has been led, in recent weeks, by France — and French AI startup Mistral, which had been lobbying for a total carve out from obligations for foundational models/GPAIs. In the event the deal agreed by the Spanish presidency does contain some obligations for GPAIs and foundation models. So it’s not the total carve out Mistral and its lobbyists have been pushing for.\n\nResponding to news of the political deal last night, France’s digital minister’s office put out a statement attributed to Jean-Noël Barrot which said (translated from French using AI): “We will be carefully analyzing the compromise reached today, and in the coming weeks we will ensure that the text preserves Europe’s ability to develop its own artificial intelligence technologies, and safeguards its strategic autonomy.”\n\nIt remains unclear how much of a carve out Mistral’s business might enjoy under the deal agreed. Asked about this during the press conference, Artigas suggested the French AI startup would — once commercialized — be likely to fit in the “low tier” for GPAIs, meaning it would have only limited transparency obligations, since she said it does not hit the high capacity compute threshold triggering the systemic risk obligations (as she said it’s using what’s thought to be 10^23 of compute, not 10^25).\n\nHowever, as Mistral is currently still in an R&D and pre-training phase for their models, she said they would be excluded from even the low tier compliance requirements.\n\nThis report was updated to include the response from the French digital ministry; link to the Council’s PR; and with additional details from the presser — including remarks about how the law might apply to Mistral. We also added details on civil society’s response", + "The mysterious respiratory illness that may have sickened scores of dogs across the country could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection that may be very good at evading the canine immune system, researchers say. Some dogs have died from the illness, which starts with causes a cough that can last for weeks, runny eyes and sneezing.\n\nIn a development that might help shed light on the illness, which has affected a variety of dog breeds, researchers at the University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory and the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies told NBC News they have identified a pathogen that might be what’s making pets sick.\n\nThrough a genetic sequencing of samples from an initial group of 30 dogs from New Hampshire who were infected last year and then an additional 40 from Rhode Island and Massachusetts who got sick this year, the researchers say they have discovered a previously unknown germ.\n\nThe pathogen is “a funky bacterium,” said Dr. David Needle, pathology section chief at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire. “It’s smaller than a normal bacterium in its size and in the size of its genome. Long story short, it’s a weird bacterium that can be tough to find and sequence.”\n\nThe germ “is new as a potential cause of disease, but it is likely to be— or to have evolved from — a component of the dog microbiome,” he said. Dogs as well as humans have multiple types of harmless bacteria and other microorganisms living both inside and outside the body. In the gut, they are thought to aid in digestion.\n\nThe bacterium was discovered after a painstaking search.\n\n“After initial sequencing showed there were no known viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens, time consuming and dogged work by graduate student Lawrence Gordon showed that 21 of the initial 30 samples from New Hampshire had some genetic material from one atypical bacterial species,” Needle said.\n\nThe UNH team is sharing its results prior to publishing a research article, hoping they will give veterinarians some information as they deal with other respiratory syndrome outbreaks, he said.\n\nScientists aren’t even sure yet whether the same bug is making dogs sick across the nation. Many researchers have wondered whether it was a bacterial or a viral pathogen. One thing veterinarians do know is that the germ is something they don’t recognize.\n\nMike Stepien, a spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), said in an email Wednesday the agency is working with multiple state animal health officials and diagnostic labs regarding the respiratory illness in dogs that, \"in rare cases, has progressed rapidly to death.\"\n\n\"APHIS and partners have not yet definitively identified the cause of illness,\" Stepien responded in an email. \"There are no reports of human illness affiliated with these cases at this time.\"\n\nNew Hampshire is one of a handful of states that have reported cases of the respiratory infection in dogs.\n\nThe Oregon Agriculture Department has received more than 200 case reports from veterinarians around the state since the beginning of August, spokesperson Andrea Cantu-Schomus said in an email. A very small percentage of the dogs have died, Cantu-Schomus said.\n\nOther states with possible cases include:\n\nIn conversations with veterinarians, Dr. Karl E. Jandrey, a professor of clinical small animal emergency and critical care at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, has heard of potential cases in North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia, as well.\n\nBecause there is no test yet for the illness and because many of the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, such as canine influenza and Bordetella (kennel cough), it’s unknown exactly how many dogs have been affected. With hundreds of cases identified by symptoms reported only in Oregon, it’s likely there are thousands.\n\nNormally, to determine what antibiotics might work best against a particular type of bacteria, labs grow the bugs in a petri dish and then try to kill them with various medications. Needle and his colleagues have not been able to grow the new bacteria in the lab. Nevertheless, its structure offers some clues about which medications might be the best choice to fight it, he said. The antibiotic doxycycline may be effective, he suggested.\n\nIf it turns out that the New Hampshire researchers have found the right microbe, that may explain why some dogs are getting very sick, said Jandrey.\n\nSmaller pathogens are likely to have an easier time making it past a dog’s defenses in the upper respiratory tract and getting down into the lungs, he said. “If it goes into the lungs, there’s a risk of pneumonia,” he added.\n\nWhat are the dog infection symptoms?\n\nAccording to Oregon’s Cantu-Schomus, the dogs’ illnesses largely develop in three ways:\n\nAs an inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.\n\nAs chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.\n\nAs acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to severe illness or possibly death in as little as 24 to 36 hours.\n\nIf a dog has a cough that won’t quit and other respiratory symptoms, it’s recommended that the owner contact a veterinarian right away.\n\nWhile the respiratory symptoms seem to be like a viral illness, testing has been negative for a virus, Cantu-Schomus said.\n\nIt’s very unlikely that the cause will turn out to be viral, said Colin Parrish, a professor of virology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. “With the sequencing methods people use to look for unknown viruses, its signature would have been clear in a few days,” he added.\n\nSo it’s possible that the New Hampshire scientists could have hit upon the right pathogen, although their results need to be confirmed by more research, he said.\n\nWhat owners should do\n\nThe American Kennel Club’s chief veterinarian offered advice for both dog owners and their vets.\n\nFirst, owners should make sure their pets are fully vaccinated and boosted against the known canine diseases, said Dr. Jerry Klein, a practicing vet for 35 years and who was emergency department head emeritus at MedVet Chicago and currently works at the McKillip Animal Hospital in Chicago.\n\nKlein recommends that veterinarians suggest a full respiratory panel when people bring in sick dogs, but acknowledges that may be an expense some owners can’t afford.\n\nIf a dog’s veterinarian doesn’t suggest the panel, then owners should request it; that will help determine if the germ is one that vets already know about or is something new.\n\nPeople can call their local emergency vets to find out if there has been an increase in respiratory infections coming in for treatment, Klein said.\n\n“That would be a way to find out whether there’s been an uptick in your area,” he said. “If there is, then they should try to protect against exposure by avoiding grooming establishments and daycare.”\n\nKlein also recommends that groomers and daycare facilities not allow dogs to share food and water dishes.\n\nEven though a record number of Americans are expected to travel during the holiday season, experts recommend that dog owners keep their pets out of kennels and other areas, such as dog parks, where infection might be more likely because of crowded conditions and close contact.\n\n“When you congregate a bunch of animals together, there’s a larger likelihood of getting an infectious disease from other dogs,” said Dr. Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.\n\nStill, he said, there are some facilities where you are less likely to have a problem because of how they are designed.\n\n“I’ve been telling people to work closely with their vet,” Williams said. “And to make sure their dog has all the vaccines available, in particular those for respiratory diseases we are familiar with.”\n\nAnother option is for owners to hire a house sitter, Needle said. “Or hire a dog walker,” he added. “It might not be perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Also, you might want to consider having Thanksgiving at home.”\n\nUltimately, your dog might be happier at home with a house sitter or a dog walker stopping by multiple times during the day than going to a kennel, Jandrey said.\n\n“It’s best to leave them in their own environment,” he added.\n\nThis article was originally published on NBCNews.com", + "Bacteria's rising resistance to antibiotics is making the drugs obsolete. Scientists are fighting back with viruses (pictured), CRISPR, designer molecules and cell-slicing enzymes.\n\nThe bacteria may have entered her flesh along with shrapnel from the bomb detonated in Brussels Airport in 2016. Or perhaps the microbes hitched a ride on the surgical instruments used to treat her wounds. Either way, the \"superbug\" refused to be vanquished, despite years of antibiotic treatment.\n\nThe woman had survived a terrorist attack but was held hostage by drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterial strain often picked up by surgery patients in hospitals. Only by combining antibiotics with a new, experimental treatment did doctors finally rid her of the superbug .\n\nDevastating drug-resistant bacterial infections like this one are all too common, and they represent an ever-growing threat to global health. In 2019, antibiotic-resistant bacteria directly killed roughly 1.27 million people worldwide and contributed to an additional 3.68 million deaths. In the U.S. alone, drug-resistant bacteria and fungi together cause an estimated 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths each year.\n\nAnd the problem is getting worse: Seven of the 18 concerning bacteria tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are becoming more resistant to common antibiotics considered essential for maintaining public health. Meanwhile, drug companies have been slow to make new antibiotics capable of beating the microbes. Fewer than 30 antibiotics currently in the development pipeline target \"priority\" bacteria , as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), and most of those drugs are still vulnerable to resistance, just like their predecessors.\n\nThis table of select antibiotic-resistant bacteria demonstrates how rapidly important types of resistance developed after the approval and release of new antibiotics. (Image credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adapted by Live Science from the CDC's \"Select Germs Showing Resistance Over Time\" Fact Sheet.)\n\nSo some scientists are looking beyond traditional antibiotics for new weapons that won't fuel the rise of superbugs. Their emerging arsenal features viruses that kill bacteria; CRISPR; and microbe-slaying molecules. They hope that these experimental treatments, some of which have been tested in patients, will kill superbugs without promoting resistance.\n\n\"The vision, for me, is that we move beyond antibiotics and really just see a much broader palate of options,\" Chase Beisel, leader of the RNA synthetic biology research group at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research in Germany, told Live Science.\n\nBut until these new therapeutics are ready for prime time, the world needs to curtail its overuse and misuse of antibiotics, which experts say is speeding up the rate at which these lifesaving drugs become obsolete.\n\nRelated: Superbugs are on the rise. How can we prevent antibiotics from becoming obsolete?\n\nHow antibiotic resistance emerges and spreads\n\nAntibiotics either directly kill bacteria or slow their growth , leaving the immune system to finish the job. The drugs work in several ways — by preventing bacteria from building sturdy walls or making copies of their DNA , for instance. Growth-slowing antibiotics usually disrupt ribosomes, the factories in which bacterial cells make proteins.\n\nMany antibiotics shoot for the exact same molecular targets , and so-called broad-spectrum antibiotics' mechanisms are so universal that they work on both major classes of bacteria : gram-positive and gram-negative, which are distinguished by the makeup and thickness of their cell walls. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, in particular, pressure both harmful and helpful bacteria in the body to evolve defensive strategies that eject or disable the drugs, or else alter their targets.\n\nDrug-resistant bacteria can transfer their resistance to additional bacteria in several ways. (Image credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adapted by Live Science from the CDC's \"How Resistance Moves Directly Germ to Germ\" Fact Sheet.)\n\nBacteria can pick up such defenses through random DNA mutations, or by swapping \"resistance genes\" with other bacteria via a process called horizontal gene transfer. By making these gene transfers, bacteria can quickly spread such mutations to additional bacterial populations in the body and in the environment.\n\nThe misuse of antibiotics in health care, as well as in agriculture, has given bacteria endless opportunities to develop resistance, raising the chance that once-treatable infections will become life-threatening.\n\nRelated: New 'concerning' strain of drug-resistant gonorrhea found in U.S. for 1st time\n\nHarnessing viruses to fight bacteria\n\nOne of the proposed alternatives to antibiotics was first conceived more than a century ago, before the 1928 discovery of penicillin. Called phage therapy, it uses bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages, or simply \"phages,\" which typically kill the germs by invading their cells and splitting them open from the inside.\n\nPhages can also pressure bacteria into giving up key tools in their drug resistance tool kits. For example, a phage called U136B can have this effect on E. coli. To infiltrate E. coli, the phage uses an efflux pump, a protein E. coli normally uses to pump antibiotics out of the cell. If the E. coli tries to change this pump to escape the phage, it reduces the bacterium's ability to pump out antibiotics.\n\n\"If phage therapy were used at a global scale ... it would not lead to the same problem of widespread resistance.\" Paul Turner, Yale University\n\nAnd unlike with antibiotics, bacteria are unlikely to gain widespread resistance to phage therapy , said Paul Turner , director of the Center for Phage Biology and Therapy at Yale University.\n\nTurner and other experts have concluded that, \"if phage therapy were used at a global scale, that it would not lead to the same problem of widespread resistance to it, the way that antibiotic use has led to that problem,\" he told Live Science.\n\nHere's why: Antibiotic resistance has been dramatically accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics , especially broad-spectrum antibiotics that work on a variety of bacteria. Phages, by contrast, can have much narrower targets than even narrow-spectrum antibiotics — for instance, targeting a protein found in only one or a few strains within one bacterial species.\n\nRelated: New drugs could stymie superbugs by freezing evolution\n\nThe target bacterium can still evolve resistance to an individual phage — but by picking the right combination of phages, scientists can make it so that the bacterium's evolution comes at a cost, Turner said. This cost might be a decrease in virulence or an increased vulnerability to antibiotics.\n\n(Image credit: Graphic made by Olha Pohrebniak via Getty Images. Adapted by Live Science.)\n\nTo date, phage therapy has mostly been tested through a regulatory framework known as \"compassionate use\" in patients like the Brussels Airport bombing victim, whose infections had no other treatment options. Phage therapy has shown success in these settings, and in a recent observational study of 100 patients who received phages alongside antibiotics.\n\nSo far in clinical trials, though, phage therapy generally hasn't worked better than standard antibiotics or a placebo. Topline results from two recent trials hint at the treatment's effectiveness in specific lung and foot infections, but the full results have yet to be released.\n\nSuccess in future trials will be key to getting phages into the clinic, Turner said. Those trials will have to show the therapy works for multiple types of infections, determine dosage and confirm phage therapies don't hurt helpful bacteria in the body, he added.\n\nTurning bacteria's defenses against them\n\nThe CRISPR-Cas system can be used to snip DNA at precise locations. Here, a Cas enzyme (dark pink) is preparing to cut through a target DNA strand (blue) and is being told where to cut by an RNA strand (yellow). (Image credit: Meletios Verras via Getty Images)\n\nAlthough made famous as a powerful gene-editing tool, CRISPR technology was actually adapted from an immune system found in many bacteria: CRISPR-Cas.\n\nThe key components of this immune system include molecular scissors, known as Cas proteins, and a memory bank of DNA snippets that a bacterium has collected from phages that once infected it. By tapping its memory bank, CRISPR-Cas can guide its lethal scissors to a precise point in an invading phage's DNA and snip it like a piece of ribbon.\n\n\"The CRISPR machinery gets into a set of cells, but only those that have the sequence or sequences you picked will be attacked and killed.\" Chase Beisel, HIRI\n\nOn occasion, though, rather than attacking phages, CRISPR-Cas can accidentally go after the bacterial cell's own DNA , triggering a lethal autoimmune reaction. This phenomenon inspired Beisel and his colleagues to explore using CRISPR-Cas to shred bacterial cells' DNA.\n\n\"The real draw of it is that it is a sequence-specific tool,\" meaning it targets only the DNA you tell it to, and not sequences present in other bacteria, Beisel told Live Science. So, once administered to a patient, \"the CRISPR machinery gets into a set of cells, but only those that have the sequence or sequences you picked will be attacked and killed.\"\n\nHow do you get CRISPR-Cas into the right bacteria? Various research groups are testing different delivery methods, but at present, the best strategy seems to be loading CRISPR machinery into a phage that infects the target bacterium, Beisel said.\n\nRelated: Scientists invent 'shape-shifting' antibiotic to fight deadly superbugs\n\nBeisel is a co-founder and scientific adviser of Locus Biosciences, a biotech company that's currently testing a CRISPR-enhanced phage therapy in a midstage, roughly 800-person trial. This approach couples the bacteria-killing prowess of phages with the ability of CRISPR-Cas to destroy essential bacterial genes. As with CRISPR-less phage therapies, clinical trials are needed to determine the treatment's safety profile and appropriate dosing.\n\n\"I can see these [treatments] coming about in the five- to 10-year time frame,\" Beisel said.\n\nDesigner molecules to kill bacteria\n\nBeyond phages and CRISPR, scientists are developing antibiotic alternatives that harness bacteria-slaying peptides — short chains of protein building blocks— and enzymes, specialized proteins that jump-start chemical reactions. These molecules differ from antibiotics because they can kill a very narrow range of bacteria by targeting bacterial proteins that cannot easily gain resistance to their attacks.\n\nLab-made molecules called peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are some of the most promising candidates. These engineered molecules can be designed to block bacterial cells from building essential proteins that are crucial to their survival. PNAs do this by latching onto specific mRNA, genetic molecules that carry the instructions for building proteins from the cell's control center to its protein construction sites. PNAs cannot enter bacterial cells on their own, though, so they're typically attached to other peptides that easily pass through the bacterial cell wall.\n\nBy targeting proteins that cells cannot change without harming themselves, PNAs can avoid triggering drug resistance, Beisel explained. The engineered molecules could also be made to target proteins that directly contribute to antibiotic resistance, for example, the efflux pumps used to push antibiotics out of cells or the enzymes capable of disabling the drugs. By emptying a germ's drug resistance tool kit, PNAs can then make it vulnerable to standard treatments.\n\nOne approach for killing bacteria is to use lysins, or enzymes that tear open bacterial cell membranes and cause the microbes' contents to spill out. (Image credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)\n\nAntibacterial PNAs are still being tested in lab dishes and animals and have not yet moved into human trials. And, scientists need to make sure PNA-based treatments don't inadvertently mess with human cells or helpful bacteria.\n\nRelated: 'Death screams' of swarming bacteria help their comrades survive antibiotic attacks\n\nIn addition to peptides like PNAs, enzymes called lysins are another promising treatment option. Lysins are used in nature by phages to split bacteria open from the inside. They act like tiny swords that slice through the outer wall of a bacterial cell, spilling its guts. The molecular sabers are unlikely to promote resistance because bacteria cannot easily change the essential cell-wall components that lysins target.\n\nLysins slaughter bacteria quickly upon contact, and they can be very specific, killing some types of bacteria while sparing others. Furthermore, lysins can be tweaked in the lab to change which bacteria they target, boost their potency and improve their durability in the body.\n\nSome lysins have entered mid- and late-stage human trials with hundreds of participants, in which they've been tested as supplementary treatments to antibiotics but garnered mixed results.\n\nAntibiotic stewardship can save lives, in the meantime\n\nUntil these next-gen bacteria slayers make it to market, immediate measures must be taken to stall the rise of superbugs, by preventing the misuse of antibiotics that pressures bacteria to evolve resistance in the first place.\n\n\"By reducing individual risk, you anticipate that you will drop the overall population-level risk.\" Dr. Shruti Gohil, INSPIRE-ASP Trials\n\nFor example, doctors can be more diligent about confirming that bacteria, not viruses, are behind a patient's infection before prescribing antibiotics, said Dr. Shruti Gohil , a lead investigator of four INSPIRE-ASP Trials , federally funded research aimed at improving hospitals' antibiotic use. Other safeguards can include auditing doctors' prescriptions to see if narrower-spectrum drugs could be used instead of broad ones, or requiring special clearance for the broadest-spectrum drugs. These steps are essential not only in hospitals but everywhere antibiotics are prescribed, from primary care to dentistry, Gohil said.\n\nEach interaction between a doctor and their patient matters.\n\nGohil stressed that \"by reducing individual risk, you anticipate that you will drop the overall population-level risk,\" and eventually slash the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bugs.", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nAmazon's October Prime Day sale officially ended on Wednesday, but a few of the deals are still live as we head into the weekend. If you were hoping to check off a few more names from your holiday gift list or buy something for yourself at a discount, see what remains on sale below. We combed through our coverage over the past few days to find the best of what's left. While Amazon has returned most of their own devices, like Echos and Kindles, back to their full prices, a handful of products from other brands like Google, Samsung and Anker, have maintained the lows they hit on Prime Day. Here are the best deals from Prime Big Deal Days that you can still get right now.\n\nSamsung Galaxy Watch 6\n\nThe new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 went down to $269 for October Prime Day and it's still on sale. That's lowest price we've seen since it came out a few months ago. You can't get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it's smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software's UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.\n\nApple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)\n\nPhoto by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M2) $1,049 $1,260 Save $211 The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and this deal brings the entry-level 15-inch model back down to the best price we've seen. Other SKUs with more RAM and storage are also on sale. $1,049 at Amazon\n\nThe 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is still down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.\n\nIf you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price.\n\nSony WF-1000XM5\n\nSony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds went down to $278 for Prime Day and are still going for that price today. That's a $22 discount and their best price yet. We think these are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now. Sony improved upon it's already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.\n\nAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K\n\nThe previous generation of Fire TV Stick 4K dropped to $23 for the sale and is one of the few Amazon devices still on sale. It has the same processor, RAM and storage as the standard Fire TV Stick, but it can stream 4K HDR content in all its glory. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, while a picture-in-picture live view feature can show you feeds from compatible security cameras right on your TV screen.\n\nDo note, though, that this is the previous model of the streaming stick. The newly refreshed Fire TV Stick 4K isn't sale but has a faster processor and supports Wi-Fi 6.\n\nAnker Soundcore Motion +\n\nOne of the top Bluetooth options in our speaker guide is Anker’s Soundcore Motion +, which gives out good sound for its price point. The $100 MSRP is discounted to $70 if you clip the on-page copuon. That's a 30 percent discount and an all-time low. It has a bright and bassy output and offers EQ customization in the app. Plus it’s water-resistant, so you can take it to the park or on a hike and share your good taste in music with whoever is nearby.\n\nHyperX Cloud Stinger 2\n\nThe top budget pick in our gaming headphones buying guide, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, is on sale for $36. That’s a dollar more than it went for on Prime Day and only a modest $4 discount over its street price recently, but it's still close to lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn’t have the most balanced or detailed sound, but its V-shaped signature gives action scenes a nice level of impact, and its mic quality belies the dirt-cheap price. The design is comfortable too, though it’s made from cheap-feeling plastic.\n\nShokz OpenRun Pro\n\nThe Shokz OpenRun Pro is down to $125 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is $25 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $55 below its usual going rate. This is a recommended pair of bone conduction headphones, which means it hugs the side of your head and delivers sound by passing vibrations through your skull. (It’s not as uncomfortable as it sounds.) The main benefit is that this leaves your ear canals completely open, so you can enjoy a playlist or podcast without being shut out from the outside world. The downside, usually, is that you don’t get as full a sound as you would with a traditional pair. That’ll still be the case here, but we’ve found the OpenRun Pro to deliver more low-end depth than most of its peers. They’re fairly comfy and get up to 10 hours of battery life beyond that.\n\nLogitech G535\n\nIf you’re looking for a wireless headset, the Logitech G535 is back down to $80, which is about $25 below its average street price. This is an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, as we like its lightweight design, Bluetooth support and agreeable, relatively well-balanced sound. It forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level though, and its mic makes voices sound a little too thin. It also doesn't work with Xbox consoles. But if you really want a wireless gaming headset for less than $100, it’s well worth a look.\n\nSamsung Smart Monitor M8\n\nThe Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is down to just $500, which is $200 off its starting price (though it regularly sells for $600) and the lowest price we've seen thus far. This 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. It can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more. This discounted model is the updated 2023 version of the monitor that launched at CES 2022.\n\nGoogle Indoor Nest Security Cam\n\nA slew of Google Nest home security devices are still on sale the day after Prime, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam dipped down to $120 for Amazon's October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you'll need a Nest Aware membership.\n\nGoogle Nest Thermostat\n\nGoogle Google Nest Thermostat $90 $130 Save $40 The Google Nest Thermostat lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere and suggests tweaks to help you save money. This Black Friday deal takes $40 off the list price. $90 at Amazon\n\nIn other Google deals, the Nest Thermostat is on sale for just $90, which is only about $10 more than the lowest price we've tracked and $40 off Google's MSRP. This is Google's entry-level smart thermostat, but it still lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere, suggests tweaks to help you save money, and in some cases, can entitle you to rebates from your utility provider. It's all relatively easy to program, and it works with Google's Nest Hub and other smart displays like the Echo Show.\n\nBeats Studio Pro\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro headphones are on sale for $180 right now. which is a dollar more than they sold for on Prime Day and still a sizable $170 discount. We reviewed these back in July when they came out and gave them a decent review score of 81. Unfortunately they didn't push any of the top picks from our our best headphones list off their pedestals. They aren't bad, however, offering pleasant, even-handed sound and good noise cancellation. Though Beats is now owned by Apple, these headphones still play nice with Android. There's no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn’t super premium, but at this price, you may not care.\n\nTribit StormBox Micro 2\n\nThe Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is another small speaker we like that puts out decent volume for its size, and for Prime day it went down to $48, which is $12 off its usual going rate. Right now it's on sale for $60, but an on-page 15 percent coupon brings it back to that Prime Day low. This device has a strap on its back that works well on belts, backpacks, or even bike handlebars, so it’s easy to take on the road. And \"on the go\" is where the StormBox Micro 2 performs best, as it’s more about portable volume than pure fidelity.\n\nGoogle Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E\n\nThe Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is holding strong at $300 right now for a pack of three routers. That's within a dollar of the lowest price it's sold for on Amazon. It's one of the best Wi-Fi 6 router systems you can get at the moment thanks to its easy setup process, convenient Google Assistant integrations and Matter and Thread support. If you're looking for a not-too expensive way to upgrade your home Wi-Fi system, and one that will take little time to set up, Google's is the one to get.\n\nRoku Streaming Stick 4K\n\nOur favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, remains at $37 after the sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it's so small, it makes for a great travel entertainment device too.\n\nHisense U6K\n\nThe Hisense U6K is one of the more affordable TVs. And the 55- and 65-inch models are still down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it's one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.\n\nFor a well-reviewed midrange model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, plus more gaming-friendly features like ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.\n\niRobot Roomba 694\n\niRobot's Roomba 694 dropped to $199 for Prime Day and stayed there. While that's still $20 more than the lowest we've seen it go, it's still a good deal on our favorite cheap robot vacuum. It's got strong suction power, an attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.\n\nSamsung Pro Plus microSD\n\nThe Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It's our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.\n\nCrucial MX500\n\nThe Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.\n\nOther great deals for after Prime Day\n\nAnker 511 Charger\n\nAnker 511 Charger (Nano 3) $20 $23 Save $3 See at Amazon\n\nNew Apple Watches don’t come with power adapters, so if you’re looking for one that can deliver a quick charge, we recommend Anker's 511 (Nano 3) charging brick. It’s down to $20 which is a mild, $4 discount, but still a welcome price for a worthwhile smartwatch accessory.\n\nOtterBox Fast Charge Power Bank\n\nOtterBox Fast Charge Power Bank 15,000 mAh $36 $45 Save $9 See at Amazon\n\nThe OtterBox Fast Charge Power Bank is currently just $36 for the 15,000mAh capacity model, which is the version we tested and recommend in our portable battery guide. This pack looks sharp and delivers a fast and reliable charge via USB-C or USB-A.\n\nSanDisk 128GB microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch\n\nSanDisk 128GB microSDXC-Card Licensed for Nintendo-Switch $18 $31 Save $13 See at Amazon\n\nIf you need more room on your Switch, SanDisk's officially licensed microSDXC card is a good pick, particularly when it’s on sale. Right now a 128GB model is within a dollar of its all-time low at just $18.\n\nSamsung Pro Plus microSD card\n\nSamsung Pro Plus microSD Memory Card + Reader $23 $38 Save $15 See at Amazon\n\nOur favorite microSD card for most people is the Samsung Pro Plus. It had the fastest sequential write speeds and random performance of any card we tested, and the USB reader that comes with included with this listing helps it reach higher speeds on compatible devices. It’s listed at $38 for the set (though it often goes for $25), and now Prime Day in October brings it to $23.\n\nFollow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.", + "Colorado fans, you're back. For now.\n\nA 43-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders on the Buffaloes' final drive helped set up Alejandro Mata for the game-winning 43-yard field goal with 12 seconds left, delivering Colorado the 27-24 win over Arizona State for their first Pac-12 win of the season. It snaps their eight-game conference losing streak.\n\nSanders had a mediocre day by his lofty standards, but his 239 yards and a touchdown were enough in perhaps Colorado's most crucial game so far. It brought the team to 4-2, but had it lost, it would have been much harder for the Buffs to finish the season bowl eligible. A win gives them a leg up in a competitive conference, particularly facing four ranked teams down the stretch of the season.\n\nIf Colorado wants to solidify a bowl game, it'll have to fix many things, one of them being the offensive line. It allowed five sacks on Sanders, bringing the season total to a nation-leading 31. The defense picked up five sacks themselves to maintain pressure on Trenton Bourguet.\n\nFor Arizona State, Bourguet put all he could into Saturday's narrow loss. He's one of two healthy quarterbacks on the roster, and passed for 335 yards and a touchdown. The Sun Devils had a real shot at their first conference win. But as the game came to a close, Bourguet seemed roughed up and slow, though he did drive the team down the field 94 yards in 13 plays for the game-tying touchdown with 50 seconds left.\n\nLuckily for Arizona State, next week is a bye week. What's not so lucky is that it'll go on to play three ranked teams over the following three weeks.\n\nWe didn't see the worst of either team, though we didn't see the best either. Colorado needed a bounce back win and got one. Meanwhile Arizona State kept on struggling, falling to 1-5.\n\nMORE: Watch Colorado vs. Arizona State live with Fubo (free trial)\n\nThe Sporting News tracked updates and highlights from college football's Week 6 game between Colorado and Arizona State.\n\nColorado vs. Arizona State score\n\nQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Colorado 7 7 0 13 27 Arizona State 7 10 0 7 24\n\nColorado vs. Arizona State results, highlights from Week 6 game\n\nFINAL: Colorado 27, Arizona State 24\n\nColorado 27, Arizona State 24\n\n10:17 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Absolutely clutch. Mata makes a 43-yard field goal look easy to give Colorado the lead with 12 seconds on the clock.\n\n10:14 p.m. – Bullseye! Sanders finds Antonio on a 43-yard pass. Colorado takes over on the ASU 25.\n\nSHEDEUR TO ANTONIO FOR A HUGE GAIN 🦬@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/tvfWjRWWAE — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 8, 2023\n\nColorado 24, Arizona State 24\n\n10:11 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Don't count the Sun Devils out yet! Bourguet finds Troy Omeire on a 15-yard pass to tie it up. Only 50 seconds remain.\n\n9:48 p.m. – It's blocked! Carter Stoutmire gets in front of the 52-yard field goal attempt from Longhetto to deny a Sun Devil score.\n\n9:38 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Alejandro Mata nails a 42-yard field goal to extend Colorado's lead to seven. Ten minutes are left in the game.\n\n9:35 p.m. – That's a huge run for the Buffaloes! Weaver returns it 51 yards, only stopping after tripping himself up. Colorado is 25 yards away from another touchdown.\n\nColorado 21, Arizona State 17\n\n9:26 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Colorado pulls ahead! Sanders finds Javon Antonio for a 9-yard touchdown, his first of the year. It's now a four-point lead for Colorado with 14 minutes to go.\n\nBuffs are up thanks to @7asavage\n\n\n\nCU 21, ASU 17\n\n\n\n📺 Pac-12 Network pic.twitter.com/3R8w2Qdm9e — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 8, 2023\n\nEnd of third quarter: Colorado 14, Arizona State 17\n\n9:13 p.m. PENALTY – Sun Devils Ed Woods is ejected for targeting. He will miss the remainder of this game as well as the first half against Washington in two weeks.\n\n9:10 p.m. – That's the fourth sack allowed by the Colorado O-line. The Buffaloes now lead FBS with most sacks allowed this season at 30.\n\n8:52 p.m. – Skattebo is heating up under the sun. He's added 24 rushing yards from Arizona State's possession.\n\nEnd of second quarter: Colorado 14, Arizona Sate 17\n\nColorado 14, Arizona State 17\n\n8:20 p.m. FIELD GOAL – Dario Longhetto nails a 33-yard field goal to end the half. The Sun Devils have a narrow lead over the Buffs at the halfway mark.\n\nColorado 14, Arizona State 14\n\n8:14 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Sanders ties it up! The QB keeps it for 16 yards and a touchdown. Less than a minute is left until halftime.\n\n8:09 p.m. – Sanders finds Jimmy Horn Jr. for 24 yards. Colorado is within striking distance, the ASU 39, with only two minutes left.\n\n8:06 p.m. – ASU's head coach Kenny Dillingham could not be more unhappy with the referees, who ruled Bourguet's run just short of a first down. It's fourth down for the Sun Devils.\n\nColorado 7, Arizona State 14\n\n7:48 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – Cam Skattebo pushes through the huddle for the score! It's his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. ASU now leads 14-7 with 6:38 left in the half.\n\n7:45 p.m. – Andre Johnson reaches over the pylon with one hand, but the ball is knocked out. The play is being reviewed for a touchdown.\n\n7:41 p.m. – Colorado is called offsides, giving Arizona State a first down at the Buffs' 48.\n\n7:34 p.m. – After scoring a touchdown on its opening possession, Arizona State has three straight three-and-outs.\n\n7:30 p.m. – The Sun Devils record their third sack of the day already, this time forcing fourth down for the Buffaloes. Safe to say their defense came prepared.\n\nEnd of first quarter: Colorado 7, Arizona State 7\n\nColorado 7, Arizona State 7\n\n7:17 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – The Buffs tie it up! Needing one yard on the fourth down, Sanders hands it off to Xavier Weaver who weaves his way into the end zone. Its 7-7 in Tempe with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.\n\nOn 4th & goal Xavier Weaver takes it in for @CUBuffsFootball 🦬\n\n\n\nThis game is tied 💪 pic.twitter.com/bGwGZ7b0IF — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 7, 2023\n\n7:06 p.m. – Anthony Hankerson gets two first downs for the Buffs on a four-yard run and a 12-yard run.\n\n7:00 p.m. – It was a three-and-out for Colorado, and now it's a three-and-out for Arizona State.\n\n6:54 p.m. – Intentional grounding is called on Shedeur Sanders on first down.\n\nColorado 0, Arizona State 7\n\n6:47 p.m. TOUCHDOWN – The Sun Devils start quick, scoring a touchdown on its first drive behind Elijhah Badger's 48 yards. Its 7-0 just a few minutes in.\n\n6:35 p.m. – The game will begin on the Pac-12 Network Arizona due to the Washington State vs. UCLA game running long.\n\n6:10 p.m. – Starting safety Trevor Wood is out for Colorado. Good news is Shilo Sanders will start.\n\n6:05 p.m. – The Sun Devils are looking to end their eight-gam losing streak against FBS teams. Ironically, their last FBS win was against Colorado when Trenton Bourguet set a school record for most passing yards in a career start. He's expected to be Arizona State's starting QB tonight.\n\n5:50 p.m. – Colorado to debut new helmets in Tempe.\n\n5:20 p.m. – The Buffs have entered the chat.\n\nMORE: Best Colorado player prop odds for Week 6 college football matchup against Arizona State\n\nHow to watch Colorado vs. Arizona State\n\nDate : Saturday, Oct. 7\n\n: Saturday, Oct. 7 Time : 6:30 p.m. ET\n\n: 6:30 p.m. ET Location : Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona\n\n: Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona TV channel : Pac-12 Network\n\n: Pac-12 Network Live stream: Pac-12 Network, Fubo\n\nIt'll be a sold out Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. Colorado-Arizona State kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 7. Viewing is available only on Pac-12 Network for those who have the cable extension. Streaming the game is available through Fubo, which offers a free trial.", + "Pastor Jesse Bradley of Auburn, Washington runs Grace Community Church.\n\nHe's ministered to many, many people struggling with a variety of faith dilemmas and issues in their lives.\n\nIn this month of October 2023, as Americans grapple with a variety of issues, he addressed the notion of positive thinking — and shared with Fox News Digital what it would \"look like to change your thinking and shift in a new direction.\"\n\nWASHINGTON PASTOR, ONCE GRAVELY ILL, SHARES HOW ‘THE POWER OF THE SECOND THOUGHT’ TRANSFORMED HIS LIFE\n\nSaid Pastor Bradley, \"Psychologists report that we have in between 6,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day, based on the person and situation. The National Science Foundation shares that up to 80% of our first thoughts are not helpful, even destructive.\"\n\nWhat happens is that \"when life is difficult, we can become flooded with thoughts that are drenched in fear, worry, stress, selfishness, impurity, selfishness and lies. We do not have to believe, harbor or entertain negative first thoughts. We can be proactive by intentionally choosing our second thought.\"\n\nIt is no accident that the pastor's new book, his second, is called \"The Power of the Second Thought.\"\n\nIt dives into the power of understanding that the first thoughts we have are not always the best — and that it's wise to take some time and get to the \"second thoughts,\" which can yield greater understanding.\n\nSTORYTELLER REVEALS HIS FAITH AT WORK: ‘I REFUSE TO TRY TO SCREW SOMEONE IN THE NAME OF BUSINESS’\n\nSaid Bradley to Fox News Digital in emailed comments this week, \"How can we choose a positive attitude and approach during the day? Reject and replace!\"\n\nHe gave this list of examples:\n\nReplace \"People just slack and gossip at my job\" with \"I will work with all my strength, even when no one is looking\"\n\nReplace \"There's no hope for my future\" with \"I am thankful for today and will keep doing the next right thing\"\n\nReplace \"My children are annoying\" with \"My children are a gift from God\"\n\nReplace \"I'll never have good friendships\" with \"I will pursue and support the people that I respect the most\"\n\nReplace \"No one really cares about me\" with \"God is with me and loves me every day\"\n\nSaid Bradley, \"Johns Hopkins reports that there are links between positive thinking and health. People with a positive outlook are less likely to have a heart attack or cardiovascular event.\"\n\n\"I didn't have a roadmap for finding hope or the tools to handle the intensity of my loss and pain.\"\n\nAlso, \"Research from the University of North Carolina points to positive people being more resilient and finding more solutions to problems. A Harvard study shares that optimism reduces the risk of dying prematurely — from overcoming trauma, making the most of your opportunities to overall life satisfaction, positivity makes a difference.\"\n\nWASHINGTON PASTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THE PAIN OF PUTDOWNS AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN FAITH: ‘ASK GOD FOR COURAGE’\n\nThe pastor said he wrote his most recent book, \"The Power of the Second Thought,\" to help people gain habits to strengthen their mental health.\n\nBradley graduated from Dartmouth College and was playing professional soccer when he became ill — something that took 10 years to fully recover from. He said finding hope during that time was challenging but is how he changes his \"hopeless first thoughts.\"\n\n\"I didn't have a roadmap for finding hope or the tools to handle the intensity of my loss and pain,\" he said.\n\nFAITH DILEMMA IN FOCUS: ‘IT’S SUNDAY AND I HAVEN'T GONE TO CHURCH — WHAT DO I DO?'\n\nHe said turning to Jesus for a deeper meaning and learning to not take his \"first thoughts\" for fact was crucial to his overall mental health.\n\n\"The Word of God is living and active, bringing strength, courage, wisdom, and protection,\" he said.\n\n\"God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, but when we spend time, each day reading His Word and listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd, we are filled with new thoughts that change the trajectory of our lives.\"\n\nBradley also shared his dos and don'ts of positive thinking.\n\nHe said it's not \"denial and pretending that there are no challenges,\" he said.\n\n\"Positive thinking is not flattery and frivolous compliments.\"\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nRather, positive thinking is realistic, full of truth and love — and aligned with heaven and scripture.\n\n\"Positive thinking is not self-consumption, self-absorption or selfishness. Positive thinking is not creating unrealistic expectations for other people and putting extra stress on them to be perfect.\"\n\nBradley said, \"Positive thinking is a vital aspect of loving your neighbor, nourishing your mind, discerning between light and darkness, good and evil and right and wrong.\"\n\n\"Positive thinking leads to taking action and improving situations. Positive thinking brings out the best in the people around you. Positive thinking rejects excuses, takes responsibility, and overcomes setbacks.\"\n\nThe pastor went on to explain that Jesus brought more positivity than anyone — which is why it's important to keep faith aligned with that practice of positive thinking.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"Jesus exudes a trustworthy positivity that is full of meaning, faithfulness, and transformation,\" he noted.\n\n\"God renews our thinking and vision, empowers us to make intentional choices about our focus and perspective and trains us how to win the battle of our minds,\" he added.\n\nBradley said, \"Positive thinking is relational, and there is no greater source of joy in our lives than God.\"", + "In a phone interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, Los Angeles-based actor Jonathan Roumie spoke of his Christian faith, his prayer life and his hope that others may find peace and serenity during this Advent season of 2023 — because \"any opportunity to connect to Jesus is a welcome one,\" he said.\n\nRoumie, perhaps best known for his role as Jesus Christ in \"The Chosen,\" has paired up with Hallow, the No. 1 prayer app in the world, for a special Advent prayer challenge for this holy season of preparation for Christmas. The 25-day prayer challenge began Monday — and as part of the effort, both he and actor Liam Neeson guide people through a variety of prayers, meditations, Bible readings and more.\n\nThis is no mere gig, however, for Roumie.\n\nHe is a committed Christian and Catholic, with his own personal story of growing closer to God and continuing to do so each day.\n\nHALLOW APP ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH LIAM NEESON FOR NEW ADVENT SERIES THIS YEAR\n\nPeople can \"disconnect from the chaos of the real world, the divisiveness, the anxiety\" that exists, said Roumie, by connecting with Jesus through prayer.\n\nThey can find \"peace and a deeper relationship with Christ, and I think that's really the goal of the prayer challenge,\" he said.\n\nRoumie said that building a habit of prayer \"is easier than people think.\"\n\nHe added, \"As you consistently tap into that habit, you find your relationship with Jesus growing deeper and deeper, just automatically. And as a result, you then experience much more peace, tranquility and serenity in your life and the ability to really muscle through some of the most difficult obstacles and challenges that life can throw at you,\" he said.\n\nHere is more of Fox News Digital's conversation with Roumie about the 25-day prayer challenge during Advent, which started on Monday — and about Roumie's own faith beliefs.\n\n‘Deep gratitude’\n\nFox News Digital: In the midst of some of the most trying times today, how do you — and how does anyone — keep a focus on prayer, on God, on a connection with God? It's very, very easy to get distracted in today's world.\n\nJonathan Roumie: Yes, and I think that for me, I'm very easily distracted — and technology is one of the things that contributes to that distraction.\n\nBut in this case, I have such a deep gratitude to the technology that's arrived in the form of this app — of the Hallow app. I can literally go to my phone and if I find myself or my mind wandering — or my anxiety building — all I have to do is literally click on the app and just start praying or meditating on one of the challenges or one of the prayers.\n\nFIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT IS A REMINDER TO ‘WATCH’ AND PREPARE FOR CHRIST'S SECOND COMING, SAYS FAITH LEADER\n\nThere are thousands of prayers on this app. And I'm instantly transported into a sacred space, no matter where I am.\n\nNo matter what, if you live in a major city or if you live in a place that's just really busy, you can pop on your headphones and connect to the app. You start praying with a meditation and you're instantly just transported.\n\nThis is something that I've been so grateful for — and especially as we go into the hubbub and the busyness of the Christmas season, it's something that I'm relying on daily, to be able to just cut through all that noise.\n\n‘Transformative for people’\n\nQuestion: Are people reaching out to you about your involvement with the app and asking you more about it?\n\nRoumie: I've had so many people say they've cultivated a relationship with Jesus through prayer because they heard me talk about the app, or because they watched \"The Chosen\" and then they started seeing this pop up in other places.\n\nWHAT IS AN ADVENT AND WHAT DO ITS CANDLES MEAN DURING THIS HOLY SEASON?\n\nAnd they've gotten introduced to the app and to a more deeply cultivated prayer life — and in some cases it's been absolutely transformative for people.\n\nSome people who've never been to church started going to church. Some people who haven't been to church for 20 years have come back to the church. People have converted — and all because they've fallen in love with the richness, the depth and the tradition of the Catholic Church.\n\nAnd obviously [the Hallow app] is authentically Catholic, but it is for all Christians — Christians of all denominations. There's something there for everybody, which is what makes the app so universally appealing.\n\n‘Simple act of surrender’\n\nQuestion: You've described an experience earlier in your life in which you prayed about leaving all of your anxieties and worries aside, and instead trusted that God would take care of things — and then after that came the role of Jesus in \"The Chosen\" for you. Is there a larger message here for people, things that others might learn from your experience?\n\nRoumie: I think it all comes down to the simple act of surrender to God in a person's life. And I went through this in a very visceral, substantial and transformative way in my life five years ago.\n\nI literally was on my knees and I said, \"Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything.\" And He did.\n\n\"It's a matter of tapping into [our] faith and allowing Him to be more involved in our lives — and surrendering is the first step to getting there\"\n\nAnd then three months later, I got called to do \"The Chosen.\" It was a point that I think my life was building to when that happened — and I realized that trying to micromanage God was not something that was working in my favor.\n\n'HALLOW' PRAYER APP ACCOMPLISHED ITS GOAL DURING THE GOP DEBATE, COMPANY SAYS: 'PRAY WITH ME REAL QUICK'\n\nAnd once I let him take the wheel, everything changed. The decisive moment was that simple prayer of surrender.\n\nAnd I think that's really difficult for people, especially when we feel so out of control. When we turn on the news and see what's going on today, it feels like we have no control in our own lives.\n\nBut God hasn't forsaken us. He's not abandoned us. He's faithful to us to the very end. And it's a matter of tapping into that faith and allowing Him to be more involved in our lives — and surrendering is the first step to getting there.\n\nAnd then, to continue to cultivate that relationship through prayer — that's how we sustain that surrender.\n\nThe Hallow app and especially this Advent challenge is a beautiful way to kickstart that, especially if a person hasn't ever tried praying consistently before.\n\n‘So many options’\n\nQuestion: For those who haven't used it yet, can you describe how the app is not a replacement for Scripture but actually offers robust access to the Bible?\n\nRoumie: I narrate most of the New Testament in the app, so you have access to the Bible here, through many works and passages of Scripture and through [other people] as well.\n\nAnd if you want something that's very specific, it is here. Plus, there are resources for mental health.\n\nThere is music.\n\nAnd for me as a musician, music is so transportive and nourishing for the spirit — to be able to listen to music that kind of gets you in the mindset for prayer and worship.\n\nThere are just so many options that people have that it's kind of mind-bending.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\nQuestion: How has playing the role of Jesus in \"The Chosen\" changed your life and changed you?\n\nRoumie: It's allowed me to go deeper into my own relationship with Him.\n\nIt's caused me to examine what exactly is my relationship with Him — and how can I go further in that relationship, how can I get close to Him, how can I grow deeper in communion with Him.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nSo it's challenged me on that level.\n\nBut as it challenges me, it also allows me to go further in that relationship — and to deepen my prayer life.", + "Erik ten Hag has disagreed with Jamie Carragher's comments that Manchester United are going backwards this season - by saying the statistics show that his team has actually improved.\n\nUnited host local rivals Manchester City in a Super Sunday derby this weekend, live on Sky Sports with kick-off at 3.30pm, in the latest acid test to see how far Ten Hag's side have improved from last season.\n\nIn his column in The Daily Telegraph, Carragher said United's summer signings have led to the club becoming \"stale\" - and that Ten Hag should now be questioned about whether he can get the best out of his squad.\n\nBut in his pre-match press conference for the City game, Ten Hag hit back at those claims.\n\n\"In possession we have to do better, but there are reasons and I don't go into them, but everyone is seeing why. But there are also facts so I disagree [with Carragher], we are much better,\" said Ten Hag.\n\n\"In high ball regains, we are a top of the Premier League. In the middle [of the pitch] ball regains, we are top. The pressing is very good. So that's not the truth, what he [Carragher] is telling.\"\n\nPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Sheffield United’s Premier League clash with Manchester United\n\nIn a fortnight where United have picked up three straight wins against Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen, albeit via far from convincing performances, Christian Eriksen said United still need to find their \"balance and routines\" this season.\n\nAsked about those comments, Ten Hag said: \"We are in the right direction. We have a way to go. I see positives but I see negatives.\n\n\"What Christian is referring to is we are not consistently in possession on the level where we can be. Like Arsenal away, the first 30 minutes in Bayern Munich away. We should do this on a consistent basis.\n\n\"We don't take the benefit in the attacking transition moments, we should be because the ability in the team can take benefit from it. We pay attention to it, we need to grow. Then games will become easier.\"\n\nSo, what do the stats say?\n\nSky Sports' Sam Blitz:\n\nTen Hag is indeed right - Manchester United do rank very highly in their pressing stats in the final two-thirds of the pitch.\n\nUnited are, as he says, \"top of the Premier League\" in terms of possessions won in the final third and high turnovers. He is slightly wrong in terms of winning the ball in the middle third of the pitch - with United second behind Everton in that statistical table.\n\nHowever, there is still work to be done in terms of improving United's pressing. Their passing permitted per defensive actions (PPDA) tally ranks 10th - so, average - in the league. It shows that while Ten Hag's side do win the ball high up the pitch, opponents do tend to keep the ball as well as play it around United's pressing forwards as well.\n\nWhat is PPDA? PPDA is the number of opposition passes allowed outside of the pressing team's own defensive third, divided by the number of defensive actions by the pressing team outside of their own defensive third. A lower figure indicates a higher level of pressing, while a higher figure indicates a lower level of pressing.\n\nThe other pressing concern United have, which Ten Hag did reference in Friday's press conference, is finishing chances when they win the ball high up.\n\nUnited have the fourth-highest amounts of shots after winning the ball in their final third, but the glaring statistic is no goals from 104 high turnovers.\n\nAs expected, Manchester City have the highest amount of build-up attacks in the Premier League this season, so if United do win the ball high up in Sunday's derby, they need to start taking those chances.\n\nTen Hag on misfiring strikers: We need to be better\n\nPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag speaks on the improvement he's seen in goalkeeper Andre Onana and insists he believes Marcus Rashford can get back to scoring goals\n\nUnited go into Sunday's derby with a slight striker scoring problem. City forward Erling Haaland has scored more Premier League goals this season (9) than United's five forwards have managed in all competitions (8).\n\nUnited's top scorer this season is actually defensive midfielder Casemiro with four strikes so far.\n\nAsked if their forwards are to blame for this frontline problem, Ten Hag replied: \"Fault? It's co-operation. It has to click.\n\n\"We have shown in some games, we have so many in overload positions to the opponents goal and we don't net or don't even hit the target. We should be doing this better.\"\n\nIt has been a sobering start to the season for Marcus Rashford, who has one goal so far this term for United. But Ten Hag says he has full faith that the England forward, who scored 30 goals last season, can find his scoring boots again.\n\n\"If you give him the trust and I play him every game, most games also he finishes the game. I have strong belief he will return to scoring a lot of goals,\" said Ten Hag.\n\n\"It also has to do with the co-operation, with the movement around and the distribution to him. We have to work on that and that's my focus point.\"", + "Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nSimon Calder’s Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIt may be further afield than the Alps or the Dolomites, but a trip to Canada makes it onto on the bucket lists of ski lovers everywhere for good reason. From the world-famous Whistler Blackcomb and its attractive resort towns to the steep verticals of Revelstoke, there’s enough choice – for every level of skier – to keep you coming back for years.\n\nFamilies, couples and groups alike can enjoy varied, all-round resorts like charming Tremblant, beginner-friendly family resorts such as Big White and expert areas like Fernie, with some of North America’s steepest terrain, best runs and most challenging off-piste.\n\nSeveral of the resorts can be combined into one single trip too, offering exceptional variety and thousands of acres in areas of outstanding natural beauty, such as Banff National Park.\n\nAdd to this reliable snow cover and some of the longest ski seasons in the world and there’s a compelling case for making your next ski trip to a Canadian resort. Below, we’ve rounded up the best.\n\nWhistler Blackcomb\n\nWhistler is Canada’s best-known resort (Getty Images)\n\nUndeniably Canada’s most famed ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb has a legendary reputation as an excellent ski area for all levels of skier. The largest ski resort in North America, it is home to over 8,100 acres of skiable terrain and over 200 runs. Some 55 per cent of these are marked as intermediate runs, though there are great beginner areas at the base of Blackcomb and mid-way up Whistler. There are several excellent advanced areas too, including the Flute Bowl, West Bowl and Spankey’s Ladder, with the longest runs offering a 1,500-metre vertical.\n\nThe town of Whistler was purpose-built and has quickly developed into one of the world’s premier resorts. There are plenty of non-skiing activities available and several options for kids, while the apres is among some of the best in North America, centred around venues like Merlin’s, Dusty’s and BrewHouse.\n\nBook it\n\nHeidi offers packages to The Westin Resort & Spa, two minutes from the slopes and just over five away from the town centre. Inside, the rooms are spacious, modern and come with excellent views which are only beaten by those offered from the terrace and grill restaurant.\n\nFrom £3,073pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights from London Heathrow to Vancouver and airport transfers. Departing 13 January 2024.\n\nRead more on ski holidays:\n\nTremblant\n\nTremblant is Quebec’s premier resort (Getty Images)\n\nQuebec’s premier ski resort sits at the foot of the eponymous mountain, whose pistes cater well to all abilities. Beginners can start their ski journey at the edge of the village before progressing onto a series of long greens, including the Flying Mile. There are a number blues for intermediates, especially in the areas around Le Soleil and the Lowell Thomas lift, while advanced skiers can enjoy several terrain parks and steep black runs on both the north and south side of the mountain.\n\nThe idyllic, purpose-built village has been deliberately built in the style of Old Quebec, with plenty of colourful facades and French-Canadian charm. It offers lively apres and nightlife, often bolstered when locals flock in from Montreal. Non-skiing activities include ice skating, ice fishing and long walking trails, plus there’s a village casino.\n\nBook it\n\nBritish Airways Holidays has trips to the Fairmont Tremblant, one of the more grand hotels in the resort, with an excellent ski-in/ski-out location that lies just a few metres from the lifts. The hotel has impressive spa, pool and sauna facilities, along with a large terrace, restaurant and outdoor hot tub.\n\nFrom £1,329pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights from London Heathrow to Montreal and airport transfers. Departing 20 January 2024.\n\nSunshine Village\n\nSunshine Village is one of three ski resorts in the Banff National Park (Getty Images)\n\nSunshine Village lies around 20 minutes away from the town of Banff, with over 3,000 acres of ski area that is famed for its snow quality and reliable coverage, reflected in its long season that typically runs from mid-November to late May. It is another all-round area that caters almost equally to every level of skier, starting at the greens on the slopes of Mount Standish. Intermediates are at home in the areas served by the Continental Divide lift and the Tee Pee Town Express, while the more advanced should make a beeline for Goats Eye Mountain. The off-piste at Delirium Dive is also noteworthy.\n\nBanff is the place to stay for livelier evenings and decent accessibility, though due to the town’s distance from the ski area, there is less of an ‘apres’ culture on the slopes.\n\nBook it\n\nStay at the newest hotel in Banff with a package from Inghams. The four-star Moose Hotel & Suites sits in the downtown area, offering comfortable rooms – with balcony or patio areas that provide great views of the Rockies – and a spa that features two heated rooftop pools that remain open in winter. You’ll be a short shuttle away from Sunshine Village, or it’s a 40-minute journey over to neighbouring Lake Louise.\n\nFrom £1,482pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights from London Heathrow to Calgary and transfers. Departing 27 January 2024.\n\nFernie\n\nFernie is paradise for more advanced skiers and snowboarders (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nThough a little smaller than some rivals at 2,500 acres, Fernie has gained a reputation as an excellent area for advanced skiers, with the added bonus of an average of nine metres of snowfall annually. The mountain is divided into seven sections, the lowest of which offers groomed green slopes for beginners, but the real attraction in Fernie is the ungroomed, steep terrain and tree skiing.\n\nThe most challenging runs are at Polar Peak and Currie Bowl, with tree skiing at Siberia or Timber Bowl. The runs around the Timber Bowl Express are more open and longer, with a 650-metre vertical.\n\nWhen picking accommodation, beware that Fernie’s resort village, while convenient, is fairly small and quiet. The town of Fernie itself is far more lively and has good bus links to the resort five miles away.\n\nBook it\n\nWelcome in the New Year in style with a stay in Fernie courtesy of Ski Solutions. Mark the celebrations at Lizard Creek Lodge, a ski-in/ski-out hotel where the views from the terrace and balconies are only rivalled by those on the slopes. Head into town in the evenings in a rental car, included in the package price.\n\nFrom £1,795pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights from a London airport, airport transfers and car hire. Departing 30 December 2023.\n\nBig White\n\nBig White offers great tree runs (Getty Images)\n\nBig White is one of the best choices in the country for beginners, intermediates and those looking to learn to ski powder, with less steep terrain and plenty of shelter and tree runs. Located in the Okanagan Highlands, this 2,800-acre resort was purpose built for ski-in/ski-out access, providing easy access to the slopes from most of the accommodation.\n\nSome 18 per cent of its 119 runs designated as beginner, while intermediates have the pick of the slopes, with over 50 per cent catering to them. Though the resort is less advanced-friendly, there are challenging areas out in the open at the top of the mountain.\n\nMarketed as ‘Canada’s favourite family resort’, Big White is also a great destination for a ski holiday with the kids. The ‘Happy Valley’ area at the bottom of the village provides several non-skiing activities, and there are enough good restaurants to fill your stay if needed.\n\nBook it\n\nSki Safari offers February half-term getaways to Big White with a stay at the aptly named Chateau Big White in the centre of town. Close to the slopes and with convenient ski-in/ski-out access, it has the ideal location for exploring both the pistes and the local area. Guests can sample food at the on-site Swiss Bear restaurant or the Black Diamond Bar & Grill.\n\nPrices for two adults and two children under 12 years from £1,280pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights and transfers. Flights are arranged and quoted upon enquiry. Departing 10 February 2024.\n\nLake Louise\n\nLake Louise is the largest of the resorts in Banff National Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nLake Louise lies a little further away from Banff than Sunshine Village, but offers a larger ski area and some of the most amazing views in Banff National Park, including that of the famed Mount Assiniboine. Beginners will find the area around the foot of the hill a good start, while the area around the Grizzly Express and Larch Express lifts contains good beginner runs and some top-to-bottom greens. Much of the rest suits intermediates, while the Back Bowls are good for the more advanced.\n\nMost people will choose to base themselves in Banff, though the 45-minute drive to Lake Louise may put some off. A lift pass to the ‘Ski Big 3’ area covers Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and nearby Mount Norquay, but a stay in Lake Louise itself is a great option for a relaxing week split between skiing, the odd visit to Banff and seeing what this charming village has to offer.\n\nBook it\n\nAnother offering from Fairmont is the magnificent Chateau Lake Louise, a historic hotel located right next to the shores of the lake itself. Crystal Ski offers the most affordable package here, with a stay in an elegant double room that boasts delightful views of the Rockies. You’ll be five minutes away from town, with the ski area accessible using a free, 10-minute shuttle bus.\n\nFrom £1,904pp, including seven nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights from London Heathrow to Calgary and transfers. Departing 27 January 2024.\n\nRevelstoke\n\nRevelstoke is one of Canada’s newest resorts (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nRevelstoke has managed to gain a glowing reputation despite existing for much less time than most of its rivals (it opened in 2007). Another resort that is well-known for the quality and quantity of its snow, it is still a work in progress – you can currently explore around 3,000 of the intended 8,000 acres – but is already a highly regarded destination for those of an intermediate level or higher.\n\nMount Mackenzie possesses everything from well-groomed, long blues like the 4km Snow Rodeo to steep open terrain or tree-skiing around the North and South Bowls, with a vertical of 1,700 metres that is the longest on the continent. Heli-skiing is also popular in Revelstoke, opening up access to 500,000 acres and 400 runs.\n\nBook it\n\nBook a stay at The Sutton Place hotel with Ski Safari. A refreshing blend of alpine facades and modern American interiors, it has large suites and impressive facilities including indoor and outdoor pools and three restaurants. Even better, it sits less than 50 metres from one of the main gondolas for easy access to the slopes.\n\nFrom £2,455pp, including 10 nights’ accommodation, room-only, return flights and airport transfers. Flights are arranged and quoted upon enquiry. Departing 15 January 2024.\n\nRead our reviews of the best Canada hotels", + "Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the\n\nSimon Calder’s Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}\n\nIf the unbecoming lug of skis back from the slopes has you envious of the privately chauffeured other side of the mountain, it’s time to join in with your own glamorous winter getaway.\n\nPicture indulging in delectable regional dishes from personal chefs, Michelin-star dining and exhaustive pillow menus, or upgrading your après pints to champagne flutes as you peruse high-end Alpine boutiques. From the Swiss slopes of Zermatt to the pistes of Vail in Colorado, it’s not just the snow that sparkles.\n\nBespoke adventure sports, including heliskiing, meet private ski instructors and pre-warmed boots in these prestigious resorts, while chalet board accommodation ensures there’s post-slope cake and canapes waiting, with a side of steamy hot tub sessions.\n\nHere are the world’s most exclusive ski resorts for a five-star holiday, and the lavish gondola-hugging chalets to book for unrivalled luxury off-piste.\n\nZermatt, Switzerland\n\nAt the foot of the Matterhorn Zermatt’s rustic charm and designer boutiques exude elegance (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nWith 360km of high-altitude slopes, Zermatt is an oasis for advanced skiers to cruise down linked blues and tackle advanced reds at the foot of the Matterhorn. Rustic charm oozes from the Swiss resort’s chalet lodgings and the car-free town is where you’ll find glitzy brands – Moncler to Omega – if you fancy a taste of the finer things in life.\n\nRead more on ski holidays:\n\nHow to ski in Zermatt\n\nSki Solutions offers a seven-night stay at Ulysse 8, a five-star chalet in Zermatt, for £1,565pp, chalet board, and with a ski instructor available from Monday to Friday at no extra cost. Six cosy bedrooms sleep 12 keen skiers in the chalet opposite the charming Winkelmatten chapel, a short walk from the Matterhorn Express gondola, and wellness rooms that guarantee relaxation after a day on the slopes. Departing 13 January 2024.\n\nReturn flights from London Luton to Zurich Airport from £107 with easyJet in January.\n\nMegève, France\n\nThis exclusive destination in the Alps twinkles in front of Mont Blanc (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nA popular French resort for cross-country trails, Megève guarantees great skiing on 400km of slopes while exuding luxury in extravagant chalets between adventures on the pistes. Plenty of French bistros, boutiques and Michelin-starred favourites are within walking distance of traditional five-star hotels, and views of Mont Blanc compliment al fresco morning coffees.\n\nHow to ski in Megève\n\nOxford Ski has a contemporary catered chalet in the heart of Megève, Chalet Ariana, that sleeps up to 10 adults and four children in six en-suite bedrooms. Standout features include an indoor swimming pool, boot warmers and proximity to the Chamois gondola. A seven-night stay in the luxury accommodation, including daily housekeeping and advice from a resort expert, will set groups back a hefty €14,750 (£12,720). Departing 3 December 2023.\n\nReturn flights from London Luton to Geneva Airport from £51 with Wizz Air in December.\n\nWhistler, Canada\n\nNorth America’s largest ski resort oozes prestige (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nCanada’s Whistler, North America’s largest ski resort at the base of the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, is legendary for its steep off-piste trails, peak-to-peak gondola ride and high-end après bars. Besides the sparkling layer of snow from November to April, prestige chalets house world-class spa facilities. Expect over 200 piste runs, oyster menus and live music sessions during a glam Whistler ski holiday.\n\nHow to ski in Whistler\n\nInghams is offering seven nights at the prestigious chateau-style Fairmont Chateau Whistler, below Whistler’s Blackcomb Mountain, from £1,559pp, based on four adults sharing, including return flights from London Heathrow, access to the hotel’s health club and a shuttle that runs into Whistler Village. Departing 1 December 2023.\n\nVail, USA\n\nCelebrated après and scenic gondola rides dot Colorado’s pistes (Getty Images)\n\nThis Colorado resort is North America’s premium ski destination and the third-largest mountain ski resort in the US. Vail’s iconic peaks, celebrated après and glamorous villages foster an exclusive atmosphere for travellers to share piste stories over Swiss-style fondue, likely in the company of some famous faces.\n\nHow to ski in Vail\n\nWith Iglu Ski, sophisticated skiers can spend seven nights at the ski-in, ski-out Arrabelle in Lionshead Village from £1,888.50pp. On-site spa facilities, a rooftop pool and a lavish plaza of boutiques complement the old-world opulence, and the Eagle Bahn gondola is right outside. Departs 2 December 2023.\n\nReturn flights from London Heathrow to Eagle County Regional Airport from £868 with United in January.\n\nLech, Austria\n\nHigh-end hotels in Alpine Austria’s Lech see shedloads of snow (and famous faces) (Getty Images)\n\nAlmost 305km of pistes welcome – almost guaranteed – shedloads of snow each season in the Austrian Alpine resort of Lech, making it the deluxe spot for seasoned skiers to holiday in lavish hotels and chalets. An extensive lift network, the legendary White Ring circuit, transports skiers not only to well-groomed runs lined with firs but elegant apres ski haunts above the upmarket Alpine village.\n\nHow to ski in Lech\n\nBramble Ski offers a grand alpine retreat, Chalech M, with rich wooden interiors and just a three-minute walk from the Schlosskopf chairlift. Highlights of the all-inclusive stay include a complimentary ski instructor for the first two days, pre-dinner canapés and champagne, and an in-resort driver service until 1am. The decadent six-bedroom space, complete with a spa, sleeps 10 for a cool €46,790 (£40,444) per week.\n\nReturn flights from London Gatwick to Innsbruck Airport from £64 with easyJet in November.\n\nÓlafsfjörður, Iceland\n\nÓlafsfjörður offers thrillseekers heli adventures in north Iceland (Getty Images)\n\nÓlafsfjörður, a small fishing village on northern Iceland’s Troll Peninsula, is a haven for heliskiing across 4,000km of terrain, with over 256 marked landings. Wellness hotels can be found the rugged landscape, with geothermal pools ideal for decompressing. Intrepid skiers lusting for the ultimate exclusive adventure can fly between March and June, then ski from summit to sea on Ólafsfjörður’s bespoke backcountry journeys.\n\nHow to ski in Ólafsfjörður\n\nScandic Guides offers a five-day heli-assisted ski touring package with professional mountain guides from €4,990pp (£4,314.69). There’ll be two summit heli drops per day and five nights of accommodation at the luxe Sigló Hotel, including of all meals and airport transfers.\n\nReturn flights from London Gatwick to Akureyri Airport from £55 with easyJet in November.\n\nNiseko, Japan\n\nJapan’s premier ski destination blends year-round powder with ski chalet sushi (Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nA magnet for Asia’s elite, Niseko on Hokkaido Island is not short of deep “champagne” powder, traditional onsen hot springs and platters of après sushi at mountainside Michelin restaurants – there’s a reason it’s considered Japan’s best. With 51km of pistes, the powder playground is a maze of groomed runs and tree-weaving trails for skiers to enjoy before they retire to grand hotels with sprawling Mount Yotei views.\n\nHow to ski in Niseko\n\nCrystal Ski Holidays has seven nights B&B at the Hilton Niseko Village, less than a minute’s walk to the Niseko gondola. It’s home to three Japanese restaurants, welcomes skiers enjoy après in the hotel’s onsen, and has views of the volcano, Mount Yōtei, from its elegant hotel rooms. From £1,994pp, including return flights from London Heathrow, 23kg luggage per person and airport coach transfers. Departing 26 February 2024.\n\nRead our reviews of the best ski hotels in Europe", + "The best deals of the year were once known to occur during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which in 2023 take place on Friday, Nov. 24, and Monday, Nov. 27, respectively. Not anymore!\n\nIn 2023, the best Black Friday deals kicked off on Nov. 17 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other retailers. Instead of hosting all of the doorbuster deals on one day right after Thanksgiving, retailers see the value in maximizing the amount of time you have to shop for products before Black Friday. And I’ve gotta say, it’s quite nice to not feel rushed while shopping.\n\nIn addition to presenting you with the best board game deals and price drops on gaming monitors, plus deals on SSDs and microSD cards, there are some bits of info and wisdom I’ve organized into sections below that might help you feel more informed as you begin to shop for the holidays.\n\nRetailer memberships will pay for themselves (eventually)\n\nTo get early access to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals — or to get access at all — some retailers offer memberships. Most are familiar with Amazon Prime, which offers a free 30-day trial and unlocks special prices on top of free shipping and other perks, but there are others. Costco is another popular example that’s been around for a while. Its $60 membership pays for itself quickly with holiday purchases, especially if you buy food products in bulk (this is outside of Polygon’s purview, but you cannot beat its deal on Kerrygold butter).\n\nWalmart Plus costs $99 per year ($50 for a limited time), and serves as a ticket to get in on deals before other Walmart shoppers, plus other perks. Note: You won’t get early access to deals with its free 30-day trial; you must be a paid member to earn access, so hit “Skip trial for Early Access” when signing up.\n\nThen you have Best Buy’s My Best Buy Plus and Total memberships, costing $49.99 and $179.99, respectively. As for what each offers, check out Best Buy’s page that spells it all out. This page details all of the exclusive deals, which can help you quickly recoup the cost of the membership.\n\nAmazon Prime members get free games and DLC all year\n\nAmazon offers freebies for Prime members ’round the calendar year, not just during the holiday months. Those offerings expire over time and new ones are added, and Amazon’s suite of giveaways has improved over time.\n\nWe collect all of the latest free games and DLC that Amazon is giving away right here. To give you a taste, Rage 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Doom 3 are some of what’s up for grabs right now.\n\nYou’ll get price matching if you shop at the right time\n\nSome major retailers are ensuring price protection on purchases right now.\n\nAmazon does not price match, which is annoying, but it’s tolerable since it often has the lowest prices of all retailers anyway. Amazon only protects the price on pre-orders that have its “Pre-order Price Guarantee,” which ensures that you’ll pay the lowest amount a product sells for before it’s launched.\n\nNot only does Best Buy match prices from “qualified competitors,” but its site says that most products bought between now and Dec. 30 can be price-matched through Jan. 13, 2024.\n\nWalmart’s policy says it won’t price match with competitors, nor does it price match for products purchased online that later decrease in price.\n\nTarget says that purchases made between Oct. 22 and Dec. 24 can be price-adjusted if the cost lowers in the span of time, and if you show proof of purchase. You may be eligible for a price match on a purchase, but the rules for submitting documentation vary depending on whether you’re shopping online or in store. It’s all explained here.\n\nMost Black Friday return policies extend through January 2024\n\nAccording to Best Buy, certain products bought now (dating back to Oct. 27) until Dec. 30 may be returned before Jan. 13.\n\nTarget will accept most unopened items in new condition within 90 days of purchase.\n\nWalmart has an extended holiday return policy in effect that allows items purchased between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 to be returned on or before Jan. 31, 2024.\n\nAmazon’s extended return policy is in effect for most items that are purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. Those items can be returned before Jan. 31, 2024. However, Apple-brand products purchased in that time frame can only be returned on or before Jan. 15, 2024.\n\nBlack Friday likely won’t be your last opportunity to save\n\nThere will be amazing deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday on everything, from tabletop and board games to toys, video games, and more. However, it likely won’t be the last opportunity for you to save. As someone who’s been covering deals for The Verge and Polygon for years, I’m shocked by how often I see these low prices, often spoken of as if they’re a flash in the pan, extending through much of December. That said, it’s more likely that price cuts on products you want can go by unnoticed unless you’re tracking deals yourself.\n\nTrack deals yourself\n\nWe love to tell you about great deals. But there’s a limit to the kind of products that we write about, and the ones that we see. If you’re not comfortable leaving it up to the chance that we’re going to tell you about price cuts on the products you really want, you have the power to track deals with relative ease.\n\nIf you only shop on Amazon, CamelCamelCamel remains one of the best tools for tracking price changes and history for products. While you don’t need an account to see pricing information available through the app, making a profile will allow you to set up watchlists and get email price alerts for your favorite products. You’re welcome to manually populate your own watchlist, but the app also allows you to import any existing Amazon wishlist into your CamelCamelCamel profile. Make sure to grab its Camelizer browser extension, too.\n\nHoney and its accompanying extension allow you to track pricing history changes on specific products, but across a number of retailers, not just Amazon. Also, as an added bonus, Honey will also automatically search for promo codes when you check out at a supported retailer.", + "Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be in the past, but some sales are still hanging around (although maybe not for long). For more leftover deals we recommend across all categories, be sure to check out the rest of the Cyber Monday still available here.\n\nEvery month or so, we like to ask our staff about their favorite stuff — whether it’s pet toys, travel aids, kitchen gadgets, or straightforward tech. And the results are usually very different, very interesting, and a lot of fun.\n\nIn celebration of the annual post-Thanksgiving sales, we looked through some of our recent “favorites” articles and found deals on a lot of the tech, kitchen tools, travel aids, and pet toys we like. We thought we’d list a few in case you’ve read about them in the past and thought, “Well, that sort of sounds good, but it’s a bit pricey.” (Or, “That’s pretty cheap, but maybe I’ll wait until the price goes down some more...”)\n\nSo here are some of our staff’s most-liked gear and gadgets, much of which is still discounted from Cyber Monday.\n\nTech tools\n\nElectronics repair kit\n\nAlex Cranz, managing editor\n\nTekton Everybit Tech Rescue Kit $ 22 $ 29 24 % off $ 22 $ 22 $ 29 24 % off A 46-piece screwdriver kit that can help you repair practically any tech device out there. $22 at Amazon\n\nI own at least two of these little Tekton Everybit Tech Rescue Kits, and I frequently buy them for friends and family, too. For an average price of $35, you get a screwdriver with nearly every bit you’d need for most gadgets (including the weird ones for Apple products), a plastic and a metal spudger, tweezers, and a suction cup. I’ve replaced batteries in iPhones with this kit. I’ve built entire PCs with this kit. I’ve swapped out backplates on Steam Decks and housings of Joy-Con controllers with one of these kits. I’ve even used it to repair my eyeglasses.\n\nOne of the best parts of the kit is it all goes in a single case that can be tossed in a computer bag or purse or be left in a desk drawer at the office. But honestly, the main reason I love it is the selection and quality of the bits. Too often, precision screwdrivers have super soft bits that strip the first time you use them with a screw that’s been tightened by a machine. Given that most gadgets have at least one too-tight screw, I’ve gone through quite a few cheap screwdriver kits before I settled on this one. While I’m slowly building out a high-quality selection of precision screwdrivers, most people don’t have that luxury or necessity. This is a great alternative — plus, you feel like kind of a badass when someone asks you to help fix a gadget, and you just pull this kit out of your bag in the middle of Starbucks and get to work.\n\nSafety cutter\n\nEmilia David, reporter\n\nI admit TikTok made me buy this small safety cutter, but it’s been indispensable to someone who may or may not have an online shopping addiction. The Slice Micro Ceramic Blade safety cutter’s tiny blade cuts through paper packaging tape cleanly, opens plastic wrapping, and keeps me from going insane opening blister packaging. It doesn’t damage whatever is inside, which unfortunately happens very often with my regular metal box cutter.\n\nThe downside is that it’s so small you may lose track of it if not in use, but it does have a built-in magnet and a handy dandy hole for a keyring. And while it doesn’t fully slice through a cardboard box, it will still leave a scratch, although that could ultimately damage the ceramic blade if not used properly. I’ve had my Slice Micro for a few months, so I’m not worried about it dulling yet, but it is unclear if the blade is replaceable.\n\nHeadphone hanger\n\nKaitlin Hatton, audience manager\n\nAnchor Pro under-desk headphone hanger $ 12 $ 15 20 % off $ 12 $ 12 $ 15 20 % off An under-desk dual headphone hanger that uses 3M adhesive for mounting and an included Velcro strap to anchor a headphone cable. $12 at Amazon\n\nI gave this a try for one of our TikTok videos, and it has not disappointed me yet. I use it to hold my Razer Kraken headset and some extra cords. It’s small enough to remain out of the way but large enough to hold more than the headset itself. It has a pretty strong hold and doesn’t give, even as I raise my standing desk up and down several times a day. It’s not the prettiest accessory one can attach to their desk, but it is highly functional.\n\nCharging station\n\nJess Weatherbed, news writer\n\nI got this as a birthday present from my partner after several months of arguing over our sleeping arrangements. Something about me trailing the charging cables for my devices in the bed being “dangerous” and “extremely uncomfortable.” Anyway, after begrudgingly acknowledging my poor charging habits, I have to admit that having this on my desk has had benefits outside of not garroting myself mid-slumber.\n\nMy iPhone, Apple Watch, and wireless earbuds rarely run out of juice, as I no longer fall asleep before plugging them in. I’ve also taken to using the charger’s upright positioning for phones to my advantage — serving as a desk clock, a tiny display for Slack or Discord, and as a hub to remotely control the various smart devices around my home. It helps me separate the device from being my phone and instead helps me build the habit of it being another tool to boost my productivity.\n\nHelp for the cook\n\nA multipurpose rice cooker\n\nVictoria Song, senior reviewer\n\nZojirushi Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer $ 194 $ 233 17 % off $ 194 $ 194 $ 233 17 % off A 5.5-cup-capacity rice cooker and warmer that not only cooks rice but also comes with a steaming basket to double as a steamer and a cake menu setting to bake cakes. $194 at Amazon\n\nA lot of people will tell you that rice cookers are single-use appliances meant only for rice — they’re wrong. A rice cooker is best at cooking rice, but it can do a lot of the same things as an Instant Pot. For instance, you can use it to cook hardboiled eggs or oatmeal, steam vegetables, make porridge, make one-pot meals, and even bake a cake.\n\nI grew up with giant 10-cup rice cookers at home, but I didn’t appreciate how versatile this appliance was until I left the country for college. A tiny two-cup rice cooker kept me fed in my cramped 250-square-foot Tokyo apartment. It was programmable, so I could wash my rice, stick it in the cooker, and know that when I woke up late for class, I could still whip up some ochazuke or oatmeal for a quick, cheap, and nutritious breakfast. (It also took the hassle out of steel-cut oats.) Whenever I had a craving for sweets, it was so easy to take pancake mix and bake a Japanese-style cheesecake for one.\n\nI’ve since graduated to a 5.5-cup Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker, and it’s one of the handiest tools I have for meal prepping. When I was sick this past winter, I made ample use of its porridge setting to make a congee-type dish with chicken and ginger — just like my mom used to make when I was a kid. The fact that it’ll keep something warm for days, meant I could crawl out of bed, scoop out some porridge, and crawl back into bed with minimal effort. When I’m feeling lazy, I throw eggs in there, and bam — some extra hard-boiled protein. Mine also comes with a little basket, so it’s super easy to throw in veggies or steam frozen dumplings.\n\nBut what I like most is that rice cookers are more space-efficient than Instant Pots. In my kitchen, the one spot where I could fit an Instant Pot is instead occupied by a rice cooker, blender, and spoon rest. A multitasking kitchen gadget that doesn’t take over your entire counter? That’s a must if you live in a small space.\n\nOld-fashioned toaster oven\n\nAmelia Holowaty Krales, senior photo editor\n\nI love a toaster oven! It’s compact, works fast, and is perfect for reheating pizza, making nachos, and yes, even toast. I use my toaster oven more than my regular oven for sure — and probably more than any other item in my kitchen. I have a pretty basic model like this one, but these days, many come with other features, like air frying and convection oven capabilities.\n\nSeal in your fresh food\n\nEmma Roth, news writer\n\nFoodSaver vacuum sealer machine $ 147 $ 220 33 % off $ 147 $ 147 $ 220 33 % off Keep food fresh by squeezing all the air out of the package and sealing it for long- or short-term storage. $147 at Amazon\n\nI never knew how much I needed a vacuum sealer until I actually got one. I’m the type of person who shops at wholesale clubs despite only needing food for two people, so when I buy meat, I get a lot of it all at once, some of which inevitably gets stored in my fridge or freezer. That’s where my vacuum sealer comes in.\n\nWhile I can’t speak to the quality of other vacuum sealers, the FoodSaver I have is awesome. Not only does the thing help keep raw meat and other food fresher for longer in the fridge, but it also helps save space in the freezer (each package of meat becomes much flatter when all the air is sucked out of it). With this little machine, I can load up whatever I want in one of the FoodSaver bags, insert the open end into the machine, which vacuums up all the air and then closes the bag using its heat sealing feature in one fell swoop. It’s pretty neat!\n\nFor the traveler\n\nCarry-on backpack\n\nKaitlin Hatton, audience manager\n\nEarlier this year, I committed to traveling more, and so I took a look at the gear I had that could be replaced after years of trekking the globe. My ratty old secondhand carry-on bag was the first thing to be replaced. After several days of weighing the pros and cons of various travel bags, I stumbled upon this Lumesner carry-on backpack on Amazon, and it fit all of my needs. It can carry a laptop, several days’ worth of clothes, my 40oz Hydro Flask bottle, and more. The bag even includes some packing cubes. It’s very comfortable, and the weight is well distributed when it’s completely full. It’s an inexpensive alternative to many name-brand carry-on bags, too. So far, I’ve used it on a handful of trips, and the quality has held up. It also holds onto pet fur, though, so I had to add a small lint roller to my travel necessities. But that’s just life while traveling with a dog anyway.\n\nAn extension cord for awkward situations\n\nSarah Jeong, deputy features editor\n\nAnker 321 Power Strip $ 15 $ 26 42 % off $ 15 $ 15 $ 26 42 % off This all-in-one 20W USB-C power cube boasts three AC outlets, two USB-A ports, and one USB-C port. $15 at Amazon\n\nNobody wants to carry a power strip or an extension cord with them on their vacation. It’s probably unnecessary if you’re staying in relatively modern buildings and definitely unnecessary if you’re camping. But sometimes you want to stay in a charming historical hotel or a lovely cabin in the woods, and it’s only when you go to charge your devices at night that you realize that the only electrical socket in the bedroom is in the corner farthest away from the bed and there’s already two lamps plugged into it.\n\nOlder buildings especially suffer from what I can only describe as loose socket syndrome, where those very convenient modern boxy socket extenders with five different USB and USB-C charging ports simply cannot stay in place and fall right out of the wall because they’re too heavy. After one (totally pleasant) vacation where I had to charge my phone, watch, AirPods, and laptop in a weird corner of my room with the plug-in charging hub propped up on a strategically balanced mountain of books and sham pillows, I bought this Anker combination extension cord / power strip. It’s not a full power strip — just a cube with a few sockets along with USB and USB-C charging ports at the end of a five-foot cable. I’ve brought it on a few trips since then. It takes up extra space in my suitcase but each time has left me feeling vindicated about the purchase.\n\nThe three prongs at the end of the cable are static, rather than folding flat for easy packing. This is key because the loose sockets of older buildings reject the beautiful convenience of folding prongs. There are more than enough sockets for one person, and with some finagling (and maybe an extra charging brick), it can accommodate two people’s devices.\n\nIf you’re traveling overseas, don’t forget to purchase a different plug type for the region you’re going to or pack an adapter.\n\nA portable smart speaker\n\nBrandon Widder, senior commerce editor\n\nSonos Roam $ 134 $ 180 26 % off $ 134 $ 134 $ 180 26 % off The Sonos Roam is a truly portable Sonos speaker with a rugged design that’s built to withstand the elements. It also features wireless charging and supports AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant. $134 at Best Buy$134 at Sonos\n\nFor the longest time, my go-to portable speaker for camping and backpacking was the Ultimate Ears Roll 2. It was small and efficient, but it didn’t mesh well with the rest of my audio setup, especially on those sweltering summer days when I barely made it beyond the confines of my own backyard.\n\nA couple of years ago, however, I splurged on the Sonos Roam. The rugged, pint-sized device is on the pricier side when compared to other Bluetooth speakers, but it produces solid sound for the size, offers wireless charging, and can automatically jump between my home Wi-Fi network and Bluetooth, a convenience I’ve come to appreciate when strapping the speaker to my bike and heading out the door.\n\nAnd while I might not be able to fire off my usual quips at Alexa when I take it into the backcountry — the Roam only supports voice commands when connected to Wi-Fi — I certainly can still do it poolside with a drink in hand.\n\nUniversal travel adapter\n\nVictoria Song, senior reviewer\n\nEpicka universal travel adapter $ 20 $ 25 20 % off $ 20 $ 20 $ 25 20 % off Epicka’s universal travel adapter is an all-in-one adapter that includes four different plugs that cover over 150 countries. $20 at Amazon\n\nIn my youth, I forgot to pack plug adapters for international trips one too many times. Buying them once you’ve landed in another country isn’t always easy, either. And if you’re like me, your relatives in rural Korea don’t always have more than one plug for your American devices — in which case, you’ll have to share with your six other cousins. Nope. Absolutely not. Which is why I never leave this country without a universal travel adapter.\n\nBasically, it’s six plug adaptors in one. Depending on which one you get, it might come with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices in one outlet. Granted, it’s bulkier than buying one or two specialized adapter plugs, but if you’ve got a multi-continent itinerary, it’s a game-changer. What I like about this one from Epicka is that it comes with a spare fuse in case things go sideways with voltage.\n\nThe only caveat is that, although it says “universal,” it’s technically only the four most common types of plugs. That’ll get you by in most countries, but it’s not a guarantee in places like Brazil, South Africa, or India. Even so, I’ll take this over price gouging at airport electronics shops or having to take time out of my schedule to visit a local hardware store.\n\nLovely lights\n\nBrandon Widder, senior commerce editor\n\nI’m a big fan of ambient lighting, even when I’m 50 miles from the nearest outlet. And while I’ve long been a proponent of MPOWERD’s solar-powered Luci lanterns, I recently picked up the company’s like-minded string lights for car camping and overnight jaunts in the backcountry when I don’t mind toting a little extra weight with me.\n\nThe 18-foot string is certainly not the brightest you can buy — it packs a series of 100-lumen LEDs, whereas your average headlamp might offer 400 — but it can swap between six different colors and features a 2,000mAh battery for when your phone needs some emergency juice. Best of all, you can charge the lights via USB or solar, meaning you can spend less time worrying about how to keep them going and more time taking in the vibes.\n\nMemory card holder and reader\n\nBecca Farsace, senior producer\n\nAs a video person who is constantly on the move, there is nothing better than the consolidation of gear — especially when it pertains to dongles. So when fellow video extraordinaire Vjeran Pavic (The Verge’s supervising producer) recently surprised me with a very cute birthday note and this magical little gadget, I was elated.\n\nAnd if that wasn’t enough, it has a carabiner hook. It is everything I have ever wanted in a rubber case and more. To have both my SD card reader and all my cards in one place is priceless (well, actually $39.95). Thank you, Vjeran. <3\n\nA mobile tripod for holiday snaps\n\nJess Weatherbed, news writer\n\nWhen you go on holiday with your partner or family, you generally get stuck with three options when it comes to taking group photographs: a cramped selfie, leaving someone out to take the picture, or asking a total stranger to take it for you. Not to be dramatic or anything, but I’d rather not ruin my vacation by trying to figure out which individuals nearby are the least likely to dip the minute I hand over my phone. And it’s depressing to think that my mum is in so few of our family photos because she was always the person on the other side of the camera.\n\nA decent Bluetooth-enabled tripod can resolve these issues. I’ve had good experiences using Atumtek’s 60-inch Self-Stick Tripod — it features a discreet, detachable Bluetooth shutter remote that you can pair with your smartphone, sparing you from having to set a timer and run like hell. Simply get into position and use the remote to snap as many shots as you need to ensure it’s caught you at a flattering angle. It also extends up to 60 inches to squeeze everyone into a group selfie if you’re using it as a selfie stick. This could be a brilliant gift for any “Instagram boyfriends” who spend hours of their vacations as their partner’s dedicated paparazzi.\n\nA car-friendly charger\n\nSean Hollister, senior editor\n\nMaybe someday Apple will realize that it wasn’t the brightest idea to artificially limit the reach of its MagSafe charging ecosystem and you’ll be able to plop your phone on a magical minimalist disc that charges it at high speeds. In the meanwhile, a standard Qi charger is about the best you’ll get — and the bulky but practical iOttie Easy One Touch Qi does it with the satisfying snap of springs. When you push your phone into its waiting jaws, it depresses a button that causes those jaws to firmly snap closed on either side of your device. When you want to remove it, you pinch a pair of levers with your finger and thumb to release as you grab your slab. It’s wide enough to fit practically anything on the market, save an opened Samsung Z Fold. I’ve used one for years with Android and Apple phones alike, including newer MagSafe handsets.\n\nA colorful fanny pack\n\nVictoria Song, senior reviewer\n\nI’ve always been stymied by the need for a bag smaller than a backpack or knapsack but larger than a dinky clutch. I was wary of the whole “wear a fanny pack as a mini crossbody bag” trend, but earlier this summer, I caved and bought the Baboon to the Moon 3L Fannypack.\n\nNow, I cannot go back. This bag easily fits my wallet, phone, house keys, car keys, hand sanitizer, and chapstick — everything I need when I take walks or run errands. It’s also got a quick-release buckle, so I can stick a carabiner on it and schlepp around a water bottle on hot days. The material is also incredibly durable, spill-proof, and easy to clean. The inside has some dividers but nothing too complicated.\n\nBut what I probably like most about this fanny pack (and this brand in general) is how colorful their bags are. I got one in lavender, stuck some enamel pins on it, and now there’s absolutely no mistaking this is mine. I can see it easily from a distance, which also makes it harder to lose. The mix between colorful whimsy and practical functionality is something I wish I saw more often. All I’m saying is that two of my friends went out and bought the same bag in different colors as soon as they saw me wearing it. And we’re all immensely happy with our purchases.\n\nProducts for your pet\n\nHair remover\n\nMitchell Clark, former news writer\n\nChomChom pet hair remover $ 25 $ 32 22 % off $ 25 $ 25 $ 32 22 % off The ChomChom is a reusable cat and dog hair remover that works great for furniture.\n\n$25 at Amazon\n\nThe ChomChom pet hair remover is an extraordinarily simple device — it’s basically a couple of pieces of plastic, fabric, and rubber. But through some dark magic, it’s better at getting cat hair off my couch, cat tree, and other upholstery than even the adhesive-laden lint rollers (though those are still superior if the thing you’re trying to de-pet is yourself). I’d explain more, but honestly, I think the ChomChom can best be explained with this GIF:\n\nChomChom pet hair remover. GIF by Mitchell Clark / The Verge\n\nI know I’m stretching the definition of “tech” here, but I just had to share the ChomChom because the first time I saw someone use it, my jaw dropped. I hope it can change your life like it did mine. (Note: as far as I can tell, the limited-edition cat ChomChom that I paid extra for is 0 percent more functional than the regular one. It was still worth it, though.)\n\nFuzzy cat bed\n\nElizabeth Lopatto, senior reporter\n\nJeeves loves to be in the office with me while I work. (I assume she’s supervising.) Anyway, to make her cozier, I got her this fuzzy cat bed. At first, she was afraid of it — she’s extremely shy around new people and objects — but now, a year later, it’s her favorite place to sit that isn’t my lap. Usually, she spends the afternoon snuggled up in it.\n\nDistracting dog toy\n\nKaitlin Hatton, audience manager\n\nTrudee, otherwise known as My Boss, is notoriously insistent on being the focus of my attention. At any given moment, she has 20 toys strewn about my apartment, but she will not play with them unless I’m watching her — like literally, no distractions, sitting within feet of her, just staring at her chew on her toys for hours on end.\n\nDon’t get me wrong. I love staring at my dog, but she doesn’t get the enrichment she deserves when her activity levels are tied directly to my ability to give her undivided attention. That is, until I bought the Pet Fit For Life Plush Wand. It has a toy attached to a long chewable rope that is suspended from a metal pole. Now, I not only toss the toy about the room from the comfort of my couch but also Trudee is so distracted by chasing it that she doesn’t notice if I am not making direct eye contact. It’s a win-win.\n\nVerge Deals / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Email (required) Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.", + "Looking for a new Apple device? There's no time better than now. Whether you're on the hunt for a new iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, or just a new iPhone case, there are more Apple products on sale for Cyber Monday than you'll typically find at any other time of year. Here are some of our favorites. For more gadgets on sale, be sure to check out our Best Cyber Monday Deals roundup.\n\nWe test products year-round and handpicked these deals. The discounts we show are based on actual street prices at retailers in the past few months. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing will be crossed out. We'll update this guide periodically.\n\nUpdated November 27: We've added a new deal on a 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023) and updated pricing and live deals as Cyber Monday comes to an end.\n\nIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.\n\nApple's Cyber Monday Promotion\n\nApple notoriously doesn't run sales on its own storefront. However, it does usually throw in a gift card for Apple Store credit if you purchase select items. This year, now through November 27, you can get up to $200 in Apple Store credit to use later if you purchase certain items. For example, if you buy an iPhone 14 or iPhone SE, you can get up to $75 in store credit. Buy a MacBook Air and you'll get up to $200. You can find the full list here.\n\nSeparately, there's also a sale on Apple gift cards on Amazon. Each one has a unique corresponding coupon code that you can see on this page. For example, you can get a $100 Apple Gift Card and a free $15 Amazon credit with code APPLET5USAP. There are tons of cards to choose from. You can browse them all here.\n\nJump to a Topic: iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats and AirPods, Chargers, Cases and Accessories.\n\niPad and Accessory Deals\n\nFor more info, check out our Best iPads guide for a breakdown of every iPad model.\n\niPad Photograph: Apple\n\nThis is the best iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for most people in our Best iPads guide. It's not only affordable, but it also packs a ton of great features, including a True Tone display (that adjusts the color temperature to match the ambient lighting in your environment), a 12-megapixel rear camera with support for Center Stage (which keeps you in the frame on video calls), 64 gigabytes of storage on the base model, and a Touch ID-enabled home button. It's compatible with accessories like the first-generation Apple Pencil and Apple's Smart Keyboard.\n\nThis iPad (7/10, WIRED Review) isn't our top choice (we recommend the ninth-gen model over this one largely due to the price). But it does pack a few notable changes. With no Home button and slimmer bezels around the screen, it has a modern design. There's an upgraded rear camera and the selfie camera has moved to the center of the iPad for video calls. Under the hood is Apple's A14 Bionic chip (the same that's in the iPhone 12), so it's more powerful than the last-gen model. It was on sale for the same price last Cyber Monday.\n\niPad Air Photograph: Apple\n\nIf you're looking for an iPad that's a bit more powerful than the ninth-gen model, we recommend the iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It comes equipped with a 10.9-inch LCD screen, slim bezels, a USB-C port Touch ID built into the top power button, and the same M1 processor as the 2020 MacBook Air. It packs support for the Smart Keyboard Cover, Magic Keyboard Cover, along with the second-generation and USB-C Apple Pencil. It's worth mentioning Apple might be launching a new version next year, but the M1-powered iPad Air is still a great choice.\n\nThe iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite tablet for travel. It's small enough to slip into my tote bag and fits perfectly on an airplane tray table. The 8.3-inch display is great for reading ebooks, watching movies, sketching, and taking notes (it's compatible with the second-generation and USB-C Apple Pencils). Powered by the A15 Bionic processor (the same one found in the iPhone 13), it can easily handle taxing apps and games. As with the iPad Air, Apple is rumored to be launching a next-gen version next year with a faster processor, but this is still a solid tablet if you don't need the latest and greatest.\n\nWe've used this hub with iPads, but it's also great for MacBooks. Plug it in via the USB-C port on your laptop and you'll have access to another USB-C port for passthrough charging, a USB-A port, an HDMI output, and a headphone jack. It's also fairly compact and thin, so it won't add too much bulk to your laptop. It dipped to $40 back in August, but we still think this is a good deal.\n\nApple Pencil Photograph: Apple\n\nThe first-gen Apple Pencil has been around for a while now, but it still functions well. It packs features like pressure sensitivity (the lines get thicker as you press down harder on the screen), tilt sensitivity (for shading), and handwriting support within search fields and apps (like Notes). It's compatible with the iPad (6th gen and later), iPad Air (3rd gen), iPad Mini (5th gen), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd gen), iPad Pro 10.5-inch, and iPad Pro 9.7-inch. It dips to this price often, but we still think it's a good deal.\n\nThis is the most feature-packed stylus Apple has to offer. It's compatible with the iPad Air (4th gen and later), iPad Mini (6th gen), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st gen and later), and the 12.9-inch (3rd gen and later). As with the first-gen model, it comes with pressure sensitivity, tilt sensitivity, and handwriting support, plus wireless pairing and wireless charging (it'll charge when magnetically attached to the top edge of supported iPads). There's a double-tap feature too, which lets you switch between tools quickly by tapping on the Apple Pencil twice. It hits this low often, but it's a solid discount if you don't want to pay full price.\n\nThis stand often goes on sale during the holidays, but it's still a good deal. This tablet stand is included in several WIRED guides, including the Best iPad Accessories and the Best Work-from-Home Gear. It's portable, lightweight, and easy to use.\n\nThis adapter dongle has a 60-watt USB-C port, USB-A, MicroSD slot, SD card slot, 3.5-mm audio, and 4K 60-Hz HDMI, and it’s sleek and compact. One of the nice things about Hyper’s Apple peripherals is that they’re designed to blend in with your Apple devices, so this dongle comes in a space gray metal enclosure with rounded edges that doesn’t look out of place or stick out like a sore thumb when plugged into your iPad. Writer Jaina Grey has had one of these for years and despite frequently losing (and finding) it, it’s an everyday carry item for her and really helps turn your iPad into a portable workstation.\n\nJump to a Topic: iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats and AirPods, Chargers, Cases and Accessories.\n\nMacBook and Accessory Deals\n\nRead our Best MacBook guide for more.\n\nMacBook Pro Photograph: Apple\n\nIt's been less than a month since Apple released this MacBook Pro and it's already on sale. This M3 version replaces the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which Apple no longer sells through its stores. It packs the same mini LED screen, 120-Hz refresh rate, brighter display, and 1080p webcam as the high-end versions. You'll also get an HDMI, two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, an SD card slot, a high-impedance headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. We recommend the M3 for anyone who wants some of the Pro features but doesn't want to drop almost $2,000 to get it.\n\nThis MacBook Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is less than a year old, but we only recommend it if you can find it for under $1,800. It packs all the same features as the latest version and the M2 Pro is more than capable of handling graphically demanding and intensive tasks. This is also the lowest price we've tracked for this specific configuration.\n\nThis M3 Pro MacBook Pro is similar to the other model that's on sale. It just has a larger screen, a more powerful CPU, and slightly better graphics. Apple's brand-new M3 chips are available in three different MacBook tiers—the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max (9/10, WIRED Recommends). They're all included in our guide to the Best Laptops.\n\nApple's brand-new M3 chips are available in three different MacBook tiers—the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max (9/10, WIRED Recommends). They're all included in our guide to the Best Laptops. The M3 Pro falls in the middle as far as processing power and speed goes, but it's still blazing fast. We recommend that you opt for the Pro if you’re a serious productivity user or content creator. This deal matches the best price we've seen so far.\n\nMacBook Air Photograph: Apple\n\nThe MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends) packs a modern design complete with a MagSafe connector so the laptop won't fly off if you accidentally trip on the cable. Thanks to the M2 chip, it also delivers plenty of power for everyday tasks, solid battery life, and a 1080p webcam. It's dipped lower to $899 in the past, and it hits this price often, but we still think this is a solid deal. However, if you want the latest version, it's worth noting Apple is rumored to be launching an M3-powered version of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air next year. Keep in mind that this model drops to this sale price relatively often.\n\nIf you want a bigger screen, the 15-inch MacBook Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the first large-screen option within the Air lineup. It packs all the same features as the 13-inch version including a redesigned chassis and 1080p webcam. The M2 also delivers excellent performance and solid battery life (with about 10 hours of use). For the smoothest experience, we recommend opting for 16 gigabytes of RAM if it's in your budget. It's also on sale for $1,449 ($250 off).\n\nThe M1-powered MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) came out in 2020, but it's still one of the most powerful laptops you can buy for this price. It remains our favorite budget MacBook to recommend. You'll get great performance and battery life (it'll easily last a full workday), an improved keyboard, and a lightweight chassis that's great for travel. It's worth mentioning, however, that it frequently goes on sale for this price.\n\nMac Mini Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Mac Mini (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a powerful, compact desktop. All you need to do is plug it into a monitor, pair it with your keyboard and mouse, and you're good to go. It doesn't pack as many ports as the version with the M2 Pro, but you'll still get two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A, an HDMI, a 10-gigabit Ethernet connection, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. It's dipped this low a few times before, but it's still a great deal.\n\nThis is our favorite external keyboard in our Best MacBook Accessories guide, especially if you're a fan of the Magic Keyboard on your MacBook and are looking to fully replicate your setup. This one comes with a Touch ID button, which you can use to log in, authenticate for purchases, and download apps. It also has the same function row keys as the M-series MacBooks, including playback buttons, a Mission Control Key, and a dedicated Do Not Disturb button.\n\nWith the ability to flex the stand up to 22 inches high, you can adjust this laptop stand depending on your setup—whether you’re using an external monitor or working solely off a MacBook. It’s also super compact and portable. Our only complaint is that, while you can adjust the stand's angle up to 45 degrees, it’s too wobbly to type on if you're using the laptop's keyboard.\n\nThis is both an affordable and well-built monitor. WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu has used it for years now and it's served him well. While the price often dips under $100, this is a few dollars lower than we've tracked.\n\nBaggu Puffy Laptop Sleeve Photograph: Baggu\n\nYou'll see the discount at checkout. The 16-inch version Baggu Laptop Sleeve in Sherbert Cherry looks just as cute in person as it does online. The puffiness provides plenty of protection, and the Velcro closure is strong enough you don’t have to worry the laptop will slide out. We tested it with the 15-inch MacBook Air, which left space to squeeze a keyboard and mouse into the sleeve as well. There's also a 13-inch/14-inch version for those who have smaller MacBooks or want a sleeve for their iPads.\n\nSpeck’s Smartshell case has the proper cutouts for ports and rubberized feet to keep your machine in place. You can throw it in your backpack, tote, or duffle bag without worrying about damaging your machine. We tested it with the 14-inch MacBook Pro but it’s also available for a wide range of MacBook models. It’s worth noting, that the hardshell isn’t scratch-resistant (despite Speck’s claims)—we’ve noticed a few scrapes on ours here and there, but it’s not too noticeable.\n\nThis keyboard is a runner-up in our Best MacBook Accessories guide. It mimics the MacBook keyboard with a Do Not Disturb key, and the ability to program the function row key with Apple's own apps like Final Cut Pro, Photos, Safari, and more, using the Logi Options+ app—in addition to other Mac-specific shortcuts. It's only available with Tactile Quiet switches, but these are ideal if you typically work around other people and don’t want to disturb them.\n\nThis microfiber mat will keep your desk looking nice and clean. It also doubles as a giant mousepad. It only comes in black, but it's a great option if you're looking for a desk mat that's minimalist and affordable.\n\nIncase Hardshell Case Dots Photograph: Incase\n\nThis is currently our favorite MacBook case. We tested it with the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021), but it’s available for a few MacBook models. It has rubberized feet that prevent it from sliding, precise cutouts for all ports, and ventilation to keep the MacBook from overheating.\n\nThe Das Keyboard MacTigr (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is expensive, but it’s great for those in the Apple ecosystem with a dedicated Mac layout. It also has cherry MX Red switches (that don’t get too loud), a two-port USB-C hub, and a high-quality all-metal build.\n\nPhotograph: Keychron\n\nThis is WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu's current daily keyboard. You can use it wired or wirelessly via Bluetooth and it comes in several colors and switches to pick from (it’s also RGB-backlit). The red switches aren’t very loud but are still clicky, and there’s a great knob for volume control. It’s hot-swappable too, so you can change the switches whenever you’d like.\n\nIf you prefer low-profile keys, the K3 Pro is a solid choice. The keys have a tactile click, RGB lighting, and you’ll get around four to five days of battery life (with the ability to charge it via the USB-C charging port). You’ll also get support for Via too, if you want additional software customization.\n\nThis is WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu's favorite portable monitor. It's a great second screen that doesn't take up any desk space, but it does require sticking adhesive magnets onto your laptop. It's best suited for 13- to 14-inch laptops and is best for apps like Slack rather than anything that needs crisp colors. It drops to this price often, but is still a good deal.\n\nApple Watch Deals\n\nRead our Best Apple Watch guide for an overview of the company's smartwatches.\n\nApple Watch Series 9 Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Series 9 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the latest Apple Watch. If you're looking to upgrade, it offers faster performance, improved battery life, and a brighter display. There's also a new Double Tap feature that will trigger functions like playing music or hanging up a call by tapping your index finger and thumb. With the second-gen ultra-wideband chip, you can precision-locate your iPhone and AirPods too.\n\nIf you don't need all the in-depth capabilities that come with the Apple Watch Series 9, the second-generation Apple Watch SE is a great alternative. It still tracks crucial health and fitness features, and with the S8 chip, you'll also get Crash Detection and the redesigned Compass app. It has support for WatchOS 10 too, so you'll have access to the latest software updates.\n\nThe second-gen Apple Watch Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends) packs a brighter 3,000-nit display, the latest S9 chip, and the new ultra-wideband chip for precision-locating your phone. You still get the useful Action button, the three-mic array, and the precise GPS so you can find your way home. It's the Apple Watch with the best battery life thanks to its gigantic size.\n\nJump to a Topic: iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats and AirPods, Chargers, Cases and Accessories.\n\nBeats and AirPods Deals\n\nRead our Best Wireless Headphones and Best Wireless Earbuds guides for more.\n\nPowerbeats Pro Photograph: Beats\n\nThe Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are older (they came out in 2019), but they're still our top pick for earbuds with the most secure fit—making these a great option to workout with. They have an IPX4 water-resistance rating too, which means they'll stay protected from sweat. These buds deliver excellent sound quality and pack nine hours of battery life (with an extra 18 hours in the case). Many of the features won't work with an Android phone, but the core features will.\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones (7/10, WIRED Review) pack excellent noise canceling, good sound quality, and great wireless range. They also offer a stable fit and compact design. They are missing a few key features though, including multi-band EQ and sensors for auto-pause. But improved sound quality and active noise canceling, as well as a few neat features for both Apple and Android devices, make these a good option—especially on sale. They're $10 cheaper than they were on Prime Day, making this the lowest price we've tracked.\n\nThe Beats Fit Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) deliver great sound and a comfortable fit. With Apple's proprietary H1 chip, they work like AirPods when used with an iPhone. But they also work great with Android, complete with an app that allows you to customize the controls and perform a fit test. These have dipped as low as $159 in the past, but this is still a good discount.\n\nAirPods Pro Photograph: Apple\n\nApple just launched these AirPods (9/10, WIRED Recommends) back in September, and they're already on sale. They're identical to the old pair on the outside but pack some internal upgrades. In addition to slightly improved sound, there's also a new Conversation Awareness mode (that turns the music down and boosts Transparency mode so you can hear someone talking to you).\n\nJump to a Topic: iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats and AirPods, Chargers, Cases and Accessories.\n\nApple Charger Deals\n\nFor more options, check out our Best Apple 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers and Best MagSafe Power Banks guides.\n\nAnker MagGo 637 Photograph: Anker\n\nSimply stick your iPhone to this cute little orb and it'll start charging. Flip over to the back, and you'll find two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and three AC outlets. It's a compact and tidy charger, and our unit has been going strong for more than two years. It fluctuates in price very often, and it's hit as low as $60 in the past, but we still think this is a good deal.\n\nThis power bank is one of our favorites if you're looking for an upgrade. It has an absolutely gargantuan 24,000-mAh capacity, and it can be charged up in an hour. It can output up to 140W, making it powerful enough to charge laptops and tablets, as well as charging your phone super quick.\n\nThis is a great charger if you travel often with an iPhone and Apple Watch. Instead of packing two separate chargers, the Duo offers the luxury of both all within a compact, foldable form factor. You can use it to charge your AirPods (as long as it comes with a wireless charging case) and other Qi-certified devices too.\n\nPhotograph: Zendure\n\nThe Zendure SuperTank Pro is the largest portable battery you can get away with taking onto an airplane. Which is why it's our favorite for air travel. With a 26,800-mAh capacity, four USB ports, and up to 100 watts in or out, it's the only portable power bank you'll need for every device on even extremely long flights. Plus it kinda looks like a mini carry-on suitcase, that's neat. Just be sure to click the coupon button to get the full deal.\n\nThis is a great power bank if you don't want to carry a cable around. It comes complete with a built-in rotating USB-C or Lightning connector (MFi certified) that slots into the bottom of your phone. It also packs a 5,000-mAh capacity and a USB-C port for recharging it (complete with a short cable). We don't recommend it if you have a thick case on your phone, though.\n\nThe best 2-in-1 stand in our Best Apple 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers guide has a MagSafe spot to charge your iPhone at top speed (up to 15 watts) and a recessed spot below for your AirPods case. It holds your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation, which is great for StandBy. It's not a huge discount, but we've never seen it cheaper.\n\nBelkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charger Photograph: Belkin\n\nThis is our top charger in our Best Apple 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers guide. With a T-shaped design that suspends two of your devices midair, it's compact enough that it won't take up too much space. You can use it to charge your iPhone (at the fastest 15-watt charging speed Apple allows), fast-charge the Apple Watch Series 7/8/9/Ultra, and use the base to power up your AirPods Pro (or AirPods with a wireless charging case) simultaneously all from a single outlet. It dipped as low as $100 back in August, but this is still a great deal.\n\nWe like Anker's chargers and its Prime range employs GaN technology to shrink the size down. This 67-watt charger has fold-out prongs and offers two USB-C ports and one USB-A. It supports fast charging for iPhones (in addition to Pixel phones and Samsung Galaxy phones) but can also charge a MacBook.\n\nPhotograph: Satechi\n\nThis handy charger has enough power to juice up two MacBook Pro models simultaneously. But it's also great if you have a lot of devices around your desk that constantly need to be charged. It has a little stand to prop it up, a short cord that goes out to an outlet, and four USB-C ports that output 100 watts each. This is the lowest price we've tracked.\n\nClick the coupon button to see the discount at checkout. We recommend this Baseus charger if you're looking for a high-capacity option. With a 10,000-mAh capacity, WIRED contributor Simon Hill says it charged his iPhone 14 Pro once and then delivered an additional 64 percent the second time before tapping out. It comes with a USB-C cable too. The 6,000-mAh version is also on sale for $30 ($20 off). These deals are only applicable to Amazon Prime members.\n\nApple 35-Watt Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter Photograph: Apple\n\nIf you tend to forget to pack chargers for your devices, Apple's dual USB-C port power adapter is an essential accessory. With two USB-C ports, you can use it to recharge both your MacBook and iPhone simultaneously. Rated at 35 watts, it's also powerful enough to recharge an iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPad Pro.\n\nThis is one of our favorite MagSafe wireless chargers. It delivers the maximum 15-watt charging speed possible, sits securely on your desk, and can charge an Apple Watch too. It doesn't come with a power adapter, but it does include a USB-C-to-USB-C cable.\n\nIf you prefer a mount on your dash or windshield and have an iPhone 12 or later, iOttie's Velox Pro Magnetic Wireless Cooling Charger is a great option. The suction cup attaches to a windshield or dashboard pad (and proved secure in our testing) and the telescopic arm delivers a wide range of movement for the ideal position. It only maxes out at 7.5 watts for charging, but the USB-C charging cable can be removed when the iPhone is fully charged. There's also a built-in fan that helps keep the temperature down when it's hot out.\n\nCourant Catch:2 Photograph: Courant\n\nThis is a great wireless charger if you're looking for a stylish option to match your interior decor. The Belgian linen-wrapped surface comes in a variety of muted tones including camel, charcoal, forest, and natural. It can charge two devices simultaneously, but you do have to be precise when placing your phone on it. There are LED lights that show when it's charging and the rubber feet prevent the charging pad from shifting around.\n\nIf you need a charger for just your iPhone and AirPods, this is our favorite 2-in-1 stand. It has a MagSafe spot to charge your iPhone at top speed (up to 15 watts) and a spot below for your AirPods. It holds your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation too, which is great for StandBy mode. It's not a huge discount, but this is the lowest price we've seen.\n\nThis charger packs two USB-C ports, one of which can output 65 watts when used alone. If you plug two devices in, the top will deliver 45 watts and the bottom can do 20 watts. It also folds up and looks super sleek.\n\nSatechi Duo Wireless Charger Stand and Power Bank Photograph: Satechi\n\nClick the coupon button to see the full discount at checkout. The Satechi Duo combines the convenience of wireless charging with the portability of a power bank. It has a 10,000-mAh capacity (complete with LEDs to show you how much juice you have left) and can wirelessly charge both your phone and a wireless earbuds case (as long as it's Qi-certified). There's also a USB-C port to power up a third device. The only gripe we have is that it's slow—delivering 10 watts of wireless charging power for phones (7.5 watts for iPhones), 5 watts for earbuds, and 10 watts via the USB-C port.\n\nThis travel kit from ESR works well if you want something that can prop your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation. It can also display your Apple Watch in Nightstand mode, so you can peek and see how long before you must get out of bed. The main body folds open with a MagSafe charging pad for your iPhone and a slot behind for your AirPods. Unfortunately, it doesn't support fast charging and it's capped at 7.5 watts and 5 watts for the iPhone and Apple Watch, respectively. But it's a good, affordable charger. It dipped lower to $40 back in July, but this is still a solid deal.\n\nSatechi's four-port hub is a little too large, considering the number of ports you get, but there's a good reason for that. Pop off the aluminum cover and you'll find a slot for an M.2 SATA solid-state storage drive slot. That means access to an external SSD, along with two USB-A jacks, one 100-watt USB-C pass-through charging port, and a 4K HDMI at the same time. I did not have an M.2 SATA drive to test, but this 1-terabyte card should work. Just know that Satechi's hub does not support NVME M.2 cards.\n\nPhotograph: Otterbox\n\nThis is our Runner-Up pick in our guide to the Best Apple 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers. It can charge all your Apple devices at top speed and comes with a 6.6-foot cable and a 36-watt wall charger.\n\nApple hasn't nixed the charging adapter from its iPads yet, but it probably won't be long before you'll need to start buying your own. Or maybe you just want a spare for another room. I like this tiny adapter from Anker. The 30 watts can fast-charge the iPad Pro despite the compact size and the plug folds in, making it a nice option to take on the go.\n\nWhat we like best about this phone mount is that you can use it one-handed. The arms automatically close around the phone when you place it against the trigger button. To remove it, press the release bars. There's also a telescopic arm and ball joint that allows you to tweak the placement and set an ideal angle. We also love the clever magnetic tab that attaches the charging cable to the back of the mount, to keep from having to fish around for it. Plus, it's super sturdy—even on bumpy roads.\n\nJump to a Topic: iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats and AirPods, Chargers, Cases and Accessories.\n\nPhone Cases and Accessory Deals\n\nCheck out our Best MagSafe Accessories, Best iPhone 15 Cases, and Best Camera Gear For Your Smartphone guides for other picks.\n\nLume Cube Mobile Creator Kit 2.0 Photograph: Lume Cube\n\nThis kit comes with a Lume Cube light, a compact tripod (that opens up to 55 inches in length), a shotgun mic with a windscreen, and a universal phone mount with clips to attach all these accessories. It's a great and convenient all-in-one solution if you shoot content with your smartphone.\n\nOtterbox is the first name in super-protective phone cases, and it features in our Best Galaxy S23 Cases, Best iPhone 15 Cases, guides along with many others. Over the years, several people on the WIRED Gear Team have had and tested Otterbox cases, we can definitely speak to their reputation for durability. Otterbox also makes one of our favorite Apple 3-in-1 chargers. Everything on its site is 25 percent off.\n\nThis is our favorite way to mount an iPhone to a bike or scooter. Or pretty much anything that's a rod. It sits secure, and you have to pair it with a Peak Design SlimLink case for added security—your MagSafe iPhone won't fly off even if you go over a deep pothole. Other MagSafe accessories from the company are also on sale, like the Car Vent Mount, which we also really like.\n\nPhotograph: Amazon\n\nApple's AirTags are a handy way to keep track of your stuff (as long as you're careful to make sure you're not being tracked without your permission). These often go on sale, but if you're itching to pick up a pack of them, now's as good a time as any.\n\nApple's official MagSafe case has accurate cutouts for ports, clicky buttons, and it protects the entire bottom edge of the phone. It comes in a variety of colors too. Select colors are also on sale for the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the same price.\n\nThis collab between the two brands brings the rugged design from Nomad's cases and the SlimLink MagSafe mount system from Peak Design. It's a great combo that gives you more security when mounting your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max.\n\nTired of people glancing at your display in public? The Glass Elite Privacy 360 will block anyone from seeing content on your screen from the sides. It feels great and is easy to apply too. Our only complaint is that Zagg's screen protectors are typically expensive. This has hit as low as $24, but it's a good screen protector if you need one for your iPhone 14. Other sizes (for the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max) are also on sale.\n\nTotallee Thin iPhone Cases Photograph: Totallee\n\nYou won't get the most protection from Totallee's cases, but they're some of the thinnest on the market. It will keep your handset safe from everyday scuffs without adding too much bulk. These cases are available for a variety of iPhone models.\n\nIf you have an iPhone 14 or earlier, you can never own too many Lightning cables. These cables from Nomad are durable, come with the choice between USB-C and USB-A for the other end, and are available in different lengths.\n\nWe're fans of Incipio cases—we've included them in our Best iPhones 15 Cases and Best Samsung Galaxy S23 Cases guides. For Cyber Monday, the company is offering up to 50 percent off a wide selection of cases and accessories.\n\nPhotograph: Zugu\n\nWe named this the best iPad folio case we've ever tested. Why? It's durable, with a lip around the edges of the screen that protects the expensive glass if dropped, and the buttons feel solid, yet easy to use. The magnetized cover stays securely shut, and it can be reversed to become a stand in eight different angles. Don't have a 2022 10.9-inch iPad? No problem. There are cases to fit lots of iPads, even those several years old, and most of them are also on sale.\n\nNever mind that it's wool—it actually is easy to clean, as reviewer Brenda Stolyar found out while testing it underneath her laptop, keyboard, notebook, and coffee mug. There's a lot of real estate, and it comes in a variety of colors. It's why we called it the best overall desk mat on the market. There's a pricier version with cork on the bottom, if you think the regular, felt-bottomed version will slip around on the desk—say, if you're using a glass table.\n\nPhotograph: Popsockets\n\nThis is one of our favorite MagSafe phone grips. It magnetically sticks to the back of your iPhone and you can pop out the grip for extra stability. You can just take it off to wirelessly charge your device.\n\nThis cable can do it all, which is why it's currently sitting at the top of our Best USB-C Cables guide. It can deliver 100 watts, transfer data at up to 40 Gbps, and serve an 8K display (or two 4K displays). It supports DisplayPort Alt Mode (DP Alt Mode), USB Power Delivery (USB-PD), and PPS, and it is backward-compatible with all earlier standards. It's pricey, even with the discount, but it rarely dips this low. This is also the longest size; the shorter one is also on sale.\n\nThe Creator Kit acts as the link between your phone and various mounting solutions. It comes with a magnetic locking mount that works with the Peak Design SlimLink phone case and a few different mounting options including a Peak Design Arca quick-release plate, a GoPro mount adapter, and a 1/4-inch tripod mount. That way, you can easily mount it on almost any tripod. Your phone (with the case protecting it) will slot easily into the SlimLink mount and stay secure.\n\nWhat About iPhone Deals?\n\nYou typically won't see many iPhone deals. Those sales usually come from carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, and have several requirements, like being on an unlimited plan or opening a new cell line. If you're in the market for a new iPhone, we've laid out a few deals on older unlocked models here, along with some carrier promotions.\n\nPublished November 26, 2023: We've updated prices throughout for Cyber Monday sales, and added a few more deals including the Otterbox sale, HyperDrive 6-in-1 Dongle, and Macbook Pro 16-inch laptop.", + "UFC 295 took a hit when heavyweight champion Jon Jones suffered an injury that forced him out of his planned title defense against Stipe Miocic. Despite the loss of the planned main event, the card features some compelling and evenly-matched fights, including a pair of championship bouts on top when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden in New York.\n\nIn the main event, the vacant light heavyweight title is up for grabs when former champion Jiri Prochazka clashes with former middleweight champion Alex Pereira. Prochazka never lost the belt but was forced to vacate due to a shoulder injury. An injury to Jamahal Hill, who won the title after Prochazka vacated, left the belt up for grabs once again, setting up this bout that sees Pereira as a slight -115 favorite.\n\n\"I'm not going into this fight with mixed emotions about vengeance. I don't want to play that game,\" Pereira told CBS Sports this week. \"I want to go with a very positive mindset. I'm going to fight with the mindset that they haven't even fought before. But looking into the other side of being able to bring Glover his belt back and put it back in the gym, that means a lot to me.\"\n\nThe pair of heavyweights set to clash could usher in the new era of the division. Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall are both vicious finishers with neither man going beyond the six-minute mark of a fight in their UFC careers. Because of their immense power and skills, the fight is a virtual pick'em at the betting window.\n\nCan't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including a complete preview of UFC 295 from New York below.\n\nAs with every UFC pay-per-view event, there will be plenty of action at sportsbooks around the country. As always, we are looking at each main card fight to identify the \"best bet\" for each bout. After a 2-2 result at UFC 294, our record for the year now stands at an even 28-28.\n\nLet's take a look at what we've identified as our choices for the best bets on the UFC 295 pay-per-view main card.\n\nCBS Sports will also have live coverage of the fight with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to keep you up to date throughout the night.\n\nDiego Lopes vs. Pat Sabatini\n\nPat Sabatini moneyline (-115)\n\nThis is a sticky fight to me. According to the odds, both men are most likely to win by submission, which makes sense given that both have 12 submission victories on their resume. Where it gets tricky is that neither man has a submission loss, so they've both been dominant in applying their grappling. Lopes is a bit more dangerous on his feet but Sabatini has the better wrestling and can probably impose his will to force the fight to the ground. The question is whether either man can trap the other in a submission once Sabatini puts the fight on the floor. The odds suggest the fight won't go the distance (-190) but I'm not so sure this doesn't become a three-round grind on the ground, so we'll go with the slight favorite to score the win on the strength of his wrestling.\n\nMatt Frevola vs. Benoit Saint-Denis\n\nUnder 1.5 rounds (-143)\n\nAfter four of his first five fights in the UFC went to decision, Frevola has not seen the second round in his four most recent bouts. Three of Saint-Denis' five UFC bouts have checked in at under 1.5 rounds. The matchup iis a good mix of fighters looking to find a quick finish. If you want a slightly higher risk, Saint-Denis is +155 to win by KO, TKO or DQ. Frevola has two knockout losses on his ledger, one in an even one minute and the other in just seven seconds. Saint-Denis can finish fights quickly and Frevola has gotten drubbed out of fights fast in the past.\n\nMackenzie Dern vs. Jessica Andrade\n\nMackenzie Dern to win by submission (+115)\n\nThis is Andrade's fifth fight in 2023. That usually indicates a fighter is on a good run and looking to continue their momentum. Instead, Andrade has lost her three most recent fights, all by stoppage. Dern is an incredibly accomplished submission grappler and won four of her first seven UFC fights by submission. The submissions haven't been coming for Dern as of late, however, with a 2-2 run in her four most recent outings, all going to the judges' scorecards. Andrade has four submission losses in her career, two of which came during her current three-fight skid. This feels like the perfect fight for Dern to get back to basics and dominate on the ground before finishing with a submission.\n\nSergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall\n\nTom Aspinall moneyline (-120)\n\nYou have to go all the way back to June 2017 to find a Pavlovich fight that went past the opening round. In fact, only three of his 19 career fights have hit the five-minute mark and he has five wins that came in less than one minute. Not to be outdone, Aspinall has six fights that ended in less than one minute and three that went past the opening round. This all adds up to a wild situation where this interim heavyweight championship fight has +500 odds for the fight ending in the first minute of the fight, the \"favorite\" of the time of finish lines. The fight going past 1.5 rounds is +165, which is somewhat appealing since this is a five-round fight and it would make sense for both men to not dump their entire tank on chasing a quick finish. Still, Aspinall's more diverse game makes his moneyline a slightly more appealing bet.\n\nJiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira\n\nOver 1.5 rounds (-150)\n\nOnly three of Prochazka and Pereira's nine UFC fights have ended in under 1.5 rounds. Both men are dynamic and dangerous, with the ability to finish a fight in a flash. Still, both men are also tough as nails and highly skilled. In such an even fight, it's hard to throw a bet at either man straight up or any method of finish unless you feel you have a truly good read on the bout. I don't have that feeling, but I do think the fight happens at a high pace and lasts more than one and a half rounds before either man takes over or gets the finish. Barring someone landing an early bomb, this feels like the best available line for the fight.\n\nWho wins UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 295, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.", + "Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It all started with a car full of booze and a bear costume. Owen Teale, recently suspended from his sixth-form college for organising a riotous Christmas party for fellow students, was in need of a job. “They held an investigation into the party and I was the first to be called in,” says the 62-year-old Welsh actor best known as gimlet-eyed master-at-arms Ser Alliser Thorne in Game of Thrones. “They’d found the empty bottles and people were falling over drunk. I said, ‘yeah, I did it. It was me. I borrowed my mother’s car, loaded it up with booze and smuggled it in’.” Teale had no intention of joining his father at the limestone quarry that fed the steel works at Port Talbot. He wanted to escape South Wales, to find a bigger world. Which is when fate – or rather a kindly teacher called Mr Davies – intervened. He suggested Teale might find work at Barry Island Pleasure Park, a fairground near Cardiff. “At the time, it was a rust bucket of a big wheel and one big dipper,” recalls Teale. “But I went along and auditioned. I was hoping to be a magician’s assistant or something like that, but they said ‘you’d be great as the bear. Here’s the costume’.” Game of Thrones star Owen Teale will play Scrooge in a Melbourne season of A Christmas Carol. Credit: Jay Brooks The role of Barry the Bear was deceptively hard. “His remit was to wander around the park greeting visitors, but you could only do an hour at a time because you sweated so much. I wore pyjamas under the costume to absorb the sweat, but it would fill the rubber hands. After a while, I’d get bored, sit on the big wheel and go round and round.” The sight of a disconsolate, sweaty bear riding the ferris wheel caught management’s attention and Teale was sacked. At which point a couple of his co-workers – students from the Guildford School of Acting – suggested he audition at their alma mater. He was accepted, awarded a study grant and Barry the Bear got a ticket out of Wales.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I was going nowhere really. If I hadn’t met those two young women I don’t know what would have happened,” says Teale. “But there have been so many points in my career, moments of pure chance, when things went my way. And if you can survive the moments when things don’t go your way, you can make it.” If you’re not a diehard Game of Thrones fan, Teale’s name may not be familiar. But his pale face, intense eyes and imposing physicality – he’s 188cm in his socks – will be. The Welsh character actor is a Zelig-like figure whose frequent stage and screen appearances invariably guarantee two things: the tale will be well told and bad stuff is going to happen. He’s in Leeds when we speak, visiting his younger daughter Gracie, 21, who’s studying art and design at the city’s university. Eliza, 25, his other daughter with actor wife Sylvestra Le Touzel, is following in her parents’ footsteps. His son, Ion, from his first marriage, recently made him a grandfather. Owen Teale and his wife, Sylvestra Le Touzel, at the sixth-season premiere of Game of Thrones in Hollywood. Credit: Getty Images Loading Earlier today, he was in Edinburgh shooting scenes for the second season of the supernatural TV thriller The Rig. His character Lars Hutton, an irascible bully and the man most likely to be chucked off the oil rig, has somehow made it back for the next instalment of the Amazon Prime drama. Hutton, Thorne and Chief Inspector Philip Osborne, another textbook bully who first appeared in the opening season of the BBC police procedural Line of Duty, are just three of the menacing characters he’s played in recent times. Peter Knox, a villainous sorcerer in A Discovery of Witches, the fantasy TV series based on books by Deborah Harkness, is another.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhen he portrays Ebenezer Scrooge in an upcoming Melbourne production of Jack Thorne’s award-winning adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, he’ll summon the same forces to make the archetypal miser utterly convincing. The truth is this: the avuncular man in the amber-coloured spectacles and leather jacket chatting to me on the line from Leeds is a master of darkness. When Ser Alliser Thorne drove a dagger into the heart of Game of Thrones’ Byronic hero Jon Snow in the final episode of Season 5, he left the show’s 10 million viewers in a profound state of shock. “It’s true, I have started to play a lot of dark characters,” he says, smiling. “And at first it was a great challenge because I’m quite a sociable fellow.” So, how does he find that darkness? “It’s a sense of nothingness. In all honesty, I’m not very good at being completely on my own,” he explains. “I come alive when I’m with other people. So staying in hotel rooms away from my family isn’t great and it doesn’t get any easier. There’s something empty and a bit scary within me when I’m not with people. I think that’s where that stuff comes from.” Owen Teale unleashes the darkness as Ser Alliser Thorne in Game of Thrones. His ability to tap into the void served him well as he prepared to enact the murder of Snow, played by Kit Harington. “There was Kit … who was so beautiful. And he’s such a lovely man. By connecting to this feeling of emptiness, of having nothing inside of me, I was able to look at him and everything he had - his looks, his grace - and feel pure hatred. For all of Ser Alliser’s explanations [for the murder], deep down he just has a hatred of Jon Snow’s popularity and gifts.” Like Iago, I suggest. “Yes,” he says. “Very like Iago.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhen Snow’s death was broadcast, Teale braced himself for the fall-out. He imagined being confronted by irate Game of Thrones fans who would hate him for “killing the goodness”. Instead, he was asked for endless selfies and impromptu recitations of Thorne catchphrases such as “For the Watch!” or “Bas-terd!” Once, a drunk emerged from a restaurant and stumbled towards Teale brandishing a knife. The actor braced himself, but the man simply wanted “Ser Alliser” to hold the utensil to his throat for a photo. On a visit to Uluru with his family, the tour guide caught sight of his face and exclaimed, “what are you doing here?” Says Teale, “He just kept staring at me and I realised it was an Alliser Thorne thing. I said, ‘I’m not going to kill anyone, I’m just an actor’. But it clearly troubled him that this person who had committed this awful crime had suddenly appeared.” Teale has the grace to admit he enjoys this new level of celebrity. “People seem to realise that without the darkness of people like Ser Alliser, Jon Snow couldn’t have shone as brightly as he did.” Owen Teale with Clare Homan in The Fifteen Streets. Credit: ABC He was well into his 50s when he landed his highest profile role, but it would be wrong to think of Teale as a late starter. In 1989, not long out of drama school, he starred in the hit television adaptation of Catherine Cookson’s romance The Fifteen Streets. The cast included Sean Bean, another young working-class actor, who went on to become a leading man in Hollywood before playing Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. I ask Teale if he ever wishes he’d followed Bean’s trajectory. “Oh god, yeah,” he replies. “Absolutely. You instinctively think [playing leading men] will lead to feelings of success. But it never came my way. My cut of my jib wasn’t quite right. It’s about what your face does on screen I guess.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThere have been opportunities to step into the spotlight over the years. When The Fifteen Streets attracted a massive TV audience in Britain, Teale was offered a lead role in a movie playing a bare knuckle fighter. But the financing fell through and he signed up for a four-year stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company instead. Years later, a producer offered him the lead in a big film being shot in Britain, but the money men demanded an American star and William Hurt got the gig. When Teale won a Tony Award in 1997 for his performance in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, he was told he needed to spend time in Hollywood wooing producers. He decided to fly home to his family in London instead. “My wife was about to give birth, so I said ‘I’m off’. I’m sure part of it was I just didn’t believe that I was going to waltz into leading man roles in Hollywood.” And there it is, that ambivalence. Despite all the plaudits, the awards and the steady offers of work, you sense Teale has never been certain of his gifts. It’s probably why he’s so consistently good – complacency isn’t in his nature. Owen Teale with Toni Collette in Dream Horse: “Toni just raised my game,” he says. Credit: AP He’s far better at recognising brilliance in others. For example, Toni Collette, who he worked with on Dream Horse, a 2020 movie about an unlikely champion racehorse. “Toni just raised my game. That’s a huge talent, huge,” he says, shaking his head in wonder. “I recently received an award from BAFTA for the film and part of me thinks they should give it to Toni.” He’s happiest in a room full of actors working on a play, a film or a TV production. “What turns me on is the thought of collaborating with talented people. I’m very sociable with the rest of the company and fully intend to do that when I come to Melbourne.”\n\nAdvertisement", + "Tate McRae’s career, until recently, had a stench of desperation about it. That’s a wild thing to say about someone who’s only 20, but how else to describe the feeling you get watching an artist who trades explicitly in classic pop moves failing to grab the mode such musical expression necessitates, ie: popularity? Tate McRae’s Think Later: a second stab at superstardom. Despite her age, the Calgary-born musician’s already had a journey. A professionally trained dancer since 6, at 13 she finished third on the US version of So You Think You Can Dance and attracted record label attention with songs uploaded to YouTube. In 2020, her weeper You Broke Me First had a chart moment, leading to her debut I Used To Think I Can Fly in 2022, an intriguing album of thrashy bangers and post-Billie Eilish sad-pop featuring production from pop titans Greg Kurstin (Adele) and Finneas (Eilish). It had at least one could’ve been smash – the spiky What Would You Do? – but, fairly listless despite her swaggering delivery, it failed to ignite with either mainstream audiences or pop aesthetes. But then, this past August, Greedy happened. Used in a video by popular TikToker Tube Girl and then in countless hair-flip transition clips, the song went viral, eventually amassing over 320 million streams globally, topping charts internationally, and becoming McRae’s proper breakthrough and a rare reintroduction. It even landed her a slot on Saturday Night Live, that pop superstar rite-of-passage, and sold out shows for her upcoming Australian tour next November. That Greedy’s the thing that’s pushed McRae to the next level is somewhat confounding. Is it even a good song? It’s not particularly memorable, and McRae’s debut had better tracks that slipped listeners by. But its sassy sentiment – “I would want myself”, particularly suited to clips of youthful coming-of-age expression – clearly caught on with the TikTok crowd, which is how pop stardom happens these days. In another popstar move, McRae also channelled an alter ego (Tatiana, who’s “ballsy, loud and obnoxious”) for Greedy’s vibrant music video, a fun throwback to choreographed Y2K-era aesthetics – McRae dancing all lustily on a Zamboni (so Canadian) – which surely helped.\n\nIn this context comes Think Later, McRae’s sophomore release. Almost completely produced and co-written with Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic), it sports his hit-making trademarks, for better or worse – pristine songcraft hooked around off-kilter concepts that can’t help but catch the ear, but punishingly midtempo, songs searching for gravitas over, say, fun. For an album that’s supposed to be McRae’s bold, confident, cheeky makeover, parts of it lack spark. Tellingly, the best songs on the album – Exes, Hurt My Feelings and Guilty Conscience – follow the Greedy template: skittering Timbaland-style beats recalling Y2K-era pop, all syncopated and staccato and sultry kiss-offs to dumb boys. They feel strong and personally nostalgic – like McRae’s nodding to her countrywoman Nelly Furtado’s classic mid-’00s run – but driven by McRae’s playfulness. We’re Not Alike shows another promising side to McRae’s sound, a post-punky thing built on an Interpol-ish riff that slyly builds into something anthemic, recalling her pal Olivia Rodrigo’s sleeper Guts track, Pretty Isn’t Pretty (the post-punk revival has officially returned to pop, it seems). That these songs are so interesting makes the album’s overemphasis on understated ballads frustrating. Songs like opener Cut My Hair, Grave and Stay Done are slick but dour affairs, the classic Tedder formula. Messier, which weirdly is not another Canadian nod to ice hockey great Mark, shows McRae has the range, a bitter ballad where she allows her vocals to get raw and unhinged.\n\nBut the real pleasure of Think Later lies in McRae’s idiosyncrasies and their potential; she’s a throwback in the classic singing-dancing Britney mould. With a pop landscape led by serious singer-songwriters like Taylor Swift, SZA, Rodrigo and Eilish; Dua “go girl, give us nothing” Lipa; the fame-trolling Doja Cat; and the introverted to the point of obscurity PinkPantheress, there’s a vacancy for McRae’s particular set of popstar skills. If she’s greedy enough, the platform feels like it’s hers to grab. Robert Moran I/O, Peter Gabriel For a guy who spent much of the ’70s at the forefront of prog-rock as the singer for Genesis, creating sprawling concept albums, wearing a series of increasingly bizarre stage outfits that suggested he had ingested a truckload of acid on the way to a Halloween party, and being one of the main reasons punk had to happen, Peter Gabriel sure did go on to personify big, shiny ’80s pop. The most played video on MTV? That would be Sledgehammer, his body slam of a hit from 1986 that did just what it said on the tin. The song blaring from that boombox John Cusack held aloft under Ione Skye’s window in the iconic scene from 1989’s Say Anything? That would be Gabriel’s In Your Eyes. And, somewhat bizarrely, you can barely watch an old episode of Miami Vice without hearing a Gabriel song in the background. After two decades, Peter Gabriel returns – overcooked and overlong.\n\nFrom popularising the massive, heavily gated drum sound that dominated the era to becoming one of world music’s greatest champions by co-founding the WOMAD festival, for a while there Gabriel was seemingly everywhere. And then… he wasn’t. In fact, I/O is his first solo album of new original material in over two decades. Some wags are calling it his Chinese Democracy, but the rarely punctual Axl Rose only took a comparatively brisk 18 years to finally release the follow-up to Use Your Illusion. Some things haven’t changed. From the get-go, on opening track Panopticom, there’s that gunshots-in-an-echo-chamber drum sound and the instantly recognisable fat, slithering tones of long-time bassist Tony Levin. And the subject matter is the familiar, big-world thinking we’ve come to expect, too – in this case, Gabriel’s utopian idea of an infinitely expandable and accessible world database, but, you know, one that doesn’t peddle untruths. The title track could almost come from Coldplay, with its singalong chorus designed for arena crowds waving lit-up smartphones, while Gabriel sings “stuff coming out, stuff going in, I’m just a part of everything”.\n\nIn the late ’90s, Gabriel collaborated with Randy Newman on That’ll Do from the Babe soundtrack. Should Newman be indisposed for the next Pixar film soundtrack, Gabriel’s Playing For Time could easily slot in for that reflective, tear-inducing, life-affirming ballad Newman routinely provides for the end of the second act. In fact, there’s a palpable sense of mortality on I/O. Gabriel is 73, and he’s mining a seam of material here about taking stock, feeling at one with the world and the (admittedly, not exactly original) realisation that love is all we need. This reaches its most intense moment in And Still, a song he wrote to deal with the death of his mother in 2016. It’s a fragile, delicate thing that has an almost Nick Drake transparency to it, as he remembers leaning his head against her skin and the feeling of her brushing his hair as a young boy. But with all that time spent cooking up these songs, some have been left in the oven too long, stretching to five, six, seven minutes, and in need of an edit or at least a change in tempo. Olive Tree and Live and Let Live overload the “one with the world” barrow he’s pushing – the former, a Sting-like concoction that seems to be two different songs bolted together; the latter, coming from a fine place (inspired by Nelson Mandela and The Elders project) but littered with cliches such as “When we can forgive, we can move on” and “An eye for an eye, again and again, until the whole world is blind”. On top of all this, there are two mixes of the album, one a “bright-side mix” by Mark “Spike” Stent, and the other a “dark-side mix” by Tchad Blake. Yes, it’s a lot to take in. But then, it’s been a while in the making. And who knows when, or if, we’ll get a follow-up? Barry Divola To read more from Spectrum, visit our page here.", + "Meltwater, which first made its name around media monitoring and then got active in business intelligence using AI and big data analytics techniques, is picking up a new investor. Verdane, a Norwegian private equity firm that earlier this year closed a $1 billion+ fund to make investments in scaling tech companies, is taking an 11% stake in Meltwater, at a company valuation of €542 million ($592 million), valuing the stake at around $65 million. But that’s not the only deal that is going down with this transaction.\n\nThe investment is coming by way of Verdane taking a substantial stake in Fountain Venture, the investment vehicle controlled by the founder and current chairman of Meltwater, Jørn Lyseggen.\n\nMeltwater, until earlier this year, was traded publicly on the Norwegian stock exchange. Lyseggen oversaw the company going private again earlier this year in a deal with two private equity firms, Altor and Marlin, and held his remaining share via Fountain. (The take-private deal was the last disclosed valuation and the one that Meltwater currently cites.) Verdane invested in Fountain Venture rather than directly in Meltwater because the plan will be to partner with Fountain to make future investments together in startups working in areas like AI.\n\nJoakim Kjemperud, a principal at Verdane, said the deal also gives his firm a stake in an HR firm, Jobylon, although Meltwater is by far the bigger asset.\n\n“The deal here is that it’s very much a portfolio transaction,” he said. “We’re buying into Jørn’s investment company and acquiring an implied direct stake in Meltwater and Nordic HR firm Jobylon, but Meltwater is the biggest asset in the portfolio.” Jobylon’s ARR right now is around €5 million, while the ARR for Meltwater — which was founded in Norway but now calls San Francisco its headquarters — is around €500 million, he added.\n\nThe deal underscores a couple of important themes in the world of European tech and VC.\n\nThe first of these is the fact that tech companies continue to see huge pressure on their valuations. Meltwater’s current market cap of just under $600 million is actually less than the company raised over the years when it was a privately held startup (over $700 million, per PitchBook data), and less than half of its valuation when it went public in December 2020 at over $1 billion.\n\nThe second is the nature of dealmaking at the moment and the efforts that investors are making to de-risk. The market is particularly tight at the moment in Europe: VC firm Atomico’s annual deep dive into the funding landscape in Europe (which it puts together with a number of third-party research firms and particpation from others in the ecosystem) found that funding in 2023 halved to just $43 billion, and private equity firms are making a much bigger appearance in deals to make up some of the drop from VC.\n\nIn that context, it’s notable that Verdane opted to invest in Fountain Venture rather than directly in Meltwater. That will give Verdane not only the stake in Meltwater, but also a stake in Jobylon and whatever else Fountain and Lyseggen find interesting. That will, in turn, de-leverage a focus on just one business. Verdane itself has only recently started to spread its wings to invest in startups across all of Europe and beyond: tying up with a partner to help direct it is a very de-risked approach to take while trying to be more ambitious.\n\nIn terms of technology, companies like Meltwater are at a crossroads these days. The company would have had its roots out of the businesses where humans would have physically sifted through piles of newspapers, daily, to clip mentions of a company’s name, collate those and send them on to those clients to help them better track how they are being covered in the media.\n\nThe decline of print media digitized that effort, and then the rise of social media turned that into a wider game, sentiment analysis, and words became structured, and more usually unstructured data. The influx of a whole new set of tools to glean insight out of that data turned a media challenge into a technical one. Meltwater built AI in-house and has acquired a stream of businesses in an analytics consolidation play. (The most high-profile of these acquisitions undoubtedly was DataSift, the groundbreaking firm that was an early friend of Twitter’s in monetizing its firehose only for that relationship to turn sour.)\n\nBut now, it has a much bigger competitive threat: Companies like OpenAI and innovations in generative AI will change the game again in terms of search — consumer and enterprise — and how any kind of business intelligence work gets carried out.\n\nLyseggen, unsurprisingly, believes that although Meltwater’s focus feels a bit like a throwback to a problem that has now essentially been fixed — and may well be made more efficient by would-be competitors — he thinks there is more opportunity for his company regardless.\n\n“I consider OpenAI’s ChatGPT the ‘Netscape moment’ in ushering in this new era,” he said. That’s an interesting thing to say: Netscape certainly changed how the world looks for information, although it’s far from being part of what we use today. “AI is changing the game for players to challenge the old guard. I think Meltwater’s tech stock is already the most modern and AI-centric in its category. We will continue to invest in AI and that’s something we are very excited about. We are pushing very hard.” Meltwater today says it analyzes around 1 billion documents daily for clients in communications, marketing and PR.", + "The first full week of December features several significant companies slated to announce their quarterly results. These earnings releases hold considerable implications for various sectors, including energy, software, retail, autos and semiconductors.\n\nAmong the companies scheduled to release financial figures are NIO (NYSE:NIO), GameStop (NYSE:GME), DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU), ChargePoint (NYSE:CHPT), Dollar General (NYSE:DG), C3.ai (NYSE:AI) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO). Additionally, reports are expected from Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL), Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB), AutoZone (NYSE:AZO), Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU), MongoDB (NASDAQ:MDB), Signet (NYSE:SIG) and Chewy (NYSE:CHWY).\n\nBelow is a curated list of earnings due in the weeks of December 4 to December 8:\n\nMonday, December 4\n\nGitLab Inc. (GTLB) is due to post its Q3 results after the market closes on Monday. With a 10% surge in the stock this year, Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system suggests a Hold, expressing concerns about valuation. This contrasts with Wall Street analysts, who advocate a Buy rating.\n\nRecently, Raymond James has rated the stock with a Market Perform rating, citing potential market exuberance and growth potential in fiscal 2025 due to a large total addressable market, healthy customers, and a value proposition favoring consolidation over fragmentation.\n\nOn the other hand, Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $55 price target, as the company anticipates benefits from product consolidation and the generative artificial intelligence wave.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: -$0.01\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $141.04M\n\nEarnings Insight: GitLab has beaten EPS and revenue expectations in 8 straight quarters.\n\nAlso reporting: Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Fusion Fuel Green PLC (HTOO), IDT Corporation (IDT), JOANN (JOAN), RGC Resources(RGCO), and more.\n\nTuesday, December 5\n\nNIO (NIO)\n\nNIO (NIO) is all set to release its Q3 earnings before the bell on Tuesday. The Wall Street consensus remains at Buy, while Seeking Alpha’s Quant Ratings maintain a Hold rating on the stock due to concerns about profitability and valuation.\n\nOn Friday, the EV maker announced that deliveries rose 12.6% Y/Y but dipped roughly 1% M/M to 15,959 vehicles in November.\n\nStone Fox Capital, an SA Investing Group leader, notes that NIO's stock has fallen below $8, attributing the move to fluctuating monthly delivery numbers and inconsistent EV deliveries. Despite achieving an electric vehicle delivery record in Q3, the recent 10% workforce reduction raises concerns for Q4, Stone Fox Capital noted. The stock is currently trading at its 2023 lows, but the analyst sees potential for a doubling to $16.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: -$0.23\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $2.66B\n\nEarnings Insight: NIO has missed EPS estimates consistently in the past 8 quarters and revenue expectations in 50% of those quarters.\n\nAlso reporting: MongoDB (MDB), SentinelOne (S), Asana (ASAN), The J. M. Smucker Company (SJM), AutoZone (AZO), Stitch Fix (SFIX), Box (BOX), AeroVironment (AVAV), Yext (YEXT), Signet Jewelers Limited (SIG), Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY), Ocuphire Pharma (OCUP), Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV), Designer Brands (DBI), HealthEquity (HQY), Ferguson (FERG), G-III Apparel Group (GIII), The Descartes Systems Group (DSGX), Phreesia (PHR), Core & Main (CNM), J.Jill (JILL), Daktronics (DAKT), Lands' End (LE), and more.\n\nWednesday, December 6\n\nGameStop (GME)\n\nVideo game retailer GameStop (GME) is scheduled to post its Q3 earnings after the closing bell on Wednesday. Analysts expect losses to narrow Y/Y with relatively flat revenue.\n\nOver the past 5 days, GameStop stock has experienced a surge of over 20% amid the recent volatility in one-time meme stocks. BTIG technical strategist Jonathan Krinsky attributes this upward trend to renewed buying interest in this group.\n\nWall Street analysts recommend selling GME stock, whereas Seeking Alpha's Quant rating system advises a Hold.\n\nSeeking Alpha author Josh Arnold writes, \"GameStop faces fundamental headwinds, including poor margins and declining sales, making it a structurally unprofitable company.\"\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: -$0.08\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $1.18B\n\nEarnings Insight: GameStop has beaten EPS estimates in only 3 of the past 8 quarters and revenue expectations in 5 of those reports.\n\nAlso reporting: ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT), C3.ai (AI), Veeva Systems (VEEV), Chewy (CHWY), Campbell Soup Company (CPB), Toll Brothers (TOL), Brown-Forman Corporation (BF.B), Powell Industries (POWL), United Natural Foods (UNFI), Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings (OLLI), Semtech Corporation (SMTC), Braze (BRZE), Verint Systems (VRNT), Sprinklr (CXM), Argan (AGX), Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings (SPWH), Korn Ferry (KFY), John Wiley & Sons (WLY), Amtech Systems (ASYS), Couchbase (BASE), Vera Bradley (VRA), Barnes & Noble Education (BNED), Oxford Industries (OXM), and more.\n\nThursday, December 7\n\nDocuSign (DOCU)\n\nOnline signature company DocuSign (DOCU) is scheduled to release its Q3 results on Thursday following the closing bell. After surpassing expectations in Q2, the company guided Q3 revenue to between $687M and $691M and boosted its full-year sales guidance to $2.73B to $2.74B from prior expectations of $2.71B and $2.73B. Seeking Alpha author The Asian Investor points out that DocuSign's net dollar retention rate is decreasing and top-line growth is slowing. A drop below 100% could potentially trigger a negative stock catalyst, the analyst argued, as shares have historically been volatile after earnings. Wall Street analysts are adopting a cautious stance on the stock with a Hold rating, in contrast to the optimistic recommendation of a Buy from Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system. Consensus EPS Estimates: $0.63\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $690.12M\n\nEarnings Insight: The company has beaten EPS estimates in 7 of the past 8 quarters and revenue in 100% of those reports. Broadcom (AVGO) Broadcom (AVGO) is set to announce its Q4 results after Thursday's closing bell. The California-based semiconductor company has seen its shares surge over 67% this year, fueled by the AI wave. This growth far outpaces the broader market, underscoring the company's robust position and resilience in the current economic climate. On Friday, Broadcom announced plans to let go of 1,300 California-based VMware employees following the completion of its multi-billion-dollar acquisition of VMware on November 22, marking a significant step in its $61B cash-and-stock diversification strategy from semiconductors to the cloud. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a report surfaced that Broadcom (AVGO) is evaluating strategic alternatives for VMware's End-User Computing and Carbon Black cybersecurity units. The consensus rating among sell-side analysts maintains a Buy stance, while Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system transitioned to Strong Buy from Hold in mid-November. SA author Mike Zaccardi believes that Broadcom offers tech and AI exposure at a lower price, with a strong semiconductor product portfolio and solid technical background. With earnings beat history, strong expense control, and robust profitability, it's an attractive investment, he contended. Consensus EPS Estimates: $10.96\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $9.28B\n\nEarnings Insight: Broadcom has beaten EPS and revenue estimates in 8 consecutive quarters. Also reporting: Lululemon Athletica (LULU), Dollar General Corporation (DG), Ciena Corporation (CIEN), Smartsheet (SMAR), Vail Resorts (MTN), Planet Labs PBC (PL), Guidewire Software (GWRE), The Cooper Companies (COO), HashiCorp (HCP), Lakeland Industries (LAKE), Greif (GEF), Liquidity Services (LQDT), GMS (GMS), Methode Electronics (MEI), Hooker Furnishings Corporation (HOFT), DLH Holdings (DLHC), SecureWorks (SCWX), and more.\n\nFriday, December 8\n\nHello Group (NASDAQ:MOMO) will release its Q3 earnings results before the opening bell on Friday. Following upbeat Q2 results, the company saw a softer Q3 and anticipated a drop in revenues of 10.3% to 7.2% Y/Y.\n\nThe Seeking Alpha's Quant Ratings moved to a Hold recommendation just days before the earnings announcement. Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts maintain a Buy rating on the stock.\n\nIndividual Trader, a Seeking Alpha author, suggests that MOMO's recent downtrend may be concluding, pointing to signs of a bottom forming. The analyst added that the combination of cheap earnings and a high dividend yield makes it an appealing investment option.\n\nConsensus EPS Estimates: $0.35\n\nConsensus Revenue Estimates: $413.43M\n\nEarnings Insight: The company has a track record of beating EPS and revenue estimates in 7 of the past 8 quarters.\n\nAlso reporting: Johnson Outdoors (JOUT), Canadian Western Bank (OTCPK:CBWBF), and more.", + "Killing for Country: A Family Story\n\nDavid Marr, Black Inc., $32.99. October 3 How would you feel if, while doing a bit of genealogical research, you discovered that you were descended from professional killers of Aboriginal people? If you’re someone such as David Marr, who has “been writing about the politics of race all my life. I know what side I’m on”, it prompts this confronting investigation of the Native Police and his family connections through his great-great-grandfather. He describes it as “an act of atonement, of penance by storytelling”. It’s a timely, vital story.\n\nUnfinished Woman\n\nRobyn Davidson, Bloomsbury, $34.99. October 3 You’ve read the book, you’ve seen the film – Tracks – but here is the story of Robyn Davidson’s life from childhood, largely avoiding that trip across the desert with her camels, and beyond to a life of more travel, houses, lovers and family. Particularly family, and particularly her mother, who took her own life at 46 and about whom Davidson has been unable previously to write to her own satisfaction. She is acutely aware that her version of the truth “can bury another’s”, but this one is hers.\n\nStone Yard Devotional\n\nCharlotte Wood, Allen & Unwin, $32.99. October 3 Another reckoning with a mother’s death, this time in a novel from the sure hands of Charlotte Wood. A woman arrives at some sort of religious community having turned her back on her husband, their life and the metropolis. What is she fleeing and what are her demons? It’s not all peace and tranquillity in the community, which has collective crises to deal with, while her previous life won’t leave her alone. Written in a spare prose, the consistently brilliant Wood delivers yet again. Will Murdoch help Trump again? Credit: The New York Times\n\nThe Fall: The End of the Murdoch Empire\n\nMichael Wolff, The Bridge Street Press, $34.99. Out now One thing you can be sure of in a Michael Wolff book is plenty of controversial detail and quotes that are not always fully substantiated and sourced. The American writer has tackled the Donald Trump White House in three books, and now turns his attention back to Rupert Murdoch, about whom he has already written a couple. In this latest volume, he turns his blowtorch on Fox News and the recently retired Murdoch, two players who had massive roles in getting Trump into power. Next year? Surely not.\n\nMy Life as a Jew\n\nMichael Gawenda, Scribe, $35. October 3 The former Age editor-in-chief, a left-wing secular Jew, has written a powerful, moving and personal exploration of his roots and the meaning of his life in Australia today – “the Jew I was, the Jew I am, and the Jew I am becoming”. It begins with a frank account of why he ended his long friendship with former publisher Louise Adler over an essay she commissioned about the so-called Israel Lobby, and a public letter about coverage of Israel. But there is much more – memoir, history and literature – in this brave book. Laura Jean McKay has written a new book of short stories. Credit: Brendan Lodge\n\nGunflower: Stories\n\nLaura Jean McKay, Scribe, $29.99. October 3 Laura Jean McKay won the richest writing prize in the country during the pandemic for her timely novel The Animals in that Country about a virulent virus that allowed infected people to understand what animals were saying. She was quickly called prescient, but whether that label sticks in her return to the short story remains to be seen. This collection, written over 20 years, again features plenty of animal life in stories ranging in length from one page to 20. If you haven’t read her, now’s the time to start. Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon\n\nMichael Lewis, Allen Lane, $55. October 3 This is the astonishing story of Sam Bankman-Fried, the young man who set up his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, in 2019 and three years later was rolling in money.\n\nBut when the crypto world went pear-shaped, Bankman-Fried’s business hit an irreversible tailspin, and now he’s facing multiple charges and due in court on October 3. If anyone can be relied on to tell this story of a financial Icarus with verve and narrative flair, it’s Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, and The Big Short. No doubt the updated edition will have the verdict on SBF. The Woman in Me\n\nBritney Spears, Simon & Schuster, $49.99. October 25 The huge-selling American singer has negotiated the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in her 41 years, but at the heart of this book – said to have earned her a $US15 million ($23.3 million) advance – is the controversial “conservatorship” by which her father and others were given almost complete control of her life, but still failed to stop it going off the rails many times.\n\nSure to be a bestseller, the book is described as a candid account of her life – exactly what her fans want. Mr Einstein’s Secretary\n\nMatthew Reilly, Macmillan, $44.99. October 17 Hannah Fischer lived her early life in Berlin, and her next door neighbour was Albert Einstein – he seems to be having a popular culture moment. She idolised him, and she loved physics. But events intervene and the studious Hannah is forced out of Germany to a new, secretarial life in the US. But this is a Matthew Reilly novel – he’s a film director now as well – and Hannah becomes some sort of spy and action hero, getting involved with all the major events and players of the years between the end of World War I and II – prohibition, gangsters, Nazis, and more. It’s a lot of crash-bang-wallop fun and Reilly fans will love it.\n\nThe Seven\n\nChris Hammer, Allen & Unwin, $32.99. October 3 It’s hard to believe that Scrublands, Chris Hammer’s first crime novel, was published only five years ago. Since then, the former journo has followed the crime writer’s timetable of a book a year. His latest brings back Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucie, whom we met in Treasure & Dirt and Tilt, for a case of murder involving one of the seven families who rule the Yuwonderie district like a fiefdom. You can expect dark secrets to emerge and herrings to be red.\n\nLife as We Knew it\n\nAisha Dow & Melissa Cunningham, Scribe, $35. October 3 This account of how the pandemic affected Australia is a timely publication coming only a few days after Daniel Andrews, the man who approved probably the world’s longest cumulative lockdown, left office. While many people may not want to revisit those stressful years, Aisha Dow and Melissa Cunningham, journalists with Nine newspapers, manage to make this a riveting story of discovery, dismay, and recovery. Ahead of the government’s impending inquiry, you might find some answers here.", + "After what was arguably the best Thursday night game of the season, we present to you what might be the worst, as the Patriots head to Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers. Whatever sport these teams will be attempting to play will probably end up setting the sport back 100 years, so much so that even the biggest supporters of defensive battles will be begging for some offense. The NFL probably didn't envision Mitch Trubisky facing off against Bailey Zappe when the schedule was released back in the spring, but sometimes the worst games on paper also bring the biggest profit opportunities. We're once again building a FanDuel DFS lineup so we have something to root for all night long.\n\nBefore we break down our picks and strategy, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.\n\nMORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:\n\nDK lineup | ATS pick | Top props | Start-sit | Najee update\n\nPatriots-Steelers FanDuel Picks Week 14: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments\n\n$60,000 budget, at least one player from each team required\n\nMVP (1.5x points) RB Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots ($12,000). It doesn't matter whether Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones, Bill Belichick, or Robert Kraft end up taking snaps on Thursday night -- the Patriots' offense will continue to be tough on the eyes. Points will be at a premium between these teams, and controlling the clock is definitely important. That's where Elliott comes in. He's set to start this game with Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) sidelined for the foreseeable future, meaning New England's offense will be hoping for a vintage performance from the former Cowboy. Expect the RB to be fed a ton. Whether that results in a touchdown remains to be seen, but if anyone is scoring a TD on the Pats roster Thursday night, it's Elliott.\n\nFLEX RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($14,000). Much like the Patriots, this Steelers offense will want to establish the ground game, and that starts with Harris. It wasn't long ago that the RB was the subject of major criticism for looking slow and ineffective, but that narrative has flipped in a big way. With an average of 15 carries per game in the past five, we can expect at least that and maybe more from a Pittsburgh team that is starting Mitch Trubisky on Thursday night. As an added bonus, Harris is also the preferred goal-line back, scoring in three of those games. The Patriots' defense doesn't give up much, making Harris our best bet for success in an old-fashioned defensive struggle between two of the worst offenses the NFL has to offer.\n\nFLEX D/ST Steelers ($10,000). The Steelers can get after the quarterback and force plenty of turnovers in any given game. They're facing an offense that's posted 13 points in the past three weeks -- not exactly encouraging for fantasy purposes. We think there's a good chance of a defensive score here, boosting the outlook for Pittsburgh's D/ST. There will be few yards and even fewer points. Even though the Steelers can be vulnerable against the pass, the Patriots are not a team capable of exploiting that weakness. Don't overthink it.\n\nFLEX D/ST Patriots ($9,000). Much like the Steelers, most of that logic also applies here with the Patriots. Trubisky will have to try to move the ball on a team that hasn't allowed more than 10 points in three straight weeks. We can't envision the Steelers scoring 20 points on offense, leaving us with a low-scoring affair. New England's problem is obviously the offense, so don't overlook the defense that continues to give them chances to win every week.\n\nFLEX K Chris Boswell, Steelers ($8,500). Could we be in for another field goal fest? Last week's contest in New England saw the Chargers kick two FGs en route to a 6-0 victory, so why rule it out here? Pittsburgh is already starting a backup QB and has a tough time scoring against everyone anyway, so it's safe to assume that FGs, not TDs, are on the menu once again.\n\nBest SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Patriots-Steelers\n\nThis year, we're also listing our favorite weekly DFS plays on SuperDraft.\n\nFor those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.\n\nMORE: Win BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code \"TSN\"!\n\nHere are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.\n\nMORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft\n\nChampion (+50% points): RB Najee Harris, Steelers (Multiplier 1.9x)\n\nCo-Champ (+25% points): RB Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots (Multiplier 1.4x)\n\nSuper FLEX: QB Mitch Trubisky, Steelers (Multiplier 1.15x)\n\nSuper FLEX: TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (Multiplier 1.35x)\n\nSuper FLEX: K Chris Boswell, Steelers (Multiplier 1.8x)\n\nSuper FLEX: K Chad Ryland, Patriots (Multiplier 1.8x)\n\nThis week's SuperDraft lineup features our first \"Co-Champ,\" which gives us 25 percent more points for our player of choice. With the ground game being a point of emphasis, we're focused on the RBs for those two top spots, while filling in the lineup with both kickers alongside a Trubisky-Freiermuth stack.", + "Amazon’s fall Prime Day event is underway. For more deals we recommend across all categories, check out our full roundup here.\n\nDespite what the name might suggest, Amazon’s fall Prime Day event isn’t just a day filled with deals for Prime members. Thanks to competing sales from retailers like Best Buy and Walmart, everybody can take advantage of steep discounts without needing to pay a monthly premium to join in on the fun.\n\nIn some cases, retailers are matching Amazon’s pricing, meaning you can score the same discounts available to Prime members on items like the Kindle Paperwhite and Echo Pop. There are also terrific deals available on other gadgets, including noise-canceling headphones, tablets, and smartwatches. To make the deal hunting easier for you, we’ve rounded up all the discounted all of the worthwhile anti-Prime Day deals below.\n\nThe best headphone and earbud deals\n\nSony WH-1000XM4 $ 250 $ 350 29 % off $ 250 $ 250 $ 350 29 % off Sony’s over-ear XM4s can last up to 30 hours on a single charge and provide a comfortable listening experience thanks to their plush ear pads. Read our review. $250 at Best Buy\n\nSony WF-1000XM5 $ 280 $ 300 7 % off $ 280 $ 280 $ 300 7 % off Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds improve upon the previous model with richer sound quality, slightly more powerful ANC, and vastly improved comfort thanks to their reduced size and weight. Read our review. $280 at Best Buy\n\nSony’s LinkBuds normally retail for $179.99, but you can snag a pair for $129.99 at Best Buy right now. The wireless earbuds work great for making calls and offer a unique “open-style” donut-shaped design that keeps you aware of your environment. Read our review.\n\nnormally retail for $179.99, but you can snag a pair for $129.99 at Best Buy right now. The wireless earbuds work great for making calls and offer a unique “open-style” donut-shaped design that keeps you aware of your environment. Read our review. The Sony LinkBuds S are also on sale for $129.99 ($70 off) at Best Buy. Unlike the aforementioned LinkBuds, these offer active noise cancellation, support for the LDAC lossless audio codec, and a slightly more conventional design. Read our review.\n\nSony’s WH-CH720N are down to $99.99 ($50 off) at Best Buy. The over-ear headphones may not offer all the bells and whistles you’d get with a pair of Sony’s premium noise-canceling headphones, but they offer decent ANC and up to 35 hours of battery life.\n\nThe best tablet and laptop deals\n\n2021 iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi) $ 249 $ 329 24 % off $ 249 $ 249 $ 329 24 % off Apple’s entry-level iPad from 2021 has a 10.2-inch screen, an A13 Bionic chip, and a 12MP front camera that supports Apple’s Center Stage feature. It’s also compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard and is the only iPad that still has a 3.5mm headphone jack. $249 at Amazon$249 at Walmart\n\nThe newer 10th-gen iPad is also on sale right now for $399.99 ($50 off) with 64GB of storage and Wi-Fi at Best Buy and Walmart. Unlike the last-gen model, the 2022 iPad sports a larger 10.9-inch screen, USB-C support, and a faster processor. Read our review.\n\nThe best ebook reader deals\n\nThe 2019 Kindle Oasis with 8GB of storage and ads is available for $199.99 ($50 off) at Best Buy. The 7-inch e-reader sports physical page-turning buttons and a waterproof 300ppi E Ink display but lacks the USB-C support found in newer Kindles. Read our review.\n\nThe best smart speaker deals\n\nThe best smart display deals\n\nEcho Show 5 (third-gen) $ 50 $ 90 44 % off $ 50 $ 50 $ 90 44 % off The new Echo Show 5 is just as small as its predecessor but features updated mics and a speaker system that delivers double the bass and clearer sound quality. $50 at Best Buy\n\nGoogle Nest Hub (second-gen) $ 60 $ 100 40 % off $ 60 $ 60 $ 100 40 % off The second-gen Nest Hub is Google’s smallest smart display, with a seven-inch touchscreen that can automatically adjust itself to the lighting in your room. What’s new in the latest version is its ability to automatically track your sleep patterns with its Soli radar chip. Read our review. $60 at Walmart\n\nThe best gaming deals\n\nSony InZone H9 $ 245 $ 300 18 % off $ 245 $ 245 $ 300 18 % off The H9 is at the top end of Sony’s InZone gaming headsets. It features active noise cancellation, compatibility with both PCs and the PlayStation 5, and can simultaneously connect to two devices (one over 2.4GHz wireless and one over Bluetooth). $245 at Amazon$250 at Best Buy\n\nSeagate Storage Expansion Card (1TB) $ 130 $ 220 41 % off $ 130 $ 130 $ 220 41 % off Proprietary SSD expansion for the Xbox Series X / S consoles. The plug-and-play drives are designed to be as fast as the Xbox internal SSD and are sold in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations. $130 at Best Buy\n\nThe best TV and streaming device deals\n\n2022 Samsung The Frame TV (55-inch) $ 1000 $ 1500 33 % off $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1500 33 % off Samsung’s art-inspired 4K TV features a QLED display and an anti-glare matte display, which provides artwork and photos with qualities that resemble an actual canvas. $1000 at Best Buy\n\nRoku Streambar $ 100 $ 130 23 % off $ 100 $ 100 $ 130 23 % off The Roku Streambar is a 14-inch soundbar that has a 4K / HDR streaming device inside of it, so you don’t need to purchase a separate set-top box. This provides audio as well as the content that you might want to watch via HDMI to your TV. $100 at Amazon$100 at Best Buy$100 at Target\n\nThe best smartwatch and fitness tracker deals\n\nSamsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is on sale at Best Buy starting at $149.99 ($50 off) in the Bluetooth-enabled, 40mm configuration. The older smartwatch includes health features like EKG, built-in GPS, and body composition measurements. Just note that its battery life isn’t great, and it lacks features Samsung’s newer Galaxy watches offer, like a body temperature sensor. Read our review.\n\nVerge Deals on X (formerly known as Twitter) / Join more than 51,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us!\n\nThe best video doorbell deals\n\nBlink’s Video Doorbell is half off at Best Buy right now, where you can grab it for just $29.99. The budget-friendly doorbell only features 1080p video, but it offers all the basics, including motion-activated recording and alerts, night vision, and two-way audio.\n\nThe best smart security camera deals\n\nRing Floodlight Cam Wired Pro $ 200 $ 250 20 % off $ 200 $ 200 $ 250 20 % off The Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro delivers high-quality video with adjustable, accurate motion detection, 2,000 lumens of light, and a good digital zoom. It offers smart alerts for people or motion and works with Ring or Alexa apps but not any other smart home platform. $200 at Amazon$200 at Best Buy\n\nIf you’re looking for an inexpensive indoor home security camera, the Blink Mini is on sale for $19.99 ($15 off) at Best Buy. The camera easily mounts to a wall, though note you’ll have to pay extra for cloud storage if you don’t have a Blink subscription. Read our review.\n\nis on sale for $19.99 ($15 off) at Best Buy. The camera easily mounts to a wall, though note you’ll have to pay extra for cloud storage if you don’t have a Blink subscription. Read our review. The new Blink Outdoor 4 security camera is on sale for $71.99 ($48 off) at Best Buy. The battery-powered 1080p camera offers new features like person detection, as well as a wider field of view.\n\nis on sale for $71.99 ($48 off) at Best Buy. The battery-powered 1080p camera offers new features like person detection, as well as a wider field of view. Alternatively, you can buy the third-gen Blink Outdoor with a Sync Module 2 starting at $44.99 ($45 off) from Best Buy. The older camera doesn’t offer person detection, but it still can capture 1080p video and detect motion.\n\nstarting at $44.99 ($45 off) from Best Buy. The older camera doesn’t offer person detection, but it still can capture 1080p video and detect motion. The battery-powered Ring Stick Up Cam, which you can use both indoors and outside, is on sale for $59.99 ($40 off) at Best Buy. The camera can capture 1080p video and features support for both motion detection and color night vision.\n\nRelated The best floodlight camera to buy right now\n\nMesh router deals\n\nMiscellaneous deals\n\nVerge Deals / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Email (required) Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.", + "With grit and precision like no other, she gracefully descends the towering snow-capped mountain. Her hair billowing in the wind, her skis effortlessly gliding on the glistening ice as if afloat, she is one with the snow and the mountain. This is the essence of Mikaela Shiffrin. In the world of Alpine skiing, Shiffrin has long been a dominant force to be reckoned with.\n\nAmerica’s Favorite Video Today\n\nAfter all, the legend has made history by achieving the most World Cup wins by any male or female skier ever. With two Olympic golds, an impressive five overall World Cup victories, and four world championship wins, she is the youngest slalom champion in Olympic Alpine skiing history. Her legacy stands tall in the world of sports, but her roots run deep as well. Here’s all you need to know about the skiing legends’ family.\n\nHow Mikaela Shiffrin’s parents fell in love through skiing\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nMikaela Shiffrin is the second child of Eileen and Jeff Shiffrin. Eileen had skiing in her blood and grew up with a passion for the sport. When she was a child, her parents would take her and her siblings up Mt. Greylock during the winter, and there, using sickles to cut the meadow grass, they would prepare a slope for their children to ski on. That is where her deep love for the sport took root. However, she had to pause her passion when she started studying at a nursing college. Later, her mother became a nurse, and this noble journey led her to the love of her life. In 1985, fate brought her mother and her father, Jeff, an anesthesiologist who at the time was completing his cardiothoracic rotation, together at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Massachusetts. Jeff himself was an avid skier when he was young and would often visit Vermont on the weekend with his family as a child.\n\nvia Getty PARK CITY, UT – SEPTEMBER 25: Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on September 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)\n\nEileen spoke about her love, saying he was “brilliant, jovial, and curious, with a solution to every problem”. Unable to resist her charm, Jeff had asked Eileen out on a date, and he even had to convince her to give their love another chance. That’s when the epic love story began. Young Jeff and Eileen took their first vacation together as a couple and visited the snowy wonderland of Aspen. The snowy trails and scenic winter reignited the passionate old flame in Eileen’s heart for gliding down the soft powdery snow, and she even stated, “If it wasn’t for Jeff, I wouldn’t have kept skiing”. She even stated how Jeff reawakened the love of the sport that had remained in Eileen’s heart over the years.\n\nGrowing up with skier parents\n\nIn 1986, a year after they first met, the beautiful couple tied the knot. Five years later, realizing the incredible connection they felt to the snowy trails of Aspen, they moved to the world-class skiing city of Vail. A year after moving to Vail, Jeff and Eileen welcomed Taylor, Mikaela’s brother, in 1992. And three years later, Mikaela arrived in 1995. Jeff and Eileen, both avid and passionate skiers from a tender age, introduced their children to their passion and the world of skiing. The couple would take little Mikaela and Taylor on family outings at Vail and teach the two the art of gliding over the snow. Later, when Taylor was 9 and Mikaela was 7, their parents enrolled them in Ski Club Vail.\n\nAccording to Aspen Sojourner, SCV’s Rika Moore began to coach the kids, and soon the two rapidly began to progress. When most coaches would not even let other kids try the slalom gates, Mikaela, on the other hand, cleared the slalom gates with her sheer talent. Later, the family moved to New England due to Jeff’s career, and the kids found their safe space at the Burke Mountain Academy.\n\nThe family moved to Vail in 2009, but Mikaela went back to Burke, and her mother decided to move with her and help her by home-schooling her while monitoring her training. Over the years, the fire and sheer talent within Mikaela couldn’t be tamed. She even won the prestigious Topolino races in Italy, sweeping most of the wins when she was 14. Her parents tried their best to keep the soaring youngling grounded.\n\nHer dad’s rules for her were, “Be nice. Think first. Have fun,” which Shiffrin has affixed to the back of her helmet. Taylor, too, made immense progress and went on to win two NCAA team titles with the University of Denver. Later in 2011, Eileen became Mikaela’s full-time traveling companion and would also handle her schoolwork, while Jeff began to handle the logistics and would use his PTO to visit them with Taylor. The passion for the sport that had reignited in the relationship of Jeff and Eileen saw its fruition in their history-making daughter, Mikaela Shiffrin.\n\nA tragic time for the family\n\nOver the years, Jeff saw his daughter win one downhill, one super-G, and place fourth in a second downhill. She was at the pinnacle of her career, with her sights set on the fourth consecutive overall title. After spending some much-needed family time together in the resort town of Lake Garda, Italy, after the Bansko races, the family said goodbye to each other and made a promise to see each other in five weeks. However Two days later, while Mikaela was training in Italy, she received a concerned call from her brother Taylor asking to speak urgently with their mom. Taylor told the two how Jeff had fallen and that they needed to return home immediately.\n\nJeff had sustained a head injury due to an accidental fall. The family spent Jeff’s last days together by his side as a family before he passed away on February 2, 2020. This shattered the family and left a huge void in their hearts. The pain of the loss was gut-wrenching for Eileen, who said, “We learned quickly that people have their crosses to bear, and they aren’t everyone else’s crosses; they’re the ones we have to bear ourselves. You learn to suffer in silence”.\n\nHow Mikaela Shiffrin recovered from the devastation\n\nFor Mikaela Shiffrin, this devastating loss broke her heart. She even said she was left questioning how she could ever ski again. Mikaela stated that skiing was “the place where I feel most connected to him. It’s kind of hard to feel that anywhere else”. She even shared that she was in the middle of a sports-illustrated photoshoot when her dad had the accident.\n\nThis left her feeling immense pain every time she would see her pictures from the shoot. Without her anchor, the grief would be so immense that she couldn’t even get out of bed, said her mother. Eileen even stated, “She was so devastated. She couldn’t stop crying”.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nHowever, Taylor, unable to see his sister reeling from the pain one day, suddenly walked over to his mom and Mikaela and told her “You can’t quit on us”. He spoke in an interview, calling the moment his moment of “selfishness,” and said, It’s what his dad would also want and how he would’ve handled the situation.\n\nOpinion: Are New Rules by Skiing Federation Enough to Protect the Environment Amid Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup\n\nHe said his dad would use the phrase he often used when they were children, which was “When you’re going through hell, keep going. Don’t stop”. After a lengthy period of absence from the sport, she returned in 2021 for the first of the two slalom races at Levi.\n\nADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad\n\nIn 2022, when she set the record for the most World Cup wins in Alpine skiing history, she honored her dad by writing on Instagram, “Thank you. Dad, I hope you had a good view. Mom, your strength, love, support, and belief in me is the greatest treasure I’ll ever know”.\n\nWatch this story: 7x Skiing World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin’s Intense Workout Routine Challenges Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed’ Physique", + "Whatever happened to CollegeHumor? Fans of the Dropout streaming service will tell you at the drop of a hat: The creatives behind it announced a new subscription service in late 2018, made a few ambitious seasons of comedy and live-play Dungeons & Dragons — and then got walloped when their corporate owner, IAC, stopped funding CH Media, resulting in layoffs of nearly the entire staff in January 2020 (which was a totally chill month to lose your job, with absolutely no major upheavals in television production on the horizon).\n\nBut CollegeHumor didn’t drop off: IAC sold the brand to executive producer Sam Reich, allowing shows like Dimension 20, Um, Actually, and Game Changer to keep doing the work, and spinning off their most successful formats on Dropout. On Dropout’s fifth anniversary this week, CollegeHumor is “the most healthy and sustainable [it’s] ever been as a company,” says Dimension 20 host Brennan Lee Mulligan. And for Dropout’s anniversary, Reich announced in a new video, the company will cease to be CollegeHumor at all.\n\nPolygon sat down with Reich and Mulligan for the occasion of Dropout’s fifth anniversary to chat about upcoming shows, how a YouTube video brand successfully pivoted to the subscription streaming model, and the big birthday announcement itself: CollegeHumor is no more.\n\nPolygon: Before we dig into the big news, I want to start with another recent announcement you’ve made: The next season of Dimension 20. Brennan, I know this is Aabria Iyengar’s game, but you’re playing in it, and she’s not here and you are. So: Why stoats?\n\nBrennan Lee Mulligan: Why stoats?! They’re a marvelous animal. Burrow’s End is a really fun season of Dimension 20. And I say fun because Aabria’s taking us to this wonderful Secret of NIMH, Watership Down — there’s a certain subgenre. And we find in Dimension 20 that we have our most success when we get specific. It’s not just fantasy, it’s Game of Thrones meets Candyland. It’s not just a mystery, it’s noir, or it’s Agatha Christie — which is actually two of the Side Quest seasons we’ve done, one of which Sam was a player in. It’s about getting specific with the comparisons that you’re reaching out to and where you’re drawing inspiration from.\n\n“Cute little critters” is a quite broad, fantastical storytelling genre — within that there’s a subgenre of perhaps the darkest and most grim stories ever told. You know, I guess there’s adult literature that’s as haunting as Watership Down, but something about the juxtaposition of the cute little bunnies, and a story about death, displacement, horror... Lovecraft wishes that he could have the eldritch horror of rabbits trying to describe a road and the cars that drive on it.\n\nSam Reich: We want to take our audience and expose them to deep trauma. [laughs] And the way that you do that is by luring them into a sense of comfort and security.\n\nMulligan: The mental mathematics of the season are also a fun thing. The fact that we go like, Hey, it’s tough being a little furry critter, the woods are dangerous. You know, we see nature documentaries where little stoats and bunnies are getting absolutely eviscerated by falcons and stuff, and you watch it and you’re like, Tough break, buddy, and you move on with your day. But we’ve given them names and voices. And now we’ll see! Now we’ll see how glib they are!\n\nReich: David Attenborough couldn’t do this!\n\nSam, that reminds me of something you said to NPR earlier this year, about how you found success with Dropout in, instead of going broad for the viral video, going for “something that feels special to a small group of people.” Has five years of Dropout inspired any advice for creators, or producers, or fans — basically anyone who’s looking to get away from algorithmically powered viral demand, to other platform structures?\n\nReich: My advice is find a better business model. I think we live in an era of online content right now that is being defined and shaped by algorithms. And that’s true no matter the platform. I think different platforms are shaping content in different ways, and that’s kind of exciting as a creator. Like, Which of these sports am I most excited to play? Lately, TikTok has been prioritizing videos that are longer than a minute, because they’re trying to encourage watch time, while YouTube Shorts still doesn’t allow you to put up anything that’s longer than a minute. So, platforms compete with each other and themselves, and they yield these kind of Frankenstein products. And even in the midst of all of that I am regularly inspired by a lot of the stuff I see on there. I love hanging out on these platforms. I think some of these creators are getting really, really creative.\n\nBut I think what the experience of doing Dropout has taught us — and what I would tell others — is for you to make this sustainable you need to have something to offer that’s off of those platforms. There’s lots of ways to do that. One of them is to create a subscription offering like on Patreon and try to drive people to it. Another is to try to leverage your online presence into opportunities in traditional Hollywood. Some folks who aren’t content creators first and foremost are using it as a creative way to market their music or market their physical products, and that’s working out well for those folks.\n\nI think for us, the heart and the soul of what we do is on on Dropout. We are very lucky, very lucky, that social media has turned out to be such a good way for us to market this platform. And we are also gleefully no longer beholden to it.\n\nThe story of Dropout’s history recounted in your anniversary video is that you kicked off, and you were raring to go, and then immediately got kneecapped by a corporate sale and a global pandemic, and then you succeeded anyway. If there hadn’t been those hurdles, there would have been other hurdles. I’m sure you ran into other things that surprised you about transforming from CollegeHumor to Dropout. What were the hurdles we don’t hear about because getting dumped by your parent company and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic overshadow them?\n\nMulligan: Susana, every day I awaken and am hurled Wallace and Gromit-style out of my bed into another day of making content and telling stories and doing the stuff we get to do at Dropout. Being asked what our strategy was — I think Sam is much better, writ large, at top-down, bird’s-eye strategic oversight than I am.\n\nReich: Zooming out is what you’re saying, I’m good at zooming out?\n\nMulligan: You’re great at zooming out. Asking me what our strategy was is sort of like — Susana, you’ve pulled up alongside a man sprinting from a bear, and are like, What was the thought process behind going left at that tree back there? And I’m like [unintelligible gasps]. That’s the headspace that I operate from. But to address the hurdles that you were talking about in terms of what lessons can be drawn, or what do we think would have happened had those obstacles not been there? If those obstacles had not been there, well, my god, I would love for those obstacles not to have been there, I would definitely press that button. Mostly to have prevented COVID, which would be a great boon to the world and global civilization—\n\nReich: See, I feel like you nailed it, Brennan. The big one I was going to point to is that this is relentless. Not in a bad way — like, we spent our lives as entertainers starving, and then at some point, we arrive at the all-you-can-eat buffet — that’s like when we’ve really made it — and we go, My god, I’m gonna have to eat so much, forever. [laughs] Adam Conover, who is one of my dear, dear friends and also remains pretty mixed about digital versus traditional entertainment, he’s not sure where he wants to fall in terms of those those relative opportunities. He’s like, The thing about digital is you create for yourself a jail, and then you have to live in that jail forever, because your audience wants that from you, again and again and again. Whereas in traditional media, you have a certain amount of seasons, and maybe you get canceled, then you move on to something else.\n\nI think Brennan and I both are in jail right now. The way in which we’re lucky is we both jailed ourselves inside anthology series.\n\nMulligan: Yeah.\n\nReich: So, thank god for that bit of (it turns out) foresight, happy accident — which is we get to strut our stuff in lots of different ways despite the fact that we’re beholden to these shows, which, so long as Dropout continues to be successful, will never be canceled? Because...?\n\nMulligan: Yeah, “no gods no masters” is a pretty exciting place to have found that [success]. And to Sam’s point too, yeah, every time that I go, Woof, we make a lot of this show, I turn around and see the ghost of my absolutely starving 25-year-old self being like, [sarcastically] Oh, you got big problems, huh? Ohhh, big guy got big problems! Wow! [villainously] I’ll kill you. And then I go, Ah, yes, back to it.\n\nReich: Yeah, I watch myself performing at the New York Renaissance faire. And let me just say, those are a bunch of incredibly fierce and talented performers.\n\nI was there last summer. It’s a good time!\n\nReich: Incredibly talented, comedic improvisers, so good at thinking on their feet. Those long days, on your feet all day—\n\nMulligan: Just hoping to get a callback — hoping to get a callback for the Orbit gum activation in Times Square, where me and 20 other improvisers will be paid $100 to receive 10 hours of abuse from real strangers on the street.\n\nReich: Dude, I did a month of background work on Third Watch, which was like the worst Law & Order.\n\nMulligan: I was a camera PA on Criminal Intent, which was the actual worst Law & Order! And it wasn’t even during the Vincent D’Onofrio episodes.\n\nReich: Oh my god. Didn’t even have the pleasure of watching Vincent work.\n\nGoing back to your big anniversary announcement, I think a lot of folks will think, Oh, wow! Dropout’s got a big anniversary announcement, is it going to be a new series? New content? Guest stars? and I can see a name change puzzling people. You give a great explanation in the announcement video, but in pure layman’s terms, is this a big deal? I feel like a lot of your fans already know you guys as Dropout.\n\nReich: Yeah, we told ourselves we would do this when it felt most natural to do it. So in a way, it’s not a big deal at all. And I think a piece of that, to your point, Susana, is intentional. More people who are active fans think of us as Dropout than CollegeHumor now, and this message is almost for everyone else. We do, in the back half of the video, race through a ton of new show announcements.\n\nDon’t think I was going to ignore that, Sam!\n\nMulligan: I would say too, to Sam’s point, I think internally, we’re just “us.” We’re a comedy company and we have enough glibness and irreverence to have a healthy sense of humor about something like a brand change, internally as a company. We’re like, Yes, this is something that of course we’re having fun with, and I think you can see the, like, tongue-in-cheek-ness in the video itself, which is super fun, but also very earnest celebration of all the amazing work that everybody that works on the platform has done.\n\nI would say, Susana, the obviousness of it is a testament to how tapped in you are. People that are very close to us feel in on the joke, people that are very close to us are like, Of course, I’ve known that CollegeHumor was doing Dropout — I was there in 2018 when the thing launched. But I guarantee you every 18 months, some video creator will be like [in a salacious YouTube thumbnail voice] “What happened to CollegeHumor?” and the first 100 comments will be “They’re the most healthy and sustainable they’ve ever been as a company. What are you talking about?” But that video will still go viral.\n\nSo there’s a huge track of the mainstream that I think this actually is worth having an internal, well-made, funny statement about. Because it’s definitely saturated our fan base, but my god, every time you go out — there’s even a joke in the video about how your dad will still call us CollegeHumor. That’s kind of an element of what’s being spoken to.\n\nReich: The truth is — and we don’t go into this at length in the video — we wanted to make the video even before we recognized that we were going to do the name change. We thought five years would be a good opportunity for us to do a little callback to our original announcement video, a kind of update. But we’ve been wanting to do away with the name CollegeHumor almost since Dropout was first formed.\n\nThe name was “Dropout” — as opposed to “CollegeHumor Plus,” or “Pro” or whatever else it could have been — specifically because we were itching to distance ourselves from that brand name. It’s been a blessing and a curse for a long time, the blessing being one of the few brands with quote-unquote “staying power” on the internet, so it has recognizability with a few different generations. And the curse being... pretty self-explanatory. We could not be more distant from our frat-y roots at this point.\n\nYou got Whose Line Is It Anyway?’s Wayne Brady on Make Some Noise this season, and in a Tumblr post you said he told you, “There are only two people doing taped improv correctly: us and you.” If I said that Dropout is a notable part of the history of improv performance, both in shows like Make Some Noise and Game Changer — and Dimension 20, that is improvised performance — does that activate your impostor syndrome, or is that something that’s been on your dream board for five years?\n\nReich: Every waking moment of my day activates my impostor syndrome. But at the same time, I love that sentiment. And I think some of that’s been a happy accident. We set out with a lot of scripted content on Dropout, and it didn’t really work. It’s once we broke away from IAC that we started to do more unscripted stuff, simply because it was what was working on the platform. And I think it’s allowed us really to explore the world of improv more than we ever thought we would get to. And Brennan I knew as a world-class improviser and comedic performer even before I knew he was a GM.\n\nBrennan just shot something for us as a part of a new show, that’s an improv-based show, that’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen him do.\n\nMulligan: Aw, thanks, man. That’s very kind.\n\nReich: And Brennan’s been through [Upright Citizens Brigade], and I’ve been through UCB, and so many of us have had this training. But Hollywood told us for years and years that there was no great way to capture this on film. And here we are. It’s kind of serendipitous and magical.\n\nMulligan: Yeah. It’s very special. The impostor syndrome is very real, but I find myself bouncing back and forth between the feeling of — When Wayne Brady says something like that, you sort of can’t accept something that nice. So you deflect it away. But also, I feel like there’s something that would be too glib and dismissive to not be cognizant about the incredible fortune that we’ve had.\n\nIf you have a sober eye and look around at the entertainment landscape at other places that are able to celebrate improv and celebrate spontaneous comedy, whether on Game Changer or Make Some Noise and things that push the envelope and play with the form — or even, one of my favorite things to do with Dimension 20 is taking improv comedians, who their entire creative life has been around following game, comedic beats, very in that UCB sketch structure, and let them open their narrative wings and really dip into storytelling in a way they often don’t get an opportunity to do on stage. So on the one hand, yes, very much impostor syndrome, and Oh, something that nice can’t be true. And then on the other hand, I do recognize the rare air we are breathing with having a space like this, so that’s really wonderful.\n\nI wasn’t completely certain that you’d slipped some stealth reveals into the announcement video, but I figured it was pretty likely. Which of them are you most looking forward to? Or, do you have a favorite Easter egg snuck into the video?\n\nReich: OK, the one that Brennan did the episode of recently that I was wild about is a show we’re calling Very Important People. And it’s a reboot of something we did 12 or 13 years ago on CollegeHumor.\n\nMulligan: One of my favorite CollegeHumor things of all time when I was a fan at home watching CollegeHumor.\n\nReich: [And it was] called Hello My Name Is. And the format was that we would put, specifically Josh Ruben, in really ambitious makeup, and we would sit him down for a Charlie Rose-style interview in that character, which he would have only a minute to create. We rebooted that as Very Important People. Vic Michaelis is hosting, and the cast is this rotating cast of characters from our improv world and it’s so... Every once in a while I get what I call the “quality chills”? I got quality chills while I was watching the Dungeons and Drag Queens shoot; this creepy-crawly sensation on your back like, This is really good. Because this is really good. A lot of quality chills.\n\nMulligan: Hell yeah.\n\nBrennan, do you have a favorite Easter egg from the video?\n\nReich: There are three seasons of Dimension 20 in that lineup of quick titles...\n\nMulligan: Do I have a favorite Easter egg? All I’m gonna say is this: The bag of chips I eat in the video was a real bag of chips, and I really ate the whole bag by myself. So when you see me finish the bag on camera, I housed that whole bag of chips. And I don’t want anyone to say that’s movie magic. I don’t want anyone to say that that was fake. That was an entire bag of Cool Ranch Doritos hidden in a Chompsky’s bag that the art department made, and I put that whole thing to bed. I don’t ask for much, but I’m gonna good and goddamn get my credit: I ate the whole bag of chips, OK?\n\nReich: This is not an endorsement. The Chompsky’s company does not confirm or deny that Chompsky’s chips are in fact Cool Ranch Doritos.", + "The last person in the world who thought Danny Elfman would play Coachella was Danny Elfman.\n\nBut in 2022, the legendary composer behind projects like Batman, Spider-Man, The Simpsons, and countless Tim Burton films took the desert stage, shirtless and ready to rip. Those who witnessed the spectacle of Elfman’s performance were blown away — “Nobody else even came close to bringing that level of chaotic pageantry,” wrote Vulture at the time — while images of the roaring composer were quick to go viral on social media.\n\nMost movie buffs knew Elfman as Burton’s bespectacled, goth-adjacent music pal.\n\nThen, in 2022, most movie buffs did a double take. Wow, yes, that’s frickin’ Danny Elfman.\n\nElfman’s rock turn may not have surprised those who were clicked into the alternative scene of the late 1970s and ’80s; before he established his macabre staccato identity in Burton’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands, Elfman was a member of new wave band Oingo Boingo, which hit its hardest with the 1985 single “Weird Science” (featured in the film of the same name). Founded by Danny’s brother Richard, the band steadily toured and cut records through the early ’90s. (In fact, members of the band still tour to this day.) When Elfman left the band to pivot to composing, he also left behind his live music career — for so long that many of his younger superhero-movie-watching/Hot Topic-shopping devotees never knew his lineage. And even in the Oingo Boingo days, the musician wasn’t going as hard as he did at Coachella.\n\nSo what brought him back? What rebirthed him as a man who could share a stage with Billie Eilish and Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland? To my mind, it’s Henry Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Produced by Burton, the stop-motion project was a black sheep for Walt Disney Animation that blossomed into a cult favorite, and based on the last few years in Elfman’s life, a transformative milestone for a musician born to shred on a stage like no other rocker ever has.\n\nElfman joined Burton early on in the development of The Nightmare Before Christmas, plussing up the loose animation pitch into a musical worthy of the Disney Renaissance. And after recording demos for Jack Skellington’s big numbers, Elfman became the obvious pick to record the final versions (while The Princess Bride’s Chris Sarandon was hired to match Elfman’s baritone vocals in the spoken dialogue). The rest is history: Elfman went on to win awards for his Nightmare work, and the soundtrack became a cross-holiday staple every October through December.\n\nElfman did not peak with Nightmare in 1993. His four Oscar nominations for Good Will Hunting, Men in Black, Big Fish, and Milk were all awarded in the years that followed, and his work has extended far beyond film over the decades. In 2005, he premiered the highly baroque Serenada Schizophrana, his first work composed specifically for concert orchestra. In 2008, he wrote the music for the American Ballet Theatre’s Rabbit and Rogue ballet and in 2011 composed for Cirque Du Soleil’s $100 million Iris show. But it’s bops like “This Is Halloween” and “Jack’s Obsession” that will be engraved on his future tombstone, and he’s never been ashamed to play the hits — unlike Disney, which had no clue how to release the movie to an audience weaned on The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but has since incorporated its parts into everything from theme parks to 3D re-releases to the Disney Dreamlight Valley sim. And unlike his film score work, The Nightmare Before Christmas gives him the chance to take the stage.\n\nIn 2013, the former Oingo Boingo frontman returned to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to perform his scores from Tim Burton movies with a full orchestral backup. This included select numbers from The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he sang in full. The concert appearance was such a hit, Disney invited Elfman to appear alongside his co-stars Catherine O’Hara (Sally) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for a night purely dedicated to The Nightmare Before Christmas. The concert was such a hit, the group has performed it on the regular every October — and will do so again this Halloween.\n\nThe hype around his various Burton and Nightmare Before Christmas concerts sparked the idea for Coachella programmers that Elfman could play alongside pop acts of the moment. As Elfman tells it, there was immediate and obvious hesitation on his part: He was not a rock star or a pop star or hip-hop star. But after watching Childish Gambino and Janelle Monáe unleash pure theatrical mayhem at Coachella 2019, he saw his way in. The then-66-year-old began immediate work on a set that would blend his film music, Oingo Boingo hits, and experimental songs fit for a rowdy crowd.\n\nAs he put in a video for the music festival, “Coming out and doing something as myself, not as Jack [Skellington], was terrifying and exciting.”\n\nCoachella 2020 was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Elfman was purely activated and kept on creating. He released his new music as a studio album, Big Mess, and eventually took the Coachella stage in his now-notorious 2022 performance. As envisioned, the Elfman revue bounced from known tunes to weirdo grooves, all backed by animated graphics that paired well with, uh, extracurricular substances. But it was not a total upending of expectations; there was still room for Mr. Skellington at Coachella.\n\nIn a flurry of post-show interviews, Elfman comes off as rejuvenated. While the show hasn’t realigned the trajectory of his career — he went on to score White Noise for director Noah Baumbach and continues to tour with his symphonic works — it’s hard to imagine him shaking the moment in the spotlight. (This is where I want to flag that earlier this year, a Rolling Stone report uncovered a 2018 sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against the composer, which he settled out of court. Elfman has vehemently denied the accusations against him as “vicious and wholly false.” No additional accusations or investigations have come out in the wake of the story, and Disney and his longtime collaborators continue to work with him.)\n\nDuring the Coachella set, Elfman proclaimed that it was “my first time onstage as ‘myself’ in 27 years.” He’s likely referring to his time acting as Jack Skellington, though looking back, it doesn’t seem like Elfman as the frontman of Oingo Boingo was his true “self” either. The act launched at Coachella is not a return to form. It is the final form.\n\nThere are few musical wanderers like Elfman, capable of swinging between genres and mediums and venues, and his time performing as Jack Skellington has everything to do with that elasticity. He is now unified — as a six-packed weirdo rock star with floppy red hair and body tattoos head-banging to the theme from The Simpsons.\n\nElfman has said at the time that there were no plans to tour his laser-lit Coachella act, although he busted it out earlier this year at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in California. It seems entirely possible that Elfman’s rock star persona will explode out of nowhere with the rhythm of his percussive scores. That seems like the best-case scenario for a musician who never wants to be defined, and is often trapped in the conventions of his business. A regular Jack Skellington.\n\nCorrection: A previous version of this story stated that Elfman performed at Royal Albert Hall in 2014. He performed his Music of Tim Burton concert in 2013. We’ve edited the article to reflect this.", + "RENTSCHLER FIELD, HARTFORD — The United States appeared well positioned to fight with a European power through 45 minutes, but the house of cards came crashing down after the break as the U.S. men's national team succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Germany in Hartford.\n\nPresented with a chance to test themselves against a world-class opponent on home soil, the U.S. entered the break level as a Christian Pulisic stunner was cancelled out by Ilkay Gundogan's poaching.\n\nYet after halftime, as Gio Reyna was withdrawn from his first start back under Gregg Berhalter to build his fitness, the U.S. midfield was overrun and the defense committed a multitude of errors to allow the Germans to gain full control of proceedings.\n\n\"It’s frustrating because its just little moments,\" said U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner after the match. \"Little moments made a big difference at the World Cup, and it’s kinda the same story here.”\n\nThe Sporting News reviews how each USMNT player performed across the 90 minutes.\n\nMORE: Recap the 3-1 defeat for the USMNT against Germany in Hartford\n\nUSA player ratings vs Germany\n\nUSA starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Turner (GK) — 19. Scally, 4. Richards (Carter-Vickers, 66'), 13. Ream, 2. Dest — 7. Reyna (de la Torre, 46'), 6. Musah, 8. McKennie (Cardoso, 75') — 21. Weah (Aaronson, 66'), 20. Balogun (Pepi, 66'), 10. Pulisic (Paredes, 75').\n\nGK: Matt Turner — 8\n\nThe only goal Matt Turner conceded in the first half came on a play Turner initially saved, before being slammed home by Ilkay Gundogan as the rest of the U.S. defense just stood there and watched.\n\nTurner made a host of excellent saves, and while Germany certainly didn't dazzle in the finishing department, he was a critical part of the U.S. performance as the defense melted in front of him. The second half was overwhelming for the U.S. back line, and Turner had little answer for the waves of pressure, but he still made a number of good stops, particularly just after the break with the game still level.\n\nA quality performance from the U.S. goalkeeper, although he could have done better to help marshal a totally scattered defensive line.\n\nMatt Turner says no ❌\n\n\n\nWatch USA vs. Germany live on TNT or Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/x2HslCk3s2 — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2023\n\nRB: Joe Scally — 6\n\nJoe Scally was tidy in possession, and while he offered very little in the attack, that was largely by design as they didn't need him on that right side with Tim Weah cooking.\n\nScally defended ok, and wasn't guilty of any big mistakes, which is more than most of the other U.S. defenders can say. It wasn't a standout performance by any means, and the whole back line has some soul searching to do, but others were far more culpable than the Borussia Monchengladbach man.\n\nCB: Chris Richards — 4\n\nStatistically, Chris Richards had a pretty good match, missing with just one pass of his 42 attempted and not being beaten at any point by any German attackers. Yet his lack of volume speaks... well, volumes.\n\nRichards was off the pace for much of his 65 minutes, and failed to get involved as his teammates were beaten repeatedly on the dribble. It was Richards' positioning that let him down, and he should have been more involved with the U.S. under siege in such an open match.\n\nCB: Tim Ream — 5\n\nChris Richards often left Tim Ream on an island, and the 36-year-old just could not cope with the waves of German attackers.\n\nThe third German goal was emblematic of this lack of chemistry between the two U.S. center-backs: Richards stepped up to guard a free Niklas Fullkrug who got by Sergino Dest, and Ream was unaware as that left Leroy Sane free on goal himself. These two just didn't have it, and Ream was powerless to pick up the slack.\n\nJamal Musiala dances through the USA defense and Germany lead 3-1 😮‍💨\n\n\n\nWatch USA vs. Germany live on TNT or Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/PdjsjkObZR — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2023\n\nLB: Sergino Dest — 4\n\nIf it were possible to give Sergino Dest two different scores, one for the attacking half and one for the defensive half, we'd do it, but that's not how this works. Dest was lively up front as he combined with Christian Pulisic and worked very well on the ball. He got Mats Hummels booked on a counter-attack and delivered a few very quality crosses.\n\nDest was also guilty of some of the game's worst defensive errors. He was completely non-existent as Leroy Sane blazed by him on the first Germany goal, and he nearly got his team in trouble again right before halftime by holding onto the ball too long after making an interception rather than just clearing it out of danger. Filling in for Antonee Robinson at left-back rather than his natural right, Germany targeted him on multiple occasions, to great profit.\n\nHe had a few good moments guarding Leroy Sane in the second half, but he was a top culprit for Germany's second goal by playing Niklas Fullkrug onside. If the U.S. had profited more from his attacking presence the narrative around his performance might be different, but with the story of the match focused on the defensive errors, Dest is a guilty party.\n\nCM: Yunus Musah — 6\n\nAnother player who did well in possession but struggled defensively, Yunus Musah dazzled at times on the ball but was beaten on the first Germany goal by whiffing with his slide.\n\nMusah's nutmeg of Florian Wirtz was a highlight moment of the match, and he was active on both ends of the pitch. Yet a few bad giveaways or defensive moments betrayed his usual stoutness in the middle of the pitch. Overall, the mistakes didn't take away from his performance quite as much as Dest's, but they were still concerning.\n\nCM: Weston McKennie — 4\n\nOther than a pair of critical blocks right before halftime, Weston McKennie was a mess through the first 45 minutes. He was constantly unsure of where he should be as Germany built forward with incisive pace, and he was one of many U.S. players caught unaware on the first-half Ilkay Gundogan goal.\n\nMcKennie didn't put a first-half pass wrong, going 18/18 before the break and 28/30 overall, but his positioning was all wrong out of possession. McKennie was a sieve as the U.S. midfield was invisible defensively, leaving their defenders completely unshielded, particularly at the top of the penalty area.\n\nIt was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened, and that they did after halftime. McKennie was eventually withdrawn in what felt like one of Gregg Berhalter's only tactical substitutions of the match.\n\nCM: Gio Reyna — 7\n\nIn his first 45 minutes of international football under Gregg Berhalter since the World Cup fallout, Gio Reyna was his usual self, drawing the attention of German defenders and proving visionary with his passing. He combined with Folarin Balogun on a number of occasions on the counter, which is a link-up that U.S. fans have been begging for more of.\n\nReyna was only fit for 45 minutes of play here as he returns from a leg injury, but it's no coincidence that Germany truly secured midfield dominance when he came off the field. A promising performance for the young playmaker who should head back to Borussia Dortmund after this international break with plenty of confidence moving forward.\n\nRW: Tim Weah — 8\n\nThough Germany carved the U.S. defense to pieces, their attacking threat remained strong, and almost all the danger came from the wings. While Christian Pulisic starred on the left, Tim Weah was equally devastating down the right, dazzling with electric pace and good link-up.\n\nWeah's biggest moment came when he scorched Robin Gosens on the wing in the first half, knocking it past the German defender and then beating him with blistering speed to get back on the ball. Weah's statistical haul don't quite do him justice, but he was a threat throughout his 66 minutes of action.\n\nST: Folarin Balogun — 7\n\nU.S. fans are salivating for Folarin Balogun to get more touches up front, and as Gregg Berhalter foreshadowed pre-match, they made a clear attempt to do that. Gio Reyna and Tim Weah did the most of the work in that regard,\n\nLW: Christian Pulisic — 9\n\nThere's no doubting who remains the most electric and incisive U.S. player is, as Christian Pulisic once again backed up his nickname of 'Captain America'. The first half stunner was emblematic of his performance, but beyond that he constantly proved a threat to German's out-of-position right-back Jonathan Tah.\n\nPulisic completed 27 of 29 passes, a tidy haul for a player of his attacking intent, and created two chances in addition to getting the goal. His corners remain awful, and it's a wonder why he is still on duty for that role, but otherwise Pulisic was a menace.\n\nChristian Pulisic with an absolute banger 🚀\n\n\n\nWatch USA vs. Germany live on TNT or Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/G7t6KxLjFO — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2023\n\nPlayer ratings for USMNT substitutes vs Germany\n\n45th min: Luca de la Torre — 5\n\nBrought on to replace Gio Reyna at halftime, Luca de la Torre was unable to stem the German tide, despite being a more defensive-minded option than Reyna in what should have been a swap to shore up the midfield.\n\n65th min: Cameron Carter-Vickers — 7\n\nWith Tim Ream and even Chris Richards struggling at various stages in this match, Cameron Carter-Vickers remains a top-tier center-back in this U.S. player pool and a clear starter when healthy. He came off the bench due to his recent hamstring troubles, but was stout in his 25 minutes of action.\n\nThe Celtic defender had 22 touches and gave away possession just two times, completing two dribbles and making two clearances. Carter-Vickers was not a target for Germany to attack nearly as much as the other three defenders on the pitch, a strong nod to his abilities.\n\n65th min: Brenden Aaronson — 7\n\nProbably the the U.S. substitute to make the biggest impact, Brenden Aaronson was bright in the attack, dazzling with his dribbling skills and helping usher the U.S. forward amidst a second-half onslaught from Germany. A good showing from the Union Berlin winger who needs confidence at the moment.\n\n65th min: Ricardo Pepi — 5\n\nIt wasn't an ideal situation for Ricardo Pepi to enter in, coming on with the U.S. shell-shocked from the quickfire Germany double. Still, he provided very little up front, with just eight touches in 24 minutes of action. He featured his usual pressing, and came close to scoring once on a messy chance that Germany just barely managed to clear, but otherwise he didn't quite cause the opposing back line problems to open spaces up for teammates.\n\n75th min: Johnny Cardoso — 6\n\nJohnny Cardoso only had 15 minutes at the end to showcase his abilities, but it begged the question why he or Lennard Maloney weren't the ones introduced at halftime instead of Luca de la Torre. Cardoso lost possession just once in his 10 touches and completed a tackle, although he was also dribbled past a few times as well.\n\n75th min: Kevin Paredes — 5\n\nWith 10 touches in his 15 minutes of action towards the end of a mucked up game of numerous substitutions, Kevin Paredes didn't stand out, losing possession four times and completing four passes. Tough to evaluate his time on the field, but he didn't stand out.", + "Trying to predict the next NBA MVP is a popular betting option at the best sports betting sites.\n\nBecause the award has no set criteria for selection, it can be notoriously difficult to predict which player will walk away with the MVP trophy at the end of the season.\n\nBelow, see the current NBA MVP odds posted at top online sportsbooks.\n\nLatest NBA MVP odds\n\nCheck up-to-date odds for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award below. Click any odds to go to the corresponding sportsbook, open an account and claim your new-bettor bonus.\n\nWho are the NBA MVP odds favorites?\n\nNikola Jokic: Falling short of a third consecutive MVP last season, Jokic steered Denver to its first NBA championship through an impressive playoff showing. During the summer, he emerged as a favored MVP candidate. As the Nuggets maintain their key lineup for another championship bid, Jokic consistently demonstrates his game prowess.\n\nLuka Doncic: Doncic, among the preseason favorites for the past three years, has seen his prospects decline due to the Mavericks' limited support in Dallas, as underscored by their recent playoff absence. Although no one doubts Doncic's skills, questions about the Mavericks' contention capabilities persist.\n\nGiannis Antetokounmpo: Last season, Milwaukee's surprising first-round departure against the Heat was notably influenced by Antetokounmpo's absence for much of the series. The two-time MVP, arguably the league's premier two-way player, is poised to rebound next season. At 28, in his prime, his resolve is stronger than ever following the Bucks' premature playoff exit.\n\nJoel Embiid: Reigning MVP Embiid remains a prominent figure among top contenders. Despite the Sixers' playoff setbacks, he dominated the regular season, leading in scoring and showcasing superior rim defense. If he remains injury-free, Embiid is poised to vie for his MVP status again, hopefully with a strengthened supporting cast.\n\nHow to bet on the NBA MVP\n\nBetting on the NBA MVP has never been easier, thanks to the number of NBA betting sites and apps now available. Signing up for an account takes only a few minutes and is easy.\n\nHere are the steps:\n\nChoose your sportsbook: Not all sportsbooks are created equal. Some are easier to use than others, and some offer more incentives. We recommend you browse our site’s sportsbook reviews to find which ones best fit your needs.\n\nNot all sportsbooks are created equal. Some are easier to use than others, and some offer more incentives. We recommend you browse our site’s sportsbook reviews to find which ones best fit your needs. Visit the homepage: By following our link to the sportsbook of your choice, you’ll be taken directly to the homepage, where you can click the “sign up” or “register” button to start creating your account.\n\nBy following our link to the sportsbook of your choice, you’ll be taken directly to the homepage, where you can click the “sign up” or “register” button to start creating your account. Provide information: Input personal information such as your name, email address, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and more. Once you’ve finished filling out the form, you’ll be asked to accept the sportsbook’s terms and conditions, which we always suggest you read through as they’re loaded with pertinent information.\n\nInput personal information such as your name, email address, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and more. Once you’ve finished filling out the form, you’ll be asked to accept the sportsbook’s terms and conditions, which we always suggest you read through as they’re loaded with pertinent information. Claim your welcome bonus: Now that you’ve set up your account and accepted the T&Cs, you can collect your welcome bonus as a new customer. You'll find it right here if you need to input a code to get a bonus. Make sure to read through the requirements for your bonus before accepting it so you’re aware of any restrictions or other rules.\n\nNow that you’ve set up your account and accepted the T&Cs, you can collect your welcome bonus as a new customer. You'll find it right here if you need to input a code to get a bonus. Make sure to read through the requirements for your bonus before accepting it so you’re aware of any restrictions or other rules. Make a deposit: You can fund your account using legal sportsbooks in various ways. Many deposit options will work for withdrawals as well.\n\nYou can fund your account using legal sportsbooks in various ways. Many deposit options will work for withdrawals as well. Start betting: You’ve created your account and funded it. Now, you just need to start betting. You’ll find NBA MVP futures under the basketball tab in your chosen sportsbook. From there, click on the bet you want to make to add it to your bet slip, adjust how much you’re wagering, and finalize your bet.\n\nBest sportsbooks for NBA MVP odds\n\nHere are four of our favorite sportsbooks for placing MVP futures bets:\n\nDraftKings Sportsbook: The DraftKings app is one of the most prominent in the US. It offers bets for just about any market, including the NBA MVP award, and is known for its ease of use. Some of the DraftKings app’s top features include live betting options and a diverse prop betting selection.\n\nThe DraftKings app is one of the most prominent in the US. It offers bets for just about any market, including the NBA MVP award, and is known for its ease of use. Some of the DraftKings app’s top features include live betting options and a diverse prop betting selection. FanDuel Sportsbook: Touted as one of the industry's most user-friendly and best sports betting apps, FanDuel has built a massive following. Beyond a packed futures menu that includes NBA MVP, FanDuel has a noteworthy selection of player props and a same-game parlay feature.\n\nTouted as one of the industry's most user-friendly and best sports betting apps, FanDuel has built a massive following. Beyond a packed futures menu that includes NBA MVP, FanDuel has a noteworthy selection of player props and a same-game parlay feature. BetMGM Sportsbook: While the BetMGM app may take a little getting used to, the sheer number of betting opportunities is fantastic. Popular features include the “edit my bet” and “easy parlay” options, which have helped make BetMGM a leading sportsbook in many states where sports betting is legal.\n\nWhile the BetMGM app may take a little getting used to, the sheer number of betting opportunities is fantastic. Popular features include the “edit my bet” and “easy parlay” options, which have helped make BetMGM a leading sportsbook in many states where sports betting is legal. Caesars Sportsbook: The Caesars betting app may be basic, but the simplicity is part of the draw for customers, along with an outstanding selection of competitive odds. Caesars also provides NBA betting promos and more sports betting bonuses & promotions for existing customers.\n\nWhen should you bet on NBA MVP futures?\n\nYou can bet on the regular-season NBA MVP award well before the season starts. But when is the best time? That comes down to your tolerance for risk versus reward.\n\nThe odds are so favorable when the lines for NBA Most Valuable Player are first released because the oddsmakers, like you, have very little information to work with.\n\nThey are basing their odds on past performance and expected future accomplishments, as well as the quality of the team around the top candidates for the award. Thus, the odds are quite favorable.\n\nWhile waiting for more information, such as a player’s performance during the regular season, the lines shift and become less favorable. That’s because the oddsmakers are gathering information and applying new data and analytics to their lines to make them as accurate as possible.\n\nYou must decide which approach works best for your betting strategy as a bettor. Do you want to wager when the lines are released with little information at your disposal but the best potential return on your bet, or do you want to wait until you have more solid information to craft your MVP speculation?\n\nWho decides the NBA MVP winner?\n\nThe NBA MVP is selected annually by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who vote for the players they believe are the best in the league.\n\nThis format, which started in 1980, sees each member of the panel vote for their top three players. Every first-place vote is worth five points, every second-place is worth three, and third-place is worth a single point.\n\nOne player rarely receives all of the first-place votes. That last happened in the 2015-16 season when Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors earned all possible first-place points.\n\nBecause there is no set criteria for awarding the regular-season NBA MVP, it’s notoriously difficult to predict who will get the nod. There are often late-season shifts among the favorites, and there are even seasons in which the winner is considered an upset and more prominent players are snubbed.\n\nA recent history of NBA MVP winners\n\nHere is a list of the NBA MVPs since 2010.\n\nSeason Player Team 2022-23 Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers 2021-22 Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets 2020-21 Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets 2019-20 Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19 Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 2017-18 James Harden Houston Rockets 2016-17 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 2015-16 Steph Curry Golden State Warriors 2014-15 Steph Curry Golden State Warriors 2013-14 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 2012-13 LeBron James Miami Heat 2011-12 LeBron James Miami Heat 2010-11 Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls\n\nWhat other NBA futures can I bet on?\n\nThe NBA MVP is far from the only NBA futures bet you can make. Here are some other popular NBA futures odds.\n\nThe NBA is the second-most popular sport in the US for betting, behind only the NFL. In turn, the bet types run deep.\n\nIn addition to pregame NBA betting lines such as moneylines, point spreads, and totals, you can bet on NBA player and team props, parlays, teasers, and more with legal and regulated online sportsbooks.\n\nNBA FAQ\n\nWhich player has the most MVP awards?\n\nKareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most-ever NBA MVP awards with six. He won three with the Milwaukee Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Lakers. Behind him, with five each, are Bill Russell (Boston Celtics) and Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls).\n\nWhat is an NBA futures bet?\n\nFutures bets in any sport are wagers on an event usually weeks or months away. These are often settled at the end of a season or a tournament.\n\nWhere can I bet on the NBA MVP?\n\nEvery sports betting site will have NBA futures markets, including the NBA Most Valuable Player award, Rookie of the Year odds, regular-season win total OVER/UNDER bets, and more.", + "Attending meetings in pajama bottoms might seem like a job perk, but some remote workers have found that videoconferencing for work isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.\n\nIn the years since the COVID pandemic triggered a spike in telecommuting, many have complained of so-called \"Zoom fatigue.\"\n\nThought to be coined by Stanford University professor Jeremy Bailenson, the term refers to a level of exhaustion that comes with interacting with others on camera all throughout the day.\n\nREMOTE WORKERS RESIST MONDAY OFFICE HOURS, BUT BUILDING 'ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE' IS KEY, SAYS EXECUTIVE\n\nDr. Kyle Elliott, a tech career coach in San Francisco, defines Zoom fatigue as \"incessant tiredness or lack of energy as a result of spending a large quantity of time on Zoom.\"\n\nAdditional symptoms can include physical tension (including headaches, eye strain and stiffness), moodiness, a sense of disengagement or difficulty concentrating, according to Dr. Julia Corcoran, a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified coach, who is currently serving as the director of clinical strategy and experience at Modern Health in San Francisco.\n\nThe challenge isn’t exclusive to Zoom; other videoconferencing platforms can have the same effect.\n\nThe pandemic's effect\n\nWith the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms \"exploded in popularity,\" said Dr. Carl Nassar, PhD, a professional counselor based in Denver, Colorado.\n\n\"We all found ourselves at home looking at the people we worked with, the people we went out for drinks with and the people in our extended family on a computer screen,\" he told Fox News Digital.\n\nWORKERS FIRED ON ZOOM: HERE'S HOW TO NAVIGATE A 'DEVASTATING' EXPERIENCE AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE\n\n\"Our work went virtual, our social life went virtual, our doctors' appointments went virtual, and even our intimate relationships sometimes went virtual,\" he said. \"And this meant a lot of time looking at each other on-screen instead of in person.\"\n\nLong after the pandemic, many of these habits have persisted.\n\n\"This video-ing of each other, it turns out, is far more tiring to humans than actually being together,\" said Nassar.\n\n\"One reason is that our brains are wired for actual in-person interactions, not wired for interactions on the screen.\"\n\nImpacts of Zoom fatigue\n\nWhile video calls can be convenient, Elliott warned that staring at a computer or phone screen for extended periods of time can result in negative mental health consequences .\n\n\"Zoom fatigue can aggravate stress, anxiety and burnout among workers,\" he told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Our brains are wired for actual in-person interactions, not wired for interactions on the screen.\"\n\n\"Some people share that spending so much time interacting on screens makes it difficult to interact in real life.\"\n\nCAN YOU AVOID END-OF-THE-YEAR CAREER BURNOUT? JOB EXPERTS REVEAL SECRETS\n\nCorcoran agreed, noting that many report feeling livelier, happier and more active during in-person meetings.\n\n\"Because video platforms artificially limit our perspective, we miss the cues we’re used to from live, in-person interactions,\" she told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"As social beings, we’re highly attuned to these cues, and it takes more work for us to look for and process them in the virtual environment, leading to the fatigue we experience.\"\n\nEven beyond the workplace, Elliott noted that people are using video in more personal contexts than ever before, such as sharing reels on social media and calling loved ones on FaceTime.\n\n\"Because video platforms artificially limit our perspective, we miss the cues we’re used to from live, in-person interactions.\"\n\n\"This can further exacerbate the problem if you're already spending a significant portion of your day on Zoom,\" he said.\n\n\"All these video-based calls can quickly lead to video fatigue if you're not mindful and take care to protect your mental health and well-being .\"\n\nStrategies that can help\n\nJust because a meeting is scheduled on Zoom or a similar video conferencing platform doesn't mean you need to be on video for the call, Elliott pointed out.\n\n\"When it makes sense, particularly if it's a large meeting where your input will be less frequent or nonexistent, you might opt to turn your video off from time to reduce Zoom fatigue,\" he advised.\n\nThe expert also recommended taking adequate breaks away from the computer, even if it's for just a few minutes, throughout the day.\n\n\"It can be tempting, but try to avoid looking at another screen, such as your phone, during this break, since you want to avoid swapping one digital toxin for another,\" Elliott said.\n\nFor those leading a video meeting, Corcoran suggested starting with a quick off-camera stretch break or mindfulness exercise to increase attention and focus.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\n\"Whenever you’re able, suggest audio-only meetings that don’t require screens so people can do things they would naturally do in an in-person setting, like move around or look out a window,\" she advised.\n\n\"Walking away from our screens can reduce the urge to multitask, reduce eye fatigue and increase our capacity to move around.\"\n\nTurning off the self-view option can also be helpful, Corcoran said — \"it can be particularly distracting and draining because we’re not used to seeing our own images so much.\"\n\nAs the use of video platforms is still relatively new for many professionals, Corcoran noted that the long-term effects aren’t yet known.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"That being said, we know that constant feelings of fatigue, exhaustion and physical strain or tension do correlate with negative mental health outcomes,\" she said.\n\n\"It’s important to take steps to reduce Zoom fatigue before it leads to things like chronic stress or burnout.\"", + "After more than a decade of going on and on about the “board gaming renaissance,” it’s safe to say that tabletop role-play is finally having its moment in the spotlight. But while Dungeons & Dragons’ OGL fiasco has clearly lit a fire under many players eager to make a change, the fact of the matter is that a sizeable cohort of writers and designers have been toiling away at excellent games for years now. Their tireless efforts have yielded a bumper crop of excellent, some might say genre-defining, TTRPGs. Just like board games, a few modern classics have also cropped up: Look no further than The Quiet Year and The One Ring, both making their second appearance on this list.\n\nJust as before, Polygon asked nearly two dozen writers, designers, presenters, actors, and personalities from around the world of tabletop gaming to share with our readers the TTRPGs that made an impact on them and their players this year. Here’s what we found.\n\nCity of Winter\n\nLinda Codega, Ennie Award-winning entertainment journalist\n\nMy friends and I still talk about the weekend we spent playing City of Winter. With lightweight rules but a heavy emphasis on the kind of ephemera usually reserved for much crunchier games, creating space for this game is almost as important as who you chose to play it with. Characters travel along a cloth map that illustrates a landscape with only barest indications of topography; the focus instead relies on themes of assimilation, diaspora, and — most importantly to the narrative — baggage. As a family of immigrants (bound by blood or by choice), players describe their home, their traditions, and then, as a darkness comes from the west side of the map, they leave it all behind, choosing what traditions and rituals they pick up from the places they visit and what they hold on to from their homeland. As far as games go, there are probably very few out there that require such a strict fidelity to the road laid out before you, but City of Winter uses this structure to facilitate the kind of deeply resonant character arcs and development that many role-players crave in their games. An astoundingly complex game, bringing your best stories to the table will leave you with a sense of loss and belonging that seem to walk together, hand in hand.\n\nDead After Dinner\n\nJason Morningstar, owner, creative director, and lead designer at Bully Pulpit Games\n\nJenn Martin’s game Dead After Dinner combines the relentless procedural revelation of For the Queen with Knives Out-style murder mystery, and it is endlessly hilarious. Everyone is part of a miserable family stuffed with resentment, somebody is getting killed, there will be uncomfortable questions, and a murderer will definitely be revealed. Or will they? Dead After Dinner is a truly pick-up-and-play murder mystery that will delight you and your scenery-chewing friends.\n\nDesperation\n\nTim Hutchings, game designer and academic\n\nThe best game I’ve played this year is a tie between Desperation by Jason Morningstar and Orestes’ Choice by Susanne Vejdemo. Desperation is a card-driven TTRPG with a marvelous mechanic: Players draw a card with a bit of spoken text on it and then assign those words to one of the characters in play. It is so dang smart and makes for rich yet tight storytelling as the cards force new contexts for the actions of the characters.\n\nThe game comes with two dark American Gothic-flavored scenarios: a starving Kansas town locked in a brutal winter and a cursed fishing boat lost in the north Pacific. The faux woodcuts by Jabari Weathers and Brennen Reece are wonderful to look upon and convey the game’s tone as much as the flavorful card text.\n\nMy best game experience was Orestes’ Choice, a LARP by Susanne Vejdemo. It’s the first heavy-duty chamber LARP I’ve played since the pandemic; it reset my brain and helped me remember what I value in play. Players continuously swap roles as they play through a very queer Greek myth in which young Orestes returns home and must decide whether to kill his treacherous mother and father-in-law. Never have I planned a murder with such erotically charged practice stabbing.\n\nDungeon Crawl Classics\n\nThilo Graf of AAW Games\n\nI run and play a ton of different RPG systems, but precious few have had such a tremendous and lasting impact on my design and games as Dungeon Crawl Classics by Goodman Games.\n\nWith aesthetics influenced by all-time greats like Leiber and Moorcock, volatile magic, a relatively flat power curve for a d20-based game, and an emphasis on the skill of the players, as opposed to primarily rewarding the crafting of effective builds, DCC is a joy to run and play. It is not as much of a heroic power fantasy as D&D 5e or Pathfinder, but neither is it as minimalist as many old-school games. With fickle gods, mutating magics, lucky scoundrels, and ferocious fighters, DCC feels like playing through a Bal-Sagoth or Eternal Champion song. It’s also easy to pick up if your group has any experience with D&D’s third edition or Pathfinder. DCC rocks! Its focus on simple, impactful rules was a core design inspiration for the (almost system-neutral) Survivalist’s Guide to Spelunking for 5e, a book I wrote with Douglas Niles and Stephen Yeardley. It warms my heart to know that DCC authors, judges, and players use the book as well!\n\nDungeons & Dragons\n\nMike Haracz, corporate R&D chef and host of Heroes’ Feast\n\nI’m lucky enough to be in the seventh year of a homebrew Dungeons & Dragons campaign, one I play with friends locally in the Chicagoland area. Our campaign is called The Heartsguard Saga, and it’s based off Deven Rue’s map of a place called Euphoros. My players are at around level 15 and I frequently give them a variety of amazing and unique gear that I’ve dreamed up all on my own... which they go on to forget they have, and never use. We used to play in person, but since the pandemic I run the game virtually online from my house. I put a camera hovering over my gaming mat, and make a labeled grid for the players so they call out, “Move me from A5 to B10.” During important rolls, I even make my players face their camera toward their dice for added suspense!\n\nPetrana Radulovic, entertainment reporter\n\nI’d wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons since I was in high school, but I never knew how to get into it. Thankfully, in the doldrums of 2020, someone I knew knew someone who knew someone (that’s literally what the connection was) who was interested in running a game. That kicked off my D&D career, but was this year that everything finally clicked in my brain and it went from a hobby I enjoyed to one that I spend every free minute of my spare time thinking about.\n\nPart of it is finally having reliable groups. After some initial shuffling of members, in 2023 I’ve been blessed to have not one but two separate D&D groups, both with enthusiastic members who are committed to at least trying to meet regularly. And yes, part of it is Baldur’s Gate 3, which helped me to understand some of the more complicated D&D mechanics and just generally made me very excited about combat in a way I never was before.\n\nI’ve still yet to actually have a game in person! My groups are spread out across North America, but I’m hoping to manifest an in-person session soon. Here’s to 2024 being an even better D&D year for me.\n\nEating Oranges in the Shower\n\nSam Dunnewold, Dice Exploder podcast\n\nThe Golden Cobra challenge is always a deep well of exciting (and free!) new larps from the bleeding edge of the hobby. This year, like a song that’s stuck in my head, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Eating Oranges in the Shower by Hazel Anneke Dixon, a game about exactly what it sounds like. You play as members of a group chat who discover the /r/ShowerOrange subreddit, a real community dedicated to the “liberating” act of eating an orange while taking a shower. You each decide to try this out for yourself before returning to compare notes, and because it’s a LARP, you actually go do the thing.\n\nThis game is so strange and delightful, not to mention delicious. The principal act is compelling on its own. It feels forbidden somehow, even as it’s obviously harmless.\n\nBut Dixon also captures something ephemeral and nostalgic about what it’s like to be in a niche online community and group chat, and the magic of making discoveries in those spaces. On an increasingly centralized internet, that experience has become rare, and I miss it.\n\nExquisite Biome\n\nEverest Pipkin, game and software developer\n\nI’ve heard Exquisite Biome described as “Spore for the kitchen table,” and if that isn’t a great pitch I don’t know what is.\n\nComing from Caro Asercion (game designer) and Si Sweetman (illustrator), Exquisite Biome is in the world-building TTRPG tradition, but it focuses specifically on ecological biomes and the creatures that populate them. Through short generative prompts tied to a deck of playing cards, you build and witness the lives of animals far beyond the edge of our own world. Playing Exquisite Biome feels a little bit like being David Attenborough on an alien planet.\n\nWith beautiful, evocative art and short, easy-to-parse rules, Exquisite Biome is my go-to “what if we made up some weird little guys and set them in motion for an hour” game. And truly, what higher calling is there?\n\nFetch My Blade\n\nDid you know you can play one of the best tabletop RPGs whenever you want, without any scheduling nightmares or unfeasible time commitments? You can when you play Fetch My Blade, a solo journaling role-playing game created by Kelly Tran and Ethan Yen!\n\nIn Fetch My Blade, you role-play as a friendly or fierce dog of a retired legendary sword master. Create your character by choosing one of six dog breeds, including shih tzu, corgi, mastiff, border collie, husky, and chihuahua, or select your own! Determine three truths about your master and aid them when a mysterious stranger challenges them to a duel. It is up to you to go on a perilous quest of your own to retrieve your master’s fabled weapon in time for their final duel.\n\nThroughout this transformational quest, you use three six-sided dice to resolve mechanics for racing against time, overcoming treacherous encounters, and uncovering new truths about your master’s shrouded past. Embrace your inner doggy, buy this 17-page game, and begin your adventure today! Swiftly now — your master’s fate is in your paws!\n\nHome\n\nWesley “Nox” Crowe, aka Noxweiler Berf, creative director for Hunters Entertainment\n\nDoug Levandowski and Yeonsoo Julian Kim’s Home drew me in immediately, and has been one of my most recommended tabletop role-playing games. If you know me or my work, then the fact that it’s a horror game probably won’t come as much of a surprise. It’s a haunted house exploration simulator that can be played with a full table of players or alone as a solo journaling experience. It uses custom tarot cards and a whiteboard to track your character’s progress as they dare to shine a light on the chilling danger of a variety of potential scenarios full of ghosts and other dark entities.\n\n​The action is propelled through the use of the custom tarot cards — the Night Deck — which are filled with prompts that require the creative interaction of players. Each round, players take turn as the director of the story and guide the narrative forward using the guidance of the cards to describe and draw each room of the haunted house that they are exploring. The game encourages collaboration in determining the story’s direction and does a remarkable job of steering the action forward without a single game master putting forth the often large amount of preparation that role-playing games usually require.\n\n​As the game progresses, characters collect wounds and push past the terrors that await them and work together to resolve the mysteries at the root of each horror. The solo mode of the game plays just as smoothly as the group experience, leaning on the prompts and player’s imagination to create a journal documenting the character’s harrowing encounter.\n\nI can’t recommend it enough. Grab a copy of the PDF, turn down the lights, and start mapping your own haunted house!\n\nThe Luminant Age\n\nI became an immediate fan of Luminant Age after being invited to be a contributor. What caught my eye at the start was the Four Humanities ancestries named Blood, Clay, Silk, and Horn. This year, many of my Thursday mornings have been a whirlwind of weird as our playtest party encounter teleporting flickrats, heal via esseweaving, and get hunted down by cultists in stryx bonemasques. The city we’re in, Ourichor, is built on giant oil-rig-like platforms in the open ocean. There are no sun nor stars, but three moons... that you’re allowed to see.\n\nAlso, did I mention the predominant religion featured, the Angelites, memorialize their dead by preserving their eyeballs? You can even wear them as mourning jewelry.\n\nThis Pathfinder 2nd edition-compatible setting has been as enchantingly addictive as the fictional ichor that propelled Ourichor into the renaissance era that the project is named after. While there are only two exquisitely illustrated supplements on creatures and equipment available currently, I recommend those with a love of the unusual to keep an eye out for more in the years to come, such as the upcoming Paragons of Luminant Age that introduces NPCs and explores their motives through the four moons.\n\nMarvel Multiverse Role-playing Game\n\nAs a role-player, I’ve spent a lot of time looking for a good lightweight superhero RPG. I’ve tried quite a few but had yet to find one that really hit the mark for me until I tried Marvel Multiverse Role-playing Game. I have to say, I was initially dubious about this game but it has blown me out of the water. The game is utterly devoted to giving the players the feeling of playing a hero in the Marvel universe with tons of cool powers and power categories based on key Marvel heroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk. The system is easy, streamlined, and really carries the four-color comic book flavor. Probably one of the coolest aspects of the game is that while there is an exhaustive list of Marvel heroes and villains at the back of the book, you can create your own hero with their own power set and use that “bestiary” of heroic and villainous figures as allies and enemies in your own heroic adventures. For those of us who’ve always wanted to make their own X-Gene Mutant, Spirit of Vengeance, or Spidersona, this is a must-have book that will bring hours of enjoyment.\n\nMasks of the Masks\n\nSuperhero comics, for all their many flaws, remain my life’s great passion. That’s why, of all the games I’ve played this year, the one I want to shout about from the rooftops is Masks of the Masks by Hazel Amber Goswick. The game is an incredible piece of art: a tabletop RPG presented as a fully illustrated comic book, an homage to Bronze Age superhero stories just as Watchmen did, that critically explores and examines the violence inherent in its medium. It’s an absolute joy to behold as you flip through it; you can feel the love, consideration, and attention to detail dripping off of every move and every panel. Then, in play, it’s a revelation; a brilliant blend of Belonging Outside Belonging and Powered by the Apocalypse that builds on some of the luminaries of both systems to create something that just sings. Plus, it has some of the most wicked advancement mechanics I’ve run into in years, that both add to the play experience while heightening the ever-looming sense of dread and tragedy that’s so essential to comics of that time period. Cannot recommend enough.\n\nThe Monster Overhaul\n\nThe Monster Overhaul, by Skerples, reimagines not just the monsters, but the very notion of what a bestiary can and should be. The book is divided into 20 categories, each containing 10 critters that hew to a theme. The categories are unusual: There is “Dragons,” of course, but also “Summer” and “A Wizard Did It.” “Summer” monsters include the Froghemoth and Pyromancers. Some of these may sound similar to classic D&D monsters, others are entirely new. Tables galore help build and flesh out encounters. “Summer” has a set of generic swamp hexes; other entries have lairs and dungeons. There is an entire flowchart table for populating a megadungeon. Every page of this book is designed to make the reader think about monsters, how to make them feel new, or to recontextualize them, or to simply subvert player expectations. Like all great RPG supplements, The Monster Overhaul not only offers answers for these questions and more, it also teaches the reader how to continue answering them long after these published tables and suggestions are exhausted. A monstrous achievement that should be on every GM’s shelf.\n\nBonus: Reach of the Roach God\n\nReach of the Roach God is the hardcover high-watermark of A Thousand Thousand Islands (ATTI), a series of zines, that presents a system-agnostic setting inspired by the folklore of Southeast Asia. Odoyoq, the roach god, senses new ways it can insinuate itself into the lives of non-roachkind. The three schemes are presented as both traditional adventures and as collections of facts — about the setting, about the people living there and their motivations, about the desires of the god and the machinations of its agents. Events will quickly throw a small village, a monastery, and a necropolis into chaos. Two gazetteers and a sourcebook on the roaches follow, giving the GM ample material to expand the campaign. All this is wrapped in Munkao’s fantastically disgusting artwork. His vistas and cultural portraits are gorgeous, but when he brings his talents to bear on feelers and chitin and filth, the results are revolting in the best possible way. Sadly, this is likely the final installment in the ATTI series and unlikely to be reprinted, so get this book while you can!\n\nMonsterhearts\n\nFiguring out what to talk about proved trickier than I expected. A lot of the things I played this year were playtests or previews for things not out yet, which would feel more like a humblebrag than a recommendation, or were my own games which were great to play but would feel a bit weird and self-indulgent to suggest as the “best.”\n\nA really pleasant TTRPG memory I had from this year was playing Monsterhearts for the first time in three years. This was one of the first games I ever played (for ages afterwards I kept calling playbooks in every game “skins”). I played a one-shot with some friends I was reconnecting with and we mostly group game mastered. We played a gang of messy screw-ups who didn’t hugely get along, my character had traded her old gender to the fae over the summer, and we tried to investigate a potential monster hunter, a NPC most of our characters found too cool to talk to. There was a gag about someone doing a club remix of “Danny Boy” at a memorial service and the group chat with those friends is still named “Danny Boyz (The Pipes, The Pipes).”\n\nMörk Borg\n\nJasmine Bhullar, writer, content creator, executive producer of DesiQuest\n\nOf the games I delved into this year, although several afforded hours of entertainment, I felt myself repeatedly returning to one in particular. Although Mörk Borg was released in 2020, it was only in 2023 that I happily stumbled upon it and was able to somehow get a table together to run a game. The book itself has a stunning and distinct art style that immediately transports you into the doom metal fantasy of the setting; but that’s only a small part of its allure.\n\nUnlike many TTRPGs that one merely has aspirations of playing one day, Mörk Borg does everything in its power to make the game easy to run. Although it’s a short read, no line is wasted. Even item descriptions are dripping with hints at nefarious deeds one must have done to acquire them. The optional classes are an absolute delight for those of us that savor the idea of playing the unsavory. From the esoteric introverts that choose to make their hovel far from prying eyes to the unfortunate discarded-at-birth cutthroats who’ve had to scratch out a living any way they can, there is something for everyone. There is always the option of creating something more tailor-made if none of the classes are appealing, but I appreciate that Mörk Borg offers beginner-friendly ideas and archetypes to help you create something that fits right into the gritty setting. Furthermore, in the process of putting a game together, I found a glut of free online tools from dungeon generators to NPC character sheet generators that made game prep a breeze. I find myself coming back to this game again and again with each game session only giving me ideas for future campaigns. I know I’m not alone in this feeling given the number of Mörk Borg-compatible games that have sprung up this year, from Pirate Borg to Chris Lockey’s upcoming Abyss of Hallucinations.\n\nI’m Sorry Did You Say Street Magic\n\nMadison Durham, writer and journalist, staff writer at Reviewed\n\nTo me, some of the most joyful moments in tabletop gaming come from the experience of creative collaboration — the magic of making something new with friends, be it a narrative, a character, a world, or in this case, a city. I’m Sorry Did You Say Street Magic by Caro Asercion is a GM-less city-building game, played between a group of two to six people with a stack of index cards and your favorite writing utensils. The whimsically illustrated rulebook lays out the tools by which you’ll lay bricks for your city, weaving together your ideas and your fellow players’ to establish Landmarks, Residents, and Neighborhoods, all on a quest to find the city’s true names. It’s a beautifully simple game, guided by a Compass, which can be anything — literally. It’s almost impossible for me to capture the magic of this game with words, because each session we played was so entirely unique, from the verdant turtle-city in the sky we built out in stages to the haunted shell of a city we later used as our D&D setting. It’s a perfect game full stop, but especially for those seeking to rekindle their creativity, or simply to sit down and create with friends.\n\nTriangle Agency\n\n“I laughed so hard my face hurt.” —me, 10 minutes after my first session of Triangle Agency\n\nI love a game with style and a clear, fun point of view, so I’ve been a fan of Triangle Agency since I picked up its player guide in beta form earlier this year (to prep for writing a published adventure for the game). Written in the form of a cheerful, slightly threatening employee handbook, the Field Agent Manual guides you through the creation of your supernaturally powered character, then gets you ready for your role finding and containing Anomalies that threaten the nature of reality. After your team’s morning meeting, of course.\n\nBeyond the style of the materials, though, playing the game was an absolute blast. The mix of mundane life, weird occurrences, and corporate BS created a fast-paced game experience that was playful and easy to understand (just count those threes!), got every player invested in our characters and each other (even in a group of total strangers), and allowed the whole table to lean into both the strange and ridiculous nature of life. This year, it was just the kind of joy that I needed.\n\n2023 was a personal tabletop gold mine. We finally got Brennan Lee Mulligan’s first official 5e homebrew; I discovered tabletop meetup hub and game master meat market StartPlaying.Games, where you can, as I have, hire a handsome Scottish man to D&D dominate you and your friends every week; and I played a ton of my new favorite party game, As You ’Wich. It’s a dead-simple hand-builder that, for me at least, boils down to convincing your nephews to eat disgusting sandwiches (hair, mustard, and broken glass on marble rye, absolutely not toasted). But the fresh grand dame of my tabletop world is Triangle Agency, a gleaming, razor-sharp new TTRPG that feels like a cross between The X-Files, Annihilation, and playing Control with the Robert Anton Wilson mod turned on.\n\nIn Triangle Agency, you are super-abled agents investigating and stopping ontological anomalies from destroying reality, with mechanics that feel like the platonic ideal mix of analytic crunch and grand narrative weirdness. And my god, it is gorgeous, with jaw-dropping art and design that puts it on the same shelf as Wanderhome and Mörk Borg. The full game ships early in 2024, but you can get the digital rules and start playing right now, for the low, low price of “whatever you think is appropriate.”\n\nTwilight: 2000\n\nCharlie Hall, senior editor, tabletop\n\nI firmly believe that tabletop role-play should always take into account the audience that sits down at the table to play. That’s part of the reason why I hate best-of lists for this particular category of games in particular. What difference does it make if something scores highly on some arbitrary rubric if it doesn’t resonate with the people in your community? And so I look at year-end lists like these as a kind of menu, boards of fare that clever game masters can use to pick just the right flavor for a given table.\n\nFor me this year was all about reconnecting with the other dads in my neighborhood after years spent locked inside during the pandemic. I spun up a Discord that we used to organize friendly games of Call of Duty’s DMZ mode, organized a few visits to the local brewery to catch up make new connections, and generally just tried to get awkward, middle-aged men accustomed to seeing each other socially again. One night I decided to bust out Twilight: 2000, and it was an instant hit.\n\nTwilight: 2000 is a game about surviving in the aftermath of a fictional nuclear conflict in the heart of Europe. It’s an alternate history where the Cold War went hot, swallowing up an entire United States Marine division. Players take on the role of soldiers and other hangers-on just trying to make it out alive. The heady mix of dice-driven gunplay and a playing-card-style encounter creation makes it easy to run. But the fun begins even before that with character generation, which uses old school randomized tables to simulate an entire military career. If you’re looking to get your video gaming buddies around the table for something that doesn’t require a headset or shouting down pre-teens in a glitchy public lobby, the all-inclusive starter set comes highly recommended.\n\nProject ECCO\n\nIt’s a near-impossible task to get a consistent group together, so solo TTRPGs have become my primary method of gaming. However, the barrier for me is finding a game with a balance of narrative and mechanics that isn’t overwhelmingly crunchy, but also isn’t open-ended to the point of choice paralysis. For me, Project ECCO found that balance.\n\nA story of time travel and cosmic horror, Project ECCO is easy to get into and relatively quick to play (three to 10 hours per game). Between the hundreds of narrative prompts, unlocking various time travel “devices” (coins, dice, tarot cards, etc.), and the absolutely stunning layout, this is one of my favorite TTRPGs, period.\n\nPlayed in the pages of a yearly planner, Project ECCO hits every beat of a good time-travel story: time loops and timeline divergences, a shady and controlling Time Travel Agency, and an unknowable cosmic Entity consuming spacetime. As you play, you (literally) burn through the days of your planner, creating an artifact, marked and changed by the telling of your agent’s story.\n\nFor an example of gameplay and a masterfully produced actual play, listen to the Project ECCO miniseason of My First Dungeon with game designer Elliot Davis.\n\nThe Quiet Year\n\nEm Friedman, associate professor of English at Auburn University and Polygon contributor\n\nLook, The Quiet Year appeared not once but twice on last year’s roundup, I know. Jay Dragon praised its elegance and Keerthi Sridharan noted the way their game group used it as a prologue (as Friends at the Table and The Adventure Zone have popularized), and it’s a standard early on in my TTPRG class. But for me it was the standout game of this year because after running it for my niece (then 4) and nephew (8), my nephew asked that I run “the skulls game” for his entire class. While not intended for a dozen grade schoolers, it turns out the mechanics of The Quiet Year — which ensure everyone gets to have their turn unimpeded by the commentary of others, ritualizes dissent and discussion, as well as having a glorious sheet of blank paper to draw the zombie chicken monster friend of your dreams — turned out to be a perfect framework to imagine how to work together. All that, and it fits in my pocket.\n\nWhat Dust Remains\n\nDanny Quach, Digital Thiccness, TTRPG writer, designer, and performer\n\nDespite my generally sunny disposition, big smile, and boisterous laughter (as well as being deemed the internet’s emotional support himbo), I love all of my emotions — the good, bad, and ugly. I love emo/screamo/post-hardcore music and exploring the darkness through lyrics. I love the gothic and macabre, finding comfort in losing something you once had. I love horror movies and the inherent queerness of being an outcast being pushed to their limits. And I love games that explore themes of melancholy and loss. Enter: What Dust Remains by 2022 Diana Jones Emerging Designer award winner Bianca Canoza — aka Momatoes. Taught by the designer herself, I got to play this at Big Bad Con 2023 with two other strangers who quickly became co-collaborators in this tragic world we built in under two hours that told a story of a legacy that wasn’t quite within reach. Impassioned and intriguing card-prompted questions along with focused, intense moments of dice rolls that helped move the story along, What Dust Remains challenged me to discover, explore, and sit in moments of despair and desperation and had the whole table contemplating what parts of us are we going to sacrifice to leave a legacy that would be bigger than we could ever be behind.\n\nThe Wildsea\n\nEarlier this year, I searched for the perfect system to kickstart my new actual-play campaign with three “must-haves” in mind: a vivid world, rich character options, and simple but punchy rules. Through sheer accident (providence?), I stumbled upon The Wildsea by Felix Isaacs and Mythworks — and it was love at first sight.\n\nIn this game, players embody wildsailors: swashbuckling adventurers who traverse a strange and vibrant world made of fantastical vegetation. The character generation process encourages delightfully bizarre concepts like pinwolf-taming sharpshooters trapped in amber, omen-speaking moth chefs, or even collections of a thousand spiders wearing skin suits. The mechanics are structured around a d6 dice pool system with bands of success that generate interesting outcomes no matter what you roll.\n\nThe beautifully illustrated rulebook not only allowed me to add my own twists, but actively endorsed it, with multiple sections dedicated to alternate ways of running encounters and ideas for creating your own unique lore. My players and I had an absolute BLAST playing The Wildsea both on and off stream, and we were stoked (but not surprised!) when it won an Ennie this year. If you’re looking for a narratively focused game with an imaginative world and mechanics that inspire cinematic play, then give The Wildsea a shot!", + "“In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” That’s the tagline of Warhammer 40,000, one of the most over-the-top and brutal sci-fi settings around. But even in a merciless, brutal dystopia that grinds its people into dust, some get to enjoy being on the top of the food chain. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is about the perils and pleasures of being atop that particular hierarchy.\n\nRogue Traders in 40K are freelance explorers, scouting the far frontiers of the Imperium of Man. It’s a risky career, but it comes with luxurious rewards: agency, freedom, power, and a giant flagship. As the player, I explore a system of the Imperium with a loyal crew of companions, making impactful choices and determining the fate of those around me.\n\nRogue Trader is a computer role-playing game in the vein of Baldur’s Gate 3 or Pillars of Eternity. I create my custom protagonist, determining stats and bonuses based on my backstory, home world, and so on. I’m then thrust into a high-pressure job interview as a potential heir to a Rogue Trader aboard her flagship. Little do we know that there’s a coup in the works, and traitors aboard the ship. After a deadly struggle against heretics and demons, I ascend to the position of Rogue Trader. I’m the captain now, and I get to decide how to run my ship.\n\nThis is a vast game, with tons of features you’d expect from a CRPG — companions (each with their own narrative paths and conversation trees), top-down strategic combat, and branching choices that impact the world around you. I get to make choices all day — in fact, that’s part of the gig of a Rogue Trader. Some are more important than others; whenever I get to specific points in the story, I can choose from one of three major paths. Dogmatic choices exult the God-Emperor and loathe the mutant and the witch, the Heretical options pursue corruptive power, and the Ionoclast path is the closest thing we have to modern-day “good guy” morality.\n\nAfter the events of the tutorial, my beautiful voidship is run down and my staff is struggling. As the newly anointed Rogue Trader, I have to trek around the various planets of the Koronus Expanse to get a new Navigator, fix my ship up, and avoid any major diplomatic incidents with the locals. My voidship is the size of a modern city; I’m as much a governor as a captain, and I have to manage the ship, its cargo, and its many occupants.\n\nIn the process of getting back on my feet, I uncover a nefarious cult and a deep conspiracy. It’s not an easy job, but I’m blessed with a handful of companions from the Imperium to help me out. I can call on them to unlock doors or perform other environmental checks, but they come most in handy in combat.\n\nWhen I meet opposition, it’s deeply satisfying to control my troops in a turn-based battle. Each fight takes place on a grid; it’s very similar to Baldur’s Gate 3 or even XCOM 2. Some positions provide cover, while others are out in the open. Friendly fire is also a very real concern. An arc of auto-fire from a bolter, or a Navigator’s third eye opening, can harm friend as well as foe. My Rogue Trader is a sniper, and she would be lost without her Senechal taking the front lines. There’s a lot of firepower at my disposal, and it’s mostly quite satisfying to use — even if I occasionally shred my poor Senechal with a devastating AOE.\n\nI can chat with the companions between battles, learning more about their pasts. Most of them have deep and dark secrets I can uncover with a little time or patience, and they have fascinating stories to tell. Abelard, my Senechal, is a guy who sucks morally but will back me to the absolute hilt. I grew to love hearing about his days in the Imperial Navy, and he was the one guy I felt like I could trust. Augusta, a Sister of Battle, starts as a one-note zealot, but cracks form in that facade when I learn about her past and doubts. Cassia and Pasqal both represent two sub-factions in 40K, and they have lots to share about the Navigators and Tech-Priests.\n\nMy absolute favorite companion is Marazhai Aezyrraesh, a dark space elf who feeds off the suffering of sentient beings. He’s cruel, depraved, and an absolute hoot. Yes, he may flay a few too many people for my tastes, but he’s the best companion to bring to a party.\n\nIn the grand scheme of things, this is one of the most complete and detailed explorations of the 40K universe you can find. The game is an homage to the Warhammer 40K RPGs from Fantasy Flight Games, including Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy. I spent years as a teenager and young adult poring over these sourcebooks (which Rogue Trader is inspired by), learning more about the tiny details of life in the Imperium. Developer Owlcat Games has paid the same attention to every detail of the Koronus Expanse. I delve into ancient facilities staffed by tech-priests of the Machine God, the hostile xenos city of Commorragh, or massive cities built to honor the God-Emperor of Mankind.\n\nI love the characters, the environments, the writing, the lore, and the flow of battles. But I have concerns with the game’s pacing. By the end of the first chapter, I had leveled up 16 times. Each level offered marginal rewards, like being able to move slightly farther during the character’s turn in combat or having a higher parry chance when being attacked. A slow drip-feed system means each level feels less important, and even though I’m growing stronger, I don’t get that sense of long-term satisfaction.\n\nIt’s especially frustrating to hit a roadblock like the one at the end of Act 1, where an incredibly tough boss rolls out of nowhere and spanks my crew — and I can’t leave to go grind experience somewhere else. I eventually found out a way to cheese the fight by focusing on my melee fighters’ positioning, but it took far too long banging my head against the wall. The victory tasted like ash in my mouth after all that frustration.\n\nVoidship combat is another aspect that feels clunky and frustrating. Like the squad-based skirmishes, naval encounters are also turn-based, where positioning is ultra important. Space naval battles should feel tense, but instead, I’m mostly annoyed at having to continually rotate my ship and set up my zones of attack. I wish I could delegate these annoyances to my Senechal — to delegate the duties of character leveling and ship combat, the better to appreciate all of the things Rogue Trader is doing so well.\n\nRogue Trader is a dense, vast game, and much of it has clearly been crafted with love for the expansive lore of the 40K canon. While there are small annoyances and clunky features along the way, the political intrigue, cast of characters, and moral choices have me hooked. For 40K fans, this is a rare treat — a game that digs past the heroic facade of bolters and battles and taps into the grimdark dystopia that makes this particular sci-fi setting so damn compelling.\n\nWarhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader will be released on Dec. 7 on Windows PC. The game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Owlcat Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here .", + "The grip Twitter, now called X, has on the market may be stronger than some believed. Unfortunately, that’s led to the first casualty among Twitter alternatives, as the startup Pebble (formerly T2), is shutting down. The would-be X rival had grown a small but engaged community on its microblogging service that aimed to dupe Twitter’s features, from its verification systems to functionality like DMs. But the company says they’ve run out of time to make Pebble happen — the app maxed out at 3,000 daily active users, out of 20,000 registered users. That daily user figure fell to 1,000 daily users following its rebranding from T2.\n\nIn part, the sizable competition coming from other Twitter rivals was to blame, says co-founder and CEO Gabor Cselle, who had exits to Google and Twitter prior to starting Pebble.\n\n“I think the competitive landscape evolved faster than we had thought,” he explains. “I didn’t think that quite as many people — established organizations and newcomers — would try to do the same thing that we were doing and in very similar ways.”\n\nToday, the market for Twitter alternatives is a crowded one, to say the least. There are numerous services for consumers to try, including the open source-based platform Mastodon, a soon-to-be decentralized system from Bluesky, plus smaller startups like Spill, Spoutible and Post, as well as a new app from Meta called Instagram Threads.\n\nThen, of course, there’s the X factor to consider. The default platform for short posts retains some pull, despite — or perhaps because of — new owner Elon Musk’s antics. Though the company may not have yet succeeded from a business and financial perspective, it’s been hard for others to duplicate its function as a breaking news platform and place for spirited debates.\n\n“I think Threads and others have encountered this as well,” adds Pebble co-founder and CTO Michael Greer, previously Discord engineering head. “The durability of the network effect of Twitter is stronger than anticipated,” he says.\n\nDespite these challenges, Pebble initially had decent retention. By week four, it was seeing retention rates of 30%, in fact. Its invite list was also working, as 60% of people who received a Pebble invite converted to become users. In addition, some 10,000 users arrived at that list from early press, like TechCrunch’s coverage of its first outside funding — a $1.1 million angel round that included investors like former Google VP Bradley Horowitz, Android co-founder Rich Miner and the former CEO of Wikipedia, Katherine Maher. Data from Similarweb indicates the Pebble website topped 99,300 visits last month, indicating repeat usage.\n\nThe company’s hypothesis was that consumers were hungry for a Twitter alternative that prioritized trust, safety and moderation from the start. To that end, Pebble’s founding team included co-founder Sarah Oh, Twitter’s former human rights advisor.\n\nPebble continues to believe its approach to moderation was correct, even if it was not ultimately a factor in driving growth.\n\n“We came in with a particular angle: kinder, safer. Trust and safety. And I think our approach to moderation that we did have on the site did work,” says Cselle, adding that Pebble didn’t have some of the issues other federated platforms faced. For example, TechCrunch reported that Bluesky earlier this year had strained its relationship with Black users, as it failed to crack down on bigotry on the site. Later, users on Bluesky were even creating usernames with racial slurs, and yet the platform didn’t issue a public apology. Pebble never faced any such controversies.\n\nBut it may have positioned itself a little too far into the “kindness” territory, the founders now believe.\n\n“We were really seized by people saying they wanted something that felt safer, where they could speak openly without dogpiling,” says Oh. “And so we were confident that was an important thing to hit. Are there other things that are equally important and a great user experience? Yes.”\n\n“Twitter is you have real people…saying real things,” Oh continues. “At the expense of using a word that’s overused, ‘authentic.’ And our theory was always if you can create a space where people really feel like they can let down their hair, then you would get that authentic content. We didn’t quite get there,” she admits.\n\nCselle agrees, noting that, perhaps, Pebble should have opened up enough space for disagreement to happen, while still drawing a hard line on the most disagreeable parts of running a Twitter-like platform.\n\n“I think we could have maybe moved a little bit further towards that,” he says. “There’s a lot of nice things that are said on Pebble, but maybe not enough breaking news. Not enough conversation.”\n\nThere were other things that may have hurt Pebble’s traction, too, including its lack of a native mobile app. As T2, the startup prioritized building for the web to be agile and more flexible, but lost out on the opportunities for discovery driven by the app stores. Notes Greer, “that might have been a mistake.”\n\nIn retrospect, Cselle also questions if the rebranding from T2 to Pebble may have been an issue.\n\n“I’m wondering if the Pebble rebrand had actually softened the value prop[position] because T2 just encapsulated it so much — that it was really duplicative [of Twitter],” he says.\n\nLike most startup shutdowns, the answer as to “why” is not any one thing but a combination of factors. For Pebble, that’s certainly true. It was a perfect storm of competition, X’s continued traction, the lack of a native app, a brand that didn’t resonate and a space that was maybe a little too safe to be as addictive and as fun as the original.\n\nWith Pebble’s winddown, being announced to users today at 9 AM PT, early adopters will have the option of exporting their Pebble archive as a zip file that loads a mini web page showcasing all their old posts. Pebble won’t be directing users back to X however, or any other social network.\n\nAs for where the founders will now hang out?\n\n“I don’t know. Maybe LinkedIn,” Cselle jokes.\n\nPebble is also returning a small amount of the funds left over to its investors, more as a courtesy to show financial responsibility. The Pebble website will be shut down on November 1st and there aren’t further plans for the IP at this time.\n\nThe founders don’t regret their experience building Pebble, even though it didn’t turn out as they hoped, they said.\n\nSays Cselle, “One thing that I learned is that there’s absolutely an audience that wants to see a new kind of Twitter-like platform built and will ask for the features that Twitter has.” He suspects the team might stay together to work on something new after Pebble wraps, taking the learnings from Pebble with them. That includes better communicating to users what great content should look like on a platform, and how they can win.\n\n“We’re at an inflection point in social media,” says Oh. “We had one hypothesis with T2 and Pebble. It obviously didn’t pan out the way that we wanted it to. But I think we’ll look back and see this past year is a really important turning point for the role that social media plays in our lives,” she adds.", + "A Pittsburgh boy with a rare liver disease is fighting for his life — and his family is hoping for a second miracle to save him.\n\nLucas Goeller, now 10, was born with a rare, life-threatening condition called biliary atresia, which is a blockage that prevents bile from traveling from the liver to the gallbladder.\n\nEight years after he received his first transplant as a toddler, his transplanted organ is now failing again — and his life depends on receiving another donation.\n\nONE FAMILY DONATES FOUR KIDNEYS TO SAVE A NEW YORK MAN’S LIFE: ‘DEFIED ALL ODDS’\n\nIn 2015, when he was just a toddler, the child's health declined rapidly.\n\nHe spent 18 months on the liver transplant list, getting sicker each week, and did not receive a single organ donation offer.\n\n\"He was on the brink of death, unable to walk or talk,\" said his mother, Jessica Goeller, in an interview with Fox News Digital.\n\n\" God told me to start a Facebook page for him, and at the time I really wasn't into social media.\"\n\nThat page led to a viral national campaign — complete with local news stories and donated billboards — that attracted the attention of a Nebraska family.\n\nARKANSAS MILITARY VETERAN RECEIVES WORLD’S FIRST WHOLE-EYE AND PARTIAL-FACE TRANSPLANT\n\nAnd in July of that year, at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, little 2-year-old Lucas received the liver of 3-year-old Olivia Swedberg, who had passed away a day earlier of brain cancer .\n\n\"I'm in awe when someone can take their suffering and turn it into something beautiful by donating and giving someone a second chance,\" said Goeller.\n\nAfter that first transplant, her young son made a \"miraculous recovery,\" Goeller said.\n\nnext Image 1 of 2\n\nprev Image 2 of 2\n\nFor \"eight beautiful years,\" Goeller said, Lucas experienced a normal life as a happy, healthy boy .\n\n\"He was able to do things that he never could do before,\" she said. \"He went from watching out of windows to being an active participant in life.\"\n\n\"I'm in awe when someone can take their suffering and turn it into something beautiful by donating and giving someone a second chance.\"\n\nBut all of that changed this year, when his routine medical scans and blood work indicated that his liver had begun to fail.\n\n\"His failing liver is affecting his lung function and his ammonia levels,\" Goeller told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"That would be drastic for anyone, but for a child who's growing and cognitively developing, it is devastating to [his] development.\"\n\nDr. George Mazariegos, chief of pediatric transplantation at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, said Lucas is experiencing some of the more subtle changes of liver failure.\n\nPIG HEART RECIPIENT'S ‘LAST WISH’ WAS TO HELP DOCTORS LEARN FROM PROCEDURE, DYING MAN SAID: ‘WE WILL MISS HIM'\n\n\"Those include not being able to grow normally and not getting the proper levels of oxygen to his body and brain, because the blood is being shunted away from the liver,\" he told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Those are important and potentially life-threatening complications.\"\n\nAs of now, Lucas is still at home and \"managing his symptoms,\" Mazeriegos said, but the doctor emphasized the importance of his receiving a timely transplant before further complications occur.\n\nnext Image 1 of 2\n\nprev Image 2 of 2\n\nThe Goellers are now seeking support again, launching the \"Save Lucas\" campaign across social media.\n\nAnd the city of Pittsburgh has rallied once more behind the family, with newly donated billboards and media campaigns.\n\n\"We're trying to not only save Lucas, but also to build organ donation awareness for both deceased and living donors,\" said Goeller.\n\nULTIMATE FATHER’S DAY GIFT: SON DONATES KIDNEY TO SAVE HIS DAD’S LIFE\n\n\"We want it to really sink into hearts around the world because it's so important.\"\n\nDespite his challenges, young Lucas Goeller remains positive, active and upbeat, continuing to enjoy his love of the outdoors and hunting with his father and his three brothers, aged 12, 8, and 4.\n\n\"He's always filled with so much joy,\" his mother said. \"We get our strength from him. He encourages all of us to continue to look at the positives in life.\"\n\nThe ideal living donor for Lucas is someone with type O blood, aged 20 to 49, with a BMI below 30.\n\nChallenges facing pediatric transplants\n\nBeyond seeking a liver for their son, the Goellers are looking to raise awareness about the critical need for donors to help the more than 100,000 individuals on the organ donor list.\n\nChildren on transplant lists in the U.S. face three key challenges, Mazariegos said.\n\nTINA TURNER SUFFERED FROM KIDNEY DISEASE BEFORE HER DEATH: 'I HAVE PUT MYSELF IN GREAT DANGER'\n\n\"First, there is a great demand for life-saving transplants, and there are 10 times the number of adults on the liver transplant list as there are children,\" he told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"This creates a challenge to allocate the right or the best organ for the children who are waiting on the list.\"\n\nWhile Mazariegos noted that the allocation policy is slowly improving, it's still imperfect and doesn't always prioritize children appropriately.\n\nEach year, dozens of children in the U.S. die while awaiting a new liver.\n\nMazariegos is determined to eliminate this \"wait list mortality\" through the use of partial liver transplants. That's when either a living or deceased donor’s liver is donated to two different recipients.\n\n\"Saving lives is not about competition — it’s about collaboration.\"\n\nAnother challenge is that not all the centers in the country have the capacity to perform highly complex transplants like the one Lucas needs.\n\n\"We need to train centers across the country on the techniques that will allow them to transplant these children,\" Mazariegos said.\n\nBoth the Goeller family and the UPMC doctors stressed the importance of raising organ donor awareness so that more families register as organ donors.\n\nMazariegos noted that people need to be made aware of living donation, which is when donors give part of their liver to a recipient.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER\n\nIn 2018, UPMC started a learning network, the Starzl Network for Excellence in Pediatric Transplantation, in honor of Dr. Thomas Starzl, who is recognized as the father of transplantation.\n\n\"This is an effort to level the playing field and extend the expertise to centers that want to provide the same level of care their patients deserve.\"\n\nIn Pennsylvania alone , 18 children are waiting for liver transplants, while 300 children are on the list nationwide, Goeller pointed out.\n\n\"Life-saving donation is only possible through somebody else's love,\" she said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\nShe said she hopes \"this campaign will inspire others to keep the conversation going and keep talking about Lucas and about other children and adults who need transplants.\"\n\nShe added, \"Saving lives is not about competition — it’s about collaboration. It’s going to take more than a village to get this message across the entire world.\"", + "Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.\n\nWe're into day two of Amazon's latest storewide sale for Amazon Prime members, Prime Big Deal Days, and there are still plenty of hefty discounts on headphones, earbuds and gaming headsets we recommend. We’ve sorted through the best headphone deals of the October Prime Day event below, which include new lows on the AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5, Beats Studio Pro, Amazon Echo Buds and more. Just note that some, but not all, of the offers are only accessible if you subscribe to Prime.\n\nSony Prime Day headphone deals\n\nSony WH-1000XM4\n\nSony WH-1000XM4 $248 $348 Save $100 See at Amazon\n\nThe Sony WH-1000XM4 is back down to $248, which is $20 more than its all-time low but roughly $80 below its average street price. This is Sony’s last-gen pair of wireless noise-cancelers, but it still delivers powerful ANC, 30-ish hours of battery life and a similarly rich feature set as the newer WH-1000XM5 (which isn't on sale as of this writing). Unlike its successor, it can also fold up for easier storage. It doesn’t have the XM5’s adaptive ANC system, however, and its mic quality isn’t as clear. It’s slightly heavier too, plus it sounds a bit boomier out of the box. But for less than $250, it remains a great value. We gave the XM4 a review score of 94 back in 2020.\n\nSony WF-1000XM5\n\nSony WF-1000XM5 $278 $300 Save $22 See at Amazon\n\nThe in-ear Sony WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, are on sale for $278. That’s only $20 off, but it marks the first discount we’ve seen for the top pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We gave this true wireless pair a score of 87 earlier this year: Like Sony’s over-ear models, it comes with a range of useful features, powerful noise cancellation and a warm yet detailed default sound. The design here is also much more agreeable than previous Sony earphones.\n\nSony LinkBuds S\n\nSony LinkBuds S $128 $200 Save $72 See at Amazon\n\nThe Sony LinkBuds S are on sale for $128, which is a price we’ve seen in the past but still takes about $30 off the pair’s average street price. We highlight the LinkBuds S as an honorable mention in our wireless earbuds guide, as we like its compact design, decent noise cancellation, handy bonus features and warm sound. It can’t match the ANC strength or battery life of the WF-1000XM5, but it also costs a fair bit less, which helps.\n\nApple Prime Day headphone deals\n\nAirPods Pro\n\nApple AirPods Pro (USB-C) $189 $239 Save $50 See at Amazon\n\nThe USB-C version of Apple’s AirPods Pro is down to $189, which is $60 off Apple’s list price and a new low. The Lightning version is available for the same price. This is the “best for iOS” pick in our buying guide. Both models still deliver strong ANC, a superb transparency mode and a pleasingly warm sound. They also come with a variety of Apple-specific features, including hands-free Siri access, Find My tracking and fast pairing with other Apple devices. A recent update added an “Adaptive Audio” mode that dynamically blends its ANC and transparency modes based on your surroundings, while the new USB-C model comes with improved dust resistance alongside the new charging port. That said, you really need to be committed to the Apple ecosystem to get the most out of this, and the six-hour battery life is just OK. We gave the AirPods Pro a score of 88 last year.\n\nApple AirPods (2nd Gen)\n\nApple AirPods (2nd Gen) $89 $129 Save $40 See at Amazon\n\nApple’s second-gen AirPods, meanwhile, are back down to $89. That’s $10 off their usual street price. We can’t broadly recommend the base AirPods to most people these days, as their one-size-fits-all design won’t work for everyone and there are better-sounding options for the money. However, if you’re all-in on Apple devices and just want the usual AirPods perks in an unsealed design, this deal makes the pair a little more palatable.\n\nBeats Prime Day headphone deals\n\nBeats Studio Pro\n\nBeats Studio Pro $180 $350 Save $170 See at Amazon\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro is on sale for $180, which is a new low and a sizable $170 discount. We gave these wireless over-ears a review score of 81 in July: We can’t recommend them over the top picks in our guide, but they offer a pleasant, even-handed sound, helpful ANC and the ability to stream higher-quality audio over a USB-C connection. Like most Beats headphones, they also play nice with Android. That said, multi-device pairing doesn’t work with iOS, there’s no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn’t super premium. But at this price, the Studio Pro could make sense if you really dig the Beats aesthetic.\n\nBeats Fit Pro\n\nBeats Fit Pro $160 $200 Save $40 See at Amazon\n\nThe Beats Fit Pro is down to $160, which is a price we’ve seen multiple times in recent months but still takes $40 off the pair’s MSRP. The Fit Pro is the “best for workouts” pick in our wireless earbuds guide, as it offers most of the Apple-friendly perks you’d get from a set of AirPods — Beats is a subsidiary of Apple — in a sportier, more stable design. Its punchy yet refined sound is a plus, and it uses physical control buttons instead of touch panels. However, it lacks multi-device pairing and wireless charging, and its ANC is a step down from the AirPods Pro. We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 in 2021.\n\nAnker Prime Day headphone deals\n\nSoundcore Space A40\n\nAnker Soundcore Space A40 $54 $100 Save $46 See at Amazon\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren’t quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn’t completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won’t auto-pause when you remove an earbud.\n\nAnker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC\n\nAnker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC $80 $100 Save $20 See at Amazon\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC carry most of the same benefits as the Space A40 but use a “stem” design reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods. They put a little more emphasis on the bass by default, but you can change that sound profile up with a few EQ tools in Anker’s app. They also support wear detection. If you prefer this sort of form factor, the Liberty 4 NC is down to $80, which is a $20 discount and matches its lowest price to date.\n\nAnker Soundcore Space Q45\n\nAnker Soundcore Space Q45 $100 $150 Save $50 See at Amazon\n\nThe Anker Soundcore Space Q45 is on sale for $100, which is a $50 discount and an all-time low. While not as nice as most of the pricier models in this roundup, the Space Q45 is a fine value if you can’t spend more than $100. Its adaptive ANC is better-than-average and can be set to a manual mode if needed, it supports multi-device pairing and its design is comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Sound quality is where the price is most evident, as it’s a little too uneven in the treble, but its bass-heavy profile should work for fans of hip-hop and EDM. You can tweak the sound somewhat through the EQ tools in Anker’s Soundcore app.\n\nAnker Soundcore Life Q30\n\nAnker Soundcore Life Q30 $56 $80 Save $24 See at Amazon\n\nIf you want a decent set of noise-canceling over-ears for as little as possible, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is also worth considering. It’s now down to $56, which is $24 less than usual. This pair isn’t built as well as the Space Q45, nor does it sound as nice out of the box, as it massively inflates the bass and degrades when ANC is active. Call quality is worse too. That said, it’s comfortable, its battery can last more than 40 hours and the ANC itself is excellent for less than $60. You still get multi-device pairing and a customizable EQ as well.\n\nBose Prime Day headphone deals\n\nBose QuietComfort Earbuds II\n\nBose QuietComfort Earbuds II $199 $279 Save $80 See at Amazon\n\nThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are available for $199, which is an all-time low and roughly $75 off their average street price. This pair has technically been replaced by Bose’s new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which add a new spatial audio mode. That model isn’t discounted as of this writing, however, and the two pairs are largely similar otherwise. The QC II’s chief selling point is its ANC performance, which is still among the most powerful on the market. If that’s your chief concern, saving $99 to buy the older pair may still make sense. Just note that it lacks multi-device pairing and wireless charging, and that its earpieces are on the bulky side. We gave the QC IIs a review score of 87 last year.\n\nBose QuietComfort 45\n\nBose QuietComfort 45 $229 $329 Save $100 See at Amazon\n\nAlong those lines, the Bose QuietComfort 45 are down to $229. That’s $30 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked for these over-ears but still $80 below their average street price as of late. This is another noise-canceling set that Bose recently replaced, but the differences between the QC 45 and the new QuietComfort Headphones appear to be small, so the older model is worth a look when it’s discounted like this. We gave the QC 45 a review score of 86 in 2021, and we still like its lightweight design, upper-tier ANC and easygoing sound. You can’t manually adjust the intensity of the ANC, unlike the newer model, and Sony’s XM5 and XM4 provide longer battery life and a more versatile feature set for those willing to pay up. But if that’s not you, the QC 45 is a fine alternative at this price.\n\nSennheiser Prime Day headphone deals\n\nSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3\n\nSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 $142 $280 Save $138 See at Amazon\n\nThe Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is available for $142, which is a new low. This pair has normally retailed around $180 in recent months. This is the runner-up pick in our wireless earbuds guide, as Engadget’s resident audio expert Billy Steele considers it the best-sounding true wireless pair he’s tested. That warm yet customizable sound is joined by a solid adaptive ANC system, though Sennheiser’s pair isn’t as effective as the Sony WF-1000XM5 in that regard, nor does it have the same deep feature set.\n\nSennheiser HD560S\n\nSennheiser HD 560S $150 $229 Save $79 See at Amazon\n\nWe’re mostly sticking to wireless headphones here since that’s just the way the market has moved, but if you want a quality wired model, the Sennheiser HD 560S is worth a look at $150. While not an all-time low, that’s about $35 below the pair’s typical street price. We recommend the HD 560S in our guide to the best gaming headphones. Its open-back design lets in and leaks a ton of noise, but it sounds spacious, detailed and well-balanced, which makes it a treat for critical listening. It’s comfortable to wear for extended periods as well. Just don’t expect much in the way of deep sub-bass response.\n\nOther Prime Day wireless headphone deals\n\nAmazon Echo Buds (2023)\n\nAmazon Echo Buds (2023) $35 $50 Save $15 See at Amazon\n\nPrime members can get the latest Amazon Echo Buds for $35, which is $15 off and an all-time low. This is another pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds. Specifically, the Echo Buds should appeal to those who prefer a more open design, one that lets in outside noise but doesn’t insert directly into your ear canal. They can sound solid for the price with a bit of EQ tweaking, and they support features we don’t often see for less than $50, such as wear detection and multipoint connectivity. They also have Alexa baked in, natch. Their IPX2 sweat-resistance rating isn’t enough for workouts, and their five-ish hours of battery life is just average, but they’re worth a look if you’re on a tight budget and hate the feel of traditional in-ear headphones. We gave them a score of 77 earlier this year.\n\nShokz OpenRun Pro\n\nShokz OpenRun Pro $125 $180 Save $55 See at Amazon\n\nThe Shokz OpenRun Pro is down to $125 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is $25 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $55 below its usual going rate. This is a recommended pair of bone conduction headphones, which means it hugs the side of your head and delivers sound by passing vibrations through your skull. (It’s not as uncomfortable as it sounds.) The main benefit is that this leaves your ear canals completely open, so you can enjoy a playlist or podcast without being shut out from the outside world. The downside, usually, is that you don’t get as full a sound as you would with a traditional pair. That’ll still be the case here, but we’ve found the OpenRun Pro to deliver more low-end depth than most of its peers. They’re fairly comfy and get up to 10 hours of battery life beyond that.\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro\n\nGoogle Pixel Buds Pro $120 $200 Save $80 See at Amazon\n\nThe Google Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $120, which is a new low and $80 off Google’s list price. This is the “best for Android” recommendation in our wireless earbuds guide, and it earned a review score of 87 last year. Its ANC and V-shaped sound profile aren’t as superlative as our top picks, but they’re fine, and the whole package integrates tightly with Google’s line of Pixel phones. An upcoming firmware update promises improved call quality — one of our review’s chief complaints — and the ability to automatically pause music when you’re speaking, similar to what pairs from Sony and Apple offer. Those with smaller ear canals may find the fit to be tricky, though we had few issues with comfort in testing.\n\nJLab Go Air Pop\n\nJLab Go Air Pop $16 $25 Save $8 See at Amazon\n\nThe JLab Go Air Pop is down to $16.44 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is about $6 less than usual. We highlight this set in our budget wireless earbuds guide, as it gets you a compact shape, IPX4-rated water resistance, eight or so hours of battery life and a full set of functional touch controls for dirt cheap. Its boomy sound isn’t exactly great, but it’s serviceable, which is a victory when we’re talking about $16 wireless earbuds. Plus, while it lacks a companion app, JLab bakes three EQ presets into the earbuds themselves.\n\nPrime Day gaming headset deals\n\nHyperX Cloud Stinger 2\n\nHyperX Cloud Stinger 2 $35 $50 Save $15 See at Amazon\n\nThe top budget pick in our gaming headphones buying guide, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, is on sale for $35. That’s just a modest $5 discount but matches the lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn’t have the most balanced or detailed sound, but its V-shaped signature gives action scenes a nice level of impact, and its mic quality belies the dirt-cheap price. The design is comfortable too, though it’s made from cheap-feeling plastic.\n\nHyperX Cloud Alpha\n\nHyperX Cloud Alpha $60 $100 Save $40 See at Amazon\n\nIf you’re willing to pay a little more, the HyperX Cloud Alpha is another decent value at $60, which is $15 or so lower than its typical street price. We note this as an honorable mention in our guide: It’s been around for a few years now, but it’s comfortable, and its detachable mic is solid. It’s better built than the Cloud Stinger 2 as well. At this price, they don’t sound bad either, though an underemphasized treble means they aren’t especially detailed.\n\nLogitech G535\n\nLogitech G535 $80 $130 Save $50 See at Amazon\n\nIf you’re looking for a wireless headset, the Logitech G535 is back down to $80, which is about $25 below its average street price. This is an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, as we like its lightweight design, Bluetooth support and agreeable, relatively well-balanced sound. It forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level though, and its mic makes voices sound a little too thin. It also doesn't work with Xbox consoles. But if you really want a wireless gaming headset for less than $100, it’s well worth a look.\n\nYour October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.", + "Young Emily Hand, born with a gift for dance, should be bouncing to her favorite Beyoncé songs, celebrating her ninth birthday on Friday.\n\nInstead, \"she will have her birthday in the tunnels of Gaza,\" her grief-stricken father, Thomas Hand, told Fox News Digital in an interview this week in New York City.\n\n\"No party. No friends. She won’t even know if it’s day or night. There’s no light down there. So she won’t know it’s her birthday.\"\n\nWOMAN VANDALIZES ISRAELI HOSTAGE POSTERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF CAPTIVES' OWN FAMILY IN NEW YORK CITY\n\nEmily woke up the morning of Oct. 7 after a sleepover at a friend’s house in the kibbutz of Be’eri in southern Israel.\n\nShe still \"had Disney pajamas on,\" her father said.\n\nHamas terrorists hauled her away along with her friend, Hila, and the other girl’s mother, Raya.\n\nEmily was only 2½ years old when her own mother died of breast cancer.\n\nShe's been raised by her dad and by others in their tightly knit kibbutz in the years since.\n\nThe child's birthday will be marked here in America with billboards that go on display in Times Square and Madison Square Garden in Manhattan at 8 a.m. on Friday.\n\n\"She will have her birthday in the tunnels of Gaza. No party. No friends. She won’t even know if it’s day or night.\"\n\nBillboards with images of Israelis held hostage in Gaza will also appear in 1,500 other locations in 48 cities across the United States.\n\nIt’s part of an effort to remind Americans that some 240 Israeli civilians, including children like Emily, were snatched from concerts, from their homes and even from their beds in a surprise attack by Hamas terrorists against unarmed civilian targets.\n\nBring Them Home Now, an organic volunteer group that came together in the hours after the attack, heads the international outreach effort.\n\nEmily, even at 9, is older than many of the hostages. The youngest was just 9 months old when snatched away as a trophy of terror.\n\nThomas Hand’s suffering over the past 40 days has made international headlines. He was first told in the days after the terror attack that his little girl was dead.\n\nCHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE BY TERROR GROUP: ‘BRING THEM HOME NOW’ SAYS IT WON'T REST UNTIL ALL ARE RETURNED SAFELY\n\nHe said in one interview that he welcomed her death because it was better than her being held captive and tortured by Hamas.\n\nHe found out later that his daughter had been taken hostage by Hamas.\n\nEmily, \"just loved life and music,\" her father said. \"Beyoncé is a favorite because Beyoncé is a beautiful singer and a very good dancer. And so Emily would copy her.\"\n\n\"She had this gift that she could memorize movements, she could just memorize whole routines, and she would do it within a very short time.\"\n\nHer natural dancing talent was apparent to everyone in Be’eri, not far from the border of Gaza.\n\n\"Every holiday they'd have performances of little kids and older kids, so she was always in it. But she was always there front and center because she would always remember the moves if the kids at the back didn't.\"\n\n\"Beyoncé in particular is a favorite because Beyoncé is a beautiful singer and a very good dancer … Emily would copy her.\"\n\nHand shared stories of his beautiful girl and the ugly circumstances of her abduction in an interview at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan.\n\nHand himself is not Jewish.\n\nHe was born in Dublin, Ireland, and raised Roman Catholic before moving in 1992 to Israel — a nation he called a multicultural \"paradise\" up until Oct. 7.\n\nHe last saw Emily the night of Oct. 6 at dinner in the communal dining room of the kibbutz.\n\nShe asked after dinner if she could sleep over her friend’s house.\n\nHe agreed and kissed her goodbye.\n\nISRAELI MOM RECOUNTS LAST CALL FROM TERRIFIED DAUGHTER AS ‘BRING THEM HOME NOW’ VOWS FIND HAMAS HOSTAGES\n\nInitial reports that Emily had been killed were later refuted by official accounts.\n\n\"We had an eyewitness seeing her being led away by the terrorists with her friend where she was doing a sleepover and the mother of that friend. So it's absolutely confirmed that she was taken away by the terrorists and is in the tunnels of Gaza now.\"\n\nEmily and the others in the family she was staying with hid, like many of the hostages taken from homes, in the household bomb shelters common in Israel. They're designed to protect Israeli citizens from frequent missile attacks.\n\nOfficials told Hand \"in all probability she's in Gaza because there was no blood in the bomb shelter and there was no blood in the house that matched Emily's DNA,\" he said.\n\nLife has been almost unbearable for him since that day.\n\nHand was described as \"fragile\" by one person working with family members of the Israeli hostages.\n\nHand spoke to Fox News Digital beside Michael Levy, whose brother Or was also taken hostage by terrorists.\n\nHand said he's lost about 18 pounds since his little girl was taken hostage on Oct. 7.\n\nThey were accompanied by Israeli mental health expert Dr. Ofrit Shapira-Berman.\n\n\"I'm Irish, so I have a couple of beers before I go to bed and that sets me off because I don't want to think,\" the father said. \"I wouldn't be able to sleep. I'm eating very little. My stomach is shrunk.\"\n\nA lean man to begin with, Hand said he’s lost 8 kilos — about 18 pounds — since his little girl was taken hostage.\n\n\"I had a hot dog today. I always wanted an American hot dog, and I was full after that.\"\n\nHe's lost interest in news amid his own pain and the ongoing pain of the entire nation of Israel.\n\n\"I'm a refugee. I have no home to go back to.\"\n\n\"At first it was a morbid curiosity to maybe see Emily amongst it all. And then it was just too much. I couldn't watch it anymore. I don't watch the news. I don't watch these videos.\"\n\nHe’s also been homeless since Be’eri was savaged.\n\n\"I'm a refugee,\" he said. \"I have no home to go back to.\"\n\nThe community \"lost 112 murdered and so many, many more kidnapped\" among a population of about 1,200.\n\n\"Your whole community was devastated. Yeah, we’re all refugees,\" he said. \"We’re all living in various hotels all over the country.\"\n\nYehudit Weiss was one of the residents of Be’eri taken hostage on Oct. 7. Israeli Defense Forces reported on Thursday that they found her body in a building adjacent to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which Israel says Hamas had been using as a headquarters.\n\nHand expressed hope that the billboards going on display in Times Square on his daughter’s birthday, and then around the U.S., will remind Americans of the ongoing terror and antisemitism suffered by Israeli families — and do so in a medium that can't be defaced or removed from public view amid ongoing anti-Israeli hatred.\n\n\"The great thing about these billboards is that these — I don’t know what to call these people — won’t be able to rip down the images,\" Hand said.\n\nCLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER\n\n\"That’s the one thing I can’t understand. That they, children and the babies — they’ve been taken away, they’re kidnapped, they’re lost to us. And you know, just trying to make awareness, and they’re ripping them off with glee, with happiness.\"\n\nMinutes later, Hand and Levy were standing outside the synagogue, looking at posters of Israeli kidnap victims mounted on a fence in Midtown Manhattan.\n\nA woman walked by and began tearing down the posters — a shocking indignity following the pain they had just shared and a visceral example of the intolerance suffered by Israelis in the Middle East and in the United States.\n\nThe father, already deeply pained, was incensed. He shouted out angrily, while the woman moved quickly down the sidewalk. She raised a hand behind her as if to mock the suffering father's pain.\n\n\"My daughter, she doesn't know if I was killed or kidnapped or somewhere else. She's in terror every day.\"\n\nFurther pain is still to come, Hand said, if and when the hostages return and find out loved ones have been killed and entire families massacred.\n\nHe's also haunted by the fear Emily has suffered since Oct. 7 and now here on what should be her joyous birthday celebration embraced by the love of their kibbutz.\n\nCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP\n\n\"My daughter, she doesn't know if I was killed or kidnapped or somewhere else,\" Hand said.\n\n\"She's in terror every day.\"\n\nSydney Borchers and Brittany Kasko of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.", + "Share All sharing options for: The best comedy movies to watch on Netflix, Prime, Max, and more\n\nYour time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!\n\nComedy can feel like an ignored genre in modern moviemaking.\n\nHorror’s having a fantastic 2023. Thrillers come out on a weekly basis. Even action movies have had some stellar recent releases. But Hollywood has been in a comedic rut in recent years, with fewer and fewer notable releases from big studios.\n\nBut fear not, dear reader — we know how to find some good laughs. We’ve compiled a list of the best comedy movies you can watch at home, scraping streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Max, as well as free services, to find the best of the best.\n\nWhether it’s a romantic comedy that makes your heart sing while bringing out a smile or a gut-busting laugh-out-loud comedy, we have a variety of options sure to bring you laughter and brighten up your night.\n\nHere are our picks for the best comedy movies you can watch at home right now. If you’re only looking for the best comedy movies on Netflix, we’ve got you covered there, too. Our latest update to this list added The Road to El Dorado as an editor’s pick.\n\nEditor’s pick\n\nThe Road to El Dorado\n\nYear: 2000\n\nRun time: 1hr 29m\n\nDirectors: Eric “Bibo” Bergeron, Don Paul, Jeffrey Katzenberg\n\nCast: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez\n\nThe Road to El Dorado came out at the wrong time.\n\nThe animated buddy comedy came out during the transition point between the Disney Renaissance and the eventual wave of crass CG movies ushered in by Shrek (what I’ve dubbed the Beloved Failures era). But even though it failed spectacularly in theaters, home video turned it into a cult classic and a meme powerhouse. So many frames of the movie have been repurposed as reaction GIFs and meme templates, but while the vivid facial expressions and body movement of the animated characters certainly lends itself to memeable formats, the movie itself is truly hilarious.\n\nThe setup is already promising: two runaway con men from Spain somehow end up in South America, where the locals of El Dorado believe them to be gods. But the banter between pragmatic Tulio and idealistic Miguel is absolutely amazing, with Kline and Branagh slipping into an easy and comedic repartee (not to mention the shipping potential that comes from their married-couple-like banter). Toss in snarky Chel (Rosie Perez), a local who wants out of the city, and the trio is electric — and distinctly made up of morally gray lying characters, a rarity in that era of animation where heroes and princesses save the day.\n\nThe three of them attempt to leave El Dorado with buckets of gold, but first they must play along with the charade, which only gets them into increasingly ridiculous situations. They partake in local festivities, go 2-vs-15 in a sports game, and eventually have to defend El Dorado from Conquistador Hernan Cortez. With each impossible feat, the ragtag trio of schemers pulls it off again and again, heightening their antics and plans — all with excellent banter (and a banging Elton John soundtrack). — Petrana Radulovic\n\nThe Road to El Dorado is available to stream on Netflix.\n\nBook Club\n\nYear: 2018\n\nRun time: 1h 44m\n\nDirector: Bill Holderman\n\nCast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen\n\nThis delightful and raunchy romantic comedy stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen as a group of best friends who have been a part of a long-standing book club. Each of them, though successful in their careers, are dealing with crises of life or love. When one of them picks Fifty Shades of Grey as the next book they’ll all read together, it opens the group up in a lovely story of personal acceptance and self-realization, no matter what stage of life you find yourself in. —PV\n\nBook Club is available to stream on Paramount Plus and FuboTV, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.\n\nCatherine Called Birdy\n\nYear: 2022\n\nRun time: 1h 48m\n\nDirector: Lena Dunham\n\nCast: Bella Ramsey, Andrew Scott, Billie Piper\n\nLena Dunham’s adaptation of the beloved children’s novel is an outstanding coming-of-age story that is the rare book-to-movie adaptation done right. It’s a warm story about the difficulties of teenage girlhood and all the expectations that come with it in any era (but especially medieval times), anchored by excellent central performances from Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) and Andrew Scott (Fleabag).\n\nRamsey plays a young girl named Birdy, whose father (Scott) is attempting to arrange a marriage for her in order to save the family’s finances. A strong-willed girl with a penchant for playfulness and mischief, Birdy is intent on disrupting her father’s plans for her. The movie excels through its layered portrayals of Birdy and her father — neither is pure hero or pure villain, and Dunham complicates the book’s portrayal of the two to much success.\n\nI put Catherine Called Birdy on one Saturday afternoon, expecting it to be enjoyable background fare while I played some games and did some work around the house. Instead, I was completely enthralled for all 108 minutes. It’s one of the most delightful movies of the year, and I can not recommend it highly enough. —PV\n\nCatherine Called Birdy is available to stream on Prime Video.\n\nCharade\n\nYear: 1963\n\nRun time: 1h 54m\n\nDirector: Stanley Donen\n\nCast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau\n\nThe heist at the center of Charade was successful years prior to the movie, and without realizing it, Reggie (Audrey Hepburn) has been living off the profits from her husband’s crime. When he is suddenly murdered, she realizes she didn’t really know anything about him — or, for that matter, the new man in her life, Peter Joshua (Cary Grant). To make matters worse, the remaining money is missing, and a lot of terrible people think Reggie knows where it is. As more people are pulled into the orbit of the money, it becomes less clear who, if anyone, Reggie can trust.\n\nHepburn and Grant, two famously talented and charming stars, are at their most charming and talented in Charade. In the span of a single scene, Hepburn might move from pragmatic to seductive to fearful with believable ease. Grant’s initial discomfort with their age gap — 25 years, a still-not-uncommon chasm in Hollywood — resulted in rewrites to the script to make clear that Reggie was pursuing him; it remains one of the few movies in which the gap is acknowledged and dealt with believably, rather than taken for granted. Their chemistry is immediate and undeniable; it’s key in carrying off the film’s snappy dialogue and mixture of flirtatious comedy, captivating mystery, and genuine thriller. It’s His Girl Friday by way of Hitchcock. —Jenna Stoeber\n\nCharade is available to stream on Prime Video, for free with a library card on Hoopla or Kanopy, or for free with ads on Vudu, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV. It is also available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.\n\nClueless\n\nYear: 1995\n\nRun time: 1h 37m\n\nDirector: Amy Heckerling\n\nCast: Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd\n\nThere have been many adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma over the years — and many actresses taking on Jane Austen’s self-proclaimed unlikable heroine. There’s Gwyneth Paltrow in the pastel-swathed 1990s version who makes Emma haughty, yet lovable; Joanna Sotomura in the 2013 webseries Emma Approved turns the socialite into an ambitious, albeit misguided lifestyle guru; and more recently, Anya Taylor-Joy’s rendition of the character gives her a piercing mean streak worthy of the original.\n\nAll these Emmas have their own merits, but sometimes the most memorable Emma isn’t an Emma at all, but a Cher.\n\nClueless takes the general framework of Emma — a rich, bored young woman who just can’t stop getting involved in everyone’s business — and transports the story from Regency-era England to 1990s Beverly Hills. Emma is now Cher, played wonderfully by Alicia Silverstone, a chic, stylish, and popular high school student who thinks she knows what’s best for everyone.\n\nThe beats of Jane Austen’s original story still play out. Cher takes an unpopular new student under her wing and tries to set her up with a hot match that’ll catapult her to social fame. All those matches end up being catastrophic failures. Cher goes too far and learns a bit about herself along the way. All of it is done with bright, bold 1990s fashion and slang, with iconic quotable lines and the very best that teen movies have to offer. Come for young Paul Rudd, stay for the sentiment that stories are timeless and that human traits transcend eras (and also Cher’s digital closet). —Petrana Radulovic\n\nClueless is available to stream on Paramount Plus or for free with ads on Pluto TV.\n\nComing to America\n\nYear: 1988\n\nRun time: 1h 56m\n\nDirector: John Landis\n\nCast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones\n\nEddie Murphy stars in the 1988 romantic comedy Coming to America as Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African country of Zamunda who, tired of his mother and father’s meddling in his love life, journeys to the borough of Queens in New York City with his personal aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to search for a wife. Directed by John Landis and based on a story by Murphy, Coming to America is packed with endlessly quotable performances by Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, Louie Anderson, John Amos, and Murphy and Arsenio in multiple roles. The movie is an absolute riot front to back and an enduring classic for good reason: It’s one of Murphy’s finest films. —Toussaint Egan\n\nComing to America is available to stream on Netflix, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.\n\nDon’t Go Breaking My Heart\n\nYear: 2011\n\nRun time: 1h 55m\n\nDirector: Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai\n\nCast: Louis Koo, Daniel Wu, Gao Yuanyuan\n\nJohnnie To is one of our great modern directors, equally adept in hard-boiled triad crime dramas and light-hearted romantic comedies alike. 2011’s Don’t Go Breaking My Heart falls in the latter category, and is one of the many high marks of the Hong Kong director’s legendary career. Fresh off the end of a long-term relationship, Chi-yan (Gao Yuanyuan) is an analyst for an investment bank who finds herself in the middle of a love triangle. On one side, there’s Sean (Louis Koo), a CEO who works across the street from Chi-yan and yearns for her through the tall corporate glass windows that separate them. On the other, there’s Kevin (the always-dreamy Daniel Wu), an alcoholic former architect who helps Chi-Yan move on and is inspired by her to start creating again. What follows is a sincere, funny, and truly charming romantic time. —PV\n\nDon’t Go Breaking My Heart is available to stream on Netflix.\n\nEega\n\nYear: 2012\n\nRun time: 2h 14m\n\nDirector: S.S. Rajamouli\n\nCast: Sudeepa, Nani, Samantha\n\nOne of the very best movies on Netflix, the logline for Eega will clue you in right away as to whether this movie is up your alley or not. A whirlwind slapstick comedy revenge thriller from the director of RRR and the Baahubali movies, Eega is about a man who is murdered by a romantic rival and reincarnated as a fly, teaming up with the woman he loves to exact revenge on the man who killed him. It’s joyously fun and absolutely bonkers (complimentary), with exciting action sequences, groundbreaking visual effects, and plenty of laugh-out-loud jokes. Much to its benefit, the fly in Eega is completely silent, instead pushing director Rajamouli to employ some classic tricks from silent cinema for laughs and gasps alike. —PV\n\nEega is available to stream on Netflix.\n\nThe Gold Rush\n\nYear: 1925\n\nRun time: 1h 28m\n\nDirector: Charlie Chaplin\n\nCast: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain\n\nCharlie Chaplin’s adventurous comedy is nearly 100 years old, and it absolutely still holds up for the modern sense of humor. In The Gold Rush, Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” is a prospector living on a shack in the middle of the Klondike. Extreme slapstick and farce ensue, as Little Tramp’s blown by Canadian winds, stoops to eating a leather shoe for sustenance, and eventually performs his legendary fork dance. Chaplin — even more than the muscle icons of the 1980s — is the key DNA to modern action entertainment, and if you’ve never seen one of his classics, The Gold Rush is a hilarious entry point. —Matt Patches\n\nThe Gold Rush is available to stream on Max and Criterion Channel or for free with ads on Freevee, Tubi, and Plex. It is also available for for digital rental or purchase on Amazon and Apple TV.\n\nI Married a Witch\n\nYear: 1942\n\nRun time: 1h 16m\n\nDirector: René Clair\n\nCast: Fredric March, Veronica Lake, Robert Benchley\n\nRené Clair, who made his name in early French silent and sound cinema, spent a few years making movies in the U.S. during World War II. Among them is the exemplary black-and-white romantic comedy I Married a Witch, which stars the incomparable Veronica Lake as a witch who hopes to exact revenge on the descendant of the man who imprisoned her by making him fall in love with her.\n\nWhen two witches — Jennifer (Lake) and her father, Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) — are burned at the stake by Puritans in colonial Salem, they curse the man who denounced them. He and his descendants (all played by Fredric March) will be doomed to be unhappy in love, always marrying “the wrong woman.” Jennifer and Daniel awake 270 years later, and she begins pursuing her target: Wallace Wooley, the latest descendant of the man that caused her execution and also a leading candidate for governor. Oh, and his wedding to the daughter of his top political supporter is tomorrow.\n\nWith costumes by the legendary Edith Head, charming practical effects (the two witches are represented by wisps of smoke before inhabiting bodies), and plenty of hilarious gags (there’s a “popped maize” vendor during the “intermission” of the witches’ execution), I Married a Witch is a breezy 77 minutes of Classic Hollywood delight. —PV\n\nI Married a Witch is available to stream on Max and Criterion Channel, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon and Apple TV.\n\nKiss Kiss Bang Bang\n\nYear: 2005\n\nRun time: 1h 42m\n\nDirector: Shane Black\n\nCast: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan\n\nKiss Kiss Bang Bang is, without a doubt, one of if not the funniest and most effortlessly cool movies I have ever seen. Partially based on Brett Halliday’s 1941 novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them, Shane Black’s neo-noir black comedy crime thriller stars Robert Downey Jr. as Harry Lockhart, a petty thief who, due to a series of extraordinary circumstances, is mistaken for an actor and whisked away from the back alleys of New York to the twinkling lights of Los Angeles for a screen test. While there, Harry inadvertently finds himself ensnared in a murder mystery involving his childhood crush (Michelle Monaghan), a sarcastic private detective (Val Kilmer), and a retired actor named (Corbin Bernsen) with a terrible secret to hide.\n\nRelentlessly meta, wickedly funny, and boasting one of the coolest opening title sequences of its time, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the rough-and-tumble blueprint to Black’s 2016 movie The Nice Guys, and by all degrees the better film of the two. —TE\n\nKiss Kiss Bang Bang is available for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou\n\nYear: 2004\n\nRun time: 1h 58m\n\nDirector: Wes Anderson\n\nCast: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett\n\nWes Anderson’s eccentric 2004 ensemble comedy is dedicated to Jacques Cousteau and is a loving (and hilarious) homage to the legendary French oceanographer. Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is an oceanographer/documentarian who loses his best friend to a shark attack while working on his project. Zissou sets out for his next project: to find and kill the shark, and film the whole thing.\n\nThe hilarious ensemble cast includes Anjelica Huston (Zissou’s estranged wife who finances his projects), Willem Dafoe (an emotionally insecure German first mate), Owen Wilson (a Zissou super-fan who believes he is Zissou’s son), and Jeff Goldblum (playing Zissou’s rival, a more successful oceanographer). With an excellent soundtrack of Portuguese David Bowie covers by Brazilian singer-songwriter Seu Jorge and Anderson’s typical attention to detail in composition, The Life Aquatic is a cinematic feast of the senses. —PV\n\nThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is for free with a library card on Hoopla, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nLittle Monsters\n\nYear: 2019\n\nRun time: 1h 34m\n\nDirector: Abe Forsythe\n\nCast: Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England, Josh Gad\n\nDirector Abe Forsythe’s 2019 horror comedy Little Monsters stars Alexander England (Alien: Covenant) as Dave, a foul-mouthed and down-on-his-luck rock musician living with his sister and nephew after a rough breakup. Attempting to get on the good side of Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o), his nephew’s kindergarten teacher, Dave agrees to come along and chaperone the class’ field trip to a petting zoo. Unfortunately for them, the petting zoo sits right next to a U.S. Army base that happens to be experiencing a zombie outbreak. As the class finds itself cornered by the undead horde, Dave will have to help Miss Caroline to make sure everyone gets out alive. Can he win her heart, or at the very least grow as a person for the experience? We won’t spoil it, but we will tell you Josh Gad gets attacked by zombies in the process. —TE\n\nLittle Monsters is available to stream on Hulu.\n\nLove & Friendship\n\nYear: 2016\n\nRun time: 1h 30m\n\nDirector: Whit Stillman\n\nCast: Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell\n\nWhit Stillman’s uproarious adaptation of Jane Austen’s Lady Susan stars Kate Beckinsale in one of her richest (and most hilarious) roles. Beckinsale plays Lady Susan, a young widow looking to secure appropriate matches for both her daughter (Morfydd Clark) and herself. Susan flirts and schemes her way throughout the movie to the delight of the audience and the frustration of her suitors and friends.\n\nLove & Friendship features terrific supporting turns by Chloë Sevigny (as Susan’s supportive best friend), Tom Bennett (playing a hilariously dense wealthy fool), and the rest of the cast, as well as Stillman’s characteristic biting dialogue and an attention to detail in sets and costuming. But the whole thing is brought together by Beckinsale’s transcendent performance, one of the more recent examples of how comedic roles get ignored during awards season. —PV\n\nLove & Friendship is available to stream on Prime Video.\n\nMagic Mike and Magic Mike XXL\n\nYear: 2012 (Magic Mike); 2015 (Magic Mike XXL)\n\nRun time: 1h 50m (Magic Mike); 1h 55m (Magic Mike XXL)\n\nDirector: Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike); Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL)\n\nCast: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello\n\nTwo joyous celebrations of bodies in motion contained within working class stories of trying to Make It Work in the face of a grueling world? Pure excellence. Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, and the rest of the ensemble cast soar, and both movies contain unforgettable set-pieces sure to get you off your feet.\n\nSteven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike is an excellent subversive rom-com, inverting many standard gender tropes in the genre. The follow-up, Magic Mike XXL, is even more rapturously joyous than the first, celebrating pleasure in its many forms (in this way, you could say it is like Hellraiser without the pain). XXL also doubles as a road trip movie and a “the crew gets back together for one last job” movie. Also: Manganiello goes all out in a minimart dancing to “I Want It That Way.” Perfection, no notes. —PV\n\nMagic Mike and Magic Mike XXL are available to stream for free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nMoonstruck\n\nYear: 1987\n\nRun time: 1h 41m\n\nDirector: Norman Jewison\n\nCast: Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia\n\nThe joy is in the smaller moments in Moonstruck. A mother cooks an egg-in-a-hole for her daughter. An older couple trades barbs with each other before the conversation shifts on a dime to expressions of eternal love. An elderly man basks in the moonlight with his five adorable dogs.\n\nA widow (Cher) is convinced her ill-fated first marriage was doomed by bad luck after a hasty engagement and wedding. When a suitor (Danny Aiello) proposes, she accepts, but ends up falling for his estranged brother (Nicolas Cage) instead.\n\nWith warm sets that feel lived-in, loving depictions of food (the egg-in-a-hole has since been colloquially dubbed “Moonstruck Eggs”) and romance, hilarious family conversations (“Old man, you give another plate of my food to those dogs, I’m going to kick you till you’re dead!”), and complementary lead performances by an assured Cher and an intense Cage, Moonstruck is a touching, uproarious romantic comedy about superstition, love, and family. —PV\n\nMoonstruck is available to stream for free with ads on Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, with a library card on Hoopla, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nMultiple Maniacs\n\nYear: 1970\n\nRun time: 1h 31m\n\nDirector: John Waters\n\nCast: Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce\n\nThe early transgressive comedies of John Waters have been anointed by Criterion as art, and one can only imagine what Waters circa 1970 would make of that. Multiple Maniacs, the provocateur’s second film, is just batshit nutso, constructing a flimsy scenario in which Lady Divine (Waters’ go-to collaborator) spirals out of control on a murder spree and her ex-lover (David Lochary) plots to kill her first with other members of Waters’ Dreamlander acting troupe. In true Waters fashion, the plot is an excuse for bodily fluid expulsion, flamboyant performance, and a moment of backdoor penetration courtesy of a sacred religious object. Today, with scrutiny from every side of the ideological spectrum, it would be almost impossible to do what Waters pulled off back in the ’70s. Criterion knew what it was doing preserving these jaw-dropping memories. —MP\n\nMultiple Maniacs is available to stream on HBO Max and Criterion Channel, for free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon and Google Play.\n\nThe Paper Tigers\n\nYear: 2020\n\nRun time: 1h 48m\n\nDirector: Bao Tran (Tran Quoc Bao)\n\nCast: Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins\n\nTran Quoc Bao’s kung fu action comedy stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan (Mulan), and Mykel Shannon Jenkins as the eponymous Paper Tigers: three former martial arts prodigies who, after a lifetime of strenuous training and hard fighting, have grown into beleaguered middle-aged nobodies. But when their master is murdered, the three swear an oath to avenge his memory and bring his killer to justice. If that sounds serious, please know this falls into the Apatowian camp of Dumb Man comedy. —TE\n\nThe Paper Tigers is available to stream for free with ads on Tubi, for free with a library card on Hoopla and Kanopy, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nPlus One\n\nYear: 2019\n\nRun time: 1h 39m\n\nDirectors: Jeff Chan, Andrew Rhymer\n\nCast: Maya Erskine, Jack Quaid\n\nNetflix may be cranking out romantic comedies, but the best still come from a more personal, filmmaker-driven place. Plus One, from Pen15 writers Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival before quietly settling into a place on streaming and has been largely overlooked. Don’t miss it: Maya Erskine (Pen15) and Jack Quaid (The Boys) star as best buds who’ve seen all of their friends get hitched and have become go-to plus ones for the endless marathon of nuptials. Formula works to the movie’s advantage, finding sweet humor in modern situations and wringing Erskine and Quaid for every drip of charisma they have to offer. A gem that could easily been mistaken as product in our current era of rom-coms. —MP\n\nPlus One is available to stream for free with a library card on Hoopla, for free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nSingin’ in the Rain\n\nYear: 1952\n\nRun time: 1h 42m\n\nDirectors: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen\n\nCast: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds\n\nWhat is there to say about one of the most well-loved movies of all time? I’ll tell you this: If Singin’ in the Rain wasn’t on this list, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs right.\n\nStanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s timeless 1952 classic is as joyous and funny as you remember — Donald O’Connor’s “Make ’Em Laugh” bit will leave you in stitches — but it’s probably a bit stranger, too. In addition to all the industry jokes and the contemplation on the addition of sound to movies, the 13-minute dream sequence “Broadway Melody” is absolutely hypnotizing. —PV\n\nSingin’ in the Rain is available to stream on Max, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nSpy\n\nYear: 2015\n\nRun time: 2h\n\nDirector: Paul Feig\n\nCast: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham\n\nAs the biggest blockbusters in the world have become more and more comedy-oriented, there’s been less space for true comedies in theaters. Spy is the rare exception, and it’s finally more broadly available to watch at home after its addition to the Max catalog.\n\nA sendup of espionage movies from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Freaks and Geeks), it stars a pitch-perfect Melissa McCarthy as a desk worker for the CIA who is forced into active duty when her partner (Jude Law) is killed by the daughter of an arms dealer (Rose Byrne, who is positively delightful in this). Add in scene-stealing turns from Jason Statham as an overconfident Bond parody, Allison Janney as McCarthy’s skeptical boss, and appearances by Bobby Cannavale, Peter Serafinowicz, and Miranda Hart, and you’ve got a rollicking good time (with terrific action shot by Day Shift director J.J. Perry). —PV\n\nSpy is available to stream on Max, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.\n\nSupport the Girls\n\nYear: 2018\n\nRun time: 1h 33m\n\nDirector: Andrew Bujalski\n\nCast: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James Le Gros\n\nThis terrific day-in-the-life comedy from writer-director Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess) follows the manager (Regina Hall) of a Hooters-like sports bar as she deals with training new hires, rude customers crossing lines, and an idiotic boss, all the while trying to take care of her girls through various major and minor crises.\n\nHall, one of the great performers of our time, gives a tremendously layered performance in one of the richest roles she’s had the opportunity to play. Hall’s Lisa is a protective force in the lives of her girls, able to put on a brave face in front of them (and in support of them) even when the circumstances around them seem on the verge of a total spiral. Haley Lu Richardson (as the peppy Maci) and Shayna “Junglepussy” McHayle (as the no-nonsense Danyelle) stand out among the movie’s many great supporting turns.\n\nFunny, heartwarming, and undeniably tangible in its ground-level depiction of a hectic workplace, Support the Girls is a movie about looking out for each other in a trying world. There’s nothing wrong with that. —PV\n\nSupport the Girls is available to stream on Prime Video, Hulu, The Criterion Channel, for free with a library card on Kanopy or Hoopla, for free with ads on The Roku Channel, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nTampopo\n\nYear: 1985\n\nRun time: 1h 54m\n\nDirector: Juzo Itami\n\nCast: Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho\n\nThis 1985 “ramen western” is a hilarious romp that also happens to be one of the most gorgeous depictions of food ever put on screen. When a pair of truck drivers stop at a run-down ramen shop, they befriend the widowed owner and help her turn the restaurant's fortunes around. A lovely story of community, passion, and human nature all filtered through the appreciation of good food, Tampopo is a cinematic feast. —PV\n\nTampopo is available to stream on Max and Criterion Channel, or for digital rental or purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google Play.\n\nTo Be or Not to Be\n\nYear: 1942\n\nRun time: 1h 39m\n\nDirector: Ernst Lubitsch\n\nCast: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack\n\nErnst Lubitsch’s 1942 masterpiece is an uproarious and touching anti-war story about a group of actors who use their theatrical skills to dupe a group of Nazi soldiers in occupied Warsaw. Superstar acting couple Joseph (Jack Benny) and Maria Tura (Carole Lombard) run a theater planning to put on a performance of “Gestapo,” a comedic play satirizing Hitler. But when Germany invades and a Nazi spy schemes to give a list of secret identities of Resistance fighters to the Nazis, the troupe uses every theater trick in the book to outmaneuver the Nazis (including a visiting Hitler himself) and do their part in the war effort.\n\nWith hilarious repeated gags, disguises galore, and a rock-solid emotional foundation of a group of people trying to look out for each other in the face of evil, To Be or Not to Be is a high mark in the history of American cinema and one of my personal favorite movies ever made. —PV\n\nTo Be or Not to Be is available to stream on Max and Criterion Channel.\n\nThe Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience\n\nYear: 2019\n\nRun time: 30m\n\nDirector: Mike Diva, Akiva Schaffer\n\nCast: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer\n\nThe Lonely Island dropped this musical movie — a spoof of Beyoncé’s Lemonade focused on Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire’s notorious 1980s home run streak — out of nowhere in 2019. It deserves more love.\n\nIn line with their previous efforts, like Tour de Pharmacy and 7 Days in Hell (co-starring Kit Harington!), The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience explores the shared psyche of Canseco and McGwire through poetry, abstract imagery, and profane lyrics. Alana Haim, Maya Rudolph, Hannah Simone, Jenny Slate, Jim O’Heir, and Sterling K. Brown — as Sia — all appear. Surprisingly, Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer don’t skimp on the darkness of the Bash Brothers. With lyrics like “Stab that needle in my ass until I am rich / Make me a god with the chemical sciences,” the Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience eventually finds McGwire begging a vision of his father to save his life as Canseco raps about how therapy is for the weak. —MP\n\nThe Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is available to stream on Netflix.\n\nWheels on Meals\n\nYear: 1984\n\nRun time: 1h 38m\n\nDirector: Sammo Hung\n\nCast: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao\n\nFew creative teams have ever managed the consistent level of excellence that Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao did with their Hong Kong martial arts action comedies in the 1980s, and Wheels on Meals is one of the best of an outrageously good group of movies (and my personal favorite). Set and shot in Barcelona, the movie centers on Thomas (Chan) and David (Yuen), a pair of cousins who run a food truck (with skateboarding tricks to boot) and find themselves enamored with a local woman (Lola Forner). When they run into a somewhat incompetent private investigator (Sammo Hung) who is also looking for the woman, the group bands together to save her when she is suddenly kidnapped.\n\nWheels on Meals features some of the very best fight scenes of Jackie Chan’s prolific filmography, as he squares off against legendary kickboxer Benny Urquidez (the two would later fight again in Dragons Forever), who at the time was among the most prominent and successful fighters in the world. The whole movie is worth your time, but if you want to just find their six-minute marathon fight session on YouTube, there are few things better in this world.\n\nIf you like this, you should also check out Project A, which came out a year before and features one of the most daring and jaw-dropping stunts of Chan’s illustrious career. —PV\n\nWheels on Meals is available to stream for free with ads on Plex and FreeVee, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon.", + "Palestine’s growing tech industry has been literally blown apart by the war between Israel and Hamas\n\nGaza, despite being one of the most economically challenged regions in the world, has ironically always been a tech hub — not only for Palestine and Palestinians, but also for the world: International companies have, for many years, sought out a presence there to collaborate with talented tech freelancers and the startups that gradually emerged from the region. For example, according to sources who helped build those bridges, Nvidia, famed for its role in the new AI boom, has been working with at least 100 engineers from the region for years. (Tragically, the initiative to employ Palestinians in this outsourcing was that of Mellanox founder Eyal Waldman, whose daughter was brutally murdered in the attacks by Hamas).\n\nSince at least 2008, TechCrunch been covering technology companies out of Palestine, some serving their direct audience, some serving the tech world internationally. Silicon Valley had taken an increasing interest in Palestine as a tech hub, but like the ecosystem itself, it’s nascent: To date, those working in the region estimate that as much as $10 million has been invested in the Palestinian tech ecosystem.\n\nNotably, in 2017, Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff joined Silicon Valley luminaries in backing the first-ever coding academy to be created in Gaza.\n\nGaza Sky Geeks, an Alphabet-backed initiative based in Gaza that provides pre-seed investments, training and technology resources to Palestine’s Gazan population, has been a beacon of entrepreneurship in the region.\n\nAll of that is now effectively gone, like the buildings in Gaza itself.\n\nIsrael is currently retaliating militarily against the attacks on its people, on its soil, and the hostages subsequently taken by Hamas — the ruling organization in Gaza that kidnapped at least 150 people and took them into Gaza during brutal attacks on Israel last weekend that killed 1,300 people.\n\nThat strategy has seen Israel pummeling the “Gaza Strip” with bombs to eradicate it of Hamas and to get its hostages back. Over 1,500 people in Palestine so far have been killed as a result. The tech industry in Israel — the country’s biggest export and its biggest single contributor to GDP — is also taking a big knock, but inevitably the impact on the smaller and more fragile ecosystem in Gaza has been significantly more serious. The physical, economic and societal destruction resulting from that leaves any future for the tech industry there in doubt.\n\nQuite simply, there is no escaping the consequences of the war for anyone, let alone tech workers.\n\n“What is happening to tech in Gaza is that Israel is crunching it. Obliterating it,” one source inside the territory told TechCrunch.\n\nIsrael has now amassed soldiers near the north of Gaza, ahead of an expected ground offensive into the densely populated enclave. About 1.1 million people living in northern areas have been told to leave in the next day. The UN has warned of “devastating humanitarian consequences” from these latest moves. A total blockade on the territory is being enforced with fuel, food and water running out. Israel says it won’t lift the restrictions unless Hamas frees all hostages.\n\nSpeaking to Ryan Sturgill, an American national and former head of the Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) accelerator run by sponsor Mercy Corps, an NGO aid organization, the situation on the ground appears dire, after waves of shelling by the Israeli military.\n\n“The area around the the Mercy Corps building, which housed Gaza Sky Geeks, has been leveled. The structure is standing but blown out. The front of it is sort of ripped off,” he said.\n\nGaza Sky Geeks is the largest tech hub in Palestine, providing a wide range of tech training at scale. In 2022, 5,000 coders and developers from across the West Bank and Gaza graduated from the program.\n\nVideo evidence (and pictured above) posted on LinkedIn shows a blown-out building with the Mercy Corps sign.\n\n“Who knows what’s going to happen. The offices are destroyed, the fiber lines are destroyed. The universities are destroyed. Three main universities in Gaza that produce all the computer science grads are leveled. I don’t even know if people will ever be able to go back to Northern Gaza after what’s happening today.The educational institutions that are there are gone,” Sturgill added.\n\nHe had been helping Palestinian tech startups raise capital in the West Bank and Gaza since January.\n\n“Until now, there had been a pretty significant growth. A lot of companies in Saudi Arabia have been setting up back offices [in Palestine] for development for all sorts of new companies and even apps that are now growing in the Gulf, because Saudi has been growing so quickly on the tech front. Nvidia, and other international companies, has outsourcing operations in Palestine. Apple has outsourcing operations, Microsoft has R&D, and they would even like to see those expand. There’s companies that had 200 developers sitting in offices in Ramallah,” he said.\n\n“I’ve talked to all of the heads of these different offices; most of them are in in Israel. They are very positive people who want to try to support the tech industry there and those efforts have been working well and growing,” he added.\n\nIndeed, one of the main Palestinian VC funds, Ibtikar, had recently raised its second fund of $30 million.\n\nHigh-growth companies emerging from Palestine include Mena Analytics (data analytics, invested in by Flat6Labs); Olivery (last-mile logistics, Flat6Labs, Gaza Sky Geeks Ibtikar Fund); Coretava (employee and customer loyalty); and SellEnvo (an Amazon fulfillment partner).\n\nSturgill said that as well as the intensely difficult conditions in Gaza, which is being hit by Israeli missiles, the situation in Ramallah is “super tense. I feel like the situation is going to get significantly worse there over the coming weeks.”\n\nIliana Montauk, co-founder and CEO of Manara — a social impact startup funded by Y Combinator, Seedcamp, Reid Hoffman, Eric Ries, Marc Benioff, Paul Graham, and Jessica Livingston, among others — told TechCrunch via email that connectivity has decreased significantly in the past 24 hours.\n\n“Though Gaza has been bombed many times before, this time is completely different for the tech sector for several reasons. Electricity was cut off to the entire [Gaza] strip. A significant amount of infrastructure has been bombed (including both ISPs and many tall apartment buildings that hold cell phone towers). Entire middle-class neighborhoods are being destroyed.”\n\nShe said in the past if an entire neighborhood got destroyed, it was usually one bordering Israel and a poorer area, thus less impacting the tech sector.\n\n“The tech sector is almost completely unable to function in Gaza right now,” she said. “Most people are in too much danger to be able to work; some have evacuated three times in the past 24 hours, moving from friend’s house to family house, because each neighborhood they end up in is the next one being bombed. They usually receive warnings to evacuate their homes 10 minutes before a bombing, so they don’t sleep and monitor the situation constantly ready to evacuate in a minute’s notice.\n\n“Most people have lost cell phone connections and internet access completely, or have some access to 2G only on their cell phones. Electricity is no longer being provided even for a few hours a day now, and people are running out of gas for their generators,” she added.\n\nManara has around 100 software engineers in Gaza, some working remotely for tech companies in Silicon Valley/Europe.\n\nMontauk said one software engineer who works at Upwork disappeared for several days, until being found alive.\n\nDalia Awad, whose Medium post about getting into Google from Gaza went viral in 2021 (it was at one point #1 on Hacker News and tweeted by Paul Graham), returned to Gaza after her internships at Google and Datadog to graduate from university. She had a full-time job offer at Datadog in Paris but decided to stay home in Gaza and look for a remote job so she could be close to family.\n\nOn Tuesday she wrote to Montauk, saying: “Tonight was the worst night ever. My family and I are good, thankfully. The bombing was everywhere and we couldn’t know where it was because there was no internet. Many of my friends lost their houses in the Rimal area. There is no wifi internet, we connect to the cellular data on our phones but it’s only 2G and it connects for a few minutes then cuts off. We can only send Whatsapp messages. So we can’t really read news on social media. In the morning we saw these videos from our friends who shared it on whatsapp but it takes FOREVER to download a video of a few seconds.”\n\nMontauk said Awad had not responded to her in the past day.\n\nMontauk, a former director of Gaza Sky Geeks, said: “Before this escalation, the Gaza tech scene was growing. I was just in Riyadh and met companies that hire entire software development teams in Gaza. Upwork and other Silicon Valley companies are now hiring software engineers remotely from Gaza. In addition, some had left to work abroad at companies like Google, Amazon, Qualtrics, etc. Last time I was in Gaza a year ago, almost everyone I talked to asked me how they could get a job and leave Gaza. They were worried about more bombings and wanted to bring their children up in a place without such a high risk. These people just want to live normal lives.”\n\nThose who are living in the West Bank say the activity in Gaza has had an inevitable impact.\n\n“For a Palestinian young woman like me living in the West Bank, I can confirm that there has been a noticeable freeze in terms of activity,” said Leen Abubaker of Flow Accelerator and co-founder at Sawaed19. “Tech companies are either operating on a very limited scale, with employees struggling to reach their offices in the West Bank due to unsafe roads blocked by Israeli occupation forces and settlers, or they have been forced out of business entirely in Gaza.”\n\nShe added that a number of buildings in Gaza that are key to the tech industry there, such as Burj Al-Watan, had been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes and that the tech industry is not the first priority for people in the urgent situation. “How can you possibly detach from the distressing reality and cling to the remaining shreds of hope for your business?”\n\nMohammad Alnobani is a Palestinian founder of The Middle Frame, an Arab stock image platform powered by AI tools that aims to shatter stereotypes about the Arab world through images and reducing bias in AI.\n\nHe told me he was on his way back from the One Young World Summit in Belfast, speaking about peace and reconciliation, and about to reach the borders to cross to Palestine to get back to his family, when the war broke out.\n\n“The borders closed down and I had to turn around and go back to Jordan,” he said. “I am still there, continuously checking on my family in Jerusalem, and trying to reach out to my connections in Gaza.” His co-founder, Raya Fatayer, is in Ramallah, staying at home with her baby and husband, not able to travel.\n\n“Our fellow entrepreneurs in Gaza had their homes demolished by air strikes, some we can’t even reach anymore since the electricity is out and they have no power,” he said. “Dealing with the situation while trying our best to move forward with our work is a daily challenge.”\n\nHe said this outbreak of hostilities with Israel is clearly different: “Before, every time Gaza faced air strikes, we knew that certain areas were almost safe. Clearly today, nobody is safe.”\n\n(This piece was later edited to include relevant information about the attacks by Hamas).", + "When British prime minister Rishi Sunak appeared in front of the hastily assembled press on September 20, the letter-crammed slogan on his lectern caused the country to squint: “Long-term decisions for a brighter future,” it read.\n\nWe now know, of course, there was little in the speech that followed that brought hope. Certainly not concerning the technological fight for our future climate.\n\nNot that long ago, the UK seemed a rather brighter beacon in the industrial transition toward reversing the global climate breakdown. The countrywide goals were laid out. COP26 at least offered a forum and a spotlight. London has made strides in establishing itself as a hub for green tech startups. On the narrow but viable path toward net zero, leaders were at least taking the right steps.\n\nThen came the nadir of the last few weeks.\n\nLast week, with the government’s already infamous U-turn on its green pledges, the nation joined in a consternated chorus with global leaders to lament the prime minister’s short-sighted choice. Sunak has pushed back the British net-zero transition timeline by at least five years.\n\nThe first and most galling concern is, obviously, the consequences for the future of our species on this planet. The next biggest issue, currently being voiced by leaders across industries and especially within the climate tech and climate finance sectors, is the message it sends out to those of us in the trenches actually trying to build technology to change the world and enable a sustainable future.\n\nThat message is loud and clear: The U.K. government isn’t willing to be consistent when it comes to climate crisis response policy, which, aside from capital and the support of nascent tech markets, is one of the most critical things anyone in our sector can hope for.\n\nFor entrepreneurs, innovators and businesses to thrive and unlock the economic potential that comes from creating new industries, we need a consistent approach from the government.\n\nI care about this because, as Americans who chose to build a biocatalyst engineering company here in the U.K., we’re acutely aware of the impact such a reversal of policy has on every stage of our sector’s existence. All major technological innovation ultimately comes from government support at the very beginning. We wouldn’t have affordable solar panels, microchips, mobile phones or the internet without government funding, government subsidies, government encouragement and government infrastructure. You can’t scale technology that is going to make a considerable impact without upfront capital to match.\n\nIn January of this year, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled a long-term vision to grow the economy, saying, “I want the world’s tech entrepreneurs, life science innovators and clean energy companies to come to the U.K. because it offers the best possible place to make their vision happen.” Unless his long-term vision was only meant to last until the end of the summer, for entrepreneurs, innovators and businesses to thrive and unlock the economic potential that comes from creating new industries, we need a consistent approach from the government.\n\nWe have enormous fiscal potential. Within the U.K. climate tech community, we are working to create high-paying jobs and value for investors across just about every asset class. And collectively — hell, individually — our solutions could genuinely change the world.\n\nOf course, this is the common cause we should be united around. Our company is trying to move industry away from a reliance on fossil fuels to make chemicals, among other things. But the impact of these political spasms and contradictions in our climate commitments has on, say, an EV battery business — which has just seen the market demand for its output slide down the road by five years — isn’t hard to appreciate. If giants like Ford are feeling the frustration, imagine the mood at a small green tech startup.\n\nSo what’s the play? How can the government support those striving against an increasingly insecure (and insincere) backdrop?\n\nThe response of any tech company impacted by last week’s news surely has to be this.\n\nFirst, we need a consistent macroeconomic policy. This has a major impact on startups raising and deploying capital into climate R&D. The global economic contraction has made it difficult for these businesses to raise any money. Overall approaches to the economy have trickle-down effects on how we, as businesses, make money and run our operations. Right down to salaries, which alone are hard to keep up with inflation-based pay rises.\n\nThe second is a consistent tax policy. One of the most critical things for startups is research and development (R&D) tax credits. This was a lifeline that gave small, research-intensive companies months of budget runway every year, as it effectively saw them get a third of the money spent in R&D back. The government announced it would be scrapping that last year, and it is only thanks to a lobbying effort spearheaded by the Startup Coalition that, at the last minute, a portion of that tax credit was able to be preserved.\n\nWhich leads to the third and most important point: A consistent climate policy. The impact of not having one is playing out in real time, right now. Sunak’s public U-turn doesn’t just undermine science and play into the hands of the climate skeptics. It also plows headlong into the future of any climate tech company whose launch plans have to be aligned around decarbonization timelines. This will damage economic confidence. People will lose jobs. And action, alas, will be further delayed.\n\nIn the end, it’s simple: Inconsistency breeds uncertainty. So give us consistency. It is possible for our sector to succeed in spite of bad policies. But to thrive, we need consistent resolutions and behavior from a government that actually cares about leading in this critical fight. Given the colossal stakes, which were at least recently taken seriously, is that really asking too much?", + "Discounts on Apple products are few and far between. Luckily, with Amazon's second big sale event of the year (officially called Prime Big Deal Days), we've found a variety of Prime Day Apple deals. That includes iPads, Apple Watches, iPhone cases, and MagSafe accessories. These deals aren't just at Amazon either—we've linked to other retailers like Best Buy when available.\n\nWIRED Featured Deals\n\nUpdated October 11: We added new deals on the Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple Studio Display, ESR HaloLock 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set, Monoprice Extra Wide Microfiber Desk Mat, and Apple AirTags.\n\nTable of Contents\n\nWe test products year-round and independently recommend the best. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.\n\niPad Deals\n\nIf you'd like more info, check out our Best iPads guide for an overview of every iPad model.\n\niPad Photograph: Apple\n\nThe ninth-generation iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best iPad for most people in our Best iPad guide. It's affordable (even without this discount) and packs a bunch of great features, including a 12-megapixel rear camera with support for Center Stage (which keeps you in the frame during video calls), 64 GB of storage on the base model, a True Tone display that adjusts the color temperature to match the ambient lighting in your environment, and a physical Touch ID-enabled home button. And since it's the same shape and size as its predecessors, all current accessories will work—like the first-generation Apple Pencil and Apple's Smart Keyboard. If you need cellular connectivity, the 4G LTE model is also on sale at Amazon for $379 ($21 off).\n\niPad Air Photograph: Apple\n\nWe recommend the iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) as an upgrade over the iPad (9th Gen). It packs a 10.9-inch LCD screen, a USB-C port, slim bezels, Touch ID built into the top power button, and the same M1 processor as the 2020 MacBook Air. It also has support for both the second-generation Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Cover, and Magic Keyboard Cover. It dipped lower to $460 in July, but we still think this is a solid deal.\n\niPad Pro Photograph: Apple\n\nApple's iPad Pro tablet (7/10, WIRED Review) packs incremental upgrades compared to its predecessor, but it's the best option if you want the ultimate iPad. The large, 12.9-inch LCD screen comes equipped with ProMotion (which offers a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for smoother scrolling), Face ID, four speakers for better sound quality, and more microphones to pick up your voice more clearly. It also packs an M2 chip (the same one powering the MacBook Air and Mac Mini) and an exclusive Hover Mode for the second-gen Apple that allows you to see a preview of what your stylus will do when you hover over the screen.\n\niPad Mini Photograph: Apple\n\nThe iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our go-to tablet for travel. It's small enough to slip into my backpack and fits perfectly on an airplane tray table. With an 8.3-inch display, it's great for watching movies or reading ebooks, as well as sketching and taking notes with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Equipped with an A15 Bionic processor (the same chip powering the 2021 iPhone 13), it can handle taxing apps and games with ease. It should have enough power to last you for many years. It's worth noting Apple is rumored to be launching a next-gen version soon, but this is still a solid tablet if you don't need the latest and greatest.\n\nMacBook and Accessory Deals\n\nRead our Best MacBooks guide for more info and other options.\n\nApple MacBook Air Photograph: Apple\n\nThe M1-powered MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite budget MacBook. It's a few years old by now, but it's still one of the most powerful laptops you can buy for this price. It's fast and light and can make quick work of simple office tasks. It also has an improved keyboard (the one that doesn't break). The Air can handle some light video editing if the need arises, but if you need more power, spring for one of the newer, beefier options.\n\nMacBook Pro Photograph: Apple\n\nWe really only recommend this MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) if you want the touch bar. It does have the same M2 chip as the 13-inch MacBook Air (our top pick in our Best MacBooks guide), but it still comes with the same 13.3-inch display, 720p webcam, and two Thunderbolt USB-C ports. Performance is great, and there's reliable battery life, but we don't suggest it for processor-intensive workloads.\n\nMacBook Air Photograph: Apple\n\nThe 15-inch MacBook Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the first large-screen option within the Air family. It packs all the same features as the 13-inch MacBook Air including a redesigned chassis, 1080p webcam, and M2 chip—while still maintaining a lightweight and thin design. It's an excellent option for those who spend all day working off a laptop and don't want to plug into an external monitor.\n\nThis is our favorite external keyboard in our guide to Best MacBook Accessories. It's a great option if you're a fan of the Magic Keyboard and are looking to fully replicate your MacBook setup. However, this version is fairly bare-bones—it doesn't come with a Touch ID button or the same function row keys as the M-series MacBooks (that model isn't on sale, sadly). But it does come with the standard keys like playback controls, a Mission Control key, as well as a number pad. This is also the lowest price we've tracked for this keyboard, so far.\n\nApple Studio Display Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Studio Display (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has a spacious 27-inch display that's perfect for juggling multiple apps at the same time and a 5K resolution that's stunningly sharp (there's no HDR though, so colors look slightly more contrasty and saturated compared to the neutral tones on Apple's Pro Display XDR). Although it's pricey, this is an excellent monitor for those who want a really accurate and sharp screen. Equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, along with built-in mics and speakers, it's ideal for video calls too. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, yet.\n\nIf you're constantly working on the go, a portable monitor is a great way to get more screen real estate. This one from Mobile Pixels attaches to your laptop screen using magnets (you'll have to be comfortable with sticking and leaving adhesive magnets on the back of your laptop) and connects via a USB-C cable. Simply slide it out to reveal a 13-inch display. It adds some bulk and thickness to your laptop, but you can remove it when it's not in use.\n\nWe love this laptop stand for those who prefer working from your bed or couch. The stand's height isn't adjustable, but you have the option to raise the base to position it at the best angle for typing, watching a movie on a tablet, or sketching. There's also extra space for your coffee mug and a small drawer for storing knickknacks.\n\nTwelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub Photograph: Twelve South\n\nWe've used this hub with iPads, but it's also great for MacBooks. Plug it in via the USB-C port on your laptop and you'll have access to another USB-C port for passthrough charging, a USB-A port, an HDMI output, and a headphone jack. It's also fairly compact and thin, so it won't add to much bulk to your laptop.\n\nThis is the runner-up to the aforementioned Twelve South StayGo Mini in our guide to Best MacBook Accessories. With support for up to three displays at once (either DisplayPort or HDMI for each), it's an excellent choice for anyone using multiple monitors to get work done. The dock also packs six USB 3.0 ports (two on the front, four in the back) and a gigabit Ethernet port. All you have to do is plug in your MacBook for a multi-monitor setup instantly. With an output of up to 60 watts, you can also the dock to charge your laptop as well. This is also the lowest price we've tracked, so far.\n\nWe recommend Satechi's 108-watt wall charger if you own a MacBook Pro. It comes with three USB-C ports, each with the ability to charge at 100 watts if only one device is connected (making it perfect for the 16-inch MacBook Pro). But if you want to charge three gadgets simultaneously, it'll charge them at 45, 30, and 30 watts, respectively, 58, 30, and 20 watts, or 65, 20, and 20 watts, depending on what you're charging. It's also on the larger side, but it's not as big as the one from Apple, and the plug folds up too.\n\nSatechi 165-Watt GaN Four-Port Charger Photograph: Satechi\n\nThis handy charger has enough power to juice up two MacBook Pro models simultaneously. But it's also great if you have a lot of devices around your desk that constantly need to be charged. It has a little stand to prop it up, a short cord that goes out to an outlet, and four USB-C ports that output 100 watts each. It dipped lower to $90 back in July, but this is still a great deal.\n\nWe've featured this deal a few times during previous shopping holidays. It's still a good one. This tablet stand is included in several WIRED guides, including the Best iPad Accessories and the Best Work-from-Home Gear. The stand is lightweight, portable, and easy to use.\n\nApple Watch and Strap Deals\n\nRead our Best Apple Watch and Best Apple Watch Accessories guides for more.\n\nApple Watch SE Photograph: Apple\n\nIf you don't need all the extensive capabilities that come with the Apple Watch Series 9, then the second-generation Apple Watch SE is a great option for most people. It can still track important health and fitness features, and with the latest S8 chip, you'll also get the redesigned Compass app and Crash Detection. It has support for WatchOS 10 too, so you don't have to worry about missing out on the latest software updates. This is the lowest price we've tracked yet. The larger 44-mm version is also on sale for $229 ($50 off).\n\nApple Watch Ultra 2 Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is only a month old but it's already on sale. It's our favorite smartwatch for outdoor sports. It packs a new (and bright) 3,000-nit display, the latest S9 chip for faster processing, and the new ultra-wideband chip for precision-locating your phone. As with last year's version, it also comes equipped with a useful Action button and the three-mic array. It's a great option if you're heavily into outdoor sports and are looking for a rugged, full-functioning smartwatch to take along with you. It's also the Apple Watch with the best battery life thanks to its massive size.\n\nApple Silver Milanese Loop Photograph: Apple\n\nThe Silver Milanese Loop band is a great metal band for when you're not using your Apple Watch for workouts. It's made from stainless steel, the thin mesh is extremely flexible, and the magnetic clasp makes it easy to adjust the sizing. This deal applies to the 41-mm size in silver and graphite, but the 45-mm band is also on sale.\n\nThis is the best band for the Apple Watch Ultra in our Best Apple Watch Accessories guide. It's made from an elastomer with a titanium buckle. We specifically like that it's stretchy, bright, and fits small wrists. The band is also easy to wash and shows dirt much less easily than the fabric bands. It's compatible with the large 45-mm Apple Watch Series 8 as well.\n\nWe like this microfiber mat since it keeps your desk looking nice and clean, and doubles as a giant mousepad. It's pretty minimalist and only comes in black, but at this sale price that's all we need.\n\nEarbud and Headphone Deals\n\nRead our Best Wireless Earbuds guide for more.\n\nAirPods Pro Photograph: Apple\n\nThe latest version of the AirPods Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) was just announced last month at Apple's hardware event and they're already on sale. These buds are identical to the old pair on the outside, but they pack some changes internally. In addition to slightly improved sound, there are also new Adaptive Audio features and a new Conversation Awareness mode (that turns audio down and lowers the sound of the background so you can hear someone talking to you). The version with the Lightning port is currently out of stock, but who wants those anyway?\n\nThe Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones (7/10, WIRED Review) pack excellent calling and noise canceling, good sound quality, and fantastic wireless range. They also offer a stable fit and compact design. These headphones are missing a few key features though, including sensors for auto-pause and multi-band EQ. But with improved sound quality and ANC, along with a few cool extra features for both Android and Apple devices, these are still a solid option—especially if they're on sale. This is the lowest price we've tracked, so far.\n\nBeats Fit Pro Photograph: Beats\n\nThe Beats Fit Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) deliver a comfortable fit, great sound, and seamless integration with both iOS and Android. They also feature active noise canceling and decent mics. Equipped with Apple's proprietary H1 headphone chip, they work like AirPods when used with an iPhone. These work great on Android too—complete with an app that allows you to perform a fit test and customize the controls. They dipped to $125 back in August, but this is still a good deal.\n\nWIRED associate editor Parker Hall says the Studio Buds fit better than most buds he's ever tried. He also likes that they have extremely useful physical buttons on the outside to play and pause audio as well as control noise cancelation. They'll also stay put in your ears even when breaking a sweat and sound as good as Apple's AirPods Pro. This is the same price we saw on Prime Day in July, but it's also the lowest the price has dipped.\n\nBeats Powerbeats Pro Photograph: Beats\n\nThe Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) came out in 2019, but these are still our top recommendation for earbuds with the most secure fit—making them an excellent option for the most intensive workouts. With an IPX4 water-resistance rating, they'll also stay protected from sweat. They have excellent sound quality and offer an impressive nine hours of battery life (with an extra 18 hours in the case). It's worth noting that many of the features won't work with an Android phone, but the core functions will.\n\nApple Charger Deals\n\nCheck out our Best Apple 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers and Best MagSafe Power Banks guides for more.\n\nAnker 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Cube Photograph: Anker\n\nThis 2.5-inch cube from Anker is a great compact charger. It comes with a MagSafe pad on top (that charges at up to 15 watts), a top section that hinges to a 60-degree angle to reveal a charging surface for your AirPods, and a shelf on the side that has a built-in Apple Watch charger (which can comfortably accommodate any Apple Watch including the Ultra). You'll also get a 5-foot cable and a 30-watt charger in the box. It supports fast charging too.\n\nAnker 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Dock Photograph: Anker\n\nThis is another excellent and compact 3-in-1 wireless charger from Anker. A MagSafe pad charges iPhones up to 15 watts at a slanted angle, and on the side is a standard Apple Watch puck (no fast-charging support). In the space inside the triangle is where you can place your AirPods Pro (or any other wireless earbuds case) to top them up.\n\nBelkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charger Photograph: Belkin\n\nThis is currently our favorite Apple 3-in-1 wireless charger. The T-shaped design is compact, so it won't take up that much space on your nightstand or desk, and the charging tree suspends two of your devices midair. You can use it to charge your iPhone (at the fastest 15-watt charging speed Apple allows), fast-charge the Apple Watch Series 7/8/9/Ultra, and use the base to charge your AirPods Pro (or AirPods with a wireless charging case) simultaneously all from a single outlet. It's normally around $150 but was discounted to $100 in August, so it's possible that Prime Day won't be your last opportunity to snag it for less.\n\nAnker MagGo 637 Photograph: Anker\n\nAll you have to do is stick your iPhone to this adorable little orb and it'll start charging. On the back, you'll also find two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and three AC outlets. It's both cute and tidy. It fluctuates in price very often, but it's still a good deal.\n\nSatechi's fold-up wireless charging stand has a 10,000-mAh capacity (complete with LEDs to show you how much juice you have left) and can wirelessly charge both your phone and a wireless earbuds case (as long as it's Qi-certified). There's also a USB-C port to power up a third device. The only gripe we have is that it's slow—delivering 10 watts of wireless charging power for phones (7.5 watts for iPhones), 5 watts for earbuds, and 10 watts via the USB-C port.\n\nApple 35-Watt Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter Photograph: Apple\n\nApple's dual USB-C port power adapter is an essential accessory if you have a tendency to forget to pack chargers for your devices on the go. With two USB-C ports, you can use it to recharge both your iPhone and MacBook simultaneously. Rated at 35 watts, it's also powerful enough to recharge an iPad Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.\n\nThe MagSafe Duo makes for an excellent travel companion if you own an iPhone and an Apple Watch. Rather than packing separate chargers, the MagSafe Duo combines chargers for both all within a compact, foldable form factor. You can also use it to charge your AirPods (if it comes with a wireless charging case) and other Qi-certified devices.\n\niOttie Velox Pro Magnetic Wireless Cooling Car Dash Mount Photograph: iOttie\n\niOttie's Velox Pro Magnetic Wireless Cooling Charger is great for those who prefer a mount on your dash or windshield and have an iPhone 12 or later. The suction cup attaches to a dashboard pad or windshield and proved secure in our testing. The telescopic arm (combined with a ball joint) also delivers a wide range of movement to help you find the ideal position. Unfortunately, it maxes out at 7.5 watts for charging, but you can remove the USB-C charging cable when the iPhone is fully charged. There's also a built-in fan to help keep the temperature down when it's hot out.\n\nAnker Nano USB-C Power Bank Photograph: Anker\n\nThis is a great power bank if you don't want to worry about carrying a cable around, since it simply slots into the bottom of your phone—thanks to the built-in rotating USB-C or Lightning connector (MFi certified). It also offers 5,000 mAh of energy, and there's a USB-C port for recharging it, complete with a short cable. However, it might not be a good pick if you have a thick case.\n\nThis 2-in-1 charger is featured in our guide to the Best MagSafe Accessories. The price matches the lowest we have tracked. It doesn't have a built-in Apple Watch charger, but it can top off your compatible wireless earbuds whilst simultaneously charging your iPhone. It charges at the maximum 15-watt rate, and you can turn your iPhone sideways for iOS 17’s new StandBy mode, converting it into a bedside alarm clock.\n\nAnker 737 Power Bank Photograph: Anker\n\nWe just added this power bank as our top upgrade pick in our guide to the Best Portable Chargers. It's pricey, but today's deal makes it more accessible. It charges from zero to completely full in an hour and boasts a whopping 24,000-mAh capacity. And it's powerful enough to charge laptops and tablets as well as phones and other gadgets. There's even a built-in display to monitor stats like temperature and remaining battery percentage.\n\nNomad's wireless charger is one of our favorite MagSafe wireless chargers. It delivers the maximum 15-watt charging speed possible, but it's not meant to be held up while you use the phone. It doesn't have a power adapter but includes a USB-C-to-USB-C cable. It'll sit securely on your desk and can charge an Apple Watch, too.\n\nThis travel kit from ESR works well if you want something that can prop your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation. It can also display your Apple Watch in Nightstand mode, so you can peek and see how long before you must get out of bed. The main body folds open with a MagSafe charging pad for your iPhone and a slot behind for your AirPods. Unfortunately, it doesn't support fast charging and it's capped at 7.5 watts and 5 watts for the iPhone and Apple Watch, respectively. But it's a good, affordable charger. It dipped a little lower to $40 back in July, but this is still a solid deal.\n\nPhone Cases and Accessory Deals\n\nBe sure to read our Best MagSafe Accessories and Best iPhone 15 Cases guides for other picks.\n\nPhotograph: iOttie\n\nWhat we like best about this phone mount is that you can use it one-handed. The arms automatically close around the phone when you place it against the trigger button. To remove it, press the release bars. There's also a telescopic arm and ball joint that allows you to tweak the placement and set an ideal angle. We also love the clever magnetic tab that attaches the charging cable to the back of the mount, to keep from having to fish around for it. Plus, it's super sturdy—even on bumpy roads.\n\nIf you're tired of people glancing over at your display in public, the Glass Elite Privacy 360 will block anyone from seeing content on your screen from the sides. It also feels great and is fairly easy to apply. Our only gripe is that Zagg's screen protectors are expensive. This has hit as low as $24, but it's a solid deal if you're in need of a screen protector sooner rather than later.\n\nCasetify Case Photograph: Casetify\n\nCasetify offers an overwhelming variety of case designs, but they can get pricey. So, if you've been eyeing one, we suggest taking advantage of the storewide sale. We like the Impact MagSafe cases, which have chunky bumpers and edges to protect the screen and are also made of plant-based materials as well as upcycled Casetify cases. The Bounce case is another solid choice that feels more rugged, but they're quite bulky. It's worth noting the sale doesn't apply to iPhone 15 products.\n\nOtterBox Figura Photograph: Otterbox\n\nWe like OtterBox cases, and many are 20 percent off, including chargers, cables, and other accessories. We've got recommendations in our iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 case guides.\n\nCase-Mate Blox Photograph: Case-Mate\n\nIf you're looking for a trendy case, look no further than this blocky and rectangular one. The bright neon color makes the phone pop, and it also looks super unique. Aesthetics aside, it's also a fairly well-rounded case. The cutouts are all accurate, the buttons are great, and it comes with MagSafe support. We tested this case with the iPhone 14, but this one is for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.\n\nPhotograph: Apple\n\nApple AirTags are our favorite Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users. This isn't a crazy sale, but getting these in a bundle of four means you can keep track of every set of keys, your luggage for a trip, or even your kids' backpack all at once.\n\nThose with an iPhone 14 or earlier can never have too many Lightning cables. These cables from Nomad are durable, available in different lengths, and come with the choice between USB-C and USB-A for the other end.\n\nRetailer Sale Pages", + "The Power Ministry has scheduled tenders of around 50 GW annually of renewable energy for the next five years, to achieve the target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity. Alongside the government’s thrust on ramping up renewable energy capacity, building incremental thermal capacity has also been a priority. This is because energy security has become an important issue with consistent increase in demand in recent years; power demand is now at all-time high/peak levels.\n\nPSU thermal major NTPC appears to be well-placed to capture both themes — energy transition and energy security.\n\nSince our accumulate rating on NTPC in bl.portfolio dated August 13, 2023, the stock has gained around 48 per cent. This has been majorly on account of growth in earnings as well as re-rating in the stock from the trailing P/E of around 10 times then, to 12 times now. During FY23, the company’s revenue increased by around 32 per cent. While there was flattish growth in PAT during the period on account of increase in fuel cost, the same grew nearly 30 per cent YoY in H1FY24. NTPC is now trading at a one-year forward P/E of around 11 times, which is around 35 per cent higher than its historical five-year average P/E of around 8.2 times.\n\nThe re-rating in the stock has happened mainly due to company-specific and industry-level structural positives (which justify current premium to historical average) and the company’s aggressive capacity addition plans. We maintain our postive stance on NTPC and investors can continue to accumulate the stock on account of growth plans in place, along with the strong revenue and earnings visibility due to assured return model. Further, it is offering a decent dividend yield of around 3 per cent.\n\nBusiness\n\nNTPC earns majority of revenue from sale of power generated from thermal-based generating stations. More than 90 per cent of its revenue is tied to long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) under cost-plus based tariff regime, which ensures pass-through of costs such as plant capacity charge, supplementary capacity charge (emission control system cost), interest on loan, interest on working capital and energy cost (fuel) and allows ROE (Return on equity) of 15.5 per cent over and above these costs.\n\nThe complete recovery of capacity charges is allowed when the plant shows technical availability (plant availability factor) over and above the normative level i.e. typically 85 per cent wherein the plant should be technically available to generate power with sufficient coal in place. However, do note that pass-through is allowed subject to normative parameters and provisions defined in the PPA.\n\nNTPC has assured coal supply, given its long-term fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for supply of coal for 20 years for total Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) of 183 MTPA. Further, the company has captive coal mining with capacity of 71 MMT.\n\nRecent performance\n\nDuring H1FY24, the company reported PAF (plant availability factor) in its coal-based generation stations to the tune of 93.32 per cent as against 92.05 per cent in H1FY23. Further, PLF (Plant Load Factor) i.e. capacity utilisation for the period has been 76.62 per cent against 77.27 per cent in the last year and national average of 68.75 per cent. The company reported a YoY increase in generation of around 4 per cent, reaching 212 billion units (BUs) in H1FY24. Coal supply during H1FY24 was 113 MMT, including 4 MMT of imported coal. The coal consumption during the corresponding previous period was 112 MMT, including 10 MMT of imported coal.\n\nThe company has reported flattish revenue growth in H1FY24 reaching close to ₹88,058.44 crore. This has been on account of shutdown in certain plants due to repair work and grid restrictions, which is expected to improve, going forward, in the upcoming quarters, as per the management. The company saw a YoY growth of around 18 per cent in EBITDA reaching ₹25,091 crore and thereby EBITDA margins expanded from 25 per cent to 29 per cent on a YoY basis. This has been mainly on account of lower fuel cost due to reduced share of imported coal. The imported coal price rose steeply in FY23, the pass-through of which might not have been allowed completely, which resulted in decline in margins in FY23.\n\nGrowth triggers in place\n\nNTPC plans to have 130 GW of installed power generation capacity comprising 60 GW of renewable energy from the current level of 3.3 GW. While this is quite a long-term target, in the near term, NTPC plans to add 15-16 GW of renewable energy by FY26. Currently, around 7.7 GW of RE capacity is under construction and 11 GW under different stages. Further, as all-time high peak power demand makes the case for having thermal-based capacity as an energy security, NTPC plans to add 10-11 GW of thermal-based capacity by FY26. The target for the same has been raised from 7 GW earlier. This will imply capacity growth during FY23-26 to the tune of 10-11 per cent CAGR from the current levels.\n\nThe management has given the guidance of capex to the tune of around ₹28,373 crore for FY24. For FY25 and FY26 it will be on similar lines while capex will shoot up on account on growth in renewable-related capex post then as per the management.\n\nDuring our previous call, we highlighted that NTPC was attempting to monetise its stake in its renewable energy arm NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL) by way of selling stake to a strategic partner. However, during Q1FY24 earnings call, management highlighted that the company is now looking to unlock value by way of IPO rather than onboarding strategic investor. However, the timeline is not yet certain as it will depend on market-based factors and within how much time substantial RE capacity is there on the ground.\n\nThe company has a D/E of around 1.24 times as on H1FY24 and can, on account of its stable business model, access debt at a cheaper rate as compared to private power generation companies. The reasonable D/E gives NTPC scope for further debt financing to fund its capex requirements.", + "What would have been a historic deal to tackle a planetary crisis slipped out of reach at the eleventh hour. Even so, climate-vulnerable countries and environmental advocates scored some key wins with clean energy after heated climate negotiations wrapped up in the United Arab Emirates, a top oil- and gas-producing country.\n\nThis was the closest yet that countries have gotten to striking a global deal to phase out the use of coal, oil, and gas. But the summit was arguably still a home game for fossil fuel interests who threw their weight around the United Nations climate conference, called the 28th Conference of the Parties or COP28, where tens of thousands of delegates and activists from nearly every nation on Earth have gathered over the past two weeks to wrangle over the future of fossil fuels.\n\nNow that the dust has settled, these are some of the biggest decisions made in Dubai that could determine how we power our world in the future.\n\nThe beginning of the end for fossil fuels?\n\n“This text is a step forward on our path towards phasing out fossil fuels, but is not the historic decision we hoped for.”\n\nMore than 100 countries came to the table pushing for an official agreement to “phase out fossil fuels.” Doing so would address a glaring omission in the 2015 Paris accord, which never actually mentions coal, oil, or natural gas despite being an international agreement to stop global warming. Alas, countries still aren’t facing the root of the problem.\n\nBringing the deal to the finish line required nearly 200 countries to agree on the same language. Ultimately, draft language explicitly calling for the phaseout of fossil fuels was stricken from the final text of agreements brokered at this year’s climate talks. What the world got instead is a weaker call for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade.” A landmark United Nations-backed climate report in 2018 found that countries need to cut their emissions nearly in half by 2030 to meet goals set in the Paris climate accord.\n\nThe final text also calls on countries to work toward “accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power.” To be clear, every word in that phrase is pretty dirty. Coal of course is the most polluting fossil fuel, one reason why it’s hard to ignore in a climate agreement. But a commitment to phase down its use is decidedly weaker than one to phase it out. It mirrors language in a recent letter addressed to participating governments from COP28 president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber — who also happens to be the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.\n\nThe UN’s decision to hold the summit in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas producer, wound up giving the fossil fuel industry unprecedented access. There were more fossil fuel lobbyists in Dubai than at any climate conference in the 28 years the United Nations has convened it. Industry representatives for fossil fuels outnumbered delegations from every country present at the talks except the United Arab Emirates and Brazil. Al Jaber even used his position as COP28 president to lobby for oil and gas deals with other governments, according to an investigation by the BBC and the Centre for Climate Reporting.\n\nEven so, there were hopeful signs last week when draft documents coming out of the conference included options to incorporate language that called on countries to phase out fossil fuel use (there was also an option not to include such a clause). Then the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) sent a letter to its member states pressuring them to “proactively reject any text or formula that targets energy i.e. fossil fuels rather than emissions.”\n\nFollowing the letter, language that had previously called on countries to phase out fossil fuels vanished from subsequent draft texts. Backlash was swift. “This obsequious draft reads as if OPEC dictated it word for word,” former US vice president Al Gore posted on X on Monday. “COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure.”\n\nThat brings us back to the language coming out of COP28 to phase down unabated coal. Using the word “unabated” — whether for coal, oil, or gas — carves out a huge loophole for fossil fuels. It means that polluters can continue burning fossil fuels as long as they pair it with emerging technologies that capture greenhouse gas emissions (though typically not 100 percent of those emissions) that are still unproven at scale.\n\n“This text is a step forward on our path towards phasing out fossil fuels, but is not the historic decision we hoped for ... given the overwhelming momentum among countries in support of a renewable energy package and a long overdue fossil fuel phase out, we needed a far more ambitious result.” Andreas Sieber, associate director of policy and campaigns for environmental group 350.org, said in a statement before the draft agreement was finalized at the conference’s closing plenary.\n\nClean energy on the rise\n\nEven though the lack of a clear plan to phase out fossil fuels is a blow to climate action, this isn’t exactly a zero sum game. Solar and wind power are already cheaper alternatives to coal, oil, and gas in most of the world when it comes to meeting new electricity demand. Nearly all of the world’s new electricity supply over the next few years is expected to come from renewable and nuclear energy, according to the International Energy Agency. The agency, which was initially founded to safeguard the world’s fuel supply after the 1970s oil crisis, called a global transition to clean energy “unstoppable” earlier this year and forecast that demand for coal, oil, and gas would peak this decade.\n\nWhen it comes down to it, getting cleaner sources of energy online looks inevitable at this point. There were some notable new commitments on the clean energy front in the final texts coming out of COP28, too. It calls for the tripling of renewable energy capacity globally by 2030, something that more than 100 countries had already pledged to do while negotiations were taking place last week. Leading up to the conference, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas polluters — the US and China — committed to working toward that goal together when each country’s climate envoys met in California in November.\n\nThe science is clear\n\nThere’s a lot of science underpinning these kinds of negotiations. The world, on average, is about 1.2 degrees Celsius hotter than it was before the industrial revolution. That might not sound like much, but it’s enough to drive more devastating hurricane and wildfire seasons, and suck drought-vulnerable places dry while displacing other communities faced with rising tides.", + "U.K. femcare-turned-gynaecological-health startup, Daye, has expanded its tampon-based home screening service to add STI testing. The startup is billing this “non-invasive screening” service for sexually transmitted infections as a “world first”.\n\nThe “STI Diagnostic Tampon” service uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing tech to detect the presence of pathogens. Daye is launching with the ability to test for five STIs — namely: Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, mycoplasma and ureaplasma — which were selected because they are the most common STIs. But more tests are planned.\n\nThe move comes a year after the startup took the wraps off an ambitious push into gynaecological health — with the launch of a vaginal microbiome screening service. Daye tells TechCrunch it’s had “thousands” of customers for that service — which is a little more complicated to engage with as samples need to be sent back along with an ice pack (and hopefully minimal postal delays) in order that the lab can detect live pathogens.\n\nThe STI test is simpler as the PCR test is looking for genetic material — dead or alive; this type of test doesn’t distinguish — so the user just needs to pop their sample in the extraction solution provided before they post it off for analysis.\n\nDaye sells tampons for regular, menstrual use too, of course. But it’s always been interested in doing more with the staple female hygiene product than just catching flow. Its signature product is a CBD-infused tampon for combating period cramps. Though it also sells a “nude” version (i.e. no CBD) — and that core offering is the basis for a growing range of vaginal- and sexual-health-screening services which repurpose the basic tampon as a novel sample collecting device.\n\nThe clever twist here is it makes what could be an intrusive test into something its customers are likely to be intimately familiar with — and literally as easy as inserting and removing a tampon.\n\nDaye didn’t invent the idea of using tampons to test for STIs, as founder Valentina Milanova explained when we dug into its wider mission last year. U.K. university researchers pioneered menstrual tampon screening back in the 1990s. But Milanova is on a mission to expand the technique’s use and utility — seeing it as a convenient way to help women learn a heck of a lot more about their own bodies from the comfort of their own bathrooms.\n\nThe startup also claims tampons make a better testing device than the swabs or other protocols a patient might be administered at a sexual health clinic or doctor’s office since its test tampons collect more vaginal fluid and cover a larger surface area — so it contends this is both a more accurate way to STI test than a swab and more comfortable than a speculum.\n\nPCR testing, meanwhile, has gotten very familiar after the COVID-19 pandemic. Daye’s STI test uses the same principle as this gold standard detection test for coronavirus — but in this case it’s looking for trace (or more) amounts of genetic material from pathogens that cause STIs.\n\n“The specificity of PCRs ensures that false-positive results are reduced, providing a more reliable diagnosis,” it suggests, also noting the test can simultaneously detect multiple pathogens in a single sample. So full marks for convenience.\n\nMore convenience is coming, too, as it adds more tests, too: Daye says HPV is next on its list — an STI which has been linked to increased cervical cancer risk.\n\nAnother on its list to add “soon” is to offer GBS screening for pregnant patients. “GBS is a common bacteria often carried in the intestines or lower genital tract. While usually harmless in adults, it can cause severe infections in newborns if transmitted during delivery. Testing pregnant women for GBS allows for the timely administration of antibiotics during labour, significantly reducing the risk of neonatal infections,” Daye tells us.\n\nThe startup also plans to offer herpes screening for everyone down the line.\n\nThe STI testing service is being launched in the U.K. first — at a cost of £99 a pop — with the US slated to get the service “soon”. Daye is also aiming to expand screening services elsewhere in Europe, saying it’s currently working on building out an aftercare offering to support patients across the EU.\n\nHow does the STI testing service work? The user receives a test kit in the post and, after self administering a vaginal swab by inserting and removing the test tampon and then preserving their sample as instructed, they post it sample back to Daye’s partner lab for analysis — getting results digitally, via Daye’s app, in a few days.\n\nFor a further £29 they can also get a “comprehensive” consultation about their results with a nurse. Users who don’t purchase this optional extra, but do test positive for an STI, will receive a free five minute call to walk them through their results and advise on next steps, per Daye.\n\nOne question we had is related to how sexual health clinics may routinely test for HIV when a patient attends — i.e. even if they’re at the clinic for another sexual health worry. So if more people choose to adopt at-home testing for STIs, thanks to Daye’s convenient alternative, they may be missing out on the chance to acquire important health info — since clinics or doctor’s offices can often nudge an attending patient to take the opportunity to test more widely while they’re there in person.\n\nAsked how it’s mitigating this risk, Daye told us: “We enable our patients to book in-clinic appointments for HIV screening, and in the future, we may also expand to at-home blood testing for HIV. We ensure that our patients are well-educated on the risks associated with HIV and are reminded of the need for regular testing. We’d like to play a meaningful role in destigmatising sexual health and provide medically-backed advice on the recommended cadence of screening.”\n\nThe startup also gave us a breakdown of the main customers for its novel vaginal microbiome screening service a year+ on from that launch — saying there are three main groups:", + "Using cannabis during pregnancy may come with a higher risk of poor outcomes, such as babies being born small for their gestational age, a new study suggests.\n\nAmong pregnant people who use cannabis, the risks are the highest for those who use the drug in both the first trimester and later in gestation, as opposed to only the first trimester, according to the study, published Tuesday (Dec. 12) in the journal JAMA .\n\n\"What I think this study evaluates, that has not been evaluated previously, is whether the timing and amount of exposure matters, and what we saw was that higher levels of cannabis exposure were associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes,\" first study author Dr. Torri Metz , an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Utah Health, told Live Science in an email. Using cannabis in the first trimester still carries risk, but the findings hint that stopping cannabis use within the first trimester could help prevent that risk from growing larger.\n\nNotably, the study reveals only a link between cannabis and certain poor pregnancy outcomes — it doesn't directly demonstrate that cannabis causes these effects. But it does suggest that \"cannabis use should be avoided during pregnancy to optimize maternal and neonatal [newborn] outcomes,\" the study authors wrote in the report.\n\nRelated: Eating just 2 cannabis gummies can put small kids at risk of toxic effects\n\nIn the study, the researchers screened frozen urine samples that had been collected from 9,200 pregnant people at eight U.S. medical centers. The participants were originally recruited between 2010 and 2013 for a long-term study on pregnancy outcomes and their samples have been stored since then.\n\nThe samples were taken during three time windows that respectively fell within the first trimester, the early second trimester, and the late second trimester into the third. For the new research, each sample was screened for a specific molecule that appears in urine when the body breaks down tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), the psychoactive compound in cannabis.\n\nIn addition, the researchers reviewed the participants' medical records to look at their pregnancy outcomes. They took note of preterm births, stillbirths and instances when a newborn was born small for their gestational age; \"small\" was defined as being below the fifth percentile for their age and sex. They also noted when the mother experienced pregnancy-related high-blood-pressure disorders, such as gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.\n\nThese outcomes have been tied to dysfunction of the placenta, the organ that supplies a growing fetus with nutrients and oxygen while removing waste from the womb. Research in monkeys has suggested that cannabis exposure can alter gene activity in the placenta, and it's also linked to reduced oxygen and blood flow through the organ. In humans , cannabis exposure has been linked to slower-than-typical growth of the fetus, which can be related to problems with the placenta.\n\nIn the study, urine screening flagged 610 participants who had used cannabis in pregnancy. Nearly 200 used cannabis only in the first trimester, while the rest tested positive for cannabis both in the first trimester and later in pregnancy.\n\nParticipants who used cannabis had a higher risk of experiencing at least one of the poor pregnancy outcomes — nearly 26%, compared with 17.5% in the group that didn't use cannabis. The risk was highest for those who used cannabis late into pregnancy, and the risk also appeared to rise with the overall concentration of THC byproduct in a person's urine.\n\nThe researchers initially considered the pregnancy outcomes as a group, rather than separately, because \"we knew we did not have a large enough sample to examine all of these outcomes independently,\" Metz told Live Science. But as a secondary analysis, the researchers then zoomed in on specific pregnancy outcomes, to see which were most common in the available data.\n\nIn that analysis, cannabis use was linked to a higher chance that a baby would be born small, but it was not linked to a higher risk of high-blood-pressure disorders in pregnancy.\n\nCannabis use was also tentatively linked to a risk of stillbirth, with the group that used cannabis showing a higher rate than those who didn't use the drug. However, in a model that adjusted for other influential factors — such as nicotine exposure and the mother's age and insurance status — the cannabis-related stillbirth result was no longer statistically significant.\n\n\"There are other studies that have also found an association between cannabis use and stillbirth , so it is concerning that we also saw this association in unadjusted analyses,\" Metz said. However, because the link disappeared in the adjusted model, \"this also means that we likely needed a bigger cohort to look specifically at stillbirth as an outcome.\"\n\nFortunately, based on the current study's data, \"stillbirth is a rare outcome,\" Metz emphasized. Its risk just warrants further study in larger groups.\n\nThe current study has other limitations. For instance, the molecules in the frozen urine samples may have degraded somewhat over the years, although they were stored appropriately. The way people used cannabis is also unknown, so it's unclear if inhaling or taking edibles would come with different levels of risk, for example.\n\nAnd again, the study's design allows a link to be drawn between cannabis and pregnancy outcomes, but it can't say whether or how the drug actually caused the outcomes.\n\nThat said, \"I think this lends more evidence to the idea that there are potential risks, and really talk to patients about alternative methods of treating whatever it is they're hoping to treat with cannabis,\" Metz told JAMA in a podcast interview .", + "Parenting no longer starts and stops with our children. Nor is it confined to those who have children. In a time of unrelenting change and ever-extending life, most of us will – at some stage – find ourselves “parenting” our own parents.\n\nIndeed, many of us – particularly those who had families later – will find ourselves simultaneously parenting our kids and our parents. In one breath we’ll be begging our children to swap French fries for vegetables, and in the next breath we’ll be urging our parents to exchange cake for sardines. Little wonder today’s midlifers are known as the sandwich generation.\n\nThe relentless pace of technology – accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic – has made everything infinitely more complicated, leaving many older (and not-so-old) people baffled and frustrated. In the last few years I’ve witnessed friends and family dashing to help parents with poorly designed online banking systems, unruly fridge alarms, “upgraded” software that has changed beyond recognition, apps and phones that don’t function as expected, and numerous other technical challenges.\n\nFrankly, technology is often baffling to me, too. Luckily I have kids who delight in parenting me – advising, explaining and guiding me on all things digital. But studies suggest that this helpfulness might not be as beneficial as we think. Grappling with new and baffling things forces the ageing brain to work in novel ways. A recent study from the University of Texas involving more than 200 elderly adults found that those who engaged with technology had better cognition and memory than their non-engaging peers.\n\nDigital engagement – whatever the device – protects the brain\n\nEven the stress we experience while battling with our computer can be helpful, sharpening our mental acuity. The study authors concluded that digital engagement – whatever the device – protects the brain. These findings reflect earlier studies that discovered that older people who made active use of technology were less likely to get dementia.\n\nDr Eamon Laird, researcher in health and ageing at Limerick university, agrees that we should be encouraging older parents to try new things. And the further out of their comfort zone they feel, the better. “It’s always good to keep the mind active and fresh,” he told me. “New challenges can help build and maintain new brain connections and can be good for brain and overall health.”\n\nIf older people use technology to keep in touch with extended family and friends, that’s a double whammy. When my 84-year-old mother recently joined Instagram, she not only expanded her grey matter but she also found an effective means of staying in touch with her grandchildren. Being social, says Laird, is as important as trying new things: “Research shows that those who are more social are also more resilient to chronic conditions and often have a stronger immune system.”\n\nAnyone with older parents should be urging them out for a walk five days a week Dr Eamon Laird, health and ageing researcher\n\nDepression among the elderly is on the rise and often goes unnoticed. Gerontologists now believe that it is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among the elderly – with half of all cases going undiagnosed. When elderly parents become depressed (many of them come from a generation not accustomed to talking about their mental health), it can be difficult to know how to respond. But Laird’s latest report suggests that a daily walk could help. His study of more than 4,000 older adults found that as little as 20 minutes of daily walking could cut the risk of depression by up to 43%. “Anyone with older parents should be urging them out for a walk five days a week – and when they have a companion, the walk also doubles as a social occasion,” he explained. “If they can walk for longer than 20 minutes, even better. Our study showed that the risk of depression fell in proportion to the time spent walking.”\n\nAs well as a daily walk, Laird recommends vitamin D and B12 supplements – both of which appear to moderate the chance of depression in older people. “Depression matters,” he added. “Not just because it reduces quality of life, but because in older people there seems to be a link between depression and dementia which we’re still unpacking.”\n\nHealth coach Susan Saunders found herself “parenting” her mother (who had dementia) while her own daughters were babies. “I’d advise anyone with a parent in the early stages of dementia to investigate all the available research trials. Start by joining Dementia Research, a nationwide register that matches volunteers to research programmes.”\n\nEven if your parents don’t require such intensive “parenting”, a simple supplement could help. A recent study from Columbia University involving 2,200 adults aged 60 and over found that an inexpensive multivitamin formulated specifically for older people improved cognition, memory and focus. In fact, the results were so marked that the researchers said the supplement could slow age-related memory decline by three years.\n\nBut while most of us can probably persuade our parents to take a multivitamin, suggesting they change their diet might be more complicated. Appetites fade as we age, chewing becomes more difficult and those living alone don’t always feel inclined to cook. The important thing, say both Saunders and Laird, is that older people consume plenty of protein.\n\n“Older adults should be taking at least 1 to 1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight,” says Laird. “Dairy, fish or non-processed meat can help maintain muscle strength and function, reducing the risk of frailty as we age.”\n\nIn truth, anyone over 50 would do well to follow these simple guidelines: engage with something new every day, take a daily walk of at least 20 minutes, socialise regularly, take a daily multivitamin for seniors and check the protein content of our meals. Perhaps we should think of it as self-parenting.\n\nGood groups for elders\n\nAge UK has a database of social activities and groups for older folk\n\nThe Walking Football Association keeps keen amateur footballers playing long into their 50s and 60s\n\nAction for Elders offers social and exercise programmes\n\nThe Centre for Ageing Better provides information on working and living as an older person\n\nu3a, a charity collective, provides local opportunities for people no longer in work to acquire new skills and knowledge\n\nAnnabel Streets is the co-author of The Age-Well Project: Easy Ways to a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life (Piatkus) and co-founder of The Age-Well Project", + "The second level of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a musical. Or, to be precise, it can be a musical. Whether or not the universe breaks into song depends on which words of the title “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” you prefer.\n\nIf you’re here for the “Super Mario Bros.” of it all, this level (and every level) can be enjoyed as a loyal continuation of the plumber’s work in the 2D platformer genre that has maintained a healthy and consistent cadence since the series debuted in 1985. Dash from left to right, jump over pits, concuss enemies, collect the occasional power-up, and after a few minutes of adventuring ever eastward, leap onto the flagpole that ends one level and unlocks the next.\n\nPolygon Recommends is our way of endorsing our favorite games, movies, TV shows, comics, tabletop books, and entertainment experiences. When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, it’s because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun — and worth fitting into your schedule. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch .\n\nBut, if you’re curious about the “Wonder” — if you’re not too precious about video game tradition — you can find within each Wonder stage a Wonder Seed, a Mario-sized ball of botany that morphs the environment into something indeed quite wonderful. Like a musical number.\n\nTo choose wonder is to flood the atmosphere with lava-lamp plasma, send gravity into convulsions, or transform your hero into any variety of creatures — or even inanimate objects. As my stoned college roommate once postulated while ripping an apple bong: “You always see the scenery, but have you ever wanted to be the scenery?” Reader, he dreamt so we could live. For a moment, Mario gets to be the background.\n\nThe brilliance of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is that the choice is one of “and,” not of “or.” The traditional and the topsy-turvy coexist. Across six worlds, the creators of Wonder offer a menu of familiar stages that, should you like, can be prepared with extra spice — or paired with the family-friendly equivalent of ayahuasca. That particular drug comparison isn’t flippant: At one point Toad licks the ol’ Wonder Seed, and suddenly he’s riding a dragon.\n\nWonder Seeds can add a splash of difficulty, but help is perpetually available in a fashion that’s considerate rather than patronizing. Gone are time limits. Extra lives can be purchased at a low cost with the game’s abundant purple currency. A new badge system allows players to select from a growing collection of special abilities that range from helpful (a high, floating leap) to playful (a Piranha Plant grappling hook) to silly (a triple jump tied to a musical rhythm).\n\nPrince charming Badges are worn by a little royal bug named Prince Florian who joins you on your journey and provides the majority of conversation on this road trip, alongside very talkative flowers sprouting across every corner of the Flower Kingdom, eager to provide a tip for a metatextual wink.\n\nEach unlockable upgrade or special move is assigned to a badge that can be found or purchased. One collected badge can be selected before each stage, so I found myself rotating abilities based on need. For example, when later stages added a bunch of instant-death bottomless pits, I opted for the Safety Bounce badge: When I plunge into an abyss, the darkness spits me up like a piece of hamburger caught in its throat.\n\nI expect many players will brag that their favorite badge is the “overpowered one,” which is sort of always true. No matter what you use, you will feel like you’ve been given an unfair advantage as you casually float over chunks of the stage or vacuum coins through walls. To maintain balance, the designers layered on new challenges, keeping Wonder within the Goldilocks window. Not too hard, not too easy. Just right.\n\nThe wonder of playing Super Mario Bros. in 1985 came from the discovery. Nintendo not only predicted players would climb outside the confines of the level, it placed shortcuts in the hidden crevices to reward the most rule-breaking players. Badges cleverly build upon that sense of freedom with skills that let you soar over towering enemies or use that Piranha Plant grappling hook to climb high above the confines of the stage — now a Mario tradition.\n\nAnd sometimes Wonder goes further. With Wonder Seeds, the levels themselves collapse and contort, disobeying the laws established by decades of Mario games. Giant, sudsy, rainbow-tinted bubbles fill a stage and burst through the ceiling; a colossal snowball knocks down a flagpole, extending the stage beyond its official conclusion.\n\nThis is the most significant difference between 1985 and 2023: Mario’s creators have joined in the fun of breaking the machine.\n\nPlay Mario for the first time a second time\n\nMiddle-aged Mario fans (read: me) have speculated since its announcement that Wonder could be the first “true new Mario game” since Super Mario World in 1990.\n\nTo younger (or just less obsessive) readers, that theory might sound strange. Nintendo has released many iterative entries of Mario — including the cheekily named New Super Mario Bros. series. However, for the village elders, the first four 2D Mario games stand apart.\n\nMario multiplayer Wonder shines as a solo experience, but like other recent 2D Mario games, Wonder allows up to four players to play together. Multiplayer is both a delight and utter chaos. The humanoid characters (Mario, Peach, Toad, etc.) are like M&Ms — they have different exteriors but effectively play the same. The critters are perfect for players who prefer a little extra help. Nabbit and Yoshi won’t take damage, and the Yoshis have their familiar tongue attack and floaty jump.\n\nWith each Super Mario Bros. on the NES and SNES, Nintendo’s designers learned from the previous entry, cutting what didn’t work, making audacious additions (there was a time when adding a dinosaur named Yoshi felt like a gimmick!), and gradually accumulating the pieces and tropes that would appear in every game for the following 30-plus years.\n\nThen, with Super Mario 64, 3D Mario games became the de facto labs for Nintendo’s greatest experimentation: Magical hats! Water guns! Galactic travel! 2D Mario, conversely, defaulted to a vessel for nostalgia.\n\nI can say with confidence that Wonder shares those early games’ inventiveness, and their disregard for what should and shouldn’t be in a Mario game. When playing Wonder, I’ve imagined how it came to be: In my fantasy, since the ’90s, every time a Nintendo developer had an idea that “didn’t fit the tone” or “wasn’t Mario enough,” they wrote it into a notebook. And eventually, with no space left, someone had the gall to say, “Let’s turn this stuffed notebook of chaos into a game. Because why shouldn’t Mario be an elephant? Why shouldn’t Wigglers wear roller skates? And why shouldn’t Luigi skydive?”\n\nWonder’s creators have so many new ideas to share that their creativity is unapologetically wasteful, which I say as a compliment. Many gimmicks in Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be stretched to fill entire games, but here, we’re lucky to see them last a few minutes.\n\nFor example, one stage might feature platforms that drop when you step on them. The next stage will feature platforms that drop, but only after you’ve jumped on them a certain number of times — a countdown clock at their center. After that, the stage will have platforms made of batteries, each dropping as it runs out of energy. And then, to wrap things up, there will be a stage in which you build the stage out of huge batteries of different shapes, the platform rapidly growing and shrinking as it skims above a yawning abyss.\n\nIn the current era of AAA “forever games” filled with endless lists of chores and artificial rewards, Wonder’s willingness to juice each idea of its fun, then toss the rind in the trash, is a potent alternative. The reward isn’t XP or limited-edition outfits. It’s the play itself.\n\nDon’t mistake the creative abundance (and refusal to wear out one’s welcome) for a short game. Levels are everywhere. Wonder’s map features six worlds, but levels can also be found in the hub area, along with... to avoid spoilers, let’s just say elsewhere. The familiar rhythms of a Mario game have been broken, with bosses appearing without warning, some worlds ending with no boss fight at all, and the occasional surprise stage that materializes like a mirage.\n\nWhether or not Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the unofficial Super Mario Bros. 5 that dorks like me have long wanted, I’ll leave to the forums. But I will say this: What a joy it is to play a Mario game and not already know how to read it, to not have my muscle memory do more work than my brain.\n\nWith rumors that the Nintendo Switch’s successor could arrive early next year, I would be fine if Wonder were this console’s last big release. To survive after the Wii U, Nintendo had to bring together its console and handheld designers and create something unlike anything on the market, without sacrificing what had gotten the company to that point. As the sun sets on the Switch, after an unprecedented run of success, along with arguably the best entries in many of the company’s biggest franchises, we get Super Mario Bros. Wonder.\n\nLike the Switch itself, Wonder is a collision between the traditional and the new. A game that’s the same as it ever was and nothing like Mario has ever been.\n\nSuper Mario Bros. Wonder will be released Oct. 20 on Nintendo Switch. The game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a pre-release download code provided by Nintendo. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here .", + "Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 14, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, you’re my favorite, so happy you’re here, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)\n\nI also have for you a rundown of the best tools for managing money, new gadgets from Valve and Humane, way too many writing apps, new stuff from ChatGPT, and much more.\n\nAs always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you into right now? What have you been reading / watching / learning / doing that everyone should know about? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.\n\nBig week in the Installerverse! Let’s get to it.\n\nInstaller / A weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download, watch, read, listen to, and explore that fits in The Verge’s universe. Email (required) Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.\n\nThe Drop\n\nGroup project\n\nLast week, I asked you to share what systems you use for managing money. With the news that Mint was shutting down (which, ugh), I think a lot of people were left suddenly looking for a new way to easily keep track of their budget and spending. I figured y’all might have some good ideas. (The Verge’s Barbara Krasnoff also put together a list of Mint alternatives, and it’s a really good place to start.)\n\nOnce again, you came through! I got a ton of emails, texts, and mentions with good ideas for apps and systems for making this all work. Also, a lot of people who are very cranky with Mint, and trust me, I feel you on that.\n\nOne note before we get into it: you should, of course, be careful about where you manage your money and financial information and to whom you give access to any of that data. Many of the apps we’re about to talk about are popular and highly regarded, but you should always be cautious with this stuff. My credit score also once got dinged because I had signed up for too many personal finance apps — true story — so there are lots of reasons to be thoughtful here.\n\nCool? Cool. Let’s run through some of your ideas and findings:\n\nYNAB is the big winner. YNAB, which stands for You Need A Budget, was the overwhelming most popular recommendation I got this week. Folks liked that you can sync all your accounts and cards, that it’s an independent app you pay for instead of being bombarded by ads and credit card deals, and that it has a specific set of principles and systems you can just pick up and start using.\n\nYNAB, which stands for You Need A Budget, was the overwhelming most popular recommendation I got this week. Folks liked that you can sync all your accounts and cards, that it’s an independent app you pay for instead of being bombarded by ads and credit card deals, and that it has a specific set of principles and systems you can just pick up and start using. Copilot is the other go-to. Copilot is much more polished than YNAB, and people love the app’s design, its dataviz tools, and just how easy it is to interact with. It’s only for iOS and Mac, which is unfortunate, but as finance apps go, it seems to be unbeatably fun to use.\n\nCopilot is much more polished than YNAB, and people love the app’s design, its dataviz tools, and just how easy it is to interact with. It’s only for iOS and Mac, which is unfortunate, but as finance apps go, it seems to be unbeatably fun to use. There are a lot of apps worth a look. Other apps you recommended, in rough order of popularity: Qapital , Buddy , Empower , HomeBank , Expenses , Quicken , EveryDollar , Nudget , Ledger , and Dime .\n\nOther apps you recommended, in rough order of popularity: , , , , , , , , , and . Don’t sleep on spreadsheets. I heard from a number of people who said they’d tried the apps and built the systems but ultimately landed on a good ol’ spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets for tracking their spending. Especially for folks who just want a rough “here’s what I have, here’s where I want it to go” outline, you can’t beat the ‘sheet. (Is that a thing people say? I’m going with it.)\n\nI heard from a number of people who said they’d tried the apps and built the systems but ultimately landed on a good ol’ spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets for tracking their spending. Especially for folks who just want a rough “here’s what I have, here’s where I want it to go” outline, you can’t beat the ‘sheet. (Is that a thing people say? I’m going with it.) Templates are your friend! A few people recommended Tiller as a way to make the Excel and Google Sheets setup a little cleaner and more automatic. This Notion template got some love, too.\n\nA few people recommended as a way to make the Excel and Google Sheets setup a little cleaner and more automatic. got some love, too. The manual way can be the way… but it’s more work. Some of you love having custom-built systems that you can tend to for a few minutes a week, and there’s certainly no beating “it’s just a file on your computer that you own.” But almost everyone who recommended this strategy also said it’s a lot of work and can be too easy to give up on.\n\nSome of you love having custom-built systems that you can tend to for a few minutes a week, and there’s certainly no beating “it’s just a file on your computer that you own.” But almost everyone who recommended this strategy also said it’s a lot of work and can be too easy to give up on. Or maybe just use your bank. A lot of banks now offer budget tools from right within your banking app, so you can manage your money right next to where it lives. (I hear good things about SoFi’s features on this front.) If you do most or all of your banking in one place, a few folks said this is the way.\n\nPersonally, after reading all your notes and doing some research, I’m going to give Copilot a run. I’ve tried YNAB in the past, and it’s great, but I just did a bad job keeping up with it. I’m also going to make an epic 2024 budget spreadsheet and see how far that gets me.\n\nScreen share\n\nKevin Nguyen, a deputy editor at The Verge, warned me when I first asked him to do this that he had four different writing apps on his homescreen. To which I said: sold, bring it on, we love an obsessive homescreen setup.\n\nThen Kevin followed up and said, “Oh, sorry, it’s actually five writing apps.” Kevin gets it. Here’s Kevin’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:\n\nThe phone: iPhone 15 Pro (already lightly scratched my screen).\n\nThe wallpaper: My background is actually my partner, but she would be mortified if I posted a photo of her here, next to a bunch of apps, so you guys just get Toshiro Mifune.\n\nThe apps: Years ago, I read this interview with novelist Donna Tartt about her writing process. I assumed, as a famous person of letters, she would have an elaborate, possibly pretentious system — at least an especially fancy leather Moleskine. It turns out she just kept four different notebooks: cheap ones, sporting different Beatles album covers, each serving a different purpose. I forgot what each was for, but it was something like “Revolver is for characters, Sgt. Pepper’s is for plot.”\n\nI don’t know if I was channeling Tartt when I decided to regularly use a rotation of five different writing apps. They are iA Writer, Google Docs, Bear, Apple Notes, and Scrivener, and they all have more weaknesses than strengths. Each feels like it’s been designed for a fairly specific use case. But that’s not really the point. I know that when I open iA Writer, it’s to try and get words down as quickly as possible. Docs is for revising and fidgeting. Bear is for thoughtful notes. Notes is for garbage notes (I really hate that app, but it also syncs our household grocery list). Scrivener is its own beast, built from the ground up for real sickos (authors).\n\nI’m sure five apps that do essentially the same thing sounds like a nightmare to some people. But for me, writing and editing is a messy process, like trying to capture lightning in a bottle. Or I guess, in this case, five different bottles.\n\nNon-writing apps: Wallet, Google Authenticator, Photos, Camera, Google Maps, Settings, Clock, Chase, Arc (the iOS app is fairly incomplete, but it will sync with your sidebar, so I’ll open a bunch of tabs, then read those links on my phone when I get on the subway), Slack, Hello Weather (my salvation since the death of Dark Sky), Pins (I use Pinboard to save longform stories, and I meticulously tag them with the kind of notes you might expect from a features editor), Letterboxd (quietly the best social app and a great way to triangulate what’s out, streaming, or in theaters — if two or three friends have all logged an older film recently, it probably means it just hit Criterion or there’s a revival at IFC).\n\nAs always, I also asked Kevin to share a few things he’s into right now. Here’s what he sent back:\n\nSurround by Hiroshi Yoshimura . This recently released ambient record was originally made to be the music of… prefab homes? But it reveals so much on closer listen: shimmering drone, swirls of pleasing synths, a touch of humor. Still, if you’re lazy like I am most days, you can just put it on while you work and let it wash over you.\n\nThis recently released ambient record was originally made to be the music of… prefab homes? But it reveals so much on closer listen: shimmering drone, swirls of pleasing synths, a touch of humor. Still, if you’re lazy like I am most days, you can just put it on while you work and let it wash over you. Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park . I’m halfway through Ed Park’s long-awaited second novel, and so far, it’s a funny, genre-busting saga that is deeply obsessed with Korean history. For fans of anyone who is wanting a big, immersive read who is usually daunted by a big, immersive book.\n\nI’m halfway through Ed Park’s long-awaited second novel, and so far, it’s a funny, genre-busting saga that is deeply obsessed with Korean history. For fans of anyone who is wanting a big, immersive read who is usually daunted by a big, immersive book. Anatomy of a Fall. I reviewed this courtroom thriller when it premiered at New York Film Festival, and now you can catch it in select cities. A dark, twisty murder mystery that surrenders itself to a much richer set of questions than your usual whodunit. The best thing in theaters at the moment! (And in general, I recommend going to the theater. Replace your screen time with the biggest-possible-screen time.)\n\nCrowdsourced\n\nHere’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now as well! Email installer@theverge.com with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week.\n\n“There’s a website called RetroAchievements that adds trophies to old-school games. It’s a great excuse to go back and play games from your childhood or games you never got around to playing.” – Nick\n\n“Fluttermind, the Moonring dev, hasn’t ported the game to Mac yet, but I did discover some of their other games, and I’ve started to play Spellrazor. It’s a very interesting haunted arcade game.” – Drake\n\n“Just finished The Kids of Rutherford County, the new podcast from the Serial folks, and it was great. Reading Adam Grant’s new book, Hidden Potential. Not done yet, but it’s excellent so far, especially for someone like me who struggles with imposter syndrome.” – Nick\n\n“Castro, my favorite podcast app. I appreciate the way that it treats episodes more like emails so I can queue, save for later, or delete them individually. After using it, I can’t move to any other podcast app.” – Mike\n\n“Found the show Detroiters. Really fun 30-minute comedy starring Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson, with their sensibilities.” – Travi\n\n“I’m playing a game called Chants of Sennaar right now, and it is unlike any other puzzle / logic game I have played. You wake up in a tower with different classes of people on each level, and they all speak different languages (and obviously, you don’t know any of them). You try to learn each language through context from people or environment. It is super chill but challenging.” – Bahadir\n\n“I stumbled upon the Beli app for tracking and discovering restaurants, and it is by far the best option for that sort of thing, far better than a crowded Google Maps or noisy FourSquare. It has a lot of potential in its ability, and you get to keep discovering features as it learns about your preferences.” – Rich\n\n“I have recently gotten into the 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s podcast. I am definitely not an early adopter here but am loving the deep dives on the songs paired with just the right amount of sarcasm and history.” – Antek\n\n“I’m pumped for the finale of Scavengers Reign! Really enjoyed the season with fantastic planet symbiotic flora, Aeon Flux adult animation / themes, and not everyone is making it out alive.” – BG\n\n“For over 15 years I have made a regular pilgrimage to Kriegs.net to check out the wallpaper that he puts out consistently by the start of the month. The design is usually themed to the season and comes with the option of a calendar in the image. I don’t know if this is a widely known resource, but it has always felt like a little secret that only I know about, which I am now willing to share.” – Jonathan\n\nSigning off\n\nThis weekend, pour one out for Tumblr, one of the most interesting social networks on the internet, which appears to be in trouble. It’s not dying, but it’s not… not dying, you know? Whatever happens next, this state of affairs is a bummer for a lot of reasons, including that Tumblr promised to work with ActivityPub — which would have been a big win for the fediverse — and I think is still maybe the web’s best and most versatile posting tool. Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic (which owns Tumblr), spent a bunch of time this week answering people’s questions about the future of Tumblr, and it paints a sad but interesting picture of what it really takes to build a better social network. It’s all making me root for Mastodon even harder.", + "Meta is to offer an ad-free subscription version of Facebook and Instagram in the European Union, EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland, confirming the core of a report in the WSJ earlier this month. The new ad-free subscription will be available from next month, per a Meta blog post.\n\nThe move follows years of privacy litigation, enforcements and court rulings in the EU — which have culminated in a situation where Meta can no longer claim a contractual right (nor legitimate interest) to track and profile users for ad targeting. (Although, at the time of writing, it is still doing the latter — meaning it is technically operating without a proper legal basis. But this summer Meta announced an intention to switch to consent.)\n\nUnder regional data protection law the only available basis left for Meta’s tracking and profiling ad business is to obtain freely given consent from users. However the adtech giant’s interpretation of free consent with this ‘pay us or be tracked’ subscription proposal will, justifiably, leave privacy advocates fuming — since the choice it’s offering here boils down to ‘pay us money; or pay us with your privacy’.\n\nPer Meta’s blog post, the fee it plans to charge users to escape its tracking and targeting (i.e. the ad-free subscription) is €9.99/month on web or €12.99/month on iOS or Android per linked Facebook and Instagram accounts in a user’s Accounts Center. After March 1, 2024 it also says an additional fee — of €6/month on web and €8/month on iOS or Android — will apply for each additional account listed in a user’s Account Center.\n\nSo the cost for using Meta’s services without being tracked and profiled could quickly stack up for anyone with more than one account on Meta’s social networks.\n\nEven for a user with just one account (on either Facebook or Instagram) the cost for protecting their privacy from Meta’s tracking and profiling would be almost €120 per year (for web use) or just over €155 (on mobile).\n\nAs we reported earlier this month, Meta is relying on a line in a ruling handed down by the bloc’s top court, the CJEU, earlier this year — where the judges allowed the possibility — caveated with “if necessary” — of an (another caveat) “appropriate fee” being charged for an equivalent alternative service (i.e. that lacks tracking and profiling). So the legal fight against Meta’s continued tracking and profiling of users will hinge on what’s necessary and appropriate in this context.\n\nnoyb, the European privacy rights group which has driven much of the strategic litigation against Meta’s tracking and profiling, has already — since 2021 — been challenging similar ‘pay or okay’ practices by news publishers by filing a series of complaints with data protection authorities.\n\nIn a press release earlier this month after the WSJ reported Meta plans to charge users for their privacy, noyb’s founder and honorary chairman, Max Schrems, wrote: “The CJEU said that the alternative to ads must be ‘necessary’ and the fee must be ‘appropriate’. I don’t think €160 a year is what they had in mind. These six words are also an ‘obiter dictum’, a non-binding element that went beyond the core case before the CJEU. For Meta this is not the most stable case law and we will clearly fight against such an approach.”\n\nContacted for a response to the development, Meta’s lead regulator in the EU for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) sent us a statement. “Meta notified the DPC on July 27 of its intention to implement an alternative, consent-based model in which users would be given a choice between ads-funded versions of its platforms, and subscription versions in which, in return for payment of monthly fee, it is said that users will not receive targeted advertising,” the Irish regulator wrote.\n\n“While February 2024 was initially identified by Meta as the earliest date by which its consent model would be operational, it agreed to bring forward that date to November 2023 at the direction of the DPC, the DPC having been concerned to ensure that changes would be implemented to the platforms as soon as practicable in light of earlier findings to the effect that Meta had failed to demonstrate its entitlement to rely on the legal bases on which it was then relying when processing users’ data for behavioural advertising purposes. These included findings made by the Court of Justice of the European Union when delivering judgment on July 4, 2023 in a case in which the Court examined the legal bases on which Meta’s processing of users’ data for behavioural advertising purposes is grounded.\n\n“Acting in consultation with its fellow European supervisory authorities, the DPC has been engaged in a detailed regulatory assessment of the consent-based model since it was first proposed by Meta in July. That exercise is being led by the DPC, reflecting its position as Lead Supervisory Authority for Facebook and Instagram in Europe. The exercise has not yet concluded, and no findings have been made to date. It is due to be completed shortly, at which point the DPC will notify Meta if it considers that the manner in which its new user offerings are to be implemented is compatible with Meta’s obligations under GDPR.”\n\nSo Meta’s move to offer users a subscription or tracking hasn’t been signed off by data protection authorities as yet — and it’s clear that further regulatory interventions could follow. (And on that front, Norway’s DPA, which has a local ban order on Meta’s tracking ads, told us it’s concerned about the subscription plan, saying it has doubts as to whether it would constitute valid consent.)\n\nAs well as needing to comply with the GDPR, which delineates the qualities necessary for consent to be legal (such as that it is specific, informed and freely given), Meta is now also subject to the pan-EU Digital Services Act (DSA) — which also sets conditions on larger platforms when it comes to tracking and profiling people for ads. So it won’t just be data protection authorities making a call on whether Meta’s subscription or tracking offer flies; the European Commission is responsible for oversight of very large online platforms’ DSA compliance.\n\nMeta has also been designated as a so-called gatekeeper, under the DSA’s sister regulation, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — which also puts some limits on use of people’s data for ads. The Commission is the sole enforcer of the DMA.\n\nMeta is already in the Commission’s sights over its approach to the DSA — with the EU’s executive, in recent days, requesting more information from the tech giant vis-à-vis its approach to content threats flowing from the Israel-Hamas war and about election security issues. But it remains to be seen whether the EU will apply the same close scrutiny to Meta’s ad tracking offer.\n\nIn its blog post Meta claims the choice to offer people to pay it for their privacy or else agree to being tracked “balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland”. But, well, it would say that.\n\nThe subscription is also only being offered to people aged 18 and up — which raises questions over how it will comply with requirements in the DSA and DMA not to processing children’s data for ad targeting.\n\n“We’re continuing to explore how to provide teens with a useful and responsible ad experience given this evolving regulatory landscape,” it writes on that." + ], + "gold_retrieves": { + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, as reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which individual is implicated in both inflating the value of a Manhattan apartment to a figure not yet achieved in New York City's real estate history, according to 'Fortune', and is also accused of adjusting this apartment's valuation to compensate for a loss in another asset's worth, as reported by 'The Age'?": [ + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "Who is the figure associated with generative AI technology whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking according to Fortune, and is also the subject of a prevailing theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Do the TechCrunch article on software companies and the Hacker News article on The Epoch Times both report an increase in revenue related to payment and subscription models, respectively?": [ + "They really just want to be able to accept payments and generate more revenue from being able to do so.", + "The group reported $76 million in subscription revenue in 2021, compared to nearly $7 million in 2019." + ], + "Which online betting platform provides a welcome bonus of up to $1000 in bonus bets for new customers' first losses, runs NBA betting promotions, and is anticipated to extend the same sign-up offer to new users in Vermont, as reported by both CBSSports.com and Sporting News?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual alleged to have built a thriving crypto exchange on falsehoods and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Twitch's subscription revenue split policy indicate a different monetization strategy compared to the TechCrunch article on Beeper's plans for Beeper Mini subscriptions?": [ + "Last year, the company announced that it would end the 70/30 subscription revenue split deal that it had offered select streamers in favor of prioritizing ad revenue.", + "“As soon as things stabilize (we hope they will), we’ll look at turning on subscriptions again,” the blog post reads." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article attribute the success of the Buffalo Bills' defense to the contributions of Jordan Poyer, while the 'Sporting News' article suggests that the Baltimore Ravens' defense needs to improve before their game against the Cincinnati Bengals?": [ + "What he has done, according to former Bills defensive coordinator Les Frazier, now an analyst for NFL Network, is enable his defense to be the best it can by lifting others through versatility, sacrifice, toughness and communication.", + "The defense needs to pick up the pieces, too, stat, ahead of facing the Bengals on a short week." + ], + "What is the name of the organization discussed in TechCrunch articles that, despite its financial instability, is recognized for creating ChatGPT, which is both a priority and a platform for ongoing innovations, and is planning to enhance its capabilities with the release of GPT-4 and associated APIs?": [ + "Despite being the hottest tech company in the world right now and everyone talking about ChatGPT, OpenAI isn’t exactly a sound business.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Which company, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms and is also accused of harming news publishers’ revenue through its business practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Sridevi's achievements in the Indian film industry and a Times of India report on her posthumous honors, which single character from a film portrayed by Sridevi has been recognized for its cultural impact and has also been commemorated with a special award after her passing?": [], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Australia's Davis Cup team is aiming for an improvement in their performance compared to the previous year, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the South Africa national rugby team has already achieved an improvement to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals?": [ + "“Hopefully we can go one better this year,” he added, recalling the 2-0 defeat by Canada in 2022.", + "England will no doubt be looking to echo the spirit of 2019, when they beat the All Blacks 19-7 to reach the final, but in South Africa, they face a side who have taken their game to new heights just to reach the semis." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, concerning Dave Clark's comments on Flexport, and the subsequent TechCrunch article on October 30, 2023, regarding Ryan Petersen's actions at Flexport, was there a change in the nature of the events reported?": [ + "Turmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion.", + "Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people." + ], + "What is the first letter of the name of the company that, according to an article from The Financial Times, received the most European patents in 2021, and is also mentioned in a Bloomberg article as having faced a significant legal challenge at the European Patent Office over one of its key patents?": [], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggesting Prince William's emotional state regarding Princess Diana's death align with the same publication's depiction of the events leading up to her death in 'The Crown season six'?": [ + "After learning of Diana’s death from his father at the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, William (Rufus Kampa) is left heartbroken with grief and angry at his family’s response to it.", + "The latest installment takes place between the late 1990s to mid-2000s, and includes the lead-up to Princess Diana’s fatal Paris car crash in 1997." + ], + "Which entity is currently engaged with Amazon to address competition concerns, facilitating dialogue with consumer groups against Meta, deploying staff within its AI Office for future regulations, and has previously focused on illegal content and disinformation issues related to the Israel-Hamas war, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "And some of these staff will also be deployed within the European Commission,” they added.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Which company, known for its dominance in the e-reader space and for offering exclusive invite-only deals during sales events, faced a stock decline due to an antitrust lawsuit reported by 'The Sydney Morning Herald' and discussed by sellers in a 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' article?": [ + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the digital ecosystem between the report from The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on a class action antitrust suit against Google published later?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge about the iPhone 13's camera system and the battery life improvements mentioned in a piece by CNET, which model of the iPhone 13 series, represented by a single Roman numeral, was noted for having the best combination of both attributes?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that streaming services do not require a subscription for viewing the Cowboys vs. 49ers game, in contrast to the Polygon article's claim about film availability on streaming platforms without a subscription?": [ + "Fans can also stream the game via Peacock or NBCSports.com with a subscription, along with Fubo, which offers a free trial.", + "Where to watch: Streaming free with ads on Tubi, and free with a library card on Kanopy." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the band Used To Be Young's latest tour and a review in Rolling Stone discussing the standout performance of a particular member during a recent concert, which member of Used To Be Young was highlighted for their exceptional solo during the tour's opening night and also plays the instrument that begins with the letter 'B'?": [], + "Has the advice provided by Sporting News to bettors regarding the evaluation of betting opportunities and offers involved reading requirements, going with the favored Eagles, and focusing on hype between the reports published on September 28, 2023, and December 18, 2023?": [ + "We urge you to read the requirements for any available promotions and offers before accepting them so you’re aware of any restrictions before betting.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Which company, covered by Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an updated gaming hardware with over 300 improvements on November 16, emphasizing a singular performance target for developers?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in Jada Pinkett Smith's statements regarding what she learned from her children after The Independent - Life and Style's report on her views on self-acceptance published at 13:41:30, and before The Independent - Life and Style's subsequent report on the same topic published at 15:48:10 on the same day?": [ + "This isn’t the first time that Jada has opened up about her long-term commitment to her husband.", + "Jada then praised her children for how they’ve helped her grow, adding: “My children, they’re little gurus.", + "She praised her and Will’s two children - Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22 - for being her “little gurus” throughout this time, noting that they’ve taught her “a deep sense of self-acceptance”." + ], + "Considering the economic forecasts from a Bloomberg article and the archaeological discoveries reported by Al Jazeera, which country in North Africa, expected to see a significant rise in GDP, also recently unveiled an ancient artifact believed to be from the reign of a pharaoh whose name begins with the letter \"T\"?": [], + "Was the news about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce inconsistent with the later report from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023?": [ + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Google's market practices in reports by The Age before October 22, 2023, remained consistent with the depiction in The Verge's coverage of the Epic v. Google case, and with TechCrunch's report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is not trained on kids' responses, while The Age article raises concerns about TikTok's pixel collecting data without consent?": [ + "In terms of privacy, the company notes it’s not training its LLM on kids’ answers.", + "Credit: AP ‘Remove that pixel’ The extent of data collected by TikTok’s pixel without user consent has caused concern among Australian marketers." + ], + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" or the article from Fortune on the \"U.S. home sales price\" both report a decrease in their respective financial figures?": [ + "Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.", + "And even after a near doubling of mortgage rates, that figure rose to $69,400 by the second quarter of 1981." + ], + "Did the coverage of ski resorts by 'The Independent - Travel' change after their report on the 'Swiss slopes of Zermatt and pistes of Vail in Colorado' on October 13th, 2023, compared to their subsequent report on 'Tremblant Ski Resort' on October 25th, 2023?": [ + "Quebec’s premier ski resort sits at the foot of the eponymous mountain, whose pistes cater well to all abilities.", + "From the Swiss slopes of Zermatt to the pistes of Vail in Colorado, it’s not just the snow that sparkles." + ], + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, not only spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across various devices and platforms but was also considered by a major tech competitor as the only valid option for such services at the time of their deal, and is simultaneously facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do 'The Verge' and 'Engadget' articles both suggest that 'Consumers' have guides or opportunities to make better purchasing decisions, while 'TechCrunch' discusses 'Consumers' desire for a new model in a different sector?": [ + "And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together guides to the best wireless earbuds and best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which pair is right for you.", + "Or, if you missed out on any of the deals from Prime Day in July, this year's \"Prime Big Deal Days\" will let you make up for that.", + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI, recognized for both his vision of AI agents and his generosity, and has made headlines in both Fortune and TechCrunch for his controversial departure from the company?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "What company, recently reported by TechCrunch to have made significant profitability in the third quarter, has also faced criticism for not adequately preventing incidents and streamlining driver sign-ups, despite being aware of safety concerns since 2014 and introducing new app features to address them?": [ + "Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against Uber claiming the company hasn’t done enough to prevent instances of sexual assault by drivers.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly.", + "Uber has attempted to address sexual assaults by drivers — which the lawsuits claim Uber has known about since 2014 — through new safety features in its app, like a 911 button and the ability to share location with a friend.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, about Google's financial strategies to maintain its search engine dominance, and again on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to TechCrunch?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a greater ease of prompting toxic output compared to other models, while the TechCrunch article on Meta's open source AI approach indicate concerns of potential danger and disinformation from industry competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft?": [ + "Because GPT-4 is more likely to follow the instructions of “jailbreaking” prompts, the co-authors claim that GPT-4 can be more easily prompted than other LLMs to spout toxic, biased text.", + "Google, OpenAI and Microsoft, a close OpenAI partner and investor, have been among the chief critics of Meta’s open source AI approach, arguing that it’s potentially dangerous and disinformation-encouraging." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers a cash-out option for early bet settlement, while the CBSSports.com and the second Sporting News article both focus on Caesars Sportsbook providing a welcome bonus offer for new customers?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on generative AI in the enterprise suggest that CIOs are more cautious in their AI adoption strategy compared to the belief of business leaders mentioned in another TechCrunch article, who think AI will be essential for all businesses within five years?": [ + "“So we’ve been doing this whole push for AI over the last maybe six or nine months and we’re at the point right now where we’re building specific use cases for each different team and function within the firm.” He cautions that it’s early, and they are still exploring ways in which it can help, but so far the results have been good in terms of offering more efficient ways to do things.", + "Ninety-four percent of business leaders agree AI will be critical to all businesses’ success over the next five years, and total global spending on AI is expected to reach $154 billion by the end of this year, a 27% increase from 2022." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Forbes about Sygic, which letter represents both the first character of the European country where Sygic is headquartered and the last character of the name of Sygic's CEO as mentioned in these articles?": [], + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes about the growth strategies of Pets Best Insurance Services and a report by The Wall Street Journal on the company's recent partnership with a major pet retailer, which letter of the alphabet starts the name of the CEO who has overseen these developments at Pets Best Insurance Services?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's approach to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did The Independent - Sports report on the All Blacks' home victories against Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina last summer on October 14, 2023, and did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on Argentina's victories over the All Blacks in Christchurch last year and their first victory in 2020 in Sydney on October 18, 2023, making the reporting on the All Blacks' defeats by Argentina consistent?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Altman is involved in a new venture, while the Fortune article discusses the roles of Matt Huang and Gary Wang in the context of venture capital and FTX, without indicating any new venture involvement for them?": [ + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Yedidia will continue his testimony on Thursday, followed by Matt Huang, a former partner at the high-powered venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, and then Gary Wang, a key Bankman-Fried lieutenant and one of the government’s star witnesses." + ], + "Did the 'Fortune' report on Donald Trump's real estate valuations published on September 26, 2023, disagree with 'The Age' report regarding the allegation that Donald Trump increased the value of his penthouse apartment in the matter of inflating property values?": [ + "James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state.", + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "What entity, discussed in articles from both The Verge and Fortune, was involved in implementing a system to prevent liquidation due to software issues, took on losses to maintain another company's balance sheet, and claimed to have acted legally in its business practices as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": [ + "Because of that experience, Bankman-Fried suggested an “alert” or “delay” that would keep Alameda from being liquidated by a bug.", + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence and generative AI technology, who did not attempt to be removed from OpenAI by its co-founders according to 'The Age', became a prominent voice in Silicon Valley as reported by 'Fortune', and was involved in a controversial departure from OpenAI that led to speculation about truthfulness with the board as discussed by 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's influence on the internet's appearance is a different aspect of its impact compared to the financial influence on platforms described in the TechCrunch article about Google's spending, and is the anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers mentioned in another TechCrunch article a separate issue from these influences?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the success in \"North America's EV market\" is due to the size and price of electric vehicles, while The Verge article focuses on Donald Trump's criticism of electric vehicles regarding their cost, range, and impact on American jobs?": [ + "Here we’ll take a look at the small and low(er)-priced EVs that didn’t make it — the flops, the failures to launch, the u-turns and holdouts of North America’s size- and range-obsessed EV market.", + "Last night, former President and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump appeared before a crowd in suburban Detroit and tried out his new attack lines against electric vehicles." + ], + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the agricultural developments reported by Reuters, which minister, responsible for the finance portfolio in Zimbabwe, also announced a partnership with an international firm to boost crop production in the country?": [], + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Suhana Khan's debut in acting and another from Hindustan Times discussing a film festival where her first film was screened, which city hosted the festival where Suhana Khan's debut film was showcased according to these sources?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing a class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's anticompetitive allegations?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from Polygon discussing the Barbie film describe Mattel's portrayal in the same light as how The Independent - Life and Style article describes Mattel's handling of the Wilma Mankiller Barbie doll?": [ + "They package these ideas into a giddy satire full of bright and winning performances, pointed jokes aimed at Mattel and the corporate world, terrific casting (Issa Rae as President Barbie, Simu Liu as one of many Kens, and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie are standouts), and endless cultural gags.", + "However, Mattel has now faced some criticism over the doll, with people calling the toy company out for inaccuracies." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages is worse than in previous years, as indicated by a new record for goals conceded, while The Guardian article implies that Manchester United's overall performance under pressure in the Champions League, especially in Istanbul, has been consistently poor?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "When it comes to pressure in the Champions League of late, United do not cope well and there are few events trickier than a night in Istanbul." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with other companies?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Israel's tech employees suggest a different scale of impact from the war on workforce mobilization compared to the TechCrunch article on GitLab's workforce reduction?": [ + "With the tech industry skewing younger, it’s estimated that anywhere between 10% and 30% of all of Israel’s tech employees are getting mobilized.", + "The round of redundancies will impact around 114 people, though that specific figure is dependent on its actual headcount as of February 9." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report a victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Fueled by a stout defensive showing, a gritty run game and a bit of fairy dust from the likes of St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Josh Reynolds, the Lions cruised to a 34-20 win over their hated NFC North rivals, Green Bay." + ], + "Who is the player that, according to Sporting News, is the top wide receiver for Week 14 and may struggle to achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season due to strong pass defenses, and according to CBSSports.com, needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach this goal?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the promotional offers reported by Sporting News on September 26, 2023, regarding the Caesars Sportsbook promo for new sign-ups in Vermont, and by CBSSports.com on October 13, 2023, about the Caesars Sportsbook offer for new customers?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report on Elijah Garcia's 16th victory before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog covered the first-round knockout by Jai Opetaia against Ellis Zorro?": [ + "Garcia then took his time picking his spots as a huge combination forced the hand of referee Tony Weeks at the 1:26 mark to get his 16th victory.", + "In a bout reportedly worth $680,000 to the Australian, he wasted little time, a huge left hand obliterating Zorro with four seconds remaining in the first round." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple imposes restrictions on browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge article claims that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system, and does the Engadget article focus on Apple's hardware updates rather than its software policies?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Which player, known for influencing Argentina's forward line with a youth movement including Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho, recently returned to play for Inter Miami and is expected to participate in their match after a period of injury, according to reports from Sporting News?": [ + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone.", + "2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity.", + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line." + ], + "Which individual, associated with both the beginning of a criminal trial reported by TechCrunch and the persuasion of a former Jane Street colleague as detailed by Fortune, is the same person who has entered a not-guilty plea to charges as covered by TechCrunch and is alleged by the prosecution in another TechCrunch article to have sought wealth, power, and influence through fraud?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Seattle Seahawks are currently on a winning streak, in contrast to the 'Essentially Sports' article which discusses the Houston Astros having had a successful streak prior to their controversy?": [ + "The Eagles are looking to rebound against a Seahawks team that has been reeling even worse, losing four straight.", + "By the time the controversy was uncovered, the Astros were well into establishing a streak of successful years." + ], + "What company, recently scrutinized by European consumer groups for its ad-free subscription model's GDPR compliance and by EU regulators for content moderation during the Israel-Hamas war, also faces allegations of bias in suppressing Palestinian voices, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as noted by Fortune, communicated his intentions regarding FTX's governance structure to Paradigm according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Age, not only invested billions to secure its position as the default search engine but is also accused of manipulating search results for ad revenue maximization and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What company, which is expected to focus on Macs and new chipsets at the Scary Fast event according to Engadget, is also known for protecting user privacy while partnering with Google, as reported by The Verge, and is recognized by TechCrunch for introducing products that refine and polish the lessons learned from competitors' failures, and enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system as further noted by The Verge?": [ + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Which group of individuals can take advantage of hype around specific events to make money by placing wagers on scenarios such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "What is the name of the company that was discussed on TechCrunch for removing AI-created songs and introducing an AI-powered DJ feature, and was also mentioned on The Verge for achieving its first operating profit in a year, leading to a significant rise in its stock value?": [ + "Spotify erased thousands of AI-crafted songs from its platform but also recently globally launched an AI-powered DJ that curates music for listeners while talking to them in a synthetic voice.", + "Spotify shareholders are thrilled with the company reporting an operating profit for the first time in a year, sending the stock up nearly 10 percent on the news." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge about \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" and the article from Engadget about the '9th generation iPad' both report a discount on their respective products during the Black Friday sales on Amazon?": [ + "Hasbro’s Jenga: Super Mario Edition is selling for $14.99 ($7 off) at Amazon.", + "For a few hours during the Black Friday sales, the 9th generation iPad went as low as $229 at Amazon." + ], + "Which company, known for its Prime-themed sale day as reported by Wired and its dominance in the e-reader space according to The Verge, experienced a 4 percent stock drop after an antitrust lawsuit reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and offers a life-changing opportunity for sellers as discussed by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate an impressive performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reflects on Kirk Cousins' performance in last week's game with only 13 Fantasy points?": [ + "Jordan Love appears to have turned a corner, meaning we should expect him to put on a show back at home.", + "That includes Kirk Cousins last week, who only threw 19 times in a win (and had two touchdowns but just 13 Fantasy points)." + ], + "Did the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as league-average, while the Sporting News article reported the San Francisco 49ers' offensive performance as strong, despite Christian McCaffrey not scoring?": [ + "He’s coming off another league-average offensive showing, when he hit .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs through 602 plate appearances.", + "The 49ers had a surprise offensive get-well game in Jacksonville with Brock Purdy leading the way and all his key supporting weapons doing damage, even without Christian McCaffrey scoring." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Minnesota Vikings' passing play percentage in Week 4 was lower than in previous weeks, while the Sporting News articles, both regarding the Minnesota Vikings, indicate a strong defensive performance and consistent offensive results under Josh Dobbs' leadership compared to Kirk Cousins'?": [ + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Which football club, recently discussed in articles from 'The Guardian', 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts', had a significant change in league position due to a points penalty after a series of wins, and is recognized for its history and community importance as emphasized by Farhad Moshiri following an introduction by its late chairman Bill Kenwright?": [ + "After a run of six wins in nine games in all competitions, that had lifted Everton to 14th in the table prior to being plunged back to 19th, their resolve to maintain momentum and haul the club out of danger was relayed to the manager at Friday’s meeting.", + "“Without those 10 points, we’d be in an amazing position,” said Toffees boss Sean Dyche.", + "\"He told me about this incredible club, a club that not only has history and heritage but was also a beating heart of our community and for that I will always be grateful." + ], + "Which institution, featured in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', has taken an aggressive stance on adjusting interest rates in response to economic data and inflation, particularly influencing the housing market reminiscent of the 1980s?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the article from Wired suggest that Sony headphones do not offer the best value in their class during the Walmart Cyber Monday Deals, while the article from Music Business Worldwide indicates that Artists are seeking deals that offer more control and better economics, or do both articles suggest a common trend in seeking value and control in their respective fields?": [ + "With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.", + "Beyond that, artists today are also much more conscious of their career trajectory and look for better deals, with more freedom, more transparency, and more options." + ], + "Which company, recently scrutinized by TechCrunch for both its antitrust legal defense involving document disclosure and the alleged harm its AI has caused to news publishers' revenue, also claims that its new generative AI model Gemini has capabilities that rival or exceed those of OpenAI's models?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX whose alleged fraudulent activities, including the misuse of customer funds and misleading traders about withdrawal limits, are reported by sources such as Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch to have been motivated by a desire for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did CBSSports.com change its reporting on the performance of Jessica Andrade by November 11, 2023, stating she has suffered two submission losses during her current three-fight winning streak?": [ + "These were just to name a few; over the years, Canelo has fought in increasingly profitable bouts.", + "Andrade has four submission losses in her career, two of which came during her current three-fight skid." + ], + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, has been associated with altering the internet's appearance, influencing Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, being the sole valid search engine service option for a major tech competitor, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from Sporting News on September 26, 2023, and the report from CBSSports.com, was there consistency in the promotional offers reported for new customers at Caesars Sportsbook?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Martin Scorsese has less autonomy in his filmmaking choices compared to earlier in his career, while The Independent - Life and Style article indicates that he has previously engaged with newer media platforms like TikTok through his daughter's videos?": [ + "This century has seen Scorsese zigging and zagging as always, but because he’s following his own varied interests, not because he’s moving from compromise to compromise, as he once had to in order to continue working.", + "This isn’t the first time Scorsese has made a special appearance in one of his daughter’s TikTok videos." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation in TechCrunch articles changed between the report published on October 2, 2023, and the one published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' strategic options during the 'Monday Night Football' game published on November 27, 2023, was there no change in the reporting on the team's ability to influence the game's outcome?": [ + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores.", + "11:03 p.m. — The Vikings are using their two timeouts, but there isn't much they'll be able to do once this hits fourth down." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the co-founders of Anthropic made no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI was unexpected and not initiated by him?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch article published on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's financial strategies to maintain its default search engine status, and the TechCrunch article on November 13, 2023, covering similar aspects of Google's expenditures for default search engine positioning, was there a discrepancy in the reported amount Google spent in 2021?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article credit Will Lutz with making a successful field goal, while The New York Times article discusses Connor Bedard's efforts to understand goalies, indicating a focus on different aspects of performance in football and hockey respectively?": [ + "10:34 p.m.: FIELD GOAL — Will Lutz buries his fourth field goal of the day, this time from 37 yards.", + "While goalies are trying to figure out Bedard, he’s been putting in the time to do the same with them." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age group according to TechCrunch, who is now facing a criminal trial on charges including fraud and conspiracy, and has pleaded not guilty, with allegations of using fraudulent means for gaining wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' article on the impact of warmer water on aquatic organisms' metabolism and oxygen consumption agree with the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' article on organisms during the Permian-Triassic boundary regarding the effects of temperature and oxygen levels on organism health, or do they present differing outcomes?": [ + "When water is warmer, the metabolism of things living in the water runs faster and they use up oxygen more quickly, so that makes the problem even worse.", + "The combination of greenhouse warming and low oxygen would have led to widespread hypoxia — a state where organisms simply cannot take in enough oxygen to support metabolism." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' claim that Google has the ability to resolve issues related to Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while 'TechCrunch' accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, indicating a difference in Google's impact on different industries?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Sorcerer builds in season 2 provide simplified versions of the builds in a similar manner to how the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Barbarian builds does for the same season?": [ + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds for season 2.", + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds for season 2." + ], + "Does the Fortune article attribute the cause of the worst war in Israel in 50 years to actions taken by Israel, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Paddy Cosgrave's public fight regarding the support for Israel in the conflict?": [ + "On Saturday, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the worst war the region has seen in 50 years.", + "Founders, investors and others from the technology community in Israel have gone ballistic over comments made by the founder and figurehead of Web Summit, Paddy Cosgrave, related to the fighting underway across Israel and Gaza, specifically his criticism of Israel’s retaliatory actions." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously likened to a notable investor by some but not by TechCrunch, accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds from a cryptocurrency exchange, and has faced allegations of fraud with the intent of gaining wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard has the potential to dominate in the NHL, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the USC basketball team has the potential to become a National Championship contender, or do both articles suggest a similar potential for their respective subjects?": [ + "“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL.", + "They’re listed as high as to win the National Championship depending on where you shop, so there’s definitely an opportunity to cash in on them if you’re bullish on their ability to improve and blossom into a title contender." + ], + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Travis Kelce, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's relationship status?": [ + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Age, has not only invested billions to remain the default search engine on various devices but is also accused of manipulating search results for ad revenue and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' both agree that Sportsbooks adjust their practices (profit from odds and lines, and tighten betting lines) based on certain conditions, or do they present different strategies used by Sportsbooks?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting betting lines and odds, as reported by Sporting News after October 4, 2023, and before November 1, 2023, remained consistent?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' holders can redeem points for statement credits in the same way that 'Fortune' indicates 'American Express Cash Magnet® cardholders' can redeem cash back rewards for statement credits?": [ + "When you earn points with the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, you can use them toward a statement credit on your card to offset your balance.", + "If you have the American Express Cash Magnet® card, you can redeem your cash back rewards for statement credits to your account." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation bias problem suppressing Palestinian voices published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's perfect compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the nature of issues reported concerning Meta's platform practices?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the internet and its stakeholders?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What institution, frequently mentioned in articles from The Sydney Morning Herald, is the focal point of investors' hopes regarding a halt to rising interest rates and has the power to significantly impact global financial markets based on economic data?": [ + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about \"Iñigo Quintero's Si No Estás\" reaching the top of Spotify's Global Top 50 and the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Capitol Music Group's status as the top-performing label both indicate a leading position in their respective music industry categories?": [ + "Spanish artist Iñigo Quintero’s Si No Estás rose to the top of Spotify‘s Global Top 50 in late October – and has stubbornly refused to leave the upper reaches of digital charts ever since.", + "Overall, Capitol was the top-performing label across the global and US lists, which tells yet another facet of our success story." + ], + "Do the articles from Fortune and Science News For Students both agree that scientists have successfully created quantum dots in a lab, and do they both suggest that the properties of these quantum dots can be altered without changing their molecular composition?": [ + "But it wasn’t until several decades later that scientists could manufacture quantum dots in a lab.", + "They can contain the same molecules yet have different colors and other qualities depending on their size." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Stephen G. Wozniak, what single letter represents the first initial of the university that Wozniak attended, which was also mentioned as the place where he delivered a keynote speech on innovation and technology in the second article?": [], + "Which company, often covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, has been reported to make deals with major tech companies to maintain its default search engine status, influences local search rankings with specific criteria, and faces a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What institution, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, has the power to significantly influence global financial markets with its interest rate decisions, which are currently anticipated by investors to remain steady based on weak US economic data and the institution's commitment to data-dependent policymaking?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Considering the information from a Forbes article detailing the latest product launch of Beats by Dre and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's financial performance in the last quarter, which single character from the Forbes article's mentioned product name is also used to denote the percentage increase in revenue highlighted in the Wall Street Journal article?": [], + "Considering the analysis from an article by the BBC and the strategic forecast presented by CNN, which country, identified as a rising regional power in the BBC article and predicted to increase its defense spending according to CNN, has a single-letter stock market index symbol?": [], + "Which NFL player, who has been reported by The New York Times to have amassed over 800 receiving yards in just six games, is discussed by CBSSports.com as needing to average almost 153 yards in his final three games to meet a personal goal, yet is also considered by Sporting News to be at a disadvantage due to the strong pass defenses of his team's upcoming opponents?": [ + "• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Considering an article from The New York Times discussing Ron DeSantis's stance on education policy and another from The Washington Post detailing his potential strategies for the 2024 presidential race, what is the first letter of the state that DeSantis governs?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while The Age article accuses Google of manipulating Search for ad revenue, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event showcase, indicating differing areas of concern with Google's practices?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s strategic investments in fintech and a Reuters report on the bank's expansion plans in Asia, what is the first letter of the Asian country where JPMorgan intends to increase its presence and is also the location of a significant fintech company they have invested in?": [], + "What company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is responsible for ranking local search results, recently showcased new hardware developments at an annual event, and has been accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, was described as having no valid alternatives for search engine services at the time of a certain negotiation and has also been associated with spending billions to maintain its default status across platforms and with practices that harm news publishers' revenues?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on October 30, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's commitment to her tour schedule, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, revealing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the narrative regarding her personal life and professional commitments?": [ + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is implicated in both the ability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and in harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was there no change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch between the report on the launch of GPT-4 with vision on September 28, 2023, and the report on the push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for AI tools on December 19, 2023?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Did The Age report on November 7, 2023, contradict the allegations of Donald Trump's financial misrepresentations after the report by Fortune on September 26, 2023, claiming Donald Trump inflated the value of his Trump Tower apartment?": [ + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for its ability to construct new factories, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables as noted by Polygon, introduced invite-only deals during Prime Day as reported by Wired, and is considered by sellers featured on Cnbc | World Business News Leader to provide a life-changing opportunity through its platform?": [ + "But given Amazon’s immense resources, you’re able to build factories, ground up.", + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Craig Revel Horwood's involvement in a charity event and a Guardian piece discussing his critique of a dance performance on a popular TV show, which letter would represent the initial of a contestant's first name who was praised by Horwood for their improvement at the charity event and also received a notably harsh critique for their samba on the TV show?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with the founding of FTX, accused of building its success on deceptive practices, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and faced allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, while also having communicated to an investment firm his intention to form a board of experts without investor directors, as reported by sources including Fortune, CNBC | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a consistency in reporting Google's anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Shubha Satheesh, which university did she attend for her undergraduate studies, which is also known for its significant research contributions in the field of quantum computing?": [], + "Who is the artist that has a fully booked Eras Tour for the next year, has been invited and accepted to attend a game at Arrowhead Stadium, maintains privacy from the paparazzi despite public outings, and is openly in a relationship with Travis Kelce, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the 'FOX News - Health' article suggest that 'Time-restricted eating' has a positive impact on sleep quality and brain recovery, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article implies that 'Internet sleep tips and tricks' are not reliably effective for improving sleep?": [ + "Time-restricted eating can also improve the quality of sleep, he noted, which can help the brain recover better.", + "Today, the internet is littered with tips and tricks that promise a sound sleep, but not all of them are effective and none are foolproof." + ], + "Based on a report by Bloomberg and a separate article by Reuters, what is the first letter of the name of the company that ACI Worldwide Inc. is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire, which also recently partnered with a major European bank to enhance its payment solutions?": [], + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial, involving allegations of directing a $14 billion misuse of customer funds and self-enrichment through fraud, is reported by both TechCrunch and Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is also accused of planning a board with experts for a company while excluding investors as directors?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation agree on the number of fraud and conspiracy charges he is facing, or is there a discrepancy between the articles?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the cryptocurrency exchange that was established by Sam Bankman-Fried due to his dissatisfaction with competitors while running Alameda Research and is known to employ liquidation to handle the risks of customer bets, as reported by The Verge?": [ + "According to a now-deleted profile from FTX investors Sequoia Capital, FTX was founded because of Bankman-Fried’s frustration with other exchanges when he was running Alameda Research, his crypto trading firm.", + "Liquidation is a way for FTX to manage risk when people were engaging in risky bets on its platform." + ], + "Did the CBSSports.com article report Kenneth Walker III remaining healthy and uninjured during a game, similarly to how the Sporting News article reports injuries for Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney preventing their participation in Week 12?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "Entering Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift is secretive about her relationship with Travis Kelce, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article indicates that she engaged with a viral TikTok video, and does the other 'The Independent - Life and Style' article claim that she has a firm commitment to her Eras Tour schedule?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Who is the individual that has become a prominent voice in Silicon Valley, especially regarding artificial intelligence, and has been associated with generative AI technology, whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking and is also speculated by a prevailing theory to have had issues with truthfulness with the board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which global cryptocurrency exchange, reported by both TechCrunch and CNBC as the largest of its kind within 180 days of its June 2017 launch, withdrew a multi-billion dollar equivalent in assets from FTX and is still operational despite its CEO agreeing to step down following legal challenges?": [ + "Around the same time it was exposed, the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, started pulling out its remaining $2.1 billion equivalent of cash in BUSD and FTT.", + "Binance launched in June 2017 and within 180 days became the largest crypto exchange in the world.", + "Unlike FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, Binance is still standing, though now without Zhao, who agreed to step down as CEO as part of the plea deal." + ], + "Who is the San Francisco 49ers player that has recently been a valuable fantasy football pick according to Sporting News, demonstrated a strong performance against the Cowboys with four touchdowns, yet has shown vulnerability under pressure as reported by CBSSports.com?": [ + "Purdy has been scorching, with 57.9 DK points over San Francisco's past two games and at least 23.8 in five of the Niners' past six.", + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Considering the information from a Times of India article detailing the infrastructure projects planned for the city and a Hindustan Times report on the environmental challenges faced by Greater Mumbai, which single letter represents both the initial of a key official overseeing the new metro project and the first letter of a rare species mentioned as being at risk due to urban expansion?": [], + "Which institution, recently reported by 'The Age' to have raised its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001 and by 'The Sydney Morning Herald' to potentially halt this trend due to its dominant influence on global financial markets and its data-driven decision-making approach, is anticipated to impact future market conditions?": [ + "After already raising its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001, the Fed has indicated it may keep its overnight rate higher next year than it had earlier expected.", + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Astrophysical Journal and a report by Space.com on Solar Analogs, which star, identified as a close match to our Sun in terms of spectral type and age according to The Astrophysical Journal, was also observed by the Kepler Space Telescope as mentioned by Space.com, and has a name that starts with the same letter as the galaxy we live in?": [], + "After the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards published on December 5, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill being the league's leading receiver published on December 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Tyreek Hill's performance?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs." + ], + "After the Polygon report on Valve's updates to the Steam Deck hardware published on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED version published on the same date, was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware consistent?": [ + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Who is the individual targeted by Attorney General Letitia James for penalties and a business ban in New York, who also allegedly inflated the value of his Manhattan apartment, as reported by both Fortune and The Age, to conceal the diminished valuation of another one of his properties?": [ + "James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state.", + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Guardian and another by Forbes about Oleg Fomenko, which company did he found that is mentioned in both articles and also received significant investment from a major venture capital firm as reported by The Guardian?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New York Giants' are facing a limited scope of team injuries affecting only offense, unlike the 'The Guardian' article which focuses on 'Reece James' individual injury impact on the team?": [ + "The injuries go to their offense early and remained relentless, and now their defense is falling apart, too.", + "He feels really bad because he cannot help the team [because of his injury]." + ], + "Did the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog attribute the Tasmania JackJumpers' game-high lead over the Sydney Kings to player losses, while the Sporting News article reported a lead for the Texas Rangers without mentioning player losses?": [ + "It gave the JackJumpers a game-high 19-point lead and just about put the result to bed after Sydney had lost Jaylin Galloway (shoulder) and Jonah Bolden (fouled out).", + "9:20 p.m. — Nathaniel Lowe makes the play to retire Carroll, and that will bring the Rangers back up to bat with a 10-0 lead." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry between the TechCrunch article on Google's Gemini and its performance claims, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, showcased a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's developer conference, is associated with a significant departure from OpenAI mentioned in Fortune, and is at the center of a prevailing theory about board truthfulness discussed in TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is accelerating past an optimal level to prevent a recession, while also reporting a prediction by Paul Tudor Jones that the United States economy will enter into a recession early next year?": [ + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount.", + "Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC the current geopolitical environment was the “most threatening and challenging” he’d ever seen following Hamas’s attack on Israel over the weekend and predicted the US will enter into a recession early next year." + ], + "Does the Engadget article on the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 suggest that the act will not initiate reports on AI regulation and data sharing, while the other Engadget article on the executive order implies that the new reporting requirement will not impact existing AI models and AI companies due to a high threshold for enforcement?": [ + "It’s passage into law would also launch a report into AI regulation in the financial services industry (which the head of the SEC had recently been lamenting) as well as a second report on data sharing and coordination.", + "Administration officials were quick to point out that this reporting requirement will not impact any AI models currently available on the market, nor will it impact independent or small- to medium-size AI companies moving forward, as the threshold for enforcement is quite high." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Ryan McInerney, what is the first letter of the city where the company he leads is headquartered, which also announced a significant financial technology investment as per the New York Times, and is facing regulatory scrutiny as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal?": [], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the impact of sleep reduction on the immune system align with the same publication's article on the increased risk of insomnia in women due to hormonal differences in terms of the influence of sleep quality on health?": [ + "Research shows that even a small reduction in sleep has been shown to impact your immune system, however.", + "“This sex difference in insomnia emerges after puberty, suggesting that hormonal differences such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may be the cause of this increased risk in women,” Dr Browning says." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with using $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout, as reported by The Verge, and has also been charged with seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing fraud for wealth and influence according to TechCrunch?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article indicate that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was comprehensive and on par with the full Gemini Ultra model, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age both imply misconduct on Google's part, with the former accusing Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers and the latter suggesting a general acceptance of foul play allegations against Google?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that informed another trader about permissible withdrawals based on the company's revenue, suggested the establishment of an expert board without investor directors to Paradigm, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these incidents being reported by The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing the latest trends in the credit services industry and a Bloomberg report on the financial performance of major credit service companies, which CEO, mentioned in both articles, has led their company to outperform market expectations in the last quarter and also announced a strategic partnership with a fintech startup focused on blockchain technology?": [], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that the Bears' offense sacked Joshua Dobbs, while the 'Yardbarker' article discusses the Baltimore Ravens defense's ranking in points scored per game and total yards in the current NFL season?": [ + "9:47 p.m. — The Bears answer right back and sack Dobbs, with Sweat and Brisker in there to take him down.", + "The Ravens defense has allowed the fewest points per game this season (16.1) and second-fewest total yards (4,030), while San Francisco's unit ranks second in points (16.7) and 10th in yardage (310 per game)." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing bonuses for 'New users of sportsbooks' and 'New customers of sportsbooks' agree on the provision of a welcome bonus upon account registration with a sportsbook?": [ + "Here's your chance to claim $5,000+ in bonuses as a new user from Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.", + "Collect your welcome bonus: As a new customer, you’ll receive a welcome bonus." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article discussing Ross Atkins' strategy for player acquisition and a Sports Illustrated piece analyzing his approach to team development, which position, represented by a single character, did Ross Atkins prioritize strengthening during the off-season?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian about Heather Knight's performance in the recent series and an ESPN article discussing her career milestones, which team did Heather Knight score a century against in the series that also happens to be the same team she made her international debut against?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times about Dunzo's latest funding round and a piece from Business Standard detailing Dunzo's expansion plans into new cities, which city, starting with the letter 'B', is both a location where Dunzo has recently expanded its services and is also the city where one of its new investors is headquartered?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent report by the same source on the prosecution's allegations against him, was there consistency in the portrayal of the charges he is facing?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023?": [ + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge and the sales performance discussed in a report by Bloomberg, which model of the iPhone 14 series, specifically mentioned as having a larger display than its predecessor in The Verge and noted for unexpectedly low consumer demand in Bloomberg, is identified by a single alphanumeric character?": [], + "Does the article from The Age suggest that the economic conditions of people have worsened, impacting the middle class and their shopping habits, in contrast to Engadget's focus on providing Engadget readers with updates on Black Friday deals without discussing the economic conditions?": [ + "“People are paid shit now so there’s no middle class any more so they desperately need these Black Friday sales in order to get all the Christmas gifts for their kids, otherwise they can’t afford them.", + "We'll be updating our list regularly in the lead-up to Black Friday, so check back to catch all of the latest Black Friday deals." + ], + "What is the common term for the entities that may change their betting lines based on news or sentiment about a team's chances, can refund bets for weather-suspended games depending on their rules, profit from odds and lines regardless of the outcomes, and adjust NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines according to the information they gather, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that eBay's fees are different from Discogs' fees, and does the Fortune article indicate that CEOs Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan have different policies on overdraft fees compared to Citigroup's policy?": [ + "“eBay has much more of a user base, so for the little bit of extra cost it’s a no brainer,” says Martin, who says that, for him, eBay’s fees are usually around 1 percent higher than Discogs’.", + "Menendez used this line of questioning to encourage Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan to learn from Fraser and Citigroup." + ], + "Who is the individual that not only convinced a former Jane Street employee to join his trading and development ventures but also planned for a specialized board for his company, while facing allegations of fraud and conspiracy in court, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India discuss the cuisine of Italy in the context of a military conflict, while the TechCrunch article focuses on legal strategies within the SBF case?": [ + "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that since this morning, Israel had been at war and its first objective was to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated its territory.", + "There, you can find stories like this in-depth breakdown of what to expect from both sides of the SBF case, where the prosecution and defense could gain ground or fall short in their arguments and what the takeaways were from the opening arguments." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch article on Google's Gemini and its performance claims, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard lacks the potential to dominate in the NHL due to his performance in junior hockey, while the 'Yardbarker' article credits Dean Evason with developing several players into NHL stalwarts, indicating a difference in the factors contributing to NHL success?": [ + "“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL.", + "There, he helped guide more than a few future NHL stalwarts — namely Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Filip Forsberg, Calle Järnkrok, Viktor Arvidsson, and Kevin Fiala, among many others." + ], + "Was there no change in the assessment of Tyreek Hill's likelihood to reach the milestone of 2,000 receiving yards for the season between the Sporting News report published after December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on his required average yards per game to achieve his goal?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest a different approach to handling AI-generated music compared to the assistance of AI in music creation as per the 'National Music Publishers Association', while 'TechCrunch' reports on 'Spotify's' actions regarding AI-crafted songs and the introduction of an AI-powered DJ feature?": [ + "But the submission draws a clear distinction between music generated by AI, and music generated with the help of AI.", + "Spotify erased thousands of AI-crafted songs from its platform but also recently globally launched an AI-powered DJ that curates music for listeners while talking to them in a synthetic voice." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on the jury's determination of his truthfulness and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, without mentioning specific operational practices like withdrawal permissions?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'Moneyline Betting' both state that Sportsbooks adjust odds, and does the 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' article from the same source also confirm that Sportsbooks modify betting lines based on gathered information?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" attribute the recommendation of \"Prisoner's Daughter\" to the same basis as \"The New York Times\" attributes the ranking of \"The Crimson Tide college football team,\" with both recommendations being based on talent involved?": [ + "Also on Amazon Prime: Recommending Prisoner’s Daughter (December 5) is a bet on talent.", + "Most of us know in our gut that the Crimson Tide — the most talented team, on paper, in the sport — are one of the four best teams." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article cast the Michigan Wolverines football team in a similar negative role as The Verge article portrays Google in the context of the Epic v. Google trial?": [ + "It has thrust the Wolverines – a talented team led by J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and a defense that allows 7.5 points per game – into a villain role, complete with visits from Ric Flair.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Shabnim Ismail, which team did she represent when she achieved a career milestone mentioned in ESPN and also faced an opponent highlighted in the BBC Sports article in a significant tournament?": [], + "Which company is at the center of legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive practices in phone app markets according to The Verge, is involved with the release of a \"lite\" version of an AI model as reported by TechCrunch, and is accused by news publishers of harming their business by diverting content, readers, and advertising revenue as per another TechCrunch article?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's performance in the ICC World Cup semi-finals published on November 11, 2023, and the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's head-to-head record with Australia in ODI World Cup matches published on November 18, 2023, was the reporting on India's past encounters with Australia in the World Cup consistent?": [ + "It is only time to tell if the Aussies will repeat history or if it will be India who will write history by winning their third ODI World Cup.", + "India met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs.", + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article stating the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks as the worst candidates for the wild-card spots align with the same publication's claim regarding the impact of a Minnesota Vikings loss on the wild card race standings for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers?": [ + "The Rams and Seahawks are the best wild-card bets here now, while the Saints and Buccaneers will still have their sights on making the playoffs via still winning the weak South over the Falcons.", + "A loss would mean the Packers, Rams and Saints only trail Minnesota by a half-game in the wild card race, while a win would keep the Vikings well within striking distance in the NFC North." + ], + "After The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that Apple defended its Google Search deal by stating there wasn't a valid alternative, and TechCrunch later reported on November 13, 2023, that Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, does the rationale provided by Apple for its Google Search deal remain consistent with Google's aggressive spending to maintain default search engine status across platforms? (The Verge/TechCrunch)": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United has been successful in their recent matches, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which implies that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions?": [ + "United have been so of late, claiming victories over Sheffield United, Brentford and FC Copenhagen in their last three matches.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, allegedly constructed a fraudulent facade of success for a crypto exchange, utilized a colleague for clandestine control over customer funds, and pursued personal enrichment and power through deceptive means?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there no change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions published after October 31, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's acknowledgment of financial discrepancies?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told." + ], + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that Israel had a role in reaching a ceasefire with Hamas in 2012, while the article from Fortune implies that Egypt has a role in controlling the movement at the Gaza border checkpoint?": [ + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Egypt, which borders Gaza on its southern end, also oversees one checkpoint that specifically limits people coming and going." + ], + "Which team, known for their safe handling throughout a World Cup and previously defeated by Argentina in Sydney in 2020, was involved in a controversial and dramatic final that was influenced by blitz defence and wet conditions according to articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": [ + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Which AI-powered chatbot, reported by both TechCrunch and Engadget, not only saw a meteoric rise in usage during December 2022 but also has diverse capabilities such as completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a computer running Linux?": [ + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI.", + "Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding a surprise attack on Israel, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 13, 2023, concerning the lifting of the blockade of Gaza and the warning issued to residents, is the sequence of events reported by both news sources regarding Israel's security and humanitarian situation consistent?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck hardware updates published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was there agreement between Polygon and Engadget on the immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED units from Valve?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date." + ], + "Which sports betting platform, featured in articles by both Sporting News and CBSSports.com, provides a cash-out option to settle bets early and offers new customers up to $1000 in bonus bets if their first bet loses, including expected promotions for new sign-ups in Vermont?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite being likened to a prominent investor and once hailed as a savior in the cryptocurrency world by some, not TechCrunch, is accused of using a colleague as a cover for illicit access to customer funds and faced challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a crypto exchange and a research firm, leading to allegations of intentional fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of the accusations against Sam Bankman-Fried between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do the articles from The Verge and TechCrunch both suggest that interactive activities, such as dressing up for parents of children interested in Pokémon and conversing with Alexa, are methods to engage with children, or do they propose different engagement strategies?": [ + "If your little ones are engrossed in the Pokémon world, then a fun way to engage with their hobby is with a little dress-up.", + "That is, it’s not just kids asking Alexa a question and receiving a response." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge and intent regarding his actions compared to the 'TechCrunch' article, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truth and contrasting stories, while 'TechCrunch' alleges knowing fraud?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is not only claimed to have developed an AI model with superior architecture that rivals GPT-4 but also has been accused of altering the internet's appearance and harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Apple's choice of Google as a search engine provider was due to a lack of alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Google's practices in app distribution, payment processing, and news publishing are anticompetitive, implying that there are alternatives that are being suppressed by Google's behavior?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Ron Wyden's stance on privacy issues and a piece from The Washington Post detailing his involvement in tax reform, what single letter represents the state that Ron Wyden represents in the U.S. Senate?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before his company's downfall, was perceived as a reliable figure, but later faced allegations of fraud for mismanaging customer funds and a dual role with another entity, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is at a dangerously rapid slowing pace that could lead to a recession, in contrast to 'The Age' which implies that a government shutdown could increase the risk of a recession in the US economy?": [ + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount.", + "A shutdown would drag on the US economy, raising the risk of a recession, though financial markets have held up relatively well through past shutdowns." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that 'The Post' will never be updated with new TV series recommendations on streaming platforms, while the Essentially Sports article indicates that 'NASCAR' has already extensively explored streaming possibilities with Amazon Prime?": [ + "We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent series on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.", + "With Amazon Prime, they had the leisure to explore the streaming arena and possibly get a glimpse of how it could look in the future." + ], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader claim that selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity, while the article from The Sydney Morning Herald reports a stock price fall due to an antitrust lawsuit, indicating differing impacts of Amazon's business practices on sellers and stockholders?": [ + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, in contrast to the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' legal battle with Google which discusses the transparency of Google's legal discovery process?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents." + ], + "Which company is at the center of a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' revenues, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also credited by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance through its efforts to simplify online navigation?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the success of FTX was built on dishonesty, while the 'TechCrunch' article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in fraud for personal benefits, or do both articles imply misconduct on the part of Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Miley Cyrus's philanthropic efforts and a Rolling Stone piece detailing her musical collaborations, which single character can be identified as both the initial of the organization she supports and the first letter of the last name of an artist she has recently collaborated with?": [], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world with intentions to use his wealth for humanity's salvation, now facing a criminal trial as per TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of using a front for secret access to customer funds, and alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the report by 'Science News For Students' on 2023-10-04T21:11:57+00:00 mentioning the use of quantum dots in solar panels, did 'Fortune' provide a consistent or inconsistent account regarding Moungi Bawendi's focus on basic science over potential applications like solar panels in their article published on 2023-10-04T21:15:43+00:00?": [ + "So they could be used to build solar panels that soak up sunlight well in different conditions.", + "Bawendi said he was not thinking about the possible applications of his work when he started researching quantum dots." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes and another by The Wall Street Journal about Rajat Taneja, which company, known for its electronic payment services as per Forbes, has an executive named Rajat Taneja who, according to The Wall Street Journal, played a significant role in a major acquisition deal in the year prior to the article's publication?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing a class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's anticompetitive allegations?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, presented as a trustworthy figure in the crypto industry before a major platform's collapse, and is alleged to have persuaded a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, with the prosecution claiming this was part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain wealth, power, and influence, according to reports by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reese Witherspoon advocate for a similar parenting style, as opposed to the article from The Independent - Life and Style which discusses the issue of parental controls with Roblox?": [ + "Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who admitted to being like a \"drill instructor\" when his kids were young, and Reese Witherspoon, who recently said she wants kids to deal with failure more directly, have shared their harsher parenting styles in interviews.", + "The Scooby-Doo star isn’t the only celebrity to publicly call out Roblox’s parental controls." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that law enforcement underestimated the harassment threat towards Janani Umamaheswar and Alex Sinha, while the article from CBSSports.com considers Otto Wallin a greater threat to Anthony Joshua than Joseph Parker is to Deontay Wilder?": [ + "Based on their own knowledge of the criminal justice system, it would not have been implausible for law enforcement to not take her behavior to be a serious threat in the first place.", + "Wallin, a 33-year-old native of Sweden, is considered much more a live dog than Parker." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Guardian and another by Forbes about Denis Coleman, which single letter represents both the first initial of the European city where he was reported to have attended a major financial conference last year and the first initial of the last name of the individual he was seen having a significant meeting with during the same event?": [], + "Between the report from 'The Guardian' on October 6th featuring Thomas Ramos and the article from 'Sport Grill' on October 31st highlighting Tessa Wullaert, which news source detailed a successful penalty in a European football match?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Thomas Ramos belted over a penalty and the pressure on Italy continued unabated, Penaud fluffing a grubber kick with another big overlap created." + ], + "Which company, recently mentioned in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is not planning new measures for a major video platform in the next six months, secures default search engine positions through deals with other tech giants, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' attribute the JackJumpers' significant comeback to a specific scoring run, and does the 'Sporting News' article credit the Pakistan cricket team's historic victory to a comeback in the tournament?": [ + "The United lead grew to 16 before the JackJumpers showed their trademark fight with a 14-2 run – but they couldn’t quite complete the job.", + "After a slow and disappointing start to their year, Pakistan made an historic comeback in the tournament to eventually win the trophy by defeating England in the final." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games on November 6, 2023, and then reported on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's legal challenges related to anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Yahoo News article attribute the ineffectiveness on climate issues to the Biden administration's cluelessness, while the Engadget article suggests that society is being negatively impacted by the interconnectedness of climate change, the modern internet, and authoritarianism?": [ + "Kalmus, 49, thinks civilization is on the path to break down, the Biden administration is clueless on climate, and that he might get fired from his job at NASA if he is arrested for a third time protesting what he views as downright madness: the continued use of fossil fuels.", + "In the excerpt below, contributing author and Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo, Holly Jean Buck, explores how accelerating climate change, the modern internet and authoritarianism's recent renaissance are influencing and amplifying one another's negative impacts, to the detriment of us all." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on his favorite ice cream flavor, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his personal actions and influence, such as persuading Adam Yedidia to join his companies and committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning specific operational policies at FTX?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Kenneth Walker III's injury impact for fantasy football published on November 21, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the fantasy implications if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury published on December 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in how the potential absence of Kenneth Walker III was addressed in terms of fantasy football strategy?": [ + "You're probably starting him if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury, but consider other options if you have the depth.", + "With Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury comes opportunity for the rookie, who already looked strong in the month leading up to Seattle's narrow Week 11 loss to the Rams.", + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a contest of financial disparity between teams, while 'CBSSports.com' focuses on the current performance of the 'Dallas team' without mentioning their financial status?": [ + "“It was the millionaires of the Premier League against the youngsters of the Championship,” reflected the former Denmark forward.", + "The Commanders are coming off a dud last week against the Giants, while Dallas is flying high." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from a news publisher according to TechCrunch for anticompetitive practices that affect their bottom line, is capable of addressing Android app distribution and in-app payment issues as mentioned by The Verge, and is also suspected of foul play by individuals as suggested by The Age?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange on deceit, failing to manage its rapid expansion alongside a research firm, and directing the misuse of billions in customer funds to cover debts, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by Variety and another by The Hollywood Reporter on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which character is voiced by an actor who has previously starred in a superhero film as mentioned by Variety and is also noted by The Hollywood Reporter to have a significant new character arc in this latest installment?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about David Sutter's philanthropic efforts and a piece from The Guardian discussing his recent investments in technology startups, which city, beginning with the letter 'S', is both the location of the charity event he sponsored and the headquarters of the startup he invested in that is pioneering artificial intelligence research?": [], + "Did the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" suggest loyalty as a factor, while the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" indicate the absence of infidelity?": [ + "At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.", + "During an interview on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month, Will said he and Jada had never accused each other of cheating." + ], + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on an event involving Israel published on October 7, 2023, and the reports by Fortune on the situation in Gaza involving Israel published on October 13, 2023, was there no change in the status of Israel's actions regarding Gaza?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree that Sportsbooks never adjust the NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines or any other sports betting lines in response to gathered information or legitimate events like injuries or roster changes?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the narrative around the All Blacks' team focus and performance in The Roar | Sports Writers Blog articles remained consistent from the report defending a star centre after a loss to Argentina to the analysis of their playing for individual accolades, and finally to their actions in the dramatic final against the Springboks?": [ + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, previously praised in contrast to Warren Buffet but is now alleged by the prosecution to have used deceit for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch and Fortune, and whose legal proceedings are about to commence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there disagreement between Polygon and Engadget on the immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED units from Valve after the Polygon report on the Steam Deck hardware updates published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The New York Times on Ralf-Peter Schäfer, what is the first letter of the city where Schäfer's company is planning to expand its traffic management solutions, as mentioned in both articles?": [], + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggesting that 'Patients on antiretroviral therapy' should undergo regular viral load testing align with the same source's claim regarding the 'EBT-101 clinical trial' assessing safety and evaluating virus suppression without cART?": [ + "And regardless of the type of ART they take, a patient should have their viral load checked regularly .", + "The clinical trial will next test additional doses of EBT-101 for safety and then determine whether the virus stays suppressed when patients are taken off cART." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggesting Prince William's emotional state regarding Princess Diana's death conflict with the same publication's depiction of the events leading up to her death in 'The Crown season six'?": [ + "After learning of Diana’s death from his father at the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, William (Rufus Kampa) is left heartbroken with grief and angry at his family’s response to it.", + "The latest installment takes place between the late 1990s to mid-2000s, and includes the lead-up to Princess Diana’s fatal Paris car crash in 1997." + ], + "Which AI tool, reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch, achieved a milestone of 100 million users per day in March and is known for its diverse capabilities including completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a computer running Linux?": [ + "ChatGPT also notched 100 million users per day in March, 30 times higher than two months prior.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a reduced ease of prompting toxic output compared to other models, while the TechCrunch article on Meta's open source AI approach indicate concerns of potential danger and disinformation from industry competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft?": [ + "Because GPT-4 is more likely to follow the instructions of “jailbreaking” prompts, the co-authors claim that GPT-4 can be more easily prompted than other LLMs to spout toxic, biased text.", + "Google, OpenAI and Microsoft, a close OpenAI partner and investor, have been among the chief critics of Meta’s open source AI approach, arguing that it’s potentially dangerous and disinformation-encouraging." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to participate in the Sunday game, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article where Dennis Allen suggests Chris Olave, despite being a full participant in practice, is still uncertain to play due to concussion protocol?": [ + "UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Hockenson is expected to play against New Orleans.", + "Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters Friday that despite Olave being a full participant in Friday's practice he is still in concussion protocol though has a chance to play." + ], + "Who is the individual that communicated to Paradigm about intending to establish a board with specialists for a cryptocurrency exchange, while preferring not to have investors as directors, and is also the same person who, during a court proceeding with Judge Lewis Kaplan, conceded to being aware of a significant financial discrepancy, and is accused by the prosecution of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News change its approach to reporting on opportunities for bettors before the Chiefs-Jets Week 4 game on September 28, 2023, compared to their coverage of bonus offers for bettors before the NFL Monday Night Football Eagles vs. Seahawks game?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Age' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's relationship status with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of their relationship status?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on Flipboard's integration of the ActivityPub protocol before The Verge discussed the structure of the ActivityPub protocol in social media contexts?": [ + "“What we’re announcing on Monday is basically our roadmap for how we will be rolling out ActivityPub, and effectively tearing down the walls around our own walled garden,” he added.", + "In the world of ActivityPub, every post everywhere is made up of a sender, a message, and a URL." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the positive impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article suggests that Marketing practices overshadow the message of hope?": [ + "\"The letters I’ve received in return are really telling about the impact the program has on their well-being and hope for the future,\" she told Fox News Digital.", + "How can a hurting world know joy's powerful message of hope for a darkened world when marketing takes precedence over the words, \"He rules the world with truth and grace, No more let sin and sorrow grow ..." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, aligning with his leading receiver status mentioned in the same source, while the CBSSports.com article focuses on his challenge to average a certain number of yards per game to fail to reach a seasonal goal, and the second Sporting News piece discusses the difficulty of achieving a specific receiving yards milestone due to upcoming opponents' defenses?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to participate in the upcoming Sunday game, similar to how The Guardian reports on Cyril Baille and Jonathan Danty's participation in the game against Italy, or is there a discrepancy in their expected involvement?": [ + "UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Hockenson is expected to play against New Orleans.", + "But the prop Cyril Baille had returned from injury in the thrashing of Namibia, along with the estimable Jonathan Danty in midfield, and both started against Italy." + ], + "Was there no change in the assessment of Brock Purdy's performance after the CBSSports.com report published on October 4, 2023, and the subsequent CBSSports.com analysis of his play under pressure published on October 18, 2023?": [ + "LAST WEEK: Purdy's been a find ever since the 49ers put him on the field but last week he executed their offense flawlessly.", + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta is taking a different approach to content moderation in response to the Israel-Hamas war compared to Elon Musk's approach to content moderation on his platforms following Hamas attacks, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "He’s also ripped up a bunch of legacy content moderation policies and slashed in-house enforcement teams while promoting a decentralized, crowdsourced alternative (rebranded as Community Notes), which essentially outsources responsibility for dealing with tricky issues like disinformation to users in what looks suspiciously like another gambit to eke out extra engagement and farm confusion by applying a philosophy of extreme relativism so culture warriors are encouraged to keep forever fighting for their own “truth” in the comments." + ], + "Which NBA team, recently noted by Yardbarker for both its positive draft evaluations and its aging roster issues, would lead to a successful point spread bet as described by Sporting News if they win by 10 or more points?": [ + "It’s true that the Warriors received glowing grades from draft analysts following their selections of Kuminga, out of the G-League Ignite program, at No.", + "For years, these picks and players have been a luxury for the Warriors, but the age problem is coming to a head.", + "To win a bet on the Warriors, they need to win by 10 or more points." + ], + "What group of individuals engaging with Sporting News has the flexibility to utilize various betting strategies across different sports and events, while also needing to be mindful of promotional restrictions and capitalizing on event hype?": [ + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain.", + "We urge you to read the requirements for any available promotions and offers before accepting them so you’re aware of any restrictions before betting.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated by allegations in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, suggesting he built a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, used a proxy for unauthorized access to customer funds, struggled with managing rapid company growth, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which world-leading AI development company, founded in late 2015, is anticipated to promote an \"app store for AI\" as the main source for AI resources and is also expected to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": [ + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in decisions involving the misuse of $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout and $14 billion for debt repayment as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, and is also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain according to another TechCrunch article?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about David Reeder, which position, represented by a single letter, did he hold at two different companies where one company is known for its pioneering technology in consumer electronics and the other is a major player in the e-commerce space?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are a source of relief for Palestinians in a similar way that The Guardian article implies surveillance cameras are affecting their daily lives and protest abilities?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "These cameras have created a chilling effect on not just the ability to protest but also on the daily lives of Palestinians who live under occupation, according to Amnesty investigators." + ], + "Does the Zee Business article suggest that India's cricket team has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article indicates that England's cricket team has only a mathematical chance of advancing to the semi-finals?": [ + "India will face New Zealand in the ongoing World Cup semi-final match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday (November 15).", + "Second-last of ten on the table after a fourth abject loss in barely three weeks, this time by eight wickets and nearly 25 overs to spare against Sri Lanka having been bowled out for a miserable 156 in Bengaluru, the 2019 champions are now only mathematically a chance of scraping through to the semi-finals." + ], + "What is the name of the organization behind ChatGPT, which is not only the generative AI entity that TechCrunch describes as a poster child but is also the platform where TechCrunch reports GPT-4 with vision will be launched, and is considered the top priority for further developments?": [ + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Was the reporting of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship status consistent between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are likely to alter their betting odds and lines in response to news or gathered information about a team's potential to win or the performance of NBA rookies?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Did the performance of \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" as reported by 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' before the report of 'The Sydney Morning Herald' on the 'S&P 500' show agreement or disagreement in terms of positive financial growth?": [ + "Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.", + "On Wall Street, the S&P 500 climbed 40.56 points on Friday, or 0.9 per cent, to 4,358.3." + ], + "Did 'Sport Grill' report on Tessa Wullaert missing a decisive penalty before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Cole Palmer scoring a penalty to secure a draw for Chelsea?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer has scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to claim a 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions in a stunning match at Stamford Bridge." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift is secretive about her relationship with a specific individual, in contrast to the 'CBSSports.com' article which discusses her rumored romance but focuses on her attendance and performance at a specific venue?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology, noted for both supporting a teen's startup and having a significant presence in the industry, who faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, as reported by Fortune and multiple articles from TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article on investment options for high networth investors suggest ignoring historical performance and management team evaluations before making decisions, unlike the 'Business Line' article's recommendations for investors considering Reliance Industries stock?": [ + "It’s important to consider the past track record and management team before making investment decisions.", + "With the stock still leaving some money on the table at current levels, long-term investors can accumulate it on dips for four reasons — one, reasonable valuations; two, being at pole position in India’s high-growth digital and retail business; three, potential for large-scale value creation, similar to its digital and retail forays, in the renewable energy space (not reflected in current valuations); four, stable O2C business." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that law enforcement adequately assessed the harassment threat towards Janani Umamaheswar and Alex Sinha, while the article from CBSSports.com considers Otto Wallin a greater threat to Anthony Joshua than Joseph Parker is to Deontay Wilder?": [ + "Based on their own knowledge of the criminal justice system, it would not have been implausible for law enforcement to not take her behavior to be a serious threat in the first place.", + "Wallin, a 33-year-old native of Sweden, is considered much more a live dog than Parker." + ], + "Which individual, featured in articles by The Verge and Fortune, is alleged to have used their position to both persuade a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures and to inappropriately utilize customer funds, actions that are now central to fraud allegations discussed in TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is at the center of an antitrust lawsuit, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, where it is accused of engaging in anticompetitive behavior within the app distribution and payment processing markets, and has also been portrayed as spending billions to maintain its default search engine status while allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines through content and revenue siphoning?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Microsoft's latest cloud computing advancements and a Wall Street Journal report on Microsoft's strategic acquisitions, which division within Microsoft, represented by a single letter, is responsible for integrating the new cloud technologies and also played a key role in the recent acquisition of a major gaming company?": [], + "Which company, recently compared for its product's performance with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also accused by The Age of manipulating its primary service to maximize ad revenue and is the subject of a class-action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age group, accused of committing fraud for personal gain, and previously portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, who also convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another from The Wall Street Journal about Beto Casellas, what is the first letter of the company that Casellas is currently leading as CEO, which has also recently launched a new financial product aimed at improving customer experience?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New York Giants' are facing a broader scope of team injuries affecting both offense and defense, unlike the 'The Guardian' article which focuses on 'Reece James' individual injury impact on the team?": [ + "The injuries go to their offense early and remained relentless, and now their defense is falling apart, too.", + "He feels really bad because he cannot help the team [because of his injury]." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report on FC Cincinnati's achievement before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog mentioned Aston Villa's victory over Fulham?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "Aston Villa moved to fifth, three points off the top, with their 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park, courtsey of an own goal from Antonee Robinson before strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation bias problem suppressing Palestinian voices published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the nature of issues reported concerning Meta's platform practices?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it." + ], + "Who is the subject of a criminal trial reported by TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of secretly accessing customer funds through a proxy at Alameda Research, claimed by The Verge to have struggled with the management of FTX due to its growth, and alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do both articles from The Verge discuss the approach of Holidays in the context of consumer preparation, with one focusing on the sale of Govee's LED light strips and the other on the shipping deadlines for Amazon Prime members?": [ + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close.", + "Prime members can get One-Day Delivery for eligible products through December 23rd with no minimum purchase amount or Two-Day Delivery through December 22nd." + ], + "After The Age reported on October 22, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and The Verge noted changes in the internet's appearance due to Google's efforts to make it easier to navigate, did TechCrunch's December 15, 2023, article on a class action antitrust suit against Google suggest a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's influence on the internet and its stakeholders?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research, as reported by The Verge, who pleaded not guilty to charges as per TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with further allegations involving instructing a colleague to use customer funds to repay debts?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which NFL wide receiver, who is recognized as the top player at his position for Week 14 by Sporting News, also requires an average of almost 153 yards over his final three games according to CBSSports.com, but faces strong pass defenses in his remaining games, which might hinder his pursuit of 2,000 receiving yards for the season, despite having scored two touchdowns and accumulated 157 receiving yards in a recent victory over the Washington Commanders as reported by The Guardian?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about Manchester United's defeat by Bayern indicate the same outcome for Manchester United's European competitions as the 'Sporting News' article about Alvaro Barreal's goal implies for Inter Miami's postseason running?": [ + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side.", + "Eventually, Alvaro Barreal’s 78th-minute goal ended any hope that Inter Miami had to complete a stunning playoff charge, and the defeat coupled with CF Montreal’s big 4-1 victory over Portland means Inter Miami are officially out of the postseason running." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the England national rugby union team has had the same path to the Rugby World Cup semifinal compared to the path of The Wallabies (Australian national rugby union team) as implied by the 'Wide World Of Sports' article, with England defeating specific teams and The Wallabies' fate depending on a match between other teams?": [ + "Argentina, Japan, Chile, Samoa and Fiji have all provided highlights — Los Pumas are also in the semi-finals — and England have beaten all of them.", + "SAINT-ETIENNE: The Wallabies will have to endure a more tortuous Sunday night watch than even the worst rom com as their Rugby World Cup fate is decided by Fiji and Portugal in Toulouse." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Khel Ratna Awardee Ekta Bisht, which specific skill, highlighted as her strength in The Times of India, was crucial in her performance against a team that The Hindu noted she had an outstanding record against?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' offense as reported?": [ + "They want more than three points, but it's early enough that they absolutely could settle for a field goal if it got to that point.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with FTX and Alameda Research, who faced allegations of fraud and is reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to have had significant influence and wealth, yet struggled with the management of his rapidly growing companies?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing BHP Group's financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on BHP Group's recent sustainability initiatives, which single letter symbol represents the stock ticker for BHP Group on the New York Stock Exchange?": [], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that the kid appeal of \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" is based on shared stories among elementary school children, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article implies that the ultimate goal of the Halloween experience for children is to have fun, indicating a difference in the perceived primary appeal of these experiences to kids?": [ + "Its kid appeal is an echo of a time when playgrounds were alight with elementary school kids describing the antics of Freddy and/or Jason, whether witnessed firsthand or pieced together from rumors.", + "\"The ultimate goal is for the child to have a fun Halloween,\" Borba said." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who also convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with details of his trial covered by both TechCrunch and Fortune, and his alleged communications with traders reported by The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on interest rates as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald changed between the article published on October 1, 2023, suggesting smaller future rate cuts, and the one from November 5, 2023, indicating a potential halt to rate increases?": [ + "The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and the central bank indicated last week it may cut interest rates next year by less than it earlier expected.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control." + ], + "Which person, who has been open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium, has a tour booked for the next year and has stated that paparazzi attention does not affect her, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Age'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which country, often featured in headlines from sources like 'Fortune', 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena', and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has a history of controlling vital supplies into a blockaded region, reaching ceasefires with militant organizations, and requires intelligence support to prevent major attacks?": [ + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the crypto exchange FTX, who has been accused of using customer funds for a buyout and is facing multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by sources like Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing the launch date of Gemini Ultra and a Forbes report on the projected market share increase for Gemini Ultra's manufacturer after its release, which month is both the expected launch time for Gemini Ultra and the period predicted for the manufacturer's market share growth?": [], + "Before the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman backing a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, compared to the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who is the individual that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers for, who is also the subject of a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy according to TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Age' suggest that 'The individual's dating intentions' were focused on starting a family, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article's claim about 'Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce' centers on speculation about their dating status without indicating a similar intention?": [ + "Then I launched myself into dating to try to find a man to have a family with.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that the NBA's Christmas games are at risk due to the NFL's decisions, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article discusses the impact of parents using Christmas as a bribe, without mentioning any potential threat to the NBA's Christmas dominance?": [ + "However, the NFL’s recent decisions could threaten the NBA’s stronghold on Christmas.", + "\"It’s also lazy parenting, which never pays off in the long run,\" she said." + ], + "Did Sporting News fail to indicate a similar issue with Williams and Rice's attempt at a deep shot in the USC vs. Notre Dame game on October 14th after CBSSports.com reported on the Dallas Cowboys' offensive strategy involving deeper passes on October 12th?": [ + "And the scary part is that his ADOT was over a yard lower (5.4) going into last week's game, so the Cowboys tried to let him air it out and the plan completely backfired.", + "8:24 p.m.: Williams tries to connect with Rice on a deep shot after off-setting penalties reset the downs, but the two can't connect." + ], + "Which country, discussed in articles from both Hacker News and Zee Business, banned Falun Gong following protests in its capital city in 1999 and is also experiencing growing economic headwinds in contrast to other emerging markets?": [ + "In 1999, after thousands of Li’s followers silently protested its repression in Beijing, China banned it altogether.", + "There is divergence also among emerging markets and developing economies, with China facing growing headwinds, while Brazil, India." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was aware of the financial discrepancies at FTX, while the TechCrunch article alleges that he knowingly committed fraud, or do both articles imply a level of awareness and intent by Sam Bankman-Fried regarding the financial issues at FTX?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' performance published on October 18, 2023, and the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' mindset published on October 26, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding the team's focus and playing intentions?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the film \"The First Time\" and a review from The Guardian discussing the standout performances, which actor, identified by both sources as having a breakthrough role in \"The First Time,\" shares their first name with a famous British naturalist?": [], + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'Moneyline Betting' both state that Sportsbooks do not adjust odds, or does the 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' article from the same source also confirm that Sportsbooks do not modify betting lines based on gathered information?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro, is known for its stance on user privacy and its association with Google, is involved in an 18-month appeal process regarding a patent dispute with Masimo, and has been critiqued by Tim Sweeney for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system, as reported by The Verge?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Do the articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about 'Starbucks stores' hours on Thanksgiving and the date of Thanksgiving celebration both provide conflicting information regarding the timing of 'Thanksgiving' events?": [ + "While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.", + "Every year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, with the holiday falling on 23 November this year." + ], + "Which company, known for creating a Prime-themed sale day according to Wired, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase as reported by Polygon, has a dominant position in the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup as mentioned by The Verge, and is considered a life-changing opportunity for sellers by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Spider-Man embodies the spirit of Thanksgiving in a way that aligns with the portrayal of Thanksgiving as a time for gratitude and togetherness described in The Independent - Life and Style article?": [ + "We identify with his struggles and his little glimmers of connection and triumph — which makes him the perfect superhero for Thanksgiving.", + "Apart from the food - arguably the main component of the day - the holiday is a beloved time of year when Americans come together to celebrate what they are thankful for, either with family or friends." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' position in the AFLW standings published on October 20, 2023, and the subsequent report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' standings published on November 3, 2023, was there no change in the Sydney Swans' ranking in the AFLW?": [ + "For the Swans, however, the victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot alongside the likes of Gold Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton.", + "With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot.", + "“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said." + ], + "Did The Guardian's report on December 12, 2023, contradict the Sporting News report regarding the performance and future outlook of Manchester United?": [ + "For all their own flaws Bayern are basically a good version of whatever it is United are attempting to piece together.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "What is the name of the AI developed by OpenAI that was reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch to have not only reached its first anniversary and 100 million daily users but also has the ability to perform diverse tasks such as coding, composing music, and writing poetry?": [ + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "ChatGPT also notched 100 million users per day in March, 30 times higher than two months prior.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is imminent, as reported by TechCrunch, was once considered a reliable representative of the cryptocurrency sector according to The Verge, is accused of fraud and conspiracy involving a financial discrepancy acknowledged after a judge's intervention, also mentioned by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have pursued wealth, power, and influence through deliberate fraudulent actions, a claim further discussed by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the UP Warriorz's performance in their inaugural match and a Cricbuzz report on their strategic player acquisitions, which player from the UP Warriorz, known for their all-round capabilities, scored a half-century in the first game and was also highlighted as a key signing by the team management?": [], + "Does the CBSSports.com article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers a different new customer bonus bet amount than the Sporting News article claims Caesars Sportsbook is expected to offer to new sign-ups in Vermont?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling differently in the first T20 international compared to his run-chase proficiency in the series-clinching game?": [ + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles.", + "It was eventually won for West Indies with four balls to spare and in the most unfitting of ways – with a massive six – by Shai Hope, again proving himself the right man for a run-chase." + ], + "Is the reporting on the Northern Lights visibility in the UK by 'The Independent - Travel' inconsistent with the observations of the aurora borealis reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' between November 9, 2023, and December 21, 2023?": [ + "As with most places in the UK, you’re more likely to see the lights between October and March.", + "Philip McErlean witnessed the aurora borealis shine above the southern shores of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland." + ], + "Has the broadcasting platform for NFL 'Thursday Night Football' games for NFL fans across the United States as reported by Sporting News changed between the game featuring the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on September 28, 2023, and the game featuring the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers on November 9, 2023?": [ + "For the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Lions and Packers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video.", + "For the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Bears and Panthers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video." + ], + "What institution, mentioned in both 'The Sydney Morning Herald' articles, are investors hopeful will halt rate hikes, and has also stated that its future decisions on this matter will depend on incoming economic data?": [ + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that the NBA's Christmas games are secure regardless of the NFL's decisions, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article discusses the impact of parents using Christmas as a bribe, without mentioning any potential threat to the NBA's Christmas dominance?": [ + "However, the NFL’s recent decisions could threaten the NBA’s stronghold on Christmas.", + "\"It’s also lazy parenting, which never pays off in the long run,\" she said." + ], + "Do the 'Eos: Earth And Space Science News' researchers and 'Music Business Worldwide' regarding \"AfroFuture's attendees\" both indicate a trend in the diversity of their respective subjects, with the former discussing the disparity of income and race over time in 177 cities and the latter discussing the demographics and geographic diversity of the event's audience?": [ + "Los investigadores compararon estos hallazgos con datos históricos de 177 ciudades para observar más a fondo esta disparidad de ingresos y raza a través del tiempo.", + "Our attendees are largely upwardly mobile, tech-forward Gen Z and millennial consumers who are committed to the culture and represent over 40 countries across the globe." + ], + "Between the report from Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research published on October 4, 2023, and the TechCrunch report alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's instructions to Caroline Ellison to take customer funds published on October 6, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift accepted an invitation to a game at Arrowhead Stadium, while the article from 'The Age' simply reports a sighting of Taylor Swift at the stadium, without mentioning an invitation?": [ + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No." + ], + "Which company, featured in articles from both Wired and Cnbc | World Business News Leader, introduced an invite-only deal system during a summer event for its members and is also considered to provide a life-changing opportunity for its sellers?": [ + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Who is the player that played a crucial role in anchoring the team, demonstrated his ability to conclude a game with a significant hit, showcased an exemplary performance, but struggled to score against legspin bowling in the 12th over, as reported by The Guardian in a series of articles covering the West Indies v England men's T20 cricket internationals?": [ + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries.", + "It was eventually won for West Indies with four balls to spare and in the most unfitting of ways – with a massive six – by Shai Hope, again proving himself the right man for a run-chase.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary.", + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the negative impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program at a Nebraska children's hospital, while The Independent - Life and Style article credits Will Smith's personal happiness to his relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith?": [ + "\"The letters I’ve received in return are really telling about the impact the program has on their well-being and hope for the future,\" she told Fox News Digital.", + "He went on to explain that he’s “happier than [he’s] ever been in [his] entire life” and praised Jada for continuing to be by his side." + ], + "Do individuals who have lost a parent, as discussed in 'The Independent - Life and Style', experience grief at big events in a similar way to how Liam Neeson described his experience with grief to 'FOX News - Entertainment'?": [ + "“She lost her dad and, while the grief fades a bit over the years, big events bring it roaring back in (at least that’s been my experience).", + "In another 2014 interview, this one with \"60 Minutes,\" he said that grief sometimes hit him \"like a wave." + ], + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is capable of addressing Android app distribution and payment system issues according to another article from The Verge, and is accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the redemption option for cash back rewards as statement credits for cardholders remained consistent between the 'American Express Cash Magnet® card' as reported by Fortune before November 3, 2023, and the 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' as reported by the same news source?": [ + "When you earn points with the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, you can use them toward a statement credit on your card to offset your balance.", + "If you have the American Express Cash Magnet® card, you can redeem your cash back rewards for statement credits to your account." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research, as reported by The Verge, who faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention and pleaded not guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges according to TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Snapchat is not being used to document events in Gaza, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article discusses the actions of the state during crises, without mentioning the use of social media platforms for documentation?": [ + "The world is watching the humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfold in real time through firsthand accounts documented on, of all places, Snapchat.", + "As was said during the Covid pandemic, the state has to do whatever it takes to achieve these goals." + ], + "What team, featured in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about their leaders aiming to end careers positively and being self-motivated, also suffered a defeat by Argentina in Christchurch and failed to defend successfully on their goal line against the Springboks in a dramatic final?": [ + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'The Verge' article's claim that he used $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, and does the 'TechCrunch' article also support the notion that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, or do these articles present differing allegations regarding his actions?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company is at the center of claims involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to Megan Grey in 'The Age', ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence as reported by 'The Verge', and is accused by a news publisher in a class action antitrust suit covered by 'TechCrunch' for harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain and by Fortune of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, and who also informed Paradigm of his intentions to form an expert board for a company without investor directors?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" and the article from TechCrunch on \"Simply Homes\" both report an increase in their respective company's revenues?": [ + "Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.", + "Since its first-quarter launch, it’s seen its revenue grow by more than 50% quarter over quarter." + ], + "Which football club, recently discussed in articles by The New York Times, The Guardian, and Sky Sports, experienced a home defeat in the Premier League, has a player named Reece James who may undergo a late fitness check, and is expanding its U.S. presence under Todd Boehly's co-ownership?": [ + "Under American Todd Boehly’s co-ownership, expanding Chelsea’s profile and reach in the U.S. would make sense, especially with USWNT internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel playing their club football there — and CBS Sports holding WSL rights.", + "It was 24 September, Chelsea’s second home Premier League defeat on the spin after the one against Nottingham Forest and they were booed off again.", + "Late checks will be made on the fitness of Reece James, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson, while Benoit Badiashile could return from a long-term injury." + ], + "Who, according to a 'Fortune' article, became a notable figure in generative AI and faced a shocking departure from OpenAI, and is also known from a 'TechCrunch' report for supporting a teen's AI startup but is speculated to have had issues with truthfulness with the board?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing Visa Inc.'s financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on Visa Inc.'s strategic partnerships formed within the same period, which single letter represents the credit card network's stock symbol on the New York Stock Exchange?": [], + "Does the Yahoo News article praise the Biden administration's effectiveness on climate issues, while the Engadget article suggests that society is being positively impacted by the interconnectedness of climate change, the modern internet, and authoritarianism?": [ + "Kalmus, 49, thinks civilization is on the path to break down, the Biden administration is clueless on climate, and that he might get fired from his job at NASA if he is arrested for a third time protesting what he views as downright madness: the continued use of fossil fuels.", + "In the excerpt below, contributing author and Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo, Holly Jean Buck, explores how accelerating climate change, the modern internet and authoritarianism's recent renaissance are influencing and amplifying one another's negative impacts, to the detriment of us all." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with other companies?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article allege that Meta violated a specific law concerning children's online privacy, while The Verge article discusses Ofcom's guidelines for tech firms to comply with a different set of regulations for online safety?": [ + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "After the Online Safety Act’s arduous multiyear passage through the UK’s lawmaking process, regulator Ofcom has published its first guidelines for how tech firms can comply with the mammoth legislation." + ], + "Which company, reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has influenced the internet's appearance, engaged in practices leading to an antitrust case, and invested billions to be the default search engine on various platforms?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article on Black Friday deals mention a different discount for \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" than the discount 'The Verge' reports for the 'Wi-Fi Kasa smart outdoor plug' on Amazon?": [ + "Hasbro’s Jenga: Super Mario Edition is selling for $14.99 ($7 off) at Amazon.", + "On sale for just $16 on Amazon, a 36 percent savings, it has two waterproof outlets that work with Alexa and Google Home." + ], + "Does the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team played against Australia in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, while the 'TalkSport' article states that the England national teams are facing South Africa in both the Rugby World Cup and the ODI Cricket World Cup semi-finals, indicating different opponents for each country's national teams in their respective semi-final matches?": [ + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26.", + "It's crunch time for England in the World Cups as they face South Africa in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup and in the ODI Cricket World Cup." + ], + "Do the 'Fortune' article's views on the flexibility of central bankers in pursuing inflation targets align with 'The Age' article's perspective on Federal Reserve officials' consideration of certain prices for predicting inflation trends?": [ + "So long as people believe prices will get back toward 2%, central bankers have some leeway in deciding how aggressive they need to be in pursuing that goal.", + "After ignoring prices for food and fuel, which Fed officials see as a better predictor of where inflation is heading, prices that consumers had to pay last month were in line with expectations." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article that discusses Republicans dumping Jim Jordan as House Speaker nominee suggest that 'Rep. Patrick McHenry' has dismissed efforts to secure him in the role of speaker more permanently, while another 'Fortune' article indicates that 'Bipartisan groups of lawmakers' are considering proposals to empower 'Rep. Patrick McHenry' or another temporary speaker?": [ + "McHenry himself has brushed off attempts to take the job more permanently after he was appointed to the role after the unprecedented ouster of McCarthy more than two weeks ago.", + "Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by giving greater power to McHenry or another temporary speaker." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's GDPR compliance concerns suggest a different legal issue than the TechCrunch article on Meta's responsibility for teen social media monitoring, and does it also differ from the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias affecting Palestinian voices?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial claim that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers without Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge, while another TechCrunch article alleges Sam Bankman-Fried is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and a third TechCrunch piece suggests that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating a consensus on the misuse of customer funds and fraudulent intentions among the articles?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, despite facing financial stability issues according to a TechCrunch article, is expected to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform for AI tools and toys and is also planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside a Turbo API, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "Despite being the hottest tech company in the world right now and everyone talking about ChatGPT, OpenAI isn’t exactly a sound business.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from 'The Age' for manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue, from 'TechCrunch' for not planning additional measures on its video platform within six months, and is accused in another 'TechCrunch' article of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' content, readers, and advertising income?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Rolling Stone piece on Dua Lipa: At Your Service, which single character would be common when referencing the title of the podcast mentioned by both sources?": [], + "Did the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Packers game fail to report a successful first down completion involving A.J. Dillon in a similar manner to how the Sporting News describes The Saints' achievement of a first down in the Jaguars vs. Saints game?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "9:24 p.m. — This time, Allen's aggressive decision works, as the Saints get the first down thanks to a 17-yard catch and run by Kamara." + ], + "Does the article from The Guardian suggest that Britney Spears had less control over her privacy at the age of 16 compared to the control over privacy that the BBC News - Entertainment & Arts article implies Taylor Swift has over her personal experiences?": [ + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as below league-average based on his batting statistics, while the Sporting News article reports on the success of Javonte Williams and Russell Wilson in a single NFL game, without making a season-wide assessment?": [ + "He’s coming off another league-average offensive showing, when he hit .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs through 602 plate appearances.", + "Javonte Williams rushed for 18 yards on the first play of the drive, then Russell Wilson connected with Jerry Jeudy for 19 yards to get the wheels turning." + ], + "Does the Engadget article claim that CyberGhost's cybersecurity measures exclude an independent security audit, a vulnerability disclosure program, and transparency reporting, while the TechCrunch article suggests that Keep Labs employs automated tools for code vulnerability assessments, indicating different approaches to product security?": [ + "From a security perspective, CyberGhost completed an independent security audit by Deloitte earlier this year, runs a vulnerability disclosure program and provides access to a transparency report explaining requests for its data.", + "The company uses automated tools such as Scan Hawk and Synk to test its security and provide code vulnerability assessments." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times about the recent infrastructure developments in Koramangala and another from The Hindu reporting on the new traffic management system implemented in the same area, which letter of the alphabet is the starting character of the name of the company that has been awarded the contract for both projects?": [], + "Based on a New York Times article discussing Sacha Baron Cohen's advocacy for stricter regulations on social media platforms and a Variety piece highlighting his casting in a new historical drama series, which character, portrayed by Cohen in a film that was referenced in both articles, is known for his flamboyant fashion and controversial interviews?": [], + "Considering the information from a Washington Post article detailing recent legislative changes and a CNN report on upcoming municipal projects in Washington DC, which district, identified by its single-letter abbreviation, is both impacted by the new tax legislation and is the planned location for a new public transportation initiative?": [], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts to gain wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on November 6, 2023, that Google provided extensive evidence to counter Epic Games' claims in their antitrust battle, did the consistency of Google's stance on antitrust issues remain unchanged according to a later report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action lawsuit filed by a news publisher against Google?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After The Independent - Life and Style reported on Britney Spears' forced lithium intake on October 18, 2023, did The Guardian's report on October 24, 2023, regarding Britney Spears' experiences at the age of 16 maintain consistency in the narrative of her struggles with autonomy and public scrutiny?": [ + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.", + "In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will." + ], + "Do the articles from 'Science News For Students' and 'Fortune' both suggest that 'Scientists' have made no advancements in their respective fields, with one investigating the learning mechanisms in animals and the other manufacturing quantum dots in a lab?": [ + "For instance, Nakanishi says, scientists could look at what chemicals play a role in how different animals learn.", + "But it wasn’t until several decades later that scientists could manufacture quantum dots in a lab." + ], + "Does the article from The Age confirm the same aspect of Google's market behavior as the TechCrunch articles, with one discussing the acceptance of foul play allegations and the other focusing on anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Age suggest that 'People with an Aboriginal ancestor' have a different process to identify with their Aboriginal heritage compared to the stance of 'Indigenous people' on cultural identity as presented by The Guardian?": [ + "Lucashenko says there’s a “whole demographic of people who have an Aboriginal ancestor, who sometimes think they’re Aboriginal, but actually, regardless of skin colour, they’re white people and they have to go on a very long and different journey if they’re going to become Aboriginal”.", + "To show our tradition and culture, and art – also to show the rest of the world that Indigenous people, we need to be heard." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune credit Sam Altman with gaining prominence in generative AI technology specifically due to ChatGPT, while the article from Music Business Worldwide discusses Sony Music Entertainment's engagement in generative AI-powered projects without attributing such prominence to an individual?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "The Sony Music exec cited, as an example, a recent generative AI-powered project around a reissue and remix of an album." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article agree completely with the 'TechCrunch' article on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, with both 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' focusing solely on the jury's determination of truthfulness?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game show The Saints failing a fourth down conversion attempt, while the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Jets game show Patrick Mahomes successfully converting a critical third down?": [ + "9:05 p.m. — The Saints cannot convert on fourth down, as Carr's pass attempt to Chris Olave is tipped away from the receiver.", + "The Chiefs faced a 3rd & 22 and Mahomes saw an opening to run up the middle, taking off for a 24-yard gain to pick up a massive first down." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' concert film was less financially successful than Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "No one expected “Renaissance” to match “The Eras Tour,” which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million globally.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single defeat for Michigan's football team could have a similar impact on their season as the loss to the Browns had on the Chicago Bears' playoff hopes, with both teams facing important upcoming games?": [ + "One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.", + "The loss was also particularly crushing for a team that had won back-to-back games, with a pair of wild-card contenders in the Vikings and Packers losing this weekend." + ], + "Considering the features discussed in a New York Times article and the performance benchmarks mentioned in a review by The Verge, which component of the latest iPad Pro, represented by a single letter, has seen the most significant upgrade in terms of speed and efficiency?": [], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance in specific games was more variable compared to the consistent performance of The Chiefs' star rookie as mentioned in another CBSSports.com article?": [ + "Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 6th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 31 REYDS 261 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.4 The only two games McLaurin posted good numbers in were Washington's 35-33 win over Denver in Week 2 and Washington's 34-31 OT loss to Philadelphia in Week 4.", + "The Chiefs' star rookie has four straight games with at least nine targets and he's scored at least 14 PPR Fantasy points in all of those games." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal circumstances are under scrutiny, who previously convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX, is accused of misappropriating $1 billion in customer funds to settle with a competitor, and whose alleged fraudulent actions for personal gain are being prosecuted, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TalkSport report on the Manchester United takeover published on October 18, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there a change in Manchester United's circumstances as reported by the two news sources?": [ + "This was a move mainly influenced by the fact Raine had managed to broker a deal with Todd Boehly to commit to invest £4.5bn to take control of Chelsea, giving the Glazers grand ideas they could rake in as much as DOUBLE for a global sporting institution like United.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "After The Independent - Sports reported on the All Blacks' home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina last summer on October 14, 2023, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on Argentina's victories over the All Blacks in Christchurch last year and their first victory in 2020 in Sydney on October 18, 2023, was the reporting on the All Blacks' defeats by Argentina consistent?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a report by The Verge on Microsoft Project, which feature, identified by a single letter, was highlighted as a significant addition in the New York Times piece and was also noted for its potential impact on collaboration in The Verge's analysis?": [], + "Was the concern about antibiotics' effectiveness against certain diseases reported by 'Yahoo News' before 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles,' considering the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on the susceptibility of 'Antibiotics in development' to resistance and the 'Yahoo News' report on 'Inflammation in dogs' being highly responsive to antibiotics?": [ + "As an inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.", + "Fewer than 30 antibiotics currently in the development pipeline target \"priority\" bacteria , as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), and most of those drugs are still vulnerable to resistance, just like their predecessors." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Drake London, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba may underperform in their upcoming games, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses Najee Harris's past performance in a specific game rather than predictions for future games?": [ + "Beware of Terry McLaurin (vs. Dolphins), Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell (vs. Browns), Drake London (@ Jets), and Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (@ Cowboys) this week.", + "HISTORY: Harris had over 120 total yards and a touchdown in a Week 17 win in Baltimore last year." + ], + "After The Age reported on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories on September 26, 2023, did Yardbarker's coverage on December 24, 2023, maintain consistency regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on prop betting suggest that sportsbooks generally refund player prop bets if the player doesn't play, while the Sporting News article on BetRivers specifies that BetRivers offers a refund in bonus bets of a certain amount if the first bet loses?": [ + "If you bet on a player and they don’t play in the game, most sportsbooks void the bet and refund your wager.", + "Place your first bet and, if it loses, BetRivers will refund the amount of the wager in bonus bets worth up to $100, $250 or $500, depending on your state." + ], + "Who is the individual being judged for their actions in a legal case, where contrasting stories are presented in 'Fortune', is accused of using a front for secret access to customer funds, and is alleged by the prosecution in a 'TechCrunch' article to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Google's market practices in reports by The Age after October 22, 2023, remained consistent with the depiction in The Verge's coverage of the Epic v. Google case, and with TechCrunch's report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's season ticket prices following Lionel Messi's arrival published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's inclusion in the MLS playoffs published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the team's postseason prospects as reported by the news source?": [ + "Likely with the sole intent of keeping Messi fit in that time off, and the added bonus of raking in significant cash, Inter Miami scheduled a two-match tour of China in early November after their regular season concluded.", + "Eventually, Alvaro Barreal’s 78th-minute goal ended any hope that Inter Miami had to complete a stunning playoff charge, and the defeat coupled with CF Montreal’s big 4-1 victory over Portland means Inter Miami are officially out of the postseason running.", + "Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami has brought with it a craze for fans to get a glimpse of one of the sport's most talented and legendary players of all time." + ], + "Who is the individual that has become a significant figure in the realm of artificial intelligence, particularly due to their association with generative AI technology and the envisioning of AI agents to assist with various tasks, and whose integrity was questioned by a prevailing theory as mentioned in articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across various devices and platforms, and is also accused by news publishers of adversely affecting their business through anticompetitive practices, while using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did TechCrunch's portrayal of Scott Hurff's perspective on product design change between the article published on December 1, 2023, which discussed his experience as a product maker and designer, and the article published on December 21, 2023, which emphasized the importance of decision-making in product design?": [ + "As a writer, Scott Hurff doesn’t always write about product design; but when he does he is able to share his perspective as someone who’s also a product maker and designer.", + "The core of product design is decision-making with an astute instinct for making the best decisions at the most opportune time." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on Brock Purdy's performance before or after highlighting the New Orleans' comeback with two fourth quarter touchdowns in the NFL games?": [ + "It led to two fourth quarter touchdowns by New Orleans that tied the game with less than six minutes to go, and the momentum had fully shifted at Caesers SuperDome to the home side.", + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal and public persona as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry is under scrutiny, with allegations of fraud for personal gain and conflicting statements about governance plans for a company, all of which are being dissected before a jury?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company was depicted as an antagonist by Epic Games in a legal case reported by The Verge, is considered by Apple as the only viable option for search engine services according to a court defense also covered by The Verge, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming news publishers' revenues and readership through its business practices?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the situation in Donbas, which country, accused of aggression by the former and facing economic sanctions as per the latter, is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?": [], + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, acknowledged challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange and its related trading firm, and, after judicial prompting, conceded awareness of a substantial financial shortfall, all while being accused of intentional deception for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, having faced a legal defeat as reported by TechCrunch, also underwent a period of intense labor as described by Polygon, and is now reducing its workforce by 16% according to another report by TechCrunch, while simultaneously casting itself as the underdog in a separate legal confrontation covered by The Verge?": [ + "Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "As Fortnite took off, developers at Epic Games said that they experienced months of crunch that required 70-to-100-hour weeks to produce that industry-shaping content despite the publisher’s deep pockets.", + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "Has the explanation of betting terms by the 'Sporting News' to bettors regarding what positive betting odds indicate and the definition of an \"over\" bet in totals betting remained consistent between the article published on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-01?": [ + "Since 42 exceeds the set total of 40.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "Positive numbers also indicate which side of the bet is the underdog in the eyes of the oddsmakers." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Renuka Singh, which jersey number is associated with the player who was mentioned as a key performer in India's recent cricket match by The Times of India and was also highlighted for her exceptional bowling skills by The Hindu?": [], + "Who is the individual that, despite not being portrayed as the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, managed to recruit a former colleague from Jane Street to join him in ventures that faced legal scrutiny for alleged fraud, and who also admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies post the intervention of Judge Lewis Kaplan?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on the Epic v. Google case and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on the same case, was there disagreement on the nature of Epic Games' arguments against Google?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After the Financial Times reported on October 1, 2023, that investors are showing more interest in Japan due to China's economic slowdown, did the investment trend of U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists, as reported by TechCrunch, show agreement or disagreement with this shift in investor interest towards Japan?": [ + "The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before.", + "“You are seeing more interest in Japan from investors, who were primarily invested in China, as China has slowed and some of its economic policies have been confusing and opaque,” says Kirk Neureiter, president of Fidelity Management & Research Japan." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to leave Jane Street and join both Alameda and FTX, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Cnbc | World Business News Leader report on Nike's net income and the article from The Age on the 10-year Treasury yield both report a decrease in their respective financial metrics?": [ + "The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 31 was $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.47 billion, or 93 cents per share, a year earlier.", + "The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is the centrepiece of the bond market, pulled back from its highest level since 2007, down to 4.73 per cent from 4.80 per cent late on Tuesday." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article report a higher batting average for Jung Hoo Lee in 2022 than Yardbarker reported for Juan Soto in the year referenced?": [ + "Lee was hampered by injury in 2023 but slashed .349/.421/.575 in 2022 with 36 doubles, 10 triples and a career-best 23 home runs.", + "Soto overcame a relatively slow start (by his standards) to hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs this year." + ], + "What entity is likely to win a legal case regarding phones and app stores according to an article from The Verge, and is also accused by a news publisher in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's role in the West Indies v England fifth T20 international as a reckless role, while also characterizing his performance as exemplary, and does the same source depict his struggle against legspin bowling in the first T20 international?": [ + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary.", + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles." + ], + "Does the article from The Independent - Travel suggest that Dubai has exploration opportunities throughout the year, while the TechCrunch article indicates that Archer Aviation's expansion plans are specific to the United Arab Emirates?": [ + "Every month brings opportunities to explore something different in Dubai, and that’s no exception as temperatures begin to climb in June and July.", + "From there, Archer says it will expand across the UAE as part of a memorandum of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision published on September 28, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for AI tools published on December 19, 2023, was there a change in the company's strategic focus as reported by the same news source?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a change in the starting quarterback position similar to the change discussed in the Sporting News article regarding SMU's quarterback position?": [ + "Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington.", + "If concussion protocol restricts him from playing Friday, look for redshirt freshman Kevin Jennings to start for SMU." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal team and the government's attorneys are presenting conflicting narratives in court, who acknowledged being aware of a significant financial discrepancy post a judge's inquiry, and is accused of instructing a subordinate to use billions of customer funds to settle debts, all while facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that was reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch to have used customer funds for a buyout and to have faced allegations of fraud and conspiracy, while also being accused of permitting withdrawals from a trading account that were contingent on not exceeding a certain revenue threshold?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is at an optimal slowing pace to avoid a recession, in contrast to 'The Age' which implies that a government shutdown could increase the risk of a recession in the US economy?": [ + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount.", + "A shutdown would drag on the US economy, raising the risk of a recession, though financial markets have held up relatively well through past shutdowns." + ], + "After 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, and 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the same date noted Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium, did 'The Independent - Life and Style' maintain consistency in their reporting on the nature of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship in their later article published on October 30, 2023?": [ + "In the picture, Swift could be seen standing next to Kelce, reaching to kiss his cheek.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on allegations of Sam Bankman-Fried committing fraud for personal gain and facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, and also detail Caroline Ellison's involvement?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for selfish purposes, while The Verge article implies that he was informed about financial discrepancies, and another TechCrunch article alleges that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating differing perspectives on his intentions and awareness?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New Jersey Devils' have maintained a consistent performance outlook despite a player's injury, while the 'Essentially Sports' article indicates that 'Denny Hamlin' was eliminated from championship contention due to an injury?": [ + "The winger came firing out of the gate, but the outlook has changed for the Devils in recent days after losing the superstar center Hughes to injury.", + "Having to depend much on his weaker arm, Hamlin stayed in contention for the championship four race until the final race in Martinsville." + ], + "What type of businesses, frequently covered by Sporting News, are known to change their betting lines based on events like injuries or roster changes, and also alter the odds for awards like the NBA Rookie of the Year based on collected data?": [ + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC Sport article and an ESPN Cricinfo report on Kate Cross, which club, known for its historical significance in English cricket and mentioned as Cross's domestic team in both articles, is represented by the initial 'L'?": [], + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's situation at OpenAI published on November 18, 2023, and the subsequent Fortune report on the same day regarding the board's actions, was there agreement between the two news sources on the portrayal of Sam Altman's standing in Silicon Valley?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on September 26, 2023, that Amazon's stock fell by 4 percent due to an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general, did Fortune report a larger or smaller percentage decrease for Rogers Communications Inc. shares following a family lawsuit on October 12, 2023?": [ + "Shares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it." + ], + "Which company, according to TechCrunch, has invested $26.3 billion to become the default search engine on various platforms, claims its Gemini project surpasses other generative AI models like GPT-4 in architecture and performance, and is accused of using anticompetitive means to harm news publishers' revenues and readership?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune discussing Ruby Franke's daughter describe the justification for abuse as a form of necessary discipline, in contrast to the article from The Verge which accuses Catherine Tan of sexual harassment and coercion?": [ + "“She was also repeatedly told she was evil and possessed, the punishments were necessary for her to be obedient and repent, and these things were being done to her in order to help her,” the plea agreement said.", + "Tan, who received a copy of the email, explained: “She wrote this long letter accusing me of sexually harassing her, forcing her to be a lesbian.” S. signed with her full name." + ], + "Do 'The Age' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' suggest that the actions of parents have no impact on their children, or do their claims deny any consequences of parental behavior?": [ + "Now, generative AI is upending work in brand-new ways and inevitably changing the future of work and jobs yet again: “I think it’s awfully arrogant to assume that you can tell your kids what a stable career looks like.” By directing our kids down a path that is not of their choosing, there are several likely outcomes, Grant suggests.", + "\"It’s also lazy parenting, which never pays off in the long run,\" she said." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, not only modify their betting lines due to events such as injuries or team changes but also offer incentives for new users and are designed to ensure profitability regardless of betting outcomes, specifically in scenarios like forecasting the NBA Rookie of the Year?": [ + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Who, according to articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post, served as the Secretary of Homeland Security under President Obama and was also a key speaker at a cybersecurity conference in 2019?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in the New York Times and another in the Wall Street Journal about Pets Best, which company, known for its insurance products and mentioned in both articles, has a CEO with the initial 'M'?": [], + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements published on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after, was there agreement between the two sources regarding the enhancements made to the new iteration of the Steam Deck by Valve?": [ + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages was worse than in previous seasons, while The Independent - Sports article implies that Erik ten Hag's past experience in the Champions League with Ajax was more successful?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "Ten Hag cannot call upon his personal history in such a way; the Champions League final he almost reached was with Ajax." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United needs a long-term blueprint for success, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United are out of European competitions, thus comparing the future planning with the current competition status of the team?": [ + "Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on Richelle Cranston's club history in the AFLW published on October 20, 2023, and The Age's report on Richelle Cranston's favorite ice cream flavor while playing this season published on November 3, 2023, has the information regarding Richelle Cranston's AFLW career remained consistent?": [ + "“But nah, it was awesome.” On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.", + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year." + ], + "What company, known for its significant presence in the e-reader space through its Kindle lineup as mentioned by The Verge, also offers life-changing selling opportunities according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and was the focus of a Cyber Monday sale with deals reported by Mashable?": [ + "Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the EU's warning to X (formerly Twitter) for illegal content and disinformation agree with the TechCrunch article on the EU's analysis of X's role in spreading disinformation regarding the European Union's stance on the platform's dissemination of false information?": [ + "A number of videos posted to X since the attacks have been identified as entirely unrelated to the conflict — including footage that was filmed last month in Egypt and even a clip from a video game that had been posted to the platform with a (false) claim it showed Hamas missile attacks on Israel.", + "We’ve reached out to the Commission with questions about how it plans to respond to this latest analysis of X’s role in spreading disinformation." + ], + "Does the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the victory of the Belgium Women's National Football Team over England in the UEFA Women's Nations League to the performance of Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' credits Ollie Watkins with playing a key role in Aston Villa's win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League?": [ + "Tessa Wullaert’s brace fired Belgium to a dramatic 3-2 home win over England in League A1 of 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Nations League.", + "Quick Guide Europa Conference League: Villa and Faroe Islanders soar Show Ollie Watkins continued his red-hot form as Aston Villa cruised to a statement 4-1 win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage describe a similar acknowledgment of marital challenges as 'FOX News - Entertainment' reports on Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage?": [ + "He wrote they were “suffering the brutal death of our romantic fantasies, the burning away of the idealistic illusion of the perfect marriage and the perfect family.", + "\"I sucked at being a husband, I was horrible at it,\" he told Billboard of his first marriage to Sandy Maul, which ended with a messy divorce in 2000." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Flipboard's implementation of the ActivityPub protocol is aimed at changing its platform structure, while The Verge article focuses on the structural elements of posts within the ActivityPub protocol itself?": [ + "“What we’re announcing on Monday is basically our roadmap for how we will be rolling out ActivityPub, and effectively tearing down the walls around our own walled garden,” he added.", + "In the world of ActivityPub, every post everywhere is made up of a sender, a message, and a URL." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch for its annual hardware event and for a class action antitrust suit, as well as by The Age for potential unfair competitive practices, is known for its developments in hardware and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines and being involved in foul play?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle as reported by TechCrunch, is also known for making default search engine deals with major tech companies according to The Verge, yet has no immediate plans for new measures on its video platform as per TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices as stated in another TechCrunch article?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for properly managing customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'TechCrunch' article's allegation that he committed fraud for personal gain, and do both of these claims contrast with 'The Verge' article's portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while the other TechCrunch article on Sam Bankman-Fried's plea deal only mention his not-guilty plea to fraud and conspiracy, without specifying involvement in directing others?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which pop star, recognized by Time as Person of the Year, was seen supporting a football team at Arrowhead Stadium where she was personally invited by a player who also made her a friendship bracelet with his number on it, as reported by 'The Age', 'The Independent - Life and Style', and 'CBSSports.com'?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge about the iPhone 14's camera capabilities and the pricing strategy discussed in a Bloomberg report, which letter represents the starting character of the feature that is both highly praised for its innovation in the first article and is a significant factor in the pricing strategy mentioned in the second article?": [], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's wealth accumulation is on a different trajectory than Floyd Mayweather's, while the 'TechCrunch' article discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's wealth in the context of his altruistic intentions, without comparing it to another individual's wealth trajectory?": [ + "However, despite Floyd’s massive net worth, Canelo has inched closer to Floyd’s billionaire status over the years.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the fantasy football experience is primarily about the opportunity for short-term entertainment, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article focuses on Colby McKercher's specific performance metrics at the National Championships?": [ + "The best part of fantasy football is watching the team you draft go out there and have a chance to win a championship, forever cementing your bragging rights over your friends for years to come.", + "Averaged 32.8 disposals and 5.8 clearances across four matches for the Allies at the National Championships to earn All Australian honours." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions regarding the management of FTX and customer funds at Alameda Research were based on deceit and misuse, similarly to the allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in the 'TechCrunch' article?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Insidesport' article claim that the Indian Premier League 2024 auction is scheduled for a specific date and location, in contrast to the 'Polygon' article which rounds up weekly deals without specifying a recurring event schedule?": [ + "IPL 2024 Auction Live: The auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is slated to happen on December 19 in Dubai.", + "As we do every weekend here at Polygon, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, along with some of the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site." + ], + "What company, which TechCrunch reports spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to ensure its search engine's default status on multiple platforms, is also the target of a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines and has its Gemini Pro's performance compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Altman's prominence in the AI field is due to the impact of ChatGPT, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies a discrepancy in Altman's communication with the board, without attributing his prominence to ChatGPT?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Oliver's behavior is a reason for his refusal to play, while The New York Times article implies that the Norway national football team's recent performances are a factor in their potential difficulty in succeeding in the play-offs?": [ + "Either way, talk to Oliver again and he won’t want to play with you, because he’s a jerk.", + "But there’s been little in recent performances to think Norway will breeze through those play-offs." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that the Google Nest Thermostat's compatibility with smart home platforms is due to a specific standard, whereas the Engadget article does not attribute the EP-133 K.O. II 64MB Sampler Composer's compatibility with Android phones to any particular standard?": [ + "It is also the only thermostat that works with the new smart home standard, Matter, so it's compatible with every major smart home platform, including Apple Home.", + "For the brave, you can also use this on your phone if you have Android (Chrome, Brave and Opera should all work)." + ], + "What team, which has players like Steve Smith and Aaron Finch contributing to a score of 328 for 7 wickets in a 2015 World Cup semi-final and also won a match against India by just one run, recently experienced their first four-day game loss since January 2014 during a tour of India, as reported by 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' and 'Zee Business'?": [ + "The current tour of India is not a multi-format series, but the defeat in the one-off Test marks Australia’s first loss in a four-day game since January 2014.", + "This was one of the closest matches that have been played between these two sides, as Australia won the match by just one run.", + "Australian Man-of-the-Match Steve Smith (105 runs in 93 balls) and Aaron Finch (81 runs in 116 balls) were the guiding forces in taking Australia to 328 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, and the Fortune article on the same day stating that Sam Altman and the ex-chairman were shocked and saddened by the board's actions, was the reporting from TechCrunch later on November 18, 2023, about Sam Altman's plans consistent with the earlier reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest the same reason for \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" as the reason for \"Dillon Danis and Savannah Montano's relationship\" ending as reported by 'Essentially Sports'?": [ + "At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.", + "Also, another thing that hints towards their breakup is Danis’s first press conference for the Logan Paul fight." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Apple Processing LLC's latest environmental initiative and a Wall Street Journal report on their financial performance, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the initiative and the grade given by a leading financial analyst to Apple Processing LLC's recent fiscal quarter?": [], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the economic impact of Pismo's new policy and a BBC report on the environmental consequences of the same policy, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the Pismo official who is both credited with spearheading the economic initiative and criticized for potential environmental oversight?": [], + "Considering the information from an article by Bloomberg on the latest strategic partnership of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions and a report by Reuters on their recent investment in autonomous driving technology, which city, hosting the headquarters of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, is also the location where the first public trial of their autonomous vehicles will take place?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's participation with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's influence on Argentina's forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there no change in the focus of Messi's involvement from club performance to international team mentorship?": [ + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line.", + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's recent performances in the Champions League have been unconvincing, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern, indicating a specific outcome in a European competition?": [ + "Thirty years on United head to Turkey knowing they have rarely been convincing in the Champions League in recent years.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues affecting Palestinian voices on a date other than October 19, 2023, and again on Meta's ad-free subscription service being potentially illegal and unfair on a date other than November 30, 2023, resulting in inconsistency in the news source's critical perspective towards Meta's policies and practices?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article on Prime Big Deal Days indicate that there are no gaming deals for the same range of gaming platforms as 'Polygon' staff play games on, including PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC?": [ + "Here, we’ll go over all the best gaming deals we can scrounge up during Prime Big Deal Days across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.", + "At Polygon, we play games on a lot of consoles and platforms — both new and old." + ], + "Which company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is likely to win a court case if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, yet is criticized for not planning additional measures on its video platform and for harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the updates on Azure's AI capabilities from a Bloomberg article and the expansion of Azure's data center regions as reported by Reuters, which single letter of the alphabet is the starting character for both the new AI feature announced and the name of the latest country to have an Azure data center announced?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has superior architecture and capabilities in comparison to other AI models, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article also depict Google negatively by portraying it as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Walt Disney Studios is unable to meet the individualized desires of Disney fans, while another Polygon article observes that Esfand's fanbase has evolved from gaming to sports fans, indicating a shift in fan interests?": [ + "And because Disney fans have so many separate, individualized desires, it’s impossible for the company to focus on meeting every single one of them.", + "He adds that it’s been interesting seeing fans evolve from those that were fans of his gaming streams to ones who are sports fans, or discovering gaming fans who are also sports fans." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's commercial operation is less successful than Manchester City's, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's performance in European competitions is inferior to expectations?": [ + "And there is this, too: across town Manchester City have accrued six championships since United’s last in 2013 and boast a commercial operation that leaves Ratcliffe’s new concern light years behind.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who, according to articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style', has openly discussed her relationship with Travis Kelce, remains unaffected by paparazzi during her outings, and has committed to a year-long tour that she insists on not canceling?": [ + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Did the Federal Reserve change its stance on basing its interest rate decisions on incoming economic data after The Sydney Morning Herald reported on it before October 1, 2023, and did their influence on global financial markets differ from what The Sydney Morning Herald highlighted in a subsequent report?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Which social media platform, mentioned in articles from 'The Guardian' and 'TechCrunch', has been used for both the indirect delivery of pills and as a source of firsthand information regarding events in Gaza due to trust issues with other platforms?": [ + "And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door.", + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook." + ], + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been involved in legal scrutiny for its financial practices to maintain default search engine status on various platforms and has faced antitrust allegations concerning its impact on news publishers' revenues?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, not only learns from the missteps of its competitors to deliver superior products but also enforces uniform terms on developers through its store and payment system while simultaneously justifying its choice of a default search engine on its devices due to the lack of a valid alternative?": [ + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article fail to report a specific figure for Uber's operating and net income in Q3, while the Seeking Alpha article discusses the frequency with which 'The company' has surpassed earnings per share and revenue expectations without specifying the financial figures?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "Earnings Insight: The company has beaten EPS expectations in 3 of the past 8 quarters and revenue in 5 of those reports." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on point spread betting published on November 1, 2023, was the reporting on how sportsbooks adjust their betting lines consistent?": [ + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the defense policies outlined in a Reuters report, which country, aiming to strengthen its regional influence in Asia, has both increased its GDP growth forecast and announced a significant military exercise for the upcoming year?": [], + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency platform as reported by The Verge, recruited a colleague from Jane Street to join him at a trading firm and later a crypto exchange as per Fortune, was informed about a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to another article from The Verge, and is accused of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain as alleged by the prosecution in a report by TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, has not only altered the internet’s appearance with its efforts but is also facing criticism for its new product's performance comparison to GPT-3.5 and for harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Israel's actions are aggressive by mentioning a warning to Gaza residents to relocate due to a potential ground invasion, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article implies that Israel was caught off-guard by a Hamas attack, indicating a lack of intelligence support?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Sophie Devine's record-breaking fastest century in women's T20 cricket and a BBC report on her views about the mental health of athletes, which team does Sophie Devine captain that has a player holding such a record and is vocal about mental health awareness?": [], + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have offered $5 billion to a former President to avoid a re-run, pleaded not guilty to charges as per another TechCrunch article, is facing a criminal trial according to the same source, and was mentioned by The Verge as having difficulty managing two companies due to significant growth?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, about Google's financial strategies to maintain its search engine dominance, and again on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to TechCrunch?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'The Verge' article's claim that he used $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, and does the 'TechCrunch' article also support the notion that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, or do these articles present the same allegations regarding his actions?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article on software companies report a decrease in revenue related to payment models, and does the Hacker News article on The Epoch Times both report an increase in revenue related to subscription models, respectively?": [ + "They really just want to be able to accept payments and generate more revenue from being able to do so.", + "The group reported $76 million in subscription revenue in 2021, compared to nearly $7 million in 2019." + ], + "Between the article published by Sporting News on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-06, has the explanation of what bettors can place prop bets on remained consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "You can find value in player and team props by gathering information from multiple sources and tracking how players and their teammates perform.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game." + ], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader claim that selling on Amazon is a terrible business decision, while the article from The Sydney Morning Herald reports a stock price fall due to an antitrust lawsuit, indicating differing impacts of Amazon's business practices on sellers and stockholders?": [ + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it." + ], + "Who is the individual that, before the FTX collapse, was seen as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, decided to use a substantial amount of customer funds to settle with a competitor, and is now facing allegations of fraud for personal gain according to reports from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who, according to TechCrunch, is the generous and caring industry figure recently removed from OpenAI's leadership, who is also speculated to have been untruthful with the board and is now planning to start a new venture?": [ + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, allegedly used a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, convinced a former co-worker to join his business ventures, claimed incapacity to oversee two major entities due to rapid expansion, and is accused by prosecutors of intentionally engaging in deceptive practices to gain affluence and clout?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who, according to various articles from Sporting News, can make money by engaging in activities such as placing prop bets on the performance of a team at a specific point in a game, deciding on the outcome of individual matches or the winning team in golf events, and taking advantage of bonus offers when their selected team wins on moneyline bets?": [ + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Which company, the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for its alleged detrimental impact on news publishers' revenues, also invested $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the preferred search engine on various devices and platforms, and has compared its Gemini Pro's performance to that of OpenAI's GPT-3.5?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Israel's actions are defensive by mentioning a warning to Gaza residents to relocate due to a potential ground invasion, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article implies that Israel was caught off-guard by a Hamas attack, indicating a lack of intelligence support?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Who is the individual being tried for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, whose portrayal has ranged from a financial guru compared to Warren Buffet to a fraudulent actor seeking wealth, power, and influence, and is currently at the center of a legal battle with contrasting narratives presented by his defense and the government in sources including Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior specifically harms news publishers' revenue, while The Age article suggests a general acceptance of foul play by Google without specifying the impact on revenue?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing Synchrony Financial's strategic partnerships and a Bloomberg report on their financial performance in the last quarter, which division within Synchrony Financial, as mentioned in both articles, is responsible for the largest share of the company's revenue growth?": [], + "Which company, known for being more responsive to consumer feedback in recent years and is planning to appeal an ITC decision on a patent dispute, is expected to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event and has been criticized for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system according to TechCrunch, Engadget, and two articles from The Verge?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Considering the financial performance insights from a Bloomberg article and the strategic partnership developments from a Reuters report on Safaricom, which single letter represents the start of the name of the CEO who has overseen these recent company advancements?": [], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Forbes report on Chip Bergh, what is the first letter of the company that Bergh is associated with, which has seen a significant shift in sustainability practices under his leadership according to the New York Times, and has also been reported by Forbes to have experienced a notable increase in market share during his tenure?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while The Verge article focuses on his awareness of financial discrepancies, and does the second TechCrunch article claim that his actions were motivated by personal gain?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Panasonic's financial strategies and a Reuters report on Panasonic's technological advancements, which company, as a key supplier to a major electric vehicle manufacturer, announced both an investment plan to boost battery production and a breakthrough in battery technology that could significantly extend electric vehicle range?": [], + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial conduct is under scrutiny, with contrasting narratives presented in court, not-guilty pleas entered against multiple charges, an admission of being informed about significant financial discrepancies, and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by sources including Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated by 'Fortune' for using a colleague as a cover for illicit access to funds, accused by 'The Verge' of misappropriating a billion dollars of customer money for a buyout, and alleged by 'TechCrunch' to have intentionally committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the electric pickup truck discussed in TechCrunch as having an uncertain future and believed by Elon Musk, as reported by The Verge, to be potentially safer for occupants and pedestrians than other trucks?": [ + "While we have lots of details it’s still unclear if the Cybertruck will kick off the vehicle’s journey toward success, or failure.", + "Elon Musk is “highly confident” that the Cybertruck will be safer than other trucks on the road for occupants and pedestrians." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing sportsbooks' practices indicate that sportsbooks consistently adjust their odds and lines in response to events and information, such as injuries, roster changes, and gathered data on NBA rookies, or do they suggest different practices for these adjustments?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Amit Zavery, what single letter represents the first initial of the company that Amit Zavery left to join Google Cloud, which was also mentioned as a competitor in the cloud services market in both articles?": [], + "Do the 'Business Line' article's claims about central bankers' response to supply disruptions and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Federal Reserve officials' actions to combat inflation both suggest a decrease in interest rates?": [ + "In the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated.", + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article linking Influenza to serious health complications agree with the FOX News - Health article on GLP-1 agonist medications concerning the potential for rare but serious health complications from medical conditions or treatments?": [ + "\"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on,\" he warned.", + "Although these complications were rare, the researchers found them concerning, given that millions of people are using these medications worldwide." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was reportedly ousted from a leading AI organization, but is recognized for brilliance and generosity in the industry, and is currently planning to launch a new venture according to reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the role of sportsbooks in setting betting lines and odds inconsistent?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins." + ], + "Based on an article from The Times and another from The Guardian about Kumkum Fernando, which character is common to both the role Kumkum was praised for in The Times and the initiative they criticized in The Guardian?": [], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Crown Castle's financial performance in the last quarter and a Bloomberg article discussing the company's expansion plans into new markets, which single letter symbol represents Crown Castle on the New York Stock Exchange?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's AI demo involving the Gemini Ultra model and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit filed against Google, was there a change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google's practices?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the role of sportsbooks in setting betting lines and odds consistent?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins." + ], + "Does the Polygon article discussing the undermining of the vampire cause suggest a different impact on the perception of vampires compared to the Polygon article on vampires in stories, with the former suggesting a negative effect on their menacing image and the latter implying a pervasive hidden presence in narratives?": [ + "Nothing serves the vampire cause less than undermining the air of looming menace that they’ve been cultivating since the 15th century.", + "In the best version, the vampires are always there, in the background, waiting for you to discover them — just like in real life." + ], + "What company is expected to focus on new Macs and chipsets at an event according to Engadget, is known for refining and polishing its products as suggested by TechCrunch, and enforces uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system as reported by The Verge?": [ + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the negative impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article suggests that Marketing practices overshadow the message of hope?": [ + "\"The letters I’ve received in return are really telling about the impact the program has on their well-being and hope for the future,\" she told Fox News Digital.", + "How can a hurting world know joy's powerful message of hope for a darkened world when marketing takes precedence over the words, \"He rules the world with truth and grace, No more let sin and sorrow grow ..." + ], + "After the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's use of a front for secret access to customer funds, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 7, 2023, alleging that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, did The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial indicate consistent or inconsistent information regarding his actions related to customer funds?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, according to different reports by TechCrunch and The Verge, both released a restricted version of an AI model and was considered the only valid option for search engine services during a negotiation, while also being accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest in that age group, who is accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange's success on falsehoods and expressed intentions to form an expert board for the company, despite a preference against investor directors, while also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, power, and influence?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the environmental initiatives discussed in a Bloomberg article and the new seasonal drink flavors introduced according to a CNN report, which letter represents both the first character of the initiative aimed at reducing waste at Starbucks and the initial of the primary spice used in Starbucks' latest autumn-themed beverage?": [], + "Considering the economic developments reported by Bloomberg and the agricultural advancements discussed in The Economist regarding Mozambique, which minister, identified by a single initial, is at the forefront of both implementing financial reforms and promoting innovative farming techniques?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation published after October 2, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried's testimony, was there a change in the narrative regarding his ability to manage FTX and Alameda Research?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the character development discussed in the Variety article and the plot twists mentioned in the Hollywood Reporter's coverage, which character from the series \"Ahsoka\" is central to both narratives and is expected to have a significant impact on the Star Wars universe?": [], + "Who is the individual that, prior to the downfall of a cryptocurrency platform, was equated with a notable investor known for his acumen, portrayed himself as a reliable figure within the digital currency realm as reported by The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of deliberate fraudulent actions for personal gain, according to TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the report by Fortune on September 26, 2023, claiming Donald Trump inflated the value of his Trump Tower apartment, did The Age report on November 7, 2023, maintain consistency regarding the allegations of Donald Trump's financial misrepresentations?": [ + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "Who, previously associated with OpenAI and having been accused of not being fully truthful with its board according to a theory by TechCrunch, has both showcased a vision for AI agents at a developer conference reported by Fortune and is supporting a teen's AI startup as well as planning to launch a new venture as per TechCrunch articles?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Rep. Patrick McHenry is actively seeking a permanent speaker role, while 'The Age' article indicates that Kevin McCarthy has been removed from the speaker position?": [ + "McHenry himself has brushed off attempts to take the job more permanently after he was appointed to the role after the unprecedented ouster of McCarthy more than two weeks ago.", + "Wall Street is also absorbing the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the House of Representatives." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article about Scott McTominay suggest he is the top scorer for Manchester United in the same way that the Sporting News article about the Major League Soccer scoring list indicates Chris Wondolowski leads with 171 goals?": [ + "McTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.", + "Kamara's 144 goals are just one behind the former USMNT great, while Chris Wondolowski's 171 goals leads the league's career chart." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with Alameda and FTX, who is alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain and also told a trader that withdrawing funds was acceptable as long as it didn't surpass the company's total trading revenue, as reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, founded in late 2015 and known for its generative AI poster child behind ChatGPT, is anticipated by TechCrunch to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform and to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "What company, recently covered by TechCrunch for both its financial performance in the third quarter and its criticized safety measures, is known for its ride-sharing services?": [ + "Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against Uber claiming the company hasn’t done enough to prevent instances of sexual assault by drivers.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article claim that the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seahawks on Thanksgiving align with the Sporting News report on The Wolverines (Michigan football team) winning The Game for the third consecutive year in terms of both teams achieving recent victories?": [ + "The 49ers are coming off an emotional win over the Eagles after stomping the Seahawks on Thanksgiving.", + "From there, the Wolverines handled business for a third straight year in The Game in a 30-24 victory." + ], + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest the same approach to handling AI-generated music compared to the assistance of AI in music creation as per the 'National Music Publishers Association', while 'TechCrunch' reports on 'Spotify's' actions regarding AI-crafted songs and the introduction of an AI-powered DJ feature?": [ + "But the submission draws a clear distinction between music generated by AI, and music generated with the help of AI.", + "Spotify erased thousands of AI-crafted songs from its platform but also recently globally launched an AI-powered DJ that curates music for listeners while talking to them in a synthetic voice." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Sam Bankman-Fried's lack of persuasive abilities led to Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while the TechCrunch articles focus on different aspects of Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation and alleged actions, without mentioning his persuasive influence on specific individuals?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model is a limited version compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article discusses Google's search engine deals with companies, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, indicating different types of alleged actions by Google in each case?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindu, which city, known for hosting a significant cultural festival according to the first source, also faced infrastructure challenges during a recent international sports event as reported by the second source?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the new traffic management plan in Indiranagar and a Times of India report on the recent zoning regulations affecting businesses in the same area, which single character from the English alphabet is common to the official abbreviations for both the traffic authority responsible for implementing the management plan and the municipal department enforcing the zoning regulations?": [], + "Which individual, recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year, has not only performed at a venue reported by 'CBSSports.com' but was also observed supporting at the same location according to 'The Age'?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's season ticket prices following Lionel Messi's arrival published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's exclusion from the MLS playoffs published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the team's postseason prospects as reported by the news source?": [ + "Likely with the sole intent of keeping Messi fit in that time off, and the added bonus of raking in significant cash, Inter Miami scheduled a two-match tour of China in early November after their regular season concluded.", + "Eventually, Alvaro Barreal’s 78th-minute goal ended any hope that Inter Miami had to complete a stunning playoff charge, and the defeat coupled with CF Montreal’s big 4-1 victory over Portland means Inter Miami are officially out of the postseason running.", + "Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami has brought with it a craze for fans to get a glimpse of one of the sport's most talented and legendary players of all time." + ], + "Who is the individual, previously likened to Warren Buffet and dubbed the white horse of crypto by some, but not by TechCrunch, that is now facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'FOX News - Health' article suggest that 'Time-restricted eating' has a negative impact on sleep quality and brain recovery, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article implies that 'Internet sleep tips and tricks' are not reliably effective for improving sleep?": [ + "Time-restricted eating can also improve the quality of sleep, he noted, which can help the brain recover better.", + "Today, the internet is littered with tips and tricks that promise a sound sleep, but not all of them are effective and none are foolproof." + ], + "Did the FOX News - Entertainment article attribute the factors that helped Robin Williams overcome his drug addiction to the same life events as the pre-fight issues faced by Oliver McCall mentioned in the TalkSport article?": [ + "Belushi's death, along with the birth of Williams' first son in 1983, really helped the comedian clean up his drug addiction, according to the documentary.", + "Iron-chinned McCall battled drug addiction in the buildup to this 1997 bout and was arrested for throwing a Christmas tree across a hotel lobby." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film \"Pulse\" reflects on themes of loneliness in a connected world, while the TalkSport article discusses the nature of Paul Mitchell and Ralf Rangnick's relationship, indicating whether their friendship has been maintained since their time at Leipzig?": [ + "Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day.", + "Mitchell remains good friends with Rangnick from their time together at Leipzig, and last season made headlines when he was spotted at a youth team game while the German was interim coach at Man United." + ], + "Which individual, subject to a criminal trial covered by TechCrunch and associated with allegations of fraud and conspiracy for their actions at a crypto exchange, is also accused by Fortune of using a colleague at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds and whose purported success was claimed to be based on falsehoods?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in Architectural Digest about Eny Lee Parker, which city, known for a significant design event that Parker participated in according to The New York Times, is also where she unveiled a new collection as reported by Architectural Digest?": [], + "Between the article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' published on October 1st featuring \"Chris Hammer's latest book\" and the 'Polygon' article detailing every movie and show coming to Netflix in November, which narrative involves a family entangled in a murder scenario?": [ + "His latest brings back Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucie, whom we met in Treasure & Dirt and Tilt, for a case of murder involving one of the seven families who rule the Yuwonderie district like a fiefdom.", + "From Netflix: The world of a seemingly perfect family shatters when a shocking murder proves that they’re willing to make desperate moves to protect each other." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds for unauthorized purposes, while the Fortune article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, and how does this compare to The Verge's assertion that Alameda was managing losses to maintain FTX's balance sheet?": [ + "The crypto trading firm, according to Wang, pulled funding directly from FTX customers, whose transactions would be funneled toward Alameda and then directed elsewhere.", + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and payment systems, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles accuse Google of engaging in practices that harm competitors and partners in the areas of search and news publishing, respectively?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its laptop that stands out like a desktop, also justifies its choice of default search engine on The Verge, while simultaneously enforcing uniform terms across its platform as described in another article by The Verge?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, persuading a former coworker to join his trading and development ventures, and making an executive decision to use a substantial amount of customer money to settle with a competitor, all while facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which sports betting platform, reported by both Sporting News and CBSSports.com, provides a sign-up incentive that could include a $1,000 Bonus Bet for new users in Vermont and also caters to fans of the NBA and PGA Tour with various promotions and betting options?": [ + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "It has a wide range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events, such as winning margin, top finishes, and live betting props.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual that informed Paradigm about intending to establish an expert board for FTX, as reported by a World Business News Leader, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is known for its impact on the internet's appearance, has no new measures planned for YouTube in the upcoming months, was described as the only valid search engine service option during a court defense, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Goodyear's latest tire technology advancements and a Wall Street Journal report on Goodyear's strategic partnerships in the automotive industry, which letter represents both the first character of the European city where Goodyear's new research facility is inaugurated and the last character of the name of the company that Goodyear has recently partnered with to enhance tire performance data analytics?": [], + "What company, as reported by TechCrunch, spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status on multiple devices and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was responsible for the alleged deceit behind FTX's success, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison's admission of guilt to federal criminal charges in relation to the FTX collapse?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "FTX co-founder and former CTO Gary Wang, and Alameda Research’s former CEO, Caroline Ellison, both pleaded guilty in December 2022 to federal criminal charges in relation to the FTX collapse." + ], + "What entities, as reported by Sporting News, are responsible for changing betting lines due to new information or sentiment about a team's performance, balancing liabilities from uneven betting, determining refunds for weather-affected games, and updating NBA Rookie of the Year odds?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Google's spending to become the default search engine on various platforms report the same amount of $26.3 billion in 2021 as the claim made in another TechCrunch article covering the US v Google trial, or do they report different amounts?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that the Houston Astros' actions had no significant impact on the values of Major League Baseball, while 'The New York Times' article focuses solely on the Astros' performance after a specific change to their stadium?": [ + "No one likes being taken for a fool and what the Astros had done undermined everything the league stood for.", + "Before their final homestand, the team added some green paint to the batter’s eye in response to player complaints, and the Astros responded by going 1-5 with three of those losses coming against the Royals." + ], + "Which company, currently engaged in a legal dispute covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is accused of anticompetitive practices that could affect its position in the market depending on the court's definition of the market scope, and has also provided extensive documentation to counter allegations regarding its practices in app distribution and monetization?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team lost to Australia's cricket team by 162 runs in their first World Cup encounter, while 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article states that Australia's cricket team experienced their first loss in a four-day game since January 2014 during their current tour of India?": [ + "India met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs.", + "The current tour of India is not a multi-format series, but the defeat in the one-off Test marks Australia’s first loss in a four-day game since January 2014." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was not endorsed by TechCrunch as the white horse of crypto, is facing trial for instructing the use of billions of customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, is both seeking to involve parents in the oversight of teens' app usage and addressing content moderation challenges related to livestreaming during the Israel-Hamas war, while also facing criticism for alleged moderation biases affecting Palestinian voices?": [ + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents.", + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards published before December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on Tyreek Hill's required average yards per game to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards for the season, was there a change in the assessment of his likelihood to reach the milestone?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Between the report by 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' on October 7th and the report by 'Fortune' on October 10th, which news source's excerpts indicate a consistent description of the severity of the conflict involving 'Hamas' and the 'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu'?": [ + "On Saturday, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the worst war the region has seen in 50 years.", + "\"The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well,\" he said, adding that the third objective was to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war." + ], + "Between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 13:55 on December 6, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, and the subsequent article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 14:23 on the same day discussing Taylor Swift's attitude towards paparazzi and her outings, was there consistency in the portrayal of Taylor Swift's approach to personal privacy and media attention?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on EU's call for AI safeguards related to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, citing AI's harm to their bottom line, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's involvement with AI-related issues?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which described the success of FTX as being built on lies, and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, detailing Caroline Ellison taking $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in its portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in its October 7, 2023, article alleging his knowing commitment of fraud?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on Sean Payton's decision to attempt a field goal describe a situation where the coach chose an aggressive strategy, and did the 'Sporting News' article on Andre Blake's goalkeeping performance describe a situation where the player chose a conservative strategy in their respective sports scenarios?": [ + "Head coach Sean Payton elected to kick the field goal instead of going for it on Minnesota's 12-yard line.", + "Jonathan David nears the centre of the penalty area in a central position and lashes a dipping shot towards goal which Andre Blake does well to tip behind." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article mention Kevin Behrens, Chris Fuhrich, and Robert Andrich receiving their first national team call-ups, while 'The Independent - Sports' article indicate that Cole Palmer did not consider an England call-up when moving to Chelsea?": [ + "First national team call-ups were handed to Kevin Behrens of Union Berlin, Chris Fuhrich of Stuttgart, and Robert Andrich of Bayer Leverkusen.", + "If he has created an opportunity for himself with his country because of his excellence at Stamford Bridge, it had not formed part of his thinking." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, aligning with his leading receiver status mentioned in the same source, while the CBSSports.com article focuses on his challenge to average a certain number of yards per game to reach a seasonal goal, and the second Sporting News piece discusses the difficulty of achieving a specific receiving yards milestone due to upcoming opponents' defenses?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in misusing customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's persona in the cryptocurrency industry, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his involvement in the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Age confirm the same public perception of Google's behavior as the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of Google's actions and their impact on the market and news publishers?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What team, which would be under the leadership of its ninth manager since May 2013 if a new appointment occurs, is no longer competing in European competitions after a loss to Bayern at their home ground according to Sporting News reports?": [ + "If Manchester United were to appoint a new manager, that person would be the ninth coach to take charge of a United team following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in May 2013, including caretaker/interim managers Ryan Giggs, Ralf Rangnick and Carrick.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta is maintaining the same approach to content moderation in response to the Israel-Hamas war compared to Elon Musk's approach to content moderation on his platforms following Hamas attacks, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "He’s also ripped up a bunch of legacy content moderation policies and slashed in-house enforcement teams while promoting a decentralized, crowdsourced alternative (rebranded as Community Notes), which essentially outsources responsibility for dealing with tricky issues like disinformation to users in what looks suspiciously like another gambit to eke out extra engagement and farm confusion by applying a philosophy of extreme relativism so culture warriors are encouraged to keep forever fighting for their own “truth” in the comments." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on November 5, 2023, regarding the Epic v. Google case and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's market practices as described by these news sources?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Business World' article suggest that the 'Finance department of the Philippines' is taking measures to reduce debt, while the 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' article indicates that the 'high-tech industry' is experiencing a reduction in spending?": [ + "Diokno said the Finance department aims to gradually reduce net financing or new debt from P1.42 trillion in 2022 to P1.22 trillion in 2024, which will help bring the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to almost below 60% by 2025.", + "There was Covid and then there was a crisis in high-tech that led to a chain reaction of reduced spending." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing McCormick's financial performance in the last quarter and a Wall Street Journal article analyzing the impact of new legislation on spice companies, which letter grade represents the consensus analyst rating for McCormick's stock?": [], + "Does the 'Business World' article suggesting that the 'Philippines government' could hinder private investment due to rising national debt align with the concern over the 'Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio' expressed in another 'Business World' article, or do they present differing implications for the country's economy?": [ + "If the debt continues to rise more than the economy, risks will increase, and the government may “crowd out” private investment as it competes with the private sector for funds to service its debt.", + "And yet, “We worry about our debt-to-GDP ratio in the Philippines, as it stands at about 63% and that’s a little high for us and it is not ideal,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. told members of the US-ASEAN Business Council who visited Malacañang (ABS-CBN, Aug. 9, 2023)." + ], + "What company is associated with the AI model Gemini, which claims to rival the performance of GPT-4, and is also the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers' revenues and content through alleged anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After The Independent - Life and Style reported on 2023-10-01 that internet sleep tips and tricks are not guaranteed to work, did FOX News - Health suggest on 2023-12-06 that Time-restricted eating, as a specific approach, could improve the quality of sleep, indicating a potential agreement or disagreement with the effectiveness of internet-advised sleep interventions?": [ + "Time-restricted eating can also improve the quality of sleep, he noted, which can help the brain recover better.", + "Today, the internet is littered with tips and tricks that promise a sound sleep, but not all of them are effective and none are foolproof." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 28, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's management of his business ventures?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Between the TalkSport report on Manchester United's future plans published on October 16, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's performance in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding Manchester United's success and planning?": [ + "Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the player mentioned in articles from 'The Guardian' and 'Sporting News' who scored two touchdowns in a game where his team defeated the Washington Commanders and might struggle to reach 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season because of the strong pass defenses faced by the Miami Dolphins?": [ + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Wall Street Journal regarding Independence Pet Holdings, which single letter grade represents the company's current credit rating as evaluated by a major credit rating agency?": [], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, was there disagreement on the financial impact of Google's deals to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Wall Street Journal on Steven Paul Jobs, which single letter represents the first name of the individual who co-founded Apple Inc. and also introduced the iPhone to the world?": [], + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions are being scrutinized, as evidenced by the jury's evaluation of contrasting legal narratives in Fortune, the decision to use FTX customer funds reported by The Verge, and the prosecution's allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the description of ChatGPT's capabilities by TechCrunch remained consistent between the article published on September 28 and the subsequent article on November 30?": [ + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Which company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an updated version of their hardware with numerous improvements and immediate availability starting November 16th?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Jim Harbaugh published on November 6, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Michigan's game against Penn State without Jim Harbaugh on November 11, 2023, was the reporting on Jim Harbaugh's presence with the team consistent?": [ + "It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.", + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a bleak future for Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe's vision, while the Sporting News article indicates a setback for Manchester United in European competitions?": [ + "It could, though, mean some sort of progress, if the Manchester born Ratcliffe follows through with his vision to revolutionise the club.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives, accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange's success on falsehoods, and alleged to have covertly accessed customer funds through an associate at Alameda Research, all while being charged with intentional fraud for personal gains as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, known for dominating the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup and for offering a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for $15.99, has a history of introducing invite-only deals during Prime Day events and is described by sellers as providing a life-changing opportunity, as reported by Polygon, Wired, The Verge, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him at two different companies, has pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNET article discussing the latest Chromebook security features and a separate Engadget article reviewing the performance of the newest Chromebook model, which letter represents the shared key feature highlighted for its importance in both security and performance?": [], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article report that Derrick Henry returned to the game after a head injury in the same manner that 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article reported Nathan Murphy did not continue playing in the grand final due to a concussion?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "Nathan Murphy, who took no further part in the grand final after being concussed in a clash with Brisbane’s Linc McCarthy, spared a thought for all three players amid the post-match chaos." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who became the wealthiest in the world, proposed the creation of an expert board for FTX without investor directors, found it challenging to manage FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Sports' attribute the scoring of Newcastle's goal to 'Joelinton', while 'The Guardian' reports 'Eintracht Frankfurt' as the team responsible for scoring five goals against Bayern Munich?": [ + "Newcastle had Callum Wilson able to start, but their goal came from a less regular source, with a thunderbolt from Joelinton.", + "Ansgar Knauff then slotted in to make it 5-1 on the hour as Frankfurt became the first team in 48 years to score five goals in one hour against Bayern in the Bundesliga since their own 6-0 win in 1975." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claiming that Caroline Ellison confessed to the theft of customer funds differ from the Fortune article's claim that Caroline Ellison adequately protected her hedge fund from risks, or do they both suggest a form of mismanagement by Caroline Ellison during her tenure at Alameda Research?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "Ellison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Did the Sporting News fail to publish a report on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont on September 26, 2023, and was the coverage of Caesars Sportsbook's betting options consistent?": [ + "It has a wide range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events, such as winning margin, top finishes, and live betting props.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while The Verge focuses on Google's role in the Epic v. Google trial without making a similar claim about anticompetitive actions?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is not only responsible for introducing GPT-4 Turbo and planning to make GPT-4 with vision available but is also predicted to dominate the AI tools platform market, overshadowing competitors like Hugging Face, and is known for creating the popular generative AI, ChatGPT?": [ + "Some of the more notable items announced were tools to create custom “GPTs” (i.e., domain-specific chatbots), new text-to-speech models, an API for the text-to-image model DALL-E 3, and an improved version of OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4, called GPT-4 Turbo.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's role before the collapse of FTX, and the report from TechCrunch on October 7, 2023, alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent activities, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX trial?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" disagree with the same publication's report on \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\" regarding the year they began their separation?": [ + "She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.", + "Outsiders are now aware that Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, but the timeline of her relationship with Alsina is still fuzzy." + ], + "Did the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift declined an invitation to a game at Arrowhead Stadium, while the article from 'The Age' simply reports a sighting of Taylor Swift at the stadium, without mentioning an invitation?": [ + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No." + ], + "Which organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by both TechCrunch and The Age, is set to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform for AI tools and will also introduce GPT-4 with vision alongside a new Turbo API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes, and Tyler Glasnow are potential trade options for MLB teams, while Essentially Sports discusses the financial challenges The Los Angeles Angels might face in affording Mike Trout?": [ + "The trade market is also expected to be active once more dominoes fall, with Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes and Tyler Glasnow among starters who could be moved this winter.", + "However, it seems that the Angels will have a hard time affording a player like Trout in the foreseeable future, as they have to win a good number of games to stay in the playoffs and keep a steady income of revenue throughout the seasons." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article claim that 'Leqembi (lecanemab)' is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's as of July 2023, while 'The Guardian' article discusses the time required to realize 'recent scientific developments in tackling dementia' without specifying any particular drug approval?": [ + "Leqembi (lecanemab), developed by Eisai in collaboration with Biogen, was the first and only approved drug for Alzheimer’s in July 2023.", + "Such developments will take years to realise, scientists caution, and a great deal needs to be done in the short term to deal with dementia." + ], + "Before the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, detailing Manchester United's exit from European competitions, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on December 23, 2023, discussing Manchester United's performance in the English Premier League, was the news regarding Manchester United's performance consistent?": [ + "Goals from West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus extended Manchester United’s miserable run in the English Premier League.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that the Wonder Flowers in Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduce no variability in game mechanics and enemies, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article implies that the State of Israel's reliance on technology creates a vulnerability to enemy challenges?": [ + "And with Wonder Flowers giving Nintendo the freedom to mix and match mechanics and enemies, there’s just so much to see.", + "The enemy studies it and develops its own challenges against it, and the decision makers recognized the fact that the State of Israel is not hermetically protected." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-3 without vision and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools, was there a change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Considering the information from two separate articles on BBC Radio 1, which artist, who released a chart-topping single in January as reported in the first article, was also announced to be headlining a major summer music festival in the second article?": [], + "Did the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance was consistently high throughout the season, while The Guardian article reports Tyreek Hill having a standout performance in a particular game where the Miami Dolphins were defeated by the Washington Commanders?": [ + "Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 6th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 31 REYDS 261 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.4 The only two games McLaurin posted good numbers in were Washington's 35-33 win over Denver in Week 2 and Washington's 34-31 OT loss to Philadelphia in Week 4.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9)." + ], + "Has the reporting on player actions in sports by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring Jones from the USC vs. Notre Dame game published on October 14, 2023, and the article discussing Cristian Romero's tackle in the Tottenham vs Chelsea game published on November 6, 2023?": [ + "8:31 p.m.: This time, Jones is halted almost as soon as he picked up the handoff from Williams, getting brought down by JD Bertrand for a loss of four and giving the Fighting Irish the ball at their own 33.", + "While he got the ball with his tackle, he followed through with extreme force straight onto both of Sterling's legs, and referee Michael Oliver was sent to the monitor." + ], + "Has the policy on refunds for bets at sportsbooks, as reported by Sporting News, remained consistent after the article on MLB betting sites & apps published on October 24, 2023, compared to the report on prop betting published on November 6, 2023?": [ + "If you bet on a player and they don’t play in the game, most sportsbooks void the bet and refund your wager.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook." + ], + "Does the 'Insidesport' article claim that the Indian Premier League 2024 auction is not scheduled for a specific date and location, in contrast to the 'Polygon' article which rounds up weekly deals without specifying a recurring event schedule?": [ + "IPL 2024 Auction Live: The auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is slated to happen on December 19 in Dubai.", + "As we do every weekend here at Polygon, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, along with some of the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site." + ], + "Has the reporting style regarding live score updates and highlights from NFL games by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring \"Jaguars vs. Saints\" on October 19, 2023, and the one covering \"Chiefs vs. Packers\" on December 3, 2023, considering the excerpts mentioning a player achieving a first down?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "9:24 p.m. — This time, Allen's aggressive decision works, as the Saints get the first down thanks to a 17-yard catch and run by Kamara." + ], + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was there agreement between the two sources regarding the availability of the new iteration of the Steam Deck from Valve?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices after the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, or the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Hindu about Kanika Ahuja, which team, represented by Kanika Ahuja, was mentioned in both articles as having an upcoming tournament and also has a player with the initials 'K.A.'?": [], + "Who is the individual whose legal and criminal narrative, including allegations of fraud and an $8 billion financial discrepancy, is being pieced together by different sources such as Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge, and is currently under scrutiny in a trial where contrasting stories are presented?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's influence on the internet's appearance is the same aspect of its impact as the financial influence on platforms described in the TechCrunch article about Google's spending, and is the anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers mentioned in another TechCrunch article a separate issue from these influences?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their betting lines based on news or sentiment about a team's performance, provide welcome bonuses with specific conditions, generate profit irrespective of betting outcomes, and alter NBA Rookie of the Year odds according to collected information?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, presented himself as trustworthy, is claimed to have directed the use of $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor according to The Verge, and is also alleged by TechCrunch to have instructed a colleague to take $14 billion from customers to repay debts and is facing prosecution for committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which celebrity, known for not letting paparazzi affect her and being open about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has both performed and attended a game at Arrowhead Stadium and was intended to receive a friendship bracelet during her concert in Kansas City according to reports by 'The Age', 'CBSSports.com', and 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it provided court evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, spent billions to maintain its default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do the articles from Fortune and TechCrunch agree on the nature of the charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, with both mentioning fraud and conspiracy, or do they present different charges?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rumored romance and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of the status of their relationship?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's advertising practices involve the European Commission in a similar capacity to how the European Commission is involved in Amazon's iRobot purchase and Elon Musk's X company's DSA probe, as reported by TechCrunch in both cases?": [ + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "After the TechCrunch article on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, did the Fortune article published later on the same day maintain consistency in reporting the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison, and the subsequent reports from The Verge regarding statements made by Caroline Ellison, was there a change in the narrative concerning her role and actions as the CEO of Alameda Research?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "Ellison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Considering the labor issues reported by The New York Times and the investment plans discussed in The Wall Street Journal, which company, known for manufacturing electronics, is facing scrutiny for its worker conditions while also planning to expand its production facilities in the United States?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a feature on Bloomberg, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the M-KOPA product that was highlighted for its innovative approach to providing solar energy solutions in one article and was mentioned for its significant impact on the lives of low-income households in another?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's participation with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's influence on Argentina's forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the focus of Messi's involvement from club performance to international team mentorship?": [ + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line.", + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation issues suggest the same kind of problem affecting users as the TechCrunch article alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by Meta?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the Minnesota Vikings' improved performance after a 1-4 start to Danielle Hunter's high-level performance, while the CBSSports.com article credits the Vikings' defense, specifically their ability to limit downfield shots against tight ends, for the team's success?": [ + "Not only has he produced at a high level, but his play has been instrumental in the Vikings turning things around after a 1-4 start.", + "But they've also seen the fourth-lowest ADOT from tight ends (5.0 yards per target), almost as if teams know they won't be able to succeed on downfield shots against them (zero completions of 20-plus yards from tight ends)." + ], + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is different from the Springboks' as per the first article, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' handling was compromised by external factors in the second article, and does it confirm 'The All Blacks' losses to Argentina as stated in the third article?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Has the focus of the European Commission's actions reported by TechCrunch remained solely on addressing unfair practices in Meta's ad-free subscription model without shifting to concerns about illegal content and disinformation in Elon Musk's X platform?": [ + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.", + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on TomTom Junction Analytics, which city, identified as having the most congested traffic in both reports, also implemented a new traffic management system using TomTom's technology as mentioned in the BBC News article?": [], + "Which company, recently portrayed as the antagonist in an Epic trial by The Verge, uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, and was reported by TechCrunch to both unveil new hardware developments at an annual event and be the subject of a class action antitrust suit by news publishers?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the Music Business Worldwide report on November 21, 2023, contradict the earlier report regarding the behavior of TikTok users in relation to music streaming services?": [ + "The study also found that the TikTok audience can be an effective marketing tool for artists, as TikTok users, in particular, are considerably more likely to discover and share music than overall social media and short video platform (SFV) users.", + "Every time I open TikTok, I see normal people and content creators alike vlogging their lives." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the Fortune report on the opening statements in the same trial published on October 4, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX exchange?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which type of platforms, frequently highlighted by Sporting News, are known for providing welcome bonuses with specific requirements and also for adjusting NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on new information?": [ + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Which company, recently compared by TechCrunch for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, also uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results according to The Verge, and is accused in another TechCrunch article of anticompetitively siphoning off news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the responsibility for the narrative focus on Orlando Arcia's comments to the Atlanta Braves, while The Verge article credits the storytelling depth in 'Castlevania: Nocturne' to the game's own lore and thematic exploration?": [ + "\"And if the Braves let this be the story of their series, that's on them.", + "But while Nocturne could have easily settled and coasted on classic Castlevania vibes, the new show steps its game up considerably by using the franchise’s iconic lore to challenge your understanding of what it truly means to fight for freedom, equality, and fraternity." + ], + "Does the article from The Age suggest a different public perception of Google's behavior compared to the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of Google's actions and their impact on the market and news publishers?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article credit Marcus Urann with the initiative to extend the cranberry selling season, while the Scitechdaily | Science Space And Technology News 2017 article discusses cranberry growers' use of cloning to increase production, and are these strategies aligned in their goal to enhance cranberry cultivation?": [ + "\"After he set up cooking facilities at a packinghouse in Hanson, Massachusetts, he began to consider ways to extend the short selling season of the berries,\" Smithsonian Magazine reported in a 2013 history of cranberries.", + "This method allows growers to create clones of varieties that perform very well in their bogs and grow even more of those high-performing types." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing MLB, NBA, and general sports betting all agree that Sportsbooks adjust their policies or odds in response to external events such as weather conditions, player injuries, or other significant information?": [ + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on prop bets related to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift-inspired props for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the nature of prop bets published on November 6, 2023, was there consistency in how 'Sporting News' described the opportunities for bettors in prop betting?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which country, identified as a key player in regional trade by BBC News, also announced new sustainability initiatives during the summit as per Reuters?": [], + "Which company, covered by Engadget for its upcoming 'Scary Fast event' focused on Macs and chipsets, is also mentioned by The Verge for planning an 18-month appeal process against an ITC decision, and is recognized by TechCrunch for learning from competitors before releasing polished products, and is noted by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers through its store and payment system?": [ + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the NFL player that contributed to his team's Super Bowl victories in 2020 and 2023 and is expected to have a productive game against the Raiders on Christmas Day, as reported by sources 'The Age' and 'Yardbarker'?": [ + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”.", + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' change its explanation of sports betting terms, specifically regarding 'Bettors who wager on the \"over\"' after November 6, 2023, as compared to its earlier report on November 1, 2023?": [ + "Since 225 exceeds the set total of 220.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "For example, if you bet a player will score less than 15.5 points in a basketball game at -135 odds, you would need to bet $135 to win $100." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Google lacks the ability to resolve issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles, one discussing Google's Gemini and the other an antitrust suit, both portray Google's actions or products in a positive light?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Based on a report by Bloomberg detailing Apple Inc's latest strategic business move and a separate article from The Wall Street Journal discussing a new technological innovation by Apple, which division head within the company, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing the integration of the new technology into the company's business strategy?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy associated with the rise of generative AI technology, who faced no removal efforts by the co-founders of Anthropic, but was involved in a controversial departure from OpenAI, as discussed in articles by 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Boney Kapoor's upcoming film projects and another from The Hindu discussing his collaboration with a specific actor, which actor is mentioned in both articles as working with Boney Kapoor on a new film venture?": [], + "What country, featured in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has recently been involved in issuing a relocation warning in Gaza, controlling the entry of essential supplies there, and experienced a surprise attack due to an intelligence failure?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel.", + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Which company is suggested to have altered the internet's appearance, is implicated in potential foul play by users according to a source called 'The Age', and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was the information about the improvements in the new iteration of the Steam Deck inconsistent after the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust lawsuit over its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues, is also battling Fortnite maker Epic Games in court over document disclosure, and has showcased its latest hardware developments at an annual event?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the 'Business Line' article published after the 'The Guardian' article suggest that Leqembi (lecanemab) is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's, while 'The Guardian' mentions recent scientific developments in tackling dementia without specifying the approval status of new drugs?": [ + "Leqembi (lecanemab), developed by Eisai in collaboration with Biogen, was the first and only approved drug for Alzheimer’s in July 2023.", + "Such developments will take years to realise, scientists caution, and a great deal needs to be done in the short term to deal with dementia." + ], + "Did 'The Sydney Morning Herald' report a decrease in the price of West Texas Intermediate following the Hamas attack on October 7, while 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' made no mention of any intelligence agencies warning about an increase in Hamas fundraising towards the same date?": [ + "West Texas Intermediate extended Monday’s drop with a 2.2 per cent fall to $US83.59 a barrel, paring most of the gains made after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.", + "Ever since October 7, everyone has been discussing and analyzing the question of about the intelligence agencies, and why there was no warning." + ], + "Considering the character development described in The New York Times and the casting choices discussed in The Guardian for the film adaptation of The Archies, which actor, according to both sources, is set to portray the role of the lead guitarist in the band?": [], + "Who is the individual that, before the downfall of a cryptocurrency platform, was considered a credible figure within the industry, and is accused of using his influence to recruit a former colleague from a previous company as well as facing allegations of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities to gain wealth and status, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which entity, reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch, is acknowledged for seeking a balanced solution to the impact of a CJEU ruling, is facilitating dialogue against Meta's practices, will deploy staff within its AI Office, and has previously focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war?": [ + "The artists’ groups noted in their statement on Tuesday that the European Commission “has on several occasions acknowledged concerns about the impact of the ruling and made clear its intention to find a balanced solution.", + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "And some of these staff will also be deployed within the European Commission,” they added.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "What football club would have been in an improved league position without a ten-point penalty, has recently experienced a significant change in league standing due to a streak of six wins in nine games, scored more than once in a Premier League match only eight times in the past year, and was brought to the attention of its current chairman by the late Bill Kenwright, as reported by sources including 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', 'The Guardian', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": [ + "“Without those 10 points, we’d be in an amazing position,” said Toffees boss Sean Dyche.", + "A 3-0 defeat of Bournemouth last time out was only the eighth time Everton have scored more than once in a Premier League match in the past 12 months.", + "After a run of six wins in nine games in all competitions, that had lifted Everton to 14th in the table prior to being plunged back to 19th, their resolve to maintain momentum and haul the club out of danger was relayed to the manager at Friday’s meeting.", + "\"He told me about this incredible club, a club that not only has history and heritage but was also a beating heart of our community and for that I will always be grateful." + ], + "Based on a report by Bloomberg and an analysis by The Verge, which company's executive, known for leading a significant shift in software strategy as per Bloomberg, was also highlighted by The Verge for their involvement in a controversial decision affecting user privacy?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits news publishers' revenue, while The Age article suggests a general acceptance of foul play by Google without specifying the impact on revenue?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions published before October 31, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's acknowledgment of financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told." + ], + "Which company is at the center of legal challenges reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, concerning its potential to influence the outcome of a court case related to phone app markets, its capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and accusations of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Jack Settleman's favorite sports teams and a Forbes piece discussing his recent business ventures, which NBA team, represented by the initial of their city, does Settleman support and has also been the focus of his latest entrepreneurial project?": [], + "Who is the individual recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties, known for showcasing a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's developer conference, and has been described by 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' as both brilliant and impactful in the industry as well as generous and caring, but is also suspected of not being fully truthful with the board?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in reporting on Google's competitive practices in their November 6, 2023, article about Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google or in the December 15, 2023, article about a news publisher's antitrust suit against Google?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India about Khushi Kapoor's upcoming film debut and a piece from Hindustan Times discussing her recent fashion choices at a major film festival, which designer's outfit did she wear at the event that also aligns with the aesthetic of her character in the debut film?": [], + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, has been compared to OpenAI in terms of AI performance, has recently showcased new hardware at an annual event, and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust legal challenges, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge, where it is accused of both withholding information from court discovery and being portrayed as an antagonist by a game maker, as well as harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence as discussed by 'The Age' and is also the subject of speculation regarding truthfulness with the board as per 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also mentioned by The Verge as both altering the internet's appearance and potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch, for actions including instructing the misuse of billions in customer funds, presenting contrasting narratives of his role to a jury, and allegedly planning governance structures for a company while simultaneously committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was Owen Teale's career impact discussed in The Sydney Morning Herald before Tate McRae's breakthrough performance on Saturday Night Live was reported by The Age?": [ + "And if you can survive the moments when things don’t go your way, you can make it.” If you’re not a diehard Game of Thrones fan, Teale’s name may not be familiar.", + "It even landed her a slot on Saturday Night Live, that pop superstar rite-of-passage, and sold out shows for her upcoming Australian tour next November." + ], + "Did 'The Independent - Life and Style' contradict their report later that same day regarding the nature of the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium separately?": [ + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" suggest infidelity as a factor, while the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" indicate the absence of infidelity?": [ + "At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.", + "During an interview on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month, Will said he and Jada had never accused each other of cheating." + ], + "Considering the latest discounts on electronics reported by Save Bubble and the trends in consumer electronics purchases during the holiday season covered in a separate article on Save Bubble, which brand, known for its smartphones and laptops, has been identified as offering the most significant price reductions on its latest model, which also saw the highest sales increase compared to the previous year?": [], + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch reports on Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior between the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the report on the news publisher's antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that eBay's fees are identical to Discogs' fees, or does the Fortune article indicate that CEOs Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan have identical policies on overdraft fees compared to Citigroup's policy?": [ + "“eBay has much more of a user base, so for the little bit of extra cost it’s a no brainer,” says Martin, who says that, for him, eBay’s fees are usually around 1 percent higher than Discogs’.", + "Menendez used this line of questioning to encourage Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan to learn from Fraser and Citigroup." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust legal dispute providing extensive documentation in its defense, is not planning additional measures for a major video platform, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an ABC News article discussing James Warburton's strategic business moves and a Reuters report on his financial management decisions, what is the first letter of the company that Warburton is currently leading as CEO?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing Houdini's most famous escape acts and a piece from The Guardian discussing Houdini's rivalry with spiritualists, which city, beginning with the letter 'B', is both the location of one of Houdini's most daring performances and the place where he had a notable public dispute with a prominent spiritualist?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there no change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' gameplay as reported by the same news source?": [ + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way." + ], + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the recent health initiatives reported by The Guardian, which minister, responsible for both finance and health portfolios in Harare, has been recognized for their dual efforts in budget reform and combating the spread of malaria?": [], + "Between the Polygon report on the updates to the Steam Deck hardware published before November 16, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED, was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware consistent?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Considering Jeh Johnson's statements on cybersecurity in an article from The New York Times and his views on immigration reform discussed in a piece by The Washington Post, which government department did he lead that is central to both issues?": [], + "What is the term for entities that, according to Sporting News, not only profit from betting outcomes regardless of the winner but also modify NBA Rookie of the Year odds by analyzing collected data?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the features discussed in a recent article from The Verge about the latest Windows Insider build and the security updates mentioned in a separate article from PCWorld for the same build, which letter represents the drive that Microsoft traditionally assigns to the system partition by default?": [], + "Which company, according to TechCrunch articles, invested $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the primary search engine on multiple devices and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article discussing Volodymyr Zelenskyy's diplomatic efforts in Europe and a CNN report on his administration's domestic policies, which letter of the alphabet does the first name of the European leader Zelenskyy met with in the BBC article start with, who also expressed concerns about domestic reforms mentioned in the CNN report?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?\n\nBetween the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's financial decisions published on October 10, 2023, was the consistency in reporting Sam Bankman-Fried's financial conduct maintained?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company is at the center of antitrust discussions due to its default search engine deals with various tech companies, impact on the internet's appearance, potential legal outcomes regarding phones and app stores, and allegations of harming news publishers' revenue as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article stating that Richelle Cranston has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season align with the same newspaper's claim about her playing history across three AFLW clubs, or do these claims highlight different aspects of her career?": [ + "“But nah, it was awesome.” On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.", + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year." + ], + "What company is at the center of concerns regarding both potential foul play in search practices reported by The Age and the anticompetitive siphoning of content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers as discussed by TechCrunch?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which public figure, who was recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year and is known for her ability to keep major events private as noted by 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts', has been the subject of rumors involving a friendship bracelet mentioned in articles from both 'The Age' and 'CBSSports.com'?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's top scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article suggests Erling Haaland has the chance to become the overall top scorer in 2023, indicating a difference in the scope of their scoring achievements?": [ + "McTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.", + "With two games left for City in 2023, Haaland has time to be the overall top scorer, though it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola will play him against Everton and Sheffield United." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's payments to secure default search engine status are unrelated to its anticompetitive behavior, while The Verge article focuses on the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services, and another TechCrunch article alleges that Google's anticompetitive actions extend to harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its responsive approach to consumer feedback through its product design, also justifies its choice of Google for user privacy reasons according to The Verge, and is mentioned by the same source for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article fail to report a workforce reduction at Epic Games, while The Verge article discusses Epic Games' portrayal in a legal battle, without mentioning any layoffs?": [ + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Oregon football team is still in contention for the College Football Playoff following a specific game outcome, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses the LSU football team's status after losing two games?": [ + "Washington beat Oregon in the Pac-12 championship on Friday, and that knocks the Ducks into the two-loss pileup and out of the CFP picture.", + "23 LSU, which has now lost two games already after opening the year as a playoff contender." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's impact on news publishers' revenue published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices as anticompetitive?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the worst NBA betting sites and apps for the 2023-24 season published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds with Wembanyama as the early favorite published on October 4, 2023, was there agreement in how Sportsbooks approach their offerings and adjustments in betting lines?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it)." + ], + "Which NFL team, featured in both CBSSports.com and Sporting News articles, has recently adjusted their offensive strategy by decreasing their passing play percentage and has seen similar offensive results with a new quarterback as they did with their previous one, thanks to contributions from their running game and defense?": [ + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "What is the name of the service that, according to TechCrunch, has been temporarily made free for users following chaotic events and has successfully reverse-engineered the iMessage protocol to bring blue bubble texts to Android users?": [ + "It has also decided to make Beeper Mini free for the time being, given how “chaotic” things have been over the past few days.", + "Beeper Mini was made possible because the team behind the app has managed to reverse-engineer the iMessage protocol, they say." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is being covered by TechCrunch and The Verge, involving allegations of instructing the withdrawal of funds from a trading platform's revenue and directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried after the start of his trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried portray his actions inconsistently?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the reported details from 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding Jada Pinkett Smith's memoir, the undisclosed efforts in their relationship, the timeframe of their separation mentioned at the 2022 Academy Awards, and Jada's pre-marital views on divorce, what longstanding Hollywood couple's union embodies these aspects and has faced public scrutiny despite a commitment made before their marriage to remain under the same roof?": [ + "His recent comments come after Jada made major revelations about their marriage in her memoir, including how she and Will have been separated for seven years.", + "Of course, outsiders aren’t fully aware of the “heavy-duty work” that Jada and Will have done throughout their marriage.", + "She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.", + "During a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, Jada doubled down on her stance about divorce, as she recalled the the hard conversation she had with Will about the topic before they got married." + ], + "Which basketball team, recently commended by Yardbarker for their draft choices of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, would also lead to a successful point spread bet as per Sporting News if they were to win by 10 or more points?": [ + "It’s true that the Warriors received glowing grades from draft analysts following their selections of Kuminga, out of the G-League Ignite program, at No.", + "To win a bet on the Warriors, they need to win by 10 or more points." + ], + "Which organization, known as the generative AI poster child for creating ChatGPT and mentioned in both TechCrunch articles, was founded in late 2015 and is set to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Has the focus of the European Commission's actions reported by TechCrunch changed from addressing unfair practices in Meta's ad-free subscription model to concerns about illegal content and disinformation in Elon Musk's X platform?": [ + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.", + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is known for making deals to be the default search engine on various platforms, altering the internet's appearance, hosting an annual hardware event to showcase new developments, and has been accused of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence, is also involved in legal disputes concerning the distribution of Android apps and the operation of app stores, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google is engaging in anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, while the article from The Verge implies that Google has the capability to resolve issues, and another TechCrunch article claims that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating differing levels of responsibility or initiative attributed to Google by each source?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in court for planning an expert board for FTX without investor directors, using a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, and being accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times on recent Border Patrol strategies and a report by The Washington Post on Border Patrol resource allocation, which government official, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing both the implementation of the new strategies and the distribution of resources?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' late offensive effectiveness was a factor in the game's outcome, while the same source implies that Frank Reich's position as head coach is at risk due to the Carolina Panthers' poor offensive performance throughout the game?": [ + "10:59 p.m. — The Cowboys are moving the ball now, when it's a bit too late.", + "Now, there are questions about whether the team's lackluster offense — which averages the fifth-fewest yards (283.4) and sixth-fewest points (17.5) per game this season — could ultimately cause owner David Tepper to move on from Reich after just one season." + ], + "Which country, recently discussed in articles from Fortune, Globes English | Israel Business Arena, and Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India, has faced challenges such as a blockade leading to relocation warnings in Gaza, reached understandings to cease hostilities with Hamas, and has been the subject of discussions regarding intelligence failures in the context of surprise attacks?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article report that Kenneth Walker III left the game due to an injury, similar to how the TalkSport article reports Andy Robertson's unavailability for Liverpool because of an injury?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "And Klopp has a new worry: the Reds are without Andy Robertson after the left-back suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty with Scotland." + ], + "Which company recently underwent a leadership strategy allowing Ryan Petersen to focus more on customer relations, faced workforce reductions by the same individual, and had its internal affairs publicly described as \"deeply concerning\" by Dave Clark, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch?": [ + "The co-CEO arrangement would free Petersen up to do what he loved – \"getting beers with customers,\" in the words of two former Flexport employees.", + "Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people.", + "Turmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on the 'New Orleans' game and the 'Sporting News' article on 'The Raiders' game both describe a scenario where the teams tied the game in the fourth quarter?": [ + "It led to two fourth quarter touchdowns by New Orleans that tied the game with less than six minutes to go, and the momentum had fully shifted at Caesers SuperDome to the home side.", + "The Raiders also settle for a field goal, this one from 41 yards out to even the game." + ], + "Who, according to articles from TechCrunch, is considered both one of the most brilliant and impactful individuals in the industry and has been accused of not being fully truthful with the board?": [ + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that there is no legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Engadget article indicates that President Biden and Congress are actively working on drafting legislation related to AI?": [ + "That’s because right now there is no legislative remedy to potential AI risks and abuses outside of those that can be applied to tech companies in general — which many have argued over the years are also inadequate.", + "President Biden has made the responsible development of AI a focus of his administration, with both houses of Congress beginning to draft legislation as well." + ], + "After the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont published on September 26, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events published on October 13, 2023, was the coverage of Caesars Sportsbook's betting options consistent?": [ + "It has a wide range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events, such as winning margin, top finishes, and live betting props.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' position in the AFLW standings published on October 20, 2023, and the subsequent report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' standings published on November 3, 2023, was there a change in the Sydney Swans' ranking in the AFLW?": [ + "For the Swans, however, the victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot alongside the likes of Gold Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton.", + "With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot.", + "“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said." + ], + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that English players in the IPL may not be available for the playoffs, while The New York Times article discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers' performance in the 2020 expanded playoffs without mentioning any player availability issues?": [ + "10.40 AM: There will be a lot of teams that will be eyeing the English players, but then they won’t be available for the playoffs.", + "The Dodgers played in all 16 of those during the 2020 expanded playoffs, sweeping the Padres in the NLDS, going seven games with the Braves in the NLCS and then winning the World Series." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international differently from how 'The Guardian' describes his role in the fifth T20 international?": [ + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles.", + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Age' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, was there no change in the reporting of their relationship status?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Discord users will experience a new system for policy enforcement, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the aircraft safety reforms will include a warning system for identifying suspicious components?": [ + "At the same time, Discord is introducing a new warning system for people who violate its policies.", + "“Literally, if it’s on an aeroplane, it could be fake.” Following her investigation, various reforms came in, including a warning system to flag suspicious components." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX, who, according to reports from 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'The Verge', 'TechCrunch', and another 'TechCrunch' article, planned to establish a board with experts for his company, struggled with managing the significant growth of his company alongside Alameda Research, was implicated in directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Wired on John Mueller, which single letter represents the first initial of the university that John Mueller graduated from, which is also mentioned as the institution where he conducted a significant part of his research?": [], + "Did the 'Sporting News' change its explanation of betting terms to bettors regarding what positive betting odds indicate or alter the definition of an \"over\" bet in totals betting between the article published on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-01?": [ + "Since 42 exceeds the set total of 40.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "Positive numbers also indicate which side of the bet is the underdog in the eyes of the oddsmakers." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge on Spotify's operating profit and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald on Stock Market Indices both report an increase in their respective financial metrics?": [ + "Spotify shareholders are thrilled with the company reporting an operating profit for the first time in a year, sending the stock up nearly 10 percent on the news.", + "The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 per cent, to 33,739.30, the S&P 500 gained 0.5 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.6 per cent." + ], + "Based on a Bloomberg article discussing Apple's future product plans and a separate report by 9to5Mac on internal company changes, which executive, known for leading the development of a key Apple device and recently promoted to oversee a broader range of projects, shares an initial with the fruit that symbolizes the company he works for?": [], + "Which company, discussed in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in a legal case where it could prevail if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is also criticized for claiming superior AI architecture while allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Surin Kim, which university, known for its significant research contributions and mentioned as Surin Kim's alma mater in The New York Times, also reported a notable increase in international student enrollment in The Guardian's coverage?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article about the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a starting quarterback change to Cole Pennington, a freshman, while the same source, Sporting News, suggests that Drew Lock would replace Geno Smith for the Seahawks if Smith is unable to play?": [ + "Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington.", + "In the event that he doesn't play, however, we will turn to Drew Lock ($9,200) in his place." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's role in the cryptocurrency industry and the Fortune article discussing Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on Adam Yedidia's career decisions, was there agreement in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's trustworthiness and influence?\n\nBetween the report from TechCrunch on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged fraudulent activities and the earlier report from The Verge on his representation in the cryptocurrency industry, has the narrative around Sam Bankman-Fried's public image remained consistent?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Before The New York Times reported on Norway's football team's lack of competitiveness in major football tournaments on November 17, 2023, did the Sporting News describe Manchester United's historical performance against Chelsea as better with seven wins and only one defeat in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913?": [ + "United have the edge in the historical head-to-head, helped by their run of seven wins and only one defeat in the first 12 meetings between the teams, from 1905 to 1913.", + "But perhaps the more pertinent thing about Norway is that, historically, they generally haven’t been very competitive." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once the richest in the world, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, had plans for a specialized board for his company despite opposing investor directors, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, TechCrunch, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated by allegations in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, involving the use of a front person for secret access to customer funds, the inability to manage two major crypto entities due to their growth, and the instruction to take billions from customers to repay debts, all while being accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Business World' article suggest that the 'Finance department of the Philippines' is ignoring the need to reduce debt, while the 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' article indicates that the 'high-tech industry' is experiencing a reduction in spending?": [ + "Diokno said the Finance department aims to gradually reduce net financing or new debt from P1.42 trillion in 2022 to P1.22 trillion in 2024, which will help bring the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to almost below 60% by 2025.", + "There was Covid and then there was a crisis in high-tech that led to a chain reaction of reduced spending." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing PlayLab, Inc.'s latest funding round and a piece from The Wall Street Journal discussing the company's expansion into new markets, which letter represents the first initial of PlayLab, Inc.'s CEO who has been instrumental in securing the investments and leading the company's growth strategy?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy associated with OpenAI, recognized since his early twenties, who has plans for a new venture and was involved in a situation where there was no attempt by Anthropic co-founders to remove him, and who is also central to a prevailing theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article report that Derrick Henry did not return to the game after a head injury in the same manner that 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article reported Nathan Murphy did not continue playing in the grand final due to a concussion?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "Nathan Murphy, who took no further part in the grand final after being concussed in a clash with Brisbane’s Linc McCarthy, spared a thought for all three players amid the post-match chaos." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX exchange between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the Fortune report on the opening statements in the same trial published on October 4, 2023?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do both the Polygon article discussing gadgets, movies, TV shows, and streaming services and the TechCrunch article mentioning Google refer to annual events related to their respective topics of entertainment options and hardware developments?": [ + "The call of the couch gets stronger every year as new gadgets, movies, TV shows, and streaming services launch.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Taylor Swift's approach to personal privacy and media attention between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 13:55 on December 6, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, and the subsequent article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 14:23 on the same day discussing Taylor Swift's attitude towards paparazzi and her outings?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate no change in starting quarterback similar to the quarterback replacement reported for the Seattle Seahawks by Sporting News?": [ + "Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington.", + "Geno Smith's night appears to be done as Drew Lock is back in for the Seahawks." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention over a financial discrepancy, set conditions for withdrawing money from a trading account, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that \"Microsoft's investment in OpenAI\" is a specific amount, while The Age article focuses on the \"founding of OpenAI\" without specifying financial figures?": [ + "The size of Microsoft’s investment is believed to be around $10 billion, a figure we confirmed with our source.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving the Wolverines indicate a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of the situation compared to the earlier report by 'The New York Times' on the reactions of college football coaches to the alleged espionage?": [ + "For the past two weeks, coaches across college football have been riveted by the alleged Michigan sign-stealing scheme, but inside the Big Ten, the topic has been more than just a curiosity.", + "While it is almost impossible to quantify how much the alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing would have helped the Wolverines over the past two seasons, it will be a tough stain to erase knowing those violations are now on the Big Ten record." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch article suggesting doubts about Sam Altman's truthfulness with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on the film \"Dance The Night,\" which character, portrayed by an actor who has previously won an Academy Award, is central to the plot twist revealed in the third act of the movie as per The New York Times, and is also noted for their exceptional dance performance in a pivotal scene highlighted by The Guardian?": [], + "Which company, covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, has influenced the internet's appearance, local search result rankings, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through its practices?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Age suggest that 'People with an Aboriginal ancestor' have the same process to identify with their Aboriginal heritage compared to the stance of 'Indigenous people' on cultural identity as presented by The Guardian?": [ + "Lucashenko says there’s a “whole demographic of people who have an Aboriginal ancestor, who sometimes think they’re Aboriginal, but actually, regardless of skin colour, they’re white people and they have to go on a very long and different journey if they’re going to become Aboriginal”.", + "To show our tradition and culture, and art – also to show the rest of the world that Indigenous people, we need to be heard." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United has been unsuccessful in their recent matches, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which implies that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions?": [ + "United have been so of late, claiming victories over Sheffield United, Brentford and FC Copenhagen in their last three matches.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge defending Apple's Google Search deal suggest that there was no valid alternative to Google for search engine services, while the other article from The Verge about the public and media's understanding of search engines imply a frustration with the public's knowledge of how search engines work?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Sullivan is mad that the public and the media don’t really understand what he considers to be basic precepts about how search works, leading him to adopt a rather scolding tone online." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch article on December 7, 2023, comparing Google's Gemini to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and the TechCrunch article on the same date claiming Gemini's superiority over OpenAI's GPT-4, was there consistency in the reporting of Google's claims about Gemini's performance relative to OpenAI's models?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Based on the information from two separate articles on The Associated Press, which country, known for its diplomatic tensions with Country A as reported in the first article, also experienced a significant natural disaster that affected its capital city as detailed in the second article?": [], + "Which company has been accused of both manipulating its search services to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age' and entering into default search engine deals with tech giants like Apple as reported by 'The Verge', while also being critiqued for its product Gemini's performance by 'TechCrunch' and facing a class action antitrust suit from news publishers as per another 'TechCrunch' article?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge discussing the Microsoft Elite Series 2 “Core” version mention a reduction in features compared to the standard model, and does the article from The Verge on MacBook Pros indicate a reduction in prices for the new models?": [ + "Microsoft also has a stripped-down Elite Series 2 “Core” version for $129.99, which is the same controller in white-and-black, red-and-black, or blue-and-black finishes without the rear paddles, accessory charging case, or extra stick toppers and D-pad.", + "While these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts." + ], + "Who is the individual that, prior to the FTX collapse, was perceived as a credible figure within the cryptocurrency sector, was contrasted with Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is now facing allegations of intentional fraud by the prosecution?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by Wired for introducing invite-only deals during Prime Day, is also the platform where a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables can be purchased for $15.99 as reported by Polygon, and is considered by sellers featured in a Cnbc | World Business News Leader article to offer a life-changing opportunity for selling products?": [ + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman backing a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, compared to the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing recent escalations and a Reuters report on diplomatic efforts, which country, involved in mediating the conflict between Israel and Hamas according to Reuters, also hosted a summit that was mentioned in the BBC article as a platform where concerns about the escalation were raised?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, presented himself as trustworthy before his company's collapse, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after judicial intervention, was alleged to have instructed a colleague to use customer funds to repay debts, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that Canelo Alvarez has a specific net worth figure in 2023, while the 'CBSSports.com' article focuses on the fan base's perception of David Benavidez as a successor to Canelo Alvarez, without mentioning any financial figures?": [ + "Meanwhile, his pockets became deeper and deeper, to the point that Canelo boasts a $180 million net worth in 2023.", + "Fresh off a resounding decision win over former champion Caleb Plant in their March PPV clash, the 26-year-old Benavidez, who was born in Arizona to parents of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent, has seemingly been hand-picked by boxing's foundational Mexican-American fan base as the eventual successor to Alvarez." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2022, regarding Google's manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, is the portrayal of Google's business practices inconsistent?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of discussions in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, concerning its dominance in search engine services, its control over Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns regarding both its significant spending to remain the default search engine on various platforms, as reported by TechCrunch, and allegations of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' earnings and the public's perception of fairness in search results, as discussed in The Age and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the stance of the European Union towards X (formerly Twitter) regarding the spread of disinformation and illegal content on the platform as reported by TechCrunch changed between the analysis published on September 26, 2023, and the urgent warning issued following the Hamas attacks as of October 10, 2023?": [ + "A number of videos posted to X since the attacks have been identified as entirely unrelated to the conflict — including footage that was filmed last month in Egypt and even a clip from a video game that had been posted to the platform with a (false) claim it showed Hamas missile attacks on Israel.", + "We’ve reached out to the Commission with questions about how it plans to respond to this latest analysis of X’s role in spreading disinformation." + ], + "Does the Sportskeeda article suggest a more successful start to the 2023 NFL season for Brock Purdy compared to the CBSSports.com article's assessment of his performance under pressure?": [ + "So far, Purdy has started the 2023 NFL season where he left off, opening the season with a 5-0 record.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Between the Engadget report on the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds in October 2023 and the Fortune article discussing the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders' benefits in December 2023, which promotional offer was reported as a first-time occurrence, the discount on Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds or the 20% statement credit for Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders?": [ + "Cardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.", + "That’s only $20 off, but it marks the first discount we’ve seen for the top pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide." + ], + "Which organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by TechCrunch to be the world's leading AI development company with a top priority project that is a chatbot platform for further advancements, is also planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside a Turbo API?": [ + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in antitrust cases for its practices in becoming the default search engine, influencing app distribution and payment processing markets, showcasing new hardware developments, and impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' report on Eintracht Frankfurt's historic Bundesliga achievement against Bayern Munich before 'The Independent - Sports' mentioned Joelinton's powerful goal for Newcastle?": [ + "Newcastle had Callum Wilson able to start, but their goal came from a less regular source, with a thunderbolt from Joelinton.", + "Ansgar Knauff then slotted in to make it 5-1 on the hour as Frankfurt became the first team in 48 years to score five goals in one hour against Bayern in the Bundesliga since their own 6-0 win in 1975." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is not only implicated in altering the internet's appearance and handling Android app distribution issues but also involved in controversies over releasing a \"lite\" AI model and affecting news publishers' revenues through its practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the article from 'The Verge' published on October 4, 2023, emphasizing the thorough due diligence conducted by major VC firms before investing, and the 'Business Line' article from October 28, 2023, advising investors to evaluate historical performance and management teams before investing, is the advice provided to 'Investors' by these two news sources consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "It’s important to consider the past track record and management team before making investment decisions.", + "Plus, major VC firms had invested, and “they don’t commit hundreds of millions without doing due diligence, checking the books, the accountancy of the firm, going through several compliance process[es], so that was a vote of confidence for me,” Juilliard said." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article on Sudan and the political developments mentioned in a Reuters report on Sudan, which letter represents the first initial of the current Prime Minister who is overseeing these changes?": [], + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is at the center of various controversies including alleged manipulation of search results for ad revenue, the provision of extensive evidence in an antitrust lawsuit involving a video game maker, the partial release of an AI model, and accusations of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company spent $26.3 billion to ensure its position as the default search engine, while being accused of manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off content and ad revenue from news publishers, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with articles from 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', who allegedly used customer funds to pursue personal interests, including a buyout and potentially influencing political outcomes, and is now facing legal allegations of fraud in relation to a major cryptocurrency exchange's collapse?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Valve is launching a new product on November 16th, while The Verge article indicates that Valve has shifted its business strategy to focus exclusively on games for their store?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games." + ], + "Which company, according to different reports by TechCrunch and The Verge, is not only criticized for its anticompetitive practices that harm news publishers' bottom lines but also defended by a major tech competitor due to the lack of valid alternatives for search engine services, while simultaneously claiming that its own generative AI model, Gemini, rivals the performance of leading AI models like GPT-4?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from Sporting News involving Luciano Acosta mention the same type of game interruption as the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog involving Marcus Lee, with both discussing a foul resulting in a free-kick?": [ + "47th min: Luciano Acosta is fouled on the edge of the attacking third, and it gives FC Cincinnati a free-kick early in the second half.", + "McVeigh (18 points) and Deng (17) gave strong offensive contributions for Tasmania, who lost Marcus Lee for the final few minutes after the starting centre fouled out." + ], + "Regarding the handling of consent in media-related incidents, did 'TechCrunch' report a situation involving Paul Denino obtaining consent for filming before 'The Independent - Life and Style' reported on Kevin Federline posting videos without consent?": [ + "Following Federline’s comments, Spears’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said in a statement obtained by Variety that Federline has created “legal issues” for himself, after posting private videos of Spears sternly speaking with her children without her consent.", + "He also posted footage of a call allegedly asking the sex worker he could film her, which she approved for an extra fee." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games on November 6, 2024, and then report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, resulting in an inconsistent portrayal of Google's legal challenges related to anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article stating Johnny Cardoso's inclusion in the USMNT squad after an ankle injury align with the same source's report on Tyler Adams' absence from the team due to a hamstring injury?": [ + "Johnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.", + "He has been absent from the national team since injuring his hamstring in the spring, and it’s possible now he’ll need a second surgery to address the issue." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, regarding Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps." + ], + "Did Mashable report on the Echelon Connect Sport being on sale for less than $400 off during Black Friday before Fortune mentioned that Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders receive a 20% statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases with Delta?": [ + "Cardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.", + "And for Black Friday, it's on sale for over $400 off, knocking the price down to a super impressive $297." + ], + "Which company is at the center of discussions on The Verge about altering the internet's appearance and potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered, and is also mentioned in TechCrunch for negatively impacting news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Uber's third-quarter financial performance report a different amount of operating and net income compared to the claim about Uber's profitability in the same period?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "The ride-hail company claims that the rate of sexual assault reported on the app decreased 38% between its first and second reports." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness against the 49ers came early in the game, while the same source indicates that Joe Mixon's offensive role for the Cincinnati Bengals has decreased due to Joe Burrow's absence?": [ + "10:59 p.m. — The Cowboys are moving the ball now, when it's a bit too late.", + "Mixon has been forced to step up without Burrow under center, doubling as a runner and receiver for Cincinnati." + ], + "Which organization, reported by 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', is attempting to centralize Super Rugby's high-performance programs, is supported by franchises for a potential coaching appointment, and is being urged to reinstate annual funding to these franchises?": [ + "He will also be tasked with “integrating” the programs, with RA trying to centralise all of the Super Rugby’s high-performance programs.", + "Should RA move on him, Schmidt’s backing would be largely supported by the Super Rugby franchises, with several sources telling The Roar that the experienced coach is exactly the type of person the Wallabies need.", + "The QRU has also expressed their desire for Rugby Australia to reinstate the annual $1.7 million in funding to each of the Super Rugby franchises that was withdrawn following the Covid pandemic to help keep the game afloat." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggesting that 'Bettors' can capitalize on event hype align with the same source's claim that 'Sportsbooks' adjust their lines based on news and sentiment about a team's chances, or do they present different influences on betting behavior?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly." + ], + "Did the portrayal of Prince William's reaction to Princess Diana's death in 'The Crown season six' as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' at 09:35 AM remain consistent with the depiction mentioned in the later article by the same news source at 19:32 PM?": [ + "After learning of Diana’s death from his father at the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, William (Rufus Kampa) is left heartbroken with grief and angry at his family’s response to it.", + "The latest installment takes place between the late 1990s to mid-2000s, and includes the lead-up to Princess Diana’s fatal Paris car crash in 1997." + ], + "Which company, according to TechCrunch articles, invested billions to secure its status as the default search engine on various platforms and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue streams through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is facing allegations of anticompetitive practices in both the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, as well as accusations of unfairly affecting news publishers' bottom lines and potentially engaging in foul play according to reports by TechCrunch and The Age?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's role in the West Indies v England fifth T20 international as an anchor role, while also characterizing his performance as exemplary, and does the same source depict his struggle against legspin bowling in the first T20 international?": [ + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary.", + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a showcase of equal financial power between teams, while 'CBSSports.com' focuses on the current performance of the 'Dallas team' without mentioning their financial status?": [ + "“It was the millionaires of the Premier League against the youngsters of the Championship,” reflected the former Denmark forward.", + "The Commanders are coming off a dud last week against the Giants, while Dallas is flying high." + ], + "Which company has been reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to have influenced the internet by paying billions to remain the default search engine on various platforms and altering the web's appearance, while also being accused of harming news publishers' business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that Manchester United's Premier League journey is ongoing by mentioning their travel for the 11th match, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United's participation in European competitions has concluded with a defeat by Bayern?": [ + "Man United vs Fulham Live: Premier League LIVE – MUN vs FUL LIVE – Manchester United are travelling to Greater London for their 11th Premier League match of the season.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Based on a New York Times article discussing the latest developments in the New York Office's financial district and a Wall Street Journal report on the impact of remote work on office space demand, which company, identified in both articles, has decided to reduce its office footprint in New York by one floor?": [], + "Which company, recently subject to an antitrust lawsuit mentioned by The Sydney Morning Herald and discussed by sellers on Cnbc | World Business News Leader as providing life-changing opportunities, also introduced invite-only deals reported by Wired to enhance the experience of its Prime members during sales events?": [ + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about the launch of AfroFuture and the article from Fortune regarding Billie Jean King's new production company both state that the initiatives were launched by their respective founders after a significant event or experience?": [ + "Abdullah, who grew up in the Bronx, explains that he decided to launch the event after one of his first visits to Ghana with co-founder Kenny Agyapong.", + "King recently launched the production company “Pressure is a Privilege,” a phrase associated with the 39-time Grand Slam winner." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on his plea to charges and the prosecution's allegations without mentioning the use of customer funds?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do the articles from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog discussing The All Blacks' actions in the Rugby World Cup final and their previous encounters with Argentina both present The All Blacks as having effortlessly dominated in their gameplay, or do they portray different situations regarding The All Blacks' performance?": [ + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions published on October 2, 2023, and the Verge report about Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 28, 2023, does these reports mention Sam Bankman-Fried's plan to use his wealth to save humanity, as well as his inability to run both companies simultaneously and the defense's argument that he was not a fraudulent actor?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article about Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders suggest they had a similar limitation in touches against Dallas as the Sporting News article indicated about The Diamondbacks' offense's limited hits up to the bottom of the sixth inning?": [ + "They weren't awful against Dallas last week on a per-touch basis, but neither finished with more than 12 touches.", + "9:49 p.m.: Bottom of 6th — The Diamondbacks picked up just their third hit of the game on a two-out Ketel Marte single on a line drive off of Marcus Semien's glove, but they failed to make any noise." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on the broader allegations of fraud and conspiracy against Sam Bankman-Fried without specifying the use of customer funds?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that 'The Wolverines (Michigan football team)' have control over the rest of their season in a similar way to how the Yardbarker article indicates the 'Minnesota Wild' have control over scoring and high-danger chances during 5-on-5 play?": [ + "The NCAA investigation will continue, but if Saturday proved anything, the Wolverines will play out the rest of the season on their terms.", + "The Wild have controlled a slim majority of scoring chances and a strong majority of high-danger chances during 5-on-5 play, a common theme for an organization that’s usually one of the more defensively stout in the league." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are unrelated to past conditions, such as booming home prices, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Considering the excerpts from 'The Age' published on October 12, 2023, stating a potential return to profit growth for S&P 500 companies after three straight quarters of declines, and the report from 'Seeking Alpha' on October 22, 2023, predicting a more than 50% profit increase for Cleveland-Cliffs, is the financial outlook for Cleveland-Cliffs consistent with the broader trend anticipated for S&P 500 companies as reported by 'The Age' after the earlier date? (consistent/inconsistent)": [ + "The result heads a reporting season for S&P 500 companies that could mark a return to profit growth after three straight quarters of declines.", + "Analysts expect profit to surge by more than 50%, while revenue is projected to go down slightly." + ], + "Was the reporting of the status of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship consistent between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Is the reporting on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" by 'The Independent - Life and Style' consistent between the article published on 2023-10-12 and the one on 2023-10-16 regarding \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\"?": [ + "She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.", + "Outsiders are now aware that Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, but the timeline of her relationship with Alsina is still fuzzy." + ], + "Between the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, stating that Sam Bankman-Fried persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him at Alameda and then at FTX after leaving Jane Street, and the statement by Sam Bankman-Fried reported by The Verge on October 28, 2023, that he was unable to manage both FTX and Alameda Research simultaneously due to significant growth, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement and management of the two companies consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article report a lower batting average for Jung Hoo Lee in 2022 than Yardbarker reported for Juan Soto in the year referenced?": [ + "Lee was hampered by injury in 2023 but slashed .349/.421/.575 in 2022 with 36 doubles, 10 triples and a career-best 23 home runs.", + "Soto overcame a relatively slow start (by his standards) to hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs this year." + ], + "Considering the environmental initiatives discussed in a New York Times article and the tourism statistics mentioned in a report by The Guardian, which letter represents the first initial of the mayor of Cancun who is overseeing the implementation of sustainable practices to address the ecological concerns raised by the increased number of visitors?": [], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is accused by Fortune of building a crypto exchange's success on falsehoods and by TechCrunch of instructing a colleague to misuse $14 billion of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is scrutinized by a jury, as reported by Fortune, was previously compared to Warren Buffet by some, but not by TechCrunch, and is facing allegations by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, according to multiple reports from TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the status of Richelle Cranston's AFLW career as reported by 'The Age' remained the same between the article published on 2023-10-20 and the one on 2023-11-03?": [ + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year.", + "Richelle Cranston of the Bulldogs is chaired off the ground by teammates Isabelle Pritchard and Ellie Blackburn after announcing her retirement." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Blume Ventures, which company, having received Series A funding led by Blume Ventures as per The Economic Times, also launched a new product line that was highlighted in YourStory in the same year?": [], + "Based on a report from The Wall Street Journal about Apple's financial performance and a separate article from Bloomberg discussing Apple's latest product launch, which letter represents the start of the name of the executive who is overseeing the product mentioned in Bloomberg and was also highlighted for their strategic financial decisions in The Wall Street Journal article?": [], + "What company, covered by TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms, and is simultaneously facing scrutiny for its generative AI's architecture and alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on DeepMind's expected release of a next-generation chatbot named Gemini before TechCrunch reported that Google released only a \"lite\" version of the Gemini model known as Gemini Pro?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Global Fund, which country, identified as a major recipient of malaria aid in the BBC article, also announced a significant increase in its financial contribution to the Global Fund according to Reuters?": [], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindustan Times on Jaya Bachchan, which character from a film discussed in both articles is portrayed by an actor who has also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single victory for Michigan's football team could have a similar impact on their season as the loss to the Browns had on the Chicago Bears' playoff hopes, with both teams facing important upcoming games?": [ + "One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.", + "The loss was also particularly crushing for a team that had won back-to-back games, with a pair of wild-card contenders in the Vikings and Packers losing this weekend." + ], + "Considering the allegations in the unredacted lawsuit obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states and the reported experiences of Palestinians, what company is implied to have both potentially violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and is accused of having a moderation bias that suppresses certain voices, according to articles from TechCrunch?": [ + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the positive impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program at a Nebraska children's hospital, while The Independent - Life and Style article credits Will Smith's personal happiness to his relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith?": [ + "\"The letters I’ve received in return are really telling about the impact the program has on their well-being and hope for the future,\" she told Fox News Digital.", + "He went on to explain that he’s “happier than [he’s] ever been in [his] entire life” and praised Jada for continuing to be by his side." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Daye's tampon-based STI screening for GBS testing in pregnant women on November 6, 2023, and Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles highlighted the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy on December 13, 2023, does the advice from both sources regarding the importance of maternal health interventions during pregnancy remain consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "Testing pregnant women for GBS allows for the timely administration of antibiotics during labour, significantly reducing the risk of neonatal infections,” Daye tells us.", + "But it does suggest that \"cannabis use should be avoided during pregnancy to optimize maternal and neonatal [newborn] outcomes,\" the study authors wrote in the report." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was there a change in how Sportsbooks adjust and tighten betting lines based on gathered information?": [ + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that T.J. Hockenson is expected to participate in Week 10's game, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Dak Prescott did not participate in the final minutes of his game?": [ + "After turning in three limited practices this week, we'll trust that Hockenson is ready to go, especially since he continued to play through the ailment in Week 9 as a big part of the offense with Josh Dobbs under center.", + "He didn't even play the last 12 minutes of the game and the Cowboys got blown out." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was not ousted by the co-founders of Anthropic and is implicated by a prevailing theory of not being fully truthful with the board, as discussed in articles by 'Fortune', 'The Age', and 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report on the allegations against him, was there no change in the portrayal of his actions related to the FTX situation?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures for the team's functioning in a similar way to how 'Sporting News' advises bettors of team golf events to consider each team's strengths and weaknesses?": [ + "It is also the essential measure of how the team is functioning as a collective: the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, the command of space.", + "Factors to consider include recent player form, their history on the event's course, and any potential impacts like injuries." + ], + "Did the 'Fortune' article on Beyoncé's '\"Renaissance\"' concert film report a different box office debut figure compared to the projected gross revenue for Taylor Swift's '\"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour\"' mentioned in another 'Fortune' article?": [ + "No one expected “Renaissance” to match “The Eras Tour,” which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million globally.", + "The tour, which is projected by Pollstar to gross some $1.4 billion, crashed Ticketmaster’s site, saw sky-high resale mark-ups and left many fans priced out." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindustan Times on Agastya Nanda, which upcoming film, as per The Times of India, marks his acting debut, and who, according to The Hindustan Times, is his legendary grandfather with whom he shares his surname?": [], + "Was there no change in the focus of reporting on Uber from safety concerns to financial outcomes between the TechCrunch report on Uber's safety measures published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in the third quarter published on November 7, 2023?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the Minnesota Vikings' poor performance after a 1-4 start to Danielle Hunter's high-level performance, while the CBSSports.com article credits the Vikings' defense, specifically their ability to limit downfield shots against tight ends, for the team's success?": [ + "Not only has he produced at a high level, but his play has been instrumental in the Vikings turning things around after a 1-4 start.", + "But they've also seen the fourth-lowest ADOT from tight ends (5.0 yards per target), almost as if teams know they won't be able to succeed on downfield shots against them (zero completions of 20-plus yards from tight ends)." + ], + "After the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, stating that Manchester United are out of European competitions, did The Guardian's report on the same day maintain consistency regarding the performance and future outlook of Manchester United?": [ + "For all their own flaws Bayern are basically a good version of whatever it is United are attempting to piece together.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The Independent about Bobby Brazier, which character did he portray in a television series that marked his acting debut, as mentioned in The Guardian, and is also related to a character discussed in The Independent's coverage of the same topic?": [], + "What company, reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in antitrust controversies for its financial investments to maintain default search engine status and for affecting news publishers' revenues, while also releasing a limited version of an AI model named Gemini Pro instead of the full Gemini Ultra?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's backing of a teens' startup present a different allegation of misconduct against Sam Bankman-Fried compared to the TechCrunch article covering the FTX collapse's courtroom updates, with the former alleging fraud for personal gain and the latter discussing the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Which AI-powered chatbot, covered by both Engadget and TechCrunch, not only celebrated its first anniversary since release but also saw a significant increase in usage during December 2022 and is known for its ability to perform a wide range of tasks including coding, composing music, and emulating a Linux computer?": [ + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI.", + "Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Los Angeles Times and another from The New York Times about Bobby Shriver, which single character from the alphabet is missing from the full name of the organization that Shriver co-founded, which is also involved in a major partnership discussed in both articles?": [], + "Who is the individual whose legal proceedings are being covered by sources like 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch', and is associated with statements about having a board with experts for a company, being the subject of contrasting stories by legal representatives and government lawyers, and facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in making deals with major tech companies to maintain its search engine dominance, has the capacity to address Android app distribution and in-app payment issues, and is accused of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' ad revenues and content distribution?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the CBSSports.com article report that Kenneth Walker III left the game for reasons other than an injury, similar to how the TalkSport article reports Andy Robertson's unavailability for Liverpool because of an injury?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "And Klopp has a new worry: the Reds are without Andy Robertson after the left-back suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty with Scotland." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices related to competition and market dominance?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Seattle Seahawks are currently on a losing streak, in contrast to the 'Essentially Sports' article which discusses the Houston Astros having had a successful streak prior to their controversy?": [ + "The Eagles are looking to rebound against a Seahawks team that has been reeling even worse, losing four straight.", + "By the time the controversy was uncovered, the Astros were well into establishing a streak of successful years." + ], + "Was the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's performance in the ICC World Cup semi-finals published on November 18, 2023, and the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's head-to-head record with Australia in ODI World Cup matches published on November 11, 2023, inconsistent in their reporting on India's past encounters with Australia in the World Cup?": [ + "It is only time to tell if the Aussies will repeat history or if it will be India who will write history by winning their third ODI World Cup.", + "India met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs.", + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26." + ], + "Who is the cricketer that played both an anchor role and an exemplary innings for West Indies, as reported by The Guardian, and also struggled against legspin bowling in the first T20 international according to The Guardian?": [ + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary.", + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives in Fortune, is reported by the same source to have recruited a former Jane Street trader to his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that social media companies, including Twitter (now called X), are facing changes in content moderation policies, with one discussing state laws restricting social media companies and the other describing a crowdsourced moderation system under new leadership?": [ + "Last week, the Supreme Court decided that it would hear the pair of cases, which revolve around Republicans crafting state-specific laws that order platforms to keep their hands off of some social media posts.", + "Under Musk, Twitter — now called X — has prioritized “free speech” managed by crowdsourced-based moderation." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, while the article from The Verge suggests that Alameda Research had a negative balance that exceeded FTX's revenue, indicating potential financial issues?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "Around 2019 or 2020, Wang checked the database and discovered that Alameda was negative by about $200 million, which was more than the $150 million FTX made in revenue." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, while The Guardian article focuses on his performance in a specific game, and does the other Sporting News article question his ability to achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards for the season based on the strength of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents' pass defenses?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Did 'The Independent - Life and Style' change their reporting on the nature of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship in their later article published on October 30, 2023, even though 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, and 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the same date noted Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium?": [ + "In the picture, Swift could be seen standing next to Kelce, reaching to kiss his cheek.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Between the Sky Sports report on Manchester United's performance published on October 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, has the narrative regarding Manchester United's success in European competitions changed?": [ + "In a fortnight where United have picked up three straight wins against Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen, albeit via far from convincing performances, Christian Eriksen said United still need to find their \"balance and routines\" this season.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Which company is at the center of various controversies involving antitrust behavior as portrayed in a trial covered by The Verge, forms default search engine deals as defended in court according to another article by The Verge, is compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in performance by TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue in a class action suit reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about \"Iñigo Quintero's Si No Estás\" failing to reach the top of Spotify's Global Top 50 and the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Capitol Music Group's status as the top-performing label both indicate a leading position in their respective music industry categories?": [ + "Spanish artist Iñigo Quintero’s Si No Estás rose to the top of Spotify‘s Global Top 50 in late October – and has stubbornly refused to leave the upper reaches of digital charts ever since.", + "Overall, Capitol was the top-performing label across the global and US lists, which tells yet another facet of our success story." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the expansion of M-Pesa's services into new markets and a Reuters report on the impact of M-Pesa on the local economy in one of its established markets, which single letter represents the currency symbol for the country where M-Pesa first launched its mobile money services?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Tyreek Hill's challenge in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards is due to the strong pass defenses he will face, while The New York Times article presents his current season performance with 812 receiving yards in the first six games without mentioning the strength of upcoming opponents' defenses?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was merely seen cheering at Arrowhead Stadium, while the 'CBSSports.com' article states that she has both performed and attended a game there, and does 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different aspect of her life by discussing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena report a different percentage change in market capitalization for Group Psagot for Finance and Investments than the percentage changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Age?": [ + "But just over two years since the deal that was meant to move him up a league, Group Psagot for Finance and Investments (TASE: GPST), which holds the investment house that was once the biggest in Israel, has a market cap of just NIS 97 million, after a 75% decline in its share price in the past year, and an 80% since the acquisition.", + "The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 204 points, or 0.6 per cent, as of 3pm Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8 per cent lower." + ], + "Who is the individual involved with a teen's AI startup, was a representative figure of generative AI technology, and faced controversial circumstances at OpenAI without an attempt by co-founders of Anthropic to remove him, according to articles from The Age, TechCrunch, and Fortune?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on point spread betting published on November 1, 2023, was the reporting on how sportsbooks adjust their betting lines inconsistent?": [ + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Packy McCormick, what single letter represents the first initial of the city where Packy McCormick's new startup is headquartered, as mentioned in both articles?": [], + "What is the name of the AI-powered chatbot, covered by TechCrunch, that not only reached 100 million weekly active users nearly a year after its launch but also has the ability to perform tasks such as completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": [ + "Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Has the redemption option for cash back rewards as statement credits for cardholders changed between the 'American Express Cash Magnet® card' as reported by Fortune before November 3, 2023, or the 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' as reported by the same news source?": [ + "When you earn points with the Fifth Third 1.67% Card, you can use them toward a statement credit on your card to offset your balance.", + "If you have the American Express Cash Magnet® card, you can redeem your cash back rewards for statement credits to your account." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on Bet365's bonus offer for NFL Monday Night Football specify a different bonus amount for new users than the Sporting News article on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont?": [ + "For the Bet $5, Get $150 new user offer, you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets after placing your first bet of at least $5.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial involved allegations of fraudulent withdrawals from a trading account, as reported by The Verge, and is also the subject of contrasting legal narratives between defense and prosecution, as covered by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch to have invested billions to maintain its status as the default search engine and criticized by The Verge for altering the internet's landscape, is also accused in a TechCrunch article of harming news publishers' revenue and content through its business practices?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Wired on Mike Schoofs, which company's product, known for its innovative technology in one article, did Schoofs join as the managing editor according to the other article, and is represented by the first letter of its name?": [], + "Which leading AI development company, known as the generative AI poster child behind ChatGPT and mentioned by TechCrunch, is expected to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a change in starting quarterback similar to the quarterback replacement reported for the Seattle Seahawks by Sporting News?": [ + "Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington.", + "Geno Smith's night appears to be done as Drew Lock is back in for the Seahawks." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the under-30 individual once likened to a legendary investor, faced allegations of fraud in a trial covered by The Verge, and was reported by TechCrunch to have offered a significant sum to prevent a presidential re-run, all while struggling to manage the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets, while The Age article focuses on the manipulation of Search for ad revenue, and another TechCrunch article alleges harm to news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue, indicating different sectors impacted by Google's practices?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of the charges he faced?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article on Prime Big Deal Days indicate that there are gaming deals for the same range of gaming platforms as 'Polygon' staff play games on, including PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC?": [ + "Here, we’ll go over all the best gaming deals we can scrounge up during Prime Big Deal Days across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.", + "At Polygon, we play games on a lot of consoles and platforms — both new and old." + ], + "Which company is at the center of changes to internet navigation, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues, is suspected of unfair search practices, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive behavior, as reported by The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report by FOX News - Health on 'People engaging in virtual interactions' due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the article by Polygon on the 'Dungeons & Dragons campaign' moving to virtual online play, is the trend of virtual engagement for activities typically done in person consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "\"We all found ourselves at home looking at the people we worked with, the people we went out for drinks with and the people in our extended family on a computer screen,\" he told Fox News Digital.", + "We used to play in person, but since the pandemic I run the game virtually online from my house." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, as reported by TechCrunch, who allegedly instructed a subordinate to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, advised a trader on withdrawal limits based on total trading revenue as per The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, according to another article by TechCrunch?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success was based on dishonest practices in a similar way to how 'TechCrunch' alleges Sam Bankman-Fried sought personal gain through fraudulent means, or do these articles present different reasons for the controversy surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain and is facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, indicating different aspects of the legal issues he is involved in?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Oregon football team is no longer in contention for the College Football Playoff following a specific game outcome, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses the LSU football team's status after losing two games?": [ + "Washington beat Oregon in the Pac-12 championship on Friday, and that knocks the Ducks into the two-loss pileup and out of the CFP picture.", + "23 LSU, which has now lost two games already after opening the year as a playoff contender." + ], + "Which company, reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has spent billions to be the default search provider, faces scrutiny for its app distribution practices, and is accused of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers and possibly engaging in unfair search practices?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the report by TechCrunch on December 9, 2023, regarding Google's release of only a \"lite\" version of their AI model, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's actions from the perspective of these news sources? \n\nBetween the report by TechCrunch on December 9, 2023, about Google releasing only a \"lite\" version of their AI model, and the report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, filing a class action antitrust suit against Google, was the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices by TechCrunch maintained?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the perspective on managing dementia in 'The Guardian' articles shown a change from the time Susan Saunders was reported to be caring for her mother with dementia (published at '2023-10-10') to the more recent report on new Alzheimer’s drugs (published at '2023-12-17')?": [ + "In the long term, scientists also point to a number of recent developments which have raised hopes that it may be possible to tackle dementia more directly and effectively.", + "Health coach Susan Saunders found herself “parenting” her mother (who had dementia) while her own daughters were babies." + ], + "Did Engadget report on the Bluetooth functionality improvements in the Steam Deck OLED before Polygon discussed the Bluetooth connectivity of the Microsoft Xbox controller?": [ + "The device uses Bluetooth 5.3 and adds a dedicated antenna, which should improve functionality when using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth at the same time.", + "So, whether you have a phone or tablet, this controller can easily connect via Bluetooth." + ], + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is at the center of antitrust cases for both paying billions to secure its position as a default search engine and for its alleged anticompetitive practices in app distribution and ad revenue siphoning from news publishers?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for alleged fraudulent activities was purely altruistic, while the Fortune article focuses on the jury's role in determining the truthfulness of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, without attributing a specific motive?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall." + ], + "Considering the information from a Forbes article detailing the philanthropic efforts of the PayPal Mafia and a Bloomberg piece discussing the business ventures of the same group post-PayPal, which member of the PayPal Mafia, known for his investments in space exploration according to Forbes, also founded a financial services company that Bloomberg credits with revolutionizing online payments?": [], + "Does the article from Fortune discussing Ruby Franke's daughter describe the justification for abuse as a form of necessary discipline, in contrast to the article from The Verge which exonerates Catherine Tan of any accusations of sexual harassment and coercion?": [ + "“She was also repeatedly told she was evil and possessed, the punishments were necessary for her to be obedient and repent, and these things were being done to her in order to help her,” the plea agreement said.", + "Tan, who received a copy of the email, explained: “She wrote this long letter accusing me of sexually harassing her, forcing her to be a lesbian.” S. signed with her full name." + ], + "What is the name of the OpenAI-developed, general-purpose chatbot reported by TechCrunch to have a wide range of capabilities such as debugging code and composing essays, which Engadget noted had a significant usage spike in December 2022, and has been identified by TechCrunch as achieving 100 million weekly active users nearly a year after its launch?": [ + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI.", + "Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.", + "Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has a performance comparable to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, or does it claim that Gemini's architecture and capabilities are superior to OpenAI's GPT-4?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages is better than in previous years, as indicated by a new record for goals conceded, while The Guardian article implies that Manchester United's overall performance under pressure in the Champions League, especially in Istanbul, has been consistently poor?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "When it comes to pressure in the Champions League of late, United do not cope well and there are few events trickier than a night in Istanbul." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front to secretly access Alameda Research's customer funds and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the impact of sleep reduction on the immune system contradict the same publication's article on the decreased risk of insomnia in women due to hormonal differences in terms of the influence of sleep quality on health?": [ + "Research shows that even a small reduction in sleep has been shown to impact your immune system, however.", + "“This sex difference in insomnia emerges after puberty, suggesting that hormonal differences such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may be the cause of this increased risk in women,” Dr Browning says." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge about the iPad Air's new processor and another article by CNET discussing the device's compatibility with a specific accessory, which generation of iPad Air, represented by a single numeral, is the first to incorporate the mentioned processor and also supports the accessory discussed in the CNET article?": [], + "Was the policy on price matching for customers at HP inconsistent according to The Verge before Polygon reported on the ineligibility for price matching on purchases?": [ + "According to HP’s website, the company will match the current pre-tax price for new comparable PCs and identical HP printer, display, and accessory model numbers from nationally recognized online retailers, such as Dell, Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy.", + "You may be eligible for a price match on a purchase, but the rules for submitting documentation vary depending on whether you’re shopping online or in store." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Alameda Research was involved in manipulating FTX's balance sheet, while the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions regarding the composition of FTX's board, and are these claims about different aspects of FTX's corporate governance?": [ + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts." + ], + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India discuss the State of Israel in the context of a military conflict, while the TechCrunch article focuses on legal strategies within the SBF case?": [ + "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that since this morning, Israel had been at war and its first objective was to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated its territory.", + "There, you can find stories like this in-depth breakdown of what to expect from both sides of the SBF case, where the prosecution and defense could gain ground or fall short in their arguments and what the takeaways were from the opening arguments." + ], + "Which quarterback, who has been notably less effective under pressure according to CBSSports.com, also holds a 5-0 starting record for the 2023 NFL season as reported by Sportskeeda?": [ + "So far, Purdy has started the 2023 NFL season where he left off, opening the season with a 5-0 record.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Does one of the articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have no betting options, with one discussing prop bets for a specific NFL game and the other detailing betting options in team golf events?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain." + ], + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist in a legal case by Epic Games according to The Verge, is claimed by TechCrunch to both exceed the performance of leading generative AI models with its Gemini project and to negatively impact news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, while also using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results as reported by The Verge?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's position on interest rate decisions and the report from Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there agreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's approach to managing inflation?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to 'Fortune', constructed his crypto exchange empire on falsehoods, was once likened to Warren Buffet but not by 'TechCrunch', convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is now facing allegations of intentional fraud as per 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Hamas' activities by 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' changed between the article involving Hamed al-Khachari's financial operations for Hamas and the subsequent report criticizing 'Some journalists around the world' for perpetuating Hamas' lies?": [ + "\"Some journalists around world see that Hamas continues to lie about the biggest things when the whole truth is in front of everyone's eyes, and they continue to echo the lies.", + "At the same time Hamed al-Khachari, a Gazan money changer who worked for Hamas (who was assassinated by Israel in 2019), located Gazan merchants who imported goods from Turkish companies and owned payment on the goods." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Valve has made multiple physical upgrades to the Steam Deck, while The Verge article indicates that Valve's focus is solely on games for their store, and does the Engadget article confirm that Valve will launch the Steam Deck OLED on a specific date with immediate availability, unlike the other two sources which do not mention a launch date?": [ + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age bracket, who has pleaded not guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to achieve wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article claim that the San Francisco 49ers were defeated by the Seahawks on Thanksgiving align with the Sporting News report on The Wolverines (Michigan football team) winning The Game for the third consecutive year in terms of both teams achieving recent victories?": [ + "The 49ers are coming off an emotional win over the Eagles after stomping the Seahawks on Thanksgiving.", + "From there, the Wolverines handled business for a third straight year in The Game in a 30-24 victory." + ], + "Who is the quarterback that flawlessly executed the San Francisco 49ers' offense, threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys according to Sporting News, but has shown vulnerability under pressure with a 50% completion rate and a 15.9% off-target rate as reported by CBSSports.com?": [ + "LAST WEEK: Purdy's been a find ever since the 49ers put him on the field but last week he executed their offense flawlessly.", + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that businesses selling on Amazon are setting non-competitive prices, while the Engadget article indicates a price reduction for the second-gen AirPods on Amazon?": [ + "“Even with those tools, some of the businesses selling on Amazon might still choose to set prices that aren’t competitive,” Zapolsky said.", + "The second-gen AirPods are down to $80 at Amazon and Target, which isn’t an all-time low but comes in roughly $20 below the pair’s usual street price in recent months." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article claim that FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield for the regular season, while The Guardian article discusses Ratcliffe's approach to communication with Manchester United supporters, without mentioning any achievement by the team?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "A tap-in, then, for Ratcliffe is to remedy this by opening and maintaining a regular line into supporters." + ], + "Who is the individual, covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, that is not only on trial to determine his involvement in fraud and conspiracy but also convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join him in his ventures, and is now being portrayed with conflicting narratives by legal representatives and the government in court?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that 'The Talking Heads' concert film \"Stop Making Sense\" had a theater re-release decades after its original showing, while the 'Polygon' article discusses a recent release of BTS's \"Yet to Come\" concert film, indicating a difference in the timing of the releases?": [ + "Just last month, the Talking Heads classic “Stop Making Sense” returned to theaters for a decades-later encore.", + "In February, one of the other biggest musical artists in the world, K-pop septet BTS, released a filmed version of their “Yet to Come” concert, which had been a one-night-only performance for 50,000 lucky fans in Busan, South Korea." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of directing a $14 billion misuse of customer funds for debt repayment, utilizing a colleague as a facade for unauthorized access to these funds, and facing allegations of intentional fraud for personal gain according to reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Verge' on 2023-11-24 and the report from 'Wired' on 2023-11-25, is there consistency in the focus on the utility of charging devices such as 'Universal travel adapters' and '10,000-mAh capacity power bank' during Black Friday sales?": [ + "Depending on which one you get, it might come with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices in one outlet.", + "With a 10,000-mAh capacity, WIRED contributor Simon Hill says it charged his iPhone 14 Pro once and then delivered an additional 64 percent the second time before tapping out." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Google has the ability to resolve issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles, one discussing Google's Gemini and the other an antitrust suit, both portray Google's actions or products in a negative light?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in The Times of India about Malini Goyal, which city does she mention as having a significant impact on her career, and is also the location where a conference she attended took place?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's hardware developments published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on." + ], + "Which company, highlighted in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been portrayed as using its financial power to maintain default search engine status and accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers and portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TalkSport report on Manchester United's future plans published on October 16, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's performance in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there no change in the narrative regarding Manchester United's success and planning?": [ + "Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article identify the Mayo Clinic as taking a leadership role in artificial intelligence efforts in health care, while the TechCrunch article credits California with leading in privacy-protective innovation for AI technologies?": [ + "As artificial intelligence gains an ever-widening role in the medical field, the Mayo Clinic has recently appointed a new executive to lead the health system’s efforts in that area.", + "Commenting in a statement, Vinhcent Le, member of the regulator’s board and of the New Rules Subcommittee that drafted the proposed regulations, added: “Once again, California is taking the lead to support privacy-protective innovation in the use of emerging technologies, including those that leverage artificial intelligence." + ], + "Was there disagreement between the two news sources on the portrayal of Sam Altman's standing in Silicon Valley after the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's situation at OpenAI published on a date other than November 18, 2023, and the subsequent Fortune report on the same day regarding the board's actions?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "What company spends billions to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms, influences local search rankings with specific criteria, and is accused by news publishers of anticompetitive practices that harm their revenue, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been described as using specific criteria to rank local search results, investing billions to be the default search engine on various platforms, and being the only viable option for search engine services during certain negotiations, while also facing accusations of anticompetitive practices that harm news publishers' revenue?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation before the FTX collapse, and the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding the contrasting stories presented by legal representatives and the government's lawyers about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's character?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Lamar Jackson's effectiveness is enhanced when regulated to pocket passing, while 'Sporting News' indicates that Arthur Smith has found success with Bijan Robinson's playing style for the Atlanta Falcons?": [ + "He is regulated to pass from the pocket, but you are taking away the biggest weapon the offense had when you do that.", + "Buccaneers) continues to see his role diminish for the NFC South-leading Falcons, with dum-dum coach Arthur Smith finally realizing that Bijan Robinson gives the ATL the best chance at continued success." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers the same new customer bonus bet amount as the Sporting News article claims Caesars Sportsbook is expected to offer to new sign-ups in Vermont?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "After Essentially Sports reported on October 18, 2023, that Canelo Alvarez is participating in increasingly profitable boxing matches, did CBSSports.com maintain consistency in reporting the performance of Jessica Andrade by November 11, 2023, stating she has suffered two submission losses during her current three-fight losing streak?": [ + "These were just to name a few; over the years, Canelo has fought in increasingly profitable bouts.", + "Andrade has four submission losses in her career, two of which came during her current three-fight skid." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are dating based on her attendance at his game, in contrast to 'The Age' article which implies they might be dating because they were seen leaving the stadium together?": [ + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together." + ], + "Which company, featured in articles from Polygon, Wired, and CNBC | World Business News Leader, is not only the platform where a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables can be purchased for $15.99 but has also created a Prime-themed sale day and is considered to provide a life-changing opportunity for sellers?": [ + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Between the report from Music Business Worldwide on YouTube's collaboration with UMG-affiliated artists and the subsequent report from the same source on YouTube's launch of 'Dream Track', was the news regarding YouTube's involvement with artists in AI experiments consistent?": [ + "To progress this ‘incubator’, YouTube said it was working behind the scenes with a number of UMG-affiliated artists; Also in August, YouTube publicly committed to three principles/pledges behind its development of music-based generative AI tools .", + "Seven days ago (November 16), YouTube unveiled a revolutionary new experiment – ‘Dream Track’ – enabling creators to clone the vocals, via AI tech and with official consent, of well-known stars.", + "Overnight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce during her NFL takeover involves the same type of exchange as the one mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style' articles, with both discussing a friendship bracelet and neither mentioning an invitation to a game or openness about a personal relationship?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard lacks the potential to dominate in the NHL, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the USC basketball team has the potential to become a National Championship contender, or do both articles suggest a similar potential for their respective subjects?": [ + "“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL.", + "They’re listed as high as to win the National Championship depending on where you shop, so there’s definitely an opportunity to cash in on them if you’re bullish on their ability to improve and blossom into a title contender." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the specific use of FTX customer funds by Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Jim Harbaugh's situation published on November 6, 2023, and the subsequent report on Michigan's performance without Jim Harbaugh against Penn State published on November 11, 2023, was there a change in the reporting regarding Jim Harbaugh's presence with the team?": [ + "Despite the suspension, Jim Harbaugh held his usual weekly news conference Monday, though he mostly avoided addressing the only topic on anyone's mind.", + "It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.", + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns." + ], + "Who is the individual who presented as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector according to The Verge, was challenged by managing the growth of FTX and Alameda Research, was implicated by TechCrunch in instructing a $14 billion misappropriation from customers, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the updates on Microsoft Planner discussed in an article from The Verge and the new feature integration mentioned by a report on ZDNet, which letter represents the first initial of the Microsoft executive who was responsible for overseeing the development of the feature that both articles claim has significantly improved user task management experience?": [], + "Who is the individual that was discussed by both The Verge and TechCrunch for making a decision to use customer funds for a buyout, allegedly committing fraud for personal gain, and was noted for telling a trader about permissible withdrawals, despite being compared to notable investors but not by TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Essentially Sports discussing NFL controversies mention a narrower range of issues compared to the Essentially Sports article on Denny Hamlin, which focuses on the controversies and criticism surrounding a single NASCAR driver?": [ + "From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals.", + "Continuously surrounded by controversy, Joe Gibbs Racing‘s #11 Toyota Camry driver has been subject to a lot of criticism." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while the Fortune article alleges he used a proxy for unauthorized access to funds, and does the second TechCrunch piece claim that his motivation for alleged fraud was personal gain, thus presenting different aspects of his actions?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle as reported by TechCrunch, was alleged to have spent billions to secure its default search engine status, has the capability to address Android distribution and payment system issues according to The Verge, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices as per another TechCrunch article?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the reporting on the performance of the offensive lines from CBSSports.com shown inconsistency between the time they discussed the Panthers offensive line and Bryce Young before the mention of the Denver offensive line's impact on Javonte Williams' performance?": [ + "It's not all on him -- the offensive line for the Panthers barely gave him any daylight last week (and for much of the year) and defenses aren't yet scared of getting beat by Bryce Young's arm.", + "But the biggest detriment is that he can't consistently overcome bad blocking, which has been a consistent problem for the Denver O-line all year and certainly something that impacted Javonte Williams in his first handful of games." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that new users of sportsbooks can claim a higher total amount in bonuses than the amount offered to new customers by Caesars Sportsbook according to CBSSports.com?": [ + "Here's your chance to claim $5,000+ in bonuses as a new user from Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that app rankings are increasingly dominated by Chinese-based companies, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that U.S. companies are facing new restrictions on technology sales to China?": [ + "This year, apps from Chinese-based companies have taken over spots previously held by U.S. tech giants like Meta and Google, as CapCut and TikTok, which hail from Beijing-based ByteDance, came in at No.", + "The Biden administration has restricted U.S. companies from selling high-end tech, primarily in semiconductors, to Chinese companies and sought to curb U.S. investments in such Chinese tech." + ], + "Has the reporting on the performance of the offensive lines from CBSSports.com shown consistency between the time they discussed the Panthers offensive line and Bryce Young before the mention of the Denver offensive line's impact on Javonte Williams' performance?": [ + "It's not all on him -- the offensive line for the Panthers barely gave him any daylight last week (and for much of the year) and defenses aren't yet scared of getting beat by Bryce Young's arm.", + "But the biggest detriment is that he can't consistently overcome bad blocking, which has been a consistent problem for the Denver O-line all year and certainly something that impacted Javonte Williams in his first handful of games." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on Najee Harris being the preferred goal-line back for the Steelers with touchdowns in three recent games on December 7, 2023, did Rivals report any touchdowns by Jonah Coleman for the Wildcats in the game against Utah before that date?": [ + "As an added bonus, Harris is also the preferred goal-line back, scoring in three of those games.", + "The Wildcats on their first drive put a touchdown on the board a seven play, 61 yard drive, thanks to a 25-yard dash before diving into the end zone by running back Jonah Coleman." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join his trading and development ventures, claimed to be overwhelmed by the growth of his cryptocurrency exchange to effectively manage another firm, decided to use a substantial amount of customer funds for a buyout, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge and accused by TechCrunch of both spending billions to secure default search engine status and siphoning off content and revenue from news publishers through anticompetitive means, is the subject of legal scrutiny?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the expansion of Fixed Wireless Access in rural areas and another by CNET discussing the technological advancements in Fixed Wireless Access equipment, which company, starting with the letter 'A', was mentioned as both expanding its rural Fixed Wireless Access network and introducing new equipment to enhance connectivity speeds?": [], + "Did the article from Fortune reporting on the lawsuit's impact on Rogers Communications Inc. and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon both indicate a decrease in the respective companies' stock prices?": [ + "Shares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article on Starbucks stores suggest a variation in Thanksgiving Day hours, while the same source's article on Thanksgiving traditions imply a uniform way of celebrating with food, family, and football?": [ + "While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.", + "Most Americans consider the holiday a day to gather and express their thanks through food, family, and football – with multiple NFL teams playing on the holiday." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce's performance against the Raiders will be similar to his past productivity, as opposed to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses his attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, without mentioning his on-field performance?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "In November, he made his way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend one of her Eras Tour shows." + ], + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that \"The company's management\" does not expect the war to impact its revenue within forecasted figures, while the Fortune article indicates that Egypt's economic crisis is worsening as elections approach?": [ + "In the aforementioned situation, the company's management estimates that despite the damage to its revenue, which cannot yet be accurately estimated, they will be reflected in the company's annual NOI and FFO within the forecast.", + "That opens up opportunities for the most populous Arab nation as it wrestles with its worst economic outlook in decades and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi prepares for elections in less than two months’ time." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the England national rugby union team has had a different path to the Rugby World Cup semifinal compared to the path of The Wallabies (Australian national rugby union team) as implied by the 'Wide World Of Sports' article, with England defeating specific teams and The Wallabies' fate depending on a match between other teams?": [ + "Argentina, Japan, Chile, Samoa and Fiji have all provided highlights — Los Pumas are also in the semi-finals — and England have beaten all of them.", + "SAINT-ETIENNE: The Wallabies will have to endure a more tortuous Sunday night watch than even the worst rom com as their Rugby World Cup fate is decided by Fiji and Portugal in Toulouse." + ], + "Has the focus of the European Commission's involvement reported by TechCrunch changed from addressing competition concerns in Amazon's iRobot purchase to facilitating dialogue and assessing issues with Meta's ad-free subscription service to probing Elon Musk's X over illegal content risks and moderation practices?": [ + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article identify Kravata as a provider of cryptocurrency conversion and transfer services, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried as an individual representative of the cryptocurrency industry?": [ + "Its services include on- and off-ramps to convert fiat to crypto (and vice versa), as well as market making and cross-border transfer systems.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry." + ], + "Which company, discussed in articles from both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', has been the subject of legal scrutiny for its default search engine deals with other corporations and for its alleged anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article discussing Argentina's forward line suggest Lionel Messi is influencing a youth movement with players like Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho, while the same source's article on Inter Miami indicates Messi's recent return from injury to play a part of the game?": [ + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line.", + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Age' suggest that 'The individual's dating intentions' were not focused on starting a family, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article's claim about 'Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce' centers on speculation about their dating status without indicating a similar intention?": [ + "Then I launched myself into dating to try to find a man to have a family with.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Between the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition before and the allegations reported by TechCrunch regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent activities, was there a change in the narrative surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried's professional conduct?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was perceived differently in terms of trustworthiness within the cryptocurrency industry compared to the allegations of fraud and conspiracy presented in the TechCrunch articles?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's pursuit of Manchester United is driven by personal aspiration, in contrast to the Sporting News article which discusses Manchester United's performance in European competitions without mentioning ownership aspirations?": [ + "The Qatari banker’s patience finally snapped and his withdrawal from the bidding process at the end of last week has left the pathway clear for Ratcliffe to complete what he has always viewed as his dream purchase.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the 'Science News For Students' article suggest that previous hydrogel research did not explore the relationship between salt content and water absorption, while the 'Advanced Science News' article indicates that the hydrogel used in aqueous zinc iodine batteries has been specifically engineered with functional groups for anode and cathode affinity?": [ + "But no one knew how much salt a hydrogel could stash — nor how pushing that salt content to the max might boost the hydrogel’s water-slurping power.", + "Fan explained that the anode and cathode of the hydrogel have different functional groups that make it both zincophilic (with an affinity for zinc ) and iodophilic ( with an affinity for iodine), respectively." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with both the failed crypto exchange FTX and Alameda Research, alleged to have used deceitful practices for personal gain and influence, and is facing charges of fraud and conspiracy according to articles from Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud charges, previously likened to a prominent investor, and is accused of misusing customer funds from a cryptocurrency exchange, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the first letter of the brand that, according to a Deal Stripe article on Black Friday deals, offered significant discounts on electronics, and was also mentioned in another Deal Stripe article for having one of its flagship smartphones recommended as a top pick for consumers?": [], + "Which company is at the center of concerns raised by 'The Age' about fairness, criticized by 'TechCrunch' for the architecture and capabilities of its product Gemini, and is also the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been reported to not only invest billions to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms but also faces scrutiny for its control over app distribution and monetization as well as its impact on news publishers' revenues and content?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that T.J. Hockenson's participation in Week 10 is expected under similar circumstances as Dalton Kincaid's anticipated play in the Saturday game, with both being less than fully fit but still likely to play?": [ + "After turning in three limited practices this week, we'll trust that Hockenson is ready to go, especially since he continued to play through the ailment in Week 9 as a big part of the offense with Josh Dobbs under center.", + "Kincaid was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, but it’s been reported he’s likely to suit up on Saturday at less than 100%." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article featuring the SuperDraft app suggest Rashee Rice will not be a key player in the Sunday morning game in Frankfurt, while the same source implies that New England's defensive strategy will provide Rashee Rice with more opportunities in Week 15, or do both articles disagree on the significance of Rashee Rice's role in their respective games?": [ + "As soon as I opened up my SuperDraft app, Rashee Rice popped out as the first prop of the first game on Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. in Frankfurt).", + "We can expect New England will try to take away Travis Kelce, meaning that the opportunities could be coming even more often for Rice in Week 15." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is implicated in altering the internet's appearance, not fully releasing its AI model, and facing a class action antitrust suit for harming news publishers' revenue?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which team, known for their leaders aiming to end their careers on a positive note and having previously been defeated by Argentina in Sydney and Christchurch, attempted to utilize a numerical advantage on the field by kicking for the corner in a controversial and dramatic final as reported by The Roar | Sports Writers Blog?": [ + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Who is the pop star that has been rumored to be in a relationship with a Chiefs TE, has performed and been seen cheering at Arrowhead Stadium, and is committed to a tour schedule that prevents show cancellations, according to sources like 'The Independent - Life and Style', 'The Age', and 'CBSSports.com'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the sale of Govee's LED light strips is timed for the upcoming holidays, while the article from The Independent - Life and Style discusses the introduction of a significant other to family as an event that may coincide with the holidays?": [ + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close.", + "If you’re in the midst of a new relationship this holiday season, you may be faced with the opportunity to introduce your significant other to your family." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on November 5, 2023, regarding the Epic v. Google case and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher, is there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's market practices as described by these news sources?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch involving Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged motives for committing fraud, portray Sam Bankman-Fried's actions inconsistently?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust issues for spending $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine, being portrayed as an antagonist in a legal trial, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in its portrayal of Google's market behavior after reporting on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, or after reporting again on December 15, 2023, citing AI's benefits to news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did 'The Independent - Travel' report on Tremblant Ski Resort before 'Essentially Sports' mentioned Jeff Shiffrin's skiing habits?": [ + "Quebec’s premier ski resort sits at the foot of the eponymous mountain, whose pistes cater well to all abilities.", + "Jeff himself was an avid skier when he was young and would often visit Vermont on the weekend with his family as a child." + ], + "Are the Inter Miami premium packages mentioned in Sporting News considered more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, and is the match discussed by Insidesport the 11th Premier League match for Manchester United?": [ + "The most expensive premium packages at Inter Miami in 2024, which will run supporters over $45,000, dwarf any of the most luxurious tickets in the Premier League.", + "Man United vs Fulham Live: Premier League LIVE – MUN vs FUL LIVE – Manchester United are travelling to Greater London for their 11th Premier League match of the season." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are causing frustration among Palestinians, while the Fortune article discusses the Arab world's perception of Egypt's stance on Palestinian refugees, and whether these stances are seen as aligned or conflicting?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "That would risk being seen in the Arab world as facilitating another mass displacement and betraying the Palestinian cause all Arab countries vocally espouse." + ], + "Did the Sporting News maintain consistency in their fantasy football advice after publishing the quarterback rankings at 22:06 on December 7, 2023, which suggested Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and Josh Dobbs are risky options, when they later advised against starting Tyler Higbee at 22:14 on the same day due to the strength of the Baltimore Ravens' tight end defense?": [ + "Even if he does, he's not a recommended play against the Ravens' top-10 TE defense.", + "Matthew Stafford (@ Ravens), Geno Smith (@ 49ers), and Josh Dobbs (@ Raiders) are all risky against some of the league's better pass defenses." + ], + "Which institution, recently covered by both 'The Sydney Morning Herald' and 'Fortune', is linked to investor optimism about a potential halt to interest rate hikes and is basing its future decisions on economic data, following a period of aggressive rate increases to address inflation?": [ + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, is prioritizing the development of ChatGPT, planning to introduce an \"app store for AI\" to overshadow competitors, and will release GPT-4 with vision capabilities alongside a Turbo API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'TechCrunch' discusses the leadership principles in Brené Brown's book \"Dare to Lead\" without attributing tactical leadership on the field to any individual?": [ + "But for all the undoubted leadership qualities of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, tactically it is McTominay running the show right now: a development with numerous interesting consequences.", + "Dare to Lead pulls on Brown’s decades of research, interviews, and experience as a professor at the University of Houston speaking with CEOs, founders, and other executives to understand what great leadership looks like and how to achieve it." + ], + "Which company, recently criticized in a TechCrunch article for its anticompetitive practices towards news publishers and for the underwhelming architecture of its Gemini AI according to another TechCrunch report, also ensures its search engine's dominance through deals as mentioned by The Verge, and has been highlighted by TechCrunch for introducing new hardware at an annual event?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, once portrayed a reliable image within the cryptocurrency sector, admitted challenges in overseeing the growth of a major crypto exchange and its sister trading firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite facing allegations of building a successful cryptocurrency exchange through deceitful practices, claimed an inability to manage the growth of said exchange and its sister trading firm, and has also been charged with multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information on a specific topic due to distrust in other platforms, while The Guardian article discusses legal actions against Snapchat for a completely different reason related to the platform's use?": [ + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook.", + "Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive." + ], + "Is the approach of European AI startups towards regulation and compliance as discussed in TechCrunch less proactive from the beginning of their operations compared to Amazon's approach with the European Commission, which is focused on addressing concerns at this stage, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "One thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is scrutinized by Fortune and The Verge for actions contrasted by lawyers and portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure, and is also mentioned by TechCrunch as being accused of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, and convinced a former Jane Street trader to join him at Alameda and FTX?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions for not planning additional measures for its video platform in the next six months and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Lamar Jackson's effectiveness is diminished when regulated to pocket passing, while 'Sporting News' indicates that Arthur Smith has found success with Bijan Robinson's playing style for the Atlanta Falcons?": [ + "He is regulated to pass from the pocket, but you are taking away the biggest weapon the offense had when you do that.", + "Buccaneers) continues to see his role diminish for the NFC South-leading Falcons, with dum-dum coach Arthur Smith finally realizing that Bijan Robinson gives the ATL the best chance at continued success." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who has recently been accused of not being fully truthful with the board of a company he was associated with, and is also known for backing a teen's AI startup, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the updates from an article in The Verge about Apple Maps' new features and the improvements mentioned in a Bloomberg report, which single letter represents the first initial of the Apple executive who is overseeing the integration of these enhancements into the Apple Maps platform?": [], + "Did both the Sporting News report and the CBSSports.com report state that Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards before December 5, 2023, remained unchanged in their reporting of his progress towards his season goal?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Considering the financial performance outlined in a Bloomberg article and the strategic business decisions discussed in a Wall Street Journal article, which Alphabet Inc. executive, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing both the area that experienced the most significant growth and the division that is facing the most substantial restructuring?": [], + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style on Travis Kelce's absence at a Taylor Swift concert published on November 25, 2023, and the Yardbarker report on Travis Kelce's potential performance against the Raiders published on December 24, 2023, was there a change in the type of events and activities involving Travis Kelce covered by the news sources?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Kelce showed his support for Swift when he attended her Eras Tour show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 11 November." + ], + "Which individual is associated with the establishment of FTX, faced allegations of constructing the platform's success on falsehoods as reported by Fortune, was accused of misleading a potential investor about governance plans according to Cnbc, and has been charged with fraud and conspiracy, as covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's market influence and competitive practices?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to a 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' article, planned to establish a board with experts for a cryptocurrency exchange without investor directors, was reported by 'The Verge' to have used customer funds to buy out a competing firm, and is alleged by the prosecution in a 'TechCrunch' article to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information about a specific region due to distrust in other platforms, while The Guardian article claims that Snapchat's platform has facilitated a different type of activity unrelated to information sharing?": [ + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook.", + "And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door." + ], + "Did the reporting style on players achieving first downs in Sporting News articles change between the article featuring Anthony Hankerson on October 7, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "7:06 p.m. – Anthony Hankerson gets two first downs for the Buffs on a four-yard run and a 12-yard run." + ], + "Which company, featured in a TechCrunch article for reducing its workforce by 870 employees and depicted as an underdog in a legal battle against Google according to The Verge, is involved in both scenarios?": [ + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another from The Washington Post about recent events at Duke University, which single character is common to both the name of a visiting scholar discussed in The New York Times piece and the newly appointed dean featured in The Washington Post article?": [], + "Did the Sporting News article that discusses Michigan's performance against Penn State with Jim Harbaugh suggest the same involvement of Harbaugh during the game compared to the Sporting News article regarding the sign-stealing scandal and his suspension?": [ + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns.", + "The Big Ten suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for three games on Friday with the team on a plane en route to Penn State, and although Michigan had hoped to block the suspension, the Wolverines will be without their coach on the sidelines in Happy Valley." + ], + "Which company is currently involved in legal proceedings where it has provided extensive evidence to counter claims of concealing discovery items, may succeed if mobile phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision published on September 28, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's development platform advancements published on November 30, 2023, was there a change in OpenAI's prioritization of ChatGPT as a development platform?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "What entities, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their point spread, moneyline, and NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines in response to news, betting patterns, liability, and events such as injuries or roster changes?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report on the SBF trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's prosecution allegations published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Zhemu Soda's recent environmental initiatives and a report by The Guardian on his political career, which political party, known for its green policies, did Zhemu Soda join according to The New York Times, and which committee did he chair that was mentioned in The Guardian, where the first letter of the party and the last letter of the committee are the same?": [], + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that his actions were driven by a desire for personal gain?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the player that, according to articles from both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', suffered an oblique injury affecting his ability to play in Week 14 and provided a chance for a rookie to shine in his potential absence during Week 12?": [ + "You're probably starting him if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury, but consider other options if you have the depth.", + "With Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury comes opportunity for the rookie, who already looked strong in the month leading up to Seattle's narrow Week 11 loss to the Rams.", + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury." + ], + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article report an increase in Nike's net income for the recent quarter, and does the TechCrunch article also report a decrease in Gogoro's revenue for the same period?": [ + "The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 31 was $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.47 billion, or 93 cents per share, a year earlier.", + "In its recent earnings report, the Nasdaq-listed company mentioned a 10.2% year-on-year drop in its revenue of $91.8 million, resulting in a net loss of $3.1 million, down from a net income of $56.4 million in the same quarter last year." + ], + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage suggest a different level of commitment to avoiding divorce compared to the stance on divorce expressed in a separate \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article discussing Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage?": [ + "During a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, Jada doubled down on her stance about divorce, as she recalled the the hard conversation she had with Will about the topic before they got married.", + "Back in 2006, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star first explained to MTV News that divorce wasn’t an option for him and his second wife." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the significant impact of generative AI technology on public awareness, reportedly had no intentions of being removed by the co-founders of Anthropic from an AI research company, and is at the center of shocking news about their departure as well as allegations of dishonesty with the board, as reported by Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, has spent billions to be the default search engine on multiple platforms, and has been accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is supportive, while the other TechCrunch article suggests that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating a difference in Google's approach to news publishers and content regulation on YouTube?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on the situation at OpenAI involving Sam Altman published on November 18, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's plans after his departure from OpenAI published on the same day, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's professional intentions?": [ + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information." + ], + "Did the Sporting News fail to report on FC Cincinnati's achievement before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog mentioned Aston Villa's victory over Fulham?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "Aston Villa moved to fifth, three points off the top, with their 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park, courtsey of an own goal from Antonee Robinson before strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins." + ], + "Between the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, stating that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front to have secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, and the report by TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, claiming that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article report on Derrick Henry's inability to return to the game due to a head injury, while the CBSSports.com article describe Cooper Kupp's exit from the game for locker room evaluation after an on-field incident, and do both instances involve players not continuing in their respective games?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "The former All-Pro, who battled a lingering hamstring injury earlier this year, received attention on the sidelines after limping off, then left the game for further evaluation in the locker room." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge for its practices of taking consumer feedback into account, choosing Google as a default search engine, learning from competitors to refine its products, and enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system, is also known for its range of devices including a 16-inch laptop?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best.", + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal representatives and the government's prosecution team are presenting contrasting narratives in a trial where he has pleaded not-guilty to seven charges, including fraud and conspiracy, and is also accused of using illicit means to gain wealth, power, and influence, with these proceedings reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a Times of India article on the growth of tech startups in Bangalore and a Deccan Herald report on the city's traffic management initiatives, which single letter represents both the first character of the startup that recently received significant funding to expand its AI-driven services and the initial of the new traffic signal system implemented at a major Bangalore intersection?": [], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Chris Buescher's season was more successful than previous ones, while the 'Yardbarker' article indicates that C.J. Stroud's rookie season is among the best statistically, when comparing their respective performances in their sports?": [ + "Instead, it was Chris Buescher who outshone the Cup Series veteran with his best-ever season in NASCAR’s premier competition.", + "He ranks in the top 10 in passing yards (2,270), touchdown passes (14) and passer rating (102.9), and has only thrown one interception." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindustan Times on Suhana, which character, portrayed by her in a stage adaptation, is based on a literary figure that has been discussed in both articles?": [], + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for not allowing users to select their browser during iPhone setup, is also the focus of Engadget's rumors about concentrating on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and has been reported by The Verge to enforce uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Which company, discussed in articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, is associated with creating an AI model that claims to meet or exceed the performance of generative models like OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, and is also involved in a legal case where its victory depends on the market definition potentially impacting news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report by The Age on the fairness of Google Search published on October 22, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing the class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to these news sources?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, did the narrative about their relationship change?": [ + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.", + "While Swift has attended a few of Kelce’s games since their relationship started, he’s also gone on to support her career." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of exclusivity to anticompetitive concerns?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Are the approaches of European AI startups towards regulation and compliance as discussed in TechCrunch more proactive from the beginning of their operations compared to Amazon's approach with the European Commission, which is focused on addressing concerns at this stage, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "One thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, formerly associated with FTX and Alameda Research, who was described by 'Fortune' as using a front for secret access to customer funds, by 'The Verge' as overwhelmed by the growth of his company to manage it alongside another, and by 'TechCrunch' as both the richest person in his age group with altruistic spending intentions and as someone accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation according to the 'Fortune' article on October 4, 2023, discussing his actions and the state of FTX, or the 'TechCrunch' article mentioning the prosecution's allegations against him?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article's focus on the valuation of Alameda Research's assets in FTT tokens?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "But there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX." + ], + "Between the Engadget report on the Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was there consistency in the reporting of the release date and immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED from Valve?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "What is the name of the company that Anthony Melone joined as a CTO, according to a TechCrunch article, and later became the CEO, as reported by a Wall Street Journal article?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple encourages diversity in browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple is facing legal challenges both for its Apple Watch and for enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology and a significant voice in Silicon Valley, mentioned in articles by both Fortune and TechCrunch, and was reportedly not removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to The Age?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental policies mentioned in a Reuters report on Mexico, which minister's initial of their last name is at the intersection of these two domains?": [], + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" suggest that the Federal Reserve's potential actions regarding interest rates are based on hopes of rate cuts, influence on global markets, and economic data in a consistent manner across different articles, or are there variations in the reasons attributed to the Federal Reserve's decision-making process in each article?": [ + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Pokémon has successfully expanded its reach beyond its core audience and multimedia properties, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Shayda (film) has managed to connect with a universal audience?": [ + "At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity.", + "We’ve screened it in Europe, North America and Australia and there is a real sense that it connects beyond my mother and I, beyond our experience." + ], + "Does the 'Revyuh Media' article claim that the discovery of Daam1's role is a significant advancement in cancer research, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article focuses on the involvement of Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera with the Cancer Couch Foundation from its inception, without attributing such a discovery to their activities?": [ + "This breakthrough, documented in the November 24 issue of Science Advances, heralds a new chapter in the understanding of cancer.", + "His children, Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera, who now are first-year students in college and in high school, have been involved from the get-go." + ], + "What is the position held by Vandita Pant at her place of employment, as reported in the first news article, and which major project was she involved in, as mentioned in the second news article?": [], + "Which company, recently criticized in a TechCrunch article for its generative AI model's architecture and capabilities, is also mentioned by The Verge as having made default search engine deals with major tech firms and being the only viable search option at the time of those negotiations, while also facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI, recognized for both his vision of AI's future and his philanthropic nature, who also invested in a teen's startup and was subject to controversy involving the board as reported by Fortune and multiple TechCrunch articles?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions regarding its influence over internet navigation, its capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and has been accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Shohei Ohtani's decision regarding his MLB future is influenced by a different factor than the excitement over a championship victory influencing the Ford family members and senior executives mentioned in Essentially Sports?": [ + "He’s played his entire six-year MLB career with the Angels, but his teams haven’t even sniffed the postseason and Ohtani’s made his desire to win crystal clear, so he won’t be back.", + "My phone has been blowing up with Ford family members and our senior executives already so excited about it." + ], + "Which company is at the center of discussions in articles from 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch' regarding its dominance in search engine services, its potential success in a legal case concerning phones and app stores, and its alleged anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' revenues and content?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do 'Music Business Worldwide' and 'The Verge' both report that 'TikTok users' engage in similar activities on the platform, with 'Music Business Worldwide' suggesting 'TikTok users' are more likely to discover and share music, while 'The Verge' indicates 'TikTok users' are vlogging their lives?": [ + "The study also found that the TikTok audience can be an effective marketing tool for artists, as TikTok users, in particular, are considerably more likely to discover and share music than overall social media and short video platform (SFV) users.", + "Every time I open TikTok, I see normal people and content creators alike vlogging their lives." + ], + "What are the entities associated with the Sporting News that not only modify betting lines based on the amount of money wagered and collected information but also offer promotional incentives and have the authority to return stakes in certain weather-affected events?": [ + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that OpenAI holds a leadership position in generative AI similar to how the Polygon article regards Abbas Kiarostami's status in the field of directing?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "The late Abbas Kiarostami was one of the most masterful directors of his time, and his masterful romance Certified Copy is available to watch for free at home." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by Variety and another by The Hollywood Reporter on \"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,\" which character is reported by Variety to have a significant new role in the film and is also mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter as having a notable scene involving a highway chase?": [], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the world's richest in that age group, who is now facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges and is accused of instructing a colleague to misuse $14 billion of customer funds, all while the prosecution claims the motive was to amass wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about Manchester United's victory over Bayern indicate the same outcome for Manchester United's European competitions as the 'Sporting News' article about Alvaro Barreal's goal implies for Inter Miami's postseason running?": [ + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side.", + "Eventually, Alvaro Barreal’s 78th-minute goal ended any hope that Inter Miami had to complete a stunning playoff charge, and the defeat coupled with CF Montreal’s big 4-1 victory over Portland means Inter Miami are officially out of the postseason running." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors can find value in NBA prop bets by considering team performance, with one discussing the value in player and team props and the other detailing options like a team leading at the end of a quarter or total points scored?": [ + "You can find value in player and team props by gathering information from multiple sources and tracking how players and their teammates perform.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Economic Times about Simran Bahadur, which team, mentioned as her favorite in The Times of India, also has a player that was highlighted for their performance in The Economic Times article?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The Wall Street Journal and another from USA Today about Scott McCartney, which airline, noted for its customer service improvements in the former, also faced scrutiny for its handling of a specific operational challenge as reported in the latter?": [], + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India suggest that a major attack against Israel requires intelligence support, while the article from Fortune claims that Israel controls the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into Gaza, indicating a difference in the focus of Israel's security and humanitarian control measures?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel." + ], + "Did the Sporting News publish an article on Moneyline betting at 21:25, stating that betting $130 on the Cowboys to win would result in a $100 loss if they win, and did the same news source maintain consistency in their explanation of betting mechanics in a subsequent article about Totals Betting at 22:08, which mentioned that bets placed on \"the over\" win if the combined score exceeds the sportsbook's set total?": [ + "Since 52 exceeds the set total of 47.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "If you bet $130 on the Cowboys and they win, you would earn a profit of $100." + ], + "Considering the information from two articles on TheSpAndroid, which character, introduced in the first article as a new addition to a popular mobile game and described in the second article as having a unique ability to control time, has become a fan favorite for their distinctive gameplay mechanics?": [], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article suggesting that the 'Federal Reserve' has a significant influence on global financial markets due to its response to US economic data align with the same newspaper's claim that the 'Federal Reserve' bases its interest rate decisions on economic data?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the description of ChatGPT's capabilities by TechCrunch changed between the article published on September 28 and the subsequent article on November 30?": [ + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claiming that Caroline Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds differ from the Fortune article's claim that Caroline Ellison did not adequately protect her hedge fund from risks, or do they both suggest a form of mismanagement by Caroline Ellison during her tenure at Alameda Research?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "Ellison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was unaware of the financial discrepancies at FTX, while the TechCrunch article alleges that he unknowingly committed fraud, and do both articles imply a lack of awareness and intent by Sam Bankman-Fried regarding the financial issues at FTX?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Engadget article claim that CyberGhost's cybersecurity measures include an independent security audit, a vulnerability disclosure program, and transparency reporting, while the TechCrunch article suggests that Keep Labs employs automated tools for code vulnerability assessments, indicating different approaches to product security?": [ + "From a security perspective, CyberGhost completed an independent security audit by Deloitte earlier this year, runs a vulnerability disclosure program and provides access to a transparency report explaining requests for its data.", + "The company uses automated tools such as Scan Hawk and Synk to test its security and provide code vulnerability assessments." + ], + "Does the article from 'Science News For Students' suggest that 'MXenes or MBenes' have a different role in addressing climate change compared to the lifestyle changes 'Peter Kalmus' made according to 'Yahoo News'?": [ + "As such, they’re never going to replace the need for reducing emissions of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases.", + "He stopped flying, became a vegetarian and ditched gasoline-powered cars (he drives a Tesla), cutting his personal emissions by about 90%, according to his math." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are abandoning Snapchat for information on a specific topic due to trust in other platforms, while The Guardian article discusses legal actions against Snapchat for a completely different reason related to the platform's use?": [ + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook.", + "Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive." + ], + "Has the approach to presenting prop bets to bettors by Sporting News remained consistent between the report on NBA prop bets published on October 2, 2023, and the report on NCAAF bowl season prop bets published later?": [ + "You can find value in player and team props by gathering information from multiple sources and tracking how players and their teammates perform.", + "These can be team or individual player prop bets, such as which team is winning at halftime or the total number of receptions a player collects." + ], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, is the same entity that spent billions to be the default search engine and has faced allegations of both releasing only a \"lite\" version of an AI model and harming news publishers' revenues, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After Jerome Powell's aggressive interest rate hikes mentioned by 'Fortune' on October 6th, 2023, did 'Business Line' report on October 14th, 2023, suggest that central bankers' stance on interest rates was consistent or inconsistent with Powell's approach as reported by 'Fortune'?": [ + "In the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated.", + "Over the past 18 months, the Fed’s current chair, Jerome Powell, has been following a very similar game plan to Volcker’s, raising interest rates aggressively to quash inflation." + ], + "Does the Fortune article suggest that the jury will not play a role in determining the truth about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, while the TechCrunch articles focus on past characterizations of Sam Bankman-Fried and allegations of his motives, without mentioning the jury's role in the matter?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were the primary cause of FTX's success being built on lies, while the TechCrunch article implies that comments by Changpeng Zhao were a contributing factor to the collapse of FTX?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Binance has made headlines this past year for a range of reasons, including Zhao’s comments contributing to the collapse of FTX, which was once one of its top competitors." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX trial, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, who is facing charges for instructing a trader to withdraw funds not exceeding the company's total revenue, and is accused of directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation while also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was the narrative concerning Caroline Ellison's role and actions as the CEO of Alameda Research consistent between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about her, and the subsequent reports from The Verge regarding statements made by her?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "Ellison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Jim Harbaugh published on November 6, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Michigan's game against Penn State with Jim Harbaugh on November 11, 2023, was the reporting on Jim Harbaugh's absence from the team consistent?": [ + "It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.", + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns." + ], + "After the report by Fortune on October 13th stating that \"Israel's blockade of Gaza means that a region the size of Philadelphia faces a real risk of starvation, says Peace Studies scholar,\" and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 19th claiming that \"Israel's retaliatory airstrikes and total blockade have devastated Gaza by cutting access to electricity, water, and vital supplies,\" is the portrayal of the impact of the blockade on Gaza by the international aid groups as reported by these two news sources consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israelis, Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and total blockade — cutting access to electricity, water and vital supplies — have devastated Gaza.", + "International aid groups now face the same problem in Gaza that local businesses and residents have encountered for about 16 years: a blockade that prevents civilians and items, like medicine from easily moving into or out of the enclosed area, roughly 25 miles long." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Valve is narrowing its focus to games in its store, while 'Polygon' and 'Engadget' articles indicate that Valve is continuing to develop and launch new hardware, as seen with the updates to the Steam Deck and the release of the Steam Deck OLED?": [ + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, discussing the fairness of Google Search's dominance, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in reporting on Google's competitive practices in their November 6, 2023, article about Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google and the December 15, 2023, article about a news publisher's antitrust suit against Google?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What is the name of the general-purpose chatbot developed by OpenAI, featured in TechCrunch and Engadget articles, that can generate text, debug code, and even compose music, and has celebrated its first anniversary since its release?": [ + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI.", + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Did the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Minnesota Vikings' passing play percentage in Week 4 was higher than in previous weeks, while the Sporting News articles, both regarding the Minnesota Vikings, indicate a strong defensive performance and consistent offensive results under Josh Dobbs' leadership compared to Kirk Cousins'?": [ + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Did the article from 'The Age' about Tyler Mitchell suggest that his career has been unsuccessful due to his early photography experiences, while the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about Graham Arnold indicates that his career choices involved staying with the Australian national team despite offers from Europe?": [ + "His career has only blossomed in the years since he took that trip, and while some artists might feel trepidation at the attainment of so much success from such an early age, Mitchell is clear-eyed.", + "Since then he’s been linked to club jobs in Europe but opted to stick around with the national team." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on the Epic v. Google case and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on the same case, was there agreement on the nature of Epic Games' arguments against Google?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article on the philanthropic efforts of the Overture Foundation and a Forbes report on their financial strategies, which board member, known for their innovative investment approach as per Forbes, also spearheaded a major educational initiative mentioned in the New York Times?": [], + "Which cryptocurrency exchange, founded by Sam Bankman-Fried due to his dissatisfaction with other platforms while running Alameda Research and criticized for its risk management practices including the lack of a chief risk officer and reliance on liquidation for managing customer risks, was also impacted by comments made by Changpeng Zhao and is the subject of articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "According to a now-deleted profile from FTX investors Sequoia Capital, FTX was founded because of Bankman-Fried’s frustration with other exchanges when he was running Alameda Research, his crypto trading firm.", + "Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them.", + "Binance has made headlines this past year for a range of reasons, including Zhao’s comments contributing to the collapse of FTX, which was once one of its top competitors.", + "Liquidation is a way for FTX to manage risk when people were engaging in risky bets on its platform." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article discussing Vladimir Putin's diplomatic strategies in Eastern Europe and a Reuters report on Russia's military exercises in the Arctic, which letter represents the first initial of the European country that has increased its defense budget in response to the exercises and is also seeking diplomatic talks with Russia as per Putin's strategy?": [], + "Did the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team played against England in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, while the 'TalkSport' article states that the England national teams are facing South Africa in both the Rugby World Cup and the ODI Cricket World Cup semi-finals, indicating different opponents for each country's national teams in their respective semi-final matches?": [ + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26.", + "It's crunch time for England in the World Cups as they face South Africa in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup and in the ODI Cricket World Cup." + ], + "Between the Engadget report on the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was the reporting on the release date of the new Steam Deck OLED inconsistent?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it." + ], + "Which company, known for its Kindle lineup that has led the e-reader market for years according to The Verge, also provides a platform described by sellers in a Cnbc | World Business News Leader report as offering a life-changing opportunity?": [ + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is involved in controversies over not fully releasing an AI model, influencing local search result rankings, and facing a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' business?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would alter betting lines due to news about team performance, suspend bets for weather-related game suspensions, modify odds in response to roster changes, and update NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on collected data?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on NBA MVP odds with Jokic and Giannis as early favorites on October 4, 2023, did the approach of sportsbooks, as mentioned in a later article from Sporting News on November 1, 2023, regarding the use of new data and analytics by oddsmakers to set betting lines, remain consistent or change?": [ + "When you see a total, such as 210.5 in a basketball game, it represents the combined score anticipated from both teams.", + "That’s because the oddsmakers are gathering information and applying new data and analytics to their lines to make them as accurate as possible." + ], + "Was Owen Teale's career impact not discussed in The Sydney Morning Herald before Tate McRae's breakthrough performance on Saturday Night Live was reported by The Age?": [ + "And if you can survive the moments when things don’t go your way, you can make it.” If you’re not a diehard Game of Thrones fan, Teale’s name may not be familiar.", + "It even landed her a slot on Saturday Night Live, that pop superstar rite-of-passage, and sold out shows for her upcoming Australian tour next November." + ], + "Has the portrayal of the 'vampire cause' in Polygon articles changed between the November 9, 2023, article discussing the undermining of vampires' menacing air and the November 15, 2023, article highlighting vampires as a hidden presence in the best versions of stories?": [ + "Nothing serves the vampire cause less than undermining the air of looming menace that they’ve been cultivating since the 15th century.", + "In the best version, the vampires are always there, in the background, waiting for you to discover them — just like in real life." + ], + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, whose trial involves contrasting representations of his actions by defense and prosecution, and who has claimed challenges in managing a rapidly growing financial platform while also being accused of fraudulent practices for personal gain, as reported by sources including Fortune, CNBC, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles, is not only facing criticism for its new generative AI model's architecture compared to GPT-4 but is also under scrutiny for its content practices on YouTube and accused of anticompetitive behavior that harms news publishers' revenue?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which entities are likely to adopt varied pricing models for AI tools and continue investing in security, according to TechCrunch, and are also not immune to global economic challenges as reported by Seeking Alpha?": [ + "The technology is still nascent, and many companies will likely find success with both kinds of pricing models.", + "While a lot of companies have clamped down on spending and IT budgets over the last couple years, security is one area where they have returned to spending even when other categories have remained frozen or constrained.", + "The demand for cybersecurity is strong, but companies are not immune to the realities of the global economy." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to claims from Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge, used another person as a front for illicit access to funds, has entered a not-guilty plea to multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, and was made aware of a significant financial discrepancy after judicial intervention?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did both the report from The Age after September 26, 2023, mentioning Travis Kelce's activities and the Yardbarker report after December 24, 2023, discussing Travis Kelce's performance expectations, indicate no change in the focus of Travis Kelce's professional commitments?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Shortly after that remark, Kelce took a week off training to visit New York City, according to Vulture." + ], + "Which person, who is the subject of an article in 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding a rumored relationship and is also mentioned in 'The Age' for receiving a symbolic item during a concert in Kansas City, has a tour scheduled that includes a performance at a venue where she has previously attended a game, as reported by 'CBSSports.com'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that 'Taylor Swift' is open about her relationship with a specific individual, whereas the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article does not mention her openness about personal relationships but instead focuses on her engagement with a viral TikTok video?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself." + ], + "Which company is at the center of a class action antitrust suit for its alleged impact on news publishers' revenues, is accused of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and payment processing by Epic Games, and has introduced a generative AI model called Gemini that claims to rival the performance of OpenAI's GPT-4, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, prior to being charged with fraud and conspiracy, was characterized as a reliable cryptocurrency figure by The Verge, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures according to Fortune, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Mastercard's financial performance in the last quarter and a Bloomberg report on Mastercard's strategic partnerships announced this year, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the Mastercard CEO who commented on the earnings report and the first letter of the company that Mastercard has entered into a new partnership with as mentioned in the Bloomberg article?": [], + "Which AI-powered chatbot, developed by OpenAI and featured in TechCrunch articles, can assist with tasks ranging from debugging code to composing music, and also generates text based on user prompts?": [ + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that The Verge reported as being overwhelmed by the growth of his responsibilities, Fortune accused of building success on falsehoods, and TechCrunch identified as facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Business World' article claim that the same individuals will serve on the Board of Trustees for the Philippine Education Development Fund (PhilEd) as the current Board of Trustees of the Fund, in contrast to the 'Music Business Worldwide' article where Andrew Wilkinson is reported to be retiring from the Hipgnosis Songs Fund board?": [ + "The present Board of Trustees of the Fund which consists of the Secretary of Education as Chairman with the Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority, the three Presidents of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU), the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) shall also constitute the proposed Board of Trustees of the PhilEd.", + "In addition, Andrew Wilkinson, 72, has informed the HSF board of his intention to retire as a board director, which will reduce the company’s board to five directors." + ], + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also the subject of a class action antitrust lawsuit by news publishers for allegedly harming their bottom line and siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Martin Scorsese has more autonomy in his filmmaking choices compared to earlier in his career, while The Independent - Life and Style article indicates that he has previously engaged with newer media platforms like TikTok through his daughter's videos?": [ + "This century has seen Scorsese zigging and zagging as always, but because he’s following his own varied interests, not because he’s moving from compromise to compromise, as he once had to in order to continue working.", + "This isn’t the first time Scorsese has made a special appearance in one of his daughter’s TikTok videos." + ], + "Does The Verge's article suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while TechCrunch's first article implies that Google is being transparent with legal documents in its antitrust battle, and TechCrunch's second article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', is likely to win a legal case about phones and app stores if the market is defined broadly as per 'The Verge', was deemed the only valid search engine service option by 'Apple' as reported by 'The Verge', and is accused of using anticompetitive practices to harm news publishers' financial interests as per 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Meta's moderation bias problem suggest a different impact on users compared to the TechCrunch article on Meta's proposed legislation for teen app downloads, with the former affecting Palestinian voices and the latter concerning parental oversight of teen social media usage?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on Sean Payton's decision to attempt a field goal and the 'Sporting News' article on Andre Blake's goalkeeping performance both describe a situation where the coach or player chose a conservative strategy in their respective sports scenarios?": [ + "Head coach Sean Payton elected to kick the field goal instead of going for it on Minnesota's 12-yard line.", + "Jonathan David nears the centre of the penalty area in a central position and lashes a dipping shot towards goal which Andre Blake does well to tip behind." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX trial, who was once considered a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Apple's choice of Google as a search engine provider was due to an abundance of alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Google's practices in app distribution, payment processing, and news publishing are not anticompetitive, implying that there are no alternatives being suppressed by Google's behavior?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Mattel Creations' collaboration with a famous artist and a Forbes report on Mattel Creations' release of a new toy line inspired by a classic movie series, which character from the movie series, now featured in the artist's collection, has been turned into a limited-edition toy by Mattel Creations?": [], + "Who is the individual whose legal team and government prosecutors are presenting differing narratives in court, as reported by Fortune, and is also associated with allegations of using a front for secret access to customer funds, not inquiring about an $8 billion discrepancy as highlighted by The Verge, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which individual, who is the subject of contrasting legal narratives in a Fortune article and admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy following a judge's intervention according to The Verge, is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for misusing customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'TechCrunch' article's allegation that he committed fraud for personal gain, and do both of these claims contrast with 'The Verge' article's portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Polygon article claim that 'Monster Hunter Now' is hosting its first themed event for Halloween, while the Engadget article suggests that ChatGPT is celebrating its first anniversary since release, indicating a similarity in the context of 'firsts' for both subjects?": [ + "Halloween in Monster Hunter Now is the first themed event to come to Capcom and Niantic’s monster-hunting AR game.", + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditures to become the default search engine published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in portraying Google's influence on various platforms and its impact on competitors' revenues?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article about Sherri Geerts spending Christmas with her birth mother after a long search share a similar theme of family reunion during the holiday season as the FOX News - Entertainment article about Amy Grant and Vince Gill performing together post-recovery?": [ + "Enjoying Christmastime with her oldest child — and only daughter — has been a long time coming for Sherri Geerts, 81, of Sunnyvale, California, Geerts told Fox News Digital.", + "After her recovery, the \"El Shaddai\" crooner shared the stage with her husband Gill during the Christmas season for several performances." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Pokémon has not expanded its reach beyond its core audience and multimedia properties, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Shayda (film) has managed to connect with a universal audience?": [ + "At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity.", + "We’ve screened it in Europe, North America and Australia and there is a real sense that it connects beyond my mother and I, beyond our experience." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing microblogging and public discourse platforms list a broader range of platforms including startups and new applications from larger tech companies compared to the TechCrunch article that mentions the homogenization of content on Social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X)?": [ + "Users today have far more options for microblogging and public discourse, thanks to products from Twitter-like startups and tech companies such as Spill, Bluesky, Pebble, Countersocial, Spoutible, Hive and the open source platform Mastodon, as well as efforts from tech giants, like Meta’s new app Threads.", + "TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) are all slowly evolving to become the same infinite scrollable feed of algorithm-optimized short videos from top performers." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on allegations of Sam Bankman-Fried committing fraud for personal gain and facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, without mentioning Caroline Ellison's involvement?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Before The New York Times reported on Norway's football team's lack of competitiveness in major football tournaments on November 17, 2023, did the Sporting News describe Manchester United's historical performance against Chelsea as worse with seven wins and only one defeat in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913?": [ + "United have the edge in the historical head-to-head, helped by their run of seven wins and only one defeat in the first 12 meetings between the teams, from 1905 to 1913.", + "But perhaps the more pertinent thing about Norway is that, historically, they generally haven’t been very competitive." + ], + "Who has been considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and is associated with a vision for AI agents' future, but faced controversy at OpenAI according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', has been accused of both manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and engaging in anticompetitive practices by paying billions to remain the default search engine on various devices, while also hosting an annual event to showcase new hardware developments and facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial, as reported by both TechCrunch and Fortune, who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing TomTom's latest strategic partnership and a Reuters report on TomTom's financial performance in the last quarter, which European country, home to TomTom's headquarters, is both the location of the new strategic partner's primary operations and also where TomTom reported a significant increase in consumer sales?": [], + "Considering the information from a Times of India article stating that Zoya Akhtar's film was selected for an international film festival, and a Hindustan Times report detailing her collaboration with a famous Hollywood actor for her next project, which character from the English alphabet is common to the initials of the international film festival and the first name of the Hollywood actor?": [], + "Does Scott Hurff's perspective on product design as discussed in TechCrunch focus more on the personal experience of being a product maker and designer, while the other TechCrunch article emphasizes the role of decision-making in product design?": [ + "As a writer, Scott Hurff doesn’t always write about product design; but when he does he is able to share his perspective as someone who’s also a product maker and designer.", + "The core of product design is decision-making with an astute instinct for making the best decisions at the most opportune time." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article focuses on Google's impact on the internet's appearance, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations related to manipulating search results for profit as reported by 'The Age' and is also accused by news publishers in a class action lawsuit covered by 'TechCrunch' for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What company, according to TechCrunch, claims to have developed a generative AI model with superior architecture while also spending billions to secure its position as the default search engine and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is the same person who, according to a Cnbc | World Business News Leader article, expressed intentions to establish a board with experts for a company but resisted having investors as directors, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by CNET on the Watch Series 9, which feature, highlighted as a significant upgrade in The Verge's piece and noted for its potential health benefits in CNET's coverage, is represented by a single letter commonly associated with a vital sign?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article attribute Elijah Garcia's 16th victory to a decision, while the 'Zee Business' article credits the India national cricket team with a World Cup win by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals?": [ + "Garcia then took his time picking his spots as a huge combination forced the hand of referee Tony Weeks at the 1:26 mark to get his 16th victory.", + "India went all the way to lift their second ODI World Cup trophy, defeating Sri Lanka in the finals." + ], + "Which two celebrities, whose speculated romantic involvement was suggested by one being seen wearing a themed friendship bracelet and both being spotted at Arrowhead Stadium, with one cheering from the box seats and later seen leaving together, have been featured in articles by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Age'?": [ + "In the picture, Swift could be seen standing next to Kelce, reaching to kiss his cheek.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Does the article from Sporting News involving Luciano Acosta mention a different type of game interruption than the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog involving Marcus Lee, with one discussing a foul resulting in a free-kick and the other discussing fouling out of the game?": [ + "47th min: Luciano Acosta is fouled on the edge of the attacking third, and it gives FC Cincinnati a free-kick early in the second half.", + "McVeigh (18 points) and Deng (17) gave strong offensive contributions for Tasmania, who lost Marcus Lee for the final few minutes after the starting centre fouled out." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing the latest advancements in space technology by Forerunner and a Forbes article discussing the financial growth and market expansion of Forerunner, which CEO, known for leading the innovative charge in space exploration and also recognized for significant company valuation increase, has been featured in both publications?": [], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Megan Schutt, which player, known for her exceptional bowling skills, was highlighted for taking key wickets in a recent international tournament as per ESPN and also discussed for her personal milestones and contributions to her national team in the BBC Sports article?": [], + "Who is the individual that admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, claimed an inability to manage two companies due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Generation Z experiences distress primarily due to climate change, while the article from Eos: Earth And Space Science News calls for a deeper understanding of sea surface temperature patterns as a significant climate driver?": [ + "One of the major sources of Gen Z’s distress, of course, is climate change.", + "In other words, first, we need to improve our understanding of drivers of sea surface temperature patterns—decadal coupled variability; the pace and spatial structure of ocean heat uptake; and forcing by aerosols, greenhouse gases, and volcanoes—as well as the relative timing of these drivers." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy mentioned in a Fortune article who has also been the subject of speculation in a TechCrunch piece regarding his truthfulness with the board?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Do the TechCrunch articles suggest that European AI startups and Ylva Johansson's proposal both incorporate a focus on compliance with existing regulations, or do they present different approaches to regulatory adherence?": [ + "One thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one.", + "For example the GDPR and other requirements, there are no derogation from that in my proposal,” she said." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single defeat for Michigan's football team could have a significant impact on their season, similar to how the Sporting News article describes Jets QB Zach Wilson's turnover as crucial in deciding the game's outcome?": [ + "One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.", + "The Chiefs took the lead on a field goal early in the final frame and a crucial turnover from Jets QB Zach Wilson eventually decided the fate of the game as Kansas City did not give the ball back to earn the win, 23-20." + ], + "What institution, recently mentioned in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald,' has been both forced to aggressively hike interest rates in response to inflation and booming home prices, and whose future decisions on whether to continue this trend or halt it are anticipated by investors based on incoming economic data?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Between the 'Fortune' report on Donald Trump's real estate valuations published on September 26, 2023, and the 'The Age' report alleging Donald Trump increased the value of his penthouse apartment, is there agreement on the matter of inflating property values?": [ + "James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state.", + "No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.", + "The prosecution argues that was to mask a drop in the value of one of his other properties." + ], + "Between the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions published on October 1, 2023, and the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on investors' expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy published on November 5, 2023, was there a change in the sentiment regarding the Federal Reserve's approach to interest rates?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by altruism, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Barack Obama's environmental policies and a Washington Post article detailing his education initiatives, which single letter grade did a prominent environmental group assign to the Obama administration's efforts on climate change, and what was the average grade level improvement in reading scores among students in a program that Obama's education reforms helped to fund?": [], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Garmin's latest earnings report and a Forbes article discussing Garmin's strategic partnerships, which letter, representing a stock market index, would Garmin's performance and collaborations most likely impact, as reported by these two sources?": [], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies to be the default search engine come with a variety of valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch article quantifies Google's spending on these deals at $26.3 billion in 2021, indicating a significant investment to maintain this status?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried prior to the start of his trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried, was the portrayal of his actions consistent?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company, according to TechCrunch, has not only seen a decrease in reported sexual assault rates by 38% between its safety reports but has also faced criticism for insufficient sexual assault prevention measures and inadequate background checks, while still achieving profitability with significant operating and net income in the third quarter?": [ + "The ride-hail company claims that the rate of sexual assault reported on the app decreased 38% between its first and second reports.", + "Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against Uber claiming the company hasn’t done enough to prevent instances of sexual assault by drivers.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, concerning Dave Clark's comments on Flexport, and the subsequent TechCrunch article on September 30, 2023, regarding Ryan Petersen's actions at Flexport, result in a change in the nature of the events reported?": [ + "Turmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion.", + "Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people." + ], + "Are the U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists mentioned in the TechCrunch article investing more in Chinese companies compared to the previous year, or are Investors, as reported by the Financial Times, showing a decreased interest in Japan for similar reasons?": [ + "The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before.", + "“You are seeing more interest in Japan from investors, who were primarily invested in China, as China has slowed and some of its economic policies have been confusing and opaque,” says Kirk Neureiter, president of Fidelity Management & Research Japan." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' report on 'Game 3 of the World Series' indicate that 'Brandon Pfaadt' is a probable starter, while 'Sporting News' suggests his pitching performance ended at a specific event during the game?": [ + "The World Series heads to Arizona for Monday’s Game 3 where Rangers’ Max Scherzer and the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt are currently penciled in as the probable starters.", + "9:35 p.m.: Top of 6th — Corey Seager flew out to center to start the inning but Brandon Pfaadt's night will be over after he issued a free pass to Adolis Garcia." + ], + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while The Verge article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried himself made the decision to use FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, indicating a difference in the reported involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX." + ], + "Who is the individual, once likened to a prominent investor and seen as a reputable figure in the cryptocurrency world by some, but not by TechCrunch, and is now facing trial with allegations of fraud that could potentially overshadow his previous portrayal in the industry?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was at Arrowhead Stadium, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' discusses her openness about a personal relationship, and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' mentions her engagement with a viral TikTok video, indicating different aspects of her public presence?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "What is the name of the CEO who, according to articles from The Wall Street Journal, led Crown Castle's expansion into the fiber optic sector and, as per Forbes, was also involved in a major partnership deal with a leading telecommunications company?": [], + "Which wide receiver, currently leading the league and ranked as WR1 by Sporting News for Week 14, would need to average almost 153 yards over his final three games, as suggested by CBSSports.com, to reach a season goal of 2,000 receiving yards, despite facing strong pass defenses in his remaining games according to Sporting News, and also scored two touchdowns with 157 receiving yards for the Miami Dolphins as reported by The Guardian?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Denise George was dismissed for her legal actions related to Jeffrey Epstein's estate, while the 'Sport Grill' article discusses whether Reece James should have been dismissed for an elbowing incident during a football match?": [ + "Four weeks after that deal was struck – and four days after George filed the suit against JPMorgan – the official news arrived from the Office of the Governor.", + "Reece James was then lucky not to be dismissed for Chelsea in the 11th minute of injury-time after he elbowed Udogie in the face, yet VAR deemed it a simple incident and not a yellow or red card offence." + ], + "Considering an ESPN article detailing the Cleveland Browns' recent draft picks and a Sports Illustrated report on the team's free agency signings, which player, represented by the initial \"M,\" was both drafted by the Browns and later mentioned as a key free agent acquisition?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's GDPR compliance concerns suggest the same legal issue as the TechCrunch article on Meta's responsibility for teen social media monitoring, and does it also differ from the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias affecting Palestinian voices?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the launch of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini suggest a different development in AI chatbot technology compared to the TechCrunch article about the general-purpose AI chatbot ChatGPT?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting betting lines and odds, as reported by Sporting News before October 4, 2023, and before November 1, 2023, remained consistent?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on 'Inter Miami premium packages' suggest they are more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, while the same source indicates that 'Manchester United and Chelsea' had a closer points gap in the 2006/07 season than the season before?": [ + "The most expensive premium packages at Inter Miami in 2024, which will run supporters over $45,000, dwarf any of the most luxurious tickets in the Premier League.", + "United closed the gap to finish eight points behind Chelsea in second the following season, then returned to the top in 2006/07, the deposed champions coming six points short of their total." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while the 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles accuse Sam Bankman-Fried of misusing customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, indicating different alleged financial practices?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on the SBF trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's prosecution allegations published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, has not only faced a class action antitrust lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue but also spent billions in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status, and has been criticized for releasing only a lite version of an expected AI model?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to sit out of the Sunday game, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article where Dennis Allen suggests Chris Olave, despite being a full participant in practice, is still uncertain to play due to concussion protocol?": [ + "UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Hockenson is expected to play against New Orleans.", + "Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters Friday that despite Olave being a full participant in Friday's practice he is still in concussion protocol though has a chance to play." + ], + "Which company, according to allegations discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', has both manipulated its search service to increase ad revenue and spent billions to secure its position as the default search engine, while also facing legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive practices that could affect its legal standing as outlined by 'The Verge'?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, used FTX customer funds to secure a buyout, recruited a colleague from Jane Street for ventures at Alameda and FTX, and is facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, featured in articles by TechCrunch, The Verge, and Fortune, had significant holdings in \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral,\" was able to maintain a negative balance without liquidation on FTX, and was involved in taking losses to present a better financial image for FTX, all while acting within its legal boundaries as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": [ + "But there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX.", + "It was not, however, possible for those accounts to avoid liquidation, as Wang testified Alameda could do — or to have an overall negative balance.", + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's financial actions?\n\nBetween the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of financial discrepancies, is the reporting on Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of financial issues consistent?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the report by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there disagreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's response to economic conditions?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Who is the individual mentioned in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, who cited challenges in managing a rapidly growing FTX and Alameda Research, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to different reports from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, allegedly used a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, portrayed a reliable image in the crypto sector before a major company's failure, and is accused by the prosecution of engaging in fraudulent acts for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual reported by The Verge to have struggled with managing two companies due to their growth and also decided to use $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout, and is the same person mentioned by TechCrunch as having pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once compared to Warren Buffet and seen as the white horse of crypto by some, but not by TechCrunch, who reportedly intended to use his wealth to save humanity from extinction and told another trader that withdrawing money from a certain account was permissible as long as it didn't exceed the trading revenue of his company, which is the same individual the prosecution alleges committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that was portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure, allegedly built a successful exchange on falsehoods, and is accused of using customer funds for a buyout and committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which individual, commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly dealing with her situation according to 'The Independent - Life and Style', also described being ritually tortured by the age of 16 and became public property as reported by 'The Guardian'?": [ + "After hearing the news, Federline’s attorney Mark Kaplan told Entertainment Tonight: “Kevin commends Britney for recognising that she needs to take a step back and that she is taking the reasonable steps to dealing with her situation in a responsible way.", + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the Gujarat Giants' performance in the recent tournament and a Times of India report on the team's strategic changes, which player, identified by their jersey number, was highlighted for their exceptional performance in the former and is also noted for adapting well to the new strategies mentioned in the latter?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the reporting of the adaptation sequence of the original works into films between the Polygon article published on September 28, 2023, discussing \"Hellraiser (film)\" and the FOX News - Lifestyle article published on October 30, 2023, mentioning \"The Exorcist (book and movie)\"?": [ + "Doe's story was adapted into the 1971 book \"The Exorcist\" by William Peter Blatty, which was then made into the 1973 movie starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair.", + "Clive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut adapts his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart to tell the story of Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins)." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Amitabh Bachchan's philanthropic efforts and a Times of India report on his recent filmography, which character, portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan, links his role in a movie addressing social issues to his real-life advocacy work as described in these articles?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditures to become the default search engine published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in portraying Google's influence on various platforms and its impact on competitors' revenues?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report a defeat for the Dallas Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Miami Dolphins on \"Sunday Night Football\"?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Philadelphia rolled to a 31-17 win over Miami on \"Sunday Night Football,\" keeping the Dolphins' offense off the scoreboard in the second half and playing smart football every step of the way down the stretch." + ], + "Considering the information from two separate articles on Retail Fuse, which company, known for its significant discounts during Black Friday events, also announced a strategic partnership with a tech firm to enhance its e-commerce platform?": [], + "Does the Fortune article claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article which claims that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "The crypto trading firm, according to Wang, pulled funding directly from FTX customers, whose transactions would be funneled toward Alameda and then directed elsewhere." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the ethicality of his financial practices, and does the second TechCrunch article imply that his actions were driven by fraudulent intentions?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's payments to secure default search engine status are part of its anticompetitive behavior, while The Verge article focuses on the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services, and another TechCrunch article alleges that Google's anticompetitive actions extend to harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about Justin Spelhaug, which position, starting with the letter 'V', does he hold at a company that has recently launched a philanthropic initiative aimed at enhancing technological capabilities in underprivileged communities?": [], + "What company, covered by TechCrunch, has reported a 38% decrease in the rate of sexual assault on its app between its first and second safety reports, while also facing criticism for inadequate background checks designed for quick driver sign-up, and despite being aware of sexual assaults by its drivers since 2014, has still managed to generate substantial profitability with $394 million in operating income and $219 million in net income in the third quarter?": [ + "The ride-hail company claims that the rate of sexual assault reported on the app decreased 38% between its first and second reports.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly.", + "Uber has attempted to address sexual assaults by drivers — which the lawsuits claim Uber has known about since 2014 — through new safety features in its app, like a 911 button and the ability to share location with a friend.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on new discoveries about the moon align with the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article's observations regarding increased solar activity?": [ + "We are constantly learning new things about our home star, and 2023 has been no different.", + "\"Recent observations of sunspots, a measure of how active the sun is, show a dramatic increase from this time last year, and we are approaching the expected peak of the 11-year solar cycle in 2024 or 2025,\" New Scientist reported." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, and again on December 15, 2023, citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, did the news source maintain consistency in its portrayal of Google's market behavior?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that was involved in the creation of FTX, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is accused of achieving wealth through fraudulent means, a situation that was highlighted after a judge's intervention?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on prop betting suggest that sportsbooks generally keep the stakes for player prop bets if the player doesn't play, and does the Sporting News article on BetRivers specify that BetRivers offers a refund in bonus bets of a certain amount if the first bet loses?": [ + "If you bet on a player and they don’t play in the game, most sportsbooks void the bet and refund your wager.", + "Place your first bet and, if it loses, BetRivers will refund the amount of the wager in bonus bets worth up to $100, $250 or $500, depending on your state." + ], + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, was also described by The Verge as having no valid alternative for search engine services during a court defense, and is the subject of a class action antitrust suit by news publishers for allegedly harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the reporting on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" by 'The Independent - Life and Style' differ between the article published on 2023-10-12 and the one on 2023-10-16 regarding \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\"?": [ + "She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.", + "Outsiders are now aware that Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, but the timeline of her relationship with Alsina is still fuzzy." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social networks are controlled by large corporations in a similar way to how The Age article implies that DeepMind was a target for acquisition by major tech companies?": [ + "Today, social networks are often run by large corporations — like Meta, Snap and Google — where advertisers pay the bills.", + "By the end of 2012, Google and Facebook were angling to acquire the London lab, according to three people familiar with the matter." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article stating Johnny Cardoso's exclusion from the USMNT squad after an ankle injury align with the same source's report on Tyler Adams' absence from the team due to a hamstring injury?": [ + "Johnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.", + "He has been absent from the national team since injuring his hamstring in the spring, and it’s possible now he’ll need a second surgery to address the issue." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article about Jayden Fielding mention a missed field goal attempt, while the Sporting News report on Chad Ryland discuss a successful field goal, with both instances involving different distances?": [ + "The Buckeyes settled for a 52-yard field goal late in the first half, which Jayden Fielding missed wide left.", + "8:54 p.m.: The Patriots put their first points on the board with a 33-yard field goal from Chad Ryland." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Biden's AI Executive Order as broad but lacking depth without corresponding legislation on October 31, 2023, and Music Business Worldwide shared concerns from the National Music Publishers Association about generative AI being a significant risk to the human creative class on November 30, 2023, is the stance of these two news sources on the need for regulatory measures for AI consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "That’s because right now there is no legislative remedy to potential AI risks and abuses outside of those that can be applied to tech companies in general — which many have argued over the years are also inadequate.", + "Yet the NMPA’s submission is hardly a Luddite diatribe against high tech; rather, it advocates for regulations and principles that it sees as the right approach to ensuring that the interests of musical artists – and music rights holders – don’t end up subjugated in the frenzy to build our brave new AI-powered world." + ], + "What company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is responsible for making 300 hardware updates since the original launch and is now releasing an improved product on November 16th, emphasizing that developers won't need to target multiple performance benchmarks?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest a different level of personal relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce compared to the stance on their relationship expressed in The Independent - Life and Style, with one implying a romantic interest and the other discussing openness?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Did President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. express no concern about the Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio in Business World on October 8, 2023, and did the implications of rising national debt on private investment discussed in Business World on November 5, 2023, contradict his views?": [ + "If the debt continues to rise more than the economy, risks will increase, and the government may “crowd out” private investment as it competes with the private sector for funds to service its debt.", + "And yet, “We worry about our debt-to-GDP ratio in the Philippines, as it stands at about 63% and that’s a little high for us and it is not ideal,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. told members of the US-ASEAN Business Council who visited Malacañang (ABS-CBN, Aug. 9, 2023)." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Spider-Man embodies the spirit of Easter in a way that aligns with the portrayal of Thanksgiving as a time for gratitude and togetherness described in The Independent - Life and Style article?": [ + "We identify with his struggles and his little glimmers of connection and triumph — which makes him the perfect superhero for Thanksgiving.", + "Apart from the food - arguably the main component of the day - the holiday is a beloved time of year when Americans come together to celebrate what they are thankful for, either with family or friends." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, previously likened to a financial icon but not by TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual who, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange, projected a trustworthy image, faced accusations in court of making fraudulent claims to investors about governance, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, and is alleged by prosecutors to have sought wealth, power, and influence through deliberate deception, with these events being reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that FTX's appointment of a chief risk officer eliminated its business risks in a similar way that 'Fortune' implies Caroline Ellison's actions as CEO of Alameda did not adequately mitigate the risks of the crypto markets?": [ + "Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Has the perspective on the US economy's risk of entering a recession as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald changed between the article published on October 1, 2023, and the one published on December 5, 2023?": [ + "But it may also dent what’s been a big driver keeping the US economy out of a recession.", + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that the kid appeal of \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" is based on shared stories among elementary school children, while the same source, Polygon, indicates that in \"Tears of the Kingdom,\" Link is treated with suspicion by children due to unfamiliarity, thus showing a difference in children's reactions to the characters in the two games?": [ + "Its kid appeal is an echo of a time when playgrounds were alight with elementary school kids describing the antics of Freddy and/or Jason, whether witnessed firsthand or pieced together from rumors.", + "Moving through the now underground settlement, Link is greeted with suspicion and novelty to the sheltered children who have not seen men before, and he’s treated as a presumed threat for his proximity." + ], + "Which global music artist, who is Time's Person of the Year according to 'The Independent - Life and Style' and is openly in a relationship with Travis Kelce, is expected not to cancel any shows from her year-long Eras Tour, where she might receive a friendship bracelet during her concert in Kansas City as reported by 'The Age'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which individual, covered by both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', is implicated in using customer funds for a buyout, faced challenges managing two companies due to rapid growth, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Based on the financial performance report from The Australian and the strategic partnership developments reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, which single letter represents the ASX ticker symbol for Seven West Media?": [], + "Has the advice provided by Sporting News to bettors regarding the evaluation of betting opportunities and offers remained consistent after the report on \"FanDuel 'Prop Stars' Picks\" published on September 28, 2023, and the report on \"Best sportsbook bonus offers for NFL Monday Night Football\" published on December 18, 2023?": [ + "We urge you to read the requirements for any available promotions and offers before accepting them so you’re aware of any restrictions before betting.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that the New Orleans Saints' performance is poor due to their easy schedule, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article implies that Manchester United's poor performance is attributed to the goals scored by Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus?": [ + "NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Head coach Dennis Allen: New Orleans' 5-6 record against the league’s easiest schedule is bad.", + "Goals from West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus extended Manchester United’s miserable run in the English Premier League." + ], + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the Fortune article indicates that market participants need to act responsibly to maintain a reasonable market, despite the current low rates?": [ + "With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.", + "“Each actor will have to be responsible to ensure that the market remains reasonable amid rates that are relatively low,” CMA CGM Chief Financial Officer Ramon Fernandez told reporters Friday." + ], + "Between the report from The Age before September 26, 2023, mentioning Travis Kelce's activities and the Yardbarker report before December 24, 2023, discussing Travis Kelce's performance expectations, was there a change in the focus of Travis Kelce's professional commitments?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Shortly after that remark, Kelce took a week off training to visit New York City, according to Vulture." + ], + "Considering the economic forecasts from a Bloomberg article and the diplomatic developments reported by The Korea Herald, which South Korean minister, identified by their initial, is at the center of negotiating trade agreements that could potentially influence the country's GDP growth projections for the next fiscal year?": [], + "Which company, facing a recent antitrust lawsuit that affected its stock value as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase as mentioned by Polygon, and is considered by sellers to provide life-changing opportunities according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite once being compared to Warren Buffet and hailed as the white horse of crypto (but not by TechCrunch), is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, and is also alleged to have directed the misappropriation of $14 billion from a thriving crypto exchange's customers to cover debts, according to reports by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial claim that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, while another TechCrunch article alleges Sam Bankman-Fried is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and a third TechCrunch piece suggests that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating a consensus on the misuse of customer funds and fraudulent intentions among the articles?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation issues suggest a different kind of problem affecting users than the TechCrunch article alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by Meta?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Meta's moderation issues affecting Palestinian voices on October 19, 2023, and again on Meta's ad-free subscription service being potentially illegal and unfair on November 30, 2023, was there consistency in the news source's critical perspective towards Meta's policies and practices?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Economic Times on Disha Kasat, which company's CEO, known for their innovative approach to sustainable fashion, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list and also partnered with a major tech firm to enhance their supply chain transparency?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's strategy for AI distribution suggest a different approach than the TechCrunch article on the availability of GPT-4 with vision, with one focusing on an \"app store for AI\" and the other on the launch of a specific API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "After the report by The Verge on October 20, 2023, about Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the lifestyle of TikTok users, did the Music Business Worldwide report on November 21, 2023, maintain consistency regarding the behavior of TikTok users in relation to music streaming services?": [ + "The study also found that the TikTok audience can be an effective marketing tool for artists, as TikTok users, in particular, are considerably more likely to discover and share music than overall social media and short video platform (SFV) users.", + "Every time I open TikTok, I see normal people and content creators alike vlogging their lives." + ], + "Did the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog imply that England's cricket team had no issues with preparation and team selection for the World Cup, while the Zee Business article indicates that Australia's cricket team had key performers in their 2015 World Cup semi-final match?": [ + "Leading the charge was the always outspoken Sir Geoff Boycott, who wrote in The Telegraph that the team were paying the price for poor preparation in the lead-up to the World Cup, as well as shoddy team selection extending back to The Ashes earlier this year.", + "Australian Man-of-the-Match Steve Smith (105 runs in 93 balls) and Aaron Finch (81 runs in 116 balls) were the guiding forces in taking Australia to 328 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs." + ], + "Considering the performance insights from an ESPN article and the strategic decisions mentioned in a Times of India article on Smriti Mandhana, which single character from the English alphabet would best represent the jersey number she is most commonly associated with?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article about the recent changes in Amsterdam's transportation policies and a Reuters report on the economic impact of tourism in Amsterdam, which letter of the alphabet is the initial of the current mayor of Amsterdam who is responsible for implementing a new bike-sharing program and also addressed the concerns of local businesses regarding tourist spending?": [], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United struggles with pressure in the Champions League, particularly in Istanbul, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern at Old Trafford, indicating a difference in the stage of competition where Manchester United faces challenges?": [ + "When it comes to pressure in the Champions League of late, United do not cope well and there are few events trickier than a night in Istanbul.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, faced challenges in managing the growth of his cryptocurrency exchange, was accused of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, and is alleged by prosecutors to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 25, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing what was learned about the Google antitrust case involving Apple published on October 31, 2023, show a consistency in the portrayal of Apple's actions regarding its choice of search engine and browser options for iPhone users?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that the Big Ten commissioner has not taken action on the sign-stealing allegations, while the 'Sporting News' article claims that Michigan accused 'Ohio State and Rutgers' of leaking signs to 'Purdue', indicating different aspects of the controversy?": [ + "“There is just a ton of frustration,” a Big Ten coach told The Athletic on Thursday morning.", + "Now, Michigan has a scandal on the field, and they countered with allegations that Ohio State and Rutgers leaked Michigan's signs to Purdue in last year's Big Ten championship game." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles for both hosting an annual hardware event to showcase new developments and being the subject of a class action antitrust lawsuit by news publishers for its alleged anticompetitive practices, is also known for its search engine and advertising services?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison's management of her hedge fund, did The Verge's report on October 12, 2023, regarding Caroline Ellison's confession maintain consistency with the previous portrayal of her actions?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's customer satisfaction scores, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on the jury's determination of his truthfulness and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, without mentioning specific operational practices like withdrawal permissions?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did CBSSports.com report on Kenneth Walker III's injury before Sporting News mentioned the absence of Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney due to injuries?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "Entering Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Alameda Research needed a liquidation prevention system due to a software bug, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, indicating a difference in the portrayal of Alameda Research's operational integrity in the two sources?": [ + "Because of that experience, Bankman-Fried suggested an “alert” or “delay” that would keep Alameda from being liquidated by a bug.", + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that \"People's preferences regarding social media content\" will remain focused on curated experiences, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicates that \"Michael Cheika\" values past experiences, curated or not, for preparation?": [ + "He also believes that after everything on social media becomes so perfectly curated for us, our brains will start to crave things that are not.", + "What we have done since then, all the success and failures [matters in our preparation]." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published after that date, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of necessity to one of alleged anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the economic analysis from The Wall Street Journal and the environmental policy updates from The Washington Post, which country, known for its significant oil exports, is both facing potential sanctions affecting its energy sector and is also planning to invest in renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions by a single-digit percentage by 2030?": [], + "After observing the increase in solar activity as reported by 'FOX News - Lifestyle' on October 8, 2023, did the discoveries about the sun reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' on December 24, 2023, show an agreement or disagreement with the earlier observations of sunspots and solar activity?": [ + "We are constantly learning new things about our home star, and 2023 has been no different.", + "\"Recent observations of sunspots, a measure of how active the sun is, show a dramatic increase from this time last year, and we are approaching the expected peak of the 11-year solar cycle in 2024 or 2025,\" New Scientist reported." + ], + "Does the article from Wired suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Walmart Cyber Monday Deals, while the article from Music Business Worldwide indicates that Artists are seeking deals that offer more control and better economics, or do both articles suggest a common trend in seeking value and control in their respective fields?": [ + "With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.", + "Beyond that, artists today are also much more conscious of their career trajectory and look for better deals, with more freedom, more transparency, and more options." + ], + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that Manchester United's Premier League journey has ended by mentioning their travel for the 11th match, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United's participation in European competitions has concluded with a defeat by Bayern?": [ + "Man United vs Fulham Live: Premier League LIVE – MUN vs FUL LIVE – Manchester United are travelling to Greater London for their 11th Premier League match of the season.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a contest of financial disparity between teams, while 'Sporting News' discusses the 'Manchester United and Chelsea rivalry' in terms of historical intensity rather than financial differences?": [ + "“It was the millionaires of the Premier League against the youngsters of the Championship,” reflected the former Denmark forward.", + "Although the matches between United and Chelsea have tended to be closely contested, they do not have as fierce a rivalry as the Red Devils do with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, or the west London club holds with neighbours such as Tottenham and Arsenal." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article reporting the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season align with the same source's report on the New York Red Bulls' win against FC Cincinnati with a score of 2-1 in terms of both teams achieving a victory?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Around the rest of the league, the New York Red Bulls have picked up a massive three points off Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati with a 2-1 win, while CF Montreal grabbed a last-gasp equalizer against the Houston Dynamo, and Charlotte FC pummeled Toronto FC 3-0." + ], + "Which team, with a chance to win their third ODI World Cup according to Zee Business, faced a 162-run defeat in their first World Cup encounter against Australia and also played against them in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup?": [ + "It is only time to tell if the Aussies will repeat history or if it will be India who will write history by winning their third ODI World Cup.", + "India met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs.", + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions are under scrutiny, as depicted by contrasting portrayals in 'Fortune', where his ability to manage two major businesses was questioned by 'The Verge', and who is accused of fraudulent activities according to 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms in 2021, and has been accused in a class action lawsuit of harming news publishers' revenues and readership through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did Polygon recommend Nintendo Switch games before The Verge suggested a GameStop gift card as a last-minute gift option, which could be used to purchase such games?": [ + "Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.", + "Luckily, we’ve got six recommendations, ranging from modern Nintendo classics (that you can’t play on any non-Nintendo console) to indie games that are perfect for the Switch." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on the broader allegations of fraud and conspiracy against Sam Bankman-Fried without specifying the use of customer funds?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article about Epic Games' antitrust battle claim a loss for the company, while the TechCrunch article about Sonos report a legal victory against Google?": [ + "Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "Not Sonos fast there: Audio company Sonos scored a big $32.5 million win against Google a while back." + ], + "Which football club, discussed on both TalkSport and Sporting News, has both set an unwanted record by conceding 14 goals in the Champions League group stages and has been eliminated from European competitions following a defeat at their home ground, known as Old Trafford?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article credit Ayman Sadiq with recognizing the scalability of his educational content on YouTube based on follower count, while the Music Business Worldwide article discusses Sony Music's relationship with YouTube without mentioning scalability?": [ + "After hitting a following of 100,000 people on YouTube, Sadiq said he realized the idea was scalable.", + "MBW’s sources close to Sony Music were keen to point out that the company’s general ongoing relationship with YouTube and YouTube Music is a harmonious one." + ], + "Which company, recently scrutinized by European Union regulators for its livestreaming policies during the Israel-Hamas war, is also facing criticism for alleged GDPR non-compliance, purported violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and accusations of bias against Palestinian voices, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the agricultural advancements mentioned in a Reuters report on Zambia, which minister's initial of their first name would be central to both implementing fiscal policies and promoting technological innovations in farming?": [], + "Between the Sporting News article published on September 28, 2023, highlighting bettors' opportunities with Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift-inspired props and the November 1, 2023, article explaining point spread betting, has the Sporting News' portrayal of the influence of news or sentiment on bettors and sportsbooks remained consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a change in the scoring trend for \"Thursday Night Football\" compared to previous games, while The Guardian article describes a specific instance where Lauren James created a scoring opportunity, without implying a general trend change in scoring for the game?": [ + "It's something that doesn't happen often on \"Thursday Night Football,\" but that should change this week.", + "England went close to a second, with the Dutch having taken the lead against Belgium, when James weaved into the box before delivering to Hemp at the far post who lashed her effort off the base of a post from close range." + ], + "Has the approach to content moderation by social media companies, as reported by TechCrunch, changed from the time when the Supreme Court was set to hear cases on state laws restricting moderation (published at '2023-10-04T20:07:42+00:00') to the period when Twitter (now called X) under Elon Musk's leadership implemented a crowdsourced moderation system (published at '2023-11-03T17:43:00+00:00')?": [ + "Last week, the Supreme Court decided that it would hear the pair of cases, which revolve around Republicans crafting state-specific laws that order platforms to keep their hands off of some social media posts.", + "Under Musk, Twitter — now called X — has prioritized “free speech” managed by crowdsourced-based moderation." + ], + "What entity, referenced in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is responsible for aggressively hiking interest rates to combat inflation following a period of booming home prices and also has a significant influence on global financial markets, particularly through its upcoming decisions based on US economic data?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the responsibility for the narrative focus on Orlando Arcia's comments to the New York Yankees, while The Verge article credits the storytelling depth in 'Castlevania: Nocturne' to the game's own lore and thematic exploration?": [ + "\"And if the Braves let this be the story of their series, that's on them.", + "But while Nocturne could have easily settled and coasted on classic Castlevania vibes, the new show steps its game up considerably by using the franchise’s iconic lore to challenge your understanding of what it truly means to fight for freedom, equality, and fraternity." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI who, despite not being removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to 'The Age', was involved in presenting a vision for AI's future at the company's developer conference as per 'Fortune', and has also invested in a teenager's AI startup as reported by 'TechCrunch', but faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board according to another 'TechCrunch' article?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's legislative proposal regarding teen app downloads published on November 15, 2023, was there a change in the type of challenges Meta is addressing in the public sphere, moderation bias or parental control over app downloads?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents." + ], + "Between the Polygon article published on 2023-10-16 featuring Thomas, David, and the private investigator, and the FOX News - Lifestyle report on 2023-11-17 involving Or Levy, is the theme of individuals working together to rescue someone who has been kidnapped consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "Hand spoke to Fox News Digital beside Michael Levy, whose brother Or was also taken hostage by terrorists.", + "When they run into a somewhat incompetent private investigator (Sammo Hung) who is also looking for the woman, the group bands together to save her when she is suddenly kidnapped." + ], + "What is the name of the project, as reported by Bloomberg, that BHP Group is planning to expand, which according to a Reuters article, is also facing environmental concerns from local communities?": [], + "Who is the individual whose trial, covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, involves determining the truth behind actions that include fraud and conspiracy charges, and also involves allegations of permitting withdrawals from a trading account as long as they did not exceed the platform's total trading revenue, as reported by The Verge?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are a source of frustration for Palestinians in a similar way that The Guardian article implies surveillance cameras are affecting their daily lives and protest abilities?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "These cameras have created a chilling effect on not just the ability to protest but also on the daily lives of Palestinians who live under occupation, according to Amnesty investigators." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's net worth is closer to Floyd Mayweather's due to profitable boxing matches, while the 'Sporting News' article focuses on the strategy behind a specific knockdown in a fight involving Canelo Alvarez, without discussing his financial status?": [ + "Meanwhile, his pockets became deeper and deeper, to the point that Canelo boasts a $180 million net worth in 2023.", + "These were just to name a few; over the years, Canelo has fought in increasingly profitable bouts.", + "That’s what happens when you change the punch,\" Canelo said about the knockdown." + ], + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges is reported by TechCrunch, is accused by Fortune of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Annabel Croft's career highlights and a Guardian piece discussing her commentary work, which Grand Slam tournament, represented by its first letter, did Annabel Croft win as a junior that she later provided expert analysis for as a commentator?": [], + "Which NFL team, featured in articles by Sporting News and CBSSports.com, experienced a dominating defense from their opponent, altered their passing strategy for the first time in the season, and had limited options to change the outcome of a game due to timeouts, while also seeing a backup quarterback producing similar offensive results as their starter?": [ + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.", + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "11:03 p.m. — The Vikings are using their two timeouts, but there isn't much they'll be able to do once this hits fourth down.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "After Wired reported on October 10, 2023, that Best Buy also had deals on Apple products, did The Verge's article on October 26, 2023, about the availability of deals on current Macs with M1, M2, or M3 chips indicate a consistent or inconsistent trend in the availability of Apple deals at retailers?": [ + "But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.", + "These deals aren't just at Amazon either—we've linked to other retailers like Best Buy when available." + ], + "Which company, known for creating a Prime-themed sale day and introducing invite-only deals for fast-selling items, experienced a stock decline due to an antitrust lawsuit reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and is also considered by sellers as providing a life-changing opportunity, as discussed by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulating search results for profit, facing legal scrutiny over app store practices, showcasing new hardware developments at an annual event, and being accused of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, as reported by The Age, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the focus on the impact of sleep on the immune system remained consistent in the reports from 'The Independent - Life and Style' after the article discussing the lives of insomniacs published on October 1, 2023, compared to the article about the clock change published on October 24, 2023?": [ + "Research shows that even a small reduction in sleep has been shown to impact your immune system, however.", + "“This sex difference in insomnia emerges after puberty, suggesting that hormonal differences such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may be the cause of this increased risk in women,” Dr Browning says." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns regarding anticompetitive practices and a lack of additional content safeguards on its video platform, while also being described as the only viable option for search engine services by a major technology firm, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the article from The Verge on October 26, 2023, discussing Google's local search ranking criteria and the TechCrunch article on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditures to remain the default search engine, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's influence over search-related practices?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Regarding the role of House Speaker and the involvement of Rep. Patrick McHenry, is the stance of bipartisan groups of lawmakers as reported by 'Fortune' consistent or inconsistent between the article published on 2023-10-18 and the one on 2023-10-20?": [ + "McHenry himself has brushed off attempts to take the job more permanently after he was appointed to the role after the unprecedented ouster of McCarthy more than two weeks ago.", + "Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by giving greater power to McHenry or another temporary speaker." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would modify betting odds and lines due to news sentiment or money flow, and also provide welcome bonuses, particularly in the context of the NBA Rookie of the Year wagering?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Was the defensive performance of Cameron Carter-Vickers reported as a strong point for the USMNT by Sporting News before or after Sporting News reported on Erik ten Hag's team (Manchester United) withstanding late attacks to maintain their lead?": [ + "Carter-Vickers was not a target for Germany to attack nearly as much as the other three defenders on the pitch, a strong nod to his abilities.", + "Despite a flurry of late attacks driven by Reece James, Ten Hag's team stood strong and held on to see out the victory." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age focus on Google's impact on news publishers and general search fairness, respectively?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What is the type of establishment mentioned by Sporting News that alters betting lines in response to events such as injuries or roster changes, balances liability based on where significant amounts of money are placed, and refines NBA Rookie of the Year odds according to the information collected?": [ + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Who is the soccer player that, after scoring his first international goals in 2020 and having a prolific start with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, has the chance to finish as the top scorer of 2023 with two games left for Manchester City and has contributed to their historic treble, as reported by TalkSport, The New York Times, and The Guardian?": [ + "With two games left for City in 2023, Haaland has time to be the overall top scorer, though it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola will play him against Everton and Sheffield United.", + "Just six out of his 50 goals in 2023 have been for his national side Norway, with Haaland helping the Citizens to a historic treble last campaign.", + "On one hand, that will have happened remarkably quickly – Haaland only scored his first goals for Norway in 2020.", + "Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, when he played for Borussia Dortmund, scored more often in his first six Bundesliga games with nine goals." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google that started on November 6, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do the TechCrunch and Engadget articles both suggest that consumers are content with current prices or no changes in their consumption, with TechCrunch discussing satisfaction with the existing social networking model and Engadget reporting on consumers ignoring post-Black Friday discounts on Apple products?": [ + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes.", + "That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more." + ], + "Did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on Rugby Australia's funding to Super Rugby franchises on October 11, 2023, and again on Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs and the potential hiring of Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies coach on December 11, 2023, resulting in a lack of consistency in the support expressed by Super Rugby franchises towards Rugby Australia's decisions?": [ + "He will also be tasked with “integrating” the programs, with RA trying to centralise all of the Super Rugby’s high-performance programs.", + "Should RA move on him, Schmidt’s backing would be largely supported by the Super Rugby franchises, with several sources telling The Roar that the experienced coach is exactly the type of person the Wallabies need.", + "The QRU has also expressed their desire for Rugby Australia to reinstate the annual $1.7 million in funding to each of the Super Rugby franchises that was withdrawn following the Covid pandemic to help keep the game afloat." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the specific conditions under which Sam Bankman-Fried permitted withdrawals from FTX accounts?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue." + ], + "Who is the individual that allegedly used Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy according to TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which platform is at the center of discussions about the ethical use of AI-driven voice replication for artists, the debate over \"reaction\" content monetization, the investment in AI technology to combat copyright and trademark abuse, and is also the most used app by kids overnight according to a study reported by sources including Music Business Worldwide, Polygon, and FOX News - Health?": [ + "During this period of discussion, YouTube has made a number of positive announcements regarding the biggest issue for any rightsholder regarding AI-driven voice replication of artists: their ability to police it.", + "The debate over “reaction” content on YouTube has been brewing for years, but a recent incident between two creators has refueled the urgency of the conversation.", + "They promised “invest[ment] in the AI-powered technology” that, amongst other things, would help YouTube “protect our community of viewers, creators, artists and songwriters… [from] trademark and copyright abuse” .", + "Overnight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of necessity to one of alleged anticompetitive behavior in the reports by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on or before that date?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the BBC Sound articles on the recent updates in the music industry and the latest achievements in music technology, which artist, featured in both articles for their innovative use of new sound mixing techniques and for winning a prestigious music award, has a name that starts with the letter 'S'?": [], + "After TechCrunch reported on the shutdown of Pebble, the Twitter alternative previously known as T2, on October 24, 2023, did the role of social media as highlighted by FOX News - Health in the \"Save Lucas\" campaign by The Goeller family on December 9, 2023, remain consistent or inconsistent with the importance of social media's role as mentioned in the TechCrunch article?": [ + "But I think we’ll look back and see this past year is a really important turning point for the role that social media plays in our lives,” she adds.", + "The Goellers are now seeking support again, launching the \"Save Lucas\" campaign across social media." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles for both its financial performance in the third quarter and criticism of its driver background check process, is known for its ride-sharing services?": [ + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "Did the TalkSport article indicate that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages was better than in previous seasons, while The Independent - Sports article implies that Erik ten Hag's past experience in the Champions League with Ajax was less successful?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "Ten Hag cannot call upon his personal history in such a way; the Champions League final he almost reached was with Ajax." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the lawsuit had a negative impact on Rogers Communications Inc.'s share price, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Ed Ternan believes suing Snapchat is counterproductive?": [ + "Shares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto.", + "Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Shreyanka Patil, which team did she play for in her most recent professional match, and what was the outcome of that match as reported by both sources?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized for his early influence in generative AI technology, who was also involved in a situation where he was accused of not being fully truthful with the board, but did not face an attempt of removal by co-founders of a related AI firm, as reported by Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "What is the first letter of the startup, featured in both The Economic Times and YourStory, that received significant funding from a major venture capital firm and is also collaborating with a well-known tech giant on a project to enhance urban mobility solutions?": [], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Richa Ghosh's performance in her last international match and a Cricbuzz report on her selection for an upcoming major tournament, which jersey number is she expected to wear for the national team in her next appearance?": [], + "Considering the performance details from an ESPN article and the strategic insights from a Cricbuzz report on Ekta Bisht, which jersey number does the player who took five wickets in a single match against a specific team and is known for her exceptional left-arm spin bowling wear?": [], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the Sydney Swans' recent loss has them challenging for a top-eight spot in the AFLW, while another 'The Age' article indicates that the same victory allowed them to retake the eighth spot in the standings, and does 'The Guardian' article focus on the Sydney Swans' efforts in enhancing the game day experience rather than their standings in the league?": [ + "For the Swans, however, the victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot alongside the likes of Gold Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton.", + "With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot.", + "“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said." + ], + "Was there a consistent portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices in the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published after November 6, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published after December 15, 2023?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article rank Jahmyr Gibbs, Dameon Pierce, and Najee Harris lower than Isiah Pacheco and Breece Hall, while the Sporting News article ranks Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14?": [ + "He's behind Isiah Pacheco and Breece Hall in my rankings but ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs, Dameon Pierce and Najee Harris.", + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs." + ], + "Has the focus of the 'Sporting News' on the interests of 'Bettors' in prop betting opportunities changed between the report on FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the report on the best golf betting sites and apps published on October 13, 2023?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain." + ], + "Considering the updates from an article on The Verge about new app policies and another on CNET discussing security features, which single letter represents the first initial of the Google executive who is responsible for overseeing changes in both app policies and security enhancements on the Google Play Store?": [], + "Does the article from FOX News - Lifestyle featuring Sherri Geerts focus on a personal family reunion for Christmas, in contrast to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses generational Christmas traditions?": [ + "Enjoying Christmastime with her oldest child — and only daughter — has been a long time coming for Sherri Geerts, 81, of Sunnyvale, California, Geerts told Fox News Digital.", + "We all have traditions that are handed down through generations – things like opening the sloe gin after the last day of work or a ceremonial placing of the star on top of the Christmas tree." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution for committing fraud for wealth and influence as reported by TechCrunch, and was also reported by The Verge to have permitted withdrawals from a trading account up to the limit of total trading revenue?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to minimize ad revenue, and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence on ad revenue and content distribution?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the performance of a cricket team at the DY Patil Sports Academy and a Cricbuzz report on the same team's historical achievements, which team, known for its blue jersey, won a significant match at the DY Patil Sports Academy and also secured a championship title in an ICC event held in 2011?": [], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse for instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain, and also persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who was reported by Fortune to have been ousted by a board he once chaired, is known for backing a teen's AI startup as per TechCrunch, and has been suggested by TechCrunch to have had a contentious relationship with that same board?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data, while another article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' indicates that there is hope the Federal Reserve may soon stop raising interest rates and possibly start reducing them?": [ + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy.", + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them." + ], + "Which company, according to multiple reports by TechCrunch, is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior for paying billions to remain the default search engine across devices, influencing app distribution and payment processing on Android, and harming news publishers' revenue and content distribution?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What is the name of the organization, mentioned in multiple TechCrunch articles, that is not only recognized as the creator of the popular ChatGPT but is also anticipated to innovate by integrating vision into GPT-4 and promoting an \"app store for AI\" as a key distribution method for AI applications, positioning itself in contrast to competitors like Hugging Face?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Which type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify betting odds to manage their financial risk, may return wagers in certain weather-related interruptions, profit from betting outcomes regardless of the event's result, and alter specific award-related betting lines based on new information?": [ + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's image before the collapse of FTX, and the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding the nature of Sam Bankman-Fried's success with FTX, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the cryptocurrency industry?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual whose alleged fraudulent activities led to the success of a crypto exchange, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is facing charges of fraud and conspiracy according to reports from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasive abilities were a factor in Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while The Verge article indicates that Sam Bankman-Fried's management capabilities were challenged by the growth of FTX and Alameda Research?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Considering an article from The Orange County Register discussing the economic impact of a new theme park in Anaheim and a piece from The Los Angeles Times reporting on the latest developments in the city's public transportation system, which letter, representing a transportation project mentioned in both articles, is also the initial of a key attraction in the new theme park?": [], + "Considering the economic development plans discussed in the New York Times article and the impact of local businesses on community growth highlighted by the Washington Post, which single letter represents the first initial of the mayor of Main Street who has been instrumental in both initiating the new policies and supporting small businesses?": [], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, not only adjust and tighten NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on information but also provide welcome bonuses with specific requirements and can still earn a profit from odds and lines irrespective of betting outcomes?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, where contrasting narratives of his circumstances are being presented in court, who also claimed the rapid expansion of his cryptocurrency exchange made it difficult to manage alongside a research firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gains, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps." + ], + "What is the common term for entities that may refund bets for suspended MLB games due to weather, profit from odds and lines regardless of bet outcomes, and adjust NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on information, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the environmental policies discussed in The Guardian, which country in South America, facing criticism for deforestation, is also projected to experience a significant increase in GDP growth in the next fiscal year?": [], + "Does the 'Zee Business' article stating that the 'India national cricket team' has the opportunity to win their third ODI World Cup align with the claim from another 'Zee Business' article regarding the 'India national cricket team' losing to Australia by 162 runs in their first World Cup encounter, and does it also align with the 'Zee Business' claim about the 'India national cricket team' playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup?": [ + "It is only time to tell if the Aussies will repeat history or if it will be India who will write history by winning their third ODI World Cup.", + "India met with Australia for the very first time in this World Cup and lost the match by 162 runs.", + "India were playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup in Sydney on March 26." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of issues involving Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, has provided extensive evidence to counter claims in an antitrust battle, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Salehe Bembury's collaboration with a major sneaker brand and a Forbes article discussing his influence on sneaker culture and recent award for his design innovation, which sneaker brand, represented by a single letter, has Bembury notably collaborated with?": [], + "Between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published on October 12, 2023, discussing \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" and the 'FOX News - Entertainment' piece from November 27, 2023, featuring \"Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage,\" which news source provided insights into the personal reflections of a celebrity on the challenges within their marriage?": [ + "He wrote they were “suffering the brutal death of our romantic fantasies, the burning away of the idealistic illusion of the perfect marriage and the perfect family.", + "\"I sucked at being a husband, I was horrible at it,\" he told Billboard of his first marriage to Sandy Maul, which ended with a messy divorce in 2000." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with respect to their impact on other companies?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Britney Spears' memoir \"The Woman in Me\" will not cover different aspects of her life compared to the control over her career discussed in relation to her parents in 'The Guardian' article?": [ + "In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.", + "Even once Britney is the biggest pop star in the world, her parents still seem to have an undue say in the running of her career, including making her sit for humiliating TV interviews – why exactly that is remains unanswered." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage fail to describe a similar acknowledgment of marital challenges as 'FOX News - Entertainment' reports on Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage?": [ + "He wrote they were “suffering the brutal death of our romantic fantasies, the burning away of the idealistic illusion of the perfect marriage and the perfect family.", + "\"I sucked at being a husband, I was horrible at it,\" he told Billboard of his first marriage to Sandy Maul, which ended with a messy divorce in 2000." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses the expected debut of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini by the end of the year align with the TechCrunch article mentioning Google's release of only the \"lite\" version known as Gemini Pro, or do they refer to different stages or versions of the Gemini project?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, who previously persuaded a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX, is accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds to settle with Binance, and whose alleged fraudulent activities were aimed at gaining wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggest that the discontinuation of investment in HIV vaccine and cure research is essential for ending the AIDS epidemic, while the 'Business Line' article proposes that engineering bNAbs for an HIV cure is a promising approach, and are both articles aligned in the view that ongoing research is crucial for combating HIV?": [ + "\"We need to continue our investments to find a vaccine, to find a cure,\" she told Live Science.", + "By engineering bNAbs in a manner similar to mABs for cancer or vaccines (where antibody reaction to neutered virus generates immune protection), HIV cure may be on the horizon." + ], + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" article suggesting that the Federal Reserve is basing interest rate decisions on economic data align with the sentiment in another article from \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" that Wall Street expects the Federal Reserve to stop increasing interest rates soon?": [ + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy.", + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them." + ], + "Do the articles from CBSSports.com and both articles from Sporting News agree on the amount of the welcome bonus offered by Caesars Sportsbook to new sign-ups, with all mentioning up to $2000, or do they report different amounts?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does the Engadget review naming the Apple Watch SE as the best smartwatch for the money suggest a different aspect of smartwatch functionality compared to The Verge's focus on the independence of smartwatches from phones, specifically regarding the Apple Watch's double tap gesture?": [ + "We called it the best smartwatch money can buy in our review when it came out in 2022.", + "The past few weeks with double tap have felt like a glimpse into a smartwatch future that’s independent of phones — devices that, instead of triaging notifications and calls, handle them entirely." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance was limited to specific games, while The Guardian article reports Tyreek Hill having a standout performance in a particular game where the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders?": [ + "Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 6th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 31 REYDS 261 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.4 The only two games McLaurin posted good numbers in were Washington's 35-33 win over Denver in Week 2 and Washington's 34-31 OT loss to Philadelphia in Week 4.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9)." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world and intending to use his wealth for humanity's salvation, that is now facing a criminal trial as per TechCrunch and Fortune's reports, with allegations of achieving his success and the thriving state of a crypto exchange through fraudulent means?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company is at the center of concerns from news publishers about anticompetitive practices that affect their bottom line, is involved in deals to be the default search engine on major tech platforms, and is perceived by the public as potentially engaging in foul play, as reported by The Age, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who, according to articles from both TechCrunch and Fortune, is the individual known for his significant impact and vision for AI's future, and has also been involved in a controversial departure from a leadership role at OpenAI?": [ + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board, and the Fortune article on the same day stating that Sam Altman and the ex-chairman were shocked and saddened by the board's actions, was the reporting from TechCrunch later on November 18, 2023, about Sam Altman's plans consistent with the earlier reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the 'Diablo 4 guide' from Polygon maintain consistency in the approach of providing simplified builds for different character classes in Diablo 4 season 2 after publishing the Sorcerer guide on October 18th with the subsequent Barbarian guide on October 19th?": [ + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds for season 2.", + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds for season 2." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about Rami Osman, which character from a popular TV series, mentioned in both articles, shares similarities with Osman's reported strategic approach to business negotiations?": [], + "Which company, recently subjected to an antitrust lawsuit that affected its stock value, offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase, introduced invite-only deals during Prime Day, and provides a platform that sellers describe as life-changing?": [ + "You can get this two-pack at Amazon for $15.99, so you can keep one at home and then put the other in a bag you bring around during everyday travels.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that \"Video games in 2023\" have undergone a significant change in terms of innovation and vibrancy compared to previous years, while the BBC News - Technology article, through Sophie's perspective, focuses on the change in accessibility of video games for everyone?": [ + "In 2023, nothing was sacred in video games, and so they felt more vibrant than ever.", + "\"We want everyone to be able to play video games that they want to play, we want them to be accessible for everyone,\" she said." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes about Min Kao's philanthropic efforts and another by Bloomberg discussing his business strategies, which university, known for its engineering program and having received significant donations from Min Kao, is also the institution where a business school case study was developed based on his company's market expansion tactics?": [], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the inefficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures for the team's functioning in a similar way to how 'Sporting News' advises bettors of team golf events to consider each team's strengths and weaknesses?": [ + "It is also the essential measure of how the team is functioning as a collective: the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, the command of space.", + "Factors to consider include recent player form, their history on the event's course, and any potential impacts like injuries." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the government's new environmental policy in Delhi and a Times of India report on the recent traffic congestion reforms, which single character from the Delhi government is at the intersection of implementing both the environmental and traffic policies?": [], + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' attribute a stoppage-time penalty to Cole Palmer, and do these claims concern penalties scored at different times in their respective matches?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer has scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to claim a 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions in a stunning match at Stamford Bridge." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that is alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain, advised another trader on the limits of withdrawals in relation to total revenue, and made a decision to use customer funds to settle with a competitor, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the FOX News - Entertainment article attribute the factors that helped Robin Williams overcome his drug addiction to different life events than the pre-fight issues faced by Oliver McCall mentioned in the TalkSport article?": [ + "Belushi's death, along with the birth of Williams' first son in 1983, really helped the comedian clean up his drug addiction, according to the documentary.", + "Iron-chinned McCall battled drug addiction in the buildup to this 1997 bout and was arrested for throwing a Christmas tree across a hotel lobby." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial involves contrasting legal narratives, was once likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, planned to establish a board with experts for a crypto company without investor directors, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a successful first down completion involving A.J. Dillon in a similar manner to how the Sporting News describes The Saints' achievement of a first down in the Jaguars vs. Saints game?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "9:24 p.m. — This time, Allen's aggressive decision works, as the Saints get the first down thanks to a 17-yard catch and run by Kamara." + ], + "Was there disagreement on Google's strategy to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published after September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing Google's expenditures to be the default search engine published before November 13, 2023?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual who has been a notable figure in generative AI technology, was considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley from a young age, and is at the center of controversy over allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions for using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results and for anticompetitive practices that affect news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is the same as the Springboks' as per the first article, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' handling was compromised by external factors in the second article, and does it confirm 'The All Blacks' losses to Argentina as stated in the third article?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Considering the recent fluctuations in the Dow Jones Industrial Average as reported by The Wall Street Journal and the impact of tech stocks on the index as detailed by Bloomberg, which company, represented by a single letter on the stock exchange, was highlighted for its significant influence on the Dow's performance in both articles?": [], + "Do the TechCrunch and Fortune articles both suggest that the blockade on Gaza by Israel is affecting the ability of International aid groups to provide necessary supplies and services to the region?": [ + "In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israelis, Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and total blockade — cutting access to electricity, water and vital supplies — have devastated Gaza.", + "International aid groups now face the same problem in Gaza that local businesses and residents have encountered for about 16 years: a blockade that prevents civilians and items, like medicine from easily moving into or out of the enclosed area, roughly 25 miles long." + ], + "Did The Age report on October 23, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and did TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, resulting in inconsistent reporting on Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior between these two news sources?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools, was there a change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Who is the individual that communicated plans for an expert board to Paradigm, entered a not-guilty plea to fraud and conspiracy charges, was informed about a financial discrepancy post a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'TechCrunch', and 'The Verge'?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently scrutinized by TechCrunch for its new AI model's architecture and by the same source for its role in an antitrust suit related to content and ad revenue, is also being challenged by Epic Games for its practices in app distribution and payment processing, and was mentioned in The Verge for altering the internet's appearance?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Based on the information from an article in Forbes about Pascal Clarysse's innovative marketing strategies and a separate article in Business Insider discussing his role in a successful startup's expansion into Asian markets, what is the first letter of the city where Pascal Clarysse's startup opened its new office?": [], + "Which individual, whose trial involving seven counts of fraud and conspiracy is covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, is accused of using FTX customer funds to buy out Binance and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Based on the information from a New York Times article discussing Power On's recent funding round and a Forbes article detailing Power On's strategic partnership with a major tech company, which letter represents both the first initial of Power On's CEO who led the funding round and the first initial of the tech company's CEO who finalized the partnership?": [], + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence situation published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Fortune on the humanitarian conditions in Gaza published on October 13, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Israel's security and humanitarian actions?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion." + ], + "Considering the character descriptions from a Variety article and the production challenges mentioned in a Hollywood Reporter article, which actor is set to play the lead role in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid?": [], + "Does the Engadget article claim that ChatGPT has reached its first anniversary and experienced significant user growth to 100 million users per day, and does the TechCrunch article agree on the multifunctional capabilities of ChatGPT, including code completion and creative writing, as stated by Engadget?": [ + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "ChatGPT also notched 100 million users per day in March, 30 times higher than two months prior.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'Essentially Sports' claims that Kevin Durant has been criticized for his lack of leadership, indicating a difference in their respective leadership roles?": [ + "But for all the undoubted leadership qualities of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, tactically it is McTominay running the show right now: a development with numerous interesting consequences.", + "Fans also criticize KD for his lack of leadership and his lack of titles since departing from the Warriors." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game report Derek Carr failing to complete any passes to the same receivers that the Sporting News article on the Bills vs. Bengals game reports Joe Burrow completing a pass to?": [ + "11:12 p.m. — Carr hits Hill for 18 yards, then tosses two dump offs to Kamara for gains of nine and seven.", + "8:28 p.m.: Burrow dodges a sack in the backfield, rolls out to his left and flips a pass to Tee Higgins for 18 yards up to the Bills' 21." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United does not need a long-term blueprint for success, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United are out of European competitions, thus comparing the future planning with the current competition status of the team?": [ + "Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding an intelligence failure by Mossad, and the subsequent report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on November 5, 2023, concerning Israel's defense reliance on technology, was the reporting on Israel's security situation consistent?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible." + ], + "Which player, featured in articles by CBSSports.com and Sporting News, would need to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach a personal goal, but may face challenges due to the strong pass defenses of the remaining opponents?": [ + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "After The Guardian reported on Manchester United's challenges with pressure in the Champions League on November 27, did TalkSport's report on November 29 about Manchester United's leaky defence and setting an unwanted record for conceding goals in the group stages show agreement or disagreement with The Guardian's assessment of Manchester United's performance in Europe?": [ + "United have also conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, a new and unwanted record for the club that could get worse when they face Bayern in the final match.", + "When it comes to pressure in the Champions League of late, United do not cope well and there are few events trickier than a night in Istanbul." + ], + "What organization, founded in late 2015 and reported on by 'The Age', is also the subject of a 'TechCrunch' article discussing the launch of GPT-4 with vision and the GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "What are the entities that not only provide introductory incentives to attract users but also modify their betting options for events and player awards based on news and public sentiment, as reported by the Sporting News?": [ + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Was TechCrunch's reporting on October 31, 2023, and December 25, 2023, regarding Google's antitrust issues and the impact on news publishers inconsistent in perspective on Google's market behavior?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article report Kenneth Walker III sustaining an injury during a game, similarly to how the Sporting News article reports injuries for Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney preventing their participation in Week 12?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "Entering Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is imminent, according to TechCrunch, and is alleged to have instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to lenders, claimed an inability to manage the rapid expansion of his crypto exchange and a related trading firm as reported by The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as mentioned in multiple TechCrunch articles?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article report a decrease in Nike's net income for the recent quarter, and does the TechCrunch article also report a decrease in Gogoro's revenue for the same period?": [ + "The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 31 was $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.47 billion, or 93 cents per share, a year earlier.", + "In its recent earnings report, the Nasdaq-listed company mentioned a 10.2% year-on-year drop in its revenue of $91.8 million, resulting in a net loss of $3.1 million, down from a net income of $56.4 million in the same quarter last year." + ], + "Which Major League Baseball team, covered by both 'Essentially Sports' for a sign-stealing controversy during a period of success and 'The New York Times' for its home field adjustment that led to a 1-5 performance, is known for undermining the values of the sport?": [ + "No one likes being taken for a fool and what the Astros had done undermined everything the league stood for.", + "By the time the controversy was uncovered, the Astros were well into establishing a streak of successful years.", + "Before their final homestand, the team added some green paint to the batter’s eye in response to player complaints, and the Astros responded by going 1-5 with three of those losses coming against the Royals." + ], + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is the same that was reported by TechCrunch to have both showcased new hardware developments at an annual event and been involved in a class action antitrust suit filed by news publishers?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness against the 49ers came later in the game, while the same source indicates that Joe Mixon's offensive role for the Cincinnati Bengals has increased due to Joe Burrow's absence?": [ + "10:59 p.m. — The Cowboys are moving the ball now, when it's a bit too late.", + "Mixon has been forced to step up without Burrow under center, doubling as a runner and receiver for Cincinnati." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards before December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on Tyreek Hill's required average yards per game to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards, was there a change in the reporting of Tyreek Hill's progress towards his season goal?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried instructed Caroline Ellison to take customer funds for debt repayment, while the Fortune article alleges that he used her as a front for secret access to customer funds, and does the second TechCrunch article suggest that his motive was personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's dev day mention the announcement of a new GPT-4 Turbo model, while the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's safety measures does not discuss any new model announcements, and does the TechCrunch article on ChatGPT confirm the availability of GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "Some of the more notable items announced were tools to create custom “GPTs” (i.e., domain-specific chatbots), new text-to-speech models, an API for the text-to-image model DALL-E 3, and an improved version of OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4, called GPT-4 Turbo.", + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns according to a class action suit mentioned by TechCrunch and is also considered by Apple, as reported by The Verge, to have been the only valid option for search engine services at a certain negotiation time?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Patrick Kane's move was motivated by a lack of interest in joining a playoff contender, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Egypt's policy decisions are driven by the prospect of economic rewards from international and regional partners?": [ + "When Kane was traded from the Blackhawks to the Rangers in the spring, it wasn't just to join a playoff contender.", + "For now, Egypt will try to play a constructive part “in the hope that its contribution will be acknowledged by its international and regional partners and potentially rewarded economically,” he said." + ], + "Considering the financial performance overview from a Forbes article and the strategic partnership developments mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article on Advance Auto Parts, which single letter symbol represents the company's stock ticker on the New York Stock Exchange?": [], + "Does 'The Guardian' article describe 'the match' as a contest of disparity between a wealthy team and a young team, while the 'Sporting News' article focuses on 'Shohei Ohtani's' decision on team selection without mentioning any disparity?": [ + "“It was the millionaires of the Premier League against the youngsters of the Championship,” reflected the former Denmark forward.", + "MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports the superstar is \"likely to decide on a team within the next week,\" according to a source." + ], + "Which company is implicated by allegations of anticompetitive behavior in a class action lawsuit reported by TechCrunch, is suspected of foul play according to an article from The Age, and uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results as discussed by The Verge?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Brock Purdy's performance against the Cowboys was more successful in terms of touchdowns thrown compared to the CBSSports.com article's assessment of his performance under pressure?": [ + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Which company, highlighted by Engadget, is set to enhance gamers' experience by releasing an improved handheld device with an OLED screen on November 16, ensuring developers can concentrate on a singular performance target rather than multiple?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware inconsistent between the Polygon report on the updates to the Steam Deck hardware published after November 16, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield, while the 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article report a victory for Aston Villa over Fulham, and are these outcomes related to different competitions?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "Aston Villa moved to fifth, three points off the top, with their 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park, courtsey of an own goal from Antonee Robinson before strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Steve Schwarzman's philanthropic efforts and a Bloomberg article detailing his business strategies, which university, known for its prestigious business program and mentioned in both articles, did Schwarzman donate a significant sum to for the establishment of a student center?": [], + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on his favorite color, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses his intentions for FTX's board composition, and the TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his professional conduct?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated by reports from both The Verge and TechCrunch for directing the misuse of billions of dollars of customer funds and for committing fraud, which came to light following judicial proceedings and the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, known for not allowing users to select their preferred browser during iPhone setup as mentioned by TechCrunch, is also involved in an 18-month appeal process over a patent dispute reported by The Verge and is identified by The Verge as enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Which two public figures have been the subject of speculation about a romantic connection, evidenced by one being observed leaving a stadium with the other, mutual career support since the beginning of their relationship, and one wearing a themed friendship bracelet, as reported by sources including 'The Age', 'CBSSports.com', and 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together.", + "\"Taylor Swift likes that Travis Kelce 'pursued her' and the two are having a 'great time getting to know each other,'\" a source told Entertainment Tonight.", + "While Swift has attended a few of Kelce’s games since their relationship started, he’s also gone on to support her career.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article stating Lionel Messi returned to play for Inter Miami after an injury align with the 'Sporting News' claim that he is likely to be back for Inter Miami's match, and does the same source suggest a youth movement in Argentina's forward line involving Messi, Alvarez, and Garnacho?": [ + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone.", + "2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity.", + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line." + ], + "Which institution, highlighted in articles from 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is considered to have significant influence on global financial markets and is anticipated to potentially alter its interest rate policy based on incoming economic data, leading to a change in market conditions and affecting the outlook of Wall Street?": [ + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's image before the collapse of FTX, and the report from The Verge on October 31, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of financial discrepancies, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues within FTX?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that \"The company's management\" expects the war to impact its revenue within forecasted figures, while the Fortune article indicates that Egypt's economic crisis is worsening as elections approach?": [ + "In the aforementioned situation, the company's management estimates that despite the damage to its revenue, which cannot yet be accurately estimated, they will be reflected in the company's annual NOI and FFO within the forecast.", + "That opens up opportunities for the most populous Arab nation as it wrestles with its worst economic outlook in decades and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi prepares for elections in less than two months’ time." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from The Verge and TechCrunch, faced challenges managing the growth of FTX and Alameda Research, allegedly used FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, was informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the planning of a new venture after his tenure at OpenAI, which was marked by allegations of dishonesty with the board and without any removal attempt by the co-founders of Anthropic, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Age?": [ + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that 'The post' will be regularly updated with new TV series recommendations on streaming platforms, while the Essentially Sports article indicates that 'NASCAR' is only beginning to explore streaming possibilities with Amazon Prime?": [ + "We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent series on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.", + "With Amazon Prime, they had the leisure to explore the streaming arena and possibly get a glimpse of how it could look in the future." + ], + "Which company spent $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also the subject of an antitrust suit for harming news publishers' bottom lines, according to another article by TechCrunch, while also being defended by Apple in court for lack of a valid alternative, as mentioned by The Verge?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, portrayed himself as a reliable figure, planned to establish a board with experts for the company without investor directors, was accused of using customer funds to buy out a competitor, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these events being reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for not switching to a browser competitor during iPhone setup, by Engadget for focusing on Macs and new chipsets at an event, and twice by The Verge for defending a search deal in court and for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report a defeat for the Dallas Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Fueled by a stout defensive showing, a gritty run game and a bit of fairy dust from the likes of St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Josh Reynolds, the Lions cruised to a 34-20 win over their hated NFC North rivals, Green Bay." + ], + "Which company, recently featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is associated with the release of a \"lite\" version of an AI model claimed to have superior architecture, yet is also involved in a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After Seeking Alpha recommended a Hold rating for GitLab Inc. on December 3, 2023, due to valuation concerns, did TechCrunch's report on December 18, 2023, regarding the significant pressure on tech companies' valuations reflect a consistent or inconsistent viewpoint on the valuation pressures faced by tech companies like GitLab Inc.?": [ + "The first of these is the fact that tech companies continue to see huge pressure on their valuations.", + "With a 10% surge in the stock this year, Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system suggests a Hold, expressing concerns about valuation." + ], + "Which company, recently featured in articles by The Verge and TechCrunch, is known for ranking local search results using specific criteria, presenting new hardware developments at an annual event, comparing its Gemini Pro's performance to that of OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and has been accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's dev day fail to mention the announcement of a new GPT-4 Turbo model, while the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's safety measures does not discuss any new model announcements, and does the TechCrunch article on ChatGPT confirm the availability of GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "Some of the more notable items announced were tools to create custom “GPTs” (i.e., domain-specific chatbots), new text-to-speech models, an API for the text-to-image model DALL-E 3, and an improved version of OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4, called GPT-4 Turbo.", + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on prop bets related to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift-inspired props for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the nature of prop bets published on November 6, 2023, was there inconsistency in how 'Sporting News' described the opportunities for bettors in prop betting?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust cases reported by TechCrunch for both spending billions to secure default search engine status on various platforms and for harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which wide receiver, currently leading the league and recognized by Sporting News as the top choice for Week 14, would need to average almost 153 yards over his final three games, as noted by CBSSports.com, to meet his season goal but faces a challenge due to the strong pass defenses of his team's remaining opponents, according to Sporting News?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental initiatives highlighted in a Channel NewsAsia report, which minister in the Singaporean government has been credited with addressing both fiscal growth and sustainability measures in their recent policy announcements?": [], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is slowing down to an optimal level to prevent a recession, while also reporting a prediction by Paul Tudor Jones that the United States economy will enter into a recession early next year?": [ + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount.", + "Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC the current geopolitical environment was the “most threatening and challenging” he’d ever seen following Hamas’s attack on Israel over the weekend and predicted the US will enter into a recession early next year." + ], + "Which NFL team, featured in articles from both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', faced the potential of being closely followed in the wild card race by three other teams, might have opted for a field goal in a 'Monday Night Football' game, recently changed their passing game strategy, and has seen comparable offensive production from Josh Dobbs and Kirk Cousins?": [ + "A loss would mean the Packers, Rams and Saints only trail Minnesota by a half-game in the wild card race, while a win would keep the Vikings well within striking distance in the NFC North.", + "They want more than three points, but it's early enough that they absolutely could settle for a field goal if it got to that point.", + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while the other TechCrunch article suggests that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating a difference in Google's approach to news publishers and content regulation on YouTube?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube." + ], + "What entity is seeking a balanced solution to the financial impact on Europe's artists and labels, coordinating dialogue to address unfair advertising practices, scrutinizing Amazon's acquisition of iRobot for competition concerns, and has previously focused on illegal content and disinformation issues related to the Israel-Hamas war, as reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch?": [ + "The artists’ groups noted in their statement on Tuesday that the European Commission “has on several occasions acknowledged concerns about the impact of the ruling and made clear its intention to find a balanced solution.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Which NFL team, featured in analyses by both CBSSports.com and Sporting News, showed a change in their passing game strategy in Week 4 and has a player producing similar offensive results to their usual quarterback with the help of their defense, as demonstrated in a game where they were dominated by the Chicago Bears' defense?": [ + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the new benefits of the American Express Platinum card and a Wall Street Journal report on the changes in the annual fee for the same card, which single letter represents both the starting character of the exclusive airport lounge that cardholders get access to and the first letter of the city where American Express's headquarters is located?": [], + "Which company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an upgraded version of its product with an improved screen, enhanced battery life, and several minor physical upgrades, with availability starting on November 16th?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed on TechCrunch for releasing only a \"lite\" version of an AI model and for its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenue, is at the center of these controversies?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent report by the same source on the prosecution's allegations against him, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of the charges he is facing?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's relationship status between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Travis Kelce, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": [ + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which two public figures, linked by rumors of a romance covered by 'CBSSports.com' and 'The Independent - Life and Style', have been seen enjoying time together and showing affection, with one being spotted wearing a themed bracelet and the other cheering enthusiastically from box seats at a sporting event?": [ + "\"Taylor Swift likes that Travis Kelce 'pursued her' and the two are having a 'great time getting to know each other,'\" a source told Entertainment Tonight.", + "In the picture, Swift could be seen standing next to Kelce, reaching to kiss his cheek.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Wall Street Journal about the recent surge in Open Interest for tech stocks and a report by Bloomberg on the unusual spike in Open Interest for a specific tech company following a major product announcement, which letter represents the stock symbol of the company that is common to both articles?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was compared to Warren Buffet, planned to establish a board with experts without investor directors, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies post-judicial intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch, Cnbc, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was the performance of the Chicago Bears' defense reported as improved by Yardbarker after Sporting News highlighted a sack by the Bears' defense on Joshua Dobbs during the NFL 'Monday Night Football' game?": [ + "9:47 p.m. — The Bears answer right back and sack Dobbs, with Sweat and Brisker in there to take him down.", + "In his second season as HC, the defense has improved, but positive results are hard to come by behind a lackluster offense ranked 19th in yards (323.2) and 21st in points per game (20.2)." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is not trained on kids' responses, while The Verge article implies that Apple trusts Google with user data?": [ + "In terms of privacy, the company notes it’s not training its LLM on kids’ answers.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are unnecessary due to a plethora of alternatives, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply Google's actions are primarily driven by profit maximization and anticompetitive behavior, respectively?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What group of people can utilize the options provided by team golf events to place bets on outcomes or engage in prop betting, and also capitalize on the hype generated around events to potentially profit, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial involves determining the truth about contrasting legal narratives, who communicated plans for a specialized board to Paradigm while resisting investor directors, admitted awareness of financial discrepancies post-judicial intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the recent developments reported by The Guardian regarding the new transportation policy in Berlin and the economic forecast for the city's tech industry from Bloomberg, which single letter represents both the initial of the minister responsible for introducing the transportation policy and the CEO of the tech startup predicted to be the most successful in Berlin's growing tech sector this year?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that 'Sports betting apps and live streaming' have a positive impact on the golf betting experience, while 'Essentially Sports' indicates a negative trend in 'Golf competitiveness'?": [ + "Sports betting apps and live streaming have made betting on golf easier and more exciting than ever.", + "Moreover, there are a growing number of voices who feel golf has become way less competitive nowadays." + ], + "Did the Sporting News change their fantasy football advice after publishing the quarterback rankings at 22:06 on December 7, 2023, which suggested Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and Josh Dobbs are risky options, when they later advised against starting Tyler Higbee at 22:14 on the same day due to the strength of the Baltimore Ravens' tight end defense?": [ + "Even if he does, he's not a recommended play against the Ravens' top-10 TE defense.", + "Matthew Stafford (@ Ravens), Geno Smith (@ 49ers), and Josh Dobbs (@ Raiders) are all risky against some of the league's better pass defenses." + ], + "What company, featured in articles from TechCrunch, Wired, and Cnbc, has the capability to construct new factories, has established its own special sales event, and provides a platform described as offering life-changing opportunities for sellers?": [ + "But given Amazon’s immense resources, you’re able to build factories, ground up.", + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on his plea to charges and the prosecution's allegations without mentioning the use of customer funds?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest the absence of a legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Music Business Worldwide article indicates that the National Music Publishers Association is advocating for regulations in AI development?": [ + "That’s because right now there is no legislative remedy to potential AI risks and abuses outside of those that can be applied to tech companies in general — which many have argued over the years are also inadequate.", + "Yet the NMPA’s submission is hardly a Luddite diatribe against high tech; rather, it advocates for regulations and principles that it sees as the right approach to ensuring that the interests of musical artists – and music rights holders – don’t end up subjugated in the frenzy to build our brave new AI-powered world." + ], + "Is the promotional offer for new users of sportsbooks reported by Sporting News consistent between the article published on November 29, 2023, stating that new users can claim over $5,000 in bonuses from various sportsbooks, and the article from December 15, 2023, mentioning that new customers of sportsbooks receive a welcome bonus when they register for an account?": [ + "Here's your chance to claim $5,000+ in bonuses as a new user from Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.", + "Collect your welcome bonus: As a new customer, you’ll receive a welcome bonus." + ], + "Considering the economic forecasts from a BBC News article and the immigration policy changes reported by The Guardian, which single letter represents the UK's credit rating as recently adjusted by a major credit rating agency?": [], + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on sales in Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald on the S&P 500 both report an increase in their respective financial metrics?": [ + "Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.", + "On Wall Street, the S&P 500 climbed 40.56 points on Friday, or 0.9 per cent, to 4,358.3." + ], + "Did the consistency of Google's stance on antitrust issues change according to a later report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action lawsuit filed by a news publisher against Google?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the approach to content moderation by social media companies, as reported by TechCrunch, remained the same from the time when the Supreme Court was set to hear cases on state laws restricting moderation (published at '2023-10-04T20:07:42+00:00') to the period when Twitter (still called Twitter) under Elon Musk's leadership implemented a crowdsourced moderation system (published at '2023-11-03T17:43:00+00:00')?": [ + "Last week, the Supreme Court decided that it would hear the pair of cases, which revolve around Republicans crafting state-specific laws that order platforms to keep their hands off of some social media posts.", + "Under Musk, Twitter — now called X — has prioritized “free speech” managed by crowdsourced-based moderation." + ], + "What AI-powered chatbot, which can complete and debug code, compose music, and even write poetry, has not only celebrated its first anniversary according to Engadget but also reached a milestone of 100 million weekly active users as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.", + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns, as reported by TechCrunch, for spending billions to secure default search engine status, facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and payment processing, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through its business practices?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the injury updates reported by CBSSports.com on November 19, 2023, regarding Cooper Kupp and the subsequent report by Sporting News on December 7, 2023, about Derrick Henry, does the sequence of reports indicate that both players did not suffer in-game injuries that led to them leaving their respective games for further evaluation and returning to the game?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "The former All-Pro, who battled a lingering hamstring injury earlier this year, received attention on the sidelines after limping off, then left the game for further evaluation in the locker room." + ], + "What is the platform criticized by Sarah Michelle Gellar for its parental controls and where players can spend money on in-game items, which is also exploring the development of generative AI to create user-like virtual doppelgangers, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Verge'?": [ + "While Roblox is free to download on a number of platforms - including Android and iOS smartphones, Xbox game consoles, and Windows computers - players can also spend money on in-game items and customisations.", + "The Scooby-Doo star isn’t the only celebrity to publicly call out Roblox’s parental controls.", + "And it’s not just generative AI, but it’s generative AI that might look and act like you in a virtual space." + ], + "Which entity, currently in the process of recruiting a new Chair due to Andrew Sutch's impending departure, is also addressing concerns over financial result delays caused by an updated valuation from Citrin Cooperman, as reported by Music Business Worldwide?": [ + "According to UK-listed HSF, it’s all to do with a recently-updated company valuation from HSF’s official independent valuer, US-headquartered Citrin Cooperman (CC).", + "HSF says it’s begun a process to recruit a new Chair; Sutch (pictured inset) will leave his post as and when this person is hired, or in any case before HSF’s AGM next year (in Q4 2024)." + ], + "Has the reporting on the involvement of individuals in their respective football teams by Sporting News remained consistent between the article discussing Cameron Carter-Vickers' debut for Celtic after a hamstring injury (published at '2023-10-04T22:42:00+00:00') and the article detailing Daniel Garnero's debut as the new permanent manager of the Paraguay national football team 30 minutes before kickoff (published at '2023-10-12T23:22:00+00:00')?": [ + "Also included is defender Cameron Carter-Vickers who only just made his debut for Celtic this season thanks to a hamstring injury.", + "30 mins to kickoff: Paraguay have a new manager, as Daniel Garnero makes his debut as the new permanent boss." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Financial Times report on Vandita Pant, what is the first letter of the company where she was appointed to a significant leadership role, as mentioned in the BBC News article, and also involved in a major financial deal covered by the Financial Times?": [], + "Who is the individual alleged to have used Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research for secret access to customer funds, presented as the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry before a major company's collapse, instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to repay debts, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on a class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the digital ecosystem?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite not being labeled as the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention over a financial discrepancy and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with connections to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on 'Inter Miami premium packages' suggest they are less expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, while the same source indicates that 'Manchester United and Chelsea' had a closer points gap in the 2006/07 season than the season before?": [ + "The most expensive premium packages at Inter Miami in 2024, which will run supporters over $45,000, dwarf any of the most luxurious tickets in the Premier League.", + "United closed the gap to finish eight points behind Chelsea in second the following season, then returned to the top in 2006/07, the deposed champions coming six points short of their total." + ], + "Considering the economic forecast from a Bloomberg article and the agricultural developments discussed in a Reuters report, which country in West Africa, expected to see a significant growth in its GDP, also launched an initiative to become self-sufficient in rice production by 2025?": [], + "Who was described by TechCrunch as one of the most brilliant and impactful individuals in the industry and is known for his significant voice in Silicon Valley on artificial intelligence, but is also suggested by the same source to have possibly withheld full truth from the board, leading to his departure from a CEO position?": [ + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Generation Z experiences distress primarily due to high employment rates, while the article from Eos: Earth And Space Science News calls for a deeper understanding of sea surface temperature patterns as a significant climate driver?": [ + "One of the major sources of Gen Z’s distress, of course, is climate change.", + "In other words, first, we need to improve our understanding of drivers of sea surface temperature patterns—decadal coupled variability; the pace and spatial structure of ocean heat uptake; and forcing by aerosols, greenhouse gases, and volcanoes—as well as the relative timing of these drivers." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Britney Spears' memoir \"The Woman in Me\" will cover different aspects of her life compared to the control over her career discussed in relation to her parents in 'The Guardian' article?": [ + "In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.", + "Even once Britney is the biggest pop star in the world, her parents still seem to have an undue say in the running of her career, including making her sit for humiliating TV interviews – why exactly that is remains unanswered." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article about the 'Everton team' suggest they are in a better position in the Premier League compared to 'Bayern Munich' as discussed in another 'The Guardian' article, based on their respective league standings and points?": [ + "Dyche, however, wants his team to forget about the appeal and accept the reality of being joint-bottom of the Premier League on four points.", + "Bayern, who have a game in hand after last week’s game against Union Berlin was postponed due to snow, remain in second place on 32 points, with the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, on 35, travelling to third-placed VfB Stuttgart, who have 30 points, on Sunday." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Middle Seat Terminal, which airline, known for its innovative approach to passenger comfort as per The New York Times, also faced scrutiny for a data breach incident reported by The Guardian, and uses the letter 'A' as the first character in its name?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article reporting on the EU's investigation into X over alleged disinformation agree with the TechCrunch article warning Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) about illegal content and disinformation in terms of the type of content being circulated, with both mentioning the circulation of false information and manipulated content?": [ + "Since Saturday’s attacks in Israel, posts identified as false have been spotted circulating on X — including, in one example, a clip that purported to show Hamas missile attacks on Israel but was actually footage from a video game.", + "“Public media and civil society organisations widely report instances of fake and manipulated images and facts circulating on your platform in the EU, such as repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games." + ], + "Did the Fortune article imply that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article's focus on the valuation of Alameda Research's assets in FTT tokens?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "But there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Search Engine Land on Danny Sullivan, which letter represents both the first initial of the search engine company he joined after retiring from his publication and the first letter of the feature he helped to introduce that allows public figures to post directly on the search results page?": [], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Meta Platforms' financial performance and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's strategic shifts, which single letter represents both the beginning of the CEO's first name and the first letter of the product that Meta is heavily investing in as part of its future growth strategy?": [], + "Between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on a colleague to join his ventures and the report by The Verge on the implications of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions on his associates, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's interactions with his peers?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that TechCrunch did not refer to as the white horse of crypto, who has pleaded not-guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did 'Sport Grill' report on Tessa Wullaert scoring a decisive penalty before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Cole Palmer scoring a penalty to secure a draw for Chelsea?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer has scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to claim a 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions in a stunning match at Stamford Bridge." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article imply that Liam Paro's ranking improved due to activity, unlike The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article which suggests Andy Murray's ranking was unaffected, with both athletes maintaining or improving their positions in their respective sports?": [ + "After previously being ranked number one in the division with the WBO, Paro is now 11th in line for a shot at the championship - a casualty of his inactivity.", + "Murray is trying to restart his momentum after a disappointing 2023 where he slipped to world No.42." + ], + "Which company, defended by Apple for being the default search engine on platforms like Samsung and Mozilla according to The Verge, is also the creator of Gemini, a generative AI model claimed by TechCrunch to potentially meet or exceed GPT-4's performance, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article implies that he was informed about financial discrepancies, and another TechCrunch article alleges that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating differing perspectives on his intentions and awareness?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do the articles from 'Science News For Students' and 'Fortune' both suggest that 'Scientists' have made advancements in their respective fields, with one investigating the learning mechanisms in animals and the other manufacturing quantum dots in a lab?": [ + "For instance, Nakanishi says, scientists could look at what chemicals play a role in how different animals learn.", + "But it wasn’t until several decades later that scientists could manufacture quantum dots in a lab." + ], + "Do the 'Business Line' article's criteria for high networth investors to evaluate investment options, which include historical performance and management team assessment, align with the due diligence process that 'The Verge' claims major VC firms undertake, involving thorough investigation before investing?": [ + "It’s important to consider the past track record and management team before making investment decisions.", + "Plus, major VC firms had invested, and “they don’t commit hundreds of millions without doing due diligence, checking the books, the accountancy of the firm, going through several compliance process[es], so that was a vote of confidence for me,” Juilliard said." + ], + "Which company is the subject of scrutiny in articles from The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch for its practices in ranking local search results, maximizing ad revenue, and impacting news publishers' bottom lines through its services?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting', 'Moneyline Betting', and 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' all agree that Sportsbooks adjust their lines and odds, or do they present different reasons for these adjustments?": [ + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Which individual, whose trial's jury will assess contrasting narratives of their circumstances reported by 'Fortune', is the same person accused of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, presented a trustworthy image in the cryptocurrency sector according to 'The Verge', and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain as covered by 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is the subject of criticism in articles from both 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' for practices that involve manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off content and revenue from news publishers?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the free agent that is anticipated to choose a baseball team within the next week and before the conclusion of the upcoming weekend, as reported by Sporting News, and may not benefit from an agreement during the MLB winter meetings as much as the league does?": [ + "MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports the superstar is \"likely to decide on a team within the next week,\" according to a source.", + "MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Ohtani is expected to make his pick before the end of the upcoming weekend.", + "An agreement at the winter meetings in Nashville the first week of December would be the ideal outcome for MLB, but not necessarily for Ohtani." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged actions?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the platform that is scrutinized for serving content related to eating disorders, as reported by 'The Age', and is also recognized for its strategic focus on music-related services aiming to integrate with the music industry, according to 'Music Business Worldwide'?": [ + "TikTok is serving eating-disorder content to those already struggling, influencers and celebrities post undisclosed advertisements, and algorithms work to push everything from egg-freezing to injectables.", + "The data clearly shows why TikTok has focused so heavily on developing music-related services, to the point that one could be forgiven for thinking the company plans to reinvent itself as a part of the music industry." + ], + "Considering the injury updates reported by CBSSports.com on November 19, 2023, regarding Cooper Kupp and the subsequent report by Sporting News on December 7, 2023, about Derrick Henry, does the sequence of reports indicate that both players suffered in-game injuries that led to them leaving their respective games for further evaluation or not returning to the game?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "The former All-Pro, who battled a lingering hamstring injury earlier this year, received attention on the sidelines after limping off, then left the game for further evaluation in the locker room." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously known for their wealth and intention to save humanity from extinction, that is currently facing legal scrutiny with contrasting stories presented by their legal representatives and the government's lawyers, as covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in Business Standard about Nikhil Nanda, which company, known for its manufacturing in the agricultural sector, has Nanda as its managing director and also recently announced a collaboration with a Japanese firm to enhance technological advancements in their products?": [], + "Is the promotional offer for new users of sportsbooks reported by Sporting News inconsistent between the article published on November 29, 2023, stating that new users can claim over $5,000 in bonuses from various sportsbooks, and the article from December 15, 2023, mentioning that new customers of sportsbooks do not receive a welcome bonus when they register for an account?": [ + "Here's your chance to claim $5,000+ in bonuses as a new user from Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.", + "Collect your welcome bonus: As a new customer, you’ll receive a welcome bonus." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite having been likened to a prominent investor and being labeled as the white knight of cryptocurrency by some (but explicitly not by TechCrunch), is facing allegations of fraudulent success and power accumulation in the cryptocurrency exchange industry, with these accusations being discussed in both TechCrunch and Fortune articles?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as above league-average, while the Sporting News article reported the San Francisco 49ers' offensive performance as strong, despite Christian McCaffrey not scoring?": [ + "He’s coming off another league-average offensive showing, when he hit .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs through 602 plate appearances.", + "The 49ers had a surprise offensive get-well game in Jacksonville with Brock Purdy leading the way and all his key supporting weapons doing damage, even without Christian McCaffrey scoring." + ], + "Does the 'Revyuh Media' article claim that the discovery of Daam1's role is an insignificant advancement in cancer research, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article focuses on the involvement of Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera with the Cancer Couch Foundation from its inception, without attributing such a discovery to their activities?": [ + "This breakthrough, documented in the November 24 issue of Science Advances, heralds a new chapter in the understanding of cancer.", + "His children, Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera, who now are first-year students in college and in high school, have been involved from the get-go." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the battery life of the Garmin Venu and another article by CNET discussing the watch's water resistance rating, what is the single digit that represents the ATM rating of the Garmin Venu as mentioned in both sources?": [], + "Who is the individual alleged to have built a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who, according to articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post, was the 44th President of the United States and also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009?": [], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that businesses selling on Amazon are setting non-competitive prices, while the article from The Verge indicates that eBay offers a price-matching policy that includes a coupon for the difference plus an additional incentive?": [ + "“Even with those tools, some of the businesses selling on Amazon might still choose to set prices that aren’t competitive,” Zapolsky said.", + "That means eBay will give you an eBay coupon for the difference in price between what you bought the item for and what the competitor is selling it for, plus an additional 10 percent of that price difference." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on September 28, 2023, that OpenAI would make GPT-4 with vision available alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API, did the same news source maintain consistency in its view of OpenAI's strategy when reporting on December 19, 2023, about OpenAI pushing an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools and toys?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Uber's safety measures published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in the third quarter published on November 7, 2023, was there a change in the focus of reporting on Uber from safety concerns to financial outcomes?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly." + ], + "After 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, did 'The Independent - Life and Style' maintain consistency in their report later that same day regarding the nature of the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?": [ + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.", + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together." + ], + "Between the Engadget report on the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was the reporting on the release date of the new Steam Deck OLED consistent?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it." + ], + "Did the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena report the same percentage change in market capitalization for Group Psagot for Finance and Investments as the percentage changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Age?": [ + "But just over two years since the deal that was meant to move him up a league, Group Psagot for Finance and Investments (TASE: GPST), which holds the investment house that was once the biggest in Israel, has a market cap of just NIS 97 million, after a 75% decline in its share price in the past year, and an 80% since the acquisition.", + "The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 204 points, or 0.6 per cent, as of 3pm Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8 per cent lower." + ], + "Did Apple, after The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that it criticized its Google Search deal by stating there was a valid alternative, and TechCrunch later reported on November 13, 2023, that Google spent less than $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, maintain a rationale for its Google Search deal that is inconsistent with Google's aggressive spending to maintain default search engine status across platforms? (The Verge/TechCrunch)": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones." + ], + "Which company, covered by 'The Verge' for defending its choice of a default search engine and its store policies, and by 'Engadget' for focusing on new chipsets at an upcoming event, is also known for making products with an emphasis on user privacy?": [ + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the companies FTX and Alameda, who, according to sources from both Fortune and TechCrunch, built a business on deceit, influenced a colleague to leave Jane Street for his ventures, and is accused of directing a multi-billion dollar misappropriation of customer funds to cover debts, all for personal gain in wealth and influence?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is not the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'TechCrunch' discusses the leadership principles in Brené Brown's book \"Dare to Lead\" without attributing tactical leadership on the field to any individual?": [ + "But for all the undoubted leadership qualities of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, tactically it is McTominay running the show right now: a development with numerous interesting consequences.", + "Dare to Lead pulls on Brown’s decades of research, interviews, and experience as a professor at the University of Houston speaking with CEOs, founders, and other executives to understand what great leadership looks like and how to achieve it." + ], + "Did the Sporting News report a victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Miami Dolphins on \"Sunday Night Football\"?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Philadelphia rolled to a 31-17 win over Miami on \"Sunday Night Football,\" keeping the Dolphins' offense off the scoreboard in the second half and playing smart football every step of the way down the stretch." + ], + "Are the prices for Inter Miami premium packages mentioned in Sporting News considered more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, and does The Roar | Sports Writers Blog confirm that Manchester City is currently leading the Premier League table with 28 points?": [ + "The most expensive premium packages at Inter Miami in 2024, which will run supporters over $45,000, dwarf any of the most luxurious tickets in the Premier League.", + "City lead the table on 28 points with Liverpool going into second on 27, above Arsenal on goal difference." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the Bears' defense sacked Joshua Dobbs, while the 'Yardbarker' article discusses the Baltimore Ravens defense's ranking in points allowed per game and total yards in the current NFL season?": [ + "9:47 p.m. — The Bears answer right back and sack Dobbs, with Sweat and Brisker in there to take him down.", + "The Ravens defense has allowed the fewest points per game this season (16.1) and second-fewest total yards (4,030), while San Francisco's unit ranks second in points (16.7) and 10th in yardage (310 per game)." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on Alejandro Mata's successful 31-yard field goal for Colorado on October 28, 2023, did the same news source report a successful or unsuccessful field goal attempt by Jayden Fielding in a later article?": [ + "The Buckeyes settled for a 52-yard field goal late in the first half, which Jayden Fielding missed wide left.", + "His 31-yard field goal is good, and the Buffs take the first lead of the game on their first drive." + ], + "Has the news source TechCrunch reported any change in the development of AI-powered chatbots after introducing ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot by OpenAI, with the expectation of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and The Verge report on the outcome of the FTX trial published on October 26, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions from the perspective of the prosecution?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial involves contrasting legal narratives presented to a jury, as reported by Fortune, was previously likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, admitted to being aware of a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is accused of intentional fraud for personal gain as per allegations mentioned in a second TechCrunch article?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the cultural festival highlighted by Reuters, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the Bahraini city that is both a focal point for these economic changes and the host of the cultural event?": [], + "Considering the performance analysis from an ESPN article and the team strategy insights from a Cricbuzz report, which player from Royal Challengers Bangalore scored the highest number of runs in a single match and also took the most wickets in another match during the same IPL season?": [], + "Which company, recently mentioned in articles by 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is accused of both manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off news publishers' content and ad revenue, while also claiming superior performance for its AI model Gemini compared to competitors, despite only releasing a 'lite' version known as Gemini Pro?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is depicted as the antagonist in a legal case covered by The Verge and is also accused by news publishers in a class action lawsuit reported by TechCrunch of harming their financial interests through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that \"Microsoft's investment in OpenAI\" is unspecified, while The Age article focuses on the \"founding of OpenAI\" without specifying financial figures?": [ + "The size of Microsoft’s investment is believed to be around $10 billion, a figure we confirmed with our source.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article attribute Elijah Garcia's 16th victory to a knockout, while the 'Zee Business' article credits the India national cricket team with a World Cup win by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals?": [ + "Garcia then took his time picking his spots as a huge combination forced the hand of referee Tony Weeks at the 1:26 mark to get his 16th victory.", + "India went all the way to lift their second ODI World Cup trophy, defeating Sri Lanka in the finals." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that claimed an inability to manage this company and Alameda Research due to significant growth, is alleged to have permitted withdrawals from a trading account up to the amount of the company's total trading revenue, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these claims being reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the wealthiest in that age group, who is accused of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds and told a trader that withdrawals were permissible within certain limits, and is now facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's wealth accumulation is on a similar trajectory as Floyd Mayweather's, while the 'TechCrunch' article discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's wealth in the context of his altruistic intentions, without comparing it to another individual's wealth trajectory?": [ + "However, despite Floyd’s massive net worth, Canelo has inched closer to Floyd’s billionaire status over the years.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge about \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" and the article from Engadget about the '9th generation iPad' both report an increase in price on their respective products during the Black Friday sales on Amazon?": [ + "Hasbro’s Jenga: Super Mario Edition is selling for $14.99 ($7 off) at Amazon.", + "For a few hours during the Black Friday sales, the 9th generation iPad went as low as $229 at Amazon." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, and was there disagreement between the TechCrunch report on October 1, 2023, and the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's approach to the board composition for FTX?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between Polygon's article on 'The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch' published on October 10, 2023, and the article discussing how 'Jack Skellington turned legendary composer Danny Elfman into a weirdo rock star' published on October 13, 2023, did Polygon's portrayal of Disney's marketing approach to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' remain consistent or change?": [ + "But it’s bops like “This Is Halloween” and “Jack’s Obsession” that will be engraved on his future tombstone, and he’s never been ashamed to play the hits — unlike Disney, which had no clue how to release the movie to an audience weaned on The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but has since incorporated its parts into everything from theme parks to 3D re-releases to the Disney Dreamlight Valley sim.", + "Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation consistent?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him in financial ventures, admitted to challenges in managing two major financial entities due to significant growth, was informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, commonly associated with the news sources The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch for its practices in local search ranking, deals with major tech companies to maintain default search engine status, and faces accusations of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a strategy under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, and does the 'Sky Sports' article indicate that Chelsea Football Club is managing player fitness and potential return from injury for specific players?": [ + "Under American Todd Boehly’s co-ownership, expanding Chelsea’s profile and reach in the U.S. would make sense, especially with USWNT internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel playing their club football there — and CBS Sports holding WSL rights.", + "Late checks will be made on the fitness of Reece James, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson, while Benoit Badiashile could return from a long-term injury." + ], + "Was there a discrepancy in the portrayal of Israel's security situation after the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence failure published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on Israel's defense strategies published on November 5, 2023?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Guardian report on Ellie Leach, which character, portrayed by Ellie Leach in a long-running television series mentioned by BBC News, is related to a character that was involved in a dramatic storyline covered by the Guardian?": [], + "Which individual, who is about to face a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, is accused of using a front at Alameda Research for secret access to customer funds according to Fortune, and previously established a persona of trustworthiness in the cryptocurrency industry as per The Verge, while also being alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company, according to TechCrunch, experienced a 38% decrease in reported sexual assault rates between its first and second safety reports, faces criticism for inadequate background checks aimed at quick driver sign-up, and reported $394 million in operating income and $219 million in net income in the third quarter?": [ + "The ride-hail company claims that the rate of sexual assault reported on the app decreased 38% between its first and second reports.", + "The survivors in the joined lawsuit also allege that Uber’s “fast and shallow background checks” are substandard and designed to make it as easy as possible for drivers to sign up quickly.", + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income." + ], + "Which platform, featured on Sporting News, provides a $1,000 Bonus Bet to new Vermont sign-ups for their first loss and offers extensive betting options for the PGA Tour and other major events?": [ + "It has a wide range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events, such as winning margin, top finishes, and live betting props.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's recent performances in the Champions League have been stellar, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern, indicating a specific outcome in a European competition?": [ + "Thirty years on United head to Turkey knowing they have rarely been convincing in the Champions League in recent years.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article report on layoffs at Starz, while the Engadget article discusses layoffs within the entire video game industry?": [ + "Is laying off more than 10% of its staff ahead of the company spinning out from Lionsgate, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch announced November 3.", + "It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes." + ], + "Did the reporting style regarding live score updates and highlights from NFL games by Sporting News change between the article featuring \"Jaguars vs. Saints\" on October 19, 2023, and the one covering \"Chiefs vs. Packers\" on December 3, 2023, considering the excerpts mentioning a player achieving a first down?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "9:24 p.m. — This time, Allen's aggressive decision works, as the Saints get the first down thanks to a 17-yard catch and run by Kamara." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who became the richest in the world, reportedly with the intention of using their wealth for the preservation of humanity, but is now facing allegations of fraud and deceit regarding the operations of a crypto exchange, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, about Taylor Swift's activities at Arrowhead Stadium, and the subsequent report from The Independent - Life and Style on November 25, 2023, regarding Travis Kelce's invitation to Taylor Swift, was the news about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce consistent with the later report from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023?": [ + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google, published before December 15, 2023, fail to maintain the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices after the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditure to become the default search engine?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest the same perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation as the 'TechCrunch' articles, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging fraudulent intentions for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which country, recently reported by both 'Fortune' and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has implemented a blockade that halted the delivery of essential supplies to a region compared in size to Philadelphia and has also been the target of a major attack that indicated a significant intelligence oversight?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that social media companies, excluding Twitter (not called X), are facing changes in content moderation policies, with one discussing state laws restricting social media companies and the other describing a crowdsourced moderation system under new leadership?": [ + "Last week, the Supreme Court decided that it would hear the pair of cases, which revolve around Republicans crafting state-specific laws that order platforms to keep their hands off of some social media posts.", + "Under Musk, Twitter — now called X — has prioritized “free speech” managed by crowdsourced-based moderation." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses his intentions for FTX's board composition, and the TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his professional conduct?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the collaboration on the U2 project for Sphere reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 19, 2023, did TechCrunch's perspective on the role of technologists in product design, published on December 21, 2023, align with the notion of interconnections between technologies as suggested by the U2 project's collaborative effort?": [ + "In this innovation cycle, product design requires a wider perspective of platforms and interconnections between technologies, creating a strong need for technologists and designers to be in the process together.", + "Stufish partner Ric Lipson (along with artist Es Devlin and producer Brian Eno) collaborated on the U2 project for Sphere." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Shohei Ohtani's MLB future published on November 27, 2023, and The New York Times report on Shohei Ohtani's deal with the Dodgers published on December 9, 2023, was there a change in the reporting of Ohtani's free agency status?": [ + "When he entered free agency, a dozen teams lined up, curious to see if they could meet his eye.", + "An agreement at the winter meetings in Nashville the first week of December would be the ideal outcome for MLB, but not necessarily for Ohtani." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on Richelle Cranston's club history in the AFLW published on October 20, 2023, and The Age's report on Richelle Cranston's health condition while playing this season published on November 3, 2023, has the information regarding Richelle Cranston's AFLW career remained consistent?": [ + "“But nah, it was awesome.” On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.", + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year." + ], + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the TalkSport article discusses the expected sale price of Manchester United by the Glazers, comparing it to the investment made by Todd Boehly for Chelsea?": [ + "With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.", + "This was a move mainly influenced by the fact Raine had managed to broker a deal with Todd Boehly to commit to invest £4.5bn to take control of Chelsea, giving the Glazers grand ideas they could rake in as much as DOUBLE for a global sporting institution like United." + ], + "Which company, according to Eddy Cue, had no valid alternative for search engine services at the time of a negotiation, is reported by The Verge to have spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its default search engine status across various platforms as mentioned by TechCrunch, and is also accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue through anticompetitive means as cited by TechCrunch?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What is the name of the rugby team that suffered home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, faced a numerical disadvantage but tried to capitalize by kicking for the corner, and was previously beaten by Argentina for the first time in Sydney before losing again in Christchurch, as discussed in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different reason for \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" compared to the reason for \"Dillon Danis and Savannah Montano's relationship\" ending as reported by 'Essentially Sports'?": [ + "At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.", + "Also, another thing that hints towards their breakup is Danis’s first press conference for the Logan Paul fight." + ], + "Who is the individual that The Verge reported as using $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor, and who is also the subject of a criminal trial covered by TechCrunch, where he faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of seeking wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Based on a report from The Verge detailing Microsoft Azure's new AI capabilities and a separate article from Forbes discussing Azure's expanded global infrastructure, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the AI feature highlighted for its advanced analytics and the first letter of the new geographical region announced for Azure's data center expansion?": [], + "Considering the design changes reported by The Verge and the performance upgrades mentioned by CNET in their latest articles on the Apple iMac, which single letter of the alphabet is commonly used to denote the model that encompasses both of these updates?": [], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a strategic move under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, while 'The Guardian' and 'Sky Sports' articles focus on Chelsea Football Club's recent match outcomes and player fitness concerns, respectively, without discussing strategic market expansion?": [ + "Under American Todd Boehly’s co-ownership, expanding Chelsea’s profile and reach in the U.S. would make sense, especially with USWNT internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel playing their club football there — and CBS Sports holding WSL rights.", + "It was 24 September, Chelsea’s second home Premier League defeat on the spin after the one against Nottingham Forest and they were booed off again.", + "Late checks will be made on the fitness of Reece James, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson, while Benoit Badiashile could return from a long-term injury." + ], + "Does the Polygon article claim that Zazie Beetz will reprise her role in the Joker sequel, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Mary Jane's character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 returning from the first game?": [ + "Zazie Beetz will be back as Arthur’s neighbor and entirely unwitting love interest, Sophie.", + "But then, there’s MJ as well who has made a comeback from the first installment." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' claim that the NFL game between the Lions and Packers will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for 'NFL fans across the United States' align with their claim about the broadcast platform for the Bears vs. Panthers game for 'NFL fans in the U.S.'?": [ + "For the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Lions and Packers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video.", + "For the masses of NFL fans across the U.S., Thursday's clash between the Bears and Panthers will be aired on Amazon Prime Video." + ], + "Does the Polygon post focus on keeping readers updated with the latest series liked by the authors on each major streaming platform, while The Sydney Morning Herald article discusses the trend of entertainment companies creating their own exclusive streaming platforms over the past five years?": [ + "We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent series on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.", + "For the past five or so years entertainment companies have been focused on creating their own streaming platforms, which would be built around exclusive control of their original content, whether it was original new series or a sister studio’s Hollywood movies." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles imply that his overall wealth and alleged fraudulent activities were not directed towards different goals, such as influencing politics and achieving personal gain?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed on both The Verge and TechCrunch, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues and uses specific criteria to rank local search results, while also being accused of harming news publishers' profits through its business practices?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Sajith Pai, what single letter represents the initial of the venture capital firm where he is a director, which has also recently invested in a new ed-tech startup?": [], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to counter claims of discovery misconduct, is also accused by both a news publisher and an individual of using its platform to maximise ad revenue and siphon off content and revenue from others, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the reporting on player actions in sports by Sporting News change between the article featuring Jones from the USC vs. Notre Dame game published on October 14, 2023, and the article discussing Cristian Romero's tackle in the Tottenham vs Chelsea game published on November 6, 2023?": [ + "8:31 p.m.: This time, Jones is halted almost as soon as he picked up the handoff from Williams, getting brought down by JD Bertrand for a loss of four and giving the Fighting Irish the ball at their own 33.", + "While he got the ball with his tackle, he followed through with extreme force straight onto both of Sterling's legs, and referee Michael Oliver was sent to the monitor." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published before November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published before December 15, 2023, was there a consistent portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that bettors earn a fixed profit when betting on the Red Sox, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Spread betting involves wagering on the margin of victory rather than a fixed outcome?": [ + "This means if you bet $100 on the Red Sox and they win, you'd also earn a profit of $100.", + "Against the spread: Instead of betting on an exact winner, the widely-popular spread bet levels the playing field by allowing you to wager on how many points a team will win by." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry, according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, and also had intentions to form an expert board for a crypto exchange, as per Cnbc | World Business News Leader, while also being known for his plans to use his fortune to prevent humanity's extinction, as mentioned in another article by TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, while The Verge article focuses on the market definition in an antitrust case involving Google, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions impact news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is known for its superior architecture in generative AI models, secures default search engine positions through deals with major tech firms, and is involved in legal disputes potentially affecting phones, app stores, and news publishers' revenues?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the fraud allegations between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement with Adam Yedidia and Caroline Ellison published on October 4, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published after?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' fail to report on Eintracht Frankfurt's historic Bundesliga achievement against Bayern Munich before 'The Independent - Sports' mentioned Joelinton's powerful goal for Newcastle?": [ + "Newcastle had Callum Wilson able to start, but their goal came from a less regular source, with a thunderbolt from Joelinton.", + "Ansgar Knauff then slotted in to make it 5-1 on the hour as Frankfurt became the first team in 48 years to score five goals in one hour against Bayern in the Bundesliga since their own 6-0 win in 1975." + ], + "Did The Guardian's report on October 24, 2023, regarding Britney Spears' experiences at the age of 21 maintain consistency in the narrative of her struggles with autonomy and public scrutiny, after The Independent - Life and Style reported on Britney Spears' voluntary lithium intake on October 18, 2023?": [ + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.", + "In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a Times of India report on Sabbineni Meghana, which team did she represent in her debut international match, and against which team did she score her maiden international half-century?": [], + "Did TechCrunch change its portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in its October 7, 2023, article alleging his knowing commitment of fraud, despite the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which described the success of FTX as being built on lies, and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, detailing Caroline Ellison taking $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Spill's new social media platform suggest a different approach to social networking from what TechCrunch reports consumers desire according to Mozilla's perspective, with Spill focusing on a unique platform and Mozilla emphasizing trust and decentralization?": [ + "But while Pebble sought to essentially clone Twitter, Spill’s team is building something that looks very little like it.", + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes." + ], + "Considering the updates from a New York Times article on the integration of new AI features into Microsoft Teams and a Forbes article discussing the expansion of Microsoft Teams into new markets, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO of Microsoft who is overseeing these strategic developments?": [], + "Between the report from TalkSport on Andy Robertson's shoulder injury and the CBSSports.com article on Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury, which news source reported on a player's injury sustained during international duty?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "And Klopp has a new worry: the Reds are without Andy Robertson after the left-back suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty with Scotland." + ], + "Which company, defended in court for being the only viable option for search engine services according to Eddy Cue, also held an annual hardware event showcasing new developments and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in misusing customer funds, while The Verge article implies that Sam Bankman-Fried set a condition for withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, and does another TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's motive for committing fraud was personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's actions towards news publishers are anticompetitive, while The Age article implies that users are accepting of potential misconduct by Google, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event, indicating different contexts of Google's activities in each source?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of discussions involving the portrayal as an antagonist in a legal trial by Epic Games, the claim of superior architecture in its AI model Gemini compared to GPT-4 as reported by TechCrunch, and the accusation of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers leading to a class action antitrust suit, also covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was reportedly removed from OpenAI's board, is known for supporting a teen's AI startup, and is suspected of not being fully truthful with the board, as discussed in articles by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by a world business news leader and tech-focused outlets, who not only proposed forming a knowledgeable board for a cryptocurrency exchange without investor directors but also faced allegations of fraud and admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' on October 19, 2023, detailing the Tasmania JackJumpers' lead over the Sydney Kings, and the update from 'Sporting News' on October 31, 2023, about the Texas Rangers' lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, which news source reported a larger point/lead difference in a game, 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' or 'Sporting News'?": [ + "It gave the JackJumpers a game-high 19-point lead and just about put the result to bed after Sydney had lost Jaylin Galloway (shoulder) and Jonah Bolden (fouled out).", + "9:20 p.m. — Nathaniel Lowe makes the play to retire Carroll, and that will bring the Rangers back up to bat with a 10-0 lead." + ], + "Who, according to TechCrunch, was the world's wealthiest individual under 30 with intentions of using his fortune for humanitarian purposes and is currently facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing these acts to gain wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article focuses on the ethicality of his financial practices, and does the second TechCrunch article imply that his actions were driven by fraudulent intentions?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front for secretive access to customer funds, portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure before a major company's collapse, discussed board composition with Paradigm in contrast to investor involvement, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with connections to reports from Fortune, The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Reuters report on Poodle Holdings, which division, represented by its initial, is poised for the most significant expansion in the upcoming fiscal year?": [], + "Between the Polygon article published on December 6, 2023, discussing the role-playing elements of \"Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader\" and The New York Times report on December 9, 2023, about Shohei Ohtani's free agency, which news source provided information on the player's freedom to make narrative-affecting choices in the game, Polygon or The New York Times?": [ + "When he entered free agency, a dozen teams lined up, curious to see if they could meet his eye.", + "As the player, I explore a system of the Imperium with a loyal crew of companions, making impactful choices and determining the fate of those around me." + ], + "After the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, suggesting an expression of interest from Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift, and the article from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, revealing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has the narrative regarding the rumored romance between the pop star and the Chiefs TE remained consistent?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "What company, known for its upcoming 'Scary Fast event' focusing on Macs and new chipsets as reported by Engadget, is also involved in an 18-month appeal process against a patent dispute decision by the ITC and enforces uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system as covered by The Verge?": [ + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Which company is involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games over allegations of hiding items from discovery, and is also accused by news publishers of using anticompetitive means to siphon off their content, readers, and ad revenue, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reese Witherspoon advocate for different parenting styles, as opposed to the article from The Independent - Life and Style which discusses the issue of parental controls with Roblox?": [ + "Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who admitted to being like a \"drill instructor\" when his kids were young, and Reese Witherspoon, who recently said she wants kids to deal with failure more directly, have shared their harsher parenting styles in interviews.", + "The Scooby-Doo star isn’t the only celebrity to publicly call out Roblox’s parental controls." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with the rise of artificial intelligence and generative AI technology, who was recently in the news for being removed from OpenAI's leadership amidst allegations of dishonesty with the board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed by Engadget for focusing on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, is also mentioned by The Verge for defending its search engine deal in court, planning to appeal an ITC decision regarding its watch, and for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a higher sale price expectation for Manchester United compared to the amount invested by Todd Boehly for Chelsea, and does the Sporting News article confirm Manchester United's elimination from European competitions after a defeat by Bayern?": [ + "This was a move mainly influenced by the fact Raine had managed to broker a deal with Todd Boehly to commit to invest £4.5bn to take control of Chelsea, giving the Glazers grand ideas they could rake in as much as DOUBLE for a global sporting institution like United.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the article from The Age suggest that Australia's Davis Cup team is aiming for an improvement in their performance compared to the previous year, similar to how the article from The Guardian describes the Sydney Swans' current season performance as improved from their previous winless campaign?": [ + "“Hopefully we can go one better this year,” he added, recalling the 2-0 defeat by Canada in 2022.", + "After a winless campaign in 2022, the Swans – led by ex-Collingwood player Chloe Molloy – have been competitive this season." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving potential foul play, antitrust issues with a video game maker, and the siphoning off of news publishers' content and revenue, as reported by both The Age and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently reported on by both Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch for experiencing a tumultuous period involving a reduction of its workforce by about 600 employees and having its co-CEO focus more on customer relations, is also preparing for an IPO within a two- to three-year timeframe as aimed by Dave Clark?": [ + "Among Clark's goals was to help Petersen prepare Flexport for an IPO, something the company had discussed doing within a two- to three-year window, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents viewed by CNBC.", + "Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people.", + "The co-CEO arrangement would free Petersen up to do what he loved – \"getting beers with customers,\" in the words of two former Flexport employees.", + "Turmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion." + ], + "Do the 'Business Line' article's views on the actions of central bankers in response to supply disruptions align with 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article's depiction of the measures taken by The Federal Reserve to combat inflation?": [ + "In the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated.", + "The Fed is trying to push still-high inflation down to its target, and its main tool of high interest rates does that by trying to slow the economy and hurting prices for investments." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that bettors never earn a fixed profit when betting on the Red Sox, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Spread betting involves wagering on the margin of victory rather than a fixed outcome?": [ + "This means if you bet $100 on the Red Sox and they win, you'd also earn a profit of $100.", + "Against the spread: Instead of betting on an exact winner, the widely-popular spread bet levels the playing field by allowing you to wager on how many points a team will win by." + ], + "Considering the environmental concerns highlighted by The Guardian and the economic impacts discussed by The Wall Street Journal, which single letter represents both the primary Great Lake at risk due to invasive carp species and the Great Lake bordering the state that could face significant financial consequences from disrupted fisheries?": [], + "Has the focus of holiday-related reporting shifted from products like Govee's colorful LED light strips featured by 'The Verge' before Halloween to relationship advice such as the introduction of a significant other to family during the holidays featured by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close.", + "If you’re in the midst of a new relationship this holiday season, you may be faced with the opportunity to introduce your significant other to your family." + ], + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts to achieve wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which institution, mentioned in articles from both 'The Age' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is responsible for setting a main interest rate that reached its peak since 2001 and has also indicated that its future decisions regarding this rate will be determined by new economic data?": [ + "After already raising its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001, the Fed has indicated it may keep its overnight rate higher next year than it had earlier expected.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Has the focus of the European Commission's involvement reported by TechCrunch remained solely on addressing competition concerns in Amazon's iRobot purchase without shifting to facilitating dialogue and assessing issues with Meta's ad-free subscription service or probing Elon Musk's X over illegal content risks and moderation practices?": [ + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's effective management of FTX and Alameda Research was due to company growth, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's management issues were related to deliberate misuse of customer funds and fraud for personal gain, respectively?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is facing scrutiny for its market practices in areas ranging from app distribution and advertising to search engine defaults and content sharing, without planning new measures for its video platform in the next six months?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Are the U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists mentioned in the TechCrunch article investing less in Chinese companies compared to the previous year, and are Investors, as reported by the Financial Times, showing an increased interest in Japan for similar reasons?": [ + "The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before.", + "“You are seeing more interest in Japan from investors, who were primarily invested in China, as China has slowed and some of its economic policies have been confusing and opaque,” says Kirk Neureiter, president of Fidelity Management & Research Japan." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to change careers, was once compared to Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, detailing Manchester United's exit from European competitions, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on December 23, 2023, discussing Manchester United's performance in the English Premier League, was the news regarding Manchester United's performance consistent?": [ + "Goals from West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus extended Manchester United’s miserable run in the English Premier League.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Did Polygon report on the Bluetooth connectivity of the Microsoft Xbox controller before Engadget discussed the Bluetooth functionality improvements in the Steam Deck OLED?": [ + "The device uses Bluetooth 5.3 and adds a dedicated antenna, which should improve functionality when using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth at the same time.", + "So, whether you have a phone or tablet, this controller can easily connect via Bluetooth." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the portrayal of how sportsbooks operate in terms of profit-making consistent?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Sony Music's stance on AI technology suggest a similar opportunity for creative development in music as the Music Business Worldwide article on Warner Music Group's view on the impact of technology on the music industry?": [ + "Kooker added later in the speech: “Music is a tremendous driver for AI technology, and AI technology presents a tremendous opportunity for the creative development of music.", + "Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group – and an ex-high flyer at YouTube – commented: “With each major leap in technology, the music industry navigates a fresh set of challenges and opportunities." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust allegations involving monopolistic behavior in the search engine, app distribution, and news publishing markets, as reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding a surprise attack on Israel, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 13, 2023, concerning the blockade of Gaza and the warning issued to residents, is the sequence of events reported by both news sources regarding Israel's security and humanitarian situation consistent?": [ + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Who became a significant figure in generative AI due to ChatGPT, is considered one of the most brilliant and impactful people in the tech industry, and has been accused by sources from both Fortune and TechCrunch of being ousted from a board that he allegedly misled?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Sweatcoin's partnership strategies and a Forbes article discussing the app's user engagement metrics, which letter, representing a feature that both articles attribute to contributing significantly to Sweatcoin's growth, is shared by the names of the companies that Sweatcoin has reportedly partnered with for rewards?": [], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard has the potential to dominate in the NHL due to his performance in junior hockey, while the 'Yardbarker' article credits Dean Evason with developing several players into NHL stalwarts, indicating a difference in the factors contributing to NHL success?": [ + "“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL.", + "There, he helped guide more than a few future NHL stalwarts — namely Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Filip Forsberg, Calle Järnkrok, Viktor Arvidsson, and Kevin Fiala, among many others." + ], + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that the Houston Astros' actions had a broader impact on the values of Major League Baseball, while 'The New York Times' article focuses solely on the Astros' performance after a specific change to their stadium?": [ + "No one likes being taken for a fool and what the Astros had done undermined everything the league stood for.", + "Before their final homestand, the team added some green paint to the batter’s eye in response to player complaints, and the Astros responded by going 1-5 with three of those losses coming against the Royals." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Hamas' activities by 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' remained consistent between the article involving Hamed al-Khachari's financial operations for Hamas and the subsequent report criticizing 'Some journalists around the world' for perpetuating Hamas' lies?": [ + "\"Some journalists around world see that Hamas continues to lie about the biggest things when the whole truth is in front of everyone's eyes, and they continue to echo the lies.", + "At the same time Hamed al-Khachari, a Gazan money changer who worked for Hamas (who was assassinated by Israel in 2019), located Gazan merchants who imported goods from Turkish companies and owned payment on the goods." + ], + "Did 'The Verge' article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's effective management of FTX and Alameda Research was due to the companies' growth, while 'Fortune' focuses on his successful persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and 'TechCrunch' alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his leadership and actions?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Is the reporting on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship by 'The Independent - Life and Style' consistent between the article published at '2023-12-06T13:55:17+00:00' stating Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and the subsequent article at '2023-12-06T14:23:01+00:00' revealing that Taylor Swift connected with Travis Kelce in July after his attempt to give her a friendship bracelet?": [ + "Speaking to the publication, she said she connected with Kelce in July, after he confessed on his podcast that he tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during one of her Eras Tour shows.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Which company, according to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge, not only spent billions to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms but is also considered by a major tech firm to be without a valid alternative for search services and has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution, while also being accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which individual is connected to persuading a former Jane Street trader to join him at Alameda and FTX, making a billion-dollar decision involving customer funds to buy out a competitor, instructing a colleague to use billions from customers to repay debts, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these actions being reported by sources including Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was portrayed differently by The Verge and TechCrunch, persuaded a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures, and is facing allegations of fraud by the prosecution?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What company, mentioned in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is responsible for creating Gemini, a generative AI model with claimed superior architecture, and is also at the center of discussions regarding Android app distribution, in-app payment systems, and antitrust issues with news publishers?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Is the reporting on the Northern Lights visibility in the UK by 'The Independent - Travel' consistent with the observations of the aurora borealis reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' between November 9, 2023, and December 21, 2023?": [ + "As with most places in the UK, you’re more likely to see the lights between October and March.", + "Philip McErlean witnessed the aurora borealis shine above the southern shores of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that is claimed to have deceived Paradigm about board plans, is accused of building a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in a legal case covered by The Verge for allowing a trader to withdraw funds from an account under certain conditions, and is also accused by the prosecution, as reported by TechCrunch, of committing fraud for personal gains?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Age' suggest that the co-founders of Anthropic made no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' imply that Sam Altman's departure was either shocking or due to a lack of candor with the board?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' in its first article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was aware of the financial discrepancy at FTX, while 'The Verge' in its second article and 'TechCrunch' in its article focus on his role as a trustworthy figure and allegations of committing fraud, respectively, without mentioning his awareness of the financial issues?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions compared to the 'TechCrunch' article, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging intentional fraud?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's inability to manage FTX and Alameda Research was due to the companies' growth, while 'Fortune' focuses on his successful persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and 'TechCrunch' alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his leadership and actions?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, discussed in articles from both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', has been portrayed as an antagonist in a legal trial, has altered the internet's appearance with its navigation efforts, and has been accused of both paying billions to maintain its default search engine status and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions, including using a colleague as a front for accessing customer funds at Alameda Research and deciding to use $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, are being scrutinized by a jury to ascertain the truth, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously the richest in that age group, who is now facing legal scrutiny where contrasting stories about his ability to manage two companies and his intentions with his fortune are being presented in court, with claims discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join his trading venture after leaving Jane Street, told Paradigm about his plans for a specialized board for his exchange platform while excluding investors as directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with connections to news articles from Fortune, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that the U.S. presidential election has a significant influence on Ukraine's future, whereas the article from Engadget implies that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a major impact on Globalization and the perception of the twenty-first century, indicating differing primary concerns for Ukraine's situation?": [ + "Defense analysts agree that much of the outlook for Ukraine is dependent on the outcome of the U.S. vote.", + "Any illusion of the success of globalization, or of the twenty-first century representing a break from the brutal twentieth century, was stripped away with Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, accused of using a front to secretly access customer funds at Alameda Research, and was once compared to Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, according to articles from TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's progression in the Champions League was hindered by a draw, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's elimination from European competitions was due to a defeat?": [ + "United, realistically, required a win to progress after drawing 3‑3 in the first leg of the second‑round tie at Old Trafford but the atmosphere in Turkey subdued the visitors and the second leg stuttered to a goalless draw.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, who also sought to establish a board with experts for a company according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and made a billion-dollar decision involving customer funds as per The Verge?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did Mashable report on the Echelon Connect Sport being on sale for over $400 off during Black Friday before Fortune mentioned that Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders receive a 20% statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases with Delta?": [ + "Cardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.", + "And for Black Friday, it's on sale for over $400 off, knocking the price down to a super impressive $297." + ], + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was the information about the improvements in the new iteration of the Steam Deck consistent?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information on a specific geopolitical issue, while The Guardian article implies that Snapchat is associated with a different type of risk, unrelated to information dissemination?": [ + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook.", + "Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple restricts browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system and defends its Google Search deal based on user privacy and a lack of valid alternatives?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions from the perspective of the prosecution between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and The Verge report on the outcome of the FTX trial published on October 26, 2023?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who was once portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry by The Verge, was not considered the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, had the wealth and ambition to potentially influence political events according to TechCrunch, and is now facing allegations of fraud as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual who admitted to misappropriating customer funds in a conversation with Changpeng Zhao, faced criticism for prioritizing appearances during her tenure at Alameda Research, and was accused by Mark Cohen of failing to shield her hedge fund from the volatile crypto markets, as reported by The Verge and Fortune?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "Ellison’s tenure as CEO of Alameda Research was an exercise in optics, she testified.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for his wealth were different from the portrayal of his actions in the Fortune article, and do both these characterizations align with the allegations of fraud mentioned in another TechCrunch article?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of the accusations against Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the 'Diablo 4 guide' from Polygon change its approach in providing simplified builds for different character classes in Diablo 4 season 2 after publishing the Sorcerer guide on October 18th with the subsequent Barbarian guide on October 19th?": [ + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds for season 2.", + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds for season 2." + ], + "After The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that Apple defended its Google Search deal due to a lack of valid alternatives, did TechCrunch's December 15, 2023, report on a class action antitrust suit against Google show a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's market dominance and competitive practices?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said." + ], + "Which individual, who is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and is capable of experiencing major events without media awareness, has a tour booked for the next year and insists on not letting paparazzi affect her despite the attention her outings receive, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried directed Caroline Ellison to use customer funds for debt repayment, while the Fortune article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and does the second TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for committing fraud was personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on October 31, 2023, that Google paid millions instead of billions to secure its default search engine position, and then on December 15, 2023, reported a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher, making the news source's portrayal of Google's competitive practices consistent?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, not only has the capacity to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payments but also engages in agreements ensuring its search engine's default status on various platforms and is involved in both showcasing new hardware and being accused of anticompetitive practices against news publishers?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have specific types of betting opportunities, with one discussing prop bets on player and event outcomes and the other on team performance metrics?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Apple Music's expansion into new markets and a Bloomberg report on the latest features added to Apple Music, which single character from the Greek alphabet is used to denote the version of Apple Music that includes spatial audio with Dolby Atmos as mentioned in both articles?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the fantasy football experience is primarily about the opportunity for long-term bragging rights, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article focuses on Colby McKercher's specific performance metrics at the National Championships?": [ + "The best part of fantasy football is watching the team you draft go out there and have a chance to win a championship, forever cementing your bragging rights over your friends for years to come.", + "Averaged 32.8 disposals and 5.8 clearances across four matches for the Allies at the National Championships to earn All Australian honours." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's hardware developments published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on." + ], + "Does the Fortune article attribute the cause of the worst war in Israel in 50 years to actions taken by Hamas, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Paddy Cosgrave's public fight regarding the support for Israel in the conflict?": [ + "On Saturday, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the worst war the region has seen in 50 years.", + "Founders, investors and others from the technology community in Israel have gone ballistic over comments made by the founder and figurehead of Web Summit, Paddy Cosgrave, related to the fighting underway across Israel and Gaza, specifically his criticism of Israel’s retaliatory actions." + ], + "Does the Mashable article suggest that Amazon's Cyber Monday includes only old deals, while The Sydney Morning Herald article focuses on the impact of an antitrust lawsuit on Amazon's stock price, and the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses the opportunity of selling on Amazon, without mentioning any legal or promotional events?": [ + "Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "What institution, prominently featured in articles from 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is considered to have substantial influence over global financial markets and determines its interest rate policies based on US economic data?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from different sectors, where a media expert from 'The Age' argues it manipulates search results for profit, deals with major tech firms like Apple, as reported by 'The Verge', to remain their default search service without a valid alternative, and is accused by news publishers in a 'TechCrunch' article of harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the expansion of Google Maps with AI technology disagree with the TechCrunch article on LinkedIn's introduction of new AI features in terms of both companies enhancing their products with artificial intelligence?": [ + "The feature is currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., with plans for further expansion.", + "LinkedIn leans into AI tools: LinkedIn this week unveiled a string of new AI features spanning its job hunting, marketing and sales products, Ingrid writes." + ], + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Cerevel Therapeutics, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who has been leading the company through recent clinical trials for a new Parkinson's disease drug and also commented on the financial outlook for the upcoming fiscal year?": [], + "Who is the individual being tried for fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized financial activities, and alleged by another TechCrunch article to have instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to cover debts, all while facing allegations of seeking wealth, power, and influence through fraudulent means?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting the possibility of foul play on Google's part, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, citing anticompetitive means used by Google to harm news publishers' bottom lines, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency platform, was seen as a trustworthy industry figure, was not endorsed by TechCrunch as the white horse of crypto, had intentions of forming an expert board without investor directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with connections to news reported by The Verge, TechCrunch, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual who has pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, claimed to have struggled with managing a rapidly growing cryptocurrency exchange and a trading firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the use of a front for secret access to customer funds, acknowledged being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the report by CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, indicating a rumored romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report by The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, discussing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of the nature of their relationship?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog suggest that England's cricket team had issues with preparation and team selection for the World Cup, while the Zee Business article indicates that Australia's cricket team had key performers in their 2015 World Cup semi-final match?": [ + "Leading the charge was the always outspoken Sir Geoff Boycott, who wrote in The Telegraph that the team were paying the price for poor preparation in the lead-up to the World Cup, as well as shoddy team selection extending back to The Ashes earlier this year.", + "Australian Man-of-the-Match Steve Smith (105 runs in 93 balls) and Aaron Finch (81 runs in 116 balls) were the guiding forces in taking Australia to 328 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, and the subsequent Fortune article on the same day accusing the board of going rogue in firing Altman, did the TechCrunch report published later on November 18, 2023, maintain consistency in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's future plans?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge defending Apple's Google Search deal suggest that there were valid alternatives to Google for search engine services, while the other article from The Verge about the public and media's understanding of search engines imply a satisfaction with the public's knowledge of how search engines work?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Sullivan is mad that the public and the media don’t really understand what he considers to be basic precepts about how search works, leading him to adopt a rather scolding tone online." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation compared to the 'TechCrunch' articles, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging fraudulent intentions for personal gain?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published after November 5, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google in reporting Google's anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the latest iCloud security features and a report by Bloomberg on the recent iCloud service outages, which character from the CEO's name of the company responsible for iCloud would be common to both the security feature's codename and the name of the city where the most significant server disruption occurred?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's promotional offer in Vermont and the CBSSports.com report on Caesars Sportsbook's new customer offer, was there a discrepancy in the bonus bet amount being offered to new customers if their first bet loses?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Was the narrative regarding the team's focus and playing intentions unchanged between the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' performance published on October 18, 2023, and the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' mindset published on October 26, 2023?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a legal case reported by The Verge, is not planning new measures for its video platform according to TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenues through anticompetitive practices as per another TechCrunch article?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Rep. Patrick McHenry is avoiding a permanent speaker role, while 'The Age' article indicates that Kevin McCarthy has been removed from the speaker position?": [ + "McHenry himself has brushed off attempts to take the job more permanently after he was appointed to the role after the unprecedented ouster of McCarthy more than two weeks ago.", + "Wall Street is also absorbing the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the House of Representatives." + ], + "Between the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition and the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's denial regarding financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness and management decisions?\n\nBetween the allegations reported by TechCrunch in favor of Sam Bankman-Fried and the subsequent report from The Verge, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of the financial issues?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, known for its e-reader lineup dominance and hosting sale events like Prime-themed and Cyber Monday sales that feature deals from Black Friday, provides a platform described by sellers as a life-changing opportunity, and has been covered by Wired, Mashable, The Verge, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Craig Morgan had insight into Lainey Wilson's potential for success before it was widely recognized, in contrast to the Essentially Sports article which discusses fan speculation about CM Punk's return to WWE without confirmation from CM Punk himself?": [ + "Morgan talked to Fox News Digital about his friendship with Wilson and how he knew she was destined for superstar status before her career took off.", + "While he has been dropping multiple hints sparking rumors, fans are particularly inclined that he might return to his old stomping ground, WWE." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that the impact of 6PPD-quinone requires more research to understand its environmental effects, while the 'Iot Business News' article implies that digital solutions are already recognized as essential for addressing sustainability challenges?": [ + "“The product 6PPD-quinone, which was identified in late 2020, requires more research to understand what impact, if any, it may have on aquatic life or the environment,” Goodyear SVP of global operations and CTO Chris Helsel says.", + "In our report, a former VP at an industrial automation vendor shared, “Digital solutions provide the visibility, analysis, and insight needed to address the challenges inherent in sustainability goals." + ], + "Which company, known for its efforts to streamline internet navigation and mentioned by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has not only influenced the visual aspects of the internet and Android app distribution concerns but also spent billions to maintain its default search engine status and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Shah Rukh Khan's philanthropic efforts and a Times of India report on his upcoming movie projects, which character, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan, links his off-screen altruism with his on-screen role in one of the discussed films?": [], + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader report a decrease in Nike's net income, while the article from Fortune indicates an increase in net income for the container shipping industry?": [ + "The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 31 was $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.47 billion, or 93 cents per share, a year earlier.", + "The biggest carriers posted net income totaling $364 billion in 2021 and 2022, according to figures compiled by industry veteran John McCown, after a decade of scant profits." + ], + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" attribute the recommendation of \"Prisoner's Daughter\" to a different basis than \"The New York Times\" attributes the ranking of \"The Crimson Tide college football team,\" with both recommendations being based on talent involved?": [ + "Also on Amazon Prime: Recommending Prisoner’s Daughter (December 5) is a bet on talent.", + "Most of us know in our gut that the Crimson Tide — the most talented team, on paper, in the sport — are one of the four best teams." + ], + "Which company, covered by The Verge for exclusively focusing on games for their store, by Polygon for making around 300 updates to a specific hardware since its launch, and by Engadget for announcing the immediate availability of a new OLED product starting November 16th at 1pm ET, is responsible for these developments?": [ + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "After Polygon reported on October 18th that 'Wonder Seeds cause the levels in Super Mario Bros. Wonder to collapse and contort, breaking the traditional rules of Mario games,' did Engadget's review on October 20th agree or disagree on the significant change in gameplay experience introduced by the new mechanic in Super Mario Bros. Wonder?": [ + "With Wonder Seeds, the levels themselves collapse and contort, disobeying the laws established by decades of Mario games.", + "But what really pushes things over the top is the introduction of a new mechanic that turns everything you think you know about Mario games on its head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article reporting on the EU's investigation into X over alleged disinformation disagree with the TechCrunch article warning Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) about illegal content and disinformation in terms of the type of content being circulated, with both mentioning the circulation of false information and manipulated content?": [ + "Since Saturday’s attacks in Israel, posts identified as false have been spotted circulating on X — including, in one example, a clip that purported to show Hamas missile attacks on Israel but was actually footage from a video game.", + "“Public media and civil society organisations widely report instances of fake and manipulated images and facts circulating on your platform in the EU, such as repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge published at 23:02 and the report from Fortune published at 23:32 on the same day, is there inconsistency in the portrayal of responsibility for risk management issues related to FTX and Caroline Ellison's role?": [ + "Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks' are in a similar position for the NFC wild-card spots as the 'Las Vegas Raiders' are for the AFC playoff race according to another 'Sporting News' report?": [ + "The Rams and Seahawks are the best wild-card bets here now, while the Saints and Buccaneers will still have their sights on making the playoffs via still winning the weak South over the Falcons.", + "It also vaults the Raiders into a deep AFC playoff race, with Las Vegas joining the now five AFC wild-card contenders with at least five wins." + ], + "After the report by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there agreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's response to economic conditions?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is more self-centered compared to the Springboks, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' had a specific in-game failure to release on their goal line, and acknowledging 'The All Blacks' previous losses to Argentina, or are the motivations, in-game actions, and historical outcomes described differently for 'The All Blacks' in each article?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Which platform is favored by Keira Megan for fan engagement and authenticity, and has also been in the news on TechCrunch for altering its revenue split to focus more on ad revenue?": [ + "Megan says that while she doesn’t have as many followers on Twitch as she does on her YouTube channel, there are elements of Twitch she prefers to YouTube, including the ability to be herself and engage with fans more closely.", + "Right, and that decision to change the revenue split also came out of a decision to prioritize ad revenue." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing microblogging and public discourse platforms list a narrower range of platforms excluding startups and new applications from larger tech companies compared to the TechCrunch article that mentions the homogenization of content on Social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X)?": [ + "Users today have far more options for microblogging and public discourse, thanks to products from Twitter-like startups and tech companies such as Spill, Bluesky, Pebble, Countersocial, Spoutible, Hive and the open source platform Mastodon, as well as efforts from tech giants, like Meta’s new app Threads.", + "TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) are all slowly evolving to become the same infinite scrollable feed of algorithm-optimized short videos from top performers." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Washington Post article on Nikki Haley, which political party does she belong to if the New York Times discusses her tenure as a former governor and the Washington Post covers her announcement to run for a national office?": [], + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also suggested by The Age to be involved in potential foul play, and has been reported by TechCrunch to have spent billions to maintain its default search engine status and been accused in a class action lawsuit of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the courtroom drama covered by TechCrunch for instructing Caroline Ellison to take billions from customers to cover debts, is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, and was discussed in The Verge for informing a trader about permissible withdrawals from an account, which should not exceed the company's total trading revenue?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did CBSSports.com report on Kenneth Walker III's injury after Sporting News mentioned the absence of Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney due to injuries?": [ + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury.", + "Entering Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Age' about Tyler Mitchell suggest that his career has been successful due to his early photography experiences, while the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about Graham Arnold indicates that his career choices involved staying with the Australian national team despite offers from Europe?": [ + "His career has only blossomed in the years since he took that trip, and while some artists might feel trepidation at the attainment of so much success from such an early age, Mitchell is clear-eyed.", + "Since then he’s been linked to club jobs in Europe but opted to stick around with the national team." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article stating Lionel Messi returned to play for Barcelona after an injury align with the 'Sporting News' claim that he is likely to be back for Inter Miami's match, and does the same source suggest a youth movement in Argentina's forward line involving Messi, Alvarez, and Garnacho?": [ + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone.", + "2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity.", + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line." + ], + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it submitted extensive evidence to counter claims of discovery misconduct, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently noted by TechCrunch for being more attuned to consumer feedback, has maintained a partnership with Google preventing alternative browser choices during iPhone setup, is rumored by Engadget to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and is described by The Verge as enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged offer to Trump published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations of fraud committed by Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did TechCrunch report on Flipboard's integration of the ActivityPub protocol after The Verge discussed the structure of the ActivityPub protocol in social media contexts?": [ + "“What we’re announcing on Monday is basically our roadmap for how we will be rolling out ActivityPub, and effectively tearing down the walls around our own walled garden,” he added.", + "In the world of ActivityPub, every post everywhere is made up of a sender, a message, and a URL." + ], + "Who is the individual reported by The Verge as having given permission for withdrawals under specific conditions, by CNBC as planning an expert board for a company without investor directors, and by TechCrunch as both pleading not-guilty to multiple charges and being accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do the articles from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog discussing The All Blacks' actions in the Rugby World Cup final and their previous encounters with Argentina both present The All Blacks as having faced challenges in their gameplay, or do they portray different situations regarding The All Blacks' performance?": [ + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the sale of Govee's LED light strips is unrelated to the upcoming holidays, while the article from The Independent - Life and Style discusses the introduction of a significant other to family as an event that may coincide with the holidays?": [ + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close.", + "If you’re in the midst of a new relationship this holiday season, you may be faced with the opportunity to introduce your significant other to your family." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article describing the tackle by JD Bertrand on Jones indicate a change in possession, while the 'Sporting News' report on Cristian Romero's tackle on Raheem Sterling does not mention a possession change?": [ + "8:31 p.m.: This time, Jones is halted almost as soon as he picked up the handoff from Williams, getting brought down by JD Bertrand for a loss of four and giving the Fighting Irish the ball at their own 33.", + "While he got the ball with his tackle, he followed through with extreme force straight onto both of Sterling's legs, and referee Michael Oliver was sent to the monitor." + ], + "Between the report by FOX News - Health on October 1st, 2023, stating that '97% of kids use their device during school hours and beyond, with study participants using TikTok for nearly two hours per day on average', and the article from TechCrunch on October 2nd, 2023, discussing 'Vivek Ramaswamy's difficulty in making headway on TikTok with young users', is there consistency in the portrayal of the significant use of TikTok among young people?": [ + "In particular, TikTok was used by half of the study participants, for nearly two hours per day on average.", + "The presidential election is more than a year away, but it may be too late for Ramaswamy to make any headway on TikTok, where the platform’s young users still don’t take him seriously." + ], + "Do the TechCrunch and Seeking Alpha articles agree on the trend of companies' spending on cybersecurity, or do they present differing views on this matter?": [ + "While a lot of companies have clamped down on spending and IT budgets over the last couple years, security is one area where they have returned to spending even when other categories have remained frozen or constrained.", + "The demand for cybersecurity is strong, but companies are not immune to the realities of the global economy." + ], + "Which company is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 on TechCrunch, portrayed as an antagonist on The Verge, and accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' bottom lines on TechCrunch?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding Kevin Federline's actions imply a lack of consent for sharing videos, in contrast to the 'TechCrunch' article where Paul Denino is claimed to have obtained consent for filming for an additional fee?": [ + "Following Federline’s comments, Spears’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said in a statement obtained by Variety that Federline has created “legal issues” for himself, after posting private videos of Spears sternly speaking with her children without her consent.", + "He also posted footage of a call allegedly asking the sex worker he could film her, which she approved for an extra fee." + ], + "Which football club is the dream purchase for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as discussed on TalkSport, that also recently faced elimination from European competitions after a loss at home to Bayern, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "The Qatari banker’s patience finally snapped and his withdrawal from the bidding process at the end of last week has left the pathway clear for Ratcliffe to complete what he has always viewed as his dream purchase.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing DH Corporation's latest strategic partnership and a Wall Street Journal report on the financial performance of DH Corporation in the last quarter, which division head, known for their innovative approach and also mentioned as the key speaker at the recent industry conference covered by Forbes, is expected to lead the company's expansion into new markets?": [], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sport report on Dané Van Niekerk, which injury, mentioned in both sources, was a significant factor in her not being able to participate in a major cricket tournament?": [], + "Has the focus of holiday-related reporting remained solely on products like Govee's colorful LED light strips featured by 'The Verge' before Halloween without including relationship advice such as the introduction of a significant other to family during the holidays featured by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "Halloween isn’t the only holiday on the horizon now that October is drawing to a close.", + "If you’re in the midst of a new relationship this holiday season, you may be faced with the opportunity to introduce your significant other to your family." + ], + "Which platform is at the center of discussions in articles from Music Business Worldwide, Polygon, and FOX News - Health, concerning the policing of AI-driven voice replication, the debate over \"reaction\" content, and being the most used app overnight by young people?": [ + "During this period of discussion, YouTube has made a number of positive announcements regarding the biggest issue for any rightsholder regarding AI-driven voice replication of artists: their ability to police it.", + "The debate over “reaction” content on YouTube has been brewing for years, but a recent incident between two creators has refueled the urgency of the conversation.", + "Overnight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night." + ], + "Are the concerns expressed by 'College football coaches' about the alleged sign-stealing as reported by 'The New York Times' aligned with the implications for the 'Wolverines (Michigan's football team)' as discussed in 'Sporting News' regarding the difficulty of erasing the scandal from the Big Ten record?": [ + "For the past two weeks, coaches across college football have been riveted by the alleged Michigan sign-stealing scheme, but inside the Big Ten, the topic has been more than just a curiosity.", + "While it is almost impossible to quantify how much the alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing would have helped the Wolverines over the past two seasons, it will be a tough stain to erase knowing those violations are now on the Big Ten record." + ], + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of changing internet navigation, being deemed the only valid search engine option by a major tech competitor, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through its practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, claimed to have struggled with managing two major companies due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gains, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the failure in \"North America's EV market\" is due to the size and price of electric vehicles, while The Verge article focuses on Donald Trump's criticism of electric vehicles regarding their cost, range, and impact on American jobs?": [ + "Here we’ll take a look at the small and low(er)-priced EVs that didn’t make it — the flops, the failures to launch, the u-turns and holdouts of North America’s size- and range-obsessed EV market.", + "Last night, former President and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump appeared before a crowd in suburban Detroit and tried out his new attack lines against electric vehicles." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that was reported by The Verge as being overwhelmed by their growth, convinced a former Jane Street trader to join him as per Fortune, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in legal proceedings, as reported by The Verge for instructing a trader on the conditions of withdrawals from a trading account, by Fortune for using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to client funds, and by TechCrunch for both facing multiple fraud charges and being accused by the prosecution of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Mashable article suggest that Amazon's Cyber Monday includes both continued and new deals, while The Sydney Morning Herald article focuses on the impact of an antitrust lawsuit on Amazon's stock price, and the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses the opportunity of selling on Amazon, without mentioning any legal or promotional events?": [ + "Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Age' on Taylor Swift's NFL takeover published on September 26, 2023, and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce published on December 6, 2023, was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's interactions with Travis Kelce?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "After The Independent - Life and Style's report on Jada Pinkett Smith's views on self-acceptance published at 13:41:30, and The Independent - Life and Style's subsequent report on the same topic published at 15:48:10 on the same day, was there consistency in Jada Pinkett Smith's statements regarding what she learned from her children?": [ + "This isn’t the first time that Jada has opened up about her long-term commitment to her husband.", + "Jada then praised her children for how they’ve helped her grow, adding: “My children, they’re little gurus.", + "She praised her and Will’s two children - Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22 - for being her “little gurus” throughout this time, noting that they’ve taught her “a deep sense of self-acceptance”." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Alameda Research had special financial privileges at FTX that other accounts did not, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, implying no undue advantage?": [ + "It was not, however, possible for those accounts to avoid liquidation, as Wang testified Alameda could do — or to have an overall negative balance.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on new discoveries about the sun align with the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article's observations regarding increased solar activity?": [ + "We are constantly learning new things about our home star, and 2023 has been no different.", + "\"Recent observations of sunspots, a measure of how active the sun is, show a dramatic increase from this time last year, and we are approaching the expected peak of the 11-year solar cycle in 2024 or 2025,\" New Scientist reported." + ], + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Reuters report on Visa Inc., which letter grade would you assign to Visa's overall business health and future prospects?": [], + "Which company, according to TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine on multiple platforms in 2021 and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce will have a productive outing against the Raiders' defense, while the Sporting News article indicates that the Raiders' offense was generally ineffective, except for a specific instance led by Josh Jacobs?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Aside from the second quarter drive dominated by Jacobs, the Raiders' offense has shown nothing tonight." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his personal actions and influence, such as persuading Adam Yedidia to join his companies and committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning specific operational policies at FTX?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that presented themselves as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, as reported by The Verge, but is also alleged by the prosecution in a TechCrunch article to have committed fraud, and according to The Verge, informed another trader about permissible withdrawals from an account tied to a now-collapsed company and also admitted to being aware of a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, allegedly utilized Caroline Ellison at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds, instructed her to use $14 billion from customers to settle debts, convinced Adam Yedidia to leave Jane Street for roles at Alameda and FTX, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by altruism, while The Verge article focuses on the specific use of FTX customer funds by Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX." + ], + "Did the articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about 'The All Blacks' both attribute their performance issues to external factors, with one citing the impact of Argentina's victories and the other the influence of the Springboks' defence and weather conditions?": [ + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney.", + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on Google's perceived fairness in search results published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and partners?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange, portrayed himself as a reliable figure in the industry, communicated to a trader the conditions for permissible withdrawals from an account related to the exchange's revenues, and expressed intentions to form an expert board for the exchange without investor directors, while also being accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to allegations presented in court, and is associated with news coverage by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, while the article from The Verge suggests that Alameda Research had a negative balance that exceeded FTX's revenue, indicating potential financial issues?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "Around 2019 or 2020, Wang checked the database and discovered that Alameda was negative by about $200 million, which was more than the $150 million FTX made in revenue." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy, who also advised another trader on the conditions for withdrawing funds from a trading platform's revenue, purportedly planned a board with experts for the same platform while avoiding investors as directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, and CNBC?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": [ + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Britney Spears experienced a loss of privacy and personal freedom at a young age, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article indicates that Kevin Federline acknowledges Britney Spears' responsible handling of her personal situation?": [ + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.", + "After hearing the news, Federline’s attorney Mark Kaplan told Entertainment Tonight: “Kevin commends Britney for recognising that she needs to take a step back and that she is taking the reasonable steps to dealing with her situation in a responsible way." + ], + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, has the status of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce remained consistent as reported by these sources?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before." + ], + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence failure published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on Israel's defense strategies published on November 5, 2023, was there an agreement in the portrayal of Israel's security situation?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal article on Michelle Gass, which company's CEO role, known for its coffee and doughnuts, did she assume after her strategic involvement in a major retail chain's loyalty program and e-commerce expansion?": [], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are without valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles imply that Google's practices, both in terms of its AI technology and its interactions with news publishers, are contested or challenged by competitors and the publishers themselves?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has influenced internet navigation and local search ranking, while also spending billions to be the default search engine and facing antitrust allegations for affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Gary Burrell's contributions to GPS technology and a Forbes piece discussing his philanthropic efforts, which university, known for its engineering program and receiving significant donations from Burrell, also has a single-letter abbreviation that is shared with a chemical element on the periodic table?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing Serban Ionescu's latest architectural project in Manhattan and another from The Guardian discussing his collaboration with a renowned environmental organization, what is the first letter of the city where Ionescu's project is located and that also hosted the headquarters of the environmental group he partnered with?": [], + "Considering the financial performance update from a CNBC article and the strategic expansion plans discussed in a Bloomberg report, which division within Bank of America Corporation is both the leading contributor to the company's revenue growth and is also slated for significant investment to enhance its international presence?": [], + "Has the reporting style on players achieving first downs in Sporting News articles remained consistent between the article featuring Anthony Hankerson on October 7, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "7:06 p.m. – Anthony Hankerson gets two first downs for the Buffs on a four-yard run and a 12-yard run." + ], + "Who, according to TechCrunch, allegedly instructed Caroline Ellison to take $14 billion from customers for debt repayment, was once considered the richest person in the world under 30 with aspirations to use his wealth to prevent humanity's extinction, and is now facing prosecution allegations of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the emphasis on the role of faith and personal practices in maintaining a positive outlook, as reported by FOX News - Lifestyle, change between the article discussing the effectiveness of positive thinking on October 28, 2023, and the one highlighting the importance of the habit of prayer on December 5, 2023?": [ + "The pastor went on to explain that Jesus brought more positivity than anyone — which is why it's important to keep faith aligned with that practice of positive thinking.", + "He added, \"As you consistently tap into that habit, you find your relationship with Jesus growing deeper and deeper, just automatically." + ], + "What company, covered by TechCrunch for its significant spending to become the default search engine and for not releasing its full AI model, is also mentioned by The Verge for its ability to address Android app distribution issues, and is the same entity accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' revenue?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the legislative focus discussed in a New York Times article and the budgetary concerns highlighted by a Washington Post report, which single letter represents the initial of a US Senator who has been vocal in both pieces about the need for fiscal responsibility in upcoming bills?": [], + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence on ad revenue and content distribution?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the Sporting News' approach to reporting on opportunities for bettors before the Chiefs-Jets Week 4 game on September 28, 2023, remained consistent with their coverage of bonus offers for bettors before the NFL Monday Night Football Eagles vs. Seahawks game?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the Echo Frames require the Alexa app to be running for functionality, while the TechCrunch article discusses a new feature for Amazon's Echo devices that does not specify such a requirement?": [ + "Plus, you need to make sure the Alexa app is always open and running in the background.", + "Amazon’s Echo devices will now allow kids to have interactive conversations with an AI-powered Alexa via a new feature called “Explore with Alexa.” First announced in September, the addition to the Amazon Kids+ content subscription allows children to have kid-friendly conversations with Alexa, powered by generative AI, but in a protected fashion designed to ensure the experience remains safe and appropriate." + ], + "Has the portrayal of childhood perceptions of horror and fantasy characters in Polygon's coverage remained consistent between the report on \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" on October 26, 2023, and the depiction of children's reactions to the character Link in \"Tears of the Kingdom\" on October 19, 2023?": [ + "Its kid appeal is an echo of a time when playgrounds were alight with elementary school kids describing the antics of Freddy and/or Jason, whether witnessed firsthand or pieced together from rumors.", + "Moving through the now underground settlement, Link is greeted with suspicion and novelty to the sheltered children who have not seen men before, and he’s treated as a presumed threat for his proximity." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article featuring Jayden Fielding mention a successful field goal attempt, while the Sporting News article with Alejandro Mata discuss a missed field goal, contrasting the outcomes of their respective field goal attempts?": [ + "The Buckeyes settled for a 52-yard field goal late in the first half, which Jayden Fielding missed wide left.", + "His 31-yard field goal is good, and the Buffs take the first lead of the game on their first drive." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Kenneth Walker III's injury impact for fantasy football published on November 21, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the fantasy implications if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury published on December 7, 2023, was there consistency in how the potential absence of Kenneth Walker III was addressed in terms of fantasy football strategy?": [ + "You're probably starting him if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury, but consider other options if you have the depth.", + "With Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury comes opportunity for the rookie, who already looked strong in the month leading up to Seattle's narrow Week 11 loss to the Rams.", + "Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) took four carries against the Rams before leaving with an oblique injury." + ], + "Which two individuals, linked by recent events reported by 'The Age' and 'The Independent - Life and Style', were seen leaving a stadium together and are the subject of dating speculations due to one being spotted cheering on the other from the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium?": [ + "Swifties were immediately on high alert, with some capturing Swift and Kelce leaving the stadium together.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article indicates that she engaged with a viral TikTok video, and does the other 'The Independent - Life and Style' article claim that she has a firm commitment to her Eras Tour schedule?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article claim that FC Cincinnati failed to win the Supporters' Shield for the regular season, while The Guardian article discusses Ratcliffe's approach to communication with Manchester United supporters, without mentioning any achievement by the team?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "A tap-in, then, for Ratcliffe is to remedy this by opening and maintaining a regular line into supporters." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that choices during character creation and leveling up have an impact on gameplay for \"Rangers in Baldur's Gate 3\" in a similar way to how Polygon describes the requirement for 'Players of Baldur’s Gate 3' to choose an otherworldly patron for Warlocks during character creation?": [ + "Rangers also make a lot of choices during character creation (and leveling up) that determine how they play.", + "During character creation, you must pick the otherworldy patron that you’ve decided to serve." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried after October 2, 2023, and the Fortune report on Sam Bankman-Fried, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the charges against him?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a trial covered by TechCrunch, once compared to Warren Buffet by some but not by TechCrunch, who claimed to be overwhelmed by the growth of a company leading to mismanagement, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the reporting on the involvement of individuals in their respective football teams by Sporting News changed between the article discussing Cameron Carter-Vickers' debut for Celtic after a hamstring injury (published at '2023-10-04T22:42:00+00:00') and the article detailing Daniel Garnero's debut as the new permanent manager of the Paraguay national football team 30 minutes before kickoff (published at '2023-10-12T23:22:00+00:00')?": [ + "Also included is defender Cameron Carter-Vickers who only just made his debut for Celtic this season thanks to a hamstring injury.", + "30 mins to kickoff: Paraguay have a new manager, as Daniel Garnero makes his debut as the new permanent boss." + ], + "Who is the quarterback that threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys according to Sporting News, and has been noted by CBSSports.com to complete only 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a 15.9% off-target rate when under pressure?": [ + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Considering the performance analysis from an ESPN article and the team strategy insights from a Times of India report, which player from the Mumbai Indians squad is both expected to be the leading run-scorer in the upcoming season and has been identified as a key player in the team's revised strategy for powerplay overs?": [], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, alleged to have achieved success through deceitful means, including the misuse of a billion dollars of customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the Fortune report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 4, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in fraudulent activities?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Based on an article from The New York Times discussing recent technological advancements and another from The Guardian highlighting key figures in the tech industry, who is the CEO of a company that has introduced a groundbreaking AI technology and also testified before a U.S. Senate committee on data privacy?": [], + "Did the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had no access to FTX customers' money through Alameda Research, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that there was a concern about the risk to FTX customers' funds without specifying secret access?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was concerned because it \"seemed like a lot of money\" from FTX customers was at risk." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the portrayal of how sportsbooks operate in terms of profit-making inconsistent?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google is engaging in fair competition with news publishers, while the article from The Verge implies that Google has the capability to resolve issues, and another TechCrunch article claims that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating differing levels of responsibility or initiative attributed to Google by each source?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged offer to Trump published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations of fraud committed by Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Cristian Romero's action in the Manchester United match was expected to be followed by an apology, while 'The Age' implies that people are willing to accept allegations of foul play regarding Google's search practices?": [ + "Bruno Fernandes said he would wait for an apology — one that never arrived — after Cristian Romero was not punished for handball in the Red Devils' 2-0 loss to Tottenham, and plenty of onlookers debated the penalty won by Marcus Rashford in United's subsequent comeback win at home to Nottingham Forest.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a different level of susceptibility to producing toxic text compared to other large language models, while the TechCrunch article on the European Commission's probe into Elon Musk’s X focuses on concerns about illegal content and disinformation in a different context?": [ + "Because GPT-4 is more likely to follow the instructions of “jailbreaking” prompts, the co-authors claim that GPT-4 can be more easily prompted than other LLMs to spout toxic, biased text.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Jim Harbaugh's situation published on November 6, 2023, and the subsequent report on Michigan's performance with Jim Harbaugh against Penn State published on November 11, 2023, was there a change in the reporting regarding Jim Harbaugh's absence from the team?": [ + "Despite the suspension, Jim Harbaugh held his usual weekly news conference Monday, though he mostly avoided addressing the only topic on anyone's mind.", + "It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.", + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns." + ], + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, not only compared the performance of its Gemini Pro product to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 but also spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the default search engine on various devices and platforms, and has been accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content, readership, and advertising revenue?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the player recognized by Sporting News as the top wide receiver for Week 14 and might face challenges in reaching 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season due to the strong pass defenses of his team's remaining opponents?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article about the 'Everton team' suggest they are in a worse position in the Premier League compared to 'Bayern Munich' as discussed in another 'The Guardian' article, based on their respective league standings and points?": [ + "Dyche, however, wants his team to forget about the appeal and accept the reality of being joint-bottom of the Premier League on four points.", + "Bayern, who have a game in hand after last week’s game against Union Berlin was postponed due to snow, remain in second place on 32 points, with the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, on 35, travelling to third-placed VfB Stuttgart, who have 30 points, on Sunday." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch and The Age, has faced criticism for not fully releasing an AI model, manipulating search results for ad revenue, and harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has Polygon's coverage of Spider-themed characters in 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' changed from their earlier report on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' which featured stories of multiple Spider-Men?": [ + "The highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales facing off not only against a dimension-hopping nemesis in the form of the Spot, but a whole multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he attempts to save the day once again.", + "Mainstream Spider-Man stories are increasingly Spider-Men stories, and Spider-Man 2, the third Spidey game from Insomniac, is no different." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, and then on December 15, 2023, reported a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher, was the news source's portrayal of Google's competitive practices consistent?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on October 1st that Treasury yields increased, did The Age report a relaxation of bond yields when Wall Street rebounded, indicating a change or consistency in the behavior of Treasury yields?": [ + "The local rebound came after Wall Street rose after getting some relief from relaxing bond yields and falling oil prices.", + "After easing earlier in the day on encouraging signals about inflation, Treasury yields got back to rising as the day progressed." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Alameda Research was not involved in manipulating FTX's balance sheet, while the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions regarding the composition of FTX's board, and are these claims about different aspects of FTX's corporate governance?": [ + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the emergence of multi-purpose robots in the industrial automation world is a current trend, while the Fortune article indicates that the inspiration for engineers to build human-like and useful robots has been ongoing for decades?": [ + "Purpose-built robots have become a commodity in the industrial automation world, but we are just now seeing the emergence of multi-purpose robots.", + "Building a robot that’s both human-like and useful is a decades-old engineering dream inspired by popular science fiction." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the richest in the world, who faced allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, discussed board compositions with Paradigm, and was reported by The Verge, CNBC, TechCrunch, and TechCrunch to have allowed withdrawals from a trading account under specific conditions?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently noted by TechCrunch for its increased responsiveness to consumer feedback and for not allowing users to choose their browser during iPhone setup, is also mentioned by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Has the portrayal of the 'vampire cause' in Polygon articles remained consistent between the November 9, 2023, article discussing the undermining of vampires' menacing air and the November 15, 2023, article highlighting vampires as a hidden presence in the best versions of stories?": [ + "Nothing serves the vampire cause less than undermining the air of looming menace that they’ve been cultivating since the 15th century.", + "In the best version, the vampires are always there, in the background, waiting for you to discover them — just like in real life." + ], + "Between the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal circumstances in the Fortune article published on October 4, 2023, and the allegations against him mentioned in the TechCrunch article published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the depiction of his actions related to fraud?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the service, covered by TechCrunch, that is temporarily free for users due to Apple's interference and is known for reverse-engineering the iMessage protocol to extend functionality to Android users?": [ + "It has also decided to make Beeper Mini free for the time being, given how “chaotic” things have been over the past few days.", + "In addition, Beeper Mini will be free for the time being given the unstable nature of Beeper’s status and Apple’s attempts at shutting it down.", + "Beeper Mini was made possible because the team behind the app has managed to reverse-engineer the iMessage protocol, they say." + ], + "Before the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, which maintained that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 13, 2023, detailing Google's expenditure to be the default search engine, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices in the TechCrunch article published on December 15, 2023, regarding the class action antitrust suit against Google?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article about Epic Games' antitrust battle claim a victory for the company, while the TechCrunch article about Sonos report a legal victory against Google?": [ + "Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "Not Sonos fast there: Audio company Sonos scored a big $32.5 million win against Google a while back." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that there is a legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Engadget article indicates that President Biden and Congress are actively working on drafting legislation related to AI?": [ + "That’s because right now there is no legislative remedy to potential AI risks and abuses outside of those that can be applied to tech companies in general — which many have argued over the years are also inadequate.", + "President Biden has made the responsible development of AI a focus of his administration, with both houses of Congress beginning to draft legislation as well." + ], + "Who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, notably with ChatGPT, and was recently the subject of controversy involving his departure from OpenAI, as discussed in both Fortune and TechCrunch articles?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on T.J. Hockenson's expected play in Week 10 published on November 11, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Dalton Kincaid's expected play in the Saturday game published on December 21, 2023, was the consistency in reporting the likelihood of injured players participating in upcoming games maintained?": [ + "After turning in three limited practices this week, we'll trust that Hockenson is ready to go, especially since he continued to play through the ailment in Week 9 as a big part of the offense with Josh Dobbs under center.", + "Kincaid was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, but it’s been reported he’s likely to suit up on Saturday at less than 100%." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the richest in the world, who is accused of building a crypto exchange empire on falsehoods, using customer funds to buy out a competitor, and seeking to exert influence with his fortune, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the figure associated with OpenAI that became known for his vision of AI agents aiding in various tasks, gained prominence due to the impact of ChatGPT, and was involved in a controversial board situation as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did Yardbarker's coverage on December 24, 2023, contradict The Age's report on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories on September 26, 2023, regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”." + ], + "Has the focus of Taylor Swift coverage by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' changed from the National Football League's (NFL) perspective to personal fan experiences involving individuals like Annika?": [ + "Following his game against the New York Jets on 1 October, the 33-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened up about the NFL broadcast on the most recent episode of his podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.", + "Annika said she never imagined that millions of people would have found the video so comical, let alone the \"1989\" singer herself." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Meta's moderation bias problem suggest a similar impact on users compared to the TechCrunch article on Meta's proposed legislation for teen app downloads, with the former affecting Palestinian voices and the latter concerning parental oversight of teen social media usage?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents." + ], + "Which company, known for spending $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms and criticized for not planning additional measures on YouTube in the next six months, also ranks local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to an article from The Verge, and has been accused by news publishers of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, known for spending $26.3 billion in 2021 to become the default search engine on various platforms, has also been suggested by sources from both TechCrunch and The Verge to have the capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and is involved in a legal case where its victory might depend on whether the market is defined to include all phones and app stores, and is simultaneously facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' concert film was more financially successful than Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "No one expected “Renaissance” to match “The Eras Tour,” which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million globally.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Verge' on 2023-11-24 and the report from 'Wired' on 2023-11-25, is there inconsistency in the focus on the utility of charging devices such as 'Universal travel adapters' and '10,000-mAh capacity power bank' during Black Friday sales?": [ + "Depending on which one you get, it might come with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices in one outlet.", + "With a 10,000-mAh capacity, WIRED contributor Simon Hill says it charged his iPhone 14 Pro once and then delivered an additional 64 percent the second time before tapping out." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing the latest strategic investments of Global Financing Group and a Reuters report on their recent partnership with a tech startup, which letter represents the stock exchange where Global Financing Group's partner startup is planning to go public?": [], + "Is the involvement of Sony Music artists in YouTube's 'Dream Track' project consistent according to reports from Music Business Worldwide between November 23, 2023, and November 30, 2023, considering the participation of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group artists?": [ + "The initial cohort of stars involved in the project, as we noted last week, include recording artists signed to Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group – or labels within each of those two majors, but no Sony Music artists.", + "But in both the case of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, they’re – currently anyway – not the biggest megastars on either company’s books." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with a plan to establish an expert board for FTX, as reported by the 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', and is also the subject of allegations by the prosecution, as per 'TechCrunch', regarding instructing the transfer of $14 billion from customers to repay debts and committing fraud for personal gain, while simultaneously having pleaded not-guilty to multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Sorcerer builds in season 2 provide complex versions of the builds unlike the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Barbarian builds for the same season?": [ + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds for season 2.", + "In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds for season 2." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, concerning the same individuals, was the narrative about their relationship consistent?": [ + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating.", + "While Swift has attended a few of Kelce’s games since their relationship started, he’s also gone on to support her career." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their betting lines and odds in response to team news, player injuries, or roster changes, and can still secure profit irrespective of the wager's result, while also specifically altering NBA Rookie of the Year betting odds based on new information?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article published before the 'The Guardian' article suggest that Leqembi (lecanemab) is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's, while 'The Guardian' mentions recent scientific developments in tackling dementia without specifying the approval status of new drugs?": [ + "Leqembi (lecanemab), developed by Eisai in collaboration with Biogen, was the first and only approved drug for Alzheimer’s in July 2023.", + "Such developments will take years to realise, scientists caution, and a great deal needs to be done in the short term to deal with dementia." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of generative AI technology, whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking, was not removed by Anthropic's co-founders, is suspected of not being fully truthful with the board, and is planning to launch a new venture according to articles from The Age, Fortune, and two reports by TechCrunch?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who, according to articles from Sporting News, can profit from predicting the outcome of a Cowboys game, the leader at a certain quarter, the total points scored in a game, or the results of various events in team golf, and also take advantage of the hype around specific events to potentially make money?": [ + "If you bet $130 on the Cowboys and they win, you would earn a profit of $100.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Between the article from Polygon published on September 26, 2023, highlighting individuals using online platforms for marketing, and the piece from Music Business Worldwide on December 7, 2023, discussing digital marketing strategies in the music industry, have the reported applications of digital marketing strategies by individuals and companies remained consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "As Arjun can tell you, digital marketing was key to the effort; the song is in the Top 3 of all-time creations and shares for a pre-release campaign, and the global teams worked together brilliantly to connect that pre-release momentum to the biggest looks at the DSPs, in the media and at radio.", + "Some folks who aren’t content creators first and foremost are using it as a creative way to market their music or market their physical products, and that’s working out well for those folks." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the US v Google trial mention the same amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to secure its default search engine status as the TechCrunch article covering the Google antitrust case, with both citing $26.3 billion?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental policies mentioned in a DW article, which German political party's single-letter abbreviation aligns with both the fiscal approach and the ecological initiatives presented in these sources?": [], + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried openly conducted all business dealings without using Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit activities involving customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his alleged intentions to use wealth for altruistic purposes and accusations of committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning the use of a front person?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently defended by Apple in court for lack of valid alternatives and accused by Megan Grey in 'The Age' of manipulating search results for ad revenue, is involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games as reported by 'TechCrunch' and is also facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines as covered by the same source?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the expansion of Google Maps with AI technology agree with the TechCrunch article on LinkedIn's introduction of new AI features in terms of both companies enhancing their products with artificial intelligence?": [ + "The feature is currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., with plans for further expansion.", + "LinkedIn leans into AI tools: LinkedIn this week unveiled a string of new AI features spanning its job hunting, marketing and sales products, Ingrid writes." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success is different from the 'TechCrunch' articles' implication that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were based on fraudulent intentions?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune discussing the attack by Hamas on Israel suggest a different scale of conflict compared to what is historically usual, as opposed to the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena which focuses on Eylon Levy's awareness of Israel's historical role?": [ + "On Saturday, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the worst war the region has seen in 50 years.", + "Alongside this, I grew up with a strong awareness of the importance of the State of Israel and its historical role in the history of our people." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit activities involving customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his alleged intentions to use wealth for altruistic purposes and accusations of committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning the use of a front person?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures of how 'the team' is functioning, while 'Essentially Sports' focuses on Aaron Judge's comments as a reflection of 'New York Yankees' internal team dynamics, indicating a difference in the aspects of team functioning being discussed?": [ + "It is also the essential measure of how the team is functioning as a collective: the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, the command of space.", + "Later, the comments from Aaron Judge brought a lot of attention to the workings of the team, conflicts, and divisions between the core four." + ], + "Do the 'Business Line' article's views on the actions of central bankers in response to supply disruptions conflict with 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article's depiction of the measures taken by The Federal Reserve to combat inflation?": [ + "In the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated.", + "The Fed is trying to push still-high inflation down to its target, and its main tool of high interest rates does that by trying to slow the economy and hurting prices for investments." + ], + "Who is the individual being judged for alleged fraudulent actions, whose case is being reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch, and is at the center of a legal battle involving contrasting narratives from defense lawyers and prosecutors?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that 'Automakers and technology companies' as well as 'Car companies' are moving in the same direction regarding the integration of advanced digital platforms and technologies like software, robotics, and artificial intelligence into vehicles?": [ + "Automakers and technology companies are building ever-more sophisticated digital platforms into the future generations of cars and other vehicles.", + "Now we have software, robotics, AI and all that stuff, and the car companies need to embrace that." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial involves determining the veracity of claims about fraudulent actions related to a crypto exchange's success, and is accused of permitting withdrawals from an account based on the exchange's revenue, as discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which two individuals, linked by rumors of a romance according to CBSSports.com and The Independent - Life and Style, involve a pop star who appreciates being pursued and was also seen cheering from the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium?": [ + "\"Taylor Swift likes that Travis Kelce 'pursued her' and the two are having a 'great time getting to know each other,'\" a source told Entertainment Tonight.", + "The post came after Swift was seen enthusiastically cheering him on in the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium, fuelling speculation that she and the athlete are dating." + ], + "What organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by TechCrunch as the developer of the top-priority platform ChatGPT and the generative AI poster child, is planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Does the Polygon article on 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' suggest the presence of a multiverse of Spider-themed characters, as does the Polygon article on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' imply the inclusion of multiple Spider-Men stories?": [ + "The highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales facing off not only against a dimension-hopping nemesis in the form of the Spot, but a whole multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he attempts to save the day once again.", + "Mainstream Spider-Man stories are increasingly Spider-Men stories, and Spider-Man 2, the third Spidey game from Insomniac, is no different." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on the U.S. men's national team's friendly match against Ghana before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Tasmania's second win over Sydney this season?": [ + "Then, on October 17, the U.S. will travel to GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee for a friendly against Ghana.", + "Fellow import Milton Doyle and Majok Deng each scored 17 for Tasmania, who recorded their second win over Sydney in as many attempts this season." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who became prominent due to the impact of generative AI technology like ChatGPT, and is at the center of controversy involving accusations of not being fully truthful with a board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the stance on energy policy by 'The government' as reported by 'Business Line' before November 11, 2023, show consistency with the global pledge reported by 'The Verge' involving 'More than 100 countries' to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030?": [ + "Alongside the government’s thrust on ramping up renewable energy capacity, building incremental thermal capacity has also been a priority.", + "It calls for the tripling of renewable energy capacity globally by 2030, something that more than 100 countries had already pledged to do while negotiations were taking place last week." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial, as reported by TechCrunch, for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud for personal gains, and was mentioned in The Verge for informing a trader about permissible withdrawals from an account linked to his company's trading revenue?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the lawsuit had no impact on Rogers Communications Inc.'s share price, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Ed Ternan believes suing Snapchat is counterproductive?": [ + "Shares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto.", + "Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article about the recent economic developments in Kuala Lumpur and a CNN report on the city's new environmental initiatives, which single letter represents both the first initial of the Minister of Finance mentioned by BBC News and the first initial of the head of the environmental project highlighted by CNN?": [], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried before October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried before October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of his alleged criminal activities?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Visa Inc's latest strategic partnership and a Bloomberg report on Visa Inc's financial performance in the last quarter, which single letter grade represents the combined assessment of Visa's market strategy effectiveness and its financial health as inferred from both sources?": [], + "Between the report by TechCrunch on November 21, 2023, regarding Binance CEO 'CZ' (Zhao) agreeing to a fine and stepping down, and the report by Fortune on December 18, 2023, involving Judge John J. Walton accepting a plea agreement in a child abuse case, which news source detailed a legal agreement involving a high-profile individual's acceptance of responsibility?": [ + "Under Zhao’s plea agreement, he will agree to the recommendation that the court impose a $150 million fine to the CFTC and won’t make any statements “contradicting his acceptance of responsibility,” according to a separate filing from Monday.", + "Judge John J. Walton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 20 after accepting the plea agreement, which described new details of the abuse the children endured, including the claims that they were possessed." + ], + "Did the 'Fortune' article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's handling of FTX and customer funds at Alameda Research was entirely transparent and proper, unlike the allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in the 'TechCrunch' article?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had secret access to FTX customers' money through Alameda Research, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that there was a concern about the risk to FTX customers' funds without specifying secret access?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was concerned because it \"seemed like a lot of money\" from FTX customers was at risk." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to manipulate betting lines in response to events like injuries, and are also capable of ensuring profit from the odds regardless of the outcome, particularly in situations like the NBA Rookie of the Year bets?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was perceived consistently in terms of trustworthiness within the cryptocurrency industry compared to the allegations of fraud and conspiracy presented in the TechCrunch articles?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article on investment options for high networth investors suggest evaluating the same criteria, specifically historical performance and management team, before making decisions as the 'Business Line' article recommends for investors considering Reliance Industries stock?": [ + "It’s important to consider the past track record and management team before making investment decisions.", + "With the stock still leaving some money on the table at current levels, long-term investors can accumulate it on dips for four reasons — one, reasonable valuations; two, being at pole position in India’s high-growth digital and retail business; three, potential for large-scale value creation, similar to its digital and retail forays, in the renewable energy space (not reflected in current valuations); four, stable O2C business." + ], + "What is the name of the AI-powered chatbot that was reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch to have celebrated its first anniversary, witnessed a significant increase in usage during December 2022, and achieved 100 million weekly active users, while being capable of performing a diverse range of tasks such as debugging code, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": [ + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.", + "Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "After The Verge reported on the compatibility of the Google Nest Thermostat with every major smart home platform due to its integration with the Matter standard on October 10, 2023, did Wired describe the Beats Fit Pro earbuds as being compatible with Android and offering an app for customization on November 25, 2023?": [ + "It is also the only thermostat that works with the new smart home standard, Matter, so it's compatible with every major smart home platform, including Apple Home.", + "But they also work great with Android, complete with an app that allows you to customize the controls and perform a fit test." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international identically to how 'The Guardian' describes his role in the fifth T20 international?": [ + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles.", + "Instead it’s Shai Hope, who is happily playing the anchor role, who faces five of the six deliveries." + ], + "Was the news regarding YouTube's involvement with artists in AI experiments inconsistent between the report from Music Business Worldwide on YouTube's collaboration with non-UMG-affiliated artists and the subsequent report from the same source on YouTube's launch of 'Dream Track'?": [ + "To progress this ‘incubator’, YouTube said it was working behind the scenes with a number of UMG-affiliated artists; Also in August, YouTube publicly committed to three principles/pledges behind its development of music-based generative AI tools .", + "Seven days ago (November 16), YouTube unveiled a revolutionary new experiment – ‘Dream Track’ – enabling creators to clone the vocals, via AI tech and with official consent, of well-known stars.", + "Overnight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night." + ], + "Which pop star, who became public property by the age of 16 according to The Guardian, was commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly dealing with her situation as reported by The Independent - Life and Style, and was also claimed by Jason Alexander to be his first and only wife in addition to being forced to take lithium against her will?": [ + "In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will.", + "“She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security.", + "After hearing the news, Federline’s attorney Mark Kaplan told Entertainment Tonight: “Kevin commends Britney for recognising that she needs to take a step back and that she is taking the reasonable steps to dealing with her situation in a responsible way.", + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have success with a Michigan quarterback similar to past achievements, while the Sporting News article indicates that The Big Ten is currently engaged in a review process concerning Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, without implying any success with a quarterback?": [ + "It was a Michigan quarterback that led the Buccaneers to the promised land last time so perhaps lightning strikes twice.", + "Source: The Big Ten is reviewing the lengthy written responses from both Michigan and Jim Harbaugh." + ], + "Considering the information from a Wall Street Journal article and a New York Times piece on Andrew Beaton, which NFL team, known for its distinct helmet design, was the subject of Beaton's analysis regarding their strategic decisions in the off-season as reported by the Wall Street Journal, and also mentioned in the New York Times for their unexpected player trade move?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on The Global Fund, which country, identified as a significant beneficiary of the fund's aid in the BBC article, was also mentioned in the Reuters report as having made a substantial pledge to The Global Fund's recent fundraising campaign?": [], + "Do the TechCrunch and Engadget articles both suggest that consumers are seeking deals or changes in their consumption, with TechCrunch discussing a desire for a new social networking model and Engadget reporting on consumers looking for post-Black Friday discounts on Apple products?": [ + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes.", + "That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on Johnny Cardoso's inclusion in the USMNT squad post-injury on October 4, 2023, and CBSSports.com announced De'Von Achane's move to Injured Reserve on October 12, 2023, which player's status changed between the two reports, Johnny Cardoso or De'Von Achane?": [ + "Johnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.", + "He and his fresh legs are back just in time as rookie sensation De'Von Achane hit Injured Reserve this week with a knee injury." + ], + "Was the reporting on the operating hours of Starbucks stores on Thanksgiving by 'The Independent - Life and Style' after November 6, 2023, inconsistent with the information provided about the date of Thanksgiving in 2023 in a later article by the same source?": [ + "While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.", + "Every year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, with the holiday falling on 23 November this year." + ], + "Between the report from 'Sky Sports' published at '2023-10-20T21:30:00+00:00' stating that \"Mikel Arteta was on loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona's B side in 2001,\" and the article from 'The Guardian' published at '2023-10-20T21:30:28+00:00' mentioning \"Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta joined Paris Saint-Germain at the same time in early 2001,\" is the information provided about the time when Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta were involved with Paris Saint-Germain consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "They joined PSG at the same time, early 2001; Pochettino was 28, Arteta 18.", + "Rewind to 2001 and Arteta - just a teenager - had arrived at Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Barcelona's B side." + ], + "Considering the information provided by TechCrunch regarding Meta's alleged GDPR non-compliance, its proposal to shift teen app oversight to parents, the accusation of neglecting children's online privacy, and the reported suppression of Palestinian voices, which company is implicated in multiple controversies related to user privacy, content moderation, and the responsibility of safeguarding young users' online activities?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google engages in anticompetitive behavior within the app distribution and payment processing markets, while another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions harm news publishers' revenue, and does The Verge focus on Google's use of relevance, distance, and prominence in local search rankings without mentioning anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions involving its default search engine deals, lack of planned measures for YouTube, and anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Synchrony Financial, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who discussed the company's strategic partnerships in the former and was mentioned in relation to the company's quarterly earnings growth in the latter?": [], + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and Fortune, had a negative balance exceeding the revenue of a related entity, proposed an alert system to prevent its own liquidation, and was claimed to have acted legally in its business practices with a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": [ + "Around 2019 or 2020, Wang checked the database and discovered that Alameda was negative by about $200 million, which was more than the $150 million FTX made in revenue.", + "Because of that experience, Bankman-Fried suggested an “alert” or “delay” that would keep Alameda from being liquidated by a bug.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Are the discounts mentioned by TechCrunch, which retailers are using to encourage consumer spending, aligned with the availability of discounts on Apple products for consumers as reported by Engadget after Black Friday?": [ + "— Retailers are really pushing out discounts to get people more willing to spend money this year.", + "That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more." + ], + "What is the name of the organization mentioned in four TechCrunch articles that is promoting an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform, is facing financial stability questions despite the success of ChatGPT, prioritizes ChatGPT as a development platform, and is planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "Despite being the hottest tech company in the world right now and everyone talking about ChatGPT, OpenAI isn’t exactly a sound business.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Has the focus on the impact of sleep on the immune system decreased in the reports from 'The Independent - Life and Style' after the article discussing the lives of insomniacs published on October 1, 2023, compared to the article about the clock change published on October 24, 2023?": [ + "Research shows that even a small reduction in sleep has been shown to impact your immune system, however.", + "“This sex difference in insomnia emerges after puberty, suggesting that hormonal differences such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may be the cause of this increased risk in women,” Dr Browning says." + ], + "Which pop star, who became a public figure unable to avoid attention at the age of 16 according to 'The Guardian', has been commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly handling her situation as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style', and also claimed to have been forced to take lithium against her will as per another article from 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": [ + "In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will.", + "After hearing the news, Federline’s attorney Mark Kaplan told Entertainment Tonight: “Kevin commends Britney for recognising that she needs to take a step back and that she is taking the reasonable steps to dealing with her situation in a responsible way.", + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Binance withdrew funds from FTX, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article indicates that Binance's CEO is stepping down, contrasting the operational and leadership statuses of Binance in the two reports?": [ + "Around the same time it was exposed, the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, started pulling out its remaining $2.1 billion equivalent of cash in BUSD and FTT.", + "Binance launched in June 2017 and within 180 days became the largest crypto exchange in the world.", + "Unlike FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, Binance is still standing, though now without Zhao, who agreed to step down as CEO as part of the plea deal." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup is a positive endorsement, while the Fortune article implies a conflict within OpenAI's board regarding Sam Altman's role, and does another TechCrunch piece question Sam Altman's honesty with the board?": [ + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree on the role of Sportsbooks in the context of betting, with one discussing the adjustment of NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines and the other discussing the ability of Sportsbooks to profit from odds and lines?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different level of transparency from Sam Altman with the board compared to the portrayal of his involvement with generative AI technology as described in the Fortune article?": [ + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now.", + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media." + ], + "Which organization, discussed in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', is likely to receive support from Super Rugby franchises for a potential coaching appointment and is also being encouraged to reinstate annual funding of $1.7 million to these franchises?": [ + "Should RA move on him, Schmidt’s backing would be largely supported by the Super Rugby franchises, with several sources telling The Roar that the experienced coach is exactly the type of person the Wallabies need.", + "The QRU has also expressed their desire for Rugby Australia to reinstate the annual $1.7 million in funding to each of the Super Rugby franchises that was withdrawn following the Covid pandemic to help keep the game afloat." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India about Agastya's recent scientific discovery and another article by The Hindu discussing Agastya's involvement in a major environmental project, which element on the periodic table, symbolized by a single character, is both central to Agastya's discovery and a critical component of the environmental initiative?": [], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditure to become the default search engine, was the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices maintained in the TechCrunch article about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google published after December 15, 2023?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'ASOS' is facing challenges that are affecting its consumer engagement differently than the 'TechCrunch' article suggests 'Scalable Capital' is enhancing its business capabilities through fundraising?": [ + "Despite its huge popularity, the once undisputed queen of online retailers now faces stiff competition from abroad, challenging economic headwinds, and a maturing clientele potentially seeking a more tailored experience.", + "“We can do a bit more marketing, we can hire the top people but we also have a much bigger equity cushion,” he said." + ], + "Which filmmaker, known for following his own varied interests in filmmaking rather than moving from compromise to compromise according to a Polygon article, has also appeared in TikTok videos as reported by The Independent - Life and Style?": [ + "This century has seen Scorsese zigging and zagging as always, but because he’s following his own varied interests, not because he’s moving from compromise to compromise, as he once had to in order to continue working.", + "This isn’t the first time Scorsese has made a special appearance in one of his daughter’s TikTok videos." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Deft is attempting to change user behavior regarding e-commerce search, while The Verge article indicates that Apple has not sought an alternative to Google as the default search engine on its devices?": [ + "“Users’ natural behavior for search is to follow the path of least resistance, i.e.", + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to TechCrunch, is both considered one of the most brilliant and caring figures in the industry and is also speculated to have not been fully truthful with the board, and is recognized by Fortune as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties?": [ + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, according to allegations discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in anticompetitive practices by making default search engine deals with major tech companies, influencing app distribution and payment processing on Android, and impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What are the entities that, according to Sporting News, not only offer welcome bonuses with specific requirements but also modify their betting lines in response to events like injuries or roster changes, and tighten NBA Rookie of the Year odds, all while adjusting odds to manage their liability when heavy betting occurs on a particular team or individual?": [ + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Was the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's management of his business ventures consistent between the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report published on October 28, 2023?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said." + ], + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, has both invested in new hardware developments during an annual event and has been involved in antitrust actions for securing default search engine positions and affecting news publishers' revenues through its practices?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article on December 7, 2023, comparing Google's Gemini to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and the TechCrunch article on the same date claiming Gemini's inferiority to OpenAI's GPT-4 show consistency in the reporting of Google's claims about Gemini's performance relative to OpenAI's models?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the best NBA betting sites and apps for the 2023-24 season published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds with Wembanyama as the early favorite published on October 4, 2023, was there agreement in how Sportsbooks approach their offerings and adjustments in betting lines?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it)." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Google's annual hardware event on October 7, 2023, and then on Google's expenditure to be the default search engine on various platforms on November 13, 2023, did TechCrunch's subsequent report on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action antitrust suit against Google indicate a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's business practices?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a prominent investor but is now facing allegations of fraud, and admitted to challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange, which was discussed in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Jerry Dipoto is not considering a trade involving a pitcher and a batter, while the Sporting News article confirms that Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts have not already secured new contracts?": [ + "They’d all have significant value if president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto decided to move one for a bat.", + "Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts all came away with new contracts." + ], + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest that \"YouTube's Content ID system\" ensures payment to copyright owners for uploaded content, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies that 'Online creators' often do not make money on platforms like YouTube?": [ + "The innovative system has essentially allowed YouTube users to upload content without paying much attention to copyright, while ensuring that copyright owners are paid.", + "“There are thousands of creators online that don’t make money on YouTube or other platforms." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Prashanth Prakash, which city does the venture capitalist, who is known for his investments in early-stage startups and has recently been appointed to a government advisory panel, primarily operate from?": [], + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge discussing the Microsoft Elite Series 2 “Core” version mention an increase in features compared to the standard model, and does the article from The Verge on MacBook Pros indicate a reduction in prices for the new models?": [ + "Microsoft also has a stripped-down Elite Series 2 “Core” version for $129.99, which is the same controller in white-and-black, red-and-black, or blue-and-black finishes without the rear paddles, accessory charging case, or extra stick toppers and D-pad.", + "While these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts." + ], + "Based on the information from two separate articles on Click, which company, known for its innovative technology solutions and mentioned as a key player in the European market expansion, also faced scrutiny in a second article for potential data privacy issues with its latest product release?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate a disappointing performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reports on Derrick Henry's performance in a recent game, specifically mentioning his two touchdowns and 76 rushing yards?": [ + "Jordan Love appears to have turned a corner, meaning we should expect him to put on a show back at home.", + "Meanwhile, Derrick Henry was back in a familiar spot of handling plenty of carries against an inferior opponent, scoring twice and tallying 76 rush yards." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Indrani Roy's philanthropic efforts and a Forbes article discussing Indrani Roy's investments in technology startups, which sector, represented by a single letter, has Indrani Roy shown a significant interest in according to both sources?": [], + "Do the 'Eos: Earth And Space Science News' researchers and 'Music Business Worldwide' regarding \"AfroFuture's attendees\" both indicate a trend in the diversity of their respective subjects, with the former discussing the stability of income and race over time in 177 cities and the latter discussing the demographics and geographic diversity of the event's audience?": [ + "Los investigadores compararon estos hallazgos con datos históricos de 177 ciudades para observar más a fondo esta disparidad de ingresos y raza a través del tiempo.", + "Our attendees are largely upwardly mobile, tech-forward Gen Z and millennial consumers who are committed to the culture and represent over 40 countries across the globe." + ], + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in its reporting on December 15, 2023, when discussing a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, according to 'The Age', making default search engine deals as mentioned by 'The Verge', and is also accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has spent billions to be the default search engine on various platforms and is also accused of affecting local business rankings and harming news publishers' revenues through its practices?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article attribute the failure of the Buffalo Bills' defense to the contributions of Jordan Poyer, while the 'Sporting News' article suggests that the Baltimore Ravens' defense needs to improve before their game against the Cincinnati Bengals?": [ + "What he has done, according to former Bills defensive coordinator Les Frazier, now an analyst for NFL Network, is enable his defense to be the best it can by lifting others through versatility, sacrifice, toughness and communication.", + "The defense needs to pick up the pieces, too, stat, ahead of facing the Bengals on a short week." + ], + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the TechCrunch article alleges that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, or do both articles assert the same involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international differently from his innings performance in the fifth T20 international, with one article suggesting a struggle and the other praising the performance?": [ + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy, once likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, and has also entered a not-guilty plea, according to allegations reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the economic policies discussed in a Bloomberg article on Greater China and the environmental initiatives mentioned in a South China Morning Post report, which city, undergoing both economic and environmental transformations, is the capital of the province that was highlighted in both articles?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX whose alleged fraudulent actions to attain wealth and power are discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, and is also mentioned as having informed a trader about permissible withdrawals based on the company's trading revenue?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the Sydney Swans' recent victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot in the AFLW, while another 'The Age' article indicates that the same victory allowed them to retake the eighth spot in the standings, and does 'The Guardian' article focus on the Sydney Swans' efforts in enhancing the game day experience rather than their standings in the league?": [ + "For the Swans, however, the victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot alongside the likes of Gold Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton.", + "With only 0.4 of a percentage point separating Sydney in ninth and St Kilda in eighth, the win assured the Swans of retaking eighth spot.", + "“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is supportive, in contrast to the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' legal battle with Google which discusses the transparency of Google's legal discovery process?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with the rise of artificial intelligence, mentioned in articles by 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch', who faced no removal efforts by Anthropic co-founders, has been described as generous and impactful, yet is also theorized to have had transparency issues with the board?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing the release date of the latest Apple MacBook Pro and a CNET article detailing the new features of the same device, which letter represents the first character of the feature that is both newly introduced in the latest model according to CNET and is specifically mentioned as being anticipated prior to the release date in the Bloomberg article?": [], + "Does the article from 'Science News For Students' suggest that 'MXenes and MBenes' have the same role in addressing climate change as the lifestyle changes 'Peter Kalmus' made according to 'Yahoo News'?": [ + "As such, they’re never going to replace the need for reducing emissions of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases.", + "He stopped flying, became a vegetarian and ditched gasoline-powered cars (he drives a Tesla), cutting his personal emissions by about 90%, according to his math." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth and influence, discussed governance structures with Paradigm for a company, and is connected to a $14 billion customer fund misuse as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the 'Everton team' should come to terms with their current position in the Premier League, while 'The Independent - Sports' implies that 'Newcastle United' will not face a long absence from the Champions League again?": [ + "Dyche, however, wants his team to forget about the appeal and accept the reality of being joint-bottom of the Premier League on four points.", + "Their first Champions League campaign for two decades will surely not be their last for another 20 years." + ], + "After The Age reported on October 22, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and TechCrunch reported on December 15, 2023, that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, was the reporting on Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior consistent between these two news sources?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Advanced Science News' article suggest that 'rechargeable battery alternatives' are being improved for stability and safety, while 'The Guardian' article implies that 'Snapchat' is contributing to a lack of safety, despite both discussing safety-related issues?": [ + "New research aims to improve the stability and safety of alternatives to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries using aqueous zinc and hydrogels.", + "Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity." + ], + "Which group of individuals could benefit from guides on selecting the right headphones on The Verge, access July Prime Day deals again in October according to Engadget, still find discounts on Apple products post-Black Friday also reported by Engadget, and are the focus of Mozilla's decentralized social networking future as discussed by TechCrunch?": [ + "Or, if you missed out on any of the deals from Prime Day in July, this year's \"Prime Big Deal Days\" will let you make up for that.", + "And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together guides to the best wireless earbuds and best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which pair is right for you.", + "That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more.", + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindu about Asha Shobana, which city is she planning to organize her next major dance recital in, if she has recently been awarded for her contributions to classical dance in Chennai and is also known for conducting workshops in Bangalore?": [], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving anticompetitive practices in app distribution and payment processing on Android, as argued by Epic Games according to TechCrunch, and is also accused by news publishers of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive means as reported by TechCrunch, while simultaneously being defended by Apple in court for being the indispensable search engine service provider as stated by The Verge?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple allows complete freedom in browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge article claims that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system, and does the Engadget article focus on Apple's hardware updates rather than its software policies?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "What company, which was reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to be involved in antitrust cases, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through its competitive practices?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a consistent scoring trend for \"Thursday Night Football\" compared to previous games, while The Guardian article describes a specific instance where Lauren James created a scoring opportunity, without implying a general trend change in scoring for the game?": [ + "It's something that doesn't happen often on \"Thursday Night Football,\" but that should change this week.", + "England went close to a second, with the Dutch having taken the lead against Belgium, when James weaved into the box before delivering to Hemp at the far post who lashed her effort off the base of a post from close range." + ], + "Between the article published by TechCrunch on October 25, 2023, discussing Ylva Johansson's proposal not including any derogation from the GDPR, and the article from November 9, 2023, highlighting that European AI startups are considering regulation and compliance from the beginning of their operations, is there agreement or disagreement on the emphasis of regulatory compliance in the context of European technology initiatives?": [ + "One thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one.", + "For example the GDPR and other requirements, there are no derogation from that in my proposal,” she said." + ], + "Between the TalkSport report on the Manchester United takeover published on October 18, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there no change in Manchester United's circumstances as reported by the two news sources?": [ + "This was a move mainly influenced by the fact Raine had managed to broker a deal with Todd Boehly to commit to invest £4.5bn to take control of Chelsea, giving the Glazers grand ideas they could rake in as much as DOUBLE for a global sporting institution like United.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest in that age group according to TechCrunch, who is facing allegations of fraud by the prosecution, and told Paradigm about his intentions for FTX's board structure, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the SuperDraft lineup should include certain players for their consistent performance potential, while the CBSSports.com article provides specific statistical performance metrics under pressure for an individual (unspecified in the evidence)?": [ + "Our SuperDraft lineup aims to keep our Rams stack together with Stafford and Nacua while adding in other players with high floors and ceilings like White, Samuel, and Henry.", + "Statistically he's a mix of average and bad with his 45.7% completion rate, 6.7 yards per attempt and 14.3% off-target rate when defenders get near him." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were driven by personal motives, in contrast to the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article which discusses his intentions regarding the structure of FTX's board?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's top scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article recognizes Erling Haaland as the joint-leading scorer from the Champions League group stages?": [ + "McTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.", + "He has already been firing in many top-flight goals this term - as well as being the joint-leading scorer from the Champions League group stages." + ], + "Considering the features highlighted in the Gizmodo article and the pricing details mentioned in the Engadget article, what is the first letter of the model name of Garmin's dive computer that is solar-powered and specifically designed for underwater explorers?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Snapchat is being used to document events in Gaza, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article discusses the actions of the state during crises, without mentioning the use of social media platforms for documentation?": [ + "The world is watching the humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfold in real time through firsthand accounts documented on, of all places, Snapchat.", + "As was said during the Covid pandemic, the state has to do whatever it takes to achieve these goals." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film \"Pulse\" ignores themes of loneliness in a connected world, while the TalkSport article discusses the nature of Paul Mitchell and Ralf Rangnick's relationship, indicating whether their friendship has been maintained since their time at Leipzig?": [ + "Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day.", + "Mitchell remains good friends with Rangnick from their time together at Leipzig, and last season made headlines when he was spotted at a youth team game while the German was interim coach at Man United." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Economic Times and another by Business Standard on the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association, which company, identified as a significant contributor to the local manufacturing ecosystem in one article, also announced a new CEO who has a name starting with the first letter of the alphabet in the other article?": [], + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games and accused of anticompetitive practices by a news publisher, claims its new Gemini architecture rivals the performance of leading generative AI models and has spent billions to remain the default search engine across various platforms, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with Jane Street, who is facing seven charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is believed by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, and has also been reported to have tried to use his fortune to potentially influence political events?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in the world, who is facing a criminal trial where both his legal representatives and the government's lawyers are presenting contrasting stories about his actions related to fraud and conspiracy, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' suggest that Alameda Research was involved in practices to manipulate FTX's balance sheet, while 'Fortune' claims Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, indicating a disagreement in the portrayal of Alameda Research's actions?": [ + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was not, however, possible for those accounts to avoid liquidation, as Wang testified Alameda could do — or to have an overall negative balance.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Did the article from Fortune reporting on the lawsuit's impact on Rogers Communications Inc. indicate an increase in the company's stock price, and did the article from The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon indicate a decrease in Amazon's stock price?": [ + "Shares of Rogers extended losses on news of the lawsuit, closing down 2.2% to C$53.07 in Toronto.", + "Amazon tumbled 4 per cent after the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against it." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on the USA squad mention Johnny Cardoso's inclusion after an injury similar to how 'Sporting News' reports on Lucas Cavallini's withdrawal due to injury from the Canada squad?": [ + "Johnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.", + "The only injury absence for Canada at the moment is striker Lucas Cavallini, who withdrew from the squad prior to the two matches, replaced by Jacen Russell-Rowe." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of building a successful crypto exchange through deceit, acknowledged being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have directed the misappropriation of $14 billion from customers for debt repayment and committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which institution, highlighted in reports by 'The Age', 'The Sydney Morning Herald', and 'Fortune', is recognized for its influence on global financial markets, recently raised its main interest rate to a level not seen since 2001, and is basing future rate decisions on economic data while combating inflation that followed a period of booming home prices?": [ + "After already raising its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001, the Fed has indicated it may keep its overnight rate higher next year than it had earlier expected.", + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of the same topic, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that '\"Renaissance\"' had a different level of financial success in its theatrical run compared to 'The Eras Tour', while the 'Business Line' article indicates that Stocks with lower PE ratios are not necessarily valued the same as TCS?": [ + "No one expected “Renaissance” to match “The Eras Tour,” which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million globally.", + "So just because the other stocks are cheaper on PE basis does not mean they are cheap compared to TCS." + ], + "Do the 'Business Line' article's claims about central bankers' response to supply disruptions and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Federal Reserve officials' actions to combat inflation both suggest an increase in interest rates?": [ + "In the above scenario, supply disruption will lead to higher inflation and central bankers will have to adjust their policies and hold rates higher for longer than anticipated.", + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation." + ], + "Which sportsbook, featured in articles by Sporting News, provides a cash-out option to settle bets early and is anticipated to offer new Vermont sign-ups a Bonus Bet up to $1,000 if their first bet loses?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would modify their betting lines due to team news or sentiment, player injuries or roster changes, and information affecting NBA Rookie of the Year predictions, while also providing welcome bonuses to new bettors?": [ + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly.", + "From there, you can claim your welcome bonus, which can come in many forms (be sure to read the requirements of any welcome bonus before using it).", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Which company is at the center of legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive behavior, as discussed in articles from The Verge regarding a court case, The Age in the context of search fairness, and TechCrunch regarding a class action lawsuit filed by news publishers?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's involvement with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's contribution to Argentina's youth movement in the forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the focus of Messi's football activities as reported by the same news source?": [ + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line.", + "2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity." + ], + "Which national rugby team, highlighted in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', suffered defeats in their home country as well as in Sydney and Christchurch, against opponents including Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Anthony Melone's strategic business decisions and a report by The Wall Street Journal on his philanthropic efforts, which university's board of trustees, known for its business school where Melone made a significant donation, did he also join according to both sources?": [], + "Who, according to reports from 'Essentially Sports' and 'Sporting News,' has accumulated a net worth of $180 million by 2023 and attributes a recent boxing victory to altering a punch, while also engaging in increasingly lucrative fights over the years?": [ + "Meanwhile, his pockets became deeper and deeper, to the point that Canelo boasts a $180 million net worth in 2023.", + "These were just to name a few; over the years, Canelo has fought in increasingly profitable bouts.", + "That’s what happens when you change the punch,\" Canelo said about the knockdown." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's promotional offer in Vermont and the CBSSports.com report on Caesars Sportsbook's new customer offer, was there agreement in the bonus bet amount being offered to new customers if their first bet loses?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for entertainment purposes due to trust in other platforms, while The Guardian article claims that Snapchat's platform has facilitated a different type of activity unrelated to information sharing?": [ + "Users are also turning to Snapchat for information about Gaza as accusations of shadowbanning Palestinian content fuel distrust in platforms like Instagram and Facebook.", + "And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door." + ], + "Which company, reviewed by both Polygon and Engadget, has not only made several minor physical upgrades to its product but also has it ready to ship immediately upon release on November 16th at 1pm ET?": [ + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Demis Hassabis's achievements in artificial intelligence and a Forbes piece discussing his company's strategic partnerships, which single letter represents the first initial of the university that Hassabis attended, as mentioned in the BBC article, and is also the first letter of the tech giant his company partnered with, as reported by Forbes?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology, recognized for his vision of AI's future at a developer conference, and has been described by 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' as both impactful in the industry and a central figure in a controversy involving a board's decision?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the article from CBSSports.com credit Jonathan Smith with a specific number of victories for Oregon State in the 2021 season, and does the article from The New York Times describe the Jets' offense's performance in terms of points scored and total yards over a set number of possessions?": [ + "Smith guided Oregon State to seven victories in 2021 after the program went 9-22 during his first three years.", + "In the situation Sunday, the Jets’ offense had netted 19 yards on its previous three possessions, producing one field goal on a drive that gained 16 of those yards." + ], + "After the Sporting News published an article on Moneyline betting at 21:25, stating that betting $130 on the Cowboys to win would result in a $100 profit if they win, did the same news source maintain consistency in their explanation of betting mechanics in a subsequent article about Totals Betting at 22:08, which mentioned that bets placed on \"the over\" win if the combined score exceeds the sportsbook's set total?": [ + "Since 52 exceeds the set total of 47.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "If you bet $130 on the Cowboys and they win, you would earn a profit of $100." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated by claims from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch as having built a crypto exchange's success on falsehoods, directed the use of customer funds to settle an exchange's ownership change, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 6, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the TechCrunch article on December 15, 2023, citing a class action antitrust suit against Google for harming news publishers' bottom lines, has the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources remained consistent?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the spending by US consumers is a significant factor in preventing the US economy from entering a recession, while also indicating that a slowdown in the US economy could prevent a recession, or do these claims align in their assessment of what is preventing a recession in the US economy?": [ + "But it may also dent what’s been a big driver keeping the US economy out of a recession.", + "Hope has been rising on Wall Street recently that the US economy is slowing from its recent hot pace by just the right amount." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' gameplay as reported by the same news source?": [ + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores.", + "The Bears' defense is all over the Vikings tonight, and Minnesota can't get out of its own way." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on Google's manipulation of Search to maximize ad revenue published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google citing AI’s harms to news publishers' bottom line published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices affecting other companies' revenues?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of the same topic, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published before November 5, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google, was the consistency in reporting Google's anticompetitive behavior maintained?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce will struggle against the Raiders' defense, while the Sporting News article indicates that the Raiders' offense was generally ineffective, except for a specific instance led by Josh Jacobs?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Aside from the second quarter drive dominated by Jacobs, the Raiders' offense has shown nothing tonight." + ], + "Which football team, now excluded from European competitions due to a defeat by Bayern at Old Trafford, historically outperformed another Premier League giant with seven wins in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913, according to Sporting News?": [ + "United have the edge in the historical head-to-head, helped by their run of seven wins and only one defeat in the first 12 meetings between the teams, from 1905 to 1913.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article mention Michael Lewis being present during an event related to Sam Bankman-Fried, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Ross Chastain's presence in both on-track and off-track events in 2023?": [ + "For instance, Lewis recounts how he was in the room when SBF made his first television appearance.", + "While his on-track expertise was one of the notable points in 2023, his off-track antics didn’t go unnoticed either." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's inability to manage FTX and Alameda Research was due to company growth, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's management issues were related to deliberate misuse of customer funds and fraud for personal gain, respectively?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article reporting the Dallas Cowboys' defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season align with the same source's report on the New York Red Bulls' win against FC Cincinnati with a score of 2-1 in terms of both teams achieving a victory?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Around the rest of the league, the New York Red Bulls have picked up a massive three points off Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati with a 2-1 win, while CF Montreal grabbed a last-gasp equalizer against the Houston Dynamo, and Charlotte FC pummeled Toronto FC 3-0." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the richest in the world, portrayed himself as the reliable face of the crypto industry, and is accused of building his exchange's success on dishonesty and committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance is limited to specific games, while the Sporting News article predicts a comprehensive strong performance from the Dallas Cowboys' running game, defense, and special teams in an upcoming game?": [ + "Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 6th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 37th YTD Stats REC 25 TAR 31 REYDS 261 TD 1 FPTS/G 11.4 The only two games McLaurin posted good numbers in were Washington's 35-33 win over Denver in Week 2 and Washington's 34-31 OT loss to Philadelphia in Week 4.", + "Again, don't expect a massive game because the running game, defense, and special teams will have plenty of success in another big victory." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on generative AI in the enterprise suggest that CIOs are less cautious in their AI adoption strategy compared to the belief of business leaders mentioned in another TechCrunch article, who think AI will be essential for all businesses within five years?": [ + "“So we’ve been doing this whole push for AI over the last maybe six or nine months and we’re at the point right now where we’re building specific use cases for each different team and function within the firm.” He cautions that it’s early, and they are still exploring ways in which it can help, but so far the results have been good in terms of offering more efficient ways to do things.", + "Ninety-four percent of business leaders agree AI will be critical to all businesses’ success over the next five years, and total global spending on AI is expected to reach $154 billion by the end of this year, a 27% increase from 2022." + ], + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, has the status of their relationship as reported by these sources changed?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before." + ], + "Which entity is at the center of addressing concerns from the music industry about a CJEU ruling, engaging with Amazon on competition issues regarding an acquisition, deploying staff within its AI Office for evolving rules, and probing Elon Musk's X for risks related to illegal content and deceptive UX design, as reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch?": [ + "The artists’ groups noted in their statement on Tuesday that the European Commission “has on several occasions acknowledged concerns about the impact of the ruling and made clear its intention to find a balanced solution.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "And some of these staff will also be deployed within the European Commission,” they added.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "What is the name of the company that, according to TechCrunch, observes and improves upon its competitors' unsuccessful attempts with sophisticated products, and is also mentioned by The Verge for enforcing standard conditions on developers, manufacturers, and network operators through its marketplace and payment infrastructure?": [ + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Do the Polygon article discussing Jess and Bill Walker and the FOX News - Lifestyle article about the holidays both suggest that their respective subjects emphasize the importance of maintaining family connections?": [ + "From Netflix: Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant.", + "Speaking of the Christmas season, McLean — born in New Rochelle, New York — said that \"the holidays are a time for families to come together." + ], + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been associated with spending billions to secure its position as a default search engine, the capacity to address Android app distribution and payment system issues, and engaging in practices that harm news publishers' revenues and content distribution?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "After The Age reported on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories, did Yardbarker's coverage maintain consistency regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": [ + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”.", + "Considering he hosted “Saturday Night Live” back in March, Kelce is familiar with how to tell a story.", + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board, and the subsequent Fortune article on the same day accusing the board of going rogue in firing Altman, did the TechCrunch report published later on November 18, 2023, maintain consistency in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's future plans?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Is the policy on price matching for customers at HP consistent according to The Verge before Polygon reported on the eligibility for price matching on purchases?": [ + "According to HP’s website, the company will match the current pre-tax price for new comparable PCs and identical HP printer, display, and accessory model numbers from nationally recognized online retailers, such as Dell, Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy.", + "You may be eligible for a price match on a purchase, but the rules for submitting documentation vary depending on whether you’re shopping online or in store." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article on the Google antitrust case report a different amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms than the amount cited in another TechCrunch article discussing payments for default search engine status?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's approach to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of critiques from 'The Verge' for altering internet navigation, is accused by Megan Grey in 'The Age' of manipulating search results for profit, and is the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming news publishers' revenues?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing Google's expenditures to be the default search engine published before November 13, 2023, was there agreement on Google's strategy to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was TechCrunch's perspective on the role of technologists in product design, published on December 21, 2023, at odds with the notion of interconnections between technologies as suggested by the U2 project's collaborative effort, which was not reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 19, 2023?": [ + "In this innovation cycle, product design requires a wider perspective of platforms and interconnections between technologies, creating a strong need for technologists and designers to be in the process together.", + "Stufish partner Ric Lipson (along with artist Es Devlin and producer Brian Eno) collaborated on the U2 project for Sphere." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that the Wonder Flowers in Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduce variability in game mechanics and enemies, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article implies that the State of Israel's reliance on technology creates a vulnerability to enemy challenges?": [ + "And with Wonder Flowers giving Nintendo the freedom to mix and match mechanics and enemies, there’s just so much to see.", + "The enemy studies it and develops its own challenges against it, and the decision makers recognized the fact that the State of Israel is not hermetically protected." + ], + "Between the report by TechCrunch on October 30, 2023, about Meta offering an ad-free subscription in Europe and The Verge's article on November 12, 2023, discussing the state of Tumblr, which news source indicates a change in the experience for Meta's users with multiple accounts? TechCrunch or The Verge?": [ + "This weekend, pour one out for Tumblr, one of the most interesting social networks on the internet, which appears to be in trouble.", + "So the cost for using Meta’s services without being tracked and profiled could quickly stack up for anyone with more than one account on Meta’s social networks." + ], + "Between the report from BBC News - Entertainment & Arts published on October 13, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's experiences with the media, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's approach to personal disclosures?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India suggest that a major attack against Israel can be carried out without intelligence support, while the article from Fortune claims that Israel controls the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into Gaza, indicating a difference in the focus of Israel's security and humanitarian control measures?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Uber's measures to prevent sexual assaults published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in Q3 published on November 7, 2023, was there a change in the type of issues being reported about Uber?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against Uber claiming the company hasn’t done enough to prevent instances of sexual assault by drivers." + ], + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the TechCrunch article alleges that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts without Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge, or do both articles assert different levels of involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Does the article from FOX News - Lifestyle featuring Sherri Geerts focus on a corporate merger, in contrast to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses generational Christmas traditions?": [ + "Enjoying Christmastime with her oldest child — and only daughter — has been a long time coming for Sherri Geerts, 81, of Sunnyvale, California, Geerts told Fox News Digital.", + "We all have traditions that are handed down through generations – things like opening the sloe gin after the last day of work or a ceremonial placing of the star on top of the Christmas tree." + ], + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones do not offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the Fortune article indicates that market participants need to act irresponsibly to maintain a reasonable market, despite the current low rates?": [ + "With this sale, they offer some of the best value in their class from one of the top names in the business.", + "“Each actor will have to be responsible to ensure that the market remains reasonable amid rates that are relatively low,” CMA CGM Chief Financial Officer Ramon Fernandez told reporters Friday." + ], + "Who has been recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and has become a prominent voice on the subject of artificial intelligence, but is also suggested by a prevailing theory to have not been fully truthful with the board, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Valve is not launching a new product on November 16th, while The Verge article indicates that Valve has shifted its business strategy to focus exclusively on games for their store?": [ + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day.", + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the University of Michigan that, despite conducting his usual weekly news conference on Monday and observing a game from the team hotel, was subject to a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the season due to an NCAA investigation, as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "Despite the suspension, Jim Harbaugh held his usual weekly news conference Monday, though he mostly avoided addressing the only topic on anyone's mind.", + "It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.", + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns." + ], + "Does the 'Iot Business News' article suggest that 'Digital twins' contribute to the efficiency of monitoring and predicting issues with complex systems, while the 'Essentially Sports' article implies that 'Racing tracks' suffer from neglect over time, indicating a difference in the impact of maintenance on these two types of assets?": [ + "This not only allows the collection of data from complex equipment but also enables operators to track equipment performance and predict maintenance and downtimes.", + "If a track isn’t used or taken care of for an extended period of time, it will start to wear out and eventually become completely unsuitable for any kind of racing unless it is taken apart and rebuilt." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were purely altruistic, in contrast to the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article which discusses his intentions regarding the structure of FTX's board?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article suggest that 'Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and mutual funds' provide expert guidance for wealth creation, while the 'Music Business Worldwide' article raises concerns about the valuation process of 'Hipgnosis Songs Fund' involving a second expert opinion?": [ + "Both PMS and mutual funds provide expert guidance in navigating volatile markets and seizing investment opportunities that help create wealth.", + "Brown added that he was “surprised” to see that a second valuation expert had not been drafted in to value the HSF portfolio for the latest interim results, especially as Kroll was appointed to consider the “reasonableness” of Citrin Cooperman’s assumptions for HSF’s previous set of results (to end of March 2023)." + ], + "Who is the individual being scrutinized by a jury for alleged fraud and conspiracy, as depicted by contrasting legal narratives in Fortune and facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, with the prosecution's claim of intentional fraudulent actions for personal gain also covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior in both the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, as well as being accused by a news publisher of harming their bottom line by siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is the individual that found managing FTX and Alameda Research challenging, allegedly used customer funds to buy out a competitor, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the decline in bee populations affecting pollination and a separate article from The Guardian discussing the impact of climate change on the blooming periods of flowers, which letter represents the first initial of the scientist who has conducted extensive research on both phenomena and has proposed a widely-recognized theory linking these issues?": [], + "Did Engadget fail to report a discount on the 13.6-inch MacBook Air before The Verge reported a discount on Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?": [ + "Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy.", + "Right now, the best price around is at Best Buy, where you can grab a pair for $89.99 ($60 off)." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's backing of a teens' startup present the same allegation of misconduct against Sam Bankman-Fried as the TechCrunch article covering the FTX collapse's courtroom updates, with both alleging fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on S Meghana, which team did she represent in her most recent domestic cricket tournament, and which position did she bat in during her last international match for India?": [], + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's involvement with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's contribution to Argentina's youth movement in the forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there no change in the focus of Messi's football activities as reported by the same news source?": [ + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line.", + "2 hours to kickoff: A report from well-connected Argentine journalist Gaston Edul last night indicated that Inter Miami are likely to have Lionel Messi back for this match in some capacity." + ], + "Does the 'Business Line' article suggest that 'Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and mutual funds' lack expert guidance for wealth creation, while the 'Music Business Worldwide' article raises concerns about the valuation process of 'Hipgnosis Songs Fund' involving a second expert opinion?": [ + "Both PMS and mutual funds provide expert guidance in navigating volatile markets and seizing investment opportunities that help create wealth.", + "Brown added that he was “surprised” to see that a second valuation expert had not been drafted in to value the HSF portfolio for the latest interim results, especially as Kroll was appointed to consider the “reasonableness” of Citrin Cooperman’s assumptions for HSF’s previous set of results (to end of March 2023)." + ], + "Do 'The Age' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' suggest that the actions of parents can lead to negative outcomes for their children, or do their claims point to different consequences of parental behavior?": [ + "Now, generative AI is upending work in brand-new ways and inevitably changing the future of work and jobs yet again: “I think it’s awfully arrogant to assume that you can tell your kids what a stable career looks like.” By directing our kids down a path that is not of their choosing, there are several likely outcomes, Grant suggests.", + "\"It’s also lazy parenting, which never pays off in the long run,\" she said." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting lines and odds remained unchanged?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move." + ], + "Has the emphasis on the role of faith and personal practices in maintaining a positive outlook, as reported by FOX News - Lifestyle, remained consistent between the article discussing the effectiveness of positive thinking on October 28, 2023, and the one highlighting the importance of the habit of prayer on December 5, 2023?": [ + "The pastor went on to explain that Jesus brought more positivity than anyone — which is why it's important to keep faith aligned with that practice of positive thinking.", + "He added, \"As you consistently tap into that habit, you find your relationship with Jesus growing deeper and deeper, just automatically." + ], + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that the success of FTX was built on complete transparency, while the 'TechCrunch' article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in fraud for personal benefits, or do both articles imply misconduct on the part of Sam Bankman-Fried?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' fail to report on the U.S. men's national team's friendly match against Ghana before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Tasmania's second win over Sydney this season?": [ + "Then, on October 17, the U.S. will travel to GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee for a friendly against Ghana.", + "Fellow import Milton Doyle and Majok Deng each scored 17 for Tasmania, who recorded their second win over Sydney in as many attempts this season." + ], + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggest that the continuation of investment in HIV vaccine and cure research is essential for ending the AIDS epidemic, while the 'Business Line' article proposes that engineering bNAbs for an HIV cure is a promising approach, and are both articles aligned in the view that ongoing research is crucial for combating HIV?": [ + "\"We need to continue our investments to find a vaccine, to find a cure,\" she told Live Science.", + "By engineering bNAbs in a manner similar to mABs for cancer or vaccines (where antibody reaction to neutered virus generates immune protection), HIV cure may be on the horizon." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is trained on kids' responses, while The Age article raises concerns about TikTok's pixel collecting data without consent?": [ + "In terms of privacy, the company notes it’s not training its LLM on kids’ answers.", + "Credit: AP ‘Remove that pixel’ The extent of data collected by TikTok’s pixel without user consent has caused concern among Australian marketers." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest the same level of personal relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as the stance on their relationship expressed in The Independent - Life and Style, with both denying any romantic interest and discussing a platonic acquaintance?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, is alleged to have permitted withdrawals from a trading platform's revenue, used a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest person with an intention to use wealth to prevent humanity's extinction, that is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth and influence, and was mentioned in The Verge for advising a trader on withdrawal limits from a platform's revenue?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "According to Fortune, has the perspective on 'Housing affordability' in the housing market changed between the article published on October 6, 2023, which mentioned that affordability would improve as inflation fades and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, and the article published on October 20, 2023, which reported that housing affordability is worse now than during the Great Financial Crisis?": [ + "Eventually, as inflation fades leading the Fed to cut interest rates, housing affordability will improve.", + "While some economic factors are stronger today than they were during the GFC, housing affordability is undeniably worse." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on the U.K. Judicial Office issuing guidance for judges on the responsible use of AI tools like ChatGPT on September 28, 2023, and Music Business Worldwide discussed YouTube's investment in AI-powered technology to protect its community from trademark and copyright abuse on November 23, 2023, is the stance on the use of AI for regulatory or protective purposes within these reports consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "The guidance lays out ways to responsibly use AI in the courts, including being aware of potential bias and upholding privacy.", + "They promised “invest[ment] in the AI-powered technology” that, amongst other things, would help YouTube “protect our community of viewers, creators, artists and songwriters… [from] trademark and copyright abuse” ." + ], + "Does the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog about the Sydney Kings mention a game-high lead due to player losses, while the other article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog about Eddie Jones discuss his win-loss record for the year?": [ + "It gave the JackJumpers a game-high 19-point lead and just about put the result to bed after Sydney had lost Jaylin Galloway (shoulder) and Jonah Bolden (fouled out).", + "He finished the year with a 2-7 win loss record – the only two victories coming against lowly Georgia and Portugal." + ], + "Which rugby team, featured in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', faced home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, aimed to utilize a numerical advantage by kicking for the corner, and has players striving to conclude their careers on a high note, while also having lost to Argentina both in Christchurch and previously in Sydney?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles imply that his overall wealth and alleged fraudulent activities were directed towards different goals, such as influencing politics and achieving personal gain?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that a GameStop gift card is a universally useless gift for gamers regardless of console preference, while the Polygon article recommends specific Nintendo Switch games, indicating a more targeted gift approach for owners of that console?": [ + "Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.", + "Luckily, we’ve got six recommendations, ranging from modern Nintendo classics (that you can’t play on any non-Nintendo console) to indie games that are perfect for the Switch." + ], + "Who is the individual that has been described by TechCrunch as both backing a teen's AI startup and being ousted as CEO, by Fortune as a prominent voice in Silicon Valley on artificial intelligence, and is also suggested by TechCrunch to have had issues with truthfulness with the board?": [ + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as per Fortune, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as alleged in a second TechCrunch article?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' article credit Harry Kane with scoring his eighth league goal from a penalty?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Bayern earned a 57th-minute penalty against the run of play for a handball and Kane cut the deficit with his eighth league goal." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article credit Marcus Urann with the failure to extend the cranberry selling season, while the Scitechdaily | Science Space And Technology News 2017 article discusses cranberry growers' use of cloning to increase production, and are these strategies aligned in their goal to enhance cranberry cultivation?": [ + "\"After he set up cooking facilities at a packinghouse in Hanson, Massachusetts, he began to consider ways to extend the short selling season of the berries,\" Smithsonian Magazine reported in a 2013 history of cranberries.", + "This method allows growers to create clones of varieties that perform very well in their bogs and grow even more of those high-performing types." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claiming Google faked an AI demo suggest a different type of misconduct by Google compared to the TechCrunch article alleging Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, or are both articles discussing similar types of Google's corporate behavior?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Altman's prominence in the AI field is unrelated to the impact of ChatGPT, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies a discrepancy in Altman's communication with the board, without attributing his prominence to ChatGPT?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that FC Cincinnati lost the Supporters' Shield, while the 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article report a victory for Aston Villa over Fulham, and are these outcomes related to different competitions?": [ + "FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champion, confirmed on Wednesday despite suffering defeat.", + "Aston Villa moved to fifth, three points off the top, with their 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park, courtsey of an own goal from Antonee Robinson before strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins." + ], + "Did both the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on a colleague to join his ventures and the report by The Verge on the implications of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions on his associates maintain the same portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's interactions with his peers?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the economic forecast from The Wall Street Journal's first article and the impact of tech industry layoffs from the second article, which CEO, whose company is headquartered in a city starting with the letter 'S', is facing the most significant challenge in balancing growth and cost-cutting measures?": [], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Josh Dobbs is producing similar offensive results for the Minnesota Vikings as Kirk Cousins did, while the CBSSports.com article indicates a change in the Minnesota Vikings' offensive strategy in terms of passing play percentage during Week 4?": [ + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores.", + "Week 4 was the first time all year the Vikings DIDN'T throw the ball on at least 69% of their snaps." + ], + "Has the status of Richelle Cranston's AFLW career as reported by 'The Age' changed between the article published on 2023-10-20 and the one on 2023-11-03?": [ + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year.", + "Richelle Cranston of the Bulldogs is chaired off the ground by teammates Isabelle Pritchard and Ellie Blackburn after announcing her retirement." + ], + "Has the policy on refunds for bets at sportsbooks, as reported by Sporting News, changed after the article on MLB betting sites & apps published on October 24, 2023, compared to the report on prop betting published on November 6, 2023?": [ + "If you bet on a player and they don’t play in the game, most sportsbooks void the bet and refund your wager.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Liam Paro's ranking was affected by inactivity in a similar way to how The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article indicates Andy Murray's ranking was impacted, with both athletes experiencing a decline in their respective sports?": [ + "After previously being ranked number one in the division with the WBO, Paro is now 11th in line for a shot at the championship - a casualty of his inactivity.", + "Murray is trying to restart his momentum after a disappointing 2023 where he slipped to world No.42." + ], + "Does the article from Sporting News claim that John \"The Best\" Mugabi had a perfect boxing record, while the article from Essentially Sports reports Dillon Danis as having his first-ever boxing debut, indicating a difference in their professional boxing experience?": [ + "The Uganda-born power-puncher had a perfect record – 26 fights, 26 wins, 26 knockouts, with 10 of those stoppages coming in the first round.", + "Anyway, the fans could look out for her attendance at Danis’s first-ever boxing debut on October 14 at the AO Arena, Manchester." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article attribute Shai Hope's success in the run-chase to his ability to hit a massive six, while the 'Sporting News' discusses the San Francisco 49ers' assessment of Chase Young's market value without mentioning his on-field actions?": [ + "It was eventually won for West Indies with four balls to spare and in the most unfitting of ways – with a massive six – by Shai Hope, again proving himself the right man for a run-chase.", + "Assessing how San Francisco can try to keep Young also includes looking at what Young's value might be on the open market." + ], + "Which company, recently scrutinized in articles from TechCrunch and The Age, is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior and accusations of harming news publishers' revenue, while also spending billions to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's legislative proposal regarding teen app downloads published on November 15, 2023, was there no change in the type of challenges Meta is addressing in the public sphere, moderation bias or parental control over app downloads?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents." + ], + "Does the Polygon post focus on outdated series disliked by the authors on each major streaming platform, while The Sydney Morning Herald article discusses the trend of entertainment companies creating their own exclusive streaming platforms over the past five years?": [ + "We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent series on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.", + "For the past five or so years entertainment companies have been focused on creating their own streaming platforms, which would be built around exclusive control of their original content, whether it was original new series or a sister studio’s Hollywood movies." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Ronald Gerald Wayne's early involvement with Apple Inc., and a Forbes article discussing his subsequent departure from the company, what is the first letter of the state where the company that Wayne co-founded is headquartered?": [], + "Does the article from Advanced Science News suggest that Governments should invest in healthy habits to reduce mortality, while the article from FOX News - Health claims that sugar, despite its potential habit-forming nature, is not as addictive as drugs?": [ + "Other questions remain as to how governments should invest in introducing new healthy habits, which ones should be given preference, and how much change is it enough to start seeing benefits.", + "\"Although foods rich in added sugar may stimulate the feel-good chemicals in the brain and become habit-forming, sugar itself is not addictive in the way cocaine or another drug may be,\" she told Fox News Digital." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that Newcastle United defeated Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, aligning with 'The Guardian' article's claim that Newcastle will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals, indicating both sources confirm Newcastle's progression in the tournament?": [ + "Last season's finalists met in round four after being draw against one another, with the Magpies gaining revenge.", + "Quick Guide Carabao Cup quarter-final draw Show Newcastle will travel to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after knocking out both Manchester clubs." + ], + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in the first article from The Australian Financial Review and the technological advancements highlighted in the second article from the same source, which company, represented by a single letter on the stock exchange, is positioned to benefit from both the economic and technological trends mentioned?": [], + "Does the article from The Age suggest that the economic conditions of people have improved, impacting the middle class and their shopping habits, in contrast to Engadget's focus on providing Engadget readers with updates on Black Friday deals without discussing the economic conditions?": [ + "“People are paid shit now so there’s no middle class any more so they desperately need these Black Friday sales in order to get all the Christmas gifts for their kids, otherwise they can’t afford them.", + "We'll be updating our list regularly in the lead-up to Black Friday, so check back to catch all of the latest Black Friday deals." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different perception of Sam Bankman-Fried's character compared to the portrayal by The Verge, with TechCrunch not referring to him as the white horse of crypto, while The Verge discusses his instructions on withdrawal permissions relative to trading revenue?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article report on new hiring at Starz, while the Engadget article discusses layoffs within the entire video game industry?": [ + "Is laying off more than 10% of its staff ahead of the company spinning out from Lionsgate, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch announced November 3.", + "It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes." + ], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 6, 2023, regarding Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google over app distribution and payment processing markets, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in its reporting on December 15, 2023, when discussing a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sportskeeda article consider Malik Willis the most naturally gifted quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class, while The New York Times article focuses on the San Francisco 49ers' use of a draft pick on a kicker in the 2023 draft?": [ + "That's interesting, considering that some draft analysts thought him the most naturally gifted QB in the 2022 Draft class.", + "The 49ers raised eyebrows among some when they used their second-highest pick in the 2023 draft — a third-round choice, 99th overall — for a kicker." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that Newcastle United was defeated by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, aligning with 'The Guardian' article's claim that Newcastle will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals, indicating both sources confirm Newcastle's progression in the tournament?": [ + "Last season's finalists met in round four after being draw against one another, with the Magpies gaining revenge.", + "Quick Guide Carabao Cup quarter-final draw Show Newcastle will travel to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after knocking out both Manchester clubs." + ], + "Which company, reported by The Verge as changing the internet's appearance through its efforts to simplify navigation, was also highlighted by TechCrunch for both spending billions to secure default search engine status on multiple platforms and for harming news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of using deceit to build the success of a crypto exchange, according to Fortune?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's actions towards news publishers are supportive, while The Age article implies that users are accepting of potential misconduct by Google, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event, indicating different contexts of Google's activities in each source?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been involved in making default search engine deals with major tech companies, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues, has been accused of not fully releasing an AI model, and faces a class action antitrust lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive documentation to the court, was also mentioned by a news publisher in a class action lawsuit for its alleged anticompetitive practices, and is considered by Apple to be the only viable option for search engine services, despite not planning additional measures for its video platform as per reports from TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the Sporting News fail to report on Elijah Garcia's 16th victory before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog covered the first-round knockout by Jai Opetaia against Ellis Zorro?": [ + "Garcia then took his time picking his spots as a huge combination forced the hand of referee Tony Weeks at the 1:26 mark to get his 16th victory.", + "In a bout reportedly worth $680,000 to the Australian, he wasted little time, a huge left hand obliterating Zorro with four seconds remaining in the first round." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation in TechCrunch articles remained consistent between the report published on October 2, 2023, and the one published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that \"People's preferences regarding social media content\" will shift towards uncurated experiences, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicates that \"Michael Cheika\" values past experiences, curated or not, for preparation?": [ + "He also believes that after everything on social media becomes so perfectly curated for us, our brains will start to crave things that are not.", + "What we have done since then, all the success and failures [matters in our preparation]." + ], + "What is the first letter of the brand that, according to an article from The Fashion Times, collaborated with artist Manu Cossu for a limited-edition clothing line, and was also mentioned in a Business Insider report as having seen a significant increase in its market share within the last fiscal quarter?": [], + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, is facing a criminal trial to determine his guilt, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which public figure, recognized by Time as Person of the Year and linked romantically to Travis Kelce, has the capacity to undergo significant events privately and was also spotted supporting at an NFL venue, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style', 'The Age', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the protagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the TechCrunch article on December 15, 2023, citing a class action antitrust suit against Google for harming news publishers' bottom lines, has the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources remained consistent?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one." + ], + "Who is the individual that allegedly allowed withdrawals from a trading platform's revenue, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these actions being reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to an article from The Verge, is also mentioned in two TechCrunch articles, one discussing the lack of planned additional measures for a video platform in the next six months, and the other citing a class action antitrust suit for siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits the app distribution and payment processing markets, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age focus on Google's impact on news publishers and general search fairness, respectively?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that OpenAI holds a subordinate position in generative AI similar to how the Polygon article regards Abbas Kiarostami's status in the field of directing?": [ + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "The late Abbas Kiarostami was one of the most masterful directors of his time, and his masterful romance Certified Copy is available to watch for free at home." + ], + "Who is the individual alleged to have used Caroline Ellison as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds at Alameda Research, portrayed himself as a credible figure in the cryptocurrency sector prior to a major company collapse, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the athlete that contributed to his team's Super Bowl victories in both 2020 and 2023, was present at one of Taylor Swift's concerts in Buenos Aires in November, and was anticipated to end his four-game scoring drought in a Christmas Day game against the Raiders according to articles from 'The Age,' 'The Independent - Life and Style,' and 'Yardbarker'?": [ + "The first link between Swift and Kelce was established in 2016, when Kelce – who helped bring his team to Super Bowl victory in both 2020 and 2023 – played the classic game “Kiss, Marry, Kill”.", + "In November, he made his way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend one of her Eras Tour shows.", + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are a response to past conditions, such as booming home prices, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Guardian' on October 28 regarding 'Game 3 of the World Series' and the coverage by 'Sporting News' on October 30, was the information about 'Brandon Pfaadt' starting the game consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "The World Series heads to Arizona for Monday’s Game 3 where Rangers’ Max Scherzer and the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt are currently penciled in as the probable starters.", + "9:35 p.m.: Top of 6th — Corey Seager flew out to center to start the inning but Brandon Pfaadt's night will be over after he issued a free pass to Adolis Garcia." + ], + "Considering the financial performance insights from a Bloomberg article and the product release information from a Reuters report, which letter represents both the start of the name of Apple Inc.'s CEO who commented on the company's earnings resilience and the first letter of the latest iPhone model announced?": [], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Emma Hayes is considering leaving her current role at Chelsea before the end of the season, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which discusses Graham Potter's tenure at Chelsea as being unsuccessful?": [ + "“I’m here until the end,” she said in her press conference on Friday.", + "He has been out of work since his Blues tenure came to a close back in April, but it would be a hard sell to fans after his time with the London club went so poorly." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'Taylor Swift' is open about her relationship with a specific individual, while the article from 'The Age' only confirms her presence at a sporting event without mentioning her openness about personal relationships?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Sports' published at 2023-12-12T22:38:05+00:00 and the article from 'The Guardian' published at 2023-12-12T23:53:03+00:00, is the portrayal of Bayern Munich's superiority over Manchester United consistent or inconsistent?": [ + "United were playing in quite a controlled way when they were going to eventually have to go for it, but Bayern were still getting through that with relative ease.", + "For all their own flaws Bayern are basically a good version of whatever it is United are attempting to piece together." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch for not planning additional YouTube measures and for showcasing new hardware, was also mentioned by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through its practices?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while the Fortune article alleges he used a proxy for authorized access to funds, and does the second TechCrunch piece claim that his motivation for alleged fraud was personal gain, thus presenting different aspects of his actions?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to a report by The Verge, was also described as having no valid alternative for search engine services during negotiations mentioned in another article from The Verge, and has been accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from 'The Age' for manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue, is mentioned by 'TechCrunch' for not planning additional measures on a major video platform, is likely to win a court case according to 'The Verge' if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is accused by another 'TechCrunch' article of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from Essentially Sports discussing NFL controversies mention a broader range of issues compared to the Essentially Sports article on Denny Hamlin, which focuses on the controversies and criticism surrounding a single NASCAR driver?": [ + "From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals.", + "Continuously surrounded by controversy, Joe Gibbs Racing‘s #11 Toyota Camry driver has been subject to a lot of criticism." + ], + "Given that Junction Analytics has been featured in a recent Forbes article highlighting their innovative use of AI in market analysis, and a Bloomberg piece discussing their strategic partnership with a major tech firm, which CEO, as per these articles, has led the company through both advancements and is known for their unique approach to data science?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social media interactions involving monetary incentives are becoming a standard practice, while The Independent - Life and Style article questions the historical accuracy of events portrayed in 'The Crown (TV series)'?": [ + "But what’s intriguing about their reality TV-like experience is that this trade-off has become a new normal on social media.", + "As the new season arrives, and fans wonder what in The Crown is based in reality, here’s everything you need to know." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from different sectors, where 'The Verge' reports on its control over app distribution and payment systems, 'The Age' discusses its alleged manipulation of Search for ad revenue, and 'TechCrunch' details a class action suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Blackstone's latest strategic real estate investments and a Wall Street Journal report on Blackstone's recent changes in senior management, which individual, now holding a key leadership position within Blackstone, has a name starting with the first letter of the city where Blackstone made its largest real estate investment according to the Bloomberg article?": [], + "Does the article from The Age suggest a different aspect of Google's market behavior compared to the TechCrunch articles, with one discussing the acceptance of foul play allegations and the other focusing on anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was the performance of the Chicago Bears' defense reported as worsened by Yardbarker after Sporting News highlighted a sack by the Bears' defense on Joshua Dobbs during the NFL 'Monday Night Football' game?": [ + "9:47 p.m. — The Bears answer right back and sack Dobbs, with Sweat and Brisker in there to take him down.", + "In his second season as HC, the defense has improved, but positive results are hard to come by behind a lackluster offense ranked 19th in yards (323.2) and 21st in points per game (20.2)." + ], + "After The Verge reported on Google's local search ranking criteria on October 26, 2023, and TechCrunch detailed Google's expenditure to remain the default search engine on various platforms on November 13, 2023, did TechCrunch's subsequent report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, indicate a consistent portrayal of Google's business practices by the news source?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch, The Verge, and Fortune, had its largest assets in \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral\" valued at $5.82 billion, endured a negative balance exceeding the revenue of a related company by $50 million, and took on losses to present a better financial image for that company, while also serving as a customer, payment processor, and market maker within legal boundaries?": [ + "But there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX.", + "Around 2019 or 2020, Wang checked the database and discovered that Alameda was negative by about $200 million, which was more than the $150 million FTX made in revenue.", + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a positive future for Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe's vision, while the Sporting News article indicates a setback for Manchester United in European competitions?": [ + "It could, though, mean some sort of progress, if the Manchester born Ratcliffe follows through with his vision to revolutionise the club.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that communicated to a trader about permissible withdrawals relative to trading revenue, mentioned to Paradigm the intention of forming an expert board without investor directors, found the simultaneous management of FTX and Alameda Research challenging due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the defeat of the Belgium Women's National Football Team by England in the UEFA Women's Nations League to the performance of Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' credits Ollie Watkins with playing a key role in Aston Villa's win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League?": [ + "Tessa Wullaert’s brace fired Belgium to a dramatic 3-2 home win over England in League A1 of 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Nations League.", + "Quick Guide Europa Conference League: Villa and Faroe Islanders soar Show Ollie Watkins continued his red-hot form as Aston Villa cruised to a statement 4-1 win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League." + ], + "Did both the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on October 30, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's withdrawal from her tour schedule, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, revealing her secrecy about her relationship with Travis Kelce, indicate no change in the narrative regarding her personal life and professional commitments?": [ + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the 'Science News For Students' article suggest that previous hydrogel research extensively explored the relationship between salt content and water absorption, while the 'Advanced Science News' article indicates that the hydrogel used in aqueous zinc iodine batteries has been specifically engineered with functional groups for anode and cathode affinity?": [ + "But no one knew how much salt a hydrogel could stash — nor how pushing that salt content to the max might boost the hydrogel’s water-slurping power.", + "Fan explained that the anode and cathode of the hydrogel have different functional groups that make it both zincophilic (with an affinity for zinc ) and iodophilic ( with an affinity for iodine), respectively." + ], + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, is involved in an antitrust case due to its financial practices to maintain default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the compatibility of the Google Nest Thermostat with major smart home platforms as reported by The Verge on October 10, 2023, remained consistent with previous reports from The Verge regarding its integration with the Matter standard, or has there been a change in its compatibility status?": [ + "It is also the only thermostat that works with the new smart home standard, Matter, so it's compatible with every major smart home platform, including Apple Home.", + "It’s also compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard and is the only iPad that still has a 3.5mm headphone jack." + ], + "Does the article from Sporting News claim that John \"The Best\" Mugabi had a flawed boxing record, while the article from Essentially Sports reports Dillon Danis as having his first-ever boxing debut, indicating a difference in their professional boxing experience?": [ + "The Uganda-born power-puncher had a perfect record – 26 fights, 26 wins, 26 knockouts, with 10 of those stoppages coming in the first round.", + "Anyway, the fans could look out for her attendance at Danis’s first-ever boxing debut on October 14 at the AO Arena, Manchester." + ], + "Which company, covered by Engadget and Polygon, is releasing a new version of their product on November 16th, featuring several minor physical upgrades and an emphasis on a unified performance target for developers?": [ + "Valve has announced a new Steam Deck and — double surprise — we’ve already reviewed it.", + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Did the approach to presenting prop bets to bettors by Sporting News change between the report on NBA prop bets published on October 2, 2023, and the report on NCAAF bowl season prop bets published later?": [ + "You can find value in player and team props by gathering information from multiple sources and tracking how players and their teammates perform.", + "These can be team or individual player prop bets, such as which team is winning at halftime or the total number of receptions a player collects." + ], + "What is the first letter of the name of the Goldman Sachs Group executive who, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, commented on the firm's strategic direction during an investor meeting, and was also mentioned in a Bloomberg article discussing potential successors to the CEO position?": [], + "Has the concern about the Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio expressed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in Business World on October 8, 2023, remained consistent with the implications of rising national debt on private investment discussed in Business World on November 5, 2023?": [ + "If the debt continues to rise more than the economy, risks will increase, and the government may “crowd out” private investment as it competes with the private sector for funds to service its debt.", + "And yet, “We worry about our debt-to-GDP ratio in the Philippines, as it stands at about 63% and that’s a little high for us and it is not ideal,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. told members of the US-ASEAN Business Council who visited Malacañang (ABS-CBN, Aug. 9, 2023)." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch article published on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's financial strategies to maintain its default search engine status, and the TechCrunch article on November 13, 2023, covering similar aspects of Google's expenditures for default search engine positioning, was there agreement in the reported amount Google spent in 2021?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "What type of businesses, frequently featured in Sporting News articles, are known to manipulate betting lines to manage their financial risk and ensure profitability, regardless of the event outcomes or where large sums of money are wagered?": [ + "That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.", + "If a significant amount of money is being placed on one team or participant, sportsbooks might adjust the odds to balance their liability.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on T.J. Hockenson's expected absence in Week 10 published on November 11, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Dalton Kincaid's expected play in the Saturday game published on December 21, 2023, was the consistency in reporting the likelihood of injured players participating in upcoming games maintained?": [ + "After turning in three limited practices this week, we'll trust that Hockenson is ready to go, especially since he continued to play through the ailment in Week 9 as a big part of the offense with Josh Dobbs under center.", + "Kincaid was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, but it’s been reported he’s likely to suit up on Saturday at less than 100%." + ], + "Which company, discussed in articles from The Verge, TechCrunch, and Fortune, was involved in maintaining a clean financial image for FTX through handling losses, held assets primarily in the form of \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral\" valued at billions, and is claimed to have conducted its dealings with FTX within legal boundaries as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": [ + "Unfortunately, she did say that she had conversations with investors as part of their due diligence — and, of course, Alameda was taking on losses from FTX to keep FTX’s balance sheet pristine.", + "But there was a problem: The report showed Alameda’s largest asset was $3.66 billion of “unlocked FTT” and $2.16 billion of “FTT collateral.” FTT was the token behind FTX.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article linking Influenza to minor health issues disagree with the FOX News - Health article on GLP-1 agonist medications concerning the potential for rare but serious health complications from medical conditions or treatments?": [ + "\"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on,\" he warned.", + "Although these complications were rare, the researchers found them concerning, given that millions of people are using these medications worldwide." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The Economic Times about Apple India's revenue growth and another article by The Hindu Business Line regarding Apple's investment in renewable energy infrastructure in India, which city, hosting one of Apple's supplier parks and also benefiting from the new renewable projects, is mentioned in both articles?": [], + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence according to 'The Age', whose surprising departure from OpenAI was discussed in 'Fortune', and was speculated by 'TechCrunch' to have had issues with transparency with the board?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over the Miami Dolphins with a score of 31-17 on \"Sunday Night Football\" on October 22, 2023, did the same news source report a win or a loss for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks?": [ + "The Cowboys opened Week 13 by rallying to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, keeping the heat on the losing Eagles ahead of them before hosting that team in Dallas in Week 14.", + "Philadelphia rolled to a 31-17 win over Miami on \"Sunday Night Football,\" keeping the Dolphins' offense off the scoreboard in the second half and playing smart football every step of the way down the stretch." + ], + "Which company, recently mentioned in TechCrunch for not planning additional measures on a popular video platform and for its anticompetitive impact on news publishers, is also noted by The Verge for having the capability to resolve app distribution and payment system issues?": [ + "Over the next six months Google’s report states it has no additional measures planned for YouTube.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual accused of building a prosperous cryptocurrency exchange on falsehoods, as reported by Fortune, and also alleged by TechCrunch to have intentionally committed fraud for personal gain, while The Verge claims he advised a trader on the limits of fund withdrawals correlating with the exchange's revenue?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that streaming services require a subscription for viewing the Cowboys vs. 49ers game, in contrast to the Polygon article's claim about film availability on streaming platforms without a subscription?": [ + "Fans can also stream the game via Peacock or NBCSports.com with a subscription, along with Fubo, which offers a free trial.", + "Where to watch: Streaming free with ads on Tubi, and free with a library card on Kanopy." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article about Sherri Geerts spending Easter with her birth mother after a short search share a similar theme of family reunion during the holiday season as the FOX News - Entertainment article about Amy Grant and Vince Gill performing together post-recovery?": [ + "Enjoying Christmastime with her oldest child — and only daughter — has been a long time coming for Sherri Geerts, 81, of Sunnyvale, California, Geerts told Fox News Digital.", + "After her recovery, the \"El Shaddai\" crooner shared the stage with her husband Gill during the Christmas season for several performances." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Vivek Ramaswamy's approach to TikTok suggest a different strategy compared to the TechCrunch article on audiences' reactions to artists like Nicki Minaj trying to trend their songs on TikTok?": [ + "While his Republican colleagues have largely shunned TikTok, Ramaswamy is presenting himself as one of the Cool Politicians who will actually use it.", + "Artists have spent the last few years trying to drum up engagement for their work by making their songs trend on TikTok, which audiences have started to resist." + ], + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games and accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines, also uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasive abilities led to Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while the TechCrunch articles focus on different aspects of Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation and alleged actions, without mentioning his persuasive influence on specific individuals?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article state that Greg Brockman resigned from OpenAI, while the Essentially Sports article claims that Terry Francona resigned as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians?": [ + "Brockman announced his resignation from OpenAI, citing “today’s news.” After sending a memo internally, he published the text on X.", + "He had managed the Guardians till the conclusion of the 2023 season, but now, owing to health concerns, he decides to put his wellbeing first." + ], + "Considering the updates from a CNBC article on the latest Google Workspace features and the implications for remote work discussed in a Forbes article, which single letter represents the new keyboard shortcut introduced by Google Workspace for quickly starting a new document, as mentioned in both articles?": [], + "Is the reporting on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship by 'The Independent - Life and Style' inconsistent between the article published at '2023-12-06T13:55:17+00:00' stating Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and the subsequent article at '2023-12-06T14:23:01+00:00' revealing that Taylor Swift connected with Travis Kelce in July after his attempt to give her a friendship bracelet?": [ + "Speaking to the publication, she said she connected with Kelce in July, after he confessed on his podcast that he tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during one of her Eras Tour shows.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Who, after a period of injury affecting his participation in the MLS playoffs with Inter Miami, is also recognized for influencing the integration of emerging talents into Argentina's forward line as observed in a World Cup qualifying match covered by Sporting News?": [ + "Messi, who had missed the last four games due to injury, returned to play 35 minutes off the bench, but by the time he stepped on the pitch, Inter Miami’s early dominance in the match had come and gone.", + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line." + ], + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of exclusivity to anticompetitive concerns?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust legal challenges, where it is accused of both monopolizing search engine services according to a court defense by a major tech competitor and harming news publishers' revenue through its business practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, built the success of a crypto exchange on lies, allegedly used a colleague as a front for improper financial access, aimed to use his wealth to save humanity, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, has been involved in showcasing new hardware developments at an annual event, has faced criticism for not releasing the full version of a product named Gemini Ultra, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Google's business practices in TechCrunch articles shown inconsistency after the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google on November 6, 2023, compared to the subsequent class action antitrust suit reported on December 15, 2023?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on maintaining control over their high-performance model, as reported by The Roar | Sports Writers Blog, align with Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs across Super Rugby teams, or are their approaches different?": [ + "In the wake of the Wallabies’ World Cup flop, the Queensland Rugby Union have reaffirmed their position that they are committed to moving to a centralised high-performance model but won’t follow the NSW Waratahs by handing over the keys to Rugby Australia.", + "He will also be tasked with “integrating” the programs, with RA trying to centralise all of the Super Rugby’s high-performance programs." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Jay Brown's recent promotion and another from The Wall Street Journal discussing his strategic partnership initiatives, which company's board, now chaired by Jay Brown, has both expanded its market share in Asia and launched a new sustainability program?": [], + "Has Polygon's coverage of Spider-themed characters in 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' remained consistent with their earlier report on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' which featured stories of multiple Spider-Men?": [ + "The highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales facing off not only against a dimension-hopping nemesis in the form of the Spot, but a whole multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he attempts to save the day once again.", + "Mainstream Spider-Man stories are increasingly Spider-Men stories, and Spider-Man 2, the third Spidey game from Insomniac, is no different." + ], + "Who is the individual whose alleged fraudulent path to success, including the creation of a thriving crypto exchange, is under judicial scrutiny, with testimonies from legal representatives revealing contrasting narratives and an admission of awareness of financial discrepancies? This person is also implicated by the prosecution in seeking wealth, power, and influence through deceitful means, as reported by sources such as Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch.": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously the richest in the world in that age group, who is facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges and is also accused of misappropriating $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article featuring Jayden Fielding mention a missed field goal attempt, while the Sporting News article with Alejandro Mata discuss a successful field goal, contrasting the outcomes of their respective field goal attempts?": [ + "The Buckeyes settled for a 52-yard field goal late in the first half, which Jayden Fielding missed wide left.", + "His 31-yard field goal is good, and the Buffs take the first lead of the game on their first drive." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Cabora Bassa Basin, which company, identified as a key player in the region's energy sector by BBC News, also announced a significant investment plan for infrastructure development in the basin as per Reuters, and has its name starting with the letter 'T'?": [], + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a reputable investor and portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector by 'The Verge', but was not endorsed by 'TechCrunch', and is now facing charges as alleged by 'TechCrunch', with the prosecution claiming fraudulent actions for personal gain?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is involved in a trial where it's portrayed as the antagonist by Epic Games, has released a \"lite\" version of an AI model instead of the full Gemini Ultra, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the specifications of the latest smartphone model announced by Samsung as reported by GSMArena, and the battery performance improvements mentioned in a separate GSMArena article discussing advancements in mobile technology, which single letter of the alphabet is shared by the model name of the smartphone and the name of the new battery technology?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New Jersey Devils' have experienced a change in performance outlook due to a player's injury, while the 'Essentially Sports' article indicates that 'Denny Hamlin' remained in championship contention despite an injury?": [ + "The winger came firing out of the gate, but the outlook has changed for the Devils in recent days after losing the superstar center Hughes to injury.", + "Having to depend much on his weaker arm, Hamlin stayed in contention for the championship four race until the final race in Martinsville." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNN article and a report by The New York Times on the recent developments at John Wayne Airport, which airline, mentioned in both sources, has decided to add a new route to its schedule and also recently updated its boarding process to prioritize families with young children?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with artificial intelligence who was reportedly removed from a board position and is now starting a new venture, according to reports by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and intentions?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' strategic options during the 'Monday Night Football' game published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the reporting on the team's ability to influence the game's outcome?": [ + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores.", + "11:03 p.m. — The Vikings are using their two timeouts, but there isn't much they'll be able to do once this hits fourth down." + ], + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing the growth strategy of CareCredit and a Forbes article analyzing the impact of CareCredit's partnerships on the healthcare financing market, which company, beginning with the letter 'S', is both a strategic partner of CareCredit mentioned in the CNBC article and is also highlighted in the Forbes article for its innovative approach to patient financing?": [], + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The New York Times on Layton Williams, which character did he portray that is also known for a signature move involving a pirouette, as discussed in both articles?": [], + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to someone other than Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' article credit Harry Kane with scoring his ninth league goal from a penalty?": [ + "Wullaert equalised for Belgium in first-half injury time before she took advantage of Georgia Stanway’s handball to fire in a 85th minute winning penalty.", + "Bayern earned a 57th-minute penalty against the run of play for a handball and Kane cut the deficit with his eighth league goal." + ], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, which maintained that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 13, 2023, detailing Google's expenditure to be the default search engine, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices in the TechCrunch article published on December 15, 2023, regarding the class action antitrust suit against Google?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in making deals to be the default search engine on various platforms, has showcased new hardware developments at an annual event, and is accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company is anticipated to promote an \"app store for AI\" as the main source for AI utilities, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also expected to release a vision-inclusive iteration of GPT-4 alongside a turbocharged API?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest globally, whose trial involves determining the veracity of contrasting legal narratives and includes allegations of permitting withdrawals based on trading revenues and committing fraud for personal gains, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article suggest a different trajectory for the 'Federal Reserve's interest rate policy' compared to the strategy mentioned in 'Fortune' regarding future adjustments, with one indicating potential cuts and the other comparing current hikes to past strategies?": [ + "The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and the central bank indicated last week it may cut interest rates next year by less than it earlier expected.", + "Plus, the raising of interest rates in an effort to combat inflation is strikingly similar to the ’80s." + ], + "Which company, currently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided substantial evidence to the court as claimed by TechCrunch, is also cited by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance and for using a specific set of criteria to rank local search results?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the article from The Verge on October 26, 2023, discussing Google's local search ranking criteria and the TechCrunch article on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditures to remain the default search engine, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence over search-related practices?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did the Fortune article claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article which claims that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds?": [ + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.", + "The crypto trading firm, according to Wang, pulled funding directly from FTX customers, whose transactions would be funneled toward Alameda and then directed elsewhere." + ], + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is more altruistic compared to the Springboks, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' had a specific in-game failure to release on their goal line, and acknowledging 'The All Blacks' previous losses to Argentina, or are the motivations, in-game actions, and historical outcomes described identically for 'The All Blacks' in each article?": [ + "It would seem that, as the Springboks play for their country, the All Blacks are playing for themselves as much as anyone – and the generation of players and leaders that will call time on their international careers at week’s end.", + "The Springboks took a 12-3 lead after 34 minutes when the All Blacks once again failed to release on their goal line.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged actions?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that FTX's lack of a chief risk officer contributed to its business risks in a similar way that 'Fortune' implies Caroline Ellison's actions as CEO of Alameda did not adequately mitigate the risks of the crypto markets?": [ + "Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Has the portrayal of Google's business practices in TechCrunch articles shown consistency after the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google on November 6, 2023, compared to the subsequent class action antitrust suit reported on December 15, 2023?": [ + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, and the command of space are essential measures of how 'the team' is functioning as a collective, while the 'Polygon' article implies that 'Game challenges' require players to work together in a similar or different manner?": [ + "It is also the essential measure of how the team is functioning as a collective: the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, the command of space.", + "Others require teamwork to shoot a ball into a hoop or fill up a basin with water." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has a superior architecture to other AI models, while another TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and The Verge article discusses the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article on Black Friday deals mention the same discount for \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" as the discount 'The Verge' reports for the 'Wi-Fi Kasa smart outdoor plug' on Amazon?": [ + "Hasbro’s Jenga: Super Mario Edition is selling for $14.99 ($7 off) at Amazon.", + "On sale for just $16 on Amazon, a 36 percent savings, it has two waterproof outlets that work with Alexa and Google Home." + ], + "Who is the individual whose wealth and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch, are under scrutiny by a jury due to allegations of achieving them through fraudulent means related to a crypto exchange?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce's performance against the Raiders will be worse than his past productivity, as opposed to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses his attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, without mentioning his on-field performance?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "In November, he made his way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend one of her Eras Tour shows." + ], + "Has the reporting style on player achievements during NFL 'Sunday Night Football' games by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring Samaje Perine on November 19, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "11:09 p.m.: Samaje Perine picks up 10 yards and a first down on a pass from Russell Wilson to take us into the two-minute warning." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, is not only facing scrutiny for potential non-compliance with GDPR due to its advertising subscription model but is also attempting to shift the oversight of teen social media usage to third parties, and has been accused of having a moderation bias that particularly affects Palestinian users?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Meta wants to shift the burden of monitoring social media usage among teens back to the app stores — and to parents.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted independently without the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and Engadget, is known for its privacy stance in a legal context, plans to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system?": [ + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Did Engadget report a discount on the 13.6-inch MacBook Air before The Verge reported a discount on Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?": [ + "Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy.", + "Right now, the best price around is at Best Buy, where you can grab a pair for $89.99 ($60 off)." + ], + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial controversies, including the alleged misuse of a billion dollars from a crypto exchange to settle with a competitor and accusations of building a company on falsehoods, are currently under scrutiny by a jury as presented by sources such as 'Fortune', 'The Verge', and 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with a new venture launch and is also central to theories regarding a lack of full truthfulness with the board, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who is the individual that is accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit access to funds, claimed to have intentions for a knowledgeable board for a cryptocurrency exchange while excluding investors from directorship, and has faced allegations of fraud and conspiracy in the courtroom, as reported by sources like Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was merely seen booing at Arrowhead Stadium, while the 'CBSSports.com' article states that she has both performed and attended a game there, and does 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different aspect of her life by discussing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Did the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, contradict the report from Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates?": [ + "Back then, just like today, home prices had boomed for years before Fed officials were ultimately forced to hike interest rates aggressively in an attempt to fight inflation.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, alleged by Fortune to have built his crypto exchange's success on falsehoods, and according to the same source, convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is also accused by TechCrunch of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch, has been involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to counter claims of hiding discovery items, spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across platforms, and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which celebrity, known for experiencing significant events away from media scrutiny, was recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year, has been rumored to be romantically linked with a Chiefs TE according to 'CBSSports.com', and was also spotted supporting at Arrowhead Stadium as reported by 'The Age'?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Who is the individual that, after being prompted by Judge Lewis Kaplan, acknowledged awareness of an $8 billion financial discrepancy, is accused of instructing the transfer of $14 billion from customers to cover debts, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these allegations reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the financial performance outlined in a Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article on American Express Inc., which single letter grade represents the company's credit rating as assessed by a major credit rating agency that takes into account both economic performance and business alliances?": [], + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the changes to AppleCare's service coverage and a report by Bloomberg on the financial performance of Apple's services division, which letter represents the first initial of the executive at Apple who is overseeing the division that includes AppleCare?": [], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Taylor Swift being Time’s Person of the Year claim that she is open about her relationship with the same individual that 'The Independent - Life and Style' reports Travis Kelce invited to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September." + ], + "Does the Polygon article claim that Zazie Beetz will not reprise her role in the Joker sequel, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Mary Jane's character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 returning from the first game?": [ + "Zazie Beetz will be back as Arthur’s neighbor and entirely unwitting love interest, Sophie.", + "But then, there’s MJ as well who has made a comeback from the first installment." + ], + "Considering the claims from articles published by TechCrunch, which company is implicated in ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny for not establishing a lawful tracking basis in the EU, potentially violating GDPR, facing allegations of COPPA violations, and is accused of biased moderation practices specifically affecting Palestinian users?": [ + "Asked when Meta will be moving to a lawful basis for tracking and profiling users in the region Pollard declined to specify a timeframe.", + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Is the concern about antibiotics' effectiveness against certain diseases reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' before 'Yahoo News' consistent, considering the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on the susceptibility of 'Antibiotics in development' to resistance and the 'Yahoo News' report on 'Inflammation in dogs' being minimally or not responsive to antibiotics?": [ + "As an inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.", + "Fewer than 30 antibiotics currently in the development pipeline target \"priority\" bacteria , as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), and most of those drugs are still vulnerable to resistance, just like their predecessors." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article stating the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks as the best candidates for the wild-card spots align with the same publication's claim regarding the impact of a Minnesota Vikings loss on the wild card race standings for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers?": [ + "The Rams and Seahawks are the best wild-card bets here now, while the Saints and Buccaneers will still have their sights on making the playoffs via still winning the weak South over the Falcons.", + "A loss would mean the Packers, Rams and Saints only trail Minnesota by a half-game in the wild card race, while a win would keep the Vikings well within striking distance in the NFC North." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a result of random chance under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, while 'The Guardian' and 'Sky Sports' articles focus on Chelsea Football Club's recent match outcomes and player fitness concerns, respectively, without discussing strategic market expansion?": [ + "Under American Todd Boehly’s co-ownership, expanding Chelsea’s profile and reach in the U.S. would make sense, especially with USWNT internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel playing their club football there — and CBS Sports holding WSL rights.", + "It was 24 September, Chelsea’s second home Premier League defeat on the spin after the one against Nottingham Forest and they were booed off again.", + "Late checks will be made on the fitness of Reece James, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson, while Benoit Badiashile could return from a long-term injury." + ], + "Did individuals who have not lost a parent, as discussed in 'The Independent - Life and Style', experience grief at big events in a similar way to how Liam Neeson described his experience with grief to 'FOX News - Entertainment'?": [ + "“She lost her dad and, while the grief fades a bit over the years, big events bring it roaring back in (at least that’s been my experience).", + "In another 2014 interview, this one with \"60 Minutes,\" he said that grief sometimes hit him \"like a wave." + ], + "Between the report from 'The Age' on Taylor Swift's NFL takeover published on September 26, 2023, and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce published on December 6, 2023, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's interactions with Travis Kelce?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, was there agreement on the financial impact of Google's deals to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms?": [ + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social networks are independently operated without influence from large corporations in a similar way to how The Age article implies that DeepMind was a target for acquisition by major tech companies?": [ + "Today, social networks are often run by large corporations — like Meta, Snap and Google — where advertisers pay the bills.", + "By the end of 2012, Google and Facebook were angling to acquire the London lab, according to three people familiar with the matter." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article doubt Jordan Love's performance in the upcoming home game, while the CBSSports.com article reflects on Kirk Cousins' performance in last week's game with only 13 Fantasy points?": [ + "Jordan Love appears to have turned a corner, meaning we should expect him to put on a show back at home.", + "That includes Kirk Cousins last week, who only threw 19 times in a win (and had two touchdowns but just 13 Fantasy points)." + ], + "Which company, known for introducing various mobility options in Fortnite and portrayed as the underdog in a legal battle against Google, has faced layoffs affecting 16% of its workforce and lost an antitrust case, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "In recent years, Epic has sprinkled all sorts of zany mobility options onto its map, letting players fall through the sky, pilot biplanes or (our personal preference) roll in a giant hamster ball to get around faster.", + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "What team was eliminated from European competitions after a loss at Old Trafford, as reported by both 'The Independent - Sports' and 'Sporting News'?": [ + "United were playing in quite a controlled way when they were going to eventually have to go for it, but Bayern were still getting through that with relative ease.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that expressed intentions to form a board with experts, acknowledged challenges in managing the significant growth of both FTX and Alameda Research, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is at the center of claims involving the manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', the lack of a valid alternative for search engine services as stated by 'The Verge', and the anticompetitive siphoning off of content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Fortune article suggest that the jury will play a role in determining the truth about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, while the TechCrunch articles focus on past characterizations of Sam Bankman-Fried and allegations of his motives, without mentioning the jury's role in the matter?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was reported by Fortune to have built success on falsehoods, and by TechCrunch to have both denied legal accusations of fraud and conspiracy, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is at the center of concerns from news publishers for anticompetitive practices, has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of product performance, and is also suspected by the public of potential foul play according to a report by 'The Age'?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on the whims of a magic 8-ball, while another article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' indicates that there is hope the Federal Reserve may soon stop raising interest rates and possibly start reducing them?": [ + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy.", + "With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting them." + ], + "Which company, known for its efforts to make the internet easier to navigate and recently involved in a legal battle covered by TechCrunch, has been claimed to both secure its default search engine status with a multibillion-dollar expenditure and to impact news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is at the center of legal disputes involving claims of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution, search engine monopolization, and the alleged harm to news publishers' revenues?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rumored romance, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's relationship status with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of their relationship status?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that a GameStop gift card is a universally useful gift for gamers regardless of console preference, while the Polygon article recommends specific Nintendo Switch games, indicating a more targeted gift approach for owners of that console?": [ + "Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.", + "Luckily, we’ve got six recommendations, ranging from modern Nintendo classics (that you can’t play on any non-Nintendo console) to indie games that are perfect for the Switch." + ], + "After CBSSports.com reported on the Dallas Cowboys' offensive strategy involving deeper passes on October 12th, did Sporting News indicate a similar issue with Williams and Rice's attempt at a deep shot in the USC vs. Notre Dame game on October 14th?": [ + "And the scary part is that his ADOT was over a yard lower (5.4) going into last week's game, so the Cowboys tried to let him air it out and the plan completely backfired.", + "8:24 p.m.: Williams tries to connect with Rice on a deep shot after off-setting penalties reset the downs, but the two can't connect." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 that was once the richest in the world, associated with the cryptocurrency platform FTX, and is facing allegations of fraud according to TechCrunch?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article report a different type of athletic performance for Jung Hoo Lee than the 'Zee Business' article reports for Ravindra Jadeja, with one discussing batting statistics and the other discussing bowling statistics?": [ + "Lee was hampered by injury in 2023 but slashed .349/.421/.575 in 2022 with 36 doubles, 10 triples and a career-best 23 home runs.", + "He picked up 16 wickets, conceding just 398 at an economy rate of 4.25 in 10 matches." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the same TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article also discuss Google's dominance but in the context of there being no valid alternative search engine according to Eddy Cue?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and intentions?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Has the focus on the need for car companies to embrace software, robotics, and artificial intelligence as reported by TechCrunch before October 1, 2023, remained consistent with the report on December 5, 2023, about Automakers and technology companies creating advanced digital platforms for vehicles?": [ + "Automakers and technology companies are building ever-more sophisticated digital platforms into the future generations of cars and other vehicles.", + "Now we have software, robotics, AI and all that stuff, and the car companies need to embrace that." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX collapse that was portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry by The Verge and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, whose alleged success with a crypto exchange is claimed to be based on falsehoods, admitted to being informed of a significant financial discrepancy after judicial prompting, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a jury's judgment regarding contrasting narratives of his actions, once likened to Warren Buffet and dubbed the white horse of crypto, not by TechCrunch, but now stands accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, power, and influence?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which team, known for being a favorite and having previously suffered defeats in Christchurch and Sydney, attempted a strategic play while having a numerical advantage on the field during a controversial and dramatic final, as discussed in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": [ + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article on the Pittsburgh Penguins' game report a successful penalty kill, while the Sporting News article on the Ole Miss vs. Georgia game mention a penalty committed by Ole Miss's offensive line on the first play?": [ + "10:20 p.m. — Pittsburgh kills off the Nieto penalty, but seconds after going back to even strength, Letang picks up a cross-checking minor.", + "7:14 p.m. PENALTY – On the very first play of the game, Ole Miss's o-line is called for a false start." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who is not only backing a teen's AI startup as reported by TechCrunch but is also planning to launch a new venture, despite Fortune detailing his controversial departure from a board position?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which country, according to a Peace Studies scholar, faces a starvation risk in a region under its blockade, has previously reached understandings to cease hostilities and return life to normal, and is considered to have experienced a massive intelligence failure due to a surprise attack, as reported by sources including 'Fortune', 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena', and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India'?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Considering the information from an article on Forbes about the latest software analytics tools added to Microsoft Azure Marketplace and another article from The Verge detailing a new partnership between Microsoft Azure and a major data visualization company, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who oversaw both the expansion of the Marketplace's offerings and the initiation of this new partnership?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC article discussing the impact of climate change on the Sahel region and a Reuters report on the recent political developments in the same region, which country's leader, facing both environmental and political challenges, has been in office since the latest election cycle as per the BBC, and is also dealing with international pressure to stabilize the region according to Reuters?": [], + "Which company has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, is accused of anticompetitive practices by news publishers, and has made deals with Apple and other tech companies to be the default search engine, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the focus of Taylor Swift coverage by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' remained solely on the National Football League's (NFL) perspective without shifting to personal fan experiences involving individuals like Annika?": [ + "Following his game against the New York Jets on 1 October, the 33-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened up about the NFL broadcast on the most recent episode of his podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.", + "Annika said she never imagined that millions of people would have found the video so comical, let alone the \"1989\" singer herself." + ], + "Do 'The Verge' and 'Engadget' articles both suggest that 'Consumers' can find guidance or deals on tech products, while the 'TechCrunch' article proposes a different interest of 'Consumers' in the realm of social networking?": [ + "And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together guides to the best wireless earbuds and best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which pair is right for you.", + "That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more.", + "Consumers are hungry for a new way of social networking, where trust and safety are paramount and power isn’t centralized with a Big Tech CEO in charge… or at least that’s what Mozilla believes." + ], + "Which company, covered by multiple TechCrunch articles, is not only criticized for its purportedly anticompetitive spending of $26.3 billion to maintain default search engine status but also for the alleged harms its AI, claimed to surpass competitors like GPT-4 in architecture, has inflicted on news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the guidance provided by Polygon on character creation in Baldur's Gate 3 remained consistent between the article discussing Warlock subclasses, feats, and builds published on December 1, 2023, and the article on choosing the best class for players of Baldur's Gate 3, specifically mentioning Rangers, published on December 18, 2023?": [ + "Rangers also make a lot of choices during character creation (and leveling up) that determine how they play.", + "During character creation, you must pick the otherworldy patron that you’ve decided to serve." + ], + "Who is the individual being tried for fraud and conspiracy, accused of building a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, allegedly instructed a $14 billion misuse of customer funds, and is claimed by the prosecution to have sought wealth, power, and influence through fraudulent means, as reported by TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the organization, founded in late 2015, known for creating the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT and is discussed in articles by TechCrunch and The Age for its financial instability and its role as the generative AI poster child?": [ + "Despite being the hottest tech company in the world right now and everyone talking about ChatGPT, OpenAI isn’t exactly a sound business.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI was founded in late 2015, just a few months after he met with Altman at the Rosewood hotel in Silicon Valley.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, whose alleged permissible withdrawal conditions to another trader were detailed by The Verge, and who, after an intervention by Judge Lewis Kaplan, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy, with the same source also alleging that this person committed fraud for personal gain?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success is the same as the 'TechCrunch' articles' implication that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were based on fraudulent intentions?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article link Ketamine to the treatment of depression, while the Advanced Science News article associates the ketogenic diet with the potential to improve treatment for human behavioral conditions?": [ + "Ketamine is primarily used as an anesthetic during surgical procedures — but in recent years it's been used as a remedy for treatment-resistant depression .", + "If it worked with the fish, they might then be able to figure out how the diet effects behavior and improve the effectiveness of the treatment for humans." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds and point spread betting both agree that Sportsbooks adjust their betting lines based on certain types of information, or do they present different reasons for the adjustments?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "If a piece of news or a prevailing sentiment starts to gain traction about a particular team's increased chances of winning, this can influence how people bet, leading sportsbooks to adjust their lines accordingly." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's progression in the Champions League was aided by a draw, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's elimination from European competitions was due to a defeat?": [ + "United, realistically, required a win to progress after drawing 3‑3 in the first leg of the second‑round tie at Old Trafford but the atmosphere in Turkey subdued the visitors and the second leg stuttered to a goalless draw.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Considering the strategic developments reported by The New York Times and the military aid details provided by The Washington Post regarding the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which single letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet corresponds to the first letter of the European country that was mentioned as increasing its support in the former source and is also the primary origin of the defense system discussed in the latter?": [], + "Considering an article from The New York Times detailing Patrick Queen's early career achievements and a report from ESPN highlighting his recent selection to the Pro Bowl, which NFL team, represented by the single character abbreviation, does Patrick Queen play for that has seen him rise from a promising rookie to a Pro Bowl linebacker?": [], + "Which company is portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is associated with notions of foul play according to The Age, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive means as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its generative AI model Gemini, is also accused by The Age of manipulating its primary service to maximize ad revenue, and is facing a class action antitrust suit as reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers’ bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds and MLB betting rules both indicate that Sportsbooks and a Sportsbook, respectively, adjust their practices based on external factors?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the crypto exchange FTX, whose purported success was questioned in a Fortune article, who admitted to being informed of financial discrepancies as reported by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's Gemini Pro is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-2 in terms of performance, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article discuss different criteria used by Google for local search rankings?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international identically to his innings performance in the fifth T20 international, with both articles suggesting a struggle?": [ + "13 Dec 2023 00.58 GMT 12th over: West Indies 102-4 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1) Just a single and the wicket off the over, Shai Hope can’t break the legspin shackles.", + "6d ago 22.54 GMT 16th over: West Indies 112-4 (Hope 29, Powell 8) Hope, who is playing an exemplary innings, opens the face to steer Rehan for his first boundary." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article on the air quality index in New Delhi and a Times of India report on the implementation of traffic restrictions, which single letter represents both the category of air quality that prompted emergency measures in New Delhi and the initial of the last name of the official who announced the traffic restrictions?": [], + "Which sportsbook, highlighted by both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', provides a cash-out option for MLB bets, a welcome bonus plus NBA promotions, and up to $1,000 in bonus bets for new customers in Kentucky and Vermont if their first bet does not win?": [ + "Caesars also has a cash-out option that allows you to settle bets early to guarantee a payout (though at a reduced amount).", + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the allegations of fraud?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who, according to articles from Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch, is the individual associated with a vision for AI's future, was not ousted by co-founders of a related company, and is suspected of not being completely honest with the board?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company is at the center of legal and ethical scrutiny, as discussed in articles from The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch, for its potential to win a court case regarding phone app markets, alleged manipulation of Search for ad revenue maximization, and the anticompetitive siphoning of news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which football club, recently struggling in the Premier League according to Insidesport, has also been eliminated from European competitions as reported by Sporting News following a loss at their home ground, Old Trafford?": [ + "It doesn’t seem like they will get a better chance considering Man United’s horrible run of form.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness improved too late in the game, while the Rivals article indicated that The Wildcats' offense lost its effectiveness after a certain point in the game?": [ + "10:59 p.m. — The Cowboys are moving the ball now, when it's a bit too late.", + "Although the defense was surging, the Wildcats not scoring since the first drive of the second quarter — their offense seemed to have lost its touch." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the European Commission's concerns are specifically related to the spread of illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas war, while the Music Business Worldwide article indicates that the European Commission's concerns are about the impact of the CJEU ruling on European artists and labels?": [ + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.", + "The artists’ groups noted in their statement on Tuesday that the European Commission “has on several occasions acknowledged concerns about the impact of the ruling and made clear its intention to find a balanced solution." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the reporting of the release date or immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED from Valve between the Engadget report on the Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38?": [ + "For now, Griffais explained, it's important to Valve that developers don't need to \"split their attention\" between different performance targets.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "After the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on October 6, 2023, stating that businesses selling on Amazon might opt to set non-competitive prices, did The Verge report a change or consistency in eBay's approach to pricing competitiveness in their article on October 25, 2023?": [ + "“Even with those tools, some of the businesses selling on Amazon might still choose to set prices that aren’t competitive,” Zapolsky said.", + "That means eBay will give you an eBay coupon for the difference in price between what you bought the item for and what the competitor is selling it for, plus an additional 10 percent of that price difference." + ], + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of various legal and market dynamics, including being the default search engine on major platforms, influencing Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, potentially winning a court case depending on the market definition, and facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Has the 'Sporting News' maintained consistency in its explanation of sports betting terms, specifically regarding 'Bettors who wager on the \"over\"' before November 6, 2023, as compared to its earlier report on November 1, 2023?": [ + "Since 225 exceeds the set total of 220.5, the bettor who wagered on the \"over\" wins their bet.", + "For example, if you bet a player will score less than 15.5 points in a basketball game at -135 odds, you would need to bet $135 to win $100." + ], + "Who is the individual that, before the FTX collapse, was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, and is now facing allegations of directing a multi-billion dollar misappropriation of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, with these accusations being discussed in courtroom updates and analyses by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article about Scott McTominay suggest he is not the top scorer for Manchester United in the same way that the Sporting News article about the Major League Soccer scoring list indicates Chris Wondolowski leads with 171 goals?": [ + "McTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.", + "Kamara's 144 goals are just one behind the former USMNT great, while Chris Wondolowski's 171 goals leads the league's career chart." + ], + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch as having instructed Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, is facing a criminal trial to determine guilt on fraud and conspiracy charges, and has entered a plea of not guilty to these allegations?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After TechCrunch reported on Starz laying off more than 10% of its staff on September 28, 2023, did the same news source report a larger or smaller percentage of layoffs at Synapse on October 8, 2023?": [ + "Is laying off more than 10% of its staff ahead of the company spinning out from Lionsgate, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch announced November 3.", + "In June, CEO Sankaet Pathak wrote in a blog post that the company had let go of 18% of its workforce as “the current macroeconomic conditions” had begun to impact its clients and platforms, affecting its anticipated growth." + ], + "Did TechCrunch's subsequent report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 1, 2023, indicate a consistent portrayal of Google's business practices by the news source?": [ + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to a report by The Verge, indicated permissible withdrawals based on a trading platform's revenue, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as reported by Fortune, laid out plans for a specialized board to Paradigm as per Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain as covered by TechCrunch?": [ + "Wang testified that he heard Bankman-Fried tell another trader that it was okay to continue withdrawing money from the account as long as the amount was less than FTX’s total trading revenue.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the reporting style on player achievements during NFL 'Sunday Night Football' games by Sporting News change between the article featuring Samaje Perine on November 19, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "11:09 p.m.: Samaje Perine picks up 10 yards and a first down on a pass from Russell Wilson to take us into the two-minute warning." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Patrick Kane's move was motivated by a desire to join a playoff contender, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Egypt's policy decisions are driven by the prospect of economic rewards from international and regional partners?": [ + "When Kane was traded from the Blackhawks to the Rangers in the spring, it wasn't just to join a playoff contender.", + "For now, Egypt will try to play a constructive part “in the hope that its contribution will be acknowledged by its international and regional partners and potentially rewarded economically,” he said." + ], + "Considering the features discussed in an article from The Verge and the integration updates mentioned in a piece by Wired, which letter represents the first initial of the Microsoft executive responsible for overseeing the development of Microsoft To Do?": [], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that consumers should start holiday shopping early to avoid financial pressure, while the Fortune article indicates that individuals with student loan payments experience financial pressure during the holidays due to gift-buying expectations?": [ + "If you've got your gift list handy, now's a good time to start checking it off so you won't be pressed for time or funds when Black Friday and Cyber Monday come around next month.", + "“One of the hardest things is resentment can build up if you feel like you need to buy gifts for your family and you can barely make your student loan payments, so bring things up,” Alev said." + ], + "Who is the individual that, after recruiting a colleague from Jane Street to join his trading and development teams, later found himself unable to personally oversee the operations of both his cryptocurrency exchange and research firm due to their expansion, and is now facing allegations of instructing the misuse of billions of dollars of customer funds for debt repayment as well as committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the availability of GPT-4 with vision suggest a different timeline or feature set for the release compared to what OpenAI has announced for the GPT-4 Turbo API, or are they aligned in their statements?": [ + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry, and is accused of misleading investors about the governance of a crypto exchange while also being alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, and CNBC?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Based on the information from a New York Times article detailing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and a BBC report on the ethical implications of AI in the workplace, which company, recognized for its pioneering AI research, has also faced scrutiny for potentially automating jobs that could lead to a significant number of layoffs?": [], + "After the report by Sporting News on September 26, 2023, regarding the Caesars Sportsbook promo for new sign-ups in Vermont, and the subsequent report by CBSSports.com on October 13, 2023, about the Caesars Sportsbook offer for new customers, was there consistency in the promotional offers reported by these news sources?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "Additionally, Caesars has a competitive welcome bonus for new players and runs NBA betting promos for existing players.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Did Polygon recommend Nintendo Switch games after The Verge suggested a GameStop gift card as a last-minute gift option, which could be used to purchase such games?": [ + "Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.", + "Luckily, we’ve got six recommendations, ranging from modern Nintendo classics (that you can’t play on any non-Nintendo console) to indie games that are perfect for the Switch." + ], + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence situation published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Fortune on the humanitarian conditions in Gaza published on October 13, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Israel's security and humanitarian actions?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion." + ], + "Which company, known for refining and polishing products based on consumer feedback and learning from competitors' failures, is expected to focus on new Macs and chipsets at its \"Scary Fast\" event, and has been recognized for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system, as reported by TechCrunch, Engadget, and The Verge?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "But, if rumors are to be believed, Apple's focus during the Scary Fast event will be on Macs and a fresh batch of chipsets to power them.", + "Apple has an established pattern of waiting, watching and learning from other companies’ failures, then blowing in with a refined and polished take that puts others to shame.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX collapse, facing a trial for fraud and conspiracy charges, and was previously compared to Warren Buffet, yet was not by TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of using customer funds to repay debts under his direction?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on October 1, 2023, that the Federal Reserve's main interest rate is at its highest since 2001 with potential smaller cuts next year, did the Fortune article published on October 20, 2023, regarding the impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy on housing sales indicate a consistent or inconsistent understanding of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy?": [ + "The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and the central bank indicated last week it may cut interest rates next year by less than it earlier expected.", + "Plus, the raising of interest rates in an effort to combat inflation is strikingly similar to the ’80s." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as league-average based on his batting statistics, while the Sporting News article reports on the success of Javonte Williams and Russell Wilson in a single NFL game, without making a season-wide assessment?": [ + "He’s coming off another league-average offensive showing, when he hit .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs through 602 plate appearances.", + "Javonte Williams rushed for 18 yards on the first play of the drive, then Russell Wilson connected with Jerry Jeudy for 19 yards to get the wheels turning." + ], + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while The Verge article concentrates on his lack of awareness of financial discrepancies, and does the second TechCrunch article assert that his actions were not motivated by personal gain?": [ + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on the Google antitrust case report the same amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms as the amount cited in another TechCrunch article discussing payments for default search engine status?": [ + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles imply that Google's practices in both app distribution and news content distribution are anticompetitive?": [ + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30 who, before the collapse of a major cryptocurrency platform, was considered a trustworthy face in the industry and is now facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "What is the name of the Border Patrol chief, as reported by The New York Times, who implemented a controversial policy leading to an increase in arrests, and was also mentioned in a Washington Post article for his efforts to strengthen border security?": [], + "Was the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2022, regarding an intelligence success by Mossad, and the subsequent report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on November 5, 2023, concerning Israel's defense reliance on technology, inconsistent in their reporting on Israel's security situation?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "The understandings that Israel reached with Hamas in 2012 were made \"to stop the fighting\", Ortal says, and to get life back to normal as quickly as possible." + ], + "Who became a notable figure in generative AI for impacting public awareness through ChatGPT, is supporting a teen's AI startup, and is at the center of theories suggesting a lack of full transparency with the board, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article describing ChatGPT's multifunctional capabilities, such as coding, composing music, and writing poetry, align with the description of ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot in another TechCrunch article, or do they portray ChatGPT differently in terms of its functionality?": [ + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to reports by The Verge and TechCrunch, is set to face a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, and admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after judicial intervention?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" and the article from Fortune on the \"U.S. home sales price\" both report an increase in their respective financial figures?": [ + "Sales in its Latin America and Asia Pacific unit came in 2% higher at $1.57 billion, just shy of the $1.59 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.", + "And even after a near doubling of mortgage rates, that figure rose to $69,400 by the second quarter of 1981." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report on the allegations against him, was there a change in the portrayal of his actions related to the FTX situation?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that allegedly used customer funds to secure personal gains and simultaneously expressed to Paradigm a desire to establish an expert board for FTX while admitting challenges in managing the rapid expansion of both companies, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games and accused by news publishers of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices, also ensures its search engine is the default on platforms of companies like Apple, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial, covered by sources like Fortune and TechCrunch, involves allegations of fraud and conspiracy, and who has claimed an inability to manage the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange and a trading firm?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the volatility of cryptocurrency markets as reported by Coinmarketcap in their first article, and the introduction of a new regulatory framework discussed in their second article, which letter represents both the first character of the cryptocurrency that experienced the highest percentage increase on the day of the first article's publication and the first character of the regulatory body mentioned in the second article?": [], + "Did the 'Sporting News' article about A.J. Dillon's reception for the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a dissimilar successful first down completion compared to the 'Sporting News' article about Samaje Perine's reception in the Vikings vs. Broncos game?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "11:09 p.m.: Samaje Perine picks up 10 yards and a first down on a pass from Russell Wilson to take us into the two-minute warning." + ], + "What is the name of the leading AI development company that is not only the creator behind ChatGPT and is planning to release GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API, but is also anticipated to champion an \"app store for AI\" as a key platform for AI tools and toys, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Though that’s likely also true in this case, the recent leadership fracas and evolving AI risk discussion warrant taking a look at how the world’s leading AI development company is approaching safety considerations.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "It has been a whirlwind four days for OpenAI, the generative AI poster child behind the smash hit ChatGPT.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Based on the information from a Bloomberg article discussing Microsoft's latest strategic business move and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's financial performance in the last quarter, which division within Microsoft, represented by a single letter, is both central to the new strategy and was the top-performing revenue segment?": [], + "Who is the individual that, prior to the downfall of a major crypto exchange, was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, but is now accused by prosecutors of achieving prominence and financial success through deceptive practices, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently in the news for its CEO's response to \"deeply concerning\" reporting and for reducing its workforce by approximately 600 employees due to cost-cutting measures, has also seen its revenue negatively affected by the decrease in transportation fees for goods, according to a report by a world business news leader?": [ + "Because Flexport makes money by charging fees for the transportation of goods, the company's business was getting hammered.", + "Petersen has spent the past month cutting costs, including laying off about 20% of its workers, or about 600 people.", + "Turmoil at Flexport: Dave Clark, the former Amazon executive who was ousted as CEO of Flexport just a year into the job, fired back at its founder and board, calling recent reporting on the logistics company “deeply concerning.” Clark made the comments Monday in a lengthy post on social media site X following a report from CNBC that provided new information about his last days at Flexport, a freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup valued at $8 billion." + ], + "In which game, covered by Polygon, can you experience a complex task of smashing stuff with a Barbarian build while also anticipating quality-of-life updates in its Season of Blood and is recognized for its combination of tone, action, and role-playing elements?": [ + "These are just a handful of the major changes coming to Diablo 4 with Season of Blood.", + "However, Diablo 4 is underscored by math that’s so complex that even the simple act of smashing stuff becomes a dizzying equation.", + "But Diablo 4’s marriage of tone, action, and role-playing isn’t what makes it so good." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing MLB, NBA, and general sports betting all agree that Sportsbooks never adjust their policies or odds in response to external events such as weather conditions, player injuries, or other significant information?": [ + "These delays may lead to bets being refunded depending on the circumstances and the specific rules of your sportsbook.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move.", + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response." + ], + "Which individual, once likened to a prominent investor and considered a savior in the cryptocurrency realm according to a report by TechCrunch, is facing trial and has been accused by the prosecution of using customer funds for a significant buyout and committing fraud for personal gain, despite having expressed to Paradigm the intention to establish a board with specialists for a company that he did not want investors to direct?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditure to be the default search engine published on November 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, known for its increased responsiveness to consumer feedback as reported by TechCrunch, is also involved in legal disputes as per The Verge, including an antitrust agreement that prevents switching to competitors during product setup and a patent issue with Masimo, while also enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system in a similar way to how 'TechCrunch' claims Apple restricts browser selection on iPhones during setup?": [ + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms.", + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones." + ], + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce during her NFL takeover involves a different type of exchange than the one mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style' articles, with one discussing a friendship bracelet and the other an invitation to a game and openness about a personal relationship?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "On his podcast, he later invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium - an invitation she famously accepted on 24 September.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Gauri Khan's latest interior design project and another from Vogue discussing her collaboration with a famous international designer, which city, known for its iconic landmarks and fashion scene, has Gauri Khan chosen for her new venture according to both sources?": [], + "Was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's approach to personal disclosures between the report from BBC News - Entertainment & Arts published on October 13, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's experiences with the media, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering the information from an article on the Online News Association website about the recent advancements in digital journalism and another article discussing the challenges faced by local news outlets, which organization, identified by a single letter, has been both at the forefront of adopting innovative digital reporting techniques and has also launched initiatives to support local newsrooms in their struggle against declining revenues?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure that has become known for his views on artificial intelligence and is involved with backing a teen's AI startup, as well as being at the center of controversy regarding his alleged lack of transparency with the board of OpenAI, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article that discusses Michigan's performance against Penn State without Jim Harbaugh suggest a different involvement of Harbaugh during the game compared to the Sporting News article regarding the sign-stealing scandal and his suspension?": [ + "Harbaugh reportedly watched the game from the team hotel, and now the leading piece of drama returns.", + "The Big Ten suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for three games on Friday with the team on a plane en route to Penn State, and although Michigan had hoped to block the suspension, the Wolverines will be without their coach on the sidelines in Happy Valley." + ], + "Who is the individual whose trial is approaching, as reported by TechCrunch, who faced difficulties managing the rapid expansion of FTX and Alameda Research as mentioned by The Verge, and who is also accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to another article from TechCrunch?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "After The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on the All Blacks' performance against Argentina in Christchurch on October 18, 2023, and again on their handling in the World Cup final against the Springboks on October 28, 2023, was the consistency in reporting on the All Blacks' gameplay maintained?": [ + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney.", + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with a specific individual, in contrast to the 'CBSSports.com' article which discusses her rumored romance but focuses on her attendance and performance at a specific venue?": [ + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce.", + "The game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has performed herself and attended a game before." + ], + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is responsible for developing GPT-4 Turbo and prioritizes ChatGPT as a development platform while also planning to establish an \"app store for AI\" that would compete with Hugging Face and open source models?": [ + "Some of the more notable items announced were tools to create custom “GPTs” (i.e., domain-specific chatbots), new text-to-speech models, an API for the text-to-image model DALL-E 3, and an improved version of OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4, called GPT-4 Turbo.", + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "Indeed, ChatGPT became priority number one at OpenAI — not simply a one-off product but a development platform to build upon.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "What is the first letter of the name of the CEO who, according to a Bloomberg article, announced a new software update for Tesla vehicles that would improve battery efficiency, and was also mentioned in a Reuters report discussing potential challenges with the supply chain for the company's upcoming Cybertruck production?": [], + "Which company has been reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch to spend billions to secure its position as the default search engine on multiple platforms and has also faced a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which NFL player, featured in articles by 'The Guardian', 'The New York Times', and 'Sporting News', scored two touchdowns in a single game for the Miami Dolphins, has a significant number of receiving yards partway through the season, but might face challenges reaching 2,000-plus receiving yards due to the strong pass defenses of upcoming opponents?": [ + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, admitted to being overwhelmed by the growth of a cryptocurrency exchange leading to management issues, and is accused of misappropriating a billion dollars of customer funds to settle with a competitor, all while facing allegations of fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company released a \"lite\" version of an AI model, is involved in default search engine deals with major tech companies, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the latest diplomatic strategies of Russia and a CNN report on the economic impacts of sanctions on Moscow, which nation, represented by its single-character country code, has been identified as both a key negotiator in easing geopolitical tensions and also experiencing significant financial strain due to imposed trade restrictions?": [], + "Does the article from The Guardian suggest that Britney Spears had more control over her privacy at the age of 16 compared to the control over privacy that the BBC News - Entertainment & Arts article implies Taylor Swift has over her personal experiences?": [ + "But by the age of 16, she is public property – incapable of going outside without being mobbed, and her love of singing and dancing now a lucrative resource.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR." + ], + "After The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on Rugby Australia's funding to Super Rugby franchises on October 10, 2023, and again on Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs and the potential hiring of Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies coach on December 11, 2023, was there consistency in the support expressed by Super Rugby franchises towards Rugby Australia's decisions?": [ + "He will also be tasked with “integrating” the programs, with RA trying to centralise all of the Super Rugby’s high-performance programs.", + "Should RA move on him, Schmidt’s backing would be largely supported by the Super Rugby franchises, with several sources telling The Roar that the experienced coach is exactly the type of person the Wallabies need.", + "The QRU has also expressed their desire for Rugby Australia to reinstate the annual $1.7 million in funding to each of the Super Rugby franchises that was withdrawn following the Covid pandemic to help keep the game afloat." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a different challenge for Tyreek Hill in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards compared to the challenge described by CBSSports.com, with the former focusing on the strength of opponents' pass defenses and the latter on the average yards per game Hill needs in his final three games?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch article suggesting doubts about Sam Altman's truthfulness with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": [ + "In the year since Altman catapulted ChatGPT to global fame, he has become Silicon Valley’s sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence and his sudden and mostly unexplained exit brought uncertainty to the industry’s future.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', is portrayed as the antagonist in a legal battle highlighted by 'The Verge', and is accused by news publishers in a 'TechCrunch' article of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article describing ChatGPT's multifunctional capabilities, such as cooking, composing music, and writing poetry, align with the description of ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot in another TechCrunch article, or do they portray ChatGPT as lacking in functionality in terms of its functionality?": [ + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "Does the Engadget article suggest that consumers should delay holiday shopping to increase financial pressure, while the Fortune article indicates that individuals with student loan payments experience financial pressure during the holidays due to gift-buying expectations?": [ + "If you've got your gift list handy, now's a good time to start checking it off so you won't be pressed for time or funds when Black Friday and Cyber Monday come around next month.", + "“One of the hardest things is resentment can build up if you feel like you need to buy gifts for your family and you can barely make your student loan payments, so bring things up,” Alev said." + ], + "Which company, known for dominating the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup as reported by The Verge, has also been recognized by Wired for creating a Prime-themed sale day and introducing invite-only deals during this event, and is described by Cnbc | World Business News Leader as offering a life-changing opportunity for sellers?": [ + "With the latest Amazon-created Prime-themed sale day behind us and Black Friday slowly approaching, the deals world feels a bit like Pippin waiting on the edge of battle.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Did the Fortune article published later on the same day contradict the TechCrunch article from November 18, 2023, regarding the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article imply that Michigan's football team could easily shrug off a single defeat without any impact on their season, and does it describe Jets QB Zach Wilson's turnover as an insignificant factor in the game's outcome?": [ + "One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.", + "The Chiefs took the lead on a field goal early in the final frame and a crucial turnover from Jets QB Zach Wilson eventually decided the fate of the game as Kansas City did not give the ball back to earn the win, 23-20." + ], + "Who is the individual that Fortune claims used a colleague as a front for improper financial access, whom TechCrunch did not compare to Warren Buffet, and who has faced allegations by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro, has also been noted by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment systems?": [ + "Along with building new chips, Apple has spent the last few years listening to consumers in a way it hadn’t for decades.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices related to competition and market dominance?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did TechCrunch, after reporting on September 28, 2023, that OpenAI would not make GPT-4 with vision available alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API, maintain consistency in its view of OpenAI's strategy when reporting on December 19, 2023, about OpenAI pushing an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools and toys?": [ + "The “app store for AI” will be pushed hard as the platform to get your AI toys and tools from, and never mind Hugging Face or any open source models.", + "OpenAI announced that GPT-4 with vision will become available alongside the upcoming launch of GPT-4 Turbo API." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the recent geological activity in Yellowstone and a BBC report on the wildlife migration patterns within the same region, which species, known for its antlers, has been observed to alter its migratory routes in response to the changes in geothermal features?": [], + "Based on the information from a Yahoo Finance article discussing a company's recent strategic acquisition and another article detailing the latest quarterly earnings report of a major tech firm, which CEO, whose company has just expanded its portfolio, also reported an increase in cloud services revenue this quarter?": [], + "Which player, who is seen as a catalyst for the youth movement in Argentina's forward line and is expected to have a significant rest period before participating in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying matches, was anticipated to play most of the second half against Paraguay after not starting the match, according to reports from Sporting News?": [ + "Lionel Messi starts on the bench for Argentina, but should come into the match early in the second half.", + "With the club's elimination from 2023 MLS playoff contention, Lionel Messi is facing nearly a full month off from competitive fixtures before he takes the field for Argentina against Uruguay and Brazil in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.", + "He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line." + ], + "Which pop star, who is open about her relationship with a Chiefs TE and is unaffected by paparazzi attention, has a busy schedule with the Eras Tour and received a friendship bracelet with his number from her partner, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'CBSSports.com'?": [ + "“She’s got the Eras Tour booked all through next year, and she’d rather die than cancel a show.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are a necessity due to a lack of alternatives, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply Google's actions are primarily driven by profit maximization and anticompetitive behavior, respectively?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that the impact of 6PPD-quinone is fully understood in terms of its environmental effects, while the 'Iot Business News' article implies that digital solutions are already recognized as essential for addressing sustainability challenges?": [ + "“The product 6PPD-quinone, which was identified in late 2020, requires more research to understand what impact, if any, it may have on aquatic life or the environment,” Goodyear SVP of global operations and CTO Chris Helsel says.", + "In our report, a former VP at an industrial automation vendor shared, “Digital solutions provide the visibility, analysis, and insight needed to address the challenges inherent in sustainability goals." + ], + "Who, being recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and described as one of the industry's most brilliant and impactful individuals, faced an unexpected event at OpenAI according to 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch', and is now planning to launch a new venture as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias suggest the same kind of issue affecting Palestinians as the TechCrunch article on Norway's push to extend the ban on Meta's tracking ads, with the former discussing suppression of voices and the latter addressing unlawful user tracking?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Asked when Meta will be moving to a lawful basis for tracking and profiling users in the region Pollard declined to specify a timeframe." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.'s financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on the company's plans for expansion in the semiconductor market, which single character from the English alphabet appears both as the first letter in the name of the city where Samsung plans to build a new semiconductor plant and as the last letter in the name of the current CEO of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.?": [], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse after the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, or the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?\n\nBetween the report by TechCrunch on October 1, 2023, and the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, was there agreement on Sam Bankman-Fried's approach to the board composition for FTX?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a legal case covered by The Verge, is known for using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results according to another article by The Verge, and is accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their business by siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, was perceived as trustworthy, discussed governance plans with Paradigm without wanting investors as directors, admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that his actions were driven by a desire for personal gain?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 15, 2023, was the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation consistent?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Engadget article on the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 suggest that the act will initiate reports on AI regulation and data sharing, while the other Engadget article on the executive order implies that the new reporting requirement will not impact existing AI models and AI companies due to a high threshold for enforcement?": [ + "It’s passage into law would also launch a report into AI regulation in the financial services industry (which the head of the SEC had recently been lamenting) as well as a second report on data sharing and coordination.", + "Administration officials were quick to point out that this reporting requirement will not impact any AI models currently available on the market, nor will it impact independent or small- to medium-size AI companies moving forward, as the threshold for enforcement is quite high." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Tyreek Hill may not achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards due to the strong pass defenses of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents, while the CBSSports.com article claims that Tyreek Hill needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards, indicating a difference in the perceived challenges he faces?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Based on an ESPN article detailing Sophie Molineux's performance in a recent series and a BBC Sport report on her involvement in community initiatives, what is the first letter of the city where Molineux's team is based?": [], + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style on Travis Kelce's attendance at a Taylor Swift concert published on November 25, 2023, and the Yardbarker report on Travis Kelce's potential performance against the Raiders published on December 24, 2023, was there a change in the type of events and activities involving Travis Kelce covered by the news sources?": [ + "Even so, Kelce's 81.3 average receiving yards per game against the Raiders since 2019 suggests the All-Pro tight end is in line for a productive outing and could potentially snap his four-game scoring drought.", + "Kelce showed his support for Swift when he attended her Eras Tour show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 11 November." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the Chicago Bears' draft picks and a Chicago Tribune report on the team's salary cap situation, which player, represented by the first letter of their last name, was both a recent draft acquisition for the Bears and is expected to have a significant impact on the team's salary cap due to their rookie contract?": [], + "Which individual, discussed across articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, is at the center of a legal case where the jury must assess contrasting narratives of his actions, including allegations of using a front for secret access to customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, while also claiming to have been overwhelmed by the growth of his business ventures?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that presented himself as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, was informed about a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution in a TechCrunch article to have committed fraud for personal gains?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the FOX News - Health article fail to identify the Mayo Clinic as taking a leadership role in artificial intelligence efforts in health care, while the TechCrunch article credits California with leading in privacy-protective innovation for AI technologies?": [ + "As artificial intelligence gains an ever-widening role in the medical field, the Mayo Clinic has recently appointed a new executive to lead the health system’s efforts in that area.", + "Commenting in a statement, Vinhcent Le, member of the regulator’s board and of the New Rules Subcommittee that drafted the proposed regulations, added: “Once again, California is taking the lead to support privacy-protective innovation in the use of emerging technologies, including those that leverage artificial intelligence." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Ellyse Perry's performance in a recent international match and a BBC Sport article discussing her contributions to her domestic team's championship win, which jersey number, associated with Perry's achievements mentioned in both articles, does she wear while playing for her national team?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that \"Shohei Ohtani's contract\" will be more valuable than the terms mentioned for 'Lourdes Gurriel Jr.' in another 'Sporting News' report?": [ + "The official details have not been reported, though the report indicated it will shatter Mike Trout's record 12-year, $426.5 million deal.", + "According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the deal is for $42 million over three years with a club option for a fourth year and an opt out after his second season with the club." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the launch of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini suggest the same development in AI chatbot technology as the TechCrunch article about the general-purpose AI chatbot ChatGPT?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI." + ], + "After the CBSSports.com report on Brock Purdy's performance published on October 4, 2023, and the subsequent CBSSports.com analysis of his play under pressure published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the assessment of Brock Purdy's performance?": [ + "LAST WEEK: Purdy's been a find ever since the 49ers put him on the field but last week he executed their offense flawlessly.", + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's worst scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article suggests Erling Haaland has the chance to become the overall top scorer in 2023, indicating a difference in the scope of their scoring achievements?": [ + "McTominay is now United's top scorer for the season with six goals, one ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.", + "With two games left for City in 2023, Haaland has time to be the overall top scorer, though it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola will play him against Everton and Sheffield United." + ], + "Who is the individual that, despite being likened to a prominent investor by some, faced allegations of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to funds and admitted to being aware of financial irregularities after judicial prompting, and is now on trial as claimed by Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did 'TechCrunch' report a situation involving Paul Denino not obtaining consent for filming after 'The Independent - Life and Style' reported on Kevin Federline posting videos without consent?": [ + "Following Federline’s comments, Spears’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said in a statement obtained by Variety that Federline has created “legal issues” for himself, after posting private videos of Spears sternly speaking with her children without her consent.", + "He also posted footage of a call allegedly asking the sex worker he could film her, which she approved for an extra fee." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and the market?": [ + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which individual, whose trial has garnered attention from sources like The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, is associated with both the collapse of a cryptocurrency industry giant and allegations of knowingly committing fraud for personal gain, and is now subject to a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did the Sporting News article report on Derrick Henry's return to the game after a minor injury, while the CBSSports.com article describe Cooper Kupp's exit from the game for locker room evaluation after an on-field incident, and do both instances involve players not continuing in their respective games?": [ + "He immediately left the game and proceeded to the locker room following the hit, and it was confirmed that he would not return with a head injury.", + "The former All-Pro, who battled a lingering hamstring injury earlier this year, received attention on the sidelines after limping off, then left the game for further evaluation in the locker room." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Pamela Anderson's advocacy work and a BBC News report on her recent television appearances, which network, known for its initialism, did Pamela Anderson partner with for a cause mentioned in the New York Times and also appeared on for an interview as reported by BBC News?": [], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about A.J. Dillon's reception for the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a similar successful first down completion as the 'Sporting News' article about Samaje Perine's reception in the Vikings vs. Broncos game?": [ + "10:03 p.m.: Love hits Dillon out in the front, who makes his defender miss before racing beyond the marker for a first down.", + "11:09 p.m.: Samaje Perine picks up 10 yards and a first down on a pass from Russell Wilson to take us into the two-minute warning." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest the same challenge for Tyreek Hill in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards as the challenge described by CBSSports.com, with both focusing on the strength of opponents' pass defenses?": [ + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight.", + "152.67 -- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, built a reputation as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, allegedly constructed a successful crypto exchange on deceptive practices, faced challenges in managing two major companies due to their growth, and is accused by the prosecution of engaging in fraudulent activities for personal gain?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the player mentioned by The New York Times for his early-season receiving yards achievement, by Sporting News as the leading receiver and top fantasy pick for Week 14, by CBSSports.com for his challenging goal of reaching a seasonal receiving milestone, and again by Sporting News for the potential difficulty in achieving that milestone due to upcoming strong defensive matchups?": [ + "• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games.", + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "-- After missing last week's game, Tyreek Hill now needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three to reach his stated goal of 2,000 receiving yards this season.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Which NFL team, recently covered by Sporting News, had to consider settling for a field goal in a 'Monday Night Football' game, faced limited options after using their timeouts, and has seen consistent offensive results with the assistance of their running game and defense, regardless of whether Josh Dobbs or Kirk Cousins is quarterbacking?": [ + "They want more than three points, but it's early enough that they absolutely could settle for a field goal if it got to that point.", + "11:03 p.m. — The Vikings are using their two timeouts, but there isn't much they'll be able to do once this hits fourth down.", + "The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O'Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores." + ], + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the allegations of fraud between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition and the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's admission regarding financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness and management decisions? \n\nBetween the allegations reported by TechCrunch against Sam Bankman-Fried and the subsequent report from The Verge, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of the financial issues?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which NFL quarterback, featured in articles from Sporting News, Sportskeeda, and CBSSports.com, threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys, has accumulated significant fantasy points over recent games, boasts an undefeated start to the season, but struggles with a decreased completion rate and yards per attempt when under pressure?": [ + "That's four touchdowns for Purdy alone, and San Francisco is pouring it all on the Cowboys.", + "Purdy has been scorching, with 57.9 DK points over San Francisco's past two games and at least 23.8 in five of the Niners' past six.", + "So far, Purdy has started the 2023 NFL season where he left off, opening the season with a 5-0 record.", + "However, Purdy's been at his worst when pressured (like most quarterbacks), completing 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a gaudy 15.9% off-target rate." + ], + "Which public figure engaged in a rumored romance with a Chiefs TE, who made a friendship bracelet as a gesture of interest, commented on a viral TikTok video about fans struggling with her CD, and has been recognized by Time’s Person of the Year while also experiencing major events privately without media awareness, as reported by sources including FOX News - Lifestyle, CBSSports.com, BBC News - Entertainment & Arts, and The Independent - Life and Style?": [ + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Deft is maintaining the status quo in user behavior regarding e-commerce search, while The Verge article indicates that Apple has not sought an alternative to Google as the default search engine on its devices?": [ + "“Users’ natural behavior for search is to follow the path of least resistance, i.e.", + "“We make Google be the default search engine,” he said, “because we’ve always thought it was the best." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for alleged fraudulent activities was for personal gain, while the Fortune article focuses on the jury's role in determining the truthfulness of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, without attributing a specific motive?": [ + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head.", + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall." + ], + "Has the coverage of ski resorts by 'The Independent - Travel' remained consistent after their report on the 'Swiss slopes of Zermatt and pistes of Vail in Colorado' on October 13th, 2023, compared to their subsequent report on 'Tremblant Ski Resort' on October 25th, 2023?": [ + "Quebec’s premier ski resort sits at the foot of the eponymous mountain, whose pistes cater well to all abilities.", + "From the Swiss slopes of Zermatt to the pistes of Vail in Colorado, it’s not just the snow that sparkles." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a change in Twitch's subscription revenue split policy, while The Verge article provides information on the cost of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and are these changes and information related to subscription-based services?": [ + "Last year, the company announced that it would end the 70/30 subscription revenue split deal that it had offered select streamers in favor of prioritizing ad revenue.", + ", which starts at $19.99 a year (Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop)." + ], + "What company, according to TechCrunch articles, not only released a \"lite\" version of its AI model instead of the full version but also spent billions in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms and has faced a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue and content?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the critical reception of the show and a Variety piece detailing the viewership numbers for the premiere, which character from \"The Last of Us\" is both central to the critically acclaimed narrative and present in the episode that garnered significant audience attention upon release?": [], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the GSM Association, which letter represents both the first character of the city that hosted the annual conference mentioned by BBC News and the first character of the country where the headquarters of the GSM Association is located, as reported by Reuters?": [], + "What is the name of the AI developed by OpenAI that Engadget reported as having a significant rise in usage during December 2022 and that TechCrunch identified as having the ability to perform a diverse range of tasks including coding, composing music, and writing poetry?": [ + "Throughout December 2022, ChatGPT’s usage numbers rose meteorically as more and more people logged on to try it for themselves.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is implicated in releasing a limited AI model, has the capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which rugby team, recently aiming to end their leaders' careers positively, suffered home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, and had their consistent safe handling challenged by the blitz defence of a team they faced in a controversial and dramatic final, according to reports from 'The Independent - Sports' and multiple articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": [ + "As for the All Blacks, they looked lost at times during this World Cup cycle and it’s still faintly remarkable that head coach Ian Foster survived last summer as the home defeats to Ireland, South Africa and Argentina piled up.", + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "The All Blacks had their chances, but their usual safe handling, a feature throughout the World Cup after their first-up loss to France, evaded them against the Springboks’ blitz defence in the wet conditions.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Considering the features highlighted in a recent Engadget review and the pricing updates mentioned in a Forbes article, which model of the Garmin Forerunner series is both praised for its advanced training metrics and also noted for having a price increase that may affect its market competitiveness?": [], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Epic Games is facing a workforce reduction, while The Verge article focuses on Epic Games' portrayal in its legal battle, without mentioning any workforce changes?": [ + "Epic, meanwhile, lost its antitrust battle with Apple and is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.", + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest a different level of performance for Tyreek Hill in a specific game compared to the season-wide performance metrics discussed in 'The New York Times' and the projected season achievement mentioned in 'Sporting News'?": [ + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "• Six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Carolina left the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill with 812 yards through the first six games.", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Does TechCrunch describe Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in handling customer funds similarly to the way it portrays his pursuit of wealth, power, and influence, with both descriptions implying misconduct, or are the portrayals different?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, regarding Google's manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, is the portrayal of Google's business practices consistent?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias suggest a different kind of issue affecting Palestinians than the TechCrunch article on Norway's push to extend the ban on Meta's tracking ads, with the former discussing suppression of voices and the latter addressing unlawful user tracking?": [ + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora.", + "Asked when Meta will be moving to a lawful basis for tracking and profiling users in the region Pollard declined to specify a timeframe." + ], + "Who is the individual known for his significant impact on generative AI technology through ChatGPT, was not removed by the co-founders of Anthropic, has been described as both brilliant and generous within the industry, and is at the center of a theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board, according to articles from Fortune, The Age, and two reports by TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges is imminent, as reported by TechCrunch, who also expressed to Paradigm a desire to establish a board with experts for a company mentioned by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, is accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds in a decision highlighted by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to another article by TechCrunch?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' suggest that a major attack against Israel requires intelligence support, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Israel halted supplies to Gaza, indicating a difference in the nature of actions attributed to Israel?": [ + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support.", + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion." + ], + "Did the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements, published before November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after, disagree on the enhancements made to the new iteration of the Steam Deck by Valve?": [ + "And so, alongside the big improvements, Valve has made a gaggle of minor physical upgrades with its new iteration.", + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google suggest a different level of transparency in legal discovery compared to the TechCrunch article on the class action antitrust suit filed by a news publisher against Google, with the former discussing Google's disclosure of evidence and the latter addressing Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, known for its dominance in the e-reader space and providing life-changing opportunities for sellers, has implemented invite-only deals during its Prime Day event and carried over these exclusive offers to subsequent sales events covered by Mashable, Wired, The Verge, and CNBC?": [ + "Official Cyber Monday mode, which is currently on through Monday, Nov. 27, includes both a ton of deals carried over from Black Friday plus some new ones.", + "During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days.", + "Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons.", + "“Selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity and the amount of sellers that throw stones at the platform is astounding,” one user wrote." + ], + "Did 'The Verge' article imply that Alameda Research was treated the same as other accounts at FTX without any special financial privileges, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, suggesting an undue advantage?": [ + "It was not, however, possible for those accounts to avoid liquidation, as Wang testified Alameda could do — or to have an overall negative balance.", + "It was a “very innovative, successful company.” And the business practices between the two were reasonable, he argued, claiming that Alameda acted legally as an FTX customer, payment processor, and market maker, or financial entity that acts as a trading partner for customers looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies." + ], + "Considering the character development described in the New York Times article and the plot twist revealed in the Variety review, which character in the show \"Poker Face\" is portrayed as having a surprising connection to the protagonist's past?": [], + "Did TechCrunch report on DeepMind's expected release of a next-generation chatbot named Gemini after TechCrunch reported that Google released only a \"lite\" version of the Gemini model known as Gemini Pro?": [ + "DeepMind, Google’s premier AI research lab, is expected to debut a next-gen chatbot, Gemini, before the end of the year.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro." + ], + "Which company, frequently mentioned in articles by TechCrunch and The Verge, has been reported to invest billions to become the default search engine on various platforms, alter the internet's appearance through its initiatives, only release a 'lite' version of an AI model despite showcasing a full version, and has faced a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue and content distribution?": [ + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked.", + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, notably through ChatGPT, presented a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's first developer conference, and was involved in a situation where there was no attempt by Anthropic's co-founders to remove him from OpenAI, yet faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, as reported by sources including Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which company, recently featured in both TechCrunch articles for unveiling new hardware at an annual event and for being accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, is also mentioned in The Verge as potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered part of the relevant market?": [ + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Demetrius Andrade has the skills necessary to potentially defeat David Benavidez, while the Sporting News article indicates that Baker Mayfield had a particularly notable performance against Green Bay, and are both claims discussing the athletes' capabilities in their respective sports?": [ + "Those who have followed Andrade's career close enough will realize that he does have the skill set to pull off the upset.", + "With that, let's take a closer examination of Mayfield's one shining moment against Green Bay." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's Gemini Pro is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article discuss different criteria used by Google for local search rankings?": [ + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article featuring the SuperDraft app suggest Rashee Rice will be a key player in the Sunday morning game in Frankfurt, while the same source implies that New England's defensive strategy will provide Rashee Rice with more opportunities in Week 15, or do both articles agree on the significance of Rashee Rice's role in their respective games?": [ + "As soon as I opened up my SuperDraft app, Rashee Rice popped out as the first prop of the first game on Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. in Frankfurt).", + "We can expect New England will try to take away Travis Kelce, meaning that the opportunities could be coming even more often for Rice in Week 15." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX exchange whose alleged fraudulent activities, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch, not only led to a thriving crypto exchange built on misrepresentations but also involved instructions to misuse billions in customer funds and resulted in multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, for which he has pleaded not guilty?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "SBF, as he’s known, has pleaded not-guilty to some seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that choices during character creation and leveling up have no impact on gameplay for \"Rangers in Baldur's Gate 3\" in a similar way to how Polygon describes the requirement for 'Players of Baldur’s Gate 3' to choose an otherworldly patron for Warlocks during character creation?": [ + "Rangers also make a lot of choices during character creation (and leveling up) that determine how they play.", + "During character creation, you must pick the otherworldy patron that you’ve decided to serve." + ], + "What entity is central to the dialogue and assessment of unfair practices reported by TechCrunch, is also involved in addressing formal competition concerns regarding Amazon's iRobot purchase, and has previously taken actions related to illegal content and disinformation as highlighted by TechCrunch?": [ + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Who became a notable figure in generative AI for his association with ChatGPT, supported a teenager's AI venture, and was involved in a controversial situation where he was accused of being less than fully truthful with a board that did not attempt to remove him?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "This week, we cover Sam Altman backing a teen’s AI startup, Google’s hardware event (and first impressions of the Pixel 8 Pro), Flexport drama, and the ongoing FTX fallout.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "After Sporting News reported on Liam Paro's ranking slip to 11th due to inactivity on November 30, 2023, did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicate a similar decline in ranking for Andy Murray in their December 19, 2023, article, consistent or inconsistent with Paro's situation as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "After previously being ranked number one in the division with the WBO, Paro is now 11th in line for a shot at the championship - a casualty of his inactivity.", + "Murray is trying to restart his momentum after a disappointing 2023 where he slipped to world No.42." + ], + "Between the Polygon article published on September 28, 2023, discussing \"Hellraiser (film)\" and the FOX News - Lifestyle article published on October 30, 2023, mentioning \"The Exorcist (book and movie),\" is there consistency in reporting the adaptation sequence of the original works into films?": [ + "Doe's story was adapted into the 1971 book \"The Exorcist\" by William Peter Blatty, which was then made into the 1973 movie starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair.", + "Clive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut adapts his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart to tell the story of Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins)." + ], + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who was once considered a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry before the collapse of a major exchange, and is accused of using customer funds to buy out a competitor, according to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda, who allegedly used deceit to build a thriving crypto exchange, convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, and is accused of misappropriating $1 billion of customer funds as well as committing fraud for personal gain, and has been discussed in articles by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company, recently highlighted by TechCrunch, is facing scrutiny for its content moderation practices during the Israel-Hamas conflict, alleged violations of children's online privacy, a lack of clarity on user tracking in the EU/EEA, and accusations of bias against Palestinian voices?": [ + "Following a content moderation warning from European Union regulators earlier this week, Meta has published an overview of how its responding to risks on its social media platforms stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.", + "Asked when Meta will be moving to a lawful basis for tracking and profiling users in the region Pollard declined to specify a timeframe.", + "In one respect at least, however, the documentation obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states is quite specific, “and it is damning,” as AG Rob Bonta of California put it.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Considering the environmental measures discussed in a BBC News article and the economic impact analysis presented in a Financial Times report, which major company, symbolized by a single letter on the London Stock Exchange, is both contributing to the cleanup efforts of the River Thames and facing significant financial adjustments due to the new regulations?": [], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy mentioned in a 'Fortune' article, who was not attempted to be removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to 'The Age', and is involved in a situation where 'TechCrunch' suggests there was a lack of full truthfulness with the board?": [ + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "After the 'Fortune' article on October 4, 2023, discussing Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and the state of FTX, and the 'TechCrunch' article mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation according to these sources?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, once compared to Warren Buffet and facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, who was also reported by TechCrunch to have planned to use his wealth to prevent humanity's extinction and is now alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence?": [ + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple has restrictive practices regarding browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple is facing legal challenges both for its Apple Watch and for enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Apple has already indicated that it plans to appeal, but appealing is a lengthy process that can take around 18 months.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Between the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "She admits that she may have misinterpreted the evidence, but maintains that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article focuses on Google's criteria for ranking local search results, and another TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Google’s public documentation says it uses three categories to rank results that are local to a searcher: relevance, distance, and prominence.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'Every woman' has a shared experience related to appearance in the same way 'The Verge' claims 'Google' has altered the shared experience of internet navigation?": [ + "“Every woman I know - doesn’t matter what they look like, or if they’ve commodified their image or not - knows what it feels like to be looked at, to be rejected, to get attention for how they look,” she told The Independent in 2021.", + "The company did accomplish that goal, but in doing so, it inadvertently and profoundly changed how the internet looked." + ], + "Between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement with Adam Yedidia and Caroline Ellison published on October 4, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published after, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the fraud allegations?": [ + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and partners between the report from The Age on Google's perceived fairness in search results published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published later?": [ + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual who gained prominence in generative AI technology, has been considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early years, and is at the center of a controversial departure from OpenAI as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": [ + "But it was ChatGPT’s explosion into public consciousness that thrust Altman into the spotlight as a face of generative AI — technology that can produce novel imagery, passages of text and other media.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "Altman’s exit “is indeed shocking as he has been the face of” generative AI technology, said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge indicate a different financial outcome for Spotify compared to the financial performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, with one showing an operating profit and stock value increase and the other showing a change in index value?": [ + "Spotify shareholders are thrilled with the company reporting an operating profit for the first time in a year, sending the stock up nearly 10 percent on the news.", + "The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 222.24, or 0.7 per cent, to 34,061.32, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 184.09, or 1.4 per cent, to 13,478.28." + ], + "Do the articles from CBSSports.com and both articles from Sporting News agree on the amount of the welcome bonus offered by Caesars Sportsbook to new sign-ups, with all mentioning up to $1000?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual that was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector by The Verge, yet is accused by Fortune of constructing a prosperous crypto exchange on deceit, and is alleged by TechCrunch to have consciously perpetrated fraud for personal gain, despite admitting to a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention as reported by The Verge?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the updates to Google Maps as reported by The Verge and the new features introduced as per an article on Engadget, which single letter represents both the beginning of a feature that allows users to explore a city's most popular neighborhoods and the start of the name of the city where Google announced these updates at their annual developer conference?": [], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting people suspect Google of foul play, did TechCrunch's reporting on October 31, 2023, and December 15, 2023, regarding Google's antitrust issues and the impact on news publishers show a consistent perspective on Google's market behavior?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Was there no change in the reporting of the nature of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce after the report by CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, which did not indicate a rumored romance between them, and the subsequent report by The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, discussing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Georgia Wareham, which single character represents the cricket format she was playing when she sustained an injury according to ESPN, and is also the format of the tournament where BBC Sports highlighted her potential return?": [], + "Does the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article featuring Pastor Jesse Bradley suggest that faith in God holds a different value for America's future compared to the value of God depicted in the 'Polygon' article discussing 'Preacher (comic book and TV adaptation)'?": [ + "\"Abiding with God goes beyond and is more valuable than money, technology and entertainment,\" said Pastor Bradley, in a series of thoughtful comments when asked to tackle the state of America’s relationship with God.", + "Preacher, the comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon — and its subsequent TV adaptation from Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen — starts with the basic assumption that God is real, and has walked out on the job." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age both imply misconduct on Google's part, with the former accusing Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers and the latter suggesting a general acceptance of foul play allegations against Google?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in a scandal involving a $14 billion misappropriation at a crypto exchange, which was reported by both TechCrunch and Fortune, and is accused of achieving his status through deceitful means according to allegations mentioned in articles from TechCrunch?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the updates on Google Maps Search as reported by The Verge and the new features discussed by CNET, which letter represents the first character of the feature that both articles claim has significantly improved the user experience for locating services and businesses?": [], + "Between the report from The Verge published at 23:02 and the report from Fortune published at 23:32 on the same day, is there consistency in the portrayal of responsibility for risk management issues related to FTX and Caroline Ellison's role?": [ + "Risk management is a crucial part of the business; risk officers exist to identify business’ potential risks, monitor, and mitigate them.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest person with philanthropic intentions, that is also the subject of allegations by the prosecution for committing fraud to gain wealth and influence, as covered by both TechCrunch and Fortune?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article discussing Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage indicate the same stance on the option of divorce as expressed in another \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on their relationship, or do the articles present differing views on this aspect of their marriage?": [ + "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star has also shared similar sentiments, as he said during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show that “divorce just can’t be an option” for him and Jada.", + "During an interview on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month, Will said he and Jada had never accused each other of cheating.", + "Back in 2006, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star first explained to MTV News that divorce wasn’t an option for him and his second wife." + ], + "Has the narrative around the All Blacks' team focus and performance in The Roar | Sports Writers Blog articles changed from the report defending a star centre after a loss to Argentina to the analysis of their playing for individual accolades, and finally to their actions in the dramatic final against the Springboks?": [ + "Sensing an opportunity to strike against 14 men, the All Blacks kicked for the corner on a couple occasions out wide.", + "Papali’i said the All Blacks were intent on sending their leaders out on a high.", + "It comes despite Argentina knocking over the All Blacks last year in Christchurch, as well as a maiden defeat in 2020 in Sydney." + ], + "Which company, cited in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in legal disputes for making exclusive deals with major tech companies, defending against accusations in an antitrust battle with a game maker, and facing a class action lawsuit for its impact on news publishers' revenues?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, scrutinized in articles from both 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is not only accused of potentially unfair practices to maintain its dominance as a default search engine but also faces allegations of harming news publishers' revenues and audiences through its operations?": [ + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part.", + "When Google’s search head Prabhakar Raghavan testified in court on October 28, he revealed that the tech giant had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to multiple browsers, phones and platforms, from companies including Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, The Verge reports.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could not have success with a Michigan quarterback unlike past achievements, while the Sporting News article indicates that The Big Ten is currently engaged in a review process concerning Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, without implying any success with a quarterback?": [ + "It was a Michigan quarterback that led the Buccaneers to the promised land last time so perhaps lightning strikes twice.", + "Source: The Big Ten is reviewing the lengthy written responses from both Michigan and Jim Harbaugh." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental initiatives mentioned in a Reuters report on Kazakhstan, which ministry, symbolized by a single letter, would be primarily responsible for overseeing the implementation of policies that address both economic growth and environmental protection in Kazakhstan?": [], + "Does the Polygon article suggest that \"Video games in 2023\" have remained largely the same in terms of innovation and vibrancy compared to previous years, while the BBC News - Technology article, through Sophie's perspective, focuses on the change in accessibility of video games for everyone?": [ + "In 2023, nothing was sacred in video games, and so they felt more vibrant than ever.", + "\"We want everyone to be able to play video games that they want to play, we want them to be accessible for everyone,\" she said." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article report a specific figure for Uber's operating and net income in Q3, while the Seeking Alpha article discusses the frequency with which 'The company' has surpassed earnings per share and revenue expectations without specifying the financial figures?": [ + "In the third quarter, Uber generated $394 million in operating income and $219 million worth of net income.", + "Earnings Insight: The company has beaten EPS expectations in 3 of the past 8 quarters and revenue in 5 of those reports." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate an impressive performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reports on Derrick Henry's performance in a recent game, specifically mentioning his two touchdowns and 76 rushing yards?": [ + "Jordan Love appears to have turned a corner, meaning we should expect him to put on a show back at home.", + "Meanwhile, Derrick Henry was back in a familiar spot of handling plenty of carries against an inferior opponent, scoring twice and tallying 76 rush yards." + ], + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns for making deals to become the default search engine on various platforms according to The Verge, and for harming news publishers' revenue as reported by TechCrunch?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's market influence and competitive practices?": [ + "“Certainly there wasn’t a valid alternative to Google at the time,” Cue said.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in an antitrust court case providing extensive evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, has received early impressions for a product compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and is accused by news publishers of harming their revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies to be the default search engine are without valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch article quantifies Google's spending on these deals at $26.3 billion in 2021, indicating a significant investment to maintain this status?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "In our last roundup, we learned how Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 making itself the default search engine across platforms and how Google tried to have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry that, prior to the collapse of FTX, was seen as a trustworthy figure, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join Alameda and FTX, and is accused of instructing the transfer of $14 billion of customer funds to cover debts, as well as committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being discussed in articles by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "And after Bankman-Fried left Jane Street, the high-frequency trading firm where the former billionaire got his start in finance after MIT, he persuaded Yedidia to join him as a trader at Alameda and then as a developer at FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "The highly anticipated criminal trial for Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, started Tuesday to determine whether he’s guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with both FTX and Alameda Research, who faced legal scrutiny for their inability to manage significant growth and alleged fraudulent activities, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article and a report by The Wall Street Journal on the topic of Apple severing its credit card partnership, which financial institution, known for its previous collaboration with Apple on a credit product, is now being replaced according to both sources?": [], + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting the possibility of foul play on Google's part, did TechCrunch's stance on December 15, 2023, regarding Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers show agreement or disagreement?": [ + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means.", + "Wired removed the article for not meeting its standards, but the degree to which it was shared on social media and boosted in write-ups at other outlets shows just how willing people are to accept foul play on Google’s part." + ], + "Which company, recently scrutinized in TechCrunch articles for its alleged anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and ad revenue practices, also claimed that its new AI model Gemini has architecture and capabilities that rival those of leading generative AI models like GPT-4?": [ + "In blog posts and press materials, Google touted Gemini’s superior architecture and capabilities, claiming that the model meets or exceeds the performance of other leading gen AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a BBC article and the diplomatic strategies outlined in a piece from The Guardian, which leader of Soviet Russia, represented by a single initial, is credited with introducing policies that led to the end of the Cold War?": [], + "Which platform, recently discussed by both Polygon and TechCrunch, has seen a 350% increase in VTubing-related content, is preferred by creators like Keira Megan for fan engagement, and has undergone policy changes including a shift in revenue split to prioritize ad revenue after a year filled with layoffs?": [ + "Twitch also reported that VTubing-related content on the platform shot up by some 350% between January and August 2022.", + "Megan says that while she doesn’t have as many followers on Twitch as she does on her YouTube channel, there are elements of Twitch she prefers to YouTube, including the ability to be herself and engage with fans more closely.", + "The generally positive consensus comes after a tense year for Twitch, punctuated by rounds of layoffs and unpopular policy changes.", + "Right, and that decision to change the revenue split also came out of a decision to prioritize ad revenue." + ], + "Did the article from FOX News - Entertainment indicate that Craig Morgan was unaware of Lainey Wilson's potential for success before it was widely recognized, and did the Essentially Sports article confirm CM Punk's return to WWE based on a statement from CM Punk himself?": [ + "Morgan talked to Fox News Digital about his friendship with Wilson and how he knew she was destined for superstar status before her career took off.", + "While he has been dropping multiple hints sparking rumors, fans are particularly inclined that he might return to his old stomping ground, WWE." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different type of investigation involving Influenceable compared to the Sporting News article's mention of the University of Michigan's involvement in an investigation related to document provision?": [ + "The tactic irked some Republicans, the Texas Tribune reported, including a Texas state representative who called for an investigation into the company.", + "Tony Petitti, in letter to Michigan, says that the school initially refused to consent to the Big Ten obtaining the spreadsheet and other documents from the NCAA related to its investigation." + ], + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on basing its interest rate decisions on incoming economic data, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald before October 1, 2023, remained consistent with their influence on global financial markets highlighted by The Sydney Morning Herald in a subsequent report?": [ + "For investors around the world, the “Fed matters more than other central banks,” and weak US data is “the only game-changer for markets”, foreign-exchange strategists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.", + "Postponements of such reports could complicate things for the Fed, which has insisted it will make upcoming decisions on interest rates based on what incoming data say about the economy." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate no change in the starting quarterback position similar to the change discussed in the Sporting News article regarding SMU's quarterback position?": [ + "Instead, Marshall will start freshman Cole Pennington, who is the son of former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington.", + "If concussion protocol restricts him from playing Friday, look for redshirt freshman Kevin Jennings to start for SMU." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried directed Caroline Ellison to misuse customer funds, while the Fortune article claims that the entire success of FTX was based on lies, and does the second TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent actions were motivated by personal gain?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Did TechCrunch's portrayal of Scott Hurff's perspective on product design remain consistent between the article published on December 1, 2023, which discussed his experience as a product maker and designer, and the article published on December 21, 2023, which emphasized the importance of decision-making in product design?": [ + "As a writer, Scott Hurff doesn’t always write about product design; but when he does he is able to share his perspective as someone who’s also a product maker and designer.", + "The core of product design is decision-making with an astute instinct for making the best decisions at the most opportune time." + ], + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Valve is expanding its focus beyond games in its store, while 'Polygon' and 'Engadget' articles indicate that Valve is discontinuing the development and launch of new hardware, as seen with the cessation of updates to the Steam Deck and the absence of a Steam Deck OLED release?": [ + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, while The Verge article focuses on the market definition in an antitrust case involving Google, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions impact news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": [ + "This whole line of argument is called “market definition.” If the court decides the relevant market is phones and app stores, not specifically Android ones, then Google’s on the road to victory.", + "It will attempt to argue that Google restrains competition within two separate markets, including the distribution of apps to Android users and the market for payment processing solutions for content inside Android apps.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Did The Verge's report on October 12, 2023, regarding Caroline Ellison's confession contradict the previous portrayal of her actions as discussed in the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison's management of her hedge fund?": [ + "When Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, announced on Twitter that he intended to acquire FTX, Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds to him and a few other employees, Drappi said.", + "In fact, he specifically pointed the finger at Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, who, he said, did not adequately protect her hedge fund from the inherent risk of the crypto markets." + ], + "Is the reporting on the operating hours of Starbucks stores on Thanksgiving by 'The Independent - Life and Style' after November 6, 2023, consistent with the information provided about the date of Thanksgiving in 2023 in a later article by the same source?": [ + "While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.", + "Every year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, with the holiday falling on 23 November this year." + ], + "Was there a discrepancy in the reporting of Google's anticompetitive practices between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Monday’s trial hearing revealed plenty of juicy tidbits, including the $26.3 billion Google spent making itself the default search engine across platforms in 2021, how Google tried to take it further and have Chrome preinstalled on iPhones and more.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a recent article on Punch Line about the latest advancements in AI technology and another article discussing the impact of these advancements on the job market, which company, identified in both articles, is leading the charge in AI innovation and is also predicted to potentially disrupt numerous employment sectors?": [], + "Who is the individual implicated by Fortune and multiple TechCrunch articles as having used a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, was once likened to a prominent investor, allegedly directed the misappropriation of billions to settle debts, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the TechCrunch article on anticompetitive behavior and The Verge article on app distribution both discuss Google's control over different aspects of their platform, with one addressing news content and ad revenue and the other focusing on app distribution and payment systems?": [ + "But it didn’t release the full model, Gemini Ultra — only a “lite” version called Gemini Pro.", + "For all the other benefits they get from Android, Google could solve this problem today if they wanted to.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Who is the individual that, according to a 'Fortune' article, shared a vision for AI at OpenAI's developer conference, is reported by 'TechCrunch' to be launching a new venture following his departure from OpenAI, and is simultaneously described as both brilliant and caring, as well as being implicated in a lack of transparency with the board?": [ + "At its first developer conference last week, Altman was the main speaker showcasing a vision for a future of AI agents that could help people with a variety of tasks.", + "Altman has been telling investors that he’s planning to launch a new venture, according to The Information.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Which player from the Western Bulldogs, who has played for a total of three AFLW clubs and has also contended with stage five chronic kidney disease during the season, was reported on by 'The Age'?": [ + "“But nah, it was awesome.” On Saturday, the competition also said goodbye to a range of players including Western Bulldogs forward Richelle Cranston, who has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season, and Hawthorn’s Akec Makur Chuot, who played 40 games for three clubs.", + "The Dogs are Cranston’s third club after starting at Melbourne and having a stint with Geelong before heading to the Bulldogs last year." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United is striving to emulate a team like Bayern Munich, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions by Bayern, thus implying a current disparity in team performance?": [ + "For all their own flaws Bayern are basically a good version of whatever it is United are attempting to piece together.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Has the focus of the 'Sporting News' on the interests of 'Bettors' in prop betting opportunities remained consistent between the report on FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the report on the best golf betting sites and apps published on October 13, 2023?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain." + ], + "Was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware inconsistent after the Polygon report on Valve's updates to the Steam Deck hardware published on a date other than November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED version published on the same date?": [ + "We look at Valve and we see a store that could be both, but they’ve decided to focus exclusively on games.", + "Since the original Steam Deck launched, Valve has been improving the hardware through updates — its team estimates around 300 to date.", + "The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16th at 1pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day." + ], + "Between the Sky Sports report on Manchester United's performance published on October 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, has the narrative regarding Manchester United's success in European competitions remained the same?": [ + "In a fortnight where United have picked up three straight wins against Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen, albeit via far from convincing performances, Christian Eriksen said United still need to find their \"balance and routines\" this season.", + "Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel's side." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the MLB offseason activities will intensify during a specific period, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Ryan Blaney and other drivers participated in offseason testing, thus showing a difference in the type of offseason activities reported by each source?": [ + "Starting Sunday, Dec. 3, and running through Wednesday, Dec. 6, expect MLB's offseason to really kick into high gear.", + "Blaney was one of six drivers to participate in the test, joining Chris Buescher, Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Corey LaJoie." + ], + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does 'The Guardian' article on the Sydney Swans' game day experience focus on different aspects of fan engagement compared to 'The Guardian' article discussing Mikel Arteta's comments on the importance of enduring challenging moments in a game?": [ + "“Our team has put a lot of work into sourcing some wonderful food offerings, entertainment and activities for kids, while we’ve had a local focus in promoting our games,” she said.", + "These were the moments Arteta had meant, stressing the importance of knowing that they will always come and having the capacity to withstand them." + ], + "Which individual is at the center of legal proceedings where he is depicted variably as a fraudulent actor by the prosecution, as per TechCrunch, and is accused of instructing a $14 billion misappropriation of customer funds, as well as using $1 billion to buy out a competitor, all while his legal representation contrasts this narrative in a trial covered by Fortune?": [ + "That answer ultimately lies with the jury, which was selected on Wednesday morning before lawyers for the government and then Bankman-Fried swapped two very different stories of the former crypto mogul’s sudden rise and almost instantaneous fall.", + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which AI-powered chatbot, reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch, celebrated its first anniversary while achieving 100 million weekly active users and also having the ability to perform a diverse set of tasks including coding, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": [ + "On the first anniversary of its release, let’s take a look back on the year of ChatGPT that brought us here.", + "Since its initial launch nearly a year ago, ChatGPT has hit 100 million weekly active users, and OpenAI is heavily investing in it.", + "ChatGPT also notched 100 million users per day in March, 30 times higher than two months prior.", + "ChatGPT can complete and debug code, compose music and essays, answer test questions, generate business ideas, write poetry and song lyrics, translate and summarize text and even emulate a computer running Linux." + ], + "Has the stance of the European Union towards X (formerly Twitter) regarding the spread of disinformation and illegal content on the platform as reported by TechCrunch remained consistent between the analysis published on September 26, 2023, and the urgent warning issued following the Hamas attacks as of October 10, 2023?": [ + "A number of videos posted to X since the attacks have been identified as entirely unrelated to the conflict — including footage that was filmed last month in Egypt and even a clip from a video game that had been posted to the platform with a (false) claim it showed Hamas missile attacks on Israel.", + "We’ve reached out to the Commission with questions about how it plans to respond to this latest analysis of X’s role in spreading disinformation." + ], + "Before the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, suggesting an expression of interest from Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift, and the article from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, revealing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has the narrative regarding the rumored romance between the pop star and the Chiefs TE remained consistent?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree that Sportsbooks adjust the NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines and other sports betting lines in response to gathered information and legitimate events like injuries or roster changes?": [ + "But sportsbooks are also gathering this information, and they begin to tighten the NBA Rookie of the Year lines in response.", + "Every sportsbook jumps on board when a line moves or odds change for a legitimate reason, like an injury or roster move." + ], + "Considering the excerpts from TechCrunch, has the focus of European AI startups on regulation and compliance changed since the report on November 9, 2023, before the EU lawmakers reached a deal on AI rules on December 9, 2023?": [ + "One thing that might differentiate European AI startups from AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they’re thinking about regulation and compliance from day one.", + "“Similarly, the agreement provides that the regulation would not apply to AI systems used for the sole purpose of research and innovation, or for people using AI for non-professional reasons,” the Council added." + ], + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Israel has halted supplies to Gaza, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article suggests that a major attack on Israel requires intelligence support, indicating different aspects of the conflict involving Israel?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "On Oct. 12, 2023, Israel warned 1.1 million Gaza residents in the northern section of the enclave to leave for the southern region, in advance of a potential ground invasion.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ], + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds, NFL Monday Night Football bonuses, and FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks all suggest that bettors have specific conditions or opportunities to consider when placing bets, or do they present different considerations for bettors?": [ + "We urge you to read the requirements for any available promotions and offers before accepting them so you’re aware of any restrictions before betting.", + "Since you need your moneyline bet to win to claim the $150 in bonus bets, if you’re wagering on tonight’s MNF game, you’ll probably want to go with the favored Eagles.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy, recognized since his early twenties, and associated with OpenAI, who faced no attempts of removal by Anthropic's co-founders, but was subject to theories of not being fully truthful with the board, according to articles from 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch'?": [ + "“There was no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI by the co-founders of Anthropic,” said an Anthropic spokesperson, Sally Aldous.", + "While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s.", + "More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know.", + "Based on the board’s language and the way these giant tech companies work, this is the prevailing theory floating around right now." + ], + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Jerry Dipoto is considering a trade involving a pitcher and a batter, while the Sporting News article confirms that Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts have already secured new contracts?": [ + "They’d all have significant value if president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto decided to move one for a bat.", + "Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts all came away with new contracts." + ], + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Emma Hayes is committed to her current role at Chelsea for the remainder of the season, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which discusses Graham Potter's tenure at Chelsea as being unsuccessful?": [ + "“I’m here until the end,” she said in her press conference on Friday.", + "He has been out of work since his Blues tenure came to a close back in April, but it would be a hard sell to fans after his time with the London club went so poorly." + ], + "Who is the pop star that was rumored to have a secret start to her relationship with a Chiefs TE, known for experiencing major events privately and for not letting paparazzi affect her, and was also the subject of a story on CBSSports.com where a friendship bracelet played a role?": [ + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "\"It was almost like this very strange, subtle clue to the media that they don't know everything that happened in that relationship, and I can have something really major and traumatic happen to me and they don't know about it,\" she told NPR.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering the information from a Reuters article on the latest patent filings statistics and a BBC report on the most innovative countries according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, which country, beginning with the letter \"S\", has shown a significant increase in patent applications and is also ranked within the top 10 for innovation?": [], + "Which character in \"Only Murders in the Building,\" as reported by The New York Times, is a fan favorite for their quirky personality and, according to an article from Variety, is also suspected by other characters to be involved in the mystery at some point in the series?": [], + "What is the name of the company that Jay Brown, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, recently joined as a board member and, according to Forbes, is also planning to invest in?": [], + "Considering the excerpts from TechCrunch, does the report on the UK's policy inconsistency published on October 13th, 2023, agree or disagree with the importance of government support for technology as highlighted by the growth of the tech industry in Palestine before it was impacted by conflict, as reported on October 14th, 2023?": [ + "They are very positive people who want to try to support the tech industry there and those efforts have been working well and growing,” he added.", + "We wouldn’t have affordable solar panels, microchips, mobile phones or the internet without government funding, government subsidies, government encouragement and government infrastructure." + ], + "Which pop star, recently named Time's Person of the Year by 'The Independent - Life and Style', has been the subject of rumors involving a friendship bracelet from a Chiefs TE, as reported by both 'The Age' and 'CBSSports.com', and has openly discussed her approach to dealing with paparazzi attention?": [ + "In July, speaking on the podcast he shares with his brother, New Heights, Kelce said he intended to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.", + "He revealed that he made a friendship bracelet, a fan tradition at her concerts, with his number on it to give to her, seemingly expressing his interest in Swift.", + "Elsewhere in the conversation with Time, the “Anti-Hero” singer said that she tries not to let the paparazzi get to her, even though so many of her outings with pals go on to make headlines.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Considering the information provided by TechCrunch that Meta's advertising subscription model may conflict with GDPR regulations and the separate issue of Palestinian users experiencing frustration with Meta's moderation practices, what is the name of the company that is facing both legal scrutiny in Europe and allegations of biased moderation?": [ + "“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted.", + "Al Saadi said that her frustration with Meta is common among Palestinians, both in occupied territories and across the diaspora." + ], + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing what was learned about the Google antitrust case involving Apple published on October 31, 2023, was there a consistency in the portrayal of Apple's actions regarding its choice of search engine and browser options for iPhone users?": [ + "The agreement also meant that Apple never switched to a Google competitor or allowed users to choose their browser when setting up their iPhones.", + "Cue had two messages: Apple believes in protecting its users’ privacy, and it also believes in Google.", + "They use their store, their payments, they force developers to all have the same terms, they force OEMs and carriers to all have the same terms." + ], + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian about Bogdan Popa, which city, known for its historical architecture and also mentioned as the place where Popa attended a significant conference last year, is the capital of the country where he was born?": [], + "Was the portrayal of Prince William's reaction to Princess Diana's death in 'The Crown season six' as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' at 09:35 AM inconsistent with the depiction mentioned in the later article by the same news source at 19:32 PM?": [ + "After learning of Diana’s death from his father at the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, William (Rufus Kampa) is left heartbroken with grief and angry at his family’s response to it.", + "The latest installment takes place between the late 1990s to mid-2000s, and includes the lead-up to Princess Diana’s fatal Paris car crash in 1997." + ], + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" agree with the same publication's report on \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\" regarding the year they began their separation?": [ + "She explained at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will slapped Chris Rock, they had been separated for six years.", + "Outsiders are now aware that Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, but the timeline of her relationship with Alsina is still fuzzy." + ], + "What company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to the court, held an annual hardware event to showcase new developments, compared the performance of its project Gemini Pro to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": [ + "Epic will also suggest that Google hid items from discovery by allowing execs and employees to have “off the record” chats, but Google will counter this as well, saying it has provided the court with thousands of chat logs and millions of documents.", + "Google unveils new hardware: This week was Google’s annual hardware event, where the search and consumer tech giant showed off what it’s been working on.", + "Google compared the performance of Gemini Pro to GPT-4’s predecessor, GPT-3.5, a model that’s around a year old.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing Dua Lipa's involvement in philanthropy and a Rolling Stone piece discussing her collaboration with a Grammy-winning artist, which single character is shared by the name of the charity she supports and the last name of the artist she collaborated with?": [], + "Do the 'Sporting News' article's claims about Vermont state residents' support for Boston-based teams and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Billie Jean King's ownership involvement in sports teams both indicate a connection to specific sports teams or leagues?": [ + "However, state residents have been known to support Boston-based teams, like the Red Sox (MLB), the Celtics (NBA), the Bruins (NHL), and the Patriots (NFL).", + "She’s part of ownership groups involved with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the NWSL’s Angel City FC and the PWHL hockey league that starts in January." + ], + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with respect to their impact on other companies between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": [ + "The Justice Department is focused on the deals Google makes — with Apple but also with Samsung and Mozilla and many others — to ensure it is the default search engine on practically every platform.", + "But while this will probably come up later in the trial, Epic chose to focus more on simply painting Google as the bad guy on day one.", + "The case, filed by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, argues that Google “siphons off” news publishers’ content, their readers and ad revenue through anticompetitive means." + ], + "Which platform, recently discussed by Music Business Worldwide for launching an AI voice-cloning experiment and investing in AI technology to prevent copyright issues, is also mentioned by Polygon in the context of a content creator controversy and by FOX News - Health for being the most used app overnight by kids?": [ + "Seven days ago (November 16), YouTube unveiled a revolutionary new experiment – ‘Dream Track’ – enabling creators to clone the vocals, via AI tech and with official consent, of well-known stars.", + "The debate over “reaction” content on YouTube has been brewing for years, but a recent incident between two creators has refueled the urgency of the conversation.", + "They promised “invest[ment] in the AI-powered technology” that, amongst other things, would help YouTube “protect our community of viewers, creators, artists and songwriters… [from] trademark and copyright abuse” .", + "Overnight phone use was primarily spent engaging with the same media, although YouTube appeared to be the longest-running app because videos were often left playing during the night." + ], + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have a variety of betting options, with one discussing prop bets for a specific NFL game and the other detailing betting options in team golf events?": [ + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money.", + "Bettors can choose from various options: betting on the winning team, outcomes of individual matches, or prop bets such as which team scores highest in a round, who makes more birdies, or even the best-dressed team captain." + ], + "Between the report from Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research published on October 4, 2023, and the TechCrunch report alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's instructions to Caroline Ellison to take customer funds published on October 6, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on the USA squad fail to mention Johnny Cardoso's inclusion after an injury similar to how 'Sporting News' reports on Lucas Cavallini's withdrawal due to injury from the Canada squad?": [ + "Johnny Cardoso had to pull out of the September camp due to an ankle injury, but he has returned to action with Brazilian club Internacional, indicating a return to fitness, and has been included on the squad.", + "The only injury absence for Canada at the moment is striker Lucas Cavallini, who withdrew from the squad prior to the two matches, replaced by Jacen Russell-Rowe." + ], + "Did the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's financial actions remain the same in the TechCrunch report on his intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against him published on October 7, 2023, and is the reporting on Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of financial issues inconsistent between the TechCrunch report on allegations against him and The Verge report on his knowledge of financial discrepancies?": [ + "He was the richest person in the world under 30 [and] he was going to spend it to save humanity from extinction,” he said.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which M.L.B. superstar, who had a dozen teams interested in him during his free agency according to The New York Times, may not benefit from an agreement during the winter meetings as reported by Sporting News?": [ + "When he entered free agency, a dozen teams lined up, curious to see if they could meet his eye.", + "An agreement at the winter meetings in Nashville the first week of December would be the ideal outcome for MLB, but not necessarily for Ohtani." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, while The Guardian article focuses on his performance in a specific game, and does the other Sporting News article question his ability to achieve less than 1,000 receiving yards for the season based on the strength of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents' pass defenses?": [ + "The league's leading receiver, Tyreek Hill (vs. Titans in Week 14), stands as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 14 after torching the Commanders to the tune of five catches, 157 yards, and two TDs.", + "Tyreek Hill had two touchdowns among his 157 receiving yards to help the Miami Dolphins rout the Washington Commanders (4-9).", + "Of Miami's five remaining opponents, four have pass defenses ranked in the league's top eight." + ], + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on interest rates as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald remained the same between the article published on October 1, 2023, suggesting smaller future rate cuts, and the one from November 5, 2023, indicating a continuation of rate increases?": [ + "The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and the central bank indicated last week it may cut interest rates next year by less than it earlier expected.", + "Stocks surged through the week on rising hopes that the Federal Reserve is finally done with its market-crunching hikes to interest rates, in order to get inflation under control." + ], + "Who is the individual that, prior to a major cryptocurrency platform's downfall, was seen as a credible figure within the industry, but is now accused by the prosecution of utilizing a colleague for covert control over customer funds and is facing legal scrutiny for not addressing a significant financial shortfall, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": [ + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "Before his fall, Bankman-Fried made himself out to be the Good Boy of crypto — the trustworthy face of a sometimes-shady industry.", + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual implicated in instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, according to another article from TechCrunch?": [ + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the article from Polygon discussing the Barbie film describe Mattel's portrayal in a different light compared to how The Independent - Life and Style article describes Mattel's handling of the Wilma Mankiller Barbie doll?": [ + "They package these ideas into a giddy satire full of bright and winning performances, pointed jokes aimed at Mattel and the corporate world, terrific casting (Issa Rae as President Barbie, Simu Liu as one of many Kens, and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie are standouts), and endless cultural gags.", + "However, Mattel has now faced some criticism over the doll, with people calling the toy company out for inaccuracies." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article report a workforce reduction at Epic Games, while The Verge article discusses Epic Games' portrayal in a legal battle, without mentioning any layoffs?": [ + "Announced on September 28 that the Fortnite maker is laying off 16% of its workforce, amounting to 870 people.", + "Because while Google spent most of its first day attempting to explain complicated ins and outs of business, Epic was able to paint a black-and-white picture of good and evil with itself as the clear underdog." + ], + "Do the articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about 'Starbucks stores' hours on Thanksgiving and the date of Thanksgiving celebration both provide consistent information regarding the timing of 'Thanksgiving' events?": [ + "While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores’ opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.", + "Every year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, with the holiday falling on 23 November this year." + ], + "Does the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game report Derek Carr completing passes to different receivers than the Sporting News article on the Bills vs. Bengals game reports Joe Burrow completing a pass to?": [ + "11:12 p.m. — Carr hits Hill for 18 yards, then tosses two dump offs to Kamara for gains of nine and seven.", + "8:28 p.m.: Burrow dodges a sack in the backfield, rolls out to his left and flips a pass to Tee Higgins for 18 yards up to the Bills' 21." + ], + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Economic Times about Shweta Bachchan Nanda, which fashion brand, associated with her as per The Times of India, launched a new collection that, according to The Economic Times, was inspired by the personal style of a family member whose name begins with the first letter of the English alphabet?": [], + "Did 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was at Wembley Stadium, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' discusses her openness about a personal relationship, and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' mentions her engagement with a viral TikTok video, indicating different aspects of her public presence?": [ + "Love Story This finally brings us to the fated sighting of Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, cheering on No.", + "Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views and 5,952 comments — one written by Taylor Swift herself.", + "Now, Swift has shared that she has nothing to hide in her new relationship with Kelce." + ], + "Based on a report from The New York Times and a separate article from The Wall Street Journal on American Express, which single letter represents the initial of the last name of the executive who has been highlighted for driving innovation in the company's digital payment solutions and also commented on the impact of regulatory changes on the financial industry?": [], + "After the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch involving Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged motives for committing fraud, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions by both news sources consistent?": [ + "But “all of that, all of it, was built on lies,” Rehn declared to the jury.", + "Using Caroline Ellison, his on-again off-again girlfriend and the CEO of Alameda, as a front, Bankman-Fried had “secret access” to customer money—both cash and crypto—the government claimed.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Which company is anticipated to provide a $1,000 Bonus Bet to new sign-ups in Vermont according to Sporting News, and also extends the same offer to new customers as reported by CBSSports.com?": [ + "New customers can get up to $1000 in bonus bets if they lose their first bet.", + "We expect Caesars to offer the same offer in VT is has elsewhere, with new sign-ups eligible to receive up to a $1,000 Bonus Bet if their first bet loses." + ], + "Who is the individual who, after Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy and is also alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "It was not until Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened to ask if Bankman-Fried had ever been told by Yedidia about that money, in words or in substance, that Bankman-Fried admitted he’d been told.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's advertising practices involve the European Commission in a dissimilar capacity to how the European Commission is involved in Amazon's iRobot purchase and Elon Musk's X company's DSA probe, as reported by TechCrunch in both cases?": [ + "The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.", + "We continue to work through the process with the European Commission and are focused on addressing its questions and any identified concerns at this stage.", + "Its earlier actions were focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war." + ], + "Who is the individual associated with using FTX customer funds to purchase a stake in Binance and is also facing allegations of fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": [ + "It was Bankman-Fried’s decision, she said, as he was the CEO of FTX.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a prominent investor, admitted to challenges in overseeing a rapidly expanding crypto company, faced allegations of fraud in a legal setting, and discussed corporate governance intentions with a venture firm, as reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, Cnbc, and TechCrunch respectively?": [ + "Bankman-Fried was even compared to Warren Buffet and many called him the white horse of crypto (TechCrunch never did, for what it’s worth).", + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "Because FTX had grown so much, he could no longer run both companies, he said.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Who, according to articles in Sporting News, stand to make a profit by predicting outcomes such as a team's lead at the end of a quarter or the total points scored, and can also capitalize on event hype, like putting $130 on the Cowboys to potentially gain $100?": [ + "If you bet $130 on the Cowboys and they win, you would earn a profit of $100.", + "You can also bet on team props, such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter or an over/under bet on the total number of points the team will score in the game.", + "For bettors, where there is hype, there's also an opportunity to make some money." + ], + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had a different approach to the composition of FTX's board compared to the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of his actions regarding the misuse of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain?": [ + "During cross-examination, Huang said Paradigm pressed Bankman-Fried on the board issue and was told he didn't want investors as directors but he did plan on having a board with experts.", + "The second week of the trial’s standout testimony came from Alameda Research’s former CEO Caroline Ellison, who claimed she took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders, using them as a line of credit under the instruction of SBF.", + "The prosecution painted Bankman-Fried as someone who knowingly committed fraud to achieve great wealth, power and influence, while the defense countered that the FTX founder acted in good faith, never meant to commit fraud or steal and basically got in over his head." + ], + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on an event involving Israel published on October 7, 2023, and the reports by Fortune on the situation in Gaza involving Israel published on October 13, 2023, was there a change in the status of Israel's actions regarding Gaza?": [ + "Israel stopped allowing deliveries of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents on Oct. 10, 2023, and is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.", + "While Israel has granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israel, the food, fuel and medical supplies that people in Gaza use all first pass through Israel.", + "Another user said that no one can carry out such a major attack against Israel without intelligence support." + ] + }, + "gold_answers": { + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, as reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which individual is implicated in both inflating the value of a Manhattan apartment to a figure not yet achieved in New York City's real estate history, according to 'Fortune', and is also accused of adjusting this apartment's valuation to compensate for a loss in another asset's worth, as reported by 'The Age'?": "Donald Trump", + "Who is the figure associated with generative AI technology whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking according to Fortune, and is also the subject of a prevailing theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Do the TechCrunch article on software companies and the Hacker News article on The Epoch Times both report an increase in revenue related to payment and subscription models, respectively?": "Yes", + "Which online betting platform provides a welcome bonus of up to $1000 in bonus bets for new customers' first losses, runs NBA betting promotions, and is anticipated to extend the same sign-up offer to new users in Vermont, as reported by both CBSSports.com and Sporting News?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Who is the individual alleged to have built a thriving crypto exchange on falsehoods and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Twitch's subscription revenue split policy indicate a different monetization strategy compared to the TechCrunch article on Beeper's plans for Beeper Mini subscriptions?": "Yes", + "Does 'The New York Times' article attribute the success of the Buffalo Bills' defense to the contributions of Jordan Poyer, while the 'Sporting News' article suggests that the Baltimore Ravens' defense needs to improve before their game against the Cincinnati Bengals?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the organization discussed in TechCrunch articles that, despite its financial instability, is recognized for creating ChatGPT, which is both a priority and a platform for ongoing innovations, and is planning to enhance its capabilities with the release of GPT-4 and associated APIs?": "OpenAI", + "Which company, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms and is also accused of harming news publishers’ revenue through its business practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Sridevi's achievements in the Indian film industry and a Times of India report on her posthumous honors, which single character from a film portrayed by Sridevi has been recognized for its cultural impact and has also been commemorated with a special award after her passing?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Australia's Davis Cup team is aiming for an improvement in their performance compared to the previous year, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the South Africa national rugby team has already achieved an improvement to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals?": "Yes", + "After the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, concerning Dave Clark's comments on Flexport, and the subsequent TechCrunch article on October 30, 2023, regarding Ryan Petersen's actions at Flexport, was there a change in the nature of the events reported?": "Yes", + "What is the first letter of the name of the company that, according to an article from The Financial Times, received the most European patents in 2021, and is also mentioned in a Bloomberg article as having faced a significant legal challenge at the European Patent Office over one of its key patents?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggesting Prince William's emotional state regarding Princess Diana's death align with the same publication's depiction of the events leading up to her death in 'The Crown season six'?": "Yes", + "Which entity is currently engaged with Amazon to address competition concerns, facilitating dialogue with consumer groups against Meta, deploying staff within its AI Office for future regulations, and has previously focused on illegal content and disinformation issues related to the Israel-Hamas war, as reported by TechCrunch?": "European Commission", + "Which company, known for its dominance in the e-reader space and for offering exclusive invite-only deals during sales events, faced a stock decline due to an antitrust lawsuit reported by 'The Sydney Morning Herald' and discussed by sellers in a 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' article?": "Amazon", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the digital ecosystem between the report from The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on a class action antitrust suit against Google published later?": "no", + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge about the iPhone 13's camera system and the battery life improvements mentioned in a piece by CNET, which model of the iPhone 13 series, represented by a single Roman numeral, was noted for having the best combination of both attributes?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that streaming services do not require a subscription for viewing the Cowboys vs. 49ers game, in contrast to the Polygon article's claim about film availability on streaming platforms without a subscription?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the band Used To Be Young's latest tour and a review in Rolling Stone discussing the standout performance of a particular member during a recent concert, which member of Used To Be Young was highlighted for their exceptional solo during the tour's opening night and also plays the instrument that begins with the letter 'B'?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the advice provided by Sporting News to bettors regarding the evaluation of betting opportunities and offers involved reading requirements, going with the favored Eagles, and focusing on hype between the reports published on September 28, 2023, and December 18, 2023?": "no", + "Which company, covered by Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an updated gaming hardware with over 300 improvements on November 16, emphasizing a singular performance target for developers?": "Valve", + "Was there inconsistency in Jada Pinkett Smith's statements regarding what she learned from her children after The Independent - Life and Style's report on her views on self-acceptance published at 13:41:30, and before The Independent - Life and Style's subsequent report on the same topic published at 15:48:10 on the same day?": "no", + "Considering the economic forecasts from a Bloomberg article and the archaeological discoveries reported by Al Jazeera, which country in North Africa, expected to see a significant rise in GDP, also recently unveiled an ancient artifact believed to be from the reign of a pharaoh whose name begins with the letter \"T\"?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was the news about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce inconsistent with the later report from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023?": "no", + "Has the portrayal of Google's market practices in reports by The Age before October 22, 2023, remained consistent with the depiction in The Verge's coverage of the Epic v. Google case, and with TechCrunch's report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is not trained on kids' responses, while The Age article raises concerns about TikTok's pixel collecting data without consent?": "Yes", + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" or the article from Fortune on the \"U.S. home sales price\" both report a decrease in their respective financial figures?": "no", + "Did the coverage of ski resorts by 'The Independent - Travel' change after their report on the 'Swiss slopes of Zermatt and pistes of Vail in Colorado' on October 13th, 2023, compared to their subsequent report on 'Tremblant Ski Resort' on October 25th, 2023?": "no", + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, not only spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across various devices and platforms but was also considered by a major tech competitor as the only valid option for such services at the time of their deal, and is simultaneously facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": "Google", + "Do 'The Verge' and 'Engadget' articles both suggest that 'Consumers' have guides or opportunities to make better purchasing decisions, while 'TechCrunch' discusses 'Consumers' desire for a new model in a different sector?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI, recognized for both his vision of AI agents and his generosity, and has made headlines in both Fortune and TechCrunch for his controversial departure from the company?": "Sam Altman", + "What company, recently reported by TechCrunch to have made significant profitability in the third quarter, has also faced criticism for not adequately preventing incidents and streamlining driver sign-ups, despite being aware of safety concerns since 2014 and introducing new app features to address them?": "Uber", + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, about Google's financial strategies to maintain its search engine dominance, and again on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to TechCrunch?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a greater ease of prompting toxic output compared to other models, while the TechCrunch article on Meta's open source AI approach indicate concerns of potential danger and disinformation from industry competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers a cash-out option for early bet settlement, while the CBSSports.com and the second Sporting News article both focus on Caesars Sportsbook providing a welcome bonus offer for new customers?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on generative AI in the enterprise suggest that CIOs are more cautious in their AI adoption strategy compared to the belief of business leaders mentioned in another TechCrunch article, who think AI will be essential for all businesses within five years?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Forbes about Sygic, which letter represents both the first character of the European country where Sygic is headquartered and the last character of the name of Sygic's CEO as mentioned in these articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes about the growth strategies of Pets Best Insurance Services and a report by The Wall Street Journal on the company's recent partnership with a major pet retailer, which letter of the alphabet starts the name of the CEO who has overseen these developments at Pets Best Insurance Services?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's approach to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": "Yes", + "Did The Independent - Sports report on the All Blacks' home victories against Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina last summer on October 14, 2023, and did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on Argentina's victories over the All Blacks in Christchurch last year and their first victory in 2020 in Sydney on October 18, 2023, making the reporting on the All Blacks' defeats by Argentina consistent?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Altman is involved in a new venture, while the Fortune article discusses the roles of Matt Huang and Gary Wang in the context of venture capital and FTX, without indicating any new venture involvement for them?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Fortune' report on Donald Trump's real estate valuations published on September 26, 2023, disagree with 'The Age' report regarding the allegation that Donald Trump increased the value of his penthouse apartment in the matter of inflating property values?": "no", + "What entity, discussed in articles from both The Verge and Fortune, was involved in implementing a system to prevent liquidation due to software issues, took on losses to maintain another company's balance sheet, and claimed to have acted legally in its business practices as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": "Alameda Research", + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence and generative AI technology, who did not attempt to be removed from OpenAI by its co-founders according to 'The Age', became a prominent voice in Silicon Valley as reported by 'Fortune', and was involved in a controversial departure from OpenAI that led to speculation about truthfulness with the board as discussed by 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's influence on the internet's appearance is a different aspect of its impact compared to the financial influence on platforms described in the TechCrunch article about Google's spending, and is the anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers mentioned in another TechCrunch article a separate issue from these influences?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the success in \"North America's EV market\" is due to the size and price of electric vehicles, while The Verge article focuses on Donald Trump's criticism of electric vehicles regarding their cost, range, and impact on American jobs?": "no", + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the agricultural developments reported by Reuters, which minister, responsible for the finance portfolio in Zimbabwe, also announced a partnership with an international firm to boost crop production in the country?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Suhana Khan's debut in acting and another from Hindustan Times discussing a film festival where her first film was screened, which city hosted the festival where Suhana Khan's debut film was showcased according to these sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing a class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's anticompetitive allegations?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Polygon discussing the Barbie film describe Mattel's portrayal in the same light as how The Independent - Life and Style article describes Mattel's handling of the Wilma Mankiller Barbie doll?": "no", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages is worse than in previous years, as indicated by a new record for goals conceded, while The Guardian article implies that Manchester United's overall performance under pressure in the Champions League, especially in Istanbul, has been consistently poor?": "Yes", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with other companies?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Israel's tech employees suggest a different scale of impact from the war on workforce mobilization compared to the TechCrunch article on GitLab's workforce reduction?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News report a victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers?": "Yes", + "Who is the player that, according to Sporting News, is the top wide receiver for Week 14 and may struggle to achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season due to strong pass defenses, and according to CBSSports.com, needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach this goal?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Was there inconsistency in the promotional offers reported by Sporting News on September 26, 2023, regarding the Caesars Sportsbook promo for new sign-ups in Vermont, and by CBSSports.com on October 13, 2023, about the Caesars Sportsbook offer for new customers?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News report on Elijah Garcia's 16th victory before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog covered the first-round knockout by Jai Opetaia against Ellis Zorro?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple imposes restrictions on browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge article claims that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system, and does the Engadget article focus on Apple's hardware updates rather than its software policies?": "Yes", + "Which player, known for influencing Argentina's forward line with a youth movement including Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho, recently returned to play for Inter Miami and is expected to participate in their match after a period of injury, according to reports from Sporting News?": "Lionel Messi", + "Which individual, associated with both the beginning of a criminal trial reported by TechCrunch and the persuasion of a former Jane Street colleague as detailed by Fortune, is the same person who has entered a not-guilty plea to charges as covered by TechCrunch and is alleged by the prosecution in another TechCrunch article to have sought wealth, power, and influence through fraud?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Seattle Seahawks are currently on a winning streak, in contrast to the 'Essentially Sports' article which discusses the Houston Astros having had a successful streak prior to their controversy?": "no", + "What company, recently scrutinized by European consumer groups for its ad-free subscription model's GDPR compliance and by EU regulators for content moderation during the Israel-Hamas war, also faces allegations of bias in suppressing Palestinian voices, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Meta", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as noted by Fortune, communicated his intentions regarding FTX's governance structure to Paradigm according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as covered by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Age, not only invested billions to secure its position as the default search engine but is also accused of manipulating search results for ad revenue maximization and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "What company, which is expected to focus on Macs and new chipsets at the Scary Fast event according to Engadget, is also known for protecting user privacy while partnering with Google, as reported by The Verge, and is recognized by TechCrunch for introducing products that refine and polish the lessons learned from competitors' failures, and enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system as further noted by The Verge?": "Apple", + "Which group of individuals can take advantage of hype around specific events to make money by placing wagers on scenarios such as whether a team will lead at the end of a certain quarter, as reported by Sporting News?": "Bettors", + "What is the name of the company that was discussed on TechCrunch for removing AI-created songs and introducing an AI-powered DJ feature, and was also mentioned on The Verge for achieving its first operating profit in a year, leading to a significant rise in its stock value?": "Spotify", + "Did the article from The Verge about \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" and the article from Engadget about the '9th generation iPad' both report a discount on their respective products during the Black Friday sales on Amazon?": "Yes", + "Which company, known for its Prime-themed sale day as reported by Wired and its dominance in the e-reader space according to The Verge, experienced a 4 percent stock drop after an antitrust lawsuit reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and offers a life-changing opportunity for sellers as discussed by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate an impressive performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reflects on Kirk Cousins' performance in last week's game with only 13 Fantasy points?": "Yes", + "Did the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as league-average, while the Sporting News article reported the San Francisco 49ers' offensive performance as strong, despite Christian McCaffrey not scoring?": "Yes", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Minnesota Vikings' passing play percentage in Week 4 was lower than in previous weeks, while the Sporting News articles, both regarding the Minnesota Vikings, indicate a strong defensive performance and consistent offensive results under Josh Dobbs' leadership compared to Kirk Cousins'?": "Yes", + "Which football club, recently discussed in articles from 'The Guardian', 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts', had a significant change in league position due to a points penalty after a series of wins, and is recognized for its history and community importance as emphasized by Farhad Moshiri following an introduction by its late chairman Bill Kenwright?": "Everton Football Club", + "Which institution, featured in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', has taken an aggressive stance on adjusting interest rates in response to economic data and inflation, particularly influencing the housing market reminiscent of the 1980s?": "Federal Reserve", + "Does the article from Wired suggest that Sony headphones do not offer the best value in their class during the Walmart Cyber Monday Deals, while the article from Music Business Worldwide indicates that Artists are seeking deals that offer more control and better economics, or do both articles suggest a common trend in seeking value and control in their respective fields?": "no", + "Which company, recently scrutinized by TechCrunch for both its antitrust legal defense involving document disclosure and the alleged harm its AI has caused to news publishers' revenue, also claims that its new generative AI model Gemini has capabilities that rival or exceed those of OpenAI's models?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX whose alleged fraudulent activities, including the misuse of customer funds and misleading traders about withdrawal limits, are reported by sources such as Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch to have been motivated by a desire for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did CBSSports.com change its reporting on the performance of Jessica Andrade by November 11, 2023, stating she has suffered two submission losses during her current three-fight winning streak?": "no", + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, has been associated with altering the internet's appearance, influencing Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, being the sole valid search engine service option for a major tech competitor, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Between the report from Sporting News on September 26, 2023, and the report from CBSSports.com, was there consistency in the promotional offers reported for new customers at Caesars Sportsbook?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Martin Scorsese has less autonomy in his filmmaking choices compared to earlier in his career, while The Independent - Life and Style article indicates that he has previously engaged with newer media platforms like TikTok through his daughter's videos?": "no", + "Has the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation in TechCrunch articles changed between the report published on October 2, 2023, and the one published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' strategic options during the 'Monday Night Football' game published on November 27, 2023, was there no change in the reporting on the team's ability to influence the game's outcome?": "no", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the co-founders of Anthropic made no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI was unexpected and not initiated by him?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch article published on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's financial strategies to maintain its default search engine status, and the TechCrunch article on November 13, 2023, covering similar aspects of Google's expenditures for default search engine positioning, was there a discrepancy in the reported amount Google spent in 2021?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article credit Will Lutz with making a successful field goal, while The New York Times article discusses Connor Bedard's efforts to understand goalies, indicating a focus on different aspects of performance in football and hockey respectively?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age group according to TechCrunch, who is now facing a criminal trial on charges including fraud and conspiracy, and has pleaded not guilty, with allegations of using fraudulent means for gaining wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' article on the impact of warmer water on aquatic organisms' metabolism and oxygen consumption agree with the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' article on organisms during the Permian-Triassic boundary regarding the effects of temperature and oxygen levels on organism health, or do they present differing outcomes?": "Agree", + "Does 'The Verge' claim that Google has the ability to resolve issues related to Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while 'TechCrunch' accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, indicating a difference in Google's impact on different industries?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Sorcerer builds in season 2 provide simplified versions of the builds in a similar manner to how the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Barbarian builds does for the same season?": "Yes", + "Does the Fortune article attribute the cause of the worst war in Israel in 50 years to actions taken by Israel, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Paddy Cosgrave's public fight regarding the support for Israel in the conflict?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously likened to a notable investor by some but not by TechCrunch, accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds from a cryptocurrency exchange, and has faced allegations of fraud with the intent of gaining wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard has the potential to dominate in the NHL, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the USC basketball team has the potential to become a National Championship contender, or do both articles suggest a similar potential for their respective subjects?": "Yes", + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Travis Kelce, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's relationship status?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Age, has not only invested billions to remain the default search engine on various devices but is also accused of manipulating search results for ad revenue and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' both agree that Sportsbooks adjust their practices (profit from odds and lines, and tighten betting lines) based on certain conditions, or do they present different strategies used by Sportsbooks?": "Agree", + "Has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting betting lines and odds, as reported by Sporting News after October 4, 2023, and before November 1, 2023, remained consistent?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' holders can redeem points for statement credits in the same way that 'Fortune' indicates 'American Express Cash Magnet® cardholders' can redeem cash back rewards for statement credits?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation bias problem suppressing Palestinian voices published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's perfect compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the nature of issues reported concerning Meta's platform practices?": "no", + "Between the report by The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the internet and its stakeholders?": "Yes", + "What institution, frequently mentioned in articles from The Sydney Morning Herald, is the focal point of investors' hopes regarding a halt to rising interest rates and has the power to significantly impact global financial markets based on economic data?": "Federal Reserve", + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about \"Iñigo Quintero's Si No Estás\" reaching the top of Spotify's Global Top 50 and the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Capitol Music Group's status as the top-performing label both indicate a leading position in their respective music industry categories?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from Fortune and Science News For Students both agree that scientists have successfully created quantum dots in a lab, and do they both suggest that the properties of these quantum dots can be altered without changing their molecular composition?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Stephen G. Wozniak, what single letter represents the first initial of the university that Wozniak attended, which was also mentioned as the place where he delivered a keynote speech on innovation and technology in the second article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, often covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, has been reported to make deals with major tech companies to maintain its default search engine status, influences local search rankings with specific criteria, and faces a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "What institution, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, has the power to significantly influence global financial markets with its interest rate decisions, which are currently anticipated by investors to remain steady based on weak US economic data and the institution's commitment to data-dependent policymaking?": "The Federal Reserve", + "Considering the information from a Forbes article detailing the latest product launch of Beats by Dre and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's financial performance in the last quarter, which single character from the Forbes article's mentioned product name is also used to denote the percentage increase in revenue highlighted in the Wall Street Journal article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the analysis from an article by the BBC and the strategic forecast presented by CNN, which country, identified as a rising regional power in the BBC article and predicted to increase its defense spending according to CNN, has a single-letter stock market index symbol?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which NFL player, who has been reported by The New York Times to have amassed over 800 receiving yards in just six games, is discussed by CBSSports.com as needing to average almost 153 yards in his final three games to meet a personal goal, yet is also considered by Sporting News to be at a disadvantage due to the strong pass defenses of his team's upcoming opponents?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Considering an article from The New York Times discussing Ron DeSantis's stance on education policy and another from The Washington Post detailing his potential strategies for the 2024 presidential race, what is the first letter of the state that DeSantis governs?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while The Age article accuses Google of manipulating Search for ad revenue, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event showcase, indicating differing areas of concern with Google's practices?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s strategic investments in fintech and a Reuters report on the bank's expansion plans in Asia, what is the first letter of the Asian country where JPMorgan intends to increase its presence and is also the location of a significant fintech company they have invested in?": "Insufficient information.", + "What company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is responsible for ranking local search results, recently showcased new hardware developments at an annual event, and has been accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "Google", + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, was described as having no valid alternatives for search engine services at the time of a certain negotiation and has also been associated with spending billions to maintain its default status across platforms and with practices that harm news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on October 30, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's commitment to her tour schedule, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, revealing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the narrative regarding her personal life and professional commitments?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is implicated in both the ability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and in harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Was there no change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch between the report on the launch of GPT-4 with vision on September 28, 2023, and the report on the push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for AI tools on December 19, 2023?": "no", + "Did The Age report on November 7, 2023, contradict the allegations of Donald Trump's financial misrepresentations after the report by Fortune on September 26, 2023, claiming Donald Trump inflated the value of his Trump Tower apartment?": "no", + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for its ability to construct new factories, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables as noted by Polygon, introduced invite-only deals during Prime Day as reported by Wired, and is considered by sellers featured on Cnbc | World Business News Leader to provide a life-changing opportunity through its platform?": "Amazon", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Craig Revel Horwood's involvement in a charity event and a Guardian piece discussing his critique of a dance performance on a popular TV show, which letter would represent the initial of a contestant's first name who was praised by Horwood for their improvement at the charity event and also received a notably harsh critique for their samba on the TV show?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with the founding of FTX, accused of building its success on deceptive practices, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and faced allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, while also having communicated to an investment firm his intention to form a board of experts without investor directors, as reported by sources including Fortune, CNBC | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a consistency in reporting Google's anticompetitive practices?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Shubha Satheesh, which university did she attend for her undergraduate studies, which is also known for its significant research contributions in the field of quantum computing?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the artist that has a fully booked Eras Tour for the next year, has been invited and accepted to attend a game at Arrowhead Stadium, maintains privacy from the paparazzi despite public outings, and is openly in a relationship with Travis Kelce, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the 'FOX News - Health' article suggest that 'Time-restricted eating' has a positive impact on sleep quality and brain recovery, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article implies that 'Internet sleep tips and tricks' are not reliably effective for improving sleep?": "Yes", + "Based on a report by Bloomberg and a separate article by Reuters, what is the first letter of the name of the company that ACI Worldwide Inc. is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire, which also recently partnered with a major European bank to enhance its payment solutions?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial, involving allegations of directing a $14 billion misuse of customer funds and self-enrichment through fraud, is reported by both TechCrunch and Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is also accused of planning a board with experts for a company while excluding investors as directors?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation agree on the number of fraud and conspiracy charges he is facing, or is there a discrepancy between the articles?": "Agree", + "What is the name of the cryptocurrency exchange that was established by Sam Bankman-Fried due to his dissatisfaction with competitors while running Alameda Research and is known to employ liquidation to handle the risks of customer bets, as reported by The Verge?": "FTX", + "Did the CBSSports.com article report Kenneth Walker III remaining healthy and uninjured during a game, similarly to how the Sporting News article reports injuries for Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney preventing their participation in Week 12?": "no", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift is secretive about her relationship with Travis Kelce, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article indicates that she engaged with a viral TikTok video, and does the other 'The Independent - Life and Style' article claim that she has a firm commitment to her Eras Tour schedule?": "no", + "Who is the individual that has become a prominent voice in Silicon Valley, especially regarding artificial intelligence, and has been associated with generative AI technology, whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking and is also speculated by a prevailing theory to have had issues with truthfulness with the board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which global cryptocurrency exchange, reported by both TechCrunch and CNBC as the largest of its kind within 180 days of its June 2017 launch, withdrew a multi-billion dollar equivalent in assets from FTX and is still operational despite its CEO agreeing to step down following legal challenges?": "Binance", + "Who is the San Francisco 49ers player that has recently been a valuable fantasy football pick according to Sporting News, demonstrated a strong performance against the Cowboys with four touchdowns, yet has shown vulnerability under pressure as reported by CBSSports.com?": "Brock Purdy", + "Considering the information from a Times of India article detailing the infrastructure projects planned for the city and a Hindustan Times report on the environmental challenges faced by Greater Mumbai, which single letter represents both the initial of a key official overseeing the new metro project and the first letter of a rare species mentioned as being at risk due to urban expansion?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which institution, recently reported by 'The Age' to have raised its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001 and by 'The Sydney Morning Herald' to potentially halt this trend due to its dominant influence on global financial markets and its data-driven decision-making approach, is anticipated to impact future market conditions?": "The Federal Reserve", + "Considering the information from an article in The Astrophysical Journal and a report by Space.com on Solar Analogs, which star, identified as a close match to our Sun in terms of spectral type and age according to The Astrophysical Journal, was also observed by the Kepler Space Telescope as mentioned by Space.com, and has a name that starts with the same letter as the galaxy we live in?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards published on December 5, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill being the league's leading receiver published on December 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Tyreek Hill's performance?": "No", + "After the Polygon report on Valve's updates to the Steam Deck hardware published on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED version published on the same date, was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware consistent?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual targeted by Attorney General Letitia James for penalties and a business ban in New York, who also allegedly inflated the value of his Manhattan apartment, as reported by both Fortune and The Age, to conceal the diminished valuation of another one of his properties?": "Donald Trump", + "Considering the information from an article by The Guardian and another by Forbes about Oleg Fomenko, which company did he found that is mentioned in both articles and also received significant investment from a major venture capital firm as reported by The Guardian?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New York Giants' are facing a limited scope of team injuries affecting only offense, unlike the 'The Guardian' article which focuses on 'Reece James' individual injury impact on the team?": "no", + "Did the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog attribute the Tasmania JackJumpers' game-high lead over the Sydney Kings to player losses, while the Sporting News article reported a lead for the Texas Rangers without mentioning player losses?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry between the TechCrunch article on Google's Gemini and its performance claims, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google?": "no", + "Who is the individual who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, showcased a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's developer conference, is associated with a significant departure from OpenAI mentioned in Fortune, and is at the center of a prevailing theory about board truthfulness discussed in TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is accelerating past an optimal level to prevent a recession, while also reporting a prediction by Paul Tudor Jones that the United States economy will enter into a recession early next year?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article on the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 suggest that the act will not initiate reports on AI regulation and data sharing, while the other Engadget article on the executive order implies that the new reporting requirement will not impact existing AI models and AI companies due to a high threshold for enforcement?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Ryan McInerney, what is the first letter of the city where the company he leads is headquartered, which also announced a significant financial technology investment as per the New York Times, and is facing regulatory scrutiny as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the impact of sleep reduction on the immune system align with the same publication's article on the increased risk of insomnia in women due to hormonal differences in terms of the influence of sleep quality on health?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with using $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout, as reported by The Verge, and has also been charged with seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing fraud for wealth and influence according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the TechCrunch article indicate that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was comprehensive and on par with the full Gemini Ultra model, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age both imply misconduct on Google's part, with the former accusing Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers and the latter suggesting a general acceptance of foul play allegations against Google?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that informed another trader about permissible withdrawals based on the company's revenue, suggested the establishment of an expert board without investor directors to Paradigm, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these incidents being reported by The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing the latest trends in the credit services industry and a Bloomberg report on the financial performance of major credit service companies, which CEO, mentioned in both articles, has led their company to outperform market expectations in the last quarter and also announced a strategic partnership with a fintech startup focused on blockchain technology?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that the Bears' offense sacked Joshua Dobbs, while the 'Yardbarker' article discusses the Baltimore Ravens defense's ranking in points scored per game and total yards in the current NFL season?": "no", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing bonuses for 'New users of sportsbooks' and 'New customers of sportsbooks' agree on the provision of a welcome bonus upon account registration with a sportsbook?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article discussing Ross Atkins' strategy for player acquisition and a Sports Illustrated piece analyzing his approach to team development, which position, represented by a single character, did Ross Atkins prioritize strengthening during the off-season?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian about Heather Knight's performance in the recent series and an ESPN article discussing her career milestones, which team did Heather Knight score a century against in the series that also happens to be the same team she made her international debut against?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times about Dunzo's latest funding round and a piece from Business Standard detailing Dunzo's expansion plans into new cities, which city, starting with the letter 'B', is both a location where Dunzo has recently expanded its services and is also the city where one of its new investors is headquartered?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent report by the same source on the prosecution's allegations against him, was there consistency in the portrayal of the charges he is facing?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge and the sales performance discussed in a report by Bloomberg, which model of the iPhone 14 series, specifically mentioned as having a larger display than its predecessor in The Verge and noted for unexpectedly low consumer demand in Bloomberg, is identified by a single alphanumeric character?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Age suggest that the economic conditions of people have worsened, impacting the middle class and their shopping habits, in contrast to Engadget's focus on providing Engadget readers with updates on Black Friday deals without discussing the economic conditions?": "Yes", + "What is the common term for the entities that may change their betting lines based on news or sentiment about a team's chances, can refund bets for weather-suspended games depending on their rules, profit from odds and lines regardless of the outcomes, and adjust NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines according to the information they gather, as reported by Sporting News?": "Sportsbooks", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that eBay's fees are different from Discogs' fees, and does the Fortune article indicate that CEOs Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan have different policies on overdraft fees compared to Citigroup's policy?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that not only convinced a former Jane Street employee to join his trading and development ventures but also planned for a specialized board for his company, while facing allegations of fraud and conspiracy in court, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India discuss the cuisine of Italy in the context of a military conflict, while the TechCrunch article focuses on legal strategies within the SBF case?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch article on Google's Gemini and its performance claims, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": "Yes", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard lacks the potential to dominate in the NHL due to his performance in junior hockey, while the 'Yardbarker' article credits Dean Evason with developing several players into NHL stalwarts, indicating a difference in the factors contributing to NHL success?": "no", + "Was there no change in the assessment of Tyreek Hill's likelihood to reach the milestone of 2,000 receiving yards for the season between the Sporting News report published after December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on his required average yards per game to achieve his goal?": "no", + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest a different approach to handling AI-generated music compared to the assistance of AI in music creation as per the 'National Music Publishers Association', while 'TechCrunch' reports on 'Spotify's' actions regarding AI-crafted songs and the introduction of an AI-powered DJ feature?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on the jury's determination of his truthfulness and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, without mentioning specific operational practices like withdrawal permissions?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'Moneyline Betting' both state that Sportsbooks adjust odds, and does the 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' article from the same source also confirm that Sportsbooks modify betting lines based on gathered information?": "Yes", + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" attribute the recommendation of \"Prisoner's Daughter\" to the same basis as \"The New York Times\" attributes the ranking of \"The Crimson Tide college football team,\" with both recommendations being based on talent involved?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article cast the Michigan Wolverines football team in a similar negative role as The Verge article portrays Google in the context of the Epic v. Google trial?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Shabnim Ismail, which team did she represent when she achieved a career milestone mentioned in ESPN and also faced an opponent highlighted in the BBC Sports article in a significant tournament?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company is at the center of legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive practices in phone app markets according to The Verge, is involved with the release of a \"lite\" version of an AI model as reported by TechCrunch, and is accused by news publishers of harming their business by diverting content, readers, and advertising revenue as per another TechCrunch article?": "Google", + "Between the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's performance in the ICC World Cup semi-finals published on November 11, 2023, and the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's head-to-head record with Australia in ODI World Cup matches published on November 18, 2023, was the reporting on India's past encounters with Australia in the World Cup consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article stating the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks as the worst candidates for the wild-card spots align with the same publication's claim regarding the impact of a Minnesota Vikings loss on the wild card race standings for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers?": "no", + "After The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that Apple defended its Google Search deal by stating there wasn't a valid alternative, and TechCrunch later reported on November 13, 2023, that Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, does the rationale provided by Apple for its Google Search deal remain consistent with Google's aggressive spending to maintain default search engine status across platforms? (The Verge/TechCrunch)": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United has been successful in their recent matches, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which implies that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, allegedly constructed a fraudulent facade of success for a crypto exchange, utilized a colleague for clandestine control over customer funds, and pursued personal enrichment and power through deceptive means?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was there no change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions published after October 31, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's acknowledgment of financial discrepancies?": "no", + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that Israel had a role in reaching a ceasefire with Hamas in 2012, while the article from Fortune implies that Egypt has a role in controlling the movement at the Gaza border checkpoint?": "Yes", + "Which team, known for their safe handling throughout a World Cup and previously defeated by Argentina in Sydney in 2020, was involved in a controversial and dramatic final that was influenced by blitz defence and wet conditions according to articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": "All Blacks", + "Which AI-powered chatbot, reported by both TechCrunch and Engadget, not only saw a meteoric rise in usage during December 2022 but also has diverse capabilities such as completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a computer running Linux?": "ChatGPT", + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding a surprise attack on Israel, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 13, 2023, concerning the lifting of the blockade of Gaza and the warning issued to residents, is the sequence of events reported by both news sources regarding Israel's security and humanitarian situation consistent?": "no", + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck hardware updates published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was there agreement between Polygon and Engadget on the immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED units from Valve?": "Yes", + "Which sports betting platform, featured in articles by both Sporting News and CBSSports.com, provides a cash-out option to settle bets early and offers new customers up to $1000 in bonus bets if their first bet loses, including expected promotions for new sign-ups in Vermont?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Who is the individual that, despite being likened to a prominent investor and once hailed as a savior in the cryptocurrency world by some, not TechCrunch, is accused of using a colleague as a cover for illicit access to customer funds and faced challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a crypto exchange and a research firm, leading to allegations of intentional fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of the accusations against Sam Bankman-Fried between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Do the articles from The Verge and TechCrunch both suggest that interactive activities, such as dressing up for parents of children interested in Pokémon and conversing with Alexa, are methods to engage with children, or do they propose different engagement strategies?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge and intent regarding his actions compared to the 'TechCrunch' article, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truth and contrasting stories, while 'TechCrunch' alleges knowing fraud?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is not only claimed to have developed an AI model with superior architecture that rivals GPT-4 but also has been accused of altering the internet's appearance and harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Apple's choice of Google as a search engine provider was due to a lack of alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Google's practices in app distribution, payment processing, and news publishing are anticompetitive, implying that there are alternatives that are being suppressed by Google's behavior?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Ron Wyden's stance on privacy issues and a piece from The Washington Post detailing his involvement in tax reform, what single letter represents the state that Ron Wyden represents in the U.S. Senate?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before his company's downfall, was perceived as a reliable figure, but later faced allegations of fraud for mismanaging customer funds and a dual role with another entity, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is at a dangerously rapid slowing pace that could lead to a recession, in contrast to 'The Age' which implies that a government shutdown could increase the risk of a recession in the US economy?": "no", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that 'The Post' will never be updated with new TV series recommendations on streaming platforms, while the Essentially Sports article indicates that 'NASCAR' has already extensively explored streaming possibilities with Amazon Prime?": "no", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader claim that selling on Amazon is a life-changing opportunity, while the article from The Sydney Morning Herald reports a stock price fall due to an antitrust lawsuit, indicating differing impacts of Amazon's business practices on sellers and stockholders?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, in contrast to the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' legal battle with Google which discusses the transparency of Google's legal discovery process?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' revenues, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also credited by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance through its efforts to simplify online navigation?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the success of FTX was built on dishonesty, while the 'TechCrunch' article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in fraud for personal benefits, or do both articles imply misconduct on the part of Sam Bankman-Fried?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Miley Cyrus's philanthropic efforts and a Rolling Stone piece detailing her musical collaborations, which single character can be identified as both the initial of the organization she supports and the first letter of the last name of an artist she has recently collaborated with?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world with intentions to use his wealth for humanity's salvation, now facing a criminal trial as per TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of using a front for secret access to customer funds, and alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the report by 'Science News For Students' on 2023-10-04T21:11:57+00:00 mentioning the use of quantum dots in solar panels, did 'Fortune' provide a consistent or inconsistent account regarding Moungi Bawendi's focus on basic science over potential applications like solar panels in their article published on 2023-10-04T21:15:43+00:00?": "Consistent", + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes and another by The Wall Street Journal about Rajat Taneja, which company, known for its electronic payment services as per Forbes, has an executive named Rajat Taneja who, according to The Wall Street Journal, played a significant role in a major acquisition deal in the year prior to the article's publication?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing a class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's anticompetitive allegations?": "no", + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, presented as a trustworthy figure in the crypto industry before a major platform's collapse, and is alleged to have persuaded a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, with the prosecution claiming this was part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain wealth, power, and influence, according to reports by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reese Witherspoon advocate for a similar parenting style, as opposed to the article from The Independent - Life and Style which discusses the issue of parental controls with Roblox?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that law enforcement underestimated the harassment threat towards Janani Umamaheswar and Alex Sinha, while the article from CBSSports.com considers Otto Wallin a greater threat to Anthony Joshua than Joseph Parker is to Deontay Wilder?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Guardian and another by Forbes about Denis Coleman, which single letter represents both the first initial of the European city where he was reported to have attended a major financial conference last year and the first initial of the last name of the individual he was seen having a significant meeting with during the same event?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from 'The Guardian' on October 6th featuring Thomas Ramos and the article from 'Sport Grill' on October 31st highlighting Tessa Wullaert, which news source detailed a successful penalty in a European football match?": "Both", + "Which company, recently mentioned in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is not planning new measures for a major video platform in the next six months, secures default search engine positions through deals with other tech giants, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Did the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' attribute the JackJumpers' significant comeback to a specific scoring run, and does the 'Sporting News' article credit the Pakistan cricket team's historic victory to a comeback in the tournament?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games on November 6, 2023, and then reported on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's legal challenges related to anticompetitive practices?": "Yes", + "Does the Yahoo News article attribute the ineffectiveness on climate issues to the Biden administration's cluelessness, while the Engadget article suggests that society is being negatively impacted by the interconnectedness of climate change, the modern internet, and authoritarianism?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on his favorite ice cream flavor, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his personal actions and influence, such as persuading Adam Yedidia to join his companies and committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning specific operational policies at FTX?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on Kenneth Walker III's injury impact for fantasy football published on November 21, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the fantasy implications if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury published on December 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in how the potential absence of Kenneth Walker III was addressed in terms of fantasy football strategy?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a contest of financial disparity between teams, while 'CBSSports.com' focuses on the current performance of the 'Dallas team' without mentioning their financial status?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from a news publisher according to TechCrunch for anticompetitive practices that affect their bottom line, is capable of addressing Android app distribution and in-app payment issues as mentioned by The Verge, and is also suspected of foul play by individuals as suggested by The Age?": "Google", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange on deceit, failing to manage its rapid expansion alongside a research firm, and directing the misuse of billions in customer funds to cover debts, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article by Variety and another by The Hollywood Reporter on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which character is voiced by an actor who has previously starred in a superhero film as mentioned by Variety and is also noted by The Hollywood Reporter to have a significant new character arc in this latest installment?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about David Sutter's philanthropic efforts and a piece from The Guardian discussing his recent investments in technology startups, which city, beginning with the letter 'S', is both the location of the charity event he sponsored and the headquarters of the startup he invested in that is pioneering artificial intelligence research?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" suggest loyalty as a factor, while the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" indicate the absence of infidelity?": "no", + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on an event involving Israel published on October 7, 2023, and the reports by Fortune on the situation in Gaza involving Israel published on October 13, 2023, was there no change in the status of Israel's actions regarding Gaza?": "no", + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree that Sportsbooks never adjust the NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines or any other sports betting lines in response to gathered information or legitimate events like injuries or roster changes?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Has the narrative around the All Blacks' team focus and performance in The Roar | Sports Writers Blog articles remained consistent from the report defending a star centre after a loss to Argentina to the analysis of their playing for individual accolades, and finally to their actions in the dramatic final against the Springboks?": "no", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, previously praised in contrast to Warren Buffet but is now alleged by the prosecution to have used deceit for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch and Fortune, and whose legal proceedings are about to commence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was there disagreement between Polygon and Engadget on the immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED units from Valve after the Polygon report on the Steam Deck hardware updates published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The New York Times on Ralf-Peter Schäfer, what is the first letter of the city where Schäfer's company is planning to expand its traffic management solutions, as mentioned in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggesting that 'Patients on antiretroviral therapy' should undergo regular viral load testing align with the same source's claim regarding the 'EBT-101 clinical trial' assessing safety and evaluating virus suppression without cART?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggesting Prince William's emotional state regarding Princess Diana's death conflict with the same publication's depiction of the events leading up to her death in 'The Crown season six'?": "no", + "Which AI tool, reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch, achieved a milestone of 100 million users per day in March and is known for its diverse capabilities including completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a computer running Linux?": "ChatGPT", + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a reduced ease of prompting toxic output compared to other models, while the TechCrunch article on Meta's open source AI approach indicate concerns of potential danger and disinformation from industry competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to participate in the Sunday game, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article where Dennis Allen suggests Chris Olave, despite being a full participant in practice, is still uncertain to play due to concussion protocol?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that communicated to Paradigm about intending to establish a board with specialists for a cryptocurrency exchange, while preferring not to have investors as directors, and is also the same person who, during a court proceeding with Judge Lewis Kaplan, conceded to being aware of a significant financial discrepancy, and is accused by the prosecution of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Sporting News change its approach to reporting on opportunities for bettors before the Chiefs-Jets Week 4 game on September 28, 2023, compared to their coverage of bonus offers for bettors before the NFL Monday Night Football Eagles vs. Seahawks game?": "no", + "Between the report from 'The Age' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's relationship status with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of their relationship status?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch report on Flipboard's integration of the ActivityPub protocol before The Verge discussed the structure of the ActivityPub protocol in social media contexts?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the positive impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article suggests that Marketing practices overshadow the message of hope?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, aligning with his leading receiver status mentioned in the same source, while the CBSSports.com article focuses on his challenge to average a certain number of yards per game to fail to reach a seasonal goal, and the second Sporting News piece discusses the difficulty of achieving a specific receiving yards milestone due to upcoming opponents' defenses?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to participate in the upcoming Sunday game, similar to how The Guardian reports on Cyril Baille and Jonathan Danty's participation in the game against Italy, or is there a discrepancy in their expected involvement?": "Similar", + "Was there no change in the assessment of Brock Purdy's performance after the CBSSports.com report published on October 4, 2023, and the subsequent CBSSports.com analysis of his play under pressure published on October 18, 2023?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta is taking a different approach to content moderation in response to the Israel-Hamas war compared to Elon Musk's approach to content moderation on his platforms following Hamas attacks, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Yes", + "Which NBA team, recently noted by Yardbarker for both its positive draft evaluations and its aging roster issues, would lead to a successful point spread bet as described by Sporting News if they win by 10 or more points?": "Golden State Warriors", + "What group of individuals engaging with Sporting News has the flexibility to utilize various betting strategies across different sports and events, while also needing to be mindful of promotional restrictions and capitalizing on event hype?": "Bettors", + "Who is the individual implicated by allegations in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, suggesting he built a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, used a proxy for unauthorized access to customer funds, struggled with managing rapid company growth, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which world-leading AI development company, founded in late 2015, is anticipated to promote an \"app store for AI\" as the main source for AI resources and is also expected to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": "OpenAI", + "Who is the individual implicated in decisions involving the misuse of $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout and $14 billion for debt repayment as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, and is also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain according to another TechCrunch article?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about David Reeder, which position, represented by a single letter, did he hold at two different companies where one company is known for its pioneering technology in consumer electronics and the other is a major player in the e-commerce space?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are a source of relief for Palestinians in a similar way that The Guardian article implies surveillance cameras are affecting their daily lives and protest abilities?": "no", + "Does the Zee Business article suggest that India's cricket team has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article indicates that England's cricket team has only a mathematical chance of advancing to the semi-finals?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the organization behind ChatGPT, which is not only the generative AI entity that TechCrunch describes as a poster child but is also the platform where TechCrunch reports GPT-4 with vision will be launched, and is considered the top priority for further developments?": "OpenAI", + "Was the reporting of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship status consistent between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": "no", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are likely to alter their betting odds and lines in response to news or gathered information about a team's potential to win or the performance of NBA rookies?": "Sportsbooks", + "Did the performance of \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" as reported by 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' before the report of 'The Sydney Morning Herald' on the 'S&P 500' show agreement or disagreement in terms of positive financial growth?": "Agreement", + "Did 'Sport Grill' report on Tessa Wullaert missing a decisive penalty before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Cole Palmer scoring a penalty to secure a draw for Chelsea?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift is secretive about her relationship with a specific individual, in contrast to the 'CBSSports.com' article which discusses her rumored romance but focuses on her attendance and performance at a specific venue?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology, noted for both supporting a teen's startup and having a significant presence in the industry, who faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, as reported by Fortune and multiple articles from TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the 'Business Line' article on investment options for high networth investors suggest ignoring historical performance and management team evaluations before making decisions, unlike the 'Business Line' article's recommendations for investors considering Reliance Industries stock?": "no", + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that law enforcement adequately assessed the harassment threat towards Janani Umamaheswar and Alex Sinha, while the article from CBSSports.com considers Otto Wallin a greater threat to Anthony Joshua than Joseph Parker is to Deontay Wilder?": "no", + "Which individual, featured in articles by The Verge and Fortune, is alleged to have used their position to both persuade a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures and to inappropriately utilize customer funds, actions that are now central to fraud allegations discussed in TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is at the center of an antitrust lawsuit, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, where it is accused of engaging in anticompetitive behavior within the app distribution and payment processing markets, and has also been portrayed as spending billions to maintain its default search engine status while allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines through content and revenue siphoning?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Microsoft's latest cloud computing advancements and a Wall Street Journal report on Microsoft's strategic acquisitions, which division within Microsoft, represented by a single letter, is responsible for integrating the new cloud technologies and also played a key role in the recent acquisition of a major gaming company?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently compared for its product's performance with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also accused by The Age of manipulating its primary service to maximize ad revenue and is the subject of a class-action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age group, accused of committing fraud for personal gain, and previously portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, who also convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another from The Wall Street Journal about Beto Casellas, what is the first letter of the company that Casellas is currently leading as CEO, which has also recently launched a new financial product aimed at improving customer experience?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New York Giants' are facing a broader scope of team injuries affecting both offense and defense, unlike the 'The Guardian' article which focuses on 'Reece James' individual injury impact on the team?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News report on FC Cincinnati's achievement before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog mentioned Aston Villa's victory over Fulham?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation bias problem suppressing Palestinian voices published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the nature of issues reported concerning Meta's platform practices?": "Yes", + "Who is the subject of a criminal trial reported by TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of secretly accessing customer funds through a proxy at Alameda Research, claimed by The Verge to have struggled with the management of FTX due to its growth, and alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Do both articles from The Verge discuss the approach of Holidays in the context of consumer preparation, with one focusing on the sale of Govee's LED light strips and the other on the shipping deadlines for Amazon Prime members?": "Yes", + "After The Age reported on October 22, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and The Verge noted changes in the internet's appearance due to Google's efforts to make it easier to navigate, did TechCrunch's December 15, 2023, article on a class action antitrust suit against Google suggest a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's influence on the internet and its stakeholders?": "Consistent", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research, as reported by The Verge, who pleaded not guilty to charges as per TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with further allegations involving instructing a colleague to use customer funds to repay debts?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which NFL wide receiver, who is recognized as the top player at his position for Week 14 by Sporting News, also requires an average of almost 153 yards over his final three games according to CBSSports.com, but faces strong pass defenses in his remaining games, which might hinder his pursuit of 2,000 receiving yards for the season, despite having scored two touchdowns and accumulated 157 receiving yards in a recent victory over the Washington Commanders as reported by The Guardian?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about Manchester United's defeat by Bayern indicate the same outcome for Manchester United's European competitions as the 'Sporting News' article about Alvaro Barreal's goal implies for Inter Miami's postseason running?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the England national rugby union team has had the same path to the Rugby World Cup semifinal compared to the path of The Wallabies (Australian national rugby union team) as implied by the 'Wide World Of Sports' article, with England defeating specific teams and The Wallabies' fate depending on a match between other teams?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Khel Ratna Awardee Ekta Bisht, which specific skill, highlighted as her strength in The Times of India, was crucial in her performance against a team that The Hindu noted she had an outstanding record against?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' offense as reported?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with FTX and Alameda Research, who faced allegations of fraud and is reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to have had significant influence and wealth, yet struggled with the management of his rapidly growing companies?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing BHP Group's financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on BHP Group's recent sustainability initiatives, which single letter symbol represents the stock ticker for BHP Group on the New York Stock Exchange?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that the kid appeal of \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" is based on shared stories among elementary school children, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article implies that the ultimate goal of the Halloween experience for children is to have fun, indicating a difference in the perceived primary appeal of these experiences to kids?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who also convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with details of his trial covered by both TechCrunch and Fortune, and his alleged communications with traders reported by The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on interest rates as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald changed between the article published on October 1, 2023, suggesting smaller future rate cuts, and the one from November 5, 2023, indicating a potential halt to rate increases?": "Yes", + "Which person, who has been open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium, has a tour booked for the next year and has stated that paparazzi attention does not affect her, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Age'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Which country, often featured in headlines from sources like 'Fortune', 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena', and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has a history of controlling vital supplies into a blockaded region, reaching ceasefires with militant organizations, and requires intelligence support to prevent major attacks?": "Israel", + "Who is the individual associated with the crypto exchange FTX, who has been accused of using customer funds for a buyout and is facing multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by sources like Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing the launch date of Gemini Ultra and a Forbes report on the projected market share increase for Gemini Ultra's manufacturer after its release, which month is both the expected launch time for Gemini Ultra and the period predicted for the manufacturer's market share growth?": "Insufficient information.", + "Before the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman backing a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, compared to the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": "no", + "Who is the individual that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers for, who is also the subject of a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy according to TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from 'The Age' suggest that 'The individual's dating intentions' were focused on starting a family, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article's claim about 'Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce' centers on speculation about their dating status without indicating a similar intention?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that the NBA's Christmas games are at risk due to the NFL's decisions, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article discusses the impact of parents using Christmas as a bribe, without mentioning any potential threat to the NBA's Christmas dominance?": "Yes", + "Did Sporting News fail to indicate a similar issue with Williams and Rice's attempt at a deep shot in the USC vs. Notre Dame game on October 14th after CBSSports.com reported on the Dallas Cowboys' offensive strategy involving deeper passes on October 12th?": "no", + "Which country, discussed in articles from both Hacker News and Zee Business, banned Falun Gong following protests in its capital city in 1999 and is also experiencing growing economic headwinds in contrast to other emerging markets?": "China", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was aware of the financial discrepancies at FTX, while the TechCrunch article alleges that he knowingly committed fraud, or do both articles imply a level of awareness and intent by Sam Bankman-Fried regarding the financial issues at FTX?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' performance published on October 18, 2023, and the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' mindset published on October 26, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding the team's focus and playing intentions?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the film \"The First Time\" and a review from The Guardian discussing the standout performances, which actor, identified by both sources as having a breakthrough role in \"The First Time,\" shares their first name with a famous British naturalist?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting' and 'Moneyline Betting' both state that Sportsbooks do not adjust odds, or does the 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' article from the same source also confirm that Sportsbooks do not modify betting lines based on gathered information?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro, is known for its stance on user privacy and its association with Google, is involved in an 18-month appeal process regarding a patent dispute with Masimo, and has been critiqued by Tim Sweeney for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system, as reported by The Verge?": "Apple", + "Do the articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about 'Starbucks stores' hours on Thanksgiving and the date of Thanksgiving celebration both provide conflicting information regarding the timing of 'Thanksgiving' events?": "no", + "Which company, known for creating a Prime-themed sale day according to Wired, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase as reported by Polygon, has a dominant position in the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup as mentioned by The Verge, and is considered a life-changing opportunity for sellers by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Spider-Man embodies the spirit of Thanksgiving in a way that aligns with the portrayal of Thanksgiving as a time for gratitude and togetherness described in The Independent - Life and Style article?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' position in the AFLW standings published on October 20, 2023, and the subsequent report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' standings published on November 3, 2023, was there no change in the Sydney Swans' ranking in the AFLW?": "no", + "Did The Guardian's report on December 12, 2023, contradict the Sporting News report regarding the performance and future outlook of Manchester United?": "no", + "What is the name of the AI developed by OpenAI that was reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch to have not only reached its first anniversary and 100 million daily users but also has the ability to perform diverse tasks such as coding, composing music, and writing poetry?": "ChatGPT", + "Who is the individual whose trial is imminent, as reported by TechCrunch, was once considered a reliable representative of the cryptocurrency sector according to The Verge, is accused of fraud and conspiracy involving a financial discrepancy acknowledged after a judge's intervention, also mentioned by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have pursued wealth, power, and influence through deliberate fraudulent actions, a claim further discussed by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the UP Warriorz's performance in their inaugural match and a Cricbuzz report on their strategic player acquisitions, which player from the UP Warriorz, known for their all-round capabilities, scored a half-century in the first game and was also highlighted as a key signing by the team management?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the CBSSports.com article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers a different new customer bonus bet amount than the Sporting News article claims Caesars Sportsbook is expected to offer to new sign-ups in Vermont?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling differently in the first T20 international compared to his run-chase proficiency in the series-clinching game?": "Yes", + "Is the reporting on the Northern Lights visibility in the UK by 'The Independent - Travel' inconsistent with the observations of the aurora borealis reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' between November 9, 2023, and December 21, 2023?": "no", + "Has the broadcasting platform for NFL 'Thursday Night Football' games for NFL fans across the United States as reported by Sporting News changed between the game featuring the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on September 28, 2023, and the game featuring the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers on November 9, 2023?": "No", + "What institution, mentioned in both 'The Sydney Morning Herald' articles, are investors hopeful will halt rate hikes, and has also stated that its future decisions on this matter will depend on incoming economic data?": "Federal Reserve", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that the NBA's Christmas games are secure regardless of the NFL's decisions, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article discusses the impact of parents using Christmas as a bribe, without mentioning any potential threat to the NBA's Christmas dominance?": "no", + "Do the 'Eos: Earth And Space Science News' researchers and 'Music Business Worldwide' regarding \"AfroFuture's attendees\" both indicate a trend in the diversity of their respective subjects, with the former discussing the disparity of income and race over time in 177 cities and the latter discussing the demographics and geographic diversity of the event's audience?": "Yes", + "Between the report from Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research published on October 4, 2023, and the TechCrunch report alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's instructions to Caroline Ellison to take customer funds published on October 6, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift accepted an invitation to a game at Arrowhead Stadium, while the article from 'The Age' simply reports a sighting of Taylor Swift at the stadium, without mentioning an invitation?": "Yes", + "Which company, featured in articles from both Wired and Cnbc | World Business News Leader, introduced an invite-only deal system during a summer event for its members and is also considered to provide a life-changing opportunity for its sellers?": "Amazon", + "Who is the player that played a crucial role in anchoring the team, demonstrated his ability to conclude a game with a significant hit, showcased an exemplary performance, but struggled to score against legspin bowling in the 12th over, as reported by The Guardian in a series of articles covering the West Indies v England men's T20 cricket internationals?": "Shai Hope", + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the negative impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program at a Nebraska children's hospital, while The Independent - Life and Style article credits Will Smith's personal happiness to his relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith?": "no", + "Do individuals who have lost a parent, as discussed in 'The Independent - Life and Style', experience grief at big events in a similar way to how Liam Neeson described his experience with grief to 'FOX News - Entertainment'?": "Yes", + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is capable of addressing Android app distribution and payment system issues according to another article from The Verge, and is accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Has the redemption option for cash back rewards as statement credits for cardholders remained consistent between the 'American Express Cash Magnet® card' as reported by Fortune before November 3, 2023, and the 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' as reported by the same news source?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research, as reported by The Verge, who faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention and pleaded not guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges according to TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Snapchat is not being used to document events in Gaza, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article discusses the actions of the state during crises, without mentioning the use of social media platforms for documentation?": "no", + "What team, featured in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about their leaders aiming to end careers positively and being self-motivated, also suffered a defeat by Argentina in Christchurch and failed to defend successfully on their goal line against the Springboks in a dramatic final?": "All Blacks", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'The Verge' article's claim that he used $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, and does the 'TechCrunch' article also support the notion that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, or do these articles present differing allegations regarding his actions?": "Yes", + "What company is at the center of claims involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to Megan Grey in 'The Age', ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence as reported by 'The Verge', and is accused by a news publisher in a class action antitrust suit covered by 'TechCrunch' for harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain and by Fortune of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, and who also informed Paradigm of his intentions to form an expert board for a company without investor directors?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": "Yes", + "Did the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" and the article from TechCrunch on \"Simply Homes\" both report an increase in their respective company's revenues?": "Yes", + "Which football club, recently discussed in articles by The New York Times, The Guardian, and Sky Sports, experienced a home defeat in the Premier League, has a player named Reece James who may undergo a late fitness check, and is expanding its U.S. presence under Todd Boehly's co-ownership?": "Chelsea", + "Who, according to a 'Fortune' article, became a notable figure in generative AI and faced a shocking departure from OpenAI, and is also known from a 'TechCrunch' report for supporting a teen's AI startup but is speculated to have had issues with truthfulness with the board?": "Sam Altman.", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing Visa Inc.'s financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on Visa Inc.'s strategic partnerships formed within the same period, which single letter represents the credit card network's stock symbol on the New York Stock Exchange?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Yahoo News article praise the Biden administration's effectiveness on climate issues, while the Engadget article suggests that society is being positively impacted by the interconnectedness of climate change, the modern internet, and authoritarianism?": "no", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with other companies?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article allege that Meta violated a specific law concerning children's online privacy, while The Verge article discusses Ofcom's guidelines for tech firms to comply with a different set of regulations for online safety?": "Yes", + "Which company, reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has influenced the internet's appearance, engaged in practices leading to an antitrust case, and invested billions to be the default search engine on various platforms?": "Google", + "Does 'The Verge' article on Black Friday deals mention a different discount for \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" than the discount 'The Verge' reports for the 'Wi-Fi Kasa smart outdoor plug' on Amazon?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team played against Australia in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, while the 'TalkSport' article states that the England national teams are facing South Africa in both the Rugby World Cup and the ODI Cricket World Cup semi-finals, indicating different opponents for each country's national teams in their respective semi-final matches?": "Yes", + "Do the 'Fortune' article's views on the flexibility of central bankers in pursuing inflation targets align with 'The Age' article's perspective on Federal Reserve officials' consideration of certain prices for predicting inflation trends?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article that discusses Republicans dumping Jim Jordan as House Speaker nominee suggest that 'Rep. Patrick McHenry' has dismissed efforts to secure him in the role of speaker more permanently, while another 'Fortune' article indicates that 'Bipartisan groups of lawmakers' are considering proposals to empower 'Rep. Patrick McHenry' or another temporary speaker?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's GDPR compliance concerns suggest a different legal issue than the TechCrunch article on Meta's responsibility for teen social media monitoring, and does it also differ from the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias affecting Palestinian voices?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial claim that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers without Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge, while another TechCrunch article alleges Sam Bankman-Fried is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and a third TechCrunch piece suggests that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating a consensus on the misuse of customer funds and fraudulent intentions among the articles?": "no", + "Which company, despite facing financial stability issues according to a TechCrunch article, is expected to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform for AI tools and toys and is also planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside a Turbo API, as reported by TechCrunch?": "OpenAI", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from 'The Age' for manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue, from 'TechCrunch' for not planning additional measures on its video platform within six months, and is accused in another 'TechCrunch' article of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' content, readers, and advertising income?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Rolling Stone piece on Dua Lipa: At Your Service, which single character would be common when referencing the title of the podcast mentioned by both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Packers game fail to report a successful first down completion involving A.J. Dillon in a similar manner to how the Sporting News describes The Saints' achievement of a first down in the Jaguars vs. Saints game?": "no", + "Does the article from The Guardian suggest that Britney Spears had less control over her privacy at the age of 16 compared to the control over privacy that the BBC News - Entertainment & Arts article implies Taylor Swift has over her personal experiences?": "Yes", + "Does the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as below league-average based on his batting statistics, while the Sporting News article reports on the success of Javonte Williams and Russell Wilson in a single NFL game, without making a season-wide assessment?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article claim that CyberGhost's cybersecurity measures exclude an independent security audit, a vulnerability disclosure program, and transparency reporting, while the TechCrunch article suggests that Keep Labs employs automated tools for code vulnerability assessments, indicating different approaches to product security?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times about the recent infrastructure developments in Koramangala and another from The Hindu reporting on the new traffic management system implemented in the same area, which letter of the alphabet is the starting character of the name of the company that has been awarded the contract for both projects?": "Insufficient information.", + "Based on a New York Times article discussing Sacha Baron Cohen's advocacy for stricter regulations on social media platforms and a Variety piece highlighting his casting in a new historical drama series, which character, portrayed by Cohen in a film that was referenced in both articles, is known for his flamboyant fashion and controversial interviews?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a Washington Post article detailing recent legislative changes and a CNN report on upcoming municipal projects in Washington DC, which district, identified by its single-letter abbreviation, is both impacted by the new tax legislation and is the planned location for a new public transportation initiative?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts to gain wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After TechCrunch reported on November 6, 2023, that Google provided extensive evidence to counter Epic Games' claims in their antitrust battle, did the consistency of Google's stance on antitrust issues remain unchanged according to a later report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action lawsuit filed by a news publisher against Google?": "Yes", + "After The Independent - Life and Style reported on Britney Spears' forced lithium intake on October 18, 2023, did The Guardian's report on October 24, 2023, regarding Britney Spears' experiences at the age of 16 maintain consistency in the narrative of her struggles with autonomy and public scrutiny?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from 'Science News For Students' and 'Fortune' both suggest that 'Scientists' have made no advancements in their respective fields, with one investigating the learning mechanisms in animals and the other manufacturing quantum dots in a lab?": "no", + "Does the article from The Age confirm the same aspect of Google's market behavior as the TechCrunch articles, with one discussing the acceptance of foul play allegations and the other focusing on anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": "no", + "Does the article from The Age suggest that 'People with an Aboriginal ancestor' have a different process to identify with their Aboriginal heritage compared to the stance of 'Indigenous people' on cultural identity as presented by The Guardian?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Fortune credit Sam Altman with gaining prominence in generative AI technology specifically due to ChatGPT, while the article from Music Business Worldwide discusses Sony Music Entertainment's engagement in generative AI-powered projects without attributing such prominence to an individual?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article agree completely with the 'TechCrunch' article on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, with both 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' focusing solely on the jury's determination of truthfulness?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game show The Saints failing a fourth down conversion attempt, while the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Jets game show Patrick Mahomes successfully converting a critical third down?": "True", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' concert film was less financially successful than Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single defeat for Michigan's football team could have a similar impact on their season as the loss to the Browns had on the Chicago Bears' playoff hopes, with both teams facing important upcoming games?": "Yes", + "Considering the features discussed in a New York Times article and the performance benchmarks mentioned in a review by The Verge, which component of the latest iPad Pro, represented by a single letter, has seen the most significant upgrade in terms of speed and efficiency?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance in specific games was more variable compared to the consistent performance of The Chiefs' star rookie as mentioned in another CBSSports.com article?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose legal circumstances are under scrutiny, who previously convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX, is accused of misappropriating $1 billion in customer funds to settle with a competitor, and whose alleged fraudulent actions for personal gain are being prosecuted, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TalkSport report on the Manchester United takeover published on October 18, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there a change in Manchester United's circumstances as reported by the two news sources?": "Yes", + "After The Independent - Sports reported on the All Blacks' home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina last summer on October 14, 2023, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on Argentina's victories over the All Blacks in Christchurch last year and their first victory in 2020 in Sydney on October 18, 2023, was the reporting on the All Blacks' defeats by Argentina consistent?": "Yes", + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a report by The Verge on Microsoft Project, which feature, identified by a single letter, was highlighted as a significant addition in the New York Times piece and was also noted for its potential impact on collaboration in The Verge's analysis?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was the concern about antibiotics' effectiveness against certain diseases reported by 'Yahoo News' before 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles,' considering the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on the susceptibility of 'Antibiotics in development' to resistance and the 'Yahoo News' report on 'Inflammation in dogs' being highly responsive to antibiotics?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Drake London, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba may underperform in their upcoming games, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses Najee Harris's past performance in a specific game rather than predictions for future games?": "Yes", + "After The Age reported on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories on September 26, 2023, did Yardbarker's coverage on December 24, 2023, maintain consistency regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article on prop betting suggest that sportsbooks generally refund player prop bets if the player doesn't play, while the Sporting News article on BetRivers specifies that BetRivers offers a refund in bonus bets of a certain amount if the first bet loses?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual being judged for their actions in a legal case, where contrasting stories are presented in 'Fortune', is accused of using a front for secret access to customer funds, and is alleged by the prosecution in a 'TechCrunch' article to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the portrayal of Google's market practices in reports by The Age after October 22, 2023, remained consistent with the depiction in The Verge's coverage of the Epic v. Google case, and with TechCrunch's report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's season ticket prices following Lionel Messi's arrival published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's inclusion in the MLS playoffs published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the team's postseason prospects as reported by the news source?": "no", + "Who is the individual that has become a significant figure in the realm of artificial intelligence, particularly due to their association with generative AI technology and the envisioning of AI agents to assist with various tasks, and whose integrity was questioned by a prevailing theory as mentioned in articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across various devices and platforms, and is also accused by news publishers of adversely affecting their business through anticompetitive practices, while using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results?": "Google", + "Did TechCrunch's portrayal of Scott Hurff's perspective on product design change between the article published on December 1, 2023, which discussed his experience as a product maker and designer, and the article published on December 21, 2023, which emphasized the importance of decision-making in product design?": "no", + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on Brock Purdy's performance before or after highlighting the New Orleans' comeback with two fourth quarter touchdowns in the NFL games?": "Before", + "Who is the individual whose legal and public persona as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry is under scrutiny, with allegations of fraud for personal gain and conflicting statements about governance plans for a company, all of which are being dissected before a jury?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company was depicted as an antagonist by Epic Games in a legal case reported by The Verge, is considered by Apple as the only viable option for search engine services according to a court defense also covered by The Verge, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming news publishers' revenues and readership through its business practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the situation in Donbas, which country, accused of aggression by the former and facing economic sanctions as per the latter, is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, acknowledged challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange and its related trading firm, and, after judicial prompting, conceded awareness of a substantial financial shortfall, all while being accused of intentional deception for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, having faced a legal defeat as reported by TechCrunch, also underwent a period of intense labor as described by Polygon, and is now reducing its workforce by 16% according to another report by TechCrunch, while simultaneously casting itself as the underdog in a separate legal confrontation covered by The Verge?": "Epic Games", + "Has the explanation of betting terms by the 'Sporting News' to bettors regarding what positive betting odds indicate and the definition of an \"over\" bet in totals betting remained consistent between the article published on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-01?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Renuka Singh, which jersey number is associated with the player who was mentioned as a key performer in India's recent cricket match by The Times of India and was also highlighted for her exceptional bowling skills by The Hindu?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that, despite not being portrayed as the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, managed to recruit a former colleague from Jane Street to join him in ventures that faced legal scrutiny for alleged fraud, and who also admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies post the intervention of Judge Lewis Kaplan?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from The Verge on the Epic v. Google case and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on the same case, was there disagreement on the nature of Epic Games' arguments against Google?": "no", + "After the Financial Times reported on October 1, 2023, that investors are showing more interest in Japan due to China's economic slowdown, did the investment trend of U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists, as reported by TechCrunch, show agreement or disagreement with this shift in investor interest towards Japan?": "Agreement", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to leave Jane Street and join both Alameda and FTX, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Cnbc | World Business News Leader report on Nike's net income and the article from The Age on the 10-year Treasury yield both report a decrease in their respective financial metrics?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article report a higher batting average for Jung Hoo Lee in 2022 than Yardbarker reported for Juan Soto in the year referenced?": "Yes", + "What entity is likely to win a legal case regarding phones and app stores according to an article from The Verge, and is also accused by a news publisher in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's role in the West Indies v England fifth T20 international as a reckless role, while also characterizing his performance as exemplary, and does the same source depict his struggle against legspin bowling in the first T20 international?": "no", + "Does the article from The Independent - Travel suggest that Dubai has exploration opportunities throughout the year, while the TechCrunch article indicates that Archer Aviation's expansion plans are specific to the United Arab Emirates?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision published on September 28, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for AI tools published on December 19, 2023, was there a change in the company's strategic focus as reported by the same news source?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a change in the starting quarterback position similar to the change discussed in the Sporting News article regarding SMU's quarterback position?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose legal team and the government's attorneys are presenting conflicting narratives in court, who acknowledged being aware of a significant financial discrepancy post a judge's inquiry, and is accused of instructing a subordinate to use billions of customer funds to settle debts, all while facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that was reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch to have used customer funds for a buyout and to have faced allegations of fraud and conspiracy, while also being accused of permitting withdrawals from a trading account that were contingent on not exceeding a certain revenue threshold?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is at an optimal slowing pace to avoid a recession, in contrast to 'The Age' which implies that a government shutdown could increase the risk of a recession in the US economy?": "Yes", + "After 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, and 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the same date noted Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium, did 'The Independent - Life and Style' maintain consistency in their reporting on the nature of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship in their later article published on October 30, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on allegations of Sam Bankman-Fried committing fraud for personal gain and facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, and also detail Caroline Ellison's involvement?": "no", + "Did the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for selfish purposes, while The Verge article implies that he was informed about financial discrepancies, and another TechCrunch article alleges that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating differing perspectives on his intentions and awareness?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New Jersey Devils' have maintained a consistent performance outlook despite a player's injury, while the 'Essentially Sports' article indicates that 'Denny Hamlin' was eliminated from championship contention due to an injury?": "no", + "What type of businesses, frequently covered by Sporting News, are known to change their betting lines based on events like injuries or roster changes, and also alter the odds for awards like the NBA Rookie of the Year based on collected data?": "Sportsbooks", + "Considering the information from a BBC Sport article and an ESPN Cricinfo report on Kate Cross, which club, known for its historical significance in English cricket and mentioned as Cross's domestic team in both articles, is represented by the initial 'L'?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's situation at OpenAI published on November 18, 2023, and the subsequent Fortune report on the same day regarding the board's actions, was there agreement between the two news sources on the portrayal of Sam Altman's standing in Silicon Valley?": "Yes", + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on September 26, 2023, that Amazon's stock fell by 4 percent due to an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general, did Fortune report a larger or smaller percentage decrease for Rogers Communications Inc. shares following a family lawsuit on October 12, 2023?": "Smaller", + "Which company, according to TechCrunch, has invested $26.3 billion to become the default search engine on various platforms, claims its Gemini project surpasses other generative AI models like GPT-4 in architecture and performance, and is accused of using anticompetitive means to harm news publishers' revenues and readership?": "Google", + "Does the article from Fortune discussing Ruby Franke's daughter describe the justification for abuse as a form of necessary discipline, in contrast to the article from The Verge which accuses Catherine Tan of sexual harassment and coercion?": "Yes", + "Do 'The Age' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' suggest that the actions of parents have no impact on their children, or do their claims deny any consequences of parental behavior?": "no", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, not only modify their betting lines due to events such as injuries or team changes but also offer incentives for new users and are designed to ensure profitability regardless of betting outcomes, specifically in scenarios like forecasting the NBA Rookie of the Year?": "Sportsbooks", + "Who, according to articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post, served as the Secretary of Homeland Security under President Obama and was also a key speaker at a cybersecurity conference in 2019?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in the New York Times and another in the Wall Street Journal about Pets Best, which company, known for its insurance products and mentioned in both articles, has a CEO with the initial 'M'?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements published on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after, was there agreement between the two sources regarding the enhancements made to the new iteration of the Steam Deck by Valve?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth?": "Yes", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages was worse than in previous seasons, while The Independent - Sports article implies that Erik ten Hag's past experience in the Champions League with Ajax was more successful?": "Yes", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United needs a long-term blueprint for success, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United are out of European competitions, thus comparing the future planning with the current competition status of the team?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on Richelle Cranston's club history in the AFLW published on October 20, 2023, and The Age's report on Richelle Cranston's favorite ice cream flavor while playing this season published on November 3, 2023, has the information regarding Richelle Cranston's AFLW career remained consistent?": "no", + "What company, known for its significant presence in the e-reader space through its Kindle lineup as mentioned by The Verge, also offers life-changing selling opportunities according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and was the focus of a Cyber Monday sale with deals reported by Mashable?": "Amazon", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the EU's warning to X (formerly Twitter) for illegal content and disinformation agree with the TechCrunch article on the EU's analysis of X's role in spreading disinformation regarding the European Union's stance on the platform's dissemination of false information?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the victory of the Belgium Women's National Football Team over England in the UEFA Women's Nations League to the performance of Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' credits Ollie Watkins with playing a key role in Aston Villa's win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage describe a similar acknowledgment of marital challenges as 'FOX News - Entertainment' reports on Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Flipboard's implementation of the ActivityPub protocol is aimed at changing its platform structure, while The Verge article focuses on the structural elements of posts within the ActivityPub protocol itself?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch for its annual hardware event and for a class action antitrust suit, as well as by The Age for potential unfair competitive practices, is known for its developments in hardware and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines and being involved in foul play?": "Google", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle as reported by TechCrunch, is also known for making default search engine deals with major tech companies according to The Verge, yet has no immediate plans for new measures on its video platform as per TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices as stated in another TechCrunch article?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for properly managing customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'TechCrunch' article's allegation that he committed fraud for personal gain, and do both of these claims contrast with 'The Verge' article's portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while the other TechCrunch article on Sam Bankman-Fried's plea deal only mention his not-guilty plea to fraud and conspiracy, without specifying involvement in directing others?": "Yes", + "Which pop star, recognized by Time as Person of the Year, was seen supporting a football team at Arrowhead Stadium where she was personally invited by a player who also made her a friendship bracelet with his number on it, as reported by 'The Age', 'The Independent - Life and Style', and 'CBSSports.com'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Considering the features highlighted in an article from The Verge about the iPhone 14's camera capabilities and the pricing strategy discussed in a Bloomberg report, which letter represents the starting character of the feature that is both highly praised for its innovation in the first article and is a significant factor in the pricing strategy mentioned in the second article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's wealth accumulation is on a different trajectory than Floyd Mayweather's, while the 'TechCrunch' article discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's wealth in the context of his altruistic intentions, without comparing it to another individual's wealth trajectory?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the fantasy football experience is primarily about the opportunity for short-term entertainment, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article focuses on Colby McKercher's specific performance metrics at the National Championships?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions regarding the management of FTX and customer funds at Alameda Research were based on deceit and misuse, similarly to the allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in the 'TechCrunch' article?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Insidesport' article claim that the Indian Premier League 2024 auction is scheduled for a specific date and location, in contrast to the 'Polygon' article which rounds up weekly deals without specifying a recurring event schedule?": "Yes", + "What company, which TechCrunch reports spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to ensure its search engine's default status on multiple platforms, is also the target of a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines and has its Gemini Pro's performance compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Altman's prominence in the AI field is due to the impact of ChatGPT, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies a discrepancy in Altman's communication with the board, without attributing his prominence to ChatGPT?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Oliver's behavior is a reason for his refusal to play, while The New York Times article implies that the Norway national football team's recent performances are a factor in their potential difficulty in succeeding in the play-offs?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that the Google Nest Thermostat's compatibility with smart home platforms is due to a specific standard, whereas the Engadget article does not attribute the EP-133 K.O. II 64MB Sampler Composer's compatibility with Android phones to any particular standard?": "Yes", + "What team, which has players like Steve Smith and Aaron Finch contributing to a score of 328 for 7 wickets in a 2015 World Cup semi-final and also won a match against India by just one run, recently experienced their first four-day game loss since January 2014 during a tour of India, as reported by 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' and 'Zee Business'?": "Australia's cricket team", + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, and the Fortune article on the same day stating that Sam Altman and the ex-chairman were shocked and saddened by the board's actions, was the reporting from TechCrunch later on November 18, 2023, about Sam Altman's plans consistent with the earlier reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest the same reason for \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" as the reason for \"Dillon Danis and Savannah Montano's relationship\" ending as reported by 'Essentially Sports'?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Apple Processing LLC's latest environmental initiative and a Wall Street Journal report on their financial performance, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the initiative and the grade given by a leading financial analyst to Apple Processing LLC's recent fiscal quarter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the economic impact of Pismo's new policy and a BBC report on the environmental consequences of the same policy, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the Pismo official who is both credited with spearheading the economic initiative and criticized for potential environmental oversight?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article by Bloomberg on the latest strategic partnership of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions and a report by Reuters on their recent investment in autonomous driving technology, which city, hosting the headquarters of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, is also the location where the first public trial of their autonomous vehicles will take place?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's participation with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's influence on Argentina's forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there no change in the focus of Messi's involvement from club performance to international team mentorship?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's recent performances in the Champions League have been unconvincing, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern, indicating a specific outcome in a European competition?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues affecting Palestinian voices on a date other than October 19, 2023, and again on Meta's ad-free subscription service being potentially illegal and unfair on a date other than November 30, 2023, resulting in inconsistency in the news source's critical perspective towards Meta's policies and practices?": "no", + "Does 'The Verge' article on Prime Big Deal Days indicate that there are no gaming deals for the same range of gaming platforms as 'Polygon' staff play games on, including PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC?": "no", + "Which company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is likely to win a court case if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, yet is criticized for not planning additional measures on its video platform and for harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the updates on Azure's AI capabilities from a Bloomberg article and the expansion of Azure's data center regions as reported by Reuters, which single letter of the alphabet is the starting character for both the new AI feature announced and the name of the latest country to have an Azure data center announced?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has superior architecture and capabilities in comparison to other AI models, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article also depict Google negatively by portraying it as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Walt Disney Studios is unable to meet the individualized desires of Disney fans, while another Polygon article observes that Esfand's fanbase has evolved from gaming to sports fans, indicating a shift in fan interests?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's commercial operation is less successful than Manchester City's, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's performance in European competitions is inferior to expectations?": "Yes", + "Who, according to articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style', has openly discussed her relationship with Travis Kelce, remains unaffected by paparazzi during her outings, and has committed to a year-long tour that she insists on not canceling?": "Taylor Swift", + "Did the Federal Reserve change its stance on basing its interest rate decisions on incoming economic data after The Sydney Morning Herald reported on it before October 1, 2023, and did their influence on global financial markets differ from what The Sydney Morning Herald highlighted in a subsequent report?": "no", + "Which social media platform, mentioned in articles from 'The Guardian' and 'TechCrunch', has been used for both the indirect delivery of pills and as a source of firsthand information regarding events in Gaza due to trust issues with other platforms?": "Snapchat", + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been involved in legal scrutiny for its financial practices to maintain default search engine status on various platforms and has faced antitrust allegations concerning its impact on news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Which company, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, not only learns from the missteps of its competitors to deliver superior products but also enforces uniform terms on developers through its store and payment system while simultaneously justifying its choice of a default search engine on its devices due to the lack of a valid alternative?": "Apple", + "Does the TechCrunch article fail to report a specific figure for Uber's operating and net income in Q3, while the Seeking Alpha article discusses the frequency with which 'The company' has surpassed earnings per share and revenue expectations without specifying the financial figures?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on point spread betting published on November 1, 2023, was the reporting on how sportsbooks adjust their betting lines consistent?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the defense policies outlined in a Reuters report, which country, aiming to strengthen its regional influence in Asia, has both increased its GDP growth forecast and announced a significant military exercise for the upcoming year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency platform as reported by The Verge, recruited a colleague from Jane Street to join him at a trading firm and later a crypto exchange as per Fortune, was informed about a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to another article from The Verge, and is accused of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain as alleged by the prosecution in a report by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, has not only altered the internet’s appearance with its efforts but is also facing criticism for its new product's performance comparison to GPT-3.5 and for harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Israel's actions are aggressive by mentioning a warning to Gaza residents to relocate due to a potential ground invasion, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article implies that Israel was caught off-guard by a Hamas attack, indicating a lack of intelligence support?": "no", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Sophie Devine's record-breaking fastest century in women's T20 cricket and a BBC report on her views about the mental health of athletes, which team does Sophie Devine captain that has a player holding such a record and is vocal about mental health awareness?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have offered $5 billion to a former President to avoid a re-run, pleaded not guilty to charges as per another TechCrunch article, is facing a criminal trial according to the same source, and was mentioned by The Verge as having difficulty managing two companies due to significant growth?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, about Google's financial strategies to maintain its search engine dominance, and again on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to TechCrunch?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'The Verge' article's claim that he used $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, and does the 'TechCrunch' article also support the notion that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, or do these articles present the same allegations regarding his actions?": "no", + "Did the TechCrunch article on software companies report a decrease in revenue related to payment models, and does the Hacker News article on The Epoch Times both report an increase in revenue related to subscription models, respectively?": "no", + "Between the article published by Sporting News on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-06, has the explanation of what bettors can place prop bets on remained consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader claim that selling on Amazon is a terrible business decision, while the article from The Sydney Morning Herald reports a stock price fall due to an antitrust lawsuit, indicating differing impacts of Amazon's business practices on sellers and stockholders?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, before the FTX collapse, was seen as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, decided to use a substantial amount of customer funds to settle with a competitor, and is now facing allegations of fraud for personal gain according to reports from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who, according to TechCrunch, is the generous and caring industry figure recently removed from OpenAI's leadership, who is also speculated to have been untruthful with the board and is now planning to start a new venture?": "Sam Altman", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, allegedly used a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, convinced a former co-worker to join his business ventures, claimed incapacity to oversee two major entities due to rapid expansion, and is accused by prosecutors of intentionally engaging in deceptive practices to gain affluence and clout?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who, according to various articles from Sporting News, can make money by engaging in activities such as placing prop bets on the performance of a team at a specific point in a game, deciding on the outcome of individual matches or the winning team in golf events, and taking advantage of bonus offers when their selected team wins on moneyline bets?": "Bettors", + "Which company, the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for its alleged detrimental impact on news publishers' revenues, also invested $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the preferred search engine on various devices and platforms, and has compared its Gemini Pro's performance to that of OpenAI's GPT-3.5?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Israel's actions are defensive by mentioning a warning to Gaza residents to relocate due to a potential ground invasion, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article implies that Israel was caught off-guard by a Hamas attack, indicating a lack of intelligence support?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual being tried for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, whose portrayal has ranged from a financial guru compared to Warren Buffet to a fraudulent actor seeking wealth, power, and influence, and is currently at the center of a legal battle with contrasting narratives presented by his defense and the government in sources including Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior specifically harms news publishers' revenue, while The Age article suggests a general acceptance of foul play by Google without specifying the impact on revenue?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing Synchrony Financial's strategic partnerships and a Bloomberg report on their financial performance in the last quarter, which division within Synchrony Financial, as mentioned in both articles, is responsible for the largest share of the company's revenue growth?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, known for being more responsive to consumer feedback in recent years and is planning to appeal an ITC decision on a patent dispute, is expected to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event and has been criticized for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system according to TechCrunch, Engadget, and two articles from The Verge?": "Apple", + "Considering the financial performance insights from a Bloomberg article and the strategic partnership developments from a Reuters report on Safaricom, which single letter represents the start of the name of the CEO who has overseen these recent company advancements?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Forbes report on Chip Bergh, what is the first letter of the company that Bergh is associated with, which has seen a significant shift in sustainability practices under his leadership according to the New York Times, and has also been reported by Forbes to have experienced a notable increase in market share during his tenure?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while The Verge article focuses on his awareness of financial discrepancies, and does the second TechCrunch article claim that his actions were motivated by personal gain?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Panasonic's financial strategies and a Reuters report on Panasonic's technological advancements, which company, as a key supplier to a major electric vehicle manufacturer, announced both an investment plan to boost battery production and a breakthrough in battery technology that could significantly extend electric vehicle range?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial conduct is under scrutiny, with contrasting narratives presented in court, not-guilty pleas entered against multiple charges, an admission of being informed about significant financial discrepancies, and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by sources including Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual implicated by 'Fortune' for using a colleague as a cover for illicit access to funds, accused by 'The Verge' of misappropriating a billion dollars of customer money for a buyout, and alleged by 'TechCrunch' to have intentionally committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What is the name of the electric pickup truck discussed in TechCrunch as having an uncertain future and believed by Elon Musk, as reported by The Verge, to be potentially safer for occupants and pedestrians than other trucks?": "Cybertruck", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing sportsbooks' practices indicate that sportsbooks consistently adjust their odds and lines in response to events and information, such as injuries, roster changes, and gathered data on NBA rookies, or do they suggest different practices for these adjustments?": "Consistently", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Amit Zavery, what single letter represents the first initial of the company that Amit Zavery left to join Google Cloud, which was also mentioned as a competitor in the cloud services market in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the 'Business Line' article's claims about central bankers' response to supply disruptions and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Federal Reserve officials' actions to combat inflation both suggest a decrease in interest rates?": "no", + "Does the FOX News - Health article linking Influenza to serious health complications agree with the FOX News - Health article on GLP-1 agonist medications concerning the potential for rare but serious health complications from medical conditions or treatments?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was reportedly ousted from a leading AI organization, but is recognized for brilliance and generosity in the industry, and is currently planning to launch a new venture according to reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the role of sportsbooks in setting betting lines and odds inconsistent?": "no", + "Based on an article from The Times and another from The Guardian about Kumkum Fernando, which character is common to both the role Kumkum was praised for in The Times and the initiative they criticized in The Guardian?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Crown Castle's financial performance in the last quarter and a Bloomberg article discussing the company's expansion plans into new markets, which single letter symbol represents Crown Castle on the New York Stock Exchange?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's AI demo involving the Gemini Ultra model and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit filed against Google, was there a change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google's practices?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the role of sportsbooks in setting betting lines and odds consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article discussing the undermining of the vampire cause suggest a different impact on the perception of vampires compared to the Polygon article on vampires in stories, with the former suggesting a negative effect on their menacing image and the latter implying a pervasive hidden presence in narratives?": "No", + "What company is expected to focus on new Macs and chipsets at an event according to Engadget, is known for refining and polishing its products as suggested by TechCrunch, and enforces uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system as reported by The Verge?": "Apple", + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the negative impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program, while the FOX News - Lifestyle article suggests that Marketing practices overshadow the message of hope?": "no", + "After the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's use of a front for secret access to customer funds, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 7, 2023, alleging that Sam Bankman-Fried knowingly committed fraud, did The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial indicate consistent or inconsistent information regarding his actions related to customer funds?": "Consistent", + "Which company, according to different reports by TechCrunch and The Verge, both released a restricted version of an AI model and was considered the only valid option for search engine services during a negotiation, while also being accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest in that age group, who is accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange's success on falsehoods and expressed intentions to form an expert board for the company, despite a preference against investor directors, while also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the environmental initiatives discussed in a Bloomberg article and the new seasonal drink flavors introduced according to a CNN report, which letter represents both the first character of the initiative aimed at reducing waste at Starbucks and the initial of the primary spice used in Starbucks' latest autumn-themed beverage?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the economic developments reported by Bloomberg and the agricultural advancements discussed in The Economist regarding Mozambique, which minister, identified by a single initial, is at the forefront of both implementing financial reforms and promoting innovative farming techniques?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation published after October 2, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried's testimony, was there a change in the narrative regarding his ability to manage FTX and Alameda Research?": "No", + "Considering the character development discussed in the Variety article and the plot twists mentioned in the Hollywood Reporter's coverage, which character from the series \"Ahsoka\" is central to both narratives and is expected to have a significant impact on the Star Wars universe?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that, prior to the downfall of a cryptocurrency platform, was equated with a notable investor known for his acumen, portrayed himself as a reliable figure within the digital currency realm as reported by The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of deliberate fraudulent actions for personal gain, according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the report by Fortune on September 26, 2023, claiming Donald Trump inflated the value of his Trump Tower apartment, did The Age report on November 7, 2023, maintain consistency regarding the allegations of Donald Trump's financial misrepresentations?": "Yes", + "Who, previously associated with OpenAI and having been accused of not being fully truthful with its board according to a theory by TechCrunch, has both showcased a vision for AI agents at a developer conference reported by Fortune and is supporting a teen's AI startup as well as planning to launch a new venture as per TechCrunch articles?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Rep. Patrick McHenry is actively seeking a permanent speaker role, while 'The Age' article indicates that Kevin McCarthy has been removed from the speaker position?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article about Scott McTominay suggest he is the top scorer for Manchester United in the same way that the Sporting News article about the Major League Soccer scoring list indicates Chris Wondolowski leads with 171 goals?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with Alameda and FTX, who is alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain and also told a trader that withdrawing funds was acceptable as long as it didn't surpass the company's total trading revenue, as reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, founded in late 2015 and known for its generative AI poster child behind ChatGPT, is anticipated by TechCrunch to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform and to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "What company, recently covered by TechCrunch for both its financial performance in the third quarter and its criticized safety measures, is known for its ride-sharing services?": "Uber", + "Does the Sporting News article claim that the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seahawks on Thanksgiving align with the Sporting News report on The Wolverines (Michigan football team) winning The Game for the third consecutive year in terms of both teams achieving recent victories?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest the same approach to handling AI-generated music compared to the assistance of AI in music creation as per the 'National Music Publishers Association', while 'TechCrunch' reports on 'Spotify's' actions regarding AI-crafted songs and the introduction of an AI-powered DJ feature?": "no", + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Sam Bankman-Fried's lack of persuasive abilities led to Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while the TechCrunch articles focus on different aspects of Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation and alleged actions, without mentioning his persuasive influence on specific individuals?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model is a limited version compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article discusses Google's search engine deals with companies, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, indicating different types of alleged actions by Google in each case?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindu, which city, known for hosting a significant cultural festival according to the first source, also faced infrastructure challenges during a recent international sports event as reported by the second source?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the new traffic management plan in Indiranagar and a Times of India report on the recent zoning regulations affecting businesses in the same area, which single character from the English alphabet is common to the official abbreviations for both the traffic authority responsible for implementing the management plan and the municipal department enforcing the zoning regulations?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which individual, recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year, has not only performed at a venue reported by 'CBSSports.com' but was also observed supporting at the same location according to 'The Age'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Between the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's season ticket prices following Lionel Messi's arrival published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Inter Miami's exclusion from the MLS playoffs published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the team's postseason prospects as reported by the news source?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual, previously likened to Warren Buffet and dubbed the white horse of crypto by some, but not by TechCrunch, that is now facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'FOX News - Health' article suggest that 'Time-restricted eating' has a negative impact on sleep quality and brain recovery, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article implies that 'Internet sleep tips and tricks' are not reliably effective for improving sleep?": "no", + "Did the FOX News - Entertainment article attribute the factors that helped Robin Williams overcome his drug addiction to the same life events as the pre-fight issues faced by Oliver McCall mentioned in the TalkSport article?": "no", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film \"Pulse\" reflects on themes of loneliness in a connected world, while the TalkSport article discusses the nature of Paul Mitchell and Ralf Rangnick's relationship, indicating whether their friendship has been maintained since their time at Leipzig?": "Yes", + "Which individual, subject to a criminal trial covered by TechCrunch and associated with allegations of fraud and conspiracy for their actions at a crypto exchange, is also accused by Fortune of using a colleague at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds and whose purported success was claimed to be based on falsehoods?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in Architectural Digest about Eny Lee Parker, which city, known for a significant design event that Parker participated in according to The New York Times, is also where she unveiled a new collection as reported by Architectural Digest?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' published on October 1st featuring \"Chris Hammer's latest book\" and the 'Polygon' article detailing every movie and show coming to Netflix in November, which narrative involves a family entangled in a murder scenario?": "Polygon", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds for unauthorized purposes, while the Fortune article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, and how does this compare to The Verge's assertion that Alameda was managing losses to maintain FTX's balance sheet?": "Contradictory", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and payment systems, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles accuse Google of engaging in practices that harm competitors and partners in the areas of search and news publishing, respectively?": "Yes", + "What company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its laptop that stands out like a desktop, also justifies its choice of default search engine on The Verge, while simultaneously enforcing uniform terms across its platform as described in another article by The Verge?": "Apple", + "Who is the individual accused of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, persuading a former coworker to join his trading and development ventures, and making an executive decision to use a substantial amount of customer money to settle with a competitor, all while facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which sports betting platform, reported by both Sporting News and CBSSports.com, provides a sign-up incentive that could include a $1,000 Bonus Bet for new users in Vermont and also caters to fans of the NBA and PGA Tour with various promotions and betting options?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Who is the individual that informed Paradigm about intending to establish an expert board for FTX, as reported by a World Business News Leader, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as covered by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is known for its impact on the internet's appearance, has no new measures planned for YouTube in the upcoming months, was described as the only valid search engine service option during a court defense, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Goodyear's latest tire technology advancements and a Wall Street Journal report on Goodyear's strategic partnerships in the automotive industry, which letter represents both the first character of the European city where Goodyear's new research facility is inaugurated and the last character of the name of the company that Goodyear has recently partnered with to enhance tire performance data analytics?": "Insufficient information.", + "What company, as reported by TechCrunch, spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status on multiple devices and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was responsible for the alleged deceit behind FTX's success, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison's admission of guilt to federal criminal charges in relation to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "What entities, as reported by Sporting News, are responsible for changing betting lines due to new information or sentiment about a team's performance, balancing liabilities from uneven betting, determining refunds for weather-affected games, and updating NBA Rookie of the Year odds?": "Sportsbooks.", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Google's spending to become the default search engine on various platforms report the same amount of $26.3 billion in 2021 as the claim made in another TechCrunch article covering the US v Google trial, or do they report different amounts?": "Same", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that the Houston Astros' actions had no significant impact on the values of Major League Baseball, while 'The New York Times' article focuses solely on the Astros' performance after a specific change to their stadium?": "no", + "Which company, currently engaged in a legal dispute covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is accused of anticompetitive practices that could affect its position in the market depending on the court's definition of the market scope, and has also provided extensive documentation to counter allegations regarding its practices in app distribution and monetization?": "Google", + "Does the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team lost to Australia's cricket team by 162 runs in their first World Cup encounter, while 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article states that Australia's cricket team experienced their first loss in a four-day game since January 2014 during their current tour of India?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was not endorsed by TechCrunch as the white horse of crypto, is facing trial for instructing the use of billions of customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, is both seeking to involve parents in the oversight of teens' app usage and addressing content moderation challenges related to livestreaming during the Israel-Hamas war, while also facing criticism for alleged moderation biases affecting Palestinian voices?": "Meta", + "Between the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards published before December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on Tyreek Hill's required average yards per game to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards for the season, was there a change in the assessment of his likelihood to reach the milestone?": "Yes", + "Between the report by 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' on October 7th and the report by 'Fortune' on October 10th, which news source's excerpts indicate a consistent description of the severity of the conflict involving 'Hamas' and the 'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu'?": "Fortune", + "Between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 13:55 on December 6, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, and the subsequent article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 14:23 on the same day discussing Taylor Swift's attitude towards paparazzi and her outings, was there consistency in the portrayal of Taylor Swift's approach to personal privacy and media attention?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on EU's call for AI safeguards related to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, citing AI's harm to their bottom line, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's involvement with AI-related issues?": "No", + "After the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which described the success of FTX as being built on lies, and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, detailing Caroline Ellison taking $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in its portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in its October 7, 2023, article alleging his knowing commitment of fraud?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on Sean Payton's decision to attempt a field goal describe a situation where the coach chose an aggressive strategy, and did the 'Sporting News' article on Andre Blake's goalkeeping performance describe a situation where the player chose a conservative strategy in their respective sports scenarios?": "no", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article mention Kevin Behrens, Chris Fuhrich, and Robert Andrich receiving their first national team call-ups, while 'The Independent - Sports' article indicate that Cole Palmer did not consider an England call-up when moving to Chelsea?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, aligning with his leading receiver status mentioned in the same source, while the CBSSports.com article focuses on his challenge to average a certain number of yards per game to reach a seasonal goal, and the second Sporting News piece discusses the difficulty of achieving a specific receiving yards milestone due to upcoming opponents' defenses?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in misusing customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's persona in the cryptocurrency industry, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his involvement in the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Age confirm the same public perception of Google's behavior as the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of Google's actions and their impact on the market and news publishers?": "no", + "What team, which would be under the leadership of its ninth manager since May 2013 if a new appointment occurs, is no longer competing in European competitions after a loss to Bayern at their home ground according to Sporting News reports?": "Manchester United", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta is maintaining the same approach to content moderation in response to the Israel-Hamas war compared to Elon Musk's approach to content moderation on his platforms following Hamas attacks, as reported by TechCrunch?": "no", + "Between the report from The Verge on November 5, 2023, regarding the Epic v. Google case and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's market practices as described by these news sources?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Business World' article suggest that the 'Finance department of the Philippines' is taking measures to reduce debt, while the 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' article indicates that the 'high-tech industry' is experiencing a reduction in spending?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing McCormick's financial performance in the last quarter and a Wall Street Journal article analyzing the impact of new legislation on spice companies, which letter grade represents the consensus analyst rating for McCormick's stock?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Business World' article suggesting that the 'Philippines government' could hinder private investment due to rising national debt align with the concern over the 'Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio' expressed in another 'Business World' article, or do they present differing implications for the country's economy?": "Align", + "What company is associated with the AI model Gemini, which claims to rival the performance of GPT-4, and is also the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers' revenues and content through alleged anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "After The Independent - Life and Style reported on 2023-10-01 that internet sleep tips and tricks are not guaranteed to work, did FOX News - Health suggest on 2023-12-06 that Time-restricted eating, as a specific approach, could improve the quality of sleep, indicating a potential agreement or disagreement with the effectiveness of internet-advised sleep interventions?": "Agreement", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 28, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's management of his business ventures?": "Yes", + "Between the TalkSport report on Manchester United's future plans published on October 16, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's performance in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there a change in the narrative regarding Manchester United's success and planning?": "Yes", + "Who is the player mentioned in articles from 'The Guardian' and 'Sporting News' who scored two touchdowns in a game where his team defeated the Washington Commanders and might struggle to reach 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season because of the strong pass defenses faced by the Miami Dolphins?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Wall Street Journal regarding Independence Pet Holdings, which single letter grade represents the company's current credit rating as evaluated by a major credit rating agency?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, was there disagreement on the financial impact of Google's deals to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Wall Street Journal on Steven Paul Jobs, which single letter represents the first name of the individual who co-founded Apple Inc. and also introduced the iPhone to the world?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions are being scrutinized, as evidenced by the jury's evaluation of contrasting legal narratives in Fortune, the decision to use FTX customer funds reported by The Verge, and the prosecution's allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the description of ChatGPT's capabilities by TechCrunch remained consistent between the article published on September 28 and the subsequent article on November 30?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an updated version of their hardware with numerous improvements and immediate availability starting November 16th?": "Valve", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Jim Harbaugh published on November 6, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Michigan's game against Penn State without Jim Harbaugh on November 11, 2023, was the reporting on Jim Harbaugh's presence with the team consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a bleak future for Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe's vision, while the Sporting News article indicates a setback for Manchester United in European competitions?": "no", + "Who is the individual facing a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives, accused of building a cryptocurrency exchange's success on falsehoods, and alleged to have covertly accessed customer funds through an associate at Alameda Research, all while being charged with intentional fraud for personal gains as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, known for dominating the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup and for offering a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for $15.99, has a history of introducing invite-only deals during Prime Day events and is described by sellers as providing a life-changing opportunity, as reported by Polygon, Wired, The Verge, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him at two different companies, has pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a CNET article discussing the latest Chromebook security features and a separate Engadget article reviewing the performance of the newest Chromebook model, which letter represents the shared key feature highlighted for its importance in both security and performance?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article report that Derrick Henry returned to the game after a head injury in the same manner that 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article reported Nathan Murphy did not continue playing in the grand final due to a concussion?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30 who became the wealthiest in the world, proposed the creation of an expert board for FTX without investor directors, found it challenging to manage FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Sports' attribute the scoring of Newcastle's goal to 'Joelinton', while 'The Guardian' reports 'Eintracht Frankfurt' as the team responsible for scoring five goals against Bayern Munich?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claiming that Caroline Ellison confessed to the theft of customer funds differ from the Fortune article's claim that Caroline Ellison adequately protected her hedge fund from risks, or do they both suggest a form of mismanagement by Caroline Ellison during her tenure at Alameda Research?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News fail to publish a report on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont on September 26, 2023, and was the coverage of Caesars Sportsbook's betting options consistent?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while The Verge focuses on Google's role in the Epic v. Google trial without making a similar claim about anticompetitive actions?": "Yes", + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is not only responsible for introducing GPT-4 Turbo and planning to make GPT-4 with vision available but is also predicted to dominate the AI tools platform market, overshadowing competitors like Hugging Face, and is known for creating the popular generative AI, ChatGPT?": "OpenAI", + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's role before the collapse of FTX, and the report from TechCrunch on October 7, 2023, alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent activities, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX trial?": "Yes", + "Did \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" disagree with the same publication's report on \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\" regarding the year they began their separation?": "no", + "Did the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift declined an invitation to a game at Arrowhead Stadium, while the article from 'The Age' simply reports a sighting of Taylor Swift at the stadium, without mentioning an invitation?": "no", + "Which organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by both TechCrunch and The Age, is set to promote an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform for AI tools and will also introduce GPT-4 with vision alongside a new Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes, and Tyler Glasnow are potential trade options for MLB teams, while Essentially Sports discusses the financial challenges The Los Angeles Angels might face in affording Mike Trout?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Business Line' article claim that 'Leqembi (lecanemab)' is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's as of July 2023, while 'The Guardian' article discusses the time required to realize 'recent scientific developments in tackling dementia' without specifying any particular drug approval?": "Yes", + "Before the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, detailing Manchester United's exit from European competitions, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on December 23, 2023, discussing Manchester United's performance in the English Premier League, was the news regarding Manchester United's performance consistent?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that the Wonder Flowers in Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduce no variability in game mechanics and enemies, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article implies that the State of Israel's reliance on technology creates a vulnerability to enemy challenges?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-3 without vision and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools, was there a change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch?": "no", + "Considering the information from two separate articles on BBC Radio 1, which artist, who released a chart-topping single in January as reported in the first article, was also announced to be headlining a major summer music festival in the second article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance was consistently high throughout the season, while The Guardian article reports Tyreek Hill having a standout performance in a particular game where the Miami Dolphins were defeated by the Washington Commanders?": "no", + "Has the reporting on player actions in sports by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring Jones from the USC vs. Notre Dame game published on October 14, 2023, and the article discussing Cristian Romero's tackle in the Tottenham vs Chelsea game published on November 6, 2023?": "Yes", + "Has the policy on refunds for bets at sportsbooks, as reported by Sporting News, remained consistent after the article on MLB betting sites & apps published on October 24, 2023, compared to the report on prop betting published on November 6, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Insidesport' article claim that the Indian Premier League 2024 auction is not scheduled for a specific date and location, in contrast to the 'Polygon' article which rounds up weekly deals without specifying a recurring event schedule?": "no", + "Has the reporting style regarding live score updates and highlights from NFL games by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring \"Jaguars vs. Saints\" on October 19, 2023, and the one covering \"Chiefs vs. Packers\" on December 3, 2023, considering the excerpts mentioning a player achieving a first down?": "Yes", + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was there agreement between the two sources regarding the availability of the new iteration of the Steam Deck from Valve?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices after the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, or the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Hindu about Kanika Ahuja, which team, represented by Kanika Ahuja, was mentioned in both articles as having an upcoming tournament and also has a player with the initials 'K.A.'?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose legal and criminal narrative, including allegations of fraud and an $8 billion financial discrepancy, is being pieced together by different sources such as Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge, and is currently under scrutiny in a trial where contrasting stories are presented?": "Sam Bankman-Fried.", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's influence on the internet's appearance is the same aspect of its impact as the financial influence on platforms described in the TechCrunch article about Google's spending, and is the anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers mentioned in another TechCrunch article a separate issue from these influences?": "no", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their betting lines based on news or sentiment about a team's performance, provide welcome bonuses with specific conditions, generate profit irrespective of betting outcomes, and alter NBA Rookie of the Year odds according to collected information?": "Sportsbooks", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, presented himself as trustworthy, is claimed to have directed the use of $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor according to The Verge, and is also alleged by TechCrunch to have instructed a colleague to take $14 billion from customers to repay debts and is facing prosecution for committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which celebrity, known for not letting paparazzi affect her and being open about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has both performed and attended a game at Arrowhead Stadium and was intended to receive a friendship bracelet during her concert in Kansas City according to reports by 'The Age', 'CBSSports.com', and 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it provided court evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, spent billions to maintain its default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Do the articles from Fortune and TechCrunch agree on the nature of the charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, with both mentioning fraud and conspiracy, or do they present different charges?": "Agree", + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rumored romance and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of the status of their relationship?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's advertising practices involve the European Commission in a similar capacity to how the European Commission is involved in Amazon's iRobot purchase and Elon Musk's X company's DSA probe, as reported by TechCrunch in both cases?": "Yes", + "After the TechCrunch article on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, did the Fortune article published later on the same day maintain consistency in reporting the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI?": "Yes", + "Between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison, and the subsequent reports from The Verge regarding statements made by Caroline Ellison, was there a change in the narrative concerning her role and actions as the CEO of Alameda Research?": "Yes", + "Considering the labor issues reported by The New York Times and the investment plans discussed in The Wall Street Journal, which company, known for manufacturing electronics, is facing scrutiny for its worker conditions while also planning to expand its production facilities in the United States?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a feature on Bloomberg, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the M-KOPA product that was highlighted for its innovative approach to providing solar energy solutions in one article and was mentioned for its significant impact on the lives of low-income households in another?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's participation with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's influence on Argentina's forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the focus of Messi's involvement from club performance to international team mentorship?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation issues suggest the same kind of problem affecting users as the TechCrunch article alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by Meta?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the Minnesota Vikings' improved performance after a 1-4 start to Danielle Hunter's high-level performance, while the CBSSports.com article credits the Vikings' defense, specifically their ability to limit downfield shots against tight ends, for the team's success?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is different from the Springboks' as per the first article, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' handling was compromised by external factors in the second article, and does it confirm 'The All Blacks' losses to Argentina as stated in the third article?": "Yes", + "Has the focus of the European Commission's actions reported by TechCrunch remained solely on addressing unfair practices in Meta's ad-free subscription model without shifting to concerns about illegal content and disinformation in Elon Musk's X platform?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on TomTom Junction Analytics, which city, identified as having the most congested traffic in both reports, also implemented a new traffic management system using TomTom's technology as mentioned in the BBC News article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently portrayed as the antagonist in an Epic trial by The Verge, uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, and was reported by TechCrunch to both unveil new hardware developments at an annual event and be the subject of a class action antitrust suit by news publishers?": "Google", + "Did the Music Business Worldwide report on November 21, 2023, contradict the earlier report regarding the behavior of TikTok users in relation to music streaming services?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the Fortune report on the opening statements in the same trial published on October 4, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX exchange?": "Yes", + "Which type of platforms, frequently highlighted by Sporting News, are known for providing welcome bonuses with specific requirements and also for adjusting NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on new information?": "Sportsbooks", + "Which company, recently compared by TechCrunch for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, also uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results according to The Verge, and is accused in another TechCrunch article of anticompetitively siphoning off news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the responsibility for the narrative focus on Orlando Arcia's comments to the Atlanta Braves, while The Verge article credits the storytelling depth in 'Castlevania: Nocturne' to the game's own lore and thematic exploration?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Age suggest a different public perception of Google's behavior compared to the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of Google's actions and their impact on the market and news publishers?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article credit Marcus Urann with the initiative to extend the cranberry selling season, while the Scitechdaily | Science Space And Technology News 2017 article discusses cranberry growers' use of cloning to increase production, and are these strategies aligned in their goal to enhance cranberry cultivation?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing MLB, NBA, and general sports betting all agree that Sportsbooks adjust their policies or odds in response to external events such as weather conditions, player injuries, or other significant information?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on prop bets related to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift-inspired props for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the nature of prop bets published on November 6, 2023, was there consistency in how 'Sporting News' described the opportunities for bettors in prop betting?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which country, identified as a key player in regional trade by BBC News, also announced new sustainability initiatives during the summit as per Reuters?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, covered by Engadget for its upcoming 'Scary Fast event' focused on Macs and chipsets, is also mentioned by The Verge for planning an 18-month appeal process against an ITC decision, and is recognized by TechCrunch for learning from competitors before releasing polished products, and is noted by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Who is the NFL player that contributed to his team's Super Bowl victories in 2020 and 2023 and is expected to have a productive game against the Raiders on Christmas Day, as reported by sources 'The Age' and 'Yardbarker'?": "Travis Kelce", + "Did the 'Sporting News' change its explanation of sports betting terms, specifically regarding 'Bettors who wager on the \"over\"' after November 6, 2023, as compared to its earlier report on November 1, 2023?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Google lacks the ability to resolve issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles, one discussing Google's Gemini and the other an antitrust suit, both portray Google's actions or products in a positive light?": "no", + "Based on a report by Bloomberg detailing Apple Inc's latest strategic business move and a separate article from The Wall Street Journal discussing a new technological innovation by Apple, which division head within the company, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing the integration of the new technology into the company's business strategy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy associated with the rise of generative AI technology, who faced no removal efforts by the co-founders of Anthropic, but was involved in a controversial departure from OpenAI, as discussed in articles by 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Boney Kapoor's upcoming film projects and another from The Hindu discussing his collaboration with a specific actor, which actor is mentioned in both articles as working with Boney Kapoor on a new film venture?": "Insufficient information.", + "What country, featured in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has recently been involved in issuing a relocation warning in Gaza, controlling the entry of essential supplies there, and experienced a surprise attack due to an intelligence failure?": "Israel", + "Which company is suggested to have altered the internet's appearance, is implicated in potential foul play by users according to a source called 'The Age', and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": "Google", + "Was the information about the improvements in the new iteration of the Steam Deck inconsistent after the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day?": "no", + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust lawsuit over its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues, is also battling Fortnite maker Epic Games in court over document disclosure, and has showcased its latest hardware developments at an annual event?": "Google", + "Did the 'Business Line' article published after the 'The Guardian' article suggest that Leqembi (lecanemab) is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's, while 'The Guardian' mentions recent scientific developments in tackling dementia without specifying the approval status of new drugs?": "no", + "Did 'The Sydney Morning Herald' report a decrease in the price of West Texas Intermediate following the Hamas attack on October 7, while 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' made no mention of any intelligence agencies warning about an increase in Hamas fundraising towards the same date?": "Yes", + "Considering the character development described in The New York Times and the casting choices discussed in The Guardian for the film adaptation of The Archies, which actor, according to both sources, is set to portray the role of the lead guitarist in the band?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that, before the downfall of a cryptocurrency platform, was considered a credible figure within the industry, and is accused of using his influence to recruit a former colleague from a previous company as well as facing allegations of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities to gain wealth and status, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which entity, reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch, is acknowledged for seeking a balanced solution to the impact of a CJEU ruling, is facilitating dialogue against Meta's practices, will deploy staff within its AI Office, and has previously focused on concerns about the spread of illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war?": "European Commission", + "What football club would have been in an improved league position without a ten-point penalty, has recently experienced a significant change in league standing due to a streak of six wins in nine games, scored more than once in a Premier League match only eight times in the past year, and was brought to the attention of its current chairman by the late Bill Kenwright, as reported by sources including 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', 'The Guardian', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": "Everton Football Club", + "Based on a report by Bloomberg and an analysis by The Verge, which company's executive, known for leading a significant shift in software strategy as per Bloomberg, was also highlighted by The Verge for their involvement in a controversial decision affecting user privacy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits news publishers' revenue, while The Age article suggests a general acceptance of foul play by Google without specifying the impact on revenue?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions published before October 31, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's acknowledgment of financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of legal challenges reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, concerning its potential to influence the outcome of a court case related to phone app markets, its capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and accusations of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Jack Settleman's favorite sports teams and a Forbes piece discussing his recent business ventures, which NBA team, represented by the initial of their city, does Settleman support and has also been the focus of his latest entrepreneurial project?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties, known for showcasing a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's developer conference, and has been described by 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' as both brilliant and impactful in the industry as well as generous and caring, but is also suspected of not being fully truthful with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in reporting on Google's competitive practices in their November 6, 2023, article about Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google or in the December 15, 2023, article about a news publisher's antitrust suit against Google?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India about Khushi Kapoor's upcoming film debut and a piece from Hindustan Times discussing her recent fashion choices at a major film festival, which designer's outfit did she wear at the event that also aligns with the aesthetic of her character in the debut film?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, has been compared to OpenAI in terms of AI performance, has recently showcased new hardware at an annual event, and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust legal challenges, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge, where it is accused of both withholding information from court discovery and being portrayed as an antagonist by a game maker, as well as harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence as discussed by 'The Age' and is also the subject of speculation regarding truthfulness with the board as per 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also mentioned by The Verge as both altering the internet's appearance and potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market?": "Google", + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch, for actions including instructing the misuse of billions in customer funds, presenting contrasting narratives of his role to a jury, and allegedly planning governance structures for a company while simultaneously committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was Owen Teale's career impact discussed in The Sydney Morning Herald before Tate McRae's breakthrough performance on Saturday Night Live was reported by The Age?": "Yes", + "Did 'The Independent - Life and Style' contradict their report later that same day regarding the nature of the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium separately?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" suggest infidelity as a factor, while the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" indicate the absence of infidelity?": "Yes", + "Considering the latest discounts on electronics reported by Save Bubble and the trends in consumer electronics purchases during the holiday season covered in a separate article on Save Bubble, which brand, known for its smartphones and laptops, has been identified as offering the most significant price reductions on its latest model, which also saw the highest sales increase compared to the previous year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch reports on Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior between the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the report on the news publisher's antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that eBay's fees are identical to Discogs' fees, or does the Fortune article indicate that CEOs Scharff, Dimon, and Moynihan have identical policies on overdraft fees compared to Citigroup's policy?": "no", + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust legal dispute providing extensive documentation in its defense, is not planning additional measures for a major video platform, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an ABC News article discussing James Warburton's strategic business moves and a Reuters report on his financial management decisions, what is the first letter of the company that Warburton is currently leading as CEO?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing Houdini's most famous escape acts and a piece from The Guardian discussing Houdini's rivalry with spiritualists, which city, beginning with the letter 'B', is both the location of one of Houdini's most daring performances and the place where he had a notable public dispute with a prominent spiritualist?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there no change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' gameplay as reported by the same news source?": "no", + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the recent health initiatives reported by The Guardian, which minister, responsible for both finance and health portfolios in Harare, has been recognized for their dual efforts in budget reform and combating the spread of malaria?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Polygon report on the updates to the Steam Deck hardware published before November 16, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED, was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware consistent?": "Yes", + "Considering Jeh Johnson's statements on cybersecurity in an article from The New York Times and his views on immigration reform discussed in a piece by The Washington Post, which government department did he lead that is central to both issues?": "Insufficient information.", + "What is the term for entities that, according to Sporting News, not only profit from betting outcomes regardless of the winner but also modify NBA Rookie of the Year odds by analyzing collected data?": "Sportsbooks", + "Considering the features discussed in a recent article from The Verge about the latest Windows Insider build and the security updates mentioned in a separate article from PCWorld for the same build, which letter represents the drive that Microsoft traditionally assigns to the system partition by default?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, according to TechCrunch articles, invested $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the primary search engine on multiple devices and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article discussing Volodymyr Zelenskyy's diplomatic efforts in Europe and a CNN report on his administration's domestic policies, which letter of the alphabet does the first name of the European leader Zelenskyy met with in the BBC article start with, who also expressed concerns about domestic reforms mentioned in the CNN report?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?\n\nBetween the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's financial decisions published on October 10, 2023, was the consistency in reporting Sam Bankman-Fried's financial conduct maintained?": "Yes", + "What company is at the center of antitrust discussions due to its default search engine deals with various tech companies, impact on the internet's appearance, potential legal outcomes regarding phones and app stores, and allegations of harming news publishers' revenue as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Does 'The Age' article stating that Richelle Cranston has battled stage five chronic kidney disease while playing this season align with the same newspaper's claim about her playing history across three AFLW clubs, or do these claims highlight different aspects of her career?": "Different aspects", + "What company is at the center of concerns regarding both potential foul play in search practices reported by The Age and the anticompetitive siphoning of content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers as discussed by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Which public figure, who was recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year and is known for her ability to keep major events private as noted by 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts', has been the subject of rumors involving a friendship bracelet mentioned in articles from both 'The Age' and 'CBSSports.com'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's top scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article suggests Erling Haaland has the chance to become the overall top scorer in 2023, indicating a difference in the scope of their scoring achievements?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's payments to secure default search engine status are unrelated to its anticompetitive behavior, while The Verge article focuses on the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services, and another TechCrunch article alleges that Google's anticompetitive actions extend to harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "no", + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its responsive approach to consumer feedback through its product design, also justifies its choice of Google for user privacy reasons according to The Verge, and is mentioned by the same source for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Did the TechCrunch article fail to report a workforce reduction at Epic Games, while The Verge article discusses Epic Games' portrayal in a legal battle, without mentioning any layoffs?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Oregon football team is still in contention for the College Football Playoff following a specific game outcome, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses the LSU football team's status after losing two games?": "no", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's impact on news publishers' revenue published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices as anticompetitive?": "No", + "Between the Sporting News report on the worst NBA betting sites and apps for the 2023-24 season published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds with Wembanyama as the early favorite published on October 4, 2023, was there agreement in how Sportsbooks approach their offerings and adjustments in betting lines?": "no", + "Which NFL team, featured in both CBSSports.com and Sporting News articles, has recently adjusted their offensive strategy by decreasing their passing play percentage and has seen similar offensive results with a new quarterback as they did with their previous one, thanks to contributions from their running game and defense?": "Minnesota Vikings", + "What is the name of the service that, according to TechCrunch, has been temporarily made free for users following chaotic events and has successfully reverse-engineered the iMessage protocol to bring blue bubble texts to Android users?": "Beeper Mini", + "Who is the individual whose trial is being covered by TechCrunch and The Verge, involving allegations of instructing the withdrawal of funds from a trading platform's revenue and directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried after the start of his trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried portray his actions inconsistently?": "no", + "Considering the reported details from 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding Jada Pinkett Smith's memoir, the undisclosed efforts in their relationship, the timeframe of their separation mentioned at the 2022 Academy Awards, and Jada's pre-marital views on divorce, what longstanding Hollywood couple's union embodies these aspects and has faced public scrutiny despite a commitment made before their marriage to remain under the same roof?": "Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith", + "Which basketball team, recently commended by Yardbarker for their draft choices of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, would also lead to a successful point spread bet as per Sporting News if they were to win by 10 or more points?": "Golden State Warriors", + "Which organization, known as the generative AI poster child for creating ChatGPT and mentioned in both TechCrunch articles, was founded in late 2015 and is set to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Has the focus of the European Commission's actions reported by TechCrunch changed from addressing unfair practices in Meta's ad-free subscription model to concerns about illegal content and disinformation in Elon Musk's X platform?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently discussed by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is known for making deals to be the default search engine on various platforms, altering the internet's appearance, hosting an annual hardware event to showcase new developments, and has been accused of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence, is also involved in legal disputes concerning the distribution of Android apps and the operation of app stores, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue and content through anticompetitive practices, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google is engaging in anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, while the article from The Verge implies that Google has the capability to resolve issues, and another TechCrunch article claims that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating differing levels of responsibility or initiative attributed to Google by each source?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated in court for planning an expert board for FTX without investor directors, using a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, and being accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times on recent Border Patrol strategies and a report by The Washington Post on Border Patrol resource allocation, which government official, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing both the implementation of the new strategies and the distribution of resources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' late offensive effectiveness was a factor in the game's outcome, while the same source implies that Frank Reich's position as head coach is at risk due to the Carolina Panthers' poor offensive performance throughout the game?": "Yes", + "Which country, recently discussed in articles from Fortune, Globes English | Israel Business Arena, and Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India, has faced challenges such as a blockade leading to relocation warnings in Gaza, reached understandings to cease hostilities with Hamas, and has been the subject of discussions regarding intelligence failures in the context of surprise attacks?": "Israel", + "Does the CBSSports.com article report that Kenneth Walker III left the game due to an injury, similar to how the TalkSport article reports Andy Robertson's unavailability for Liverpool because of an injury?": "Yes", + "Which company recently underwent a leadership strategy allowing Ryan Petersen to focus more on customer relations, faced workforce reductions by the same individual, and had its internal affairs publicly described as \"deeply concerning\" by Dave Clark, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch?": "Flexport", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on the 'New Orleans' game and the 'Sporting News' article on 'The Raiders' game both describe a scenario where the teams tied the game in the fourth quarter?": "Yes", + "Who, according to articles from TechCrunch, is considered both one of the most brilliant and impactful individuals in the industry and has been accused of not being fully truthful with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that there is no legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Engadget article indicates that President Biden and Congress are actively working on drafting legislation related to AI?": "Yes", + "After the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont published on September 26, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's range of bets for the PGA Tour and other major events published on October 13, 2023, was the coverage of Caesars Sportsbook's betting options consistent?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' position in the AFLW standings published on October 20, 2023, and the subsequent report from The Age on the Sydney Swans' standings published on November 3, 2023, was there a change in the Sydney Swans' ranking in the AFLW?": "Yes", + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that English players in the IPL may not be available for the playoffs, while The New York Times article discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers' performance in the 2020 expanded playoffs without mentioning any player availability issues?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international differently from how 'The Guardian' describes his role in the fifth T20 international?": "Yes", + "Between the report from 'The Age' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, was there no change in the reporting of their relationship status?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Discord users will experience a new system for policy enforcement, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the aircraft safety reforms will include a warning system for identifying suspicious components?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX, who, according to reports from 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'The Verge', 'TechCrunch', and another 'TechCrunch' article, planned to establish a board with experts for his company, struggled with managing the significant growth of his company alongside Alameda Research, was implicated in directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Wired on John Mueller, which single letter represents the first initial of the university that John Mueller graduated from, which is also mentioned as the institution where he conducted a significant part of his research?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sporting News' change its explanation of betting terms to bettors regarding what positive betting odds indicate or alter the definition of an \"over\" bet in totals betting between the article published on 2023-10-02 and the one on 2023-11-01?": "no", + "Did the article from The Verge on Spotify's operating profit and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald on Stock Market Indices both report an increase in their respective financial metrics?": "Yes", + "Based on a Bloomberg article discussing Apple's future product plans and a separate report by 9to5Mac on internal company changes, which executive, known for leading the development of a key Apple device and recently promoted to oversee a broader range of projects, shares an initial with the fruit that symbolizes the company he works for?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, discussed in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in a legal case where it could prevail if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is also criticized for claiming superior AI architecture while allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Surin Kim, which university, known for its significant research contributions and mentioned as Surin Kim's alma mater in The New York Times, also reported a notable increase in international student enrollment in The Guardian's coverage?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article about the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a starting quarterback change to Cole Pennington, a freshman, while the same source, Sporting News, suggests that Drew Lock would replace Geno Smith for the Seahawks if Smith is unable to play?": "True", + "Between the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's role in the cryptocurrency industry and the Fortune article discussing Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on Adam Yedidia's career decisions, was there agreement in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's trustworthiness and influence?\n\nBetween the report from TechCrunch on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged fraudulent activities and the earlier report from The Verge on his representation in the cryptocurrency industry, has the narrative around Sam Bankman-Fried's public image remained consistent?": "No", + "Before The New York Times reported on Norway's football team's lack of competitiveness in major football tournaments on November 17, 2023, did the Sporting News describe Manchester United's historical performance against Chelsea as better with seven wins and only one defeat in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once the richest in the world, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, had plans for a specialized board for his company despite opposing investor directors, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, TechCrunch, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual implicated by allegations in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, involving the use of a front person for secret access to customer funds, the inability to manage two major crypto entities due to their growth, and the instruction to take billions from customers to repay debts, all while being accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Business World' article suggest that the 'Finance department of the Philippines' is ignoring the need to reduce debt, while the 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' article indicates that the 'high-tech industry' is experiencing a reduction in spending?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing PlayLab, Inc.'s latest funding round and a piece from The Wall Street Journal discussing the company's expansion into new markets, which letter represents the first initial of PlayLab, Inc.'s CEO who has been instrumental in securing the investments and leading the company's growth strategy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy associated with OpenAI, recognized since his early twenties, who has plans for a new venture and was involved in a situation where there was no attempt by Anthropic co-founders to remove him, and who is also central to a prevailing theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article report that Derrick Henry did not return to the game after a head injury in the same manner that 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article reported Nathan Murphy did not continue playing in the grand final due to a concussion?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX exchange between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the Fortune report on the opening statements in the same trial published on October 4, 2023?": "no", + "Do both the Polygon article discussing gadgets, movies, TV shows, and streaming services and the TechCrunch article mentioning Google refer to annual events related to their respective topics of entertainment options and hardware developments?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Taylor Swift's approach to personal privacy and media attention between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 13:55 on December 6, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, and the subsequent article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published at 14:23 on the same day discussing Taylor Swift's attitude towards paparazzi and her outings?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate no change in starting quarterback similar to the quarterback replacement reported for the Seattle Seahawks by Sporting News?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention over a financial discrepancy, set conditions for withdrawing money from a trading account, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that \"Microsoft's investment in OpenAI\" is a specific amount, while The Age article focuses on the \"founding of OpenAI\" without specifying financial figures?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving the Wolverines indicate a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of the situation compared to the earlier report by 'The New York Times' on the reactions of college football coaches to the alleged espionage?": "Consistent", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch article suggesting doubts about Sam Altman's truthfulness with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on the film \"Dance The Night,\" which character, portrayed by an actor who has previously won an Academy Award, is central to the plot twist revealed in the third act of the movie as per The New York Times, and is also noted for their exceptional dance performance in a pivotal scene highlighted by The Guardian?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, has influenced the internet's appearance, local search result rankings, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through its practices?": "Google", + "Does the article from The Age suggest that 'People with an Aboriginal ancestor' have the same process to identify with their Aboriginal heritage compared to the stance of 'Indigenous people' on cultural identity as presented by The Guardian?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United has been unsuccessful in their recent matches, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which implies that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge defending Apple's Google Search deal suggest that there was no valid alternative to Google for search engine services, while the other article from The Verge about the public and media's understanding of search engines imply a frustration with the public's knowledge of how search engines work?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch article on December 7, 2023, comparing Google's Gemini to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and the TechCrunch article on the same date claiming Gemini's superiority over OpenAI's GPT-4, was there consistency in the reporting of Google's claims about Gemini's performance relative to OpenAI's models?": "Yes", + "Based on the information from two separate articles on The Associated Press, which country, known for its diplomatic tensions with Country A as reported in the first article, also experienced a significant natural disaster that affected its capital city as detailed in the second article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company has been accused of both manipulating its search services to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age' and entering into default search engine deals with tech giants like Apple as reported by 'The Verge', while also being critiqued for its product Gemini's performance by 'TechCrunch' and facing a class action antitrust suit from news publishers as per another 'TechCrunch' article?": "Google", + "Does the article from The Verge discussing the Microsoft Elite Series 2 “Core” version mention a reduction in features compared to the standard model, and does the article from The Verge on MacBook Pros indicate a reduction in prices for the new models?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, prior to the FTX collapse, was perceived as a credible figure within the cryptocurrency sector, was contrasted with Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is now facing allegations of intentional fraud by the prosecution?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, covered by Wired for introducing invite-only deals during Prime Day, is also the platform where a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables can be purchased for $15.99 as reported by Polygon, and is considered by sellers featured in a Cnbc | World Business News Leader article to offer a life-changing opportunity for selling products?": "Amazon", + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman backing a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, compared to the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing recent escalations and a Reuters report on diplomatic efforts, which country, involved in mediating the conflict between Israel and Hamas according to Reuters, also hosted a summit that was mentioned in the BBC article as a platform where concerns about the escalation were raised?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, presented himself as trustworthy before his company's collapse, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after judicial intervention, was alleged to have instructed a colleague to use customer funds to repay debts, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that Canelo Alvarez has a specific net worth figure in 2023, while the 'CBSSports.com' article focuses on the fan base's perception of David Benavidez as a successor to Canelo Alvarez, without mentioning any financial figures?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2022, regarding Google's manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, is the portrayal of Google's business practices inconsistent?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of discussions in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, concerning its dominance in search engine services, its control over Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Which company is at the center of concerns regarding both its significant spending to remain the default search engine on various platforms, as reported by TechCrunch, and allegations of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' earnings and the public's perception of fairness in search results, as discussed in The Age and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Has the stance of the European Union towards X (formerly Twitter) regarding the spread of disinformation and illegal content on the platform as reported by TechCrunch changed between the analysis published on September 26, 2023, and the urgent warning issued following the Hamas attacks as of October 10, 2023?": "no", + "Does the Sportskeeda article suggest a more successful start to the 2023 NFL season for Brock Purdy compared to the CBSSports.com article's assessment of his performance under pressure?": "Yes", + "Between the Engadget report on the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds in October 2023 and the Fortune article discussing the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders' benefits in December 2023, which promotional offer was reported as a first-time occurrence, the discount on Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds or the 20% statement credit for Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders?": "Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds", + "Which organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by TechCrunch to be the world's leading AI development company with a top priority project that is a chatbot platform for further advancements, is also planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside a Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in antitrust cases for its practices in becoming the default search engine, influencing app distribution and payment processing markets, showcasing new hardware developments, and impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Did 'The Guardian' report on Eintracht Frankfurt's historic Bundesliga achievement against Bayern Munich before 'The Independent - Sports' mentioned Joelinton's powerful goal for Newcastle?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is not only implicated in altering the internet's appearance and handling Android app distribution issues but also involved in controversies over releasing a \"lite\" AI model and affecting news publishers' revenues through its practices?": "Google", + "Between the article from 'The Verge' published on October 4, 2023, emphasizing the thorough due diligence conducted by major VC firms before investing, and the 'Business Line' article from October 28, 2023, advising investors to evaluate historical performance and management teams before investing, is the advice provided to 'Investors' by these two news sources consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article on Sudan and the political developments mentioned in a Reuters report on Sudan, which letter represents the first initial of the current Prime Minister who is overseeing these changes?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is at the center of various controversies including alleged manipulation of search results for ad revenue, the provision of extensive evidence in an antitrust lawsuit involving a video game maker, the partial release of an AI model, and accusations of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which company spent $26.3 billion to ensure its position as the default search engine, while being accused of manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off content and ad revenue from news publishers, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": "Google.", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with articles from 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', who allegedly used customer funds to pursue personal interests, including a buyout and potentially influencing political outcomes, and is now facing legal allegations of fraud in relation to a major cryptocurrency exchange's collapse?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Valve is launching a new product on November 16th, while The Verge article indicates that Valve has shifted its business strategy to focus exclusively on games for their store?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to different reports by TechCrunch and The Verge, is not only criticized for its anticompetitive practices that harm news publishers' bottom lines but also defended by a major tech competitor due to the lack of valid alternatives for search engine services, while simultaneously claiming that its own generative AI model, Gemini, rivals the performance of leading AI models like GPT-4?": "Google", + "Does the article from Sporting News involving Luciano Acosta mention the same type of game interruption as the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog involving Marcus Lee, with both discussing a foul resulting in a free-kick?": "no", + "Regarding the handling of consent in media-related incidents, did 'TechCrunch' report a situation involving Paul Denino obtaining consent for filming before 'The Independent - Life and Style' reported on Kevin Federline posting videos without consent?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games on November 6, 2024, and then report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, resulting in an inconsistent portrayal of Google's legal challenges related to anticompetitive practices?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article stating Johnny Cardoso's inclusion in the USMNT squad after an ankle injury align with the same source's report on Tyler Adams' absence from the team due to a hamstring injury?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, regarding Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": "no", + "Did Mashable report on the Echelon Connect Sport being on sale for less than $400 off during Black Friday before Fortune mentioned that Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders receive a 20% statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases with Delta?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of discussions on The Verge about altering the internet's appearance and potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered, and is also mentioned in TechCrunch for negatively impacting news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Uber's third-quarter financial performance report a different amount of operating and net income compared to the claim about Uber's profitability in the same period?": "No", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness against the 49ers came early in the game, while the same source indicates that Joe Mixon's offensive role for the Cincinnati Bengals has decreased due to Joe Burrow's absence?": "no", + "Which organization, reported by 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', is attempting to centralize Super Rugby's high-performance programs, is supported by franchises for a potential coaching appointment, and is being urged to reinstate annual funding to these franchises?": "Rugby Australia", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggesting that 'Bettors' can capitalize on event hype align with the same source's claim that 'Sportsbooks' adjust their lines based on news and sentiment about a team's chances, or do they present different influences on betting behavior?": "Align", + "Did the portrayal of Prince William's reaction to Princess Diana's death in 'The Crown season six' as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' at 09:35 AM remain consistent with the depiction mentioned in the later article by the same news source at 19:32 PM?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to TechCrunch articles, invested billions to secure its status as the default search engine on various platforms and is also accused of harming news publishers' revenue streams through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Which company is facing allegations of anticompetitive practices in both the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, as well as accusations of unfairly affecting news publishers' bottom lines and potentially engaging in foul play according to reports by TechCrunch and The Age?": "Google", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's role in the West Indies v England fifth T20 international as an anchor role, while also characterizing his performance as exemplary, and does the same source depict his struggle against legspin bowling in the first T20 international?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a showcase of equal financial power between teams, while 'CBSSports.com' focuses on the current performance of the 'Dallas team' without mentioning their financial status?": "no", + "Which company has been reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to have influenced the internet by paying billions to remain the default search engine on various platforms and altering the web's appearance, while also being accused of harming news publishers' business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that Manchester United's Premier League journey is ongoing by mentioning their travel for the 11th match, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United's participation in European competitions has concluded with a defeat by Bayern?": "Yes", + "Based on a New York Times article discussing the latest developments in the New York Office's financial district and a Wall Street Journal report on the impact of remote work on office space demand, which company, identified in both articles, has decided to reduce its office footprint in New York by one floor?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently subject to an antitrust lawsuit mentioned by The Sydney Morning Herald and discussed by sellers on Cnbc | World Business News Leader as providing life-changing opportunities, also introduced invite-only deals reported by Wired to enhance the experience of its Prime members during sales events?": "Amazon", + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about the launch of AfroFuture and the article from Fortune regarding Billie Jean King's new production company both state that the initiatives were launched by their respective founders after a significant event or experience?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on his plea to charges and the prosecution's allegations without mentioning the use of customer funds?": "no", + "Do the articles from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog discussing The All Blacks' actions in the Rugby World Cup final and their previous encounters with Argentina both present The All Blacks as having effortlessly dominated in their gameplay, or do they portray different situations regarding The All Blacks' performance?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions published on October 2, 2023, and the Verge report about Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 28, 2023, does these reports mention Sam Bankman-Fried's plan to use his wealth to save humanity, as well as his inability to run both companies simultaneously and the defense's argument that he was not a fraudulent actor?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article about Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders suggest they had a similar limitation in touches against Dallas as the Sporting News article indicated about The Diamondbacks' offense's limited hits up to the bottom of the sixth inning?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on the broader allegations of fraud and conspiracy against Sam Bankman-Fried without specifying the use of customer funds?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that 'The Wolverines (Michigan football team)' have control over the rest of their season in a similar way to how the Yardbarker article indicates the 'Minnesota Wild' have control over scoring and high-danger chances during 5-on-5 play?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are unrelated to past conditions, such as booming home prices, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data?": "no", + "Considering the excerpts from 'The Age' published on October 12, 2023, stating a potential return to profit growth for S&P 500 companies after three straight quarters of declines, and the report from 'Seeking Alpha' on October 22, 2023, predicting a more than 50% profit increase for Cleveland-Cliffs, is the financial outlook for Cleveland-Cliffs consistent with the broader trend anticipated for S&P 500 companies as reported by 'The Age' after the earlier date? (consistent/inconsistent)": "consistent", + "Was the reporting of the status of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship consistent between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": "no", + "Is the reporting on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" by 'The Independent - Life and Style' consistent between the article published on 2023-10-12 and the one on 2023-10-16 regarding \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\"?": "Yes", + "Between the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, stating that Sam Bankman-Fried persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him at Alameda and then at FTX after leaving Jane Street, and the statement by Sam Bankman-Fried reported by The Verge on October 28, 2023, that he was unable to manage both FTX and Alameda Research simultaneously due to significant growth, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement and management of the two companies consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Did the Sporting News article report a lower batting average for Jung Hoo Lee in 2022 than Yardbarker reported for Juan Soto in the year referenced?": "no", + "Considering the environmental initiatives discussed in a New York Times article and the tourism statistics mentioned in a report by The Guardian, which letter represents the first initial of the mayor of Cancun who is overseeing the implementation of sustainable practices to address the ecological concerns raised by the increased number of visitors?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is accused by Fortune of building a crypto exchange's success on falsehoods and by TechCrunch of instructing a colleague to misuse $14 billion of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual whose trial is scrutinized by a jury, as reported by Fortune, was previously compared to Warren Buffet by some, but not by TechCrunch, and is facing allegations by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, according to multiple reports from TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the status of Richelle Cranston's AFLW career as reported by 'The Age' remained the same between the article published on 2023-10-20 and the one on 2023-11-03?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Blume Ventures, which company, having received Series A funding led by Blume Ventures as per The Economic Times, also launched a new product line that was highlighted in YourStory in the same year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Based on a report from The Wall Street Journal about Apple's financial performance and a separate article from Bloomberg discussing Apple's latest product launch, which letter represents the start of the name of the executive who is overseeing the product mentioned in Bloomberg and was also highlighted for their strategic financial decisions in The Wall Street Journal article?": "Insufficient information.", + "What company, covered by TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms, and is simultaneously facing scrutiny for its generative AI's architecture and alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Did TechCrunch report on DeepMind's expected release of a next-generation chatbot named Gemini before TechCrunch reported that Google released only a \"lite\" version of the Gemini model known as Gemini Pro?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Global Fund, which country, identified as a major recipient of malaria aid in the BBC article, also announced a significant increase in its financial contribution to the Global Fund according to Reuters?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindustan Times on Jaya Bachchan, which character from a film discussed in both articles is portrayed by an actor who has also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single victory for Michigan's football team could have a similar impact on their season as the loss to the Browns had on the Chicago Bears' playoff hopes, with both teams facing important upcoming games?": "no", + "Considering the allegations in the unredacted lawsuit obtained by the attorneys general of 42 states and the reported experiences of Palestinians, what company is implied to have both potentially violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and is accused of having a moderation bias that suppresses certain voices, according to articles from TechCrunch?": "Meta", + "Does the FOX News - Health article attribute the positive impact on well-being and hope to the Caring Contacts program at a Nebraska children's hospital, while The Independent - Life and Style article credits Will Smith's personal happiness to his relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on Daye's tampon-based STI screening for GBS testing in pregnant women on November 6, 2023, and Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles highlighted the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy on December 13, 2023, does the advice from both sources regarding the importance of maternal health interventions during pregnancy remain consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was there a change in how Sportsbooks adjust and tighten betting lines based on gathered information?": "No", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that T.J. Hockenson is expected to participate in Week 10's game, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Dak Prescott did not participate in the final minutes of his game?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was not ousted by the co-founders of Anthropic and is implicated by a prevailing theory of not being fully truthful with the board, as discussed in articles by 'Fortune', 'The Age', and 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report on the allegations against him, was there no change in the portrayal of his actions related to the FTX situation?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures for the team's functioning in a similar way to how 'Sporting News' advises bettors of team golf events to consider each team's strengths and weaknesses?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Fortune' article on Beyoncé's '\"Renaissance\"' concert film report a different box office debut figure compared to the projected gross revenue for Taylor Swift's '\"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour\"' mentioned in another 'Fortune' article?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindustan Times on Agastya Nanda, which upcoming film, as per The Times of India, marks his acting debut, and who, according to The Hindustan Times, is his legendary grandfather with whom he shares his surname?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was there no change in the focus of reporting on Uber from safety concerns to financial outcomes between the TechCrunch report on Uber's safety measures published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in the third quarter published on November 7, 2023?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the Minnesota Vikings' poor performance after a 1-4 start to Danielle Hunter's high-level performance, while the CBSSports.com article credits the Vikings' defense, specifically their ability to limit downfield shots against tight ends, for the team's success?": "no", + "After the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, stating that Manchester United are out of European competitions, did The Guardian's report on the same day maintain consistency regarding the performance and future outlook of Manchester United?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The Independent about Bobby Brazier, which character did he portray in a television series that marked his acting debut, as mentioned in The Guardian, and is also related to a character discussed in The Independent's coverage of the same topic?": "Insufficient information.", + "What company, reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in antitrust controversies for its financial investments to maintain default search engine status and for affecting news publishers' revenues, while also releasing a limited version of an AI model named Gemini Pro instead of the full Gemini Ultra?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's backing of a teens' startup present a different allegation of misconduct against Sam Bankman-Fried compared to the TechCrunch article covering the FTX collapse's courtroom updates, with the former alleging fraud for personal gain and the latter discussing the misuse of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Which AI-powered chatbot, covered by both Engadget and TechCrunch, not only celebrated its first anniversary since release but also saw a significant increase in usage during December 2022 and is known for its ability to perform a wide range of tasks including coding, composing music, and emulating a Linux computer?": "ChatGPT", + "Considering the information from an article in The Los Angeles Times and another from The New York Times about Bobby Shriver, which single character from the alphabet is missing from the full name of the organization that Shriver co-founded, which is also involved in a major partnership discussed in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose legal proceedings are being covered by sources like 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch', and is associated with statements about having a board with experts for a company, being the subject of contrasting stories by legal representatives and government lawyers, and facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in making deals with major tech companies to maintain its search engine dominance, has the capacity to address Android app distribution and in-app payment issues, and is accused of anticompetitively affecting news publishers' ad revenues and content distribution?": "Google", + "Did the CBSSports.com article report that Kenneth Walker III left the game for reasons other than an injury, similar to how the TalkSport article reports Andy Robertson's unavailability for Liverpool because of an injury?": "no", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices related to competition and market dominance?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Seattle Seahawks are currently on a losing streak, in contrast to the 'Essentially Sports' article which discusses the Houston Astros having had a successful streak prior to their controversy?": "Yes", + "Was the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's performance in the ICC World Cup semi-finals published on November 18, 2023, and the Zee Business report on the India national cricket team's head-to-head record with Australia in ODI World Cup matches published on November 11, 2023, inconsistent in their reporting on India's past encounters with Australia in the World Cup?": "no", + "Who is the cricketer that played both an anchor role and an exemplary innings for West Indies, as reported by The Guardian, and also struggled against legspin bowling in the first T20 international according to The Guardian?": "Shai Hope", + "Who is the individual facing a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives in Fortune, is reported by the same source to have recruited a former Jane Street trader to his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that social media companies, including Twitter (now called X), are facing changes in content moderation policies, with one discussing state laws restricting social media companies and the other describing a crowdsourced moderation system under new leadership?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, while the article from The Verge suggests that Alameda Research had a negative balance that exceeded FTX's revenue, indicating potential financial issues?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, while The Guardian article focuses on his performance in a specific game, and does the other Sporting News article question his ability to achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards for the season based on the strength of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents' pass defenses?": "Yes", + "Did 'The Independent - Life and Style' change their reporting on the nature of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship in their later article published on October 30, 2023, even though 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, and 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the same date noted Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium?": "no", + "Between the Sky Sports report on Manchester United's performance published on October 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, has the narrative regarding Manchester United's success in European competitions changed?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of various controversies involving antitrust behavior as portrayed in a trial covered by The Verge, forms default search engine deals as defended in court according to another article by The Verge, is compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in performance by TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue in a class action suit reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Did the article from Music Business Worldwide about \"Iñigo Quintero's Si No Estás\" failing to reach the top of Spotify's Global Top 50 and the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Capitol Music Group's status as the top-performing label both indicate a leading position in their respective music industry categories?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the expansion of M-Pesa's services into new markets and a Reuters report on the impact of M-Pesa on the local economy in one of its established markets, which single letter represents the currency symbol for the country where M-Pesa first launched its mobile money services?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Tyreek Hill's challenge in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards is due to the strong pass defenses he will face, while The New York Times article presents his current season performance with 812 receiving yards in the first six games without mentioning the strength of upcoming opponents' defenses?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was merely seen cheering at Arrowhead Stadium, while the 'CBSSports.com' article states that she has both performed and attended a game there, and does 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different aspect of her life by discussing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena report a different percentage change in market capitalization for Group Psagot for Finance and Investments than the percentage changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Age?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual involved with a teen's AI startup, was a representative figure of generative AI technology, and faced controversial circumstances at OpenAI without an attempt by co-founders of Anthropic to remove him, according to articles from The Age, TechCrunch, and Fortune?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on point spread betting published on November 1, 2023, was the reporting on how sportsbooks adjust their betting lines inconsistent?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Wall Street Journal about Packy McCormick, what single letter represents the first initial of the city where Packy McCormick's new startup is headquartered, as mentioned in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "What is the name of the AI-powered chatbot, covered by TechCrunch, that not only reached 100 million weekly active users nearly a year after its launch but also has the ability to perform tasks such as completing and debugging code, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": "ChatGPT", + "Has the redemption option for cash back rewards as statement credits for cardholders changed between the 'American Express Cash Magnet® card' as reported by Fortune before November 3, 2023, or the 'Fifth Third 1.67% Card' as reported by the same news source?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article on Bet365's bonus offer for NFL Monday Night Football specify a different bonus amount for new users than the Sporting News article on Caesars Sportsbook's expected offer for new sign-ups in Vermont?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial involved allegations of fraudulent withdrawals from a trading account, as reported by The Verge, and is also the subject of contrasting legal narratives between defense and prosecution, as covered by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch to have invested billions to maintain its status as the default search engine and criticized by The Verge for altering the internet's landscape, is also accused in a TechCrunch article of harming news publishers' revenue and content through its business practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Wired on Mike Schoofs, which company's product, known for its innovative technology in one article, did Schoofs join as the managing editor according to the other article, and is represented by the first letter of its name?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which leading AI development company, known as the generative AI poster child behind ChatGPT and mentioned by TechCrunch, is expected to release GPT-4 with vision alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate a change in starting quarterback similar to the quarterback replacement reported for the Seattle Seahawks by Sporting News?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Who is the under-30 individual once likened to a legendary investor, faced allegations of fraud in a trial covered by The Verge, and was reported by TechCrunch to have offered a significant sum to prevent a presidential re-run, all while struggling to manage the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets, while The Age article focuses on the manipulation of Search for ad revenue, and another TechCrunch article alleges harm to news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue, indicating different sectors impacted by Google's practices?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of the charges he faced?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article on Prime Big Deal Days indicate that there are gaming deals for the same range of gaming platforms as 'Polygon' staff play games on, including PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and PC?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of changes to internet navigation, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues, is suspected of unfair search practices, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive behavior, as reported by The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Between the report by FOX News - Health on 'People engaging in virtual interactions' due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the article by Polygon on the 'Dungeons & Dragons campaign' moving to virtual online play, is the trend of virtual engagement for activities typically done in person consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, as reported by TechCrunch, who allegedly instructed a subordinate to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, advised a trader on withdrawal limits based on total trading revenue as per The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, according to another article by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success was based on dishonest practices in a similar way to how 'TechCrunch' alleges Sam Bankman-Fried sought personal gain through fraudulent means, or do these articles present different reasons for the controversy surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried?": "Similar", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain and is facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, indicating different aspects of the legal issues he is involved in?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the Oregon football team is no longer in contention for the College Football Playoff following a specific game outcome, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article which discusses the LSU football team's status after losing two games?": "Yes", + "Which company, reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has spent billions to be the default search provider, faces scrutiny for its app distribution practices, and is accused of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers and possibly engaging in unfair search practices?": "Google", + "Between the report by The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the report by TechCrunch on December 9, 2023, regarding Google's release of only a \"lite\" version of their AI model, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's actions from the perspective of these news sources? \n\nBetween the report by TechCrunch on December 9, 2023, about Google releasing only a \"lite\" version of their AI model, and the report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, filing a class action antitrust suit against Google, was the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices by TechCrunch maintained?": "Yes", + "Has the perspective on managing dementia in 'The Guardian' articles shown a change from the time Susan Saunders was reported to be caring for her mother with dementia (published at '2023-10-10') to the more recent report on new Alzheimer’s drugs (published at '2023-12-17')?": "Yes", + "Did Engadget report on the Bluetooth functionality improvements in the Steam Deck OLED before Polygon discussed the Bluetooth connectivity of the Microsoft Xbox controller?": "Yes", + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is at the center of antitrust cases for both paying billions to secure its position as a default search engine and for its alleged anticompetitive practices in app distribution and ad revenue siphoning from news publishers?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for alleged fraudulent activities was purely altruistic, while the Fortune article focuses on the jury's role in determining the truthfulness of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, without attributing a specific motive?": "no", + "Considering the information from a Forbes article detailing the philanthropic efforts of the PayPal Mafia and a Bloomberg piece discussing the business ventures of the same group post-PayPal, which member of the PayPal Mafia, known for his investments in space exploration according to Forbes, also founded a financial services company that Bloomberg credits with revolutionizing online payments?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from Fortune discussing Ruby Franke's daughter describe the justification for abuse as a form of necessary discipline, in contrast to the article from The Verge which exonerates Catherine Tan of any accusations of sexual harassment and coercion?": "no", + "What is the name of the OpenAI-developed, general-purpose chatbot reported by TechCrunch to have a wide range of capabilities such as debugging code and composing essays, which Engadget noted had a significant usage spike in December 2022, and has been identified by TechCrunch as achieving 100 million weekly active users nearly a year after its launch?": "ChatGPT", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has a performance comparable to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, or does it claim that Gemini's architecture and capabilities are superior to OpenAI's GPT-4?": "superior", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages is better than in previous years, as indicated by a new record for goals conceded, while The Guardian article implies that Manchester United's overall performance under pressure in the Champions League, especially in Istanbul, has been consistently poor?": "no", + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front to secretly access Alameda Research's customer funds and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on the impact of sleep reduction on the immune system contradict the same publication's article on the decreased risk of insomnia in women due to hormonal differences in terms of the influence of sleep quality on health?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge about the iPad Air's new processor and another article by CNET discussing the device's compatibility with a specific accessory, which generation of iPad Air, represented by a single numeral, is the first to incorporate the mentioned processor and also supports the accessory discussed in the CNET article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was the policy on price matching for customers at HP inconsistent according to The Verge before Polygon reported on the ineligibility for price matching on purchases?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Alameda Research was involved in manipulating FTX's balance sheet, while the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions regarding the composition of FTX's board, and are these claims about different aspects of FTX's corporate governance?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India discuss the State of Israel in the context of a military conflict, while the TechCrunch article focuses on legal strategies within the SBF case?": "Yes", + "Which quarterback, who has been notably less effective under pressure according to CBSSports.com, also holds a 5-0 starting record for the 2023 NFL season as reported by Sportskeeda?": "Brock Purdy", + "Does one of the articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have no betting options, with one discussing prop bets for a specific NFL game and the other detailing betting options in team golf events?": "no", + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist in a legal case by Epic Games according to The Verge, is claimed by TechCrunch to both exceed the performance of leading generative AI models with its Gemini project and to negatively impact news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, while also using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results as reported by The Verge?": "Google", + "Between the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's position on interest rate decisions and the report from Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there agreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's approach to managing inflation?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to 'Fortune', constructed his crypto exchange empire on falsehoods, was once likened to Warren Buffet but not by 'TechCrunch', convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is now facing allegations of intentional fraud as per 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the portrayal of Hamas' activities by 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' changed between the article involving Hamed al-Khachari's financial operations for Hamas and the subsequent report criticizing 'Some journalists around the world' for perpetuating Hamas' lies?": "no", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Valve has made multiple physical upgrades to the Steam Deck, while The Verge article indicates that Valve's focus is solely on games for their store, and does the Engadget article confirm that Valve will launch the Steam Deck OLED on a specific date with immediate availability, unlike the other two sources which do not mention a launch date?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in that age bracket, who has pleaded not guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to achieve wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Sporting News article claim that the San Francisco 49ers were defeated by the Seahawks on Thanksgiving align with the Sporting News report on The Wolverines (Michigan football team) winning The Game for the third consecutive year in terms of both teams achieving recent victories?": "no", + "Who is the quarterback that flawlessly executed the San Francisco 49ers' offense, threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys according to Sporting News, but has shown vulnerability under pressure with a 50% completion rate and a 15.9% off-target rate as reported by CBSSports.com?": "Brock Purdy", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that businesses selling on Amazon are setting non-competitive prices, while the Engadget article indicates a price reduction for the second-gen AirPods on Amazon?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article claim that FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield for the regular season, while The Guardian article discusses Ratcliffe's approach to communication with Manchester United supporters, without mentioning any achievement by the team?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual, covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, that is not only on trial to determine his involvement in fraud and conspiracy but also convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join him in his ventures, and is now being portrayed with conflicting narratives by legal representatives and the government in court?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that 'The Talking Heads' concert film \"Stop Making Sense\" had a theater re-release decades after its original showing, while the 'Polygon' article discusses a recent release of BTS's \"Yet to Come\" concert film, indicating a difference in the timing of the releases?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of directing a $14 billion misuse of customer funds for debt repayment, utilizing a colleague as a facade for unauthorized access to these funds, and facing allegations of intentional fraud for personal gain according to reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from 'The Verge' on 2023-11-24 and the report from 'Wired' on 2023-11-25, is there consistency in the focus on the utility of charging devices such as 'Universal travel adapters' and '10,000-mAh capacity power bank' during Black Friday sales?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Google has the ability to resolve issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles, one discussing Google's Gemini and the other an antitrust suit, both portray Google's actions or products in a negative light?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in The Times of India about Malini Goyal, which city does she mention as having a significant impact on her career, and is also the location where a conference she attended took place?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's hardware developments published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google?": "Yes", + "Which company, highlighted in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been portrayed as using its financial power to maintain default search engine status and accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers and portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games?": "Google", + "Between the TalkSport report on Manchester United's future plans published on October 16, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's performance in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there no change in the narrative regarding Manchester United's success and planning?": "no", + "Does the FOX News - Health article identify the Mayo Clinic as taking a leadership role in artificial intelligence efforts in health care, while the TechCrunch article credits California with leading in privacy-protective innovation for AI technologies?": "Yes", + "Was there disagreement between the two news sources on the portrayal of Sam Altman's standing in Silicon Valley after the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's situation at OpenAI published on a date other than November 18, 2023, and the subsequent Fortune report on the same day regarding the board's actions?": "no", + "What company spends billions to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms, influences local search rankings with specific criteria, and is accused by news publishers of anticompetitive practices that harm their revenue, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been described as using specific criteria to rank local search results, investing billions to be the default search engine on various platforms, and being the only viable option for search engine services during certain negotiations, while also facing accusations of anticompetitive practices that harm news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation before the FTX collapse, and the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding the contrasting stories presented by legal representatives and the government's lawyers about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's character?": "No", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Lamar Jackson's effectiveness is enhanced when regulated to pocket passing, while 'Sporting News' indicates that Arthur Smith has found success with Bijan Robinson's playing style for the Atlanta Falcons?": "no", + "Does the CBSSports.com article claim that Caesars Sportsbook offers the same new customer bonus bet amount as the Sporting News article claims Caesars Sportsbook is expected to offer to new sign-ups in Vermont?": "Yes", + "After Essentially Sports reported on October 18, 2023, that Canelo Alvarez is participating in increasingly profitable boxing matches, did CBSSports.com maintain consistency in reporting the performance of Jessica Andrade by November 11, 2023, stating she has suffered two submission losses during her current three-fight losing streak?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are dating based on her attendance at his game, in contrast to 'The Age' article which implies they might be dating because they were seen leaving the stadium together?": "Yes", + "Which company, featured in articles from Polygon, Wired, and CNBC | World Business News Leader, is not only the platform where a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables can be purchased for $15.99 but has also created a Prime-themed sale day and is considered to provide a life-changing opportunity for sellers?": "Amazon", + "Between the report from Music Business Worldwide on YouTube's collaboration with UMG-affiliated artists and the subsequent report from the same source on YouTube's launch of 'Dream Track', was the news regarding YouTube's involvement with artists in AI experiments consistent?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce during her NFL takeover involves the same type of exchange as the one mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style' articles, with both discussing a friendship bracelet and neither mentioning an invitation to a game or openness about a personal relationship?": "no", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard lacks the potential to dominate in the NHL, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that the USC basketball team has the potential to become a National Championship contender, or do both articles suggest a similar potential for their respective subjects?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the specific use of FTX customer funds by Sam Bankman-Fried?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on Jim Harbaugh's situation published on November 6, 2023, and the subsequent report on Michigan's performance without Jim Harbaugh against Penn State published on November 11, 2023, was there a change in the reporting regarding Jim Harbaugh's presence with the team?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual who presented as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector according to The Verge, was challenged by managing the growth of FTX and Alameda Research, was implicated by TechCrunch in instructing a $14 billion misappropriation from customers, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the updates on Microsoft Planner discussed in an article from The Verge and the new feature integration mentioned by a report on ZDNet, which letter represents the first initial of the Microsoft executive who was responsible for overseeing the development of the feature that both articles claim has significantly improved user task management experience?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that was discussed by both The Verge and TechCrunch for making a decision to use customer funds for a buyout, allegedly committing fraud for personal gain, and was noted for telling a trader about permissible withdrawals, despite being compared to notable investors but not by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Essentially Sports discussing NFL controversies mention a narrower range of issues compared to the Essentially Sports article on Denny Hamlin, which focuses on the controversies and criticism surrounding a single NASCAR driver?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while the Fortune article alleges he used a proxy for unauthorized access to funds, and does the second TechCrunch piece claim that his motivation for alleged fraud was personal gain, thus presenting different aspects of his actions?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle as reported by TechCrunch, was alleged to have spent billions to secure its default search engine status, has the capability to address Android distribution and payment system issues according to The Verge, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices as per another TechCrunch article?": "Google", + "Has the reporting on the performance of the offensive lines from CBSSports.com shown inconsistency between the time they discussed the Panthers offensive line and Bryce Young before the mention of the Denver offensive line's impact on Javonte Williams' performance?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that new users of sportsbooks can claim a higher total amount in bonuses than the amount offered to new customers by Caesars Sportsbook according to CBSSports.com?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that app rankings are increasingly dominated by Chinese-based companies, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that U.S. companies are facing new restrictions on technology sales to China?": "Yes", + "Has the reporting on the performance of the offensive lines from CBSSports.com shown consistency between the time they discussed the Panthers offensive line and Bryce Young before the mention of the Denver offensive line's impact on Javonte Williams' performance?": "Yes", + "After Sporting News reported on Najee Harris being the preferred goal-line back for the Steelers with touchdowns in three recent games on December 7, 2023, did Rivals report any touchdowns by Jonah Coleman for the Wildcats in the game against Utah before that date?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join his trading and development ventures, claimed to be overwhelmed by the growth of his cryptocurrency exchange to effectively manage another firm, decided to use a substantial amount of customer funds for a buyout, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge and accused by TechCrunch of both spending billions to secure default search engine status and siphoning off content and revenue from news publishers through anticompetitive means, is the subject of legal scrutiny?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the expansion of Fixed Wireless Access in rural areas and another by CNET discussing the technological advancements in Fixed Wireless Access equipment, which company, starting with the letter 'A', was mentioned as both expanding its rural Fixed Wireless Access network and introducing new equipment to enhance connectivity speeds?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the article from Fortune reporting on the lawsuit's impact on Rogers Communications Inc. and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon both indicate a decrease in the respective companies' stock prices?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article on Starbucks stores suggest a variation in Thanksgiving Day hours, while the same source's article on Thanksgiving traditions imply a uniform way of celebrating with food, family, and football?": "Yes", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce's performance against the Raiders will be similar to his past productivity, as opposed to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses his attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, without mentioning his on-field performance?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that \"The company's management\" does not expect the war to impact its revenue within forecasted figures, while the Fortune article indicates that Egypt's economic crisis is worsening as elections approach?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the England national rugby union team has had a different path to the Rugby World Cup semifinal compared to the path of The Wallabies (Australian national rugby union team) as implied by the 'Wide World Of Sports' article, with England defeating specific teams and The Wallabies' fate depending on a match between other teams?": "Yes", + "Has the focus of the European Commission's involvement reported by TechCrunch changed from addressing competition concerns in Amazon's iRobot purchase to facilitating dialogue and assessing issues with Meta's ad-free subscription service to probing Elon Musk's X over illegal content risks and moderation practices?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article identify Kravata as a provider of cryptocurrency conversion and transfer services, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried as an individual representative of the cryptocurrency industry?": "Yes", + "Which company, discussed in articles from both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', has been the subject of legal scrutiny for its default search engine deals with other corporations and for its alleged anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article discussing Argentina's forward line suggest Lionel Messi is influencing a youth movement with players like Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho, while the same source's article on Inter Miami indicates Messi's recent return from injury to play a part of the game?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Age' suggest that 'The individual's dating intentions' were not focused on starting a family, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article's claim about 'Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce' centers on speculation about their dating status without indicating a similar intention?": "no", + "Between the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition before and the allegations reported by TechCrunch regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent activities, was there a change in the narrative surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried's professional conduct?": "No", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was perceived differently in terms of trustworthiness within the cryptocurrency industry compared to the allegations of fraud and conspiracy presented in the TechCrunch articles?": "Yes", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's pursuit of Manchester United is driven by personal aspiration, in contrast to the Sporting News article which discusses Manchester United's performance in European competitions without mentioning ownership aspirations?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Science News For Students' article suggest that previous hydrogel research did not explore the relationship between salt content and water absorption, while the 'Advanced Science News' article indicates that the hydrogel used in aqueous zinc iodine batteries has been specifically engineered with functional groups for anode and cathode affinity?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with both the failed crypto exchange FTX and Alameda Research, alleged to have used deceitful practices for personal gain and influence, and is facing charges of fraud and conspiracy according to articles from Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud charges, previously likened to a prominent investor, and is accused of misusing customer funds from a cryptocurrency exchange, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What is the first letter of the brand that, according to a Deal Stripe article on Black Friday deals, offered significant discounts on electronics, and was also mentioned in another Deal Stripe article for having one of its flagship smartphones recommended as a top pick for consumers?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company is at the center of concerns raised by 'The Age' about fairness, criticized by 'TechCrunch' for the architecture and capabilities of its product Gemini, and is also the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "Google", + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been reported to not only invest billions to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms but also faces scrutiny for its control over app distribution and monetization as well as its impact on news publishers' revenues and content?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that T.J. Hockenson's participation in Week 10 is expected under similar circumstances as Dalton Kincaid's anticipated play in the Saturday game, with both being less than fully fit but still likely to play?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article featuring the SuperDraft app suggest Rashee Rice will not be a key player in the Sunday morning game in Frankfurt, while the same source implies that New England's defensive strategy will provide Rashee Rice with more opportunities in Week 15, or do both articles disagree on the significance of Rashee Rice's role in their respective games?": "no", + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is implicated in altering the internet's appearance, not fully releasing its AI model, and facing a class action antitrust suit for harming news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Which team, known for their leaders aiming to end their careers on a positive note and having previously been defeated by Argentina in Sydney and Christchurch, attempted to utilize a numerical advantage on the field by kicking for the corner in a controversial and dramatic final as reported by The Roar | Sports Writers Blog?": "All Blacks", + "Who is the pop star that has been rumored to be in a relationship with a Chiefs TE, has performed and been seen cheering at Arrowhead Stadium, and is committed to a tour schedule that prevents show cancellations, according to sources like 'The Independent - Life and Style', 'The Age', and 'CBSSports.com'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the sale of Govee's LED light strips is timed for the upcoming holidays, while the article from The Independent - Life and Style discusses the introduction of a significant other to family as an event that may coincide with the holidays?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Verge on November 5, 2023, regarding the Epic v. Google case and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher, is there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's market practices as described by these news sources?": "no", + "Did the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch involving Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged motives for committing fraud, portray Sam Bankman-Fried's actions inconsistently?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust issues for spending $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine, being portrayed as an antagonist in a legal trial, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in its portrayal of Google's market behavior after reporting on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, or after reporting again on December 15, 2023, citing AI's benefits to news publishers' bottom lines?": "no", + "Did 'The Independent - Travel' report on Tremblant Ski Resort before 'Essentially Sports' mentioned Jeff Shiffrin's skiing habits?": "Yes", + "Are the Inter Miami premium packages mentioned in Sporting News considered more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, and is the match discussed by Insidesport the 11th Premier League match for Manchester United?": "True", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are causing frustration among Palestinians, while the Fortune article discusses the Arab world's perception of Egypt's stance on Palestinian refugees, and whether these stances are seen as aligned or conflicting?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News maintain consistency in their fantasy football advice after publishing the quarterback rankings at 22:06 on December 7, 2023, which suggested Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and Josh Dobbs are risky options, when they later advised against starting Tyler Higbee at 22:14 on the same day due to the strength of the Baltimore Ravens' tight end defense?": "Yes", + "Which institution, recently covered by both 'The Sydney Morning Herald' and 'Fortune', is linked to investor optimism about a potential halt to interest rate hikes and is basing its future decisions on economic data, following a period of aggressive rate increases to address inflation?": "Federal Reserve", + "Which company, featured in TechCrunch articles, is prioritizing the development of ChatGPT, planning to introduce an \"app store for AI\" to overshadow competitors, and will release GPT-4 with vision capabilities alongside a Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'TechCrunch' discusses the leadership principles in Brené Brown's book \"Dare to Lead\" without attributing tactical leadership on the field to any individual?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently criticized in a TechCrunch article for its anticompetitive practices towards news publishers and for the underwhelming architecture of its Gemini AI according to another TechCrunch report, also ensures its search engine's dominance through deals as mentioned by The Verge, and has been highlighted by TechCrunch for introducing new hardware at an annual event?": "Google", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, once portrayed a reliable image within the cryptocurrency sector, admitted challenges in overseeing the growth of a major crypto exchange and its sister trading firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that, despite facing allegations of building a successful cryptocurrency exchange through deceitful practices, claimed an inability to manage the growth of said exchange and its sister trading firm, and has also been charged with multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information on a specific topic due to distrust in other platforms, while The Guardian article discusses legal actions against Snapchat for a completely different reason related to the platform's use?": "Yes", + "Is the approach of European AI startups towards regulation and compliance as discussed in TechCrunch less proactive from the beginning of their operations compared to Amazon's approach with the European Commission, which is focused on addressing concerns at this stage, as reported by TechCrunch?": "no", + "Who is the individual whose trial is scrutinized by Fortune and The Verge for actions contrasted by lawyers and portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure, and is also mentioned by TechCrunch as being accused of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, and convinced a former Jane Street trader to join him at Alameda and FTX?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions for not planning additional measures for its video platform in the next six months and is also accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Lamar Jackson's effectiveness is diminished when regulated to pocket passing, while 'Sporting News' indicates that Arthur Smith has found success with Bijan Robinson's playing style for the Atlanta Falcons?": "Yes", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who has recently been accused of not being fully truthful with the board of a company he was associated with, and is also known for backing a teen's AI startup, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Considering the updates from an article in The Verge about Apple Maps' new features and the improvements mentioned in a Bloomberg report, which single letter represents the first initial of the Apple executive who is overseeing the integration of these enhancements into the Apple Maps platform?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did both the Sporting News report and the CBSSports.com report state that Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards before December 5, 2023, remained unchanged in their reporting of his progress towards his season goal?": "no", + "Considering the financial performance outlined in a Bloomberg article and the strategic business decisions discussed in a Wall Street Journal article, which Alphabet Inc. executive, identified by a single initial, is responsible for overseeing both the area that experienced the most significant growth and the division that is facing the most substantial restructuring?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style on Travis Kelce's absence at a Taylor Swift concert published on November 25, 2023, and the Yardbarker report on Travis Kelce's potential performance against the Raiders published on December 24, 2023, was there a change in the type of events and activities involving Travis Kelce covered by the news sources?": "no", + "Which individual is associated with the establishment of FTX, faced allegations of constructing the platform's success on falsehoods as reported by Fortune, was accused of misleading a potential investor about governance plans according to Cnbc, and has been charged with fraud and conspiracy, as covered by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's market influence and competitive practices?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, according to a 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader' article, planned to establish a board with experts for a cryptocurrency exchange without investor directors, was reported by 'The Verge' to have used customer funds to buy out a competing firm, and is alleged by the prosecution in a 'TechCrunch' article to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information about a specific region due to distrust in other platforms, while The Guardian article claims that Snapchat's platform has facilitated a different type of activity unrelated to information sharing?": "Yes", + "Did the reporting style on players achieving first downs in Sporting News articles change between the article featuring Anthony Hankerson on October 7, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": "no", + "Which company, featured in a TechCrunch article for reducing its workforce by 870 employees and depicted as an underdog in a legal battle against Google according to The Verge, is involved in both scenarios?": "Epic Games", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another from The Washington Post about recent events at Duke University, which single character is common to both the name of a visiting scholar discussed in The New York Times piece and the newly appointed dean featured in The Washington Post article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the Sporting News article that discusses Michigan's performance against Penn State with Jim Harbaugh suggest the same involvement of Harbaugh during the game compared to the Sporting News article regarding the sign-stealing scandal and his suspension?": "no", + "Which company is currently involved in legal proceedings where it has provided extensive evidence to counter claims of concealing discovery items, may succeed if mobile phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision published on September 28, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's development platform advancements published on November 30, 2023, was there a change in OpenAI's prioritization of ChatGPT as a development platform?": "No", + "What entities, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their point spread, moneyline, and NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines in response to news, betting patterns, liability, and events such as injuries or roster changes?": "Sportsbooks", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report on the SBF trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's prosecution allegations published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Zhemu Soda's recent environmental initiatives and a report by The Guardian on his political career, which political party, known for its green policies, did Zhemu Soda join according to The New York Times, and which committee did he chair that was mentioned in The Guardian, where the first letter of the party and the last letter of the committee are the same?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that his actions were driven by a desire for personal gain?": "no", + "Who is the player that, according to articles from both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', suffered an oblique injury affecting his ability to play in Week 14 and provided a chance for a rookie to shine in his potential absence during Week 12?": "Kenneth Walker III", + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article report an increase in Nike's net income for the recent quarter, and does the TechCrunch article also report a decrease in Gogoro's revenue for the same period?": "no", + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage suggest a different level of commitment to avoiding divorce compared to the stance on divorce expressed in a separate \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article discussing Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage?": "No", + "Who is the individual associated with the significant impact of generative AI technology on public awareness, reportedly had no intentions of being removed by the co-founders of Anthropic from an AI research company, and is at the center of shocking news about their departure as well as allegations of dishonesty with the board, as reported by Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, has spent billions to be the default search engine on multiple platforms, and has been accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is supportive, while the other TechCrunch article suggests that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating a difference in Google's approach to news publishers and content regulation on YouTube?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on the situation at OpenAI involving Sam Altman published on November 18, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's plans after his departure from OpenAI published on the same day, was there a change in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's professional intentions?": "No", + "Did the Sporting News fail to report on FC Cincinnati's achievement before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog mentioned Aston Villa's victory over Fulham?": "no", + "Between the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, stating that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front to have secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, and the report by TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, claiming that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts to lenders under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Did the Sporting News article report on Derrick Henry's inability to return to the game due to a head injury, while the CBSSports.com article describe Cooper Kupp's exit from the game for locker room evaluation after an on-field incident, and do both instances involve players not continuing in their respective games?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge for its practices of taking consumer feedback into account, choosing Google as a default search engine, learning from competitors to refine its products, and enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system, is also known for its range of devices including a 16-inch laptop?": "Apple", + "Who is the individual whose legal representatives and the government's prosecution team are presenting contrasting narratives in a trial where he has pleaded not-guilty to seven charges, including fraud and conspiracy, and is also accused of using illicit means to gain wealth, power, and influence, with these proceedings reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a Times of India article on the growth of tech startups in Bangalore and a Deccan Herald report on the city's traffic management initiatives, which single letter represents both the first character of the startup that recently received significant funding to expand its AI-driven services and the initial of the new traffic signal system implemented at a major Bangalore intersection?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Chris Buescher's season was more successful than previous ones, while the 'Yardbarker' article indicates that C.J. Stroud's rookie season is among the best statistically, when comparing their respective performances in their sports?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindustan Times on Suhana, which character, portrayed by her in a stage adaptation, is based on a literary figure that has been discussed in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for not allowing users to select their browser during iPhone setup, is also the focus of Engadget's rumors about concentrating on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and has been reported by The Verge to enforce uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Which company, discussed in articles from TechCrunch and The Verge, is associated with creating an AI model that claims to meet or exceed the performance of generative models like OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, and is also involved in a legal case where its victory depends on the market definition potentially impacting news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": "Google", + "Between the report by The Age on the fairness of Google Search published on October 22, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing the class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices according to these news sources?": "No", + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, did the narrative about their relationship change?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?": "no", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of exclusivity to anticompetitive concerns?": "no", + "Are the approaches of European AI startups towards regulation and compliance as discussed in TechCrunch more proactive from the beginning of their operations compared to Amazon's approach with the European Commission, which is focused on addressing concerns at this stage, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, formerly associated with FTX and Alameda Research, who was described by 'Fortune' as using a front for secret access to customer funds, by 'The Verge' as overwhelmed by the growth of his company to manage it alongside another, and by 'TechCrunch' as both the richest person in his age group with altruistic spending intentions and as someone accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation according to the 'Fortune' article on October 4, 2023, discussing his actions and the state of FTX, or the 'TechCrunch' article mentioning the prosecution's allegations against him?": "no", + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article's focus on the valuation of Alameda Research's assets in FTT tokens?": "Yes", + "Between the Engadget report on the Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was there consistency in the reporting of the release date and immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED from Valve?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the company that Anthony Melone joined as a CTO, according to a TechCrunch article, and later became the CEO, as reported by a Wall Street Journal article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple encourages diversity in browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple is facing legal challenges both for its Apple Watch and for enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology and a significant voice in Silicon Valley, mentioned in articles by both Fortune and TechCrunch, and was reportedly not removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to The Age?": "Sam Altman", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental policies mentioned in a Reuters report on Mexico, which minister's initial of their last name is at the intersection of these two domains?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" suggest that the Federal Reserve's potential actions regarding interest rates are based on hopes of rate cuts, influence on global markets, and economic data in a consistent manner across different articles, or are there variations in the reasons attributed to the Federal Reserve's decision-making process in each article?": "Consistent", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Pokémon has successfully expanded its reach beyond its core audience and multimedia properties, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Shayda (film) has managed to connect with a universal audience?": "no", + "Does the 'Revyuh Media' article claim that the discovery of Daam1's role is a significant advancement in cancer research, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article focuses on the involvement of Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera with the Cancer Couch Foundation from its inception, without attributing such a discovery to their activities?": "Yes", + "What is the position held by Vandita Pant at her place of employment, as reported in the first news article, and which major project was she involved in, as mentioned in the second news article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently criticized in a TechCrunch article for its generative AI model's architecture and capabilities, is also mentioned by The Verge as having made default search engine deals with major tech firms and being the only viable search option at the time of those negotiations, while also facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI, recognized for both his vision of AI's future and his philanthropic nature, who also invested in a teen's startup and was subject to controversy involving the board as reported by Fortune and multiple TechCrunch articles?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, covered by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions regarding its influence over internet navigation, its capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, and has been accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Shohei Ohtani's decision regarding his MLB future is influenced by a different factor than the excitement over a championship victory influencing the Ford family members and senior executives mentioned in Essentially Sports?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of discussions in articles from 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch' regarding its dominance in search engine services, its potential success in a legal case concerning phones and app stores, and its alleged anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' revenues and content?": "Google", + "Do 'Music Business Worldwide' and 'The Verge' both report that 'TikTok users' engage in similar activities on the platform, with 'Music Business Worldwide' suggesting 'TikTok users' are more likely to discover and share music, while 'The Verge' indicates 'TikTok users' are vlogging their lives?": "Yes", + "What are the entities associated with the Sporting News that not only modify betting lines based on the amount of money wagered and collected information but also offer promotional incentives and have the authority to return stakes in certain weather-affected events?": "Sportsbooks.", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that OpenAI holds a leadership position in generative AI similar to how the Polygon article regards Abbas Kiarostami's status in the field of directing?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by Variety and another by The Hollywood Reporter on \"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,\" which character is reported by Variety to have a significant new role in the film and is also mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter as having a notable scene involving a highway chase?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the world's richest in that age group, who is now facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges and is accused of instructing a colleague to misuse $14 billion of customer funds, all while the prosecution claims the motive was to amass wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about Manchester United's victory over Bayern indicate the same outcome for Manchester United's European competitions as the 'Sporting News' article about Alvaro Barreal's goal implies for Inter Miami's postseason running?": "no", + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors can find value in NBA prop bets by considering team performance, with one discussing the value in player and team props and the other detailing options like a team leading at the end of a quarter or total points scored?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Economic Times about Simran Bahadur, which team, mentioned as her favorite in The Times of India, also has a player that was highlighted for their performance in The Economic Times article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The Wall Street Journal and another from USA Today about Scott McCartney, which airline, noted for its customer service improvements in the former, also faced scrutiny for its handling of a specific operational challenge as reported in the latter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India suggest that a major attack against Israel requires intelligence support, while the article from Fortune claims that Israel controls the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into Gaza, indicating a difference in the focus of Israel's security and humanitarian control measures?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News publish an article on Moneyline betting at 21:25, stating that betting $130 on the Cowboys to win would result in a $100 loss if they win, and did the same news source maintain consistency in their explanation of betting mechanics in a subsequent article about Totals Betting at 22:08, which mentioned that bets placed on \"the over\" win if the combined score exceeds the sportsbook's set total?": "no", + "Considering the information from two articles on TheSpAndroid, which character, introduced in the first article as a new addition to a popular mobile game and described in the second article as having a unique ability to control time, has become a fan favorite for their distinctive gameplay mechanics?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article suggesting that the 'Federal Reserve' has a significant influence on global financial markets due to its response to US economic data align with the same newspaper's claim that the 'Federal Reserve' bases its interest rate decisions on economic data?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": "no", + "Has the description of ChatGPT's capabilities by TechCrunch changed between the article published on September 28 and the subsequent article on November 30?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge claiming that Caroline Ellison confessed the theft of customer funds differ from the Fortune article's claim that Caroline Ellison did not adequately protect her hedge fund from risks, or do they both suggest a form of mismanagement by Caroline Ellison during her tenure at Alameda Research?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was unaware of the financial discrepancies at FTX, while the TechCrunch article alleges that he unknowingly committed fraud, and do both articles imply a lack of awareness and intent by Sam Bankman-Fried regarding the financial issues at FTX?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article claim that CyberGhost's cybersecurity measures include an independent security audit, a vulnerability disclosure program, and transparency reporting, while the TechCrunch article suggests that Keep Labs employs automated tools for code vulnerability assessments, indicating different approaches to product security?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'Science News For Students' suggest that 'MXenes or MBenes' have a different role in addressing climate change compared to the lifestyle changes 'Peter Kalmus' made according to 'Yahoo News'?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are abandoning Snapchat for information on a specific topic due to trust in other platforms, while The Guardian article discusses legal actions against Snapchat for a completely different reason related to the platform's use?": "no", + "Has the approach to presenting prop bets to bettors by Sporting News remained consistent between the report on NBA prop bets published on October 2, 2023, and the report on NCAAF bowl season prop bets published later?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, is the same entity that spent billions to be the default search engine and has faced allegations of both releasing only a \"lite\" version of an AI model and harming news publishers' revenues, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "After Jerome Powell's aggressive interest rate hikes mentioned by 'Fortune' on October 6th, 2023, did 'Business Line' report on October 14th, 2023, suggest that central bankers' stance on interest rates was consistent or inconsistent with Powell's approach as reported by 'Fortune'?": "Consistent", + "Does the Fortune article suggest that the jury will not play a role in determining the truth about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, while the TechCrunch articles focus on past characterizations of Sam Bankman-Fried and allegations of his motives, without mentioning the jury's role in the matter?": "no", + "Does the Fortune article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were the primary cause of FTX's success being built on lies, while the TechCrunch article implies that comments by Changpeng Zhao were a contributing factor to the collapse of FTX?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX trial, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, who is facing charges for instructing a trader to withdraw funds not exceeding the company's total revenue, and is accused of directing a $14 billion customer fund misappropriation while also facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was the narrative concerning Caroline Ellison's role and actions as the CEO of Alameda Research consistent between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about her, and the subsequent reports from The Verge regarding statements made by her?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Jim Harbaugh published on November 6, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Michigan's game against Penn State with Jim Harbaugh on November 11, 2023, was the reporting on Jim Harbaugh's absence from the team consistent?": "no", + "After the report by Fortune on October 13th stating that \"Israel's blockade of Gaza means that a region the size of Philadelphia faces a real risk of starvation, says Peace Studies scholar,\" and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 19th claiming that \"Israel's retaliatory airstrikes and total blockade have devastated Gaza by cutting access to electricity, water, and vital supplies,\" is the portrayal of the impact of the blockade on Gaza by the international aid groups as reported by these two news sources consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Valve is narrowing its focus to games in its store, while 'Polygon' and 'Engadget' articles indicate that Valve is continuing to develop and launch new hardware, as seen with the updates to the Steam Deck and the release of the Steam Deck OLED?": "Yes", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, discussing the fairness of Google Search's dominance, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in reporting on Google's competitive practices in their November 6, 2023, article about Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google and the December 15, 2023, article about a news publisher's antitrust suit against Google?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the general-purpose chatbot developed by OpenAI, featured in TechCrunch and Engadget articles, that can generate text, debug code, and even compose music, and has celebrated its first anniversary since its release?": "ChatGPT", + "Did the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Minnesota Vikings' passing play percentage in Week 4 was higher than in previous weeks, while the Sporting News articles, both regarding the Minnesota Vikings, indicate a strong defensive performance and consistent offensive results under Josh Dobbs' leadership compared to Kirk Cousins'?": "no", + "Did the article from 'The Age' about Tyler Mitchell suggest that his career has been unsuccessful due to his early photography experiences, while the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about Graham Arnold indicates that his career choices involved staying with the Australian national team despite offers from Europe?": "no", + "Between the report from The Verge on the Epic v. Google case and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on the same case, was there agreement on the nature of Epic Games' arguments against Google?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article on the philanthropic efforts of the Overture Foundation and a Forbes report on their financial strategies, which board member, known for their innovative investment approach as per Forbes, also spearheaded a major educational initiative mentioned in the New York Times?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which cryptocurrency exchange, founded by Sam Bankman-Fried due to his dissatisfaction with other platforms while running Alameda Research and criticized for its risk management practices including the lack of a chief risk officer and reliance on liquidation for managing customer risks, was also impacted by comments made by Changpeng Zhao and is the subject of articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": "FTX", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article discussing Vladimir Putin's diplomatic strategies in Eastern Europe and a Reuters report on Russia's military exercises in the Arctic, which letter represents the first initial of the European country that has increased its defense budget in response to the exercises and is also seeking diplomatic talks with Russia as per Putin's strategy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Zee Business' article claim that the India national cricket team played against England in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, while the 'TalkSport' article states that the England national teams are facing South Africa in both the Rugby World Cup and the ODI Cricket World Cup semi-finals, indicating different opponents for each country's national teams in their respective semi-final matches?": "no", + "Between the Engadget report on the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was the reporting on the release date of the new Steam Deck OLED inconsistent?": "no", + "Which company, known for its Kindle lineup that has led the e-reader market for years according to The Verge, also provides a platform described by sellers in a Cnbc | World Business News Leader report as offering a life-changing opportunity?": "Amazon", + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is involved in controversies over not fully releasing an AI model, influencing local search result rankings, and facing a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' business?": "Google", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would alter betting lines due to news about team performance, suspend bets for weather-related game suspensions, modify odds in response to roster changes, and update NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on collected data?": "Sportsbooks", + "After Sporting News reported on NBA MVP odds with Jokic and Giannis as early favorites on October 4, 2023, did the approach of sportsbooks, as mentioned in a later article from Sporting News on November 1, 2023, regarding the use of new data and analytics by oddsmakers to set betting lines, remain consistent or change?": "Consistent", + "Was Owen Teale's career impact not discussed in The Sydney Morning Herald before Tate McRae's breakthrough performance on Saturday Night Live was reported by The Age?": "no", + "Has the portrayal of the 'vampire cause' in Polygon articles changed between the November 9, 2023, article discussing the undermining of vampires' menacing air and the November 15, 2023, article highlighting vampires as a hidden presence in the best versions of stories?": "no", + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, whose trial involves contrasting representations of his actions by defense and prosecution, and who has claimed challenges in managing a rapidly growing financial platform while also being accused of fraudulent practices for personal gain, as reported by sources including Fortune, CNBC, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles, is not only facing criticism for its new generative AI model's architecture compared to GPT-4 but is also under scrutiny for its content practices on YouTube and accused of anticompetitive behavior that harms news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Which entities are likely to adopt varied pricing models for AI tools and continue investing in security, according to TechCrunch, and are also not immune to global economic challenges as reported by Seeking Alpha?": "Companies.", + "Who is the individual that, according to claims from Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge, used another person as a front for illicit access to funds, has entered a not-guilty plea to multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, and was made aware of a significant financial discrepancy after judicial intervention?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did both the report from The Age after September 26, 2023, mentioning Travis Kelce's activities and the Yardbarker report after December 24, 2023, discussing Travis Kelce's performance expectations, indicate no change in the focus of Travis Kelce's professional commitments?": "no", + "Which person, who is the subject of an article in 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding a rumored relationship and is also mentioned in 'The Age' for receiving a symbolic item during a concert in Kansas City, has a tour scheduled that includes a performance at a venue where she has previously attended a game, as reported by 'CBSSports.com'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that 'Taylor Swift' is open about her relationship with a specific individual, whereas the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article does not mention her openness about personal relationships but instead focuses on her engagement with a viral TikTok video?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of a class action antitrust suit for its alleged impact on news publishers' revenues, is accused of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and payment processing by Epic Games, and has introduced a generative AI model called Gemini that claims to rival the performance of OpenAI's GPT-4, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Who is the individual that, prior to being charged with fraud and conspiracy, was characterized as a reliable cryptocurrency figure by The Verge, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures according to Fortune, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Mastercard's financial performance in the last quarter and a Bloomberg report on Mastercard's strategic partnerships announced this year, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the Mastercard CEO who commented on the earnings report and the first letter of the company that Mastercard has entered into a new partnership with as mentioned in the Bloomberg article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which AI-powered chatbot, developed by OpenAI and featured in TechCrunch articles, can assist with tasks ranging from debugging code to composing music, and also generates text based on user prompts?": "ChatGPT", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that The Verge reported as being overwhelmed by the growth of his responsibilities, Fortune accused of building success on falsehoods, and TechCrunch identified as facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Business World' article claim that the same individuals will serve on the Board of Trustees for the Philippine Education Development Fund (PhilEd) as the current Board of Trustees of the Fund, in contrast to the 'Music Business Worldwide' article where Andrew Wilkinson is reported to be retiring from the Hipgnosis Songs Fund board?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also the subject of a class action antitrust lawsuit by news publishers for allegedly harming their bottom line and siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Martin Scorsese has more autonomy in his filmmaking choices compared to earlier in his career, while The Independent - Life and Style article indicates that he has previously engaged with newer media platforms like TikTok through his daughter's videos?": "Yes", + "Does The Verge's article suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while TechCrunch's first article implies that Google is being transparent with legal documents in its antitrust battle, and TechCrunch's second article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', is likely to win a legal case about phones and app stores if the market is defined broadly as per 'The Verge', was deemed the only valid search engine service option by 'Apple' as reported by 'The Verge', and is accused of using anticompetitive practices to harm news publishers' financial interests as per 'TechCrunch'?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Meta's moderation bias problem suggest a different impact on users compared to the TechCrunch article on Meta's proposed legislation for teen app downloads, with the former affecting Palestinian voices and the latter concerning parental oversight of teen social media usage?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article on Sean Payton's decision to attempt a field goal and the 'Sporting News' article on Andre Blake's goalkeeping performance both describe a situation where the coach or player chose a conservative strategy in their respective sports scenarios?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX trial, who was once considered a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Apple's choice of Google as a search engine provider was due to an abundance of alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles allege that Google's practices in app distribution, payment processing, and news publishing are not anticompetitive, implying that there are no alternatives being suppressed by Google's behavior?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Mattel Creations' collaboration with a famous artist and a Forbes report on Mattel Creations' release of a new toy line inspired by a classic movie series, which character from the movie series, now featured in the artist's collection, has been turned into a limited-edition toy by Mattel Creations?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose legal team and government prosecutors are presenting differing narratives in court, as reported by Fortune, and is also associated with allegations of using a front for secret access to customer funds, not inquiring about an $8 billion discrepancy as highlighted by The Verge, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which individual, who is the subject of contrasting legal narratives in a Fortune article and admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy following a judge's intervention according to The Verge, is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for misusing customer funds at Alameda Research align with the 'TechCrunch' article's allegation that he committed fraud for personal gain, and do both of these claims contrast with 'The Verge' article's portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article claim that 'Monster Hunter Now' is hosting its first themed event for Halloween, while the Engadget article suggests that ChatGPT is celebrating its first anniversary since release, indicating a similarity in the context of 'firsts' for both subjects?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditures to become the default search engine published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in portraying Google's influence on various platforms and its impact on competitors' revenues?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article about Sherri Geerts spending Christmas with her birth mother after a long search share a similar theme of family reunion during the holiday season as the FOX News - Entertainment article about Amy Grant and Vince Gill performing together post-recovery?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Pokémon has not expanded its reach beyond its core audience and multimedia properties, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Shayda (film) has managed to connect with a universal audience?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing microblogging and public discourse platforms list a broader range of platforms including startups and new applications from larger tech companies compared to the TechCrunch article that mentions the homogenization of content on Social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X)?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on allegations of Sam Bankman-Fried committing fraud for personal gain and facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, without mentioning Caroline Ellison's involvement?": "Yes", + "Before The New York Times reported on Norway's football team's lack of competitiveness in major football tournaments on November 17, 2023, did the Sporting News describe Manchester United's historical performance against Chelsea as worse with seven wins and only one defeat in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913?": "no", + "Who has been considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and is associated with a vision for AI agents' future, but faced controversy at OpenAI according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', has been accused of both manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and engaging in anticompetitive practices by paying billions to remain the default search engine on various devices, while also hosting an annual event to showcase new hardware developments and facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "Google", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial, as reported by both TechCrunch and Fortune, who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing TomTom's latest strategic partnership and a Reuters report on TomTom's financial performance in the last quarter, which European country, home to TomTom's headquarters, is both the location of the new strategic partner's primary operations and also where TomTom reported a significant increase in consumer sales?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a Times of India article stating that Zoya Akhtar's film was selected for an international film festival, and a Hindustan Times report detailing her collaboration with a famous Hollywood actor for her next project, which character from the English alphabet is common to the initials of the international film festival and the first name of the Hollywood actor?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does Scott Hurff's perspective on product design as discussed in TechCrunch focus more on the personal experience of being a product maker and designer, while the other TechCrunch article emphasizes the role of decision-making in product design?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article focuses on Google's impact on the internet's appearance, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": "True", + "Which company is at the center of allegations related to manipulating search results for profit as reported by 'The Age' and is also accused by news publishers in a class action lawsuit covered by 'TechCrunch' for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "What company, according to TechCrunch, claims to have developed a generative AI model with superior architecture while also spending billions to secure its position as the default search engine and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is the same person who, according to a Cnbc | World Business News Leader article, expressed intentions to establish a board with experts for a company but resisted having investors as directors, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by CNET on the Watch Series 9, which feature, highlighted as a significant upgrade in The Verge's piece and noted for its potential health benefits in CNET's coverage, is represented by a single letter commonly associated with a vital sign?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article attribute Elijah Garcia's 16th victory to a decision, while the 'Zee Business' article credits the India national cricket team with a World Cup win by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals?": "no", + "Which two celebrities, whose speculated romantic involvement was suggested by one being seen wearing a themed friendship bracelet and both being spotted at Arrowhead Stadium, with one cheering from the box seats and later seen leaving together, have been featured in articles by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Age'?": "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce", + "Does the article from Sporting News involving Luciano Acosta mention a different type of game interruption than the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog involving Marcus Lee, with one discussing a foul resulting in a free-kick and the other discussing fouling out of the game?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing the latest advancements in space technology by Forerunner and a Forbes article discussing the financial growth and market expansion of Forerunner, which CEO, known for leading the innovative charge in space exploration and also recognized for significant company valuation increase, has been featured in both publications?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Megan Schutt, which player, known for her exceptional bowling skills, was highlighted for taking key wickets in a recent international tournament as per ESPN and also discussed for her personal milestones and contributions to her national team in the BBC Sports article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, claimed an inability to manage two companies due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Generation Z experiences distress primarily due to climate change, while the article from Eos: Earth And Space Science News calls for a deeper understanding of sea surface temperature patterns as a significant climate driver?": "Yes", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy mentioned in a Fortune article who has also been the subject of speculation in a TechCrunch piece regarding his truthfulness with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Do the TechCrunch articles suggest that European AI startups and Ylva Johansson's proposal both incorporate a focus on compliance with existing regulations, or do they present different approaches to regulatory adherence?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that a single defeat for Michigan's football team could have a significant impact on their season, similar to how the Sporting News article describes Jets QB Zach Wilson's turnover as crucial in deciding the game's outcome?": "Yes", + "What institution, recently mentioned in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald,' has been both forced to aggressively hike interest rates in response to inflation and booming home prices, and whose future decisions on whether to continue this trend or halt it are anticipated by investors based on incoming economic data?": "Federal Reserve", + "Between the 'Fortune' report on Donald Trump's real estate valuations published on September 26, 2023, and the 'The Age' report alleging Donald Trump increased the value of his penthouse apartment, is there agreement on the matter of inflating property values?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions published on October 1, 2023, and the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on investors' expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy published on November 5, 2023, was there a change in the sentiment regarding the Federal Reserve's approach to interest rates?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by altruism, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research due to their growth?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Barack Obama's environmental policies and a Washington Post article detailing his education initiatives, which single letter grade did a prominent environmental group assign to the Obama administration's efforts on climate change, and what was the average grade level improvement in reading scores among students in a program that Obama's education reforms helped to fund?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Garmin's latest earnings report and a Forbes article discussing Garmin's strategic partnerships, which letter, representing a stock market index, would Garmin's performance and collaborations most likely impact, as reported by these two sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies to be the default search engine come with a variety of valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch article quantifies Google's spending on these deals at $26.3 billion in 2021, indicating a significant investment to maintain this status?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried prior to the start of his trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried, was the portrayal of his actions consistent?": "Yes", + "What company, according to TechCrunch, has not only seen a decrease in reported sexual assault rates by 38% between its safety reports but has also faced criticism for insufficient sexual assault prevention measures and inadequate background checks, while still achieving profitability with significant operating and net income in the third quarter?": "Uber", + "Did the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, concerning Dave Clark's comments on Flexport, and the subsequent TechCrunch article on September 30, 2023, regarding Ryan Petersen's actions at Flexport, result in a change in the nature of the events reported?": "no", + "Are the U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists mentioned in the TechCrunch article investing more in Chinese companies compared to the previous year, or are Investors, as reported by the Financial Times, showing a decreased interest in Japan for similar reasons?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' report on 'Game 3 of the World Series' indicate that 'Brandon Pfaadt' is a probable starter, while 'Sporting News' suggests his pitching performance ended at a specific event during the game?": "Yes", + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while The Verge article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried himself made the decision to use FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, indicating a difference in the reported involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual, once likened to a prominent investor and seen as a reputable figure in the cryptocurrency world by some, but not by TechCrunch, and is now facing trial with allegations of fraud that could potentially overshadow his previous portrayal in the industry?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was at Arrowhead Stadium, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' discusses her openness about a personal relationship, and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' mentions her engagement with a viral TikTok video, indicating different aspects of her public presence?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the CEO who, according to articles from The Wall Street Journal, led Crown Castle's expansion into the fiber optic sector and, as per Forbes, was also involved in a major partnership deal with a leading telecommunications company?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which wide receiver, currently leading the league and ranked as WR1 by Sporting News for Week 14, would need to average almost 153 yards over his final three games, as suggested by CBSSports.com, to reach a season goal of 2,000 receiving yards, despite facing strong pass defenses in his remaining games according to Sporting News, and also scored two touchdowns with 157 receiving yards for the Miami Dolphins as reported by The Guardian?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Denise George was dismissed for her legal actions related to Jeffrey Epstein's estate, while the 'Sport Grill' article discusses whether Reece James should have been dismissed for an elbowing incident during a football match?": "Yes", + "Considering an ESPN article detailing the Cleveland Browns' recent draft picks and a Sports Illustrated report on the team's free agency signings, which player, represented by the initial \"M,\" was both drafted by the Browns and later mentioned as a key free agent acquisition?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's GDPR compliance concerns suggest the same legal issue as the TechCrunch article on Meta's responsibility for teen social media monitoring, and does it also differ from the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias affecting Palestinian voices?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the launch of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini suggest a different development in AI chatbot technology compared to the TechCrunch article about the general-purpose AI chatbot ChatGPT?": "Yes", + "Has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting betting lines and odds, as reported by Sporting News before October 4, 2023, and before November 1, 2023, remained consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on 'Inter Miami premium packages' suggest they are more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, while the same source indicates that 'Manchester United and Chelsea' had a closer points gap in the 2006/07 season than the season before?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while the 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles accuse Sam Bankman-Fried of misusing customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, indicating different alleged financial practices?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on the SBF trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's prosecution allegations published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, has not only faced a class action antitrust lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue but also spent billions in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status, and has been criticized for releasing only a lite version of an expected AI model?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article expect T.J. Hockenson to sit out of the Sunday game, in contrast to the CBSSports.com article where Dennis Allen suggests Chris Olave, despite being a full participant in practice, is still uncertain to play due to concussion protocol?": "no", + "Which company, according to allegations discussed in articles from 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', has both manipulated its search service to increase ad revenue and spent billions to secure its position as the default search engine, while also facing legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive practices that could affect its legal standing as outlined by 'The Verge'?": "Google", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, used FTX customer funds to secure a buyout, recruited a colleague from Jane Street for ventures at Alameda and FTX, and is facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, featured in articles by TechCrunch, The Verge, and Fortune, had significant holdings in \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral,\" was able to maintain a negative balance without liquidation on FTX, and was involved in taking losses to present a better financial image for FTX, all while acting within its legal boundaries as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": "Alameda Research", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's financial actions?\n\nBetween the TechCrunch report on allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried and The Verge report on Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of financial discrepancies, is the reporting on Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of financial issues consistent?": "Yes", + "After the report by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there disagreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's response to economic conditions?": "no", + "Who is the individual mentioned in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, who cited challenges in managing a rapidly growing FTX and Alameda Research, and is also accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that, according to different reports from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, allegedly used a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, portrayed a reliable image in the crypto sector before a major company's failure, and is accused by the prosecution of engaging in fraudulent acts for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual reported by The Verge to have struggled with managing two companies due to their growth and also decided to use $1 billion of customer funds for a buyout, and is the same person mentioned by TechCrunch as having pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, once compared to Warren Buffet and seen as the white horse of crypto by some, but not by TechCrunch, who reportedly intended to use his wealth to save humanity from extinction and told another trader that withdrawing money from a certain account was permissible as long as it didn't exceed the trading revenue of his company, which is the same individual the prosecution alleges committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that was portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure, allegedly built a successful exchange on falsehoods, and is accused of using customer funds for a buyout and committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which individual, commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly dealing with her situation according to 'The Independent - Life and Style', also described being ritually tortured by the age of 16 and became public property as reported by 'The Guardian'?": "Britney Spears", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the Gujarat Giants' performance in the recent tournament and a Times of India report on the team's strategic changes, which player, identified by their jersey number, was highlighted for their exceptional performance in the former and is also noted for adapting well to the new strategies mentioned in the latter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust battle with Epic Games published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on a class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": "no", + "Was there inconsistency in the reporting of the adaptation sequence of the original works into films between the Polygon article published on September 28, 2023, discussing \"Hellraiser (film)\" and the FOX News - Lifestyle article published on October 30, 2023, mentioning \"The Exorcist (book and movie)\"?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Amitabh Bachchan's philanthropic efforts and a Times of India report on his recent filmography, which character, portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan, links his role in a movie addressing social issues to his real-life advocacy work as described in these articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditures to become the default search engine published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there inconsistency in portraying Google's influence on various platforms and its impact on competitors' revenues?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News report a defeat for the Dallas Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Miami Dolphins on \"Sunday Night Football\"?": "no", + "Considering the information from two separate articles on Retail Fuse, which company, known for its significant discounts during Black Friday events, also announced a strategic partnership with a tech firm to enhance its e-commerce platform?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Fortune article claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article which claims that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the ethicality of his financial practices, and does the second TechCrunch article imply that his actions were driven by fraudulent intentions?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's payments to secure default search engine status are part of its anticompetitive behavior, while The Verge article focuses on the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services, and another TechCrunch article alleges that Google's anticompetitive actions extend to harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about Justin Spelhaug, which position, starting with the letter 'V', does he hold at a company that has recently launched a philanthropic initiative aimed at enhancing technological capabilities in underprivileged communities?": "Insufficient information.", + "What company, covered by TechCrunch, has reported a 38% decrease in the rate of sexual assault on its app between its first and second safety reports, while also facing criticism for inadequate background checks designed for quick driver sign-up, and despite being aware of sexual assaults by its drivers since 2014, has still managed to generate substantial profitability with $394 million in operating income and $219 million in net income in the third quarter?": "Uber", + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on new discoveries about the moon align with the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article's observations regarding increased solar activity?": "no", + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, and again on December 15, 2023, citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, did the news source maintain consistency in its portrayal of Google's market behavior?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that was involved in the creation of FTX, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is accused of achieving wealth through fraudulent means, a situation that was highlighted after a judge's intervention?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Sporting News article on prop betting suggest that sportsbooks generally keep the stakes for player prop bets if the player doesn't play, and does the Sporting News article on BetRivers specify that BetRivers offers a refund in bonus bets of a certain amount if the first bet loses?": "no", + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro's performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, was also described by The Verge as having no valid alternative for search engine services during a court defense, and is the subject of a class action antitrust suit by news publishers for allegedly harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Did the reporting on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" by 'The Independent - Life and Style' differ between the article published on 2023-10-12 and the one on 2023-10-16 regarding \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\"?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social networks are controlled by large corporations in a similar way to how The Age article implies that DeepMind was a target for acquisition by major tech companies?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article stating Johnny Cardoso's exclusion from the USMNT squad after an ankle injury align with the same source's report on Tyler Adams' absence from the team due to a hamstring injury?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News article about Jayden Fielding mention a missed field goal attempt, while the Sporting News report on Chad Ryland discuss a successful field goal, with both instances involving different distances?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on Biden's AI Executive Order as broad but lacking depth without corresponding legislation on October 31, 2023, and Music Business Worldwide shared concerns from the National Music Publishers Association about generative AI being a significant risk to the human creative class on November 30, 2023, is the stance of these two news sources on the need for regulatory measures for AI consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "What company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is responsible for making 300 hardware updates since the original launch and is now releasing an improved product on November 16th, emphasizing that developers won't need to target multiple performance benchmarks?": "Valve", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest a different level of personal relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce compared to the stance on their relationship expressed in The Independent - Life and Style, with one implying a romantic interest and the other discussing openness?": "Yes", + "Did President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. express no concern about the Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio in Business World on October 8, 2023, and did the implications of rising national debt on private investment discussed in Business World on November 5, 2023, contradict his views?": "no", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Spider-Man embodies the spirit of Easter in a way that aligns with the portrayal of Thanksgiving as a time for gratitude and togetherness described in The Independent - Life and Style article?": "no", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, previously likened to a financial icon but not by TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual who, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange, projected a trustworthy image, faced accusations in court of making fraudulent claims to investors about governance, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, and is alleged by prosecutors to have sought wealth, power, and influence through deliberate deception, with these events being reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that FTX's appointment of a chief risk officer eliminated its business risks in a similar way that 'Fortune' implies Caroline Ellison's actions as CEO of Alameda did not adequately mitigate the risks of the crypto markets?": "no", + "Has the perspective on the US economy's risk of entering a recession as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald changed between the article published on October 1, 2023, and the one published on December 5, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that the kid appeal of \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" is based on shared stories among elementary school children, while the same source, Polygon, indicates that in \"Tears of the Kingdom,\" Link is treated with suspicion by children due to unfamiliarity, thus showing a difference in children's reactions to the characters in the two games?": "Yes", + "Which global music artist, who is Time's Person of the Year according to 'The Independent - Life and Style' and is openly in a relationship with Travis Kelce, is expected not to cancel any shows from her year-long Eras Tour, where she might receive a friendship bracelet during her concert in Kansas City as reported by 'The Age'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Which individual, covered by both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', is implicated in using customer funds for a buyout, faced challenges managing two companies due to rapid growth, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Based on the financial performance report from The Australian and the strategic partnership developments reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, which single letter represents the ASX ticker symbol for Seven West Media?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the advice provided by Sporting News to bettors regarding the evaluation of betting opportunities and offers remained consistent after the report on \"FanDuel 'Prop Stars' Picks\" published on September 28, 2023, and the report on \"Best sportsbook bonus offers for NFL Monday Night Football\" published on December 18, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that the New Orleans Saints' performance is poor due to their easy schedule, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article implies that Manchester United's poor performance is attributed to the goals scored by Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus?": "Yes", + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the Fortune article indicates that market participants need to act responsibly to maintain a reasonable market, despite the current low rates?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age before September 26, 2023, mentioning Travis Kelce's activities and the Yardbarker report before December 24, 2023, discussing Travis Kelce's performance expectations, was there a change in the focus of Travis Kelce's professional commitments?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic forecasts from a Bloomberg article and the diplomatic developments reported by The Korea Herald, which South Korean minister, identified by their initial, is at the center of negotiating trade agreements that could potentially influence the country's GDP growth projections for the next fiscal year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, facing a recent antitrust lawsuit that affected its stock value as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, also offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase as mentioned by Polygon, and is considered by sellers to provide life-changing opportunities according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Who is the individual that, despite once being compared to Warren Buffet and hailed as the white horse of crypto (but not by TechCrunch), is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, and is also alleged to have directed the misappropriation of $14 billion from a thriving crypto exchange's customers to cover debts, according to reports by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the SBF trial claim that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, while another TechCrunch article alleges Sam Bankman-Fried is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and a third TechCrunch piece suggests that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating a consensus on the misuse of customer funds and fraudulent intentions among the articles?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation issues suggest a different kind of problem affecting users than the TechCrunch article alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by Meta?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on Meta's moderation issues affecting Palestinian voices on October 19, 2023, and again on Meta's ad-free subscription service being potentially illegal and unfair on November 30, 2023, was there consistency in the news source's critical perspective towards Meta's policies and practices?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Economic Times on Disha Kasat, which company's CEO, known for their innovative approach to sustainable fashion, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list and also partnered with a major tech firm to enhance their supply chain transparency?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's strategy for AI distribution suggest a different approach than the TechCrunch article on the availability of GPT-4 with vision, with one focusing on an \"app store for AI\" and the other on the launch of a specific API?": "No", + "After the report by The Verge on October 20, 2023, about Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the lifestyle of TikTok users, did the Music Business Worldwide report on November 21, 2023, maintain consistency regarding the behavior of TikTok users in relation to music streaming services?": "Yes", + "Did the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog imply that England's cricket team had no issues with preparation and team selection for the World Cup, while the Zee Business article indicates that Australia's cricket team had key performers in their 2015 World Cup semi-final match?": "no", + "Considering the performance insights from an ESPN article and the strategic decisions mentioned in a Times of India article on Smriti Mandhana, which single character from the English alphabet would best represent the jersey number she is most commonly associated with?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article about the recent changes in Amsterdam's transportation policies and a Reuters report on the economic impact of tourism in Amsterdam, which letter of the alphabet is the initial of the current mayor of Amsterdam who is responsible for implementing a new bike-sharing program and also addressed the concerns of local businesses regarding tourist spending?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United struggles with pressure in the Champions League, particularly in Istanbul, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern at Old Trafford, indicating a difference in the stage of competition where Manchester United faces challenges?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, faced challenges in managing the growth of his cryptocurrency exchange, was accused of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, and is alleged by prosecutors to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 25, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing what was learned about the Google antitrust case involving Apple published on October 31, 2023, show a consistency in the portrayal of Apple's actions regarding its choice of search engine and browser options for iPhone users?": "no", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that the Big Ten commissioner has not taken action on the sign-stealing allegations, while the 'Sporting News' article claims that Michigan accused 'Ohio State and Rutgers' of leaking signs to 'Purdue', indicating different aspects of the controversy?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles for both hosting an annual hardware event to showcase new developments and being the subject of a class action antitrust lawsuit by news publishers for its alleged anticompetitive practices, is also known for its search engine and advertising services?": "Google", + "After the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison's management of her hedge fund, did The Verge's report on October 12, 2023, regarding Caroline Ellison's confession maintain consistency with the previous portrayal of her actions?": "Yes", + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's customer satisfaction scores, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on the jury's determination of his truthfulness and allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, respectively, without mentioning specific operational practices like withdrawal permissions?": "no", + "Did CBSSports.com report on Kenneth Walker III's injury before Sporting News mentioned the absence of Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney due to injuries?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Alameda Research needed a liquidation prevention system due to a software bug, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, indicating a difference in the portrayal of Alameda Research's operational integrity in the two sources?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that \"People's preferences regarding social media content\" will remain focused on curated experiences, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicates that \"Michael Cheika\" values past experiences, curated or not, for preparation?": "no", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published after that date, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of necessity to one of alleged anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic analysis from The Wall Street Journal and the environmental policy updates from The Washington Post, which country, known for its significant oil exports, is both facing potential sanctions affecting its energy sector and is also planning to invest in renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions by a single-digit percentage by 2030?": "Insufficient information.", + "After observing the increase in solar activity as reported by 'FOX News - Lifestyle' on October 8, 2023, did the discoveries about the sun reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' on December 24, 2023, show an agreement or disagreement with the earlier observations of sunspots and solar activity?": "Agreement", + "Does the article from Wired suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Walmart Cyber Monday Deals, while the article from Music Business Worldwide indicates that Artists are seeking deals that offer more control and better economics, or do both articles suggest a common trend in seeking value and control in their respective fields?": "Yes", + "Does the Insidesport article suggest that Manchester United's Premier League journey has ended by mentioning their travel for the 11th match, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United's participation in European competitions has concluded with a defeat by Bayern?": "no", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe 'the match' as a contest of financial disparity between teams, while 'Sporting News' discusses the 'Manchester United and Chelsea rivalry' in terms of historical intensity rather than financial differences?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article reporting the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season align with the same source's report on the New York Red Bulls' win against FC Cincinnati with a score of 2-1 in terms of both teams achieving a victory?": "Yes", + "Which team, with a chance to win their third ODI World Cup according to Zee Business, faced a 162-run defeat in their first World Cup encounter against Australia and also played against them in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup?": "India", + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions are under scrutiny, as depicted by contrasting portrayals in 'Fortune', where his ability to manage two major businesses was questioned by 'The Verge', and who is accused of fraudulent activities according to 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, reported by TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to maintain its default search engine status across devices and platforms in 2021, and has been accused in a class action lawsuit of harming news publishers' revenues and readership through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Did Polygon recommend Nintendo Switch games before The Verge suggested a GameStop gift card as a last-minute gift option, which could be used to purchase such games?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on the broader allegations of fraud and conspiracy against Sam Bankman-Fried without specifying the use of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Did the TechCrunch article about Epic Games' antitrust battle claim a loss for the company, while the TechCrunch article about Sonos report a legal victory against Google?": "Yes", + "Which football club, discussed on both TalkSport and Sporting News, has both set an unwanted record by conceding 14 goals in the Champions League group stages and has been eliminated from European competitions following a defeat at their home ground, known as Old Trafford?": "Manchester United", + "Does the TechCrunch article credit Ayman Sadiq with recognizing the scalability of his educational content on YouTube based on follower count, while the Music Business Worldwide article discusses Sony Music's relationship with YouTube without mentioning scalability?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently scrutinized by European Union regulators for its livestreaming policies during the Israel-Hamas war, is also facing criticism for alleged GDPR non-compliance, purported violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and accusations of bias against Palestinian voices, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Meta", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the agricultural advancements mentioned in a Reuters report on Zambia, which minister's initial of their first name would be central to both implementing fiscal policies and promoting technological innovations in farming?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News article published on September 28, 2023, highlighting bettors' opportunities with Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift-inspired props and the November 1, 2023, article explaining point spread betting, has the Sporting News' portrayal of the influence of news or sentiment on bettors and sportsbooks remained consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a change in the scoring trend for \"Thursday Night Football\" compared to previous games, while The Guardian article describes a specific instance where Lauren James created a scoring opportunity, without implying a general trend change in scoring for the game?": "Yes", + "Has the approach to content moderation by social media companies, as reported by TechCrunch, changed from the time when the Supreme Court was set to hear cases on state laws restricting moderation (published at '2023-10-04T20:07:42+00:00') to the period when Twitter (now called X) under Elon Musk's leadership implemented a crowdsourced moderation system (published at '2023-11-03T17:43:00+00:00')?": "Yes", + "What entity, referenced in articles from both 'Fortune' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is responsible for aggressively hiking interest rates to combat inflation following a period of booming home prices and also has a significant influence on global financial markets, particularly through its upcoming decisions based on US economic data?": "Federal Reserve", + "Does the Sporting News article attribute the responsibility for the narrative focus on Orlando Arcia's comments to the New York Yankees, while The Verge article credits the storytelling depth in 'Castlevania: Nocturne' to the game's own lore and thematic exploration?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with OpenAI who, despite not being removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to 'The Age', was involved in presenting a vision for AI's future at the company's developer conference as per 'Fortune', and has also invested in a teenager's AI startup as reported by 'TechCrunch', but faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board according to another 'TechCrunch' article?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's legislative proposal regarding teen app downloads published on November 15, 2023, was there a change in the type of challenges Meta is addressing in the public sphere, moderation bias or parental control over app downloads?": "Yes", + "Between the Polygon article published on 2023-10-16 featuring Thomas, David, and the private investigator, and the FOX News - Lifestyle report on 2023-11-17 involving Or Levy, is the theme of individuals working together to rescue someone who has been kidnapped consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "What is the name of the project, as reported by Bloomberg, that BHP Group is planning to expand, which according to a Reuters article, is also facing environmental concerns from local communities?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual whose trial, covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, involves determining the truth behind actions that include fraud and conspiracy charges, and also involves allegations of permitting withdrawals from a trading account as long as they did not exceed the platform's total trading revenue, as reported by The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Meta's moderation policies are a source of frustration for Palestinians in a similar way that The Guardian article implies surveillance cameras are affecting their daily lives and protest abilities?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's net worth is closer to Floyd Mayweather's due to profitable boxing matches, while the 'Sporting News' article focuses on the strategy behind a specific knockdown in a fight involving Canelo Alvarez, without discussing his financial status?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges is reported by TechCrunch, is accused by Fortune of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Annabel Croft's career highlights and a Guardian piece discussing her commentary work, which Grand Slam tournament, represented by its first letter, did Annabel Croft win as a junior that she later provided expert analysis for as a commentator?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which NFL team, featured in articles by Sporting News and CBSSports.com, experienced a dominating defense from their opponent, altered their passing strategy for the first time in the season, and had limited options to change the outcome of a game due to timeouts, while also seeing a backup quarterback producing similar offensive results as their starter?": "Minnesota Vikings", + "After Wired reported on October 10, 2023, that Best Buy also had deals on Apple products, did The Verge's article on October 26, 2023, about the availability of deals on current Macs with M1, M2, or M3 chips indicate a consistent or inconsistent trend in the availability of Apple deals at retailers?": "Consistent", + "Which company, known for creating a Prime-themed sale day and introducing invite-only deals for fast-selling items, experienced a stock decline due to an antitrust lawsuit reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and is also considered by sellers as providing a life-changing opportunity, as discussed by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulating search results for profit, facing legal scrutiny over app store practices, showcasing new hardware developments at an annual event, and being accused of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, as reported by The Age, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Has the focus on the impact of sleep on the immune system remained consistent in the reports from 'The Independent - Life and Style' after the article discussing the lives of insomniacs published on October 1, 2023, compared to the article about the clock change published on October 24, 2023?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of concerns regarding anticompetitive practices and a lack of additional content safeguards on its video platform, while also being described as the only viable option for search engine services by a major technology firm, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Between the article from The Verge on October 26, 2023, discussing Google's local search ranking criteria and the TechCrunch article on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditures to remain the default search engine, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's influence over search-related practices?": "no", + "Regarding the role of House Speaker and the involvement of Rep. Patrick McHenry, is the stance of bipartisan groups of lawmakers as reported by 'Fortune' consistent or inconsistent between the article published on 2023-10-18 and the one on 2023-10-20?": "Consistent", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would modify betting odds and lines due to news sentiment or money flow, and also provide welcome bonuses, particularly in the context of the NBA Rookie of the Year wagering?": "Sportsbooks.", + "Was the defensive performance of Cameron Carter-Vickers reported as a strong point for the USMNT by Sporting News before or after Sporting News reported on Erik ten Hag's team (Manchester United) withstanding late attacks to maintain their lead?": "Before", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age focus on Google's impact on news publishers and general search fairness, respectively?": "Yes", + "What is the type of establishment mentioned by Sporting News that alters betting lines in response to events such as injuries or roster changes, balances liability based on where significant amounts of money are placed, and refines NBA Rookie of the Year odds according to the information collected?": "Sportsbooks", + "Who is the soccer player that, after scoring his first international goals in 2020 and having a prolific start with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, has the chance to finish as the top scorer of 2023 with two games left for Manchester City and has contributed to their historic treble, as reported by TalkSport, The New York Times, and The Guardian?": "Erling Haaland", + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google that started on November 6, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Do the TechCrunch and Engadget articles both suggest that consumers are content with current prices or no changes in their consumption, with TechCrunch discussing satisfaction with the existing social networking model and Engadget reporting on consumers ignoring post-Black Friday discounts on Apple products?": "no", + "Did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on Rugby Australia's funding to Super Rugby franchises on October 11, 2023, and again on Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs and the potential hiring of Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies coach on December 11, 2023, resulting in a lack of consistency in the support expressed by Super Rugby franchises towards Rugby Australia's decisions?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain, while The Verge article focuses on the specific conditions under which Sam Bankman-Fried permitted withdrawals from FTX accounts?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that allegedly used Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, is facing a criminal trial on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy according to TechCrunch, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which platform is at the center of discussions about the ethical use of AI-driven voice replication for artists, the debate over \"reaction\" content monetization, the investment in AI technology to combat copyright and trademark abuse, and is also the most used app by kids overnight according to a study reported by sources including Music Business Worldwide, Polygon, and FOX News - Health?": "YouTube", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of necessity to one of alleged anticompetitive behavior in the reports by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on or before that date?": "no", + "Considering the BBC Sound articles on the recent updates in the music industry and the latest achievements in music technology, which artist, featured in both articles for their innovative use of new sound mixing techniques and for winning a prestigious music award, has a name that starts with the letter 'S'?": "Insufficient information.", + "After TechCrunch reported on the shutdown of Pebble, the Twitter alternative previously known as T2, on October 24, 2023, did the role of social media as highlighted by FOX News - Health in the \"Save Lucas\" campaign by The Goeller family on December 9, 2023, remain consistent or inconsistent with the importance of social media's role as mentioned in the TechCrunch article?": "Consistent", + "Which company, recently discussed in TechCrunch articles for both its financial performance in the third quarter and criticism of its driver background check process, is known for its ride-sharing services?": "Uber", + "Did the TalkSport article indicate that Manchester United's defensive performance in the Champions League group stages was better than in previous seasons, while The Independent - Sports article implies that Erik ten Hag's past experience in the Champions League with Ajax was less successful?": "no", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the lawsuit had a negative impact on Rogers Communications Inc.'s share price, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Ed Ternan believes suing Snapchat is counterproductive?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on Shreyanka Patil, which team did she play for in her most recent professional match, and what was the outcome of that match as reported by both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized for his early influence in generative AI technology, who was also involved in a situation where he was accused of not being fully truthful with the board, but did not face an attempt of removal by co-founders of a related AI firm, as reported by Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "What is the first letter of the startup, featured in both The Economic Times and YourStory, that received significant funding from a major venture capital firm and is also collaborating with a well-known tech giant on a project to enhance urban mobility solutions?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Richa Ghosh's performance in her last international match and a Cricbuzz report on her selection for an upcoming major tournament, which jersey number is she expected to wear for the national team in her next appearance?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the performance details from an ESPN article and the strategic insights from a Cricbuzz report on Ekta Bisht, which jersey number does the player who took five wickets in a single match against a specific team and is known for her exceptional left-arm spin bowling wear?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the Sydney Swans' recent loss has them challenging for a top-eight spot in the AFLW, while another 'The Age' article indicates that the same victory allowed them to retake the eighth spot in the standings, and does 'The Guardian' article focus on the Sydney Swans' efforts in enhancing the game day experience rather than their standings in the league?": "no", + "Was there a consistent portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices in the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published after November 6, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published after December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Does the CBSSports.com article rank Jahmyr Gibbs, Dameon Pierce, and Najee Harris lower than Isiah Pacheco and Breece Hall, while the Sporting News article ranks Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14?": "Yes", + "Has the focus of the 'Sporting News' on the interests of 'Bettors' in prop betting opportunities changed between the report on FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the report on the best golf betting sites and apps published on October 13, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the updates from an article on The Verge about new app policies and another on CNET discussing security features, which single letter represents the first initial of the Google executive who is responsible for overseeing changes in both app policies and security enhancements on the Google Play Store?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from FOX News - Lifestyle featuring Sherri Geerts focus on a personal family reunion for Christmas, in contrast to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses generational Christmas traditions?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution for committing fraud for wealth and influence as reported by TechCrunch, and was also reported by The Verge to have permitted withdrawals from a trading account up to the limit of total trading revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to minimize ad revenue, and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence on ad revenue and content distribution?": "no", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the performance of a cricket team at the DY Patil Sports Academy and a Cricbuzz report on the same team's historical achievements, which team, known for its blue jersey, won a significant match at the DY Patil Sports Academy and also secured a championship title in an ICC event held in 2011?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse for instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain, and also persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who was reported by Fortune to have been ousted by a board he once chaired, is known for backing a teen's AI startup as per TechCrunch, and has been suggested by TechCrunch to have had a contentious relationship with that same board?": "Sam Altman", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data, while another article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' indicates that there is hope the Federal Reserve may soon stop raising interest rates and possibly start reducing them?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to multiple reports by TechCrunch, is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior for paying billions to remain the default search engine across devices, influencing app distribution and payment processing on Android, and harming news publishers' revenue and content distribution?": "Google", + "What is the name of the organization, mentioned in multiple TechCrunch articles, that is not only recognized as the creator of the popular ChatGPT but is also anticipated to innovate by integrating vision into GPT-4 and promoting an \"app store for AI\" as a key distribution method for AI applications, positioning itself in contrast to competitors like Hugging Face?": "OpenAI", + "Which type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify betting odds to manage their financial risk, may return wagers in certain weather-related interruptions, profit from betting outcomes regardless of the event's result, and alter specific award-related betting lines based on new information?": "Sportsbooks", + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's image before the collapse of FTX, and the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding the nature of Sam Bankman-Fried's success with FTX, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the cryptocurrency industry?": "No", + "Who is the individual whose alleged fraudulent activities led to the success of a crypto exchange, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is facing charges of fraud and conspiracy according to reports from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasive abilities were a factor in Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while The Verge article indicates that Sam Bankman-Fried's management capabilities were challenged by the growth of FTX and Alameda Research?": "Yes", + "Considering an article from The Orange County Register discussing the economic impact of a new theme park in Anaheim and a piece from The Los Angeles Times reporting on the latest developments in the city's public transportation system, which letter, representing a transportation project mentioned in both articles, is also the initial of a key attraction in the new theme park?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the economic development plans discussed in the New York Times article and the impact of local businesses on community growth highlighted by the Washington Post, which single letter represents the first initial of the mayor of Main Street who has been instrumental in both initiating the new policies and supporting small businesses?": "Insufficient information.", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, not only adjust and tighten NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on information but also provide welcome bonuses with specific requirements and can still earn a profit from odds and lines irrespective of betting outcomes?": "Sportsbooks", + "Who is the individual facing legal scrutiny, where contrasting narratives of his circumstances are being presented in court, who also claimed the rapid expansion of his cryptocurrency exchange made it difficult to manage alongside a research firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gains, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the news publisher's class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "What is the common term for entities that may refund bets for suspended MLB games due to weather, profit from odds and lines regardless of bet outcomes, and adjust NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines based on information, as reported by Sporting News?": "Sportsbooks", + "Considering the economic analysis from Bloomberg and the environmental policies discussed in The Guardian, which country in South America, facing criticism for deforestation, is also projected to experience a significant increase in GDP growth in the next fiscal year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Zee Business' article stating that the 'India national cricket team' has the opportunity to win their third ODI World Cup align with the claim from another 'Zee Business' article regarding the 'India national cricket team' losing to Australia by 162 runs in their first World Cup encounter, and does it also align with the 'Zee Business' claim about the 'India national cricket team' playing against Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 World Cup?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of issues involving Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, has provided extensive evidence to counter claims in an antitrust battle, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Salehe Bembury's collaboration with a major sneaker brand and a Forbes article discussing his influence on sneaker culture and recent award for his design innovation, which sneaker brand, represented by a single letter, has Bembury notably collaborated with?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' published on October 12, 2023, discussing \"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage\" and the 'FOX News - Entertainment' piece from November 27, 2023, featuring \"Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage,\" which news source provided insights into the personal reflections of a celebrity on the challenges within their marriage?": "The Independent - Life and Style", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with respect to their impact on other companies?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Britney Spears' memoir \"The Woman in Me\" will not cover different aspects of her life compared to the control over her career discussed in relation to her parents in 'The Guardian' article?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage fail to describe a similar acknowledgment of marital challenges as 'FOX News - Entertainment' reports on Garth Brooks' statement about his past marriage?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses the expected debut of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini by the end of the year align with the TechCrunch article mentioning Google's release of only the \"lite\" version known as Gemini Pro, or do they refer to different stages or versions of the Gemini project?": "Different stages or versions", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial for fraud and conspiracy, who previously persuaded a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures at Alameda and FTX, is accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds to settle with Binance, and whose alleged fraudulent activities were aimed at gaining wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggest that the discontinuation of investment in HIV vaccine and cure research is essential for ending the AIDS epidemic, while the 'Business Line' article proposes that engineering bNAbs for an HIV cure is a promising approach, and are both articles aligned in the view that ongoing research is crucial for combating HIV?": "no", + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" article suggesting that the Federal Reserve is basing interest rate decisions on economic data align with the sentiment in another article from \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" that Wall Street expects the Federal Reserve to stop increasing interest rates soon?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from CBSSports.com and both articles from Sporting News agree on the amount of the welcome bonus offered by Caesars Sportsbook to new sign-ups, with all mentioning up to $2000, or do they report different amounts?": "no", + "Does the Engadget review naming the Apple Watch SE as the best smartwatch for the money suggest a different aspect of smartwatch functionality compared to The Verge's focus on the independence of smartwatches from phones, specifically regarding the Apple Watch's double tap gesture?": "Yes", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance was limited to specific games, while The Guardian article reports Tyreek Hill having a standout performance in a particular game where the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world and intending to use his wealth for humanity's salvation, that is now facing a criminal trial as per TechCrunch and Fortune's reports, with allegations of achieving his success and the thriving state of a crypto exchange through fraudulent means?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What company is at the center of concerns from news publishers about anticompetitive practices that affect their bottom line, is involved in deals to be the default search engine on major tech platforms, and is perceived by the public as potentially engaging in foul play, as reported by The Age, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Who, according to articles from both TechCrunch and Fortune, is the individual known for his significant impact and vision for AI's future, and has also been involved in a controversial departure from a leadership role at OpenAI?": "Sam Altman.", + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board, and the Fortune article on the same day stating that Sam Altman and the ex-chairman were shocked and saddened by the board's actions, was the reporting from TechCrunch later on November 18, 2023, about Sam Altman's plans consistent with the earlier reports from TechCrunch and Fortune?": "no", + "Did the 'Diablo 4 guide' from Polygon maintain consistency in the approach of providing simplified builds for different character classes in Diablo 4 season 2 after publishing the Sorcerer guide on October 18th with the subsequent Barbarian guide on October 19th?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times and another in The Guardian about Rami Osman, which character from a popular TV series, mentioned in both articles, shares similarities with Osman's reported strategic approach to business negotiations?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently subjected to an antitrust lawsuit that affected its stock value, offers a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB-C cables for purchase, introduced invite-only deals during Prime Day, and provides a platform that sellers describe as life-changing?": "Amazon", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that \"Video games in 2023\" have undergone a significant change in terms of innovation and vibrancy compared to previous years, while the BBC News - Technology article, through Sophie's perspective, focuses on the change in accessibility of video games for everyone?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by Forbes about Min Kao's philanthropic efforts and another by Bloomberg discussing his business strategies, which university, known for its engineering program and having received significant donations from Min Kao, is also the institution where a business school case study was developed based on his company's market expansion tactics?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the inefficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures for the team's functioning in a similar way to how 'Sporting News' advises bettors of team golf events to consider each team's strengths and weaknesses?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the government's new environmental policy in Delhi and a Times of India report on the recent traffic congestion reforms, which single character from the Delhi government is at the intersection of implementing both the environmental and traffic policies?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' attribute a stoppage-time penalty to Cole Palmer, and do these claims concern penalties scored at different times in their respective matches?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that is alleged to have committed fraud for personal gain, advised another trader on the limits of withdrawals in relation to total revenue, and made a decision to use customer funds to settle with a competitor, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the FOX News - Entertainment article attribute the factors that helped Robin Williams overcome his drug addiction to different life events than the pre-fight issues faced by Oliver McCall mentioned in the TalkSport article?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial involves contrasting legal narratives, was once likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, planned to establish a board with experts for a crypto company without investor directors, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a successful first down completion involving A.J. Dillon in a similar manner to how the Sporting News describes The Saints' achievement of a first down in the Jaguars vs. Saints game?": "Yes", + "Was there disagreement on Google's strategy to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published after September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing Google's expenditures to be the default search engine published before November 13, 2023?": "no", + "Who is the individual who has been a notable figure in generative AI technology, was considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley from a young age, and is at the center of controversy over allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions for using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results and for anticompetitive practices that affect news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is the same as the Springboks' as per the first article, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' handling was compromised by external factors in the second article, and does it confirm 'The All Blacks' losses to Argentina as stated in the third article?": "no", + "Considering the recent fluctuations in the Dow Jones Industrial Average as reported by The Wall Street Journal and the impact of tech stocks on the index as detailed by Bloomberg, which company, represented by a single letter on the stock exchange, was highlighted for its significant influence on the Dow's performance in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the TechCrunch and Fortune articles both suggest that the blockade on Gaza by Israel is affecting the ability of International aid groups to provide necessary supplies and services to the region?": "Yes", + "Did The Age report on October 23, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and did TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, resulting in inconsistent reporting on Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior between these two news sources?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's launch of GPT-4 with vision and the TechCrunch report on OpenAI's push for an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools, was there a change in OpenAI's strategic focus as reported by TechCrunch?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that communicated plans for an expert board to Paradigm, entered a not-guilty plea to fraud and conspiracy charges, was informed about a financial discrepancy post a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', 'TechCrunch', and 'The Verge'?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently scrutinized by TechCrunch for its new AI model's architecture and by the same source for its role in an antitrust suit related to content and ad revenue, is also being challenged by Epic Games for its practices in app distribution and payment processing, and was mentioned in The Verge for altering the internet's appearance?": "Google", + "Based on the information from an article in Forbes about Pascal Clarysse's innovative marketing strategies and a separate article in Business Insider discussing his role in a successful startup's expansion into Asian markets, what is the first letter of the city where Pascal Clarysse's startup opened its new office?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which individual, whose trial involving seven counts of fraud and conspiracy is covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch, is accused of using FTX customer funds to buy out Binance and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Based on the information from a New York Times article discussing Power On's recent funding round and a Forbes article detailing Power On's strategic partnership with a major tech company, which letter represents both the first initial of Power On's CEO who led the funding round and the first initial of the tech company's CEO who finalized the partnership?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence situation published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Fortune on the humanitarian conditions in Gaza published on October 13, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Israel's security and humanitarian actions?": "no", + "Considering the character descriptions from a Variety article and the production challenges mentioned in a Hollywood Reporter article, which actor is set to play the lead role in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Engadget article claim that ChatGPT has reached its first anniversary and experienced significant user growth to 100 million users per day, and does the TechCrunch article agree on the multifunctional capabilities of ChatGPT, including code completion and creative writing, as stated by Engadget?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'Essentially Sports' claims that Kevin Durant has been criticized for his lack of leadership, indicating a difference in their respective leadership roles?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game report Derek Carr failing to complete any passes to the same receivers that the Sporting News article on the Bills vs. Bengals game reports Joe Burrow completing a pass to?": "no", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest that Manchester United does not need a long-term blueprint for success, while the Sporting News article indicates that Manchester United are out of European competitions, thus comparing the future planning with the current competition status of the team?": "no", + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding an intelligence failure by Mossad, and the subsequent report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on November 5, 2023, concerning Israel's defense reliance on technology, was the reporting on Israel's security situation consistent?": "Yes", + "Which player, featured in articles by CBSSports.com and Sporting News, would need to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach a personal goal, but may face challenges due to the strong pass defenses of the remaining opponents?": "Tyreek Hill", + "After The Guardian reported on Manchester United's challenges with pressure in the Champions League on November 27, did TalkSport's report on November 29 about Manchester United's leaky defence and setting an unwanted record for conceding goals in the group stages show agreement or disagreement with The Guardian's assessment of Manchester United's performance in Europe?": "Agreement", + "What organization, founded in late 2015 and reported on by 'The Age', is also the subject of a 'TechCrunch' article discussing the launch of GPT-4 with vision and the GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "What are the entities that not only provide introductory incentives to attract users but also modify their betting options for events and player awards based on news and public sentiment, as reported by the Sporting News?": "Sportsbooks", + "Was TechCrunch's reporting on October 31, 2023, and December 25, 2023, regarding Google's antitrust issues and the impact on news publishers inconsistent in perspective on Google's market behavior?": "no", + "Does the CBSSports.com article report Kenneth Walker III sustaining an injury during a game, similarly to how the Sporting News article reports injuries for Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney preventing their participation in Week 12?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial is imminent, according to TechCrunch, and is alleged to have instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to lenders, claimed an inability to manage the rapid expansion of his crypto exchange and a related trading firm as reported by The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as mentioned in multiple TechCrunch articles?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article report a decrease in Nike's net income for the recent quarter, and does the TechCrunch article also report a decrease in Gogoro's revenue for the same period?": "Yes", + "Which Major League Baseball team, covered by both 'Essentially Sports' for a sign-stealing controversy during a period of success and 'The New York Times' for its home field adjustment that led to a 1-5 performance, is known for undermining the values of the sport?": "Houston Astros", + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is the same that was reported by TechCrunch to have both showcased new hardware developments at an annual event and been involved in a class action antitrust suit filed by news publishers?": "Google", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness against the 49ers came later in the game, while the same source indicates that Joe Mixon's offensive role for the Cincinnati Bengals has increased due to Joe Burrow's absence?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on Tyreek Hill's chances of achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards before December 5, 2023, and the CBSSports.com report on Tyreek Hill's required average yards per game to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards, was there a change in the reporting of Tyreek Hill's progress towards his season goal?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried instructed Caroline Ellison to take customer funds for debt repayment, while the Fortune article alleges that he used her as a front for secret access to customer funds, and does the second TechCrunch article suggest that his motive was personal gain?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's dev day mention the announcement of a new GPT-4 Turbo model, while the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's safety measures does not discuss any new model announcements, and does the TechCrunch article on ChatGPT confirm the availability of GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns according to a class action suit mentioned by TechCrunch and is also considered by Apple, as reported by The Verge, to have been the only valid option for search engine services at a certain negotiation time?": "Google", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Patrick Kane's move was motivated by a lack of interest in joining a playoff contender, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Egypt's policy decisions are driven by the prospect of economic rewards from international and regional partners?": "no", + "Considering the financial performance overview from a Forbes article and the strategic partnership developments mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article on Advance Auto Parts, which single letter symbol represents the company's stock ticker on the New York Stock Exchange?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Guardian' article describe 'the match' as a contest of disparity between a wealthy team and a young team, while the 'Sporting News' article focuses on 'Shohei Ohtani's' decision on team selection without mentioning any disparity?": "Yes", + "Which company is implicated by allegations of anticompetitive behavior in a class action lawsuit reported by TechCrunch, is suspected of foul play according to an article from The Age, and uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results as discussed by The Verge?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Brock Purdy's performance against the Cowboys was more successful in terms of touchdowns thrown compared to the CBSSports.com article's assessment of his performance under pressure?": "Yes", + "Which company, highlighted by Engadget, is set to enhance gamers' experience by releasing an improved handheld device with an OLED screen on November 16, ensuring developers can concentrate on a singular performance target rather than multiple?": "Valve", + "Was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware inconsistent between the Polygon report on the updates to the Steam Deck hardware published after November 16, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED?": "no", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that FC Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield, while the 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article report a victory for Aston Villa over Fulham, and are these outcomes related to different competitions?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Steve Schwarzman's philanthropic efforts and a Bloomberg article detailing his business strategies, which university, known for its prestigious business program and mentioned in both articles, did Schwarzman donate a significant sum to for the establishment of a student center?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on his favorite color, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses his intentions for FTX's board composition, and the TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his professional conduct?": "no", + "Who is the individual implicated by reports from both The Verge and TechCrunch for directing the misuse of billions of dollars of customer funds and for committing fraud, which came to light following judicial proceedings and the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, known for not allowing users to select their preferred browser during iPhone setup as mentioned by TechCrunch, is also involved in an 18-month appeal process over a patent dispute reported by The Verge and is identified by The Verge as enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Which two public figures have been the subject of speculation about a romantic connection, evidenced by one being observed leaving a stadium with the other, mutual career support since the beginning of their relationship, and one wearing a themed friendship bracelet, as reported by sources including 'The Age', 'CBSSports.com', and 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article stating Lionel Messi returned to play for Inter Miami after an injury align with the 'Sporting News' claim that he is likely to be back for Inter Miami's match, and does the same source suggest a youth movement in Argentina's forward line involving Messi, Alvarez, and Garnacho?": "Yes", + "Which institution, highlighted in articles from 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is considered to have significant influence on global financial markets and is anticipated to potentially alter its interest rate policy based on incoming economic data, leading to a change in market conditions and affecting the outlook of Wall Street?": "The Federal Reserve", + "Between the report from The Verge on September 28, 2023, concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's image before the collapse of FTX, and the report from The Verge on October 31, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of financial discrepancies, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of the financial issues within FTX?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena suggest that \"The company's management\" expects the war to impact its revenue within forecasted figures, while the Fortune article indicates that Egypt's economic crisis is worsening as elections approach?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from The Verge and TechCrunch, faced challenges managing the growth of FTX and Alameda Research, allegedly used FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, was informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual associated with the planning of a new venture after his tenure at OpenAI, which was marked by allegations of dishonesty with the board and without any removal attempt by the co-founders of Anthropic, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Age?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that 'The post' will be regularly updated with new TV series recommendations on streaming platforms, while the Essentially Sports article indicates that 'NASCAR' is only beginning to explore streaming possibilities with Amazon Prime?": "Yes", + "Which company spent $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also the subject of an antitrust suit for harming news publishers' bottom lines, according to another article by TechCrunch, while also being defended by Apple in court for lack of a valid alternative, as mentioned by The Verge?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, portrayed himself as a reliable figure, planned to establish a board with experts for the company without investor directors, was accused of using customer funds to buy out a competitor, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these events being reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch for not switching to a browser competitor during iPhone setup, by Engadget for focusing on Macs and new chipsets at an event, and twice by The Verge for defending a search deal in court and for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Did the Sporting News report a defeat for the Dallas Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers?": "no", + "Which company, recently featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is associated with the release of a \"lite\" version of an AI model claimed to have superior architecture, yet is also involved in a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines?": "Google", + "After Seeking Alpha recommended a Hold rating for GitLab Inc. on December 3, 2023, due to valuation concerns, did TechCrunch's report on December 18, 2023, regarding the significant pressure on tech companies' valuations reflect a consistent or inconsistent viewpoint on the valuation pressures faced by tech companies like GitLab Inc.?": "Consistent", + "Which company, recently featured in articles by The Verge and TechCrunch, is known for ranking local search results using specific criteria, presenting new hardware developments at an annual event, comparing its Gemini Pro's performance to that of OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and has been accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's dev day fail to mention the announcement of a new GPT-4 Turbo model, while the TechCrunch article on OpenAI's safety measures does not discuss any new model announcements, and does the TechCrunch article on ChatGPT confirm the availability of GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on prop bets related to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift-inspired props for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the nature of prop bets published on November 6, 2023, was there inconsistency in how 'Sporting News' described the opportunities for bettors in prop betting?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust cases reported by TechCrunch for both spending billions to secure default search engine status on various platforms and for harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Which wide receiver, currently leading the league and recognized by Sporting News as the top choice for Week 14, would need to average almost 153 yards over his final three games, as noted by CBSSports.com, to meet his season goal but faces a challenge due to the strong pass defenses of his team's remaining opponents, according to Sporting News?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental initiatives highlighted in a Channel NewsAsia report, which minister in the Singaporean government has been credited with addressing both fiscal growth and sustainability measures in their recent policy announcements?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the US economy is slowing down to an optimal level to prevent a recession, while also reporting a prediction by Paul Tudor Jones that the United States economy will enter into a recession early next year?": "Yes", + "Which NFL team, featured in articles from both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', faced the potential of being closely followed in the wild card race by three other teams, might have opted for a field goal in a 'Monday Night Football' game, recently changed their passing game strategy, and has seen comparable offensive production from Josh Dobbs and Kirk Cousins?": "Minnesota Vikings", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is anticompetitive, while the other TechCrunch article suggests that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating a difference in Google's approach to news publishers and content regulation on YouTube?": "Yes", + "What entity is seeking a balanced solution to the financial impact on Europe's artists and labels, coordinating dialogue to address unfair advertising practices, scrutinizing Amazon's acquisition of iRobot for competition concerns, and has previously focused on illegal content and disinformation issues related to the Israel-Hamas war, as reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch?": "The European Commission.", + "Which NFL team, featured in analyses by both CBSSports.com and Sporting News, showed a change in their passing game strategy in Week 4 and has a player producing similar offensive results to their usual quarterback with the help of their defense, as demonstrated in a game where they were dominated by the Chicago Bears' defense?": "Minnesota Vikings", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the new benefits of the American Express Platinum card and a Wall Street Journal report on the changes in the annual fee for the same card, which single letter represents both the starting character of the exclusive airport lounge that cardholders get access to and the first letter of the city where American Express's headquarters is located?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, covered by both Engadget and Polygon, is set to release an upgraded version of its product with an improved screen, enhanced battery life, and several minor physical upgrades, with availability starting on November 16th?": "Valve", + "Which company, recently discussed on TechCrunch for releasing only a \"lite\" version of an AI model and for its alleged anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenue, is at the center of these controversies?": "Google", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent report by the same source on the prosecution's allegations against him, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of the charges he is facing?": "no", + "Was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's relationship status between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Travis Kelce, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023?": "no", + "Which two public figures, linked by rumors of a romance covered by 'CBSSports.com' and 'The Independent - Life and Style', have been seen enjoying time together and showing affection, with one being spotted wearing a themed bracelet and the other cheering enthusiastically from box seats at a sporting event?": "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce", + "Considering the information from an article in The Wall Street Journal about the recent surge in Open Interest for tech stocks and a report by Bloomberg on the unusual spike in Open Interest for a specific tech company following a major product announcement, which letter represents the stock symbol of the company that is common to both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was compared to Warren Buffet, planned to establish a board with experts without investor directors, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies post-judicial intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch, Cnbc, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was the performance of the Chicago Bears' defense reported as improved by Yardbarker after Sporting News highlighted a sack by the Bears' defense on Joshua Dobbs during the NFL 'Monday Night Football' game?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is not trained on kids' responses, while The Verge article implies that Apple trusts Google with user data?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are unnecessary due to a plethora of alternatives, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply Google's actions are primarily driven by profit maximization and anticompetitive behavior, respectively?": "no", + "What group of people can utilize the options provided by team golf events to place bets on outcomes or engage in prop betting, and also capitalize on the hype generated around events to potentially profit, as reported by Sporting News?": "Bettors", + "Who is the individual whose trial involves determining the truth about contrasting legal narratives, who communicated plans for a specialized board to Paradigm while resisting investor directors, admitted awareness of financial discrepancies post-judicial intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, CNBC, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the recent developments reported by The Guardian regarding the new transportation policy in Berlin and the economic forecast for the city's tech industry from Bloomberg, which single letter represents both the initial of the minister responsible for introducing the transportation policy and the CEO of the tech startup predicted to be the most successful in Berlin's growing tech sector this year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that 'Sports betting apps and live streaming' have a positive impact on the golf betting experience, while 'Essentially Sports' indicates a negative trend in 'Golf competitiveness'?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News change their fantasy football advice after publishing the quarterback rankings at 22:06 on December 7, 2023, which suggested Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and Josh Dobbs are risky options, when they later advised against starting Tyler Higbee at 22:14 on the same day due to the strength of the Baltimore Ravens' tight end defense?": "no", + "What company, featured in articles from TechCrunch, Wired, and Cnbc, has the capability to construct new factories, has established its own special sales event, and provides a platform described as offering life-changing opportunities for sellers?": "Amazon", + "Does the article from The Verge claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles focus on his plea to charges and the prosecution's allegations without mentioning the use of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest the absence of a legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Music Business Worldwide article indicates that the National Music Publishers Association is advocating for regulations in AI development?": "Yes", + "Is the promotional offer for new users of sportsbooks reported by Sporting News consistent between the article published on November 29, 2023, stating that new users can claim over $5,000 in bonuses from various sportsbooks, and the article from December 15, 2023, mentioning that new customers of sportsbooks receive a welcome bonus when they register for an account?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic forecasts from a BBC News article and the immigration policy changes reported by The Guardian, which single letter represents the UK's credit rating as recently adjusted by a major credit rating agency?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on sales in Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit and the article from The Sydney Morning Herald on the S&P 500 both report an increase in their respective financial metrics?": "Yes", + "Did the consistency of Google's stance on antitrust issues change according to a later report by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action lawsuit filed by a news publisher against Google?": "no", + "Has the approach to content moderation by social media companies, as reported by TechCrunch, remained the same from the time when the Supreme Court was set to hear cases on state laws restricting moderation (published at '2023-10-04T20:07:42+00:00') to the period when Twitter (still called Twitter) under Elon Musk's leadership implemented a crowdsourced moderation system (published at '2023-11-03T17:43:00+00:00')?": "no", + "What AI-powered chatbot, which can complete and debug code, compose music, and even write poetry, has not only celebrated its first anniversary according to Engadget but also reached a milestone of 100 million weekly active users as reported by TechCrunch?": "ChatGPT", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns, as reported by TechCrunch, for spending billions to secure default search engine status, facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and payment processing, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through its business practices?": "Google", + "Considering the injury updates reported by CBSSports.com on November 19, 2023, regarding Cooper Kupp and the subsequent report by Sporting News on December 7, 2023, about Derrick Henry, does the sequence of reports indicate that both players did not suffer in-game injuries that led to them leaving their respective games for further evaluation and returning to the game?": "no", + "What is the platform criticized by Sarah Michelle Gellar for its parental controls and where players can spend money on in-game items, which is also exploring the development of generative AI to create user-like virtual doppelgangers, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'The Verge'?": "Roblox", + "Which entity, currently in the process of recruiting a new Chair due to Andrew Sutch's impending departure, is also addressing concerns over financial result delays caused by an updated valuation from Citrin Cooperman, as reported by Music Business Worldwide?": "Hipgnosis Songs Fund", + "Has the reporting on the involvement of individuals in their respective football teams by Sporting News remained consistent between the article discussing Cameron Carter-Vickers' debut for Celtic after a hamstring injury (published at '2023-10-04T22:42:00+00:00') and the article detailing Daniel Garnero's debut as the new permanent manager of the Paraguay national football team 30 minutes before kickoff (published at '2023-10-12T23:22:00+00:00')?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Financial Times report on Vandita Pant, what is the first letter of the company where she was appointed to a significant leadership role, as mentioned in the BBC News article, and also involved in a major financial deal covered by the Financial Times?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual alleged to have used Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research for secret access to customer funds, presented as the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry before a major company's collapse, instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to repay debts, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from The Verge on Google's impact on the internet's appearance published on November 1, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on a class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's influence on the digital ecosystem?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, despite not being labeled as the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, faced Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention over a financial discrepancy and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with connections to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on 'Inter Miami premium packages' suggest they are less expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, while the same source indicates that 'Manchester United and Chelsea' had a closer points gap in the 2006/07 season than the season before?": "no", + "Considering the economic forecast from a Bloomberg article and the agricultural developments discussed in a Reuters report, which country in West Africa, expected to see a significant growth in its GDP, also launched an initiative to become self-sufficient in rice production by 2025?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who was described by TechCrunch as one of the most brilliant and impactful individuals in the industry and is known for his significant voice in Silicon Valley on artificial intelligence, but is also suggested by the same source to have possibly withheld full truth from the board, leading to his departure from a CEO position?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Generation Z experiences distress primarily due to high employment rates, while the article from Eos: Earth And Space Science News calls for a deeper understanding of sea surface temperature patterns as a significant climate driver?": "no", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Britney Spears' memoir \"The Woman in Me\" will cover different aspects of her life compared to the control over her career discussed in relation to her parents in 'The Guardian' article?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article about the 'Everton team' suggest they are in a better position in the Premier League compared to 'Bayern Munich' as discussed in another 'The Guardian' article, based on their respective league standings and points?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian on Middle Seat Terminal, which airline, known for its innovative approach to passenger comfort as per The New York Times, also faced scrutiny for a data breach incident reported by The Guardian, and uses the letter 'A' as the first character in its name?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article reporting on the EU's investigation into X over alleged disinformation agree with the TechCrunch article warning Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) about illegal content and disinformation in terms of the type of content being circulated, with both mentioning the circulation of false information and manipulated content?": "Yes", + "Did the Fortune article imply that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article's focus on the valuation of Alameda Research's assets in FTT tokens?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge and another by Search Engine Land on Danny Sullivan, which letter represents both the first initial of the search engine company he joined after retiring from his publication and the first letter of the feature he helped to introduce that allows public figures to post directly on the search results page?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Meta Platforms' financial performance and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's strategic shifts, which single letter represents both the beginning of the CEO's first name and the first letter of the product that Meta is heavily investing in as part of its future growth strategy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on a colleague to join his ventures and the report by The Verge on the implications of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions on his associates, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's interactions with his peers?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that TechCrunch did not refer to as the white horse of crypto, who has pleaded not-guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did 'Sport Grill' report on Tessa Wullaert scoring a decisive penalty before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Cole Palmer scoring a penalty to secure a draw for Chelsea?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article imply that Liam Paro's ranking improved due to activity, unlike The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article which suggests Andy Murray's ranking was unaffected, with both athletes maintaining or improving their positions in their respective sports?": "no", + "Which company, defended by Apple for being the default search engine on platforms like Samsung and Mozilla according to The Verge, is also the creator of Gemini, a generative AI model claimed by TechCrunch to potentially meet or exceed GPT-4's performance, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming news publishers' bottom lines by siphoning off their content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article implies that he was informed about financial discrepancies, and another TechCrunch article alleges that he committed fraud for personal gain, indicating differing perspectives on his intentions and awareness?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from 'Science News For Students' and 'Fortune' both suggest that 'Scientists' have made advancements in their respective fields, with one investigating the learning mechanisms in animals and the other manufacturing quantum dots in a lab?": "Yes", + "Do the 'Business Line' article's criteria for high networth investors to evaluate investment options, which include historical performance and management team assessment, align with the due diligence process that 'The Verge' claims major VC firms undertake, involving thorough investigation before investing?": "Yes", + "Which company is the subject of scrutiny in articles from The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch for its practices in ranking local search results, maximizing ad revenue, and impacting news publishers' bottom lines through its services?": "Google", + "Do the articles from Sporting News on 'Line Shopping in Sports Betting', 'Moneyline Betting', and 'NBA Rookie of the Year Odds' all agree that Sportsbooks adjust their lines and odds, or do they present different reasons for these adjustments?": "Agree", + "Which individual, whose trial's jury will assess contrasting narratives of their circumstances reported by 'Fortune', is the same person accused of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized financial activities, presented a trustworthy image in the cryptocurrency sector according to 'The Verge', and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain as covered by 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is the subject of criticism in articles from both 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' for practices that involve manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off content and revenue from news publishers?": "Google", + "Who is the free agent that is anticipated to choose a baseball team within the next week and before the conclusion of the upcoming weekend, as reported by Sporting News, and may not benefit from an agreement during the MLB winter meetings as much as the league does?": "Shohei Ohtani", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged actions?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the platform that is scrutinized for serving content related to eating disorders, as reported by 'The Age', and is also recognized for its strategic focus on music-related services aiming to integrate with the music industry, according to 'Music Business Worldwide'?": "TikTok", + "Considering the injury updates reported by CBSSports.com on November 19, 2023, regarding Cooper Kupp and the subsequent report by Sporting News on December 7, 2023, about Derrick Henry, does the sequence of reports indicate that both players suffered in-game injuries that led to them leaving their respective games for further evaluation or not returning to the game?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously known for their wealth and intention to save humanity from extinction, that is currently facing legal scrutiny with contrasting stories presented by their legal representatives and the government's lawyers, as covered by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in Business Standard about Nikhil Nanda, which company, known for its manufacturing in the agricultural sector, has Nanda as its managing director and also recently announced a collaboration with a Japanese firm to enhance technological advancements in their products?": "Insufficient information.", + "Is the promotional offer for new users of sportsbooks reported by Sporting News inconsistent between the article published on November 29, 2023, stating that new users can claim over $5,000 in bonuses from various sportsbooks, and the article from December 15, 2023, mentioning that new customers of sportsbooks do not receive a welcome bonus when they register for an account?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, despite having been likened to a prominent investor and being labeled as the white knight of cryptocurrency by some (but explicitly not by TechCrunch), is facing allegations of fraudulent success and power accumulation in the cryptocurrency exchange industry, with these accusations being discussed in both TechCrunch and Fortune articles?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as above league-average, while the Sporting News article reported the San Francisco 49ers' offensive performance as strong, despite Christian McCaffrey not scoring?": "no", + "Does the 'Revyuh Media' article claim that the discovery of Daam1's role is an insignificant advancement in cancer research, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article focuses on the involvement of Bella Scalera and Luca Scalera with the Cancer Couch Foundation from its inception, without attributing such a discovery to their activities?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the battery life of the Garmin Venu and another article by CNET discussing the watch's water resistance rating, what is the single digit that represents the ATM rating of the Garmin Venu as mentioned in both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual alleged to have built a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who, according to articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post, was the 44th President of the United States and also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that businesses selling on Amazon are setting non-competitive prices, while the article from The Verge indicates that eBay offers a price-matching policy that includes a coupon for the difference plus an additional incentive?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on September 28, 2023, that OpenAI would make GPT-4 with vision available alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API, did the same news source maintain consistency in its view of OpenAI's strategy when reporting on December 19, 2023, about OpenAI pushing an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools and toys?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Uber's safety measures published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in the third quarter published on November 7, 2023, was there a change in the focus of reporting on Uber from safety concerns to financial outcomes?": "Yes", + "After 'The Age' reported on September 26, 2023, about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving the stadium together, did 'The Independent - Life and Style' maintain consistency in their report later that same day regarding the nature of the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?": "Yes", + "Between the Engadget report on the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Valve Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38, was the reporting on the release date of the new Steam Deck OLED consistent?": "Yes", + "Did the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena report the same percentage change in market capitalization for Group Psagot for Finance and Investments as the percentage changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Age?": "no", + "Did Apple, after The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that it criticized its Google Search deal by stating there was a valid alternative, and TechCrunch later reported on November 13, 2023, that Google spent less than $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms, maintain a rationale for its Google Search deal that is inconsistent with Google's aggressive spending to maintain default search engine status across platforms? (The Verge/TechCrunch)": "no", + "Which company, covered by 'The Verge' for defending its choice of a default search engine and its store policies, and by 'Engadget' for focusing on new chipsets at an upcoming event, is also known for making products with an emphasis on user privacy?": "Apple", + "Who is the individual associated with the companies FTX and Alameda, who, according to sources from both Fortune and TechCrunch, built a business on deceit, influenced a colleague to leave Jane Street for his ventures, and is accused of directing a multi-billion dollar misappropriation of customer funds to cover debts, all for personal gain in wealth and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Scott McTominay is not the tactical leader for Manchester United, while 'TechCrunch' discusses the leadership principles in Brené Brown's book \"Dare to Lead\" without attributing tactical leadership on the field to any individual?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News report a victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season, and did the same source also report a win for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Miami Dolphins on \"Sunday Night Football\"?": "Yes", + "Are the prices for Inter Miami premium packages mentioned in Sporting News considered more expensive than the most luxurious Premier League tickets, and does The Roar | Sports Writers Blog confirm that Manchester City is currently leading the Premier League table with 28 points?": "True", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that the Bears' defense sacked Joshua Dobbs, while the 'Yardbarker' article discusses the Baltimore Ravens defense's ranking in points allowed per game and total yards in the current NFL season?": "Yes", + "After Sporting News reported on Alejandro Mata's successful 31-yard field goal for Colorado on October 28, 2023, did the same news source report a successful or unsuccessful field goal attempt by Jayden Fielding in a later article?": "Unsuccessful", + "Has the news source TechCrunch reported any change in the development of AI-powered chatbots after introducing ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot by OpenAI, with the expectation of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and The Verge report on the outcome of the FTX trial published on October 26, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions from the perspective of the prosecution?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial involves contrasting legal narratives presented to a jury, as reported by Fortune, was previously likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, admitted to being aware of a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is accused of intentional fraud for personal gain as per allegations mentioned in a second TechCrunch article?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the cultural festival highlighted by Reuters, which letter of the alphabet begins the name of the Bahraini city that is both a focal point for these economic changes and the host of the cultural event?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the performance analysis from an ESPN article and the team strategy insights from a Cricbuzz report, which player from Royal Challengers Bangalore scored the highest number of runs in a single match and also took the most wickets in another match during the same IPL season?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently mentioned in articles by 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is accused of both manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue and siphoning off news publishers' content and ad revenue, while also claiming superior performance for its AI model Gemini compared to competitors, despite only releasing a 'lite' version known as Gemini Pro?": "Google", + "Which company is depicted as the antagonist in a legal case covered by The Verge and is also accused by news publishers in a class action lawsuit reported by TechCrunch of harming their financial interests through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that \"Microsoft's investment in OpenAI\" is unspecified, while The Age article focuses on the \"founding of OpenAI\" without specifying financial figures?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article attribute Elijah Garcia's 16th victory to a knockout, while the 'Zee Business' article credits the India national cricket team with a World Cup win by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that claimed an inability to manage this company and Alameda Research due to significant growth, is alleged to have permitted withdrawals from a trading account up to the amount of the company's total trading revenue, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these claims being reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the wealthiest in that age group, who is accused of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds and told a trader that withdrawals were permissible within certain limits, and is now facing allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article suggest that Canelo Alvarez's wealth accumulation is on a similar trajectory as Floyd Mayweather's, while the 'TechCrunch' article discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's wealth in the context of his altruistic intentions, without comparing it to another individual's wealth trajectory?": "Yes", + "Did the article from The Verge about \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" and the article from Engadget about the '9th generation iPad' both report an increase in price on their respective products during the Black Friday sales on Amazon?": "no", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on October 7, 2023, and was there disagreement between the TechCrunch report on October 1, 2023, and the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's approach to the board composition for FTX?": "no", + "Between Polygon's article on 'The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch' published on October 10, 2023, and the article discussing how 'Jack Skellington turned legendary composer Danny Elfman into a weirdo rock star' published on October 13, 2023, did Polygon's portrayal of Disney's marketing approach to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' remain consistent or change?": "Consistent", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation consistent?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join him in financial ventures, admitted to challenges in managing two major financial entities due to significant growth, was informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, commonly associated with the news sources The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch for its practices in local search ranking, deals with major tech companies to maintain default search engine status, and faces accusations of anticompetitive behavior affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a strategy under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, and does the 'Sky Sports' article indicate that Chelsea Football Club is managing player fitness and potential return from injury for specific players?": "Yes", + "Was there a discrepancy in the portrayal of Israel's security situation after the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence failure published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on Israel's defense strategies published on November 5, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Guardian report on Ellie Leach, which character, portrayed by Ellie Leach in a long-running television series mentioned by BBC News, is related to a character that was involved in a dramatic storyline covered by the Guardian?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which individual, who is about to face a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, is accused of using a front at Alameda Research for secret access to customer funds according to Fortune, and previously established a persona of trustworthiness in the cryptocurrency industry as per The Verge, while also being alleged by TechCrunch to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What company, according to TechCrunch, experienced a 38% decrease in reported sexual assault rates between its first and second safety reports, faces criticism for inadequate background checks aimed at quick driver sign-up, and reported $394 million in operating income and $219 million in net income in the third quarter?": "Uber", + "Which platform, featured on Sporting News, provides a $1,000 Bonus Bet to new Vermont sign-ups for their first loss and offers extensive betting options for the PGA Tour and other major events?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's recent performances in the Champions League have been stellar, while the 'Sporting News' article states that Manchester United are out of European competitions after a loss to Bayern, indicating a specific outcome in a European competition?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article report on layoffs at Starz, while the Engadget article discusses layoffs within the entire video game industry?": "Yes", + "Did the reporting style regarding live score updates and highlights from NFL games by Sporting News change between the article featuring \"Jaguars vs. Saints\" on October 19, 2023, and the one covering \"Chiefs vs. Packers\" on December 3, 2023, considering the excerpts mentioning a player achieving a first down?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30 who became the richest in the world, reportedly with the intention of using their wealth for the preservation of humanity, but is now facing allegations of fraud and deceit regarding the operations of a crypto exchange, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, about Taylor Swift's activities at Arrowhead Stadium, and the subsequent report from The Independent - Life and Style on November 25, 2023, regarding Travis Kelce's invitation to Taylor Swift, was the news about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce consistent with the later report from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023?": "Yes", + "Did the TechCrunch article about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google, published before December 15, 2023, fail to maintain the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices after the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditure to become the default search engine?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest the same perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation as the 'TechCrunch' articles, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging fraudulent intentions for personal gain?": "no", + "Which country, recently reported by both 'Fortune' and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India', has implemented a blockade that halted the delivery of essential supplies to a region compared in size to Philadelphia and has also been the target of a major attack that indicated a significant intelligence oversight?": "Israel", + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that social media companies, excluding Twitter (not called X), are facing changes in content moderation policies, with one discussing state laws restricting social media companies and the other describing a crowdsourced moderation system under new leadership?": "no", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses his intentions for FTX's board composition, and the TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his professional conduct?": "Yes", + "After the collaboration on the U2 project for Sphere reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 19, 2023, did TechCrunch's perspective on the role of technologists in product design, published on December 21, 2023, align with the notion of interconnections between technologies as suggested by the U2 project's collaborative effort?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on Shohei Ohtani's MLB future published on November 27, 2023, and The New York Times report on Shohei Ohtani's deal with the Dodgers published on December 9, 2023, was there a change in the reporting of Ohtani's free agency status?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on Richelle Cranston's club history in the AFLW published on October 20, 2023, and The Age's report on Richelle Cranston's health condition while playing this season published on November 3, 2023, has the information regarding Richelle Cranston's AFLW career remained consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the TalkSport article discusses the expected sale price of Manchester United by the Glazers, comparing it to the investment made by Todd Boehly for Chelsea?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to Eddy Cue, had no valid alternative for search engine services at the time of a negotiation, is reported by The Verge to have spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its default search engine status across various platforms as mentioned by TechCrunch, and is also accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue through anticompetitive means as cited by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "What is the name of the rugby team that suffered home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, faced a numerical disadvantage but tried to capitalize by kicking for the corner, and was previously beaten by Argentina for the first time in Sydney before losing again in Christchurch, as discussed in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": "The All Blacks (New Zealand national rugby team)", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different reason for \"Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup\" compared to the reason for \"Dillon Danis and Savannah Montano's relationship\" ending as reported by 'Essentially Sports'?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that The Verge reported as using $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor, and who is also the subject of a criminal trial covered by TechCrunch, where he faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of seeking wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Based on a report from The Verge detailing Microsoft Azure's new AI capabilities and a separate article from Forbes discussing Azure's expanded global infrastructure, which single letter represents both the start of the name of the AI feature highlighted for its advanced analytics and the first letter of the new geographical region announced for Azure's data center expansion?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the design changes reported by The Verge and the performance upgrades mentioned by CNET in their latest articles on the Apple iMac, which single letter of the alphabet is commonly used to denote the model that encompasses both of these updates?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a strategic move under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, while 'The Guardian' and 'Sky Sports' articles focus on Chelsea Football Club's recent match outcomes and player fitness concerns, respectively, without discussing strategic market expansion?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article claim that Zazie Beetz will reprise her role in the Joker sequel, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Mary Jane's character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 returning from the first game?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' claim that the NFL game between the Lions and Packers will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for 'NFL fans across the United States' align with their claim about the broadcast platform for the Bears vs. Panthers game for 'NFL fans in the U.S.'?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon post focus on keeping readers updated with the latest series liked by the authors on each major streaming platform, while The Sydney Morning Herald article discusses the trend of entertainment companies creating their own exclusive streaming platforms over the past five years?": "Yes", + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried did not use FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles imply that his overall wealth and alleged fraudulent activities were not directed towards different goals, such as influencing politics and achieving personal gain?": "no", + "Which company, recently discussed on both The Verge and TechCrunch, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues and uses specific criteria to rank local search results, while also being accused of harming news publishers' profits through its business practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Sajith Pai, what single letter represents the initial of the venture capital firm where he is a director, which has also recently invested in a new ed-tech startup?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to counter claims of discovery misconduct, is also accused by both a news publisher and an individual of using its platform to maximise ad revenue and siphon off content and revenue from others, as reported by TechCrunch and The Age?": "Google", + "Did the reporting on player actions in sports by Sporting News change between the article featuring Jones from the USC vs. Notre Dame game published on October 14, 2023, and the article discussing Cristian Romero's tackle in the Tottenham vs Chelsea game published on November 6, 2023?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published before November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit filed against Google by a news publisher published before December 15, 2023, was there a consistent portrayal of Google's involvement in anticompetitive practices?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that bettors earn a fixed profit when betting on the Red Sox, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Spread betting involves wagering on the margin of victory rather than a fixed outcome?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry, according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, and also had intentions to form an expert board for a crypto exchange, as per Cnbc | World Business News Leader, while also being known for his plans to use his fortune to prevent humanity's extinction, as mentioned in another article by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, while The Verge article focuses on the market definition in an antitrust case involving Google, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions impact news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": "no", + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is known for its superior architecture in generative AI models, secures default search engine positions through deals with major tech firms, and is involved in legal disputes potentially affecting phones, app stores, and news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the fraud allegations between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement with Adam Yedidia and Caroline Ellison published on October 4, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published after?": "no", + "Did 'The Guardian' fail to report on Eintracht Frankfurt's historic Bundesliga achievement against Bayern Munich before 'The Independent - Sports' mentioned Joelinton's powerful goal for Newcastle?": "no", + "Did The Guardian's report on October 24, 2023, regarding Britney Spears' experiences at the age of 21 maintain consistency in the narrative of her struggles with autonomy and public scrutiny, after The Independent - Life and Style reported on Britney Spears' voluntary lithium intake on October 18, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a Times of India report on Sabbineni Meghana, which team did she represent in her debut international match, and against which team did she score her maiden international half-century?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did TechCrunch change its portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in its October 7, 2023, article alleging his knowing commitment of fraud, despite the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which described the success of FTX as being built on lies, and the subsequent report from TechCrunch on October 6, 2023, detailing Caroline Ellison taking $14 billion from customers under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Spill's new social media platform suggest a different approach to social networking from what TechCrunch reports consumers desire according to Mozilla's perspective, with Spill focusing on a unique platform and Mozilla emphasizing trust and decentralization?": "No", + "Considering the updates from a New York Times article on the integration of new AI features into Microsoft Teams and a Forbes article discussing the expansion of Microsoft Teams into new markets, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO of Microsoft who is overseeing these strategic developments?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from TalkSport on Andy Robertson's shoulder injury and the CBSSports.com article on Kenneth Walker III's oblique injury, which news source reported on a player's injury sustained during international duty?": "TalkSport", + "Which company, defended in court for being the only viable option for search engine services according to Eddy Cue, also held an annual hardware event showcasing new developments and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Apple", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted under the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in misusing customer funds, while The Verge article implies that Sam Bankman-Fried set a condition for withdrawal permissions based on FTX's total trading revenue, and does another TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's motive for committing fraud was personal gain?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's actions towards news publishers are anticompetitive, while The Age article implies that users are accepting of potential misconduct by Google, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event, indicating different contexts of Google's activities in each source?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of discussions involving the portrayal as an antagonist in a legal trial by Epic Games, the claim of superior architecture in its AI model Gemini compared to GPT-4 as reported by TechCrunch, and the accusation of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers leading to a class action antitrust suit, also covered by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology that was reportedly removed from OpenAI's board, is known for supporting a teen's AI startup, and is suspected of not being fully truthful with the board, as discussed in articles by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by a world business news leader and tech-focused outlets, who not only proposed forming a knowledgeable board for a cryptocurrency exchange without investor directors but also faced allegations of fraud and admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' on October 19, 2023, detailing the Tasmania JackJumpers' lead over the Sydney Kings, and the update from 'Sporting News' on October 31, 2023, about the Texas Rangers' lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, which news source reported a larger point/lead difference in a game, 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' or 'Sporting News'?": "The Roar | Sports Writers Blog", + "Who, according to TechCrunch, was the world's wealthiest individual under 30 with intentions of using his fortune for humanitarian purposes and is currently facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, with allegations of committing these acts to gain wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article focuses on the ethicality of his financial practices, and does the second TechCrunch article imply that his actions were driven by fraudulent intentions?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front for secretive access to customer funds, portrayed as a trustworthy cryptocurrency figure before a major company's collapse, discussed board composition with Paradigm in contrast to investor involvement, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with connections to reports from Fortune, The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Reuters report on Poodle Holdings, which division, represented by its initial, is poised for the most significant expansion in the upcoming fiscal year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Polygon article published on December 6, 2023, discussing the role-playing elements of \"Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader\" and The New York Times report on December 9, 2023, about Shohei Ohtani's free agency, which news source provided information on the player's freedom to make narrative-affecting choices in the game, Polygon or The New York Times?": "Polygon", + "After the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, suggesting an expression of interest from Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift, and the article from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, revealing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has the narrative regarding the rumored romance between the pop star and the Chiefs TE remained consistent?": "Yes", + "What company, known for its upcoming 'Scary Fast event' focusing on Macs and new chipsets as reported by Engadget, is also involved in an 18-month appeal process against a patent dispute decision by the ITC and enforces uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system as covered by The Verge?": "Apple", + "Which company is involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games over allegations of hiding items from discovery, and is also accused by news publishers of using anticompetitive means to siphon off their content, readers, and ad revenue, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reese Witherspoon advocate for different parenting styles, as opposed to the article from The Independent - Life and Style which discusses the issue of parental controls with Roblox?": "no", + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with the rise of artificial intelligence and generative AI technology, who was recently in the news for being removed from OpenAI's leadership amidst allegations of dishonesty with the board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, recently discussed by Engadget for focusing on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, is also mentioned by The Verge for defending its search engine deal in court, planning to appeal an ITC decision regarding its watch, and for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a higher sale price expectation for Manchester United compared to the amount invested by Todd Boehly for Chelsea, and does the Sporting News article confirm Manchester United's elimination from European competitions after a defeat by Bayern?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Age suggest that Australia's Davis Cup team is aiming for an improvement in their performance compared to the previous year, similar to how the article from The Guardian describes the Sydney Swans' current season performance as improved from their previous winless campaign?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving potential foul play, antitrust issues with a video game maker, and the siphoning off of news publishers' content and revenue, as reported by both The Age and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Which company, recently reported on by both Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch for experiencing a tumultuous period involving a reduction of its workforce by about 600 employees and having its co-CEO focus more on customer relations, is also preparing for an IPO within a two- to three-year timeframe as aimed by Dave Clark?": "Flexport", + "Do the 'Business Line' article's views on the actions of central bankers in response to supply disruptions align with 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article's depiction of the measures taken by The Federal Reserve to combat inflation?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that bettors never earn a fixed profit when betting on the Red Sox, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Spread betting involves wagering on the margin of victory rather than a fixed outcome?": "no", + "Considering the environmental concerns highlighted by The Guardian and the economic impacts discussed by The Wall Street Journal, which single letter represents both the primary Great Lake at risk due to invasive carp species and the Great Lake bordering the state that could face significant financial consequences from disrupted fisheries?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the focus of holiday-related reporting shifted from products like Govee's colorful LED light strips featured by 'The Verge' before Halloween to relationship advice such as the introduction of a significant other to family during the holidays featured by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed these acts to achieve wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices?": "Yes", + "Which institution, mentioned in articles from both 'The Age' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is responsible for setting a main interest rate that reached its peak since 2001 and has also indicated that its future decisions regarding this rate will be determined by new economic data?": "The Federal Reserve", + "Has the focus of the European Commission's involvement reported by TechCrunch remained solely on addressing competition concerns in Amazon's iRobot purchase without shifting to facilitating dialogue and assessing issues with Meta's ad-free subscription service or probing Elon Musk's X over illegal content risks and moderation practices?": "no", + "Did 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's effective management of FTX and Alameda Research was due to company growth, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's management issues were related to deliberate misuse of customer funds and fraud for personal gain, respectively?": "no", + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is facing scrutiny for its market practices in areas ranging from app distribution and advertising to search engine defaults and content sharing, without planning new measures for its video platform in the next six months?": "Google", + "Are the U.S.-headquartered venture capitalists mentioned in the TechCrunch article investing less in Chinese companies compared to the previous year, and are Investors, as reported by the Financial Times, showing an increased interest in Japan for similar reasons?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to change careers, was once compared to Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the Sporting News report on December 12, 2023, detailing Manchester United's exit from European competitions, and The Roar | Sports Writers Blog report on December 23, 2023, discussing Manchester United's performance in the English Premier League, was the news regarding Manchester United's performance consistent?": "Yes", + "Did Polygon report on the Bluetooth connectivity of the Microsoft Xbox controller before Engadget discussed the Bluetooth functionality improvements in the Steam Deck OLED?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the portrayal of how sportsbooks operate in terms of profit-making consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Music Business Worldwide discussing Sony Music's stance on AI technology suggest a similar opportunity for creative development in music as the Music Business Worldwide article on Warner Music Group's view on the impact of technology on the music industry?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust allegations involving monopolistic behavior in the search engine, app distribution, and news publishing markets, as reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2023, regarding a surprise attack on Israel, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 13, 2023, concerning the blockade of Gaza and the warning issued to residents, is the sequence of events reported by both news sources regarding Israel's security and humanitarian situation consistent?": "Yes", + "Who became a significant figure in generative AI due to ChatGPT, is considered one of the most brilliant and impactful people in the tech industry, and has been accused by sources from both Fortune and TechCrunch of being ousted from a board that he allegedly misled?": "Sam Altman", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Sweatcoin's partnership strategies and a Forbes article discussing the app's user engagement metrics, which letter, representing a feature that both articles attribute to contributing significantly to Sweatcoin's growth, is shared by the names of the companies that Sweatcoin has reportedly partnered with for rewards?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Connor Bedard has the potential to dominate in the NHL due to his performance in junior hockey, while the 'Yardbarker' article credits Dean Evason with developing several players into NHL stalwarts, indicating a difference in the factors contributing to NHL success?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Essentially Sports' article claim that the Houston Astros' actions had a broader impact on the values of Major League Baseball, while 'The New York Times' article focuses solely on the Astros' performance after a specific change to their stadium?": "Yes", + "Has the portrayal of Hamas' activities by 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena' remained consistent between the article involving Hamed al-Khachari's financial operations for Hamas and the subsequent report criticizing 'Some journalists around the world' for perpetuating Hamas' lies?": "Yes", + "Did 'The Verge' article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's effective management of FTX and Alameda Research was due to the companies' growth, while 'Fortune' focuses on his successful persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and 'TechCrunch' alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his leadership and actions?": "no", + "Is the reporting on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship by 'The Independent - Life and Style' consistent between the article published at '2023-12-06T13:55:17+00:00' stating Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and the subsequent article at '2023-12-06T14:23:01+00:00' revealing that Taylor Swift connected with Travis Kelce in July after his attempt to give her a friendship bracelet?": "Yes", + "Which company, according to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge, not only spent billions to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms but is also considered by a major tech firm to be without a valid alternative for search services and has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution, while also being accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which individual is connected to persuading a former Jane Street trader to join him at Alameda and FTX, making a billion-dollar decision involving customer funds to buy out a competitor, instructing a colleague to use billions from customers to repay debts, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these actions being reported by sources including Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was portrayed differently by The Verge and TechCrunch, persuaded a former Jane Street colleague to join his trading and development ventures, and is facing allegations of fraud by the prosecution?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What company, mentioned in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is responsible for creating Gemini, a generative AI model with claimed superior architecture, and is also at the center of discussions regarding Android app distribution, in-app payment systems, and antitrust issues with news publishers?": "Google", + "Is the reporting on the Northern Lights visibility in the UK by 'The Independent - Travel' consistent with the observations of the aurora borealis reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' between November 9, 2023, and December 21, 2023?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that is claimed to have deceived Paradigm about board plans, is accused of building a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual implicated in a legal case covered by The Verge for allowing a trader to withdraw funds from an account under certain conditions, and is also accused by the prosecution, as reported by TechCrunch, of committing fraud for personal gains?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Age' suggest that the co-founders of Anthropic made no attempt to remove Sam Altman from OpenAI, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' imply that Sam Altman's departure was either shocking or due to a lack of candor with the board?": "True", + "Does 'The Verge' in its first article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was aware of the financial discrepancy at FTX, while 'The Verge' in its second article and 'TechCrunch' in its article focus on his role as a trustworthy figure and allegations of committing fraud, respectively, without mentioning his awareness of the financial issues?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's actions compared to the 'TechCrunch' article, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging intentional fraud?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's inability to manage FTX and Alameda Research was due to the companies' growth, while 'Fortune' focuses on his successful persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and 'TechCrunch' alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried committed fraud for personal gain, indicating different aspects of his leadership and actions?": "Yes", + "Which company, discussed in articles from both 'The Verge' and 'TechCrunch', has been portrayed as an antagonist in a legal trial, has altered the internet's appearance with its navigation efforts, and has been accused of both paying billions to maintain its default search engine status and harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial actions, including using a colleague as a front for accessing customer funds at Alameda Research and deciding to use $1 billion of FTX customer funds to buy out Binance, are being scrutinized by a jury to ascertain the truth, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously the richest in that age group, who is now facing legal scrutiny where contrasting stories about his ability to manage two companies and his intentions with his fortune are being presented in court, with claims discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that persuaded Adam Yedidia to join his trading venture after leaving Jane Street, told Paradigm about his plans for a specialized board for his exchange platform while excluding investors as directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with connections to news articles from Fortune, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader suggest that the U.S. presidential election has a significant influence on Ukraine's future, whereas the article from Engadget implies that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a major impact on Globalization and the perception of the twenty-first century, indicating differing primary concerns for Ukraine's situation?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, accused of using a front to secretly access customer funds at Alameda Research, and was once compared to Warren Buffet but not by TechCrunch, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, according to articles from TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's progression in the Champions League was hindered by a draw, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's elimination from European competitions was due to a defeat?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual accused of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, who also sought to establish a board with experts for a company according to Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and made a billion-dollar decision involving customer funds as per The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did Mashable report on the Echelon Connect Sport being on sale for over $400 off during Black Friday before Fortune mentioned that Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card cardholders receive a 20% statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases with Delta?": "Yes", + "After the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:00 on November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published at 18:00:38 on the same day, was the information about the improvements in the new iteration of the Steam Deck consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for information on a specific geopolitical issue, while The Guardian article implies that Snapchat is associated with a different type of risk, unrelated to information dissemination?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple restricts browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system and defends its Google Search deal based on user privacy and a lack of valid alternatives?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions from the perspective of the prosecution between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and The Verge report on the outcome of the FTX trial published on October 26, 2023?": "no", + "Who was once portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry by The Verge, was not considered the white horse of crypto by TechCrunch, had the wealth and ambition to potentially influence political events according to TechCrunch, and is now facing allegations of fraud as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual who admitted to misappropriating customer funds in a conversation with Changpeng Zhao, faced criticism for prioritizing appearances during her tenure at Alameda Research, and was accused by Mark Cohen of failing to shield her hedge fund from the volatile crypto markets, as reported by The Verge and Fortune?": "Caroline Ellison", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for his wealth were different from the portrayal of his actions in the Fortune article, and do both these characterizations align with the allegations of fraud mentioned in another TechCrunch article?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of the accusations against Sam Bankman-Fried?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Diablo 4 guide' from Polygon change its approach in providing simplified builds for different character classes in Diablo 4 season 2 after publishing the Sorcerer guide on October 18th with the subsequent Barbarian guide on October 19th?": "no", + "After The Verge reported on September 26, 2023, that Apple defended its Google Search deal due to a lack of valid alternatives, did TechCrunch's December 15, 2023, report on a class action antitrust suit against Google show a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's market dominance and competitive practices?": "Consistent", + "Which individual, who is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and is capable of experiencing major events without media awareness, has a tour booked for the next year and insists on not letting paparazzi affect her despite the attention her outings receive, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried directed Caroline Ellison to use customer funds for debt repayment, while the Fortune article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasion of Adam Yedidia to join his ventures, and does the second TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for committing fraud was personal gain?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch report on October 31, 2023, that Google paid millions instead of billions to secure its default search engine position, and then on December 15, 2023, reported a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher, making the news source's portrayal of Google's competitive practices consistent?": "no", + "Which company, featured in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, not only has the capacity to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payments but also engages in agreements ensuring its search engine's default status on various platforms and is involved in both showcasing new hardware and being accused of anticompetitive practices against news publishers?": "Google", + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have specific types of betting opportunities, with one discussing prop bets on player and event outcomes and the other on team performance metrics?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Apple Music's expansion into new markets and a Bloomberg report on the latest features added to Apple Music, which single character from the Greek alphabet is used to denote the version of Apple Music that includes spatial audio with Dolby Atmos as mentioned in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the fantasy football experience is primarily about the opportunity for long-term bragging rights, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article focuses on Colby McKercher's specific performance metrics at the National Championships?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's hardware developments published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there no change in the nature of the issues reported concerning Google?": "no", + "Does the Fortune article attribute the cause of the worst war in Israel in 50 years to actions taken by Hamas, while the TechCrunch article focuses on Paddy Cosgrave's public fight regarding the support for Israel in the conflict?": "Yes", + "Does the Mashable article suggest that Amazon's Cyber Monday includes only old deals, while The Sydney Morning Herald article focuses on the impact of an antitrust lawsuit on Amazon's stock price, and the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses the opportunity of selling on Amazon, without mentioning any legal or promotional events?": "no", + "What institution, prominently featured in articles from 'The Sydney Morning Herald', is considered to have substantial influence over global financial markets and determines its interest rate policies based on US economic data?": "The Federal Reserve", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from different sectors, where a media expert from 'The Age' argues it manipulates search results for profit, deals with major tech firms like Apple, as reported by 'The Verge', to remain their default search service without a valid alternative, and is accused by news publishers in a 'TechCrunch' article of harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the expansion of Google Maps with AI technology disagree with the TechCrunch article on LinkedIn's introduction of new AI features in terms of both companies enhancing their products with artificial intelligence?": "no", + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Cerevel Therapeutics, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who has been leading the company through recent clinical trials for a new Parkinson's disease drug and also commented on the financial outlook for the upcoming fiscal year?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual being tried for fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, accused by Fortune of using a colleague as a front for unauthorized financial activities, and alleged by another TechCrunch article to have instructed the transfer of $14 billion from customers to cover debts, all while facing allegations of seeking wealth, power, and influence through fraudulent means?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting the possibility of foul play on Google's part, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, citing anticompetitive means used by Google to harm news publishers' bottom lines, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency platform, was seen as a trustworthy industry figure, was not endorsed by TechCrunch as the white horse of crypto, had intentions of forming an expert board without investor directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with connections to news reported by The Verge, TechCrunch, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual who has pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, claimed to have struggled with managing a rapidly growing cryptocurrency exchange and a trading firm, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual implicated in the use of a front for secret access to customer funds, acknowledged being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the report by CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, indicating a rumored romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report by The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, discussing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of the nature of their relationship?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog suggest that England's cricket team had issues with preparation and team selection for the World Cup, while the Zee Business article indicates that Australia's cricket team had key performers in their 2015 World Cup semi-final match?": "Yes", + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board, and the subsequent Fortune article on the same day accusing the board of going rogue in firing Altman, did the TechCrunch report published later on November 18, 2023, maintain consistency in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's future plans?": "Yes", + "Did the article from The Verge defending Apple's Google Search deal suggest that there were valid alternatives to Google for search engine services, while the other article from The Verge about the public and media's understanding of search engines imply a satisfaction with the public's knowledge of how search engines work?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest a different perspective on Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation compared to the 'TechCrunch' articles, with 'Fortune' focusing on the jury's determination of truthfulness and 'TechCrunch' alleging fraudulent intentions for personal gain?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published after November 5, 2023, or in the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google in reporting Google's anticompetitive behavior?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the latest iCloud security features and a report by Bloomberg on the recent iCloud service outages, which character from the CEO's name of the company responsible for iCloud would be common to both the security feature's codename and the name of the city where the most significant server disruption occurred?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's promotional offer in Vermont and the CBSSports.com report on Caesars Sportsbook's new customer offer, was there a discrepancy in the bonus bet amount being offered to new customers if their first bet loses?": "no", + "Was the narrative regarding the team's focus and playing intentions unchanged between the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' performance published on October 18, 2023, and the report from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog on the All Blacks' mindset published on October 26, 2023?": "no", + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a legal case reported by The Verge, is not planning new measures for its video platform according to TechCrunch, and is accused of harming news publishers’ revenues through anticompetitive practices as per another TechCrunch article?": "Google", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Rep. Patrick McHenry is avoiding a permanent speaker role, while 'The Age' article indicates that Kevin McCarthy has been removed from the speaker position?": "Yes", + "Between the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition and the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's denial regarding financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness and management decisions?\n\nBetween the allegations reported by TechCrunch in favor of Sam Bankman-Fried and the subsequent report from The Verge, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of the financial issues?": "no", + "Which company, known for its e-reader lineup dominance and hosting sale events like Prime-themed and Cyber Monday sales that feature deals from Black Friday, provides a platform described by sellers as a life-changing opportunity, and has been covered by Wired, Mashable, The Verge, and Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Amazon", + "Does the article from FOX News - Entertainment suggest that Craig Morgan had insight into Lainey Wilson's potential for success before it was widely recognized, in contrast to the Essentially Sports article which discusses fan speculation about CM Punk's return to WWE without confirmation from CM Punk himself?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that the impact of 6PPD-quinone requires more research to understand its environmental effects, while the 'Iot Business News' article implies that digital solutions are already recognized as essential for addressing sustainability challenges?": "Yes", + "Which company, known for its efforts to streamline internet navigation and mentioned by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has not only influenced the visual aspects of the internet and Android app distribution concerns but also spent billions to maintain its default search engine status and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Shah Rukh Khan's philanthropic efforts and a Times of India report on his upcoming movie projects, which character, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan, links his off-screen altruism with his on-screen role in one of the discussed films?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader report a decrease in Nike's net income, while the article from Fortune indicates an increase in net income for the container shipping industry?": "Yes", + "Does \"The Sydney Morning Herald\" attribute the recommendation of \"Prisoner's Daughter\" to a different basis than \"The New York Times\" attributes the ranking of \"The Crimson Tide college football team,\" with both recommendations being based on talent involved?": "no", + "Which company, covered by The Verge for exclusively focusing on games for their store, by Polygon for making around 300 updates to a specific hardware since its launch, and by Engadget for announcing the immediate availability of a new OLED product starting November 16th at 1pm ET, is responsible for these developments?": "Valve", + "After Polygon reported on October 18th that 'Wonder Seeds cause the levels in Super Mario Bros. Wonder to collapse and contort, breaking the traditional rules of Mario games,' did Engadget's review on October 20th agree or disagree on the significant change in gameplay experience introduced by the new mechanic in Super Mario Bros. Wonder?": "Agree", + "Does the TechCrunch article reporting on the EU's investigation into X over alleged disinformation disagree with the TechCrunch article warning Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) about illegal content and disinformation in terms of the type of content being circulated, with both mentioning the circulation of false information and manipulated content?": "no", + "Between the report from The Verge published at 23:02 and the report from Fortune published at 23:32 on the same day, is there inconsistency in the portrayal of responsibility for risk management issues related to FTX and Caroline Ellison's role?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks' are in a similar position for the NFC wild-card spots as the 'Las Vegas Raiders' are for the AFC playoff race according to another 'Sporting News' report?": "Yes", + "After the report by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, stating the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate decisions, and the subsequent report by Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates, was there agreement in the portrayal of the Federal Reserve's response to economic conditions?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is more self-centered compared to the Springboks, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' had a specific in-game failure to release on their goal line, and acknowledging 'The All Blacks' previous losses to Argentina, or are the motivations, in-game actions, and historical outcomes described differently for 'The All Blacks' in each article?": "Yes", + "Which platform is favored by Keira Megan for fan engagement and authenticity, and has also been in the news on TechCrunch for altering its revenue split to focus more on ad revenue?": "Twitch", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing microblogging and public discourse platforms list a narrower range of platforms excluding startups and new applications from larger tech companies compared to the TechCrunch article that mentions the homogenization of content on Social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X)?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Washington Post article on Nikki Haley, which political party does she belong to if the New York Times discusses her tenure as a former governor and the Washington Post covers her announcement to run for a national office?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently compared for its Gemini Pro performance to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 by TechCrunch, is also suggested by The Age to be involved in potential foul play, and has been reported by TechCrunch to have spent billions to maintain its default search engine status and been accused in a class action lawsuit of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual implicated in the courtroom drama covered by TechCrunch for instructing Caroline Ellison to take billions from customers to cover debts, is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, and was discussed in The Verge for informing a trader about permissible withdrawals from an account, which should not exceed the company's total trading revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did CBSSports.com report on Kenneth Walker III's injury after Sporting News mentioned the absence of Tee Higgins, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks, and Kadarius Toney due to injuries?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Age' about Tyler Mitchell suggest that his career has been successful due to his early photography experiences, while the article from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about Graham Arnold indicates that his career choices involved staying with the Australian national team despite offers from Europe?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article stating Lionel Messi returned to play for Barcelona after an injury align with the 'Sporting News' claim that he is likely to be back for Inter Miami's match, and does the same source suggest a youth movement in Argentina's forward line involving Messi, Alvarez, and Garnacho?": "no", + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it submitted extensive evidence to counter claims of discovery misconduct, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which company, recently noted by TechCrunch for being more attuned to consumer feedback, has maintained a partnership with Google preventing alternative browser choices during iPhone setup, is rumored by Engadget to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and is described by The Verge as enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged offer to Trump published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations of fraud committed by Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch report on Flipboard's integration of the ActivityPub protocol after The Verge discussed the structure of the ActivityPub protocol in social media contexts?": "no", + "Who is the individual reported by The Verge as having given permission for withdrawals under specific conditions, by CNBC as planning an expert board for a company without investor directors, and by TechCrunch as both pleading not-guilty to multiple charges and being accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Do the articles from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog discussing The All Blacks' actions in the Rugby World Cup final and their previous encounters with Argentina both present The All Blacks as having faced challenges in their gameplay, or do they portray different situations regarding The All Blacks' performance?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the sale of Govee's LED light strips is unrelated to the upcoming holidays, while the article from The Independent - Life and Style discusses the introduction of a significant other to family as an event that may coincide with the holidays?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article describing the tackle by JD Bertrand on Jones indicate a change in possession, while the 'Sporting News' report on Cristian Romero's tackle on Raheem Sterling does not mention a possession change?": "Yes", + "Between the report by FOX News - Health on October 1st, 2023, stating that '97% of kids use their device during school hours and beyond, with study participants using TikTok for nearly two hours per day on average', and the article from TechCrunch on October 2nd, 2023, discussing 'Vivek Ramaswamy's difficulty in making headway on TikTok with young users', is there consistency in the portrayal of the significant use of TikTok among young people?": "Yes", + "Do the TechCrunch and Seeking Alpha articles agree on the trend of companies' spending on cybersecurity, or do they present differing views on this matter?": "Agree", + "Which company is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 on TechCrunch, portrayed as an antagonist on The Verge, and accused of anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' bottom lines on TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' regarding Kevin Federline's actions imply a lack of consent for sharing videos, in contrast to the 'TechCrunch' article where Paul Denino is claimed to have obtained consent for filming for an additional fee?": "Yes", + "Which football club is the dream purchase for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as discussed on TalkSport, that also recently faced elimination from European competitions after a loss at home to Bayern, as reported by Sporting News?": "Manchester United", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing DH Corporation's latest strategic partnership and a Wall Street Journal report on the financial performance of DH Corporation in the last quarter, which division head, known for their innovative approach and also mentioned as the key speaker at the recent industry conference covered by Forbes, is expected to lead the company's expansion into new markets?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sport report on Dané Van Niekerk, which injury, mentioned in both sources, was a significant factor in her not being able to participate in a major cricket tournament?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the focus of holiday-related reporting remained solely on products like Govee's colorful LED light strips featured by 'The Verge' before Halloween without including relationship advice such as the introduction of a significant other to family during the holidays featured by 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "no", + "Which platform is at the center of discussions in articles from Music Business Worldwide, Polygon, and FOX News - Health, concerning the policing of AI-driven voice replication, the debate over \"reaction\" content, and being the most used app overnight by young people?": "YouTube", + "Are the concerns expressed by 'College football coaches' about the alleged sign-stealing as reported by 'The New York Times' aligned with the implications for the 'Wolverines (Michigan's football team)' as discussed in 'Sporting News' regarding the difficulty of erasing the scandal from the Big Ten record?": "Yes", + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of changing internet navigation, being deemed the only valid search engine option by a major tech competitor, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through its practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual accused of instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, claimed to have struggled with managing two major companies due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gains, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the failure in \"North America's EV market\" is due to the size and price of electric vehicles, while The Verge article focuses on Donald Trump's criticism of electric vehicles regarding their cost, range, and impact on American jobs?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that was reported by The Verge as being overwhelmed by their growth, convinced a former Jane Street trader to join him as per Fortune, and is accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual implicated in legal proceedings, as reported by The Verge for instructing a trader on the conditions of withdrawals from a trading account, by Fortune for using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to client funds, and by TechCrunch for both facing multiple fraud charges and being accused by the prosecution of deliberately engaging in fraudulent activities for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Mashable article suggest that Amazon's Cyber Monday includes both continued and new deals, while The Sydney Morning Herald article focuses on the impact of an antitrust lawsuit on Amazon's stock price, and the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article discusses the opportunity of selling on Amazon, without mentioning any legal or promotional events?": "Yes", + "Between the report from 'The Age' on Taylor Swift's NFL takeover published on September 26, 2023, and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce published on December 6, 2023, was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's interactions with Travis Kelce?": "no", + "After The Independent - Life and Style's report on Jada Pinkett Smith's views on self-acceptance published at 13:41:30, and The Independent - Life and Style's subsequent report on the same topic published at 15:48:10 on the same day, was there consistency in Jada Pinkett Smith's statements regarding what she learned from her children?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Alameda Research had special financial privileges at FTX that other accounts did not, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, implying no undue advantage?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on new discoveries about the sun align with the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article's observations regarding increased solar activity?": "Yes", + "Considering the financial performance outlined in the Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in the Reuters report on Visa Inc., which letter grade would you assign to Visa's overall business health and future prospects?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, according to TechCrunch, has both invested $26.3 billion to secure its position as the default search engine on multiple platforms in 2021 and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce will have a productive outing against the Raiders' defense, while the Sporting News article indicates that the Raiders' offense was generally ineffective, except for a specific instance led by Josh Jacobs?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried set withdrawal permissions based on FTX's trading revenue, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his personal actions and influence, such as persuading Adam Yedidia to join his companies and committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning specific operational policies at FTX?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that presented themselves as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry, as reported by The Verge, but is also alleged by the prosecution in a TechCrunch article to have committed fraud, and according to The Verge, informed another trader about permissible withdrawals from an account tied to a now-collapsed company and also admitted to being aware of a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, allegedly utilized Caroline Ellison at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds, instructed her to use $14 billion from customers to settle debts, convinced Adam Yedidia to leave Jane Street for roles at Alameda and FTX, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by altruism, while The Verge article focuses on the specific use of FTX customer funds by Sam Bankman-Fried?": "no", + "Did the articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' about 'The All Blacks' both attribute their performance issues to external factors, with one citing the impact of Argentina's victories and the other the influence of the Springboks' defence and weather conditions?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on Google's perceived fairness in search results published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published later, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and partners?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, before the collapse of a cryptocurrency exchange, portrayed himself as a reliable figure in the industry, communicated to a trader the conditions for permissible withdrawals from an account related to the exchange's revenues, and expressed intentions to form an expert board for the exchange without investor directors, while also being accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to allegations presented in court, and is associated with news coverage by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, while the article from The Verge suggests that Alameda Research had a negative balance that exceeded FTX's revenue, indicating potential financial issues?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy, who also advised another trader on the conditions for withdrawing funds from a trading platform's revenue, purportedly planned a board with experts for the same platform while avoiding investors as directors, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, and CNBC?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch report suggesting Sam Altman was not being fully truthful with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Britney Spears experienced a loss of privacy and personal freedom at a young age, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' article indicates that Kevin Federline acknowledges Britney Spears' responsible handling of her personal situation?": "Yes", + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, has the status of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce remained consistent as reported by these sources?": "no", + "After the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence failure published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on Israel's defense strategies published on November 5, 2023, was there an agreement in the portrayal of Israel's security situation?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal article on Michelle Gass, which company's CEO role, known for its coffee and doughnuts, did she assume after her strategic involvement in a major retail chain's loyalty program and e-commerce expansion?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are without valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch articles imply that Google's practices, both in terms of its AI technology and its interactions with news publishers, are contested or challenged by competitors and the publishers themselves?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has influenced internet navigation and local search ranking, while also spending billions to be the default search engine and facing antitrust allegations for affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Gary Burrell's contributions to GPS technology and a Forbes piece discussing his philanthropic efforts, which university, known for its engineering program and receiving significant donations from Burrell, also has a single-letter abbreviation that is shared with a chemical element on the periodic table?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times detailing Serban Ionescu's latest architectural project in Manhattan and another from The Guardian discussing his collaboration with a renowned environmental organization, what is the first letter of the city where Ionescu's project is located and that also hosted the headquarters of the environmental group he partnered with?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the financial performance update from a CNBC article and the strategic expansion plans discussed in a Bloomberg report, which division within Bank of America Corporation is both the leading contributor to the company's revenue growth and is also slated for significant investment to enhance its international presence?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the reporting style on players achieving first downs in Sporting News articles remained consistent between the article featuring Anthony Hankerson on October 7, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": "Yes", + "Who, according to TechCrunch, allegedly instructed Caroline Ellison to take $14 billion from customers for debt repayment, was once considered the richest person in the world under 30 with aspirations to use his wealth to prevent humanity's extinction, and is now facing prosecution allegations of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the emphasis on the role of faith and personal practices in maintaining a positive outlook, as reported by FOX News - Lifestyle, change between the article discussing the effectiveness of positive thinking on October 28, 2023, and the one highlighting the importance of the habit of prayer on December 5, 2023?": "no", + "What company, covered by TechCrunch for its significant spending to become the default search engine and for not releasing its full AI model, is also mentioned by The Verge for its ability to address Android app distribution issues, and is the same entity accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Considering the legislative focus discussed in a New York Times article and the budgetary concerns highlighted by a Washington Post report, which single letter represents the initial of a US Senator who has been vocal in both pieces about the need for fiscal responsibility in upcoming bills?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the report from TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, is there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence on ad revenue and content distribution?": "Yes", + "Has the Sporting News' approach to reporting on opportunities for bettors before the Chiefs-Jets Week 4 game on September 28, 2023, remained consistent with their coverage of bonus offers for bettors before the NFL Monday Night Football Eagles vs. Seahawks game?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that the Echo Frames require the Alexa app to be running for functionality, while the TechCrunch article discusses a new feature for Amazon's Echo devices that does not specify such a requirement?": "Yes", + "Has the portrayal of childhood perceptions of horror and fantasy characters in Polygon's coverage remained consistent between the report on \"Five Nights at Freddy's\" on October 26, 2023, and the depiction of children's reactions to the character Link in \"Tears of the Kingdom\" on October 19, 2023?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article featuring Jayden Fielding mention a successful field goal attempt, while the Sporting News article with Alejandro Mata discuss a missed field goal, contrasting the outcomes of their respective field goal attempts?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on Kenneth Walker III's injury impact for fantasy football published on November 21, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the fantasy implications if Kenneth Walker III remains out with his oblique injury published on December 7, 2023, was there consistency in how the potential absence of Kenneth Walker III was addressed in terms of fantasy football strategy?": "Yes", + "Which two individuals, linked by recent events reported by 'The Age' and 'The Independent - Life and Style', were seen leaving a stadium together and are the subject of dating speculations due to one being spotted cheering on the other from the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium?": "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce", + "Does 'The Independent - Life and Style' article suggest that Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce, while the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article indicates that she engaged with a viral TikTok video, and does the other 'The Independent - Life and Style' article claim that she has a firm commitment to her Eras Tour schedule?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article claim that FC Cincinnati failed to win the Supporters' Shield for the regular season, while The Guardian article discusses Ratcliffe's approach to communication with Manchester United supporters, without mentioning any achievement by the team?": "no", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that choices during character creation and leveling up have an impact on gameplay for \"Rangers in Baldur's Gate 3\" in a similar way to how Polygon describes the requirement for 'Players of Baldur’s Gate 3' to choose an otherworldly patron for Warlocks during character creation?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried after October 2, 2023, and the Fortune report on Sam Bankman-Fried, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the charges against him?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a trial covered by TechCrunch, once compared to Warren Buffet by some but not by TechCrunch, who claimed to be overwhelmed by the growth of a company leading to mismanagement, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Has the reporting on the involvement of individuals in their respective football teams by Sporting News changed between the article discussing Cameron Carter-Vickers' debut for Celtic after a hamstring injury (published at '2023-10-04T22:42:00+00:00') and the article detailing Daniel Garnero's debut as the new permanent manager of the Paraguay national football team 30 minutes before kickoff (published at '2023-10-12T23:22:00+00:00')?": "no", + "Who is the quarterback that threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys according to Sporting News, and has been noted by CBSSports.com to complete only 50% of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt with a 15.9% off-target rate when under pressure?": "Brock Purdy", + "Considering the performance analysis from an ESPN article and the team strategy insights from a Times of India report, which player from the Mumbai Indians squad is both expected to be the leading run-scorer in the upcoming season and has been identified as a key player in the team's revised strategy for powerplay overs?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, alleged to have achieved success through deceitful means, including the misuse of a billion dollars of customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for wealth, power, and influence, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the Fortune report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 4, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in fraudulent activities?": "Yes", + "Based on an article from The New York Times discussing recent technological advancements and another from The Guardian highlighting key figures in the tech industry, who is the CEO of a company that has introduced a groundbreaking AI technology and also testified before a U.S. Senate committee on data privacy?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had no access to FTX customers' money through Alameda Research, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that there was a concern about the risk to FTX customers' funds without specifying secret access?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA betting sites and apps published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, was the portrayal of how sportsbooks operate in terms of profit-making inconsistent?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google is engaging in fair competition with news publishers, while the article from The Verge implies that Google has the capability to resolve issues, and another TechCrunch article claims that Google has no plans to implement additional measures on YouTube, indicating differing levels of responsibility or initiative attributed to Google by each source?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged offer to Trump published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations of fraud committed by Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth and influence?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Cristian Romero's action in the Manchester United match was expected to be followed by an apology, while 'The Age' implies that people are willing to accept allegations of foul play regarding Google's search practices?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on GPT-4 suggest a different level of susceptibility to producing toxic text compared to other large language models, while the TechCrunch article on the European Commission's probe into Elon Musk’s X focuses on concerns about illegal content and disinformation in a different context?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on Jim Harbaugh's situation published on November 6, 2023, and the subsequent report on Michigan's performance with Jim Harbaugh against Penn State published on November 11, 2023, was there a change in the reporting regarding Jim Harbaugh's absence from the team?": "no", + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, not only compared the performance of its Gemini Pro product to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 but also spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its status as the default search engine on various devices and platforms, and has been accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content, readership, and advertising revenue?": "Google", + "Who is the player recognized by Sporting News as the top wide receiver for Week 14 and might face challenges in reaching 2,000-plus receiving yards in a single season due to the strong pass defenses of his team's remaining opponents?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Does 'The Guardian' article about the 'Everton team' suggest they are in a worse position in the Premier League compared to 'Bayern Munich' as discussed in another 'The Guardian' article, based on their respective league standings and points?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently covered by both TechCrunch and The Age, has faced criticism for not fully releasing an AI model, manipulating search results for ad revenue, and harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Has Polygon's coverage of Spider-themed characters in 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' changed from their earlier report on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' which featured stories of multiple Spider-Men?": "no", + "After TechCrunch reported on October 31, 2023, that Google paid billions to secure its default search engine position, and then on December 15, 2023, reported a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher, was the news source's portrayal of Google's competitive practices consistent?": "Yes", + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on October 1st that Treasury yields increased, did The Age report a relaxation of bond yields when Wall Street rebounded, indicating a change or consistency in the behavior of Treasury yields?": "Change", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Alameda Research was not involved in manipulating FTX's balance sheet, while the article from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions regarding the composition of FTX's board, and are these claims about different aspects of FTX's corporate governance?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the emergence of multi-purpose robots in the industrial automation world is a current trend, while the Fortune article indicates that the inspiration for engineers to build human-like and useful robots has been ongoing for decades?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the richest in the world, who faced allegations of committing fraud for personal gain, discussed board compositions with Paradigm, and was reported by The Verge, CNBC, TechCrunch, and TechCrunch to have allowed withdrawals from a trading account under specific conditions?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently noted by TechCrunch for its increased responsiveness to consumer feedback and for not allowing users to choose their browser during iPhone setup, is also mentioned by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Has the portrayal of the 'vampire cause' in Polygon articles remained consistent between the November 9, 2023, article discussing the undermining of vampires' menacing air and the November 15, 2023, article highlighting vampires as a hidden presence in the best versions of stories?": "Yes", + "Between the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal circumstances in the Fortune article published on October 4, 2023, and the allegations against him mentioned in the TechCrunch article published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the depiction of his actions related to fraud?": "No", + "What is the name of the service, covered by TechCrunch, that is temporarily free for users due to Apple's interference and is known for reverse-engineering the iMessage protocol to extend functionality to Android users?": "Beeper Mini", + "Before the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, which maintained that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 13, 2023, detailing Google's expenditure to be the default search engine, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices in the TechCrunch article published on December 15, 2023, regarding the class action antitrust suit against Google?": "no", + "Did the TechCrunch article about Epic Games' antitrust battle claim a victory for the company, while the TechCrunch article about Sonos report a legal victory against Google?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that there is a legislative remedy for AI risks and abuses, while the Engadget article indicates that President Biden and Congress are actively working on drafting legislation related to AI?": "no", + "Who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, notably with ChatGPT, and was recently the subject of controversy involving his departure from OpenAI, as discussed in both Fortune and TechCrunch articles?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the Sporting News report on T.J. Hockenson's expected play in Week 10 published on November 11, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Dalton Kincaid's expected play in the Saturday game published on December 21, 2023, was the consistency in reporting the likelihood of injured players participating in upcoming games maintained?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously considered the richest in the world, who is accused of building a crypto exchange empire on falsehoods, using customer funds to buy out a competitor, and seeking to exert influence with his fortune, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the figure associated with OpenAI that became known for his vision of AI agents aiding in various tasks, gained prominence due to the impact of ChatGPT, and was involved in a controversial board situation as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Did Yardbarker's coverage on December 24, 2023, contradict The Age's report on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories on September 26, 2023, regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": "no", + "Has the focus of Taylor Swift coverage by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' changed from the National Football League's (NFL) perspective to personal fan experiences involving individuals like Annika?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing Meta's moderation bias problem suggest a similar impact on users compared to the TechCrunch article on Meta's proposed legislation for teen app downloads, with the former affecting Palestinian voices and the latter concerning parental oversight of teen social media usage?": "no", + "Which company, known for spending $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms and criticized for not planning additional measures on YouTube in the next six months, also ranks local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to an article from The Verge, and has been accused by news publishers of siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Which company, known for spending $26.3 billion in 2021 to become the default search engine on various platforms, has also been suggested by sources from both TechCrunch and The Verge to have the capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and is involved in a legal case where its victory might depend on whether the market is defined to include all phones and app stores, and is simultaneously facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' concert film was more financially successful than Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "no", + "Between the report from 'The Verge' on 2023-11-24 and the report from 'Wired' on 2023-11-25, is there inconsistency in the focus on the utility of charging devices such as 'Universal travel adapters' and '10,000-mAh capacity power bank' during Black Friday sales?": "no", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing the latest strategic investments of Global Financing Group and a Reuters report on their recent partnership with a tech startup, which letter represents the stock exchange where Global Financing Group's partner startup is planning to go public?": "Insufficient information.", + "Is the involvement of Sony Music artists in YouTube's 'Dream Track' project consistent according to reports from Music Business Worldwide between November 23, 2023, and November 30, 2023, considering the participation of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group artists?": "No", + "Who is the individual associated with a plan to establish an expert board for FTX, as reported by the 'Cnbc | World Business News Leader', and is also the subject of allegations by the prosecution, as per 'TechCrunch', regarding instructing the transfer of $14 billion from customers to repay debts and committing fraud for personal gain, while simultaneously having pleaded not-guilty to multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Sorcerer builds in season 2 provide complex versions of the builds unlike the Polygon Diablo 4 guide for Barbarian builds for the same season?": "no", + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on September 26, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and the subsequent report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on December 6, 2023, concerning the same individuals, was the narrative about their relationship consistent?": "Yes", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to modify their betting lines and odds in response to team news, player injuries, or roster changes, and can still secure profit irrespective of the wager's result, while also specifically altering NBA Rookie of the Year betting odds based on new information?": "Sportsbooks", + "Does the 'Business Line' article published before the 'The Guardian' article suggest that Leqembi (lecanemab) is the only approved drug for Alzheimer's, while 'The Guardian' mentions recent scientific developments in tackling dementia without specifying the approval status of new drugs?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of generative AI technology, whose departure from OpenAI was considered shocking, was not removed by Anthropic's co-founders, is suspected of not being fully truthful with the board, and is planning to launch a new venture according to articles from The Age, Fortune, and two reports by TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Who, according to articles from Sporting News, can profit from predicting the outcome of a Cowboys game, the leader at a certain quarter, the total points scored in a game, or the results of various events in team golf, and also take advantage of the hype around specific events to potentially make money?": "Bettors", + "Between the article from Polygon published on September 26, 2023, highlighting individuals using online platforms for marketing, and the piece from Music Business Worldwide on December 7, 2023, discussing digital marketing strategies in the music industry, have the reported applications of digital marketing strategies by individuals and companies remained consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the US v Google trial mention the same amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to secure its default search engine status as the TechCrunch article covering the Google antitrust case, with both citing $26.3 billion?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental policies mentioned in a DW article, which German political party's single-letter abbreviation aligns with both the fiscal approach and the ecological initiatives presented in these sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried openly conducted all business dealings without using Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit activities involving customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his alleged intentions to use wealth for altruistic purposes and accusations of committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning the use of a front person?": "no", + "Which company, recently defended by Apple in court for lack of valid alternatives and accused by Megan Grey in 'The Age' of manipulating search results for ad revenue, is involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games as reported by 'TechCrunch' and is also facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' bottom lines as covered by the same source?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the expansion of Google Maps with AI technology agree with the TechCrunch article on LinkedIn's introduction of new AI features in terms of both companies enhancing their products with artificial intelligence?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success is different from the 'TechCrunch' articles' implication that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were based on fraudulent intentions?": "no", + "Does the article from Fortune discussing the attack by Hamas on Israel suggest a different scale of conflict compared to what is historically usual, as opposed to the article from Globes English | Israel Business Arena which focuses on Eylon Levy's awareness of Israel's historical role?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit activities involving customer funds at Alameda Research, while the 'TechCrunch' articles focus on his alleged intentions to use wealth for altruistic purposes and accusations of committing fraud for personal gain, without mentioning the use of a front person?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press and command of space are essential measures of how 'the team' is functioning, while 'Essentially Sports' focuses on Aaron Judge's comments as a reflection of 'New York Yankees' internal team dynamics, indicating a difference in the aspects of team functioning being discussed?": "Yes", + "Do the 'Business Line' article's views on the actions of central bankers in response to supply disruptions conflict with 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article's depiction of the measures taken by The Federal Reserve to combat inflation?": "no", + "Who is the individual being judged for alleged fraudulent actions, whose case is being reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch, and is at the center of a legal battle involving contrasting narratives from defense lawyers and prosecutors?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Do both TechCrunch articles suggest that 'Automakers and technology companies' as well as 'Car companies' are moving in the same direction regarding the integration of advanced digital platforms and technologies like software, robotics, and artificial intelligence into vehicles?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial involves determining the veracity of claims about fraudulent actions related to a crypto exchange's success, and is accused of permitting withdrawals from an account based on the exchange's revenue, as discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which two individuals, linked by rumors of a romance according to CBSSports.com and The Independent - Life and Style, involve a pop star who appreciates being pursued and was also seen cheering from the box seats at Arrowhead Stadium?": "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce", + "What organization, founded in late 2015 and reported by TechCrunch as the developer of the top-priority platform ChatGPT and the generative AI poster child, is planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside the GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Does the Polygon article on 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' suggest the presence of a multiverse of Spider-themed characters, as does the Polygon article on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' imply the inclusion of multiple Spider-Men stories?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Sporting News' report on the U.S. men's national team's friendly match against Ghana before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Tasmania's second win over Sydney this season?": "Yes", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who became prominent due to the impact of generative AI technology like ChatGPT, and is at the center of controversy involving accusations of not being fully truthful with a board, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Did the stance on energy policy by 'The government' as reported by 'Business Line' before November 11, 2023, show consistency with the global pledge reported by 'The Verge' involving 'More than 100 countries' to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial, as reported by TechCrunch, for seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud for personal gains, and was mentioned in The Verge for informing a trader about permissible withdrawals from an account linked to his company's trading revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the lawsuit had no impact on Rogers Communications Inc.'s share price, while the article from The Guardian indicates that Ed Ternan believes suing Snapchat is counterproductive?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article about the recent economic developments in Kuala Lumpur and a CNN report on the city's new environmental initiatives, which single letter represents both the first initial of the Minister of Finance mentioned by BBC News and the first initial of the head of the environmental project highlighted by CNN?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried before October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried before October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of his alleged criminal activities?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article detailing Visa Inc's latest strategic partnership and a Bloomberg report on Visa Inc's financial performance in the last quarter, which single letter grade represents the combined assessment of Visa's market strategy effectiveness and its financial health as inferred from both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report by TechCrunch on November 21, 2023, regarding Binance CEO 'CZ' (Zhao) agreeing to a fine and stepping down, and the report by Fortune on December 18, 2023, involving Judge John J. Walton accepting a plea agreement in a child abuse case, which news source detailed a legal agreement involving a high-profile individual's acceptance of responsibility?": "TechCrunch", + "Did the 'Fortune' article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's handling of FTX and customer funds at Alameda Research was entirely transparent and proper, unlike the allegations of fraud for personal gain mentioned in the 'TechCrunch' article?": "no", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had secret access to FTX customers' money through Alameda Research, while the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader indicates that there was a concern about the risk to FTX customers' funds without specifying secret access?": "Yes", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, are known to manipulate betting lines in response to events like injuries, and are also capable of ensuring profit from the odds regardless of the outcome, particularly in situations like the NBA Rookie of the Year bets?": "Sportsbooks", + "Did the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried was perceived consistently in terms of trustworthiness within the cryptocurrency industry compared to the allegations of fraud and conspiracy presented in the TechCrunch articles?": "no", + "Does the 'Business Line' article on investment options for high networth investors suggest evaluating the same criteria, specifically historical performance and management team, before making decisions as the 'Business Line' article recommends for investors considering Reliance Industries stock?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the AI-powered chatbot that was reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch to have celebrated its first anniversary, witnessed a significant increase in usage during December 2022, and achieved 100 million weekly active users, while being capable of performing a diverse range of tasks such as debugging code, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": "ChatGPT", + "After The Verge reported on the compatibility of the Google Nest Thermostat with every major smart home platform due to its integration with the Matter standard on October 10, 2023, did Wired describe the Beats Fit Pro earbuds as being compatible with Android and offering an app for customization on November 25, 2023?": "Consistent", + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international identically to how 'The Guardian' describes his role in the fifth T20 international?": "no", + "Was the news regarding YouTube's involvement with artists in AI experiments inconsistent between the report from Music Business Worldwide on YouTube's collaboration with non-UMG-affiliated artists and the subsequent report from the same source on YouTube's launch of 'Dream Track'?": "no", + "Which pop star, who became public property by the age of 16 according to The Guardian, was commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly dealing with her situation as reported by The Independent - Life and Style, and was also claimed by Jason Alexander to be his first and only wife in addition to being forced to take lithium against her will?": "Britney Spears", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have success with a Michigan quarterback similar to past achievements, while the Sporting News article indicates that The Big Ten is currently engaged in a review process concerning Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, without implying any success with a quarterback?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a Wall Street Journal article and a New York Times piece on Andrew Beaton, which NFL team, known for its distinct helmet design, was the subject of Beaton's analysis regarding their strategic decisions in the off-season as reported by the Wall Street Journal, and also mentioned in the New York Times for their unexpected player trade move?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on The Global Fund, which country, identified as a significant beneficiary of the fund's aid in the BBC article, was also mentioned in the Reuters report as having made a substantial pledge to The Global Fund's recent fundraising campaign?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the TechCrunch and Engadget articles both suggest that consumers are seeking deals or changes in their consumption, with TechCrunch discussing a desire for a new social networking model and Engadget reporting on consumers looking for post-Black Friday discounts on Apple products?": "Yes", + "After Sporting News reported on Johnny Cardoso's inclusion in the USMNT squad post-injury on October 4, 2023, and CBSSports.com announced De'Von Achane's move to Injured Reserve on October 12, 2023, which player's status changed between the two reports, Johnny Cardoso or De'Von Achane?": "Johnny Cardoso", + "Was the reporting on the operating hours of Starbucks stores on Thanksgiving by 'The Independent - Life and Style' after November 6, 2023, inconsistent with the information provided about the date of Thanksgiving in 2023 in a later article by the same source?": "no", + "Between the report from 'Sky Sports' published at '2023-10-20T21:30:00+00:00' stating that \"Mikel Arteta was on loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona's B side in 2001,\" and the article from 'The Guardian' published at '2023-10-20T21:30:28+00:00' mentioning \"Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta joined Paris Saint-Germain at the same time in early 2001,\" is the information provided about the time when Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta were involved with Paris Saint-Germain consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Considering the information provided by TechCrunch regarding Meta's alleged GDPR non-compliance, its proposal to shift teen app oversight to parents, the accusation of neglecting children's online privacy, and the reported suppression of Palestinian voices, which company is implicated in multiple controversies related to user privacy, content moderation, and the responsibility of safeguarding young users' online activities?": "Meta", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google engages in anticompetitive behavior within the app distribution and payment processing markets, while another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions harm news publishers' revenue, and does The Verge focus on Google's use of relevance, distance, and prominence in local search rankings without mentioning anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Which company, reported by The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of discussions involving its default search engine deals, lack of planned measures for YouTube, and anticompetitive practices affecting news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Based on the information from a New York Times article and a Wall Street Journal report on Synchrony Financial, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who discussed the company's strategic partnerships in the former and was mentioned in relation to the company's quarterly earnings growth in the latter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and Fortune, had a negative balance exceeding the revenue of a related entity, proposed an alert system to prevent its own liquidation, and was claimed to have acted legally in its business practices with a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": "Alameda Research", + "Are the discounts mentioned by TechCrunch, which retailers are using to encourage consumer spending, aligned with the availability of discounts on Apple products for consumers as reported by Engadget after Black Friday?": "Yes", + "What is the name of the organization mentioned in four TechCrunch articles that is promoting an \"app store for AI\" as a primary platform, is facing financial stability questions despite the success of ChatGPT, prioritizes ChatGPT as a development platform, and is planning to launch GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API?": "OpenAI", + "Has the focus on the impact of sleep on the immune system decreased in the reports from 'The Independent - Life and Style' after the article discussing the lives of insomniacs published on October 1, 2023, compared to the article about the clock change published on October 24, 2023?": "no", + "Which pop star, who became a public figure unable to avoid attention at the age of 16 according to 'The Guardian', has been commended by Kevin Federline for responsibly handling her situation as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style', and also claimed to have been forced to take lithium against her will as per another article from 'The Independent - Life and Style'?": "Britney Spears", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Binance withdrew funds from FTX, while the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article indicates that Binance's CEO is stepping down, contrasting the operational and leadership statuses of Binance in the two reports?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup is a positive endorsement, while the Fortune article implies a conflict within OpenAI's board regarding Sam Altman's role, and does another TechCrunch piece question Sam Altman's honesty with the board?": "Yes", + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree on the role of Sportsbooks in the context of betting, with one discussing the adjustment of NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines and the other discussing the ability of Sportsbooks to profit from odds and lines?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different level of transparency from Sam Altman with the board compared to the portrayal of his involvement with generative AI technology as described in the Fortune article?": "Yes", + "Which organization, discussed in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', is likely to receive support from Super Rugby franchises for a potential coaching appointment and is also being encouraged to reinstate annual funding of $1.7 million to these franchises?": "Rugby Australia", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India about Agastya's recent scientific discovery and another article by The Hindu discussing Agastya's involvement in a major environmental project, which element on the periodic table, symbolized by a single character, is both central to Agastya's discovery and a critical component of the environmental initiative?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditure to become the default search engine, was the consistency in reporting Google's competitive practices maintained in the TechCrunch article about the class action antitrust suit filed against Google published after December 15, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'ASOS' is facing challenges that are affecting its consumer engagement differently than the 'TechCrunch' article suggests 'Scalable Capital' is enhancing its business capabilities through fundraising?": "Yes", + "Which filmmaker, known for following his own varied interests in filmmaking rather than moving from compromise to compromise according to a Polygon article, has also appeared in TikTok videos as reported by The Independent - Life and Style?": "Martin Scorsese", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Deft is attempting to change user behavior regarding e-commerce search, while The Verge article indicates that Apple has not sought an alternative to Google as the default search engine on its devices?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to TechCrunch, is both considered one of the most brilliant and caring figures in the industry and is also speculated to have not been fully truthful with the board, and is recognized by Fortune as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, according to allegations discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in anticompetitive practices by making default search engine deals with major tech companies, influencing app distribution and payment processing on Android, and impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "What are the entities that, according to Sporting News, not only offer welcome bonuses with specific requirements but also modify their betting lines in response to events like injuries or roster changes, and tighten NBA Rookie of the Year odds, all while adjusting odds to manage their liability when heavy betting occurs on a particular team or individual?": "Sportsbooks", + "Was the narrative regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's management of his business ventures consistent between the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023, and The Verge report published on October 28, 2023?": "no", + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, has both invested in new hardware developments during an annual event and has been involved in antitrust actions for securing default search engine positions and affecting news publishers' revenues through its practices?": "Google", + "Did the TechCrunch article on December 7, 2023, comparing Google's Gemini to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and the TechCrunch article on the same date claiming Gemini's inferiority to OpenAI's GPT-4 show consistency in the reporting of Google's claims about Gemini's performance relative to OpenAI's models?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on the best NBA betting sites and apps for the 2023-24 season published on October 2, 2023, and the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds with Wembanyama as the early favorite published on October 4, 2023, was there agreement in how Sportsbooks approach their offerings and adjustments in betting lines?": "Yes", + "After TechCrunch reported on Google's annual hardware event on October 7, 2023, and then on Google's expenditure to be the default search engine on various platforms on November 13, 2023, did TechCrunch's subsequent report on December 15, 2023, regarding a class action antitrust suit against Google indicate a consistent or inconsistent portrayal of Google's business practices?": "Consistent", + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a prominent investor but is now facing allegations of fraud, and admitted to challenges in overseeing the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange, which was discussed in articles by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried.", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Jerry Dipoto is not considering a trade involving a pitcher and a batter, while the Sporting News article confirms that Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts have not already secured new contracts?": "no", + "Does the 'Music Business Worldwide' article suggest that \"YouTube's Content ID system\" ensures payment to copyright owners for uploaded content, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies that 'Online creators' often do not make money on platforms like YouTube?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Economic Times and another in YourStory about Prashanth Prakash, which city does the venture capitalist, who is known for his investments in early-stage startups and has recently been appointed to a government advisory panel, primarily operate from?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague at Alameda Research to secretly access customer funds, admitted to being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from The Verge discussing the Microsoft Elite Series 2 “Core” version mention an increase in features compared to the standard model, and does the article from The Verge on MacBook Pros indicate a reduction in prices for the new models?": "no", + "Based on the information from two separate articles on Click, which company, known for its innovative technology solutions and mentioned as a key player in the European market expansion, also faced scrutiny in a second article for potential data privacy issues with its latest product release?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate a disappointing performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reports on Derrick Henry's performance in a recent game, specifically mentioning his two touchdowns and 76 rushing yards?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Indrani Roy's philanthropic efforts and a Forbes article discussing Indrani Roy's investments in technology startups, which sector, represented by a single letter, has Indrani Roy shown a significant interest in according to both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the 'Eos: Earth And Space Science News' researchers and 'Music Business Worldwide' regarding \"AfroFuture's attendees\" both indicate a trend in the diversity of their respective subjects, with the former discussing the stability of income and race over time in 177 cities and the latter discussing the demographics and geographic diversity of the event's audience?": "no", + "Did TechCrunch fail to maintain consistency in its reporting on December 15, 2023, when discussing a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, according to 'The Age', making default search engine deals as mentioned by 'The Verge', and is also accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming their business through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "What company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has spent billions to be the default search engine on various platforms and is also accused of affecting local business rankings and harming news publishers' revenues through its practices?": "Google", + "Does 'The New York Times' article attribute the failure of the Buffalo Bills' defense to the contributions of Jordan Poyer, while the 'Sporting News' article suggests that the Baltimore Ravens' defense needs to improve before their game against the Cincinnati Bengals?": "no", + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the TechCrunch article alleges that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts under Sam Bankman-Fried's instruction, or do both articles assert the same involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international differently from his innings performance in the fifth T20 international, with one article suggesting a struggle and the other praising the performance?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy, once likened to a prominent investor but not by TechCrunch, and has also entered a not-guilty plea, according to allegations reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the economic policies discussed in a Bloomberg article on Greater China and the environmental initiatives mentioned in a South China Morning Post report, which city, undergoing both economic and environmental transformations, is the capital of the province that was highlighted in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX whose alleged fraudulent actions to attain wealth and power are discussed in articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, and is also mentioned as having informed a trader about permissible withdrawals based on the company's trading revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that the Sydney Swans' recent victory has them challenging for a top-eight spot in the AFLW, while another 'The Age' article indicates that the same victory allowed them to retake the eighth spot in the standings, and does 'The Guardian' article focus on the Sydney Swans' efforts in enhancing the game day experience rather than their standings in the league?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher claim that Google's behavior towards news publishers is supportive, in contrast to the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' legal battle with Google which discusses the transparency of Google's legal discovery process?": "no", + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with the rise of artificial intelligence, mentioned in articles by 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch', who faced no removal efforts by Anthropic co-founders, has been described as generous and impactful, yet is also theorized to have had transparency issues with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article discussing the release date of the latest Apple MacBook Pro and a CNET article detailing the new features of the same device, which letter represents the first character of the feature that is both newly introduced in the latest model according to CNET and is specifically mentioned as being anticipated prior to the release date in the Bloomberg article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from 'Science News For Students' suggest that 'MXenes and MBenes' have the same role in addressing climate change as the lifestyle changes 'Peter Kalmus' made according to 'Yahoo News'?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest in the world, who is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth and influence, discussed governance structures with Paradigm for a company, and is connected to a $14 billion customer fund misuse as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the 'Everton team' should come to terms with their current position in the Premier League, while 'The Independent - Sports' implies that 'Newcastle United' will not face a long absence from the Champions League again?": "Yes", + "After The Age reported on October 22, 2023, that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and TechCrunch reported on December 15, 2023, that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, was the reporting on Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior consistent between these two news sources?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Advanced Science News' article suggest that 'rechargeable battery alternatives' are being improved for stability and safety, while 'The Guardian' article implies that 'Snapchat' is contributing to a lack of safety, despite both discussing safety-related issues?": "Yes", + "Which group of individuals could benefit from guides on selecting the right headphones on The Verge, access July Prime Day deals again in October according to Engadget, still find discounts on Apple products post-Black Friday also reported by Engadget, and are the focus of Mozilla's decentralized social networking future as discussed by TechCrunch?": "Consumers.", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another from The Hindu about Asha Shobana, which city is she planning to organize her next major dance recital in, if she has recently been awarded for her contributions to classical dance in Chennai and is also known for conducting workshops in Bangalore?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving anticompetitive practices in app distribution and payment processing on Android, as argued by Epic Games according to TechCrunch, and is also accused by news publishers of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive means as reported by TechCrunch, while simultaneously being defended by Apple in court for being the indispensable search engine service provider as stated by The Verge?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple allows complete freedom in browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge article claims that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system, and does the Engadget article focus on Apple's hardware updates rather than its software policies?": "no", + "What company, which was reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge to be involved in antitrust cases, has spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through its competitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a consistent scoring trend for \"Thursday Night Football\" compared to previous games, while The Guardian article describes a specific instance where Lauren James created a scoring opportunity, without implying a general trend change in scoring for the game?": "no", + "Between the article published by TechCrunch on October 25, 2023, discussing Ylva Johansson's proposal not including any derogation from the GDPR, and the article from November 9, 2023, highlighting that European AI startups are considering regulation and compliance from the beginning of their operations, is there agreement or disagreement on the emphasis of regulatory compliance in the context of European technology initiatives?": "Agreement", + "Between the TalkSport report on the Manchester United takeover published on October 18, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, was there no change in Manchester United's circumstances as reported by the two news sources?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest in that age group according to TechCrunch, who is facing allegations of fraud by the prosecution, and told Paradigm about his intentions for FTX's board structure, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the SuperDraft lineup should include certain players for their consistent performance potential, while the CBSSports.com article provides specific statistical performance metrics under pressure for an individual (unspecified in the evidence)?": "True", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were driven by personal motives, in contrast to the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article which discusses his intentions regarding the structure of FTX's board?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's top scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article recognizes Erling Haaland as the joint-leading scorer from the Champions League group stages?": "Yes", + "Considering the features highlighted in the Gizmodo article and the pricing details mentioned in the Engadget article, what is the first letter of the model name of Garmin's dive computer that is solar-powered and specifically designed for underwater explorers?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Snapchat is being used to document events in Gaza, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article discusses the actions of the state during crises, without mentioning the use of social media platforms for documentation?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film \"Pulse\" ignores themes of loneliness in a connected world, while the TalkSport article discusses the nature of Paul Mitchell and Ralf Rangnick's relationship, indicating whether their friendship has been maintained since their time at Leipzig?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Economic Times and another by Business Standard on the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association, which company, identified as a significant contributor to the local manufacturing ecosystem in one article, also announced a new CEO who has a name starting with the first letter of the alphabet in the other article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games and accused of anticompetitive practices by a news publisher, claims its new Gemini architecture rivals the performance of leading generative AI models and has spent billions to remain the default search engine across various platforms, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously associated with Jane Street, who is facing seven charges of fraud and conspiracy, and is believed by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth, power, and influence, and has also been reported to have tried to use his fortune to potentially influence political events?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the richest in the world, who is facing a criminal trial where both his legal representatives and the government's lawyers are presenting contrasting stories about his actions related to fraud and conspiracy, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Verge' suggest that Alameda Research was involved in practices to manipulate FTX's balance sheet, while 'Fortune' claims Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were legal, indicating a disagreement in the portrayal of Alameda Research's actions?": "Yes", + "Did the article from Fortune reporting on the lawsuit's impact on Rogers Communications Inc. indicate an increase in the company's stock price, and did the article from The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon indicate a decrease in Amazon's stock price?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on the USA squad mention Johnny Cardoso's inclusion after an injury similar to how 'Sporting News' reports on Lucas Cavallini's withdrawal due to injury from the Canada squad?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated in the FTX collapse, accused of building a successful crypto exchange through deceit, acknowledged being informed about financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have directed the misappropriation of $14 billion from customers for debt repayment and committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which institution, highlighted in reports by 'The Age', 'The Sydney Morning Herald', and 'Fortune', is recognized for its influence on global financial markets, recently raised its main interest rate to a level not seen since 2001, and is basing future rate decisions on economic data while combating inflation that followed a period of booming home prices?": "Federal Reserve", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of the same topic, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that '\"Renaissance\"' had a different level of financial success in its theatrical run compared to 'The Eras Tour', while the 'Business Line' article indicates that Stocks with lower PE ratios are not necessarily valued the same as TCS?": "True", + "Do the 'Business Line' article's claims about central bankers' response to supply disruptions and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Federal Reserve officials' actions to combat inflation both suggest an increase in interest rates?": "Yes", + "Which sportsbook, featured in articles by Sporting News, provides a cash-out option to settle bets early and is anticipated to offer new Vermont sign-ups a Bonus Bet up to $1,000 if their first bet loses?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "What type of establishments, as reported by Sporting News, would modify their betting lines due to team news or sentiment, player injuries or roster changes, and information affecting NBA Rookie of the Year predictions, while also providing welcome bonuses to new bettors?": "Sportsbooks", + "Which company is at the center of legal scrutiny for potentially anticompetitive behavior, as discussed in articles from The Verge regarding a court case, The Age in the context of search fairness, and TechCrunch regarding a class action lawsuit filed by news publishers?": "Google", + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's involvement with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's contribution to Argentina's youth movement in the forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the focus of Messi's football activities as reported by the same news source?": "Yes", + "Which national rugby team, highlighted in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', suffered defeats in their home country as well as in Sydney and Christchurch, against opponents including Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina?": "New Zealand All Blacks", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Anthony Melone's strategic business decisions and a report by The Wall Street Journal on his philanthropic efforts, which university's board of trustees, known for its business school where Melone made a significant donation, did he also join according to both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who, according to reports from 'Essentially Sports' and 'Sporting News,' has accumulated a net worth of $180 million by 2023 and attributes a recent boxing victory to altering a punch, while also engaging in increasingly lucrative fights over the years?": "Canelo Alvarez", + "Between the Sporting News report on Caesars Sportsbook's promotional offer in Vermont and the CBSSports.com report on Caesars Sportsbook's new customer offer, was there agreement in the bonus bet amount being offered to new customers if their first bet loses?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that users are turning to Snapchat for entertainment purposes due to trust in other platforms, while The Guardian article claims that Snapchat's platform has facilitated a different type of activity unrelated to information sharing?": "no", + "Which company, reviewed by both Polygon and Engadget, has not only made several minor physical upgrades to its product but also has it ready to ship immediately upon release on November 16th at 1pm ET?": "Valve", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing Demis Hassabis's achievements in artificial intelligence and a Forbes piece discussing his company's strategic partnerships, which single letter represents the first initial of the university that Hassabis attended, as mentioned in the BBC article, and is also the first letter of the tech giant his company partnered with, as reported by Forbes?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with generative AI technology, recognized for his vision of AI's future at a developer conference, and has been described by 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' as both impactful in the industry and a central figure in a controversy involving a board's decision?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the article from CBSSports.com credit Jonathan Smith with a specific number of victories for Oregon State in the 2021 season, and does the article from The New York Times describe the Jets' offense's performance in terms of points scored and total yards over a set number of possessions?": "Yes", + "After the Sporting News published an article on Moneyline betting at 21:25, stating that betting $130 on the Cowboys to win would result in a $100 profit if they win, did the same news source maintain consistency in their explanation of betting mechanics in a subsequent article about Totals Betting at 22:08, which mentioned that bets placed on \"the over\" win if the combined score exceeds the sportsbook's set total?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated by claims from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch as having built a crypto exchange's success on falsehoods, directed the use of customer funds to settle an exchange's ownership change, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 6, 2023, and the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the antagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the TechCrunch article on December 15, 2023, citing a class action antitrust suit against Google for harming news publishers' bottom lines, has the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources remained consistent?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the spending by US consumers is a significant factor in preventing the US economy from entering a recession, while also indicating that a slowdown in the US economy could prevent a recession, or do these claims align in their assessment of what is preventing a recession in the US economy?": "Align", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' performance against the Chicago Bears published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the effectiveness of the Vikings' gameplay as reported by the same news source?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Age on Google's manipulation of Search to maximize ad revenue published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google citing AI’s harms to news publishers' bottom line published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices affecting other companies' revenues?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and The Verge's coverage of the same topic, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published before November 5, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google, was the consistency in reporting Google's anticompetitive behavior maintained?": "Yes", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce will struggle against the Raiders' defense, while the Sporting News article indicates that the Raiders' offense was generally ineffective, except for a specific instance led by Josh Jacobs?": "no", + "Which football team, now excluded from European competitions due to a defeat by Bayern at Old Trafford, historically outperformed another Premier League giant with seven wins in their first 12 encounters from 1905 to 1913, according to Sporting News?": "Manchester United", + "Does the TechCrunch article mention Michael Lewis being present during an event related to Sam Bankman-Fried, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Ross Chastain's presence in both on-track and off-track events in 2023?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's inability to manage FTX and Alameda Research was due to company growth, while 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's management issues were related to deliberate misuse of customer funds and fraud for personal gain, respectively?": "Yes", + "Did the Sporting News article reporting the Dallas Cowboys' defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 of the NFL season align with the same source's report on the New York Red Bulls' win against FC Cincinnati with a score of 2-1 in terms of both teams achieving a victory?": "no", + "Who is the individual under 30 who was once considered the richest in the world, portrayed himself as the reliable face of the crypto industry, and is accused of building his exchange's success on dishonesty and committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Terry McLaurin's performance is limited to specific games, while the Sporting News article predicts a comprehensive strong performance from the Dallas Cowboys' running game, defense, and special teams in an upcoming game?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on generative AI in the enterprise suggest that CIOs are less cautious in their AI adoption strategy compared to the belief of business leaders mentioned in another TechCrunch article, who think AI will be essential for all businesses within five years?": "no", + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, has the status of their relationship as reported by these sources changed?": "Yes", + "Which entity is at the center of addressing concerns from the music industry about a CJEU ruling, engaging with Amazon on competition issues regarding an acquisition, deploying staff within its AI Office for evolving rules, and probing Elon Musk's X for risks related to illegal content and deceptive UX design, as reported by Music Business Worldwide and TechCrunch?": "European Commission", + "What is the name of the company that, according to TechCrunch, observes and improves upon its competitors' unsuccessful attempts with sophisticated products, and is also mentioned by The Verge for enforcing standard conditions on developers, manufacturers, and network operators through its marketplace and payment infrastructure?": "Apple", + "Do the Polygon article discussing Jess and Bill Walker and the FOX News - Lifestyle article about the holidays both suggest that their respective subjects emphasize the importance of maintaining family connections?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by both TechCrunch and The Verge, has been associated with spending billions to secure its position as a default search engine, the capacity to address Android app distribution and payment system issues, and engaging in practices that harm news publishers' revenues and content distribution?": "Google", + "After The Age reported on Travis Kelce's Super Bowl victories, did Yardbarker's coverage maintain consistency regarding Travis Kelce's performance expectations?": "Yes", + "After the TechCrunch report on November 18, 2023, suggesting that Sam Altman was being fully truthful with the board, and the subsequent Fortune article on the same day accusing the board of going rogue in firing Altman, did the TechCrunch report published later on November 18, 2023, maintain consistency in the narrative regarding Sam Altman's future plans?": "no", + "Is the policy on price matching for customers at HP consistent according to The Verge before Polygon reported on the eligibility for price matching on purchases?": "Yes", + "Did the TechCrunch article on the Google antitrust case report a different amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms than the amount cited in another TechCrunch article discussing payments for default search engine status?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Google's approach to deepfake election risks and the subsequent TechCrunch report on a news publisher filing an antitrust suit against Google, was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on the industry?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of critiques from 'The Verge' for altering internet navigation, is accused by Megan Grey in 'The Age' of manipulating search results for profit, and is the subject of a class action antitrust suit reported by 'TechCrunch' for harming news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published before September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article discussing Google's expenditures to be the default search engine published before November 13, 2023, was there agreement on Google's strategy to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms?": "Yes", + "Was TechCrunch's perspective on the role of technologists in product design, published on December 21, 2023, at odds with the notion of interconnections between technologies as suggested by the U2 project's collaborative effort, which was not reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on October 19, 2023?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that the Wonder Flowers in Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduce variability in game mechanics and enemies, while the Globes English | Israel Business Arena article implies that the State of Israel's reliance on technology creates a vulnerability to enemy challenges?": "Yes", + "Between the report by TechCrunch on October 30, 2023, about Meta offering an ad-free subscription in Europe and The Verge's article on November 12, 2023, discussing the state of Tumblr, which news source indicates a change in the experience for Meta's users with multiple accounts? TechCrunch or The Verge?": "TechCrunch", + "Between the report from BBC News - Entertainment & Arts published on October 13, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's experiences with the media, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's approach to personal disclosures?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India suggest that a major attack against Israel can be carried out without intelligence support, while the article from Fortune claims that Israel controls the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into Gaza, indicating a difference in the focus of Israel's security and humanitarian control measures?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Uber's measures to prevent sexual assaults published on October 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Uber's financial performance in Q3 published on November 7, 2023, was there a change in the type of issues being reported about Uber?": "Yes", + "Does the Fortune article claim that Sam Bankman-Fried used Caroline Ellison as a front for secret access to customer funds at Alameda Research, while the TechCrunch article alleges that Caroline Ellison took $14 billion from customers to repay debts without Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge, or do both articles assert different levels of involvement of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds?": "no", + "Does the article from FOX News - Lifestyle featuring Sherri Geerts focus on a corporate merger, in contrast to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses generational Christmas traditions?": "no", + "Does the Wired article suggest that Sony headphones do not offer the best value in their class during the Cyber Monday sale, while the Fortune article indicates that market participants need to act irresponsibly to maintain a reasonable market, despite the current low rates?": "no", + "Who has been recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and has become a prominent voice on the subject of artificial intelligence, but is also suggested by a prevailing theory to have not been fully truthful with the board, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that Valve is not launching a new product on November 16th, while The Verge article indicates that Valve has shifted its business strategy to focus exclusively on games for their store?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with the University of Michigan that, despite conducting his usual weekly news conference on Monday and observing a game from the team hotel, was subject to a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the season due to an NCAA investigation, as reported by Sporting News?": "Jim Harbaugh", + "Does the 'Iot Business News' article suggest that 'Digital twins' contribute to the efficiency of monitoring and predicting issues with complex systems, while the 'Essentially Sports' article implies that 'Racing tracks' suffer from neglect over time, indicating a difference in the impact of maintenance on these two types of assets?": "Yes", + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were purely altruistic, in contrast to the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article which discusses his intentions regarding the structure of FTX's board?": "no", + "Does the 'Business Line' article suggest that 'Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and mutual funds' provide expert guidance for wealth creation, while the 'Music Business Worldwide' article raises concerns about the valuation process of 'Hipgnosis Songs Fund' involving a second expert opinion?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual being scrutinized by a jury for alleged fraud and conspiracy, as depicted by contrasting legal narratives in Fortune and facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, with the prosecution's claim of intentional fraudulent actions for personal gain also covered by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior in both the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, as well as being accused by a news publisher of harming their bottom line by siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Who, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is the individual that found managing FTX and Alameda Research challenging, allegedly used customer funds to buy out a competitor, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about the decline in bee populations affecting pollination and a separate article from The Guardian discussing the impact of climate change on the blooming periods of flowers, which letter represents the first initial of the scientist who has conducted extensive research on both phenomena and has proposed a widely-recognized theory linking these issues?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did Engadget fail to report a discount on the 13.6-inch MacBook Air before The Verge reported a discount on Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article that discusses Sam Bankman-Fried's backing of a teens' startup present the same allegation of misconduct against Sam Bankman-Fried as the TechCrunch article covering the FTX collapse's courtroom updates, with both alleging fraud for personal gain?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Times of India and another by The Hindu on S Meghana, which team did she represent in her most recent domestic cricket tournament, and which position did she bat in during her last international match for India?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's involvement with Inter Miami published on October 7, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Lionel Messi's contribution to Argentina's youth movement in the forward line published on October 12, 2023, was there no change in the focus of Messi's football activities as reported by the same news source?": "no", + "Does the 'Business Line' article suggest that 'Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and mutual funds' lack expert guidance for wealth creation, while the 'Music Business Worldwide' article raises concerns about the valuation process of 'Hipgnosis Songs Fund' involving a second expert opinion?": "no", + "Do 'The Age' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' suggest that the actions of parents can lead to negative outcomes for their children, or do their claims point to different consequences of parental behavior?": "Yes", + "Between the Sporting News report on NBA Rookie of the Year odds published on October 4, 2023, and the Sporting News report on line shopping in sports betting published on November 6, 2023, has the approach of Sportsbooks in adjusting lines and odds remained unchanged?": "Yes", + "Has the emphasis on the role of faith and personal practices in maintaining a positive outlook, as reported by FOX News - Lifestyle, remained consistent between the article discussing the effectiveness of positive thinking on October 28, 2023, and the one highlighting the importance of the habit of prayer on December 5, 2023?": "Yes", + "Did the 'Fortune' article suggest that the success of FTX was built on complete transparency, while the 'TechCrunch' article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in fraud for personal benefits, or do both articles imply misconduct on the part of Sam Bankman-Fried?": "no", + "Did the 'Sporting News' fail to report on the U.S. men's national team's friendly match against Ghana before 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' reported on Tasmania's second win over Sydney this season?": "no", + "Does the article from 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' suggest that the continuation of investment in HIV vaccine and cure research is essential for ending the AIDS epidemic, while the 'Business Line' article proposes that engineering bNAbs for an HIV cure is a promising approach, and are both articles aligned in the view that ongoing research is crucial for combating HIV?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Amazon's large language model (LLM) is trained on kids' responses, while The Age article raises concerns about TikTok's pixel collecting data without consent?": "no", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest the same level of personal relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as the stance on their relationship expressed in The Independent - Life and Style, with both denying any romantic interest and discussing a platonic acquaintance?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, according to articles from The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, is alleged to have permitted withdrawals from a trading platform's revenue, used a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest person with an intention to use wealth to prevent humanity's extinction, that is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for wealth and influence, and was mentioned in The Verge for advising a trader on withdrawal limits from a platform's revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "According to Fortune, has the perspective on 'Housing affordability' in the housing market changed between the article published on October 6, 2023, which mentioned that affordability would improve as inflation fades and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, and the article published on October 20, 2023, which reported that housing affordability is worse now than during the Great Financial Crisis?": "No", + "After TechCrunch reported on the U.K. Judicial Office issuing guidance for judges on the responsible use of AI tools like ChatGPT on September 28, 2023, and Music Business Worldwide discussed YouTube's investment in AI-powered technology to protect its community from trademark and copyright abuse on November 23, 2023, is the stance on the use of AI for regulatory or protective purposes within these reports consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Does the article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog about the Sydney Kings mention a game-high lead due to player losses, while the other article from The Roar | Sports Writers Blog about Eddie Jones discuss his win-loss record for the year?": "Yes", + "Which rugby team, featured in articles from 'The Independent - Sports' and 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog', faced home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, aimed to utilize a numerical advantage by kicking for the corner, and has players striving to conclude their careers on a high note, while also having lost to Argentina both in Christchurch and previously in Sydney?": "All Blacks", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds for a specific transaction, while the TechCrunch articles imply that his overall wealth and alleged fraudulent activities were directed towards different goals, such as influencing politics and achieving personal gain?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that a GameStop gift card is a universally useless gift for gamers regardless of console preference, while the Polygon article recommends specific Nintendo Switch games, indicating a more targeted gift approach for owners of that console?": "no", + "Who is the individual that has been described by TechCrunch as both backing a teen's AI startup and being ousted as CEO, by Fortune as a prominent voice in Silicon Valley on artificial intelligence, and is also suggested by TechCrunch to have had issues with truthfulness with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, persuaded a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as per Fortune, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention according to The Verge, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain as alleged in a second TechCrunch article?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' article credit Harry Kane with scoring his eighth league goal from a penalty?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article credit Marcus Urann with the failure to extend the cranberry selling season, while the Scitechdaily | Science Space And Technology News 2017 article discusses cranberry growers' use of cloning to increase production, and are these strategies aligned in their goal to enhance cranberry cultivation?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article claiming Google faked an AI demo suggest a different type of misconduct by Google compared to the TechCrunch article alleging Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, or are both articles discussing similar types of Google's corporate behavior?": "Different", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that Sam Altman's prominence in the AI field is unrelated to the impact of ChatGPT, while the 'TechCrunch' article implies a discrepancy in Altman's communication with the board, without attributing his prominence to ChatGPT?": "no", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article claim that FC Cincinnati lost the Supporters' Shield, while the 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' article report a victory for Aston Villa over Fulham, and are these outcomes related to different competitions?": "no", + "Did both the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's influence on a colleague to join his ventures and the report by The Verge on the implications of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions on his associates maintain the same portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's interactions with his peers?": "no", + "Considering the economic forecast from The Wall Street Journal's first article and the impact of tech industry layoffs from the second article, which CEO, whose company is headquartered in a city starting with the letter 'S', is facing the most significant challenge in balancing growth and cost-cutting measures?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Josh Dobbs is producing similar offensive results for the Minnesota Vikings as Kirk Cousins did, while the CBSSports.com article indicates a change in the Minnesota Vikings' offensive strategy in terms of passing play percentage during Week 4?": "True", + "Has the status of Richelle Cranston's AFLW career as reported by 'The Age' changed between the article published on 2023-10-20 and the one on 2023-11-03?": "Yes", + "Has the policy on refunds for bets at sportsbooks, as reported by Sporting News, changed after the article on MLB betting sites & apps published on October 24, 2023, compared to the report on prop betting published on November 6, 2023?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Liam Paro's ranking was affected by inactivity in a similar way to how The Roar | Sports Writers Blog article indicates Andy Murray's ranking was impacted, with both athletes experiencing a decline in their respective sports?": "Yes", + "Does the article from Sporting News claim that John \"The Best\" Mugabi had a perfect boxing record, while the article from Essentially Sports reports Dillon Danis as having his first-ever boxing debut, indicating a difference in their professional boxing experience?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article attribute Shai Hope's success in the run-chase to his ability to hit a massive six, while the 'Sporting News' discusses the San Francisco 49ers' assessment of Chase Young's market value without mentioning his on-field actions?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently scrutinized in articles from TechCrunch and The Age, is facing allegations of anticompetitive behavior and accusations of harming news publishers' revenue, while also spending billions to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms?": "Google", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Meta's moderation issues published on October 19, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Meta's legislative proposal regarding teen app downloads published on November 15, 2023, was there no change in the type of challenges Meta is addressing in the public sphere, moderation bias or parental control over app downloads?": "no", + "Does the Polygon post focus on outdated series disliked by the authors on each major streaming platform, while The Sydney Morning Herald article discusses the trend of entertainment companies creating their own exclusive streaming platforms over the past five years?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article detailing Ronald Gerald Wayne's early involvement with Apple Inc., and a Forbes article discussing his subsequent departure from the company, what is the first letter of the state where the company that Wayne co-founded is headquartered?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from Advanced Science News suggest that Governments should invest in healthy habits to reduce mortality, while the article from FOX News - Health claims that sugar, despite its potential habit-forming nature, is not as addictive as drugs?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that Newcastle United defeated Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, aligning with 'The Guardian' article's claim that Newcastle will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals, indicating both sources confirm Newcastle's progression in the tournament?": "Yes", + "Considering the economic strategies discussed in the first article from The Australian Financial Review and the technological advancements highlighted in the second article from the same source, which company, represented by a single letter on the stock exchange, is positioned to benefit from both the economic and technological trends mentioned?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Age suggest that the economic conditions of people have improved, impacting the middle class and their shopping habits, in contrast to Engadget's focus on providing Engadget readers with updates on Black Friday deals without discussing the economic conditions?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different perception of Sam Bankman-Fried's character compared to the portrayal by The Verge, with TechCrunch not referring to him as the white horse of crypto, while The Verge discusses his instructions on withdrawal permissions relative to trading revenue?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article report on new hiring at Starz, while the Engadget article discusses layoffs within the entire video game industry?": "no", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 6, 2023, regarding Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google over app distribution and payment processing markets, did TechCrunch maintain consistency in its reporting on December 15, 2023, when discussing a class action antitrust suit against Google by a news publisher?": "Yes", + "Does the Sportskeeda article consider Malik Willis the most naturally gifted quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class, while The New York Times article focuses on the San Francisco 49ers' use of a draft pick on a kicker in the 2023 draft?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article claim that Newcastle United was defeated by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, aligning with 'The Guardian' article's claim that Newcastle will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals, indicating both sources confirm Newcastle's progression in the tournament?": "no", + "Which company, reported by The Verge as changing the internet's appearance through its efforts to simplify navigation, was also highlighted by TechCrunch for both spending billions to secure default search engine status on multiple platforms and for harming news publishers' revenues through its business practices?": "Google", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of using deceit to build the success of a crypto exchange, according to Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's actions towards news publishers are supportive, while The Age article implies that users are accepting of potential misconduct by Google, and another TechCrunch article reports on Google's hardware event, indicating different contexts of Google's activities in each source?": "no", + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, has been involved in making default search engine deals with major tech companies, has the capability to address Android app distribution issues, has been accused of not fully releasing an AI model, and faces a class action antitrust lawsuit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue?": "Google", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive documentation to the court, was also mentioned by a news publisher in a class action lawsuit for its alleged anticompetitive practices, and is considered by Apple to be the only viable option for search engine services, despite not planning additional measures for its video platform as per reports from TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Did the Sporting News fail to report on Elijah Garcia's 16th victory before The Roar | Sports Writers Blog covered the first-round knockout by Jai Opetaia against Ellis Zorro?": "no", + "Has the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation in TechCrunch articles remained consistent between the report published on October 2, 2023, and the one published on October 7, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that \"People's preferences regarding social media content\" will shift towards uncurated experiences, while The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicates that \"Michael Cheika\" values past experiences, curated or not, for preparation?": "Yes", + "What is the first letter of the brand that, according to an article from The Fashion Times, collaborated with artist Manu Cossu for a limited-edition clothing line, and was also mentioned in a Business Insider report as having seen a significant increase in its market share within the last fiscal quarter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch to have pleaded not-guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, is facing a criminal trial to determine his guilt, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse between the TechCrunch report published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Which public figure, recognized by Time as Person of the Year and linked romantically to Travis Kelce, has the capacity to undergo significant events privately and was also spotted supporting at an NFL venue, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style', 'The Age', and 'BBC News - Entertainment & Arts'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Between the report from The Verge on November 7, 2023, portraying Google as the protagonist in the Epic v. Google trial, and the TechCrunch article on December 15, 2023, citing a class action antitrust suit against Google for harming news publishers' bottom lines, has the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources remained consistent?": "no", + "Who is the individual that allegedly allowed withdrawals from a trading platform's revenue, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, with these actions being reported by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to an article from The Verge, is also mentioned in two TechCrunch articles, one discussing the lack of planned additional measures for a video platform in the next six months, and the other citing a class action antitrust suit for siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior benefits the app distribution and payment processing markets, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age focus on Google's impact on news publishers and general search fairness, respectively?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that OpenAI holds a subordinate position in generative AI similar to how the Polygon article regards Abbas Kiarostami's status in the field of directing?": "no", + "Who is the individual alleged to have used Caroline Ellison as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds at Alameda Research, portrayed himself as a credible figure in the cryptocurrency sector prior to a major company collapse, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the athlete that contributed to his team's Super Bowl victories in both 2020 and 2023, was present at one of Taylor Swift's concerts in Buenos Aires in November, and was anticipated to end his four-game scoring drought in a Christmas Day game against the Raiders according to articles from 'The Age,' 'The Independent - Life and Style,' and 'Yardbarker'?": "Travis Kelce", + "Does the article from Fortune suggest that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are a response to past conditions, such as booming home prices, while The Sydney Morning Herald article indicates that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on incoming economic data?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Between the report from 'The Guardian' on October 28 regarding 'Game 3 of the World Series' and the coverage by 'Sporting News' on October 30, was the information about 'Brandon Pfaadt' starting the game consistent or inconsistent?": "Inconsistent", + "Considering the financial performance insights from a Bloomberg article and the product release information from a Reuters report, which letter represents both the start of the name of Apple Inc.'s CEO who commented on the company's earnings resilience and the first letter of the latest iPhone model announced?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Emma Hayes is considering leaving her current role at Chelsea before the end of the season, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which discusses Graham Potter's tenure at Chelsea as being unsuccessful?": "no", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'Taylor Swift' is open about her relationship with a specific individual, while the article from 'The Age' only confirms her presence at a sporting event without mentioning her openness about personal relationships?": "Yes", + "Between the report from 'The Independent - Sports' published at 2023-12-12T22:38:05+00:00 and the article from 'The Guardian' published at 2023-12-12T23:53:03+00:00, is the portrayal of Bayern Munich's superiority over Manchester United consistent or inconsistent?": "Consistent", + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch for not planning additional YouTube measures and for showcasing new hardware, was also mentioned by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance and is accused of harming news publishers' revenue through its practices?": "Google", + "Did the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while the Fortune article alleges he used a proxy for authorized access to funds, and does the second TechCrunch piece claim that his motivation for alleged fraud was personal gain, thus presenting different aspects of his actions?": "no", + "Which company, known for ranking local search results based on relevance, distance, and prominence according to a report by The Verge, was also described as having no valid alternative for search engine services during negotiations mentioned in another article from The Verge, and has been accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from 'The Age' for manipulating search results to maximize ad revenue, is mentioned by 'TechCrunch' for not planning additional measures on a major video platform, is likely to win a court case according to 'The Verge' if all phones and app stores are considered the relevant market, and is accused by another 'TechCrunch' article of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the article from Essentially Sports discussing NFL controversies mention a broader range of issues compared to the Essentially Sports article on Denny Hamlin, which focuses on the controversies and criticism surrounding a single NASCAR driver?": "Yes", + "Given that Junction Analytics has been featured in a recent Forbes article highlighting their innovative use of AI in market analysis, and a Bloomberg piece discussing their strategic partnership with a major tech firm, which CEO, as per these articles, has led the company through both advancements and is known for their unique approach to data science?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social media interactions involving monetary incentives are becoming a standard practice, while The Independent - Life and Style article questions the historical accuracy of events portrayed in 'The Crown (TV series)'?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from different sectors, where 'The Verge' reports on its control over app distribution and payment systems, 'The Age' discusses its alleged manipulation of Search for ad revenue, and 'TechCrunch' details a class action suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Blackstone's latest strategic real estate investments and a Wall Street Journal report on Blackstone's recent changes in senior management, which individual, now holding a key leadership position within Blackstone, has a name starting with the first letter of the city where Blackstone made its largest real estate investment according to the Bloomberg article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Age suggest a different aspect of Google's market behavior compared to the TechCrunch articles, with one discussing the acceptance of foul play allegations and the other focusing on anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": "Yes", + "Was the performance of the Chicago Bears' defense reported as worsened by Yardbarker after Sporting News highlighted a sack by the Bears' defense on Joshua Dobbs during the NFL 'Monday Night Football' game?": "no", + "After The Verge reported on Google's local search ranking criteria on October 26, 2023, and TechCrunch detailed Google's expenditure to remain the default search engine on various platforms on November 13, 2023, did TechCrunch's subsequent report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 15, 2023, indicate a consistent portrayal of Google's business practices by the news source?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch, The Verge, and Fortune, had its largest assets in \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral\" valued at $5.82 billion, endured a negative balance exceeding the revenue of a related company by $50 million, and took on losses to present a better financial image for that company, while also serving as a customer, payment processor, and market maker within legal boundaries?": "Alameda Research", + "Does the TalkSport article suggest a positive future for Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe's vision, while the Sporting News article indicates a setback for Manchester United in European competitions?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that communicated to a trader about permissible withdrawals relative to trading revenue, mentioned to Paradigm the intention of forming an expert board without investor directors, found the simultaneous management of FTX and Alameda Research challenging due to significant growth, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the defeat of the Belgium Women's National Football Team by England in the UEFA Women's Nations League to the performance of Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' credits Ollie Watkins with playing a key role in Aston Villa's win at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League?": "no", + "Did both the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on October 30, 2023, stating Taylor Swift's withdrawal from her tour schedule, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, revealing her secrecy about her relationship with Travis Kelce, indicate no change in the narrative regarding her personal life and professional commitments?": "no", + "Does the 'Science News For Students' article suggest that previous hydrogel research extensively explored the relationship between salt content and water absorption, while the 'Advanced Science News' article indicates that the hydrogel used in aqueous zinc iodine batteries has been specifically engineered with functional groups for anode and cathode affinity?": "no", + "Which company, as reported by TechCrunch, has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, is involved in an antitrust case due to its financial practices to maintain default search engine status, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive behavior?": "Google", + "Has the compatibility of the Google Nest Thermostat with major smart home platforms as reported by The Verge on October 10, 2023, remained consistent with previous reports from The Verge regarding its integration with the Matter standard, or has there been a change in its compatibility status?": "Consistent", + "Does the article from Sporting News claim that John \"The Best\" Mugabi had a flawed boxing record, while the article from Essentially Sports reports Dillon Danis as having his first-ever boxing debut, indicating a difference in their professional boxing experience?": "no", + "Which company, covered by Engadget and Polygon, is releasing a new version of their product on November 16th, featuring several minor physical upgrades and an emphasis on a unified performance target for developers?": "Valve", + "Did the approach to presenting prop bets to bettors by Sporting News change between the report on NBA prop bets published on October 2, 2023, and the report on NCAAF bowl season prop bets published later?": "no", + "What is the first letter of the name of the Goldman Sachs Group executive who, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, commented on the firm's strategic direction during an investor meeting, and was also mentioned in a Bloomberg article discussing potential successors to the CEO position?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has the concern about the Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio expressed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in Business World on October 8, 2023, remained consistent with the implications of rising national debt on private investment discussed in Business World on November 5, 2023?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch article published on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's financial strategies to maintain its default search engine status, and the TechCrunch article on November 13, 2023, covering similar aspects of Google's expenditures for default search engine positioning, was there agreement in the reported amount Google spent in 2021?": "Yes", + "What type of businesses, frequently featured in Sporting News articles, are known to manipulate betting lines to manage their financial risk and ensure profitability, regardless of the event outcomes or where large sums of money are wagered?": "Sportsbooks", + "Between the Sporting News report on T.J. Hockenson's expected absence in Week 10 published on November 11, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Dalton Kincaid's expected play in the Saturday game published on December 21, 2023, was the consistency in reporting the likelihood of injured players participating in upcoming games maintained?": "no", + "Which company, discussed in articles from The Verge, TechCrunch, and Fortune, was involved in maintaining a clean financial image for FTX through handling losses, held assets primarily in the form of \"unlocked FTT\" and \"FTT collateral\" valued at billions, and is claimed to have conducted its dealings with FTX within legal boundaries as a customer, payment processor, and market maker?": "Alameda Research", + "Does the FOX News - Health article linking Influenza to minor health issues disagree with the FOX News - Health article on GLP-1 agonist medications concerning the potential for rare but serious health complications from medical conditions or treatments?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article by The Economic Times about Apple India's revenue growth and another article by The Hindu Business Line regarding Apple's investment in renewable energy infrastructure in India, which city, hosting one of Apple's supplier parks and also benefiting from the new renewable projects, is mentioned in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual associated with the rise of artificial intelligence according to 'The Age', whose surprising departure from OpenAI was discussed in 'Fortune', and was speculated by 'TechCrunch' to have had issues with transparency with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "After Sporting News reported on the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over the Miami Dolphins with a score of 31-17 on \"Sunday Night Football\" on October 22, 2023, did the same news source report a win or a loss for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks?": "Win", + "Which company, recently mentioned in TechCrunch for not planning additional measures on a popular video platform and for its anticompetitive impact on news publishers, is also noted by The Verge for having the capability to resolve app distribution and payment system issues?": "Google", + "Who is the individual accused of building a prosperous cryptocurrency exchange on falsehoods, as reported by Fortune, and also alleged by TechCrunch to have intentionally committed fraud for personal gain, while The Verge claims he advised a trader on the limits of fund withdrawals correlating with the exchange's revenue?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that streaming services require a subscription for viewing the Cowboys vs. 49ers game, in contrast to the Polygon article's claim about film availability on streaming platforms without a subscription?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Lifestyle article about Sherri Geerts spending Easter with her birth mother after a short search share a similar theme of family reunion during the holiday season as the FOX News - Entertainment article about Amy Grant and Vince Gill performing together post-recovery?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Vivek Ramaswamy's approach to TikTok suggest a different strategy compared to the TechCrunch article on audiences' reactions to artists like Nicki Minaj trying to trend their songs on TikTok?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently involved in an antitrust battle with Epic Games and accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines, also uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Does the article from Fortune claim that Sam Bankman-Fried's persuasive abilities led to Adam Yedidia joining Alameda and FTX, while the TechCrunch articles focus on different aspects of Sam Bankman-Fried's reputation and alleged actions, without mentioning his persuasive influence on specific individuals?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article state that Greg Brockman resigned from OpenAI, while the Essentially Sports article claims that Terry Francona resigned as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians?": "Yes", + "Considering the updates from a CNBC article on the latest Google Workspace features and the implications for remote work discussed in a Forbes article, which single letter represents the new keyboard shortcut introduced by Google Workspace for quickly starting a new document, as mentioned in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Is the reporting on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship by 'The Independent - Life and Style' inconsistent between the article published at '2023-12-06T13:55:17+00:00' stating Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with Travis Kelce and the subsequent article at '2023-12-06T14:23:01+00:00' revealing that Taylor Swift connected with Travis Kelce in July after his attempt to give her a friendship bracelet?": "no", + "Who, after a period of injury affecting his participation in the MLS playoffs with Inter Miami, is also recognized for influencing the integration of emerging talents into Argentina's forward line as observed in a World Cup qualifying match covered by Sporting News?": "Lionel Messi", + "Between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices from a perspective of exclusivity to anticompetitive concerns?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust legal challenges, where it is accused of both monopolizing search engine services according to a court defense by a major tech competitor and harming news publishers' revenue through its business practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Who, according to articles from both Fortune and TechCrunch, built the success of a crypto exchange on lies, allegedly used a colleague as a front for improper financial access, aimed to use his wealth to save humanity, and is accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently covered by TechCrunch, has been involved in showcasing new hardware developments at an annual event, has faced criticism for not releasing the full version of a product named Gemini Ultra, and is accused in a class action antitrust suit of harming news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Has the portrayal of Google's business practices in TechCrunch articles shown inconsistency after the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google on November 6, 2023, compared to the subsequent class action antitrust suit reported on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Does the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on maintaining control over their high-performance model, as reported by The Roar | Sports Writers Blog, align with Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs across Super Rugby teams, or are their approaches different?": "Different", + "Considering the information from an article in The New York Times about Jay Brown's recent promotion and another from The Wall Street Journal discussing his strategic partnership initiatives, which company's board, now chaired by Jay Brown, has both expanded its market share in Asia and launched a new sustainability program?": "Insufficient information.", + "Has Polygon's coverage of Spider-themed characters in 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' remained consistent with their earlier report on 'Spider-Man 2 (game)' which featured stories of multiple Spider-Men?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose alleged fraudulent path to success, including the creation of a thriving crypto exchange, is under judicial scrutiny, with testimonies from legal representatives revealing contrasting narratives and an admission of awareness of financial discrepancies? This person is also implicated by the prosecution in seeking wealth, power, and influence through deceitful means, as reported by sources such as Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch.": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously the richest in the world in that age group, who is facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges and is also accused of misappropriating $1 billion of customer funds to buy out a competitor, according to articles from TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Sporting News article featuring Jayden Fielding mention a missed field goal attempt, while the Sporting News article with Alejandro Mata discuss a successful field goal, contrasting the outcomes of their respective field goal attempts?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the Cabora Bassa Basin, which company, identified as a key player in the region's energy sector by BBC News, also announced a significant investment plan for infrastructure development in the basin as per Reuters, and has its name starting with the letter 'T'?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a reputable investor and portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector by 'The Verge', but was not endorsed by 'TechCrunch', and is now facing charges as alleged by 'TechCrunch', with the prosecution claiming fraudulent actions for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is involved in a trial where it's portrayed as the antagonist by Epic Games, has released a \"lite\" version of an AI model instead of the full Gemini Ultra, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, according to articles from The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Considering the specifications of the latest smartphone model announced by Samsung as reported by GSMArena, and the battery performance improvements mentioned in a separate GSMArena article discussing advancements in mobile technology, which single letter of the alphabet is shared by the model name of the smartphone and the name of the new battery technology?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that the 'New Jersey Devils' have experienced a change in performance outlook due to a player's injury, while the 'Essentially Sports' article indicates that 'Denny Hamlin' remained in championship contention despite an injury?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a CNN article and a report by The New York Times on the recent developments at John Wayne Airport, which airline, mentioned in both sources, has decided to add a new route to its schedule and also recently updated its boarding process to prioritize families with young children?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure associated with artificial intelligence who was reportedly removed from a board position and is now starting a new venture, according to reports by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and intentions?": "no", + "Between the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive performance published on November 13, 2023, and the Sporting News report on the Minnesota Vikings' strategic options during the 'Monday Night Football' game published on November 27, 2023, was there a change in the reporting on the team's ability to influence the game's outcome?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from a CNBC article discussing the growth strategy of CareCredit and a Forbes article analyzing the impact of CareCredit's partnerships on the healthcare financing market, which company, beginning with the letter 'S', is both a strategic partner of CareCredit mentioned in the CNBC article and is also highlighted in the Forbes article for its innovative approach to patient financing?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article in The Guardian and another in The New York Times on Layton Williams, which character did he portray that is also known for a signature move involving a pirouette, as discussed in both articles?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sport Grill' article attribute the winning penalty to someone other than Tessa Wullaert, while 'The Guardian' article credit Harry Kane with scoring his ninth league goal from a penalty?": "no", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, which maintained that Google manipulates Search to maximise ad revenue, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch on November 13, 2023, detailing Google's expenditure to be the default search engine, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices in the TechCrunch article published on December 15, 2023, regarding the class action antitrust suit against Google?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google published on November 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there consistency in reporting Google's engagement in anticompetitive behavior?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently discussed in articles from The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in making deals to be the default search engine on various platforms, has showcased new hardware developments at an annual event, and is accused of anticompetitively impacting news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Which company is anticipated to promote an \"app store for AI\" as the main source for AI utilities, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also expected to release a vision-inclusive iteration of GPT-4 alongside a turbocharged API?": "OpenAI", + "Who is the individual under 30, once considered the wealthiest globally, whose trial involves determining the veracity of contrasting legal narratives and includes allegations of permitting withdrawals based on trading revenues and committing fraud for personal gains, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' article suggest a different trajectory for the 'Federal Reserve's interest rate policy' compared to the strategy mentioned in 'Fortune' regarding future adjustments, with one indicating potential cuts and the other comparing current hikes to past strategies?": "No", + "Which company, currently involved in an antitrust battle where it provided substantial evidence to the court as claimed by TechCrunch, is also cited by The Verge for altering the internet's appearance and for using a specific set of criteria to rank local search results?": "Google", + "Between the article from The Verge on October 26, 2023, discussing Google's local search ranking criteria and the TechCrunch article on October 31, 2023, regarding Google's expenditures to remain the default search engine, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's influence over search-related practices?": "Yes", + "Did the Fortune article claim that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, in contrast to the TechCrunch article which claims that Alameda Research misused FTX customer funds?": "no", + "Does 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog' suggest that 'The All Blacks' motivation for playing is more altruistic compared to the Springboks, while also indicating that 'The All Blacks' had a specific in-game failure to release on their goal line, and acknowledging 'The All Blacks' previous losses to Argentina, or are the motivations, in-game actions, and historical outcomes described identically for 'The All Blacks' in each article?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged actions?": "no", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that FTX's lack of a chief risk officer contributed to its business risks in a similar way that 'Fortune' implies Caroline Ellison's actions as CEO of Alameda did not adequately mitigate the risks of the crypto markets?": "Yes", + "Has the portrayal of Google's business practices in TechCrunch articles shown consistency after the report on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google on November 6, 2023, compared to the subsequent class action antitrust suit reported on December 15, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that the efficiency of the press, the closing of the angles, and the command of space are essential measures of how 'the team' is functioning as a collective, while the 'Polygon' article implies that 'Game challenges' require players to work together in a similar or different manner?": "Similar", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's Gemini has a superior architecture to other AI models, while another TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and The Verge article discusses the lack of a valid alternative to Google's search engine services?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article on Black Friday deals mention the same discount for \"Hasbro's Jenga: Super Mario Edition\" as the discount 'The Verge' reports for the 'Wi-Fi Kasa smart outdoor plug' on Amazon?": "no", + "Who is the individual whose wealth and influence, as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch, are under scrutiny by a jury due to allegations of achieving them through fraudulent means related to a crypto exchange?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Travis Kelce's performance against the Raiders will be worse than his past productivity, as opposed to The Independent - Life and Style article which discusses his attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, without mentioning his on-field performance?": "no", + "Has the reporting style on player achievements during NFL 'Sunday Night Football' games by Sporting News remained consistent between the article featuring Samaje Perine on November 19, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, is not only facing scrutiny for potential non-compliance with GDPR due to its advertising subscription model but is also attempting to shift the oversight of teen social media usage to third parties, and has been accused of having a moderation bias that particularly affects Palestinian users?": "Meta", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Caroline Ellison acted independently without the instruction of Sam Bankman-Fried in the misuse of customer funds, while The Verge article focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried's challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were motivated by personal gain?": "no", + "Which company, covered by both The Verge and Engadget, is known for its privacy stance in a legal context, plans to focus on Macs and new chipsets at an upcoming event, and enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Did Engadget report a discount on the 13.6-inch MacBook Air before The Verge reported a discount on Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose legal and financial controversies, including the alleged misuse of a billion dollars from a crypto exchange to settle with a competitor and accusations of building a company on falsehoods, are currently under scrutiny by a jury as presented by sources such as 'Fortune', 'The Verge', and 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual associated with a new venture launch and is also central to theories regarding a lack of full truthfulness with the board, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Who is the individual that is accused of using Caroline Ellison as a front for illicit access to funds, claimed to have intentions for a knowledgeable board for a cryptocurrency exchange while excluding investors from directorship, and has faced allegations of fraud and conspiracy in the courtroom, as reported by sources like Fortune, CNBC, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was merely seen booing at Arrowhead Stadium, while the 'CBSSports.com' article states that she has both performed and attended a game there, and does 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest a different aspect of her life by discussing her openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": "no", + "Did the report from The Sydney Morning Herald on October 1, 2023, contradict the report from Fortune on October 6, 2023, regarding the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates?": "no", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, alleged by Fortune to have built his crypto exchange's success on falsehoods, and according to the same source, convinced a former colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures, and is also accused by TechCrunch of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, covered by TechCrunch, has been involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to counter claims of hiding discovery items, spent billions to maintain its default search engine status across platforms, and has been accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which celebrity, known for experiencing significant events away from media scrutiny, was recognized by 'The Independent - Life and Style' as Time's Person of the Year, has been rumored to be romantically linked with a Chiefs TE according to 'CBSSports.com', and was also spotted supporting at Arrowhead Stadium as reported by 'The Age'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Who is the individual that, after being prompted by Judge Lewis Kaplan, acknowledged awareness of an $8 billion financial discrepancy, is accused of instructing the transfer of $14 billion from customers to cover debts, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these allegations reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the financial performance outlined in a Bloomberg article and the strategic partnerships mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article on American Express Inc., which single letter grade represents the company's credit rating as assessed by a major credit rating agency that takes into account both economic performance and business alliances?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from an article by The Verge on the changes to AppleCare's service coverage and a report by Bloomberg on the financial performance of Apple's services division, which letter represents the first initial of the executive at Apple who is overseeing the division that includes AppleCare?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about Taylor Swift being Time’s Person of the Year claim that she is open about her relationship with the same individual that 'The Independent - Life and Style' reports Travis Kelce invited to one of his games at Arrowhead Stadium?": "Yes", + "Does the Polygon article claim that Zazie Beetz will not reprise her role in the Joker sequel, while the Essentially Sports article discusses Mary Jane's character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 returning from the first game?": "no", + "Considering the claims from articles published by TechCrunch, which company is implicated in ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny for not establishing a lawful tracking basis in the EU, potentially violating GDPR, facing allegations of COPPA violations, and is accused of biased moderation practices specifically affecting Palestinian users?": "Meta", + "Is the concern about antibiotics' effectiveness against certain diseases reported by 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' before 'Yahoo News' consistent, considering the 'Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles' report on the susceptibility of 'Antibiotics in development' to resistance and the 'Yahoo News' report on 'Inflammation in dogs' being minimally or not responsive to antibiotics?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article stating the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks as the best candidates for the wild-card spots align with the same publication's claim regarding the impact of a Minnesota Vikings loss on the wild card race standings for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers?": "Yes", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Chelsea Football Club's expansion in the U.S. market is a result of random chance under Todd Boehly's co-ownership, while 'The Guardian' and 'Sky Sports' articles focus on Chelsea Football Club's recent match outcomes and player fitness concerns, respectively, without discussing strategic market expansion?": "no", + "Did individuals who have not lost a parent, as discussed in 'The Independent - Life and Style', experience grief at big events in a similar way to how Liam Neeson described his experience with grief to 'FOX News - Entertainment'?": "no", + "Between the report from 'The Age' on Taylor Swift's NFL takeover published on September 26, 2023, and the report from 'The Independent - Life and Style' on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce published on December 6, 2023, was there a change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's interactions with Travis Kelce?": "Yes", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, was there agreement on the financial impact of Google's deals to maintain its default search engine status on various platforms?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that social networks are independently operated without influence from large corporations in a similar way to how The Age article implies that DeepMind was a target for acquisition by major tech companies?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article doubt Jordan Love's performance in the upcoming home game, while the CBSSports.com article reflects on Kirk Cousins' performance in last week's game with only 13 Fantasy points?": "no", + "Which company, known for introducing various mobility options in Fortnite and portrayed as the underdog in a legal battle against Google, has faced layoffs affecting 16% of its workforce and lost an antitrust case, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Epic Games", + "What team was eliminated from European competitions after a loss at Old Trafford, as reported by both 'The Independent - Sports' and 'Sporting News'?": "Manchester United", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that expressed intentions to form a board with experts, acknowledged challenges in managing the significant growth of both FTX and Alameda Research, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is at the center of claims involving the manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', the lack of a valid alternative for search engine services as stated by 'The Verge', and the anticompetitive siphoning off of content, readers, and ad revenue from news publishers as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": "Google", + "Does the Fortune article suggest that the jury will play a role in determining the truth about Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, while the TechCrunch articles focus on past characterizations of Sam Bankman-Fried and allegations of his motives, without mentioning the jury's role in the matter?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX that was reported by Fortune to have built success on falsehoods, and by TechCrunch to have both denied legal accusations of fraud and conspiracy, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company is at the center of concerns from news publishers for anticompetitive practices, has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of product performance, and is also suspected by the public of potential foul play according to a report by 'The Age'?": "Google", + "Does 'The Sydney Morning Herald' suggest that the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions will be based on the whims of a magic 8-ball, while another article from 'The Sydney Morning Herald' indicates that there is hope the Federal Reserve may soon stop raising interest rates and possibly start reducing them?": "no", + "Which company, known for its efforts to make the internet easier to navigate and recently involved in a legal battle covered by TechCrunch, has been claimed to both secure its default search engine status with a multibillion-dollar expenditure and to impact news publishers' revenue through anticompetitive practices, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is at the center of legal disputes involving claims of anticompetitive behavior in app distribution, search engine monopolization, and the alleged harm to news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Between the report from CBSSports.com published on October 12, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rumored romance, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, about Taylor Swift's relationship status with Travis Kelce, was there a change in the reporting of their relationship status?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that a GameStop gift card is a universally useful gift for gamers regardless of console preference, while the Polygon article recommends specific Nintendo Switch games, indicating a more targeted gift approach for owners of that console?": "Yes", + "After CBSSports.com reported on the Dallas Cowboys' offensive strategy involving deeper passes on October 12th, did Sporting News indicate a similar issue with Williams and Rice's attempt at a deep shot in the USC vs. Notre Dame game on October 14th?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30 that was once the richest in the world, associated with the cryptocurrency platform FTX, and is facing allegations of fraud according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article report a different type of athletic performance for Jung Hoo Lee than the 'Zee Business' article reports for Ravindra Jadeja, with one discussing batting statistics and the other discussing bowling statistics?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the same TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article also discuss Google's dominance but in the context of there being no valid alternative search engine according to Eddy Cue?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and intentions?": "Yes", + "Has the focus on the need for car companies to embrace software, robotics, and artificial intelligence as reported by TechCrunch before October 1, 2023, remained consistent with the report on December 5, 2023, about Automakers and technology companies creating advanced digital platforms for vehicles?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX collapse that was portrayed as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry by The Verge and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, whose alleged success with a crypto exchange is claimed to be based on falsehoods, admitted to being informed of a significant financial discrepancy after judicial prompting, and is accused by the prosecution of intentionally committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch, Fortune, The Verge, and again by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual facing a jury's judgment regarding contrasting narratives of his actions, once likened to Warren Buffet and dubbed the white horse of crypto, not by TechCrunch, but now stands accused by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which team, known for being a favorite and having previously suffered defeats in Christchurch and Sydney, attempted a strategic play while having a numerical advantage on the field during a controversial and dramatic final, as discussed in articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": "All Blacks", + "Did the Sporting News article on the Pittsburgh Penguins' game report a successful penalty kill, while the Sporting News article on the Ole Miss vs. Georgia game mention a penalty committed by Ole Miss's offensive line on the first play?": "True", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy recognized since his early twenties, who is not only backing a teen's AI startup as reported by TechCrunch but is also planning to launch a new venture, despite Fortune detailing his controversial departure from a board position?": "Sam Altman", + "Which country, according to a Peace Studies scholar, faces a starvation risk in a region under its blockade, has previously reached understandings to cease hostilities and return life to normal, and is considered to have experienced a massive intelligence failure due to a surprise attack, as reported by sources including 'Fortune', 'Globes English | Israel Business Arena', and 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India'?": "Gaza", + "Considering the information from an article on Forbes about the latest software analytics tools added to Microsoft Azure Marketplace and another article from The Verge detailing a new partnership between Microsoft Azure and a major data visualization company, which letter represents the first initial of the CEO who oversaw both the expansion of the Marketplace's offerings and the initiation of this new partnership?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC article discussing the impact of climate change on the Sahel region and a Reuters report on the recent political developments in the same region, which country's leader, facing both environmental and political challenges, has been in office since the latest election cycle as per the BBC, and is also dealing with international pressure to stabilize the region according to Reuters?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company has been compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, is accused of anticompetitive practices by news publishers, and has made deals with Apple and other tech companies to be the default search engine, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Has the focus of Taylor Swift coverage by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' remained solely on the National Football League's (NFL) perspective without shifting to personal fan experiences involving individuals like Annika?": "no", + "Do 'The Verge' and 'Engadget' articles both suggest that 'Consumers' can find guidance or deals on tech products, while the 'TechCrunch' article proposes a different interest of 'Consumers' in the realm of social networking?": "Yes", + "Which company, covered by multiple TechCrunch articles, is not only criticized for its purportedly anticompetitive spending of $26.3 billion to maintain default search engine status but also for the alleged harms its AI, claimed to surpass competitors like GPT-4 in architecture, has inflicted on news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Has the guidance provided by Polygon on character creation in Baldur's Gate 3 remained consistent between the article discussing Warlock subclasses, feats, and builds published on December 1, 2023, and the article on choosing the best class for players of Baldur's Gate 3, specifically mentioning Rangers, published on December 18, 2023?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual being tried for fraud and conspiracy, accused of building a successful crypto exchange on falsehoods, allegedly instructed a $14 billion misuse of customer funds, and is claimed by the prosecution to have sought wealth, power, and influence through fraudulent means, as reported by TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What is the name of the organization, founded in late 2015, known for creating the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT and is discussed in articles by TechCrunch and The Age for its financial instability and its role as the generative AI poster child?": "OpenAI", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial as reported by TechCrunch, whose alleged permissible withdrawal conditions to another trader were detailed by The Verge, and who, after an intervention by Judge Lewis Kaplan, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy, with the same source also alleging that this person committed fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the 'Fortune' article suggest that the foundation of FTX's success is the same as the 'TechCrunch' articles' implication that Sam Bankman-Fried's actions were based on fraudulent intentions?": "Yes", + "Does the FOX News - Health article link Ketamine to the treatment of depression, while the Advanced Science News article associates the ketogenic diet with the potential to improve treatment for human behavioral conditions?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds and point spread betting both agree that Sportsbooks adjust their betting lines based on certain types of information, or do they present different reasons for the adjustments?": "Agree", + "Did 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United's progression in the Champions League was aided by a draw, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United's elimination from European competitions was due to a defeat?": "no", + "Considering the strategic developments reported by The New York Times and the military aid details provided by The Washington Post regarding the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which single letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet corresponds to the first letter of the European country that was mentioned as increasing its support in the former source and is also the primary origin of the defense system discussed in the latter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering an article from The New York Times detailing Patrick Queen's early career achievements and a report from ESPN highlighting his recent selection to the Pro Bowl, which NFL team, represented by the single character abbreviation, does Patrick Queen play for that has seen him rise from a promising rookie to a Pro Bowl linebacker?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company is portrayed as an antagonist in a trial covered by The Verge, is associated with notions of foul play according to The Age, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive means as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its generative AI model Gemini, is also accused by The Age of manipulating its primary service to maximize ad revenue, and is facing a class action antitrust suit as reported by TechCrunch for harming news publishers’ bottom lines through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds and MLB betting rules both indicate that Sportsbooks and a Sportsbook, respectively, adjust their practices based on external factors?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the crypto exchange FTX, whose purported success was questioned in a Fortune article, who admitted to being informed of financial discrepancies as reported by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's Gemini Pro is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-2 in terms of performance, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article discuss different criteria used by Google for local search rankings?": "no", + "Did 'The Guardian' describe Shai Hope's performance against legspin bowling in the first T20 international identically to his innings performance in the fifth T20 international, with both articles suggesting a struggle?": "no", + "Considering the information from a BBC article on the air quality index in New Delhi and a Times of India report on the implementation of traffic restrictions, which single letter represents both the category of air quality that prompted emergency measures in New Delhi and the initial of the last name of the official who announced the traffic restrictions?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which sportsbook, highlighted by both 'Sporting News' and 'CBSSports.com', provides a cash-out option for MLB bets, a welcome bonus plus NBA promotions, and up to $1,000 in bonus bets for new customers in Kentucky and Vermont if their first bet does not win?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the allegations of fraud?": "Yes", + "Who, according to articles from Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch, is the individual associated with a vision for AI's future, was not ousted by co-founders of a related company, and is suspected of not being completely honest with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company is at the center of legal and ethical scrutiny, as discussed in articles from The Verge, The Age, and TechCrunch, for its potential to win a court case regarding phone app markets, alleged manipulation of Search for ad revenue maximization, and the anticompetitive siphoning of news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Which football club, recently struggling in the Premier League according to Insidesport, has also been eliminated from European competitions as reported by Sporting News following a loss at their home ground, Old Trafford?": "Manchester United", + "Did the Sporting News article suggest that the Dallas Cowboys' offensive effectiveness improved too late in the game, while the Rivals article indicated that The Wildcats' offense lost its effectiveness after a certain point in the game?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that the European Commission's concerns are specifically related to the spread of illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas war, while the Music Business Worldwide article indicates that the European Commission's concerns are about the impact of the CJEU ruling on European artists and labels?": "Yes", + "Was there inconsistency in the reporting of the release date or immediate availability of the Steam Deck OLED from Valve between the Engadget report on the Steam Deck OLED published on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:32, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after on November 9, 2023, at 18:00:38?": "no", + "After the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader on October 6, 2023, stating that businesses selling on Amazon might opt to set non-competitive prices, did The Verge report a change or consistency in eBay's approach to pricing competitiveness in their article on October 25, 2023?": "Consistency", + "Which company, reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch, is at the center of various legal and market dynamics, including being the default search engine on major platforms, influencing Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, potentially winning a court case depending on the market definition, and facing a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Has the 'Sporting News' maintained consistency in its explanation of sports betting terms, specifically regarding 'Bettors who wager on the \"over\"' before November 6, 2023, as compared to its earlier report on November 1, 2023?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, before the FTX collapse, was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, and is now facing allegations of directing a multi-billion dollar misappropriation of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, with these accusations being discussed in courtroom updates and analyses by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Sporting News article about Scott McTominay suggest he is not the top scorer for Manchester United in the same way that the Sporting News article about the Major League Soccer scoring list indicates Chris Wondolowski leads with 171 goals?": "no", + "Who is the individual reported by TechCrunch as having instructed Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, is facing a criminal trial to determine guilt on fraud and conspiracy charges, and has entered a plea of not guilty to these allegations?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After TechCrunch reported on Starz laying off more than 10% of its staff on September 28, 2023, did the same news source report a larger or smaller percentage of layoffs at Synapse on October 8, 2023?": "Larger", + "Did TechCrunch's subsequent report on a class action antitrust suit against Google on December 1, 2023, indicate a consistent portrayal of Google's business practices by the news source?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, according to a report by The Verge, indicated permissible withdrawals based on a trading platform's revenue, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join his ventures as reported by Fortune, laid out plans for a specialized board to Paradigm as per Cnbc | World Business News Leader, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain as covered by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the reporting style on player achievements during NFL 'Sunday Night Football' games by Sporting News change between the article featuring Samaje Perine on November 19, 2023, and the one highlighting A.J. Dillon on December 3, 2023?": "no", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that Patrick Kane's move was motivated by a desire to join a playoff contender, while the 'Fortune' article implies that Egypt's policy decisions are driven by the prospect of economic rewards from international and regional partners?": "Yes", + "Considering the features discussed in an article from The Verge and the integration updates mentioned in a piece by Wired, which letter represents the first initial of the Microsoft executive responsible for overseeing the development of Microsoft To Do?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that consumers should start holiday shopping early to avoid financial pressure, while the Fortune article indicates that individuals with student loan payments experience financial pressure during the holidays due to gift-buying expectations?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, after recruiting a colleague from Jane Street to join his trading and development teams, later found himself unable to personally oversee the operations of both his cryptocurrency exchange and research firm due to their expansion, and is now facing allegations of instructing the misuse of billions of dollars of customer funds for debt repayment as well as committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the availability of GPT-4 with vision suggest a different timeline or feature set for the release compared to what OpenAI has announced for the GPT-4 Turbo API, or are they aligned in their statements?": "Aligned", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who was once considered the trustworthy face of the cryptocurrency industry, and is accused of misleading investors about the governance of a crypto exchange while also being alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, and CNBC?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Based on the information from a New York Times article detailing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and a BBC report on the ethical implications of AI in the workplace, which company, recognized for its pioneering AI research, has also faced scrutiny for potentially automating jobs that could lead to a significant number of layoffs?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the report by Sporting News on September 26, 2023, regarding the Caesars Sportsbook promo for new sign-ups in Vermont, and the subsequent report by CBSSports.com on October 13, 2023, about the Caesars Sportsbook offer for new customers, was there consistency in the promotional offers reported by these news sources?": "Yes", + "Did Polygon recommend Nintendo Switch games after The Verge suggested a GameStop gift card as a last-minute gift option, which could be used to purchase such games?": "no", + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on Israel's intelligence situation published on October 7, 2023, and the report by Fortune on the humanitarian conditions in Gaza published on October 13, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Israel's security and humanitarian actions?": "Yes", + "Which company, known for refining and polishing products based on consumer feedback and learning from competitors' failures, is expected to focus on new Macs and chipsets at its \"Scary Fast\" event, and has been recognized for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system, as reported by TechCrunch, Engadget, and The Verge?": "Apple", + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX collapse, facing a trial for fraud and conspiracy charges, and was previously compared to Warren Buffet, yet was not by TechCrunch, and is also accused by the prosecution of using customer funds to repay debts under his direction?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After The Sydney Morning Herald reported on October 1, 2023, that the Federal Reserve's main interest rate is at its highest since 2001 with potential smaller cuts next year, did the Fortune article published on October 20, 2023, regarding the impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy on housing sales indicate a consistent or inconsistent understanding of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy?": "Consistent", + "Does the Yardbarker article describe Alex Verdugo's offensive performance as league-average based on his batting statistics, while the Sporting News article reports on the success of Javonte Williams and Russell Wilson in a single NFL game, without making a season-wide assessment?": "Yes", + "Did the TechCrunch article imply that Sam Bankman-Fried offered a financial incentive to influence political decisions, while The Verge article concentrates on his lack of awareness of financial discrepancies, and does the second TechCrunch article assert that his actions were not motivated by personal gain?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on the Google antitrust case report the same amount of money spent by Google in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status across various platforms as the amount cited in another TechCrunch article discussing payments for default search engine status?": "Yes", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google has the capability to address issues with Android app distribution and in-app payment systems, while the TechCrunch articles imply that Google's practices in both app distribution and news content distribution are anticompetitive?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30 who, before the collapse of a major cryptocurrency platform, was considered a trustworthy face in the industry and is now facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "What is the name of the Border Patrol chief, as reported by The New York Times, who implemented a controversial policy leading to an increase in arrests, and was also mentioned in a Washington Post article for his efforts to strengthen border security?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on October 7, 2022, regarding an intelligence success by Mossad, and the subsequent report by Globes English | Israel Business Arena on November 5, 2023, concerning Israel's defense reliance on technology, inconsistent in their reporting on Israel's security situation?": "no", + "Who became a notable figure in generative AI for impacting public awareness through ChatGPT, is supporting a teen's AI startup, and is at the center of theories suggesting a lack of full transparency with the board, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the TechCrunch article describing ChatGPT's multifunctional capabilities, such as coding, composing music, and writing poetry, align with the description of ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot in another TechCrunch article, or do they portray ChatGPT differently in terms of its functionality?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to reports by The Verge and TechCrunch, is set to face a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, and admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after judicial intervention?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on \"Nike's Latin America and Asia Pacific unit\" and the article from Fortune on the \"U.S. home sales price\" both report an increase in their respective financial figures?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and the subsequent TechCrunch report on the allegations against him, was there a change in the portrayal of his actions related to the FTX situation?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda Research that allegedly used customer funds to secure personal gains and simultaneously expressed to Paradigm a desire to establish an expert board for FTX while admitting challenges in managing the rapid expansion of both companies, as reported by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently portrayed as an antagonist by Epic Games and accused by news publishers of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices, also ensures its search engine is the default on platforms of companies like Apple, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Who is the individual whose trial, covered by sources like Fortune and TechCrunch, involves allegations of fraud and conspiracy, and who has claimed an inability to manage the rapid expansion of a cryptocurrency exchange and a trading firm?": "Sam Bankman-Fried.", + "Considering the volatility of cryptocurrency markets as reported by Coinmarketcap in their first article, and the introduction of a new regulatory framework discussed in their second article, which letter represents both the first character of the cryptocurrency that experienced the highest percentage increase on the day of the first article's publication and the first character of the regulatory body mentioned in the second article?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did the 'Sporting News' article about A.J. Dillon's reception for the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a dissimilar successful first down completion compared to the 'Sporting News' article about Samaje Perine's reception in the Vikings vs. Broncos game?": "no", + "What is the name of the leading AI development company that is not only the creator behind ChatGPT and is planning to release GPT-4 with vision alongside GPT-4 Turbo API, but is also anticipated to champion an \"app store for AI\" as a key platform for AI tools and toys, as reported by TechCrunch?": "OpenAI", + "Based on the information from a Bloomberg article discussing Microsoft's latest strategic business move and a Wall Street Journal report on the company's financial performance in the last quarter, which division within Microsoft, represented by a single letter, is both central to the new strategy and was the top-performing revenue segment?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual that, prior to the downfall of a major crypto exchange, was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, but is now accused by prosecutors of achieving prominence and financial success through deceptive practices, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently in the news for its CEO's response to \"deeply concerning\" reporting and for reducing its workforce by approximately 600 employees due to cost-cutting measures, has also seen its revenue negatively affected by the decrease in transportation fees for goods, according to a report by a world business news leader?": "Flexport", + "In which game, covered by Polygon, can you experience a complex task of smashing stuff with a Barbarian build while also anticipating quality-of-life updates in its Season of Blood and is recognized for its combination of tone, action, and role-playing elements?": "Diablo 4", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing MLB, NBA, and general sports betting all agree that Sportsbooks never adjust their policies or odds in response to external events such as weather conditions, player injuries, or other significant information?": "no", + "Which individual, once likened to a prominent investor and considered a savior in the cryptocurrency realm according to a report by TechCrunch, is facing trial and has been accused by the prosecution of using customer funds for a significant buyout and committing fraud for personal gain, despite having expressed to Paradigm the intention to establish a board with specialists for a company that he did not want investors to direct?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After the TechCrunch report on Google's expenditure to be the default search engine published on November 13, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's competitive practices?": "Yes", + "Which company, known for its increased responsiveness to consumer feedback as reported by TechCrunch, is also involved in legal disputes as per The Verge, including an antitrust agreement that prevents switching to competitors during product setup and a patent issue with Masimo, while also enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment system?": "Apple", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Apple enforces uniform terms through its store and payment system in a similar way to how 'TechCrunch' claims Apple restricts browser selection on iPhones during setup?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Age' article suggest that Taylor Swift's interaction with Travis Kelce during her NFL takeover involves a different type of exchange than the one mentioned in 'The Independent - Life and Style' articles, with one discussing a friendship bracelet and the other an invitation to a game and openness about a personal relationship?": "Yes", + "Considering an article from The Times of India detailing Gauri Khan's latest interior design project and another from Vogue discussing her collaboration with a famous international designer, which city, known for its iconic landmarks and fashion scene, has Gauri Khan chosen for her new venture according to both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was there no change in the reporting of Taylor Swift's approach to personal disclosures between the report from BBC News - Entertainment & Arts published on October 13, 2023, regarding Taylor Swift's experiences with the media, and the report from The Independent - Life and Style published on December 6, 2023, concerning Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship?": "no", + "Considering the information from an article on the Online News Association website about the recent advancements in digital journalism and another article discussing the challenges faced by local news outlets, which organization, identified by a single letter, has been both at the forefront of adopting innovative digital reporting techniques and has also launched initiatives to support local newsrooms in their struggle against declining revenues?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley figure that has become known for his views on artificial intelligence and is involved with backing a teen's AI startup, as well as being at the center of controversy regarding his alleged lack of transparency with the board of OpenAI, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the Sporting News article that discusses Michigan's performance against Penn State without Jim Harbaugh suggest a different involvement of Harbaugh during the game compared to the Sporting News article regarding the sign-stealing scandal and his suspension?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual whose trial is approaching, as reported by TechCrunch, who faced difficulties managing the rapid expansion of FTX and Alameda Research as mentioned by The Verge, and who is also accused of committing fraud for personal gain according to another article from TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "After The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on the All Blacks' performance against Argentina in Christchurch on October 18, 2023, and again on their handling in the World Cup final against the Springboks on October 28, 2023, was the consistency in reporting on the All Blacks' gameplay maintained?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' claim that Taylor Swift is open about her relationship with a specific individual, in contrast to the 'CBSSports.com' article which discusses her rumored romance but focuses on her attendance and performance at a specific venue?": "Yes", + "Which company, featured in multiple TechCrunch articles, is responsible for developing GPT-4 Turbo and prioritizes ChatGPT as a development platform while also planning to establish an \"app store for AI\" that would compete with Hugging Face and open source models?": "OpenAI", + "What is the first letter of the name of the CEO who, according to a Bloomberg article, announced a new software update for Tesla vehicles that would improve battery efficiency, and was also mentioned in a Reuters report discussing potential challenges with the supply chain for the company's upcoming Cybertruck production?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which company has been reported by both The Verge and TechCrunch to spend billions to secure its position as the default search engine on multiple platforms and has also faced a class action antitrust suit for its impact on news publishers' content and revenue?": "Google", + "Which NFL player, featured in articles by 'The Guardian', 'The New York Times', and 'Sporting News', scored two touchdowns in a single game for the Miami Dolphins, has a significant number of receiving yards partway through the season, but might face challenges reaching 2,000-plus receiving yards due to the strong pass defenses of upcoming opponents?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Who is the individual implicated in using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to customer funds, admitted to being overwhelmed by the growth of a cryptocurrency exchange leading to management issues, and is accused of misappropriating a billion dollars of customer funds to settle with a competitor, all while facing allegations of fraud for personal gain, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company released a \"lite\" version of an AI model, is involved in default search engine deals with major tech companies, and is accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, as reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC article detailing the latest diplomatic strategies of Russia and a CNN report on the economic impacts of sanctions on Moscow, which nation, represented by its single-character country code, has been identified as both a key negotiator in easing geopolitical tensions and also experiencing significant financial strain due to imposed trade restrictions?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the article from The Guardian suggest that Britney Spears had more control over her privacy at the age of 16 compared to the control over privacy that the BBC News - Entertainment & Arts article implies Taylor Swift has over her personal experiences?": "no", + "After The Roar | Sports Writers Blog reported on the Queensland Rugby Union's stance on Rugby Australia's funding to Super Rugby franchises on October 10, 2023, and again on Rugby Australia's efforts to centralize high-performance programs and the potential hiring of Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies coach on December 11, 2023, was there consistency in the support expressed by Super Rugby franchises towards Rugby Australia's decisions?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest a different challenge for Tyreek Hill in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards compared to the challenge described by CBSSports.com, with the former focusing on the strength of opponents' pass defenses and the latter on the average yards per game Hill needs in his final three games?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 6, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Altman's involvement with a teen's AI startup published on October 7, 2023, and the TechCrunch article suggesting doubts about Sam Altman's truthfulness with the board published on November 18, 2023, was there no change in the portrayal of Sam Altman's professional conduct?": "no", + "Which company is at the center of allegations involving manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue according to 'The Age', is portrayed as the antagonist in a legal battle highlighted by 'The Verge', and is accused by news publishers in a 'TechCrunch' article of harming their bottom line through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the TechCrunch article describing ChatGPT's multifunctional capabilities, such as cooking, composing music, and writing poetry, align with the description of ChatGPT as a general-purpose chatbot in another TechCrunch article, or do they portray ChatGPT as lacking in functionality in terms of its functionality?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article suggest that consumers should delay holiday shopping to increase financial pressure, while the Fortune article indicates that individuals with student loan payments experience financial pressure during the holidays due to gift-buying expectations?": "no", + "Which company, known for dominating the e-reader space with its Kindle lineup as reported by The Verge, has also been recognized by Wired for creating a Prime-themed sale day and introducing invite-only deals during this event, and is described by Cnbc | World Business News Leader as offering a life-changing opportunity for sellers?": "Amazon", + "Did the Fortune article published later on the same day contradict the TechCrunch article from November 18, 2023, regarding the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI?": "no", + "Did the Sporting News article imply that Michigan's football team could easily shrug off a single defeat without any impact on their season, and does it describe Jets QB Zach Wilson's turnover as an insignificant factor in the game's outcome?": "no", + "Who is the individual that Fortune claims used a colleague as a front for improper financial access, whom TechCrunch did not compare to Warren Buffet, and who has faced allegations by the prosecution of committing fraud for personal gain, as reported by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently reviewed by TechCrunch for its 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro, has also been noted by The Verge for enforcing uniform terms on developers, OEMs, and carriers through its store and payment systems?": "Apple", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's business practices related to competition and market dominance?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch, after reporting on September 28, 2023, that OpenAI would not make GPT-4 with vision available alongside the launch of GPT-4 Turbo API, maintain consistency in its view of OpenAI's strategy when reporting on December 19, 2023, about OpenAI pushing an \"app store for AI\" as the primary platform for obtaining AI tools and toys?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the recent geological activity in Yellowstone and a BBC report on the wildlife migration patterns within the same region, which species, known for its antlers, has been observed to alter its migratory routes in response to the changes in geothermal features?": "Insufficient information.", + "Based on the information from a Yahoo Finance article discussing a company's recent strategic acquisition and another article detailing the latest quarterly earnings report of a major tech firm, which CEO, whose company has just expanded its portfolio, also reported an increase in cloud services revenue this quarter?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which player, who is seen as a catalyst for the youth movement in Argentina's forward line and is expected to have a significant rest period before participating in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying matches, was anticipated to play most of the second half against Paraguay after not starting the match, according to reports from Sporting News?": "Lionel Messi", + "Which pop star, who is open about her relationship with a Chiefs TE and is unaffected by paparazzi attention, has a busy schedule with the Eras Tour and received a friendship bracelet with his number from her partner, as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' and 'CBSSports.com'?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Google's deals with companies like Apple are a necessity due to a lack of alternatives, while 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch' articles imply Google's actions are primarily driven by profit maximization and anticompetitive behavior, respectively?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that the impact of 6PPD-quinone is fully understood in terms of its environmental effects, while the 'Iot Business News' article implies that digital solutions are already recognized as essential for addressing sustainability challenges?": "no", + "Who, being recognized as a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early twenties and described as one of the industry's most brilliant and impactful individuals, faced an unexpected event at OpenAI according to 'Fortune' and 'TechCrunch', and is now planning to launch a new venture as reported by 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias suggest the same kind of issue affecting Palestinians as the TechCrunch article on Norway's push to extend the ban on Meta's tracking ads, with the former discussing suppression of voices and the latter addressing unlawful user tracking?": "no", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article detailing Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.'s financial performance in the last quarter and a Reuters report on the company's plans for expansion in the semiconductor market, which single character from the English alphabet appears both as the first letter in the name of the city where Samsung plans to build a new semiconductor plant and as the last letter in the name of the current CEO of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse after the TechCrunch report published on October 6, 2023, or the subsequent TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023?": "no", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?\n\nBetween the report by TechCrunch on October 1, 2023, and the report by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, was there agreement on Sam Bankman-Fried's approach to the board composition for FTX?": "Yes", + "Which company is depicted as an antagonist in a legal case covered by The Verge, is known for using relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local search results according to another article by The Verge, and is accused by news publishers in a class action antitrust suit reported by TechCrunch of harming their business by siphoning off content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Google", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry who, before the collapse of FTX, was perceived as trustworthy, discussed governance plans with Paradigm without wanting investors as directors, admitted to being aware of financial discrepancies after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge, Cnbc | World Business News Leader, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's use of wealth was primarily for altruistic purposes, while The Verge article focuses on his challenges in managing FTX and Alameda Research, and the second TechCrunch article alleges that his actions were driven by a desire for personal gain?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 15, 2023, was the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation consistent?": "no", + "Does the Engadget article on the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 suggest that the act will initiate reports on AI regulation and data sharing, while the other Engadget article on the executive order implies that the new reporting requirement will not impact existing AI models and AI companies due to a high threshold for enforcement?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that Tyreek Hill may not achieve 2,000-plus receiving yards due to the strong pass defenses of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents, while the CBSSports.com article claims that Tyreek Hill needs to average almost 153 yards per game in his final three games to reach his goal of 2,000 receiving yards, indicating a difference in the perceived challenges he faces?": "Yes", + "Based on an ESPN article detailing Sophie Molineux's performance in a recent series and a BBC Sport report on her involvement in community initiatives, what is the first letter of the city where Molineux's team is based?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from The Independent - Life and Style on Travis Kelce's attendance at a Taylor Swift concert published on November 25, 2023, and the Yardbarker report on Travis Kelce's potential performance against the Raiders published on December 24, 2023, was there a change in the type of events and activities involving Travis Kelce covered by the news sources?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing the Chicago Bears' draft picks and a Chicago Tribune report on the team's salary cap situation, which player, represented by the first letter of their last name, was both a recent draft acquisition for the Bears and is expected to have a significant impact on the team's salary cap due to their rookie contract?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which individual, discussed across articles from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, is at the center of a legal case where the jury must assess contrasting narratives of his actions, including allegations of using a front for secret access to customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain, while also claiming to have been overwhelmed by the growth of his business ventures?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that presented himself as a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry according to The Verge, was informed about a significant financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention, and is alleged by the prosecution in a TechCrunch article to have committed fraud for personal gains?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the FOX News - Health article fail to identify the Mayo Clinic as taking a leadership role in artificial intelligence efforts in health care, while the TechCrunch article credits California with leading in privacy-protective innovation for AI technologies?": "no", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article detailing Ellyse Perry's performance in a recent international match and a BBC Sport article discussing her contributions to her domestic team's championship win, which jersey number, associated with Perry's achievements mentioned in both articles, does she wear while playing for her national team?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article suggest that \"Shohei Ohtani's contract\" will be more valuable than the terms mentioned for 'Lourdes Gurriel Jr.' in another 'Sporting News' report?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article discussing the launch of DeepMind's next-generation chatbot Gemini suggest the same development in AI chatbot technology as the TechCrunch article about the general-purpose AI chatbot ChatGPT?": "no", + "After the CBSSports.com report on Brock Purdy's performance published on October 4, 2023, and the subsequent CBSSports.com analysis of his play under pressure published on October 12, 2023, was there a change in the assessment of Brock Purdy's performance?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article identify Scott McTominay as Manchester United's worst scorer for the season, while the 'TalkSport' article suggests Erling Haaland has the chance to become the overall top scorer in 2023, indicating a difference in the scope of their scoring achievements?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, despite being likened to a prominent investor by some, faced allegations of using a colleague as a cover for unauthorized access to funds and admitted to being aware of financial irregularities after judicial prompting, and is now on trial as claimed by Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did 'TechCrunch' report a situation involving Paul Denino not obtaining consent for filming after 'The Independent - Life and Style' reported on Kevin Federline posting videos without consent?": "no", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the class action antitrust suit against Google reported by TechCrunch on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and the market?": "Yes", + "Which individual, whose trial has garnered attention from sources like The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch, is associated with both the collapse of a cryptocurrency industry giant and allegations of knowingly committing fraud for personal gain, and is now subject to a jury's assessment of contrasting legal narratives?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Did the Sporting News article report on Derrick Henry's return to the game after a minor injury, while the CBSSports.com article describe Cooper Kupp's exit from the game for locker room evaluation after an on-field incident, and do both instances involve players not continuing in their respective games?": "no", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing Pamela Anderson's advocacy work and a BBC News report on her recent television appearances, which network, known for its initialism, did Pamela Anderson partner with for a cause mentioned in the New York Times and also appeared on for an interview as reported by BBC News?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article about A.J. Dillon's reception for the Chiefs vs. Packers game report a similar successful first down completion as the 'Sporting News' article about Samaje Perine's reception in the Vikings vs. Broncos game?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest the same challenge for Tyreek Hill in achieving 2,000-plus receiving yards as the challenge described by CBSSports.com, with both focusing on the strength of opponents' pass defenses?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, according to reports from Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch, built a reputation as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector, allegedly constructed a successful crypto exchange on deceptive practices, faced challenges in managing two major companies due to their growth, and is accused by the prosecution of engaging in fraudulent activities for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the player mentioned by The New York Times for his early-season receiving yards achievement, by Sporting News as the leading receiver and top fantasy pick for Week 14, by CBSSports.com for his challenging goal of reaching a seasonal receiving milestone, and again by Sporting News for the potential difficulty in achieving that milestone due to upcoming strong defensive matchups?": "Tyreek Hill", + "Which NFL team, recently covered by Sporting News, had to consider settling for a field goal in a 'Monday Night Football' game, faced limited options after using their timeouts, and has seen consistent offensive results with the assistance of their running game and defense, regardless of whether Josh Dobbs or Kirk Cousins is quarterbacking?": "Minnesota Vikings", + "Was there inconsistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the allegations of fraud between the report from Fortune published on October 4, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch?": "no", + "Between the report from Cnbc | World Business News Leader on Sam Bankman-Fried's intentions for FTX's board composition and the report from The Verge on Sam Bankman-Fried's admission regarding financial discrepancies, was there a change in the narrative concerning Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness and management decisions? \n\nBetween the allegations reported by TechCrunch against Sam Bankman-Fried and the subsequent report from The Verge, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's knowledge of the financial issues?": "Yes", + "Which NFL quarterback, featured in articles from Sporting News, Sportskeeda, and CBSSports.com, threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys, has accumulated significant fantasy points over recent games, boasts an undefeated start to the season, but struggles with a decreased completion rate and yards per attempt when under pressure?": "Brock Purdy", + "Which public figure engaged in a rumored romance with a Chiefs TE, who made a friendship bracelet as a gesture of interest, commented on a viral TikTok video about fans struggling with her CD, and has been recognized by Time’s Person of the Year while also experiencing major events privately without media awareness, as reported by sources including FOX News - Lifestyle, CBSSports.com, BBC News - Entertainment & Arts, and The Independent - Life and Style?": "Taylor Swift", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Deft is maintaining the status quo in user behavior regarding e-commerce search, while The Verge article indicates that Apple has not sought an alternative to Google as the default search engine on its devices?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried's motivation for alleged fraudulent activities was for personal gain, while the Fortune article focuses on the jury's role in determining the truthfulness of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions, without attributing a specific motive?": "Yes", + "Has the coverage of ski resorts by 'The Independent - Travel' remained consistent after their report on the 'Swiss slopes of Zermatt and pistes of Vail in Colorado' on October 13th, 2023, compared to their subsequent report on 'Tremblant Ski Resort' on October 25th, 2023?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a change in Twitch's subscription revenue split policy, while The Verge article provides information on the cost of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and are these changes and information related to subscription-based services?": "Yes", + "What company, according to TechCrunch articles, not only released a \"lite\" version of its AI model instead of the full version but also spent billions in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms and has faced a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue and content?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a New York Times article discussing the critical reception of the show and a Variety piece detailing the viewership numbers for the premiere, which character from \"The Last of Us\" is both central to the critically acclaimed narrative and present in the episode that garnered significant audience attention upon release?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article and a Reuters report on the GSM Association, which letter represents both the first character of the city that hosted the annual conference mentioned by BBC News and the first character of the country where the headquarters of the GSM Association is located, as reported by Reuters?": "Insufficient information.", + "What is the name of the AI developed by OpenAI that Engadget reported as having a significant rise in usage during December 2022 and that TechCrunch identified as having the ability to perform a diverse range of tasks including coding, composing music, and writing poetry?": "ChatGPT", + "Which company, recently reported by both TechCrunch and The Verge, is implicated in releasing a limited AI model, has the capability to address Android app distribution and in-app payment system issues, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Which rugby team, recently aiming to end their leaders' careers positively, suffered home defeats to Ireland, South Africa, and Argentina, and had their consistent safe handling challenged by the blitz defence of a team they faced in a controversial and dramatic final, according to reports from 'The Independent - Sports' and multiple articles from 'The Roar | Sports Writers Blog'?": "All Blacks", + "Considering the features highlighted in a recent Engadget review and the pricing updates mentioned in a Forbes article, which model of the Garmin Forerunner series is both praised for its advanced training metrics and also noted for having a price increase that may affect its market competitiveness?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Epic Games is facing a workforce reduction, while The Verge article focuses on Epic Games' portrayal in its legal battle, without mentioning any workforce changes?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest a different level of performance for Tyreek Hill in a specific game compared to the season-wide performance metrics discussed in 'The New York Times' and the projected season achievement mentioned in 'Sporting News'?": "Yes", + "Does TechCrunch describe Sam Bankman-Fried's actions in handling customer funds similarly to the way it portrays his pursuit of wealth, power, and influence, with both descriptions implying misconduct, or are the portrayals different?": "Similar", + "Between the report from The Age on October 22, 2023, regarding Google's manipulation of search results to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, about a class action antitrust suit filed against Google citing AI's harms to news publishers' bottom lines, is the portrayal of Google's business practices consistent?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's moderation bias suggest a different kind of issue affecting Palestinians than the TechCrunch article on Norway's push to extend the ban on Meta's tracking ads, with the former discussing suppression of voices and the latter addressing unlawful user tracking?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual known for his significant impact on generative AI technology through ChatGPT, was not removed by the co-founders of Anthropic, has been described as both brilliant and generous within the industry, and is at the center of a theory suggesting a lack of full truthfulness with the board, according to articles from Fortune, The Age, and two reports by TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Who is the individual whose criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges is imminent, as reported by TechCrunch, who also expressed to Paradigm a desire to establish a board with experts for a company mentioned by Cnbc | World Business News Leader, is accused of misusing a billion dollars of customer funds in a decision highlighted by The Verge, and is alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain according to another article by TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' suggest that a major attack against Israel requires intelligence support, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Israel halted supplies to Gaza, indicating a difference in the nature of actions attributed to Israel?": "Yes", + "Did the Polygon report on the Steam Deck OLED improvements, published before November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED published shortly after, disagree on the enhancements made to the new iteration of the Steam Deck by Valve?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Epic Games' antitrust battle with Google suggest a different level of transparency in legal discovery compared to the TechCrunch article on the class action antitrust suit filed by a news publisher against Google, with the former discussing Google's disclosure of evidence and the latter addressing Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior?": "No", + "Which company, known for its dominance in the e-reader space and providing life-changing opportunities for sellers, has implemented invite-only deals during its Prime Day event and carried over these exclusive offers to subsequent sales events covered by Mashable, Wired, The Verge, and CNBC?": "Amazon", + "Did 'The Verge' article imply that Alameda Research was treated the same as other accounts at FTX without any special financial privileges, while the 'Fortune' article claims that Alameda Research's business practices with FTX were illegal, suggesting an undue advantage?": "no", + "Considering the character development described in the New York Times article and the plot twist revealed in the Variety review, which character in the show \"Poker Face\" is portrayed as having a surprising connection to the protagonist's past?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did TechCrunch report on DeepMind's expected release of a next-generation chatbot named Gemini after TechCrunch reported that Google released only a \"lite\" version of the Gemini model known as Gemini Pro?": "no", + "Which company, frequently mentioned in articles by TechCrunch and The Verge, has been reported to invest billions to become the default search engine on various platforms, alter the internet's appearance through its initiatives, only release a 'lite' version of an AI model despite showcasing a full version, and has faced a class action antitrust suit for allegedly harming news publishers' revenue and content distribution?": "Google", + "Who became a prominent figure in generative AI technology, notably through ChatGPT, presented a vision for AI agents at OpenAI's first developer conference, and was involved in a situation where there was no attempt by Anthropic's co-founders to remove him from OpenAI, yet faced allegations of not being fully truthful with the board, as reported by sources including Fortune, The Age, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Which company, recently featured in both TechCrunch articles for unveiling new hardware at an annual event and for being accused of harming news publishers' bottom lines through anticompetitive practices, is also mentioned in The Verge as potentially winning a court case if all phones and app stores are considered part of the relevant market?": "Google", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that Demetrius Andrade has the skills necessary to potentially defeat David Benavidez, while the Sporting News article indicates that Baker Mayfield had a particularly notable performance against Green Bay, and are both claims discussing the athletes' capabilities in their respective sports?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's Gemini Pro is being compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in terms of performance, while the other TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers, and does The Verge article discuss different criteria used by Google for local search rankings?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article featuring the SuperDraft app suggest Rashee Rice will be a key player in the Sunday morning game in Frankfurt, while the same source implies that New England's defensive strategy will provide Rashee Rice with more opportunities in Week 15, or do both articles agree on the significance of Rashee Rice's role in their respective games?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the FTX exchange whose alleged fraudulent activities, as reported by Fortune and TechCrunch, not only led to a thriving crypto exchange built on misrepresentations but also involved instructions to misuse billions in customer funds and resulted in multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, for which he has pleaded not guilty?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that choices during character creation and leveling up have no impact on gameplay for \"Rangers in Baldur's Gate 3\" in a similar way to how Polygon describes the requirement for 'Players of Baldur’s Gate 3' to choose an otherworldly patron for Warlocks during character creation?": "no", + "What entity is central to the dialogue and assessment of unfair practices reported by TechCrunch, is also involved in addressing formal competition concerns regarding Amazon's iRobot purchase, and has previously taken actions related to illegal content and disinformation as highlighted by TechCrunch?": "The European Commission", + "Who became a notable figure in generative AI for his association with ChatGPT, supported a teenager's AI venture, and was involved in a controversial situation where he was accused of being less than fully truthful with a board that did not attempt to remove him?": "Sam Altman", + "After Sporting News reported on Liam Paro's ranking slip to 11th due to inactivity on November 30, 2023, did The Roar | Sports Writers Blog indicate a similar decline in ranking for Andy Murray in their December 19, 2023, article, consistent or inconsistent with Paro's situation as reported by Sporting News?": "Consistent", + "Between the Polygon article published on September 28, 2023, discussing \"Hellraiser (film)\" and the FOX News - Lifestyle article published on October 30, 2023, mentioning \"The Exorcist (book and movie),\" is there consistency in reporting the adaptation sequence of the original works into films?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual facing a criminal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges, who was once considered a trustworthy figure in the cryptocurrency industry before the collapse of a major exchange, and is accused of using customer funds to buy out a competitor, according to articles from both TechCrunch and The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual associated with FTX and Alameda, who allegedly used deceit to build a thriving crypto exchange, convinced a former Jane Street colleague to join his ventures, and is accused of misappropriating $1 billion of customer funds as well as committing fraud for personal gain, and has been discussed in articles by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which company, recently highlighted by TechCrunch, is facing scrutiny for its content moderation practices during the Israel-Hamas conflict, alleged violations of children's online privacy, a lack of clarity on user tracking in the EU/EEA, and accusations of bias against Palestinian voices?": "Meta", + "Considering the environmental measures discussed in a BBC News article and the economic impact analysis presented in a Financial Times report, which major company, symbolized by a single letter on the London Stock Exchange, is both contributing to the cleanup efforts of the River Thames and facing significant financial adjustments due to the new regulations?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy mentioned in a 'Fortune' article, who was not attempted to be removed by the co-founders of Anthropic according to 'The Age', and is involved in a situation where 'TechCrunch' suggests there was a lack of full truthfulness with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "After the 'Fortune' article on October 4, 2023, discussing Sam Bankman-Fried's actions and the state of FTX, and the 'TechCrunch' article mentioning the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal situation according to these sources?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, once compared to Warren Buffet and facing a criminal trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, who was also reported by TechCrunch to have planned to use his wealth to prevent humanity's extinction and is now alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud to gain wealth, power, and influence?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Apple has restrictive practices regarding browser selection on iPhones, while The Verge articles indicate that Apple is facing legal challenges both for its Apple Watch and for enforcing uniform terms through its store and payment system?": "Yes", + "Between the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, claiming that Google manipulates Search to maximize ad revenue, and the TechCrunch report on December 15, 2023, alleging that Google \"siphons off\" news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue through anticompetitive means, was there consistency in the portrayal of Google's business practices by these news sources?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete compared to the full Gemini Ultra model, while The Verge article focuses on Google's criteria for ranking local search results, and another TechCrunch article accuses Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers?": "Yes", + "Does the article from 'The Independent - Life and Style' suggest that 'Every woman' has a shared experience related to appearance in the same way 'The Verge' claims 'Google' has altered the shared experience of internet navigation?": "Yes", + "Between the report by Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement with Adam Yedidia and Caroline Ellison published on October 4, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published after, is there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the fraud allegations?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's impact on competitors and partners between the report from The Age on Google's perceived fairness in search results published on October 22, 2023, and the report from TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published later?": "no", + "Who is the individual who gained prominence in generative AI technology, has been considered a prodigy in Silicon Valley since his early years, and is at the center of a controversial departure from OpenAI as reported by both Fortune and TechCrunch?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the article from The Verge indicate a different financial outcome for Spotify compared to the financial performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, with one showing an operating profit and stock value increase and the other showing a change in index value?": "No", + "Do the articles from CBSSports.com and both articles from Sporting News agree on the amount of the welcome bonus offered by Caesars Sportsbook to new sign-ups, with all mentioning up to $1000?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that was portrayed as a reliable figure in the cryptocurrency sector by The Verge, yet is accused by Fortune of constructing a prosperous crypto exchange on deceit, and is alleged by TechCrunch to have consciously perpetrated fraud for personal gain, despite admitting to a financial discrepancy after a judge's intervention as reported by The Verge?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the updates to Google Maps as reported by The Verge and the new features introduced as per an article on Engadget, which single letter represents both the beginning of a feature that allows users to explore a city's most popular neighborhoods and the start of the name of the city where Google announced these updates at their annual developer conference?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting people suspect Google of foul play, did TechCrunch's reporting on October 31, 2023, and December 15, 2023, regarding Google's antitrust issues and the impact on news publishers show a consistent perspective on Google's market behavior?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the reporting of the nature of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce after the report by CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, which did not indicate a rumored romance between them, and the subsequent report by The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, discussing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce?": "no", + "Considering the information from an ESPN article and a BBC Sports report on Georgia Wareham, which single character represents the cricket format she was playing when she sustained an injury according to ESPN, and is also the format of the tournament where BBC Sports highlighted her potential return?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the 'FOX News - Lifestyle' article featuring Pastor Jesse Bradley suggest that faith in God holds a different value for America's future compared to the value of God depicted in the 'Polygon' article discussing 'Preacher (comic book and TV adaptation)'?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the other TechCrunch article and the article from The Age both imply misconduct on Google's part, with the former accusing Google of anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers and the latter suggesting a general acceptance of foul play allegations against Google?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual implicated in a scandal involving a $14 billion misappropriation at a crypto exchange, which was reported by both TechCrunch and Fortune, and is accused of achieving his status through deceitful means according to allegations mentioned in articles from TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the updates on Google Maps Search as reported by The Verge and the new features discussed by CNET, which letter represents the first character of the feature that both articles claim has significantly improved the user experience for locating services and businesses?": "Insufficient information.", + "Between the report from The Verge published at 23:02 and the report from Fortune published at 23:32 on the same day, is there consistency in the portrayal of responsibility for risk management issues related to FTX and Caroline Ellison's role?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual under 30, previously reported by TechCrunch as the richest person with philanthropic intentions, that is also the subject of allegations by the prosecution for committing fraud to gain wealth and influence, as covered by both TechCrunch and Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article discussing Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage indicate the same stance on the option of divorce as expressed in another \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on their relationship, or do the articles present differing views on this aspect of their marriage?": "Same", + "Has the narrative around the All Blacks' team focus and performance in The Roar | Sports Writers Blog articles changed from the report defending a star centre after a loss to Argentina to the analysis of their playing for individual accolades, and finally to their actions in the dramatic final against the Springboks?": "Yes", + "Which company, cited in articles from both The Verge and TechCrunch, is involved in legal disputes for making exclusive deals with major tech companies, defending against accusations in an antitrust battle with a game maker, and facing a class action lawsuit for its impact on news publishers' revenues?": "Google", + "Which company, scrutinized in articles from both 'The Age' and 'TechCrunch', is not only accused of potentially unfair practices to maintain its dominance as a default search engine but also faces allegations of harming news publishers' revenues and audiences through its operations?": "Google", + "Does the CBSSports.com article suggest that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could not have success with a Michigan quarterback unlike past achievements, while the Sporting News article indicates that The Big Ten is currently engaged in a review process concerning Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, without implying any success with a quarterback?": "no", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a Bloomberg article and the environmental initiatives mentioned in a Reuters report on Kazakhstan, which ministry, symbolized by a single letter, would be primarily responsible for overseeing the implementation of policies that address both economic growth and environmental protection in Kazakhstan?": "Insufficient information.", + "Does the Polygon article suggest that \"Video games in 2023\" have remained largely the same in terms of innovation and vibrancy compared to previous years, while the BBC News - Technology article, through Sophie's perspective, focuses on the change in accessibility of video games for everyone?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article report a specific figure for Uber's operating and net income in Q3, while the Seeking Alpha article discusses the frequency with which 'The company' has surpassed earnings per share and revenue expectations without specifying the financial figures?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article anticipate an impressive performance in the upcoming home game for Jordan Love, while the CBSSports.com article reports on Derrick Henry's performance in a recent game, specifically mentioning his two touchdowns and 76 rushing yards?": "Yes", + "Which company is at the center of antitrust concerns for making deals to become the default search engine on various platforms according to The Verge, and for harming news publishers' revenue as reported by TechCrunch?": "Google", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023, was there a change in the portrayal of Google's market influence and competitive practices?": "Yes", + "Which company, recently reported by TechCrunch, has been involved in an antitrust court case providing extensive evidence against claims of hiding discovery items, has received early impressions for a product compared to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and is accused by news publishers of harming their revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Does the article from The Verge suggest that Google's deals with companies to be the default search engine are without valid alternatives, while the TechCrunch article quantifies Google's spending on these deals at $26.3 billion in 2021, indicating a significant investment to maintain this status?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with the cryptocurrency industry that, prior to the collapse of FTX, was seen as a trustworthy figure, convinced a colleague from Jane Street to join Alameda and FTX, and is accused of instructing the transfer of $14 billion of customer funds to cover debts, as well as committing fraud for personal gain, with these allegations being discussed in articles by The Verge, Fortune, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the prosecution's allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's legal challenges?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual associated with both FTX and Alameda Research, who faced legal scrutiny for their inability to manage significant growth and alleged fraudulent activities, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Considering the information from a Bloomberg article and a report by The Wall Street Journal on the topic of Apple severing its credit card partnership, which financial institution, known for its previous collaboration with Apple on a credit product, is now being replaced according to both sources?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the report by The Age on October 22, 2023, suggesting the possibility of foul play on Google's part, did TechCrunch's stance on December 15, 2023, regarding Google's anticompetitive behavior towards news publishers show agreement or disagreement?": "Agreement", + "Which company, recently scrutinized in TechCrunch articles for its alleged anticompetitive behavior in app distribution and ad revenue practices, also claimed that its new AI model Gemini has architecture and capabilities that rival those of leading generative AI models like GPT-4?": "Google", + "Considering the economic reforms discussed in a BBC article and the diplomatic strategies outlined in a piece from The Guardian, which leader of Soviet Russia, represented by a single initial, is credited with introducing policies that led to the end of the Cold War?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which platform, recently discussed by both Polygon and TechCrunch, has seen a 350% increase in VTubing-related content, is preferred by creators like Keira Megan for fan engagement, and has undergone policy changes including a shift in revenue split to prioritize ad revenue after a year filled with layoffs?": "Twitch", + "Did the article from FOX News - Entertainment indicate that Craig Morgan was unaware of Lainey Wilson's potential for success before it was widely recognized, and did the Essentially Sports article confirm CM Punk's return to WWE based on a statement from CM Punk himself?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest a different type of investigation involving Influenceable compared to the Sporting News article's mention of the University of Michigan's involvement in an investigation related to document provision?": "No", + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on basing its interest rate decisions on incoming economic data, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald before October 1, 2023, remained consistent with their influence on global financial markets highlighted by The Sydney Morning Herald in a subsequent report?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Marshall Thundering Herd indicate no change in the starting quarterback position similar to the change discussed in the Sporting News article regarding SMU's quarterback position?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried directed Caroline Ellison to misuse customer funds, while the Fortune article claims that the entire success of FTX was based on lies, and does the second TechCrunch article allege that Sam Bankman-Fried's fraudulent actions were motivated by personal gain?": "Yes", + "Did TechCrunch's portrayal of Scott Hurff's perspective on product design remain consistent between the article published on December 1, 2023, which discussed his experience as a product maker and designer, and the article published on December 21, 2023, which emphasized the importance of decision-making in product design?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Verge' article suggest that Valve is expanding its focus beyond games in its store, while 'Polygon' and 'Engadget' articles indicate that Valve is discontinuing the development and launch of new hardware, as seen with the cessation of updates to the Steam Deck and the absence of a Steam Deck OLED release?": "no", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's anticompetitive behavior affects the app distribution and payment processing markets for Android, while The Verge article focuses on the market definition in an antitrust case involving Google, and another TechCrunch article alleges Google's anticompetitive actions impact news publishers' content, readers, and ad revenue?": "Yes", + "Did The Verge's report on October 12, 2023, regarding Caroline Ellison's confession contradict the previous portrayal of her actions as discussed in the report from Fortune on October 4, 2023, which discussed Mark Cohen's claims about Caroline Ellison's management of her hedge fund?": "no", + "Is the reporting on the operating hours of Starbucks stores on Thanksgiving by 'The Independent - Life and Style' after November 6, 2023, consistent with the information provided about the date of Thanksgiving in 2023 in a later article by the same source?": "Yes", + "Was there a discrepancy in the reporting of Google's anticompetitive practices between the TechCrunch report on the Google antitrust case published on October 31, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Considering the information from a recent article on Punch Line about the latest advancements in AI technology and another article discussing the impact of these advancements on the job market, which company, identified in both articles, is leading the charge in AI innovation and is also predicted to potentially disrupt numerous employment sectors?": "Insufficient information.", + "Who is the individual implicated by Fortune and multiple TechCrunch articles as having used a colleague as a front for unauthorized access to customer funds, was once likened to a prominent investor, allegedly directed the misappropriation of billions to settle debts, and is accused by prosecutors of committing fraud for personal gain?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article claim that Google's release of the Gemini Pro model was incomplete in comparison to the full Gemini Ultra model, while the TechCrunch article on anticompetitive behavior and The Verge article on app distribution both discuss Google's control over different aspects of their platform, with one addressing news content and ad revenue and the other focusing on app distribution and payment systems?": "Yes", + "Who is the individual that, according to a 'Fortune' article, shared a vision for AI at OpenAI's developer conference, is reported by 'TechCrunch' to be launching a new venture following his departure from OpenAI, and is simultaneously described as both brilliant and caring, as well as being implicated in a lack of transparency with the board?": "Sam Altman", + "Which player from the Western Bulldogs, who has played for a total of three AFLW clubs and has also contended with stage five chronic kidney disease during the season, was reported on by 'The Age'?": "Richelle Cranston", + "Does 'The Guardian' article suggest that Manchester United is striving to emulate a team like Bayern Munich, while the 'Sporting News' article indicates that Manchester United has been eliminated from European competitions by Bayern, thus implying a current disparity in team performance?": "Yes", + "Has the focus of the 'Sporting News' on the interests of 'Bettors' in prop betting opportunities remained consistent between the report on FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks for Chiefs-Jets Week 4 published on September 28, 2023, and the report on the best golf betting sites and apps published on October 13, 2023?": "Yes", + "Was the reporting on Valve's improvements to the Steam Deck hardware inconsistent after the Polygon report on Valve's updates to the Steam Deck hardware published on a date other than November 9, 2023, and the Engadget review of the Steam Deck OLED version published on the same date?": "no", + "Between the Sky Sports report on Manchester United's performance published on October 28, 2023, and the Sporting News report on Manchester United's status in European competitions published on December 12, 2023, has the narrative regarding Manchester United's success in European competitions remained the same?": "no", + "Does the Sporting News article suggest that the MLB offseason activities will intensify during a specific period, while the CBSSports.com article indicates that Ryan Blaney and other drivers participated in offseason testing, thus showing a difference in the type of offseason activities reported by each source?": "Yes", + "Between the TechCrunch report on Sam Bankman-Fried's trial published on October 1, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against Sam Bankman-Fried published on October 7, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions related to the FTX collapse?": "Yes", + "Does 'The Guardian' article on the Sydney Swans' game day experience focus on different aspects of fan engagement compared to 'The Guardian' article discussing Mikel Arteta's comments on the importance of enduring challenging moments in a game?": "Yes", + "Which individual is at the center of legal proceedings where he is depicted variably as a fraudulent actor by the prosecution, as per TechCrunch, and is accused of instructing a $14 billion misappropriation of customer funds, as well as using $1 billion to buy out a competitor, all while his legal representation contrasts this narrative in a trial covered by Fortune?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Which AI-powered chatbot, reported by both Engadget and TechCrunch, celebrated its first anniversary while achieving 100 million weekly active users and also having the ability to perform a diverse set of tasks including coding, composing music, and emulating a Linux environment?": "ChatGPT", + "Has the stance of the European Union towards X (formerly Twitter) regarding the spread of disinformation and illegal content on the platform as reported by TechCrunch remained consistent between the analysis published on September 26, 2023, and the urgent warning issued following the Hamas attacks as of October 10, 2023?": "Yes", + "Before the report from CBSSports.com on October 12, 2023, suggesting an expression of interest from Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift, and the article from The Independent - Life and Style on December 6, 2023, revealing Taylor Swift's openness about her relationship with Travis Kelce, has the narrative regarding the rumored romance between the pop star and the Chiefs TE remained consistent?": "no", + "Do both articles from Sporting News agree that Sportsbooks adjust the NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines and other sports betting lines in response to gathered information and legitimate events like injuries or roster changes?": "Yes", + "Considering the excerpts from TechCrunch, has the focus of European AI startups on regulation and compliance changed since the report on November 9, 2023, before the EU lawmakers reached a deal on AI rules on December 9, 2023?": "no", + "Does the 'Fortune' article claim that Israel has halted supplies to Gaza, while the 'Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India' article suggests that a major attack on Israel requires intelligence support, indicating different aspects of the conflict involving Israel?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from Sporting News discussing NBA Rookie of the Year odds, NFL Monday Night Football bonuses, and FanDuel 'Prop Stars' picks all suggest that bettors have specific conditions or opportunities to consider when placing bets, or do they present different considerations for bettors?": "Yes", + "Who is the Silicon Valley prodigy, recognized since his early twenties, and associated with OpenAI, who faced no attempts of removal by Anthropic's co-founders, but was subject to theories of not being fully truthful with the board, according to articles from 'The Age', 'Fortune', and 'TechCrunch'?": "Sam Altman", + "Does the Yardbarker article suggest that Jerry Dipoto is considering a trade involving a pitcher and a batter, while the Sporting News article confirms that Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts have already secured new contracts?": "Yes", + "Does 'The New York Times' article suggest that Emma Hayes is committed to her current role at Chelsea for the remainder of the season, in contrast to the 'Sporting News' article which discusses Graham Potter's tenure at Chelsea as being unsuccessful?": "Yes", + "Who is the pop star that was rumored to have a secret start to her relationship with a Chiefs TE, known for experiencing major events privately and for not letting paparazzi affect her, and was also the subject of a story on CBSSports.com where a friendship bracelet played a role?": "Taylor Swift", + "Considering the information from a Reuters article on the latest patent filings statistics and a BBC report on the most innovative countries according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, which country, beginning with the letter \"S\", has shown a significant increase in patent applications and is also ranked within the top 10 for innovation?": "Insufficient information.", + "Which character in \"Only Murders in the Building,\" as reported by The New York Times, is a fan favorite for their quirky personality and, according to an article from Variety, is also suspected by other characters to be involved in the mystery at some point in the series?": "Insufficient information.", + "What is the name of the company that Jay Brown, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, recently joined as a board member and, according to Forbes, is also planning to invest in?": "Insufficient information.", + "Considering the excerpts from TechCrunch, does the report on the UK's policy inconsistency published on October 13th, 2023, agree or disagree with the importance of government support for technology as highlighted by the growth of the tech industry in Palestine before it was impacted by conflict, as reported on October 14th, 2023?": "Agree", + "Which pop star, recently named Time's Person of the Year by 'The Independent - Life and Style', has been the subject of rumors involving a friendship bracelet from a Chiefs TE, as reported by both 'The Age' and 'CBSSports.com', and has openly discussed her approach to dealing with paparazzi attention?": "Taylor Swift", + "Considering the information provided by TechCrunch that Meta's advertising subscription model may conflict with GDPR regulations and the separate issue of Palestinian users experiencing frustration with Meta's moderation practices, what is the name of the company that is facing both legal scrutiny in Europe and allegations of biased moderation?": "Meta", + "Between the report from The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the TechCrunch article detailing what was learned about the Google antitrust case involving Apple published on October 31, 2023, was there a consistency in the portrayal of Apple's actions regarding its choice of search engine and browser options for iPhone users?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article by The New York Times and another by The Guardian about Bogdan Popa, which city, known for its historical architecture and also mentioned as the place where Popa attended a significant conference last year, is the capital of the country where he was born?": "Insufficient information.", + "Was the portrayal of Prince William's reaction to Princess Diana's death in 'The Crown season six' as reported by 'The Independent - Life and Style' at 09:35 AM inconsistent with the depiction mentioned in the later article by the same news source at 19:32 PM?": "no", + "Does \"The Independent - Life and Style\" article on \"Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's marriage\" agree with the same publication's report on \"Jada and Will Smith's marital status\" regarding the year they began their separation?": "Yes", + "What company, recently covered by TechCrunch, is involved in an antitrust battle where it provided extensive evidence to the court, held an annual hardware event to showcase new developments, compared the performance of its project Gemini Pro to OpenAI's GPT-3.5, and is accused of harming news publishers' revenues through anticompetitive practices?": "Google", + "Considering the information from a BBC News article detailing Dua Lipa's involvement in philanthropy and a Rolling Stone piece discussing her collaboration with a Grammy-winning artist, which single character is shared by the name of the charity she supports and the last name of the artist she collaborated with?": "Insufficient information.", + "Do the 'Sporting News' article's claims about Vermont state residents' support for Boston-based teams and the 'Fortune' article's claims about Billie Jean King's ownership involvement in sports teams both indicate a connection to specific sports teams or leagues?": "Yes", + "Was there no change in the portrayal of Google's business practices with respect to their impact on other companies between the report by The Verge on Apple's defense of its Google Search deal published on September 26, 2023, and the report by TechCrunch on the class action antitrust suit against Google published on December 15, 2023?": "no", + "Which platform, recently discussed by Music Business Worldwide for launching an AI voice-cloning experiment and investing in AI technology to prevent copyright issues, is also mentioned by Polygon in the context of a content creator controversy and by FOX News - Health for being the most used app overnight by kids?": "YouTube", + "Do both articles from Sporting News suggest that bettors have a variety of betting options, with one discussing prop bets for a specific NFL game and the other detailing betting options in team golf events?": "Yes", + "Between the report from Fortune on Sam Bankman-Fried's use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research published on October 4, 2023, and the TechCrunch report alleging Sam Bankman-Fried's instructions to Caroline Ellison to take customer funds published on October 6, 2023, was there consistency in the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the misuse of customer funds?": "Yes", + "Does the 'Sporting News' article on the USA squad fail to mention Johnny Cardoso's inclusion after an injury similar to how 'Sporting News' reports on Lucas Cavallini's withdrawal due to injury from the Canada squad?": "no", + "Did the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's financial actions remain the same in the TechCrunch report on his intentions with his wealth published on October 2, 2023, and the TechCrunch report on the allegations against him published on October 7, 2023, and is the reporting on Sam Bankman-Fried's awareness of financial issues inconsistent between the TechCrunch report on allegations against him and The Verge report on his knowledge of financial discrepancies?": "no", + "Which M.L.B. superstar, who had a dozen teams interested in him during his free agency according to The New York Times, may not benefit from an agreement during the winter meetings as reported by Sporting News?": "Shohei Ohtani", + "Does the Sporting News article rank Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for Week 14, while The Guardian article focuses on his performance in a specific game, and does the other Sporting News article question his ability to achieve less than 1,000 receiving yards for the season based on the strength of the Miami Dolphins' remaining opponents' pass defenses?": "no", + "Has the stance of the Federal Reserve on interest rates as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald remained the same between the article published on October 1, 2023, suggesting smaller future rate cuts, and the one from November 5, 2023, indicating a continuation of rate increases?": "no", + "Who is the individual that, prior to a major cryptocurrency platform's downfall, was seen as a credible figure within the industry, but is now accused by the prosecution of utilizing a colleague for covert control over customer funds and is facing legal scrutiny for not addressing a significant financial shortfall, as reported by Fortune, The Verge, and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried.", + "Who is the individual implicated in instructing Caroline Ellison to use $14 billion of customer funds to repay debts, as reported by TechCrunch, and is also alleged by the prosecution to have committed fraud for personal gain, according to another article from TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the article from Polygon discussing the Barbie film describe Mattel's portrayal in a different light compared to how The Independent - Life and Style article describes Mattel's handling of the Wilma Mankiller Barbie doll?": "Yes", + "Does the TechCrunch article report a workforce reduction at Epic Games, while The Verge article discusses Epic Games' portrayal in a legal battle, without mentioning any layoffs?": "Yes", + "Do the articles from 'The Independent - Life and Style' about 'Starbucks stores' hours on Thanksgiving and the date of Thanksgiving celebration both provide consistent information regarding the timing of 'Thanksgiving' events?": "Yes", + "Does the Sporting News article on the Jaguars vs. Saints game report Derek Carr completing passes to different receivers than the Sporting News article on the Bills vs. Bengals game reports Joe Burrow completing a pass to?": "Yes", + "Considering the information from an article in The Times of India and another in The Economic Times about Shweta Bachchan Nanda, which fashion brand, associated with her as per The Times of India, launched a new collection that, according to The Economic Times, was inspired by the personal style of a family member whose name begins with the first letter of the English alphabet?": "Insufficient information.", + "Did 'The Age' article claim that Taylor Swift was at Wembley Stadium, while 'The Independent - Life and Style' discusses her openness about a personal relationship, and 'FOX News - Lifestyle' mentions her engagement with a viral TikTok video, indicating different aspects of her public presence?": "no", + "Based on a report from The New York Times and a separate article from The Wall Street Journal on American Express, which single letter represents the initial of the last name of the executive who has been highlighted for driving innovation in the company's digital payment solutions and also commented on the impact of regulatory changes on the financial industry?": "Insufficient information.", + "After the report by Fortune on October 4, 2023, regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged use of Caroline Ellison as a front at Alameda Research, and the subsequent report by TechCrunch involving Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged motives for committing fraud, is the portrayal of Sam Bankman-Fried's actions by both news sources consistent?": "Yes", + "Which company is anticipated to provide a $1,000 Bonus Bet to new sign-ups in Vermont according to Sporting News, and also extends the same offer to new customers as reported by CBSSports.com?": "Caesars Sportsbook", + "Who is the individual who, after Judge Lewis Kaplan's intervention, admitted to being informed about a financial discrepancy and is also alleged by the prosecution to have knowingly committed fraud, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Does the TechCrunch article on Meta's advertising practices involve the European Commission in a dissimilar capacity to how the European Commission is involved in Amazon's iRobot purchase and Elon Musk's X company's DSA probe, as reported by TechCrunch in both cases?": "no", + "Who is the individual associated with using FTX customer funds to purchase a stake in Binance and is also facing allegations of fraud for personal gain, as reported by The Verge and TechCrunch?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who is the individual that was once likened to a prominent investor, admitted to challenges in overseeing a rapidly expanding crypto company, faced allegations of fraud in a legal setting, and discussed corporate governance intentions with a venture firm, as reported by TechCrunch, The Verge, Cnbc, and TechCrunch respectively?": "Sam Bankman-Fried", + "Who, according to articles in Sporting News, stand to make a profit by predicting outcomes such as a team's lead at the end of a quarter or the total points scored, and can also capitalize on event hype, like putting $130 on the Cowboys to potentially gain $100?": "Bettors", + "Does the Cnbc | World Business News Leader article suggest that Sam Bankman-Fried had a different approach to the composition of FTX's board compared to the TechCrunch articles' portrayal of his actions regarding the misuse of customer funds and committing fraud for personal gain?": "Yes", + "Between the report by Business Today | Latest Stock Market And Economy News India on an event involving Israel published on October 7, 2023, and the reports by Fortune on the situation in Gaza involving Israel published on October 13, 2023, was there a change in the status of Israel's actions regarding Gaza?": "Yes" + } +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/experiment_configs/sample.yaml b/experiment_configs/sample.yaml new file mode 100755 index 0000000..f6c038a --- /dev/null +++ b/experiment_configs/sample.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +--- # TODO: +# - Reranker is fairly easy to implement, this will remove dependancies (ragatouille, colbert, ninja and etc.). + +cache_dir: ./caches/sample_experiment + +dataset_path: ./datasets/multihoprag.json +results_path: ./results/multihoprag.json + +text_splitter_model_id: thenlper/gte-small # only if text_splitter set to [hf_tokenizer, tiktoken] +embedding_model_id: thenlper/gte-small # HF model id like [BAAI/bge-large-en-v1.5 , BAAI/llm-embedder , ...] +reranker_model_id: colbert-ir/colbertv2.0 # HF model id, use `null` to turn off reranker +generator_model_id: gpt-4o-mini # model id in form of HF, OpenAI, TogetherAI + +text_splitter: hf_tokenizer # select from [char, recursive_char, hf_tokenizer, tiktoken] +generator: openai # select from [hf, together, openai] + +split_overlap: 0.1 # percentage of overlap +chunk_size: 256 +num_retrievals: 10 # for the retriever +num_selections: 4 # for the reranker + +api_key: PLACE_YOUR_API_KEY + +generator_model_config: # only for HF models + max_new_tokens: 256 + return_full_text: False + temperature: 0 + +## RAG Prompts +system_prompt: | + Using the information contained in the context, give a comprehensive answer to the question. + Respond only to the question asked, response should be concise and relevant to the question. + If the answer cannot be deduced from the context, do not generate any response on your own and just say `answer not found`. + + +context_prompt: | + Context: + {CONTEXT} + --- + Now here is the question you need to answer. + {QUERY} + diff --git a/notebooks/experiment.ipynb b/notebooks/experiment.ipynb new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ec656fa --- /dev/null +++ b/notebooks/experiment.ipynb @@ -0,0 +1,323 @@ +{ + "cells": [ + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": 3, + "metadata": {}, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "from ragbench import RAGPipeline, RAGEval, RAGTools\n", + "import json" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "f8oGHLfl7yXv" + }, + "source": [ + "# From YAML Config" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "id": "2tHtDlu_7yKX" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "!cat ../experiment_configs/sample.yaml" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": {}, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "RAGPipeline.run_pipeline_from_yaml('../experiment_configs/sample.yaml')" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "a50pvYFQ7vXX" + }, + "source": [ + "# Step by Step" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "QrIL6z4wd6FF" + }, + "source": [ + "### Loading Corpus & Queries and Creating RAG Pipeline" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": 4, + "metadata": { + "id": "azESxxMHg-8_" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "system_prompt = '''Using the information contained in the context, give a comprehensive answer to the question.\n", + "Respond only to the question asked, response should be concise and relevant to the question.\n", + "If the answer cannot be deduced from the context, do not generate any response on your own and just say `answer not found`.\n", + "'''\n", + "\n", + "context_prompt = '''Context:\n", + "{CONTEXT}\n", + "---\n", + "Now here is the question you need to answer.\n", + "{QUERY}\n", + "'''" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": 6, + "metadata": { + "id": "FBxCmstLr-pV" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "with open('../datasets/multihoprag.json', 'r') as file:\n", + " ds = json.load(file)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": 8, + "metadata": { + "id": "mGT3huj4PvjS" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "rag_pipe = RAGPipeline('../caches/sample_experiment', system_prompt, context_prompt)\n", + "ls_docs = ds['corpus']\n", + "ls_queries = list(ds['gold_answers'].keys())" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "bYP1N4TOTNDV" + }, + "source": [ + "### Vectorize" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "colab": { + "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" + }, + "id": "dYrgyZnqPvjS", + "outputId": "1c77a7e4-b97a-42ee-ee04-53c562afaa36" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "rag_pipe.load_embedding_model_from_hf('thenlper/gte-small')\n", + "text_splitter = RAGTools.load_text_splitter_hf_tokenizer(rag_pipe.embedding_tokenizer, 256, 0.1)\n", + "ls_chunks = rag_pipe.split_docs(ls_docs, text_splitter)\n", + "rag_pipe.prepare_vector_db(ls_chunks)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "q3ysSYT0TQPh" + }, + "source": [ + "### Retrieve" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "colab": { + "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" + }, + "id": "QXMqWAYmSQg_", + "outputId": "8648ccff-7d7b-4d74-e25f-e8f3f7d4b53f" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "ls_rets = rag_pipe.retrieve(ls_queries, 10)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "rf7GgGAjTSrd" + }, + "source": [ + "### Rerank" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": 9, + "metadata": { + "id": "YV3dzXM2TUSr" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "rag_pipe.load_reranker_model_from_hf('colbert-ir/colbertv2.0')\n", + "ls_reranked_rets = rag_pipe.rerank(ls_rets, 4)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "4EFoFQgtWVKh" + }, + "source": [ + "### Evaluate Retriever" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": {}, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "rets, golds = ls_reranked_rets, ds['gold_retrieves']\n", + "RAGEval.retrieval_metrics(rets, golds)\n", + "\n", + "# or\n", + "\n", + "# rets, golds = ls_rets, ds['gold_retrieves']\n", + "# hit10 = RAGEval.hits_at(10, rets, golds)\n", + "# hit4 = RAGEval.hits_at(4, rets, golds)\n", + "# map10 = RAGEval.map_at(10, rets, golds)\n", + "# mrr10 = RAGEval.mrr_at(10, rets, golds)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "qwKf6LUBesmW" + }, + "source": [ + "### Generate Responses" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "colab": { + "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" + }, + "id": "pCneBXYMfXGb", + "outputId": "ff4d227d-203b-4762-a692-c218f3654bce" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "ls_prompts = rag_pipe.create_prompts(ls_rets)\n", + "\n", + "# Sampling 10 for testing, turn this off for actual experiments\n", + "random_queries = list(ls_prompts.keys())[:10]\n", + "random_prompts = {k:ls_prompts[k] for k in random_queries}\n", + "\n", + "rag_pipe.load_generator_model_from_openai('gpt-4o-mini', API_KEY)\n", + "ls_responses = rag_pipe.generate_responses(random_prompts)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": { + "id": "Iw31kY8Lxv3Z" + }, + "source": [ + "### Evaluate Answer Generation" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "colab": { + "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" + }, + "id": "E6FB5wQ4xvf_", + "outputId": "f42e9b66-47b1-4749-858e-6c130194a08f" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [ + "metric_per_query = RAGEval.generation_metrics(ls_responses, ds['gold_answers'], rag_pipe.embedding_model)" + ] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "id": "G1QI5AkgYelv" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "id": "po2jAYvyYeiT" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "id": "xCxfzBVsXqfG" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [] + }, + { + "cell_type": "code", + "execution_count": null, + "metadata": { + "id": "EMNm45aSXqb4" + }, + "outputs": [], + "source": [] + } + ], + "metadata": { + "accelerator": "GPU", + "colab": { + "gpuType": "T4", + "provenance": [] + }, + "kernelspec": { + "display_name": "temp4", + "language": "python", + "name": "python3" + }, + "language_info": { + "codemirror_mode": { + "name": "ipython", + "version": 3 + }, + "file_extension": ".py", + "mimetype": "text/x-python", + "name": "python", + "nbconvert_exporter": "python", + "pygments_lexer": "ipython3", + "version": "3.12.7" + } + }, + "nbformat": 4, + "nbformat_minor": 0 +} diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c200717 --- /dev/null +++ b/pyproject.toml @@ -0,0 +1,55 @@ +# pyproject.toml + +[project] +name = "ragbench" +version = "0.1.0" +description = "A short description of your package" +readme = "README.md" +requires-python = ">=3.6" +license = {text = "MIT"} +authors = [ + {name = "Erfan Moosavi Monazzah"} +] +classifiers = [ + "Programming Language :: Python :: 3", + "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License", + "Operating System :: OS Independent", +] +dependencies = [ + "torch", + "numpy", + "datasets", + "transformers", + "sentence-transformers", + "langchain", + "langchain-community", + "langchain-huggingface", + "tqdm", + "ragatouille", + "together", + "openai", + "ragas", + "rapidfuzz", + "rouge_score" +] + +[tool.setuptools.packages.find] +where = ["src"] + +[tool.black] +line-length = 88 +target-version = ['py39'] +exclude = ''' +/( + \.git + | \.hg + | \.mypy_cache + | \.venv + | _build + | build + | dist + | pyproject\.toml # Exclude pyproject.toml + | .*\.pyc # Exclude compiled Python files + # Add other files or patterns to exclude +)/ +''' \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/rag_utils.py b/rag_utils.py deleted file mode 100755 index 93234f4..0000000 --- a/rag_utils.py +++ /dev/null @@ -1,361 +0,0 @@ -import torch -from datasets import load_dataset -from transformers import AutoModelForCausalLM, AutoTokenizer, pipeline -# from langchain.docstore.document import Document -from langchain.text_splitter import RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter -# from langchain.vectorstores import FAISS # deprecated -# from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS # use custom FAISS lib -from customized_faiss import FAISS -from langchain_core.documents import Document -# from langchain_community.embeddings import HuggingFaceEmbeddings # deprecated -from langchain_huggingface import HuggingFaceEmbeddings -from langchain_community.vectorstores.utils import DistanceStrategy -from tqdm import tqdm -from pathlib import Path -from datetime import datetime -from typing import List, Dict -import dill -from ragatouille import RAGPretrainedModel - - - -def cache_object(cache_dir, obj, name, verbose=True): - if cache_dir is None: - return False - - cache_path = f'{cache_dir}/cached_{name}.pkl' - with open(cache_path, 'wb') as f: - if verbose: print(f'- Caching {name} @ "{cache_path}"') - dill.dump(obj, f) - return True - - - -class VectorBase(): - def __init__(self, cache_dir: str, verbose=True): - self.cache_dir = cache_dir - if cache_dir is not None: - Path(self.cache_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True) - self.verbose = verbose - - - def cache_vector_db(self): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_vector_db' - print(f'- Caching Vector DB at "{cache_path}"') - self.vector_db.save_local(cache_path) - - - # Load Cached Objects - def load_obj_from_cache(self, name): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_{name}.pkl' - if Path(cache_path).is_file(): - with open(cache_path, 'rb') as f: - print(f'- Loading {name} from Cache: "{cache_path}"') - loaded_obj = dill.load(f) - match name: - case 'docs': - self.ls_docs = loaded_obj - case 'chunks': - self.ls_chunks = loaded_obj - case _: - raise NotImplementedError() - return True - return False - - - def load_vector_db_from_cache(self): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_vector_db' - if Path(cache_path).is_dir(): - print(f'- Loading Vector DB from Cache: "{cache_path}"') - self.vector_db = FAISS.load_local( - cache_path, - self.embedding_model, - distance_strategy=DistanceStrategy.COSINE, - allow_dangerous_deserialization=True, - ) - return True - return False - - - # Load Docs Methods - def load_docs_from_hf(self, dataset_id: str, subset: str, split: str, column: str): - self.hf_dataset_id = dataset_id - self.hf_dataset_subset = subset - self.hf_dataset_split = split - self.hf_dataset_column = column - - print(f'- Loading Corpus Dataset from HF: {self.hf_dataset_id} ({self.hf_dataset_subset})') - ds = load_dataset(dataset_id, subset, split=split) - self.ls_docs = [] - for row in tqdm(ds, desc='- Converting to LangChain Document'): - row = row.copy() - content = row[column] - del row[column] - metadata = row | {'hf_ds_id': dataset_id, 'hf_ds_subset': subset, 'hf_ds_split': split, 'hf_ds_col': column} - self.ls_docs.append(Document(page_content=content, metadata=metadata)) - - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_docs, 'docs') - - - # Load Embedding Model Methods - def load_embedding_model_from_hf(self, model_id: str, device: str ='cuda:0', max_seq_len: int =None): - self.hf_embedding_model_id = model_id - - print(f'- Loading Embedding Model & Tokenizer: {self.hf_embedding_model_id}') - self.embedding_model = HuggingFaceEmbeddings( - model_name=model_id, - multi_process=True, # multi GPU - model_kwargs={'device': device}, - encode_kwargs={"normalize_embeddings": True}, # set True for cosine similarity - ) - - self.embedding_tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_id) - - if max_seq_len is None: - self.chunk_size = self.embedding_model.client.max_seq_length - else: - self.chunk_size = max_seq_len - print(f'- Chunk Size (#Tokens): {self.chunk_size}') # todo: make this a parameter too - - - def split_docs(self, percent_overlap: float =0.1): - self.ls_text_seps = ["\n#{1,6} ", "\n\n", "\n", " ", ""] - - self.text_splitter = RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter.from_huggingface_tokenizer( - self.embedding_tokenizer, - chunk_size=self.chunk_size, - chunk_overlap=int(self.chunk_size * percent_overlap), - add_start_index=True, - strip_whitespace=True, - separators=self.ls_text_seps, - ) - - ls_chunks_temp= [] - for doc in tqdm(self.ls_docs, desc='- Splitting Documents to Chunks'): - ls_chunks_temp += self.text_splitter.split_documents([doc]) - - set_unique_texts = set() - ls_unique_chunks = [] - for chunk in tqdm(ls_chunks_temp, desc='- Removing Duplicated Chunks'): - if chunk.page_content not in set_unique_texts: - set_unique_texts.add(chunk.page_content) - ls_unique_chunks.append(chunk) - - self.ls_chunks = ls_unique_chunks - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_chunks, 'chunks') - - print(f'- {len(self.ls_docs):,} Documents splitted into {len(self.ls_chunks):,} Chunks') - - - def prepare_vector_db(self): - def get_cur_time(): - return datetime.now().isoformat() - - time_start = get_cur_time() - print(f'- Vector DB: Start Embedding at {time_start}') - - self.vector_db = FAISS.from_documents( - self.ls_chunks, - self.embedding_model, - distance_strategy=DistanceStrategy.COSINE, - ) - - time_end = get_cur_time() - print(f'- Vector DB: Finished Embedding at {time_end}') - - if self.cache_dir is not None: - self.cache_vector_db() - - - @staticmethod - def from_yaml_config(config: dict): - # The order of the operations are important. - vec = VectorBase(config['vb_cache_dir'], config['vb_verbose']) - vec.config = config - - if not vec.load_obj_from_cache('docs'): - vec.load_docs_from_hf(config['docs_dataset_id'], config['docs_dataset_subset'], config['docs_dataset_split'], config['docs_dataset_column']) - - vec.load_embedding_model_from_hf(config['embedding_model_id'], config['embedding_model_device'], config['chunk_size']) - - if not vec.load_obj_from_cache('chunks'): - vec.split_docs(config['split_overlap']) - - if not vec.load_vector_db_from_cache(): - vec.prepare_vector_db() - - return vec - - - -class Retriever(): - def __init__(self, vb: VectorBase, cache_dir: str, num_retrievals: int =10, verbose: bool =True): - self.vb = vb - self.cache_dir = cache_dir - Path(self.cache_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True) - self.num_retrievals = num_retrievals - self.verbose = verbose - - - def load_queries_from_cache(self): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_queries.pkl' - if Path(cache_path).is_file(): - with open(cache_path, 'rb') as f: - print(f'- Loading Queries from Cache: "{cache_path}"') - self.ls_queries = dill.load(f) - return True - return False - - - def load_queries_from_hf(self, dataset_id: str, subset: str, split: str, column: str): - self.hf_dataset_id = dataset_id - self.hf_dataset_subset = subset - self.hf_dataset_split = split - self.hf_dataset_column = column - - print(f'- Loading Queries Dataset from HF: {self.hf_dataset_id} ({self.hf_dataset_subset})') - ds = load_dataset(dataset_id, subset, split=split) - self.ls_queries = ds[column] - - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_queries, 'queries') - - - def load_rets_from_cache(self): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_rets.pkl' - if Path(cache_path).is_file(): - with open(cache_path, 'rb') as f: - print(f'- Loading Rets from Cache: "{cache_path}"') - self.ls_rets = dill.load(f) - return True - return False - - - def retrieve(self) -> Dict[str, List[Document]]: - ls_ls_docs = self.vb.vector_db.batch_similarity_search(self.ls_queries, self.num_retrievals, self.verbose) - self.ls_rets = {k:v for k, v in zip(self.ls_queries, ls_ls_docs)} - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_rets, 'rets') - - - @staticmethod - def from_yaml_config(vb: VectorBase, config: dict): - ret = Retriever(vb, config['rets_cache_dir'], config['num_retrievals'], config['rets_verbose']) - # The order of the operations are important. - - if not ret.load_queries_from_cache(): - ret.load_queries_from_hf(config['queries_dataset_id'], config['queries_dataset_subset'], config['queries_dataset_split'], config['queries_dataset_column']) - - if not ret.load_rets_from_cache(): - ret.retrieve() - - return ret - - - -class Generator(): - def __init__(self, ret: Retriever, cache_dir: str, num_selections: int, system_prompt: str, context_prompt: str): - self.ret = ret - self.cache_dir = cache_dir - self.num_selections = num_selections - self.system_prompt = system_prompt - self.context_prompt = context_prompt - - - # Load Cached Objects - def load_obj_from_cache(self, name): - cache_path = f'{self.cache_dir}/cached_{name}.pkl' - if Path(cache_path).is_file(): - with open(cache_path, 'rb') as f: - print(f'- Loading {name} from Cache: "{cache_path}"') - loaded_obj = dill.load(f) - match name: - case 'reranked_rets': - self.ls_reranked_rets = loaded_obj - case 'augmented_generations': - self.ls_augmented_generations = loaded_obj - case _: - raise NotImplementedError() - return True - return False - - - def load_generator_model_from_hf(self, model_id, generation_config, device='cuda:0', torch_dtype=torch.bfloat16, trust_remote_code=True): - self.hf_generator_model_id = model_id - self.generation_config = generation_config - print(f'- Loading Generator Model & Tokenizer: "{self.hf_generator_model_id}"') - tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_id) - model = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(model_id, device_map=device, torch_dtype=torch_dtype, trust_remote_code=trust_remote_code) - self.pipe = pipeline( - "text-generation", model=model, tokenizer=tokenizer - ) - # # this is bug: https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain/issues/22776#issue-2346538588 - # self.generator_model = HuggingFacePipeline(pipeline=pipe) - # self.generator_model_output_parser = StrOutputParser() - - - def load_reranker(self, model_id): - self.reranker = RAGPretrainedModel.from_pretrained(model_id) - - - def augmented_generate(self, query: str, context: str) -> str: - messages = [ - {'role': 'system', 'content': self.system_prompt}, - {'role': 'user', 'content': self.context_prompt.format(CONTEXT=context, QUERY=query)}, - ] - - # generation_args = { - # "max_new_tokens": 8, - # "return_full_text": False, - # "temperature": 0.0, - # "do_sample": False, - # } - - output = self.pipe(messages, **self.generation_config) - return output[0]['generated_text'] - - - def rerank_rets(self): - ls_rets = self.ret.ls_rets - self.ls_reranked_rets = {} - - for query, rets in tqdm(ls_rets.items(), total=len(ls_rets), desc='Reranking Retrievals'): - if self.reranker is None: - self.ls_reranked_rets[query] = [doc.page_content for doc in rets] - else: - relevant_docs_reranked = self.reranker.rerank(query, - [doc.page_content for doc in rets], - k=self.num_selections) - self.ls_reranked_rets[query] = [doc['content'] for doc in relevant_docs_reranked] - - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_reranked_rets, 'reranked_rets') - - - def generate_responses(self): - self.ls_augmented_generations = {} - - for query, relevant_docs in tqdm(self.ls_reranked_rets.items(), total=len(self.ls_reranked_rets)): - docs_prompt = [f"Document {str(i)}:::\n{doc}" for i, doc in enumerate(relevant_docs)] - prompt_context = '\nExtracted documents:\n' + '\n'.join(docs_prompt) - - answer = self.augmented_generate(query, prompt_context) - self.ls_augmented_generations[query] = answer - - - cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_augmented_generations, 'augmented_generations') - - - @staticmethod - def from_yaml_config(ret: Retriever, config: dict): - gen = Generator(ret, config['gens_cache_dir'], config['num_selections'], config['system_prompt'], config['context_prompt']) - gen.load_generator_model_from_hf(config['generator_model_id'], config['generator_model_config'], config['generator_model_device'], config['generator_model_torch_dtype'], config['generator_model_trust_remote_code']) - gen.load_reranker(config['reranker_model_id']) - - if not gen.load_obj_from_cache('reranked_rets'): - gen.rerank_rets() - - if not gen.load_obj_from_cache('augmented_generations'): - gen.generate_responses() - - return gen - - - diff --git a/ret_evals.py b/ret_evals.py deleted file mode 100755 index 760a512..0000000 --- a/ret_evals.py +++ /dev/null @@ -1,104 +0,0 @@ -from tqdm import tqdm -import argparse, json - - -def mrr_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): - ls_mrr = [] - - for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): - first_relevant_rank = None - - golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] - rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] - - for r, ret_item in enumerate(rets_stripped): - if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): - if r < k: - if first_relevant_rank is None: - first_relevant_rank = r + 1 - - ls_mrr.append(1 / first_relevant_rank if first_relevant_rank else 0) - pbar.set_description(f"MRR@{k} {sum(ls_mrr) / len(ls_golds):.4f}") - - return sum(ls_mrr) / len(ls_golds) - - -def map_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): - ls_apk = [] - for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): - ap_sum = 0 - found_golds = [] - - golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] - rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] - - for r, ret_item in enumerate(rets_stripped): - if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): - if r < k: - # Compute precision at this rank for this query - count = 0 - for gold_item in golds_stripped: - if gold_item in ret_item and not gold_item in found_golds: - count = count + 1 - found_golds.append(gold_item) - p_at_r = count / (r+1) - ap_sum += p_at_r - - # Calculate metrics for this query - ls_apk.append(ap_sum / min(len(golds_stripped), k)) - pbar.set_description(f"MAP@{k} {sum(ls_apk) / len(ls_golds):.4f}") - - return sum(ls_apk) / len(ls_golds) - - -def hits_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): - hits = 0 - for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): - is_hit = False - golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] - rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] - - for ret_item in rets_stripped[:k]: - if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): - is_hit = True - - hits += int(is_hit) - pbar.set_description(f"Hits@{k} {hits/(i+1):.4f}") - - return hits / len(ls_golds) - - - - - -def main_eval(file_name): - print(f'For file: {file_name}') - with open(file_name, 'r') as file: - data = json.load(file) - retrieved_lists = [] - gold_lists = [] - - for d in data: - if d['question_type'] == 'null_query': - continue - retrieved_lists.append([m['text'] for m in d['retrieval_list']]) - gold_lists.append([m['fact'] for m in d['gold_list']]) - - # Calculate metrics - hit10 = hits_at(10, retrieved_lists, gold_lists) - hit4 = hits_at(4, retrieved_lists, gold_lists) - map10 = map_at(10, retrieved_lists, gold_lists) - mrr10 = mrr_at(10, retrieved_lists, gold_lists) - - print(hit10) - print(hit4) - print(map10) - print(mrr10) - -if __name__ == '__main__': - parser = argparse.ArgumentParser() - parser.add_argument('--file', type=str, required=True, help='File Name') - args = parser.parse_args() - - main_eval(args.file) - \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/run_rag.py b/run_rag.py deleted file mode 100755 index fdb312f..0000000 --- a/run_rag.py +++ /dev/null @@ -1,38 +0,0 @@ -# todo: ship the conda env along with the codes -# todo: time each part of the pipeline to find out potential places for optimization - -from rag_utils import VectorBase, Retriever, Generator -import argparse, yaml, json, torch - - -DTYPE_2_TORCH_DTYPE = { - 'bf16': torch.bfloat16, - 'fp16': torch.float16, - 'fp32': torch.float32 -} - - -if __name__ == '__main__': - # Parse command-line arguments - parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="This script accepts two command-line arguments.") - parser.add_argument('--yaml-config', dest='yaml_config', required=True) - parser.add_argument('--mode', dest='mode', type=str) - args = parser.parse_args() - - # Load configuration from a YAML file - with open(args.yaml_config, 'r') as yaml_file: - config = yaml.load(yaml_file, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) - config['generator_model_torch_dtype'] = DTYPE_2_TORCH_DTYPE[config['generator_model_torch_dtype']] - - if 'v' in args.mode: - vb = VectorBase.from_yaml_config(config) - - if 'r' in args.mode: - ret = Retriever.from_yaml_config(vb, config) - # print(ret.ls_rets[list(ret.ls_rets.keys())[0]][0]) - - if 'g' in args.mode: - gen = Generator.from_yaml_config(ret, config) - - - diff --git a/sample.yaml b/sample.yaml deleted file mode 100755 index 2fbdf7b..0000000 --- a/sample.yaml +++ /dev/null @@ -1,68 +0,0 @@ ---- # TODO: -# - Model Generation Config: Temperature, Sampling and etc... - -# VectorBase -#/home/erfan/Desktop/actives/card/src2 -vb_cache_dir: ./caches/sample_experiment -vb_verbose: true -split_overlap: 0.1 -## Documents Source -docs_from_hf: true -docs_dataset_id: yixuantt/MultiHopRAG -docs_dataset_subset: corpus -docs_dataset_split: train -docs_dataset_column: body -## Embedding Model Source -embedding_model_id: thenlper/gte-small #BAAI/bge-large-en-v1.5 #BAAI/llm-embedder -embedding_model_device: cuda -chunk_size: 256 # <= model_max_seq_len - - - -# Retriever -rets_cache_dir: ./caches/sample_experiment -rets_verbose: true -num_retrievals: 10 # line 67: top_k -## Queries Source -queries_from_hf: true -queries_dataset_id: yixuantt/MultiHopRAG -queries_dataset_subset: MultiHopRAG -queries_dataset_split: train -queries_dataset_column: query - - - -# Generator -gens_cache_dir: ./caches/sample_experiment -gens_verbose: true -num_selections: 4 # line 139: top_n = top_k -## Generator Model Source -generator_model_id: microsoft/Phi-3.5-mini-instruct -generator_model_trust_remote_code: True -generator_model_device: cuda -generator_model_torch_dtype: bf16 -generator_model_config: - - max_new_tokens: 8 - - return_full_text: False - - temperature: 0 -## Reranker Model -reranker_model_id: colbert-ir/colbertv2.0 -## RAG Prompts -system_prompt: | - Using the information contained in the context, give a comprehensive answer to the question. - Respond only to the question asked, response should be concise and relevant to the question. - If the answer cannot be deduced from the context, do not generate any response on your own. - Place your response only in the following JSON and do not generate anything else: - {{ - "found_the_answer": , - "actual_response": , - "id_of_relevant_documents": , - }} - -context_prompt: | - Context: - {CONTEXT} - --- - Now here is the question you need to answer. - {QUERY} - diff --git a/src/ragbench/__init__.py b/src/ragbench/__init__.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6e35e72 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/ragbench/__init__.py @@ -0,0 +1,9 @@ +from ragbench.rag_utils import RAGEval, RAGTools, RAGPipeline +from ragbench.customized_faiss import FAISS + +__all__ = [ + "RAGEval", + "RAGTools", + "RAGPipeline", + "FAISS", +] \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/customized_faiss.py b/src/ragbench/customized_faiss.py similarity index 100% rename from customized_faiss.py rename to src/ragbench/customized_faiss.py diff --git a/src/ragbench/rag_utils.py b/src/ragbench/rag_utils.py new file mode 100755 index 0000000..ce3070a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/ragbench/rag_utils.py @@ -0,0 +1,441 @@ +import torch +import numpy as np +from datasets import load_dataset +from transformers import AutoModelForCausalLM, AutoTokenizer, pipeline +# from langchain.docstore.document import Document +from langchain.text_splitter import CharacterTextSplitter, RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter, SentenceTransformersTokenTextSplitter +# from langchain.vectorstores import FAISS # deprecated +# from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS # use custom FAISS lib +from .customized_faiss import FAISS +from langchain_core.documents import Document +# from langchain_community.embeddings import HuggingFaceEmbeddings # deprecated +from langchain_huggingface import HuggingFaceEmbeddings +from langchain_community.vectorstores.utils import DistanceStrategy +from tqdm import tqdm +from pathlib import Path +from datetime import datetime +from typing import List, Dict +import dill, json, yaml +from ragatouille import RAGPretrainedModel +from together import Together +from openai import OpenAI +from ragas.dataset_schema import SingleTurnSample +from ragas.metrics import ExactMatch, StringPresence, NonLLMStringSimilarity, RougeScore, BleuScore, SemanticSimilarity + + +class RAGEval(): + @staticmethod + def mrr_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): + ls_rets = [ls_rets[q] for q in ls_rets.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + ls_golds = [ls_golds[q] for q in ls_golds.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + ls_mrr = [] + + for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): + first_relevant_rank = None + + golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] + rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] + + for r, ret_item in enumerate(rets_stripped): + if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): + if r < k: + if first_relevant_rank is None: + first_relevant_rank = r + 1 + + ls_mrr.append(1 / first_relevant_rank if first_relevant_rank else 0) + pbar.set_description(f"MRR@{k} {sum(ls_mrr) / len(ls_golds):.4f}") + + return sum(ls_mrr) / len(ls_golds) + + + @staticmethod + def map_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): + ls_rets = [ls_rets[q] for q in ls_rets.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + ls_golds = [ls_golds[q] for q in ls_golds.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + ls_apk = [] + for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): + ap_sum = 0 + found_golds = [] + + golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] + rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] + + for r, ret_item in enumerate(rets_stripped): + if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): + if r < k: + # Compute precision at this rank for this query + count = 0 + for gold_item in golds_stripped: + if gold_item in ret_item and not gold_item in found_golds: + count = count + 1 + found_golds.append(gold_item) + p_at_r = count / (r+1) + ap_sum += p_at_r + + # Calculate metrics for this query + ls_apk.append(ap_sum / min(len(golds_stripped), k)) + pbar.set_description(f"MAP@{k} {sum(ls_apk) / len(ls_golds):.4f}") + + return sum(ls_apk) / len(ls_golds) + + + @staticmethod + def hits_at(k, ls_rets, ls_golds): + ls_rets = [ls_rets[q] for q in ls_rets.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + ls_golds = [ls_golds[q] for q in ls_golds.keys() if len(ls_golds[q]) > 0] + hits = 0 + for i, rets, golds in (pbar := tqdm(zip(range(len(ls_golds)), ls_rets, ls_golds))): + is_hit = False + golds_stripped = [''.join(gold.split()) for gold in golds] + rets_stripped = [''.join(ret.split()) for ret in rets] + + for ret_item in rets_stripped[:k]: + if any(gold_item in ret_item for gold_item in golds_stripped): + is_hit = True + + hits += int(is_hit) + pbar.set_description(f"Hits@{k} {hits/(i+1):.4f}") + + return hits / len(ls_golds) + + + @staticmethod + def retrieval_metrics(ls_rets, ls_golds): + rets, golds = ls_rets, ls_golds + + eval_dict = {} + eval_dict['hit10'] = RAGEval.hits_at(10, rets, golds) + eval_dict['hit4'] = RAGEval.hits_at(4, rets, golds) + eval_dict['map10'] = RAGEval.map_at(10, rets, golds) + eval_dict['mrr10'] = RAGEval.mrr_at(10, rets, golds) + + return eval_dict + + + @staticmethod + def generation_metrics(ls_preds, ls_golds, embedding_model): + gen_eval = {} + for query in (pbar := tqdm(ls_preds.keys())): + sample = SingleTurnSample( + response=ls_preds[query], + reference=ls_golds[query] + ) + + eval_dict = {} + + pbar.set_description(f"ExactMatch") + eval_dict['exact'] = ExactMatch().single_turn_score(sample) + pbar.set_description(f"StringPresence") + eval_dict['presence'] = StringPresence().single_turn_score(sample) + pbar.set_description(f"NonLLMStringSimilarity") + eval_dict['string_sim'] = NonLLMStringSimilarity().single_turn_score(sample) + pbar.set_description(f"RougeScore") + eval_dict['rouge'] = RougeScore().single_turn_score(sample) + + pbar.set_description(f"SemanticSimilarity") + # Semantic Sim + embedding_1 = np.array(embedding_model.embed_query(ls_preds[query])) + embedding_2 = np.array(embedding_model.embed_query(ls_golds[query])) + # Normalization factors of the above embeddings + norms_1 = np.linalg.norm(embedding_1, keepdims=True) + norms_2 = np.linalg.norm(embedding_2, keepdims=True) + embedding_1_normalized = embedding_1 / norms_1 + embedding_2_normalized = embedding_2 / norms_2 + similarity = embedding_1_normalized @ embedding_2_normalized.T + eval_dict['semantic_sim'] = similarity.flatten().item() + + gen_eval[query] = eval_dict + + # pbar.set_description(f"Accuracy: {num_corrects/len(ls_preds):.4f}") + + return gen_eval + + +TEXT_SEPS = ["\n#{1,6} ", "\n\n", "\n", " ", ""] +class RAGTools(): + @staticmethod + def load_docs_from_hf(dataset_id: str, subset: str, split: str, column: str) -> List[str]: + print(f'- Loading Corpus Dataset from HF: {dataset_id} ({subset})') + ds = load_dataset(dataset_id, subset, split=split) + ls_corpus = [] + for row in tqdm(ds, desc='- Converting to LangChain Document'): + row = row.copy() + content = row[column] + del row[column] + metadata = row | {'hf_ds_id': dataset_id, 'hf_ds_subset': subset, 'hf_ds_split': split, 'hf_ds_col': column} + ls_corpus.append(Document(page_content=content, metadata=metadata)) + + return ls_corpus + + + @staticmethod + def load_queries_from_hf(dataset_id: str, subset: str, split: str, column: str): + print(f'- Loading Queries Dataset from HF: {dataset_id} ({subset})') + ds = load_dataset(dataset_id, subset, split=split) + ls_queries = ds[column] + return ls_queries + + + + @staticmethod + def load_text_splitter_char(chunk_size, percent_overlap): + return CharacterTextSplitter( + # separators=TEXT_SEPS, + chunk_size=chunk_size, + chunk_overlap=int(chunk_size * percent_overlap), + length_function=len, + is_separator_regex=False, + ) + + def load_text_splitter_recursive_char(chunk_size, percent_overlap): + return RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter( + separators=TEXT_SEPS, + chunk_size=chunk_size, + chunk_overlap=int(chunk_size * percent_overlap), + length_function=len, + is_separator_regex=False, + ) + + def load_text_splitter_hf_tokenizer(tokenizer, chunk_size, percent_overlap): + return RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter.from_huggingface_tokenizer( + tokenizer, + chunk_size=chunk_size, + chunk_overlap=int(chunk_size * percent_overlap), + add_start_index=True, + strip_whitespace=True, + separators=TEXT_SEPS, + ) + + def load_text_splitter_tiktoken(model_id, chunk_size, percent_overlap): + return CharacterTextSplitter.from_tiktoken_encoder( + encoding = chunk_size, chunk_size=chunk_size, chunk_overlap=percent_overlap + ) + + + +class RAGPipeline(): + def __init__(self, cache_dir, system_prompt, context_prompt): + self.cache_dir = cache_dir + self.device = 'cuda' if torch.cuda.is_available() else 'cpu' + self.system_prompt = system_prompt + self.context_prompt = context_prompt + + Path(self.cache_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True) + self.openai_client = None + self.together_client = None + self.pipe = None + + + def load_embedding_model_from_hf(self, model_id: str): + self.hf_embedding_model_id = model_id + + print(f'- Loading Embedding Model & Tokenizer: {self.hf_embedding_model_id}') + self.embedding_model = HuggingFaceEmbeddings( + model_name=model_id, + multi_process=True, # multi GPU + model_kwargs={'device': self.device}, + encode_kwargs={"normalize_embeddings": True}, # set True for cosine similarity + ) + + self.embedding_tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_id) + + # print(f'- Chunk Size (#Tokens): {self.chunk_size}') + + + def load_reranker_model_from_hf(self, model_id): + if model_id is not None: + self.reranker = RAGPretrainedModel.from_pretrained(model_id) + else: + self.reranker = None + + + def load_generator_model_from_hf(self, model_id, generation_config): + self.hf_generator_model_id = model_id + self.generation_config = generation_config + print(f'- Loading Generator Model & Tokenizer: "{self.hf_generator_model_id}"') + tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_id, padding_side='left') + model = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(model_id, device_map=self.device, trust_remote_code=True) + self.pipe = pipeline("text-generation", model=model, tokenizer=tokenizer) + + + def load_generator_model_from_together(self, model_id, api_key): + self.together_api_key = api_key + self.together_model_id = model_id + self.together_client = Together(api_key=api_key) + + + def load_generator_model_from_openai(self, model_id, api_key): + self.openai_api_key = api_key + self.openai_model_id = model_id + self.openai_client = OpenAI(api_key=api_key) + + + def split_docs(self, ls_docs, text_splitter) -> List[str]: + # print(f'- Chunk Size (#Tokens): {self.chunk_size}') + ls_chunks_temp= [] + for doc in tqdm([Document(page_content=doc) for doc in ls_docs], desc='- Splitting Documents to Chunks'): + ls_chunks_temp += text_splitter.split_documents([doc]) + + set_unique_texts = set() + ls_unique_chunks = [] + for chunk in tqdm(ls_chunks_temp, desc='- Removing Duplicated Chunks'): + if chunk.page_content not in set_unique_texts: + set_unique_texts.add(chunk.page_content) + ls_unique_chunks.append(chunk) + + ls_chunks = ls_unique_chunks + # cache_object(self.cache_dir, self.ls_chunks, 'chunks') + + print(f'- {len(ls_docs):,} Documents splitted into {len(ls_chunks):,} Chunks') + + self.ls_docs = ls_docs + self.ls_chunks = ls_chunks + return ls_chunks + + + def prepare_vector_db(self, ls_chunks): + def get_cur_time(): + return datetime.now().isoformat() + + time_start = get_cur_time() + print(f'- Vector DB ({self.device}): Start Embedding at {time_start}') + + self.vector_db = FAISS.from_documents( + ls_chunks, + self.embedding_model, + distance_strategy=DistanceStrategy.COSINE, + ) + + time_end = get_cur_time() + print(f'- Vector DB: Finished Embedding at {time_end}') + + # if self.cache_dir is not None: + # self.cache_vector_db() + + + def retrieve(self, ls_queries: List[str], num_retrievals: int) -> Dict[str, List[str]]: + ls_ls_docs = self.vector_db.batch_similarity_search(ls_queries, num_retrievals, True) + ls_rets = {k:[item.page_content for item in v] for k, v in zip(ls_queries, ls_ls_docs)} + return ls_rets + + + def rerank(self, ls_rets: Dict[str, List[str]], num_selections: int) -> Dict[str, List[str]]: + # ls_reranked_rets = {} + # for query, rets in tqdm(ls_rets.items(), total=len(ls_rets), desc='Reranking Retrievals'): + # relevant_docs_reranked = self.reranker.rerank(query, rets, k=num_selections) + # ls_reranked_rets[query] = [doc['content'] for doc in relevant_docs_reranked] + + # return ls_reranked_rets + + all_rets = list(set([item for sublist in list(ls_rets.values()) for item in sublist])) + ls_queries = list(ls_rets.keys()) + output = self.reranker.rerank(ls_queries, all_rets, k=num_selections) + ls_reranked_rets = {query: [item['content'] for item in output[ls_queries.index(query)]] for query in ls_queries} + torch.cuda.empty_cache() + return ls_reranked_rets + + def augmented_generate(self, query: str, context: str) -> str: + messages = [ + {'role': 'system', 'content': self.system_prompt}, + {'role': 'user', 'content': self.context_prompt.format(CONTEXT=context, QUERY=query)}, + ] + + if self.pipe: + print(self.generation_config) + output = self.pipe(messages, **self.generation_config) + response = output[0]['generated_text'] + + if self.together_client: + output = self.together_client.chat.completions.create(model=self.together_model_id, messages=messages) + response = output.choices[0].message.content + + if self.openai_client: + output = self.openai_client.chat.completions.create(model=self.openai_model_id, messages=messages) + response = output.choices[0].message.content + + return response + + + def create_prompts(self, ls_rets: Dict[str, List[str]]) -> Dict[str, List[str]]: + ls_generation_prompts = {} + for query, relevant_docs in tqdm(ls_rets.items(), total=len(ls_rets), desc='Creating Generation Prompts'): + docs_prompt = [f"Document {str(i)}:::\n{doc}" for i, doc in enumerate(relevant_docs)] + prompt_context = '\nExtracted documents:\n' + '\n'.join(docs_prompt) + ls_generation_prompts[query] = prompt_context + + return ls_generation_prompts + + + def generate_responses(self, ls_prompts: Dict[str, List[str]]) -> Dict[str, List[str]]: + ls_responses = {} + + for query, generation_prompt in tqdm(ls_prompts.items(), total=len(ls_prompts), desc='Generating Responses'): + answer = self.augmented_generate(query, generation_prompt) + ls_responses[query] = answer + + return ls_responses + + + @staticmethod + def run_pipeline_from_yaml(yaml_path): + with open(yaml_path, 'r') as file: + config = yaml.load(file, yaml.FullLoader) + + with open(config['dataset_path'], 'r') as file: + ds = json.load(file) + + rag_pipe = RAGPipeline(config['cache_dir'], config['system_prompt'], config['context_prompt']) + ls_docs = ds['corpus'] + ls_queries = list(ds['gold_answers'].keys()) + + match config['text_splitter']: + case 'char': + text_splitter = RAGTools.load_text_splitter_char(config['chunk_size'], config['split_overlap']) + case'recursive_char': + text_splitter = RAGTools.load_text_splitter_recursive_char(config['chunk_size'], config['split_overlap']) + case 'hf_tokenizer': + tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(config['text_splitter_model_id']) + text_splitter = RAGTools.load_text_splitter_hf_tokenizer(tokenizer, config['chunk_size'], config['split_overlap']) + case 'tiktoken': + text_splitter = RAGTools.load_text_splitter_tiktoken(config['text_splitter_model_id'], config['chunk_size'], config['split_overlap']) + pass + + rag_pipe.load_embedding_model_from_hf('thenlper/gte-small') + ls_chunks = rag_pipe.split_docs(ls_docs, text_splitter) + rag_pipe.prepare_vector_db(ls_chunks) + + ls_rets = rag_pipe.retrieve(ls_queries, config['num_retrievals']) + ds['pred_retrieves'] = ls_rets + ds['retrieval_eval']= RAGEval.retrieval_metrics(ls_rets, ds['gold_retrieves']) + + + if config['reranker_model_id']: + rag_pipe.load_reranker_model_from_hf(config['reranker_model_id']) + ls_reranked_rets = rag_pipe.rerank(ls_rets, config['num_selections']) + else: + ls_reranked_rets = ls_rets + + torch.cuda.empty_cache() + ds['reranker_eval']= RAGEval.retrieval_metrics(ls_reranked_rets, ds['gold_retrieves']) + + match config['generator']: + case 'hf': + rag_pipe.load_generator_model_from_hf(config['generator_model_id'], config['generator_model_config']) + case 'together': + rag_pipe.load_generator_model_from_together(config['generator_model_id'], config['api_key']) + case 'openai': + rag_pipe.load_generator_model_from_openai(config['generator_model_id'], config['api_key']) + + ls_prompts = rag_pipe.create_prompts(ls_reranked_rets) + # ls_responses = rag_pipe.generate_responses(ls_prompts) + # DEBUG + random_queries = list(ls_prompts.keys())[:10] + random_prompts = {k:ls_prompts[k] for k in random_queries} + ls_responses = rag_pipe.generate_responses(random_prompts) + # END DEBUG + ds['pred_answers'] = ls_responses + ds['generation_eval'] = RAGEval.generation_metrics(ls_responses, ds['gold_answers'], rag_pipe.embedding_model) + + print(f'- Saving Results @ {config['results_path']}') + with open(config['results_path'], 'w') as file: + json.dump(ds, file, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False) \ No newline at end of file